*Chapter 4: Attacked and Rescued*
"Good morning, Mia!" Trixie greeted by the front desk. "So? How was your date with Bruce?"
"It's not a date. And it was nice." Mia said. "My son liked the manor and Tim was there and those two got along well. So, we got to know each other and...become friends." Trixie smiled at her. "What?"
"Sooner or later, Bruce would ask you out. You'll see." Trixie said with a wink. "Oh, and...seems like you got a admirer." Trixie hands Mia the card with a red rose. Mia took the rose and open the card. Who would give her a card? Somebody in this hospital?
Don't promise me the moon and the stars.
Instead, promise me that you'll be there, standing beside me and holding my hand, sharing the beauty with me.
- Your secret admirer.
"Strange." Mia spoke.
"You know, you haven't worked here for long. One of the doctors likes you already." Trixie said. "Never knew any one of them would write poems." Mia puts the card down and sniff the fresh red rose. She couldn't help but to smile. "Okay Nurse Harlow. Stop daydreaming. We got a job to focus on." Trixie said, walking away. Mia chuckled.
Outside the glass doors, the man in a trench coat walked away with a cigarette in his mouth. He couldn't believe he had to do this for his boss. Leaving a poem and rose there. His boss doesn't even know the woman. One of these days, they will meet.
The end of her day of work came and she is driving home where her son awaits. She wondered how his first day of school went. Hopefully the school is good for him. His old school has random fights. Kids cause trouble by bullying and start fights. Mia had to pull him out of there. The last thing she wanted is to have her son injured.
Mia made it to the apartment building and called her son down to meet her outside. She decided that she and him will go out for dinner at the diner. Thunder rumbles in a sky.
"Oh no..." Mia groaned. Axel came out of the building, putting on his jacket and put a hoodie on. "Come on." Mia said as Axel hurried inside the car. "It just had to rain."
"Good thing we're not walking." Axel said. "So, how was your day at work?"
"It was good! Really good. And how was your first day of school?" Mia asked.
"It's okay. Just...different." Axel said. "I'll get used to it." Mia drove down the street. Axel turned on the radio. A song was playing.
Baby, I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the grey,
Ooh, the more I get of you, the stranger it feels, yeah.
Now that your rose is in bloom-
Mia changes the station. Axel turned to her in confusion. Mia didn't hate the song, but it made her feel blue. It was Walter's favorite song by Seal. It was their song. One of their wedding songs. Whenever the song was played, Mia would change the song or never get into it like everyone else is.
"Mom, you love that song." Axel said.
"Loved." Mia corrected him. "I'm sorry, it's just...it's your dad's favorite song. It was one of the songs we chose for our wedding. We danced to it and...he sang it once for me."
"It's just a song. You can still listen to it." Axel told her. "Dad wouldn't want you to turn away from-"
"Axel, please." Mia said. Axel kept his mouth shut. Mia held back her tears as she drives by the diner. The car was parked next to the building. Some people walk by with umbrellas. "We're here." Mia said.
She and Axel got out of the car and hurry inside the diner. It is also decorated for Valentine's Day. It wasn't crowded. One of the waitresses welcomed them and offer them a booth or bar. Mia chose a booth. She sat the opposite side of Axel. They both look around and notice a couple of cops are eating their dinners. Must be their break from patrolling the city. That made Mia and Axel feel safer. At least Mia didn't feel self conscious about wearing her nurse uniform as the cops are in their uniforms.
"Good evening, you two. Here are your menus." The waitress said as she hands them menus. "Would you like anything to drink?"
"I'd like some water please." Mia said, smiling.
"A pepsi." Axel said, looking at the menu.
"Okay. I'll give you a minute." The waitress said, walking away. Mia looked over at her son.
"So, kiddo." She spoke. "I see that you and Tim have been talking while I was speaking with Bruce." Axel nodded. "He's a nice man, huh?"
"Yeah. He's really cool." Axel said. He remembered talking to Tim about being Robin while his mother and Bruce were speaking elsewhere. Tim had told him that Bruce has been Batman for nine years and brought the bad guys justice. Axel was fascinated by the stories Tim told him. Yet, he still can't tell his mom the secret.
Four thugs walked down the sidewalk, passing by the apartment buildings. They've been trying to look for anyone to mug. Money, jewelry, anything. Then, they all see a car pull up. They act casual when Mia and Axel got out of the car as they approach them. Before Mia could open the door, Axel noticed the men coming up to them.
"Hey." One of them said. Mia turned to see them. The other thugs got out their weapons. A guns. One of them has a knife. "Hand over the purse."
"Mom..." Axel spoke. Mia brought her son behind her to protect him.
"Give it to us!" The third thug demanded.
"Okay! Okay!" Mia threw her purse a them. One thug looked through her purse. Only dollar bills. She never brought her wallet with cards. She could only bring cash. "You can have whatever you want. Just leave. Please." Mia said calmly.
"What else ya got?" The third thug asked, coming up to her.
"I don't have anything!" Mia said. "Please, leave us alone!" One of the thugs grabbed her wrist and see her wedding ring.
"Well, lookie here!" He said. "This ring must've cost a fortune!"
"Give us the ring!"
"Yeah!"
"If ya don't we will shoot!" The thugs are throwing threats at Mia. The woman hits one of them and grab Axel and they run away. "Hey! Ya can't run from us!" The thugs ran after them in a rain.
Mia and Axel rushed across the streets, nearly got hit by the car. She needs to keep her son safe. They both hear gunshots behind them.
"We have to call the police!" Mia said. "Axel, please tell me you have your phone!"
"I...I don't." Axel said, shaking his head.
"Damn it." Mia hissed. "Oh god, this is bad."
"Over there!" A thug shouted as he sees them. "They're in the alley!"
"Axel, run." Mia said. "Call for help!"
"Mom, I can't leave you!" Axel said.
"Axel, go! Now!" Mia said with a look. "Find help! Call the police!" Axel backed away and ran down the alley. Mia backed up as the thugs slowly approach her.
"You bitch! Nowhere to run now!" One of them said. Mia is terrified. She tried not to show she is afraid, but she failed as she was grabbed and she let out a scream. She is going to be killed.
XX
Axel ran out of the alley and found himself in a middle of the street. A black car is approaching. Axel let out a scream and got down, holding his head, waiting for a hit. But, the car hit the brakes. Axel brought his head up to see the front of the car. It's not an ordinary car. It's a Batmobile. The boy stood up and see the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder got out. Batman approached Axel.
"Are you okay?" He asked, grabbing his shoulders. "What're you doing in a streets?"
"Batman..." Axel spoke. He couldn't believe it. First he saw the Batcave, and now he is speaking to the Dark Knight. Axel snapped out of his trance as he remembered his mother. "You...you have to help me!" He said. "My mom! The thugs were trying to mug us!"
"What?!" Robin cried out. They all hear a scream for help from the alley.
"C'mon! We have to help her!" Axel said, running back to the alley.
"Wait!" Batman called. He and Robin followed him. Batman caught up with the boy by grabbing his hoodie. "Stay with Robin. I'll handle them." He ran pass him. Axel looked up at Robin.
"Are you gonna help him?" Axel asked. "He can't fight those guys alone."
"Just watch and see." Robin said.
Mia was pinned to the wall. Her ring was taken. She started to cry. She is drenched from the rain. The thugs laughed at her. Lightning hits, showing a silhouette of Batman behind them. Mia noticed a dark figure on the fence and let out a gasp. The batarang hits one of the thugs. They turned to see the Dark Knight leap at them.
"It's Batman!" One of them shouted. Mia slipped away and watch as Batman crack his knuckles at the thugs.
"You want some? Fine with me." He spoke calmly. The thugs rush towards him, bringing their fists up to punch the Dark Knight, but Batman grabs two of the thugs and bash their head together to knock them out. Axel winced at bit as he watched.
"Ouch." He said. Two thugs remaining. One of them grabbed a gun, about to shoot Batman, but the hook grabbed the weapon from Batman's grapple. He threw the gun aside and cape stuns him. He punches the thug and threw him down to the ground and hit him in a head. Mia watched the last thug pick up the pipe and snuck up behind Batman.
"Look out!" She cried. As soon as Batman turned around, the pipe hits him in a face, making him see stars. The thug laughed and hits him in a back of the head. Robin jumped in to fight the thug off. Mia came over to Batman who is holding his head with a groan. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Fine... Just..." Batman trailed off as he loses balance. Mia held his head and see his eyes are shut. He's out cold. That man hit him hard. Axel came over to his mother's side.
"Is he dead?" Axel asked in worry.
"No. He passed out. He was hit hard in a head." Mia said. "We have to help him." She was about to take off his mask, but Robin stopped her hand with his Bo Staff. He just finished knocking out a thug sitting against the wall.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Robin said.
"I'm a nurse." Mia said. "I can help."
"He'll be fine. Just help me take him to the Batmobile." Robin said. Axel stood up and look at the Boy Wonder.
"She'll find out." He whispered to him. "But, she can patch him up. She can keep a secret too. No one else needs to know."
"Axel, what're you talking about?" Mia asked. Robin stared at the boy, then at Mia. He recalled the day he became Robin half a year ago after he found out who Batman is. Bruce trusts him after all the training and Tim never told a soul. Maybe Batman could trust Mia and Axel. "Robin, let me help him. I'm a nurse. We will be on our way after I am done. Whoever this is, I won't tell anyone. I promise you." Mia said. Robin sighed and nodded.
"Let's take him to the car. We're going straight to the Batcave." He said, helping Mia lift up the Dark Knight. They drag him to the Batmobile as Axel follows.
Axel sat in a passenger seat as Robin drives the Batmobile. Mia is in the back with Batman's head on her lap. The woman was tempted to remove the cowl. She stares down at the handsome face of Batman. Her fingers went under the mask and slowly remove it...