Batman Return of the Dark Nights

Written by: Panthera

Disclaimer: The characters within this story belong to DC Comics and Warner Brothers I have just borrowed them for a while. No harm is meant I will return them unharmed when I'm finished the only character contained within that is not DC is that of Zanah she is an original character created by me and my friend.  Now, on with the story.

Chapter Six

Selina woke a little after noon and called Commissioner Gordon. She had to make him well aware someone was trying to kill Bruce Wayne and him.

"Hello, Commissioner Gordan speaking."

"Commissioner the two men arrested at the charity ball were sent to kill you and Mr. Wayne. I have no doubt that who ever hired them will try again. Your lives are in danger don't let your guard down for a moment."

"Look miss I told you before there are enough problems in Gotham without your alleged conspiracy to have me and Mr. Wayne murdered. If you have a real tip bring it in otherwise stop wasting my time," Gordan said and with that he hung up the phone.

Selina swore in frustration at being rebuked again. Damn him I'm trying to keep him alive and he just ignores me. Gotham is in trouble and they are both to blind to see how much danger they're really in. For now I guess I'll have to cover their backs.

She then moved back into her room and got dressed, as she did her mind drifted back to last night. "Damn while I was there last night I forgot to pick up my cat." Selina swore in frustration. She moved back into the kitchen grabbed some breakfast and then left.

At Wayne Manor…

Julie pulled through the front gate of Wayne Manor a parked her car. She moved up the steps uneasy last night's events shaking her. Bruce had explained the outburst and assured her that Selina meant nothing to him, but she still had her doubts. Julie rang the bell.

"Good after noon Miss Madison. Master Bruce is in the dinning room waiting for you."  

"Thanks Alfred… How is he?"

"Master Wayne is still a little shaken."

"Why?"

"I'll let him fill you in Miss."

Julie walked into the dining room and closed the door. Bruce sat at the end of the table his brow was furrowed and he looked very uneasy. "Hello Bruce." She said.

"Julie. Am I ever glad to see you," he whispered standing up and helping her get seated.

"What's wrong Bruce?" She asked.

"That woman who I told you about…"

"The one who warned you your life was in danger?"

"Yes. She was right."

"What?"

"Don't be afraid… I'm perfectly fine."

"No your not. Tell me what happened."

"Two men showed up at the ball last night carrying guns and silencers."

"Bruce…"

"I told you I'm fine."

"You look like you've seen a gho…" she began. "This isn't about them it's about her."

"I told you she is the past you're my future."

In the hall…

Dick and Zanah are discussing lunch.

"Well we could eat here or we could go out and grab a bite." Dick said.

"Oh I don't know which sounds better, why don't we step into the dining room and make up our mind."

"No, lets not go in there."

"Why?"

"Julie is over for lunch. I'd imagine she and Bruce are in there and we shouldn't disturb them."

"I see your point so lets go out for lunch then." Zanah whispered.

Dick nodded and they left.

Alfred watched as they left and smiled. He had been hesitant about letting Zanah into the house but he had to admit he liked her a lot. She was just what Dick needed, some one his own age with similar interests. Alfred looked at the dining room door and shook his head if only Bruce would be honest with himself.

Outside…

Selina knocked on the front door at Wayne Manor a little after nine. She stood there for several minutes with no answer. So she knocked again. Selina brushed her hair out of her eyes and straightened out her shirt uneasy. She felt like an intruder as she waited for someone to answer. She turned to leave as Alfred said.   "Miss Kyle."

"Hello Alfred, would you please tell Mr. Wayne that I'm here."

"Of course Miss, but do come in and wait in the lounge."

"Alfred, I don't know if that's such a good idea. He's not exactly too happy with me."

"Don't be silly come in."

"Okay," Selina said as she stepped into the house. Alfred led her into the lounge and then disappeared to get Bruce Wayne.

Selina sat down on the couch as flashes of the past came to her. She saw herself and Bruce sitting on that same couch. She watched as Alfred brought in a tray of tea.

"Thank you Alfred," Bruce said.

"Bruce I'm sure he's wonderful company, but doesn't the gold plated bachelor bit get a little stale."

"A lot like the lonely secretary syndrome, I guess."

"Executive assistant."

"Oh, sorry."

"Secretary…. A girl friend." She had said as they turned and faced each other.

"Sure… Oh, you mean serious ah no. Had one didn't work."

"What went wrong? Hang on I think I know…you kept things from her."

"No, I told her everything."

"Oh, and the truth frightened her."

"Well, there are two truths and she had trouble reconciling them because I had trouble reconciling them."

"Yea."

"See Vicky thought…"

"Vicky ice skater or stewardess?" She had asked with a smile and a soft laugh.

"No, she was a photo journalist," he replied with a laugh.

"Well, was Vicky right about your difficulty with duality?"

"See, if I say yes then ah you're going to think of me as a Norman Bates uh Ted Bundy and um well you might not let me kiss you."

"It's the so called normal guys that let you down. Sickos never scare me, at least they're committed."

"Well yea," Bruce had said in reply and she moved towards him knocking him back as she kissed his lips. She had clawed at him and found the injury she had inflicted on him as Batman the night before. He had moved her arms and his fingers brushed against the injury she had received the night before. She stopped suddenly sat up out of breath. "No, you can't do that. I can't let you do that."

"Neither can I," he had replied.

The TV announced the ice princess had been kidnapped and Batman was a suspect. Selina looked at her watch and Bruce stands up.

"I need to get out of here." He had said.

"No, it's your house I have to…"

"Hold on, just sit for a second, try to relax and I'll be right back." Bruce had said before leaving the room. Selina gathered her things and had to leave.

"Miss Kyle…"

"Alfred hi."

"Mr. Wayne told me to tell you…"

"Mr. Wayne, oh Bruce yes would you tell him for me that I've been going through a lot of changes… No um just that this is not a rejection my abruptly leaving in fact he makes me feel the way I hope I really am. No, could you just make up a sonnet or dirty limerick." She had asked.

"One has just sprung to mind."

"Great." She had said as she turned and started to run off."

"This way mum," Alfred had said pointing in the other direction.

"Thanks." She had said before leaving.

The door closing interrupted her thoughts. Selina looked up to see Bruce as he walked into the room. His body grew tense as he spotted her on that couch recalling the last time they had been on it.

Selina stood up feeling very out of place. "Relax Bruce, I only came for my cat," she said never making eye contact with him afraid that he would be able to see everything she was feeling.

Bruce called softly and the cat walked into the room, he picked it up and handed it to Selina.

"Thanks for taking care of her for me," Selina said and she turned to leave.

"Selina wait. I'm sorry about what I said at the charity ball the other day. You were telling the truth and I didn't want to listen."

"Hey, don't worry about it Bruce."

"Selina why did you come back?"

"Give me one good reason why I should." She said angrily.

He said nothing surprised by this response and he watched as she left.

Bruce stood silent for several moments staring at the couch the past calling to him. He turned away at the sound of the front door closing and then returned to the dining room and Julie.

"Who was it?" Julie asked.

"Selina."

"What did she want?"

"Her cat."

"You had her cat. Why, you told me she was just an old girlfriend."

"She was. The Cat was a stray I found it and took it in."

"She left it for you."

"I guess."

"Bruce where are you?"

"I'm right here."

"No, you're not. You left the moment she showed up. Where are you?"

"I don't know Julie. I just don't know." He replied and it was clear that fact up set him.

"I'm sorry Bruce, I'm not meaning to trouble you… Let's talk about this later."

"Okay," he said sitting down. And they both fell silent as they ate.

Else Where…

Dick looked over at Zanah and wondered what she was thinking about.

"Penny for your thoughts," he said ending the silence that had settled between them since they finished breakfast.

"Did you have anywhere you need to do?"

"No. Did you have something specific you wanted to do?"

"Any good at pinball?"

"Never tried it before."

"I think you'll like the game."

"Where to?"

"An arcade."

Dick turned the car and headed in the direction of the local arcade. Minutes later the two climbed out of the car and walked into a crowded and loud building. The building was filled with various games. Working their way through the crowd the two made it to the back where several pinball machines were set up. Zanah moved towards them while Dick got change. She was studying their setup when he came back. After a couple minutes of scrutiny she picked one of the machines.

"Ready to try this," she asked.

"I'm ready when you are."

Zanah grinned as she put some change in the machine. Pressing of two credits she looked over at him and asked, "Do you want to go first?"

"No, ladies first," he replied.

Zhana nodded and stepped up to the machine. She hit the plunger and moved her fingers to the flippers. Her eyes glued to the ball. She made several good flips and a couple great saves before the ball drained. "You're up."

Dick nodded and moved up to the machine. He copied her actions focusing on the pinball but his flips weren't as sure and the ball drained quickly. "What am I doing wrong," he asked.

"Nothing, it just takes some practice. Try using one flipper at a time instead of together next time," Zanah said before she started her second round.

They played a couple other games after they finished the first and Dick got better. After their third game Dick asked, "How about a game a pool?"

"I'm game. Lead the way."

"Rather than stick around here why don't we go back to the manor?"

"Okay."

The two then turned and left getting in the car they headed for home.

At the Loft…

Selina returned to the empty loft and walked into her room. She put the cat down on the floor and climbed into her bed. The cat meowed and Selina picked her up. The cat lay content for a moment and then meowed again. "You miss him don't you? I know, I miss him too, but we can't let him know that Miss Kitty. He has to realize he misses us," Selina whispered.  The cat purred softly and looked at her. Selina scratched the cat's shoulder blades and looked at the tag on her collar. "He gave you a name," Selina said surprised. "Well hello Isis," she whispered before she closed her eyes and dosed off.

Across Town…

"Hello I'm here to see Mr. Daggett."

"And who may I ask is inquiring?" the secretary asked.

"The delivery men."

"Hold on a moment," she said she pushed the intercom button on her desk and said. "Mr. Daggett the delivery men are here to see you."

"Send them in."

"Yes sir… He will see you." She said opening the door.

The two men stepped into the office and closed the door.

"Gentle men you assured me that Mr. Wayne and Gordon would receive there present. What happened?"

"We're really sorry sir. Some kick boxing blonde led lead us into the bathroom and the next thing I know Rex had his head stuck in the urinal."

"Yea and when I came to Bobby was hanging from the toilet by his tie."

"Blonde… What did she look like?"

"White blonde hair athletic build…"

"Like this?" Daggett interrupted showing them a picture of Zanah.

"Yes."

"Find her I want her…. No, on second thought stay out of this matter I have just the man for the job." "Sit…I give you your instructions in a minute." Daggett picked up the phone.

Across Town…

 Mat Hagen walked into his trailer done with his work for the day. As soon as he sat down the phone rang. "Hagen."

"Mat I have a job that takes your expertise."

"What do you need?"

Daggett's Office…

"I have a little bird whose wings I'd like you to clip." Daggett said staring at the picture.

Matt's Trailer…

"Who?"

"I have a photo stop by and pick it up if your interested along with your prepay."

"How much do I make?"

"Three cases."

"I'll be by tonight."

"Good."

"It's a pleasure doing business with you sir." Hagen said before hanging up. I'm back in business.

Daggett's Office…

Daggett stared at the picture for a moment and then said, "Zanah my dear you're going to be home very soon… Look out Mr. Wayne your number's up, and with you the Gordon and Batman gone Gotham will be mine… Hagen will have to be dealt with eventually."

"We'll take care of him sir," Bobby said.

"Not until Zanah is back in the fold."

"Understood."

" Boys I want you to deliver the present to Gordon in two days at work… lay low until then, I'm sending in a team to help."

"Yes sir. What about Wayne?"

"All in good time. Now go."

The two men rose and left the office, leaving Daggett alone. It won't be long now. Soon Gotham city you will be mine and there will be no one to stop me.