"Hello Alena."
His words rang in her head. Here he was, Batman, hanging upside down on her balcony, inches from her face. Obviously, he wasn't in a good mood, like always. How should she respond to him? Did he finally figure her out? What role was she to play? The act, or her real self?
After the torturing moment, Alena lowered her knife and stuttered, "Oh, Batman, you startled me! Sorry about the dagger, you have to be careful in this part of town, you know." She laughed uneasy, taking on the part of Alena Barrington, the quiet but confident secretary she had been deceiving everyone with for two months now.
All of a sudden, Batman jumped down, flipping upside again, and standing inches from her still. Uncomfortable, Alena cleared her throat and walked around him, going to the edge of the balcony, looking out at the city.
"So, what did you come here for? Did you need help with-"
"Drop the act, Deedee." He cut her off harshly.
Alena, or Deedee, turned around, finding him right in front of her again. Suddenly, he grabbed her arms with terrible force. Coldly, he demanded, "You've been playing me long enough! Who are you? What in the hell do you want with me? Are you a spy of Joker's? What?"
Alena's head dropped down slowly, but Batman wouldn't have it, "Tell me!"
Surprised and scared, Alena popped her head right back up. At this moment, Batman saw her eyes. They were purple, just like the time he first met her. Obviously, the dull green eyes she had shown off in public were only contacts.
Abruptly, Alena pushed herself out of Batman's arms and backed away, "Alright," she then went over to the far left side of the balcony and propped herself up on the railing against the wall, "I'll tell you everything. I guess there's really nothing to lose by me telling you anyway."
Batman didn't react at all, but only folded his arms and leaned against the opposite side that Alena was at. And then, he waited.
Taking in one last deep breath before spilling her life out, Alena closed her eyes, "I'll take you back to the beginning, back to when this web of disasters started:
My real name is Alena Davencourt. Just a little over seven months ago, I was at the top of the world. I was an Undercover Detective for the New York City Police Force, and everyone respected me. Even my obstinate boss, my father, Braden Davencourt, admired me.
But the one person that I appreciated the most was my boyfriend, Thomas Aldermen. He was a History teacher down at one of the public high schools in the city. He was like family to my parents and I; we had been dating for over a year, but it felt like a lifetime. With his blonde curly hair and piercing green eyes, it seemed he could do no wrong, especially when he smiled. He wasn't very outgoing, but he was incredibly humble and very sweet. I loved him completely.
But one day, I get a file on a man known as the Joker; he left a Joker card at every murder he committed. My father didn't want me to take the case; he felt that I was too young for something like this, even though I was twenty six at the time. However, after the long arguments, I took the case anyway.
I finally tracked down this 'Joker', and he finally found out I was undercover. When he learned I was called Detective Davencourt, he decided to always refer to me as 'Deedee'. I didn't think it was funny. As many times as I tracked him down, he always managed to escape. However, one time, he caught me. He tried tying me to a heavy weight and pushed me into a harbor. I wouldn't have gotten out, if it wasn't for my father.
Apparently, he had been my shadow for the past month. Joker found out and was enraged. However, I was not. Even though it ticked me off that my own dad had been tailing me, I was grateful he saved my life. We made up immediately.
However, the situation got worse. One night, at a warehouse, Joker and his men murdered many cops who had tracked them down there. I went to stop him. I tried, but he shot me. Luckily, it only grazed my side, but I was still wounded badly. He tried to kill me again, but I shot him in the side of the head before he had the chance. Like my wound, it only grazed him, but caused him to fall backwards into a pit of chemicals.
Whatever was in that batch of chemicals greatly increased his disgust for me. His face was permanently damaged, leaving him with green hair, a white face, and red ruby lips. His appearance is disturbing, as you've seen. But, looking over the side, I thought he was dead. I thought my greatest threat was gone.
A few days later, my boyfriend came by my apartment, saying he had something to show me. I obliged, and we went downstairs and out into the street. I tried to get him to take my car, but he wanted to walk over to the park just across the street. So, I went with him.
A picnic was waiting for me. As corny as it sounds, I thought it was wonderful. A picnic at sunset in the park; how romantic. He proposed to me. Naturally, I accepted it and relished in the fact I was a fiancée the entire time. But, all of a sudden, my dreams crashed when my cell phone rang…
I saw it was my parents, and picked it up. When I answered, I heard a hysterical laugh. And then, Joker said, 'you may have been able to escape me twice, and you might again if you're lucky. However, your parents aren't as fortunate as you.' He hung up, and I screamed and yelled to Thomas what I had heard. He tried to keep me level, saying these words I will never forget, 'Everything's gonna be alright Allie. Just listen to me: wait here, I'll come for you.' He kissed me on the forehead, and then took my keys and ran to my car.
His words helped, and I knew I had to save my parents, or at least try. So, I got up, and began running towards the street where my car was parked. I saw it in my view finally, seeing Thomas just get inside of it. And then, in a flash, it was gone.
When Thomas turned the car on, it exploded. Joker had set a trap for me, to kill me. But it backfired on the sole person I had loved. I screamed and ran towards the burning car. I screamed and backed away from it when I saw his burnt body disintegrating. At that moment, I snapped.
I walked away from the car, going crazy with rage. I knew there was only one place left, one piece of happiness left that I might be able to save. But, by the time I got there, it was already too late. I walked into an already opened door of my parents' home, turning from rage to shock.
The room was a gigantic mess. Both of my parent's blood was everywhere. I looked all around for them, and finally found them both on the kitchen floor. I ran to both of them, but they were already dead. I placed my hand down next to my dad's corpse and felt something. I looked at my hand and saw I had picked up a dagger. I flung it from my hands and realized that I had both my father's blood on them and know my fingerprints on the dagger. I ran to the bathroom with the dagger, hoping to wash the prints away before the cops arrived. However, all over the bathroom walls I found words written in blood that read, 'they have to pay, they all have to pay. My parents can't ignore me; Thomas can't leave me! They will die!'
I screamed, dropped the dagger. Joker had thought the entire thing through: he knew that I would panic from the phone call, that Thomas would get the car for me, that he would die, that I would at least try to save my parents, and that it would already be too late. I ran into the main room and tripped over one of the vases that was dropped on the floor. Looking up, I saw a letter with my name written on it.
Knowing it could not get worse than the rock bottom I was at, I opened it. All it read in big purple letters was, 'Happy Birthday Deedee.'
And that was it. That was the crazy demented crime that I was framed for. I left New York; changing my look and identity. I would have gone somewhere else, but I couldn't. I found out that Joker was coming here. I didn't know why, but I knew that I had to follow him. I knew I had to come here to help you. I know a lot more about this manic than you; as stubborn as you've been the last couple of months, I've been trying to help you defeat him. I don't know what Joker's ultimate plan is yet, but I believe that is where we can help each other. We can work together to bring him and his men down. All I need for you to do is to trust me.
Bats, you might think I'm crazy, but I'm not. I'm desperate. Please, help me get him; Gotham will suffer as much as I have or more if we don't stop him."
Batman stood silent before her for a very long time after she had finished. He pondered whether this girl was telling him the truth; she could be undercover for Joker. However, he himself knew the pain of loosing parents, and he could see the same fear he still is haunted by in Alena's violet eyes.
But, since she had not told him anything until now, he had to stay on his guard. Coldly, he simply asked, "Do you have any proof?"
Alena nodded slowly, even though Batman could see he had hurt her for not trusting in her, she went inside and soon returned with a folder.
The folder she handed to him was a file of the murder of Braden and Louis Davencourt, along with Thomas Alderman's murder. Batman looked up at her confused.
Alena understood his eyes before he even said anything and told him, "There wasn't a newspaper on the murders, as hard as it is to believe coming from NYC. But the cops and some FBI agents that took the case made sure it was classified. All anyone in the city knew and still believes is that they were all accidents. I stole these files from the station so I would know what the police were intending on doing about the situation, and if they would come after me. I've made it my mission to stay hidden, and so far, the only people who know I'm here are also fugitives and you."
Then, she took a few steps towards him, coming very close. She pulled out the silver chain hidden inside her white t-shirt which revealed a ring dangling on the end of it. She held the ring up for him to look at it.
The engagement ring was a simple silver band with three very small diamonds in the center, and on the inside of the band, it read, 'T.A loves A.D.'
"How original, huh?" Alena jokingly added as he read the inscription. She laughed suddenly, taking the subtle joke too far.
She choked on a few tears suddenly, and quickly turned away from him, walking quickly to the end of the balcony. She was hurt bad; Batman knew that she wasn't lying to him. All of it was true.
Forgetting he was even in his bat suit, he came up behind her and soothingly took her in his arms. Alena, feeling this an awkward moment, and still clueless to the fact this was her boyfriend Bruce, she didn't move a muscle. She looked out from his chest worriedly, wondering why he was doing this. But, reminded of the past by her warm tears, she let go of the uncomfortable feeling and collapsed in his arms.