The Tumbler charged through the waterfall and into the dark cave. Parking it, Batman glided out, heading towards his case where he leaves his attire. However, he heard a loud beep suddenly.
Turning, he saw his six computers on, and someone was in his tall chair typing something. His eyes narrowed and he marched up to find Alena, sitting in his chair.
"And what do you think you're doing down here?" Batman asked in his usual harsh voice.
"I'm researching online what events are taking place tomorrow night; Joker hinted that his plans will go off then."
But he confronted her still, "So you came down here without my permission?"
However, Alena wasn't paying attention, "Hey! Look at this!" He sighs and looks up at the screen.
She reads aloud, "'The Fall Ball recognizing Gotham's new Mayor, Ryan Zelasko, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Among the many renowned faces planning on attending is Bruce Wayne'…and you get the rest. Bats, anyone who's anyone is going to be at that ball; including our good friend-"
"Joker." Batman cut her off sharply.
"Yep. We have to be there tomorrow night. And since you have an invitation obviously, we don't have to worry about sneaking in. We'll stay undercover and look around for any kind of abnormal activity. If he comes out, have your suit at the ready and I'll cover Bruce's exit while you become Batman. If you need me to back you up, I'll be ready."
Batman nodded slightly in agreement, thinking about the ball and if something horrible happens-
Alena looked up at him, and slowly stood up, "Now, back to what you were saying. I don't need your permission to come down here. Since you invited me to stay here, I have the right to go wherever I please in this house. Plus, Al let me down."
Batman snapped back into the present day when she said this, "I'm going to kill him." But as soon as Batman said that, he realized how close Alena was to him; as a matter of fact, she was pressing herself against him.
"Bats, you know that nothing could keep me from coming down here. I mean, look at this," she moved away from him, walking around and looking everywhere, "It's incredible."
Batman walked over to her, and she finished by saying to him, "Besides, you know you want me to try out some of your cool gadgets you have hidden down here. Like the throwy-ma-bobber thing or the rope-pulley-upper thing. I know I don't' know the 'proper' names for them, but I bet it'd be quick to teach me how to use th-"
"Alena." Batman asked in a very deep, and to Alena, sexy voice.
She closed her eyes for a brief second, enjoying the way he said her name, "Yeah?"
"You talk too much." In seconds Batman reached out and grabbed Alena, pulling her to him forcefully, kissing her intensely.
Alena couldn't stand it. All in a moment she burned for him; she couldn't keep her hands off him. She felt very lucky in her situation; he loved having her sweet caring Bruce and the rugged hard Batman all wrapped up in one package.
Batman's feelings were different. Yes, he felt he could never let go of her. However, he didn't want to because of what he thought might happen. He didn't want her out fighting; he didn't want a hand laid on her. He wanted to keep her safe and out of Joker's reach. They both knew that Joker was planning on killing Alena; if she wasn't ready, he might prevail.
The following evening, Alena was in Bruce's room putting on the diamond earrings Bruce gave her. As she finished pinning on the last earring, there was a polite nock at the door.
"You can come in Al," she answered gently as she patted her long, straight brunette hair that was partially pinned in the back.
"I came on Master Bruce's behalf, he-" Alfred stopped. Alena turned around as he spoke, revealing her beauty.
She wore a long, black, strapless dress with a long slit on the left side and matching stiletto heels. Her choker diamond necklace sparkled with the earrings along with the clip in the back of her hair. Alena smiled bashfully, knowing why he had stopped talking.
"You are flawless Allie," he said merrily as she came over and hugged him thankfully, "I still wonder how Bruce managed to end up with someone like you."
"Oh, don't give him a hard time; he won my heart better than any other man could."
"Say what you will; I stand by what I said. He has asked me to escort you to the cave now."
"Alright Al; if you insist." They made their way down the great staircase and into the library. Alfred walked up to the gigantic golden framed mirror next to the bookcases. He pressed both index fingers on opposite ends of the glass, and the mirror smoothly swung open.
Alfred led Alena down a corridor and stopped at the end where a spiral staircase whirled downwards. He nudged her to go down, and left her to go on alone.
As she walked down the staircase, the enormous cave appeared. Bats were hanging from the ceiling, the waterfall roaring in the far left-hand corner, and many other interesting and secret weapons and vehicles were placed throughout the vast place.
When she reached the final step, she saw Bruce looking in a full-seized mirror, trying to finish putting on his tux. Quietly and sweetly, Alena came up behind him and ran her fingers along his back. When Bruce turned, she began tying his black tie for him.
"You look stunning." Bruce barely said.
"Bruce, I really suggest you get some new lines. As I recall, the last time I wore an elegant dress around you that was the first thing you replied to me."
She finished the tie, she began buttoning his jacket up. Bruce didn't take his eyes off of her, "It's true."
Alena looked up at him. She felt so nervous every time he looked at her like that. Those big blue eyes were so intoxicating. She couldn't help but place a sweet kiss upon his lips.
Afterwards, she asked, "Are you all geared up?"
Bruce nodded and turned away from her, gathering more things, "Yes, and I have some thing I want you to put on."
He turned back to her with a knife, a pistol, and a small black pager device.
She gave him a confused look, "You got me; what is this?"
"It's like a silent alarm. If you ever get into trouble and you can't get out of it, just press this button."
She chuckled and looked up at him, "And where, billionaire genius, do you expect me to put these things? I'm showing enough of me as it is; I think people will notice if I'm walking around holding a gun and knife in my hands."
Bruce grinned at her unthankfully, and then bent down, "Oh, I've thought about this, believe me. Don't worry, no one will find them."
He took out a black strap and lifted up her dress.
"What in the Hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled as he tried to tie the strap onto her right leg.
"I'm putting this here so you can have these things on you without anyone being able to see it."
"But what if someone brushes us against my inner leg?"
Bruce looked up at her, a little surprised, "Are you planning on letting anyone dance with you while having their leg entwined in yours besides me tonight?"
Alena narrowed her eyes at him when he went back to putting the gadgets on her, "No. I just don't want to get caught with this stuff, that's all. And, I don't think we should go together to the Ball."
Bruce finished strapping her up as she said that. Not quite sure of what she had said, he asked, "What?"
"I-I just don't think it's a good idea for us to be together there. If I know Jack, and I do, he'll be there and so will his stupid brutes. If he saw us together, he'd figure it out. I can't risk your identity being figured out by him. You're my weakness; he'd find a way to take you from me and torture you until I give into him and whatever he wants to do to Gotham. As much as you may not like the idea; it's best that we go in separate cars to this Ball and try to avoid each other. I mean, I've got this alarm button thing and I'll just squeeze my legs real tight if I need Batman to come out. Are you alright with this?"
She watched him walk over to the computers, in deep thought. But his answer she didn't expect.
Without eye contact, he replied, "Okay."
"Okay? Aren't you going to yell at me or try to tell me otherwise about this plan? I mean, you're Batman! As long as I've known you you've been the one making your own decisions and not taking advice or direction from anyone else about how to plan a fight. What's the change?"
Bruce took a deep breath and looked up into her amethyst eyes finally, "You have Alena. Before you came along; I was a loner. I didn't take direction from anyone. But now, as Batman, I have more of an 'open-mind', I guess you could say, about a partnership."
"A partnership?"
"Yes. The two of us fighting crime together. But we'll talk about that another night. Now, tonight, you're absolutely right in us not being around each other. We have to make this look like we aren't involved; we have to be professional. Just act the way we used to; back when you hated me and all."
"I did not hate you!" Alena argued as he approached her.
"Oh really? I remember the words, 'you're a playboy who only dates sluts'. I don't know any other secretary of mine that said that directly to my face."
"I was not your secretary 'Mr. Wayne'. I was your secretary's assistant."
He grabbed her and took her in his arms, smiling slyly, "Whatever you are Allie, you're a smart one. And you're too good for me."
"I think it's the other way around Bats," she whispered right before he drew her in for a kiss.
"Relax everyone! The life of the party is here!" Bruce exclaimed to all the guests at the Ritz hotel Fall Ball. They cheered and many people went to greet him as he made the rounds.
He searched the entire room, but couldn't find Joker or his cohorts anywhere. However, he did find Ryan Zelasko, shaking hands with many at the front table. The Fall Ball feast they had been planning wasn't going to be served for another ten minutes, so Bruce had time to make arrangements to be near him at the table; just in case.
Just as he was about to walk over there, he overheard two stuck up, 30-something old stock brokers talk vigorously, "Wow, what a knockout she is!"
Hoping they were staring at some celebrity blonde coming in, Bruce turned just to reassure himself. However, she wasn't blonde, and she was only famous to him.
Alena came walking into the room looking more beautiful than ever. She looked his way right off the bat, and nodded very lightly saying with her majestic eyes, 'I'm alright. Go forward with the plan.'
She began to walk off to another part of the room, and Bruce felt relaxed again. However, he heard the stock-brokers just by his right shoulder talk again, "Man, if I had a chance to bang that one, I'd-"
Bruce back-punched the man with his left fist. He fell to the floor, and the other man looked at Bruce both shocked and scared.
He shrugged and said to the people staring, "I don't like brokers." and casually walked off.
Alena, however, was behind the stage they had straight across from where the Mayor's table was located. Apparently there was an act tonight, and she wanted to check out what was going on. There was nothing back there. She found a dark door in the far left corner, and opened it.
Going inside, she found herself in the hall where the kitchen supplies were. Obviously, the kitchen was just next to the stage. All of a sudden, she heard some men coming. So, she opened the first door she saw and shut herself inside of it. The dark janitor's closet was uncomfortable, but she stuck it out while the men walked down the hall.
"Thank you so much for letting me help out with the dinner tonight Mr. Lances. I appreciate this opportunity to work with you guys!"
"Oh sure John, anything for a chef from New York City. I bet that special sauce you added will make the appetizer soup taster divine!"
Alena pushed the door open very slightly, and faintly saw the two men conversing outside. She kept her hands over her mouth from gasping. The man that Mr. Lances was talking to was the same man that helped beat her up at her apartment a week ago. It was one of Joker's bozos!
It all made sense now. The chemical stolen from the lab, the secret files, the big 'explosion'. Joker was planning on poisoning every important authority figure in Gotham through a simple soup!
The two men walked down the hallway and turned the corner. Alena came out of the closet and ran into the kitchen. She looked around and found men putting the soup into the large beautifully decorated bowl they would serve the people with.
"Hey! What're you doing back here! You have to leave now miss!" A man said.
Alena ran for the soup yelling, "No! You can't serve that! STOP!"
However, the only one that was stopped was her. A man three times her size came up behind her and grabbed her. She tried to struggle from his grasp; but he was too powerful. Another man came up and smelled her breath.
"She's been drinking; let's just put her back in the room with the rest of the drunkards!"
Alena had only taken a swig of champagne as she came into the ball, just to blend in. Obviously, this didn't help her now.
"Now, it's poisoned! Please, you have to believe me!" But it was too late. The man took her out into the left door at the side of the ball room and let her go. He shut the door behind him, but she tried to get back in. However, a guard came up and asked her to go back to the party.
She had to find Bruce. Any moment now, the soup would be served; everyone would be dead. She looked around for him, but just when she spotted him, she also saw them bring out the soup.
As fast as she could, she made her way towards him. She grabbed his arm and explained the situation. His eyes nearly jumped out of his head. He looked over at the gigantic bowl some men were wheeling along, and stopped thinking.
Bruce ran from Alena, leaving her helpless and clueless on what to do. But, he did more than she could, by risking something very important.
The soup was making its way straight for the mayor long table to be served there first. As the Fall Ball custom, everyone would eat at the same time the Mayor would. So, of course no one would figure the soup was poisoned because of this.
Anyways, Bruce took a glass of champagne and walked slowly over to where the men were about to take the soup. He mingled on the side of people, and Alena started to catch onto what he was about to do.
"Oh no, Bruce!" she said softly but worried to herself.
But it was too late. Bruce made a very drunken look on his face, and tripped backwards, knocking over the bowl of soup all over the floor. Every last drop was out of that bowl. The servers screamed as they tried to save their ruined soup. Servers came out and immediately began cleaning up the mess.
All of the guests, including the Mayor, looked over at Bruce. Alena began to walk onto the dance floor in order to cross over it to Bruce's aid.
Bruce shrugged to everyone staring and slurred drunkenly, "Hey it's alright! I'll pay each and everyone here for the soup! Let's all party!"
People gave him fuming looks, but then went onto the Ball. But suddenly, all the lights went off. People shrieked from the surprise. Others just laughed, thinking it was apart of the evening.
Alena stopped moving. The music the band had been playing stopped; everything became silent. Suddenly, a light came on. The single spotlight shined onstage; where none-other than Joker himself stood upon.
He was dressed in a white tuxedo, but still had his stained white skin, slicked green hair, and blood-red lips. His shoes were purple. He grinned at everyone when he heard a loud scream. Before ciaos ensued, he lifted his hands into the air.
"Calm down folks! If anyone and I mean anyone, tries anything, my men will very happily shoot you down." More spotlights went onto the army of men that surrounded the walls of the room in the Ritz. They were trapped.
Alena began to reach for her knife, but heard Joker speak again, "Dear guests, I am, with a heavy heart, sad to inform you that the wonderful soup that I had prepared for you all was spoiled. You may think it was that drunken billionaire Bruce Wayne. But no; he was tipped off by another. Alena Davencourt, where are you my sweet?"
Alena jumped up, leaving the knife in her dress when a spotlight hit her. Joker jumped down from the stage and smoothly came towards her. The crowd made a gigantic circle; trying to be as far from them as possible. It was then she saw he was wearing a fake purple flower and had a small microphone attached to his tux so that everyone could hear him.
He covered the mike quickly and leaned into her, "Darlin', if you try anything, my men will shoot you on the spot; and they are excellent snipers."
Alena quickly snapped, "You're appalling!"
He shook a finger at her, "You really should shut that mouth of yours soon; otherwise, it'll bring you a lot of trouble!"
Suddenly, he squirted the purple flower in her face, giving off a spray. Clueless that it would happen, Alena accidentally took in a breath of the mist before coughing and fanning it away.
She tried to get away from him, but he grabbed her and took her hand in his and placed her other around his neck, "Everyone, tonight, my old friend Miss Davencourt and I are going to give you a show you won't ever forget! Hit it boys!"
He pointed to the band, and they played unwillingly. The spotlight stayed on the two of them, while others swerved around the room. Alena tried to look for Bruce, but she hadn't seen him since the lights went out. Where was he?
More and more she was tempted to reach over and pull out her knife or gun. But she couldn't; she knew Joker wanted her dead. So, she went along with his waltz, but all the while tried to squeeze her legs together for the alarm to go off. Finally, Joker dipped her. Alena twisted her legs together, feeling the button push.
Still agitated, she tried to look desperately for Bruce. But suddenly, Joker spoke to her, with the mike now off, "So, you know this Bruce Wayne fella well huh?"
"What?" Alena asked stupidly.
"Oh come on, I watched from backstage as you went over to warn him about the soup. What is it about you and mingling with the wrong men? Why can't you pick a winner for a change? Like me. In a matter of hours, I'll own this city!"
"How? You're stupid plan didn't work. You didn't kill the mayor!"
"Oh Deedee, it doesn't matter how I kill him! Plan B was for me to pull out your pistol and have us both pull the trigger, killing the mayor just after this waltz is over. That way, we will both be criminals out in the open, together!"
"You are a whacked up job Jack! I'll never-"
"I'll rip Wayne's throat out if you don't go along with my plan! I can promise an even worse death for him than I did for Thomas and your parents, don't you worry. Now, do we have a deal?"
He dipped her again, just when the spotlights burned out. The band stopped as gunshots were heard. After a few moments, everything stopped.
"What in the Hell is going on?" Joker demanded. The full lights came back on, and Joker could see his men, most of them knocked out on the floor. And at the top of the stage was Batman, swinging on a zip line towards Joker and Alena. He swung around Joker and Alena grabbed onto him. As he flew away Batman turned and yelled, "I hope you don't mind I steal her from you!"
The men that were left of Joker's clan tried to shot at the pair, but they were going by too fast. Joker yelled with anger as he ran towards the stage with his remaining men. They jumped down into a secret door below the stage and made their way out of the party.
"We failed boss, we failed!" John, the brut posing as a chef confessed.
"Oh no we didn't; I think I've discovered what Alena's been hiding from us about Batman. And I bet I'll find my answer at Wayne Mansion!"