"That was too close!" Alena said as she made her way out of the portrait in Bruce's giant den.
Bruce followed her, no longer wearing his uniform, "Yes, but we did make it out of there! And plus, almost every one of Joker's men was caught at the party. And, the mayor is safe. All that's left out there is-"
"Joker! And that is the most dangerous one to have on the loose! Bruce, need I remind you what he did to me? My family? Trust me, he's yet to do serious damage upon the both of us."
By this time, they were in the middle of Bruce's giant mahogany staircase. Bruce sighed thoughtfully and reached up the stairs to hold her.
She reached for his embrace desperately, whispering, "I'd kill myself if I let anything happen to you."
"I'd kill anyone if they did that to you." He said darkly, but from an honest heart.
"Ah-hem." From down at the bottom of the steps came Alfred's obvious cough.
"Yes Alfred?" Bruce said, turning towards his direction.
"I assume from the looks of things that you foiled that ghastly man's plan tonight. And since I assumed as such, I have prepared your bed, assuming you two would be quite exhausted after a hard day's work."
Alena smiled, but Bruce kept his grave look, "That sounds great Alfred."
"I thought so. And Master Bruce, I just wanted to tell you and mis-I mean, Alena that you both have done a terrific job at keeping our city safe."
"Thanks Al-" Bruce brushed the comment off and began to turn back to Alena when he discovered she had left him to go hug Alfred.
She hugged him and then kissed him on the cheek. Afterwards, she smiled and said, "Thanks Al. We couldn't have done this without you!"
Then, she went up the stairs past Bruce, and off to his room. Bruce Stood still at the stairs, looking at a blushing Alfred.
"I guess I couldn't have said it any better myself." Bruce grinned devilishly; leaving Alfred still embarrassed downstairs to do the rest of his tasks around the mansion before he himself went off to bed.
About half an hour later, the lights were turned out in Bruce's master bedroom and he was fast asleep. However, Alena couldn't sleep. She felt very weird and insecure about what Joker would do. In her gut she could feel he would kill her; that's what she was certain was his plan all along. She tossed and turned while she breathed heavily. In fact, she breathed too heavily. Making up her mind, she got out of bed and left the room, shutting the door behind her.
She smoothed out the wrinkles of her black stretchy pajama pants and rubbed her hands over her arms, covered in a tight white long-sleeved shirt. All of a sudden, she began to cough. What was happening to her? Maybe she just needed something to drink. Alena went downstairs and into the kitchen. As soon as she opened the fridge, she saw something that triggered her memory. She was staring at a large pint of grape juice; purple grape juice. A purple flower. The purple flower on Joker's tux; the one he sprayed into her face about two hours ago! He had to have some sort of gas in it; causing her to feel God knows what.
Panicking, she shut the fridge and went to walk towards the kitchen counter. But on her way, she tripped and fell over something big. Pushing her body up, she turned and looked into the unconscious face of Alfred, all tied up on the floor behind her. She got up quickly and checked to see if he had a pulse. He was alive. Rapidly, she went over to the counter and pulled out the largest carving knife she could find. Joker, Jack, was in this house. She crept out of the kitchen and looked to see if the coast was clear. It was, so she began to make a break for it to the staircase.
However, she was taken from behind by a giant man, probably John, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, holding her arms down. She tried pushing the knife into his side, but another man took it from her. He took hold of her legs and began tying her up. Finally, Alena took in a deep breath and let out a scream. However, no scream came out. In fact, she couldn't speak at all. Just as she had figured it out, Joker appeared in front of her, grinning.
"No snide remarks from you this wonderful evening, I'm afraid Darlin'. Yes, that purple flower's gas did give you a temporary laryngitis. However, it takes about two hours to come into effect. It seems my timing is perfect!" Joker whispered with delight into her ear.
She spit, but missed his face when he dodged it. Suddenly growing a raging face, Joker put his purple gloved hand into a fist and knocked Alena out cold. He laughed quietly, "Miss Davencourt, you and I have unfinished business. Now, let's boogie!" He went out the front door, and the men followed him, carrying Alena on John's shoulders.
Upstairs, Bruce was still deep asleep; just moments away from losing his one true love forever.
Almost half an hour later, Bruce awoke to a loud noise. BOOM! He jumped out of bed and grabbed his samurai sword from underneath it. He carefully made his way down the stairs and through the hallway.
Suddenly, he burst the kitchen door open and swung his sword. Thankfully, he stopped in enough time to realize that he was holding Alfred, tied and gagged on the floor, with his samurai sword barely an inch from his neck.
Alfred took a huge gulp of relief as Bruce began to untie him. As soon as he took off his gagger, Alfred exclaimed, "I've been conscious for a full five minutes Bruce, and during that time I've been banging my body against everything and it's only now that you wake up! Despicable!"
Alfred explained what had happened as they entered the Bat cave. After he had finished cleaning up the Bat cave earlier, Alfred found himself surrounded by Joker and his men at the entrance to the cave. Although he didn't tell them the password, they were still able to enter because the portrait wasn't closed all the way. They beat Alfred unconscious and then tied and gagged him.
He was put and left in the kitchen. He had a hunch that they messed around with the Bat cave. And that's precisely what they had done. When they made their way down the spiral staircase they found the Tumbler gone. Thankfully, the Batman uniform was still hidden in the dark shadows of its hiding place. However, his Bat belt with all of its gadgets was gone.
Alfred stared in shock while Bruce explored the rest of the cave, looking for his weapons. They too were also gone. The only thing he had was his samurai sword he was holding.
Bruce's eyes narrowed, "He expects me to come, but unarmed."
Alfred looked at him with wonder, "Why did he leave your suit, but take everything else?"
"Because," Bruce explained, "He wants to fight Batman; because that has been his enemy all along. And he knows I'll be there so rescue Alena."
"How will we know where to find him?" Alfred asked his final question.
"Just follow the breadcrumbs." Bruce said, leaning over where the Tumbler once stood. He picked up a small card that was in its place. It was a card from the City Bay's chemical plant.
As soon as he got his Bat suit on, he looked around and said out loud, "I don't have a way to get there! I can't take any of my other cars; people will identify it in no time!"
Alfred smiled, rejoicing in the fact that he had the answer to Batman's problem for once, "I think I have just the thing for you sir."
Alfred led him out of the Bat cave and into their garage. Batman tried to explain to Alfred, "I appreciate this, but I can't take any single one of my-"
They stopped in front of a vehicle, and he stopped talking. Alfred retorted, "Master Bruce, this, as you well know, isn't a car. Besides, it's not even yours."
Alfred opened the garage door as Batman got onto Alena's unidentified jet black motorcycle. Alfred let out a hand as a signal that it was clear to go.
Batman turned the bike on and revved the engine. As soon as he took his feet off the ground, he and the bike tilted over.
Alfred hurried over to him and helped him back up. Looking closely, Alfred saw a white scrape across the side of the bike.
Grinning devilishly, he said, "She's going to murder you when she sees that!"
"I don't think she'll care about that too much Al," Batman replied, getting a better balance on the bike, "Tonight, I'll save her life. I think that's all she cares about."
Alfred chuckled a little. "What?" Batman asked.
"You really are turning out to be a lot like her. And I think that's a good influence."
Batman realized that he was referring to the fact that he had just called him 'Al'. He acted as though he was ignoring it by revving the engine once again, and taking off into the darkness.
Alena awoke from the horrible stench that surrounded her. However, her eyesight was odd, because everywhere she looked, she saw thick black stripes. It took her but a moment to realize she was in a cage. She stood up, realized that she was untied. But this didn't help since she had no weapon of any kind and the metal bars were too thick. She looked around and found the door behind her. However, it had a giant metal lock on the outside of it.
Suddenly, she heard an annoying, "You-hoo!" She looked up ahead of her and saw Joker, waving from a catwalk that circled the entire chemical plant.
He shook the only key at her and laughed. Alena couldn't stand it any longer, so she yelled, "Okay, so you're going to torture me? Is that it? Is that your big vengeance? Some revenge!"
Joker lost his grin, "I don't appreciate being mocked Deedee. But yes, I am going to torture you; however, not in any way you could possibly imagine!" He pointed down below Alena.
Through the metal bars on the bottom of her cage, Alena gasped as she gazed at her fate. Thousands of gallons of some green liquid bubbled twenty feet below her.
Looking back up at him, she asked, "Is this the same stuff that you would've used tonight on the Mayor if I hadn't foiled your plan?"
Joker laughed hysterically, "No, this is much worse. This is what you pushed me into all those months ago! And now my dear, I sadly must inform you that you will be in a world of pain in a matter of moments!"
And with that, he reached out of his dark purple coat pocket what looked like a remote control. He pressed the down button on the controls, and Alena's cage began to move down towards the hot, bubbling chemicals.
"Oh shit!" She gasped to herself. She began to kick the barred door, but it wouldn't budge. She kicked it over and over, and then finally threw her entire body into it. She fell to the bottom of the cage; it was no use. She was done for. Suddenly, she heard gunshots outside of the plant.
Joker looked around, and then ran to a corner of the catwalk and out of Alena's sight. Suddenly, through the nearest window, Batman broke through the glass, falling onto her cage.
"Oh God, I thought you wouldn't come!" Alena sighed dramatically.
"Who me?" Batman breathed heavily, taking a rather peculiar gun from his waist, "You should know by now; I'll always know where to find you!"
He came down in front of her cage, aiming the gun at the lock, "Stand back!"
She moved to the other side of the cage as he shot the gun. It squired out a blue chemical. However, the lock melted away very quickly.
"Where did you get that?" She asked.
"It was one of Joker's guards' guns. They were shooting them at me."
"How did you get here? I imagined you would've busted through the walls with the Tumbler!"
"Well, about that-"
All of a sudden, a gunshot fired at Batman. It caused him to drop the gun which fell into the green chemicals. Thankfully, his suit let the bullet bounce off, and he quickly moved, taking Alena out of the cage and jumping on top of it.
Joker was back in his original spot in front of them, "You! I knew you'd be here! Otherwise, this would have been a waste of my time!"
"What? A waste? I thought I was the one you-" Alena started, but he cut her off.
"Wrong bitch! Yes, you've been after me for some time. However, you're not as important as your little friend here. Why do you think I came to Gotham Davencourt? Don't you know what he did here? Don't you know that he's the one I want dead? Think about it; think about who I really am."
Alena was still confused, "I don't know what he means. He's Jack Napier, a lunatic and homicide criminal. Why-"
"Napier? His last name is Napier?" Batman turned to her, shocked.
"Yes. I thought you knew. Why?"
"Oh God!" Batman took her by the shoulders, "Alena, about six months ago, I killed a man; he was a giant criminal in Gotham known as-"
"Frankie Napier; my brother! And you stole him from me Bat-freak! He was my only family and you took him away from me!" Jack began to weep.
Alena and Batman exchanged looks. Suddenly, Jack's head flew back up, "But now, I'll take my revenge; vengeance on you the stupid, 'dark knight'!"
He began to shoot repeatedly at them. Alena took cover behind Batman as they jumped from the top of the cage to the catwalk. However, at the last moment, Joker took out one of Batman's weapons and shot it at his foot.
It was a sling that wrapped around Batman's foot, locking him to the top of the cage, still going down into the green chemicals. He reached down to try to pry the sling off, but it was no use. Alena watched as Joker reveled in Batman's predicament. Suddenly, something caught her eye near the window that Batman jumped through. She ran towards it, and then snuck around the catwalk.
"You can try all you want to get out of that Batty; but you know as well as I that that gadget thing of yours is unbreakable. Except," Joker revealed yet another remote, "this remarkable little button I stole from you can set you free. However, by the time I release you from that sling, that wonderful chemical just bubbling below you will have burned every piece of skin and bone off of your body. Too bad for you huh? Hahaha!"
Joker hysterically laughed, feeling all powerful at that moment. However, what he didn't know was that some people nearby heard gunshots from the plant and had called the police; who would be arriving at any moment now.
Even worse for Joker, his men were either passed out around the plant because of Batman's punches, or they had run away. He was left alone, and even though he had Batman trapped, he had an even bigger threat hiding just fifteen feet from him.
Suddenly, Alena jumped out from the dark spot in the corner and began running towards Joker. Without her knowledge, Joker whipped out two of Batman's fighting daggers. As soon as she struck him with Batman's samurai sword, he stopped her with the daggers.
"Are you ready to dance?" He asked ragingly.
"Jack," she retorted with fire in her eyes, "I've been dancing with you for a very long time. Now, it's serious."
She pushed the sword away from him and swung at him again. He barely blocked every strike she forced upon him. However, her time was running out.
"Alena!" Batman yelled for her. She looked down and saw that the cage beneath him was beginning to melt into the green substance. "Hurry!"
She turned back to Joker, tired of his strenuous efforts. Finally, having enough of his games, she twirled and slid into a low position to the ground, kicking Joker off his feet with his daggers falling from his hands. Alena slid the side of the long blade across his thick neck.
He gulped and pleaded with her, "Please, you must have mercy, I-"
"Damn it Jack! All I want is the controls! Give me both controls. NOW!"
Without hesitation, Joker gave them to her carefully. Alena pushed the first one, stopping the lowering of the cage and Batman into the chemicals. She hit the second one, releasing Batman from the sling. Quickly, he jumped from the melting cage over and down onto the ground floor of the plant. He looked up at the catwalk to see that Alena had things well under control.
She looked down at her love, happy to see him safe again. And he looked up at her, with the same eyes as well. Just then, sirens from the police could be heard. They were here. However, Alena's distraction was not left to her benefit. While she looked at Batman, Joker slid his hand over to where he dropped one of the daggers.
With a quick pierce, Joker pinched the dagger into Alena's side and pulled it out again. She gasped for breath, jerking upwards and dropping the sword.
"NOO!" Batman yelled, running towards the stairs.
Alena looked at the blood on her hand from her wound, and then at Joker, "That's the same place you-"
"I injured you the last time we actually fought; all those months ago back in NYC. Yes, I did shot you with a gun but, this is all I could find!" He stood up, bringing Alena up with him, "You know by now that I, Jack Napier, will not be taken by the police! Not alive anyways! And if I have the means to, I'll take anyone down with me! AHH!"
With rage and madness consuming him, he ran, pushing Alena backwards to the opposite window that Batman had jumped through. Batman made it up the stairs only to find Alena being pushed through the glass window, along with Joker himself.
"Alena!" Batman yelled as he ran for the window.
Both Alena and Joker screamed as they fell out of the window. Batman ran as fast as he could for them, but it was too late. As soon as he reached the broken pane, all was silent. Regretfully, Batman peered out and down below outside the building. He first saw Joker, dead, lying on top of broken boxes with blood everywhere.
However, he couldn't see Alena near him. Then, he saw just ten feet from Joker's resting place, was the dark bay water. And there was Alena, falling under the surface of it.
"No!" Batman leaped out of the window into the icy water. He only swam for a second until he had Alena in his arms.
Pulling her onto the harbor, policemen helped them get out of the water. Some medics came up and took a look at her. It wasn't long until they made him move away.
Moments later, Batman found Commissioner Gordon. He looked at the beat up Bat with great enthusiasm, "I believe the city is respecting you a lot more my friend. We rounded up the rest of Joker's gang, and we have the culprit himself right here. But I wish it wasn't such a bloody turnout!"
"Is the mayor safe Commissioner?" Batman asked.
"Yes, he's fine. He's just asked us to have a little more protection on him at the next public event. And I'm sure you'll be watching our backs there too."
Just then, the medics came around the corner with Alena, in a stretcher. Batman approached her, but she wasn't awake. He looked at the closet medic, "What's her condition?"
The man helped the others put her in the ambulance, "She's got a bad wound in her left side. Also, she hit it before she fell into the water. She's unconscious now."
And with that, he jumped into the back of the ambulance and they took off. Batman wanted so desperately to follow them to Gotham Hospital, but he knew he'd be too obvious.
Suddenly, Gordon came up to his side, "I found out who that girl is. She an ex-detective from New York-"
"Who was accused of her parents' and fiancée's murder. However, she didn't do it."
"And do you have any proof of this?" he asked curiously.
With a typical harsh attitude, Batman replied, "I'll get some," and left the crime scene on Alena's jet black bike.
The following day, Bruce came into Alena's room at the hospital. He knocked on the door, with red roses in hand and a grave look on his face. The nurse in the room looked up at him with a heartbreaking smile.
He placed the flowers in a vase by Alena. She wasn't awake. Worried, he asked the nurse anxiously, "How is she?"
The nurse felt as though she could die before telling him what she wasn't about to say. However, she had done this so often, that she could force herself to say it, "We were able to stop the bleeding, and it's going to heal very nicely. However, her head is a problem."
"Problem?" Bruce questioned miserably, "What problem?"
The nurse sighed, "Her head trauma is hard to explain. It's very uncertain what her ultimate state will be. It could be that she becomes conscious again, and can live a normal life hereafter. But, if she remains unconscious, like this, she could."
The nurse didn't want to finish. But Bruce had to know, "What?"
Looking him dead in the eyes, "She could die Mr. Wayne. And we can do nothing to help her. Only she is able to pull through this herself. Nothing else is left for us to do but to keep her comfortable. I'm sorry."
The nurse left the room, unable to watch his pain. He leaned over Alena and took her hand in his. Delicately, he kissed her on the forehead. Taking a seat next to her, he looked out the window at the grey fall day.
Almost a week passed when Bruce was sitting in his house, just thinking about Alena down at the hospital. Her condition hadn't changed; not one bit. He didn't know whether that was good, or bad. Just then, he could hear the telephone ring from the other room. He didn't get up; he couldn't even listen to Alfred answer the phone.
After a minute or so, Alfred came in the room. Bruce looked up, but he didn't even need for Alfred to speak. His face revealed everything. But still, his loyal friend said, "Bruce, it's happened. The hospital called. She's, she's gone!"
Alfred placed his hand on Bruce's back. However, a rage came over him suddenly. Bruce jumped up and threw the coffee table across the room. He ran down the long corridor and opened the door in front of him. He kept running. That was until he tripped and fell.
Lying on the cold ground outside in his backyard, he felt utterly helpless. He didn't know what to do, or to think. Then, he took sight of red blood next to him. He jumped up, but soon after realized it was only a red leaf. They were all around him. The trees in the backyard were turning red to get ready for winter. It was all Bruce could see; red.
A little while later, Bruce walked over and sat on the edge of a small brick column. Looking up at the grey sky, Bruce fell into tears. Never had he cried this hard before in his life. His only love was dead, and it was his fault. He ran the entire series of events through his mind again and again, changing it every time and always saving Alena. Alena. Alena. All he could think of was her. Her name, her face, her voice, her smell, and her eyes. Those piercing violet eyes that were too unmistakable to recognize. How he wanted to hold her again, to keep her forever. Why did this have to happen to such a wonderful girl?
With all the pain and torture left inside of him, Bruce wanted nothing more than to let all of it out. He breathed in deep and screamed out, "ALENA!"
He felt a great release, but still felt as though a great scar would be in its place. Taking in hard breaths, he just listened to the wind around him. But, then the sounds changed.
"Yes?" he heard an angel reply.
Feeling as though he was crazy, he jumped up. He looked around the trees and only saw red. That was until; he turned to his far left to see violet. It was Alena! She was standing fifty feet from him, smiling. She wore a long black coat, buttoning her in tight. Her hair was long, wild and free.
He blinked a few times to make sure this was real, but how could he be certain anymore?
So he called out to the figure, "Alena?"
Rolling her eyes at him, she replied, "I think I already said 'yes' the first time! I'm here!"
There was a moment between them that left them unable to speak. They looked upon each other with great peace and love. But, Alena couldn't bare it any longer. Trying her hardest, she tried running towards him, but could only walk fast. Bruce, without any hesitation, ran for her.
Through all the red leaves falling, they found a way to each others' arms. Bruce wept tears of joy, kissing her hair and her face. It wasn't long until Alfred came out of the mansion.
"Alena! You're alive!" He came over and hugged them both, "I don't believe it! I just got a call from the hospital; they said you were dead!"
She looked at him, confused, "They did? Are you sure? They said word for word, 'Alena is dead'?"
"Well, no," Alfred admitted, "They said that you were gone! I couldn't bear to hear the rest so, I hung up!"
Bruce looked at Alfred with great frustration. But Alena, however, let out a great laugh. She looked at both of them, almost in tears she was laughing so hard. Then, she unbuttoned the coat she was wearing to reveal that she only had a hospital gown underneath.
"The reason they said I was gone, sweet Alfred, is because I was actually gone! When I woke up, no one was in my room. And thinking I was wanted for the murders of my parents and Thomas, since that's what the police probably figured out, I took the nurse's coat and went out the window. I hailed the first taxi I could find and told him to take me home."
Alfred let out a great sigh, "Oh. My mistake then!" He kissed Alena on the forehead and quickly when back into the house, ignoring Bruce's gaze.
Bruce left Alfred alone and turned back to Alena, holding her shoulders delicately, "I took the police evidence proving your innocence. You've got a clean slate now."
"You took evidence to the police, or-"
"My alter ego." Bruce admitted.
Alena smiled and said, "It looks like I can go out and get a real job now."
"But what about Wayne Enterprises?" Bruce wondered, "I thought you liked working there?"
"Oh please," Alena responded, going to sit down on the bricks, "I couldn't stand working under you again; quite honestly, I didn't like it. Don't worry, I'll find another place to work."
"So, you're not going back to the force?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.
"No; my fighting days are done." She said with a somber but relieved face.
"What about by night?" Bruce offered.
Alena gave him a surprised look, "Are you trying to tell me you wouldn't mind actually taking a partner out to fight crime? I thought you flew solo?"
"I guess," Bruce admitted, "You taught me to be able to trust people. And I'm very grateful for that."
He kissed her softly on the cheek. Just then, something came to her, "Bruce?"
"Yeah?"
"Is it done? Is he dead?"
"Died the moment you two fell out of that window." Bruce pondered aloud.
"Hold on, I fell out a window?" she asked, surprised.
He didn't answer, but she didn't expect him to, "That must have been hard to see." She told him.
"It was. At that moment, I thought I'd failed you. Alena, before I saw you standing there, I thought I couldn't go on living. Without you in my life, I am a broken man full of pain and regret. Promise me to never ever leave my sight again."
Alena looked at him, and was about to speak, but he stopped her, "Wait!"
He stood up and got in front of her. Before she knew what was happening, Bruce bent down on one knee and took her hand in his and then asked her, "Alena Davencourt, I'm asking you for a promise. And this promise can never be altered or broken. I love you and I want to be with you forever. Alena, will you marry me?"
Smiling, Alena said, "I thought you'd never ask. I will!" She jumped up into his arms for his warm kiss. Afterwards, she whispered, "I love you so much!"
"And I love you Allie." He whispered back.
They kissed one last time before he led her up to the mansion. Suddenly, he had a thought, "You never answered my proposal!"
"Yeah I did!" Alena argued.
"No no! My other one! The one about you and I being partners. I don't know, we could call you Bat Woman or something! What do you say?"
Alena gave out a hearty laugh and replied to him, honestly, looking intently into his sea blue eyes, "Bruce, I'm through with fighting. I've gotten my vengeance and I've won the battle. I think I'll leave that open to whoever else comes along Batman's path."
He opened the back door for her and stated, "Alena, I don't think I'll ever let anyone else be apart of the team. You just watch. I'll be out there fighting crime, just flying solo like a robin!"