Two years later…
Katie walked through the carpeted hallways of Wayne Tower in a complete daze. She couldn't believe she had actually been granted an internship here, at the center of Gotham! It was almost too good to be true for the senior physics major.
She had originally been looking for the Applied Sciences Department, where she would be working for the next few months, but the searching had quickly turned into wandering as the temptation to explore every inch of the fascinating building became too strong. She ferociously denied the possibility that she was hoping to meet someone special along the way…
Realizing that she should probably start heading to where she was supposed to be all along, Katie followed the signs, and took the elevator down to the basement. The doors opened on an impressive sight.
Applied Sciences appeared to be a warehouse, chock full of crates and oddly shaped boxes, bizarre looking merchandise and high – tech gadgetry. She stepped out of the elevator, eyes wide in amazement.
What am I going to be doing down here? she thought, anticipation and curiosity filling her mind.
"I see you found it alright. Wouldn't do to get lost on your first day."
Katie whirled around. To her right, reclined in a dilapidated old swivel chair, was a tall, dark – skinned man who was eying her with interest, a small smile gracing his lips. He stood up and offered her his hand, which she shook uncertainly.
"My name is Lucius Fox. I used to be the ruler of this small country," he said, sweeping his arm toward the enormous warehouse, "but I've moved on to different things. I take it you're the intern from Gotham University?"
She nodded. "That's right. I'm Katie Speer."
"Glad to finally meet you Katie. Your resume was quite impressive."
"Thank you sir," she said, blushing.
"You're quite welcome. Shall I show you around the place?"
She nodded eagerly. He smiled and led the way into the labyrinth of boxes. She listened in rapt attention as he showed her a selection of interesting contraptions never put into production. Katie could already tell that she was going to enjoy the next few months immensely.
"Your job down here is to code, catalog, and organize all this. Every once in a while the boys upstairs bring down something new. Try to learn everything you can about all the merchandise, just in case we need it someday. It's not an easy job, believe me, but it never ceases to be interesting.
Katie grinned. "When do I start?"
"Now, if you want to," Mr. Fox said, chuckling at the young woman's obvious eagerness. He held out his hand again and she shook it.
"Good luck, Miss Speer."
"Am I going to need it?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Only if Bruce makes another appearance," he said.
"Bruce… Wayne?"
He nodded. "Mr. Wayne likes to come down here sometimes and look around. He has a penchant for thrills, so once in a while he borrows something for skydiving or the like."
"Oh…" Katie fervently hoped Mr. Fox couldn't hear her heartbeat speeding up. To see Bruce Wayne again… after the circumstances of their last meeting and the revelation she had had a few days afterward… it would be interesting, to say the least.
Lucius looked down at his watch and grimaced. "I've got to be going, Miss Speer. If you have any questions, just look me up on the phone listing."
"It was nice to meet you."
"Likewise," he said, smiling, and walked off.
Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, Katie walked slowly over to the desk and sat down, oblivious to the cloud of dust that emanated from the ancient swivel chair.
I might meet Bruce Wayne. As himself.
She was definitely not going to tell her roommates about this.
Katie was sitting at her desk, book propped up against her knee, large cappuccino cupped in both hands. She had only been here a week, but already she felt right at home. She was currently taking a break from the seemingly endless task of organizing the warehouse. Completely engrossed in her book, she didn't even notice another person's presence until said person cleared his throat loudly.
Jumping, Katie barely managed to avoid spilling coffee down her front. Letting her book fall to the floor with a thud, she looked around and froze.
Bruce Wayne was leaning against the doorframe, a vacant smile that didn't quite reach his eyes playing across his handsome features. Hands shaking, Katie placed her cup on the desk and stood up.
"H – hello."
"Hi. Sorry if I startled you."
"Oh no, it's fine. I was about to get back to work anyway."
The young man extended a hand. "The name's Bruce. Bruce Wayne. You may have heard of me."
His hand was calloused and strong. Katie gripped it tightly. She hated people with limp handshakes, and she suspected he did too. At his last remark, Katie put on a look of mock confusion.
"No… I don't think so. Should I have?"
He grinned, and this time his dark eyes glinted with amusement.
"Well, I'm not that well known…"
She laughed. "Well, Mr. Not Very Well Known. What can I do for you?"
He quickly became serious. "Do you have any memory fabric? I had some for… various things, but I'm afraid I haven't taken the best care of it."
I'm sure… Katie mused. She hadn't had a lot of time to familiarize herself with many of the gadgets in the warehouse, but memory cloth had been one of the things Mr. Fox had shown her. Maybe he had known that Bruce would come asking for it. It made her wonder just how much the old man knew about his young employer.
"Right this way, Mr. Wayne."
As he followed her through the maze, she tried, and failed to calm down. Her heart was racing, and she could feel a blush rising on her cheeks. Bruce Wayne was right behind her! She felt like an idiot. She was acting like Samantha, all breathless and giggly. But Bruce, she reminded herself, was not just some shallow, pretty face. He was much more than that. He was a man who risked his life every day for the people of a city that had taken what he loved most away from him. This was Batman. This was a man Katie could admire.
They reached the crate, and Katie opened it. Pulling out one of the folded black cloths, she handed it to the young hero. She tried to ignore the warmth that spread down her hand when their fingers touched.
"Do I even want to know what you're doing with this?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
"Just some skydiving, base – jumping… you know."
You have no idea how much I know.
"Well, whatever you do, just be careful. That stuff isn't cheap," she said, pointing to the cloth in his hands. He grinned. It was so nice to see him smile. It made him seem less unreachable.
"Glad to know your priorities are straight. If I fall off a cliff and kill myself, I'll at least try not to get this dirty."
"You better not."
"Are you talking about getting this dirty, or me getting myself killed?"
"Both."
"Oh. Well, I'm glad to know you care."
Of course I care, you incorrigible oaf! Katie suppressed the urge to give the man a great big hug. They had just met each other, and already they were trading wisecracks like old friends. She had never thought of Batman as a particularly friendly person, but she had been proven wrong before.
Bruce thanked her for her help, and turned to leave. Suddenly, he turned back around.
"I'm sorry, I've been rude. I never asked what your name is."
"Katie Speer. I'm the new intern from the University."
"Oh yes. Um… forgive me for asking but… have we ever met before? You seem familiar."
Katie's heart skipped a beat. Should she tell him? How would he react if she told him she knew his secret?
"Um… no. I don't think we've ever met before today." She put on her best poker face and prayed that he would buy it. She didn't know why she was lying. What difference did it make whether she knew or not? It wasn't as if she was going to run off to the nearest newspaper and tell them about it. This man had saved her life. The least she could do was keep his identity a secret. Maybe the only reason she wasn't telling him was because she didn't want to make him feel vulnerable. She cared about him too much, and that by itself was a mystery. How had she developed such strong feelings for a man she hardly knew?
"Hmm. I could have sworn I recognized you. Strange how our minds can play tricks on us, isn't it?"
"Yeah. Weird," she muttered absently.
"Well, thanks again for the cloth. I'll probably see you around."
And he was gone. But somehow, Katie knew he would be back. For some reason, she knew that she would have many more dealings with the Batman. One day, she would tell him that she knew. And at the risk of sounding clichéd, she could tell that this was only the beginning of a long, wonderful friendship.
Aaaand that's the end of my two – parter. I hope you all enjoyed it, even if both parts were written at about midnight, which seems to be the only time inspiration strikes. Maybe, if I get enough requests (cough reviews cough), I'll write a sequel. Thanks to all the reviewers of the previous chapter: Icy Waters, Divamercury, emptyvoices, crystal, Karilee Kamicat, Purple Rhapsody, Wolf Jade, and Top Dog (aka my father. It's rather embarrassing when he reads my stories.) Thank you all!
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