Bruce's POV
After everyone went to bed, I went down to my Batcave. I donned my suit again and got into my tank, starting it up. As I pulled out of the cave, Alfred rang on my phone, "That was a close call tonight, Master Wayne."
"I know."
"You'll capture that man again… won't you."
"I'll put that man away forever for what he did to Bethany."
"Good."
Hanging up, I drove down to the city, my mind half on the road. I kept playing the image of Bethany being thrown off of the bridge, over and over again, and how I didn't even hesitate to let the Joker and Harley Quinn get away. I ran right past them to jump off after her. I had no real plan of what I was going to do after I jumped off, but I didn't care. I had to get to her. Coming to a stop in a back alley, I sat there for a moment, to collect my thoughts.
The feeling I had of her running to me when I entered Gordon's office was addictive. I missed holding her, and in that moment, I wasn't going to let her go. I remembered her leaving me to run to Crane and my stomach churned. Having that man in my house was pushing it a bit too far, but it was what Bethany wanted. I had to admit that he really has shown a great deal of change from the psychopath I knew before. I'll have to let Gordon know the Arkham rehabilitation program seemed to be working. My heart seemed a little lighter too, at the thought of how deeply he seemed to care for Bethany. I will admit that I am a bit jealous seeing them together, but at least she is with someone who cares for her.
Even though I was happy for her relationship, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that Crane had something to do with what happened tonight. I couldn't figure out how, seeing that he had been with Bethany both when the Joker escaped from Arkham and of course tonight when they were both captured, but there had to be something. I felt bad suspecting my friend's boyfriend of something so serious when all of the evidence pointed away from him, but I didn't fully trust that the Scarecrow was gone for good, no matter how many hours of therapy he's gone through.
I looked up to the sky and saw Gordon's light shining in the sky. Getting out, I scaled the nearest building, and made my way to him. Landing off in the shadows, I walked calmly over to the light.
"You did the right thing, saving that woman," Gordon said, not turning around, "I can't thank you enough for that."
"You don't have to." I spoke with a low and raspy voice. "Do you know any more of the breakout?"
"Just the same as before, it was an inside job, but… we're still not sure who it was."
"Do you have anyone you suspect?"
Gordon scoffed, "In this town? Where do I start?"
"How do you feel about the Arkham rehabilitation program?"
"You think Crane has something to do with this?"
"I'm not sure, but he does have the criminal background that the Joker would like."
Gordon shook his head, "But Crane was captured tonight as well."
"It's a stunning alibi, isn't it?"
Gordon nodded, "I can put some feelers out with my men at Arkham to see how Crane is getting along there. Do you think Miss Elwood is in danger? The woman who was with him?"
"What do you think?"
Gordon frowned, "It's obvious she really cares for him… and I believe that he is equally as invested in her. They seemed inseparable when they were reunited here tonight."
"Has Crane marked any red flags since being out?"
Gordon shook his head, "No. He's been a model citizen since being released. He's been on time to all of his therapy sessions, he's been on time and more than helpful in the small roll he's been given at Arkham…."
"But?"
"But, I did get an odd feeling from him tonight when I asked him questions about what happened."
"Funny how?"
"He seemed to be too calm and collected for what happened, I don't know, maybe I'm just overthinking it, he could have been in shock."
"Trust your gut, Gordon… it hasn't let you down yet."
He nodded, "I'll look into his activities at Arkham, see who he's been talking to." Tapping the light, he added, "I'll call you when I have something."
I nodded and left the rooftop. I drove to the building that had been attacked that night and used a grappling gun to scale the building to the top. The damage to the building's top floor was about as extensive as the other buildings destroyed by the Joker. I looked around the space, being careful of where I took my steps, and I gathered samples of where I identified the blast areas seemed to be. I'm hoping to identify something about the Joker's bombs to see where he is getting his supplies. I was also on the lookout for any clues the Joker might have left behind. Again, there was nothing obvious. I took a moment to stand in the large destroyed space and tried to imagine Bethany being here.
I've beaten the Joker before. It almost took me to my limit in order to reign him in. Now that Bethany was in Gotham, I wanted nothing more but for him to return to Arkham, even if I have to put him in a body cast. My guilt of not being out in the city has been sitting in my gut all night. There was nothing I could do to stop it from happening, I know that, but I should have tried. Instead I was having dinner with Margaret laughing about something her ex had done. I should have made an excuse about work so I could be out here patrolling the streets.
Finishing up my examination of the building, I made my way back down to the Batmobile and made my way back home. Arriving in the Batcave, I took my samples to my computers and began examining them. Putting them through a mass spectrometer I sat back in a chair and waited for it to identify the chemical compounds of the ashes I gathered. I closed my eyes while I waited, but jumped at the sound of someone moving behind me.
Turning, I saw Alfred and I sighed, "You're getting quiet in your old age."
"Do you think it wise to come down to the Batcave while the Scarecrow is in your house?"
I looked at him and frowned, "I'm aware of the risks… but I think Bethany will be needing him tonight, so he shouldn't be snooping."
"He does seem to deeply care about her," Alfred said.
I scoffed, "Yeah."
"You have to understand her hesitation, Master Wayne… you two have a complicated past that both of you have created. You have many open wounds that you need to mend."
I frowned, "I thought her coming here would heal those wounds."
"I have to disagree with you, Master Wayne… I think you hoped it would make an instant fix."
Looking at him, I didn't say anything. Looking down at my hands, I let his words sink in.
"What are you investigating," he asked turning his attention to my machines.
"It's some ash from the blast points of the bombs in the building the Joker blew up." I said, "I'm hoping for a signature of some sort, to try and trace the builder of these bombs."
"You think the Joker is not making the bombs himself?"
"No." I frowned, "There's a precision to it that I don't think he possesses. The bomb that blew up this building didn't do too much damage to the floors below it. There was an art to it. I don't think the Joker is known for being a patient man."
"Hm, quite right," Alfred said, "Do you think its one of the other men that was with the Joker when Bethany was taken?"
I shrugged, "Maybe. Or it could be a third person working in some warehouse."
"Whatever it is, please remember that you have an untrustworthy guest here, and that Bruce Wayne should be up at a reasonable time tomorrow. Also remember you have a meeting with Lucius tomorrow at ten in the morning before your big meeting with head of director's of that Spanish company you are looking to buy."
I closed my eyes and signed, "You're right. Bruce Wayne should be asleep by now."
"Indeed he should be."
I nodded and went to change out of my batsuit, "I'll be up there in a minute."
"I'll have a cup of tea ready for you." Alfred gave me a smile before heading further into the cave to a passageway that leads to the kitchen.
I pulled on a shirt and took a moment, hoping that my machines will ding before I have to go upstairs. I watched the spectrometer hum for a half minute longer before turning with a sigh and heading to a far side of the cave. Picking a small passageway at the end, I climbed up to my room opening a panel in the wall and sliding through. My room was dark and quiet compared to the lights in the batcave, but I tried to push my mind from there. I needed to find a distraction to keep me from rushing back down there.
Pacing my room, I found the cup of tea Alfred had promised, and a pile of books that people have gotten me to read. Picking one up, I opened the front cover and tried to read the first page, but couldn't focus on anything. Throwing the book to the side, I slid down onto my bed and tried to think of anything. I could hear soft murmuring coming from Bethany's room and my mind latched onto the idea of her. It pained me to see her with Crane. Not just because of who he was, but because she wasn't with me. After she told me what her mother's hopes of us dating during her time here I couldn't help but want that too. I know I've been a less than generous friend to her at times, but there has always been something about her that I could never get out of my mind, even when we were younger.
Settling down in my sheets, I closed my eyes and thought of our time in the sauna, remembering the way her soft skin felt under my fingertips. Sliding my hand into my pants, I gripped my hard erection and began to stroke myself. My lips felt the firm taught skin of her stomach under them, my tongue tasted her inside and out. I remembered the feeling of me entering her, sliding her down over my cock. The more I remembered the faster I stroked, and soon I left her to focus on relieving myself of the pressure building behind my erection. Finally after a few more moments, I came hard, my cum shooting out over my stomach as my moans were stifled as best as I could. Getting up, I made my way to my bathroom where I washed up, taking a moment to splash water on my face and the back of my neck to cool down. Drying off, I went back to my bed and fell into the sheets, more frustrated than I was before.
