Alex played with her necklace as the limo drove Oswald and her to Wayne Enterprises. Tonight was a charity event. Falcone had given her permission to go as not even a mob boss would be foolish enough to try to kill her in front of Falcone… especially since rumors of a caped crusader had taken the city by storm.

Over the past few weeks, Alex had familiarized herself with Gotham's "best and brightest"… such as the mob bosses, CEOs, and politicians, so now she just had to figure out who could be swayed to her side. That alone made her want to crawl under a rock. The nervousness she felt about the party made all of her other anxieties buzz under the surface. Thoughts of Jeremy's trial and Pam's hearing, and would need to take a backseat tonight. The headrest was cool and comforting as she leaned back.

"Ah, there we are," Oswald said in a chipper tone.

The Wayne Enterprises building was now front and center. Meeting Bruce Wayne had been on her list since she was in Arkham, but now that it was a sudden possibility she could feel the panic building. How could she discretely ask him "Hey, so do you happen to have a weird thing with bats"? It could wait until later, but a part of her screamed out that it would be a wasted opportunity.

"Ready?"

Alex bit back her real reply and said nervously, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Oswald gave her an encouraging smile before he got out and offered her a helping hand. Alex took his hand and used it to steady herself as she got out of the car. People dressed in all sorts of fancy attire walked into the building making her feel a little plain in her simple dress. As though noticing her hesitation, Oswald steered her towards the entrance.

"Anytime you want to leave just say the word, and we'll go," Oswald whispered, and Alex nodded.

As much as she wanted to turn around now, she needed to keep her composure. Leaving wouldn't solve any problems, but it could create new ones. Rumors of Elizabeth Arkham being so mentally delicate that she couldn't attend a fundraiser would likely spread. She could feel their stares now as she approached the room's center. They were watching her, appraising her value to them.

Falcone greeted her, and she walked over to his side of the room. People seemed to be giving him and his people a wide berth.

"Hello, Elizabeth. You look stunning. Is Oswald taking good care of you?" Falcone asked, and Alex felt Oswald's grip get tense.

"He's been a great help. Thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done without him," Alex replied and felt the tension fade.

"Good," Falcone replied, giving Oswald an approving look.

The sound of the microphone being turned on caught people's attention, and everyone turned their attention to the man on the stage.

"Hello, everyone. It's nice to see everyone's bright and shining faces," he said glibly, and Alex wondered who this was. A Wayne executive maybe.

He continued, "For those of you who don't know me…" He paused, and quite a few people chuckled in response. "I'm Bruce Wayne."

Alex's eye twitched, and she tried very hard to not show the shock on her face as he continued to drone on about who the event was for and what they would use the money to do. This guy was also different from the movie, which could greatly complicate things.

"Now enough of my rambling. Let's get back to enjoying our night… for the children," he said and raised his glass.

Alex copied everyone else and raised her glass as she let go of Oswald's arm. Now she'd just have to wait until she could get him alone. That was easier said than done. A flock of people surrounded him, and Alex turned her attention back to Falcone. One of his men was whispering something in his ear. Falcone's jaw tightened, and he excused himself. Oswald worriedly watched Falcone walk away.

"It's okay, Oswald. I'll be fine by myself for a few minutes if you need to go."

Oswald looked back at her and promised, "I'll be back in a minute. Five tops."

"And I'll be here," Alex assured him and watched him chase after Falcone's men.

As soon as he left, Alex could once again feel the stares of people watching her. Like falcons watching prey.

"Oh, Elizabeth Arkham, right? So nice to meet you," a man said, and Alex turned to see an older man in a tuxedo approaching her. "It must be nice to finally be out of your family's institution." Even though his tone was friendly, his eyes pierced daggers into her. "Too bad my niece never made it out." The sounds of gossip surrounded Alex as people crowded to watch. As the old man noticed people watching, he puffed out his chest with confidence, reminding Alex of an old foe from the asylum.

Alex stood her ground and replied, "Sorry to hear that, sir. Sometimes tragedies occur without warning." As much as she wanted to disappear, she knew that she couldn't. She clenched her fist but gave him a sympathetic smile. "Is there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"I was wondering what my dear Laura's final words were," the man said, edging closer. "You wouldn't mind granting an old man that request, would you?"

"If I'd known them, then I would. However… I don't know. We weren't close, and I didn't talk to her at all the day she died."

"But she was found in your room!" Laura's uncle exclaimed as though he'd caught her. "Why would she be there if you weren't close?"

"That is a good question…" Alex said thoughtfully. "I mean… she'd gotten into trouble a couple weeks prior for trying to put hair remover in my shampoo… and the week before that incident she'd been caught lurking around my cell late at night. So I don't know why she was in my room, but I'm guessing that it wasn't for anything pleasant."

The man's face had now turned a crimson shade as he replied, "My sweet Laura would never—! You must have lied to cover up your tracks!"

"No, I didn't. I wanted nothing to do with Laura. She was the one who had it out for me. Now… I understand being upset and looking for answers, but here is not the place to make a fuss. If you'll excuse me, I'll show myself out."

Alex turned to leave, but a hand grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. After a few seconds of pain, she was released, and a hand gently touched her shoulder. She almost stopped breathing at the sight of her hero. Bruce Wayne waved for the bouncers to take Laura's uncle away. Alex rubbed her arm and watched Mr. Thorne scream and yell as he was "escorted" out of the building. Bruce held out his arm and said, "How about I accompany you outside for some fresh air?"

After a second of hesitation, Alex agreed and took his arm. She briefly looked back to see Oswald hobbling back inside and gave him a wink. Oswald nodded, but Alex wondered why he looked so down. Bruce led the way onto the terrace. Alex let go of his arm and watched him as he walked to the edge and stared up into the night sky.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I might start thinking that you have a crush on me," he said playfully, and Alex averted her gaze. "You looked like you had some questions for me."

Alex looked back at him and said nervously, "I'm… I just… think we're a bit alike."

"How so?" Bruce asked with a bit of a smile on his lips.

"Our masks," Alex replied hastily and watched him freeze for half a second. "We both wear one. Mine is that I'm not completely terrified… every second of every day. That I'm not out of my depth and a coward."

"And what's mine?"

Alex double-checked to make sure no one was listening and walked closer to him. "Yours is… a playboy. A rich businessman. And a lonely orphan. Only one of those is really true, and I think we both know which one."

Bruce sighed and held out his hands mockingly. "You got me. A playboy through and through."

"No," Alex whispered, now just a foot away from him, and put a finger on his lips. "No games, Mr. Wayne. I'm not stupid. You at the very least know the vigilante… and I need him. People are trying to kill me, and if you don't listen to me, I won't be the only one in danger. But we can't talk about it here… Thursday around 7, I can sneak out. I'll meet you at your manor. Just please listen to what I have to say then. If you don't want to… then lock the gates and I'll leave."

Bruce's eyes glittered with curiosity as she removed her finger from his lips. Glad that the night hid at least some of her blushing embarrassment, Alex turned and walked inside. As she scanned the room for Oswald, she almost ran into someone.

"Sorry," she said quickly.

"It's good to see you, Miss Arkham," Dr. Crane said, and she stopped in her tracks.

As nervous as his absence had made her, she had been somewhat relieved that he hadn't tried to contact her. Sure, he was still a problem. But now he was someone else's problem.

"Hello, Dr. Crane. How've you been?"

"Quite well. Thank you," he said with a smile. "I heard that there was a commotion earlier. How are you feeling?"

"A bit shaken up but someone helped me."

"It was no problem," Bruce said from behind her. "Let me know if you need anything else… I'll be seeing you."

Bruce winked at her before he rejoined his flock of adoring men and women, and Alex couldn't help but feel her heartbeat quicken. Was that a yes? Was he going to hear her out?

"Miss Arkham?" Dr. Crane said in a concerned tone, and she refocused her attention back to him.

"Oh… yeah, Mr. Wayne helped me out… but I'm feeling a bit tired so I might leave early. It was nice seeing you, Mr. Crane. Hope to see you soon."

"Pamela Isley's hearing is soon. I suspect that she would enjoy a visit from a friend," Dr. Crane told her with a smile.

Alex felt the guilt settle in her stomach. She hadn't forgotten about Pam, but she also hadn't visited her friend in a while. Alex rubbed her arm and replied, "I will."

Dr. Crane's hand gently touched her arm, and he reassured her, "That wasn't to imply that you have any reason to feel guilty. I'm sure that you've been incredibly busy. I just wanted to make sure you knew."

Alex smiled and replied, "Thank you, Dr. Crane. I'll be sure to visit soon."

"And I'll be looking forward to seeing you soon."

Dr. Crane pulled his hand away as someone called for him. With a small smile, he waved goodbye before disappearing into the crowd. Alex looked back to Falcone's table to see Oswald nervously waiting. She quickly walked over and whispered, "What's going on?"

Oswald looked around nervously before he answered in a whisper, "Falcone's men found someone lurking around the car. They were trying to plant a bomb. When you're ready to go, we'll sneak out the side of the building. There's a car waiting."

Chills went up Alex's spine. Was that why Mr. Throne had caused a scene? Or was this Jeremy's work? She said quickly, "We should go."

Oswald nodded and led the way to the exit. The feeling of being watched made Alex turn around to see Bruce watching her from afar as she made her exit. She couldn't read his face, so she hoped it was just curiosity. After following Oswald outside, she noticed a black parked car with the headlights on and the engine running. Oswald opened the back door, and she crawled inside. A stiff-faced man sat in the driver's seat. Alex looked nervously to Oswald, but he smiled back at her, clearly comfortable.

The drive back to the apartment was a quiet one. Alex didn't trust the driver, and Oswald seemed content to stare out the window. That left Alex alone with her thoughts. She had assumed that she would be able to leave the apartment Thursday to meet Bruce, but now she wasn't so sure. A bombing threat would guarantee stricter security measures. Getting out before was going to be tricky, but now she was sure there'd be someone sticking to her at all times.

Turning her attention to the window, she watched as they neared their destination. The sight of the familiar building made her sigh in relief. Oswald accompanied her into the building and onto her floor while Alex tried to think of a way to covertly exit the building. After unlocking the door, an idea popped into her head. She asked Oswald to wait for a moment and ran into the apartment. Fishing out some paper and a pen from a drawer, she hastily scrawled a message to Bruce. Oswald looked at her with curiosity as she scrambled to find an envelope. She found one and quickly sealed the envelope. It was a bit of a risk. She'd have no way of knowing if Oswald had delivered it or not. Bruce could just decide that it wasn't worth a reply. Still, it was better than nothing.

"Please… could you deliver this to Bruce Wayne? I want to thank him… He helped me earlier," Alex explained and looked at Oswald with pleading eyes.

Oswald looked conflicted for a moment but took the letter. "I will."

Alex hesitated for a moment before gently touching his hand and saying, "Thank you, Oswald. I mean it. Thank you for everything."

Oswald seemed speechless for a moment before replying, "It's no problem at all. Good night, Miss Arkham."

"Lizzie… I'd prefer it if you'd call me Lizzie."

"Very well… Lizzie," Oswald said with the first genuine smile she'd seen from him.

"Good night, Oswald," Alex said before she closed the door and locked it tight.