"Sorry Mr. Fox, I woke up with a bad migraine this morning. I don't think I can handle the bright lights in my office today." I said into my phone.
"Don't worry about it, Miss Moser. After all the progress you made in such short days I'm surprised your head hasn't started hurting earlier. I'll let Mr. Wayne know you won't be in. I believe he's been picking you up every morning so far?" I completely forgot about that.
"That'd be great since I don't have his number. Thank you Mr. Fox." I hung up the phone and set it on the desk. I walked over to all the monitors I had set up.
The warehouse had gotten better thanks to a sign-on bonus with the company. I managed to get a small metal frame bed with a mattress, mini fridge, microwave, toaster oven, clothes, food, and all of the tech. Monitors and computers. I installed the parts I brought back from work and installed it. Now every monitor had the hologram tech set up in it.
"Okay Athena. Let's get some work done." I cracked my knuckles as the hologram screens popped up.
"These are all the files I found on the mayor's home." Athena said as multiple files opened up.
I heard the buzzing of my phone going off. I looked over at it.
"It says private caller. I cannot get a specific caller ID." Athena spoke up.
I let out a sigh. I had a feeling I knew who it was. I picked up my phone and answered.
"Moser."
"Mel, it's Bruce. Mr. Fox informs me you woke up with a horrible headache?" I heard his deep voice.
"Yeah. I woke up with a killer migraine." I said as I walked back over to the holograms. I used my free hand to flip through the files while my other hand held my phone.
"Do you need me to bring anything to your apartment?" I stopped mid swipe.
"No, I'm fine. I just need rest, that's all." I answered.
"It's really no trouble." He reassured me.
"Mel, the calls being tracked." Athena's voice broke in softly. My eyes widened and I immediately ended the call with Bruce. I sent a quick zap through the phone to turn it off.
I looked at my phone. Was Bruce the one trying to track my phone or was it someone else? "Athena, can you back trace using the cell phone towers? Find the device that was trying to track my phone."
"Searching now." I watched as a map of the US popped up. As Athena triangulated the signal it began to zoom in. My breath caught in my throat seeing the location Athena pinned down.
"The penthouse." I muttered to myself.
"It appears Bruce Wayne knows about you." Athena stated.
"How the hell did he find out? I was careful in disabling the cameras at Wayne Enterprises when I suited up. I guess it's possible I didn't see one." I muttered.
"Shit!" I yelled and paced around. This was coming at a worse time right now.
No One's P.O.V
"The call ended too soon, sir. I couldn't get a trace and the phone appears to be off." Alfred informed Bruce. The two of them were currently in the Batcave.
Bruce had been trying to locate Melody/Voltess all night since he made the connection that they were one in the same. She was right at first on the rooftop. He didn't want to reveal to her that he, Bruce Wayne, was really Batman. He didn't want a repeat of what happened with Rachel. Knowing that he was Batman is what killed her, but in the back of his mind he knew Melody was different. He thought back to the heartfelt discussion that Batman and Voltess had. She blamed herself for the death of a friend.
She and him were so much alike that it scared him at first. This is the first time he's met anyone that could truly understand not just him but also Batman. His mind would always wander back to her in his every waking moment. Especially ever since he had seen her out on the pier of the penthouse. He could still vividly remember the way the sunset made it look like she was glowing. He was so stunned that he had trouble remembering why he was talking to her in the first place. Since then, he couldn't get Melody Moser out of his head.
"Where you able to narrow it down at all?" He asked.
"The signal stopped around the docks. The alarm has been raised, sir. You may know who Miss Moser really is but she does not know who you are. Her guard will be up. What will you do, Master Wayne?" Alfred asked.
"I'll find her. I'll go to the docks myself." Bruce stated.
"Yourself as in Bruce Wayne or as in Batman?" Alfred asked for clarification.
"She trusts Batman more than she does Bruce Wayne." He answered.
"Then I suggest you hurry sir. Sunrise will be starting in fifteen minutes."
Melody's P.O.V
I ran a hand through my blonde hair as I leaned against the computer desk. Nothing was ever easy, was it? I let out a sigh and stood back up.
I would have to deal with Bruce later. For now, I had to focus on my main task at hand. Getting the info needed to form a plan to take down the Russian mob.
Minutes had passed and I was currently studying all of the exits to the building. I heard the sound of a loud car engine in the distance. It sounded like a heavy duty kind as well.
"Athena, kill the lights." The warehouse suddenly turned pitch black. It was still relatively dark outside. This part of the dock was supposed to be abandoned, but the thought of drug trades happening close by crossed my mind.
I tapped my bracelet and let the Voltess suit cover me. I heard the sound of the vehicle coming to a stop by the tires screeching. I heard footsteps approaching the door.
I soundlessly jumped up to the metal roof of the warehouse. My electricity allowing me to stick to the metal like a magnet. The door opened with a small creek sound and all I saw was a figure.
The figure took one step inside the warehouse. I pushed off from the roof and tackled the intruder. The intruder fell to the ground with me but easily rolled me off of them.
I rolled back into a crouched stance with one knee bent and the other extended. One hand touching the ground and the other in the air. I looked up at the intruder ready to go on the attack again. Until I noticed an all too familiar cowl.
"What the hell?!" I yelled as I stood back up. The lights then cut back on. Batman quickly shut the door behind him so as to not let anyone see inside.
"Did you follow me?!" I demanded. I've never seen him in a brightly lit place before. Only ever in the dark. I could see his features of his face clearer now with the light. He had a strong jawline and hazel eyes.
"Something like that." His synthesized voice on as he talked.
I put my hands on top of my masked covered head, "You scared the shit out of me. Consider us even now." I referred to the night that I had accidentally scared him.
"Why did you follow me anyway? Did you find something out already?" I asked.
"I thought about what you said earlier. I'd been thinking about it and yeah. I found something out." I narrowed my eyes behind my mask. Why was he being so cryptic?
"You mentioned it'd only be fair if both of us showed each other who we are behind these masks." I titled my head.
"Yeah but you won't do it." I reminded him.
I watched him as took his gloved hand and pressed down on his cowl where his ear would be. What was he doing?
"I changed my mind." My eyes widen hearing that all too familiar deep voice. No way…
My vibranium suit retreated back to reveal my head from behind the mask. "Bruce?" I asked in shock.
He reached up with his gloved hands and pulled off the cowl from his face. Revealing in fact behind the mask of Batman was Bruce Wayne himself.
"Did not see that coming." I muttered.
Bruce let out a small smile, "That makes only one of us."
"How did you find out?" I asked. Bruce pointed to the control panel on my wrist.
"The hologram tech gave you away." I sighed.
"I probably wouldn't have shown you if I had known you were Batman. Can I ask what made you change your mind?" I asked curiously.
"We're a lot alike." I looked at him confused. That's it?
"That's it?" I voiced my thoughts.
"It's as much as I'll give you right now." I narrowed my eyes but sighed.
"Fine." I tapped my wrist and the rest of the vibranium formed back into my bracelet.
Bruce looked at me in wonder, "What is that?" He asked.
"Vibranium." I answered as I pulled the hologram files back up.
"What exactly is that?" He asked again.
"It's as much as I'll give you right now." I threw his words back in his face with a smirk.
Bruce gave a dry chuckle, "Alright, I deserved that. I see you're already working on the schematics." He said as he saw the governor's home on the hologram.
"It's what I was working on until someone interrupted me." I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
Bruce rolled his eyes at the comment, "What'd you find out so far?" He asked.
"I pulled up every schematic plan of the building since it was first built. It's gone through several remodeling's over the years. Several windows, exits and one roof access. The interesting thing I found was when I compared these two schematics together. You see it?" I pulled up the two different schematics side by side.
Bruce studied them and crossed his arms as he thought. His eyes widen when he saw it.
"A room at basement level is on one schematic but not the other." I nodded.
"And it's not on any of the other schematics after it. According to the older schematics this room had access to a tunnel that leads just out to the forest. A tunnel that was used for the underground railroad over a hundred years ago. If I was a Russian mob boss wanting to take a priceless treasure right under the nose of someone…" I trailed off.
"You'd take the tunnel." He finished my sentence. I grinned and nodded, "Exactly."
Bruce had a prideful smile on his face, "Nice work, Mel." He praised me.
I gave a wide smile and I could feel my cheeks flush from the look he was giving me. "I've done my part. Now it's your turn. Making sure the boss will be there." Bruce looked out one of the high windows of the warehouse. The sun was up by now.
"Can't. Sun's up. I'd have to do that kind of work as Batman only." Well that was perfect timing.
"I'm guessing you're not wearing normal civilian clothes under that are you?" Bruce looked at me amused.
"No."
"And you can't take the car you came in back?"
"No."
I let out a sigh, "I'm stuck with you until night, aren't I?" Bruce looked at me highly amused with a smirk plastered on his face.
"Yes." I rubbed my face with my hands.
"That's a whole twelve hours away. That is a lot of this," I gestured to him, "to handle." I said and collapsed in the office chair behind me.
Bruce rolled his eyes at me, "Now you're being dramatic." I chuckled and grinned.
"So this is the real you then, huh? Not that fake act that you pull around Wayne Enterprises." Bruce leaned against the desk behind him. He gave a small smile.
"I'm not surprised you saw through that. I am surprised by how similar you act between yourself and Voltess. I don't see much of a difference acting wise. By the way, looking back, that was horrible acting yesterday." I rolled my eyes at that.
"I'm a superhero not an actress. As for being the same as Voltess, well after wearing the mask for so long you tend to just become that full time. Melody Moser and Voltess are one in the same now. I'm rusty with the whole secret identity thing. Where I'm from, the whole public knew who I was." I answered honestly.
"Is that why you came here for a fresh start? To start over after your identity was found out." He asked. That's right. That's what I told him and Mr. Fox.
"More like a fresh start was given to me. I didn't choose to do it. It just happened. Cryptic, I know but it's the only way I can explain it." I put my right hand up in a gesture as I talked.
Bruce frowned, staring at my hand, "What happened to your hand?" He asked, concerned. I turned my wrist to have my palm face me.
"Oh this? This is the scar I have from getting my powers. I got struck by lightning." Bruce's eyes widened.
"You got struck by lightning?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yup, I have the same type of scar on the bottom of this foot. Electricity travels down to the ground after all." I added and held up my left foot.
"I was in a coma for three months and when I woke back up. I could do this." I said and let the sparks fly across my bare fingers, "Electromagnetism is what my power is called."
Bruce chuckled which caught me off guard. "What's so funny?" I was confused.
"You were worried about what to do in twelve hours. Our dinner got cut short. There's still plenty of questions to ask." I gave a half smile. He had a point.
"So your plan to get this guy at the party is to leave a message?" I whispered as I looked down below at the massive courtyard. I had yet to turn my voice synthesizer on. The sun had gone down by now and I had decided to join Bruce on his outing as Batman.
We were at a large mansion that was known to host several members of the Russian mob. At least according to Bruce.
"Yes." He answered. He had yet to turn on his voice synthesizer as well seeing how it was just the two of us right now.
"What are you going to put in this message? Hope to see you at the party xoxo Batman? That's never going to work!" I hissed at him. He glanced at me with an amused look on what facial features I could see below the mask.
"That's not the exact message I have in mind but trust me when I say it will work. Stay here for now. I'll signal if I need you." He turned the voice synthesizer on. I watched him as he stealthy made it down the roof and towards an opened balcony door.
"You better." I murmured under my breath. As if he could hear me, he looked up at where I still was before going inside.
It felt like hours as I laid on the shingles of the roof. I drummed my fingers along one of the shingles. I suddenly heard shouting come from below. I could see guards rushing inside. Looks like he made himself known now.
I sat up in a crouched position, ready for any signal he might give. Whatever the signal is anyway. He didn't exactly say. I eventually saw him fight his way back to the balcony that he had entered before.
I watched carefully waiting for any signal that might tip me off but I didn't see any. I saw him finally make his way to the balcony and he took out what looked like a grapple gun. He looked in my direction. Oh! That's it!
I jumped off the roof and landed on my board. I flew right over Bruce and I heard a loud pop sound and a sudden extra weight added to my board.
I looked down to see the grapple hook had magnetized to the bottom of my board. Smart. Using my powers to his advantage.
I flew over several different buildings of Gotham until I felt we had gotten far enough away. I hovered down enough for Bruce to land on the roof.
I jumped off my board and landed in crouch position. The static charge ended and Bruce was able to recall his grapple now. I let the vibranium mask retract down to expose my face.
"Can you tell me what message you exactly left? They seemed pretty pissed off." I asked.
Bruce smirked, "It'll work. He'll be there." His synthesized voice spoke through.
"Fine, be cryptic." I hopped back onto my board. The blue electricity now back the moment my feet touched it.
"I'm heading back for some rest. You should do the same. We can talk about a plan later." My eyelids were heavy by this point. I didn't know how Bruce could do this every night.
"I'll pick you up as usual then." I glared at him.
"Seriously? You know who I am now. I can literally fly which by the way you're welcome for the quick exit back there." I said and folded my arms.
Bruce chuckled and turned off the voice synthesizer, "Fine. I'll see you in your office tomorrow."
"See you then." My mask covered my face once again and I flew off in the direction of the docks.