Hey everybody! Wow! Has it really been this long since my last update? So sorry guys! I moved to another state and started a new job so that delayed finishing on this story quite a bit. :-/ Can't really write that well in a U-Haul... ;)
But here it finally is - the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it. It certainly is a long chapter! And thanks once again (I know I say it every time but I can't say it enough) for following and reviewing my story! =)
I gathered myself to turn around and face whoever was really behind me, his steps coming closer to me.
I turned around and saw his face. My mouth felt dry, my ears were ringing. Tears immediately shot into my eyes, my breath was hiking up.
I was losing it — clearly. I knew it couldn't be him. I have had many incidents of thinking he was there, but never this realistic.
I just stared at the person walking up to me, still trying to pull myself together, telling myself over and over again that it wasn't really him I was seeing.
He softly smiled at me as he walked closer. His hair was longer, he looked older. He was wearing jeans and a cheap bomber jacket. His eyes piercing through me. I swallowed hard. How was my mind making this up? I felt dizzy.
He walked up to me slowly putting a hand on my face. Silent tears were running down my face and I was worried I might be either dead or passed out.
It was all way too realistic. His familiar scent, his wrinkles on his forehead, the small mole next to his right eye.
He smiled at me, looking emotional.
I swallowed hard. "Is this…is this real?"
"Is what real?" He asked.
"Are you…are you really here?"
He smiled and nodded and then pulled me towards him and kissed me. His hot lips hitting mine. I wrapped my arms around him as he pressed me hard against him. His tongue finding mine.
I was holding on to him as if my life depended on it, not wanting to ever let him go.
His arms were wrapped around me in equal fervor, pulling me closer to him.
He broke the kiss, looking at me concerned. "Are you ok? Did they do anything to you?"
His eyes were searching mine desperately for answers. His hand still on my face, holding me close to him. I saw tears streaming down his face.
"I'm fine." I nodded. "How are you?"
He smiled. "I'm good now."
He hugged me closely again, and I was still unable to comprehend it was really him. He held me closely. I started to cry, my hands holding on to the thin fabric of his jacket tightly.
"I was so scared… I thought you were dead." I said in between sobs.
"I'm fine." He responded, his hand holding the back of my head. "I've missed you so much." He said softly.
I broke the hug and kissed him again, as a reminder that he was really here and I wasn't dreaming.
"What happened to you?" I asked when we broke the kiss.
"Ah it's a long story. Let's get back home. It's freezing out here."
We started walking and then I stopped. I had to tell him now.
"Bruce?"
He looked at me concerned.
"I…" I looked to the ground, trying to find the strength to say it. "I am so sorry."
"What could you possibly have to be sorry for?"
"I tried to…" I couldn't hold it in any longer and started crying again.
"Hey, hey…" He wrapped me in his arms, pulling me close to him. "What ever it is, it's going to be ok."
"I lost the baby." I whispered.
He didn't say anything at first and then continued in a very calm voice. "I know."
"You do?" I said looking at him confused. "How?"
"Doesn't matter. All that matters now is that you're ok. And don't you ever apologize for that again."
I nodded.
"Come on, let's get back home."
As we walked back to the car I still felt like I was in a dream. Or maybe I had died. Whichever it was - it was better than it had been before.
An hour before meeting her, he had made his way into Wayne Manor through the secret entrance. Luckily his finger print was still programmed so the alarm didn't go off.
He walked into the kitchen, looking for Alfred. It was strange being back in the house after everything that had happened.
"Miss me?" He asked with a grin on his face when he saw the old butler.
Alfred smirked at him. "Master Wayne. It's about time."
He laughed. Even in the darkest times Alfred always could make him laugh. "Where's Cat?" He asked.
"Ms Hunter is talking a walk in Central Park, sir."
"By herself?"
"Yes, sir."
"I'll head down there. Do we still have the Ducatti around?"
Alfred nodded. "Not much has changed inside these walls, Master Wayne. It's everything out there that has gotten a lot darker."
Bruce bit his lips together, all too aware of that. "Get me Fox. I need to see him the second I get back. I need to get back in the game."
"Certainly sir."
We were driving in the Lamborghini. He looked focused.
"A prison?" I asked after he told me what happened to him, though I felt he left out some gruesome details.
He nodded.
"Alfred and I figured it was Bane's prison."
He looked at me surprised. "How did you know?"
I swallowed, looking at my hands which were a palish blue from the cold weather. "Bane showed me footage...of you."
An angry look wiped over his face. "I'm sorry you had to see that." He simply responded, his jawline hard.
"Enough about me." He continued. "How are you?"
"Fine. Bane hasn't really done anything to me." I shrugged. "He only needs more for his speeches. It's all a show. He only needs me to get to you. To hurt you."
Bruce looked angry. Apparently it had worked.
"Do you know who the woman under the mask is? The one that seems to think she's helping Gotham by walking around and fighting people."
"You don't think she is?" I asked surprised.
"No."
I had not expected him to react this way.
"I mean I get it," he continued,"the feeling that you need to do something, that you want to help in some way. But I'm back and I got this and I don't need her help. She has no plan. She doesn't know what she's doing. That is if she's really even on our side."
I was about to protest angrily when I stopped myself.
"Do you know who she is?" He asked again.
"No." I responded without even thinking about it. After what he said I didn't want him to know it was me.
We walked into the Batcave and Alfred and Fox were standing there.
"Where are we in terms of locating the bomb?" Bruce asked, looking at Alfred and Fox.
"Gordon and his guys have been marking the wagons transporting it." I responded and Bruce turned to face me. "They're still not sure which one it's in." I continued. "Could be any of them. So they came up with a system, marking them. Gordon is planning on doing that tomorrow."
"Good. Luscious do you have a way of blocking the signal from the remote?"
"Yes, but only if you can get this device to the bomb." He said, holding a little box in his hands.
"Ok." Bruce said as he sat down next to the computer screens. "I'm going to get the cops underground out and deal with Bane and we need to get the blocking device to Gordon."
"I can do that." I responded.
"No." Bruce said instantly. "I don't want you anywhere near him or the bomb."
"But I can…"
"Not because I don't want you involved," he interrupted me. "I need you to work on a plan B."
"What's plan B?"
"In case we fail. Save as many lives as possible. You need to get people out of Gotham, including yourself."
"I'm not leaving without you." I protested.
He got up, ignoring me and focusing on Alfred and Fox again. "The bomb goes off in 2 weeks?"
"Yes." Fox nodded.
"Let's not waste any time then."
I stood there angrily, watching Fox leave.
"Alfred what do we know about the copy cat?"
"Copy cat, sir?"
Bruce pulled up a picture of me in the costume from one of the surveillance cameras.
Alfred looked at me and I shook my head. He sighed and rolled his eyes at me.
"We don't know much of anything, sir."
"Really? Why not? Have you not monitored her?" He asked frustrated.
Alfred looked at me frustrated again. "To be honest sir, we've been focusing on Bane and his men. The bad guys."
"She's a complicating factor in this. We don't know her motive or what she wants. I'd sleep better knowing she was locked up somewhere."
It was late when we finally went to bed. We had spent hours talking about our plan to stop Bane and he had asked me to tell him everything I knew about Bane and his men.
I checked my watch when we finally left the Batcave. It was 3:23 a.m.
"In case Bane comes by, you have to pretend I'm not here." He said.
"But the second Batman makes an appearance he will know you're back."
He nodded. "But that's why I want to wait to make an appearance. I want to make sure he is so pre-occupied with everything else that he doesn't have time to locate you or Alfred. That's another reason why I need you to make sure you're safe."
"I really think I can help..."
"Yes." He interrupted me again. "By initiating plan B."
I had taken a shower and slipped into one of his white shirts while he was in the shower. I still hadn't gotten used to the fact that he was back. That he was alive. Something in me was still terrified it was all a dream and I would wake up any minute now, back in my nightmare.
"Honey?" He asked from the shower.
"Yes?"
"Could you hand me a towel?"
"Sure." I grabbed a towel and walked to the shower. The massive glass wall was slightly fogged up. The first time I showered by myself in his shower I felt lost. It seems overwhelming for just one person when easily ten could fit in. The limestone wall, the rainforest shower head - every detail had been paid attention to.
"There you go." I said as I handed the towel into the shower, my eyes scanning his body.
He had added a few new scars but he also looked more fit than he had last time I saw him. Lean muscle bulging underneath scars. I swallowed hard as I was admiring him standing under running hot water. It was the first time in months that I had these kind of thoughts. Up until now death and destruction was the only thing on my mind.
"Thanks." He said as he reached for the towel. But instead, he grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me toward him, wrapping me in his arms and kissing me passionately. His one arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him, the other hand in my hair. I felt like I was sleepwalking. Like I was in a dream.
The hot water was streaming down my body as he pressed me against the wall with his body, feverishly kissing me. My hand ran over his arms and back and I felt his muscles strung tight, like a freshly tuned guitar.
Suddenly he stopped and looked at me, water running down his face. I looked at him breathlessly, praying he hadn't changed his mind about this.
"Are you...are you ok with this?" His concerned eyes scanned mine.
"Of course." I responded.
He nodded but still didn't look convinced.
"Hey." I said, forcing him to look me in my eyes. "They didn't do anything to me."
He looked at me long and hard, pondering what I had just told him.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his lips towards me again. My hands ran through his hair as our tongues met again. His hands wandered over my body, the wet material of his shirt sticking to my skin.
He broke the kiss and lifted me up, wrapping my legs around him, his eyes gleaming at me.
He pressed me against the wall, his hands firmly on my hips. I took a sharp inhale as he pushed himself inside of me. His lips, which were pressed in a tight line just a second ago, opened, exhaling a deep moan.
I locked my legs around his midsection closer as he pushed deeper into me. Under heavy breaths I grabbed onto his shoulders as he continued his assault.
For just this moment I forgot about the possible destruction of Gotham or the fact that we were living under a warlord. For this moment it was just me and him.
His hands were holding onto me almost forcefully, as if he was trying to hold back. His lips found mine again, kissing me hard. He broke the kiss, looking at me intently as his movements continued.
He stopped and let my legs to the floor before turning me around, pulling my hips towards him in one swift motion.
I braced my hands against the wall as he entered me again, his hands running up my body. The material of his shirt still clinging to my body, I felt his hands on my breasts. His lips on my neck now, I could hear his breath getting heavier and heavier.
He grabbed one of my hands with his, his fingers intertwining mine, holding them tightly. The other hand grabbed my hip as his movements became more fierce. That's when I felt my body give in, my knees almost buckling. I screamed out and he followed me over the edge shortly after, exhaling a deep groan.
His arms wrapped around me, pulling me close to him, kissing my neck softly. Neither one of us saying a word, breathing in heavy unison.
He slowly let go of me and I turned around. He kissed me softly again and then smiled at me, slowly tugging away a strand of hair behind my ear.
We just looked at each other for a minute, as if we were both still wrapping our minds around the fact that we were together again. After everything.
We got out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his midsection and then smirked at me. "May I?" He said as he unbuttoned my shirt.
I laughed and nodded. "You may."
His facial expression suddenly changed as he looked at my body. I had forgotten I had several large bruises.
He bit his teeth together, his jaw muscles instantly bulging under his skin.
"Who did this?" He asked quietly, looking at my bruises.
I was about to tell him it wasn't Bane and his men and he didn't need to worry - but then I realized that would be my best excuse for them. Or should I tell him about my second life?
"Who did this?" He asked again a little louder now.
"It's nothing." I said, but he didn't listen. I could see the anger flicker in his eyes.
"Cat, who did this?" He asked, looking at me now.
"One of Bane's men." I blurted out, already regretting lying to him. "I made them mad and then that guy didn't handle it very well. Bane wasn't happy with him because he doesn't want anyone to hurt me."
"Did Bane kill him?" He asked in a voice that almost scared me.
"Yes." I responded, afraid he would do it if I said this imaginary person was still alive.
"Good. Otherwise I would have."
"Bruce..."
"Have you seen a doctor?"
I nodded. "I'm fine. It's just some bruises."
He bit his lips together, nodding. A forced smile went over his face as he wrapped me in a towel, kissing me on the forehead.
I started drying my hair with a towel as he was standing in front of the sink. I was trying to change the subject.
"Alex has made actually a lot of progress, observing Bane's men over the last few..."
BAM! He slammed his hand on the marble counter. Just now I noticed the anger in his eyes and across his face.
"I'm sorry." He sighed. "I'm just..." He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I'm just...mad."
"Like I said the guy is dead, he paid his price."
He shook his head. "Not at him. At me."
I stared at him confused. "Why...?"
"I let you down. I put you in this position with this monster..."
"Hey, hey..." I walked up to him, taking his face into my hands. His eyes had the familiar pain-stricken look. "You could never let me down."
I kissed him and nestled myself into his chest, his arms wrapping instinctively around me.
"Let's not talk about the past. I'm just so glad I have you back." I said, holding onto him a little closer, listening to his heartbeat drumming against my ear. How I missed this sound. For months I was unsure if I would ever hear it again.
We got up at 5 a.m., neither one of us able to sleep well. Too much was at stake. Too much was going through our minds.
"Good morning." Alfred greeted us in the kitchen.
"Morning." Bruce said, downing a green smoothie with protein powder in it. "Where are we at?" He asked.
I took a seat, taking a sip of the coffee. I was used to being invisible to him in these kind of situations but not used to being out of the loop anymore. The Cat of before all this madness started didn't exist anymore, only he didn't know that.
"Gordon is going out with a small group, marking the trucks again, sir." Alfred responded.
"Good. When is that going to happen?"
"In about 2 hours, Master Wayne."
Bruce nodded in approval.
As Alfred poured more coffee in my cup he looked at me with raised eyebrows. I knew what he was going to say if Bruce wasn't in the room.
You have to tell him.
I bit my lower lip, avoiding Alfred's judging stare.
"What's the officer's name again?" Bruce asked, staring at a map on the large screen.
"Blake." I offered.
"And how do we know we can trust him?"
"Our research shows he's been working with Gordon."
"Gordon has trusted people in the past that weren't trustworthy."
"He's also worked with Shelby Bolton, my FBI source."
"Doesn't mean we know him."
"No, but frankly what other choice do we have?"
He didn't respond, looking at the screen. "Ok so let's go over it one more time."
"I still don't agree with it." I protested but he ignored it as always.
"Officer Blake opens the sewer, freeing the trapped cops. I will be there hiding, just in case something goes wrong. Then I will lead them to City Hall where Bane is hiding. We'll take him on full force. Meanwhile you're taking the BatPod, opening the tunnel. Go from door to door, tell as many as you can to get across the bridge. Make sure you and Alfred and Fox are out before the expected blast time. Got it?"
I felt nauseous. Obviously that's not what I was actually going to do but just the thought of leaving him, with the time on the bomb ticking away, made my stomach turn.
He looked at me. "Cat?"
"Yeah."
"I need you to do this. For me."
I nodded. "I'll do it."
He walked to the Batcave and I followed. Pressed a button, the batsuit appearing from underneath.
"You're going out in full daylight?" I asked.
"The art of being unseen is not a fashion problem." He responded, watching the suit slowly reveal from the water, like something he had been waiting for for months.
"I get that but still...walking around as Batman in daylight..."
"Gordon doesn't know my identity and I like to keep it that way."
"Why does it still matter when Bane knows your identity?"
"It always matters." He simply responded and for the first time, I could relate. My true identity was so precious to me, I even hid it from him. I have to tell him - I instantly reminded myself but was once again unable to say it.
"It's going to be quick," he said as he took off his shirt and started getting into the suit. "I should be back in an hour."
I watched him get into the suit, piece by piece. His eyes determined and focused. It was the first time I watched him put on the suit. Up until now it had been a foreign concept to me. Something that I just couldn't quite understand. Not anymore. Now I watched his facial expression as he put on the gloves and I recognized the determination and pain in it.
"How does it feel?" I asked him and his eyes shot up at me in a confused look. "Putting it the suit back on." I continued. "How does it feel to become the Batman again?"
"I've never stopped being the Batman." He responded. "It's part of me. The mask...it's just a tool."
With that he put on the mask, making the transformation complete and got into the Tumbler.
"May I ask why you haven't told Master Wayne?" Alfred asked after Bruce left.
"I...I'm planning on it." I responded.
He rolled his eyes and sighed. "I've heard that before. You remember what it's like to be kept in the dark. Don't make the same mistake he made."
"You've heard what he said about me! He thinks I'm a 'complicating' factor."
"He only thinks that because he can't trust that person. He would if he knew it was you."
I shook my head. "Yes, he would trust me but he wouldn't let me put the mask back on. He's too protective."
Alfred sighed again, shaking his head.
The second Bruce was out of sight I was looking for my tool - my mask.
I didn't need to follow Bruce since I know where he was going. I knew the warehouse where Gordon was hiding. I knew it because I had been the one to hide him there.
I was crouching by a window outside, looking into the kitchen. They couldn't see me from this angle but I could perfectly hear their conversation. Especially thanks to Fox's bluetooth hearing aide.
"I thought you were dead." Gordon said.
"Let's keep it that way." He responded in his raspy voice.
How I had missed that voice. And now - I suddenly was intensely attracted by it. I didn't know whether that was because I knew it was him under the mask or because I was wearing one now as well. It was like I finally understood this part of him.
"Fair enough." Gordon responded. "It's good to have you back."
"I need you to communicate with officer Blake. We need his help in opening the sewer and freeing the trapped officers."
"I can arrange that."
"Don't tell him about me. Not yet. I need the element of surprise."
"I understand."
"What can you tell me about her?" He asked and handed him, what looked like a photograph.
"Goes by the codename Black Viper. Seems to be on the right side of things. Saved my life multiple times. She's the one who picked this hideout for me."
Ha! I smirked proudly. There you go. Gordon gave me the seal of approval!
"I wouldn't trust her." He responded in a dark voice.
"Why? What have you found?" Gordon asked.
"Nothing so far, which is precisely why I don't trust her."
"Really? Seems like you two would be getting along." Gordon said.
I couldn't see Batman's face but I knew what his facial expression looked like. A dark stare, his eyes narrowed. It was the equivalent of a snark. A - how dare you compare me to her - look.
Instead of saying anything like that he simply asked: "Are we a go for the plan?"
"Yes. I will talk to my men in the field about attaching tracking devices on the trucks. I will talk to officer Blake and of course, I will not mention that you're back."
"Good. I will be in touch."
With that he left and I was on my way back as well. I climbed up one more stair of flights on the fire escape and went through the window. I knew this building inside out by now.
I casually walked through the room that was leading to the other staircase which lead to the back entrance. I would get out of here before he did and make my way back to the Batcave before he knew what was happening. He couldn't know I was gone.
"Care to introduce yourself?" His dark raspy voice demanded sternly from behind.
How did he do this? I hadn't even heard him.
I swallowed hard, immediately feeling nervous. Like someone who got caught.
He doesn't know it's you, just keep up the act - I reminded myself.
I put on a fake smile and took a deep breath of confidence before turning around, playing the role.
He stood there, almost in the shadows, his eyes staring threateningly at me.
"Well, well, well... If it isn't the one and only." I said walking only two steps towards him. I didn't want him to get a good look at me. "I thought they'd killed you." I said as I placed my hands on my hips, tilting my head to one side, smiling at him.
"Not yet." He responded, his dark eyes scanning every inch of me.
The way he looked at me was scary. It was nothing I had experienced before. He looked at me - not as Cat - but as a target. As a potential enemy. It was the eyes of a man Gotham's worst criminals feared - not those of the man I loved. But just now I realized - those two were the same! "I never stopped being Batman! It's part of who I am." Oh how true that was. And now I understood.
"So... Rumor has it you don't trust me." I said. "How can we change that?"
"We don't. I work alone."
"Really? So why are you meeting in secrecy with the Commissioner?"
He didn't respond.
I started to feel more secure in my act and walked up a little closer.
"See, the way I see it is that we're all in this mess together. We have all one thing in common, we don't want to die when that bomb goes off. You've been gone a long time. A 'thank you' would have sufficed."
"A thank you? For what?" His voice suddenly erupted. "What exactly have you done? Stopped the bomb? Stopped Bane?"
"Ouch!" I said, trying to not show how much that comment actually stung. "Someone doesn't play nice." I continued, walking closer to him. "Did I stop the bad guy? No, but at least I didn't get caught and almost killed by the madman."
I swear I could hear an angry growl coming from him.
"Let the past be the past." I said and kept walking towards him.
He didn't have the faintest idea it was me. The disguise worked perfectly. "What do you say, sugar?" I purred, putting one hand on his chest. "Let's work together."
What happened next took me by complete surprise. He grabbed me by my throat and threw me against the wall with full force.
"This is not a game!" He said in a threatening voice. "Don't think you can play with me!"
His hand around my neck wasn't tight, not trying to choke me, just strong enough to hold my up.
"Wow, someone hasn't gotten laid in too long." I said, trying to keep up the act. I remembered when I was in a similar position last - when he was drugged in Joker's labyrinth not recognizing me.
"Are you trying to unleash your sexual frustration?" I said as I pulled my legs around him.
He dropped me instantly, like a sack of hot potatoes.
"Don't get in my way." He said and disappeared wherever he came from.
So many thoughts were rushing through my brain when I suddenly realized - I had to get home before he did and now he had a head start.
The Ducatti was parked two blocks from here in an ally. I ran up to the top of the roof and shot a wire across to the next roof. I clicked my belt to it and slid across quickly. From there I jumped to the next roof, my adrenaline helping me speed across.
What would my excuse be if I didn't make it? Nothing would be believable. No, being late wasn't an option.
Finally I was at the ally where I had parked. I attached another wire to the top of the roof and slowly went down the side of the building until I was sitting on the leather of the Ducatti.
I sped through Gotham as fast as I could. Luckily there was no traffic.
I got back, stored the Ducatti, hid my mask and outfit and threw regular clothes back on.
Alfred looked at me and shook his head as I sat back down at the desk, pretending to read through information on the screen.
That's when he returned. I tried not to seem out of breath. As I looked at the reflection of myself on the dark screen, I realized I had forgotten to take off my red lipstick. I quickly grabbed the napkin Alfred had left with my water and removed the lipstick, crumbling up the napkin and stuffing it in my pocket.
I stood up and greeted Bruce, who removed his mask, shaking his head slightly.
"What did Gordon say?" I asked, trying to appear natural.
"He's on board."
"Great."
He nodded and kept walking to the screen.
"So..." I continued. "Bane's men didn't see you?"
"No." He responded, obviously not going to explain the matter any further.
"Good. So it was just Gordon there?" I prodded further.
"Ya." He said without taking his eyes off the screen.
Why wouldn't he tell me about the encounter? Why would he lie? Well, what moral high ground did I have? I am lying to him right now.
Flashback:
He had just finished talking to Gordon when he saw a shadow move on the fire escape. The person went up rather than down. When he quietly walked into the room he saw her walking to the staircase that lead to the back entrance.
At once he noticed her body under the tight black fabric. He shook the feeling and focused.
"Care to introduce yourself?" He asked and she immediately stopped in her tracks.
She turned around and smiled at him, her red hot lips parting ever so slightly. He noticed a scar above her left lip.
For a brief second he felt his eyes scan her body. He had seen his fair share of beautiful women, normally it didn't have this effect on him. Pull yourself together! He ordered himself.
She kept walking towards him, her body language was definitely flirtatious. It reminded him of Danielle, who had used her beauty and sexual aura as a distraction. It hadn't worked on him then, but something about this woman in front of him was different.
Her eyes focused on his in a way that made him want her immediately. Anger and frustration filled his body. Really? Three months in prison and suddenly he was incapable of thinking clearly around a woman in a tight leather suit. His eyes scanned her body again. A really tight suit - he thought to himself.
"What do you say, sugar, let's work together."
Enough with this!
With that he grabbed her and threw her against the wall. She looked startled but quickly regained her composure.
He made clear that he wasn't in a joking mood. But being so close to her, he suddenly had an image of him ripping that suit off of her, touching her skin. She looked like the kind of girl who liked it rough - he thought to himself. Immediate regret filled him. As if he was cheating on Cat just by thinking that.
"Don't think you can play with me!"
His voice was full of anger. In response, she slid her legs around him, pulling him closer to her. Her lips almost begging him to kiss him.
As if she was poison, he dropped her and let her fall to the ground.
He had to get away from her. Fast.
On the way back to Manors his head was spinning. What was that? Why was he so attracted to her? Now he really didn't know if he could trust her. After talking to Gordon he had been leaning toward trusting her. But now - now he couldn't trust his instinct around her. He couldn't even trust himself around her.
Just thinking about Cat made him feel guilty. It's not like I did anything. It was just thoughts. That's all.
When he got back, Cat walked up to him and asked him how it was. He couldn't tell her about his encounter with the woman dressed in black. He didn't know why but he just wasn't able to. Add that to the list of lies - he thought.
I had moved my suit. Up until now it was stored in the Batcave, not very securely. My reasoning - if someone found the Batcave I was already exposed.
But now, with Bruce being back, I had to hide it better. Fox had built me a hidden compartment in the Batcave, of course fingerprint activated.
As I walked into the shower, I realized how close I had come to exposing myself. I had to tell him. He would find out anyway. It would be much worse if he found out on his own. The way I had found out about him being Batman.
Cat was taking a shower when he was still looking at the computer screens, looking at Officer Blake's file.
"Eventful day, sir?" Alfred asked as he put a glass of water next to him.
"Yeah, you could say that. I ran into our copy cat." He said, not looking at the butler.
"Oh. And?"
"Gordon trusts her."
"Do you, sir?"
"I don't know."
"What does your gut feeling tell you?"
"That I've been wrong before."
"But you can't win this fight alone. Even Batman needs allies. You have a few. The Commissioner, Luscious, myself. Why not add one?"
"Each time I'm doing that I'm risking everything."
"If you don't risk, you don't win."
He nodded. "I would still feel better if we had her background. Not knowing anything about her... What if Bane planted her? What if she was meant to gain your trust?"
The butler gave him a look as if he was completely paranoid. Maybe he was. Trust didn't come naturally to him.
"I don't think she was planted by Bane, sir." Alfred said.
"What makes you say that?"
"The Joker saved her life in a fight against Bane."
He looked up in surprise at Alfred.
"He saved her?"
"Yes. Bane was ready to kill her."
"Ok, so I guess she wasn't planted by Bane. What if she's working with the Joker?"
"I don't think so. She saved Alex's life."
"Cat's former colleague?"
"Yes, there's a lot you don't know."
"Well, fill me in."
I woke up in a dimly lit room, my arms strapped to a chair with leather ties.
"Wake-y wake-y!" A female voice said.
I used all my efforts to focus on who was talking to me, my brain still swimming with images. How did I get here? Where am I?
Finally I was able to focus my eyes on who was talking. A woman, in her late 20s or early 30s, blonde pig tails, the tips colored pink and blue. Her face was covered with white paint, a heart tattooed right below her eye. Her lips bright red.
She was wearing tight shorts and a cropped shirt.
"Where...where am I?" I managed to say.
"Home." She answered, smiling at me, her eyes looking crazed. The more I looked at her, the more I felt I had met her before.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"The name is Harley. Harley Quinn." She started laughing.
It slowly came back to me. I was walking down the road when I felt someone hit me on the head.
"Why am I here?" I kept asking.
"You're the grande prize."
"Grande prize?"
"Oh don't play stupid. You're Catherine Hunter...practically married to Bruce Wayne...practically royalty."
"I swear if I hear that one more time..."
She laughed. "Puddin' told me you were fun."
"Puddin'?" As I looked at her more closely I suddenly realized - she looked like Joker's girlfriend - if there was such a thing.
"I'm the new royalty honey! Move on over."
"Gladly. I don't want the attention."
"Good. Because when it's all done, I'm going to be the new queen of Gotham." She licked her lips, similarly to how the Joker did it.
"I'm sure." I nodded. "But I still don't know why I'm here."
"Mr J wanted you, so here you are!"
Mr J? As in J for Joker?
"When you said home..." I looked around.
"I meant Arkham Asylum. People tell you you're crazy...but in reality it's everyone on the outside of these walls who is insane. We are the sane people and the crazy people want to lock us up because they can't handle the truth." She played with her hair as she was going on her rant, biting her lips every once in a while.
Suddenly - it hit me.
"Dr... Baxter?" I asked.
She stopped and looked at me closely, her eyes widening as if I just released her biggest secret.
She put her finger on her lips. "Shhhh."
"Whatever happened, whatever he did to you, I can help you." I offered, unsure of what the Joker had done to her.
"Are you talking badly about Puddin'?" She asked, crossing her arms.
"No...I'm just saying..."
She hit me in the face with full force. I felt blood running down my nose.
She moved over to a tray of several items. Nervously I looked over.
"Puddin' said not to hurt you... But I think I need to teach you a lesson not to talk badly about Mr J."
She grabbed one of my fingers and jammed a needle right under my nail, the pain spreading through my entire hand like wildfire.
I was contemplating my options. Could I free myself? Possibly, but should I? I would reveal who I was. That wasn't worth it. She wasn't trying to kill me. She was simply going to torture me.
"You can't talk about my Puddin'." She said as she grinned at me, grabbing a knife, licking the top of the blade.
"I'd put that down if I was you." A deep husky voice said from the darkness.
In the past, the deep bass of his voice brought instant relief to me. It meant I was about to be saved.
But now - now I was almost annoyed. I can save myself - is what I wanted to say. But I couldn't because I needed to keep the act of the old Catherine Hunter up. Suddenly I felt like I was him. Playing a fake Bruce Wayne, wearing the mask, not telling anyone about it. It was me. I was doing the exact same thing.
Harley Quinn turned around but couldn't see him.
"And if not?" She asked, smiling, taking the knife and turning to me again.
In that moment a bat dart hit her in the hand, piercing through her flesh. She yelped in pain, dropping the knife.
Batman appeared out of the dark, walking towards us.
"Hey Batsy! I thought you were dead." She said with a big grin.
"Not yet."
"Mr J was right. He's going to be so excited to see you. He talks about you a lot."
He ignored her, walking to me and untying me and helping me up.
"Looks like we caught ourselves a bat." The voice of the Joker rang through the hallway.
Batman turned around, pushing me behind him.
"I don't have time for your games, Joker." He replied in his deep voice.
"No games. Not this time. We're on the same side."
"We're never on the same side."
"You see, that's were you're wrong. If we combine our forces, we can beat Bane."
"So you can claim the destruction of Gotham on your own?"
"Oh no, no! I don't want to destroy Gotham. It's my home."
"You'd just like to terrorize your home."
"We can disagree on the small details all day long. Bottom line is that bomb is going off and neither one of us wants that to happen. I have developed a gas that disables his mask. Without his mask, he is helpless."
I remembered when he used the gas when he saved me on that roof top.
"I'm not working with anybody." Batman responded.
"That's what your friend in costume said."
Batman just looked at him confused.
"Girl in black spandex." Joker explained. "Walks around trying to save Gotham..."
"She's not my friend."
"Boy, you really need to work on your social circle. Not even she made the cut? What, so your only friend is Miss Hunter here?"
He didn't respond.
"That's why we got her." The Joker continued She's bait for you. It worked just like old times. Some things never change."
Suddenly the room turned dark. Batman grabbed me and we walked out the door.
"We can just walk out of here? No tricks?" I asked as we reached the Bat.
"No, he meant it. He just got you here as bait for me to talk to me. He must be scared of Bane when he asks for my help."
We were airborne. It was the first time we normally interacted with him wearing the mask and me knowing who was underneath it. Even with me knowing, it was still surprising how different he seemed when he was Batman.
The only problem - he still didn't know that I was wearing a mask on the side as well.
We were back in the Batcave. Bruce had taken off the mask, but was still wearing the suit.
"It was good to see him back out there." I said, smiling.
Bruce nodded. "It felt good being back out there."
Alfred walked in. "Sir, I've done research on her." He said as he pressed a button on the computer. "Dr Allison Harley Quinn Baxter."
"Harley Quinn, a play on words of 'harlequin'." I said.
"Any indication on what happened to her?" Bruce asked.
"I found several complaints from co-workers in her file." Alfred continued. "They all indicate that Dr Baxter became obsessed with the Joker, spending more and more time with him. She's a workaholic and apparently made it her life's work to "cure" the Joker."
"Only instead of curing him, he made her mad." I finished.
"Precisely."
"Why did higher-ups not do anything about Baxter and the Joker?"
"Because they wanted a break-through case and Dr Baxter kept telling them she was on the verge of curing the Joker. Can you imagine the headlines and positive publicity for Arkham Asylum?"
"She even talked to me about the problems they were facing because...well, it's Arkham Asylum. Fixing the Joker would have been groundbreaking." I said.
"Well, for now, let's just keep an eye on them if we can." Bruce said. "We have to focus on Bane. We know the Joker is not concerned with us right now, he doesn't want to stop us, if anything he wants to help us though we can never trust the Joker."
Two days had gone by and Bane had left me alone. I wasn't surprised. I wasn't a priority in his plan at this point.
"Won't he know you're not in his prison anymore?" I asked Bruce as he was sitting at the computer.
He looked at the screen, barely paying attention to my question. "Maybe."
"Isn't your element of surprise gone once he knows?"
"Yes, but he doesn't know that I'm gone and he doesn't know I'm here. Yet. He's too preoccupied with his plan."
I nodded. "It won't be long now."
He turned to me, hearing the heaviness in my voice.
He didn't say anything, just looking at me.
"Master Wayne?" Alfred walked in.
"Yes Alfred?"
"Mr Fox would like to speak with you. He said he had some new developments he wanted to show you."
Bruce got up without hesitation.
"I won't be long." He said as he kissed me.
It was in fact perfect timing for me. Whenever Bruce wasn't around, I had used the Bat computer to spy on Harley Quinn. I figured she would lead us to the Joker and given our last interaction with him, he might know things about Bane and his operation that we don't.
At this point I didn't want Bruce to know I was spying on her for multiple reasons. For once he was probably wanted to keep me as far away from Harley and the Joker as possible. But more importantly - I didn't want him to get suspicious that I was Black Viper.
If I would find something concrete, I would of course let him know. Right now, I didn't know anything.
Harley had been going to an apartment every day. First I thought it was her apartment. But then I realized she was only coming there during certain times of the day.
It was time to look into her apartment to see what was going on. It was risky, but as Black Viper, I wasn't afraid of her.
I changed into the suit, taking a deep breath as the leather slipped on me like a second skin. I had missed this. I had missed becoming the Viper. She had become part of who I was.
The irony didn't escape me of how I know fully understood Bruce. All this time - something was missing from the puzzle that was Bruce Wayne. Now I understood.
I knew I didn't have too much time. I left a note saying I was taking a walk in the park. I knew Bruce would be furious with me for dong that. After all, that's how Harley and the Joker got to me last time. At least that's all I remember before everything turned black.
I put on the mask, the red lipstick and the scar as the finishing touches on my disguise. I took the Lamborghini. It was awkward driving in it as Viper but it made sense that I would take it to go to the park.
The double disguise…it was hard to keep up. Once again I understood how he must have felt.
I drove through the empty streets of Gotham, memories of how it used to look like on a busy day flushing through my mind. Now it was a grey, concrete tomb. Waiting for death.
I stopped the car several blocks away. Making my way to the apartment. The second I was in the suit I felt my step to be more confident. I felt invincible. The cold air brushed against me as my step quickened.
I climbed up the fire escape of another building until I was on the roof. Using the binocular lenses Fox made for me, I looked into the window of the apartment Harley always disappeared into.
Nobody was home. Time for me to take a closer look into what was going on.
"Good to see you Mr Wayne." Fox said as Bruce walked into the secret hiding space.
Miranda Tate was still here as well. They hadn't found a better hide spot for her yet. Although Cat had protested.
"How are we sure we can trust her?" Cat had asked.
"Why?" Bruce had asked. "You don't?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. That's why I'm asking you."
"I trust her as much as anybody. I'm always cautious but she's been a good friend and business partner. She supported the clean energy project all the way."
"Something is off with her though."
He didn't give Cat's concerns too much room. She was probably a bit jealous. Miranda was a beautiful woman. He worked closely with her. He could understand how she was not a hundred percent trusting towards her.
"Miranda." He nodded in her direction as she smiled at him and got up.
She hugged him tightly, holding on to him as if her life depended on it. "Bruce." She said, her arms still locked around him. "I can't believe it's you. Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine." He waited for her to let him go but she was still holding on. Did she have feelings for him? Maybe he had missed something that Cat had picked up on. Now it made more sense that she mistrusted her.
Miranda finally let go of him and looked him into his eyes.
"I'm so glad you're alive." She said as she wiped away tears.
He just nodded with a soft smile, still taken aback by her emotional reaction.
"I don't want to keep you." She continued, looking almost embarrassed now. "I know you have much catching up to do. I'm just so incredibly sorry for everything."
"You have nothing to be sorry for Miranda."
"I do. It is after all the reactor of the clean energy project that has given this mad men the capability to destroy Gotham. It is my project. I will never forgive myself."
Bruce wanted to protest but she quickly continued.
"Enough time wasted with me." She said stepping aside so he could go to see Fox. "I'm here to help in any way I can. I'm here to right my wrongs."
"Thank you Miranda." He said as he walked to Fox.
"Lucious, good to see you." Bruce said as he shook his hand. "What do you have for me?"
"Follow me." He said as they walked to a table. "Luckily this place still had most of your secret weapons in here." He continued quietly. "I've also made sure that Miranda wouldn't know the true extent of your involvement. She thinks you're simply working with Batman."
He nodded.
"There we are." Fox said, looking at a small box. "It's enough to block the signal from the detonator but you have to be in close proximity to the bomb. So without finding the bomb, this isn't going to be helpful."
Bruce nodded. "We're making progress on locating it."
"Good."
Alfred walked up to the two of them after he said hi to Miranda.
"I took the liberty of following Harley Quinn, keep an eye on her so to speak." Alfred said.
"Yet you have no word on our copy cat?" Bruce asked.
"Copy cat?" Fox asked confused.
Before Bruce could elaborate Alfred interrupted. "Goes by Black Viper. Woman dressed in all black. She has been working with Gordon."
"And you don't know who she is?" Fox asked, looking at Bruce.
"No, do you?"
Fox looked at Alfred and then back at Bruce. "I've been locked in here. Not much I know these days." He responded with a smile.
"What did you find out?" Bruce asked Alfred.
"She is going to this building every day." He showed surveillance video of the area on a tablet. "First I thought she simply lives there. But then I began to notice she is herself stalking someone. The man who lives across the street."
"Her latest obsession?" Fox wondered.
Bruce shook his head. "She would never betray the Joker. Stockholm Syndrome…"
"The victim falls in love with her kidnapper." Fox continued.
He nodded.
"I kept an eye on that man she was stalking…" Alfred said as he pressed another button on the computer and pictures of the man showed up.
He didn't need to say anything else, everyone knew who he was. A former worker of Wayne Enterprises. An assistant to Mr Dagget.
"I guess we shouldn't be surprised." Fox said. "Dagget is dead, someone had to keep the reign of evil up."
"Do we know how he is involved with Bane?" Bruce asked.
Alfred shook his head and then smiled softly. "But I'm guessing his apartment will be full of clues."
"Sorry to cut this meeting short." Bruce said.
Fox smiles. "I understand."
I had climbed through the window and looked inside of Harley's apartment. As I had expected, this wasn't where she lived. The apartment was empty. No furniture. The only things in here were binoculars by the window facing the building across the street and surveillance equipment. As I kept walking I also saw a lot of empty vodka bottles. I didn't even know where she found alcohol in this town anymore.
I grabbed the binoculars and looked at who she must have been spying at. It could have been anyone. There were a lot of windows from different apartments.
Suddenly I saw a man in his bedroom, putting on clothes as he left the building. Somehow he looked familiar. I took a picture of him and ran it through the face recognizing software Fox had given me access to.
Bingo! Stephen Herrit. Worked for Wayne Enterprises. Another rotten apple in the bunch. A picture of him and Dagett showed up in an old newspaper article. Apparently he was his right hand side. No wonder Harley was keeping an eye on him.
He had already gotten in his car and drove off by the time I had figured out who he was. Time now to take a closer look at his apartment.
Quietly and efficiently I went to the other house, entering his apartment through the window.
It was a normal apartment at first sight. Furniture. The bed undone. A cup of half empty coffee was sitting next to a half eaten bagel.
His college diploma was hanging over his desk. Several big computer screens were sitting on it.
I sat down and looked at them. Numbers. Stock markets. He was watching several stock options closely. Including Wayne Enterprises.
In that moment I heard something. I jumped up, looking what it was. Then I saw a cat slowly walking my way, meowing.
"Jeez you scared me." I said as I looked at the fluffy feline.
"You should be scared of me." A dark raspy voice said.
I turned around and saw him standing in the shadows. I had to say, he was way ahead of me in the hiding game.
I tried to pull myself together and not sound flustered.
"Well hello there." I said, smiling, tiling my head to one, my hips to the other side.
"Why are you here." He asked.
"Same reason you're here I'm assuming. Visiting Dagget's old friend."
"What do you hope to gain from that?"
"You still don't trust me." I sighed. "I'm doing the same thing as you. Trying to figure out what he has to do with Bane. You might have forgotten, I'm trying to stop Bane. Just like you."
"What's in it for you?"
"Not dying." I smiled.
"You're good at what you do. You can disappear. You can get out of here if you really wanted to. Why stay behind? Why help these people if you don't get anything in return."
My smile vanished as I realized I had to give him something real.
"This is my home as much as it is yours. I can't give up on all these millions of lives. I can't just turn my back on them."
He didn't respond. He just looked at me. After a long pause he finally continued.
"What did you find?" He asked as he stepped out of the shadows and closer towards me.
I swallowed hard. His black eyes were glistening at me. To see him as the Batman and have him react to me as if I was a stranger. For some reason it was incredibly hot. I had no idea what that was saying about my mental state but I was sure Freud would be having a field day with this.
He never took his eyes of me. He stared at me both in a threatening and in an assessing way. As if he was trying to gauge if he could trust me.
I realized he was still waiting for an answer. I tried to get back into character.
"Well, I know that he was watching investments of your friend's company closely. Wayne Enterprises stocks is all he is looking at."
He looked at the screens. "Anything else?" He asked.
"No that's when you got here and interrupted my work."
He ignored me and looked at the computer, taking pictures of what Dagget's friend was looking at.
Then he moved to the next room. I followed him, curious to see what he was looking for.
He went through papers in a box and appeared to have suddenly found something. He took it with him.
"What was that?" I asked.
He didn't respond and left to go into the kitchen.
"So wait…?" I asked as I sat on the kitchen counter next to him, almost touching him. "I tell you my secrets and you don't share yours?"
"They weren't secrets. I saw the stocks on his computer. And to answer your question - yes I'm not sharing anything with you. For now - be glad I don't lock you up."
"Please." I said rolling my eyes. "You wouldn't lock me up."
"Try me." He said in an angry growl.
"Well…" I responded in a purr. "I would love nothing more than to try you." I said licking my lips.
His eyes narrowed in on me angrily again and he left the kitchen.
I sighed and followed him.
"I feel like you're way too tense…" I said as he walked up to me in a threatening way, interrupting me.
"This isn't a game. Don't get in my way." He said, his face just inches away from mine. My adrenaline was up for multiple reasons.
He turned around and kept walking. That's when I kicked him in the knees - not too hard - just hard enough that his knees would buckle and so they did. He fell but before he could get back up again, I positioned myself on him. Kneeling on his neck with one leg so he wouldn't get back up, my arms holding his wrists, I leaned in.
"I'm not in your way." I whispered. "You're in your own way. You're too arrogant to accept help from me. I get it you don't trust me…but we would be such a great team." I said my lips almost meeting his as I inched closer and closer.
I wasn't under the illusion that I could overpower him for long. And as my lips almost hit his, he pushed me over, pinning me to the ground with intense force, my head hitting the floor.
"Who do you work for?" He asked in a threatening voice.
I didn't respond, my head still dizzy from the impact.
"Who do you work for?" He yelled at me now.
"Nobody!" I responded. "I told you. Everything I told you was the truth. I don't know what I can do to make you trust me."
He looked at me out of breath for a couple of seconds, his heavy body still covering mine.
What am I doing? Why do I keep lying to him?
But I felt like I had come to a point of no return. I couldn't tell him now. The betrayal was too big. Maybe I had to abandon Black Viper. As I was thinking all of this I realized he was still looking at me, his lips open, he was still breathing heavily.
Is he recognizing me?
You have to stay in character! He can't know it's you!
"Like I said…" I said in a soft voice, slowly arching my body against his. "I meant everything I said. Everything."
He clenched his jaw, his muscles bulging underneath his skin. "What do you hope to gain from seducing me?" He said in a husky voice. "Do you think that will make me trust you? Is that how you manipulate guys normally?"
I laughed. "You always think I have some hidden agenda. Something else to gain. An alternate motive. No handsome, I just really would love for you to fuck me."
His eyes glistened at my words. Usually I wouldn't be crass - all the more reason to put on a show as Viper. A little distraction distracts entirely.
I kept my facade up, kept playing the game. "Not because I hope you might finally get off your high horse and trust me, but simply because…" I leaned in and whispered into his ear. "… I would enjoy it."
As predicted he got up immediately.
"I work alone." He said in a dark voice. "Stay away from me. It's my final warning."
He left and after a second I realized I had to get back. Obviously I wouldn't beat him to get back home this time, but at least I needed to get changed and pretend I was walking around in the park.
I made my way back to the car, avoiding any of the security cameras on the way there. I knew he could easily follow my moves as I was following Harley's.
I jumped into the car and changed, putting the costume in the glove compartment. I wiped off the lipstick and took off the fake scar and drove to Central Park. I didn't have much time.
I walked around for 15 minutes in the snow, hoping I had covered all my tracks.
"You can't do that." Bruce's voice rang out to me, the softness of his was in stark contrast to Batman's deep, husky one.
I turned around. He had changed himself, back into dark jeans, a dark sweater and a black coat.
"I know, I just had to get out of the house." I responded.
He sighed. "I understand but it's way too dangerous. Let's get you back home."
I nodded and we walked back to the car. He looked deep in thought as we were walking back to the car.
"How did the meeting with Fox go?" I asked.
"Uneventful." He responded. "But Alfred gave me a tip about this guy that Harley Quinn is following. That could be a good lead. Especially after what I found in his apartment."
"Why what did you find?"
It was strange to be able to get information on those details as Cat after he didn't want to give them to me just a short while ago as Black Viper. Maybe it was time to say goodbye to Black Viper. With him back in Gotham, there was no real need for her anymore. Especially since he wasn't working with her — and especially after I had lied to him about it.
On the way back to the Batcave he was trying to make sense of it all. Although her tactics had reminded him of those of other women who tried to seduce him for distraction, there was something different about her. She seemed sincere. It didn't seem like a game.
He tried to shake the feeling he had when he was laying on top of her and her body was arching underneath his. It took all his self control not to fulfill her wish then and there. If only he could figure out why. Was he really this easily manipulated now?
Maybe he just had spent too much time in that prison.
It still frustrated him how much she clouded his mind. That's another reason why he didn't trust her and why she needed to stay far away from him. Although he was impressed by her detective skills, his attraction for her was in the way of him thinking clearly. When he had her pinned to the ground, all to himself if he wanted to, he was imagining what it would feel like to give into his desires. But then he realized he had no time for this. He needed to stop Bane.
He was angry at himself that she was able to distract him this much.
That feeling didn't diminish when he picked up Cat in the park. He felt like an idiot and felt once again as if he was cheating on her by having those thoughts.
We got back to the Batcave.
"This is our guy." Bruce said as he pulled up the man's information not the screen. "He used to work for Dagget."
"That explains a lot."
He nodded. "He was looking into stock from Wayne Enterprises. Now because of Gotham being taken over by a warlord, Enterprises's stock pretty much evaporated. We lost billions."
"So, are we broke now?" I asked.
He grinned. "No, no. Enterprises stock is just a fraction of what I own. There's more hedge funds and stock options, offshore accounts… The usual. But back to our friend here, he looked into this knowing that the stock isn't done yet. Once Gotham rebounds so does Enterprises' stock."
"So he has no idea that Bane is going to blow up the whole city?"
He shook his head. "Neither did Dagget. He thought he could make a pact with the devil and get rich."
"What's his plan then? Stop Bane?"
"No, he's helping Bane."
"Why?"
"Because he doesn't think Bane could possibly do what he's going to do. So no, he's not going to stop Bane." He pulled out an SD card and plugged it into the computer. Pictures of blue prints popped up. "He's going to help him destroy Gotham."
"What is this?" I asked, staring at the papers.
"Several things. Blue prints of the city. Make and model of the tankers, transporting the bomb. The list goes on."
"You mean he could lead us to the tanker transporting the bomb?"
He nodded. "That's the hope."
I smiled at him, hopeful for the first time in a long time.
I kissed him and hugged him, his arms wrapping around me tightly.
"I love you." I whispered, listening to his heartbeat.
"I love you too." He said kissing the top of my head.
Just now I realized that he hadn't mentioned his interaction with Black Viper at all. I wondered if it was because she was flirting with him? All my flirting definitely had no impact on him. He felt as cold and distant as Batman always felt. No matter what I did, it seemed to have hardly any effect on him.
Either way - we were closer to solving the puzzle and stopping Bane.
The day the bomb would go off had moved closer and closer. The plan was good but we needed to find the bomb so we could buy ourselves time.
Gordon had tried to track it with his men but it had been hard.
Our key was Wayne Enterprises former worker so we followed him.
I had stopped being the Viper but helped out monitoring. But it was like I couldn't undo what I had created. Not getting into the costume had been harder than I had thought. She was now a part of me.
Maybe I should tell Bruce? After all, he would understand better than anyone what I was feeling like.
It would have made sense, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him.
Alfred walked into the Batcave with a cup of hot tea, interrupting my train of thoughts.
"Some Earl Grey tea miss."
"Thanks Alfred." I said, taking a sip of it as he looked at the screen.
"Any progress?"
"Slowly. We're making sense of his movements but I'm afraid we're too slow. We don't have this much time."
He nodded. "Master Wayne is still out?"
"Yes."
"Good. Then I can finally say to you that you need to tell Master Wayne the truth."
I grimaced at the thought of that.
"Remember how you felt like when he lied to you?" Alfred asked.
To be honest it had become a distant memory. Everything from my life before had turned into insignificant details.
"Yes." I simply responded. "But it's ok because I'm not going to be the Viper anymore now that he's back."
Alfred sighed and sat down on the chair next to me. "That is exactly what Master Wayne said when I had this exact same conversation with him. I feel like it's deja vu." He shook his head. "No miss, you can't stop being the Black Viper, just as he can't stop being Batman. It is part of who you are. It's in your DNA. It's not just a cape that you can hang up."
I bit my lower lip and looked to the ground, like a child who had caught cheating. He was spot on. He knew how I was feeling before I could really formulate it myself.
I sighed. "Ok, you're right. I have to tell him."
He smiled in relief. "Good."
When he left, I knew already that I couldn't tell Bruce.
I tried to focus on the information on the screen when I spotted one of Bane's men on the security cameras outside of Wayne Manors. I jumped up and raced upstairs.
Apparently Bane was picking me up. My heart was racing. Did that mean he found out Bruce was back?
Alfred looked at me alarmed as I rushed to the door.
"I got this." I respond before he could ask.
Seconds later the doorbell rang. I took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Bane wants you." The man said.
"And here I thought he had gotten bored with that old game." I said rolling my eyes.
The man didn't respond but waited for me to get into the car.
As I grabbed my coat I nodded in Alfred's direction, letting him know i was ok.
"Miss Hunter, long time no see." Bane said
"Not long enough for my liking."
He laughed. "Don't worry, soon you won't ever have to see me again."
"Why am I here?" I asked, trying to figure out if he had found out Bruce had escaped.
"You'll see."
We got into an SUV and drove down to the old library. I knew what happened there. The fake court. Was he sentencing me to death? Was that his plan?
We got out of the car and Bane grabbed me by my arm, guiding me to the court.
It looked much worse than a few weeks ago when I had been here last. Nobody was cleaning the place up. Papers were flying around everywhere. Trash cans were overflowing.
Hundreds of people were packed into the once majestic looking room. I looked at Scarecrow who was presiding over the court. He smiled at me, obviously enjoying watching me get dragged in here.
This was it. This is were a group of thugs was deciding over my life. How far we had come from the Gotham I knew. All because of one man with the finger on the trigger.
"Alright, let's get this over with." I said to Bane. "Death by exile I'm guessing?"
"For you? Oh no. You're way to important for this mission."
"So what am I doing here then?"
"You're going to tell the good people of Gotham who is in front of the court today."
"Why would I do that?"
"Why you do everything you do. Because if you don't I will kill him."
Usually when he talked about Bruce it immediately sent tears to my eyes. This time it was relief. Relief that he didn't know Bruce had left yet. At the same time I had to play along because otherwise he would know something was up.
"Fine." I responded.
"You're going to be live on air in 5 minutes for all of Gotham to see."
"Get those analyzed immediately," Bruce said to Alfred as he walked in the door of Wayne Manor.
"Sir?"
"I also need details on…"
"Sir?"
"What?"
He turned to see the old butler's face which had concern written all over it.
"Where is she?" He immediately asked, knowing this could only mean one thing.
"Bane's men picked her up just a minute ago. I tried to call you but you didn't answer."
"Where did they take her?" He asked, balling his hands into fists.
"I am tracking her…"
He ran to the Batcave. It was time to reveal to Gotham that Batman had returned.
They had given me a mic and one of Bane's men was holding a camera.
"Just read from the prompter."
I was kind of surprised they had a working prompter.
"Stray from the words in any way, and I will kill him, your old butler and your old colleague."
I nodded, trying to control my anger.
"3…2…1…"
"Good evening Gotham. The time for a new Gotham has come. A new beginning for the citizens of this great city. But there are those who try to hold us back. Those who don't want all Gothamites to live under the same bright sun. Tonight we, the people of Gotham, put out the word. Bring…"
I stopped, unable to read what followed. Bane looked at me closely.
"Bring…" My heart was aching. I couldn't read that name. Not with good conscience. It was too much.
On the other hand I couldn't blow my cover and that of Batman. I had to keep playing along.
"Bring Commissioner Gordon…" I cleared my throat as if venom had just passed my airways. "…to the court so he can face justice."
It was humiliating that I was the one delivering Bane's propaganda. It was physically repulsive. I had never wanted to kill anyone. That had changed with Bane. I wanted him dead. For what he done to Bruce. What he done to me. And what he had done to the people of Gotham.
Bane looked at me, his black eyes observing my emotions.
"Bring us the commissioner, so Gotham can be free again." I said with a shaky voice.
"That wasn't so hard." Bane said as the camera was turned off.
Words couldn't describe how I felt. My blood was boiling.
Enough! Enough! Was all I was thinking.
This needed to end.
He had gotten to the courthouse, watching her from the shadows. He didn't want to risk the operation until he knew she was in actual danger.
They made her say Gordon was the next target on the air. He tried not to let it get to him when she struggled saying Gordon's name.
She wasn't in danger. His personal feelings couldn't get in the way.
I got dropped of at home again. The second I walked into the front door I was determined to put the suit back on.
I had so much anger in me, I couldn't hold it back any longer.
Alfred already greeted me in the Batcave.
"I know what you're going to say…" I stopped him as I got my suit. "And yes you were right. Ok? It's part of who I am. There. I said it."
He didn't respond, watching me grabbing all my belongings. "May I ask where you're headed, miss?"
"Not sure."
"Not sure?"
"I just need to get out there. I can't… I can't just sit here."
"Anger is never the right tool to accomplish what you want."
I stopped and turned to Alfred. "I was going to find Gordon and make sure he is safe."
"That is something more tangible." He said and walked to the computer. "Currently the Commissioner is at his safe house, as per the tracker we installed."
"Ok, good. Time I paid him a visit."
"Now that is something I can agree with."
"I was wondering when you would show up." Gordon said as I was standing in his living room.
"Am I your only visitor today?" I asked.
"Yes, he hasn't shown up yet. Seems like he is not very keen of you."
"He's not very keen of anybody."
He laughed. "That is true."
"We have to make sure you're safe."
"I am. As safe as you can be. But safety is irrelevant. That bomb is going off soon so I'd rather die trying to prevent it from happening than staying safe…"
"You and me both, Commissioner. But if you're trying to play hero for no reason…"
"I won't, don't you worry. I'm going to mark the trucks tomorrow with a handful of guys. That should give us the location of the bomb."
"Ambitious. All right, sounds like you have a good plan in place. Sleep tight."
With that I left, heading to the roof and then making my way from rooftop to rooftop.
It had only been a few days but I had already missed being the Black Viper. There was a newfound freedom in being her.
Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, I followed one of the trucks that could potentially carry the bomb. They all looked identically.
It was going downtown.
Where were the other ones?
I decided to switch routes, I climbed down the fire escape to the top floor into an empty warehouse. I should call Alfred, finding out where the other trucks could be, using security cameras. Although, Bane had blocked most of the security cameras around town.
"Why are you following the trucks?" The deep voice ripped me out of my thought process.
I jumped, once again not aware he was even in the room.
"Jeez… Can't you ever say hello like a normal person?" I asked as I turned around to face him.
It was getting dark and the last bit of daylight didn't help in illuminating him. He was once again one with the shadows.
No answer from him.
"You sure are a man of few words." I said as I rolled my eyes and started walking away from him. "I'm getting tired of your questions to which you should know the answer by now. I'm following the trucks because I want to stop Bane. How many more times do I need to say that?"
I was looking outside, down the empty streets of Gotham, which were now hardly illuminated. Most street lights had burned up and had never been replaced.
"What do you know about the trucks?" He asked.
I turned around and he was standing right behind me. How did he move so effortlessly and quietly? I needed to learn how to do that. "Not much more than you do, I'm sure. See if you trusted me…"
He suddenly grabbed me by my arm and pulled me towards him in one swift movement, pressing my body against his, bending my head. His lips hitting mine hard, my arm twisted behind my back.
His tongue forced his way into my mouth with urgency. I responded with equal fervor, forgetting everything around me. I brought my other arm up, trying to wrap it around his neck. But before I could do that he snatched my arm and pushed me against the wall.
Continuing the feverish kiss, he ran his hand over my body. We had never kissed in costume and it felt exhilarating. That's when it dawned on me - he didn't know it was me. Was he cheating on me - with me?
I stopped the kiss and pushed him away from me. "What…what are you doing?" I asked breathlessly, walking away from him, his eyes following me closely.
He grabbed me by my arm again and swirled me against the wall again with determination.
"Don't tell me you're just a big tease." He said in a dark voice, grabbing me and kissing me passionately again before he turned me around pulling my midsection towards him and separating my legs with his.
I guess my continuous flirting had worked. Unfortunately it meant he was cheating on me. Or at least as far as he knew.
"Not tonight." I simply said, trying to keep my act up.
I wrapped one of my legs around his, pushing with full force against his knee. It worked and he lost footing for a second and I twisted out of his grip in one fast movement.
Anticipating my movements, he had me right back were he wanted me, pressing me against the wall with his body, his dark eyes flickering at me.
"And why is that?" He asked.
"You really don't handle rejection all that well, do you?" I asked, trying to stay in character.
"No more games." He said angrily.
"Fine."
"Are you going to say it?"
"Say what?"
"Who you are?"
I laughed. "You out of all people should know that I won't give up my identity."
"You out of all people should know what it feels like to get lied to."
I swallowed hard.
He knew.
He let go of me and took a few steps back, almost disappearing into the shadows, his dark eyes still flickering angrily at me.
"When did you find out?" I asked sheepishly.
"Does it matter?"
I shook my head. "I'm sorry. The good news is now you know that you can work with me." I smiled at him, hoping he would lighten up.
He didn't move, his jawline hard.
"Let's get out of here." He simply responded and started walking out the door.
On the drive back he didn't say anything and didn't look at me. I remembered the time when I had broken into Wayne Enterprises - a similar anger behind his eyes.
"I'm really sorry." I said again but he didn't respond.
I felt like we were even now after he had lied to me for months.
We got back to the Batcave. He opened the door of the tumbler and got out immediately, as if he couldn't stand being in the same car as me any longer.
"Ok enough with this." I said, walking up behind him.
He turned around, pressing the fingerprint button on his cowl and taking it off, shaking his hair slightly.
"Enough with what?" He asked in a cold voice, putting the cowl on a table.
"You being this mad at me."
He didn't respond, walking past me.
I grabbed his arm. "Don't you dare walk away from me now." I said.
He looked at me furiously, his jawline hard. He stared at me for a second, his angry eyes piercing through mine. Then he grabbed my arm by my wrist and pulled it away from his arm, holding it tightly.
"Trust me. You want me to walk away right now." He said.
"Absolutely not! Get it out! Whatever it is...it's better out in the open than..."
Without prior warning he twisted my arm behind my body, like a police officer ready to put someone in cuffs. I hadn't seen that coming.
"Do you have a second suit?" He said next to my ear
Second suit? What kind of question was that?
"Yes…" I responded confused.
In a quick movement, he bend me over, pinning me on the table. I felt the sharp edge of his suit slice through the leather of my suit, and then his hand grabbed the material, ripping it open.
Then I felt his fingers gliding down me, slipping inside of me.
One hand was still holding me down on the table.
Suddenly he stopped, taking his hands off me.
"Don't move." He ordered me in a stern voice.
I heard the unlocking sound from his suit. I was thinking about what had brought this on when he entered me with full force.
I gasped for air as he pinned me down hard, his hand in between my shoulder blades.
His movements were much harsher than they had been in the past.
He wrapped my hair around his hand and pulled my head back as he entered me with full force again and again.
His movements felt more raw than ever before. Maybe I - as Black Viper - had appealed to him on another sexual level - a more animalistic side of him. Maybe that's why he was mad - because I had gotten to him as Batman when he thought he was above that.
My hands were holding onto the table as his movements continued with the same intensity. My neck still bend back, my hair in his hand, I felt like I was all his.
"Do you like this?" He asked under heavy breaths.
"Yes." I managed to say.
"I thought so."
He now moved faster and deeper and I didn't know how much more I could take. He spanked me hard. And again and again. It felt exhilarating.
I felt myself collapse around him and that's when his movements increased once more, he pulled on my hair even harder, entered me even deeper until his body shattered over mine with deep groans.
His hand let go off my hair, his head was close to mine. His body was covering mine and I felt it rise and sink with heavy breaths.
Slowly he lifted himself off of me and I got up, turning around to face him.
I took off my mask as he put on shorts and a tshirt.
"Sorry I didn't tell you." I said.
He nodded. "I'm not mad at you. Well, I'm a little disappointed you didn't think you could trust me."
"It's not that I don't trust you… After all the things you said about…well, me…I couldn't bring myself to tell you."
He nodded again. "I understand."
"So, if you're not mad at me…" I said as I got out of my suit, into normal clothing.
"I'm not."
"Ok…tell that my suit." I said as I threw the suit in the trash.
He smiled sheepishly. "That had nothing to do with me being mad…" he came up to me and slowly peeled off my fake scar. "…and all to do with you being madly hot." He leaned in to kiss me.
He broke the kiss and looked at me with suddenly concerned eyes.
"How long has this been going on? Who taught you how to fight?"
"You ask like a disapproving parent."
"I am worried about you. Bane and his men…"
I rolled my eyes. "I know. They're dangerous. How did you find out who I am?"
"I followed you after the live broadcast with Bane this afternoon. You went back to Wayne Manors. I was just waiting to see if any of Bane's men were to show up. That's when I saw you leave in the Lamborghini. I followed you and saw you get out…as Black Viper."
I nodded. "I'm definitely not as good in the whole hiding-in-the-shadows game as you are. Maybe you could teach me some tricks?" I asked, smiling at him.
He shook his head. "It's too dangerous. I don't want you anywhere near that situation. Don't get me wrong, I'm very impressed with what you can do…but I can't lose you."
I wanted to protest but I realized it wasn't the right time.
He got up in the dark. Sleep was a concept lost on him these days. He was still getting used to the fact that Cat was the same person as Black Viper. He had been impressed with her abilities - the way she was fighting, the way she had fooled even him with who she really was.
When he saw her get out of the car, dressed us Black Viper, he felt how she must have felt when he had lied to her about being Batman. Betrayed but at the same time glad it was her.
"Good morning sir." Alfred said as he handed him his coffee.
"Bring me up to speed on Black Viper's training, Alfred." He said, taking a sip of the hot joe.
"Sir…I wouldn't have that information."
"I know it's Cat." He simply responded, not mad at Alfred for not telling him. He had asked the Butler the same thing for his sake back then.
Alfred simply nodded. "I get those files right away for you, sir."
He wanted to know her full abilities for what was to come next.
Alfred handed him the files. "There you are Master Wayne."
"Thank you." He said, looking through them.
Weeks of training with Cook. He knew her all too well - knew what she was capable of.
"You got her to work with Cook?" He asked surprised.
Alfred nodded.
He kept studying the files. "Brenning?" He asked even more surprised. "Seriously?"
"Miss Catherine wanted to learn how to use guns." Alfred shrugged.
"After working with Cook, I doubt she needed it."
"I think she realized precisely that, sir. But she still wanted to have a final line of defense, in case she ever came face to face with Bane."
"And she did."
"Yes, sir."
"And the Joker helped her."
"Precisely, sir."
"Well, looks like she picked up a lot of skills in the time I was gone."
Alfred nodded. "I think she could be of great help to you."
He shook his head. "No, she's going to help people get out. I don't want her anywhere near the war zone."
"Sir, I doubt she will accept that."
He didn't respond, grabbing the papers and headed downstairs. He knew her well - even better now that she too had a masked personality. He knew he couldn't keep her away entirely from the war zone. But he certainly was going to try.
I had gotten up when the sun was just slowly emerging. But these days, even the sunlight seemed duller. I looked outside, seeing the sun rays trying to break through the thick cloud cover.
I put on some clothes and headed to the kitchen.
"Good morning." Alfred greeted me. "Master Wayne is already downstairs."
"I figured as much."
With a coffee in my hands I walked to the piano, opened the secret door and headed to the Batcave.
He was standing at a table with different new toys from Fox.
"Hey." I said as I was standing next to him, he still looked deep in thought.
"Hey." He said with a soft smile, pulling me into his arms. "Tracking devices." He explained as I looked at the toys. "And this one…" he said as he picked one up. "…to interfere with the trigger."
"Great. Now we just need to get those to Gordon."
In that moment Alfred came rushing at us. "Master Wayne?"
"Yes?"
"It's Gordon, sir. He's been captured by Bane's men. He's awaiting trial right now."
My mouth felt dry. What were they going to do to him? Did we have time to save him?
Bruce didn't look scared. He looked ready. As if this was the moment he had been waiting for for months.
Suddenly I realized that this might be it. If we wouldn't be able to stop the bomb and stop Bane, we would both be dead tomorrow morning. At least we would both be dead - I thought. I wouldn't be miserable like I had been over the last few months. Misery was over. Either it lead to a happy ending or it would just lead to an ending. Either way - an end to the madness. There was a little bit of comfort in that thought.
I watched him put on the batsuit, one piece at a time until he was wearing the full suit. The only thing missing was the mask, which I handed to him, my hands suddenly trembling.
I had just gotten him back. I wasn't ready to lose him again. Tears were running down my face.
He pulled me into his embrace, hugging me closely then kissing me. Our lips met over and over again. "I love you more than anything." He said barely audible.
I nodded, trying to not to break down. "I love you too." I managed to say.
"You know the plan." He said, still in his normal voice.
I nodded.
He kissed me gently on the forehead and left, putting on the mask as he got into the Bat, flying off.
The second he had left I switched gears, getting ready myself. There was no way I was just going to watch this from afar. I had to help.
He was waiting in the shadows by the Brooklyn Bridge, the idea creaking and screaming underneath him. He knew how to walk on ice. Rhas had taught him.
That's when he saw Gordon being pushed onto the ice, Bane's men surrounding him with guns, making sure he wasn't going to run away.
Gordon didn't look scared. He looked like a man who had resigned, broken by a system that had corrupted Gotham to its core.
The Commissioner kept slowly walking on the ice, waiting for the killing blow.
That's when he threw batarangs at Bane's men, slowly knocking them out one by one.
Gordon picked up the flare.
"Light it up." He said in a husky voice, slowly emerging from the shadows.
Gordon did and threw it on the ground.
The Bat symbol was now burning on the Brooklyn Bridge. A beacon in the dark. Hope had returned to Gotham.
I had gone to Fox and Miranda since we were going to need them in stopping the bomb and reconnecting it to the core.
"Time to join the party." I said, dressed as Black Viper.
They got up and got their coats. Fox looked at me concerned. "We don't have much time left."
"Painfully aware of that."
"So, are you working together now?" He asked me.
"Oh yeah, that's right. I forgot I hadn't filed you in. We're like Bonny and Clyde now." I smirked.
"We have a problem." Miranda suddenly said.
"What's that sugar?" I asked.
"I've been monitoring the reactor and the bomb."
"You can do that?" I asked, angry that she'd never mentioned that before.
"Yes, but I can only the status on this monitor." She showed me her cellphone which had some graphs on it.
"It doesn't show you where that stupid thing is."
She shook her head. "We never thought that we would need that."
I sighed. "Ok, so what's the bad news?"
"You know how the bomb is going to go off in one week?"
"Yes…"
"Well, it just changed. He must have had access to the codes…"
"When is it going off?" I asked, my voice trembling.
She swallowed hard before looking at me. "Tomorrow."
It hit me like a lighting bolt. For a second I lost composure. Tomorrow? That was impossible. Panic ran through me like wildfire.
I had to pull myself together and get back intro character.
"Well, thanks for that Debbie Downer. We better work fast then. Let's go."
As we made our way to the car, I called Bruce through my built in phone, the microphone at my wrist.
"Change of plans sugar cup."
"What's that?" He asked in a dark voice.
"That bomb isn't going off in a week. It's going off tomorrow."
Silence on the other side for a second before he continued. "I'll meet you there in 15."
"Roger that."
He sounded calm. I was hoping it was because he knew what to do next.
The plan was in motion. Gordon was safe, officer Blake had rescued the officers trapped under ground and Batman was back.
Phase 1 of our plan was initiated.
Fox and Miranda were at the reactor, trying to reactivate it.
We met at the hiding spot he had told me about when he first got back and explained his plan to me. On 13th and Vanderbilt.
As I walked down the empty, dark ally, I still couldn't see a sign of him. And then I saw his dark eyes sparkle at me.
He pressed a button and the garage door opened to the Batpod. I hadn't seen that in ages.
"You shouldn't have." I said with a big smile on my face.
I knew I didn't have to keep my act up in front of him anymore since he knew who I was. But it didn't even feel like an act anymore. It felt natural to be this person. Judging by how he acted when he was wearing the mask, he must feel similarly.
I got on the Batpod.
"To start it you…"
But I was already revving the engine. "I got it."
"I need you to open the tunnel and get as many people out of here as possible."
I nodded.
"Including yourself."
I stared at him. "I can't keep that promise."
"I'm going to fight this one alone." He said.
"Hell you are." I said, getting off the Batpod and walking closer to him.
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
His eyes narrowed in on me. I could tell his patience was growing thin.
"It's too dangerous. End of discussion."
"Don't you dare pull that shit on me!" I said, anger unleashing. "You don't get to treat me like I'm a helpless girl. Not anymore. Not after everything."
"A few months of training and a few fancy tools from Fox doesn't mean we're equal."
The comment hurt and I swallowed hard, as if it was venom. "I never said anything of the sort. But I'm done being treated by you like I'm to be preserved in a glass house. Stop underestimating me. You're not the only one with pain. Not anymore."
His eyes snapped up at me as if I had hit the nail on the head.
"I've seen the abyss." I continued in a quiet voice. "You have no right to claim that for your own anymore."
He just looked at me for a few seconds as if there was nothing else for him to say.
I leaned in and kissed him, his arms around me as our bodies were melting against each other. It might be our last kiss - I thought.
Then we broke the kiss. He looked at me for one more second and then left.
I got back on the bike. I was racing through the streets of Gotham, cold air and snow hitting my face like ice shards.
Like he had said, I opened the tunnel and made sure people would get out. I started telling people on the street, knocking on people's doors.
But I couldn't stay away from the battlefield that was downtown for too long. I knew what was happening there.
Suddenly I got a call from Fox. "What's up Foxy?" I asked.
"They…they took Miranda."
"What? How did they know about the location of the reactor?"
"I don't know… They just took her and left."
I'm sure Bane took her as his grande prize for himself.
I called Alfred. "Are they looking for me yet?"
"Oh yes." The old butler responded, safely in the Batcave. "His men came by, broke the door after nobody let them in. They searched for you - and for Master Wayne - and then left empty handed."
"Well, good thing that Catherine Hunter is no longer in Gotham."
"Good thing indeed."
Catherine Hunter had left - it was Black Viper now, trying to stop that bomb from going off.
I jumped back on the Batpod and raced to where the man I loved was fighting Bane.
I was thinking of Gordon who trying to put the little grey box next to the bomb to interrupt the remote detonator and I was thinking of Fox who was trying to reactivate the reactor.
When I arrived, I saw police officers in the street fighting Bane's men. But no sight of Bane. In that moment I saw someone who looked like Miranda but with different clothing, get into one of the tumblers. It couldn't be Miranda because she didn't look scared. She looked like she was in charge. In that moment it all made sense to me. She was behind it. It made sense that she knew so much about the bomb and the fact that it was going off today. All made sense. I knew I should have trusted my instinct.
I got off the Batpod and raced up the stairs to the main entrance. I saw Bane, who looked badly beaten, tie a knot around Bruce's neck.
Enough!
I grabbed a gun that was laying on the ground and shot him. I had never shot anyone before, but I was running out of time and ideas how to stop this monster.
Bruce looked surprised at me.
"About the whole gun thing…" I said as I dropped the piece of steaming metal. "I don't think I feel as strongly as you do."
"Miranda has the trigger." He said getting up, holding his side.
"You ok?"
"Fine."
I saw blood gushing from his ribcage.
"Doesn't look like it." I said again.
"I'm fine. We have no time. I need you on the Batpod, I'll be in the air. We need to bring the bomb to the reactor, get it reconnected."
We walked down the stairs where the fight for Gotham was still continuing between Bane's men and the police force, though it looked like the Gotham Police Department was winning. Winning the fight - but the war was far from over.
I jumped back on the Batpod and called Alfred. "Where am I going?"
"The truck is going south."
"I'll take 5th."
My heart was racing as I was speeding through the streets. We didn't have much time. I watched him fly over me and then ahead.
Suddenly I see an explosion a few blocks in front of me. That must have been the truck. I going even faster, following the smoke.
Then I saw it, the truck had crashed, Gordon was slowly getting out of the back of the truck, the bomb ticking. Batman and Gordon were now standing next to the drivers seat.
I parked the Batpod and ran up to them. Miranda was sitting there, badly injured, blood gushing from her stomach. Her skin was pale. She was dying.
"Fox showed me how to operate the reactor core. Including the emergency flood…"
Fox! I was instantly worried about him but also worried for all of us. If the reactor was flooded, there was no way for us to stop this bomb from going off.
"Prepare yourselves…" She said in a weak voice with an eerie smile. "My father's work is done."
Then she closed her eyes.
Batman started walking in a determined way.
"What are you doing?" I asked, following him as he put the cable on the bomb.
"I'm going to fly it out of range." He responded in a raspy voice. "This thing will go off in 3 minutes.
"Ok, using the auto pilot that's smart." I said, my heart racing.
Suddenly, he stopped, grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me towards him, kissing me hard. I was taken aback by the intensity of the kiss. His lips hitting mine, his tongue separating my lips.
The kiss felt different. More intense. More urgent.
He broke the kiss and breathlessly responded: "No auto pilot." He kept walking.
My mouth fell open. "What? What do you mean no auto pilot?"
I was following him and was suddenly yanked back. He had handcuffed my wrist to the railing behind me.
Panic settled in as I understood his plan. "Bruce! No!" I yelled as he kept walking, ignoring me.
"BRUCE!"
The adrenaline rushing through me. I tried to get myself out of the cuffs.
He used the kiss as a distraction. And as a goodbye.
"Don't you dare leave me here." I yelled as I felt hot tears running down my face.
He got into the Bat, not looking at me. Gordon was too far away for me to try to get to him.
"Gordon!" I yelled. "Help me out of this. Please. Don't let him do this." I kept yelling but nobody paid attention.
Because they knew it had to be done.
I looked at my utility belt but nothing seemed to be able to open handcuffs. Why had I never thought of that? Why didn't I keep a gun with me? Now I could use it! Now was the time when all my training didn't help me.
Adrenaline and panic were still rushing through my system. I felt everything was in slow motion, my heart beating so loudly I could hear it in my ears. A constant drumming, reminding me of the fact that time was running out. The time to stop him from killing himself.
I didn't know what the alternative was. But I needed to stop him. I leaned against the railing with my whole body weight, hoping a part of the railing would come lose. But no such luck. I leaned in all different directions, trying desperately to get out of the cuffs, my skin screaming at me in agony.
It couldn't end like this.
I heard the engine of the Bat turn on.
"Bruce!" I yelled again. "Don't you dare do this!"
This was really happening.
"Bruce…" I said, my voice nearly audible. "Please…"
As the cockpit closed over him he looked at me one final time and I saw his lips form the words "I love you." A soft smile on his lips, his eyes looked calm. He nodded at me as if he was saying It's going to be ok.
Then he took off. The wind of the helicopter swirling around us. I didn't even notice the noise of the choppers. My whole body was vibrating with adrenaline - panic flooding every fiber.
Gordon walked back to get away from the choppers. In that moment I grabbed his gun and shot the chain between the handcuffs.
Now free - but it was too late. Bruce had taken off.
I jumped back on the Batpod, following him. It was worthless, but it was all I knew to do in that moment. I raced through the streets, cold snow hitting my face. My heart still racing.
I looked up and saw him fly up higher to make it over a building.
I raced to get to the water. Ultimately he would fly it over the water.
I got to the end of the road. The river in front of my feet. I looked up waiting for the Bat to appear. Tears of panic still streaming down my face. My throat burning.
As I was waiting, I realized how useless anything I did was at this point. I couldn't stop him anymore. His death was now inevitable.
My whole body was shaking from the adrenaline.
Then I saw an explosion. But it wasn't the bomb, it was him firing to get through a building.
My eyes followed the movement of the Bat. I wished I could tell him I loved him again. One last time.
Helplessly I stared at the flying object that carried the man I loved. And there was nothing I could do.
He disappeared into the distance. I was still hoping for a miracle. A malfunction in the bomb and it would never go off.
All we needed was a little more time to disarm it. Time - that was running out.
I was holding onto the railing, my hands grabbing tightly onto the iron bars.
And then it happened.
First there was the sound of the explosion. A thunder so deep and loud that I felt the vibration in every bone of my body.
And then there was a bright light. Like the sun had come out of the water. Followed by a mushroom cloud.
I staggered away from the railing, feeling like I was drunk.
"It cannot be." I whispered.
After everything we've been through. There was still so much for us to do and see. I stared at the apocalyptic mushroom cloud. Far enough to not harm anyone in Gotham. Anyone but me. My heart felt like it had been pulverized.
My ears were ringing. Everything felt like it was in slow motion. I felt my breath hike up.
Just now I noticed I was hysterically crying. I hadn't even noticed. It was like I was floating over my own body, looking down at myself.
I fell to the ground like someone had shot me.
He was dead. He was really dead.
Even after all my training, I was once again useless in saving him. Once again I had failed.
I felt myself hyper ventilating, hot tears streaming down my face. The pain more impossible than ever before.
He was flying above the Hudson River and it was completely quiet. He had never felt so at peace. No matter what happened next, he did it! He saved Gotham. He saved her. His life was secondary.
Once he had formed the plan in his head, he had no time for a big goodbye to her. He knew she wouldn't leave him willingly. Even if he had told her the auto pilot was working again, she would not have him risk his life like that. She would not have let him go. Not by himself. He knew that because he would have done the same thing.
So he had grabbed Gordon's handcuffs from him when he wasn't paying attention.
Now he was swimming to the embankment of the river where he had left a duffle bag full of clothes and cash. He had to disappear. He knew it was horrible to put her through this. But it was the only way how they could have a normal life. Even though she would hate him for it.
He was freezing, his body hurting, but he was determined to make it across the bridge before people would see him. Right now all eyes were on the mushroom cloud, just about 7 miles off shore of Gotham.
Two weeks had passed - or so I was told by Alfred. I felt like I was in trance. Not really there. A shadow.
There was his funeral. I had taken valium before because that was the only way I was going to participate in it. Gordon read a beautiful eulogy. I was dressed in all black. It represented how my sole felt these days. Darkness.
I stood there, listening to Gordon's words, looking at the tomb stone that bore the name I didn't want it to. Bruce Wayne
Alfred was crying next to me. Fox was wiping away tears.
"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done…" Gordon said as he closed the book. "It is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
I was incapable of crying. Part of it was the valium, part of it was me going into protective mode. That day he died, Alfred had picked me up from the side of the river where I had watched him die. I had been hysterically crying for an hour - unable to comprehend the loss.
Since then, I hadn't cried. I was dead inside.
The cool air brushed against my face, a hint of spring was in the air, promising a new beginning. But there was no new beginning for me.
A few days later they unveiled a statue for Batman - immortalized in granite.
I was sitting in the audience, as if Batman was someone I didn't know. Officially, I was sitting here as a representative of the Wayne family (although I wasn't one on paper) to show appreciation for the man who saved the city.
Some dignitaries held speeches. There were pictures taken and applause as the statue was unveiled. I looked at the facial details. They hadn't gotten it quite right. His lips were thinner in real life. His jawline more pronounced. But then again, nobody really ever saw him that close. There were only blurry pictures. Nobody knew it was Bruce. Nobody but Gordon.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." He had said, handing me a folded American flag as if he was a soldier who had died for his country. "He was a true hero."
Then there was the matter of his will, which I didn't want any part of. I wasn't after his money.
"Mr. Wayne's will was not amended to reflect his more modest estate…" The stuffy lawyer said as he read out his will in Wayne Enterprises.
More moderate… When I checked last time, Wayne Enterprises stock was already bouncing back.
"Nonetheless, there are considerable assets to dispose of... The house is left in its entirety to Alfred J. Pennyworth. All stock options are going to Miss Catherine Victoria Hunter."
Stock options that I knew were worth billions. But it was all meaningless to me.
At the end of the meeting, I got up, still feeling like I was in trance, far away from reality. I grabbed my purse and walked down the hallway. My black heels clicking on the floor - memories were rushing through my mind. How I broke in here. How mad he was at me. I suddenly stopped in my track when I saw his office. His name still outside the door. Bruce Wayne - CEO
It stung to read his name, to see the chair he sat in. I remembered when I brought him coffee to his office while he was meeting with Fox. I smiled at the thought of how excited he was to see me.
I opened the door and walked in, sitting down on his chair. I closed my eyes and had an image of him as clear as day walking through the room. Tears were running down my face as I pictured him smiling at me, his eyes lighting up.
"Ms Hunter?"
I jumped, my name ripping me out of my day dream.
"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you." The lawyer said.
"That's quite alright." I said wiping away the tears.
"Mr Wayne wanted me to make sure to give you something in private."
"Ok." I said getting up.
To get something from beyond the grave was even more painful. I swallowed hard, trying to compose myself. We walked down the hallway to a separate room.
"After you." He said as he opened the door.
A woman was sitting behind a desk, she got up as she saw me. "Ms Hunter." She said in an excited voice. "I'm just…I'm so honored to meet you. My whole family was watching you over the last few months and…you gave us hope."
She wasn't the first to say that to me. People had come up randomly on the streets and thanked me. Bane had been correct in something - I had become a symbol for people .
"From the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry for your loss." She continued.
I just softly smiled and nodded, never sure what the correct answer to this was.
"Mary…" the lawyer said impatiently.
"Oh yes, my apologies. Please take a seat."
"Mr Wayne…"
I cringed at the mention of his name.
"…left very specific instructions for us in terms of what belongings you're inheriting."
"Ok."
She handed me a form. "Please sign here that you've received such items and we're going through them one by one."
She put down a thick cloth and then pulled out items one by one.
"8-carat diamond earrings, platinum plated." She said as she placed the earrings on the cloth.
It was his mother's jewelry.
"Please initial next to the item on the form."
I was in shock, grabbing the pen and placing a CH on the line. I didn't want his mother's jewelry. I wasn't deserving of that. I wasn't his wife. I couldn't even save him.
"It is actually a set…matching the 24-carat Cartier diamond necklace." She said as placed down the necklace. "A beautiful piece."
I dropped the pen.
"I'm sorry." I said, taking a deep breath. "I can't do this right now. It's too much. I'm sorry if I'm being rude."
The lady nodded understandingly. "Of course Ms Hunter."
The lawyer walked closer to us. "How about we make an exception and you take them with you and sign the form whenever.
I nodded. "That would be great."
"Certainly."
They placed the items in a special safe and showed me the combination.
"It will be at your home before the end of the day."
"Thank you."
Alfred drove me back home. It was a quiet drive - as they were all these days. I didn't have much to say.
"I'm the official owner of Wayne Manor now." Alfred said, ripping me out of my cloud of thoughts.
"Yes." I nodded.
"So…should I start charging you rent?" He smirked at me.
I smiled softly.
After the first week of feeling dead inside - I walked downstairs into the Batcave, in itself a stinging reminder of the loss.
"Are you alright?" Alfred asked, surprised to find me down here.
"No." I said, staring blankly at one of his masks.
"Is there anything I could do?"
"You could hand me the keys to the Batpod."
"The Batpod, ma'am?"
I nodded as I walked to get my costume.
I was on the roof of the Gotham Police Department, waiting for Gordon to show up.
He still came here to get some time to himself. I could tell Bruce's death had hit him hard.
"So what? Streets are clean?" I asked.
He turned around, startled to see me. "We're getting there. Good to see you out here again."
"Old habits die hard." I said with a grin.
"Have you heard anything from the Joker."
"Not a peep. I don't think he's in Gotham."
"What makes you say that?"
I shrugged. "Now that his biggest adversary is gone…" I tried not to have an image of Batman in my mind as I said it. "…the fun is out of it for him. He's on to the next chase whatever that might be."
"You don't think he'll ever return?"
"I didn't say that. For now, he's gone, off with his girlfriend."
"He has a girlfriend? The Joker has a girlfriend. Now that's a good joke."
"Not a very funny one. She's as insane as they get. Would do anything for the Joker. Anyway - we could talk story all night, Commissioner, but I'm here to see what you're working on. Maybe our plans overlap."
It was almost too easy. The low level guys who worked for Bane who were still in the city were not well trained. I took them out one by one, delivering them to the cops.
It wasn't even so much something that the police couldn't do on their own. It just gave me something to do.
The sun was slowly rising on the first clear day I had seen in a long time. I was sitting on a rooftop, not ready to get back home. I didn't want to change out of my second skin. This is what he must have felt like most nights. That he had to change back into somebody he wasn't.
I tried to imagine how weird it must have been for him to met me and start a relationship with someone who would never understand what he was going through. I wondered how he did it - because I didn't think I could.
I drove back to the Batcave and Alfred was already waiting for me.
"Quite a successful night I see." He said watching CNN.
"Yeah it…" I froze as I saw the headline: New superhero woman takes up Batman's mantle.
"What?" I asked unnerved. "That's totally not what I'm doing. They can't put me up there with him."
"They already have. They need another hero to look up to."
"I'm no fucking hero!"
"To them you are."
"Yeah? Well they don't know me then, do they? I have no superpowers. I have no abilities that can save anybody. I couldn't save him. I couldn't even save him." I felt tears stream down my face again.
I had spent the first week going over and over in my head what I could have done differently.
If only I had followed Miranda when I saw her first…I could have stopped it. Even better - why didn't I listen to my intuition and stop Miranda when I thought she was strange? If I had, he would still be alive.
"You saved him multiple times." Alfred said, a calm, concerned smile wiping over his face. "You gave him hope. You gave Gotham hope. You still do."
"It's all bullshit." I said taking off my mask and tossing it in the corner. "All of it."
Alfred didn't respond. Instead he handed me a key.
"What is that?" I asked confused, looking at at the small brass key in my hand.
"It was in the jewelry collection Master Wayne left you. I took the liberty to take inventory for you."
"So, what is this a key for?"
"I asked myself that very question. I researched the key manufacturer and found that they're the main supplier for safe deposit boxes."
This is a key to a safe deposit box? For some reason that took me completely by surprise.
"Which safe deposit box?"
"It took me a while to figure this out. I never knew Master Wayne had access to one of those. I know about his offshore accounts, his Swiss bank accounts…all sorts of things. But that was a first. So I looked up a key specialist at the CIA and he said - based on the metal used and the cut - he thinks it's not a US bank."
"So, do you know which bank it is?"
Alfred nodded. "Credit Suisse."
"Like…the bank in Switzerland?"
He nodded again. "The plane is already fueled and ready to go."
I walked down the tarmac, my tote bag just having enough for a few days. I didn't want to be away from Gotham for too long.
Once I got on the plane, I was once again reminded of him. I saw his smile as he handed me a glass of champagne on our flight to his private island. A lifetime ago.
Watching Gotham's skyline slowly disappear, I fell asleep.
When I woke up, we were already in Switzerland.
We checked into the hotel Alfred had booked. The presidential suite - despite my protest.
I showered and changed into a black dress and black wool coat.
I walked into the bank, which didn't look anything like an American bank. There were no tellers, no ATMS. Just an entrance with two ladies sitting behind a marble desk.
"Guten Tag." The blonde lady said.
"Do you speak English?" I asked.
"Of course. How may I help you."
"I think I have a key to one of your safe deposit boxes."
"May I see the key?"
I nodded and handed her the key. She looked at it and whispered something to the brunette next to her. She looked at the key as well and nodded.
"This way please." The blonde said after getting up and walking to a golden elevator.
She opened the elevator with her thumbprint and handed me my key back.
"Mrs Schreiner will take care of you."
"Thank you." I said as the doors closed.
Alfred and I got out of the elevator where a woman in her late 40s with short blonde hair greeted us.
"Ms Hunter, very nice to meet you."
I was surprised she knew my name. "Likewise."
"I am very sorry for your loss. I heard on the news what happened."
I nodded absently, so used to the phrase. "Thank you."
"Please, have a seat." She said, gesturing to two leather chairs in front of her large glass desk.
"Mr Wayne left us very specific instructions for your safety deposit box."
"Of course he did." I said.
"We only have a handful of safety deposit boxes. Most of our clients use numbered accounts."
I knew all about that since I had done stories on how the rich and famous - and some criminals - used those accounts to hide their money. Numbered accounts were kept anonymous. Bank employees never know the person's name. A practice illegal in the U.S. - but a good way for many to keep their money tax free in Switzerland.
"Mr Wayne, however, insisted to use one of those boxes. I assume you have the key?" She asked.
I nodded and presented the key.
"Follow me."
We walked down the hallway to another golden elevator. She used her thumbprint to open the elevator. We went down several stories.
The doors opened and we were in a dark hall. A marble desk in the middle. Stark light ahead.
"Please wait a moment here." She said and left.
After a few minutes, she returned with a metal box. Everything else had been so fancy. This box looked like it came straight from home depot.
"We're using dual security on these." She said as she placed the box on the table in front of us. "Of course you will need the key but then you will also need to use your thumbprint on this screen." She pointed at a tiny screen at the box. "When you're done, lock the box and push this button. I will be back."
With that she left, locking the door behind us.
I stared at that box for a while, unsure of what I was going to find.
I looked at Alfred who nodded at me. "Take all the time you need."
I took a deep breath and opened the box.
Inside, on dark blue satin, was a pearl necklace.
I stared at it in disbelief for a while.
"His mother's pearls." Alfred concluded.
A mixture of emotions hit me. I was angry that he would send me through all this trouble to find a necklace. I was sad and touched that he left his mother's pearls for me.
I grabbed the satin box and put it in my bag, quickly closing the box. I felt overwhelmed by my emotions.
"Let's go." I said, my voice breaking as I pressed the button.
Back at our hotel room, I was ready to fly back to Gotham right then and there.
Alfred convinced me to stay the night and get some rest.
I saw him, carefully taking out the necklace and look at it. I couldn't even look. The story of how his mother wore that exact necklace when she was killed ran as a loop in my head. And now her son was killed too.
"Mrs Wayne?" Alfred asked.
"Yes."
"I might have found something."
"What do you mean?"
"There is one pearl…" he pointed at it. "That's not an actual pearl."
"How in the hell do you know that?"
"Real pearls have a shimmer to them. This one is obviously fake."
"Ok… So what are you saying? You want to return it?" I asked sarcastically.
"No…" He took off his glasses and looked at me. " A while ago we looked into different GPS trackers that we could easily incorporate into your wardrobe."
Bruce spying on me also seemed like a lifetime ago.
"Ok…? Where is this going?" I asked.
"We ended up replicating your gold necklace, but Fox came up with a tiny GPS tracker shaped as a pearl."
"So, you're saying this is a GPS tracker?"
"I think it is."
"Can we use it?"
He grabbed his phone and held it next to the pearl. "Voila. It is connecting through bluetooth. It is gathering the location… Florence, Italy."
"Wait… I thought this was the tracking device?"
"No, no. This is the tracker. It is receiving the signal from another device."
"So…what is it tracking?"
Alfred smiled at me from ear to eat as he handed the necklace back to me. "Not what…who."
My heart was racing. It couldn't possibly be.
