Hi! Thank you for all your support and love for this story, please keep it coming, it's what makes me want to share more!

This took so long because it's a monster long chapter so long I had to split it into two!

I was in the smaller dining room of Wayne Manor eating breakfast with a huge tray of tea in front of me and no less than three piles of files splayed out over the table.

Amongst the faint rushing sound of the occasional pen-scribbled note and clatter of cutlery, Alfred walked in.

'No known affiliation with the mob,' he reported.

'Thanks, Alfred,' I smiled and looked straight back at the paper.

The butler nodded and left.

I shut one file and tossed it further toward the middle of the table out of the way, opening another. I skimmed it, read it, jotted down a couple of thoughts and was about to throw it after the other one when Bruce came in, flipping through another in his hands.

'None of the men Dent investigated are coming up, some other names, though,' he said as he walked.

'Now there's a surprise,' I replied flatly. 'Anyone we know?'

'No one we've come across before.'

'How very interesting.'

He reached my chair. 'Rachel just rang. Lau agreed to give the names of all of his clients. Gordon's arresting the mob now.'

I put the pen down, grabbed the tea and sat back in my chair, nodding slowly. 'Now to see how they retaliate.'

'I'm sure all hell will break loose,' Bruce replied dryly, with a tone that implied he found his own remark more tiring than amusing.

'At least it'll be a different kind of hell,' I offered with a hint cynicism.

He nodded his agreement slowly. 'I wish I could've seen Gordon's face.'

That got a tiny smile out of me. 'Dent better have Lau singing the goddamn Phantom of the Opera by now,' I said, mildly threateningly, quite fairly, given what I'd had to go through to get him back.

'Rachel will call you with good news shortly, I'm sure.'

I doubted that. 'I'd keep your own phone on you,' I muttered, leaning back to the files.

Once again, Bruce stored it in his memory but said nothing, twirling a file around to study it. 'This one's going to need us.'

With Bruce's as-always efficient help, I finished easily and stacked the piles accordingly. 'I'll see you tomorrow,' I said, with a great air of reluctance.

'It's for Dent,' Bruce reminded me, 'this is the one party you want to have.'

I stood up. 'I never want to have any party,' I replied bitterly, and walked out, 'parties are for drinking and pretending there's time to pretend.'

Alfred, somehow, was waiting outside the manor, standing by the door of his usual car. 'I trust you'll have a restful day, madam.'

'I promise,' I said to him, looking him in the eyes.

He bowed his head in thanks as he opened the door. 'But an enjoyable one, madam.'

'You, too,' I nodded at him, a smile gracing my face.

Alfred started the drive and I closed my eyes in the back, letting the soft movements of the car lull me into a near-sleep.

Before I could properly fall asleep, Alfred pulled into the penthouse garage, turned off the engine and opened the door for me.

I smiled at him. 'I'll see you tomorrow, Alfred.'

'Good luck tonight,' he replied.

'I'll be careful,' I promised, smiling a little.

I waved until Alfred drove back up and out of sight and tapped the lift open. It whirred as it came down from the top floor and swiftly opened.

Light flooded into my eyes as the Gotham skyline streamed in through the vast windows. It was good to be home.

The house was quiet. I checked the time. Nearly lunchtime.

Deciding to get rid of the files I was lugging around first, I headed upstairs and dropped most of them on my desk in my study, checking for any mugs I'd accidentally left behind. From there I took the one file Bruce had mentioned earlier and headed for the sitting room that faced the garden, reading as I went.

I skidded to a dead stop when I entered, faced with Ryan, who was sitting on one of the armchairs with a cup of coffee and a science magazine.

I caught my vaguely startled expression in time and he turned around at the noise.

'There you are,' I said, pretending I'd been looking for him.

'Evelyn!' he grinned and let his magazine fall to his lap for a moment. 'How did it go?'

'Well,' I said, smiling. 'How were things here?'

'All good. Nothing unusual.'

I nodded, looking at the garden I'd missed. 'Okay, good. Gordon just rang me earlier; he and Harvey Dent are arresting the mob today. You can head home.'

'Really?' he asked, eyes brightening.

'Really,' I promised. 'It's only been ten days.'

He seemed unsure what to say.

'Don't be afraid,' I said, slightly teasingly, but really meaning it, 'daybreak has come.'

'Well I had fun. This place is so huge it didn't feel like being cooped up.'

'No arcade or cafes, though,' I replied, raising an eyebrow.

'I have missed those,' he shamelessly admitted. 'Have you seen Dad?' he asked, seemingly suddenly struck by something.

My eyes narrowed. 'No, why?'

'No reason,' he said loftily.

I growled a low "humph" and turned around, marching through the house to find Dad.

I found him back downstairs at the dining table, listening to horrible radio. 'Dad, I'm back,' I said, walking up to him.

'Evelyn! Good to see you! Nice flight?'

'As good as a flight can be,' I grinned, then drew in a breath to talk again. 'Ryan looked like you've been up to something.'

'Ah.' His face fell a little.

Oh no.

'I broke your printer. I'm sorry, love.'

I went through a process here. Of course he did. At least it was only the printer. That I needed to print out case files. And fax reports to Wayne Enterprises labs. I had to fix it before I did anything else. I closed my eyes in dismay.

Dad dipped his head a little, a trait I was immune to thanks to Ryan, and winced sympathetically, apologetically, at me.

I let out a sigh through my nose. 'Okay. The mob's being arrested today, they're not going to be put away or anything for a while, but it's safe for you and Ryan to go out now. You can go pick me something for lunch, and I'll fix the printer.'

He seemed happy with the deal. 'All right. Anything you really want?'

I paused to think, not used to the pace of life. 'Uhhh… not really. Just nothing with a lot of sauce.'

He nodded, smiled and stood up, carrying his radio with him.

We left the room. 'Mr Wayne came by when you were out.'

I wasn't surprised, but my eyebrows still raised pleasantly. 'Mm?'

'Just to check on us, make sure we were okay.'

That warmed my heart. I glanced fondly at the lift as we approached.

'He had only good things to say about you when we pressed him,' he mused. 'You haven't got anything on him, have you?'

My eyebrows raised again and a laughing breath left me, offended. 'Ha! Since when have I had to blackmail someone into being my friend?' I asked, incredulous.

'It wouldn't surprise me,' replied my loving father, 'how else would you explain all those people who drag you out for lunch once in a blue moon?'

'Maybe they just like me,' I responded, wittingly firm.

We stopped by the sideboard beside the lift as Dad packed his keys and chose a coat. 'They must have been dropped as children to be friends with such a strange, ridiculous person like you.'

'Oh and your friends weren't?' I pressed the button for the lift.

The doors opened. Dad fixed his coat. 'College friends I can understand, but Bruce Wayne…' he shook his head. 'He's different in person than he is on the news-,'

Meaning he trusted him. I smiled at my Dad as he frowned at the buttons on the coat.

'-but still, how you managed to stop yourself from killing the top dog of the rich crowd long enough to become friends with him will forever baffle me.' He took one of the proximity keys from my collection of assorted keys and stepped into the lift.

I was chuckling, barely. 'Not sure I'd survive killing Bruce Wayne. If you want to know a secret,' I said as Dad pressed the button for the ground floor, 'he's also very strange and ridiculous.'

Dad looked at me slightly suspiciously, as if unsure whether or not to believe me. Then, seeming to reflect on his previous remarks, decided there had to be some truth in my words. He tilted his head back in a nod as the doors closed.

I scowled at the skyline, mood already null again and continued on to the stairs, heading for the printer.

I wasn't pretending around Dad and Ryan, much in the same way Bruce didn't pretend around Alfred.

They still made us laugh. Just only in the moments they were present.

'Dad still alive?' Ryan asked, appearing from the sitting room with the magazine and his now empty mug.

'He's gone to get takeout,' I replied, changing my course for the sitting room as Ryan left for the kitchen.

I walked in and pressed my finger on a stylish indent in the wall. It bleeped and clicked and the wall swung inward. Inside the small room was a simple medical bay near the entrance, and on the far-right wall was a desk with a computer and several monitors. I dropped the file on the keyboard, glanced at the blank wall between the desk and the medical bay where two suits hung, one for Batman, one for Thunder and shut it before Ryan could reappear.

I found it mildly entertaining that the wall that contained the suits was the same wall found in my walk-in wardrobe.

'Hey, Evelyn?' came the usual call.

I followed the demand to Ryan, who was in the large seats by the fire.

'Mm?' I sat down beside him.

'I just checked my phone… unsurprisingly my unexplained absence for over a week has gotten me fired. But I was going to quit anyway.'

I gave him a look that told him I didn't know where he was taking this, but I knew he was going somewhere.

'After helping Jim Gordon the other day and well, everything that's happened, I wanted to ask if I could work under you, in your team.'

It was a pleasant suggestion.

'I'm sure you could use another biomed scientist, and we at least know we work well together.'

I didn't bother to consider it. 'Okay. You start work tomorrow.'

Ryan grinned.

'I'll call Lucius and he'll get you set up.'

Happy, Ryan tried to contain his smile and looked out of the window at Gotham, content.

I sat with him a moment or two longer.

'It's going to be fun,' said Ryan before I could stand up, 'working under Gotham's most powerful woman.'

'What?' I blinked at him, completely perplexed.

'Well,' said Ryan, giving the air it made perfect sense to him, 'if Bruce Wayne is the most powerful man in Gotham-,'

'Not with Maroni running around,' I said, cutting him off.

'But he's getting arrested today,' said Ryan, telling me not to interrupt, '-and if you're on the board of Wayne Enterprises as essentially honorary second CEO-,'

'Who told you that? I'm the head of science.'

'Lucius last month and also Alfred the other day,' he acted like he didn't even notice the interruption, giving the response as an aside, '-and also the close friend of Bruce Wayne, then surely that makes you the most powerful woman in Gotham.' He finished like it was all very simple.

I narrowed my eyes at him, concerned he'd gone crazy from the lack of contact with the outside world after all.

He shrugged and waved me away, shaking his head.

I sighed and stood up to set about fixing my printer. I was halfway through and swearing an orchestra, wishing Bruce was there, when Dad came back. I went downstairs and heard the TV in the background, recognising the usual voice.

'This is Mike Engel for Gotham City News, reporting that Salvatore Maroni will be brought to court later today, under arrest by Officer Jim Gordon and DA Harvey Dent. Mr Dent stated earlier today he has no inclination as to how or why Mr Lau returned from Hong Kong and was keen to assure the public that the dark tunnel was coming to an end.'

'Marvellous,' Dad commented through a mouthful of food. 'Look at him. Just what we needed, someone to drive the Batman and Thunder's work home. We can go home now, thanks to him.'

I tried not to feel remotely offended. I didn't see Dent jumping from Hong Kong's tallest skyscraper.

'After the court proceedings this afternoon, speculation is growing about what this will mean for Gotham's streets, and-,'

The TV stopped. I made it to them in time to see Ryan putting the remote down. 'Had enough of the news for one day,' he sighed groggily.

Dad noticed me and passed me a container on the bench. 'I went for Korean.'

'Oooh, nice,' I groaned, pulling it toward a spare seat very quickly and taking a pair of chopsticks. I was a few mouthfuls in when my phone rang.

Ryan glanced at the noise, then at my face and paused. 'Uh… oh…'

'This had better be Bruce,' I grumbled.

Rachel Dawes.

Ryan laughed at my expression and Dad wasn't much help either.

I almost hoped it was another emergency like the one other time we'd spoken since that dinner. Okay. Since I last saw Rachel, I'd found the escaped criminal, flown to Hong Kong, jumped off a skyscraper, abducted a businessman, flown back to Gotham, had the mob arrested and started work again.

A phone call wasn't really that much of a problem.

'Hello?'

'Hi,' came Rachel's voice, anxious.

Dammit.

'Jim wants Lau to stay in the MCU, so he'll be under the custody of his team from now on until his court testimony is finished.'

'Then what are you doing with him?' I asked, staring blankly at the kitchen wall.

'He'll be flown back to Hong Kong.'

My eyebrows raised ever so slightly and I let my eyes trail down to stare blankly at the bench in front of me, drawing in a long breath. I could tell that wasn't the reason why she had called, and I wasn't pleased with the news of Lau, so I stayed icily silent.

Rachel hurried to fill the space. 'I was wonde… I've got some time before the trial this afternoon…'

My mind arched back to the promise I'd made to Alfred to have a restful day.

'I'd like to ask you something.'

I couldn't exactly refuse. 'Okay. Where were you thinking?'

'There's a café opposite the courthouse, I can meet you there in an hour.'

It took me a second to think of an appropriate response, as she couldn't see a tired nod through a phone call. 'Okay.'

'Thank you, I'm sorry if I disturbed your day, I'll see you then.'

She hung up and I held my phone over my food, staring at it in mild disdain. I tossed it to the side and kept eating.

Ryan glanced at Dad, who glanced back, and they eyed me warily for a moment or two before speaking.

'Who… or what… was that?' Ryan asked, sparing a look to my phone.

'Rachel Dawes,' I said, nearly toneless if it wasn't for the tight sound. 'I'll drive you home on my way to meet her.'

'Thanks,' he grinned and celebrated the victory with a smile at Dad.

We finished lunch and I succeeded in fixing the printer while I waited for Ryan to pack his things that he'd accumulated over the last ten days.

I took a long look at Dad's car as we got into the Mercedes, knowing it, finally, wasn't likely to be there when I got back. I pushed the boot shut and got in.

'You will still be careful, won't you?' I said at Ryan. 'Just wildly in case.'

'Of course,' he promised. 'I know where to run.'

I glared at him mildly as I turned the ignition. 'Just don't bring an entire brigade of thugs to my front door.'

'Why not?' he grinned, settling himself in the seat, 'you could take them.'

'That's the point,' I grumbled and reversed out.

I managed to sweep Ryan's apartment without being caught by carrying his luggage in. Satisfied, I found myself in the café opposite the courthouse.

Rachel appeared, looking a little anxious. She looked around and saw me.

I was at the corner table, back against the side window and looking out of the front window at the court house, watching as people went in and out, trying to see who I recognised, who I didn't, what they did and what I could make of them from the café across the road.

'Hi,' she said, and shuffled into the seat opposite me. It wasn't a rainy day, but a cold one and she glanced at my thick beige coat and black turtleneck shirt.

I pushed my hair away from my eyes and waited with a small smile.

'Lau's on his way here now,' Rachel said as she settled.

I nodded.

'I never really wondered about you,' she said apologetically, smiling a little. 'What… what made you understand Bruce so easily?'

My head cocked a fraction to the side as I couldn't discern her reasoning. 'In theory and appearance,' I began, slightly suspiciously and after a moment's thought, 'he's a very complicated person. To someone like me who also appears the same, for much the same reasons, he's very simple.'

I wasn't surprised that Rachel seemed pleased with that answer. I would have thought it was her trying to be able to understand Bruce better, but something about her told me otherwise. I tried to pinpoint what it was.

'You see his world better than most,' she reiterated.

'Mm,' I said, dipping my head and blinking slowly. I couldn't shake my feeling.

'Do you have any regrets?'

I let my surprise show on my face but answered without a catch. 'I still would have met Bruce and helped him if I'd protected someone better, yes,' I said with melancholy.

'Jordan,' she said knowingly, 'Jordan Mills. I read the file.'

'Hm!' I chuckled. I would have assumed who told Rachel, but something more about her in that moment made me think it may not have been the case. 'Bruce or Alfred?'

'Alfred,' Rachel replied.

That caught me off guard.

'Bruce has never told me anything about you,' Rachel added.

How stubbornly loyal and respectful of him. I uncrossed my legs and settled more into the chair.

'Would…' Rachel stopped and thought for a moment. I sensed her caution with ease. 'How long would you keep going?'

I blinked for a second and then considered an answer. 'As long as it takes,' I replied simply. 'This isn't the kind of thing you stop once you've started.'

That made Rachel uneasy. 'Do you think Bruce ever will?'

Everything froze. I stared at her, blank. I thought I'd ruined Bruce's future life a few days earlier, which I didn't enjoy the feeling of, but the implication Rachel still didn't understand was a lot worse. I tried not to feel ill.

I willed my eyes shut and kept my face blank. I opened them soon enough to keep looking like I was thinking and weighed up my responses as if I was really going to choose another. I stopped before I'd properly started and looked away, keeping the grimace out of my face and my expression as bright as I could. 'You'd have to ask Bruce,' I said warmly, happily, smiling, and then stood up. 'I've got to prepare for the night. Good luck with the mob,' I said, nodding to across the road.

Rachel responded, but I didn't focus enough to hear. I sped out, hands in my pockets, and got into the Mercedes, driving to the docks.

I spent the rest of the daylight slightly fuming in the bunker, haphazardly eating through a meal and working on everything I could, sleeping sometime in between.

I threw the last file onto a table beside the computers and checked the time. 9:04.

I tied my hair up and flattened it down, changed into the suit and jumped into my tumbler.

The streets of Gotham felt different with the mob in police custody. In some areas, their crime rate would soar as those unarrested would raise hell. In others, the first night of quiet in a long time.

I knew where I'd be.

I slipped easily through the night and began the usual prowl through rooftops.

It was nearing midnight and I was circling around to the entertainment district of Gotham through a residential area when I heard a piercing scream.

I traced the sound.

A few buildings and road down, I could just make out figures in the dark, on a path between two houses.

I sprinted over.

I heard the cries and knew it was the woman who had screamed before. I looked away from my route in time to see her fight the grip of an attacker and manage to free herself.

In that time, another person had grabbed a small figure.

The woman relented, crying and stopped fighting, being dragged away.

I was faced with a huge jump across the street to make it to the building they were next to. I doubled back and pushed hard to take a sprinting run up, jumping and blowing out my cape. I landed, just, and looked over the edge.

Only three figures remained, though I could still hear the woman's panicked cries.

It was a masked figure and a child, and one injured man on the ground.

The mask threw the child against the wall, and that was all I saw before I leapt down, landing between them and standing at my full height.

He yelled in fright, eyes blown wide and stepped back fearfully.

Then he swung at me with a knife. I brought my opposite leg up and kicked his wrist hard enough to break it and send the knife spinning away through the air. He yelled and launched himself blindly at me, swinging with his other hand.

I grabbed it with my opposite hand, planted a foot on his chest and weighed him back against the wall, pulling the arm I was holding straight. Then I brought my other arm around and whacked his elbow, hard.

He screamed in pain as his arm bent the wrong way and crumpled. I took my foot off and let him fall, punching him unconscious with one blow.

I knelt beside the crouching figure. A man, injured, bleeding, blood everywhere all over the floor. Multiple wounds. Stab wounds weren't normally too dangerous unless in the vital organs or arteries, but with that many… the bleeding would be catastrophic.

The child was rolling around, trying to stand up.

I looked down the path and ran after the woman and the other attacker.

I moved as far as I could guess and stilled, listening.

A faint scuffle further down a lane to my right was the only thing I could hear. I crept into the darkness.

And my eyes saw red.

With one kick, the man was sent hard enough against a window to crack it, blood mixing with his hair. He tried to recover and, somehow restraining my full strength, I punched his head light enough to keep him alive, but strong enough to send it through the glass completely. I seized him by the collar before his neck could land on the shard still in the frame and picked him up in a rage, breaking his back over my knee and throwing him through the air and onto the road.

I turned back to the woman. Gently, I leant down and pulled her skirt back down and crouched beside her, not missing the red patch in the side of her ribcage.

She couldn't talk and could barely breathe. Before I could do anything, she stared at me, thanking me with such warm emotion in her eyes. And then they went blank, her chest stopped moving and the pool of blood still growing. No hope.

I closed her eyes and hurried back to the other two.

As I approached the first thing I heard was crying.

I slipped into the shadows in case and moved forward.

The child was crying over the body of the man, as far away from the unconscious attacker as they could get.

No one else was there. I moved slightly back into the light and let my foot make noise across the ground as I stepped.

The child looked up, terrified, and then recognition flashed into their eyes.

I moved closer.

She stood up, and ran toward me, stopping a few paces away, crying.

She had an expensive-looking jacket on.

I'd seen horrible scenes many times in my life, especially in the recent months. But for some reason, I was thrown completely off by this girl.

She couldn't have been older than eight. Comprehension began.

'Did you find my mum?' she cried.

She understood my silence correctly and tears filled her shocked eyes again.

Tall, very dark brown hair, dark eyes… … … eight or younger… parents in an alley…

I stared in horror down at her, eyes so wide they couldn't focus properly.

I stood there, frozen, which shocked the girl into silence, unable to look away from the giant figure of Thunder.

Finally, feeling very light and separated from reality, I scraped together what reason I had left and jolted a shiver down my spine, snapping partly out it, enough to cautiously crouch down.

The girl spluttered, cried, and collapsed, still in her state unsure if she was allowed to go any nearer to me. I pulled her toward me as she fell and clasped my cape into my hands, holding the huge piece of fabric around her like a screen.

She fell onto my legs and I let one arm, the one shielding her vision only from a wall, drop and picked her up, raising the cape as I stood and walked away from the body. I pulled out my grapple gun and flew to the roof, sitting her down under the clouds and what little stars won over the lights of Gotham to be seen.

Now with slightly more light, I kept my face at a distance to her, whether by looking away or keeping my head over her.

She sat and cried in shock, hugging herself.

With a little bit of effort, I detached my cape and threw it around her.

It didn't occur to me, but to her it was a moment that changed her life. She felt the black cape of her heroes around her shoulders, and her crying stopped.

I walked away, knowing I'd need that cape back before anyone else arrived.

I had just started thinking how best to get the police to arrive when I heard shocked yells from the street below.

The girl jolted and tightened her hold on my cape, pulling herself further into it.

I walked past her, between her and the noise, and looked over the side of the building. The man I'd thrown onto the road had been found by a group of seemingly co-workers from the restaurants further down.

I made sure at least one of them was calling the police before I turned around. She'd calmed down since I hadn't shown any signs of tension and was looking up at me. I held my ground, not going any closer while she was looking at me.

'What's your name?' I growled, mixing in a gentler note.

'Cassandra Yang,' she said quietly. 'Cass.'

I moved to let a little more light hit her face and studied her again. Her skin was lightly tan, she had round cheekbones, and despite everything around her, her face shone.

I stared at her for a moment.

I didn't ask her anything else. The police would, anyway, I didn't want her to have to tell it more times than she had to.

I stood watching the streets with my back to her while we waited. She sniffled and every time she'd whimper I'd turn around for a moment and look at her until she met my eyes and remembered that she, at the very least, was safe.

I eyed her sympathetically when I looked at her. I knew how adrenaline felt, but she probably had never felt it like this before in her life, and it was probably the biggest shock she'd ever get. She couldn't handle it.

She used the cape as a grounding source of comfort as she quietly fought off the shock, glancing at me every now and then, sometimes watching me for longer.

Finally she calmed down and began to cry.

Surprised it was so soon, I turned around and folded the huge cape further around her.

I was huge compared to her, but she didn't seem to care.

I heard the sirens before she did. She tensed at the noise but that was all.

When the police began to look around I threw a shuriken at eye level in front of one.

She pulled it from the wall. 'Get Officer Gordon!'

I stayed silent on the roof for another few minutes until Gordon arrived. Only then did I pull my cape gently off Cassandra's shoulders and reattach it to my suit.

She seemed to understand that, since I'd waited for him, she could trust Gordon.

After what Bruce had told me about the night Gordon put a coat around his shoulders, and the night he'd brought my brother back as children, I knew I could trust Gordon with her.

I picked her up, facing away from me, and held her firmly. She clutched onto my arm as I stepped off the roof and the cape caught us in the wind. I landed behind Gordon, who turned as he sensed someone right behind him.

His eyes widened at the sight of Cassandra. I silently put her down, keeping a hand on her shoulder until I'd nodded at Gordon.

He nodded back and knelt down and I vanished into the night before Cassandra could turn around or Gordon could look up.

I finished the night in a blur and went back to the bunker nearing 4am. After changing, I looked up some records.

Cassandra Yang.

Date of Birth; 23rd June 1998.

She was barely past seven.

Father; Marcus Yang, Mother; Ellena Morgan

I knew the answer, but I still hated their pictures matching the faces I'd seen in the night.

Gordon would take care of her.

I thought back to the feeling I'd had when I looked at her properly, and suddenly felt very sick.

Trying not to think about Bruce, or Ellena Morgan, I was glad for the phone call.

Lucius Fox… double checking the time in case I had gone mad and it wasn't half past four in the morning, I answered.

'Lucius?'

'Hello, Evelyn. I thought you might still be awake.'

'Rather a horrible hour to be awake. Is something wrong?' I turned around, ready to get into the car.

'We've just heard back from the research company in Europe.'

I cursed time zones and thanked him for not bothering to tell me a name at that hour.

'They want the deal, but unfortunately it has to be made before their contract with their government expires or we'll have to wait until this time next year. They want the contract by their 1pm.'

'I understand,' I said, 'I'll come in. Will you need Bruce?'

'If you can get him, that would be much appreciated.'

'I'll be in as soon as I can.'

No rest when you need it. I really didn't want to talk to Bruce after the scene in the alley. I pressed the comms, running a hand through my hair at the sudden nerves. 'Bruce, you still out?'

If he was surprised by my use of his name he didn't say anything. 'Going back.'

'Don't bother, Lucius needs us in the office, now.'

'What for?'

'Nothing wrong. Just heard back from Europe. The deal needs to be done by one pm over there, which is seven our time.'

'I'll be there when I can.'

'See you then.'

I wouldn't have been shocked to know Bruce had picked up on the abysmal tone in my voice.

I got into the Aston Martin, drove to Wayne Enterprises, went to my office and threw my smart black coat on over my casual shirt, fixing my hair.

With a yawn and a moment to watch the sunlight hitting the sky, I went into Lucius' office. He stood up when he saw me. 'Do you know how far away Mr Wayne will be?'

'He shouldn't be long.'

Lucius nodded. 'In the meantime, there's someone downstairs you might like to see.'

I frowned. It was five in the morning. Who on Earth would I… I read Lucius' face. 'He's not,' I said, face slackening.

'I'm afraid he is,' he smiled.

I sighed in fond disdain and got into the lift without another word, dropping down a few floors.

I walked through the labs until I heard noise, following it with ease in the hush of the early morning.

'Ryan,' I chastised.

He turned around, nearly jumping, eyes wide. 'What are you doing here?'

'I got called in for a meeting with Europe, what on Earth are you doing here?'

'I, uh,' he laughed at himself for a moment. 'I was too excited to work here.'

I stared at him incredulously before giving into my laugh. 'Just make sure you don't screw anything up within your first few weeks or they'll think you're hired just because you're my brother.'

'I'll try my hardest,' Ryan promised, laughing too.

I studied what he had been doing. Rearranging his new desk. Over and over. I sighed. 'Since you're not doing anything, you can come to the meeting, the more people there at the hour the better the impression.'

'D-…,' He shifted his weight from foot to foot, thrown off, 'do I have to do anything?'

'Just sit there looking cute,' I replied, an ancient subconscious routine reviving and moving my hand to pat his head. 'Big first day, might as well make it bigger.'

Once I saw the agreement in his eyes I moved my hand to drop at his shoulder and steered him out to the lift, pressing the button for the top floor.

'Where's your office, by the way, in case I need to steal your snacks?'

I glared at him from the corner of my eye as the lift moved but answered anyway. 'Top floor, near Lucius', between Bruce and Douglas.'

'Douglas?' Ryan echoed.

'Vice President of Operations. Have you not met him?' I asked, frowning.

Ryan scrunched his face, asking for more information.

'Douglas Fredericks,' I pressed, 'mid-60s, white hair…?'

His face didn't change.

I sighed as the doors opened. 'Remember when Earle was CEO, the man I was always saying was the one on the board that should be in charge?'

'Because you hacked the board meeting minutes, yes,' Ryan nodded, face beginning to loosen.

'Right and remember when Bruce came back and threw Earle off the board and Lucius then rearranged the board entirely and I said I was happy my friend got a position he deserves?'

'Ohhh…' went Ryan as we stepped out of the lift. 'Yes. I met him a while ago. He's nice.'

I led Ryan into the boardroom as they finished setting up the screen. A few more people had since arrived.

'Ah, Mr Pendragon,' Lucius greeted from across the room, ending his conversation and coming toward us, 'I see you've been invited to our meeting.'

'If there's a polite way to decline, please let me know,' Ryan responded with a nearly straight face.

Lucius smiled. 'Any estimated time on Mr Wayne?' he asked, leaning a little closer to me.

'If he went home, I'd give him another half hour. If he stopped by the docks, any minute now. Assuming no injuries,' I added.

Ryan frowned.

I shook my head and pulled an exhausted expression. "It's Bruce Wayne, don't ask."

I began to work out a knot in my neck.

'So who is everyone?' Ryan asked, still staying beside me.

I grimaced and pulled my head to one side, pressing down. 'That's Lucius PA, that's the head of finance, Martin Leemal. Douglas is on holiday, so that's his head of office, Jason DePorl, the obnoxious looking prick by the window talking to him is Roth, the Head of Personnel...' I craned my neck in another direction. 'And that, there in the nice green skirt, is head of IT, Clara Grant. She's here as translator.'

'Translator?' Ryan blinked. 'Where is this conference call coming from?!'

I paused my rolling of my neck to look at him. 'Oh, I forgot you don't speak German.'

'And you do?!'

I rolled my head to the other side. 'Learnt it last year when we had that research project with LMU Munich.'

'You had a research project with Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and you didn't, tell, me?' Ryan emphasised.

'It was physics,' I explained offhand.

Ryan sighed. 'And so everyone on the board just decided to learn German in a few months?'

'No,' I winced, pressing on the knot, 'Bruce and I couldn't wait to read the reports so we learnt German. Took me just over two months,' I grumbled.

'Bruce Wayne learnt a language in just over two months?' Ryan asked dubiously.

'In under two,' I corrected bitterly.

Ryan stored that information for later, easily able to piece together it was something he wasn't supposed to repeat and went over the people I'd pointed out in his head. 'So if you speak German, why do you need another translator now?'

'I don't have the time in meetings,' I replied, giving up on my neck. I'd need ice.

'We'll have them in ten minutes,' Lucius called to me.

I nodded and took my hand away from my neck, shoving it in my coat pocket and going over. I glanced behind me and tilted my head to tell Ryan to follow me.

Lucius passed me two documents, reading from his own. 'Mrs. Grant has just confirmed the translations. Now, they've said that they want the contract to include more options for renewal or alteration at certain intervals.'

I flipped through the German version and passed the English to Ryan.

'We'll have to make sure to address that early.'

'When do you plan to get this signed in person?' I asked after nodding.

'Their CEO is flying in in two weeks.'

'That's soon,' I remarked, impressed.

Lucius pointed out one more detail and then informed me they'd had tea and coffee tables sent up.

Ryan beat me to the foyer, getting to the hot water first. I wasted the time selecting the right tea until we both had a mug.

'We're live, meeting starting in three minutes!' Lucius instructed to the room.

We were on our way when the lift doors opened. Surprised, we looked behind us.

Bruce stepped out of the lift, eyes moving across the room.

'Ah, Mr Wayne,' Lucius greeted as everyone began to merge toward the table, the large screen set up in the middle, far enough back for the camera to see the necessary board chairs, 'so glad you could make it. I hope this wasn't too early for you.'

Bruce showed a winning playboy smile and shook his head reassuringly as he walked into the room. 'Nothing a coffee can't fix,' he grinned as German began to filter through the room, from Mrs. Grant and the other side of the screen.

Lucius sat down at the head of the table.

Bruce stopped before his chair on the corner beside Lucius, debating whether or not to miss the start.

'I'll get it,' I said, turning on the spot.

'No, I've got it!' Ryan patted me on the shoulder and hurried back to the foyer.

I watched him go with a proud, amused face and turned to the table. Clara Grant was sat on the other corner beside Lucius, opposite Bruce, since she would be translating, so I sat beside Bruce instead.

Bruce, as Lucius was busy, was listening pleasantly with closed eyes to the happy conversation between Clara Grant and two women at the table in Germany as they chatted about someone's engagement.

'Now some more people have been able to make it,' Lucius was instructing his PA, 'so we'll need an extra copy, I don't think…' he did a quick headcount of who had a document with them. 'Mr Wayne needs one.'

Bruce opened his eyes. 'Oh, don't bother just to make one more,' he requested, looking like he thought he was being very generous, 'I'll look at Evelyn's.'

Lucius nodded and sent his PA to sit down. I took a sip of tea and slid the contract across the table closer to Bruce.

Finally the rest convened at the table and sat down, the man from Douglas' office, Jason Louis, leaving a spare seat between us for Ryan. I thanked him with a quick nod.

'Now, now, what's all this conversation,' said Roth, the prick I'd pointed out to Ryan earlier as he sat beside Clara Grant, 'what are the ladies talking about?'

I was suddenly aware of how long my night had been, and still was.

'Fashion? Nails? Gossip?' he dropped the contract onto the table, looking at everyone as he laughed.

He was about Bruce and my age, with a huge, tasteless gold watch on his wrist under a very well cut, very obviously expensive suit. It felt like I was staring at an offensive version of playboy Bruce, though the jealous glances I'd seen the man throw at Bruce over the months said a little otherwise.

'That's what they're talking about, right? All secret, talking in German?' he laughed again. 'Hey, hey, look at that one, on the left. Wheeyyy.. what a top.'

Lucius finished looking through his papers, I don't think he was even listening. 'Let's begin,' he declared before I could open my mouth and smiled at the screen, as Ryan hurried the last of the distance over, put a coffee down in front of Bruce and sat in the chair beside me.

"'Hello, Mr Fox, Mr Wayne, and everyone else at Wayne Enterprises. We're sorry to wake you so early in the morning, thank you very much for taking this call, we're very grateful,'" Clara translated.

'Hello all, we're happy to oblige, we're very keen to work with your outstanding researchers,' Lucius replied, and the meeting began. 'I'll introduce the table. Bruce Wayne, you know Dr Evelyn Pendragon, of course, this is her brother, Ryan Pendragon, working with us in the labs, this is our Head of Finance, Martin Leemal, Mr Fredericks is on holiday, so from his office…,'

We went over the terms of the contract, the aims and resources of the research teams and the rights of access to the results as the sun kept rising.

As Ryan stretched his shoulders and looked out of the window once again to marvel at the sight, I tilted my head slightly and delved a few pages ahead.

'Come on, keep up,' laughed Roth at Clara as she struggled with the translation.

I stopped and looked up for a moment before dropping my eyes back to the page. Bruce leant forward and pulled the paper back toward him, taking my head with it as I didn't take my eyes from the page, clearly spotting the same thing I had.

Ryan's gaze left the window to blink at the man opposite me, as he smiled and followed the conversation.

A minute or so later it happened again.

'Gosh, thought you'd be good at this, all that gossiping in the office.'

'I suppose you can keep track of three conversations in two different languages,' I replied, not taking my eyes away from the contract as I circled a figure.

Bruce, face hidden as he was looking down at the same thing I was, glanced in Roth's direction with disregard and a hint of amusement in his eyes.

Ryan settled back to his document.

I frowned. 'This budget on page thirty, the figures match, I'm not sure if it will be enough, however,' I said, finally looking up. 'The prices for the listed chemicals are low now, but as far as I understand, they're predicted to go up with the next few months.' I looked at Ryan for confirmation as Clara translated for me.

He considered it for a moment, and then another.

'Come on, big sis is waiting,' Roth went again. 'Gotta earn a job you get from this girl, you know.'

I didn't have the time. I ignored him, still waiting for Ryan.

'Quite substantially, I think,' Ryan replied.

When I finally turned back, Bruce was watching Roth with a rather blank expression, pretending to be interested in the conversation.

I whacked him slightly with my knee to bring him back into focus. He reluctantly relinquished his gaze with a reproachful flick of his eyes in my direction.

As we finished the meeting and I checked the time, impressed at the quick progress, Clara stayed talking to the women she had been earlier, Lucius stood up and stretched to read the final copy, Bruce and I were sitting tired in a weird, dead-like trance and Ryan had gone with Martin and Jason to make another cup of coffee.

Lucius' PA skirted around the disarray of seats to stand waiting for the final copy and, after glancing at her skirt length, Roth leant back in his seat, glancing between Clara and the women on the screen, quiet until he heard the word "Chanel."

'Ahhh, see…' he said, twisting his head from side to side in some sort of condescending shake, 'the moment the proper talking's done, it's back onto shoes. Come on, wrap it up, all you've done is talk this entire time, we've done the work, we'd like to leave now.'

Bruce blinked out of his trance slightly, fixing his tired gaze on Roth.

Clara handled it by laughing at him sheepishly and telling her colleagues they had to end the call.

Bruce remained anchored in his seat, making it obvious he had nowhere important to be and could spend all the time in the world waiting.

'Wait,' said one of the voices in German excitedly, 'my brother's baby was born!'

As Clara squealed in happiness, Roth laughed, putting a hand over his right ear. 'My god, can't even have a woman in the office these days. Even Lucius' secretary's distracting, did you see her?' he asked, pointing at the woman and looking at Bruce.

Bruce's face didn't even twitch as he very obviously faked a laugh.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned in my chair. Ryan was behind me.

I stood up to talk to him.

He placed another cup of tea in front of my chair and held out his paper. 'So which department will work on this first?'

I turned away from the table to go through the research process with Ryan.

The annoying voice continued in the background. 'Nowhere is safe from them these days, popping up like roses in the office. Let's get someone less gossipy to translate next time, yeah? Hey, sweetheart, wrap it up, would you? Your hair's fine. We're all waiting.'

'So wait, wait, their resources department or Wayne Enterprises'?' Ryan asked, peering at the paper.

'Both will collaborate for the first week,' I explained.

'Ok, and then it's lab setup at LMU?'

'Mm. And then our labs follow after that with the second trial.'

'Will we be working on it?' Ryan flicked through to some data tables.

I didn't miss how his eyes had lit up. 'We won't be, no, but I'm sure they'd be happy to borrow you for a while.'

Ryan grinned. 'Thanks, Evelyn.'

I smiled back and glanced around, eyes landing on Roth and Clara, who were still sat at the table. He was leaning in far too close, and I couldn't see where his right hand was.

I picked up the copy of the contract in front of me and, expressionless, threw it down onto the table with a loud bang, moving my eyes to lock with his. No more than seven hours ago I'd rescued a seven-year-old girl by the body of her father while her mother was dragged away and killed by cruel men.

'Bit unladylike,' he blinked. 'No offence,' he grinned, 'just a personal opinion, you know? You're still the prettiest rose.' He winked.

'Get out,' I said blankly, as Clara glanced between us, Lucius and his PA jumped and Bruce didn't move a muscle and refrained from making a remark about the thorns on a rose.

He blinked. 'What's that?'

Ryan stepped back.

Lucius, expression rising like a kid in a schoolyard watching rising tensions, let the twinkle into his eye.

'Get out,' I repeated calmly. 'Now.'

Roth glanced between Lucius and Bruce, shocked that they didn't intervene. 'Now wait just a second, who do you think you are to-,'

'Get out.'

'I said who do you think you are, you stupid woman-,'

Several things happened at once. Lucius' PA, Clara, Jason and Martin gasped in surprise and disgust, Ryan winced and took another half a step back, Lucius smiled and Bruce let his head fall and put a hand to the side of his head, knowing what was coming, his eyes hardening in anger.

Roth smiled as a defence, trying to reclaim the situation.

I bore my furious eyes into him and leant forward slightly over the table, hands by my sides. 'You spend half your workday chatting away about the weekend golf and suddenly think you have any right to comment on a conversation during a break. If you want another translator then learn German yourself.

'It is not your right to sit there and hurl insulting comments like you own the world. Acting like you have the right to look at women like they're on a menu, commenting on their clothes.' I was furious. My anger was creeping over my shoulders and, like I had a few hours earlier, I saw red.

Bruce and Ryan buried themselves further away, able to recognise the signs.

'Let's see how you like it. Your coat shows your expensive gut, your watch clearly isn't the latest season's, what on Earth are you doing, you should take more care with your appearance. I need a cup of tea, go get me one, would you, darling? It's all you men are good for, that and your dick. How dare you talk to someone like that?!' I crushed the table with a fist and the room froze and the yell echoed around vast room.

While everyone was frozen, Bruce furtively slid the clattering cup of tea Ryan had brought away from me, just in case.

'Can't even function as a rational Homo sapiens.'

Not that I noticed, but Ryan was trying not to laugh from where he was stood with Jason and Martin.

'Pick your disgusting, vile, pathetic excuse of self up and walk out of the doors of Wayne Enterprises.'

'Whey-hey,' he grinned, and I blinked, faltering out of pure shock, 'what's got into you, Miss Pendragon? On your period?'

It was at that moment, that Bruce's eyes twitched and he glared at the man, then buried his head under his hand. Ryan marched two steps forward, then stopped as the room did. It was also the moment that I snapped.

'Your inconceivably moronic idea of women isn't going to help you here, Mister Roth. I can't share my PhDs with you, so I doubt I can help you conceptualise the influences of society within the masculine psyche. I'm assuming your mother doesn't love you very much and you could never figure out why.'

I continued in a very normal, but warning tone, 'Walk out, or I will have you charged for sexual harassment and dig up all the dirty secrets you've no doubt accumulated and reveal them to the world if you dare to try me.'

Still not able to work out exactly what was happening, Roth laughed a little, slithering back further into his chair and glanced at Lucius, then Bruce. They both stared back at him, Bruce moving his hand and sitting comfortably back into his chair, completely blankly, perhaps with a faint pleasant smile. Roth realised what that meant.

'Hiding behind real men now, are you?' I scathed, nodding my head and leaning even further down.

He seemed to decide that the only way out was to defend himself, no more straws left to clutch. He leapt to his feet. 'Real men?! I'm looking at my employers, not some stuck up bitch who thinks she has the right to fire me. You can't change your precious little world, sweetheart!' he was moving around the table.

Bruce and Lucius, keen not to spoil the moment, still didn't say a word, smiling at him like it was none of their business, Bruce looking particularly smug and pleased as he spun his chair to keep facing Roth, watching him approach. Ryan moved back toward me protectively but kept a respectful distance to leave me to it.

I glared at him. 'You're fired. I have told you to leave.'

'What you think just because you're chummy with Wayne and Fox that you can run this company? You're not screwing Wayne, he's not gonna protect you!'

Bruce didn't move an inch, surprising Ryan a great deal.

'Fine. You filthy hypocrite.' He pulled his ID card out of his pocket and slammed it on the table. 'Throwing someone out of their job just because you can't take a little heat. Got no problem with Wayne, I see.' He looked at Bruce.

Ryan hurried over once the moment had passed and stood beside me, glaring at Roth.

The man drew in a long breath. 'Look at you, Wayne, just sitting there, watching as a bitch takes over your family's company.'

Bruce's face didn't even twitch.

'You've got it all, any bitch you want, the car, a butler that waits on you day and night, your pals, your chums, and what do you do? Sit around all day checking out women and then acting like I'm so wrong.'

Ryan frowned. He knew Bruce was a playboy, but not once had he ever seen him treat a woman with disrespect. He even made to step forward and intervene to defend him, seeing Bruce was just taking it, but then he saw my face.

'Your life's just perfect, with a house you can drink away your miserable life in, miss your mother while you sit on a pile of money that wasn't made by you but by your fat family, had one tragedy as a kid and then spent the rest of your life running away…'

For a moment, I was back in the alley that night, staring at Cass with wide eyes as she reminded me of-

'… and then you come back and swan around like a spoilt brat that a butler couldn't even raise, not doing a day of work as you live off your dead father's co-,' crunch. Roth smacked into the floor, spluttering. I forced my body to relax and not stand tall and intimidating as he rolled over, holding his nose, leg still tangled in the chair.

I wanted to pick him up by the scruff of his ugly collar or hit him properly but, thanks to Thunder and identities, I had to kick a chair at him instead. I hurled the closest thing to me, a copy of the contract, side-arm at him from the one paced I'd move to kick the chair.

It was incredibly hard to force my radiating fury away and stay still.

No one came to his aid, and yelling, throwing a scared glance at me and a dirty one at Bruce, he shuffled down the long room and disappeared into the lift.

It was silent until the lift doors closed. Then I walked over to Clara, stooping slightly as I stopped next to her. 'Are you okay?'

She glanced at all the concerned faces of everyone and nodded, a little overwhelmed. 'I am. Thank you,' she added to me.

I nodded, looking quite harrowed and tired as the rush died down and Ryan asked Bruce if he was alright.

'Is everything okay?'

'Clara, are you okay?'

Everyone's eyes moved to the screen, Bruce, Clara and I looking particularly surprised as we understood the German.

'Yes,' Clara hastened to reply to her friends who had stayed in concern. 'I'm fine. He was just fired.'

There was a chorus of responses. Then one indicated me, behind Clara. 'She did it?'

Clara nodded.

'I want someone like her as our employer!' they laughed. 'I heard her and got scared!'

Bruce and I fought away any reaction, melting with the others who were mingling in mild confusion.

'Who is she?'

'Evelyn Pendragon,' Clara replied, and those who didn't speak German slowly gathered what was happening. 'She's the Head of Science.'

'I referenced her PhD the other day! Lucky she was there… I would have been so scared if it was me…' the woman's eyes changed to me and she spoke in English. 'You're… cool!'

Ryan didn't miss the fond glance Bruce gave me as I blinked, trying to pretend I hadn't understood everything before that.

I brought a little warmth into my face. 'Thank you,' I replied, laughing a little.

'Well no one's using the room until the ten o'clock meeting,' said Lucius, 'I trust you'll move the screen once you're done, Mrs Grant.'

Clara smiled at him thankfully and nodded. 'Thank you, Mr Fox.'

I went back around the table, ignoring the ongoing conversation from the screen and picked up the tea Ryan had brought, taking a large gulp and rubbing my temple softly. It was a long day ahead, and the line between this one and yesterday was blurred without sleep to mark the change.

I'd sleep before the caterers arrived for the party. I downed the rest of the tea and tucked my copy of the contract under my arm, walking out. I put a hand on Ryan's shoulder as I went passed and grinned at him, wishing him a good first day.

The lift opened just after I'd put the cup back and the basement carpark greeted me not long after. I got into the Aston and drove home, moving on autopilot.

I hung up my coat and checked the time. Eight. Caterers were coming at three. Cassandra would be at a police station, finished her statement and custody would be investigated by now.

I went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. In one night, her world had changed forever. I'd become Thunder to prevent this as much as I could. I winced my eyes shut as I remembered her staring up at me in the alley again. Bruce had been spared, if it wasn't for me, that girl would have died. Her mother… I forced my eyes open. No doubt their attackers had been charged by now and were facing long sentences once the court had seen them. Rachel would see to that, at least.

Not that the media would say anything about that, only who's hand she was holding.

I finished the glass and forlornly rested it on the bench.

And Roth… I tensed and squirmed at the thought of him.

That woman had said she would have been scared if she was me. I was lucky not to be; I knew Bruce and Lucius wouldn't have done anything but agree with me, and I knew I could defend myself. That was a safe space. Safe. With a man harassing a woman in a workplace. That was safe.

I had to count Cassandra's mother, Ellena Morgan, lucky. Because at least in that alley, she'd only been killed. Incredibly, when I'd thrown that man away, I'd saved her, even though she died.

My face twisted in disgust at the thought of Roth again.

A vile person, who walked all over others, who treated women like dirt and wouldn't have blinked an eye if he heard about Cassandra's mother or the life she could-

Smash. Very far away from a vicious swipe lay the glass in a thousand pieces scattered over the vast floor.

In a blind rage I grabbed a mug from the bench beside me with my other hand. Smash. It landed in the other direction in three pieces that rocked gently back and forth.

I looked around wildly. A little out of the kitchen Alfred had already put out some plates on a table.

I felt the smooth ceramic under my fingers and a moment later another smash shattered through the air.

One went flying and hit one of the metal beams between the large windows.

The next landed not far from the mug.

The next straight down, ricocheting off the floor and the little pieces tapping against my shoe.

The next a little further out. The next.

The entire floor was covered in pieces of white ceramic, some even skidding under the chairs by the fire far away.

In the offbeat before another smash suddenly my arm stopped moving, my torso moving instead as the momentum caught up.

I snapped my head up and stared at my sleeve, faced with a hand holding my forearm.

The wrist belonged to Bruce Wayne; I recognised his father's watch instantly.

Time's up.

With a burst of strength I hurled my arm forward again, taking the complying hand with it and the bowl in my hand landed with a shatter amongst the rest of the mess.

'Hah,' I spat out the breath and breathed until the sharp, angry breaths faded. Then I stepped backward until I felt a stool behind me and sat down.

Bruce moved around into the kitchen as I turned, taking another mug from the bench and putting the kettle on, then faced me and leaning against the bench to give me a questioning, worried and very vaguely amused look.

I took in a long breath and dropped my eyes, turning away and looking out of the window at the skyline over my shoulder as the bubbling of boiling water grew.

But then I looked back at Bruce. He held the silence patiently as my expression changed from dejected to sad to become a little happier. 'It's horrible being a woman.'

Bruce's head tilted with a tiny understanding smile as the lever on the kettle flicked upward. 'I know.' He turned around to pour the water. 'What else?' He put the tea in front of me and a small plate beside for the teabag.

I turned the mug around. 'There was a child… in an alley, about your age,' I said near plainly, looking at him, still turning the mug back and forth.

He blinked in surprise, hands faltering from his pockets. 'Are they alright?'

I looked away for a second to tap my hand over the rim of the mug. 'Not a bruise on her. Her parents are dead.'

I saw the understanding move through Bruce and he sighed, looking behind me out of the window, deep sadness clouding over him.

'Was it a robbery?' he asked, knowing it was the most likely answer.

A tight breath left me and I shook my head slightly. 'Her mother had been dragged away. She was fine.'

Bruce nodded slowly. 'That girl would have been glad you were there.'

The sincerity in his voice wasn't the easiest thing to hear, but it wasn't difficult either. I let my eyes drift around as I dwelled on his words. A small smile came onto my face, and I drew in a breath as I felt better.

Bruce's eyes then surveyed the glitter of ceramic behind me. 'I won't tell Alfred about this.' His eyes were also glittering.

I followed them and saw what he meant. 'Shoes on downstairs for a while. I'll clear it when I wake up.'

I pulled the teabag out of the mug and stood up.

'Nice move with the chair,' Bruce said.

A small laugh left me. 'He had it coming.'

Bruce reflected the laugh, giving me a thankful look. 'Ryan seemed to enjoy it.'

'Ugh,' I sighed fondly. 'Of course Ryan did.'

I woke up just after two and got changed into a pair of black pants and a large green shirt, slipping on a pair of shoes and moving through the house.

I heard noises from downstairs and stopped cautiously, moving slower toward the stairs. I craned my neck slightly to look around the corner and felt a little shoot of panic go through me. I turned around without a sign and moved swiftly to the small bedroom with the view of the garden pond.

I opened the door normally, no need to worry about being quiet this far away. Bruce was dressed in sweatpants and a plain blue shirt and sitting on the bed, reading.

'So,' I began, 'Alfred's early.'

'I'm sure if you assure him it was all your doing he won't even be mad,' Bruce replied, lowering the book a moment with his usual abstractly amused expression.

'That's a good point.' I headed back for the stairs.

Alfred came into view about halfway down, starting from the broom cupboard near the kitchen as he swept the mess.

'I'm sure, raising Bruce, you've seen worse,' I said as I walked over.

Alfred looked up in surprise. 'Incredible that you have such great stealth even with this all over the floor. And while I must admit it isn't the worst, it certainly isn't ideal décor.'

'Well it was all my doing, I promise.' I took another broom from the cupboard.

'Might I ask why half of the dishes are still intact?' Alfred asked, hooking the broom underneath the trolley he'd left them on to get to the mess underneath.

'That would be Bruce's doing,' I admitted.

'Impressive that he did not accelerate the situation,' Alfred remarked curtly.

I eyed him with a small twinkle in my eye and swept the mess out of the kitchen.

Once I'd scoured the entire floor for any more debris I promised Alfred I'd get out of his way and went back upstairs. I checked my phone on my way past wherever I'd left it and blinked.

Ryan

What should I wear tonight? It's a suit kind of thing, right?

My forehead creased as I stared at the message. After a moment or two's contemplation, I typed a response.

You what?

I'd sat down at my computer to go through files when my phone buzzed in reply.

The fundraiser, duh. You said I could come to the next party at your house.

My lip involuntarily curled in annoyance for a second. Did I have amnesia at the time?

The computer had barely logged in when the next reply came. No. You weren't really listening, though.

The cheeky little- And you heard about this fundraiser from whom, exactly?

Not telling. Their safety is at stake.

Better them than you.

The response was immediate. Jason DePorl, this morning after the meeting.

Ugh. Maybe having my brother running around Wayne Enterprises was more of a headache in the making than the idea first seemed. Of course it was. Wear that nice suit Alice made you.

Okay.

I glared at the smiley face and put my phone out of my eyesight. Half an hour later Bruce appeared, somehow rapping his knuckles against the doorframe with both his hands full.

I swung round in the chair. He was holding up two suits.

'Which one?'

I glanced at them. 'Are they not identical? I thought you only kept one suit here.'

'Alfred keeps another in the car at all times. I can't tell which one looks more obnoxious.'

I tilted my head in slight defeat and finished the turn to face him fully, studying the suits as he held them up high by the hanger.

One was a deep grey, the other a simple but not dark black. I studied the cut of the jackets as long as I could bear it. 'I have no idea~!' I concluded, waving my hands up.

Bruce lowered them a little to frown at me, pointing at me briefly with an accusing hanger. 'This is important, you know.'

He had a point. I stood up and walked over. 'Go whichever is the largest.'

Bruce tilted his head, not moving his arms as I looked at the suits, holding up fabric gingerly. 'I know everything fancy you own was given to you, but I also know you have style.'

'I don't have time for clothes,' I offered.

'Well if you can't tell, how am I supposed to?' Bruce glowered.

'Go ask Alfred,' I replied. 'Shoo,' I added, waving him out of the study. Or attempting to.

With a sigh he lowered the suits and stared at me with disdain. 'Just look at them,' he asserted, 'Alfred's busy.'

Giving in and letting my knowledge surface, I snatched the grey one off him and held it up, then did the same with the black. 'Black one fits your shoulders slightly too well so your bulk won't be covered as well, but the grey one will make you look downright fat when you add the black tie.'

Bruce, unsurprised by my sudden knowledge, nodded. 'That's what I thought.' He took them back off me. 'You're allowed to like things, you know,' he said rather heavily as he walked out.

He'd definitely been talking to Ryan. I glared at the spot Ryan would most likely be if he was in the room, the armchair in the corner, and went back to the computer. Then I realised if Bruce was getting ready then it was about time to check on things downstairs.

I huffed my way back out of the chair and met Alfred, who had managed to procure more plates from somewhere, began to walk me through the menu and mention any guests that I knew and liked, as he always did when I lost the first floor for an evening.

Bruce came down as Alfred finished explaining who half of the important people were. 'How's it going?'

'I think your fundraiser will be a great, success, sir,' Alfred said, putting the list of names aside.

'And why do you think I wanted to hold a party for Harvey Dent?' Bruce asked, fixing his cufflinks.

'I assumed it was your usual reason for socialising beyond myself, Evelyn, and the scum of Gotham's underbelly,' Alfred said pleasantly, 'to try and impress Miss Dawes.'

'Ah, very droll,' Bruce quipped. 'But very wrong. Actually it's Dent.'

While Alfred looked interested and before Bruce could go on, he glanced over at the TV playing the news quietly in the background.

We followed his gaze.

On the screen, hanging from a long rope outside a skyscraper was a very recognisable figure. Batman. My initial mortified panic died down before it could even start, as I was no more than three feet away from Bruce.

We moved over and Bruce turned up the volume.

Mike Engel's voice faded in. '… Police released video footage found concealed on the body. Sensitive viewers be aware: the image is disturbing.'

It cut to the man when he was alive, bound to a chair in what looked like a butcher's back room, a dead pig hanging behind him.

'Tell them your name,' giggled a voice behind the camera.

'Brian… … Douglas.'

I knew that voice. The night Crane went into custody. We'd warned him.

'Are you the real Batman?!' went the voice again, giddier.

Beside me, Alfred was as still as stone, standing with a grim expression as he watched.

Bruce was steeling his nerves, twirling the remote around in his hand anxiously.

I watched with sad eyes. It was a risk he was taking, one that he wasn't trained for.

'No.'

'So why do you dress up like him?' demanded the voice. A hand reached into the frame and removed the fake cowl, a laugh accompanying it all the while.

''Cause they're a symbol... that we don't have to be afraid of scum like you…' his words were brave but his voice was quivering, shaking as he stared at the floor.

He shook Brian's head by the face. 'Yeah… you do, Brian. You really do. You think the Batman and Thunder have helped Gotham?'

Whimpering, Brian nodded.

'Oh, shush, shush, shush, shush. Look at me.'

Brian looked further down.

'LOOK AT ME.'

The yell didn't come close to chilling Bruce or I, but it terrified Brian. As the sudden growl reverbed around the room, Brian's head raised.

The camera then swung around and we were met with the familiar sight of the Joker's make-up covered face. Giggling all the while. 'You see, this is how crazy Thunder and Batman have made Gotham. You want order in Gotham? Batman and Thunder must take off their masks, and turn themselves in. Oh, and every day that they don't, people will die. Starting tonight. I'm a man of my word.'

Bruce switched off the TV and we stood in silence for a moment or two. Then he turned to Alfred, meeting his butler's eyes for a second, then to me.

I knew we weren't at fault for this. It was Brian's, rather unwise, choice to go out, just as it was Bruce and mine. We didn't create this man.

Bruce didn't look so sure, though once he saw the steely look in my eye, he understood. He nodded.

We would get the Joker.