Chapter One
To say Elle Devereaux was exhausted would be an understatement. She was mentally and physically drained after her forty-eight hour shift at Gotham General Hospital. She sighed and pushed her long black hair out of her face, annoyed that it kept falling out of the hair tie, but too tired to do anything about it.
"You finally escaping this place?"
Elle jumped. She looked up and saw Dr. Aaron Price leaning over his charts.
"Oh, yeah. Three in the morning seems as good of time as any. I was supposed to be out of here yesterday," she said with a shrug.
Aaron looked up and smirked. "Isn't that how it usually goes?" He scrubbed his face with his hand and gave her a long meaningful look. "I'm actually glad I caught you. Thank you. For everything. You make my job a million times easier. You're the best nurse we have."
Elle smiled at him. Most of her female (and some male) colleagues would kill her to be in her shoes right now. Doctor Adonis didn't talk much if it didn't involve helping a patient. Elle could see what they all found attractive about him. Perfectly messy blonde hair, a killer smile, green eyes that could make almost any woman swoon. She just didn't feel anything.
"Thank you. It's nice to see a doctor appreciate a nurse. We usually don't get recognition." She said honestly.
"My mom was a nurse. You guys save the day just as much as we do. Sometimes more. Take that little girl from today for example. You saved her life. Not me. She would have died if you hadn't had been so quick on your feet."
Elle tried to keep her face blank. The kids always got her. She tried to block out the way the little girl had turned a horrible greyish blue as she struggled for air. Her mother screaming and her father sobbing as they watched their baby die was something she would have nightmares about later.
"She still smelled like the fruit. Your first guess would have been an allergic reaction too. I was just closest to her when the ambulance brought her in."
"Maybe, maybe not. Don't sell yourself short."
The sound of thunder made them both look towards the window.
"You sure you want to head out there? I can call you a cab. A dry Gotham can be dangerous. Throw some water in the mix, and it just plain sucks."
Elle chuckled. "Yeah. It's fine. The rain might feel kind of good. Besides, I only live about three blocks away."
"If you say so. Just be safe," said Aaron warily.
"Will do. See you in a couple of days Doc."
She walked through the doors before he could say anything else. When the fresh, rain scented air hit her face, she inhaled deeply. Yeah, the rain would feel amazing. She didn't bother pulling up the hood of her jacket before stepping into the downpour.
There weren't many people or cars out. Overall, it seemed pretty quiet in the city tonight. Still, she didn't want to dawdle. She wasn't asking to get mugged.
By the time she got halfway home, she was drenched. The rain felt nice but she was ready to be home. Her feet hurt, her bag was getting heavier and heavier. Sleep was going to come easy tonight.
She never realized she was being followed. She never heard the many footsteps above the noise of the water. She looked down to readjust her bag and when she looked up, she was surrounded.
Her eyes widened in shock and then fear. The first Elle noticed was the clown masks. That only meant one thing; Joker's goons.
She hugged her bag closer and looked around her. Four of them. How did I not notice them? She thought.
"Can I help you, gentlemen?" She asked as calmly as possible.
The biggest of the four stepped forward. "Oh, yeah. You see, we followed you from the hospital. Couldn't help but notice you was wearin' that doctor outfit." Elle looked and realized he meant her scrubs. "See, our boss is in rough shape after a run-in with the Bat. We need some help getting' him patched up."
While he talked, he kept getting closer and closer. Elle instinctively took a step back and felt something sharp poke her lower back. She turned around and realized one of them had stepped to her and she was pretty sure that was a knife pressed against her.
"I-I'm only a nursing assistant," she lied. "I'm not really trained much on wound care or trauma. I wouldn't be much help."
"You ain't got much of a choice. We come back empty-handed, he and Miss Harley are gonna have our heads."
"But I-," she tried to continue. She was cut off by a roaring engine before she could though. Everyone jumped, including the guy holding the knife against Elle. She cried out as it sank into her lower hip.
"Oops. Sorry, lady."
Oops? He stabs me and says 'oops'. Elle thought as the roaring got closer.
"Shit!" the big one said, "How'd he find us already? Now we're really gonna get in trouble."
Bright headlights illuminated the street.
"We gotta get outta here. I ain't facin' the Bat without the boss or Miss Harley." She heard one of them say.
"We need the girl! Get ready for him!" It was now clear the big guy was the leader. They no longer focused on Elle as the headlights got closer and closer. She moved her hand to cover her wound. She winced and brought her hand up to her face. Her fingers were covered in blood. She thought about how it was sad that her only thought was that she would probably have to go back to the hospital so soon.
The vehicle came to a screeching halt and Elle saw the Batmobile for the first time up close. The doors opened and a black mass shot out of it.
The mass went for the goon in front.
There stood Batman, tall and intimidating in black. He had the guy by the neck.
"Where is Joker hiding?!" he roared.
"We ain't talkin'!" was his reply. Elle gasped when she saw the knife that had stabbed her, get plunged into Batman's shoulder. That's what started the fight.
If Batman felt the pain, he didn't show it. The knife fell to the street when Batman took his arm and twisted. A sickening pop told Elle that he popped the goon's shoulder out of place. In an instant, the rest were on him.
Batman grunted and his head snapped back as someone managed to get a hit to his jaw in. He quickly flipped them and landed a kick to their face, knocking them out.
He immediately went on to the next who had a crowbar waiting for him. Batman quickly grabbed the metal tool and tossed before landing a spin kick.
He quickly got to through three of them, leaving them groaning in pain. He began to face off with the third one. Batman pinned him to the side of the Batmobile.
"I won't ask again! WHERE IS HE?!"
The henchman began laughing. "You know we won't tell." He gave Batman a headbutt, knocking him off. As soon as he was up, he kicked Batman's chest with his heavy boot, slamming Batman against the side of the building.
Elle cried out and moved forward to help when she saw that Batman was now being held at gunpoint. Batman moved to stop her from interfering and three shots rang into the night. Batman clutched his neck and was brought down to his knees.
"Get up!" He shouted at the three who had been taken out. "Get up now! Forget about her! We just killed the Bat! They won't be mad if we come back without her!"
They struggled to get up but took off running. The rain had started coming down harder now and lightening was filling the sky more consistently.
Batman tried standing up, focusing on her. She was calmer than most people he had encountered in similar situations.
"Are you hurt?" She was surprised at how deep his voice was. She knew her hip was going to at least need stitches. All she could focus on was the blood dripping from the gunshot wound in his neck.
"Yes, but not as hurt as you are." She stepped towards him and he stepped back. "My name is Elle. I'm a nurse. You're losing too much blood. Please, let me help you."
"I'll be fine." He said, but then proceeded to sway. Elle rushed forward and tried to help ease him down. Easier said than done. He was almost a foot taller and was pure muscle.
"Ok. Ok, I got you." She tried to soothe. She took her bag and jacket off and held the jacket to his neck. "We need to get you to the hospital or you're going to bleed out."
"No! No hospitals." He said. He tried sitting up, but she pushed him back down.
"Then where? You can't get anywhere on your own and I don't have anything to help you here."
He looked her in the eye for several moments. Her eyes were a piercing pale blue with a dark circle around her irises.
"The car. Help me to the car." He said. He was panting and it was getting harder and harder to keep his eyes open.
Elle looked down at him and then at the Batmobile. She was covered in his blood. She almost hesitated before saying, "Fine, but I'm driving. Can you help me get you up? If we can get you standing, I think I can get you there."
It took some effort, but soon they were in the car. He was breathless from the effort. She was practically in his lap trying to keep the pressure on his neck. His blood was all over her and she knew he didn't have much time.
"I really need you to stay with me. How long until we get to where we can get you help?"
"Seven minutes approximately."
He kept looking at her. She was looking down at his neck with a determination that he sometimes felt when he was trying to protect the city.
"Ok then. Your job is to stay with me until then."
"Behind you. Below the left corner of the screen is a button. Push it." Batman told her.
She turned, wincing in pain. She was reminded she was still hurt and bleeding. Elle pressed the button, leaving a smear of blood.
"Master Bruce, how can I be of assistance?" said a British voice.
"Alfred. Set me en route to home. Be prepared with the medical kit." Batman answered in between pants.
"Oh my. What happened, sir?"
"He has a gunshot to the neck. He's going to need serious medical attention." Elle answered for him.
Alfred became quiet on the other line. "I take it we need to be prepared for company, Sir?"
"Yes, Alfred."
The doors closed and Elle had to brace herself against Batman to keep from falling over due to the breakneck speed the vehicle began traveling at.
"He should stop talking. He's lost a lot of blood and it's not slowing. I have pressure on it, but I don't think it's enough. His artery may have been knicked."
"I will ensure we have blood ready for him for a transfusion as well as IV fluids."
"I'm only a nurse but I think I can manage this. The bullet went clean through."
"Very well Miss-,"
"Elle. My name is Elle. I'm a nurse practitioner at Gotham General."
"Very well Miss Elle. You'll be arriving in about three minutes."
Elle sighed. She wished they would have been there two minutes ago. All she had wanted was to have a nice walk home in the rain after a horrible shift. Now she was straddling Batman's lap, praying he didn't pass out under her from a gunshot wound. It was just her luck that her night ended up this way.