A/N: Woah! Look at all those views. I'm glad people are loving this. Thanks to everyone for your support and especially the ones who submitted some pretty good ideas to me. I'll see what I could do with those.

I know my message said that it would be a while till the next chapter is updated, but I thought this here was good and long enough by itself. Though the next chapter might be a while longer until it's updated. Oh well. Things don't always go as they're planned.


The Call

Previously on Gotham…

"For the last eight months, Gotham City was closed off from the rest of the world after a terrorist attack, and civilians and criminals alike have been scrounging for territory and resources. … Unfortunately, the situation in Gotham has only gotten worse and we are now receiving information that a new threat is terrorizing the hostage city. … We have received footage from an anonymous source of a massacre of one member from each zone of the city. One from the GCPD's Green Zone, the Penguin's territory, Sirens', and others were found hanging from Wayne Tower crucified with multiple lacerations."

The couple on the couch gaped from the information.

There were ten or eleven individuals hanging upside-down on crosses from the ledge of the tower with severe cuts on their faces. The way they were dressed, according to Bruce's knowledge from keeping up with the events, represented their own zones of Gotham. There was a cop from the Green Zone, a woman in dark attire similar to the League of Shadows', a bunch of gangs like Scarecrow's or Victor Fries', and a bunch of others with different masks and such.

As they looked closely, they saw the biggest cuts from the edges of their lips up along their cheeks. Even upside-down, it almost looks like the victims' smiles were broadened with knives.

Selina looked at Bruce who couldn't take his eyes off the scene. "Bruce," she asked timidly with her hand on his back, "are you okay?" She understood his desire to protect the city and its people. She'd never had that same passion, but she saw how important it was to him and he didn't want anyone to suffer the way they did. Seeing that horrific event must've opened some wounds, especially if it was on his family's building.

How could he possibly be okay?


Now

"Bruce! Help! Bruce!"

His heart on the verge of bursting. He raced everywhere the voice was calling him. The voice of someone he cared for and could not let her down again. Selina's voice. Along with her shrieking cries was that of a baby's and that forced him to search faster, but the world was slowing him down. He felt like he was running through tar.

"Bruce help! Please!" she called again with the baby wailing even louder.

"Hahaha…."

A cold, cruel chuckle restricted Bruce. He felt like something was crawling inside him and was either playing with his inners or trying to escape through his skin.

"Like I said brother," the voice said. "All it takes is one. Bad. Day."

"BRUCE!" With once last cry, silence swallowed them.

"NO!"

Bruce woke with a start. Not another nightmare, he whined. He thought he got over them. It was his least favorite movie playing over and over in his subconscious. The same contents but with a new character added to the mix.

Jeremiah is dead! Jeremiah is dead!

Perhaps he'll never get over his fear. He has too much to lose to not be afraid.

Looking to his side at Selina's sleeping form. She remained on her side facing away from him. Thank God he didn't wake her up again. She needed all the sleep she could get.

Wow, she looked so peaceful.

He gently reached over and brushed a stray hair away from her face. He then nestled up behind her and protectively placed his hand on her belly. Did she nuzzle back into him? He couldn't tell. He just enjoyed it.

She was so warm and her hair smelled like vanilla. God, he loved her so much. He wanted to say that to her for a long time. What stopped him was a worry that she didn't feel the same, or she would run away if he told her. In the past, whenever he tried to get closer to her, she always seemed to back away. Especially the time he told her he liked her as more than a friend. That was one awkward, puzzling night. That kiss she gave him was nice but it made the whole thing confusing.

But would she leave, or something, if he told her that he loved her? Probably not since she's carrying his child.

But she'd never said it to him before. Selina had a rough life. she'd hadn't been around many people who actually had real feelings for her. Her mother maybe. But that woman abandoned her. Her five-year-old daughter! And when she came back, she wasn't looking for mother-daughter time. She was looking for cash. Despicable!

Not like Bruce was any better. He smelled her foul ploy a mile away and let her do it. That definitely earned him a punch in the face.

So basically relationships of any kind were not easy for Selina and especially love. She was loyal to the core, mostly. But she has always been defensive so she didn't let anyone stab her in the back, metaphorically speaking. It was no mystery that she cared for him, a great deal at the least. Her current condition was evidence enough for that. And she didn't act too differently at him. If anything, she seemed to be happier, more open. Though sometimes she did have mood swings, yet that could simply be the hormonal imbalance.

Nonetheless, Bruce had no idea how to tell her how he felt without her freaking out, no matter how much he desired to. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, and to hold her, and protect her from the crazy world they tried to escape. After that news report of that horrific scene back in Gotham a few weeks ago, he had more of a drive to protect her.

That image of a dozen people crucified on his companies building. For literally centuries, Wayne Tower has been the core of his family's wealth and power. Then some deranged psychopaths had the nerve to use it as a new, more twisted Golgotha.

How could he have let that happen? How could he have left Gotham without his aid? If he stayed, maybe those people would be alive and maybe the city would be back to normal by now.

Though he did not regret choosing Selina. She needed him and their relationship was better than it ever has been. If only he could find a way to do both.

Well, he thought, maybe I could… No!

How he could think of such a thing, especially that she needed him there with her. So he couldn't just pack up and—

His cellphone started ringing, to his dismay. His disappointment grew worst as the clock read two in the morning. It better be important. Bruce sat up on the edge of the bed and grabbed the phone. His eyes widened as he saw the caller ID said: Jim Gordon.

He wasted no time flipping it opened. "Hello?" he asked hoarsely.

"Bruce?" Captain Gordon's tired and wary voice filtered through the receivers.

"Jim?" Bruce responded only as a way to let the police captain know he was there.

"It's good to hear you," Jim said in a slightly relieved voice. "How are you? Where've you been all this time?"

"I'm fine," Bruce said leaving the bedroom so Selina wouldn't be disturbed. "I'm in Metropolis with Selina and Alfred."

"That's good to hear." Bruce could tell something was bothering him. He wouldn't call at that time unless it was important. So Jim cut the small talk. "I'm sorry for calling in the middle of the night but… I need your help, Bruce."

Alarms went off inside his head. "What's wrong?" he asked as he walked down the stairs into the living room.

Jim sighed. "Have you heard about what happened at Wayne Tower? Well, there was a message. It was coded but Lucius managed to crack it. It still doesn't make much sense to us but it says only you could understand it."

Bruce froze in the middle of the living room. "Why? What does it say?" he asked almost worried.

"It starts as a quote that says: 'Every deck of cards has a pair of twins who don't belong in the game. One colorful, the other—"

"'—Black and white.'" Bruce knew that line. He was mentally begging for it not to be true.

"That's right," Jim then continued the rest of the message. "'But they share the same goal of getting a laugh out of you.' Then the rest of the message gives a warning that there will be more messages that are only meant for you and… it could be from Jeremiah's—or Jerome's followers."

Every single muscle in Bruce's body seized up. Jeremiah or Jerome? Both are equally terrible but how could that be? They're both dead. He saw Jerome's damaged body and he killed Jeremiah. It had to be at least one of their disciples.

"It means joker," he said. "A pair of twins in a deck of cards who do not belong in the game? That's the joker card. And the line says one is colorful while the other is black and white, that's what Jeremiah described him and his brother as. What could this mean?"

"I don't know." A heavy sigh came from the other end of the call. "But knowing either of the Valeska brothers, there's probably some big scheme where a lot of people would die. Look, Bruce… if this was anything else, I would never think to ask you, but I'm afraid this will affect the reunification to the mainland. And we're barely holding up with keeping refugees alive…. But—"

"You need me to come to Gotham," Bruce finished.

The line grew drearily silent.

"Like I said, Bruce," Gordon continued, "I wouldn't ask this unless it's important. So… will you help."

Saving lives? Stopping maniacs from destroying his city? Bruce's first instinct was yes. He was even on the verge of saying it, but reality hit him in the head with a how-to book of childcare.

"Jim… I can't." His shoulders hunched his head down. He suddenly wanted the floor to cave in. "It's just… there's-there's too much…." Why was it all of a sudden hard to speak? He had a plausible reason to not leave the home he had created.

But that image of those poor victims couldn't stop plaguing his brain.

When Gordon spoke again, there was a tangle of regret, disappointment, and relief. "I think I got the idea. If you ever change your mind I'll—"

"Wait…! Give me some time and… uh, I-I'll try to make it." Instantly mentally cursing his damn mouth.

Jim acknowledged his notion and the call ended.

Bruce huffed and collapsed on the couch.

What have I done? he thought.

He rubbed his face and leaned his head back. He kept his eyes closed and let his mind wander. Allowing his body and spirit to lose all connection and float.

Too many things going on. Too many responsibilities to worry about. And why was he so unnaturally stupid? He just had to be so noble. Just had to take responsibility for everyone. Why couldn't he just for once be selfish and stay with his pregnant girlfriend? God knows he deserved a break. The universe has taken so much from him and tested him countless times. He earned the right to chill out.

But no! He had a moral code that he believed in thoroughly.

"Mom, Dad… what should I do?" he mumbled to whatever divine power communicates to the deceased.

An eternity passed before he opened his eyes. With his head still tilted back, all he could do was look up and see a familiar head of curls looking down on him from the loft railing.

"Why don't you stay there tonight, Bruce," she did not request.


A/N: Yikes! Asked to sleep on the couch? Poor Bruce.

How will they resolve this? How will they end this terror and still get the ending they deserve? What is this new threat? Is it Jeremiah? Is it… Jerome?!

Stay tuned next time on Even Heaven Has Demons!