I walk into the room to the sound of Jack Rider recounting the day's events for what may be the hundredth time tonight.
"Hey, Bruce," Harvey greets from his bed, propped up and bandaged, only one eye, his nose, and half of his mouth revealed. He mutes the TV as I step up beside his bed.
"Harvey, I am so sorry this happened."
"Hey, come on, it's not your fault." If only he knew.
But I play along. "Well, I'm sorry anyway."
"I haven't actually seen it yet," he sighs. "They've had me wrapped up this whole time and numbed beyond belief. Maybe it's not that bad. I mean, my family, we heal quick." He says hopefully. Having seen his face, I know that it isn't going to heal quick or nice but again, I play along.
"Hey, I'm sure it'll heal up nicely. You'll have some scarring, but it won't be that bad."
Harvey carefully sits up, swinging his legs off the bed to face me. "Optimism, right? Scars are cool. Rugged. Manly." I don't quite see it that way but sure.
"Exactly," I chuckle.
"Ah, what have you got there?" He asks, noticing Selina's bouquet in my hand.
"I, uh…." I contemplate telling him Selina was here, but knowing it'll just cause him more pain, I don't let him know. "I brought you some flowers, though I see I'm not the first." I look over at the small table in the corner where another bouquet of flowers sits along with a teddy bear and get well card.
"Yeah, my mother and my secretary. Every sick boy's dream." He kids before looking down. "The one woman I thought would visit….or at least call….hasn't." I know he's talking about Selina. I want to be able to tell him that she was here but that she didn't want to come in, but knowing of Harvey's past and his current condition, I refrain. "Selina's been a no show. I thought she'd at least come by to congratulate me, if nothing else." I pick up the get-well card but glance at Harvey when I hear the doubt in his voice. "Guess I can't blame her with the way I look now." I put the card back and turn towards Harvey, trying to reassure him.
"She's probably just busy, hasn't had the chance to come by yet. You'll hear from her."
Harvey scoffs. "Easy for you to be optimistic about women. Pretty sure no on ever loses Bruce Wayne's number." No, I had to change my number because so many people would call me who I didn't know. It's the number I still hand out to those I don't actually want to hear from. "I am glad you're here, though," Harvey continues. "God, it's been infuriating, just sitting here and having nothing but time to think about what happened. I wish I could make myself turn it off completely. Watching footage of the debate over and over…." He glances to the TV as the same five images circle through while Rider talks. "Look at me, preaching about what a great guy you are while I go and get my face bashed in. It's easy. Every news station is showing it.
"Don't do this to yourself." I'm trying not to do it to myself. "There's nothing you can do to change what happened. Replaying that moment will only drive you crazy.
"Yeah, I know that, but here I am."
"Trust me, you need to stop."
"I was helpless, Bruce. Helpless! I couldn't do anything! Penguin would have just beaten me to death right there in front of everyone! He wanted to." I grab the remote and turn it off and Harvey breathes a sigh of relief, thanking me. This time, he's quieter as he says, "What they did to Hill, the moderator, I have to live with that. But you heard them up there. The Penguin and that maniac on screen….this isn't over. I need to stay ahead of them. They're trying to cause discord."
"Batman stopped them from killing you the other night but they will try again."
"I won't hide from them, Bruce," Harvey says defiantly. "At tonight's speech, they'll know where I stand."
"Wait, tonight? I thought you were supposes to be recovering."
"My assistant is on her way to pick me up. With the election, I was able to talk the hospital into releasing me early, not that they're too happy about it. All the doctors keep telling me to take it easy. But how can I? Stay in the bed, Mr. Dent. Oh, don't over-exert yourself, Mr. Dent," he mocks.
"You should probably listen to the doctors. They know what they're talking about."
"Well, I've been a very good invalid, Bruce. Don't worry. I can't afford to take it easy right now. C'mon, you'd do the same in my position." True, I probably would, but I'm also used to the injuries, listening in constant pain. He isn't. Harvey may not have grown up in a life as materialistically plush as mine, but he was far more sheltered from harsh realities then I ever was once my parent's died. "Which is why I won't even try to tell you to not look into those tapes. I know how much you loved your father, Bruce. I know that debate was hard on you too. Finding your dad drugged Esther Cobblepot, Hill admitting to having both of them killed, that's a lot to process." I stand, not wanting his pity. How'd this get turned on me? Harvey notices.
"I'm sorry. Just because I keep reliving this, doesn't mean you want to."
"Oswald and I were best friends when we were kids. I knew his mother, talked to her," I find myself saying before glancing at the machines hooked up to Harvey.
"Look, I, uh, realize what a terrible friend I've been to you. I was so focused on the campaign; I thought distancing myself from you was the only option. I'm sorry."
"Thanks, Harvey, I appreciate that."
"I'll make it up to you," he promises before focusing on something outside. "What is that?" I look as well and see a large spotlight in the sky, my bat logo in the middle of it.
"Batman's symbol," I say quietly.
"Coming from near the GCPD. That's one way to get the guy's attention." My phone goes off and I grab it from my pocket, noticing it's from Alfred.
Did you see it?
"Look, I should get going, Harv,"
"What? Already? What else do you have to do? My assistant won't be here for another hour."
"It's, uh, it's Alfred."
"Is he okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, he just needs to talk to me, apparently."
"Yeah, of course. Go ahead. Hey, tell the old man I said hi."
I nod. "You, uh, you rest up, Harv."
"Thanks, Bruce," I step out and go to close the door and hear the TV turn back on.
"They knew we'd be here, Jim. We don't have enough officers to deal with this!"
"Look, everyone's stretched thing. I'm doing what I can." Jim says, turning to see me behind him. "I have to go."
"That light has a bat on it, Jim," I state while walking closer.
"You give me a number to call, I'll rethink my methods. I'm just glad it got your attention. I didn't have a lot of options. So, here we are."
"Well, it worked. I'm here."
"I appreciate it. Things are a mess. I'd rather have you arrested then come to you for help." I'm rather shocked at Jim's statement but don't let it show. He wanted my help with the debate and has created a light in the sky to get my attention. Sure doesn't seem like he wants me arrested. "But the truth is, I'm desperate. I'm calling a truce. Just for tonight."
"Bring me up to speed."
"Right. Renee Montoya, one of my officers-"
"The one that tried to shoot me?"
"I know, but hear me out. She's trying to clear her name after those animals manipulated her into killing Falcone. She's supposed to be on leave, but she got a tip on the Children of Arkham's chemical stash. Went rogue. She's out there alone and I can't spare anyone to back her up. I told her to wait, but this is personal. The Children of Arkham pumped her full of that junk."
"I'll find her. We'll take down the Children of Arkham together." After meeting Renee as Bruce and realizing her devout devotion to both the city and Gordon, I don't hold our first meeting against her.
"That's what I like to hear. These Children of Arkham are everywhere, all of the sudden. Where the hell'd they all come from? I've never heard of them before. Then that debate…."
"You want answers? Ask Oswald Cobblepot."
"Cobblepot?" Jim questions hesitantly before nodding. "I'll bring him in for questioning." His radio suddenly beeps.
"Gordon, this is Shultz. Over,"
"Gordon here,"
"We got a problem with the mayor, sir,"
"What happened? Is he okay?" Gordon demands, walking past me as he begins to pace.
"I don't know. We lost him. He took off without us and left us behind." Seriously Harvey?
"Christ, one more crisis I can't deal with right now." He puts away the walkie-talkie, turning to me. "We've got to keep both Montoya and Dent safe. Somehow,"
"I'm on it." I turn away and call Alfred. "You there?"
"Always,"
"Launch the drones. I need eyes on the city."
"Lucius has made some upgrades. I'll let him explain." Alfred goes quiet as he transfers me to Lucius.
"Who are you talking to?" Gordon asks from behind me. "You got a whole team or something?"
"A friend who can help us," I tell him.
"That friend got a name?" Alfred comes back at that moment so I ignore Jim's question.
"Alright, patching you through to R&D in Wayne Enterprises."
"Batman, so listen. The first model was only equipped for surveillance but seeing how you used them at the Skyline, I thought you'd need an audio feed as well. The microphones are incredibly sensitive. They can pick up sound from up to five hundred yards. In some cases, you'll even be able to hear through walls. Like x-ray hearing."
"Just what I needed. Thank you."
"Being one step ahead of Batman is kind of my job." He jokes before hanging up.
"Any idea where they might be?" I ask Gordon.
"Montoya's car was spotted crossing the bridge to Arkham Island. Could be where the handoff is happening."
"What about Dent?"
"Probably headed to his acceptance speech. They'd just left the hospital when we lost sight of him." Glancing at the feed coming in from the drones, I notice they've both spotted Harvey and Montoya already. I listen in on Montoya's location and it's clear they don't know she's there yet.
"-barrels of this stuff to transfer." Someone says.
"Not a big window to unload all of that."
"They said they wanted it done tonight. So it's gotta be done. You wanna argue with them, be my guest. You just keep an eye out for that cop." I was going to go to Harvey, hearing how Montoya was staying hidden when I hear her.
"Nobody move! This is the police." I want to smack my forehead as she just made this more difficult.
"Get her!" one of the men yell and then guns go off.
Quickly, I switch to Harvey and hear him trying to shoo off his assistant, Rachel.
"Please, just leave it! It's not going to get any better!" I get the feeling he's seen how his face looks now.
"But-but you're bleeding!" Rachel protests.
"Then let Gotham see it."
"Is that-"
"No, I told you, it's fine!"
"That car's been behind us since the hospital." Rachel states, as tires can be heard squealing and an engine revving.
"God, is this guy trying to drive us off the road? What the- Damnit!"
Something crashes into the car and everything goes silent.
Even though Harvey was just driven off the road, I believe he has more of a chance against some Children of Arkham thugs then Montoya does. Plus, Montoya is close to some of the drugs and the last thing we need is her getting injected again.
"I'm headed to the construction site to help Montoya. Send whatever men you can spare after Dent." I tell Gordon.
"I'll round up what officers I can. Gonna have to head out there myself too." I jump off the side of the roof and grapple away as the Bat-light thing goes out.
