Chapter Four:

Skyler felt as though she had been looking into her closet for ages. She had tried on three different skirts, a handful of shirts and dresses, and more pants than she even knew she owned.

She was never really one to worry about how she looked and yet something about tonight terrified her. She knew it was a stupid fear. After all, Dorian Gray had already seen her every morning on the train in her work clothes. There was no need for her to 'prove' anything to him. He had seen her on a daily basis and he obviously didn't think she looked like an ogre or a troll… unless he was into that sort of thing and that was why he'd asked her. She shook the stupid thought out of her head and her hand shot into the back of her closet. She grasped a beaded hem between her fingertips and brought out a dress that she had forgotten she even had.

It was too dressy for the situation surely... after all navigating to the blue moon had brought up a picture of a bar. A classier bar but still a bar nonetheless and yet as she pulled out the black beaded 20's style dress a smile began to form on her face. It was time that the dress had a night out.

Trying it on revealed that the dress was just a little tighter than the last time she had worn it but after a few hard tugs the zipper stayed up. It was perfect.

She was a bundle of nerves as the elevator doors opened to reveal a packed club.

Music was playing loudly and she could feel the bass deep within her stomach, the steady thrums matching the beat of her heart.

The view of Gotham's moon-lit skyline could be seen through the floor to ceiling windows on the opposite side of the dance floor and it took her breath away. She felt herself being drawn to the window to get a better look of the view.

She navigated between the thrashing, grinding bodies on the dance floor, her eyes focused on the stars outlining the tall buildings in the distance and the lights of the bridge over the bay, and almost walked directly into a man who had stepped out in front of her.

His eyes traced up and down her body in a way that made her stomach drop.

She tried to manuever herself around him, but his hand shot out and grabbed her hand.

"Let go of me."

"Let me buy you a drink."

"No, thanks. Take your hand off of me."

Her body immediately went into fight or flight mode, and had a calming voice not come from behind her at just that moment she was prepared to hit this asshole square in the face for not taking no for an answer.

"She's with me."

Skyler knew without having to turn around or ever even having heard his voice who it was. Dorian Gray. The man who was holding her dropped her arm as his face lit up in recognition. "Sorry James, I had no idea. I just knew she was too hot to be in here by herself." He let out a laugh and Skyler felt like she wanted to vomit. Then him and James… ugh she had liked calling him Dorian so much better, exchanged a look that she couldn't quite decipher before the asshole turned and walked away.

She turned her attention to the anomaly before her that was the man on the train. His blue eyes twinkled as they locked with hers and her hands itched with the sudden want to run them through his dark, messy hair.

"So... James, huh?"

He looked confused for a moment before letting out a small, deep laugh.

"How crazy is it that we've seen each other practically every day and we don't even know each others names? Yeah. I'm James… and you?"

"Skyler"

"Ah," he nods, "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

She could feel a blush shade her face at the cheesy pick up line. If it had come from just about anyone else she probably would have laughed in their face and walked away, but for some reason the way he said it drew her closer to him.

"We should have done this forever ago. Do you want a drink?"

A drink sounded wonderful. She nodded and his fingers entertwined with hers as he led them up to the bar in the center of the room.

They shouted their orders over the bar to the bar tender and James slipped him some cash. Her heart fluttered at how magical it felt that he was there… and that they were actually talking! Then, an uneasy thought struck her. What happened after this? Would they end up in one of their apartments with their clothes strewn across the floor… only to wake up the next morning and never acknowledge this night had ever happened? Did they set up another date? Could whatever this was right now even be considered a date?

James handed her her martini and she gratefully took a huge sip.

His eyes lingered on her face as if he were trying to read her expression.

"It's weird to see you without a book in your hands." she joked, taking another long sip.

"Yeah… I figured I probably shouldn't bring one on a first date, you know? I didn't want to give you the wrong idea."

The corners of her mouth lifted. Date. He had said it… it was official. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach.

They finished up their drinks, exchanging stories about the craziness that was living in Gotham. Then a new song came on, slightly slower than the other ones.

Skyler plopped the olive from her martini into her mouth.

"Dance with me."

She looked at him in surprise, shaking her head slightly.

"Oh no, I don't dance."
He laughed.

"You do now, c'mon."

He reached out his hand and helped her off the barstool.

"Alright, but you've been warned. Don't come after me when you have broken feet."

She loved hearing him laugh, loved being the one to make him laugh. Her heart was singing with happiness.

Then, as she was swaying against him, the first wave hit. She lurched toward him slightly, feeling out of breath.

"Woah… are you okay?" James looked at her in concern.

The room swam around them.

"Yeah… just. Wow. I'm dizzy."

Everything was a blur of color and noise.

"Here, lets go get some fresh air... it might help."

She must have nodded then, but she couldn't be sure.

They went to the stairwell next to the elevator, and a muted alarm went off somewhere inside her at the sight of a red sign on the door.

He had to practically carry her up the stairs and then, they were on the roof. The air felt nice and they were up high. So high above the rest of the world. She felt giddy and worried and… confused. How had they gotten there again?

Two fuzzy figures walked towards them and she had to squint to even slightly make out their forms.

"We've got our Rachel." one them shouted. Letting out a whoop and laughing.

Skyler's mind felt groggy. Who was Rachel?

"Will you save her too, Batman?" The other shouts.

She let out a tiny laugh, at the name Batman. Because in all of the confusion, it seemed funny that his was the only name she recognized.

Then they start chanting. Over and over they start shouting "Batman. Batman BATMAN!" in drunken jeers and it wasn't so funny anymore.

James began to bring her towards the edge of the roof and she knew quite suddenly that something was very, very wrong. She shook her head and tried to pull away but it only made the three of them laugh.

"She can't even move dude."

James grabbed her arm roughly and pushed her so that her legs were dangling off of the side of the building. A scream erupted from her. He turned to look at his companions.

"Say it!" He said darkly, laughing.

"Let her go!"

There was a short pause and Skyler could feel her blood rush through her as her fear felt like a fire enveloping her whole body with flames.

This was it. This was how she was going to die.

"Very poor choice of words." James laughed before letting his fingers slip away from her arm.

The world rushed past her as she began to free fall to the ground a few thousand feet below and another scream erupted from her lungs.

Suddenly, a force hit her that didn't quite make sense because she was falling down and this… whatever it was, came at her from the side, crashing her through glass and into the side of the building.

Glass. Glass was everywhere. Shimmering on the carpet like glitter. She felt herself hit the floor but she didn't feel pain.

The world around her pulsed, closing in on her until she was surrounded by a deep, profound darkness.