The two of us walked along the streets, hands intertwined to go find Selina Kyle. My face was absolutely radiating and beaming all at once and no matter what, I could not get the smile off my face.

Bruce Wayne loves me. He really loves a fangirl like me.

We eventually found Selina beating up a couple of thugs trying to hurt a little boy for stealing an apple from them. She stole the apple back and gave it to the boy after taking a bite from it. The boy ran off as fast as he could as Selina watched him go.

"You're pretty generous for a thief," Bruce called to her.

She turned around, eyes wide at the sound of his voice. "I thought they killed you."

"It's not as simple as you would think to kill Bruce Wayne," I smiled.

"If you're expecting an apology—"

"It wouldn't suit you," Bruce said. "We need your help."

"And why would I help you?"

Bruce pulled out something resembling a USB. "For this. 'Clean Slate'."

"You trust me with that? After what I did to you?"

"I'll admit I was a little let down. But I still think there's more to you. In fact, I think that for you, this isn't just a tool, it's an escape route. You want to disappear. Start fresh."

"I can't even get off this island."

"I can give you a way off. Once you get us to Lucius Fox. I need you to find out where they're holding him and take us in."

"Why do you need Fox?"

"To save this city."

"Who says it needs saving? Maybe I like it this way."

How could anyone possibly like the city this way? I mean, sure the rich people she loathed so much were switching places on the totem pole, but even still…

"Maybe you do," Bruce continued. "But tomorrow that bomb's going off."

"Got your powerful friend on the case?"

"I'm trying. But I need Fox."

Selina suited up and showed us where we could get "caught". We pretended to try to sneak around them, but they saw us, like we wanted them to, and held guns to our heads.

"Hands up!" one of them screamed. We cautiously obeyed them.

"Okay, you got me," Bruce said. "But let her go."

"Oh, is this your latest girlfriend? I'm sure Bane will be happy to see her."

Oh, crap. I had forgotten all about Bane wanting me. I guess when Bruce said he loved me, everything after that kinda just…didn't exist anymore. Well, we'd just work around that problem when the time came.

Bags were tossed over our heads and we were lead away to where Mr. Fox was being held.

After a long time of walking blindly, one of them said, "Find these two a spot. They've got a big day tomorrow."

"We all do," the other one said. "It's not every day you bag Bruce Wayne and his little tramp."

Because we were in a desperate time, I would let that comment go.

Mr. Fox pulled the bag off my head, then Bruce's.

"Bruce," Miranda/Talia said as she leaned down to his eye level. She didn't even look at me. I really didn't care.

"You okay?" he asked. Uh, she was more than okay. She's the one who planned all of this! And everything was working!

I did notice something weird. Bruce was looking at Miranda a lot differently than the last time he had seen her. Almost like he didn't trust her anymore. Maybe during his time in the pit, he had thought about what I had told him about her and he understood?

"Picked a heck of a time to go on vacation, Mr. Wayne," Mr. Fox said.

"How long until that core ignites?" Bruce asked.

"That bomb goes off in twelve hours."

"Unless we can reconnect it to the reactor."

"Can you get Miranda out of here?"

Deep breaths. She was about to be revealed soon. Just wait it out.

"Not tonight," Bruce said. "I'm sorry."

She nodded in understanding. "Do what's necessary."

Oh, COME ON! "Do what's necessary"? That was another thing Ra's said to Bruce. Clue number two that she was really Ra's Al Ghul's daughter!

"Tonight I need you," Bruce said to Mr. Fox.

"What for?"

"To get us back in the game."

"Sorry to spoil things, boys," a familiar voice said with the click of heels sounding out along with it. "But Bane wants these guys to himself."

Bane's men hoisted me, Bruce, and Mr. Fox to our feet.

"I won't forget about you, Miranda," Bruce said. There was a certain tone in his voice that sounded like…he was kind of brushing her off. I was completely okay with that.

"I know," she said quietly. She didn't say that the same way she did in the movie either. It sounded like she was hiding agitation, which she probably was. She really did not like me. Well, I didn't like her either so I guess it evened out.

When she met my eyes, there was that hate again. I couldn't help but give her a nice big smirk. It was me Bruce was taking with him. Not her. Because he loved me. Not her.

Once we were far enough away from the place where all the hostages were, Selina kicked down all of the thugs holding us. I may have helped her a little bit. Not much, but a little.

Mr. Fox was supposed to say something about liking Bruce's girlfriend, but thanks to my intrusion in the whole story, that line didn't happen. Oh well.

The three of us headed to the previous temporary Batcave where Mr. Fox was still holing up a bunch of his equipment.

"Any move I make on Bane or the bomb, the triggerman sets it off," Bruce said as a wall opened up revealing all sorts of tools.

"Well, they won't use radio or cell," Mr. Fox told him. "Too much interference. Infrared doesn't have the range. It'll have to be a micro-burst. Long wave."

"Could you block it?"

"Yes. But I'll need the EMP cannon-guidance mount from The Bat. Remember where you parked?"

Bruce smiled and nodded and then his "backup" Batsuit rose up from the floor. Boy was it good to see that thing again.

We went up to the roof of one of the buildings in the city where The Bat sat for us in waiting.

"She fly okay?" Mr. Fox asked.

"Yeah, even without the autopilot, thanks," Bruce answered. I hid my smirk well. I knew perfectly well that Bruce had fixed the autopilot before he was taken away to the pit.

"Autopilot? That's what you' re there for!"

Bruce turned to me. "Kris, stay with Fox or get back somewhere safe."

I smirked again and shook my head. "If you think I'm letting you out of my sight again, you're crazy."

"Is there any way I can convince you not to come?"

"Not at all. Don't worry about me. I've been in constant training since you left. Oh! I meant to tell you…I did a little something for you." I reached into the pocket on the inside of my jacket and pulled out a flare. "When you're ready to give this city its hope back, light this at the bottom of the bridge."

I could see in his eyes that he understood what I meant. "How did you know I'd be coming back?"

"Because I believed in you. Even when you didn't believe in yourself."

Not to mention that I knew everything that was supposed to happen...but that sounded a lot deeper.

Mr. Fox got everything he needed and headed down to where the fusion reactor core was so he could go fix it. Meanwhile, Bruce got suited up and I thought I was going to explode from seeing him in his full armor for the first time in so long.

"Welcome back," I smiled.

We got into The Bat and flew low to where Gordon and his men were being forced to walk across the ice thanks to the lovely "Judge" Jonathon Crane.

I waited a little for him to get things moving then hopped out and watched as my creation came to life on the Gotham Bridge. The symbol of hope.

Gosh, it looked so much cooler in person...

When Batman finished talking with Gordon, I followed him to the trench where some of Bane's men were about to shoot Blake. Without warning, we both hopped down from the side and began to fight the men while Blake did the same.

Then he just stopped and stared. I knew he couldn't believe that Bruce was alive. And probably that I was fighting by his side. I nodded towards him with a broad smile on my face.

"You missed a spot," Blake said.

Batman kicked the remaining conscious man in the head and fixed that problem. "If you're working alone, wear a mask."

"I'm not afraid to be seen standing up to these guys."

"The mask is not for you. It's to protect the people you care about." He opened up one of his Bat-mines and handed it to him. "Count to five then throw."

He and I raced off and got back into The Bat. He flew it to the tunnel opening and fired, removing all the rubble from it and freeing the cops inside.

"What now?" Blake asked when we got back out of The Bat.

"All-out assault on Bane. But you need to get the people across the bridge."

"Why?"

"In case we fail. Lead an exodus. Save as many lives as you can."

"You don't need me here?"

"You've given me an army. Now go."

"Hey, thanks."

"Don't thank me yet."

"Well, I might not get a chance later. Oh, and Kris, good luck out there."

"You got it," I said with a small smile. I turned to Bruce. "Alright, step two. Let's go get Selina's help."

We found her with ease and led her to where Bruce was keeping the Batpod.

"You shouldn't have," she said.

"The mid-town tunnel's blocked by debris," Bruce explained. "But the cannons have enough firepower to make a path for people. Wait until the fighting begins."

"You're gonna wage a war to save your stuck-up boss?"

Selina basically completely redeemed herself in my eyes with those words. At least we had a common enemy in Miranda/Talia.

"To start it, throttle—"

He was cut off by the turn of the engine in it, signaling she had pretty much gotten it down already.

"I got it," she said shortly.

"We have forty-five minutes to save this city."

"No, I've got forty-five minutes to get clear of the blast radius because neither of you stand a chance against these guys."

"With your help, we might."

"I'll open that tunnel, then I'm gone."

"There's more to you than that."

Selina paused and thought over what he was saying. It wouldn't be now, but eventually she'd realize he was right. Good thing too because Bane would kill Bruce if she didn't show up and kill Bane first. "Sorry to keep letting you down. Come with me. Save yourselves. You don't owe these people anymore. You've given them everything."

"Not everything. Not yet."

Selina took off on the Batpod while Bruce and I went back to The Bat.

Just as I was about to hop in, I heard Bruce scream, "Kris!"

I turned around to find one of Bane's men right on top of me. He rammed my knee with his foot, and I crumpled to the ground. It hurt, but I knew he hadn't injured me in any way. But then he rammed his gun into my shoulder and white-hot searing pain coursed through me. Tears formed in my eyes as a reflex to the unimaginable pain that I had never experienced before. Bruce easily took down my attacker within seconds. Then he quickly came over to me and helped me stand up.

"I…I think he dislocated my shoulder," I said in a strained voice.

"I'll have to pop it back into place. Ready?"

I nodded and I could feel his hands touch my shoulder sending a wave of pain through me.

"One…two…three!"

I let out a scream as he pushed my shoulder back into place which I think was the most painful experience I have ever gone through. But instantly, it did feel much better. Besides, there was nothing else to do to fix it.

"Are you alright?" he asked me.

"I'm fine," I gasped. "Thank you." Once all the pain subsided, I looked over at him. He was silent and I knew something was off. "It's okay to feel scared, Bruce."

He looked over at me. He could deny it all he wanted, but I saw it in his eyes. "How many more people are going to die because of me?"

"Those people died because someone like Bane cannot let go of his past and wants to make it everyone's future."

"I let my arrogance get the better of me and because of that, I lost the most important thing to me: you."

I gently turned his head and forced him to look at me. "You never lost me."

Only one more chapter to go!