Hello XD So anyways. I might as well answer it because I know a bunch of you guys are wondering (maybe). The only reason I didn't name their son Damien is because first of all...that's Bruce and Talia's son so it's like...ah..no that doesn't seem right. That boy officially belongs to Bruce and Talia not Bruce and Selina. xD 2nd of all Damien becomes a Robin so I didn't want to get that in there either, I have a different idea for him. :) . My apologies for letting the Bruce and Selina thing get mix to what's happening. Trust me there'll be alot of Bruce and Selina. Some Robin/Batgirl and Joker/ Harley Quinn.
Chapter 3. Returning
"...has perished far from his country in some outlandish region. And these men will devise evils against you, on your returning, so you shall die by guile, and they divide all that is yours
-Homer from The Odyssey
Thomas Wayne stared bewildered at his kidnappers. His hands tightened across his chest. He wanted to cry. He found himself having a hard time keeping his breathing steady, he thought of his father calm steady expression. He closed his eyes and tried remembering how serious his father determined face was. He wanted to be like his father even right now. He wiped his eyes to keep from showing his kidnappers a weakness.
" Too bad I didn't get the little girl too, two is always better than one," the main guy, the one with the bandages over his face grumbled, taking off his bandages.
" That old man help her escape, that little girl is fast on her feet," the man standing right next to Thomas said, he looked like one of the crooks in one of his cartoons.
Helena escaped, was all Thomas was grateful for. He wouldn't know what to do if his sister was here with him.
" What's your name kid?" the bandaged man looked back, his eyes dark along with his hair.
Thomas kept quiet.
" Look kid, I know your dad in which case it really doesn't matter what you say to me, but you'll be stuck with us for a while," the man said, a smirk emerging.
" My parents will save me," Thomas responded defiantly.
" Sure kid, sure," the man replied laughing humorlessly. " I can't wait to see that."
Thomas hands clench. He wanted to cry again, but he held back with all his might. Yet his eyes watered and a couple tears fell down.
Bruce handed the bags towards Selina. Everything was done in haste, from whatever he could find necessary. He was impatient to leave now.
" The jet is outside Master Wayne," Alfred announced. Even with his arm, he was getting everything ready without a complain.
Bruce nodded, pulling out his phone to call Mr. Fox. He hadn't called him for what may have been a decade.
" I'm heading over to Gotham," Bruce didn't say the details.
" You're coming back? That's an unexpected surprise " Mr. Fox voice was incredulous over the phone.
" Yes. We'll be there in a couple hours, I need you to investigate who ever enters Gotham from right now,"
" Investigate?. We?-" Mr. Fox asked.
" There's a lot I have to explain," Bruce sighed, he forgot that ever since he left Gotham he hadn't talked to anyone from Gotham. " I'll meet you at the enterprise." Bruce took a breath, he really needed to relax. No relaxing didn't work. He needed to control it. His fear, his anger, his pain. Hide it, like he had always done before.
They got into the jet, leaving at exactly 5:45 A.M. Alfred offered to take care of Helena needs while Bruce and Selina took over the pilot area.
Dawn was just beginning to emerge over the horizon. Selina hardly slept and judging by Bruce hard knuckles on the controls he probably hadn't slept much either.
" Do we have a plan when we get there,'' Selina asks tying her hair back into a ponytail.
" I'm meeting with Fox, he should have some information on who enters Gotham. While I'm there I'll meet with Blake, see if the Joker has pull anything-,"
" Fine, I could check-,"
" No you need to protect Helena," Bruce was still stubborn on the idea of Selina back out there.
" Alfred will be fine with her. Look if we both work together we'll find him quicker. Plus I need to beat the Joker up myself since you didn't kill him earlier," Selina turned to face Bruce.
" You don't understand...I lost someone once because of him. I don't want to-," Bruce sighed, shaking his head. He hasn't told her about Rachael yet.
" Please. Look, I haven't been Catwoman for a while, but I'm still good at handling myself just fine. I won't let any stupid clown do anything to me. I dare him to try," Selina smirked.
Bruce glance over at Selina. They exchanged glances. Selina stood up abruptly, she left towards the bathroom.
" Be right back," she said while heading through the bathroom with her bag.
As soon as the bathroom doors closed. She pulled out her gun, she refilled the barrel just incase someone was ready to attack them right ahead. She made sure she had her outfit in her bag. Her goggles, her mask, her gloves, and high heel boots. Looking back at her costume she was reminded of the days back when her daily life depended on this costume. She smiled, these pass years she had missed being in this particular costume. She smiled in spite herself. She had always love being Catwoman. She headed out of the bathroom. The loaded gun resting in her left high, under some denim pants.
Bruce eyebrows rose suspiciously. He probably knew Selina was planning something, but he decided to catch her on the act later.
" Are you ready to go back?" Selina asked, seeing the ocean spread out before her. The memory of Batman flying the Bat over the bay came to her suddenly. They had run away from Gotham, but now they had to go back. Just like she always predicted.
" Are you?" Bruce responded instead.
Selina didn't answer right away. She wasn't sure what Bruce wanted as an answer. Part of her always wanted to return to Gotham sometime, then again she really liked her life apart from Gotham as well.
" Yes," she answered finally, wondering slightly if it mattered if she was ready or not. She had to be ready. " It'll be much harder for the Prince of Gotham to return, he's already been dead before. I can just imagine the headlines of your famous resurrection," she shot him a sly smile.
Bruce groaned also picturing the paparazzi rants. His eyes went to the ring in Selina's hand. " We'll have to keep a low profile, it might be safer," after all. They somehow knew Batman was Bruce.
" Are you worried what people will say when they realized you've been alive all this time, and even married?" Selina crossed her arms defensively.
" I'm more worried about what the Joker will do once they realized we'd come," Bruce place the jet into autopilot.
Selina eyed the distance indicator. 8 hours left. She edge herself closer to Bruce. They had design the seats to accommodate the size of at least two people. She curled herself into Bruce's side, like she always had when she didn't want to think of anything troubling her. Bruce let out a sigh, his right arm encircling around her waist.
" I'll murder them, as soon as Thomas is safe," Selina vowed, her words came out quick and harsher than how she usually spoke when threatening someone.
Bruce decided to keep quiet. She obviously knew how he felt about the murder subject. Images came back to his head whenever the words were spoken. Now the real question struck him. Would he kill the Joker once they cross paths again. Will it come to that?
Death
Something that always found a way to surface in his life. Would this be the last time or will it come back each time?
" I like the smell of rain- it refreshes the plants don't you think?" A woman with bright red hair said once Thomas was forced out the car.
Thomas stared at her curiously. The lady look her green wild eyes, plus part of her own hair he saw clips that look like they were shape like leafs. She looked like an elf from Lord of The Rings, with the exception of the ears.
She turned and saw the boy staring. " Hush, he's scared out of his mind. What'd you do to him?"
Hush just shrugged, he was concern about something else. " Where's the Joker?"
" He's coming. I called Quinn not to long ago. They're on their way," she said.
" Good," Hush grabs Thomas by the collar.
"I'd love to stay, but unfortunately I have better plans for tonight." The lady started walking away.
" So punk let's make a deal-," Hush began, but got interrupted by the voice of a man.
" The only deal you'll be making is behind bars," a younger men step down, a mask covering his eyes.
Thomas stared at the figure.
" Is there a problem?" Hush snickered, gripping the boy tighter.
" I got reports of you working close to certain clown- I'm taking you in. Besides by the look of that boy, he doesn't seem to belong to you." the man step forward.
Hush took a step back. " Not tonight," he grinned as smoke covered the area. Thomas felt a hand lift him from his position as his world seem to fade. The smoke was causing him to pass out. His eyes shot close.
Blake cursed once the smoke cleared. He'd been an idiot, he should've just got the boy before confronting Hush. Damn, he sighed with a shaking head. So far 2 murders have spontaneously been aroused since the disappearance of the Joker. Both in which the Joker card was left. Blake had had no luck in tracking him, but he had a definitely bad feeling about him. Gordon face and Barbara expression said it all. It was going to get ugly pretty soon. Blake arrived at the Batcave, removing his mask-
" No bad pretty boy," a feminine voice made him turn abruptly.
His eyes widen as he recognize the silky brown hair, luminous dark eyes, and deep red lipstick.
" Ms. Kyle,"
" Detective," she replied, with a sly look.
" What are you-" before Blake could finish, Bruce step from behind.
" Bruce..," Blake took a step back, in complete surprise.
" I always wonder where you hid Bruce," Selina arch an eyebrow, taking in the cave, and the bats. " Batcave how cliché' ," she said.
Blake couldn't believe it. He was seeing Bruce again after seeing him disappear over the bay years ago. Of course he found out Bruce was alive, when he piece the clues together. But seeing him now was like seeing him come back from the dead.
" It's good to know you're still in one piece Officer Blake," Alfred walk in, his hand bandaged over his side as he came in.
" What are you guys doing? I mean this is .. " Blake hand came to his hair. Was he dreaming?
" It's been a while," Bruce agreed. " But it seems like you're doing a good job."
" A long while," Blake nodded then he eyes Selina curiously. What was she doing here?
" I've been keeping him captured all these years," Selina murmured, as if reading Blake's question in his mind.
Blake frown. He glanced at Bruce for explanations, but at that same moment a girl peak from behind Alfred. It didn't take long for Blake to piece in the image before him.
" Oh..," was all he said, unable to contain his slight surprise.
Sure when he had taken Bruce over to Selina house, he'd guess they were an item of some kind, but he never really thought they'd end up together. Judging by the ring in Selina fingers it was obvious they did.
" Congratulations," Blake murmured, awkwardly. He noticed their expression were serious. Their smiles, forced. " So..what brings you guys back to Gotham?" he asked to kill the tension.
They hesitated.
" I think I'll go take the bags over to the penthouse," Alfred murmured.
" I'll help. Let you boys patch everything up-" she left a little too hastily.
Bruce frowned in concern. Blake could even tell why. Whatever reason they were here, he could tell it was really serious.
" I'm glad you have a family," Blake genuinely blurted.
" Any troubles lately?" Bruce asks instead trying to avoid the question in Blake eyes, I glance around what used to be his cave once.
" I'm sure you heard of the Joker escape from the Asylum. He's the highest alert so far ,other than him nothing but a couple mobsters and reckless juvenile idiots. It's been rather boring," Blake responded.
" How did the Joker escape?" Bruce asks.
Blake shrug. " Surveillance cameras we're out that night as if on purpose. When we went to the scene it seem like two people escape, instead of one. There's lots of evidence that a woman lived in the Asylum as well.,"
" Woman?" Bruce eyebrows rose.
" We're thinking Dr. Harleen Quinzel, but she's been said to have disappeared years ago-nobody has seen her for years or her companion Pamela Isley who disappeared a couple months ago,"
Bruce thought it over. So the Dr had either helped the Joker escape, been murder, or is kidnapped as well.
" We've been trying to locate where the Joker could've gone, but we got nothing," Blake frustrated clench his hands.
" He's in Gotham... He has to be," Bruce went over to the computers.
Blake turn to Bruce mystified. " Did you come because of the Joker's return?"
Bruce steadied himself. " He took my son," the words coming out stiff.
Blake eyes widen. " How old is he," he recalled the boy he saw earlier, Hush talking about making a deal with the boy.
" Seven,"
Seven. " Are you sure the Joker has your kid?" Blake asked having a feeling hit his gut. That boy he saw not too long ago...-Could've been?
" Who else would it be?"
On the doorway Selina heard every word. She was careful not to make any sound, so they wouldn't hear her. She listened closely. Pamela, the name sounded familiar. She heard it before…where had she seen it?
" You really are an old man, reading the newspaper. Doesn't it bored you," Selina sank into the couch next to Bruce, on purpose swinging her legs up across Bruce's lap. A jar of coffee in her hand.
" I'm only a couple years older than you," Bruce grin back, flipping the paper.
"Whatever if you want to be a lazybum, go ahead. But I'm going dancing tonight at La Casa de Oro, getting you back out in the world will shape your image Mr. Wayne. Can't be hole inside forever reading a newspaper," Selina drank on her cup, hiding the smirk in her lips.
Bruce shot her a questionable look. " Aha, Go out tonight?"
"Hmm. It won't be that bad going alone. I won't be a single woman much longer. Might as well enjoy it a while before it's gone no?" she was unable to hide her smirk now. " In fact I hear Spain has a lot of gorgeous men..I've done it with a couple" she said it as a joke, but Bruce eyes instantly went wary.
" Are you seriously about to-"
Selina laughed, some of her coffee spilling out. " You're way too fun to tease Bruce,"
Bruce frown. " and you're always playing around." he replied shaking his head as he set the paper down.
Selina saw the cover and headline.
Gotham's News.
Local Biochemist Pamela is Striving for a Better World in the Field of Botany
" Sounds deeply...-boring. Plant study jeez how lame," Selina grumbled not understanding how people could spend their whole life studying plants. She'd rather have a better job, then studying plants.
So that's the girl. Selina remembered, nodding her head. She would search her second, right after she went on looking for Jen ( Holly). She quietly left the room, without any evidence that she was eavesdropping. It was late, but if she knew something it was that Jen would probably have the answers. Selina walked out, previously she had called a cab before arriving at the batcave. Now the cab was park a couple blocks away. Selina rushed inside it.
" Drive me to Old Town please," she said, glancing back.
Not even Alfred or Helena saw her leave as slight and sneaky as a cat.
" You're back then," Blake concluded, still not believing he was seeing Bruce Wayne again.
" For the time being," Bruce nodded. He was tired and still worried about his son. Where exactly could they have taken him. Was he okay? He wished he had put a tracking device on Thomas jacket.
" It's good to have you back. I'll need your help- and I promise we'll find your son. He must come from a strong family,"Blake suddenly grinned to himself.
Bruce turned to him confused.
" A pretty agile thief and you being the parents. The kid must be very strong," Blake explained.
Speaking of thief...-Bruce found it slightly suspicious that Selina hadn't returned. He understood why Alfred hadn't, the batcave reminded him to much of the dangers Bruce had faced. But Selina had always asked Bruce about his batcave. She must be on to something, Bruce concluded then wondered if going to check would be worth it either way.
Blake phone rang all of a sudden. He answered at first ring. " Hello?"
" Blake it's me, something huge just happened. The Joker has-" Gordon voice sounded desperate.
The call ended abruptly.
" Commissioner? Hello-...?" Blake put the phone down. " Something is going on," Blake glanced at Bruce.
Bruce stared at his costume on the side. " Maybe it's time I reemerge," Bruce stepped into the platform.
Blake nodded, then frown. If Bruce was wearing the Batman gear what will he wear? There had to be something? Yet he was glad to see Bruce returned...no..Batman.
" Late as usual. Can't trust anyone these days," the Joker grumbled as he waited outside.
" But you can trust me," Harley Quinn arms wrapped around the Joker.
If it was another night the Joker might've found her arms around him pleasant, but tonight he found it annoying.
" Not here- I need to focus," the Joker frowned as Hush appeared with a kid. " What's with the kid? I didn't ask you to bring a kid, I ask you to find Batman," grumbled the Joker, he already pictured a perfect red smile on Hush face. He'll look like a Mummy..haha.
" With this boy we'll find Batman," Hush replied back.
" Aw, he's just a kid...poor little guy," Harley moved closer to Thomas, who moved back.
" How?" the Joker demanded, 3 seconds more and he'd officially kill this idiot..-
" You'll see," Hush eyes glimmered.
That caught the Joker off guard. He did enjoy surprises. He'll just have to keep Hush word for it and hope Batman appeared soon.
" Who's the kid anyway?'' the Joker asks.
" A rich's man son," Hush replied.
" What's your name kid?" the Joker moved in front of him.
" Thomas," Thomas spoke his name barely hearable.
" Well, Thomas are you afraid? Don't be we're just going to have a little fun," the Joker grinned at him mischievously.
Thomas took a step back. He took his words to be quite the opposite. He didn't trust the clown man, or the girl who seemed attached to him...but he was going to be brave. For his parents sake.
~~~Review? xD Please
Hints on the Next Chapter. : Batman and the Joker confrontation, plus a Selina(Catwoman) finds something shocking. A little BatCat teamwork and Robin.