Chapter 11: Truce
"Taylor, I really don't think that this is a smart move."
"Bailey." Andi forced her voice to stay calm. "I appreciate everything you've done to protect me. Really, I do. But I need an hour of privacy to sort out some personal affairs. Give me that, and then I will come to work and sit happily under your surveillance all day." She finished signing the last of the insurance forms at the hospital's front desk and turned away towards the parking lot, hoping to indicate that the conversation was finished. Thank heaven for Pam picking up some clothes for her yesterday. Trying maintain her dignified, dismissive attitude in a hospital gown would have been laughable.
Unfortunately, Bailey followed her. He had been a cop for over fifteen years, and earned his reputation for doggedness several times over.
"I heard the doctors. You shouldn't even be out of the hospital yet, Taylor. And Gordon gave me strict orders that under no circumstances…"
Andi really hadn't wanted to pull this card, but looking at Bailey's round, determined face she realized that she would have no choice if she wanted to get past him. "Well then, let me call the Commissioner. Whatever he decides, you and I will go by it. Fair enough?"
Bailey thought about it for a second and then nodded.
"Good. Can I borrow your phone? Mine was blown up on the top of Wayne Tower."
Bailey handed Andi his cell, but glared hard at her when she tried to move out of earshot. At the rate he was going she was surprised that he had even let her walk outside without putting on a bulletproof vest.
Gordon's desk sent her to voicemail. Andi hung up and tried his cellphone instead, where he picked up on the first ring, voice clipped. "Bailey? What's wrong? Is there trouble with Taylor or any of the others?"
"No, no Commissioner I'm fine," Andi said lightly, "Actually the hospital just released me. I'm coming back to MCU to get some work done but I was wondering if I could have an hour to myself first."
"Of course you can Taylor. I wasn't even expecting you to come back to work for another few days, so please take as much time as you need. Just make sure that Bailey knows in advance where you're heading so he can follow you in his car."
"That's sort of the thing though." Andi was forcibly reminded of all the times when, as a teenager, she had tried to wheedle Abuelita into letting her go to dances or other events unchaperoned. The same way you slowly convinced the person to allow one harmless thing, leading to another, leading eventually to something they never would have agreed to at first. "These things I have to settle involve some matters with a… difficult… friend. I'd rather not let Bailey get involved if I can help it."
"This friend?" Her boss paused, trying to word it right, "He'd be the nocturnal sort?"
"That's him. I really would appreciate it if you could give me enough time to meet up with him. I'm sure I'll be quite safe there."
"Taylor I don't want you threatening him right now. I know you may not trust him, but—"
"I promise that's not it at all sir. I understand how the situation's changed."
Gordon considered it, then sighed heavily.
"If it's not that then fine. Sixty minutes. Pass the phone to Bailey so I can tell him. He won't believe you if you tell him yourself." Well, it was a good thing Gordon had agreed then. Faking Gordon's permission had been her back up plan. Bailey scowled at the phone as Gordon started talking to him and finally hung up, looking highly displeased. It was an effort not to smirk, but Andi managed. Sort of.
"Are you sure that you feel alright?" he asked.
"Right as rain." Andi lied brightly. The gasoline and other poisons were long gone from her system but she was still weak and the cuts in her legs and back were aching. She could stand it though. Another day sitting in the hospital would have driven her mad. "The Joker hasn't shown his face yet. I'm sure I'll be alright for an hour."
"Fine," Bailey snapped. "Your clock is starting now. And—here. Keep my phone. In case you get in trouble or something and need Gordon to bail you out."
Andi nodded and tried not to limp as she made her way to the car. She got in before Bailey made it halfway to his patrol car, but waited until he left the lot to pull out. She wouldn't put it past him to follow her if he got half a chance.
When she pulled up to Wayne Manor, the gates slid open without her even having to look at the annoying security guard. Either the guy didn't want to have to confront her again or he had been given orders to just put her though. Andi was glad. She had used nearly half an hour of her time to get here, and although it would be only ten minutes to get from the manor to MCU, she still didn't have much time to delay.
Wayne was standing to the side of the drive this time and he opened her door the moment she parked, giving Andi no chance to stall and gather her courage. Then again, maybe it would be better to just get this over with.
"Miss Taylor." He helped her out of the car and spoke as politely as if he was taking her on a date. "Would you like to come inside?" Andi looked warily at the large staircase leading to the manor, but made herself nod. The slashes in her legs and back weren't so bad that she couldn't climb a set of stairs.
She started to re-think that diagnosis when her head began to whirl about halfway up. Andi went still and closed her eyes, waited for the dizziness to pass. She needed to show strength here. Grimly she forced herself to start moving again, ignoring Wayne's curious look. He doesn't know how badly the Joker cut me, she realized. Well that was to the good. Things were too urgent for her to be weak now. She needed her body to last, and last it would, whether it liked it or not.
He escorted her into the same parlor she had confronted him in before, once again calling for his butler to bring them something to drink. Andi sank gratefully into her seat and hoped that none of her stitches had pulled open. It would probably take half her salary to replace a bloodied armchair here. Wayne sat opposite her. His gaze was just as hard as last time, and it took even more effort for Andi to meet it now, with her body as weak as it was.
"So what is this about?" he finally asked.
"I…" Get the hard part over with, she told herself, Soften him up first. "I wanted to thank you." Andi shook her head and started babbling as she tried to explain herself. "I mean for what you did on Wayne Tower, fighting for Leena and saving my life. You didn't have to do that at all, especially after what—"
"It's alright. You don't have to thank me." Wayne cut in.
Andi bit her lip. "Why do you do it?"
"Save your life?"
"Not just that. I mean all of it. The crime fighting, taking the blame for others, saving people who you know will hate you. Why?"
"Perhaps," Wayne said slowly, "I do it for the same reason you took a job with Gotham PD when LA offered you twice the pay to work with them."
"Gordon offered to have the city pay for you getting your Master's Degree?"
Wayne snorted. "You got offered a free ride to Stanford. Don't try to pretend you stuck around here because of money."
Andi's eyebrows rose, but she tried to keep her voice neutral. "You did your homework."
"You were a threat to me," he shrugged, "I hoped that you would have a skeleton in your closet I could use to tip the scales in my favor."
"That—that was the other reason I came." Andi admitted, "I still don't know that I agree with you on your methods, or that I believe you are as pure and wonderful as you claim, but you tried to save Leena's life. And you did save mine. Turning you in—"
They were interrupted by the butler carrying in trays of food. Andi glanced at a pair of aspirins sitting by her water and looked up to see the butler's eyes twinkling. How did he know? She swallowed them gratefully.
"Have a seat Alfred," Wayne invited, "I think Miss Taylor is just on the point of admitting that I was right all along."
"Not quite," Andi said as Pennyworth stiffly pulled up a chair, his formality a stark contrast to Wayne's at-home attitude "Like I told you, I still have doubts. But with what's been happening… well, to put it bluntly, you're too important to stopping the Joker for me to bring you down right now. I was hoping to call a truce."
"A truce?"
"I want to bargain. Both of us can help each other and we both have a common enemy. I was hoping we could sort of… pool our resources. At least for the time being."
"How so?" Andi could tell that she had caught Wayne's interest. She tried to make her voice cool and professional.
"We both know that we're on borrowed time here. The Joker won't hide forever. He'll strike, and he'll strike hard when he does. You're probably the only one who has a chance in a confrontation with him, but that will only work if you can track him down. I can help with that. If you let me in on what you've got, I can analyze what you've found and be able to contribute to finding him."
Wayne nodded slowly, consideringly. Andi took a deep breath and continued.
"I want two things in return though."
"Oh?"
"The first is something that just makes sense for tracking the Joker. I want to be kept in the loop on everything that's going on with him. No matter how insignificant. That includes your plans as well."
"And will you tell me all of the information you get and your plans?" Wayne asked carefully. Andi felt a surge of hope. He was trading. That meant he would at least consider the deal.
"Of course," she agreed.
"Sounds reasonable so far," Wayne said, "The second condition?"
"The Joker has Leena. When you confront him, there's a good chance you'll find her too." Despite all her efforts, Andi's voice shook slightly at the thought. She'd been with Gotham's police long enough to know what happened in the majority of hostage situations. I will save you Leena. "And there's a possibility that he's also after my other friend, Dr. Pamela Isley. I want—I want your word that you'll protect them. No matter what it takes, no matter what else it may cost you. You save them first."
"Sometimes people die despite everything I can do." Wayne pointed out quietly. Andi nodded.
"I know that. But I want you to do everything within your power to protect them. Even if it means you or me or others have to be hurt for it. They're your top priority."
Wayne considered it. "I want something in return too then."
Andi had expected something like this. "I'm listening."
"This truce. I don't want it to only last until this is over. If I save your friends and stop the Joker I want your word that you will never reveal who I am. Ever."
Andi closed her eyes. She had thought this might come. And she had made her decision about it before leaving the hospital. She just wished it didn't still seem like she was making a deal with the devil. The worst part of it was knowing that if it saved her friends she probably would have dealt with Satan himself. At least Wayne was just a person trying to do the right thing, no matter that she disagreed with his methods.
"Done," she whispered.
"Good. Now we really should work out some sort of cover for us. Some way you could communicate with me without it seeming suspicious." Wayne's eyes lit up maliciously. "I think disguising you as one of my model girlfriends—"
"Wouldn't work," Andi snapped, "I'm not trashy enough and you don't keep them for more than a week anyways. Who knows how long this would take?"
Wayne shut his mouth and looked rather disappointed, but his butler laughed.
"I must say, Miss," he chortled, "It's been awhile since I've seen anyone turn Master Wayne down like that. The last time must have been when he was thirteen and he tried to kiss Miss Macy Cummings on Valentine's Day. Her brothers ended up tying him to the—"
"Yes, thank you Alfred." Despite the frown on Wayne's face, though, the mood lightened perceptibly when he turned back to Andi. "So what did you have in mind?"
"I'm a fully qualified scientist." Andi pointed out. "I majored in chemistry at GSU, then got my masters in both organic chemistry and biology there. Wayne Corporation has research positions that I'm more than qualified for. I would pretend to want some time away from the police force because of what happened last week and your business can hire me, supposedly on a temporary contract. Of course, I'd really be working on analyzing evidence that you've gathered from the police and on your own. The two of us could communicate whatever we know or need through Lucius Fox, the CEO."
"If you're claiming to be traumatized, don't you think working at Wayne Tower would be the last place you should go?"
"Of course. That's why I'd be working at one of Wayne Enterprises' other research facilities in the city. It's not like the tower's in business right now anyways"
Pennyworth laughed again and Wayne glared at him. "What now Alfred?"
"Pardon me, sir, but I think this young lady has outmaneuvered you as well as a five star general."
This time Wayne's lips twitched slightly too. "I think perhaps she has," he agreed, "Well, Miss Taylor, it seems we have ourselves a bargain."
He held out his hand. Andi reached to take it and then Bailey's cellphone rang.
"Gordon?" she wondered aloud, looking at the caller ID. She was probably going to be late back the precinct unless she drove like mad, but her hour hadn't quite finished yet. And he wouldn't call when she was with the Batman unless it was important. Andi grimaced apologetically at Wayne and snapped the phone open.
"Andrea Taylor."
"Taylor? You're still alive? Thank heaven for that much at least." Gordon sounded more panicked than she had ever heard him, even when Leena had been kidnapped. The loud sirens in the background made Andi think that he was in a police car.
"Commissioner? Why wouldn't I be alive? What's happened?"
"The Joker struck again and he hit—Drive faster can't you? We don't have time to wait for the lights, I want us back there now!"
"Gordon? Gordon what happened? Where did the Joker attack?"
"You're safe right Taylor? Does anybody know where you are?"
"No, no I'm fine, I'm with the Batman." She saw Wayne jerk at that, but Gordon already worked with and trusted Batman and she wasn't too inclined to indulge his obsession for secrecy right now.
"Good. Stay there. The Joker just blew up half of the Major Crimes Unit again, starting with the forensics lab."
Author's Note: Dun-dun-DUNH!
Ahem. Anyways.
Sorry these posts are coming late and everything. I think two weeks per post is the pattern I'm settling into, so we'll have to see if I can keep up with that. This week was a particularly hard one, so if I'm through it then maybe I can pull through the ones 'til Christmas too.
Remember that monster I mentioned a few posts back? Well the Irish have been on a pretty pathetic losing street lately (TULSA? We lost to TULSA?...), but thanks to you guys, the innocent villagers have been saved from destruction by feeding it on some good healthy reviews! Thank y'all so much; your feedback, favoriting, story alerting, etc. really do mean the world to me.