Bruce frowned, looking behind him in the large living room. Adrienn had left, without even saying bye. He couldn't exactly run after her, Rachel was still there and he did not want to be a rude person. Alfred had passed them to go to the kitchen looking rather pissed off. Rachel was yapping in front of him about some things that really were not so important. They were, but not from her mouth and in the context she was saying it in.
"Bruce… you can't possibly be dating her. I mean look at her she is so flimsy and un woman like. She is almost like rigid…" Rachel would've continued, but stopped when Bruce snapped his eyes to hers. He looked angry. Bruce was not going to let anybody talk in that manner about Adrienn. Rachel had no right to do it to start with. "Why are you looking at me like that for?" Rachel asked, her voice becoming ever more annoying. "I mean it is me that you like."
"Rachel!" Bruce snapped getting tired of all this bullshit that she was saying. He really just wanted to grab her and shake her until she got the pictures. His anger and frustration bubbled up and he couldn't hold it in any longer. "I don't love you!" He blurted out.
Rachel blinked at him. Bruce knew that she was going to say something. Her expression said it all.
"Love?" She muttered quietly. Bruce ran a hand through his hair, looking down at the floor. It was his frustration that spoke from him, but there had to be some hidden truth in it. He loved her as a sister, but maybe this time he meant it as more. His feelings were jumbled up, but he wanted her to be by his side.
"Maybe. You really need to calm down and grow up. Both Adri and I are mature in the sense of other… humans. You still have the mental abilities of a teenager." Bruce said in disgust. He was just realizing all of the mental abuse that Adrienn had to go through because of Rachel.
"Are you kidding me? Bruce you are not in the right state of mind… don't jump to conclusions…" She begged urgently but Bruce was not having any of it. He turned on his heel and rushed to the kitchen where Alfred was. He needed to find Adrienn. His gut feeling wasn't really telling him that she is in a good situation.
"Narrows Master Bruce. Arkham Asylum." Alfred said, without even needed to hear Bruce's question. The color drained from Bruce's face and Alfred needed to slightly poke his arm to get him back to the area.
"Why is she there?" Bruce asked taking long strides to the office. Alfred was following, right on his heel.
"She is going to talk to Jake, Master Wayne. And Rachel told her to go there…" Alfred muttered, holding back a few curse words. Bruce had his anger bubbling up inside him, but he was not going to give Rachel a piece of his mind now.
Bruce was aware of Adrienn's set of skills, but the worry was still in his mind. No matter how good of a shooter she is and no matter how strong she is, there are always going to be guys that are bigger and so can take her down easier. Bruce waved at Rachel as they passed her. She huffed and stomped off the premises.
"Let's hope everything is okay…" Bruce told him as they descended in the elevator. He was stripping down his clothes, trying to save as much time as possible. Alfred picked up the discarded pieces and laid them over his arm. Bruce jumped out the small elevator and headed straight to the compartment that held his suit.
"Good luck sir." Alfred said as Bruce pulled on the cowl and left the cave.
It was already dark. He glided over the buildings, blending with the shadows and staying undetected. He was trying to get there as quick as possible. The thought of something bad happening to her tortured him. Soon the stench from the Narrows hit him and a sense of small success washed over him. He reached there in record time.
He dropped down in a deserted alley and immediately went to scale the wall of the Asylum. His earpiece that was in the cowl would pick up Adrienn's voice. He moved his way up carefully, listening intently to all the voices that were being picked up. Once he reached the second floor, Adrienn's could be heard.
She was alive. Bruce let out a sigh of relief at knowing that. He pushed himself up a little, so he can get a peak in through the window. He saw Adrienn. She was in the middle of a conversation about the medical situation of none other than Falcone. Bruce decided to listen in on the conversation, since he would most probably get some valuable information. Plus he also wanted to figure out the identity of the man she was conversing with. His voice was a little to familiar for Bruce's liking… then it hit him like a brick. It was Jonathan.
It took a lot of will power for Bruce to just stay perched on the window ledge, and not barge in and smash the living hell out of that snake and find out who he was working for. He didn't want to put Adrienn in danger. He wouldn't bear to live with himself if she got hurt because of him. Bruce waited silently, listening to their conversation.
He couldn't help but wonder why Adrienn was there talking to Jonathan. To him it seemed like Rachel had sent Adrienn down to the asylum to do her job. It was wrong of her to do. It wasn't good to start with that either of them should go to the Narrows, but to send Adrienn in just Rachel could talk to Bruce, seemed a bit too extreme.
All this drama was taking a toll on his senses. Usually he would be fine with blocking out his feelings, but since things are still very uncertain with Adrienn he just couldn't stop thinking. However, Bruce was sure that he can handle having a relationship with his double life. He was so sure because of Adrienn. She would help him through things, plus she understood the whole meaning of a double life.
Once again, his thoughts got the better of him. He wasn't paying attention to the on goings inside the building and when he looked up, all he saw was a glimpse of Adrienn being dragged away by Jake. Anger boiled up in him as he dropped to the ground, deciding it will be quicker to find a back door on the ground. He had to save her. If it weren't for his thoughts, then she wouldn't exactly have been dragged away like that.
It didn't take long to find a way into the building. He used his grapple gun to hoist himself up onto the ledge where there was a large window open. He glanced down at the activities below him and was shocked to find the toxin being poured into the water pipes. Clearly, this wasn't just a mere family feud. This was on a much larger scale. They were trying to effect Gotham as a whole… Bruce didn't understand the logic behind this procedure. It was all in a liquid form and as far as he knew, it only took an effect on people if it is in a aerosol form.
Turning his attention back to finding Adrienn he quickly descended to some lower levels, just so he can get a better visual on the area. Adrienn was nowhere to be found however. Bruce frowned, not sure if she was still in the building or not. He had no idea what to do at this point. It was too late to stop them from pouring the substance into the water pipes. The damage was clearly done there, so his interference wouldn't mean much. And Adrienn might've left the building.
Batman grappled up to the top level and decided to set out to find Adrienn. That is when a shot was heard and all hell broke loose. The inmates down below began to pile out the room, discarding the containers they were holding. Jonathan as well began to follow them, clutching the brown material in his hand.
Bruce tried to calm his nerves. Knowing of Adrienn's skills helped him with that a little, but she hasn't really made use of them in a while so she was rusty. He decided to glide over to the door and try to listen in on what is going on… Making himself visible would not be convenient for Adrienn…
A few more gun shots were heard than a high pitched scream. Batman looked down and saw Adrienn being carried in after Jonathan. That is when he knew he had to put a stop to this and she was in real danger. He cursed at himself for not stepping in before. Throwing a remote control batarang to the other room the people below realized his presence. He throw the gadget again, turning the lights off in the area. That allowed him to drop to the ground undetected.
Now his only task was to take them out…
His surroundings outside the car were pitch black. The young brunette beside him was slipping in an out of consciousness. Fear was taking over Bruce, just as if he was also sprayed with the fear toxin. The mere thought of losing Adrienn was too hard to bear. Not having her bubbly personality around was just impossible in Bruce's mind.
With the help of James Gordon, Bruce managed to get Adrienn out of the Asylum and explain to him what exactly was going on there. Trusting him to keep matters under control… as much as he could that is Bruce fled the scene, causing a huge police chase. He was doing his best to evade them but so far it didn't work to well. Plus, he didn't want them to find their way back to the Manor…
He pressed the button, making all the lights on the car turn on. The police officers that he had passed in the tumbler were right on his trail, but not for long. He pulled the wheel to the left, breaking through the barriers of the freeway. He knew the police wouldn't follow him any further, when the first two failed to go through after him.
From here it would only be a few minutes and today his driving was crazier than usual. There was too much at stake. He knew that Alfred was going to give him attitude about not obeying the rules of the road, but at this point he didn't care. He would listen to his rants once he knew Adrienn was safe.
She was groaning by this point, muttering things and looking around fear in her eyes. She brought her hands up and hugged her small body. Bruce felt helpless. He had no idea what to do with her now. He leaned over and held her hand tightly. He looked at her glazed over eyes and clenched his teeth together.
"Stay with me Adrienn…" Bruce muttered, looking back at the road and pushing the Tumbler to even higher speeds. It took him a few minutes to get to the Batcave but Adrienn was really not holding up to well. Panic was starting to build up in him and he pulled to a halt in the Batcave, leaping out of the car.
He didn't bother with unbuckling the brunette from the car. It would waste too much time. Time that he did not exactly have. Adrienn has gotten a concentrated dose of the toxin. It was only a matter of time before her mind would be lost. Bruce needed to stay focused on the task at hand.
He glided over to the opposite side of the Batcave and pulled out the antidote that Alfred has cleverly disguised in the thermos, with a note posted on it saying that Mr Fox has sent it over. Bruce just pulled out a syringe, rushing back to the now completely unconscious Adrienn. He injected the antidote into her system and pulled of his cowl, panic and fear still very evident on his features.
Bruce stood there, over her body in the massive car and watched her intently. He knew she wouldn't wake up just yet, but he couldn't help but hope for that. The thoughts of his failure came to mind. His heart clenched up, thinking about the consequences that he would suffer. Bruce shook his head slightly, trying to shake the dreadful thoughts from his head and began to unbuckle Adrienn from the Tumbler.
He gently cradled her body and walked over to the large medical facility that was set up in the cave. Setting her down gently on the table, he removed the bounds that were on her hands. He couldn't help a smile appear on her lips. Even in her drugged form she tried to take out her captors. He disposed of the piece of metal and pulled up a chair next to her.
Bruce leaned forward and smoothed a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked so small, so fragile. Her body was covered in the slimy substance from the fire extinguisher, her small feet were covered in dirt and small cuts. Bruce held her hand in his and couldn't help but sigh. Adrienn's knuckles had small gashes on them as well, probably from punching someone. He shook his head, bringing himself to look at her face again. This was probably the first time Bruce was actually going to take time to study her appearance.
She looked relaxed, almost angelic even if her slightly cheeks were mainly covered in dirt. Her hair was flowing in wild curls around her face. Her lips were small and parted in an O as she slept, but the petiteness suited the rest her features.
"Her nose is bleeding sir." Alfred stated from the other side of the bed. Bruce looked down and realized that there was blood around her nose. "She got the antidote?"
"Yes…" Bruce nodded, still looking at Adrienn. He took some of the gauze sponges and wiped the blood away from her nose. "Alfred… her nose is broken…" Bruce stated looking down at her nose. Usually it was straight, but now it had a strange curve in it. Bruce could see that it was going to leave a small bump on the bridge of her normally straight nose. He place his thumbs on either side and snapped it back into place, before Alfred could object. Adrienn's body winced but her lips closed up.
"The guests will be arriving soon…" Alfred grumbled, clearly not happy with Bruce's actions.
"I'll get her cleaned up Alfred." Bruce nodded. "I need you to get those to Jim Gordon somehow… make sure he doesn't see you."
"I have my way sir." Alfred smiled. Bruce told him the directions as he stripped out of his suit and pulled on a robe to cover his body. Alfred helped him with putting everything back into place.
Bruce and Alfred made their way up into the mansion and went their separate ways. Alfred went to the cars to get the antidote to Gordon and Bruce went up to his bedroom. He couldn't put Adrienn in bed in her state… it wouldn't even be comfortable. Heading to the bathroom he started the warm water running in the bath tub and prepared some sponges and soap out.
"I can't believe I am doing this…" The playboy millionaire muttered, running a hand through his hair as he looked down at Adrienn. She was still out cold but she could wake up at any given moment. Bruce couldn't guess her reaction. He decided to just stop thinking and began to discard as much clothes as he possible could. Leaving her in her undergarments, he took her to the bathtub and set her in the water all the while looking away and muttering to himself that it is like a bikini and the fact that she is half European and it is not frowned upon there.
He managed to get the task done fairly quickly and was over delighted to get some clothes on her and skillfully remove her soaked undergarments. Sometimes it really did have its perks to lead a double life. He had to make things convincing on both parts. Bruce never would've thought that his skill of unclipping a bra with one hand, through fabric (without looking!) would actually come in handy one day. He tucked her in and ignored the pieces of fabric on the floor.
All he wanted to do at this point was to keep get in bed beside her and keep her warm, just like she did for him. But he had to keep his image up. It wasn't a good thing but he couldn't afford any more mistakes. Bruce placed a soft kiss on her forehead and headed out the room to prepare for his thirtieth birthday.
-Hello lovelies… sorry about the wait :/ but I moved and things have been hectic so yeah life isn't too good atm :/ I got a stable internet connection though! So I guess that can be my silver lining…
*RebornRose1992 : hehe yeah I am tired of the full on damsel in distress types, a little saving can't hurt anyone though hehe.. So she is gonna be AWESOME!
*Foxy Roxey : Lol to be honest, I didn't want to kill him of but my boyfriend cheated on me… so I guess I channeled my anger out. I am better off without him anyway : ) hehe. Cranes are creepy but something just draws me to Jonathan…
*ZabuzasGirl : Lol! Here you go! Sorry for the wait :/ I should be back on track now though! Not promising anything though xD
*stupidstef666 : Hehe yeah he was pissing me off as well :) thank you for reading!
*jesterjoker : Love her , marry her made my day. I laughed :) hehe hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry for the delay!
*Daisygirl95 : yeah it is good he is gone :) he was a creep in deed. Your idea is strongly being considered :P Heheh hope you like the new chappy, sorry for the late updated but meh :/
*mandapanda505 : hello well thank you! :D I am glad you like it :) I like your user name! Pandas are amazing. xD end of story. done.
*maisaLin : hehehe faaar more interesting xD lol :D I laughed but bear with me! :D it will be soon I promise. and we shall just wait and see! :D thank you for reading! sorry for the late update!
*twiggy31 : thank you about chapter lengths! :) helped a lot really! :D Wait and see wait and see .) lol thank you for reading! :D
*blueberrytoast : I hope you still don't hate me lol xD hope you enjoyed this chappy too :) thank you for reading! means a lot :) I'll try to update more regularly
*Zugra913 : Thank you for the lovely comment and the Jake and Rachel hate! Always makes me happy…. I know I am a sad individual but at least I only hate like… fictional people xD hehheee… AC3… omg… I want to play ittt… now!
*xxyangxx2006 : old habits yeap :D lol jake was a douche thank you for the lovely review and for reading! hope you enjoyed this chapter too :) I'll try to update more regularly.
*1234 : glad to hear about the party, I really need one now xD Girl powaaaa! I was actually singing powerpuff girls theme song through out the chappy… oh well. You know there is a video of Christian bale singing powerpuff girls? I think it affected me… oh well :S xD
*Adalheidis Svanhilda : Don't hunt me down… xD please! I already have a bed reserved in the hospital… XD lol you should draw more stuff! they're really good! like awesome! Hehe sorry for the late update but had some troubles. I should be cool again hopefully though xD
*Shaybo27 : Lool BATMAN :D Thank you for the comment! Lol I thought no one would be curious for her fear, but I was planning for it! Next couple of chapters we'll see! It is an interesting thing fear… I wonder what mine would be… or wait… which one would it be? or would all of them show? Man I hope that never happens…. well I hope you enjoyed the chappy though :) Thank you for reading! :D