A/N: This is merely a work of fiction. I, do not in anyway, own the marvelous Batman (or Bruce L ) All rights and ownership belong to DC comics. I DO own my plotline and Nicolette. Enjoy!
Thanks to the review(s) that I have received from: brittanymichele, sobz, & ChristianBale Girl 2010 ! And also the favorites and alerts! They mean a lot!
NICOLETTE ANDERSON
She awoke at the normal time, 6:30 a.m. Rolling out of bed, Nicolette grabbed her cell phone from the bedside table and wandered out into the living room of her condo. The sun was climbing past the large towers of Gotham as she made her way for the coffee pot. Nicolette set up the fragrant coffee grounds and left it to brew. Meanwhile, she opened up the pantry and decided on a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast. Humming to herself, Nicolette poured the bowl and fished the milk out of the fridge, noting that the gallon was getting low. By the time she had finished preparing breakfast, the coffee was done. She filled up a cup, stirred in a spoonful of sugar, and sat down at the small, white table.
Nicolette ate mostly in silence, watching the sun rise behind a light layer of clouds. The clock was ticking by and she knew that she had a short time to get ready, otherwise she could risk being late for work and the first class of the day. She quickly finished my cereal and then grabbed her cup and hurried back into the bedroom. The closet doors were already open and Nicolette started rifling through the hangers. "Comfortable, comfortable…" She muttered, selecting a few garments. She stood back, holding the hangers in front of her and finally decided on a pair of yoga pants and a peach-colored sweatshirt. It's not like she was going to a beauty pageant. Nicolette slugged the rest of her coffee, leaving the cup in on her nightstand, and then entered the gleaming bathroom. Her light blonde hair was already up in a bun, wrapped tightly around itself. She turned on the faucet and scrubbed her face clean, washing away all the morning grogginess. Patting her face dry with a plush towel, Nicolette looked around the room for her leotard, spotting it near the hamper. She shrugged my pajamas off and then slipped on the light, silky fabric. It felt like home.
Glancing at her watch, she finally realized how late she was running this morning.
"7:15, shit." She cursed, tugging on her outer layer of clothing. She took one more glance in the mirror, which was currently reflecting almost translucent blue eyes looking quite harried. She sighed, took a deep breath, and then scrambled for the door.
She had to run to catch the train. I suppose it's a good thing I'm a fast runner. Nicolette made it to the platform just as the 7:30 morning train pulled in and stopped with a whine. She boarded, huffing slightly from the her mad dash. As she entered the train car, she knew that it would already be full of businessmen from the previous stops. Standing near a window, she had one hand clutching the rail overhead and one hand resting lightly on the back of a seat. The train started moving again and Nicolette watched as the buildings grew denser as they rocketed towards the heart of Gotham. Eventually the train started slowing and at the next stop almost the entire car emptied, the executives muttering into their cell phones the entire time. She snagged a seat next to a window and observed the other people left on board.
An older woman with a young boy sat near the end of the car, looking quietly out the window. The woman's face looked crease with worry and anxiety. Hell, after everything that's happened these past few months.. I don't blame her. She mused to herself. I probably have a few worry lines too. The only other passenger was a younger girl, probably on her way to a class at the university. A moment passed and Nicolette found herself reminiscing through her college days; She didn't have a big exciting story like most people. She had gone, gotten her degree and post-degree, and moved on with life. College was just another, longer high school.
A few minutes passed and the squeal of the brakes broke Nicolette out of her daydreaming. Her stop had arrived and she quickly exited. Downtown Gotham is where she was now. Nicolette climbed down the steps to street level, where the bustling city life began. Crowds of people surged past and she joined the throng. The studio was only a block away, which meant less time pushing through the hoards of people.
Soon enough, Nicolette was in front of her pride and joy. Every morning the studio made her proud. Large glass windows spanned the whole front and the shiny chrome signed was dignified and formal. Smiling, she retrieved the keys from her satchel and unlocked her 'home away from home.' Polished wood floors greeted her and her gym shoes barely scuffed the shine. Nicolette flicked on the light switches as she passed, watching as the beams of light reflected off the mirrors and lit up the entire space. She entered the office area and set her purse on the organized desk that she called hers. The answering machine was empty which meant she was free to have a little warm-up instead of making phone calls.
Nicolette traded the small office room for a slightly larger room in the back of the building. One wall of the room was floor to ceiling mirrors and the others were painted a pastel yellow. She crossed the room, then opened another door into the locker room. Nicolette unlaced her shoes, threw them in the empty locker, then slipped out of her street clothes. Left in only a black leotard, Nicolette unlocked her personal locker and took out a pair of simple, nude-colored ballet shoes. She slipped them on her feet, making sure they were nice and tight. Then, she exited back into the yellow room to dance.
BRUCE WAYNE
It was nearing 8 o'clock when Alfred pushed open the door to Bruce' room. The curtains were pulled tight, as usual, and his Master's head was buried underneath his pillows and sheets. Alfred, carrying a tray with a foul-smelling nutrition drink and a plate of eggs and bacon, made his way around the large bed and placed the food on the bedside table.
"Master Wayne," He said brightly, crossing the room to pull open the blinds. Immediately he heard Bruce groan. "May I remind you that you're needed at a meeting this morning? 9 o'clock to be precise." Alfred gazed out at the streets of Gotham below. This week him and Bruce were staying in the downtown penthouse, though the Manor had been fully restored almost a month ago.. Personally he preferred the Manor, but he felt that it brought too many bad memories to Master Wayne.
"Thank you Alfred." Bruce grumbled. He lifted his torso out of the sheets and propped himself up against the headboard. Dark circles were underneath his eyes. The night before, Batman had a long night, and Bruce didn't make it home until 2 a.m.
"The criminals are even more ruthless now Alfred." He commented, slowly picking at his breakfast. A few bruises were scattered across his chest and upper arms, but he barely even noticed them now.
"How so Master Wayne?" Alfred said, slightly intrigued.
"Ever since the Joker's attacks…" Bruce paused and a flash of sadness and anger passed over his face. "They don't see the Batman as a big threat anymore. The big rings are still getting in drugs and weapons."
"Sir, if you don't mind me saying, but aren't these all the same problems you've been dealing with?"
"There's something different about this Alfred. I can feel it. There's something we don't know." And with that, he fell out of bed and started his regimen of exercise.
Thirty minutes, two hundred push-ups, and one hot shower later, Bruce emerged from his room, black dress pants brandishing his body. A white towel hung around his neck as he wandered into the living room, flicking on the television to watch the news. The broadcaster was speaking quickly, reporting a shooting downtown. Bruce's body was tense; the shooters were probably related to the gangs. And the gangs needed to be stopped. His mind switched over to the Batman's mind for a moment.
"Alfred!" He called, striding into the kitchen where the trusty butler was currently inhabiting.
"Yes Master Wayne?" Alfred responded.
"I need you to go to the Manor today. I need you to dig up some information for me. Search anything relating to 'The Phoenix." He frowned. "They're really getting creative with these names you know Alfred."
"I can tell as much sir. But you know, I hear birds are quite popular lately." Alfred smirked and turned to go get the car warmed up, earning a grimace from Bruce.
Soon enough Bruce was being dropped off by Alfred in front of Wayne Enterprises. It all made him feel like a child. Bruce walked up the steps with a swagger, a slightly over-confident grin on his face. He ran a hand through his usual slicked-back hair and passed the doormen in silence. He winked at the secretary as he passed, though behind the smile, nothing was there. Once in the safety of the elevator, the grin faded from his face and he sighed. Sooner or later I'm going to have to find a way to end this façade. The elevator dinged as it reached his floor and Bruce slid the grin back into place.
"Lucius, I'm so glad you could make it." He said brightly, stepping out of the elevator and shaking the hand of his former CEO, Lucius Fox. The man was dressed sharply, a grey and black suit adorning his aging person.
"Well Mr. Wayne. You are quite the persuader." Bruce smiled, a little more genuine, and led the way to their conference room.
NICOLETTE ANDERSON
Nicolette didn't notice Marina come in. She was too busy caught up in her stretches and her slow, timed plies. She was just limbered up when Marina broke her focus.
"I think you know the basics by now Olette. I mean it's been what… thirteen years?" Marina's slight Spanish accent gave her words a flair.
"You can always improve." Nicolette said, rolling her eyes. She straightened out of her pose and then started her cool-down stretches. Marina walked across the room, clad in slacks and a blazer. "Why the fancy get-up Mar?" She asked.
"I'm promoting you today, you forgot?" Marina said with a glint in her eye.
"It seems I have." Nicolette lowered herself to the ground and crossed her legs Indian-style. Marina had always been the more business-savvy of the two; she had always handled more of the behind-the-scenes work, trading in her leotard for suits. And ever since they met, she had been trying to get Nicolette noticed by several ballet troupes throughout Gotham. "Mar, I'm twenty-six. I'm out! They're not going to want me." She shook her head, knowing the cutthroat business. You needed to be young.
"They haven't seen you dance, Olette." Marina shook her head and then left the room, her heels clacking. Nicolette sighed and got up from her position on the floor. The wall clock announced it was nearing 9 o'clock. The first class started promptly at 9 and she thought she heard the children scrambling about in the main foyer. She walked over to the door and opened it, watching as the kid's heads turned in her direction.
"Go get changed!" She called, smiling. "Today we start practicing for the recital!" The children whooped with glee and rushed past her, towards the locker rooms.
Two hours later, Nicolette was waving the students good-bye. It always pleased her to see them leaving the studio, excitedly telling their parents about whatever they had learned, or practiced. Today's children's class had gone exceptionally well. It was her next class that took a little more patience. Nicolette walked back into the office once she watched the last child leave. She had an hour until the next class started.
"Hey, you want to go out for an early lunch?" Marina proposed, looking up from her computer screen.
"That actually sounds pretty good." Nicolette was feeling ravenous from her workout and from instructing the class. "I'll just be a minute. I have to go change." Marina smiled and Nicolette dashed for the locker rooms.
Nicolette and Marina soon found themselves sliding into a booth at a small café a block away from the studio. It was a quaint place, booths lining the walls and a few tables scattered around the floor. The waiters were genial and the prices were reasonable.
"I'm just going to get the usual." Nicolette said, not even bothering to look at her menu. The 'usual' being a bowl of soup and a fresh salad.
"Yeah yeah." Marina rolled her eyes and placed her menu on top of Nicolette's. The waiter came by and they ordered, falling into easy conversation.
"I have a feeling the class is going to be brutal this afternoon." Nicolette griped, resting her chin on her palm.
"Well I guess it's a good thing I won't be there." Marina took a casual sip of her soda.
"What?" Nicolette muttered, a hint of annoyance seeping into her voice. "Marina, you're always there to help me out with the older kids."
"Look Olette, I'm sorry, but that's when the meeting was scheduled with the troupe. There's nothing I can do about it." Nicolette sighed and looked away. "Olette! You can handle them. It's just a bunch of sixteen year old girls." "Yeah really moody and stuck-up sixteen year old girls." Nicolette suddenly felt like a sixteen year old girl herself, but she straightened up and took a deep breath.
"You've handled much worse." Marina laughed and then their food was served.
They ate their food quickly, not having noticed the time they spent idly chit-chatting. When it came time for them to go their separate ways, Nicolette left, giving Marina the stink eye.
"Oh suck it up!" Mar called as Nicolette weaved her way down the block. She laughed and soon found herself in front of the studio again. Once she unlocked the door, Nicolette quickly changed back into uniform again and then waited out the next class. They girls started arriving in groups, all of them talking in hushed whispers and giggles. Nicolette stood at the front of the room, rolling her eyes ever so often. Finally, when the door had stopped opening every few seconds she started calling names in attendance. She got halfway through the list when things started to go awry.
"Caddie Everman?" She had already called Caddie's name twice. No reply.
"Krysten Hallowell?" Absent as well.
"Lucy?" Another missing. It was strange. Especially since all three of these girls were always joined at the hip and had never missed a class before. She put a check by their names and then noticed the whispering going around the room. She peered up through her eyelashes, seeing the girls looking at each other nervously. It was unsettling, but she had to ignore it for now.
"Ok class, let's begin with our stretches…" She began her second class, the feeling of unease growing in her stomach.
Once the class had ended, much to Nicolette's pleasure, she started thinking. Why had the girls seemed so nervous when Caddie, Krysten, and Lucy hadn't shown up for class? Maybe they got into some trouble… Nicolette sat in her desk chair pondering this when Marina bust in the room.
"Olette! Olette! You're in! They've accepted you!" She broke off into an unintelligible garble.
"Mar? Wait- what!" Nicolette stood up from her desk, her eyes wide with incredulity.
"I just got out of the meeting. It was amazing Olette! They genuinely want you to be in the troupe! They already gave me the list of rehearsals and all the information you're going to need. Olette! You've just been accepted into the most prestigious Ballet Company in Gotham. Hell! The whole state!" Nicolette's face was one of shock and pure bliss. I guess it's not too late for me after all! She grabbed Marina and hugged her, a tear escaping her eye.
BRUCE WAYNE
The meeting with Lucius had gone well, extremely well actually, and Bruce left Wayne Enterprises content. This entire meeting depended on a bit of persuasive skill, and Bruce definitely had that. Lucius had agreed to sign on again as the CEO of Wayne Enterprises, but under quite a few compromises. If Bruce or, the Batman made a decision he didn't like, Bruce would suffer the consequences.
Bruce hailed a taxi, which stopped immediately when the driver recognized who he was. Climbing in, Bruce told him the address of the penthouse and off they went. It only took a few minutes to get there, since the penthouse was just downtown. Bruce paid the driver and exited, heading for the parking garage. He needed to go to the Palisades, to the Manor. Bruce opened the door to a silver Volvo, not wanting to be too ostentatious today. Though it seemed that's what everyone loved. The car hummed as he put the key in and soon he pealed out, weaving through the Gotham traffic.
As Bruce made his way out of the dense Gotham buildings, his mind started turning. All the details he had absorbed over the past few nights were trying to piece their way together. The Phoenix… he mused. They were the rising gang in Gotham, but they weren't overly showy. A few members would prowl the Narrows, even on shipment nights. They kept quiet and that's what made stopping them challenging. The Batman could spend every night taking out the few members wandering the Narrows, but to defeat a hydra, you need to go to the main head. He just didn't know who-or where that head was. From the little information he had gotten so far, The Phoenix started recruiting early. Younger kids, from the ages of sixteen to nineteen. The younger the kid on the street was, the less intimidating. It was mostly drugs and weapons they were importing, from various black market dealers across the country. No murders had occurred so far, but that didn't mean they wouldn't strike. The cache of weapons must be incredible. The only other piece of information that struck him as odd was the large amount of gunpowder that was usually in the shipments. Lots of gunpowder…. But not as many guns.
Bruce now found himself driving through the Palisades, and a more melancholy mood settled around him. He hadn't exactly been thrilled to have to come back here. Not after… everything. The memories of not only his past, but now the most recent occurrences were hard to deal with and the only way he knew was to work. He finally pulled into the driveway, the Manor watching him quietly. It looked perfect, exactly how it had always looked. A part of Bruce wanted to burn it to the ground again, to see if some of the pain would ease. But he wouldn't. Him and Alfred would only rebuild it eventually.
As soon as he parked the car, Bruce was out, up the large steps, and into the Manor. He tried to not dawdle, taking fast steps toward the study, and the lift down to the cave. That was familiar territory. The redone Manor was not, and Bruce wasn't ready to brave it just yet. He hit the correct keys on the piano and was quickly in the lift. He took a few calming breaths and then his mind flipped over to the Batman.
"Alfred, have you found anything?" He walked towards the large computer, which his guardian was currently sitting at.
"I have Master Wayne. Not much, but it may suffice for now." Alfred stepped aside and Bruce took his place, eyes scanning the screen. It wasn't much as Alfred as said, but there were a few e-mails from what seemed to be the higher ups. Most of it was in code and no names were used. But it gave Bruce some needed information about their shipment schedules. He needed to get in contact with Gordon. He moved from the computer to the table and picked up the encrypted cell phone that he still used to communicate with the Commissioner.
"Sir, do you believe that to be the best idea?" Alfred spoke quietly.
"He needs to know Alfred." Bruce rasped. He knew it was dangerous for Gordon to still affiliate with the Batman, but Gordon would take any information. Bruce dialed the number and waited.
"Commissioner Gordon." The line picked up quickly, but Gordon spoke quietly.
"The Phoenix are getting in two large shipments three days from now. Tuesday, twelve forty-five pm. They're use two black SUV's for the main drop-off. After that it's transferred into several unmarked cars." Bruce relayed the information he had discovered and then hung-up.
"Master Wayne." Alfred said, coming up behind Bruce.
"Alfred?"
"It's time to do a walk-through." Bruce stiffened and groaned, but Alfred just laughed and pushed him towards the lift.
NICOLETTE ANDERSON
After work ended, Nicolette headed home. Marina's suggested they go out for drinks, but after reviewing the practice schedules for her new Company, she realized that she had a rehearsal tomorrow, and she needed to be on the top of her game. Nicolette boarded the Gotham Line as she did that morning and was soon rocketing off towards the 'burbs. She departed the train at three, and was strolling along the block, watching the grey-ish clouds move across the sky. Her hopes had suddenly been lifted and she pulled her cell phone out of her purse.
"Hi Mom." She said once her mother answered their phone.
"Nicci dear!" her mother cooed, making Nicolette shudder. She hated the name Nicci.
"So I was just calling to tell you that I was accepted into the Gotham Ballet Company today." She crossed her fingers, hoping for a good reaction.
"Oh dear… that's wonderful. But don't you think you're a little too old for serious dance anymore?" Nicolette grimaced and her face fell.
"Well Mom, I guess I'll just see how this goes. I have to go, I'll talk to you later." She hung up with her mother and sighed. This is how she'd always been. Her mother called it 'a little tough love.' "Now if I'd said I had been invited to join the Professors at the U for dinner it would've been an explosion." Nicolette entered the lobby of her building and pressed the call button for the elevator. It arrived shortly and she pressed the button for the third floor. Soon enough, she was in her condo, slipping her shoes off and changing into lounge clothes. Nicolette looked at herself in the bathroom, touching the few wrinkles that she had on her face. Am I too old for this? She asked herself. Can my body handle it? She sighed and made way for the living room, ready to unwind and relax.
BRUCE WAYNE
Bruce sat in the Cave, alone. He had subjected to Alfred's pestering and walked through the Manor, feeling old memories surface again. He wanted it to be nighttime so he could leave all this behind. For now though, he was rereading the messages Alfred had found. He committed a few code names to memory. Beast, Runner, and then one name that had just been stated as Man. He hoped he could drag out a few identities tonight. The Batman needed to make some sort of progress at least.
Night fall came and soon, the Batman was sitting on a rooftop in the Narrows, waiting. Few people had wandered past so far, and none of them were a Phoenix. He had a good feeling though, so he decided to wait this out. The streets were mostly quiet, a few cats were shrieking nearby. Batman flicked on all his sensors, especially the one for extended hearing. Just as he was about to give up, a hooded figure strolled down the street, one hand shoved in their pocket and the other at their side. Immediately he shifted his vantage point from the roof to the fire escape. The figure stopped and pulled a walkie-talkie to their mouth.
"Clear so far… what am I looking for anyway?" Batman's eyes widened slightly as he heard the voice of the person. It was girl, and a young girl at that.
"The Bat of course. Just stay sharp. And if you do run into him… .you know the rules." The responding voice was gruff and Batman could tell whether it was male or female. He did know that this girl was a rookie and most likely scared stiff. That fear would let him get the information he needed easily. She might not know anything, he thought. But it's worth a shot. Batman jumped down from the fire escape, landing without a sound in the alley below. The girl had started walking again and he silently trailed her. I need to get her out of the main street, he thought, watching her walk further away. He trailed her, moving through the maze of alleys and catching glimpse of her here and there. Finally, an opportunity arose. The girl ducked into an alley after seeing a group of guys coming down the opposite side of the street. There, the Batman was waiting.
"Tell me what you know about the Phoenix." His voice was gruff and intimidating. The girl turned quickly, her eyes widening as she took in the mass of shadows before her.
"I , I don't know what you're talking about." She stuttered out. Strike one.
"Tell me names. Any names you know." Batman took a step toward her.
"I don't know any names!" She cried. The hand lifted from her pocket and with it- the glint of metal.
"You won't. You can't. You're a rookie. A scared girl walking in the Narrows." He disappeared into the shadows and popped up behind her. "What's your name?" He rasped.
"C-Caddie." Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"Why are you in The Phoenix?" He interrogated.
"I didn't have a choice. They recruited me and I didn't have a choice. Said they would make me clean again." She fell to the ground, her head in her hands.
"I need names. Tell me names of anyone you know in The Phoenix."
"I told you! I don't know any names! They only used nicknames, codes." She sobbed. "The man that recruited me, his name was Runner. He was tall and had this voice that just sent shivers down my spine. I never saw his face. I never saw anyone's face. They just gave me instructions and a walkie-talkie." Caddie pulled out the device and laid it on the ground. Batman moved forward and picked up the walkie-talkie, examining it for anything he could use to track someone.
"What were your instructions?" He said, moving back into the shadows.
"To kill you." She looked up and took another device out of her pocket. On it, were two buttons. She clicked both of them. Batman disappeared, trying to forget the sickening smirk on her face. He made it up to the rooftop, and looked back down at the walkie-talkie. The screen was bright red and numbers were counting down. 10 seconds, 9 seconds, 8 seconds… Batman groaned, crushed the device under his boot, and then observed the broken pieces. A black powder was coating the inside of all the pieces and he sniffed it. Gunpowder. Batman collected the pieces and took off, needing to examine this in the light of the cave.
"Back so soon Master Wayne?" Alfred was up and waiting. It was only midnight, which was extremely early for Bruce.
"There's teenage girls with bombs out there Alfred. Things just became more serious." Bruce started taking the uniform off and put the broken pieces of the walkie-talkie on a table for further examination.
"I'm guessing that you came in pretty close contact tonight?" Bruce just looked at Alfred and then sat down at the table. He picked apart the pieces and found nearly every one of them coated in gunpowder.
"How was gunpowder supposed to light?" Bruce, confused, scratched his head and placed a piece back in the pile.
"Perhaps it was custom built sir. God knows you acquire some technology that doesn't follow logic." At this Bruce nodded. So The Crows either had a tech specialist or were in touch with one.
"Either there is brainwashing going on in The Phoenix, or people hate the Batman more than I thought." Bruce muttered.
"I'd go with the brainwashing Master Wayne." Bruce nodded and stood up.
"What plans did I have for tomorrow Alfred?"
"Well you did have that charity dinner for the businesses of Gotham. Lots of mingling. The invitation said a representative from every business would be there. How it'll turn out… I'm not quite sure." Alfred smiled and accompanied Bruce onto the lift. "Looks like we're sleeping here tonight Alfred." Bruce said, his eyes already drifting shut.
"As long as you do sleep, Sir. Wayne Enterprises can't have you looking like you've been up all night at the dinner tomorrow." Bruce rolled his eyes as they exited the cave and entered Wayne Manor.
So, chapter one is completed. I know it was a pretty slow chapter and I apologize! This was a set-up for more chapters to come! And in the next chapter Nicolette is going to meet a super sexy Bruce! c:
Again thanks so much for all the reviews! I hope to get the next chapter up in at least a week. But I want at least 3 more reviews.
-k
( 2/22/11 update: I made a few changes to this chapter. Please excuse me. c: My friend and I had a brainstorm session and it cleared my mind and set a straight course for this story. THIS IS GOOD!)