The next morning, I was fucking exhausted but I had to get up and go to "work." I was so excited for Bruce Wayne to fuck with my mind that I hit the snooze button on my phone. After ten minutes, I finally got up and got myself a cup of coffee. I sat at my kitchen table and went on my laptop to check my bank account. Steven did give me my five million, which was good. I went and quickly took a shower and got ready, and left the house and drove my white Porsche 918 Spyder to Wayne Enterprises. When I got there and got out of my car, some guy stared at me with his jaw almost to the floor. I laughed a little and went inside. I remembered Bruce had said I didn't have to check in or anything, to just go to his office.
I still knocked, and I heard a faint "come in" and I opened the door. Bruce looked up and smiled at me. I sat in the chair in front of his desk. He got off his computer and turned to me. "Ah, Raven, glad you made it. I was a little worried with all of the events that happened in Gotham last night."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Last night, Adam Bolte was killed and his warehouse blew up. A lot of people died," he said. My heart dropped. That building did not explode when I left. I didn't do that. Nothing I did could have caused that, could it? It was full of guns, I know that, but someone else had to have done something. "Innocent people," he remarked, only further driving guilt to me.
"That's impossible," I whispered, "how did his warehouse blow up?"
"That's what they're trying to figure out."
"Shit," I muttered. I couldn't have possibly been the cause of that. What if that guard who ran away did that? Jesus Christ. I can't be responsible for those innocent peoples deaths. I don't kill innocent people all the time. I wasn't even fucking there when it blew up so I don't know why I feel so guilty.
"It's nice to see that you're safe, though," he said. "But I guess we need to move on. I have a meeting with the board today and I was wondering if you could jot down some notes for me, because honestly, I don't want to."
"Of course," I said, and he nodded. We both stood up and I followed him out the door, and we got into an elevator. It was weird being in an elevator alone because we all know what happens. I mean, 50 Shades of Grey exists and Grey's Anatomy. It's not a coincidence they have the same color in both titles. I would never kiss Bruce Wayne though but I can't help where my mind drifts. It was an awkward silence as we went up like 50 floors. I was about to pass out because I was so tired. When the elevator finally stopped, I followed Bruce into a room with a giant table that was half filled.
"Glad you made it, Mr. Wayne," Lucius said, and Bruce motioned for me to sit down next to him. He handed me a small little notebook and a red pen.
"I wouldn't miss this exciting meeting for the world," Bruce commented. "This is my intern, Raven, and she's just going to be listening to the meeting."
They started talking about the most boring business stuff ever. Like, 'how can we make profits triple' and some shit like that. I tried writing down some notes but I felt my eyes get so heavy. I could barely keep them open. I wasn't even paying attention to the meeting, I was focusing on keeping my eyes open. What if I just shut my eyes for a second? That sounds like a good idea. I shut my eyes, and I opened them when I heard someone cough. People were leaving the room, and Bruce stretched beside me, before turning to me.
"Did you get notes?" he asked. I looked down at my paper and I saw I only had one sentence written and it was 'ugh this is boring'. Holy shit. Did I seriously close my eyes and sleep through the whole meeting? Oh my God, I'm going to get fired. I looked at Bruce, almost in panic mode.
"Y-yes," I said.
"Really? You only wrote one thing down and it was about how boring the meeting was, Raven." He didn't seem mad, he seemed a little confused. I'm probably the most confused over the both of us.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne. I... I fell asleep," I confessed.
He sighed. "You should go to the break room and get some coffee. It's just down the hall; come to my office when you're done, alright? Don't feel bad. I fell asleep too. My employees are mad at me." I still felt bad about not doing my job right, but it was interesting to know he fell asleep too. I know I didn't fall asleep because that meeting was so boring. I fell asleep from how physically and emotionally exhausted I am. So, I wonder why he fell asleep.
I left the room and walked down the hallway, literally just following the smell of coffee. I stopped when I could hear Lucius and someone else talking behind a door. I could barely hear it, but it was legible enough.
"You think that your client, one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world, is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands; and your plan, is to blackmail this person? Good luck." I heard Lucius chuckle and angry feet shuffling and I hurried down the hallway to see that the door I was just standing by, flung open. A man looked at me with an angry look in his eyes, and then walked down the opposite end of the hallway. What was that about? Who was Lucius talking about? What the fuck was going on? Was he talking about Batman? They couldn't be. That description could literally match any mob boss, except not really. I was too tired to have my mind be exploded like this.
I went and got my coffee, and headed back down to Bruce's office, but I couldn't get my mind off Lucius Fox. He was talking about wealthy, powerful men who beat people up. Everything I've been hearing and seeing has led me to the conclusion that maybe Ra's is right. Whoever Lucius was talking about seemed dangerous. I need to find that guy that stormed angrily out. I think his name was Coleman Reese, but I could be wrong. I was also sorta happy I heard that because now I have a lead, or somewhere to start looking for clues.
When I got to Bruce's office and sat down in what is basically my chair now, he also had coffee and he yawned. I guess it was safe to say we were both pretty tired. "Hey, did you find the break room alright?" he asked.
"Yeah. It's nice in there. I was thinking you guys should get an office cat. Everyone seems pretty angry all the time," I said.
"What do you mean? Was someone mad at you or something?" he asked.
"I saw one of your employees fling a door open and act all pissy. I think his name was Coleman Reese or something. Not to be a snitch but, that's just what I saw."
Bruce's eyes narrowed. "Huh, interesting," he muttered. "Do you want to go out for lunch with me? You don't have to if you don't want to."
Oh shit. Lunch? I hope this isn't a date. I'm surprised he asked me that. I don't understand why he is acting so nice to me, especially after I fell asleep in a meeting and didn't do what he told me to do. He's fucking with me, just like Tiffany said. I'm not going to let him know that he fucks me up. If he wants to play that game, then I can too. I smirked. "Of course."
He raised his eyebrow at me and stood up. "Let's go then." I followed him out of the building and he led me to his black Lamborghini, which looked a lot like mine. It was such a beautiful car, I could drool from the sight of it. I felt nervous about driving somewhere with him. What if he was using this opportunity to kill me? Holy shit. My heart started racing but I was already sitting down in his car, and he was pulling out of the parking lot. Fuck. Stay calm, Raven. How could I be this stupid? I thought I was playing his game. This guy is too fucking smart. What if he knew I would go along with it and then try and kill me in his car?
"You look nervous," he said.
"No, I don't."
He laughed. "Alright then, but I can see it clearly on your face."
"I'm nervous we might wreck this car," I said.
"Oh, don't worry about it. This baby is reinforced. If we get hit, you'll most likely get whiplash. It won't be too serious." He smiled at me.
"You expect to have people crashing into you all the time?" I asked.
"No, not necessarily... Just in case. You never know when someone might try and Assassinate you, you know?"
I looked out the window to avoid him seeing any expression on my face. Holy shit. What if he knows I'm out to kill him? That would be really shitty. What if he kills me first? I looked back at him, and the way he drove. One hand on the steering wheel, concentrating on the road. He was attractive, and I think he looked good when he drove, but he doesn't seem out to kill me this time. I didn't even realize where we were at. We had drove out of Gotham, and into the country. Uh oh. Now, I'm freaking out. He's going to kill me. "Where are we going?" I asked, trying not to panic.
He laughed. "Calm down, Raven. I'm not going to kill you. For someone who has such nice cars, you sure are scared of getting in a wreck." I wasn't scared of getting in a wreck, you fuck tard. I'm scared of you taking me out to the woods and putting an axe through my head like Jason Voorhees. I need to calm down though. I can't panic. I know how to fight. I'm a fucking Martial Arts Master. He can kiss my ass because I'll straight up curb stomp his ass, and then he'll lose his nice as fuck teeth. Then he'll be ugly.
"Cool. So where are we going?" I asked again.
"My house, because I had my butler make some food for lunch. He doesn't know you'll be there, but he always makes way too much, so I need someone to help me," he said.
"Oh, so me eating your food is one of my duties as an intern?" I asked. I was trying not to flip out that he was bringing me to his fucking house. This bitch didn't even say mansion, what a prick. It's not called Wayne Manor because it's a house. I live in a fucking house. He lives in a mansion. At least his butler would be there, so he doesn't shank me in the back or something. I should text Tiffany but probably not. Who knows what Bruce Wayne is capable of? He'd probably read my texts from here.
He laughed. "Yup, I guess so."
"This isn't going to be an everyday thing, is it?" I hate feeling fear. I never feel this ever. Look at what Bruce Wayne is fucking doing to me! I feel like a worm, or some weak as fuck animal. I'm really scared and I hate this. I wish he would ease my mind in some way but he can't because he's the one I'm afraid of. There wasn't even any music on.
"No," he murmured. I could see his mansion now and my jaw dropped to the floor. What kind of person needs to live in that? He lives there with his butler. Two people. It's like a hotel. Who needs to have three hundred rooms for two people? I feel like I shouldn't be judging him on that because I do have way too many cars, but what the fuck ever. I love cars. He smiled at the expression on my face. "Never seen a house like this?" he asked.
"This is not a fucking house, that's for sure," I said. "And no; I haven't. I didn't grow up with this luxury."
He looked intrigued. "Really? Hm, for some reason, I just always thought you grew up privileged."
I laughed this time. "Quite the opposite."
He pulled into his driveway. "I'm going to ask more about that, if it's okay with you."
"I guess it's okay." Why did he want to know about my childhood? We both got out of his Lamborghini, and I could see a man with almost competely white hair standing in the doorway, waiting for us. When he saw me, he shuffled a little, but he didn't show any obvious signs that he was pissed. Bruce led me up to the door.
"Good afternoon, Master Wayne," the butler said.
"Thanks, Alfred. This is Raven, my intern," Bruce said. "We're just going to eat and leave."
"The food is in the kitchen, Master Wayne." Alfred had a very nice British accent. I followed Bruce into this big ass mansion where had stone flooring and decorations everywhere. I think we were going to the kitchen and I certainly wouldn't find it. We passed by a picture that really captured my interest. I knew it was Bruce and his parents as a child. If he was a criminal, maybe I'd understand it. Like Adam, how he only became one because his father was murdered. If Bruce wanted to kill everyone, it'd be understandable. Not justified; but understandable. I'd get it. My mood changed a little, seeing how happy he was in that picture. Now, I wanted to get in his head more than ever, but he was keen on getting into mine. I'd let him, but he won't know much. When we got to the kitchen, there was literally Kraft macaroni and cheese on the counter. I was expecting like veal filet mignon or some ridiculous shit like that. I laughed when I saw it though.
"Nothing beats this shit," Bruce said, pointing to the macaroni and cheese. I laughed, and was surprised. I don't think I've heard him swear yet, but I hate to admit, I liked this side of Bruce. I forced myself to not think about it because I'm going to eventually kill him.
"Damn right," I agreed. He got out two bowls and started scooping half in one bowl and half in the other. He put a spoon in both bowls and handed one to me, and then we sat at the little table in the kitchen and started eating. Bruce took out his phone and asked me if I wanted to play any music, but I declined.
"I'll just put a playlist on quietly then," he said. Guns N' Roses "Knockin On Heavens Door" came on and I couldn't help but laugh. "I'm gonna change it," he said. The Sound of Silence came on, and that is the most depressing song I've ever heard. "Jesus Christ, I'm just going to play a song I like because this random music isn't working for me," Bruce said and then he turned it to Wrecking Ball, and I couldn't believe he liked Miley Cyrus.
"You like Miley Cyrus?" I asked.
"Her music is kinda dope," he said and my eyes widened.
"Oh my God, you didn't just say that!"
"I totally did."
We both laughed really hard. "Oh my God," I said.
"What's wrong with Miley, anyway?" he asked.
"She twerked on like, a fourty year old man and then fingered herself with a foam finger," I responded.
"She didn't actually finger herself though."
"Might as well have," I said and we both laughed.
"So, you said you didn't grow up privileged? I just thought it was weird because I assumed you did. Did you have parents or, anybody? I'm sorry for asking, I'm just curious," he asked.
"It's fine. I did have both of my parents at one point, but my Dad disappeared when I was young and my Mom is dead now. We were extremely poor. Like, way too poor to even function. We were homeless a lot," I said.
"How did you escape poverty then? You have no work experience, and yet you're driving Audi's around? I don't get it, Raven," he said. Oh fuck. I should've lied to him and told him I was super rich growing up. God damnit.
"Um... I... wrote a book and I made a lot of money off of it," I said.
"Really? Wow! What book did you write?" he asked.
"I wrote several books actually. That's why I'm able to afford the things I have. I wrote the Harry Potter series, and that's why I have a lot of money."
His eyes widened. "You wrote Harry Potter?"
"Yes, I am the reason Harry Potter exists. I just thought of the idea one day, and here I am. Insane, right?" I almost wanted to laugh at myself.
"I've never read Harry Potter but those are pretty popular books," he said. "I mean, good for you. You probably made a lot of money from the movies, too, right?"
"Of course I did," I said.
"That's neat. Well, I mean..." He looked perplexed. "I'm going to change the subject then to something depressing. My parents died too."
"I know," I said, but then I realized it sounded bad for some reason. "I mean-"
"No, I get it. Almost everyone in Gotham knows. It really changes you, doesn't it? It's hard to function after losing people like that. Especially since they were murdered," he confessed.
"You're lucky that you can still function. There's a lot of people who lose sight of reality and lose control of who they are. There's so many people running around Gotham carrying a shit ton of pain on their shoulders, and they just... kill people. To somehow make up for their own deaths. It's confusing. You know how every one hates Kanye West because he acts arrogant and like a dickhead? Do you remember when he told Taylor Swift that her award actually should go to Beyonce?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Apparently, and I'm not one hundred percent certain on this, but his Mom died recently before that and he had been drinking to forget the pain," I said.
"Wow. I kinda didn't like Kanye West but you changed my view. Still, what he did was wrong and it gives him no right to act like an asshole," Bruce said.
I nodded. "It's easy for people like you to say that. I grew up in the ghetto basically. It's not... justifiable, it's understandable. The pain of losing someone you love is greater than morality, and that's the truth."
"I never lost mine, though," he commented.
"Don't lie to me. You lost it. You just found it again." Everyone loses their morality sometimes.
He smiled. "I guess you're right. I know this is going to be a weird question, but I'm just really, really curious. Don't take it the wrong way, but... have you ever fallen in love with someone, Raven?" His question stopped my train of thought. Why the fuck was he asking that? He said he was curious but why? I don't know if I wanted to answer that question. He told me not to take it the wrong way, so I probably shouldn't get all freaked out.
"Yes, I have," I said, quietly, "but he's gone now."
"Oh. I'm so sorry. I fell in love with someone, too. She's gone. It seems as if everytime I find a bit of happiness, the world comes crashing down on me, you know?"
I nodded. "I understand that completely. Maybe we should move out of the most dangerous city in the world, then. All there is here is crime and death."
"It seems that way, but there is love and compassion, even in the most evil criminals. This city is saveable. You can't have an attitude like that," he said, making my heart pound. I used to be loving and compassionate but I'm not sure anymore. I've lost too much and sacrificed everything, and look at me.
I shrugged. "This city is not saveable."
"It could be. If you can just bring that love and compassion out of the criminals, there can be real change," he noted.
"That would never happen," I said.
"We'll see," he smirked.