Author's Note:
Hi fellow fanfic-tors! I hope you guys are enjoying my story!
Also, if you find this chapter a little short, I've been working back and forth between the two chapter stories, this one and 'My Sun And Stars', so ya...
This is the fifth... ya, I think so anyways... fifth chapter to 'The First Female Scarlet Runner'
I hope everyone is enjoying this story and please continue to read, review, follow, and favorite!
The Batcave
As they descended to the bottom, her breath caught in her throat. It was even more fascinating in real life.
Bruce Wayne continued to walk over to the monitors located on the far left of the room.
Katherine was too stunned to follow. Her eyes tried to take in everything, but there was just too much.
"Wow…" a grand smile slowly creped on her face.
As she slowly walked over to Bruce sitting at the monitors, she stared at the control table. There were so many BUTTONS! She had to hold back the urge to press all of them.
"You mentioned that you woke and found yourself in an alley?" Bruce Wayne's detective bat persona was full on.
She cleared her throat and proceeded, her change in attitude surprised herself, "Yes, the closest street name to the alley was 'Sonny Blvd.'. It seemed to be located in the seedier parts of Gotham."
Katherine watched as Bruce typed in the street name and the map on the largest monitor pulled up a street in west Gotham, the shadiest part of the city.
There was some silence…
Katherine didn't want to say anything for Batman's silence is deafening.
He studied the screen for a long time before he said something, "There seems to be a time disturbance in that specific ally."
She took a step closer to the monitor that Batman was studying so closely. "Let me see."
She reached out for the panel, "Don't touch it." Batman's chilly response left a shiver down her spine.
He continued to work on the monitor, looking from the screen to the control panel. Her lingering shiver created rage, "Look, I'm trying to prove myself. Its obvious you trust me enough to let me into the Batcave, but its also obvious that you don't completely understand me."
Batman's change in expression wasn't easily noticeable. He kept his eyes plastered to the large monitor screen not bothering to turn his attention away.
Katherine took his extended silence as a confirmation of her suspicions.
"Listen… If you wonder how much information I know about you, lets just say that its enough info to be a little scared while I'm standing around you…"
She watches him carefully, not being able to anticipate his next move. He had stopped typing on the monitor, but his attention was one hundred percent on the now still screen.
"I'll humor you," he said turning away from the monitor and looking me straight into the eyes, still having his playboy outfit on instead of his alter ego one… "Tell me, Katherine, what do you know about me?"
"You're parents, Martha and Thomas Wayne. Died when you were eight, murdered right in front of you by a thief asking for money and the pearls around your mother's neck. They were at gun point, even after your father gave up his wallet and the necklace, he still shot them, leaving you alive." She stopped for a brief moment before continuing, "From there, your butler, Alfred, took you under his wing for he was serving the Waynes for a very long time. Since there was no other family to turn to, he had to care and raise you himself."
Katherine was hesitant to continue for the pain on his face, probably of hearing his agonizing past, was evident for his forehead was creased.
Pain. A emotion that she never thought that would be plastered on his face.
"From the time of your parents' murder, you excelled in school, being an excellent student moved you up three grades. Graduating from high school at the age of 15 and a half, you then decided to travel the world, learning new things, to further excel in your knowledge. Returning from your travels ten years later, you came back home to Gotham, greeting your godfather and deciding to go down a path of justice, justice in the way you thought-and still think-it should be served."
Her long confession left the Batman in dead silence, he looked down at the monitor's control panel, he had to reach out for it, he appeared to be a little shaky.
Katherine couldn't help but feel uncomfortable, his reaction was very unlike the Batman she came to know through the comics.
"Very well then," Batman moved away from the monitor and its control panel, allowing her room to take a seat in the chair.
She gave him a worried expression before taking a seat in Batman's notorious chair, she regretted speaking the words for she had just replayed Bruce Wayne's most excruciating memory.
That moment in his life that changed him, it is the Batman's entirety. Its what made him this… man he's become.
Katherine started working proficiently on the monitor, for she knew her way around. But the growing heaviness in the room was something she didn't know how to handle.
The air around them seemed to hang, the tension not wanting to fade.
She typed furiously at the monitor before she couldn't take it anymore. Swiveling around in the chair, she turned her uncomfortable expression towards Bruce.
"Listen, next time, don't even ask me what I know about you or any one else, in the League especially. I realize that I needed you to understand what I knew, but if its too painful, stop me. I can, somewhat, relate to your traumatized childhood."
She paused, thinking about how she was going to say her next statement. Batman remained unspoken.
"I know too much for my own good, maybe it'll get me killed before I can return to my world."
She looked away and turned her attention back towards the monitor for it was screaming for her.
She could feel the intensity of his stare for it burned the back of her head.
"Listen to me kid, you're not as bright as Dick or Tim, but you need to understand that my," Bruce paused to clear his throat, "traumatized past, will not hinder my line of work. I have moved past that stage of weakness."
Katherine mentally noted that he sounded almost smug. She also came to a conclusion that the real Bruce Wayne seemed to be slightly different from the one she come to know from the comics. This Bruce/Batman seemed to be more open about his inner conflict.
Katherine needed to lighten the mood, she felt the need to cheer him up, maybe it was the fact that he was her role model, or maybe that he was part of the reason why she was inspired.
"I can't believe that you just compared me to Grayson and Tim!" She smirked at him, giving him a questioning look with a slight hint of irritation.
His stare did not falter under the lightened disposition.
Giving up on the situation, Katherine turned back towards the monitor.
Continuing to rapidly work on the supercomputer, she finally stopped and pulled away from the panel.
"I'm glad my computer science skills made up for itself. I though I would never use those abilities in my lifetime!" She wiped away the fake sweat off her forehead, she still felt awkward around Batman.
"Get out-" he stopped brusquely his attention changed, he look straight through her, his attention some place else. He reached up to touch his comlink, "Batman, what is it?"
There was some silence, but Katherine could barely make out the words behind the communicator. The simple fact that she could hear anything was amazing.
"Batman, there is an problem at the Watch Tower. There seems to be something happening with the 'ADP', it seems to be acting, quite differently over the past few hours. Report to the Tower immediately. Watch Tower off."
After the immediate news, Batman narrowed his eyes while Katherine's widened.
Excitement seemed to overflow in her, "Was that Wonder Woman?! OMG! I've always wanted to meet an Amazon!" Katherine's eyes gleamed and her smile made her radiate.
Bruce Wayne started to take the place of Batman, his somewhat, fatherly appearance coming to show.
"You're coming with me, don't speak. Just follow." His voice wasn't so harsh, but challenging.
He moved away from the monitor and made a move for the glass cases lined up along the side of the cave.
Katherine watched him diligently, the illustrious vigilante of Gotham was going for his suit.
She watched him punch in a code into the side screen and the glass door slides open, he reached in and pulled out his chest plate. His back was facing towards her, but when he stripped his shirt off and tossed it to the side, Katherine's breath hitched. She quickly turned around and stared at the moving monitor.
She thought he was beautiful, but knew he belongs to Wonder Woman, besides, she thought, he was kind of old…
A few minutes later, she heard his light footsteps approach.
"Follow me," Katherine rose from her seat and followed him t the transporter pad.
"Before we leave, put this on," he hands over a small necklace with a normal cut diamond. She plucks the thin chained neck piece out of the deep crevices in Batman's gauntlets.
Holding it up, gazing at the beautiful yet mysterious diamond, there seemed to be something, different about it.
Looking for a clasp to place it around her neck, there was none to be found. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at him skeptically, "There's something wrong with this?"
Batman simply didn't seem to bat an eye, "Tap the diamond once, then pull it over you head. It will fit." He continued to pull on his gauntlets and play with his cowl.
Still confused and simply frustrated with the infuriating Batman, Katherine let out a exaggerated sigh.
She tapped the diamond once, it glowed a bright blue before turning back to normal. She hesitantly pulled it over her head and it seemed that the necklace formed to fit over her. As she place it gently on her chest, it glowed once and felt no different…
"May I ask why this is absolutely necessary?" Katherine thought that a simple necklace isn't going to make much difference.
Pulling on his cape, Bruce replied, "Look at your hair."
She pulled her long hair around, wait, it was not as long as it was a few moments ago, but about six inches past her shoulder, it was wavy and bright red.
"Holy shit." Katherine went stiff, she just couldn't comprehend the situation.
"What the hell is this?" She grazed her fingers across the small diamond hanging from her neck.
"It changes physical appearances, in reality, you don't change at all but other peoples' perspective of you changes to whatever you want it to be. And at this moment, you're going to become Batgirl." Batman reached up to his comlink, "Watch Tower to Batcave, available for transport."
Katherine had a million questions buzzing in her head.
"But, but-"
At that moment, the beam of light separated each and every one of their molecules and sent them up to space where the revolving Watch Tower awaits.
Ok everyone, thank you so much for reading!
I'll try to update as soon as possible! I've been really busy with my other story for ideas for that one is spring up like weeds!
DISCLAIMER: '1ST FEMALE SCARLET SPEEDSTER' DOES NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, LOCATIONS, OR COMICS. THEY ALL BELONG TO DC COMICS. CHARACTER 'KATHERINE SUMMERS' AND HER DIALOG AND BACKSTORY BELONGS TO WRITER. AUTHOR IS NOT MAKING ANY PROFIT WHATSOEVER. IF WRITER DID OWN DC COMICS, BMWW WOULD BE A REALITY. LOL