Good evening, ladies and gents!
Below you will the revised second chapter of Holding Out for a Hero. From here on, I plan to post revised chapters every Monday evening and then continuing with brand new chapters once we get to that point. Thank you for all your support for the Cassidy Williams series and the revision process I am putting the second piece of the series through. I know it has been a long and possibly frustrating process for everyone involved at times! Thank you again for your reviews and additions to your favorites and alerts lists. Please continue to spread the love. You are all the absolute best and keep me going! - trs0010
Chapter II: Ghost of You
The drive to Wayne Manor from the Gotham Police Department was a relatively short one, a drive that Cassidy was accustomed to making daily.
Since the Joker, Cassidy made it her mission to check in on her broken cousin every night after she clocked out for the evening. The drive was so ingrained into her nature that at this point she was confident she could complete it blindfolded.
Unfortunately, this evening her visit was one of business not pleasure for it was Harvey Dent Day.
The annual celebration where the entire city honored the fallen district attorney that gave his life to clean up the streets of Gotham… or so the public believed.
Cassidy dreaded the yearly spectacle and the mockery the jock of a holiday created. If Gordon had not brought up this evening's festivities, the occasion would have completed slipped her mind.
With each passing year since the passing of Rachel Dawes, Bruce slipped deeper into his rabbit hole.
With Bruce serving the role of resident recluse, Cassidy was forced to be the mouthpiece for the Wayne family.
Her departed mother was born a Wayne and that same blood flowed through her veins. She was the only remaining member of the Wayne family outside of Bruce, and with her older cousin living as a shell of his former self; Cassidy was forced to step up to the plate and play a role she was never meant to play.
The Wayne Foundation was the largest contributor in honoring the city's champion turned rogue villain.
Cassidy could count on one hand how many people knew and guarded the truth on what happened the night Gordon's family was held hostage at gunpoint and slaughtered a slew of Gotham's finest.
Cassidy was one of the privileged few that knew the reality of the situation. It was not an easy truth to learn for she had to pry the information from Bruce after the accusations of the Batman being responsible spread like wildfire throughout the city.
Cassidy knew without a doubt that the rumors and lies that became truth to Gotham's citizen were just that rumors and lies.
Cassidy knew the identity of the Batman. She knew Bruce Wayne better than most. Murdering, even if the life belonged to someone like the Joker, was not in his code.
He took the metaphorical bullet to allow Dent's name to remain spotless and keep the criminals locked up on Dent's watch behind bars.
Now that had Bruce Wayne written all over it. The Batman was a better hero than Gotham ever deserved.
A prime example of how cruel and unjust the world truly was. Gotham would never know the truth.
Harvey Dent would forever remain the white knight that sacrificed everything to save Gotham from itself. The Batman etched as a vigilante that twisted his version of the law to cause death and destruction.
It sickened Cassidy to be forced to play a part in the charade, but what other choice did she have?
Bruce made this choice and sacrifice, and it was her duty to honor his decision, but if anyone dared to run the name of the Caped Crusader through the mud in her presence, Cassidy was the first to speak out in defense of the Batman… not necessarily helping her claims of sanity in the eyes of others.
Cassidy maneuvered her jet black SUV up the long, winding driveway of the Manor before parking inside the adjacent garage amongst Bruce's vast collection of "play things."
Her SUV was mundane and boring compared to the array of expensive, exotic and vintage sports cars and motorcycles that called the garage home, but with the who's who of Gotham about to descend on the grounds, Cassidy's bulky vehicle was best out of the drive way.
She climbed down from the tall vehicle and entered the giant house, if something so massive was allowed the title a house, through a door that connected the garage to the kitchen.
Exhaustion was present in her movements, but once inside the kitchen Cassidy was forced into the battlefield for the room was alive with action.
Cooks frantically mixed, chopped and baked meals for the hundreds of guest that RSVP'ed to attend this evening's benefit. Servers prepared glasses, plates and silverware while shouts and orders were shouted amongst the masses.
Cassidy pushed her way into the foyer to only see the chaos continuing. Hired help was running in and out of the house to set up tables, chairs and tens as well as decorations.
Perched on the stairs with a bird's eye view of the madness was the general himself barking orders, Alfred Pennyworth.
"Everything in pristine condition, Alf?"
"If these bloody fools would listen..." He stopped midsentence to yell at a poor teenaged boy moving a heavy box into the kitchen.
Alfred had to correct the boy's mistake and instruct him to take the box outside to the serving tables.
"You dress for the evening is hanging in your room, Miss Williams," he continued with his attention back to her, but only for a moment before for her resumed to overseeing the hustled moments below him and snapping out orders.
"Cassidy couldn't help but giggle as Alfred went from instructing the hired help to addressing her without breaking a stride.
He was the master of hosting events at Wayne Manor as he had overseen the execution of hundreds of similar events.
The bustle within Wayne Manor was reminiscent to the glory days and prime of the Manor itself back to the days when Cassidy and Bruce were just children.
She scarcely remembered those days now.
Despite all the running, shouting and chaos that filled the halls of the Manor, Cassidy knew that Alfred had everything running flawlessly.
"Safe to assume Bruce will not be gracing us with an appearance tonight?"
Alfred could only give a sad smile.
Bruce's seclusion hurt Alfred most of all. He had helped raise Bruce since his birth, and to now see him so broken was more pain that Alfred ever wanted to bear.
"I believe you will have better luck in resurrecting Marilyn Monroe to serve as my date for the evening than having Master Wayne attend his own event."
"I am afraid even in her present state, she is still more lively. Where is he?" Cassidy asked.
She wanted to pay a quick visit before she was forced into the role of hostess.
"He is in the study, love."
Alfred placed a comforting hand on her shoulder much like a father would.
He knew the pain he felt at watching Bruce waste away was a pain shared by the young woman. The two partnered together to combat Bruce's depression and self-inflicted punishment, but they were losing the war.
As Cassidy continued to ascend the stairs, it was as if she was slipping into another world.
The buzz and excitement from the benefit preparation was fading away and replaced by silence and emptiness that felt as if it had not been disturbed for centuries.
Cassidy crept to the end of the long hallway afraid to make too much noise and disturb the ghosts and silence.
The door of the study was partially opened, and as she peaked her head inside, her heart broke like it did every single time she glimpsed what was left of Bruce Wayne.
Bruce was staring out the large windows that allowed a breathtaking view of the ground of Wayne Manor. Whether or not he was actually seeing the frantic workers below was a mystery to Cassidy.
His brown hair that once was perfectly styled was now shaggy and in desperate need of a cut. He was sporting an unkempt beard to match.
He had long retired his former immaculate appearance. Who did he have to impress?
He was dressed in ragged, plain clothes. A far stretch from suits that costs thousands of dollars that Gotham was accustomed to seeing him wear.
He was leaning heavily on a cane for it was the only way he could maneuver around now. The toll of being Batman was a hefty one.
It was hard to picture the man before once being the Dark Knight.
"Bruce?" she barely whispered.
She did not want to disturb him, and he did not turn to face her. His gaze held steady upon the grounds of Wayne Manor.
"I saw you pull into the garage. I assumed you would be here sooner or later."
Cassidy quietly made her way to the large, maple desk and sat on top of it almost mirroring Blake's action from earlier in the day.
"Are we expecting a large crowd?" he asked when she did not make a move to being a conversation.
"A few hundred the last time I surveyed the guest list," she responded. "Should be a nice turn out. It would be great if you made a quick appearance tonight. It might do you some good, and everyone would love to see you Bruce."
"There is no one down there I would love to see."
"I could say the same, but I do not have any choice in the matter," she countered. "You can't keep punishing yourself. It wasn't your fault."
"I could have saved her," he said with his voice heavy with hundreds of emotions.
"No, Bruce," she said exhausted. She had lost count on how many times she had a similar conversation with her cousin. "You couldn't have saved her. You are human, a very exceptional human, but still human. You can't save everyone. Rachel knew that better than anyone."
He remained deathly silent. Cassidy let out a sigh of frustration and did not even attempt to hide it for his benefit. Different conversation, same result.
Sometimes she just wanted to beat the life back into him.
Cassidy knew all about self-punishment. She had her own form and was still paying for her own sins, but Bruce was taking his to an extreme.
"It's been eight years, Bruce," she continued when the silence was too much for her to handle. "I have watched you slowly die a little more each say. I know you love her, but she would want you to live your life. She would not want his for you Bruce. She wouldn't want you to give up on everything and everyone."
"Maybe you should practice what you preach," He spat back. "It's been eight years. He isn't being released from that straightjacket any time soon."
Bruce's words cut Cassidy like a knife. He had not mention the Joker since the day the clown was locked away in Arkham.
To hear him mention him now was a sucker punch to Cassidy's heart.
"He's not dead," she said with more fierceness than she meant. "She is."
"If it wasn't for him, she would be," he spoke while finally turning to face his younger cousin.
He did not yell the word, and he did not have to do so. His hurt and anger were all too evident and filled every corner of the room.
It was the moment Cassidy had been waiting for and felt was way over due. It had been building up and bubbling under the surface for years… the say Bruce would turn on her for loving the man who took everything away from him.
"Say it," She taunted. "We both know you are dying to let it out!"
She stood up and moved as close to eye level as she could with the much taller Bruce.
"You never forgave for caring about him," she continued with her own hurt flowing out. "When you look at me, all you see is him. I'm a fucking disappointment. Isn't that right, Bruce? You think it is easy for me? Do you think the thought of what he did doesn't kill me? I would give anything to have these feelings disappear and never reach the surface. I would trade places with Rachel in an instant if it meant I did not have to see you like this! Every damn time I see you a huge wall of guilt flattens me. I let you down in the worst way, and I will never, ever let myself forget that."
The silence that took over the room was so heavy the weight of it almost crushed Cassidy.
She was oblivious to the notion that her voice raised several volumes louder or that hot tears were spilling from her eyes.
"Damn it, Bruce" she muttered. "Yell at me. Hit me. Give me something!"
All he could do was return to his vigil at the window.
If it was even possible, her hear shattered even more. Bruce silence said more than any words ever could.
What he did say and what he didn't do tore Cassidy in two.
She left the study with her tears falling for steadily and retreated to what was her former residence within the Manor to prepare her fake smile for the evening.
If she wasn't in a party mood before, it was completely shattered now, but she still have to attend regardless of the pain she felt.
She did not have the same luxury as Bruce.
Bruce slightly turned his head to see if he was once again alone.
None of what Cassidy said rang true to him. He never blamed her for anything for it was never her fault.
The blame rested with the Joker. He was the one that twisted her emotions and mind.
Bruce knew the light should have flipped on in his head and "big brother" mode should have kicked into overdrive, but he could not do it, not today.
He turned away because he could not look her in the yes for he had failed her too.
She was struggling with so much as she was readjusting to a normal life after all she had been through in such a short period of time.
He just shut her out like the rest of the world.
She was family. The only blood he had left, and he kicked her out of his life like a stray dog while all she did was keep trying and trying to come back into his life and rescue him from himself.
He didn't deserve her love, so maybe it was best to hurt her and allow her to move on and stop trying to save a ghost.