THIS IS A FANFIC! ALL PROPERTIES BELONG TO DC!
MASTER BEDROOM
Bruce and Harley both lying on the bed, watching the stars in the sky out the window. Bruce holds Harley by the shoulders as she rests her head on his chest, hearing his heart beat.
Harley is in thought of why Alfred would say stuff like that. It confused her and is worried about Alfred's heath.
"What's the matter Harley?" Bruce asks, noticing her silence.
"It's something what Alfred said." She said quietly.
Bruce looks at Harley "Alfred?" He asks curiously.
Harley nods "He is hiding something from us. He made me-" Harley stops herself, as she tries to prepare the next sentence "He made me promise to never leave your side after he's gone."
"Gone?" Bruce asks, worried by the second.
"Yes. I can't put my finger on it."
"I will look into it Harley. Don't worry."
The blonde can't stop herself from getting worried. Alfred been there for her and if he's hiding something, she needs to find out what.
NEXT MORNING
Harley wakes up to find out that Bruce is not next to her. Bruce does this all the time, waking up early and sneaking out. It annoys her, but that's what you get when your boyfriend/fiancé is Batman right?
Harley changed into her spare clothes that she left at the Mansion, goes to the bathroom and brushes her teeth, feeling 100% fresh. The former jester looks at herself in the mirror, looking at herself closely.
Harley has always looked at herself like this every morning, like seeing a new sets of eyes in and observing her body. Being with the Joker ruined her life, putting her in torture while making her hurt people in the process. Losing her father in front of her by the man she tried to run away from and being a woman she hated. Harley tries everything in her power to be someone different, by being a Doctor and helping the children through traumas. Engaged to a handsome billionaire who happens to save people at night, dressed as a bat. She doesn't care about the money, but only the man who trusts her.
But the part of Harley looks at herself thinking that she doesn't deserve this happiness. Trying to tell herself that it's just the past and that there are people out there that forgave her, but to her? She can never forgive herself.
This is what she tells herself every morning. Then she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath and walks out the bathroom, to start her new day.
BATCAVE
Bruce is on the Batcomputer, looking at every details on the profiles that Selina gave him about the Joker. He only observes the hair that was cut, trying to find any details on why that it is not on file.
'Judging by the way it was neatly cut, I would say someone used scissors to make the cut.' Bruce deduced to himself, as he leans forward to the screen.
Seeing the Joker dead smile never bothered him. But it's the face he wants to forget. Everytime this psychopath laughs, death surely follows.
Alfred comed next to Bruce, placing a tray and cup of tea next to him "Is there anything you see sir?"
"Not anything big. But I can only figure out that it's someone in the GCPD. Someone that is high enough that can whip any details about the files. Someone who can look away from the minor details in this file. Someone like Detective Gordon."
Alfred looks at Bruce "You don't seriously expect the Detective to be hiding something do you?"
Bruce doesn't say a word, as he uses the computer to make a phone call.
The computer makes a few rings, drawing Alfred into thinking who would Bruce be calling.
"Hey Bruce, what's up?" Said Barbara asks.
"Barbara Gordon?" The butler asks confused.
"Barbara. I need to ask you something." Bruce asks while leaning back.
"Anything." Barbara said cheerfully.
"How's your father?" He said plainly.
"What?"
"How's your father? Has he been acting suspiciously?" Bruce crosses his arms while trying to listen Barbara's response.
Barbara takes a deep breath, having a moment to herself "He's been seeing someone."
"Who?" Bruce asks.
"Susan Queens." Barbara said.
Bruce nods "Okay. Thanks Oracle." He said as he hangs up. "Susan Queens…"
"Another mystery it seems…" Alfred said smiling. "Or a dead end."
Bruce goes to the keyboard "Only one way to find out."
Alfred smiles "I leave you to your work Master Bruce." He picks up the cup of tea and places it next to Bruce. His hand slowly shakes but Alfred calms himself down and concentrated on picking up the tray.
After Alfred picks up the tray, he turns to leave Bruce alone to do his work until…
"Harley told me what you asked her to do, Alfred?" Bruce said, not taking his eyes off the computer. "She's worried about you. We both are."
The butler stops on his feet, listening to Bruce's words carefully.
"I'm fine Master Bruce. I only asked her to be there for you, that is all." He lies, as he lifts up his head.
"You're lying Alfred. You never lied to me, so please don't lie to me now." Bruce turns away from the console to look at Alfred. "Please tell me."
Alfred looks at Bruce and smiles, not saying a word to him "I will leave you to your work Master Bruce."
The butler leaves the man alone in his cave, as Bruce turns to the console, ready to research more on Susan Queens.
MAIN HALL
Harley head straight to the front door, until she noticed Alfred heading to the stairs.
"Hey Alfred. How you feeling?" She asks gently.
Alfred stops and looks at the blonde "I am perfectly fine madam. You better get going or you will be late for work." He said smiling at her.
"You sure? Because I am worried about you." Harley takes a step away from the door. "Bruce is worried about you too. If your hiding something from him, it must be pretty bad."
"It's nothing for you to worry about Miss Harley. Trust me." He said gently, as he continues to head upstairs, away from Harley.
Harley doesn't say a word as he watches the old man leave her downstairs. The more Alfred lies to them the more Harley feels helpless. Without anyway of helping, Harley leaves the mansion for work.
FEW HOURS LATER
BATCAVE
Bruce grits his teeth, frustrated that he can't find any connections between Jim Gordon and Susan Queens. No relationships, no business meetings, no dates and no contacts. He's not even sure what Susan Queen looks like. The more he tries to look up, the more he can sense something.
"I've tried everything too."
Bruce turns around, seeing Barbara Gordon behind her.
"I see you've been training. Not a lot of people can sneak behind me like that." Bruce said smiling.
"Trust me. It's hard to do this when your on a wheelchair." Barbara smiles, as she moves to the computer. "I tried everything. It seems like this woman doesn't exist. Like it's a type of alias."
"A woman in the shadows. No birth certificate and no contacts. A woman who hides behind cameras." Bruce said, looking at the screen. "Even the Batcomputer is having difficulties finding her. There's no way of finding her."
"There's one way." Barbara takes out a note and gives it to Bruce. "He's meeting her tonight at a restaurant near Gotham Public Park."
"What time?" He asks curiously.
"9am." Barbara said simply. "Why you looking up my Dad and this woman?"
Bruce closes his eyes, thinking. "I'm not sure. I'll let you know when I find out." Bruce said as he opens his eyes.
Barbara nods, knowing she isn't going to get any answers from him. She knows that Bruce is a man that keeps secrets or doesn't tell the whole truths, but she knows that he has his reasons. And it's good enough for her.
"So. Harley Quinzel huh?" She said, decided to change the subject. "Didn't think she was your type."
Bruce smiles "I can't help but fall for someone."
"I know. I'm glad you found someone." Barbara said grinning "Especially when she happens to be your personal assistant."
Bruce chuckles, uncomfortably "You know I was only trying to keep an eye on her."
"From which side? The front or the back?" Barbara grins.
Bruce turns red "I meant professionally."
"I don't care about the position." She snickers at him.
Bruce, getting red by the second, uncomfortably and slowly gets off his chair "I should head back upstairs."
Barbara frowns her eyebrows playfully "Why? Is she calling you?"
Unable to keep making eye contact, he quickly leaves the cave while Barbara laughs to herself.
9am OUTSIDE THE RESTAURANT
Batman is on top of the building, watching Jim outside carefully. The Dark Knight can tell that Jim is waiting for someone, could be this mysterious Susan Queens.
The Batman refuses to take his eyes of him but can sense someone's behind him.
"Back from Bludhaven?" Batman asks quietly.
Nightwing takes a step forward as he looks down at Jim "Well I had a call from Barbara yesterday. She seems worried about him so I decided to keep an eye on him myself. Why are you here?"
The Dark Knight pulls out two pictures of the Jokers deceased body.
"You're here because of the Joker?" Nightwing asks confusingly.
"His hairs been cut." He said simply.
"Your here for a haircut?" He asks again.
"It wasn't on file. Someone hidden this from the GCPD." Batman said as he continues to look at Jim.
Nightwing nods, fully understanding the situation "And you think the Commissioner is involved?"
"I don't want to believe it. But yes." Batman Said, feeling very unease.
Nightwing takes a look at Jim as well "Where is she?" He asks quietly.
Batman lifts his head up "She's behind us."
The two turned around to find a woman wearing a hood, covering her face.
"You shouldn't be here. Mr Wayne." She said quietly.
Batman eyes widened, surprised how she knows his identity. Nightwing lowers his body, ready to make a move when the time comes.
"Stand down Mr Grayson. Please." The woman asks politely.
Nightwing turns to Batman "She knows who we are."
The woman takes a step forward "And I know that you have no business here. Just go back home Bruce. Back to your fiancée."
Nightwing lifts his head up "Fiancée? What?" He asks in shock, eyes widened by the revelation.
Batman smirks "You were there at the Nouveau débuts, weren't you?"
"Of course. Please just leave. Go back to her. While you still have a chance." She said coldly.
Nightwing chuckles "Please. I'm afraid we can't do that. Not until we find out why you need to Jokers hair?"
The woman takes a step forward "How the hell did you know that?"
"Ohh! Something that the lady doesn't know us. Interesting!" Nightwing grins at her "For a woman who knows everything. Sure knows nothing, doesn't she?"
The woman grits her teeth, as the building around her shakes.
The two looked around curiously, as Batman takes a step forward "She's doing this."
Nightwing shakes his head "Another power user?"
Soon the building collapsed to the ground. Civilians seeing this, quickly runs away from the building, screaming while Batman and Nightwing jumps away for safety.
Nightwing looks at the building "What about the people inside?"
Batman looks at him "You deal with them. Get many civilians out as you can. I deal with her." He looks at the woman in the hood, uses a piece of rock as a hover board, flying on top of the two.
Nightwing nods as he goes to the crumbled building, ready to save many injured as he can.
Batman uses his grapple and aims at the rock, pulling himself up to her. He jumps on top of the rock to the woman's length and grabs her coat. This only made the woman angrier as she uses the flying rock and rams the Batman on the wall, banging the back of his body in the process.
Batman grits his teeth in pain, and goes for the right hook to her right face. The woman looks back and does for two jabs on his right rib, unbalancing him. She then grabs the Batman by the throat gives him a left punch in the face, making him fall backwards to the wall.
Batman grabs the woman by the waist and pushes her off the rock and uses the grapple and aims it at the top of the restaurant, away from the people.
Batman manages to land on top of the building while holding the woman. The hooded figure knees the hero by the groin and an elbow to the back of his neck.
Batman falls forward, trying to gain strength from his body. The Dark Knight lifts himself up and pulls out three smoke pellets from his belt, and throwing it at her, blinding her senses.
The woman takes a breath, breathing in the smoke as she speaks.
"You think that would stop me? I was trained to see through your smoke and mirrors." The woman said calmly, as she turns around and pulls out a right kick to Batman's jaw.
The Batman falls to the ground, in agony, unable to move. He can tell that the woman is well trained, the same training that he went through with a certain group of people.
"Your fighting skills. They're military. Weller's Department." He spoke, trying to deduce her identity.
"Yes." She said simply.
Batman lifts his head up "But those powers. How?"
The woman looks away and back at Batman "just go home."
As she about to turn away, Batman grabs her right leg, causing her to kick him with her left, causing him to let go.
The Batman is unable to move, everything about him is broken. He fought loads of things between alien invasion to Bane breaking his back. But this is the first time he felt beaten. He looks at her, seeing her face for the first time during the fight, under the hood. It's too dark but he can see her face. She was in her middle 50's with a scar on her right cheek but he can tell he knows her.
The Batman eyes widened in shock, he defiantly knows her. He seen her picture.
"It can't be? Sarah?" He whispered.
Sarah Quinzel, kicks his face for the third time, knocking him unconscious. She looks up, horrified. Everything she did to keep her identity a secret and tried to stay in the shadows is gone.
Sarah turns away, leaving the unconscious Batman alone in the dark, away from the scene.
WAYNE MANSION
MAIN HALL
Alfred cleans the stairs, carefully. Observing the room, trying to keep it straight. Alfred cellphone rings in his pocket. The butler stops what he is doing and answers the phone.
"Hello, this is Alfred Pennyworth. How may I help you?" He asks politely.
"Alfred Pennyworth, this is Doctor Thompson. We have your MRI. If you like we can tell you personally or we can tell you know?"
Alfred smiles "I'd rather be told now thank you very much."
The Doctor takes a deep breath "We have found a tumour. But unfortunately we found it a bit too late and it has spread. It is known as a Glioblastoma."
Alfred nods and smiles, feeling helpless yet glad about the news. He takes a deep breath "I see." He said calmly.
Doctor Thompson takes a moment "We can try and treat it the best we could but it's going to be very difficult. We can give you chemotherapy or radiotherapy. We like to try out these treatments if you would wish to let us.
Alfred shakes his head "No thank you. I lived long enough. I've done all that I could. But thank you." He slowly hangs up the phone as he looks up in the room, taking a deep breath. A tear slowly comes down his cheek as emotions hurling inside him.
"I done all I could for him." He whispers.
BATCAVE
Harley is on the compiuter, with an earpiece on her ear. She has been overhearing Alfred's call. She takes the earpiece off slowly and shaking, looking at the computer. A tear in her eyes flows down her cheeks as she leans back in shock.
The Batmobile arrives with Nightwing jumping out with An unconscious Batman in his arms. Harley turns around in shock of what she is seeing. She jumps off the chair and helps Nightwing to carry Bruce to the medical table.
"What happened?" Harley shouted in shock.
"There was some earthquake woman who just beaten this guy to a bloody pulp. I'm surprised his still breathing." Nightwing said as he lays the Dark Knight down.
Harley looks at her fiancé, lifting his eyelids up, seeing if there's any brain haemorrhage "No brain haemorrhages." Harley said as she hovers her left ear and looks down at his chest. "And he's breathing is normal."
Harley looks at his face "Bruce, if you can hear me. Stay with me."
She takes off his mask, revealing a fractured blooded nose, lump on his right brow. It scared her to see him like this but knowing the life he leads? She can't do very much.
Nightwing takes his shirt off, revealing loads of bruising on both his ribs.
"Ribs are broken but his lungs aren't pierced through. So they should be fine. But…" Nightwing said quietly.
"But?" Harley looks up at him.
"Slight back injury from bashing his back in the wall." He observes.
"Who could do such a thing?" Harley asks in shock.
"Someone with powers mostly. But also someone who is very well trained. Someone who can fight."
Harley looks up at Nightwing and back at Bruce.
"Please be okay…" She whispers as she kisses Bruce's forehead.
TO BE CONTINUED…