Chapter 15: Asking her for Prom

Wednesday 19th June 2013, the Penthouse

We come to the Penthouse from TDK where Bruce, Blake, Alfred, and Lucius discuss the event with Chamberlain, Maine later this morning to the next day.

"I still don't trust Murphy Bruce. He's obviously using him to get what he wants." Blake said.

"Murphy's not our main problem John. It's the Joker's dirty bomb. For now Murphy was the Commissioner. And Otis Doyle is the sheriff." Bruce said.

"There's a lot of rumors surrounding Murphy. But whether he's dirty or not Batman and Robin can't make any moves on him." Blake said.

"And they won't have to. Because Bruce Wayne was just invited to his event tonight. The word on your return to Gotham surely drew his interest." Alfred said.

"Alfred's right." Lucius said.

"Still a tip from Stewart Murphy. Not to mention he has Otis Doyle and a brown head officer following us there." Blake said.

"Office Alyssa Barrett has intelligence. Despite working with Murphy he's proven to be a useful asset too." Bruce said.

"She's one of them." Blake said.

"For now we have to play along, we have to find that bomb." Bruce said.

As Blake hated it he knew Bruce was right especially after the destruction Joker caused last night…

"The girl had strawberry blonde hair." Bruce said.

"Girl?" Blake asked.

"Strawberry blonde hair?" Lucius asked.

"I saw her at school." Bruce said.

"Where?" Blake asked.

"Chamberlain, Maine." Bruce said.

"Chamberlain, Maine?" Blake asked.

"Master Bruce lives in Chamberlain, Maine." Alfred said.

"You live in Chamberlain, Maine." Lucius said.

"Yeah. I saw a red-haired woman named Rita Desjardin." Bruce said.

"Who's Rita Desjardin?" Blake said.

"She was my childhood friend." Bruce said.

"Sure." Lucius said.

"Rita and I a long time ago." Bruce said.

"Of course." Blake said.

"We are going to the Bat-Bunker. We read that the girl had strawberry blonde hair." Bruce said.

"We're on our way." Blake said.

As Bruce, Blake, Alfred and Lucius go to the Bat-Bunker…

Back in Chamberlain, Maine at Ewen High School

At the big sports field in Ewen High School, there were so many people sitting on the benches. Some were in small groups talking to each other, some were fooling around, and some were watching the boys play on the sports field. One of them was Sue. The guys were playing lacrosse with one of the guys being Tommy. He was running across the field trying to catch the ball with the stick which he successfully did.

All of his teammates clap for him seeing that as the game comes to an end. Tommy moves his stick backwards and throws the ball on the field.

Everyone part ways as they go to their next class. Sue starts walking down the benches to her boyfriend. Tommy takes off his helmet, revealing his sweaty face and hair. He was running towards his girlfriend, Sue.

"Hey." Tommy said as he hugged Sue by the waist and started to kiss her as she head to head to the side while laughing.

Sue loved when he did that to her but sometimes she could find it a little annoying.

"How are you doing?" Tommy asked Sue.

"Good." Sue said back.

"Good?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah." Sue said, with a smile.

Tommy noticed that Sue didn't look happy or cheerful and looked a bit down worried him a little.

"What's up?" Tommy asked Sue slightly.

"I want you to take Carrie White to prom." Sue said immediately getting to the topic and idea she was thinking off since yesterday after she saw Carrie looking at Tommy.

"Good one, babe. Come on." Tommy laughed it off thinking Sue was joking and began to walk away expecting Sue to follow him. Till he looked back and saw Sue still looking at him with a serious expression. No sign of her joking.

"Are you serious?" Tommy asked in shock and disbelief seeing Sue wasn't actually joking around.

"I'm just trying to fix what I did." Sue said in a shameful voice.

"Yeah. I get that, but this is… Sue, it's nuts." Tommy said not believing Sue would say such a request to him. He did understand why Sue was wanting this but at the same time he couldn't believe Sue, his girlfriend, was asking to take another girl he has had zero content with to one of the biggest night events in their lives.

"Okay, so it's nuts. But after what we did to her, I have to do something. I have to do something that counts." Sue said determined and really wanting to make up for what she did to her. She wished all her other friends followed along.

Tommy was looking at his girlfriend, not believing she would go this far to make up a mistake she made. Though that didn't mean he thought she was crazy. It was good seeing that Sue was trying to make it up but… this was too much.

"I have to do something that counts." Sue said, determined. Sue really wanted to help Carrie and apologize to her. Sue felt like this is the only way to do it.

Then Tommy realized something.

"Uh… what even makes you think that she would say yes to me?" Tommy said to Sue while slightly laughing thinking this may go horribly wrong asking a girl he barely sees throughout the school days.

"She'd say yes." Sue told her boyfriend confidently.

"We've barely even spoken." Tommy said to Sue, trying to tell her this idea may not work.

Sue looked Tommy in the eyes. She still remembers what happened yesterday.

"I saw how she looked at you in class when you rescued her." Sue told her boyfriend.

Tommy looked down as he remembered what happened yesterday and how suddenly he decided to help Carrie when he saw she was getting humiliated in front of the whole class. However he didn't know that Carrie looked at him and liked the way he saved her from the whole class. Did this girl have feelings for him?

"What girl doesn't even want to go to prom?" Sue told his boyfriend as Tommy looked back at her. "What girl doesn't want one magical night?"

Tommy thought about this. He has known about the bullying Carrie has suffered throughout the years. Not just by the Ultras but by everyone. It always angered him and pissed him off. He has seen it. He couldn't believe how cold and cruel these people from this school are. He always wanted to do something about it so Sue told him this request he thought it would be a good idea to take Carrie to the prom. This would help Carrie a lot after all the years of suffering from bullying and abuse. It would make her feel happy for the first time and show that she mattered. To show she did belong somewhere and not just someone random. It would be something very big and important for her if she experiences this night.

"Maybe I can give that up for her." Sue admitted causing Tommy to come back to reality as he looked at his girlfriend. Why was he thinking about listening and abandoning Sue, his girlfriend, to go with Carrie?

"No. Babe, I want you to have that magic night." Tommy grabbed Sue from the waist and pulled her towards and looked her in the eyes.

"I don't want to go to prom with Carrie White. I want to go to prom with you." Tommy said to Sue. He did understand why Sue was doing this but he couldn't just abandon her girlfriend like that…

Sue slightly shook her head.

"I can't go." Sue said sadly.

Tommy sighs and after a couple minutes thinking, he eventually agrees with the idea and takes Carrie to the prom…

Back at Chamberlain Police Department

Gordon arrived and looked at Murphy and Doyle at Murphy's office.

"The Joker and his men at Chamberlain. How did you convince Surrillo to hear this farce?" Murphy asked.

"He shares my energy for justice. After all, the Joker murders them in Gotham City." Gordon said.

"Well, even if you blow enough smoke to get convictions out of Surrillo, you'll set a new record at appeals for quickest kick in the ass." Murphy said.

"It won't matter. The head guys make bail, sure... but the mid-level guys, they can't, and they can't afford to be off the streets long enough for trial and appeal. They'll cut deals that include some jail time. Think of all you could do with 18 months of clean streets." Gordon said.

"Stewart, you can't…" Doyle said.

"Get out. You." Murphy said.

Murphy waves Doyle out.

"Sit down." Murphy said.

As Gordon sat down in the chair in front of Murphy's desk.

"The public likes you." Murphy said, as he stood up. "That's the only reason this might fly. But that means it's on you. They're all coming after you now. And not just the Joker. Politicians, journalists, cops. Anyone whose wallet's about to get lighter. Are you up to it?"

Gordon smiles.

"You better be. Cause they get anything on you and those criminals are back on the streets," Murphy said, as he turned to look out of the window. "followed swiftly by you and me."

*BANG!*

A dark shape cracks the glass in front of Murphy's nose.

"JESUS CHRIST!" Murphy called.

Gordon rushes to the window, looks out…

"GOOD LORD!" Gordon called.

There were sirens wailing.

Pedestrians look up, someone points five stories up… swinging from a flagpole…

Gordon, Murphy, Doyle, and Alyssa looked up at the man. Hanging by his neck. Dead. His mouth roughly painted in a demonic clown smile…

The man is lowered from the flagpole. We saw each other earlier. Pinned to his chest by a knife, a playing card. A Joker. Gordon, Murphy, Doyle, and Alyssa move closer to the body. The card has writing on it: Will Gery Molin places stand up?

"Gery Molin?" Murphy said.

"The Joker killed him." Gordon said.

Murphy, Doyle, and Alyssa were shocked and looked down when Gery died…

To Be Continued…