Hey,

Cool story. Can't wait for an update.

Ack. I should have reviewed this ages ago, sorry. I'll answer the questions from your review reply here too, since I'm not sure how one replies to replies :)

First two paragraphs have excellent Alfred characterisation. Only thing is the incorrect use of 'it's' in the first line, although that's probably only a typo, too minor to go back and fix.

'the customary poking and prodding that ensued every time the Batman returned with a look on his face like the one he wore tonight' - is brilliant, somehow really hammers home Alfred's reactions in the face of Bruce's vulnerability, without being too heavy or lacking in subtlty.

“It isn’t as though this is the Wild West, sir. I’ve got plenty of anesthetic, a good sharp scalpel, a steady hand, and experience to boot.” -ILU Alfred. Very him indeed. For some reason I can see Alfred fitting in in the Wild West.

'a ghost of the gravelly voice of the Batman'-lovely description.

"We don’t need the drunken, playboy, billionaire of Prince of Gotham to gain a reputation for being a prescription drug addict as well.” - You don't need the commas around 'playboy', or the first 'of', although again that's probably a typo. All this is nitpicking, of course, but there's not much else to critise! It is lacking a sense of concrete direction, but makes up for it with good character play and smooth writing. I would say watch out for overloading a line with commas, though - for example, while 'Thus, when he turned from his station at the computer just in time to watch a stumbling, shaking Bruce whip off the mask, he was not surprised to see that the face beneath was drawn, pale, and glistening with a sheen of sweat' is great in terms of content, the train of the narrative feels a little bit jerky to me.

That's about it for the chapter itself. Good job!

Regarding your question in the reply, the facade I meant was Bruce's, especially when having to keep it up through pain and/or emotional strain - creates a lot of tension, which is fun.

Alright. Going to read the next chapter now :)

With a third chapter out I'm starting to believe that this story might be finished, but then with your comments...lets hope you can finish it.

I enjoyd reading this, it was well written and to the point, nothing more to say. This it's turning into a good story.

I liked the idea of making Bruce Wayne appear drunk as an excuse. Good chapter.

You've chosen an excellent point to start, let's hope now that you can use it wisely and make a good story out of it.

I liked the idea you used, the interaction between Bruce and Alfred and how they took care of the situation. The fact than even though Batman might be at his worst, they cant have the luxury to dwell on that, simply act with a cold mind.

I really enjoyed this fic so far. Your writing is fluent, descriptive, with nice attention to detail. I know you asked for criticism, but I can offer you none at this point. The only thing that seemed "off" had already been mentioned by one of the previous reviewers: it's quite unlikely that the bunker wouldn't be filled with more medical supplies, especially considering what was shown in the movie – Bruce stitches his wounds, works and sleeps there, so it's obviously more than just a temporary shelter. Sure, your fic seemed more dramatic this way, but perhaps you overdid it.

I know you said you had no plans concerning this story, but I do wonder where it is going. After all, you can't focus on Bruce's physical wounds forever; even /that/ will eventually get old. :)

In any case, I'm really looking forward for an update!

Cool story so far, I'm looking forward to seeing where this will go so I do hope that you'll continue. :)

I really like this, I think you've done a great job.

Definitly one of my favorite Batman Fanfics.

I really hope you write more of this story:D

~Moon Dragon92~

Poor Bruce, that sounds painful. Great story so far! Update as soon as you can. :)

This seems like it is going to be very interesting. Please continue.

love it, a very good start! i can't wait to read more!

Good story so far. Update soon!

Okay! Well, to start with, this is really good. I appreciate the need for constructive critism, but with this chapter I don't have much to say in the way of negatives, so I think I'll point out some of the positives which stood out for me particularly. Hopefully that will be equally helpful.

The use of the opening quote is good - it sets the scene and the mood just about right. Also, the line "Batman had been Gotham’s hero when she needed a hero- now he would solemnly take up the mantle of scapegoat" is a very neat summary and the detail of him holding himself up on the crates as he stumbled adds versimilitude, while the way you've written his pain and exhaustion is compelling. The sequence of buttons bit was clever and appropriate for our crazy prepared Dark Knight - it wasn't in the movie, was it?

Alfred is perfect and I loved Bruce's comment about pretending to be drunk if stopped. I personally enjoy seeing the facade under presure, so if that actually happened next chapter I'd be delighted,though I can see that it might interupt the flow. Finally, the last line was fun and an apt conclusion.

The only problems I noticed were the idea that they kept most of the medical supplies back at the penthouse, which seems unwise to me, and the fact that the first non-quote line feels a tiny bit re-cappy, if that makes sense. However, the former works for your story and the latter is a very small quibble that I'm not sure how you'd work around, so that's all fine. Incidentally, I'd advise you to take the comment about not knowing where this is going out of the story summary and leave it to the AN to make that clear, as it might turn off prospective readers before you've got your clutches in them ;)

A great start, looking forward to more.