Hi everyone! First of all I hope you're all staying safe and healthy in these unusual times.
Apologies it has taken me so long to finish this story. What a journey it has been. I started writing this in 2014 just for fun. Then I decided to share it here and I'm so glad I did because the reviews from so many of you inspired me to keep writing at it.
It's hard saying goodbye to these characters now after such a long time but I felt it was time to give them their ending.
Thank you guys so much for reading, following and reviewing over these years! It's been so much fun! I hope you enjoy this final chapter. xoxo

The news trucks had already assembled outside Wayne Manor. Luckily they weren't able to get passed the gates.

I got changed and walked around the house, but I couldn't find Bruce. That's when I got a text from Alex.

How are you holding up?
Are you outside? I responded
Yes
Meet me at the south gate.

A few minutes later Alfred opened the door and let Alex in.

"Hi." He said as he saw me. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine."
"Cat." He said in a tone that suggested he didn't believe me.
"This isn't about me. What's the word on the street?"
"It's the biggest story since Bane…and well…"
"…me getting shot." I filled in the gap.
He nodded. "It's a gut wrenching reality check for the city. We're going wall to wall."
"Of course you are." I sighed, imagining 24/7 coverage of this.
"If you want to say something on the record…"
"I know where to find you."
"But if you want someone to talk to, I'm here."
"Thanks." I said and hugged him. "This is like a nightmare I want to wake up from."
"We've been through worse."
"True."
"How is Wayne?" He asked me carefully.
I bit my lips together. "He's not doing great."
"I can imagine."
We stood there in silence for a second.
"I should get back before my producer loses his mind." Alex said.
I nodded. "Good to see you."

I finally found Bruce. He was sitting in one of the rooms, staring at the fireplace.
He had changed into black sweats and a black t-shirt.
I knocked on the door but he didn't turn around.
"There you are." I said quietly, walking towards him.
He didn't move.
"How are you holding up?" I asked, kneeling next to him.
His eyes looked straight ahead at the fire.
"Bruce?" I asked.
He finally looked at me. "There's nothing to say. My father was a monster. After all these years…" He got up and walked towards the fire. "It's all been a lie." He said in an exhausted voice.
I put my hand on his shoulder in comfort. "It's not. What about your mother? What about the love they had for you? That's all real."
"I was blind and didn't see my father for who he truly was."
"Bruce…" I said, feeling tormented for him.
He walked away.

I walked quickly to find Alfred.

"Alfred?" I asked nervously.
"Yes ma'am?"
"Knowing how the business works, it's probably a good idea if someone says something to the press."
He nodded.
"Should it be you or me?" I asked.
"Well, coming from me it would be more formal. Coming from you, it would be more…"
"…personal." I finished his sentence.
He nodded.
I sighed. "I'll get it over with."
"Alfred?"
"Yes miss?"
"I have never spoken on behalf of the Wayne family before." I said nervously.
He smiled at me with that fatherly smile that made you feel like everything was alright with the world, even when it wasn't. "You are a part of the Wayne family. You have been for a while. You don't need to be nervous about saying the right thing. Just say what's in your heart."
I nodded. "Thank you Alfred."

I walked down the driveway towards the gates. The cameras were focused on me, reporters already screaming questions at me. I walked carefully to the gate and opened it.
"If you can make some room for me, I'll answer some of your questions." I said, as reporters and camera people were storming towards me.
I saw Alex with Bill.
"What's your response to the tape of Thomas Wayne?" Someone asked.
Alex just looked at me, his concerned eyes studying me closely.
"We're in deep shock over the video tape released by the Penguin. Bruce and I had no idea about the tape or more importantly Thomas Wayne's past. We're trying to process this as everyone else is in Gotham tonight. I'm asking for privacy during these times. Bruce is not like his father. He's not the one who should pay the price for his father's mistakes. He is a man who saw his parents gunned down in front of him when he was just a boy. We will have more to say later on but for now I just ask Gotham to show Bruce compassion and not to blame him for his father's acts."
"Did Mr. Wayne know about his father?" A reporter asked.
"No he didn't. This is as much of a shock to him as it is to everyone else."
"He must have known something." Another asked.
"He was a child. He wasn't aware of anything. I know that everyone in Gotham thinks they know the real Bruce Wayne. Everyone has an opinion about him. But let me, as his wife, tell you that you don't know him. He's kind, and generous. Tonight hit him hard, as it has all of us. So that's why I'm asking you to respect our privacy during this time. Thank you."

I made my way back through the gate as reporters kept shouting questions.
"Have you seen Bruce?" I asked Alfred.
"He's in the study." He responded.
I walked in and saw Bruce sit in a chair, a bottle of whiskey next to him. He was holding something in his hands.
This time I didn't say anything. I just sat in a chair next to him.
I took a sip from the bottle and grimaced at the taste immediately. I had never acquired a taste for whiskey.
"You didn't have to do that." He said quietly, looking at whatever it was he was holding in his hands.
"Do what?"
"Talking to the press." He said as he motioned to the TV which was on mute.

Exclusive: Catherine Wayne speaks out:
"Bruce is not like his father."

"I figured I'm an expert at it." I responded, still not used to seeing my face on TV as the interview subject.
"All these years I wanted to find who is responsible for my parent's death. It never occurred to me that it might have been him." He said.
"How could it? You were a child."
"With all the toys and gadgets, all the intel we collected over the years. Nothing. He wasn't the victim. He was the reason my mother was shot in an alley way." He grabbed the bottle and took a big sip.
I saw tears form in his eyes, his lips biting together hard.
"I know this is a complete shift in your universe. But remember, it doesn't change who you are." I said.
"No?" He asked, suddenly looking at me. "How couldn't it? It changes where I came from."
Just now I realized he was holding his father's stethoscope, which was in a glass box.
"Bruce…"
"I kept this, all these years, admiring a monster. I wanted to be like him. I wanted to live up to his standards, to make him proud. For what?" His voice was getting louder.
He got up in a fast motion. I had never seen him like this. I saw his hands almost tremble.
"My entire life is built on a lie."
"But that doesn't make your life a lie. What would have changed if you had known? Would you not have become the Batman? Would you not have stood up for justice? You thought you were doing this to protect men like your father, but maybe it was so you protect people from men like your father."
I wasn't getting through to him. His anger seemed to only rise.
He threw the glass case across the room with full force. It shattered into a thousand pieces.
Without saying a word he grabbed the bottle of whiskey and left.

"You should eat something." Alfred said, putting a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of me the next morning.
"I'm not hungry, Alfred."
"You said that yesterday, miss." He pushed a fork towards me. "I insist."
I sighed and took the fork. My stomach had been in knots ever since that video appeared. Normally I always wanted the truth to come out, but this one time, that's when I needed the truth to stay hidden. The truth, this time, hurt the person I cherished most. I had seen how hard it had hit him. Even under that mask of kevlar, hidden under armor, he never looked more vulnerable. It had broken my heart, knowing his had shattered all over again.
I dropped the fork again, wiping away tears quickly. Alfred handed me a tissue immediately.
"I just feel so helpless. There's nothing I can do and he's been hiding in the cave for days, not sleeping."
"He will get through this."

Every time when I went down to the cave to bring him food and water he'd be sitting in his chair almost motionlessly, staring at the mask he had placed on the desk in front of him.
He wasn't eating much and the whiskey bottle didn't leave his side.

Suddenly Alfred turned off the TV, interrupting yet another news story about the ruined Wayne legacy.
"I'm putting a stop to this." He said determined.
"A stop to what?" I asked confused.
"You get 15 minutes of pity in the morning but that's it."
I was completely taken aback. "Pity?"
"He is wrapped up in his emotions. He can't think clearly. He needs you to do that for him." He put a folder in front of me.
"What's this?"
"The lawsuit. I know he's not thinking about this. Cobblepot is not agreeing to the money."
"Of course not. He wants to make Bruce out to be a bad guy. He wants the publicity. The money would make it go away."
"Precisely. We need to come up with a response."
I took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry. I need to focus on this. All of it."

The meeting with the lawyer and Cobblepot was scheduled for the afternoon. I didn't tell Bruce about it. He didn't need to know I was going to be in the same room as Cobblepot.

I walked in with our team of lawyers, looking at Cobblepot's smirk as he was sitting there with his attorney.
"It's good to see you again, Mrs. Wayne." Cobblepot said. "Without your husband nonetheless."
"Mr. Wayne couldn't join us today." One of the attorneys said. "Shall we get started."

I didn't pay much attention to the legal back and forth. I knew the gist of the problem. I knew Cobblepot wanted to milk this for as long as possible.
I never said a word to Cobblepot. I wanted nothing to do with him.

"So, what's the verdict?" I asked my attorneys once Cobblepot had left.
"He's as unreasonable as expected." The lead attorney said. "He's refusing the money, hoping for a trial."
I sighed. That was the last thing we needed right now. "So what's our best play here."
"Are there any signs on Mr. Wayne's hand that would incriminate him? Say a bruise on his hand?"
"I don't know. The last few days have been crazy, as you can imagine."
"The injuries on Mr. Cobblepot are serious but at this point he can't proof that Mr. Wayne caused them. He can't even proof Mr. Wayne was in his home at the time of the attack. If there even was an attack. He could have done this to himself. So we're planning on counter suing Mr. Cobblepot for defamation."
I nodded. "But you need me to check his hand for injuries?"
"That would be helpful. Anything that could be used against him, we need to know prior to a trial."
"He could have gotten a bruise during the attack of Wayne Enterprises."
"And if he does have one, that will be our argument."
We needed this damn lawsuit to go away as soon as possible. I opened the elevator door to the bat cave and made my way down, fearful of what I might find.

Bruce was standing in front of his Bat suit, staring at it in thought. He looked freshly showered.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked.
"Daniel said his surveillance had pinned Cobblepot to an empty warehouse off 3rd street. I'm going to check it out."
"Bruce, you have too much going on."
"I'm fine."
"I'll check it out." I said, knowing already what his answer would be.
"Absolutely not. You're not going back out there."
"You can't tell me what I can and can't do. I got almost killed as Catherine, not as Viper."
"But that doesn't change the fact that you almost got killed."

"Last time you told me 'no', I was there anyway. You can't keep me locked up. I'm not your property."
He sighed and wiped his hand over his mouth. A big purple bruise visible.
"I know you don't like working with others." I said. "But you're not in charge of me. Besides, you said Batman was over. You went through all this trouble to kill him and here we are."
He bit his teeth together, a vein on his jaw bulging in response. "Batman is dead as far as Gotham is concerned." He responded.
I sighed, walking over to the Batcomputer and scrolling through the information he had.
"What are we hoping to find?" I asked. "I doubt he's still there."
"Any clues that could lead us to him or connect the dots. Once we can proof he's the Penguin we can lock him up."
"We could lock Cobblepot up anyway." I smiled.
He gave me a confused look. "Kidnapping and false imprisonment?"
"I know you want to."
He didn't respond, obviously that wasn't the answer but I knew he wanted Cobblepot gone. He rested his left hand on his right bicep.

The bad news was he had a large bruise and our lawyers said, as part of the evidence gathering, they couldn't hold the police off much longer. They would have to talk to Bruce and examine his hand. Cobblepot didn't accept any of the money.
"What's that from?" I asked innocently, pointing at his hand.
He looked absently at his hand. "I don't remember. Doesn't hurt."
"Is high pain tolerance something that comes with training?"
A very slight smile formed on his face, but he didn't respond.
"So, we doing this?" I asked.
He was about to protest but I put my finger on his mouth. "I'm coming no matter what you're saying."
His eyes were like daggers, he grabbed my wrist and pulled it away from his mouth. "Fine."

I went into the kitchen and asked Alfred for a gin and tonic.
"Coming right up, ma'am." He answered.
I opened my laptop, trying to research anything that could help with any of our problems.
We had the Penguin still out there and nobody could proof it was Cobblepot. When was the next attack going to happen? And what else did he have in store for Bruce? How much more could he hurt him?
Alfred placed the ice cold drink in front of me.
"There we are." Alfred said.
"Say Cobblepot wants to destroy Bruce, what other ways can he do it? He's already attacked Wayne Enterprises, shutting it down for several days and costing the company a lot in lost time. Not to mention the emotional toll it's taken on him. Then revealing that…video. What else?"
"He could try to bankrupt Master Wayne. No easy task, of course, given the fact that his money is tied up in various spots."
"True but he could weaken him financially. The question is how? What else?"
"You."
"Me?"
"To harm you in any way would hurt Master Wayne more than anything in the world."
"Good luck." I said, thinking of my entire security team. "Especially since I got shot." I froze and looked at Alfred. "Do you think…he was hired by Cobblepot?" I asked.
"It's worth looking into." Alfred said.
Was this all an elaborate scheme to drive Bruce over the edge and take everything from him?

The next day I walked into Gordon's office.

"We still have no lead on the Cobblepot connection to the Enterprises attack if that's why you're here, Mrs. Wayne." Gordon said.

It was strange talking to Gordon in a well-lit office and not on a rooftop, clouded in darkness.

"It isn't. I'm here about the investigation into my attempted murder." I said as I sat down.
"Oh?" Gordon raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat. "Well, Ryan Wilson is in police custody awaiting trial. I'm expecting the DA will seek the death penalty unless his lawyers can argue for insanity."
"I want the case file. All of it."
Gordon shifted uneasy in his chair. "That's a highly irregular request."
"It's a highly irregular case."
"What are you looking for?"
I took a deep inhale, sitting up straighter in my chair. "I'm not entirely sure he acted alone."
"What would give you that impression?"
"It's more a gut feeling at this point."
He sighed and took off his glasses. "I know that you went through hell and it may seem impossible that it could be random but…"
I shook my head. "No, I didn't go through hell. Bruce did."
Gordon paused and looked at me.
"I think whoever attacked Enterprises was after me as well." I continued. "Not because of me - because of Bruce. Cobblepot wants to destroy him."
"You think it's personal?"
"I do."
"Cobblepot certainly has a motive. But it's also far fetched. Nothing in our investigation suggested he acted with someone."
"I'm sure. I'd still like to look at the entire case file."
He sighed. "I'll get you a copy."
"Thank you."
"Does he know about your hunch?"
"Bruce? God no. I don't want to burden him with this stuff. Not unless I know something concrete."

Bruce still spent most of his time in the cave. He would come to bed very late and get up early. I wasn't sure if he actually slept.

While he was focused on the tip at the warehouse, I researched Cobblepot's possible involvement in the shooting of me. It's not a wound I needed to remind Bruce of, especially not now.

It was surreal looking at the evidence on my computer. I had looked through case files a million times before as a reporter but it had never been about me. I skipped the detailed descriptions of that night by several deputies. I didn't need a reminder. I scrolled quickly past the pictures of me, shot, covered in blood, Bruce holding me.

I took a deep breath, trying to look at this as if it wasn't my file.

There were pictures of Ryan Wilson's house and the shrine in his attic dedicated to me. Creepy! A shudder went down my spine. Countless pictures of me were stapled to the wall along with newspaper clippings.
I read the statement from his neighbor. She didn't suspect anything. He seemed like a normal guy.
He didn't give a statement without a lawyer and the lawyer immediately geared towards an insanity plea, saying he was deranged and had an unhealthy obsession with me.

What made Wilson suddenly snap? He had no criminal history. The detective had noted he worked for a local grocery store as a cashier. They had also interviewed some of his co-workers. Janine Price was friends with him.
'He always talked about her.' Her statement read. 'He knew everything that was to know about her. Freaked me out a few times.'

'Did he ever threaten to harm to Mrs. Wayne?' The detective asked.

'Oh no. He got real defensive if anyone even spoke badly about her. The shooting took me by complete surprise.'

'How did he react to the announcement she had married Bruce Wayne?'

'He was angry about it. Said she deserved better. He hated that Wayne guy.'
'Did he threaten to harm to Mr. Wayne?'
'Nah. He never threatened nobody. Ryan is a weird guy but I never took him to be violent.'

Then there was the pictures from the surveillance video of the gun store where he had bought the rifles. I felt like I tasted copper when I looked at the picture, knowing one of the bullets he was buying was going to end up lodged in my stomach. Instinctively my hand went to my scar it had left behind.

Wilson had no immediate family left aside from his estranged sister.
His neighbors all stated they never hung out with him. He had no friends, except for Janine Price.

I called the number of the supermarket where Wilson worked and asked for the manager. I pretended Price had applied for a job with me and I wanted to check her references.

"How can I help you?" The man on the other line asked.
"I'm looking at the application of Janine Price, does she still work for you?"
"Price?" He seemed to be searching his brain for a memory of her. "Oh yes Janine. No, she only worked here for a short time."
"Can you be more specific?"
"Hold on, I have to look her up. She worked here for three weeks."
"That's a very short time."
"Yeah, you know how this industry is. Kids are just going from job to job."
"When was her last day?"
"November 14th."
That was two weeks after I was shot.
"Can you recommend her?"
"I'm sure she was doing a decent job. Listen, I honestly barely remember the girl. Guess that's a good thing." He chuckled.
"I hear ya. Thanks for your time."

I ran her through the system. Ms. Price had some run-ins with the law, but nothing that stood out. Her current address had her far away from the supermarket.
I called Alex.
"Hey, I need your help."
"I'm listening."
"I need to ask someone a few questions and I can't do it."
"Could you be a little bit more vague? I feel like you're making this too easy for me."
I sighed in frustration. I did not miss his sarcasm. "Her name is Janine Price. She lives 20 minutes outside of the city."
"Why are you trying to interview her?"
"I just want to check if she knows anything more than she pretends to."
"And what would I be asking her about?"
"I'll send you the questions. You're the best."
"Cat?"
I hung up and send him the address and a list of questions. As predicted he called back immediately.

"Are you out of your mind?" He asked.
"No. I just want to get some clarity."
"Clarity? From the woman who was best buds with the guy who shot you?"
"Alleged best friend. Yes."
"Clarity about what? He was a psycho."
"It's a long story."
"Don't tell me you have a god damn hunch."
"I might."
"Cat!"
"It's just a few questions and for obvious reasons I can't go."
"What is your hunch on this anyway?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Sure it does. If I'm going on a fishing expedition I'd like to know what I'm actually looking for."
I sighed. "Fine. I'm wondering if someone else is involved. If someone hired or recruited Wilson."
A long pause. "Cat, I understand why you might think that…"
"I'm not emotional, Alex. It's just a few questions. For me, please."
He sighed in frustration. "Fine."

I got myself a glass of water and on my way back down the hallway, I heard noises from the gym.

I walked closer, watching through the glass.

Bruce was soaked in sweat, punching a boxing bag relentlessly. I watched his movements. The precision. The power. I remembered my training with Cox. Endless hours spent training. He had worked for this much longer than I had. And more importantly, the pain in him had raged much longer, burning deep into his soul over the years.

I couldn't help but see the loss all over his face. It was laid bare. There was no mask hiding it. I knew how deep the news about his father had cut. He had lost him allover again. And with it a piece of himself.

The punches didn't stop. Didn't even slow down.

That evening we were finally going to the warehouse. The East End seemed different than the rest of Gotham. Abandoned. Forgotten. Some street lights were still functioning.
"Lovely neighborhood." I said sarcastically, dressed as the Viper, as we were standing on a rooftop across from the empty warehouse.
He was quiet as per usual.
"So, we don't know too much about Penguin. He's not like the Joker. He doesn't set traps etc. He's a bit more like Scarecrow since he relies on poison gas, and tools."
Nothing from him.
I sighed. "You really are no fun." I turned on my new thermo scan technology Fox had installed. Glasses popped up over my eyes and allowed me to see if there were any people inside the building. But nothing, no red spikes were visible on my glasses.
"Looks like coast is clear." I said.

He stood up, seeming taller in kevlar.

"Don't underestimate him. Don't think because we beat Bane and Scarecrow it means we can easily defeat him." He said in a gravely voice.
This was new. I looked at him as he stared at the warehouse. Bane had changed him. Made him more humble and careful. That was a good thing but at the same time I could hear Alfred, saying he shouldn't be Batman at all anymore.
"What's the plan then, big guy?"
He didn't answer but hooked a line to the railing, grabbed me and jumped off the building. We were flying down, the only sound was the sound of his inflated cape flapping in the wind.
Once we had solid ground underneath us again he retracted the line back to his suit.
"I'm going in to make sure it's clear." He said.
"No, no. I'm coming with…"
"End of discussion." He ordered in a dark voice.

I angrily bit my lips together.

He disappeared into the building and I crossed my arms in frustration. I looked around the street, trying to imagine what this looked like in the good old days, before the economy collapsed.
Empty warehouses had been part of my worst memories. Images of the Joker almost killing me flashed before my eyes. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

I checked the time impatiently.
"Fuck it." I said and opened the old, wooden door to the warehouse.
It was pitch black so I activated my night vision goggles. Quietly I made my way across the large empty space. There were three stories and the bottom one seemed to have nothing that could point to the Penguin.
I tried to make no sound, quietly walking across the floor. Something suddenly pushed me against the wall. It was Bruce.
"Is this your idea of foreplay?" I asked with a grin.
"You have to be more careful." He hissed at me as he let me go.
"Found anything?"
"He emptied the place. Nothing left behind."
I sighed. "Damn it."
"I took fingerprints. They might give us a clue who is working with him."
"You did that in the few minutes since you've been gone?"
He didn't respond.

We got back to the Batcave. He jumped out of the Tumbler and took off his mask.
I discarded mine as well as I watched him pull up the fingerprint analysis on his computer.
"There you have it." I said. "A bunch of Arkham regulars mixed with some low level criminals from England."
"And a fingerprint of Cobblepot himself."
"Unfortunately that alone isn't enough to arrest him."
"No it's not. But we can pay his goons a visit."
"Looks like a long night." I said as I looked at the mug shots of twelve guys.
"You can fill in Daniel."
"So you can have all fun to yourself?"
"This isn't fun, Cat. It's not a game. I really need you to communicate this with Daniel. Maybe he can link these guys to Cobblepot. You can join me afterwards."
There wouldn't be an afterwards, I was sure of it. Bruce was too fast and efficient. But I knew how to pick my battles with him.
"Fine." I sighed.
"How are you going to find them?"
"They're Arkham regulars. I keep a list of them and their most current addresses. Daniel hopefully has a lead on the British guys. They could be anywhere."

I changed into civilian clothing.

"I'll have Alfred and Dylan drive you."
"Dylan?"
"The head of your security team."
"Oh, I never learned their names. Tall guy with an angry look on his face?"
Bruce nodded.
"He can drive me if you insist but you need Alfred in the Batcave, helping you."
"I don't need help. They're low-level criminals. Nothing I can't handle."
"I still think…"
"I'll see you after."

I bit my teeth together in frustration.

Alfred opened the door for me. Dylan was already inside the car.
"Good evening Mrs. Wayne." The bulky security guard said.
"Evening." I sighed as I strapped myself in.
Alfred looked at me through the mirror. He knew I hated this.

I looked out the window, feeling tired of it all.

"He shouldn't have asked you to drive me." I said to Alfred.
"Well, ma'am, I think he wants to make sure you're safe."
"The hunk of a security guard isn't enough?" I asked.
Dylan didn't even flinch, he looked outside the car his eyes scanning the area.
"You and I both know why he's overprotective of you." Alfred continued.
"Yeah, and I'm sick and tired of it."
"Maybe it's time you both found a new line of work."

We arrived at Daniel's. Dylan insisted to walk me up to Daniel's apartment.
"It's really not necessary." I said.
"I'm sorry ma'am. I'm following Mr. Wayne's order."
I rolled my eyes at him as we walked up the stairs to where Daniel was staying.
He opened the door and smiled at me before raising an eyebrow at Dylan.
"He's security detail." I clarified. "Thanks Dylan, we've got it from here."
He nodded. "I'll be waiting outside, Mrs. Wayne."

I walked in and Daniel closed the door behind me.

"Charming fellow." He said with a smirk.
"Don't get me started. Anyway, I have something for you."
"You've got my attention."
I grabbed my tablet out of my bag.
"These guys ring a bell?" I asked him, showing him the mug shots.
"No, should they."
"Looks like they flew all the way from jolly old England to help out Cobblepot."
"How do you know that?"
"Your tip of the abandoned warehouse checked out. Penguin and his goons were gone but their fingerprints were everywhere."
"I can run them through the database."
"Already a step ahead of you." I said as I pulled up the information.
"That rings a bell now." He said as he studied their files. "They used to work for Cobblepot's club in London."
"Any idea where they might be?"
"No. Except for this guy Ben. I know that we bugged him for a while. Let me see what I can find."
While Daniel opened his laptop, I used the bluetooth earpiece from my suit to reach Bruce.
"And?" He asked.
"Hello to you too." I joked. "They all worked for Cobblepot's club. Daniel might have a lead on one of them. How is it going?"
"Four down. None of them had anything useful to say. Let me know when you've got something."

He hung up.

Daniel was listening to tapes. I had that feeling in my stomach again. Anxiety pulling and pushing me. I hated everything about this situation. Bruce out there by himself. Plus something didn't feel right. I just couldn't put my finger on it.
"There." Daniel said. "He's at the Riverton. Any idea where that is?"
"A rundown motel off the highway." I said.
"He mentioned getting a room there."
"Alright, let's go." I said.
He looked at me confused. "What about Dylan?"
"We lose him."
He shook his head at me. "Wayne is going to absolutely kill me for this."
I didn't respond and started to unbutton my shirt.
"Care to explain what you're doing?"
"I came prepared." I said as I revealed the Viper outfit under my street clothes. I grabbed the mask out of my back and put it on along with the scar and the lipstick.
He stared at me for a moment. "What? Lost for words?" I said in a teasing voice.
"How are we evading your friend outside of the door?"
I didn't answer but simply opened the window.
"You've got to be joking." Daniel said.
"What? It's the fire escape."

It was interrogation number eight of the night. So far he had no luck. The guys were low-level thugs, ready to tell him everything but with nothing interesting to tell. He was worried this might be a dead end.

Guy number eight was living in the projects. Batman crouched on the fire escape, studying the guy inside. Man in his mid-30s, wearing a white undershirt and striped boxer shorts. The white of the shirt was turning into a stained yellow. He was watching TV while eating fried chicken and fries. He was yelling at the TV, wiping his greasy fingers on the shirt, before grabbing his beer can.

Bruce cut a small hole into the window of the bathroom, pushing his hand through and unlocking the window. Quietly he made his way through the window and walked around the home. Maybe he could learn something. Maybe this wasn't all for nothing.

The whole house smelled like old clothes. The dishes were stacked in the kitchen.
The bedroom was equally depressing. An old mattress with cheap sheets. Empty beer cans everywhere.

In the distance he heard the guy still yelling at his TV, apparently a sporting event of some sort.
He kneeled down and looked at the mattress. Often these guys were hiding their valuables in their mattresses. He touched the sides and found one section that was cut out. Sticking his hand inside the mattress he retrieved an envelope with hundred dollar bills. Payment for whatever job he was doing for the Penguin. There was a smaller envelope. He opened it and found pictures of Cobblepot. It showed him in an empty room, talking to a group of guys. And then there was one picture that showed him with the Penguin mask in his hand.
Leverage - he thought to himself.

The envelopes in his pocket, he walked stealthily towards the guy in his chair, who was now cheering on his team, until he stood directly behind him, towering over him like a dark cloud.

Without further warning he slammed the guy's face into the table, greasy chicken flying everywhere. A yelp came from the guy who tried to stand up but needed several attempts.
Bruce grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall.
"Tell me about the Penguin."
"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, blood coming from his nose.
"I don't play games." He grabbed his hand and with one movement broke his wrist.
"Ahhhhh!" The guy screamed, tears streaming down his face. "I don't know, man. I have no idea."
"Maybe this will jolt your memory?" He showed him the picture of Cobblepot. "Talk, NOW!" He demanded.
The guy hesitated and so Bruce grabbed his arm, ready to dislocate it.
"No, please!" He begged. "Ok, ok, I don't know much. His name is Cobblepot something. Strange guy."
"How did he find you?"
"My buddy Jimmy said he had work. Said he knew a guy."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"What is his plan?"
"It already happened. Job is finished. We had to help with the attack on the evening of those politicians."
"What about the attack on Wayne Enterprises?"
"I have no idea about that man, I swear to God."
"Swear to me."
"I am, I am." He said, crying. "Please. I told you everything I know."

He let him go and the thug fell on his knees, still in tears.
Bruce left back into the shadows of the night.

We arrived in Daniel's car at the address of the motel. The sign was only partially illuminated. One light kept flickering.
"Charming." I said.
"Let's get this over with."

I knocked on the door to the guy's motel room, once he opened it, I kicked him into the stomach and sending him straight to the ground. Daniel closed the door while I kicked the guy again before kneeling on his throat, my one foot pressed against his hand.
"What do you know about Cobblepot?" I asked.
He laughed. "You think I'm scared of some kind of sex kitten?"
I smiled at him. "No." And then I stomped the dart at the end my heel into his palm. He screamed in pain. "Good thing I'm not a kitten. So honey, would you like to tell us what you know about Cobblepot?"
"I don't know a Cobblepot, mate." He said in a British accent. Cockney from what I could gather.
"We know you do. You can make this easier on the both of us if you just tell me what you know."
"Nothing."
"Huh. That's disappointing." I said as I got up, letting him go and walked two steps back. As he was about to get up, I pulled a gun from Daniel's belt and shot the guy in the thigh, close to his groin.
He screamed in pain. "Fuck! Are you crazy?"
"Next time I won't miss." I placed my heel with the dart right at his private parts, pointing the gun at his head. I had no intention to kill him but it was a good intimidation method. "Now, the truth."
"He asked me to do a job and I did it. That's it."
"Which job?"
"Showing some video at a political debate."
Some video. "Where did the video come from?"
"I don't know."
"Who else is working with him?"
"Just a small group of guys."
"What's his next plan?"
"He wants to ruin Wayne."
"Was he behind the attack on Enterprises."
"Yeah, now please get that heel away from my crotch."
"What is his next plan?"
"I don't know."

I leaned forward, the heel digging just a little deeper at the denim of his jeans.

His eyes widened in panic. "Please don't. All I know it has something to do with Wayne's wife. That's all I know, I swear."
"What do you mean something to do with his wife?"
"I heard them talking about her."
"Was he behind her getting shot?"
"I don't know. All I know is he hates Wayne and he mentioned her as part of his plan but that's all. Look, I'm just a low-level guy. Please."
"Where are your buddies?"
"Which ones?"
"The ones who were part of the job."
"Back in England. They left yesterday. Our job is done. I'm leaving tomorrow."
"Someone's gotta still be here."
"I only know of one guy Chester. I don't know his last name."
"You have Chester's phone number?"
He nodded. "It's in my phone." His eyes glanced at his pocket.

I grabbed his iPhone from his pocket, holding it against his face for it to unlock.
"This the Chester we're talking about?" I asked, pointing at a contact.
He nodded.
"Write this down." I said to to Daniel as I handed him the phone.
He looked at me quite horrified. I forgot that this is not the preferred interrogation method. He gave me one nod as if to say - we got what we came here for, let's leave.

I lifted my heel. "Put some ice on that sweetie."

We left as quickly as we had appeared.

The drive back was tense.

"Please tell me you're not keeping this from him?" Daniel asked unnerved.
"Just for now."
He groaned loudly. "For god's sake, Cat. They're literally trying to kill you. You juts survived an attack and now you don't want to tell him?"
I removed the mask, holding it in my hand in silent contemplation. "I think Cobblepot hired the guy who shot me."
He sighed. "Christ. And I'm guessing Wayne doesn't know your suspicion?"
"No."
"Please don't ask me to keep this from him. The poor man deserves to know."
"Just for a little bit, until I have more information on it. I don't want to needlessly worry him."
"Why do I let you involve me in your lies?"
I smiled. "Because that's what friends do."
"What a strange concept of friendship."
"I also wonder how he got that video of Bruce's father. Who had a copy of that?"
"I can see if people in the intelligence community have any knowledge."
"Thanks. Another thing that surprised me - why is he sending all his men home?"
"You heard him - job done."
"Yeah, but it isn't. I'm still alive."
"Maybe he tried and when that failed he realized it wasn't so easy to kill you."
I looked at him. He didn't think that. Not really.

"I think it can mean one of two things. One - Cobblepot's mission failed and he's running back to England, or two - his middle men are done with their part of the job which was setting up whatever grande finale he has planned."
"You better hope it's the first version because if Cobblepot comes anywhere near you, I'm dead by default because Wayne will kill me for not telling him."
I laughed. "So actually you're mostly concerned about your own safety rather than mine?"
He smirked. "Obviously."

The next morning I met Alex for breakfast at a local diner.
"Mrs. Wayne." He said with a big smile.

I rolled my eyes at him and gave him a hug. "Good to see you."
"Remember when I used to call you that back in the day and it would drive you crazy because you hated Wayne?"
"Yeah. That seems like a lifetime ago."
"Truly. But also, turns out I was right this whole time." He said with a big grin.
"Do you want a prize?"
He laughed. "How's he doing by the way?"
I shrugged. "Same. It's just been a lot."
He nodded.
"Anyway, what did you find out? Walk me through it."
"Little Ms. Pierce wasn't too happy to see me on her doorstep. I told her I just had a few questions and would be out of her hair in no time. Might have slipped her a 50 as well. I think it was my charm that make her ultimately talk to me."
"You bribed her?" That was breaking serious journalism ethic's code.
"Yeah but I wasn't really there as a journalist, was I? She told me the whole story again. She worked there for only a short amount of time because the arrest and all the attention was too much for her."
"So nothing suspicious?"
"Oh I didn't say that. I think she is lying. There is more to the story. I don't know if I would go as far saying someone hired Wilson to kill you, but I don't buy her bullshit."
"Why's that?"
"Why don't I trust her?"
I nodded.
"I don't know. A gut feeling mostly. Her story sounded too rehearsed. At least that's what I think, but nothing concrete I could give you."
I smiled softly. "Thanks for checking it out. I got it from here."
He sighed. "Cat, you're worrying me."
"Nonsense. Even my security has security."
He laughed. "Yeah, I heard. Looks like Wayne isn't letting you out of his sight."
I nodded. "Yeah, he's having a hard time with it."
"Cat?" He asked, looking at me concerned. "Be careful."
"I always am." I smiled at him.
"No, I'm fucking serious. Your gut is usually right. So say someone hired that guy to kill you. That means whoever wanted you dead still does."

I nodded. "I know."
"Tell Wayne. Don't keep him in the dark about this."
"If I have something concrete I will. Right now it's just a hunch."
"If it's just a hunch, why are you here talking to me about it and not your husband?"
I swallowed, almost choking on his words. "He has a lot going on right now."
"We both know the man can handle it. If someone is still out there, trying to kill you, he would want to know."
I nodded, biting my lips. Here I was again, keeping secrets from Bruce. Weren't we supposed to be done with that? I was tired of it.
"You're right." I managed to say. "I know you are."

I waited for nightfall before I would pay Price a visit myself, only this time dressed as the Viper.

She lived in a mobile home in a poor neighborhood. It wouldn't difficult to get to her. I waited until she brought the trash out to sneak in. She had blonde hair, curled into tiny curls, almost looking like a perm. The color, which had started to grow out, looked yellowish.
The inside of the house was messy. Cigarette butts everywhere as well as empty Coors Light cans. I was hiding next to a door, waiting for her to come back inside. When she did I grabbed her, holding her firmly in a choke hold. Her body was responding how anyone who panics would. Her arms were wildly flailing, trying to grab a hold of me, while her torso and legs tried to move away.
"Give me information and nobody needs to get hurt." I said next to her ear. Her hair smelling of smoke and chicken grease.
"Who the fuck are you?" She asked in a raspy voice, thick with alcohol and nicotine.
"Tell me why you lied about the Wayne shooting."
For a moment her body stiffened. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Don't lie to me." I said, tightening my grip around her neck, chocking her more. "Let's try this again. Who are you lying for?"
She didn't answer.
"Trust me when I say this, you don't want to piss me off. Whatever they threatened you with, I'm a lot worse."
"They said they'd kill me if I'd tell anyone." She said between gasping breaths for air.
"Tell me everything you know now and I'll make sure nothing happens to you. You have my word."
"Like I could trust you?"
"More than you can trust them. Either you'll tell me the truth and I'll help you or I'll kill you. Which one is it?"
"Guy didn't give me much information. He offered me five grand to tell people all that crap about Wilson. I never met the guy before. Seemed like a weirdo though. Totally secluded."
"Why did they want you to lie?"
"I have no fucking clue, man. They just asked me to do it and I said yes. Didn't think it would harm anyone."
"Who asked you?"
"Guy named Jack. He came to the bar I work at part time and asked me if I wanted money. First thought he was a pervert and wanted to get laid. All he wanted was for me to work at the grocery store for a few days or a week and tell the lie. I've done much worse for money so I thought why not?"
"How did he contact you?"
"Calls me from a different number each time."
"So you can't contact him?"
"No."
"Thanks for your help."

With that I let her go and disappeared before she could turn around. Once far away from the house I called Gordon.

"Can you do me a favor?"
"Depends."
"I need a girl in police protective custody until the situation cools down."
"I…"
"Thanks, I'm sending you the address now." I hung up, texting him the address before heading back to Wayne Manor.

When I got back I walked through the house which seemed empty. It was just far too big for three people. It would be too big for 20. The endless hallways were easy to get lost in. These walls brought back so many memories, many of them awful. Sometimes I could still see Bane at the end of the staircase, telling me to come with him. But there were many good memories as well. Our life together started here. I suddenly stopped, thinking about that kiss in the rain outside Manor, when I was still a reporter and he was just an arrogant billionaire.

"Where's Bruce?" I asked Alfred, who was in the kitchen.
"Where do you think?" He asked with a smile.
"Ah! Downstairs."
"He rarely leaves the cave. Unless he's working out."
I nodded.
"What's on your mind?"
"I think someone hired Wilson. I don't think it was random."
Alfred stopped drying off the glass in his hand and stared at me for a moment in silence. "Why would you think that?"
"Because it makes sense. You said it yourself. Cobblepot wants to hurt Bruce. This is how he could do it."
"You already started investigating the matter on your own." He said it as a fact, not a question.
I nodded. "Woman who testified on his behalf was asked to lie about it by someone but we don't know who."

I was quiet for a moment.

"And now you're wondering if you should tell Master Wayne." Alfred filled in the gap.
I nodded. "I should but at the same time, he's so worried about me all the time already, the last thing I need is for him to think Cobblepot wants me dead."
Alfred sighed. "I understand, but on the other hand, this might help him channel his thoughts. Away from his father and back to what's at hand."
"So you think I should tell him?"
"I don't often advise against it, do I?" He asked with a smile.
"I suppose not."

Bruce was sitting at the computer, looking at files.

"Anything new?" I asked. It was my form of asking him how he was doing.
"Going through scanner chatter on our English friends."
When he noticed my body language he looked up, one eyebrow arched. "You ok?"
"I have something to tell you."
Now he raised both eyebrows in surprise, pushing his chair away from the desk and getting up. "Oh?" He leaned against the desk, his arms bracing behind him.
"It has to do with the Penguin."
He looked apprehensive.
This was harder than I had thought. He was already so worried about me and had started to finally let me live a little. "I don't know anything yet, so don't get worked up over nothing."

The frown lines on his forehead spoke volumes as he waited for me to tell him what was going on.
"It's mostly a hunch at this point." I said as I was nervously looking to the ground, feeling his eyes on me. He didn't push it, waiting for me. I looked up again and he looked concerned, which was the last thing I wanted. I sighed. "I think the Penguin ordered the hit on me."
The words shot at him like a cannon ball. His face hardened, his fingers gripping the edge of the desk tightly. I could feel how much restraint it cost him not to explode, marching out of here and killing the guy. After a moment of tense silence he cleared his throat.
"You think Cobblepot…hired the hitman?"
"One of his goons said Penguin wanted to harm me and the woman testifying on his behalf said she was paid to lie about him."
He suddenly stood up straight. "And how would you know about that?"
"I talked to her."
"You talked to her." He repeated my sentence like a disapproving parent.
"Yeah. As Viper though because otherwise she'd obviously recognize me."

He took a sharp inhale, his jaw muscles bulging in anger and frustration. "And you kept this from me?"
"I…I didn't want to worry you."
"Worry me? How would you feel if I didn't tell you about something like this?"
"Which is why I'm telling you now. I just needed to get more information first."
He ran his hands through his hair.
"I know. I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. But here I am now." I said.
His dark eyes shot at me like darts. "I'll handle this."
"No, we will handle this."
"He wants to kill you."
I shook my head. "Don't you get it? It's clear this guy wants to destroy you, take everything from you. I'm just a way to do it."

He was silent for a moment. His features hard. "We should have never come back to Gotham." He said in a defeated tone as he started to walk to the elevator.
My throat tightened. He wasn't wrong and I knew it. Maybe we needed to leave Gotham for good.
"There's something else." I said and stopped him in his track.
He turned around, waiting for me to continue.
"I've been investigating one of Cobblepot's men."
He raised both eyebrows, lowering his chin, crossing his arms over his chest. "You what?"
"Since you were always so worried about me, I just wanted to do it on the side. Guy I interrogated said Cobblepot's men were leaving town. Job done."
"And since you're smart you know that's not true. The job isn't done. Not yet."
"Right, because I'm still alive."
His facial features hardened.

"He gave me the name of another of Penguin's men who is still going to be here. Chester Lipscher."
"I'm assuming you looked into him?"
I nodded and pulled up what I had found on him so far on the Batcomputer. "Long list of priors. Aggravated assault. Kidnapping. Illegal possession of a firearm. The list goes on. According to his text messages he is going to meet some of Cobblepot's people tonight."
"How do you know what he's been texting."
"Fox helped me hack his phone."
Bruce sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, let's get ready then."
He actually wanted me to be there too? This was new.
"I was prepared to put up a fight for me to be able to tag along."
"No point in keeping you away." He said with a serious expression. "You get yourself into trouble regardless."

I tried not to smile as I walked towards my Viper outfit.
"Cat." He said and I turned around.
He walked closer to me until he was just inches away from me. "You can't keep these things from me. Not anymore. Not after everything we've been through."
I felt awful, lowering my head and nodding. "I'm sorry."
With his thumb on my chin he brought my head up to face him. "No more lies. No more secrets."
I quietly nodded and watched him as he walked to put on his Batman suit.

We were sitting on top of a roof, looking at the alley where the meeting was supposed to happen.

As we waited, shrouded in Gotham's darkness, I looked at him, carefully studying his expression. Part of me was worried about him putting the mask back on after he had said he had left it all behind. I was afraid he was losing himself in it.

"You said we should leave Gotham." I said. "Did you mean it?"
He didn't look at me, still staring at the alleyway. "This is not the place for this discussion."
I sighed.
After a second of silence he answered. "I did."
"Can you leave the mask behind?"
His eyes snapped at me as if I had hit a nerve but he didn't respond. He barely spoke when he was wearing the mask.

Bruce's body language changed as a car pulled up.
We both activated the earpiece Fox gave us, allowing us to hear what they were saying on the ground.
Three guys got out of the car. They walked to one of the doors and knocked. It opened. The three guys walked in and closed the door.

"It's happening tomorrow at 7 p.m. sharp." One of them said.
"It's just the drop off, correct?" Another asked.
"Yeah, the boss wants to meet you in person."
"My guys will be there. Ace Chemicals. 7. Got it."

Back at the Batcave, Bruce was taking off his suit. He had been quiet all night.
"What is going through your mind?" I asked.
He looked at me and shook his head. "Just thinking what he might have planned next."
"That's not all though."
He sighed. "No of course not. He has made you a target."
"This time we know it and we're prepared."
He didn't respond as we went to the elevator and back upstairs.

"I prepared a little supper." Alfred said. "And you've got company."
"Company?" Bruce asked.
"I invited Daniel over for dinner."
Bruce stared at me disapprovingly.
"Don't give me that look. We both know he's been very helpful with Cobblepot. He deserves to be looped in."
"Yeah but does he have to come over for dinner?" Bruce mumbled under his breath.

"Thank you, everything looks delicious Alfred." Daniel said as we were sitting down at the dinner table.
"You're most welcome sir."
"So what have you two found out?" Daniel asked, taking a sip of the wine.
Bruce barely said a word during dinner. I couldn't make sense of his intense disdain for Daniel. Was it jealousy? Rivalry?
"Something is happening tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Ace Chemicals. They didn't specify but apparently Cobblepot will be there."
"Good. What is the plan and how can I help?"
"We don't need your help." Bruce immediately said, the words almost shooting out of his mouth.
Daniel smiled softly at him. "You're doing this just with the two of you?"
"No, we will let Gordon know." I said.
"Oh, so it's just me you're leaving out?"
I stared at Bruce but he didn't apologize. "No, of course we need you there." I said.
"Are you planning on arresting him or you're just there for the spectacle?" Bruce asked. "Last I checked, Mi6 had no charges against him."
"Bruce!" I exclaimed, shocked how petty he was.
"It's fine." Daniel said to me with a soft smile. "You're right Wayne, I can't arrest him. But I want to see him behind bars as much as you do and I want to do everything in my power to make that happen."

After dinner I walked Daniel to the door.
"I'm so sorry." I said. "I have no idea what his problem is."
Daniel laughed. "Don't worry about it. I get it."
"Yeah? Wanna fill me in?"
"Wayne is very protective of you."

I sighed. "Understatement of the year."
He laughed. "I see you tomorrow."

It was 6:58 when Bruce and I were crouching on the fire escape of a building across from Ace Chemicals. The plan was simple. Bruce and I would break in, get Cobblepot and bring him to Gordon, who was on standby. But we all knew plans were never simple. So many things could go wrong. Normally they did. We had Daniel and Gordon wait for our signs in case things went south.

At 7:00 p.m. we made our way to the building.

"I can't look inside. The walls are too thick." I said. "Guess we gotta do it the old-fashioned way."

Quietly we broke the lock on a door from the side of the building and walked in. We had looked at a blueprint of the chemical plant to give us an idea of what we were walking into. The problem - we didn't know where Cobblepot would be.

Ace was an old facility. It was still functioning. The main room held the chemicals in giant barrels. Downstairs was the basement and on the third floor was office space.

At night the building would be empty. It was still odd that Cobblepot chose this as his meeting spot.

We walked downstairs to the basement, connecting to the main room at the end. Although barely illuminated by stark neon light, I could see barrels of chemicals behind a locked cage.
"Look." I said to Bruce.
He stopped and looked at the yellow barrels.
"What is it?" I asked.

Bruce was quiet for a moment. "Dimethylcadmium." He said with authority.
"And that is what exactly?"
"The most toxic chemical in the world. It absorbs instantly into the bloodstream, rips apart organs with the highest supply of blood. Heart. Lungs."

I swallowed hard.
"It's so unstable I'm surprised they found a way to store it. The barrels must be teflon laced."
"Let's keep walking. I don't even want to know what these are meant for."
Cobbleplot's plan was getting more cynical. Who was this meant for? There was no way this was a coincidence.

Before we walked up the stairs at the end of the hallway we could hear Cobblepot talking to his men.

"We need to get the drones into position." He said. "Every one of you takes four. All you need to do is set them up in a location and then I will control them from here. It will rain death."
"What about the Waynes?" Someone asked.
"I will personally make sure the Mrs. gets her own shower. I want him to watch her die."
"So you're not killing Wayne himself?"
"No, I want him to live with this for the rest of his life. His business destroyed. His reputation and more importantly that of his beloved father ruined. I kept the killer strike until the end. Her death will be the death of him."

I turned to Bruce. "We can't let any of these drones leave this building. We need to act now."
His eyes were stern. Angry. "You'll distract them. I'll handle Cobblepot."
I smiled. "I think I can handle that."

I walked up the stairs, counting about fifty men. Cobblepot was standing at the end of the hall. It was a massive building. Giant barrels everywhere. Large metal stairs leading up to a maze of walkways above so people could inspect the chemicals brewing underneath.

"Well, well." I said as I walked towards them with a big grin. "It's a party and I wasn't invited?"
The place turned dead silent. All you could hear was the rumbling of old machines in the background. Cobblepot stared at me quietly.
"What? Are you not happy to see me?" I asked.
"On the contrary. Delighted." He answered.

In that moment Batman landed behind him with a thud. Penguin turned around and suddenly all the guys in front of me started running towards me.

"Come on guys. We can be friends." I said with a big smile as I landed a solid kick against the first guy, grabbing another by the neck. I could see that I was outnumbered. Badly outnumbered. I pointed my grapple gun to the staircase above me and zoomed myself through the air until I landed on solid ground.

I tried to gain orientation and find Bruce. Where was he?

At the same time I looked beneath me and saw the men grabbing drones and heading for the exits.

"Shit." I activated the microphone in my earpiece. "Gordon, Daniel, they're leaving the building."

We had mapped out the building and knew where the exits were. Gordon on one, Daniel on the other. Both of them would now close the exits. It would not hold indefinitely but it was buying us time.

Now I had to find Bruce. I started walking on the metal grate, the barrels of toxic chemicals below me. This was a massive facility. Did something go wrong? Where was Bruce. Steam kept blowing into the air. There, at the end of the long walkway, Cobbelpot sat on a chair, Batman in front of him. The Brit had a smug grin on his face. This wasn't good.

"I didn't think you'd be the guy to have a girlfriend." Cobbelpot said as he saw me arrive.

"What's going on?" I asked.
Bruce's lips were tight, his eyes stern and fixed on Cobblepot.
"Go on Romeo, tell her." Cobblepot said, crossing one leg over the other.
Bruce remained quiet.
Cobblepot sighed. "Fine, I guess I'll have to bring your girl up to speed. This is Gotham, darling. Did you honestly think I wouldn't expect some difficulties? I guess I came better prepared than you two, I'm afraid." He chuckled.
"And what's that grande plan B?" I asked.
"I have a second location with the exact same set of drones. They will be released whether I'm dead or alive, captured or free."
"So it's just about getting you to talk? I can help with that."
"You can try. I won't talk."
I grabbed the knife from my belt and was ready to do some serious damage when Bruce grabbed my hand.
"Let's give him to Gordon." He said in a dark voice.
"You heard him, they'll be released. And we don't know the location."
"This is bigger than me. Bigger than Batman." Cobblepot said.
"All this to get back at Bruce Wayne?" I asked.
"The prince of Gotham. He needs to be brought down to our level. When he has nothing left, and his world is destroyed, then he will finally understand."
"I'll bring him to Gordon you'll deal with his men on the east wing of the building." Bruce commanded in a deep voice.
"But…"

Before I could get a word in edgewise he grabbed Cobblepot and leaped over the bridge, flying through the white smoke.
I sighed, hooking in a line to let myself down.
I ran over to the east side of the building where a few guys were starting to try to get out of a window. Daniel was shooting at them, injuring some.
"Don't shoot. The chemicals are highly toxic." I said overly earpiece.

He stopped and I started taking Cobblepot's thugs out one by one. Daniel had opened the door and helped with the rest.
By the end we were standing over a more than a dozen guys on the ground, both of us trying to catch our breaths.
I started looking through the pockets of the guys. "There is a second location."
"What?" Daniel asked.
"Cobblepot says he has another location with more drones. I'm hoping one of these guys has a clue as to where that is."
"Where is he?" Daniel asked, helping me search pockets.
"Handing Cobblepot over to Gordon."
"So much for the Batman being gone."
I froze for a moment. I hadn't thought about that. Maybe he stayed hidden from Gordon and the other officers?
"What happens with all these drones?" Daniel asked.
I shrugged as I looked through the wallet of another thug. "Guess Gordon takes them."
In the wallet of one of the thugs was a note scribbled on a piece of newspaper.
"What is it?" Daniel asked.
"An address."
"Where?"
"I believe in London."
"Give me that." He took the piece of paper from me. "That's in East London."
"Can't be the drone location. They couldn't launch from there."
"No. It says 'drop off package'. Date was a month ago. Probably nothing."
"Yeah." I said as I took it back, opened the top zipper on my costume and stuffed the note in my bra.

Daniel raised his eyebrows at me.
"What?" I asked. "I don't have pockets. It's a real disadvantage."
Suddenly I could hear Bruce in my ear. "Need you back at the Bat."
"Ok, I'm on my way." I said into the microphone before turning to Daniel again. "Thanks for your help."
"Of course."
"I gotta run. I keep you in the loop. Just make sure these guys stay sleeping beauties." As I said that I saw one of them lifting his head so I kicked it and he fell back to the ground.

The flight back to the Batcave was quiet but Bruce assured me he had a plan.
"Fox is hacking into the system of the drones right now. Once he's in, we can disable them all."
"And what will we be doing?"
"We're going to be the distraction."
"Why don't I get the feeling that's not as fun as it sounds."
"Fox needs time and we will give it to him."
"How are we distracting a man who is already in police custody?"
"By giving him what he wants."
"Which is?"
"Talking to Bruce Wayne."I stared at him. "You're not serious."
He didn't respond.
"But he said they would take off with or without his saying." I added.
"By midnight. That gives us time. Hopefully enough for Fox to get into the system."

We rushed back and he changed into his slacks and white button up and I changed into black pants with a white top.
"I'm coming with you. Obviously." I said.

In his Lamborghini we sped through the night and got to the GCPD.

We walked in and a detective escorted us to the interrogation room.
"Mr. and Mrs. Wayne." Gordon said, remaining formal. "Right this way."
He opened a door and we walked into the back room, able to see Cobblepot on the other side of the double sided glass.

The Brit sat there, all smug and proud of himself. I couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling that something was wrong. His smile was too defiant, too sure he was going to win this game of chess.

Bruce walked into the interrogation room. The rule had been that he was allowed to talk with Cobblepot alone to buy Fox time, but he was not allowed to punch or hurt him.

He had done enough of that already as Batman. Looking at Cobbelpot's face he could see the bust lip, the bruises around his neck and the laceration by his eye.

He wasn't here to hurt Cobblepot. He was here to play along until Fox gave him the ok.

"Look who it is." Cobblepot grinned.
"This is what all this was about, right? Getting back at me?"
"You think you're special, but you really aren't."
"You don't know a thing about me."
He shrugged. "Maybe not. Don't really care to learn too much about you either. All I know is that your family took everything from mine. It's time you feel the consequences."
"So that's worth killing innocent people for?"
"People die every day Bruce. These will have died for a cause."
"Which is?"
"To stop living the lie that the Wayne family is something to be celebrated. Even you believed your father was good until you saw what daddy really was up to. He was a monster. Not a victim."
He tasted the bitterness of Cobblepot's words on his tongue as if they were pure poison.

"You're trying to get to me and you have. Now you can let these cops know where the drones are because you don't need to hurt more people."
"I do though, mate. You love this city. You attached your own identity to it. If these people weren't important to you, you wouldn't have come down here. Aren't you tired of the lies? I can see it in your face. The exhaustion of it all. Pretending to be someone you're not."
"And who am I?" Did he know his identity?
"You aren't Gotham's prince. You are its cancer. People like you feed of good people like a tick, sucking its blood out. Not all at once, but drip by drip."
Gordon opened the door and it seemed like a breath of fresh air wafted into the room, which was full of Cobblepot's vicious words.

"Phone call for you, Mr. Wayne." Gordon said. That was the signal that Fox had been able to hack into the drones.

Bruce stood up, looking at Cobblepot closely. "You're right about living with lies. I've been pretending to forgive the killer of my parents, pretending to get over the grieve, the anger."
Cobblepot looked surprised to hear honesty in his voice.
"But you're wrong about everything else." He added. "You projected your hate towards me - a shadow and a thought of a person you created in your head. I was never your enemy. You are your own enemy."
"Well, mate, I think soon you'll think differently."
"Oh this wasn't a social call. You see, distraction is a powerful tool. In the time of our little chat we disabled your drones."
Cobblepot's facial expression barely changed. Why didn't it?

Then he laughed. Bruce felt the blood in his veins freeze.
"Oh Bruce, my dear, dear Bruce. Distraction is a powerful tool. Luckily I didn't waste mine on some stupid drones."
"What?" He asked confused.
"I know what the dagger in your heart is and I kept the best for last."

He felt the color drain from his face as he realized who he was talking about.
Before he could even spin on his heels, he heard the gunshot from behind the mirrored glass, splintering it into a million different shards.
Gordon and him ran out of the room as Cobblepot kept yelling at them. "Goodbye Mrs. Wayne."

Bruce felt his legs almost give in as he was running through the doors finally into the room.
Cat was standing over a dead detective, blood splattered across her face and white top. She was out of breath.
Bruce grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. "I'm fine." She said. "I noticed him moving behind me and just reacted, grabbing his hand and the gun went off during our struggle."

Gordon leaned against the doorframe. "I should have known Cobblepot had men in my unit." He said as he kicked the gun from the dead detective's hand. "You two go home. I'll get a statement from you later."

Bruce looked up and saw Cobblepot through the spiderwebbed glass staring at them. Although he couldn't see them through the mirrored glass, it seemed he was looking straight at them.

Over the next few days Cobblepot's charges were released and in detail discussed by the news outlets across the city.

Wayne Enterprises returned to normal. The charges against Bruce for beating up Cobblepot were of course dropped. Bruce had disappeared from the news cycle and so had Thomas Wayne's damaged legacy. It hadn't vanished from Bruce's soul though. I could see it hanging over him like a dark cloud.

The only thing we couldn't pin on Cobblepot was that he had hired a gunman to shoot me outside of that gala event that had nearly killed me a few months ago.

"It doesn't matter." I had said to Bruce. "We knew he did it and that's enough for now. He'll stay behind bars until the end of time anyway."

Two weeks later, when things had calmed down, I needed to follow up on one last thing that had bothered me ever since. I had told Bruce I needed to go to London to help Daniel with a question about a case. He only let me go by myself if I left my Viper outfit at home which I did.
"It's just some information gathering." I said.

I arrived at Heathrow airport. Bruce insisted I take a private jet which I found absolutely unnecessary. At least I was able to convince him I would be taking public transportation once I got there. Traffic in London was a nightmare.

I met Daniel at his apartment.
"Welcome back to London." He said once I entered.
"Seems like a long time ago that I was here."
"Because a lot has happened. You were kidnapped by Medved, almost died at the hands of Cobblepot…"
I raised my hand. "Yeah, yeah, we don't need to go down that road again."
He grinned. "Want something to drink?"
"Always."
"So what did you tell Wayne why you had to come to London?" He asked as he walked into the kitchen.

I dropped my bag on a chair. "I blamed it on you."
He looked at me disapprovingly as he poured gin into a glass. "Great. Something to make him like me even less."
He handed me the glass. "You have nothing to lose. He already hates you."
He laughed. "I guess that's true."
I took a sip of the drink as I walked around his apartment, looking at the expensive looking art on the walls.
"Care to tell me why you're really here?" He asked.
"That night at ACE Chemicals, remember one of Cobblepot's goons had a piece of paper in his pocket with an address and a time on it?"
He sighed. "Yes, I remember. I had hoped you wouldn't."
"I just want to make sure we have no loose ends. I don't want to miss anything else."
"He's behind bars for life."
"Yes, but what if he has something else planned? Something he could hand off to one of his goons? It might be nothing, it probably is nothing. I just want to triple check."
"Alright." He sighed. "I'm not naive, I know I can't keep you from causing trouble."
I smiled. "Look at you. You learned after all."
"Let me at least come with you."
"Fine."

A few hours later, after darkness, we made our way to the apartment building. I decided to use civilian clothing and use a full black facial mask once we got there. I didn't need to bring the Viper to London plus I had promised Bruce.

"I don't think this is what he meant when he asked you not to turn into the Viper." Daniel said when he saw me stuff the mask into a bag.
"What are you going to do? Rat me out?"
He smiled. "I just might. Get some brownie points, as you Americans like to say."
"By telling him that you're helping me break into a thug's apartment?"
His smile faltered. "Yeah, you're right. He's going to kill me for this again. It's your fault, really."

I laughed.

It was 9 p.m. as we made it to the apartment building on a quiet street near London's West Ham station.

We looked up at the apartment. There was no light on.

"Time to look inside." I said.
"How are you planning on getting inside without being seen?" He asked.
I put on sunglasses. "We go inside and break the lock of the door."
"I was kind of expecting something more sophisticated."
I shrugged. "Sometimes simpler is better."

We walked through the glass door entrance. A couple walking past us but fixed on their phones.
We took the elevator up to the fourth floor and I quickly picked the lock of the door. It opened and I turned on the lights.
"Nobody home." I said as I started to look around.
"Why are you wearing a mask inside of this guys' home?"
"In case he has video surveillance."
"What about me?"
"You're an Mi6 agent. You have a reason to be here."

There was a computer in the middle of the room, connected to several hard drives and several screens.
I turned it on.

"Of course it's password protected." Daniel said.
"I came prepared." I said as I entered a thumb drive. It went through millions of password possibilities within seconds and then it unlocked the computer.
Daniel looked impressed.
"That more what you were hoping for?" I asked.
He smiled. "Yeah, that's more like it."

I looked at the files and programs on the computer. "I'll just copy everything and we can take a look at it at your place."
"Better hurry because who knows when this guy will return."
I nodded and inserted a hard drive. Fox had installed software that could download files at lightning speed. When it was done I shut down the computer. Daniel had looked around the apartment.
"Nothing?" I asked.
"No."
"Maybe this was a dead end."
"I wouldn't hate that."
"True."

We turned off the lights and left. I took off my mask and that's when we heard steps in the hallway.
Before I knew what was happening, Daniel grabbed my hand and walked with me into the opposite direction.
Out of the corner of my eyes I could see someone get into the apartment.
When the door closed Daniel released me. With big steps we made our way out of the building.

Back at his apartment I was going through all the files from this guy. Mostly they were videos of some sort.
"I think he's an editor." I said.
"What does Cobblepot want from an editor?"
"Maybe nothing. Maybe this guy just wanted his wedding video edited by him." I sighed. "This was a waste of our time."
"Well, it's still nice to see you." He said as he sat down on the couch with a beer.
"There are so many videos."
I clicked through file after file, always scrolling through to see if it was anything of value.

An hour later my eyes started hurting from staring at the screen for so long.
"More wedding videos?"
"Weddings, commercials, music videos. Ugh, I'm such an idiot for breaking into someone's apartment and doing all this for absolutely nothing."

Fox's software also recovered previously deleted files. I went through all of those as well.
"My brain hurts." I said on hour three.
Daniel was reading a book and looked up. "Do you want me to take over for a bit?"
I shook my head. "I had this stupid idea so I should be the one…"

Then my blood froze. Daniel instantly sat up taller, closing the book. "What is it Cat?"
I couldn't speak. The words freezing on my tongue. I hadn't pressed play on the video yet, but I knew what it was. As if I could ever forget. The first image had burned itself into my memory.
"Cat?" He asked and got up.
I still couldn't say anything as Daniel walked next to me. He stared at the same image I was. "Is that…?"
He didn't finish the question, equally stunned as I was.
My hand hovered over the trackpad, scared to hit play on it. I never wanted to see it again.
My finger tapped down and the video started playing, my stomach instantly forming knots.

The woman tied down. Falcone. The drugs. I forced to keep my eyes fixed on the screen for the moment Thomas Wayne was going to enter. The doctor walked in and then something happened that neither one of us expected.
"What the fuck?" Daniel asked shocked.

My hand grabbed his wrist as we watched someone else walk in and torture the woman.
I felt my breath heavy and fast, silent tears streaming down my face as I was still unable to say anything.

"It wasn't Thomas Wayne." Daniel said. "Christ. The video was a deep fake. It's not Wayne."

I left London the next morning, wasting no time to show Bruce his father was not a crime lord. His father was good! Always had been! My hands were shaking from adrenaline on my way to the airport.

Cobblepot had hired a guy to manipulate the video so that the actual evil doctor was made to look and sound like Thomas Wayne. In reality it was, as my research had concluded, a guy named Dr. Kasinzki. He had lost his medical license after a horrible medical malpractice lawsuit. After that he was apparently desperate enough to work with Falcone.

I walked into Wayne Manor, getting more excited and emotional with every step.
"Master Wayne is in the cave." Alfred said.

Once I was down there, I walked to Bruce, who greeted me with a kiss.
"How was your trip?"
"Really good. I have to show you something." I said, my voice almost trembling with anticipation, wondering how he was going to react.
"Show me what?" He asked absently, repairing a broken kevlar link on his Batman suit.
"I'll show you on the computer." I walked over to the Batcomputer.
He put down the tools, following me. I put the thumb drive in the computer, already nervous for him to see the beginning of the video again.
"I need you to trust me."
He looked suspicious, crossing his arms. "What is this?"
I didn't answer but simply double clicked on the file. The video opened without playing. I could feel him tense up immediately.
"Why are you showing me this again?" He asked.
"Just…keep an open mind." I pressed play, watching his facial expression darken, tighten with pain.

The video showed once again the woman and Falcone and then, Dr. Kasinzki.
Bruce's eyes widened.
I let it play all the way until the screams ended and it went to black.

"What is this?" He asked, his eyes still fixed on the black screen.
"This… is the original."
"The what?" He looked like he had seen a ghost.
"The video Penguin showed is what's called a deep-fake. Bruce, it was never your father. The Penguin just wanted you to believe it was him." I smiled at him, feeling emotional but unable to read his expression. His eyes were wild but his face remained stone hard.
"How do we know that this is the original and not the other way around?"
"I found it in one of the homes of Cobblepot's closest business partners. Daniel confirmed Kasinziki had been arrested for mob connections in Gotham several years ago. Cobblepot wanted to destroy you and he knew your family's legacy is where to hit you."
He didn't move. I would have paid money to know what was going on in his head.
"I'm going to give the video to Alex." I said. "Your father's legacy can be restored."

He didn't respond.
"Bruce?"
He turned away, bracing his hands against the railing, letting his head hang.
I was unable to read his reaction. Was he relieved? Sad? Did he not believe the video?
Unsure of how best to respond I walked up to him, placing a hand on his back.

"I can't believe I doubted him." He said quietly.
My throat tightened. I didn't expect him to blame himself for this. "We all did. It's hard not to trust what you see with your own eyes."
He stood up straight again. "But I'm his son. I should have known better. I should have been looking for the original. Looking for the proof that it wasn't him. I should have known it in my heart."
"You're his son. You were too close. You were hit the hardest with this video. You were distraught, understandably so."
He shook his head. "I should have still been able to think clearly."
"Bruce, you're only human. Even when you put on the mask. I know it changes you. Makes you feel invincible. Cobblepot came for your jugular. It's personal with him."

He nodded, deep in thought.
"He didn't win." I added with a soft smile, placing my hand on his.

His eyes met mine and he pulled me into a tight embrace, his hand holding the back of my head. He sighed deeply and I could feel his body relax for the first time since he thought his father was involved with Falcone. It felt like a burden had been lifted off him. I closed my eyes, listening to his even breath, feeling lighter myself.

The next day Alex published the original video and it spread everywhere. Thomas Wayne's name was restored. Bruce just gave a short press conference outside of Wayne Manors. I was standing by his side.
"Thank you all for coming. Today the legacy of my father has been restored after a madman tried to tear it down. I will never be able to fill my father's shoes, but together with my wife, I want to continue to build on the Wayne legacy and what it stands for. Honor. Integrity. Community."

In the following weeks we opened the Thomas Wayne Memorial Hospital in his honor, which specialized in serving low-income families and those without insurance.

Daniel had left back to England. Things were going back to normal.

But I could see the toll Cobblepot's actions had taken on Bruce. Although his father's legacy was restored, Wayne Enterprises rebuild, and I was alive, the worries of the past few weeks had weighed heavy on him.

I met with my FBI source Shelly for dinner. Ever since Bane we had become closer. Friends even.

"How's it going?" I asked as we hugged.
"Just glad you're still with us." She said as she sat down.
I never knew how to respond to people when they talked about the moment I almost died. "Still kickin'."
She smiled softly at me. "Tell me more about your wedding."
"It was beautiful. Just us. The ocean. It was perfect."
"I'm so happy for you. Looks like you're making an honest man out of Bruce Wayne. Who would have thought?"
I laughed. Not that it was true. Bruce just wanted everyone to believe he was an arrogant playboy.

We chatted over wine and handmade pasta, sitting on the sidewalk, enjoying the fresh breeze. I felt almost normal. As if I had my life back.

"Oh I forgot!" She said and grabbed an envelope from her purse.
"What's this?"
"I asked some of my sources for information on who could have hired…the shooter." She said, her voice dropping down to an almost whisper.
I had forgotten I had asked her to keep an eye open for any information on that. I already knew it was Cobblepot but I wanted definitive proof.

I opened the manilla envelope, carefully looking inside. A black and white security camera footage still picture appeared. I didn't recognize the man in the picture. He was bald and heavier set.
"Brad Sheldon." Shelly offered. "Did some time in Arkham. That's as close I could get. He was the middle man. Apparently the plan was to push the shooter to do it. Brad kept talking to him about it and helped him set it up. He even purchased the ammunition and gun for him. At least that's what my sources believe, they don't have proof for that."
"Where is Sheldon now?"
"Still a free man. Why wasn't he arrested you might ask?"
I nodded. "They don't have anything concrete. He was careful to make it look like he was just drinking buddies with Wilson."
That was perfect. It meant I could pay him a visit.

"Sorry it's nothing more concrete."
"That's great. Thank you."
"What are you going to do with the information? You're not planning on doing something stupid, are you?"
"God no! I just want to know the truth. Thank you for giving this to me."
Shelly looked at me wearily. "You're welcome."

I would have to pay Brad a visit and I wanted to do it alone just so I could get a full picture before involving Bruce. I told him Shelly and I were going for drinks and I would be home late.
"Have fun." He said.

When I hung up I knew I had to change into the Viper.

Bruce had been feverishly looking for how Cobblepot managed to hire Wilson or convince him to do it. The man was deranged, which made hiring him less difficult. He had already been obsessed with Cat so he was an easy target.

When Cat was not in the Batcave, Bruce was looking into the latest leads he had gotten on this. Tonight was giving him extra time to do so.
"Anything new?" Alfred asked, serving a fresh cup of tea.
"Maybe. So far every time we got something new it was a useless piece of information."

Cobblepot had used multiple middle men, keeping the attack on Cat at arm's length from him. Smart.

"What is it tonight?" Alfred enquired.

Bruce clicked on the folder on his desktop, a mug shot appearing on his screen.

"Pete Stanley. According to our research so far he was the last person in the chain. He was the one in direct contact with Wilson."
"Arkham regular?"
"Yes. Just got released two months ago. Has been in and out of Arkham three times. His longest stint in there was ten years."
"He spent most of his adult life in there?"
"A big chunk of it."
"It looks like some of the other goons we identified hired him to be the last contact person for Wilkinson."
"So, Cobblepot hired someone who then in turn hires someone to kill Mrs. Wayne."
He bit his teeth together by the mention of it. "Yes, now multiple that by five."
"Oh, he really wanted to be careful."
"He was. We didn't pick up anything in advance." Bruce was still angry at himself for missing this completely. He should have known. Somehow.

He got up and walked over to the Batsuit.
"I'm taking that you're not calling Commissioner Gordon?" Alfred asked.
"Not yet. I want to see what this guy has to say first."
Alfred sighed. He had given up on protesting. "Well, you know where I stand on the matter." That was all he was going to say about it. And Bruce knew it.
"I won't be gone long."

He arrived at the address in the East End. The area had quickly become a second Narrows. Crime rates were soaring and housing prices collapsed. Middle class families had been fleeing to better neighborhoods for years now. The economic divide between the rich Gothamites and the poorest had become even more apparent after Bane.

Through the fire escape he made his way into the bedroom of the thug.

Bruce heard him talking on the phone in the adjacent room.
"I might be able to finally afford an apartment that's not a complete fucking pile of shit, you know what I mean?" He said to whoever he was talking slowly walked over, waiting for him to finish the phone call.

"I'd be working for him regardless, seems to have his shit together." The man said on the phone. "He gets folk like me. Alright, I'm gonna call it a night. See ya tomorrow."
He hung up and started walking towards the kitchen. Mid-walk Bruce stepped out of the bedroom, grabbing Stanley by his neck, lifting him up.

The man's eyes looked panicked, his hands grasping for Bruce's without avail.

"Answer my questions and I won't hurt you." He said in a deep voice as he let him down.

"What questions?" The man asked, still in shock. Before Bruce could answer Stanley attempted to run away. Bruce shot a batarang at him, hitting him right between the shoulder blades. Stanley stopped running, falling to his knees. Bruce walked over, pulling the guy's head backwards by his hair.
"Make this easier on yourself and tell me what your business was with Ryan Wilson."
"I…I was hired to help him kill Wayne's wife."

He felt the blood in him boil and freeze all at the same time. "Who you're working for?"

"I don't know his name. I swear."
"Not even a nickname?"
He shook his head in terror.
"What do people call him?"
"They just say 'boss'."
"How do you get in contact with him?"
"Through another guy. Nobody is in direct contact with him. That's how this works."
He twisted the batarang blade in his back, Stanley started screaming.
"There has to be something that can be helpful to me. Think. For your own sake."
"I don't know anything." He said under tears. "Listen, even when I asked for more details from the guy his men just gave me a fake business card as a joke."
"Do you still have it?"
"I think so."
"Get it." He said, pulling out the blade in a swift motion.

Stanley got up slowly, stumbling towards a pile of unopened mail, his hands shaking. He sifted through it until he stopped.

"This is it. Pretty stupid if you ask me but I guess they want to make sure his identity is protected."
Once Stanley handed the card over, Bruce felt his entire body lock in place, his muscles tensed, his jaw hardened. Adrenaline flooded his system. He was holding a Joker card. Cobblepot wasn't behind Catherine's attempted assassination. It was the Joker.

I got to the beat-up apartment in the Narrows. Nobody seemed to be home when I made my way through his window. It smelled of stale food and beer. I heard the neighbors arguing through the wall. A neon sign outside kept flashing, illuminating the apartment in red light. Then the loud rumbling from a train in the distance. The glass of water that was still on the table in the living room started to gently vibrate from the percussion.

I looked around the living room. The guy didn't own much. I checked every book, every unopened letter, behind the couch cushions, at the back of the water tank of the toilet - anywhere I could think of to find a clue. Maybe I should tell Bruce and return with him once this guy was back home?

Slowly I walked into the bedroom, checking the guy's mattress. Nothing. I turned around and felt my heart stop beating for a second, my eyes not believing what I saw staring back at me in the corner, only illuminated every few seconds by the neon red light. A white face, black eyes, and crooked grin. Then darkness surrounded me for a split second again only to have the flashing red light bring back his horrid face. I hadn't anticipated this. Focus - I ordered myself as blackness surrounded me again. By the next flashing of red light he was suddenly gone. I turned around but couldn't see him, my heart racing a million miles an hour. What did he want from me? Why was he here? His laugh echoed in the darkness.
"What do you want, Joker?" I asked, trying to not sound rattled.

"Come and play. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha."
Suddenly white gas plumes surrounded me. I stopped breathing, but the effects were instant. I was dizzy, my knees weak. Everything turned black.

Nobody was answering his calls. First he had called Cat, but nothing. Then Alfred, who never not answered his calls and lastly Gordon. Something was horribly wrong and the Joker was behind it. As he left Stanley's apartment he realized what this could mean. Did the Joker know his true identity? Or was he after Bruce Wayne again, not knowing it was the same person?
Batman was crouching on the top of a building, panic flooding his system. If this was indeed the doing of the Joker then he would give him clues as to where to find them. In that moment he saw the bat signal on top of GDCP light up. Without hesitation he opened his wings and flew through the night.

He landed on the roof and to his surprise he saw Detective Stephens up there, one of Gordon's closest allies in the unit.
"So this really works." The detective said, visibly impressed and taken aback to see Batman in the flesh.
"Where is Gordon." Batman asked.
"That's why I called you. We can't find him and then we got this."

The detective handed him an envelope, which had a Joker card and a USB flash drive in it.
"What's on it?" He asked in a husky voice.
"We can't decipher it. Needs a decoder of some sort. I can get an expert on it but I figured you'd be much faster than the nerds at the GCPD."
He nodded. "I'm on it."

When he got to the Batcave he wasted no time, rushing to the computer, inserting the flash drive. He took off his mask as the program was decoding Joker's flash drive.
"Come on." He said nervously, tapping the ground with his foot. He didn't have time to digest the news that the Joker probably had the people most important to him. All he could do was focus on rescuing them.
After what felt like eternity, the program finished and a file opened. It was a video. Bruce clicked on it, nervous what to expect.

It was the Joker's familiar face.

"Good evening." He said with a big grin. Deep down Bruce had hoped he would never have to see it again. But he knew it was only a matter of time. The Joker wouldn't stay hidden for long. "Tonight you have the choice. What is more important to you? Saving Gotham or saving your loved ones, Batman? Or should I say Bruce?"

He felt a cold shudder down his spine. The Joker knew.

"I have to say," the Joker said, licking his lips, moving his hair. "I was kind of disappointed when I found out. Bruce Wayne is Batman?" He laughed hysterically. "What a cruel joke. I was hoping for something more original than that. Don't worry Brucey, your secret is safe with me. It does mean we get to play again. When I thought you had died…life was so bleak. But you're back and so the fun can begin again. I have purchased a new drug the government was working on. Turns out it didn't do what they thought it would…instead…it makes people crazy!" He licked his lips again. "I have several bombs containing this drug located all over Gotham. There is no cure, Brucey. It will turn Gotham into a city of Jokers." He laughed. "On the other hand I have your father figure, Alfred, your best buddy the commissioner and of course, your beautiful wife. They will die by a method of my choosing. So, who do you want to save?"
Two buttons on the screen appeared. One said "Gotham" the other "My family".
"You can't choose both and you have to act fast. If you don't make a decision within a minute, both die." He grinned a dark and evil grin.

Bruce felt overwhelmed, trying to think clearly through the thick haze of emotion.
He couldn't lose her. Not after everything. Alfred. Gordon. His chest tightened.

"You have to make a decision." The Joker said. "Tick, tock."

How many people's families would he put at risk by choosing to save his own? He was pacing back and forth, adrenaline rushing through him. Cat was capable but the Joker had almost killed Bruce back in that labyrinth. The Joker was not a regular opponent.

Think! He ordered himself. He needed to get to the Joker. Where would the sick clown be? It had to be with Cat. That was his big prize.

"I'll make you a deal, I'll send you a video of her dying, pleading for her life." The Joker said with another laughter. The time was almost over. Seconds ticking away 5…4…3…he had to make a decision…2…Bruce clicked on "My family", hating himself for the decision already.

"Fantastic. You finally betrayed your rules. I knew you'd come around. Sometimes you gotta kill a little, right?" He laughed. Bruce bit his teeth together, his breath heavy, rage flowing freely through his veins. "Here are the rules to my game. Come as Bruce Wayne, so we can finally meet face to face, to the old Broadwalk Circus. Come alone. We're going to have so much fun!" He laughed hysterically when it cut to black.

Bruce grabbed his secure phone and called Detective Stephens.
"Get all your men and evacuate any major areas. Tell everyone to stay home tonight." He said in a deep voice.
"What's going on?"

"It's the Joker. He is going to poison Gotham."

He hung up and called Lucious as he was taking off the Batsuit, changing into a white button down and slacks.

"The Joker is threatening to poison Gotham. I need you to keep everyone away from Wayne Enterprises."
"Certainly. What else can I do? Do we know the poison?"
"We found traces a while ago. It was developed by the government until they lost it."
"And Joker found it."
"Yes. We gave you a sample of it back then."
"I remember now. I'll go back and look if I can develop an antidote."
"Thank you. Listen, I will be off the grid for a while."
"Where is Alfred?"
"Joker has him." He said as he jumped into the Tumbler.
"Good god. And Catherine?"
He sighed. "I have to go."
"Good luck Bruce."

He hung up and drove through the night with anger burning in him when he suddenly heard a loud explosion in the distance. And then another one. And a third. The percussions were deep.

He called Stephens. "Where are the explosions?"
"All in the East End."

In that moment he heard the Joker's voice through the radio.
"Good evening fellow Gothamites. Tonight is all about choices. First, I gave Bruce Wayne the choice. Save Gotham or your favorite three people. Guess who he choose not to save? You! Hahahahahah! Then I asked the major, if he'd rather want three bombs to go off in Gotham's poorest area, or one in its richest? I guess nobody cares about the poor people. Ha-ha-ha!"

The message stopped. He had to find the Joker and end this.

He parked the car and walked up to the abandoned carnival at the edge of town. It was right by the canal, surrounded by empty factories and warehouses.

In the distance he could hear sirens, the noise of cars driving, people leaning on their horns. It was as if Gotham was far away, unaware of the evil lurking just beneath the surface.

As requested, he came as Bruce Wayne.

The place looked empty. No lights. Nobody in sight.

As he walked closer, looking around, he couldn't help but feel he might not ever come out of here. The darkness was closing in on him, almost choking him.

There was an old merry go round, the paint chipped, the wood decaying. An old ferris wheel in the back, looking like it might tip over at any moment. But most prominently was the entrance. The mouth of a clown. Big eyes staring at him, the mouth gaping open with a smile. The sign now read "Carnage Carnival" in big red letters.

The wind was whipping in his face. He tried to imagine what this place was like in the good old days. Families walking through, popcorn in their hands. How far this place had fallen. How far Gotham had fallen from its golden days.

He walked slowly through the entrance, staring at the teeth of the clown's mouth surrounding him.

"Joker?" He yelled into the darkness. "I'm here."

Was it laughter he heard? Or just the wind playing tricks?
"Joker!" He yelled again.

The lights switched on. The merry go round was suddenly playing music, the wooden horses started moving. The ferris wheel made a screeching sound in an attempt to turn on but nothing happened.

"Where are you?" He asked into the emptiness.

The speaker system turned on with a crackle. "Good evening. Thank you for joining us." Joker's voice echoed. "So happy you could make it."
"Let's get this over with Joker." He said.
"Don't be so hasty."
"Tell me where they are."
"First you have to play a little game. Follow the lights." With a diabolic laugh, the speech ended.

The lights went off and then big yellow and red arrows turned on, pointing the way.
Bruce followed, checking his surroundings. Old rides and fair games were rotting away. Forgotten memories of better times, now turned into his personal horror show.

He reached the entrance of a haunted house. The lights of the arrows turned off and the entrance lit up in garish neon green.
Old, creepy circus music played over the speakers as he made his way inside.

He walked past the empty ticket booth and went through the turnstile.
The music playing too loudly over old speakers.

Thick, black curtains separated him from whatever the Joker had planned for him. Pausing for a moment, he contemplated if he should go through with it - as if he had a choice.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he was not going to make it out of here. Something about this felt final.

Pushing away the heavy old curtain, he entered a dark room. Neon-lit stripes on each side of the walls formed a narrow path into darkness.

He followed the windy path and saw a clown figure standing at the end. He stopped for a moment, trying to determine if what he was looking at was a human being or a puppet.
The figure just stood there, one shoulder held higher than the other, the neck oddly twisted, the clown mask forming a frown.

Slowly he walked closer, almost reaching it, waiting for something to move on the figure.

Suddenly something slammed into him. Trying to get his orientation, he swung around but whatever it was haddisappeared. The Joker was laughing over the speakers.

He tried to slow his breathing, focusing on the figure at the end of the path again. He walked closer and now he was sure, whatever it was wasn't alive.

Blocking the path to the door to the next room, he was sure there was something here the Joker wanted him to see.
Then the smell hit him. He covered his mouth and nose with his arm.
Apparently whoever was in this costume had been dead for a while.
Removing the mask, he jumped back, turning his face away, and trying not to throw up.

Man in his late 30s. His eye lids had been removed along with most of his skin on the top half of his face. The bottom half was still there but now showed a prominent grin made out of scars.
The eyes bulging out, staring at him.

"He's always smiling." The Joker said. "Even in death."
"Let's get past the sick punchline." Bruce responded loudly.
"Now, now. Where are your manners? Patience is the key to success."

Key. He was apparently meant to find a key. He looked through the pockets of the jacket and pants off the dead clown. Nothing. Where would the Joker hide a key?
He remembered the entrance of the carnival. The giant mouth of a clown.
Swallowing hard, he stopped breathing through his nose, and put both hands on the mouth of the clown. He had to open his mouth. Because this guy had been dead for a while, his entire body was rigid. It wasn't going to be easy opening his mouth.
Counting to three in his head he pulled the jaw open. He needed all his strength, it was barely moving. And then he heard the jaw snap, the bottom bone had broken, the mouth now gaping open unnaturally wide.

On the tongue was a golden key. He took it, still holding his breath.

Moving past the clown he went to the door. At first he assumed the key was for the door but there was no lock and it opened when he twisted the door knob.
Placing the golden key in his pocket he walked to the next room.

How many rooms were there? How many tricks did Joker have up his sleeve?

There was a rollercoaster train with a note.
He got in and read the note.

Enjoy the ride, Bruce.

The train started moving. It was pitch black around him. The carnival music still playing, like a bad joke.
Suddenly the metal bar on the cart snapped down, pinning him in. If he wanted to, he couldn't get out. At least not very easily.

"Welcome to your own haunted house. Specifically designed for you." Joker's voice said.

Bruce bit his teeth together, unsure of what to expect.
The train stopped and the lights on a stage next to him turned on.

"Crime Alley!" The Joker exclaimed.

Two dead people were laying on the floor. A man and a woman. It was obviously meant to re-create the death scene of his parents.
The people meant to look like his parents were both wearing clown makeup with big smiles on their faces.

"Tell me Bruce, can you still hear the gunshot? Can you still hear your parents begging for their lives? Are you still blaming yourself?"
"You're really pulling on all the strings, aren't you?" He asked, trying to loosen the metal bar, pressing him into the seat.
"This is just the beginning."

The train kept moving along, he looked at the two dead people on the ground.
A loud noise as the metal of the cart hit the door, which swung open violently.

"Another nail in Bruce's heart." The Joker said, the music continuing endlessly.

When the lights went on, he saw a dead woman on a table. Next to her was a dead guy with a Scarecrow mask.

"The one who got away." The Joker said.

Bruce felt his stomach twist and turn by the sick portrayal of Rachel.
Her death a stinging reminder of his failure.
Suddenly a video was playing on the white wall behind her. It appeared to be the woman who was now dead.
Her hands tied to a chair, the Joker filming her.

"Read." The Joker ordered her, holding what looked like flash cards in his hand.
She was crying and obviously scared. "Help me." She read. "Save me, Bruce. Why won't you save me?"
"Where those her last words?" The Joker asked, pointing the camera at him.

Bruce bit his teeth together, feeling sick to his stomach with rage and anger.
"Stop." He said loudly, not able to listen to this any longer.
But it continued.

"Bruce, please save me." The woman said under tears.
He closed his eyes. The voice even sounded similar to Rachel's.
"I love you. I don't want to die." She continued.
"Another one the mighty Batman couldn't protect." The Joker said. "I begin to feel like you attract death. Everyone around you dies."`

The train started moving again. The old metal below him rattling - clack, clack, clack, clack.
He braced himself with a deep inhale for the next room.

Two dead people were on stage. One wearing a cheap Batman knock-off suit with a clown mask. In his arms was a woman with clown makeup. Her white dress stained from her blood from several gunshot wounds.

In the background, the footage of Catherine getting shot played on repeat. Her falling to the ground. Him screaming at her lifeless body.
He had seen the footage a million times. It never got any easier.
He swallowed hard.

"The moment Batman almost lost it all. It was so easy." The Joker said. "Anyone could do it. All your power, all your strength, it means nothing. She was almost dead."
Bruce felt his breath increase as he looked at the lifeless body of the woman on stage.
"She was dead, wasn't she?" Joker asked. "When you were holding her in your arms, she died. Her skin turned pale, her body was lifeless and cold. I was watching you. I saw what it did you. It changed you. Did you blame yourself? Everyone around you dies. You can't protect even the ones closest to you."

"Enough!" Bruce yelled, with one big push, he was able to lift the metal bar just enough so he could move his legs out from underneath.
He started walking to the next room, his heart beating loudly in his chest.

Gordon was sitting in a dog kennel, a leash around his neck.
"Gordon!" Bruce walked up to him.
"That damn clown has something bigger planned. Don't worry about me."
"He has Cat and Alfred."
"Go look for them."
"I'm not leaving you here."
"Oh, Commissioner. A man's best friend." The Joker exclaimed over the speaker system.

Bruce looked at the cage, rattling against it.
"I've tried that too." Gordon said.
"We're going to get you out of here."
"I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about what else the clown has planned."
"I don't have a dog in the fight." Joker said with laughter. That's when five big guys in clown's masks appeared on stage. "Win the fight against them and your friend goes free. Lose and he'll be…going to the dogs." He laughed again.

Bruce rolled up his sleeves. Without his batsuit he was risking more injuries since he had less protection but he wasn't concerned. He could take them.

He landed a solid uppercut against the first one, kicking the other in his stomach. The third got a hold of him and punched him in the old wound on his back. Bruce almost went down, the pain ringing through his body but he stabilized himself, knowing a second punch was going to follow, which it did when the fourth guy punched him into the kidney. Breathing through the pain he grabbed the face of one of them, smashing his nose against his knee. He had to become more effective with each injury he suffered. The more brutal he was, the more likely it was his opponent would go down. Before he knew it, all five were on the ground.
He took a deep inhale, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Good boy." The Joker exclaimed as the door of Gordon's cage made an unlocking sound and opened.

Gordon didn't move. "I can't get out of this chain." He said.
Bruce kneeled down, looking at it more closely. The inner side was full of sharp razor blades stacked against each other. If he pulled on it he would cut his neck wide open.
Nothing was ever easy with the Joker.
Bruce looked at the chain, connecting the leash to the kennel.
"Just go. I'll be fine." Gordon said.
Bruce ignored him and looked for a way to free the Commissioner. He followed the chain all the way around, looking at each link.
"The inside of the collar is made from leather. Once we can detach it from the chain we can get you out."
"Easier said than done."
Bruce looked around and found a piece of shred metal on the ground.
"I think I found a weak spot between the chain and the neck piece." He said, placing the piece of metal in the chain link, bending it open further and further until he could get it undone. Gordon crawled out of the kennel and was free but he was still wearing the collar.
"I can take it off later, let's go."
"It'll only take me a moment Gordon."

Carefully he widened the gap of another link, loosening it enough to open. The leather band snapped tighter in response. Gordon inhaled sharply as the razor blades dug into his skin.
"Almost there." Bruce said, cutting the back of the leather band and slowly removing it.

Gordon exhaled, rubbing his neck which was red and partly bleeding.

"Let's go." He said to Bruce as they made their way to the next room.

"This is my favorite room." The Joker said excitedly.

He opened the door and felt his blood freeze.
Cat, in her Viper outfit but without her mask, was in a large cage, tied at a wooden circle, painted in red and white stripes.
"Cat." He called her name and ran towards her.
She looked up at him, but she couldn't speak, a piece of tape over her mouth.
Bruce looked at the cage but there didn't seem to be any weak spots in it. Cat was restrained with metal chains.

"Ladies and gentlemen, step right up!" The Joker said over the speaker and then he saw Harley Quinn appear in the cage across from Cat. She was dressed like a ringleader in a circus, a big wide grin plastered across her face. "Let's begin the game." The Joker said.
"What game?" Bruce asked, trying to find a way to get to Cat.
"Glad you asked. It's a multiple choice question and there are no wrong answers. He-he."
More mind games. Great.
"First question: Would you rather give Gordon an electric shock in the cage to your left or option number two: Harley throws a knife at your beloved wife."

Gordon started walking to the cage without hesitation.
"Gordon, wait." Bruce said.
"This is not a question. You're not going to choose her over me."
He tried to calculate the risk for each scenario in his head. Throwing knives wasn't that easy. Chances Harley was actually going to hit Cat with one were a lot less than the electric shock Gordon would receive.

Gordon was standing in the cage. "Let's go, I can take it."
Who knows how high the voltage was. It could kill him.
Bruce took a sharp inhale, looking at Cat. "Option two." He said quietly. She nodded at him approvingly. Of course she did.
"No, no, no." Gordon protested.
"Hahahaahah! What a surprise." The Joker said with joy.
"Does that mean I can throw a knife, puddin'?" Harley asked.
"It does my love."
Harley clapped her hands in joy.

Bruce balled his hands into fists, biting his teeth together hard. Harley slowly grabbed a long knife from the table next to her, holding it up and showing it to Bruce like a priced possession. She looked him dead in the eye and licked the blade. Her eyes wild. She was lucky a cage separated them. He would break her neck right now.

"I'd advise you to miss." He said in a dark voice. "For your own sake."
She laughed at him. "Where is the fun in that, pretty boy?"
She pulled her arm back all the way and threw the knife with full force.

The sound of Cat's muffled scream tore through him. The knife had hit her right in her thigh muscle. She yanked her head back in pain, hitting it against the board.
Harley was bouncing up and down in glee, clapping her hands.
"Let her go now." He demanded, feeling helpless.
"Can I go again?" Harley asked.
"That depends on Brucey." The Joker said. "Is it going to be another knife throw, maybe this time into her heart? Or would you like option number two: I blow up Wayne Enterprises."

This one was easy. He had already asked for a full evacuation of Enterprises.
"Option two." He said exhausted.

A giant screen appeared, showing a live look at Enterprises.
"Say goodbye to the company your father built." The Joker said and with another laugh he watched as a giant explosion hit the building and it collapsed until there was nothing more but dust.

"Next question."
"Enough!" He screamed. "I had enough of your games. Why don't you come out of your hiding and face me."
"Patience. First we must complete this game. This is the last question. A knife throw or would you rather I'd release some of my toxin in Gotham?"
He couldn't gamble on Cat's life again. He sighed heavily and looked at her. She nodded at him, expecting him to choose the knife again. He couldn't. He wasn't strong enough for that. In addition he had already asked Fox to work on a antidote.
"Option number two." He said in a defeated tone.
Cat shook her head violently.

"What was that?" The Joker asked.
"Number two." He said louder.

The screen appeared again, showing a busy subway station. There were far too many people, people he just sentenced to whatever fate was awaiting them.

"I'm surprised you broke your code for her. Let's see these people smile, shall we?"
A giant smoke cloud appeared on the screen, people were coughing but then the coughing changed into laughter, growing louder and louder. The people closest to the camera looked evil, as if their faces had morphed into deformed clown masks. Their eyes were unnaturally wide open as they continued to laugh hysterically. That's when a man on the right started strangling the guy next to him. Another pulled a gun and shot a woman point blank. The laughing continued. One woman started ripping her own hair out in bloody bushels, hysterically laughing. A man with a wide grin walked by and smashed her face into the wall.

He felt sick to his stomach as the screen turned to black.

"I think we deserve a pool party now, don't you?" The Joker asked.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?

The floor underneath Cat opened and she fell into a large pool, still tied to the wooden circle and she kept sinking. In that moment the cage lifted up and with it Harley.

"Cat!" He screamed and jumped after her, diving down. She was on the ground. He tried to get her off the circle but she had a metal chain across her. He tried lifting her with it but whatever the material was, it was too heavy, he could barely get it off the ground. That's when Gordon appeared in the water but even the two of them could not lift it. Behind the wooden circle was a metal cross she had been tied to.

He had an idea but he was running out of time. Cat was losing air and so was he.

He swam up and took a deep inhale before swimming back to Cat, removing the tape over her mouth. He grabbed her by the back of her head, pulling her towards him, sealing his lips onto hers before sharing his air with her.

Then he quickly swam back up, jumped out of the pool and ran back into the last room where the train was.

"What's your plan?" Gordon asked, following him.
"Getting the handlebar off the train and using it as a crow bar."

With brute force he leaned against the handlebar, hoping the old screws would give in. With the next push they did. He ran back to the other room, jumping into the pool and down where Cat was. She didn't look good, slowly losing consciousness.

He pushed the metal bar between the metal cross and the wood. Doing this underwater was a whole lot more difficult. By the third try he got it undone, the other side was now much easier and he finally had the wooden part freed. He smashed the wood with the metal bar until Cat was just in the chains. He grabbed her and pulled her up to the surface. She was pale and didn't breath.

Bruce placed her motionless body on the ground and gave her two rescue breaths before starting compressions on her chest.
"Come on." He said quietly as he pressed the heal of his right hand into her chest. 10, 11, 12… Her face was pale, her lips almost blue.
"Come on Cat." 14,15,16…his hands kept pressing into her chest, her whole ribcage moving up and down in response. Why wasn't she breathing yet?
"Come on!" He screamed, panic spreading across his entire body. 19,20…. Cat opened her eyes, inhaling sharply and coughing up water. Bruce quickly moved her to her side so she could get the water out.

He exhaled deeply as relief set in.
Gordon placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it.
"You're alright?" Bruce asked her.
Cat nodded under coughing. "Are you planning on getting me out of these chains?" She asked.

He smiled, relieved she was already joking again. "Yes, hold on." He grabbed a loose nail on the ground and the handlebar. It took several solid swings before the chain broke and he was able to get her out.

"Let me look at your leg." He said before she could get up.
The blade of the knife was deeply embedded in her flesh. "It's too deep to just pull it out." He concluded.
Her eyes shot up at him. "You're leaving it in there?"
He nodded. "For now. Until we can get you to a hospital."
"Fuck." She exclaimed. He scooped her up, lifting his into his arms.
"No, put me down. You're not carrying me through this fucking nightmare."
"Cat, you can't walk."
"Hell I can. I'll show you."
Carefully he put her down. Once she shifted her weight onto her leg the color from her face drained again.
"This is not working." He said.

She held up a hand in protest. "Let's get out of here." She said, limping forward.
Stubborn.

There was only one way out of here and that was through this hell ride. Bruce and Gordon pushed open the old doors. Classical music was playing on an old gramophone. At the table were five dead people, their faces skinned. They hadn't been dead for long, blood still running down their faces, their lidless eyeballs staring at them.
"I think I'm going to be sick." Cat said, holding the back of her hand against her mouth.

"Take a seat." The Joker said and now it sounded like his voice was in the room.
Bruce looked around and then he saw the Joker emerge from the darkness, Alfred in his grips, a knife pressed against his neck. He felt Cat's body stiffen next to him in panic.
"Don't be rude and sit down." The Joker said, licking his lips.
"And then what?" Bruce challenged.
"Sit down!" The Joker barked back in a shrill scream, the blade digging deeper into Alfred's skin until it started bleeding slightly.
"We're sitting down." Cat offered, moving towards a chair and taking a seat.

Gordon followed and eventually so did Bruce. Harley walked out with handcuffs, cuffing them each to a chair, one hand behind their back the other free.

Harley walked over to Bruce, smiling at him. She was holding up a pair of handcuffs.
"Ready to play, money man?" She came close to him, her face just stopping inches from his, biting her lips as she grabbed his left wrist and put the handcuff around it. She snapped it closed, making sure it was tight. Instead of walking behind him and locking the cuff against the chair behind his back, she sat on his lap. Instinctively he leaned back, pressing his back against the chair.
She giggled and pulled his arms behind his back. Now she leaned forward, her breasts pressing against his chest as she smiled at him gleefully. He bit his lips together disapprovingly. Leaning her body against his, she reached his arm behind him and secured the second cuff to the chair.
When the cuff clicked into place she laughed. She grabbed his face by his jaw and placed a kiss on his lips, leaning more into him. He didn't move, waiting for it to stop.
She removed her lips and giggled again and got up.

The Joker seemed unfazed which didn't surprise Bruce. The Joker didn't have feelings for her or for anyone. She was just a tool he used. Bruce was sitting across from Cat who stared angrily at Harley. The Joker walked behind Cat, petting her hair like she was some pet.

"Let's play Never Have I Ever. The rules are simple, you pick a card and read it out loud. If you've done what it says on the card you raise your hand."
The Joker handed a deck of cards to Cat. "Ladies first." He said with a grin. She took a card.
"Never have I ever…lied to the person most important to me." Her eyes snapped at Bruce's in instant reaction as she raised her hand.
"Aww…Brucey, I'm sorry to hear that. Harley, you know what to do."
"With pleasure puddin'." She said as she punched Cat in the face, blood pouring down her nose.
Bruce felt his muscles tense in response.
When was this endless game over? What was the point of it all?

"Grandpa, it's your turn." He said to Alfred, who picked a card.
"Never have I ever…betrayed Master Wayne." He looked up. "I haven't." He said.
"Cheerio." The Joker said in a mocking British accent. He grabbed the old butler's face and smashed it on the table.
"Alfred!" Cat yelped.
"I'm alright." He said with blood running from his forehead.

"Next, Commissioner Gordon."
"Your playing a game teenagers play. Not very original." Gordon said.
"Oh but the stakes are so much higher." The Joker said with a giggle.
Gordon picked a card. "Never have I ever…failed the ones closest to me." He sighed and raised his hand.
"That's right." The Joker said, getting up and walking closer to Gordon. "Can't even protect your own family. What kind of Commissioner are you?" Gordon didn't respond, his eyes not meeting the Joker's.
The clown grabbed a plate of food, hitting Gordon in the face with it. The plate broke, pieces of mashed potato stuck in his hair, a big wound on his forehead.

"Next!" The Joker exclaimed with excitement. He walked towards Bruce, a grin spreading across his entire face. He handed him the card. Bruce took it.
"Never have I ever…" Son of a bitch.
"Go on." He said with a big smile.
"Never have I ever cheated on my wife." He raised his hand, remembering when he had paid the escort to fake an affair so he could protect Cat from himself and his world. He had failed at that and so many more things.
"Naughty boy!" Joker proclaimed punching him hard in the face, almost knocking him off the chair. The pain was ringing through his face. He could taste the blood on his tongue.

"Next round."
"Enough!" Bruce said, his voice almost gravely, almost like he was the Batman. Everyone turned and looked at him.
"Awww…are you not having fun?"
"Listen to me, freak, you wanted me here I am. Cut to the chase already."
"The journey is the destination. Don't you see, we're the same! I always told you we are. The only thing that separates us is sanity. I'll make you a deal, you'll get to choose who picks the next round."
Bruce spit blood on the floor. "Me. I choose me."
"Here is the next card."
"Never have I ever…been responsible for the death of a loved one." He raised his hand.
"Poor Rachel. Did you love her more than this one?" The Joker said, pointing at Cat. "Is she just a second class Rachel replacement? You can tell me."
"That's not part of the game." He said between teeth, the rage in him boiling over.
"Ah right. This is." The Joker grabbed a knife, stabbing Bruce in the shoulder.

Cat screamed in response, as he tried to muffle his scream behind closed lips. He didn't want to give the Joker the satisfaction.
"Who is next?" The Joker asked, almost intoxicated on Bruce's misery.
"Me!" Bruce shouted under pain.
"Bruce, no." Cat protested.
He grabbed a card. "Never have I ever…watched my wife bleed out in my arms and all my strength did nothing to protect her."
He raised his hand, trying to speed up the process.
"It would have been perfect. Her death would have pushed you over the edge. I know it. I could already see it happening. That was the plan. To drive you mad." He sighed. "Oh well." He grabbed a shard from the plate and smashed it between Bruce's ribs.
Bruce leaned back, closing his eyes for a second to concentrate on not losing consciousness, his breath was ragged, sweat and blood was running down his neck.
But he had a plan. With his other hand he needed to dislocate his thumb to get out of the cuffs. He was almost there.

"I'll take the next one." Cat demanded loudly.
"No, I'll do it." Gordon said.
"Look everyone is fighting over it." Joker said with a chuckle.
"Give me the damn card." Bruce hissed.
"Are you sure? You don't look so good."
He pulled another card. "Never have I ever…" He felt his blood freeze. His eyes snapped at the Joker.
"Come on read it."
He placed the card back on the table, calculating how to best dislocate his thumb without the Joker noticing it. He had almost done it twice. He was running out of time if the Joker meant what was written on the card.
"Read it." The Joker demanded.
"No."
"Fine." He said as he grabbed the card, handing it to Cat.
Bruce felt all the adrenaline pumping in his veins. He exchanged a quick glance with Gordon, hoping he would know what to do.

"Mrs. Wayne, could you do the honor."
Cat picked up the card as Bruce slipped down his hand to the other, taking his thumb and manipulating the joint.
"Never have I ever…watched the Joker kill my wife." She said and looked at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty.
Snap - the joint finally was out. Barely noticing the pain, he squeezed the cuff over his hand.

The Joker stood behind Cat, looming over her like garish nightmare. "Sometimes it takes losing something to see clearly, don't you think Bruce?" He grabbed the handle of the knife in her leg and started twisting it. She screamed in response to the biting pain through her muscles and nerves.
With one swift motion he pulled the knife in Cat's leg out. She screamed in agony.
The Joker looked at the knife in his hands like a priced possession, then he placed it on her neck.
Cat's eyes shot at Bruce again. It was as if they were asking him 'what is the plan'?

"Say goodbye, my dear." Joker whispered into her ear. "I will make sure to carve a big smile on your face."
In that moment Bruce jumped across the table. He was watching Harley go for her gun. He needed to take her out first. He kicked the gun out of her hand, punching her in the neck and she went to the floor. The Joker had disappeared.

"Everyone ok?" He asked, turning around.
In that moment Cat flipped her chair around, smashing it over Harley's head. Harley was startled for a moment but then kicked Cat, who was still cuffed to the chair. Cat swung the chair again, this time knocked Harley out.

"Yeah, fine." Cat said. "Thanks for asking. You on the other hand, aren't fine."

She looked through Harley's pockets and found a bunch of keys. One of them opened her cuffs. She went to Alfred and Gordon.
As she was doing that he disappeared into the darkness, searching for the Joker. This needed to end tonight.

He followed the Joker through a door into a dark hallway. He heard the clown's hysteric laughter in the distance. He ran towards the next room, opening the door and entered a labyrinth made out of mirrors. He always hated these as a kid.

Bright neon lights were flickering, adding to the disorienting feeling of the mirrors.

"Stop running away Joker. It's over." He said loudly.

There was a TV at the end of the next corner, playing news images. Another explosion, this time in the heart of Gotham. 2000 feared dead in attacks by Joker

"You chose wrong." Joker's voice hallowed over the speaker system. "You could have saved all these lives but instead you decided to come back for your own friends and family. You chose her. Is her life really worth more than those of 2000 Gothamites?"

"It's not my choice. It's your plan." He said as he kept walking. He knew the only way to put an end to the Joker's killings would be to catch him. It didn't matter what he chose in the end. "You're the man with the trigger in his hand. You're the one killing these people."

"You're missing the point once again. It's all just so you can see how you and I - we're the same."
"You're garbage who kills for money."
"You'll see. Soon enough."

Bruce kept walking through the labyrinth, some mirrors making him look big, some small, some were normal. Funhouse mirrors. Another thing he hated. The circus music kept playing endlessly, the harsh lights flickered. He felt like he was getting a headache. He was worried about more explosions in Gotham, more death. Although he didn't want to admit to the Joker he felt guilty. Rationally he knew that even if he had chosen differently, the Joker would have still killed those people. He only ever gives the illusion of having a choice. He's the one ultimately in charge.

"I've seen you slip several times." The Joker continued. "Each time you're getting closer to becoming the Batman - forever. I want to show you that even without the mask, you'll be able to show your true character. Once I'll kill her, you'll see."
"She is safe. You're the one running away from me."

A high pitched laugh echoed from the speakers. "Poor Bruce. Is that what you think is happening? No, I am safe and you're running into my trap, just like I thought you would. In five minutes I'm blowing the carnival sky high and you'll be stuck in this labyrinth trying to get her to safety."
Bruce stopped walking for a second, looking at his own, distorted reflection in one of the mirrors. Could the clown be right? Could he have actually fallen for the trap?
"The plan was never to kill her at the dinner table." The Joker continued. "No, no. I knew you'd get out of those cuffs. I also knew you'd follow me, because you just can't let me go."
He felt his heart sink. Did he blindly step into the trap?
"Don't you see the beauty? You'll be stuck in this labyrinth when you hear the explosion that will kill her. I made sure that the only way out was through here and I closed that exit off when you blindly walked through. And you know the best part? Guess what their only way out is? The key that you have!" He started laughing hysterically.

Bruce's mouth was dry, his head felt dizzy. The key that he got at the beginning of this sick and twisted carnival ride. That was the tool to save her and Alfred and Gordon.
Think - he ordered himself. He just needed to get out of this labyrinth.

"I thought this would be the perfect end to your love story. Once again you're stuck in a labyrinth. This time your hallucination will become reality. Remember, old friend, when I had you in that labyrinth all that time ago? You were imagining holding the dead body of someone you loved. Ugh! It was killing me that I didn't know who Batman loved. But now…now I know."

Frantically he walked through the mirrors, trying to find an exit. He almost felt dizzy from the music, the lights and the never ending mirrors. Was there an exit? If the Joker was right, then there was none. He would hear the explosion and see his own, deformed face staring back at him over and over again, reminding him of the failure he was. That was the Joker's sick punchline. Now that he understood it, he was feverishly thinking about a way out. A way back to her.

Why did he not look after her, Alfred and Gordon? Why did he have to run after the clown? His breath sounded shallow in his own ears as he ran through the labyrinth, sometimes walking into a mirror by accident before continuing. The loud music was beating through him, the flickering neon lights made it hard to focus. All he could think about was her. He couldn't lose her. He couldn't.
"Tick tock." The Joker said. "Two minutes left."
Two minutes? That was all?

"Bruce?" He heard Cat's voice.
"Cat?" He asked, running towards her voice.
"Bruce?"
He kept running but then he realized, it was a recording. He stopped, looking at himself, covered in blood and sweat, his chest moving up and down quickly. He saw the panic in his eyes.
"Catherine?" He started screaming, knowing there wouldn't be an answer. With full force he hit the mirror, bursting it into a million shards. He heard the Joker laughing in the background.

He went to the next mirror, punching it and the next one and the next one. He barely noticed his hands splitting open, shards of glass ripping through his flesh, embedding in his skin.

"You think your strength will save her?"
The only reason he kept running in circles was because he didn't know where he was. One of these damn mirrors had to give him a clue as to how to get out.
"One minute left." The clown said.

Like in trance, fueled by rage, Bruce kept punching through mirrors until one of them sounded differently. He removed the shards and saw it was a door panel. He kicked the door handle out and opened the door.

He was out of the building and saw the Joker running away. He ran after him, grabbing him by his hair and slamming him to the ground. He went through his jacket.
"Where is the trigger?" He demanded.
"There is none. It will go off automatically."
"That's a lie. You're a control freak. You always pretend to leave things up to chance but in reality everything is carefully planned. Where is the trigger?"
The Joker just started laughing. Bruce punched him in the face.

"She will be all but dust in a few seconds." The Joker said laughing.
"Where is the trigger?" He repeated, the words sounded like poison on his tongue as he noticed it wasn't his voice anymore, it was Batman's. He punched the Joker's face again and again and again.
"It's just you and me now." The Joker said under another laugh.

A sharp knife blade wedged in Bruce's stomach. The Joker took the moment as an opportunity to topple over Bruce, trying to run away. Bruce got up, grabbing Joker and both of them rolled down the dirt hill until they landed on hard rocks next to the canal.

Bruce grabbed the Joker's head smashing it against a rock. The laughing never stopped, only getting higher pitched.
"Do it! Break your rule! I want you to do it!" The clown said with excitement.

Bruce finally found the trigger in the the Joker's pocket and ripped the cable out with his teeth.
The Joker pulled out another knife, jamming it in Bruce's leg. He went down. Then he felt the clown pull out the knife in his stomach. He saw stars for a moment, feeling blood gushing out of the wound. Forcing himself to focus he grabbed the Joker's wrist before he could slam the knife back into his body.

"We're meant to do this forever or die together." The Joker said, the white makeup gone, his entire face was smeared with blood. "And in ten seconds you will experience the kind of loss you don't come back from. The kind of loss that feels like you're drowning in thick oil, suffocating you. You're right about something. I always have a plan. I wanted you to come after me. I wanted you to find the trigger. But that wasn't the trigger to start the explosion." He giggled, licking his lips, his eyes fueled with excitement. "No, it's the one to keep it from happening."
"You're lying." He said in a gravely voice, not able to find his own voice anymore.
Bruce kicked Joker off of him, punching him in the face again.
"We are nothing alike!" He yelled.

"You ran after me. Not her." He said with a big smile again. "Get ready for the fireworks."

BOOM! The explosion was so strong it knocked Bruce over. He got up and turned around, looking at where the carnival just stood but there was nothing but ruins and a massive tower of flames.
"Hahahahhaahahahahah!"
It was raining Joker cards. Bruce felt like he was caught in his own nightmare.

"You came after me! I know you Bruce, better than you know yourself. I know what you're going to do before you do it. Why? Because you're like me."

His hands were shaking as the adrenaline rushed through his body like venom.

"I wanted to be the one who did it. I wanted to be the one who takes everything away from you to show you who you really are. Your friend Gordon; Alfred, the man who raised you, and finally Catherine Wayne, the love of your life. In one big swoop they're all gone." The Joker got up slowly again. "Not only did all your strength do nothing to protect them, you are the one who let them die by running after me. Hahahaha! Now that's funny."

Bruce kept staring at the flames, dancing violently in the distance. In the sky the Joker cards were still flying, almost like grotesque snowflakes. He felt shattered. Broken beyond repair. Sudden emptiness filled his body. It was like the ground had been removed from underneath him and now he was just falling. The loss spreading through his system like a cloth of darkness.
"I did this for you, pal." The Joker said. "They were just holding you back. I was the one who saw your true potential. You're finally free."

In that moment Bruce went on autopilot. He was just vaguely aware that he was punching the Joker's face hard. Repeatedly. As the Joker fell down he continued. With each punch the Joker seemed to laugh harder. He felt the clown's jaw dislocate, his nose bone crack, his skin breaking open. But the clown kept laughing, gurgling up blood. Most of Bruce's knuckles had already been broken. It didn't matter anymore. He unleashed all his anger. For the first time he just let go. All the rage that had consumed him for so long, and which he had guarded with training so carefully for years, he just let it run through him like a forest fire. He saw his parents getting shot, Rachel dying, Cat dying in his arms…all that anger, now burning freely.
"Bruce!" Was that Cat's voice?
An arm grabbed him, trying to pull him away. Why? He had to keep going.
"Bruce, please stop!" The voice demanded.
He couldn't stop. It had to be finished. Once and for all.

Gordon, Alfred and I were stuck in the dinner room. All doors locked. And Harley was unconscious on the floor.

"What now?" Gordon asked.

I was worried about Bruce. I didn't like the fact that he went after the Joker by himself. I never knew what the clown had up his sleeves.

"She doesn't have any other keys on her." I said, after checking Harley's pockets. "Guessing the Joker doesn't care that much about her after all."
"Shocking." Gordon said as he grabbed Harley's gun, checking the ammunition in it. "He doesn't seem capable of caring about anyone."
"There are two doors. Both made out of metal so that's not our way out." Alfred said as he ran his hand along the walls. "Do you have anything useful on that utility belt of yours, ma'am?"
"Lots of useful things. Could you be more specific?"
"There is a weak spot on this side of the wall." He said.
"But that gets us back to where we came from." I said.
"True, but at least it gets us out." Gordon added.
"Alright, time to blow this party up." I grabbed a small device from my belt, placing it against the wall. Fox had given me only one per belt. I set the time of destruction at five seconds.

It did it's job and created a small hole in the all. With my heels I kicked down the rest of the debris so we were able to fit through.
Gordon had cuffed Harley to a heater element. "We'll pick her up later."
We made our way back through Joker's twisted carnival until we got to the entrance.

"Which way now?" Gordon asked.
"I think back there." I said as I started walking.

BOOM! A massive explosion threw me into the air and away from the entrance of the carnival. My body smashed against a wooden cart, collapsing it in the process. Slowly I got up, making sure nothing on my body was broken.

I looked around and saw Gordon help Alfred up.
"We're ok." Gordon said.
"I'm going to look for Bruce." I said as I started running. I needed to find him.

I ran through the smoke, listening to the roaring blaze that had engulfed the carnival as it was raining Joker cards.
Panicked I looked for a sign of him.

In the distance I heard noises. Screams, laughs, punches.

I ran down to where I heard noises. Then I saw them. Bruce on top of the Joker, punching him relentlessly. I ran down the dirt hill, almost falling over on the loose gravel.

For a split second I froze, looking at the Joker's face. It was mostly gone.
His teeth were gone, the nose broken, the jaw was unnaturally hanging from the side. The scars on the side of his mouth were gaping wounds again, flesh breaking open all across his face, flaps of skin hanging from his face. His eyes swollen shut. The white makeup had disappeared, replaced by pools of blood.
In shock I placed my hand on my mouth as I watched Bruce hit the Joker with full force again and again. Blood spraying everywhere.

"Bruce!" I yelled but he didn't slow down.
I felt tears in my eyes. Not because of the Joker, but because Bruce was slipping away, becoming the monster he didn't want to be. If he killed the Joker, a part of him might never come back.
"Bruce, please stop!" I screamed, grabbing his arm. He pushed me away hard and I fell to the ground.

Was the Joker still alive? I couldn't tell. I got up again, hooking my arm around Bruce's neck, pulling him off the Joker. "Please, stop this!"
His hands grabbed my arm as he swung me over his head, throwing me on the floor hard. It knocked the wind out of my lungs for a second.

"Bruce…" I said as I got up again. "Listen to me, you need to go to the hospital. Everything is going to be alright."
I felt tears running down my face, never having been so scared in my life. Scared for him.
I noticed his right hand was almost completely shattered, bones sticking out, layers of white fat visible.
His white shirt was soaked in his blood at his stomach, suggesting an additional stab wound.
The piece of the plate still lodged in his ribcage.
But what frightened me most of all was how he close he was to becoming the monster. Losing himself in it.
His breath was ragged, his eyes wild.

"We're save now, ok?" I said. "We just need to get you to a doctor."
"He's still alive." He said almost like he was talking to someone else.
I looked at the bloody pile that was the Joker, not sure if that was true.
"He will rot in Arkham, this time for good."
"It is never for good. I have to finish it."

He started moving towards the Joker again.
"NO!" I screamed, moving in front of him, blocking Bruce's body with mine. "Don't you see? This is what he wants. He wants you to become the monster. Don't lose your humanity. Don't let him win. Please. I can't lose you." I shook my head.
I had never felt this helpless. Was he beyond my reach? He seemed like he was sleepwalking.

He didn't respond, moving past me with an empty expression in his eyes. I fell to my knees in desperation, holding on to his leg, hoping to stop him but he just kept walking, dragging me along with him.
"Bruce, please, I love you. Don't do this. Don't destroy the man I love."

It seemed as if he was in a violence filled blackout as he walked back to where the Joker was laying.

Did the Joker win this time?
Not knowing what else to do I got up and, right before Bruce could land another punch on what was left of Joker's face, I jumped in between.
"Get out of the way." He yelled. What sent cold shivers down my spine was the fact that he used his Batman voice without wearing the mask.
"If you're doing this, you need to do it the right way. If you're destroying the man I love, then you need to punch through me. Kill me."

He pushed me to the side.

I ran at him, trying to push him away when he grabbed me by my neck with one hand, closing in on my wind pipe. That's when I saw his eyes. Blood shot, wide with rage. It was as if he was high on adrenaline.

I was gasping for air, trying to kick him off me. He was biting his teeth together, veins bulging under his skin across his forehead and neck, his nostrils flaring with each inhale. I had never seen him like this.
"You're not real." He said, almost to himself as he lifted me off the ground with one arm, his fingers tightening around my neck. Strength wouldn't help me now. I couldn't fight against him. Even with all my new skills, he was the better fighter.

He let go off me and I fell to the ground, gasping for air, coughing when oxygen filled my deprived lungs again, my throat burning. I crawled in between him and the Joker again, trying everything I could to make him stop. To save him from himself.

Bruce looked at me, his chest moving up and down frantically.
"If you need to kill the Joker, punch through my face first." I said. "Get your anger out. You might as well kill me because you will kill the man who is most important in my life."

To my shock he lifted his fist, his eyes black with rage. The man I loved was gone.
I took a deep inhale, preparing myself for what would follow, wondering how it was going to feel when he was going to break my face.
I didn't take my eyes off his, hoping to recognize Bruce somewhere in there. This was going to hurt. He wasn't going to hold back. Not in the slightest.
But physical pain was my least concern. Had I come too late? Was Bruce already gone? For good?
Tears of panic were streaming down my face.

"I loved you from the moment I first met you." I said as I was thinking of that moment at his party all those years ago when our eyes locked. Those deep hazel eyes. Now they stared back at me with emptiness and rage. "Don't let the Joker win. Don't let him take you away from me. Don't let this be our end."

And then I saw his expression crack. As if he finally snapped out of it. For a moment he looked like he had seen a ghost, slowly lowering his fist, stumbling backwards. His eyes wide open, silent tears running down his face. He fell to his knees, his head hanging down. I moved closer kneeling next to him and pulled him into my arms.
His body leaned against mine and he started crying, holding on to me tightly. Agonizing cries leaving his lungs, as if he had come up for air, barely escaping the abyss. It was breaking my heart all over.
"I'm so sorry." He said in between sobs. "I'm so, so sorry."
"You're alright now." I said, feeling his entire body shake violently.

I realized in that moment that he could never put on the mask again. This was the moment he had to make the choice between monster and human.
I finally understood what he had been scared about all this time. What Alfred had been scared about. Losing yourself in the mask…it had felt like a distant concept. But here, on this night, he had come awfully close to it.

His hands were holding me tightly, as if he was drowning and I had pulled him on land.
"You're alright." I said, tears still streaming down my face as I was holding the back of his head.
Then I saw Alfred and Gordon slowly walk towards us. They both stopped, giving us some privacy.

"We need to get you to a doctor, though." I said, loosening the hug and looking at him again.
The expression in his eyes caught me off guard. They had gone from wild, drunk on rage, to broken, vulnerable.
He nodded, swallowing, before getting up. I helped him. The pain would kick in now that the adrenaline had subsided.
"I'm fine." He lied and his face instantly tightened with pain as he tried to take a step. He was losing a lot of blood.
"Lean on me." I said, placing an arm around my shoulders.

As we slowly walked towards Gordon and Alfred, I noticed their expressions. Both looked very worried. I didn't know if that was because of Bruce's physical or mental state.
Suddenly a tinny, gurgling laughter emerged like a cruel joke that just wouldn't stop. I froze, turning around.
"I broke the Batman." The Joker said, though it was hard to understand him through his injuries. He sat up, looking like a faceless monster.

I noticed Alfred's reaction to the damage. "Good god." He said quietly.
"I did what nobody else could." He said laughing again. "I killed the Batman." He started laughing hysterically. His laugh getting louder and louder, blood gushing from all the open wounds, his broken jaw flapping around. Bruce's body tensed but his eyes were no longer wild.

That's when Gordon pulled the gun he had confiscated from Harley and shot Joker in the head. His body instantly collapsed to the ground.
I exhaled deeply, realizing I had been holding my breath.
"Let's get him to an ER." Gordon said, looking at Bruce. "My car is not far from here."

I kept my eyes closely on Bruce every step to the car. He looked exhausted. Broken. His face was pale, almost lifeless.

As we were walking away I turned around one last time, looking at the body of the Joker.
The clown had been right. He was the one who killed the Batman. This place - this abandoned carnival - was where both the Joker and Batman died. Two sides of the same coin. One good, one evil. It ended here.

In the car ride Bruce lost consciousness. His white shirt soaked in red crimson. He was losing too much blood.

Three weeks later.

Today was the day Bruce was finally being released from the hospital. He had to undergo several surgeries. First the ones dealing with his life threatening injuries to his abdomen. Then the extensive damage to his shoulder, the muscle damage from the stab wound in his leg and last but not least reconstructive surgery to his right hand. It would take months for the hand to heal and doctors said he would never fully regain control of it again. He would still be able to use it, but most fingers would never fully bend again. He had shattered every bone in his right hand, severing several nerves in the process.

I was waiting outside the hospital with Alfred.
"There he is." I said with a relived smile on my face.
Bruce was wearing jeans and a navy sweater, smiling, his eyes beaming at me.
I ran towards him, falling into his arms, he hugged me, his hand still in a cast.

He kissed me. "It's good to be back home."
"You're not home yet."
"I am when I'm with you."
My throat tightened in response. "Let's go."

Gotham had gone back to business as usual. A memorial was being built for the lives lost during the Joker attacks. In the end we were able to save thousands of lives. Thanks to us finding the poison the Joker used early on, Fox was able to commission enough antidote for the entire city. Wayne Enterprises handed these over to the city free of charge and was hence awarded medal from the mayor. Since Bruce was still in the hospital, Fox accepted the medal and I stood by his side, representing the Wayne family.

We got back to Wayne Manor, walking through the long hallway.
"Are you sure?" I asked him as he was holding my hand.
"I am very sure." He reassured me with a smile as we walked past moving boxes.

Three days after his first surgery, he had told me he wanted to move away from Gotham.
"It's time for us to move on." He had said.
And I agreed. Alfred was right all along. There was nothing in Gotham for him but death and despair.

"Where do you want to go?" I had asked him.
"Anywhere you would like."
We decided for now to make his island house our permanent residence and travel most of the time.

I watched him closely as we walked through the mansion of his childhood one last time. He took everything in, every detail. I could almost see memories of his childhood flickering across his eyes.
We got to the piano. "Sure you're ready for this?" I asked.
Another soft smile wiped across his face. "Yes."

He pressed the combination on the keyboard and the door to the elevator opened. Us and Alfred got into the elevator and then it was rushing down, the familiar effect of air whirling through my hair - one last time.

He got out of the elevator and Alfred and I followed him slowly. The sound of the bats, the waterfall gushing, it had all been so familiar, so empowering. But I had realized now, there was a fine line between letting the monster empower you and you becoming the monster. A price to pay every time you put on the mask.

You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Bruce walked across the bridge, activating the switch and his Batsuit appeared from below.
He stood in front of it for a moment. Alfred and I looked at each other.
I wondered what was going through Bruce's mind after all these years. I hadn't spent as much time behind the mask as he had. It hadn't taken ahold of me as much as it had of him.
Slowly he took the mask out, looking at it in his hands.
"Do you need a moment?" I asked as I walked towards him, my Viper outfit in my arms.
He shook his head. "I'm ready."

We walked over to where Alfred stood. Apparently the Batcave had a crematorium, designed for emergencies to get rid of all evidence.
Alfred opened the door, revealing orange flames behind it, the heat hitting my face instantly.

I looked at Bruce, seeing the reflection of the flames in his eyes. I knew what this step meant. I knew he was ready to say goodbye to the Batman forever but it wasn't easy. Batman had been a part of him for so long. It had given him a way to deal with his anger.

"I'll start." I said.
He didn't respond.

First I threw my suit into the flames. The mask was harder. I looked at the mask that had given me strength when I felt at my most vulnerable.
Viper had been there to help me put myself back together when I thought I was broken beyond repair.
I looked at the familiar shape of my own face, reflected in black kevlar, concealing my identity and giving me a new one at the same time.
I closed my eyes for a second, seeing myself screaming at Bruce's lifeless body as Bane's men carried him away. And the horrible months that followed. From the ashes, I was rebuild. Through long hours, tears and sweat. Then I saw the moment I first became the Viper, the thrill of putting on the mask. The power I felt suddenly. It was hard letting go of her because I felt she had become part of me.

With a deep sigh I opened my eyes and threw the mask into the fire. Goodbye Viper. Thanks for all you've done for me.

I turned to Bruce. He grabbed his suit, pushing it through the door. The flames crackling loudly in response to the thick kevlar.
I looked back at him.
He was staring at the mask. The mask of Gotham's hero. Gotham's Dark Knight. That's what I saw when I looked at Batman. He bit his teeth together tightly, lines of worry spreading across his face. His jaw muscle was bulging underneath his skin as it always did when he was worried or angry.

I felt more emotional about his mask than mine because he was Gotham's hero. He was my hero.
I swallowed, fighting back tears. I knew he could never bring Batman back. It was either Batman or Bruce. Both couldn't survive. It was time Bruce got to live his life. But even knowing that it was hard saying goodbye.

I remembered when Batman saved my life when I was falling from a building, imaging certain death. Even more so when the Joker had me tied to explosives. I had lost all hope but then I saw his kevlar mask appearing from the darkness and had never felt so relieved.

Now here I was, at Batman's funeral. I wiped a tear away quickly, hoping he wouldn't notice. He was still looking at the mask, running his fingers along the pointy edges.
I remembered little kids drawing bats on the walls of buildings as symbols of hope. He did that.
That scared little boy, who lost his entire family in one night at Crime Alley, turned around and saved so many. Including me. Another tear fell down my cheek.

Here we were at the end of it all.
He took one step closer to the door and then he threw the mask in. I watched the flames eating away at the kevlar, melting the ears until slowly the mask fell apart.

Without hesitation I walked up to him, hugging him tightly. His arms locked around my body as Alfred closed the door.
"I'm so grateful to have you in my life." I said, just above a whisper, barely able to hold it together.
He didn't respond, simply pulling me closer into his arms. "Thank you for being the hero we all needed." I said.
He swallowed hard but didn't say anything.

We stood there for a moment, in the now empty Batcave, water gushing, bats flying.

We broke the hug and left, hand in hand, getting back into the elevator.

"Hold on." Bruce said and got out of the elevator. He turned around, looking at the waterfall and the bats one last time. He took a deep inhale, then letting the air out of his lungs with a swift exhale.
"Now I'm ready." He said as he got back into the elevator.

"Who is going to clean after you now, sir?" Alfred asked as we walked back through the house.
Bruce laughed, placing his good arm around me, pulling me towards him.
"We'll see if you can let anyone else clean the house."
Bruce had bought Alfred another mansion on the island for his own use. He had officially placed Alfred in retirement.
"Oh quite happily, sir." The old butler said.

Bruce didn't abandon Gotham entirely. He had told Gordon he would help whenever it was necessary - but as Bruce Wayne - with his resources and knowledge. Not with his life or his body.
We left Wayne Manor, walking to the Rolls Royce.

Bruce opened the door for me and I got in. He walked around the car and opened his door but looked up at the old facade of his home one last time.

Wayne Manor would become another home for orphaned children in need. We had already put in the paperwork. The cave underneath would be nothing more than a cave. No elevator. No electronics. No Batman.

He got into the car and we started driving. I turned around, looking at my former home through the window.

"I was thinking I'd prepare some chicken for supper." Alfred said.
"So much for retirement." Bruce said with a laugh.
"Are you going to start cooking, sir?"

Bruce laughed and that's when I noticed the anger that had been plastered across his features for so long had vanished. The sadness that had engulfed his eyes all but disappeared. The tightness around his lips had relaxed. As I watched him laugh and joke with Alfred, I felt a wave of emotion hit me. This time it wasn't loss, it was a new found freedom I could see in him.

Only now did I understand: Batman had given him strength but it also had been a burden. A burden he had carried for much of his life.

He placed an arm around me and pulled me closer to him, kissing my forehead. I rested my head against his shoulder, listening to him talk about places he wanted to visit, making plans for the future he had usually never envisioned for himself.
Ultimately he had known all along his journey would end in death. His or Batman's.

He kept disagreeing with Alfred about retirement arrangements and laughing at the butler's jokes.
Even his laughter sounded different. Lighter. The heaviness from his shoulders was lifted.

As we left the gates of Wayne Manor I understood: He had become finally free. Finally - unmasked.