Epilogue
Batcave…later that afternoon…
"So they're not going to tell anyone. You're sure of it?" Leslie asked, as she dabbed disinfectant on Bruce's arm.
Bruce gritted his teeth as the fluid stung the shallow knife wound on his forearm where one of the gang members had managed to pierce his Kevlar. "She gave me her word. I'm not really in a position to negotiate with her at this point."
"Shegave you her word, what about Lex Luthor?"
"He hasn't said much of anything. Of course I didn't hang around to chat. I honestly don't know what Lex will do. He was angry, that was clear. You can never really predict what Luthors will do when they're angry."
Leslie paused as she wrapped gauze around Bruce's arm. "Bruce, as you've said yourself on many occasions, Lex isn't his father."
"I know that and I believe that."
"But…?"
"He was really angry, Leslie."
Leslie secured the bandage and patted his hand gently. Her kind eyes skimmed over his face, no doubt seeing the dark circles he himself has seen when the looked in the mirror this morning. The rough night and the lack of sleep were evident on his face.
"Everything will be all right, I'm sure of it." Leslie told him. "If he was that angry, I'm sure it's only because he's very much in love with her. But from what you said, they're still together so there's no need for him to harbor any resentment or anger towards you no matter how angry he may have seemed last night. Love brings out the extremes in people's emotions. Just wait, one of these days, you'll fall in love like that…"
"Master Bruce?" Alfred's voice on the intercom interrupted Leslie's words. The intercom allowed Alfred to talk to Bruce while he was in the cave from a small panel in the kitchen. Bruce had installed it shortly after finishing the cave.
"Yes, Alfred?"
"You have visitors in the Manor, sir."
"Who is it?"
"Mr. Luthor and Miss Sullivan."
Leslie smiled. "See? I told you."
Bruce was not convinced. "They don't have anyone with them, do they?" he asked.
"No, sir. They arrived alone, in Mr. Luthor's vehicle."
Bruce swallowed. Then looked at Leslie. "What should I do?"
Leslie was still smiling as she packed up her medical bag.
"He's your oldest real friend. She helped you when needed it most and was going to keep your secret at great personal cost. If it were me...I'd give them both the benefit of the doubt. And as for me, I need to go now so it's time to give you my usual speech on how you need to be careful and not take any unnecessarily risks. You will no doubt ignore me, also as per usual, so let's save some time and consider it done, OK?"
"Leslie…"
"I'll take the back way out. Take care, Bruce." She patted his check and disappeared towards the back entrance, which led to the kitchen.
"Master Bruce?" Alfred pressed.
"I'll be right up, Alfred…have them wait in my study."
"Sir—?"
"Trust me, Alfred."
Bruce climbed the stairs to the main entrance to the house, the one that led though the old grandfather clock in his study. When he built the entrance to the cave, he had needed it to be somewhere that was somewhat private, in case he needed to enter and leave the cave when there were others in the house.
The entrance was well concealed and, from the study side, opened only if the hands of the clock were set to a specific time and in a specific order. No one would ever suspect what lay behind the clock.
Unless, of course, someone showed them.
He took a deep breath and pushed the lever that opened the clock from the cave side.
Chloe and Lex both turned towards him surprise when they heard the clock swing open. Bruce purposely let it swing all the way open so they could be no question of where he was coming from.
Lex's eyes were wide while Chloe looked merely curious. And somewhat amused. She leaned against his desk and watched silently while Lex walked forward and stood in the "doorway" made by the clock.
He then whipped his head around to look at Bruce again. Bruce was momentarily concerned that Lex was going to hit him again. He knew what Lex was thinking. They had their conversation about Chloe in this very study, only a few feet away from where she had been. She had been there the whole time. Bruce wouldn't blame Lex one bit if he wanted to hit him again.
Finally Lex broke the silence.
"It's just...right down there?"
"Yes."
"In your house!?"
"Well, if you're a masked nocturnal vigilante, the last thing you want is a long commute." quipped Chloe.
Both men turned their heads to look at her and she rolled her eyes.
"Are we all just going to stand around glaring at one another or are we going to take a tour?
Wordlessly, Bruce gestured for her to lead the way down the stone steps. As she passed the two men, Lex once again voiced his surprise.
"In your house? You built this...cave...right in your house?"
Chloe, who by now was on the second step, spun around.
"OK, two things: one, where else was he going to put it? And two, let those of use who've never built secret rooms in our castles cast the first stone. Now come on."
She turned again and disappeared down the stairs.
Lex half-smiled and ran his hand over his head. "She has a way of...putting things in perspective."
"Perspective?" Bruce drawled, gesturing for Lex to follow Chloe down the stairs. "Is that what that is?"
Lex estimated that the dark, narrow staircase carried them down at least two stories from the main house. He surmised that the cave where they were headed had to be primarily a natural formation because even with Bruce's immense resources, there was no way he could have built this himself so deep into the ground without anyone noticing. He knew that he wouldn't be able to do it and Lex had always figured himself to be more adept at subterfuge than Bruce. Evidently, he'd have to rethink that assessment.
Finally, they seemed to hit bottom. When the stairwell walls and ceiling expanded outwards around him to reveal the expansive cave, Lex had to clench his jaw to keep it from dropping. The ceiling sloped high overhead and was riddled with hanging stalactites and crevasses from which a faint but insistent screeching could be heard.
Bats.
Chloe hadn't been lying about the bats.
Logically he knew that she wouldn't lie about them but it was one thing to hear that there were bats in the cave and another thing to be there, hearing the movement of flapping, leathery wings and the high-pitched whine.
He turned his head to where Chloe had stopped and blinked rapidly at the enormous computer console she was now leaning casually against. Lex was no stranger to high tech equipment, especially surveillance equipment but this…structure was straight out of Houston's Mission Control.
On the opposite wall from the console was a serious of doorways that he could only assume led to smaller rooms in the cave, and beyond that, a sloping ramp which he imagined led to the tank of a vehicle that Batman…Bruce has brought Chloe home in.
When his mind replaced Bruce's name with Batman in his thoughts, he was reminded of the full impact of the situation. Bruce built all this. Bruce owned that mind-boggling vehicle. Bruce swung from buildings and fought criminals every night. Bruce was Batman.
"Lex?" Chloe asked. "Are you OK? Your face is a funny color."
"What color is it?" Lex asked, distantly, as he looked to the far wall and discovered some kind of high-tech criminal lab.
"Well, it's not so much the color as it is the absence of color. Maybe you should sit down."
"I'm fine." He made a tight circle with his steps, his eyes skimming the space. "So, did you get a cot of some sort while you were here or did he just keep you pumped with coffee?"
"Down the first hallway. He calls it the infirmary."
"Infirmary?" Lex asked. Just what all did Bruce have down here anyway?
Bruce shrugged. "I can show it to you if you like. I didn't make her sleep in a pallet on the floor if that's what you're thinking."
"There's such a long list of things I'm thinking right now, Bruce, I'm not sure where to start," Lex replied dryly, taking another glance around.
"Well, the infirmary is as good a place as any," Bruce gestured for Lex to walk down the first hallway, then noticed that Chloe wasn't following them. Much to Bruce's apparent chagrin, she was unloading papers and discs out of her purse over by the computer console.
"Is there something I can help you with, Miss Sullivan?"
Chloe flipped through some papers in her hand. "Yeah, a cup of coffee would be great, actually. Thanks."
"No…what, may I ask, are you doing?"
"Upgrades."
"Upgrades?"
"Upgrades to your bat-computer."
"Upgrades to my— I told you to stop calling it that! I don't remember calling tech support; I don't need any upgrades."
"It's your computer. You're Batman. Therefore it's your bat-computer. Why is this so hard for you to fathom? Anyway, it does need upgrades."
Lex watched the exchange with some amusement and began to wonder if Chloe had done this to Bruce the whole time she was here. Surely she couldn't have. He would have gone insane.
"This computer is state-of-the-art Wayne Enterprises technology that is almost two years ahead of everything else currently on the market; it does not need to some two-bit hacker coming in and messing with it."
Chloe placed her hands on her hips. "First of all, Batman or not, you call me a two-bit hacker again and you'll regret it. The last person who pissed me off is getting virtually non-stop rectal exams for the next three weeks! That sound like fun to you, Mr. Vigilante? And second of all, I noticed that you were missing links to some criminal databases that might be helpful to you. I was going to set up those links for you and get you the necessary access codes. See?" She thrust a sheet of paper at him which no doubt listed the databases she was referring to.
Bruce grabbed the sheet from her and began to rant back. "It's still my computer, I make any decisions—" Something on the sheet caught his eye. "You can get me into that one? How?"
Lex snickered while Chloe rolled her eyes and grabbed the sheet of paper back.
"I was on a case on England and had drinks with this guy who works at Scotland Yard. I convinced him that it was professional courtesy. Of course the alcohol helped me make my case. By the fourth Guinness, he was handing over all sorts of passwords."
Lex frowned. Some guy at Scotland Yard? "What guy at Scotland Yard?" Lex asked, without thinking.
Chloe didn't even bother to look at him. "I said get over it, Lex. Look, Bruce, by the time I'm done, you're going to know who's on the Interpol hot list before the head of the CIA does. That sound OK?"
Bruce frowned. Then nodded curtly and walked away from Chloe. She didn't seem fazed. She simply began punching keys on the console. Lex shook his head as his friend caught up with him in the corridor.
"Would it kill you to tell her thank you?"
"I just did."
"A frown and a head nod is thank you?"
"Yes."
"No wonder she wants to kill you most of the time."
"In case you hadn't noticed, the feeling is mutual."
"That's too bad for you then because she's sticking around for while."
Bruce stopped walking and turned to face Lex in the hallway.
"How are you two going to manage this relationship? You live in Metropolis."
"That's true."
"And she lives here in Gotham."
"That's not as true, not as of yesterday."
"You convinced her to quit her job?"
Lex snorted. "Not likely to happen. Her boss gave her a new assignment. Training. Three months in Metropolis, three months here and so on. With the LW Tech plant still here in Gotham, I'll have no problem handling the three months she's in Gotham. There's plenty of work for me here."
"How long do you figure you guys can keep up that schedule?"
Lex smirked. "Long enough."
"Long enough for what? For you to convince her to marry you?" Bruce offered sarcastically. But when Lex didn't laugh, Bruce's face turned serious. "Are you joking? Tell me you're joking."
"Why would I joke about something like this?"
Lex could see Bruce swallowing hard. "I…I guess I never thought you would get married again. No offense but you're not very good at it. Besides, how do you know that things will even work out?"
"My previous marriages weren't based on what I have with Chloe. It'll be different. I know it."
"How do you know?"
"I just do." Lex insisted. He paused for a beat, and then said. "I don't do things halfway, Bruce."
"No, I suppose you don't."
By this time they had reached the infirmary and Lex looked around at the room that would have not looked out of place in a Gotham's best hospital.
"And evidently, neither do you."
Bruce shrugged. "There's a gym next door and a room for me to keep weapons and uniforms next to that. That's it. The rest is all sealed off. The only ways in and out are through the house and tunnel for the car, all armed with security features. She was perfectly safe while she was here."
"And Dr. Thompkins looked after her? And Alfred?"
"From a distance, yes."
From the answer, it was clear to Lex that Bruce had taken every precaution to conceal his identity while Chloe was in the cave. Every precaution except not underestimating Chloe herself.
"And besides them, and Chloe and I, no one else knows?"
"No one."
"How long you think you can keep that up?"
"Long enough."
"Long enough for what? For you to get yourself killed by one of these criminals you hunt? For the police to stop trusting you altogether?" For you to miscalculate when you jump off one of those buildings one day?"
"Your faith in my abilities is touching. You of all people should know me well enough to know why I am doing this. This is important to me…This is for them."
There was no question of who the 'them' Bruce was referring to were but Lex was still hesitant.
"Bruce, you may think you're doing this to honor them or to thank them for all they gave you. You may even think you're doing this so no one else has to go through what you went through. But the longer you do this, your reasons could change. I just want you to make absolutely sure you're not doing it for an entirely different reason."
Bruce titled his head back. "And what reason would that be?"
"To punish yourself. For surviving."
Judging from the darkness that closed in on Bruce's face, Lex knew he struck a nerve.
"Just think about it," he urged.
Bruce only nodded.
A long moment passed before Bruce finally spoke again. "You still angry?"
"Yes. But the urge to hit you has passed."
Chloe didn't bother to look up when she heard Bruce and Lex returning to the main part of the cave. She sent the next batch of commands to execute and switched to another screen to review her progress.
She couldn't resist teasing Lex and Bruce though. "You two kiss and make up?"
Lex was suddenly behind her chair with his hands on her shoulders. "Chloe, let's not joke about that, not even metaphorically speaking."
Chloe titled her head back for a kiss, which Lex obliged. "You guys are no fun," she teased when they parted.
"On that particular score, yes, we are no fun at all. Let's keep it that way. Are you almost done here?"
"Almost. Are you done with your tour?"
Lex grimaced a bit. "We're taking a break. This is all… a lot to take in at once."
"Try doing it with a concussion."
"I'll pass, thanks."
Bruce was over by the wall speaking into the intercom, presumably to Alfred. When he was done he joined Chloe and Lex at the bat-computer.
"Alfred has some coffee upstairs for us when we're finished down here."
The computer beeped and Chloe hit a series of keys. "Which we are. There you go. You're all upgraded. I'll send you my bill," she teased.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at her.
"Or you can just thank me like a normal human being." she added.
Bruce said nothing at first until finally Lex elbowed him.
"Thank you," he grumbled.
"Be still my heart, he did it! I think I feel faint. Hey, maybe we can try it next time without the physical prodding?"
The trio made their way upstairs in silence and when Bruce shut and locked the grandfather clock behind them, Chloe felt herself let out a breath. She looked over at Lex and realized he had just done the same.
As promised, Alfred had left a silver coffee service tray on a low table near the fireplace.
As Bruce poured them coffee, Chloe broke the silence.
"So now what?"
"Good question," replied Lex.
Bruce shrugged "We go back to normal?"
Chloe shot him an incredulous look. "No, seriously. Now what?"
"She has a point," agreed Lex. "What's normal after this?"
"What was normal beforethis?" Chloe mused.
Bruce was studying his coffee cup intently. "Well, first things first, I should probably thank both of you for…not saying anything about all of this. I know I haven't always acted in such a way to deserve this kind of loyalty…but I am glad to have it and I will do whatever it takes to keep it."
"Another thank you?" quipped Chloe. "I think I need to sit down."
"Bruce, now that Chloe and I know, I wish you wouldn't take on so much of this burden by yourself. If you need help…. Well, you've seen what Chloe can do and I do have some resources that you do not have access to. You should at least consider it."
"Lex is right, don't feel like you're alone in this. I know that's what you prefer, but there are going to be times we can offer something that Alfred and Leslie can't."
"Chloe, I've told you from the beginning, I work alone…"
"And I told you, that is not entirely accurate; you work with people you trust. Those are your very own words, Mister."
Bruce looked at them for long while, then at the fire, and finally at the painting over the fireplace.
"OK."
"OK?" Chloe was taken aback. The last thing she expected was for him to agree with her.
"Just OK? You'll actually accept help from us? You'll even ask for it?"
"Yes, I will. Is it that hard to believe?"
"Uh, yeah, I was expecting you to find ten different ways to tell us 'no'. Why would you say 'yes' so easily now?"
"Well, for one thing, I do trust you. I have to trust you. Both of you. And secondly, Miss Sullivan, I have been telling you 'no' constantly since I first met you in my office weeks ago and I ask you, where has it gotten me? Eventually a man needs to cut his losses and move on to the next battle."
Chloe did a double take; Bruce was actually smiling at her. It was a faint, half-smile but it was there and it was genuine.
She smiled back and leaned closer to him. "Are you trying to get me to hug you again?"
The smile disappeared and Bruce's back stiffened immediately. "I'm really not."
Chloe laughed and raised her coffee cup. "Relax, how about a toast instead?"
Lex raised his as well. "What are we toasting to?"
After a moment, Bruce raised his. "To trusted friends."
"To trusted friends."
The End.