PART I
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No light, no light in your bright blue eyes

I never knew daylight could be so violent

A revelation in the light of day

You can chose what stays and what fades away

And I'd do anything to make you stay
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Nathalie picked up the tray with her right hand, balancing it on her fingers. "Bring those to the great hall," someone ordered. With her free hand she pushed open the massive wooden doors leaden towards an even more massive hall. Nathalie worked at parties and fundraisers like this before, but never had she encountered a house as grand as this one. One might call it a manor, instead of a house.

The hall was filled with guests, waiters and even a harmony was playing on the elevated marble platform in the back of the hall. Soft jazz music was coming from their instruments but it was hard to hear what they were playing over the noise the guests were making.

Nathalie kept to herself as she walked around the place, trying to lose her drinks to the guests. They were never allowed to drink themselves, much to Nat's dismay as she was in desperate need of a drink. Even though she had worked at countless cocktail parties, dinners and fundraisers, she had always hated them. She hated everything about them. The way the people presented themselves, the way they behaved, the way they pretended to do something for charity while in truth it was just so they could show off their wealth. Everything. The only thing she didn't hate was the money she was earning with it. It was a lot more compared to the diner she used to work at, and Nathalie needed all the money she could get.

Luckily the guests were eager to take the elaborate mixed cocktails from her hands, and soon she found her tray to be empty. Nat was glad she could return to the kitchens, as the whole atmosphere of the place was making her uncomfortable.

"Go around with these appetizers," a colleague said while handing her a plate of tiny meatballs which smelled absolutely disgusting. What had happened to the good old cubes of cheese?

Nathalie sighed as she accepted the plate. Only a few hours, and then I'll be out of here, she told herself. She smiled politely as someone held the door for her. Even though she couldn't wait to get out of here, she could not let it show. This job was all she had, and she couldn't afford to lose it.

Dodging a large cloud of cigar smoke, Nat decided to go around the other side of the room. She had no idea what the appetizers were called, so she decided not to call it anything. "Interested in an appetizers ma'am?" she asked a tall, blonde woman with enormous breasts. Nat could always recognize the gold diggers and she liked to keep track of how many she could spot in one evening. "Thank you," Blondie smiled, flashing her pearly-white teeth. Another man had spotted the appetizers on her tray as well, and he quickly snatched one away, without speaking a word. Nat ignored it, as the guests were more often rude than polite to her. She didn't take it personal.

"Those things look disgusting." Nathalie turned around, figuring it could only be about the meatballs she was holding. Her gaze fell on a handsome young man. He was wearing a fancy dark grey suit and a soft smile covered his face. He pointed towards her tray.

Nathalie didn't know how to react. This man was obviously a guest to the party, was she supposed to be honest with him or tell hem a blatant lie? The meatballs did look and smell disgusting. "Yeah," she replied a little awkwardly. "They don't look very appealing."

The man took a step forward. "Is Alfred treating you well?"

Nat's eyes widened. Alfred? She never paid any attention to the names of her colleagues as she didn't care for them. Who was Alfred?

"My butler? He's British."

Nathalie recoiled at the word butler. She couldn't stand these people and the way they were even too lazy to cook their own food or make their own bed.

"Oh, yes. He's treating me very well." Nat couldn't quite remember if she had actually talked to him, but he didn't have to know that. "I better head back to the kitchen." This was getting more awkward with each second that passed and even though her plate was still half-full, she needed to get out of this situation. Before the man could say anything further she disappeared in the crowd, not bothering to balance the plate neatly on her fingers.

"Only come back with a clean plate, Nathalie. How often did I tell you that?" Nat placed the plate on the marble counter in the kitchen. Chefs were hurrying past her, probably preparing another interesting smelling appetizer.

"No one would take them," Nat replied to her boss.

"They do look disgusting, don't they?" Amelia laughed, taking the plate from the counter. "I saw you talking to the host of this party just now. Did he have anything to say?"

Nathalie sneakily took a slice of cucumber from a plate and popped it into her mouth. "Who?" she asked, as she was never able to tell who threw such lavish parties for basically nothing. Anyone in the room would have the funds to throw one, but perhaps not in such a manor as this one.

"Mr. Wayne! Dark hair, tall?" Amelia spoke.

"Bruce Wayne is the host?" Nat asked, swallowing the cucumber. That would explain the manor.

"You didn't know?! You better not have said something rude to him."

"I didn't, okay?" Nathalie said, grabbing a plate with glasses of champagne. She had no idea she had been talking to Bruce Wayne. She knew he was pretty much the prince of Gotham, but she never had cared much about the elite and their lifestyle. Of course she didn't recognize him, and besides in suits all men look the same.

"You really need to pay more attention to who you are talking to. Mr. Wayne is our biggest client..."

"Okay, okay, I will!" Nat said quickly, making a mental note never to speak to anyone while on the job ever again.

It seemed to take forever for the guests to leave the manor. After the party was over they always had to clean up the place. Fetching all the glasses together, rinsing them and throwing out all of the uneaten appetizers. Nat always liked this part of the evening the best as everyone was too tired to speak another word so she could clean up the place in peace and quiet.

Surprisingly the guests hadn't made much of a mess, which was a welcome change. You would think these people had a too big of an ego not to get drunk, but you'd be amazed by the amount of dirty bathrooms Nat had to clean up. Sometimes she felt like she was waiting on a group of teenagers instead of well established businessmen and their wives and lovers.

"Thank you for the amazing service, Amelia."

Nat picked up another glass which had ended up on the floor and turned her head to see Bruce Wayne talk to her boss. She rolled her eyes and focused on the cleaning again. She couldn't stand the way he buttered her up, as Amelia was definitely going to fall for his tricks. He was a handsome man after all, Nat wasn't going to deny it.

It took another hour for them to clean up the manor. She hadn't seen Bruce Wayne after he had spoken to Amelia, and she wondered where he was off to. Mostly the hosts of the party wanted to make sure their mansions would be cleaned up perfectly, but not him.

Nathalie overheard two of her colleagues talking about the Batman. It got her attention and she sneaked closer to them, pretending to dust off an exotic looking cabinet.

"I heard he has superpowers!"

"Nah, I heard he's trained by the cops themselves, and they are now pretending to go after him."

Their comments made her smirk, as she was sure neither of their statements were true. Nathalie hadn't seen the Batman in personal, only on the news channels who featured him daily. There was a bit of a dilemma going on with the Batman. He fought crime while the police went after him for doing so. Nat herself was glad he was around, as she knew justice would be served to those who deserved it. She was a hard worker herself, and she hated seeing the mob getting rich by doing nothing. But thanks to the Batman, the mob has been on the run and now even the Narrows was a much safer place.

Amelia did a full tour of the manor to check they hadn't left anything behind and signed something with Alfred. Nathalie was extremely glad she could finally go home and sleep, as she would have the next few days off. In her spare time she worked on a small column in the local paper. Readers sent in letters to which she would provide a solution. 'My husband cheated on me, what should I do?' was a common one. Nat didn't mind writing mindless answers such as: 'Leave him and make sure he'll pay for what he did!' She didn't care about her readers at all, but doing this might help her to become a real journalist. It was something she had always dreamed of.

"You are free to go!" Amelia announced after Alfred the butler had disappeared on top of the large marble stairs that lead up to the second and third floor.

Nat let out a sigh of relief and walked over to her colleague Steven, as he was going to give her a lift home. Taking a cab all the way from the manor back to the Narrows would be expensive, so she was very grateful for the lift.

"You ready?" she asked Steven with a soft smile, swinging her bag with her belongings over her shoulder. The company had a strict dress code for the waiters, so to be sure she always brought an extra pair of pants and a clean shirt with her.

"Yes, let's go."

The stately garden in front of the manor had been cleared of the expensive sports cars and limousines, leaving only the cheap cars of the personnel working that evening behind. Nathalie remembered Steven had a red Peugot, which looked like it had seen better days, so she easily spotted it among the other cars.

"Maybe we'll spot the Batman on our way home," Steven joked, unlocking the car. He slid inside and made sure Nat could open the door on her side.

"Yes, maybe," Nathalie replied doubtful. She always wanted to encounter the Batman. She was very curious to find out who was the man behind the mask, but maybe that was also the part that made him so intriguing.

The engine of the car made a unsettling sound before it fired up, but Nat paid no mind to it. The sooner she got out of here, the better.

"I can't believe we got to serve at one of Bruce Wayne's parties!" Steven exclaimed. Turning the steering wheel to drive off the driveway.

Nathalie looked at the manor in the rearview mirror. She had to admit it did look stunning. The large facade was beautifully lit and smoke was coming from one of the many chimneys. "I didn't even know it was his party until I spoke to him," Nat admitted.

"You spoke to him? To Bruce Wayne himself?" Steven sounded surprised.

"Yeah... Is that bad?" Nat knew hosts rarely spoke to their employees.

"Don't know really. What did he say to you?"

"Something about the appetizers being disgusting," Nathalie remembered.

"Really?" Steven spoke while turning his car towards the highway. Nathalie could already spot the skyline of Gotham's business district, with Wayne Tower in the middle. How appropriate.

"Yes. I wouldn't lie to you, Steven. He really said that," Nathalie grinned. Everyone was seemed to be impressed with Bruce Wayne, except for her.

"He seems like a nice guy." Steven fixed his eyes on the road. This late at night there was hardly any traffic.

"He has a butler," Nat stated. The guy was living in a large manor all by himself. A bit egoistical if you asked her.

"So? Every rich family has a butler. It's nothing strange."

"I find it strange," Nat replied. "And he doesn't need that house all for himself."

"The world is unfair, Nat. Get used to it."

There was truth in the words he spoke, yet she didn't want to admit it. She longed for a world were everything was balanced and fair. That was exactly why she believed in the Batman. He could set an example and maybe with his help Gotham could be balanced.

"Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it," Nathalie smiled as she popped her head through the car window to thank Steven once more.

"No problem at all. Sorry for not being able to drive you all the way home."

"I can walk from here. It's only two blocks away."

Steven flashed her a smile. "See you at work."

"Yeah, see ya." Nat waved as he drove away, leaving her alone.

When she told him she would be fine to walk back to her apartment alone, she was lying a little bit. It was a lot later than she had anticipated and you never know who was hanging around on the street in the Narrows. The Batman definitely changed some things, as there weren't as many thugs around nowadays, but the occasional freak who should belong in Arkham could still be lurking around the corner.

She clutched the straps of her bags tightly as she started to make her way down the block. The street was badly lit, but Nat didn't see anyone walking on her side of the road, which made her a little more at ease. She didn't carry a weapon as she didn't had any experiences with them and they could be used against her.

In the distance she could already see her building and she was counting the steps until she would reach her destination. The streets were virtually empty, with only the occasional car whizzing past.

500 feet, Nat guessed while she quickened her pace. 490, 480.

"You shouldn't be out alone at this time at night."

The voice had made her jump and shriek. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from screaming and drawing more attention to herself. The voice she heard sounded grizzly and dark. It was a voice she never thought she'd ever hear.

There he was in front of her, standing in an alley completely covered in the dark. She hadn't heard him approaching, which made her doubt if he maybe did have superpowers.

"It's only another 480 feet to my apartment," Nat explained, her voice slightly trembling upon the sight of the Batman.

He looked even more impressive in real life than on the television. He towered over her. His cape floated behind him in the wind and his cowl was shaped perfectly to hide his identity, only showing his eyes and mouth. His golden belt was equipped with all kinds of little things, Nat had no idea what they were for.

"It's more like 520 feet," Batman responded.

Nat raised her eyebrows and looked at her apartment building again. Did the 50 feet really make a difference?

"520 feet, then," she replied, shifting her gaze back to him.

The Batman remained silent.

"You came all this way to the Narrows to tell me it's 520 feet to my apartment instead of 480?" Nathalie surprised herself with her attitude, but she couldn't help but feeling suspicious. What would the Batman want with her? Shouldn't he be out fighting crime? Nat could not remember doing anything illegal lately, except maybe downloading music, but she doubted the Batman cared about music piracy.

"A lot can happen in 520 feet," he responded. His voice send shivers down her spine as she never heard anyone talking like that before.

Yes, a lot could happen in 520 feet. She could get hit by a car, she could by raped, she could be murdered, but thinking about all that would drive her insane. "I'll take my chances," she replied.

"Don't do anything reckless, Nathalie."

And without further ado, the Batman was gone. Nat frowned as she remained standing. She was speechless. How did that Batman know her name? For the last couple of months she had been dying to meet him and she was fairly sure she hadn't met him before. This night was getting stranger and stranger.

Nat woke up with a strange feeling in her stomach. Last night had seemed so surreal. She had never ever imagined she would ever meet the Batman, not ever. And the fact he knew her name was even stranger than the fact he had come to her.

Her thoughts had kept her awake last night, as she couldn't come to grips with the situation. Had she met the Batman before, and was that where he had learned her name? Was she registered in some secret database for criminals? Nathalie couldn't think of one possible explanation for him knowing her name. No one knew who the Batman was.

To make sure she would be able to get through the day, Nathalie made a cup of coffee for herself. Normally she liked tea better, but after the night she had she definitely needed something to wake her up.

While waiting for her coffee to cool down she opened her laptop. Her MacBook was her most priced possession and she had worked endless shifts at the diner to get it. Her inbox was full with letters the citizens of Gotham had sent her for her column. She clicked on a random e-mail and opened it, wondering what the problem could be this time.

Dear Nikita,

Lately I have noticed my husband spends his time after work at the local bar. In the past he would come straight home after work, could it be that he is cheating on me?

Love your columns, Sally

Nat sighed and clicked the e-mail away. It seemed as if every housewife in Gotham was only concerned about if their husband were cheating on them. What had happened to trusting your significant others?

At first Nathalie didn't like her column name 'Nikita', but the newspapers had told her it was to protect her own safety and after a while she saw the importance of an alias. Nat enjoyed the anonymity and the fact when she walking down the street no one knew she might have answered (or clicked away) one of their letters filled with their problems. It almost made her feel a little like Batman. No one knew his identity and no one knew Nikita's.

She carefully took a sip from her coffee to make sure it had cooled down and she wouldn't burn her mouth. Mindlessly, she opened another e-mail.

Hello Nikita,

Last month I sent my boyfriend nude pictures of myself and now I want to break up with him, but he is threatening to put the pictures on the internet if I do. What should I do?

Anonymous

Nat groaned and shut her laptop closed. She wasn't in the mood for this. Quickly she finished her coffee and changed into a more decent outfit than her pajamas.

During the day the Narrows was a lot less scary than at night. All the crazy junkies had disappeared and there were police cars patrolling the area. Nathalie had been living here for the past few months after she moved from here from Arizona.

"Good morning!" someone greeted her happily. Nat returned a smile and continued walking down the block. At the end of the street there was a lovely park where she'd like to come and escape of her thoughts. She loved to watch the children playing.

She had moved here from Arizona to have a better change at landing a writing job in New York. It had been a live long dream of her and writing the column in Gotham gave her something to put on her resume. She had also been working on a novel, but so far she had been too busy with work to really be able to work on it.

"Hello, Mrs. Adams," Nat smiled. Her neighbor from a few down was sitting on her favorite bench in the park.

"Oh hello, dear!"

Mrs. Adams was one of the few sane people living in the Narrows and Nathalie had always wondered why she hadn't left this place, but she never dared to ask.

"You look lovely today," she continued. "Are you seeing someone special today?"

"Oh no," Nat blushed. Mrs. Adams always questioned her about her love life, which was pretty much non-existent. She didn't had time for a boyfriend. Maybe in New York, once she was settled down.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Adams tried again, a twinkle in her eye.

"Yes, I am sure."

Nathalie sat down next to Mrs. Adams. It was a beautiful day today, she couldn't have chosen a more perfect day off. Children were playing soccer and in the back of the park she spotted a young couple having a picnic. Flowers were blooming all around her, giving of a lovely scent that reminded her of spring. If you ignored the apartment blocks in the background, you would almost forget you were in the Narrows.

"Something on your mind, dear?"

It wasn't until then Nathalie realized she was staring at the couple in the back. She shifted her gaze to Mrs. Adams and smiled softly. "Can I ask you something?" she said. Normally it was her giving out advice to others, but right now she could use a little advice of her own.

"Of course!" Mrs. Adams replied.

"Have you ever seen somebody, but you don't know their name or who they are and you really want to meet them again?"

Who was she kidding? She was so intrigued by the Batman, she wanted to see him again.

"That's tricky. What you could do is go back to the place where you saw that person. Perhaps he will be there!"

Nat cocked her head to the left. That was a fairly good idea. She could go back to the alley where the Batman had suddenly appeared and disappeared. Maybe he would return to her, as she had a million questions to ask him.

"That could work," Nat replied. "I doubt he'll be there, but I can try can I?"

"So you are seeing someone special today!"

Nat smiled. The only thing she could do was hope she might meet someone special today.

"What are you doing here?"

Once again she hadn't heard him approach. Nathalie swirled around to face the Batman. He had appeared behind her in the same alley as the night before. Because of his black armor he was almost camouflaged by the darkness.

Nat gasped when she laid her eyes on him. She had waited for him since the sun had set, hoping she could see him again. She hadn't expect him to show, because why would he?

"I have a question," Nat stumbled.

Batman didn't reply. He moved out of the darkness into the light of the streetlight. Nat had never really noticed how detailed his armor was.

"How do you know my name?" she asked him.

"I know more than you think," Batman responded in his grizzled voice.

Nathalie ruffled her brows. What was that supposed to mean? She didn't know anything about the Batman, no one did. What Nat would give to find out about his real identity.

Nat crossed her arms in front of her chest. It was a lot colder at night than she had expected. "Like what?" she asked again.

"Your background," Batman stated.

Goosebumps covered her skin. Nat wasn't sure if it was because of the cold or because she was amazed and scared at the same time. What did he know about her background? How could he know?

"Why?" She took a step closer. "Why would you want to know anything about me?"

"There is more to you than you know, Nathalie."

It still felt surreal to hear him speak her name. She let his words sink in, but she wasn't sure what they meant. She wasn't special, not at all. There are far more people in Gotham who were more interesting than her, especially for someone like the Batman. She had no value to him, no skill sets that could be useful. But clearly he was more interested in her than Nat had anticipated. But why?

"Can I see you again?" Nathalie blurted out before Batman was able to leave without a warning. She still had a million questions and she was dying to get to know him better, as apparently he already knew everything about her.

"No. It is not safe for you at night."

Her heart skipped a beat. "I can take care of myself."

"Not in this neighborhood. Do not do anything reckless, Nathalie." And then he disappeared again into the night.

The following days Nathalie was hardly able to concentrate herself on her writing. It was as if Batman had casted a spell upon her which she couldn't break. He haunted her mind, making it spin occasionally. What did he know about her past?

Nathalie had spent each and every evening and part of the night in the very same alley where she had met him before, but all the nights he had never shown himself. Each and every night she returned to her apartment wondering if she would ever see him again.

It wasn't fair of him to show up twice, claiming he knew about her past and then to disappear again.

Nat was about to turn off the television to go to bed after standing in the alley all night when a news flash caught her attention.

"The Batman is seen heading down the highway followed closely by the police," the newsreader said while the channel showed them a clip of Batman on what looked like sort of an interesting looking bike, chased down by more than ten police cars.

Her heart started to beat faster when she saw him riding down the highway, dodging the cars in front of him. That explained why he didn't show up tonight in the alley. She wondered what he had done now for the police to be chasing after him. You would think the cops would be happy with someone doing a better job than them in fighting crime, but apparently not.

Nat sat down on the couch, following the Batman closely on the television. It was strange to think this was the same man as the one who told her he knew a lot about her a few days ago. She had never imagined a vigilante might hold an interest in her.

All of a sudden the police cars stopped and the camera was darting across the highway. It seemed as if they had lost the Batman. Nat wondered how he could disappear so all of a sudden.

"It seems as if the Batman has escaped," the newsreader confirmed, while she continued to talk about some statistics about the Batman. Nat sighed and turned off the television, ready to go to bed.

Nat had to work another cocktail party the following evening. It meant she had to skip a night of waiting for Batman in the alley, much to her dismay. She'd rather wait by herself in the cold for Batman to reappear, than to wait on those ignorant rich bastards for a few hours. She recalled Steven's words: "Life isn't fair."

This client had hired a fancy restaurant in the business district as a location for his cocktail party. Nathalie didn't even know who was throwing the party, as long as it wasn't Bruce Wayne. Seeing him would result in a very awkward situation.

Her train passed by Wayne Tower and she couldn't help but to glance up. The sun reflected in the windows of the immensely tall building, blinding her a little. Wayne's father had built up the empire, and now Bruce only had to hire other people to run it for him. Nat rolled her eyes and looked away.

Luckily for her, the cocktail party only lasted a few hours and Amelia had told her to leave early, as she told Nat she looked very tired. "Must be coming down with a cold," Nathalie had replied, as she didn't want to tell her boss she had been hanging around the street a few nights in a row, waiting on the Batman. Nat doubted her boss would even believe her if she told her she had talked to the Batman. As far as anyone knew, he only talked to the criminals he would hand to the police.

The fact that she got to leave the restaurant early meant she could go wait in the alley once again.

She waited at the beginning alley for an hour, when she began to realize this was useless. He was never going to show again. Why was she so naïve to think he would really come to see her again? Still, something in her didn't want to give up. She wanted answers, she needed answers.

"Don't do anything reckless, Nathalie" the Batman had told her. If that was what it took for him to show up again, she was going to do something reckless. She had ran out of other option to make him show up, this was the only chance she had.

This was completely out of character, and never in her right mind would she do anything so stupid, but the Batman had ignited a fire she couldn't put out. She was desperate to meet him again.

Nathalie fastened her pace as she felt her heart pounding in her chest. This could horribly wrong, so she needed to keep it together. If the Batman wouldn't show up tonight, she would be in for a lot of trouble. Why am I doing this again? Nat asked herself, as she approached the group of men.

She had seen them standing outside her apartment block a dozen times, and they weren't scared to hide the obvious: they were dealing drugs. The group consisted of about five males, all around her age. It didn't take her long to catch their attention, as they turned around to face her when she wasn't even near to them.

Act cool, Nat. Don't fuck this up. She lifted her head, trying to come across as confident as possible, even though her confidence was about to shatter when the eyes of the men fell on her body.

She gave them a nod as she came to stand before them. She knew they were never going to sell her drugs, and that was all part of the plan. Nathalie had never done drugs in her life, but this plan was the only one she could think of in the spur of the moment.

"What you want, baby?" one the men asked her. His tone made her recoil but she didn't show anything.

"Got something for me?" Nat asked them. She didn't even know what kind of drugs they were selling, so she had to bluff her way through it.

"I got lots for you," another guy stepped forward. He wore a black and blue cap, which was covered by his hoodie. Nathalie placed her hands on her hips.

"I got money," she tried again. "Just give me what you have, man."

"You give us the money, I'll give you something sweet, okay?"

Nat looked around her on the street, but apart from them there was no one around. If Batman wasn't going to show up right now, this could end badly.

"Don't you trust me?" Nat said, her hands still resting on her hips.

"My father always told me not to trust women, they'll stab you in the back when they got the chance," another spoke.

"Come on, man. I'm desperate, just give me something." Nat didn't know if this was the way to buy drugs.

"If she wants something, give her something." The man with the cap stepped forward. He got uncomfortably close to her and she could smell the weed in his breath. Nat raised her head a little higher, she wasn't going to give in.

"You want something, honey?"

Nathalie's eyes widened when the man extended his arm towards her. This is it, she thought. Who was I kidding?

She closed her eyes, there was no way she was going to take on five men all by herself. Undoubtedly they were carrying weapons, while the only thing she was carrying was a purse which didn't even have money in it for the drugs she was going to buy. What was I thinking? She kept repeating.

But the sounds of fists colliding made her open her eyes again. She didn't even see what had happened but all the men were laying down in front of her, beaten to a pulp. A rough hand grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the group of thugs. She got dragged along fast, she didn't even had a chance to come to grips with what was happening.

"What were you thinking?" the Batman asked her angrily.

He placed her in front of him and let go of her arm. Nathalie rubbed her hand against her forehead, trying to think. "You came…" she muttered in disbelief. Against all odds, her plan had worked.

"What were you doing out there?" the Batman repeated.

"I was looking for you!" Nathalie replied, trying to catch her breath. She looked behind her and saw the thugs getting up, running away from them as quick as they could. They wanted to get away from the Batman as fast as possible.

"This could've ended very badly for you, Nathalie," his voice sounded stern.

"But it didn't."

"Because I was here. I can't be here for you every time you get yourself in trouble."

"Then you should've come earlier! I've stood in that alley for days after days. You can't just show up in my life, claiming you know stuff about me and then disappearing again." She pointed to the alley across the street.

"I was coming back for you," Batman replied.

"When? After a week, a month?" Nathalie fired back.

Batman remained silent. Nat crossed her arms in front of her chest and took in a deep breath. "What do you want from me?" she tried again.

"You are a great example, Nathalie."

"Example?" she failed to understand.

Batman took a step forward, casting a large shadow over her. Everyone in Gotham was afraid of the Batman, but not her. Nathalie was quite the opposite, she wanted to be closer to him. There was a real person behind the mask, someone who you could get to know, and that was something Nathalie wanted. Who was the person behind the cape and cowl? Who was the person willing to sacrifice himself for justice?

"You started with nothing and are willing to work hard to get want you want. Not all people can do that."

"When you start out the way I did, you don't have much of a choice," Nat said, figuring Batman knew what she was talking about.

"You should head home, Nathalie," Batman ordered.

"You think I can manage that all by myself without getting into trouble?" Nat joked.

"You're a strong person. Just don't buy drugs again."

"I won't, believe me," Nathalie replied. The drugs was only a way to get Batman's attention, and it seemed to have worked. Never would she ever do drugs, it would ruin everything she had ever worked for. "Can I see you again?"

"Maybe," the Batman replied.

"I need a real answer, yes or no." Nat shook her head. She had to know if she was able to see him again. She didn't want to live towards something that was never going to happen. "You still have to answer a lot of questions."

Batman stared past her into the distance, before taking a step back. "Yes," he simply stated. A gust of wind passed by and the Batman was gone again.

"What's up with you and your hatred for rich people," Steven asked. He was seated on her couch, playing with the remote of the television, taking the batteries out and placing them back in again.

"I just hate their lifestyle," Nat replied, taking the teabag out of her cup, throwing it in the trash. The soft scent of cinnamon filled the room, making her wish it was fall. "The way they pretend to care about charity, but when the reality is they really don't."

"But you have to admit, Bruce Wayne's old man did some good for the city."

Nathalie sat down next to him, holding the cup of tea in her hands. "Yeah, that's true. Can't say the same over Bruce Wayne, though."

Steven chuckled and shook his head. "Your hatred is admirable."

Nat shrugged and took a careful sip of her tea. "You been up to anything lately?" Steven asked her.

The only thing Nathalie had been up to was thinking about the Batman every second of the day, but she could hardly tell him that. Instead she quickly thought of a lie. "Not really, I'm working on a novel."

"Really?" Steven replied, surprised. "I did not know that? What's it about?"

"Just… stuff," Nat replied, not really wanting to talk about it. She didn't like to show people the unfinished product, as right now, her novel was far from perfect.

"Stuff?" Steven asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, stuff. You'll see when it's finished," Nathalie said, desperate to drop the subject.

Steven put the batteries back in the remote and turned on the television. He switched to the news channel. "Let's see what Batman is up to again," he said with a smile.

Nathalie shifted her gaze from her cup of tea to the television, but to her surprise, the news reader was telling them about the economic climate, and not Batman's recent antics.

"Guess he's taken a day off," Steven concluded disappointedly. He changed the channel and a game show appeared on the screen.

"Guess so," Nat mumbled. She wondered what Batman was doing, if he wasn't out there fighting crime while being chased by the police. Sometimes she had to remind herself that the Batman was also human.

Nathalie was getting ready to go to bed when she heard the knock on her window. Startled, she turned around. As she lived in the seventh floor, there was no way somebody could've climbed up. Was she just tired? Was she hearing things because of it? Scared, yet intrigued, Nat slowly moved towards the window, squeezing her eyes together so she could see better in the dark. Once she got closer she noticed a shape standing on her balcony. Her heartbeat crept up as the shape also took a step forward. Through the reflection of the light inside she could just make out who was standing on her balcony.

Her mouth fell open and as quick as she could she opened the door. "Can I come in?" Batman asked her.

Lost for words, Nathalie nodded. She was surprised Batman actually fitted through her door, as large as he was, but here he was, standing in her kitchen. "To what do I owe the visit?" she asked a bit nervously. Because her apartment was brightly lit she saw Batman out of the darkness for the first time. Only now she noticed how beautiful his eyes were.

"You're up late," he said with his usually dark voice.

"Yeah, I had a friend over," Nat replied, wondering where this was going.

"I know, I saw him leaving the building."

Was he checking up on her? Nat crossed her arms in front of her chest. How often did Batman pay visits to people inside their houses, exposed by the light?

"You shouldn't be here," Nathalie started. "What if someone sees you?"

"No one will, trust me."

And somehow she did trust him, and it confused her.

"I want you to come with me," he continued, taking a step forward. He extended his arm and offered her his hand.

Without thinking, Nathalie replied: "Okay," and accepted his hand. His hand grabbed hers tightly, but he didn't hurt her. "Where are we going?"

"Away. This place is not safe for you tonight."

Normally, Nathalie would never go somewhere with a stranger, but for some reason she didn't think of Batman as a stranger. His presence was oddly soothing. It was a feeling she had never felt before.

She didn't dare to ask why her apartment block wasn't safe for her. A lot of awful shit happened in the Narrows and she wanted to be as oblivious to it as she could.

He lead her out on the balcony, into the darkness. The coldness from outside stung on her skin, and she wished she had a coat. But Batman paid no mind to her and continued to lead her to the edge of the balcony. Nathalie looked behind her at her empty apartment, wondering if everything would still be there when she'd returned. If she ever returned. She had no idea where Batman was taking her.

"Close your eyes," Batman ordered. Nathalie did so as she clutched his hand more tightly. She had trouble keeping her balance with her eyes closed. "Keep them closed."

Even though the urge to open them was big, Nathalie kept them closed. Batman released her hand and she felt them under her arms as he picked her up. Suddenly the wind picked up and it was soaring around her. She had no idea what was happening around her, she had to take a look.

Nathalie opened her eyes and found herself flying through the air, wrapped tightly in Batman's arms. Her heartbeat crept up and she gasped. Were they flying? She couldn't see clearly. The apartment blocks that dominated the Narrows faded past. There was no way she could see where she was going, but it didn't matter anymore. Wherever she was going to be, she was going to be safe from whatever was going to happen tonight.

They gracefully landed on the ground. Batman made sure she was standing when he let her go and ordered her to follow him, without further explanation. Nathalie looked around and found they were still in the Narrows. They were about four blocks away from her apartment, she concluded. She wrapped her arms around herself as she followed Batman to keep herself warm. They continued into an alley that hardly looked safe, but she knew Batman was here to protect them.

"Wait here," he said once they came to a halt. Nathalie nodded and watched Batman disappearing into the darkness, the shadows concealing his every move. For a moment she was scared he had left her behind, but soon enough the sound of an engine firing up filled the alley.

Nathalie hadn't even seen there was a car parked in the alley, it was as well camouflaged as Batman was. There was no way you could've known it was there.

She took a step forward. The headlights of the car lit up the whole alley, blinding Nat for a moment. "You can get in now," Batman said.

Nathalie waited until her eyes were adjusted to the light to look up and to her surprise she didn't see a car in front of her. It was something more. The vehicle Batman drove looked like a mix between a Lamborghini and a tank. It's sharp edges made it look menacing and she couldn't even imagine what kind of power the vehicles possessed. Nat took another look at the car, not sure how she was supposed to get in as she couldn't located any doors. This was definitely not your average car. "How do I get in?" she breathed.

Batman responded by pushing a button, and the whole roof of the vehicle moved around, creating a large opening for her to climb in. She gasped at the sight and wondered where he could get a vehicle like this.

"Place your foot on the wheel and pull yourself up," Batman explained. She listened carefully to his instructions before she placed her foot on the wheel. The vehicle itself was huge, the wheels were so high they reached her thighs. After making sure her foot was placed steadily, she reached out her hand and pulled herself up on the roof. Once she was seated, she slid through the space that allowed her to enter the vehicle. Cautiously she slipped on the seat next to Batman, scared she would damage anything. She would've never guessed this vehicle would have a passenger's seat, but here she was, seated next to the Batman in his very own vehicle that could probably crush anything.

Batman said nothing as the vehicle accelerated and they drove away. Nathalie didn't dare to ask any questions. She remained very still, looking out the window and occasionally glanced at the Batman. He had his eyes focused on the road, dodging everything that came in its path. They whizzed past cars, buildings, going way past the speed limit. Everything was a blur and Nat had no idea where exactly they were going.

The urban landscape changed into rural landscape. Nat had spent so much time in the city working that she didn't even know what beautiful countryside surrounded Gotham. The vehicle accelerated and they went even faster and after a short drive further down the path leading deeper into the forest, the vehicle came to a halt.

"Hold on tight," Batman spoke. The vehicle shot forward into a small lake. Nathalie could just spot a waterfall ahead of her. It seemed as if they were going for the waterfall. Scared they were going to hit something, Nat closed her eyes, but when she opened them again they were standing still again.

Nathalie pushed herself up in the seat. By the looks if it, they went through the waterfall and they had entered a very large cave. She gasped when she saw how enormous it was, it seemed to go one for forever. In the middle of the cave some sort of high-tech computer had been set up. "Where are we," she asked him, taking in every detail of the cave. She spotted bats flying around, heading for the opening at the end of the cave. How appropriate, Nat thought.

"Safe," Batman replied. He pushed a button which opened up the roof of the vehicle. He climbed out first before giving Nathalie his hand so she could climb out more easily.

The cave smelled damp and the coldness of it hit her skin, giving her goose bumps. Outside of the vehicle she could take an even better look of the cave. She noticed how there was an elevator in the corner and she couldn't help but wondering where it would lead to.

"Safe from what?" Nat tried again. Why would he take her all the way out her if it wasn't very serious? She had the right to know why the only home she had wasn't safe.

"Bad people," Batman replied, making his way over to the middle of the cave where a very high-tech looking computer was set up. Nathalie wrapped her arms around herself and followed him.

"Can you elaborate?"

Batman turned around, facing her, causing Nathalie to almost bump into him. "Something is happening tonight in your apartment. A potential danger to Gotham. I couldn't let you be there while it happened."

Nathalie took in a deep breath. She figured it was something like that. The Narrows had always been a criminal hideout. "Are you going back?" she asked.

"I have to," Batman replied. "I can't let Gotham fall into the wrong hands." He turned around again and booted up the computer. The immense screens revealed a map. Nathalie recognized it as the map of her apartment building. Several spots where marked and camera footage of the area were opening on other screens.

"Just be careful, okay?" Nat surprised herself. How was it possible that she cared about a person whose name she didn't even know? But it was his generosity inspired her. Batman was willing to sacrifice himself for an entire city, what better quality could a man have?

Batman turned his head and nodded, indicating he had heard her. Nat moved closer to him, letting her eyes scan the elaborate computer. She had never seen anything like this and she wondered if he might have received it from the military, maybe even NASA. There was no way you could buy something like this in the store.

"Has anyone ever been here. Except for me and you?" There were so many questions she'd like to ask. What was this place? Who were at her apartment building? What was going to happen to her? Will she ever be safe again? Who was the Batman? Who was she starting to care about? Who was she falling in love with?

Nat was scared about caring too much for the Batman. She had never been truly in love, but she was starting to develop feelings for him she had never had before. To her it seemed as if the Batman had absolutely no flaws. He wasn't like the people she worked for. He wasn't like the rich men she waited on and who treated her like a piece of dirt. The Batman was exactly the opposite.

"Yes," he replied, still busy typing away on the computer. Occasionally new images popped up. "Only one."

Nathalie nodded and looked around once more. The cave was mesmerizing and she understood why he liked this as his retreat. It was secluded, but extremely big. Perfect, for someone like the Batman.

All of a sudden the computer shut down. "I have to go," Batman said while turning his body towards hers, looking her in the eye. "You have to stay here. You'll be safe."

"Can I ask you one more thing?" Nathalie asked quickly, before he was able to leave without warning like he had done before. "What do you know about my past?"

"I know you are an orphan. Your parents were killed. I know you came out stronger, always striving for something better, something bigger. That is exactly why you are an example of great strength, Nathalie. There aren't many people who would've dealt with the situation the way you did."

It was still hard hearing someone confirm she was an orphan. Nathalie liked to forget she had lost her parents. She liked to remember them, liked to think they were still there watching her from the heavens. They were watching over her at all times and know she also had Batman watching over her. It was almost as if they had sent him to her, in case they couldn't be there.

Then she did the unexpected. She moved her head closer to his, pressing her lips on his. To her surprise, Batman kissed her back. Nat had to stand on her tiptoes as he towered over her. Normally she would never kiss a stranger, but an exception for the Batman had to be made. She didn't technically know his name, but since he knew everything about her background, he was hardly a stranger, wasn't he?

Nathalie broke off the kiss. She closed her eyes. "Come back to me," she whispered.

"I will," Batman confirmed, before he turned around, his cape floating behind him in the wind.

She guessed Batman had been away for an hour when she heard the elevator rumble. She shifted her gaze from the bats flying around the cave to the elevator. Anxiously she stood up from the chair which was standing in front of the computer. Batman had assured her she was safe here, but what if she wasn't? By the looks if, there was definitely someone in the elevator and it wasn't long before a man came down with the elevator.

"Who are you?" Nathalie called out, clenching her fists. Her heart started to beat faster.

"Who the hell are you?" the man replied.

Nathalie didn't recognize him until he stepped into the light. She had seen this man before. She had worked for him. He was a butler. He was the butler of Bruce Wayne.

AN: Thank you so much for reading the first part of this story! I've been wanting to write a story like this for a long time now and I finally found the time to write it. For now, I have no idea how many parts its going to be, but a Part II is definitly coming! Please leave a review, I love reading them and they are really motivating to write even faster. Thank you again and I'll see you for Part II!