A/N: So, I don't own any Batman, as awesome as that would be! Also, don't read this unless you've seen the Dark Knight Rises. I will have more at the bottom!

Bruce leaned his head back with a long sigh. This was how it had to end. He'd known that sense the beginning. His escapades as Batman had to end eventually and there weren't many other options aside from death.

All in all, it wasn't a bad way to go. He was saving all of Gotham after all. Could Alfred honestly see him growing old and dying in his bed? No. This was better.

Then again... Death was completely overrated. And he'd always been too stubborn for his own good.

Bruce quickly searched the small area and found some rope to tie the steering wheel off with. He then broke off part of the interior frame and jammed the pedal down. Fox wouldn't mind, the whole damn thing was going to blow up anyway.

Tentatively, Bruce maneuvered his way out of the seat, watching his mediocre rigging closely for any signs of catastrophic failure. When he was satisfied that everything was going to hold, Bruce headed to the back of the craft.

He opened the emergency panel on the floor and peeked out. "Holy shit." He cursed, catching a glance of the water rushing by below.

"Stupid Fox not fixing the stupid auto-pilot." Bruce muttered, inching out of the ship and slinking down the rope attached to the bomb. He stole a glance at the timer on the device, fifteen seconds. Plenty of time to get far enough away, or close to far enough away. His suit would protect him from any residual radiation.

With a deep breath, Bruce spread his wings and lept from the bomb.

Immediately he knew something was wrong. His abdomen was on fire and he was veering off to the right something terrible.

'Oh yeah,' Bruce thought sarcastically, 'I was stabbed.'

Bruce was loosing a lot of blood now, it was a constant struggle to stay on course. But he had to get to shore otherwise he would surely drown.

The reactor blew, sending a massive shock-wave across the lake. When Bruce was knocked into the water he gave in to the pain; closing his eyes he let his pain, and his blood, wash away with the waves.

Dark Knight

He awoke to strong hands and a smack on the cheek. Of all the people he expected to see, she was not one of them.

"Guess you're not... as heartless... as you'd like people... to believe." He whispered.

"Shh." She hushed him.

She paid a good deal of money to get a semi-decent doctor that would keep his mouth shut and after about a week Bruce was well enough to walk around. The physician insisted he stay in bed longer but he refused. He told her he was way too stubborn for his own good. She agreed.

That evening, Bruce made a late-night visit to the police office. He wanted to leave something for Gordon to remember him by, and seeing as the Bat-light had been destroyed...

The repairs were made easily enough and before anyone could see anything suspicious Bruce was out of the building and walking down the abandoned street. If the Commissioner was smart enough, which Bruce knew he was, he would know exactly who repaired the light, and why they couldn't meet in person.

The street was empty, no one would be out at such a late hour even if the streets were safer than they had ever been. But Bruce knew he wasn't alone. As he walked by an alley Selina stepped out of the darkness, slinging her arm through his and flashing a coy smile. "So, now what do we do?"

Bruce smiled as well, "There's this cafe I've been wanting to go to."

A/N: OK, hope you liked it! Just to let everyone know, my super awesome best friend RHHP Freak wrote a story with the same title! We didn't copy each other or anything, but her's is from Alfred's POV after the whole bomb fiasco! I highly recommend you go read that! Also, I have no idea how the machine thing Fox built works, I assume its a lot more high tech then just a pedal and steering wheel, but whatever. It's been a while since I saw the movie and that was the simplest way to go. That's about it, please, review?