Love of a Dark Knight

Chapter 2 (The Love Note And The Psycho Path)

Alfred walked past soaring downtown views as he carried a breakfast tray through the vast, empty penthouse. He stopped and looked at a still-made bed. Alfred just sighed and turned around back the way he came. He knew where he had to go.

At the empty abandoned railroad trailer yard Alfred got out of the Rolls carrying a thermos. He walked toward a railway bridge and stopped at a freight container sitting lopsided on blocks. Alfred unlocked the rusty padlock and chain before stepping inside the dark rectangle box. Alfred then fumbled in the dark banging his elbow and letting out a hiss as the floor started to sink lower and he sank down into darkness for a moment.

The container floor lowered on a giant piston and Alfred stepped off into a large, low-ceilinged concrete chamber. The Batmobile was sitting in the middle and machines, 3d printers and power tools, dotted the high-tech space. At one end, Bruce Wayne was sitting at a bank of monitors watching CCTV footage of the bank robbery. While another one was a group of people sitting at an outside table at a French Café in downtown Gotham.

“Be nice when Wayne Manor's rebuilt and you can swap not sleeping in a penthouse for not sleeping in a mansion.” Alfred said placing a cup of coffee in front of Bruce, who was stitching up a cut on his arm. Alfred took the needle from him and started to help while grumbling. “When you stitch yourself up you make a bloody mess.”

“But I learn from my mistakes.” Bruce said smiling slightly as he continued to watch to people outside the café but his eyes never seemed to leave one young woman. She was a beautiful brunette and she appeared to be laughing at what one of her friends said. She was nibbling on a biscotti and smiling as a handsome young man came and started to talk to her. She blushed but shook her head no and the man left dejectedly. Bruce smiled a small smile and then grimaced when Alfred pulled on the needle. He too was watching the monitor with a confused expression. He obviously recognized her but couldn’t place where he’s seen her.

“You ought to be pretty knowledgeable by now, then.” Alfred joked as he looked away from the screen at Bruce. His mind seemed to be elsewhere at the moment though.

“My armor. I'm carrying too much weight- I need to be faster.” He said absently. It was obvious he was in deep thought about the girl on the screen and Alfred began looking at her again trying to place the face. He kept getting flashes of a little girl long ago back when Bruce was a kid still. But it couldn’t be could it?

“I'm sure Mr. Fox can oblige.” He paused and looked at the wound. “Did you get mauled by a tiger?”

It was meant to be a sort of joke but it fell flat in the dead silence before Bruce answered with an off look. “A dog. A big dog. There were more copycats last night, Alfred. With guns.”

“Perhaps you could hire some of them and take weekends off.” Again the joke fell flat and Alfred stopped trying. He went to looking back at the girl now that one from before joined her with a man by her side this time.

Rachel and the new DA of Gotham Harvey Dent.

Bruce sat up straighter as he saw this. “This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I said I wanted to inspire people.”

“I know. But things are improving. Look at the new District Attorney.” Bruce snorted and indicated the monitor with the handsome man in a suit. He sighed and watched as Dent grabbed Rachel’s hand giving it a squeeze. He seemed to be introducing himself to the other woman who smiled at him politely while seeming to be saying something that made Rachel gasp in a friendly manner and playfully smack the woman’s arm. Bruce chuckled as the woman made a fake tear drop motion with her finger down her face with pouty lips.

“I am. Closely. I need to know if he can be trusted.” Alfred looked at other images surrounding them- the D.A. at a meeting. Campaigning. Helping someone out of a cab: Rachel.

“Are you interested in his character... or his social circle?” Alfred said in an all knowing manner. He figured if he made Bruce realize what a lost cause this was he would move on.

“Who Rachel and Rosemarie spend their time with is their business.” Bruce said looking back at the screen with the three people sitting down talking. The woman paused for a moment before seeming to be looking straight into the camera. Almost like she was staring at the two men watching him. She looked at it for a few more seconds before looking away and shaking her head at whatever Dent just asked her. She held up her left ringer and shrugged so Bruce figured he asked her if there was anyone special in her life. Bruce couldn’t help but feel a quick sense of relief and it was almost like something heavy got taken of his chest.

“Rosemarie? Little Rosie from the manor years ago? Well now look how lovely of a woman she’s turned into. I remember when she used to have a crush on you and Rachel was her idol.” Alfred said grinning suddenly and seeming to remember the past before turning sullen. “Yes it was a shame when her family moved away and her last day at the manor was a horrible one.”

“Must you remind me? I felt terrible about that for months and she never took any of my calls. But we were just kids then why won’t she forgive me now?” Bruce said before hissing as Alfred pulled on the stitches again. A little blood oozed out before Alfred quickly wiped it away with a handkerchief.

“What do you mean sir?” Alfred inquired still glancing at the screen every now and then since he was still busy keeping Bruce in one piece.

“She refuses to come over or even met me somewhere. Rachel’s been trying but Rose always was stubborn. She appears to have a fancy for Batman though since last night she kept looking at him.” Bruce chuckled as he remembered her blush when he looked her in the eyes. Then he remembered the photo The Joker had left for her. The one where he was in her room threatening her life and she didn’t even know it. Why was he going after her? She was only a waitress with only Rachel as a real friend and…then it dawned on him. He had followed her around a few nights these past months trying to get a good glimpse at her since she refused to see him. Maybe Joker thought they had a relationship and was now targeting her thinking it would draw him out.

Well it worked.

He sighed. How can he have been so stupid? He put her life in danger just to satisfy his own curiosity. “Maybe Batman could change her mind and protect her if I can’t.” he meant that more for himself than Alfred but the old man still heard it.

“Now Master Bruce be warned. Don’t go meddling with that poor girls feels. Give her time to want to see you and not forcing her to do it. It is only pushing her away. If she finds out you’re Batman you may lose her forever. A girl that pretty has plenty of options to choice from.” Alfred said looking at the screen as yet another handsome man walked up and started talking with her and yet again she turned him away. “My point exactly.”

“Yes I suppose she’s beautiful isn’t she.” Bruce muttered to himself. “Alfred remember when I fell down the well back then and-.”

“And she stayed by that mouth of the well till help came, talking to you even though when the bats came out they scratched up her face and she was bleeding. She never left your side. She always was a loyal friend in my eyes.” Alfred said smiling at Bruce as he nodded his head. And how had Bruce thanked her? He insulted her by calling her names and never even gave her the time of day. Some friend he was.

He looked back at the screen as another man walked up to her but this time she looked uncomfortable. Bruce sat up even straighter and saw that Rachel and Dent were long gone, probably to work, and Rose was by herself looking out towards the park. The man put something on the table and when she didn’t take he violently pushed it towards her and walked away, he had his head down so that the camera didn’t get his face. Bruce looked back at Rosemarie and saw she was shaking while opening the folded up piece of paper. She dropped it back on the table and started to sob into her hands. No one was around but her and she just looked so alone and scared. Bruce quickly started tapping on some keys and it switched over to another camera above her shoulder. He angled it just so and zoomed in to see what was on it. He hit a few more keys to clear the image and groaned as he saw what was on it.

In big chicken scratch writing in blood red was a message:

“Miss me cupcake? I sure missed you. But don’t worry we’ll meet soon I promise. I always keep my promises cupcake. I’ll be in touch!”

It was signed with a drawing of a joker and it looked like it had his make up all over. Almost like he rubbed his face in it like a towel. Then Bruce noticed that there was more at the bottom and kept reading.

“P.S. Tell your Bat boyfriend to stop following you around. I don’t like other guys trying to take what is rightfully mine. If he doesn’t…well lets just say it will end badly. For both of you. Ta ta!”

“Well, I trust you're not following me on my day off.” Alfred said sounding worried as he continued to reread the letter. Bruce remembered how Rose was like another child to him when they were younger and even though they haven’t seen each other in years it was obvious old feelings didn’t go away as fast.

“If you ever took one, I might.” Bruce said as Alfred bit the thread and examined his stitches. He then looked at the scars criss-crossing Bruce’s shoulders.

“Know your limits, Master Wayne.” Alfred warned again as Bruce stood up and started stretching his arm and wincing as the stitches pulled. He looked back at the screen where Rosemarie was wiping away her tears and viciously ripping up the note and throwing it away before leaving the café.

“Batman has no limits.” He whispered and quickly pushed the pain away. He had to be strong for Rosie. She needed him now more than ever. And he would be there for her.

“Well, you do, sir.” Alfred said hitting a few buttons and the screen that Rose was on disappeared and was replaced by the news.

“Well I can't afford to know them. Rose needs me.” Bruce said getting defensive. Alfred just wasn’t understanding the situation that was going on.

“And what happens the day you find out?” Alfred said still standing his ground. You could tell the man was just as stubborn as the man before him.

“We all know how much you like to say 'I told you so'.” Bruce said putting on his leather jacket and walking towards the exit back to the surface. He was going to face Rose today as Bruce and keep her company all day if he had to. Then he was going to be by her side as batman, without her knowing it was in fact Bruce Wayne wearing the mask, and keep her out of harms way that way. Forget what the note said. He wasn’t going to leave her at the mercy of a sadistic man who wears clown make up and stands over her bed with a knife to her throat as she sleeps. That was just not going to happen. Not now and not ever.

“That day, Master Wayne, even I won't want to. Probably.”