Love of a Dark Knight

Chapter 5 (Lights, Camera, Abuse…I Mean Action)

HONG KONG (THIRD P.O.V.)

A helicopter touched down on one of the hotel's twin helipads. Two L.S.I. VPs approached with their heads ducked as Fox got out. They shook hands and started shouting over the engine.

“Welcome to Hong Kong, Mr. Fox! Mr. Lau regrets he is unable to meet you in person. But with his current legal difficulties...!” One of the VPs began to say before Fox held up his hand silence the man.

“I understand!”

As the VPs ushered Fox toward the security they got really serious about their job. “I'm afraid for security reasons I have to ask for your mobile phone.” Fox raised an eyebrow in question before handing over his phone to a security guard who put the phone in a box underneath his station.

Fox and Lau were soon eating lunch in a dining room overlooking the city.

“I must apologize for leaving Gotham in the middle of our negotiations. This misunderstanding with the Gotham police force... I couldn't let such a thing threaten my company. A businessman of your stature will understand. But with you here... we can continue.”

“Well, it was good of you to bring me out here in such style, Mr. Lau. But I've actually come-.” There was a cell phone ringing and Mr. Lau looked sharply at Fox. Fox just confidently pulled out a second identical phone to the one that was at the security guards desk. He pressed the off switch and placed the phone by his plate.

“We do not allow cell phones in-.”

“Sorry. Forgot I had it. So, I've come to explain why we're going to have to put our deal on hold.” Mr. Fox said as Mr. Lau stared at him clearly furious and Fox just smiled.

“We can't afford to be seen to do business with- well, whatever it is you're accused of being. A businessman of your stature will understand.” There was a slight smirk to Fox’s ‘polite’ smile. Lau got up silently as Fox retrieved his phone and stands up also.

Almost coldly and cruel Lau said, “ I think, Mr. Fox, that a simple phone call might have sufficed.”

“Well, I do love Chinese food. And Mr. Wayne didn't want you to think we'd been deliberately wasting your time.” Fox knew that that was exactly what he was doing when Lau growled in frustration.

“Just accidentally wasting it.”

Fox laughed like Lau said something actually funny. “That's very good, "accidentally". Very good. I'll be sure and tell Mr. Wayne that he was wrong about you not having a sense of humor.” He turned around and left going back towards the L.S.I. lobby.

Fox walked back through security nodding at the VP who bowed and held out his hand offering Fox back his cell phone. Fox shook his head and held up the identical phone. The VP smiled and nodded again putting the phone back into the tray with several others not realizing what just happened.

Mission accomplished.

His real phone rang and the Caller I.D. showed Alfred’s name. “Well hello old friend.” Fox said happy to hear from him but obviously confused. Then something like horror crossed his face as Alfred said something on the other line. Fox nodded to himself and turned very serious. “Yes. I will tell him as soon as we get Lau back. I will hurry Alfred don’t you worry.”

Fox snapped the phone shut and mumbled something before walking out the door not knowing how to break the news to Bruce.

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(Rosemarie’s P.O.V.)

I was staring at a blank wall that had holes and cracks all over its rough surface. There was a single window the size of a notebook with so much gunk and grime on it the idea of sunlight even penetrating it was as likely as whales walking on land from legs that just suddenly sprouted out. I was actually chained down to the floor on a ratty almost flat dirty mattress with a broken wrist, bruises all over my body, teeth marks on my legs, arms, and torso, and a busted lip and I think a chipped tooth. To say I was feeling like crap was such an understatement it was almost funny.

When the door opened I didn’t even turn around to see him walk in. I was done being scared and tortured. I felt numb and empty and even the quick wave of fresh air that followed him from the open door didn’t lift my spirits. I was being to think everyone was glad I was gone since I hadn’t even been mentioned on the news. It appeared I was in his room and there was a little radio and TV in the corner that was on 24/7 and my name wasn’t even mentioned once. I was out of tears and self pity at this point in my life. Its already been 5 days since my disappearance and nada.

“Hello cupcake. Miss me?” when I didn’t answer he kicked me in my ribs and I yelled out. Maybe I could still feel the pain. “We had fun last night didn’t we? I know I did.”

I glanced at him as he licked his lips and his eyes ran over my body. I won’t count rape as fun anytime soon. I still didn’t answer him though and I think he was finally losing patience with me. The sound of the breaking news report came onto the screen and my eyes flickered over just out of hope and habit. The anchor came onto the news and he looked disgusted and angered at whatever he was going to have to say.

“It seems this man who calls himself the Joker has struck again but this time Gotham police and citizens think he has gone too far. The video I am about to show you is disturbing and viewers discretion is advised. What you are about to see will certainly hit you hard.”

Joker had turned around to the TV at his name and he sort of started jumping up and down in delight at whatever they were about to show. “I thought they would never play it! Now maybe your bat friend will come and save you now.”

I lifted my head as Joker sat down in a chair by his desk that had papers scattered everywhere. He’s been at the desk almost the whole time I’ve been here muttering to himself and finally I heard a few words to get the gist of what he was doing. If he wasn’t trying to figure out a way to get more money or more people on his side or even trying to scheme mobsters he was trying to figure out who Batman was. I heard a few names I recognized and a few I didn’t. There was Dent, Bruce (I almost laughed at that), a well known wrestler from downtown, a few police and CEO’s but that was all I could get.

My eyes started to focus on the screen as it showed a woman sitting a chair with rope tying her arms and legs down. She was in a windowless room with a dirt floor and it was shaking like there was an earthquake going on, but I knew it was a camera because how else would I be seeing this happen? When the girl picked up her head I was horrified to see it was me from yesterday! And I knew without a doubt that what would happen next would in fact send any person into a blinding rage. I didn’t even know he had been recording it since he had put it down on the table slightly angled downward. Joker looked at me as I watched with horror at what was on the screen.

“Look sweet cheeks! You’re a star! Don’t you look beautiful?” He said walking over to me and patting my head like a dog. I was too sucked in the TV to really notice or care though.

“What did you do to me?” I whispered as the people on the screen started to talk. My face was covered in blood and bruises and my split lip was gushing blood down my chin along with a black eye that looked swollen shut. My work clothes were all torn up and missing in some places which revealed the claw marks and bites and even more bruises on my chest. My bra was showing and my arms had puncture holes everywhere. My hair was matted to my face from the dirt and blood and my fingernails were almost ripped from the skin completely from me scratching to get a way out of there. The girl on the screen looked like she was almost dead or at least should be from all those injures.

“What do you want with me?” the girl on the screen cried and tried to pull her arms away from the chair and get herself out. “Why are you doing this?”

“Oh just because cupcake. You’re so much fun did you know that?” Joker was rubbing his hand down my face on the screen and the girl tried to bite him. He just smacked her making her head snap to the side and causing more blood to come out. She spit it at him and he growled punching her making her fall down to the ground. There was a quick flash and I knew it was the knife that he had cut me with.

“Do you know how I got this scars?” he said bending over me but not blocking me so that the camera couldn’t see me.

“I don’t give a shit how you got those scars! Get the fuck away from me you freak!” the girl then seemed to scream and joker moved showing that he had stabbed her in the thigh. Then he started moving the knife to her stomach and slicing the skin enough just to make her bleed. The girl was still screaming and crying but you could see she was still going to fight him tooth and nail.

“Didn’t I already tell you not to call me that cupcake?”

“Sorry I don’t listen to guys who wear more make-up than me and carve up defenseless women for fun, Clown Boy.” Not my best original name for him but it had just popped into my head. Joker started to click his tongue and he moved in front of the camera.

“Isn’t she just a doll? I guess I have to teach her a lesson now don’t I?” He set the camera on the ground this time but slightly away from showing us. I had to close my eyes and try to block out what came next. There was a real high pitched scream and then more sobbing as the sound of clothes ripping filled the area and then fell in front of the camera. They were my clothes and everyone knew what was happing as I started to fight and get away. There was the Joker laughing at my pain and then after a few moments my screams turned to whimpers and then silence. It had only lasted about 20 minutes but it had felt like hours. There was quick movement in front of the camera and then I saw jokers face fill the screen. His make-up was all over the place and his head was an even more disaster area. He was all smiles as he then laughed and put the camera on me. I was on the ground on my stomach curled up and staring blankly at the floor. I’ve had that look still on my face since then before he zoomed in on my eyes before it went black.

I was raped and now everyone in Gotham knew it.

“Officials are looking everywhere for Rosemarie Carmichael. As you may know she was head of the recent walk-a-thon fighting for cancer and sending donations to any available charity in need. Miss. Carmichael was born here in Gotham before moving to Virginia later. At the disappearance of her close friend Bruce Wayne now CEO of his late father’s company Wayne Enterprise she returned to help find him. She now has lived here for a few years working as a waitress in a business owned by Wayne where she disappeared on Saturday night 5 days ago.” The anchor paused and he nodded his head before continuing. “It appears Wayne has just seen the video we just showed and is forcing his way into the police station with another close friend of theirs Rachel Dawson. Here is a quick clip of them together.”

It showed a frenzy outside the station and Bruce along with Rachel were marching into it. Rachel was red and poufy eyed from crying and Bruce was outraged and looking like he wanted to throw a punch at anyone who got in his way. He glanced at the camera and I felt like he was looking right at me. I felt my heart jump and then I felt the tears start to roll down my face. I wasn’t even nice to him the whole time I was back here and he was out looking for me like we were actually the close friends the news made us out to be.

“Mr. Wayne! What are you doing to help find Miss Carmichael?”

“I am going to find any and every able bodied person along with the FBI to find her. I will not let that man get away with hurting her like that. She is a sweet and beautiful person who didn’t do anything to deserve that. And when we find him he will be punished.” Bruce looked back at the camera and his eyes visibly softened. “I will find you Rosemarie. I promise.”

I felt the tears leak down my face as I realized that he called me beautiful and also as Rachel stood up next and Bruce rushed into the police station. “We will find you Rose. You’re going to be okay hunny.” And then she turned around right after Bruce and followed suit.

It went back to the anchor and he looked furious. I didn’t even know that man and I was grateful. “This is a recent picture of Miss Carmichael,” a picture of me standing with Rachel filled the screen and I knew it was from my birthday a few months ago. I was happy and carefree and had my arms wrapped around Rachel as we both smiled at the camera. I felt a smile, a sad one but nonetheless a smile, creep up on my face at the memory. Why did this happen? “If you have any information on this case please call the number at the bottom of your screen. Any leads that will help find this young and bright woman would be appreciated to her friends.”

The anchor came back on and in the setting sunlight in the window outside there was shining circle that appeared in the dark clouds. The anchor quickly looked around at it and smiled in triumph. There was commotion in the background and the sound of ringing phones. The camera zoomed up at the cloud and I stared at the bat shape in the middle. He was coming for me.

The joker cursed and knocked over the TV before laughing again. “See cupcake! I told you we would make him come find you. Now all we have to do is-.”

There was a loud bang as the door flew open and a man wearing a clown mask came barging in. Joker spun around and had a gun on the man in a second. He started stuttering as he spoke about why he came up here. “Sir? We should go. The police are checking every warehouse in this area and we still have to get all the supplies out.”

Joker lowered his gun and looked back at me. “You’ll be fine without me for a few hours right cupcake?”

I just looked at him and looked away putting my body in the corner and wrapping a blanket around me. That had to be the most movement I’ve done in the last 24 hours. Joker looked at the man and nodded before leaving the man in the room with me and closing the door, but not before saying that the man was not to touch me just watch.

It got quiet in the room and the man sat down with a gun in his hands clicking it and unclicking it. I don’t understand guns but that didn’t mean I didn’t jump every time I heard that noise.

A few hours seemed to pass and it was completely dark in here save for a little light bulb hanging in the middle of the room. The man chuckled and his ears perked up at the sound of a loud bang and screeching of tires as they rolled away. I heard evil in that laugh and started to press myself back against the wall. Not again.

“Now its my turn to have some fun around here.” He put the gun done and walked over to me and grabbed my legs pulling them towards him. I screamed even though I knew no one could hear me and started kicking. He got on top of me and pinned my arms down as I tried to beat at him. His one hand held both my arms above my head and his other one was undoing his pants as his legs held mine together so I couldn’t kick him. I started crying yet again and then was about to give up when he made a mistake.

His legs loosed if just a fraction and I seized the moment to bring both my legs up and kneed him in the groin. He yelled out and fell off me as I got up and tried to run away but remembered just as I fell down from a force holding me back that I was chained down. I couldn’t go anywhere even if I wanted to. He got up with his mask still on but slightly messed up and grabbed his gun and pointed it at me as I stared it down in fear. I was going to die and I hadn’t been saved. I should have never read all those happy romance novels since there wasn’t always a happy ending.

“You’re going to pay you little bitch.” He hissed and cocked the gun. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain or anything to explode through my body when there was a loud sound of glass breaking and it going dark all of a sudden.

I thought I died for a moment before I heard shouting and then a loud thump of a body. I started whimpering thinking maybe joker came back but I was met with a soft and gentle touch. I cracked my eyes open and started crying with joy this time as I saw Batman’s deep brown eyes gazing at me. I looked at the window and saw it was shattered and cracked along with a bunch of bricks missing and scattered all around the floor. It appeared he had come in through the window to get me. I saw the mans body on the floor tied up as he squirmed around.

“Are you okay Rose?” he asked in his husky deep voice and all I could do was wrap my arms around him and hug him like he was a lifeboat, in which a way he was.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” I whispered and squeezed as he stood there before actually putting his arms around me and giving me a squeeze back.

“I’m guessing you want to go home?” he asked and I nodded as I bent down and grabbed the blanket to put around me. Then I stopped.

“He knows where I live.” I whispered and realized I wasn’t really safe anywhere.

“I know where to take you.” Was all he said as he walked back over to me. I looked at the chain around my ankle as he took out some object and it cut right through the metal like butter. He picked me up and I held onto him as he walked me out into the factory and out the front door to his bat mobile before putting me into the passenger side and getting in himself. He looked at me as I curled up in the seat and laid my head on the side as he started it up and took me home.

I must of fell asleep at some point because the next thing I knew I was laying down in a bed that was huge wearing a nightgown and Batman was sneaking out a window.

“Wait!” I said as I sat up and I felt dizzy for a second before shaking my head. He stopped and turned around to look at me. The window led out onto a balcony and the window was blowing his cap out like in the movies. “Please stay with me.” I finished off with a whisper.

He paused a moment before nodding and walking to a chair in the corner and sitting down. “Go to sleep Rosemarie. You’ve been through a lot.”

I chuckled darkly and sat up more. “You have no idea.”

I got up and walked over to him before actually sliding onto his lap and curling up. It was weird and it even shocked me since it was coming from me. I never did anything like this. “Thank you.” I whispered again as I curled up in his lap. I felt safe and that was all I was really hoping for at the moment. I leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. He froze for just a split second before kissing me back and holding my head gently like I might break. Well after all I’ve been through I really wouldn’t be surprised if I did. I ran my hand along his jaw line and I felt his shiver from my light touch. I smiled in the kiss and pulled back. He seemed unsure what just happened for a moment.

“You’re Welcome Rose.” Was all he said as he wrapped his arms around my waist and I laid my head down on his chest. I felt him lightly breathing in and out and I think I heard his heart rate speed up a bit when I grabbed his hand. I looked up at him so that I could study his features some more when I felt myself suck in my breath as I saw something oddly familiar that pulled at a distant memory. There was a tiny scar almost unnoticeable under his chin that was in the shape of a crescent moon. I even remember when he got it since I had done it to him when we were younger and in an actual fight because he was throwing my things around the room to make me mad and talk to him when I was trying to ignore him for being a jerk the day before.

Batman looked down at me confused as to why I suddenly made that sound and why I was now moving away from him like he had the plague. But there was also a dawning looking on his face as he realized I now knew who he was. There was also hurt and maybe a little worry that I would do something either rash or he wasn’t ready for me to know yet.

“Oh my God.” I paused and finally took in his fine featured face from his beautiful eyes to his cheek bones to his muscular jaw bone and body structure. How could I have been so stupid as to not notice it before? “Bruce?”