The Wayne Legacy: Knightmare
By BetterInTexas
Chapter 17:
Wayne Manor / Upstate New York
To Diana’s irritation, Kara decided sleeping was not in the cards. The blonde came back through the adjoining door with her own chair.
“I’m too wound up to sleep, Didi.” Kara explained as she set her chair by her sister’s. “I just have a bad feeling if I take my pill, Bruce will need me like last time.”
Dig walked in from the hallway as soon as she’d settled in her seat. “Kara said Bruce is going after Crane in upstate New York.”
“Pull up a chair.” Steve told the man.
Alfred also took that moment to walk in with a tea tray and set it on a small table Kara had, then began pouring.
“Has he made it to the possible site?” Alfred asked.
“He is close. Bruce have you suited up yet?” Kara asked.
They all heard a sigh on the other end. “Why do I hear everyone at once? Kara, could you limit the mic to one headset and put you or Alfred on it?”
Kara shook her head then realized Bruce couldn’t see her unless he opened the small screen on his forearm. “Sorry, but I didn’t feel like dealing with a mic, so I just set up my room to project any voice. Look on the bright side. We are all here cheering for you. Go, Batman!”
In upstate New York, Bruce had suited up and was making his way through the woods, moving silently but rapidly until he was within a mile. The farm was isolated, the nearest neighbor over five miles away. His enhanced hearing was scanning over the area around him and when he came within a half mile, he sent out his sonar. He saw nothing that looked out of the ordinary and moved closer.
“Try coming in from the southwest, Bruce.” Diana suggested. “That is where the satellite is showing the front porch.”
“Which is where he would be expected.” Steve disagreed. “There is a tall oak tree fifty yards from the house on the northeast corner. It would be cool if you could climb it, then glide from the top to the roof of the house.”
“That would be cool,” Dig admitted, “but there is no way he can land silently on the rooftop. There aren’t any trees close enough to the house to blame it on a branch falling.”
“I thought he was supposed to be some silent ninja?” Steve pointed out.
“Yeah,” Kara agreed, “and I made the armor extremely lightweight.”
“He isn’t always silent.” Diana reminded the group. “Sometimes he says very hurtful things to people who love him.”
“We will have a family meeting about Bruce being a jerk when he returns.” Kara promised, patting her frowning sister’s hand. “But we will also stop using the past six years against him.”
“An excellent idea.” Alfred concurred.
“Of course you would be on his side.” Diana grumbled.
“That isn’t fair.” Alfred said, annoyed. “Kara suggested it. I do not agree with what he said. He lashed out saying things that aren’t true and that was inappropriate. He will apologize.”
“He better. He also gets to speak his mind.” Kara reminded the room. “But he must learn to use his nice voice and not say hurtful things in the heat of the moment.”
“Bruce, jump through the large glass door in the back.” Dig said, bored of the sibling emotional drama.
Steve agreed, happy to change the subject as well. “Maybe you could use the grapple gun on the chimney and pull it in, sending you into a low cruise with your feet in front. That would definitely be cool, crashing through a glass door. Throw a flash grenade or smoke pellets when you hit the ground.”
“Bruce, remember the parts of the suit that aren’t protected from knives and bullets. The material shouldn’t allow penetration, but I would rather not test that.” Kara reminded him.
Diana raised her hand. “I would suggest you all remember that I am in charge of this operation. I am the goddess with anger issues who uses people like pawns, remember?”
Kara glared at Diana. “Didi… we said…”
“Yes, sibling meeting. I understand. I am still in charge of Bruce tonight.” Diana replied, annoyed. “Bruce approach the front door. It is such a stupid move no one would suspect it.”
Finally Bruce snapped. “Kara! How do I turn off this mic?!”
“You can’t.” Kara told him. “I was afraid if you could, you would do something stupid… like turn it off and cut yourself off from operations. If you are going to use my tech, Batman, you are going to go by my rules.”
Approaching the farmhouse in question, Bruce considered just taking his helmet off but knew he would need it.
The F.B.I. had been there earlier that day, but he considered their search a waste. Crane would have needed a plane like Bruce used to make it to the farm any earlier in the day. He most likely drove, and he definitely didn’t drive the car he stole. A car in the vicinity of where Crane escaped was reported stolen. An hour later, it was found, and he wasn’t there. Bruce suspected he ran a distance and then stole another car. That would have meant he wouldn’t make it to the farm until late this afternoon if he drove straight through, long after the FBI had checked for his presence.
Bruce wasn’t sure why his gut was telling him Crane was here. Perhaps it was because he believed this is where it all started for him: the psychosis, the fear, the need to inflict fear on others.
Crane’s whole life was now shattered. He no longer operated in the shadows, experimenting, killing, toying with patients’ minds. Considering the situation, it wouldn’t be out of character for a psycho to go back home.
“Bruce are you really going through the kitchen window from that direction?” Diana’s voice asked him. “That would be a dumb move.”
“Bruce use ultraviolet vision. It should let you see slight textures in the grass and detect footprints.” Kara suggested.
Bruce liked to tell himself it was a suggestion, but he remembered the week before when Kara had turned them on remotely. As she had just pointed out, the drawbacks of wearing Kara’s suit is she took control if she wished. He was beholden to whatever she deemed necessary to keep him alive if he continued to use her tech.
“Kara, do not take control of any aspect of this suit.” He whispered. “I can’t afford a distraction, especially to my vision.”
“I would never!” Kara exclaimed. “Unless…”
“Kara!” Bruce whispered harshly. “Not now, please!”
“Okay, okay.” She acquiesced.
Bruce took a look with his ultraviolet vision and saw footprints everywhere. The F.B.I. had trampled all over the place, though to be fair, this wasn’t a crime scene.
“Too many prints.” He said quietly.
“Then check the doorknob for prints.” Kara said.
“The F.B.I. was probably in and out all day.” Bruce pointed out.
“They should have worn gloves. If there was anything worth finding, they would still be there, processing the scene. They wouldn’t have ruined it beforehand.” Steve mentioned.
“Did they cover forensics in flight school, Trevor?” Bruce asked irritably.
“No, I watch a lot of NCIS. My job comes with quite a bit of free time.” He admitted.
Bruce walked quietly up to the doorknob, making sure the old boards of the wooden porch did not squeak under his weight.
He looked at it closely and saw multiple smudged fingerprints on the door.
“Looks like NCIS was wrong, Steve.” Bruce whispered.
“Diana, move away from my seat, I need the keyboard.” Kara complained in his ear. “I’ve got a snapshot, hold on.”
Bruce waited for a moment, taking the time to send out a ping. Sonar showed him views of the large house. He used infrared vision to gaze into the structure and his heart started racing, despite his calm demeanor. There was a person sitting in a chair in the back bedroom.
“I’ve got someone inside.” Bruce whispered.
“You owe my twenty bucks, Diana.” Dig told her.
“Why don’t we wait to see if it’s him first.” Diana replied sharply.
“Bruce,” Kara spoke up, “the fingerprints are smudged but I have enough points to reconstruct a single print. Gotham’s forensics department confirm they are his. The same as the ones that covered his office… it’s him.”
Bruce took a deep breath. “Everyone, quiet please. I’m heading to the larger window, east side.”
“Are you going to jump in?” Steve asked.
“Steve, focus!” Diana hissed.
“Just saying it would be cool. Kara thinks so too.” Steve replied, trying to defend himself.
Rather than jumping through the windows, Bruce shattered the glass with a well-paced punch. He threw a smoke pellet and jumped in behind it. His vision turned to ultraviolet to see through the smoke and he had what Kara had dubbed the Batarang in his hand, ready for a blow to Crane’s head.
The body remained sitting in the rocking chair in the corner, never running or making a move, remaining relaxed. Bruce listened to the racing heart, the only sign his target was even awake.
The smoke cleared and Bruce stood in front of Crane.
The man stood slowly, as thin and lanky as ever. His suit was dirty, and the clothes were ripped in places, including a jacket that barely hung on to him. He hid his face behind a disturbing mask… a burlap sack with beady eyeholes and straws of hay wildly protruding on top.
He was the perfect imitation of a scarecrow.
“Nice outfit.” Crane said and Bruce recognized his voice.
“I could say the same.” Batman replied.
“I always had a fascination with scarecrows. My mother kept one in the garden right out that window. I would stare at it during the night. It frightened me. She knew this and took joy in it. My mother lived to spread fear. My father died early in my childhood. It was a good move on his part. I was left with my mother and her mother. They were two peas in a pod as we say in the country.”
“You killed them.” Bruce said.
“I wish I had the chance to kill my mother. My mother’s love of spreading fear was only matched by her love of fattening food and consuming large amounts of it.” Crane explained. “My grandmother’s death was satisfying. Without mom there to keep me in line, grandma came to fear me. She was my first victim, an early and clumsy attempt at fear toxin but successful enough for the job. I kept her alive long enough to graduate high school, then I finished her off and went on my way, spreading fear as I had been taught.”
Bruce watched Crane closely, taking in his hands, his whole body. His shoulders were stiff, and he was palming something.
“I should have spread fear in Gotham. I should have killed hundreds at Arkham. You were a hindrance to me. I would love to have a session with you… you are fascinating, but I don’t have that much time. You were very lucky I didn’t kill us both when you entered my window. Luckily, I have a steady hand and don’t scare easily.”
Crane opened his right hand where he palmed a small detonator. “The farm has been abandoned for many years and I never sold it. There was enough old fertilizer in the barn to make a nice gift for any visitors. I admit I was waiting for the FBI to show up in the morning. You are a surprise. You surprised me in the asylum, and you have surprised me tonight. I have no doubt you can physically overpower me. I wonder if you would like a taste of my toxin?”
The gas mask covered Bruce’s face seconds before Crane raised his free hand and a gas sprayed from his torn cuff. It sprayed over Bruce harmlessly.
“You do have the best toys. I wonder where you get them from.” Crane said, tilting his head to the side.
“Kill him, Bruce.” Diana said quickly. “He knows.”
“There is no reason to try that again.” Bruce’s now modulated voice told him, instead attempting to coax Crane into surrendering. “There is also no reason to die here. You don’t want to go out in an explosion in the middle of nowhere. You are the type of person who would enjoy an asylum from the other side, enjoy toying with psychologists who want to learn what makes you tick. You have no plans to push that button. Put it down and come with me into town. You can turn yourself in and be the media sensation we both know you want to be.”
Crane backed away from Bruce, just out of arm’s reach.
“I like your plan… Bat… man? Man bat? I am sure if you are ever caught, a few psychologists would love to write a paper on you. Not that you will have the chance to get caught.
“I failed to unleash my toxin on Gotham. It was supposed to be a gift for Wayne Tower’s ventilation system and the thousands of employees inside. But when the ADA started poking around, I knew I would have enough product to use but no time to perfect the delivery system. Blowing up Arkham would have to do.
“But you… you ruined that. I understand even Miss Dawes has survived. My knife skills must be rusty. So… since you are insistent on being a part of my life, how about we die together as well. Any final words?”
Instead of answering, Bruce moved like lightning, taking the man’s hand and pressing a nerve in his wrist, paralyzing his fingers. Crane dropped the detonator.
Unfortunately, it landed face up and Bruce watched Crane’s foot step on it.
Bruce heard a whirring noise and leaped for the window. It was perhaps two seconds after he cleared the open space when the house exploded, the bombs Crane had planted underneath the floorboards, sending the force straight up.
Bruce was immediately engulfed in flames, boards hitting his body and head, the heat making him feel as if he were on fire.
Rather than lying down, he picked himself up, threw his cape in front of his face and ran. To anyone who may have been watching from the outside, they would have only seen a black wraith emerging from the flames at high speed. He was hit by more falling boards and debris, but the suit held, and his head was cushioned, the helmet his little sister made absorbing the blunt force and the material not burning.
Once he had reached the tree line, he felt a cooling sensation inside his suit. He knew this would be the temperature controlled wiring Kara had placed through the body suit that responded to extreme temperature changes. His body began to feel cool, and he took a knee.
His hearing was shot, the explosion having deafened him. He then began hearing a ringing sound as the silence gave way. His head was hurting, but he kept the mask on, unwilling to take it off. He did release the gas mask portion and took huge gulps of air but regretted it instantly. The air was foul, smoke covering him and the entire area.
For a split second, he thought of saving Crane but that thought was gone as soon as he saw the destruction. Bruce was near the only window in the room and Crane hadn’t followed him out, so he was in pieces now.
Bruce stood and began to walk farther into the woods. His body felt like hell and hurt all over. The explosion may not have burnt him thanks to his suit, but it had slammed him to the ground hard.
He forced himself to continue walking until he finally began hearing voices in his earpiece again.
“His blood pressure is high, but his heartbeat is strong.” He heard Kara saying in a panicked voice. “I would guess he is trying to make it to the landing strip but is going in the wrong direction.”
Bruce shook his head and looked around. He had flown the plane and landed at a vacant crop duster strip five miles away then ran on foot after suiting up outside the plane.
He thought he had been going the correct way, but his equilibrium was off, and he had spent who knew how long just running away from the burning house.
“Bruce, can you hear me? Diana…”
That was the last Bruce heard before he passed out.
When he woke, he found himself in the copilot’s seat of Kara’s Cessna, the plane moving through the air.
Bruce looked to his left and saw Diana at the stick, dressed all in black with leaves in her dark hair.
She saw he was awake and smirked. “Next time maybe check under the house for explosives, yeah?”
Bruce grinned, amused at her appearance. “Did you run all the way from Gotham?”
“You weren’t going to make it back to the plane yourself. Kara would have been up all night worrying about you. I couldn’t have that, so I decided it was just easier to pick you up and fly you back. I’ve been wanting to run for a while and the race for Kara’s new charity is in a few weeks. I needed to get in shape.”
“What time is it?” Bruce asked, still disoriented.
“Almost daybreak.” She replied. “We should land at the manor just as the sun is rising. Crazy night.”
Bruce nodded and straightened up in his seat. “That’s putting it lightly. Thanks… for coming to get me.”
Diana shrugged. “It’s what I do. I’m a good person. Every morning I get up and say, ‘I am a good human being, and my brother is an asshole’ . It’s my mantra now. Silver suggested it.”
Bruce snorted then began laughing and Diana did as well.
They said nothing else until they landed to find the household waiting for them.
Dig handed Bruce some clothes to change into while still in the plane in the event any security guards saw him despite being told to stay back. Eliza was also waiting on both of them.
Kara had an arm around Bruce, helping him move forward though he was walking fine. He thought it was more for her sense of security and he hated that he had scared her.
Bruce sighed, speaking softly, “I’m sorry…”
“Don’t. I told you to go after him. I mean you would have anyway, but I didn’t put up a flight.” Kara told him, shaking her head. “The important thing is my suit saved your life. You would not believe the amount of pressure from the explosion it protected you from and the heat from the blast should have burned you, but the temperature control unit performed above specifications. My suit really came through. I am the real superhero.”
“Yeah, you are.” Bruce said, for once, not at all irritated at her boasting, chuckling at her good-natured cockiness.
Kara squeezed his middle carefully in a half-hug as they walked steadily toward the house. “You didn’t do so bad yourself. I mean you tried to save his life. The thing with paralyzing the hand by pressing on that nerve was cool. It was bad luck the way the detonator landed, and we got lucky you had a few seconds to clear the room. Even my suit can only take so much and being in a closed room… anyway, Eliza is going to check you out so don’t argue with her, okay?”
“I promise.” He told her, kissing the top of her head.
“Afterward, the three of us are going to have a long talk about how words hurt.” Kara finished firmly.
Bruce cringed, hoping she would have forgotten in her worry over his life.
Once inside, he went to the basement with Eliza and Diana to be checked out.
Kara let out a breath, glad that he was home and safe.
“We almost lost him.” She mumbled.
“If he hadn’t been there, Crane would have killed a lot of FBI agents this morning when they came to check on the place again.” Dig pointed out. “Danger is a part of life, Kara. Whether he is a cop, a federal agent or doing what he is doing, it’s always going to be there.
“Look at John Blake. How much danger has he faced in his life and barely made it out alive? It’s the same with anyone wanting to do good. I know you worry about Bruce but what he is doing is good.”
Kara nodded. She supposed it was true. Dig placed his life on the line every single time she left the manor or the Tower, even if it were a simple walk to Tommy’s for a sandwich. Diana had put herself on the line and was nearly killed by Cronus for Kara.
“I need breakfast.” Kara said. “Let’s talk Alfred into making pancakes while Diana is busy watching over Bruce.”
“That’s sounds good.”
“Hey, Dig?”
“Yeah?”
“Diana may be my hero, but so are you.” Kara told him warmly. “Don’t think I ever forget that.”
Gotham City Police Station
John Blake warily took a seat in an interview room -one usually reserved for suspects- after staying up all night working a double shift looking for Crane. Two detectives had come to the precinct early that morning and asked to speak to him. The two had obviously been waiting for him to return so he told them to give him a few minutes and sent a text to Gordon. He had an idea they wanted to question him about his report and needed some cover.
“Any reason you two have those looks on your faces and I’m feeling like a perp?” he asked, while the detectives sat silently across the table, staring intensely at him.
“I’m Detective Harvey Bullock.” The heavy set and poorly shaven man introduced himself then jerked a thumb to his female partner. “This is Detective Renee Montoya. We’ve been assigned to the Crane case.”
“I thought the FBI was taking over the investigation due to the possible homicides in Illinois.” Blake replied calmly.
Harvey frowned. “We’ve got clean up on the murders he committed in Gotham and the attempted murder of ADA Dawes. We have a few questions for you.”
“Like why your report is total bullshit.” Montoya jumped in.
Blake kept his cool, not showing any sign of emotion. “Would this be the report about the body I found in the abandoned building or when I rescued ADA Dawes? I haven’t been on the force long, but it has been eventful.”
Bullock chewed on a toothpick and leaned back in his chair. “That’s right. First night on the job, you’re in a shootout, kill a couple of scumbags put another in ICU. Already decorated out of the gate. Then you become buddies with Bruce Wayne at a fancy party and some Wayne Security guards who used to be cops say you hang out with him at Wayne Manor. That means you are tight with Gordon and Diana Wayne too. You got better connections than guys who’ve spent twenty years on the force. Doesn’t give you the right to lie on your report.
“Tell us what happened from the moment you found Schiff. Who was the guy in the secret room with you and Crane?”
Blake leaned back in his chair. “What happened is in my report. I described him as best I could. Are you guys really assigned to the Crane case or are you Internal Affairs?”
“Watch your attitude, rookie.” Montoya told him sharply. “We are trying to help you straighten this out before it gets torn up in trial. You want us to bring IA in, we can.”
Blake should have played it cool but being called a rookie really got under his skin.
“From what I understand, your partner here is pretty tight with IA, or at least has been investigated by them a few times.” Blake snapped back. “What happened is in my report. Aren’t there more important things for you and Detective Bullock to be doing than grilling a patrolman?”
Harvey smirked. “You’re a cocky asshole, aren’t you?”
Blake shook his head. “I’m actually pretty humble. Ask anyone. Want to know what cops say about you, Bullock? I heard you were lucky to escape the Internal Affairs sweep that happened when Commissioner Gordon took over. I’ll take cocky over dirty any day.”
Bullock’s face turned red, and he began to stand only to have Montoya put a hand on his shoulder and force him back down.
“You’re gonna want to thank her for that later.” Blake told the man, remaining at ease. “Like I said, I stand by my report. Anything else? It’s been a long and frustrating night.”
“Just tell us who else was with you in that room, Blake. It wasn’t an inmate.” Montoya said, her tone much less antagonistic, obviously realizing that a confrontational attitude wasn’t going to get her anywhere. “We are trying to help. When Crane is caught he is going to say there were two people there and it could blow up in Dent’s face if we don’t know the second person’s identity. We are responsible for this case and don’t want it to come back on us. Everyone in this room knows there was someone helping you in that room with Crane and Dawes and you know exactly who it was. We are on the same side.”
Blake sat back but kept his folded hands on the table. “When I entered the room, I saw Crane fighting with someone. When I got Dawes down, they were both gone.”
“Okay, so a mystery man was fighting Crane when you arrived, and Dawes was bleeding to death.” Montoya reiterated. “Start over. When you arrived at Schiff’s cell you found a big hole in the wall?”
Blake nodded.
“And the latch, a steel latch, was blown up. Pieces of some grenade have been found on the ground by forensics. There aren’t enough pieces left to identify it, but it was obviously a strong focused blast. You got no idea how that got there. It must have been this mystery man.”
Blake shrugged his shoulders. “Got no idea. It happened before I got there.”
Montoya raised an eyebrow. “Look, if you are carrying around explosives not mandated by the department guidelines, good for you. We can keep that quiet if you hand over whatever you were carrying and tell us who the guy was. You know what was going on, a hell of a lot more than you are saying.”
Blake leaned back and sighed dramatically. “Why do you think I would hide anything?”
“How about Crane’s blood on the floor twenty-two feet from Dawes?” Bullock asked. “Something struck him, caused him to bleed quite a bit. That was pretty close to where you were. You say your gun wasn’t fired and there is no evidence of any weapon being fired. Forensics say the blood splatter is consistent with a blade being pulled out of his body. So, when he was stabbed in the leg, he took off running but you didn’t get a good look at who stabbed him despite being that close.”
“The two were fighting across the room when I arrived, neither were close to ADA Dawes at that time. I was focused on getting her medical help, not them.” Blake said noncommittally.
“There was a bomb on top of one of the gas tanks.” Montoya said. “A vital wire was pulled, keeping it from detonating and unleashing a huge explosion that would have taken out the asylum.”
“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing he sucks at making bombs.” Blake replied.
“Someone doesn’t go to the trouble of making a bomb and leaving a key wire unplugged, Blake. You’re telling me this unknown man blew a hole in the wall of the cell, fought Crane, disarmed a bomb while Crane escaped, yet you saw none of this.” Bullock stated, obviously not believing Blake’s account. “Tell us the truth. How the hell did you even get Dawes chains off? Forensics says they were cut clean through.”
Blake pulled out what looked like a large pocket knife. He pressed a button and a wicked gleaming blade popped up and began to vibrate. “You got me, Detective. I’m carrying a knife that is not regulation. Diamond covered blade, vibrates it so fast you can barely see the blade twitch and can cut through a half inch of solid steel.”
The two detectives were impressed.
“Where did you get that?” Montoya asked.
“My BFF is Bruce Wayne, remember? While you should have been looking for Crane last night, you were instead asking Wayne Security guards you know, because they are former cops apparently, about my comings and goings. I know my BFF’s twin sister will be interested to know her security forces are talking to their friends about things that are none of their business.” Blake threatened, filing away the information but guessed Diana already knew things like this happened.
The look on their faces at that statement was enough to laugh at, though he was able to suppress the impulse.
Shaking his head, Blake said, “Bruce had this in his room, I thought it was cool and he gave it to me. I would think you would were enough of a detective to detect where I got a hi-tech blade this expensive.”
“Was it Wayne Security with you in that room?” Montoya asked.
Blake rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t Wayne Security. Why the hell would I patrol with Wayne Security? Why would they be in Arkham? Everybody in Gotham knows what those guys look like… men in black suits, high-powered weapons, not legal for an everyday citizen or even a cop to carry. About forty of them follow Kara Wayne around the city, they are hard to miss. You think the Arkham guards who saw me go in would have missed Wayne Security following me in?
“Whoever it was must have been already there. I don’t know how he got his hands on explosives. I don’t know anything about a bomb. I went into the hole, saw ADA Dawes bleeding and Crane and someone fighting then returned my focus to her. She was bleeding out and getting her help was more important than catching Crane. You got anything else you want to accuse me of? I’m getting real sleepy.”
At that moment, Commissioner Gordon walked in.
“What the hell is going on here?” Gordan asked angrily. “Detectives in search of a serial killer don’t waste time trying to disprove fellow officers’ reports, so what the hell do you think you two are doing?”
Montoya and Bullock both cringed. They had hoped to pressure the rookie into giving something up, like who he had been working with.
Now they were out of time.
Bullock scowled at Blake. “You really do got connections, kid.”
“We are asking Officer Blake to give more thought to what he saw in the room and help us identify the man who was interacting with Crane.” Montoya explained before Gordon could focus on her idiot partner’s comment stupidly made right in front him.
“Are you saying Officer Blake is lying?” Gordon demanded an answer from the two detectives.
“Sir, someone blew that door open, someone assaulted Crane and someone disarmed a bomb. An inmate didn’t do this, and Officer Blake knows who did. We need this to be perfect when it goes to court.” Montoya challenged.
“And Blake must have stopped to ask questions of this unknown person rather than saving ADA Dawes life? Is that what you are saying?” The commissioner asked incredulously. “I needed you two on the streets last night, questioning friends, neighbors, anyone with any connection to Crane. Instead, you two were waiting here, confronting and basically accusing a fellow officer of lying in his report? Is that what I’m hearing?
“Montoya, when I paired you with Bullock, I was hoping he would maybe become a bit more like you. It seems you are adopting his mannerisms.
“It doesn’t matter anyway, this case isn’t going to court. Crane killed himself last night.”
That caught them all off guard.
“How… where?” Montoya asked.
“Upstate New York, his childhood home. He set off a bomb. Witnesses saw him in town after the FBI had already searched the place. There was an explosion, and the fire department is finding traces of explosives and homemade bomb components. There was a body found but it was damn near turned to ash.”
“How do we know it was him?” Blake asked. “Couldn’t the bomb have been a diversion and he left a dead body inside the house to throw us off?”
“A couple witnesses in town saw someone matching his description driving towards the farm in a car that was stolen from Gotham the night Crane escaped. Fingerprints inside the car are his. We can’t be sure until the dental records come back and will continue the search, but all indications are it’s over.”
“A bomb? Strange way to kill himself.” Bullock pointed out.
“He was a psycho who killed others using a toxic gas that made people see their worst fears until they had a heart attack.” Gordon pointed out. “You claim to know what goes on in his head?”
Bullock shrugged but wisely remained silent.
“When they write the book about this, a bunch of people are going to want to know who was in that room.” Montoya pointed out, looking once again at the rookie cop and pressing slightly.
“A little mystery is always good for book sells.” Gordon replied. “If Blake says he didn’t get a good look, that’s all there is to it. Both of you get to Arkham and begin going over patient records, pick up where Dawes left off, find dead inmates since he took over and search that place for anymore hidden rooms.
“Crispus Allen is running the show. Report to him on scene for assignments.”
“Yes, Commissioner.” Montoya said, not happy about being assigned to work for Allen but happy the commissioner wasn’t cutting her out completely.
“And Montoya, the next time you want to question an officer about a report, you best let me know first. I’d expect this behavior from Bullock, but not you. Do you understand or do I have to spell it out for you?”
“Understood, Commissioner.” Montoya replied contritely.
The two walked out, Montoya scrambling and Bullock taking his time, giving one last withering look at Blake.
Blake winked at him as the odious man left the room.
“He’s dead?” Blake asked as soon as the door was closed.
Gordon nodded. “Our mutual friend tracked him down last night at the house he grew up in. I know you are tired, but you want to go with me and have a talk with him?”
Blake had been tired but felt reenergized now. “Yeah, I won’t have to pick up an extra shift tonight if he’s been caught. I can always sleep later. We going to the manor or the mob shack?”
“Manor. Bruce has a concussion. According to Diana, he jumped out the window a second before it blew. He was still very close to the house and the blast threw him to the ground hard.”
Blake took a moment, letting that information soak in. “He jumped out the window a second before the blast went off?”
Gordon nodded.
“How the hell is he still alive?”
Gordon grinned. “Kara makes one hell of a suit. Flame resistant, strong armor, some sort of way to maintain the temperature inside. The things that kid can make boggle my mind. Hell, the damn cape wasn’t even singed from what Diana told me… quite proudly, I might add. You know she loves to brag about Kara.”
Blake shook his head in disbelief. “You driving or am I?”
“I slept last night. I’m driving.”
Wayne Manor
After a few hours rest, Kara greeted Tommy at the front door. He’d taken the morning off to check on her.
“So, my two bodyguards left this morning. I gave them a couple sandwiches as thanks. Despite being rich growing up, I never had bodyguards. It was a unique experience.” He told his girlfriend.
Kara smiled, glad to see him and the calm he brought her after such a stressful night. “Crane is believed to be dead in New York in an explosion. That’s what the FBI believes anyway. It’s back to business as usual.
“I’m not going into the office, but I think Diana will later today.
“I hope you didn’t mind the bodyguards. All our loved ones had them… Silver, Barbara, Eliza, Alex. It’s common place. If someone can’t get to me or Diana, going after someone we love would be the next logical move.”
Tommy smiled broadly. “I am grateful to be on the list. So this started when an ADA got stabbed, huh?”
Kara gave him a rundown of events though leaving Bruce’s actions out of it.
“So, John Blake saved her, huh?” Tommy asked, one eyebrow raised.
Kara nodded. “Yeah, he cut her down and got her away from Crane. Then he set up a blood transfusion in the ambulance and kept her alive until she reached the hospital.”
“Wow. That guy always seems to be on the spot. He and Bruce still hanging out? Bruce still learning how to fight?”
Kara shrugged her shoulders. “You would know if you had been over in the past few days. Actually it’s been six days. You haven’t been over for six days.”
Tommy looked a bit sheepish. “Sorry about that. Bill is about to leave so I have been soaking up all the knowledge I can from him. He says I am ready and don’t need to keep paying him to be a manager but I’m not sure. Yeah, I’ve been running things, but it’s been nice to have him to fall back on if I need him. I’m gonna lose that, sooner than I thought.”
“It’s because you learned faster than you thought you would. The man loves that store. He wouldn’t leave it in your hands unless he knew you could take care of it.” Kara assured him.
Tommy nodded, seeing the truth in her words.
“You never answered my questions.” Tommy said. “Have you seen…”
“No!” Kara snapped. She shook her head, sighing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I just don’t see what the big deal is. He is Bruce’s friend. I think they meet at Bruce’s other house most of the time. Why do you even care?”
Tommy was shocked at Kara’s reaction, but he supposed she did have a point. Why should he care? He shouldn’t, but he did. Jealousy could make a man act unreasonable at times. The question was why John Blake made him feel that way.
“I’m sorry.” He apologized. “Want to get out today? Take a drive or stay on the property and ride horses? I’m getting pretty good I think.”
Kara smiled at the idea. “Yeah, horses sound great. Let me change.”
Kara ran up the stairs, and Tommy considered taking a seat. Before he could, Alfred walked into the parlor and opened the front door. Tommy hadn’t even heard the bell ring.
Commissioner James Gordon and Officer John Blake walked inside.
“Commissioner, Officer Blake.” Tommy greeted them.
“Call me John or Blake, Tommy. Good to see you again. One of the guys picked up sandwiches from your store for us last week, said you made them personally. They were very good. You got a real gift for making sandwiches.”
“Thanks. I heard you saved a girl from a knife wielding maniac. You seem to have a few gifts of your own.” Tommy replied.
“Right time, right place, I guess. No big deal.” Blake brushed off the compliment with a slight smile.
Tommy almost pointed out that he seemed to be always at the right time and place, but Kara came down and all eyes turned to her.
“Jim, it’s good to see you.” Kara said, smiling at the man. “Have you both come to talk some sense into my brother? He seems to have the strangest accidents lately. He fell down the stairs last night and hit his head.”
“Hello, Kara.” Jim greeted her, returning the smile.
“We were concerned when we heard, so we wanted to make sure his head isn’t in too bad a shape.” Blake clarified. “Accidents happen but your brother has a lot of sense.”
Kara scowled at Blake, her hands on her hips. “I’m sure you think so, Robin.”
“Shouldn’t call people by names they don’t like. It’s not polite, is it… Bunny?” Blake countered.
“Okay!” Alfred said before another argument between Kara and Blake broke out. “I believe Master Bruce and Miss Diana are expecting you both downstairs.”
The three walked off leaving Kara and Tommy alone.
“How does he know about the Bunny thing?” Tommy asked, confused.
“Bruce must have told him, the jerk. Maybe he heard him, or Diana call me that.”
“Why did you call him Robin?”
“It’s his first name but he hates it. I told him as long as he went along with my brother’s idiot plan to learn kung fu, I was going to call him Robin.” Kara said, irritated that the man had called her Bunny.
Tommy shook his head and waved an arm towards the back. “Shall we ride, my lady?”
“We shall, my good man.”
Tommy walked out hand in hand with Kara, thinking about John Blake.
Blake was a heroic, streetwise guy who was affable, easy to like, but Kara considered him an irritant the times he had spoken to her about him.
Blake was a guy Kara wasn’t interested in… so why did he hate the guy so much?
While Tommy pondered that question, Diana, Dig and Steve were sitting in chairs around the medical bed in the basement. The elevator opened and Alfred, Blake and Gordon walked out.
Blake took in the huge, well-lit room, the workout areas, the large monitors on the walls, a table with fancy tools, no doubt Kara’s, the sparring area, the giant pool and sturdy concrete walls that surrounded the brightly lit area.
“Why the hell do we meet in the old Falconè Mansion when you have this place?” Blake asked, walking up to Bruce who lay in the hospital bed in the enclosed room with clear walls.
“Because this area isn’t his. It was built for Kara.” Diana answered him with a pointed look at her brother.
“So, tell me what happened.” Gordon told him.
Bruce began relaying the story, ending with him hopping out the window just as the house exploded.
“You never saw his face?” Blake asked. “Did you confirm the kill?”
Bruce looked at him irritably. “It wasn’t a kill, it was a suicide. No, I never saw his face, but I recognized his voice, his build, the fingerprints on the doorknob were his as well as the stolen car. It was him.”
“The body was burned beyond recognition, but the FBI is trying to match dental records or recover teeth to get a DNA match. I am confident he is dead, but I don’t mind having additional confirmation.” Diana stated.
“He was wearing a mask in the hidden room when we entered. Was it the same one?” John asked Bruce, who nodded.
The room was silent as everyone appeared to be thinking on all the events.
“I can’t believe he went out like that.” Blake said finally. “He was waiting for the FBI to return to take them with him. He didn’t even know if they would come back.”
“No,” Bruce shook his head. “He was waiting for me. I’m not sure how but he knew I would come.”
Blake shrugged, though it didn’t make sense to him. Crane was a psycho, so he guessed it was possible.
“So you were right next to a house that exploded, and you only got a concussion? That is one nice suit.” Blake remarked instead.
Bruce grinned. “Yeah, Bunny came through. If I had been in my old suit, I would have been toasted. If I hadn’t jumped out of the window, instead of the force just slamming me down, I probably would have been ripped apart like Crane. My continued survival is a testament to Kara’s skill and my luck.”
“I’m impressed you were able to fly home.” Gordon said.
Bruce’s face remained stoic, not glancing at Diana. “I guess I’ve flown so much over the years, I could do it in my sleep.”
Blake picked up on that lie. He didn’t know why Bruce was lying but he didn’t care. The man had survived and made it home without being caught. That was all that mattered.
“How is your hearing?” Gordon asked. “You seem to be doing fine. No damage from the explosion?”
Bruce smiled fondly. “I couldn’t hear anything at first, then there was a ringing that wouldn’t go away for a few minutes. Kara put sound dampeners in the helmet. It provides enhanced hearing but the second a certain decibel limit is reached, they close off, protecting the eardrums. I can hear fine now, and Eliza said, other than a mild concussion, I don’t have any obvious long term injuries.
“That girl thinks of everything, doesn’t she?” Gordon said, shaking his head in amazement.
Diana stood by the bed with a proud smile on her face. She had been scared for Bruce, convinced he was seriously injured but Kara’s tech had come through. When Kara said she wanted to make Bruce safer, she was not joking.
“Alright, I’m convinced for now.” Jim told them. “Diana, you will probably find out before I do so once they have confirmed the body is his, let me know would you?”
“Absolutely, Jim. Would you like to stay for lunch?”
“No, thank you. Blake hasn’t been to sleep in the last twenty-four hours, and I need to be in the office on top of this. We just wanted to check on Bruce and get the information first hand.
“Glad you are okay, kid. Take some time off and be thankful you are still alive.”
Bruce nodded and Diana and Alfred walked the two out.
Before Jim and Blake got into the car, Kara came riding around the mansion along with Tommy who had apparently lost control of his mount. She caught his horse by the bridal and stopped it, then leaned over to kiss him.
She looked their way and her eyes locked with Blake’s. She gave him a small smile that he returned and then focused on Tommy once again before he noticed.
Two people who did notice were Diana and Alfred.
“I can see where this is going.” Alfred said, still looking at his youngest charge and her boyfriend.
Diana sighed. “I know.”
Alfred turned to her. “Are you going to the office today?”
Diana shook her head. “I’m going to make sure Bruce makes it from the basement bed to his bed with no stops and no excuses, even if I have to tie him up with my lasso.”
“Good. After yesterday, it is important we are together. As far as young Merlyn…”
“Let it play out, Alfred. I want to do something to save them both heartache, but I can’t.” Diana told him, looking at the two sadly as they rode off around the corner. “I have thought about it over and over again. Short of telling her she doesn’t love him…”
“That is her realization to come to. She is growing up, Diana. Some paths must be traveled, they cannot be carried down.”
That evening after Tommy had left, Kara called Diana and Bruce to the third floor library.
She was waiting at a small round table for them with two other seats.
“Thank you both for coming.”
“I didn’t think we had a choice.” Bruce told her cautiously.
“You didn’t. Both of you sit down.” She ordered the not-so-surprised twins. “The first thing you two are going to do is apologize to each other. Then we are going to have a conversation about letting the past go and how words hurt.
“Who wants to start?”
Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction 
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