The Wayne Legacy: Rise
By BetterInTexas
Chapter 22:
Gotham City, Warehouse District
Jim Gordon pulled into the warehouse at the insane hour of one in the morning, unsurprised to see the lights out. He wasn’t sure what the warehouse was used for, but it was owned by Wayne Enterprises and saw constant business during the day. It was closed at night, so it made a good place for a clandestine meeting with the company’s CEO.
Jim didn’t do clandestine meetings, but Diana had never asked for one either. She would call Dent, Garcia and him to meet with her in either Garcia or Dent’s office. They never went to Wayne Tower or the police department.
But two hours ago, Diana Wayne had called him, asking to meet her here alone. She told him not to let Dent or Garcia know and that it was vital this conversation stay highly discrete.
He didn’t have to look far. His headlights landed on her as soon as he pulled in. She was dressed more casually than he had seen her in a very long while. She wore a blue, Air Force t-shirt, light denim jeans, and white sneakers. A far cry from the power suits and designer professional dresses she usually walked around in, even with guests at her home.
She looked exhausted so he doubted she asked to meet him in a secluded place at this time on a whim. Whatever this was, it was important.
He stepped out and approached her, looking around. His cop instincts were telling him they weren’t alone.
“Diana.” He greeted her cordially.
“Hi, Jim. Thanks for coming.”
“Anything for you. You know that, kid. Meeting like this is new though. You ever meet Harvey in dark warehouses?”
Diana smiled and shook her head. “No. I save the best for you, Jim. I needed to talk, somewhere we wouldn’t be seen by others because this is a conversation that never happened.”
“I guessed that.” Jim nodded and looked around again. “If it’s discretion you are after, you know we aren’t alone, right? My gut is screaming at me that someone else is here.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk about. More specifically who I wanted to talk about.”
Diana turned around and nodded.
Behind her, out of the darkness, walked a man dressed in a dark costume, wearing a cape and a mask. The body suit had a few rips in it, so Jim assumed he had recently been in a fight.
“So, it is you.” Gordon said. “Hello, Bruce.”
Diana and Bruce looked at each other. This wasn’t part of the plan. Diana had wanted to talk to Jim about a clandestine working relationship with the vigilante.
Gordon walked up to the caped man and clapped him on the shoulder. “The boys at the station are calling you Batman. I guess the bat man or man bat, or Dracula was getting old. A lot of them don’t believe you are real. They think some criminals are making you up. I knew it was you the moment I arrived at the docks and saw those tiny metal bats. Those things are sharp.”
“Jim…” Diana started, clearly off-balance, much to Jim’s amusement since he’d never seen her this flustered.
Gordon raised his hand. “Diana, you didn’t have Garcia appoint me Commissioner because of my good looks. I was a detective for a long time.
“I think it was your fifteenth birthday where Alfred and I were drinking after the party, and he was telling me stories of your youth. He mentioned the time Bruce fell into a sink hole and broke his arm. He told me you were as afraid of bats as Kara was of kangaroos.
“Take off the mask, Bruce. Let’s talk face to face.”
Bruce looked at Diana who shrugged, so he pulled the mask off.
“If you knew, why didn’t you tell me?” Diana asked, obviously annoyed.
“Why didn’t you tell me? You knew as well, Diana. You wanted him stopped before he got himself killed, remember? Then you later said you wanted to be told about it if he was caught and it kept out of the news.” Jim replied.
“Well, I’m telling you now.” Diana muttered, crossing her arms and frowning. She had appointed Jim as Commissioner, not only because of his integrity but because of how good a cop he was, so it shouldn’t be surprising he figured it out. She was a little irritated he called her out on it though. “Does anyone else know?”
Gordon shook his head. “No, no one else would even suspect. If I didn’t know you kids, and the bat angle on top of the crap you both got up to in high school on the streets, I wouldn’t have guessed either.”
“You knew about that?!” The twins asked in perfect sync, both obviously stunned.
Gordon laughed, enjoying seeing the normally unflappable Diana thrown off once again. “Like I said, I’m a good cop.
“So, something tells me this conversation isn’t about Bruce seeing the error of his ways and turning himself in. What is going on?”
Both men looked to Diana who was still trying to collect herself after Jim’s surprise revelations.
“I was going to ask you to work with…” Diana hesitated, the words forming a bad taste in her mouth. “… Batman. I can’t convince him to stop, and he doesn’t seem keen on joining the police academy. He is very skilled. Unfortunately, he isn’t any smarter.”
“Hey!” Bruce exclaimed.
“You aren’t! You aren’t getting convictions are you?” Diana pointed out, turning to the Commissioner. “Jim, Bruce has skills that you could use, but he can never be attached to the police department in an official capacity. He needs you to guide him and you could use his skills.”
Gordon looked at Bruce with a raised eyebrow. “What can you do that a cop can’t?”
“Take out fifteen gunmen without a shot being fired.” Bruce said with a shrug.
Gordon nodded. “Fair point. What else?”
“I can go places you can’t go, get information you can’t get. I know how criminals like the Triad, the Bratva, other organizations you have never heard of, operate. I can persuade the right people to talk, using methods you can’t use.” Bruce explained.
Gordon nodded and crossed his arms, turning from both. “What else?”
“He can make himself practically invisible.” Diana pointed out grudgingly, guessing by the skill he showed at the docks. “For instance, he could go into Arkham without being noticed, go to Illinois, find out if people like Crane are worth looking into.
“Jim, he is going to do this regardless of what I want. Instead of beating up corner dope dealers and putting thugs in the hospital only to be turned out an hour later, put him to use.”
Gordon chuckled. “Diana Wayne, are you, of all people, asking me to work with a vigilante?”
Diana sighed, a bit embarrassed. “Yes, Jim, I suppose I am. I realize how that makes me look and if it were anyone other than Bruce, I would want him thrown into a mental hospital. It is hypocrisy at its finest.”
Jim shook his head, chuckling, turning back to them. “And what is to stop me from arresting you both right now?”
“Well, I own the bank that holds the mortgage on your house.” Diana said but from the smile on her face, Jim could tell she was joking…. maybe.
“I took out fifteen Russian thugs and didn’t get a scratch.” Bruce added. “I think you would need these as well.”
Bruce held the Commissioner’s handcuffs in his hand.
“And this.” Diana told him, holding his gun by the barrel in her hand.
Jim dropped his head. How the hell were they able to grab his cuffs and weapon and he not notice? It would be the last time he got in arm’s reach of the two. He looked at both and, for a moment, didn’t see the wayward, lost brother or the powerful CEO.
He saw a couple of twelve-year-old twins after a funeral. One was so traumatized, he could barely talk. The other was doing everything in her power to act as she thought her mother and father would expect of her by being the leader of the household, checking on her brother, greeting guests and worrying about the little girl she had just laid down to nap.
Diana and Bruce were forced to grow up too fast. Their tragedy had turned Diana into an intense, powerful, ruthless businesswoman, obsessed with cleaning up, not only Gotham, but the world. It also turned her into a full-time mom to a kid with very special needs and precarious health.
He wasn’t sure what it had turned Bruce into yet but wanted to find out. He suspected it was something dark, but there was still a light in him. If there wasn’t, Jim would have been following a trail of dead bodies, rather than mangled but alive thugs and they most likely wouldn’t be having this conversation.
“If we do this, we need to set some ground rules. ” Jim told him.
Bruce looked at Diana questioningly. She raised an eyebrow at him, encouraging him to agree.
“What did you have in mind, Jim?”
“You got a lot of skill, Bruce, but you don’t know a damn thing about putting away criminals. Not yet… but I can teach you.” Jim offered. “You know how to hurt them, but you could do a lot better than that.
“Scaring criminals is well and good but eventually their lust for money, power or drugs, is going to overcome their fear. You can go out at night and put the fear of god into some of these punks, break some bones, and make a name for yourself but you aren’t going to be making a real difference.
“Let me guide you. Keep me in the loop and we can plan together. We can be partners. Whether you think so or not, you could use a partner who can take advantage of your work by bringing these people to justice.”
Bruce nodded, seeing the value of Diana’s way but he would never admit that to her. “I can work with that.”
Gordon looked at Diana. “You have too much to lose being involved in this. I can’t guarantee he won’t get caught. I can minimize the risk, but he could very well make the news one day.”
Diana nodded. “Beyond this meeting, I have no plans to be involved in any way. I hope he eventually comes to his senses and quits but if he never does, this is the only way I can protect him.
“You can do more than keep the police from looking too closely. You can teach him to be a detective, Jim, not just another pair of fists on the streets. If he is going to be running around my city dressed like that, he should at least be doing something positive.”
“Then give me my damn handcuffs and gun.” Jim said, holding out his hands and receiving the items from the grinning twins. “Bruce, meet me here tomorrow night at ten and we can talk about specifics. For now, I’m going to sleep. I’m getting too old for late night, early morning meetings in warehouses. At least this one isn’t abandoned. Trust a Wayne to do warehouse meetings with class.”
Former Falconè Estate
Six days later, Bruce arrived at his residence after a late dinner with an extremely attractive woman he bought a Porsche from that day. He still couldn’t call this place home and never would. Home would always be Wayne Manor, whether he lived there or not. This place was more of a base of operations… the place he could keep his nightlife separate from his sisters so as not to incriminate them if the worst happened.
His date had practically invited herself over, but he turned her down. Bruce called her a date because he already had forgotten her name. He needed to be seen at dinner with a lovely woman who didn’t look like a total tramp, a few pictures would be taken for the society pages and the night would end.
He had met with Jim last night and the two worked out a list of areas for recon and to do his special brand of talking with those who may know the whereabouts of a man named Bruno Manheim. The GCPD had shut down his operations a few years ago but he ran before they could arrest him. There was a whisper from an informant that he was back but even if he wasn’t, Gordon wanted Bruce to find out where the guy was and bring him back into GCPD jurisdiction if possible.
That search would start tomorrow. Tonight, he had work to do in the cavern beneath the mansion.
As he drove up, he was very glad he had turned down his date’s offer for companionship.
He wasn’t alone tonight after all.
Four black SUVs were in front of his house. For a minute, he had a ridiculous thought that the FBI was raiding his place though the truth was quickly obvious.
Those he saw surveilling his property were wearing Wayne Security suits, the SUVs were the same type of specially armored ones Wayne Security drove and only one person in the Wayne family moved around with that large of an entourage.
Kara was here.
He had spoken to Diana every day for the past week and knew Kara was in good health. Eliza’s daily blood tests were confirming what they had hoped but were hesitant to fully believe until it was proven. So far, it seemed as if their little sister had been given what she was promised, a shot at a normal life, or at least normal for the smartest person on Earth who was more protected than anyone on the planet.
He parked and got out, seeing that three more SUVs were on the east side of the house. He knew multiple guards were all over his property. Two stood by the door and Bruce wondered if he would have to ask for permission to enter his own house.
Instead, one of the guards opened the door for him and he found two others inside his parlor and one on top of the staircase, no doubt having secured the second floor.
“Whatever happened to knocking and asking if someone can come in?” Bruce asked himself. He didn’t wonder why his home security system didn’t go off. It probably took her ten seconds to bypass that and open the door.
“Miss Wayne is in the library waiting for you.” One of the men said, as if Bruce were arriving to a meeting in Kara’s house rather than his own.
He opened the door to the library, not that it had any books, and found it empty. Shaking his head, he pulled back one of the large bookshelves and stepped into the freight elevator.
When he reached the cavern, Dig was the first one he saw. The man smiled at Bruce.
“I thought you wouldn’t mind if we made ourselves at home.” He told Bruce. “I don’t like her being out in the open, even protected in the SUVs.”
He patted his friend on the shoulder. “She is always welcome here, Dig. I haven’t taken anything of hers so is she here to say hello or to hurt me?”
“Give it time, Bruce. She just has to come to this on her own terms.” Dig whispered. “She didn’t tell me why, only asked if we could take a late night drive and we wound up here. She brought a big black box with her so maybe she is giving you a drone or something. I didn’t ask and she didn’t volunteer but I don’t think it’s anything bad.
“Go talk to her. Maybe just listen. You got this.”
Bruce saw Kara down the cavern a bit, under some dim lights he had set up over a work bench. She was interested in something on the bench, not that he had much. Mostly just non-lethal weapons and some very sharp blades. Soultaker was in a vault down here because Diana refused to have that sword at the manor. Until Bruce could give it back to Talia, he was stuck with it.
“Please tell me it took her five minutes to find the entrance to this place. At least five minutes?” Bruce asked plaintively.
Dig shook his head, almost sad to report that it didn’t even take her five seconds. “Her watch has this thing that sends out a single ping. It measures everything in a spherical pattern, two hundred feet out. Then it feeds back into the watch and a hologram pops up from the watch head showing her a 3-D scan of the entire area. It’s pretty neat.”
Bruce groaned. Even his little sister’s accessories had amazing tech. “The door alarm? Magnets, small EMP, she had to cut wires?”
Dig shook his head, and the small smile left his face. “She guessed the security code… the date of your parents’ murder.”
Bruce looked over at his sister and saw her walking towards him.
Dig turned to go. “I’ll give you two time alone. I’ll be upstairs when she is ready.”
Dig took the open-caged cargo elevator back up to the library, leaving Kara and Bruce alone.
“Hi Bun… hi, Kara.”
“Hi, Bruce. I would have called but I wasn’t sure if I was going to go through with this until we actually made it into the driveway. Since my posse doesn’t like me sitting in the open, I thought I would explore while I was here.”
“This house is always open to you, Kara.” He replied sincerely.
The blonde smiled slightly. “If you swear never to touch my toys, especially my vehicles and planes, nor be an arrogant ass around my boyfriend, then the manor is open for you too.”
Bruce was pleasantly surprised to hear that. “Does that mean the ban is lifted?”
“Just keep your crime fighting shenanigans out of Wayne Manor.” She told him. “I don’t like you living in this place. It’s oppressive and so typically mob cliché, I can smell the bad aftershave in the walls. How can you stand it?”
“Because of this space.” Bruce said, waving his hand around the cavern. “Falcone had underground space and hidden access to the highway.”
“Makes sense I suppose.” She said, still looking around. “So, what is this place supposed to be? Some sort of… bat cave? Because it is. There is guano everywhere. Your work bench is covered in bat shit and there are hundreds of those flying rodents above us. This is not sanitary. I’m feeling the need for a long shower.”
“I guess you could call it a bat cave. It kind of fits.” Bruce admitted. “I have big plans for the place.”
Kara shook her head, frustrated. “Diana told me you aren’t going to stop. She said you are going to work with Jim, that you will be safer.”
“I can’t promise I will be safer, but it’s nice to have someone beside Alfred backing me up.” Bruce said, wanting to be as honest with her as he could.
The blonde took a deep breath and began walking through the cavern, Bruce following her.
“I don’t want to lose anyone else.” She finally said. “I’m honestly scared to let you back into my life. I’d always be wondering if every time I see you will be the last time. Maybe you leave, maybe you die, maybe you get taken and we never find out. It’s too late though. I’m worrying whether you are in my life or not.”
She stopped walking and stared down at the ground. “The last night you saw me before you left, you scared the hell out of me. I thought you were going to hit me. Then I thought I had made you so angry that you left. I thought I was the reason you never came back, that you were tired of worrying about me or something. It took me a few years to figure out you were the one who was seriously screwed up and you leaving wasn’t my fault.”
Bruce said nothing, knowing she wasn’t done.
“I’ll never approve of this crap.” She told him, looking up. “Diana doesn’t either but she knows she can’t stop you so she is making you as safe as she can.
“What if I asked you to stop? If I asked you right now to give this up, move back into the manor, be our brother, would you quit?”
“Would you quit making weapons?” Bruce countered. “You have a new life now, but you are still a target because of what you do. Would you quit, for me?”
“It isn’t the same thing!” She exclaimed, her voice echoing in the vast cavern. “I’m in a building under heavy guard. I take late evening drives with a caravan of armed guards. I don’t take my weapons in warzones and use them myself!
“Make a difference some other way, Bruce. Didn’t you take enough of a beating before you left? I remember all those nights you came home bruised. Please, for me, quit this whole bat guy thing. Just let it go and come home.”
Bruce grimaced, wishing she had asked him for anything but that. He could have given her anything else.
When he didn’t answer, Kara took that as a no. “You would die for me, but you won’t live for me.”
Bruce looked at her questioningly.
“Diana doesn’t keep secrets from me. She told me everything that happened.” Kara explained.
Bruce knew Diana was obviously keeping one big secret from her. A mean spirited part of him wanted to expose Diana’s secret but he couldn’t because he agreed with his twin. Kara didn’t need Diana’s life hanging over her head.
Besides, if Kara ever did find out Diana was keeping a secret from her, it would change absolutely nothing as far as Kara was concerned. She would rightly assume Diana was doing it for her own protection and let her get away with it. Kara would never get mad at Diana.
Bruce did not have that luxury. He wasn’t revered by his little sister. Diana could do no wrong in Kara’s world and it would always be that way. Bruce was a different story. His relationship with Kara was so far off the rails, that she had thought he would hit her that night before he left, and it shook him greatly that he had done that to her. He knew he had scared her, but not to that the degree.
“I didn’t want you to know about that.” Bruce admitted, forcing his tone to remain even despite the turmoil in his soul. “I asked Diana not to tell you because I didn’t want you to feel you owed me anything. I made the offer because I love you, not to guilt you into anything. As usual, Diana does as she wants.”
He was quiet for a moment, considering how best to convey to her why he needed to do what he was doing without alienating her. “I wish I could quit, Kara, but I can’t. I am going to do what it takes to prevent kids from losing their parents to thugs with guns. I’m going to stop girls from getting kidnapped. I’m going to stop any organized crime that even tries to get a foothold here before the police have to become involved. I’m going to stop drugs flooding our streets.
“Maybe one day I can quit, but it won’t be soon. I would do anything else to be back in your life, Kara, give you anything else… but I can’t do that, at least not yet.”
Kara was quiet for a moment then said what she came here to say.
“Diana never gets sick.”
Bruce tensed up immediately. He had no idea where this was going but he felt like it couldn’t be good. Had Diana told her about the deal she made with the Fates?
“I was probably seven when it occurred to me. I had that stomach flu, diarrhea and vomiting for three days. Diana held my hair while I puked and practically carried me to the bathroom. I remember thinking how lucky she was to never get sick. That’s when it hit me.”
“What hit you?” Bruce asked, not quite sure where she was going.
“She never gets sick.” Kara replied. “Some memories of Mom and Dad aren’t clear, more impressions, and some are crystal clear, like they happened yesterday. Zoo trips and being chased by Mommy in the backyard and playing hide and seek in the garden. Riding on Daddy’s shoulders while he ran around the house making horse noises. They didn’t live long enough for me to call them Mom and Dad. They will always be Mommy and Daddy to me.
“One truly clear memory I have is of the last night I saw them alive.”
Bruce closed his eyes. He remembered everything about that night as well and now had an idea where Kara was going.
“Kara, don’t.”
“Why not? It’s true.” She turned away from him, but he could still hear her quite clearly. “I stayed home thinking I was taking care of Diana. Mom knew that I would be upset if I had to stay with Alfred because I was sick so she had Diana tell me she wasn’t feeling well, and I thought I could take care of her for once.
“You couldn’t have done a thing, Bruce. No one in your situation could have done a thing. The only twelve-year-old kid that would have a chance at doing something that night was Diana and she was at home because five years before, Mom and Dad had saved some unwanted baby left on a sidewalk like trash.
“I was the reason Diana wasn’t there. I am the reason they are dead, not you.”
Bruce grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. Tears were streaming down her face.
“Don’t you dare say that! That is not true, Kara. They loved you. You were their world. It is not your fault. It is…”
“Your fault?” Kara cut in. “It was your fault you weren’t strong enough to take down a grown gunman? It was your fault you couldn’t defeat an armed man, twice your size?”
Kara choked back a sob. “It wasn’t your fault, Bruce. It was always me. They died because of me. Because I was sick and needy like always and wanted Diana with me so I wouldn’t have my feelings hurt. I wanted to go to the theater so badly I would have been upset if I got left behind with Alfred, so Diana stayed with me to make the sick baby feel better. It would have been better if they never took me in.”
Bruce shook his head and squeezed her shoulders. “That isn’t true, Kara! You are the best thing about our lives! You were the best thing in Mom and Dad’s lives! You are the only reason Diana and I kept going after their deaths! It was no one’s fault but the bastard who did it!”
“Then why do you keep blaming yourself?!” she screamed.
Bruce felt a chill slide through his body. He didn’t know what to say, so he pulled Kara into a tight hug. She cried into his shoulder, and he felt his eyes begin to burn. He had no idea she had felt this way since she was seven and he suspected Diana didn’t know either.
“I don’t know, Kara.” He finally admitted softly, still holding her close. “I know it was Chill’s fault in my head. I know that. This isn’t about anger. It started out about guilt then anger but now… now I can be something more. I can save lives. I already have and it feels good. I guess it’s selfish, but the only time I don’t have nightmares about that night are the nights I save someone. The only time I can sleep peacefully is when I feel I have done something good.
“I haven’t had many opportunities in the past six years to do that. Now I have that chance. Now I can do that and maybe sleep every night without nightmares.”
The two held each other, saying nothing for what seemed forever but in reality was more like five minutes. Kara was crying and Bruce held back his tears but squeezed her tightly, not wanting to let go. He hadn’t held her this tightly in many, many years.
When Kara finally backed away, she looked towards his table off in the dim light. “I will never approve of this mission of yours, but like Diana, I don’t want to see you dead. Since you won’t stop, I left something for you on your bench.
“It’s a new type of polymer, one I’ve never used and can’t be traced back to Wayne Enterprises. It wasn’t cost effective, so I modified it for the products we put into production. Even though it feels light, it’s extremely durable.
“I hope it can keep you safer. A flash drive with the operating manual is next to it. It’s complicated, so please read the directions before you jump off any buildings.”
Kara walked to the elevator and stepped inside the ancient structure, pulling the gate shut.
“I love you, Bruce.” She told him, pushing the button to being her ascent.
Bruce stood still, watching Kara until she was out of sight.
Once she was gone, he walked over to his bench and saw there was a large black box on it and a flash drive next to it.
He opened the box and gasped.
Inside were various armor plates to fit his body along with gloves, boots, a black body suit and cape. She had even included a helm made from the same polymer, though slighter thicker, shaped like his old cowl.
He grabbed the flash drive and put it in the old computer he had across from his work bench and began reading. Twenty minutes later, he was done, though no doubt he would be reading it again as it was quite complex. His little sister always made the best toys. The man smiled warmly.
“Thanks, Bunny.”
Wayne Manor
Diana knew Kara had visited Bruce the night before and she had seemed sadder today than she had been in the past week.
Diana felt her little sister had hoped she could talk sense into Bruce. She also knew Kara had made him a special suit, deciding like Diana, if there was no stopping him, she may as well do her part to keep him alive. Dig told Diana that Kara looked as if she had been crying when she emerged from the underground level, but he sensed enough not to ask her about it and just drove her home in silence.
The day had gone well at work though. Kara was thankfully keeping to the hours that had been set for her when she had been sick. The two had a long discussion about this and Diana had stressed to Kara that long hours in an office, or a lab, was not the way to live. In turn, Kara made Diana promise to take her own advice.
So Diana was now relaxing, having a drink and watching mindless television while Steve and Kara worked on her 1972 Bell helicopter in the garage. She knew Dig was organizing the security team he had chosen for Kara’s date tomorrow night with Tommy. It wouldn’t be the first date Kara had gone on, but she wasn’t as known in the past as she was now, nor a target. She wished to go to a club and Dig was having a security nightmare securing the place ahead of time while ensuring she felt as normal as possible inside the club.
He also had to work with the restaurant Tommy had told him they were visiting. Thankfully that was easier. With Kara’s newfound health and Tommy’s newfound lower income status, they would be going to Al’s Pizzeria only a few blocks from his store. Dig had held a private conversation with the owner and rented the place out, planning to populated it with plain clothes guards, hoping Kara wouldn’t notice.
After this project, Dig would be working on the girls’ trip to Reykjavik, Iceland. Once Kara and Babs decided on their itinerary, Dig would be responsible for securing each and every location of that trip. Since it was overseas, he would be coordinating his security teams with the CIA who would remain far in the background but would be readily available if needed.
They had arranged the date with Alex who, while confused about Kara’s sudden status as a worldly traveler, took the opportunity to slip away for a couple weeks. Her schooling would be over, so she would be deciding where to intern while completing her PhD and a vacation would be a good time for reflection.
Diana heard Barbara in the drive and Alfred greet her. Instead of asking Alfred where Kara was, Babs had quietly asked to speak to Diana, surprising both her and Alfred.
A few minutes later, Barbara was in front of Diana in the sitting room, Alfred having left them alone.
Diana raised an eyebrow, a bit concerned seeing Babs looked extremely upset but waiting for her to say what was wrong.
“We have a problem. I mean, the company doesn’t, but we… Kara… where is Kara?” Babs practically whispered.
“She is in the garage.” Diana replied calmly. “What is wrong, Barbara?”
“Cat Grant.”
Diana had not expected that. “The trash reporter from the Daily Planet?”
Babs shook her head. “She bought the National City Tribune last year and a few weeks ago, bought six stations in National City and has consolidated them all into one entertainment business, she is calling Catco Media. Despite the stupid name, projections look good. All she needs is a big story to break into the big time… which is why I’m here.
“You know I run constant searches for patterns involving yours and Kara’s names online. My algorithm may, theoretically, go beyond normal search parameters and legal limits regarding Kara. Her name popped up several times in Cat Grant’s email.
“At first, I thought maybe she was writing a story on Tommy and Kara being seen together, then on Kara’s illness. But when I looked closer, Grant has been in contact with private investigators and paid for her own reporters to travel to Gotham. They are quietly interviewing doctors and nurses who were on duty when Kara was brought into the hospital. They talked to retired firefighters who worked the station she was found outside of.
“The biggest thing is she somehow got Kara’s DNA. Given all this information, I’m guessing they are looking for her birth mother.”
Diana listened with a calm façade but on the inside, her rage was burning nearly out of control. Cat Grant wanted a big story to put her name on the map and decided searching for and exposing Kara’s birth mother would do the trick.
“Thank you, Barbara. You have once again protected our family. I would appreciate it if you would not mention this to Kara. What do we know about this bitch that the general public does not?” Diana asked, knowing Barbara always brought possible solutions with problems.
For the first time since her arrival, Babs smiled and handed a flash drive to Diana. Diana returned her smile and walked her out.
National City
Sixteen hours later
After a long day, Cat Grant walked into the condo she had moved into a little over a month ago. It was stretching her budget, but her outlook was positive. Her company was growing, and her fame was increasing. She wanted her name to be synonymous with all forms of media… she wanted her legacy to be ‘Queen of All Media’.
Her reporters and investigators were getting closer to the information she knew would be her big story break.
Ever since the former Wayne Enterprises’ janitor had sold Kara Wayne’s DNA to her, Cat knew she had a chance to tell a different angle of the Kara Wayne story.
Many stories had been written about the young girl genius, the brains behind Wayne Enterprises, the child who beat the odds, the one adopted Wayne child with severe immune system disorder.
Kara Wayne’s revolutionary research and development departments spanned many businesses and industries worldwide and now one of those departments was the sole provider of weapons to the U.S. Government among other government contracts.
One story that had never been told was one concerning the identity of her birth mother. What kind of woman would give birth to a child considered brighter than Einstein? Was the woman a street walker? Could she have been a homeless teenager who felt she had no choice but to give up the child? Why had the girl not taken her baby to a hospital, but instead left her on the sidewalk? Who was the father? Was he a famous scientist or had the great intelligence been passed down from her mother?
If Cat could discover the answer to these questions, her exposé on Kara Wayne would be the most complete ever written and put Catco permanently on the map. Her people were discreet. When it came time to publish, it would be too late for Diana Wayne to stop her or retaliate with the public watching.
As she walked into her living room, her heart nearly stopped.
At the bar stood a tall woman in a striking, form-fitting white dress, pouring two glasses of bourbon. Her dark hair was pulled up into a loose bun and she moved comfortably, almost as if she owned the place.
When the mystery woman turned around, Cat was face to face with Diana Wayne.
Diana slowly walked over and looked down on her. The CEO was five foot, ten inches tall and with six inch heels, she towered over the much smaller woman. Diana’s dark eyes were intense, energy seemed to radiate from her, overwhelming Cat.
Diana handed her a drink which Cat took robotically. Given her last thoughts were on this woman, Diana’s sudden appearance gave her chills.
Diana walked to an arm chair and had a seat. “The two of us need to have a talk and it would be best if I were not seen in National City. No one knows I am here. Even my jet is registered under a different company and my name is not on the flight record. I don’t think either one of us wish for this discussion to leave the room.”
Cat shook off her shock and did her best to become angry. “And why shouldn’t I call the police? Have you arrested for breaking and entering?”
Diana chuckled, much to the woman’s irritation. “As I said, I don’t believe either of us want this conversation being made public.
“It would be futile regardless. You know power and money are everything and no one has more of both than I do. No one is going to arrest me. The police would apologize for wasting my time. I’m untouchable and you know it, so don’t waste my time with empty threats.”
“Now… sit down, Cat.” Diana ordered, pointing to the sofa across from her. “We are going to have a conversation that is going to determine the course of the rest of your life.”
Cat felt the chill return at the woman’s tone. Her fight or flight instincts were battling, and fight was losing to flight quite badly. What billionaire broke into a woman’s home, calmly drank her bourbon as she waited, then ordered the homeowner to sit down?
She should have been offended but instead she found herself doing exactly as she was told and had a seat across from Diana.
It was no stretch for Cat to know why Diana was here but how had she found out? Cat had been so careful to make sure her actions stayed off the powerful CEO’s radar.
“What… what can I do for you, Miss Wayne?” she asked quietly.
Diana took a sip of her drink and smiled, her eyes squinting, obviously pleased with Cat’s response and obedience. “It isn’t easy for a businesswoman like yourself starting up, is it? I remember when I joined my company as Vice President, Mark Weller of Bright Star Industries told Business Weekly that ‘Diana Wayne belonged on a magazine cover, not in a boardroom’. I never forgot that.
“Last year, I crashed his stock, took over his company, sold it off in pieces and left him penniless.”
Cat cleared her throat and began to sweat, something she was not accustomed to. “That’s… understandable. I can see why you would take an affront like that personally.”
“Business is always personal, Miss Grant. For instance, your business has become very personal to me. And if business is personal to me, how much more personal do you think anything regarding my sister is to me?” Diana asked rhetorically, her smile gone to be replaced by that intense glare again, leaving Cat growing physically nauseous.
“I have recently found out that you obtained Kara’s DNA and are conducting a search for her birth mother in a bid to expose the woman’s identity on your recently acquired media platforms.” Diana told her.
Cat tried to clear her throat again, but it was too dry and the chill she was feeling began to magnify. “I don’t see how what I am doing could be illegal.”
“No, I don’t imagine you could be arrested for it though there are other issues to consider. Buying DNA from a janitor is ethically and morally wrong and buying my sister’s is a potentially deadly mistake… professionally speaking of course. You are so blindly ambitious you haven’t take the time to really think through your actions.
“I am sure it is no secret to you what my younger sister means to me. There are no lengths I would not go to in order to protect her, physically and emotionally.
“So what do you think her reaction would be, if she were to wake up one morning and read a story about her birth mother being found and interviewed? Do you think that might affect her on an emotional level?”
Cat nodded, trying to control the trembling that was visibly wracking her body. “I can understand… I… yes, it would.”
“So, you admit you understand my point of view.” Diana remarked. “You should also understand that one of my driving goals in life, if not the number one mandate I live by, is to protect my sister at all costs.”
Diana tossed a flash drive on the table between them.
“You haven’t taken a drink of your bourbon.” Diana stated. “Should I have poured you something else?”
Unwillingly compelled by her words, Cat took a drink with a shaking hand, her eyes glued to that flash drive.
Diana smiled, her eyes flashing as if charged by electricity. “On that drive, you will find information that is also morally and ethically wrong to have, much the same as you possessing my sister’s DNA.
“For instance, does the name Adam Foster mean anything to you?”
Cat felt her stomach somersault and she was having trouble controlling her bladder.
“He is the child you abandoned to focus on your career.” Diana reminded her. “Your name is on the birth certificate, but you gave his father full custody before you left the hospital.
“He hasn’t done very well, has he? Three arrests for possession, two for car theft, and that’s just his juvenile record. He has had two assault convictions already and is only twenty-five-years-old. I look forward to reading about his future criminal exploits. You send support or should I say, ‘hush money’, under the table to him every month. You have gone out of your way to hide any connection to him.
“It would be embarrassing for the public to know that the woman who lives to dig up and exploit others’ secrets, so callously abandoned her own child to concentrate on her own career. Quite the secret of your own, wouldn’t you agree, Cat?”
Diana leaned forward. “Let’s talk about your years with the Daily Planet. I have every email you have written since you started there. I know every underhanded trick you pulled to find dirt on celebrities. I know about the men and women you slept with to get a story or advance your career… I know every little dirty secret you have, Cat. I know and have proof of everything.
“I can also leak this information and it would never be tied back to me. I believe we established earlier that I am untouchable.
“My only dilemma is should I wait to release this after you eventually take your company public for financial backing, or should I kill your company before you even get started?”
“You… you can’t do this. This is blackmail.” Cat argued weakly, knowing the woman could do exactly what she was saying and would.
Diana scowled at the woman, a look that made her shudder. “If you are going to swim in shark infested waters, you should make sure you are not bleeding, Miss Grant. You are leaving a wide trail of blood and I am the biggest shark in the ocean.
“You have twenty-four hours to destroy my sister’s DNA and call off every reporter and investigator you have looking into her past. If you have not completed these actions by this time tomorrow, I will end you. By the time I am done, you will be lucky to get a dumpster to lay your head against.
“I own you for the rest of your life, Cat Grant. When I want something, you are going to do it for me with no questions asked.
“Is any of this not clear?”
Cat shook her head. “I understand.”
“Say it and make me believe it.” Diana practically growled, her calm demeanor fading fast and the anger she had been suppressing showing itself, the lights seeming to flicker in her rage.
“I’ll destroy your sister’s DNA. I’ll stop the investigation. I’ll do whatever you say. I swear.” Cat squeaked out, feeling deathly ill at this point.
“You can keep that drive, I have multiple copies of the information.” Diana said as she finished her drink and stood up. “I’ll see myself out.”
As she reached the door, Diana turned to the other woman one last time. “Unfortunately for you, you have brought yourself to my attention and not in a good way. You will not see them, but I now have people watching your every move. Cross me again and I will destroy you. That is not a threat but a promise. You can ask anyone who has ever crossed me… I always keep my promises.”
Wayne Tower
Kara stood as the woman she had been waiting for walked into her office. Kara loved to collect minds and she had wanted this woman’s mind for years. Lucius had tried to recruit her eight years before, but she had refused him, preferring to continue conducting her research out of S.T.A.R. Labs under the direction of Silas Stone.
Kara had called the woman at home two days ago to discuss a potential position and she agreed to talk, stating she was looking for a change.
Kara had seen photos of the woman, but never seen her in person.
She was an attractive thirty-seven-year-old with an athletic figure molded from long hours of endurance training. Kara knew she competed in triathlons, something she herself hoped to do one day. The woman’s sandy blonde hair was shoulder length, and her green eyes were lovely.
“Dr. Emily Parlow.” Kara smiled, greeting her guest and offering her hand. “It is an honor to meet you.”
“I’m honored to meet you, Miss Wayne.” The woman replied, returning the smile. “I’ve kept up with you your whole life it seems. Your national science fair projects, your college papers, your engineering work, your breakthroughs on engine and stealth dynamics as well as solar power are amazing. I truly mean that. I’ve been in awe of you.”
Kara waived it off and offered her a spot on her couch, while she took the other end. “We can just be in awe of each other then, as long as we get things done. So, is it my stellar personality that had you agreeing to talk? I have to tell Lucius how I got you here when he couldn’t.”
Emily shrugged, looking a bit thoughtful. “I guess… when he asked me… I wasn’t ready to be a part of Wayne Enterprises. As for why now… I suppose you can say I couldn’t stay away any longer. I had been thinking of applying and when you called, it was the sign I needed.”
Kara smiled happily. She wasn’t going to have to do much recruitment. It seemed she already had the woman sold and wouldn’t have to work too hard to get her on board. She stood and walked to her desk, returning with a short stack of papers, handing them to Dr. Parlow.
“Take a few minutes to read these over and tell me what your impressions are. I would like you to sign the confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement on top so we can talk about why I want you here. Take your time. I have some business papers I’m supposed to read before I sign. Would you like coffee or tea? I can have Terry bring us both.”
Kara moved back to her desk, calling her assistant with her request then pretended to read documents while keeping an eye on the woman sitting on her couch.
She saw Emily sign the top sheet being the NDA and assumed she was ready to talk seriously.
Kara made her way back to the couch, thanking Terry who was entering with a fresh carafe of coffee.
Asking Emily how she took her coffee, Kara poured them both a cup and relaxed. “So, what do you think?”
“If I understand correctly, you want me to head the solar fusion department?” she asked, a bit in disbelief.
Kara nodded. “No one is doing more cutting edge research on mimicking fusions within the sun’s core than you. If you accept, it will be your division.”
“Whose toes am I going to be stepping on to be head of the division?”
“No ones. This is a new division.” Kara told her. “I’m renovating some defunct labs, and this is something of a passion project of mine. It is also one that is important not only to Wayne Enterprises, but the world.
“Solar energy is too inefficient. A non-nuclear fusion reactor that mimics the sun’s activities while avoiding the heat and radiation output is the key to unlimited energy.”
“Yes, but the technology for that is decades away, perhaps even a century.” Parlow pointed out.
Kara grinned and stood, beckoned Emily to her desk. “Athena, show her what we’ve got.”
The screen on the wall lit up and after a moment, Emily gasped.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? I call it the ‘Heart of Helios’.” Kara told her, giving the woman time to absorb what she was seeing before continuing. “The containment shield will hold. I’ve almost got the mimicry complete. When this is successfully completed, it will be unlimited energy in the palm of your hand.
“I’ve always had a dream that it could power anything, including a suit I once designed, a flight suit actually. But the applications are too many to list. It’s a worldwide game changer.”
“This is amazing.” Parlow whispered, taking a step around Kara’s desk to look at the large screen closer. “But some of the formulas… there are theoretical new elements you are missing.”
Kara let out a breath, glad she had seen that. It told her she had the right person to help her proceed with the project. “It’s the only mathematical equation I have never completely solved. You see my dilemma. I don’t have the time it takes to work on this as much as I would like. I am also hitting dead ends and need fresh eyes to come at this from a different direction. No one on Earth knows the inner workings of the sun better than you.
“I consider this project extremely classified so only the two of us will work on it. You can have a whole department of assistants and lab techs, all the tech you need and whatever budget it takes to get it done but this is your project. It is not to be discussed outside of work or with other departments. The only person who knows I am attempting something of this magnitude is my sister.”
“Your mind is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” Emily whispered, running her fingers over the equations on screen. “I would be honored to work with you. The terms of the contract you laid out are more than acceptable. The seventh floor condo sounds wonderful. I’ll turn in my resignation to Silas tomorrow and begin moving in this weekend.”
Kara clapped her hands. “Wonderful. I have a good feeling about this. I’ve made a lot of groundbreaking discoveries in many fields but this one… Dr. Parlow, this one can change everything. If we can solve it, the world will never be the same. I can’t wait to see what we can do together.”
Emily smiled fondly. She couldn’t wait either.
To Be Continued in: The Wayne Legacy: Knightmare
Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction 
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