𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐍

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟖

SONG: Acid by Dream, Ivory

The next night was the mayoral celebration in the city's coliseum. Clara and hundreds of others gathered there to celebrate the mayor-elect and watch her be sweared in. As chatty as she was, Clara liked her policies, so she went to show her support. Besides, she had nothing else to do. In the back of her mind though was a thought that something would go wrong. She could just feel it.

She took her seat inside several minutes before Bella Reàl came onto the stage. Cheers erupted as she waved and spoke into the microphone. "Good evening, fellow citizens of Gotham."

Just as she did, explosions shook the floor of the building around them. Clara's stomach sank as people began to scream and leave their seats. "Don't panic! Follow the police to the emergency exits!" the mayor shouted into the microphone to try and calm everyone. Immediately after came another explosion as water began to rush into the coliseum.

The crowd around her rushed past her as she looked up to the ceiling. She could barely make out the silhouette of men standing on the walkways, holding guns. She wondered if they were police, but couldn't quite tell. Suddenly she looked to the stage as she heard a gunshot. The crowd screamed as the mayor fell to the floor, and more shots began to echo through the large building. Panicking, Clara ran through the crowd to the side of the stadium to stand on a chair and climb up to one of the entrances which had enough room on the top that she could stand on. Water continued to rush in and gunshots continued to ring out through the dimly lit room.

The police couldn't allow the crowd to exit the building since there were explosions that had gone off, so they tried to stand around the crowd as a barrier. Still alone on looking down on the coliseum, Clara turned her attention back to the walkway above her as she heard sounds of fighting.

It was Batman.

He was doing his best to take down the dozens of men on the walkway. They were the Riddler's supporters.

"Fuck." Clara sighed, and decided to try and help him. A few feet from the door was a ladder that would take her up to the walkway. "Stupid heels." she muttered as she threw her high heels down to the floor. She mustered the courage to jump over to the ladder, gripping the bars tightly as she managed to put her feet on the bars below her. She began to climb up, silently, as chaos still ensued around her.

Clara managed to make it up the ladder to the walkway, and snuck up behind one of the men who had his gun aimed at the people below. Silently, she moved closer and then pushed him against the railing and then over it. Batman was still fighting on the other side of the walkway. As she made her way to him, she snuck up behind another man and pushed him off the walkway just like the first one.

However, this time someone noticed her. "What the fuck are you doing?" a man yelled at her from down the walkway, and hurried towards her. Her heart sank. She started running in the opposite direction, but was quickly cornered by another man. "No!" Batman saw her and yelled out across the room. Now distracted, the man he was fighting with pushed him over the edge, but he managed to hang on. Both of the men grabbed Clara and walked her over to the Batman. "Wait!" the man on her left yelled as one began to step on Batman's fingers. "I'm sorry." Clara looked down at Batman, starting to cry.

"Catch her." one of the men laughed before pushing Clara off the balcony. Before she knew it, she was falling down, but Batman lunged off the walkway and grabbed her, quickly shooting a hook from his belt towards the large multi-sided screen at the center of the coliseum. "Umph!" he groaned as the hook caught on to the wires above and they swung right into one of the screens.

The men still on the walkway began to shoot at them, and Batman struggled to maneuver them to the other side away from the gunfire. As he did so, Clara slipped from his grasp and began to fall again, but he caught her by her hand. The gunfire continued, but now they were shooting at the wires and supports atop of the screens. The tv shook as some of the wires started to give in. "It's going to fall!" Clara shouted up, struggling to hold on to his hand. He groaned in pain as his arms began to tire. "I've got to let go so you can cut the line!" she spoke up to him. "You'll die!" he yelled in reply through gunfire. "Trust me!" she shouted, starting to loosen her grip on his hand.

He didn't loosen his grip on her hand.

"Let go of me!" she said angrily, but he protested, "Stop it Clara." through a growl. "This thing is gonna explode at any minute the way they're shooting at it. If you let go of me you can get away and help those people down there." she yelled. "No." he grimaced, feeling tired. "I don't have anything left to lose." she shouted calmly. "I do." he said quietly.

It was as if time went slow.

With his free hand he grabbed a knife from his belt and cut himself free from the line. Still holding on to Clara as they fell, he pushed her in front of him.

Looking up in shock, Clara saw an explosion above them and felt heat on her face as they plummeted towards the ground. Batman's arms wrapped around her tightly, and then she blacked out.

Moments later she gasped for air and jumped up out of the water. Debris from above them was falling down, and she saw Batman lying in the water beside her. "Get up!" she shouted desperately, trying to drag him out of the way of the metal. Apart from a few flashlights in the distance, the room was completely dark.

Clara struggled, but was able to drag the Batman over along some debris to get him up out of the water. "Wake up, wake up!" she shook him in a panic, hitting his cheek lightly. It felt as if the water was rising.

After several more seconds, Batman finally opened his eyes slowly. "Are you okay?" Clara cried desperately, leaning over him and holding his head. "Yeah." he grimaced, grabbing his chest. "Something... smells like blood." he said slowly, trying to sit up. "You probably cut yourself after the fall." she observed his suit for any damage. "Clara..." his eyes made their way down her body, and they widened, "Clara you're-" he stared in shock at her stomach. "What?" she asked, looking down at her stomach.

His knife was sticking out of her stomach, and her white blouse was now red.

"Oh..." she whispered faintly, and Batman quickly stood up, almost losing his balance in the process. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry- I'm sorry." he whispered and he quickly picked her up. Clara stared down at her stomach, trembling as she touched the end of the knife. "She needs medical attention!" he shouted desperately through the dark, wading in the water towards a group of people standing on debris. "Is there a doctor?" he shouted as the group of people began to get up, curious.

"I-I am." a man's voice came as he hurried through the water to Batman. He observed the wound, "There's nothing I can do in here." "I need someone to carry her." Batman spoke with authority. The doctor and another man took Clara from Batman, and Batman lit up a red flare.

Slowly, people began filing in behind the Batman as the red flare bled across the room and he led them out.