𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐍

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖

SONG: prey by Aestrea

...

"Just one normal night..." Clara muttered to herself as she looked out the car window at the landscape of concrete and steel.

"What?" Bruce asked, looking over to her.

"Nothing, I'm being selfish." she spoke up now, frowning. "Clara..." Bruce sighed.

Suddenly a figure jumped out several yards in front of the car in the dim streetlight. "Shit!" Bruce shouted, slamming on the breaks. He put his arm out in front of Clara as she fell forward, the whole thing happening too quickly for her to process.

The figure stood still as the car came to a stop. "Bruce, Bruce we have to go." Clara's eyes widened fearfully. The man standing only a few feet in front of the car was wearing all green, with a mask and glasses. Blinking slowly, he pulled a pistol out of his pocket, "Get out of the car!" he shouted.

Bruce looked to Clara, and wordlessly opened the car door.

"Hands up!" the man growled, tightening his grip on the pistol. Bruce slowly exited the car, raising his hands. "She gets out too." he added, nodding to Clara. "No." Bruce's low voice spoke harshly. "Then I can just shoot both of you instead of robbing you. Imagine me, killing Bruce Wayne." he laughed behind the holes in the army-green mask.

Clara nervously grabbed her purse and opened the car door, stepping out and raising her hands.

"All the cops are busy with whatever is going on down there. Just take what you want and go." she tried to reason with the man. "Open it slowly." the man nodded to her purse, and Clara did so.

Bruce's heart beat fast, he remembered she carried a hand gun with her.

Before things escalated any further, Bruce lunged at the man, tackling him. A shot echoed down the street as they fell to the ground. Wincing, Bruce grabbed the pistol and threw it across the road. Panicking, Clara got to the ground and hit the man with the back of her gun as hard as she could before he could get up.

"Clara!" Bruce shouted in pain. The man's glasses fell, broken, to the ground.

She continued hitting him.

"Stop." Bruce got up and grabbed her, "Stop." Now realizing what she had done, Clara looked to Bruce and saw his left shoulder was bleeding. "Get in the car." she pushed him towards the passenger side and hurried to start the car back up. "Fuck!" she shouted, putting the car in reverse and turning around. Bruce groaned, holding his shoulder. "Put more pressure on it." Clara looked over wildly, speeding down the road and trying to avoid traffic.

Clara rushed Bruce into the ER.

...

Several hours later she was finally able to see him after his surgery to remove the bullet.

Clara knew he would be okay- he was Batman.

That didn't ease her worry though.

Taking a seat next to the bed, she brushed a section of Bruce's dark hair out of his face. Bruce moaned, slowly opening his eyes. He looked to Clara, then to his bandaged shoulder.

"How do you feel?" Clara asked, placing a loving hand on his chest. "Like shit." he groaned again, putting his hand on top of hers.

"God..." Clara choked, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I'm so fucking stupid I'm so sorry Bruce." she shook her head.

"You didn't know that would happen, it's okay." he sighed, his tired eyes studying her.

Clara frowned, trying not to drown in guilt. "It's not... Shit, just one normal night. I'm never letting you go out in public again."

Bruce chuckled, "Same goes for you."

Clara still frowned.

"Bruce... getting to be with you has been the greatest thing that's ever happened to me...

but what the hell am I doing here?

I thought I could come back here and be with my brother, and now he's gone- you're all I have. I wanted to see Gotham as a place where I had good memories, but with, with this... I don't think I can live with the guilt and, and the fear. I'm so worried for you." she whispered now, as tears started to fill her eyes.

Bruce's eyes ran back and forth between hers, feeling a pit in his stomach.

"I swear I'm bad luck." she laughed ironically through tears.

"Stop, stop Clara, please." he sat up some, wincing. "I want you here... before you came I think I secretly wanted to die fighting crime." his voice quivered as he spoke quietly. "I didn't care what happened to me. I was miserable. Please, don't leave. You don't have to worry."

"I don't want to leave you Bruce, never... I just wonder if it would be better for you if I did. I mean, it was better for everyone when I left the first time." she whispered bitterly, looking at the ground.

"How could you say that?" he asked quietly.

"I'm the child of an affair, and I had severe childhood depression. My mother, well, seeing as she wasn't my mother didn't want to deal with me, and my father didn't either. So I was sent off to a boarding school. All alone. Then to college. Never heard a word from anyone except Cane. They only ever sent money. And when mom and dad died a few years ago, I'm sure you remember, in that fire... only then did I even think about coming back to Gotham. No one's ever wanted to deal with me." she smiled sadly through a sob.

"I'm sorry..." Bruce scowled, wiping away a tear from her cheek. "I love you Clara, and I want you with me. I'm better because of you. You're what I live for now." he sighed.

"Okay." she nodded slowly, pulling her hair behind her ear. "I love you too Bruce. I'm sorry. I won't leave."

"I'll take care of you, like no one ever has before, I promise." he said before kissing her.

"I just need you to promise me that you'll take care of yourself." she pulled away, gazing at him.

"I promise."