Her Dark Knight

Chapter 21: Traces

Rebecca recovered quickly, only needing stitches and some sleep to recover from the night's ordeals.

It was a small mercy, though she hardly saw it that way – Rebecca was furious they'd lost the Joker because of her when it could have been the perfect opportunity to catch him. Not that she was ready to die or anything, but she kept kicking herself for not having reacted the way she should have when the Joker went for Rachel.

She'd replayed the moment in her mind a hundred times over, seeing all the angles she could have – and should have, she scolded herself – taken. Ways where she could have easily kept Rachel safe while successfully apprehending the Joker.

Unfortunately, when he'd gone after Rachel, her keener senses had left her in her all-empowering need to keep Rachel safe. And somehow, a part of Rebecca suspected Joker had known that.

Certainly, if he hadn't known it when he'd first gone for Rachel, he'd known it when he used Rachel to ensure Rebecca became a hostage against Batman.

Again, she kicked herself.

The only relief was the Joker hadn't managed to kill Harvey – the only one of the Joker's intended targets who had made it through the night.

Rebecca had insisted Gordon fill her in the moment she was conscious enough, and the frustrated Lieutenant had obliged once he was certain his Sergeant was in the clear. Judge Surillo had been bombed in her own car – the team sent to escort her hadn't been able to do anything as she had of course been killed instantly.

Gordon himself had gone to secure the Commissioner but someone had already been there to poison Loeb's stash of alcohol, which the Commissioner kept aside for stressful nights. The Commissioner had also passed quickly after taking a sip when Gordon hadn't been looking.

It was infuriating, because both cases indicated inside jobs – and especially with the late Commissioner. The Joker card had been reportedly seen amongst the files Judge Surillo flipped through during the prosecution trials for the mob, hence how the Joker got her prints on the card. But with Loeb – and getting in to poison Loeb's drink without any security noticing – pointed once more to moles.

But more worryingly, people were starting to lose faith again. Terror was gripping the city, and people who had been hedging to make a stand were backing down again with their tails between their legs – including cops, judges, politicians.

But Rebecca's fears were placed slightly at rest when Gordon informed her Dent was already back on his feet, and taking off running. He had already gotten Lau secured and protected, needing him alive to testify in court, and he was now working around the clock with Gordon to track down the mob leaders and the Joker.

And, of course, their secret 'partner' was also on the job.

According to Gordon, Batman had swung by in the night to inform Gordon the Joker had escaped after throwing Rebecca out of the penthouse and to let Gordon know he would also be tracking the Joker.

Rebecca just nodded, having heard the news from Bruce.

The billionaire had stopped by to see Rebecca only once while she was still sleeping, keeping up the façade that while Rebecca was an old friend Bruce Wayne was still more irresponsible and selfishly absorbed than anything else.

It hadn't stopped him using Alfred to call her often to check on her condition, however. After all the elderly butler had no reason not to show his care for the young woman he had watched grow up for almost three decades alongside his young master. And Rebecca had had to reassure 'Alfred' that she was doing well and would be discharged shortly every hour since she'd woken up.