ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛᴍᴀɴ.

18.

"One of the candidate in Gotham, Tom Crawford today has been found murdered. Gotham's police department has shared the news with the rest of us, unfortunately not knowing who the suspect is. Pete Savage, Commissioner of Gotham Central has released a statement for the devastating news."

My eyes widen in shock staring inside the bloody smears dried around the letters. Everyone in the office is gasping and gossiping back and forth, almost like they never heard of a death before.

I feel my heart hammering through my chest, my fingers slightly shaking from anxiety and my breathing is feeling heavier. I immediately jump a little as I feel a vibration through my pocket, figuring out it's my phone.

My hands quickly grabs onto the phone and read the name of the person calling; Bruce. I tap onto the green button and press it against my cheek with a sudden rush of anxiety.

"Get back home, now. It's not safe."

"Bruce..." I trail off nervously, slowly shutting the box. "Someone left me something."

"What is it?"

"A box. But there was nothing inside, instead there's blood everywhere with words 'No more lies'." My voice sounds almost shaky. However, I didn't hear anything from Bruce.

The palm of my hand presses underneath the box, till the feeling fabric and tapes caught my attention. I quickly cradle the phone between my head and the shoulder.

"Come home. We'll figure it ou-"

"Wait," I interrupt his sentence as I flip the box over, noticing the red convolute which is written to The Batman. "Bruce, it's for Batman. He left a note for Batman." Suddenly a disconnect tone comes through the phone, realizing Bruce hung up.

My hands proceeds to rip off the tape, grabbing a hold of the convolute. My arms wrap around the box and rushes out of the office, glancing on the red convolute as my fingers stroke onto each letter out of curiosity; To The Batman.

My apartment building is visibly showing from the other side as I approach it with high speeds. My heels taps on each stones. Once I appear inside the complex, my feet motion towards my door and gently grab onto the doorknob, till Bruce burst the door open. I walk in and places the box on the table, looking at Bruce who's eyes been glued to the box the moment he saw it. He shuts the door and inches closer to it, kneeling down as he examines it with his eyes.

"Who left it to you?" He asks, lifting his attention to me as I stand beside him.

"I have no idea." I reply back. He nods a little and looks at the box once more. I sit on the couch beside the table, handing him the red convolute. Bruce Immediately grasps onto it and rips it open.

"Maybe we should give it to Batman, Bruce." I say softly, yet Bruce didn't care enough listen. His hands continue to travel inside the letter to reveal a child-like card.

Bruce opens the card without reading the first part, but instantly sees a bunch of cryptic coding to a riddle.

"Haven't a clue? Let's play a game, just me and you..

WHAT DOES A LIAR DO WHEN HE'S DEAD?"

I lean over to Bruce and read the riddle with him, trying to clock it myself.

"He lies still." Bruce rasps as he raises himself from kneeling down, flaring through his nostrils. "We have to go, now."

Bruce parks his motorcycle right outside the building of his complex. I hand him the helmet and he clips it in the back of the motorcycle, walking inside his property.

We reach to the first floor and Bruce immediately rushes out of the elevator, through the open hallway and towards the office. I walk in slowly, trailing my eyes around each room.

It feels great to be back to his manor. It may be dark and shallow but it's quiet and peaceful. It could use some lights in the morning.

I hear a conversation starts up between Alfred and Bruce, so I follow the sound. I notice Alfred is sitting on the chair as Bruce is frustratingly throwing the letter on the desk to him, pointing the tip of his finger at the cryptic code. "He lies still, that's the answer." Bruce says to Alfred, but Alfred looks in confusion at him as he tries to calculate it all. "Why is he writing to..." he stops as he catch a glimpse of me, instantly gives me a warm smile. "Ah, Daisy. I didn't see you come in." Bruce in the other hand didn't tell him I was here.

He is too focused on the letter, which didn't make sense to me. It's for Batman, not him.

Alfred grabs his stock hanging beside the table and pushes himself, leaving the weight on top of the stock to help him walk a little further to me. I instantly walk to him and gave him a gentle hug.

"You truly didn't have to get up for me, I could come to you, you know?" I say with a soft smile.

"Nonsense." He replies with a laugh in between. "I'm happy to see you're back, we could use some company. More likely Bruce does."

I look at Bruce for a second but he is staring at the letter. He continues to keep his attention on it and mutter my name under his breath.

"Daisy, me and Alfred needs some space." Bruce says with the same numbness tone, which starting to be his signature at this point.

I shrug a little and hug Alfred again. "We'll talk more when we get the chance." Alfred nods and release his arms around me as my eyes trails off to Bruce, slowly walking towards the entrance.