ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛᴍᴀɴ.

33.

The sound of the heart rate monitor increases the silence. The smell of metallic tang from stainless steel in the open air and the bleach wafting from the floor. My gaze swivels over the room, looking at Alfred lying on the bed with side rails that can be raised or lowered to various positions. A TV is playing quietly in one corner, a distraction that didn't help. By this time, I had been spending hours sitting here. The police officers had to check the area at my place, which took about five hours to finish their work, yet Alfred hadn't woken up yet. Time passes till 8:39 pm.

The investigator came in and told me the damages should be fixed if I called someone to come by and look at it and explained the situation to me. But I didn't look one bit; my eyes were gazing at nothing, and my mind circled with thousands of things.

"Also," He said with a lower voice, reaching for his pocket as he revealed a card to me. "This one is left for you." The investigator flips the card to me and leaves me alone with Alfred.

I open the card and reveal another riddle.

"SEE YOU IN HELL, CATHEDRAL."

I groan in frustration, the same anger I could feel floating inside me, but that's when it clicked for me; Cathedral. That's where he is.

I sped up from my chair and immediately grabbed my coat. My body froze with the thought of Alfred. I quickly glanced at him with a shrug slipping out of my lips, knowing I'll have to find Tom before it was too late.

I didn't bring the batsuit since I had an idea the killer must've known I'm Batman, well enough to get me a card. The entire area is empty, no lights are on, and every corner turns the shadow to be against me. I walk further inside to the main entrance, scanning the area. Nothing.

"What a surprise." The familiar voice appears behind me, and I instantly turn around. I couldn't see him, only the shadow of his figure and what seemed to be a gun in his hand.

"You see," he inches closer to reveal his figure slowly, yet his face hasn't disappeared from the shadow yet. "It took me long enough to plan this and get you finally. Yet I wanted to see Batman at first."

I tighten my lip as I ball up my hand into a fist, pressing my nails into the palm of my hand.

"But you were exactly what I'm looking for, Bruce." And that's when he appears from the shadow.

Tom Crawford.

My eyes widen in surprise; it doesn't make sense. He is supposed to be dead.

"Surprised, I see." His smirks filled his entire face. "You know, Batman is part of this, and that's why you are here. After all, Batman is just as much inside you as you are Bruce Wayne." My eyelids shut in frustration, hoping he didn't puzzle it together.

"But, where is he? Where's the legendary batman? He helped me without knowing the plan or the creator behind it." He chuckles and looks at his gun, admiring it for a second. "I faked my death to come back even better, but I also eliminated those who decided I wasn't worth it anymore. And, of course, Bruce. You are the one who took the woman out of my life."

Tom lifts his head, but his expression looks more deadly than amusing for his advance this time.

"I already planned out how to come back. You and your father will look like the bad guy once I release that he had to pay someone to be quiet and ended up dead because of him. Your entire family will rot in hell, as well as you, Bruce Wayne. But what's most important, I'll be using the foundation your father has brought to the table for Falcone to give back the city just a tiny little bit to gain their trust back, so I'll be back in the game." He inhales the oxygen, narrowing his eyes at me.

Tom lifts his arm where the gun is placed, pointing at me with a various look on his face. "You are just an orphan. After all, your father was meant to die," He slowly holds on to the trigger. "As well as his goddamn son."

"Freeze!" James Gordon's voice echoes in the cathedral, holding his gun and pointing at Tom from the back. He slowly inches closer as his arms raise further up, gripping the gun tightly.

Tom squeezes his eyes and tilts his head back, in which I quickly take a few steps and hit the back of his head with my elbow. Tom takes a couple of steps back, but I have already taken the gun from his hand, pointing it right back at him. He chuckles in amusement and raises his hands defeatedly.

"I'll make sure to tell Daisy you are back." I spat, looking back at James. Meanwhile, he grabs the handcuff from his pocket. The sound of the handcuffs goes off the moment he tightens them around Tom's wrists.

"You have the right to remain silent, you fucking lunatic," James spat, grasping onto his shoulder and the other hand on his wrist, compelling him to move towards the door. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

I reach the gun back in my pocket, following James from behind. The moment we arrive outside, he immediately puts Tom in the back of his car, shutting the door.

"How did you know I was here?" I ask. James pressed both fingers underneath his belt to firmly pick up his pants.

"Well, I came by to check on the investigation about your father, Mr. Wayne, but one of my partners pointed out another card that you have received instead of Batman. He told me what the card said, so two and two together, you must've gone to the cathedral." I nod in response.

The secret didn't come out, but the only thing I managed to think about was the video Tom released. Now that nobody knows I'm Batman, I could still make sure to save the city. To protect what my father tried to build.

I come back to the hospital and reach the door open to Alfred's room until I see Daisy through the glass window sitting on the edge of the bed, talking to Alfred with a couple of laughs.

She must've heard about the explosion on the news and figured it out, or Makayla told her what had happened since she was there.

I take a deep breath from facing her, knowing it's been a while since I saw her. My palm softly grabbed onto the doorknob and opened it, which caused Daisy and Alfred to pay attention to the door. I watch Daisy's smile slowly disappear.

"Hey," I said quietly, and she said it back.

"Hey."

I sit back on the chair as she looks back at Alfred. "Well, you have my number. Don't hesitate to contact me if there's anything I can do for you." Alfred smiles and rests his hands on hers, thanking her for stopping by and that he will contact her if he has to.

I look down at the floor, knowing we possibly wouldn't talk right now since it's too early to determine it.

"Bruce?" Her angelic voice caught my attention, in which I quickly lifted my head to look into her brown Bambi eyes.

"Can we talk outside real quick?" She asked, gripping onto her bag.