The Heart of Batman | Bruce Wayne

The fall from grace

Another pair of blue eyes... They seem to follow me everywhere I go. I can't get away from blue.

"It's alright... I have a closet full of them", I said.

She chuckled.

The words I said weren't meant to sound funny. I do have a closet full of clothes.

"Have we met?" I asked, intrigued. I've never met a silver-haired woman before but yet there was something about her familiar...

"I'm Silver St. Cloud", she introduced.

Silver.

Of course...

We talked all evening. She was like me - rich. And she was easy to talk with. I let my guard down.

I never met anyone like her. She made me believe I can be happy again. I can love again. And I did.

I loved her.

She became my friend. My lover. I thought she was the one. She was the one.

I don't know when I made a mistake. The night I told her her my secret, but she already knew, or letting her become a part of my life I hid from everyone.

I remember the night we announced our engagement. It was all gone in one second.

One second is all it takes to lose someone you love, someone you care for. To lose it all. And I lost my all with her. She was my all. My better half.

The night she died in my arms a part of me died with her.

She was murdered.

Only if I... I should have protected her. Never again, I swore. I'll let myself fell in love with someone like her, not from my world. And tell her my secret.

Never again.

*End of flashback

They hurt Silver to get through me, Batman. They knew she knows how I am, who is Batman. I don't want to make the same mistake ever again.

"Miss Crown challenges you to be a better, different person. The person you should have become if it wasn't for the tragedy and it terrifies you, Master Bruce."

"I can't be that person. Gotham needs me."

"But what do you need sir? It's not selfish one in a while to put yourself first. It won't make any difference."

"I'm not sure about it."

"If it does, it would be for the better. You'll have a reason to fight even stronger."

"I'm not sure if I see that way."
Resides... "I have you, Alfred."

"Yes, you have me Master Bruce. It's something it will never change. But I won't be here forever. You'll need someone else. Miss Crown could be that person. She might be the right one if you give her a chance."

"I'll think about it." I'm not sure if that's a choice. We both knew it but Alfred didn't tell. I would probably deny it. I still do.