Batman stood over Tyler, his cape dragging along the floor as he turned to face me.
With a shadowed face he beckoned, raising his gloved hand for me. I obeyed, tucking the gun back into the holster.
"I'm sorry."
The words fell from my lips without permission, and I waited with bated breath for him to respond.
He didn't.
Feet pounded down the hall, guards just outside the door. The two other women had already fled with screams ripping from their throats.
I took his hand, glass crunching under my flats as Batman led me to Tyler's desk. He picked up the kryptonite and tucked it into the satchel against his hip. The silence continued, panic rising within me the longer it stretched.
"Please, say something," I begged, gripping his cape with my free hand.
His fingers squeezed around mine, once, twice, a promise.
The door burst open just as Batman pulled me against his chest, tucking me close like a fragile doll.
I could hear the men screaming, guns firing after us as Batman ran straight through the broken window.
A scream crawled up my throat but I swallowed it back, hiding my face within his shoulder.
For that split second, the wind drummed into my ears, that weightless feeling curling within my gut.
Within seconds our feet hit solid ground, but I wasn't ready to let go. Batman kept his arm tight around my waist as if he knew, and I managed to bring myself to look up.
I watched as his lips pulled down into an angry frown, his furrowed eyebrows molding the whites of the mask into a scowl.
The grappling hook shot towards us, furling back into the gun. Batman re-holstered it to his belt, watching the building for a moment.
When no bullets rained down, he finally snapped his attention to me, frown growing until it was almost a snarl.
The arm around my waist squeezed once before it unfurled, his other hand coming up to wrap my wrist, fingers digging into the delicate skin.
With a growl, Batman spun on his heel and barreled forward, the fixed-up batmobile waiting innocently beside the curb.
Biting my lip, I debated saying something or not, Batman's shoulders were tense and the grip on my wrist was firm enough to declare his ire.
When we reached the car, he ripped the door open before shoving me inside.
Huffing, I fell into the front seat like a rag doll, completely at his mercy.
Slamming the door shut, Batman stomped around the car to throw himself into the driver's seat.
His movements were jerky and rough, snatching the gear stick and shifting it into drive.
Plucking the earpiece out, I tucked it into the pocket of my dress.
"Well, this is lovely." Catwoman's voice danced to the front of the car.
I whipped around to see her crossed arms and smirking lips.
Something in her expression unsettled me. It was almost as if she was sad as she watched Batman drive.
"You'll never ask (Y/N) for help again," Batman growled, speeding up.
"I don't see the difference when you take her out on the town."
Catwoman glared at him, mocking but that sorrow was still clinging to her face.
"I don't send her in alone for things that don't involve her."
Batman made a sharp turn, and I frantically checked the security of the seat belt.
"Oh don't give me that shit, you think I don't know about her relationship with Superman?"
"We both know this wasn't about that."
Catwoman sat back, turning to look out the window.
"Is it so wrong to prepare her for what's to come?"
I shot my gaze between them, not fully understanding what she meant.
"She doesn't need to know what it's like to be us, Catwoman."
She looked at me, no longer hiding the sorrow behind a sarcastic mask.
"She needs to know everything, or you're going to get each other killed."
Batman pulled over, the engine still thrumming under the hood. Catwoman climbed out of the car.
"I'll let the others know how well you did."
Then she shut the door and walked off into the shadows.
Batman pulled off the shoulder, his eyes focused straight ahead.
The buildings whizzed past us, trash bags highlighted by the neon lights of establishments and street lamps.
No one ever batted an eye at the environmental disaster Gotham is too busy attempting to catch crime lords and supervillains.
No matter how much effort was made to clean it up, it wouldn't matter. Not as long as corrupted politicians run the city.
"Out of all the idiotic things you have done, teaming up with Catwoman wasn't one I expected."
Batman's gruff voice snapped me out of my thoughts, pulling me back into my current situation.
A pissed-off Batsy driving a high-tech car down an empty street.
"She's relatively nice," I mumbled, turning to look out the window again.
For some reason, I felt like I was being scolded by a teacher as if I was back in high school and pining after Clark. I let my grades slip a lot because of him, and my teachers always got on my ass about it.
Guess I never really grew out of that, after all, I'm in this mess because I wanted to prove I could stand beside Batman, the Big Bad Bat.
"Whether she's nice or not isn't the issue, it's that you went into a dangerous man's home, without knowing how to protect yourself, and-"
Batman made a sharp turn, the tires screeching against the asphalt.
"And you didn't tell me."
His tone was softer this time as if his entire being was tired.
"I..."
What do I even say to that?
"I'm sorry."
Pathetic, I know.
"(Y/N) you're a mother, you can't be risking yourself this way."
"Well that's just bullshit, You think-"
"What I think."
He interrupted me, his voice sharp on his tongue. I could hear his leather gloves curling tighter around the steering wheel, and I would bet anything his knuckles were turning white.
"Is that you haven't trained for this, and you're putting yourself unnecessarily at risk when you have a son who needs you."
"I took care of that, Eilis is safe with Clark."
"Are you willing to leave him there forever?"
"What about you? Think I didn't hear Robin call you father? You let your son run around and fight crime. This city is too dark for a child."
"Yet you brought Eilis here."
Anger flared within me, but I let it fizzle out.
"I never claimed to be a good parent."
"No, but you did promise to be there for him, you can't do that if you're dead."
"Yet you run around and risk yourself daily," I looked at him, but Batman kept his eyes on the road.
"You're a hypocrite."
He turned the wheel, the tires screeching as he pulled us onto the shoulder. Tugging the car into park, he unbuckled his seat belt before turning to face me.
"(Y/N) that man almost..." Batman swore, jumping out of the car.
My door flew open a moment later, and then I was being dragged out by the wrist.
Batman pulled me up my walkway, and it wasn't until we were in front of my door that I realized I was home.
Ripping my arm away, I fished for my keys before unlocking the door and walking through without him. Batman followed, the door clicking shut behind him.
Pressure danced on my shoulders before my back hit the wall in the darkened room, knocking the breath from my lungs. Gloved fingers tipped my chin up as lips brushed along mine.
"He almost hurt you," he moved down, leaving a burning trail as Batman ran his lips down my jaw.
"If I wasn't there, he could have...Or you would have killed him."
Batman pulled back and I felt his fingers dig into the flesh of my arms.
"What would you have done then? If you killed him and I wasn't there."
He waited, and I realized a bit belatedly that he wanted a response.
"I...I don't know."
"(Y/N), please stop placing yourself in these situations,"
"Why do you care so much?"
I couldn't help myself from asking it.
Why would the infamous Batman care about some random civilian?
"You asked for my help, you're my responsibility now."
Batman pulled back, and it wrenched a split-second pout from my lips. Unable to stop the impulse brewing within me, I sprang forward.
My mouth found his, teeth clanking from the force. Batman's fingers curled into my hair, pulling at the roots.
At first, I feared he was going to tug me off. Instead, he deepened the kiss, smashing us into the wall again.
Moaning into his lips, I let his tongue plunder around, fully submitting to him.
It's been so long since I kissed like this, passion beating under my skin.
Desperately, I ran my hands over his body, feeling the hard muscle under his suit.
His hands found my hips as he pushed into me. I threw my leg up to wrap it around his waist, rolling my pelvis.
Batman groaned, ripping my other leg up as he clutched my ass.
I reached up, frenzied hands gripping his mask. Pale skin peaked out, stretched along sharp cheekbones.
Strong fingers wrapped around mine, pulling my hands away. Batman leaned against my shoulder, panting into my neck.
"(Y/N), fuck-"
"So you'll make out with me, but you won't let me see you?"
I groaned, tightening my legs around him.
"That's a bit unfair."
"We can't."
"Why not? No one has to know. It's just us. Just you and me in the dark."
I rolled my hips, the heat still curling in my core. Impatience grew within me, making my brain a bit fuzzy.
"Fuck, I wish it was that simple."
Batman pulled back enough to look me in the eye, our chests no longer touching.
I never thought I could miss breathing the same air as someone, but at that moment I would do anything to have his lips back on mine.
"It can be."
"(Y/N) you have no fucking idea how much I want you."
"Then why won't you fucking take me?"
I snarled at him, gripping his collar.
"Come on, please, it's been so long."
I whined, embarrassment eating me alive.
"Fuck you're so pretty," Batman pet my hair as I preened under his praise.
He put me down, releasing my hips when my feet were firmly on the ground.
Batman stepped back, letting me see him. I took the chance to run my gaze over his form.
Even under the cowl, he looked as desperate as I felt.
Batman fixed his mask, red blooming over his skin.
"You're just gonna leave?"
I wasn't sure what I expected him to say.
"I can't think straight when I'm with you," Batman turned away, "and I don't want to hurt you anymore than I have to."
"Is that not what you're doing?"
"Staying would only hurt you more."
I watched him walk out, and when the door slammed shut, I let myself fall into the wall.
Sliding down like one of those dramatic women in a romance novel, I curled into myself.
Unable to help but stare at nothing, the silence crept up around me. Just like the loneliness often seemed too late at night.
Before, I would have at least had Eilis, but he wasn't here.
Is this really what I've become?
Pushing everyone away?
Begging superheroes to fuck me?
The street lights filtered through my kitchen window, causing the dark to grow stronger against it.
I never noticed how many corners my home had, how many places to hide.
I realized, ice growing in my heart, that for the first time since Eilis, I was truly alone.
"Well shit," I shivered, whispering into the empty house and knocking my head against the wall.