I went to The Iceberg Lounge, Penguin's club, dressed up in my regular clothes, and found her sitting at the table, alone.
"Bruce?" She lifted her head up, meeting my gaze, surprised to see me. "I didn't expect to see you at a place like this."
"I could say the same", I said a bit disappointed.
"May I?" She nodded giving me her permission and I sat down at her table.
"It's temporarily. I... I needed a job. No one in Gotham wants to hire me", she explained.
Burton.
"You could ask me", I said a bit offended, and continued softly. "Ro, if you need money..."
"I don't want your money Bruce." It offended her.
"Besides, he would found out. I don't want you to get in trouble as if it's not enough that he bribed everyone in town", she said in disbelief.
"I can handle Burton. He only wants what's the best for you", I said in his defense but I didn't know he did that.
"He has a funny way of showing it", she disagreed.
"And he doesn't get to decide what's the best for me. I do." I couldn't argue with that.
"It's not that bad Bruce", she assured. "Working here. My boss is a really nice guy once you get to know him. He's a good friend." I didn't like their friendship but I believed her. I know Penguin. He's a gentleman and fond of her, especially after what she did for him at Ronnie's party. He considers Ro as a friend.
"I thought I was your friend", I said a bit sadly.
"You are." She reached for my hand but I moved it aside. "Bruce... what is wrong?"
I couldn't stand a thought she was with him, whoever he is, all this time. "Perhaps I don't want to be your friend anymore."
"What are you saying? I'm...", she started sadly. "... going to marry him."
My eyes widened and I exclaimed. "You can't!"
"You're too young! What about your college? And your inheritance... You'll lose... everything", I reasoned.
"I'm not too young Bruce. College can wait, not that I have money to pay for it now. And I don't care about it Bruce. The money. I never had. I just want to be happy. ", she said softly.
I can make you happy Ro. Can I?
"I want to be loved. I know my parents would want that for me." I stared down at the table surface thinking of her words.
"I know I'm asking too much but I could really use a friend right now. Burton isn't going to make it any easier for me when he finds out. Can I count on you, Bruce?" I lifted my head up, meeting her gaze.
"Yes", I said without thinking it first but it doesn't change how I feel about her. I want her to get whatever she wants even if that's not me. "You can count on me Ro."
I climbed the rooftop across their building and took off my binoculars, I followed Ro after work. They were living together in an industrial building transformed into an apartment.
I couldn't hear them but I was watching. There weren't many furniture. A few larger computer screens, a desk and a chair. And a mattress in the center of the room. Of course there was a kitchen. Only essential things. I wasn't focused on things but them.
They were arguing about something. She was wearing his t-shirt and the bed looked used. I tried to not think about it. He wrapped his arms around her waist. I immediately turned away, crushing the binoculars in my hands. I didn't want to watch it.
"What happened to your equipment Master Bruce?" Alfred questioned in the Batcave when I returned. He checks my equipment from time to time. It's something I usually do but not this time. "You didn't like what you saw sir?"
"Are you becoming a voyeur now Master Bruce?" Alfred disapproved. I was walking boiling anger.
I walked past Batgirl and she stated. "He is so pissed off."
"Language, Miss Gordon", Alfred warned as I headed to the changing room after patrol.
"What is happening with his equipment?" Batgirl looked around. "How many things he has destroyed this week?"
"Alfred, I think door of the Batmobile is about to fall off...", Batgirl turned her attention. "Yep, there goes the door."
I was watching tv in the living room when Alfred came in the afternoon to talk to me about something. He wanted to do it all morning but he was busy with housekeeping. "You need to be more careful about your belongings sir."
"I have money. What's the problem?" I sat on the couch with the remote in my hand.
"You are sir. You are the problem lately. Is it how you solve all your problems? With money?"
"And fists", I added.
"And now you have a problem you can't solve with money or fists. How many criminals have you put in jall this week?"
"I stopped counting at 50." I skipped fast through the TV channels.
"How about you talk to Miss Crown instead?" Alfred suggested.
"And tell her what?" I raised my voice. I couldn't find anything interested, nothing to distract me.
"Whatever lies in your heart sir."
"That I'm an idiot who lost his only chance of happiness when I lost her?" Alfred was stunned to speak.
"When you put it that way... You haven't lost her Master Bruce", Alfred reasoned.
"Not the remote too Master Bruce." I smashed it in my hands.
I walked past Dick at the doorframe. I didn't know he was there and listening. It didn't matter.
"He really said it?" Dick asked Alfred seriously.
I was on patrol when she aprouched me. "Leslie?"
"Alfred is worried. He said you are not quite yourself lately. Is it because of Emma's daughter and her wedding?"
Should I buy her a gift?
Perhaps I should talk to Joker to see if he has any plans how to stop the wedding. He was very creative ever since she come to town.
"What are you thinking of? Leslie asked me.
And very quiet lately. Perhaps he is planning something for her wedding. "You don't want to know."
"Is it that bad Bruce?" I haven't felt this way ever since... I never felt this way before.
"You have to talk to her Bruce", Leslie gave me the same advice as Alfred. "It's not too late."
"That low even for you, Master Bruce", Alfred disapproved in the Batcave.
"I didn't threaten him. I asked him", I said in my defense as Alfred shook his head in disapproval.
"You didn't threaten whom now Bruce?" Dick asked coming down the stairs to join me on patrol.
"The Penguin, Master Richard", Alfred replied as I walked towards the Batmobile. "Master Bruce, a masked vigilante Batman, did something to the Penquin."
I stood outside my office and talked to my secretary the next day.
"Who is that?" I asked my secretary looking at the bun. There was a woman with her hair in a bun and back facing me standing in the distance.
"Your new assistant", my secretary replied. It didn't make much sense until I remembered. "You should know. You were the one who hired her."
"You look... professional", I started in my office as soon as the door closed and we were alone. The bun, the screen glasses...
"With this heels I'm almost tall as you are", Ro said a bit complaining wearing them. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me."
"You don't make me feel uncomfortable. I like to be around you, Ro", I admitted standing next to my desk.
"You think that now... Anyway, if you didn't know this is my first day at work. I better start working. I don't want my boss to fire me." She walked up my desk and picked up a large pile of papers.
"I got it", she said lifting it up from the desk. I brushed my arm against her as I reached out to help her but she didn't need my help. I stood there and watched her leaving my office.
I looked up at the clock. It was dark outside and in my office too. Everyone left except her and me. She entered my office to leave the last files for today and reached for the table lamp to turn the lights on.
I put my arm on her hand on the table and stopped her for turning the lights on. "You can go now. Working hours are over."
"I need to talk to you about something, about my salary", she started.
I moved my hand from hers and looked outside the window, leaning against the desk. "It's too much Bruce. I could buy an apartment in the center of town of the money you're paying me for."
"Perhaps that's the plan."
"I'm not moving out Bruce. I'm happy. With him." She reached behind her hair.
I looked at her and watched her as she undid her bun. "You were happy with me?"
Her dark brown hair fell down to her waist. "I was. Before you messed everything up."
She took off her shoes and put it against the desk. "We are not getting a second chance?"
She walked to me barefoot and wrapped her hand around my arm, looking up at me. "I think we would end up destroying each other. You with your secrets and I... because I care too much, because of my heart."
"I love your heart Ro", I said softly caressing her cheek as she enjoyed my touch.
"I love your heart too Bruce." She put her head on my shoulder and rested it there as we both stood in the dark and watched the city lights through the window in silence.
Later that night... Nigtwing and I were driving to the Gotham City bank to stop the robbery. The bomb went off when we arrived but instead of explosion a purple gas spread out of the building. The security guards ran out and fell to the ground. They started to laugh uncontrollably.
"Why it took him so long?" Nightwing asked as we hopped out of the Batmobile and injected them the antidote. I was asking myself the same thing. This would be Joker's first robbery ever since he was released from Arkham. I didn't hear about Joker for months now.
"Be careful", I warned Nightwing as we entered the bank. Something was off. We were greeted nothing but Joker's goons and a flying gas bomb in our direction.
We jumped in the opposite direction, avoiding the bomb as it exploded and reached out for our masks. The next moment, we were fighting them when Nightwing collapsed to the floor, laughing. Something was wrong with his mask. He inhaled Joker's laughing gas.
"Nightwing!" I shouted. There was no sign of the Joker and Nightwing was standing too far. I was afraid I won't be able to come to him on time to give him an antidote.
All of sudden a masked woman wearing a black cloak with dark green lining, hood over her head and a pair of green gloves appeared out of nowhere and knocked out goons heading Nightwing's direction.
She put down her hood, revealing her black eye mask and green eyes, and put Nightwing's arm around her neck and helped get outside.
I ran to Nightwing, pressing the button on my utility belt, taking out and injecting him the antidote.
I looked up into her green eyes. It looked like she was wearing a fake contact lenses but I couldn't tell for sure. She looked down at Nightwing, her black hair fell straight beneath the hood. "Is he going to be alright?"
Good thing Nigtwing stopped laughing. "Who are you?"
"You can call me... Rogue", she replied as I turned my head away from her for a second. Nightwing mumbled something.
And why do I have a feeling as if I know you?
"Why did you─", when I lifted my head up she was gone, "... helped us."
So that's how it feels like.
"There's a new masked vigilante in town", Nightwing informed in the Batcave leaning against the desk.
"I wonder who she is", Dick said looking at me as I typed in the information on the Batcomputer.
"She, Master Richard?" Alfred questioned holding a dinner plate. Layla was lying down next to the desk. "A woman? A female vigilante?"
I think she's Dick's age.
"Yes, black hair, green eyes. I think she's my age. And her name is...", Dick's voice trailed off. "I don't know her name Bruce. Did she give you her name?"
"Rogue", I informed, typing on the keyboard. Layla lifted her head up and I petted her head with my unoccupied hand.
There is something about her familiar...
"Rogue, sir?" Alfred questioned. "Interesting name. Did she cause any trouble, Master Bruce? Master Richard?
"No. She helped us", Dick replied.
"There are two", I informed. They both looked up at me as I checked the security footages around town.
"Two Master Bruce?" Alfred questioned.
"She has a partner", I informed.
The next day Ro was waiting for me in the hallway. She wanted to talk to me before work. It was personal. She started. There was so much worry in her eyes. "Bruce..."
"I need to ask you for a favor. Can you check this for me?" She handed me the papers.
I took it from her hands not taking my eyes off her. "I know I just started working for you but I need a day off.... or two."
"You can take as much as time you need Ro", I said in understanding. "Burton?"
"Yes, he's making my life miserable. It's legal but it doesn't make much sense. Something isn't quite right." She looked down at the papers in my hands.
I took me all day to study the papers she gave me. And she was right. It's done very skilled for someone like her with no experience...
"Master Bruce?" Alfred followed me around the manor. I was upset and a bit angry too.
"What is his plan?" I put on my coat and informed heading out. "I need to talk to Burton."
I went to Crowns and she was there saying goodbye to Black Beauty with tears in her eyes.
"What are you doing?" I asked Burton deadly serious.
"I knew my niece would come to you, Mr. Wayne, for advice. She trusts you." Burton didn't reply to my question.
On paper it says that they are on the verge of bankruptcy. It's a lie. "I didn't sign up for this."
"I need to get her away from the boy. He's dangerous in a ways you couldn't possibly know", Burton justified his reason for making her believe in a lie.
"And this isn't?" Taking away things she loves, forcing her to return home.
"I'm helping you get my niece back. What you'll do with the information is entirely on you, Mr Wayne."
"You mean with the truth?" I corrected. I couldn't hurt her that way.
I walked up to her as she placed a kiss on Black Beauty's cheek, saying goodbye. It's temporarily but she didn't know that yet. A worker asked. "Miss Crown?"
"You can take her away now."