Bruce's POV
"Alfred, I need you to pack Rose's suitcase." Rose called me to inform she has a late meeting in Crown Enterprises and she won't make it on time.
"Is Miss Rose going somewhere?" Alfred asked. I forgot to inform Alfred and she was busy all week. Better say, whole month.
"She'll be out of town for the weekend. Anna is taking her on a mini-vacation at a health resort out of Gotham", I replied. It was Anna's idea.
"Should I pack your suitcase as well, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked. I didn’t like the idea of her being so far away from me but she needed a break from work.
"I'm not going with them. It's girls weekend", I explained. They didn't invite me to go with them not that I would accepted. Visiting spa's isn't in my style. They just wanted to spend some time together away from Gotham.
"Are you sure you will last that long without her, Master Bruce?" Alfred questioned. I didn't separate from her after everything that happened between us in the past.
"It's two days, Alfred", I replied.
"Perhaps something bad could happen to her, sir." Alfred was clearly teasing me. I was very protective about her. Especially after everything that happened with Ra's in the past.
"It's a healthy resort. What possibly can go wrong?" I started thinking. I was surprised how many things came to my mind.
Maybe she slips on the pool tiles and hit her head and end up in a hospital. No, she's not that clumsy. But it can happen. Or someone locks her in a sauna. What are chances for that to happen?
"It was a joke, Master Bruce." I was clearly overwhelmed with worry. "She'll probably get a nice relaxing massage", Alfred continued making things even worse.
"A massage, Alfred?!" The thought of someone putting their hands on her, it makes my blood boiled.
"Did I say something wrong, sir?" Alfred questioned. No man will ever put his hands on her!
"Perhaps you should get one. I'm going to talk to her about that." I walked towards the doorstep, headed out. I need to clear the thoughts of my mind before she comes.
"In matter of fact I would like to get one, sir. It would prove very beneficial for someone my age", Alfred continued.
Rose's P.O.V.
"I don't like the way he looks at you sometimes", Anna said to me as plane begin to take off the ground. Bruce escorted us to my private jet. This was the first time he did something like that.
"What do you mean?" I asked her looking out of the window, watching Gotham disappearing in the distance.
"He looks like he's going to jump in front of a train for you", Anna replied.
"And that's a bad thing?" I asked confused. Bruce sometimes becomes too protective of me. I didn't really make him easy. For some reason, lunatics stick to me and trouble follows me wherever I go. That's how it's been since I came in Gotham. I should have stayed in Europe but then I would never meet Bruce.
"No, of course not. It's a strange thing even you must admit it", Anna said.
"Bruce is different from all the rest", I said.
There's no man like him.
The first day at the resort
"I'm not sure about this", I expressed concern while Anna was trying to convince me it's perfectly safe.
"It will help you relax and release stress out of your body. And I've already tried it. Dr. Marvelous works wonders", Anna assured me. I didn't like his method. It reminded me of the Riddle's brain washing machine. But Anna managed to convince me.
I walked inside the room with a big computer and a leaning table in the middle. I don't know why but the place gave me the creeps. Dr. Marvelous greeted me and closed the door behind me.
"You must be Miss Crown. I'm Dr. Marvelous", Dr. Marvelous said introducing himself. "I'm sure Miss Lucia already informed you about my method. Are you ready to begin?" Dr. Marvelous asked. I just nodded my head.
"I'm sure you heard this many times before: you're very beautiful woman Miss Crown." Dr. Marvelous placed me down on the table assuring me his method is completely safe and harmless. He attached the electrodes to my temples and started asking me questions.
I felt buzziling on my temples and the electricity run through my body, subjecting me to his will, to slowly paralysis.
"She's clean. There's nothing in her past I can use to blackmail her", I expressed dissatisfaction, looking up at the screen. My mind-reading machine projected her thoughts and her memories, recording the whole session.
And then I saw something familiar on the screen, one of her memories I didn't explore. I saw... Batman.
"Why is Batman in her memory?" I questioned. Now I was interested in going deeper, exploring her memories. I tied her up to the chair so she doesn't put resistance.
You save everyone but who saves you?
She asked him on one of their many encounters.
"She's in love with him", I stated carefully listening to her thoughts and observing the images which followed.
Perhaps she knows his identity. I could use that.
There are a lot of people who would pay to find out his identity.
"Who are you, Miss Crown? And how important you are to Batman?" I questioned taking the form she filled out in my hand. I needed to gather more information. I already knew she's one of the wealthiest citizens of Gotham. Everyone knows about the Crown's.
Another her memory appeared on the screen. This was of an intimate nature.
They are lovers.
"You're Bruce Wayne's fiancee." I remembered reading it in the newspaper. I recognized his face.
"Could it be they are the same person?" I questioned.
This gets better and more better.
"Who is Batman, Miss Crown? Is he your fiance, Bruce Wayne?" I asked her.
"Never-- I'll never tell. I would rather die!" She said determined as she tried to free her hands. I noticed she was resisting my machine, causing herself pain.
"You don't have to, Miss Crown. The machine will do instead", I said.
In the next memory, she was lying next to him, in some dark place. The memory wasn't clear, not providing much information. Batman eyes were closed as she reached out for his mask but suddenly stopped, changing her mind, placing her head to his armour chest as he threw his arm around her knowing her attention.
Why did she stop? He would let her.
Searching for Batman's identity in her memories, I found a memory hidden in the shadows of her mind.
A repressed childhood trauma. Perhaps I could use it to break her to get through Batman's identity. I thought about how to break her defense. Who knows how will affect her.
"I'll take my chances", I said as I entered her memory.
"No!" She left one long scream before she fainted, causing an electrical short circuit.
Meanwhile in Gotham
Rose!
"Batman, are you alright?" Commissioner asked me.
I felt strange tight sensation around my heart. I couldn't catch my breath like someone suddenly blew out all the air out of my lungs.
Why am I feeling this way?
"Bruce?", Commissioner asked worryingly. He placed his hand on my shoulder forcing me to turn around to face him.
"You should take some rest", Commissioner suggested. He must have thought I was sick.
"No, it's not that", I replied, convinced. I wasn't sick even if I felt as if I am.
Something is wrong.
"Are you sure you are alright?" Commissioner asked, checking.
"Yes, what did you find?" I asked, trying to distract myself from thinking. I must have imagined it all.
"They were all blackmailed", Commissioner replied. That must be the reason a young man tried to commit suicide, the third case of suicide this week, by jumping off a building tonight. Luckily, I was there to stop him.
"We found a tape incriminating Dr. Crane. I believe you remember him. He calls himself Dr. Marvelous these days. After he was fired from Arkham, he started working privately in a resort, inventing some kind of machine that reads people's thoughts and shows their memories. He uses to blackmail them", Commissioner continued.
"A resort?" I asked.
Oh, god... No!
"Yes, out of Gotham", Commissioner confirmed. "I believe you heard--", Commissioner turned to find Batman vanished. "I'm never going to get used to that."
(To be continued...)