Chapter twenty six: the truth

I regret to say that this book is nearing a close with only 5-6 chapters left. Thank you everyone for your support and your votes, comments, etc. I hope you all enjoy the last few chapters. I have thought about writing a sequel but no promises. Okay continue on reading now :).


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Chapter twenty six- the truth








BRUCES POV:






My eyes jerked open and I sat up quickly, instantly causing a jolt of pain to run through my body. I fell back down on the cold thin bed sheets of the emergency medical room I had set up in the cave. I could barely remember getting here. It must have been Alfred.


I looked over my body, I had a stitched up cut on my hand and on my side, and one large festering burn where I'd been stabbed, where a heavy amount of cream was applied. The sight wasn't too pretty, but it wasn't bad enough to the point where it would effect my appearance outside of my room.


"Master Bruce," Alfred's familiar voice echoed through the rock walls, as he slowly walked over to me, a tray in hand.


"Alfred, how did I get here?"


Alfred set the tray down in front of me and pushed the toast toward me "eat, you have to get your strength back."


"I'll eat later, right now I want to know how I got here."


"I have a tracker in my mini, after I found that I simply followed what trace of you I could find till I discovered you collapsed in an alleyway next to a certain someone's apartment."


"Harmony...I remember."


I remember that I was Batman, and that she's the one who closed my wound, but I remember something else, she kissed me. I told her a lie about following her, well not a complete lie, but it was close enough to be real. I don't know whether to be hurt or glad that she accepts and loves the other me as much as Bruce Wayne. I was starting to feel like Jerrica Benton.


"Now eat, you've lost a lot of blood and are dehydrated."


I grabbed the toast and shoved the whole piece into my mouth, knowing if I didn't Alfred would never let me hear the end of it.


"Slade did this," I told him after I swallowed my bite of toast.


"I figured as much, you mind telling me how that went exactly, I presume Slade looks much worse than you?"


"About that," I winced trying to stand on my feet.


Alfred pushed me back down "Master Bruce, I will not permit you to stand right now."


"I need to work Alfred, last night, something happened and I just had an epiphany."


"What might that be."


"Let me get up and I'll show you."


Alfred stepped aside and I walked wearily to a computer, typing in Harmony Jackson.


"Might I ask why your researching your girlfriends name."


"a while ago Harmony told me that her birth father left her mother after he joined the military, Slade Wilson was experimented on in the military, that's why he is who he is."


"Are you suggesting her father is Slade Wilson, that makes no sense, even her name isn't Wilson."


"Yes, but names can be changed, and Harmony never said her parents were married only that they had left each other."


Alfred scoffed "there are still no grounds for your accusation simply because her father joined the military and Slade Wilson was in the military."


"Last night, we fought on top of a building right outside of Harmony's window, and I don't know what Slade saw, but he froze, right before he was going to kill me, and he whispered 'hummingbird', not only that, but when I acted on my suspicions and broke into her apartment he never followed me in."


"I'm going to need some more solid proof."


"I didn't realize you were so eager to defend her, I thought you didn't want me to date her in the first place Alfred."


Alfred shrugged "an honest man can admit when he's wrong."


I halfway smiled "well it's good to know that I can make my own love life decisions."


He scoffed again "you can't seriously mean that when you claim that the woman your dating is the daughter of the man hired to kill you?"


I kept silent and waited for my search results to show up on the computer. Sure enough, as much as I didn't want it to be true, I was right. Slade Wilson changed his name after joining the program from Slade Jackson. He only knew his daughter for a few years before he had to give it all up.


I couldn't be sure if Harmony had any part in it, but my gut told me she was as clueless as I was. Slade wasn't the stupidest man I've fought, I don't think it will be long before he puts the pieces together.


"So it's true then."


"I'm afraid so."


I looked down at my phone which was buzzing violently and had multiple missed messages from people both in the company and from Harmony. I really had to talk to her before I mess up the relationship anymore. Thought she should be the one apologizing as she had cheated on me, technically.


As I reached for the phone Alfred slapped my hand away "don't you even think about calling her!"


"Why not?"


"She's the one who treated your wounds, don't you think she will be suspicious that you have the exact same cut on your hand and bruise on your cheek as Batman does?"


Alfred had a good point, but I couldn't wait weeks for the wound to heal. I would have to cover if somehow, with a glove maybe? It was cold outside. She was the only one who saw me so I wouldn't have to worry about anyone else being suspicious.


"I'll wear gloves."


"And the bruise?"


"Makeup."


Alfred looked at me with raised eyebrows "I regret to say that I never though your father would be having me supply you with foundation and eyeliner on a daily basis."


"it's for a good cause."


I began to walk past Alfred to the elevator, and I have to admit I was struggling. Alfred walked over to my side and pulled one of my arms around his shoulder. I made no indication of my gratitude, but I felt that he already knew I was thankful for his presence.


"So your not going to tell me I should rest?"


"Seeing as no matter what I say, you never heed my advice, I figured that I would at least try to get you where you want to go in one piece."


"So your driving then?"


"Yes indeed master Bruce, I am going to drive."






~




I tugged at the itchy wool gloves concealing my stitches, that I would have to wear for a while around my girlfriend. They used to be my dads, and before that they were my grandfathers, but I never really bothered with wearing them. The gloves on the bat-suit were especially fit for me and had a feeling of almost air. These gloves were thick and heavy, all I wanted to do was take them off.


I got out of the Bentley Alfred drove me in and stepped out in front of Wayne enterprises. I would say that after examining the interior of the building that at least half of the staff hadn't shown up today. They weren't to blame, the Joker was.


"Mr. Wayne may I have a word?" Fox asked me upon walking into my office.


"Make it quick, I'm going to have to finish pulling this place back together in a day."


"I hope this won't take much time, but I wasn't sure if you'd heard about Gordon yet?"


I looked at Fox "what about him?"


"He called in the national guard, they just showed up a few hours ago."


"All of this isn't news to me."


"Yes, well they've just decided that if they see either the Joker or Batman, the orders are to shoot on sight."


I brushed my hand across my forehead in disbelief "of course they want me dead too it wasn't already bad enough with some low life Penguin guy and a mercenary, now I've got to worry about the national guard as well. "


"I'm just saying, if you want to be Batman your going to have to look out for a lot more than just villains now."


I sighed "is there any news at all on the happy juice incident? Deaths?"


Fox smiled making me feel an honest sense of relief "two in fatal condition, ten dead, and nearly eight hundred people saved because you showed up with the antidote."


I had to admit I was pretty proud of myself. God rest the souls of those who died, but I'd rather it be ten than the entire hotel building. The distribution of the drug through the piping in the hotel must have made the drug less potent, giving us more time to get the cure to those who needed it.


"Who do they think is responsible?"


"As of ten minutes ago the press were told that Waynetec had produced the antidote with the help of the police."


I sat down dramatically in my desk and looked around "I remember this place being a sort of mess yesterday."


"Well your girlfriend is the one you should be thanking, she cleaned the place up after she sorted Gordon out and got the national guard on there way to help."


I smiled at Fox "she's pretty amazing isn't she? How is Gordon?"


"Busy, and recovering from a bullet wound, no doubt he'll be dealing with the national guard all day today."


"I have one more thing to ask Fox."


"What's that Mr. Wayne?"


"How's my schedule for today?"


"Your free at nine o'clock."


I laughed "how did you know I was going to ask when I could get off?"


"Because if I were in your shoes the only thing I'd be thinking about is how to apologize to the only good part of your miserable life," he joked.


"That will be all Lucious."


With that he left and I looked down at my cell, admiring the numerous texts and calls I got from Harmony. I shouldn't exactly say admiring, more like I was studying them, and had no real reason to.


I should call her, but first I had to figure out a way to make it up to her. Flowers were cheesy, so was everything else a rich guy could think of. So I tried to think in my head of what I could do that wouldn't come off as cheap but not come off as arrogant as well. That's when the greatest idea in the world hit me, and it was outside too so I had an excuse to keep the gloves on.


I pressed call on my iPhone and held it up to my ear excited as hell to hear her voice.


"Bruce!" She yelled into the phone, I couldn't tell if she was mad or not, but I assumed she was.


"Hello? Harmony, I was wondering if we could meet at nine, town square?"


"You can't just call me back after 12 hours ignoring me and say can we meet?!"


Yup she was mad.


"I'm sorry Harmony, I will explain all of it later I promise."


"sure."


"Please, give me another chance, and I know you won't regret it."


There was a short pause at the end of the line and the entire time I was biting my nails (not literally).


"Okay. But only because you gave me a second chance."


"I knew you would say yes, I promise you I will make it up to you."


I had to apologize, but there was something else I had to do, I had to figure out if she knew anything about her dad.

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