"And now every time a siren sounds,
I wonder if you're around"

ALFRED WATCHED HIS DAUGHTER PACE BACK AND FORTH.

The news was on the TV, showing a helicopter shot of the memorial. Police cars and news vans swarmed the outside of it. Rosalind couldn't even imagine what could be going on inside.

She was worried. Of course she was. Bruce wasn't just beating up a criminal or sneaking around abandoned crime scenes. There was a bomb involved. A literal bomb.

She had gotten back to the manor a few minutes earlier. The sun was going down when she walked through the door. She tried to remain as calm as possible. She looked at her phone every two minutes just in case Bruce tried to contact her. Alfred had seen what happened and bombarded her with questions as soon as she walked through the door.

"Are you alright?!" He had practically grabbed her before she could even say hello, looking her over for any sign of injury.

"I'm fine Dad," She assured him. "Just a bit shaken."

"Good," He breathed a sigh of relief. "I just saw what happened on the news. I immediately thought the worst. Is Bruce with you? Or... oh don't tell me that he-"

"Yep." She said.

"Of course he is." Alfred groaned. "I assume you're just as worried as I am. But I know you'd never admit that. We'll wait for Bruce to get back."

"If he gets back," Rosalind muttered, glancing at the TV again.

"Don't you say that," Alfred snapped. "I'll hear none of that, young lady."

Rosalind had started pacing after that.

The TV changed from helicopter footage to a newscaster.

"Although authorities have yet to enter the building due to the bomb," She was saying. "They have sent in a remote controlled camera to safely see inside. Unfortunately, we do not have access to that footage just yet-"

"How are we supposed to know whats going on then?" Alfred huffed.

A lightbulb went off in Rosalind's head. She stopped pacing and snapped her fingers.

"I know how we know," She said. "Follow me."

The two Pennyworths traveled down below to the cave. Rosalind knew that Bruce had to be wearing the contacts. If he could watch the club through her eyes, she could see this little mission through his.

She sat in front of the screens and fiddled around with them for a minute. A few seconds later, she was seeing the inside of the church. It was from a darkened room, but she knew exactly where he was. She reached for the microphone on the desk.

"Bruce?" She said softly.

She could tell that he stopped walking. She had startled him.

"It's me," She continued. "Dad's here too. This is the only way we can see inside."

"Just so you know I'm completely against this," Alfred said into the microphone. "You should have just come home."

"We've got your back," Rosalind said, ignoring your father. "Be careful."

The screen moved up and down. He was nodding. Rosalind muted the microphone so they wouldn't distract him. He was approaching Coulson slowly. The cellphone was still ringing. They watched Batman tear the tape from Coulson's mouth.

"Please," Couslon cried. "He made me do it. I'm so sorry. He told me that if I didn't do exactly what he said he'd kill me! I'm so sorry..."

"Looks like a combination lock," Batman said.

"Can't we just cut it off?" Coulson asked tearfully.

"Not if you want to keep your head," Batman replied.

They watched as Batman reached forward and tore the envelope off Coulson's chest. He opened it to reveal another card. The front read "In these trying times, never forget..." Batman opened the card to reveal the writing inside: "I'm just a phone call away. ANSWER."

Coulson held up the still ringing cellphone that was taped to his hand. There was no caller ID. Batman reached up and pressed answer.

"Is Riddler fucking facetiming him?" Rosalind scoffed. Alfred shushed his daughter.

There was heavy breathing coming from the phone. The screen was a single chair in front of a green wall with the Riddler's question mark symbol painted onto it. Slowly, the corner of his masked face leaned into frame.

"You came," he breathed.

"Who are you?" Batman asked.

"Me?' Riddler leaned closer to the camera. "I'm nobody. I'm just an instrument, here to unmask the truth about this cesspool we call a city."

"Unmask?" Batman repeated.

"Yes," he replied. "Let's do it together, okay? I've been trying to reach you. You're part of this too."

"How am I a part of this?" Batman asked.

"You'll see..." Riddler replied.

He sat back in the chair. They could see him clearly now. He was dressed in green, the same symbol on the wall was drawn onto his jacket. Rosalind couldn't help but find it strange, and maybe even a little funny, that he wore his glasses over his mask.

"Say hello to my followers," Riddler said. "We're live. They're here to watch our little trial."

Rosalind whipped out her phone. Sure enough, the top trending live video was his. She clicked on it to see thousands tuned in to watch. Comments whizzed by at lightning speed and for some reason, likes. A lot of likes.

"At the moment," Riddler continued. "The man across from you, Mr Coulson, is dead!"

"Jesus," Coulson gasped. "Can we get somebody out here?!"

"Wait a minute-" Riddler said to Batman, standing from his chair.

"This psychos gonna kill me!" Coulson exclaimed.

"Shut up!" Riddler shouted into the camera. "You deserve to be dead after what you did! YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Okay..." Coulson whimpered. Riddler laughed at him.

"I'm giving you a chance," He said. "No one ever gave me a chance. Now, ever since I was a child, I've always loved little puzzles. For me, they were a retreat from the horrors of our world. Maybe they can bring some comfort to you too, Mr. Coulson. To quote my favorite author: 'The strongest part of a man isn't the mind, but how he uses it.'"

Rosalind froze. That was the last line in her third book.

"Fuck," She said. "He just quoted me. That's from The Demons Of Coney Island. The very last line."

"So he is following you," Alfred looked alarmed.

"You want me to do puzzles?" Coulson was asking.

"We don't know for sure," Rosalind reasoned, trying to find any way to prove it not to be true. "It's... its a popular line. Hell people have gotten tattoos with it. And... and maybe my third book had a bomb in it. But lots of books do. Mine had a secret code to stop it though. So... it's different."

"Three riddles in two minutes," Riddler said. "You give me the answers, and I'll give you the code for the lock."

"Fuck." Rosalind said.

There was no denying it anymore. Riddler knew who she was. He was taking things from her books. It wasn't some weird coincidence.

It was fact.

Rosalind looked up at her father, looking for some comfort or reassurance. But his face was dark as he looked down at her.

"How did you know how to do this?" He asked, gesturing to the screens.

"You just don't get technology," Rosalind shrugged, trying to ease the sudden tension. They had just come to a revelation. She wasn't sure why he was asking this now. "Not hip enough-"

"Rosalind," he said. "I'm not stupid. I know what's been going on."

She froze.

"Riddle number one!" Riddler's voice sounded through the speaker.

"At first I thought it was a good thing," he said, ignoring the screens. "The two of you had drifted apart these last few years. He's out putting himself in danger every night, I thought you'd be able to reel him in. But you're as cast out as he is, aren't you?"

He took her silence as a yes.

"You're helping him with this," He pinched the bridge of his nose. "When you might as well be a target. He's following your books, darling. That isn't a coincidence anymore. I know that's the reason you've involved yourself. You shouldn't be putting yourself right in the line of fire!"

"Riddle number two!" Riddler exclaimed.

"I'm not!" Rosalind said, finding her voice. "I am helping him, yes. But because he asked me. I wasn't going to let him do this alone."

It was Alfred's turn to be silent. Rosalind kept talking.

"And I'm not a target," She said, more to herself than to him. "These are common horror tropes. He could be copying any book, not just mine. I've 'involved myself' to help my friend. That's all. I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions. I don't need your approval."

"Well you certainly don't have my approval," He said. But then he sighed. "But I can't stop you, can I? Neither of you."

"No," Rosalind said stubbornly. "You can't, Dad."

"Last riddle!" Riddler sang.

The two Pennyworths ceased their arguing and turned their attention back to the screens. There were only a handful of seconds left before the bomb would go off. Rosalind quickly unmuted the microphone.

"Bruce, you need to get the hell out of there," She said. "This idiots not gonna make it in time."

Her pleas went ignored. The Riddler continued.

"Since your justice is so select," he said. "Please tell us the vermin you're paid to protect."

"The rat." Batman said. "The informant you all protect from the Salvatore Maroni case."

"How do you know about that?" Coulson asked in shock.

"Whats his name?" Batman asked.

"Twenty seconds!" Riddler sang.

"Bruce get out of there!" Rosalind said into the microphone.

"No," Coulson lowered the phone and shook his head.

"He's gonna kill you," Batman reminded him.

"I'm a dead man either way," Coulson said, squeezing his eyes shut as Batman grabbed him. "You're talking to a dead man, okay? If I go out this way, it's just me. But if I give over that name, I have family, people I love. He'll kill them too!"

"Who will?" Batman urged him.

"People are watching!" Coulson cried.

"What people?" Batman snapped.

"It's so much bigger than you could ever imagine!" Coulson said. "It's the whole system!"

"FIVE!" Riddler counted down. "FOUR!"

"Bruce!" Rosalind exclaimed into the microphone. "Get out of there! Bruce!"

Before she could say anything else, the bomb around Coulson's neck exploded. Batman was thrown backwards. His eyes closed, they couldn't see what was happening anymore. He had been knocked out. Or at least, thats what they hoped.

Rosalind let out a cry of surprise and Alfred gasped. They stared in shocked silence at the black screen for a few moments before she spoke.

"Holy shit..." She breathed. "Holy shit!"

"Stay here," Alfred told her as he jumped up. "In case these turn on again. I'm going to find him."

"I'm coming with you!" She moved to get up as well but he firmly set her down by her shoulders.

"No." he said sternly. He looked angry. "You've done quite enough already, Rosalind. What's best for you is to stay here. Out of sight."

"I'm not a baby, Dad," She pushed his hands off her shoulders. "I can handle myself. I can help."

"This madman just killed someone!" Alfred exclaimed. "Bruce is down. I won't have you be next. He knows who you are. He's following your books. You could be next. I won't have you wandering about."

"I'm not wandering!" She said, getting angry as well. "You can't tell me what to do anymore!"

"This is for your own good," Alfred snapped. "This vigilante schtick is not for you. It's barely for him. You're going to get yourself killed."

"And what about Bruce?" Rosalind asked, her eyes narrowing. "Huh? You're just going to go find him all on your own? I can help. Just because I care if he lives or dies-"

"And I don't?!" Alfred shouted.

Rosalind recoiled in surprise. He hardly ever yelled at her. He stopped when he saw her reaction. But his eyes were still full of anger.

"Fine." He said. "If you want to leave, then leave. But go straight home. Back to your apartment. Find out as much as you can from there. Keep an eye on Copper. Lock the doors. Call me for anything. But I'll find him. Or he'll come back on his own. Either way, you stay inside. You stay safe. Understand?"

Rosalind was silent. Her jaw and fists were clenched.

"Understand?" he repeated, his voice rising again slightly.

"...Yes." She said, pushing past him towards the elevator. "Great talk, Dad."

The only place that Rosalind really could go was back to her apartment. There would be no way for her to get into the church and from there, who knows where Bruce could be? She would wait it out at home.

She kicked her apartment door shut behind her with a slam. Rosalind was pissed off. Pissed at herself. Pissed at her father. Pissed at the Riddler. Pissed at the world.

Copper apprehensively followed her around the apartment as she kicked off her shoes and threw her jacket on the couch. She went into her room and tore off her dress. She put on more comfortable clothes and collapsed onto her bed, reaching over and grabbing her laptop off the side table.

Angry writing was still writing.

Copper curled up at the end of her bed, the only sound in the room was her fast typing. The click clack of the keys was music to her ears. Half an hour passed, maybe more. She wasn't sure.

But Copper's head suddenly shot up. The Bloodhound paused for a moment before launching himself off of the bed with a sharp bark. He bounded out of her bedroom and into the living room.

"Copper," Rosalind called after him, rolling her eyes. "Shush. Leave the pigeons alone, buddy."

But all she heard was Copper's whines from the other room. The dog had been at war with the pigeons that often sat on the fire escape recently.

But last time Rosalind checked, pigeons couldn't open locked windows.

She heard the slow slide of her window being opened followed by a body practically falling into her apartment. She heard then groan. Copper came running back into the bedroom, panting and whining. Rosalind's eyes widened. Someone was breaking in.

Slowly and silently, she closed the laptop and slid out of her bed. This guy couldn't have picked a worse place to break into. She needed to let off some steam anyway. Rosalind kept a baseball bat behind her bedroom door.

She lived in Gotham after all, every room in her house had some kind of weapon in it. For protection.

She grabbed the bat and raised it above her head and she made her way down the hallway. She moved swiftly and silently, ready for anything that could be waiting for her in the next room.

A tiny part of her hoped it was the Riddler. She had a bone to pick with this guy now.

She reached the living room and raised the bat-

"-Rosie, wait!"

Rosalind froze with the bat raised above her head. Standing in her living room was Batman. She let her arms fall to her sides, the bat hitting the floor with a thump. She glared at him.

"I gave you a damn key for a reason," She snapped. "Please stop using my window."

"Rosie-"

"We thought you blew up," She said, beginning to pace. "My dad is out there looking for you right now!"

"He's not," Batman said, he seemed out of breath. "I called him already. Told him I was fine. He went home. Rosie, listen-"

"I have half a mind to kick your ass right now," She said. "You just show up at my place with no warning after all that. Do you have any idea what-"

"Rosalind," He winced. "Slow down. Please."

She stopped and looked at him closer. He was holding his side and slightly hunched over. His teeth were gritted and his jaw was clenched. He seemed to wince with every breath. She could see a scratch on his chin. His other hand gripped the arm of her couch for dear life as if he was about to topple over.

"You look like you got hit by a bus," She said.

"Overpass actually," he replied. "Do you still have that first aid kit?"

"It's in my room," She nodded, everything just dawning on her. Her anger melted away into worry. "Wait, wait! You got blown up. And then you- you hit an overpass? What-? Are you okay?"

She surged forward, putting his arm over her shoulder and wrapping her own around his waist. He winced again in pain and she mumbled a dozen sorrys as she half dragged him to her room. He told her through gritted teeth what had happened as he sat on the edge of her bed. He had woken up at the GCPD, there had been a fight but Gordon helped him make a quick escape, he jumped off the roof and flew-

"You WHAT?!" Rosalind almost tripped coming out of her closet with the first aid kit in hand.

"It didn't end well." He said simply. "I'd go back to the manor but your place was closer. I didn't know if you were home. I just... needed somewhere to rest for a minute."

Copper's head was in his lap and he was stroking the dog's head absentmindedly as he watched her. Rosalind shook her head with a frown as she opened the first aid kit.

"You are the stupidest man I have ever met," She said. "And I'm not talking to you when you're like this. Take it off."

He froze, blinking at her in shock. She knocked on the forehead of his mask.

"This." She said, rolling her eyes. "I don't wanna talk to Batman right now. I want to see Bruce. The Bat is getting on my last nerve."

He reached up and pulled off the mask, placing it lightly on the bed beside him. The Batman melted away. Bruce was staring up at her. He looked tired. The black makeup around his eyes couldn't hide the dark circles under them. His hair was matted from sweat.

He studied her face. Her eyebrows were knitted together and her mouth was a tight line. She was digging through the first aid kit almost violently, her jaw clenched.

"What happened?" He asked softly. "You're angry."

"And you're hurt," She said, taking out some bandages. "That takes priority. Where?"

He gestured to the general right side of his body. She sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"Well I can't do much with it covered up," She said. "Off it comes, let's go before you die on my watch."

"I'm not dying," He grunted as he began to remove his armor.

"I'll be the judge of that," She replied, walking out of the room. "I need a towel, hold on."

Rosalind trotted to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. She didn't know how bad his injuries were. And she didn't want blood on her bed.

When she came back into the room, he was sitting shirtless on her bed. Copper had jumped up onto the bed behind him, curled up against his back. Bruce's shoulders were hunched over and his arms wrapped around himself as if he was trying to shield himself from her.

Gently, she pushed his arms out of the way. There was already a nasty purple bruise forming on his side. There were several cuts on his arms and chest that looked like old wounds that reopened from the fall. The biggest one was on his right shoulder. Fresh blood trickled down his arm.

"Jesus," Rosalind mumbled as she set to work. "Is the overpass okay?"

He let out a loud exhale through his nose that turned into a wince of pain as she began to wipe away the blood. She murmured apologies again as she stood over him. Thankfully nothing was so bad that he needed stitches. This was good because Rosalind had no idea how to stitch someone up. Bandages she could work with.

"I assume you saw what Riddler said," Bruce said.

"Oh when he quoted my book directly?" Rosalind said sarcastically. "Or when he said I was his favorite author? Because both of those things were just great. Really made my day. I love my fans."

Bruce watched her as she worked. She was so focused, her tongue poking out between her lips. But her eyebrows were still furrowed and her eyes were narrowed. She didn't look at him. Her long hair fell into her face and she kept trying to push it out of the way with flicks of her head. Bruce reached up and pulled her hair over to one side so it was out of the way. She finally looked down at him.

"Dad found out," Rosalind said. "That I'm helping you. That I'm 'in this" now. He wasn't happy about it. And now that we know for sure that Riddler is using me as... inspiration... god, I dunno what to do. I dunno if I want to do this anymore but I know I don't have a choice, huh?"

She was rambling. Bruce had always liked how she talked enough for the both of them. Rosalind had finished on his shoulder and moved on to the other reopened wounds. She dressed them almost expertly. Bruce was impressed but he kept it to himself. In truth, there was no other person in the world who he trusted more to do this.

"You don't," he agreed. "And neither do I. I'm sorry, Rosie."

Rosalind sighed as she bandaged the last cut on his chest and began to inspect the bruise on his side. She gently put her hand on it and he hissed in pain.

"No broken ribs," She said. "Just a nasty bruise, don't be a baby."

The only cut left was the one on his chin. It was small, it would heal quickly. But Rosalind felt bad tending to the others but not to this one. She gently took his face and brought it closer as she dabbed at the cut.

This close, Bruce could smell her vanilla perfume. Between that and the pain, he almost felt drunk. His eyes fluttered, threatening to shut from fatigue. But he kept them open, staring up at Rosalind like she was his guardian angel. In a way, she was.

But he would never tell her that. Not willingly anyway.

"Thank you," Bruce said when she was done, his voice barely above a whisper. "...You're always taking care of me."

"Who else will?" Rosalind replied, standing to clean up the first aid kit."I expect you to return the favor when the Riddler inevitably stops reading my books and decides to read my brain from the inside out."

She turned to put it away when he caught her arm. She looked back down at him, confusion written across her face.

"Roise," he said seriously. She squinted at him.

"Brucie." She said sarcastically.

"Riddler isn't going to hurt you," He said firmly. "I know that's what you're worried about. He isn't going to touch you. Not while I'm around. I'll fix this. We'll fix this. I promise."

Rosalind snaked her hand into his and gave him a squeeze. She smiled softly and stepped back to him, still holding his hand. With her other hand she pushed his hair back so she could better see his face. His breath hitched slightly and he stared up at her with wide eyes. He couldn't help but notice that her smile almost looked sad.

"Is that the Bat or Bruce talking?" Rosalind asked.

"It's me." He replied.

That didn't answer her question.

But she hugged him anyway. He stiffened at first, from the pain and surprise. But then he practically melted into her. His face was pressed into her stomach because she was still standing over him sitting on the bed. His arms reached up and wrapped tightly around her waist.

They stayed like that for a long moment. But then Bruce broke the silence by saying something. His voice was muffled in her sweater. Rosalind couldn't help but laugh as she pulled away. His arms lingered around her as he looked back up at her.

"I need to go meet Gordon," he said. "Explain some things. Come with me?"

Rosalind didn't have to be asked twice. They were back on that rooftop not long after. The signal was turned on as they waited for Gordon to come out of the elevator. The man stomped out with a slightly swollen cheek.

"Could of at least pulled that punch, man." He grumbled to the Bat.

"I did." Batman replied.

"You punched him?!" Rosalind gasped.

"You're back?" Gordon looked at Rosalind in surprise. "Surprised you stuck around after today. You know he-"

"He quoted me," She sighed. "I know. That's why I'm here."

"Bock put out an APB on you," Gordon said to Batman. "You really think he's in on this?"

"I don't trust any of 'em," Batman replied. "Do you?"

"I only trust you," Gordon said sincerely. "Still not sure about your partner in crime though."

"Ouch," Rosalind put a hand over her heart. "I thought we were friends, mustache."

"What's a narcotics cop doing with Falcone's right-hand man?" Batman asked.

"Coulson said 'cops protect the rat'," Gordon replied. "Maybe Kenzie's part of it."

"You think Penguin's the rat?" Batman asked.

"His club caters to the mob," Gordon explained. "Maroni practically lived there. Penguin would have been privy to a lot of dirt. DA was a regular too. Maybe Penguin got himself into a jam and working a deal was his only way out."

"The rata alada," Batman said.

"The what?" Gordon asked.

"It's Spanish," Rosalind explained. "Rat with wings or something like that."

"Riddler's latest," Batman nodded. "The cipher in the maze. She's right, it means a rat with wings. Like a stool pigeon."

"A penguin's got wings too," Gordon said.

"Time for me to have another conversation with him," Batman said.

"What about the Riddler?" Gordon asked. "He's gonna kill again. And what about Rosalind? He might be after her next. She should be kept somewhere safe."

"As long as Rosalind is with me she's safe," Batman said before Rosalind could retort. "I'll make sure of it. But she can handle herself. It's all connected. Like it or not, it's his game now. You want to find the Riddler, we gotta find that rat."

"I get that," Gordon agreed before pointing at Rosalind. "But I'm serious, Rosalind. You might be in too deep."

"Bit late for that," She said. "But don't worry about me. I got my guard dog."

She patted Batman's shoulder. She saw his jaw clench in pain and she instantly took her hand away, remembering that was the shoulder he had hurt.

"Rosalind might be the key to all of this," Batman said. "Her books could tell us his next move. She's smarter than the best of us. She can fight like hell, I've seen it. Rosalind stays. We need her."

"Alright fine," Gordon nodded. "Maybe we do need her help. I'll keep an eye on her."

"Good, because you're riding together." Batman started walking away.

"We're what?" Rosalind raised an eyebrow as she and Gordon looked at each other. Batman didn't answer.

"We need to have a conversation," Gordon said as they went to follow the Bat. "Just how many people do you know?"

"It's complicated," She sighed. They all got into the elevator. "Really really complicated. I guess it's time for a ride along. Can I turn on the siren?"

"No." Batman and Gordon said in unison as the elevator doors closed.

"You guys are no fun at all."

JILLIAN SPEAKS!

FaceTime with bae

Head empty no thoughts just Bruce and Rosalind touching in any capacity. Bruce is so touched starved it's not funny. I have BIG plans for that later ;) Friends to lovers when one of them is a simp and the other is oblivious is my fave. I eat that shit up every time.

Also we love bestie Gordon. I can't imagine what it would be like to see Rosalind with Bruce Wayne then with Batman in one day. This man is so confused he is not paid enough to deal with this let him retire.

As always, leave any questions, comments, concerns, etc. And keep commenting!! You guys are so funny I love reading them. Comment section has been a bit dry lately rip. Don't be a ghost reader! I wanna hear all your thoughts.

Until next time, love ya!