Chapter XXXVI

Weiss woke up.

She was back in her bed at Beacon. For a second, she thought that everything that had happened was a dream. Crane poisoning her, Batman rescuing her, giving her the antidote. Had it all been a dream?

She sat up, realizing she was still in her Huntress uniform. She looked to the cabinet at the window, and spotted the three syringes Batman had given her.

It wasn't a dream! She grabbed them, and hurried to get back to Vale. She pulled out her scroll, and dialed Ruby's number.

"Weiss?"

"Ruby!" Weiss said into the scroll. "Are you alright?!"

"Me? Weiss, you were poisoned! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine! Our 'friend' saved me! But listen, I need to know where you are! I have something to give you!"

"I'm in the Narrows," Ruby said. "Weiss, something strange is happening here. I think there's a breakout in Arkham Asylum. Police, firemen, Huntsmen, Huntresses, and any good guy you can think of is coming over the bridge."

On Ruby's side of the call, she was standing beside Yang and Blake, watching as dozens of vehicles and bullheads flew into the Narrows. Around her, she could hear people talking about serial killers, rapists, and any kind of criminal breaking out of the asylum.

She had no clue what was happening. One second, everything was fine. The next, chaos was starting to build. She didn't know what had caused all of this, but she was hoping Batman would be here to help.

She was unaware of the fire at Wayne Manor that blazed bright in the black night sky.

A League of Shadows soldier stood guard at the door, making sure nobody would walk out. He didn't expect someone to come up from behind, bashing him in the head with a golf club.

"I hope you're not a member of the fire brigade," Alfred Pennyworth said, before running straight into the burning building.

He held his arm over his mouth, running as quickly as he could to search for Bruce. The house was too big, and if he didn't hurry, it would collapse before he could find his son.

Alfred turned a corner, and he finally found him, pinned to the ground by a log.

"Master Wayne!" he shouted, running to him. "Master Wayne!"

Bruce looked to Alfred. He had never been so relieved to see him.

The old butler grabbed the log, and tried to lift it. Bruce tried his best to help, but it would barely budge.

"What is the point of all those pushups if you can't even lift a bloody log?"

Bruce held in the laugh. Alfred's comedy was surprisingly relieving in this situation. But he didn't have time to think about that.

He pushed the log with all of his strength, his muscles burning up, and he rolled out of the way. Alfred knelt down to him, lifting him up, and running straight for the library with him.

He ran to the piano, and played the tune that opened the bookcase to the elevator. He carried Bruce inside, and pulled the lever to descend into the Batcave.

They crashed against the ground, and Bruce stared up at the flames above, allowing his emotions to escape with the tears.

"What have I done, Alfred?" he said. "Everything my family . . . my father, built . . ."

Alfred pulled Bruce's tux aside, and saw a huge, bloody mark on his waist. "The Wayne legacy is more than bricks and mortar, sir."

"I wanted to save Vale," Bruce said. "I failed."

The old butler looked at the saddened expression of his son. The boy had done everything to save his kingdom, but now he rested here, giving up on everything he'd fought for. It hurt him to watch.

"Why do we fall, sir?" he asked. Bruce broke out of his trance, looking at Alfred as he remembered the question. "So that we can learn to pick ourselves up."

Alfred smiled. It was a smile that filled Bruce with so much emotion. His previous disappointment with himself vanished, and he stared at his butler, no, his father, with love and admiration.

"You still haven't given up on me?"

"Never . . ."

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