It's Getting Closer (A The Batman,2022 Riddler x OC story)

Chapter 1

It was 9:37am and Bea was sitting alone at the reception desk in the large entrance hall of Wayne Towers. She tapped her pen on the desk nervously, filtering through her brain for excuses should their supervisor round the corner and question if her co-worker, Hannah, had shown up yet. Hannah was constantly late. It was the only negative trait her friend, Bea, could really pinpoint. In every other way, she was absolutely wonderful. Cheerful, helpful, never one to get involved in any sort of drama. The complete opposite of Bea, who was always on time but was a chaotic mess of a human being, who usually thrived on gossip, shit-talking and generally being, a term she used to self-describe and identify, a gremlin. She figured that was what had really pulled them together, that they each gave something the other one never had.

Four months ago, Bea had been introduced to the replacement for her old colleague, Marleen. She hated Marleen. She was a lot older than Bea, and had, from the outset, treated her like a silly little girl when in reality, she was a university graduate pushing thirty. For two months, while they searched for a willing and suitable replacement for Marleen, Bea had got used to working alone and actually preferred it. Marleen made the job harder, and without her, Bea excelled. So she had been prepared to dislike the new start, regardless of who they were or what they brought to the role.

Admittedly, it wasn't exactly love at first sight. No meet-cute there at all. Hannah was brought to the desk by Mr Anders one morning and pretty much given to Bea to train. She knew it was a total bitch move, but Bea had been incredibly cold until lunch time, when a change of heart brought on by Hannah's offer of lunch caused her to take her round to one of the better cafes in the area.

"How have you found everyone so far?"

"Oh...I haven't met many people, but everyone seems lovely!"

"What? Even Anders? He's an ass!"

"I don't know much about him yet, I suppose. He seems ok though. Formal, but I'd rather that than some sleazebag."

"Oh, you definitely don't know him well enough yet. I've been victim to his wandering hands at several Christmas parties so far, and I heard from one of the women up on the fifth floor the other day that he-"

Hannah had interrupted her, politely as she could, explaining that she preferred not to discuss rumours or anything other than someone's work ethic. Bea finished her lunch in silence and when they got back to their shared desk, had given Hannah the dreadful task of sealing envelopes for the afternoon as a sly punishment. By the time Mr Anders had called her to his office to do some paperwork, she had several paper cuts and her tongue was completely dry from sticking the envelopes closed. She lisped as she spoke to him "yeth, thir" and Bea had sniggered while she pretended to type.

A half hour later, Hannah had returned and sat silently, hands in her lap.

"He's a disgusting asshole."

"I knew you'd come around." Bea had turned to smile at her, and Hannah returned it. And for the rest of the afternoon, each person who came to the desk received the Bea treatment, a background on their behaviour and whether they could be trusted in an elevator alone with you. Hannah let her guard down and laughed loud enough that the security guards at the desk along the hall kept looking up from their monitors and newspapers to scowl at the two women, giggling and shushing each other like teenagers in study hall.

It was good for Hannah to feel a bit rebellious, to unleash her opinions and not be so rigid, so meek. And it was good for Bea to recognise her gossiping habits and to hold it back every so often. They complimented each other well, and were up front about this aspect of their friendship, frequently ending their nights out at bars with slurred, sentimental mush with a palm against each other's cheek. They gushed about the men in the office, complained about plenty of them too, walked each other home and had takeout every weekend together. Neither of them had ever had a real friend before, and the last four months had felt like a chance at being a teenager again. Sleepovers, gossip, laughing wildly until they were crying and snorting.