My Story of Vengeance

Chapter Twenty-Five

I pull up to Miles's place and then off my bike. I set my helmet on the gas tank as I look up at the apartment complex. Most lights are off in the windows, only the hall lights are left on. I swing my leg over the bike and hop off. I look both ways before crossing over to the apartments. I walk up to the steps and look through the glass on the doors. I pull on the handle but it doesn't budge.
"Oh, come on." I say as I pull again. No luck. I kick the bottom of the door as I back away. I notice the panel on the side of the wall where it lists the apartment numbers and who lives there. There are call buttons on each slot, to call up to the person in that unit. I let out a sigh as I reach for the button for Miles's apartment.
"Don't." I hear someone say behind me. I gasp as I turn to find Batman standing there. I let out a deep sigh as I cross my arms.
"Hello to you too." I say. I look him up and down. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same." He says, stepping towards me.
"I'm here to get some answers." I tell him. He looks down at me.
"Answers for what?" He asks.
"My past. And I guess present and future too." I tell him, dropping my arms to my sides. "So, why are you here, really?" I ask him.
"The same." He says. I glance up at him, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm here to get answers about you." He says.
"Why? And how did you know about Miles?"
"I do my own research, you know." He says, crossing his arms. I scoff jokingly.
"Okay, Batsy, let's not get our panties in a twist." I put my hands up in surrender. He lets out a small chuckle.
"Not now, but maybe later I can do something with your panties. Hm?" He smirks, leaning down towards me a bit. My cheeks heat up as I blush. I laugh nervously as I clear my throat.
"A-anyways, I'm going to call the button now." I say, turning towards the panel.
"Not a good idea."
"Well, how else am I supposed to get in there?"
"You don't." He says. I let out a groan.
"Please, spare me that shit. I already got it from Bruce, I don't need it from you too." I tell him. I see a small flicker in his eyes when I say Bruce's name. He stares at me for a few seconds before looking out towards the street. With it being later at night, no one is out driving or walking. He grabs my hand and pulls me down the steps.
"Come with me." He says.
"As if I have a choice." I say, being dragged behind him. He pulls me around the back of the building, letting go once we reach the alley.
"Where are we going?" I ask him. He reaches for something on his belt and holds it up above his head. Something shoots up and lands on the roof. I see a wire hanging from the roof to Batman's belt. He grabs me around my waist and pulls me in. I gasp as he closes the distance between us. I look up at him as he glances down at me. A small smirk plays on his lips as he looks back up.
"Hang on." He tells me. I hold his arms tighter as he pulls us up towards the roof on his grappling hook wire. I look down and see the ground get smaller as we get higher. I gulp and close my eyes. Heights were never my strong suit. We land on the roof and I move away from him, taking deep breaths.
"You okay?" He asks me. I nod.
"Yeah, just wasn't expecting that."
"Sorry. Let's go." He tells me. I nod and follow him to the roof access door. He turns the knob and pulls the door open. He holds it for me as I enter and start down the stairs. Miles loves on the tenth floor, we have to go down five to get there.
We make it to the tenth floor and open the stairwell door that leads to the hall. I stick my head out to check the hall before stepping out. I gesture for him to follow me as I make my way to Miles apartment.
"34B, 34B....oh here it is!" I say in a whisper, point to the unit labeled 34B. Batman walks in front of me and knocks on the door without hesitation. I stand next to him, glancing between the door and him. 'Why does he want answers too? It's not his life.' I think to myself. He knocks again, a bit harder this time. We wait a few more seconds before we hear the lock turn. The door cracks open as he looks out. The way Batman is standing hides him from Miles's view as he peaks out, so he only sees me.
"Ms. Painter, I have many questions but I guess I'll start with what are you doing here at this hour?" He asks me. The door remains cracked as we speak through it to each other.
"Hello, I came here to see if I could ask you some questions? It's quite important." I say with a smile. He looks me up and down as he thinks.
"What kind of questions?"
"Well, at the meeting earlier today you mentioned something from my past that I only found out recently. I was hoping you could fill me in on some missing pieces."
"Hm...I don't think so."
"Why not?" I ask him.
"Because I owe you nothing, and someone else everything."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Goodnight, Wren." He says. He goes to shit the door hit Batman blocks it at the bottom with his foot. Miles looks down and see a foot blocking it. He opens the door more to get a better view and freezes when he see Batman.
"I believe the lady asked uh a question." Batman says, his voice deep and stern. My heart thuds. 'How can he be this attractive?'
"O-of course. Please, come in." He says, his voice full of fear and anxiety. He opens the door fully and I nod stepping into his apartment. I look around. It's quite nice and tidy for a detective. His apartment is a one bedroom, one bathroom. His kitchen, dining room, and living room are all open, and the bedroom and bathroom hide in the back right corner. I hear him shut the door and walk towards the kitchen counter. Batman stands in front of the door, his arms crossed across his chest. I stop by the other side of the kitchen counter.
"Would you like something to drink?" He asks us. I shake my head.
"No, thank you. I would just like to ask you some questions please."
"Okay, what would you like to know?"
"Well, for starters, how do you know about me?"
"...I guess you could say I have a really good source for information." He says. He takes a sip of his water that he poured for himself. He's clearly very nervous.
"Who's that source?" I hear Batman asks. Miles glances over at him and shakes his head softly.
"I-I can't tell you." I see Batman start to get angry, so I redirect Miles attention.
"That's okay. Can you tell me what you know about me? Please? I only found out a few weeks ago that my parents may have been murdered, that my name was changed to protect me, and that I may be being hunted. Anything you can tell me...please..." I tell him. He looks at me with sad eyes before looking down.
"I can't tell you much Wren. I know that your father owed Van Dahl. He was struggling financially and needed help. Van Dahl gave him a 'loan' to help. That 'loan' was a death sentence for your father. He couldn't repay it, so...he promised Van Dahl that his son could..." he trails off, looking down again.
"Could what?" I ask him, urging him to continue.
"...your father made a deal to let Oswald marry his daughter once she turned 25." He says bluntly. I blink as I take in what he just said.
"Wait...what? My father promised me to Oswald?" I ask him, trying to wrap my head around it.
"When you were ten, the accident that killed your parents was just that, an accident. When they died, Van Dahl tried to track you down. He couldn't find you because your name was no longer Veronica Clide. They had believed you died along with your parents. It wasn't until recently that Oswald had gotten word that you were still alive. He has been trying to find you since your birthday this year." He tells me. I'm speechless as I take in all of this information. 'How could all of this be true? It can't be...right?'
     "So...I am being hunted, but not to be killed? Just to be made someone's wife?" I ask him.
     "I guess you could put it that way, yes." He confirms.
     "And how do you know all of this?" Batman asks, walking towards him. Miles backs up a bit out of fear as he answers.
     "I-I told you, I can't tell you who my informant is." He says. Batman grabs his shirt collar and pulls him towards him.
     "Batman!" I say, walking towards him.
     "What aren't you telling us?" He asks Miles.
     "I-I swear, I'm not lying to you!"
     "You're hiding something, what is it?" Batman asks harshly. Miles panics as he tries to plead with Batman to let him go.
     "Batman, let him go!" I say, pulling on his arm.
     "Why her? Why does Oswald still want her? Tell me!"
     "I don't know!" Mike's exclaims.
     "Yes you do, now spill it!" Batman demands, his hand going to his throat to choke him. Miles starts to cough a bit, struggling to breathe.
     "B-Batman, let him go!" I start hitting his arm, trying to get his attention.
     "Tell me!"
     "B-Bruce Wayne." Miles chokes out. Batman's grip releases quickly as he takes a step back, dropping Miles to the floor
     "What?"
     "H-he...he's using her to get to Bruce..." Miles says in a raspy voice as he rubs his throat. Batman stares down at him. I look between both of them before turning my gaze to Miles.
     "Why? What good does that do for him?"
     "He's had a grudge on Bruce ever since they were kids. He's going to do anything he can to hurt him. He knows he important you are to him...so he's going to use you to get what he wants."
     "And what exactly does he want?" Batman asks, his eyes dark. Miles turns his gaze to Batman. He slowly stands up.
     "For him to burn." Miles says, staring Batman in the eyes. I glance between the both before stepping in front of Batman, facing Miles.
     "Thank you, for answering my questions. I really appreciate it." I tell him, a soft smile on my face.
     "Don't thank me." He says, turning away from us. Batman grabs my arm and starts pulling me towards the door.
     "Let's go." He says, opening it. I try to stop him, but he grabs my wrist and pulls me with him. We head down the stairs and out of the front doors. He pulls me all the way to my bike and grabs my helmet. He shoves it onto my head before swinging his leg over my bike. He sits down and gestured for me to get on behind him.
     "Batsy, take a breath." I tell him. He turns on the bike and grabs me by my waist. He puts me behind him and kicks the kickstand up, driving off. I wrap my arms around him to stay on a a he rushes off. He drives me all the way back to the estate, stopping the bike right outside of the gate. He turns off the bike and hops off. I take my helmet off and get off the bike. He stands at the gate, looking in. I walk towards him, stopping a few feet away.
     "Okay, speak. What's going on with you?" I ask him. He doesn't say anything as he stands there for a few more seconds before turning around. He walks towards me and grabs my face, kissing me deeply on the lips. My eyes widen from the suddenness of his actions. My hands lay on his biceps as I try to pull away.
     "Batsy, talk to me." I say into his lips. His hand goes to the back of my head as he pulls me back in, taking my breath away. His other hand goes down to my waist, pulling me into him to where our bodies press against each other. I squeeze his arms as I give in, kissing him back. His actions cause my heart to be in a swirl of emotions. I can never tell what he wants with me, or how to deal with him. After a few more seconds, he pulls away slightly but leans his forehead to mine. Our breathing is quick, in sync.
     "I won't let Oswald get you." He says to me. His voice is soft, and quiet. I give him a soft smile as I pull away from him. His mixed signals of our relationship are staring to hurt me.
     "I know." I smile. "I should get inside. Thank you, for your help tonight." I tell him before getting on my bike. I start it up and drive through the gate, letting my thoughts run wild. 'So, I really didn't know my parents huh? How pathetic.' I think to myself as I drive up to the estate.