My Story of Vengeance

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I squint my eyes as I wake up, the bright light from the window hurting them. My head throbs from the hanger over I now have, as well as my throat from the pressure of the umbrella. I open my eyes wider slowly, letting my eyes adjust to the room. I look around and take in the scene. The room I'm in is a large, circular one with a fireplace in the middle on the wall next to me. A huge window stands on the other side of me, showing me the estate outside. I go to move, but am stopped by ropes. I look down at myself and finally notice that I'm tied to a chair. My arms and legs are restrained. I pull against the rope, trying to free myself, when I hear a voice speak up.
"That's pointless." I look up at the doorway to find Oswald standing there. He walks over to me and stops a few feet away, looking down at me with a smile.
"They're tied pretty tightly."
"Good for you." I say with attitude. His smile drops as he quickly steps towards me, backhanding me across the face. The sting makes my eyes water slightly. I turn my face back to look at him. Having a bit more light now from the morning lets me see his face. Just by looking at him, he doesn't have much of a scary build. He is on the shorter side for a man, his frame weak. His hair sits a mess atop his head. His piercing blue eyes look into my soul as he stares at me. I shift slightly uncomfortably as he does.
"Don't cause problems for me, Veronica."
"It's Wren." I tell him. He chuckles softly as he walks towards the window. He moves his hands behind his back as he looks out. Rain still hits the ground, making it cloudy.
"I have been looking for you for over a decade." He tells me.
"Aw, do you want a ribbon?" I ask him. He turns to look at me over his shoulder.
"Don't be a smartass."
"Sorry, it's in my nature." I say with a fake smile. He turns back to the window. I pull against my ropes again, trying to budge them. 'Why did this have to happen? How did he know where I was?'
"For the longest time, when my father was still alive, he explained to me the situation at hand." He says. He slowly turns and starts walking towards me again.
"Your father, while your mother was pregnant with you, suffered from debts. He had medical bills to pay, loans to pay off, and no matter how much he worked, it was never enough." He stopped in front of me to look me over before continuing, pacing around the room.
"So, in need of quick money, your father asked mine for some help. My father loaned him money, and even his favorite prized possession. He had a rare blue gemstone that is worth millions. He gave it to your father as a test, and unfortunately, your father failed that test." He stops at the fireplace, staring at the fire that blazes in it.
"It was the eve of your tenth birthday. My father met yours after work to retrieve the gem. Your father gave him the box that it came in, but not the real gem." 'The photo I saw...' I think to myself. "That pissed off my father more than my mother had when she had me." He says. He turns to face me, walking towards me.
"So, he confronted your father about the real gem. Michael had told my father that he no longer had it, and that he would do anything he could to make up for it. My father decided to have you as his new gem." He said, his face sour.
"Then, of course, the accident happened and ruined everything. I was going to let it all go, until I found out how special you are to a certain someone." He leans in towards me as he smirks.
"Just how special are you to Mr. Bruce Wayne, hm? Think he'll come save his damsel in distress?" He asks. He lifts a piece of my hair off of my shoulder and plays with it.
"He doesn't care about me, so good luck with your plan." I tell him. I flick my pony tail away from him. He grins and grabs the top of my hair. He pulls the hair-tie out of my hair, letting it fall around my shoulders.
"Maybe with a little...persuasion." He laughs, sitting back up.
"How would he even know I'm here? How did you even know I was living there?" I ask him. He tilts his head as he gives me a smile.
"Oh, that's all thanks to our cop friend. Miles, come out and say hello." Detective Miles comes through the doorway and leans against it. He gives me a wave as he looks down. My face saddens as I look him over. 'I forgot he isn't on my side...'
"He was my informant, a good one at that. He helped me find you originally, and he was the one who sent those men to the strip club to find you. He was even the one who made the rape report to have you come into the station. Isn't he the greatest?" He asks, now standing next to him. He pats him on the shoulder. Miles looks more than displeased as he looks at Oswald.
"But alas, he blabbed to a certain someone that I didn't want knowing my plans." He says, he drops his hand to his side. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gun, quickly shooting him in the head. Miles drops to the floor, unmoving. I let out a loud gasp, jerking at my ropes.
"No!"
"With the worry of Batman around, my plans could be ruined. Miles should've been more careful." He says, stepping over his body towards me. I keep pulling at my ropes, trying to break free. He stops in front of me and puts the barrel of the gun against my chin to tilt my head up to look at him. I glare at him, hatred radiating from my body.
"So what should I do with you?" He asks me, looking at me. "Should I keep you, marry you, or kill you?"
"How about to go to hell." I grit through my teeth.
"Hm, maybe I'll take you with me." He smirks.
"How about you take me instead?" I hear a familiar deep voice come from the doorway. I hear Oswald sigh as he turns towards the doorway.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to get here." He says. I feel with slight relief as I see Batman standing in the doorway. Batman takes a step over Miles's body, coming further into the room. Oswald holds up his gun and aims it at my temple. I freeze, my eyes locked on Batman.
"Maybe we should talk first, hm?" He says, tapping the gun on my head softly. Batman stops where he is. His eyes glance down at me. I can see anger filling his expression before he turns his gaze back on Oswald.
"Then talk." He tells him.
"You're not the one that I want here for this." Oswald says. "Can you bring me the right person?"
"What are you talking about?" Batman asks him.
"Oh, well, you see, I am actually wanting a certain Wayne's attention for this. I do believe that since you're here, he is unable to be?" He says, a devilish smile forming on his lips.
"W-what are you talking about?" I ask. Oswald lifts his other hand and slaps me across the face.
"Shut up! This is between me and Batman." He spits out at me. I shake my hair out of my face as I look back up between them. Batman has slowly made his way closer to us, standing only a few feet away now.
"Are you wanting to explain this to her, or should I?" Oswald asks him. I look at Batman, my eyes full of curiosity. Batman looks between the both of us before Oswald sighs.
"Always silent. Well, maybe I could make you take then." He says. He points the gun at my leg and clicks the trigger. I let out a scream as a bullet goes straight through my thigh. The feeling of fire burns through my nerves, making my body shake. The pain is excruciating, making me cry out.
"Okay, alright. Stop it!" Batman says, stepping forward. Oswald points the gun at my head again.
"Then tell her the truth. Now." He says to Batman. Batman lets out a sigh as he looks at me, his eyes full of sorrows.
"I'm...I'm not just a random person, to you." He says. My brows furrow from confusion and pain. 'So...I know him?' I think to myself. Batman slowly walks closer to me. Oswald points the gun over at him.
"Stop right there. Any closer and I'll shoot you, then her." He says. Batman holds up his hands to show his obedience.
"Tell her." Oswald says, his tone filling with annoyance. Batman looks down at me with sad eyes.
"Wren...I'm sorry." He says. I shake my head slightly as I watch him lunge forward. He grabs Oswald's hand that has the gun and points it upwards. The gun goes off as Oswald had attempted to shoot him, but didn't expect the sudden attack. As they fight, I attempt the ropes again. Every time I move my leg, pain shoots through me. I grit my teeth as I keep pulling. I somehow manage to get one hand free, and start to untie my other hand. Once they're both free, I untie my ankles too. Batman and Oswald are fighting, the fun no longer in Oswald's hand. Batman throws punches at his face as Oswald dodges them. I find the gun lying on the floor near the fireplace.
I quickly limp over, ignoring the pain, and grab the gun. I check the barrel and see a bullet set in place. I hear Batman groan as I turn and find a knife in his stomach. Oswald somehow managed to stab him, just below his heart.
"No!" I shout. I aim it at Oswald's chest and shoot. He steps back as the bullet hits him, turning to face me. I shot the gun two more times, making him fall to the floor. Batman drops to his knees as he holds the handle of the knife. I quickly toss the gun to the side and run towards him. I drop to my knees as I grab his hand. He looks up at me, his eyes tired.
"Leave it in." I say softly. He nods as I carefully lay him back. I assess his wounds, seeing if he was hurt anywhere else. As you adrenaline wears off, the pain from my leg starts to kick in. I groan as I get annoyed. 'I don't have time for this!' I say. I reach down and rip a long piece of fabric off of the bottom of my shirt. I tie it around my thigh and pull it tightly. I let out a groan as the make-shift tourniquet prevents me from bleeding out. Now that that's done, I turn my focus back to Batman. His breathing is deep and slow, but his heart rate is still okay. His eyes are now closed, possibly passed out from the lack of blood in his body. I scan over his body, not knowing what to do. I glance back at Oswald, his body lying like stone.
"Do I really know you?" I ask Batman quietly, knowing he won't answer. I lean down a bit and examine his face. I reach up and lightly touch the bottom of his mask. My heart races as I pull on it, lifting it off of his face. I drop the mask and gasp, moving backwards away from him as I see who it is.
"B-Bruce?!" I manage to get out, shocked. He doesn't respond, unconscious from his stab wound. A million thoughts run through my mind, but the first thing I do is grab my phone out of my pocket and call Alfred.
"Ms. Painter, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"A-Alfred! I need help!"
"What's wrong?"
"I was kidnapped by Oswald, we're at the Cobblepot Manor. B-Bruce showed up to help, but he was stabbed. I-I don't know what to do or where to take him."
"Calm down dear, I'll be there soon. And, this is very important to know, are you sure he's Bruce?" The way Alfred said his name made my heart drop. So, even he knew before I did.
"He was Batman." I tell him, anger lining my voice.
"I see. I'll be there soon. Don't take the knife out." He says before hanging up. I nod to myself as I lower my phone, resting it in my hands. I look down at Bruce and watch his breathing.
"All this time...." I trail off. I stroke his hair as I wait for Alfred to arrive.