Vigilant -- Bruce Wayne

Prologue

Today has to be the end of it all.

I stare at the towering building of Arkham Asylum with dread coursing through my veins. It was inevitable– Jonathan's delusions have reached a point where he's forgotten that he was doing this all for the pursuit of knowledge, the allure of power taking over his mind; I have to escape before it's too late. Life as I knew it had been torn to shreds ever since I got involved with Crane, all of the guilt from the past eighteen months swirling in my stomach with every waking moment.

Watching the floors pass me by through the glass elevator filled me with nausea. My head was pounding, my palms sweating, and I could hear my heart thumping in my ears like a cry for me to stay quiet and comply with Crane's delusions as the world cracked in front of me. The door opened and I saw Jonathan's eyes flicker to me.

"Finally." A distasteful calm is written across his face. He sets aside his papers and turns towards me, leaning back in his chair and assessing me with an overly critical gaze despite his casual demeanor.

I throw my briefcase onto his desk and slam my hands onto his desk. "I can't do this anymore Jonathan– For the past three months I've been begging and pleading for you to reconsider your plans to spread the toxin across Gotham and I'm tired of using my degree to help you pull the strings of the authorities."

He takes a deep breath; He's expecting a bluff. "Excuse me, L/N?" Taking his glasses off and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Are you thinking straight? If you genuinely think that you can escape the life you've chosen for yourself then you are gravely mistaken Y/N." It's true. I've done my fair share of sin alongside Dr. Crane. Crimes that could land me in maximum security until I meet my demise, yet I cannot allow myself to sit idly knowing the city could rip at the seams at the drop of a dime. I gather my belongings in a frantic rush. I do not care what he says.

He trails around his desk to approach me. "You honestly believe I'll keep my mouth shut? Everybody has a past. Fears. You don't want to end up like the rest of them, do you?"

I snap my head back to him. "I know you think that I'm too scared to tell the police, but I'd rather go to jail than help the likes of you for another second. I'm tired, Jonathan. I'm sick. I never wanted to hurt people– You can destroy the city by your hand, and yours alone." A tremble in my voice betrays my mental weakness. My breath is catching in my throat and it's a miracle that I even choked a word out over the sickness of the anxiety I felt. I need to run– Now. Taking the last of my documents I pivot on my heel straight out of the office. I nearly break into a run to get to the elevator before frantically pressing the button that closes the door. He's thrown a few papers aside to follow me to the parking lot. He's seething beneath that cool exterior; eyes locked on me, tracking me through the hall. He just misses me as the elevator's soothing voice fills the room, informing me that I'm going down. A gust of air escapes through my mouth. I nearly collapsed. I see life as I know it leaving me, and I'm ready to give relaxing a try. Unfortunately, as the elevator doors open to what I thought would be the lobby, a stop at the third floor reveals Jonathan's piercing gaze. My heart dropped straight to my stomach. We're alone. It's all over. My breathing labors, and I retreat into the corner. I felt small– I could be crushed. Eradicated. Exterminated.

"Playing a game like that won't work with me, L/N. You and I both know this– I won't go down unless I take every one of my accomplices with me, and the police will be more lenient with the likes of me rather than an erratic new hire." His steps towards me felt like thorn-laden vines tightening around my throat, any previous relief being replaced with dread for my future. "What were you thinking, Y/N?" He tilts his head up to stare down at me. The door opens and if you blinked you would miss me– I darted out the door avoiding the prying eyes of my previous co-workers. My eyes stayed locked on the path to the door as Jonathan followed not far behind, reminding me of my commitments and my promises, but most importantly, he reminded me of my crimes. What am I to do once I'm out of his grasp? Can I survive? Will I live in fear of his wrath or will my life be over before I can even start to spiral? As I crossed the parking lot, my brisk walk had turned into a sprint to my car. Jonathan knocked on my window, yet I stared into my hands as I contemplated my rather grim future. One last knock on the door startles me before I see his figure move away from me.

What have I gotten myself into?