The Way We Fall | Bruce Wayne

CHAPTER 12 - Murciélago

Sara spiraled into both disbelief and fear. It was security footage from Gotham National Bank. It was to be expected that the footage would eventually be uncovered, but that wasn't what shook her to the core.

She'd been assigned to retrieve documents many times from other places before, typically for small, irrelevant targets. Sara hadn't thought that these files belonged to the largest company in Gotham.

Or that she would be set up to receive the full blame.

GCN replayed the footage. It couldn't pick up many details from her masked face. But it was enough for anyone to recognize the black and gold suited figure. Her identity was safe, but it provided little consolation. Whoever had given her the task had planned it all out. She was the object of the public's attention, allowing whoever was actually responsible to remain unsuspected.

It was beginning to make sense. The car theft was meant to cause a scene in order to distract from whatever had been happening. She was never supposed to steal the car.

Sara found difficulty in falling asleep that night. Never before had she felt such guilt in what she was she was assigned to do. Yet now the remorse gripped her as she couldn't escape the thoughts in her head.

She had unknowingly caused the very same issue she was facing in her professional life. And that meant Bruce Wayne was innocent.

What more could she have possibly done to damage Wayne Enterprises? Bruce had been confident in their security measures, but she was sure that not even he knew the extent of the situation. It was all still under investigation, and Sara was acutely aware that if any information traced back to her personal identity...

She vowed never to reveal what she had done, only to try to make it right. Yet even if she did, she had no information to disclose. Everything was anonymous. But her masked self would still be sought out for interrogation by the GCPD. Or worse - by the Batman.

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Needless to say, the office was buzzing with the news of the mysterious woman on television.

The rumors circulated like hot air. Some believed she worked for Wayne Enterprises themselves and was being used as a dummy to hide a larger scheme. Some even said she must be working with the Batman. Sara remained neutral, feigning concern when needed. Though at times, her worry-filled expression wasn't fake.

To Sara's relief, Mr. Riley's schedule was fully booked the entire day, as it usually was before the weekend. That meant she could avoid confrontation and his speculation.

As soon as she clocked out, Sara hurried home. She had only an hour before her escort would pick her up.

With the chaos of last night, she hadn't prepared an outfit. She emptied nearly half her closet before she found a dress that was the perfect balance of class and elegance. She may not be as prestigious as the other guests, but she could dang sure look the part.

She spun before a mirror, observing the shoulder-less black sequin evening gown. Completing the look was her best jewelry and high heels. Her hair was done in neat, bouncy waves.

It was ten minutes to seven o'clock. With a final spritz of perfume, Sara grabbed her clutch bag and headed downstairs to the apartment building's front door. Almost precisely on time, a stunning Lamborghini Murciélago arrived. How could she expect anything less extravagant?

Sara walked outside just as Bruce was stepping out of the sports car. Slicked back hair and a lavish tuxedo. It suited him well.

He paused for a moment after opening the passenger door for her. She felt the weight of his gaze taking in her appearance. The look in his eyes told her everything she already assumed.

"I'd say you clean up nice, but..." She stopped for a moment. It seemed the feeling was mutual. Sara shoved it back down. "But I don't think your wardrobe consists of anything else."

She stepped into the car and Bruce shut the door for her, smiling. "You'd be surprised."

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A/N - thank you guys so much for keeping up with the story and for your support! This is probably the longest story I've written so far (it's not close to the end yet, I'm just really happy to see that people like my writing 😭)

also random side note, the fact that Bruce drove a Murciélago which means "bat" in Spanish in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight is such a cool detail