Batman:The Bird's Nest (Book 2) {#WATTYS2018} (COMPLETED)

Days Gone By

Two days, two people. Two people have died in the hands of the Joker on the span of two days. Two innocent people, killed. I bite my lip as the night grows colder. Batman was behind me looking down off the building we were on. We had connected with Gordon and he's got all his men out looking for the Joker. I wasn't exactly under lock down, Bruce needed my help out at night but I was always by his side. I had to be by his side during the day, and I'm not a fan of always having someone always watching over me. It's not fun. I'm now back to Batman looking the opposite way of him, then I see the Bat signal in the sky appears, I nudge Batman and he turns and sees the bright light in the night sky. Before he can say anything I jump off the building and fly my way to the Bat single. I hear Batman yell my name but I don't stop. I roll onto the building and Gordon turns and sees me.
"Blue Jay, where's Batman?" Before I can answer, Batman's come up behind me and my shoulder is pulled back. Batman pulls me away from Gordon and I turn to him glaring.
"Don't go out of my sight." Batman growls in a whisper. I push him away and walk to Gordon.
"Have you found anything?" I say as Batman stands beside me.
"Not quite, but I have new information on his whereabouts." He hands me papers and it's the warehouse where I would meet the Joker a year ago. I hand them to Batman and look around the city.
"What do you suggest we do?" Batman asks looking up from the papers.
"Keep her out of the light, and safe. My men are trying everything to help the people who may get captured by the Joker." Gordon says and I sigh. I feel that I'm not safe anymore, the two sides of me are breaking at the seams.
"People are dying because of me." I say looking down.
"It's not your fau-"
"Yes it is!" I interrupt Gordon. "I should just show who I am." I whisper hoping they don't hear.
"That's not an option! If people find who you are, your dead!" Batman growls. I shake my head.
"It's better then letting what, 300 days go by with 300 people dead. That's not an option." I say.
"At least wait until we figure this all out, we are so close Blue Jay. Just wait." Gordon says and I nod. "Me and my men are trying"
"You do your bit, and we'll do ours." Batman says before disappearing into the night with me in toe.

We make it to the warehouse that the Joker has been hiding in and Batman pulls me aside.
"Be careful in here." I nod and we sneak our way in. Water drops from the ceiling that is falling apart, class cracks beneath my feet as I walk into the centre light where I stood with the Joker once before. But this time I'm not alone, Batman sits in the dark watching for anything that could harm me.
"Well, well, well." I hear his voice, the voice that haunted me dreams this past year. That wicked clown. "Look who decided to have a family reunion." I see him walk towards me in the dark and I can see his wicked smirk. "I've been so lonely without you my pet. I don't have you for my dirty work anymore, which makes me sad." The Joker then steps into the light as I can clearly see his makeup plastered on his face.
"What do you want with me?" I ask in a growl. The Joker laughed.
"For your life to be ruined." I hear two pairs of footsteps approach us.
"Meet Grey Jay, a highly skilled agent gone wild. She's agreed to help kill you." The Joker points to Grey Jay as she steps into the light.
"Then there's my favourite number, he's an amazing killer. Of course you'd love him. But that's for later. His name you may ask? That's for us to know and you to never know!" The Joker turns to the man in all black as he steps next to Grey Jay. I narrow my eyes at them both and turn to the Joker.
"You'll never kill me." I say in a snarl. Suddenly in a flash the Joker pulls out a gun and shoots it towards me. I squeeze my eyes shut ready for the pain. Instead of feeling pain, I hear a groan and a swoosh of a cape. I open my eyes and see Batman has literally, taken a bullet for me. I look over his shoulder and see the bullet made it through his armour into his upper ribs. Batman still try's to stand tall but is holding his wound.
"Does Batman have a soft part for Blue Jay?" Grey Jay mocks, The Joker then laughs at us as I hold Batman's shoulder to try and help him, but he winces in pain.
"You know what! I think I want Batman's head instead of yours Chrissy!" Hearing the Joker say my real name sends chills down my arm to my legs.
"I want Batman to show who he really is to the public, so they can ruin his life and kill him. Once Batman is out of the way, I can finally kill you Blue Jay!" The Joker claps his hands like a child winning a game with the gun held loosely in his hand. He stops and snaps his fingers and Grey Jay, the mysterious man, and the Joker all disappear, I start to run after ten but Batman's weight is now all on me.
"Welcome to The Birds Nest." Is all we hear from the clown, as it echoes through the warehouse into the night.

"ALFRED!" I screamed as I try to carry Bruce into the Bat Cave. I pull my mask off, along with Bruce's as his eyes are closing from blood loss.
"Yes Miss James?" Alfred says getting out of the elevator to the cave, I lay Bruce on the cot and turn to Alfred.
"I need your help. Please." Tears are running down my face as Alfred stays calm. I realize I'm starting to panic.
"Come on Bruce. Look at me, stay awake." I say slapping his face lightly. His eyes open slightly and he locks eyes with me. Alfred starts to collect thing to remove the bullet and stitch up the wound. I start to remove his armour and pull off his shirt. Bruce gives a breathless laugh as I do so. But soon his soft smile turn hard and painful. He then starts to close his eyes and I panic again.
"Miss James, I think you should go upstairs and get cleaned up." Alfred says calmingly.
"But-"
"No, he's in my hands! I will do my best. Now go clean up." Alfred pushes me away and I head to my room with its own bathroom. I stop before turning on the water, seeing myself in the mirror. I don't recognize the girl in the mirror. I used to be careless and fun loving. Now I'm serious, cold hearted, I have too many responsibilities. I'm no longer that innocent girl, I'm a women who grew up too fast.