No Heroes

Collateral Damage

Bruce

Bruce stopped breathing. 

Bruce Wayne or Selina Kyle?

He despised this bastard.  He glared at Jeremiah with an intensity that could burn down cities, which was kind of ironic.  He clenched his fists in order to stop from pummeling the psycho into the wall, and he had to close his eyes to stop himself from looking at Selina.

Jeremiah chuckled, "Did I hit a nerve?"

"Leave him alone," Selina growled.

"You know, I've never understood love," Jeremiah sighed, and even through his rage and fear, Bruce felt himself freeze again, like last time,  "a feeling that 'makes you feel alive' and yet evokes such a strong desire for death.  And you, Miss Kyle, have the strongest reason to be repelled by it.  Everyone you have ever loved has left you.  Your mother.  Father.  Ivy Pepper. Bridget Pike. It's just a matter of time before he does-" Jeremiah nodded at Bruce, and Selina's breath hitched, "-I guess we'll just have to see. So, how can-,"

Jeremiah was cut off abruptly by a fist slamming into his mouth.  Bruce's eyes followed along the arm that hit him, and onto the familiar face that was Alfred, but with an unfamiliar expression.  It was so unfamiliar that it took Bruce a minute to place it.

"You're done talking," Alfred spat.  He realized that it was pure rage.

"Actually, you're done breathing," a voice behind him matched Alfred's.  Tabitha.  Selina grabbed her before she could reach him, but looked like she was trying to restrain herself at the same time.

"Everybody.  Out, now," Jim said wearily, "we'll discuss this once we are outside of the enemy's range."

"You're not seriously thinking about considering his offer," Tabitha scoffed.

"Tabs," Selina said as wearily as Jim, "please."

"I think we all need a minute," Lucius suggested, his eyes lingering on Selina, and then drifting to Bruce, "Let's reconvene in ten minutes."

People started to file out of the room despite the bomb that just blew up the very ground they stood on just minutes before.  Bruce stayed put, unable to move his feet.

"I just need a minute," he asked as Jim beckoned him to the door.

"Bruce, I don't think that's the best-," Jim began.

"I won't do anything, I promise.  I just need a minute."

With a nod, Jim was out of the room, closing the door behind him. Bruce turned to Jeremiah.

"Ah, Bruce. Didn't I tell you? All it takes is one day to drive someone mad."

Bruce knew that he was crazy. Beyond crazy. He knew that looking for Jeremiah's logic to justify his actions was like trying to find a fact using a poem. All he would find is pretty words with a twisted meaning. But he couldn't help it. Jeremiah had once been his friend, driven by the very passion that Bruce had, trying to help Gotham. How could someone so good become so-

"I can see you debating where everything went so wrong. How could I do something so cruel?"

"I haven't underestimated your cruelty since you pulled that stunt with Alfred and shot Selina."

"I will say, you have an impeccable resistance to what I have been trying to show you for months."

He dodged Jeremiah's obvious attempt to spark Bruce's interest in his crazy plans. He asked, "What did Selina do to deserve this? She's never done anything to you."

"Bruce. You're smarter than that. You know the answer. You've known it even before we met. That girl, her destiny is to be collateral damage. She's the product of a marriage between two people who left her to fend for herself, and even after knowing that, she still decided that her closest companion should be you, someone who could and would never prioritize her, no matter your intentions.  Those other Sirens would pick each other over her in a heartbeat, and her relationship with that insufferable butler even comes second to yours.  Now, I've given her a purpose."

Each word was like a punch in the stomach. Bruce took a step forward to hit him, and then realized that he promised Jim he wouldn't do anything. Did Jeremiah really think that? Does SHE really think that?  Does she really think she doesn't matter?

"The truth is ugly, Bruce. But it is the truth," Jeremiah sighed, "you should know that better than anyone."

No more. Bruce got out of there as quickly as he could.

He hastily closed the door and turned to see Alfred standing before him.

"Alfred!" Bruce was filled with relief, which quickly drained the next second, "Where's Selina? Did she have another attack? Is she okay?"

"She's with Tabitha.  Jeremiah said every hour, and it's only been 20 minutes. She's fine," Alfred put a hand on Bruce's shoulder, "and as worried as I am about her, are you okay?"

Bruce couldn't help but feel a pang in his stomach so soon after Jeremiah said those things.

"I'll be okay when we figure out how to fix this."

"Very well," Alfred agreed, dropping his hand, "let's go save our girl."

Captain's Office

Jim was sitting at his desk, looking ten years older than he truly was.

Everyone else had gathered around the desk. Bruce counted them off to calm his nerves. Alfred. Selina. Tabitha. Lucius. Harvey. Barbara.

"You wanted to contemplate our options," Tabitha sneered, "It doesn't really seem like we have many."

"Well, Jeremiah said we could either let Selina die or give Bruce to him," Barbara piped in, "I know which one sounds more appealing."

"Me too," Tabitha agreed.

"I think we should explore some options that haven't been created by a madman," Lucius offered.

"We could follow Jeremiah once we let him go," Harvey suggested.

Jim shook his head to disagree, "They would just reactivate the electric pulse in Selina.  The only difference would be that we wouldn't have Jeremiah."

"Is killing the bastard completely off the table?" Tabitha growled.

"We could put a tracker on him," Alfred proposed, ignoring Tabitha.

"He might be crazy, but he's not an idiot," Lucius countered, "There's a difference."

They all stood there, desperately racking their brains for someway to save them both.

"I have an idea," Selina popped in, looking at Lucius, and Bruce suddenly got a bad feeling in his stomach. Selina had been quiet the entire time; he knew her, she had been thinking of something. And based on her timing, it wasn't anything they were going to like.

"We play into Jeremiah's plan.  We make the obvious choice.  We chose Bruce.  We let me die."

Bruce stopped breathing.