A piano. It sits silently alone on the stage at Gotham’s opera house waiting for someone to come along and dances their fingers across its ivory and black keys. This grand piano hasn’t been touched in weeks. The recent attacks on the heads of the city have caused the house to close. Not tonight though. Tonight its sweet chords will be played once again.
Tonight, under high security, Miss Isabella Dent will beplaying a special performance dedicated to her dear deceased brother. Isabella had been called into town as soon as her brother charity event had been scheduled. It was that night where she finally met the infamous Bruce Wayne.
It was also the first night she saw the true face of insanity. The Joker. His cold hands reached out and grasped her face. Pressing his blade to her cheek, he spoke of how his wife was the reason for his scars. She held her breath the whole time. Afraid that if she took a breath, she was going to break down in tears. Showing him the fear he loved to get out of people.
After she had finally been saved by Batman she took another breath falling to the floor. It was then Rachel’s turn to be attacked by this crazed man. After Batman had saved Rachel’s life as well The Joker left her and the other guests stunned and shaken. Once all the people had left, Bruce returned. Harvey tended to Rachel’s care while Isabella got ready to leave. It was then Bruce offered her his assistance.
“Let me take you back to your hotel.” Bruce helped her get into her coat.
“I’ll be fine.” Isabella smiled lightly at him tucking a stray strand of golden hair behind her ears. Her hands where still shaking but they where going to do that for hours.
“You are a really bad liar Miss Dent.” Bruce smiled his signature charming smile at her. Isabella sighed and nodded to him.
“I know I am but I am still capable of taking my self home. Thank you though Mister Wayne.” Buttoning her coat up she grabbed her bag and walked to the elevator.
“Call me Bruce.” Isabella stopped and turned to him.
“Call me Isabella.” Smiling she stepped into the elevator.
The days past by and then her brother was kidnapped. Those hours must have been the most stressful of her life. That was the second time she met Batman. Then seconds hand on her watch ticked away as she sat at the police station trying to stay calm. It was then the report came in that the bombs had gone off and her brother was the one Batman had saved. The next days events where a complete blur to her.
One minute her brother was the shining hope for Gotham, the next he was just as crazy as the joker. Ok maybe not as crazy. No one is as crazy as the joker but he was insane all the same. He wasn’t her brother anymore. It wasn’t even his face that he lost. It was his soul. He was gone and it was all the Jokers fault.
A knock at her dressing room door brought Isabella out of her thoughts. Standing up and straitening her dress she opened the door. To her surprise Bruce Wayne stood before her in one of his signature Armani suits.
“Bruce." Her smile was happy while her eyes looked as though they could cry at any moment. Even though she had all the stage makeup on in the world nothing could mask the hurt she was still feeling.
“May I have a word with you Isabella? I will only be a minute.” Bruce’s handsome face was dead serious. He had stood by her during the funeral and had even been around when Harvey’s will was read. So Bruce Wayne had become a familiar face to her.
“Of course Bruce.” Her voice was soft. Sounding as if it was going to break at any moment. Bruce pushed past her entering into her temporary dressing room. His unknown expensivecologne washed in behind him.
Turning back to him Isabella grasped her hands in front of her looking at him. She had long black gloves on so due to her nervousness and the gloves, her hands began to sweat.
“What is it you need to ask of my Bruce?” His face was staring at the huge mirror in the room.
“How are you doing tonight?” He still wasn’t looking at her.
“I’m fine.” Isabella lied. She was never going to be completely fine again. Her whole family was dead now.
“You are still a bad liar Bella.” Bruce laughed lightly turning to her. Lately he had been calling her Bella and not Isabella anymore. It was strange since no one had ever called her by a pet name.
“Like it really matters anymore. Why did you really come here Bruce?” She looked at him with her true eyes. These eyes where full of sorrow and hate that still lingered in her mind towards the Joker.
Bruce stared at her for a few moments then took a step closer to her.
“Remember when you told me about how Batman had decided to become the villain and not the hero anymore?” Isabella nodded. She had been there when her brother had died. Officer Gorden had taken her in hopes that maybe she could talk some sense into her brother. Little did she know that everything was going to end with her brother dropping to his death while Batman took the blame for him.
“Well I want to ask you something regarding that.” Bruce continued towards her. Isabella took only one step back and she was pressed against her dressing room door.
“And that question would be?” She continued to look him in the eye slightly curious.
“Do you agree with Batman taking on your brothers acts in order for him to remainthe lightof Gotham even in death?” Bruce stopped walking to hear her answer.
“I am grateful to him for saving my tortured brothers reputation for Gotham’s sake but for mine I am not. I will always know what my brother did and I will always know what he became. Due to my brothers acts Gotham’s only last hope is now completely tainted. My brother destroyed both lights for this town.” Bruce’s face was contorted in confusion.
“Both lights?”
“Yes his own and Batman’s. Even though people in this city believe Batman to be a criminal now, I cannot. He is exactly the kind of hero Gotham deserves. A hero who is as black as this city. Now that he has decided to play the bad guy I don’t know if there is any hope left at all.” Closing her eyes she looked down holding back the tears.
Bruce stepped forward placing his hand on the side of her head leaning against the door. His other hand went under her chin pulling her face to face his own.
“That’s very noble of you to think Isabella but you must remember. With time comes change. Someone better for this city will come along and fix it. Batman is not the answer. Not anymore at least.” She stared at his eyes.
“How can you say that?”
“Because.” Bruce stopped remembering that she didn’t know. Bruce wanted to tell Isabella but he didn’t know how she would take it so he continued to keep his mouth shut at least for the time. “Because I just know. Trust me on this. Batman can’t live forever but good can. Even if Batman did become the good he is only human and can really only clean the darkness. He can’t show his face or help the good people. He is too busy focusing on the bad.”
Isabella examined over his face for any traces of him lying. She found none. Letting out a shaky breath a tear fell from her cheek.
“Sometimes Bruce I start to believe that you are Batman but then I always let it go when I look intoyour eyes.” She placed a gently hand on the side of his face. Bruce laughed wiping her tear away.
“Me? Batman? Come on now Bella.” He stood back up straight allowing her to go free.
“Hey I just said it was a feeling.” There was a knock at her door. A man called inside say 5 minutes till she had to go.
“Bruce I have a question for you.” She smiled at him playfully now.
“Ask away.” He was back to playing the normal playboy Bruce.
“Did you come with a date tonight?”
“No why do you ask?” Isabella laughed a bit smiling wider.
“Just proving a point that my brother said to me at his charity event.”
“And that point would be?” Bruce smiled genuinely at her. Isabella took a step closer to him placing a hand on his chest looking up at him in the eye.
“That you will have fallen so hard for me in a matter of weeks that you will stop taking women out on dates.” She laughed at his expression.
Bruce couldn’t help but smile wider. “And if I have fallen for you what would you do Miss Dent?” He grabbed her chin and looked at her grinning.
“I would say I’ve fallen for you as well Mister Wayne.” Her heart started to beat faster at her confession. He always made her feel this way. Well at least since she met him face to face.
Smiling still Bruce leaned down and gently brushed his lips with her. Kissing her again he now added pressure and care. Gently Isabella kissed him back gently. Their kiss did not last long though. Another knock came and they where pulled apart by it.
“I have to get on stage.”
“I will walk you there.” Smiling that charming smile he locked arms with her. The two walked out onto the stage to a roaring crowd. Bruce led her over to the grand pianos black bench and then stepped back kissing her hand and walked off stage.
Smiling at his fleeting figure she decided on something. Even though the two lights of Gotham where gone. There was always going to be Bruce Wayne to be the light in her life now and hopefully the new light to the Dark town of Gotham. She could only hope as she turned and began to sweep her fingers over the Ivory and Black keys of the piano. Playing a good bye to the Old Gotham and a hello to the new one.
