Story [The Dark Knight] Shadow Self - Bruce Wayne meets Dr. Harleen Quinzel - Part 2 and Epilogue

I've finally sat down to write a sequel to my popular Dark Knight story. A word to note: this series is based on the movie Dark Knight, not the comics nor the TV show. The characters, new and old, are based on how I feel Christopher Nolan would have presented them in the story.
For those who haven't read the first one, here's the link:

The Dark Knight: Drawing Of The Masks
Without further adieu, here's the sequel. As always, enjoy and review as you see fit.

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Shadow Self: Drawing Of The Mask II


Part I

It had been five months since his last visit here. It still had the same run down look with paint peeling and lights missing. The only real difference now was the weather. It had been a balmy September weekend when Bruce Wayne took a tour of the Arkham facility. He wore a simple T-shirt and jeans then. Now in February, he was layered with his business suit and overcoat. Besides the climate change, Bruce didn't really expect any changes made to the facility. Despite his failure to convince the Wayne Industry partners that Arkham needed money, Bruce had donated an undisclosed amount to Arkham Asylum anyway. He suspected much of the money went to the administrators' golf funds. He had spent more for less in the past.

The improvements to the facility were not his primary purpose in September to begin with. Only a couple of people knew the true purpose of his last visit to Arkham. One of them was already a patient there for almost a year and a half. Bruce had at one time kept tabs on that patient's progress. Bruce had followed the reports he was getting from an undisclosed source within Arkham. Just from the reports alone, he could see that there was no progress to speak of. That's when Bruce decided to act.

His idea to show his shadow side to the Joker was not totally out of gloating, contrary to how a certain family servant had thought. It was also meant to show the Joker who he was dealing with. Bruce Wayne was a man in Gotham who was at the center of high society. Who would ever think to link him with the disguise of Batman? He also gave the Joker the notion that Batman could be anyone. Bruce never really came out to tell the Joker that he was Batman. He let the psychological fiend's imagination, or perhaps his own fears, to do the job for him. Just as the Joker had done to so many of his own victims.

Bruce wasn't afraid that someone would believe the Joker. The maniac was a mental patient. Anything he said would be analyzed but also taken with a grain of salt. Bruce considered the Joker as an updated version of the Man Who Cried Wolf. His own made up stories of his past played against the ones he told that were true. Bruce followed the reports since his meeting with the Joker to analyze anything he said in connection to Batman's identity.

He followed them, that is, until they suddenly stopped.

It wasn't long after that when he was summoned to an inquiry about his visit in September. It was a formal letter asking him to schedule a meeting at Arkham with one of the doctors to discuss the nature of his visit to the Joker. Inquiries were common enough, especially after a visit to one of their seriously mental patients. It was a series of questions about what the patient said, how they said it, and how the patient reacted to the visitor. Bruce expected one to come from his visit to the Joker, but he thought it would be sooner. Perhaps it was because it was off the record. Nevertheless, Bruce squeezed in a meeting out of his hectic day and night schedules.

Bruce arrived in his limo and exited the warmth of the vehicle to the coldness of the winter Gotham air. Arkham was so close to the river that the swirls of wind were somehow colder here. Or maybe it was from all the cold-blooded killers they kept inside of the facility. He entered through the front entrance, which was worlds away from the rest of the building. At this end, the walls were clean and white with

 

It's great to see another super hero fandom represented here. Great start so far! This was a great way of introducing Harley Quinn.

 

Sorry about the delay, mrjop2. Thanks for reading, but since it's been so long between posts you may have to read Part 1 again. Delay was a mix of Darth Real Life rearing it's ugly head and my hesitance of where this story was going to go. Finally got it and here is both Part II and the Epilogue. Enjoy!

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Shadow Self

Part II



And there it was.

The price for his gloating.

Had Bruce really expected the people who were told about the Joker's accusation of Bruce Wayne being Batman to take it seriously? Who would believe him? Other patients? Criminals? An impressionable young intern who seems to have fallen under the Joker's spell? How much did she really know? How much was she told? Then again, she might be grasping at straws with her accusation. She could just have a hunch from a hint given to her by the Joker.

Even if the Joker had resources outside of Arkham, there were no longer any connections between Bruce Wayne and Batman on paper. Those would lead to dead ends. Bruce made that mistake last year with Coleman Reese, the executive who inadvertently found plans for Batman's vehicle hidden deep inside Applied Sciences. Bruce and Lucius Fox solved that by making Applied Sciences public and certain files were listed as Classified.

So why did Harley bring up her accusation now? Perhaps there were signs that she was looking for. Bruce thought back to their conversation earlier. What could he have given away? Too much intelligence? Too many details detected, like the lack of cameras? He decided that he wasn't going to give her any more signs. "What are you talking about, Harley?"

"Ah, so you're going to deny what you said to the Joker. Something about Batman?"

Bruce's voice was even. "I never mentioned the Batman. He did. Several times. You've seen his artwork, Harley. He's obsessed with the man. Or whatever the Batman is."

"Hun, don't deny it."

"I can't deny anything if I don't know what I'm denying."

She uttered, "That you are the Batman."

Bruce laughed. "You have to be kidding me. He said that? Harley, come on, after all that we both said about the man and you believe him?"

"It's not a question of me believing it. He does."

"Thus, in turn, implies that you believe it. Otherwise, I wouldn't be in a room alone and off the record."

"Not necessarily. The Joker's comments may have interested me enough to bring you in."

"Based on what? His words? We both know how he twists words. So allow me to set the unofficial record straight." He stated in a calm and even voice, "Bruce Wayne is not Batman." He let a pause through before he asked, "Now, with all your expertise, am I lying?"

She eased her way around to the back of his chair and sounded like a defeated child on a playground when she huffed from behind him, "No."

"Exactly. The Joker's words are barely proof enough."

"Oh, I don't know about that." With a sudden lurch, Harley tilted the chair backward so that it was resting on its two back legs. The sudden move ejected Bruce out of the chair. He was of moderate weight but she lifted him out with more power than he imagined. He was more surprised than injured after he caught his footing to stand before her. His overcoat fell to the floor and the chair did a spin and landed back on its four legs.

He looked up at her face that was full of a challenge. She positioned herself into a defensive stance. She was ready for battle. He stared at her incredulously. "Harley. What are you doing?"

She removed a hairpin to let her blond hair flow down on her shoulders. She removed her wide-rimmed glasses and set them on the chair. Next she was in the process of removing her lab coat when she said, "I think it's time to see what 'cha got, Bruce Wayne. Just so you know, I was an excellent gymnast in high school."

"Harley, don't do th?"

It was too late. She already sta

 

Excellent story. Quinzel is one messed up woman!