A Bat's Light of Hope (Closed)

She let out a soft sigh of relief. "And here I was starting to wonder if I should begin to worry for the safety of my female students. Though please accept my advance apology for what I may do if any of those men come up to me with information about my undergarments that they definitely shouldn't have."

When he offered his hand out to her for a dance, she smiled and gently placed her hand in his. "I would be honored."

He led her out onto the dance floor and stood gazing into her eyes as they waited patiently for the orchestra to strike up the first number. He didn't know what it was but he felt very comfortable around her and unlike his other superficial dates he really wanted this one to go well. As the band began playing his arms naturally fell into place around her body and they moved gracefully together.

The music was a waltz and they glided effortlessly across the floor, moving together like they had been dancing together for years. She followed his every lead and he adjusted for her every movement. He lost himself to the music and the movement, gazing into her eyes the entire time with a look of joy on his face. He had not danced like this in a long time. In fact he doubted he had ever danced like this. As the music stopped so did he reluctantly, he turned to applaud the band only to find them surrounded by applauding people themselves.

Serenity easily fell into perfect step with Bruce as they danced across the floor. She hadn't lied when she said she'd had lessons though the last time she had officially danced at an event outside of lessons, she had still been just a teenager. Her expression had been a soft smile of enjoyment the entire time.

All too soon it seemed, the music came to an end. She had turned with Bruce to applaud the orchestra and blushed upon finding the crowd applauding them instead. "I guess this means they approve of me." She joked.

Bruce chuckled along with her. "Frankly I don't really care about them, but you have more than my approval, you have my admiration and fondness." Leading her off the dance floor to a quiet corner he stood facing her and smiled down at her. "Serenity you are one of the most beautiful women in both body and soul I have met in a long time. I would like to take you out on a more,,let us say traditional date sometime if that is alright with you?"

He looked deep into her eyes and smiled slightly awaiting her response. He hoped it was positive.He didn't know why but he was drawn to this woman like he had never been drawn to any of his other silly dates. Perhaps he had finally found someone he could actually get serious about.

Serenity was happy enough to his his words about having fondness for her. She smiled softly when he asked her on a more traditional date. "I'd like that very much."

She felt drawn to him and she was glad things between them seemed to be working between them.

Bruce was about to talk more with Serenity when he heard loud voices coming from the foyer and then a group of ten men came into the ballroom wearing ski masks and brandishing automatic weapons. One of them was walking in front and he fired a quick burst into the ceiling. "Ladies and Gentleman may I have your attention please. I know you are all supposed to be the smartest people in Gotham so you should know what this is, but for those of you who are a little slow allow me to explain. This is a robbery. Please have all jewels and cash ready when my men get to you. Any trouble and we will have no hesitation to shoot you."

His eyes went wide and he looked around. Serenity and he were in a darkened corner and he doubted they had been seen yet. He grabbed her arm and quickly tapped the button on his watch to summon Alfred. "Quick follow me. They haven't seen us yet and I think we can sneak out the back." He led her to the back door and then snuck them out.

Serenity's eyes widened in fear at hearing the voices of the robbers. Her instinct was screaming at her to transform and help but she couldn't just show Bruce that side of her. As Bruce snuck them out the back, she figured they would get in touch with the cops for everyone else's sakes. She couldn't see Bruce trying to leave without the intent to get help.

Bruce had gotten them outside now he just had to get away from Serenity so he could change into Batman.
"Serenity we need to split up. They have a lot of police patrolling around here so if you go one way and I go the other we are bound to run into one soon. We can phone the emergency number at the same time."

Serenity couldn't believe her luck. He'd given her the perfect opportunity to get away to transform and head back. She nodded. "Alright then. Be careful. Call to meet back up then?"

Bruce smiled at her. "Of course. We still have your books and scrolls to get and my little trinkets, plus I have to pay for them yet. I don't want Kat thinking I skipped out on her without paying. Where would my reputation go then. As soon as you get a police officer phone me and we will arrange a place."

He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "For luck," Then he turned and began running down the street and turned right. Ahead he could see Alfred parked near an alley way already holding his suitcase. Soon those crooks wouldn't know what hit them. Grabbing the case he ducked into the alley. Minutes later a dark figure took to the rooftops. Alfred calmly walked in and retrieved the case. "Good luck master Bruce," he whispered as he made his way back to the car.

Serenity nodded with a blush tinting her cheeks as she ran the opposite direction and turned into a dark alley herself. Pulling out her brooch, she transformed into Sailor Cosmos, her hair changing style along with her clothing. She hoped all would be taken care of before Bruce called her to meet back up, unknowing that Bruce was heading back under his own guise. Soon, she was taking to the rooftops and heading back towards the action.

Batman found the skylight to the ballroom and soon had it open. Peering in he saw the the thieves spread out around the room with only three guarding the doors more intent on watching the action than the doors. Classic rookie mistake. Gliding silently down he landed quietly behind one and quickly took him out dragging him into the shadows. Moving to number two he had him down and tucked away and was approaching number 3 when something made him glance up.

What seemed to be a light chain of hearts dropped down and wrapped around the neck of the third before tightening just enough to make the man unconscious. The other end of the chain fell slack just as Sailor Cosmos came down through the skylight, managing to land softly despite the fact she was wearing a pair of high heels. She nodded in acknowledgement to Batman before looking towards the action.

Batman studied this newcomer. She was not someone he had ever seen before but she seemed to be on the side of good. She had taken the guard out quick and clean without alerting any of the other criminals but he hadn't seen the type of energy she used before. Gliding over to her he saw her silvery hair in two pony tails and short dress with it's long flowing white cape. In fact everything about her seemed white except for a row of colors on her skirt just below her belt. She was carrying a large staff and seemed rather confident.

Whispering to her in his gravely voice he tried to find out who she was. "Just who are you and what are you doing in my city and more importantly here? I really don't need your help with thugs like these. Stay out of my way." Noting their exact locations he began running towards them and lobbed two smoke canisters into the midst of the group. Throwing two baterangs at the furthest two he watched as they crumpled to the ground. Plowing into the closest he took him down with a powerful blow to the jaw and was moving towards a fourth before the crooks had even started to react. The smoke was making them cough giving him the advantage he needed. As he hit the fourth incapacitating him he knew there were 3 left but they were the most dangerous. They had been in the midst of the crowd and armed as they were if the started to shoot innocents could be harmed. Heading into the smoke he activated his infra red but noted the girl had disappeared from where he had left her. Now where had she gone?

"I am the champion of justice and I go where I'm needed. Clearly the Cosmos believed I was needed here." Was her reply to him and she knew her words would likely annoy the dark dressed hero but she didn't care at the moment.

When he had thrown the smoke bombs, she had moved quickly into it. Using a cover of her own of a fog within the smoke to get close enough to cast ice on the barrels of the weapons the closest three had. After that, she used a sort of teleportation to move the innocents out of harms way and out of the smoke off to the side.

Batman was puzzled. He looked through the smoke with his vision but he didn't see any of the guests. All he saw were the last 3 criminals. Well he would worry about that later. Two were bunched together and he rushed towards them while throwing another batarang at the other. He tackled the last two to the ground and quickly dealt with them and turned to the third expecting to see him on the ground. Instead he found him wringing his hands but very much upright.

Somehow his gun had deflected his batarang causing his hands to become numb but leaving him still upright and at a long distance away from him. He needed to get to him soon before he could draw his sidearm and begin firing. As he started to run he saw him reach for his gun and knew he would be too late.

After getting the innocents to safety, she had headed back into the smoke just in time to see the remaining man start to pull his sidearm. She cast a dark field over the man. "It would be a bad idea to shoot while you're in that field. You'll just end up hitting yourself when the bullets ricochet." She told the man as she walked closer, her heart chain ready for use once more in her hand.

Batman had been prepared to take a bullet to avoid civilian casualties when suddenly the man disappeared in a bubble of darkness. The woman again appeared and he could only assume that this was her doing. She walked towards the bubble a whip appearing in her hand. Just what was she up to?

Sailor Cosmos was no fool. While the field would prevent the man from shooting now since he wouldn't want to shoot himself, she wouldn't just remove it and assume he would cooperate. She was going to ensure he would be knocked out like his comrades.

She cracked the whip, aiming for his neck. It circled around and tightened with a slight yank by her, just enough to knock him out like she had done to the first one she knocked out. Only when he was unconscious and sliding to the floor, did she finally remove the chain and the field around him.

Batman watched as she sent the funny shaped whip cracking into the darkness. A minute later she brought it out and the globe disappeared and the criminal was down. He could see he was still breathing so she must have done her choke hold trick again. His smoke was starting to clear and he was able to see the civilians had been gathered together in one area. Hmm that was a pretty impressive trick. This woman seemed to be reasonably powerful.

He heard the sounds of sirens in the distance and knew it was time to go. Serenity was probably going to be calling him soon. Gliding over to the woman he studied her so his recording devices could get an accurate picture of her. "We need to meet again one night," he told her in his gruff voice. "Gotham is my city. You want to play here you have to satisfy me you are worthy." With that he shot his gas powered grappling hook through the sky light and propelled himself out into the night. Running through the shadows he made it quickly back to the alley and into the car.

As he was changing he couldn't stop thinking about that woman. Just who was she and what were her powers. He had to find out and fast. Now though he had to phone Serenity and tell her he had heard the police and hoped she was fine and arrange a meeting spot. He finished changing and picked up his phone.

Her whip had disappeared after she pulled it back. She watched the dark hero move closer to her. She nodded in agreement. "So we must. And that is a challenge I intend to beat." She watched as he used his grappling hook and headed back out the skylight. Rather than head back out that way herself, she swung her staff around and teleported out into the alley.

Once back in the alley, she de-transformed, pulled out her compact and checked her make-up and hair to make sure they didn't give anything away. Satisfied with that, her mind shifted to the dark hero. The way he spoke, meant that he had been around for a while, yet she couldn't remember having heard of anyone that matched him.

Bruce dialed Serenity's number after stepping out of the car so she could hear the street noises in the background. When she picked up he decided to give her the credit for getting the police. "Serenity your safe thank goodness. I heard the sirens and guessed that you must have found a policeman or got through. I wasn't able to do either. I am headed back now. Do you want to meet across the street so that we might be able to catch Kat and see when we can pick up your books? We can't disappoint your kids now can we?"

Serenity smiled upon hearing Bruce's voice. "Sure we can meet across the street. I'll be there soon. I hope everyone made it out alright." If he thought she was the one who got the police, she wasn't going to tell him any different. "I'll see you soon." She hung up and started making her way back to the event.

Bruce waited a few minutes before walking across the street and joining the crowd that was gathering. He kept an eye out for both Serenity and for Kat and the Mayor. He did not want to be any cause for alarm and knew if he was not accounted for there would be a mini panic. One of the richest men in Gotham disappearing after a holdup. No that wouldn't do. He would simply explain what he and Serenity had done.

Finally he saw Serenity and walked towards her. "I am glad you are alright," He exclaimed as he hugged her to him and then looked down at her. I would never have forgiven myself if something had happened to you. He smiled at her a hugged her a little tighter before releasing her. "We have to find the Mayor and Kat. If we are found missing they will send out search parties looking for me." He looked down embarrassed. "Part of the problem of being super wealthy. People like to protect you because of it."

Serenity smiled and returned the hug. "Well even if you wouldn't have forgiven yourself, I wouldn't have even placed blame on you." She giggled at his words about everyone wanting to protect him. "I would like to hope that it's just because the police would be doing their job in protecting the city and not just because you're rich." She too started looking out for the mayor and Kat.