THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS
viii. JUDGE, JURY, EXECUTIONER
❝HE DESERVED THIS.❞

BAD LUCK SEEMED TO FOLLOW ANASTASIA AROUND, considering she sat in an interrogation room across from Lieutenant James Worthington "Jim" Gordon. He smoked a cigarette, watching her with narrowed eyes as he flickered the ash onto the floor. She had given her account to the officer at the crime scene, but they had decided to bring her into the station regardless. Anastasia sat rigid, digging her nails into her leg as she stared anywhere except at the man in front of her. Lieutenant Gordon hadn't said much, only going over the officer's notes himself.

"I have all the Waynes at the station it seems like, don't know how to stay out of trouble," Gordon muttered, mostly to himself. He looked up, letting out a heavy sigh as he met Anastasia's green eyes. Tapping his cigarette against the table, he spoke again. "The daughter says you're the reason Dr. Franklin tried to kill himself."

"I didn't do anything," Anastasia repeated again, having said the same thing over and over again all morning. She crossed her arms, leaning back in the metal chair. "Check the tapes. I was in his office for several minutes before the screaming started. I don't know what caused Dr. Franklin to attempt suicide, but it wasn't me."

"You know," Gordon started, taking another drag of his cigarette. "Most people feign remorse when they're trying to convince me that they're innocent."

"I am innocent," Anastasia spat out, shooting the older man a glare as she took in a sharp breath. "Look, I was only there because he had information about my parents' deaths and I wanted it. So, if you want to charge me for snooping around on his computer, then go right ahead. But, I didn't stab him!"

Gordon sighed, dropping his cigarette to the ground before he snuffed it out with his foot. "I don't have time for this bullsit," he gritted out, rolling his eyes. "I looked at the tapes and you're right, it looks like Dr. Franklin had some kind of psychotic break. He left the office, stumbled around for a bit as he talked to himself before finding a scalpel to stab himself."

"Sounds like a one way trip to Arkham Asylum," Anastasia commented, shrugging her shoulders. It had been terrifying to see Dr. Franklin in such a predicament and she hoped for a speedy recovery, at least for his daughter's sake. If she was being honest, her hallucinations were something that could get her locked up in Arkham too. But, she was convinced that they were due to all the stress she was under. She wasn't going crazy.

"Did you notice anything strange about him?" Gordon asked.

"Yeah, sure," Anastasia said, trying to think back to the meeting in his office. She remembered how rude Dr. Franklin had been, but he had revealed new information to her so it had not been a complete waste of time. Her eyes flickered to the camera recording them before looking back at Gordon. "I would say that Dr. Franklin seemed nervous and his condition only worsened as we spoke. Then, before he left me alone, his nose started to bleed."

"Right..." Gordon mumbled, adding her words as extra notes on the notepad. "Mrs. Wayne, yesterday you were put at the scene of the Skyline Club moments before Falcone was arrested. And, now this?"

"What are you trying to say?" Anastasia asked. But, she knew how suspicious it looked since she's been at two crime scenes in the past twelve hours.

"Nothing yet." Gordon shrugged his shoulders, giving her a smile but she could see the gears turning in his mind. With the raid on Wayne manor, her supposive involvement with Falcone, and now with everything that went down at the Franklins' coroner's office, the Lieutenant must be building a case to put her behind bars. "I'm just curious on how you're going to explain your involvement to me."

"If this continues, Lieutenant, I want a lawyer," Anastasia mumbled, biting the inside of her cheek as she faced the man. She gulped, letting out a heavy sigh as her nonchalant facade began to falter. "I swear I wasn't there to do anything... shady. Falcone has been harassing Bruce and I, wanting us to join him in whatever underground mafia bullshit he does in Gotham."

Gordon hummed, listening. He urged her to continue.

"Falcone sent his men to my place of work and they harassed my assistants and me until I agreed to a meeting with him," She explained, placing her hands on the metal table. If anything, she was grateful they hadn't taken her to the station in cuffs. "I went to his club to put an end to the harassment. I had no idea Batman would show up or that Falcone was going to kill all those people. Honestly, I was glad the GCPD showed up when they did."

"I'm not here to get you in trouble, Mrs. Wayne," Gordon reassured, noticing that Anastasia had grown distressed within the last few minutes of their conversation. "It is strange to have my officers place you at two crime scenes, but I will chalk it up to bad luck on your end."

"So, you're not arresting me?"

Gordon clicked his tongue, shaking his head as he tucked the small notepad into the pocket of coat. "Not quite yet, but don't think I won't if you start turning up at other crime scenes."

"Great, I'm leaving."

Anastasia was prepared to leave, standing to her feet to get out of the stale air in the interrogation room. She walked past Gordon, entering the hallway to immediately run into none other than Harvey Dent who was waiting outside the door. She was surprised to see him, but remembered he was here with Bruce to speak to Falcone... and that meant Bruce was here too. It made Anastasia force a smile to her face, giving Harvey a nod.

"Ana, thank God you're alright," Harvey said, placing a hand on her shoulder as he began to lead her away from the interrogation room. Gordon watched them closely, leaning against the wall. "I heard the other cops talking about how they picked you up. There was a... stabbing?"

"Yeah, there was. It was honestly just a bizarre situation," Anastasia mumbled, sparing a glance back at Gordon who was speaking to another officer. She felt nervous being at the station, wanting to be at work or home instead. She felt most comfortable in her office at Wayne Tower.

"I checked and they don't have anything to charge you with," Harvey reassured, causing a sigh of relief to leave Anastasia's lips as she nodded. It helped to have the District Attorney (and hopefully soon, mayor) as a close friend. "I wouldn't worry about anything."

Anastasia nodded, clearing her throat as she tried to get rid of any thoughts of Dr. Franklin. Nor did she want to remember what had happened at the Skyline Club. She didn't want to think about it anymore, feeling sick at the carnage she had witnessed. "Is Bruce still here?" she asked. "I know he came here to speak to Falcone."

"He's still here," Harvey said, leading her into an empty room with a one-way mirror that allowed them to look into the medical room where Bruce and Falcone spoke.

She stood in front of the window, noticing how frail Falcone looked compared to yesterday. It seemed as if Batman had left more injuries on the man than they had thought, noticing the purple and blue bruises splashed against his skin. Bruce said in the chair beside Falcone, sitting rigid as he refused to allow himself to relax around the mob boss. They spoke, discussing how Bruce was more similar to his mother, Martha, than his father, Thomas.

"Bruce is going to get us in so much trouble for this," Harvey muttered, standing tall beside her as he watched Bruce and Falcone. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. It seemed as if running for mayor had earned Harvey nothing more than stress. "If the media finds out about this... I swear, it'll be in every headline.

Anastasia hummed, barely listening to the man as she tried to focus on Bruce and Falcone. They spoke in low whispers, but the camera in their room still picked up every word. Falcone spoke about the past, mentioning how Bruce's parents and her father were involved in the underground world of Gotham.

"The debate is tonight!" Harvey continued, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms. "How could he put that at risk?"

"Shh, Harvey," Anastasia mumbled, moving closer to the glass she clung onto every word that left Falcone's lips. Her name had popped up in the conversation and she was more than curious about what the older man had to say.

"You've been surrounded by criminals your whole life, boy," Falcone chuckled, smirking at Bruce who didn't react to his words. Instead, he patiently listened as if he was a complete bystander to the whole situation. It reminded Anastasia of a similar technique Gordon had used on her when he was listening. "Your parents were close friends of mine. It was always the Waynes, Lovejoys, and my family. We ruled over Gotham."

"You've already told me how my father was involved," Bruce spoke, causing Anastasia to frown when she realized she had missed a huge part of their conversation. She wanted to know more about Falcone's claims of the Waynes being corrupt. After all, it affected all of them since she was considered a Wayne too now. "I want to know more about the role the Lovejoys played."

"Your wife and her family aren't as innocent as you think," Falcone hummed, shrugging his shoulders as he cleared his throat. For a moment, his features twisted in pain as he readjusted. After the torment he had put Gotham and her people through, he deserved much worse. "It's for the best that William Lovejoy was killed. Though, I was hoping those hired men would kill his little girl too."

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked, urging for the man to continue.

A hearty laugh left Falcone's lips, causing Anastasia to frown. She was becoming too aware of Harvey's presence beside her as he listened to every word that Falcone spoke.

"He killed his own wife when she tried to turn him in," Falcone commented, clicking his tongue as he shook his head. "She wanted to leave with little Ana, get away from Gotham and William. Charlotte had confided in Martha who told Thomas and well, he told William."

Anastasia let out a shaky breath, watching as the memories began to flash before her eyes. It made her head pound, but she did her best to stay in the present moment. She needed to be here for this. She needed to hear what Falcone had to say.

"So, William Lovejoy killed his wife?" Bruce asked for clarification, wanting to make sure he wasn't misunderstanding Falcone. It was strange to hear that the Waynes and Lovejoys had been tied together long before Anastasia was aware of. "Then why doesn't Ana remember any of this?"

"He has to be lying, right?" Harvey mumbled, looking at Anastasia. She couldn't hear him, finding it difficult to breathe as she watched Falcone through the glass.

"There's a lot that girl doesn't remember," Falcone chuckled, shrugging his shoulders to the best of his ability. "William Lovejoy ain't winning any father-of-the-year awards, that much you know. I'm sure you remember what he was like."

Bruce looked uncomfortable. His mind elsewhere, remembering something that Anastasia could not.

"And, it wasn't as if she could disobey, not with the control he had. Not with how much she feared him," Falcone continued, shaking his head. His words confused Anastasia. She had never felt scared of her father. He was always good to her. "And, when he died, it left her mind broken."

"I don't understand," Bruce mumbled, shaking his hand at Falcone. "Anastasia is fine. There's nothing wrong with her."

Falcone only laughed, causing Bruce to frown. "How well do you truly know your wife, son?"

Anastasia could feel herself growing frustrated as she crossed her arms over her chest, feeling her sharp nails dig into the skin of her forearm through the fabric of her coat. "What the hell is he talking about?" she spat out, shaking her head. "I don't even know him yet he acts as if I have spent my whole life with him."

"He's probably trying to get into Bruce's head," Harvey reassured, offering her a smile. But, Anastasia could not tear her sharp gaze away from Falcone. If looks could kill, Falcone would be a dead man.

"She tried to kill me, you know? Back at my club? She aimed a gun right at my head," Falcone added, making her take a deep breath as she ignored the look she received from Harvey.

She regarded Bruce's reaction to his words, but he didn't seem surprised. In fact, he did not react at all as he watched the older man with a narrowed gaze. Anastasia didn't know what she expected, perhaps Bruce rejecting the idea of her almost murdering a man. She felt disappointed in herself that she had even picked up the gun in the first place. Anastasia wasn't a murderer, no matter how much Falcone deserved it. When Bruce stayed silent, Falcone continued to speak.

"I wouldn't trust her," Falcone said, speaking genuinely and it only caused Anastasia's temper to rise as she clenched her jaw. "Her father and I were close, but I would have never placed my trust in him. I saw the evil in his heart from the moment we met. Hell, I saw the monster that he raised his daughter into. The Lovejoys are nothing more than rotten apples."

Anastasia had heard enough, feeling her blood boil as she glared at Falcone through the glass. Harvey spoke to her, but she couldn't hear him over the voice that echoed in her mind. It told her that Falcone deserved to suffer... to be killed. He needed to die. Falcone must die.

"That doe-eyed scared little girl act is all a lie," Falcone warned Bruce, speaking in a quiet tone that was free of any malice. "Don't fall for it, son. She'll stab you in the back when you least expect it. Just like her father did to me."

Anastasia scoffed, having heard enough nonsense come out of Falcone's mouth.

Harvey, noticing her change in demeanor, tried to reach out. "Hey, it's okay."

But, Anastasia stayed out of his grasp as she left the viewing room and walked into the same room as Falcone and Bruce. They looked surprised to see her there, but both quickly got over their initial shock.

Falcone spoke first, giving her a playful smirk as he welcomed her into the room. "Ah, sweet Ana, we were missing your presence."

"How dare you say those things?" Anastasia spat out, raising an accusing finger in his direction. Hatred was a feeling she was familiar with, but not to this extent. "My father was murdered. We never found the attackers, ran off before the police showed up. But, you must have ordered the hit. Didn't you?"

"So, what if I did? What are you gonna do about it?" Falcone chuckled, raising his hands in surrender. "You gonna kill me, Ana?"

A part of Anastasia knew he was trying to get on her nerves, that he got a kick out of messing with her. But, Anastasia was blinded by rage. "I should have killed you last night, you goddamn bastard."

Falcone only smiled, nodding his head. "There's the girl I know, hidden away under all that fancy jewelry and pretty smile."

"Stop it!" Anastasia shouted, feeling tears prick at her eyes. Her mind screamed at her, telling her to leave the room. "You didn't know my father. You don't know me. You are the reason he died!"

"Ana, calm down," Bruce said softly, standing to his feet at her harsh words.

"Calm down?" Anastasia gritted out, directing her glare toward him. "I can't just stand there as he bashes my family name. I fight every single day for even the tiniest respect on the Lovejoy name! Do you think I can just standby and let him say such vile things? About my father? About me?"

"Ana, please, enough," Bruce's voice was stern, but understanding. His eyes stayed focused on Anastasia, ignoring Falcone completely who only chuckled as he found amusement in the whole situation. He whispered softly, making sure only his wife would hear his next words. "Do not let Falcone get under your skin."

He tried to reach out, take her hand. But, out of instinct, Anastasia pushed his hand away as she took a step back from him. "Don't you dare touch me, Bruce."

Falcone laughed again, clasping his hands together as he rested them on his stomach. "What did I say, son?" he began, tilting his head to get a better look at Bruce. "You'll start seeing sides of people you've never seen before."

Anastasia snapped her attention back to Falcone, watching him smirk at them. "Shut your fucking mouth."

He shook his head, keeping his gaze on Bruce. "You can't trust anyone in Gotham, least of all those you call your loved one. Your parents learned that the hard way and so will you━━"

The door behind them burst open before two gunshots rang in the air, echoing throughout the precinct. Anastasia watched as bullet holes appeared in Falcone's chest and skull. Blood splattered all over the bed, but she did not flinch away. She barely registered the woman's voice behind her, feeling the world sway. The sound of Falcone's heart monitor flatlining brought the woman some joy, but she would never admit it out loud.

"They're waiting for you in Hell!" the officer, Renee Montoya, shouted as she kept her gun trained on Falcone.

Anastasia barely looked back, watching as Bruce tried to subdue the sergeant to the ground. She walked over to Falcone, staring at his half-lidded eyes as he stared at seemingly nothing. His blood soaked the hospital gown that he wore and bed he took his final rest in. The smell of iron filled the air, but it did not affect Anastasia.

"Oh, Carmine, my dear friend." Her voice was barely above a whisper, almost unheard as the struggle behind her continued. She tilted her head, feeling her lips twitch upward. "You should have stayed away as I had told you to all those years ago. Look at what's become of you when you decided to disobey."

The cloud over her mind lifted as her eyes focused. A gasp left her lips as she faced Falcone's lifeless eyes. Anastasia stumbled back as the sight of Falcone's corpse made her sick. She looked to Bruce, watching him help Lieutenant Gordon handcuff the officer. Slowly, Anastasia approached as she stood beside her husband. For a moment, Anastasia was confused about what was going on.

The Sergeant glared at Falcone, watching him through glazed eyes. "The bastard had to die!" Montoya gritted out, struggling against the two men.

"Get a doctor!" Gordon shouted to the other police officers, making everyone rush around them as chaos ensued. Shouting was heard all over the floor as everyone scrambled to get things under control. "Secure this floor! I don't want anyone getting in or out! Go, now!"

Bruce stood as a heavy sigh left his lips, shaking his head in disappointment as he spared Falcone a glance. The monitor continued to flatline, echoing in the room. "He deserved this, Bruce," Anastasia pointed out, confused as to why he was upset. "He deserves so much worse for the heinous crimes he has committed."

"No one deserves to die like this, Ana," Bruce said, looking down at her with a stern gaze. "He needed to stand trial for his crimes."

"So, he can get out the next day?" Anastasia scoffed, rolling her eyes at Bruce's words. Carmine Falcone had stood trial many times and each time, his lawyers had managed to prove his innocence and he walked free. "He is the reason Gotham is the way it is. He had our parents killed! How can you stand there and say those things?"

Bruce didn't say a word, watching her with steel eyes.

Anastasia could tell something had changed in the way he looked at her, making her frown as she took a step back from him. "Thinking about what Falcone said, huh?" She muttered, shaking her head. "You think I'm a monster? A rotten apple?"

"No, Ana, of course not," Bruce said, letting out a small sigh. He was disappointed in her, she could tell. "I think you're going down the wrong path. Revenge will not help you."

"I don't need revenge, Bruce," Anastasia scoffed, crossing her arms as she took another glance at Falcone's body. She could hear the police officers still shouting outside, requesting for a doctor to look over Falcone. They would need to get one from Gotham General, the closest hospital to the GCPD. "Falcone was just shot and killed. Any revenge I could have wanted has already been dealt. I just... I need to know the truth, okay? I am so sick of everyone feeding me these lies and... It's driving me crazy because I don't know what's real anymore."

"We will figure it out," Bruce reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Together."

There was a knock at the open door, causing the two to turn to look at Harvey who poked his head into the room. He winced, looking at Falcone's corpse. "Hey, let's get you two out of this room," Harvey said, leading them into the hallway as a doctor walked past them into the room with Falcone. The door closed, shielding Falcone from the rest of the world. "Gordon has the whole station on lockdown. No one is allowed to leave yet until they figure out what to do."

As quickly as her anger had come, it had faded as she took a seat on one of the chairs in the hall. She took deep breaths, trying to keep her emotions in check as she glanced back to see Bruce and Harvey in a heated discussion. At least, it allowed her to have a few moments to herself as she stared at her trembling hands. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, opened the Notes app on her phone and typed a rough summary of what had occurred that morning. It started with Dr. Franklin and ended with Falcone.

The things he had said rang in her mind, making her wonder what secrets did the Lovejoy name hold. All her life, she had believed her father was perfect. William Lovejoy could do no wrong, being a loving husband, a devoted father, and an excellent businessman. How could he have been aligned with the likes of Falcone? She wanted to remember, but there was a wall in her mind and it only hurt when she tried to climb it. Despite the terrible things she had heard about her father the last couple of days, she still wished for him to be with her. He always knew what to do and what to say. He could make any problem disappear. He could make her happy with just a word. Anastasia, despite knowing that he wasn't the man he was, missed her father more than anything.

Anastasia felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stiffen. She looked back, seeing Bruce watch her with a remorseful expression. Behind him, Harvey spoke to a few officers on the next course of action. She couldn't look at Bruce, not knowing what he thought of her anymore. He took a seat beside her, keeping his hand on her shoulder.

"I wish you hadn't seen that."

"Seen what?"

Bruce frowned. "Falcone's murder..."

"Oh, right..." Anastasia whispered, keeping her eyes focused on the ground and the thin layer of dirt caked onto the tile. The scene played out in her mind ━━ the anger she felt, Falcone being shot two times, once in the chest and then the head, Sergeant Renee Montoya being the killer. She couldn't let herself forget, not when her mind kept clouding.

"Emotions were high in there, understandably so," Bruce continued, speaking gently as if he was afraid she would snap. But, Anastasia just felt numb. She felt tired as if all the energy in her body had been drained by an outside force. "I'm here if you want to talk, Ana."

"I don't want to talk about my feelings, Bruce."

He gave her a weak smile, nudging her shoulder to get her to look at him. "Isn't that my line?"

Anastasia smiled.

It wasn't long till Lieutenant Gordon called them into a separate interrogation room. Montoya was passed out, handcuffed to the table to prevent her from attacking anyone else when she came to. The veins surrounding her mouth and neck were visible to the naked eye, bright blue against her tanned skin. She looked... off. Her eyes flickered to Gordon, watching him turn off the recording camera to give them some privacy. He burned another cigarette, taking a deep inhale of it as he hoped it would calm him down. But still, his distress was painted across his face as he watched Montoya.

Harvey let out a heavy sigh, running a hand across his face. "We're in deep shit. I've bought us some time, but not much. Word's gonna get out, sooner or later." He slammed a fist against the table, glaring at the unconscious Sergeant. "Why would she do something like this? We had Gotham's biggest crime lord in our grasp. Now, it's all gone!"

"I don't know, I barely recognized her when she burst in," Bruce pointed out, keeping his eyes trained on Harvey. It seemed that Gordon agreed with Bruce's words. "She was so different from the woman we met in the hall."

"It's a disgrace," Harvey spat out, shaking his head as he paced around the small room. "Another officer gone rogue."

"It just doesn't make any sense," Gordon muttered, throwing his half-burned cigarette on the ground before snuffing it out with his boot. "She's one of my best officers. She'd never do anything to hurt the department."

"Falcone's case meant justice for a thousand unnamed victims," Harvey continued, barely taking Gordon's words in account. "And now, it is a PR disaster. How can I run against corruption when our own cops are redecorating the precinct with their prisoners' brains?"

"He's not wrong," Anastasia pointed out, realizing the media was going to have a field day with the shooting of Carmine Falcone. She could feel her rationally thinking return, leaving her emotions behind her as she faced the three men. Falcone needed to stand trial and serve his sentence in prison, not be shot dead by an officer. No one person could play judge, jury, and executioner. There was a system for a reason. Criminal or not, Falcone needed to face justice by trial.

Harvey nodded, appreciating the fact that she had backed him up. "Listen, we gotta get out in front of this. We gotta spin it as best we can," he began, turning to Gordon. "Issue a statement saying that we have the shooter in custody. The details are still coming in and we're investigating. The usual spiel."

"Slow down, Harvey," Bruce said, not agreeing with Harvey's plan. "We need the facts first."

"The simple face is," Harvey began, turning to look at Bruce with a stern gaze, "she walked in and shot him twice."

It seemed as if Gordon didn't appreciate Harvey's dismissive attitude, getting into the taller man's face. They were at each other's throat, both angry as they wanted to do things their own way. "Then, we need the complex facts like how and why!"

The door burst open, causing Anastasia to stiffen as she expected more gunshots to echo. Her hand trembled, but she quickly shoved them into the pockets of her coat. Her green eyes focused on the officer at the door, realizing that no one was there to kill them. "Lieutenant... Mr. District Attorney..." he began, panting as he tried to catch his breath. "Falcone's lawyers are here."

A string of curses left Gordon's lips, but Harvey was calm. "I can delay them for a little while, but we still need answers."

Harvey walked off first, heading in the direction that the officer gave. Lieutenant Gordon looked back at the two of them, briefly sparing Montoya a glance. "Tell me if she says anything when she wakes," he said, giving her and Bruce a nod. "I have to know why she did this."

Gordon left, closing the door behind him. It engulfed the room in silence except for Montoya's heavy breathing and occasional moan of pain, making Anastasia pity the woman. She turned to look at Bruce, watching him pull out an earpiece from one of the inside pockets on his suit before he put it in his ear.

"Alfred," Bruce said, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his phone. "Falcone has been murdered."

Anastasia watched. He wore a pensive expression, seemingly taken on another persona than her carefree husband, Bruce Wayne. He approached Montoya, looking over her unconscious form for anything out of the ordinary.

"I'm looking into it, but I'll need access to the..." Bruce trailed off, almost as if he remembered she was still in the room. Their eyes met for a moment. She was seated at the chair across from Montoya, watching him with a raised brow. He cleared his throat, continuing to speak to Alfred. "I need access to my computer for anything I may find. Understand, Alfred?"

"What are you doing, Bruce?" Anastasia asked, finding it out of character for him to be so interested in finding out what had happened to Montoya. She expected him to complain about being stuck at the station, rather being at the office or somewhere entertaining in Gotham. But, somehow, Bruce fit in with the carnage and violence in a way she could not explain. It was as if she had been blindfolded for years and the veil was slowly being lifted.

"I'm trying to figure out what happened," Bruce answered nonchalantly, not giving much other explanation than that. He held his phone up to Montoya, scanning her mouth and neck. Anastasia watched with curiosity, going along with whatever he was up to. A glow left his phone, resembling the flash but it was a bright blue in color. "Her veins, still visible beneath her skin," Bruce commented, tilting his head to get a closer look. Next, he looked at her neck. "A fresh injection site."

"So, she was drugged?" Anastasia pointed out, standing up to get a closer look at Montoya. She stood beside Bruce, noticing the dark liquid mixed with her blood. It stained her neck and the white collar of her shirt. At the injection site, her blue veins were even more prominent. It looked painful, Anastasia had to admit.

"I think she was drugged too," Bruce agreed, tapping on his phone as it scanned the substance coating Montoya's skin. "Alfred, I think we've found the substance. Analyze and forward me the result. Thank you."

He turned his phone off, facing Anastasia as he waited for her to speak first. It was as if he expected her to say something or ask questions, but Anastasia was quiet as she watched Montoya's fingers twitch. A soft groan left her lips as her breathing pattern changed. Her eyes began to twitch as she began to move even more. "She's waking up, Bruce."

Montoya raised her head slowly, swaying as she looked around the dimly lit room. "Where... Where am I?" She asked, facing them with a dazed expression. "Mr. Wayne? Mrs. Wayne? ...What?" Her eyes widened when she noticed the cuffs around her wrists, immediately starting to pull against them. "What's going on?"

Anastasia and Bruce shared a look, unsure of how to proceed. Bruce decided to take the lead, pulling a chair next to Montoya as he took a seat to be on the same level as her. Anastasia stood behind him, placing her hands against the top rail of the chair. "Sergeant, you have to think. What do you remember?"

Her eyes darted back and forth as she tried to recall the events that had only occurred twenty minutes ago. "Oh God!" she gasped out, shaking her head as her eyes glistened. "Falcone... I was hoping it wasn't real."

"We believe you were drugged, Sergeant," Bruce continued, hoping it would somewhat cause the woman to calm down. After all, if she had been drugged by someone else, it meant she wouldn't take the whole blame for the murder.

"It would explain a lot..." Montoya whispered, subsciously placing a hand against the injection site as she winced. Her wide eyes found Bruce. "Listen, you have to believe me! I talk big about hurting thugs like Falcone, but I would never betray the Lieutenant."

They didn't have much to go off, considering they still needed to know who could have drugged Montoya. "Do you remember anything else?" Anastasia asked.

"Everything is so... foggy," the Sergeant confessed, facing Anastasia for a brief moment. It felt too similar to the situation with Dr. Franklin. Had he been drugged too? Or was his situation different? Anastasia needed to find out, knowing it had something to do with the conspiracy about their families. "I remember a sharp pain."

"There's an injection site on your neck," Bruce pointed out, noticing the way that Montoya kept rubbing it to alleviate some of the pain. She seemed surprised at his words, pulling her hand away to see the black substance coat her fingers.

"I... I... I felt light... like I could do whatever I wanted," Montoya explained, staring at the cuffs around her wrists. "No guilt. No consequence."

She wanted to tell Bruce about Dr. Franklin, explain how it was similar in nature. He had repeatedly stabbed himself, showing not an ounce of pain. But, a part of her told her to keep it from Bruce. He couldn't know, considering he must already think so lowly of her. She gulped down her words, deciding it would be best to investigate on her own. After the debate tonight, she needed to focus on finding out the truth about the Lovejoy legacy. She needed to know what secrets her father had hidden from her, what secrets she had forgotten.

"There was a voice in my ear insisting Falcone was going to get off..." Montoya continued softly, trying her best to remember,

Someone must really have it out for Falcone, considering she had heard a similar voice at Falcone's club. It had told her to kill him, but she hadn't been drugged. Anastasia would have remembered and seen an injection site. She messed around with the necklace around her neck as her leg bounced in place, trying to focus on her breathing. This was becoming... too much. Anastasia wanted to go back to worry about superficial things, not think about the evil that coursed through Gotham.

"And all I knew was that I had to stop that. I had to, no matter what," Montoya whispered, meeting Bruce's eyes. "The reasons why I shouldn't, they were a million miles away."

"Did you see a face? Could you ID a suspect?" Bruce asked.

Montoya shook her head. "I... I don't think so."

"You must remember some details." Bruce sighed, but he was still patient as he listened to Montoya. "Try, please."

"I remember a hand on my arm. Gilding me, like a parent with a child," Montoya mumbled, frowning as she stared off into the corner of the room. "The voice... It was saying something about a revolution."

Bruce looked at Anastasia, wondering if she had noticed the same thing. "Cobblepot said something similar, remember?"

"You think he did this?" Anastasia asked, considering it was possible. She didn't know Cobblepot too well, but he wasn't the biggest fan of Falcone and he had already mentioned that he wanted to kill him. Or end him permanently, to use his exact words.

The door opened again, revealing Gordon, Harvey, and a dark-haired woman. It was none other than Clarice Abbott, standing tall beside Harvey as she watched Montoya through narrowed eyes. For a moment, their eyes met and Anastasia immediately looked away to avoid the woman's intense gaze. She felt nervous, being scrutinized by the woman known to Gotham as Lady Justice. Anastasia couldn't help but find the woman intimidating, but in a sense that made Clarice Abbott the most powerful woman in the room.

Lieutenant Gordon rushed to Montoya's side, kneeling beside her as he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She wiped at the tears that streamed down her face, shaking her head at him. "I'm so sorry, Lieutenant! I've let you down..."

"We stalled Falcone's lawyers for now, but they'll be back," Harvey spoke, drawing both Bruce and Anastasia's attention. He gestured to Clarice, keeping his eyes on Bruce and Anastasia. "This is Clarice, one of GCPD's best detectives. She's here to help."

"Everyone knows who Lady Justice is," Bruce commented, giving the woman a forced smile. He held out his hand, shaking Clarice's. She gave him a nod, watching him with dark eyes. Bruce felt like a wall beside her, standing tall with a clenched jaw as he watched Clarice.

Clarice held out her hand for Anastasia to shake, tilting her head as she watched the blonde's nervous expression. Something within Anastasia told her that the woman couldn't be trusted, but she did her best to ignore the foreign voice. Slowly, Anastasia extended her hand and shook Clarice's hand. "It's very nice to formally meet you, Miss Abbott."

"Likewise, Mrs. Wayne," Clarice said, giving her a quick nod. It was as if the woman knew more than she let out, letting the gears quietly turn in her head as she took the whole room. "So, how is she? Did she say anything to the two of you?"

"We found evidence that she was drugged," Bruce mentioned, looking back at Montoya and Gordon. "A fresh injection site on her neck."

"We need Forensics in here," Clarice hummed, listening in to the Sergeant and Lieuenant's conversation. They didn't say anything of substance, quietly speaking about how Montoya was feeling. "Anything else we can use?"

"She remembers a voice saying something about a revolution," Bruce added. He didn't mention anything about him asking Alfred to analyze the substance and Anastasia didn't mention it either, deciding to follow Bruce's lead.

"That's not much to go on," Clarice sighed, but she was determined to find out what had happened. She walked past them, heading toward Montoya to have a chat of her own.

"I think it's best if the two of you leave," Harvey mumbled, shaking his head. His displeasure was written all over his face, but what was done was done. They couldn't change Carmine Falcone's fate. "Clarice and I can handle it from here."

They were led out by a few police officers that guarded the doors very carefully, not wanting anyone not authorized to get inside. Harvey and Clarice remained behind to help Gordon figure out who had been behind the drugging. Bruce spoke on the phone with Alfred, quietly and in tongues that Anastasia could not understand. She walked beside him, deep in thought. She wasn't sure what to think about the whole situation. It was too much, almost pushing her overboard after everything that happened at the Skyline Club and the medical examiner's office.

"Bruce!"

Someone called out to her husband from behind them, causing the two of them to look back to see Vicki Vale with the Gotham Gazette approach with a warm smile. Anastasia was impressed by her ambition, trying to get ahead of the story before the whole truth could be revealed. Bruce sighed, disconnecting his call with Alfred.

"My friends in the GCPD have been telling stories," Vicki explained, tilting her head as she looked at both Bruce and Anastasia. "About some kind of lockdown."

"I'm sorry, Vicki," Bruce interrupted, taking Anastasia's hand as he began to lead them away. His tone was dismissive, not wanting to hear what Vicki had to say. "We don't have time for questions."

"Don't brush me off," Vicki scoffed, clearly displeased as she followed behind them. Anastasia didn't like reporters, knowing the media only ever had something negative to say about them. "Word is there were shots fired, near where Falcone was being held."

"Perhaps, we should just let the police do their job if there even was a shooting, Miss Vale," Anastasia pointed out, sparing a glance back at the brunette. She looked much different now than at the party or when she had arrived at their home unannounced. Her hair was tied up in a loose ponytail with some hairs that framed her pointed face.

"So, it's true," Vicki smirked, making Anastasia frown when she realized she had somewhat confirmed the woman's suspicions by being so dismissive.

"No," Bruce corrected, pressing the button to call the elevator. "We didn't say that."

"I heard that you, Bruce, turned over enough dirt on Falcone to put him in Blackgate Prison for life," Vicki commented, crossing her arms over her chest. "A day after he showed up at your house."

Anastasia frowned, looking up at Bruce. Was this same evidence that Batman was talking about at the Skyline Club? If so, the question was how Bruce had compiled such a document. She stayed quiet, as did Bruce. They didn't want to give Vicki anything else.

"And now, you're here..." Vicki pointed out, trying to explain to them the severity of the situation. "You two can't afford to be associated with another scandal. Look, I can keep your name out of whatever we print, but you need to give me something I can use."

Bruce stayed silent.

"Who fired the shots? A cop?" Vicki pressed, wanting to know more out of the two of them. "I can tell by the way you two are brushing me off that something big happened."

The elevator door opened, causing Anastasia to let out a sigh of relief.

"Please get out of our way, Vicki," Bruce said, walking past her with Anastasia as he wrapped an arm around her waist. He gave Vicki a smile, pretending as if he hadn't completely been rude moments before. "We're in a hurry."

"How disappointing," Vicki muttered, shaking her head as she watched them. Her brown eyes narrowed as she placed a hand on her hip. "Maybe you two have more to do with this than I thought."

The elevator doors closed before it began to go down toward the parking garage. Anastasia let out a shaky breath, watching as the numbers descended. "We've just dug ourselves a deeper hole."

Bruce nodded slowly, agreeing. "You should have told me you were coming."

"I didn't plan to come..." Anastasia mumbled, knowing she had no plans to come to the GCPD. She knew Bruce was going to talk with Falcone, but she hadn't wanted anything to do with it. But, it was as if fate had other plans. "I was... Well, technically, I was brought in for questioning."

"About Falcone?" Bruce asked. "Did they want to know more about you being at the Skyline Club?"

Anastasia stared up at him, quickly nodding her head yes. She didn't like lying to Bruce, but she had to. There was no way she was going to tell him what happened with Dr. Franklin. "Yes, they wanted to know what I was doing at the club and give a statement. I told them we could have done it at the office, but they wanted me to come into the station."

"Not that it matters now," Bruce sighed, shaking his head. "You can't charge a dead man."

"I suppose not..." Anastasia whispered, agreeing with Bruce. It made her think whether it was worth it to go digging into the past for the truth, considering it could not reverse the death of her parents. But, still she needed to know the truth for her own sake. And, Anastasia was going to stop at nothing to learn the legacy that her father had left behind.

♡

SO, THIS CHAPTER CAME OUT MUCH SOONER THAN I EXPECTED, but it is because the whole chapter was already written and I only needed to edit it. I spent a good few hours last night to polish it up, but I expect there to still be mistakes scattered throughout it. I feel like this chapter is a mess because Ana is all over the place, especially because her father's mind control is legit cracking her mind. Poor thing, she thinks she is going crazy. I'm not sure if people noticed, but William lowkey taking control when Falcone died?? Haha, we all know he's not really dead.

It hurt my heart to have Bruce and Ana get into an argument, but things are going to be tense. They are going through a lot and Ana is about to blow up with all the stress she is under. Of course, Bruce is very good at knowing how to help Ana. I love them so much honestly and I know I need to write the tension and tough times before things get better.

Also, the next chapter will be more mellow! We will see Harvey and Selina with Anastasia as they prepare for the debate! Then, the following chapter will be the debate, hehe. The timeline is very short, considering this is day two or three. I think it's day three, but we'll be on the same day for about four chapters. I am so excited for the debate! After that, the timeline will change and I will focus on Ana's plot before going back into Telltale's plot. I am so excited to share everything with you guys! There is a lot of Stranger Things and Jessica Jones inspiration. I am prepared to bring it all to life asap!

ALSO, WE HAVE OFFICIALLY MET CLARICE. I mentioned this in my other chapter, but Clarice is not my character and she belongs to the talented ptolomeae! They have an amazing Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne fic, so please go check them out! I love Clarice more than life itself and I am so excited for her book! Still, I am so honored to be able to include her in this book!!

AMARA.
[ CHAPTER PUBLISHED ━━ 06.08.2022 ]