CloisKent
03-04-2007, 04:58 PM
BATMAN: The Breckinridge Years
Author’s Note: Readers that are familiar with Batman, Bruce Wayne, Gotham City, etc., will note that I take a lot of creative license with this story and many of the characters, concerning backgrounds, ages and such. This story is about eighteen year old Bruce Wayne’s senior year at a posh school, in a community outside of Gotham called Breckinridge.
Besides being a co-ed boarding school of sorts, Breckinridge is the place where young Bruce, begins his quest to become Batman, amateurish as it may seem at the time. It is also the place where he meets many people, that his relationships with, will change in years to come. Some not for the better. Some because of forces greater than themselves.
Also, Excelcior, the school that Lex Luthor and Oliver Queen attend, is 5 miles away. The two schools enjoy a healthy rivalry when it comes to sports, academics and other assorted things.....
This story begins with a murder, that will be one of the reasons that Lionel Luthor banishes his only son, Lex, to a place called Smallville.....
PROLOGUE
BRECKINRIDGE: NIGHT
William Hampton Kittridge, seventeen year old heir to Kittridge Lighting, stood outside of the wrought iron fence post that fostered the school from the rest of the community. He was wearing his uniform, that of a blue blazer with gold buttons and slacks. He was also trying to think positively about the news his impending visitor would give him. Surely it was done? Surely everything was taken care of?
Please....let everything be taken care of....don’t let it come back to haunt him.....
William, known as ‘Billy’, squinted when he heard footsteps. He could see eighteen year old Lex Luthor’s bald head under a lamp a few feet away from the fence. Billy walked to the gate as Lex looked around, then smiled at his friend.
“It’s done.”
“You’re not sh*&&**in me? You just made her disappear? Man, thanks! Tell your father...”
Lex waved a finger at Billy.
“I didn’t go to my father. I wouldn’t go to him with something like this.”
Billy looked him up and down from his side of the fence.
“What do you mean, ‘you didn’t go to your father’? Who the hell else would you trust to get rid of a body?!” Billy hissed in an almost hysterical whisper.
“Shhh!” Lex hissed back, as he saw someone coming up towards the fence on Billy’s side. It was Harvey Dent, a senior and star of the Breckinridge football team. Lex smiled tolerantly, but really resented the hell out him! Dent was at Breckinridge on aid. Lex always wondered what life would’ve been like, if Dent hadn’t been given a ‘discount’ on the tuition? Would Excelcior win more games in their conference? Would Lex be able to bet on his own school team?
Harvey, who was popular and easy going, sauntered up to the gate.
“What do you say there, Luthor? Billy? What’s going on here?”
Billy turned to face his classmate.
“We’re waiting for our dates.”
Harvey grinned!
“Yeah? How did you manage to scrape up a date, Lex? And who is it?”
“My date is meeting us.” Lex said coolly.
“So....you’re really just waiting for ONE girl, hey?”
Billy gave Harvey a pained look. Harvey put his hands up in surrender.
“Never mind. I’ll be on my way. By the way, Lex, Selena says hi.”
Lex raised a brow. Really?
Harvey burst out laughing at Lex’s hopeful expression!
“Hell no, Luthor! You know that will be the day when MY girl says boo to you! Gotta go, good luck on your dates!”
Lex gave Harvey the finger, which caused him to laugh again. Billy was just glad he was gone. He turned to look at Lex and noted that the expression on his face looked rather.....murderous!
“Who did you get to hide the body?” Billy asked.
Lex tore his eyes off of Harvey Dent’s back and looked at his friend.
“The body isn’t going to be ‘hidden’. Someone is going to find it and someone else is going to blamed. Here is what you have to do. The person I went to wants your help.”
Billy didn’t like the sound of that at all!
“With what?”
“Getting rid of a little problem. You know Selena Kyle?”
Billy blinked. Who the hell didn’t know Selena Kyle! Dent’s girlfriend, only heir to the Kyle Department Store chain. Blonde, thin, smoking hot.....
“Yeah...what about her?”
“Her mother is not pleased with her.”
Billy raised a brow. Everyone knew that too! Selena’s father, Samuel Kyle, had died six months ago. He had been about twenty years older than Paige Kyle, Selena’s mother. Samuel Kyle left every morsel of his vast fortune to his only, 17 year old daughter. Paige had to go and beg for money from Selena if she wanted to buy a change in underwear!
Not an ideal situation for any mother to be in. Billy often thought he’d love to be in that kind of situation with his old man though!
“What does that have to do with.....Christ, Lex! Did you get Paige Kyle to take care of this???” Billy whispered, horrified.
Lex smiled. Yes he had. Selena was hot, but Paige Kyle was a tigress in bed. In both his father’s and HIS OWN bed. And maybe if Selena had even looked his way once, he might not be doing this now but....
“Paige wants Selena taken care of. If Selena dies, she gets control of the Kyle fortune and....”
“Damnit, Lex! I asked you for one frickin’ favor and now you’ve made it worse! Now you know I couldn’t let that little whore have my baby! She got lippy and I accidentally slugged her so....”
“You ‘accidentally’ killed her when you slugged her, Billy,” Lex said calmly, “and instead of burying her under some leaves, you called me, leaving it in my hands. Now, Paige doesn’t care how you do this, just do it, okay?”
“Or?” Billy asked defiantly.
“Or, it will become public knowledge that you were seeing some slut from Gotham Public High School. And when that said slut, turns up dead, your fingerprints will be all over this.”
“So will yours. I’m thinking maybe if this happens, I could cut a deal. After all, Paige Kyle’s hiring me to kill her only daughter, will look twice as bad as my accidentally killing some common tramp. What do you think?”
Lex glared as Billy Kittridge turned away from the gate and walked off into the darkness. Paige would not be pleased. But Lex decided to let Paige deal with that. As long as they continued to give one another unbridled pleasure, Lex could deal with just about anything.
Part One.
It was mid afternoon when Bruce Wayne said his third, ‘excuse me’, as he read the Gotham City Gazette, while walking to the Breckinridge Library.
A young woman had been found murdered. Her body was discovered in her own car, in the parking lot of one of the Kyle’s Department Stores.
There was one suspect: a Sales Area Manager that the deceased was rumored to be having an affair with.
The deceased’s name was Amy Quinzel. Bruce then went on to read a quote from Amy’s sister, Harleen, who swore up and down that Amy was seeing a ‘Breckinridge Guy’. Bruce folded the paper. Already a couple of things in that story bothered him. He hoped they were bothering the police as well. And he hoped like hell no one here was responsible for this.
Bruce looked over as his best friend, Harvey Dent, and hurried up the library steps with him. He nodded towards his paper.
“You read that article about the murder?”
Bruce nodded tersely.
“The girl’s sister said that she was dating someone here.”
“Ha! Come on, Bruce! I hate to be like this, but more than likely that girl’s sister was confused.”
“Confused?”
“Yeah....I would be willing to bet that one of those creeps over at Excelcior did it. The sister probably got the two schools mixed up. Like I said, she was confused.”
Bruce didn’t answer right away for two reasons. One, he had smiled at three girls already, on his way into the library. Secondly, HE was confused about something.
Two weeks ago, Bruce decided to test the skills and training he had first begun, in a small Tibetan Village last summer. He donned a disguise that was made up of a black, leather body suit and mask that covered everything but his mouth.
The mask also had bat ears on top of it. Bruce could never explain what his fascination was with bats aptly to anyone, and hopefully he never would have to.....at least to anyone but his longtime servant and surrogate father, Alfred.
He had left his room last night as he usually did, late. He then went into Gotham and scouted around. Granted, he could not be everywhere......but to have missed a young woman being killed.....
That was failure. Failure on his part.
“Bruce? You haven’t heard a word I said. Not that I blame you. Every girl in this school is hot for you anyway....”
Bruce looked at him.
“So, how are Selena and you? Are things better?” Bruce asked carefully. Harvey sighed. He stopped smiling.
“No. As a matter of fact I went to see her last night and we broke up.”
Bruce stopped in his tracks. Harvey and Selena had broken up......which meant that HE could possibly have a chance?
Bruce shook that thought out of his mind. Harvey would never understand. If it was anyone else....
“I’m sorry, Harvey. I didn’t realize things had gotten worse.”
Harvey lowered his voice as the two of them headed towards the ‘Check-Out’ desk.
“Ever since her father died like that, she’s been distant and different. I don’t know...I get the feeling something else is going on.”
“Well remember, she has the responsibility of running her father’s company now.” Bruce reminded him.
“That’s what gets me! What was her old man thinking?! She’s seventeen! Selena knows next to nothing about business, not to mention her shifty mother....”
Bruce nodded. Yes, Paige Kyle. It was being whispered in certain circles that Samuel Kyle had not ‘died’, but had been murdered, though that was very hard to prove. He had been on his yacht, some say with a mistress, when it blew up. But an investigation showed that there had been something wrong with the yacht’s engine.
And now Selena was essentially alone. It was common knowledge that Samuel Kyle had treated his only daughter better than his wife. And his leaving everything to a child, who was under eighteen was odd. The Kyle Corporation was being run by efficient managers, but soon, Selena would be expected to take over.
“Hi!”
Bruce and Harvey stared at the red-headed freshman behind the desk. Her name was Barbara Gordon and she was Police Commissioner Gordon’s daughter. Her hair was a bit wild today. She had been shelving books, then had hurried over to wait on them.
“Hi, Harvey! Hi, Bruce!”
Harvey said hello, then gave Bruce a knowing look. Most girls said hello to him in a normal voice. But when they said Bruce’s name, it sounded as if they were out of breath or something!
Bruce smiled down at her.
“Hello, Barbara. I’ve come to pay my fines.”
“Yeah,” Harvey echoed, “he’s going to pay mine as well.”
Bruce smirked at Harvey. No, he had not agreed to do any such thing, but it was no bother. Barbara smiled at Harvey, then grinned at Bruce.
“Okay. So....did you hear about that terrible murder?” Barbara asked them. “Do you really think someone here did that?”
“Let’s hope not.” Bruce said, handing her the money. It was then that another freshman walked up, a dark brunette. She was smiling at Harvey. Harvey smiled back in a way that was flirtatious.
“Uh Bruce, this is Lucy Lane. We met at a party the other night. She’s a freshman as well.” Harvey said.
Lucy put her hand out and shook Bruce’s big one.
“Hi. So....it’s going to be a foursome then?”
Barbara, who was Lucy’s best friend, frowned. So did Bruce.
“Foursome?” Bruce and Barbara asked in unison.
Harvey coughed and pulled Bruce aside.
“Listen.....I know this looks bad, but I kind of had a feeling Selena would break up with me....days ago. So I made a date with Lucy here to go to the Homecoming dance.”
Bruce smiled back tightly at Lucy and Barbara. They were both cute...in an eighth grader type of way!
Bruce looked back at Harvey.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Lucy wants her friend to have a date. She said she has a crush on you....”
“No, Harvey! Look, I made a date with another girl.”
“Who? Someone here?”
“She goes to Gotham High. Her name is Victoria Vale. I met her...never mind how. She’s my date and I thought Selena was yours! You made a date with a freshman BEFORE breaking up with her?”
“Who are you? Selena’s brother? You don’t know what she’s been like since her father died! She doesn’t even listen to me! It’s like she’s somewhere else...”
“That’s because she’s suffering. Look, I’m supposed to tutor her in History in a few minutes. Does she even know that you’ve hooked up with someone else so quickly?”
“She won’t care.” Harvey repeated. “And she’s got a lot of guys hot for her anyway. Lex Luthor is still panting after her. And remember she used to date Ollie Queen. I don’t see why you can’t help me out here.”
“Because I already have a date. Handle this yourself, Harvey.” Bruce said firmly, as his eyes left his, and fell upon Selena, who was walking up to them.
Barbara brushed her bushy, red hair down at the sight of Selena Kyle. She always felt unkempt when that girl was around! Lucy rolled her eyes and tossed some of her own dark hair. Selena Kyle wasn’t THAT much, though you wouldn’t know it from the way both Bruce and Harvey were looking at her.
Selena ignored Harvey and smiled up at Bruce. Bruce noticed she was not wearing the blazer/skirt concoction, that the girls here were required to wear. She was wearing a powder blue business suit that set off her blonde hair and blue eyes.
“Bruce, I’m going to have to cancel our tutoring session. I have to get over to the Gotham Department Store.”
“Is this about last night? And that woman?” Harvey asked. Selena smiled thinly at him.
“I got a call from Lex Luthor this morning. He wanted to give his condolences about my being dumped for a freshman. You work fast, Harvey.”
“Selena, it wasn’t like that!” Harvey began to stutter. And how the hell did Lex find out about Lucy?
Selena re-focused her attention on Bruce. She liked him, well enough. But she had never been one to be drawn to men that a lot of other women had the hots for. And A LOT of women liked Bruce!
“I know I’m flunking, so I will reschedule, okay?” Selena said, then turned and began to walk out of the library. Bruce ran after her, ignoring Harvey, Lucy and Barbara. He caught up with her on the steps.
“Selena?”
Selena turned around and blinked.
“Yes, Bruce?”
“You know, we’re in sort of similar positions. One day I will have to run Wayne Enterprises. The man that does run my family’s company now, has been training me some. I could come with you.....maybe give you some help?”
“And keep me from looking like a total idiot?” Selena asked softly.
“You’re not an idiot. And I suspect this meeting has to do with damage control over the murder?”
Selena nodded.
“My father gave me this responsibility to get back at my mother. I would like to think he believed I was up to the task as well. I just think I should know what’s going on.”
Bruce tentatively reached out and touched her hand.
“Then let me come with you. I’ll just go back to my room and change into a suit. Then we can go in there and face this....together.”
Selena blinked. Funny how that word ‘together’ had sounded nice coming from Bruce Wayne, of all people.
“Fine, I’m game, I guess.”
Bruce reached for her hand and pulled her along towards the Men’s dorms. Harvey was watching them from the library door.
Meanwhile, Barbara swatted Lucy!
“How could you embarrass me like that??? How???” she hissed in a whisper. Lucy shrugged.
“What? You like him, don’t you?”
“I am the LAST person Bruce would be interested in!”
“Look, Barbara, the trick to getting him, is to find out what interests him. When you can do that, you’ll have an in.”
“An in?”
“An in, girlie! A way to keep his interest before you go in for the kill!”
“Kill?”
Lucy shook her head, then put an arm around her friend.
“That’s Army talk. My father is a General. I guess some of it has rubbed off on me.”
*******
KYLE ESTATE
Paige Kyle slammed down the phone and looked around. She should be so lucky the little ***** still allowed her to live in her own home!
That had been the police. Selena was being accused of stealing a faberge egg cat’s collar, from a dinner party at a neighbor’s home, one week ago!
She wasn’t going to help the ungrateful wretch this time. Maybe THEN, she could negotiate with Selena and get her to loosen up the purse strings a bit!
Her cellphone rang. Paige fished it out of her purse and looked at the caller I.D.. Lex....
“Hello, darling. I can’t tell you how nice it is to hear your very, young voice.”
Lex, who was driving, smirked.
“It’s always nice to hear yours. Listen, I thought you should know that my father called. He happened to mention that a meeting has been called at the Gotham Kyle Store. Apparently Selena is going to make an appearance. Why?”
Paige raised a brow.
“I have no idea. That girl knows nothing about nothing! I suppose I should get over there and make nice as well. After all, one day I will be getting everything back.”
“Uh yes....”
“Lex? Lex is there a problem with our young friend? After all I did just arrange for that poor girl to be found on MY store property. I then framed a Sales Area Manager! Is this little creep going to kill Selena or what?”
“He told me he cut her brake line early this morning. He’s also planning some sort of blackmail, I think.”
“Christ!”
“Well I’m afraid you are vulnerable here. I mean he could bargain with the authorities at a later date...”
“I’M vulnerable? I don’t even know the little bastard. Lex, you came to me with this whole thing. If I go down, you go down.”
Lex said nothing for a bit, as he stopped at a light.
“Paige, I love you. I would never turn on you.”
“If you really loved me, Lex, you’d marry Selena and get her to sign back what’s MINE to me. Hell, you wouldn’t have to marry her! Just date her and get her to sign...”
“Selena doesn’t like me. Not for my lack of trying.”
“Yes, well....she always was particular. Look.....I’ll meet you here at my house later on tonight. I’m having dinner with your father, then I’ll see you later, alright?”
Paige hung up without waiting for acknowledgment. She wouldn’t have to screw Luthor Jr. if Luthor Sr. wasn’t so high and mighty. It became clear to her, two months ago, that while Lionel found her to be an interesting bed partner, he had no desire to marry her.
That would not do.
Lex was just for insurance. Paige still felt as if she could force a marriage proposal out of Lionel if she used her relationship with Lex, and the embarrassment it would cause, as leverage.
Paige looked at her watch. It was time to get over to the Gotham City Police Department. She had one more unpleasant task to perform before getting over to the Kyle Department Store In Gotham. The story would change from being about a dead girl found in a car, to poor Selena’s dying on the way over there.
**********
Paige smiled back at five different officer’s before heading towards a familiar office to speak to Chief of Detectives, Harry Buszka. He had been Sam’s cop on the take, when it came to getting Selena out of trouble.
He was also the man that had helped plant Amy Quinzel’s body in her car, on the department store lot.
Paige tried not to think about how hairy he was. Or how his belly just molded onto her flat one, whenever she was forced to screw him, in exchange for his services. Or how sloppy his technique was. Commissioner Gordon would probably make a better lover! Once again, the fact that she had to stoop this low was Selena’s fault too!
Paige ignored the secretary and walked into the office, slamming the door. The blinds were already closed. Paige surreptitiously reached over and locked the door.
Harry, who had been on the phone, stood up when Paige walked in. She was a fine looking woman. A fine looking woman indeed.
“I’m not here for, Selena. I’ll deal with her on the cat collar thing. I need your help on another matter.”
Harry began to take off his shirt. Paige ignored his very unattractive body.
“You know the price.”
“I’m willing to pay it as long as I get what I want.”
*********
Selena, and Bruce for that matter, were spared from dying at the moment, because they took Bruce’s car over to Kyle Department Store.
Lionel Luthor, who was lurking about, was more than surprised to see young Bruce Wayne walk in with Selena. He walked over.
“Bruce? I didn’t know you were coming. How have your studies been coming along?”
Bruce shook Lionel’s hand, thinking that the apple did not fall far from the tree. Lex was one of his least favorite people.
“They’ve been fine. How is Lex? I haven’t seen him in awhile.”
“Studying hard. I’m sending him to Harvard business school, so he can get a sense of what he will be doing for Luthorcorp. Selena, you look lovely.”
Selena detested Lionel Luthor. That and she knew he was sleeping with her mother.
“Thank you, Mr. Luthor.” she bit out.
“It’s Lionel, dear. You know, if you needed help handling this whole thing, you should have come to me.”
“I don’t need any help.” Selena said shortly, and she moved around Lionel to approach the man that ran the day to day operations at this particular store. He handed her a folder. Bruce was about to walk over, when Lionel touched his arm.
“I’m glad you’re here with her, son.”
Bruce raised a brow.
“Are you?”
“Yes. Selena needs someone to watch out for her best interests. She also needs someone to make sure that she is indeed safe.”
Bruce’s jaw locked.
“Safe?”
“Oh come now! With all of those accidents that the poor dear has had....well surely you don’t think they have been accidents, do you......you didn’t know, did you? Well it was a good thing she was able to get out of that elevator before it fell the last time she was here. The girl has cat like reflexes. And that awful powder that sprouted out of that package.....and what was the other thing again.....”
Bruce ignored Lionel and walked over to Selena, who was handing the folder back to her ‘employee’. She looked up at Bruce.
“Well the evidence looks clear cut against this Sales Area Manager. I now have to consult our lawyers as to whether we can legally fire him before he’s been charged....”
“We need to talk.” Bruce said firmly, pulling on her arm. Selena followed along, puzzled. Bruce lead her out into the hallway and soon found a private office they could be alone in. Selena pulled her arm from his. She didn’t LIKE not being in control!
“What is this?”
“Why didn’t you mention all of those other attempts on your life? Is that why you broke up with Harvey?”
Selena suddenly looked drained.
“Bruce.....this is between my mother and myself. My mother is insane and the last thing I want her to do, is to get to me through someone I care about.”
“I think Harvey needs to know.”
“Harvey needs to go on with his life. Look, I wasn’t needed here anyway so can we go back to school?”
Bruce rested his hands on her waist.
“You can’t let her get away with this. One of these days your mother will...”
“What? Succeed?” Selena asked, smiling wanly. She reached down to pull Bruce’s hands off of her, but his hands just tightened.
“I care about you, Selena. You know that. You’ve always known. Please, let me help you.”
Selena pulled his hands off of her.
“Speedy loves you and he’s not an easy cat to charm. He never liked Harvey. That told me everything I needed to know. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.....for Speedy’s sake.”
“Speedy’s or yours?” Bruce whispered against her hair, as he began to pull her into his arms.
“Both of us.” Selena whispered back, her own arms going around him. Her eyes then focused on something through the glass window of the room. Or actually someone.
It was a girl. One that Selena recognized. Bruce had brought her on a double date with Harvey and herself. Her name was Nikki or something.....
Selena pulled herself away from Bruce, not quite understanding the feelings that she was having for him at the moment. Maybe she was just feeling vulnerable or scared or....
Vicki! That was her name! Selena turned Bruce around so he could gaze out of the window. Vicki was here?
Bruce turned back to Selena.
“Wait here. I have to talk to....”
“Vicki.” Selena said knowingly. Bruce turned and walked out of the room to face Vicki Vale. Vicki, who had long hair to her waist that was a auburn/blonde color, turned as he approached. Her eyes were a piercing blue and she had eyelashes many a woman would die for.
“Vicki? What are you doing here?” Bruce asked as he kissed her hello. Vicki loved the feel of his lips against hers. She had met him, oddly enough, after she fended off a mugger. Actually, SHE had not fended anyone off. A mysterious guy in black, dressed like a kind of leather bat, so to speak, had beaten the mugger down, thus chasing him off. Vicki had wanted to thank her mysterious rescuer, but he disappeared.
Bruce Wayne showed up a little bit after that, with his cellphone and car. She hadn’t wanted to go to the police but had just wanted to go home. Oddly enough, that was the beginning of her courtship....and her newfound popularity at Gotham High when other people found out she was dating him!
Vicki hadn’t expected to see Bruce here today. And the only reason she was here at the Kyle Department store, was because she had obtained special permission for her Journalism teacher to leave school and find out what she could about the murder of her classmate, Amy Quinzel.
“Bruce, I’m here to write a story for the Gotham City Highschool Journal. Amy was a classmate of mine.”
“I know....but there is nothing to find out here, Vicki. I think you should go back to school.”
Vicki peered around Bruce at the glass window. She looked at Bruce.
“Is that Selena Kyle?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know her? Bruce, I would LOVE an introduction...”
Bruce shook his head slightly.
“Vicki, she doesn’t know anything that could help you.”
“How do you know? Bruce, I know Amy’s sister Harleen. She’s beside herself. Now she knows for a fact that Amy was seeing a boy from your school. She even gave me a picture of the two of them together.”
Bruce blinked.
“She did? Did she take it to the police?”
“She’s afraid to. This is a Breckinridge boy. Harleen is afraid this whole thing will be shoved under the rug once everyone finds out who this guy is.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen, believe me.”
Vicki smiled wanly.
“That’s sweet, Bruce, but what could you really do anyway? Look, I just want five minutes with Selena Kyle....”
The elevator doors opened and Paige Kyle stepped off. She looked around and spotted Bruce and Vicki. Her eyes roamed up and down Bruce as she walked over.
“Bruce....fancy meeting you here. Did you bring Selena?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Oh...so you didn’t take Selena’s car then?”
Bruce and Vicki looked at one another, then looked at Paige.
“No.” Bruce said quietly, now wondering if there was a reason Paige was asking about Selena’s car? Damn!
“Oh well....enjoy yourselves then.” Paige said airily, looking around. She saw Selena come out of an office and began to make her way towards her. That was when Vicki broke away from Bruce and got in between the mother and daughter.
“Ms. Kyle? I’m Vicki Vale....remember, I went on that double date with Harvey Dent, Bruce and yourself?”
“Harvey Dent?” Paige asked, “Selena, please tell me you’re not still dating him?”
Selena ignored her mother and smiled at Vicki.
”Yes, I remember, Vicki.”
“Well I am here to ask a few questions about Amy Quinzel. Her sister Harleen knows she was dating a Breckinridge boy and....”
Selena put a hand up.
“Vicki, I’m sorry but maybe you should talk to some of my people about that. I have to get going.”
Selena moved past Vicki, Paige and Bruce, to walk over to the elevator. She then looked at her mother.
“On second thought, I’ll take the stairs.” she said, opening up a door and walking down a flight of stairs. Bruce walked up to Paige and Vicki.
“I drove Selena here so I’d better catch up to her. Vicki, I will call you. Paige....I’ll have Selena’s car checked.”
“Of course.” Paige purred, looking him over again. Damn! Damn! Damn! Not only was Selena not blown to smithereens, but now it looked as if her dear daughter had Bruce waiting in the wings to do her bidding!
Vicki looked at Paige.
“Harleen gave me a picture of the Breckinridge boy that Amy Quinzel was dating. Do you think if I showed it to you, you would recognize him?”
Uh oh! Paige thought. She smiled at the girl and linked arms with her.
“Let’s take the stairs and on the way down, you can show me the picture, okay?”
Vicki smiled gratefully! Finally! Someone was going to cooperate....and why hadn’t she noticed that way Bruce looked at Selena before?
Paige lead Vicki into the stairwell unaware that Lionel was watching them both.
********
Just as Bruce was putting on his disguise for his night hunt, he got the call about Vicki. She had been found lying in the stair well of the Gotham City Kyle Department Store. She was now in a coma.
Part Two
Bruce’s first thought was not about getting over to the hospital to be with Vicki and her parents.
It was about the last person he saw her with. Paige Kyle.
Bruce, who did not share a dorm room(one had to pay extra for single room), turned on his computer. It didn’t take long to come on, but while he was waiting, his thoughts wandered to this afternoon.
Paige Kyle is who came to mind as being responsible for this. It had to be her! But why? Paige seemed to only have it out for Selena. And yet just because a person was murderous towards one particular individual, did that not necessarily make her dangerous towards others? Did it?
Vicki had told him she had a picture of the boy Amy Quinzel had been seeing. He had been too worried about Selena to even notice. Why had he left Vicki alone with that woman?!
But it didn’t make any sense. Why would Selena’s mother care about who Amy was seeing?
Bruce went on a news site and read an article on Amy’s murder. After looking it over, it hit him that the only proof that Amy was seeing some Sales Area Manager from the store, came from Paige Kyle herself. Was it possible it was in HER best interests for this particular man to go to prison?
Bruce left the news site and went into the Gotham City Circuit Court System. This was a controversial site that had just went online a year ago. All one had to know was the Social Security Number and the Date of Birth of an individual, and one could not only see any and all offenses, but a home address was provided.
Right now, Bruce wanted Harleen Quinzel’s address. Paige Kyle was responsible for what happened to Vicki. It would stand to reason that Vicki no longer had that picture. But Amy’s sister had probably seen this boy her sister was involved with.
Harleen’s address was not in the nicest neighborhoods. Two blocks from Crime Alley. He would be ready. Bruce turned off his computer, got up and opened a drawer. He took out two yearbooks and set them on his bed. He then finished putting on his disguise, before opening his window and disappearing off into the night. His first stop was going to be to Selena’s car. He was slash her tires to keep her from going anywhere, until the car was looked at.
********
Barbara Gordon was more than a bit curious about Amy Quinzel as well. She decided to take a different route than her crush, Bruce Wayne.
She went to MySpace. Maybe Amy had an account there. Now to find out what her name would be....
Lucy, meanwhile, was holding up skimpy underwear and asking for her opinion. Barbara sighed and turned away from the computer to look.
“Lucy, your father AND your sister would kill you if they knew you were going after an 18 year old guy!”
“It’s not my fault he’s eighteen, Barbara! And we do attend the same school. You know, I would feel a whole lot better myself if Harvey would get over Selena Kyle!”
Barbara turned back to the computer. THAT wasn’t about to happen. She went onto MySpace and went under the ‘Find A Friend’ field. She then saw three radio buttons that said, ‘Name’, ‘Display Name’ and ‘E-mail’. Barbara leaned back. Name would give her the real name of a particular account as opposed to ‘Display Name’ which would just give her whatever Alias the person was using. She put in Amy Quinzel and limited her search to include photos.
There were 45 people with that same exact name, and it did not take Barbara long to match the photo of Amy Quinzel the newspaper provided, with the one she was looking at now. Amy was ‘Hot Mama’....God.....
Meanwhile Lucy tossed aside another skimpy underwear set and peered out of the window. Who the hell was that???
“Barbara!” Lucy hissed. Barbara turned around.
“I found Amy Quinzel’s MySpace site.”
“Big whoop! Come over here!” Lucy said, motioning frantically from the window. Barbara jumped up and joined her.
There was a man in a black, leather body suit, slinking off into the night. He had something sticking up from the top of his head....like devil ears or something....
“Barbara! That’s the killer!” Lucy squeaked.
“Uh....maybe there is some kind of costume party going on. I mean the guy is headed towards the student parking lot.”
“Or he could be headed towards the woods! Come on, Barbara! Some girl is killed and accuses a boy from here and now we see some creep....granted a muscular creep, slinking around here! We have to tell somebody!”
“I don’t want to look like a fool, Lucy! If this is just some kind of prank....”
“Barbara, I would know if there was any kind of costume party going on tonight! Because I’d make damned sure WE were there! I say we tell Security at the very least!”
“Oh alright!” Barbara sighed. For some reason, she just didn’t feel as if that guy and this murder were connected. She didn’t know why.
Barbara turned back to her computer. She then frowned.
“Lucy?”
Lucy sauntered over towards the computer. She then burst out laughing!
“Hot Mama?! Give me a break!”
“Lucy.....look at that guy there....in Amy’s top ten Friends.”
Lucy bent down and squinted.
“That one?”
“Yeah....’Billy Boy’.....doesn’t he look familiar?”
Lucy raised up.
“That’s Billy Kittridge. He’s a Junior.”
Barbara looked up from her seated position at Lucy, before peering at Amy’s page. Amy admitted to going to Gotham City Highschool.......she then clicked on Billy’s picture and page. Amy was in his top ten friends as well.
“Go back to Amy’s page under Comments.” Lucy told her. Barbara did that and they looked at a comment from ‘Billy Boy’.
It said, ‘I’ll see you tonight’. It was dated yesterday morning, the day Amy Quinzel was killed.
*********
Selena looked around frantically for her car keys! Finding them, she headed out of her dorm and pulled out her phone. She was going to call Bruce. He was probably at the hospital by now.
HOW did something like this happen again??? Granted Vicki Vale was not dead, but once again, something violent had happened at a Kyle Department Store! She would hate for it to get so bad, that people were afraid to shop at the Gotham City Store!
Bruce was not answering his phone. He was probably at the hospital already and just couldn’t use his phone. As Selena neared the parking lot, she could see that Bruce’s car was gone and....
HER TIRES WERE SLASHED!!! Selena stopped and threw her hands up in the air! Her mother again! Nice!
“Selena?”
Selena turned around to face Harvey.
“Harvey, did you hear about Vicki?”
“Yeah, I went by Bruce’s room but he’s gone.”
“He’s probably at the hospital. I need to get over there. Can you give me a lift?”
Harvey folded his arms.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, ‘why’? Because I need one.”
“I’m going to the hospital to be with my buddy. You’re going over there because....”
“Because this accident happened in my family’s store and...and...Vicki is important to Bruce.”
“I saw the way you were looking at him earlier. So is my best friend the reason I was dumped?” Harvey asked, his tone sounding quite agitated.
Selena tossed some of her blonde hair, as she tried to keep her temper.
“Are you going to give me a ride or not?”
“No. Not until we get a few things straight.”
“Harvey, there is nothing to get straight. There are things I need to do. Either you’re in my corner or you’re not. You wanted me to mourn my father for like a week, then go back to being your adoring girlfriend!”
“Don’t give me that! I’ve always been in your corner! You shut me out!”
Selena nodded to something behind him.
“Your girlfriends are on their way over. And don’t think I didn’t know that you asked that one there, to Homecoming days before I broke off with you. You’re mad because you didn’t expect to get dumped first.”
Selena turned to walk away and ran straight into Billy Kittridge, as Harvey turned away and walked up to Lucy and Barbara.
“Hey Billy....uh if you’ll excuse me....”
“Did I hear you ask Dent there for a ride?” Billy asked, looking her over. Selena looked him over as well. Billy used to be a friend of a guy she dated over at Excelcior, Oliver Queen. But they had some sort of falling out, and suddenly Billy and Lex became bosom buds.
“I need to get to Gotham City Memorial Hospital and someone slashed my tires.”
Billy looked at her car. Yes, someone did. Convenient. Now Selena would never be able to find out just how bad a brake job she needed!
“I could give you a ride over. I’m going to a nightclub in town.”
“Say no more. I’ll find my own way home.” Selena said as she followed him to his car. They got in and took off, just as Barbara peered around Harvey, who was talking to Lucy.
“Uh, Harvey, did Selena just get in a car with Billy Kittridge?”
Harvey half turned around. Kittridge’s car was gone. So were Billy and Selena.
“Yeah, I guess. So, Lucy....”
Barbara suddenly went berserk!
“Lucy! We’ve been wasting time here! No offense, Harvey!”
“None taken. What’s going on?”
“We found out that that dead girl...” Lucy began.
“Amy.” Barbara corrected her.
“Yeah, Amy, had Billy Kittridge in her top ten on MySpace. He also left a comment on her page saying he was meeting her last night.”
Harvey stared at Barbara for a moment, then became lost in his own thoughts. He had seen Kittridge the other night....with Lex by one of the gates. They said they were waiting for dates.....
Amy Quinzel’s sister had said that Amy was dating a Breckinridge guy. But what if Amy had been Lex’s date?
But Lex apparently wasn’t the MySpace friend. Billy was.
“I have to go after Billy! Tell Security...the police, whoever about what you found out!” Harvey yelled as he ran for his car! Lucy stamped her foot!
“Harvey! Just let the police handle this!”
Barbara grabbed Lucy’s arm.
“Forget him! I’m calling my father!”
*********
CRIME ALLEY
Harleen Quinzel, known as ‘Harley’ to her friends, left her neighborhood library and began her walk home. Once there, she would find her mother passed out from her grief.
Her father had left years ago. It had just been Amy, herself and her Mom.
Now it was just her and her Mom.
Almost a full day had went by and there was no update from the cops about Amy’s murder. Harley knew that they found some guy that her sister worked for, at her part time job at Kyle’s department store, as the culprit, but that whole thing was bulls****! That guy was like 40! There was no way her sister would’ve been involved with someone that old!
She on the other hand, liked her men older.
No....the guy that did this was that fancy pants Breckinridge creep! The one that Amy had tried to pull that fast one on. Harley had warned her sister about lying like that. Telling a guy your pregnant when you’re really not....
“Hey there, Harley!”
Harley stopped walking and rolled her eyes! It was Puff Piece, a White Eminem wannabe and pimp.
“Puff Piece....could you get the hell out of my way please?”
“Awww....that’s nice that you said ‘please’. I’ll get out of the way as soon as you fork over the money your sister owed me.”
Harley folded her arms.
“How lame is that?! You are the biggest loser in the pimp game, that ever was! Everyone knows that three of your whores have left you and now work for Ruddy Runt! So now you’re going to LIE and say that Amy was a hooker and she owed you? Please!”
“Look, Harley......I saw you with that old guy....the one that works for that mobster? What’s his name again, Napier? I know he hangs out at the race track and I know he wins! You’re going to tell me he hasn’t giving you a little something?”
“And if he did? Get the f***k out of my way!”
Puff Piece suddenly punched her in the face! Harley managed to recover quickly and knee him in the balls, which only caused him momentary pain, before he grabbed the back of her blonde hair and slammed her into a brick wall! Harley slumped to the ground, unconscious.
“Oh Christ!” Puff Piece screamed. He began to turn and run when he ran into another brickwall.
That would’ve been Bruce, wearing his disguise.
Puff Piece emitted a ***** like scream, as Bruce grabbed him by the throat and threw him against a lamp post! He too slumped to the sidewalk, unconscious. Bruce didn’t care whether he was alright or not, as he stepped over the loser pimp, and saw to Harley.
Harley began to wake up. There were dots....and a masked man with shark fins or ears on top of his head! Christ! To go from being attacked by a pimp to some weirdo? Where was the justice?
The masked man, who’s body wasn’t half bad, helped her up.
“Ms. Quinzel?” he asked in a deep, yet soft voice.
Harley pulled her hand from his and focused.
“Who wants to know?”
“Someone that wants to help. I want to help you find your sister’s killer.”
Harley backed back a bit.
“Are you with the cops?”
“No.”
“I didn’t figure, since the cops aren’t worth squat anyway.”
“Ms. Quinzel, a classmate of yours was hurt today when she tried to show the picture you gave her around.”
Harley’s eyes widened!
“Vicki got hurt? How?”
“All I can say is that the person that attacked her, took the picture.”
“So Billy Boy found out about it, hey?!”
“Billy Boy?”
“That was his MySpace name....God, I tried to tell the cops that he was on my sister’s MySpace page but then they caught that guy at my sister’s job. There is no way she’d date someone like that! Billy Boy did it because....”
“Because?” Bruce gently probed.
“My sister lied and said she was pregnant. I didn’t think it was a good idea, considering what type of family this guy was from. But Amy had dreams of becoming a ‘woman of means’. This guy freaked out and killed her. I know it!”
Harley raised a brow when the masked guy suddenly presented two Breckinridge Yearbooks to look at.
“Point out ‘Billy Boy’ for me. He won’t get away with this, I promise you.” Bruce said. Harley took the books from him and walked under a street lamp. As Bruce still wondered about Paige’s real connection this, Harley shouted out! Bruce met her over by the street lamp. Harley had not gotten far into the book and had found a picture of William Kittridge at football pep rally, picking up a cheerleader and swinging her around.
Billy Boy was William Kittridge. How did Billy and Paige know one another? Or had Billy killed Amy in her car, in the parking lot of Kyle’s Department Store?
Bruce took the books from Harley.
“Your job is done. Let me handle the rest.”
“If you don’t work for the cops, what are you going to do?” Harley challenged him.
“Trust me.” was all he said. Harley broke off eye contact with the masked stranger, as she heard Puff Piece begin to wake up. She looked up again at the masked stranger.
He was gone. Harley decided to hightail it home, before Puff Piece regained full consciousness!
*********
“Where are we going?” Selena asked, frowning.
Billy make a left hand turn in the city, instead of a right one. This turn was going to take them to the highway instead of the hospital.
“Selena, I like you.”
Selena rolled her eyes! God, this was the last thing she needed right now...
“Billy, that’s nice, really. Could you just get me to the hospital?”
“I was supposed to have killed you by now.” Billy said calmly, stopping at another light. Two blocks ahead was the sign for the highway.
Selena blinked.
“Excuse me?”
Billy looked over at her.
“Your mother wants you dead, surely you must know that?”
“Yeah....but what does that have to do with you?”
“Amy got cute....she wouldn’t get rid of the baby.”
Selena’s mouth dropped open!
“Are we talking about the same Amy....”
“The one your mother had planted at your family’s store.”
“Why?! Why would she care? How do you know my mother anyway?”
The light turned green and Billy inched up to the next set of lights. They turned red.
“I don’t know her. Lex does. Lex went to her and took care of it for me. In exchange, I have to kill you. At first I was just going to make a deal.....you know confess in exchange for getting your Mother....but then I realized I might not get off for killing anyone. Your mother’s deal seems more workable.”
The light turned green but Billy did not drive, causing people to honk and go around. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe. Selena was half scared and half contemptuous! This was the best this idiot could think of? He was going to try to inject her with something WHILE driving???
Quick as lightning, Selena grabbed the syringe from him and stabbed Billy in the side of his neck with it!
“AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!” he screamed. Selena reached around him and unlocked his door, opened it and tried to shove Billy out!
But his seatbelt was still on him.
Billy began to grab fistfuls of Selena’s hair! Selena ignored the pain and fumbled for the release buckle on his seatbelt!
Suddenly, Billy was wrenched out of the car by none other than Harvey! The light was sitting over the highway overpass, and Billy was lying against the railing, as Harvey got in and stopped the car.
“Are you alright?” Harvey asked. Selena just threw her arms around him in relief and nodded. She was about to say something when she saw Billy struggle to right himself.
“That was a sedative.....I was going to make it look as if you had fallen asleep driving....I can’t go to prison....I can’t.....”
Harvey and Selena could both see what he was planning, but were powerless to stop it. Billy just fell over the overpass and onto the highway! The sounds of screeching and crashing cars could be heard below.
**********
Bruce stood outside in the shadows, and watched Lex Luthor pump Paige Kyle with abandon. God......what the hell was Lex thinking?
Bruce knew that Billy Kittridge and Lex Luthor were friends. Billy must have asked for Lex’s help. Still....something still did not fit. Why would Paige help Billy? Was she sleeping with him too? Or was her affection for Lex that great that she would anything for him?
Bruce was about to open a glass door to confront them both, when he saw someone else and thought better of it. He left the door ajar so he could listen.
Lionel Luthor had walked in. Paige saw him first and began to beat on Lex!
“Oh God Lex! Please don’t rape me! Lionel! Lionel, help me!”
Lex got the hell off of Paige! Lionel just smiled thinly.
“Son, your technique needs work. Paige, please close up shop and get dressed. You too, son. There have been a few developments that you need to be aware of.”
“Dad,” Lex said, as he put on his pants, “I love Paige....”
“Yes, so does half of the town. And most of Las Vegas. You were a showgirl, weren’t you, dear?”
Paige now had a peach, silk robe on. She tossed some of her shoulder length hair and stood before Lionel.
“What developments, Lionel?”
Lionel folded his arms.
“Well for one, that Sales Area Manager you framed for that poor girl’s murder has been let out of jail.”
Paige and Lex looked at one another, then back at Lionel. Bruce listened intently as well.
“Why?” Lex asked.
“Well William Kittridge confessed everything to Selena, before taking his own life off of a highway overpass.”
“Selena?” Paige asked with some unease.
“Yes....like I said, young William confessed EVERYTHING, including your parts in this whole thing. I have already spoken to Selena, who I last saw at the police station. You know, Paige, I think she just got so fed up with your attempts on her life, that she just told the police everything!”
Lex was enraged!
“She can’t do that!”
Lionel faced his son.
“That’s right, Lex. How very astute of you. Selena agreed to keep quiet about your part in all of this Lex, as long as I made some restitution to Amy Quinzel’s family. I heard her sister, Harleen, has dreams of being a doctor.”
Bruce was stunned! Selena told the police about her mother? And made a deal with Luthor here?
Paige folded her arms.
“So what does this mean for me?”
“I would get legal representation. Oh....and that police officer that helped you? They’re now looking at him. Apparently you paid him some very shady visits to the station. Visits that resulted in Lysol needing to be used afterwards....”
“Lionel, I am begging you to help me! Selena is out of control! How am I...”
“Lex, I’ve had someone come and pick your car. Wait for me in the limo.”
Lex, head bowed, decided to do his father’s bidding. He gathered up his clothes without so much as a glance backwards to Paige. Bruce watched Lex leave the room. He also heard the faint sounds of police sirens.
Paige heard them too!
“Lionel, please! We can work something out here! Selena wasn’t even Sam’s child!”
Lionel grinned!
“We all suspected that, my dear, when he brought you into police society from God knows where! That and she’s much too pretty to have sired by the likes of Sam Kyle.”
“The point is, she isn’t entitled to ANYTHING! All I need to do is dig Sam up and get a DNA test....everything will revert back to me! Just help me and I’ll sell you everything!”
“Paige, that’s what you should have done the minute the contents of Sam’s will became public. Now your stink is all over Lex, which has changed my plans for his future for the time being.”
“How long have known? About Lex and myself?”
“Paige, the funeral home has cameras set up in there. Surely you knew that, didn’t you? Dumping what was left of Sam’s body out of the casket and screwing my son in it....well......oh and I have a copy of it. Just to keep Lex honest.”
Paige just shook her head as Lionel turned and began to walk out of the room. Bruce was about to leave as well, when Lionel turned back and said something else.
“By the way, is Selena aware of that other matter in Sam’s will?”
Paige didn’t look at him. She just shook her head.
“No. It was added right before Thomas Wayne was killed anyway. I couldn’t wait out the terms of the codicil, Lionel. None of what I did would have been necessary if that was possible. I know my daughter. She has never taken to being ordered to do anything.”
“Yes, well, I can wait it out, dear. That’s why I’ll have to refuse your offer.”
Bruce frowned and watched Lionel leave. He had to get out of here as well! What the hell did his father’s will have to do with Sam Kyle’s? What was going on?
Bruce decided he would have to pay Lucious Fox, and the Wayne lawyers a visit ASAP. And with that, he slipped off into the night, his destination, Gotham City Hospital.
*********
FOR DAYS LATER
Vicki came out of her coma the night of her attack by Paige Kyle in the stairwell. She admitted to the police, with her parents and Bruce at her bedside, that she had shown Paige the picture of Billy Kittridge that Harleen had given her. Bruce thought it was a little early for Vicki to be out and about, but the hospital would not keep her any longer, and Vicki’s father, proud and middle class, would not think of having Bruce help with the bill or anything else.
Bruce sensed he would have to win over Mr. Vale.
It was one weekend before Homecoming. Bruce, Vicki, Harvey and Selena were relaxing on the Wayne yacht. Alfred offered to look after them, but Bruce would not hear of it. His longtime servant, faithful companion and father figure, was just getting over a cold. He needed to stay in bed.
Vicki, who was wearing a striped bathing suit, was asking Selena a lot of questions for her school newspaper. Selena, who was wearing a royal blue bikini, didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m not quite getting how your mother knew Billy Kittridge?”
“She was probably having an affair with him. The woman’s a nympho.” Selena said nonchalantly, as if every mother had affairs with boys that young. Vicki could not imagine HER mother doing anything like that!
“Oh....but we’ll never know. You know, because Billy’s dead.”
“No, I guess not.” Selena said, taking out a compact. She could feel her hair about to come down, and looked in the mirror to try and fix it. Vicki reached out and pushed a pin back in. Selena smiled her thanks. She was envious of Vicki’s very long, thick hair, which just flowed loosely....the bathing suit she wasn’t too crazy about, but the hair was nice.
“You know.....I can see that Bruce and you are really close.” Vicki began.
Selena eyed her.
“Well we became close...because of Harvey.”
“Bruce said you two had hit a rough patch.”
“But we’re fine now. What is it you really want to ask me, Vicki?”
Vicki cleared her throat.
“If there is something between you that I should know about...”
“Bruce would have told you by now.” Selena said reassuringly.
Vicki smiled her relief.
“I’m glad. I really want us to be friends, Selena.”
“I want that too.” Selena said, lying back on her chaise.
Vicki looked over at Bruce and Harvey, then moved closer to Selena.
“I really like Bruce.”
“A lot of people do.”
“I mean I REALLY like him. I’m hoping that Homecoming night....well....that it will be special, for both of us.”
Selena could barely keep a straight face! What was this girl trying to tell her? That she wanted Bruce to deflower her on Homecoming night? Cripes!
“Well that might be a problem.” Selena said, she then called over to Harvey and Bruce. Vicki frowned. What was going on?
Bruce and Harvey, who only worse bathing suit bottoms, walked over. Selena smiled up at both guys.
“Harvey, did you tell Bruce about our change in plans in regards to Homecoming?”
Harvey’s smile faltered. Bruce eyed him.
“What? What’s going on?”
Selena grinned!
“I have made it clear to Harvey that I want him to honor his obligations to that freshmen girl. What was her name again?”
“Lucy. Lucy Lane. For the love of Pete, Selena, she would understand!”
“Oh and Bruce,” Selena said coyly, “Harvey told me that you promised to take that red headed girl that works in the library. Commissioner Gordon’s daughter?”
Bruce felt like exploding!
“No, I did not! Harvey....he roped me into.....Vicki, it’s not what you think!”
Selena stood up.
“What I think is that you two dashing young men are going to make two freshman’s dreams come true. Vicki, your Homecoming is two weeks away. Maybe Bruce could take you to yours?”
Vicki now stood up.
“What’s going on, Bruce? You’ve agreed to take someone else to Homecoming?”
Selena sighed.
“I’m going to go freshen up. Harvey, why don’t you explain it to Vicki, okay?”
Selena kissed him, before walking off. Bruce shook his head as Harvey explained it all to Vicki. She was soon laughing!
“Oh Selena is right! You can’t just stand those girls up!”
Bruce glared at Harvey.
“Do I at least get Lucy?”
“No! You get Barbara!”
“Guys,” Vicki warned, “I’m sure they are BOTH cute!”
“They are,” Bruce conceded, “In a middle school type of way.”
“Sorry, dude.” Harvey said lamely. Bruce, who was holding a drink, set it down.
“I’ll see what’s keeping Selena.”
*********
Bruce opened the door to a stateroom and found Selena.
She was wearing nothing but her bikini bottom. If she looked surprised by his sudden entrance, she did not show it. Actually she looked amused.
“I was just rubbing a little suntan lotion on...well....I’ll just put my top back on.”
But neither of them moved for the longest time. Finally, Selena sauntered up to Bruce. She reached for his hands and placed them over her full, yet firm breasts. Bruce knew he should’ve snatched his hands back. But he couldn’t help himself. He began to cup them...to knead....
“I want to thank you for trying to help me, Bruce. It was you I was thinking of when I decided to tell the police about my mother.” Selena said, acting as if she were very unaffected by Bruce’s touch.
“Selena....I’ve loved you since freshman year.....”
Selena reached up and put a finger to his lips, as Bruce still held her breasts in the palms of each hand.
“I know.” she whispered. “I want you to remember this moment when you’re dancing with that little red headed girl next weekend. I want you to remember this moment when you’re with Vicki the weekend after.”
Selena then removed his hands and began to move around him, as if all was settled and done. She was completely unprepared for what happened next.
Bruce Wayne yanked Selena into his arms and began to kiss her hungrily, as if he had been waiting to do this all of this life. Selena, stunned by his upper hand, tried to push him away as her breasts mashed into his bare chest. But his kiss was demanding, seeking and soon she felt herself melt against him, until HE finally decided to let her go.
Selena was stunned but was not about to show that to him or any other guy. She had the upper hand in her relationship with Harvey.
“I guess we just needed to get that out of our system.” Selena said in a small voice. She reached out, and picked up her bathing suit top. She expertly tied it herself before giving Bruce a look as if she were going to say something else, but thought better of it. She then moved past him and out of the state room.
Bruce just stood there, deep in thought. He had went to visit the man that ran Wayne Enterprises, Lucious Fox and two Wayne family attorneys.
Thomas Wayne and Sam Kyle had been friends.
Both Thomas and Sam had added codicils to their wills concerning their only children.
If Selena Kyle was not married Bruce Wayne by the age of 25, everything that was the Kyle Corporation, would be forfeited to Wayne Enterprises.
Thomas Wayne’s instructions were not as dire. Just that it was up to his son’s discretion as to whether he would hold Selena to the will. He, and he alone, could choose to let her out of the agreement.
Bruce turned towards the door of the stateroom. He had seven years left to fall out of love with Selena Kyle. And if he felt about her then, the same way he felt about at this moment, Selena Kyle would have no choice but to become Mrs. Bruce Wayne, or forfeit everything.
THE END
Author’s Note: Readers that are familiar with Batman, Bruce Wayne, Gotham City, etc., will note that I take a lot of creative license with this story and many of the characters, concerning backgrounds, ages and such. This story is about eighteen year old Bruce Wayne’s senior year at a posh school, in a community outside of Gotham called Breckinridge.
Besides being a co-ed boarding school of sorts, Breckinridge is the place where young Bruce, begins his quest to become Batman, amateurish as it may seem at the time. It is also the place where he meets many people, that his relationships with, will change in years to come. Some not for the better. Some because of forces greater than themselves.
Also, Excelcior, the school that Lex Luthor and Oliver Queen attend, is 5 miles away. The two schools enjoy a healthy rivalry when it comes to sports, academics and other assorted things.....
This story begins with a murder, that will be one of the reasons that Lionel Luthor banishes his only son, Lex, to a place called Smallville.....
PROLOGUE
BRECKINRIDGE: NIGHT
William Hampton Kittridge, seventeen year old heir to Kittridge Lighting, stood outside of the wrought iron fence post that fostered the school from the rest of the community. He was wearing his uniform, that of a blue blazer with gold buttons and slacks. He was also trying to think positively about the news his impending visitor would give him. Surely it was done? Surely everything was taken care of?
Please....let everything be taken care of....don’t let it come back to haunt him.....
William, known as ‘Billy’, squinted when he heard footsteps. He could see eighteen year old Lex Luthor’s bald head under a lamp a few feet away from the fence. Billy walked to the gate as Lex looked around, then smiled at his friend.
“It’s done.”
“You’re not sh*&&**in me? You just made her disappear? Man, thanks! Tell your father...”
Lex waved a finger at Billy.
“I didn’t go to my father. I wouldn’t go to him with something like this.”
Billy looked him up and down from his side of the fence.
“What do you mean, ‘you didn’t go to your father’? Who the hell else would you trust to get rid of a body?!” Billy hissed in an almost hysterical whisper.
“Shhh!” Lex hissed back, as he saw someone coming up towards the fence on Billy’s side. It was Harvey Dent, a senior and star of the Breckinridge football team. Lex smiled tolerantly, but really resented the hell out him! Dent was at Breckinridge on aid. Lex always wondered what life would’ve been like, if Dent hadn’t been given a ‘discount’ on the tuition? Would Excelcior win more games in their conference? Would Lex be able to bet on his own school team?
Harvey, who was popular and easy going, sauntered up to the gate.
“What do you say there, Luthor? Billy? What’s going on here?”
Billy turned to face his classmate.
“We’re waiting for our dates.”
Harvey grinned!
“Yeah? How did you manage to scrape up a date, Lex? And who is it?”
“My date is meeting us.” Lex said coolly.
“So....you’re really just waiting for ONE girl, hey?”
Billy gave Harvey a pained look. Harvey put his hands up in surrender.
“Never mind. I’ll be on my way. By the way, Lex, Selena says hi.”
Lex raised a brow. Really?
Harvey burst out laughing at Lex’s hopeful expression!
“Hell no, Luthor! You know that will be the day when MY girl says boo to you! Gotta go, good luck on your dates!”
Lex gave Harvey the finger, which caused him to laugh again. Billy was just glad he was gone. He turned to look at Lex and noted that the expression on his face looked rather.....murderous!
“Who did you get to hide the body?” Billy asked.
Lex tore his eyes off of Harvey Dent’s back and looked at his friend.
“The body isn’t going to be ‘hidden’. Someone is going to find it and someone else is going to blamed. Here is what you have to do. The person I went to wants your help.”
Billy didn’t like the sound of that at all!
“With what?”
“Getting rid of a little problem. You know Selena Kyle?”
Billy blinked. Who the hell didn’t know Selena Kyle! Dent’s girlfriend, only heir to the Kyle Department Store chain. Blonde, thin, smoking hot.....
“Yeah...what about her?”
“Her mother is not pleased with her.”
Billy raised a brow. Everyone knew that too! Selena’s father, Samuel Kyle, had died six months ago. He had been about twenty years older than Paige Kyle, Selena’s mother. Samuel Kyle left every morsel of his vast fortune to his only, 17 year old daughter. Paige had to go and beg for money from Selena if she wanted to buy a change in underwear!
Not an ideal situation for any mother to be in. Billy often thought he’d love to be in that kind of situation with his old man though!
“What does that have to do with.....Christ, Lex! Did you get Paige Kyle to take care of this???” Billy whispered, horrified.
Lex smiled. Yes he had. Selena was hot, but Paige Kyle was a tigress in bed. In both his father’s and HIS OWN bed. And maybe if Selena had even looked his way once, he might not be doing this now but....
“Paige wants Selena taken care of. If Selena dies, she gets control of the Kyle fortune and....”
“Damnit, Lex! I asked you for one frickin’ favor and now you’ve made it worse! Now you know I couldn’t let that little whore have my baby! She got lippy and I accidentally slugged her so....”
“You ‘accidentally’ killed her when you slugged her, Billy,” Lex said calmly, “and instead of burying her under some leaves, you called me, leaving it in my hands. Now, Paige doesn’t care how you do this, just do it, okay?”
“Or?” Billy asked defiantly.
“Or, it will become public knowledge that you were seeing some slut from Gotham Public High School. And when that said slut, turns up dead, your fingerprints will be all over this.”
“So will yours. I’m thinking maybe if this happens, I could cut a deal. After all, Paige Kyle’s hiring me to kill her only daughter, will look twice as bad as my accidentally killing some common tramp. What do you think?”
Lex glared as Billy Kittridge turned away from the gate and walked off into the darkness. Paige would not be pleased. But Lex decided to let Paige deal with that. As long as they continued to give one another unbridled pleasure, Lex could deal with just about anything.
Part One.
It was mid afternoon when Bruce Wayne said his third, ‘excuse me’, as he read the Gotham City Gazette, while walking to the Breckinridge Library.
A young woman had been found murdered. Her body was discovered in her own car, in the parking lot of one of the Kyle’s Department Stores.
There was one suspect: a Sales Area Manager that the deceased was rumored to be having an affair with.
The deceased’s name was Amy Quinzel. Bruce then went on to read a quote from Amy’s sister, Harleen, who swore up and down that Amy was seeing a ‘Breckinridge Guy’. Bruce folded the paper. Already a couple of things in that story bothered him. He hoped they were bothering the police as well. And he hoped like hell no one here was responsible for this.
Bruce looked over as his best friend, Harvey Dent, and hurried up the library steps with him. He nodded towards his paper.
“You read that article about the murder?”
Bruce nodded tersely.
“The girl’s sister said that she was dating someone here.”
“Ha! Come on, Bruce! I hate to be like this, but more than likely that girl’s sister was confused.”
“Confused?”
“Yeah....I would be willing to bet that one of those creeps over at Excelcior did it. The sister probably got the two schools mixed up. Like I said, she was confused.”
Bruce didn’t answer right away for two reasons. One, he had smiled at three girls already, on his way into the library. Secondly, HE was confused about something.
Two weeks ago, Bruce decided to test the skills and training he had first begun, in a small Tibetan Village last summer. He donned a disguise that was made up of a black, leather body suit and mask that covered everything but his mouth.
The mask also had bat ears on top of it. Bruce could never explain what his fascination was with bats aptly to anyone, and hopefully he never would have to.....at least to anyone but his longtime servant and surrogate father, Alfred.
He had left his room last night as he usually did, late. He then went into Gotham and scouted around. Granted, he could not be everywhere......but to have missed a young woman being killed.....
That was failure. Failure on his part.
“Bruce? You haven’t heard a word I said. Not that I blame you. Every girl in this school is hot for you anyway....”
Bruce looked at him.
“So, how are Selena and you? Are things better?” Bruce asked carefully. Harvey sighed. He stopped smiling.
“No. As a matter of fact I went to see her last night and we broke up.”
Bruce stopped in his tracks. Harvey and Selena had broken up......which meant that HE could possibly have a chance?
Bruce shook that thought out of his mind. Harvey would never understand. If it was anyone else....
“I’m sorry, Harvey. I didn’t realize things had gotten worse.”
Harvey lowered his voice as the two of them headed towards the ‘Check-Out’ desk.
“Ever since her father died like that, she’s been distant and different. I don’t know...I get the feeling something else is going on.”
“Well remember, she has the responsibility of running her father’s company now.” Bruce reminded him.
“That’s what gets me! What was her old man thinking?! She’s seventeen! Selena knows next to nothing about business, not to mention her shifty mother....”
Bruce nodded. Yes, Paige Kyle. It was being whispered in certain circles that Samuel Kyle had not ‘died’, but had been murdered, though that was very hard to prove. He had been on his yacht, some say with a mistress, when it blew up. But an investigation showed that there had been something wrong with the yacht’s engine.
And now Selena was essentially alone. It was common knowledge that Samuel Kyle had treated his only daughter better than his wife. And his leaving everything to a child, who was under eighteen was odd. The Kyle Corporation was being run by efficient managers, but soon, Selena would be expected to take over.
“Hi!”
Bruce and Harvey stared at the red-headed freshman behind the desk. Her name was Barbara Gordon and she was Police Commissioner Gordon’s daughter. Her hair was a bit wild today. She had been shelving books, then had hurried over to wait on them.
“Hi, Harvey! Hi, Bruce!”
Harvey said hello, then gave Bruce a knowing look. Most girls said hello to him in a normal voice. But when they said Bruce’s name, it sounded as if they were out of breath or something!
Bruce smiled down at her.
“Hello, Barbara. I’ve come to pay my fines.”
“Yeah,” Harvey echoed, “he’s going to pay mine as well.”
Bruce smirked at Harvey. No, he had not agreed to do any such thing, but it was no bother. Barbara smiled at Harvey, then grinned at Bruce.
“Okay. So....did you hear about that terrible murder?” Barbara asked them. “Do you really think someone here did that?”
“Let’s hope not.” Bruce said, handing her the money. It was then that another freshman walked up, a dark brunette. She was smiling at Harvey. Harvey smiled back in a way that was flirtatious.
“Uh Bruce, this is Lucy Lane. We met at a party the other night. She’s a freshman as well.” Harvey said.
Lucy put her hand out and shook Bruce’s big one.
“Hi. So....it’s going to be a foursome then?”
Barbara, who was Lucy’s best friend, frowned. So did Bruce.
“Foursome?” Bruce and Barbara asked in unison.
Harvey coughed and pulled Bruce aside.
“Listen.....I know this looks bad, but I kind of had a feeling Selena would break up with me....days ago. So I made a date with Lucy here to go to the Homecoming dance.”
Bruce smiled back tightly at Lucy and Barbara. They were both cute...in an eighth grader type of way!
Bruce looked back at Harvey.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“Lucy wants her friend to have a date. She said she has a crush on you....”
“No, Harvey! Look, I made a date with another girl.”
“Who? Someone here?”
“She goes to Gotham High. Her name is Victoria Vale. I met her...never mind how. She’s my date and I thought Selena was yours! You made a date with a freshman BEFORE breaking up with her?”
“Who are you? Selena’s brother? You don’t know what she’s been like since her father died! She doesn’t even listen to me! It’s like she’s somewhere else...”
“That’s because she’s suffering. Look, I’m supposed to tutor her in History in a few minutes. Does she even know that you’ve hooked up with someone else so quickly?”
“She won’t care.” Harvey repeated. “And she’s got a lot of guys hot for her anyway. Lex Luthor is still panting after her. And remember she used to date Ollie Queen. I don’t see why you can’t help me out here.”
“Because I already have a date. Handle this yourself, Harvey.” Bruce said firmly, as his eyes left his, and fell upon Selena, who was walking up to them.
Barbara brushed her bushy, red hair down at the sight of Selena Kyle. She always felt unkempt when that girl was around! Lucy rolled her eyes and tossed some of her own dark hair. Selena Kyle wasn’t THAT much, though you wouldn’t know it from the way both Bruce and Harvey were looking at her.
Selena ignored Harvey and smiled up at Bruce. Bruce noticed she was not wearing the blazer/skirt concoction, that the girls here were required to wear. She was wearing a powder blue business suit that set off her blonde hair and blue eyes.
“Bruce, I’m going to have to cancel our tutoring session. I have to get over to the Gotham Department Store.”
“Is this about last night? And that woman?” Harvey asked. Selena smiled thinly at him.
“I got a call from Lex Luthor this morning. He wanted to give his condolences about my being dumped for a freshman. You work fast, Harvey.”
“Selena, it wasn’t like that!” Harvey began to stutter. And how the hell did Lex find out about Lucy?
Selena re-focused her attention on Bruce. She liked him, well enough. But she had never been one to be drawn to men that a lot of other women had the hots for. And A LOT of women liked Bruce!
“I know I’m flunking, so I will reschedule, okay?” Selena said, then turned and began to walk out of the library. Bruce ran after her, ignoring Harvey, Lucy and Barbara. He caught up with her on the steps.
“Selena?”
Selena turned around and blinked.
“Yes, Bruce?”
“You know, we’re in sort of similar positions. One day I will have to run Wayne Enterprises. The man that does run my family’s company now, has been training me some. I could come with you.....maybe give you some help?”
“And keep me from looking like a total idiot?” Selena asked softly.
“You’re not an idiot. And I suspect this meeting has to do with damage control over the murder?”
Selena nodded.
“My father gave me this responsibility to get back at my mother. I would like to think he believed I was up to the task as well. I just think I should know what’s going on.”
Bruce tentatively reached out and touched her hand.
“Then let me come with you. I’ll just go back to my room and change into a suit. Then we can go in there and face this....together.”
Selena blinked. Funny how that word ‘together’ had sounded nice coming from Bruce Wayne, of all people.
“Fine, I’m game, I guess.”
Bruce reached for her hand and pulled her along towards the Men’s dorms. Harvey was watching them from the library door.
Meanwhile, Barbara swatted Lucy!
“How could you embarrass me like that??? How???” she hissed in a whisper. Lucy shrugged.
“What? You like him, don’t you?”
“I am the LAST person Bruce would be interested in!”
“Look, Barbara, the trick to getting him, is to find out what interests him. When you can do that, you’ll have an in.”
“An in?”
“An in, girlie! A way to keep his interest before you go in for the kill!”
“Kill?”
Lucy shook her head, then put an arm around her friend.
“That’s Army talk. My father is a General. I guess some of it has rubbed off on me.”
*******
KYLE ESTATE
Paige Kyle slammed down the phone and looked around. She should be so lucky the little ***** still allowed her to live in her own home!
That had been the police. Selena was being accused of stealing a faberge egg cat’s collar, from a dinner party at a neighbor’s home, one week ago!
She wasn’t going to help the ungrateful wretch this time. Maybe THEN, she could negotiate with Selena and get her to loosen up the purse strings a bit!
Her cellphone rang. Paige fished it out of her purse and looked at the caller I.D.. Lex....
“Hello, darling. I can’t tell you how nice it is to hear your very, young voice.”
Lex, who was driving, smirked.
“It’s always nice to hear yours. Listen, I thought you should know that my father called. He happened to mention that a meeting has been called at the Gotham Kyle Store. Apparently Selena is going to make an appearance. Why?”
Paige raised a brow.
“I have no idea. That girl knows nothing about nothing! I suppose I should get over there and make nice as well. After all, one day I will be getting everything back.”
“Uh yes....”
“Lex? Lex is there a problem with our young friend? After all I did just arrange for that poor girl to be found on MY store property. I then framed a Sales Area Manager! Is this little creep going to kill Selena or what?”
“He told me he cut her brake line early this morning. He’s also planning some sort of blackmail, I think.”
“Christ!”
“Well I’m afraid you are vulnerable here. I mean he could bargain with the authorities at a later date...”
“I’M vulnerable? I don’t even know the little bastard. Lex, you came to me with this whole thing. If I go down, you go down.”
Lex said nothing for a bit, as he stopped at a light.
“Paige, I love you. I would never turn on you.”
“If you really loved me, Lex, you’d marry Selena and get her to sign back what’s MINE to me. Hell, you wouldn’t have to marry her! Just date her and get her to sign...”
“Selena doesn’t like me. Not for my lack of trying.”
“Yes, well....she always was particular. Look.....I’ll meet you here at my house later on tonight. I’m having dinner with your father, then I’ll see you later, alright?”
Paige hung up without waiting for acknowledgment. She wouldn’t have to screw Luthor Jr. if Luthor Sr. wasn’t so high and mighty. It became clear to her, two months ago, that while Lionel found her to be an interesting bed partner, he had no desire to marry her.
That would not do.
Lex was just for insurance. Paige still felt as if she could force a marriage proposal out of Lionel if she used her relationship with Lex, and the embarrassment it would cause, as leverage.
Paige looked at her watch. It was time to get over to the Gotham City Police Department. She had one more unpleasant task to perform before getting over to the Kyle Department Store In Gotham. The story would change from being about a dead girl found in a car, to poor Selena’s dying on the way over there.
**********
Paige smiled back at five different officer’s before heading towards a familiar office to speak to Chief of Detectives, Harry Buszka. He had been Sam’s cop on the take, when it came to getting Selena out of trouble.
He was also the man that had helped plant Amy Quinzel’s body in her car, on the department store lot.
Paige tried not to think about how hairy he was. Or how his belly just molded onto her flat one, whenever she was forced to screw him, in exchange for his services. Or how sloppy his technique was. Commissioner Gordon would probably make a better lover! Once again, the fact that she had to stoop this low was Selena’s fault too!
Paige ignored the secretary and walked into the office, slamming the door. The blinds were already closed. Paige surreptitiously reached over and locked the door.
Harry, who had been on the phone, stood up when Paige walked in. She was a fine looking woman. A fine looking woman indeed.
“I’m not here for, Selena. I’ll deal with her on the cat collar thing. I need your help on another matter.”
Harry began to take off his shirt. Paige ignored his very unattractive body.
“You know the price.”
“I’m willing to pay it as long as I get what I want.”
*********
Selena, and Bruce for that matter, were spared from dying at the moment, because they took Bruce’s car over to Kyle Department Store.
Lionel Luthor, who was lurking about, was more than surprised to see young Bruce Wayne walk in with Selena. He walked over.
“Bruce? I didn’t know you were coming. How have your studies been coming along?”
Bruce shook Lionel’s hand, thinking that the apple did not fall far from the tree. Lex was one of his least favorite people.
“They’ve been fine. How is Lex? I haven’t seen him in awhile.”
“Studying hard. I’m sending him to Harvard business school, so he can get a sense of what he will be doing for Luthorcorp. Selena, you look lovely.”
Selena detested Lionel Luthor. That and she knew he was sleeping with her mother.
“Thank you, Mr. Luthor.” she bit out.
“It’s Lionel, dear. You know, if you needed help handling this whole thing, you should have come to me.”
“I don’t need any help.” Selena said shortly, and she moved around Lionel to approach the man that ran the day to day operations at this particular store. He handed her a folder. Bruce was about to walk over, when Lionel touched his arm.
“I’m glad you’re here with her, son.”
Bruce raised a brow.
“Are you?”
“Yes. Selena needs someone to watch out for her best interests. She also needs someone to make sure that she is indeed safe.”
Bruce’s jaw locked.
“Safe?”
“Oh come now! With all of those accidents that the poor dear has had....well surely you don’t think they have been accidents, do you......you didn’t know, did you? Well it was a good thing she was able to get out of that elevator before it fell the last time she was here. The girl has cat like reflexes. And that awful powder that sprouted out of that package.....and what was the other thing again.....”
Bruce ignored Lionel and walked over to Selena, who was handing the folder back to her ‘employee’. She looked up at Bruce.
“Well the evidence looks clear cut against this Sales Area Manager. I now have to consult our lawyers as to whether we can legally fire him before he’s been charged....”
“We need to talk.” Bruce said firmly, pulling on her arm. Selena followed along, puzzled. Bruce lead her out into the hallway and soon found a private office they could be alone in. Selena pulled her arm from his. She didn’t LIKE not being in control!
“What is this?”
“Why didn’t you mention all of those other attempts on your life? Is that why you broke up with Harvey?”
Selena suddenly looked drained.
“Bruce.....this is between my mother and myself. My mother is insane and the last thing I want her to do, is to get to me through someone I care about.”
“I think Harvey needs to know.”
“Harvey needs to go on with his life. Look, I wasn’t needed here anyway so can we go back to school?”
Bruce rested his hands on her waist.
“You can’t let her get away with this. One of these days your mother will...”
“What? Succeed?” Selena asked, smiling wanly. She reached down to pull Bruce’s hands off of her, but his hands just tightened.
“I care about you, Selena. You know that. You’ve always known. Please, let me help you.”
Selena pulled his hands off of her.
“Speedy loves you and he’s not an easy cat to charm. He never liked Harvey. That told me everything I needed to know. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.....for Speedy’s sake.”
“Speedy’s or yours?” Bruce whispered against her hair, as he began to pull her into his arms.
“Both of us.” Selena whispered back, her own arms going around him. Her eyes then focused on something through the glass window of the room. Or actually someone.
It was a girl. One that Selena recognized. Bruce had brought her on a double date with Harvey and herself. Her name was Nikki or something.....
Selena pulled herself away from Bruce, not quite understanding the feelings that she was having for him at the moment. Maybe she was just feeling vulnerable or scared or....
Vicki! That was her name! Selena turned Bruce around so he could gaze out of the window. Vicki was here?
Bruce turned back to Selena.
“Wait here. I have to talk to....”
“Vicki.” Selena said knowingly. Bruce turned and walked out of the room to face Vicki Vale. Vicki, who had long hair to her waist that was a auburn/blonde color, turned as he approached. Her eyes were a piercing blue and she had eyelashes many a woman would die for.
“Vicki? What are you doing here?” Bruce asked as he kissed her hello. Vicki loved the feel of his lips against hers. She had met him, oddly enough, after she fended off a mugger. Actually, SHE had not fended anyone off. A mysterious guy in black, dressed like a kind of leather bat, so to speak, had beaten the mugger down, thus chasing him off. Vicki had wanted to thank her mysterious rescuer, but he disappeared.
Bruce Wayne showed up a little bit after that, with his cellphone and car. She hadn’t wanted to go to the police but had just wanted to go home. Oddly enough, that was the beginning of her courtship....and her newfound popularity at Gotham High when other people found out she was dating him!
Vicki hadn’t expected to see Bruce here today. And the only reason she was here at the Kyle Department store, was because she had obtained special permission for her Journalism teacher to leave school and find out what she could about the murder of her classmate, Amy Quinzel.
“Bruce, I’m here to write a story for the Gotham City Highschool Journal. Amy was a classmate of mine.”
“I know....but there is nothing to find out here, Vicki. I think you should go back to school.”
Vicki peered around Bruce at the glass window. She looked at Bruce.
“Is that Selena Kyle?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know her? Bruce, I would LOVE an introduction...”
Bruce shook his head slightly.
“Vicki, she doesn’t know anything that could help you.”
“How do you know? Bruce, I know Amy’s sister Harleen. She’s beside herself. Now she knows for a fact that Amy was seeing a boy from your school. She even gave me a picture of the two of them together.”
Bruce blinked.
“She did? Did she take it to the police?”
“She’s afraid to. This is a Breckinridge boy. Harleen is afraid this whole thing will be shoved under the rug once everyone finds out who this guy is.”
“I wouldn’t let that happen, believe me.”
Vicki smiled wanly.
“That’s sweet, Bruce, but what could you really do anyway? Look, I just want five minutes with Selena Kyle....”
The elevator doors opened and Paige Kyle stepped off. She looked around and spotted Bruce and Vicki. Her eyes roamed up and down Bruce as she walked over.
“Bruce....fancy meeting you here. Did you bring Selena?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Oh...so you didn’t take Selena’s car then?”
Bruce and Vicki looked at one another, then looked at Paige.
“No.” Bruce said quietly, now wondering if there was a reason Paige was asking about Selena’s car? Damn!
“Oh well....enjoy yourselves then.” Paige said airily, looking around. She saw Selena come out of an office and began to make her way towards her. That was when Vicki broke away from Bruce and got in between the mother and daughter.
“Ms. Kyle? I’m Vicki Vale....remember, I went on that double date with Harvey Dent, Bruce and yourself?”
“Harvey Dent?” Paige asked, “Selena, please tell me you’re not still dating him?”
Selena ignored her mother and smiled at Vicki.
”Yes, I remember, Vicki.”
“Well I am here to ask a few questions about Amy Quinzel. Her sister Harleen knows she was dating a Breckinridge boy and....”
Selena put a hand up.
“Vicki, I’m sorry but maybe you should talk to some of my people about that. I have to get going.”
Selena moved past Vicki, Paige and Bruce, to walk over to the elevator. She then looked at her mother.
“On second thought, I’ll take the stairs.” she said, opening up a door and walking down a flight of stairs. Bruce walked up to Paige and Vicki.
“I drove Selena here so I’d better catch up to her. Vicki, I will call you. Paige....I’ll have Selena’s car checked.”
“Of course.” Paige purred, looking him over again. Damn! Damn! Damn! Not only was Selena not blown to smithereens, but now it looked as if her dear daughter had Bruce waiting in the wings to do her bidding!
Vicki looked at Paige.
“Harleen gave me a picture of the Breckinridge boy that Amy Quinzel was dating. Do you think if I showed it to you, you would recognize him?”
Uh oh! Paige thought. She smiled at the girl and linked arms with her.
“Let’s take the stairs and on the way down, you can show me the picture, okay?”
Vicki smiled gratefully! Finally! Someone was going to cooperate....and why hadn’t she noticed that way Bruce looked at Selena before?
Paige lead Vicki into the stairwell unaware that Lionel was watching them both.
********
Just as Bruce was putting on his disguise for his night hunt, he got the call about Vicki. She had been found lying in the stair well of the Gotham City Kyle Department Store. She was now in a coma.
Part Two
Bruce’s first thought was not about getting over to the hospital to be with Vicki and her parents.
It was about the last person he saw her with. Paige Kyle.
Bruce, who did not share a dorm room(one had to pay extra for single room), turned on his computer. It didn’t take long to come on, but while he was waiting, his thoughts wandered to this afternoon.
Paige Kyle is who came to mind as being responsible for this. It had to be her! But why? Paige seemed to only have it out for Selena. And yet just because a person was murderous towards one particular individual, did that not necessarily make her dangerous towards others? Did it?
Vicki had told him she had a picture of the boy Amy Quinzel had been seeing. He had been too worried about Selena to even notice. Why had he left Vicki alone with that woman?!
But it didn’t make any sense. Why would Selena’s mother care about who Amy was seeing?
Bruce went on a news site and read an article on Amy’s murder. After looking it over, it hit him that the only proof that Amy was seeing some Sales Area Manager from the store, came from Paige Kyle herself. Was it possible it was in HER best interests for this particular man to go to prison?
Bruce left the news site and went into the Gotham City Circuit Court System. This was a controversial site that had just went online a year ago. All one had to know was the Social Security Number and the Date of Birth of an individual, and one could not only see any and all offenses, but a home address was provided.
Right now, Bruce wanted Harleen Quinzel’s address. Paige Kyle was responsible for what happened to Vicki. It would stand to reason that Vicki no longer had that picture. But Amy’s sister had probably seen this boy her sister was involved with.
Harleen’s address was not in the nicest neighborhoods. Two blocks from Crime Alley. He would be ready. Bruce turned off his computer, got up and opened a drawer. He took out two yearbooks and set them on his bed. He then finished putting on his disguise, before opening his window and disappearing off into the night. His first stop was going to be to Selena’s car. He was slash her tires to keep her from going anywhere, until the car was looked at.
********
Barbara Gordon was more than a bit curious about Amy Quinzel as well. She decided to take a different route than her crush, Bruce Wayne.
She went to MySpace. Maybe Amy had an account there. Now to find out what her name would be....
Lucy, meanwhile, was holding up skimpy underwear and asking for her opinion. Barbara sighed and turned away from the computer to look.
“Lucy, your father AND your sister would kill you if they knew you were going after an 18 year old guy!”
“It’s not my fault he’s eighteen, Barbara! And we do attend the same school. You know, I would feel a whole lot better myself if Harvey would get over Selena Kyle!”
Barbara turned back to the computer. THAT wasn’t about to happen. She went onto MySpace and went under the ‘Find A Friend’ field. She then saw three radio buttons that said, ‘Name’, ‘Display Name’ and ‘E-mail’. Barbara leaned back. Name would give her the real name of a particular account as opposed to ‘Display Name’ which would just give her whatever Alias the person was using. She put in Amy Quinzel and limited her search to include photos.
There were 45 people with that same exact name, and it did not take Barbara long to match the photo of Amy Quinzel the newspaper provided, with the one she was looking at now. Amy was ‘Hot Mama’....God.....
Meanwhile Lucy tossed aside another skimpy underwear set and peered out of the window. Who the hell was that???
“Barbara!” Lucy hissed. Barbara turned around.
“I found Amy Quinzel’s MySpace site.”
“Big whoop! Come over here!” Lucy said, motioning frantically from the window. Barbara jumped up and joined her.
There was a man in a black, leather body suit, slinking off into the night. He had something sticking up from the top of his head....like devil ears or something....
“Barbara! That’s the killer!” Lucy squeaked.
“Uh....maybe there is some kind of costume party going on. I mean the guy is headed towards the student parking lot.”
“Or he could be headed towards the woods! Come on, Barbara! Some girl is killed and accuses a boy from here and now we see some creep....granted a muscular creep, slinking around here! We have to tell somebody!”
“I don’t want to look like a fool, Lucy! If this is just some kind of prank....”
“Barbara, I would know if there was any kind of costume party going on tonight! Because I’d make damned sure WE were there! I say we tell Security at the very least!”
“Oh alright!” Barbara sighed. For some reason, she just didn’t feel as if that guy and this murder were connected. She didn’t know why.
Barbara turned back to her computer. She then frowned.
“Lucy?”
Lucy sauntered over towards the computer. She then burst out laughing!
“Hot Mama?! Give me a break!”
“Lucy.....look at that guy there....in Amy’s top ten Friends.”
Lucy bent down and squinted.
“That one?”
“Yeah....’Billy Boy’.....doesn’t he look familiar?”
Lucy raised up.
“That’s Billy Kittridge. He’s a Junior.”
Barbara looked up from her seated position at Lucy, before peering at Amy’s page. Amy admitted to going to Gotham City Highschool.......she then clicked on Billy’s picture and page. Amy was in his top ten friends as well.
“Go back to Amy’s page under Comments.” Lucy told her. Barbara did that and they looked at a comment from ‘Billy Boy’.
It said, ‘I’ll see you tonight’. It was dated yesterday morning, the day Amy Quinzel was killed.
*********
Selena looked around frantically for her car keys! Finding them, she headed out of her dorm and pulled out her phone. She was going to call Bruce. He was probably at the hospital by now.
HOW did something like this happen again??? Granted Vicki Vale was not dead, but once again, something violent had happened at a Kyle Department Store! She would hate for it to get so bad, that people were afraid to shop at the Gotham City Store!
Bruce was not answering his phone. He was probably at the hospital already and just couldn’t use his phone. As Selena neared the parking lot, she could see that Bruce’s car was gone and....
HER TIRES WERE SLASHED!!! Selena stopped and threw her hands up in the air! Her mother again! Nice!
“Selena?”
Selena turned around to face Harvey.
“Harvey, did you hear about Vicki?”
“Yeah, I went by Bruce’s room but he’s gone.”
“He’s probably at the hospital. I need to get over there. Can you give me a lift?”
Harvey folded his arms.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, ‘why’? Because I need one.”
“I’m going to the hospital to be with my buddy. You’re going over there because....”
“Because this accident happened in my family’s store and...and...Vicki is important to Bruce.”
“I saw the way you were looking at him earlier. So is my best friend the reason I was dumped?” Harvey asked, his tone sounding quite agitated.
Selena tossed some of her blonde hair, as she tried to keep her temper.
“Are you going to give me a ride or not?”
“No. Not until we get a few things straight.”
“Harvey, there is nothing to get straight. There are things I need to do. Either you’re in my corner or you’re not. You wanted me to mourn my father for like a week, then go back to being your adoring girlfriend!”
“Don’t give me that! I’ve always been in your corner! You shut me out!”
Selena nodded to something behind him.
“Your girlfriends are on their way over. And don’t think I didn’t know that you asked that one there, to Homecoming days before I broke off with you. You’re mad because you didn’t expect to get dumped first.”
Selena turned to walk away and ran straight into Billy Kittridge, as Harvey turned away and walked up to Lucy and Barbara.
“Hey Billy....uh if you’ll excuse me....”
“Did I hear you ask Dent there for a ride?” Billy asked, looking her over. Selena looked him over as well. Billy used to be a friend of a guy she dated over at Excelcior, Oliver Queen. But they had some sort of falling out, and suddenly Billy and Lex became bosom buds.
“I need to get to Gotham City Memorial Hospital and someone slashed my tires.”
Billy looked at her car. Yes, someone did. Convenient. Now Selena would never be able to find out just how bad a brake job she needed!
“I could give you a ride over. I’m going to a nightclub in town.”
“Say no more. I’ll find my own way home.” Selena said as she followed him to his car. They got in and took off, just as Barbara peered around Harvey, who was talking to Lucy.
“Uh, Harvey, did Selena just get in a car with Billy Kittridge?”
Harvey half turned around. Kittridge’s car was gone. So were Billy and Selena.
“Yeah, I guess. So, Lucy....”
Barbara suddenly went berserk!
“Lucy! We’ve been wasting time here! No offense, Harvey!”
“None taken. What’s going on?”
“We found out that that dead girl...” Lucy began.
“Amy.” Barbara corrected her.
“Yeah, Amy, had Billy Kittridge in her top ten on MySpace. He also left a comment on her page saying he was meeting her last night.”
Harvey stared at Barbara for a moment, then became lost in his own thoughts. He had seen Kittridge the other night....with Lex by one of the gates. They said they were waiting for dates.....
Amy Quinzel’s sister had said that Amy was dating a Breckinridge guy. But what if Amy had been Lex’s date?
But Lex apparently wasn’t the MySpace friend. Billy was.
“I have to go after Billy! Tell Security...the police, whoever about what you found out!” Harvey yelled as he ran for his car! Lucy stamped her foot!
“Harvey! Just let the police handle this!”
Barbara grabbed Lucy’s arm.
“Forget him! I’m calling my father!”
*********
CRIME ALLEY
Harleen Quinzel, known as ‘Harley’ to her friends, left her neighborhood library and began her walk home. Once there, she would find her mother passed out from her grief.
Her father had left years ago. It had just been Amy, herself and her Mom.
Now it was just her and her Mom.
Almost a full day had went by and there was no update from the cops about Amy’s murder. Harley knew that they found some guy that her sister worked for, at her part time job at Kyle’s department store, as the culprit, but that whole thing was bulls****! That guy was like 40! There was no way her sister would’ve been involved with someone that old!
She on the other hand, liked her men older.
No....the guy that did this was that fancy pants Breckinridge creep! The one that Amy had tried to pull that fast one on. Harley had warned her sister about lying like that. Telling a guy your pregnant when you’re really not....
“Hey there, Harley!”
Harley stopped walking and rolled her eyes! It was Puff Piece, a White Eminem wannabe and pimp.
“Puff Piece....could you get the hell out of my way please?”
“Awww....that’s nice that you said ‘please’. I’ll get out of the way as soon as you fork over the money your sister owed me.”
Harley folded her arms.
“How lame is that?! You are the biggest loser in the pimp game, that ever was! Everyone knows that three of your whores have left you and now work for Ruddy Runt! So now you’re going to LIE and say that Amy was a hooker and she owed you? Please!”
“Look, Harley......I saw you with that old guy....the one that works for that mobster? What’s his name again, Napier? I know he hangs out at the race track and I know he wins! You’re going to tell me he hasn’t giving you a little something?”
“And if he did? Get the f***k out of my way!”
Puff Piece suddenly punched her in the face! Harley managed to recover quickly and knee him in the balls, which only caused him momentary pain, before he grabbed the back of her blonde hair and slammed her into a brick wall! Harley slumped to the ground, unconscious.
“Oh Christ!” Puff Piece screamed. He began to turn and run when he ran into another brickwall.
That would’ve been Bruce, wearing his disguise.
Puff Piece emitted a ***** like scream, as Bruce grabbed him by the throat and threw him against a lamp post! He too slumped to the sidewalk, unconscious. Bruce didn’t care whether he was alright or not, as he stepped over the loser pimp, and saw to Harley.
Harley began to wake up. There were dots....and a masked man with shark fins or ears on top of his head! Christ! To go from being attacked by a pimp to some weirdo? Where was the justice?
The masked man, who’s body wasn’t half bad, helped her up.
“Ms. Quinzel?” he asked in a deep, yet soft voice.
Harley pulled her hand from his and focused.
“Who wants to know?”
“Someone that wants to help. I want to help you find your sister’s killer.”
Harley backed back a bit.
“Are you with the cops?”
“No.”
“I didn’t figure, since the cops aren’t worth squat anyway.”
“Ms. Quinzel, a classmate of yours was hurt today when she tried to show the picture you gave her around.”
Harley’s eyes widened!
“Vicki got hurt? How?”
“All I can say is that the person that attacked her, took the picture.”
“So Billy Boy found out about it, hey?!”
“Billy Boy?”
“That was his MySpace name....God, I tried to tell the cops that he was on my sister’s MySpace page but then they caught that guy at my sister’s job. There is no way she’d date someone like that! Billy Boy did it because....”
“Because?” Bruce gently probed.
“My sister lied and said she was pregnant. I didn’t think it was a good idea, considering what type of family this guy was from. But Amy had dreams of becoming a ‘woman of means’. This guy freaked out and killed her. I know it!”
Harley raised a brow when the masked guy suddenly presented two Breckinridge Yearbooks to look at.
“Point out ‘Billy Boy’ for me. He won’t get away with this, I promise you.” Bruce said. Harley took the books from him and walked under a street lamp. As Bruce still wondered about Paige’s real connection this, Harley shouted out! Bruce met her over by the street lamp. Harley had not gotten far into the book and had found a picture of William Kittridge at football pep rally, picking up a cheerleader and swinging her around.
Billy Boy was William Kittridge. How did Billy and Paige know one another? Or had Billy killed Amy in her car, in the parking lot of Kyle’s Department Store?
Bruce took the books from Harley.
“Your job is done. Let me handle the rest.”
“If you don’t work for the cops, what are you going to do?” Harley challenged him.
“Trust me.” was all he said. Harley broke off eye contact with the masked stranger, as she heard Puff Piece begin to wake up. She looked up again at the masked stranger.
He was gone. Harley decided to hightail it home, before Puff Piece regained full consciousness!
*********
“Where are we going?” Selena asked, frowning.
Billy make a left hand turn in the city, instead of a right one. This turn was going to take them to the highway instead of the hospital.
“Selena, I like you.”
Selena rolled her eyes! God, this was the last thing she needed right now...
“Billy, that’s nice, really. Could you just get me to the hospital?”
“I was supposed to have killed you by now.” Billy said calmly, stopping at another light. Two blocks ahead was the sign for the highway.
Selena blinked.
“Excuse me?”
Billy looked over at her.
“Your mother wants you dead, surely you must know that?”
“Yeah....but what does that have to do with you?”
“Amy got cute....she wouldn’t get rid of the baby.”
Selena’s mouth dropped open!
“Are we talking about the same Amy....”
“The one your mother had planted at your family’s store.”
“Why?! Why would she care? How do you know my mother anyway?”
The light turned green and Billy inched up to the next set of lights. They turned red.
“I don’t know her. Lex does. Lex went to her and took care of it for me. In exchange, I have to kill you. At first I was just going to make a deal.....you know confess in exchange for getting your Mother....but then I realized I might not get off for killing anyone. Your mother’s deal seems more workable.”
The light turned green but Billy did not drive, causing people to honk and go around. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a syringe. Selena was half scared and half contemptuous! This was the best this idiot could think of? He was going to try to inject her with something WHILE driving???
Quick as lightning, Selena grabbed the syringe from him and stabbed Billy in the side of his neck with it!
“AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!” he screamed. Selena reached around him and unlocked his door, opened it and tried to shove Billy out!
But his seatbelt was still on him.
Billy began to grab fistfuls of Selena’s hair! Selena ignored the pain and fumbled for the release buckle on his seatbelt!
Suddenly, Billy was wrenched out of the car by none other than Harvey! The light was sitting over the highway overpass, and Billy was lying against the railing, as Harvey got in and stopped the car.
“Are you alright?” Harvey asked. Selena just threw her arms around him in relief and nodded. She was about to say something when she saw Billy struggle to right himself.
“That was a sedative.....I was going to make it look as if you had fallen asleep driving....I can’t go to prison....I can’t.....”
Harvey and Selena could both see what he was planning, but were powerless to stop it. Billy just fell over the overpass and onto the highway! The sounds of screeching and crashing cars could be heard below.
**********
Bruce stood outside in the shadows, and watched Lex Luthor pump Paige Kyle with abandon. God......what the hell was Lex thinking?
Bruce knew that Billy Kittridge and Lex Luthor were friends. Billy must have asked for Lex’s help. Still....something still did not fit. Why would Paige help Billy? Was she sleeping with him too? Or was her affection for Lex that great that she would anything for him?
Bruce was about to open a glass door to confront them both, when he saw someone else and thought better of it. He left the door ajar so he could listen.
Lionel Luthor had walked in. Paige saw him first and began to beat on Lex!
“Oh God Lex! Please don’t rape me! Lionel! Lionel, help me!”
Lex got the hell off of Paige! Lionel just smiled thinly.
“Son, your technique needs work. Paige, please close up shop and get dressed. You too, son. There have been a few developments that you need to be aware of.”
“Dad,” Lex said, as he put on his pants, “I love Paige....”
“Yes, so does half of the town. And most of Las Vegas. You were a showgirl, weren’t you, dear?”
Paige now had a peach, silk robe on. She tossed some of her shoulder length hair and stood before Lionel.
“What developments, Lionel?”
Lionel folded his arms.
“Well for one, that Sales Area Manager you framed for that poor girl’s murder has been let out of jail.”
Paige and Lex looked at one another, then back at Lionel. Bruce listened intently as well.
“Why?” Lex asked.
“Well William Kittridge confessed everything to Selena, before taking his own life off of a highway overpass.”
“Selena?” Paige asked with some unease.
“Yes....like I said, young William confessed EVERYTHING, including your parts in this whole thing. I have already spoken to Selena, who I last saw at the police station. You know, Paige, I think she just got so fed up with your attempts on her life, that she just told the police everything!”
Lex was enraged!
“She can’t do that!”
Lionel faced his son.
“That’s right, Lex. How very astute of you. Selena agreed to keep quiet about your part in all of this Lex, as long as I made some restitution to Amy Quinzel’s family. I heard her sister, Harleen, has dreams of being a doctor.”
Bruce was stunned! Selena told the police about her mother? And made a deal with Luthor here?
Paige folded her arms.
“So what does this mean for me?”
“I would get legal representation. Oh....and that police officer that helped you? They’re now looking at him. Apparently you paid him some very shady visits to the station. Visits that resulted in Lysol needing to be used afterwards....”
“Lionel, I am begging you to help me! Selena is out of control! How am I...”
“Lex, I’ve had someone come and pick your car. Wait for me in the limo.”
Lex, head bowed, decided to do his father’s bidding. He gathered up his clothes without so much as a glance backwards to Paige. Bruce watched Lex leave the room. He also heard the faint sounds of police sirens.
Paige heard them too!
“Lionel, please! We can work something out here! Selena wasn’t even Sam’s child!”
Lionel grinned!
“We all suspected that, my dear, when he brought you into police society from God knows where! That and she’s much too pretty to have sired by the likes of Sam Kyle.”
“The point is, she isn’t entitled to ANYTHING! All I need to do is dig Sam up and get a DNA test....everything will revert back to me! Just help me and I’ll sell you everything!”
“Paige, that’s what you should have done the minute the contents of Sam’s will became public. Now your stink is all over Lex, which has changed my plans for his future for the time being.”
“How long have known? About Lex and myself?”
“Paige, the funeral home has cameras set up in there. Surely you knew that, didn’t you? Dumping what was left of Sam’s body out of the casket and screwing my son in it....well......oh and I have a copy of it. Just to keep Lex honest.”
Paige just shook her head as Lionel turned and began to walk out of the room. Bruce was about to leave as well, when Lionel turned back and said something else.
“By the way, is Selena aware of that other matter in Sam’s will?”
Paige didn’t look at him. She just shook her head.
“No. It was added right before Thomas Wayne was killed anyway. I couldn’t wait out the terms of the codicil, Lionel. None of what I did would have been necessary if that was possible. I know my daughter. She has never taken to being ordered to do anything.”
“Yes, well, I can wait it out, dear. That’s why I’ll have to refuse your offer.”
Bruce frowned and watched Lionel leave. He had to get out of here as well! What the hell did his father’s will have to do with Sam Kyle’s? What was going on?
Bruce decided he would have to pay Lucious Fox, and the Wayne lawyers a visit ASAP. And with that, he slipped off into the night, his destination, Gotham City Hospital.
*********
FOR DAYS LATER
Vicki came out of her coma the night of her attack by Paige Kyle in the stairwell. She admitted to the police, with her parents and Bruce at her bedside, that she had shown Paige the picture of Billy Kittridge that Harleen had given her. Bruce thought it was a little early for Vicki to be out and about, but the hospital would not keep her any longer, and Vicki’s father, proud and middle class, would not think of having Bruce help with the bill or anything else.
Bruce sensed he would have to win over Mr. Vale.
It was one weekend before Homecoming. Bruce, Vicki, Harvey and Selena were relaxing on the Wayne yacht. Alfred offered to look after them, but Bruce would not hear of it. His longtime servant, faithful companion and father figure, was just getting over a cold. He needed to stay in bed.
Vicki, who was wearing a striped bathing suit, was asking Selena a lot of questions for her school newspaper. Selena, who was wearing a royal blue bikini, didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m not quite getting how your mother knew Billy Kittridge?”
“She was probably having an affair with him. The woman’s a nympho.” Selena said nonchalantly, as if every mother had affairs with boys that young. Vicki could not imagine HER mother doing anything like that!
“Oh....but we’ll never know. You know, because Billy’s dead.”
“No, I guess not.” Selena said, taking out a compact. She could feel her hair about to come down, and looked in the mirror to try and fix it. Vicki reached out and pushed a pin back in. Selena smiled her thanks. She was envious of Vicki’s very long, thick hair, which just flowed loosely....the bathing suit she wasn’t too crazy about, but the hair was nice.
“You know.....I can see that Bruce and you are really close.” Vicki began.
Selena eyed her.
“Well we became close...because of Harvey.”
“Bruce said you two had hit a rough patch.”
“But we’re fine now. What is it you really want to ask me, Vicki?”
Vicki cleared her throat.
“If there is something between you that I should know about...”
“Bruce would have told you by now.” Selena said reassuringly.
Vicki smiled her relief.
“I’m glad. I really want us to be friends, Selena.”
“I want that too.” Selena said, lying back on her chaise.
Vicki looked over at Bruce and Harvey, then moved closer to Selena.
“I really like Bruce.”
“A lot of people do.”
“I mean I REALLY like him. I’m hoping that Homecoming night....well....that it will be special, for both of us.”
Selena could barely keep a straight face! What was this girl trying to tell her? That she wanted Bruce to deflower her on Homecoming night? Cripes!
“Well that might be a problem.” Selena said, she then called over to Harvey and Bruce. Vicki frowned. What was going on?
Bruce and Harvey, who only worse bathing suit bottoms, walked over. Selena smiled up at both guys.
“Harvey, did you tell Bruce about our change in plans in regards to Homecoming?”
Harvey’s smile faltered. Bruce eyed him.
“What? What’s going on?”
Selena grinned!
“I have made it clear to Harvey that I want him to honor his obligations to that freshmen girl. What was her name again?”
“Lucy. Lucy Lane. For the love of Pete, Selena, she would understand!”
“Oh and Bruce,” Selena said coyly, “Harvey told me that you promised to take that red headed girl that works in the library. Commissioner Gordon’s daughter?”
Bruce felt like exploding!
“No, I did not! Harvey....he roped me into.....Vicki, it’s not what you think!”
Selena stood up.
“What I think is that you two dashing young men are going to make two freshman’s dreams come true. Vicki, your Homecoming is two weeks away. Maybe Bruce could take you to yours?”
Vicki now stood up.
“What’s going on, Bruce? You’ve agreed to take someone else to Homecoming?”
Selena sighed.
“I’m going to go freshen up. Harvey, why don’t you explain it to Vicki, okay?”
Selena kissed him, before walking off. Bruce shook his head as Harvey explained it all to Vicki. She was soon laughing!
“Oh Selena is right! You can’t just stand those girls up!”
Bruce glared at Harvey.
“Do I at least get Lucy?”
“No! You get Barbara!”
“Guys,” Vicki warned, “I’m sure they are BOTH cute!”
“They are,” Bruce conceded, “In a middle school type of way.”
“Sorry, dude.” Harvey said lamely. Bruce, who was holding a drink, set it down.
“I’ll see what’s keeping Selena.”
*********
Bruce opened the door to a stateroom and found Selena.
She was wearing nothing but her bikini bottom. If she looked surprised by his sudden entrance, she did not show it. Actually she looked amused.
“I was just rubbing a little suntan lotion on...well....I’ll just put my top back on.”
But neither of them moved for the longest time. Finally, Selena sauntered up to Bruce. She reached for his hands and placed them over her full, yet firm breasts. Bruce knew he should’ve snatched his hands back. But he couldn’t help himself. He began to cup them...to knead....
“I want to thank you for trying to help me, Bruce. It was you I was thinking of when I decided to tell the police about my mother.” Selena said, acting as if she were very unaffected by Bruce’s touch.
“Selena....I’ve loved you since freshman year.....”
Selena reached up and put a finger to his lips, as Bruce still held her breasts in the palms of each hand.
“I know.” she whispered. “I want you to remember this moment when you’re dancing with that little red headed girl next weekend. I want you to remember this moment when you’re with Vicki the weekend after.”
Selena then removed his hands and began to move around him, as if all was settled and done. She was completely unprepared for what happened next.
Bruce Wayne yanked Selena into his arms and began to kiss her hungrily, as if he had been waiting to do this all of this life. Selena, stunned by his upper hand, tried to push him away as her breasts mashed into his bare chest. But his kiss was demanding, seeking and soon she felt herself melt against him, until HE finally decided to let her go.
Selena was stunned but was not about to show that to him or any other guy. She had the upper hand in her relationship with Harvey.
“I guess we just needed to get that out of our system.” Selena said in a small voice. She reached out, and picked up her bathing suit top. She expertly tied it herself before giving Bruce a look as if she were going to say something else, but thought better of it. She then moved past him and out of the state room.
Bruce just stood there, deep in thought. He had went to visit the man that ran Wayne Enterprises, Lucious Fox and two Wayne family attorneys.
Thomas Wayne and Sam Kyle had been friends.
Both Thomas and Sam had added codicils to their wills concerning their only children.
If Selena Kyle was not married Bruce Wayne by the age of 25, everything that was the Kyle Corporation, would be forfeited to Wayne Enterprises.
Thomas Wayne’s instructions were not as dire. Just that it was up to his son’s discretion as to whether he would hold Selena to the will. He, and he alone, could choose to let her out of the agreement.
Bruce turned towards the door of the stateroom. He had seven years left to fall out of love with Selena Kyle. And if he felt about her then, the same way he felt about at this moment, Selena Kyle would have no choice but to become Mrs. Bruce Wayne, or forfeit everything.
THE END