Ghosts of Nights Past

Still, the marriage of Batman and Catwoman had been a success, so much so that it produced a daughter named Helena, who took up the cloak her father had abandoned after the death of his wife to continue his mission as the Huntress. Giving up being Batman wasn't something the younger Darknight could imagine, but the fact that his counterpart continued to safeguard the city as Police Commissioner gave him something to consider in case he ever had to put aside his own cape and cowl.

Another thing that weighed heavily on his mind as he slept was his hostess, sleeping in an adjacent room. In some ways, she was so very much like the Kathy Kane he had once known. Both had been circus performers when younger, entertaining crowds both as a trapeze artist and a champion stunt cyclist. In each reality, they had both inherited a small fortune that made them suddenly wealthy.

That was were their lives began to diverge. His own Kathy had only entertained a brief fling as a costumed adventurer, coming to realize that she preferred to follow a more conventional path and use her newly acquired wealth and influence to help those less fortunate. In this dimension, Kathy aspired to have a more hands on approach and spent years fighting beside Batman and Robin.

Bruce had come into contact with the socialite Kathy Kane many times at various charity functions, developing an on again, off again relationship which never went too far. As with most of his associations with the fairer sex, the specter of Batman stood between them. In the end, even that distance hadn't been enough to prevent her from meeting her death at the hands of one of his enemies.

Sitting up on the edge of the bed, Bruce reached for a robe that had been laid out for him and wrapped it around his well-developed body. His uniform was folded on a nearby chair where he left it, but it was hardly something he could wear all the time. Stepping out into the living room, he suddenly had the strangest feeling. For the first time since the death of his parents, he had absolutely nothing to do. No financial empire to rule by day, and no city to patrol after dark.

Stepping up to the large bay windows that offered a magnificent view of Middletown Park, Bruce looked out on a city he never knew. Comparing it to the memory of his own, he could see where some architectural differences emerged.

"The view is breathtaking, isn't it?" Kathy said as she suddenly appeared behind him.

"That it is," Bruce agreed as he turned around to greet Kathy.

The shocks of the previous night had prevented him from really seeing Kathy, his narrow focus assigning her the role of Batwoman and not the woman beneath the mask. The mask and costume were now gone, replaced by a small, thin robe that highlighted the still trim body beneath it. There were some women who while undeniably pretty when young, grew even more beautiful with age. Such was the case with Kathy Kane, a thought that gave him a moment's regret that he never would get the chance to discover that on his own world.

"I hope you had a good night's sleep," Kathy said she walked into the room.

"Yes, thank you," Bruce said, thinking to say anything else would sound ungrateful.

"I was almost afraid that I'd wake up to find you'd faded away during the night," Kathy smiled as she motioned for him to join her at a small breakfast nook where two settings had been arranged.

"It wouldn't be polite to leave and not say goodbye," Bruce smiled in return as he sat down in the closest chair.

"I hope you like steak and eggs," Kathy said as she poured each of them a cup of coffee, "it's been quite some time since I had an overnight guest and I wasn't sure what to make."

"That actually happens to be one of my favorite," Bruce replied as he took a sip of the coffee. "And this is excellent as well."

"I'm glad, because there's so much that I wanted to ask you," Kathy beamed as she tasted her own beverage.

"Such as?" Bruce asked.

"Well, I have to confess that you must know a lot more about our world than I do about yours," Kathy said as she cut up and began to eat her breakfast. "It's a strange feeling to know that you have a duplicate on another world."

"It can be," Bruce said as he started on his own as well.

"Do you know my double on your Earth?" Kathy asked curiously.

"We ... we were friends." he answered awkwardly.

"But no longer?" Kathy continued, picking up on the past tense.

"Being Batman wasn't exactly compatible with having a successful relationship at the time," Bruce offered, only giving part of the truth.

"But you had a relationship?"

"Of sorts."

"Our Batman," Kathy said, "and I still tend to think of he and Bruce as two separate people since I didn't know his secret back then, was a little different in that aspect. He was capable of loving someone and still wear the cowl. My problem was that I wasn't the one he loved."

Bruce nodded in understanding, having heard at least part of the story before.

"Still, it didn't keep me from loving him, even after I knew he'd gotten married. He didn't even have to tell me that he did, I just knew. Even after I put aside my costume and married a man who loved me, I never really stopped loving my Batman."

"What made you put the costume back on?" Bruce inquired as he changed the subject.

"My own marriage didn't last," she explained. "In hindsight, it had been a mistake in the first place. Then, after Gotham lost Batman, I felt I had to do something. His loss reminded me that I'd never felt so alive as I did during the years that I wore that costume."

That was a sentiment that Bruce certainly understood.

"Most people don't really know what happened that day up on the Gotham Trade Towers, because Dr. Fate did something afterwards to make everyone believe that Bruce and Batman were both killed, and not that they were the same person. The only ones who remember the true story are those who knew that already."

Bruce tensed up for a moment, not sure if he really wanted to hear any of the details of his counterpart's death that he was sure Kathy was about to relate. Then he changed his mind, thinking that it would help him understand what motivated this woman across from him. A familiar stranger whom he was finding more fascinating by the minute.

"The Justice Society was fighting some madman named Bill Jensen, and getting the worse of it," Kathy began as she gained the younger man's undivided attention, "he was a common murder who had somehow gained incredible powers and wanted only one thing, the death of the man who put him in prison - Police Commissioner Bruce Wayne. In the course of the battle, Dr. Fate had hidden Bruce in the City Museum on one of the lower floors of the tower. As best as the JSA was able to reconstruct afterwards, Bruce took the Batman costume that was on display there and joined the fray."

Kathy paused for a moment to catch her breath. It was obvious to Bruce that it was a painful story for her to tell. Yet at the same time, she seems to draw strength from it as well.

"Jay Garrick, the Flash, was the only one who actually saw Batman before those last moments, but even that was only for a few seconds because he blacked out after Jensen had tossed him off the roof." she went on. "He later recounted his surprise at waking up in mid-air and then suddenly being caught by Batman. The Flash remembered asking him what he was doing there, in costume, since he had swore never to put it on again after his wife's death the year before. Batman simply replied, 'what I have to'."

In his mind's eye, Bruce could hear his own voice saying those words.

"The rest happened so quickly. Batman made it to the top of the towers, just as the JSA was regrouping and trying one more time to subdue their foe, only to fail again. Jensen turned on Batman, but he wouldn't be stopped. Batman endured what would've surely killed another man and defeated Jensen. At the cost of his own life, he saved his friends, and the city."

Bruce took a deep breath, feeling the loss of the man he might have been.

"What I have to," Kathy repeated. "That's the reason I put the costume back on."

Silence filled the table for a long moment as neither of them was really sure what to say next. Fate took a hand in the form of a news bulletin that interrupted the background music that had been playing on the radio.

The brief report told of a botched early morning bank robbery in which Robin had attempted to free some hostages, only to be wounded and taken hostage himself. The GPD was attempting to negotiate with the gunmen, but so far without success. More updates would be broadcast as they became available.

Kathy immediately caught the look in Bruce's eye as he started to get up from the table. She opened her mouth to speak, but Bruce cut her off.

"You know that no matter who sees me, I'm going," he said, hoping that she wouldn't give him an argument.

As it turned out, he needn't have worried.

"I know" Kathy replied with a smile as she also rose from the table, "What I was about to say was just give me a few minutes and I'll join you."

-=-=-=-

The bank in question turned out to be the First Gotham Trust, an institution that once counted Thomas Wayne as one of its Directors. It was housed in an old landmark building that had been constructed back in the mid nineteenth century. A memory of a youthful visit to the hundred and fifty year old building planted the seeds of a plan in Batman's mind. That was if the unique aspect of the structure existed on both worlds. Directing Batwoman to drop him off in the alley behind the bank, he outlined his plan and sent her off to make contact with the GPD out front.

Working his way into the building, Batman soon found that what he had found fascinating as a boy was true here as well. Prior to the Civil War, the bank had served as one of the stops on the Underground Railroad that had spirited escaped slaves north to Canada. In fact, it had been the station before Wayne Manor. Slaves would hide in a hidden passage in the bank, until they could be smuggled out of the city. The passageway, which his father had taken him on a tour of, still existed, having only been sealed off rather than filled in because of its historical aspect.

It only took a few minutes work with a cutting laser to gain entry into the dark hall, and then move to the other end that opened into the office of the bank president. From the small vantage point he gained by opening the door just a crack, Batman was able to look out onto the main floor and take stock of the situation.

The Darknight Detective quickly ascertained the position of all five thieves. Two were situated around the front windows, watching for activity by the police that filled the surrounding street. As he had hoped, the arrival of Batwoman had drawn their full attention. Two others stood guard over what they assumed was the only other entrance to the bank, a side door from which deliveries were made. The last of the quintet had been assigned to keep watch on their hostages, who were all sitting against the outside of the teller's cages on the far wall.

The bank employees and customers all seemed to be fine, in fact, they weren't even restrained beyond the fact that a man with an automatic weapon was watching over them. At the far end of the group, standing a few feet away from the rest was Robin.

The Man of Wonder had a small bruise on the right side of his head, caked with dried blood. Other than that he seemed unhurt. From his observation point, Batman could see that Robin's hands were bound to a wooden display post by a pair of handcuffs, possibly taken from one of the bank's security guards. Other than that, the bank robber closest to the hostages seemed to pay him no mind. Instead his interest seemed to be centered on a young woman who was wearing a tight tank top that did more to accent than conceal a not inconsiderable bust.

A well-aimed batarang impacted against the side of the thief's head, replacing his view of mammary charms with stars and bright lights, at least for the few seconds it took him to hit the floor. As he rushed past him, Batman kicked his weapon to the far side of the room, just in case.

The two at the window never expected to be attacked from behind and fell under a series of quick, expertly delivered blows. Not even waiting for them to fall, Batman was already turning to face the last two, who he was sure were only now beginning to realize that something was happening. He had barely come all the way around when he saw that he needn't have bothered.

The last two members of the gang were sitting on the floor, their hands joined together by the handcuffs that had been on Robin. The other hostages had fled into the teller's cage once Robin had freed himself.

"I wasn't sure you'd be able to free yourself in time," Batman said with a smile as he closed the distance between him and this Gotham's defender.

"You're joking, right?" the adult Robin said, not really sure if the man in front of him was serious or not. "I could get out of cuffs like that before the first time I ever put on a costume."

"I didn't expect any less," Batman smiled even broader to show that it had indeed been an attempt at humor. "After all, you were trained by the very best."

The compliment to his long-gone mentor finally brought a change to Robin's face. That and the realization that the visitor from another world also deserved to wear the cowl.

"I guess I was," Robin replied, returning the smile.

"Robin, is it safe to come out now?" the voice of one of the bank employees called out.

"One minute," Robin called back, thinking that they were too busy running for safety to really see Batman before and that it would avoid some unanswerable questions if they didn't get a good look at him now.

"I guess that's my cue to get out of here before anyone sees me," Batman said, thinking the same thing.

He turned and took a step towards the office, only to be stopped by the touch of Robin's gloved hand on his shoulder.

"It felt good to be working with Batman again," he said in a low voice that couldn't be overheard.

"Anytime pal," Batman said over his shoulder, feeling the warmth of Robin's smile wash over him before disappearing into the office and the passageway beyond.

Sealing the hidden panel behind him, Batman paused at the outer door and waited until he was sure that the bank had been cleared before venturing outside. That took at least an hour and a half, but there was no way around it. When he finally exited into the late afternoon daylight, he found Batwoman waiting against her Batcycle. He was still so pleased that he'd made peace with Robin that he failed to notice the subtle look of displeasure on his female counterpart's face as she handed him the trench coat he had worn over his costume on the way there.

-=-=-=-

Batwoman continued to be mostly silent all the way back to her apartment, answering any direct question with only the shortest of replies. It wasn't until the doors of the private elevator to her penthouse closed behind them and they were once more cloaked in privacy of her home that she asked a question that had been smoldering from the moment Robin had emerged from the bank with the hostages and announced that all of the robbers had been disarmed and captured.

"Would you like to explain what happened back there?" Kathy asked as she removed her own coat that she had donned down in the garage, the anger in her voice quite evident.

"Excuse me?" Bruce asked as he removed his own covering.

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," Kathy went on. "You did the same thing that he always tried to do. I wouldn't stand for it then, and I'm not going to stand for it now."

She didn't have to explain who the he was that she was referring to.

"Kathy, I ..." he started to say but was cut off as she made it clear she wasn't in the mood for excuses.

"You went into that bank knowing that you had no intention of waiting until I could get into position to help you. Even though that was what we had agreed on before I dropped you off," she said. "I spoke to Robin afterwards and he told me that there was absolutely no reason why you couldn't have waited a few more minutes. No one was in any immediate danger."

Bruce didn't know what to say, except that deep down, he knew she was right. At the time, he hadn't even realized why he was doing it. It wasn't even a conscious decision.

The question hung in the air for a long moment, until Bruce realized that Kathy wasn't going to take silence as an answer. Then he suddenly understood why he had done it, the only problem was, how did he explain it.

"Kathy, I'm sorry," he said in an apologetic tone, "I just couldn't take the chance that something might've happened to you, and that it would be my fault."

"What did you think might've happened to me?" Kathy said, her anger still apparent.

"You could've been killed" Bruce replied, knowing as soon as he said it that it was the wrong thing to say.

"That's a possibility every time I put on this costume, I came to grips with that a long time ago. What would possess you to think that this time would ..." Kathy started to say, then finally understood what had prompted his actions. "Oh my God!" she gasped. "She's dead. Your Kathy died wearing this costume."

"Yes," Bruce said, not bothering to explain that technically she had died with it in her arms, but the symbolism was the same.

"Oh Bruce, I'm so sorry for you," Kathy said as all traces of anger faded, to be replaced with concern and the understanding that despite what he might have indicated before, he had loved his Batwoman.

Moving to him, Kathy removed her gloves and ran a bare hand across the side of his face. Looking up into his deep blue eyes, as Bruce stood a head taller than her, she saw the deep pain the memory had brought back. In her own case at least, she hadn't been there to watch Batman die.

Then, acting on pure emotion rather than rational thought, she tilted her head forward and kissed him. It was a friendly kiss at first, but one that quickly turned into something much more. Bruce was reluctant to respond to the sudden intimacy at first, but as Kathy pressed her lips even harder against his and brushed against the small opening with her tongue, she felt him begin to respond.

His arms closed around her and then his hands moved up her back, to come to rest in her long black hair. He pulled her body tight against his as one kiss turned to two, and then three, each more personal than the last. The feelings each had held for their counterparts mixed with the new admiration they felt for each other. Yet, with that intermix, came a small measure of guilt as well. Bruce was the first to give it voice

"Kathy, we can't ..." he started to say, only to be hushed by soft fingers against his lips.

"No, don't say it," she said, "I don't want to hear it. I know that you're not my Batman, and I'm not your Kathy, and that by tomorrow you might vanish from my life and never come back. But none of that matters. All I know is that, at least for today, for right now, I have the chance to live a dream that I long ago gave up on. Please don't let that dream die again."

Bruce opened his mouth to say anything that might convince Kathy that she was wrong, but the words didn't come. He knew that he felt the same way and that anything he said to the contrary would be a lie.

"Is it because I'm too old?" she asked, sensing in his hesitation that age might be a factor.

It was something that had been very much on her mind since she had first seen the Earth 1 Batman. When she had first donned her red and yellow costume, she had been so much younger than the Caped Crusader. Now, she was the one with the years behind her. Yet, seeing Batman in his prime again had her feel half her age.