Along with the workload. He carted a stack of arrest reports under his arm.

Life was getting back to normal, but he wanted to stay on top of things. Bane had taught them all not to become complacent. There was always a storm brewing somewhere, and you never knew when or where the next one might hit. Gordon had no intention of being caught off-guard again.

Especially now that he was on his own.

Alfred sipped the drink, taking his time. Sparkling laughter and conversation drew his attention to a young couple seated one table over. A recurring fantasy tugged painfully at his heart, and he couldn’t resist peeking at their faces.

They were strangers, of course.

They always were.

Sure enough, there was a cave behind the falls.

Blake burst through the sheet of falling water and landed awkwardly on a slick limestone shelf. Climbing to his feet, he faced the mouth of the cave, which appeared to extend deep into the earth. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like the jagged fangs of a guardian beast. Apprehension warred with excitement. Wayne had led him here for a reason.

Blake sensed he was on the verge of finding out why. He ventured cautiously into the dark.

* * *

Gordon banged the files against the air duct to straighten them. His gaze drifted across the familiar rooftop, then came to an abrupt stop.

His jaw dropped, and he forgot all about the arrest reports.

The shattered searchlight had been repaired. A brand-new bat-symbol, freshly cast in gleaming steel, was mounted atop an unbroken glass lens.

Stepping over to it—hesitantly, as if afraid it might vanish—he ran his fingers reverently along the outline of the emblem. Then he stared up at the night sky, looking for a sign.

Perhaps he wasn’t on his own after all.

Blake left the daylight behind. Descending into stygian blackness, he pulled a flare out of the bag, and then lit it. A bright red flame sparked to life deep inside the cave.

The sudden glare awoke a rustling, chittering mass high above his head. He ducked in alarm as thousands of screeching creatures swooped down from their roosts, flying wildly throughout the cavern. Leathery wings flapped all around him, buffeting him, engulfing him in a flurry of…bats.

* * *

Alfred finished his drink. He folded his paper and took out his wallet. A familiar sense of melancholy came over him as he faced another long night of guilt and regret. Happier people laughed a few tables over. Bracing himself for yet another painful disappointment, he glanced over at an attractive couple—who were not strangers at all.

Bruce smiled at Alfred, looking more relaxed and at peace than the old man would have thought possible.

After a moment, Alfred nodded back at him, knowing that nothing more needed to be said. Bruce turned back to his companion, a lovely young brunette wearing an exquisite pearl necklace. She bore a distinct resemblance to a certain light-fingered maid Alfred had briefly encountered once before.