Prequel to dark knight. Read that first.

batman

by: aNdreaa

-&-

2:11 am

Sakura supposes that leaving Ino's birthday party at two in the morning by herself is not the wisest decision in the world. And although she's read her fair share of cliché girl-gets-attacked-in-dark-alley books, it doesn't stop her from walking out into the dark streets all by her independent self. Because she knows that her flat is only two subway stops away.

So she goes underground and waits for the ride home.

2:16 am

The car she boards is almost empty. The only passengers are three males; two men in baggy pants smoking cigarettes and a black-haired boy about her age that she knows is Uchiha Sasuke. Everyone on the streets knows who he is.

She takes a seat in between the two parties and tries not to make eye contact with any of them because they look far too unapproachable.

2:18 am

The two men look disgruntled and dirty and she makes the grave mistake of looking at them. They're staring at her purse. She shifts in her seat and glances at the black-haired boy.

He glances back over the high collar of his leather jacket.

2:21 am

The subway comes to a stop and Sasuke exits without another look. Sakura cannot help but feel as if a defense has just disappeared; the mace in her purse can only do so much. The two men move closer as soon as the boy leaves.

Sakura prays for a security camera on the subway or for someone else to board too.

2:24 am

This is her stop. Sakura gets up smoothly and quickly and leaps out the doors, checking behind her. She is being followed without a doubt. She needs to get above ground. Hopefully, there is a late-shift security guard manning the pay booth. Sakura clambers up the stairs as quickly as she can while retrieving her mace but then a hand is on her arm and a gruff voice is in her ear.

"Drop the purse."

2:25 am

Sakura yanks her arm back and turns, extending the mace and daring herself to point it like a gun at the male in front of her. "Don't," she says bravely. "touch me!" The two males raise their hands in defense as expressions of fear flicker across their faces. They run for it.

Sakura, surprised but relieved at their hasty departure, nods after them, "Yeah, you better run!"

She doesn't realize Uchiha Sasuke is standing behind her, doing all the intimidating work for her.

2:26 am

"Are you alright?"

"AAAHHH!"

Sakura whirls on the spot at the sound of the unfamiliar voice and her mace is out again in a flash. Sasuke quickly extends his hand and covers her own, not wanting to sprayed. His expression, cool and composed, doesn't waver as she widens her eyes. He'd just gotten off at the subway's last stop…but how had he arrived so fast?

"I parked my motorcycle back there," he explains, lowering her fist that is clenching the mace.

Sakura's head is spinning. Uchiha Sasuke, infamous in every part of this town, has just come straight to her rescue.

"Here," he says, extending a large black helmet to her, "Put this on."

2:27 am

They walk into the streets where his motorcycle, black and almost camouflaged in the dark sky, is parked. Sakura is still holding the helmet in her hands, not knowing why she's followed him.

"Put it on," Sasuke repeats. "I'll take you home."

"It's only a few blocks," Sakura declines, but he gives her a withering glare that just screams his insistence that she will indeed be jumped (again) and promptly mutilated by big scary men if she is to walk home alone.

She dons the helmet.

2:33 am

He'd made her sit in front; his arms, long and robust, extended on either side of her. His hands had clamped tightly and securely over her own as she gripped the handlebars, feeling slightly foolish in the too-big helmet.

Now, Sakura removes the helmet from her head, pink hair sticking to her breathless face. She thinks that riding a motorcycle in the open night air is similar to flying; fast and full of an adrenaline-rush. "Thank you," she says earnestly, giving him back the helmet. "For everything."

It is an extremely long and almost agonizing moment before Sasuke produces a black pen and gently takes her hand to write his number down on her palm. Sakura stares at him, incredulous but his black eyes carry no lack of strict seriousness…except, perhaps, the pink tinge in his cheeks.

"If you're out late again, anytime after 8:00, call me and I'll escort you home." Sakura immediately declines, not wanting to inconvenience him, but he says, "Promise." And he leaves her no room for argument because, she realizes, that her protection is his priority and he is still holding her hand.

"Promise."

-&-

I am still furious how Rachel and Bruce don't end up together. Ugh. Anyways, this was inspired by the scene in Batman, the 2005 one, with the adorable Katie Holmes and her taser. I LOL everytime. Batman is so freaking hot.

I would also like to pimp out a new collaborative fanfic concerning Ino, Sakura, Tenten, me, Annie Sparklecakes, angelforshow, and weddings. Link's in my bio. You know you wanna...

Also, I'm really into like, Sasuke-as-a-masked-vigilante fics at the moment. Any recommendations? Brownie points if he dresses like Batman...

EDIT: Guess what? I got a Twitter. You have permission to slap me. I'm going off to art college soon and that means less time on the internet and more time drawing so I suppose a mobile updating system won't be too bad to have. I blame Iz and Annie though because they've been pestering me for a while to get one. So, if you're interested in a stranger's sarcastic (non)social minute-by-minute accounts, go for it. Or, as the lingo goes, "Follow" me. Link's in my bio. :D