A Brave Deed
“You can’t tell me you ever did a brave thing in your life.”
The air had rushed out of Tony’s lungs when he received the letter in the mail. Quickly stuffing it into his lapel pocket he went back into his apartment calling in sick.
He hadn’t even been thinking about going to the gala, the invitation still sat on the side table. If he was up to him he still wouldn’t be going, but the letter burned over his heart.
Allison.
He knew who Allison was. She was alive and breathing and for the first time in a long while he wanted to be brave. Brave like his father, to put principles up before anything else.
But still he went to his suits picking out his nicest one and putting his pins on the lapels. He had to at least be there – maybe even save the daughter of the Mayor. It could happen; after all he was the son of someone incredibly brave. He could be brave too. Save the girl, and find Allison.
It stuck in his throat. She was alive? Or maybe she wasn’t and the Joker was playing him, the thought crossed his mind that he should take off the suit and stay home, to pretend that the world outside didn’t matter. He wanted to pretend that his heart wasn’t racing a mile per minute. Before he knew it he was in the car on the way to the event, his tie perfectly centered and a small gun on his ankle.
He still didn’t know what he was going to do. He never did a brave thing in his life; courage was a language he didn’t know. He couldn’t however stop thinking about the girl he’d gotten out of the fire, the one who he had saved. Objectively he had been brave – sincerely brave, but she was gone. That brave moment left and didn’t stick to his bones. He was no better than he had been before.
When he walked into the place he put on a charming smile, hugging the respectable people and talking to those whom would through him to the wolves if they could. He didn’t belong here, but he didn’t belong in that god-forsaken basement either.
Still when the time got close he went down hiding there with a stony expression. He wasn’t a cop now, he could do whatever he needed to do. It was left to the moment. If he was going to be merciful or cold -hearted. With whatever happened he had already absolved himself.
After all he’d never really been brave, but maybe he could do this one courageous thing. On the other hand he could damn himself and kill an innocent girl for the life of another.
Maybe Allison could forgive him because he wasn’t sure he was going to be able too.