Chapter 15: Intentions (Part 1)

A quick shoutout to this week's newest Patreons, @Sedeho, @Albert Arriaga, @Pickel Boy, and @Luke George! Your support is noted and appreciated.

For my Patreons, chapter 18 will be posted soon after the final checks.

Now then... let's enter the story arc...

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Date: August 8, 2008

Location: Washington, D.C., Hall of Justice

Time: 2:47 P.M.

"You should've seen it!" Wally waved his arms animatedly. "I was all like *Bam* take that! And *whoosh* see ya later!"

Paying an ear to his fast friend, Dick chillaxed diagonally on an armchair, armrests taken up by the hands lazily crossed behind his head and feet languidly kicked up.

Will, leaning beside said feet with crossed arms, had to shove the Boy Wonder's shoes away in annoyance every time he wiggled the soles teasingly in front of his face.

Kaldur sat regally on the couch opposite, completing the three-pronged formation by which Wally zoomed around the center while detailing his morning patrol with Flash through a false game of charades.

The kid's mouth was moving in greater amounts than his hands, sound effects pouring out like a leaky faucet.

Ben was the only one standing apart from the rest, focused on the screens flashing by in front of the room's terminals.

He was also using his presence as a leash for Kenzo lying at his feet, a predatory glint in the liger's eyes as he stared at Wally.

He never forgot about the idea of hunting the speedster, the thought having only grown more appealing through time.

Everyone was conversing in their civilian identities, Dick and Ben out of their masks as well.

Ever since the contract was signed, it came as no small amount of amusement to the brothers the level of shock the rest suffered when they learned that the infamous and publicly purported wastrel Bruce Wayne was THE Batman.

It's been a while since the previous incident, now dubbed by Wally -against vehement rejection- as "The Vital Story of Gotham's Vandal Villains", the young group of heroes standing once more in the Hall's private room.

The mentors had gotten together one last time before leaving from the party, discussing plans on what they should do regarding their protege's recklessness.

The consensus ended up being mandatory group training, no skipping allowed.

And there were a LOT of attempts to ditch, Kaldur being the only exception.

The boys would spend a couple of hours in every city (except Gotham for "obvious" reasons) to take down a few common criminals alongside each other and form a preliminary bond of understanding.

Said bond could also be hastened with more meetups, so they all made it a routine to gather at least once a day inside the Hall of Justice just to hang out and talk about their experiences.

Everyone but one young sorceress…

"Giovanni has grounded her." Sindella told Ben when he last called to check-in. "I'll talk to him, but he's been… more easily worried recently."

More like royally pissed off...

Regardless, Ben could easily understand the why.

Although now a year in the past, it's hard for a man to get over the helpless feeling associated with the knowledge of their wife being unable to keep her life. Not to mention how he was on the very cusp of losing every ounce of hope when Ben first met him.

But the consequential irony of that close call of a textbook fairy tale-styled ending only came afterward.

Where Ben, Dick, and Alfred had to usually gang up on Bruce before he could agree to cut down on patrolling the streets to spend some time with them and rest a bit, Zatanna and Sindella had to beg before they could convince Giovanni to do the opposite.

The incident made the magician keep trying to cut down on his crime-fighting hours for even the most ridiculous of reasons, just so he could have longer moments to dote on the only two women in his life.

While the gesture was sweet, it wasn't appreciated by the two.

'In the end…' the image of a grumbling Z came to Ben's mind. 'She still turned into a princess locked in a tower.'

-A MAGICAL tower.- ESAMAL reminded.

Drowned in his thoughts, Ben was unaware of the silence that settled in the room until he felt someone leaning on his shoulder.

"Benny boy!" Wally patted him enthusiastically. "How's your week been?"

"Uneventful." Ben unintentionally shot down his friend's rising energy. "I've been busy studying new materials and gadgets I can use to improve my suit, studying some magic, practic-"

"Bo-ring!" Wally threw his arms in exasperation. "I thought you would be outside sniffing for crime or something."

"I apologize for the lack of excitement that is my life." Ben's eyes remained glued on the screen scrolling before him. "Unlike what you may think, Batman doesn't always need my help. Not to mention that I've recently been using the time to tend to Dick's injury."

"We understand." Kaldur interjected as Wally flinched slightly. "How you decide to spend your time is entirely up to you." he glared at the speedster who put his hands up in response and started whistling innocently.

"Ugh." Wally's shoulders suddenly hunched over. "Sorry… forgot to check up on that." he awkwardly muttered to a grinning Dick.

"Meh, no biggie." Dick waved him off with a shrug. "Ben's been fixing me right up with his… Indigo Light?" he turned to his brother, getting a quick nod of affirmation. "So I've been good to go for a while now."

Something Ben noticed when he was reviewing the information about the ES and comparing it with the Green Lanterns who wielded each light was the 'potency' of his abilities.

For the Green Lanterns, their rings held a personal AI that carried out any of the tasks they required with just a mere thought.

All they needed to do is focus on their will while thinking 'I need a construct.' or 'Scan the area.' before the directive is carried out.

'Just point and shoot.' Ben remembered the saying.

Unfortunately, the same wasn't true for him.

The ring AI's are arguably the most important component of the Corps since they are also keeping constant surveillance and logs of events relating to their lanterns, making sure that they maintain and uphold the laws and regulations each Corp member must follow

Even though he had superintelligence and practically perfect memory, it was much harder than Ben initially thought to be able to build the complex constructs. He just couldn't match up to the raw-processing power that a galactic AI has.

He's had partial success in doing certain tasks like making small non-complex ones, channeling certain parts of the Spectrum in order to carry out more mundane tasks.

The second issue he came upon was how certain parts of the ES worked on others compared to him.

When he's injured, depending on the severity, all he has to do is surround himself in an aura of Indigo or Blue light to heal up quickly in a matter of minutes or hours, using his perfect body control to get a feel for each individual cell that needed treatment.

It took him days of periodic treatment to effectively do the same for Dick's arm, not having enough processing power to map out the same for another person.

It was a vexing issue, one that caused a deep uneasy whisper to linger in the back of his mind.

'What if I can't heal those that matter when needed?'

Thankfully, ESAMAL reassured him that it wouldn't remain the case for long.

-You can try looking for other solutions since you're impatient, but other than the constant training being a great help, you're still growing into these abilities. You have to take into consideration the fact that you're still a kid and that your body can't handle what you're trying to put out. Give it a couple more years and you'll definitely see an increase in power, control, and utility.-

He could only do as he was told, for now, training and praying that the worst didn't come to pass until then.

As Ben remained deep in his thoughts, the rest had already walked up to stand right beside him, looking at the screens he was typing at earlier.

"What exactly have you been up to?" asked Will with his arms crossed. "You've been here earlier than the rest of us and haven't stepped away from the monitor once."

"I have been keeping myself up to date on all the newest reports regarding our enemies while also studying up on interesting locations to visit throughout the world." Ben replied, finally looking away to meet Will's eyes.

"What?!" Dick shouted with wide eyes. "This is the first I'm finding out about this."

"I wonder why?" Ben hummed peacefully.

Dick paused sheepishly.

Apparently, his brother was still upset about his comms being hijacked last time, going to farther lengths to keep his secrets.

"Fine I'm sorry about that." Dick spoke sincerely, receiving a nod of acceptance. "But are you really planning on leaving?"

Ben nodded again, the remaining trio of eyes widening in surprise and complete confusion.

"I'm kinda lost right now." Wally scratched the back of his head. "Leaving from what?"

"Gotham of course. I wish to expand my horizons." Ben answered simply.

"You plan on quitting as a hero?!" Will got in Ben's face heatedly, fists and jaw clenched.

"How did you get that idea?" Ben gently pushed him away a bit. "I'm not going off the grid like you're probably thinking. I planned on using the Zeta Tube network to move around the world more and take in the sights."

"An excellent idea." Kaldur commented, placing a hand on Will's shoulders to ease the tension.

"Thank you."

"Does Bruce know about this?" Dick asked thoughtfully, looking over the plans Ben had jotted down. "And why are you leaving so late."

"...I haven't been able to inform him yet." Ben admitted, flabbergasted reactions hitting the room. "I've only just come up with the idea. I planned on discussing it some time after the celebration."

Now their astonishment once more turned to puzzlement.

"We have another celebration coming up?" Wally shared looks with the rest. " Did our mentors shake up something else?"

"No." Ben turned to the clueless Dick with lemon yellow in his eyes. "This is family only."

With a mental click, Dick opened his mouth in alarm. "No way! I completely forgot! I need to find him a gift ASAP."

"Well, you still have a week to do so then." Ben spoke simply.

"Ignoring that..." Will rubbed his shoulder, tone stoic. "Do… you mind sharing what places you picked out?"

"Not at all." Ben's answered, indigo and violet shining within his eyes.

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Date: August 16, 2008

Location: Upper Northeast Edge Outskirts of Gotham City, New Jersey, Wayne Manor

Time: 9:24 A.M.

In a bustling city like Gotham, most people wouldn't be able to survive so long without appreciating their waking hours as an only chance at silence, a rare moment meant to be enjoyed alongside a steaming cup of coffee or tea to warm the body and soul.

"Who ate all the Fruit Loops?!"

If only the same could be said for the Waynes…

Hovering by Ben's feet at the kitchen stove, Kenzo and Brutus looked away from the roaring Dick charging out of the pantry, pointing their paws at the similarly nearby Wyle who was already booking it down the hall.

"Damn rabbit!" Dick chased. "I've had enough of your pantry raids and late night gorging!!!"

Ben didn't take his eyes away from the sizzling pan of food for a moment, even as Dick whizzed past him while intending to make rabbit season come early.

"Your diet has been doing terrible lately." Ben commented to his brother, sounds of plates and chairs crashing behind him. "We shouldn't be resorting to 3 magical beasts with just as magical diets having to clear the 70% junk filled food stock due to your extremely unhealthy eating choices."

Unhealthy didn't even cut it. Even if Dick had technically already managed to reach peak human condition for his age, he still had to maintain his shape.

No one should be eating just cereal for dinner and mint chocolate chip ice cream for breakfast.

'Then again…' Ben reasoned. 'Since overall physical fitness is greater in this world, that also includes metabolism.'

-Then what are the obese people here even eating?-

"Yeah? Weww I Wwike it. And since I wike it, youw opinion doesn't mattew to me. If I can work it out, then I can scawwf it down!"

Ben turned to find out the reason behind such strange letter pronunciations, silently restoring his original position after finding a baby looking Elmer Rudd accusingly staring back.

His brother set himself up for failure on that one.

*WHACK*

"No touching the food." Ben slapped away a sneaky cerberus' paw while scolding Brutus. "We'll be eating together."

Alfred was fidgeting in his seat at the dining room table as he kept glancing back at Ben's dexterous hands, Bruce sitting alongside him and watching in slight amusement.

"Are you sure you do not require my assistance Master Benjamin?"

"For the last time Alfred." Ben turned back to the butler with shining gold yellow orbs. "I am a good cook myself. I learned from the best after all."

Ben was starting to get tired of hearing the same question every few seconds. Not even the tantalizing aroma wafting towards the butler was enough to ease his restless hands.

Well, he has been working around the manor almost every day for the last few years.

Doesn't mean Ben was going to make an exception. "You should be relaxing today, any unwarranted movement means trouble for you later."

His words didn't work as Bruce watched Alfred start restlessly tapping his foot.

"You always tell me to be patient, why not take your own advice for today?" Bruce commented nonchalantly.

Unfortunately for him, it couldn't be more obvious that he was grumbling internally.

"Forgive me, Master Bruce, if I find myself disbelieving at the idea of you ever listening." Alfred remarked in a dry tone. "At the very least, I will not be missing from the festivities."

Overhearing the jab, Wyle and Dick paused in their bickering, turning to look at Bruce as they howled in laughter together.

Bruce was nonplussed by the two's change of focus towards him.

Instead, he had to pretend he wasn't affected by the physically glowering Ben hitting him with squinted lemon yellow and red pupils thanks to his butler's words.

In response to his son's laserlike gaze, he hid his face by raising up the morning's Gotham Gazette in his hands.

Thankfully for him, Ben lost interest after a while, focusing once more on his cooking as he slid off a pancake onto a nearby plate, pouring the batter to make another.

For him, today had to be perfect since it was another day for celebration, a major one since the whole family was taking part in it for the first time.

Today marked the 62nd year of life of the man known as Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth.

Over his years of service to this family, it was the man's job to always mark down important events for others, not himself.

And for some time, the only commemoration that he could hold by himself was the Wayne's death anniversary.

After returning, Bruce started to realize how important of a presence Alfred was in his life, trying every year to do something meaningful for the man.

Which was much harder than he would ever admit since he earned a lifetime ban in the kitchen. Not to mention how he was starting out his battle for the city back then, unable to properly juggle time between his dual life.

For Alfred, the same could be said for Bruce, the man spending his birthday every year patrolling the city instead of staying at home.

Ben and Dick swiftly changed that when they moved in.

Other than the holidays that they've begun celebrating more of and their own birthdays, they ended up celebrating their father's birthday this year for the first time in forever since they arrived at the manor

It was a doozy.

Ben had spent a whole week setting up everything for Bruce's birthday, informing the whole League for a public party in the hall like last time, inviting all of their previous thanksgiving guests for a private one, and preparing food alongside Alfred the whole time.

Yet, Bruce still managed to catch wind of it somehow and tried to slip out in gear.

"Try" being the key word.

That was probably the first time everyone found Ben livid, making for one ugly sight.

He chased Bruce throughout all of Gotham, doing his utmost to beat him black and blue before dragging him home.

Those who managed to identify Bruce's limping didn't want to cross Ben after that, no matter how amusing the sight was to their perspectives.

"By all means Alfred," Ben waved towards the door. "I encourage you to go out and miss the celebration."

"But it would be a shame if something happened to the garden in your absence..."

Alfred turned pale as Dick was wheezing at this point, unable to breathe due to the constant taunts.

"And what are you laughing for?" Ben finally decided to include him. "You tried to pull the same thing as well the first time."

Dick slowly stilled in fear as Wyle saluted him while hopping off his lap.

*Chit Chit* (Was nice knowing ya Doc!)

In 2006, at Dick's insistence and due to the recent loss of his parents while still getting used to a major change in his life, everyone in the manor had agreed to not celebrate his birthday.

But that didn't extend towards the year after.

Dick also tried escaping the house to avoid the event.

Unlike Bruce, however, he was caught by Alfred just before he could take off in the wind.

"You try that ninja vanishing trick again this year and see what I do to your favorite escrima sticks." Ben threatened.

*DING-DONG*

"I got that." Dick beat a hasty retreat towards the door.

Alfred followed Dick's departing back towards the kitchen entrance. "May I at least be informed of the guests we will be expecting?"

"Not possible." Ben shook his head. "Same rules as usual."

If it's not obvious by now, living in a family of detectives makes it impossible to hide anything. Part invites included.

In order to make it harder for the other residents to know their plans, the people of the manor would invite people separately all in order to prevent any information leaking from one another.

There were times where acquaintances got two or even three different calls for the same event.

As Alfred was sighing, Dick walked in with Selina and Maggie, Isis walking at their feet.

"Happy birthday Alfred!" they greeted the man of the hour.

"It's a pleasure to see you two again." he replied with grace.

Ben started arranging the table while everyone chatted away, everyone settling into their chairs before they noticed an extra plate set up.

Alfred raised a brow at his actions. "Are we expecting another guest?"

"Don't look at me." Ben could only shrug his shoulders. "Father is the one who said he invited one more surprise person for today."

A collective union of stares shifted over to Bruce.

"As a matter of fact, I met someone interesting when I was in Hong Kong a few weeks ago." he explained simply, another perfectly timed sound of the doorbell going off at his words.

As Bruce went to answer, Ben pondered a bit on the implications of his father's reveal regarding his recent exploits.

He neglected to mention which identity he went as.

Although Bruce was starting to build back some trust with Selina, it wasn't fully there yet, meaning he wouldn't speak the entire truth with her present.

But Ben, Dick, and Alfred knew the scoop.

'The Falcone's…' Ben pondered a bit.

Yes. Batman was shutting down the recent activities of one of Gotham's crime families.

Scratch that. The Falcone's are considered one of, if not THE most major crime family in all of Gotham.

Carmine Falcone was the head of the group, the man holding together many of the reigns stretching into Gotham's underworld.

In fact, Carmine's hands were deeply dug into the city to the point where he was known by others as "The Roman", the clear origin behind his title being meant to showcase his accomplishments in cementing his family at the very center of the grand empire he built.

'He's starting to become a problem.' Ben thought wistfully within his mind.

If he wasn't dealt with soon…

-A problem for later though. Better focus on the one you've got right now.-

Ben regained his awareness at the implication, observing the room closely to find out what caused the atmosphere to suddenly become so subdued.

He didn't have to make a big effort since the reason was directly before him.

Bruce had returned with a young woman in tow.

She stood beside him with a neutral and still body posture, betraying no change to the rest of her current feelings.

Yet, it couldn't have been more obvious where her entire focus was directed.

Alfred was also motionless as he stared back at her, everyone else unable to properly understand the nature of the situation as they looked back and forth between their newest guest and him.

Bruce put his hand out in presentation. "This is-"

"Julia!" Alfred cut him off with a shaky shout, the woman's face now giving way to a cold glare as she started to scan the room and it's occupants before settling on him once again.

"So this is what you left for...? Are you happy?" she questioned, an aura of anger, resentment, and slight hatred swirling around her.

"That's not wh-"

"You know what you are?!" her anger heightened. "You're a damn son of a-"

Ben tuned them out before she could finish her intended sentence, content for his body and mind to remain pure in the face of such profanity.

He still remembered that time in his previous universe before he was hospitalized where his mother washed his mouth out with soap. He had just gotten home and repeated a word he heard on the streets, trying to learn from her it's meaning.

A painful lesson it was, something that will forever stick with him.

'Painful... but also a fond memory I can never let go of…' he reminded himself.

As Julia constantly shouted and berated Alfred for whatever reason, she paused to take a deep breath.

"This was a mistake." she muttered the proclamation to herself, storming out of the house as swiftly as she had arrived.

As everyone sat in silence and passed a few glances between themselves and the now despondent Alfred, Dick shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I just have to say it." he eventually grounded out as he turned towards Bruce. "Even if you're not big on them, you sure know how to make a surprise."

...

"So you're telling me that Alfred had a daughter this whole time, but just didn't think to get in touch with her?" Selina questioned, speaking up quicker than usual.

A discussion was being held in the living room, Alfred being the only one unaccounted for as he silently left to his room earlier.

Bruce just nodded his head to Selina, face set in it's usual blank mask.

Ben could feel the brief touch of sadness that welled up in his aura, showing how hard he was trying not to let this affect him.

There's no doubt that just like everything else, his father was a master at controlling his emotions.

When he learned about the mechanisms behind Ben's psychometry previously, it goes without saying how Bruce already realized the liability it would prove if others were capable of doing the same thing, testing alongside his son if he could prevent his excess sentient energy from bleeding into the universe using different self-mastered skills.

He succeeded… but not through technique.

Although small, Ben could somehow tell that there was a chance of his father having an emotional breakdown at any moment.

Whenever he didn't want to deal with his feelings or let them affect him, his coping strategy was to take the non-stop negative impulses erupting inside of him and sublimate them into a form of action against all evil-doers.

Impulses that were hidden not only to the people around him, but himself too.

It was like a subconscious suggestion implanted deep within, one meant to prevent him from tackling the problem the same way he does any other.

For better or worse, the end result was him refining that habit, learning to transfer every excess emotion into a form of stamina, allowing him to work longer hours than before.

So unless he consciously willed it or slipped up for whatever reason, Bruce wouldn't be leaving an emotional trail for people to follow.

And yet, the man still couldn't entirely prevent himself from doing the same when it came to his family.

'There's so much I still don't understand about these powers.' Ben helplessly admitted to himself.

Ben was starting to realize the only reason why he could sense when Bruce was nearby trying to keep himself shrouded.

Whenever Bruce saw Ben, Dick, or Alfred, he didn't seem to realize how his control slipped a teeny bit, a brief spike of relief always escaping him.

Relief, Ben now realizes, due to seeing them alive for another day…

"So what are we going to do?" Dick wondered as he addressed the room. "Are you guys just going to let him lock himself up inside his room the whole day?"

"Of course not." Ben turned to the motionless Bruce who raised a brow at him. "Since you started this mess, you can clean it up."

"You have until the end of the day to fix things." he continued, remembering the crestfallen look the butler had given towards the now cold and untouched food before he left. "Right now, Alfred's lost himself to despair. If left untreated or not properly put in order, further generated amounts can lead to a swift change of depression."

'And who knows how long that'll linger…' Ben mentally sighed, eyes gold yellow.

A jolt ran through everyone's spines, Bruce springing into action without a moment's delay as he went towards the door and grabbed a coat from the nearby rack.

Ben turned towards the Kyle sisters as he ignored his father. "Do you plan to stay? Although the day hasn't gone as planned, we would still love to host you."

Selina took a glance at Bruce's retreating form before meeting her sister's gaze.

They had a silent conversation with their eyes before Selina eventually got up at Maggie's final nod.

"I'll be tagging along with Mr. Dark and Broody." she started walking towards the door to catch up.

"That leaves me and Isis in your care." Maggie smiled, the feline in her lap meowing at the mention of her name.

"Real quick. Is what you said about Alfred's state true? Or did you just make it up so that you could get him moving?" Dick asked half curiously and half mischievous.

"What reason do I have to lie?" Ben would have given a strange look if it still wasn't so exhausting to change his face. "Do you know the difference between despair and depression?"

Dick shook his head at that question, with Maggie leaning out slightly from her wheelchair to listen in.

"We need to review your psychological knowledge." Ben first commented offhandedly, Dick becoming red faced at the unexpected quip and Maggie laughing.

"Depression is a state that affects how a person feels about themselves, leading to sleep irregularities, extremely low moods, irritability, and even some physical symptoms if left untreated."

"People who are in depression are usually less responsive to others, refusing to get out of bed or even work most of the time".

"Despair is different in the fact that people who suffer from it are still able to wake up and get to work, but the drive from before isn't there. They go about their day with hopelessness, anxiety, anguish, and sadness. There is no joy in their actions. No motivation, passion, or drive."

"Due to this, despair is the first step towards becoming depressed. Your outlook towards life, ends up becoming what you see about yourself instead."

"Oh no…" Dick shot up with alongside the nearby familiars, sharing terrified looks with each other. "You mean we'll end up in a world where Alfred doesn't feel like cooking for us anymore!?"

Ben slapped the back of his brother's head, Maggie chuckling harder than before.

At least his attempt to lighten the mood worked.

'He's still not getting out of lessons later.' Ben set a reminder for himself.

They sat together for a while nursing cups of coffee, discussing topics that caught their fancy in order to take their minds off things.

-Be~n.- ESAMAL sang nervously. -Something bad happened.-

'What is it?'

-Bruce and Selina's emotions just dulled.-

…Why must nice things always come to an end?

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Date: August 16, 2008

Location: Uptown Gotham City, New Jersey, Gotham Village

Time: 9:57 A.M.

Kicking a random soda can, Julia ambled down the streets with pursed lips, her arms crossed over her chest in order to bury her clenched fists inside her armpits.

It goes without saying how easily most Gothamites could sniff out danger, the briefest signs being all they needed.

Julia was practically an open book in comparison, her foul look and slightly feral stance causing a wide berth to form in her immediate vicinity.

She definitely held one hell of a fight in her, acting like the type of person willing to start something.

She walked down the streets, electing to ignore the Bohemian sites passing her by in favor of putting her thoughts in order.

She didn't know the exact reason for her current state, and it only made her feel worse.

Growing up without a father is one of many awful things that could be denied to a child, and Julia only managed to push through that phase of her life since she had her mother always at the ready, trying her best for her.

Mademoiselle Marie was a strong willed woman and an incredible role-model.

She tried to be present in her daughter's life every waking moment of the day whenever she had time.

But due to how dangerous her job was, Julia was soon sent to spend that time with her adopted father, Jacques Remarque.

After a couple of years already being used to having only a single parent, it was hard to acclimate to a second one being a brand new constant in your life.

Nonetheless, she grew to appreciate the man for his unwavering resolve to try and stand by with her in any way he could.

She ended up becoming a member of the SRR (Special Reconnaissance Regiment), a government organization working as a special ops and intelligence unit for the UK.

Her work ended up leading her to Hong Kong where she landed in recent tumultuous events involving crime lord Shen Fang.

Taking him out should have been in the bag after a couple months of casing out his contacts and stuff.

Then, Batman arrived, his presence throwing more than just a few wrenches into her plans...

Putting aside how no good could come with the Caped Crusader involved, the name he brought along with him, Carmine Falcone, was one that could flip the entire board.

Julia had hated the hero's presence at first, blaming him for overcomplicating the situation, even if she knew he wasn't at fault.

He had taken a mere glance at everything she had managed to gather on her target before coming up with a plan to take him down.

The surprise twist was him actually asking for her assistance.

Oh what a fool she was shooting down his offer. Instead, she managed to infiltrate the crime lord's compound on her own, coming face to face with Shen Fang himself.

Then, nothing.

She could only recall lapses where she heard lots of shouting and shaking before awakening in a bed at Gotham General, the famous Bruce Wayne patiently seated next to her.

Apparently, she had a sword shoved into her chest and was considered lucky to be alive.

'As if that's new in the life of an agent.' she scoffed.

Wayne went on mentioning how he was surprised to know that Alfred had a daughter. He explained that Batman helped with her treatment plan and ran some tests himself, contacting the billionaire secretly at the first sign of the results.

Oh the shock she felt when she realized that her true father was nearby, putting himself under the whims of a rich boy.

The disgust, anger, and hatred that flowed through her when she realized what he left her mother for.

What he left her for...

That playboy explained to her how that accursed man's birthday would be a couple of weeks away, of how he would love her presence.

Now she knew he was spouting bull crap.

'Probably wants to get into my pants.'

That made more sense to Julia.

So engrossed in her disgust and loathing, she only snapped out of her irate state when her nose almost kissed a wall.

'What the…?'

At some point, she managed to wander into an dead end alleyway.

"Julia Pennyworth." a voice called out to her before she could turn to leave. "We have a few questions we need to ask you."

Managing to reduce the feeling of wanting to jump out of her skin to just a flinch, Julia warily turned her head towards the narrow entrance, two people in masks and gear standing in front of her.

Wildcard and Robin.

'Why are they here?' she glanced around discreetly. 'Is Batman nearby?'

"What do you want mates?" she questioned sharply after finding nothing out of sorts.

"I apologize for disturbing you, but a situation has just occurred that requires your assistance." Ben neatly explained.

"When was the last time you spoke to Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle?" Dick's voice displayed some urgency.

"Who's Selina Kyle?" Julia scrunched her brows.

The two guys shared a glance with each other for a moment.

Such an obvious thing missed… she stormed out of the house before she could get everyone's names…

"Selina Kyle. Last seen exiting the Wayne Manor alongside Bruce Wayne in pursuit of you. They have just been reported missing." Ben tried to jog her mind.

Julia became slack-jawed at that, her eyes opening just a little bit wider.

"They were after me?" she was clearly caught off guard. "Why? I have an idea of why Bruce Wayne would come after me, but I've never even heard of this... Selina."

Dick had his arms crossed, right finger constantly tapping his left elbow. "That's not the point! It was reported that she tagged along with Mr. Wayne, who followed you to clear things up after you left in a fit."

"If you know anything, please tell us." Dick pleaded quietly.

'Reported?' she scrunched her brows, mind tingling. 'Who would report me so fast?'

There was only a few people at the manor, and although there's no limit on when such a report could be called in, not enough time has passed for authorities to take it seriously enough to start filing.

'Then again, it's the infamous Wayne.' she reasoned, easing her growing suspicion.

Before Dick could blow a top at her lingering, Ben put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

Exhaling a breath, Dick was interrupted by a beeping sound.

"Penny-One." he raised a finger to his ear. "What's wrong?"

Ben's face behind the mask actually turned incredulous as he gazed his brother, slapping his forehead.

The contract didn't prevent the mention of hero or codenames since the whole point of using them was to conceal real identities in the first place, and Dick knew this.

But still...

'Why are you losing all tact by using such an identifiable codename in front of its user's daughter?!?' Ben screamed in his mind for the first time.

He didn't need to look at the abrupt waterfall of gold orange surrounding Julia to tell him that the woman was about to figure it out.

Sure enough, Julia put a hand to her mouth in total incomprehensibility.

'Penny…One?'

She closely washed her gaze over the two to pick out any missing details, Dick's antsy movements hitting her hard.

'Bruce Wayne.' she thought back to the hospital and his description of events.

'Penny-One. Those two kids back at the manor.' her mind flashed images and traced lines to exit the maze it wove.

Eventually, images of the cowled crusader and playboy overlapped.

'Bruce Wayne is Batman?!?'

Dick didn't pay any attention to her epiphany as he darted off towards the rooftops.

Julia watched as he frantically began to bound out of sight…

In the direction of the Wayne Manor.

Ben watched his brother go for a bit before he breathed out tiredly.

"Please keep it a secret until we can discuss this later." he slumped a bit. "He let it slip in a moment of anxiety."

"But I still need to hear what you know so I can have a better idea of what's going on." Ben mustered as much sincerity as he could.

He was starting to feel intensely regretful to not have just read her bled emotions from the rooftops.

-You have your moments, but even with an overall boost being added to your EQ, 0 times 100 is still 0.-

'Am I… responsible for those two being in danger?' Julia's face paled as she shook harder at this realization than the one from earlier. 'Did I just doom a family with my actions?'

She thought back to Dick's reactions, knowing that he was just a kid worried about his parents, longing for their safety and wellbeing.

Just like how she longed for her mother's safety every time she went to her work…

"I…I was alone… this entire time." she vacantly voiced.

Even with all the love and care she's been shown throughout the years…

Ben already knew the answer when he rectified his earlier mistake, having stayed out of courtesy to hear her.

"Very well." he nodded. "I need to go pick up on their trail before it can fade. Please remain somewhere safe before we figure out what's going on and can discuss this matter later."

"Wait!" she grabbed his shoulder. "What can I do?"

"I've already informed you of the next steps required since the matter no longer concerns you at th-"

"Like hell it doesn't concern me!" she tightened her grip. "I already know your little secret, and since those two went missing by coming after me, I'm also responsible for this mess." she stared up at him defiantly. "I'm helping."

"So…" some of that earlier ferocity became included in her tone. "What's. Going. On."

Ben took the time to think a bit, slowly looking her over for any signs of deceit.

"Fine." Ben conceded. "But next time, try not to publicly announce our secrets." he warned her, earning a nod.

"It seems that Mr. Wayne and Ms. Kyle's disappearance was premeditated in some way." he glanced at her carefully. "Penny-One has just informed us that The Wayne Family butler is currently being accused of murder."

'I'm gonna kill them.' the thought came uncontrollably, Julia imagining what she'd do when she got her hands on whoever's behind this.

"The police are currently at Wayne Manor to try and bring him in." Ben finished. "Robin's gone to oversee the situation and deal with it however seems fit."

Julia shook at that, realizing how much more serious this just became.

As she tried to make her way out of the alleyway, it was Ben's turn to stop her.

"And where are you going?"

"To the manor of course!" she shouted in defiance.

"Really? I haven't informed you of your part in this yet." Ben calmly pointed out. "And earlier you couldn't wait to leave. What changed your mind so quickly?"

She paused at that, still unable to properly answer or articulate her feelings.

"I…"

"Tell you what. Since you know our secret, go to Robin and tell him I need monitor support. Use this to gain access to our systems." Ben decided, a card appearing in his hand which he passed to her.

Taking a look at it, she found a bat symbol engraved on both sides with a penny featured below on the front.

"Thank yo-" she paused when she looked back up.

Once again... she was alone.

------------------

Date: August 16, 2008

Location: Uptown Gotham City, New Jersey, The Narrows

Time: 10:12 A.M.

Gotham continued to remain in full swing for the day, cars honking away, stores opening up for business…

*CLANG!*

'People just can't keep their hands to themselves.' Ben's fingers snatched his card back from it's return trip.

Leaping between traffic poles, roof ledges, and window sills, Ben never once paused in his stride, completely focused on the goal of figuring out his father and Selina's current whereabouts.

Although he was on an important mission, he couldn't ignore the sights and problems going on around him either.

Crime never rested, regardless of whether it was dusk or not.

The woman holding a ruffled purse, statuesque hot dog vendor, and filming fever filled customers could attest to that, being left behind with an unresponsive masked man tied up with a welt on his head and a mere glimpse of Ben's rapidly fading back.

He only halted on a building fire escape after clearing a few more blocks, surveying the crisscrossed unconcealed back streets, shuffling pedestrians, and vibrant morning scents.

Although not always as bright and sunny as the neighboring Metropolis, it was amazing in and of itself how this city had an automatic light switch at the ready.

The air and sentiments given off by this place after sundown were a whole different world compared to what he was seeing now.

The people played checkers in the morning as the villains fought for a chance at chess every night.

'Got anything?' Ben took in the city's current glowing atmosphere.

-Not yet. Keep moving and I'll let you know.-

Unfortunately, someone just had to be impatient and decide to switch the pieces around.

Although tracking down Julia earlier was the greatest lead at the time, that didn't mean there weren't others ready to be found.

Simultaneous operations were already underway the second ESAMAL had informed Ben of Bruce and Selina's status, multitasking being carried out in forms of scouring for any emotional trails, combing through every crumb of camera footage possible, thinking about who their perpetrator could be…

The last part wasn't coming along that well admittedly since there were too many unkowns.

Even though he has a huge sensing range, it was hard for Ben to pick out one specific emotion in such a massive city, even with his range constricted to function like a microscope.

It's the famous saying all over again.

"Like finding a needle in a haystack."

His super intelligence, high speed processing, and calculating prowess make it easier of course, but it's still not efficient enough to make up for how taxing it was on his mind when pushed to the limits.

Since the incident involving Deadshot, Ben tried keeping up efficiency in a way that was nonharmful to him, his normal sensing range narrowing down to around a kilometer in order to keep himself from processing information faster than he can consciously perceive.

Because he couldn't go full throttle on that front without the risk of muddling his mind afterwards, ESAMAL was making use of his own processing power in tandem with his.

Although he's come to realize his earlier mistake of him not being an AI, he was still slightly similar to one in some ways.

Now all he could do was wait for the emotional signatures of two of the most important in his life to ping while trying to trace the steps his father would take.

'They couldn't have gone farther than Upper Gotham in such a short time. Gotham Village, Crest Hill, and Amusement Mile are all no go's. The only places left to check are Otisburg, the Bowery, Coral District, and Gotham Heights.'

The Wayne Manor was situated at the very outskirts of Gotham in Bristol County, the easiest way of entering the city proper being through the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge, leading right into Crest Hill.

That's the usual way everyone in the family goes, the only other being a double back to Somerset from Mooney Bridge and another unnamed overpass to the Coral District.

But a quick tap of Ben's wrist computer had dashed the alternative, confirming Bruce to have driven the usual way.

-Not even going to bother checking out Crime Alley?-

'Give the man more credit.' Ben dismissively rebuked. 'He'd rather go through Robbinsville in the least likely scenario.'

The keyword being "rather" since although holding a surprisingly decent neighborhood filled with a little more stand-up people and schools, it was smaller in comparison to what was hidden beneath.

The place was just another front meant to hide the city's specialties, majority of the area being taken up by empty warehouses used to store and carry out deals involving drug and human trafficking, kidnapping, ammunitions, racketeering, money laundering…

'Remind me to find a way to place a magical locator on everyone.' Ben thought.

-Not my fault that it couldn't fit into the contract. There's only so many stipulations and agreements that you can add before either it or the binding magic breaks.- ESAMAL shot down the hidden complaint.

Wasn't that a sad thought. The contract was tight of course, but it couldn't be improved any longer lest it backfires. The clauses were okay, but anymore would strain the magic to the point where it snaps.

As such, any more issues that crop up would need to be solved through another course of action.

'Guess it was wishful thinking to believe I could put all my eggs into one basket.' Ben sighed to his friend. Obviously he expected it, but one could wish for the best to make his life easier.

-Wait! Stop right here!-

Ben ceased all motion, hanging off a ledge with one hand as his fingers made some room to share the place with a gargoyle's feet.

'What's wrong?' he cautiously examined around him. 'Something I miss?'

-Go back around 48 meters. I picked up a match 1.37 kilometers from that position directly north.-

Without question, Ben shot off, retracing his steps down to the exact nanometer told.

It took 2 minutes-

'1.68 minutes.'

-till he ended up hovering across from a debilitated pizza place, peering straight across the tight alleyway that rounded over to the building's wall enclosed back entrance, heaps of garbage strewn and filled with waste that was practically bursting in toxicity to his senses.

Hopscotching down regardless, the rodents brave enough to be out this early scattered as Ben leaned into the ground, his finger rubbing something that managed to catch his awareness.

Something red, iron-scented, found in every human being, and currently moist.

'This blood better not be either of theirs.' Ben slowly craned his head to follow the faint trail drops, leading up to multicolored light wisps floating at the path's entrance in his mind's eye.

-Sorry to break it to you.... At least Bruce knew to leave the trail behind for you to pick up.- ESAMAL pointed out.

'Yeah…'

Just the idea or image involving either of the two's bodies being dragged lifelessly back here made Ben's pupils turn into magma.

Before Ben could begin to examine the events that had occurred here, he noticed something else glinting off the sun's rays on the ground from the road opposite.

He crossed the entirely empty streets, picking up the offending object.

A flip phone.

-What is this? The Nineties?-

A vibration cut off any response Ben could've had, an ironic/unironic flip allowing him to read the incoming text message.

'I have hands, but no arms.

I have a face, but no eyes.

I direct when to come and go.

What am I?'

'Well our perpetrator isn't so unknown anymore.' Ben put a hand to his chin after pocketing the phone, body motionless as his eyes rolled around in their sockets.

A card was sent low to the ground with blinding speed, a small explosion going off in the corner.

"I hate that guy." Ben murmured, walking up to the smoking remains of a portable mini camera.

He crossed the street once more to the pizza place, finally absorbing the remnant multicolored lights.

Scenes began playing through his mind, the image of Bruce appearing as he walked down the same road Ben stood on, but further down.

Bruce paused in his stride, turning to the cry of Selina calling him while catching up.

He waited in place by glancing at her, only resuming his pace after she walked beside him.

"Are we really going to continue like this?" she interrupted after a prolonged walk of silence.

It seemed that she became fed up with the muteness accompanying the man's every action.

"Continue like what?" Bruce calmly responded.

"Like we don't want to feel anything for each other?" she stated the supposed obvious.

"You're right." Bruce paused in his steps, turning to her with a raised brow. "It seems like you're lacking in appreciation for me because I'm not dressed up sparkly enough."

Ben watched as Selina started ranting at the man with myriad glints of annoyance, amusement, and other expressions he couldn't bear to identify right now.

'I hate this.'

Watching his parental figures discussing meant to be private was one of the only times Ben would ever feel something else against his control.

A detestable feeling, one that caused his entire being to churn painfully.

-Hey you can wallow in your guilt later. It's either this or them ending up dead.-

Ben bit back his retort, knowing that any kind of attempt at sarcasm would fail in converting fully in his current state.

Making an effort to try and ignore the pair's words, he continued keeping an ear out for anything that may be important, watching as the duo finally came up to the pizza building.

*BANG!*

The memory of Bruce stumbled back, right arm over his left shoulder as he tried to shield the alarmed Selina behind him.

"Bru-"

She was cut off by a blow to the back of the head, knocked unconscious when distracted by her partner's state.

Bruce turned when he noticed the lapse in her voice, a blurry shadow striking him across the face and causing him to collapse to the ground.

Bruce's sentient outputs began to slowly turn dull as blood poured down his arm, the final images of the shadowy figure stepping into his view being broadcasted.

'Male around 6 feet tall.' whispers suddenly sounded inside Ben's mind. 'Weighs around 230 pounds. Gun… right arm… possib… dominant…'

'Is he…' Ben realized.

-Wow.-

Ben actually became stunned at the information his father still managed to pass off in an incredible show of willpower.

'That's my father…' the thought came in a short moment of pride.

Pride... that swiftly changed when his father finally succumbed to darkness.

'That's my father…' Ben repeated, something inside of him being savagely torn apart.

-...-

'...You were saying earlier?' once again, Ben would've gnashed his teeth if he didn't feel it was a waste of effort.

-I mean… there's no influx of Black Light energy relating to them being present, so they didn't die here!-

'So you're saying that they could've died anywhere else right after?'

-...-

ESAMAL was starting to realize that he wasn't very good at bringing people's hopes up like he previously thought.

-Don't you find it weird that there isn't another set of emotions lingering here?- he tried changing the topic.

His distraction worked, Ben looking around to find no other traces present.

'That… shouldn't be possible. Was a robot responsible?'

Not everyone could be like his father and him, having impeccable control of their emotions when it mattered.

Could they?

Ben continued looking around for a bit to find a set of footprints that were faded, having been cleared masterfully after entering the alleyway.

Since that trail was cold, Ben also absorbed Selina's lingering set of emotions, ending up with nothing new.

-What's the plan now?- ESAMAL questioned.

There was too little info for Ben to draw his conclusions as of yet since he was clearly dealing with a professional equal.

'First tell Dick about what we learned.'

------------------

Date: August 16, 2008

Location: Upper Northeast Edge Outskirts of Gotham City, New Jersey, Wayne Manor

Time: 10:28 A.M.

"You're not listening to me Robin, there's too much evidence stacked against Mr. Pennyworth."

Standing in front of Dick and Alfred at the manor's entrance and patiently explaining things was an older aged gentleman, a bit younger in years than the butler, wearing a trench coat.

Officers flanked him on all sides, the people in blue drawn in by the aura of integrity he emitted.

Also colored blue were the eyes framed by his glasses, head sporting gray hair from what was probably years of stress due to his job.

"And you're not listening to me, Commissioner." Dick argued. "This is clearly a set-up since Mr. Pennyworth hasn't left the manor for days now. Not to mention that Mr. Wayne was just kidnapped. Clearly someone is out to destroy whatever remains of the the family."

James Gordon. Commisioner of the GCPD.

Dick had a lot of respect for the man since in a way, he was the one who properly introduced him to Bruce.

Yes, Bruce was present at the scene of Dick's parent's death and donned the cape in private the moment it occured, but he wasn't yet acquainted with the boy at the time since he was too busy doing his job to bring justice.

The same couldn't be said for the officers that were right on Bruce's heels, arriving to the many calls in a swift manner.

Dick was left in their safe custody for a few days after the incident, being treated as nice as possible under James' orders.

Of course... that was right up until questions arose of whether he should be placed in an orphanage...

James was the first to vehemently shoot the idea down, driving to the Wayne Manor with Dick in tow and trying to appeal with Bruce about the idea of taking him in using their… common past.

It was just the cherry on top for Bruce who already considered it.

'Don't let personal feelings get involved Dick.' he reminded himself, snapping out of his grateful thoughts.

While Dick couldn't let his positive feelings get in the way, he also couldn't act negative in any way at James since he was just doing his job in his usual serious way.

Publicly standing by Batman in the fight against this city proved James' iron will when dealing with others, the fact that he came in person also showing how responsible and serious he was in dealing with such important matters.

'Oh! Right…' Dick idly realized a shuddering thought.

Ben was going to have his head later for his earlier slip up in control, letting his worry take over and impulsively taking off back to the manor.

He didn't know the half of it yet…

James let out a tired breath as he looked at Dick's firm stance. "Listen. I hear you. Really, I do. But even if that's the case, he needs to come with us in order to prove his innocence. I'm here to stop things from getting worse. For example… preventing charges like evading arrest being tagged on!"

The duo continued a back and forth dialogue like that for some time, a couple of officer's hands hovering over their gun holsters at some point.

"Sir Robin." Alfred interrupted, breaking the unknown tension. "I believe that it is best for me to go with the officers for the moment."

Dick wanted to protest, to howl and thrash around, only keeping himself at bay once he knew it wouldn't do any good for the moment.

"At the very least, do you give your word in assisting to locate Master Wayne?" Alfred asked as he walked up to James.

"If it's as bad as it sounds, we'll definitely look into it. Regardless of your… criminal circumstances… it's strange for him to go missing during this time."

As Dick watched James signal an officer to take out his cuffs, a voice blared to life in his ears.

"Robin. What's going on right now?" Ben asked.

"They're arresting Alf-... Mr. Pennyworth, and it's not looking good at the moment." he hissed in displeasure. "Please tell me you have something."

"I do, but very little." Ben failed to inspire hope with his first words. "It seems like we're dealing with an organized assault. I have confirmed the involvement of our new friend Riddler and one other unknown individual."

And since it was so well organized, Riddler's been out of his cell in Arkham for a while.

"Wonderful. And no reports were given." Dick groaned at the thought of later problems. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I can't think of any reasons why they would frame Alfred. Is this a target on Bruce Wayne… or Batman?"

Dick simultaenously shut down and rebooted at the seriousness of those words, doing his best not to fret for now.

"They have something to gain from the manor," Ben confirmed. "But I don't understand why they'd draw attention to it if that's the case. Be alert for any attack."

Alarm bells rang through Dick's mind as time in his vision slowed, his brain running miles to scan the surroundings for any sort of danger.

A canister was thrown from over James' head and landed in between him and Alfred's feet.

It was like the pause button was pressed, everyone stilling in order to blankly stare at the cylindrical capsule.

"Dammnit!" Dick shouted. "Everyone scatter!"

Only Alfred reacted the quckest, trying to back away as red gas erupted, officers coughing repeatedly after gulping down a bit of it.

"What's going on? #&$%^!" one of the officers cursed.

"Get away from me!"

"You're supposed to be dead!"

"NOOOO!"

People started wildly clawing at their faces, screams made up of pain, anxiety, and horror echoing as the majority's ocular blood vessels jutted forward.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" shouted a horror stricken James.

Dick stilled for just a fraction before kicking into motion, pulling out a portable gas mask from his utility belt as he ran to catch up with Alfred.

"Everyone get out of the way!" he warned, hoping some were still aware enough to hear him.

As he leaped to cross the remaining distance between him and the butler, something in the corner of his eyes managed to catch his attention.

The barrel of a gun was turned towards his direction.

'No.' Dick realized, dread starting to creep in as he further traced it's trajectory. 'Pointed at Alfred.'

A birdarang was thrown to try and disarm the wielder.

*BANG!*

The gun went off.

'No.'

His heart froze over as the bullet decelerated in his eyes, traveling towards the butler's abdomen.

'NO!'

*ROAAAAAARRR!*

Before fear could take over him, a gust of wind blew the surrounding gas away, Kenzo standing in front of the butler with a fierce look on his face, flattened slug at his feet.

"Good job Kenzo!" Dick exhaled in relief as he crouched near the downed butler with a second mask he nabbed on the way.

Alfred gripped Dick's extended wrist, preventing it from continuing. "I'm… afraid…. that I've already taken a whiff Sir." he wheezed with labor, sweat pouring down his brow and a glaze in his eyes.

Dick's earlier dread came back with a vengeance, sticking to his gut and nibbling at him from the inside out.

"Robin. Is everything okay?" came Ben's distant question.

"Ah, what a delectable smell." a heavy inhalation resounded. "The smell of terror and anguish always manages to excite me."

Dick broke out of his mounting panic filled stupor at Kenzo's growling response.

"Another successful dosage of fear administered, another portion of this cursed city on the road of restoration."

One of the officers was moving normally towards their direction, unaffected by the gas.

He was plain to look out, sporting a normal white skinned complexion.

The hand he put to his face swiftly changed that, a pulling motion causing it to glitch before dissolving into motes of light.

A pale brown cloth took up the entirety of his head, being held in place by a noose wrapped around his neck.

Stitches were etched messily over the mouth area, making way for two breathable vents connected from each cheek.

Two more holes were cut open to give way to numb, flat, dead white eyes waiting for someone to peer into.

"Scarecrow." Dick spat, ignoring the contrasting image being painted.

The man's features looked so out of order while it was still sitting atop a blue officer's uniform.

Kenzo growled at the man, causing him to step back and warily glance at the liger.

"I made this new variation aiming to please Batman, but I guess you can accept it on his behalf too for now." Scarecrow intoned numbly.

Even when Kenzo stepped forward to block Scarecrow's sight when he raised his gun towards Dick, he continued looking at them all like they were bugs ready to be splattered on the windshield.

"This is beginning to become one huge annoyance." he rasped.

Batman would forever be the audience member Dr. Jonathan Crane went miles bending his back to try and please, the caped crusader's absence gnawing on him severely.

That restlessness caused him to lose focus.

*BANG!*

"What the hell happened here?!" yelled a familiar female voice, gun violently flying out of Dr. Crane's clutches.

Dick saw Julia running up to the manor, a pistol of her own pointed in Scarecrow's direction in case he attempted to make any further moves.

"Stop right there!" Dick warned, throwing the mask still in his hand when she obeyed. "Don't inhale the gas!"

Scarecrow cursed, turning his head and glancing at the incapacitated officers. "At the very least, I've managed to strengthen a few of these poor souls." he consoled himself, attempting to slowly back away.

"Don't move!" Julia shouted, keeping the man in her chamber's sights.

"Sure, I can stay." to their surprise, he agreed eerily.

"But should you take any longer dealing with me, then either everyone here will die of hypertension thanks to my 'Trauma Toxin', or there won't be anything left to save."

Julia and Dick's eyes widened at that, the man taking the chance when they were worried to drop a few more canisters and try making a quick getaway into the smoke cover provided before it could be dispersed once more.

Dick quickly ran forward, boosting himself off Kenzo's back as he threw a small bug that latched onto the fleeting figure's shoulder.

"Kenzo!" Dick shouted as he landed. "Sick him!"

Kenzo roared, charging after Scarecrow with a gust of wind boosting him from behind while blowing the gas and everyone else away once more.

"Julia! Watch over Al-Mr. Pennyworth!" Dick shouted as he burst into action.

If Scarecrow's words were to believed, then the pre-synthesized antidote already in hand was only good enough to slow down the effects until a new one could be created.

Dick quickly began moving around to restrain the officers, beginning with the more manic ones inflicting harm upon themselves.

"Wildcard." he put a hand to his ear after he finished. "We have a situation."

"I already overheard everything. When you weren't responding, I had Wyle relay everything occurring to me. He's following Scarecrow for now in order to see if he knows where Bruce and Selina are being held."

"But I just tagged him and sent Kenzo?"

"It's fine. Just more contingencies in case." Ben easily assured. "I've informed Kenzo to continue pursuit, but hang back a bit and 'coincidentally' lose him."

"Meanwhile, call for backup from the remaining GCPD and emergency responses first. I'll keep trying to track Bruce and Selina down while I'll help you synthesize an antidote from here when everyone is cared for."

Dick nodded along to all of that. "Got it."

"Also, have Julia enter the Batcave for me."

"What?" the boy finally became stunned. "Why would we do that?" he asked in befuddlement.

"Someone has to be available to coordinate us better. I need you in the field to assist me when I get a lead, and Alfred's incapacitated. That leaves only Julia to do it."

"But that way she wi-"

"Thanks to someone's slip of the tongue…" irritation seeped into Ben's tone. "She already knows our identities."

Dick's eyes turned to Julia, the woman looking away from Alfred's head settled in her lap to return his stare with a nod, showing the card Ben previously gave her.

"Alright it's my fault." Dick quietly admitted. "But that still doesn't explain why you agreed to let her assist us before all of this."

Just like Bruce, Ben would never allow someone to help them without good reason. There was more than one reason why he was so against the sidekicks helping them out...

"...Did you know this would occur beforehand?" Dick's mind wandered to unimaginable places, his tone becoming cold.

Even if it was unlike him to hide things, who's to say Ben didn't?

"Of course." Ben didn't catch the implications. "Why else would I warn you earlier to be aware of a possible attack?"

"That's not what I'm asking." Dick's tone chilled further.

"...No." Ben finally realized what he was being asked.

"Then why did you give her an access card?" Dick pressed harder.

Silence.

"She just… looked like she needed a father to spend time with."

Dick became stunned, turning to finally take notice of the fear and uncertainty tainting Julia's every action, hands hovering hesitantly over Alfred's haggard form.

"...Stay safe and stay in contact." Ben abruptly cut the call.

Dick stood a bit longer before sitting down next to Alfred and Julia in tiredness by the manor's steps.

'How can he stay so calm in this situation?' the majority of Ben's stale voice was imprinted in Dick's mind.

His body jittered as his face turned pale, the earlier feeling of dread only now beginning to properly set in.

'I… I can't lose another family.' the despairing idea whispered within Dick.

Alfred's raspy breathing brought him out of his thoughts, causing him to turn to the delirious butler.

"Master… Thomas… Mistress Martha…"

Dick wasn't the only one who couldn't stomach such a future…

------------------

Date: August 16, 2008

Location: Unknown

Time: 2:47 P.M.

Slowly gathering his bearings, Bruce woke up silently pretending to still be unconscious, buying time for himself to discreetly figure out his situation.

His mind was running laps around everything that had just taken place as he ignored the stinging pain in his shoulder which served as a reminder of the danger he's in.

The room's dead silence gave Bruce no clue as to his location, the slightest parting of his eyelids and concealed droop of his head yielding nothing as well.

'Selina doesn't seem to be close right now.' he noted. 'She's either being held somewhere separate… or…'

It was times like this where wished he wasn't so paranoid about possible situations.

It makes him question if it was a good thing for his Master Matsuda's cautious nature to have been passed over to him.

*TAP TAP TAP*

The approaching sound had Bruce incline his ears an unnoticeable smidgen, trying to make out what was responsible.

'Two different recurring patterns in the following thuds, meaning a pair of footsteps. Not a sole individual like the earlier attacker.'

The footsteps halted ahead of him.

"We need him awake!" a zany voice made itself known. "Nobody likes a corpse, especially on live TV."

Bruce came to remember that tone only recently, making him surprised since the owner of it shouldn't have been present.

*SPLASH!*

Making use of the opportunity given to him, Bruce spluttered and coughed while opening his eyelids in a clearly terrified manner, throwing his head around wildly in order to scour the area.

He also cried out in pain a moment later, wiggling his still bullet laden left shoulder for better effect.

Bruce's staged dramatics allowed him to first spot a man dressed in a long brown trench coat, his most distinctive feature being the multitude of bandages covering his body, with the only exceptions being apertures like his mouth which made visible the maniacal grin he displayed by baring his teeth.

'The attacker.' Bruce identified him.

"Welcome everyone!" a thunderous voice disrupted Bruce's focus. "I thank you all for being with us here today on this grand occasion! I know you all missed me and my wonderful voice, so now I'm here to bring a smile to your faces alongside our guest here today!" Riddler animatedly gestured around wildly.

Bruce noticed a camera pointing towards their direction, doing little to quell the obvious realization of what was happening right now when aided by the man's introduction.

'So all of Gotham's watching now huh?'

"Everyone! Let's give it up for the man of the hour, Gotham's beloved billionaire extraordinaire, the one, the only, Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayne!"

*CLAP CLAP CLAP*

The spotlight shining directly overhead made Bruce squint slightly, the electronical sound of a laugh track going off a moment later.

"So lovely to have you here!" the green question mark dressed man finally addressed his 'guest'.

Bruce looked at the man, body shivering while he did nothing to disguise his fear.

The Riddler, Edward Nygma, was before him.

"Wha-Wh-Where am I?" Bruce stuttered. "How did I get here?"

"Man, you're a real killjoy." Riddler's shoulders slumped before his teeth sparkled. "Isn't it obvious yet? We brought you here to take part in a little game. A game filled with riddles… and whispers!"

He was trying really hard to keep the 'fun' atmosphere going.

"Wait… you're the Riddler!" Bruce's face turned ashen in recognition. "The guy who took control of Gotham a few months ago! How'd you get out of Arkham?"

As Riddler took in his terrified face with glee, the thoughts running through Bruce's mind couldn't have been any different. 'Come on Edward. Start talking.'

"Oh please. Arkham is such a letdown." Riddler scoffed. "How can I subject myself to stay in that place for more than a month? I already had around 40 different ways to escape by the time I walked into my cell for the first time."

"Not to mention that the people there are either too insane to hold a proper intellectual conversation with, or total nincompoops." Riddler theatrically kicked up a fuss, waving his question mark shaped cane around while making sure his thoughts were properly conveyed through the camera.

*BOOOOO*

"So instead of wasting my time by dying of absolute boredom, I decided to share my genius with Gotham once again!" a bright grin made it's way on his face. "Since last time ended up being such a joy, I thought that things could liven up even more if I brought along a few friends." he dramatically pointed towards the bandaged man.

"Let's give a warm welcome to my buddy Hush, a fellow true genius, even if not on my level!"

*CLAP CLAP CLAP*

The cold glare being drilled in the back of Edward's head showed how ill received Hush took that last part, but he didn't care.

"But that's not all folks! Also today with us is a special guest just a teensy little less famous than me." he motioned towards the room's only nearby door.

"Let's give it up for the terror-inducing master of fear himself, our trusty farm friend, Scarecrow!"

Bruce jolted at that surprise as the fear gas wielding lunatic walked through the door.

He looked entirely similar to when he had confronted Dick at the manor moments earlier, sporting just a few additions in the form of a scythe in his hand, two translucent cylindrical canisters the size of 5 lb fire extinguishers securely hooked up on his back with red gas swirling inside, hoses stretching between the bottom back openings and his syringed finger-gloves.

'Where's he been hiding all this time?' Bruce glanced between the trio. 'Not only that, but Edward and Jonathan wouldn't work with someone else unless given the proper incentive.'

'Something's wrong. Did Edward promise him something, or is there a bigger player at work here?'

Bruce took a discreet glance at the bandaged man, the only unknown in the room, trying to glean some things in order to piece together his true identity, thoughts, motives….

"And last not but least, our favorite mean green killing machine… Killer Croc!"

A tense silence hung in the air at that reveal, Bruce frenziedly whipping his head in search of the name announced.

"Who's not currently with us at the moment, but you'll soon know why…" Edward chuckled when nothing happened.

"Anyways…" Riddler cleared his throat. "You see, since this was an invite only kinda party, we had a bit of trouble figuring out the best way to escort you here without drawing too much jealousy from those not on the list."

"Thankfully, our friend Hush here came up with a SPECTACULAR idea." he tipped his hat at the man.

Riddler threw his cane a bit in the air, catching it on the way down as he spread his arms wide. "Frame the butler…for murder!"

Bruce's face contorted in horror.

Whether he was still acting was unknown.

"We ended up hiring a random guy to dress up with the exact same face and dimensions, before having another random guy on the streets killed with cameras rolling." Edward held his hands together and shook them in praise, a nearby screen powering on at his words.

A video played, the image of an older-aged gentleman dressed in a business styled suit and tie with a light colored shirt walking down the street into an alleyway.

The group of gangsters trailing him from behind went to cut him off in what they knew to be a dead end, holding knives and pipes in their hands at the ready.

Except, they were gunned down by the revolver which slid out of the man's right sleeve.

'Why gun down a group of gangsters…?' Bruce's mind was unable to make sense of one point.

Although Riddler could care less about the life and death of people he considered dumb, most gangster's fitting the bill, targeting civilians would be safer in this case since almost every common mob man was associated with the bigger crime families in one way or another.

'He has to know that he'll be stepping on some toes this way.' Bruce gave the man credit where it was due.

Edward wouldn't make such a simple mistake.

"You're probably wondering why gangsters right?" Riddler indeed read his mind with a smile. "It's simple really. Nobody in their right mind would believe the man would down civilians out in the open, not unless he snapped."

"Plus…" Edward started chuckling with some force. "It's ironic how the popo actually cared more about these dead gangsters than the guy's supposed innocence. All it took was an anonymous email with this nifty recording attached."

Edward walked up to Bruce, grin widening as he met his eyes.

"The Commish and his merry band of piggies unwillingly played accomplice, making it easier for us to tie up the only remaining loose end."

"Actually…" the man put a hand on his chin. "Is it still considered unwilling if it's like the fourth time it happened…?" he pondered.

Almost every top tier master criminal in this city had the GCPD tied around their finger at some point…

Bruce didn't care about that right now though, trying to keep up his acting while suppressing the dark aura beginning to pick up in his surroundings.

"Whatever, in the end we were stopped again, but this time by that pesky Boy Wonder." Edward muttered as he leaned back, the monitor turning off. "Tch. Batman didn't even bother to come in person this time for some reason. Does he not respect all the hardships we shared together?"

Bruce's tense body loosened as he breathed a quiet sigh of relief, everything returning to normal.

The release of the ill feelings building up within him granted him a better clarity of mind, allowing him to notice how Hush and Edward kept giving him strangely expectant glances.

Bruce's eyes sharpened as his body turned cold, unable to figure out the reason behind their looks.

The only thing he could acknowledge was the recognition shining in their eyes, something that didn't seem so out of place considering that everyone who didn't live under a rock knew the great Bruce Wayne.

Scarecrow's lack of reaction was the most obvious when compared with the two since he couldn't care less.

'Who exactly is he?' Bruce pondered, focusing a bit more on Hush.

"Anyways, since you're here, we can get to the game now. That Wildcard guy is such a bore. I sent him an invite almost 4 hours ago so that he can get front row seats live, and he's still not here. I thought he was smart." Riddler frowned in annoyance.

The man was most obsessed with killing people he considered to be less intelligent than him, the reasoning actually being the basis behind how he started his villainous career.

He took over Gotham while planning to rid it of the majority of people he believed were bringing it down using their brainlessness.

It didn't matter if you were dumb or dumber, both of you had to go.

So if Riddler took offense to wrongly judging Ben's state of mind…

'He can't do anything.' Bruce affirmed to himself, dashing away the idea.

Riddler already failed to do just that. The fact that the city was still intact spoke for itself.

'4 hours ago?' Bruce parroted, thinking about his son's thought process and the little information he left for him. 'He must still be making a plan or fixing up one right now.'

'You're right.'

'Ben' Bruce greeted, not even reacting to the unexpected reply.

'In the… well the term flesh wouldn't fit in this case. I've been on the roof for the past couple of minutes since you woke up, looking through your eyes to get a feel of the situation.'

'Reasons for inaction?' Bruce questioned.

Since his son was now here, he could use whatever info he gathered to try making a plan.

'First off, I have no idea where Selina is. I risk compromising her wellbeing by barging in without figuring that out.'

He could only find Bruce through following Scarecrow since the emotions bled when someone was unconscious were absorbed much faster by the universe. The only exception was if a body remained in one location long enough, like the heroes in the Mt. Justice incident.

'Second, I believe that either someone else is behind this, or there is something bigger going on.'

'When Scarecrow confronted Dick and Alfred at the mansion, he let something slip about new funds for his latest strain of fear-gas.'

'I've only manage to figure out that he provided Riddler with caches of them…'

Bruce looked at his reflection on the camera, the sight making way for the image of a city on fire, smoke and ash drifting up to meet the clouds.

'So that's his game.'

'Yeah. He's toying with the citizens while having scattered them in the form of bombs throughout the city. The locations have to be figured out within a set amount of time or else.'

'So Alfred is assisting Dick.' Bruce stated more than asked.

He's already expressed more than once how Dick shouldn't be left alone in cases for now, especially against enemies as dangerous as their current ones.

'...He's been gassed.'

Scarecrow, who was standing entirely apart from the silently conversing Riddler and Hush, briefly turned his head at the trio's bound guest when he felt something strange.

Ben waited until the stick figure turned back and his father calmed down before continuing.

'Long story short for later, Julia is assisting us in the Batcave. She needs more data so that she can effectively coordinate between Dick and the GCPD in disarming all of them.'

'Understood.' Bruce affirmed, the exchange not even taking a second in real time. 'Tell me our current location.'

He still didn't know where he was being held since their were no openings in this small room he was in save for the small holes allowing wires to extend.

Ben glanced up at the tower piercing the skies, giant minute and second hands ticking around a window filled with roman numerals.

'Old Gotham, an abandoned storage house near the Clock Tower.'

'Very well.' Bruce acknowledged.

That meant he was in a tiny storage room as opposed to the rest of the place.

'Ok.' Ben had him focus his priorities. 'Time to solve problem one.'

Bruce agreed as he turned to the silently conversing Hush and Riddler. "What have you done to Selina?"

"Oh your little girlfriend? You'd have to ask Hush about that one." Riddler passed the stage.

The bandaged man stepped up, leaning inches away from Bruce's face with a grin, grabbing a fistful of hair.

"You're in for a treat." his voice came out in accordance with his name. "I have something special in store just for her."

"Our friend Killer Croc is absent in order to make sure she's taken good care, waiting on her hand and foot so that she'll have everything she could ever ask for her stay here."

"But a host can only take so much rudeness from his guests..." Hush jolted his hand backwards, having Bruce's eyes meet his own frenzied ones from down below. "One wrong move on either end, yours or hers, and she loses her heart."

"I personally don't find the appeal, but the Croc has a taste for it and is eager to sample."

Bruce's eyes widened, his mind becoming hyper-aware at a detail he caught.

Waylon Jones, the Killer Croc, has indeed eaten humans before, but that was only an extremely scarce number of times, happening only when his animalistic urges significantly overwhelmed his reasoning.

'His words make it sound like Waylon couldn't wait to sink his jaws into her. Has he been tampered with in some way?'

Although the threat of Selina's death would've set him off earlier due to his loss of composure, Bruce thankfully managed to calm himself down after speaking with Ben, allowing his mind to properly think as earlier intended.

'Just play along with whatever they're doing for now.' Ben ordered. 'I need more time since I'm having trouble reading their past emotions.'

Some feelings of discontent and annoyance managed to pass through the link to Ben's senses as he turned to his father.

'Fine.' Ben conceded. 'You've been doing this long enough and don't need to be told twice.'

As Ben tried his best to put more effort into his psychometry, Bruce once more began analyzing everything while not drawing attention to himself, starting with the greatest unknown in the room.

'What do we know about the man in the bandages?' he sought clarification.

'...I don't know how to tell you this.' Ben hesitated, finally catching a stray piece of information from Riddler.

'Then start trying.' Bruce growled.

'Hush is Thomas Elliot, your "dead" childhood friend. He wants to end you all due to some kind of jealousy.' Ben came off as blunt as possible, ripping off the band-aid fast.

No outward reaction was given, Ben feeling his father put effort into maintaining his confused and terrified façade.

That didn't last very long.

'Ah…' Ben fast forwarded the images in his mind, processing them quickly. 'I think I have a general gist of the situation now, even though what I found was ambiguous at best.'

'Enough.' Bruce became fed up with the unintended dramatics. 'What is it?'

'Fine.' Ben sighed, deciding to rip off this band-aid too. 'They know you're Batman. Happy?'

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