A new place with money

Zanni's sleep is disturbed by the sensation of someone going through their pockets. They swiftly kick the thief's face. They open their eyes to see a malnourished homeless man on the floor rubbing his face.

"I-I'm sorry! P-Please don't kill me!" He whimpers.

Zanni sighs. They reach their back pocket to pull out five dollars. "Here. This is all I got." They hand it over.

The man is utterly surprised. "T-Thank you, kind sir!" He rushes to the nearest convenience store.

Zanni groans in pain, as they had to sleep at a park bench. "Great. Now what?" They look up at the sky. The smog in the city blocks the sunlight, making it seem like it's evening. They got no cash and no place to crash. They look at their phone, but it's out of battery. With no goals in mind, they walk around the city.

Along the way, Zanni notices three adults surrounding a redheaded little girl in a white sundress with groceries. "Come on. We have a car that we can take you home to." One of them says.

"N-No thank you. I'm fine." She says, clearly uncomfortable.

"You're so modest. It's very cute~!" They laugh.

Zanni approaches them. "Hey bozos, she obviously doesn't need your help. Now leave her alone."

They turn to face them. "And who the fuck you think you are? Mind your business, clown!" 

"Someone harassing a child will always be my business, jackass."  Zanni says angrily.

"Oh yeah? Then I hope you're ready for the service we're about to give!" They get ready to fight.

One of them charges at Zanni. They weave, grab his arm, break it with their knees and punch his face, knocking him out. Zanni rushes towards the other man to throw a jab, right hook to the face and roundhouse to the head, sending him to the floor. Zan looks from behind where the last man is about to attack with a pocket knife. They quickstep out of the way and kick their balls, before finishing with an uppercut to the jaw. The men are groaning in pain.

Zanni crosses their arms. "Now, what did we learn today?" The men are silent. "Will bashing your heads against the pavement help improve your memories!?" They emphasize by stomping the knife, which snaps in half.

"Eeeeek! We're sorry!" The men plead. "H-Here! That's all we got!" The men hand Zanni a twenty dollar bill before they leave running.

"...Ok." They shrug and pocket the money. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah." She is still unnerved.

They hand her their phone. "I'm going to escort you back home. This holds important photos. So if you ever feel threatened by me, you smash it. No questions asked." She nods and both move along their way. 

It's a twenty minute walk as they arrive at the orphanage. "Here." She gives the phone back, before running inside. The black haired caretaker steps outside and glares at them. 

"Get out. Your kind are not welcomed here." She says.

"All right. I was just making sure she arrived safely." They say.

"Hmph. You think I'll believe that coming from a Joker goon?" She snarls.

"Now, Felicia. Is that any way to treat our guest?" Someone says. They both turn to see a man in a black business suit. He has a wooden cane for support.

She gasps. "Mr. Wayne! I-I wasn't aware you were arriving." 

"I was handling some business, but I wanted to stop by." He looks at Zan. "This person protected Amanda from some criminals. No need to be guarded." He smiles. 

Felicia gives a doubtful expression. "If you say so. I'm going back inside to check up on the kids." She goes back to the orphanage.

"I'm sorry about her hostility. People have been harassing the kids lately. It has stirred some trouble for us." 

"Don't worry about it. I don't blame her for thinking otherwise." 

Bruce smiles warmly. "Do you mind going for a walk with me?"

"Don't you have a meeting to attend to?"

He laughs. "They can wait. It's not the first time I've been late." They walk back towards the park. Families are having a picnic and flying kites. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Any reason the Playboy Billionaire is out here with me?" Zanni asks.

"Is it wrong for me to spend time with the common man?" They give him a curious look. He becomes serious. "I'm worried about the orphanage. I'm sure you're aware that I'm the founder of the establishment. In which people think they can ransom money out of me. Thankfully this city has Batman to take care of them, but there will be times when he's busy chasing the Penguin. I was wondering if you'd be interested in working at the orphanage?"

Zanni is surprised. "You don't even know me. For all you know, I could be working for Joker."

He chuckles. "Very true. But I doubt someone who follows him gives their money to those in need." He points at the homeless man from earlier sharing his ham sandwich with others. "And yes. I did see that."

They sigh. "I would like to accept, but I have no place to stay myself."

"Not a problem. There's a spare room available for you to stay. As long as you keep them safe, you'll also be given a salary."

Zanni thinks. "This sounds too good to be true. Plus, I have my own problems that might cause trouble for them in the future."

Bruce stays silent for a moment. "I'm sure a secure home will keep those problems away. Or do you want to get shot while you're sleeping in the streets?" 

Zanni groans knowing that it's true. "...All right. But just a heads up, I have my own score to settle, so I can't guarantee anything." 

Bruce gives a sigh of relief. "That's good enough for me." He extends his hand. They shake on it. "By the way, I never got your name."

"It's Zan."

"A pleasure to make an acquaintance, Zan. Now let's head back and file some paperwork to make it official." They nod and make their way back to their new home.