Spoiler: show
“What happened here, Commissioner Gordon?”
Commissioner James Gordon sighed and turned around to look at the new arrival. It was Bruce Wayne, one of the richest men in the world and owner of the building Gotham’s latest crime had taken place in.
Well, knowing Gotham, a dozen more crimes had been committed since he got here, and that’s if it’s a slow night.
“Mr. Wayne, you got here fast. Thank you for coming down so quickly.”
“I was having a late lunch in the area, it wasn’t any trouble. But please, what happened?”
Gordon sighed again. “It appears the Penguin broke into your facility, for reasons that aren’t clear at the moment. However, what is clear is that while he was in there, he ended up killing four people and wounding several others. We’re waiting on the security footage right now, since our eyewitnesses are still being treated.”
Wayne nodded. “Don’t worry, you’ll have my full cooperation. Let me see if I can’t hurry things along.” He pulled a phone out of the inner pocket of his suit, a suit that easily cost more than a year’s worth of Gordon’s rent, and walked in the other direction.
A few minutes later, Gordon was seated in front of a security monitor, watching as the Penguin blew a hole in the wall of the factory. “Okay, so we have Vernon Dursley and family here touring the facility.”
An explosion offscreen.
“Here comes Penguin and his thugs… he’s shouting at the foreman for something… whatever it is, the foreman can’t get it to him… and there’s our first body. Why isn’t he knocking out the security cameras? Penguin’s not usually this sloppy. Alright, his thugs are spreading out, looking for something, Penguin’s covering the hostages.”
A minute passed.
“Okay, he just heard the cops, so he starts looking for a hostage… here he grabs one Dudley Dursley, Vernon Dursley’s son… the parents start screaming in protest and… what the hell? They’re trying to give up the other kid? I’ve seen parents offer themselves up before, but not this…”
“Kid said they were his Aunt and Uncle, not his parents, Comissh,” Bullock offers.
“Still doesn’t make sense, what kind of people do that?”
Bullock just let out a disgusted snort.
“Hmm, whatever they’re saying isn’t working, Penguin’s getting pissed… damn, there he goes, even the kid… looks like he’s grabbing one of the workers as a hostage instead… and he’s gone.” Gordon stood up. “Bullock, go over this, see if you can pick out any of the usual thugs, you know what to look for. I’m going to go see if any of our witnesses are ready to talk.”
0oOo0
Bruce Wayne flagged down Jim Gordon, a few questions on his mind. “Commissioner, I have some information for you. Apparently, Vernon Dursley was here on business, representing a British company named Grunnings. There was a deal in the works with Wayne Enterprises, but it looks like that’s not particularly likely now. I’ve checked with my company’s records, there isn’t anything in the factory that I can think would interest a criminal like the Penguin, but it was recently converted. I acquired the property from LutherCorp, and they were manufacturing high tech weapon triggers here as recently as last week. Perhaps that was what he was after?”
“We’ll keep it in mind. Now, if there’s nothing else, Mr. Wayne, I still have a lot of work to do.”
“Actually, there is. I know that Vernon Dursley’s second child was relatively unharmed. What’s going to happen with him?”
Gordon sighed. “We’re going to look into next of kin for him, but he was already living with an Aunt and Uncle, and I got out of him that his parents are dead, so I’m not holding out much hope. We’ll be able to keep him at the station at least overnight, since we’ll need to find out what he saw, but after that, he’ll probably end up with Child Services.”
“I know it’s better than it used to be, but that’s hardly the best thing for him, is it?”
“It’s really our only option at the moment. If we don’t find next of kin, he won’t have anywhere else to go.”
Bruce looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. “I can take him. Dick would be grateful to have a playmate for a few days, and Alfred would have someone who’s actually heard of the British dishes he makes. It’s only until you find next of kin, and besides, no boy should have to deal with the death of his family on his own.”
Gordon knew what he’s referring to, every person who grew up in Gotham knew about the Wayne murders. He mulled it over for a minute. “There will be some paperwork, and he’ll still need to come down to the station to give a report, but I’m sure we can work something out, Mr. Wayne.”
“Excellent.”
0oOo0
“Bringing home strays again, Master Bruce?” Alfred asked as he drove towards the police station.
“He just lost his family, Alfred, he doesn’t need to be dumped into the Gotham City system on top of it. Moreover, it happened on my property, so I’m ultimately responsible.”
“The poor boy.”
“It’s more than that, Alfred. He shows most of the classic signs of neglect, and I was only able to observe from a distance. And from what I’m seeing on this footage, that’s not surprising.” He rewound the holographic playback and zoomed in on Vernon’s mouth. “’Take the freak instead, not my son.’ Yes, that would set off Cobblepot, given his family history. He also appeared malnourished, Alfred, so you should be pleased to have someone else to fatten up.”
“As long as he actually eats, and doesn’t just push it around his plate while he plays on his computer. Why you gave Master Dick that wristwatch I’ll never know.”
“Dick is hardly in danger of starving, Alfred. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe we’re here.”
0oOo0
“That’s your side of the paperwork done, Mr. Wayne, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to Harry. I should warn you, he’s barely said three words that weren’t answers to a direct question since he got here.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine, Commissioner. Lead on, I think Alfred’s double parked outside.”
Gordon led him to a conference room with all the blinds closed, and Bruce saw the boy jump as the door opened. He’s small, even for a seven-year-old. Up close, he’s even more sure of his malnutrition diagnosis. Bruce took the chair next to the boy and leaned forward so he can look eye to eye. “Hi there, do you know who I am?”
The boy shook his head.
“My name is Bruce Wayne. What’s yours?”
“…Harry.”
“Nice to meet you Harry. Do you remember what happened today?”
Harry nodded.
“Well, I own the building where it happened, and I just wanted to apologize for everything. That never should have happened, especially not while you were there.”
Harry shrugged.
“Now, the police are going to track down any other family you have, but in the meantime, how would you like to stay with me?”
“…Okay.”
“Good. Alfred’s waiting outside. You’ll like him, and when we get back to the Manor, I’ll introduce you to Dick.”
0oOo0
Batman turned away from the search as Alfred walked up behind him. “You said he was malnourished, not that he was a stick, Master Bruce. I could scarcely keep up with how hungry he was, and I saw him pocketing food for later. If he hasn’t been denied meals regularly, I’ll eat my hat.”
“I’m pulling up what records I can about his family. Anything else I need to know?”
“He nearly fainted dead away when I showed him the guest bedroom. Said it was so much bigger than his cupboard. I didn’t want to pressure him, but given what else we know, I suspect he was kept under the stairs.”
“Really?”
Alfred harrumphed. “Normally I wouldn’t leap to such a conclusion, Master Bruce, but I was able to persuade young Harry to tell me the name of his Aunt, one Marge Dursley. I took the liberty of phoning her, and in her words ‘The world would be a better place without the little bastard, and my brother’s an idiot for taking that whore’s boy in to begin with. Good riddance,’ and she hung up the phone. Honestly, Master Bruce, I don’t believe anyone should have to deal with the madmen this city puts out, but if anyone ever deserved it, it may have been those two creatures. I’m ashamed to say they ever came from Britain.”
“Hm. Well, we’ll have to see what the rest of the search comes up with, maybe she’s not the only family he has.”
“Young Harry doesn’t think he has any other family.”
“Then I suppose he’ll be staying more than a few days, won’t he?”
“It will be a hardship, but I’m sure we’ll manage, Master Bruce. Just one other thing.”
“Yes, Alfred?”
Alfred smirked. “How long do you think it will be before this one discovers the Batcave?”
0oOo0
Alfred moved through Wayne Manor with the ease of long practice, searching out his wayward charges. Master Harry had adjusted well during the last month, since he had come to stay at the ancestral home of the Wayne family. He and Master Dick had become fast friends, apparently his first friend, which spoke volumes about what type of people the Dursleys had really been. Master Harry found the fact that Master Dick had previously been in a circus to be astonishing, and Master Dick delighted in showing Master Harry new things every day. And while Master Dick was able to keep quiet about his nocturnal activities as the brightly clad Robin, Master Harry still stumbled through the grandfather clock in the study halfway through week two.
Alfred dutifully kept his “I told you so” unspoken.
Still, it was lunchtime, and as such, time for children to stop playing and come eat. Alfred found them both in the Entrance Hall, just as Master Dick flipped through the air, dismounting from the swinging chandelier.
“Come on Harry, you can do it!”
“Master Dick, as I have told you numerous times-“
“Banzai!”
Alfred watched as Master Harry launched himself over the upstairs handrail towards the chandelier, arms outstretched. His face was covered in a wide grin, something that was becoming increasingly common as time passed, but it twisted to shock as his fingers brushed the chandelier and missed.
Alfred could only stare in horror as Master Harry plunged towards the marble floor, his eyes wide. Master Dick rushed forward to catch him, but Alfred could see he wouldn’t get there in time.
Master Harry hit… and then bounced.
Bounced, a good six feet in the air.
Then he did it again.
“Oh my.”
Commissioner James Gordon sighed and turned around to look at the new arrival. It was Bruce Wayne, one of the richest men in the world and owner of the building Gotham’s latest crime had taken place in.
Well, knowing Gotham, a dozen more crimes had been committed since he got here, and that’s if it’s a slow night.
“Mr. Wayne, you got here fast. Thank you for coming down so quickly.”
“I was having a late lunch in the area, it wasn’t any trouble. But please, what happened?”
Gordon sighed again. “It appears the Penguin broke into your facility, for reasons that aren’t clear at the moment. However, what is clear is that while he was in there, he ended up killing four people and wounding several others. We’re waiting on the security footage right now, since our eyewitnesses are still being treated.”
Wayne nodded. “Don’t worry, you’ll have my full cooperation. Let me see if I can’t hurry things along.” He pulled a phone out of the inner pocket of his suit, a suit that easily cost more than a year’s worth of Gordon’s rent, and walked in the other direction.
A few minutes later, Gordon was seated in front of a security monitor, watching as the Penguin blew a hole in the wall of the factory. “Okay, so we have Vernon Dursley and family here touring the facility.”
An explosion offscreen.
“Here comes Penguin and his thugs… he’s shouting at the foreman for something… whatever it is, the foreman can’t get it to him… and there’s our first body. Why isn’t he knocking out the security cameras? Penguin’s not usually this sloppy. Alright, his thugs are spreading out, looking for something, Penguin’s covering the hostages.”
A minute passed.
“Okay, he just heard the cops, so he starts looking for a hostage… here he grabs one Dudley Dursley, Vernon Dursley’s son… the parents start screaming in protest and… what the hell? They’re trying to give up the other kid? I’ve seen parents offer themselves up before, but not this…”
“Kid said they were his Aunt and Uncle, not his parents, Comissh,” Bullock offers.
“Still doesn’t make sense, what kind of people do that?”
Bullock just let out a disgusted snort.
“Hmm, whatever they’re saying isn’t working, Penguin’s getting pissed… damn, there he goes, even the kid… looks like he’s grabbing one of the workers as a hostage instead… and he’s gone.” Gordon stood up. “Bullock, go over this, see if you can pick out any of the usual thugs, you know what to look for. I’m going to go see if any of our witnesses are ready to talk.”
0oOo0
Bruce Wayne flagged down Jim Gordon, a few questions on his mind. “Commissioner, I have some information for you. Apparently, Vernon Dursley was here on business, representing a British company named Grunnings. There was a deal in the works with Wayne Enterprises, but it looks like that’s not particularly likely now. I’ve checked with my company’s records, there isn’t anything in the factory that I can think would interest a criminal like the Penguin, but it was recently converted. I acquired the property from LutherCorp, and they were manufacturing high tech weapon triggers here as recently as last week. Perhaps that was what he was after?”
“We’ll keep it in mind. Now, if there’s nothing else, Mr. Wayne, I still have a lot of work to do.”
“Actually, there is. I know that Vernon Dursley’s second child was relatively unharmed. What’s going to happen with him?”
Gordon sighed. “We’re going to look into next of kin for him, but he was already living with an Aunt and Uncle, and I got out of him that his parents are dead, so I’m not holding out much hope. We’ll be able to keep him at the station at least overnight, since we’ll need to find out what he saw, but after that, he’ll probably end up with Child Services.”
“I know it’s better than it used to be, but that’s hardly the best thing for him, is it?”
“It’s really our only option at the moment. If we don’t find next of kin, he won’t have anywhere else to go.”
Bruce looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. “I can take him. Dick would be grateful to have a playmate for a few days, and Alfred would have someone who’s actually heard of the British dishes he makes. It’s only until you find next of kin, and besides, no boy should have to deal with the death of his family on his own.”
Gordon knew what he’s referring to, every person who grew up in Gotham knew about the Wayne murders. He mulled it over for a minute. “There will be some paperwork, and he’ll still need to come down to the station to give a report, but I’m sure we can work something out, Mr. Wayne.”
“Excellent.”
0oOo0
“Bringing home strays again, Master Bruce?” Alfred asked as he drove towards the police station.
“He just lost his family, Alfred, he doesn’t need to be dumped into the Gotham City system on top of it. Moreover, it happened on my property, so I’m ultimately responsible.”
“The poor boy.”
“It’s more than that, Alfred. He shows most of the classic signs of neglect, and I was only able to observe from a distance. And from what I’m seeing on this footage, that’s not surprising.” He rewound the holographic playback and zoomed in on Vernon’s mouth. “’Take the freak instead, not my son.’ Yes, that would set off Cobblepot, given his family history. He also appeared malnourished, Alfred, so you should be pleased to have someone else to fatten up.”
“As long as he actually eats, and doesn’t just push it around his plate while he plays on his computer. Why you gave Master Dick that wristwatch I’ll never know.”
“Dick is hardly in danger of starving, Alfred. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe we’re here.”
0oOo0
“That’s your side of the paperwork done, Mr. Wayne, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to Harry. I should warn you, he’s barely said three words that weren’t answers to a direct question since he got here.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine, Commissioner. Lead on, I think Alfred’s double parked outside.”
Gordon led him to a conference room with all the blinds closed, and Bruce saw the boy jump as the door opened. He’s small, even for a seven-year-old. Up close, he’s even more sure of his malnutrition diagnosis. Bruce took the chair next to the boy and leaned forward so he can look eye to eye. “Hi there, do you know who I am?”
The boy shook his head.
“My name is Bruce Wayne. What’s yours?”
“…Harry.”
“Nice to meet you Harry. Do you remember what happened today?”
Harry nodded.
“Well, I own the building where it happened, and I just wanted to apologize for everything. That never should have happened, especially not while you were there.”
Harry shrugged.
“Now, the police are going to track down any other family you have, but in the meantime, how would you like to stay with me?”
“…Okay.”
“Good. Alfred’s waiting outside. You’ll like him, and when we get back to the Manor, I’ll introduce you to Dick.”
0oOo0
Batman turned away from the search as Alfred walked up behind him. “You said he was malnourished, not that he was a stick, Master Bruce. I could scarcely keep up with how hungry he was, and I saw him pocketing food for later. If he hasn’t been denied meals regularly, I’ll eat my hat.”
“I’m pulling up what records I can about his family. Anything else I need to know?”
“He nearly fainted dead away when I showed him the guest bedroom. Said it was so much bigger than his cupboard. I didn’t want to pressure him, but given what else we know, I suspect he was kept under the stairs.”
“Really?”
Alfred harrumphed. “Normally I wouldn’t leap to such a conclusion, Master Bruce, but I was able to persuade young Harry to tell me the name of his Aunt, one Marge Dursley. I took the liberty of phoning her, and in her words ‘The world would be a better place without the little bastard, and my brother’s an idiot for taking that whore’s boy in to begin with. Good riddance,’ and she hung up the phone. Honestly, Master Bruce, I don’t believe anyone should have to deal with the madmen this city puts out, but if anyone ever deserved it, it may have been those two creatures. I’m ashamed to say they ever came from Britain.”
“Hm. Well, we’ll have to see what the rest of the search comes up with, maybe she’s not the only family he has.”
“Young Harry doesn’t think he has any other family.”
“Then I suppose he’ll be staying more than a few days, won’t he?”
“It will be a hardship, but I’m sure we’ll manage, Master Bruce. Just one other thing.”
“Yes, Alfred?”
Alfred smirked. “How long do you think it will be before this one discovers the Batcave?”
0oOo0
Alfred moved through Wayne Manor with the ease of long practice, searching out his wayward charges. Master Harry had adjusted well during the last month, since he had come to stay at the ancestral home of the Wayne family. He and Master Dick had become fast friends, apparently his first friend, which spoke volumes about what type of people the Dursleys had really been. Master Harry found the fact that Master Dick had previously been in a circus to be astonishing, and Master Dick delighted in showing Master Harry new things every day. And while Master Dick was able to keep quiet about his nocturnal activities as the brightly clad Robin, Master Harry still stumbled through the grandfather clock in the study halfway through week two.
Alfred dutifully kept his “I told you so” unspoken.
Still, it was lunchtime, and as such, time for children to stop playing and come eat. Alfred found them both in the Entrance Hall, just as Master Dick flipped through the air, dismounting from the swinging chandelier.
“Come on Harry, you can do it!”
“Master Dick, as I have told you numerous times-“
“Banzai!”
Alfred watched as Master Harry launched himself over the upstairs handrail towards the chandelier, arms outstretched. His face was covered in a wide grin, something that was becoming increasingly common as time passed, but it twisted to shock as his fingers brushed the chandelier and missed.
Alfred could only stare in horror as Master Harry plunged towards the marble floor, his eyes wide. Master Dick rushed forward to catch him, but Alfred could see he wouldn’t get there in time.
Master Harry hit… and then bounced.
Bounced, a good six feet in the air.
Then he did it again.
“Oh my.”
MrRigger