“So this is the young woman you’ve taken in,” Lucius Fox said as he greeted Bruce and Carrie, the dark skinned, middle-aged man reaching out to shake Carrie’s hand. “Nice to meet you,” he told her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” Carrie replied, taking his hand. “I take it you’re the one that keeps this place from falling down around Bruce’s ears.”
Lucius chucked at that comment. “Clever kid you’d got here,” he told Bruce, “Bet we could find a place for her after she finishes school,” he added playfully slapping Bruce on the arm. Bruce winced slightly as he chuckled as well. “You okay?” Lucius asked, noticing Bruce’s reaction.
“I’m fine,” Bruce replied with a nod. “Just pulled something last night.”
“I keep telling you not to stay up so late,” Lucius told him as Carrie watched the two, deep in thought. “Anyway I’ve got a conference call in a few moments,” he told the young woman. “I’m sure Bruce knows his way around here well enough to keep you from getting lost. Take care.” Lucius then turned and headed away towards his office.
“Shall we start the tour then?” Bruce asked. Carrie nodded as she followed behind him.
“This is the main research and development section of WayneTech,” Bruce told Carrie as the two entered a section of the building split up into offices and various labs.
As they entered, a blond-haired man in his mid-thirties, just a touch taller then Carrie, walked over to the two. “Good morning, Mr. Wayne,” he said. As he approached Carrie noticed a somewhat sad, yet kind look to his features.
“Jervis, this is Carrie Kelly. Carrie, this is Jervis Tetch,” Bruce said, introducing the two. “She’s staying with me for a while, and I thought I’d show her around the place.”
Jervis nodded. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Carrie,” he said, holding a hand out in greeting.
“Likewise,” Carrie replied, shaking his head.
As the three talked a dark haired young man, probably just out of collage approached the trio. “Mr. Wayne?” he said. “I heard you were in today. There are some files we need to go over, at your convenience of course.”
“Of course,” Bruce nodded. “Carrie, this is…”
“Derek Powers, human resources,” the young man replied, giving Carrie a nod, the redhead noticing the stark difference between his cool, business like exterior and Jervis’ almost fatherly kindness.
“Perhaps we could go over them now,” Bruce said. “Jervis? You don’t mind giving Carrie a quick tour of the labs section, do you?”
“Oh, of course not. Not at all, Mr. Wayne,” Jervis replied. He led Carrie over to the table he’d been working at, while Bruce headed off with Derek. “It’s still in the early experimental stages, and we’re still working on some of the bugs,” Tetch explained, as he picked up a headband, electronic circuitry on the inside. “Basically it’s designed to let the wearer control electronic devices with only their thoughts. Like so.” Jervis slipped the headband on, a computer screen nearby flickering to life.
As Carrie watched words appeared on the word program that was open.
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe’
“The problem right now,” Jervis said while removing the contraption, “is that one must use a lot of focus and concentration to get it to work correctly. Otherwise you just get nonsense.”
They spent the next hour touring the area, Jervis introducing Carrie to various members of Tetch’s staff. “And last but not least we have Victor Fries,” Jervis said, as they approached a tall bald man, his frame thin and skin somewhat pale.
“Greetings,” Fries said with a touch of an English accent to his voice while he shook Carrie’s hand, his grip rather cool to the touch.
“Victor here is currently working on various uses for cryogenics,” Jervis told Carrie.
“Ah… Explains the cold hands,” Carrie commented with a smile, Victor smiling back.
The three spoke for a few more minutes before Bruce returned. “I see you’re three are getting along well,” he said with that almost smile he got when he seemed to be happy, at least as happy as Bruce ever got, which wasn’t often, Carrie noted.
“Indeed we are,” Jervis replied, smiling as well. “She is an intelligent, young woman,” he added, Carrie blushing slightly at the compliment.
“Thank you for taking the time to give her a tour,” Bruce told him. “Unfortunately Carrie and I have to head out now,” he added. The two pairs said goodbye to each other before Carrie and Bruce headed towards the section’s exit.
“Alice would have been about her age now,” Tetch commented to Fries, as he watched the other two leave the area.
“I know, my friend. I know,” Fries said simply, placing a comforting hand on Jervis’ shoulder.
* * * * * * * * * *
“Where are we going now?” Carrie asked later on that day, as Alfred drove the two through town.
“Oswald Cobblepot is holding a press conference for the unveiling of a statue to officially start his ‘East End Initiative’,” Bruce explained as he sat beside her.
“So one of those gatherings all you famous Gothamites go to?”
“Pretty much, yeah,” Bruce replied, answering Carrie’s question.
“Hello! Bruce!” A woman called out to Bruce and Carrie when they exited his vehicle. Alfred drove off to park nearby as a tall, dark-haired and beautiful woman approached the two. “Carrie Kelly? I’m Selina Kyle,” she said, extending her hand towards the young woman.
Carrie nodded. “The city councilor for the East End,” Carrie replied. “I’ve followed your work in the news, and I saw you at the funeral,” she added, her voice lowering as she frowned slightly.
Selina nodded, giving the young woman a comforting smile before the three headed over to a nearby stage. Beyond it sat a large cloth draped over a statue. In the middle of the stage was Oswald Cobblepot, the short, stout man standing behind a podium as some final preparations were made.
“Today,” Oswald started as the crowd came to order, “is the first of many great days for our beloved city! For today we begin to take it back! From the corruption! From the decay!” he paused, listening to the crowd cheer before he continued. “And to celebrate this occasion I am glad to unveil this brand new statue of Gotham’s own founder!” Cobblepot moved to a nearby rope and pulled on it. The cloth fell to the ground, revealing the large bronze statue.
As Oswald moved back to the podium he again listened to the crowd cheer. When they finally stopped he opened his mouth to speak, his next sentence cut-off as he heard the sound of a helicopter. Turning to look upwards, the crowd gaped as one when a green helicopter littered in purple question marks, flew over the top of a nearby building and slowly hovered above the statue. The man known as the Riddler lowered himself out of it, attached to a rope.
“Guess we know what his latest riddle was referring to,” Detective Bullock muttered to Commissioner Gordon as he pulled his gun, the two men near where Carrie stood, acting as part of security for the day’s events.
“Don’t do that,” Carrie heard Gordon say, as he placed his arm on Harvey’s. “There’re too many people around here. Get up there and stop him!” he shouted to rest of the cops present for the ceremony.
“I think we’d better get somewhere safe,” Selina said to Carrie. The younger woman nodding as Selina looked around. “Bruce? Damn it, if I had a dollar for every time he seemed to vanish on me…” Carrie looked around as well, but Bruce was unseen in the large crowd, many of them pushing to get away from the stage.
“Would you stop him?” Oswald yelled to the cops as he nearly toppled from the stage, managing to make his way down the nearby stairs at the last minute. “That’s what you’re paid for! Protect and serve!”
From the helicopter above, two men looked out the door, pistols in hand as they fired random potshots at those below, designed more to distract the police and cause the crowd to scatter then to do any real damage. Meanwhile Riddler had attached his rope to the statue, the few police nearby forced back due to some shots from above.
“My statue!” Oswald yelled, while a creaking sound filled the air, the statue coming loose from its pedestal. As the copter lifted its prize into the air, a small boomerang shaped object flew through the air. It knocked the weapons from the two goons’ grips, and caused the pair to stumble back into the copter from the impact. Carrie heard a small ‘whish’ as a grappling hook shot out from somewhere nearby and attached itself to the underside of the helicopter. She watched, along with others, as the Batman swung from the trees, landing on the statue.
“It’s over, Riddler!” Batman said, as his feet found a surface.
“Not yet, Bats!” Riddler replied, pulling his sword and severing Batman’s grapple line in one smooth motion as the Dark Knight dodged his attack. The two men danced around the ever rising statue, neither able to get a good strike on the other.
Finally Riddler leapt up to the top of the statue, one hand grabbing hold of the rope connected to the helicopter. “Riddle me this, Batman! What comes before winter, but after pride?” Before Batman could respond Riddler sliced through the rope. The statue, and Batman along with it, tumbled toward the ground.
Batman pulled out his grapple gun, firing a line into a nearby building as he swung away from the statue, mere seconds before it crashed to the ground, shattering harmlessly away from the crowds. Batman landed on the building’s roof, as he watched Riddler get away, a card falling from the man’s hand.
Below, the cops struggled for many long minutes to reestablish order while Oswald ranted and raved at Commissioner Gordon the whole time, the press rampant over the scene.
“Are you okay, Selina? Carrie?” Bruce said, pushing his way thought the crowd towards the two women after the crowd was quieted, some grape soda spilled onto his white shirt, a half empty cup in his hand. “I was off getting a drink when that… criminal appeared. I probably should have asked you two if either of you wanted something, but I didn’t want to disturb you.”
“We’re both okay,” Selina replied. “I’m just glad you’re fine as well.” Noticing the look in Selina’s eye, Carrie decided to give the two adults a private moment, as she headed to find Alfred, thoughts once more running through her head.
* * * * * * * * * *
“That went about as well as could be expected,” Riddler commented, taking his place in the sitting room he’d just entered. “Did he get the note I left?”
“Of course. It was my idea, wasn’t it,” replied another man, offering Riddler a drink as he took a seat across from him. “And he did. I saw the Bat pick it up before he vanished.”
“Good,” Riddler responded.
“Indeed, everything is going as planned. Your stunt today will make me look even better, and your little riddle will lead the Bat right into your trap.”
“Where we’ll get the answer to the greatest question of all time,” Riddler said, taking a sip of his drink.
“That’s right,” Oswald Cobblepot replied, before taking a drink from his own glass. “Who IS… the Batman?”
