"Just once I'd like someone to believe that." - Gear goes along with Alfred claiming to be Batman and makes a friend for life
Alfred Pennyworth was a simple man of simple tastes. He looked after Master Bruce and eventually Master Bruce's wayward youths. He remained professional and optimistic; he never said a negative thing to a child, and he never complained. But sometimes... sometimes he just wanted a little camaraderie. Because as much as he loved the Batfamily, a little change was nice every once in a while.
For example, when Bruce brought along another young superhero (not bat-themed, thank heavens), Alfred was intrigued. Bruce had done some research on the youth before having met him, and had in fact encountered him before.
Static (electrical powers), aka Virgil Hawkins, 16, attendee of Dakota High School in Dakota. Straight B's in all classes but science and math. Became a superhero in a local chemical explosion called "the Big Bang," that altered humans into something not quite human. Best friend was Richard "Richie" Foley, also 16, super-genius, known as Static's partner/sidekick Gear. No problems at school for either, though indications of a troubled home life for young Richard. No indications for either boy of inclinations towards the darker sides of humanity. Possible associates, but youthful and often naive; not recommended for the Justice League for at least several years, barring an emergency.
Alfred was used to teenage heroes, but not teenage heroes in their own right. None of the Batkids had tried to become a solo hero before the age of 18. While superheroes as a whole were known worldwide, and while Bruce did become the first superhero in Gotham, Alfred had not experienced a youth essentially operating as a hero without aid or supervision. Honestly, he worried for these kids, even if their villains were rarely as nefarious as the Joker.
Did their parents know? Did they wonder as he did if this would be the last time they would see their child alive?
But no. He was not Static or Gear's parent, and he had no right to fret such. Nonetheless, though he had met Static before, he was eager to get a better understanding of the young heroes, especially the late-bloomer (so to speak), Gear. Master Bruce was under the unfortunate belief that Gear's powers were both an extreme advantage and an extreme disadvantage-and Master Bruce disliked those odds. Gear had thus far shown no inclinations for going dark, but Master Bruce preferred caution in such matters. He wished to keep an eye on Gear for the foreseeable future, including getting Alfred's opinion.
Sensors pinged in the Batcave to Alfred's pager showing an estimated five minutes until arrival of Master Bruce with guests in-tow. Unfortunately, as a precautionary measure, Master Bruce saw fit to dose both boys with a powerful sedative; Master Bruce was quite paranoid.
'Perfect timing,' Alfred though as he shut off the beeping of the timer he had set for his famous chocolate chip cookies. Putting on oven mitts and removing the tray, he let the cookies cool as he prepared three glasses of lemonade (perhaps Master Bruce would accept one this time if he pointed out possible dehydration).
Slowly, he shifted the cookies onto a single large plate alongside the lemonade and made his was to the cave. Master Bruce would likely recquire a... softer presence for the boys to awake to.
"Computer, clearance 3859, safety mode 9-no, 8." The lights in the outermost parts of the cave dimmed in accordance with Batman's orders. "Alfred." Bruce acknowledged. The two young ones were still unconscious in the batmobile, but Bruce had used the hospital bed feature, so both boys were easily moved onto the floor while on their raised platforms. They would not likely wake up for a few more minutes at least. Bruce did tend to be overly cautious about these things, though his precision was generally enacted as well.
"Master Bruce. I took the liberty of making some cookies for yourself and our guests. Another batch is being watched over by young Damian, who assures me he will not burn down the kitchen... again. Might I interest you in some light refreshments to heal dehydration and low blood sugar before your... interrogation?"
"It's not an interrogation, Alfred." Bruce grunted.
"Ah, so that would be why they're currently under the effects of a sedative."
"Don't get snarky with me, Alfred."
"Why, I'd never dream of such a thing, Master Bruce." Bruce merely rolled his eyes.
"They should wake up in about 15 minutes, maybe more for the blond." Alfred frowned slightly; the cookies would cool off long before them, maybe even to the point of no longer being warm. Ah well, nothing to be done for it.
Bruce took a single cookie, but neglected the lemonade, and ate with his mask in tact. Alfred stared at a few crumbs on the lower lip of the mouth opening of the Batman mask, and Bruce wiped away the crumbs without a word.
"I just have to get a feel for the kids. Have to know how they'll react under pressure and if they're actually like what they seem on camera."
"Mm." Alfred hummed back.
"It's not an interrogation." Bruce muttered petulantly. A frown marred his face as he glanced at the two unconscious teens. Alfred physically saw Bruce transform back into Batman, as he prepared early in case the boys awoke before planned.
"You should go watch over Robin. You know his kitchen skills are lacking."
"He gets if from his father, I dare say. But no, Nightwing decided to pay a visit and is watching over Robin. I wish to stay. Your presence can be... overwhelming for youth outside of Gotham." Bruce narrowed his eyes at Alfred, looking for some ulterior motive but finding none. With a grunt and a nod, Batman consented.
Alfred took a seat nearer the boys, despite Bruce's caution. Maintaining a careful distance in case the boys woke in a panic, Alfred munched thoughtfully on a cookie. The boy farthest from him was Static, a young African American superhero, whose powers focused on electricity. The nearer boy was Gear, a white youth who had the power of hyper-intelligence. The wrinkles on both of their brows, even in sleep, were countered only by the laugh lines around their mouths. Alfred truly felt for the young heroes, so driven yet so alone in their battles. He wondered if they had their own support base.
A single crumb fell from his mustache to the ground, and Alfred reminded himself that it was about time to sweep down the used parts of the Batcave. His wrinkled hand reached for one more cookie as he contemplated in silence.
As he took his first bite, the farther boy began to stir, an indication that the drugs were wearing off. It wouldn't be long before he woke up. Bruce's eyes scanned the Batcave's floor around the boys, likely looking for where best to stand when the boys woke up. Alfred was interested to see how quickly Bruce's eyes flicked away from Static and back to Gear. Alfred frowned.
So this little escapade was focused on Gear after all.
Alfred finished his cookie slowly and grabbed a napkin from the tray. If this were, in fact, a meeting primarily about Gear, Batman didn't wish for the boys to know, else he would have brought Gear alone. But if Batman feared what Gear might do under pressure, then bringing Gear alone and inciting paranoia-
Gear began to twitch and move as well. Only a few more minutes then.
Should Gear be given the right... pressures, Master Bruce worried the boy might fall into the darker shades of human action. However, Master Bruce did have a notable paranoia and even worse people skills when it came to potential rather than actualized threats-
Static awoke with a gasp and sat upright.
"Wh-Whaaaa?" He shook his head vigorously for a moment. "Now, I must be dreamin'..."
"No, Virgil, you're awake." Batman took a few calculated steps towards the boy. "I needed to speak with you and this was the best way."
"What-oh, is there a mission? Ri-Gear, bud-!" Virgil looked beside him at the still sleeping boy.
"Hey, why's he still-"
"The sedative will wear off in a few more moments."
"Sedatives! But..." His voice hardened and lowered in pitch. "What's going on?"
"As I said, I wanted to talk to you. Both of you. But I want to start with you, Virgil. Follow me."
"But-!"
"Your friend Richie will be fine. Agent A will make sure he's fed and watered. I need to discuss security in Dakota." Static looked back and forth between Batman and his friend before eyeing the communication device in Gear's belt. Seemingly satisfied, Static assented and followed Batman to his tertiary computer display-Jason's, usually. Alfred didn't bother following or listening in. He knew that Bruce had left him with Gear on purpose.
Sure enough, the boy stirred just over a minute later.
"Where-V!" Gear looked frantically around the room.
"Static is perfectly safe; in fact, you're both perfectly safe here. This is the Batcave, Gear." Gear's eyes assessed Alfred, raking over him in a way that made Alfred feel the boy was running calculations of a threat level in his mind.
"And who are you?" He asked, suspicion clear in his voice.
"I'm Batman." Gear's eyes narrowed further in obvious disbelief before widening in understanding. His nerves visibly decreased.
"Ohhh... " He said eyes flickering minutely before settling on Alfred, "nice to see the man under the suit." Alfred chuckled, appreciating the boy's humoring him.
"I'm Agent A, Batman's... assistant, shall we say. I run the home while he runs missions."
"And we're here because?"
"Oh, feel free to grab refreshments." Alfred poured himself a glass of lemonade then took his seat again, moving it a few inches closer to Static's now empty seat.
"You are here for a few different reasons. The first being for Batman to talk to you about Dakota's safety."
"And the second?"
"Why don't you tell me what you think that might be, Mister Richard?" Gear's eyes narrowed further, despite the non-hostile tone.
"Brainiac."
"Pardon?"
"Batman wants to make sure I'm not too much of a risk. He wants to make sure my uses outweigh my potential for... for."
"I will be entirely honest with you. Yes, that is one point of this meeting."
"Then why are you the one talking to me and not him?"
"Why, I do believe he thinks me a better judge of character. You see, Batman does have his flaws. One is being... perhaps overly paranoid and sensitive to risks."
"So you're here to be an unbiased observer to figure out if I'm gonna go dark-side."
"In a word, yes."
"And what are you thinking so far?"
"I think that Batman is far too much of a worrywart." Gear's eyes widened at the frankness of the statement. Seemingly without noticing, Alfred continued.
"You haven't shown any behavior that would indicate your rather impressive intelligence is leading you to anything but a morally good life. Despite your struggles as a high school student and as a superhero, you have time and time again chosen the path of good. Just because you can outthink the infamous Batman does not mean you intend or are even necessarily capable of causing grievous harm to the world or to people."
"You've seen what I can do, when he took over my mind-" Alfred interrupted before the boy could upset himself further.
"And while Batman needed some time to realize it, he cannot fault you for your actions under another's control. He and the Justice League as a whole are not unfamiliar with mind control. Just because you have so much power while under its influence does not make you any more of an inherent risk than any League member."
"Sounds like you've already made up your mind. Before I got here even. So what was the point of bringing me here?"
"Oh, just to appease Batman, I suppose. His methods can be... unconventional, but he generally means well." Gear relaxed enough to take a sip of otherwise untouched lemonade. Silence rested like a soothing blanket across the room for a few moments.
"He knows who we are." It was phrased as a question, so Alfred answered anyways.
"Yes."
"We've spent months hiding our identities. I'm not questioning Batman's security, but..." Alfred tilted his head to show his confusion as he was rather unsure what the boy was trying to say.
"Who knows?"
"The League. Probably the entire Batfamily." 'Batfamily' Gear mouthed to himself with a hint of incredulity.
"I do not believe the Young Justice initiative has the clearance." Gear 'hmm'd.' The silence was broken only by Alfred indulging in one last cookie-he did, after all, need the energy to clean the cave flooring later.
"How much of a threat does the League pose to us, in knowing our identities?" Alfred paused and chewed thoughtfully. The boy was rewarding honesty with honesty, so Alfred would return it. He also had not missed that Gear immediately associated himself with Static as a group.
"Minimal. When conflicts arise by means of... outside forces, they are usually handled within the group. Rarely do they leave the League itself. The risk of a League member being forced to do anything that might harm or expose you and your partner is incredibly minute."
"And what assurance do I have that Batman hasn't put Static and I at risk by making this information League business?" So the boy was still worried about the League knowing more about him than he knew about them?
"The League knows Batman's secret identity. It is, perhaps, one of the best kept secrets in the League." Gear's eyes flicked down and to the left in consideration. Alfred had a feeling he had just confirmed what Gear wished to know. Yes, Batman's identity was the counter piece in this seemingly one-sided conversation. Batman knew their identities; Gear needed assurance that Batman's identity was of equal or greater importance within the League. He wanted to make sure that if something were to go wrong because Batman had brought two local heroes into the 'big leagues' so to speak, they wouldn't flounder and hold no chips. Smart boy.
That meant that Gear already knew Batman's identity, as Alfred and Bruce suspected. He was a genius, after all.
Gear's radio flared to life.
"Yo, Rich! Batman wants to talk to you about Dakota! Head to the back right door-and bring some of those scrumptious cookies and lemonade with you!" Gear smiled and looked in that direction.
"Read ya loud 'n clear. On my way." Alfred grabbed a back Tim had left lying around and put some of the cookies in it.
"For the road. And I must thank you."
"For what?"
"For playing along when I said I was Batman. I've always, just once, wanted someone to believe that." Gear smiled and accepted the cookies.
"I'm a superhero, I'm always here to help."