"Jerry – what's been going on with you lately?"
"I'm sorry Mr. Wilkinson – I don't know how it..."
"Jerry – this is the third time in a month that this has happened."
"Sir- I know and I'll try…"
"Jerry – let's not play this game. I know that you're a good worker but this company has an image to maintain. "
"I know Si-"
"And part of maintaining this company's image is double checking your work to make sure things like this don't happen."
"I know Sir. And I really am sorry."
"I know you are but how on earth does a prototype, military-grade , armored tank just disappear? You were in charge of overseeing that project. Do you realize how much money we put into that prototype? Not to mention the incident where the four crates of C4 explosives just up and vanished – again under your watch. And then, as if things weren't bad enough, someone under your watch managed to order 500 custom made, bat-shaped, throwing stars as a prank. I just don't understand how you can let these things can happen under your watch, Jerry."
"Sir…"
"No – don't sir me, Jerry. If anything like this happens again, we're going to have to let you go."
"Sir…" Jerry the Wayne Enterprises supervisor called out dejectedly as his boss, Mr. Wilkinson, walked away after that stern lecture. It didn't look like today was going to be a good day.
As he was walking back to his office, posture a bit slumped, Jerry was tapped on the shoulder.
"Mr. Wayne?" Jerry asked incredulously. Was the CEO of Wayne Enterprises really here, about to talk to little old him? Oh no! He was probably going to lecture him about the missing prototype too. Great.
"Guilty as charged." Bruce Wayne laughed in response to the question. "Listen Jerry, I know you're under a lot of stress and, believe me, I know that working here isn't always easy. So take this to help you out a bit." Wayne said, before handing Jerry a check. A check for forty thousand dollars.
"Mr. Wayne….this is too generous….I don't know what to say." Jerry asked, shocked at how his luck was changing.
"Don't mention it Jerry. I feel bad about what happened with the missing prototype. Go ahead and use it to treat yourself." Bruce Wayne said, before walking away.
As Jerry stood in the hall, eyeing the check and still in shock, he heard Mr. Wayne's voice one last time before entering the elevator at the end of the hall.
"Oh, and Jerry. I think I know who was responsible for the throwing stars prank. I'll talk to him but I'm pretty sure that I can guarantee that nothing like that will happen again for awhile under your watch."