It Was A Monday Much Like Any Other Monday:
It was a Monday much like any other Monday, except this particular Monday was worse. At least it was for Tim Drake, current boy wonder. Yes, this Monday was even worse than last Monday when he had to go up in front of the entire math class and try to solve a problem he didn't understand. (Truth be told, he wouldn't have understood ANY math problem. but I digress.) No, this Monday was much worse. It was career day.
"Dick, be a pal and call the school, tell 'em I'm sick?" Tim buttered his toast.
"Test? And you realize I'm just going to say no - I'm not even your guardian. I don't even know why I'm here."
"It's career day."
"So?" After a moment, "UM.are you making that into a sandwich?" Dick motioned towards the two buttered pieces of toast.
"Yes."
"Alright."
"What? I always eat my toasts together. Doesn't everyone?." No response. "I didn't want one slice to get cold while I ate the other! Besides, it's psychologically more filling to go double. It's perfectly logical."
"Whatever." Indifferent, having moved on.
"It wouldn't be toast if it wasn't toasty when you eat it." Tim spoke wisely.
"1) That strange, irrelevant statement is just that - irrelevant. 2) It's not even toast anymore - it's a sandwich!"
"Toasted Tomato - oh wait, shut up."
"Toasted Tomato SANDWICH."
"I said shut up!"
Alfred entered, "Sorry to interrupt, but I do believe it is time for Master Tim to leave for school."
"AH! Career Day! Alfred - call the school!"
"Come, Master Tim, the engine's running." Alfred was pleasant, putting the boy's coat on for him.
"AH!"
"Listen up, class - Bobby, stop that! - Recall Friday, people, you handed in a slip listing the top three jobs you'd like to shadow today. Without further adieu, your going to be assigned to one of those jobs and you'll be on site within the hour. as we discussed on Friday. Who remembers Friday?" Silence. Mr. Bauder, a tell-it-like-it-is teacher, handed all the students a paper that had the job, the person, the days tasks and the necessary materials listed. "Any questions?"
Tim looked at his paper and automatically rose his hand, his attitude full force. Before Bauder could even call on him, he was squawking. "Why am I shadowing a councilman?! I did NOT put councilman on my list."
"No, you didn't." Bauder was blunt. "You put down: President of the Universe, super-hero, and Ice Cream Taster-Person-Guy ."
"So."
"I chose for you."
"Come on, this town is crawling with super heroes!"
"Actually, it was the ice cream thing that ticked me off. I mean, you actually put 'Taster-Person-Guy', Good Lord, child-"
"What, it was too hard to use the bat-signal?"
"Just read your sheet."
Tim looked down at his sheet once more, as if expecting there to be some other job. His brow furrowed and he looked at the name. "Arthur Reeves. so, I get to be your shadow."
Tim shuffled his feet as he looked around at the room. He sat in the middle of a huge office. 'S'not as big as Bruce's but.it's still huge.' Tim thought as he squirmed in the over sized chair in the corner of the room. 'Out of all the things for me to get, out of all the jobs I get a councilman. I hate councilmen! His black eyes wandered around, then rested on the man who spoke on the phone in a loud voice.
"I don't care how you do it, just get me tell her not to freak about such a thing, if she does, no one will believe her!" Reeves hissed into the phone, his eyes switching over to where Tim sat. "Listen, just tell her to do that, ok? I have things to do before this day ends, and to make matters worse my wife signed me up to help the youth for their: Career Day.. Just make sure she understands. Ok, you do that."
Reeves hung up the phone, almost with a slam, taking no notice of Tim as he straightened his tie and glanced at his watch. He glared at it, angry at what he read.
"I have a meeting to attend, you are supposed to shadow me all day? Is that what I heard?" Arthur demanded as he shook his head.
"Yessir." Tim replied as he nodded dryly.
"What's your name again?"
Tim got to his feet as Reeves started out of the room. "Tim Drake."
Reeves turned his head, looking him over, as if for the first time. "Drake? As in Bruce Wayne's ward?"
Tim tightened his jaw and nodded strongly. "Yeah, that's me."
Reeves shook his head, grumbling a few choice words as he hurried down the hall. "I've met Wayne a few times." And that was that.
Tim studied the figure before him with a critical eye. The man seemed to walk with a stiff stride, and a cautious mind. 'God, I don't want to come at all, and when I do come I get Mr. Ray Of Sun Shine.' Tim hissed to himself.
The two walked down the hall, headed into an elevator, climbed a few stairs, then pushed into some meeting room where more happy council people sat, looking at their watches and muttering at the late appearance of Reeves.
"Sorry about arriving late, I had a little something to take care of." Reeves said in a monotone with a sly smile that made Tim's stomach jolt. "Let's get started shall we?"
A plump man who sat at the head shook his head and shuffled a few papers with his large fingers that seemed to get in the way more than help. He sniffed and nodded. "Who is your honorable guest Mr. Reeves?"
Tim licked his lips as all the eyes in the room turned to study him, some glaring and others smiling.
"This is Todd Drake, he-."
"Tim Drake sir." Tim muttered as he tried to manage a smile.
"Fine, this is Tim Drake, his school is having a Career Day where their students learn from people they want to grow up and be like, am I correct TIM?"
Tim cleared his throat. "Yeah, close enough."
The man smiled. "So, you want to be a councilman do you?" He laughed and nodded his head. "Very good, well, you work hard, give a few glares and break promises, then you'll grow up to be like Reeves all right."
The whole group chuckled lively.
"Haha, oh, very good." Reeves growled, glaring at Tim as if it was his fault.
"Yeah, just what I want. grow up to be a councilman." Tim muttered as he crossed his arms, feeling uneasy as he tried his best to gain a comfortable position. 'Yea me!'
He squirmed in the chair again, and thought about all the things he COULD be doing. Such things as..sleeping in math class, skipping math class or being sent to the principles office for having an attitude in math class. He was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open. He felt like he had been in there for an eternity, when in truth it had only been ten minutes. He figured it would benefit him to listen to the meeting, since he would have to write an essay on all he had learned from this experience.
".Any objections.questions.no? Good. Moving on. now concerning Bill 72."
That snippet of meeting lost Tim immediately. He had no clue what they were talking about, and didn't feel he had the energy to try to understand. 72 Bills? Bills as in person or Bills as in.phone, hydro.? He decided neither made sense thus deciding he wasn't going to pay attention anymore. Who cared what a city council did anyway? It didn't affect him, so he certainly didn't. They could talk about 72 bills all they wanted. He was going to sleep.
The meeting was over and Arthur was packing up his briefcase before he noticed - and remembered - the sleeping boy he had brought with him. He almost couldn't believe this kid! The kid wanted to be a councilman, made him take the kid around with him everywhere, ruined HIS day, and then falls asleep? Arthur slammed his briefcase closed as hard as it would allow, waking the boy. The child was a bit confused at first before he clued in to where he was.
"Sleep well?" Arthur asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Actually-"
"Rhetorical question. Now, come along - we still have lots to do." Arthur sounded even more annoyed with the boy. He headed for the door, while running a hand over his slick black hair.
"You know, you're not very friendly." Tim followed. No reply came from the councilman so he huffed, and felt his boredom growing. Deciding that he didn't wish to be bored all day, he would make this day fun. For himself at least. There was only one way Tim could have fun in this situation. Screw best behavior. Hello delinquency!
Monkey-See, Monkey-Do. It had come to this. Hours of this. Arthur wanted to screech, but as always, remained his cool, collected self. Tim Drake was taking the term "job shadowing" far too literally. "Can you please stop mocking me now? . Yes, I have peripheral vision."
Tim stopped mimicking him mockingly and pushed his rolling chair out fast and hard again, finishing in a much spinning.
"I just have to finish this paper work and then we can hit the streets."
Tim froze. In the Wayne household "hit the streets" meant jumping into your suit and fighting crime. He doubted the councilman meant anything so cool. Tim pulled up a chair to Arthur's desk on the opposite side of Arthur and reached for some blank paper. Picking through the collection of pens Arthur had on his desk he picked the inkiest one, and began to draw on the paper. Arthur raised an eyebrow, but decided since it was keeping the boy quiet, he wasn't going to object.
Fifteen minutes later, Reeves signed his last paper. Sighing, he set his pen down and looked over all his completed work. and people said politicians were useless. Well, maybe the others were - he had so much because he was covering their asses. He filed the papers carelessly, feeling tired. almost old. It hadn't always been like this. Lord, he was tired - he hide the lines under his eyes very well. This life was running him into the ground-
"Finished, kid, we can finally-" He froze, glancing up and staring straight at the picture Tim was presenting. Smiling, the boy held a disturbing, inky image of psychotically terrifying dino-bird eating a man with glasses. An arrow pointed to the man from the word "mayor". Outside, Arthur pretended not to care.but actually. inside he thought it was great, just great. Not for the artwork, no, no - the Mayor Hill slam. He was so sick of kissing ass. How many more years would he have to kiss that man's shadow before HE'D run Gotham. Arthur Reeves wanted, and had always wanted, to be Mayor.
"Come on." Arthur spoke absently, "Lunch is on me." Slipping into his trench coat and grabbing his briefcase, Reeves hit the lights and Tim was surprised - the room had been so dim he hadn't realized lights had been on at all. Dark room, dark guy.
As he locked the door, Tim was eager - "MacDonalds?"
Arthur's expression, a half smile, froze on his face. JOY.
It was a Monday much like any other Monday, except this particular Monday was worse. At least it was for Tim Drake, current boy wonder. Yes, this Monday was even worse than last Monday when he had to go up in front of the entire math class and try to solve a problem he didn't understand. (Truth be told, he wouldn't have understood ANY math problem. but I digress.) No, this Monday was much worse. It was career day.
"Dick, be a pal and call the school, tell 'em I'm sick?" Tim buttered his toast.
"Test? And you realize I'm just going to say no - I'm not even your guardian. I don't even know why I'm here."
"It's career day."
"So?" After a moment, "UM.are you making that into a sandwich?" Dick motioned towards the two buttered pieces of toast.
"Yes."
"Alright."
"What? I always eat my toasts together. Doesn't everyone?." No response. "I didn't want one slice to get cold while I ate the other! Besides, it's psychologically more filling to go double. It's perfectly logical."
"Whatever." Indifferent, having moved on.
"It wouldn't be toast if it wasn't toasty when you eat it." Tim spoke wisely.
"1) That strange, irrelevant statement is just that - irrelevant. 2) It's not even toast anymore - it's a sandwich!"
"Toasted Tomato - oh wait, shut up."
"Toasted Tomato SANDWICH."
"I said shut up!"
Alfred entered, "Sorry to interrupt, but I do believe it is time for Master Tim to leave for school."
"AH! Career Day! Alfred - call the school!"
"Come, Master Tim, the engine's running." Alfred was pleasant, putting the boy's coat on for him.
"AH!"
"Listen up, class - Bobby, stop that! - Recall Friday, people, you handed in a slip listing the top three jobs you'd like to shadow today. Without further adieu, your going to be assigned to one of those jobs and you'll be on site within the hour. as we discussed on Friday. Who remembers Friday?" Silence. Mr. Bauder, a tell-it-like-it-is teacher, handed all the students a paper that had the job, the person, the days tasks and the necessary materials listed. "Any questions?"
Tim looked at his paper and automatically rose his hand, his attitude full force. Before Bauder could even call on him, he was squawking. "Why am I shadowing a councilman?! I did NOT put councilman on my list."
"No, you didn't." Bauder was blunt. "You put down: President of the Universe, super-hero, and Ice Cream Taster-Person-Guy ."
"So."
"I chose for you."
"Come on, this town is crawling with super heroes!"
"Actually, it was the ice cream thing that ticked me off. I mean, you actually put 'Taster-Person-Guy', Good Lord, child-"
"What, it was too hard to use the bat-signal?"
"Just read your sheet."
Tim looked down at his sheet once more, as if expecting there to be some other job. His brow furrowed and he looked at the name. "Arthur Reeves. so, I get to be your shadow."
Tim shuffled his feet as he looked around at the room. He sat in the middle of a huge office. 'S'not as big as Bruce's but.it's still huge.' Tim thought as he squirmed in the over sized chair in the corner of the room. 'Out of all the things for me to get, out of all the jobs I get a councilman. I hate councilmen! His black eyes wandered around, then rested on the man who spoke on the phone in a loud voice.
"I don't care how you do it, just get me tell her not to freak about such a thing, if she does, no one will believe her!" Reeves hissed into the phone, his eyes switching over to where Tim sat. "Listen, just tell her to do that, ok? I have things to do before this day ends, and to make matters worse my wife signed me up to help the youth for their: Career Day.. Just make sure she understands. Ok, you do that."
Reeves hung up the phone, almost with a slam, taking no notice of Tim as he straightened his tie and glanced at his watch. He glared at it, angry at what he read.
"I have a meeting to attend, you are supposed to shadow me all day? Is that what I heard?" Arthur demanded as he shook his head.
"Yessir." Tim replied as he nodded dryly.
"What's your name again?"
Tim got to his feet as Reeves started out of the room. "Tim Drake."
Reeves turned his head, looking him over, as if for the first time. "Drake? As in Bruce Wayne's ward?"
Tim tightened his jaw and nodded strongly. "Yeah, that's me."
Reeves shook his head, grumbling a few choice words as he hurried down the hall. "I've met Wayne a few times." And that was that.
Tim studied the figure before him with a critical eye. The man seemed to walk with a stiff stride, and a cautious mind. 'God, I don't want to come at all, and when I do come I get Mr. Ray Of Sun Shine.' Tim hissed to himself.
The two walked down the hall, headed into an elevator, climbed a few stairs, then pushed into some meeting room where more happy council people sat, looking at their watches and muttering at the late appearance of Reeves.
"Sorry about arriving late, I had a little something to take care of." Reeves said in a monotone with a sly smile that made Tim's stomach jolt. "Let's get started shall we?"
A plump man who sat at the head shook his head and shuffled a few papers with his large fingers that seemed to get in the way more than help. He sniffed and nodded. "Who is your honorable guest Mr. Reeves?"
Tim licked his lips as all the eyes in the room turned to study him, some glaring and others smiling.
"This is Todd Drake, he-."
"Tim Drake sir." Tim muttered as he tried to manage a smile.
"Fine, this is Tim Drake, his school is having a Career Day where their students learn from people they want to grow up and be like, am I correct TIM?"
Tim cleared his throat. "Yeah, close enough."
The man smiled. "So, you want to be a councilman do you?" He laughed and nodded his head. "Very good, well, you work hard, give a few glares and break promises, then you'll grow up to be like Reeves all right."
The whole group chuckled lively.
"Haha, oh, very good." Reeves growled, glaring at Tim as if it was his fault.
"Yeah, just what I want. grow up to be a councilman." Tim muttered as he crossed his arms, feeling uneasy as he tried his best to gain a comfortable position. 'Yea me!'
He squirmed in the chair again, and thought about all the things he COULD be doing. Such things as..sleeping in math class, skipping math class or being sent to the principles office for having an attitude in math class. He was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open. He felt like he had been in there for an eternity, when in truth it had only been ten minutes. He figured it would benefit him to listen to the meeting, since he would have to write an essay on all he had learned from this experience.
".Any objections.questions.no? Good. Moving on. now concerning Bill 72."
That snippet of meeting lost Tim immediately. He had no clue what they were talking about, and didn't feel he had the energy to try to understand. 72 Bills? Bills as in person or Bills as in.phone, hydro.? He decided neither made sense thus deciding he wasn't going to pay attention anymore. Who cared what a city council did anyway? It didn't affect him, so he certainly didn't. They could talk about 72 bills all they wanted. He was going to sleep.
The meeting was over and Arthur was packing up his briefcase before he noticed - and remembered - the sleeping boy he had brought with him. He almost couldn't believe this kid! The kid wanted to be a councilman, made him take the kid around with him everywhere, ruined HIS day, and then falls asleep? Arthur slammed his briefcase closed as hard as it would allow, waking the boy. The child was a bit confused at first before he clued in to where he was.
"Sleep well?" Arthur asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Actually-"
"Rhetorical question. Now, come along - we still have lots to do." Arthur sounded even more annoyed with the boy. He headed for the door, while running a hand over his slick black hair.
"You know, you're not very friendly." Tim followed. No reply came from the councilman so he huffed, and felt his boredom growing. Deciding that he didn't wish to be bored all day, he would make this day fun. For himself at least. There was only one way Tim could have fun in this situation. Screw best behavior. Hello delinquency!
Monkey-See, Monkey-Do. It had come to this. Hours of this. Arthur wanted to screech, but as always, remained his cool, collected self. Tim Drake was taking the term "job shadowing" far too literally. "Can you please stop mocking me now? . Yes, I have peripheral vision."
Tim stopped mimicking him mockingly and pushed his rolling chair out fast and hard again, finishing in a much spinning.
"I just have to finish this paper work and then we can hit the streets."
Tim froze. In the Wayne household "hit the streets" meant jumping into your suit and fighting crime. He doubted the councilman meant anything so cool. Tim pulled up a chair to Arthur's desk on the opposite side of Arthur and reached for some blank paper. Picking through the collection of pens Arthur had on his desk he picked the inkiest one, and began to draw on the paper. Arthur raised an eyebrow, but decided since it was keeping the boy quiet, he wasn't going to object.
Fifteen minutes later, Reeves signed his last paper. Sighing, he set his pen down and looked over all his completed work. and people said politicians were useless. Well, maybe the others were - he had so much because he was covering their asses. He filed the papers carelessly, feeling tired. almost old. It hadn't always been like this. Lord, he was tired - he hide the lines under his eyes very well. This life was running him into the ground-
"Finished, kid, we can finally-" He froze, glancing up and staring straight at the picture Tim was presenting. Smiling, the boy held a disturbing, inky image of psychotically terrifying dino-bird eating a man with glasses. An arrow pointed to the man from the word "mayor". Outside, Arthur pretended not to care.but actually. inside he thought it was great, just great. Not for the artwork, no, no - the Mayor Hill slam. He was so sick of kissing ass. How many more years would he have to kiss that man's shadow before HE'D run Gotham. Arthur Reeves wanted, and had always wanted, to be Mayor.
"Come on." Arthur spoke absently, "Lunch is on me." Slipping into his trench coat and grabbing his briefcase, Reeves hit the lights and Tim was surprised - the room had been so dim he hadn't realized lights had been on at all. Dark room, dark guy.
As he locked the door, Tim was eager - "MacDonalds?"
Arthur's expression, a half smile, froze on his face. JOY.
