Chapter 1/3-
It is a gorgeous afternoon at Wayne Manor. The sun is shining brightly between the crystal glasses that line a table with neatly pressed linen sheets. Each glass is embossed with a different crystal design so that the light bounces off into several directions casting a star-like patter across the long serving table. Bruce Wayne stares intently at each glass scrutinizing its design and eloquence with each pass. He motions to a server to take one of the glasses away leaving only two out of three side by side. Mr. Wayne examines one of the glasses more closely and gives it a quick thunk with his index finger and thumb. The crystal rings like a bell and seems to echo on for a full minute before Bruce gives the servant a thumbs up.
As the server nods he quickly removes the approved glass and returns to the kitchen with hastened footsteps. Alfred Pennyworth holds the kitchen door wide for the server and continues through the door toward Bruce.
"A fine choice Mr. Wayne. But might I ask why so eloquent? It's only a charity event that you are hosting, not the Grammys, sir. "Alfred states with a look of exasperation on his face.
Bruce stares out the window behind the serving table as he smiled at Alfred's comments.
"Because, this may very well be my last. It would be a shame not to go out in style." Bruce turned to Alfred who is now rocking back and forth on his heels with anticipation.
"Alfred, I never said I was going to live forever."
"Ah, but don't you remember, that was me who told you that. I would recommend you not to make a scene tonight." Alfred says while crossing over toward him.
"And why is that?" Bruce asks with his arms folded over his chest.
"We are expecting some very intelligent and dignified guests. I am sure your retirement as Bruce Wayne, billionaire, will go hand in hand with Bruce Wayne, vigilante. Miss Gordon has already stumbled upon your firewall in the cave and has requested an audience with you, thusly."
Bruce lets out a grumble as he cups his hand over his chin. Now there are two prospects other than Lucious, Alfred, and Selina that could unhinge his identity and thusly ruin his idea for retirement. If Gotham knows his true identity, the legacy of a hero will be nothing but a bed time story. Jim Gordon would never allow his daughter to work for Bruce Wayne as a tech specialist if he knew the truth.
"Alfred, I need a mind like Barbara on my team at Wayne Enterprises. We would have been hacked and bankrupt if it wasn't for her stepping in." Bruce claimed.
"Ah, Mr. Wayne, don't you mean, Oracle?" Alfred tilts his head as to hint it was a secret that Barbara didn't want anyone to find out.
Bruce put his hands on his hips and began to pace back and forth as he spoke, "Well, I was in the right place at the right time when I found out. Besides, who does she think she is working with Lucious Fox behind my back? She honestly thought her identity would stay a secret? She was practically wearing a 'Hello my name is: Oracle' on her forehead!"
Alfred chuckles a bit as he begins to stride across the room back to the kitchen. Before he passed through the service doors he turned and explained to Bruce, "And maybe she thinks you too are being careless with your identity. Either way, you better come up with a plan before the party tonight. I have her listed as a confirmed guest, along with your newest partner in crime."
Bruce lifted his head after looking down at the ground for several minutes and watches as Alfred makes his way through the kitchen service doors. Alfred was right. He had to come up with something to keep his peers at bay until he decided upon retirement.
Meanwhile, at the Gotham City Police Department, Barbara Gordon lays asleep at a desk riddled with mountains of papers. Her head lay nestled inside the pages of a large textbook with highlights and notes written in permanent marker in the margins. The papers rustled at the occasional breeze from a squeaky fan and some had even fallen to the ground as result of precarious stacking. Her breathing was deep and slow to show she had been out for a while. As the fan makes another pass across the desk, the small breeze manages to knock a few more papers of the mountain. This time the papers fall on Barbara's face, causing her to stir in her slumber.
The door to the office swings open suddenly, letting even more of a gust of wind into the seemingly empty space. The wind knocks a large pile of vanilla folders off the desk that is occupied by Barbara, who has shot out of her chair at the collapse of papers now strewn across the floor. She stands alert and read glaring at the front door to be met by none other than the pesky former detective Blake.
"What the hell is the matter with you, Blake?" Barbara exclaims.
"I should ask you the same question! Sleeping on the job was never allowed while I was around. Don't you think your pops would be upset if he found out you were neglecting your duties? "Johnny Blake smirks at Barbara while he helps her gather the mess into an even less promising pile.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" She mumbles
"I was looking for Jim. Is he around?" He asked politely.
"No, he left on a call about an hour ago. I think he was headed to Gotham First Bank. Something to the effect of an armed robbery…" She plainly stated.
"Aren't you worried? I mean sound a little more concerned there, Babs." He chuckles.
Barbara playfully punched his shoulder at his comment. Robberies have been common this past week to the point that Barbara has been up all night waiting for her father to come back. Each time it seems like the incidents last longer and longer. She wished that Batman would end the battle so she could enjoy some time with him. But he seems to have been absent for a while, maybe that's the reason for the increased crime rate this month. Barbara had even noticed more viral crime than normal. She has had to step in as Oracle for Wayne Enterprises on more than one occasion. Thieves are more elusive on the web, since the only finger print you can leave behind is a digital one and even then it's probably a stolen product.
Johnny notices her long silence after what he said.
"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
"Its alright, I'm just, ya know….worried." Barbara breathed.
Johnny placed his arm reassuringly on her shoulder, "Babs, you and I both know that old man has a lot of fight in him. I've never seen him lose a battle yet."
Barbara nodded and attempted a smile but could only manage a half smirk.
Johnny and Barbara picked up the rest of the mess and threw it carelessly back on the desk. Barbara plopped back down in her chair and swung it around in Johnny's direction as if to interrogate him for a crime. She leaned forward to make her appearance look stern and well-mannered.
"So, are you going tonight?" She asks
"To what?" Johnny acted clueless.
"You know! The charity for the orphanage. You work there, don't you?" Barbara looked at him with prying eyes.
"What's it to ya, Babs?" He countered her jest with a raised eyebrow and charming grin.
Barbara rolled her eyes and leaned back into her chair. She props her feet up on the edge of the desk avoiding the myriad of papers. She folds her arms across her chest in a way to show her frustration.
Johnny smirks as he crosses over to the clean desk next to Barbara's. He grabs a rolling office chair, plops down, and assumes the same seated position Barbara has taken. He folds his arms mimicking her and raises his eyebrows in her direction. Then, just to antagonize her further, he lifts one leg and rests it on the desk. And with a smile he lifts the other leg and slowly crosses it over the former making sure to get a glimpse of her aloof profile in the process.
"I swear, you are the most annoying human on the planet, Blake!"She exclaimed as she rose from her chair suddenly.
The movement causes the papers to throw themselves on the floor once more an incident that Barbara had become habituated with since she quickly returned to a crouched position to gather them up again.
Johnny frowned and let out a long sigh as he joined in her clean up task. He began to scoop them up quickly but then noticed Barbara was taking more care on her half of the stack. He paused and stared at her thick auburn curls that swayed elegantly as she moved. Her pale skin is seemingly flawless up to her piercing grey eyes that dart to and fro picking and choosing which paper to pick up next. Blake loved the way Barbara never wore too much makeup. She is beautiful just the way she is. She is smart, funny, and generous. Her only vice is the way she shuts everyone out. It's almost like she has a secret. But who is he to talk. His biggest secret could get her killed. If any criminal knew who he was, they would be all too happy to take out his love interest for revenge.
That fact kills Johnny a bit each day. But not seeing Barbara's smile is just as deadly.
"Hey, Babs. Smile."
Johnny says as he continues to swoop up papers. His voice is chiming with playfulness.
How could Barbara resist? She lets out an unexpected laugh at his sudden request and stops herself short of a giggle by covering her mouth. She glances in his direction and lowers her hand staring at his features. His eyes are fixed on the floor like a kid getting caught doing something disapproving. She loves the way he teases her. The attention she gets from him makes her feel like a kid again. Back when times were happy. Back when her brother was still alive. But it is more than brotherly love for her. She just can't let him get too close. He will find out who she really is and not even her father knows about Oracle. Let alone that she is the unofficial sidekick to the Dark Knight himself!
What is a girl to do? Barbara hates that she cannot act on her interest for Johnny. So, she throws her frustration back at him.
In a huff she throws a handful of paper down at the ground. She abruptly stands and marches to the next room. Johnny, in hot pursuit, reaches for her arm and manages to grab her by the wrist just as the office door swings open, sending the rest of the paperwork flying into the air once more.
"What the hell do you think you are doing? Take your hands off my daughter!"
Jim Gordon exclaims before he catches a glimpse of who is holding his daughter by the wrist.
Johnny quickly releases her arm and feels the sudden defeat when Barbara storms off to the next room. There goes his chance to ask her to the charity as his date. Jim will never allow it after seeing that reaction.
Despite all Jim puts Johnny through, he is only trying to protect his daughter. And Johnny is more than happy to abide by Jim's rules but Robin lives by no rules. Robin plans on seeing Barbara Gordon tonight at the charity event.
Jim Gordon walks toward Johnny followed by a handful of officers who scatter to their desks. A few stop and look at the mess on the floor but more or less pretend to mind their own business, except one.
His name is Nicholas Gage, Johnny's replacement. This hot head has an annoying crush on the commissioner's daughter and is equally interested in Johnny's business with her. He narrows his eyes on Johnny as Jim Gordon stops to face the former detective.
"What are you doing here, Blake? Have you decided to join the force once more?" Gordon sternly asks.
"No, sir. I just wanted to speak with Miss Barbara." Johnny states while looking Gordon in the eyes to show respect.
"Oh, really? And what might you need to say to my daughter, hm?"
Gordon removes his glasses and wipes them with a cloth from his pocket. His brow is sweaty and his face weary from battle. Johnny watches as his old hands tactfully wipe the grime from the lenses. Nicholas Gage snickers in response to Gordon's question.
"Mr. Gordon, I wish to go with Barbara to the charity event this evening. She and I are both invited." Johnny claims.
"Oh, that makes four of us then. You, myself, Barbara, and Mr. Gage were all invited. In fact, I do believe that Mr. Gage has already asked to take my daughter himself. Isn't that right, Nicholas?" Gordon motions toward Nicholas Gage who is more than happy to savor the moment he gets to put Johnny down.
"Why, yes, I have Mr. Gordon. I am pleased to tell you that she has agreed to go with me this evening." Gage smirks at Johnny with cockiness.
"Ah, then it's settled. The three of us will go together and young Mr. Blake shall find another nice young woman to bother." Gordon stated in a way to suggest the onset of a relationship between Nicholas and Barbara. The thought of her with the arrogant son-of-bitch made Johnny's blood boil.
"SIR, I-!" Johnny exclaimed
"-You what?"Jim interrupted.
Johnny looks over toward Nicholas who is beaming with pride at his triumph. Gage waited until Jim had his back turned before he gave Johnny the finger followed by a mouthed 'fuck you'. Johnny knew he could mop the floor with Gage if he really wanted to but he had to keep up his composure around Barbara's father if he had any hope of having his permission to see her more than once a week at the station.
But Johnny has an advantage that Gage does not. Johnny is Robin. And Robin has not only seen Barbara more than once a week, he has also kissed her soft lips on more than one occasion. Johnny and Barbara are not together but Robin and Barbara will be tonight.
The office phone rings echoing in the silent office. Jim answers it hesitantly keeping his eyes on Johnny.
"Gordon….Yes, Uh-huh….Sure, I'll tell her….Right. Wow…." Jim trails off in a discussion for a while eventually breaking his gaze from Johnny.
Johnny takes his chance and mouths 'go to hell' to Gage who merely scoffs at the attempt. The two of them stay on opposite sides of the room while Jim finishes the brief phone conversation. Gordon gently hangs up the receiver and looks back toward Gage and Blake.
"Good news. Looks like I won't be in attendance tonight. Some smuck has himself locked in a room threatening to hang himself." Jim trails off as he fetches his coat and a fresh magazine of bullets.
"Gage."
"Yes, Mr. Gordon?" Gage breaks away from Johnny's gaze.
"You will have to take my daughter tonight without me as a chaperone. Can I trust you to have her home by ten o'clock?" Jim asks sternly.
"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Gordon!" Nicholas Gage helps Jim with his coat and shakes his hand while waiting for Johnny to react, who has already stormed out of the office.
"Oh, one more thing, Gage."
"Anything, sir!" Nicholas exclaimed with glee.
"You touch my daughter and I'll shoot you with this gun."
Jim Gordon walks out of the office, followed by one other, back to the streets of Gotham. Laughter erupts from the other officers at the sight of Gage's mouth hanging wide open.
An hour has passed since Alfred has spoken to Bruce and he has already begun a service meeting when Mr. Wayne came barging in.
"Alfred! I've got it!" Wayne exclaims boastfully.
"Other than bad manners, what else have you got?" Alfred huffs.
"A masquerade." Bruce smiles as he shoves his hands in his trouser pockets.
"A what?" Alfred replies confused.
"A masquerade, Alfred. I want to host a masquerade, not a charity event." Bruce says coolly.
"Mr. Wayne we have already collected the proceeds that will be going to the orphanage. Why on Earth would you change plans so suddenly? Our guests will not be ready for such an extravaganza!" Alfred states with frustration.
Bruce has already walked away to his dressing quarters by the time Alfred has begun to protest. His walk is confident and cool as he waves back toward the service doors
"Make it happen, Alfred, I believe in you!" Bruce yells sarcastically.
Alfred grunts in frustration and quickly spins around to the servers.
"Alright, you heard the man! A masquerade it is! Hurry now! Chop Chop!"
Alfred musters up all the cooks and servers in preparation for the first annual masquerade charity event for the orphaned children at Wayne Manor.
"I hope you know what you are doing, Mr. Wayne." Alfred mutters to himself as he begins to place a phone call.
"Hi! Uh-yes, this is Alfred Pennyworth…What? Oh, Pennyworth. With Wayne Manor… Yes! Mr. Wayne has decided to host a masquerade for tonight's charity event! Please spread the word with the press! Thank you, we look forward to seeing you as well… good day!"
Alfred hangs up the receiver abruptly and plops down in the nearest chair. He is not in the least bit overwhelmed with the sudden change in plans, rather, that he knows Bruce will avoid speaking with anyone wearing a mask. Meaning Barbara Gordon and Johnny Blake will be hounding Alfred for answers. Not to mention Selina will be coming home to see the plans changed to include Gotham's finest ….
"Oh, Bruce. What are you up to this time?" . . . . . .