Gotham City was animated the morning after the apparent return of the Batman, and the topic was on the tip of everyone's tongue. Rumor had it that the Batman had come back from the dead to capture the Scarecrow and deliver him to the police the night before. No one had seen the Batman himself, but there were rumors that the Bat Signal mysteriously appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared seconds later. Criminals were running scared once more, this time fearful that an angry ghost was haunting them. The people of Gotham, however, breathed a sigh of relief for the first time in months and the police were more than happy to welcome back the Batman.
When Dick Grayson arrived at Wayne International, the topic of conversation was much the same. The only difference, however, was conversation about the Batman's lair being underneath Wayne International's corporate building the whole time. Dick ignored people's attempts to lure him into conversation claiming that he believed the whole story to be speculation and fantasy. He continued to the top of Wayne Tower and casually sauntered into the office of Lucius Fox, CEO of Wayne International.
"May I help you, young man?" Fox asked irritated by the boy's blatant disregard for authority.
"Fox, it's me. Dick Grayson? But you can call me Richard now." Dick stated as if he expected Fox to remember him after the years he had been away.
"Dick Grayson?" Fox put on his glasses to get a better look. "Last time I saw you, you were a teenager. You've really grown up, Richard. What can I do for you?"
"I came here looking for a job, actually. After Bruce died, he left everything to me in his will and so I moved back to Gotham and now I'm out of a job."
"You know, come to think of it, I did have a fellow quit the other day in the claims department. I'll be honest with you, it's a boring job, but the pay is good and you even get your own office."
"I'll take it. When can I start?"
"How about I take you there right now?" Lucius Fox crawled out from behind his desk and began to lead Dick Grayson out the door and back down the hallway from which Dick had just come. They stopped at the end of the hall, two floors from the top and entered a small corner office. Dick immediately moved to the gigantic glass window overlooking Gotham City. He felt like he did when he was masquerading as Robin, looking down on the citizens of Gotham City as if they were ants, far below him. He threw himself into his comfortable leather chair and spun it around once before stopping at the computer. Lucius Fox slammed his fists down on the table and glared at Dick in an uncharacteristic moment of rage.
"Now, let's get one thing straight, Dick; I don't know if you're behind these new Batman shenanigans and I don't want to know, but I will not be able to protect you if you get into trouble. I told people about the Batcave underneath this place to throw off people's scent, just in case it was you, but that is all you get. You understand?"
"Yeah, I got you. I just don't understand what's going on around here anymore?"
"You mean you aren't the new Batman I saw on the news?"
"Are you kidding?" Dick jested. "I don't believe that hocus pocus I hear on the news to save my life. Bruce Wayne was Batman, not me."
"Even so, it's better for us both if we end this conversation now. Good bye, Dick."
Lucius Fox slammed the door on his way out and Dick began to play on the computer, opening up games and playing away for almost an hour.
Bzzzt! "There's someone here to see you, Mr. Grayson." A female voice called through the intercom, causing Dick to jump three feet in the air.
"Who is this?" Dick asked, pressing down the intercom.
"This is your secretary, Mr. Grayson. There is a Miss Barbara Gordon here to see you, Sir. Should I send her in?"
"Oh yes, go ahead." Dick was in shock for a moment as he came to the realization that he had a secretary now.
His door flew open and a pretty young redhead in a wheelchair rolled into his new office. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and her eyes looked as though she hadn't slept all night. Her glasses sat in her lap, obviously hurting her eyes as she strained to keep herself awake.
"Babs, it's good to see you, it really is. What brings you up here to my new office?" Dick said, moving to the other side of his desk and sitting on the edge.
"Well I tried going by the mansion but you weren't home, so my next logical choice was here," Barbara said sarcastically.
"Ha, ha, very funny, Babs, but what's the truth?"
"This," Barbara said, rolling forward to Dick and throwing a newspaper on his desk. The headline read "Batman Returns" and was accompanied by pictures and a six page article about the events of the previous night. "I'm not stupid, Dick, but I am worried about you. We all miss him, but you can't just put on the suit and pretend to be him, all right? You can't bring him back from the dead that way. All you'll do is wind up dead somewhere after you meet up with some lunatic like he did."
"I didn't do this, Babs. I swear."
"It sure looks like you, Dick. And besides, you are the only one with access to the Batcave now. Tell me the truth, Dick."
"I didn't do it, damn it, and I'm sick of everyone accusing me of it. Last night I did go into the Batcave and I found a new suit that Bruce never even got to wear. When I touched the glass, all the lights in the Batcave turned on and the Batcomputer turned on. I watched a pre-recorded video of Bruce telling me that if something happened to him, I was to burn the mansion to the ground and erase any proof that he was Batman. I figured since everyone already knew thanks to Superman that my keeping the house wouldn't be out of the question. And then I went to bed. I swear to god, Babs, that's all that happened last night."
"For your sake, and for all of our sakes, I hope you're right, Dick." Barbara hit the automatic open on the door and wheeled herself out of Dick's office in silence. Dick stared out over the Gotham skyline and wondered if he had done last nights events. Had he repressed the memories by pretending to go to sleep? Had he just lied to Barbara without even knowing it and really taken on the mantle of his friend in his grief? And if he didn't do it, then who did?
Bzzzt! "Emergency staff meeting, Grayson, head up to the meeting room right away," Lucius Fox buzzed Dick over his intercom.
"Right away, Buddy," Dick replied. He tried to shake the thoughts from his mind as he made his way upstairs for his meeting.
"What's so important that you needed to see me right away, Fox?" Dick said loudly as he charged into the meeting room headfirst without as much as a knock. All eyes in the room glared at his disrespect for the sanctity of their meeting room.
"You must be Mr. Grayson, I presume," a dashing young gentleman in a brown and gold suit stated, breaking the awkward silence.
"Yeah, and you are?" Dick asked, cocking his head sideways at the young man he had never met.
"Mr. Grayson, if you will please be seated we will try to finish this meeting as quickly as possible," Fox interrupted, staring Dick down into a seat at the table. The strapping man, hardly even Dick's age, straightened his tie, cleared his throat and stood up to speak. Dick noticed the peculiar way he wore his hair parted on one side and devised that this new kid was wealthy. He looked familiar to Dick, though he couldn't quite place his finger on why. Even the young man's voice when he spoke to him sounded familiar. Dick dismissed the notions as the young man took the floor and prepared to speak.
"I would like to take a moment to introduce myself to those of you I have not had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Terrence McGinnis and I am the new owner of Wayne International."
