Summary: Dick confronts Tony Zucco, and Batman isn't far behind.
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[Sat., 4 Jul./2250 EDT]
Grinning in satisfaction, Dick started back in the direction he'd been heading earlier. This time he was skipping happily ahead, jumping into puddles with both feet to see how big a splash he could make, and cartwheeling without his hands touching the ground just for the fun of it. The darkness that blanketed this part of town seemed to slough off the boy, unable to hold its own against his inner light.
Soon, he found himself in the warehouse district. Common sense prevailed and he slowed down, taking in his surroundings. Before long, he spotted a fire escape and made his way to it. A few minutes later, he was on the roof of one of the abandoned businesses overlooking Oxey's Lounge. The neighborhood was a slum with boarded up storefronts and fading signs.
Oxey's Lounge fit right in. Dick was not impressed. From the outside, the building looked like a dump. The sign identifying the place hung from the roof and down the building's tired-looking façade, stopping just above the front entrance. It was in the shape of a woman's leg, with high-heeled, platform shoes. The pose, meant to look seductive, was lost on the young child. He just thought it looked stupid. His mom used to wear tights, but she never wore them with dumb shoes like that.
The sign was lit in garish, lavender neon, while a darker purple outlined the leg. Flashing pink letters traveled vertically down the leg, spelling out OXEY'S in all caps, the X and Y permanently burnt out. At the lower end of the sign, Gentlemen's Lounge followed in horizontal letters. (The Gent and ounge were also blacked out, never to be replaced.):
O
X
E
Y
'
S
Gentlemen's Lounge
Therefore, rather than sexy or inviting, the sign, coupled with the worn building's dingy façade and crumbling brickwork, simply looked tawdry, a reminder of the downturn—both economic and social—of the Tri-Corner area.
As he stood on the rooftop studying the darkened windows of the strip joint across from him, Dick noticed that sometime between his taking down the dark stranger and reaching the corner of Water Street and Shoreline Drive, the drenching rain had stopped. A dense mist had settled in its place, shrouding the Tri-Corner area in its gossamer veil. There was a wet chill in the air that cut through Dick's light windbreaker and the rest of his sodden clothing.
A muted light suddenly came on in a second story window, covered by a roll-down shade. Dick could make out dark silhouettes moving behind the shades. It was probably the building's office or perhaps a walkup apartment. Either way, it was a safe bet that Tony Zucco would be found there.
Checking the time he saw that it was 11:00 p.m. Making up his mind, Dick hurriedly climbed down the fire escape and dashed across the street to Oxey's. It was time he paid Mr. Zucco a visit.
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[Sat., 4 Jul./2300 EDT]
High above the glittering city, a shadow glided silently in the night. A close observer, upon gazing up at the night sky, might have noticed the stars briefly winking in and out as the stealth aircraft eclipsed them, racing through the sea of stars as a speedboat hurtling across Gotham Harbor. However, most stargazers probably blamed the distortion on a trick of the light and soon forgot about it.
The lonely wail of sirens, the banshee cry of the harbingers of justice, could just be heard rapidly approaching from the far distance, echoing off the concrete canyons of the teeming city.
While the city below huddled behind locked doors at the sound of trouble, Batman flew the Batwing into the heavy layer of fog that had settled over the Tri-Corner area. Flying solely by instruments, he reached the GPS coordinates directly above the corner of Water Street and Shoreline Drive. Bringing the stealth aircraft to silent hover at 1,000 feet, Batman opened the cockpit.
"Deploying now," Batman reported. He activated the autopilot and instructed the Batwing to find a suitable rooftop on which to land and standby, placing it on a 30-second time delay.
Undoing his shoulder harness, the Dark Knight climbed out onto the wing. He took one last look around and spread out his cape, locking it in glider mode, and leapt into the darkness.
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[Sat., 4 Jul./2300 EDT]
Dick easily made his way onto the roof of Oxey's Lounge. From a running start, Dick had executed a double twisting double layout-quad twist combination, which ended in a flying leap that easily propelled him onto the building's fire escape. Pulling himself up and over, he climbed the stairs up to the roof. Once there, he crossed over to the far side of the building and looked down. Studying the sign and the brackets that held it to the building, his expert eyes saw that the rusted brackets were being anchored to the building's side by a prayer and a promise.
Most of the bolts had either come loose or had sheered completely off. To be honest, he couldn't see how the sign hadn't fallen off years ago. However, there were at least two places where the bolts seemed to be firmly held in place—the bracket mounts that braced the sign to the roof. He had planned to climb down the sign to the one of the darkened windows on the floor below, but decided that might not be the best idea.
Spotting the roof access door, he went over and tried it. Locked. Of course. Studying the lock, he thought back to the breaking and entering lessons that he'd learned from Bruce…
"After all, one never knows," Bruce had joked. "If Zatara was right and you needed to learn escapology from him—"
"That's not a word," Dick protested skeptically. At his guardian's look, Dick sighed. He'd have to look up the word in the dictionary during that evening's study period and use it correctly in a sentence.
"—To break out of restraints, then reason would show that you should also learn the art of breaking into a place."
"Is it legal?" Dick asked.
"Only if you use your power for good." The low register in Bruce's voice was the only warning Dick got before his guardian pounced and started tickling…
Dick smiled warmly remembering the often laugh-filled daily lessons that he received from his guardian. He felt a hitch in his throat. Bruce might not have trusted him with his greatest secret, but he had given him so much more in the short period of time he'd been with him.
So what if Bruce had missed his soccer matches sometimes? It was only a stupid game anyway. Batman had probably been off saving Gotham City from the Joker or some kind of monster. Maybe he'd been with his Super Friends, saving the world. All things being equal, that was way more important than cheering him on at a soccer game.
And hadn't Bruce made an effort almost everyday after work—unless something important came up—to spend time with him? They'd read books together, played chess, gone hiking, dirt biking, and rock climbing. They'd done lots of cool guy stuff together!
Bruce even taught him how to pick locks; how to observe carefully in order to tell if someone had been in his room by determining what, if anything, had been moved or taken.
He also taught me those cool Jedi Master mind tricks. Well…Bruce called them meditation exercises to help me improve my focus, but Jedi mind tricks sounds wa-a-ay cooler.
In addition to all that, Bruce had spent every morning during the past few weeks teaching him jiu jitsu, kung fu, aikido, and other forms of martial arts. Dick had especially enjoyed learning to fight with the bo staff and escrima sticks. Since he was a relatively small boy, the weapons had added power to his hits. He'd even managed to best Bruce once or twice—well, maybe came close once or twice to besting him—at hand to hand.
And he'd been able to teach Bruce a thing or two about acrobatics. Bruce admitted that he'd never be as flexible as Dick, but he didn't give up in trying to learn new, difficult routines. Remembering Bruce taking down the alien starfish's zombies using the spin-split kick combination that Dick had taught him, Dick could only feel a swelling of pride in chest.
Bruce wouldn't spend time with me just 'cause I'm a charity case. He did it 'cause he wanted to share everything Batman knew with someone. Dick stopped at this sudden revelation. That's almost exactly what dad said to me a couple years ago.
John Grayson had told Dick that one of the reasons he had wanted a son was to pass on everything he knew about acrobatics and flying on the trapeze. Just like his father before him, he wanted to pass on the Flying Graysons' legacy to his son.
Did that mean that Bruce had wanted to pass the Batman's legacy onto him? No, Dick couldn't begin to guess why Bruce took him in. He clearly didn't need a partner, and he didn't seem to want a son. So, the question remained…why?
As he finally heard the tumblers unlock, Dick shrugged. I don't think even Bruce knows why.
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[Sat., 4 Jul./2315 EDT]
Seeing the fast-approaching rooftop, Batman prepared for a landing. He touched down a bit rougher than normal, but managed to stay upright. He continued his forward momentum by running for several feet until he could at last come to a gradual stop. Simultaneously, he pulled down on the glider wings, collapsing the cape and returning it to its normal shape.
Reaching the roof's edge, he fired his grappler and took off into the night. He'd landed almost three blocks from his target building. On the descent from 1,000 feet, he'd suddenly found himself in the unauthorized flight path of a civilian helicopter. He'd just managed to dodge and weave in time to avoid a midair collision. Unfortunately, his glider wing was partially ripped as a result. At that point, all he could do was steer the glider in a controlled fall.
At any other time, he would have chastised himself for landing on a rooftop almost a half-mile out from Oxey's, but he'd have plenty of time for recriminations later. Right now he had to get to Dick. As he jumped from rooftop to lamppost to water tank and back to another rooftop, he could hear the sirens in the near distance. The GCPD was minutes away.
And suddenly, Oxey's Lounge was right before him, its garish neon sign announcing its decrepit location.
Batman quickly set his mask night vision to zoom. The second floor corner office had a light on, a dim illumination in an otherwise murky street corner. He could make out several shadowy figures from behind the pulled down shades moving within. It looked like a struggle.
A smaller shadow caught his attention. The next instant the tiny shadowy figure moved in a backward somersault and away from view.
Dick!
Immediately, the Dark Knight was in the air, closing the distance between himself and his son.
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[Sat., 4 Jul./2315 EDT]
Dick crept down the dark stairs leading from the roof. The unbroken gloom felt suffocating. He stepped carefully, toe-heel-toe, keeping his back to the wall and feeling before him with his outstretched hand. Abruptly, the stairwell opened up. The wall on his left was gone. He could feel the open space before him. The claustrophobic blackness that had enshrouded the staircase earlier was now lifted.
Dick could make out vague shapes in the darkness. A faint illumination from Oxey's neon sign directly outside the window had filtered through the drawn shade at the bottom of the landing. He saw a closed door indicating it led out to the second floor. Making his way to it, he carefully tried the knob. His heart skipping a beat, he breathed a sigh of relief when it opened without a sound.
Waiting a second to let his eyes adjust to the change in lighting, Dick spotted a thin crack of light under a closed door. He felt his way down the narrow hallway, until he reached the door in question. The closer he got, the more he could make out muffled voices.
Outside the door, he heard the familiar voice from that day at the circus.
"I want him six feet under! He's the only one who can finger me…no circus brat's gonna bring down Tony Zucco, got it?"
"It ain't gonna be easy, Tony. He's living in that big mansion now…with that big shot billionaire, Bruce Wayne."
"Well, he's not gonna be inside all day every day. He's gotta come out sometime, and when he does…you make sure he has an accident!"
"Tony, be reasonable. If he was still with the circus and had an accident, well…so what? Accidents happen in the circus. Y'know, a real tragedy, but no one really cares. But now? Wayne's made the kid legally his. You think you've got heat now? Something happens to Bruce Wayne's kid, then you've got heat like nobody's business."
"Eddie…my own uncle's put a hit out on me because of this kid. He has an accident, Eddie, capisce?"
"Yeah, Tony…I capisce."
"Good…once the kid's outta the way, we go back to Haly's Circus and put the squeeze on the old guy—"
"The circus, Tony?" Another voice broke in. Female. "Are you planning on going into show business?"
There was a brief pause.
"Were you always this dumb, or have you been getting into the stuff again?" The sharp sound of a slap could be heard all the way through the closed door. Dick closed his fist in unexpected fury.
"No, no, Tony!" The female voice cried out, frightened. "I'm clean—I swear!"
"You better be, you stupid broad!" His voice dropped dangerously. "Because I can't stand no junkies."
"I'm not, Tony, I swear—!" Another slap. "Please…Tony, no—!"
Dick couldn't take listening to the sounds of a woman being hurt any longer. Opening the door, he ran in. Spying the big-stomached man he'd seen arguing with Pop Haly the day his parents had been killed, he sped toward him. Executing three handsprings and a round-off in quick succession, he flew over the coffee table and slammed straight into his target, hitting him in the soft gut.
"Oof…!" The fat man grunted in pained surprise.
"Tony!" the other man—Eddie—called out. "Tony move out of the way, so's I can get a clear shot!"
Before he could, however, the small dynamo sprang backward, somersaulting high above his head, and landed behind him. Dick kicked out, striking him directly behind the knees. As Eddie went down, Dick grabbed a broom, twirled it by the handle, and knocked the gun from Eddie's hand. Jumping straight up, he twisted his torso and swinging the broom handle, struck Eddie across the temple. He hit with so much power that he broke the broom handle in the process.
Eddie went down as if he'd been shot.
"Don't move, kid! I've got you covered."
Dick froze. Zucco was holding a gun on him from the other side of the coffee table. Seeing the sneer on the fat man's face snapped something inside Dick. Ignoring the danger, he kicked the table, upending it and slamming it straight into the fat man. The gun went off suddenly, and acting on pure instinct, Dick dodged the bullet with a breathtaking sideways leap and backward somersault.
By the time Dick regained his feet, Zucco had somehow managed to slip by him and out the door. No! He can't get away. I won't let him!
In the background, he heard the woman screaming, "Tony…your heart! Remember what the doc said about your heart! Tony!"
Dick picked up the two broken pieces of the broom handle. He quickly broke off the brush end from one and took off after Zucco. As he ran up the same staircase leading to the roof that he'd come down earlier, he tested the sticks' balance by twirling them in his hands. They felt off, but he'd manage…
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[Sat., 4 Jul./2330 EDT]
As Eddie slowly came to, he could make out the sounds of running feet, and somewhere in the distance a woman screaming.
Damn…couldn't the stupid broad just shut up? His head was pounding. Bringing his hand up to his head, he winced. What happened? Who hit him? As more awareness crept in, he remembered.
The kid and Tony! Man…what a mess. It's time to get the hell out of Gotham. The heat around here has gotten too high. Plus…I don't need no kid's murder rap on my record.
Eddie knew the score. If you hurt kids on the outside, there was a special hell waiting for you inside Blackgate. Even the most hardened inmates in the infamous federal prison didn't have any use for a child killer. They had a habit of ending up with a shiv in their back. No, it was time to go.
The window suddenly exploded inwardly in a shower of glass and shards of wood. Accompanying these was a frightening, black figure comprised of solid muscle and a very angry Bat-attitude. The Batman grabbed Eddie by the collar and hauled him up until his feet were no longer touching the floor. Eddie struggled uselessly against the chokehold, flopping like a fish out of water.
"Where's the boy?" The deep, raspy voice was filled with rage. Eddie knew he had only seconds before the Batman brought that barely controlled wrath down on him.
"I-I don't know…! He was just here. The little punk knocked me out…I-I just came to…I swear!"
Those were his last words before an iron fist sent him back into oblivion.
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[Sat., 4 Jul./2335 EDT]
Batman quickly zip-tied Eddie's wrists behind his back, and then left the mob hit man on the floor. He ran past a disheveled, painfully thin woman who was huddled at the foot of the roof stairs sobbing quietly.
She looked up him, black mascara marring her pale face. She had all the telltale signs of a junkie. She couldn't have been more than 20, but looked much older. She didn't appear dangerous, but Batman handcuffed her anyway.
"Wait for the police to arrive." His voice was a low, threatening growl that clearly frightened her.
"Please…Mr. Batman," she whispered fearfully. "His heart…you've gotta help him. The doc said that—"
A gunshot came from the direction of the roof. Batman ran off immediately taking the stairs three at a time.
"Please! The doc says Tony could have a heart attack if he gets excited!"
But Batman didn't hear the rest as he burst through the door onto the roof.
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End of Part 10
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Acknowledgements: Some ideas and dialogue borrowed from Batman: Dark Victory #8; All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder #9; Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #100; Gotham City map/points of interest from Batman: Gotham City Secret Files and Origins #1; The Brave and the Bold #28; BTAS: Robin's Reckoning S2E2; The Sandman #1.
Additional Notes: A special thanks to my betas—Beth and Ellen. Once again, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who's taken the time to review the story—especially the repeat reviewers. (You know who you are!) Your words of encouragement have been very much appreciated. Finally, thanks for sticking with the story.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to DC, Time Warner, and CN; this is an original story that doesn't intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome.
Copyright: October 2012