CHAPTER 10

GOTHAM CITY

BATCAVE

Ultraman left in a huff, Thomas standing by to watch him go. Once he was certain that his ally had left, he turned to Dick, in the medical bay. The boy had stripped off the Talon shirt and was painfully unwrapping his old bandages to look at his new wounds. Thomas hissed when he saw the quickly darkening new bruises that overlay the original ones. Last of all, Dick tried to remove the gorget, now bent out of shape and seemingly locked around his neck. Trying to pull both ends away, he groaned with the effort as his ribs twinged.

"Here, let me try," Thomas said softly and pulled the gorget apart, releasing Dick's neck. Feeling the metal give way, Dick let out a long, relieved sigh while Thomas caught his breath. A pattern of bright fingerprints were painted across the skin of Dick's throat, ranging from swollen red to deep purple. "My god," Thomas said. "He would have killed you if not for the gorget. You need more professional help than I can provide, lad. "He went to the intercom. "Pennyworth, please step downstairs. Your medical skills are needed."

"You aren't injured sir, are you?" Pennyworth replied.

"No, not me. Our Talon had a run-in with Ultraman. He needs some care for a possible throat injury and his ribs rechecked," Thomas replied.

"I'll be down forthwith," Pennyworth said.

"No," Dick husked, looking up at Thomas with tired blue eyes. "Not Pennyworth. Please. Can I see Alfred? He's the one who's always doctored me up after an injury."

Thomas considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Of course. I'll have Pennyworth send him down."

"Thomas," Dick said and his would-be mentor stopped.

"Yes, Dick?" Thomas said.

"Thank you. For rescuing me, I mean," Dick said. "I shouldn't have provoked him but my temper got in the way. Batma..." Dick closed his eyes. "Batman has always told me that I need to control my temper better. He was right." Dick shook his head ruefully.

"It's no more than I'm already used to, Dick," Thomas said, laying a hand on the boy's shoulder. "My own Talon had a temper much like yours. I can't fault you your reaction to Ultraman." Thomas' lip curled. "He gets to me like that pretty often. I'm just more used to the idiot." Thomas smiled at Dick's surprise. "Yes, I'm human after all. Clark would be more effective If he used his brain instead of his muscles. But that's an advantage we can exploit."

"I can see that," Dick said. "But the kryptonite? Is it really gone? Batman usually doesn't carry it unless he knows that Superman has gone off the deep end. The radioactivity is harmful to humans over time."

Thomas' smile broadened to a boyish grin. "I found the lead-lined safe Batman keeps and put it there just in case Ultraman came snooping. I have no desire to keep him refueled. Given kryptonite's rarity and the way Clark is going through existing supplies, it might become a bargaining chip if needed."

Dick's face cracked into a grin and he laughed, then recoiled, one hand on his ribs and the other to his throat. "I'm glad to know that you really are breaking with him."

"Oh, there's no question that I'm done with him," Thomas said, eyeing Dick. "He really gave you a beating, didn't he?"

Dick started to shrug, then thought better of it. "Goes with the territory."

"Will you be able to watch my back at the Iceberg Lounge today?" Thomas asked.

"Unless Alfred grounds me, yes," Dick said. "You don't want to go in there alone. Penguin will have all his tame thugs attending."

"I see," Thomas said thoughtfully. "Well, I don't want you to pull any punches, either with my safety or yours. We won't open with violence, but if anyone attacks either of us, kill him. We need to make a point about our ruthlessness."

Dick paled. "I...uh...I don't kill. No. I can restrain them without killing."

Thomas shook his head. "Not good enough. I need to make them fear me, enough that they will obey me and, hopefully, enforce my dictates on other gangs. I'm just one man with you as backup. I don't have an army or the time to establish a position here. It has to be fast, so I expect to wring a few necks to persuade Penguin that I mean business." He frowned. "You do plan to be part of this team, don't you?"

"Of course he is," Pennyworth said, approaching them silently from behind. "The lad understands what's at stake perfectly. Now, I can see that he needs some medical attention indeed."

"Of course," Thomas repeated, face clearing. "But he'd like to be attended by his old friend, Alfred. Would you escort him downstairs, Pennyworth?"

Pennyworth paused, then smiled icily. "Yes, sir. I'll bring him right down."

A few minutes later, Pennyworth reappeared with Alfred in tow. To Dick's eyes, the old butler looked tired and worried. Alfred brightened when he saw Dick, then frowned and the worried look returned.

"What has happened to you, my boy?" he asked, then turned angrily on Pennyworth. "What have you been doing to him?"

"Nothing, Alfred," Dick said, his voice echoing hoarsely in the cavern. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Ultraman paid the cave a visit and he took offense at something I said. I needed to be patched up and Thomas generously allowed me to see my usual doctor." Dick gave Alfred his brightest grin, which fooled the old man not one whit.

"Very well, then," Alfred said. "Let's get you x-rayed. Your ribs look as though they took a drubbing." He glanced back at Pennyworth and Thomas. "If that is permissible?"

Thomas took the hint. "Come on, Pennyworth. We have work to do upstairs. Let's leave them to it."

"But sir, the cave has its own exits and..." Pennyworth replied, then silenced at a look from Thomas.

"Alfred, let me know whether Dick will be fit for duty this afternoon, would you? I'll need his services as a bodyguard." Thomas said genially and went on. "Dick, rest a bit. I'll check on you later. Come along, Pennyworth."

He led and his own butler followed, albeit reluctantly. When they had left the cave, Alfred leaned in and spoke in a low whisper. "Now really, what happened to you?"

"Just what I said, Alfie," Dick said. "I pissed off the Big Guy; refused to give him Batman's kryptonite. Looks like Ultraman lives on the stuff. Thomas got him to let me go by shining a high-intensity full spectrum light on him."

"Interesting," Alfred said. "Well, then, let's get those ribs x-rayed. And by the sound of it, Ultraman throttled you? Your voice has clearly been affected, I can see the fingerprints..." Alfred wheeled over the portable x-ray machine and set the plate. "Lay still now."

"Gladly," Dick said, closing his eyes. "Alfie, we need to talk."

"Soon enough," Alfred said. "I think an MRI of your neck is warranted to assess the tissue damage. Come with me."

"MRI?" Dick knew that he was whining, but he'd never liked being stuffed into that long tube. Bruce had thriftily bought one of the older, closed-in models. It was so narrow that it could spark claustrophobia in anybody.

Jason had flatly refused to use it. "I dug my way out of a grave once already," he'd said. "Make up an excuse and send me to the hospital for the open machine if you have to." Jason had had a point.

Dick smiled as he followed Alfred into the small control room. Alfred closed the door behind them and locked it, then carefully typed a few commands into the computer. He opened the connecting door to the machine itself.

"Help me," the butler said and began to pile pillows onto the bed of the machine. At his direction, Dick followed suit, then helped Alfred put a blanket over the pile.

"That should do it," Alfred said. "I hope you're comfortable. I'll do multiple scans, so relax, it may be a while."

Dick looked at him, perplexed. "But, Alfred, I..." and was promptly stifled by Alfred's hand over his mouth. Silently, Alfred gestured for Dick to follow him back to the control room.

Before the control panel, Alfred flicked a switch, then at at the computer, pulling up screens and hitting keys. He finally started the machine up and turned to Dick, whispering in his ear. "Master Bruce has both listening devices and cameras installed in this area. I disabled the camera briefly and now all they'll see is your 'body' going into the machine. The banging sounds of the MRI should cover our conversation. Now, tell me what happened."

With a grin, Dick did just that. "So you see, it really was my fault. Thomas put the kryptonite into Bruce's lead lined safe. He's holding out on Ultraman." Dick's grin turned to a frown. "Now, where have you been?"

"Pennyworth locked me into a secure room in the South Wing. I think they plan to use me as a hostage," Alfred said. "Probably for your good behavior. That Pennyworth did just what I would have done. It's like playing chess with myself..."

Dick said, "Pennyworth has been dropping hints that your wellbeing depends on my cooperation."

Alfred nodded. "Pennyworth hasn't hinted to me, he told me outright. He doesn't trust you and will eliminate you at any sign of rebellion. He is fanatically devoted to his master and will defend him at any cost. Even murder."

"Funny you should say that," Dick said, leaning against the wall. His ribs were hurting. "Thomas gave me my instructions. At the Iceberg Lounge, if any of Penguin's goons try funny stuff, I'm to kill immediately and as messily as possible. He wants to send a message."

Alfred's eyes widened. "What will you do?"

Dick slumped into the chair next to him. "I don't know, Alfred. I just don't know." He covered his face with his hands. "I could use today's beating as an excuse to avoid this meeting but I'm afraid... I'm afraid they're going to make me kill somebody. If I don't kill, they'll hurt you! I can't let that happen!" He straightened up again. "I think you need to go. Now."

Alfred pulled the second chair over and sat next to Master Dick. "I can't leave you here; you'll have no allies at all. At the least, we both should leave, right away. Master Bruce has the safe-house network already set up..."

"No, Alfred," Dick said with a rueful smile. "I need to stay near Owlman. I have to know what he plans. If there's a chance to pit him against Ultraman, we can win the planet back. With the League dead...or gone... I'm all that's left."

"How can you avoid killing?" Alfred asked, eyes boring into those of his young companion. "That would truly destroy you."

"He can't make me kill, especially if you aren't being used as leverage. I'll be fine. I always am. Go ahead," Dick said. "Here's your chance. And if you run but I don't, it bolsters my position as Owlman's faithful sidekick. If you can, contact any heroes left out there and bring them up to date. I can't be the only one left. At least, I hope not," he said softly.

"Very well," Alfred said, rising. "Here is the camera control. This switch knocks out all the cameras in the batcave." He depressed them. "The machine will finish running in about forty minutes. I've already substituted in one of your old scans for this one. And, if it gets dangerous, lad, run! Run as far and as fast as you can. You are no good to Master Bruce or to me if Pennyworth slaughters you. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Dick said and reached out a hand. "Godspeed." Alfred and they shook firmly before Alfred slipped out of the room.

Dick waited the forty minutes, watching the MRI shut down and the pallet slide out. He removed the pillows and draped the blanket around himself, then reactivated the cameras. He reached for the intercom.

"Alfred? The scan is finished. Do you want to read it for me? Alf?" he said.

Pennyworth responded. "Alfred should be downstairs with you, Master Dick. "

Dick heaved a sigh and pushed the button again. "No, he wasn't here when the scan finished. I thought he'd gone back upstairs to you."

Five minutes later, Pennyworth met Dick in the medbay. Inexplicably, exhaustive searching by Pennyworth and Thomas didn't turn up any trace of Alfred Pennyworth in the confines of the Wayne Estate.

Pennyworth gave Dick Grayson a long, penetrating look when they all met together in Bruce Wayne, now Thomas Wayne's study, to compare notes. "I've been looking at your MRI scans and find some swelling but no permanent damage to your neck and throat. Your ribs will be painful but are no further injured than they were. I would consider you fit for duty."

"Good," said Thomas. "And Dick, I commend your loyalty in staying here with us. I assume that Alfred felt that he had no purpose here, since Pennyworth ably fills Alfred's position here. He doubtlessly felt that you no longer needed him."

"Doubtless," Dick murmured.

"Well, we are expected at the Iceberg Lounge shortly. We'll take what you formerly called the 'Batmobile'. Since I've added some insignia changes, I suppose we'll call it the Owlmobile from here on in," Thomas said. "Go downstairs and suit up. I'll join you shortly."

After the door closed behind the new Talon, Pennyworth opened it a crack. "He's gone, sir."

"Good," Thomas said. "He didn't run when he had the chance, so we might be winning him over at last, but we need to nail this down. The boy must be blooded and sooner rather than later. No time to send him against Gordon. Pennyworth..."

"Yes sir," said his butler.

"Follow after us and don't let anybody see you. I'll create an opportunity. Make certain that Dick kills his man."