Chapter Thirteen
Dick Grayson peered across the the rainy rooftops to a shady apartment in Crime Alley. Even through the thinner lenses of the Batman cowl, he could still see that the windows weren't just covered in blinds, they'd been painted black. The Question must not have wanted anyone spying in on him, and for good reason. According to League files, The Question the fourth highest IQ on Earth, and was a chief informant for something called ARGUS. On the rare occasions Dick could remember, Bruce had regarded The Question with high esteem. Bruce had-...Bruce.
For just a second, Dick flashed back to that day. The day his parents were set to perform at Haley's Circus. They were known as the Flying Graysons, the world's greatest acrobats. They'd traveled across Europe together as a family with the circus, and that week had been the beginning of their American tour. It was supposed to be their final routine in Gotham, but instead...Instead the ropes had snapped. His parents had fallen to their deaths, no net to there to save them thanks to mobster interference. Turns out his parents lives were worth being cheated a grand by the circus ringleader. It was the worst day of his life, the day the Flying Graysons had fallen.
It was also the day he'd met the billionaire Bruce Wayne. Originally, young Dick Grayson had been cynical of Mr. Wayne's charity. He was just another money grabber trying to better his reputation, right? Well, as fate would have it, things turned out very differently. Bruce had offered to adopt Dick, after no one else would take him in. Orphanages in Gotham back then were always overcrowded, but Bruce had since found a way to make their lives better too, with a donation here and there. It was actually by chance that he'd learned Bruce had been Batman. One night in the study of Wayne Manor, Dick had found a bat stuck in the grandfather clock. Opening it to free the critter, he accidentally stumbled upon a secret passage that led down to none other than the Bat Cave itself. Months of training later, the Robin, the Boy Wonder was born.
It seemed like forever ago that Dick had seen the Batsuit in its glass case, white lensed eyes staring blankly back at him. It was a humbling experience, just gazing into those daunting eyes for the first time. No one had to be behind them, but Dick would always know who they belonged to. Bruce would always be The Batman, the guardian of Gotham. He was an impossible man to truly know, someone who had fought so many great fights. He'd saved the Earth dozens of times over with nothing, but his wits, body, and will. He was willing to give up anything-everything for the sake of his mission. And now...Now he was gone. And the only one that was left to replace him was that scared little boy at the circus.
Tears fell with the rain, as Dick shook himself back to the job. He had to live up to Bruce's legacy, despite how much he didn't want to be the one wearing the mantle. He could think of at least half a dozen others who would bear it better, but not a single other one that Bruce had trusted with it more. That was the problem with being taught detective skills by someone you lived with for years, you would pick up on what they thought of. Dick knew Batman had sent the final recording to him alone. There was no one in the world he trusted more, but was Dick good enough? Was he good enough to be The Batman?
There was no way to find out on this rooftop. Using Bruce's- no, his grapple gun, Batman swung to a fire escape adjacent to the boarded up window that housed The Question. He knew the apartment it belonged to was vacant, due to his recon, and lifted the window open into a dark wooden room.
As soon as he had stepped in, the light switched on. Pivoting in shocked response, Dick swung his cape around to face his assailant, fists raised for a fight.
"Please, take a seat," The Question cooed, motioning to a couch covered in dark stains. Stupid mistake, unlike his usual domino mask, Batman's cowl was equipped with infrared vision. He should have seen this coming. Still on edge, he regained his composure, but did not sit, eyes locked on The Question's blank face.
"Why-?"
"Am I in this vacant, plain, and otherwise unnoteworthy lodging instead of my own? For exactly that reason." He chuckled to himself. "Even the Great Batman did not expect it."
Grayson scowled.
"Why'd you bring me here? I don't have time for games."
"You're more right than you know." He pulled a long roll of paper from his blue trench coat, rolling it out on the glossy dining table. With only a second's glance, Dick recognized the image. It was a layout of Arkham Asylum.
"I need your help." Grayson's eyes went back to Question, standing as tall as he could.
"Why on Earth would you want to break into Arkham?" Question sighed.
"If you're going to play at being the World's Greatest Detective, you might want to buff up on deductive reasoning, boy." Grayson took a wide step towards The Question, standing eye to eye, so to speak.
"I am Batman."
"To the public, yes. But we are not the masses, swallowing the lies of the media. We both know several unspoken truths, not the least of which being that you are not Bruce Wayne." A rod of fear ran through Grayson to his core.
"Bruce Wayne is NOT Batman."
"Not currently, but answer me this, who else could afford the tools and vehicles necessary to even be Batman? Who is capable? Now tell me, who among them has been missing for ten days now? Now who among that small number went missing for over nearly twenty years "traveling the world"? Now that...That is the question?"
There was a moment of silence, a tense second or two where Dick was tempted throw him across the room. He kept a cool head though, returning his attention to The Question's map of Arkham.
"You need a prisoner then. One who isn't getting out on parole anytime soon. You're on a time table aren't you?"
"Correction: We are on a time table. Ever heard of something called The Green?"
"It's the mystical forces of nature on Earth, provides the spiritual auras of the planet that produce life. In short, it's magic."
"Yes. And it's avatar is missing. Taken in the same calamity that took the Justice League. In order for there to be a magical balance in the world, there must be a replacement. Someone with a direct connection to nature-"
"Ivy. You're trying to break out Poison Ivy." There was a tone of uncertainty in Dick's voice, but The Question nodded in affirmation.
"Yes. Pamela Isley is the only one on Earth capable of defending humanity from the forces of The Rot."
"The Rot?"
"It's the polar opposite of The Green. While The Green is growth, The Rot is decay, and believe me when I tell you that they've noticed Swamp Thing's absence." Dick couldn't believe why he hadn't thought of this before. He hadn't even bothered to see who else had disappeared, he'd been so obsessed with getting the League back that-
"I leave it to you then," The Question said, turning for the door.
"What?" He turned again, the map still laying over the table.
"Ivy faces the death penalty, slated to be administered at Arkham 39 hours from now. You'll need to infiltrate the Asylum, free her, ad convince her to save the world from the minions of death and decay. Should be no trouble for Batman."
"What will you be doing while I'm storming the castle? Watching from the sidelines?"
"No." His voice was cold as steel. "I'm going to be too busy in the next twenty four hours to help you. If anything, I'm afraid I'd be a liability." Picking his hat off the coat rack, The Question started to unlatch the numerous locks and bolts holding the door closed. "Oh-And don't bother looking for me before Isley is free."
"Why's that?"
"Because I'm trying to compile a list. The list of those who were taken. Sadly, it ranges beyond just the Justice League and billionaires. With luck, in another week I'll know every name of those who were taken. Slow work, I know, but it pays to double check these sort of things." A list? That was exactly what he needed! A full analysis of those who were missing in action. From that, Grayson could tell who was left and create a proper grid of heroes protecting new boundaries. He could recreate the League.
"I want you to let me know as soon as you're done with this list," Grayson interrupted, pulling out a spare communicator from his utility belt. "Use this to call me directly with any important updates." The Question accepted it, but gave another disappointed sigh
"That's the difference between you and I, son. For me, every update is an important the future, try to think where he stood on these issues. Closer to you, or closer to me." With that The Question went out the door, slamming it behind him.
There was so much on the playing field now. The Green, Isley's execution, and most importantly The Question's list. It could change everything, a list of every hero and billionaire who was-Wait! Billionaire?
"Alfred," Grayson spoke into his cowl's communicator, knowing he'd been monitoring Dick this entire time.
"Yes sir?"
"I need you to cross check the Bat-computer for any multi-millionaires or billionaires who have gone missing over the last two weeks."
"Checking now sir…...Ah yes, here it is. One name, sir. It's-oh my."
"Alfred?"
"One Oliver Queen, sir. Has not been seen since the, well, the day of the League's disappearance."
"Thanks, Alfred." Dick heard a police siren whizz by the apartment building, and without hesitation sped out the window, and rappelled across the street with his grapple gun. Tuning in, the police frequency brought him up to speed. Another armed robbery, followed by grand theft auto. Another run of the mill crime, but one he should be dealing with nonetheless. Still, he couldn't help, but think of Star City being without The Green Arrow. It made him wonder who else was taken, and in what other ways Earth was vulnerable to invisible threats.