Chapter 1: A Fool's Pride (1/3)

It was a rainy day in Gotham City, something that makes the already grim city look even grimmer. As both father and son looked through the windows of the car that Bruce was driving them to the press conference.

"Have you spoke to Dent about the properties?" Alan asked as he eat a chocolate cookies that Alfred made for him.

"Not yet, I'll meet him for lunch after the interview." Bruce replied while adjusting his tie. "I'll have to be suddle about this, or he will suspect."

"I hacked into the properties data and changed the previous owners into fake names before the GCPD made the same connection as I did, but we really need to discover what Blackmask want." Alan explained.

Is in those moments that Bruce appreciate Alan's help as it would have took him all night to do that due to the party he had to attend with Harvey. "Good job, but we need to be careful. Blackmask will probably attempt something soon."

Alan eat more of Alfred's cookies before offering one to Bruce. Bruce refused as he was not hungry. Alan then picked up his cell phone and put on headphones to hear music for the rest of the ride.

Bruce just kept on driving, looking the rain falling down at the windshield.

Alan Wayne:

I've become so numb

I can't feel you there

Become so tired

So much more aware

I'm becoming this

All I want to do

Is be more like me

And be less like you

Alan was listening closely to the song's lyrics until he felt a poke on his shoulder. It was his father signaling that they arrived.

He looked out of the car window to look for the stage of the interview. There was a giant advertisement for reforms on Blackgate Prison and Arkham Asylum, courtesy of Wayne Enterprises. Harvey Dent was on top of the stage wearing a white suit with a black shirt and a white tie.

His father was wearing his regular dark suit with a gray tie that Alfred picked.

While he was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a white tie. Also had his hair slicked on the side part.

"Let's get this over with." Alan spoke as he adjusted his tie.

Both father and son then left the car to be greeted by the press. It didn't took long for the journalists to start bombarding the two with questions.

Alan mostly ignored them but he could heard them asking things like. "Where has he been all this time?" Or "Who is the mother?" Which nobody in the world would be able to discover. Harvey looked a bit annoyed for being ignored so suddenly. But he could honestly not care less about it.

As they finally made their way to the stage, where Alan found himself a seat. Bruce finally spoke.

"Good evening everyone, especially you Mr. Dent." Alan observed as his father do his usual charming playboy act. How does he have such an easy time playing this facade, I'll never know.

"Good evening Mr. Wayne." Harvey replied with the same smile that he uses on his billboards for him campaign. "Sorry for starting without you, but I really wanted to get my point across." He said while grabbing the microphone. "Which is the necessary reforms in Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison, the lairs of Gotham's worst criminals."

Alan just sat there listening to Harvey's speech. If you're the only one who's gonna talk, why the hell did you drag father and I into this? He thought in a slight frustration due to feeling that he's wasting his time there.

Bruce just stood there as Harvey explains all of the reforms that he's planning for Arkham and Blackgate with Wayne Enterprises money.

Alan knows that his father will gladly provide the funds if it keeps the scum out of the streets.

He looks at the sky for bit, which showed no signs that the rain was gonna stop anytime soon. This is the types if days that Alan would rather be laying on his bed reading a good book or watching a movie on the movie theater on the manor.

He looked down again, back to the public. And noticed something. A man wearing a long coat, with hus hand on his pocket. It could be nothing but the man didn't look like a reporter to Alan.

Reaching down on his pocket, he picked his cell phone and decided to warn his father.

Alan: Longcoat. Left.

The moment Alan sent the message, his father instantly pick it up and saw it. He looked to the left and saw the man.

Father: Stay put.

He messaged back.

Alan obeyed his father and just kept on observing the man. Who started to approach the stage. This guy has to be a amateur. He thought as he observed.

His father was also observing, preparing himself to intervene. Alan did the same.

Until he feels his phone vibrate. He picks up again to check it out.

Father: Building, front.

Alan sees the message and checks the building in front of them in a suddle way. Only to see a small flash of light from one of the windows. Sniper? He looks at his father who just nodded, confirming Alan's suspicion.

"Any questions?" Harvey asked the reporters after he finished listing all of the changes.

"Mr. Dent, did your recent divorce had anything to do with your sudden candidature for mayor?" The reporter, Vicki Vale asked.

Harvey looked a bit annoyed but answered either way. "Certainly not." He put his hands on his father's shoulders. "My candidature was a suggestion made by my good friend and benefactor, Bruce Wayne."

Unknowingly for everyone, who were too focused on asking the questions to both his father and Harvey. Alan decided to use this oportunity to sneak out of there. It wasn't difficult, he just moved quickly to get behind the stage. Before making his way to the building where the sniper is in. Father can take care of the long coat guy, but we can't take chances with the sniper with no equipment. He thought as he passed through the reporters unnoticed.

Alan Wayne, quickly made his way to the floor where he saw the flash of light that usually signals a scope. It was on the fifth floor. He passed through several doors until he arrived at the one that the window belongs to. He picked up his Robin mask from his pock and messed his hair as he always does. Now, let's see who you are. He activated the Detective Vision on his mask.

Alan sees through the walls, his father's suspension was correct. It was a sniper. But not a particularly skilled one, as his heart beat is too accelerated. His rifle was a Dragunov sniper rifle. I have a feeling that he's not doing this for different political opinions.

Bruce Wayne:

"Wayne Enterprises are glad to invest on the progress and improvement of Gothan." Bruce spoke in the microphone. Not getting his attention off the man with the longcoat or the sniper that Alan went to check.

It could be Hill or Blackmask. Or both, because the dealings on the properties days away of the election can't be a coincidence. Bruce was thinking. As all of those dealings were way too clumsy, like they wanted to be caught.

Harvey picked up the mic again. "Now, any more questions?"

Suddenly only one person raised his hand. "I have one." Bruce prepared himself as the one who raised it, was the man with the Longcoat. "Do you have anything to say about the disappearance of Gilda Grace?"

Both Bruce and Harvey made extremely confused faces. Gilda Grace was Harvey's ex wife.

"What disappearance?" Harvey quickly asked.

"She was reported to have dissapered this morning." Bruce could tell that this man didn't really care about his answer. "Weren't the two of you having trouble in the court due to the divorce terms?"

"What are you insinuating?!" Harvey asked in a hostile tone as it felt like he was being accused of something.

(BANG!!!)

Before the conversation could continue, they all heard a gun shot coming from the apartment which Alan was gonna check. Dammit! Bruce thought in worry.

But while everyone was starting to create turmoil. The man who was asking Harvey the questions, pulls out a revolver from his pocket and aims at Harvey. Harvey is distracted trying to see where the gunshot came from.

"Watch out!" Bruce yelled to Harvey. Who turned around and saw the man aiming the gun at him.

Bruce acted quickly and grabbed one of the chairs and tossed into the man. The impact causes him to fall into the ground where Harvey kicked the revolver out of his hand, before subduing him.

Alan Wayne:

"Clumsy idiot."

It turns out that the door was open, so Alan sneaked inside. But while he was about to take the sniper down, he accidentally stepped on a loose board on the ground which made noise. And the amateur idiot turned around and shoot the rifle without aiming. Alan easily evaded the shot and hit him on the head with a bottle of Wiskey that was in top of a table.

I guess it's true, alcohol does knock you out. Alan comically thought. He then observed the bottle, which was half empty. This idiot actually drank? Seriously, what kind of amateur is this?

He then picked up his phone.

Alan: Amateur, out.

He sent it to his father to let him know he's okay.

Father: Longcoat, out.

Alan: Wait?

Father: Affirmative.

Alan then sat down on one of the chairs and waited for his father.