Batman stood and found a shadow of his own to blend in with. He'd watch this exchange; if he didn't like the direction it was taking he'd correct it.
Lawrence James entered the apartment muttering. "Stupid bitch, thinks she can force me out of the fucking company I've been running. Thinks she can do it alone. She'll see, then she'll come running back to Larry."
Batman could smell the alcohol wafting off the man stumbling around. "Yeah, then she'll be giving me what I want. The only thing women are good for." The woman chose that moment to step out of hiding.
"Now, now Mr.James, that kind of talk is what earned you a visit from me." her voice whispered along Batman's nerve endings. There was something different in her voice, something extra, something he couldn't put a name to, but he could see it caused fear in James. "You've been a bad boy Lawrence."
"Wh-who are you?" he whined.
"You may call me The Seer. I see everything you know. I've seen what you think, what you've done." she circled around the frightened man, using her mind to instill terror. "I'm the whisper in the back of your mind that tells you you'll get caught. I've seen what you did to Shelly Carpenter, Renee Binton, Debra Windles, there are even more, shall I go on?"
"No." he whispered. "you're lying!"
"I saw what you intend to do to Calliope Hughes Mr. James. Tsk tsk. Civilized people don't imagine carving up pretty girls with a box cutter, do they Mr. James."
At her words a high pitched sound came out of James throat. "How did you know…"
"I told you I SEE ALL." she stepped closer to him; her voice raising. Like a wild animal, the abundance of fear was starting to enrage him. "Ahhh, you're getting angry. You want to hit me, don't you Lawrence, hurt me? How dare a woman speak to you like this? Just shut the woman up, so she can't say anything else." As the thoughts flowed into his head, she gave voice to them. Suddenly, he jumped at her, swinging, she moved just in time, and he missed. He fell to the ground at her feet. That's when he noticed Batman in the corner. His eyes widened even more. "Yes, I see you've seen I'm not your only visitor this evening Lawrence. You've been a bad boy to get two such fearsome creatures tapping on your window." She crouched in front of his cowering body.
Lawrence scrambled away from the two. Batman didn't move from his spot. "Don't let her hurt me." he whimpered looking at the imposing figure.
"She hasn't touched you yet." he told the man tonelessly.
"I'm going to be watching you Lawrence James. The next time I see your poisoned thoughts drifting on the wind into my view, I'll return, and won't be quite as pleasant. Do you understand?" She said, lifting his chin to her with one gloved finger.
He looked up into the golden face with glowing symbols. She brought her face very close to his and whispered one word. "Sleep." She barely had to concentrate before he fell into a deep sleep.
"What did you do to him?" Batman asked harshly moving towards them.
The Seer stepped back towards the door to the balcony, as Batman bent to check on the sleeping man. "I sent him to his dreams. A place where we should all be right now. Dreams that will show him what could happen if he doesn't change his ways. I told you I wouldn't harm him, and he is unharmed. You'll find I keep my word." When he looked back she was gone.
Batman left shortly after.
Bruce was doing his morning regimen of push ups when Alfred entered with his protein shake. They hadn't spoken much when Bruce had returned from his evening 'constitutional', but Alfred could tell that he was brooding about something.
"Last night I met the person who took out Greco." Bruce said abruptly.
"Really, sir? Did you get into fisticuffs with the gentleman?" he asked slightly intrigued.
"No. I generally try not to hit women, although I'm sure there's an exception out there."
"A woman sir?"
Bruce stood up, drinking the shake. "Yes, a woman. She was there to deal with Lawrence James. Said he had a long history of abusing women, he didn't exactly deny it. Also said he was planning on doing something pretty bad to Calliope." Bruce's eyes narrowed at the memory.
"That's horrible, Master Bruce. Such a lovely girl." Alfred said, deeply offended by the thought.
"Don't worry Alfred, nothing will happen to Calliope. Even if this 'Seer' isn't able to stop it, I will."
"Very good sir." Alfred said with a knowing smile. "She calls herself Seer?"
"The Seer." Bruce went on to describe the woman's costume, and the effects she seemed to be able to accomplish with James. "She must have some type of drug that causes mind control, or something?"
"But then, how did she know all of the information regarding Mr. James extracurricular activities?" Alfred asked.
"I don't know. And she never once tried to use any of it on me. I have a feeling I'll be running into her again. As for Calliope, I think I'm going by Hughes Labs today to check up on things, and make sure Lawrence is on his way out."
Callie looked at the numbers in front of her on her way to Lab 3. She wore her customary work attire of slacks, today they were black, and a short sleeved butter cream-yellow blouse. Black loafers adorned her feet, and she wore a white lab coat to protect her clothing. She'd pulled her hair into a loose ponytail to keep it out of her face, and protective goggles hung around her neck. This morning when she'd woken up she'd noticed how the bruise on her wrist had blossomed into color in deep blues and purples. Callie had been slightly surprised not realizing how hard he'd actually grabbed her the day before. She opened the door to Lab 3 and entered. These days she spent half the day doing administrative work, but she still tried to get into the labs and play as much as she could. Callie was a science nerd. Mixing, experimenting; that's where her passions lay. She did the paperwork, and attended the meetings that came with owning the company, but she'd rather play with chemicals, humane genes, and run tests any day.
She had just prepared a sample of Lotus-Killer to put into the analyzer when the intercom to her right came to life. "Ms. Hughes." The security guards voice squawked. She sighed setting down the sample, and pushing the talk button.
"Yes?" she asked with infinite patience.
"There's a Mr. Wayne here to see you." The disembodied voice answered back.
"I'll be right there." Callie put the sample in an airtight casing so as not to destroy or contaminate it. She then headed for the front of the complex. She'd left explicit instructions that Bruce Wayne could be admitted at any time he chose. Sighing with annoyance, and some excitement which she chose to ignore, she wondered why they had disregarded those instructions.
Hughes Labs was located in a large building her parents had originally built, and was then rebuilt after the explosion. It was a four story complex made up of mostly scientific laboratories. There were administrative offices on each floor, as well as training areas, and conference rooms. The areas that Callie thought of as her own were on the first level, and that was where she'd be researching Lotus-Killer.
Callie rounded the corner to find herself face to face with Bruce. He was standing to the side of the security desk with his hands in his pockets. He was dressed in black slacks, and a cream colored button down shirt. She almost smiled at the fact their outfits were so matched. He was smiling at something the security guard was saying to him.
The security guard, Bill, was telling Bruce how happy he was that the high and mighty Mr. James wouldn't be with the company anymore. Bruce couldn't help but smile at the tone of the man's voice, which was old and leathery with something a little southern mixed in. He looked up to see Callie turn the corner, and felt his heart speed up.
She gave him a bright smile, and looked at Bill. "Bill, I told you Mr. Wayne could have access to the building?"
"I did Ms. Calliope…" the man begun.
Bruce stepped in smoothly, "He did, but I thought that since this was my first visit, maybe you'd have the time to escort me? If not I could make an appointment." He threw a wink at the old security guard.
"No, that's fine, I have plenty of time. I just didn't want you to think that I wasn't going along with the terms of our contract." She told him, noting the camaraderie already brewing between the two men.