Aunt Caryl had decided to take some time off and spend it with her family inside the girl's hotel room. She especially wanted to check on Kim. After all, she did seem a bit dazed at the table back at Le Bernardin; they did just meet one of the world's brightest philanthropists, Bruce Wayne and his assistant Ben. Kim had Ben stuck in her mind, he was so quick; it was a blur to her as he caught the poor waitress at the last possible second. She couldn't believe it almost, even as she fought Shego, she was able to perfectly see her glowing claws coming at her. Ben was a sophisticated combination of both focused and quick. Her mind pushed those thoughts aside as she watched her mother and Aunt Caryl have a usual sister-to-sister conversation. Especially after Ann tried to get her sister to try and connect with Bruce.
"Ann I can't believe you did that…" Aunt Caryl said, angry with her sister's mischievous smile and past actions.
"What? Bruce would be the ultimate catch for you, he's handsome, a billionaire, Single! You always did go for guys like him when we were growing up!" She replied.
"And like he doesn't already have thousands of women at his feet begging for him to notice him. no thank you, I don't wanna have to grovel to get a man." Aunt Caryl explained.
Kim understood, especially after Caryl's last relationship. She tried to pay no attention to the conversation, her thoughts dwindled on how much lying she had to do just now. Lying to Ron about how dangerous Black Mask must have been, or how she lied to her mother about how deep in corruption she was in and none of it her fault. She was completely caught off guard by her Aunt's sudden actions.
"Oh! Okay Ann then maybe James can reach out to Bruce and I can go out with him, and on the flip side your daughter," she said, now pulling Kim into the conversation with a big smile and Kim now under her arm. "Can go with his Assistant Ben!"
"W-What?! Aunt Caryl no! He is way too old for me!" Kim protested with her face blushing red.
"Oh I don't know Kimmie, it helps to have a boyfriend with a job like that." Kim's face darted towards her mother who gave a sly wink to her sister. James had a much different opinion.
"Kim, that boy must be in his mid-twenties, and I will not allow you to date anyone that much older than you."
"Thank you, Dad," Kim replied.
She was never a fan of her father's restrictions on dating any boys back home, but for once she actually agreed with him. He was right, Ben was way too old for her to be dating, and she didn't like the idea of a boyfriend that hardly had any time to be with her. Not to mention it would be considered illegal. The tweebs didn't help at all either as they did their classic chant to annoy Kim.
"Oh~ Kim and Ben, sitting in a tree… K, I, S, S..." Kim immediately stormed towards Jim and Tim before they were saved by Ron who couldn't help but chuckle at the whole thing. Which he immediately regretted following Kim's glare darting right towards his eyes. Even Aunt Caryl and Ann had a giggle about the whole farce. Though sadly it all ended with a swift phone jingle in Caryl's purse. Kim noticed and saw something odd, Caryl's facial expression wasn't upset like the last time she was called, and she smiled. The jingle was a nice tune, sounding much more positive, rather than her annoying home phone ringing. She observed the phone's contact and answered, she tapped the on speaker button on her screen and a strong, stern voice came on.
"Good Afternoon Captain Gordon," she replied. Kim and Ron's attention immediately spiked as they listened in, could it have been the same Captain Gordon that helped her get vacation pay?
"Good Afternoon Caryl, did you have a good lunch with your family?"
"I sure did, I suggested Le Bernardin and-"
"Le Bernardin!? That restaurant is crazy expensive! You must have paid an arm and a leg for that food. You couldn't have gone to a good steak house?" Captain Gordon immediately interrupted.
"Don't sweat it, Gordon. It was all paid for."
"Who is crazy enough to pay for a family at that place?"
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." She boasted.
"Try me," Gordon replied.
"It was Bruce Wayne! He and his assistant Ben sat with us for a short while. He is actually really nice and nothing like anyone would have expected him to be." as the phone went silent for a second, Kim couldn't help but smile. Gordon finally spoke.
"Wow… better count your blessings Caryl, hardly anyone gets close to Bruce Wayne." Caryl couldn't help but grin slyly which didn't last long, as she was about to learn the nature of the call.
"Unfortunately I'm not calling about anything positive. We've been summoned at Blackgate." The smile instantly faded from Caryl's face, turning into a furious glare. Her teeth instantly showed and her hand balled into a fist. Kim and Ann both looked down at the cell phone with a similar stare.
Commissioner Loeb was being seriously inconsiderate, and whatever they were paying her was not compensating for the unfair treatment Caryl was getting. Ron could see this anger in Kim's eyes and looked concerned as well. He never saw Kim this angry, not sense he signed her up for the talent show a while back. The two women were about to explode as Caryl's fuse ran out first.
"That son of a bitch! I specifically told him not to call me today as it was my family's last goddamn-" Gordon cut her off, right before Kim and Ann were about to jump in on the call.
"Caryl, we have another victim from the brutal beatings. I will meet you there." Gordon then hung up leaving an awkward silence. Caryl's eyes widened and looked towards her family a bit upset now. Ann saw this as well and she then exchanged eye contact with James. Kim then calmed down as well. What beatings were going on in Gotham? Caryl sighed softly with her eyes closed looking at the ground a bit depressed, facing a new reality.
"Damn… I'm sorry Ann, but this is a private matter for the city of Gotham, something I can't overlook if we are to turn this city around for the better." Ann just smiled and nodded. Taking Caryl back for a bit.
"No it's fine, besides we should get the kids packing as well, we both have work the day after tomorrow and James definitely needs to tell the board about Mr. Wayne." Ann placed a kiss on her husband's cheek.
Kim's mind went racing. She wanted to help her Aunt get out of the situation with Commissioner Loeb and Black Mask. While it may not be an instant cure to this conundrum, it surely will get her close to the source and she was used to supervillains, Loeb isn't the problem however, Black Mask is. Kim never did get the full picture of how bad Gotham's fall to crime really was. Now it was finally starting to come from the shadows. Her emerald eyes darted to Caryl and finally, she took a deep breath, uttering her words.
"Aunt Caryl, I want to go."
This took the whole room in shock. Caryl and Ann's eyes both darted towards Kim's. Ron even looked at her with a quizzical look and Rufus shot out of his pocket looking at Kim funny. Kim stood her ground, her confident stare towards the older women of the room. Caryl ran her hand through her short brown hair. Sighing a bit at the sudden turn of events. The silence burned at Kim's skin, she desperately wanted an answer. Aunt Caryl's uneasy voice came finally from her lips.
"Kim, I'm not too sure that's a good idea. I'd rather you not get involved with something as dangerous as-"
"Aunt Caryl, I help out people across the world on a daily basis. Stopping Bad Guys is what Ron and I do, and not just any old robbers and thieves, Super baddies that want to take over the world. This is no sweat Aunt Caryl, I can do anything!"
Kim held a lot of faith in that final monolog. Hoping that what the world already knows of her can help her get Aunt Caryl's trust. Ron then stood next to her with a regular confident stare, wanting nothing more but to help her, as any good sidekick would. Kim held her breath as she waited. Caryl finally spoke looking towards her mother.
"Well, Ann?" All eyes darted towards Ann as she just smiled a bit. Her calm voice answering the question.
"Alright Kim, just be careful as always."
Kim took a breath of relaxation as her mother approved of her little side quest. Ron smiled as well, seeing Kim now relaxed and having the strain off her shoulders. Caryl then started to pack a small leather satchel that matched her dress as it was both dinner and work-appropriate in style. Which led Kim to think of something along with the whole escapade, and asked Ron the question.
"Uh Ron, did you happen to pack your mission clothes, Ron?" Ron's eyes went wide as he did not keep eye contact with her.
"I didn't think we would be going on any missions, so I left it at home."
"Oh Ron, looks like you're stuck with that until we get home." Kim sighed as she placed her hand on her forehead.
Caryl couldn't help but let out a small giggle as she saw Ron's unfortunate decision come back to haunt him. Her giggles changed into a stern and commanding tone, however.
"Be ready in 15 minutes, understand?" The crime-fighting duo looked towards her and nodded.
"I'm ready for anything Aunt Caryl. So bring it on." Kim boasted. She thought to herself as she opened up her bag to find her black crop top and cargo pants folded up and ready with her belt. She felt that she was what this city could possibly need. Do a bit of crime-fighting here herself while she had the opportunity. Kim had moved past everyone to change in the bathroom and got dressed into her mission clothes.
Taking a deep breath she stared at herself in the mirror. This image was so familiar, but the environment wasn't, making her feel a bit uncomfortable and regretful that she just put her Aunt in the spotlight like that. Kim shook those thoughts off by remembering just what her aunt is trapped in. She needs to help her in any way she can. Hopefully, she can convince the commissioner to change his ways and find a way to beat Black Mask once and for all. It may be harder than anything she has faced yet, but she has dealt with doomsday devices on a weekly basis, this was no big. She might be exactly what this city needs.
Ben had been rubbing the scar on his leg for a while after he got back to the Manor. It never really itched as bad as it was today. Normally it would itch for only a few short minutes every few days or weeks, but now it was tingling constantly. His fingernails continued to scratch against his suit pants.
Alfred had just returned to the kitchen from the garage, walking in slowly as he kept his straight face. He started to cook up a small dinner platter for Ben. Grilled Chicken with fresh fruits and steamed vegetables. Alfred has always been a friend of Ben even though through his old age he had taken care of both Bruce and himself when they were young. Alfred saved his life, after all, it's the least he could do.
"Thank you, Alfred, that looks exquisite as always!"
"You're Welcome, Master Ben. I trust you will have a busy evening as well? I shall have your breakfast ready when you get home. Your favorite of course."
"Yes, your Mother's recipe on drop scones is just amazing. I guess you can say me and the old man are a lot alike huh?" Ben proclaimed as Alfred just served Ben his platter. The fresh smell digging into Ben's nostrils. He always ate, while Bruce hardly ever did. Most of their dinners were between Alfred and Ben alone, the two were awfully close. This is what aided Alfred in his clever retort.
"Why yes, you both come home in the early hours of the morning only to get 2-3 hours of sleep, run a multi-billion dollar company, and by some miracle you both are in peak physical condition to be doing what you both do. At least you have some sense of social life. You do remind me much of your father as his younger self, and yet you're adopted." Alfred said with a grin.
"Now that's cold," Ben replied, looking towards Alfred with a cocked eyebrow and a grin equal to that of his own.
Alfred returned to the sink to clean up his mess of making dinner while Ben chowed down. He couldn't help but keep looking out the manor window towards the city, with the Wayne Enterprises tower right in the dead center of the view. The sunset of dusk's beautiful glow overtook the city skies. The sun slowly started to fade along with the food on Ben's plate. The grin turned into a stern cold stare as he counted down the seconds to where the sun would reach half point. Illuminating itself upon the water. Alfred caught the sun's reflection from a nearby stainless steel fridge and looked over his shoulder staring at Ben, plate cleaned off as he too caught himself staring out to the water of Gotham. He approached Ben with a glass of fresh water and took the plate, noticing that Ben drank all of the water with one go.
Thanking Alfred afterward, he got up and slowly went to the study room, arguably the most popular room in the whole Manor. He stopped in front of the Grandfather clock, observing its pendulum swing from left to right. Ben opened the glass case and placed his hands on the face of the clock. His pointer finger moved the big hand two hours ahead to 10 and the little hand to 30 minutes ahead to the number 47. The clock read 10:47 P.M. causing the clock to slide to the left, revealing a hidden passageway with a flight of stone carved stairs, leading down deeper into a cavern. Ben and Alfred followed that stairwell down as their voices echoed throughout the cavern.
"You're starting the night off early," Alfred commented, his old British accent echoed throughout the cave causing a few chirps of bats that hung from the wall. They used to terrify Ben, now they don't even faze him. Several bats flew past the two men, one nearly attacking Ben. He let the creature throw its fit and fly off undeterred by its movements, not even blinking.
"I feel the need to do a bit more tonight Alfred. Gotham's still got those petty thugs and criminals running around at night. Not to mention Bruce thinks that I'm not fully ready yet to take on the responsibilities he once did several years ago."
"Master Bruce believes that you still need more time training to harness and sharpen your skills. We both are impressed at the progress you've made." Ben was annoyed by Bruce, and Alfred who both believed that he needed more time to train. He had already dedicated 4 years of training to be doing what Bruce once told him as a child was, 'overtime work back in town'.
They finally entered the end of the tunnel, the stairway taking a sharp right, and inside was a massive cave. A hard steel floor surrounding both men accompanied by a series of large supercomputers with their screens fixed together side by side were at the room's center. Followed by a small series of other rooms that were behind the computer and fanned out with walls. Each part of this massive cave could be seen from one room to another. Below the computer was a forensics laboratory that was tidy. From the right to the massive computer was a small dojo with mannequins, monster tires, weights, a treadmill, a plethora of gymnastics and stealth equipment, and a targeting range.
Above the computer to its left was a massive hole leading out from a waterfall where a small black jet with its wings pointing forward and its long nose captured the most attention of its appearance. There was a massive gaping hole in the midst of the main room as the computer sat next to the hole leading to the cave's ground near a running river. Right above that was a room with a stretcher with medical tools and supplies.
Ben had to admit the cave was vast and it was constructed by Bruce's ancestors for escaped slaves to hide and retreat from the world back in the 1700s. This place was once an Aladdin's Cave of Wonders for Ben, now it was his home, his workshop, his gym, his place of inspiration. The bats continued to chirp about the cave as the running water was also echoing throughout the area.
Alfred looked worried as Ben approached a small portion of the room, as two sliding panels separated in opposite directions. A small capsule pod arose from the ground with a small whirring sound. It was sleek and silver as it was much larger than Ben, though not gargantuan. His dark brown eyes darted right for the seam of the doors where they started to part slowly. Steam poured out of the pod as its doors opened and revealed a glass case that opened up as well with nothing but a costume inside.
The costume was a union suit that bore a black and gray theme. The whole suit in general was designed originally to be used in the military, a survival suit for high defense and maximum comfort. Though it lacked mobility when he first wore it, causing Ben to completely redesign it and had some of those features removed after his first test run. Its main two components were a skin-tight leather suit with hardpoints, salvaging the weather tech from the original design. The weather tech was built in to stabilize the human body's temperature in extreme conditions.
The outer layer consists of a hard armor plating that was inspired by medieval knights and crusaders from the dark ages. It was mostly kevlar with an outer metal layer that was both light and effective at allowing for maximum movement and defense for his torso. The same metal was covering his shoulder blades and in his back concealing a body zipper that the automatic armor conceals and re-seals back into place. Though only bits of kevlar were on the upper legs and arms.
The same black and gray armor pieces continued to the shins and feet where high armored boots ended the union suit to the ground. The gauntlets were decked out in this armor as well with fins that extruded with a curve at the length of the middle finger, not to mention incredibly sharp. They were folded back and could extend forward for offensive and defensive capability and doubled their size. On the left gauntlet was a forearm tablet that was linked to many of his devices that Ben could use. The cape fell behind the suit flowing freely but was much more than just a massive sheet of fabric. It was kevlar woven with micro tech that allowed itself to harden into a glider and form wings. When putting this massive suit on, it can roll into the shoulder armor above the zipper for easy access.
The cowl was that of a motorcyclist's helmet with two sharp ears pointing upward and slightly curving forward. It prioritized mobility and was nowhere near as bulky as a helmet and while merely a mask, it had many different capabilities that were essential. Such as the heads-up display or H.U.D. It was the only part of the suit that needed to be manually put on as it rests on the back neck armor following the spine. The neck was slightly armored to protect his vital arteries though allowed free movement and connected beautifully to the cape on the shoulders.
The dark golden belt around the waist had multiple shaped pouches of cylinders, boxes, and clamps for holding a plethora of tools. Then there was Ben's favorite part, the iconic bat symbol on his chest where its wings flared upward slightly and extruded with a beautiful curve that made the sharped box-like head of the bat and its pointed ears stand out. If there were any flaws to the suit there was only one, he was screwed if his scar on his leg started to itch.
Ben entered the pod before it swiftly closed with an audible 'hiss'. Alfred watched and gulped anxiously, he had seen this transformation many times over but never got used to it. It was only a minute later that the pod opened once more. A transformed Ben walked out with the armored suit now fully attached to his body. This transformation scared Alfred, but he never showed his fear, as Bruce managed that years ago. With loud low booming clip-clops from his armored boots and shin guards, Ben emerged from the pod. The suit had attached to his body and in his now heavily armored palms were his clothes all neatly folded.
Alfred was able to do the math from past experiences. 2 minutes to strip down and fold all his clothes with his shoes neatly placed on top, 15 seconds for Ben to step into the suit, have it on, and unmasked. Once either of the men was inside the pod they were no longer Bruce & Benjamin Wayne… they became the Batman.
Ben had placed his clothes in the pod allowing it to shut as he walked away and allowed the pod to submerge back into the floor. He walked past Alfred towards the massive supercomputer that flashed the words.
"BAT COMPUTER ONLINE… VOICE RECOGNITION REQUIRED."
There were three passcodes that all were vastly different, not by words, but by voice and tone. Ben walked closer toward the large chair and pushed it aside letting it slowly roll to the left and spoke calmly. His voice slightly echoing into what they both along with Bruce called, the Bat-Cave.
"Michael, Cadence, Dunbar."
With those words, the screen flashed a bright neon electric blue and opened up a map of Gotham and many other windows. Such as Police Scanner, Climate, Objectives, Etc. The objective window was the first Ben had his eyes on and growled as it was empty. Normally it would have green lights with written tasks that needed to be completed and linked directly into his H.U.D but no objectives meant free roam crime-fighting. That should never happen in Gotham, there is always something going on. Whether it was a drug deal or weapon smuggling, the City of Gotham had something rotting inside her 24/7. Alfred then walked up behind Ben looking at the screen as well as the layout of Gotham. Ben heard his first step and even his quiet sigh.
"You are handling this new assignment fairly well. It looks like you've hit all of Black Mask's major drug sites, though the police are still considering you as a threat." Alfred commented.
Bruce originally said no to Ben helping him become Batman years ago. But persistency and a certain night stroll that forced Bruce's hand made him train Ben for 4 years as his apprentice. Originally they had agreed that Bruce will take on any major updates on the Crime bosses and Ben will do a standard clean-up of crime. Mugging's, break-ins or robberies, even gun violence. But Black Mask was recently behaving oddly and Ben convinced Bruce that he was ready to take a go at him, so far no major leads were coming up. But a certain mouthy individual was captured by the GCPD recently.
"They always will Alfred, until they root out the crooked cops from the real officers. I'm headed to Blackgate, going to chat with one of Black Masks goons." Ben pressed a few keys on the Bat-Computer and a new objected popped up reading
"Interrogate Black Mask Informant… Objectives Updated."
He then began to walk in a quick manner to the bat-shaped plane above them that was called the Bat-Wing. Pressing one button on his forearm pad, the Bat-Wings engines fired up. Its engines bent down and kept at a constant thrust to enter a small vertical takeoff state or V.T.O.L for short. The strong winds caused Ben's cape to fly behind him wildly. Alfred then attempted to speak above the jet engines.
"You may need to part ways from Bruce in this field and try and incorporate the authorities as an-" Ben immediately snapped back at Alfred interrupting. Alfred never wanted to admit it but when that suit was on, whoever it be Bruce or Ben, it changed them.
"Alfred the GCPD are just as bad. They are as bad as the crooks that they, no, I put behind bars. In this town, the law and a few signatures from Gotham's government are nowhere near as effective, or as fast, as fear and a good pair of fists. That's why Gotham's crime is plummeting during the night and is trying unsuccessfully hard to continue in broad daylight." Ben snapped.
The cockpit of the Bat-Wing opened as the engines reached their constant velocity. Waiting for Ben to jump in and set a flight course. He was prepared to jump in before Alfred interrupted.
"Master Ben, you are still young as a man with much to learn, and I hate to ask you this and pinch a nerve, but with that state of mind, what makes you different from the officers you claim to be corrupt?" Ben's head swung right to Alfred, his eyes gleaming with anger, but kept calm as he approached his lifelong friend. It was surprising to Alfred how quick Ben fired back. The anger behind his voice was that of Bruce's, almost as if they were one and the same.
"It's because unlike them, I can't be swayed by money, sex, drugs, or alcohol. Like justice I am a one-way street, you break the law you pay the price. As long as criminals in the city remain cowardly and superstitious I can clean those city streets. Why? Because if a criminal tries to rob, rape, or even kill someone under the thick of night, back then they were never scared of cops anymore. Now that criminal hesitates and looks behind their shoulders constantly because I could be right behind them! I'm their worst nightmare! I am what this city needs; I am Gotham's Dark Knight!"
Ben then jumped right into the cockpit landing perfectly in the seat of the Bat-Wing as the glass closed, silencing the outside world; he looked towards Alfred as they shared an uncomfortable moment of eye contact. After a few more button presses, Ben grasped the flight controls. The Bat-Wing turned 180 degrees towards the mouth of the waterfall, he pushed the engine throttle to full power, flying right out of the Bat-Cave and off into the Gotham night sky. Alfred then watched saddened by the turn of events letting the Bat-Wing take off and looked at his watch reading 8:28 P.M. He then sat down at the Bat-Computer awaiting Ben or Bruce's voice.
"Okay, Wade. How much dirt can you dig up on Bruce Wayne?"
"Kim I'm appalled that you don't know much about him, though I'm shocked that you guys actually got to sit down and talk to the guy."
Kim had contacted Wade in the taxi as Aunt Caryl, Ron, and herself wanted to do a bit of research, to Aunt Caryl it was for fun and possibly an opportunity to tease Kim about Ben a little more. Ron knew exactly why, Kim was still skeptical that Bruce was corrupt and was trying to find any kind of dirt on his perfect reputation. Wade then got some information that wasn't too important to Kim.
"Bruce Wayne is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wayne Enterprises. The company is renowned worldwide, works around the clock to help aid any or all individuals in Gotham, and provides a better future as a whole for the city itself. He is considered to be the 6th richest man in the world as well as one of the most highly respected men in the country." Pictures of Bruce flashed on her small screen. Most of him in the same suit he wore today and others with him standing at a podium with adoring crowds cheering with him waving back. Flashing the same smile he did today.
"Wade I kind of already figured that out today at lunch, anything more, you know juicy?" Kim just grunted.
"Let me get back to you and dig up some real dirt," Wade said as he disconnected. Ron looked over her shoulder still in his outfit from when they went out to lunch while Kim was in her mission clothes. Aunt Caryl wore a black short dress that hugged her waist and ruffled out towards her knees. The taxi driver was able to drive through the city of Gotham with relative ease.
As he pulled up to Gotham Harbor a small boat was prepped with Blackgate in its sights. Kim noticed a square building out in the distance. It was on a secluded island with no road access, no roads, no bridges, just one little island to hold some of Gotham's worst. Kim looked towards Aunt Caryl with a puzzled look as she was paying the taxi driver in cash. As she approached the group Rufus looked out of Ron's pocket puzzled, as the lighthouse of Blackgate whose bright illumination rotated around the waters of the island. Ron then beat her to the question.
"Um… Miss Caryl, are we going to be riding on the boat?"
"Yes Ron, There are only two ways to get into Blackgate, by boat or by helicopter, and they're not on the island for long, once you're on the island you're stuck there until they arrive on an hourly schedule, though they mostly arrive upon request of the employee's." There was an officer standing by the boat off the docks. Wearing a standard blue uniform with hardly any badges of rank, though he had the GCPD gold standard badge on his right side. His hazel eyes watched as the group exited the taxi. He cocked an eyebrow as he stared at the two kids and looked back at Aunt Caryl, he then returned to his original pose as he put the pieces together in his head. The Officer then lifted his cap from his short blonde hair and nodded to Caryl. Kim felt a little bit easy meeting her first good encounter with a Gotham Police Officer. After everything she heard about them, they couldn't be trusted. The police officer then spoke with a calm deep soft voice.
"Good Evening Dr. O'Malley. Didn't you say that you were taking off tonight?"
"Yes Officer Kerman, but we both know how Commissioner Loeb is. Plus we have another beaten victim."
"No way? Care to share who it was?"
"That's confidential."
"Oh." Officer Kerman sighed as he stepped aside to let the three passengers step into the boat. Kim and Ron sat comfortably on the other side of Aunt Caryl, as Officer Kerman revved the boat engines on and they made way for Blackgate. Kim and Ron huddled together to continue having their conversation with Wade. Caryl and Officer Kerman were exchanging talks about work and later stopped. Aunt Caryl then proceeded to jot down a few notes on her small notepad and pen. Kim was practically on the edge of her seat as Wade continued to scan and type looking for any sort of dirt on Bruce, but what about Ben?
"Okay, I'm pretty sure there isn't a bad bone in Bruce's body," Wade said. Kim rolled her eyes.
"Oh come on wade, 6th Richest man in the world, there's gotta be something." She requested.
"Well sadly when Bruce Wayne was just 8 he saw his parents Thomas & Martha Wayne be shot in killed in an alley called Park Way in Gotham. It's now dubbed Crime Alley and the event even gained the name the Wayne Murders. At that point, Bruce Wayne was an orphan and was then taken under the care of the family Butler Alfred Pennyworth." Wade replied.
He shared a photo of what was the Wayne family before the Wayne Murders. The photo showed a tall man resembling bruce with a large mustache and short black hair wearing a large office coat. Standing next to him was a beautiful short blonde-haired woman wearing a pearl necklace around her neck along with her white fur coat. In between the two of them was a small young boy who was wearing a children-sized suit with short black shorts, all three of them were beaming smiling having a wonderful time in the snow. Another photo was shown with Alfred's portrait, showing him to be standing tall and straight appearing as professional as possible. It was the same man she saw by the limo that picked up Bruce and Ben earlier this afternoon, though he was much younger in the photo. Kim felt awful now. Bruce was all alone essentially when that happened, with no family to go home to. Kim couldn't imagine going home to her own house without her mother and father, not even the tweebs there to greet her. Just the house all to herself until she grew up.
"Wade, look up Bruce's assistant, Ben? See if you can find anything." Kim was interrupted by Ron showing his usual cocky yet dense attitude. He sat back with one arm on the head of the booth he was sitting on and the other moving about with his body language. Kim was not a fan of Ron's more dense side. Even Rufus gave him a puzzled look as he heard what Ron said.
"Kim, we're not going to find anything on Bruce if we have Wade look up his secretary, intern… whatever Ben is. It's not like they're related in any way. Oh, Wade see if you can find the nearest Bueno Nacho I'm starving!" Rufus jumped in joy at Ron's comment, if there was any way to get Ron to do practically anything, it was bargaining with 2 chimirito's and a naco from his favorite fast food joint.
"Ron! Trying focus on getting information on both Bruce Wayne and Ben!"
"Kimmie, I told you I can get his digits. If you really want me to, we can go by Wayne Enterprises tomorrow and-" Aunt Caryl held an evil sarcastic sly grin on her face as she saw Kim's face turn red with both anger and embarrassment, even Ron backed off a bit. The uneasy feeling was instantly slaughtered with Wade's comment.
"You mean Bruce's illegitimate son?"
"What?!" All three said that word as Wade's statement sank in.
Aunt Caryl even dropped her pad and pen she was jotting down notes in. Kim's eyes along with Ron's practically were glued to the screen. Wade then pressed a single key to flash a few short pictures of Ben which mostly consisted of him accompanying Bruce by his side with the Wayne Enterprises. There were other shots of him as well jogging down the street, talking to a few girls in Gotham who were obviously trying their best to woo him. Wade had the group's full attention as he spoke.
"Yep. Benjamin Cadence Wayne was adopted at the age of 8 by Bruce after they found him traveling the Wayne Manor property alone with a bloody right leg in the cold of December. He is 25 and now helps run Wayne Enterprises with Bruce. According to the report his parents perished in a car accident, after a month of living at Wayne Manor, no one came forth and claimed Ben. Bruce took it upon himself and adopted him in, and raised him as his own with the help of Alfred. After that they seem to be incapable of evil, these guys are clean." Kim just sighed in defeat.
"Thanks, Wade. Just shoot back if you find anything else." With the transmission end, Kim and Ron looked at each other for a second. When Bruce and Ben were together they acted as if they were completely unrelated. They acted professionally, like Co-workers even. Kim just recollected her thoughts for a bit; she didn't even notice that they had arrived. Officer Kerman killed the engines and parked the boat next to the dock. Officer Kerman only said one clear thing with disdain in his voice.
"We're here."
