-1Dick Grayson
-Chapter 5-
Countdown (Part One of Two)
-Nine hours ago.-
Wayne Manor, the home to a billionaire bachelor, Bruce Wayne and his trusty man servant, Alfred Pennyworth.
Bruce sits in the living, reading the paper. A lick on the finger and Bruce flips to the next page, when Alfred walked in with a silver tray that was layered with food.
"Master Bruce, are you certain that you are making a wise decision?" Alfred placed the tray on top of a piano, standing in a fancy manner.
"Don't question me Alfred, especially now. I need to do this in order to take down Zucco. Its my fault that his parents died. Two good loving parents died, all because I didn't make certain that Zucco was dead." Bruce shuffled the newspaper and threw it on the table in front of him.
"Fine master Bruce, but just know that I warned you." Alfred marched out of the room. Bruce stood up and gazed out the window.
"If only there was another way I would forget this idea. But there's no other options that are open for me." a bat flew across the window as Bruce unclipped the curtains. The curtains fell swiftly on the glass on the glass window, covering any view that could be seen from outside.
-Five hours ago-
A punch, kick, swing, and crack is heard while others felt in a long thin back alley that was shrouded in darkness. A man in a long coat stood on top of a beaten man, while holding another by the neck.
"Where is he? Tell me and I wont crush that delicate windpipe of yours." the man in the coat squeezed tighter around the mans neck.
"Gah! I don't….gahg….I don't know who your talking about." the man squirmed. Trying to break free. But was no match of the coated mans strength.
"Dick Grayson, the boy who you couldn't kill. Where is the boy? I know you know where he is. So tell me and perhaps we can create some sort of deal."
"Yeah…well what kind of deal are we talking about here." the man gagged as the coated man threw him to the ground.
"A deal that allows you to live now and the boy to die tonight. How does that sound?" the coated man smirked and placed his hand in his coat.
"I guess that sounds good." the man sat up and took out a paper.
"Here, the address is there, but there's one more thing. I want the credit for offing the kid." the man smirked as the coated man took the paper.
"Don't worry, you receive all the credit and much more." the coated man pulled out a revolver and fired one shot at the man. A perfect headshot, a dead shot to be exact was the result of the fire.
"I said I'd allow you to live for now, which was two minutes ago fool. I work alone, always and forever." the coated man put his revolver away. Takes out a smoke and lights it. He inhaled the smoke and let out a puff of smoke as he walked away from the scene.
"I do hope this one is accurate this time……crap the suits should be coming soon. Eh, no matters, they wont dare point a gun at me if I'm caught at gun point" he spoke to himself as the sound of police sirens were heard from afar.
-Four hours ago-
A police van pulls up to Wayne Manor as Bruce Wayne made his way to the drive way. The commissioner Gordon stepped out of the van and walked up to Bruce Wayne.
"Good evening commissioner, was the drive alright?" Bruce extended his hand for a shake, as Gordon shook Bruces hand.
"Everything went along smoothly mister Wayne. We appreciate you doing this again Wayne. Trust that me and my men will perimeter the outside of your estate as much as we can. You and the boy will be safe as can be." the commissioner waved his hand as the back of the van was opened.
"Don't worry about it commissioner. I have more than enough qualifications to watch over the boy. He'll be in good hands staying here, and you watching out there." Bruce leaned his head to the side of the commissioner as Dick Grayson stepped out of the van.
"Oh, yes. Ehem, Dick Grayson, this is Bruce Wayne. He's the one who signed up to be your guardian for a while." the commissioner stepped back, allowing the two to communicate in some way.
"Hey there Dick, I hope the woods didn't scare the voice out of you." Bruce gave out a light laugh as he offered his hand to Dick. With a bright smile, that seemed more of a show than emotion.
"Hello mister Wayne." Dick shook Bruce's hand with his head tilted down. The commissioner handed Bruce a folder as the police van started up again.
"Everything that you need to know will be in this older mister Wayne. So good luck and be very careful with this child." the commissioner shook Bruce's hand.
"Don't worry commissioner, we'll be fine." Bruce smiled as the commissioner walked to the van. Quickly patting Dick's back as he passed by.
After all the police had left. Dick and Bruce stepped into the mansion. Everything was neat and tidy, no specks of dirt what so ever. Room after room was silent, cold and old looking. Bruce would smile from time to time at me. I would even look up at him at the corner of my eyes, and yet he was still smiling. I could tell…..I could tell that the smile was a lie. The smile, that same smile was marked on that gangsters face from that day. I hate him already, and its only been a few minutes. Just because of that smile. Why cant he be one of those grouchy rich people?
"Ehem, Dick, is there something bothering you? Bruce looked down as he neared a door and halted.
"No mister Wayne, every things perfectly fine." I kept my head down as he opened the door.
"I know this must be hard Dick. But in time the pain will cease to exist. " I tilted my head up at him as he showed a real face. The face of authority and control. A little scary even, I don't even know why I feel fear. Is it what he said that frightens me or is it just him I wonder?
"I'm sorry to leave you like this Dick, but something has come up and I must attend to it immediately. I promise we'll talk later. For now my butler will take care of you." he turned and rushed away. It must be his work. After all father once told me that rich people were always busy. Doing meetings here there, and ever where. The kind of job that my father has always pushed me to have. But I'm sad to say that he will never be able to see me when I grow older. don't worry father, if I make it through this, I promise to make you proud like you never thought you could. As I drifted into my bit of pride within my internal thoughts, a noise came from inside the room.
"My, you must be Richard Grayson, am I right?" said a butler who was cleaning a closet in the room that Bruce had left open for me.
"Yes mister. I am."
"Excuse mister Wayne, he's not too well with children. In time he will be able to speak with you one to one. He's just busy with all your papers and everything else." the butler closed the closet and stepped up to me.
"I am Alfred Pennyworth. I shall be the one who takes care of you. There are no nannies, cleaners, washers, gardeners, maids, or even assistants. For I do everything in this castle." Alfred offered his hand to me and I shook it. I glanced at the room, catching the smell of pineapple. The room was so quiet and friendly.
"Say, would you like some coco and cookies? I am known to make the finest delights during these kind of times."
"Times?….what kind of times?"
"Dear boy, I mean the winter time. I hope you weren't being…whats the word these days that youngsters use these days…..yes that's it conceded?"
"Yes I believe that is the word." I laughed a little as Alfred stepped in front of me and lead me down the dark halls and into the kitchen. It was so warm in there. The oven was already on, and the smell of cookies were already cooking.
"I hope you like chocalate chip. I was making a batch for master Bruce before you arrived."
"Mister Wayne eats cookies?"
"Why……. yes of course he does. Just because he's suit material doesn't mean that he doesn't eat cookies."
"Sorry. I just thought he drank or something like that."
"Heavens no! Bruce never drinks for pleasure if that's what your referring to young Richard."
"But I thought all old rich guys drink wine and all that?"
"Yes some do, but Bruce loves to be in control of his actions. He cant afford to do anything outrageous." Alfred gave out a light chuckle as he pulled the cookies out. The heat rising into the air, creating a small light fog lifted above Alfreds head.
This man, this old butler, I kind of like him. He's the second person to treat me like a normal person since the incident. Perhaps this may work out. But that voice in my head wont leave me alone. Why?, why do I have this guilt stabbing me in my chest. I did nothing wrong, and yet my mind and body are treating me like I have. Some how I should hopefully do something soon that will ease the pain and also allow me to live. If not…..if not then I have no reasons at all to go on anymore. I have no family, friends, or even a pet that would remember me.
As a boy stands in a room with an old man, a figure appears in the distance. A man in a large trench coat, shrouds himself with the darkness from the shadows that surrounded him in the forest. He carries a scope, bag, revolver to the side and a flask in front of him. He grabs his flask and swallows down some alcohol that lay inside the flask.
"Bingo, looks like I'll have to thank Zucco for having the right info this time. Guess its time for me to prepare myself for the next step of this operation. I'll be seeing you again soon kiddo and old guy. it's a shame I didn't catch a glimpse of Wayne though, I so would've taken a shot at that jackass. I still owe him for ruining my last mission that made me look like a fool to the underworld community. Payback time will be at hand soon enough though….don't worry dead, we'll make sure to get back on track" said the man to himself as he smiles under a mask that clouds his face. Walking away in a orderly manner. Leaving a cigarette on the floor that gave off the scent of death. Darkness began to cover the land above Wayne manor. Small raindrops dropping down all around with no reports of any rain befalling on any other parts of the city. A strange occurrence or is it something else? Something more deadly that could determine the outcome of a "mission".
