Castling Part 3

The Waynes filed out of their guest's room in sombre silence.

"Well… that was something."

Bruce looked at his dad, quipping sarcastically "Oh, so unapologetic egomaniacs of elitism looking to subjugate everyone is merely something now?"

"Be kind to your father - I think he ate up all the ice cream in the house."

"Quite right, although this might be the opportunity -"

"No Alfred! No homemade ice cream! You'd take out all the sugar and make it healthy somehow."

"Might I remind you Thomas, that you are, in fact, a surgeon."

Martha and Bruce let out identical sighs at the continued battle between Thomas and Alfred. They had all come away from that Park Row Alley with their own eccentricities , but for the most part, they were quirks, easily controllable.

Thomas Gabriel Wayne? Not so much.

Bruce's father's addiction to sugar had become something of a joke really. Everyone knew the surest place to find the eldest male Wayne was, well, by the dessert table. The lesser known fact was Alfred Pennyworth's ongoing fight to keep the eldest of his charges from developing diabetes.

Martha helped when she could.

Martha and Alfred shared a glance as he corralled Thomas towards the home gym. They would be speaking later. Thomas and Bruce may have forgotten at times that Alfred was not just their older brother-slash-uncle figure that sometimes does butler-y things, but she hadn't. She remembered that he was very much Ex-SIS.

That sort of background was really helpful when it came to managing crises . Which honestly seemed to be all they collectively seemed to do - manage whatever crisis they were currently in.

Bruce led her into the kitchen and brought down some tea.

"He never got anything to eat - I'll take him a tray."

"The Hot Cinnamon Spice mix is fresh."

"Great…" Bruce paused. "Mum, I know Alfred dug up that OutreachID that listed him as Rick Johnson but -"

"I was wondering if you noticed the timelines matched up."

"That's the boy we wanted to foster about 7 years ago, isn't it? After the Haley's Circus incident?"

"Alfred and I suspected that might be the case."

"And he's been subject to that for 7 years! It's amazing he's still got some principles! Let alone the capacity to break away and try to make some sort of stand for himself outside of those Owls!"

"Oh honey." Bruce might have had a foot on her but she was still able to gather him up in her arms. "That boy is something else. Something good. Just be there for him - I don't think Richard John Grayson has had many adults he could fully trust in years."

...

"Richard John Grayson. I think we tried to foster him but he went missing from services before we could." Martha mused as Alfred and her shared a pot of tea in the brightly lit conservatory.

"That's because services never put him into a home - remember Ms Randall?"

"That racist skank of an excuse of a child protection officer? Damn, I remember how hard it was to nail her with willful negligence and contempt of duty."

Alfred's fingers drummed the table, "She was in charge of Dick's case."

"So when none of the mass care facilities or homes reported him missing…"

"It was because he never made it to a mass care facility or a home."

"Juvenile Detention? Especially due to his background and mixed ethnicity?"

Alfred nodded solemnly as Martha indulged herself with blue language. "And then he was probably taken by the Owls and because he was in a Detention Centre - no one bothered to get him checked out."

"We need to consider all possibilities, Martha."

Martha's eyes narrowed at the man who was practically her elder brother. "I highly doubt the Owls would create such an elaborate setup in order to implant an agent into our midst."

"It's a possibility. Given his abilities, and what his descriptions of the capabilities of fully fledged Talons were, I do doubt that he is a plant. I don't think they would risk a developing asset. But you do have to admit - it is a good set up."

"Alright, you bulldog - what do you think?"

"Obviously we're being watched. We keep the circle small, bring in only the Fox's because we know they are clean. Lois and Harvey apparently know some things about the Owls and have kept their mouths shut. But the rest of Gotham high society?"

"We cannot trust."

"Yes. We can't."

"Fine." Martha's gaze turned steely. "If he is truly a plant - what do we do?"

"Kindness. We stay kind and good and decent but wary. Hopefully that will reach the remnants of the 9-year old your family tried to save and dissuade him from carrying out the elimination."

Martha patted Alfred's drumming hand, "You know very well that you are family Alfie. That green card might say you're here for 'butlering' purposes but you're no butler - you're family!"

"I beg your pardon, Madam Wayne, but I did not spend 6 months in Domain Canteclaer, Belgium to not be called a butler!"

"But you also have that paramedic degree under your belt, and that illustrious acting career…"

"Yes, yes. I served Queen and Country and they gave me the training I would require for it - including that enrolment in Domain Canteclaer."

They watched the light play across the fronds for a moment before Alfred broke the silence. "I do mean it. Kindness does a lot to loosen the loyalties of enemy agents. Especially, if their current loyalties are held by fear."

"Now, that is positively Machiavellian of you, Alfred." Martha laughed, "Then, let's assume Richard is merely a victim on the run here that stopped to do a good deed."

"Ironically, that might make this more complicated. If he is currently on the run from the Owls - it might not be the best idea to gather all targets in one helpful place. His safety was in anonymity."

"And that got blown out of the water the minute he charged up the stage to save my son. So what if we try a different approach?"

"Refuge in audacity?"

"Cameras are on us all the time Alfred. Don't lie, your income is peanuts compared to other people of your calibre."

"Well, that's because I know how much our family earns - and honestly the Fox's have more disposable income - from your own holdings I might add." Alfred interrupted wryly.

"Well, despite that , because we have a name - the country is watching ."

Alfred leaned back in his chair. "And if an organisation is attempting to remain secret, then they would prefer as little information about their movements to be as available as possible. Keeping your family semi-public would prevent them from acting too soon - or hopefully at all."

"Exactly."

Another couple of quiet minutes passed before she asked, "And what about his belongings?"

"He had a missed call."

"From whom?"

"From someone listed as Silver Fox - actually, I did pick up and I'll have to go digging in a bit. Maybe reassure some people that we mean the boy no harm."

"Oh?" Martha quirked an eyebrow.

"We might have stumbled onto another secret society the boy is involved in. But I have a feeling this one is far more benevolent."


AN: Thanks once again for reading! If you'd like to contact us via tumblr, my handle is eastoniablogs!