It was maybe two weeks after the Night of Owls and Wayne Industries certainly looked safe enough, he decided but that didn't stop the overwhelming feeling that he was out of place here. Suits and data sheets were no place for a man raised with cowhide and horseflesh. He kept his appearance neutral as he looked over to Bruce, wearing a snappy dark blue suit with a bright tie while he was the opposite. His suit was grey and his tie was dark as sin.

"So…" he began quietly, "remind me again Spooky why we're doing this?"

"The interview? Well, my Chief of Security got hurt in an accident off-site clearly." Bruce explained. "So only fair that he gets someone to look after him as he recovers, no?"

That damned smirk on Bruce's face he wanted to punch clean off, but he couldn't argue against him. He was wrapped in bandages beneath the suit he wore and bloody hell did they itch! He shifted uncomfortably as he used the crutch to follow in pace to his boss' long strides to the elevator. He insisted on the movement to help keep him limber despite the tired look he saw when they stepped inside.

"I've already narrowed it down to a potential candidate, with Lucius' insistence of course after he heard of your accident."

He rolled his eyes, not even wanting to guess what Bruce conjured for his cover story if one at all. "And which big schmuck am I going to have ghost along beside me?"

Bruce laughed quietly. "Her name is Sasha Bordeaux."

Gregory quirked a brow at that, even as the stitches in his brow complained. "That… sounds like she's from the south."

"Asian-American descent from what I scrounged up." Bruce explained. "Her relatives put her somewhere in the southern China around Nanning. Despite that she's a skilled martial artist, Lucius Fox recommended her as well after he did an initial interview with her."

Gregory did his best not to chuckle. "You let him do that sort of thing for you? Thought you had interviewers or some crap for you or somethin'."

"I trust Lucius' judgment," Bruce snappily countered, "I have ever since heading the company."

Gregory swallowed down the nerves in his throat he didn't know that were gathered there when he saw Bruce's near hateful gaze. He made a note not to make fun of the man again as long as he lived. The rest of their ascent went on in silence. Outside of their work with the cape and cowl, Gregory didn't really have much to discuss with Bruce. He didn't mind, most of his work lately had been stressful maybe having another body there wouldn't be as bad as he thought. He shifted in his loosened suit again adjusting his grip on the crutch when the elevator doors opened.

"Ah, Mr. Wayne," a brunette quickly greeted, "a um…" she looked down at her notes a moment, "Ms. Bordeaux is here to see you? She insisted on waiting inside."

"That's fine Tara, thank you."

"Clara," she corrected with a hiss, "Tara was your old secretary that you fired."

"Ah yes," Bruce corrected with a small, nervous laugh that even Gregory couldn't help but roll his eyes at, "right. Thank you Clara."

The smartly dressed woman stepped away and the pair of them went towards his office. "…Christ Bruce if that was any more fake I'd have ta hit ya myself."

Bruce laughed quietly. "They have to think their boss can make a mistake here and there. Masks can be a powerful thing when she sneaks off to the break room again with her little boytoy Neil from two floors down and I happen to stumble by."

He smirked, the stitches complaining again from the small gesture. "Touché Spooky."

Bruce flashed him a teasing grin. "I aim to impress, cowboy."

Your office does that enough, Gregory thought as he stared around the large space, Christ this thing is even bigger then the shack they got me in.

"And… Ms. Bordeaux is it?"

Sasha had been waiting well over and hour for Bruce. Alfred was right, he'd arrive late but not by much. Enough to annoy most people but not enough to seem too tardy she thought it was a smart move. She was impressed with how he looked in a suit though. Her blue eyes met his as she felt a smile tug at her lip. "Sasha please, pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Wayne."

He held up a hand, offering a little laugh. "Bruce, please. Mr. Wayne was my father."

She sat down back on the rather comfortable leather chair which no doubt her rump had made a fine groove in now. He opened up his laptop and he seemed to use a fine gesture in the air to bring something up on the screen. "Now, I understand your interview with Lucius went well?"

"A nice enough man," she agreed, "certainly knows his stuff about the company."

Bruce managed to smirk. "Yet he know just when to nitpick when it calls for it. Did he mention anything of whom you'd be here for?"

Sasha tilted her head in thought. "He seemed rather passive about it, not mentioning a particular whom. Why?"

"Well I thought it'd be only fair who you'd be guarding during your contract here, if you so wish mind you? Gregory, come say hello."

The other figure she saw stepped closer and despite the obvious pain in the man's eyes she did her best to keep her composure. His hair was combed back, revealing rougher features and lots of stitching along his brow and jaw. He had a bandage over his nose, and light bruising on his face. Despite this he stood tall, staring at her with his dark eyes. His shoulders looked broad and she could see some bandages around his chest peeking through the material of his shirt. She held out her hand to him and he took it in a warm hand. He brought up to his lip, brushing along her middle knuckle gently. She miraculously fought down her blush. Men still did that? Gotham men of all people?

"Pleasure to meet ya, ma'am."

Respectful, curt. She could get used to that. She offered a smile and he returned it the best he can. "Pleasure is all mine Gregory."

"Now after his accident with me, thought it'd be only fair my Chief of Security got a proper set of hands to make sure he's alright." Bruce offered a small smile. "Shouldn't be nothing too burdening I hope?"

Sasha nodded in agreement to that, considering who her potential client would be. "I wasn't privy on the details of the accident, now that you mention it. Lucius seemed just as clueless as I over what happened."

Bruce opened his mouth to explain but Gregory cut him off. She didn't mind too terribly with his accent. "That was… mostly my fault." He began with a little shrug. "Some folks tried to break into Mr. Wayne's home, he may not admit but he fought just as hard as I did. I just took the bigger beatin' that's all."

By the comparison of the two Bruce looked fine. Certainly a modest fellow it seemed. Gregory didn't strikr her as the 'suck up' type. Being the Chief of Security meant he had plenty of backbone and certainly plenty of experience with his hands. She stopped her mind from delving into that any further as she looked to the patient man at the desk who seemed to be giving Gregory a look that spoke of the 'we need to talk later' variety. It wasn't her place to comment though as she cleared her throat.

"How long will this contract go on for?"

"Month by month," he answered, even as he seemed to be typing up a storm on the keyboard, "how long you stay will be up to Gregory's recovery and his own will to say the least. When he's moving on his own, it will be up to him what happens if you get hired on within Wayne Industries or not."

"I see an-"

"Care to pull out your phone, Ms. Bourdeaux?" Bruce interuppted with a glint in his eye.

She gave him an odd look and did, seeing the notification of one incoming transfer. She tapped it and looked to him.

"The answer to the question is Industries."

She typed it in and nearly dropped the phone out of shock. Her face must have betrayed her feelings and Bruce let out a warm laugh. "That is for the first two months plus a little extra for coming in on such short notice to come in for this interview. Now, with that out of the way care to start tomorrow?"

Honestly she couldn't say yes any faster in her life.

Sasha was well out of earshot, and Gregory's eyes happily followed her steps when Bruce clearing his throat shook him out of his stupor.

"She seems to like you well enough."

He felt some color on his cheeks as he sat down on the leather, sighing out as his leg felt relieved from the weight on it. "Ah she's just bein' nice. She was ooglin' you something fierce."

He quirked a brow at that. "You know of my situation at home."

Gregory was glad the meds were finally kicking in, leaving a pleasant tingling along his lower body. "How's she doin' by the way? Don' see you two too often together these days."

Bruce had a sad smile at his lips. "She and I had a talk, don't worry it was a good one, she needed some time away to get the rest of her research finished up. We talk every night so we're not out of touch."

Gregory lifted his head. "…And you put a tracker on her didn't you?"

Bruce sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Yes well… she may be with me but I can't be too careful."

Gregory found that a difficult pill to swallow. "Don't trust her that much?"

Bruce shrugged a shoulder. "I don't trust where her former loyalties lay. I trust her though. Masks and all that, right?"

"Yeah well, torn bed sheets and love bites don't sound too bad for you either ya horndog."

Bruce only smirked at him at that. "Nice use of a cover story," he deflected, "was treacherously close to what actually happened, though."

Gregory sat up with a little grunt, feeling the wince pass along his features as he leaned a bit forward on his knees. "Yeah well, folks like us can't straight up lie to people. Just bend the truth enough so we can breathe a bit easier."

"I know that all too well. The only person who knows of what else we do is Lucius not through confession but because the man is too smart for his own good sometimes."

"Not a bad thing. Wits like that ain' nothing to scoff that. Considerin' all the toys we get to have I imagine he has a hand in their making?"

Bruce smirked and nodded. "A heavy hand certainly. It helps that we're mostly a green company, a few well funded contracts here but we only touch on the military when it's necessary but as you're aware we keep that hush-hush."

"Unlike LexCorp." Gregory snarled.

Bruce peered at him for a moment and he felt a bit of nerves tickle at his throat again. Or could that have been the side effect of his medication? He wasn't sure but swallowed anyway.

"I take it you had a run in with them?"

Gregory nodded. Why was he delving into this with him? Had to be the medication making his tongue loose. "Back in the army days LexCorp had its hand in many pots, reckon they still do, ya? I'm on a foot patrol with a few lads from Britain. Good sort, heavy drinkers, heavy thinkers. We're in some backwater town on the ass end of Baghdad when we get into a little firefight didn't know who they were, but the lads and I didn't care. Just knew we bunkered down and defended ourselves."

"Gregory you don't ha-"

He held up his hand to him, closing his eyes to try and focus again. "I opened this bag of worms, might as well empty it. The lads and I are locked down for two days by whoever these men were. I lost two of the guys from Britain. Bobby and Tim Holloway, twins. Both were fathers and with some fucked up concussive grenade their skulls cracked against the stone and," he snapped his fingers, "just like that they were gone."

He felt his lip quiver and he pushed through the rest. He had to for his sanity's sake. He knew Bruce wasn't the man to tell this to but he already saw him crack a bit in the middle of hell, he might as well see some of the scars from it bared.

"We were down to four by the time we were evaced. I demanded to see the bodies of the fuckers who took two fathers away from their sons and know what I saw? Top of the line armor and rifles all emblazoned with LexCorp's fuckin' logo. Bunch of mercenaries just cuttin' through all of us because they had the fuckin' god-"

He sighed shakily, pushing his hands through his hair as he stared at the ground. He was spiraling out of control again. Too much anger, too much hurt. He knew Bruce had his fair share but he didn't see war like he did. Didn't see men die as often as he did. The tingling faded a bit and he got to his feet, letting his grip on his crutch tighten.

"I need to go for a walk… see ya Spooky."

Bruce didn't say a word as he left. Gregory doubted he would listen even if he did.