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Calm Before the Storm—Visiting Friends
Location: Gotham City
Max looked out the car's window while Tim and Conner talked. He had been in Gotham before, but only on missions. He had never been invited as a guest. It was an interesting place.
"How was your flight?" Tim asked.
"Fine," Conner replied.
"Unusual," Max said, still staring out the window. "I haven't been on a commercial flight before. I wasn't expecting everything to be so...crowded."
"Only you would call first-class crowded," Conner said. "You're lucky we didn't fly coach!"
"Most enclosed areas are crowded to a mild claustrophobe," Max noted.
"I'm sorry, Master Maxwell," Alfred said. "Are you feeling any discomfort in the car?"
"Everything is fine, Mr. Pennyworth. There's plenty of space here, and I can always get out if there are any problems that arise."
"I wouldn't recommend it, sir. Not with the vulture paparazzi following us."
"I wasn't expecting them," Conner said. "I had no idea you were so popular, Tim!"
Tim made a face. "Believe me; I'm not happy with them following me. I didn't know that being adopted by Bruce would cause them to take an interest in my life."
"You're been playing up the teenage playboy thing, right?" Conner asked with a grin on his face. "Staying out all night, getting into some gaudy outfit, starting fights and then running away before the police come. You're just the epitome of the bad boy heir."
Tim laughed. "I get shot at too."
Max nodded. "There are probably drugs involved in some of the incidents too."
Alfred sighed theatrically. "I do hope that all of your conversations aren't like this. Even an Englishman can only deal with so much."
Location: Wayne Manor
Tim was surprised to see that Bruce was on hand to welcome Conner and Max to the manor. He even turned on the charm and did not give his usual speech about how there was to be no metahuman activity in Gotham.
Conner seemed to be a little awed by his surroundings while Max was silently identifying the artwork. Tim was a bit disappointed that when he revealed Bruce was Batman (Bruce had insisted Tim tell him since it would be obvious and revealing a secret to a confidant was much better than him figuring it out on his own), Conner didn't act very surprised. Tim had a feeling that Conner had figured it out (with Tim's identity revealed, it was not that hard), but had hoped for some sort of a reaction. In truth, Conner was very surprised and honored that it was admitted to him.
"I know you must have some questions," Bruce said, drawing Conner and Max's attention. "Please feel free to ask them."
Conner hesitated. Max had an idea about what he wanted to ask, but it would be very difficult to do. You couldn't really ask where the Bat Cave was.
"Are there any guidelines you have or house rules we should know about?" Max asked. "It would be helpful to know."
Bruce prevented himself from smiling. Max wanted guidelines but his choice of words was leaving open the possibility of ignoring them. He was an excellent candidate.
"Listening to Alfred is the first rule," he said. "Also, he's the one who knows what's really valuable here and what isn't, so if he asks you to not touch something, that's the reason why. You've already had a run-in with the paparazzi; I don't want to give them anything more than I already do. Our hours are flexible here; I usually sleep in."
"I can show you to your rooms," Alfred said. "I'll take your bags there, as well."
"I can manage mine by myself, and I'm sure that Max can as well," Conner said. "I'll unpack now."
"That's a good idea," Max said. "Are there any plans we should know about?"
"I wanted to put you both through an obstacle course," Bruce said. "We also have reservations for an early dinner. Later tonight, I wanted to take you on patrol."
"There's a dress code for the restaurant," Tim informed them. "I have a couple of jackets that should fit you."
"That's shouldn't be necessary," Max said. "I have suits for us in my bag."
"When was this?" Conner asked. "I don't have a suit."
"Yes, you do. I made you one."
"When'd you do that?"
"I did it during the week. I thought it might be possible that you'd need it. I made one for myself, as well."
"They will have to look nice," Tim warned, thinking of his disastrous attempt to sew in his junior high home economics class.
"They should be adequate," Max replied.
Location: The Bat Cave
After putting away their luggage, they were led to the Bat Cave. Kon had seen it before, but Match looked around. He seemed very interested in his surroundings.
"What do you think?" Robin asked.
"It's impressive," Match replied. "It's better lit than I thought it would be. It's also very spacious."
"I'm going to put you through an obstacle course," Batman said. "It's one that I use for training; I'd like to see how you do."
"In that case, I won't use my powers," Match said. "I'll go first."
Batman punched in some commands on the computer. He nodded to Match.
Match entered the course and immediately dodged left to avoid a robotic arm that tried to grab him. He sprang past it and ducked under a bar that swung out at chest level and would have knocked the breath out of him. Ignoring the rope that hung by the wall, Match clambered up the wall, finding the few spots in it that could give him support. At the top, he rolled out of the way of a hail of paintball shots that he guessed were there to simulate gunfire. He gracefully sprinted across a narrow balance beam and dived into a waiting pool. The water was churned to be choppy, but Match was a strong swimmer and made it across. Once out of the water, he made a few acrobatic rolls to get past some robotic tentacles. He reached the end of the course and ducked the whiff of gas that would have gotten him otherwise.
Batman clapped. "Well done. Why didn't you go for the rope?"
Match caught his breath before answering. "I thought it was trapped. Was I incorrect in my assumption?"
"No, but what gave it away?"
"It's what I would have done if I created the course."
Robin shook his head and muttered to Kon, "I can't do this course. I've just been shown up in my own house."
"I don't think I can beat this without my powers," Kon said. "Match is just kind of sick."
"Are you ready, Superboy?" Batman asked.
Kon took a deep breath. "I am. I'm going to use my powers, though. But, no flying."
"If you do use your powers, don't destroy anything," Batman said.
Kon started and knocked things aside. He had a pretty successful run until the balance beam started to retract. Kon was surprised and lost his balance.
"That was pretty good for your first run," Robin said.
"It was a very good first try," Batman said. "It's a very difficult course, and you were putting restraints on yourself. That's to be commended."
Kon made a face. "That would mean a lot more if somebody else didn't just go through the course on his first time without using any powers at all."
"I have more experience in courses like this," Match said. "I also have more skills implanted into me, so you don't have a lot of my advantages."
"My brother, Mr. Perfect. Is there anything I know that you don't?"
"I don't know about pop culture like you do. What's the source of these 'Jedi' references that I occasionally hear the Titans make?"
Kon and Tim were surprised to hear Batman say, "It is a crime that you have no knowledge of the Star Wars movies. I can't believe that Clark has left such a gap in your upbringing. I may have to take it upon myself to correct this."
"I didn't know you were a fan," Tim said.
"I was six when I first saw it. I managed to get a copy of the original film for my birthday. I'll have to see if Alfred knows where it and the projector are."
A monitor beeped. Batman took a look at it.
"We have thirty minutes until we have to leave for our reservation. Let's get ready."
Location: Gotham City, the Golden Palm
Tim was annoyed that Max's homemade suits looked so good. While not as good as Bruce's ridiculously expensive handcrafted one, they looked as good as, if not better than, his. Coming so close to Max's obstacle course run, Tim was feeling a little inadequate.
As they stepped out of the car, the paparazzi took a few photos. Tim had learned to smile through them, especially after the first time a photo of him looking cross had been published. Alfred had offered helpful tips on how to avoid that; tips that Tim suspected had been given to a young Bruce Wayne.
As the four entered the restaurant, a voice called out, "Bruce! Oh, Bruce Wayne, you must sit with us!"
Tim saw the woman behind the voice and suppressed a shudder. She was Jennifer deBromley, a tiresome socialite that was constantly trying to get Tim interested in her teenage daughter. Even if he were not still recovering from Stephanie's death, Maria didn't show an ounce of interest in Tim; she was far more interested in the captain of the football team. Unfortunately, the deBromleys were an important family in Gotham, and Jennifer's husband, Frederick, sat on Wayne Industries' board, so Bruce had to be nice to them.
Bruce gave Tim an apologetic look and led the three teenagers to the table. An additional table was brought over, and Tim found himself in a nightmarish situation. He was seated next to Maria and subject to several comments from her mother on what an adorable couple they would make.
Tim bought himself a few moments reprieve by introducing Conner and Max, but those moments passed quickly. Conner looked amused by what was going on, and Max was inscrutable.
Tim's salvation came from an unlikely source when Max began engaging the matron of the deBromleys in conversation. Apparently, Max had done his homework on them, as he was able to lead her into a discussion of one of her passions, portraits from the Renaissance period. She was so into the conversation that Tim and Maria were able to ignore each other without her noticing. Bruce picked up on what Max did and a small smile crept on his face before he went back to discussing business with Frederick. Conner and Tim were able to talk.
One thing in Max's conversation with Mrs. deBromley caught Tim's attention.
"You have some very continental mannerisms," she noted. "Have you spent much time in Europe?"
Max tensed a bit, but only those familiar with him would have noticed it. "Conner and I were raised by different people. The woman who raised me was Italian, so I've picked up a few of her behaviors."
Conner noticed the exchange and Max's reaction too. He knew that his brother was still sensitive to anything regarding the Contessa. He didn't think that Max was sure if he still had some misguided loyalty to the woman or whether he hated her.
After the meal, Tim went over to Max and murmured, "Thank you."
In the car back to Wayne Manor, Bruce said, "I see you did some research. I wasn't expecting it to cover the Gotham elite."
Max shook his head. "I was involved in breaking up a forgery ring. The name deBromley was mentioned quite often as someone who would likely buy a portrait they believed to be authentic. I also learned how to make a decent copy while on that mission for the Groups."
"Why would the Groups be interested in a forgery ring? Were they trafficking in something else as well? I don't see one as a threat to the world's security."
"The reason was simple: money. The ring was quite successful and there was a great deal of money in its coffers. It was a way to supplement the Groups' funding."
Bruce shook his head. "That's disappointing to hear. It appears that the grand mission of the Groups was very much at odds with their actions."
Location: The Bat Cave
"Robin, you and Superboy patrol the west of Gotham," Batman ordered. "Match and I will take the east."
Robin nodded. "Got it. Come on, Kon, let's go!"
The two left, and Match looked at Batman. He had the feeling that Batman was going to be watching him very closely this evening.
"Are you ready?" Batman asked.
"I am," Match replied.
Location: Gotham City, west side
Kon was struck by how much Robin had to do every night. While there wasn't a major plot in progress to destroy the city, there seemed to be a mob-related crime in progress every twenty minutes. Kon got to take the lead in dealing with a few of these on account of his ability to have bullets bounce off of him.
Robin, for his part, was amazed at how smoothly everything went with Kon's help. He didn't seem to have needed any transition between his normal routine of battling foes with death rays and dealing with mobsters. Word also seemed to be getting out that Superboy was in town, as the later night activities were considerably scaled back from what they normally were.
Location: Gotham City, east side
Match was impressed with the level of sophistication that Batman employed in his patrol. He had always felt that making use of technology would be a boon to most heroes, and Batman's results justified that.
Batman appreciated that Match was able to keep up with him. He had wondered whether a prolonged patrol would cause him difficulties, but the answer was no. Match also kept his use of powers to a minimum, which he had done without any request by Batman. Finally, he understood the psychological tactics that were normally used on patrol; Match had a glare of his own that could cow hardened thugs.
Location: Gotham City, a warehouse
The next morning, a man flipped through the latest paper. His eyes fell upon a picture and a grin spread across his lips. This was exactly what he wanted. It must be a sign.
Location: Wayne Manor, the kitchen
Alfred was unused to a fellow early-riser, though he was happy to have someone to talk to. It helped that Max reciprocated his courtesy and did not meddle in the kitchen without an invitation. No matter how capable another cook may be, Alfred did not appreciate another rummaging through his kitchen without permission. The only exception he had ever made for this rule was Master Dick, and that was because he could not bear to send the boy away to college without some proficiency in preparing food. Master Dick knew where everything belonged and, more importantly, knew where to return everything when he was done.
Alfred knew why Master Bruce had invited Max to the manor. He knew that it wasn't intended as a slight against Master Tim, but he wondered whether Max was really an appropriate choice. The job required a level of intensity that he wasn't sure the boy could summon; really, few people could summon such intensity.
Location: Wayne Manor, Max's guest room
From observation, Max knew that there was some other reason than politeness that he had been invited. Batman's behavior was odd. He had tested him, but Batman seemed pleased at the results, a far cry from the hostility he first exhibited towards him. Max greatly preferred his current behavior, but he could not help but wonder at the reason for the change.
Location: Gotham City
Later in the morning, Tim, Conner, and Max went out. There were some new computer components that Tim wanted to look at, though it was mostly an excuse to get out of the manor and hang out.
After looking at the hardware, they had lunch. While eating, a bunch of thugs burst into the restaurant. Everyone hit the ground as they fired their automatic weapons.
Conner looked at Tim, but he shook his head. There were too many people around for them to change into their costumes.
A man walked in. Tim's eyes narrowed. It was Two-Face. He walked over to where the three teens were and grotesquely smiled at them.
"They're perfect," he said. "Two sides of the same coin, one dark and one light. Grab them."
To Tim's shock, the thugs grabbed Conner and Max, but left him alone. Two-Face placed a letter in his hands.
"If you ever want to see your friends again, your new daddy will pay the ransom I've asked for," Two-Face told him. "Instructions are there."
Two-Face and his thugs left with their two captives.
Location: Wayne Manor
After hearing Tim's description of what happened, Bruce cursed himself for not having thought of the possibility. Harvey Dent's obsession with duality would have been triggered by seeing the paparazzi photos of Conner and Max, they looked like (and were reported as) twins. In retrospect, it was obvious that he'd try to grab them.
It was a little trying to have to sit with the police and be walked through what they should do when contacted. Bruce and Tim knew they could do so much more at Batman and Robin.
Location: Gotham City, Two-Face's warehouse
Conner was worried for Max. The two had been shoved into a small, dark room, and it was triggering Max's claustrophobia. He put his arm around him.
"It's going to be all right," he said soothingly. "We'll get out of this soon."
Location: Wayne Manor
Tim just about sprang out of his seat when they received a video file. Rather than phone calls or video tapes, Two-Face had brought his operation into the digital era and sent a file from a protected IP address.
Two-Face demanded twenty million dollars for the pair and then brought them into the camera's view. Conner looked pissed, and Max looked scared. He was blinking a lot, so Tim guessed they had been kept in a dark room.
Tim noticed that Bruce tensed when he saw the video. While it could have been very easy for the two to deal with their captors, it would have given away their secret identities and most likely Bruce's and his as well.
"We just need to get away," Bruce whispered to Tim. "We can get to where Two-Face and his men are now."
Tim reviewed the video in his mind. It had been shot with a sheet behind it, so here weren't any clues there. It must have been something Conner or Max did.
Tim's eyes widened. He realized how the message was relayed.
Location: Gotham City, Two-Face's warehouse
Conner heard cursing and a few shots. He gathered in his power, ready to use it to defend Max and himself if necessary. There were a few thuds and then the door opened. Robin was on the other side.
Conner heard Max sigh in relief. He was glad to be out of the small room.
"How'd you find us?" Conner asked.
Robin pointed at Max. "Your message was great."
Conner gave his brother a quizzical look. "How'd you do that?"
"I blinked in Morse code," Max explained. "They really should have covered our heads when they took up captive."
Conner laughed.
Location: on the way back to Wayne Manor
After the police came and they gave statements, Conner and Max were picked up by Alfred, Bruce, and Tim.
In the car, Conner said, "Thanks for getting us. It would have been hard to explain if Superboy and Match showed up."
"That was inventive," Bruce said. "Your claustrophobia gave you a series of reactions that you could use to hide the message. That was a very good idea."
"You would have found us soon," Max said. "I just hastened the process."
"You're both fine?" Alfred asked.
"I'm okay," Conner said.
"Recovering," Max reported. "I didn't appreciate being locked up."
"You couldn't help but get the police involved because we were so publicly taken," Conner realized. "You probably would have been able to find us sooner otherwise."
"Getting away from the police took some doing," Bruce admitted.
"I believe that's the first hostage situation I've been in where I wasn't planted to undermine it," Max commented. "It's an experience I'll have to incorporate into those scenarios should they arise in the future."
"Will you please not say things like that?" Conner asked.
"The event happened and is over. I might as well try to draw some benefit out of it."
"Not every emotional trauma must yield some operational benefits," Alfred said. "It's not something you must draw strength from."
"I'm quite fine," Max said. "This barely registers on the emotional trauma scale."
"Why don't we try to make the most out of your remaining time in Gotham?" Bruce suggested. "This was unforeseen and derailed what I had planned."
Location: the Bat Cave
Match entered, looking around and still bemused by the gigantic penny. His presence had been requested by Batman, and he was curious to find out why he had been invited.
"Match, I have a proposition for you," Batman said.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I want to train you with the idea you'd be my successor as Batman."
"What?" Match asked in shock.
"You have many of the qualities and skills for the job. You'd be an excellent person to eventually replace me."
"You've already taught Nightwing and Robin."
"They are excellent, but they don't want the job. I'd like you to consider it."
"This is a surprise. I did not think that you approved of me."
"I was cautious at first, but you've earned my trust and approval. There aren't many who have done that."
Match was silent as he thought through the implications and possibilities.
"You could begin on a trial basis," Batman offered. "You don't need to fully accept now. Come here on the weekend, and if you think it doesn't work for you, you'll have something to base your decision on."
"Who knows about this?"
"Alfred, Oracle, and Superman."
Match thought about it before saying, "I'll accept for four weekends. That will give both of us an opportunity to see if we should continue."
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This was a little longer than I thought it would be and could probably have been its own independent story. Still, it links with the second chapter, so I fit it here.
Any and all comments welcome!