5.
Lieutenant Gordon had just locked his office door when he heard the buzz go through Gotham's City Police Department.
Bruce Wayne's burglar alarm was going off.
Which was how the lieutenant found himself climbing the front steps to the billionaire's mansion, sidearm in hand,
Like procedure stated he called out police as he entered the home, through the open door. Where he caught the tail end of a fight. Gotham's golden-boy Bruce Wayne taking on three men in black, with ease. As if he had been born to fight. He moved with a swiftness and skill Gordon had never seen before. He watched as Bruce incapacitated the three men before he could bark a single order.
When Bruce turned, sensing him there, he raised his service weapon at the unarmed man.
Both men paused.
There was a rage in Bruce's eyes, an anger Gordon had seen before but he could not place it.
"I'm here to help, Mr. Wayne, calm down and step back." He spoke softly, as if talking back a crazed man.
Bruce took a steadying breath and stepped back.
He looked over the three men and then peered over his shoulder, there were two more in the parlor.
When Bruce took a third breath, he appeared calmer, steadier, less likely to attack the policeman. Who craned his neck.
"There are two in there and Alfred is with the other one in the kitchen. I think two got away out the back," Bruce growled.
Quite stunned Gordon blinked, he looked at the men who did not move. He reached for his radio, "This is Lieutenant Gordon, I need two units and as many available ambulances as possible. I have six men injured at the Wayne Estate."
When he glanced up Bruce was gone.
Meanwhile…
Alfred stepped over the black clothed man hog-tied on the floor. He stepped over to Athena who was seated on the kitchen island, holding a kitchen towel to her bleeding arm.
"That's beautiful Alfred, I never knew you could bind people like that. It's clearly a gift. You should go into films."
He gave her a look and pursed his lips. Knowing just what she was doing, "Let me see your arm."
"It's not that bad. Go through his pockets. Once the police get here this'll be a crime scene."
Alfred paused.
She added, "Come on. Do it and I'll let you sew me up."
With a look out into the hall he looked to the man who did not move, he'd been hit with a skillet by Alfred after all. He heard the lieutenant and then hurried to the unconscious man and dug through his pockets.
Finding nothing of substance.
Athena then added, "Do you have a stamper pad?"
Realization crossed his face and Alfred ran out into the hall. Once he did she peeked under the towel and blood oozed out. She put the towel back firmly. Knowing a vein had been hit, possibly two.
She hopped down from the place Alfred had ordered her and used her toes to pull off the mask from the man. She hopped one footed to the hall and tossed it out. Praying there was sweat, blood, spit on the mask.
Just as Alfred appeared.
He cocked an eyebrow, she whispered, "We could take it to a lab somewhere."
With a nod he ran to the man.
Paper in one hand and a stamp pad in the other. He then looked to Athena, "They'll be ink left…"
"Cover his entire hand."
Alfred nodded as Bruce came in the kitchen. He looked from Athena to Alfred and hurried to Alfred's side. "Gordon's here."
Having a task Alfred told Bruce, "Her arm is bleeding badly."
She gasped, outraged.
But he was there and his hands were on the towel, "Did they touch you?"
She shook her head.
Alfred helpfully added, "He was chasing her around the kitchen with a bloody knife."
"No one likes a snitch, Alfred," she spat.
While Alfred rubbed the inkpad on the man's hand Gordon's voice came closer. She and Bruce looked at one another and Alfred hissed, "Go distract him."
Athena rolled her eyes.
She pulled her wrist from Bruce and stomped off.
Alfred placed the man's hand on the white paper and then lifted it. Knowing Bruce was behind him without looking, Alfred began to ink the other hand, "They were looking for something in your office."
"What?"
He concentrated and then pressed the other hand on a clean sheet of paper. "Athena said that they weren't looking for money. They wanted something in Bruce Wayne's home office."
When Alfred was done and he stood Bruce was gone.
An hour later…
Lieutenant Gordon walked over to the steps where the three inhabitants of Wayne Estate were seated. Alfred. Bruce. Athena. All whispered amongst themselves. They were hiding something.
Something was missing and he knew it.
He walked over to the three of them while Alfred leant over Bruce and inspected the stitches in Athena's arm, while Bruce held a arm around her waist and watched the men while they were loaded into cop cars and ambulances.
Alfred nudged Bruce.
Bruce glanced up at the police officer.
"Is there somewhere you three can stay till tomorrow? The crime scene techs will be here most the day and quite possibly the night. You have a lot of property and they were all over before they woke Miss. Merozikki."
Alfred turned red and tensed.
Bruce shook his head, "No. We're staying here. There're plenty of rooms. We're not getting chased out of our home."
Athena sagged against Bruce, who asked, "Did they say anything?"
"Sorry. We're still getting statements."
Not one of them was surprised.
With a held breath that Alfred hissed out, he managed, "That officer over there is in my roses."
All four of their heads found where Alfred pointed, Gordon told him, "That would be a point of entrance. It's a crime scene. We may have to remove that bush since there is DNA on it."