(A/N: OMG guys I am so honored by all of the response I am getting to this! Thank you so much, it means a lot to me!
Now, enjoy~~ =P)
The Next Day
Alfred came down the stairs in the wee hours of the morning, as per usual, and instantly got to work. He started off by getting the coffee going, and then he began to work on breakfast, which included omelets, homemade bread (which he made last night) and freshly squeezed orange juice…
He'd just begun to work on mixing together the ingredients for the omelets whenever he heard a light thump on the door which meant the paperboy had somehow managed to get the paper to the step yet again. Alfred wasn't quite sure how he did it (since the gate was locked), whether he simply scaled the gate and delivered it (which he highly doubted since they had such a high security at the gate and walls) or if he used a sling shot. He shrugged, deciding it didn't really matter, as long as the paper was on the steps every morning, the boy would be unquestioned.
Alfred worked on the omelets for a while before pouring it into the slowly warming skillet. Then, he decided that would give him enough time to set the table for Master Bruce and Master Dick and get the paper (Bruce always liked the paper and some coffee prior to breakfast) before they needed to be turned….
Alfred headed over to the cabinets and got out the plates, balancing them on one arm with ease as he also got some silverware and glasses and added them to the stack. Then, he grabbed the glass pot of coffee with his remaining free hand and headed out to the Dining Room.
Alfred began to hum a song to himself as he set the table, coffee mug still in hand. He wouldn't pour Bruce's coffee until he came down, and he didn't want to possibly scorch the table (though, because of its value, it probably wouldn't, but he didn't care take the chance) so he just kept it.
Once the table was set, Alfred (still humming) headed to the front door to get the Gotham Gazette from the concrete steps.
He bent over and picked it up, starting to sing the song on his mind as he glanced over the title. He turned around and headed back inside, paper in one hand, coffee in the other.
"The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me –" Alfred had started signing when the words he'd read suddenly clicked in his mind. He cut off his words, mid stanza, and whipped his head around to look back at the paper, praying his eyes were playing tricks on him.
They weren't.
Alfred's heart skipped a beat and the coffee pot slowly slipped out of his now loose hand and hit the floor with a crash, glass flying and coffee spilling everywhere… Alfred didn't even flinch. He was too intensely focused on the article in front of him.
Bruce had been about half-way down the stairs when he heard the shattering of glass. He instantly sprinted down the last few steps and headed into the Dining Room where he saw Alfred, just standing there, with the broken pot and coffee at his feet.
Bruce headed over to his butler, pausing a few feet behind him.
"Alfred?" he asked. When the butler made no move suggesting he even heard Bruce, he stepped forward and gently shook his father-figures' shoulder before speaking again, "Alfred, what's wrong?"
Alfred jumped a bit, getting pulled out of his concentration. He looked a bit dazed with a hand on his head as his gaze drifted around the room, from Bruce to the floor. Then, his eyes widened a bit as he finally noticed the mess he made.
"Oh, Master Bruce, I'm sorry. I'll clean it up right away and start a new –" he began to apologize whenever Bruce quickly cut him off.
"Alfred, no wait, it's okay, you can put that off for a moment," he said sternly. Alfred looked up at him and Bruce continued. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Alfred sucked in a slow breath and then let it out. He glanced at the paper before handing it out to Bruce.
"I think you should read this…" he finally said, "and while you do, I'll clean up this mess and make breakfast." He then headed back off into the Kitchen without another word.
Bruce watched Alfred leave before looking down at the newspaper in my hand. Of course, the first thing that catches your eye is always the Main Article's title, which is printed in bold, and the words he read there just about gave him a heart attack…
"PLAYBOY UNDER THE COWL – Boy Billionaire is the Dark Knight?"
Under the large title was a picture of the Batmobile going into its Cave… with Wayne Manor also in the shot.
His first thought after this was not "Why?" but "WHO?" Who on earth had it out for him enough that they would actually care to see him unmasked, he had a feeling it wasn't anyone like the Joker or most of his villains, for that matter, they all enjoyed toying with him too much to make sure he couldn't BE Batman anymore…
So, if not them, than who?
The small italics under the photo seemed to scream to him as he read the name printed there. Bruce's teeth snapped together and the paper wrinkled on the edges as he reflexively tightened his grip in response to his anger.
He quickly began to skim over the article, trying to see what was said about this… That's when another line seemed to catch his eye…
"We're going to be showing live footage this morning at six thirty and another repeat later today at twelve –" was as far as Bruce read before he was heading into the living room, paper still in hand as he picked up the remote and turned on the TV. Right now, it was 6:15 a.m.
Bruce slowly sat down on the couch, paper still in hand as he went to the news channel on their TV, then he waited, not even glancing at the newspaper again as a commercial on Chevys played.
A slight creak could be heard as a young man came down the stairs. He was still half asleep so he wasn't into his full, normal stealth mode… either way, Bruce would have heard his descent, stealthy or not.
Dick leapt off of the steps at the third to bottom stair and was about to head towards the Dining Room when he heard the TV and realized Bruce was in the Living Room. Confused, he decided to go check out what was going on.
Bruce didn't even look up as Dick made his way over to his father-figure, pausing beside him.
"Hey, Bruce, what's up?" he asked, his voice having a hint of concern and worry to it. Bruce had sort of hidden the paper whenever he'd heard Dick coming down. He didn't want to worry his son over this, but it was something that couldn't be hidden for long, considering how trivial this was to his life, really.
The two of them stood there for a while, neither speaking until, finally, Bruce sucked in a deep breath, slowly letting it out. He turned his head to look at Dick, who met his gaze.
"How do I tell him that all of Gotham, and then some, knows he's Robin now, and that he may or may not ever be able to be his alias ever again?" Bruce thought to himself for a second before he simply decided to hand Dick the paper, words just wouldn't come to him, at least, not the right ones anyways.
Dick took the paper and slowly read the words printed there in front of him. He had to reread it about four times before what was there finally sunk in.
The paper fell from his grasp in shock.
"They know…" he whispered in horror, his face going a bit pale. Bruce watched Dick as he thought this all over, his expression grim.
"How… who?" he muttered to himself, eventually walking around and sinking down on the couch next to Bruce. Bruce hesitated a second, glancing at the boy next to him, before he put an arm around Dick's shoulder. Dick easily accepted the embrace and leaned into Bruce's side.
"WHO?" he repeated again and this time he was asking Bruce and not just thinking aloud.
The hand Bruce had around Dick's shoulder clenched into a fist.
"Harvey Bullock," he growled and Dick's eyes widened in surprise again. He bolted upright.
"But WHY, what did we ever do to him? We've always helped the GCPD, never hurt them… WHY would he want our identities to be known if it meant we couldn't go out again?" Dick began to rant. Finally he ended it, though, on a childish note. "It's not fair!"
Bruce couldn't have said it better himself. He was about to comment whenever the news came on.
Both boys whipped their heads around, instantly gluing their eyes to the screen as Summer Gleeson began to speak.
"It's the story everyone is talking about, the story everyone knows about, and if you don't yet, you better stay here and turn up the volume because you won't want to miss this Gothamites… We've discovered the identity of Batman," she said with perfect pauses and everything. Bruce scowled and Dick leaned back into Bruce again, shuddering. He was freaking out.
The dreaded photo from the newspaper article showed up on the screen.
"This is the photo that was taken last night by our own Harvey Bullock, who has agreed to be interviewed," Summer continued. The photo disappeared and now Bullock was standing next to Summer.
"Now, Lieutenant Bullock, what made you want to do this in the first place?" Summer asked him, and it was the question both Bruce and Dick were dying to know the answer to…
Bullock, toothpick in mouth as usual, scowled. "A hero shouldn't hide their face if they really are the good guys, and Gotham deserved to know just WHO is 'watching over' them every night."
"Had you ever considered the fact that they'd kept their identity's a secret for a reason?" she hinted. It seemed like she was on their side, just doing her job.
"Yeah, well robbers hide their face for a reason, too, so they can't get pinned for a crime," Bullock snapped. "People consider cops heroes, and we don't hide our faces."
Bruce noticed Summer roll her eyes slightly, but she hid it rather well.
"What was your reaction to finding out WHO Batman really was?" she questioned him.
This time, Bullock didn't answer right away, thinking about it.
"Well, I can say I was genuinely shocked –" he started to say whenever someone shouting could be heard off screen.
"BULLOCK!" the voice bellowed. Bullock glanced off screen and gulped.
"Keep rolling," Summer whispered as a very angry officer came onto screen.
"Hey Commish –" Bullock started to say when Gordon exploded.
"WHAT ON EARTH MADE YOU DO THIS? WERE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" he shouted at Harvey.
"It had to be done!" he shouted back, though not as fiercely. "I've always known he was –"
"That's RIGHT YOU have always thought. YOU were the only one who ever doubted him! I know you had it out for him, you two never really got along, but I KNOW he's saved your butt before, so WHY did you DO IT?" Gordon growled.
Bruce was a bit touched by Gordon's reaction to this. He'd have to call him up later and talk to him about all of this and what they should do about it… He hoped they still stayed friends, he didn't want to lose Gordon as a friend, he'd miss him.
Bullock opened his mouth to try and speak again whenever Gordon interrupted him.
"No, you know what? You've gone too far this time. You're FIRED," Gordon told him sharply and Bullock's face instantly became one of shock.
"Yes!" Bruce heard Dick whisper under his breath and his lips twitched in amusement… It did sort of fell good that Gordon gave them some justice for what he did… but Bruce didn't quite think him just getting fired would be enough to satisfy the anger he still felt towards the man…
"I'm WHAT?" he asked.
"Fired, turn in your badge, you have one day to pack up all of you things and get out of the Police Department. If you're not out by then –" he let the threat hang.
Bullock scowled, fuming silently as he got out his badge and put it in Gordon's open hand.
"You're going to regret doing this Gordon!" he snapped.
"No I'm not, now leave," he growled. Then, he turned to face the camera. "Get that thing off of me!" he snapped and covered the lens up with his hand. The screen went black and then it went back to the studio people…
Bruce turned off the TV with a muttered sigh. This whole thing was just terrible. He wondered how many other cities knew yet, he was certain the League knew already but he wasn't sure how many other civilians would know.
What was he going to do? That basically had just destroyed half of his life. Gotham City couldn't have a Batman anymore, not without Alfred, Luscious, or anyone else Bruce cared about now being on "hit lists".
Bruce thought about this for a while before finally just getting out his phone. He stood up and headed into a different room as he dialed the familiar number… He wondered if he would answer.
It rang once… twice.
"Hello?" a voice said, it sounded a bit hoarse.
Bruce sighed, reverting to his Batman tone as he spoke.
"I wasn't sure if you'd answer," he said honestly. The man on the other line chuckled a bit under his breath.
"I was wondering when you'd call."
(A/N: Okay~ so there it is! Who's Bruce talking to? O_o its gonna be a mystery until I update! I appreciate guesses though~ OH BTW the song Alfred is singing is called "The Ballad of John and Yoko" is anyone wanted to know, it's by The Beatles
Again, I'm REALLY honored by all of the feedback I'm getting from this guys! You rock! Now, review and I may update sooner =P)