The morning sun is blindingly bright, but it doesn't stop me from staring out the window as I tap my spoon restlessly against my empty bowl. "I'm bored."

"So go and do your algebra."

I immediately straighten up and grab the newspaper that Bruce just set down. "I'm not that bored. I just mean that crime's been really, really low."

Bruce doesn't even look at me, just pours himself more coffee and sets about adding cream. "It comes in waves, Dick."

I sigh and have no choice but to scan the newspaper. We're always on the lookout for suspicious activity, but for the past year or so, it's been mostly peaceful, with all the big names locked up in Arkham. These past few months especially. Though, it's not really surprising. Today's headlines show why.

To start with, there's James Gordon. He's been bumped from lieutenant all the way up to commissioner. His work has been keeping those criminals who've been trying to meet during the day at bay. Batman and I take care of the ones who come out at night. Together, we keep the streets clean.

Then there's Harvey Dent, Gotham's district attorney. Once the bad guys are on trial, he makes sure that they get put where they deserved, and that they stay off the streets. He's incredibly good at what he does, even if people whisper that he's a bit of a schizoid. It's understandable that he'd have some issues, with the kind of family that he grew up in. But now, doing what he does best, he's at the top of his game and sailing smooth.

And then, of course, you can't forget Bruce Wayne. Bruce has been spending more time helping Lucius Fox run Wayne Enterprises, and he's making sure that money gets funneled into support of the police and court systems. And maybe most importantly, his many public appearances and other fundings have been going to keeping Oswald Cobblepot off the throne of mayor.

The newspaper's headline states how Jim Gordon's heroic actions assisted in the arrest of big-time mobster Carmine Falcone, and how Dent's industry and skill got the thug a life sentence. At the bottom, it also talks about the links that have been found between him and Cobblepot's people. I wonder if Bruce paid off the papers to make sure that that last bit was included.

You see, the race for mayor seems oddly close. There's the obvious choice, the shining hero of Gotham, Marion Grange. She's shown before, as town councilman and then as mayor, that she is capable, and has Gotham's best interests in mind.

But then there's Oswald Cobblepot. Rich. From a rich family. And, from what I can see, a complete jerk. Still, he's managed to build himself a platform on top of his money-handling skills and the odd turn of events last fall when Grange's last term as mayor seemed to go sour. I have to give it to him—he's damn good at persuading the masses. That's why when people like Bruce oppose him, he's able to pull the 1% joke, and get even more people to listen. It's a horrible circle.

But in recent polls, Grange is shown to still be in the lead.

And there is nothing to do around here.

"Hey, Bruce, can I take the Aston Martin out for a spin?"

"Keep the windows closed and turn the hologram projector on," he replied, not looking up. "And try not to get pulled over."

I love driving. There are some areas of Gotham, large parks, the quayside, or the country a few miles out, where I can just drive for miles and miles, and have time to think to myself. I know that I'm only fourteen—but Bruce has been teaching me early. He wants me to be able to handle the Batmobile by the time I pass my driver's test. So I go on and try my best.

The past two years have been great. Bruce has gotten me some pretty good tutors, so that I have the option to go to college. It's not like I can see a point to factoring polynomials, but it's new and different and doesn't take up too much time.

Bruce's estate is huge, so I can practice my acrobatics all I want. When we're at the mansion, of course. Right now we're living in one of the tower blocks in the city—exclusively for Wayne enterprises and with the top floors acting as Bruce's penthouse. He said that he wants someplace closer to town for events like elections and closer to his corporation in the event that Wayne Enterprises starts to crash. Luckily, it's just the election, right now. I have to take a series of tunnels to make it out of Gotham.

I'm not even that lonely, living with only Bruce for company. Now that I'm living in the city, I see Barbara and Jackson even more than I did before. Their dad's busy, but we still hang out downtown, and play video games, and visit arcades and such. They don't know where I go after dark every day, but I'm wondering if Bruce will eventually let me tell them. After all, they're my two best friends.

I—I thought that I had my own 'best friend'. But I wrote to her constantly for the first year in Gotham, and I never got one response. I even tried calling her mom's phone, and it turns out that the number's been reassigned. It was startling how fast things changed. I finally got ahold of Haly's one day and they said that Raya's mother left the circus to get better employment, and forced Raya to go along. No clue where.

And Raya knows where I am. She could contact me. But she hasn't. I honestly don't know what happened.

I cruise down the deserted country lane, splashing through pools of sunlight that drip down from the spaces between the trees' leaves. Against my better instincts, I put the windows down, and the warm breeze floods the car's interior, filling it with the smell of life and ruffling my hair. It's a new life, it's different, but it's okay. It's really okay.

The figure watched the car slide out of the city, and radioed it in. His boss on the other end of the line didn't seem too happy.

"Where's he going?"

"Into the country. But he's been doing this a lot—he'll come back in a few hours."

"His independence is going to be a problem. We might have to move things along ahead of schedule."