The Talon on Tuesday was incredibly boring. He had spent most of the morning daydreaming about sleeping. He missed sleeping.
"Are you sure you don't want to take your break?" One of the girls asked. He said no and continued drifting off into space. He hadn't bothered learning anyone's names yet. One he didn't really care and two, there were a lot of girls working at the Talon. Bruce couldn't be bothered learning all of their names.
He'd just got to the most pleasant part of thinking about lying in when Talia placed her order. "Take as long as you like," She handed over a hundred "Keep the change."
"Thanks," He didn't move from his spot to do her order yet. Preferring to try and ignore her for as long as possible.
She took the seat in front of him and annoyingly blocked his view of the window "If you came back you wouldn't have to work in decrepit places like this. Someone like you should be wrapped in silks not working like a peasant."
He sighed "I take it your plan of murdering people hasn't taken off yet." Why else would she be here.
His suspicions were confirmed as she pouted "It seems your toy boy has skills that surpass my men."
"He is skilled," Bruce mused.
"He'd be an asset to us," She countered. Bruce lifted off the counter to fill her order. Thinking all the while about what she had revealed. So she wanted Clark working for them.
"He would," Bruce agreed and set her coffee down "But since you tried to murder his parents I doubt he'd be so inclined to work for you."
"Not me, us." She insisted "It'd be ideal. A man like that could make small work of our enemies. Maybe even make it so we won't have to kill them. And if you want to sow some of your wiles with him you know I'll look the other way. Think about it, everything you want is there if you can convince him."
Tempting though it was Bruce had to point out "Too bad he's straight."
"So was Rahim," She pointed out. Bruce thought back to Talia's second in command. He didn't seem straight.
"No he wasn't," He denied.
"His wife would say otherwise," She smirked pointedly as Bruce remembered all those times he'd heard Rahim say he had to get home to someone. "I'm sure if you can get a married man to cheat on his wife this Clark won't be too much of a challenge."
"Maybe," He conceded "But there's still the problem of me not wanting to be with you."
Talia sighed and pushed her empty cup towards him "You and I both know that's not true. You're just being stubborn because I upset you. But Bruce, if you just accept what has and was always bound to happen then perhaps you can see you still have feelings for me." He didn't give her a reply since there was nothing he could say to convince her she was wrong. "I'll see you later. Perhaps you'll be in a more forgiving mood."
She walked towards the exit and had Bruce not been watching her from the corner of his eye he may have missed the sheen of silver hidden in her shirt. Not even thinking he bounded over the counter and caught Talia's outstretched arm as it was about to make contact with one of the waitresses neck. Locking it in place he took Talia outside and into the alley around the side. Snatching the dagger from her he blocked the punch she sent. Brought down by his leg being swept out he tried to change it into a sweeping kick and caught her as well. Rolling to avoid her back lash he tried to pin her down. Having been trained to kill Talia knew better than to let Bruce on top of her and power kicked him back. Advantage to her, she made as if to break one of his arms when he surged up and kissed her.
Whether it was the adrenalin coursing through their bodies or the memories that sparring brought back of happier times. For a while he was sucked back into Talia's world. She seemed to have missed him almost as much as he missed her and turned her attack into an embrace in seconds. A new battle was waged as they pushed and climbed around each other. He felt down her sides. Familiar curves and bumps that were knives and weapons concealed close to her answered his touches as she pulled his hair. Her nails scratched at the side of his neck and no doubt bled so he reached up and clasped her hands. Pulling them up and to either side of her head he kept them trapped on the trash can with one of his. With the other hand he impaled one of her daggers into her clasped hands.
"Stay away," he growled and left her howling after him. Her pride would be wounded but she wouldn't try and attack anyone personally for the rest of the day.
He tried to play off what had almost happened in the Talon by making excuses about his ex. The waitress seemed to understand and waved off his concerns for her. He made sure to wipe her lipstick off yet still his lips were red and smudged after five napkins.
"Try this," He turned as Lana walked over and handed him a wet napkin with some kind of solution on it.
"How was college?" The lipstick came right off.
"Chloe's starting to believe Clark's got superpowers," He turned slightly to listen more intently "It's nothing. Like I said, she comes up with wild stories." Maybe not so wild. "I'm sure you want to take off now. And next time, try pink. Red's not really your colour."
Bruce nodded his goodbye and left his apron on the counter. He checked in the alley to make sure Talia was really gone. All that remained was a dagger she'd left. The blood on it showed that she'd left it purposefully for him. He took it, despite the offence it caused and headed towards the Kent farm.
Damian ran over as soon as he saw him and told him all about the history lecture he'd heard. Clark was hiding away in the Kent house and it was Mrs Kent that said goodbye to them. It seemed that he'd scared the poor boy off with his comment the other day and loved regaling Lex with what Clark did to avoid him.
"How's mother?" Bruce sighed and stopped to let Damian hop on his back. He could never keep anything from his son.
"She's well. Her suits are pristine and weapons sharper than ever," He handed the dagger he'd picked up to him. Damian fiddled around with it in front of Bruce's face. "She misses us."
"I don't want to go bac-"
"I know," He consoled "We're not. She was just trying to make a point."
Damian sighed against his neck "We're going to have to move on soon father. I know you're complacent here but we had a plan."
'Father', Damian must be worried. "We still do have a plan. It's just that things aren't how I thought they would be when we finally got to America." He thought back to his last check on Gotham. The stocks in his company were too high to buy back. Weapons manufacturing was going strong and everything his parents had worked for was in ruins. "You're right though. I have become too complacent. I think it's time we started acting."
"We're moving then?" Damian didn't want to move anymore than he did apparently.
"Not yet. But I think a trip to Gotham is in order. You need to meet Alfred after all," He was already making plans in his head.
"You'll inform Luther?" He nodded. Damian handed the dagger back and clung tightly to his neck. It wasn't a hug but it was close enough.
Lex wasn't too happy in their new arrangements. "My father will want to know why I'm sending a car to Gotham."
"We won't take the car then," Bruce amended.
"Of course you're taking the car," Lex scoffed. Damian picked at Lex's new buys. He'd bought Damian a new pair of pyjama's which he wasn't too happy about "Father will probably want to come with us," He shuddered.
"So we'll put Dami in the boot. How's that?" The boy smiled and agreed.
"You're not putting him in the boot!" Lex stopped himself from shouting at Bruce "Look, can't you just do your work from here. Do you really need to go to Gotham. He'll find out who you are."
Bruce pointed out that "Damian needs to meet Alfred. I hate the idea that he thinks I'm dead. Besides, I need to get near Wayne Enterprise headquarters."
Lex narrowed his eyes "Why?"
Bruce plastered on the most innocent look he could "I just want to see what they've done with the place."
His friend knew better than to believe his look "If you blow that building up-"
"Blow it up! I'm not some terrorist. It's my company after all," Lex still wasn't convinced. Rolling his eyes Bruce promised "I won't do anything life threatening to them. Happy?"
"No, but it's good enough." Lex pulled his phone out to make arrangements so Bruce slid to the floor and pawed through the pyjama's Lex had bought him too. Apparently he was 'sick of their nudity' and got them as soon as possible.
"Do I have to wear them?" Daddy's little nudist, that's what Damian was. Ruffling the boys hair Bruce said yes.
"Think of it this way. If you have a weapon, you can hide it better," The boy rolled his eyes and stole one of his instead.
"If I have a weapon I can hide it better," He argued and ran off with it down the halls. Bruce gave chase.
Lex told them that everything had been booked for Friday but that his father had caught wind of their excursion to Gotham.
"He's going to find out," Lex pressed.
"I'll figure something out," Bruce promised and made a note to see Clark later this week. "Did you manage to persuade him not to come with us."
Lex scoffed "I made it seem like we were having a dirty weekend away if that's what you're asking."
"Oh for God's sake," that meant Lionel was coming with them.
"Look, the way I see it is that we'll keep to the hotel room and you can sneak out the window or something," Bruce arched an eyebrow.
"Are you going to cover for me?" He would stick around at least five minutes before he left if Lex was.
"Shut up and eat your food," Definitely sticking around.
Bruce cornered Clark the next day in the Talon. The boy had foolishly came in to see his girlfriend when Bruce was on his shift. Waiting for them to stop their love sick eyes he pretended to clean and sidled over to Clark's table.
"You shouldn't drink alone," He quipped.
Clark looked like a deer in the headlights "I'm not. Chloe's coming."
"Listen. I was just joking the other day. If I made you uncomfortable then I'm sorry," Clark relaxed slightly.
"I don't have a problem with you," Bruce gave him an incredulous look "I don't. I'm just a bit shocked how comfortable you are with it."
He shrugged and made sure he wasn't needed on the counter before sitting opposite Clark "When you have an ex like mine you need to make your orientation loud or she won't hear. Still hasn't heard actually."
Latching onto the chance to change the subject Clark confessed "Lana told me you got lucky yesterday. Maybe if you showed her off to your ex she might leave you alone."
Cringing Bruce told him "It was Talia. It was nothing though. I just kissed her so she wouldn't break my arm."
Clark gazed incredulously at him "Remind me to never fall in love with you."
"Noted." He made sure they wouldn't be overheard "Speaking of Talia. I need to push forwards with my plans but there's been a complication. My son and I were meant to go to Gotham on Friday but Lionel has decided to join us. I was wondering if you would mind taking Damian down separately."
"You want me to drive to Gotham?" Bruce nodded. A thoughtful look overcame Clark's face "Is that where you're from?"
"Does it matter? Will you take him?" Chloe had just entered the coffee house and made a beeline for them.
"Sure. You're gonna have to tell me where to meet you though," Bruce nodded and said his goodbyes.
On Thursday Bruce had Damian stay over at the Kents so Clark could take Damian straight to Wayne Manor. Friday saw Bruce donning one of Lex's tank tops and a pair of jeans. He spent the entire ride trying to make Lionel rue the day he stepped foot in the car. Flirting and sending innuendo's Lex's way at every opportunity. When they stopped to fill up they left Lionel in the car and laughed behind the gas station for five minutes at the look Lionel had given them.
They spent the next coming up with more idea's to make Lionel squirm. Ending up with a popsicle and going to the car dishevelled by the time they got to Gotham Lionel didn't want anything more to do with them that day.
"Why don't you boys head off into the city. I think I'll go take a lie down before tonight," Agreeing, they set off down streets Bruce hadn't seen since he was sixteen.
"I think that went well," Lex noted, laughing every now and then at a remembered look his father had pulled.
"Same. Now then," He looked around "How do you suppose we should get to my house."
"You don't fancy walking?" Bruce sent him a narrow look.
"You want to walk in Gotham?" Lex conceded that his plan hadn't been that well thought out.
"Bus? Cab? Please say cab?" he rolled his eyes but let Lex hail them a cab.
"You're so private school," Bruce remarked as Lex sprouted off the Drake manor's address. They couldn't say Wayne Manor in case it looked suspicious. Already the papers were going to be saying Lex was having an affair with him. No need to plaster any more suspicions.
"You went to private school," Lex muttered.
"Yes but as you recall I got kicked out of five. I hope Dami's there," He watched as the GCPD went past, then the hospital his father used to work at. His fingers felt numb at being back here.
Finally the taxi stopped at the Drake manor and Lex paid the man. They waited for him to go out of sight before journeying down a few more streets to the winding road that led to his wrought iron gates.
"Do we buzz?" As he spoke Bruce was climbing the gate. Over it, he let Lex in with little difficulty. "If we get done for breaking and entering..."
"You have so little faith in me," He spotted a red pick up truck idling at the manor door. An elderly man was shouting rather fervently at Clark and Damian.
"Good luck," Lex wished and went to wait in Clark's truck as Bruce went to rescue the weary travellers.
"...Bringing this boy here. You have some nerve!" Alfred ranted pointing to Damian.
"Alfred stop!" The man did if only to glare at Bruce. He motioned Damian over to him and the boy came willingly. "Thanks," He smiled to Clark and the teen went to wait with Lex in the truck.
"Who are you?" Alfred demanded.
He smiled weakly "Surely you remember me. You practically brought me up." Something softened in Alfred's eyes even if he refused to admit what he was seeing. "It's me Alfred. I swear. Ask me anything, something only I'd know if you don't believe me."
Calling his bluff Alfred challenged "Very well, on the night your parents died what did I do to comfort you?"
"You didn't. You read me Sherlock Holmes as the police went through our things. At the end of the night you sent me to my room and told me breakfast was to be served late the next day," Alfred peered closely at him. Seeming to survey him for any subterfuge. Finding none he nodded his head and stepped into Wayne Manor's doors with a request for them to follow. Seeing his old friend act so nonchalance made the fact he was home, at last, sink in. "Come on Dami," He called and had his son running into the manor before the sentence was out.
Lex followed after which left Clark starting his truck at the bottom of the drive. Bruce gave his invitation to stop a while but Clark declined "I promised I'd help around the farm. Pa's not as young as he used to be."
"Are you sure?" Clark nodded and cast a look to the manor behind him.
"So, you're definitely someone I'd know if I looked you up huh?" Bruce smirked "How long are you staying here then?"
"Not long. Damian'll be the one staying anyway. We're just here for the night and leaving for Smallville tomorrow," Seeing Clark's questioning stare he answered "It's not secure enough for us to come back here yet. You're stuck with me a while longer I'm afraid."
Clark hummed and put his seatbelt on "Well then, guess I'll have to make the most of it when you come back." He drove up the road and out of the gates. Bruce hopped up the steps to join Lex and Damian in the entrance hall. His mind couldn't help but go back to Clark's parting comment, it was almost flirtatious in its delivery. Most likely he did it unconsciously but still, some part of Clark wasn't completely scared off from Bruce.
"Your butler hates me," Lex interrupted. Bruce snapped back into reality to see his friend casting wary looks at the man telling Damian to twirl for him.
"Are you sure?" Lex nodded.
"I think my father's been here recently. Or his last visit left an impression. Either way he doesn't look too happy to have me in here," Lex looked genuinely afraid of Alfred's sweeping stare. Bruce chuckled to himself and told Lex not to leave his side or else Alfred would have more reason to glare.
Damian trotted over after Alfred dismissed him "He said he's going to get me some cookies," He grinned and looked around the fancy interior again "Are we really going to live here?"
"Soon," Bruce promised. "You'll have to pick out your own room while we're here today though. I'm going to ask Alfred if you can stay in the manor instead of the hotel with me."
Damian frowned "You promised we'd do this together."
"And we are. But you need a place to stay tonight after we're done. This is ideal, not to mention I don't trust your mother not to have put spies around this place," the boy nodded seriously.
"Shall we retire to the parlour room?" Alfred intoned. Lex visibly jumped as he appeared in front of them. Once they were all seated the questions that had been burning at the front of Alfred's mind came spewing forth in a scathing comment of "Do you wish to tell me where you've been Master Bruce or shall I expect another post card to add to my collection."
Wincing he gave the briefest version he could. Alfred saw through his gaps straight away but kept his mouth shut. Even he knew the importance of keeping secrets, especially when a Luther was present. When Bruce told about his tiff with Talia Alfred cast a small look towards where Damian was keeping a sentry post. He knew it couldn't have been easy to see Damian. Bruce was just losing his puppy fat when he left Alfred and before that the butler only knew Bruce in the image Damian showed. He must have thought some sick joke was being played.
Finally he concluded his story and had Alfred fill him in on the situation in Gotham. Most of it was what he already knew. It was interesting to hear Alfred's side of the story though. Bruce queried here and there about small things which would help them later and by the end of the hour they were all exhausted from talking.
Alfred had agreed to let Damian stay in the manor for the night so as he tidied their things Bruce led Damian around the manor. Lex kept close but even he couldn't help but stop every now and then to look at something Bruce pointed out.
"And this is where you slept?" Damian asked looking in another bedroom. Bruce told him no and watched as Damian scampered off to the next room and asked the same question.
"I'll tell you when we get there," He promised but Damian still asked every door they went to. One room he stopped Damian from running off to the next and pulled him inside. All of his old things were there. The drawings he used to do for his father, then as he got older the plans he made for when he was better than what he was. "Do you see them?" Damian turned to look at the painting Bruce pointed out. Hung on the far wall the faces, though worn in acrylics, were staring with mirth out at them. "Those are your grandparents."
"They were nice people," Lex commented from the side. "I remember meeting them only once and they were always nice to me. Went out of their way to be nice in fact."
Damian surveyed the painting carefully. His little fingers tracing over what he could reach "They seem weak. But I suppose appearances can be deceiving."
"True," Bruce agreed "But you have to remember that this world doesn't judge people on their strength in battle but in life. They were strong by sticking to their convictions, even at the end my father tried to help someone rather than hand our things over weakly."
Damian looked over the painting again "I'd like to pay my respects."
"We will before we leave," After the study Bruce carried Damian so he couldn't ask any more questions and deposited the boy in his old room. Little had changed here from when he had left either. It brought about a feeling of happiness and despair that Alfred had the thought not to touch anything. Damian took no heed of this sanctuary Alfred had created and delved into Bruce's old things. "You can have anything that fits," He advised when Damian rifled through his wardrobe.
"Bring pyjama's," Lex called and rooted under Bruce's bed for something.
"If you're looking for porn I don't have any in here," Lex glared at him but it turned pleased when he found what he was looking for. A sketchbook, his old sketchbook to be precise, "Give it," He reached.
"Like hell," Lex spent the next ten minutes guffawing his way through Bruce's art. He wasn't a bad artist but many of his drawings centred on distorting those he found annoying. He was saved when Lex's phone rang and a spitting of "Father," meant they had to leave.
"...be good for Alfred and make sure you don't break anything before I come and get you," He finished and hugged Damian goodbye.
Alfred waved them off and turned in with Damian when they reached the fence. "He'll be fine," Lex reassured "Alfred raised you after all."
He went to fetch Damian after two awful lectures and an excruciatingly funny dinner. Lionel had retired early when Bruce 'accidentally' spilled wine down Lex's shirt. A blatant innuendo and Lex and he were holed up in their room whilst Lionel recovered from his trauma in the next.
"I won't be long," Lex rolled his eyes and changed as Bruce opened their window "If your dad gets too near the room you know what to do." He was to pretend Bruce had went to get room service.
"Make sex noises?" He asked sarcastically and huffed when he realised when Bruce was considering the idea "Just go."
The ride to Wayne Manor was different in the dark. Gotham lived in the shadows and drew memories best left forgotten to the surface. Hailing a taxi was hard since all they wanted to do was go to sleep and forget like the rest of the city. One eventually stopped and drove him as safe as Bruce let it to his home. Retrieving Damian was easy since Alfred just handed the boy over and soon they were standing outside one of his buildings.
He said his, really it was just a building with his name on. "In and out Dami," The boy nodded and pulled his hood up. Bruce did the same as they walked to the adjacent building. At the roof it was a short jump to their building and an easy drop to get inside.
Bruce set to work on looping the cameras as Damian kept watch for guards. One crossed wire and the whole building was recoding the same thing over again. They had at least three minutes until the alarm was called and set off quickly towards the surveillance room. It wasn't easy to find and they never would have got there in time anyway.
The camera's were really just a distraction to get in the vents. Dusty and cramped but still manageable they crawled quietly through the building towards two men camped out in front of monitors. The alarm blared and told them the police had been called. Normal stations would have sent a patrol and would be here in minutes. Gotham police meant they had a good ten before someone decided to check out the disturbance.
Bruce dropped and knocked the guards unconscious and sent Damian with directions to the garage. Hundreds of cars gleamed from the monitor and Bruce was a bit envious that Damian was the one to destroy them but focused on the more technical side to their operation. Calling off the alarm and reassuring the police that everything was fine was easy. What proved to be a challenge was erasing their ghost images from the camera. He managed to do it in time to see Damian laugh maniacally on top of a pile of crashed cars. Light in hand he ignited the trail of petrol to his left and ran for the door. Bruce rang the fire station and met Damian at the front entrance with the two security guards and a fire alarm telling others who hadn't evacuated to do so.
They stole into the shadows as blue lights flashed and slick cars pulled up. Bruce recognised some of his board members and made notes as to who worked on this enterprise.
They stayed until the flames were put out then Bruce towed Damian to the street to hail a taxi. "Will it have worked?" He gave directions to the Drake house.
"Probably. We'll see tomorrow. If not then we'll have to come back and try again," He kept a smile up in the back as the driver shot them suspicious looks. He supposed seeing a man and boy covered in soot and smelling of petrol sent the same signals as it did anywhere. It didn't help they weren't speaking English.
He paid the driver and had Damian tucked up in bed as three o clock struck. Alfred hung in the doorway with an unreadable expression on his face as Bruce checked the windows in his old room. He supposed it was Damian's now, his own room would be his parents just as his father had taken it when his father died. It didn't matter which room he was in he thought since there were ghosts everywhere in Gotham.
"Will you be returning soon?" Alfred intoned.
"Yes. Before that I have a favour to ask," Alfred arched an eyebrow.
"And if I decline?"
"You won't," He relayed his plan to the man and found Alfred oddly agreeable. With everything in place he made sure Damian was alright once again and made his way back to the hotel.
Alfred gave him a "Goodbye," At the door and almost an embrace making him believe they had made some progress towards forgiveness.
Choosing to walk instead of a taxi, mainly because he had no money, he watched familiar streets grow out of the darkness. It was uncanny how he'd travelled the world and seen so many things yet Gotham still struck him the most. There was something unreal about it that seduced and frightened him at the same time.
He was turning the corner that led to an ice cream parlour when he was run over by a small boy. Stepping back he kept his space as the boy panted wildly and tried to sit up on grazed palms. Colourfully adorned Bruce wondered where he came from.
He chanced asking when the boy bust out into tears "Are you alright?"
"Leave me alone," He wailed and pulled himself up "I don't need help, just leave."
"I wasn't offering... you're hurt, why don't I take a look at it," The boy cried even harder "I promise I won't do anything," He held his hands up to show he wasn't lying and the boy hesitantly held his hands out. Bruce looked them over "They're just grazed. Put them under some water and you'll be fine." Stepping back when he was finished so as not to come across as threatening he peered around for any indication to where the boy came from.
He didn't move as Bruce scoured the walls and alley. Curling in on himself as the seconds went past he sobbed harder now he was at a standstill. It was the boys clothing that gave Bruce the idea to look in the parlour window. They held advertisements for upcoming events and sure enough there was a poster for a circus. He tapped the glass to get the boys attention and asked if he was coming from there. The answer was just more crying.
Not knowing what to do but resolved that he couldn't just leave him there Bruce went back over to the boy and tried to placate him into following him. Hesitant at first, Bruce eventually had to give the boy a pipe lying around so he knew he could get away if Bruce tried to hurt him.
He led the boy down a different route. One not to the hotel. This one was not well known and if Bruce was honest with himself he hadn't been here since he was nine. Arriving outside of the police station the boy tried to make a run for it when Bruce opened the door. Promising not to give him into the police they took another route. Up flights of stairs and a short jump to the GCPD roof he sat the boy down with the promise he was there to help and hoped he'd still be there when he got back.
There was hardly anyone working when he went in. Those who were differed between falling asleep at their desk or watching television with their friends. Looking for a competent cop he saw only one man working at his desk. Actually working as well when Bruce knocked.
A frazzled look and smoking way more than he should a day the man looked up with a genuine interest and asked "Can I help you?"
"Yes," Bruce closed the door behind him "I found a boy on the streets. He seems to have gotten lost from the circus in town."
The man looked excited and rifled through his papers pulling up a photo "Not this one?"
It was the boy "Yes. He doesn't want to come in though."
The man nodded "Too right," He muttered and rubbed his chin "Where is he?"
"On the roof. But like I said, he doesn't want you involved. I only brought him here because I couldn't leave him," The man got up quickly and pushed past Bruce and his protests to take to the roof.
The boy was where he left him with the pipe firmly in hand. A betrayed look crossed his face when he saw Bruce following a cop. The man didn't take the boy downstairs. Instead he knelt before him and muttered his condolences.
"I know you don't want to go to an orphanage but it's the best place for you. Your parents killer is still out there, we don't know if he'll come for you next," The man argued.
The boy shook his head "I've heard stories. I'm not going! You can't make me!"
The man knew this wasn't true and looked to be finding a way of telling the boy "Listen, the circus can't keep you. Mr Haley relinquished any guardianship he had over you when the police arrived. Right now it's the law that you go to an orphanage. I wish it weren't true but that's the way things are."
The boy appealed to Bruce "You said you'd help," He accused.
Bruce didn't know why he did it. He argued that Lex had the space and Damian would benefit with having a brother but really he knew it was the look the boy had in his eyes. Bruce recognised a kindred spirit when he saw it. This boy had lost just what Bruce had all those years ago. He didn't know where to go in a world that was telling him to move on and that was why he suggested.
"He can come stay with me," The man looked just as shocked as Bruce felt "I have the space and a boy of my own. You can rest easy that he'll be safe with me."
The man rubbed his chin again "We can't just hand over someone like that. There needs to be background checks and paperwork."
"I can fill and mail the paperwork. As for the background checks, you an I both know if that were true half the places in this city would be shut down," The man seemed considering.
"What do I tell the commissioner? I can't just say some stranger picked him up Mr..." He fished.
"Wayne," Bruce pressed "And I'd appreciate it if you came up with something a bit more reliable than that. Perhaps an uncle or distant relative. Anything that won't cause suspicion, I'm trying to stay as low as our friend here."
The idea appealed to the man, Bruce could tell. By four Bruce was being given paperwork to fill out with the promise of anonymity until Bruce chose to make it public. The secrecy worked out in both his and, as he found out, Richard's favour since they were both trying to keep low.
He took Richard back to the hotel with him. Hesitantly waking Lex up as the boy slipped into bed. He hadn't spoken a word since he told Bruce his name and he half expected Richard to be gone in the morning. Still Bruce kept hopeful and shook Lex again.
"Go away," He moaned.
"But the mission went great. Only problem was that I think it has a back up," Lex blinked blearily up at him.
"Okay," He agreed and tried to turn over to sleep.
"Oh, and I also adopted a kid. His name's Richard, is it okay if he stays while I sort everything out?" Lex shot up in shock. Not seeming to believe Bruce until a little leg under the covers moved.
"Please dead God tell me that's Damian," He growled.