CLXXI
Epilogue: The Romantic Adventures of Tim Drake
Part Five: The Haunting of Tim Drake

My night of providing facts to police detectives regarding the date from Hell had painfully become morning before I was finally allowed to leave Gotham Precinct…

While I had survived the terrifying ordeal of my first Internet date with the cold-eyed Stepanída Kirchnavy (a.k.a. Ilyana Davidoff) and her mob-boss boyfriend Yuri Dimitrov, my nascent sense of romance had not been so lucky…

If the truth were to be told, my first two attempts at dates had nearly killed me.

I may not get so lucky a third time. I had to quit while I was ahead.

There would be no more trying to find Miss Right for this young man. I had decided to take Fritz's advice and enjoy myself… alone. On the morning cab ride home, I was seriously considering traveling, just leaving Gotham for a few weeks…

Perhaps to a Monastery somewhere in northern Belgium.

When I finally arrived at my condo, I immediately drew all the curtains to prevent the morning light from drifting in.

I didn't want it.

I then managed to take myself offline for all thirty-seven relationship sites I had enrolled in less than 16 hours ago. I didn't want to lead anyone on… or receive any further relationship requests.

One had been more than enough.

The contract that Bruce had forced me to sign only three days ago could go to Hell. Going on a successful date before Christmas wasn't worth risking my life… no matter how fantastic the compensation was. When Bruce retired from Wayne Industries, I may retire as well.

But right now I couldn't worry about it… I was too exhausted from the mind-numbing barrage of ridiculous questions I had answered over-and-over-again all night, feeling like an idiot for having been duped by a gorgeous Russian vixen who had fallen in love with a ruthless Russian criminal.

Love was a mystery.

Unfortunately for me it was a murder mystery.

Sleep had never found a more willing partner than myself that morning. I could no longer face the day and its damned sunshine. Truthfully, I was just happy to be left alone in the dark. My heart just couldn't take it any longer.

I slept through the entire day, awaking just past sundown. The Winter Solstice was less than three weeks away - which meant it was dark before dinnertime in Gotham. But that suited me fine.

As I stumbled out of my still-warm bed, Bruce called my personal number.

I debated whether or not to accept, and finally relented…

"Tim!... Did I wake you?"

"…Almost."

"Look, I'm going to stop by in an hour. There's something I need to tell you."

"…You can't tell me on a screen? I'm not really sure I'm up for company, Bruce. You may not have heard, but I had a rough night."

"Oh, I heard alright. It's on the news… Gordon's managed to keep your name out of it though and attribute the arrests to Batman. Tim, what I have to say will only take a few minutes… and Alfred will be there as well."

It was strange to think that Alfred Pennyworth was now the majority share holder of Wayne Industries. All the News Agencies had nicknamed him the 'Billionaire Butler'.

If Alfred were coming, this may not be just a social call. Had Wayne Industries decided to cut their losses?

"Alright… But don't bring any eligible young ladies."

Bruce laughed.

"I promise, I won't… See you in an hour, Tim."

And exactly one hour later, the front desk rang to alert me that President Bruce Wayne and Mister Alfred Pennyworth had arrived and were waiting in the lobby. Was I expecting them? I chuckled and asked the front desk to please send them up.

I had American Presidents and Billionaire Butlers attending me.

Bruce appeared at my door in a dark grey suit, pressed white shirt and dark-striped tie, looking every ounce the power executive that he was. Alfred was dressed in a black overcoat and bow-tie, looking every ounce the impeccable gentleman that he was.

I was still in my housecoat.

Bruce reached out and shook my hand. Time for a little payback.

"Tim… thanks for seeing us on short notice. Sorry to intrude on your vacation."

"Vacations never were my idea of a good time anyways... Nice to see you again, Mr. Pennyworth… Bruce, why didn't you tell me Richard was still alive?!"

"I… He doesn't… Did he?"

Gotcha.

After what Bruce Wayne had put me through the last few days, the least I could do was outfox him. I had been 99% certain that it had been Richard Grayson in that stealth suit. Now I was 100%.

"No, he didn't tell me… But you just did… You confirmed what I initially suspected. It had to be him, Bruce. Richard modified the back-up stealth armor significantly, but there's only one person in this world that it was built for. Invisible vigilantes are extremely rare."

Bruce eased out a sigh.

"Sorry, Tim… Trust me, it was Dick's decision. The world has to believe that he's still dead. And I have to ask you to honor his wishes. He fears that criminals would target Raven, Alfred and myself if they knew who the Batman truly was… He couldn't bear it if he put us in harm's way."

If last night was any indication, criminals probably would. I wouldn't want anyone to have to live through the awful experiences I had last night. The murderous gleam in Yuri Dimitrov's eyes still haunted me.

"Considering he saved my life, Dick's secret is safe with me... But how is it that he's not dead?! I tracked the suit signal to the point of detonation in Kahndaq. There was no chance he could have made it out alive."

Bruce grinned as though we were the object of some cosmic joke.

"How else?... Raven. She used her wish from the Past to save Richard one millisecond before the bomb detonated."

"Raven had a wish? Like from a Genie? And she traveled back in time?..."

"She had three wishes actually. One from the Past, one from the Present, and one from the Future. That's how she was able to defeat Darkseid."

"…And she actually went back in time and saved Richard?"

"Yes. One millisecond before detonation. She teleported him away but left the suit behind."

"So it's possible… Time travel for matter is actually possible… This means..."

My head was spinning with all the potential ramifications. Fritz Hollmann had sent energy backwards in time with his Tachyon Cannon, but to believe that people could travel backwards in time and remain intact…

"She's done a lot of things lately that I thought were impossible. I've given up trying to get my head around it… Do you mind if we come in, Tim?"

Sometimes I forget social conventions.

"… Oh, sorry. Not at all. Please, come in."

Bruce and Alfred entered my condo, but remained standing in my living room. There was a somber air of expectation about them, hinting at a serious matter that needed to be discussed, making everything seem stagnant. I took a stab at what it was.

"Bruce, did you come over to talk about Batman? You don't have to worry... I owe Richard my life. His secret is safe with me."

The elder gentleman behind Bruce Wayne cleared his throat.

"Ahem… Master Wayne has actually come here to seek an apology, Mister Drake. He hopes that you will be able to forgive him for his brusque behavior of three days past. I assure you that he has been under considerable stress as of late, which I expect resulted in such callous action."

Apology?! Did Alfred just say Bruce Wayne owed me an apology?!

Bruce slowly stepped forward, as if the stoic Alfred standing tall and straight behind him had pushed him forward with nothing more than his pure English will. Bruce was obviously having a hard time with this.

Which somehow made me feel better.

"Tim… I wanted to apologize for the Contract's successful date clause... I only wanted you to find someone that could make you happy… as Raven has made me happy. But Alfred has… kindly reminded me that while we may choose how we love, we do not choose when or with whom...

Please forgive my heavy-handed approach in regards to your personal life. I had no right. The CEO job is yours as outlined in the contract… whether you go on a successful date or not. I've struck clause 4.36 from my offer and had it notarized by the lawyers… I only require your signature to make it legal. The CEO job is yours."

I didn't know what to say. As I stood dumbfounded, the elder statesman took the opportunity to speak up on Bruce's behalf.

"Mister Drake… Too often we believe that what makes us happy should also make everyone happy. Nothing is farther from the truth. I reminded my young ward that although I am a confirmed bachelor, would he not consider my life a success? I am unmarried and childless. Truly, we may find our passions in many places, from public service to literature to intellectual endeavor. For some, our experiences in life and the people we share them with become our soul mate."

Bruce put a gentle hand on my shoulder and looked at me with soft eyes.

"Tim… I'm truly sorry. I acted like a short-sighted ass. I had no right to mandate how you live your life. I tried to force what I considered to be your best interest upon you, but in the end, it has to be you who determines what your best interests are - and whether or not you choose to pursue them."

I had never seen Bruce be so… sympathetic. Almost like he really did care about me.

"Bruce… This is the first time I've actually heard you apologize… It's kind of weird. I appreciate it and all… But is it because I almost got killed last night?"

"Partly … but mostly because Alfred found out. Trust me Tim, I got an earful this afternoon that made what you went through last night seem like a coffee shop chat. Alfred made it quite clear that if I don't put this right, I could be out on my ass as CEO before Christmas. And also looking for a new butler…"

I stared at Alfred in quiet shock, amazed. Had he really threatened Bruce? I could hardly believe it. As the majority share holder, he actually could force Bruce out…

Alfred smiled at me and then fixed Bruce with a stern glare.

"Master Wayne exaggerates of course… but the sentiment was clear, Mister Drake. And I assure you that when Mrs. Wayne returns from her off-world excursion, I shall have a word with her regarding this matter as well… and demand an apology on your behalf. It seems my young ward had an accomplice in this mean-spirited act."

Until that moment, I had held an unshakable belief that Bruce and Raven were the two most powerful people I knew. But now I had to add Alfred Pennyworth to that list. His strict British propriety meant that the old man knew no fear when a line of etiquette had been breached. This was truly the hand that rocked the cradle…

"Alfred… Thank you, but there's really no need. All is forgiven… Could I make you both a cup of tea? Raven brought me back some tea from Twinings and I'm still trying to figure it out..."

The elder gentleman suddenly beamed at the word 'tea'.

"If you would be so kind, Mister Drake… Would you allow me to brew it? I'm sure yourself and Master Wayne have a few more details to discuss."

Before I could speak, Alfred suddenly shot off for the kitchen and Bruce obediently took a seat on my sofa. I sat down on the chair across from him. Bruce looked up at me, down and defeated.

"Tim… If you want to return to work, come back as soon as you feel up to it. During the transition, there will be a lot of things to discuss so it would be better if you were to shadow me for awhile."

As I listened to Alfred filling my new kettle with water in the kitchen, I could scarcely believe what I was hearing in my living room. I had to pinch myself (again) to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

I had a newfound and healthy respect for Alfred.

"Yeah… No problem. I'll be there tomorrow bright and early, Bruce... But did Alfred say that Raven was off-world?"

"Yes… on Blue Lantern business. Apparently there's a star off in some far off galaxy that has lost the will to live."

"A star like a sun? You mean it's burning out…"

"You and I would say it's burning out and becoming a Red Giant. My wife assures me it has simply lost hope and the will to live."

I leveled a serious gaze at my boss. While I would have loved to discuss if stars were actually sentient, there had been another question that I had wanted to ask him for some time now. No time like the present.

"…Do you ever wonder how she does it, Bruce?"

He knew exactly what I meant.

There was no need for me to say what "it" was. As men of science and industry, we both implicitly understood the implications of what Raven Wayne could do. Teleportation was possible. It had to be… Raven could do it. Therefore it was possible. By the same logic, magic was also real. If we were ever able to quantify this phenomena, we could change the world forever.

Bruce did not seem to share my intellectual enthusiasm.

"I used to think about it… Do you know what astatine-219 is, Tim?"

Of course I knew what astatine-219 was.

"Yes, it's an incredibly rare isotope of astatine. Very unstable."

Bruce just looked impassively straight ahead, as though he could peer through my curtains into the night sky beyond, seeking the words he wanted to say in worlds beyond our own.

"Astatine-219 doesn't exist anymore… It does not exist in this timeline in this Universe. Raven rewrote it out of existence to create a new timeline for us… to save this entire reality from something called Brainiac… So the answer is no… I don't wonder how she does it… Not anymore… I actually think it's best that we don't know."

"That's not possible, Bruce…. Not for me at least. I have a mind that can construct the current whereabouts of every molecule in this room. And I know how they should react based on the setting of my thermostat… Everything I've learned tells me that molecules shouldn't be able to pop across the Universe just because Raven wants them to… at least not in our current paradigms... She's bigger than Quantum Mechanics."

"She doesn't give a damn about Quantum Mechanics. You're right though… she has transcended possibility. I now believe there are things we weren't meant to understand…"

"How can you say that? If Newton only saw further by standing on the shoulders of giants, how high are the shoulders we now stand on, Bruce? High enough to reach up and touch the stars? To touch the Gods themselves?"

I realized that the last question may have been a little personal for Bruce. He gathered his thoughts for a moment and became solemn.

"Ten years ago…when I postulated that atmospheric nanites were capable of converting to liquid sarin when exposed to a signature energy pattern, I had no concept of the untold devastation my discovery would cause… Nor did I care.

I only intended for my nanites to be used in the caves and bunkers of Kahndaq, so that no terrorist could ever hide from me. A pure military application. But when I read the work of men like yourself, I realized my little nanites could do much, much more… So yes, I have stood on the shoulders of greatness and touched the Gods… And one of those shoulders was yours, Tim.

Men may perch high above the ground and stare far beyond, but in the end, we must return to the dirt. The higher the shoulder, the greater the fall should we slip.

I've been working with the U.N. to bury the eleven million people in Kahndaq. This is my penance. I will build a League of the most powerful individuals on this planet, capable of defending it against threats we could never imagine. This is also my penance.

We may learn the secrets of the Gods, but can we bear them? By knowing, do we become Gods ourselves? Do we become like Lex Luthor who would have rendered the past thirty years meaningless by the use of one Tachyon Cannon shot?"

"Bruce… What happened in Kahndaq was not your fault."

"I let the Genie out of the bottle, Tim… Ra's al Ghul made the wish. I do bear a responsibility to what happened in Kahndaq."

I hadn't acknowledged it, but the last three months had aged Bruce. Hints of grey were now visible at his temples and the worried lines on his face made him look tired. Sitting on my couch was the pinnacle of mortality. A man who was loved by the Gods, a man who had defeated the Gods, but a mortal man nonetheless.

"We could invent our own end, couldn't we? Some world-ending technology that runs amok. A fusion generation that breaks loose and consumes all matter in this solar system for example…"

In a moment of utmost sincerity, Bruce locked his gaze onto mine.

"You're a dangerous man, Tim Drake. Before anything else, you must acknowledge this."

"C'mon now, I wouldn't do anything dangerous like that, Bruce."

"But you could… Men like us are capable of much more than we ever dreamed possible. That's why we're dangerous… because we can reach up and touch the Gods. We must bear that responsibility and realize what we are capable of, Tim."

It seemed my departing boss still had things left to teach me after all.

"…That's why you wanted me to find a soul mate… wasn't it? So that I would remember that person when I get lost in the heat of discovery. To temper my exploration of mankind's potential?"

"Yes… and also to help you become fulfilled. You need someone to help ground you in humanity, Tim. Your mind is capable of traveling to destinations we may not be ready for. Nothing wrong with having a First Mate."

It all became clear to me now.

"You were worried about me. About what I could do because you wouldn't be around to guide me. That's why you did it. In that case, I forgive you for clause 4.36 Bruce…"

A familiar English voice suddenly cut in from the edge of the room. Emerging from the kitchen with a tray containing three cups of tea (and my secret stash of Girl Guide cookies) was a smiling Alfred.

"Ahhh, those are the words I longed to hear. Well done Mister Drake! You will make a fine…"

Alfred suddenly froze mid-sentence and stood fixed to his current spot like a statue, blanched by what was happening in front of him. Bruce and I also sat perfectly still and gripped the arms of our seats as we also regarded the thing that was materializing in front of us.

This what not the teleportation that Raven or Barbara used. Nevertheless, something was manifesting itself. Light and matter conspired in a collaboration of creation before us… transforming into a female form.

It was almost a three-dimensional WI-Screen, as though a monitor had taken on a life of its own and become a digital person. The most frightening aspect of it was that I actually knew this woman…

Suki-Anna Khan.

As impossible as the apparition was… it remained. A flickering WI-Screen shaped like the genius I had once known continued to float in the air before me, a familiar young Asian lady whose newly formed dark eyes were eerily staring directly at me.

Whatever it was, this was no random haunting.

"…Suki-Anna?"

My lips mouthed her name only, no breath escaped to whisper the words. Oh Dear God… It was her… Suki-Anna Khan, a legend in the field on nanotechnology, one of the most potent intellects of the twenty-first century. She had returned.

The ghost before me spoke in broken sound. A desperate recording carried across the static atmosphere.

"Tim Drake… I need your help… in London… Hurry."

And just like that, this flicking apparition suddenly disappeared… like a ghost in the digital age.

It took me a few seconds to catch my breath, even though my hands still shook uncontrollably. Alfred had also regained his composure and the poise to ask a question - which broke the unnerving silence which had gripped us.

"…A friend of yours, Mr. Drake?"

Could Suki-Anna even have friends? She was more like a supernova of raw intellect whose light I once happened to glimpse. I had met her in a roomful of scholars for perhaps an hour. And then I had good reason to believe that I would never meet her again.

"She was a woman I met once, Alfred… Her name is Suki-Anna Khan… I went to her funeral three years ago in England…"

Author's Notes:

Clause 4.36 is a reference to Batman issue 436, the first issue of "Batman: Year 3" which was also the first appearance of Tim Drake.

In the next chapter, we will learn more of the mysterious and poignant Suki-Anna Khan as well as Tim's academic past. Suki-Anna Khan is my own character. No need to look her up. I promise it will be amazing!