List of Oneshots part 4

by yugiohfan163

Requests are not guaranteed to be done. If they get done, they get done. Don't go expecting any ideas done at the drop of a hat or expect any promises. No ones making any money off these, which means we're not obligated to rush on certain ideas.

70. Chapter 70

List of oneshots part 4

chapter 70

Plot: What if Bruce's interjection in several villains backstories changed things?

Series: Batman the Animated Series

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Bruce Wayne, a man on a mission to find and hone himself in numerous methods and skills. A young man who's been all around the world and back again, a young man who was currently taking a small ride through a local town in Miami. Said ride meant to bring him to an old friend to help complete his training before he would return to Gotham. As he stared out of the bus window, he didn't notice that he wasn't alone, that someone at the back of the bus was watching him.

The person narrowed their eyes under a black hat with a matching trench coat over their body, keeping their eyes on the man who was probably loaded given the suit he was wearing. He smirked as he saw the young adult stand up as the bus stopped, preparing to depart, and followed suit.

Bruce noticed the steps behind him, but kept his eyes ahead as he got off the bus and made his way across the road and over to a limo waiting under some shade from the trees. "Alfred, do me a favor and drive around the block a few times, I have to deal with something."

"Are you sure sir?" asked the older man at the wheel.

"Don't worry, it won't take long." He promised as Alfred nodded. Bruce smiled as the limo pulled away, turning back to face the figure following him. "Hello there, can I help you?"

"Yeah you can help me. You can start by forking over all the cash you got." they remarked in a rough tone of voice.

"I think not." Bruce said, crouching low into a fighting stance. "Crime doesn't pa-"

"RAAAGGGHHHHH!" They let out, charging at Bruce with a roar before lunging, making Bruce grab their wrists as they got close, rolling backwards and tossing them over him, making them crash against a tree with a thud. "Oof!"

"Like I said, crime doesn't p-" Bruce started, only to pause as he saw the face of his assailant, his hat having fallen off.

The person groaned and shook their head, their skin shown to be gray and dry looking with no hair, and their mouth formed in a way you could see sharp teeth inside, much different from a normal human's. They glared at Bruce, noting the shocked expression and growled.

"Take a picture of the freak, it'll last longer." they growled before tackling Bruce in the gut, knocking him down before taking the coat off to show a muscular physique, albeit a slightly skinny one too, with blue pants on and no shoes. "You wanna try and play hero? Works for me, I'll just have to rough you up before taking what I want."

Bruce shook his head as the person lunged, hands out towards him, making him quickly grab the wrists and hold them back, albeit with difficulty making him grit his teeth. "Who…are you?"

"Waylon Jones, but most call me Croc." He growled. "Now shut up and go down, I just want your damn money."

"Sorry, fresh out." he grunted, having to use more force before shoving the person off before decking him and got up, but saw them stagger back and not go down before turning to him with a snarl. "I'm not like most people you can pickpocket from."

"Come on, nice coat, ya look healthy, well fed, you can spare some money for the freak." he growled angrily.

Bruce raised an eyebrow, giving the man a look over. "Tell me, do you call yourself that because of your looks alone?"

"Heck no. I'm as strong as any real croc, and I'll only get stronger with time." he boasted. "By the time I'm a grown man, I'll be strong enough to take on anything and anyone, especially some rich pretty boy who's wasting my time."

"So a criminal, is that what you mean?" asked Bruce. "Why waste what you have breaking the law when there are better choices?"

"BETTER CHOICES?!" He roared in rage. "You think I wanna live like this?! Fighting a rich brat so I can eat tonight?! Hell no, but look at me, I'm a freak, a monster, I have no other choices, no one ever gave me any!" He snapped before running at Bruce, decking him in the face several times with some good throws, only for Bruce to duck from another and grab his wrist, twisting it at an angle that made him yell in pain.

"No you're not!" he threw back before letting go as Croc held his hand with a glare. "A person's not a freak or monster because of how they look, it's because of their actions, what they choose to do with their life. To me you're no different from any other person I've met in my life."

"Ha, then you're the first!" Waylon snorted. "My parents threw me out like trash, orphanage kicked me out, the school blamed me for the kids who beat me up, no one will hire me, you saying that's all my fault? I never got the chance to make 'good actions', so what now?"

"Then take the chance." Replied Bruce, dropping his fists. "You, like anyone else, always have a choice in what to do with your life. Do you want to go down a path that will only bring more trouble to you?"

"It's called survival of the fittest. As long as I survive, I don't care about anything else, and why should I? What's the point in caring about others when nobody bothered to do the same for me?" He grunted, not lowering his guard.

"Then what if I give you that chance?" Bruce asked. "What if I give you a chance to not only survive, but thrive?"

"Ha! That's a laugh." He scoffed. "Why bother? I try to rob you, rough you up, and now you wanna act like you care?"

"Everyone deserves a second chance, or in your case, a first one." Bruce said sternly. "My father believed everyone had the capability to be good, so why not you?" He asked as the limo began to pull up. "Come with me and I'll give you a real job, what do you say? Worst case scenario you just walk away now, no strings attached."

Croc raised an eyebrow at Bruce, then at the limo. "Oh yeah? What sorta job?"

"To start off, security at Wayne manor." He said, making Croc's eyes widen.

"Wayne… I've seen that name somewhere before…"

"Let's just say it's one a lot of people are familiar with. One that a lot of them respect." he looked down. "And one I hope to keep going for a long time."

"...fine, but if this is some kind of trick, you'll pay for it, I swear." He growled as Bruce opened the car door.

"No tricks, just opportunities." Bruce promised.

"If you say so…" Croc reluctantly said, entering the limo. 'This'll be good for a few weeks at best I imagine.'

(Years later)

"Hey, Bruce, c'mon, yer gonna be late."

"I'm coming I'm coming." Called Bruce, adjusting his tie as he walked out of his manor and down to the limo. He smiled as he spotted his bodyguard, Waylon, standing there with the door open. The large man was dressed in a gray dress shirt and pants with a black vest over them. "Getting a tie just right isn't that easy."

"I still say a clip-on works better."

"I know, but Alfred insists a good 'ol fashion tied one is proper, which I'm willing to believe."

"Eh, if he says so it must be true, old man knows just 'bout everything." He relented. "Got the newspaper in there for you Bruce."

"Thank you Waylon." he made his way inside before the door shut and the taller man went to the front to the driver's seat.

"No problem boss." He said as he got in, resting in the extra large seat before taking off.

Bruce smiled as he picked up the paper, glancing at the front page and pausing. "Hmm, what's this?"

He looked at the article which talked about a recent developer that had been let go of his job for 'problematic behavior'. "That's strange…Edward Nygma, I met him once, this doesn't sound like him…"

"Sounds kinda weird with a name like that." remarked Waylon while driving off down the large hill the manor was built on.

"Hmmm, well either way, we're making a small stop on our way to the office." He remarked, reading where Edward used to work. 'I wonder…'

(Later)

"I'll show them, I'll show them all…." Muttered a man with red hair and suspenders, reading the newspaper before crumpling it up into a ball and threw it in a waste basket as he walked down the street with anger on his face. "They can't just toss me aside like I'm worthless. They'll rue the day they humiliated me." He glared up at the building he used to work at, cursing under his breath, not noticing the limo pulling up behind him.

"There he is boss."

"Keep the car running." Bruce said as he got out and began to make his way over to the red haired man. "Hello, excuse me?"

Edward stopped and turned with a frown. "What is it?"

"Pardon me, but I couldn't help but notice you seem a little distressed over something."

"You're damn right I am, those bastards stole my project, cut me out of the deal and then threw me out once it was finished!" he ranted angrily. "I worked on that project for five years! Five years and they just steal it because of a technicality!"

"Really now?" Remarked Bruce, not letting on more than he knew. "You know, you look awfully familiar. The project wouldn't happen to be Riddle of the Minotaur, would it?"

"Yes! That's the one!" He snapped, brightening up a bit. "It was my crowning achievement, a game that challenged the player, made them think rather than just mash buttons!"

"And you wouldn't happen to be Edward Nygma, would you?"

"That's me! Wait…. How do you know that? Do I know you?"

"Sorry, I got ahead of myself. Bruce Wayne." He smiled with his hand out.

"Bruce Wayne?" Edward asked, feeling floored as he reached out to shake the mans hand. "I…what are you doing here?"

"I was out for a drive, saw you, and figured you could use someone to hear your problem. Especially when I happened to come across what happened in the paper." He said with a smile. "I do believe we met a few years ago at a function, you didn't strike me as the kind of man who would be fired for 'problematic behavior', and I suppose I was correct."

"Absolutely. That no good fool Mockridge dared to cheat me out of my own creation. Apparently the contract I signed kept me from receiving any royalties on the game with him ensuring all licensing on it went straight to Competitron. He even had the gaul to say the whole reason it made the company anything was due to contracts and negotiations. Ha! That idiot is the kind to throw their money at anything and expect to feel superior about it. If it wasn't for my genius, that company would be filing bankruptcy as we speak."

"I see." Bruce said, nodding. 'He has a bit of an superiority complex, but if even half of what he's claiming is true he got screwed over, and he is far from incompetent…' He thought before smiling. "Well, it seems like you got a raw deal, do you have another job lined up yet?"

"No, but that's only because the only thing on my mind right now is making that cheating snake pay for what he's done." he remarked, clenching his hand and scowling at the building.

"Would you like some help?" Bruce asked calmly, throwing the man off.

"What?"

"I said, would you like some help? Wayne corp employs some of the best law firms in the country, I'm sure they can help you with your case."

"Why…would you help me?" he asked with suspicion. "What do you hope to gain from helping me? I figured someone as high up as you wouldn't give a second look to someone who was easily duped out of his own project."

"Simple, everyone deserves a second chance." Bruce said with a smile. "In fact, while we're on the subject, would you be interested in a job at Wayne corp? We can discuss the details on the ride to the office." He offered, gesturing to the limo. "I can't guarantee anything, but if your work is as good as you claim I could easily see you in an upper management position in no time, maybe as the head of video game development?"

Edward looked at Bruce and the limo with uncertainty and crossed his arms. "How can I be sure I won't be tricked again?"

"I can understand you'd be unsure, but to me, actions have more meaning when they can be backed up. I won't make you sign any contracts without looking them over. If you feel it's not for you, you're free to walk away, no strings attached. I'd rather do things honestly."

Edward looked at him for a moment, mentally weighing his options before sighing. "Fine, I suppose it couldn't hurt to come along and hear what you have to offer."

Bruce smiled hearing that before the two of them went into the limo before it started driving off.

(Later)

Bruce smiled as he and Enygma walked out of the courthouse, the red haired man beaming with pure joy and vindication.

"I told you we had a good case."

"I haven't felt this happy since I solved my first crossword puzzle." He admitted. "The look on Mockridge's face was better than I imagined."

"He should have seen this coming, crime never pays." Bruce said smugly. "Besides, now you alone own the rights to your game, do you think you'll leave Wayne Corp now?"

Edward stopped and looked down at the paperwork, thinking it over before rubbing his chin. "Well…let's not jump to conclusions now. You did do as you promised, and I am a man who pays back his dues. So I see no reason to leave right away. Perhaps I can pay you back in some way."

"Well, I am curious to hear about any other new ideas you might have in mind." Bruce said with a smile. "If you have any other multi-million ideas like that minotaur game, Wayne-corp would love to hear them and help you make them a reality."

"But of course. After all, coming up with one game was simple, but with my mind I could make one twice as impressive." He said smugly. 'Plus I won't have to beg for more time or a larger budget like I did with Mockridge.'

"Great, I look forward to a successful future together in the company Mr. Nygma."

(Later)

'Now then, where is Jameson building?' Bruce thought, looking around the college campus. 'I thought it was somewhere around this general area.'

"You can't do this to me! I was so close, I need to finish my research!"

Bruce stopped and turned to see a lanky man with red hair was being dragged by the arms out of one of the buildings.

"Yeah yeah, keep it up buddy." Muttered one of the men, a campus cop. "The university doesn't have room for nutjobs like you, or your crazy work!"

"Crazy!? It's not crazy, it's research you fool!" He argued as Bruce frowned and made his way over.

"Gentlemen, why don't you let the man go?"

"No can do. This wackjob's been kicked out of here."

"I can assure you I'll escort him out, now please release him." Bruce assured them, with the red haired man looking at him in confusion.

The two looked at each other and back at Bruce. "Ok, but we don't wanna see any trouble or him trying to sneak back in."

"He won't." He assured them as they let go of the red haired man. "Are you alright Mr…"

"Crane, Jonathan Crane." The man said, looking at Bruce with distrust.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Crane-."

"Dr. Crane, if you please." He muttered under his breath.

"Sorry, Dr. Crane." He apologized. "If you don't mind me asking, what was that all about?"

"The fools at the university just ended my tenure and banned me from the campus!" He snapped angrily. "They believed my work had gone too far!"

"Had it?"

"Of course not!" he threw his hands up. "My work was groundbreaking, something that would make history, but those fools got in my way!"

"And what exactly is it that you do?"

"I was dissecting the elements and psychology behind fear!" He said, his words becoming passionate. "I love it, it is so unique to everyone, and my work is groundbreaking, important! How could they just toss me aside like that?!"

"Uh huh." Bruce held his chin. "So how did you go about testing it?"

"I had student volunteers, I used a gas I developed to induce controlled hallucinations of their fears, and I measured that, then I factored in their different backgrounds, seeing what they had in common an-"

"You were testing it on students?" Bruce cut in.

"Technically yes, but it was controlled doses, there were no negative side effects from the gas, and the chambers I kept them in kept them from harming themselves or anyone else!"

'I can see why the school would revoke his tenureship, but he doesn't seem to have grasped what he did wrong… maybe it's not too late to correct this behavior before it gets out of hand?'

"But did the board understand that? No! Calling my experiments unethical." Crane continued, ranting as he and Bruce made their way out of the campus. "They even talked about calling the police! Can you believe that?!"

"I see… may I ask you a question professor, what do you intend to do now?" Bruce asked him, cutting off the rant as politely as he could. "From what I've heard, you don't seem like the kind of man to give up on his research, correct?"

"Of course not. Why as a child I was always fascinated by fear. The way it influences us in our everyday lives, how it can cause so many drastic changes throughout our very lives, how even a little fear can have great consequences. To give up on my research like that is like asking us all to stop breathing." He exclaimed.

"Well, might I recommend an idea, would you be interested in working for me and furthering your research in my company?"

"What?" Crane turned to Bruce with wide eyes as he stopped his rant. "Work for you?"

"Yes, I don't think I've introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Bruce Wayne." He said as Crane stared at him. "I must admit, your work does sound intriguing, and if you want to continue your research on it I'm sure we can find a place for you in research and development to further your research."

"Bruce Wayne? THE Bruce Wayne?" He asked in shocked surprise.

"Indeed, and like I said, I think you might be a good fit for Wayne Corp, but I'm afraid there would be a few caveats to future employment in the company." Bruce continued, making Crane pause.

"And what might those be?" He asked suspiciously.

"I would request that you co-work with someone from the board of ethics, while your research is important, it is also a delicate topic, one that can easily be misunderstood by others, am I right?" Bruce suggested. "Their function would serve as a life-line, someone to help gauge your proposed experiments, and if you two can't come to an agreement you can both come to me and plead your cases, sound good?"

Crane crossed his arms and closed his eyes for a few seconds. "I'm use to working within my own limits. Having someone looking over my shoulder wouldn't be my usual experience."

"You'd be able to run your experiments, but I want someone to… keep you grounded, you're passionate about your work, and I appreciate that, but I know from experience that when people become passionate about something they lose sight of less important things, like limitations, and how other people perceive them. I want to avoid what got you fired from the university." Bruce explained carefully.

"Hmmmm." he rubbed his chin as he weighed the pros and cons in his head. 'On one hand I get to continue my work, with most likely better funding…but I will be monitored, he may even refuse some of my work… but what other choice do I have?' "Alright, I'll accept those conditions, but that doesn't mean I have to like them."

"Understandable, and nothing is set in stone, we can hammer out the details later." Bruce said with a smile, holding out his hand. "Welcome to Wayne Corp."

Crane looked at the hand before grasping it and shook it. "Thank you, Mr. Wayne."

(Later)

Bruce hummed as he sat at his desk, reading over the latest progress reports from his different divisions, with Waylon sitting in a corner in a recliner, reading a comic book. "Hmmmm, Nygma's been doing well with the new game, and it's been a month since Crane has reported any issues with his experiments." Bruce mused to himself.

"Sir, please, you need an appointment!"

"I need to see Mr. Wayne now!"

"Sir please, if you don't-" his secretary was cut off as a man with glasses and a labocat burst in looking frantic.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" frowned Waylon getting up and moving in front of Bruce's desk.

"Mr. Wayne, please, save my wife!" The man begged, trying to run past Waylon. "She's going to be killed!"

Bruce stood up hearing that while Waylon picked him up with ease. "Waylon stop! Put him down."

"Sure thing boss." The large man said, putting down the frantic man.

"Explain, now." Bruce said seriously. "What is going on, who is going to kill your wife, and how could I help?"

"M-My wife is deadly ill, I couldn't cure her, no one could, s-so I froze her with my technology, and she's alive in stasis, but it isn't my equipment…" The man explained shakily. "M-My name is Victor Fries, a-and I work for GothCorp. I was desperate, and I needed more materials to finish the machine, and….I stole money from the corporation to finish it…" He admitted, dipping his head in shame. "I just finished it, and I know I can't keep it a secret forever, and I don't know what Mr. Boyle will do when he discovers the truth… I fear he may shut off the machines keeping my Nora alive."

Bruce rubbed his chin hearing the news, intrigued and concerned. "Show me where she is."

"Y-Yes sir, but….can we disguise you? I don't want anyone to know why Bruce Wayne is sneaking into my lab." Victor said, relief in his voice.

"Of course. I just want to see with my own eyes." He said calmly. 'If what he's saying is true…could I honestly blame him? How far would I have gone to keep my parents alive if it was an option?'

(Later)

Bruce and Victor made their way through the hall in the building, Bruce wearing one way glasses, a wig, and a large overcoat over his body.

"This way." Victor whispered, leading Bruce into a small hallway and into what he at first thought was a mop closet that turned out to be a massive room, full of strange equipment. "I-I tried my best to make it hard to find my work and my Nora, but…. I know it's only a matter of time until he finds us."

"You certainly put a lot of effort into keeping it a secret." He remarked, looking around. 'This is impressive, it may be secret, but it's well kept.'

"This is her Mr Wayne." Spoke Victor as they stopped and he gestured to a large cylinder tube, filled with liquid with an unconscious woman inside with long white hair. "My wife, Nora."

"My god…" Bruce let out, his eyes widening. 'He was telling the truth…' he thought, stepping forward. "She's still alive like this?"

"Yes, the chemicals used to help keep her illness at bay are keeping her life going, but I'm afraid that's all I can do." he admitted, moving over and putting a hand on the glass with a sad look. "If it wasn't for this, her illness would have gotten worse. I know what I've done is illegal, but please Mr. Wayne, I…I had no choice. I couldn't let her suffer. I wanted to keep her alive long enough for a cure to be found."

"Enough." Bruce said, turning to the scientist. "You don't need to justify yourself to me. You have my support, now let's ensure she survives." He said as the scientist smiled. "First, we need to talk to your boss, I'm buying all this equipment, your research, and ideally your contract as well."

"Oh Mr. Wayne, I…thank you." he let out, feeling emotional, right before the door slammed open, with Ferris Boyle and some men entering.

"Victor, what's the meaning of this?" He asked with a glare. "I thought I told you to stop your experiments, they've been costing us more than the budget calls for."

"M-Mr. Boyle, I can exp-" Victor started, only for Bruce to step between them.

"I do believe that's enough, how much did the experiments cost you?"

"What's it to you?" He frowned. "Who are you?"

"Simple. I'm the man who came here to hear this man out and can see that while he did go over budget, it was to help a human life."

"Well unless you have a couple million I don't c-" Boyle started, only to freeze as Bruce tore off his disguise.

"I have much more than that." He remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"M-M-Mr Wayne!?" he let out in shock, stepping back as Bruce crossed his arms.

"Tell me, is spending more money more important than helping a human life? Because I'd say going over budget for a reason like that is a far better investment than anything else."

"I…well, you see…look, it's complicated! I don't have a billion dollars to throw around like you do!" He argued, trying to defend himself.

"Then how about I fix your financial issues, I want Victor Fries, his lab, his experiments, all his data, everything." Bruce stated firmly.

Boyle gulped and tugged at his collar. "Well, I mean if you think it would work."

"To help a life, I'd say so." He said with a frown. "Now then, let's get down to business."

(Later)

"Careful with that, please, she's in a delicate condition!" Victor begged as he and Bruce watched Nora's tube getting installed in the new lab.

"Well Doctor Fries, I hope you don't run into any more issues from here on out." Bruce said with a smile. "As long as I'm in charge of this company, you'll receive as much funding as necessary, and I do believe you may even be able to find some help with your dilemma, Wayne corp is practically overflowing with geniuses who you can ask for help."

"Thank you Mr. Wayne, you have no idea how thankful I am for all this." He smiled. "I can only do my best to help find a cure for Nora so she can be able to experience life like before. I am indebted to you."

"No, it's fine, what kind of person would I be if I didn't help?" He smiled as he held out his hand. "I wish you the best luck Dr Fries."

The man shook Bruce's hand back with both of his before going back to making sure everything else was set up properly before Bruce made his way out.

'Alright, if I hurry I should be in time for the ground breaking event.' Bruce thought, picking up his pace.

(Later)

"Glad you made it Bruce, I thought you were gonna skip out." Joked Harvey, him and Bruce standing to the side as a small crowd formed outside of a large open land with a news crew there and some men with excavating equipment.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, just had to help a new employee get settled in at Wayne Corp." He said with a smile.

"I'm just glad you made it in time." He said as he grabbed a shovel. "Let's get this show on the road."

"My fellow citizens, it is with my great civic pride that we are here to break ground on the new Gotham penitentiary." spoke the mayor into a mike. "Which has been funded by the Wayne foundation."

The crowd gave a clap for Bruce who gave a smile.

"As you know, this was the idea of one man, and he's with us today. Gotham's newest district attorney, Harvey Dent." he gestured to the man who smiled and stepped forward.

"From this field of weeds and wildflowers will grow a new institution to build a better and safer Gotham." He said as he struck his shovel into the ground. He smiled as the crowd cheered and took their pictures, with Bruce smiling and looking over the crowd, stopping as he spotted a woman glaring at the both of them.

'Strange, why would she be here if she's upset?' He wondered, noticing her turning and walking away as the reporters took photo after photo. Bruce smiled politely as he started to make his way forward, a strange feeling in his gut urging him to go after the woman.

Said woman mader her way from the crowd, gripping her hands as she glared at the men who started moving the excavation vehicles to the zone, wanting so much to throw the drivers under the machines themselves.

"Excuse me ma'am, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

She stopped and glanced behind her, seeing Bruce walking over with her inwardly growling, but put on a neutral expression and faced him. "Hello Mr. Wayne, shouldn't you be with the reporters answering questions? This is a big day after all."

"You've been to one big day, you've been to them all." He remarked with a small smile. "If you don't mind me asking, what brings you out here? We're not exactly near anything else, and you didn't seem that excited over the event."

"Oh it's nothing, I just wanted to come by and take in the fresh view, before it was destroyed." she remarked with an underlying angry tone to her voice. "Nothing important, I had some things to get to work on back home."

"Well, I admit it's a nice view, but isn't a correctional facility more important than a view?" Bruce asked. 'Why does this feel off?'

"Isn't an endangered species more important than a stupid prison?" She snapped back.

"I'm sorry?" he replied back, caught off guard and confused. "What endangered species?"

"The flowers, the ones that are being torn up as we speak." She growled. "Didn't you know? I've been sending Wayne Corp letters for months."

"I'm sorry, when it comes to running the business, I sometimes have my secretary help check any mail. I must not have seen them." He apologized.

"Sure, everyone has an excuse, no one wants to take responsibility when it comes to mother earth." She snapped angrily.

"Woah woah, I'm sorry I offended you." he held his hands up. "Look, since we're already talking, why don't you inform me personally? I'm intrigued by what species you're talking about, Miss…"

"Isley, Pamela Isley." She said suspiciously. "Why now, isn't it a bit late? Because of you these flowers are going to be extinct." She said, gesturing to the heavy equipment.

"Well at the time when trying to find land that could hold the building, we found this spot and thought it would be perfect. We weren't aware of anything of great importance when we had it checked out." He pointed out. "If there truly is an endangered species here, then it might not be too late to save them."

"Judging by what your friend said, I'd say it is." She huffed turning away, Bruce getting a stronger sense of danger.

'This woman seems to be quite passionate about the local foliage.' "Miss Isley, if you don't mind me asking, but how much do you care about the plant life around here?"

"In my opinion, they're worth more than the people the new penitentiary will house." She muttered darkly.

'Yep, definitely some bad vibes…' he thought, shaking his head. "Look, would you humor me and stop by my office tomorrow?"

"Why? I have more important things to take care of."

"Trust me, please, if it turns out to be a waste of your time, I'll make it worth it regardless." He said before turning to leave. "Just think about it."

She watched him walk off back to Harvey, raising an eyebrow in suspicion before making her way back to her own car. 'What is he planning?'

(Later)

"Bruce, please, this is crazy." Harvey argued, groaning as he reclined back into his chair. He and Bruce were in a boardroom as the billionaire paced back and forth. "We can't just up and change location, not after all the work that's been put into it already."

"I agree, but we don't have a choice, I double checked the reports, someone lied to us, that field is full of endangered roses." Bruce argued.

"Bruce, half of that ground has already been torn up by now, we can't just quit so suddenly."

"I'm just trying to save us a problem later down the line Harvey. If it comes to light that we cost several species all for one building? Well then I'm worried about the press making it a problem for both of us." He said, both initially unaware of a certain redead nearing the conference room.

"I know that, this is a disaster, if this comes to light it could kill my career before it actually begins." Harvey groaned. "If we stop though, I would have wasted the city's resources, either way I lose Bruce, and so does Wayne corp, you've already paid for the materials."

"True, but even if I help pitch in and pay a little more, the long term effects would make it all worthwhile. I've already got some of my people looking into better land that would still be close enough to Gotham, and I had an idea. As a way to help the city even more, why not use the land we already started on as a plant sanctuary of sorts?" He said, making Pamela freeze as she got within earshot range, only to nudge closer so she could eavesdrop. "Think about it, we've already messed up and disturbed the land, but if we stop now we could collect some samples of the plant, and then use the materials I've already paid for to build a large plant preserve? With it we could help save hundreds more species from all over the world, the prison was supposed to be five miles long, imagine what a plant sanctuary could hold with that size."

Harvey sighed and folded his hands together. "I'm not against it Bruce, honestly it sounds like a good idea, I'm just concerned I'm relying too much on you. I don't want you to drive yourself in the red with all these sudden changes."

"Harvey, I could easily buy half of Gotham and not go in the red, for something like this I'd easily go a few weeks without eating caviar." Bruce joked.

"I'm also curious, what brought on this sudden change?"

"Well, let's just say after taking into account from a concerned citizen, it got me thinking, and I came to the conclusion we could build a spot for criminals to help make the city safer, while making one for plant life to live in peace and so others can enjoy their beauty at the same time. After all, preserving life is a vital part of living."

Pamela's eyes went wide as she heard that, trying to process everything she had just heard. 'This….they're saving the flowers? What….'

"Well, if you think it's a good idea you have my support Bruce. I'll let the mayor know and take care of the zoning permits, can you take care of the other logistics?" The district attorney said as he got up to leave.

"No problem Harvey, have a good one." he smiled as he watched Harvey exit the room before making his way out and noticed Pamela standing near the wall. "Ah, Miss Isley, glad you could stop by. I've got some good news."

"Why?" She said, narrowing her eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I can, and I should." He said earnestly. "I didn't know those plants were there when we chose that spot, honestly. Now that you are here though, I have a request…no, rather a job to offer you."

"And what might that be?"

"I was hoping you would be willing to come on as the head of this new project, I might have the money and means to make it a reality, but I've never had a green thumb." He admitted. "You seem passionate, and after a quick look into your background you seem like the perfect person to be in charge of this facility."

She crossed her arms. "And how do I know this is genuine?"

"Simple. The only person you'd report to would be me, and that's only to give me reports on how everything is going. You seem like you know plenty when it comes to plants, and if you put that passion into keeping them safe, I'll bet the sanctuary could bloom in no time." he smiled. "Of course I understand if you're not sure, we'll find someone who would be more than happy to watch over it after it's up and running."

"I never said that." She interjected. "I want to be in charge of everything, if you claim to want this complex to house plants from all over the world you'll need my help designing appropriate spaces, getting the right dirt, a-"

"Done, done, and done, you will be there for every step." Bruce promised. "I'll even personally fund any extra trips you need to get rare plant samples as well, you have my word."

"Well…in that case, I suppose you've got yourself a new employee, Mr. Wayne." She smiled as he shook her hand.

"I look forward to a green future Miss Isley." He smiled.

(Later)

'Another party, another night.' Thought Bruce, fancy glass in hand as he was in the midst of mingling with numerous wealthy figures in all of Gotham. 'Another night wasted when I could be working on the suit…' He thought when he noticed a strange sound coming from behind him.

"Bahaha, and so I told them 'Hey now, give the poor lad a break, it's not every day he gets the honor of serving a man with good taste'." A nasaly voice laughed behind him, making him turn around to see nothing but the top of a tophat before he looked down. There he saw a short man with a round figure, a noticeably long nose with a monocle, long pipe, and umbrella he had his hands on top of, using like a cane, with hands that looked like he just had normal thumbs, index finger, with the rest looking like some sort of flipper.

"Yes, I see… excuse me, I think I see Barbra across the hall." the man who had been talking to the strange looking man said before quickly walking away.

"Another time perhaps." he called back before stopping one of the servers with his umbrella, grabbing several of the small appetizers before tossing several in his mouth and enjoying them, unaware of several party goes shaking their heads or looking disgusted.

'Huh, I suppose you don't see that everyday… still, I suppose I should introduce myself, it's only polite.' thought Bruce moving over and cleared his throat. "Excuse me."

"Mmmm? Yes?" The man said, turning towards Bruce, with bits of appetizers ringing his face.

"I couldn't help but overhear you and thought you look like the kind of fellow who has a story to tell. My name's Bruce, Bruce Wayne." He said as the pudgy man's face lit up and he was quick to shake his hand.

"How do you do, the names Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, it's a pleasure to meet you sir."

"Well Mr. Cobblepot, care to enlighten me about yourself?" He asked as the man nodded. "What brings you to this fine event?"

"Oh nothing much, merely mingling with some of Gotham's finests. After all, when it comes to the Cobblepot name, we ARE known as some of the best." he praised himself while adjusting his tie. "Always have been since before my parent's time."

"I see, Cobblepot….that name sounds familiar." Bruce nodded.

"Of course. We practically built Gotham thanks to my great great grandfather's wealthy business practices." He hummed. "Stand tall and with grace, our own personal saying if you will."

"It's a good saying." Bruce nodded. 'Huh, he's rather polite, how do I bring up his….attire? Or would that be rude?'

"And you are Mr. Wayne, the very man in charge of quite the business. I must say that's quite the shoes to fill."

"Well I do my best, that's all anyone can really ask for." he smiled while noting some of the people around them muttering or whispering. "Uh, might I suggest we venture somewhere more private?"

"Mmmm, yes of course fine chap, lead the way!" Oswald said, nodding along as Bruce gestured him outside onto a balcony. "Ah, a fine day out. Clear sky as far as the eye can see, almost makes one want to go out for a nightly fly."

"I couldn't agree more, but I do want to mention something I couldn't in there." Bruce leaned down slightly and whispered. "Oswald, you have some crumbs around your face."

"I do?" He asked as he lifted a hand and brushed the crumbs away. "Ah, I see, thank you."

"So tell me Oswald, what sort of businesses does your family get involved with?"

"Well, my family has made a serious investment in real estate, especially down in the dockyards of Gotham, we own around 70% of the warehouses, abandoned buildings, and other large structures there."

"That's quite the legacy you have there."

"But of course. I was actually just letting some of the folks in there learn on some of the rather humorous moments that have happened, but for some reason not many stick around. Seems they are still busy even at a party." he chuckled in amusement.

Bruce frowned as he saw the hint of a frown being held back on the bird-like man's face. "I wouldn't let it get to you, some people can be a bit…wound up, and can't deal with some of the stress."

"Yes, yes… at least there was someone at this event willing to have a good conversation." admitted Oswald with a smile. "Quite frankly Bruce, sometimes I get wound up myself." he gripped his umbrella. "They think I might not hear, but I'm no slouch, I can hear the way they comment on my looks when they think I'm not looking."

"I see…might I make a suggestion?" Bruce offered.

"And what might that be?"

"Well, I hate to say it, but your mannerisms may be putting people off, to me you sound like a very rational and understanding person, but these people, these people who have more money than god only focus on first impressions. It's horrible, but you and I seem to be the exceptions, not the norm." he let out with Oswald raising an eyebrow.

"And what's wrong with my mannerisms?"

"Well, you are a bit rude, and your table manners are a bit loose… I don't mind, but the people in that room?" Bruce said, gesturing to the room full of rich elites. "With a few exceptions, they're mostly shallow people, and any supposed 'offense' they see they will focus on like a shark with blood."

"I was merely enjoying myself and loosening up. After all that is what you do at one of these gatherings." he retorted with a huff.

"I know, and theoretically yes, that is the purpose of these functions." Bruce sighed. "Look…. Do you remember in the news a few years ago when my parents died? Afterwards I was still expected to come to all of these events and not show any sign that I was mourning the loss of my parents."

"Hmmm, I do admit that is quite hard on a young fellow."

"Exactly, and I was in no condition for these events, so I acted like any other kid who had lost their parents, and I had to listen to everyone whisper and make snide remarks about me behind my back." Bruce sighed, shaking his head. "Which is why I just don't want what they say get to you, and one way to get them to quiet down? Prove that you're more sophisticated than they assume."

"I see… perhaps you have a point Bruce." The small man nodded. "But what do you suggest? I cannot just pretend to be someone I'm not."

"No, but who says you have to?" He smiled. "I could help you meet with someone who could help you come across as sophisticated in no time flat."

"Really?"

"Yes, consider it my favor, from one new friend to another."

"Hmmm, well….alright, I'll take you up on your offer, by who shall I be addressing my soon to be teacher?"

"Afred Pennyworth. Trust me, he's quite the expert." He said with a smile. "Trust me, you two will get along famously."

"If you say so."

(Later)

Numerous people were wanting to make sure everything was all set up at Gotham Studios, most of them working behind the scenes as Bruce was getting his face a bit touched up for when he went out on the air for a talk show he had been invited to. 'I hope they don't ask me about Waylon again, just because he looks different doesn't mean he's a goon.'

"C'mon, please, just give me a shot!" came a woman's voice around the corner.

"I'm sorry, but for the last time the answer is no." A males voice said sternly. "I don't want to have to deal with people claiming I'm breaking child labor laws again!"

"C'mon, please, I need a job, I'll do anything!"

"I said no and I mean it!" The man called as Bruce looked to see a man walking past him, followed by what looked like a young girl with blonde hair.

"You can't do this to me! I'm a star! I'm Babydoll for God Sake!"

"You WERE Babydoll, now you're just some short person." he waved his hand as she stopped and scowled at him with Bruce staying unnoticed.

"You bastard. I'm not just some short person. I'm a grown adult." she growled to herself with Bruce recognizing the pure anger in her eyes. "Just because I'm small and look like a child doesn't mean I am one!"

Bruce rubbed his chin before walking over. "Excuse me."

"Huh? What do you want?" She snapped, turning to him in frustration.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear that little 'talk' of yours." he said as she groaned. "I was wondering if you were having difficulty finding work."

"No, who could think that a grown woman who looks like an eight year old girl might have difficulties with life?" She asked sarcastically.

"I didn't mean to pry, but I was just curious on what caused it. You mentioned your name being Babydoll I believe? It sounds like a name I've heard in the past." He remarked as she nodded.

"Yeah, I used to be on tv, it was a while ago." She sighed. "I was a big star too, the biggest all around." she smiled. "Everyone in every household watched me all the time. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing my name being brought up."

"Well what happened to the show if you don't mind me asking?"

"It ended a few years ago and I couldn't get any more work, everyone said I was too much like my last character, plus my age….well, I was hoping I could get a job here, but that was a bust."

"If it's not too much to ask, but how old are you exactly?"

"I'm in my 20s and that's all you need to know." she crossed her arms with a pout that stuck with her appearance. "Why do you care anyway? Just who are you supposed to be?"

"Bruce Wayne." He said with a smile as her eyes widened. "I hope I'm not imposing, but would you be willing to meet with me later?"

"Wait, THE Bruce Wayne?" She asked in shock before shaking her head. "Look, you may be famous, but if you're one of those creeps who likes young girls th-"

"No, no, god no, it's nothing like that, I promise." he held his hands up. "I just want to talk to you in private later on. I can't talk right now, but later on I'll have time, if you might be interested in an idea I might have."

"Well….fine, but why? What do you have to gain out of it?" She asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, I just think everyone deserves a second chance." He said as Waylon walked into the room.

"They want you on stage, boss."

"Thank you Waylon." he nodded with the woman jumping when she saw the scaly man.

'Whoa, he has Godzilla working for him?!' she thought as Bruce walked away, leaving the two alone with Waylon looking down at her.

"Hey, what's a kid doing here on her own? Shouldn't you be with your folks?"

"She's in her 20s Waylon." Bruce said before moving to leave. "I'll see you later Mrs….Babydoll, right?"

"It's Mary Dahl, but yes." She nodded, not taking her eyes off Waylon.

(Later)

Mary crossed her arms and legs, staring at the door while pondering on how long this would take before Bruce came in.

"Sorry about the wait, had a few people asking questions at the end." He apologized. "Now then, we can talk in the limo or at the office, which would work better?"

"We can talk here and now." she remarked firmly. "If it's something important it shouldn't take too long, now should it?"

"Fair enough." He nodded. "I have an idea, would you be opposed to coming to work at Wayne corp?"

"What sorta work?" She asked suspiciously.

"Well, I was thinking we could use you for several commercials and other videos, but there is a catch."

"What kind?"

"Well, it would be voiceover work. We'd pay you well, and theoretically no one would judge you on your looks this way." He replied. "The only thing they'd judge you is your voice, and I wouldn't be too worried about that since you've got the talent to go from young to natural in no time."

"Really? You're serious about this? You'll pay me just to talk?" She asked skeptically. "Look, if this is just some ploy to get me when I'm at my lowest, don't bother. I'm not some naive little brat who can't see a deal that's too good to be true."

"I'm dead serious, I promise." He said, holding his hands up. "Tell you what, take a few days to think it over, during that time I'll get a contract prepared and if you feel like going through with it come to my office, we'll sign it and get you to work, if not you'll never hear from me again, I promise."

She raised an eyebrow. "I still don't trust you, but…if it lands me SOME work, I'll consider it."

"Sounds good, and if it makes you feel better if you do decide on the contract you won't have to see me again unless you want to." He gave a smile before making his way out, leaving her to her own.

'This…feels too good to be true, right?' she thought, watching him leave. 'A rich guy like him? Giving someone like me a second chance? That's the stuff you see on TV.' She thought, pondering the idea. 'Then again… what do I have to lose?'

(Later)

"Alright, you win, I'm in." She sighed, crossing her arms. "What sort of voice work do I have to do?"

"Well, for starters we'll be doing some commercials to see how you do, then I was thinking we could move you to our television company and see if we can get you in one of our featured cartoon series."

"Fine, but I'm keeping my eyes on you buster." She said skeptically. 'Worst case scenario I get some extra cash from this gig I suppose.'

(Timeskip)

Alfred was dusting one of the many vases in the main living room while Bruce was browsing channels in his chair to check the news. As he perused the channels he paused as he landed on what looked like an award show.

"And for the most popular vote for an advertising role goes to….Miss Dahl." The host declared as the audience roared in celebration as the camera panned over to the short blonde, who was wide eyed in awe and excitement. She got up from her seat and made her way on stage, handed the award as she faced the audience who waited for her to say something.

"I just want to say…thank you, for everyone, for my fans, for the people who supported me, and most of all, for the person who made this all a reality, Bruce Wayne." She smiled, getting misty eyed as she wiped the tears away. "If he hadn't given me a chance, I might not be up here." She declared, looking into the crowd happily. "So once again, thank you, for everything!"

The crowd all gave her a round of applause as she bowed her head with Bruce smiling.

"I gotta say, I'm happy she got her second break. People sure did go wild as soon as they saw her again after all this time." He chuckled. "I'm surprised they recognized her voice at all, I guess she was more popular than anyone predicted."

"It's good to see another person you lent a hand out to manage to make such a strong comeback Master Bruce." He said before changing the channel once more. "Your father would be proud."

"I'm just doing what I can. Speaking of which, how's Mr. Cobblepot's lessons been going?"

"Mr. Cobblepot has been making excellent progress Master Bruce, he is quite the gentleman." Alfred nodded. "He's taken to the lessons like… well mind the pun Master Bruce, but like a penguin to water."

"Well that's good to hear, just make sure he doesn't catch you saying something like that." teased Bruce.

"Understood Master Bruce." Alfred nodded sagely right as Waylon entered the room.

"Cars ready boss, ready to go?"

"Yes Waylon, we shouldn't be gone too long Alfred." Bruce said as he got up. "We're just checking our facilities in downtown Gotham, we should be back by lunch."

"Very good Master Bruce, I'll get it ready in no time."

With that, the two of them headed off to Gotham, Bruce looking at the scene passing him by. He smiled as he saw the pedestrians of Gotham, enjoying the day as they began to pass by a local park. But as they passed by it, he noticed a well dressed man running after papers blowing in the wind before climbing into a fountain. "What the…" He said as he saw the man frantically grabbing at papers. "Waylon, stop the car, now!"

His bodyguard hit the brake, causing it to skid to a stop before Bruce got out and headed over to the man. He spotted several papers on the ground, grabbing them as he made his way towards him.

"No, no, no, please, not like this, not like this." The man muttered frantically. He grabbed another paper before running after another. "Come back! I need that!"

Bruce raised his hand and grabbed it in time as the man stopped and panted. "Careful, you don't wanna lose paperwork. Believe me, it can be a pain later on."

"You have no idea." he remarked as Bruce gave him the rest of the papers. "Thank you. You have no idea how much I need these. I change my schedule one time and this happens. This is why it's better to stick to a schedule for everything, that damn lawyer almost ruined me." he grumbled checking the time. "Oh no! I'm going to be late if I don't leave right now!"

"Here, let me help, my limo is parked nearby, if we hurry we can get to where you need on time, or maybe even earlier." Bruce offered.

"Thank you, that would be most helpful." He said gratefully as he and Bruce rushed to the limo, collecting the last of the papers on their way.

"Where to?" Bruce asked as they got into the limo.

"The city courthouse, if I miss this my company is ruined."

"Waylon?"

"Alright, but I might need to punch it." chuckled the man. "I recommend buckling up." The giant of a man said, a feral grin sprouting on his face.

"Will do, and here, you might need these." Bruce said as he lifted up one of the seats and pulled out a towel.

"Whatever for?"

"You did just tread through a fountain, it might do well to show up to your court date dry rather than soaking wet."

"Oh, of course." Admitted the man adjusting his glasses before taking it and wiping himself before the limo went zipping off, making him nearly fall over. "Good heavens!"

"Don't worry, Waylon may be fast but he's the best driver I know…. I'm sorry, what's your name?" Bruce commented.

"Temple Fugate." The man said, drying himself off the best he could while Bruce organized his documents. "Thank you again for the assistance…"

"Bruce Wayne."

(Later)

"Hey boss, why we still here?" asked Waylon tapping the steering wheel with the limo outside the courthouse. "We dropped the guy off already."

"True, but I'm curious to see how things turned out. We helped get him here on time, it only makes sense to see if it all worked out." Bruce admitted. "Besides, this beats the alternative, would you rather tour the warehouses downtown all afternoon?"

"I'd rather listen to Alfred's lecture on table manners." he grumbled.

Suddenly they saw Temple Fugate exiting the building, making Bruce smile.

"So, how'd it go?"

"Excellent. It was close, but I just narrowly made it in time. My company is safe and sound, and it's been a very enlightening moment for me."

"Oh? How so?"

"Taking a chance on going off schedule is the last thing for me. From now on, I'm sticking to it at all times, no matter what." He declared as Bruce shrugged.

"Well, that's one lesson I suppose, if it works for you then so be it. Would you like a ride back home or to your office?" Bruce offered.

"A ride, I must get back to work on the double if I'm going to make it in time." He requested as Bruce nodded.

"Sounds good, you heard him Waylon, he needs to get there on the double."

"With pleasure." Waylon said as the man gulped.

'A-Anything for the sake of being on time!'

(Later)

"So, what's the plan today boss?" asked Waylon, driving through traffic as Bruce was adjusting his sleeves.

"Well, today is going to be relatively normal, today we'll be making the rounds to see all the different departments and get feedback from them in person, and see how they're doing."

"Great, one of THOSE." groaned Waylon. "It'll take all day."

"Hey, it won't be so bad, think of it as a fun time exploring the company." Bruce offered.

"How you keep a straight face while doing those I'll never understand." Waylon sighed.

"I like making sure everyone who works for me is satisfied, sue me." Bruce joked. "You can stop here."

Waylon drove the car up to a spot and let Bruce out who headed into the building, the guards greeting him as he did and made his way to the science part of it. As he made his way in, he smiled as he nodded to a blonde receptionist. "Hello, is Dr. Tetch in?"

"Oh yes Mr. Wayne." smiled the young girl who got up and moved to the door before peaking in. "Jarvis, Mr. Wayne's here to see you."

"Oh! T-Tell him I'll be ready in just a sec!" called a nervous man's voice on the other side.

"Yes sir." She nodded with a smile. "He'll be ready in a moment. He's been making excellent progress from what I've seen."

"Always good news for me." Bruce smiled as the door opened and a nervous looking blonde man stepped out.

"H-Hello sir." he greeted. "I wasn't aware you were stopping by so soon."

"Well, I did send out a company-wide memo that today I'd be stopping by to see how everyones doing, and to see the progress on their projects." reminded Bruce, making the man gulp.

"Of course of course, I must have let the time slip away." he remarked, glancing away briefly.

"Well I'm curious to know how your works been going so far. Any breakthroughs?" Bruce asked as he began to walk into the lab.

"Y-Yes, I've been making excellent progress." he answered with his hands together. "But I'm not quite there yet. There's still some more testing to be done before it can be ready."

"I see." remarked Bruce, glancing where the man briefly looked and spotted a mouse poking its head out from under a sheet with a tiny red hat, making him walk over with the man tensing up. "Then you won't mind me taking a quick peak, right?"

"I…I suppose not?" Jarvis said nervously as Bruce pulled the sheet away. There was a cage filled with mice, each donning a hat.

"Ah, cute little pets you have." Smiled Bruce. "But I'm curious to see the hats. Part of your work?"

"Well…yes." He relented before moving over and grabbed a headband. "My work has actually made…substantial progress." He put it on before the mice stood at attention and let them out, Bruce watching as they worked together with ease. "As you can see, the rats obey my thoughts thanks to the headband, stimulating the neural links in their minds. My work has managed to reach a point where I might be able to move on to humans next."

"Then care to explain why you seem hesitant to tell me right away?"

"I….I apologize. You see, I've just been a little distracted lately and wasn't ready to show them off yet. B-But I assure you, I'll focus and not worry about anything else." He quickly said with his hands up. "I'll even work through the night to make sure it's completely perfect."

"That's fine Jarvis, what's wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?" Bruce asked curiously. "If it's about permission to continue your research I can assure you that won't be an issue, I'm sure we can get permission to start moving to human trials soon enough."

"It's nothing to concern yourself with Mr. Wayne. Just something I have to worry about." he admitted, glancing at the door with it slightly open, showing the girl outside typing away.

Bruce took a quick peak and saw the man walk by a poster of Alice in Wonderland and rubbed his chin. "Jarvis, I'm not asking as your boss, but as another person. If something's bothering you, I'm willing to hear you out. I won't judge and it won't leave this room, I promise." Bruce offered as he closed the door.

"Well….." Jarvis muttered, feeling slightly nervous as he weighed the pros and cons of the decision before relenting. "I….I think I've fallen for Alice."

"Ah, I see, so it's romantic trouble." Smiled Bruce. "Trust me, I know the feeling."

"This is different though. She's already spoken for, and everytime I think about it, it eats away at me. I know logically speaking it's wrong to be mad, not at her, but at that man she sees. I just feel alone when doing my work. With her being a ball of sunshine in an otherwise bland life, it just makes me swoon." admitted Jarvis sitting down with a sigh. "I even know logically that I can't even be mad at her boyfriend, but… it bothers me so, and I don't know what to do."

"Well Jarvis, if there's one thing I've learned in life, it's knowing the difference between love and obsession. True love is knowing what you have to do to make someone happy no matter what. Trying to make someone love you when they don't feel the same is no better than treating them like some object, something that has no rights, no feelings, and can be easily replaced. Sometimes we love something we can't be with, and it hurts." Bruce closed his eyes. "But sometimes, you have to be willing to let them go and make their choices. After all, if they're happy, then isn't that what truly matters?"

"I….thank you Bruce, I know this, but….what do I do?" Jarvis sighed, slumping into a nearby chair. "I don't wanna do anything wrong, and I don't want to force her to do anything, or to hurt Alice…should I really just let her go?"

"Just because you give up on her romantically doesn't mean you can't still be a friend. After all, being friends can be just as rewarding if she truly cares for you." Bruce suggested. "If it makes you feel better I could give her a promotion and have her moved to a different department?" Bruce offered.

"That's thoughtful of you, but…if I'm really going to give up on love with her and be her friend, then it might be better not to push her away. I'll just have to get used to how things are and take it a day at a time."

"True, and you never know, with your invention and the uses it could have for people, you might end up meeting that special gal later on." Bruce offered as he patted him on the back. "If you have any further issues feel free to come up and have a talk with me, alright?"

"Thank you Mr. W-I mean, Bruce." smiled the man as they shared a handshake. "I'll get right on work for human testing and send you the results. By the time the years over, you'll have something that'll revolutionize the way the brain works and how we can make better use out of it."

"No problem, and good luck with the ethics committee, I fear they may be hesitant of the project." Bruce commented as he turned to leave. "I'm glad we have you heading this research, in the wrong hands it could be dangerous."

"Not to worry, I'll ensure this technology is put to good use." He promised as Bruce left.

(Later)

"Honestly Bruce, you have to be the clumsiest billionaire I've ever had the pleasure of taking care of." An old man in a lab coat said with a huff. "It feels like every month you're coming in with some kind of new bizarre injury!"

"Sorry doc, I guess I'm not as smooth as the papers like to make me out to be." joked Bruce as the doctor was carefully cleaning a cut on his shoulder, making it burn before he got to work on bandaging it. "I would have done it at home, but this was closer."

"Well next time just make sure to take care of yourself, and please stop these extreme sports." He sighed. "I get you young men like to do crazy things with all your money, but why not do what the rest of us do and enjoy the night with a book? It's certainly less stressful that's for sure."

"Well, what can I say? The life of a billionaire can never be boring." Bruce joked. "At least now you can brag that you have a famous figure in your hospital."

"I'm afraid you're not the first today unfortunately." he remarked putting the bandages aside. "We actually got a recent one just last week. A big movie star if I remember, had a really bad accident too. His body's healing up like it should, but his face? Worst scar damage I've ever seen. I doubt we'll be seeing him in any more movies." He sighed. "Poor man, he didn't take the news well."

"Really now?" Bruce asked as the doctor nodded.

"Yes, he's a few doors down from you." He remarked as he turned to leave. "Now then, get some rest, you should be good to go home now."

"Alright doc." Bruce nodded as he got up to leave, only to pause as he looked down the hallway. 'I suppose it couldn't hurt to see who the actor is, right?' he made his way down, counting the doors as he did before reaching the one and carefully peaked inside. He blinked in surprise as he recognized the man inside, and even more so when he saw a shady man talking to him. He made sure not to open the door too much and kept his ear to it.

"Look, with this stuff I promise you'll be back in front of a camera by tomorrow."

"How do I know it's legit?" came a more muffled voice after that.

"Do you have a choice? Right now the only films you'll get work in are monster movies, with you as the monster." remarked the first voice. "But with this? This will fix all that. You can look just like you did before and it'll happen in seconds. It's a miracle product that can save you time and money. Just think about it and let me know when you use it. We can work out a reasonable deal that will benefit us both."

"...I'll think about it."

"You do that, you know how to reach me." grinned the man before making his way out as Bruce quickly ducked around a corner as the well dressed man walked off the opposite way.

'Well, I don't know what that was, but I know a shady deal when I see one.' Bruce frowned and looked at the door before walking over to it and slowly opened it.

"What do you want n-" The man inside started, only to pause as he saw Bruce. "Hey, who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I'm Bruce Wayne, and I heard what that guy was offering you." Bruce said, trying not to stare at the actor's face, or rather the mass of bandages that covered the face.

"So? What's it to ya?"

"Well, not that it's any of my business, but I feel like he can't be trusted."

"No shit, but what choice do I have? Why do I have to justify myself to you?"

"I just feel like it's too good to be true. Sure we're getting better in various fields, but some sort of miracle cream that can fix scars in minutes? That seems a bit of a stretch without something more to it, something bad." Bruce urged. "Look, if it's too good to be true, it probably is."

"Well what do you suggest then? I give up on my career? I live with a mask the rest of my life?" the man frowned at Bruce under the bandages. "Being an actor is all I got, it's my life. I can't go and throw it all away. If this stuff can fix it, then I'm gonna take it."

"What about a trade? I'll pay all your medical bills if you let me have the men in my research departments take a look at that gunk? If it turns out to be harmless I'll give it back and compensate you for your time." offered Bruce.

"Why should you even care? Why would some big hot shot like you give two shits about some random guy like me? What, you feel bad for me? Pity me? Well no thanks." The man said with a frown. "I don't care anymore, I just want my life back!"

"Which I can understand, believe me." replied Bruce. "I just want to offer my help to someone who might get dragged into some shady stuff over something that seems too good to be true."

"What's in it for you though? Why give a shit about me?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was a fan of your films?"

"Oh yeah? Who isn't?" remarked the man shaking his head before looking at Bruce silently. "...say I did let you look this stuff over, how long would it take?"

"No longer than a week, I promise. If it's any longer I'll personally finance your next movie."

"...fine, I'll let you look it over, but if that stuff doesn't have any problems, I want it back so I can get back to my career." He sighed, leaning back. 'I guess worse case scenario I have another movie set up after I get out of this place.'

"Thank you, you won't regret this mr…"

"Hagen, Matt Hagen. Some fan." The man chuckled.

(Later)

Bruce hummed to himself, cleaning himself up by taking a shower and drying his hair as he walked out of his bathroom with a second towel around his waist. He hummed as he made his way to his closet in order to get dressed, when suddenly his phone rang. He quickly moved over and answered. "Hello, this is Wayne Manor, Bruce speaking."

"Mr Bruce, this is Dr Crane, we finally have the results on that interesting goo you gave us… tell me, have you used it on yourself yet?"

"Not at all, why? What did you find?"

"Well, it destabilizes a person's body chemistry, it allows them to literally mold themselves into whatever form they like, but unfortunately the process only makes the body more unstable the longer you use it, until you're nothing more than a pile of unstable sentient goo."

"Sounds to me like it's more like it would just make things worse."

"Not to mention it has an addictive property to it, meaning that once a person uses it, they will be hooked on it." He added. "It's a shame, this stuff is fascinating, but I could never recommend anyone using this."

"Thanks Dr. Crane, that's some big news." Bruce nodded before hanging up. "Damn… Hagen isn't going to like this."

(Later)

"WHAT?!"

"I'm sorry you had to learn it from me, but at least you learned about this before you started using the stuff."

"You mean I'm stuck looking like this? I can't show my face around for months! Not without getting surgery, and even then there's no guarantee it'll work."

"I'm sorry. If you'd be up for it, I'd finance any surgeries you need to fix your face." offered Bruce as the actor held his head.

"But why? Being a fan is one thing, but going this far is more than any fan has done for me." He said skeptically. "What's the catch? What do you want out of all of this?"

"Because everyone deserves a second chance." Bruce said before looking around to make sure they were alone before leaning in. "That and I want to help, I have more money than I know what to do with and after a while most problems are just a matter of money, and I see no reason not to spend it."

"Heh, sure rub it in why don't ya?" joked the actor.

"I would, but my appointments keep getting in the way." joked Bruce. "I'll start setting up the appointments for surgery, unless you'd like to decline?"

"Fuck it, go ahead and shedule them, it's not like this face can get any uglier, right?"

"I'll get right on it." Bruce grinned. "I promise that you'll feel better in no time."

"Let's hope so."

(Timeskip)

Bruce smiled as he walked out of the theater, glancing over at a large movie poster featuring a handsome man, with the words 'Starring Matt Hagen' on it. "Gotta say, definitely one of his best ones." He smiled as he made his way over to Waylon. 'I knew he could do it.'

"Eh, it didn't have enough explosions for my taste." Waylon shrugged. "So, where to now boss?"

"Let's go downtown, I think we have enough time to see if there's anything else interesting to do tonight." Bruce suggested as they got into the limo.

"I could think of a bunch of things, but they're not 'legal'." muttered Waylon air quoting as he got behind the wheel.

"Well, let's avoid that for now." Bruce suggested as Waylon started to pull away when a rigging began to go off. He turned to the phone built into the limo before picking it up. "Hello, this is Bruce Wayne."

"B-Bruce? I uh….I need some help, pronto." A voice came over the line, making him freeze.

"Harvey?" he spoke in concern. "What's wrong? Is everything alright?"

"N-Not exactly, look can you just come, please?"

"Sure thing, I'll be over as soon as I can." Bruce promised before hanging up. "Waylon, get us downtown to Harvey's office, stat!"

"On it." Waylon hit on the gas, sending the car careening down the street in no time flat.

(Later)

"Harvey, where are you?" Bruce called, rushing into the office. He noticed it looked messy with things scattered around, making him more worried. "Harvey! It's me Bruce!" he called out.

"GAH!"

Bruce turned and rushed over to the bathroom, opening the door to see Harvey himself panting, looking all sweaty, and staring at his reflection while gritting his teeth.

"Keep it together….keep it together!"

"Harv, what's going on, what's wrong? I got here as fast as I could." spoke Bruce as Harvey turned to him.

"Bruce….I…I'm not feeling like myself. I need…AHHH!" he screamed, holding his head and grabbing the sink before dropping to his knees. "I…GAH!" He groaned, clutching his head. "Bruce….I have a problem…"

"Take it easy Harvey, you're going to be alright." Bruce moved over slowly, trying to help his friend stand back up. "C'mon, we can take you to a hospital a-"

"No, no hospital." The man groaned quickly. "I can't go there."

"But Harv-"

"AHHH!" Harvey let out, shoving Bruce away and panting, his head lowered down while huffing, then went quiet as he stood up straight.

"Harv?" Bruce watched as his friend looked at him with a cold expression before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin, flipping it with his hand. "Harvey, what's going on with you?"

"Boring old Harv ain't here Bruce." his friend let out a more deeper and raspy voice as he smirked. "And I'm not gonna let him show his ugly side as long as I'm around."

'This isn't right.' Bruce frowned and got up with a serious tone. "Mind filling me in on what's going on then?"

"What's going on, rich boy, is that Harvey's days of doing what's right are over, for good." he remarked, still flipping his coin as he walked over to the desk and knocked away the small title on it. "I've been in his head for too long, and it's my time to be free to do whatever I want."

"I see… so you're part of Harv?" Bruce asked calmly. 'Multiple personality disorder?'

"Look at you, maybe you do got a brain in that head of yours." he jabbed. "I'm the side of him he was too much of a wuss to let out. Always trying to do the right thing when that's nothing but a joke. I'm gonna do what I want and he can't do squat about it. So scram, or else I'll have to rough you up."

"Easy there, I'm not your enemy here Har- I mean big bad Harv…" Bruce said, holding his hands up. "Ok… so you want to cut lose, do what he couldn't….do you really want to do that at the cost of everything?"

"He doesn't have a thing worth holding onto." he remarked before Bruce glanced down at a framed photo of Harvey's fiance.

"Not even Grace?"

"You leave her out of this!" Harv snapped before groaning and holding his head.

"Why should I? If you want to do anything you want, go ahead." remarked Bruce with a shrug. "I mean, why worry? If you don't care about what you lose, then you should have no problem finding some other random girl, there's plenty in all of Gotham after all."

"There's no one like her!" Harvey snapped, shaking his head. "She…She's kind, gentle, and was always there for…for….GAH!" he dropped the coin, gritting his teeth as he held his head.

"So there is something Harvey can lose, that both of you can lose. Please, just calm down and trust me, we can help you through this." Urged Bruce as Harvey looked at him.

"Bruce…help me."

"I will Harvey, I promise." Bruce said as he made his way to his friend. "You have my word." he got close enough to help Harvey on his feet as best as possible. "Let's get you out of here and talk to some people who know what to do."

"Ok….but no hospitals…my career would be…" Harvey groaned as Bruce helped him to the door.

"Don't worry, I know someone who can help." He promised, mentally trying to go through names in his head. 'She hasn't had a job yet… but I knew her in college, she's a good person, and she's reliable, and she's got the training for this.'

(Elsewhere)

"And so I was hoping you could help my friend here with his…condition, Miss Quinn." Bruce finished as Miss Quinn nodded, pushing her glasses up as she considered the situation.

"Well Bruce, I think I may be able to help, I've spent my entire career studying the psychology of dangerous criminals, and if your friend's condition produces a side of him that makes him want to commit these acts, I think I can help him control it, understand his thought process."

"Is it really possible?" asked Bruce with a hand to his chin.

"I can't say for sure, but I'm optimistic that with help, he'll be able to control himself. Your friend sounds like a reasonable person, so it should be assumed that his 'bad side' would also be reasonable to, we just need to find out what he considers reasonable."

"I doubt he has one." remarked Harvey rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Well, that's just it, he's still you to a degree, and Bruce proved he still cares about what you care about, so we have something to work off of." Harleen said with a nod. "We can set up an appointment as soon as you feel comfortable."

"I….maybe, can we do this privately? I don't want anyone to know about this…" Harvey conceded.

"I assure you this will be completely professional and confidential, though if you want my personal advice, I'd tell your fiance about these meetings."

"Yeah, you might be right." he sighed, shaking his head. "She deserves to know, I can't let her marry me without knowing about…him."

"Excellent."

"It'll be ok Harvey. You'll get through it." Bruce promised as he patted his friend on the shoulder. "It's going to be alright."

(Later)

Bruce stared out across the crowd of people in the manor, the happy and familiar faces he recognized bringing a smile to his face.

"And so I tells the guy 'Hey, I might be covered in scales and have a big smile, but even I don't need that much cologne'." Waylon finished a joke getting a chuckle out of a few folks.

"I do say, good show old chap." Oswald chuckled as he shook his head.

"Thanks, too bad the guy didn't think so, but at least I got a laugh when he nearly broke his hand trying to punch me in the chest."

"Sounds like quite the brutish thug. Very unflattered to use violence when the truth is obvious." remarked the short man shaking his head. "I'd love to continue to hear some more rousing jokes, but I see a lady who seems as though she could use some company." Oswald said with a smile as he began to make his way across the room.

"Do you think we should tell him that's Nora Fries?" Jervis Teach asked Waylon as the large man shook his head.

"Nah, once she tells him he'll back off."

"Let's just hope Victor isn't too cold when he hears." The timid man joked as Waylon chuckled.

"That would be a sight to see, guy usually has such a cool head about everything." Remarked the tall man. "So, I heard you and Nigma were working on some secret project, what's that about?"

"Well…I suppose one spoiler couldn't hurt. It took some time, but we've been working on the first ever virtual reality video game." He whispered as Croc's eyes widened. "With my neural technology and his programing skills we're creating something truly amazing."

"Get out, you serious?"

"Yep, tell you what, next time you're at the office and Bruce gives you some free time feel free to come down to our labs and you can try it out for yourself."

"Oh I'm there!"

Bruce moved through the crowd, mingling with the people with a smile, shaking hands and trading pleasantries right as Alfred came over with a potted plant in his hands.

"Pardon me Master Wayne, but someone sent you this." He said as he held up the flower as Bruce approached it curiously.

"Really? Was it Ivy?"

"That's what the card for it said."

Bruce took a look at the note nestled besides the leaves. "Bruce, sorry I couldn't make it, but parties like that aren't for me, especially around this time of year when the weather is getting cold. I need to keep my babies nice and warm so I'll have to see you some other time, but I thought these flowers would spruce up your office. See you soon, Pamela." he read off with a green lipstick mark under her name.

"Shall I move this to your office master Bruce?"

"Please do Alfred, remind me to get something for Ivy later too." Bruce said with a smile.

"Shall I assume it is a night just for the two of you?" teased Alfred.

"Ha, I don't think so, I think she'd prefer a night in the forest alone to a night alone with me." Bruce chuckled.

"True, but before I leave you with your guests, I also came to let you know that Mr Fugate will not be attending. He already called ahead and said his schedule wouldn't allow it, but perhaps another time."

"Understandable, I'm certain time itself would stop before he would break his schedule." Bruce remarked with a nod. "Anyone else who couldn't make it?"

"Miss Dahl sadly, apparently she was needed for a last minute change from the studio. They needed her to work out the final touches for their contract with her. Something about renewing it for another season with a possible special added in."

"I'm glad to hear that, but I wish they could have put it off for one night." Bruce sighed. "Well, at least she'll be happy about the news, and the bonus I told them to give her as well."

"Bruce!"

Said man turned and found himself smiling. "Wow Hagen, you actually found time?"

"You kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the world!" The large man laughed, his face looking distinguished with the faintest of scarring on it. "I needed a break from the latest movie I'll be starring in, the director's a real pain in the ass."

"Well, at least you get to be in it, right? An annoying director seems like a small price to pay." Bruce joked.

"Maybe, but I've been meaning to talk to you Bruce. Since the last movie was such a big hit, I've been thinking, why don't you get a part to play in this one?" He offered as Bruce shook his head.

"No, no, I'm not a good actor, who would want to watch me flounder around on the big screen?"

"I can think of a few dozen women who would." He chuckled as he poked Bruce in the ribs with his elbow. "Just keep it in mind, I think you'd do great on the big screen."

"Well with how busy my personal life can get, I don't think I'd have much time to make it work." he smiled. "Besides, I'd hate to steal the spotlight away from you."

"Ha, glad to hear it." He chuckled as he shook his head. "I take it you've been busy with Dent's doctor?"

"Not exactly," he replied before spotting his friend walking over with a smile. "Speaking of which, glad to see you could make it Harvey."

"You couldn't keep me away," he joked with a glass in hand. "If you thought I would miss a party like this, then maybe your head's starting to crack Bruce." he chuckled with a more upbeat tone.

"No, not yet." Bruce threw back while Hagen walked away, giving the two friends their time. "Congratulations are in order. I meant to tell you in person, but-"

"Now now Bruce, don't give me that," he held a hand up while shaking his head. "You don't need to tell me, I already know why." he replied with a serious expression, which made Bruce feel on edge.

"Oh? You do?"

"Yes." he walked closer and looked his friend right in the eyes. "You've been trying to keep the rumors in the dark, aren't you?"

"Uh, what rumors?"

"The ones that you and Pamela Isley are a thing." He finished before he burst out laughing, making his friend sigh internally. "I'd be careful around her Bruce, I heard that rose has thorns!"

"Nice one Harv, ever the comedian." Bruce chuckled. "Glad to see you in high spirits."

"You kidding? That Quinn is a miracle worker. I feel like a new man," he sighed with a smile. "I never thought it was possible, but me and my 'other side', are actually learning how to deal with each other."

"That's amazing Harv, I'm glad to hear everything worked out. I hate to imagine what could have happened if-" Bruce started only for Dent to hold up a hand.

"Don't worry about it Bruce, I know I don't. Things are great now, and I'm happier than I've ever been."

"Well then I'd say this calls for a toast," Bruce held his glass up, "To a better and brighter Gotham."

"Indeed." Harvey said with a smile, before they heard the sound of a window breaking. They whirled around as they saw a pale figure in a purple suit standing there, a tommy gun in one hand.

"Heya folks!" he called out with a grin, firing off several rounds in the air, making the music stop as people cried out and ducked down on impulse. "Sorry for the last minute visit, but my invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. Ooops."

'Joker!' Bruce thought with a frown as he and everyone else watched the clown walk around the guests.

"When I caught wind of this little shindig, I thought to myself. Joker old boy! Why not take this opportunity to help some of Gotham's elite learn how to really smile and cut loose?" the clown prince of crime monologue while everyone kept quiet. "So here I am, to lift your spirits from all your dull, boring lives. Not to worry, I made sure to come prepared." he chuckled, pulling out a hand grenade with his signature grin painted on it. "Now then, why don't we see a smile on all those lovely face-"

"RAAAAGHHHHHH!" Waylon roared, charging the madman from behind, tackling him to the ground, pinning him before grabbing the grenade and tossing it out the window the Joker had just entered from.

"Ow!" Joker let out in annoyance as Waylon's grip dug into his wrists with him looking up. "Well well, someone's been feeding their pets. Tell me, how many neighborhood cats have you munched on?"

"The only thing I'll munch on is your head if you try something," he growled, pressing down harder as the guests started to get up with relief, a few hurrying to call the cops. "Hey boss, do you think the cops will care if I wipe this clown's grin from his face permanently?"

"Let's try to keep the damage to a minimum. Might be a bit of a problem for Alfred if stains are made," he replied while walking over, making sure to nudge the gun away from the clown. "Good tackle Waylon."

"Thanks boss." Waylon grinned as the Joker grumbled.

"You guys are no fun!" he let out a mock huff. "What's a guy gotta do to bring a little cheer in this dreary town?"

"I heard classes help, I'd recommend a few." Bruce remarked with a grin.