BATMAN: TEA-TIME
Gotham Airport outside the Wayne hanger:
As Bruce exits his private jet, he looks up at the cloudy sky. It begins to drizzle as he walks down the stairs, and the press begins to shout questions and take pictures. Alfred approaches with an umbrella as he exits the stairs and hurries him to the car. The press continues to shout questions and take pictures as the car pulls away.
Alfred smiles as he checks the rearview mirror. "I know you despise these moments Master Wayne, but their necessity outweighs their inconvenience."
Bruce presses a button in the rear console to turn on the radio. "I know Alfred. The press releases are never enough. In fact, nothing I do…the public appearances, the television interviews seem to be enough lately."
Bruce's attention is suddenly captured by the story being broadcast. "A family of three were gunned down as they left Gotham theater last night after a robbery attempt turned deadly. Renowned Psychiatrist Henry Peterson and his wife Lucy were pronounced dead at the scene. Their nine-year-old son Paul is still in critical condition at Gotham General Hospital."
Bruce looks to Alfred who anticipates what comes next. He nods and turns the car left. "We are nine minutes away from the hospital, sir. I shall have us there in seven," Alfred reassures him.
"Alfred, send the text," Bruce said before he hurried out of the car and into the hospital. He runs to the ICU desk and asks about the injured boy. The doctor on call approaches with a sad expression on his face. He points to the boy in his room where a nurse is tending to him and says, "We are doing everything possible to help him Mr. Wayne." Bruce reads the doctor's ID tag and shakes his hand.
Bruce turns to walk away but looks back to say," Dr Meyers…Henry was a good friend of mine. I'll cover all of Paul's expenses; just do everything you need to save him. Everything!"
The doctor looks down, and then towards Paul and the machines helping him breathe. "We've done all we can. It's all up to Paul now, Mr. Wayne. All we can do is wait."
It's night now, and Bruce storms out of the hospital and back to the car. As Alfred speeds toward Wayne manor, Bruce notices the bat signal shining against the clouds in the distance.
Commissioner Gordon is looking at his watch under an umbrella on the roof of the GCP rooftop. The light from the bat-signal casts a light against his raincoat as he scans the roof for any sign of Batman. As he flips the switch to turn off the signal, lightning flashes revealing Batman quietly standing on the other side of the roof. "I was just thinking you weren't going to show," Gordan says softly.
"I was…tied up on the other side of the city. What do you have for me?" Batman said as he approached Gordon.
Gordan hands him a manilla envelope from inside his trench coat. "We followed all the leads we had until he turned onto Merchant Street. He knew where we had cameras."
"And where you didn't," Batman added. "He would have gotten rid of the car by now and changed his clothes."
Gordan took a piece of gum from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. He extended his hand to feel for rain and peeked out from under his umbrella as the rain stopped. "Would you like a stick of gum," he asked politely. He turned toward Batman and smiled after seeing that he vanished without a trace. "Maybe next time." He whispered as he opened the door to the roof.
A few blocks away on a taller roof, a dark figure watches the commissioner close the door behind himself and repeats Gordan's words "Maybe next time," as his smile breaks the darkness surrounding him.
Gotham Waterfront; Harry's bar
Bruce is disguised as a criminal when he overhears a conversation a few booths away. "I thought the boss told you to lay low," the tall man said. The shorter man looked around before answering. "He did, but I ain't the one they're looking for. I didn't kill anybody. Sure, I ran a few lights while driving away from the scene, but Moe pulled the trigger. I shouldn't have to hide away like some rat. Besides, I'm just gonna drink my beer, and then I'm in the wind. No one even needs to know I was here."
Bruce gets up and leaves. He waits until the short man leaves the bar and follows him for a few blocks. The man enters a building and walks up a dark stairwell. He pauses to look behind himself before entering his apartment. As he locks the door, he hears a sound from inside the apartment. He pulls out his gun and walks slowly and carefully through the apartment. When he doesn't see anyone, he breathes a sigh of relief and tries to flip the light switch. He flips the switch a few more times, but nothing happens. A flash of lightning illuminates the room, and he sees Batman standing right in front of him. He doesn't have time to scream.
Batman watches Moe from the roof of a building across the street. Moe is sitting in a lounge chair, watching football and drinking a can of beer in his dark living room. He walks to the fridge to retrieve another beer and throws himself back into the lounge chair when suddenly Batman comes crashing through the window. Moe throws his beer at Batman to distract him while he reaches for his gun. Batman throws a Batarang at Moe, knocking the gun out of his hand. He kicks Moe so hard that he almost goes through the wall. A very dizzy Moe takes a few steps and falls on his face unconscious. Batman pulls out his phone and begins to call Gordan when Moe gets up and runs out of the building. He runs into the alley with Batman close behind him. Batman reaches for him but is hit in the face with a trash can. Moe jumps into his car and begins to drive through the alley, but Batman jumps on the roof of the car and punches through the windshield. Moe reached for the gun in the glove compartment and began shooting through the car's roof. Batman dodges the bullets and manages to press a few buttons on his gloves to activate the Bat-mobile. A few moments later, the Bat-mobile is behind Moe's car and following closely. Moe shoots at the roof again and Batman dodges the bullets more while touching another button on his glove which causes the roof of the bat-mobile to slide back. Batman backflips from Moe's car into the driver's seat of the Bat-mobile and accelerates. He closes the roof of the Bat-mobile and slams into the back of Moe's car. Moe spins out but recovers quickly and turns down a dark street. Batman must make a quick turn before catching up to him. Moe's frustration grows as he sees the bat-mobile catching up to him, and he makes a left turn and slams into the back of a parked fuel truck. The car explodes. The driver of the truck runs away as the truck explodes. Batman
Batman is watching from the roof across the street as Commissioner Gordan and a few officers arrive at the scene. Batman's cell begins to vibrate, and he moves to the center of the roof to take the call. "Yes, Alfred. I'm fine. Please send Gordon everything we have on Moe. Wait, what? Okay, please meet me there." Batman watches the firemen turn off their hoses. The police move in close and look inside the car before waving the coroner over.
At the hospital, Bruce walks into the ICU and is met once again by Doctor Meyers. Bruce's head drops as he receives the news. Doctor Meyers places his hand on Bruce's shoulder before walking away.
At Wayne Manor, Bruce is sitting in the great room staring through the large window. Alfred approaches carrying a tray with a hot pot of tea. "I'm not hungry Alfred," he says in a dull tone.
"I didn't bring food," Alfred said placing the tray on the table between the chairs.
"I'm not thirsty and I don't want to talk about it," Bruce says sharply as he continues to stare at Gotham through the Large window.
Alfred quietly sits in the other chair and pours a cup of tea. He takes a sip and stares out the window without saying a word. Bruce looks at him and begins to walk away until Alfred begins speaking.
"Some years ago, your father would come home and sit in that chair after the most difficult days in the operating room and ask for a cup of tea before dinner. On those difficult days, I made him an orange picot with an orange rind and honey."
Bruce smiled and said, "I remember. I used to love that smell."
Alfred nodded and continued. "One day there was an accident. A pregnant woman was brought into surgery, and he wanted desperately to save her and her unborn child. He couldn't. And when he came home that evening, he asked for bourbon instead of tea. For a time, he lost himself in that bottle of bourbon and perhaps would have been lost for good. Except one day, your mother told him something changed all of that."
Bruce smiled and took a step toward Alfred. "She told him that she was…"
"With child is how we said back then, I believe." Alfred interrupted. "It's what she said after that brought the point home I think." Alfred began to pour a second cup of tea on the tray. "She said we honor the ones we've lost by cherishing the ones we have."
Bruce quietly takes a seat in the chair next to Alfred.
Alfred took a sip of tea and said, "The very next night your father came home, and he sat in that very chair. I had his bourbon ready for him, but he looked out the window and smiled. In a soft voice he said, "tea please Alfred" and I made him his favorite orange picot with a toasted orange rind.
Bruce stared out the large window and took a deep breath to inhale the aroma of the tea on the table next to him. He picked up the cup and took a sip. They both sat quietly enjoying the tea without saying a word.
Bruce smiled and said, "I didn't know you toasted the rind."
Alfred smiled back and said, "Yes. It's an old family secret.
Bruce laughed and said, "We have plenty of those."
Alfred laughed too, and said, "Indeed we do Master Bruce. Indeed, we do."