From this point forward the chapters will be dramatically shorter! I don't like to spread out Flashbacks :)
As always, I own nothing from the Criminal Minds and Nolanverse... if you like please follow and review!
Present Day
Previously
Clancy asks, "What do we know about him?"
Jack's image comes up on the screen in full Joker garb. "He writes you, Penelope religiously," Commissioner Gordon stated, "he sends emails and letters."
"I, uhm. I never read them." She said playing in the tips of her hair, "I mean to throw them out but I keep them in a box. Maybe a letter a month or every other month. I've never received an email."
"In addition to you, he started writing two other people who are alias that we are trying to track down. He's taken a vow of silence and hasn't spoken in a year"
"We believe that his a partner who has taken Alfred," Gordon informed them "this isn't a simple kidnapping but a matter of national security given Wayne Enterprise government and international business contracts. We can't assume this is personal. We have embezzlement charges pending with Lex Corporation and Veselov an Afgani/ Russian Intelligence company. "
He nodded.
An Homeland Security Agent, "so just to reiterate—this could be a personal attack, corporate posturing, or terrorism depending on what? It could be one man or many? Do we only have the emails and video to go by?"
Richard Tracey annoyed by the question, "That is why the BAU is here to take the lead and streamline this process. What is your name?
"David Friedman,"
"Thank you for your service David – you may head back to DC." A silent murmur irrupted in the room as he gathered his items.
Bruce returned to the room moments after the BAU and his interrogation continued… the questions came as quick as bullets.
"Who knew you were alive is the first question?" Tom Clancy, Head of FBI asked.
"Well, I was going by an alias, Bruce Gaztea – so only Alfred. I saw him regularly. And Lucius about 4 days ago—when I couldn't locate Alfred."
"Why the secrecy?" Emily asked
"I didn't want to be in the public eye—I was recovering in California, I moved to DC when I could."
"When you could?" Reid asked by repeating his statement
"I was in the hospital, but back to Alfred."
Reid interrupted him in his quiet know it all fashion, "Actually this all has to do with Alfred because it's obvious whom ever took him wants to hurt you – so the more we know about you the better." Erin gave Reid a look—take it down a few notches.
Bruce nodded his head and said, "Sorry, I'm just – whatever you need Dr. Reid."
Logically Bruce knew who he had to be – Bruce Wayne, extravagant billionaire but with Alfred gone and Penelope so close—he felt like the little boy in Crime Alley. Hoping against hope for… a miracle.
"Spencer," Reid said acknowledging his unnecessary roughness.
Bruce nodded as he waited for the bevy of question to descend on him.
Reid wanted to ask him why he chose the surname of Gaztea… a derivative of the Garcia surname. Seeing how the Homeland Security Agent was just sent away he was determined not to embarrass Strauss. He would ask when they were alone.
"Where did Alfred live?" Rossi asked.
"The 2nd floor of the penthouse—" Bruce answered while gesturing up stairs.
"We need to see his living space," Hotch added to the top of the teams to-do list
"And you?" Agent Brown asked
"In DC but I have an apartment above Alfred's and the mansion – you can have access to all of them."
"Now, Jack Napier, aka the Joker—has he been in touch?" JJ asked shifting to their main suspect.
"No," Bruce said, "I haven't seen him since the explosion in the warehouse."
Garcia was typing away looking into Jack's life in the asylum – "When was the last time you saw him, Garcia?" Lampert asked,
"4 days after the explosion—I brought him to Arkham."
"Why four days?" Rossi asked.
"I –" she cleared her voice, "I was looking for Bruce and arranging Holly's funeral and he was there – in Holly's apartment – waiting for me."
"He didn't attack you?" Richard Tracy, Head of the CIA asked.
"No. I drove him in—well Dr. Alice and I. She is/was his doctor."
"How did you and Jack meet?" Director Clancy asked
"We were childhood friends—he saved my life several times along the way. We dated when I moved to San Fran. We remained friends until the bridge bombing. I didn't know that Jack was the Joker."
"Then," Richard prompted.
"Then... what," Penelope asked as polite as possible, as she continued to type.
Richard cleared his throat, "I'm just trying to understand if this could have something to do with you—was he angry—scorned lover—I don't know you guys are the profilers—was he obsessed with you?"
"No," she said as Bruce said, "Yes."
She looked over and glared at him as he returned her glare with a challenge.
"We – Bruce and I, dated after I broke up with Jack. And no he wasn't obsessed with me—he was obsessed with the Batman. That's what broke Jack and I up in the end. He thought he and the batman where yin and yang – but I thought he was jealous of Batman's notoriety. See it took away from the good they were"
"The good?" Richard Tracy asked annoyed by Penelope putting the Joker in a hero light.
"Sorry, the good they thought they were doing robbing the rich and giving to the poor." She looked over at Bruce and held his gaze, " The Batman was a vigilante taking the law into his own hands— a criminal just like Jack if you think about it. When Jack discovered the Falcones, the mob organization that killed is family, I think that's when his mental break happened and the Joker emerged… well that was Dr. Alice's theory."
"Does Dr. Alice still check in with you?" JJ asked
"Once I joined the BAU I asked Dr. Alice not to contact me—Jack still writes but like I said… I don't read them."
"Do you save them?" Emily asked
She nodded.
"We also have copies here," Gordon added, "prison standards – save a copy of all outgoing correspondence."
"I think we should pay Jack a visit," Rossi said, "Do you feel up to it, Garcia?"
"Yes," she said convincing herself that she could do it.
Hotch said, "Reid and Garcia you should head there now and see what you can get. Garcia you will lead, since you have the relationship with him. Reid will assess the situation and support you. You'll be safe and in control."
"I don't think she should go," Bruce said quickly followed by Morgan's "I should go with her."
Hotch ignore them, "Morgan, I need you and Agent Brown to review Gordon's crime scene footage and the recovered bomb fragments… Jack liked rigging bombs that's your specialty."
Hotch turned to Prentiss and JJ " I need you to interview Dr. Alice. Rossi start the victimology profile."
Hotch turned to the department heads and Lucius, "Have you received any thing else?"
Bruce replied, "I received an invite to my own event yesterday via FedEx." He found the invite on the table of folders. He placed it on the overhead projector.
The invitation read,
To Mr. & Mrs. Wayne
You are invited to a night under the stars…
The Wayne Foundation and Wayne Home for Boys present
Coded
Empowering youth through technology.
6:30 Reception
8:00 Silent Auction
"You're married – we should add your wife to the profile," Derek said over Penelope's shoulder waiting for Bruce to relay his wife's information.
That's why he didn't look for her, Penelope thought, he has a wife and family and here she was pinning for a dead man. Life is the gift that keeps on giving, she thought.
"Not many people know I'm married," he said waiting to catch Penelope's eye.
Bruce continued, "There was one more thing the invite came with… a word problem- What kind of men are always above board? Protect them."
"The answer is Chessmen," Bruce and Reid said at the same time.
"We thought about the Wayne board—so we put them all protective detail and then we thought shareholders—we contacted each of them."
Reid interrupts, "but Alfred was in essence you so he was in theory above the board."
"Exactly."
"Have you ever found the vigilante?" Reid asked and Emily nodded with his train of thought.
"N0," Gordon, Penelope, Lucius all said in unison.
Only Reid thought their unified protest was odd.
"Did they ever discover who the Batman was?" Emily asked
Gordon shook his head
JJ continued the line of reasoning, "Well why do we think he is dead? He should be at the top of our list – he was the Joker's motivation maybe they're playing out a larger game here."
"He could be crucial to this case," Emily added— "if he and the Joker had this yin yang relationship – maybe the vigilante is devolving- the city no longer needs him—the batman—so maybe he is devolving to an angel of death."
Gordon shook his head, "He was presumed dead after the bridge bombing and there have been copycats but not the real thing."
"The Joker and the Vigilante should be our top suspects until evidence eliminates them," Rossi said supporting the agents.
Bruce ran his fingers through his thick mane of hair. Even years after retirement the batman still haunts him.
Hotch turned to Bruce, "Your wife. We need to add her to the profile. Is she here or in DC?"
"it wasn't public knowledge," Bruce said quietly
"One of the things you wanted to keep private—I get it," Rossi said, "but we will need to question her and add her to the profile."
Bruce continued to watch Penelope but she was clicking away. She felt his eyes on her. She looked up and said "Hmm."
"Penelope is my wife."
"What?" JJ said as Reid processed his chosen last name. Now it made sense.
Erin looked at Penelope angrily.
"I'm not your real wife," she wondering what got into him.
She turned to the group, "We weren't really married it was – a thing we did in France— I mean Spain—" she took a deep breath.
"An island off of Spain for legal purposes only—we weren't really married," she added.
"Technically it was a really marriage – we lived together, picked out furniture…" Bruce said
"You needed my last name," she looked at her team "but we didn't get married for love and he was dead so... I would be a widow and you would be Mr. Garcia."
"Is their anything else we should know," Erin asked trying to preserve control of her team.
Penelope looked at Bruce, "No—I honestly forgot," she lied she could never forget him, "because it wasn't real. No more skeletons – scouts honor."
Reid looked at Hotch and Clancy, "we have to add Garcia to the profile."
She typed ferociously and then her picture appeared on the overhead screen, "I sent my file to your tablets- unabridged edition."
Derek touched Penelope's shoulder; "we should bring in another tech—if you have to attend this event."
"Lynch," Derek asked Hotch.
Richard, "we have someone local – Robert Stanis,"
"He's good." Penelope said.
Rossi turned to Hotch, "this puts us in a unique position."
Lambert and Erin turn to Rossi, "How so?" Erin asked.
"The unsub knows you faked your death- but not the why. The unsub knows that you, Penelope, work for the FBI. you being here lets them know we are here. They wanted this attention. It's a flagrant act. Maybe we should be flagrant right back."
"I don't follow," Clancy said.
"Penelope and Bruce. The unsub wants their attention- wants to make them play a game. Inviting Bruce to his own event."
"Because you never attend your own events," Penelope chimed in.
"He wants to move you around like chess pieces- solving a riddle to save your king- Alfred."
"A typical unsub would have given you a list of rules- no authorities, possible ransom, and meet. They would want this done as quickly as possible. But this unsub has had Alfred for 4 days. Forces him to say a goodbye before the game has begun," Derek pondered aloud.
"He will use emotional triggers to scramble your thinking- hence Penelope."
"Publicly how was your relationship depicted?" Emily asked
"To the public we were just dating – a picture here or there but nothing insane," Penelope said.
"we both hated the press so we avoided them," Bruce added.
"If we just appeared now – it may seem odd if there isn't a Wayne Crisis that you need to fix," Penelope suggested.
"I mean are we supposed to be this happy couple that is here to attend a benefit?"
Rossi looked at Erin and Clancy, "Yes, play the happy couple. We'll manufacture am issue at Wayne that brings you back—Bruce. The unsub will know the real reason and will insert himself into your lives—he'll need to be apart of the investigation – because he wants a front row seat to his game. He'll need this."
"This has had extensive planning," Hotch added, "How soon can we visit Jack?"
"I'm waiting to hear back from the director of the facility." Penelope responded
Lambert, "So how many people knew you were married?"
"Our friends and family like Alfred, Lucius, Dr. Smith, Bruce's spine doctor in Germany—and our neighbors in Paris."
"Charlie and Beverly," Bruce added
"Jack," Bruce and Penelope said in unison.
"The day has to get better once the sun comes up," Penelope murmured to no one specifically.
Director Clancy laugh lowly, he always loved this little spitfire TA Garcia, "I still don't understand why you chose the BAU—you can still switch teams, no offense Erin," he said watching Garcia with slight admiration.
"In the mean time we need to make this space our base camp," Richard said as he gave his team marching orders.
Rossi and Hotch share a look that shows their surprise that the Director follows Garcia's career.
"It's 7 am we should look at the living quarters, after that Garcia and Reid will head to Arkham and we will meet here after lunch 12pm and prepare for the evening."
"I just sent Dr. Alice's info to your I-pads."
Will try to update once a week :)
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