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I hope you enjoy this chapter... and as usual - I own nothing from the Criminal Minds or Dark Knight World... capsice?
Derek and Agent Brown were the last ones to filter into the war room. Penelope was still picking her way through the lunch offerings as Emily, Reid, and Hotch debriefed privately.
Hotch asked Reid, "do you think she's up for this case? Or should we try a different approach that doesn't involve either of them."
Before Reid could answer Emily interjected "Bruce is hiding something and it's big. You can see it in his mannerism. He fluctuates from empowered to secretive – as if he's afraid he of being caught," Emily stole a look at Bruce, "what if he's hiding something pertaining to the case."
"He's not hiding anything," Reid said defensively, not knowing why he was so taken with Bruce, "I think we all deal with loss differently, Em."
Reid could not help but feel sympathy for him, Bruce's situation reminded him of Maeve. Maeve the woman he couldn't save. "I think he's trying to be what everyone expects of him so much so…. that he's losing himself. Imagine losing your father and being reunited with your wife – I mean he was working up the courage to talk to her – that's why he was in DC."
Reid took a breath, "Bruce is a methodical planner and this kidnapping – 'this' needing our help—needing Penelope's help – was not in the future he was writing. He is overprotective of her - which will make Rossi's plan work. He won't leave her. She could barely go to the bathroom without him trailing her. I mean he was in the same space as the man who tried to kill him… the Joker, and all he thought of was protecting her."
Hotch turned to look at Bruce, "How many people would be that confident when facing the Joker?"
"I saw two of them today – Penelope she got into his head today and the Joker allowed it. I was wondering if he set this up to see her. I mean he knew this person was cooking something up – he knew we were going to need is help. Bruce, on the other hand, has an innate fearlessness," Reid stated matter of factly.
"That's what I mean," Emily interjected, "Dr. Alice started to shake when she thought of what the Joker wanted to do to Bruce—yet he's begging to be in the room with Penelope and the Joker? Do they have a history we don't know about?"
"Maybe it's a simple as being the one who got the girl," Rossi added as he joined them.
"Maybe," Reid said looking over at Bruce. His brain kept on reviewing Bruce's calm demeanor when Penelope was in the room with the Joker. He kept his façade raised until the Joker grabbed her hair. Reid had to physically stop Bruce yet his strength was of a man who worked out 3 times a day and the way he handled Reid reminded him of a move he saw in an old Japanese movie. Was Bruce Wayne trained in ancient art of Japanese hand-to-hand combat? Emily was right something wasn't adding up.
Rossi continued, "JJ and I have been using her old press contacts to get the Wayne story out there."
"What's the story?" Emily asked.
"The board of directors wants him out – they don't care if he is the last remaining Wayne. They want to take the company in a new direction instead of catering to the whims of a spoiled rich brat."
"Ouch," Bruce said as he walked over to her team.
"It's better than the truth—and if this is about Wayne Enterprise the unsub will make a play."
"How does she fit in?" Bruce gestured towards Penelope.
"She'll be your arm candy."
Bruce suppressed his glare as Rossi continued, "Since the press doesn't know who she was – no point in highlighting it now."
"Is there a scenario where we leave her out of it all together?"
"The unsub invited the both of you and she is a member of the FBI? Not just our tech."
"Do you always give the unsub what he wants?" Bruce countered as he raked his hands through his hair.
Reid saw his concern, "we will all be there on site – nothing will happen to you or Penelope."
Reid gave Bruce an awkward pat on the back, "we should get some lunch—these run of show meetings can be a doozy." Reid couldn't recall the anytime using the word doozy before. I'm using colloquialism, Reid thought and smiled.
The team – BAU, CIA, FBI, and Local PD all took a seat as Commissioner Gordon walked everyone through the night's timeline. Three and a half hours later – the team's 26th time through the events – it was finally committed to memory.
Clancy turned to Bruce and Penelope, "You two should go get ready… while Emily, Brown, and Morgan do a security walk through of the sites."
As the group was about to disperse, Robert Baratheon, the CIA tech came rushing in, "Penelope you have to see this."
As the game plays, he punches in a code that takes them to schematics of the game.
"You see this bit of code right here?" he said highlighting 2 paragraphs of what would be gobbly-gook to a layman.
"This code is from the game Apprentice."
Lucius chimed in, "Luthor's Facebook game. It's what brought the company into the black. Three years ago."
"This," Robert said highlighting the last line, "is the author's signature – whoever wrote Apprentice wrote this one as well."
"Who wrote the game?" Richard Tracy, head of the CIA, asked.
"Luther white labels everything," Bruce added, "he never gives his employees credit – megalomaniac."
Robert pushes his black clunky glasses up on his nose, "I tried to hack their system but I need to connect to a computer on the premises of Luther Corp."
Penelope looked over to Clancy, "Can we Mission Impossible that tonight?"
"It's not that easy," Robert and Megan Lampert from Homeland Security said in unison.
Penelope looked perplexed and Tom Clancy filled her in "Lex Corp has government contracts as well and we can't just walk in their guns blazing."
"How about the front door?" Lucius asked, "They're hosting an event tonight at Luther Corp."
"We'll need an invite," Penelope reminded them.
"I'm Bruce Wayne," Bruce said regally which prompted a slow eye roll from Penelope.
"How long will it take to upload the program you need Bobbie?"
"4 minutes."
"So we're adding an B&E to tonight's festivities?" Gordon asked, "The party will have a few off duty cops there – for added safety."
"But can we trust them?" Bruce asked, "Dirty cops are as rampant as a common cold in Gotham?"
Gordon cleared his throat—"I'll be there too," he said defending his team.
"So lets run through the time line again," Rossi said.
Garcia shook her head, "we have 45 minutes to get ballroom ready."
"Get ready Garcia and We'll come up with a revised timeline."
"Gotcha," she hustled up to the penthouse and changed into one of her dresses.
As the BAU finalized their roles and parts of the timeline, the screen beeped.
The Skype app bounce on the screen.
JJ who is used to conversing with Garcia via Skype thought it was her and clicked to accept the unidentified incoming call.
"Hello, Hello, Hello," sang the Joker.
"Testing – Testing 1 -2-3," he hit the mic.
"Testing,"
The room shares a perplexed look—how did he get this number—why was he contacting them.
"Amazing, this Skype thing does work."
"So Hotchy, where's Penelope?"
"How can we help you?" Hotch asked trying to gain control of the call.
"You don't have to be formal with me Hotchy- or do you prefer Aaron? But then I think I might confuse Erin?" Jack straightened up his state issued shirt making it taut, "Howdy JJ and Emily!" he said with a frantic wave.
"Rossi, Reid, and the muscle bound Derek Morgan," his smile turned to a glare-
"Commissioner," he sang in a low growl.
The Joker perked up and continued his faux chatty conversational voice, "You guys are normally attached to the hip—where is she?"
When no one responded, the Joker sighed, "I have a lead on the case and I need to speak with Agent Garcia – ASAP."
"She isn't here—we can take a message," Emily offered.
"NO, can do Angel," he leaned closer to the screen, "I'm only supposed to talk with Penelope—and there she is."
She enters the room and is surprised to see Jack on the screen. She's wearing an A-line green lace tea length dress with short strappy sandals. Her hair is in wavy long curls with the right side clip up and off her ears. No glasses, just a clutch and a shawl.
"About the strawberry shake, Jack says to Penelope – "this work requires more than a burger and fries,"
"I'm here to up my fee," he says with a giggle.
"Jack," she says like a chastising parent and he straightens up.
Rossi and Hotch are surprised by his response—they share a knowing look. He wants to please her.
"I heard you have news," Penelope began.
"I do – I've been thinking about the riddle on the invite, the one about the chess pieces and being above board. If we take away the most obvious thought – which would be the board of Wayne and Alfred being above the board… what are we left with?"
"Jack," she said wondering what's the point.
"You look beautiful, btw," Jack stated as if no one else was in the room.
She gave him a small smile, "why do I have to solve another riddle to get the answer."
"Something never change you always just want the answer," he smiled at her longingly, "but the process is important, Pennybear. It makes the answer worth while."
"Jack we're going to be late – Spill"
"Ok, ok, ok," he said patting down his hair and sitting in his seat taller.
"Did you know that Russians backed Lex Corp. till he did a back door deal with the government which made the Ruski business contract null and void? The Russians injected Lex Corp with over half a billion dollars and seconds after the money was transferred the government – to be specific," Jack said licking his lips, "you, Mr. Clancy and Mr. Tracey, made that deal null and void. Maybe you had something to do with it too ...Ms. Lampert—something about national security."
"My question to you, Mrs. Wayne," Jack shook his head, "I'll never get used to saying that? Is what move is that similar to in chess?"
When she didn't answer right away, Jack pouted, "What did you retain from out time together? Can you still make grilled cheese?"
She still looked perplexed.
"Two pieces swap positions—so that one piece can be in a safer position."
Reid and Bruce utter at the same time "castling."
Jack does a slow clap, "finally, you're showing us you are more than the dizzy Bruce Wayne…"- the Joker looks thoughtfully at him, "I should have taken my last dance with you in Paris - it could have been our last tango minus the butter," he chuckled.
"What's he talking about?" Penelope asked
"Add it to the list," he whispered.
"Secrets. Tsk, tsk, Brucey - could be the death of you."
Bruce glares at him and he jumps up and grabs his heart
"My dance card is filled tonight" The Joker leans closer to the screen, "Rain check?"
Agent Hotchner chimes in "is that all?"
"Cool your jets Batman. Tonight," he purred, "is about getting you into position to be checked."
Joker sighed, "See, the rule of castling is," he stated scholarly.
Reid interrupts, "one cannot castle out of, through, or into check. It's often a move to get your King into safety—but the only way to actual do that move is to," Reid paused processing his next statement, "Not have any pieces between you and the rook."
"The rook and king have never moved," Jack informed him.
"And you not checking yourselves," Reid added thoughtfully
The Joker gives Reid a look of appreciation, "I get why you call him boy genius."
Bruce looked to the team—"now who's the rook and who's the king?"
"Exactly and who's Daddy O?" he manically asks, "Big Al? It seems to me he's a pawn."
"Y'know," he said leaning in, "Expendable," he purred.
"Jack," Penelope said returning to her chastising tone.
"Now, Brucey anything happens to her a scratch, a tear, an increase in heart rate- and you're going to wish you finished me in Paris. I let you have her once and you really screwed the pooch on that."
He looked evilly at Bruce, "This time I don't care what she wants."
Bruce's gaze didn't back down.
"Capisce,"
"Jack – we talked about this - if you threaten him - our deal is off. He's my –my person and it hurts me when you talk like this."
Jack looked to the heavens and sighed, "I'm sorry," he said sadly.
"Good, now explain castling again," she said, as the team was impressed by her control of the Joker. "Aren't chess moves represented by numbers as well? Maybe we should get Bobbie – I mean Robert in here"
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