DCU Batman- A Misift Interlude #0
"-Now the first inmate of the newly reopened Arkham Asylum, Jonathan Crane, alias The Scarecrow was apprehended by the GCPD in the early hours of the morning. His accomplice, Otis Flannegan, alias The Ratcatcher, was discovered badly injured beneath the Cobblepot Subway lines, with enough evidence to tie both himself and Crane to the string of childnappings across the city. Though the current whereabouts of these children are unknown, Commissioner Gordon promises that he'll utilise every method at his disposal to get answers from the perpetrators and return the children safely to their families."
"Kidnapping children, now, Leonard... Is there no low these monsters won't fall?" Walker mused to his associates. Fiasco nodded half heartedly. In another corner of the room, Paul Dekker lowered his paint brush, and raised a bony thumb in agreement. Drake scoffed. "Drubert, you have no idea. Back in my day, Supervillainy was an art form. Flashy costumes, dazzling charisma, stage presence unlike anything you'd have ever seen! These days it's all grime and filth. What was that assassin's gimmick?"
"Mr Lawton? I tried reaching out, but-"
"Guns!" Drake bellowed. "What kind of motif is there to be had with shallow gunplay? If the Injustice Society had ever-"
"You were in the Injustice Society, were you, Morty? Dekker interrupted, applying a fine brush stroke to his painting. "You've never said..." he murmured sarcastically.
Drake looked down at him, adjusted his hat, then stormed back upstairs.
"In other news, Wayne Enterprises Chairman Lucius Fox has announced that himself and Wayne Heir Bruce Wayne will be travelling to Paris this week, for their annual shareholders meeting. Wayne stock has gone up two percent since-"
"Wayne..." Fiasco muttered bitterly. "Bruce stinkin' Wayne."
Drury turned to him curiously. "Do... You want an autograph? You know, I *am* on the museum board, I could-"
...
"No, Dru," he sighed. "It's dumb, it's childish. But back in school, there was this girl I liked. Celia Smith. Big brown eyes, blonde curls, and everything. I wasn't an ugly kid, alrigh', but... Well, you try getting her attention when you share a classroom with Bruce freakin' Wayne. Didn't stop me trying, mind, but you see, I wasn't the brightest kid neither. Always rubbing out mistakes. "Ooh, look at the Eraser," they said, I wouldn't have had that problem if I just used fuckin' white-out, I guess. But the name stuck, and the next thing I knew Celia's going off to the Ice Carnival with Wayne. I knew, that if I hadn't been in detention that day, I could've asked her! Detention, all because of my stupid mistakes... Do you think, boss, that he actually saw a future with her? Because I don't. You see all those models he goes out with? You think he sees any kind of future with *them*? He just doesn't care, boss, didn't care about Celia, didn't care about me. I just wish she knew that I did, ok? I cared."
"Leonard-"
"Look, drop it. What's done is done."
Walker nods. "Of course. I meant no disrespect."
Fiasco sighs. "I know. I know, I get it," wandering off. Drury turns back to Dekker, proudly showing off his self portrait. His skin was green, and his moustache was blue, but the likeness was good enough, Drury thought to himself.
===Keystone City, 10:53 AM===
The next day, Drury Walker took a bus to Keystone City. He got a few odd looks, but he could manage that. He ran his fingers through his hair, tugged on his collar, and adjusted his tie. She was gonna love this. Four hours later, he got off the bus, and walked the rest of the way. It was liberating in it's own way. No Fiasco or Dekker, no need to pretend, no need for the accent or the fancy words. He could just be there. With her. He places his hand on the fence, smiling. An actual, white picket fence- a rarity. A sign that today, today was going to be a great day.
"Drury, is that you?"
"Hi Lou," Walker smiles, as he leads a pony into the garden. Upon seeing him, his daughter runs to him, landing in his arms at the speed of a truck.
"Daddy! You're back!" she grins, planting kiss upon kiss on his face, trapping him in her arms.
"Of course I am, kitten! Couldn't forget about you, now could I? I brought you someone-"
She sees it, and squeals in delight. "A pony?!"
"He's called Othello, and he's yours on one condition-"
"Ahem." Katie's foster mom stands in the doorway, a coat over her dressing gown. "Drury. A word."
Walker nods, and places his hand on Katie's shoulder "I'll be right back."
===The kitchen===
Alison hands Drury the pot of sugar, and he proceeds to empty five cubes into his tea. She rubs her face, keeping a close eye on her husband, Lewis, trying to saddle Katie up on the pony.
"A pony Drury, really?"
Walker stares at the table, avoiding eye contact, stirring the cup. "It's her birthday..."
'No, her birthday is on the sixteenth."
Walker- Well, a little early but-
Ally- Of June.
...
She takes the pot and places it back in the cupboard, sighing. "Where did you get it? Is it stolen?"
Walker stutters. "No, Ally, it's not like that, I- Morty gave it to me."
She chokes on her tea. "Morty.... Morty... Oh my god, that was *you*! You broke him out! That's why the fucking accent's back!"
"I just- He's practically family-," he starts.
Ally- I knew, I knew it! You said you were gonna change, get out of prison, and *change*!
Walker mumbles something as he stirs his tea with a chocolate finger. "She's my kid, I just... I just wanted to impress her."
"Oh, I'm sure she's very impressed! Her dad robbed six banks and burst open a prison!"
Walker places his tea on the table and rubs his eyes.
...
"Gar's dead."
====Gotham City, 16:05====
Fiaco looked out his apartment window. Every morning, he'd wake up and the first thing he'd see was Wayne Tower staring back at him. At night, he'd struggle to sleep, it's neon lettering mocking him, every hour of the day. It was funny, most people would kill for a view like that. He'd settle for anywhere else. There was a knocking at the door, Walker, if the rhythmic pattern was any indication. Just what he needed. After they lost Lynns, he'd gotten more reserved, less, well, camp, but he still, at the end of the day, dressed like a flamboyant insect... He always dreaded their chats.
Walker smiled, handing him a bright package, held inside a scrubby looking plastic bag.
"Here," he began, bags under his eyes. "After you told me about what happened between you and Miss Smith, I couldn't help but ask for Dekker's expertise. Open it."
"I told you to drop it, it's fine," Fiasco mumbled as he undid the string binding it together.
"No. No it's not. Bruce Wayne took that young lady from you. What might have been a wonderful relationship never was, and Miss Smith was used like Playboys always use beautiful women, as a plaything for the night-"
"We were sixte-"
"And you, were cast to the wayside, taunted for your mistakes. *Sigh* I've been where you were, Leonard. Mocked. Derided. I know what that can to do to a person. This suit, will begin to set things right. Please, just give it a chance."
Len looked down at the yellow and black suit jacket, silently staring for several minutes. "I- It's beautiful."
DCU Batman- A Misift Interlude #0
"-Now the first inmate of the newly reopened Arkham Asylum, Jonathan Crane, alias The Scarecrow was apprehended by the GCPD in the early hours of the morning. His accomplice, Otis Flannegan, alias The Ratcatcher, was discovered badly injured beneath the Cobblepot Subway lines, with enough evidence to tie both himself and Crane to the string of childnappings across the city. Though the current whereabouts of these children are unknown, Commissioner Gordon promises that he'll utilise every method at his disposal to get answers from the perpetrators and return the children safely to their families."
"Kidnapping children, now, Leonard... Is there no low these monsters won't fall?" Walker mused to his associates. Fiasco nodded half heartedly. In another corner of the room, Paul Dekker lowered his paint brush, and raised a bony thumb in agreement. Drake scoffed. "Drubert, you have no idea. Back in my day, Supervillainy was an art form. Flashy costumes, dazzling charisma, stage presence unlike anything you'd have ever seen! These days it's all grime and filth. What was that assassin's gimmick?"
"Mr Lawton? I tried reaching out, but-"
"Guns!" Drake bellowed. "What kind of motif is there to be had with shallow gunplay? If the Injustice Society had ever-"
"You were in the Injustice Society, were you, Morty? Dekker interrupted, applying a fine brush stroke to his painting. "You've never said..." he murmured sarcastically.
Drake looked down at him, adjusted his hat, then stormed back upstairs.
"In other news, Wayne Enterprises Chairman Lucius Fox has announced that himself and Wayne Heir Bruce Wayne will be travelling to Paris this week, for their annual shareholders meeting. Wayne stock has gone up two percent since-"
"Wayne..." Fiasco muttered bitterly. "Bruce stinkin' Wayne."
Drury turned to him curiously. "Do... You want an autograph? You know, I *am* on the museum board, I could-"
...
"No, Dru," he sighed. "It's dumb, it's childish. But back in school, there was this girl I liked. Celia Smith. Big brown eyes, blonde curls, and everything. I wasn't an ugly kid, alrigh', but... Well, you try getting her attention when you share a classroom with Bruce freakin' Wayne. Didn't stop me trying, mind, but you see, I wasn't the brightest kid neither. Always rubbing out mistakes. "Ooh, look at the Eraser," they said, I wouldn't have had that problem if I just used fuckin' white-out, I guess. But the name stuck, and the next thing I knew Celia's going off to the Ice Carnival with Wayne. I knew, that if I hadn't been in detention that day, I could've asked her! Detention, all because of my stupid mistakes... Do you think, boss, that he actually saw a future with her? Because I don't. You see all those models he goes out with? You think he sees any kind of future with *them*? He just doesn't care, boss, didn't care about Celia, didn't care about me. I just wish she knew that I did, ok? I cared."
"Leonard-"
"Look, drop it. What's done is done."
Walker nods. "Of course. I meant no disrespect."
Fiasco sighs. "I know. I know, I get it," wandering off. Drury turns back to Dekker, proudly showing off his self portrait. His skin was green, and his moustache was blue, but the likeness was good enough, Drury thought to himself.
===Keystone City, 10:53 AM===
The next day, Drury Walker took a bus to Keystone City. He got a few odd looks, but he could manage that. He ran his fingers through his hair, tugged on his collar, and adjusted his tie. She was gonna love this. Four hours later, he got off the bus, and walked the rest of the way. It was liberating in it's own way. No Fiasco or Dekker, no need to pretend, no need for the accent or the fancy words. He could just be there. With her. He places his hand on the fence, smiling. An actual, white picket fence- a rarity. A sign that today, today was going to be a great day.
"Drury, is that you?"
"Hi Lou," Walker smiles, as he leads a pony into the garden. Upon seeing him, his daughter runs to him, landing in his arms at the speed of a truck.
"Daddy! You're back!" she grins, planting kiss upon kiss on his face, trapping him in her arms.
"Of course I am, kitten! Couldn't forget about you, now could I? I brought you someone-"
She sees it, and squeals in delight. "A pony?!"
"He's called Othello, and he's yours on one condition-"
"Ahem." Katie's foster mom stands in the doorway, a coat over her dressing gown. "Drury. A word."
Walker nods, and places his hand on Katie's shoulder "I'll be right back."
===The kitchen===
Alison hands Drury the pot of sugar, and he proceeds to empty five cubes into his tea. She rubs her face, keeping a close eye on her husband, Lewis, trying to saddle Katie up on the pony.
"A pony Drury, really?"
Walker stares at the table, avoiding eye contact, stirring the cup. "It's her birthday..."
'No, her birthday is on the sixteenth."
Walker- Well, a little early but-
Ally- Of June.
...
She takes the pot and places it back in the cupboard, sighing. "Where did you get it? Is it stolen?"
Walker stutters. "No, Ally, it's not like that, I- Morty gave it to me."
She chokes on her tea. "Morty.... Morty... Oh my god, that was *you*! You broke him out! That's why the fucking accent's back!"
"I just- He's practically family-," he starts.
Ally- I knew, I knew it! You said you were gonna change, get out of prison, and *change*!
Walker mumbles something as he stirs his tea with a chocolate finger. "She's my kid, I just... I just wanted to impress her."
"Oh, I'm sure she's very impressed! Her dad robbed six banks and burst open a prison!"
Walker places his tea on the table and rubs his eyes.
...
"Gar's dead."
====Gotham City, 16:05====
Fiaco looked out his apartment window. Every morning, he'd wake up and the first thing he'd see was Wayne Tower staring back at him. At night, he'd struggle to sleep, it's neon lettering mocking him, every hour of the day. It was funny, most people would kill for a view like that. He'd settle for anywhere else. There was a knocking at the door, Walker, if the rhythmic pattern was any indication. Just what he needed. After they lost Lynns, he'd gotten more reserved, less, well, camp, but he still, at the end of the day, dressed like a flamboyant insect... He always dreaded their chats.
Walker smiled, handing him a bright package, held inside a scrubby looking plastic bag.
"Here," he began, bags under his eyes. "After you told me about what happened between you and Miss Smith, I couldn't help but ask for Dekker's expertise. Open it."
"I told you to drop it, it's fine," Fiasco mumbled as he undid the string binding it together.
"No. No it's not. Bruce Wayne took that young lady from you. What might have been a wonderful relationship never was, and Miss Smith was used like Playboys always use beautiful women, as a plaything for the night-"
"We were sixte-"
"And you, were cast to the wayside, taunted for your mistakes. *Sigh* I've been where you were, Leonard. Mocked. Derided. I know what that can to do to a person. This suit, will begin to set things right. Please, just give it a chance."
Len looked down at the yellow and black suit jacket, silently staring for several minutes. "I- It's beautiful."