Trapped : The Island of Torment

Chapter 19 : The Parents

Gotham City

The city gleamed under the night skies, with tall skyscrapers and residential buildings overshadowing the city's seedier neighbourhoods, which are on the path of recovery due to the neighbourhoods under the protection of the Batfamily and the massive injection of federal funds during the Reagan Administration as part of former President of the United States, Jeffery Christian Reagan's pledge to help struggling neighbourhoods across America since launching his first campaign trail. After being elected president Jeffery immediately went to work, starting from his home state, California, which was uncanny enough, where his adopted daughter Isabella, who would later adopt his surname, grew up during her childhood.  

Things were a bit different when it came time to help Gotham, as most political figures were corrupt, per the GCPD Commissioner James Gordon. After Wintergreen nearly destroyed the image of both the office of the President of the United States and his political party Jeffery resolved to restore the public's faith in the office once again. Jeffery had gained an unexpected ally as he drafted plans to help the city, in the form of his adopted daughter, who fell in love with her childhood friend, Bruce Wayne. Through her own eyes and ears Isabella's information allowed him to plan a more decisive plan to aid the city. Rusting train cars have been replaced with modern variations, and the dimly lit stations are switched out with fluorescent lights powered by solar panels. 

Food banks sprung up and orphanages were built, and dangerous inmates unfit for both Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Penitentiary were transferred to maximum security facilities such as ADX Florence for good measure. Crime rates dropped steadily as a result, and the corrupt officials? They are ousted in turn, as Jeffery did not hand down federal funds immediately, starting with infrastructural changes and reforms to the justice system instead. However government help can only help to a certain extent due to their limited income sources, so the Wayne Foundation worked hand in hand with the federal government to continue the changes necessary to rehabilitate the city. Gotham is still in the process of rehabilitation when he gives his adopted daughter away at the altar when she eventually marries Bruce in a secret ceremony in Scotland, after accepting his proposal of marriage. 

Alfred's passing three years later however, saw Bruce moving away to Washington DC to cope with his grief. At the same time, Isabella worked hard as Jeffery's vice president, succeeding her predecessor when he was assassinated. The Speaker of the House of Representatives was arrested on charges of accepting bribes, therefore disqualifying himself while the President pro tempore of the Senate declined the position due to health reasons. Isabella and Bruce, now living together as he was based in Gotham due to his alter ego as the vigilante Batman, continued to help Jeffery in his plans to rehabilitate the ailing city.

Bruce wouldn't return to Gotham until a year after Alfred's passing, as Isabella had become pregnant with their first child and needed a place to recover in seclusion after giving birth to their child, a daughter they named Victoria Christina. More children would follow and the couple always stayed at Wayne Manor, his ancestral home, for her to recuperate and care for their children. After surviving an assassination attempt which had prematurely ended his second term as president Jeffery first moved back to California, but had moved into a suburban home with his wife Alice, who was Isabella's biological mother, resurrected bizarrely thanks to an energy pulse powered by a Lazarus pit. Alice was his college sweetheart, but had died when Isabella was fifteen in a car crash. 

After meeting each other again they picked up the romance that they had given up due to the long-distance nature of the romance, which she then unexpectedly met Isabella's now-deceased biological father. Alice didn't age according to what her real age should be, but it didn't stop her from picking up what she had left off with her former love. They married in a shotgun wedding and are now living contentedly together in the suburban home that her daughter and son-in-law have been living at before formally moving back to Wayne Manor, as their family grew in size. Isabella, like her grandmother, had been pregnant multiple times and had a total of twelve children. Now grandparents Jeffery and Alice, also known as Jeff and Alix to their families, raised their grandchildren while their parents were away at work, but would often join the couple and their children at Wayne Manor during weekdays.

But now, with their daughter missing and their son-in-law also missing, to the Secret Service, but not to Jeffery and Alice as they are aware of their son-in-law's double life, they have been moved to Wayne Manor as well to protect them from whoever had abducted the both of them. They are justly worried about their daughter and son-in-law going missing, as they will have to take time to explain to their young grandchildren why their parents are still not home yet. Alice was sitting nervously next to him as she was worried about her daughter and son-in-law's safety. Andrew Barrowman, the long-serving Secret Service agent in charge of Jeffery's safety since becoming president for his first term, enters the room. 

"Sir, your brother-in-law is here." he said. A man soon entered the office, dressed in tactical clothing with a flair of military camouflage pattern. He has a grimace to his expression as he carries a backpack on his shoulder. Alice dashed up to him and the siblings shared a warm hug. Alice only has two brothers and he met them both when he was dating her, their oldest sister. Liam was a military man by definition, as he spent most of his career in the South Korean Navy, while another brother, the youngest, Xavier, spent his brief time with the South Korean Army as an Army sniper, before returning from the Middle East and picking up a scalpel to become a trauma surgeon. 

"Any news Liam?" Alice asked, tears in her eyes. 

"We've found them." he replied. "But my colleagues at Yongsan have not yet received any confirmation that Elizabeth is missing. You have to hand it to the need for not making this issue public." Jeff rose to his feet and his brows narrowed in response. "The guys have gone ahead for the rescue mission, so fingers crossed." he added, but in Korean, which Jeff understood perfectly due to his mother, whose father, a North Korean ambassador, had used his overseas posting as an advantage and defected with his family to the United States. 

"Byun had sent me a text message to meet him at the headquarters of his workplace." Alice said. "I'm not sure what he wants, but he sounded urgent." 

"When it comes to instincts, I can count Byun's as one of the sharpest." he said. "Are you okay with coming with us Jeff?" 

"Why do you think that I'm listening to your conversations?" he replied. Liam nodded, as he barely needed to ever doubt his brother-in-law, as he was a fellow soldier before becoming president and later husband to his eldest sister, which is already saying things.