Batman: Genesis

Chapter One - The Suit's Back On

[Bruce]

Saturday nights in Gotham were always the same. Criminals prowled the dark, empty alleyways while officers slept. Poor citizens found a place to sleep while rich ones attended a gathering. That night it was at Wayne Manor, a fundraiser for Wayne Enterprises. The whole mansion buzzed with excitement. Bruce Wayne drifted between conversations, listening intently to why Ms. Peabody couldn't find a job, and how Mr. Lopez went bankrupt. The butler, Alfred Pennyworth also wandered about the mansion, fulfilling the guests' needs.

"You haven't heard about what happened to Mr. Diaz?" Mrs. Mitchell inquired from her newly formed crowd of guests. "His whole family was murdered just last night..."

An old lady spoke up, "Mr. James Gordon starts tomorrow at the GCPD, and my sister knows him. He'll get the police department straightened out."

Mrs. Mitchell scoffed, "One rookie cop can't do anything about the way GCPD is headed. He'd need a whole army."

"Oh, he's no rookie. He worked for years at a police department before he moved to Gotham."

"Gotham doesn't work like other cities. He's got a lot of work to do before he figures out how Gotham works, and it's not gonna be fun for him," Mrs. Mitchell states matter-of-factly.

Bruce Wayne turned away, grabbed Alfred Pennyworth by the arm, and led him to an unoccupied room.

"That's probably the fifth murder this week!" Bruce exclaimed. "We need to do something about this, Alfred."

"I agree, Master Bruce, this is extremely unsettling, but I am afraid there is nothing we can do about it," Alfred replied.

"The suit. I could-"

"No. Absolutely not," Alfred interrupted. "The last time you put that suit on, you were almost killed."

"That was years ago. I was just a boy then. I can do it now," Bruce argued.

"Back then, you had training every day. You haven't trained since you wore the suit. If anything, it would be worse now than it was then."

Bruce paused, "I suppose you're right. I just can't sit around, though, while other people get hurt. I can't."

"There are other ways to help than putting on a suit."

"I know that, but you can't always play good cop."

"So... what?" Alfred asked. "You get to play judge, jury, and executioner?"

"Somebody has to," Bruce replied. "Somebody has to do something or Gotham will stay like this. We need this city rid of criminals."

"That's why we have police. Not some kid who puts on a suit."

"I'm not a kid anymore. I'm going on twenty-five."

"Correct. Yet you are still inexperienced."

"You taught me! You said yourself that I was ready!" Bruce exclaimed.

"Ready for standing up for yourself, not taking on all the bloody evil doers this city has!" Alfred cried.

"Then continue to train me. I'll prove that I'm ready."

"Very well," Alfred gave in. "I will allow you to do your best to help the people of Gotham and move this city in the right direction, but if it gets out of hand, we're shutting it down. No more suit. Understood?"

"Yes," Bruce agreed.

"Oh, and I'm in charge of it. If I say not to do something, you will not do it. It's not going to be like it was the last time you put on the suit. No big egos. No rushing into places unprepared. No unnecessary violence. No chaos. I want you to help this city, so that is the deal I'm offering. Take it or leave it," Alfred said.

Bruce leaned against the wall and thought for a second.

"Deal. I go by your rules."

Bruce reached out his hand. Alfred looked at it a second and shook it, satisfied. He quickly adjusted his tie and went back to serving drinks to the guests. Bruce just stood there. He had gotten Alfred's permission to put on the suit and help Gotham, but how was he going to balance that with being the owner of the biggest company in Gotham? All he knew was that he wanted to keep the two lives separate. The person he would become when the put on the suit is not the person that he wanted to be shown as the face of Wayne Enterprises. He would need to make sure that no one notices his face when he has the suit on. Bruce walked back toward the crowd of guests, still pondering on how he would pull this off.