Batman: Genesis

Chapter Twenty - Recognized

[Jim]

Jim watched everyone's faces as he stood before the entire police department. He felt sort of like he had on his first day when he had been welcomed, but this time it was different. He felt more comfortable now, more at home.

"Thank you for your attention," said Commissioner Loeb. "I would just like to take a moment for us all to recognize the deeds of our new Detective Gordon. He recently took it upon himself to solve multiple abandoned cases of murder. It's no secret that we are flawed here at GCPD. There is a wide influx of cases here that go unsolved. And so it's detectives like Gordon here that we need more of. Someone who is bound to do the right thing, but is not afraid to go off-book a little to get it done. Let's give a round of applause to Gordon here, for fitting in and not fitting in just the right amounts."

Jim walked up and shook the commissioner's hand as applause rang out in the department. And clapping loudest of them all was Harvey. As Jim stepped back down at everyone got back to work, Harvey walked up to him.

"For the record, I think they should have recognized you too," Jim told him.

Harvey just waved it off. "Meh. Unless it's a raise or a physical award, I don't want it. You deserve it, though. That was all you. I guess I really was the one tagging along."

Jim laughed as they sat back down at their desks. "That's what being partners means. Sometimes I'll take the lead, and sometimes you will."

"Yeah," said Harvey. "At first I thought our wildly different personalities would make us a bad team. But on the contrary, I think we might be the best team the GCPD has ever seen."

--

[Bruce]

"How's the letter coming?" Alfred asked.

Bruce was sitting at the Wayne Manor library, pen in hand. He was attempting to write a thank-you letter to Jim Gordon for saving his life. It was proving to be more difficult than he had expected, though. "I don't know. How do you thank someone for something like that?"

Alfred frowned. "Well, Master Bruce, you just have to know that the letter isn't going to make you even. You still owe Detective Gordon big time, this letter is just to show your gratitude."

"Yeah, I suppose," said Bruce. "How am I going to pay him back, though?"

Alfred shrugged. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of chances to save pretty much everyone in this city."

"How do you mean?"

"Well isn't that what Batman does?"

Bruce studied Alfred. "You mean you're going to let me continue to be Batman? Because I pretty much broke all the rules. It got out of hand, I rushed into places unprepared. All the violence was strictly necessary, but there was a lot of chaos."

Alfred sighed. "That was the deal, wasn't it? But that was before. You're more experienced now, and more mature. Besides, a criminal is off the streets now because of you. Some families with lost loved ones got closure because of you. I don't think it's my place to put a stop to something like that."

Bruce nodded. "Thank you, Alfred. I won't let you down."