69 CHAPTER 68
[Bruce Wayne's POV]
I had been away from Gotham on League business when I learned that Jason had been beaten by someone. I didn't know who was responsible, but I was determined to find out as soon as possible.
Upon returning to Gotham, I wasted no time in investigating the matter. I didn't bother asking Jason about it, as I knew I could easily uncover the truth in just a few minutes.
"Welcome back, Master Wayne," the familiar voice of my father-figure and butler greeted me as he opened the door to my mansion. With a nod of his head, I acknowledged his greeting."
"Hello Alfred, it's good to be back." I responded with an almost unnoticeable smile on my face, after embarking on dangerous missions with the League in order to keep the world safe, it sure feels good to be home every once in a while.
"How was your trip Master Wayne?" He asked, ever so affectionate and concerned for my well being.
"It was… How do I put it? Messy, but it all worked out fine." I replied to him, handing over my coat to him.
"That's good to know. I'll prepare your bath in a second, dinner would be ready by the time you get out." Alfred said as it came to his notice how exhausted I was.
"Thanks Alfred." I said to him as I took a seat and turned to walk in the direction of my room. I passed halfway and turned back at him. "How are the kids?" I asked.
"I'm sure you already know what happened to Master Jason but I can assure you that he's fine, both of them." I turned back and continued my advancement to my room.
After my bath, I had dinner with the kids and tied like everything was alright. I didn't want to say anything to Jason until I found out what really happened to him and who was responsible for him getting beaten up so badly.
When it came to my notice how roughed up he was, I thought it was done by a major villain and almost rushed back because they probably seemed too much for both Jason and Barbara to handle. But as I searched through, I discovered it wasn't done by a villain but a kid not too older than Jason so I paid it to mind.
They acted normal all through dinner except for Jason who was sulking and for some reason couldn't look me in the eye, I guess he felt ashamed for what happened to him. I ignored it and proceeded to the Batcave immediately. I was done with dinner.
I sat in front of a computer and investigated what happened that day and while I was doing so, I discovered it happened twice. There was a second encounter, the first encounter seemed to shake him to his core but the second one had broken his pride.
I did a little digging on the white-haired kid and he seemed to be a normal kid who moved from Central City to Gotham not too long ago. I searched for footage of their fight, but there wasn't any. The cameras around, either from a building or a surveillance camera.
They seemed to have been tampered and it only showed Jason attacking Tom and Tom walking away with Jason laying on the ground unconscious. The second one was at the front of Tom's home and it was similar to the first one. The only difference was that Jason was conscious while Tom walked away and Jason was so shaken it seemed like he couldn't move an inch from that spot for almost five minutes.
I had to do more digging on Tom, he seemed like a normal kid except that he was so unfortunate to have experienced a tragic loss in his life, later on he was diagnosed with amnesia.
He wasn't recorded as a metahuman and his records didn't say anything concerning him being so good with technology that he could tamper with the footage. The only job he held was working as a bartender at a local bar in Central City and after a few months of working there, he quit his job and after some more he dropped out of school and only frequented a local gym until he moved to Gotham and his activities so far have been mundane.
He often visited the Tin Roof Bar, the Gotham City Library, multiple restaurants and spent the rest of his time at home. I don't see how someone like him could beat Jason who had years of training and experience. Maybe I'd have to speak with Jason after all.
…
[Tom Hendricks POV]
I sat on a bench at the Gotham City park, observing the people as they went about their day while I relished in the feel of nature. The tree above me shielded me from the evening sun as the cool evening breeze swept through the park.
This was a place to rewind and slow down your thoughts, connect with nature and escape from the pollution in the city itself.
I've had my fill of girls in masks and spandex breaking into my place at night and later it turns into some therapy section or a Q&A.
"Hey kid, I didn't think we'd run into each other so soon." A deep familiar voice broke off my train of thoughts as I tried to recall where I've heard it before.
Turning around, I saw the security guard I had seen at the warehouse. Only this time, he wasn't wearing sunglasses but an eye patch over his right eye.
"You took the words right out of my mouth." I responded, gesturing for him to have a seat.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind, I think that's not quite healthy for a young man like you." He said jokingly as he looked laid back into the bench.
"Is it that visible on my face, or did you notice through the wisdom they assume comes with age." I said to him as he let out a chuckle before continuing.
"Be careful now kid, you already have matching white hair to mine and people might mistake you for old and wise from the way you speak." I mused at that for a while before letting out a short laugh.
"The name's Fred." He said with an arm stretched out. I checked his hand as I replied to him with my name. "Tom."
"What do you say Tom? Let me treat you to a drink." Being offered a drink from a stranger I had only met twice seemed normal for males, yet it felt off. But who was I to reject the offer, the sun was setting and it seemed like a perfect evening for a drink.
"Sure, why not." I gave him a reply as we stood up from the bench and headed into town.
As the sun began to set, my companion and I arrived at a bar he had recommended. I had never visited this bar before, as it was located in a region of town that was unfamiliar to me. When it was time to order, he asked me what I would like to drink, and I requested whiskey. The bartender provided us with glasses and added ice before pouring our drinks.
As we drank and talked throughout the night, we found ourselves bonding over our conversation. It was a strange feeling, but one that can often be attributed to the power of alcohol.
As the night wore on, my companion and I decided it was time to call it a night. "I really need to start going," I said, rising from my seat. But as I stood up, my companion placed a hand on my shoulder and asked me to stay for one more drink. Despite my initial hesitation, I eventually agreed to stay for just one more.
The bartender brought over the bottle of whiskey and poured equal amounts into both of our glasses, which were already filled with ice. As I took a sip from my drink, I noticed that my companion, Fred, hadn't touched his yet. Suddenly, his friendly expression turned serious, and in my surprise, I accidentally dropped my glass to the ground.
I immediately realized that I had been set up, but I had no idea when it all began. As I tried to stand up, I stumbled and had to hold onto the counter to steady myself. My head felt fuzzy and my eyes were dizzy, causing the room to spin. My heart raced as I struggled to regain control of my body.
"What did you do to me?" I asked, dropping down to the floor. My consciousness was slipping away and I could see Fred's feet in front of me. The image was blurry and I heard him say something unexpected: "Goodnight Tom, or should I say Ghost." The dim light gradually faded and I completely lost consciousness.
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