[Ranma/Batman][FanFic] The Dark Knight - chapter four
Fiona Lim
Chapter Four
by Fiona Lim
fanta...@gurlmail.com
-----
Gotham Manor
The sun was too bright, and somebody had decided to hit
him - several times - all over his body. With those
facts firmly decided, his brain started procedures for
waking up. Ranma groaned as he opened his eyes and
realised he would probably have been better off keeping
them closed - which he did immediately.
"Please don't move, Master Ran." Alfred's crisp voice
interjected through his body's mental inventory of
various reasons why it would be far more COMFORTABLE to
die, "The knife opened quite large a wound - and you
managed to widen the gash quite a bit more on your way
home and while you were enjoying a night cap last night."
"Why Alfred - is there a hint of disapproval I hear in
your voice then?" Ranma asked, grinning even as he
winced in pain as he tried to sit up.
"No, Master Ran." Alfred said stiffly, "It's slightly
more than a *HINT* of disapproval." He added, "You're
lucky that you managed to pull the old summoning tassel
before you collapsed, or instead of finding a half dead
young Master last night, I would have found a DEAD idiot
this morning." He added.
"Who says it was luck?" Ranma asked as he opened his
eyes again.
Alfred was still in his pyjamas - but managed to exude
the familiar air of capability and unfazable calm, "How
bad is it?" Ranma asked as he stared down at the
bandages wrapped around his upper chest and shoulder.
"Not as bad as I originally thought." Alfred said
finally, "The whiskey you spilled managed to clear out
any chance of infection, and the wound is thin."
"I should be fine by next week." Ranma said, "I heal
fast." He stared thoughtfully at Alfred for several
seconds, before he spoke, "Alfred, do you remember what
happened after my parents died?"
"Of course, Master Ran." Alfred said, "How could I
forget? The doctors were surprised you didn't sustain
greater damages. It looks like you have retained the
luck that kept you from dying then." He added.
"Do you remember the cave I fell into, and what you
told the doctor later, Alfred?" Ranma asked urgently.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You said that the entire grounds were riddled with
caves. That the deeper cellars under Wayne Manor are
actually caves." Ranma reminded him.
"You have a very long and accurate memory, Master
Ran." Alfred noted, "Why did you wish to bring up
ancient conversations?"
"I want to see them."
"I beg your pardon?!"
"I have a plan, Alfred. It's partially the only
reason why I stayed with Dad - with Genma Saotome all
these years." Ranma said slowly as he struggled out of
bed.
"SIR! Your wound!"
"It doesn't matter - I've had worse." Ranma brushed
off as he pulled on a dressing gown, "I want to see those
cellars, Alfred. And I'll go myself if you don't take
me."
"You wouldn't find them." Alfred warned, "Not without
me or some other servant, and I'm the only one here."
"If I collapse down there, at least you'll know."
"They are this way, Master Ran."
---
"You're finished aren't you?"
Xian Pu looked up at Tolo and nodded slowly, "Yes.
Finally, thank god." She added, gesturing to the expense
of material - and not QUITE material - before her, "Four
months and half a year's savings. But I'm glad." She
added as she watched the not-so-young girl run reverent
hands over the cloth.
It had happened almost by accident. Certainly, the two
of them would never have met in ordinary circumstances.
*But then, 'ordinary circumstances' would never have
allowed what happened, TO happen.* Xian Pu added acidly
as she reached down to stroke Shampu as he slept in her
lap.
In the past five months since she had met this
girl-woman, they had grown into friends. Though, really
they were total opposites. Tolo, the girl with a strange
form of both childishness and an awful maturity in the
realities of the world, and herself - *Far too
sophisticated and not mature enough, not where it
counts.*
Together they made - *Not a whole, then a shield against
those who would hurt both of us.*
"So what will you do now?" Tolo asked as she stared
at Xian Pu, "Now that you've made 'it'?"
A pause.
"I don't know." Xian Pu finally admitted, "I thought
- to fight - against everything. Evil you know?" she
said slowly, "But I can't - not yet. I don't know how."
She gestured at the black cloth beneath their fingertips,
"It looks good doesn't it? It hides who I am, gives
protection against the elements, and offers a bit of
defence against everything else. But it doesn't give
what is really needed. I -" she broke off disjointedly,
"I - I made a call, Tolo. To - a person. Someone who
can help me." She finally admitted.
"And then you'll use this?" Tolo demanded, "I mean
it'd be a waste - all the time and money you spent on the
stuff if you don't -"
"Yes." Xian Pu broke in, "THAT won't change. I CAN'T
*NOT* do something."
A longer pause.
"So, what are you going to call yourself?" Tolo
asked finally.
"How about 'crazy woman in a strange costume'?" Xian
Pu asked with a grin.
"Other than that."
"I was thinking -" Xian Pu said slowly as she stroked
Shampu, "Cat."
"CAT?!" Tolo stared at Xian Pu in shock, "You're gonna
call yourself 'Cat'?!"
Xian Pu flushed, "Well - I DO look a bit like a cat in
that costume."
"But CAT?!" Tolo said, shaking her head, "Girl, you
HAVE *GOT* to get an imagination. When they start
talking about you in the newspapers - people have to be
able to differentiate between you and the pet care
advertisements."
"Well, what do YOU suggest then?"
"How about -" Tolo frowned, " - Cat*woman*."
"And you say *I* need to get an imagination." Xian Pu
laughed.
"Well, it's better than CAT!"
"What's wrong with Cat? It's simple, sleek,
sophisticated -"
"And sounds like a car."
"And CatWOMAN doesn't?"
Subterranean Area 3b
Alfred frowned into the darkness, trying to make out
shapes that might - with a great deal of imagination in
the dim light - to be a young man, aged approximately
seventeen. *Note. Installation of flood lights to be
moved to top of list.*
"Master Ran?" he called.
His voice echoed through the large cave, reverberating
even as it sent several hundred bats screeching out.
*Note. Great big poop shovel.* Alfred decided as he
flicked something dried off his sleeve and looked
cautiously around.
The cave was huge, too large by far for him to see to the
far end with only the dim light from the reflection of
the fluorescent tube down the steps that led to the
silver cabinet. Alfred frowned once more as he strained
to see through the darkness, and finally he was
rewarded.
A shape moved, too large to be a bat, too mobile to be a
stalactite or stalagmite. Alfred stood still, waiting
patiently till the shape entered the small circle of
light he stood in.
"Yes, what is it, Alfred?" Ranma asked.
"Might I say, Master Ran, that it is considered
extremely unhealthy for a young man to spend so much time
indoors?" Alfred said.
Ranma flashed a smile, "Ah, but then, I'm not so much
indoors, Alfred as I am *beneath* doors." He said,
"Anyway, it's peaceful, and there's no way some society
reporter can take photos of me through a window down
here."
"That only happened once, Master Ran, and the security
at the gates has been doubled now." Alfred pointed out.
"Still, it's safer here for me to do meditation - and
my kata."
"As easy as the gym next to the indoor swimming pool?"
Ranma shrugged, "I like it better." He added, and almost
under his breath, "For some reason, I feel - better
here." He shook his head, almost as if to clear away the
thoughts and turned to Alfred, "Now, what is the REAL
reason for you coming down here Alfred?" he asked, "Or
did you fiddle with three different security codes, walk
down a flight of stairs and frighten several bats into
constipation to remind me I should spend more times out
doors?" he added wryly.
"Your late father's executive assistant, Lucius Fox is
waiting for you in the study, sir." Alfred said, and
added in a dead pan voice, "I do believe before you see
him, sir, that might consider changing out of what you
are wearing." He added.
Ranma grinned again and gestured to the gi he was
wearing, "What, do you think I'm not properly attired for
a 'ten'o'clock business meeting with executive assistant
on a Tuesday'?" he asked, throwing a pompous British
accent on the last part of the sentence, allowing the
apostrophes to drop into place.
"A billionaire is always properly attired, sir. I do
believe though, that the - shall I say it crudely?"
"If you must."
"The bat crap might be a trifle hard to explain, given
that you DO live in a mansion." Alfred said.
Ranma laughed then, sending more bats flying up into the
caves, "Life would be a lot more boring without you,
Alfred." He said.
"*YOU* are the one who decided to have a staircase
leading to a cave, Master Ran. You can't blame *me* for
creating interesting pastimes for you." Alfred replied
as he handed Ranma a pile of clothing, "I shall serve tea
and a platter of sandwiches in five minutes. Your excuse
to Mr. Fox was that you decided to sleep in late today."
He added.
Ranma grinned as he began to pull on the casual slacks
and shirt, "Ah, the life of an idle, free wheeling
teenage billionaire."
"Certainly much more normal than a billionaire who
chooses to spend his time underground, meditating with
the bats, sir."
"Do you *really* think so, Alfred?" Ranma said
sarcastically, though he grinned.
Lucius Fox tapped a finger impatiently on the dark,
highly glossed surface of Brian's desk. *I wonder what
Alfred wanted me to come here for.* he thought idly as
he stood up and began to pace, *Whatever it is, I wish
he'd hurry up, I'm a busy -*
He paused, the truthfulness that had been drilled into
him since birth - and which remained, despite the years
he had spent in the cut throat world of high finance -
urging him to remain honest, even to himself.
*Yeah right. I haven't been 'busy' since Brian died.*
sadness flooded through him. Despite the fact that Brian
Wayne had been decades his senior, and a hard, demanding
boss, the man *had* given a relatively unknown business
graduate a chance to move up in the world. *Face it,
Lucius. If Brian didn't decide to give you a chance,
you'd still have been flipping burgers at McDonalds - or
worse, selling knife sets door to door.*
America might be a democracy, but what Lucius had found
was that breaking into the upper echelons from below was
like clawing your way out of a deep, dark cave with your
fingernails. And even when he had reached the top and
begun to believe that he had made it, he found himself
still fighting against the 'old boys club'. Brian had
found it amusing, but then Brian had rarely taken
anything seriously - except perhaps for his family and
WEC.
*At least you and Alexandra died together, old man.*
Lucius thought as he sat down once more into the chair,
*You would be spinning in your grave if you knew what's
been happening with that Board they set up to control
Wayne Enterprises Conglomerate. And your son - god. I'm
glad you didn't grow old to see what sort of man he'll
become. Those credit cards he's maxed out since he was
seven. You'd think he was funding a small war the way
those cards run out.*
"Mr. Fox?"
"Ah, Alfred," Lucius said without turning, "Finally,
what did you want me to see you about?"
"Me, at a guess, Mr. Fox."
Lucius turned to look at the young man standing before
him. He frowned. The boy was indisputably a Wayne - and
since the Waynes had always been a very small family, the
boy could only be Bruce, the last scion of the entire
Wayne family. *But -*
Lucius had spent years trying to fit in among the 'old
boys club' - as he called the men who were technically
his peers, those who had 'gone to the right schools,
dated the right women and drove the right cars'. Over
those years, he had become a crack eye at finding a true
'old boy' - or umpteenth descendent of 'old money' as it
were - and somebody like him, a third generation 'new
money' or even a self-made, like he was. This boy -
despite the fact that he wore clothes that cost more than
a poor family's combined pay for a year, and the
upper-class drawl that was evident in his voice - was
*not* part of that group.
"Bruce I presume?" Lucius said finally.
"Please, call me Ran." The young man replied, "May I
call you Lucius?"
"Of course." Lucius replied, *Whatever else Bruce -
Ran - has been since his parents died, it hasn't been
living in the lap of luxury. I wonder how the hell those
credit card bills were rung up.*
"Lucius - Alfred says you can help me." The man flung
himself into a chair with the boneless ease only a
teenager seemed to possess, "I want to take over Wayne
Enterprises Conglomerate again, and Alfred says you were
my father's personal assistant and that you were the
person to go to since you still run the company."
"I have been in charge of the Wayne family's personal
accounts since Bri - the late Mr. Wayne's death." Lucius
corrected, *Why am I getting double signals from this
boy?* "Technically, that means that I have control over
the Board of Directors that runs WEC." *Yeah right,
'technically' is worth as much as dog crap in this
business..*
"Oh good." The boy waved his hand in a languid motion
that seemed more studied than second nature to Lucius,
"Then you can tell those old boys that I'm the boss from
now on, won't you?"
*Damn.* Despite everything, including the mixed signals
he was getting from this boy, he was STILL a Wayne, *And
if he fires me, I'm fired.* Lucius swallowed stiffly,
*Brian always wanted the truth, lets hope this boy
inherited something from his father.*
"Technicalities are worth shit in their world, Ran."
He said in a flat voice, "By my calculations, you're
below twenty one, and in Gotham City, that's the 'legal
age'. The Directorship can - and they will - sue for
total control of WEC till you're fully twenty one." He
left it unsaid that in those four years or so, the
Directorship would dredged everything they could from the
company, stealing all funds they could get away with.
"You're right." The boy said suddenly as he
straightened, all traces of his previous laziness that
had been in every unspoken expression of his body,
vanishing, "Technicalities are worth nothing - unless we
act quickly. The Directorship has obviously kept
something from you, Lucius Fox. According to the
inheritance rights in my family, I am the sole owner of
WEC. Technicalities are worth shit, but the truth is
that I am the sole owner, and if I wanted to take over as
a ten year old, there would have been nothing they could
do - except sue for continual control because of my
youth, and even then, until a decision was reached, Wayne
Enterprises Conglomerate's assets would be frozen." He
went on as he stood up and handed Lucius a black folder
that had been camouflaged among the other tomes on the
book lined shelves by its colouring.
Mystified, Lucius flipped through what looked like a
scrap book collection of articles, memos, reports and
financial statements on, about and from WEC.
"According to my calculations, the Chairmanship,
combined has stolen over two billion dollars from my
father's company since his death. The administration
used is from the last century. Businesses throughout the
company are failing from lack of funds and proper
Administration as well as original thought on the part of
the executives at the top." The boy - the *man* - said
as he paced and spoke at the same time, the long braid
that had made Lucius assume him a spoiled teenager,
flipping behind his back, "Productivity in half the
businesses within the Conglomerate are lower than they
have ever been before, and customers no longer trust the
quality of most of the goods coming from half our
retailers, and most of our companies." He stopped behind
the desk his father had used and turned to stare at
Lucius in the same way Brian had so many years ago,
"Alfred vouches for you, and from my reports, you are the
only one of the men hired by my father before his death,
who has stayed loyal enough *not* to steal from the funds
opened to you." A pause filled with words unsaid, "I
will NOT see the company my father created, destroyed by
money grubbing men, Mr. Fox." He said finally, "What do
you say to that?" he added, his face emotionless as he
waited.
"What do you want to do, sir?"
[~cue opening credits~]
[Skyehawke Archives in conjunction with Fantaghiro
Visions]
[camera pans, zoom in on Ranma dressed in a garishly red,
Chinese style shirt and black pants, leaning against the
railing of a steamer ship as it nears Gotham Harbour]
[Proudly Presents]
[piano begins to play a simple, almost one finger tune
that slowly grows more complicated]
[Ranma's voice (solo) ]
I've spent my entire life -
Pretending to be someone else.
Was a coward
When I hated the color yellow.
Was brave
When I was too scared to move.
[violin picks up refrain]
[zoom out over Gotham Harbour, moving into inner city
buildings.]
[Scene: Akane in Flying Grayson's costume flipping in the
air to catch Dick Grayson's hands]
[Akane's voice (solo) }
Is this who I am?
This person who stands before you?
[flute picks up refrain]
[together]
[scene: snow falling on the streets as a dark figure
drops down in the center of a small circle of men in
front of a truck.]
Is this who you see?
[scene: Ranma flirting with Kasumi]
[scene: Akane dressed in casual jeans and heavy jumper,
beneath, can be seen the costume of the Flying Graysons]
[flash scene: Akane working through several katas -
background a picture of Soun Tendo and her two sisters]
[flash scene: Ranma pulling off an expensive jacket -
background Batman costume]
[Ranma] [Akane]
This boy This girl
Standing proud
Handsome Intelligent
Intelligent Beautiful
A face in the crowd.
Is this who you see?
This person -
Fade into the background
Stand out in the crowd.
[flute dwindles and halts]
[Ranma]
I have spent my entire life
Pretending to be someone else -
[violin fades]
[Akane]
Is this who you see?
Is this who I am?
[The Dark Knight]
Chapter Four
By Fiona Lim
fanta...@gurlmail.com
Gotham City
Market Field
The one thing she still had to get used to was the sheer
amount of space. Like the building that these people
were building - though, strangely, they were making it
out of canvas and tents and wooden stalls. But then, the
Americans were no doubt different from her people.
*Still, a whole FIELD for just one business?*
The biggest tent would probably have taken up the
same space as the street their old home had been on.
Akane stared in awe at the gigantic, peppermint striped
monstrosity, then at the hustle that seemed to exist
everywhere. Of course, people moving around at rapid
paces had existed back in Nerima as well - but in Nerima,
it had only been PEOPLE that moved so quickly. Here,
there were elephants, horses, assorted monkeys, dogs and
even a tiger intermingled with various machines - all
working toward some goal she couldn't *quite* decipher.
*I wonder if they're looking for somebody who can teach
martial arts. Or maybe I can get a job just doing some
heavy lifting. Akane wondered as she began to mentally
prepare what she would say.
"LOOK OUT!"
The cry startled Akane out of her thoughts. She looked
up just in time to see a small - well, *small* compared
to the rest of its relatives - elephant backing towards
her. With a muffled oath, she flipped up, her hand
grazing the tough skin of the elephant as she threw
herself out of the way of the large creature, thanking
whatever deities had been watching her, that she had
always been good at the acrobatic part of the Anything
Goes style of martial arts.
Akane landed softly on one knee, the mud squelching
beneath her at the sudden impact. Almost immediately the
people she had only lately observed, all of them speaking
rapidly in English - too rapidly for her to understand,
surrounded her.
"I - I'm sorry - I can't -" Akane began.
"Clear off all of you." A sharp voice interrupted -
loud and slow enough that she could understand him,
"Can't you tell she's foreign? Doesn't understand
English."
Akane felt herself flushing as she saw the man who had
spoken to her appearing. *Gods - is he wearing -
tights?!* Immediately, her gaze zoomed to the obvious
bulge and the heat in her cheeks immediately burned, *Oh
my.*
"Are you all right?" the man asked slowly as he
kneeled down next to her, "Can you understand me?"
Akane blinked, *Grow up Akane!* she told herself
sternly, *Gods - it's not as if you even like him.
Doesn't he realise that the first place anybody's going
to look is THERE?* "Yes." She said slowly, *Or maybe he
WANTS people to look there first.* she controlled the
flush this time as she slowly straightened and stood up.
"Japanese right?" the man said in slow, cultured
Japanese, "That was some stunt you pulled off there,
girl." He said with a smile, "My name is Grayson - Jack
Grayson of the Flying Graysons."
*The what?* "My name's Akane." She replied as she
smiled back politely, "You speak Japanese well, Mr.
Grayson -"
"Father!" a young man called out as he appeared at
their elbows, "Alonzo said you saved some stupid girl
from getting squashed by an -" he turned to stare at
Akane, " - elephant." He finished lamely, "Hi."
"Hello." Akane said coldly in English.
"My son." Jack said, "Dick - this is Akane, and to
set the record straight, I didn't save her, she saved
herself in some of the most amazing land based gymnastics
I've ever seen."
Dick shrugged, "So what were you doing on circus ground
anyway? Didn't you see any of the signs?" he demanded.
*What's a circus?*
"I was looking for a job." Akane replied, glad that
he was speaking slowly enough for her to understand -
*The last thing I want to have to do is ask him to repeat
himself. Rude pig.*
"A job?" Jack asked, suddenly re-entering the
conversation, "As what?"
"A teacher?" Akane asked hopefully, *Maybe he's the
person in charge here - even with those tights. I mean,
they're all dressed rather strangely.* "In martial arts."
Dick laughed, "We've got people here who probably can
teach YOU things in martial arts."
"Dick's a black belt in karate." Jack explained, a
strange look on his face as he took a step back.
"I bet that I can beat you hands down." Akane said
slowly and carefully as she dropped into a 'ready'
position.
"I bet you can't." Dick replied with a grin as he
flipped hair out of his face and dropped into a rock
steady position.
Jack took another step back as three more people ran
over, all dressed in the same garish tights.
"What's going on?" the female asked curiously, "Why's
Dick fighting?"
"He just bet that he could beat Akane in a martial
arts duel." Jack replied, grinning.
Dick Grayson was probably a very good fighter, Akane
noted as she ducked a kick and blocked several punches.
In fact, in terms of skill, he was probably extraordinary
- when compared to others in the school of Karate.
Unfortunately - *For him anyway.* Akane thought with a
hidden smile - all his practise could not compare with
the two years she had spent teaching and drilling
students in her father's dojo.
She ducked another kick and grabbed the follow up punch,
pulling him off balance. Using the inertia of his punch,
she flipped over his head, and casually tapped him on the
neck with a finger. Dick froze, sighed and stalked off
towards the young man who had joined his father, the
woman and a younger boy.
"Hey! Why'cha stop, Dick?" a young voice demanded,
"Come on! You can still beat her!"
Akane turned and saw the three others who had joined Jack
while she had duelled with Dick. One of which was a
young child who was obviously related to Dick.
"He can't, because if I had wanted to, I could have
snapped his neck with a punch then." Akane replied with
a grin, "Hi, my name's Akane, what's yours?" she asked.
"Jason." The boy replied, "Really? You beat Dick?
Nobody's ever beat Dick before!" he said, "He's the best
- he saved me you know?" Jason added.
"Really?"
"Yup - I was falling because my line broke, and Dick
swung right in and caught me - and it was good too, cause
if I had fallen I might have broken something, and then
Granpa and Grandma wouldn't have let me join the act."
Jason went on, "Daddy calls Dick Robin now, cause he
saved me." He went on with the innate belief that a
strange needed to know his entire life, only the young -
or the boorish - held.
"That was some moves you pulled then, Akane." Jack
said as he walked up.
"I'm a third dan in the school of Anything Goes."
Akane replied, deciding not to add that she might have
graduated past that ring during the two years she had
taken over the dojo, "Do you know if I can get a job
teaching martial arts here?" she added hopefully.
"We don't teach martial arts to the customers." The
woman said, sounding surprised.
"My wife, Debra. This is Akane." Jack introduced,
"And Debra's right. We don't teach the customers martial
arts. The only reason why Dick and some of the other
boys know martial arts is because Honarn - the old
fortune teller - use to be a teacher before he joined
us."
"Oh." Akane sighed, "And I guess you probably don't
need any help lifting or something like that?"
Debra shook her head, "Nope, most of the trainers and
strong men double their duties for extra pay when we need
to settle in or pack up." She paused, "Are you looking
"Well, we can't offer you a job with the circus. We're
just an act here, not the owners. . ." she trailed off
thoughtfully as her gaze fell on young Jason - who was
talking avidly with Dick and the other man, "Do you
think?" she asked Jack.
"Definitely." Jack replied as he turned to Akane,
"How would you like to join the Flying Graysons, Akane?"
"Pardon?"
"We're a high wire act - doing the usual you know.
Death defying acts, risking life and limb running on
wires half an inch across, doing cartwheels and stunts
over empty space. That sort of thing." Jack said,
"Sandy, daughter-in-law recently -" he looked
uncomfortable, "She divorced Andy, our eldest, and she
left young Jason with us. He's taken Sandy's place since
then - except -"
"You don't want such a young child doing such
dangerous things." Akane filled in.
"Exactly, but there hasn't been anybody we've been
willing to take in." Debra went on, "Yesterday, Jason
nearly fell, and we've decided to pull him out - net or
no net, he's just too young to be out there in front of
the crowds. You pulled a good ground flip against that
elephant, and against Dick as well - what you don't know,
we can teach you."
"Are you -?" Akane asked in amazement.
"Mr. Korolski will pay you what he pays us, and he
won't question you as our choice to replace Jason." Jack
went on, "How would you like to join us, Akane?"
"O-okay." Akane said slowly, *I wish I knew what they
actually want me to do. . . And I hope I don't need to
wear those tights.*
"She's WHAT?!" Dick burst out as he ran over to his
parents and Akane, "You can't actually have asked Connie
here to join the 'Graysons!" he demanded.
Jack and Debra shared a grin, "She's the best we've seen
since Metropolis." Debra replied, "And probably the best
potential in all of Gotham."
"But she isn't circus! She doesn't know anything!"
"She beat you - which means she can learn quickly, and
she knows hard work." Jack replied, then added, "You can
teach her everything else."
"Me?!"
"You *are* the best, Robin." The older man - Andy -
said as he suddenly burst out laughing, "Come on Jason,
I'll teach you that tumble you've been asking about."
The four walked away leaving a stunned Akane and an angry
Dick alone.
"Great." Dick muttered, "Come on Connie, let's see
what you can do." He said.
"My name is 'Akane'." She said, emphasising each
syllable as she glared at him.
"Whatever you say, 'Connie'."
"Absolutely, 'Dickie'." Akane replied, *Remember what
Daddy taught us. Patience. . . Don't let them make
you loose your calm -*
"What'cha waiting for? The next ice age?!"
*Then ATTACK when they least expect it!*
***
Wayne Enterprises Headquarters
Board Room
Lucius Fox straightened the folder on the table, lining
the slender length in a straight line opposite the row of
buttons inlaid in the polished surface, even as he hid
his smile.
*It's times like this that I absolutely love being in
business.* he thought as he straightened the folder
again. Mentally he went through the names and weaknesses
of the ten executives that held between their hands, the
future and all the resources of Wayne Enterprises. The
undisputed leader of the executives was Edric Marthyr,
the CEO of 'Wayne Shoes, Clothes and Home Goods, Inc'.
*A shark in a pool of piranha, but even sharks have their
weaknesses.* Edric Marthyr tended to fall into shock if
things sped up faster than he could cope. *And things
are going to move at the speed of light now.* Lucius
thought with a slight smile.
"I hope you have an explanation for this, Fox." Edric
Marthyr demanded as he sat down at his chair.
Lucius didn't say a word as he fiddled with the folder
again - not because there was anything interesting *in*
the folder, but because he knew that the ten members of
the Directorship thought it did, and his constant
rearrangements was confirming that thought. *And also
because NOT knowing is annoying the HELL out of them.*
"Are we all here?" Lucius asked even though he knew
the precise second they had all arrived, "Good.
Gentlemen, I am sure you're all interested in knowing
precisely why I have asked you all to be here."
"Whatever it is, it had better be good, Fox." Marthyr
snapped, "I have a million dollar deal sitting on my desk
because I'm here."
*At least twenty percent of which I bet is going into
your pocket.* Lucius thought grimly, *GOD, I've been
looking forward to this! As long as I live, I'm never
going to be able to thank Alfred enough.*
"Gentlemen, I have brought you here today to report
that as of five am, six months ago, *you*, gentlemen,
became obsolete."
There was silence.
"You can't be serious, Fox!" one red faced corporate
executive snapped as he slammed his fist onto the
polished wood of the large table.
"Calm down, Ference." Marthyr snapped, "You forget
yourself, Fox." Marthyr said calmly, "We are the
chairmanship. Without us, Wayne Enterprises Conglomerate
will collapse."
*Cat and mouse - you've been treating me like a mouse
since Brian died, you bastards.* Lucius thought,
"Theoretically, the Directorship can be collapsed at any
time and replaced with ten other executives from WEC,
Marthyr." He remarked.
"Not without a Wayne's signature, Fox." Francis
Jackson said smugly as he leaned back, "Is *this* why
you've bothered our time? Just so you can try and oust us
out of our rightful position?"
Lucius felt his vision turn red. Those words - the very
phrasing of 'rightful'. Ever since he had graduated from
university, those words had been rubbed into his face.
*The fact that I'm not 'old money' or even 'money'!*
He stood up and flipped open the thin folder, "Gentlemen,
I believe you remember Brian Wayne? He use to own this
company." He said as he pushed back the chair and
flipped several switches that had been placed in recess
on the chair's arm, "He died - you know, about ten years
ago? He and his wife, victims of a hold up."
"Get to it, Fox. Our time is valuable." Marthyr
snapped.
*Oh, so secure about your jobs, aren't you?*
"Brian and Alexandra Wayne had a son."
"You can't mean *Bruce*!" one of the executives
suddenly exclaimed.
"Unless you know some other by the same name who is
relevant to our conversation." Lucius said
sarcastically.
Visibly around the table, the executives relaxed.
"That gallivanting juvenile? Bruce is somewhere in
Japan with his uncle. He won't be back in Gotham."
Marthyr laughed.
*So THAT's why they've reached this level of corruption
so quickly.* Lucius realised as the final piece of the
puzzle he had pondered finally fell into place. He
flipped the folder open, smiling inwardly as he felt more
than saw the ten executives leaning forward to try and
see what was within it.
"I believe you have all known about Bruce." He said,
*And now, the mouse attacks.*
"I'm afraid you are a trifle short in your
calculation of my return." Heads turned as the private
door slid open to reveal a young man dressed in casual
slacks, white shirt and a jacket, his black hair tied
back in a loose ponytail that fell almost to his waist,
"Martyr isn't it?" he added as he sat down on the empty
chair next to Lucius's, with one quick motion he swung
the chair around and rested his legs on the polished
table.
*And I bet nobody else here knows precisely how FAST he
just moved, or even sees beyond the 'spoilt, rich young
man' persona he's using.* Lucius thought as he sat down
as well.
"Like Luc over there said, Martyr, I'm back." Bruce
said as he grinned even while he leaned back in the
chair.
"That's 'mah-ti-er'. Not 'martyr'." Marhtyr said
stiffly, "Precisely what do you want, sir."
He said 'sir' in the same way some people would say
'creep' or 'slug'.
"Whatever, Martyr." Bruce replied, "Who cares what
names are - all that matters is that you're all fired."
He added with a broad smile and another of those
annoyingly languid hand waves.
*And I thought I was a good actor.*
"I beg your pardon?" Marthyr demanded as he stood up
slowly.
"You're fired." Bruce replied with a broad, brainless
smile, "All of you are."
"You can't do this!" Marthyr finally spluttered, "We
have contracts - rights - we are the Board of Directors!
You can't just fire us - WEC will collapsed!"
"Actually, the best way to kill a poisonous snake, is
to cut off its head, 'Martyr'." Lucius said as he took
over, "Your contracts have all be severed, and if you
even THINK of suing because of 'unfair dismissal', you
will find yourself in prison for white collar
embezzlement." Lucius finished, "I expect to find your
resignation letters on my table tomorrow morning."
The boardroom doors swung open to reveal several
dozen security guards. The threat was unsaid but the
executives filed out in silence.
Two more security guards closed the doors behind a
spluttering and red-faced Marthyr.
"Do you think there will be any problems?" Lucius
asked as silence descended.
"Probably," Bruce said, "But we'll be ready."
-----
Copyright 1998 Fiona Lim and any other names she may use.
Ranma 1/2 belongs to Rumiko Takahasi
Batman to various people, including DC Comics and Warner Brothers.
All character depiction belongs to author.
Author has gained no monetary value from this fanfic, and claims
no creative rights other than what has all ready been claimed.