Behind the Mask

Chapter 10

As Commissioner Gordon made his way up to the platform, the talk of the crowd was on Batman, not on the Commissioner’s upcoming speech. The assassination attempt was public information now (though who was behind it was all rumors at that point) and, while many insisted the speech be cancelled, Gordon would not hear of it. The turnout of reporters was nearly three times the average for such events and the most popular subject was whether the Commissioner would make it out alive. The crowd was all abuzz as the event drew nearer and heads were turning left and right, trying to make out a bat-shaped figure among the evening shadows.

Said bat-shaped figure was in the shadows, but through the window of an abandoned apartment building that was set to be demolished later that week. It was unlikely it would happen, though, as activists were, at that very moment, campaigning for it to be left standing and possibly rehabilitated, claiming it was a valuable, original, Pinkney* structure.

The bat-shaped figure wasn’t the only figure camped out in the shadows the apartment – the figure of a young boy was present as well, the white lenses of his domino mask shining in the darkness, or at least Robin assumed they were. Said boy shifted uncomfortably, unhappy with Batman’s choice of a steak-out position, but, since he was even in a steak-out position in the first place, he wasn’t about to complain. They’d been crouched in the shadows since the start of the gala at the pavilion across the street – a gala which the Commissioner had attended in honor of his speech.

Nothing had happened at the gala, which the Dynamic Duo had expected as all their research led to the idea that the assassination attempt was to take place during the speech. But of course they still had to camp out for four hours just to make sure. Thinking back to the conversation that had taken place the previous day, Robin still couldn’t understand why Ra’s al Ghul of all people would be making an assassination attempt on the Commissioner.

“Why Ra’s?” Robin had asked Batman in the Batcave while Bruce pored over something on the Batcomputer.

“I mean, why would he make an assassination attempt on the Commissioner? I thought he’s more of an extreme environmentalist who believes in saving the world by destroying it.”

“Something like that, Dick.” Bruce answered, not looking up from his work.

“Then why would he suddenly change tactics?”

“Perhaps he believes he’d be closer to eliminating the population of Gotham if he took down the Commissioner first.”

“Uh-huh? That’s likely.”

Bruce sighed, standing up and crossing the room to the examination table. “He may have a larger plan at work here.” The man told his ward. “The assassination might only be a ruse to distract us from his real plan.”

“Great.” Robin groaned. “Another one of these missions.”

“I thought you were excited to come.”

“Yeah, excited enough.” Robin reached into his pocket, his phone vibrating against his leg. He thought he left that in his room!

Sender: Wally West

Message: Yo, when u gonna get here? Team wants a mission!

Robin sighed. Typical Wally.

Reply: Doing the Dynamic Duo thing. Not coming out 2day.

Robin put the phone back in his pocket and went over to stand beside his guardian who was once again engaged in the Batcomputer.

“You think this has anything to do with the Cadmus Case?” Robin asked, the idea suddenly coming to mind.