The Games We Play

Batcave

Bats fly through the cave as the Bat mobile spins down into the secret lair. Bruce tosses his mask on the table as he struts over to the computer. After a night of reigning in TwoFace and his gang, Bruce now focuses on Riddler's last riddle.

Avoided by all yet not feared by the brave. I am someone that's around if your failed to save. All of us here have plenty of it to give, and yet without me you'd struggle to live. What am I?

Usually Bruce ignored any comments from the inmates, but Riddler only spoke when he had a purpose. In the years he had known him, the Riddler never gave a riddle without some horrid scheme in mind.
His threats, his riddles always mean something.
What struck Bruce as odd was the Riddler is normally calm, collected when giving them. His demeanor, snapping at him, that night was different and uncharacteristic of his profile.

Was putting Kate back in Arkham a good idea? The thought troubled Bruce since he dropped her back at Arkham.
Richard seem to think it wasn't. However the information they received from her was helpful....then again what cost has it come at?Batman feared losing the young hero. The last time he saw Kate, her mind danced on thin ice.

Bruce takes a glance at the feed of Nightwing and Oracle coming back from a mission together. They were checking out the latest lead. No surprise there. In Kate's absence those two were closer than ever. Bruce shook his head, hoping Dick knew what he was doing. He did not tolerate drama in the bat cave. Bruce opens a letter Selena left for him, taking a deep breath.
Footsteps came from behind him, "I understand you're upset, but Kate was never alone. If she was I wouldn't send her back." Bruce spoke, quickly closing the letter. For a brief moment he thought it was Dick entering the cave. Instead, it was Alfred bringing in supper.

"Of course Master Bruce, I suspected nothing less."

"Pardon me Alfred, I thought you were Dick."

"No bother sir, he's in the showers."

From the start Bruce knew he needed someone on the inside to watch over her in case it all went wrong. Someone who would stay at a distance, but take care of the young girl. Selena Kyle was his solution. Only her, Bruce and Alfred knew of her part. Bruce even kept the information away from Dick.

Alfred couldn't help but to speak up once more, from all his years working there he knew keeping secrets around the manor never ended well. "I understand Miss Kyle frequents her visits to the manor, but do you really think keeping everyone else uninformed of her part-"

Bruce cuts him off, "I can't risk Kate or Richard knowing I clued her in."

"Then why-"

"I needed a way to help keep Kate safe and sane. After Arkham City I recall how dangerous a few days in there can be."

"I understand." Alfred fills up Bruce's cup with coffee. "And why do I not believe she's not just doing this out of the kindness of her heart."

"Because we both know that's not how she works. I made a deal with Miss Kyle, her protection of Kate on the inside in exchange for a pearl necklace and a reservation at Chéf La Managé."

Alfred sighs, "If you believe she'll keep her word I think it's a great."

"Selena doesn't know all the details, like that Kate is in Arkham undercover. All she knows is that Kate was a good friend of Richard and mines, and we just wanted to make sure she was safe in there while getting help...."

Alfred nods, "I understand Master Bruce."

Avoided by all yet not feared by the brave. I am someone that's around if your failed to save. All of us here have plenty of it to give, and yet without me you'd struggle to live. What am I?

The words taunt Bruce on the screen. He shakes his head. "The Riddler never gets emotional unless I beat him. How did I beat him?"

Alfred remains silent, without an answer to his masters question.

"Someone around when your failed to save. Death, no that doesn't fit. Wait. Pain. Pain is the answer. Pain is something needed to live, that is around their crimes. Is he saying I failed to save Kate, that I just put her back in the cell to experience more pain?" Bruce tried to understand the conundrum.

"Are you asking me, Master Wayne?"

"I just wonder if I did the right thing."

"Miss Monroe is a brave girl, and quite gifted. However, she is very stubborn from what I've seen over the years. I believe she would have spoken up if she didn't want to go back."

Bruce clicks on a folder to bring up the last message Kate sent. The time stamp on each of her messages were reassuring to the everyone in the manor. If anything else it said she was alive.

Penguin Pay Guards bonus work WS

Batman's silence only lasts a moment as Nightwing and Oracle arrive back in the cave.

"Kate's right. Cobblepot is paying of the guards. Babs and I can't seem to find anything in their finances but I believe Kate. She wouldn't make something like this up."

Oracle rolls her eyes, hating that Richard just believed her. She stayed quiet crossing her arms. The odds that his ex didn't go psycho yet, surprised her.

Bruce ignores the teens petty drama, their romantic triangle wasn't important. The safety of Gotham was. "Because he deals with enough cash he can just write it off as a booze expense or cigar shipment...compare his financial statements from other quarters." Batman quickly pulls up the digital copies on the screens. "See the inflated number."

Oracle sighs, sitting down beside Bruce, "so what does that tell us?"

"It gives us a better understanding with what they are doing for the summit. Every piece of info Kate's given us indicates a mass break out, an hour before I present the opening ceremonies. Now that they are paying off the guards that's their way out."

Dick leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. "An hour?" The vigilante wondered how Bruce got to such an assumption.

"They'll want to keep the schedule tight. It's 30 minutes from Arkham, most of the guards she listed in her last messaged have their shifts end during the ceremony. Cobblepot is too cheap to pay two strings of guards."

"What do we do?"

"Then we make sure these guards get off the payroll. We make sure they are too busy on another task and fill the gates with only people we trust."

"Like who? Everyone good should be guarding the summit, I doubt there's a wide selection."

"Let me talk to some people. I'm sure I can make sure the guards aren't tampered with." Bruce left the room without another word.