Meet Sam Wayne, Part 7
By: C. Leuch
Down time was a rare and valued thing for Lois Lane. Between work and any number of ongoing investigations, trying to be at least a halfway attentive mother to her teenaged daughter, trying to find some time alone with her often busy husband, and keeping up with all the little household chores such as laundry and dishes, she was left with precious little time for herself. Now was one of those rare occasions, however. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she took advantage of her good fortune and snuggled into the couch with a copy of the magazine that Jenny was now working for.
The issue that she was reading was about a week old, and was the first that contained one of Jenny’s stories. It wasn’t a bad little publication, she supposed, although the stories tended to center around Gotham City, a town which, until recently, Lois had very little interest in. The stories she had managed to read thus far were generally well-written and colorful, although she had to admit that they lacked the “hard news” angle that she usually preferred. In a way the magazine read like a promotional pamphlet, touting all the good and interesting people and things in town and glossing over any controversy in the process. Lois knew it was unfair to judge the magazine by the standards of investigative journalism, and instead tried to enjoy it for what it was. In the ten seconds that it had taken Clark to absorb the contents of the magazine he had been suitably impressed, and that said something.
Lois had saved Jenny’s article for last, and that was what she turned to this evening. It was a nice little puff piece about a historical neighborhood park and the people who had utilized it throughout the years, told in a style that immediately captured the reader’s attention. Jenny was definitely talented, Lois thought with a sigh. Lois had to admit that she was a little disappointed that Jenny hadn’t taken up the offer to work at the Daily Planet’s Gotham City office, especially since she obviously had the capacity to go a long way in the business. If Lois thought about it, though, she supposed that she could understand Jenny’s decision. Aside from the appearance of nepotism, working at the Planet would also put Jenny in the position of being close to a lot of news stories that she wouldn’t be able to report. When Lois started her career in journalism, she had always dreamed of being in on the big story, of having the magic connections and inside knowledge that nobody else had. It hadn’t been her aim, though, to actually marry the big story, or to spend most of career covering up all the knowledge that her magic connections had given her. It could drive a person crazy after a while, and Jenny had certainly been around the family enough to know what keeping newsworthy secrets could lead to. Add to it that CJ was not just a newsworthy superhero, but also the newsworthy “son” of a celebrity, and it made it that much harder. Better to avoid the news, then, and write mood pieces and interest stories, to become the type of journalist who works as an almost anonymous part of a diversified team rather than the type who made a big name for herself. And, judging from Jenny’s article, she seemed to be doing well in that role.
The sound of a door slamming drew Lois’s attention away from her reading, and less than a second later Laura seemed to appear in front of her out of thin air. She was seventeen now, and in the past few months her powers had started to take full effect. What had started out as somewhat impressive strength and slightly faster than normal speed had grown to powers on par with Clark’s. And then, a couple of weeks ago, the flying had begun. Since that time, it had been hard to find Laura at home, although Lois didn’t complain too much, especially if it meant a few more moments of precious solitude.
“Check this out,” Laura said, slapping a tabloid down on the coffee table in front of the couch. Lois leaned forward, then chuckled as soon as she saw the forty point headline and accompanying picture.
“LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON,” the headline blared, with a smaller subhead stating that, “Gotham’s newest Golden Boy follows in his father’s playboy ways.” A fuzzy photograph showed CJ and Jenny dancing very intimately, their cheeks pressed together and their eyes closed.
“It’s nice to see that they’re taking it slowly,” Lois said as she reached for the paper.
“That story’s in a bunch of other tabloids, too,” Laura said. She sat down on the couch next to Lois, eyed the magazine in Lois’s lap, and then smiled. “You know, for a couple who should probably be keeping a low profile, they’re sure not shy about getting together in public.”
“Since when has your brother been shy about anything?” Lois asked.
“Good point,” Laura muttered with a bob of the head.
It was obvious that the photographer was using a zoom lens to take the picture, and that it was taken through a gap in some foliage. Jenny had said that the Sam Wayne coming out party was going to end up being her first marquee story, and it would no doubt be replete with photographs, but Lois was pretty sure that it would be another week or two before it got published. In the meantime, the escapades of Sam Wayne would be tabloid sensationalism.
“Sheesh, listen to this,” Lois said as she read the article more closely. “’The newly minted Prince Charming wasted no time in wooing the ladies, apparently dancing with several of Gotham’s debutantes before hooking up for an intimate dance with this unidentified woman.’ At least he managed to play the part for a few minutes before giving up the ghost.”
“Not that I’m one to ever take CJ’s side for anything, but I bet it got kinda of lonely in that mansion. He and Jenny have had to sneak around if they wanted to see each other…he probably got tired of the hiding.” Laura shrugged, although her features seemed to convey that she could empathize. It was a situation that they all knew well enough; they hadn’t been able to see him in public since the plane crash, either. But CJ and Jenny were playing a dangerous game, especially given the pictures that were beginning to show up. Even though the photos were a little fuzzy, the two of them had plenty of friends, any one of which could identify them and end the ruse.
“Even so, they’d be wise to at least have a chaperone,” Lois said, looking away from the article and toward Laura almost as soon as the words left her mouth. “Someone who could pour a little bit of cold water on them when they’re in the public eye, maybe someone who is good at spotting paparazzi lurking in the shadows….”
Laura tended to get impatient during the summertime, often taking classes to occupy her time. Summer classes were over with now, though, and while Laura had been busy enough exploring her new powers, the exploration had to be done away from witnesses. Lois could tell that the isolation made her a little starved for human contact. She had also been dropping hints, trying to goad Lois and Clark into taking some sort of vacation before her senior year of high school began in September. As Lois’s eyes found Laura’s a plan started to form, and Laura seemed to sense as much.
Laura scooted a little closer to Lois on the couch. “Mom, you know how much I love you, don’t you?” she said sweetly, if not eagerly.
“When it suits your purposes,” Lois said coyly. She was not above letting someone try and sweet talk her into doing something, especially when the conclusion was already foregone. Laura’s smile faltered briefly, but was quickly back in full force.
“And you know how much I’m dying to get out of town.”
“What about those little late night trips that you’ve been taking with your father?”
Laura gestured toward the ceiling. “Those are ABOVE Metropolis, not out of Metropolis.”
Lois arched her eyebrows. “Are you sure that you won’t miss those if you were to, say, go to Gotham for a little while?” Laura was positively beaming as she shook her head. Lois finally allowed herself a grin as she pointed a thumb toward the staircase. “Then go pack a bag while I make a phone call.”
“Yay!” Laura said as she jumped off the couch. She took a step toward the stairs, then stopped, turned, and rushed over to give Lois a hug. “Thanks Mom. You’re the best.”
“That’s what I hear,” Lois said.
As Laura straightened up, her brow knitted together. “Daddy’s going to be okay with this, isn’t he?” she said.
Lois waved her hand. “I’ll take care of him. Don’t worry about it. Now go before I change my mind.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Laura said.
As Lois picked up the phone, she couldn’t help but feel a little guilty that this move might be construed as meddling. She preferred to think of it as being protective, of being a good mother, and certainly Jenny and CJ wouldn’t begrudge her for sending them a familiar face as companionship. With that, she dialed the number for Wayne manor and smiled. Having Laura in Gotham would also serve to create more free time for Lois, and that was the most convincing argument of them all.
***
A week that had started out with a lot of promise for CJ was quickly becoming very long very fast.
Saturday had been the day of Bruce Wayne’s charity party, the day that Sam Wayne had officially and very publicly come into being. After so much worrying about how the night might turn out, it had been surprisingly uneventful. All of the society types in attendance had doted on him unquestioningly, and had been appropriately charmed. The women fawned over him en masse, and the one woman that he had sought out had been beautiful and witty, the type of person that a man would be almost crazy not to fall for. Their five or so minutes of dancing together had been enough to sustain him for the rest of the night, to endure the introductions, interviews, and mindless society talk that followed.
The next day, Jenny had come over just after lunch and stayed until well after dinner time. Despite what she had told everyone, she did next to no interviewing during her time at Wayne Manor. The first minute or two of her visit was spent discussing with Bruce and CJ exactly what the public story would be and gathering a few juicy quotes, and after that she spent her time just hanging out. For a while CJ and Jenny visited with Bruce, hearing old stories or talking about whatever came to mind. Later, Bruce left to take care of some business, and CJ and Jenny wandered around the mansion, discussing their plans for the future. When should they get married? Engaged? How often should they publicly see each other until that time? How should they handle the press and the unflattering stories that would certainly come out of the affair?
Their time together wasn’t all seriousness, though. It felt good to have some time alone away from the public eye, without the fear of discovery and without having to put on any pretenses. Spending the day together, it almost felt like old times. CJ let himself imagine for a while that they were just on some strange vacation from reality, that they had slipped away from their lives for a while to embark on an exploration of historic Wayne Manor. When they were done, they would jump into the car and drive home, and everything would be just fine. It made for a pleasant fiction, but he could never escape the nagging knowledge that it was just fiction, that they couldn’t go back to the way it was.
Eventually, as the sun started to hang low in the western sky, it became time for Jenny to leave, even though she didn’t really want to. CJ conceded that he also had some work to do. They parted company, but not before agreeing to embark upon a real, public date the next Friday. After watching Jenny drive away, CJ immediately went down to the cave, changed clothes, and hit the streets. His spirits buoyed by the weekend’s activities, Batman managed to get a lot done that night. Aside from stopping the usual petty crime and drug deals, CJ managed to put an end to a high speed pursuit and stop a bank robbery. A camera crew from a local television station showed up at one point, and he let himself be photographed, hoping to stir up a little buzz with the media and maybe induce some fear with the criminal element. Sunday, all told, was a very good day. He even managed to get a few restful hours of sleep that night.
On Monday, Sam Wayne officially started work in the Wayne Enterprises Corporate office. CJ had assumed that he’d spend the whole day either filling out paperwork or being led around the company and introduced to management and other important people. He had figured that the people he would be in contact with at the company would be a good mix of interesting characters, and that he would immediately assume an important role as an upper management cog in the machine. As far as CJ was concerned, life at Wayne Enterprises would surely be an adventure, and if a few dull minutes did come along, his status as one of the high mucky mucks would give him access to all kinds of interesting projects. It came as a very unpleasant surprise, then, to find that life in corporate America was about one hundred eighty degrees out of phase with what he had expected.
He managed to spend the whole day in a series of board meetings, being introduced to vice presidents and lawyers who were all a generation older than him and seemed to have the collective personality of a wet sponge. Throughout most of the day, CJ sat quietly in an overstuffed chair next to Bruce, trying to absorb the information being discussed but not having a whole lot of luck. He tried to take notes with the intention of educating himself on the issues that they were discussing after the meetings were over, but after awhile his notes turned into doodles, and it became a struggle to keep his mind from wandering. Lunch had been a much-anticipated break, but he ended up at a stuffy restaurant with the same group. When the lunchtime conversation turned away from work, he managed to get a few words in, but he found himself largely bored with the discussions of golf and politics, and he wondered for the first time just what exactly he had gotten himself into. Surely a life filled with nothing but corporate meetings and fiscal progress reports would suffocate him. Surely the fun part of his personality would wilt and die if he were forced to spend day in and day out with lawyers, accountants, and businessmen who had already had their collective will to live sucked out of them by years of such an existence. On the drive home, he had pleaded with Bruce to give him something, anything, to do that would be stimulating and allow him to interact with people who possessed a sense of humor or discernable personality. Bruce had seemed amused by the comment, although in the end he had just smiled and told CJ to be patient. Bruce new as well as anyone that patience was never one of CJ’s strong suits.
As if to complement his misery, Monday also saw the release of several tabloids centering around Sam Wayne. CJ knew that his parents tended to laugh about the tabloid articles discussing them and their alter egos; they usually clipped the more amusing ones and saved them in a shoebox under their bed. Many a dull night was passed by digging out the old clippings and having a good laugh at the overactive imaginations of the tabloid writers. It was probably healthy to be able to shrug off the obviously outrageous and fictional stories, and he knew that he could do that, if his limited experience as a shadowy superfigure in Metropolis was any indication. But Monday was the first time that any of the stories aimed at him tried to do anything more than speculate, and he felt himself becoming more angry than anything else. He had expected some funny misinformation to be spread about his new persona, turning him into some caricature of the average spoiled rich brat, and was okay with that. What incensed him was the treatment of Jenny in the stories. She was portrayed as cheap, a moneygrubber, someone who had an angle or a motive, and probably wouldn’t give him the time of day if not for his new last name. He tried to ignore the stories, and for a while he did, but then came the phone call from his mother.
The suggestion that CJ was in need of a chaperone struck him as humorous at first, but as Lois explained her thought process, he had to admit that maybe it wasn’t such a silly idea after all. He weakly tried to argue that he wasn’t twelve years old anymore, and that he had managed to go through the process of courting Jenny the first time around without having his hand held, but Lois would have none of it. Circumstances were different now, reporters were hiding in bushes just waiting for him to slip up. No matter how careful he and Jenny were, maybe it was best that they have someone around to keep an extra eye out, and at least give the appearance that nothing tawdry was going on. Susan was a logical first choice as chaperone, especially since she and Jenny were already friends and roommates, but CJ couldn’t help but feel that Susan was already doing plenty to help their cause. She deserved to have a life of her own, and didn’t need to be dragged through the mud by tabloid reporters who would observe her interaction with Sam Wayne and his mystery girl. When CJ asked his mother who she would suggest instead, he could almost hear her grin, and he knew right then that he was in trouble. In very matter of fact terms that left no room for discussion, Lois stated that Laura would be coming out to lend a hand. For the sake of propriety, she would need to stay with Jenny, and would therefore need to wait until CJ could talk to her before heading out. As he hung up the phone, he found that he was glad that he would be spending a little time with his sister, even if her presence meant less time alone with Jenny, at least publicly. Fortunately, there were plenty of more private ways for them to hang out. It would be fun to find some time to catch up with his sister, and maybe to show her a little bit of the superhero lifestyle, Gotham City style.
That night, CJ went out and fought some more crime, noticing with some satisfaction that there was a new mood on the streets. People were talking about Batman, people were looking for Batman, and they were starting to think twice about doing things that they shouldn’t. Not everyone was easily intimidated, though, and there was still a sufficient amount of crime to keep him busy. After such a crummy day, it felt good to be able to take out his aggression on bad guys who were dumb enough to continue their ways despite the subtle warning on the news the night before.
Tuesday morning found CJ less than willing to climb out of bed, faced with the prospect of another mind-numbing day at work. He almost felt pouty as he carpooled to the office with Bruce, but to his surprise, he ended up being placed under the auspices of Bruce’s personal secretary. She brought CJ on the rounds and introduced him to the more interesting personalities around the company, showed him around the departments, and gave him an overview of the major projects that the company was working on. He tried not to appear as interested as he really was about the finer details of the projects, of the science and theory behind what they were doing, assuming that the office suits generally didn’t care about those things. He shook hands with quite a few awe-struck employees, and felt a little uncomfortable at the eagerness with which people greeted him. Around lunchtime, CJ shooed the secretary away, loosened his tie, and wandered down to the company cafeteria to sample the food and try to blend in.
Fortunately, he was still anonymous enough that nobody in the cafeteria seemed to recognize him. It occurred to him that the type of people who would frequent the cafeteria weren’t likely to be in management, which made it an even more appealing destination. Down there he could interact with real people and have some real conversations, without uncomfortable stares or fanfare. After grabbing a tray and making his way through the food line, he ended up sitting next to a man named Stanley, someone who seemed outwardly shy, who would probably gladly spend his entire lunch break alone reading a book and not talking to anyone. Initially, CJ sensed that his presence wasn’t welcome, and Stanley appeared to be a little upset at the interruption. CJ’s charm and inherent ability to coax a conversation out of anyone quickly won Stanley over, though, and after a few minutes they were chatting like old pals.
CJ’s new friend worked in the petrochemical division, designing plastics polymers for various applications, a job that he professed wasn’t very interesting to the uninitiated, but CJ found himself wanting to hear more about it. Stanley explained in depth the project that he was currently working on, and the problems that he was facing. When he seemed hesitant to go into technicalities, CJ urged him on. Listening to Stanley describe his project put a smile on CJ’s face, and for the first time in a long time, he felt his mind start to churn. Subconsciously, he began to process all the facts, logically putting things together in an attempt to try and solve the problem. It was the mental stimulation that he was looking for, CJ realized with some surprise, and it felt good. Almost without realizing it, he started bouncing ideas off Stanley, trying to get to the root of the challenges presented by the project and begin to resolve them. The conversation was animated, but unfortunately, it was over with all too soon.
As they finished up their meals and the end of the lunch hour loomed, CJ started to dismiss himself, but Stanley stopped him. “So, what’s your name?” Stanley asked. CJ smiled his most charming smile, but silently cursed the fact that the question he had been hoping to avoid had finally been asked.
“I’m Sam,” CJ said, hoping his first name would suffice.
“I just realized that I did all this talking about myself and my projects and never asked what office you work in,” Stanley said.
CJ pointed up. “Corporate office, with all the stuffed shirts,” he said.
Stanley raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really? You don’t seem the type. I could’ve sworn you were an engineer.”
“In another life,” CJ answered, a hint of sadness in his voice. “I know engineers get a bad rap for having boring jobs, but you haven’t seen boredom until you’ve sat through a board meeting. Hey, I bet that’s where the name came from.”
Stanley smiled. “So if I want to discuss a few ideas with you, how can I get a hold of you, Sam?”
“Just call upstairs and ask for me.” The answer was suspiciously vague, and CJ cringed a little as he said it.
“Call upstairs?” Stanley asked with raised eyebrows. “The corporate office is a big place, and something tells me you aren’t the only guy named Sam working at this joint.”
CJ looked down, took a deep breath, then regarded his new friend again. He would find out the truth eventually, he supposed. Better to tell Stanley himself than to have him find out the hard way. “I just hate being called Mr. Wayne, that’s all. It always feels like people are talking to my father when they do.”
As Stanley’s jaw dropped, CJ stood, gave a smile and a slight nod, then took his tray and exited the cafeteria. He wouldn’t hold his breath waiting for a call from Stanley, but that didn’t mean that CJ couldn’t go down and visit him once in a while.
The afternoon hours were spent on the links, engaged in what Bruce liked to call corporate networking. Joining Bruce and CJ in a foursome were the mayor and district attorney of Gotham City, men who were on a first name basis with Bruce. Between crime fighting and becoming acclimated to a new city and a new life, CJ had found precious little time to hone his meager golf skills, and it showed in the outcome of the game. He got thoroughly trounced by everyone, but at least managed to have a good time. The police chief in particular seemed to take a shine to CJ, telling him stories that were both interesting and funny, and taking the time to listen to CJ’s comments or quips. Out on the golf course with the powerful and outwardly intimidating leaders of Gotham, CJ actually felt like himself for the first time since assuming his new identity. He was able to smile, able to relax a little bit, and he suspected the same was true for his companions.
After his second day of “work,” he was feeling decidedly better about his job and the prospects for the future. And he was pretty sure that he had solved his friend Stanley’s problem.
That night, while on duty as Batman, CJ became aware of someone watching him. It was a very vague feeling, one that could almost be dismissed as the product of an overactive imagination, but it was something that he had experienced before. When he was a kid, CJ used to get the same creeping feeling on the back of his neck, although at the time he hadn’t been able to pinpoint the reason why. As he became older and discovered the family secret, he started to realize that, more often than not, the feeling stemmed from a certain superhero discreetly watching him from above. Not too long after mastering the use of his visual powers, he actually caught his dad hovering high above him. After that, Clark didn’t bother with the subterfuge of hovering, and the feeling that came with being watched was all but forgotten. Until tonight, that was.
Instinctively, CJ looked upward and searched the sky, and was disappointed and troubled at the same time to not see any of his family members up there. It would’ve been nice to have Jon or his dad stop by to chat for awhile, but he wasn’t expecting either of them to visit, at least not tonight. That meant that someone else, some stranger, was watching him. Looking around, he quickly located a man in a dark costume perched on a rooftop a block or so away, watching him through binoculars. CJ didn’t acknowledge the other man, didn’t let his gaze linger on the other man, and tried to go on with his work as if he was entirely alone. He tried to ignore the feeling as he went about his work, but after a few hours and more than a few glances over his shoulder, it become apparent that he was being followed. Finally tired of the cat and mouse game, CJ climbed up to a lonely stretch of rooftop, located the man, and made it known to him that he was aware of his presence. Even from a block away, CJ could hear the man utter a curse before shooting out a swing line and making his way toward him.
The man landed on the edge of the roof, giving CJ a calculating glance before continuing forward. He was obviously some sort of superhero, judging by his black and navy costume and the mask that obscured his face. It was apparent that he was no longer in his prime, if the liberal amount of gray in his hair and the prominent lines on the unobstructed portions of his face were any indication. CJ had spent the two previous summers in Gotham, prowling rooftops and studying under Batman, but he had never known that any other heroes called this town home. He didn’t know whether to be surprised at the other man’s presence or upset that their introduction had to be made under such less than ideal circumstances, although he was definitely leaning toward the latter. He realized that superheroes didn’t generally operate under the same conventions as normal society, but manners were manners, and nowhere was spying on a colleague considered polite.
“Get a good show?” CJ asked with mild annoyance, his voice altered.
“It was interesting,” the man said as he studied CJ carefully. “Who are you anyway?”
CJ pointed to the bat symbol on his chest. “I think that’s obvious.”
“You’re not Batman,” the other man said quickly, crossing his arms across his chest. “At least, you’re not Bruce Wayne. You’re the new one, aren’t you? Sam, wasn’t it?”
CJ cocked his head sideways and placed his hands on his hips. “Who’s asking?” he said, using his normal speaking voice.
The change in voice caused the other man to raise his eyebrows, then sigh. “Name’s Nightwing…actually, I’m Dick Grayson. Guess Bruce didn’t tell you about me.”
“Guess not,” CJ said. “I’ve heard your name, but….”
“I’m not surprised. We had a falling out, sheesh, probably before you were born. You’re the kid who’s been Robin the last couple summers, right?”
“Maybe.” CJ didn’t like the feeling that he wasn’t in control of this conversation, and he didn’t like the undertones of hostility that he was sensing. He knew that Grayson had been a kid that Bruce had looked after for awhile, but that was about it.
Nightwing held up his hands. “Listen kid, I’m not trying to bust your chops, and I don’t want anything from you. I’m just surprised that the old man gave up the cowl without a fight, that’s all. I must admit, I’m a little curious about the person he picked as his replacement, too.”
CJ relaxed a little and gave a small half smile. “You could’ve asked me sooner and saved yourself a few hours, you know?” At Nightwing’s curious expression, CJ’s smile widened. “I didn’t get this job because I’m a good dancer.”
Nightwing nodded appreciatively, then gestured toward the ledge of the building. They both sauntered toward a spot in the shadows and sat down. “Spill it, kid. Come on, I’ve told you who I am. I realize that you’re hiding behind the Sam Wayne mask but, how do I say this?” Nightwing cocked his head and studied CJ for a moment. “If you actually share DNA with Bruce Wayne, then I’m Santa Claus.”
CJ laughed. “You have me there,” he said.
Nightwing gave a small smile. “See, this is my point. That man wouldn’t laugh to save his life.”
CJ let the comment slide. “I don’t want to sound difficult, but I can’t tell you my real identity. If I did I would be giving up the identities of other people, and it’s not my place to do that. No, I’m not actually a Wayne, but I do have a few credentials that make me pretty well qualified to don the cape and cowl. Let’s just say that I come from a family that knows how to wear spandex.”
Nightwing knit his eyebrows together. “So either you come from a clan of lifeguards, actors, or….” His eyes went wide as he reached the inevitable conclusion.
“My dad’s Superman,” CJ said matter-of-factly, causing his companion to nod gently, an appraising look in his eyes.
“So, why take on the mantle of Batman? Why play Bruce Junior?”
CJ sighed, stood up, and started pacing slowly. “Remember that airplane that crashed on its way to Gotham City from Metropolis a little more than a month ago?” At Nightwing’s nod, he continued. “I was on that plane, so that makes me very dead. Bruce offered to help, and I couldn’t say no. I had a pregnant wife back home to think about, and a kind of ingrained desire to help out, so….”
“But, don’t you have a brother out there as another Superman? Couldn’t you just do that? Not to rain on the parade, but Batman has a lot of enemies.”
CJ stopped and gave a self-effacing smile. “My brother got the flashy powers, I didn’t. It’s kind of hard to be super if you can’t fly.”
“Which is why you ended up on board a plane that crashed into the ocean,” Nighwing finished, standing up, drawing a nod from CJ. He turned, crossed his arms across his chest, and looked away from CJ, his eyes trained into the distance. “I met your dad once, a long time ago,” he said quietly after a few moments. “Back then, he and Batman didn’t exactly see eye to eye. Your dad saved me, then he saved some criminal that Bruce had strung up and dangled over the side of a building. I’d been telling Bruce for a long time that his methods left a bad taste in my mouth, but seeing Superman validate my position only made me believe it more strongly. It wasn’t long thereafter that I went my own way.”
When Nightwing turned back to CJ, his eyes seemed sad, although his smile was genuine. “I’m glad it’s someone like him that’s taking watch over this city. Criminals might fear a vigilante, but decent, ordinary folks often do, too. What the people need is a hero, someone to look up to, someone who can make them feel safe. Something tells me that you’ll do that job well. ”
“I appreciate that,” CJ said softly. As he looked at Nightwing, he thought he could sense a bit of relief, like a burden had been removed from his soul. CJ had never heard any stories from his father about his earlier interactions with Batman, and had no idea what had transpired in the past between Bruce and Grayson. It wasn’t too hard to imagine that a younger Bruce Wayne might fell prey to his darker instincts, though, and might feel the need to punish criminals who all too often would skate through the justice system without so much as a slap on the wrist. Maybe Nightwing had felt that it was his duty to try and counterbalance that type of rough justice, to provide hope to a city that desperately needed it. Now, after all these years, Gotham wouldn’t need him to serve that role.
“I should let you get back to it,” Nightwing said with a pleasant smile. “It was good to meet you. If you ever need anything….” He held out his hand, and CJ promptly shook it.
“Yeah same here. Feel free to stop by the mansion sometime, if you ever want to meet under more normal circumstances.”
Nightwing seemed to cringe slightly. “Thanks, but the old man and I….”
“Give him another chance. I bet you’ll find that he’s not the same man you used to know.”
“Maybe.” Nightwing said. He gave a small salute, then jumped up on the ledge and over the side of the building, shooting a line out as he did. With that, he was gone, and CJ decided that it was probably time to head home for the night.
Wednesday brought CJ his first real day of work at the office. Bruce assigned him the task of going through a laundry list of project proposals, and determining which of them seemed viable and which seemed like pipe dreams. There were other considerations, of course, including possible return on investment and marketability. It was enjoyable and stimulating, and put CJ in a good mood. For lunch, he contemplated calling Jenny and making it a date, but decided against it for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that her office was in another part of town, and would take the better part of the hour to reach. But Susan, who toiled away at one of the insurance companies headquartered in Gotham City, worked only a couple blocks away. She seemed pleasantly surprised when he called, and readily agreed to lunch, even after CJ warned her that her picture might end up in the paper the next day.
Susan suggested a busy deli near her office, and CJ met her there. Since becoming Sam Wayne, he hadn’t ventured out in public on his own, at least not out of costume. Part of him was afraid that he would get stopped at every turn and asked if he was that guy whose fuzzy picture was in the papers. At the very least, he expected to hear surprised muttering as he braved the crowds, but was pleasantly surprised to experience neither of those. He did receive the occasional stare, the looks through squinted eyes that said that the person recognized him, but couldn’t quite put their finger on why they recognized him. That kind of acknowledgment was okay with him, because it came with no expectations or preconceived prejudices. He was feeling confident and relaxed as he found Susan in the café, and was definitely his old self while in her company. She had a pleasant laugh and was getting better at telling a joke and a good story. It was a nice lunch, something that he could definitely get used to, and he gave Susan a small hug before parting company, slipping her a note in the process. The rooftop of her building would be visited by a mysterious and lonely superhero that night, and he would be looking for his wife’s company.
Before leaving work that evening, he wandered down to the petrochemical division, watching discreetly as the engineers and technicians filed out of the office, then made his way over to Stanley’s desk. CJ produced a pen and notepad, and scribbled a note to Stanley, describing the solution to his problem and thanking him for the chance to help. The note was placed in a prominent spot, somewhere Stanley was sure to find it, but also somewhere that wouldn’t be noticeable to anyone else. This was a tip from one friend to the other, and didn’t need to be advertised to the world.
After sundown, CJ went out again, and immediately made his way to Susan and Jenny’s building. His wife was waiting for him, although she appeared a little annoyed that he hadn’t called her for lunch. After explaining his situation, followed by several statements of his undying love and some physical demonstration to that effect, she forgave him. They spent some time chatting about their week, sharing all the odd things that had happened to both of them, and as the conversation turned to the tabloids and the rumors, CJ decided to break the news that he had come to share.
“Laura’s coming? Oh, that should be fun,” Jenny said with a bright smile. “I miss your family.”
“I miss them, too,” he said with a small smile, circling his arm around her back. “It feels like I should be sending a thank you note to the tabloids for instigating our little family reunion.”
Jenny’s smile went a little flat. “I wouldn’t be too hasty,” she said, leaning into CJ’s body. “They might’ve been responsible for your sister’s visit, but they still called me cheap and any number of other unflattering things.”
CJ smirked. The mention of Jenny’s treatment by the hack tabloid writers still hit a raw nerve, but, suddenly, it didn’t seem so hard to laugh it all away. “Maybe a visit by a big scary superhero could convince them to give you a little better treatment.”
Jenny’s smile returned and she raised her eyebrows in amusement. “I just love a man who’s willing to defend the honor of his woman. And they say that chivalry is dead.” Her tone was facetious, but a spark in her eye told him that she wasn’t entirely dismissing his suggestion.
“Oh, chivalry probably is dead, this is part of that whole caveman instinct that all men possess.” CJ waved his hand in a small circle. “It’s still alive and well, believe me. I don’t care how evolved society gets, ingrained within all men is the desire to beat the crap out of anyone who says bad things about either his mother or his girlfriend. Why do you think pro wrestling is so popular?”
“It’s all clear to me now,” she said with a laugh, then leaned in and captured his lips. It was a little awkward, especially while he was still wearing the cowl, and Jenny was still laughing as they pulled apart.
“What?” he asked. Jenny reached up and flicked one of the ears on the cowl.
“I know I said the outfit was nice and all, but I do prefer the real you. How about we take that thing off?” She reached up and cupped her hands on either side of his head, preparing to remove the cowl, but he shook his head gently, stopping her, and bringing a look of disappointment to her face.
“Sorry, but I can’t stay long. Besides, you never know who might be around.” Jenny opened her mouth to say something, probably to point out that they hadn’t exactly worried about that in the past, but a quick kiss preempted her statement. “Last night I found out that I’m not the only guy in black prowling rooftops in this town.”
Jenny raised her eyebrows. “Wow, really?”
CJ nodded. “The competition finally introduced himself after following me around for a few hours. I guess he’s one of the old Robins. He seemed nice enough but it got me to thinking. If there’s another good guy out there willing to spend a night shadowing me, who’s to say there aren’t some bad guys following me around, too?”
“The fact that you’re here right now means that they would know how to find me, too, you know.”
CJ nodded. “I’m aware of that, which is why I checked before coming up here tonight. We’re definitely alone. But I think that maybe we need to be a little more careful from here on out. It looks like you made an impression on my alter ego, though, and something tells me that he’ll be asking you out on a few dates in the near future. We shouldn’t need to meet up here anymore.”
Jenny absently fingered his cape, a crooked smile playing across her face. “I don’t know, I think I’ll miss our midnight meetings once they’re gone. This kind of feels like our private spot.”
“We’ll still be able to come up here, we won’t have to be so sneaky about it, that’s all…unless we’re trying to elude our new chaperone.”
“Maybe we could find a more isolated rooftop, and I could get a mask, and then we’d be a truly batty couple.” Jenny said with a giggle. “That might be…kinky. Imagine the scandal.”
CJ gave a half smile and pondered her statement for a moment. “We do make a dynamic duo. We’d be even more dynamic if we could figure out the mechanics of kissing with two cowls involved.” He laughed gently as she wiggled her eyebrows, then kissed her gently.
A distant church bell began to chime, indicating the late hour. CJ and Jenny pulled apart in unison and turned toward the sound, the smiles dropping from their faces. “You probably have to get going,” Jenny said, a note of sadness in her voice.
“Probably,” CJ said, sharing her disappointment. He looked toward her, smiled gently, then leaned in and kissed her deeply. “Don’t despair. In another couple of days we can steam up the town.”
“With a chaperone?” Her skepticism couldn’t hide her smile.
He just smiled, knowing full well that they were capable of the sickening types of public displays of affection that his parents were famous for. “Sure. All the chaperone does is make sure that the next step doesn’t happen, that’s all.”
“In that case, Junior here will make an adequate chaperone pretty quickly.” She looked downward, and he slipped a hand over her stomach.
“I’ll try not to hold that against him when he comes.” They smiled at each other for a few moments, then engaged in one last quick kiss before he stepped away. “I’ll see you Friday.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” she said. With that, he left, deciding that this would be a good night to go home early. He gave himself a quota for the night, then quickly went about meeting it. It was still Wednesday when he made his way back to the mansion, the sounds of the church bells tolling the midnight hour echoing around the city as the door to the cave closed behind him.
With Wednesday behind him, CJ figured that the rest of the week would be a cinch. There were only two days left before he could officially celebrate his first week of gainful employment, and get on with the business of publicly courting his wife. He had already seen his share of surprises and new experiences, and in a perfect world, that meant that the worst of this week was over. But he didn’t live in a perfect world, a fact that had been affirmed several times already, and Thursday was the next meeting of the local chapter of Americans for Responsible Business. Whether he liked it or not, the remainder of the week still had plenty in store for him.
