Prologue – Context “Now that. That was luck.” Luck. It wasn’t a word used often - really ever - in Gotham. Luck was a word more associated with places like Metropolis, especially in the post-2009 world. It usage shouldn’t have been that surprising, given that it was uttered by a Metropolis native; but given the world that was Gotham, a city that was dark and had only gotten darker, “luck” seemed to be a myth. “It wasn’t luck,” stated the companion of the Metropolis native, as they sat at their regular table. “Kitty! How was it not luck? The old man and the woman were about to be run over by the truck. That Batman was around and just swooped in to save them?! You think that was planned?” Katherine Paparazzi Matthews, Kitty-Ri to her friends and Kitty to her co-workers, just shook her head as she picked up her menu. She had to wonder how her recruiter managed to function as long as she had in Gotham. “Not planned. But there is a middle ground between planned and luck. And that middle ground probably has to do with the fact that the old man was Bruce Wayne.” “I thought he looked familiar, and that was a vintage 2015 Lexus,” Jayne Hightower-Reeves shared with her boss, “but I still don’t understand what the fact that it was Mister Wayne that was saved negates the whole luck thing.” “Because Batman seems to keep an eye on Mister Wayne,” Kitty said as she closed her menu. Jayne wasn’t nearly as nonchalant in her reaction. Menu still in the air and jaw practically on the floor, she responded, “Batman keeps an eye on Mister Wayne?! Are you saying that Bruce Wayne pays Batman for protection?!! Sorry, no dice, Kitty. If that’s what you’re saying, I think you are in the wrong shadow industry. That conjecture is for people in Mason Stein’s line of work.” Raising her eyebrow slightly at the mention of the tabloid industry, Kitty replied, “My middle name notwithstanding, Mason and I do both deal in fiction, after a fashion. But I never claimed Wayne had Batman on the payroll. This is Wayne, not Powers, after all.” As Jayne was about to agree, a third woman approached their table. While her black hair cropped in a retro hairstyle that referenced the 1990s, she clearly projected style, power, and a sneaky deviousness. “Slaggit. Speak of the devil,” Jayne muttered. “I did warn you about that. You aren’t in Metropolis anymore. And we all know what happened to Kansas,” Kitty pointed out. “Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite publishing team,” the black haired woman said as she arrived at the table. “Kitty, Jayne. Good afternoon.” “Good afternoon,” Jayne replied. “What do you want, Mason?” Kitty asked. “Katherine, you wound me, you do. Why do you think I want something?” “Mason, you are the president, CEO, and moving force behind the biggest player in the Tabloid industry. Of course you want something. You are always facing a posting deadline, after all. But I’m not sure why you are approaching us. We would only be useful if I was proposing buying out The Other Pen,” Kitty pointed out. “Are you buying out The Other Pen?” Mason pounced. “Mason, she was kidding,” Jayne groaned. “Besides,” Kitty said, “I’d only discuss such a buy-out here, where you would be bound to get wind of it, if I wanted to have the fact splashed all over the ‘Net.” “Or if she wanted to embarrass you by having you publish totally wrong information,” Jayne posited. Mason glared at Jayne before turning back to Kitty, “They do make them differently in Metropolis.” “That they do,” Kitty agreed. “But that didn’t answer my question, Mason.” “I didn’t want anything,” Mason insisted, “I just thought I heard you mentioning Batman.” Jayne blanched at that, which made Mason’s eyes sparkle. But it was the Gotham native, Kitty, who responded, “Of course we mentioned Batman. I’m the editor in chief of La Gotham Noir, the biggest fan fiction publishing house on the ‘Net. Jayne is my chief recruiter for new authors. Even though we are an international publishing force now, we started in Gotham. You’d be surprised how often Batman figures in what’s submitted to us. Especially with that horrid Batman musical in Gotham this week.” Having recovered during her employer’s speech, Jayne added, “What did you think we were discussing? Batman’s secret identity or something? You’re worse that Ian Peek, Mason.” “And, speaking of Ian,” Kitty addressed the now clearly annoyed Mason, “whatever happened to him? I thought you would have signed him to your empire by now.” Mason growled a little, but quickly adjusted her voice as she shared the truth, “We wanted to. We were in talks to, but he considers himself a ‘real reporter’-“ “That’s a problem,” Jayne smirked, earning a glare from the tabloid queen. “And he was making a lot of money in his current situation,” Mason continued. “An even bigger problem,” Kitty added with a raised eyebrow. “Not one that couldn’t have been overcome,” Mason insisted. “But, right after that postponed Bats expose, he vanished. No one has any idea of what happened to him.” “Think Bats took him out?” Jayne asked. Silence. Then two sets of eyes sent Jayne death glares. “Batman does not operate that way,” Mason insisted. “We aren’t talking about Superman, after all,” Kitty added. Jayne began to object to the slur against Superman, but Kitty and Mason were no longer paying her any attention. “So you’ve heard nothing.” “Not a thing. Sorry, I’m just being a boring editor again.” “Okay, Kitty,” Mason relented. “But if you hear anything, anything of interest at all-“ “I’ll come to you and not Alyson. Promise,” Kitty said. “And I do have to keep my ear to the ground, after all. There’s a thin line between fiction and libel, after all. Look what happened to FF.” “We all know FF had problems, Kitty.” “But they were a pretty old publishing force. That lawsuit wasn’t pretty.” After they exchanged goodbyes, Mason left the two other ladies alone. After tucking her brown hair behind her ear and pushing up her glasses, Kitty looked at Jayne, “You have really got to work on your poker face. Mason may seem schway and merely nosy, but she’s a shark.” “Okay, okay. I’ll work on my ability to lie. But back to my point. If Batman isn’t on Wayne’s payroll, how is what happened not luck.” “As I said, it seems that Batman looks after Wayne. I’m a little of a Batfreak, to use the retro term,” Kitty blushed slightly as she shared, “so I’ve kept a record of every Bat sighting and every Bat event. Admittedly, some probably never hit the ‘Net. And some are clearly fabricated. I mean – Batman and Ten of the Royal Flush Gang as a couple? Not hardly. If Batman was going to dip into the villain pool, it would be someone more like the Catwoman of the late 1990s or Talia Al Ghoul-“ “Is it fair to call Talia a villain now? I mean, given all that she has done since 2009?” “Given her gene pool, it’s only a matter of time.” “That’s harsh, isn’t it?” Jayne objected. “Do you want the rest of my thoughts on the non-luck, or would you rather champion Talia?” “Sorry. Continue.” “So, I’ve saved all the Bat sightings and made a listing of what and whom he tended to save and where he tended to save them. Gotham is a big city; it’s as big as Metropolis, and bigger than New York and San Fran. He can’t be everywhere.” “I take if you’ve found a pattern.” “A small one,” Kitty admitted. “But it would be hard to find that pattern now, as some of the Bat info has disappeared from the ‘Net. I’m thankful for my off-Net storage everyday.” “Off ‘Net storage? Can you even do that?” “You are such a twip sometimes, Jayne,” Kitty sighed. “But yes, I found a pattern. Since his reappearance, Batman has often been sighted solving problems centered around Hamilton Hill High School. He’s busted a number of problems that centered themselves in the teen culture. And, he’s helped out Bruce Wayne more than once.” “What do you mean?” “Well, with the Spellbinder incident, Batman finally busted him on the Wayne Manor estate.” “So?” “And, Batman has really helped with some issues surrounding Wayne-Powers.” “But he also helped FoxTecha,” Jayne pointed out. “Doesn’t that kill your argument?” “Not when you factor in where the founder of FoxTecha used to work.” “Wayne-Powers…okay, okay. I get it. Go on.” “And the attempts on Wayne’s life?” “You and Mason were the only ones who called them that,” Jayne retorted. “Those buildings in the historic district were old. Of course they’d fall at some point.” “Well, who saved Wayne from the falling building?” “Batman, Batman, Batman. I get it. The old tycoon has been saved a little too often by Batman for it to be a coincidence. How did we even get on this topic?” Jayne groused. “You mentioned the ‘l-word,’” Kitty explained. “I take it you don’t believe in luck,” Jayne replied. “Jayne, I was born and raised in Gotham City. Of course I don’t believe in luck. Masked vigilantes? Yes. Luck? No.” “But Kitty, you carry a rabbit’s foot. That’s a good luck charm.” “It is?” the editor gasped in surprised as she looked at her keys. “Of course, it is! It has been for centuries! If you aren’t carrying it for luck, why are you carrying it?” “Because this bunny wasn’t de-clawed before losing his foot. The sharp claws are a good thing to have when you are jumped by Jokerz.” “Jumped by Jokerz?!” Jayne exclaimed. “You act like that happens everyday!” Kitty merely shrugged. “I am the native, after all.”