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It was a new day in Gotham City, the sun was shining. Things almost seemed calm until you realize something must have happened last night on Gotham Bay.
Bruce woke up coughing water. He took big gulps of air, grateful to be breathing again. Debris and flotsam from a shipwrecked yacht was scattered around him. He felt his waterlogged suit sticking to his skin. He was kidnapped. He very nearly drowned. Something or someone…someone saved him. Bruce sat up. But before he could really get his bearings or even think clearly, he heard the sound of barking. It was distant but getting closer. A dark colored blur of a dog was running straight to him, with Alfred yelling and chasing the hound on his heels. Ace stopped in front of Bruce and gave him a sniff then licked his face. Bruce patted the dog on its head contentedly.
Alfred stopped running, having finally caught up to Ace. Alfred was glad to see Bruce alive and well. Or as well as he could have hoped for, considering Bruce’s usual nightly activities. But last night he didn’t even go out as Batman, he attended a party as Bruce Wayne and disappeared. Got kidnapped perhaps? It probably wasn’t a run in with a Gotham rogue. Maybe a gang. He was missing for 16 hours.
He also was not making much sense to Alfred. “I was.. I was saved by an angel, Alfred.”
Unfortunately at that point Ace’s barking had attracted a crowd of bystanders. A crowd of passersby and people on their morning commute, usually rushing, had momentarily stopped, curious to see what all the fuss was about. Bruce Wayne Claims To Have Been Saved By An Angel would make headlines. Alfred thought at first Bruce was simply playing it up for the sake of his Brucie persona but he seems to seriously believe in his savior.
“I need to find him, Alfred,” Bruce said, desperately clutching at Alfred’s arm. He was still so damp like he had just been fished out of Gotham Bay moments before Alfred had arrived.
“If you say so, Sir. Now let’s get home, young master Jason was worried sick.”
The first thing Alfred did when they arrived at Wayne Manor was get Bruce a towel. Bruce didn’t seem too bothered that he was dripping wet all over the floor.
“Alfred, I think Bruce is acting weird,” the young Jason Todd said after seeing him.
“Indeed,” Alfred agreed, looking at Bruce as he dripped all over the floor. Alfred sighed and went into the kitchen to prepare lunch. Maybe Bruce would go back to normal after a few hours, he could only hope.
—
Meanwhile in Gotham Bay, a mermaid was watching the commotion. How the human was helped up by that other older human and a dog, it was heartwarming.
Kal wanted to stay because he was so curious about the human but Kelex had a point, he couldn’t risk being seen. Confirming that the human made it safe to shore was good enough. Kal with one last forlorn look back at the shore, dives back underwater with a splash, becoming a red and blue blur. His fins had bright red and blue markings and that made it harder to hide so he had to be fast instead. He swam back down to the bottom of Gotham Bay as quickly as he could. Accompanied as always by his friend, Kelex the flounder. Hopefully no one spotted him! Would the other mer be mad that he risked being exposed? The other mer don’t exactly like him much anyway, but he saw someone in need and he had to help! It wasn’t technically his fault, he just wanted to help! He couldn’t just ignore the man getting roughed up by thugs.
“It’s ok, Kal, I understand you were curious about the human,” Kelex said, sensing Kal’s unrest, “you did good saving him.”
—
Last night
Bruce does up his tie in the mirror. His suit is crisp and clean and tailored perfectly. He’s dressed to the nines for the mayor’s party. “I don’t expect any Batman business tonight, Alfred, you and Jason can have a night off,” Bruce said walking to the door.
Jason didn’t want to attend a boring party full of rich people so that worked out for him.
Bruce arrived at the mayor’s party fashionably late, of course. He had just stepped out of his limo joining the other socialites going up the steps to the mayor’s house. The mayor invited many of Gotham’s Elite, but so far Bruce hasn’t seen any crime families like the Falcones and he wasn’t expecting them to show up. He wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t expect Batman business tonight. It was just a Bruce Wayne social obligation to show up at the party, mingle a bit with guests, then leave. But then again maybe that was too optimistic, that his night wouldn’t take a turn for the worse. Or too pessimistic to assume things can’t turn out alright for once? He mused. God, if there’s one upside to these parties it’s the food. He made a beeline to the buffet table and got some crème brulée.
“What are the Hasigawas doing here?” Bruce thinks when he spots them in the crowd.
Before he can disappear back into the crowd, they spot him as well.
“Mr. Wayne, how have you been?” Tatsuo Hasigawa, head of the Hasigawa family, asks him.
Bruce was now trapped in conversation with Hasigawa, the mayor, and the mayor’s wife. He’s not sure what to make of it. Hasigawa was a serious man but if there was one thing Bruce was sure of, it was clear Hasigawa loved his daughter Eiko very much. Bruce isn’t sure Eiko is here at the party somewhere else mingling, or Hasigawa just liked bringing her up.
As the night wore on, Bruce could feel his social battery running out. Still, he can’t help but wonder what were the Hasigawas doing here? He knows they own 90% of the Gotham docks, nothing gets shipped without them knowing, and it would be crazy to challenge them for their territory. Or perhaps they’re losing their hold on the docks and they’re trying to reassert their power? Who knows. It’s not Bruce’s business tonight, but he rifled through his mental filing cabinet of Gotham’s criminal element trying to solve it. If someone were crazy enough to challenge the Hasigawa family, who would it be and why?
—
It was nighttime when Kal heard a commotion across the water. The calm evening was broken by a lone yacht out on the bay. Loud voices. It seems there was a group of men threatening someone. He could hear their voices clearly, even deep below the water.
“What do you people even want from me...money?” The voice wasn’t panicky, it was almost calm for the situation. Kal liked that voice, he admired it just for that alone.
“No, Wayne, we want it to hurt. ”
“Actually, we also need money- OW” one of the goons was saying before he got punched by his companion. “Shut up!”
Kal had to save him. He swam up and punched the boat. Straight through the hull. The boat shook with the impact.
“What the fuck was that?” Another goon said, apprehensive.
—
Kal always knew he was somehow different from the other mer in Gotham Bay. For one thing, he discovered early on that he could transform his tail to legs. He doesn’t remember his parents but he must not be fully mer. He also has unique red and blue markings on his fins that the other mer don’t have. He’s always been a bit of an outsider, a bit like a fish out of water you could say, and growing up was lonely but at least he had Kelex the flounder for company.
He didn’t venture on land very often but Kal felt that he needed to check on the human he saved.
He swam to shore, determined. When he arrived he looked around, the surroundings felt strange. Things were different from what he remembered the last time… Wait, has he been here before? Why is his memory…? But no matter, he can’t worry about that now. He walks out of Gotham Bay.
He wanders around the streets of Gotham, most people either not minding him or giving him a wide berth. There were many cars, the streets were loud, he tried not to let that or the trash strewn about the sidewalk bother him. He approaches a random businessman, a man with a crisp suit and a briefcase. He taps the man on the shoulder and asks him for directions. The man looked startled at first but he was not only incredibly kind and accommodating in showing Kal the way, he also insisted on buying him clothes and food. Everywhere he went, Gothamites seemed varying combinations of tired, grumpy, and/or wary but as soon as Kal opened his mouth their whole attitudes changed, they lit up like they were happy to see him. Was a sunny disposition contagious? Why were they all smiling at him?
At some point he arrived at the base of a huge sleek tower, the Wayne Enterprises building. Wayne…. He had to check on Bruce! Bruce? Was that his name…? Yes, Kal must have heard it when those goons were talking on the yacht. Bruce Wayne. That must be why he remembered.
Kal walks into the building, up to the man at the front desk.
“I’m here to see Bruce Wayne.”
“I’m sorry but Mr. Wayne is unavailable at the moment. Would you like to set an appointment?”
“No appointment, I would just like to see Bruce.”
“Y-yes, of course. He’s in an interview right now but I can call him.” It seems everyone Kal talks to he can sway to his side. Strange.
—
“So, Mr. Wayne, I’m sure all of Gotham is wondering, what happened that night at the mayor’s party?” It’s only been one day but news, especially about Bruce, spreads fast. Bruce isn’t quite sure why he agreed to a live TV interview but he knew he had to say something. At least Vicki Vale isn’t dancing around it and cuts straight to the point. He appreciates it. His head still hurts like hell. He unconsciously rubs his temples.
“You know..I-I can’t quite remember. I last remember eating at the buffet table, the mayor had such a wonderful buffet. I think someone knocked me out. There was a boat. The boat crashed? An angel saved me.”
Bruce jumped up suddenly and grabbed the microphone from her, “Angel, if you’re out there I’d like to meet you! To thank you properly!”
The camera perfectly captured Bruce’s heartfelt plea and Vicki Vale’s startled face, though she quickly composed herself, broadcast to all of Gotham.
That was as good a time as any to cut the interview short. Bruce’s secretary walked in to talk to the news crew. It seems the interview is over.
Alfred and Jason were watching at home and their jaws dropped. What was going on with Bruce? Why was he in such a state?
Jason immediately suited up as Robin. “We need to go see if Poison Ivy or someone is behind this!”
—
Jason tracked down Poison Ivy’s whereabouts with the help of Alfred and the Batcomputer to an unassuming warehouse by Gotham Bay.
“Poison Ivy!”
“My, my if it isn’t Robin the Boy Wonder. What brings you here?”
“What did you do to Bruce Wayne at the mayor’s party?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“He’s acting weird, I think you had him mind controlled!”
“If he’s mind controlled, that’s not my doing. There was this group of thugs who wanted my help in kidnapping Bruce Wayne but I said no thanks. They must have gotten someone else to help them, then.”
“What did they want him for?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. They were arguing about money, they didn’t seem to have their priorities straight. I’d suspect a crime family territorial dispute that Wayne stumbled in the middle of but usually crime families aren’t so sloppy.”
“Alright, I believe you. Sorry for bothering you, Ms. Ivy.”
“Good luck, Robin, you’ll need it.” She said not unkindly to Robin’s retreating back.
—
“Good evening, Gotham! This is Vicki Vale with Gotham News and tonight we’re getting reports of people getting hit by some kind of love spell! Some suspect it’s the work of Poison Ivy given her past escapades but she herself has yet to make an actual appearance. Again, this is not confirmed to be Poison Ivy.
We are here with an eyewitness who claims to have been love spelled by a mysterious man earlier today!”
“A naked man walked up to me and asked me for directions and out of nowhere I felt compelled not only to give directions but to clothe him and feed him. It was something in his voice, maybe. He just sounded so beautiful. It took me a while to snap out of it but I’m telling you now, plug your ears!”
“You heard it here first, folks! It’s probably not the work of Poison Ivy like we suspected but an unknown beautiful man!
We are currently corroborating the other eyewitness reports, and they seem to also have seen an unknown beautiful man.” Vicki Vale and her camera crew were working overtime tracking down the eyewitnesses. It’s vital that Gotham knows what’s happening! This story was taking over the reports of gang activity in the docks.
Anyone tuning in would see the Bruce Wayne and the mysterious man story instead of what was actually happening at Gotham docks. Catwoman was on it.
“What’s that? We are just now receiving an update of a battle happening between Batman and some kind of magic user in downtown Gotham!”
—
Earlier…
They escort Kal up to Bruce’s office. Vicki Vale and her camera crew had already left.
“Hello, Bruce, I’m Kal, I was the one who saved you,” Kal said, approaching the human.
“Clar- I mean Kal” Bruce isn’t sure why a different name sprung to mind, was on his tongue. Why did it feel familiar… “Have we met before?”
“I-I’m not sure. I do feel like I know you somehow.”
“Clar- I mean Kal I mean Clark? Why do I feel like I know you.”
“Yes I think that’s my name….Clark… I think you do know me,” Kal or maybe Clark said, “I am- I mean I was a mermaid but I think I’m not supposed to be.”
Bruce suddenly remembers very distinctly being saved by a red and blue blur. Except it wasn’t a mermaid. It was…. Superman!
“S-Superman?”
The pieces fell into place.
“What happened to me?” Clark looked down at his hands in wonder.
Mr. Mxyzptlk popped out, his high pitched voice clear and loud, “So you figured it out!”
“I turned Superman into a mermaid! And now I wanna sow a little more chaos!” Mxyzptlk said in his loud voice.
—
Bruce put on the Batsuit for the first time in what felt like weeks when in reality it was just a few days. A little under 48 hours, even. The cowl felt good, like home.
Bruce immediately threw some batarangs at Mr. Mxyzptlk but he teleported away.
Clark found that he had super speed and super strength but he couldn’t fly. Mr. Mxyzptlk messed with his powers and they’re not quite all back online yet.
—
Now
Mr. Mxyzptlk summoned a herd of elephants which were now rampaging around downtown Gotham.
Bruce’s head still hurts like hell. Man, he hates magic users. He shoots his grappling hook to the building across the street and over the elephants landing gracefully on the roof.
Almost as if out of nowhere Robin shows up.
“Good news, B! I checked and Poison Ivy’s not involved.”
“How is that good news?”
“You were acting weird so I had to check.”
“It’s because of Mxyzptlk’s reality bending powers. Go with Clark, I’ll handle this.”
Clark felt incomplete, helpless, watching on the ground and not being able to fly. Robin joined him and they both watched Batman fight Mxyzptlk. He was getting tossed around into buildings.
“Mxyzptlk messed with my memory and my powers… but he doesn’t know I remember how to beat him.”
“Robin, you have to trick him into saying or spelling his name backwards!”
“Got it, Superman! Don’t worry, I have a plan!”
—
“Hey B, you forgot about our secret weapon! Kltpzyxm!” Jason shouted.
“What the fuck is Kltpzyxm?” Mxyzptlk said. And then realized what he said. It was his name backwards and it sent him back to the 5th dimension.
“Good thinking, Robin.”
“Glad you’re back to normal, B.”
—
Later…
“Can I pleeeease help you write the report on what happened for the Batcomputer?” Jason said excitedly looking up from the Batcomputer’s chair.
“While Poison Ivy was not behind what happened, looking into her as a lead was still an important part of the investigation process. You did good, chum.”
Alfred appeared and announced “Young master Richard is here,” shortly followed by Dick walking into the Batcave.
“Hey Bruce, why is Superman here and did you see what happened on the Gotham docks today? Crazy what I missed when I was away.” Dick tried saying casually.
“What happened on the Gotham docks?” Bruce also tried saying casually in reply.
“I don’t know but I heard Catwoman was there. You didn’t see her?”
“No, I did not. And Superman is here because he's staying for dinner. Least we can do since he saved my life again.”
That night they had dinner, and for a while Bruce could forget that Dick left and was leaving more often. He could fix it somehow later. Right now Jason needs him to be his guardian. And right now he could enjoy a calm evening meal with his family.