I don't own batman beyond or DC
Bruce Wayne sat at his lonely dining table with Ace at his side, snoozing rather absently curled at his master's feet as Bruce sat with his fingers interlocked, gazing at the platters before him as he… sensed. The return of the batmobile.
Anyone else in the Mansion wouldn't have heard or felt the goings on beneath it, but Bruce Wayne could feel the old place like a second skin. After about 10 minutes, the secret door of the grandfather clock opened and Terry walked out in his tank top, and pants, his leather jacket over his shoulder as he rubbed his neck. He had a few fresh bruises that he was going to have to try and hide from his mother, but he could just chalk it up to another scrap with Jokerz.
And he wouldn't really be lying…
"Everything alright?"
"Jokerz got locked up. Commissioner Gordon slapped the cuffs on them herself." He replied, standing beside Bruce as he glanced at the other silver platter to Bruce's right. "What's this?"
"Dinner." He said, gesturing to the platter beside him.
Terry raised an eyebrow, but he sat down next to Bruce Wayne and together they lifted off the lids to fresh, hot grilled cheese. Even after an hour, it was still hot, the miracles of Modern Wayne-Powers technology… mostly because of Wayne tech… Slag you Derek Powers.
"Grilled Cheese?" he asked with a slight laugh as Bruce seriously gripped his sandwich in both hands and took a bite, quietly chewing as Terry shrugged and did the same. "MMMN!?" he stared at it, his face puckering happily. "This is-"
"Don't talk with your mouth full." Bruce scolded sternly, as Terry straightened up, and swallowed.
"This is pretty shway." he said gesturing to the sandwich
"I honestly prefer the Catwoman meal, but it doesn't agree with me much anymore." Bruce noted conversationally as Terry put down the sandwich, gazing at the old man.
"This is from the uh… 'restaurant?'"
"Hmmn-mmmn." Bruce replied, still eating his sandwich.
"…What's the deal with that lady?"
Bruce chewed, swallowed then put the sandwich down. "…Orders is arguably the most accurate Clairvoyant on the planet. In moments of emergency, when I didn't have time, I went straight to her and asked for locations of criminals, kidnapped children, bombs. She got it right every time…" he tore off a piece of his sandwich and gave it to Ace, happily wagging his tail as he chewed.
"So why don't we…"
"Because it hurts her." Bruce added, "So I tried to avoid it as much as possible. In return she had a direct line to me, gave me some information on street criminals. One day you might need her if I'm unavailable…" he smirked, "Try not to need her."
"If she is so powerful-"
"She's accurate. Not powerful… an hour or so… give or take a headache."
"Okay. Then why does she run a skeazy skin restaurant?"
"She doesn't…" Bruce noted, finishing his sandwich. "…She runs a delivery service."
Terry scoffed, "All those powers and she just delivers food?" he took a bite of his sandwich.
"Orders is the number 1 brothel madam in Gotham and the surrounding area." Terry coughed choking on his sandwich. "She 'delivers' company…" seeing Terry's look of shock he added, "Yes… some of the girls in the restaurant. It's a down low, need to know open secret… it's how she makes most of her money and has a franchise in every major city from here to New Coast City…"
"Wait, so why do you-"
Bruce eyed his protégé for a moment then said. "…Because she doesn't hurt anyone, she protects her girls… and she's kept my secret for over 40 years." He added loyally, "…Not a lot of people who haven't worn capes have done that."
"Wow… forty years?" Terry asked surprised.
Bruce shrugged noncommittally. "To be fair… she thought Bruce Wayne was only FUNDING Batman for about 5 of them. Started to get suspicious around 6 or 7… figured it out during her 8th."
"…How did you keep a clairvoyant from finding out you were Batman for so long?" Terry asked, finishing his sandwich in a few quick bites.
Bruce raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a surprisingly warm, almost cheeky smile.
"…Because I'm Batman…"
Terry sighed at the consistent and obvious answer before he scoffed giving Bruce a similarly warm and cheeky smile. "Yeah?…" he jerked his thumb towards his chest. "So am I." he declared proudly, collecting Bruce's plate to take to the kitchen. "I'm going to borrow your shower after I run your dishwasher, alright?"
"Alright."
"Oh… and uh… think you can give me that place's digits?... for emergencies?" Bruce frowned and glared at him suspiciously. He just grinned nervously. "What?........ I'm a healthy young man."
"…If you want to risk Dana's wrath, that's on you." Bruce noted smugly, relaxing in his chair as the moon rose higher outside his window into the cloudy Gotham night. Letting his dinner settle in his stomach as he let his thoughts wander. It was a Different Gotham, Different Batman… but the same old Superbabes.
…He frowned to himself. Wondering if Orders predicted his thoughts on the matter. Might as well not risk it… He'll ask Orders NOT to give Terry the Friends and family 'discount'… just in case… at least for any potential… 'deliveries'.
End of Chapter
I like to think its Superbabes Mini-series tradition to have at least one batman conversation and this the first (probably only) time it occurs between two Batman...
The... Shorts are technically next. I might just post a bunch of them all at once since they ARE so short. But we'll wait until a couple more girls get their first chapters.