Chapter Text
Under his breath, Batman growled the gangster's name - "Zucco"...
The ladies still had that freaked out look on their faces. As for Batman, well Dick felt that the vigilante had been well acquainted with toothpick guy. Feeling Selina's heavy gaze weighing him down, he hadn't been able to come up with a witty performer's response to lighten the mood. Her face, however, had been so serious that chills had gone up and down his spine.
"Zucco's a mean dog through and through!" she spat. It would have been like the man to have done something this dreadful himself but she refrained from saying it. Kneeling down in front of the youngster, staring directly into his blue eyes, Selina's warning rang true. "Kid, you don't mess around with the likes of him."
Not appreciating hearing that, his mood really soured at her warning him off his prey. Losing his temper, Dick shouted, "What made him so untouchable, huh?" Trembling with renewed fury, now that he had a name to go with his parent's tragic end, his fists clenched wanting nothing more than to strike a blow to this Zucco rat. The Bat's deep, rumbling voice came next, startling him as Dick hadn't realized how close the Dark Knight had gotten to him.
"The man's not untouchable, Zucco just had an uncanny knack for going into hiding whenever the heat's turned on a little too high for him." Mouth tightening into a thin line, the white lenses of his cowled features stared down at the acrobat in concern. Voice modulator dropping his pitch even further made his next words sound even more intimidating than they had earlier. "This time, Tony's bit off a bit more than he'd be able to chew and spit out."
Sidling up to the Caped Crusader, Selina nearly purred. "That's a very profound statement to make. Usually you just grunt." Listening to Harley agreeing with her by signaling a thumb's up behind Batman's back, Selina added what the vigilante had left unsaid to the kid. "Dick, Zucco's not going to be your only problem if he ever found out you'd be able to finger him," her green eyes collided once more with those damn white lenses while continuing, "his boss just may end up taking out a contract on you."
"Tony Zucco works for Sal Maroni that runs a crime syndicate in Gotham." Hating to explain himself to anyone, Batman only did it to make sure Dick had understood how dangerous it would have been to go after the criminal.
"Yeah, Dickie, Tony's what you call a capo..." Harley had been about to explain to the boy what that title meant but apparently the kid already knew.
"I know what that means, Harley." Why do all adults think kids are dumb? "Haly's traveled all over the world. I happened to have had a good ear for languages. Aside from that, I learned a lot from the others within our circus as well."
Snapping fingers, it hit Harley then that maybe they all had the wrong end of the stick. "Ya know, it could have been that Sal had nothing to do with it. Tony may have acted on his own and not under orders." Cracking blueberry bubblegum this time, it clung to her lips like balm while trying to get her point across. "I've always heard that the rat's a loose cannon."
Observing the acrobat taking this all in, Selina prayed he'd listen to them and not go off half-cocked. "Okay, Dick, now that you know Zucco's a real low-life," worried he'd disregard their words, she still laid it out for him, "leave it to Batman to catch the creep."
Studying the youth, Batman had been glad of his cowl's protection. Otherwise the child would have recognized the sympathy reflected in his face. Somehow he hadn't gotten the impression the kid would have appreciated it. "Dick, are you listening to us? Because I'm getting that unsettled feeling that you're just going to ignore everything we've told you."
"Yeah... yeah," Dick snorted. "Zucco... bad guy. Don't go after him, yadda yadda."
Crossing her arms, Selena glanced toward Harley who stood near her shoulder. "Kid sounds so much like you that I'm alarmed." Alarmed and very worried that Dick hadn't taken any of them seriously enough.
Surprised at the comparison, for once the cat had truly gotten Harley's tongue.
"Bats, I'm going to take Dick back to my place and try to keep a better eye on him this time." Selena eyed the tall, dark and broody vigilante up and down. "Maybe in the meantime you try and nab Tony before things really get messy around here."
Reading her silent message loud and clear Batman grunted in acknowledgement. Turning around to shoot his grapple line, he glanced over his shoulder to stare hard at the boy. "I'll be informing Lieutenant Gordon the true culprit behind the murder of your parents."
"The guy's not much for hanging around having a normal conversation I gather." Watching Batman's departure, Dick had to admit that it had been something else to see in person.
k"Yeah," Selena snickered. "Usually his favorite line whenever he encounters me boils down to," lowering her voice, mimicking the Dark Knight, "- you're under arrest." Hearing her young guest's huff of laughter, she felt her job accomplished for the moment.
"You know, I gotta get me one of those cool gadgets." Her eyes on the dark figure making its way to the top of the roof where Batman had landed, Harley sighed. "It sure would have made for some fast getaways."
"Quit planning your next heist around the kid." Sometimes even Harley got on Selena's nerves. So gathering up her little runaway, the threesome returned back to her apartment.
The next morning
Iceberg Lounge
Having done some minor errands for his new boss, Dick's ears perked up at a conversation going on between Penguin and some man wearing a sharp looking green suit. It had a pattern of question marks all over it. Which had been kinda strange from his perspective but, hey, everyone had a gimmick nowadays. Plus he now lived in Gotham where apparently anything's allowed. Completing the guy's outfit had been a matching green bowler and tie. Yep, Dick felt Penguin's visitor would have fit right in with Haly's Circus. Then he noticed a cane with a huge question mark at the top, resting against the table where the men sat. Wow, he thought. That one's out to make a huge statement.
"Pengy-baby, come on and join me," Riddler cajoled. "You and I both know this isn't a legit business. So what about throwing in with me on my next heist?" Lowering his voice further, he whispered the good part. "I've even heard Sal may want in on this."
Right eye twitching behind his monocle, Penguin lost interest the minute Maroni's name had been brought up. "And I've heard somewhere that Sal's recently keeping a low profile because of something Anthony had done, so I doubt he's going to have any interest whatsoever with you're scheming."
"Okay, so maybe I had been trying to give you a hard sell," casually shrugging a shoulder, Riddler's lips pursed, "but I'm not going to be able to handle this job alone."
Having heard the name of Sal brought up, Dick figured that maybe offering up his services to the stranger in green would eventually lead him to Zucco. Hoping not to get Penguin mad at him, not only for listening in but for being bold enough to approach them, he walked up to their table. "Boss, if it's okay with you I don't mind helping out your friend."
Stifling amusement, Riddler almost scoffed at the idea. "What's a child like you have to offer?"
"I'm small enough to fit into tight places that adults can't access." Simple answer for a simple mind, Dick felt. Side glancing at his employer, he hadn't heard any objections from that quarter yet. So Dick held his breath.
Rubbing his chin, a sharp gleam entered Riddler's eyes. "If you're able to answer my riddle, I'll take you on." Knowing that the boy's young mind would have a hard time with it because of its complexity, he posed it anyway. "I feel your every move. I know your every thought. I'm with you from birth, and I'll see you when you rot."
Smiling, Dick snorted. "That's easy, it's - your reflection."
"I'll be damned," Riddler muttered, exchanging a surprised look with the wily bird. "Smart kid, Pengy, you want to loan him out?"
"Only if you promise me that whatever your plan is won't take very long and it doesn't get the kid hurt." Not wanting Riddler to think he'd gone soft, Penguin tacked on, "I just hired him and he's still learning the ropes."
"Deal." Shaking hands with the finely-feathered bird, Riddler now focused on how best to fit the kid in with his plans.
Et Pagina Vertitur
Notes:
Riddler a/k/a Edward Nygma was a crook at the time of Dick Grayson's appearance in Gotham City. He had once been employed as a forensic scientist for the Gotham police department.
The riddle given to Dick, came from the TV show Gotham where Riddler presented this to Detective Gordon. The riddle will have most people focused on the body, until they realize certain parts don't fit. It's a complex riddle that causes the person asked it to first look inward and then look outward. It presents to people like a mirror, which is exactly where the Riddler was headed.