Who: Kyle and The Bat What: Chit chats! Where: Kyle's apartment When: After his promotion is announced.
The Bat heard about the newest police chief’s emergency promotion with mixed surprise and suspicion. He knew that Kyle West was a creation, a common name on the Creation Forum and one of the people he considered for a police contact until he found out the man had a serious drinking problem. The Bat did approve, however, of the way West managed to keep that separate from his work on the force, even if it prevented him from being a good liaison between the vigilantes and the police department. His newest promotion, however, was a fast and convenient thing, and it made the Bat suspicious enough to wonder if there wasn’t an ability at work somewhere. He didn’t know what West’s ability was, and his short time in surveillance hadn’t yielded any clues, so that left him only one really effective option: ask him.
The Bat waited until the police chief started home, and then he moved ahead of him, gaining access to Kyle’s apartment, with ease and doing a brief examination in the quiet as he waited.
There was no one more surprised about his promotion than Kyle West himself. He had no idea that punching a member of the National Guard in the face was so kindly looked upon by the City Council. It had all happened incredibly fast, and he still wasn’t sure how he felt about it.
There was a part of him that was pleased, it meant that he might actually be able to do something worth while, and he made no pretense of what his first order of business was going to be. After ceremony and pleasantries he made his first statement, and lifted the APB on the masks. Not everyone was thrilled, but for the most part it was received warmly. He knew that Seattle was on a precipice that could still go either way. It could all fall spectacularly to hell for the Creations, and thus the entire city. Or they could start working on mending the cracks, and the canyons between them all. He was cautiously optimistic, and even more concerned about the way his private life might be a bit more in the limelight now.
Kyle knew he had problems, he was the first to admit to every single one of them, he also knew that he kept questionable company, and more than anything he knew that his girlfriend required a certain amount of anonymity to do her job effectively. It was a delicate situation, and it was too damn new to figure out quite yet. But that didn’t mean his brain wasn’t working overtime on it already.
He made his way home after...Quite a day, and when he opened his apartment and flipped the light on Charlie waddled her way out of the bedroom sleepily but her tail was wagging nonetheless. As was routine he reached into the treat jar by the door and gave one to her. He scratched her head and chuckled a bit, “We’re in for it now, lady,” he said as he shrugged out of his suit jacket, part of his dress uniform and he couldn’t wait to get back into normal clothes.
“Chief West.” The Bat thought it best to avoid making entrances by just being there when other people looked around. Those who knew him regularly felt this was hard on the blood pressure, but he kept doing it anyway. He felt it gave him an edge and he wasn’t apologetic about it--except, perhaps, with Max, who had a short temper and delicate senses these days. It was probably fortunate he hadn’t done a great deal of exploring in the apartment, because he would have alerted the dog, and it was probably clumsy of him to stay when a dog was in residence. The Bat moved to the center of the room and waited, looking for all the world as if a Bat costume plus kevlar was what all the kids were wearing these days.
Kyle was beyond being surprised today, but when he heard his name he was quick to take a more defensive stance in the way he stood looking the Bat over. Because...Well there was a giant Bat in his apartment. Charlie was the worst guard dog ever, but he already knew that. “I said the APB was over, not pull off a B&E and help yourself to my living room,” he said flatly.
“It seemed the most private place to speak without endangering your reputation before you’d even acquired one,” the Bat said dryly. He didn’t move, and was silently and invisibly relieved when the dog decided not to lunge for him.
The only way Charlie would be interested in an intruder is if the intruder came bearing steak as an offering to the true master of the house. Kyle listened to what the Bat said and he supposed it made sense. “What can I do for you?” he asked after a moment.
“Congratulations on your promotion,” the Bat said, watching Kyle’s expression and somewhat relieved that he did not look especially nervous or concerned at his presence. “It was rather sudden.”
Kyle nodded once as thanks for the congratulations, “Thank you,” the ‘I think’ went unsaid. But he didn’t think it was a good idea to admit that he wasn’t sure what he’d gotten himself into on day one. He tilted his head just a bit, “Yes, incredibly sudden. I don’t think anyone is more surprised than I am,” he still remembered the bonehead thing he said when the position was offered to him. He’d blamed the suits for agreeing with the rookies to play a joke on him. They’d played it off as him being “humble” but he was pretty sure they didn’t have anyone better to give it to, and they were reasonably sure that he wasn’t going to screw up any worse than the last guy.
“It strikes me,” said the Bat, in his dark blank voice, “that a sudden promotion of a Creation this way is, to put it mildly, suspect. What is your ability, Chief West?” It was obvious the Bat considered the observation and the question to be connected, because he said both in one breath.
He supposed he should have been offended, but that took too damn much energy, and he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong. That he knew of. “I have visions of people about to die.” He answered blandly. “They’re more vivid, and helpful if I’m drunk when I have them.” He added for good measure.
The Bat just stood there for a minute, taking that in. It explained the general lack of sobriety and yet the division of drinking from his profession. It also explained West’s uncanny accuracy in being at the right place at the right time. After a short pause, the Bat said, “That is an unpleasant ability.”
What the Bat didn’t know is that it also explained his ability to find plenty of bodies and not save enough people, but that was his own garbage. He’d figure out the perfect balance one day. He hoped. He shrugged, “It is what it is, it sucks but...Can’t do much about it.” He answered. “I didn’t ask for this promotion, but it’s not going to stop me from doing the best that I can at it. I could be complete shit at this job, but I’m going to try.”
The Bat nodded slowly. West hadn’t requested the promotion, yet here he was, a Creation in a position of importance and power. Perhaps it was simply that he was a Creation... or perhaps the Bat was just excessively paranoid. That happened. “Perhaps,” he said, carefully, “the next time you have one of these, you can contact one of us. It seems unnecessary to hand down executive orders for too many of these hunches of yours.” The Bat seemed to share Kyle’s concern with a low profile.
Kyle gave it some thought, just a brief one really, he’d think on it more later. “I’ve been handling most of them myself, and assigning the cases that way, but...” he paused, it wouldn’t be good form for him to be handling things like that all the time anymore. He had a new set of responsibilities, he didn’t quite know how he’d handle it all, but it was a step at least. “I’ll let you know if anything comes up,” he agreed easily. “But...” he sighed a bit frustrated. “Time is an issue, on a good day, and I mean a really good day, I get there just in time. Most of the time I find a body.”
The Bat paused thoughtfully. “There’s a way to communicate with all of us quickly. If I am not available, there’s a chance someone will be. That might be make time less of an issue.”
Kyle furrowed his brow, he was pretty sure this had something to do with...Basically everything his girlfriend did all the time, but he wasn’t going to spill the beans on that. Anyone who didn’t know about his relationship with their Oracle, his Gwen, he wasn’t going to let them in on it today. And if the Bat did know, it wasn’t exactly conversation he wanted to get into. “Well, you let me know what that is, I’ll give it some thought. Believe me...I’m sick of finding bodies, but my job is a bit more public these days, and as much public support as I can give you and yours...There needs to be a line drawn somewhere, I don’t want to step over boundaries and I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. We need a delicate balance.”
“Public support,” the Bat said, flatly, “is not what I need. Information is good, and that road goes both ways, Chief West.” He was good about using the title, and he wasn’t doing it sarcastically. He turned, a strange thing after so much stillness. “I’ll have someone get in touch with you about a communicator.”
“No I don’t imagine it is, but believe me, it’s necessary for all of us that there is some kind of public support, but information I can help with too,” he said shrugging a bit. It looked like he wasn’t really negotiating this, but he’d figure it out later. For now, he really needed a nap. “Alright,” he said sighing.
The Bat said no more, his purpose complete, and in true fashion, he ducked out the window and was gone without so much as a goodbye.