Names and Games
Bruce closed the book, his voice softening as he read the final line. “...The stitches of those button-holes were so small—so small—they looked as if they had been made by little mice.”
He glanced down at Peter, expecting to see him fast asleep, but instead, Peter was gazing up at him, his eyelids heavy with exhaustion but his smile still present.
“Did you like the story?” Bruce asked, setting the book on the nightstand.
Peter nodded slowly. “Yeah... it was nice. Do you think... the mice were like a team? Like you and everyone else?”
Bruce chuckled lightly, ruffling Peter’s hair. “Something like that. Everyone helping each other to make something special.”
Peter’s face grew serious for a moment. “I want to help the team too, Bruce. Someday.”
“You already do, Peter,” Bruce said, his tone gentle. “Just by being you.”
Peter yawned, his hands wrapped around his rabbit, and he held it gently to his chest. “I’ll get better at not breaking things… and better at chess…”
“You will,” Bruce said with certainty, tucking the blankets up around Peter’s shoulders. “But right now, your job is to sleep.”
“Okay...” Peter mumbled, his eyes fluttering shut.
Bruce sat there for a moment, watching him breathe peacefully, before leaning down to whisper, “Goodnight, Peter.”
As he stood and turned off the light, Peter stirred slightly, murmuring, “Goodnight… Dad...”
Bruce paused in the doorway, a rare, quiet smile crossing his face before he closed the door softly behind him. His mind lingered on the boy’s last words. He stood there for a moment, letting the warmth of the moment settle before he turned and made his way back down the stairs.
As he entered the cave, the familiar hum of the Batcomputer filled the air. The stark contrast of the dark, cavernous space and the gentle glow of the monitors greeted him, pulling him back into his mind.
“Oracle,” Bruce said as he slipped into the suit.
“Yes, B?” Barbara replied, tilting her head slightly to glance at him.
“Update me on the Hybridus case.”
Barbara tapped a few keys, pulling up the relevant files on the screen as Bruce moved to stand beside her.
“These are the files we retrieved from the Hybridus operation,” she began. “Heather Hoffman, aka Hybridus, documented almost every detail, including the names of her financial backers—though she used animal-based code names for most of them.”
A spreadsheet appeared on the monitor, listing names alongside dollar amounts. Barbara clicked, and two photos—a woman and a man—appeared.
“Hybridus has been positively identified as Heather Hoffman, and her partner, Vermin, is Vance Rios,” Barbara continued. “Her system of code names seems to align with the spelling of each individual’s real name—an organizational choice that works well for her but makes it easier for us to decode.”
Bruce’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the list.
“One name stood out,” Barbara said, pointing to a line on the spreadsheet. “‘Leering Lizard.’ Likely Lex Luthor. Hybridus’ notes suggest her investors were primarily interested in weaponizing her research. But, based on what Tim and I have analysed, it’s clear she had little interest in their agendas. She was entirely focused on her experiments.”
Bruce nodded, his expression darkening as the pieces fell into place. “If Lex is involved, I may need to bring Superman in.”
“That’s probably a good call,” Barbara agreed, her fingers gliding over the keyboard. “I’ve compiled a list of other potential funders—wealthy criminals whose names fit the pattern. I’ve already sent it to all active suits.”
___
Peter stretched, yawning as he looked around the room. After a moment, he climbed out of bed and made his way toward the kitchen. As he approached, unfamiliar voices reached his ears. Duke and someone else were talking in heated exchange.
“I was on a mission! It’s not my fault—”
“Steph, I’m just fucking with you. I know what you were doing.”
“I’m gonna kick your ass, Duke.”
Peter hesitated for a moment, gathering the courage to peek inside. He slowly pushed open the door, revealing Duke and a blonde woman sitting at the table, each holding a cup of coffee. Tim sat at the far end, casually leaning back in his chair, sipping his own. He was supposed to be healing from his injuries, but the dark bags under his eyes told a different story.
"Oh! This must be Peter!" Steph stood up quickly, moving over to Peter and crouching down to meet him at eye level.
"Peter! Good morning! Did you sleep well?" Duke asked, now clearing their coffee mugs from the table.
"I slept well..." Peter said quietly, glancing up at the excited woman in front of him.
"I'm Stephine, but everyone calls me Steph. Sorry, I haven’t been around since you got here." She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I've been on a super secret mission..." Peter's eyes widened a bit as she spoke. "I’m not supposed to tell anyone, so, shhh..." She gave him a playful wink, and Duke chuckled softly as he loaded the dishwasher.
"Okay... I can keep a secret," Peter whispered back, a mischievous grin on his face. Steph stood up, her expression brightening.
"Good!"
Duke chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "It's a very good thing you can. Peter here can hear a whisper from across the room."
"What, really?" Steph looked from Duke to Peter, her surprise evident.
Before Peter could respond, Duke's phone buzzed, pulling his attention away. He glanced down at the screen, his expression shifting to something more serious. "Looks like we've got a situation. We have to go, Steph."
Steph sighed dramatically, looking at her watch. "Of course, right when things were getting interesting." She gave Peter an apologetic look, then flashed him a grin. "Sorry, kiddo, looks like we'll have to properly meet another time."
She gave his shoulder a quick, playful pat as she rushed past him toward the door. "Take care, Peter. We'll catch up later!" Duke followed her to the cave.
Tim stared at the door, his expression darkening.
“Something wrong, Tim?” Peter asked, making his way over to him, concern evident in his voice.
Tim’s face scrunched up as he watched the others leave. “Nope. Nothing wrong. Everything’s peachy.” His tone was clearly unconvincing.
Peter tilted his head, eyeing him carefully. “You don’t look peachy,” he said, pulling out the chair next to Tim and climbing into it with a soft squeak.
Tim let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I’m so bored,” he confessed, slumping in his chair. “I haven’t been on patrol in days, and Bruce limited my work hours on the computer. I tried to get stuff done, but nothing’s happening. I didn’t sleep at all last night, and I feel like I’ve accomplished absolutely nothing.” He rubbed his face in frustration. “I even tried to read a book—got a quarter in, and I was done. Bored out of my mind!”
Peter smiled sympathetically. “That doesn’t sound like fun at all.” He paused for a moment, then his face lit up with an idea. “We could do something fun instead!”
Tim raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What are you thinking, little man?”
Peter's grin widened. “Duke and Cass showed me Mario Kart. It was awesome!”
Tim’s eyes lit up. “That sounds like exactly what I need right now.”
At that moment, Damian walked into the room, his sharp gaze landing on the two. “What did I hear about Mario Kart?”
“We're gonna play! And I’m gonna kick your ass!” Peter yelled, standing on his chair, his voice full of excitement.
Tim blinked, momentarily shocked by Peter’s sudden outburst, before quickly catching on. He turned to Damian with a mischievous grin. “Yeah! He’s gonna kick your ass!” Tim jumped up from his seat, heading for the games room with Peter eagerly following behind. As they walked, Tim leaned closer and whispered, “Where’d you learn that?”
Peter looked up at Tim innocently. “Steph said it to Duke before I walked in.”
Trailing behind them, Damian grabbed two muffins from the table, handing one to Peter as they went to the gaming room. “Bruce is gonna kill her...” he muttered under his breath, taking a bite of his muffin.
The four of them arrived in the game room, where the gaming console sat, ready for action. Damian and Peter finished their muffins as they settled into the cozy chairs by the screen, grabbing controllers and getting comfortable.
Tim immediately turned to Damian with a grin. “Ready to lose?” he teased, cracking his knuckles dramatically.
Damian raised an eyebrow, not fazed in the slightest. “I’d be more worried about yourself, Tim.”
Already holding his controller and grinning from ear to ear, Peter leaned back in his seat. “I’m the best at this game, just so you all know. You’re all in for it.”
Damian shot him a look. “You’ve played it what, once?”
Peter smiled and laughed a little. “That’s all it takes to beat you.”
Tim snickered, trying to hold back a laugh. “Damn, Damian, looks like you’ve already been roasted.”
“Don’t get too cocky,” Damian snapped, his eyes narrowing. “I'm gonna win.”
Tim raised an eyebrow, selecting Mario as his character. “We’ll see about that.”
Damian's glare intensified as he looked at Tim. “Tim, I want to be Mario.”
Tim shot him a mischievous grin. “Too bad, little brother. You’re too slow.”
“Damn you, Drake!” Damian’s frustration bubbled over. He grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it with all his might at Tim’s face.
Tim caught it effortlessly, tossing it back with a smirk. “Nice try, but you’ll have to do better than that."
Damian growled but dropped onto the couch in a huff, seething but not giving up. “Fine, I’ll take Black Yoshi.”
Peter smiled as he selected Toad, his face glowing with mischievous excitement. “And, you know, I’m the fungi here,” he smiled.
Damian shot him a look so exasperated it could melt steel. “Oh, please. Don’t even think about starting with the mushroom jokes.”
Tim snorted from the other side of the room, clearly holding back a laugh. “Oh, I see what you did there. That's gourdgeous.”
Peter beamed, as proud of his pun as ever. “Well, I thought it was spore-tacular.” He paused, giving Damian a teasing look.
Damian rolled his eyes, his frustration battling the corner of his lips that twitched up into a reluctant grin. “You’re both absolutely insufferable.”
The screen flickered as the cars revved, the countdown clock ticking down.