Never the right outfit...

Kara got up from the desk and picked up her laptop and slid it in her messenger bag. Kara looked at her phone. It was a message from Bruce, unsecured and over open communications networks…

“What?” one of the class mates asked walking by.

“Oh, I got a message from my guardian,” Kara said, “Not like him to text me while I am in classes.”

“Everything ok?” the classmate asked.

Kara opened the message and read it.

“Yeah, he wants to have lunch with me and his business partner brought his daughters,” Kara said.

“Must be nice being rich,” Another said walking by.

Kara thought of her schedule, she didn’t have another class until four so she shrugged.

*

Kara felt a little self-consciences walking throw the lobby of Wayne Headquarters in her class wear. She wasn’t wearing her catsuit or even any latex but everyone was looking at her and her outfit as she walked into Wayne Tower. She had dressed for classes and thought that she would just slink throw classes and then head to the Clock Tower and change for an evening of being a young lady and then sneak off to a remote cave and then be Batgirl for the night… but here she was in a corporate building with everyone looking at her colorful outfit. She stopped in front of the mirror polished elevator door for the executive elevator as she pushed in the visitor’s code for her use. She looked herself up and down. She had on a pair of brown leather riding boots, pink spandex leggings, a sleeping beauty vampire princess oversized tee-shirt, a pink leather hobo bag and a black leather backpack. One of the security suits was about to walk over when another intercepted him and whispered in his ear. The other security suit nodded at Kara and Kara nodded back to her. The elevator dinged and Kara walked in. Kara pressed the button for the executive offices and let out a sigh. The elevator brought her to just below the penthouse and stopped. The door opened with a “Ding” noise on the speaker and Kara didn’t feel any better.

“Hay Kara!” Tiffany Fox smiled.

Tiffany was wearing a nice royal blue skirt suit, her father Lucius was wearing a black suit with his trademark bowtie while Bruce was wearing a black suit with a black tie.

“Hi,” Kara smiled.

“You can leave your bags in my office,” Bruce smiled.

“Ok,” Kara said.

She slinked past the three in the suits and put her bags in Bruce’s office. Bruce was waiting calmly, while Lucius and Tiffany were bouncing numbers back and forth.

“What are you debating?” Kara asked as she walked back.

“How many people ask Bruce for a raise,” Tiffany giggled.

“Well let’s be honest,” Bruce said smoothing his hair with his hand, “Word has gotten around the Bruce Wayne is not a prick of a boss so they can ask for a raise and not be afraid of being fired like Jobs would have done or Luthor would.”

“Telling you dad,” Tiffany said, “Double digits.”

Kara noticed Lucius getting a bit flush even with his fairly dark skin complexion.

“If more than nine people ask, I will buy you a corvette,” Lucius declared.

Kara noted he didn’t quite snap at his daughter but he was clearly frustrated.

*

Doctor Harley Quinzelle took a seat across from Patient J.

“I understand you wanted to speak with me last night,” Harley said sitting down.

“Oh yes,” Joker snickered, “Instead I ended up chatting with old Johnny Boy and Doctor Strangelove.”

Harley noted Joker’s use of a German accent for saying his nickname of Professor Strange.

“So what were you doing last night? Painting the town red?” Joker asked.

“I am here as part of my professional life,” Harley said flatly, “I am not going to talk about my personal life.”

“Not even as part of polite conversation?” Joker prodded.

“Not with a patient that was defacto convicted of multiple homicides and remanded to my work because they were ruled insane by the court rather than sent to the electric chair…” Harley met Joker’s gaze with a harsh glare.

“I guess that counts as stranger danger now doesn’t it,” Joker chuckled, “What would you have told regular run of the mill patient?”

“I would have given a vague answer,” Harley said, “Had dinner, tried to relax, engaged in some healthy behaviors.”

“Yawn,” Joker cut in dramatically.

Harley looked at the notes Crane had given her this morning.

“I understand you went over some new ‘political humor’ material with Doctor Crane and Professor Strange last night,” Harley said.

“Talk about a tough crowd,” Joker snipped, “I didn’t get a single chuckle out of Strangelove!”

“Not that many people find politics that humorous,” Harley noted.

“Oh, please,” Joker started, “Pointing out the pompous Politician’s hubris is the very definition of humor…”

Joker started to chuckle. He then made a face and started using an impression voice.

“How dare you mock me, I am a senator! Harrumph I say, harrumph!”

*

Tiffany was swooning, twenty-three so far in the tech R and D lab alone. She was getting a Corvette! Kara snickered. Bruce kept his pleasant Fop act up and didn’t let anything get to him. While most everyone had come to their door way to speak with Bruce and Lucius, Kara noted an open door way with no one standing in it. Kara stuck her head in an knocked on the door.

“One second Doctor Kenning, I think I have it… Ouch!” a man’s gentle voice came from in the lab room.

Kara looked him up and down as the man stood up from behind a computer desk. He was maybe six foot two with long blonde hair. The man turned around as he walked out from behind the computer desk. Kara noted the long blonde hair was went down to his elbows, he had thick glasses and pretty blue eyes. His outfit was a white shirt with jeans.

“You’re not doctor Kenning” the man observed.

“He is a cutie,” Tiffany wolf whistled when she looked over Kara’s shoulder.

“Mister Wayne,” Doctor Kenning, the head of the research group said from the hallway, “This is that new hire I told you about, the one with the talent for cybernetic prosthetics.”

“Jean Paul Valley,” The man said in a somewhat French accent.

Bruce walked pass Kara and extended his hand to greet the employee.

“Bruce Wayne,” Bruce smiled, “French?”

“Quebecois,” Jean Paul took Bruce’s hand briefly, “My father and I emigrated to the US many years ago…”

“So,” Bruce said, “Cybernetic Prosthetics… any particular driving motivation in that field?”

“Ah… Just a good Catholic boy trying to help others?” Jean Paul said clearly not sure of himself.

“Well what every his motivations,” Doctor Kennings said, “He is great at his job. He solved about fifteen bugs with in twenty minutes of starting here that had been nagging our team for weeks.”

“Impressive,” Lucius said as he squeezed past Kara into the room.

“Mr. Valley, this is Lucius Fox,” Bruce introduced the CEO of Wayne Enterprises.

“Mister Fox,” Jean Paul smiled and shook hands nervously.

“Well welcome to the Wayne Family, let us know if you need anything…” Fox said.

“I will, thank you,” Jean Paul said.

“That was his que to ask for a raise,” Tiffany whispered in Kara’s ear.

“He is too shell shocked,” Kara whispered back.

“I think we are going to need some new cyleniods for this leg system… I was going to write an email to Doctor Kenning before I went home… he was rather busy this morning,” Jean Paul pointed behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Doctor Kenning asked.

“I think we need a different model that can handle more amperage,” Jean Paul said a bit more confidently.

“Oh, just put the specs you are looking for in an email and I will look at it later,” Doctor Kenning smiled.

“We’ll let you get back to work,” Lucius smiled.

“Welcome aboard,” Bruce waved

“Thank you,” Jean Paul said as he watched them leave.

The five made their way down the hall a few paces before Doctor Kenning spoke in a hushed tone.

“I’m not sure if he was abused as a child or is just boarder line autistic,” Doctor Kennings shared his evaluation, “But that kid is a genius when it comes to human Cybernetic interfaces. All due respect Doctor Fox, I know you were at the top of the R and D field back in the day, but if anyone can build an actual Ironman suit, I think it’s that kid.”

Tiffany leaned in to speak softly to Kara.

“Damn that white boy was geeky as hell,” Tiffany said, “He looks like the early nineties leftovers of the eighties.”

“I don’t know,” Kara whispered back, “He seemed kind of cute.”

“You going to get him some tight leather pants and take him to one of your Goth Rock clubs?” Tiffany teased.

“Hay, don’t knock them, you might like them,” Kara said.

“Sorry Black and Goth don’t mix, neither does Black and Metal,” Tiffany dismissed the idea, “But if you want to hear some real music I know some Gucci Hip Hop clubs.”

*

“So how do you fit into this freak show?” Rose snapped as she walked into the bathroom.

Raven ignored the statement shouted as a fake question and finished washing her hands.

“So?” Rose asked this time.

“My mother thought my father was an angel, turned out he was a real demon…” Raven said, “Long story short, I am here, alone. So I have to make real friends, not just entertain bullies.”

“Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to figure out what the fuck is going on around here when everyone acts like they are in witness protection or something?” Rose tossed her hands in the air.

Raven leaned in.

“Some of us are,” Raven whispered, “But keep that under wraps. Come on, I have snacks in my room.”

“What about you and Todd?” Rose asked, “Are you two?”

“Yeah…” Raven said, “If we can ever get away from the virginity patrol. Miss Star has really good hearing.”

“Is it true you are Kara Wayne’s Anna?” Rose asked.

“Yes, but again,” Raven smiled, “In my room and not in the public bathroom.”

“Oh no,” Miss Karen Star opened the door, “You two still have classes, you can girl talk after classes are done.”

“See,” Raven said, “She has really good hearing…”

Rose glared at the blonde bombshell in the tightly fitted skirt suit.

*

“Are you insane?”

The question had stopped the meeting. There was no hostility in the words, but the frank and blunt statement had taken everyone by surprise.

“Doctor Winthrop,” Doctor Arkham said calmly, “Would you mind restating your objections in a more cohearnt statement so our guest can respond in kind?”

Harley looked back down at the file in front of her but kept an eye on the doctor form the youth ward.

Doctor Winthrop took a deep breath.

“I understand that Emily Nigma is in a horrible situation where her family is a massive contributing factor to her frankly criminal behaviors and attitudes,” Doctor Winthrop spoke calmly this time, “But housing her in Arkham and having her go to a private school during the day does not seem like a reasonable plan… I know Arkham is not a facility meant to deal with children and we do not have anything resembling school facilities… But if she is going to be in an educational institution shouldn’t it be an educational institution? This doesn’t sound very thought out.”

Harley held a pen to her lips like it was a cigarette, and then tapped it on the table like she was putting out a smoke.

“I would agree with Doctor Winthrop,” Harley said calmly, “I am not following the logic so far. That is not to say I am out right hostile to the proposal, but I would like to see a more complete plan of action for the patient’s treatment before I would sign off on it personally.”

“Didn’t you recently send a patient to a private school campus?” Doctor Arkham asked Harley.

“Yes Sir,” Harley addressed the boss, “I sent over the complete files on the patient, including the original and updated treatment plans, evaluations, independent secondary opinions for and against the treatment plans and of the patient being switched over to an outpatient program.”

“Yes…” Doctor Arkham remembered the request that had been forwarded to him for signature as the head of the institution, “It was rather complete…”

“It put me to sleep proof reading it,” Harley admitted.

“Fortunately I was rather well caffeinated,” Doctor Arkham said, “Now Miss Colkjack, please let the District Attorney’s office know that if we were to be involved in a ‘alternative’ sentencing plan we would need to have a complete and comprehensive treatment plan before we start and a means to adjust the treatment plans as the patient progresses.”

“That isn’t an out right rejection,” the lawyer noted.

“No it is not,” Doctor Arkham said, “But it is not a commitment either. As I said, we would need to know everything before we can make a decision.”

“Thank you,” Miss Colkjack smiled.

“If you will excuse us,” Doctor Arkham said, “I would like a private word with Doctors Winthrop and Quinzelle.”

The three waited for everyone to leave the meeting room. When they had the old man leaned forward and looked at Doctor Winthrop. He braced himself for the rebuke.

“What is your personal assessment of Miss Nigma?” Arkham asked calmly.

“Sir,” Winthrop said calmly, “I don’t have one at this point… I don’t have anything to go on at this point.”

“And you Doctor Quinzelle?” Arkham asked.

“If I may?” Harley said, “Sir I can’t make a serious diagnosis based on news headlines. I agree that I don’t have anything to go on at this point.”

Arkham nodded his head.

“And what is your assessment of patient Edward Nigma?” Arkham asked.

“Very Disturbed,” Harley said flatly, “Severe Narcissism, Megalomania, top tier sociopath…”

“Would it be in the child’s interest to house her in the same treatment facility as her father?” Arkham asked.

“Without further data,” Winthrop shook his head, “No.”

“I agree with Winthrop,” Harley said carefully.

Arkham looked at a note some sheets down in a note pad.

“What is your assessment of this… Miss Helen Wayne is it?” Arkham asked.

“Incomplete,” Harley said, “From what I did observe it might be more appropriate to call her Mrs Wayne-Star… And from all information available at this time, she is a competent school administrator.”

“Very well.”

*

The invitation for dinner was a surprise, a pleasant one, but still a surprise… Kara put on a nice dress and went to meet Maven and Barbara at the apartment for dinner…

“Ditch the dress and come on in!” Maven said as she opened the door to the apartment.

Kara looked at Selina’s intern and licked her lips. The brunette girl was “dressed” in a black latex garter belt, black latex stockings, black latex opera gloves.

“Wow,” Kara said as she stepped into the apartment, “A bit up front are we?”

“You have your homework from Bruce,” Maven said, “I have mine from Selina… Come on, Barbara is dishing out the takeout sushi.”