Ghost King Meets Batman

Knock Knock It's Therapy

[June 27th]

After breakfast, Bruce placed that call to the commissioner. He wasn't looking forward to it, though he knew that this was a necessary evil. If he didn't hold the press conference he would look negligent at best, and guilty at worst. With the piranhas at his door already, he couldn't afford to look like he was slacking off on the investigation in the public eye. None of them knew how many hours he was putting into it under the cowl.

"Commissioner Gordon." Bruce greeted the older man in the same manner he had since he was old enough to be making the calls to him without Alfred's assistance. That is to say, with polite deference. 

"Mr. Wayne. It's good to hear from you, though I hate the reason."

"Me too. Alfred mentioned something about you wanting to set up another press conference?" Bruce tried to keep his misgivings out of his voice.

"Yes, I think that you still have the public's sympathy and you need to play off of it for as long as you can. He can't have disappeared into thin air, so someone in Gotham has to know something. Now we just have to convince them to come forward." His argument made sense, considering that he knew nothing about Nico or his heritage. Nico had just disappeared into thin air.

"If you think it will help." Bruce agreed reluctantly.

"I do. You can't give up on him Mr. Wayne. Nico is a fighter. You can't count him out of this rat race just yet." Gordon soothed. 

"I'm trying. It's just... it's been all this time and we haven't heard anything from anyone. Absolutely no leads. Nico has done this sort of thing before, hasn't he? What if he just doesn't want to be found?" Bruce hated to suggest it, but he felt that it would have been an appropriate question given Nico's history of disappearing and running away. 

"He can't stay a ghost forever. If he's out there hiding, he'll resurface eventually. We just need to keep looking and poking around. Please say you'll be at the press conference." Bruce hesitated, seeming to consider it, though he had already decided before placing the call that he would be there.

"What time?" Though Bruce hadn't committed to anything, Gordon's voice sounded relieved when he replied.

"Six PM. It'll be broadcast all across the country. If someone out there knows something, this should get us answers." 

"I'll plan on being there," Bruce relented. "Thank you, commissioner, I really appreciate everything you've been doing for us throughout this nightmare."

"Just doing my job, Mr. Wayne." Though it was a cold sentiment, Bruce could hear the warmth in the older man's voice. It bordered on pride without quite taking the leap. Bruce hung up and sighed heavily. 

"You're going to do another press conference?" A voice asked from down the hall. Bruce's head jerked in that direction and he saw Dick hovering in the doorway to his office. In his haste, he hadn't closed it. 

"Yes, this evening," Bruce admitted, "Commissioner Gordon thinks that we still have the chance to use the public's sympathy to our advantage."

"It's not going to do anything. Gotham PD is just going to get a lot of fake tips and some wild goose chases." Dick muttered tiredly. Bruce eyed his oldest uncomfortably. He wasn't the one he usually expected to have a defeatist attitude.

"Dick--"

"I know. I know... we have to keep up appearances." The boy fell into one of the armchairs in front of Bruce's desk. "I'm so tired of keeping up appearances."

"What would you have me do instead?" Bruce leaned back in his chair. He had little patience for this sort of behavior, though he was trying to let Dick express himself. The question only seemed to make the younger more irritated.