Gotham's Unknown 3 Predator and Prey

Chapter 6: Silver Before Gold

Adam stood on the porch of the Dupont Mansion. He knocked at the door and waited but no one ever came then suddenly a large off road jeep pulled into the gravel driveway behind him and honked its horn at him twice. Adam stepped down from the porch and up to the jeep seeing Arthur sitting in the driver seat. "Nice car!" Said Adam as he stood by the passenger side door which had its window rolled down.
"Oh yeah, old girl has never let me down. Hop in I want to show you something." Said Arthur as Adam threw his backpack in the backseat and got in the passenger side.

Arthur drove them into the wooded areas of the Dupont land and as they drove Arthur explained why he requested his presence. "Adam, I understand that you're confused about whether or not you want to be a vigilante." Stated Arthur as Adam sighed.
"I mean I don't know... I know Stagg wants to protect everyone in this city even if they hate us." Adam said as Arthur nodded.
"And who is Stagg?" Asked Arthur as Adam chuckled.
"He's this little voice in my head or a hallucination, sometimes he's both but I know that he used to look like this man made entirely of light with these bright golden eyes but now he looks like I did that night. He likes to do what I can't since I'm such a coward..." Said Adam as he hung his head.
"Never say that about yourself!" Said Arthur as he put his hand on Adam's thigh but immediately removed it when their eyes met. Suddenly Stagg's white gloved hand reached out for Arthur's hand. "Don't tell your mother I touched you like that, I'm certain she'd skin me." Said Arthur as Adam laughed.
"Yeah probably." Said Adam with a grin thinking of his mother and though she would never admit it, when it came to her love for her children she and Joker had a lot in common.

Arthur drove the two of them out to an old rickety looking church covered in overgrown weeds and was in desperate need of a paint job. "Where are we?" Asked Adam as they got out of the Jeep.
"This is the old servant chapel on the Dupont property, Mother never used most of the land we have, hell she only took care of the mansion everything else went to bloody hell but since this is my property now I will use it as I please." Said Arthur as he walked up to the church and Adam followed.
"And what exactly will you be using it for?" Asked Adam as Arthur stopped.
"You know how Batman has a cave?" Asked Arthur as Adam nodded. "Well where do you find a White Stagg?" Asked Arthur as Adam blinked.
"I don't know I've never gone hunting." Said Adam as Arthur sighed.
"A valley, you find a stag in a valley." Said Arthur as he turned and pushed open the large wooden doors. "Here is your valley." Said Arthur as Adam stepped inside the church and saw dozens of cases labeled Wayne Tech.
"How?" Asked Adam as Arthur shrugged.
"Well I took over my mother's position at Wayne Enterprises and I think I've proven to your grandfather that I can be trusted because when I told him of your vigilant exploits he was rather impressed and excited to offer any help he could so he has supplied us with the proper equipment to hopefully become the new Batman." Said Arthur as Adam turned to him.
"I still don't know." Said Adam as Arthur nodded.
"Of course take your time to decide but do remember that this city needs someone like you." Said Arthur as Adam nodded.

While Adam talked with Arthur, Sarah had to rush down to the GCPD to check on Edward Nygma who had gotten himself arrested for something a little odder than usual. It was murder of course but this time he was caught in the act and seemingly emotionally distressed this was quite odd so they called in a woman that was excellent in calming him down. Sarah rushed into the GCPD and ran into Jim's office not see Edward in the holding cells in the center of the room. She barged into Jim's office and demanded to see him. Jim then accompanied by two other police officers and Detective John Quinton all went down into the basement of the GCPD which over the years had been converted into a small confined cellblock for the more rowdy criminals that needed to be kept in their own separate cells. Sarah knew Detective Quinton personally because he was Addison Pauler's legal guardian and Addison was Adam's best friend since he started school in Gotham so the three parental figures, including Daniel, got to know each other very well. They brought Sarah down to the very end cell and there they saw Edward sitting on the floor of the cell hyperventilating. Sarah knew exactly what was happening and sprung into action. "Open the cell!" She barked as she put her hands on the glass of the cell door.
"Why?" Asked Jim as she clenched her first.
"He's having a panic attack, talking to him through the glass won't fix the problem! Now let me in there!" Shouted Sarah as Jim allowed them to open the cell. Sarah rushed in and sat in front of Edward on her knees. "Edward look at me!" Said Sarah as she held the sides of his face making him stare at her. "Look at me! It's all going to be alright. Just breathe, I know it feels like you can't but you can I promise you that." Said Sarah as she then went on to guide him in a breathing exercise. Slowly but surely Edward returned to a calm state.
"Is he alright now?" Asked Jim as Sarah nodded.
"Yes but I'd like to speak with him alone." Said Sarah as one of the officers protested but Jim allowed it and they left. They sat together for a while silently until Sarah spoke up. "So I take it you haven't told Oswald yet?" Asked Sarah as Edward scoffed.
"How can I?! Oswald has lost so many people in life and I've spent the last 30 years convincing him that I was going to be the only constant in his life! If I tell him it will break his heart and I can't stand the thought of doing that to him." Said Edward as Sarah took Edward's hand.
"Edward soon you won't be able to hide this from him, soon he'll know." Said Sarah as she squeezed his hand. "Would it be more painful for you to tell him or would it be more painful for him watch you slowly lose your mind and him having no idea what's happening to you?" Asked Sarah as Edward hung his head and took off his glasses.
"I can't do it, I'm sorry..."

After that day Adam went to Wayne Manor to talk with Bruce hopefully to get an answer to if this was still the right move to make or if he was ready for this at all. Adam stood at the door but noticed it was unlocked so he invited himself in. He wandered through the empty mansion trying to find Bruce, or Alfred, or anyone really. He wandered around for a while then found his Mom's old room. He wandered around the room running his hands along the photos on the walls of her and Daniel or her and Vanessa. He looked at the psychology posters, the dozens of therapy books lining her shelves, then something caught his eye. It was a framed photo on her desk of her and Joker, Adam had no idea that they took a photo together but there was something odd about the photo. Adam picked up the frame and took the back of it out to get a better look at it. As he pulled the picture out he noticed that there was writing on the back of the photo. He read it and smiled because it said 'Dad's first day out of Arkham; Frustrated but happy nonetheless' Adam smiled at that because he knew how important Joker's mental health was to Sarah but how not important it was to Joker. Adam put the photo back in it's frame then he heard a very slight breathing behind him so without even turning he knew who was standing in the doorway. "Hey Grandpa." Said Adam as he heard Bruce chuckling behind him.
"You got that from me ya know." Said Bruce as Adam turned and smiled. The two hugged and went to sit in Bruce's office. "So what are you here for?" Asked Bruce as Adam sat down.
"I'm here to talk to you, actually." Said Adam as he looked down at his hands in his lap and sighed nervously.
"It's about this White Stagg business right?" Asked Bruce as Adam looked up with a shocked look.
"How did you?-"
"Please! Who do you think you're talking to kid?" Asked Bruce as he leaned against his desk.
"So what do you think? Should I do it?" Asked Adam as Bruce sat next to him in another chair.
"Well that's not up to me, now is it." Said Bruce as Adam nodded.
"I know it's my decision in the end but Grandpa I feel like if I do this, all I'm gonna do is let everyone down." Said Adam as Bruce smiled.
"I had those same thoughts when I was considering becoming Batman. In the end I had to consider the facts, bad people are always going to exist no matter what you do but you can't let that stop you from trying to save everyone even the ones who don't think they're worth saving like your Grandpa J." Said Bruce as Adam saw that look in his eye and that look was the look of someone who dedicated their life to saving everyone no matter what they had done, they were all worth saving.
"Please Adam this is our destiny." Stagg begged him. "Please."
"I'll do it."

After that talk Adam went back to Arthur and accepted his offer. Adam started training to become the White Stagg that Gotham needed. Arthur had a suit made, it was white and was incapable of being stained by blood, dirt, or rain, it would remain a pure white light for Gotham. The suit was not bullet proof because Adam was immortal much like his mother and he thought that his immortality as the Stagg would put fear into those who tried to hurt him knowing they couldn't. The suit was light so that Adam could easily make his effortless bounds across rooftops and up fire escapes as he would need to. The helmet was state of the art, along with a built in headset and voice modulator it also had its own personal targeting system that gave Adam the ability to see and hear things to allow him the ability to react before things happen and per Adam's request the helmet's shell was designed to look like a stag skull but had gold patches exactly where on his face he had white patches on his skin. The last thing that he and Arthur had to discuss was what kind of weapon Adam would use. "You know what, I got it! It's perfect! hold on!" Said Arthur as he ran out of the room the two had been brain storming in and came back with an iron mace.
"Woah!" Said Adam as Arthur placed it on the table.
"Yes, I'm sort of a medieval collector and when you think of Stagg you always think of the antlers right?" Asked Arthur as he placed down the large iron mace. "When why don't we make you a mace?" Asked Arthur as Adam touched the sharp edges of the mace and looked at him.
"Well it's a great thought, I just don't want to kill like my grandfather." Said Adam as Arthur nodded.
"Well we could make the blades retractable, all you'd have to do is flick a little button, the blades extend, and I'm certain it would scare the tar out of anyone trying to mess with you." Said Arthur as he sat on the table. "What do you think?" Asked Arthur as Adam nodded.
"I think that'll work." Said Adam