This DCverse is Maddening

"Another rainy day…" Albert sighed as he gazed out the window, taking in the constant smattering of rain that pelted down on the city. The clouds overhead were dark and gloomy, only further adding to the rather dower appearance Gotham had. He could only watch as they rolled through the sky without a care in the world, as though their appearance didn't just sap all the energy out of people. Even now, he struggled to keep his eyes open as nature's rhythm tried it's best to lull him to sleep.

"Yep, I'm done for the day."

Today had been a rather slow day for the teen, coming home after being registered yesterday he really didn't have much else to do. Robinson didn't have any work for him as that had been snatched up by some of the more enthusiastic neighborhood kids. And given the man's heart of gold, there was no way he was going to give out work to someone who already had a warm place to stay over a gaggle of homeless kids. Especially not with the weather being the way it is.

Albert wouldn't begrudge the man for his decision, they needed the money a lot more than he did. But it was still rather disheartening to fall back on his ever dwindling savings and even now, he was waiting on a few places to call him back. But honestly given his age, he didn't hold out too much hope on finding anything. So in the mean time, he was relying heavily on some stroke of luck to swing in his favor and finally have some distraught person come in with some problems. Along with a fat stack of cash, but even he knew that was far too much to wish for.

That had been his routine for awhile now, waiting on some random schmuck to walk through those doors with a boatload of cash and an easy case to solve.

But as one could see, that would have to remain a simple fantasy.

Standing up from his slouched position in one of the last remaining office chairs, the teen walked over to the entrance to lock up for the night. The lack of progress combined with the rain had seriously begun to work it's magic and even now, his struggling eyelids felt as though they had spontaneously gained a few extra pounds.

In that moment all he wanted to do was maybe eat some of those leftover fries and sleep his worries away for another day. After all, those would be future Albert's problem.

But it seems this world enjoyed playing games with him as just as his finger tips grazed upon the handle, hair stood up on his arms as he actually looked outside. Besides the door, leaning against the wall a dark figure stood. Their shoulder's hunched and jacket wet from the rain. Making them seem rather ghoulish, not something a half-asleep person wanted to see.

Every muscle in his body locked up, heart pumping a near mile a minute. The beats drumming through his mind, fingers twitching at the side. But despite standing there as still as a statue for a few seconds, the figure didn't move. Whether they hadn't noticed him or not, it didn't matter. It only mattered that it gave him the time he desperately needed.

Letting out a stream of breath through gritted teeth, Albert slipped one hand into his trench-coat only to run fingers across a thin t-shirt. In that moment, an image of the jacket laying haphazardly across a kitchen chair flashed behind his eyes.

'Great…'

It didn't seem like he would be able to solve this with the threat of violence, so that only left his other tool set. His eyes raked over the hunched figure, taking in the soaked jacket and downcast face. Their features weren't exactly clear given how dark the street had gotten but their posture told him they weren't hostile. At least not yet. Looking down at their small shoes, he took note of how they slightly pointed towards one another.

"What do you want?"

Albert tried to make his voice seem deeper, to somehow instill a spike of dread to pierce into their hearts and make them think carefully before trying anything stupid. He's had a lot of practice doing so during the last couple of weeks but judging from the blonde's peels of laughter and small smile on the redhead's lips that usually followed, he still needed some work. So he was equally as startled where instead of the ridicule he normally got for trying this stunt, a loud high pitch yelp echoed through the glass door and the figure hopped away from view. As though they were a cat and he just stepped on their tail.

'Didn't think that would work.' Looking further outside, he saw the figure grip at their chest and nearly leapt out of the way with that single movement. His heart began to thump as he tried to think of any plan to fight against an armed foe. 'I'll turn off the lights first, I've grown accustomed here so it shouldn't be too hard. Plus besides, there isn't much to bump into. Once I get to the back, I'll go upstairs to get my own gun, leave the door open and wait there for them to come up the stairs themselves.'

A soft, slightly skittish voice shattered his planning with the force of an iceberg," E-excuse me? Is this Xander in?"

"Who?" It only took a moment for the name to snap into place. This building was initially some business firm called 'Xander's Consulting', at least that was the name of the business was registered under. He thought it was just some last name or something but nope, the business was named by the man himself. Narcissism at it's finest.

"H-he's the boss," The woman fumbled over her words a bit, nervousness evident in her tone. And she even began to fidget in place, her shoes letting out wet squelching noises as she did so. He had to fight back the instinctual flinch from that simple sound and listened to her mouse like voice continuing," He-he said if I have a-any issues or problems..that I-I could come and see him?"

Albert kept his face blank as the woman spluttered and flushed through her words, none of them were stupid here. From his first walk through of the building, he had come to the conclusion that this Xander wasn't a very good man. At first it was only him guessing from the mile high evidence that made the man seem slightly off. But with this woman now coming in her time of need, it only further cinched his initial thought.

"You look like you're freezing," He opened the door wide enough for the woman," You can wait the rain out inside at least. Come in and I'll prepare some water or something."

At first, it looked like she wasn't going to take him up on his offer but then she actually looked at him and took in his extremely youthful appearance. Maybe if he looked his age, then maybe the woman would be more hesitant to step into an empty building with a stranger. But it seemed his skinny and short frame made people a lot more at ease around him. And with a nod, she walked into the building. Instantly tracking a steady stream of water on his floors.

'Hopefully no one slips on that.'

He mused, closing the door behind her and turned to watch the unnamed woman almost collapsed into one of the remaining office chairs. Her head turning every which way at the completely empty area, devoid of even the corporate posters Ivy had taken down with great relish. The woman's shoulders looked ready to completely fall of her body due to that heavy slump that befell her, before she nearly collapsed into a nearby office chair that swiveling slightly in place.

It looked as though whatever hope she once had, had slipped away at the sight of the cleared out office area. Something that sent a spike of concern to fill his heart, after all the most dangerous type of people were the desperate kind.

'Maybe it'll be best to get my gun.. Just in case.'

"Can I get you anything? I have some water, juice, tea and carbonated drinks?"

"….You mean pop?" The look she sent his way was enough to make him envious. She had no idea the war that word had ensued. "But yeah...I'll take some tea if it's not too much to ask."

Nodding, Albert walked briskly to the backroom, palms growing clammy as he tried to make his footsteps seem unhurried and casual. He knew there wasn't anything of value in this building, there was no hidden cache filled with bills nor any important documents worth stealing. But that didn't mean other people would believe him if he said so.

As he passed the back door, his eyes flickered over the handle. The haft had been left in the same position he remembered, the lock still in place without any signs of tampering. At this, he let out a small breath of relief. A blanket of security that only grew in thickness as his jacket came in view. It's beige coloring that showed signs of heavy washing looked so beautiful in that moment, the wide expanse of pockets and buttons and the long coats that usually hung around his knees.

The material felt a bit heavy as he lifted the apparel, but the weight felt comfortable on his shoulders as he slipped it on. The sudden warmth it provided sent another stream of comfort through him, that sensation only bloomed as something hard and cold pressed against his chest.

'Let's see if you try to rob me now lady.'

With that new confidence flowing through him, he softly whistled as he started to take out a variety of items. It wasn't long before he left the backroom with a tray balancing between his palms, with a plastic kettle, two cups, spoons and a couple tea bags. He even threw in a few crackers off to the side, there were many things he was. A bad host, he was not.

But if Albert expected the woman to have done anything, than he was bound to be disappointed. Living in Gotham was a rather...strange experience. The people here were rude or just uncaring of those around them, and that just made those that tried to be kind like blaring beacons in this sea of apathy. But given how this city was, those people normally wouldn't shine so bright for long without being burned a few times. After all, in a place as grim as this repaying kindness with a brutal reminder was expected.

So color him surprise when instead of a torn apart room or her holding a gun up to rob him of the very socks off his feet, the woman had stayed in her seat. Chair facing the window as the rain continue to beat against the glass. From his position, she just looked lost.

The image of a man in that exact same position and posture overlapped over her frame, that slumped sitting. Sallow skin and messy hair.

'Man,' He shook his head to dispel the ghost, setting the tray down and taking up a seat on his own,' Gotham sucks.'

"I hope you don't mind." The teen tried to force an upbeat down to his voice, sounding completely alien to his own ears. The tone came out soft and soothing, calm and collected as he leaned heavily on the inaudible murmurs Psychology whispered to him. It mumbled a multitude of secrets as her layers were ripped away from her with a type of medical precision that would be envied. "But I only had green tea available. Do you want some honey?"

"That's fine and yes, thank you."

She smiled slightly, taking the offered cup of steaming tea. The light smell of something fruity wafted through the air, sounds of metallic handled scrapping themselves across the rims as they stirred. Albert didn't push the woman to speak, only surreptitiously glancing at her appearance out of the corner of his eye. With her hood down down, he could finally get a better look at his guest.

The woman looked to be maybe in her late twenties to early thirties, with light brown skin that looked to have lost a few shades from either the cold or however much stress this situation put her in. Her face had this slight hollow look to it, especially around the cheeks, coming across more ghoulish than anything else. A nose that seemed a bit red around the edges and tangled hair that stuck to her skull like a cap of sorts. Pale, cracked lips that greedily suckled at the cup, nibbling on a cracker every once and awhile.

But it was those green eyes, sunken and grim that told the story. Those orbs spoke of lost, anger, unwillingness, desperation, resignation and most of all, fear. This was someone close to the edge, as though just a simple breeze would be all required to push them over to the abyss.

It was like looking at a mirror.

Despite the fact that her appearance made his heart ache in sympathy, he didn't utter a word. Leaving the ball in her court to either pick up or abandon at her discretion. Trying to force anyone to speak never truly worked the way one wanted. Doing so now would only make her feel as she was under some obligation or pressure to do so, making the upcoming conversation seem a lot less genuine in the end.

Albert didn't know how long they sat there in relative silence, but eventually the woman in question picked up the proverbial ball.

"I'm sorry." She croaked into the silence, sniffling loudly. Her fingers nearly turned white as she gripped at the cup with her all. "I-I'm just over here taking advantage of the kindness of a kid… I'm so fucking pathetic."

He didn't respond, only turning his entire body to giver her his full attention.

"Again, I'm sorry. I shouldn't unload all my problems on you. You don't deserve that, especially not after you let some sorry stranger into your home…"

"There's no need to apologize." Like a mantle, calm overtook him as his words came out smoothly. Even taking on a slightly higher pitch to drive his youth home. "I had no other plans for the evening. But let me introduce myself. My name is Albert."

"...I'm Bethany."

"It is very nice to meet you, Bethany."

With this he let out a small smile, doing would naturally make people feel more at ease. Not too wide as to scare her away but to further make her feel comfortable enough to speak without feeling pressured.

"So...do you know where Xander went? Or where the...business went?"

"No." Albert shook his head. "I acquired this building some time ago from the city after the...incident."

"How can you stay here?" She motioned out to the dark streets, the long stretch of darkness that reached out to the very of the road where the streetlights actually worked. Honestly, it gave the neighborhood a pretty creepy vibe. "Especially after...the incident?"

"It was cheap." He shrugged, sliding his gaze to the strip of darkness. "Before this, I was homeless. And the price they offered was too good to pass up on. Plus, I don't need to worry about utilities until more people move in...If that ever happens, that is.

"Oh.." Bethany grew quiet for a moment before speaking up once more," How could you have been homeless if you could afford this?"

"That's a bit of a long story, but to make it simple I had a small inheritance but due to my age, there were no places that wanted to sell or rent to me. And those that were willing, wanted to only deal in cash."

At that, the woman winced in sympathy," It's good you didn't fall for that, they probably would've taken your money and then gotten you arrested for trespassing or squatting. It's a pretty common scam around here."

"Indeed." He nodded before continuing," So it was more good luck than anything else when I found this place. And even better luck was the fact that it had living quarters upstairs. So yeah, I've just been living here for the couple of weeks waiting for my business to take off."

"…." Bethany looked at the teen across from her, face screwing up with a multitude of emotions before it settled on a strange mixture of apprehension and disgust. "I-I don't know how to tell you this, but...I sure hope you uh got rid of the bed? There were some rumors when I worked here and…"

"Oh no," Albert quickly cut in," I made sure to throw that mattress out. I've laid on a lot of motel's beds before coming here and let me tell you, that mattress was truly the worst I've ever seen."

"It must've been awful to take it out of here." She laughed and it was nice to hear, deep and throaty. He didn't even mind if it was at his expense. Sometimes, laughter was all that was needed in the end. It of course wasn't the be all cure, more like a thin band-aid over a wound but it still helped nonetheless. For the next for seconds, all that could be heard over the rain was her soft laughter but eventually even that faded as she asked her next question. "Business? What is it that you do? I don't see any of the computers or anything here?"

"Nothing illegal, I can assure you." He could hear that underlining question and looking at it from her point of view, this wide open room did look pretty suspicious. "As for my business? Lets just say I help people. You're looking at the founder of The Seeking Eye Agency. We specialize in locating people, items and secrets."

"….Are you sure you're not a mobster?" The quirk of her lips told him she was only jesting but then fell into silence and took on a contemplative expression. Fingers drum across the teacup as she mulled over whatever was on her mind, he waited patiently as she slowly began to speak once more. "Hypothetically, how much are your services?"

"That usually depends." Albert was a firm believer in charging only what someone could afford, maybe if his guest looked as though she came from money then he wouldn't feel guilty charging them an exorbitant price just for the heck of it. What was a couple hundred dollars to someone who made that much just by breathing? "My agency isn't official so I can't charge anything too much and the price would also depend on the difficulty of the task you wish for me to achieve...But I can take a starting deposit as low as a dollar."

"A dollar? I don't buy it."

"Really." He raised his palms up. "Just a dollar, it's more of a formality than anything else. If I find what you need then I'm usually open to whatever price you find fair or can afford."

"Don't you have people to pay?" She quirked a brow. "Like employees, contacts or something? What if the case takes a long time to solve? How are you going to live off a dollar?"

"Obviously I said a deposit can be as low AS a dollar. Not that it'll always be so. I do plan to charge more if I do get my license, but until then I'm willing to work on the goodwill of people."

"Aren't you worried about getting cheated? What if they decide that they don't owe you anything?"

"Then they'll just be blacklisted from my services." Albert shrugged, while it would suck to get cheated like that it wasn't like he wouldn't be rewarded for his work. The system was enough for that. And plus besides, he didn't believe such a person wouldn't be facing troubles again in the future. That would be all the revenge he needed.

"So...what you're saying is if I wanted to contract you, all I need is a dollar?" Bethany nibbled on her bottom lip in thought, looking extremely apprehensive. "Are you absolutely sure that's all?"

"I'm sure."

He could understand why she was so cautious of such an arrangement. Here she was seemingly on her last leg, going to do something that most assuredly she would regret in the morning with this Xander character. Only to run into someone who just happens could possibly help her out for an incredibly affordable price? Yeah, it sounded incredibly sketchy no matter which way the picture was turned.

But alas, if she had any other options then why come here?

"Here." She rummaged around in her pockets and took out a single dollar bill. "If this is enough to have you hear me out, then so be it."

"Thank you for your patronage." In a flash of motion, the bill disappeared. "Now, Ms. Bethany how can the Seeking Eye Agency help you?"

"I can't believe I'm doing this…" The woman sighed, her eyes locked into the empty tea cup. "But I'll believe you."

"It began a couple weeks ago, before the Blackgate prison break. I had run into some money troubles after my hours were cut here, and in order to make sure I wasn't out on the streets I did something stupid. I pawned off a watch given to me by my late father….I know, I know it was an idiotic idea but I really needed the money at the time. And plus besides, I've been to this pawn shop a lot over the years. I knew the owner and everyone who worked there, so I thought it would be fine. They have this thirty day period where they'll hold whatever item you pawned off and as long as you payback the loan, plus a little interest, they'll give it back without a fuss. At first, I hadn't really thought much of it so I didn't plan to even trying to get the watch back…."

"But after the lock down, I began to have second thoughts and so went to get it back. I don't know what happened but everyone I talked to actively dismissed me as though I was just some loiter. And even when I tried speaking to some of the employees directly, they always found a reason to slip away from the conversation. It got so bad that I had demanded to speak to the owner…. Well, I got my wish, eventually. By then, I already had the full amount needed to pay the loan back and everything. But when we actually met up, he increased the price by a solid four hundred dollars. But he told me that I could increase the holding period by paying what I had and coming back within the month to pay everything else out….I stupidly gave him everything I had and came back a week and a half later, only for him to give me the same exact excuse and demand more money from me. This time three hundred for 'holding fees' and told me I would need to pay that or else I would loose all my money and the watch, so once again I stupidly gave him the money."

"And now we're onto more recent events, just this week I went back to finally pay everything back but when I got there, he increased the price again! By an addition five hundred dollar this time! This time, I tried to argue with the man but he wouldn't budge and in fact told me that I would need to pay six hundred if I didn't want him selling it this week."

"I-I can't lose this watch… I know, I shouldn't have pawned it off in the first place. I know. But I've been working myself to the bone to get it back, taking ever temporary that'll take me. Even going so far as to cut my sleep down to like four-to-five hours, but even then I only really had time for short naps so that's a bit misleading. There were a bunch of times I just thought of throwing in the towel, you know? It's just a watch, right? My father certainly wouldn't want to see me near killing myself to get it back...but I can't. I just can't."

"I-" This time she had paused, a guarded expression flashed across her face like a knight slamming their visor shut. It didn't matter how downtrodden or desperate this woman is, living in Gotham will always temper the self against others. This was a city where dreams were snuffed out with callous disregard, where childhood friends would stab you in the back if it got them out of the mud. Where innocence went to die. He took note of her increasingly defensive posture, as though to ready herself against an upcoming attack. As though he would lose all pretenses and rip away his thin mask of civility, revealing the rabid beast just beneath the surface. The teen only stood still, allowing that suspicious gaze to wash over him as his expression remained stuck with that congenial smile.

"I do have the money to pay…" Her shoulders slumped as the words entered the room. "But I don't want to be stupid this time...at least not anymore. I was willing to play his tune for as long as possible, but this time I want something more tangible. Like a contract or something. No more of this word to mouth shit."

"So what exactly do you want me to do?"

Albert felt it was prudent to actually ask this, there were already plenty of ways to deal with this rather crooked pawn shop owner.

"I want to punch him for taking so much money from me…" She laughed hollowly, the sound coming out slightly frayed. Honestly, if he heard that laugh in a haunted house, he wouldn't hesitate to run away in the opposite direction. "But...that won't help me any. I'll tell you what, if you can find out why he keeps screwing me over, then I'll be content."

That familiar sound filled his ears at her words, a chime he felt as though he hadn't heard in years.

[New Case opened: Crooked Pawnbroker

Description: Bethany in her time of need, pawned off her late father's watch, to a pawn shop that she had been a routine customer of for the last couple of years. But unlike their usually behavior, they've grown incredibly shifty when it came to this situation! Unravel this mystery before the owner enforces his threats!

Requirements: Find out why she's being gouged!

Difficulty: F

Rewards: 1 IP]

[Would you like to take on this case?]

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