Taken [Currently being re-written]

Chapter Eight•Nico's Family

Bruce had originally planned to spend the entire afternoon with Nico and his family. He was curious, Nico was a nice boy and he wanted to meet whatever family he had left. Yes, they didn't file out a missing person's report, but maybe they were in a position in which they couldn't just go to the police. Maybe they had been looking for Nico in their own ways, who could know.

Normally Bruce judged people and situations fast, he had to as Batman and it came in Handy as Bruce Wayne, but this time he tried to keep an open mind.

The actions of Nico's family did not leave a good first impression with Bruce, but there were good possible explanations for everything they did or didn't do, and he was certain they could reach a common ground of some kind.

It had started good enough.

Nico had apparently really missed his uncle. Bruce let them have their moment, then he introduced himself. Nico already headed to their table and Bruce could see a couple sitting there, probably waiting for him and Nico.

Luckily for Bruce, Chris Brunner was great at small talk, so much so that he didn't need to say much at all on their way over to the table.

When he recognised people he had investigated on his own as well as with the Justice League as the people sitting at the table with Nico, he began to feel sceptical. When he saw how at ease and clam Nico was around Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, he changed his mind entirely. He wanted to trust Nico di Angelo, he really did, but he had only really known the boy for a couple of days and having Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson as people he felt comfortable around with spoke for itself.

Bruce was only half paying attention to what everyone was saying, his mind racing to the many reasons why Nico could be affiliated with these people, why he would call them his family. Maybe he was in over his head and didn't realise what danger he was in. The tone of their voices and their body language at least gave away that they hadn't seen Nico in quite some time, maybe he didn't even know of their borderline villainous activities.

"Bruce, I see you just met Chris, now allow me to introduce you to Percy, my cousin, and Annabeth, his Girlfriend", Nico said with a smile on his face, but Bruce could tell that something was off.

One clear thought formed through all the chaos that was in Bruce's head: Get Nico out of here.

If Nico was in on it, working with them and all of that, then maybe limiting the contact he had to these dangerous people would limit the influence they had over him. And if he was too far gone then he could recognise that faster if Nico lived in the Mannor with him.

He did what anyone in his position would do: send a text to Oracle.

Batman: I need all the information you can get me on Chris Brunner ASAP.

Oracle: Y

Oracle: Who is that

Batman: He is affiliated with Nico, I'll explain later, but hurry up!

Batman: If you need a picture of him hack into the security cameras of the café I'm at.

Oracle: kk

Oracle: I'll see what I can do

Bruce had another idea, it wasn't the most ethical thing a man in his position could, so tried to be as discreet as possible when placing the tiny microphones all around their table. He still thought he must seem off somehow to people who knew him, perhaps more fidgety than usual, or perhaps just plain old weird. But nobody at the table knew really knew him, and he was sure he had gotten away with it when nobody commented on his behaviour.

While waiting for Oracle to text back he made some more small talk with everyone. He was good at talking about unimportant things, he did it all the time when he had to give an interview or talk to other rich people at events and galas.