Harold

[knightbynight]

Bruce responds to the text messages that make it through to him, but he does it cautiously. They consistently prove useful, helpful and legitimate. He doesn't trust them because the tips themselves - not knowing who they're from, and the fact that they are being sent to him - are a red flag.

He is altogether too smart for that not to feel like someone's trying to lure him in.

Lack of complacency doesn't stop curiosity, though - it does the opposite, really.

So he keeps responding, putting out fires as he finds them, but he also starts digging.

What he finds is an abandoned library owned by... multiple shell companies.

It definitely feels an attempt to lure him in.

He's still curious, though, and he has an address.

He parks under a street light, half sits and half leans against the car of the dark bentley to wait. He looks for all the world like he's made himself bait in his own trap. If he were setting a trap for being mugged. ...He's not. Probably. Much.

Comments

[man_who_sold_the_world]

Harold's smile back is also small, but nearly painfully sincere.

"Nothing inherently dangerous, Mr. Wayne."

There *is* a safe hidden behind a book shelf but it's honestly just mementos. Weighing the likeliness Bruce will go looking for it, if he mentions it, versus will immediately find it, in this sweep, Harold elects to simply...not.

[knightbynight]

"I'm not that paranoid. It's a library."

He is, and it could be anything, but once he wanders off, he truly is just scanning the shelves. Not prying, not looking for traps, or hidden safes.

He's walking through a library, looking at bookshelves. Occasionally looking up or dropping to a crouch, pulling a book off - of nearly any topic, or every topic - before putting it back.

He'll wander out to see if he has a car at some point, really he will.

[man_who_sold_the_world]

When Bruce comes out Harold is taking a break, of sorts, very carefully doing some leg stretched. It's clearly strikepainful uncomfortable.

He pauses. "Find anything of interest?"

[knightbynight]

Bruce is gone for a while, because that collection itself is interesting -- though he leaves things on the shelves for the time being. The content of the library holds his interest all by itself.

He could spend days in here, quite happily, picking out individual titles to fall into.

He doesn't have that kind of time, though.

"Yes." He doesn't elaborate either. "What's wrong with your leg?"

[man_who_sold_the_world]

His expression goes a little flat. "An injury that's still healing." If Bruce had turned up more quickly after those first few messages, he'd have found Harold in a wheelchair.

He should almost certainly be under better medical care than he has been, including letting a surgeon look him over. But well, he hasn't, and isn't.

[knightbynight]

"I never would have guessed," he says, dryly.

Weirdly it isn't at all harsh. Just makes a mental note to keep an eye on that in case he's in this man's physical presence again or it becomes more his business than it currently is.

"Be careful with Gotham and I will see you again soon, I'm sure."

He needs to go make sure he still has a car.