Stealth and Deception #5, Wednesday Morning,

[badassbutler.livejournal.com]

After getting another handwaved e-mail to come to the Danger Shop, the students would have found if littered with doors. Lots and lots and lots of doors.

"Good morning class," Alfred said as they entered. "Breakfast and caffeine are over there. Get some, sit down, and we'll talk about infiltration. Now there are many types of alarms and many ways of keeping a person out of a door. But we who are exceptionally sneaky do not worry about such things as locks or alarms, do we?

"As I said before, the types of locks and alarms are limitless. And some of them require some very specialized knowledge and tools to break. Therefore, today we are only going to talk about one, the one with the most useful applications."

Alfred held up a rolled up black cloth and let it unroll, revealing a line of well kept tools.

"Today, class, we're going to talk about lockpicking."

So saying, he went into his lecture

After finishing, he took a sip of tea from a nearby cup and pointed to a table. "On that table are lockpicking sets. These aren't holographs, they're real lockpicking sets I obtained for you, and they are yours to keep.

He gestured to the doors behind him. "Have fun, class. I'll be here if you need any hands on assistance. And don't be afraid to ask."

He glanced down at his notes. "Oh, and will Miss Santos see me after class?"

_{[[The OCD, she is up, so have fun! I'll be absent for a good part of the day, so forgive me if I don't respond for a while.]]}

Comments

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

"He did?"

Seras bit her lip.

"That makes sense, actually. I asked him what the most important thing he learned was. And, he told me that while in order to be an effective cop, you've got to bend the rules, it's also important to draw a line for yourself. And not cross it."

[badassbutler.livejournal.com]

Alfred nodded. "I'd believe it. The town was so incredibly bad when he transferred in from Chicago that I doubt he had much of a choice. If he had tried to fight completely fair, the mob bosses would have eaten him alive."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

"It sounds...not entirely unlike London, Sir."

[badassbutler.livejournal.com]

Alfred nodded. "Probably even worse. There was a time when Gotham was the most corrupt city in the Western Hemisphere. The government was actually starting plans in case the city ever actually imploded in on itself."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

"And, Commissioner Gordon...He fixed it? Or at least made it better?"

[badassbutler.livejournal.com]

Alfred nodded. "He didn't do it alone, though. District Attorney Harvey Dent was the only attorney to ever actually have the courage to prosecute the mob bosses. And then there was the Batman. But yes. He was a new transfer detective from Chicago and he actually took a stand against the rotten elements in the police force."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

"He's very brave, then. They all are. That isn't...that isn't always a safe thing to do."

Seras' gaze was fixed on a point somewhere just over Mr. Pennyworth's shoulder. Though, she wasn't looking at anything, really.

[badassbutler.livejournal.com]

Alfred nodded. "It isn't. The nail that stands up the highest is the one that is hammered down. I suppose in the end one has to make a choice whether the possible safety is worth not saying anything."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras nodded, then pressed her fingertips to her mouth for a moment.

"How can you choose when it isn't just your safety that's in question?"

[badassbutler.livejournal.com]

Alfred shook his head. "I wish I knew, Miss Victoria. But there is no real answer to that. You have to decide for yourself when the time comes."

[union-jane.livejournal.com]

Seras nodded and wondered what her father had done. Had he ever consciously made the choice, or had he only been blindly following his own code of morals and inherent decency.

"Thank you, Mr. Pennyworth."