Alfred sighed and pulled his glasses off. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He sighed, trying to hold back the tears. Yet, his face contorted involuntarily and twin streams erupted from below his eyelids. He gasped audibly, then tried to regain his composure.
They had lost. He had lost. He had fought for Batman, but Bruce Wayne was never going to let him win.
The past month had seen Bruce spiral into a quiet, misanthropic rage. Bruce had never wanted adulation for Batman, or to be celebrated. He just wanted a quiet acknowledgement of his role. A veneer of acceptance that allowed him to dart in and out of the shadows, yet proclaim his identity when necessary. The people of Gotham had slowly withdrawn it from him. First the sex predator accusation, then fingers pointed at Batman for the latest embezzlement at City Hall. A break-in. Was Batman in over his head? The reporters tip-toed around the story, one even confessing he was afraid of being "strangled in the night." Gotham PD had come under fire for being "Batman first, officer second".
Perhaps they grew too complacent under Batman's watchful eye, perhaps a more sinister agenda was being perpetrated. He had asked Bruce to look into it, surprised by the young man's angry naivete,
"I am not going on a witch hunt, Alfred. Batman does not need PR and that is that!"
He had already told Commissioner Gordon that no investigation was necessary, cutting Alfred's only avenue of assistance off. The wound festered for days, the affliction consumed Bruce. He had tried talking to Master Wayne on several occasions, his arguments based on facts, making no appeal other than for Batman to go take a look. Until Bruce had shoved him away, physically. Alfred could not forgot that look of pained betrayal,
"Are you one of them, Alfred? Are you going to tell me what to do now? Or do you just want to fling more shit at Batman's face?"
It could not be helped. The BatCave fell into disrepair. Alfred settled into a few routine. The worst had been averted, or so he thought.
The document in front of him granted him a 10% share of all revenues and royalties accruing from the Batman, Batcave and Batmobile trademarks, which were now majority owned intellectual property of Wayne Entertainment Inc. If Batman was going to be the main attraction at the circus, Bruce wanted to profit from it. A ballsy move by an astute young tycoon. Who was he to stand up to the high and mighty?
Tears rolled down his cheeks freely as Alfred activated the self-destruct controls for the BatCave. Bruce would profit from the Batman. He would kill the Batman. A good butler would do no less.