Wayne Manor
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Real Identity: Not Applicable
Appearances (Movies): Merry Little Batman
Appearances (Comics): Little Batman: Month One (Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4)
Appearances (Bat-Fam): Game Knight, Bat Trip, 90 is the New 80, All In A Bat's Day's Work, A Knight at the Movies, The Art of Claire, ManBatMan, Interview With a Batman, April Fools Part 1, and April Fools Part 2
Powers: Not Applicable
Voiced By: Not Applicable
On the night of full moon, Bruce went to the forest near Wayne Manor after he got an urgent message from Alicia. She lunged out in a Werebat costume and scared him. He offered to buy it anything as long as it didn't eat him. Alicia revealed her face and asked for a pony, a fancy yacht, and a double fudge sundae with a cherry on top. He didn't find it funny. She pointed out it was Werebat from their favorite movie "Scourge of the Blood Rot." She offered to switch places and he scare her but he didn't like being lied to. She apologized and made a deal with him: no more lies and no secrets between the two of them. It was sealed with a pinkie promise. Bruce hoped he never saw a bat again. Alfred called out to them, saying it was time for double fudge sundaes before bedtime.
Decades later, on New Years' Eve, Pennyworth finished tailoring a dress suit for Damian to wear at the party at Wayne Manor. Damian thought the party was a waste of time and got riled up when the other children at the kids table starting saying Little Batman couldn't have defeated the Joker without Batman. Damian nearly admitted he was Little Batman but Bruce scooped him up for a private talk. Damian wanted others to know of his exploits but Bruce wanted him to be a big boy. Damian just wanted to be Little Batman all the time. He told Damian being Bruce allowed him to be Batman. Damian asked him what will happen if something bad happens when they're not ready. Bruce tried to convince him to wait till he was older and he would see being Damian was a superpower all its own. One of the guests was a woman named Marion who seemed to have an ulterior motive. She went into the study, looked at the window, then started taking photographs of documents in a drawer in the study.
Damian happened to be walking by and realized she was a criminal spy. He was nearly discovered but hid up in the chandelier. Damian thought his dad was busy and decided to handle it himself. There was a creepy series of knocks at the front door that stopped the party in its tracks. Pennyworth found it peculiar since all the guests were accounted for. Bruce Wayne advised him to stay back and make sure Damian was safe while he checked it out. The front door blew up and Wayne was knocked off his feet. Scarecrow joked his invite must have been lost in the mail. He revealed he came to see Bruce Wayne to take him on a little trip then promised if he went with them, no one would be hurt. Wayne agreed to the terms. Damian was shocked and thought he was going to turn into Batman at any second. Scarecrow called him a coward and laughed. Wayne's hands were tied and they led him outside. Pennyworth held onto Damian as he cried out not to go. Bruce turned and promised he had it under control.
On January 1st, Damian made a list of possible suspects connected to Scarecrow including Joker, Riddler, Calendar Man, Hush, Court of Owls, and Clayface. Pennyworth brought sandwiches and inquired about his investigation. Damian admitted he still didn't understand why his dad didn't beat up Scarecrow at the party. Pennyworth tried to explain it would risk exposing his secret identity and by extension put him in danger. Damian wished they could both be Batman all the time. Pennyworth told him his dad also struggled with both of his personas but he realized that sometimes being yourself can be just as powerful as being Batman. Damian countered dad was awesome and he was just Damian. Pennyworth believed he was the bee's knees. Damian thanked him and they hugged. Someone rang the front door bell. They both went to investigate and it was Marion. She introduced herself and revealed she was Damian's babysitter. In the kitchen, Damian speculated Marion was a test his father was giving to prove he didn't need a sitter. Pennyworth believed he just wanted Damian to have a normal life. He was, however, annoyed Marion was rearranging his cupboards.
Pennyworth refused to condone Damian taking matters into his own hands and believed his dad would save himself. Marion entered with a broom and asked Damian how his science project was coming. Damian grumbled something. She revealed she was thinking about making her world-famous meatloaf. Pennyworth protested he made mincemeat pies on Tuesdays and suggested letting Damian choose. He realized Damian was gone. Alfred Pennyworth answered the phone in the kitchen and was elated to hear Bruce Wayne's voice. Wayne dropped back down into his enclosure and confirmed he was fine then commented on the sad state of security. Pennyworth was relieved and asked if they should be expecting him home soon. Wayne believed the best way to stop Scarecrow was staying put. He wanted to talk to Damian and make sure he didn't come to rescue him. Marion moved a chair in search of Damian. Pennyworth informed Wayne it would be a bit difficult to do so. Marion looked inside the oven in vain. Pennyworth noted Damian could be quite cunning.
Marion blamed herself for giving him homework over winter break. Pennyworth told her not to take it personally. She thought Wayne was going to kill her. Pennyworth tried to fire her but she left to go search for Damian in the city. They left in separate cars to go look for Damian. Pennyworth hoped he was staying out of trouble. In need of a change of clothes and research on the Fear Toxin, Little Batman returned to the Batcave. He discovered only he and Selina were home. Alfred Pennyworth returned to Wayne Manor some time later and called the Gotham Police. He listened to a recording advising him to hang up and dial 9-1-1 if the call was an emergency or wait for Batman. Commissioner Gordon answered the phone. Pennyworth was relieved and asked if he had seen or heard from Damian Wayne. Gordon recalled they had him in custody a bit ago but his babysitter just picked him up.
Pennyworth was elated at Bruce and Damian's return and revealed he figured out Marion was Lynx and was working with Scarecrow the whole time in a plot to release Fear Toxin using the abandoned wastewater facility. They laughed and explained they knew it already. Wayne originally knew Marion was evil because she failed every background check but he thought it would be a good test for Damian to practice his detective skills. He admitted he didn't expect a whole plot with Scarecrow and things got way out of hand. Damian pointed out Pennyworth was the one who got to practice his skills. After taking a shower, Bruce asked Damian if would like to suit up and practice sword skills as a treat. Damian declined and wanted to just be Damian for once. They hugged and watched the Blood Crunch movie with Pennyworth and Selina. Bruce relaxed and remarked this was the life. Pennyworth agreed. Damian asked Bruce about the corrupt police force. Bruce admitted he tried to solve that problem his entire career. Damian suggested using his alter-ego Timothy Business to Bruce's delight.
In the new year, Wayne Manor became home to Ra's al Ghul, trapped in a ghostly form, the former supervillain Volcana, Man-Bat, and Alfred's grandniece Alicia Pennyworth. A week after Claire Selton, formerly Volcana, moved in, Damian, dressed as Little Batman, played Floor's Lava with Selina all over Wayne Manor. He strapped a pretend rocket booster to her back as well. Claire Selton was finished up moving into her bedroom and asked Flame what it thought about the new digs. Claire agreed she was excited, too, but told him to watch the language. She admitted it still felt too good to be true. Little Batman furiously knocked then opened Claire's door, alerting her of a lava field emergency. Claire reminded him she had a rule about knocking, never. Little Batman remembered the rest, "because I never have a reason to bother you." He insisted they had to team up to catch Selina. She warned if he didn't leave her alone, there would be an even bigger emergency then lit up one of her hands.
Bruce and (mostly) Alfred finished decorating for game night. Bruce felt it would be a great way to welcome all the new members of the family. Bruce prepared a tight schedule. They overheard Claire yelling at Damian. Bruce hoped Claire felt more at home already but Alfred reminded him it had only been a week since she moved in and she wasn't the first troubled youth they took in. Bruce patted out a flame that hit a door. He broke them up and asked Damian what they said about bothering Claire then asked Claire what he told her about fire balls in the house. Alfred pointed out there was no harm done. He had no idea the back of his suit jacket was on fire. Bruce put it out but it burned through his jacket and pants, revealing his underwear styled after the British flag. Alfred excused himself to check the rump roast in the oven. Claire claimed it wasn't her fault. Bruce told her to take it easy and they would talk about it later. Bruce and Damian cleaned up after Selina. Damian wondered if Claire hated him. He hoped her moving in would be like getting a big sister.
Bruce assured him she just needed time and in the interim, he needed to go easy on her since she never had a family before and had to learn to trust them. Claire turned a corner and kicked the edge of a carpet then Ra' al Ghul emerged from a sculpture and taunted her by calling her by her old name Volcana. Claire asserted she was just "Claire" then called him a talking fart cloud. Ra's conjured a flashback to when Claire fell in the Lazarus Pit then warned her not to be fooled by Bruce's caring father act, he was still Batman, scourge of evildoers everywhere. Ra's stated he took whatever he wanted, for centuries but now stuck in a ghostly form, he couldn't even enjoy a chocolate snack cake from Bruce's secret stash. He cursed Batman's name and his secret stash. Claire took a bite out of a chocolate snack cake and asked why he even needed food for since he was a ghost. Ra's told her that wasn't the point. He explained if Bruce nearly evicted him over a snack cake and wondered how long he would tolerate a supervillain with no family ties. She paused. Ra's advised her not to finish unpacking quite yet. He called her Volcana again, blew a raspberry, and disappeared into a horse painting.
Alicia Pennyworth triggered the security system trying to enter the manor through the kitchen and was trapped in a laser grid cage. Bruce lowered the cage and she gave him a big hug, revealing she wanted to get an early start to moving in. Alicia noted the security system was updated since she last visited. Bruce told her they had an "incident" last Christmas. He was still the same adorably cautious Bruce she knew 40 years ago but now with a beard. Damian believed the beard ups his intimidation game. Alicia told Damian she and his dad were BFFs before BFFs were even a thing. Damian was impressed but he had no idea what that meant. Alicia ran off to hug her uncle Alfred and carried him off. Bruce cautioned her Alfred wasn't the same spry 70-year-old he used to be. Alicia didn't feel her phone fall out of her back pocket just as she got a text from King Tut. Bruce informed her game night was starting in three hours, 47 minutes, and 52 seconds. Claire saw the text and picked up the phone and hid it. Alicia asked Claire how she liked the manor so far. Claire merely answered with a "Mm" and left the kitchen. Alicia liked being kept in suspense.
Damian complained she didn't want to hang with him either. Alicia believed most tweens she knew weren't into imaginative floor-based games and suggested aging it up a bit. Damian mussed up his hair and went to see Claire. Claire was mad he broke the no knocking rule again. Damian pointed out he didn't knock this time. She sighed. Damian listed off some Floor's games he thought of but Claire had another idea and asked him if it was true Little Batman was good at catching bad guys. Damian humbly bragged he took out the Joker, Penguin, Bane, and Poison Ivy in one night. He conceded his dad was there, but he totally carried him that night. Claire tried to discretely tell him Alicia was a supervillain and they needed to take her down. Damian got excited and talked loudly. Claire told him Alicia was meeting with him at a warehouse in 20 minutes. Alicia happened to leave for a meeting and promised to be back at six o'clock. Damian wanted to tell Bruce but Claire wanted to prove she wasn't just a fiery nuisance and she was worth keeping around. She was surprised when Damian told her she already was worth keeping around.
Damian took her to the Batcave for the first time. They took off in the Batmobile. Bruce and Alfred got the food for game night ready. Bruce didn't think Alicia changed that much since they were kids. Alfred believed they shared the same Pennyworth spirit and pertinacity. He went to the walk-in pantry and was startled to see Man-Bat helping himself to the olives. Bruce asked if they were okay. Alfred declared they had plenty of olives. Bruce clarified he meant Alicia living at the manor. Alfred presumed he meant he was worried she might learn a certain secret of his. Man-Bat agreed. Bruce thought it was hard enough juggling Damian, his training, and Claire. Alfred asked if he was concerned she would cause chaos. Bruce thought low key havoc. Man-Bat warned him. Bruce thought that sometimes her band of adventurous Pennyworth spirit tended to disrupt order. He saw the time and realized he needed to re-calibrate the blow holes on the air hockey table. Alfred went to see to the matter and joked it would be a travesty if Alicia were to make their home less orderly. Man-Bat told Bruce Alfred was being facetious. Bruce knew that.
Ra's feigned shock that Damian asked him to defy Bruce's strict prohibition of dark magic to prove Alicia was a villain (and possibly tear his soul apart). He patted Damian on the head and quickly agreed to help his grandson. Ra's conjured the deadly Sphere of Skaratata. Neither Damian nor Claire could say "Skaratata" right. Ra's told them whoever lies while holding the sphere will draw the wrath of the demon inside it. Claire quickly got an idea to get Bruce to let them play a game with the sphere and catch Alicia in a lie. Ra's proclaimed an eternity of suffering would be hers. Damian was unsure about unleashing an evil demon's wrath. Game night was starting. Claire asked Damian for his help. He relented. Ra's laughed evilly but stopped told them to say Alfred gave them the sphere if they got caught with it. They played charades. During a game of paint ball, Bruce and Alicia ambushed Alfred from behind. Claire and Damian asked Bruce about the sphere. He shook his head "no." They played mini-golf and motocross next.
They tried suggesting the sphere again during bowling but Bruce pointed to the schedule. Next were mud wrestling, go-karts, and table tennis. During basketball, Alicia tricked Bruce by throwing his schedule aside. She sunk an open jump shot to Bruce's annoyance. Alfred, Selina, and Alicia felt bad at the sight of Damian and Claire so listless. Alicia got Bruce's attention and asked him to deviate from his plan a little just this once. Bruce felt bad and asked the kids what they were choosing next to play. Claire perked up and picked hot potato with the sphere. Bruce pointed out the house had a full arcade. Claire called it a special version of hot potato and instructed them that when someone throws it, then asks a question, the person who catches it has to answer it. Claire demonstrated by tossing the sphere to Alicia and asking her where she went in the afternoon. Alicia answered she went to work and nothing happened. She threw the sphere to Damian and asked him what his favorite ice cream was. Damian listed birthday cake and cookie dough then paused and threw the sphere back and asked what her work was.
Alicia revealed she was a counselor. Nothing happened. She threw it to Alfred and asked him who his favorite niece was. Claire dove in front of Alfred, caught the sphere, and asked what being a counselor had to do with King Tut. Bruce told Claire it was Alfred's turn. Alicia told him it was cool and revealed she ran a counseling group named "E*VIL," to help ex-supervillains become upstanding citizens. She boasted coming up with "E" for "ex" and "VIL" for "villains." She told them she just bought them a building to fix up into a home. Damian and Claire exchanged looks and he asked her clarify she wasn't a supervillain. Alicia replied "no" and nothing happened. Alicia threw it to Damian and asked him who he would rather be, Batman or Superman. Bruce wanted to know what was really going on. Before Claire would respond, Damian lied he thought Alicia was a bad guy, told his friend Little Batman who got into a fight that may have led to some light property damage. Damian lied he acted alone except with Little Batman.
Skaratata emerged from the sphere and demanded the fibber. Bruce told Alicia this was why they don't deviate from the plan. He wanted to lead the kids to safety. Alfred volunteered to go call for help with Alicia. Alicia wanted to try compassionate discourse first. She told him she empathized with his anger. He demanded his liar and breathed green flames. Alicia asked Alfred where he said the phone was. Skaratata stomped the floor. Alicia suddenly performed a jump flip, scooped up Alfred holding Selina, and landed safely away from the debris. Once Alicia was out of the room, Bruce and Damian suited up but the latter was benched. Batman got Skaratata's name wrong but vowed to send him back to where he came from. Skaratata corrected him and vowed he would not leave without his liar. He levitated everything in the room, including the room. Claire pointed out Damian lied for her. He brushed off the trouble he got into. Skaratata slammed Batman repeatedly. Damian clarified it might be big trouble. Batman punched Skaratata's face and escaped his grip then dodged his fire balls.
Damian told Claire there were more important things than being Batman. Claire asked her what was more important. Damian replied getting her to trust him. She asked why that was so important. Batman continued dodging the flames shot at him. Damian told her that's what families do. She hugged him. Batman pulled back on one of Skaratata's tusks. Claire stated he wasn't lifting her never knock rule. Damian still had no idea what that rule meant. Claire vowed to come clean with Bruce. Batman was thrown into the wall of the floating floor they were on and told her she just did. He fired a grapnel line, scooped them up, and landed on a couch telling her she was part of the family now and wasn't going anywhere but they were both in huge trouble. Damian told him they got the sphere from Ra's. Batman called out to him. Ra's emerged from a cushion pretending surprise at the mayhem Alfred unleashed. Batman told him the demon wanted to take his grandson to the underworld. Ra's was aghast and conjured a written spell they needed to place on Skaratata's forehead while opening his imprisoning sphere.
Damian volunteered himself and Claire to put the spell on. Batman volunteered himself and Ra's to open the sphere. Claire asked Damian if he still wanted to play Floor is Lava and melted the floor under Skaratata. He became immobilized. Damian was impressed and jumped onto the back of the demon's neck. Ra's opened the sphere with an incantation. Damian spun around Skaratata's head with a line and slapped the spell on his forehead while calling him Skara-loser. He corrected Damian as he was pulled back into the sphere. The room was restored but it was a giant mess. Ra's called out to Alfred. Batman told Damian he was great. Claire presumed she should pack her bags. Batman told her to get in and hugged her, too. The family cleaned up. Alicia returned with more garbage bags and asked if it was just or, or if the manor got a bit weirder since she was a kid.
Claire gave Alicia her phone back and apologized for thinking she was evil. Alicia accepted it and told her she knew feeling like an outsider could make someone do some pretty stupid stuff but realized Claire still didn't trust her. Claire declared that was her thing and not to take it personally. Alicia noted she loved a challenge. They played paper wad basketball. Damian did a slam dunk. Bruce and Alicia quibbled about "fun" and the latter begged the question of what the chances were that something like a demon outbreak was ever going to happen again. Bruce told her the chances were probably higher than she thought. Man-Bat played with the sphere and was hit with a blast wave of energy.
On the eve of a school field trip to Star-Labs, Bruce retrieved Damian's Deputy Bow-Wow doll from the attic but its recorded lines woke up Claire Selton and Alicia Pennyworth. Bruce attempted to explain his motives despite their skepticism and realized they went back to their bedrooms before he was done. The next day, Damian was embarrassed to see Bow-Wow in his backpack. Bruce believed talking him along would be bringing a piece of him, too, since he missed the window to volunteer to chaperon. Damian agreed to take it with him. After Damian got on the school bus, Bruce realized Kelly Chen, the vice president of Wayne Enterprises, was a chaperon on the field trip. Flame posed for Claire. She told it to stop smiling while she painted. Alicia tried to make small talk then excused herself. Claire agreed with Flame she wasn't that bad but she was just trying so hard to fit in.
Alicia tried to pet Selina but she ran to Alfred. Alfred suggested giving her time to grow comfortable around her. Alicia knew that and thought they would get along great if she would give her a chance. Alfred knew she was alluding to Claire rather than Selina but played along. Alfred advised her to have a gentle touch. She chased after Selina. Alicia tried dangling a mouse toy. Selina jumped into the vent. Alicia poked her head in and tried again. Selina smacked her face with her tail. Claire kept talking. Alicia tried luring her on her lap with a bag of cat treats but Selina jumped on Ra's al Ghul's lap instead and sank through him. Ra's was amused how much Selina hated her. Alicia tried a laser pointer but only Man-Bat reacted to it. Alfred called it the "Pennyworth Tenacity" and noted they never gave up, especially if they knew someone was worth it. Claire nervously drank her drink. Claire later went to Alicia's bedroom and told her not everyone was as open about their feelings as she was and some cats and people show affection in different ways like insults. Alicia perked up. Claire told her not to try so hard.
Bruce and Damian apologized to each other about what went down during the field trip and hugged it out. Bruce promised to give Damian a little space and presented his fried Detective Bow-Wow. Damian noticed Selina wasn't in his bedroom like usual. Flame lured Selina into Alicia's room then vanished. Selina settled on the bed with the sleeping Alicia. Claire carefully closed the door. Alfred Pennyworth, Little Batman, and Ra's al Ghul played in Wayne Manor. Pennyworth was dressed as Robin and Ra's shapeshifted to look like the Joker. Ra's cheated and flew over the trap net. Little Batman and Robin ended up in the net. Little Batman called no fair since the real Joker didn't fly but Ra's thought it was unfair he couldn't kill Robin and phased through the ceiling. Pennyworth had to do his chores next, including running a diagnostic on the Exo-Bat suit, an experimental, highly dangerous, weaponized armor. Little Batman asked if he could help. Pennyworth suggested he might but first he had to get out of the tights then make lunch. The chandelier holding the net fell from the ceiling. Pennyworth asked him if he would like to eat a grilled cheese sandwich.
Alfred noticed Alicia was in an especially chipper mood. She revealed he gave herself the day off then she drank from the pickle jar. She was shocked to see him multi-tasking making grill cheese for Damian, Beef Wellington for Bruce, Salsa crabcakes for Claire, raw eggs cooked at room temperature for Man-Bat, and quail l'orange for Ra's al Ghul. Ra's wanted the quail to be alive and called no fair. He unsuccessfully phased through the ceiling with it and called no fair. Alicia was concerned he made all that lunch every day. Alfred claimed it made him happy. Bruce pointed out how much Alfred loved fawning over them. She countered that was when they were five and even now Alfred waited in him hand and foot figuratively and literally. Claire pointed out she only recently started taking advantage of him. She asked for more "red sauce." Damian didn't think anyone took advantage of Alfred then asked for a glass of milk. Alfred excused himself to go turn over the beds. He teased he was using a new detergent with a scent that rhymed with "mavender."
Alicia thought he must want to do something for himself. He thought about it. Bruce boasted he spent every day with Alfred and he was know what he wanted to do. Alfred settled on a family picnic but Alicia interpreted what Bruce said as she didn't know her own uncle. He denied it but noted she hasn't been around as much. Damian and Claire recognized it was getting awkward and left to watch television. Man-Bat stayed to keep watching the argument. Alicia suggested an "Alfred Fun Day." She suggested snorkeling, mechanical bull riding, or skydiving. Since he was 90, Bruce suggested shuffleboard, bingo, or gardening. They didn't listen to what Alfred wanted to do. Claire flipped through channels. Damian approached playing a robot. She pointed to the "Do Not Disturb" sign on her person. Damian was shocked by a Gotham News Network report. Claire turned it. She caved and turned it back after Damian repeatedly begged her. Vicki Vale reported on Mad Hatter's return to Gotham City and the break in at Wayne Enterprises Warehouse #1, along with him having an accomplice named Sad Hatter as well as Batman and a mysterious bright figure reportedly being on the scene. Vale begged the question of what the Hatters were after, if Bright was friend or foe, and the most pressing, is crime returning to Gotham? Damian panicked.
Bruce looked at his shirts and asked Selina which one screamed fun. Selina went to sleep. Bruce admitted she was right, it was obvious. He heard Damian coming and realized he must have seen the news. Damian peppered him with flurry of questions. Bruce answered he was not sure to most of the questions and pointed out the rule of "no patrol on school nights." Damian pointed out Mad Hatter brought his child with him. Bruce conceded they made Little Batman official last Christmas, but he still had a list of when he was allowed and when he was not allowed to be Batman. He presented the list, numbered to 204, and emphasized Damian could be Batman only when he said. Damian asked if they could go after Mad Hatter. Bruce called Hatter unpredictable and dangerous and stressed patience. Damian claimed he was practicing that but tapped his feet very quickly. Bruce stated they would bat-chat about the Hatters later and became concerned upon overhearing Alicia asking Alfred if he had a wet suit and shark repellent. After Bruce ran off, Damian looked at the list and opted for a loose interpretation of who was "I" in "When I say." Even Selina found that pretext flimsy.
That night, Ra's refused to believe Claire beat him at a game of cards. Damian announced he thought he figured out where the Hatters were going to strike next. Claire presumed he never took a break. Damian ate a cookie and realized last night's robbery took place during the guard shift break so the Hatters must have had access to the guard schedules. Ra's concluded Bruce shows weakness by allowing these guards to have breaks. Damian calculated the Hatters would try again in less than an hour. Claire was uninterested in helping and wanted to continue playing cards. A gang of bikers who befriended Alfred at a bar dropped him off at Wayne Manor. He thanked Gutter Slug and promised to send her his quiche Lorraine recipe ASAP. She reminded him bingo was on Tuesday nights at The Bloody Barrel. Alfred sat down in the kitchen and mused fun could be so exhausting. Little Batman told him to suit up so they could end the Hatters' reign of terror. Alfred suggested alerting Batman. Little Batman revealed he wasn't picking up. Alfred told Little Batman he could hardly move his old bones.
Little Batman convinced him to use the Exo-Bat to do all his bone-moving for him. Pennyworth found the controls complex but Little Batman promised to take it slow. They flew to Gotham City. Bruce and Alicia returned home and saw Alfred left a note saying he and Damian were running an errand. Bruce was relieved. Alicia asked him was he was being so overprotective all day. Bruce admitted he was not great at showing emotion then admitted he liked being waited on hand and foot, saying it was how they showed each other love. He realized he got defensive and overcorrected, which made things ugly. Alicia admitted she did, too, and felt guilty so she was trying to do some catching up. They agreed to apologize to Alfred and have a do-over fun day. Man-Bat opened the pickle jar and told them if they needed anything, he would be there watching them resolve their problem. Bruce saw a Bat-Alert on his phone (along with 87 unread emails and a missed call from Damian). The next day, the family went on a breakfast picnic. Alicia promised they would do a better job of listening to what he wanted. Alfred promised to do a better job of speaking up. Ra's asked Alfred for a muffin. Alfred told him "no" and everyone but Ra's laughed.
Selina was startled by Damian's alarm set early so he could get ready for Go To Work With a Grown Up Day. Claire finished a painting all-nighter and went to sleep but was immediately woken up by Damian. He presented a list of do's and don'ts he complied from doing the don'ts in past Go To Work With a Grown Up Day. She burnt it to ashes and told him a new don't, "don't wake me up when I'm trying to sleep in." Damian wanted to tell the best part: Bruce's office chair. Claire was way too tired to hear it. It was custom built for CEOs and has standard heating and massage capabilities as well as a sensor that mathematically forms to one's butt. Damian told her he sat on it once and never felt true comfort since. Damian informed Ra's he was going with Alicia this year. He was disgusted to know she still lived at the manor and wanted to go move in with those second rate villains. Damian clarified they were ex-villains and thought they were now good guys. Ra's thought it was the oldest trick in the villain handbook, earn your enemies' trust, then stab them in the back. He used himself as a example and told Damian he switched out a box of sugar for a box of salt behind Alfred's back earlier that day.
Damian still thought E*Vil were nice. Ra's told him "once a villain, always a villain." Everyone began to gather in the kitchen. Bruce was sad he wasn't taking Damian to work but was excited to be bringing Claire. He believed she would get a lot out of it and recalled one of his fondest memories was the day his dad took him to his office when he was eight. He revealed it really made an impression on him and wanted to do the same for Claire. Alicia and Alfred stared at him. Alicia informed Bruce impressing tweens wasn't easy then warned him not to be surprised if she's not blown away by board meetings, contract negotiations, and paper pushing. Man-Bat interjected and showed off the size of the lake trout he had then offered Bruce some. He told him he was good. Alicia and Damian left. Bruce told him to be on his best behavior. Alfred picked up Selina and told her she could help pack Bruce's lunchbox. He added some salt to his coffee to Bruce's surprise. Alfred called it a little trick he learned from an old friend. An angry Ra's could be heard cursing Alfred's name.
Movie night resumed at Wayne Manor. Alicia apologized to Alfred about her secret as Bright. Alfred told her it was all right, and after keeping his share of secrets all these years, nothing surprised him anymore. Alfred has his own surprise and played "La Mousse Pousse Lentement" (or "The Moss Grows Slowly") then offered everyone baguettes. Bruce asked why Commissioner Gordon was present. Claire Selton imagined herself walking into her art class at Gotham City Middle School with her self-portrait and flooring everyone so much, a riot started. Flame was skeptical. Claire relented the rioting was maybe too much. She looked at her painting and knew something was missing. She inflamed her brush, dipped, and painted, adding bristles to signify new life. In the kitchen, Man-Bat chomped a stack of pancakes near Alfred and also Alicia's glass of orange juice. Damian told a new joke, "What do baby bats learn at school?" Alicia guessed, "How to wing it?" Damian revealed it was "the alpha-bat" and everyone laughed. Man-Bat ate Bruce's pancake.
Claire entered. Bruce blurted out the punchline by mistake. Alfred worried coffee would stunt Claire's growth and gave her a flask filled with hot cocoa instead. She remarked a pound of sugar mixed with chocolate was cool and declared she now had diabetes. Alfred mused no good deed goes unpunished. Bruce noticed Claire's "only sheep comply" shirt and recited Article 3.7 of the school dress code prohibits attire with any messaging whatsoever. Claire called it self-expression and claimed nobody cared about those school rules. Bruce stated he cared and looked at all of Claire's slips for dress code violations on the refrigerator. He told her the rules matter and reminded her she got six discipline slips this month so far. Alicia thought her shirt was cool and revealed she was wearing one, too. Claire noticed and conceded, promising to go change. Bruce told her he understood self-expression was important then reminded her they all would get a chance to express themselves at family karaoke night. She wasn't looking forward to it. Bruce and Damian reminded her of Article 5.1, "Hats are not to be worn indoors." They high-fived. Claire thought he was ruining Damian.
Bruce finally noticed Claire was holding a painting. She told him it was a self-portrait. Bruce studied it. He finally asked if that was hair. She slapped his hand away in frustration and stomped off. He had no idea what just happened. Ra's al Ghul delighted in the fact that the world's greatest detective had at last met a mystery he could not crack: the preteen psyche. He boasted even he did better with his daughters and they tried murdering him then phased through the ceiling. Bruce wondered why he let Ra's live with them. During karaoke night, everyone was stunned by Man-Bat's superb opera singing. Alfred checked the roster and announced a duet from Damian and Claire was next. Claire had no idea she was in one. Damian revealed he signed them up and elected to sing the high part while she sang the low part. She passed. Damian and Bruce tried to get her excited to do it. Man-Bat and Ra's joined in. Alicia suggested letting her watch instead. Claire agreed and stood up but the discipline slip she got that day fell out of a pocket.
Bruce was shocked. Claire tried to explain her classmate's dad made the art but Bruce wasn't hearing it. Alicia tried to tell Bruce to listen to her but Claire snapped he didn't need to listen since he already knew everything. She stormed off to her bedroom. Alicia stopped Damian and suggested they give her time to cool down. She vented about nobody understanding her and decided to meet up with Snow and her partners. Despite the no knocking sign on her door, Damian knocked and apologized for trying to make her do a duet. He paused and listened but wasn't sure if she was giving him the silent treatment or rolling her eyes. He peeked in only to see which one but realized only Selina was present. He looked under her bed then dipped a finger in her mug, identifying the coffee as Arabica, dark roast, and still warm. He was repulsed by how strong it was and grabbed a business card to wipe his tongue with when he noticed a hand written address to a coffee shop and a meet time of 10 pm. He could still taste the coffee and wiped his tongue.
Bruce knocked on Claire's door. He paused and listened but wasn't sure if she was giving him the silent treatment or rolling her eyes. He came in but realized only Selina was present. He dipped a finger in her mug, identifying the coffee as Arabica, dark roast, and ice cold. He was repulsed by how strong it was and grabbed the business card, noticing all but "Coffee Shop" was smudged. He also noticed Damian's footprints. While out searching for the kids, Batman admitted he was trying to have all the answers. Bright told him he needed to show Claire he was trying. Batman got an idea and set course for Wayne Manor to pick his painting. Everyone tried their hand at painting the next day. Claire goofed on Bruce as he hesitated. Bruce wanted to see hers but she claimed it wasn't finished. Bruce promised to try harder to pretend he understood it. He got all choked up. It was a painting of Bruce holding a flame in his arms lovingly.
Damian paced in his bedroom about the GokiFluff card thefts. Ra's came up through the floor upset Batman foiled the aspirations of his munchkin. Damian told him Bruce wasn't going Batman-ing with him at all lately and wondered what he did other than level E*Vil's home and cause a Parademon invasion. Ra's brushed them off as innocent mistakes any child would make. Damian remembered the monster on game night. Ra's thought Skaratata was fun. Damian agreed but was concerned Bruce didn't want to be partners anymore. Ra's told Damian he didn't need him. Damian pointed out he said he couldn't fly solo. Ra's suggested he didn't. Damian asked if he was going to be his partner. Ra's promised they would deliver a fiery vengeance, ensuring eons of suffering for the criminals. Damian told him he would think about it and backed out of his room. He started looking for someone else to be his partner to prove to Bruce he was a good partner. He went to Alfred in the kitchen but Alfred turned him down, recalling the lesson he learned about saying no.
Claire passed. Selina passed. He tried Claire again but she turned him down again. Ra's talked of boiling their prey alive. Damian tried Claire again but she told him to get lost. He sat on the couch by Man-Bat morose. Man-Bat asked how he was doing. Damian told him he was okay. Man-Bat clarified he was talking to his flea buddy. Damian was surprised Man-Bat was friends with his fleas. Man-Bat called it more a love-hate relationship, joking he loved them and they hated him, especially Scott. Damian sighed. Man-Bat finally noticed he was sad. Man-Bat thought it was because Batman cared more about taxes than trying to find the scoundrel who stole all the GokiFluff cards. Damian was surprised he heard all that. Man-Bat pointed out he didn't miss much with his ears, listened, then hinted to Damian he didn't want to know what Alfred was currently doing. There was a flush in the distance. Damian ascertained he knew about the GokiCard thief, too. Man-Bat informed it him it was all anyone was posting about on GokiFreaks. He took solace in buying Series 77 pre-launch packs before the thefts started. He realized Man-Bat was a Goki fan. Man-Bat revealed his GokiFluff shirt and glasses.
Damian was floored then got an idea. He recalled Man-Bat used to be a superhero sometimes. Man-Bat mused he was more of an antihero, which were all the rage in the 90s, along with the Macarena. Damian proposed he help him catch the thief. After hearing everyone reject Damian and now being asked to be Damian's partner, Man-Bat was touched but admitted it has been a while since he saw some action. Damian promised to get him up to speed in no time. Man-Bat agreed to the partnership and high-fived Damian but fell off the couch when Scott started biting him. Bruce pleaded with Claire. She agreed to keep an eye on Damian and Man-Bat. Bruce told her he owed her one. She asked for his watch and held her hand out. Back at Wayne Manor, Little Batman tossed a bag of frozen peas to Man-Bat for his ribs but he ate it instead. Man-Bat didn't see the big deal with Batman not wanting to be Little Batman's partner and pointed out no one else did, even Selina. Little Batman contended Selina technically didn't say no, just "Meow." Man-Bat asked what kind of meow. Little Batman imitated the meow. Man-Bat claimed he spoke cat and that was a no. He made a cat sound. Elsewhere, Selina heard it and chuckled.
Man-Bat wanted to return the favor to Little Batman for being best friends with him. He vowed they would find the thief because nothing could stop him once he started something. He barfed out the peas mid-sentence and saw one kind of looked like Alfred. He showed Little Damian and imitated him, saying, "Oh, biscuits. I'm a pea!" Little Batman chuckled. Man-Bat suggested they continue honing in their fighting skills. They went to the attic, where Man-Bat lived, and played a GokiFluff fighting video game. Damian thought his room was cool. Man-Bat revealed he tried living in the Batcave for a while, but those bats were mean. Damian finished off his character. Man-Bat was surprised and realized he lost five in a row. Damian noticed he owned one of the special edition Gubbub cards. Man-Bat took it out of the case and told Damian only five of them were made because it's coated in pure Chromalithium. He remarked it gave the taste buds quite the shock. He licked it and it literally electrocuted him. He put it back in the case and revealed he was keeping his on the down low on account of the "Gubbub curse."
Man-Bat logged onto the GokiForums and told Damian about the other four GokiFans who found a Gubbub card mysteriously lost theirs in a series of unfortunate and purely coincidental mishaps. A tree fell on one's car. Another's bicycle fell apart. Another's house flooded. The fourth had to get a cast on his right arm. Man-Bat thought they really should have sold their cards to NamYot_GokiFan when they had the chance. Damian asked who that was. Man-Bat explained the user was offering a fortune for Gubbubs. Damian pieced it together that when they said no, all four lost their card in a freak accident. They realized NamYot_GokiFan was the thief. Man-Bat admitted there was little known about him. Damian believed the site moderator would know who he is. They left for the Dent home to talk to Judy and Trudy Dent. Man-Bat posted his Gubbub card was for sale in order to lure Toyman into a trap. He gave it a lick and was electrocuted. Toyman took the bait and replied he will buy it.
Damian bumped into Claire and announced Batman was re-partnering up with him. Claire thought he was partners with Dr. Langstrom. Little Batman remembered but felt they didn't need to be anymore and Langstrom wasn't cut out for the superhero stuff and didn't want him to get hurt again. Man-Bat heard them and became sullen. He agreed with Scott that Damian was right but he would rather get hurt than see Damian get hurt so he would protect him because that's what partners do. By the time Little Batman got to the attic, Man-Bat was gone but he left a note, saying he needed to prove he was a great partner. The note was unfinished because he saw a raisin that looked like Alfred. Claire ate it. Little Batman wanted to make it right and go after Man-Bat. Claire agreed to try to stall Bruce. Ra's phased through the floor and intimated he would assist her in obstructing the Batman. She found him kind of creepy.
After Toyman was defeated, the Dent Twins were invited to Wayne Manor for a game of GokiFluff. Man-Bat won a round with his Gubbub card. Judy was upset he had one of the cards. Trudy called it unfair. Man-Bat credited the Batmen for getting his card back. Bruce wanted to thank them for saving Gotham, its citizens, and all those silly trading cards. The twins took offense to "silly" and attacked Bruce.
Bruce reminded Damian and Claire it was going to be the first Wayne family interview for the both of them. He adjusted Claire's tie and informed them Vicki Vale will want to do one-on-one interviews. He advised them to give the world an informal, off-the-cuff sense of who they were then wanted ot rehearse the answers he gave them. Damian read the answer off his palm, saying his interests included being an upstanding citizen, spending time with family, and maintaining a strong GPA at school. He mispronounced "GPA" as "gippa" and Bruce suggested not looking at this palm and told him it was GPA. Claire felt they should decide how the world sees them. Bruce replied they can and gave her the choice of what she wanted to play on the violin. She asked to play thrash metal. Bruce suggested Paganini. Claire replied Paga-nuh-uh. Alfred admitted he thought she was going to burn the violin but was amused he burnt Bruce with her words.
Bruce revealed there hasn't even been a Wayne family to interview since he was a kid. He remembered back then, his parents had everything under control. Not a single hair was out of place. They made sure everything was perfect. He felt it was his turn to make sure this day was perfect for them. Damain was touched. Claire replied blegh. Bruce wondered where Alicia was. Damian wondered about Ra's and Dr. Langstrom. Bruce pretended he didn't know. Ra's and Man-Bat were kept in the lakeside cabin away from the manor. Ra's was upset Bruce bribed them to stay in the cabin with junk food. Man-Bat was fine with eating everything. Ra's vowed to get an interview with Vicki and the world would quake in awe. Man-Bat finished topping off his pizza with more junk food and asked Ra's for the chocolate sauce. Ra's felt insulted being called "Daddio" and levitated the bottle. He ate it whole. Ra's was disgusted. Bruce couldn't get Damian's hair to stay down and asked Alfred to get the glue. Vicki arrived early. Bruce told them to look relaxed and happy but not too sweaty or unnatural.
He was shocked to see Alicia with E*Vil. Damian and Sad Hatter hugged. Alicia told Bruce their brownstone had a bit of a plumbing issue and she told E*Vil they could crash at the manor. Copperhead asked where the "old snake hole" was. Bruce asked Alicia to speak with him in private. He twitched. Alicia told him he was overreacting. She asked what could possibly go wrong. Killer Moth flew into a wall. Bruce stated there was a grown man dressed as a giant insect in their living room. Alicia told him the ceiling collapse in E*Vil's brownstone was his fault. He was shocked. She reminded him he tried to be Mr. Handyman and fix a toilet but the flooding led to mold and mold led to the floor collapse. Bruce conceded and gave permission for them to stay. Alicia thanked and hugged him. She felt it would be good for E*Vil because they've been down in the dumps lately. Bruce stipulated they can't go anywhere near Vicki. She assured him the last thing they wanted was to be on TV. E*Vil told Vicki they would love to be in the interview.
Tut claimed they were now part of the Wayne family. Copperhead asked her if she liked snakes. They had the cameraman take a photo. Bruce facepalmed. Ra's tired of playing marbles and brought the Sphere of Skaratata to him and smashed the marbles. He wanted to prep for his interview. He asked how "Welcome to my home, Vicki Vale" sounded. Man-Bat pointed out it was Bruce's house, not his. Ra's told him to shush it. Vicki asked Bruce about his relationship with E*Vil. Bruce clarified he wouldn't call it a relationship. She asked if he minded her asking them some questions. He exclaimed "No!" by mistake and excused himself. He went to Alicia and told her he was driving them home now. She asked him if he was worried they were going to ruin their family's perfect image. King Tut told Vicki to take a picture of him holding a priceless Egyptian vase. He dropped it. Damian thought Alicia and Bruce were having a family huddle. Bruce told him it wasn't a huddle and was cognizant of Vicki watching them. Alicia filled in Damian. Claire asked whey they were dressed like dweebs if he was so worried about their look. Damian asked if they could get a snake.
The cameraman smacked Killer Moth with a broom to try to get him away from his light source. Bruce didn't think E*Vil was a good look, stated they were not getting a snake, and asked if they could stop huddling. Alfred asked if he should add five new settings to the dinner table. Bruce wanted to stay focused on the interviews and show Vicki they were a perfect family. He posed them for the camera. They smiled. Bruce nudged Claire. She smiled. Tut dropped another vase. Bruce tried to hide his anger. Vicki held her microphone to Selina. Tut knocked a vase over while dusting. Damian hugged and smooched Selina for the camera. They were alarmed only they noticed Buttercup wrap around Vicki's arm. Selina bolted, right onto Bruce's face. He pulled her off but she tried to slash at Buttercup. Claire played the violin for the camera but Killer Moth entered the frame with a guitar and rocked it. Claire joined him and thrashed her head around. Bruce pretended to love it. Alfred opened the walk-in pantry. Tut was inside and dropped several bottles. It splashed all over everyone.
E*Vil hopped into the in-door pool. Bruce shielded Alicia, Vicki and the camera man. He collapsed into the pool. Vicki asked Bruce if he liked E*Vil or not. He babbled. Alicia jumped in and proclaimed he loved E*Vil, pointing out he even helped at their group therapy sessions. He was surprised. Vicki thought her viewers would love that. He was surprised they would. Alicia revealed she was having one in ten minutes, and Bruce volunteered to help. Bruce played along. Ra's continued to practice for his interview, claiming he really ran the house. He continued to hate Man-Bat's use of "Daddio." Man-Bat was now dressed as Vicki Vale. Alicia had Bruce roleplay as Batman for the therapy session. E*Vil unloaded. Alfred called his beard ridiculous and apologized for getting caught up. Tut summarized they accept the world deemed them criminals but asked if the same judgment be cast on Batman because he stole something invaluable from them, their dignity. He added he could kick his big bat butt, too, and laughed.
Bruce had enough and told them off, only they get to decide how the world sees them and they could get their dignity back by taking responsibility for their actions. Everyone was speechless. He added he thinks that's what Batman would say. Tut lauded him for the wise counsel. Everyone clapped. Claire thought adults were so easily manipulated. Copperhead complimented Bruce for opening not only his house to them, but opening their minds. Tut wanted to make him a new honorary member of E*Vil. Everyone dogpiled on Bruce for a family hug. Vicki was convinced he cared about E*Vil. Alfred signaled it was time for dinner. Bruce declared they were family. He went to the cabin and asked Ra's to get rid of E*Vil. Ra's was pleased he changed his stance on murder. Bruce clarified he wanted them alive and occupied and out of sight while Vicki was there. Ra's wanted a 30 minute interview. Bruce was curious why he wanted an interview. Ra's pointed out E*Vil was unattended to. Bruce countered with five minutes. Ra's wanted seven. Bruce agreed to it and specified not to hurt them then fired a grapnel through the front door.
Ra's ambushed E*Vil around the manor and rendered them unconscious. Man-Bat dragged them back to the cabin and tied them up. Everyone except Bruce was bummed E*Vil changed their minds about joining the dinner. Alicia was suspicious. Bruce guessed they had a lot to process after the big breakthrough. E*Vil regained consciousness. Tut thought the Waynes were in trouble. Buttercup easily got loose and freed Copperhead and Sad Hatter who untied the others. Man-Bat returned and wondered how the snake got out of the clove-hitch knot. Ra's practiced imitating Bruce's pleas but was interrupted by the sounds of E*Vil beating up Man-Bat. Tut picked up the Sphere of Skaratata to use to bludgeon Man-Bat and boasted he could kick Batman's big bad butt. Ra's al Ghul warned those who lied while holding it would earn the wrath of the demon in it. Skaratata was freed again. Man-Bat got his name wrong, Tater-tata. Ra's told them they just had to put him back in the sphere. Tut dropped it and it shattered into pieces. Bruce made a toast to Vicki but watched as Skaratata chased E*Vil outside. Bruce guessed that's why they didn't come to dinner. Damian let it slip this wasn't the first time they encountered it.
Skaratata vowed to find his liar, the fool who masqueraded as a pharaoh. Tut took offense and the chase resumed. Alfred moved Vicki and the camera man along to his French garden. Bruce called out to Ra's, outing himself to Alicia. Ra's tried to claim he was forced to do it. Bruce stressed he told Ra's to occupy them, not kidnap. He admitted it was a bad call but he just wanted it to be perfect. Claire asked how that was working out for him. Bruce apologized for trying to control everything. Alicia told him nobody was perfect. Damian knew he was just looking out for them. Claire added, in his overly obsessive way. Ra's pointed out there was still a rampaging demon. Man-Bat presented the pieces of the sphere. Alicia realized Tut was doomed. Man-Bat remembered the lie. They distracted Skaratata while Bruce went to suit up. Giganta managed to trip Skaratata. Alicia declared if he messed with one of them, he messed with all of them. Skaratata took it as an invitation to kill everyone. He levitated sections of land up into the air.
Man-Bat saved Sad Hatter after she fell from one. Tut looked at everyone in distress and walked out from behind a tree but a branch snagged his clothes and he was in his underwear. Skaratata laughed. The sections of land began to drift down. Tut summoned Copperhead and Killer Moth to join him in a booty dance. Skaratata was amused but was ready to take his liar. Batman fired missiles into his face. He told Tut to hurry up and kick his big bat butt. He kicked Batman's butt over and over. Skaratata realized the lie he told was now truth and he could no longer lay claim to Tut but he was free to sew chaos and destruction. Batman fired a back up sphere out of the Batjet. Skaratata declared he hated them and was imprisoned once again. Bruce walked out of the bushes wondering what that was all about. Vicki and the camera man caught all of it.
Everyone gathered to watch Vicki's interview on the news. It was a montage. Ra's was irritated it was completely out of context and couldn't believe Vicki said "Daddio," too. Vicki concluded the Wayne family had many things going for them, but perfection wasn't one of them. Claire loved it and kept replaying Bruce prying Selina off his face. Bruce looked around and thought it looked pretty perfect to him. After Mr. Freeze was defeated, the family chilled at the in-door pool. Damian did a cannonball. He counted three flips but Claire told him Alfred still held the record with five on his last turn. Ra's demonstrated infinite somersaults. Damian wondered where Alfred was. Bruce lied he was probably baking cricket or playing biscuits. Alfred told Alicia and Bruce quietly that the updates to the tracker worked and they had the AntiGlow's precise location. Claire noticed them talking. Alfred added it was on the move. Bruce wanted to slip away but he saw the Bat-Signal was being projected. Bruce, Damian, Claire, and Alicia ran to the Batphone. Man-Bat informed Ra's they all left but he was still there. He fell in the pool. Alfred shook his head slowly in disappointment.
Bruce answered the Batphone as Batman and was apprised by Gordon of a museum heist. In the evening, Ra's went on a rant about Bruce lying to Damian in his bedroom but Damian didn't say anything and leaped out his window. The next morning, Damian was absent from breakfast. Bruce went to check on him but found Man-Bat sleeping in his bed. Man-Bat was amazed with how comfortable a bed was. Ra's phased through the floor told him, Damian's anger drove him out into the night. Bruce couldn't believe he let him go. Ra's thought he would be fine since he was an al Ghul and was better there than in the manor. Bruce was already gone. Man-Bat went back to sleep then realized Damian was missing.