Chen Mo stood by the window, his hand still on the latch.
Venom had already retreated into his collar. A little black moved at the edge of his T-shirt, then immediately flattened.
Chen Mo glanced down.
"Yes, that's right."
Dick looked at him.
With a perfectly straight face, Chen Mo said, "It's a black puppy I keep. Its name is Bruce."
The black beneath his collar bulged.
Chen Mo pressed it back down.
"Behave, Bruce. Be polite in front of guests."
Dick's expression went blank for a second.
"Bruce?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Bruce Wayne?"
Chen Mo still had his hand pressed against his collar.
Seriously, dude, are you hacking?
Dick sat on the edge of the bed, his train ticket on his knees. He had just been through the hospital, the train station, Talon, and Spider-Man, yet his brain chose this exact moment to work at full speed.
"You're close to Bruce Wayne. Spider-Man is close to Batman, too. You just climbed in through the window, and that black stuff can turn into Spider-Man's mask."
Dick looked up.
"Could Bruce Wayne be..."
Chen Mo snatched the cup off the table.
"Want some water?"
"I'm not thirsty."
"You are."
"I'm really not thirsty."
"People get dehydrated when they deduce things too fast." Chen Mo shoved the cup into his hands. "Basic Gotham medicine. Trust me."
Dick looked down at the cup.
Gordon's note was pinned beneath its base.
The house has a door.
Don't use the windows.
Dick put the cup back.
Chen Mo looked at the note, then at the window he had just closed.
I'm screwed.
The chain of physical evidence is too complete.
Dick hugged his legs and stared at him.
"So?"
"So there are lots of Bruces in this world," Chen Mo said. "Bruce is a name, but it's