The Only One I Ever Killed
...
A young man laughed. It wasn't an honest laugh, no one looking closely would think so, but then again it hadn't been a good joke.
...
He laughed. A stupid laugh. Too long, too bright, too overdone for that sorry excuse for a joke. Two women and one hanger-on followed him dutifully. Bruce Wayne wouldn't bother to remember their names, even if he'd paid attention in the first place. He knew that the raven haired woman next to him with heavy make-up was Jane Woods, not Amy Pattinson as she'd told him. Her boyfriend was a minor drug dealer in Blüdhaven. The blonde was Jacqueline Smith, younger daughter of one of Gotham's biggest magnates. Bruce Wayne sometimes lunched with him. He had a detailed file about man's financial records. The only man beside Bruce in the group was Peter Bing a bureaucrat from mayor's office. He hadn't been invited.
...
Someone reached for him from behind and touched his shoulder.
"If you wouldn't mind I would like to borrow this one for a moment," she spoke gently.
"Of course," answered the matron staying nearest to him.
"Honey, I'm tired. I'm going to head home."
"Are you sure?" he asked puzzled."It's still early."
"Yup," she smiled.
"All right, let me go with you."
"That's not necessary. What about the mayoral election, you can't leave people in the middle of a conversation."
"Believe me, I'm one bad joke apart from becoming violent, not to mention I can still blame it on you," he smirked mischievously.
She giggled, "I always knew you have a dark side."
After few brief goodbyes they headed towards waiting limo.
...
The time of his arrival, the person he left with. It was planned to the tiniest detail. As everything in his life.
Twenty minutes of night ride through streets of Gotham and Jane Woods passed out. His suspicion about one of the new drug selling tactics had been confirmed. It was simple. Why to bother with poor, when there was more interesting potential clientele? The trick was to pick rich people stupid enough and get them addicted. Not a hard work if you were a pretty clever girl and your prey some airhead playboy. However, Woods wasn't made for this business. Considering the way she was using her boyfriend´s product he was giving her a month at longest. He let Alfred to drive her to address she'd previously gave him.
"Any other stop before we go home, Master Bruce?" asked Alfred putting down the separating window when they were done.
"No. It's time to go out."
"You are in bad mood tonight."
"And the Earth is a sphere."
"I meant worse than usual."
"Am I?" It wasn't a rhetorical question. He really didn't know.
"Yes. Are you upset about Miss Woods?"
"No. I've seen too many dead even breathing ones. It's too late to help her. I'm not even upset about my own lack of upset."
...
Door had barely time to open when a bundle of energy jumped into his arms.
"Hey, look here, shouldn't you be already asleep, sweetheart?" he asked his daughter.
"I was waiting for you."
"Now we are here, come, I'm going to put you to bed," spoke his wife.
"No, you should rest, I do it."
"Thank you, Bruce."
...
"Outside broke out quite a storm, Master Bruce."
It couldn't be heard down in the cave.
"Good, nothing better than when nature decides to help."
"Good hunt, Sir."
It should never be good, and they both knew it, he though later. The moment he stops to hate this, he'll stop being Batman and become one of them. He left this trait of thought and concentrated fully on man he was beating. A lot of man's bones were already broken. It wouldn't stop him. He would be just more exact from this phase. The rain was falling on both of them, finding its way even to the narrowest of the alleys.
...
His daughter finally fell asleep and he headed to the bedroom. His wife was still awake.
"I thought you were tired."
"I am. But I wanted to tell you something. I can't wait till tomorrow."
"What?"
She smiled, "I'm pregnant again."
"That's great!" He hugged and kissed her.
It thundered outside.
"It sounds like quite a storm."
...
When he was returning the rain still hadn't stopped. It was two hours before the dawn. He'd finished unusually early tonight.
...
"Bruce, are you awake?" her voice echoed clearly in their bedroom. The only other sound was that of pouring outside.
"Yes," he smiled.
"What are you thinking about?"
"What will my parents think when we tell them."
"Marta will be ecstatic."
...
"Bruce, are you awake?"
He turned towards her.
"Yes," he whispered. The word was barely audible trough the noise of raindrops falling on their balcony.
"What are you thinking about?"
A moment of hesitation followed.
"What would my parents think if they were still alive," he answered finally.
"They surely would want for you to have a happy life."
...
It wasn't even a dawn yet. The air felt clear after the rain. He stood silently before family tomb in Bruce Wayne's clothes. The cemetery wasn't officially open, but neither Batman, nor careless offspring of Wayne Empire were known for following rules.
"I always knew there is one name missing on that stone. His ghost haunts me sometimes during worst of days. I always though he died that night with his parents, that that thief killed him without shooting one bullet into him. But it hadn't been the thief, it was me. I refused to let that little boy live, because it hurt too much. Sometimes during years I felt like he was trying to return from death, but I never let him. I always though Batman never killed anyone. I think I've been wrong. I'm sorry."
The words were echoing clear in his mind as if he had spoken them, but he wouldn't voice them aloud. He was too careful; you never knew who was listening.
He looked around one last time and turned from the tomb. He hadn't been even in the halfway towards cemetery gate before he convinced himself that it had been irrational and stupid thing to do. He never returned again.
AN: I hope it has been readable as my English still have gaps (a lot of them). I know there are mistakes, the problem is, that I don't know where. Feel free to let me know.