HE'S ALL LEFT ALONE
The night could not have been any better. Bruce had spent the night on the town with his parents and he could not have been any happier. The weather was wonderful- the perfect weather to walk.
"Honey, make sure you call the office when you get home to finalize that deal! I know how excited you are about it." Mrs. Wayne reminded her husband as she linked her hand with his.
"Why, of course, darling. How could I ever forget such an expensive deal?" He lifted her hand and kissed it, causing her to giggle like a high school girl. Bruce looked on at his parents in front of him and smiled- maybe someday he'd find a girl and they'd be in as much love as his parents are. But that was probably unlikely, for no one loves each other more than his parents do. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a crash coming from next to them.
"Wait, honey, did you hear that?" Mrs. Wayne asked nervously as she stared into the dark alley they were currently walking by. It was pitch black and silent, making the mood more ominous.
"Oh, don't worry- it's probably just a street rat running by. Nothing to fret about my pet." He calmly answered.
Bruce started getting a little apprehensive himself. "Dad, I don't think a rat could have made that much noise…"
"You're right- they can't."
Suddenly, a man jumped out of the shadows of the alley and pointed his gun right at the Wayne family. "Now- we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. You can either give me all of your money…" he snickered to himself, "…or I can kill you. It's your decision."
"Bruce- leave. NOW." His dad told him sternly as he stood in front of his wife, protecting her from the mugger.
"But Dad-"
"BRUCE. GO RIGHT NOW, GOD DAMMIT."
Bruce had no choice- he started to run away as fast as he could. He ran down the street and turned the corner, but had to stop to catch his breath. As he leaned against the lamp post attempting to breathe in all of the world's oxygen, the situation finally set in. He couldn't believe he left his parents behind with that man. He had acted so cowardly.
"I have to go back!" He told himself aloud, and started to sprint back to the alley. He doesn't remember ever running so fast.
Unfortunately- he had arrived too late.
As he reached his parents, he witnessed the man shoot his father, and then shoot his mother. He stared on shocked as he watched them both crumble to the ground crying out in pain- and then just lay there. He stared up at the man and as they made eye contact, Bruce could see the pure evil in his eyes. The man took this as cue to run and he did, fleeing the scene.
Bruce sat down and picked up his mother's lifeless body. "Mama… oh my god…" he leaned his head against his mom's and proceeded to break down in tears. He cried out of shock, anger, confusion, and questioning. They had always called him their "brave knight". Now the one chance he had to prove them right, he chickened out and ran away- leaving them to die. Between sobs he managed to whisper to parents, "I'm so sorry I'm such a coward… I'm sorry I wasn't your knight. I love you both"
ONE WEEK LATER
The funeral was everything he imagined- painful. All of his parents work friends and his family was there, giving their condolences- but none of them mattered to Bruce. He was numb from all feeling and emotion, and just put on a fake smile whenever someone talked to or hugged him. He just couldn't process the thought of his parents being dead and not having them anymore.
He was also just so angry. How could someone have done this to him, and get away with it. He had already known how bad the police department was in Gotham, but it never mattered to him… until now, that is. No one even tried to find the murderer and they just turned him away. He had been scheming ways of getting back at them- at everybody- but he just couldn't think of anything. He felt so… powerless.
"Excuse the interruption, sir, but do you need anything?" Alfred asked. Alfred was his new butler who had started working for him right after his parents' death. He didn't understand why Alfred popped up out of the blue, but his being there is better than being COMPLETELY alone.
"Huh? Oh, um, nothing, thanks. I'm actually going to go outside and get some fresh air." Bruce responded with emotionlessly. He walked outside with no purpose and plopped himself down on the steps leading to the front door.
He didn't know what to do. His whole life his parents had given him everything he wanted- they were his rock. He physically did not know how to live without his parents. He had no friends, no colleagues, nothing. All he had ever had were his parents. He felt as if life was never going to be good again, and wondered if it was even worth living anymore.
He sighed as he stared up at the full moon. "Huh." He thought to himself. "The moon always seemed to luminescent… now it just seems empty. Sounds like me…" Just then, he heard a screech and saw a bat fly right over head and off into the night.
Just as if someone had snapped their fingers, everything fell into place- his thoughts, his emotions, his life, and everything else. He knew how he was going to get revenge for what that killer did. He knew how to not act cowardly ever again. He knew how he was going to live his life. He knew how to be the knight his parents always thought he was. He knew.
"Excuse me, sir? I'm sorry to interrupt, but dinner is ready." Alfred quietly told him as he stuck his head out of the door. When Bruce didn't respond, he limped out to stand behind the boy. "Sir, c'mon, you must put something in your stomach!" He still received no response, making him attempt a new approach to the lost boy. "Now, Bruce…"
"It's not Bruce." The man blatantly said as he continued to stare at the moon.
"It's Batman."