Warning: Contains characters that are heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual.
A/N: Okay, so this series takes place in a different dimension than the Batman series you all know and love takes place in. Please RER (Read, enjoy, review) :)
Also, there may be typos in this. If there are, don't worry. I'll fix them as soon as I catch them ;D
PROLOGUE
"THIS IS CAT GRANT, reporting to you live from Gotham City."
Dustin looks at the television in the living room from the kitchen, eyes falling onto the blonde reporter that is standing outside of Gotham City Hall. His nine year old little brother, Trent, is sitting on the couch playing on the newest portable game station. He has short dark brown hair and blue eyes while Dustin has short black hair, blue eyes, and is eighteen years old. Dustin sets the plate he was cleaning back into the sink and walks up behind the couch, drying his hands with a towel.
"The gang known as the Bloods that has been terrorizing Gotham City for the past few months has now agreed to talk to the city council about peace."
He frowns at the television. Do those on the city council honestly believe the Bloods want any sort of peace? What they want is stated clearly in their name. Blood. In his opinion, all they want is more bloodshed. Shaking his head, he drops the towel onto Trent's head, chuckling as the young boy looks up at him, obviously annoyed.
"C'mon, time to get ready to go to the Wayne's," he says as Trent tosses the towel to the floor. "I'm sure you can have a nice play date with Damian." He smirks when his brother sticks his tongue out.
"I'm too old for play dates," Trent protests, "Besides, that Damian kid is no fun. Oh! And he says he knows thousands of ways to kill me."
Dustin gives his brother a look that clearly states that he doesn't believe him. "How could an eleven year old know thousands of ways to kill you?"
Trent shrugs. "How would I know?"
Dustin sighs. "Well you're going. I can't leave you home alone and I promised Mr. Wayne I'd help him out. Look, we need money and Mr. Wayne is willing to pay me to help his butler out around the manor."
Trent's shoulders sag in defeat. Dustin motions for him to go to his room and get changed out of his pajamas. He watches his brother stalk out of the room before giving the television one last glance. It is showing the leader of the Bloods, Charles Starvin, walking into City Hall. Charles is in his late thirties but is as fit as someone in their mid-twenties. He has short dark brown hair slicked back and gray eyes that felt as if they could see through a person's very soul. He turns the television off and goes to his own room, changing into a black t-shirt, dark denim jeans, and black sneakers. He walks back into the living room to find Trent playing his game again, now dressed in a blue t-shirt with Superman's s-shield on it, light blue denim jeans, and white sneakers. He takes the game away and turns it off, earning a pout from his younger brother.
"Let's get going," he says as he tosses Trent his black sweatshirt, which he pulls on, and puts on his own black leather jacket. He grabs his car keys and opens the frown door, lightly chuckling as his brother stalks to the car. "Oh stop moping. Maybe I'll let you help me, 'kay?"
"How is that any fun?" Trent asks as his older brother unlocks the car and they both get in. The streets of Gotham are quiet. Not many people left their home after the gang war started. Though the war ended quickly, the Bloods never stopped terrorizing Gotham. Even the Bats couldn't stop them. Now they want peace? None of it adds up in Dustin's head.
Suddenly, their car comes to a sharp halt. Trent looks at his brother, to ask why he has stopped in the middle of the road. His brother is staring ahead of them, eyes wide with what looks almost like fear. He follows his brother's gaze out the front window and his eyes widen. From the streets of Gotham City, they can see Wayne Manor burning. Without warning, Dustin hits on the gas, causing his younger brother to yelp in surprise. Once the car is there in front of Wayne Manor, Dustin gets out.
"Stay put," he hisses protectively at Trent when he notices him go to get out of the car, "Call 911 and stay put." Before Trent can protest, Dustin is running into Wayne Manor.
His heart is pounding in his chest as he kicks open the front door. He staggers back as flames come close to burning him. He curses and jumps through the doorway, rolling onto the floor. He opens his eyes and finds himself staring at a bloodied body. He cries out and scrambles to his feet. He stares at the body, recognizing it. He quickly puts his hand over his mouth and doubles over, trying not to retch. The body is dead. His eyes widen when he sees the body is in the same costume Nightwing wore, but the mask was gone.
"Oh my God," he manages to get out, taking unsteady steps from the body. "Dick Grayson..." He remembers his mother taking him to Wayne Manor a couple times when he was younger and meeting Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, and even Jason Todd. Coughing as his mind finally registers the smoke that is filling his lungs, he frantically looks around. His eyes land on another dead body, one belonging to an older man. "Oh God, Alfred..."
His mind racing, he runs out of the room. He has to find someone, anyone, as long as they were alive. He is shaking from fear by the time he finds Red Robin, Red Hood, and Batgirl... no Tim Drake, Jason Todd, and Stephanie Brown, dead in the hallways. Cassandra Cain, Blackbat... Barbara Gordon, Oracle. Gotham's heroes are the Waynes? Or were the Waynes? He has no time to think about what he is finding out; only that everyone is dead, obviously brutally murdered. He comes across a broken elevator and a staircase he has never seen before. Running down the stairs, he freezes when he sees young Damian Wayne dressed as Robin laying lifelessly on the stairs. Trying to keep himself from crying, he cautiously steps around the eleven year old before running all the way down the stairs.
"Bruce?" he cries out, his breath hitching as he notices he is in the Bat Cave. He hears a groan and looks to see Batman, cowl off to show Bruce Wayne's face, laying on the ground, bleeding out and almost dead. He rushes to the man's side and takes him in his arms. "Oh God, oh God."
"Dustin," the man's voice grabs his panicking mind's attention. He looks down to see a serious expression on the man's injured face.
"I have to get you to a hospital," Dustin says, moving to get up and bring the man up, but Bruce's hand tightly gripping his wrist stops him. "I-I don't care if they'll find out you're Batman. I-I can't let you die."
"I won't make it," Bruce says as if it's obvious, which it probably is. His breathing is slowing down, but he is still struggling to get his words out to the boy. "Listen, Dustin. Before your mother died, I promised to look after you and your brother. That is why I often had you come here and visit with the family, why I paid for you and your brother to learn how to fight. Dick was even trying to convince me to include you in our other life."
"Bruce please, you're not going to die. Please just let me get my cell—"
"Dustin," Bruce growls, his face wincing with pain from his ribs. "You and your brother are not safe. The Bloods... You need to get to Wayne Tech. Underneath it is a base I had built, in case the Cave was ever compromised. You and your brother must get there."
"Y-You can't die," Dustin stammers. There is so much blood he feels sick. "W-We need you. I-I need you. G-Gotham needs Batman."
If Dustin doesn't know any better, he swears an apologetic smile almost goes onto Bruce Wayne's face. But this is Bruce Wayne, a serious business man who rarely, if ever, smiles.
"You don't need me anymore," Bruce forces out, his breathing becoming shallower by the second. "You're ready. But... you're right. Gotham, the world... it needs Batman." He grabs Dustin's hand and closes his fist around something. "If this ever happened, you were chosen by my sons and I. You will become Batman, you have to. The world needs Batman. The world needs you."
Dustin looks down and opens his palm. Placed on his palm is a small, black batarang.
A/N: Well, what do you think of the prologue? Remember, this takes place in an alternate dimension. Who knows, Dustin might eventually take a trip to the dimension that we all know and love ;) I'll start working on chapter one right away! Thanks for reading and please review :3
FUN FACT: For some unknown reason, I got the idea for this show after watching an episode of Batman Beyond.