Protector in the Shadows

Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or anything relating to the Batman and I have no idea who does, so don't get mad at me. It should be obvious.

Yes, yes, I found a new obsession. Who can blame me though, Batman is amazing!

This is going to be a combination of The Batman from DC Comics and the movies Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. Just as a notice, I will probably do a lot of things differently than the movies because I have not seen all of the second one. This is an alternate universe, though, so it doesn't really matter.

Note: this is not one of my top priority stories so updates will be few and far between. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy!

A Gotham without its Dark Knight is a dead city, as Bruce Wayne comes to learn after being unexpectedly pulled into another universe on one of his nightly patrols as Batman. Well, this is going to be fun.

Prologue

A vigilante is just a man lost in the scramble for his own gratification. He can be destroyed, or locked up. But if you can make yourself become something more than a man, if you can devote yourself to an ideal, and if they can't stop you, then you become something else entirely.

Which is?

A legend, Mr. Wayne.

-Batman Begins

Seven year old Bruce shivered as he watched the people on stage spin and leap in their black costumes. It reminded him too much of the bats that he had encountered the day he fell into the old well. His hands trembled as he tucked them under his arms, trying to hide his fear from his parents.

He knew that he shouldn't feel ashamed of his fear but he was. Who else was afraid of bats? No one, that's who. The people on stage weren't even pretending to be bats . . . they just reminded him of them.

He could still remember how their little claws felt as they crawled over him or their leathery wings as they swarmed around him. He had been so, so scared of what was going to happen. It was almost like he had been drowning in the sound and darkness, feeling like he would never make it out.

Unable to hold it in any longer Bruce turned to his father with pleading eyes, "Dad?" he whispered softly.

Thomas Wayne blinked for a moment and looked down at his son in surprise, "What is it Bruce?" he asked kindly.

Bruce shook his head, "I-I- can we go? Please?"

Thomas glanced at the actors and understand lit up his eyes as he nodded and turned to his wife, Martha, "Come on, we're going, Martha."

The three stood up, though Bruce was blushing slightly. He knew how bad this must look for them, getting up in the middle of the play, but he really couldn't take it any more, he needed to get out, to feel safe. When the reached the back door and let it close behind them Martha turned to her husband with a questioning look.

"What's wrong Thomas?" she asked with concern.

Thomas shrugged, glancing in Bruce's direction for a second before tucking his hands into his pockets, "I just needed some fresh air. Come on, let's go home."

Martha sighed and rolled her eyes, knowing a diversion when she saw one, but didn't comment.

"Come on Bruce," Martha said, holding out her hand for him to take.

Bruce smiled slightly and happily took the hand, glad to be away from the bat like actors. They continued their walk down the street with little interruption until he saw someone approach from the side.

The other man was dressed in shabby clothing and there was a bulge in his pocket. Bruce dropped back, uneasy, his hand slipping from his mother's. For a moment she glanced back at him and then the stranger's voice echoed through the street.

"Give me your wallet, or I'll shoot!" the man said, his eyes wide as he pointed a shinny, new gun and Bruce's parents, both who froze at the sight of the weapon, "Now!"

"O-ok. Don't panic, we're hurrying," Thomas reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, dropping it to the ground at the man's gesture.

The stranger's eyes flickered to the pearl necklace that Martha was wearing, "The necklace too."

"Now see here–" Thomas said angrily, not about to give up the gift that he had gotten for his wife.

Before he could finish the man darted forward and made a grab for the necklace. Martha screamed, pulling back, and the gun went off. Thomas, seeing the lunge, had jumped in front of his wife at the last moment and intercepted the bullet meant for her. He fell with a gasp. The gun shot a second time and Martha's cry of anguish was suddenly cut off.

Bruce rushed forward, "Mom! Dad!" he dropped next to his fallen parents.

His mother wasn't moving but his dad was still gasping for breath. They locked eyes for a second and Bruce felt his father squeeze his hand one last time before the light left his eyes.

A soft click made Bruce look up, though tears were clouding his vision. The barrel of the gun was pointed straight for him. He couldn't bring himself to care. His parents had just been murdered in front of him, and he didn't want to accept it. He didn't want to live a life without them in it.

"It would be a shame to kill someone so young," the man muttered, his eyes glinting with insanity, and then his features hardened, "but as they say, no witnesses, no one to tell on you."

The gun fired for the third time and the last of the Wayne family fell, dead before he hit the ground.

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