Chapter 1—Sweet Child O' Mine

She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I stared too long
I'd probably break down and cry

Oh, oh, oh, sweet child o' mine
Oh, oh, oh, oh, sweet love of mine

She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder and the rain
To quietly pass me by

Oh, oh, oh, sweet child o' mine
Oh, oh, oh, oh, sweet love of mine—Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses

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A boy sat bored looking at his desk in school.

A boy and his parents exited out the theaters and into a dark alley. A thug came out of nowhere and in no time the parents were murdered, leaving the eight year old boy as the only survivor and witness. A broken pearl necklace dropping to the ground the only sound that could be heard…then a boy mourning over his parent's dead bodies. That is the story of how Batman was born. Batman; how pathetic. Guess you're wondering who I am. Let's play a game to find out…no, I'm not the Joker. I have black hair; I know that's not much but just guess.

Haven't figured it out yet? Okay, here's another hint. I am someone who wears a costume child.

Still stumped? Good. Think tights when you think of one of my parents.

Whatever guess you have is wrong. Another hint, I inherited a high I.Q and love of adventure from my parents.

You thought Question and Huntress or maybe even Black Canary and Green Arrow. If you did then you are stupid. They are the founders of the Justice League.

Think you got something? Here's a dead giveaway: Trinity and I think my grandfather might be the Lord of the Underworld himself, Hades.

Correct. My mother is Wonder Woman but that leaves the question…who's my father? There only two options: Batman or Superman? Here's the final clue: Tights and capes but kinda looks like a big blue ape. Black and broody, guess you could consider him moody. They're both pretty grand but my father is Super…

"Thomas Wayne! Did you hear a word I just said?!"

"Yes, Ms. Fenster. You were right about most things, the definition, what it represents, ect, ect, but 3y, if y = 2, isn't 3, it's 6. Surely our math teacher should know how to teach math." The class laughed amongst themselves at the mistake.

"Thank you for your correction, Mr. Wayne." She said through gritted teeth. He knew she was having a bad day but the opportunity to humiliate his teacher was very tempting not to pass up.

So I nearly lied? Big deal, Batman is my father. Batman and Wonder Woman…that certain pair disgusts me. I think I need to regurgitate my lunch.

"No wonder why Mr. Webster left your fat ass for a stripper and skip to California! I would leave your big 'ole fat ass if I was given a chance too! Look at me! I'm Ms. Fenster's fat, ginormous, ass! I'm so fat people often think I ate the world and it all went to my ass! My ass is so fat every chair I sit on breaks, I even sat on a whale once and that broke too! My ass is so fat that since everyone calls me it I just changed my last name on all my legal documents from Fenster to Assster!" Thomas said in a mocking girlish tone, standing on top of the desk, showing the laughing class his butt.

"That's it, Mr. Wayne! Principle office, now!"

"Just one more. Your ass is so fat that it takes a zillion toilets for you to the bathroom. You have better luck just crapping in space. Just watch out for the Justice League though. I think they wouldn't appreciate the crap they got to clean up and plus paying for another watchtower. Pity."

"Principle office, Mr. Wayne!"

"You got it, Ms. Fat-asster."

--

Thomas sat in the principle office waiting for someone to pick him up. Practically everyone knew his name since this practically was like a second home. He recognized the two approaching females and once they saw him they asked in unison…

"Thomas, not again?!"

"What can I say? I'm a rebel." On his way towards the exit of school, he thought he heard crying that sounded like Ms. Fenster from the girl's bathroom.

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Their drive home was mostly silent besides the frustrated tapping on the steering wheel and the humming of his sister, humming along to the song that was turned down low on the radio. He knew by the tapping that his mom was going to eventually say something to him; it wasn't in her nature to stay silent when she had something she needed to voice.

"This is the fifth time I picked you up from the principle's office, Thomas!"

"I know." Her tapping began to get louder and more frantic.

"You know I'm trying to balance two jobs at a time, Thomas!"

"I know."

"Thomas…"

"I know, Mom. I know." She let out a sadden sigh. Thomas just looked out the window on his side. His intentions were not to make his mother sad; he didn't know why he was acting out! It could be for attention but his mother gave him enough of attention and love, so did his sister; maybe too much? Then that's when any good psychiatrist would move on to fatherly love. Clark treated him like his own son.

What about your real father? The man who helped created you?

Bruce? What about him?

Don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about?

I don't want to talk about that…wait, why am I'm talking to myself, he thought. Why am I even diagnosing myself?!

"We're here." She pulled the keys from the ignition once she parked.

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The mansion seemed so gloomy when they entered. He remembered Bruce saying before he allowed mom to enter into his life everything was so dark and gloomy and Alfred would say, indeed, sir. It was hard not acting on instincts and giving Alfred a hug as soon as they walked in. He saw his sister nearly run to the spot Alfred would usual be standing before she caught herself and remembered. Alfred died two months ago. He missed the sad expression that befallen on his mother's face. He lived as long as his old bones could live. He remembered him, Tim and Dick would joke about how Alfred had to be about one hundred and something or at least dinosaur age. Alfred was like a surrogate father to him, just like how he was to Bruce. His surrogate grandfather one could say. He used to tell him stories about Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman, back when he thought Batman was cool. It felt like another make-believe story instead of his father's real life. Back then, it brought a smile on his face knowing his father was Batman but now…now he hated Bruce and Batman with a passion. They did their usual routine. Thomas dropped his backpack on the ground, his sister following the suit and began doing their homework while Diana started dinner.

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Thomas was sitting in the pool, sunglasses on, sipping on an island smoothie he made. This was his banishment for asking too many questions, mainly about Clark, while his mom was cooking dinner. And his banishment never could be any sweeter.

The endless questions about Superman included, but not limited to, when was he coming over, when was there a possible chance he could see him again and he may have implied they should get back together. Yes, Wonder Woman and Superman dated. Engage to be married to be exact. During that period, he didn't call teachers names, embarrass them and pick on other students, nor was he involved in any type of fight. He called that the Peace era, short lived as it was he was happy. And so he thought everyone else was happy as well…but that wasn't the case. Shortly after they got engaged they broke it off. He knew they both were still in love with their past, respective, lovers. Despite feeling something for each other their hearts belonged somewhere else. They could never be anymore than friends.

Thomas nodded at his sister, who got into the pool any started swimming, apparently finishing her homework also. She nodded back.

He may not be the Martian Manhunter but he knew what his sister thought. He was just using Clark to hide his pain and make up for a loss in a father figure. To make up for his loss in a father. Clark was his shield he hid behind in order to not face his pain of losing his real father. She didn't want Clark as her dad. She didn't want them to get married but she kept it to herself because she saw how happy she thought they were. Not saying she didn't like Clark but replacing her dad was too much to bear. Even though she hadn't seen him since she was two she believed her father would come back. Both her and Diana. Personally, Thomas thought they were both foolish.

"Geronimoooo!" Both the Wayne children saw was a brief speck of a boy then a big splash. "Alright! Hey Thomas, hey 'Lyta!" Vinny said once he came up.

"My name is Hippolyta!" She shouted from across the pool.

"What up, Vince Kent." A frown of disapproval of the nickname appeared on the features of the youngest Kent. To Thomas, he thought he should accept the nickname. His parents knew the consequences of naming their child something close to rhyming to the last name. Actually his name is Vincent Peter Kent but calling him Vince Kent was too much fun. "You know Polly here doesn't like nicknames. Isn't that right, Lyta?" Again. The price your parents cash and you have to pay for having a name that is easy to make fun of.

"I'm telling mom that you're making fun of me and grandma's names!" Always the tattle-tell. That's a little sister for ya.

"Whatever, Hippopotamus." She scowled/glared at him.

"Well whatever, Tom-Tom!"

"Yeah, Tom-Tom!" Little Kent decided to join in. Thomas never knew how Vince felt about the whole ordeal with his dad dating his mom. He guess he was kinda okay with it since he always rattle on about he wish he had a little sister like him and he considered him a brother. But nothing could replace your real mother. Lois will always be his mother and nothing could replace her. …Even if she is Wonder Woman. That how he would feel if his mother was killed five years ago and his father decided to remarry. But holding to the past is useless.

Vince knows his mom isn't coming back, so does Clark; why don't mom and Polly get that? This just proves men are mentally superior than women are.

Hippolyta went into the house long ago, leaving the boys in steady silence.

"I wish my dad was Superman." Vince looked towards Thomas in semi-surprise. It wasn't unusual for Thomas to make a random outburst like that. Thomas was looking up at the clouds; probably imagining how his life would be like if his father was Superman. His friend always expressed a mild reserved vague hatred towards his father, to what extent and his reasons he'll never know.

"Why? Having Batman as a dad is cool." He knew, in some ways, that comment was stupid. He never got a reply back. Thomas just looked at the clouds.

Bruce…

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At this moment my memory was vague. Vinny was gone by now. Everything felt the same. Cold as death. My feet were also cold; I think it was because of the floor. I'm not sure. One thing I can remember clearly is the sound of my voice.

"Mom!" Or was it Hippolyta's? The blood on the floor was so unreal. That's all I could focus on.

"Mom!" I am sure that was my voice that time. I wonder. Did I say it in my head or out loud? When I looked up I saw the man who killed my mother. He had whatever he used to kill her pointed at me. He had on a blue and white costume or was it black? In the dark it all looked the same.

"You metahumans will all be extinct and I will posses all your powers." Was this price to pay for having a metahuman mother; for being half-metahuman? Guess this is the part I should be lucky not having Superman as my biological father. Guess I should be thankful to Bruce for being only human. I don't have any superpowers but I am part meta nonetheless. While my human side was most dominate, my sister, Hippolyta, took after my mother; our mother. She had the whole package of Wonder Woman, via the gods of course…

What happen next is lost on my side. Something scared him away. Did I throw a batarang at him, did Hippolyta do it, did she signal some kind of alarm? I don't remember. There was a portal I think that he jumped into to get away. My eyes were red and puffy and my face was red with blood as I cried over my mother's body. I regret everything I did that day, making fun of my teacher, getting sent to the principal's office, having my mother look at me with sad eyes, letting her down. If only I knew… This would have happen… I would have pleased her for once. If only I knew…

An ironic thought popped in my head. …A boy and his parents exited out the theaters and into a dark alley. A thug came out of nowhere and in no time the parents were murdered, leaving the eight year old boy as the only survivor and witness. A broken pearl necklace dropping to the ground the only sound that could be heard…then a boy mourning over his parent's dead bodies. That is the story of how Batman was born…

"You happy, Bruce?!" He said to the ceiling. "You have everyone! You have Alfred and now mom! Everyone I love has been taken from me! And now…I'm you!" He choked on tears. "I'm Batman!"

A/N: I wrote this to improve my storytelling skills and whatnot. Let me know how you like. I'll post more as soon as I can.