Hey, just a little oneshot I thought about because we all know that even after the events of TDK that not everyone is going to have something against Batman, especially those he helps.
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A woman and her little boy stepped out of a Gotham theatre into the crisp evening air. "Wasn't that fun?" the woman looked down at the little boy holding her hand as he nodded fervently in response. "I'm glad, you only turn five once."
They rounded the corner and she could see their apartment building ahead of them. They lived in a nice area, but she still hated walking outside this late. They wouldn't have been if she hadn't been called into work and been forced to celebrate her son's birthday later in the day. Everything seemed perfectly fine though, that was until they passed by a alley and she caught a glint of metal before an arm wrapped around her throat and she was tossed backward into the wall, her hand tearing away from her sons as he screamed out for her. Her assailant pointed the barrel of a shiny silver revolver at her "Shut the kid up! Now!"
Shaking she held up her hands in surrender "O-okay! Mikey, I need you stop screaming okay?" The little boy nodded and fell to the ground in tears as he watched his mothers assailant step closer to her forcing the barrel of the gun into her chest as he reached for her purse.
The next moment was a blur as a great shadow burst forth from deeper in the alley and the mugger was thrown, the gun clattering to the ground nearby. The shadow came down on him and the sickening sound of punches being thrown was heard as the woman crawled to her son and pulled him to her. The boy's eyes were wide as saucers as he watched and he breathed in awe "Batman…"
They watched as the Batman stood and he turned toward them holding out a hand that held the woman's purse. She reached forward tentatively and grasped it. He gave a slight incline of his head and began to walk away.
He felt a tug on his cape that forced him to turn back and he looked down to see the small boy looking up at him with his mother now standing just a few feet back her hand outstretched as if she had tried to hold her son back. He looked down at the boy who gave his cape another little tug in a sign for him to kneel to his level, he complied and the boy wrapped his arms around his neck in a hug "You're my hero."
He stayed in his crouched position as the little boy pulled away and returned to his mother. He found himself watching as they walked up the steps to their apartment building and disappeared inside. It was then that he discovered he'd been smiling.