A/N: Hello all and welcome to the latest collaberation between MaxGentlman 1 and myself! We were both really excited to get to this one and we hope you like it as well. Now before we start let us say that we made some tweeks to lore for the story, but they don't take from the characters. Also, we know that Batman Beyond starts twenty years after Bruce retires. There is a reason this starts a little before that.
Disclaimer: WB and DC own Batman, and all it's recognizable characters we do not, but we do own Michael Prince.
Okay so that said
Enjoy!
Chapter 1
Seventeen years, Bruce found it hard to believe that it had been seventeen years since he had hung up the cowl. Seventeen years since his mission ended. Seventeen years since the world had seen a Batman. He was not sure what to do with the time, his allies were dead, or retired. His partners as well and hung up their own suits his enemies, gone or incarcerated, the Justice League was still active, but it was Superman leading a team of heroes that he didn't know, the world had changed.
Bruce himself was barely seen in public anymore and Gotham had changed for the better and the worse, with it helping head the worlds technological advantage. On the flip side however, gangs and crime had risen again, and though he wanted to fight, he knew that his time had passed he had even violated his no gun rule on his last night as Batman.
Bruce was not sure how he felt about all of that, as he sat thinking his loyal dog Ace by his side there was a knock at the door. Bruce paused, that was odd not only because his manor was far outside of Gotham, but because his gate to his Manor and grounds was kept locked. Being prepared to activate his home defenses, he followed his now growling dog to the door.
"I don't deal well with solicitors!" Bruce shouted through the door; "Believe me we know that well Bruce." Said a voice that Bruce hadn't heard in many years, nor had he expected to hear again; "Dick?" He asked.
"In the flesh old man, and I have guests can you let us in it's pretty cold out here." He said.
Bruce was still suspicious, so he activated one defense a large electric jolt beginning to charge beneath the lawn easy enough to hear. If it really was Dick he'd be able to shut it down easy, and he did with a simple phrase; "Shut down security, verification wing 224." He said and the taser stopped.
Bruce opened the door, wide to see that Dick standing there along with others he hadn't spoken to in years; Barbra Gordon, Superman, and to Bruce's surprise more than anyone Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, along with a young man, who was built similar to how Bruce had been in his youth, with slightly tanned skin, short spiky black hair and ice blue eyes.
"Come in, what are you all doing here?" Bruce asked scratching Ace behind the ears to get him to stop barking as they all entered and he could finally observe them all.
Superman was fully dressed in the black and silver gear he had taken on years ago at around the same time Bruce had made his last Batsuit grey just starting to show on the sides of the hair on his face. Dick was dressed in a long sleeved blue shirt and black pants and shoes. Barbra was dressed in her usual work clothes as Comissioner of the GCPD.
Diana was dressed in a black shirt, red jacket and black pants and shoes. Her age like Supermans only showing in a single grey-white streak in her hair, it was the boy he didn't know that had his attention the most his build was impressive for someone he guessed could only be about fourteen, he was dressed similar to Diana, and had an heir of cotion and nerves about him.
Bruce could imagine why given who he stood in the room with but he had more questions; "Why are you all here?" He asked again.
"We all decided it was well past time that we talked to you, and settled a few things." Superman said.
"There's nothing to say, not really we all parted ways it's that simple." Bruce said, but Dick stepped up; No it's not Bruce, you...all of us really changed things, for the better mostly, but ever since you retired Gotham has gone nearly all the way back to hell." He said.
"I know that, but you all need to realize I'm not like Clark, or Diana I simply got too old Dick, too many injuries built, inside and out. Besides, I told you what happened my last night on the job. I can't be Batman, not anymore." Bruce said bitterly.
"Bruce, that wasn't exactly what we meant." Barbra said.
"See, we know that you can't be Batman anymore, not without simply dying from the strain it would create on you each night, we all actually think you made the right call in retiring from the post before you overdid it on yourself." Clark said carefully.
"However, you made a difference, Batman made a difference, and you need to admit you've been coming to the same conclusion we have, Gotham and the rest of the world needs a Batman, a new Batman." Diana said as the young man he had noticed before stepped forwards.
"You think it should be him? Why? What separates this kid from anyone else, why should I put him through the training and everything he would need to be Batman. Why did you even bring him here, who is he?" Bruce asked.
Diana stood beside the young man who looked a bit cautious of Bruce now; "Bruce, this is Micheal Prince...he's our son." She said. Bruce froze the look of shock on his face as he stared at the two of them was almost comical.
"Wow, you know I think you broke him." Dick said waving a hand in front of Bruce's face only to get hit in the hand by the mans cane; "Okay never mind, he's okay." He said shaking out his hand out as Bruce approached the boy noticing the similarities in appearance to how he had been when he was younger, the hair, body build the nose. He had Diana's eye's though, and her skin tone.
"Follow me." He said and headed towards the grandfather clock that he had not touched for years, set it to the right time and pulled. The clock swung forwards and lights came on as they all headed down, they stopped as they entered the Batcave, all the adults having memories good and bad of things that had happened in this cave.
"Is that a giant robotic T-Rex?" Michael asked staring at it as they walked by; "Yes it is now come over here." Bruce said leading him over near the computer.
"does he have any powers?" Bruce asked examining his son.
"Yes, he has some of mine, though they are not as potent and he can't fly, his abilities are still above the best of a regular human physically, no offense." She said.
"None taken." Bruce, Dick, and Barbra said together.
"He's the perfect candidate, and we both felt it was more than time he met his father." Diana said sitting beside Bruce.
"Why didn't you tell me about him before?" Bruce asked.
"You cut the world out, you left duty, and then a few years later stopped assisting the league which was right before I found out about my pregnancy, I never had a chance to tell you." She said.
Bruce was silent as he worked on the Batcomputer for a moment before he spoke, "I'm sorry, Diana, I wouldn't have left if I had known."
"It's okay, Bruce, I don't blame you," She said with a small smile and a hand on Bruce's shoulder.
Bruce smiled back at the Amazon as he punched in the last few keys on the super computer before he got up, struggling slightly due to his old and fatigued muscles, before going up to Michael and looking him dead in the eyes.
"So you have powers then?" He asked seriously.
"Yes sir, that's correct," Michael responded, somewhat nervous in front of the old but still imposing man.
"Do you have any form of training?" Bruce asked.
"Mom taught me basic combat and fighting techniques but other than that, no."
Bruce was silent for a moment before he turned around and began walking off in a direction further into the Batcave.
"Follow me," He said again simply as the others began to follow him.
He lead them over to what Dick and Barbra recognized as the holo trainer, he told Michael to take his place in the center, and gave him a utility belt and told him what was in which pouch, he activated the bots and they began to take forms.
"You said that your mother and the Amazons taught you the basics of combat, and you have powers. So, you want to take over as Batman first I need to see where you stand right now." He said seriously as they became; Killer Croc, Mr. Freeze, and Bane.
"Simple task, take them down or do your best against them."He said smiling as Micheal took a battle ready position and moved forwards as Freeze fired his ray at him, Michael slid off to the side running towards Freeze dodging blasts as he went before sweeping the legs out from beneath him, and kicking him away which actually sent Freeze high into the air.
As he prepared to hit Freeze again and knock the bot out Bane seized him from behind lifting him high into the air and squeezing him as Killer Croc approached jaws owling Michael managed to reach into the belt and pull out a few flashbangs and dropped them in Banes face forcing the big man to let him go.
He dropped to the ground grabbed Croc around the neck and threw him towards the Freeze bot who was still rising. They slammed into each other and both images faded as Bane rose again shaking off the Flashbangs he swung his massive fist at Michael who leapt away, dodging fists for several minutes before reaching into his belt and dropping a few pods.
When Bane swung again the pods he hit burst open sticking his hand to the ground and burning away at Banes hand at the same time. As the moutain of muscle screamed in pain, Micheal jumped bouncing off Banes arm and kneed Bane hard in jaw knocking it out as the image faded and Michael stood panting a little.
"Not, bad we'll have to work on your endurance and strategy, as well as refine a style for you, but you have potential." Bruce said ans Michael couldn't help but smile at his father praise just a little.
"So then, you'll give me a chance?" Michael asked and Bruce nodded; "I will, but you don't get to put on the cowl until I say your ready for it not before, you also need a public face to make sure that no one even suspects you can be Batman."
"Okay, and how exactly do I do that?" Michael asked cautiously.
"Well, we can start with the basics your mother is known as a famed reporter, and her name Prince is well known we can easily work with that. Plus as odd as this sounds, I think that you should enroll in school, and build up a public persona that others know you by." Bruce said.
"Okay school I am not a fan of, but if you think it's best." Michael said; "I do." Said Bruce.
"Now, does mom approve?" Bruce asked turning to Diana seriously
Diana was silent for a moment while she thought it over. Finally, she spoke.
"If it means that the world has a chance at a new Batman, then I'll stand by your decision, Bruce," She said, placing a hand on her son's shoulder and looking at Bruce.
"Then I guess it's settled then," Bruce said, standing in front of Michael with a smile as Dick and Barbara came up behind him and each placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Welcome to the Bat Family, kid," Barbara said with a smirk.
A/N: So, yes that's chapter 1 all done and we hoped you liked it. For those wondering yes Terry is still going to be a big part of this story, you'll see him later we promise. Also yes, we made Batman and Wonder Woman have a how they were in Justice League and Unlimited it's not outside posssible. And from the old canon seen in Batman Beyond 2.0 Wonder WOman literally stayed in a another world with a different Bruce, so yeah it's possible.
Anyway we hoped you liked the chapter leave a review, fav or follow if you wish and we'll see you next time!
