Whatif:BatmanReunitedTheBatFamily?
Chapter 1
Just outside of Gotham City is the Palisades, underneath of which lies the most intricate set of caves known to man. One man in particular made these caves his home long ago. That man now stands at the epicenter of a crowd within those caves. His dark demeanor and forever serious face gazed upon them, keeping his stare as emotionless as only one with experience in such matters can.
The crowd themselves stood surprisingly silent awaiting their host to begin speaking. All though their paths had all crossed before at one point or another, most of them had nothing to say to each other. Like children they remained stubborn in their distaste for each other.
"By now all of you are wondering why I've called you here. In the end the answer is simple, but that's not how I want this to begin. First I must admit that I have failed. I've failed each and every one of you in different ways, and for that I'm sorry." This was the first time anyone had ever seen the dark knight sincerely apologize for the wrongs he's made. Most of them didn't believe it, he had to be playing them for some reason.
"I'll start from first to last, Dick you were my first Robin. My first partner and I drove you away by forgetting that you were my partner, my equal, and not my subornanate. I am sorry Dick and I'm also proud of you for what you have done as Nightwing." The Batman explained to the now fully grown boy wonder.
"Next is you Bettie, you were the first Batgirl. When you Aunt Kate the first Batwoman was killed, I was to busy blaming myself. I wasn't there for you and you drifted away. You've tried to make a new name for yourself, Flamebird, but I haven't been there to support that either. I hope you can forgive me, and in the future I hope you will give me another chance." Batman explained.
"Barbra, my second Batgirl, I know you don't blame me for the wheel chair. For a long time I blamed me, and attributed to our drifting apart because I thought you blamed me too. But the real reason was because while I was out sulking in my own depression I left you behind alone. I should have been there for you too, but as the story of my life goes I was to busy with my own problems. I am sorry, please forgive me."
"Jason, second in line as robin, like Barbara you don't blame me for what the Joker did to you. Your problem is that I let him live after he took you from me. When you returned I looked at you as an enemy for trying to get revenge. I should have embraced you and treated you like the brother you always were. I cannot condone killing, but if I had tried to help you instead of fight you a lot of damage could have been prevented. If it's not too late I would like for us to start again."
"Tim, you were the third Robin and have recently taken on the persona that Jason created, Red Robin. I failed you by treating you as if you were an only child. You lost your family and I selfishly tried to replace them myself instead of offering you the family that Dick and Jason had here in the Bat cave. If I had done things differently then perhaps you wouldn't be as dark as I am."
"Cassandra, the third Batgirl, you were trained from birth as an assassin. I took you in and claimed you as my own and then right after I sent you away to oracle. I kept you at arm's length and then tried to force you to see me as your leader and mentor."
"Stephanie, you were both the fourth Robin and now the fourth Batgirl. When you were Robin I basically ignored you, treated you like you were nothing more than an annoying teenage girl obsessed with Tim. Now as Batgirl I see you differently. You are a hero in your own right, and it's time I treated you like one."
"Damien, I failed you by being the last thing I ever wanted to be, an absent father. You are the fifth Robin and I have confidence that you will make me proud. But first I must become a better father in order to teach you to be a better person."
Batman turned to look at his last two guests. "Selena, I've ran from you every chance I got. One minute we're on and the next we're done. I treated you more like a play thing then a lover. But over the years you've proven to be a valuable ally, and if I ever took the time to look at you in the light of something other than a criminal or bedroom partner, then I would have seen it a lot sooner."
"Helena, the huntress, my daughter my flesh and blood. Like Damien I have ignored my parental responsibility. I've known since you were born that you were mine and I hid from that truth. It's time I right the wrongs, all of them."
"We've lost a lot of comrades that I still owe apologies too, including countless Batwomen. But those of us in this room are all that's left of this once great family," Batman explained.
"I'm sure you didn't call us all here for that," Jason Todd pointed out. "So why are we here?"
"You here of your own free will, but I invited you here because it's time we take this city once and for all and I need my whole family to do it. We're broken, we've fallen apart, but we're all still here which means we haven't been beaten. Most of you will keep your personas however Cassandra I want you to become the new Batgirl, and Jason I've come up with something new for you, you will become Arc Angel, if you accept it. Together we will return Justice to Gotham."
"What's the point they'll just keep escaping," Jason interrupted.
"Not this time," Batman replied, "This time we won't be taking them to Arkham. I've located a planet capable of sustaining human life far away from here. This planet is void of human life, I've checked it extensively. There is nothing their but the bare essentials were the criminals can either build a new society, or kill each other off until there's nothing left."
"Isn't that the same as murder?" Barbara asked.
"No," Selina answered for Bruce. "He's given them every opportunity to reintegrate with society, he's tried rehabilitating them. But some people are beyond saving. And since his moral code won't allow him to kill them the only other way to end the bloodshed is to remove them from the equation. It's actually the most humane thing left to do."
"What happens when they come back," asked Tim.
"They won't, at least not in this lifetime or even the next one. By the time they can cultivate the tech required to travel through space all the psychopaths we're sending over will be long dead," explained Dick.
"The psychopaths WE'RE sending, I take it that means you're in," asked Bettie.
"I've known Bruce the longest, we've been through a lot together. I've never seen him like this before. He was...Sincere. and if he's willing to put us all in the same room and give a speech like that just to make this happen. Then I say it's worth seeing through," Dick replied.
"It is worth it, but let me make it clear. I'm not talking about stalking through the shadows waiting to strike. I'm talking about a war against the criminal element. One that I can't promise we will win or even that any of us will survive it. I just know that I can't do it alone and as the past decade has proven neither can of you. The only solution is to do it together. Are you with me," Batman asked of all his protégés.
The room went silent again and each of the participants looked into each other's eyes. Some of them haven't looked at each other in years, for others this is the first time they've ever met. The silence was never broken even as they all began to nod their heads in agreement.
Sometime later televisions sets across Gotham city were interrupted by an important message. At first there was only static and then Batman came into view. "Good evening Gotham, for years you have trusted me to clean up this city. You have trusted me to protect it and defend it. Now I am asking you to trust me again. As of this night, I am declaring war on the criminal element in Gotham. It is time for the bloodshed to end. As of right now the man hunt begins to locate the six top most at large criminals. The Penguin, Two Face, Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and The Joker. The criminals will be sent away for good this time, along with anyone caught working with them. There will be no psychological evaluations, no parole hearings, and no negotiations for lesser sentences. If you are caught with them you will immediately be deemed just as harmful. This city will no longer stand by and let itself be destroyed by crime. It all ends now." Just as suddenly as Batman had appeared he disappeared and the regularly scheduled programs returned. Leaving all the views in shock, afraid of what effects this new war on crime will have.
Three days after Batman's public announcement of his war on crime it was only noon in Gotham city but deep in the bat cave you couldn't tell what time of day it was. At night they hunted, spending every breath tracking their enemies. They trained during the day, learning to work together all over again. Building new bonds, some on top of old ones.
Bruce Wayne had spent another fortune on buying the newest state of the art computer equipment. Lately he seemed to care less about the money, he was willing to spend every last dime to win this fight. Barbara and Bruce worked together building it, spitting out line after line of techno jargon that the others couldn't keep up with.
Selena and Stephanie ran through the obstacle course. Selena kept a good lead ahead of the more youthful Batgirl. "You have to be faster than that," Selena said. She was trying to sound encouraging but Stephanie took it as condescending. She huffed as she raced to keep up with the former jewel thief. "That pace may do with someone like the Penguin but Ivy's branches would have strangled you to death by now."
Nearby on the weight benches Helena watched her mother work while building her strength up. Damien snuck up from behind her. "Are you really my sister," he asked. His tone was different then what you would expect from him. His typical sarcasm and angry at the world demeanor was absent. Instead he sounded like a child his own age. This was the first time he had ever spoken to her, in fact before now he didn't even know she existed. Most people didn't, she was a well kept secret between Bruce and Selena. An unplanned child spawned from a night of reckless passion years ago.
Helena nodded her head yes, ashamed to know that her father Bruce had never told anyone of her. In fact Bruce had accepted Damien her younger brother into the family before her. "How old are you kid," she asked him.
"Twelve," he replied. He wasn't sure how to act around her, her existence offered him a new kind of family that he had never known before. She wasn't Ras Al Guhl who only wanted him for violent reasons, she wasn't his mother who was as equally insane as her father, and she wasn't Bruce whom he harbored feelings of resentment against for abandoning him to be raised by his mother and grandfather. This made Helena different, special to him. "You," he asked again sounding like nothing more than an innocent child.
"Fourteen, I guess that makes me older then you. That means I'm senior and therefore I'm in charge," she informed him snidely. "You do as I say kid, got it?" She hopped off the bench she was propped up on and stood in his face like all older sisters do when they want to put their little brothers in their place.
"I got it," he replied. He didn't know why he agreed like that, it wasn't like him. He attributed it to being that he didn't know her or what she was capable of. But deep down inside he knew it was because he found her special and different from the rest. Helena smiled at him, she didn't understand it either. The two of them weren't raised together and have never met before, but for some reason they just fell in place like a family should.
On the other side of the cave Cassandra and Bettie practice their weapons training with staffs. The wooden sticks clanked as they smacked each others. Cassandra was impressed at how well Bettie was able to defend herself against despite Cassandra's extensive training. Cassandra considered her training to be an advantage, but Bettie had been in the field for years. She knew how and when to dodge an attack. Plus Bettie had an odd sense of grace about her which she used when she moved.
Cassandra's real advantage came when she noticed that Bettie's attention had moved away from her and unto Dick Grayson who was stretching nearby. Cassandra took the advantage and smacked Bettie in the jaw with her staff, "pay attention," Cassandra muttered. Bettie rubber jaw and pulled herself together to go another round against the new Batwoman.
Alfred pushed a cart of food and drinks in for the group. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his handkerchief and looked around. He was glad to see that the whole family was back together again. He kept his fear of the results of this war to himself. Bruce walked over and grabbed a bottle of water. "What do you think Alfred," Bruce asked.
"I think we're going to have to hire another butler sir," he replied jokingly looking around at all the people. "Or perhaps even two." Bruce laughed and others started to join him by the cart.
That is all except for the three that had been stretching in the middle of the room. Dick, Jason, and Tim all stared at each other in stance. Preparing for the free for all spar that was about to begin. Jason made the first move adjusting himself so that he stood in between Dick and Tim. He arrogantly thought he could win this way. He kicked at Dick but was tripped by Tim. Dick took the advantage and swung at Tim while he was distracted by the falling Jason. Tim double over, all three of them in Karate gee's and not one wearing armor. The kick was a powerful one, Jason took that to his advantage from the ground and pulled Tim's feet out from under him.
Jason and Tim grappled on the ground using Brazilian Ju-jitzu. Dick just stood above waiting to take on the winner. Jason struggled to put Tim in a head lock but Tim broke free and flipped over top of Jason performing an air kick strike to Dick. Dick was able to thwart the strike sending Tim back to the ground, Tim's training in acrobatics made it easy to make a quick recovery. Tim respond to Dick's block by punching him in the chin clearly leaving an unwanted bruise.
Jason came up behind Tim locking him in the middle of him and Dick. Tim kicked at Jason's head, Jason responded by delivering a Charlie horse to Tim's thigh. Tim's attacks slowed and weakened but the three continued to fight using Aikido close combat skills. Tim finally rolled around on the ground to behind Jason and kicked him in the butt pushing him into the middle. Dick head butted Jason who was pushed forward, Tim flipped on to his feet. More harsh blows came from either side of Jason from Dick and Tim. Jason was barely able to keep up and block most of them.
Finally Dick grabbed Jason by the wrist and spun him around so that he was in the middle. He did better at blocking the blows from the other two men. He even delivered several return attacks but nothing worthy of knocking them off their feet. The longer this went on the angrier and more aggressive the fight got. Each determined to strike down the other two. This had turned from a harmless sparing session into a real fight. The others could all sense it and looked at Bruce to intervene and end it. They anticipated him to shout at them and lecture them on working together as a team.
Bruce did no such thing, instead he started clapping. The rest of the bystanders stood confused, as did the competitors. The fight seemed to end itself as Bruce continued to clap and walked in the middle of what was just an arena. "Wow, I'm just so proud of you boys. Of all of you. Look at you guys," Bruce said. This wasn't the typical do as I say not as I do attitude that they were used to the Batman having. This like his apology speech was something new. "You three are amazing fighters, I'd like to think that I had something to do with that. All of you are amazing, I just I want you all to know that. Save your energy though, we might have found the penguin and tonight we go after him. I want all of you well rested, so everyone take the rest of the afternoon off. Go out see the city, see your friends or loved ones if you must, go and find that thing that reminds you why we do what we do. And if you're still with me when the sun goes down, then I will meet you here."
Moments later a montage began, Barbara Gordon went to the home of her father Jim Gordon. Then Jim, Barbara, and her step mother sat around the table laughing and eating a delicious dinner. In another scene Cassandra Cain breaks into a loft owned by David Cain. While there she went through old papers and files trying to find evidence of her location. She hadn't seen him since she abandoned him to join the Batman and his team.
Selina and her daughter Helena went for a picnic. Helena thought the location was a bit odd though. It was a couple hours away from Gotham, in a nice open field. The only building in sight was a condemned orphanage a few hundred yards away from them. The building was old and liable to collapse at any moment. Helena didn't understand the significance of the building but for Selena this where she grew up. This building is what first turned her into the Catwoman she later became.
Another scene back at Gotham shows Damien in a phone booth. He had called his mother Talia but when she said hello he hung up the phone. He noticed some boys his age playing in the arcade nearby and felt compelled to follow them. He sat at a nearby table watching the group contemplating what his life would be like had his parents been different people. Also in Gotham at the city cemetery Bettie sat next to the small headstone of her aunt's grave. There wasn't anything special about it, it was smaller then most of the head stones in the yard. Bettie didn't understand how her aunt, the first Batwoman and the first of the batman's family to be killed in battle could go so unnoticed.
Tim went to the hospital to visit his comatose father. He held his hand and talked to him, telling him of all the changes he had undergone since he last spoke to him. Stephanie walked in standing behind him. "What are you doing here," Tim asked her.
"Where else was I supposed to go? Bruce said to go find the reason we became what we are today, and you're it for me. Where did you think I would go, to see my criminal father. He isn't why I'm here, you are," Stephanie explained as she pulled chair up next to Tim. She reached over and put her hand on top of Tim and his fathers.
"Steph, I...I can't..." Tim started to say before she interrupted him.
"I know, I'm not asking for anything. I just want to be here." She replied.
The next scene shows Jason Todd standing in Crime Alley, the place where he grew up, where Batman first recruited him. He looked around at all the people nearby. Many of the faces he recognized from his childhood, those faces where now scared and looked no different than the criminals he fights. Jason thought about it and if it wasn't for Bruce he could have ended up just like these poor fools.
Dick sat on a fence near the fairgrounds where is family were murdered. Not much went through his head, mostly just what little memories of them he still carries with him.
Back on Wayne property Bruce found Alfred getting the new costumes he had tailored for the group in pristine order. "I thought told everyone to go out remember why it is we do what we do. That goes for you to old man. You're just as much a part of this family as anyone else," Bruce stated.
"I know sir, and I am fulfilling those reasons. It's my job to do what no one else does. I take care of those who take care of everyone else in this city. And I do it because I love you, all of you. That's how I started in this mess, and god willing that's how I plan to end it. So if you'll excuse me, I have memories I need to reflect upon." Alfred said as he continued to get everything in order.
Bruce put his on Alfred's shoulder, and then wrapped in an awkward hug. Something that Bruce hasn't given Alfred in decades. The memory that Bruce is still like a son to Alfred is what Alfred really needed and Bruce knew that. It wasn't long after though that Bruce found himself standing above his real parents grave. He prayed for their understanding and shed a few tears before excusing himself as the sun was setting.