1 The Places You Weren't At

"Mommy?"

Timothy Perkins' voice was soft, small. It barely penetrated the dark, heavy space between him and his mother. A hand brushed against his cheek.

"What is it, Timmy?"

"I don't want to go to sleep."

"Why not?"

"Because in the morning, you won't be here anymore. You always leave."

Timmy felt a light kiss against his forehead, a warm hand cradling the side of his face.

"I'll be here, Timmy. I'm never going to leave you again. Never. Now, get some sleep."

The young boy's breath grew steady, and deeper, his eyes falling shut against the blackness. Mommy was here. He was safe.

--

Morning did not break into bright beams. It slid, fell, and slid again across the floors, up the side of the large bed and unto Bruce Wayne's eyes.

"Good Morning, Master Wayne."

"'Morning, Alfred."

There was a slight clink beside him as the old butler set down his breakfast. Toast, butter, jam, coffee, and the paper.

"I presume all went well last night, Master Wayne?"

The said vigilante groaned a little, cracking his eyes open.

"What makes you say that?"

"You're in one piece… more or less."

Wayne pulled himself upright, wincing slightly as the usual cacophony of pain assaulted his groggy mind.

"Barely, Alfred. Barely."

--

"What do we have here, men?"

"No forced entry. Martha Perkins, 27, dead for over an hour. Timothy Perkins, 6, location unknown."

Gordon sighed, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his trench coat. His fingers just brushing the photo he kept sewn there.

"Alright. Put up search warrants, ask the neighbours, the usual. I'll pack up."

"Yessir."

Following the young officer's exit, a certain winged shadow fell into the room. Gordon was almost getting used to his unannounced arrivals, he couldn't say the same for his old heart.

"One day you're going to give me a heart attack."

"When did this happen."

Gordon gave Batman the rough times appropriated from the evidence. The woman had died around 10 o'clock the previous night. The boy had left, or had been taken sometime before then.

"I was here."

"What?"

"I was one block away from here last night, putting down one of Ivy's monsters."

Silence, bore down between them wit h a great weight. Gordon walked over to the bed, staring down at the spot where Timmy was supposed to be, and the deep stains beside the bed.

"You can't be everywhere. No one can. There are more sickos than we can- Dammit."

Gotham's Dark Knight was already gone.

--

With a gloved hand, Wayne ripped off the hastily gathered data from the printer. He had few leads, but it was a place to start. The Batmobile was still warm, and growling. He had arrived only moments ago, and would be leaving in mere moments as well. Alfred was clearing away the soaked bandages from the redressing that had been hurriedly carried out while his charge had been furiously typing, and hacking away. There was a definite frown in the set of the old butler's eyebrows.

"Might I suggest, sir, that you carry out your investigations from the computer and not the streets? Just for one night."

"Alfred, there's a life on the line."

"With all due respect, Master Bruce, there always is. But there are a lot more lives at stake if you should push yourself too far."

"Something's very wrong with this case. I felt it at the scene."

"That can't possibly be why you are taking on a something of a scale that the police can handle. Why the particular… concern?"

The black mask allowed for no emotions, but Alfred knew Master Bruce well enough to detect a certain tone, and he knew that it meant there was no reasoning with him.

"Because, I could have been there, Alfred. I should have been there."

Dark hood hissing shut, the Batmobile roared out of the cave. In its wake, Alfred sighed.

"Very well, sir."


Author in Rant: So, there we have it. The first chapter. Hate it, like it, barfing on it, don't mind it... let me know?