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Chapter 3: Supporting

Thursday, March 05th, 2054, 11:30 P.M. | Wayne Manor Den

"So that's your plan for tomorrow evening?" Bruce sat in his favourite chair and looking at the young man in sitting across from him, with a bowl of soup and a plate of toast.

"That's what I'm calling it." Terry replied. "Why don't like it?"

Bruce glared in response. "I didn't say that."

Terry took the empty dishes into the kitchen to wash them before returning to the room with an orange bottle containing prescription medication. "How did you learn to make soup like that?"

"Pennyworth family recipe." Bruce muttered in response.

"Are you feeling alright?" Terry raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"I'm fine." Bruce grumbled, not making any eye contact.

"Even if you weren't you'd still wouldn't tell me until its too late."

Bruce said nothing back and just took his medicine.

There was silence for a mere moment.

"Well, looks like things are good around here. I'll be heading out now."

"You're leaving already?"

Terry stretched his stiffening arms and neck. "Yeah, I'm beat. I had to take my weekly visit to the office to authorize some file work, but I might have to again tomorrow."

"Terry?" Bruce sounded like he was about to ask something.

The young man turned as heard his name from behind.

"What?"

"That dinner is tomorrow."

Terry nodded. "Like I said before."

"I'll pay for it."

"Wait, what?" The younger man looked surprised, perhaps a bit more than he should have.

"You heard me." Bruce continued to wear the same scowl on his face.

"It's one of the highest rated places around the city." Terry began to explain.

"What's your point?"

"Nothing, it's just that you don't normally do that sort of thing...Any hidden agenda or trick up your sleeve."

"I'm only doing it because it's a very high priority." Bruce then took his cane and began walking out of the living area. "Don't come back until the morning."

Terry had a warm smile on his face as he saw the old man leaving in front of himself. "Good night to you to."

11:47 P.M | Bruce's bedroom

Bruce Wayne was never really a fan of redecorating nor did he ever really care. Although he lived inside a place of residence the common folk would almost immediately categorize as 'extraordinary', the owner would decorate every room in the manor would be simple - almost plain, aside from the decor being rather costly for any average person.

The ninety-five-year-old man was laying in his bed, having difficulty entering a nightly slumber.

Finally, after tossing and turning he decided to switch to a propped up bodily position.

Dana needs to know. Bruce extended his arm to reach for the smartphone on the night table beside him.

He immediately entered in the password unlocking the device, then going through his contact list to dial the number.

The elderly man paused momentarily. His piercing blue eyes appear to be staring at the woman's name. There was no realization of that until the phone's screen had turn black. He sighed, unlocking his password again, staring back at the name of the screen.

He finally tapped his finger on the phone call option.

Bruce took a deep breath and cleared his throat. He already knew what to say.

The call was picked up.

"Dana, its Bruce... Don't say anything, just listen to me. I need you to call in sick in the morning. Come to the manor at 10 AM so we can talk face-to-face. I will not take 'no' for an option. It will just be between us and no one else, you have my word. This is a very high priority."

Bruce disconnected. He had not used the voice of his alter-ego in many years, yet, it felt like just the right tone to express those words.

He placed the smartphone back on the night table and laid down once again.

"Tomorrow is going to feel like a very long day." Bruce muttered to himself sotto voce.

The elderly man had entered a state of suspended consciousness.

Bruce was sitting in his favourite chair in the den.

His piercing blue eyes were fixated on the antique grandfather clock.

It was nearly ten o'clock in the morning.

Dana was going to be at the main gate of the private living residence within any moment.

The timing could not have been any more perfect.

Terry had exited the infamous Batcave to go the head office of Wayne Enterprises, where he plays the role of the chairman of the multi-national conglomerate corporation, since Bruce had permanently retired from participating in the worlds of both crime-fighting and business. When Terry was off becoming occupied with playing the role of the Batman, the responsibilities would go to the senior vice-president, and CEO and longtime ally, Maxine Gibson.

Bruce on the other hand, was waiting, patiently and quietly.

The elderly man already knew what questions he was going to ask. Not that he needed to second guess any of them. That was either his keen sense of judgment, or his level of conceit. On a personal level, he didn't really care. In the end, it was all about getting the outcome no matter what. That was how he managed everything in his life. But those years of being that deep-voiced, self-appointed, brooding vigilante who made crime and injustice his own personal vendetta were now very far behind him. Far enough to make him wonder how he had managed to have lived so long, how he still able to exist. He was well aware of how much time had gone passed, it was fact. It was a total of thirty-five years.

Terry McGinnis, was once a smart-mouth boy in high school with immeasurable potential. Suddenly he became the second Batman, now in his fifteenth year of continuing the mantle of Dark Knight's activity against crime.

Bruce was proud of him. That was a fact.

Terry had finally made the decision to ask for his longtime girlfriend, Dana Tan's, hand in marriage. That was also a fact.

The old man repeatedly tapped his foot slowly against the floor.

Then he heard a feminine voice come through the intercommunication system. "Bruce, I made it."

Seeing her face via the surveillance cameras, he disengaged the main automatic door system.

It took a couple of minutes for her to come over to him.

"Its been a while, hasn't it?"

He observed how the thirty-year-old woman had smile warmly towards him as she was taking her own seat on the large sofa near him.

"How have you been?" She politely touched her hand onto his knee.

Bruce exhaled. "I need to talk with you about something. It's a very high priority."

The old man noticed how her face instantly when from cheery to worried. She really has no clue about today, does she?

"What's going on Bruce? Is there something wrong with you or Terry?"

"Dana, how much do you enjoy being around Terry?"

"Where is all of this coming from?"

"Please, just answer."

He heard Dana release a sigh. "I've always enjoy spending time with him very much."

"What is he like when its just you two together?"

"I know he has his faults, but he is genuinely of one the most kindhearted, generous and sweetest people anyone can ever meet, even when you can't see it at the time."

"Do you love him?"

"With all of my heart and soul." There was no instance of hesitance attached to her words.

That's encouraging. Bruce thought.

Yet, hesitance was something in particular she had thought to never have the classic Dark Knight to display. "Dana...would you want to marry him?"

"Yes, I do."

Bruce grew quiet. So its settled, if I have to send her to Waller. I need to do it now.

"As you already know, we have a date tonight." Dana went into her purse and held onto what could be a small object surrounded by her closed hand.

Bruce's eyes were fixated on the lightly moving closed fist.

"I'm planning to ask him to wear this." She opened hand revealing a black Tungsten ring with a silver inlay and three small fragments of white diamonds centered in a straight line. "This is an engagement ring."

This isn't just an ordinary ring from a catalog. It looks too specific. It has to be made from scratch. The elder man's breathing had momentarily become shallow and sharp. "How much was the bill? I'll reimburse you for the payment."

He stared at how Dana's pair of black eyes gave off a considerate vibe. "Only took three months salary, another one for getting it inscribed another for getting the words in red, plus another one for the insurance."

'Red inscription?' His vision narrowed on the inside. The words were written in cursive, as a whole message it said Dana loves Terry.

Bruce's eyes widened. "You work for Wayne Enterprises, I know how much you make annually."

Dana placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. "Its completely paid for. I bought it a long time ago."

Bruce lightly shook her hand away from him and made direct eye contact with his piercing blue irises. "I need you to do something. Its urgent."

Dana's body looked there a chill going down her spine when he spoke his last statement. "What is it?"

"Hand your phone over." His voice continued to have a grizzled tone.

After following the demand, Bruce began to tap on the screen and gave it back the device to its respective owner. "Follow this address and tell the guards that I sent you over there. Terry doesn't have to know a thing. You need to prepare yourself for tonight. This is a very high priority."

Bruce saw the woman nearly beginning to make her way out of the room. Perhaps it was just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, when he pressed his hand that was covering the top of her head. "Dana, you are going to do a very good thing for a very good man."

She rotated her body to see him.

There was a tiny smile grown on Bruce's face, slightly softening his rugged features.

She softly laid her hand on the one covering of his. "I'm doing this for me to."

And like that Dana was on her way to a mysterious location.

She'll be fine. I trust her. A half smile grew on Bruce's face as he sat back down next to his phone.

Time to make another call. Bruce tapped his finger on the contact labeled as "Amanda Waller".

"Hello?" An elderly woman answered.

"Hello, Amanda."

"Bruce? Its been so long since we've last spoken. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Bruce grumbled.

"Why are you calling me?" Amanda asked.

"I need you to do me a favour."

"I'm all ears."

"I have an associate who is on her way to come see you. Her name is Dana Tan."

"An associate of yours? To what do I owe the pleasure?" The woman sounded intrigued.

"She's Terry's girlfriend. I need you to tell her everything. The same things you told him. Terry is planning to propose tonight, but so is she. Neither of them know about each other's plans. I'd like to keep it that way."

"I see. Why couldn't you just tell her yourself, instead of the poor dear having to come all the way out to see me without knowing a single thing?" Amanda inquired.

"I can't tell her because you're the only one left that has all the details."

"I see."

"Take care of her." He requested.

"I will."

"Goodbye, Amanda."

Goodbye, Bruce."

Bruce hung up the phone. Its only matter of time.

The elderly man had gotten used to his routine after becoming permanently retired.

His days usually passed by with him scrolling through touchscreen tablets reading online newspaper articles trying to keep up with the current events of the outside world.

Bruce Wayne knew too many things to make time for hobbies in the past After all, being a detective, a pilot, an escape artist, a billionaire, knowing over a hundred forms of martial arts, being a polyglot and having a myriad of advanced formal education degrees and some more scholarly credentials to a lesser extent, living the quiet life could get, dull. Although, it was dull but comfortable.

Maybe I should have given her money to charge her car battery. Bruce thought to himself before his phone vibrated.

"Bruce I finished meeting with Amanda Waller." He heard Dana's voice on the other end.

"What did she say?" Bruce asked.

"As much as she could."

"Where are you now?" He continued to question her.

"A little closer back to the city. I'm charging my car right now." Dana replied.

Bruce exhaled slowly while the grip on his phone grew tighter. "Dana, are you having any second thoughts about your plan for tonight?"

"Why would you think that to begin with?" She inquired in a puzzled tone.

Bruce grew quiet and loosened the grip. "I'm sorry, it just came to me."

"Bruce, I will be honored to be in your family."

There was another pause, he could tell that she meant it and that she was smiling. "Terry is on patrol right now."

Bruce ended the phone call.

He waited a few minutes.

He decided to give Terry a call using the secret application Max had programmed into his smartphone which is connected to the same satellite frequency in the Batcave.

"She really cares about you." Bruce spoke into the phone.

"Of course she does."

"That dinner reservation is in a few hours. Save your strength for tonight."

"Yeah, there's not much activity going on. At least for know anyway. I'm just gonna take one more sweep around the city before heading back. Just to be sure its clean."

"Don't take too long." Bruce disconnected.

4:56 P.M. | Wayne Manor's Den

"I'm back." Terry detached the iconic cowl from his face.

"I can see that. You don't have to announce it." Bruce gave him an annoyed glare as continue to sit in his chair.

"Nice to know that you're still in a good mood." Terry opened the bottle of prescription pills and a glass of water.

"Once in a while, its a little bit nice." Bruce swallowed and exhaled.

He observed the younger man as he gently shook the round orange plastic container. "Almost running out. I better get it refilled later."

"Focus on that tomorrow. You have to take care of a high priority tonight."

"Your health's a high priority to." Terry took away the medicine bottle and emptied glass.

"This isn't exactly a normal date, whatever she answers determines how your relationship will either continue or crash and burn."

"I already knew that before buying the ring." The younger man rubbed his hands up and down his face in noticeable frustration.

"Terry," Bruce made direct eye contact with him.

"What is it?"

"You're stubborn but so is she. Odds are it'll work out." Bruce gave a tiny, wry smile.

Terry placed his hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Thanks for the encouragement. You sure are more talkative than usual. Anything going on?"

"I'm fine." Bruce responded. "Go get dressed and pick up the ring and make no mistake." His facial features still displayed a glare.

"Bat's honor." Terry began to exit the spacious area.

"And remember this: don't ask her before the appetizers, only after dessert. I don't want to be stuck with a bill that has no meaning behind it." Bruce instructed.

"Someone is getting sentimental today." Terry grinned lightly, only to be given the iconic glaring of the man who was sitting before him.

Bruce was silently terrified by the possibility that Dana could reject Terry, but out of fear, due to hear just learning about the existence of [Project Batman Beyond].

This was the night that could change not just the lives of the respective couple, but his own as well.

However, Bruce could not help but think and feel that the manor in which he dwells within will once again have of the loving, caring and supportive touch of a woman, only under the condition that the couple make the desicion to move in. It was something that had become foreign to the estate for eighty-seven years.

And all that the elderly man could do, was sit and wait.

It was hours since he's last spoken to either Terry and Dana.

Kent even called the manor to ask how Terry's assistance with monitor duty at the Metro Tower will turn out, only to have Bruce advise to figure out that question for himself prior to abruptly hanging up as usual.

Finally, he had gotten one of the calls he'd had been stoically anxious for. "Hello?" He answered.

"Bruce, its me." The voice at the other end, and he sounded pleased, happy.

"What happened Terry?" Bruce questioned him sternly.

There was a little pause after.

He's smiling. This is good. Bruce silently thought.

"She said 'yes'." Terry sounded proud.

Bruce sighed. It was a great relief. "You didn't make a mistake. That's good."

Before ending his call, Terry had informed him that he was on his way to the JLU's headquarters for his weekly monitor supervision duty and not to wait up for him.

It was almost an hour later when the newly-engaged Dana had made her expected call.

Thankfully, the elderly mansion dweller was more than an exceptional character actor in his of crime-fighting before his ending years as a classic Dark Knight when he nearly forgot who Bruce Wayne was as that name was nearly a cover for what he - or what concept he thought - he only was until his first retirement.

Bruce was happy about hearing the news. But being as experienced as he is in terms brooding and stoicism, the rugged features hadn't changed - especially since he was by himself. Even though, it was merely an act for the phone conversation.

"Hello?" His tone of voice remained the same.

"Bruce, its me." Dana greeted herself.

"What happened Dana?" The question was asked with identical seriousness.

"I said 'yes'."

Bruce could not help but pause for the moment. He had formed a little surrogate 'family' of his own so very long ago. Yet, this felt different, -much, much different.

When that 'family' was created, it was strictly for crime-fighting and making sure that everyone, Dick, Tim, Barbara, and by extension Commissioner James Gordon, Selina Kyle. Then, of course, his legal guardian and most trusted ally Alfred, had always been there until his timely passing.

Batman always tried to keep things under wraps whenever it involved his concern for everyone he cared for, until it all started to crumble bit by bit as things were developing to get personal - for Bruce Wayne. An identity that was only just a cover. It was nothing but a charming, arrogant masking pseudo personality for the benefit of the public eye, shielding the true near-psychotic complexity that laid within his mind.

That family he had created as the Batman had long since parted ways to move on with their own lives. He never blamed them. He understood why they had conflicted feelings towards him.

It was many years later until he had a guard dog named Ace. Then, one day, along came a young high school boy by the name of Terry McGinnis, and later on met and began to trust Maxine Gibson.

Eventually, being the excellent detective he was, Bruce discovered their true relationship, but thought it best that Terry should find out on his own. Terry was his own man after all. Terry's first reason for stealing the final Batsuit was to avenge his father Warren's death. Bruce never met the man, although, he had a great deal of respect towards the late Mr. McGinnis for raising both Terry and Matt has if they were his own children.

Now, with that revelation, Bruce had found a type of connection he had never expected - a biological one - even better - two biological relations.

Terry had proposed to Dana that night.

Dana agreed to Terry's hand in marriage and also gave him an engagement ring of his own.

Bruce was finally going to have an actual family. It was not a family whose bonds were connected - but also disbanded due to the goal of keeping their beloved Gotham city free from villainy and Bruce's struggle to carry familiar ties, only to gain any form of reconciliation after multiple decades. It was one that was bonded by either biological ties or martial union.

Bruce felt the need to express his feelings about these new developments going on. He knew how to keep his feelings subtle, although his piercing blue eyes were definitely moistened with hopeful musing.

"That's good. Welcome to the family."

Thank you very much for giving this chapter a chance. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a message in my PM box. Please leave a review, any amount of criticism is really appreciated.