Disclaimer: see second chapter
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Overseas Settling
"Thank God, we're home." Sezja's grumble made Bruce laugh and rub at his stubble. He'd have to see if Alfred had a razor handy…then again, Alfred always had everything, so of course he would have a razor handy.
"And what did we learn on this trip?" "Well…" Bruce sat back, ignoring the grime he was getting on the seat-it was his plane, after all.
Rachel slapping him for trying planning to shoot his parent's murderer; then that reporter took the shot herself…Confronting the mob-boss and getting beaten…Giving his coat to the poor man on the street, the man's haggard hound-dæmon reminding him of Mother…He tried to ignore Sezja's warnings as he boarded the plane, heading nowhere in particular, just-away…He could only sit there staring at the police officer who accused him of stealing. Ok, technically he was, but technically, he owned the company, now didn't he? Of course, he wasn't believed…The fight with the prisoner in jail, "You are in hell, little man, and I am the devil!" Bruce smirked at Sezja, responding, "You're not the devil, you're practice."…Getting put in solitary confinement for the other prisoners' protection…Meeting Henri Ducard…Ra's al Ghul and training…
…The tundra was windswept, the ice slick. Yet the pair still fought like mad with swords, dæmons attacking each other with the same ferocity as their humans. Ducard's eyes glinted in the harsh light. The man was up to something. "Your father's death was not your fault." Sezja roared in agreement, leonine form leaping over the man's ermine, but she stopped, cowed and angered at his next statement, "It was your father's." There was nothing she could say to stop Bruce's furious attack, if it hadn't been for the Taboo, she would have done it herself. She barely heard the rest of the conversation, she was so overcome with rage, and busy fighting off a suddenly chimera formed Gahulra. Thomas had acted, damnit, but it hadn't been enough! That was the day, fueled by anger, channeled by shame, that she began to stay in one shape…
…Ducard gave another tidbit of advice, "Your compassion is a weakness your enemies will not share." Bruce had merely given a small smile, proud for once in the time they were here, "That's why it's so important. It separates us from them." Sezja purred in approval, his mother always said it was better to be compassionate than cruel, more bees with honey and all…
…The palace burned around them as Bruce dragged Ducard behind him, Sejza awkwardly pulling Gahulra from the incinerating mountain-top retreat. Even while muttering swears at her human for his foolhardiness, Sezja grew only happier at his resolve to not kill, regardless of what the man had done. Yes, her jaguar form was perhaps a bit cold for the snow outside, but well, South America had mountains too, and besides, she liked it!
"We settled, Sez, in more ways than one." He ran a hand down her equally dirty spotted hide, idly tracing the rosettes dotting the golden backing. "That we did, beloved. I do wonder how everything's gone without us…Gotham may be quite different from how we left it." Bruce did not respond, standing instead to walk down the stairs, trying to hide his limp until she came up beside him, bracing his bad leg.
Alfred was there, waiting, like they had expected. Cardea hadn't changed much, her little red plaid coat the only bright thing on the aging pair. "You look very fashionable," Alfred told him, but Bruce could see the mirth lurking in his eyes, and read it in the twitching of the Scottie's muzzle, "Apart from the mud." Bruce grinned openly as Sezja ran forward to nuzzle Cardea.
Everything was settled, now, or mostly.
((For my reasons for making Bruce settle to what animal he did, please go check out http:// daemonpage [DOT] com/ analysis8 [DOT] php#jaguar ))
