February 14, 1991

7:03 PM

Wayne Manor

She deserved to know the truth. Andrea had dealt with the random disappearances and the forgotten or missed dates. She had dealt with my workaholic nature and my absent ways for nearly seven months now and more than I wanted to admit, she was a part of my life. Even in just the few months that we had been together, I felt myself consistently getting closer to her in ways that I could not have imagined during the first year of my reign as the Dark Knight.

Things as Batman were improving, sort of. While organized crime had dropped to a low that hadn't been seen since just before my parents died, another form of crime had risen. That was in the form was named or themed psychopaths. There was The Penguin, who had fully adopted his title and was becoming more and more brazen in the public. Then, there was Victor Fries, otherwise known as Mr. Freeze. A freak accident occured while trying to cure his wife of cancer and it not only screwed up his physiology, which made it so that his body had to be kept at a temperature below freezing, but it also turned him into a madman capable of killing anyone who stood in his way.

However, the worst one had been The Joker. His madness and homicidal patterns were bad enough. But, the worst part about his was the fact that even seven months later, I still felt guilty for my part in his creation. No ID had ever been found on the man Joker used to be.

Not that it mattered. In just the last few months, he had been in control of a plot to destroy a bus, crash a plane, and blow up a small school. Luckily, I had been able to get everyone out of the school before it exploded, but that didn't stop the emotional scarring that occurs when a child watches the most solid institution of their life go up in smoke.

All of this had lead me to this point. I realized that Andrea was too valuable to me to lose and that I was just hurting her if she didn't know. She would have to be prepared if the day came when I was no longer around. She needed to know.

Andrea came over at about 7 that evening. Obviously, we were also celebrating Valentine's Day so I had Alfred prepare a meal that we could share in one of the back dining rooms. I thought that we could at least start things the normal way.

"Welcome, Ms. Beaumont." I heard Alfred say as Andy walked in the front door.

"Alfred, I think you can call me Andrea at the very least." she replied as I walked into the room.

"He hasn't addressed me by just my first name anytime I can remember." I interjected.

"Too right, Master Bruce. Formalities must be observed in my profession." Alfred replied, even giving a little bow as he said it.

"Alfred, you know that you are more than just a butler." I shot back.

"Maybe so, Master Wayne, but I choose to observe the rules that my family set in place when they began to serve yours two generations ago." Alfred replied. "Now, dinner is ready in the back dinning room, if you would like to make your way there."

"What do you say? You want to go back and eat?" I asked Andy.

"I do." Andy said as she began to lead me back to the dining room. And I thought this was my house...

When we sat down, Alfred treated us a wonderful meal. Each of us was given a wonderful Cesar salad with a dressing of Alfred's own creation. Next was a entrée of lamb with a red wine sauce and mixed vegetables as a side. Finally, for desert, Alfred made an amazing cake that had melted chocolate and caramel drizzled all over it. We each sat in food-induced bliss as we waited to move until we could do so without falling over.

Eventually, the food settled and we were able to move into the small living room and relax. We sat and talked for nearly an hour before I finally got the courage to tell her what I wanted to.

"Andy, I love you." I blurted out, interrupting the flow of the conversation.

Andy giggle before replying.

"I love you too."

I stood up and walked to the other side of the room. Once I got there, I turned to see Andy staring at me, concern in her eyes.

"What's wrong, Bruce?" she asked.

"There's something I've been hiding from you." I started. "Something big. Something that will change us and change who you are."

"What is it?" she asked again, concern still shown on her face.

"It's not that simple. I can't just tell you." I replied.

"Why not?"

"Because you have to know everything first."

"Then tell me everything." she replied as she stood and came towards me.

"As you probably know, my parents were killed when I was 11. For a long time, I was angry. I was angry at my parents for dying, at Alfred for not picking us up in time, but mostly, I was angry at myself for not doing something. I know I was young but that didn't stop me from being angry. So, I went looking for ways to ease the pain. Almost everyone would have started drinking or doing drugs, but not me. I dove into my work. Starting in the seventh grade, I never missed a single question on anything at school. I didn't have any friends and I didn't want them. With my grades and name, I was accepted into Princeton. While I was there, I never missed a single question and never missed a single class. In just three years, I graduated with a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology. I wanted to be The World's Greatest Detective."

"Why aren't you?"

"Because I found out that even the World's Greatest Detective can't help Gotham." I replied with sorrow.

"What do you mean?" she asked as we sat back down on the couch.

"Once I graduated, I came back to Gotham for the parole hearing of the man who killed them. From the beginning, it was a farce. There was a dirty judge and a dirty DA. The man was getting out. I was asked by the court to come up and give a statement." I said, pausing briefly to collect myself. "I turned it into an even bigger joke. I yelled and screamed at the man and blamed him for my sadness. Then, I spent five minutes detailing the reasons he shouldn't be alive and why parents should have. I know that they would have been disgusted with my behavior."

"I'm sure they would understand, Bruce." she replied reassuringly.

"I doubt it. Anyway, I left the courthouse and sat in my car. I had brought a gun to the trial for protection. Once I left the building, my plan was to wait for him to come out and shoot him. I had the best lawyers money could buy and they would have been able to convince the DA to drop the charges. However, you know what happened. One of the Thorne's men got to him first. It was then that I learned that Chill had planned to rat Thorne out. He was trying to make up for what he had done. He wasn't a waste of space...I was."

I sat for a moment to collect my thoughts, remembering back to so long ago.

"So, in my continued anger, I went to meet with Thorne. During my meeting with him, he threatened Alfred and anyone else I cared about. Thankfully, he's been pretty low key since my return to Gotham, but then, I was scared. So, I faked my death and ran away. I knew that the police couldn't stop him and I knew that ,without training, I couldn't either. So, I stole someone's passport and boarded a plane to France."

"Why France?" was Andy's only reply.

"There was a contact that I had made there during my time at Princeton. I never knew his full name but I called him Cain. In the US, he was a legitimate business man. However, he was ,in all actuality, the leader of a group of assassins. His men were hired to perform hits on political parties all around the world. Historically, his organization had been behind every assassination attempt in the last 200 years. Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, Franz Ferdinand, Vladimir Lenin, Ghandi, JFK, RFK, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and the list goes on. While his men had been actively using more modern techniques to kill high profile targers, they often relied on stealth and deception to get to their objective. So, for two years, I stayed with him and his daughter Cassandra and learned from him."

"Did you kill?" Andy asked in fear.

"Almost, but I realised I coudn't do it. As a result, Cain said that my training with him was done. However, he send me to woman in India named Shiva. There, she taught me the most powerful martial arts techniques in the world. For another year, I stayed with her and trained, day and night. Eventually, when I felt that my learning was complete, I slipped away. Finally, I went up into the Himalayas to meet with the head of Cain's order, The League of Assassins. The man's name was Ra's Al Ghul and from him, I learned out to use fear to prey on the fearful. I became able to destroy the strong in body and mind. I learned out to become an fearful wraith. In the end, however, he wanted me to join his army to kill those who he deemed not worthy to roam the Earth. And so, again I left, seeking further training."

"Bruce, why did you look for this training? I thought you wanted to become a detective." Andy asked.

"Andy, I did become a detective. When I left Ra's after two years in Tibet, I went to Spain. There, I joined a small group of commercial thieves who would hijack ships from corporate entities. Then, they would sell what they sold on the black market. None of them ever knew who I was and as a result, I was able to use my name to get charges against me dropped. Once that happened, I decided that I was done with my training and ready to return home."

"Which you did last year." Andy finished.

"Yes." I replied. "I came home and immediately went to work. In order to do what I was planning, I would need supplies. Supplies that were not easy to come by. So, I was able to get back on the board at Wayne Enterprises and took over the R&D division. Then, I took what I needed. But, I also knew I would need information. So, I got in contact with Jim Gordon, the only good cop in town. After some convincing, he agreed to work with me."

"Doing what?" she asked, obviously getting impatient.

"Stopping crime in Gotham."

"How?" she pressed.

"By becoming something that criminals would fear. By becoming the wraith in the night." I replied shortly.

"How did you do that?" she asked, nearly yelling.

"Andy...I became Batman."


February 16, 1990

4:45 PM

Wayne Enterprises

Still no calls. After Andy had run out of the house two days ago, I had instructed my secretary to forward all calls to me, regardless of who called me. Of course, when normally my phone rang nearly off the hook, I hadn't gotten a single phone call during that time. I had resigned myself to the fact that I may never see her again. I was planning on closing up for the evening when Lucius Fox walked into my office.

"Good evening, Bruce." he said as he sat in front of my desk.

"Lucius, I have a feeling that this is not going to be a good meeting." I replied with a smile.

"You're right." he replied. "Today, charges were filed against Carl Beaumont for his financial support of the Red Hood Gang. All evidence says he was coerced but it still appears that he's going to go to prison, quite possibly for a long time."

"Great. What do you think we should do about this?" I asked, really not wanting to deal with this.

"I think that asking Carl to take an extended leave of absence makes sense for the company. Personally, I think that this will all get cleared up but just to be on the safe side, we need to do this." he said grimly.

"OK. I want him to have full pay while he's gone. But, I think that having him removed from the building's security roster and requesting he turn over all files regarding Wayne Enterprises over to us will make us look good publicly."

"Great. Do you want to tell him or do you want me to?" Lucius asked, obviously not wanting the task.

"I'll do it." I volunteered as Lucius breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Bruce. I'm not sure I could do it." Lucius said, standing to leave.

"No problem. Have a good night, Lucius." I replied as I reached across my desk to shake his hand.

"You too, Bruce." he said as he turned to leave.

I stalled for about ten minutes before getting on the elevator to go down a floor to Carl's office. After what had happened between Andy and I, Carl was the last person I wanted to see. But, I did have a responsibility to my family's company and that meant doing things I didn't want to. As I approached his office, I heard the sound of someone shuffling back and forth in the room. I softly knocked on the door and waited for him to answer. As Carl opened the door, it was obvious that he knew this was coming.

"Hello, Bruce." he said as he opened the door, making room for me to come in.

"Carl, how are you?" I said, taking a seat on the far wall.

"I obviously could be better." he replied, his eyes glued to the floor. "I really appreciate you keeping me around here, Bruce. Not many men would have kept someone around who wasn't a complete ally like me."

"I thought that you were a good business man and a good person. I know that I was right." I replied.

"Well, now that I'm done here.."

"Wait, what?" I replied in shock.

"Well surely you are going to remove me from the Board." he said matter-of-factly.

"No." I replied simply.

"What? I'm implicated in providing funds that gave The Red Hood Gang their guns! If I am convicted, I'm going to prison for ten years! I'll be almost seventy years old when I get out!" he replied, obviously not angry at me, but his situation.

"Wayne Enterprises understands that. However, I believe that you were coerced into this. Whether that is true or not, only you know. However, I am asking you to take an extended leave of absence until this gets cleared up. We will give you your full salary without benefits and with basic insurance while you are gone. We expect that when you are acquitted, you return to work the next day." I informed him.

"Are you serious?" he asked in awe.

"Deadly." was my only reply.

Carl reached forward and grabbed my hand to shake it. "Thank you, Mr. Wayne! Thank you!"

"Carl, just because I'm helping you out doesn't mean you have to call me 'Mr. Wayne.' I'm still Bruce."

"Of course, Mr-ergh-Bruce."

"Wonderful. Now, you wouldn't happen to know where your daughter is at this time of day?" I asked.

"She just got a new apartment in the city. Actually, she purchased it from one of your new condominium complexes nearby." he said.

"Thanks, Carl. Which one?"


February 16, 1990

5:10 PM

Andrea Beaumont's apartment

I could hear her voice as she talked to someone up the stairs.

"Yes, I just moved in. I must say that while I love this place, rent is really high. I hope that I can afford it." she said to what I assumed was her neighbor.

"You do figure it out eventually." the neighbor replied.

"I hope so."

Finally, I couldn't wait anymore.

"Well, how about I figure it out for the both of you?" I interjected as I ascended to their floor.

"Mr. Wayne?" Andy's neighbor said. "Why, I don't think I've ever seen you here."

"That's because I've never actually come to this building before." I admitted.

The look on Andy's face was one of both anger and fear. Lucky for me, while I felt the same fear that she felt, I was such a good actor at this point that no one could tell, except for maybe her.

"So, how about free rent?" I asked the both of them.

"What?" they both asked.

"Well, I heard you both saying how expense this place can be. I know that I couldn't afford to lose such wonderful tenants as you. So, rent is free. I assume you'll still have to pay the utilities but that's not going into my pocket anyway." I replied.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The look on their faces had to be worth a million. Finally, the woman I didn't know broke.

"Oh Thank you, Mr. Wayne! I can't tell you how much I appreciate that!"

"Don't mention it. Now, Ms. Beaumont, can I see you inside for a moment?" I asked, finally turning to focus my attention on her.

"Of course, Mr. Wayne." she replied, letting a small amount of anger edge out through her beautiful voice.

"It was nice meeting you, ma'am. I'll have my legal department draft up the paperwork for your rent. You should receive a phonecall before the end of the week." I said, effectively ending our conversation.

Seconds later, I was lead inside Andrea's scarcely furnished apartment.

"Not much in here." I commented lightly.

"I'm still moving in. I doubt that's what you're here to talk about. Am I right, Bruce?" she said, finally letting her anger come to the surface.

"You're right. I came to tell you that I wish I was sorry for the other night." I admitted to her.

"What?" she replied in confusion. "You aren't sorry? You don't regret laying that kind of pressure on me?"

"No." I replied.

"WHY NOT?" she replied as her brown eyes seemed to melt into a fiery orange.

"Because I do love you, Andy. I love you and I want you to be with me. However, I didn't feel like it would be fair to you to understand what you were really getting yourself into. If you don't want to be with me, whether it's because of that or not, I understand. But I felt that you needed to know what was going on in order to really make that decision."

Finally, Andy seemed to relent. She walked across the barren room to the single chair situated in the center of the room and took a seat.

"Bruce, I'm angry because I do want to be with you. But I want to be with you, not Batman." she replied softly, not looking up from the floor.

"Andy, to be with me is to be with Batman. We are one and the same. I wouldn't be Bruce Wayne without Batman and Batman couldn't be Batman without Bruce Wayne. We are a symbiotic relationship of the mind. The two of us can no longer survive without the other. Maybe someday when I'm older and my body shuts down, I'll be able to give it up. But right now, Gotham needs Batman too much to quit. I've done so much good and I know that I can do more."

"I know, Bruce. I really do. That's what is making this so hard. I know that you can't quit. I know that you have to do what you do. I just don't know what will happen the first time you come home with a bullet in your leg."

Finally, I was able to relax.

"Oh come on, that's not even the worst thing that could happen." I laughed.

"Bruce, not now." she replied with a small smirk.

"Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, Bruce. I shouldn't have run out on you the other night. You were opening up to me and telling me the complete truth, something I don't get very often."

"What does that mean?" I asked in confusion.

"Apparently my father has been giving the Red Hood Gang money. I thought my father was a good man. It turns out he was just as bad as the rest of the world." Andy said, anger radiating of her. It was then that I realized that most of the anger she had shown to me was probably not all my fault.

"Your father is not a bad man. He just got caught up with the wrong people. I'm sure he has a good reason for what he did." I replied, trying to cheer her up for even just the tiniest while.

"Like the Joker has a good reason for what he does, Batman?" she replied, venom and anger flying from her mouth.

"Touche." I replied.

For a couple minutes, neither of us spoke. I'm sure that she was thinking about exactly what I was thinking about. Was this relationship worth the trouble? For me, it was simply trying to keep the lives of Bruce Wayne and Batman balanced. Was it possible with her in my life? For her, it was the same question but different reasons. Was it worth it to be with a man who would leave every night and not return until the late hours of the morning?

"It is." she whispered quietly to herself.

"What is?" I asked.

"It's worth it. I want to do this. I want to try and make this work." she said, looking up at me for the first time today.

"I do too, Andy."

She stood up and walked across the room towards me. When she reached me, I pulled her in and kissed her softly. For some reason, it felt like the first time all over again. I guess when you change as much as we had over the last few days, things seem knew sometimes.

"Now, I need a date to the charity circus that's in town..." I said, asking in my own way.

"Of course, Bruce Wayne. I would love to. Can Batman stay home for one night?" Andy asked in reply.

"He can try." I said, noting that broken promises could end up being a trademark of this relationship.

"I'll take it."


February 20, 1990

8:12 PM

Wayne Enterprises Arena

The circus was in town and life was as normal as I could remember it being since taking up my role as the Dark Knight. The Hanson Circus, known as the best in the world, was in town and giving a performance to the best and brightest of Gotham. As Bruce Wayne, I was both. So while the show had started nearly fifteen minutes ago, I, as the drunken buffoon I was, decided to show up late. Andy had obviously been involved in the planning of that now that she was on the same page as I.

As we showed up, reporters and Paparazzi photographers appeared from nowhere to interrogate us. After nearly fifteen minutes of answering thousands of stupid questions, we made it free from them and to our seats. We were in the prime box, next to the owner of the circus and his entourage. As we walked in, the owner greeted us.

"Good evening, Mr. Wayne. My name is Edward Hanson, but please call me Eddie." he said as he shook my hand.

"Eddie, thank you for inviting me this evening. This is my date for the evening, Andrea Beaumont." I said as I motioned towards Andy.

"Delighted. I hope you enjoy the rest of the performance." he said as he turned to face the crowd again.

"I'm sure we will." I replied as we took our seats.

For twenty minutes or so, we watched without worry. We watched as men tamed lions and as contortionists bent in ways that didn't seem possible even by my twisted version of what was and wasn't possible. However, it was during a brief break before the acrobats were schedule to go on that someone joined us in the box.

"Good evening, Mr. Hanson." said a rough voice behind us.

I turned around but before I could see his face, he pulled on what appeared to be a clown mask. I could see a gun in his hand. Just as I was about to stand up, he turned and looked in my direction.

"Sit down, Wayne. I'm not here for you." he said in that same scratchy voice. "Now, Hanson, you promised me half of tonight's proceeds. How is that going to happen when it's all going to charity?"

"You tell me, J."

"J? You think you can call me J?" he said, obviously enraged. "Do you not respect me, Hanson, huh? Huh?"

"Of course I respect you." Mr. Hanson replied, fear in his voice.

"Well then call me by my full name." the man replied threateningly.

"I respect you, Joker." Hanson said softly, tears flowing from his eyes.

Instantly, I turned around and looked at him again. Sure enough, he fit the Joker's size, weight, and overall image. Also, what I thought to be a mask was simply the thick scar tissue that had covered the Joker's face. I should have known his angry, rough voice from anywhere.

"Now, Mr. Hanson, I expect to get my half of the money for tonight." The Joker said, anger filling his voice.

"I can't do that. The money for tonight's program is going to the homeless shelters of Gotham. I won't even see it." Hanson said, tears now freely rolling.

"Eddie m'boy, you have nothing to fear. However, the acrobats in your show might be a different story. Do you know what happens when a robin loses its wings, Mr. Hanson?" Joker asked with a menacing edge.

"no..." was all Hanson could mutter.

"They die."

Instantly, the Joker turned and left. I turned and looked at Mr. Hanson. He had his head buried in his hands. I leaned over to speak with him.

"What was that all about?" I asked quietly.

"It turns out the Joker is quite a business man. He conned me into giving him and his gang of crooks half of the money from tonight's event. Unfortunately, the main operator of the circus made an arrangement to give all of the proceeds to charity. I tried to talk them out of it but they wouldn't budge. Somehow, he found out."

I turned to Andrea.

"Stay here. No matter what happens don't leave from this spot." I said in the voice I usually reserved for my alter ego.

"OK." she replied, obviously afraid of my sudden transformation.

Slowly, I stood from my seat and made my way down the many stairs to the bottom floor. Once I was down there, I made my way over to the entrance to the main ring. Without my "evening" gear, there was nothing I could do. Even with the "Bat-cycle" on remote, it would take nearly thirty minutes for it to get here. So, I was stuck in the worst possible place, waiting for something bad to happen.

Finally, the ringmaster walked passed me, getting ready to start the next part of the performance. Once he made it to the center of the ring, he turned on his microphone and started the show again.

"Beauts and Gents, you've seen wonderful things tonight. But, I am pleased to announce that you have seen nothing in comparison to our next act! They are the most dynamic acrobat family in the world! They have traveled near and far to perform for the most famous people in the world! They are The Flying Graysons!"

Suddenly, three acrobats went flying across the roof of the stadium. I didn't want to admit it but they were incredible. In a flash, they were doing a routine like I had never seen before. In fact, I believe that the only person who could have done their routine, other than them, was me. It was obvious that they were a family. The amount of trust that the two adults put in each other was remarkable. However, the one I couldn't keep my eyes off of was the youngest one. Where his parents would insert one flip, he would follow with two. He was truly remarkable.

The ringmaster had come to stand next to me after he came off stage, obviously aware of who I was because he kept sneaking looks at me out of the corner of his eye every couple of seconds.

"What are their names?" I asked him. His reaction was priceless. It was obvious that he had wanted to talk to me but that he didn't want to bother me.

"Well, the two parents are John and Mary and the young star is Richard. If we don't lose that boy to the Ringling Bros., he's going to make us tons of money. I've never seen a child that's as talented as he is." the ringmaster replied in glee.

"Neither have I." I replied distantly.

I watched in awe as young Richard worked his magic on the trapeze. However, my attention was suddenly drawn to the ramp on the other side of the stadium. There stood the Joker, a small two-way radio in his hand. His horrible smile was visible even this far away and I knew that I wouldn't be able to stop him. But, I also knew that I had to try. I turn quickly on the spot and sprinted back up the ramp. Once I reached the top, I turned to my right and sprinted down the curving hallway that circled the field area itself.

For what seemed like forever, I ran. I was almost to the other side when I heard a collective cry come from inside the arena.

I was too late.

Knowing what lie beyond me, I ran even harder hoping I could salvage something. Suddenly, just as I hit the ramp, the crowd exploded in applause. Confused, I ran down the ramp to see everyone in the stadium on their feet. I looked up at the large jumbotron that hung from the middle of the arena and where basketball stats would normally be displayed, a replay of their previous stunt was shown. Richard had launched himself off on of the platforms. Two levels lower, his parents waited for him. At just the right time, they each leaped off the platforms, taking the trapeze with them. As he fell, he grabbed his father's feat, slowing his momentum. Then, at just the right time, he grabbed the feet of his mother and he then turned and performed a double back flip onto the platform opposite them.

It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. However, I was still not deterred from my mission. Sure enough, I looked down to see Joker, still stationed at the end of the ramp. Slowly, I creped down the ramp. Suddenly, he turned to face me, gun aimed squarely at my forehead.

"I had you pegged as a meddler, Wayne. Too much vodka will do that to you, right?" Joker said. This is as close as I had been to him since I had dropped him into that vat last year. It was disgusting.

"Now, you get to watch as the wee boy dies." he said, turning around before putting the radio to his mouth.

"Do it." he said calmly.

Suddenly, the entire platform collapsed. I sprinted passed the Joker, not caring if he shot me. I just knew that I needed to save these people. Lucky for me, most of the circus performers and stagehands had gotten out of the way. All that was left was the Grayson family.

I noticed that Richard had been lucky enough to grab one of the few tightropes that had not been attached to the main trapeze platform. That saved me the time of trying to get to him too. However, his parents were both hanging on to the side of one of the banners that had been hung next to the performing area. I initially wasn't worried for their safety, until I noticed something. The large net that had been hanging below the trapeze had been attached the platform. When the platform fell, so did the net. Now, I was afraid.

I climbed up the bleachers next to the pole the banners were on. Lucky, I wouldn't have to blow my cover. The pole had a series of ladder steps on it that I was able to climb up to get to the top. However, in the time it took me to get to the top, the Graysons' grip had weakened. I looked down on the ground to noticed that young Richard had gotten down from the tightrope and was waiting down below.

Finally, I reached the top. I looked down and noticed the fear in the eyes of both of the fearless circus performers.

"Mr. and Mrs. Grayson. You're going to be ok." I said, trying my best to look convincing. However, I knew the situation was grim. Their grip was weakening on the top of the fabric banner and even if it wasn't, there was nowhere to put them once I would have pulled them up.

"Bruce Wayne?" John Grayson said to me.

"Yes. But we'll have time to take care of introductions later. Now, I want you to reach up and grab the metal bar that the banners are on. If you need any help securing yourselves, just let me know and I'll get you there." I said, trying to remain as calm as possible.

"I can't." Mary said softly. "I think I broke a rib just catching this. I can't lift myself at all."

"Same here." John said. "The only way we can get up there is if you pull us up."

Great, I thought to myself. I reached down and grabbed Mary's hand.

"This is probably going to hurt but it'll be OK." I said to her. I was getting ready to pull her up when a gunshot went off. I looked up and saw my worst fear. Joker stood there with Richard, his gun aimed at his temple.

"Here's how this is going to work, Wayne." The Joker said. "You're going to stop that."

"Or what?" I yelled over the noise of everyone scrambling to leave the Arena.

"Or I'll kill you. And if for some reason that doesn't work, I'll pop one into the head of little Richard here."

Suddenly, Richard stepped on the Joker's foot and turned to punch him in the stomach.

"My name is Dick!" he screamed.

He then turned to run away. However, the Joker was too quick for him. He grabbed the boy, slapped him in the face and then threw him to the ground.

"Ok, Dick, have it your way. Wayne, you have three seconds to stop what you're doing or I'll kill the boy." he said, cocking his gun.

I was officially screwed. On one side, the boy would die if I helped his parents. On the other, he would surely end up an orphan if I didn't help his parents. I was in the middle of some heavy thinking when John spoke up.

"It's ok, Mr. Wayne." he said softly, tears silently rolling down his face.

"Just promise that he'll be taken care of." Mary added, the same tears rolling down her face as she turned to look at her husband. "I love you, John."

"I love you, Mary."

"You don't have to do this!" I pleaded with them.

"We do, Mr. Wayne. He deserves to have a good life. Not one that ends when he's twelve. We've seen everything. We found each other. Just make sure he has a good life. Please, Mr. Wayne?" Mary replied.

Fighting the urge to reach down and grab them, I replied.

"I promise you."

Suddenly, John and Mary Grayson let go off the large banner that had been their lifeboat. Moments later, they hit the ground with a crack. I looked down and, sure enough, the fall had done exactly what we had all expected it to do.

John and Mary Grayson were dead.

Dick jumped up from where the Joker had thrown him down and ran to the bodies of his parents. Instantly, I started my way down the ladder, taking it four or five at a time.

"NOOOOO!" the voice of the young acrobat rang out.

"Game's over, kid." The Joker said, stepping forward his gun drawn.

Lucky for Dick, I had gotten to the bottom of the ladder at the right time. Unfortunately for me, it meant taking a bullet in the shoulder without Kevlar on. Just as Joker pulled the trigger, I jumped in front of Dick. He had shot from a distance that was far enough away that the bullet didn't go through me and hit Dick, which had been my intention. Instantly, I dropped in place. Just as I passed out, I watched as the Joker was swarmed by police. However, my last vision was that of Dick, laying over the bodies of his late parents, sobbing.


February 21, 1990

8:21 AM

Gotham General Hospital

I was glad I decided to wear so much protection when I went out as Batman. I couldn't take laying in a hospital bed this long. Bruce Wayne but especially Batman was not intended to lay in this bed for this long.

"Good morning, beautiful." a sweet voice said to me.

I turned and looked to see Andrea at the door.

"Morning, Andy. How are you?" I replied softly.

"Good. And you?" she asked as she sat down next to me.

"Let's just say I've better." I said with a smile.

"That's too true."

We sat and talked for the next twenty minutes. Suddenly, a man I recognized from my other life walked in.

"Good morning, Mr. Wayne." Jim Gordon said.

"The name is Bruce, Officer Gordon." I replied, resisting the strange urge to use my "Bat-growl"

"Well then, the name is Jim." he laughed.

"OK, Jim. What can I do for you?" I shot back.

"Well, first off, when you are ready, we would like to get your statement back at the station." Jim said shortly.

"Will do. Do you have a secretary I can call?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. Do you want her number?"

I laughed before responding, "I'm sure I can get it from someone else. What else is on your mind?"

"Well, someone would like to talk to you."

Instantly, my mind went to the thousands of reporters that would surely want my story.

"Look, Jim, I'm not really interesting in talking to reporters."

"Great. He's not a reporter."

"Really? Who is he?" I asked in confusion.

"Just a sad, little boy who would like to talk to you about his parents." he replied.

As I realized who he was talking about, I knew I couldn't deny him. Not that I would have wanted to.

"Is he here?" I asked.

Jim nodded. "Yeah, he's here."

"Great. Send him in."

Jim walked out of the room. As he did, I turned to Andy.

"Do you trust me?" I asked her quickly.

"Of course, Bruce."

"Then, I need you to understand that sometimes I need to do things." I informed her, much harsher than I wanted to.

"What do you mean?"

"I promised something to someone. I can't break that promise. I'll explain things to you in more detail." I promised her.

"OK."

The next moment, Jim walked in, followed by a young Dick Grayson.

"Dick, this is Bruce Wayne. He was the man who saved your life." he said. "Now Dick, I'm going to be just outside. Just let me know when you're ready to go."

"OK, Officer." Dick said, his eyes never leaving the floor. Then, Jim left the room and Andy and I were left with the new orphan.

"Hello, Dick." I said, hoping it would start a conversation. I didn't expect it. I remember that it was almost a month before I was able to have a good conversation with someone after my parents' death.

Suddenly, he turned and sat in the other chair, next to Andy.

"Mr. Wayne-"

"Call me Bruce." I said, interrupting him.

"OK, Bruce. Officer Gordon said your parents were killed too. Is that true?" he asked curiously.

"It is. A thief killed my parents when I was eleven." I replied.

"Does it ever stop hurting?" he asked, tears in his eyes.

"No." I replied quietly.

"How do you deal with it?"

I quickly realized that I couldn't tell him the truth. However, I wasn't going to lie to him either.

"You face it. You'll eventually learn that everything happens for a reason and that sometimes, things happen."

"OK." he said softly.

"Dick, I know you may not want to hear this right now. But just before your parents...you know-"

"Died?" Dick finished harshly.

"Yes. Before they died, they made me promise them something." I informed him.

"What? What could they make you promise?" Dick asked.

"They asked me to make sure that you were taken care of. That you got to have a good life." I said.

Dick looked confused. "That's it?"

"Yes, Dick. That's it. Now, I would like for you to come live with me. If you don't want me to adopt you, I understand. You could live at my house as a ward. I would take care of you and be responsible for you."

Dick looked shocked.

"Why would you do that?" he asked.

"Because your parents believed that you deserved the best kind of life and I know that I can give that to you. I want to give that to you."

"Do I have to go to school?" he asked.

"Well, I could afford to have you privately tutored but I don't think that would help you any. In fact, I would probably have you attend the Hall Institute. It's a private school in Gotham that I went to."

"Are you sure, Bruce?" Dick asked.

"Dick, both of our parents were killed for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I know that if I hadn't had all the money my parents left me, I wouldn't have turned out as well as I did. I want to give you that same opportunity. What do you say?"

He sat in his seat and thought for what seemed like forever. I thought he would never answer when finally he stood up.

"Sounds good, Bruce."

"Good, go get Det. Gordon and we can start filling out the paperwork."

"OK." and then he ran out the door.

As soon as he was out, Andy was on me.

"Bruce? What's happening to you?"

"He's a good kid. He deserves to be happy."

"That's not all, Bruce. I know you." she replied.

"That's true. This kid is the best acrobat I've ever seen, even better than me."

Suddenly, Andy understood the other half of the reason I wanted to bring Dick into my home.

"The next Batman?"

"Not yet. It would be silly to try and throw him into this so soon. No, I'm sure eventually I will reveal my identity to him and then it will be his decision. If he decides to join me, that's great. If not, I've helped a boy grow and have a good life after watching the death of his parents."

Andy smiled as she looked at me.

"There's more and more to you than I even realized, Bruce Wayne."

"I certainly hope there's even more." I replied.