HALLO EVERYONE, Yeesh its been a long time.

I don't even know what to say here, other than thank you for everyone who keeps having interest in this story. I really appreciate it, as it keeps making me feel bad when I don't post, and always have in the back of my head to come back to this story. But its all Love, so Hell Yea, keep it comin. :)

I have a bit more info bout whats going on with me and this story in the bottom, but other than that I hope you enjoy.

…/…

The quiet skies above Xavier's Institute gets interrupted, by a bright life dashing towards it. There isn't much noise, but the light finally expands further showing a black ship that slowly starts to land on the tennis court, as the courts splits open revealing an underground base. Before the hanger doors even open, a surprised voice can be heard inside.

"You can't be serious…?"

"I haven't been more serious in my life Bruce." Charles responds with a smile, as he heads towards the exit of the X-wing.

Bruce shakes his head is annoyance, as he gets up off his seat, and follows suit exclaiming, "A curfew…of 8. Almost all your students stay out past 10. But I have to be at the mansion that early."

Xavier nods back, as he presses on past the hangar doors, "Yes because none of my students go out at night, and beat other teenagers to near death."

Agitated by those sharp words, Bruce quickly looks away, and finally relents, "Fine…"

"Good, the next rule is you will have to interact with each of my students."

"Meaning?" Bruce crosses his arms, as he steps off the Jet with Logan following behind him.

"Meaning, I was perfectly alright with you keeping to yourself before when you stayed here. But I realize that now, that for you to hone your abilities further, its best to be around other students working on doing the same. Perhaps you can learn from each other and work together. "

Realizing more and more, that he probably should have reconsidered Xavier's offer simply replies, "…Fine, but we will see how that goes, I wouldn't hope too much in working together department, if they didn't hate me before, I know they certainly hate me now."

Charles looks back sympathetically, "I know they have certain opinions….

Bruce cuts in, "For good reason…"

Charles pauses for a second, but then continues, "…but if your try, I know they will be able to see beyond what they see of you now. Next thing, you are going to be part of the X-Men training sessions. Under the command of Scott."

Bruce quickly responds with confusion, "Why under his command? No offense, but I have much more training than him, I know I am at least twice as good as he is."

Logan's who was mostly quiet this entire time, finally speaks, "Ya your better kid, hell I'd bet you could probably take him in most fights. But you got no experience working together as a team. Scotts young, but he's a natural leader and he's got helluva lot more experience than you ."

Charles adds in, "Meaning he is someone you should listen to. We will continue our personal training in between, but you will be working with the x-men. And thus I advise to quickly get used to that scenario."

Bruce sits in annoyance, and simply nods. As they walk towards the elevator at the basement of the mansion. The elevator slides open, and they step in. While inside, the only sound they can hear is the soothing hum of the elevator upwards.

Logan notices Bruce's apprehension of Charles's rules, and so adds a few words of his own, "Look…kid, if yer good and listen to what Chuck says. I'll be taking ya with me to a few missions I gotta go do myself now and again. Usually I don't take the kids with me, but yer a special case. You got some skill, so I think you'll survive. There'll be plenty of action, so you'll be getting some of that training you want so bad, along the way. How's that sound?"

Bruce turns at Logan with intensity, pausing for but a moment as he nods, "Agreed."

Charles smiles at Bruce, and says, "I am very glad to hear it. I would also like to inform you about our students."

Logan nods with a serious expression, "They weren't expecting the news of a serial killer running around, with the face of the kid as the lead suspect."

"Yes, they certainly did not. Unfortunately, Bruce, your short stay with them didn't earn much trust or friendship. And thus, even when I relayed what truly happened, I wouldn't expect a warm welcome "

As the elevator opens, Bruce replies, "I never did anyways."

Xavier moves forward, saying, "It will take some time, but I know they will come to accept you as one of them."

Bruce follows, "You understand that I am not looking for acceptance, I will leave after our time is finished."

Charles start's leading him towards the stairs, "Yes I know, but till then you will have try your best to bond with them."

"Fine…"

Once they get to the stairs, Charles stops and says, "You're room is still there the way you left it. It's quite late, so I'm sure everyone is asleep. Get some rest as well Bruce. Tomorrow I'm sure will quite an new experience for you."

Bruce looks at both Charles and Logan, and just nods. As he starts walking up the stairs. After a few seconds, Charles speaks up, "I'm sorry I almost forgot. A new student has joined us. Well not necessarily new. You would know her."

Confused for a moment, as he thinks past the few weeks, it couldn't be Fred, he said her, as his eyes widen," …Rogue, you recruited her? How…I thought she was under Mystique?"

"Things happened kid, while you were gone." Replies Logan with a smirk.

Charles nods, and continues "Yes, a trip gone quite wrong for my students. Fortunately, a few good things went right as it showed Rogue that we are truly here to help her."

Bruce pauses for a moment wondering what happened on this trip, for her to join the Xavier, and then he nods, "Does she know about me?"

"Yes, she was told like everyone else that you were coming back."

Bruce just nods, as he turns away saying," Goodnight then." He turns into the familiar hallway, and starts heading towards his room, thinking, "Great…I know all she will remember is how I scared her to death, when we met at the cemetery. Or hell she will know how I manipulated her to find Jean. And now I'm supposed to work with her…with them. I haven't given them a single reason to trust me and now I'm supposed to make them accept me. This is simply idiotic, I should have simply refused and walked away. Dammit…this will be difficult."

Still pondering in thought he reaches his room, and goes to open the knob lost in thought, "I'll just simply keep my head down, and stay quiet till the remaining months pass by, and then I'll leave. And I know Xavier will let me. That's it two and half months, and I'm gone, Simple." Turning the knob, he doesn't hear footsteps near him till it's too late. As Bruce quickly turns left, pulling out his blade and quickly getting into a fighting stance, staring intently at the possible assailant, but instead sees a person gasp in fear, and stumble back.

The person now into view, Bruce's see the newest student of the institute 'Rogue' staring at him with fear.

Bruce quickly lets go of his stance, and puts his knife away, while just stares at her with surprise. "Or now she will remember me as a psycho who pulls out a knife with the slightest hint of a noise…Great."

As they keep staring at each other for what seems to be minutes, Rogue finally stumbles out a few words. "uh…uh A'hm sorry, Ah just heard footsteps coming here, and usually A'hm the only one with a room here."

Bruce shakes always his thoughts, as he replies with an equal stumble. "Right…. I…I'm sorry too. I have just been a bit on edge the past few days. And when I was here, no one would be in this hallway either. I am assuming you have one of the five rooms here."

Rogue fear quickly dissipates, but now filled with shyness as she remembers who she was talking to, and quickly nods. "Ya, my room's next to yours."

Bruce nods back in understanding and just keeps staring, quickly starting to feel uncomfortable. "Now what…should I just walk inside…I'm supposed to make friends…but look at her, she's already freaked out by me. Damn…well screw it, I'll just try." Bruce tries the best non-frowning face he can muster, and bring his hand forward. And says, "Well…I guess that makes us neighbors. Sorry I scared you back then…and before. And…lied to you about who I was at the school…that is…if you remember me."

Rogue starts to smile, as she grabs his hand and shakes it. "Ah could never forget you Jason…ah mean Bruce…and its' alright, Ah understand why you had to lie. Ya too famous, and there would be too many eyes on ya. As for them other times…don't worry about it…Ah didn't know what was goin on, and Ah know I wasn't helping the situation much with my constant anger towards all of em. Mystique was real good at trickin me."

Bruce lets go of Rogue's hand after a shake, "I'm glad. I didn't know her intentions, but I know they weren't good. For what its worth, I think you made the right decision to come here. These people surprisingly only want to help.

Rogue leans at wall, and smiles. "Ah know…what bout ya. You're here to get help too right… Ah mean Ah'm not trying to get in your business or anything."

Bruce just shakes his in dismissal, "It's alright...in all honesty I wasn't expecting you to talk to me like this. I was expecting a cold shoulder from everyone, especially you, after all I did. And everything you might have heard. "

Rogue gives a sympathetic smile, "Ah'm sorry, but ya probably gonna be expectin that col shoulder with almost everyone. They ain't happy with ya coming here, Ah can tell you that."

"But then why are you being…so forgiving…and um…nice?"

Rogue chuckles at Bruce's quizzical expression, "Cause ya aint a bad person. When I learned about them news about ya, in Colorado. Ah knew, you weren't tha killer even before tha Professor told us what really happened. And as for what happened before…it had to be some mistake. Ah know what's it like to be judged…for something that you have don't have a control over."

Bruce stares at her for a few moments in surprise, "Thank you…"

Rogue's smiles become a bit bigger, as she says, "It's no prob…"

"…I had control"

Rogue quickly stops, as she stares at Bruce with wide eyes, "…what."

Bruce looks at her with lowered eyes, "I had complete control when I attacked that kid…it wasn't a mistake."

Rogue stays quiet, as she keeps looking at Bruce. Bruce slowly raises his eyes, and continues with surprising sincerity in his tone. "I remember when you told me that I was a good person. I'm not, I am just someone who hasn't let go his past. I cannot trust anyone, and or be anyone's friend. I am not like you. You're the good one, who's been given a curse that wrongfully has brought pain into your life. But do not compare that to me…it's simply not the same. I'm not cursed with pain or demons, I create them for myself because I'm just a messed-up guy, and trying to compare that to you is simply disrespectful to your struggles."

Before Rogue can say anything, Bruce walks into his room, and says, "I appreciate you coming here, and talking to me. But I suggest staying away from me as much as possible, or you may be alienated from the new friends you have made. I'll be gone in a few months, and then I'll just be a distant memory."

Bruce starts to close the doors, as it is quickly halted by Rogue. Surprised Bruce just stays still, as Rogue quickly shouts, "Ya don't get to tell me who ah can talk to or who ah don't, ya hear. And Ah don't think you're a bad person, and everyone else who says so can go to hell. Including you, ya get me? Now Ah'mma go to sleep, good night." As she walks away with angry steps, as Bruce just stands there stunned. After a few seconds, Bruce closes the door. As he just keeps rethinking the conversation that just occurred, in his head.

"What just happened?"

../Next Morning/…

Bruce wakes up in cold sweat, as he stumbles out of the bed in extreme pain. Quickly rushing to the bathroom, he sees one of his stitches bleeding. "Must have moved around too much." He opens his backpack and takes out the medical kit, size of a small suitcase, that has been handy for the past few weeks. Containing enough medications, and instruments to be invaluable for quick patching. As he gets to work on cleaning and stitching the wound. "Damn that reminds me, I have to call Alfred. Haven't talked to him since I broke out of the police station…almost a week. He will be worried sick…and probably extremely mad."

He takes a deep breath, opens his cellphone and calls Alfred.

Alfred responds very quickly, with a breath of relief, "Master Bruce…Oh thank goodness…"

"Hey Alfred."

With a stern tone, Alfred replies, "Do not "Hey Alfred" me sir? Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"I know…"

"…I was about to drive up to Mr. Xavier's institute demanding to know where you were, and what the hell happened. Pardon my Language. "

"They wouldn't know where I would be, I left on my own accord."

"Does not mean I wouldn't do it sir, Where are you now?"

Bruce chuckles a bit, thinking about the prospect of a very angry Alfred, now that indeed would be a very dark day, "I'm back at the estate Alfred, don't worry."

"I'm sorry sir, but that simply won't be possible, I wish to know everything that happened this past week."

"I know Alfred, I'll tell you everything, but not right now. Turns out I have to go to school again."

"How would that be even possible, the name Jason Todd, is now known across the country."

"They gave me a new identity, and Xavier changed the name that every who saw me in this town associated me as. And now I'm Dick Grayson. "

"I see…"

Bruce pauses for a moment trying to think of the words to say, but instead just starts talking, "Look Alfred…I…I'm sorry. I have been a crappy kid this past week, and disrespectful to you. And I kept a lot of things from you…and I'm sorry about that too. I realized this past week, that no matter what I'm going through, your always there…and I kept so much from you. I'm sorry."

"It's alright Master Bruce…I understand why you did what you did. The pain you must be going through…and I kept urging one my views and opinions on you…. never once trying to understand what you were going through…I am the one who is sorry, for not supporting you as I should have. "

"That's not true Alfred…you are the only one, I can trust, that I can rely on. And I Promise…from now on, whatever happens, I will always confide in you."

"And I promise to always support you, and to always be there, even I don't agree with what you are doing. Thank you for trusting me Master Bruce.

"Thank you for always being there for me Alfred."

"Well I suppose I will let you go for now sir, please have a healthy breakfast before you go to school."

Bruce can't help but smile, as he replies, "…I will Alfred, goodbye."

"Goodbye Master Bruce."

Bruce ends the call and looks at the phone. It's 6:26 AM. He had to go downstairs for breakfast and see all the students he hadn't seen for almost a week, and then begin a new day in high school.

"Great."

../...

Hope you guys enjoyed, I know its a smaller chapter, but its just the reintroduction to this story. I kinda treat, all the chapters before it as the first arc, and this one begins the second. So the next chapter will be longer.

And as for me guys, and why I haven't been posting...in all honesty, just laziness and a bit of anxiety. I keep trying to get around to write, and just didn't do it. So no bullshit, there isn't any excuse worth writing. But i will say that, this laziness extended to more than just this, and seeped into my life for many of my goals. So I was kinda in a bad place, but in life is there are ups and downs, and so when You have really bad downs, you just gotta keep on pushing cause when the bad time finally goes away (and it always does) and you get back up, you will be that much stronger. And that how I feel, I am an aspiring Film Director, whose dreams were just in my head, but now I am pushing them forward, and will work hard towards my goals, including this story, as it has been a part of life that i really enjoy to do. And so i wanna thank all of you guys for your support in continuing to reading, and following it. I really do appreciate it :)