I own nothing.
My name is... Well it doesn't really matter.
My life is over, to be more precise, my first life is.
I know I'm talking to myself, but I find it calming to narrate so... deal with it.
[You do realize you are not alone right?]
"Yeah, I know. But I can't see you, only hear you, so I'm trying to distract myself"
[You find a disembodied voice more distracting than the fact that you are floating in a white void after your death?]
...
It seems I forgot to describe my current situation. So... I died. Bummer, right ? I can't really remember the exact circumstances, all I know is, it was...kinda...violent ?
[Don't ask me. Your death, your problem.]
"You should know. Aren't you on of those ... How are they called, again ?... BOB? RAB?... No, no... I read so many fanfictions and I can't remember one of the most used tropes...
Do I have ADHD ? It explains why I spaced out sometimes, but I managed to graduate highschool without problems, and I was in a very demanding college... Maybe it's—
[Wow. You are really going, huh ?]
I stopped myself at his? Its? voice.
"Sorry, I did it again... So, you are one of those beings that take people after their death, and sent them to another world?"
[The word you are looking for is ROB. But, yes, I'm one of those.]
"You're not going to tell me how I ended here?"
[You died and and I took your soul, that's 1ll there is to it.]
"Really?" I asked because I'm not that broken up about my own death, but I thought taking someone's soul to send to another world was kinda of a big deal.
[I used my power to calm your emotions. I wouldn't want you to have a mental breakdown every two minutes. And for the soul thing, it's not that difficult for me.]
I nearly forgot to tell you, dear non-existent audience, it seems my host can read my mind. He, I'm calling him a he because I'm hearing a masculine voice, sent me to this white void and know I'm probably going to follow the usual trope: chose a world, powers and other perks.
I'm not really describing the void 'cause that' s what it is. A void. A white void. There's nothing about it. Literally. White as far as I can see... Wait.. There's something else !
...
Nope...Still the same white void as the other thousand times...
[All these "fanfictions" and other medias desensitized you to this, huh ?]
"Yeah, yeah... So where am I being sent to ? And what do I get ?"
[Rude... But for your information, you are going to an alternate version of the DC universe. And I'm giving three gifts. Two of which you can choose but the last one is random.]
"How alternate are we talking about ? Like with some genderbend characters, or some people don't exist?"
[No even asking about the gifts, are you...
I said it's an alternate version because it's a mix of the comics and the different animated movies and series. And you are probably going to create a big butterfly effect...]
I was pondering my options. My knowledge of the DC Universe is mostly from the TV shows and movies. Of course I know some other trivia, but I'm not an encyclopedia... Maybe I could ask for another world ?
[No refunds. You got what you got.]
"Still, it's a very dangerous world... What are the gifts you've been talking about ?"
[Now he's interested... You've got three gifts.
The first one is knowledge from another character from another universe. The second is a power from a character from the same universe as the previous one. And the last one is at random, I will reincarnated you as a "main character" in the DC Universe.]
"So the first and second gift can only be from the same universe ?"
[Yes they are]
...
"Can I have some time to think about it ?"
[Yes, you can. I have all the time in the universe you know ? Literally.]
Ominous, but I'll let it slide...
I should ask for powers I'm familiar with, so that I won't be blindsided later...
I don't know how long I've been thinking, but I've reached a decision...
[What did you chose?]
"I'd like the knowledge of Tony Stark aka Iron Man from the Marvel Universe. From the same universe, I'd like the powers of Captain Marvel."
[So you've chosen ultimate knowledge and ultimate power ? I hope you won't become greedy...]
"And who am I reincarnating as ? You said one of the "main characters", so its probably going to be one of the superheroes or supervillains."
[Nope no spoilers. It will ruin the surprise, and I want to see what you're going to do once you realize that the powers you got are incompatible with your new life.]
"Cool... Wait, what !?"
[Just you having these powers means the biggest butterfly effect I've ever seen.]
"You could've at least tell given me a hint ! If I knew I would have chose something else!"
[Well as entertaining as it is, to see you panic, it's time to sent you on your way.]
"Wait, I'm not ready! I want to make some change—
[Yep, Bye]
"You—
And all I could see was light.
—
—
Once the bright light faded, I found myself face to face with a masked man. Well, more precisely, a chirurgical mask, but it's still surprising.
And I feel... tired... and what's that thing on me? I feel gooey. I can't open my eyes and everything around me seems so noisy. All these noises and smell...
Wait... Don't tell me...
I'm a baby, and I've just been born. A freaking baby!
I didn't even realize that I was crying, probably the only way my new body can interpret my distress. For the doctor and my new parents it meant that I was healthy, but for me...
My eyes were starting to open. Good, I need to know who I've reincarnated as. There's a chance I could be reborn as an alien so I need to know rapidly.
"Congratulations Mr and , it's a healthy boy."
Wait, wha—
"He is beautiful Martha. He has your eyes."
"Yes, he is. He looks just like you Thomas."
...
I could hear the emotions, the joy in their voices. But all I could hear was...
Wayne...
Martha...
Thomas...
Which means I'm...
"Bruce. His name is Bruce. Bruce Wayne."
...
I'm Batman.
...
Dammit ROB...
—
—
I will not describe the hellish years I've spent in diapers. The less said about it...
Ever since my rebirth, I've been preparing myself for the future. I've decide early on that I won't become Batman. Don't start panicking.
I'll still become a hero, but with the powers I've got, it will be hard to be a ninja...
I'm Bruce Wayne, but I'm not Batman. I will become my own person, and for that, I need to step into the light.
On another note, I've met Alfred.
In some version of Batman's origin, the Manor had a full staff, with butlers, maids, cooks... with Alfred as the head of staff.
It was after the death of Martha and Thomas Wayne that the staff left. Without someone to work for, the staff left... And only Alfred remained.
But this version of the Waynes only has Alfred. The gigantic Manor was tended by one single man. How could he take care of an entire manor alone was a mystery, that even the original Batman couldn't resolve.
Superbutler stuff aside, Alfred was a loyal servant of the Wayne family. He was previously a Special Operations Executive in Britain. When he retired, he followed the family tradition of serving the Wayne family.
He was a hardened veteran, but all I could see was a grandfatherly figure.
When my parents were at work, I was left in Alfred's care. He was always calling me "Master Bruce" but I could see that he was saying not as a sign of servitude but a show of respect. It seems that he respected my family for what they did for Gotham.
I can understand why. The older families of Gotham are mostly connected to crime, and responsible for the situation in Gotham.
But the Wayne family was known throughout the world for their charity work, philanthropy and for offering work even in the Narrows.
I couldn't be prouder to be part of this family. That's why I was even more resolute to save my parents. Gotham needs the Waynes. Not only Bruce Wayne, but Thomas and Martha Wayne too.
About my gifts, I was displaying high levels of intelligence as a child. When I was three, my parents decided to have me tested, after I've started pestering Alfred to let met get access to the library of the Manor. The doctors told me that I was a little genius and that I was destined for great things. They said that could become as smart or smarter than that young genius that lives in Metropolis.
I could have told him that myself, but my parents told me that I should stay humble.
But for the other... I tried all those stuff they did in novels or fanfiction, like meditation or picturing it in my mind, but nothing happened...
If I've got Captain Marvel's powers, it's going to be tough to unlock them. I don't think any of my parents is secretly an alien, and there's no infinity stone in this universe so it only leave one possibility...
I think I'm a meta-human. Which means that my powers will only manifest if I'm in great danger, or under a high level of stress.
I don't think my parents would allow me to put myself in danger on the chance that I may get superpowers.
So, until I find a way to unlock my powers, I'm going to experiment with my new intelligence. I have the blueprint for almost all of Tony's inventions in my mind. Either from the movies or comic books, they are there.
It was easy to convince my family of my intelligence, you know with me reading college level books before bed...
So I told them that I needed space, like a laboratory, and they accepted.
Well not at first, but I used the ultimate technique known only to kids to persuade them: the puppy dog eyes!
It's underhanded but it works. It never worked on Alfred but it's super effective on my parents!
Guess where my lab is?
You see I thought they would just repurpose one of the many guestrooms, but instead they decided that I should have a bigger space.
So they decided to use the cave under the Manor.
Yes, you heard right. For my fifth birthday, my parents gave me the Batcave!
They called workers and they transformed the cave into a state of the art lab.
It must have cost a fortune, but my father told me that it was nothing compared to some of the project of Wayne Enterprise.
Yeah, it's true when they say that money is an unfair superpower...
By the time I was five, I was already designing a whole bunch of stuff and by the time I was six, I've already drawn the blueprint of a prototype arc reactor, but even with Wayne Enterprise's ressources I couldn't make the miniaturized version. I'm also working on an A.I but the computers are not powerful enough yet. So they can't run any of the programs I've designed.
I've showed the prototypes to my parents but they told me that until I'm eighteen I should keep my invention a secret. They said that they have the potential to change the world, and some people wouldn't like that.
I told them that will continue making prototypes but that I will keep my inventions a secret.
I understood their fear. Even if I'm a genius, I'm still a child, so they are afraid that people will take advantage of me. Well I'll continue inventing and when the time comes I'll show the world who Bruce Wayne is!
The only thing that annoyed me was that I had to attend school again. I told my parents that I could just graduate immediately, but they said that I needed to make friends my age.
The only friends I made was a young Thomas Elliot and my cousin Katherine Kane.
Tommy and Kate were the only children that didn't treat me differently. Tommy because our parents were friends and Kate because we were cousins. The other children were trying to become friends with me simply because their parents told them to, to make connections with the Wayne family.
I knew that Kate was Batwoman in the original timeline, but now it's unclear. And I know Tommy become Hush, but I don't know if this version of him will.
On my seventh birthday, I was introduced to Gotham's high society.
It was a mess. Everyone was trying to talk to me and introduced their children to me, saying that could become friends.
I tried to stay away from most of the conversations, especially when my parents introduced me to the Sionis and Cobblepot.
I didn't see Oswald Cobblepot but I met Roman Sionis. Just like me he didn't want to be here. But for different reasons. I know from the comics that the Sionis were self-absorbed and they neglected their child. I know for a fact that the only reason they even had Roman was because they learned my mother was pregnant, and it was the only way to stay relevant for them. The Sionis would do anything to keep their position in Gotham.
For Oswald, I learned from rumors at the party that because of his appearance, he is an outcast in his family and high society. He his rarely invited to this type of gathering.
Man, money corrupts, I know but these two case are extreme. One was born out of interest and the other is an outcast because he doesn't follow his family "norm".
All this made me think that I should look up the Court of Owls. My parents told me of them as the boogeyman of Gotham, but I should be wary of them. They could try to kill me or my family if we become an hindrance to them.
The only positive note of this evening was me meeting Oliver Queen. It seems the Queens in this reality were friends with my family. They were invited by my parents, all the way from Star City. Oliver and I were of the same age, so we quickly hit it off. Our parents told us that we could see each other another time if we wished too.
Review of the evening: I learned to be wary of socialites and I made a friend. All in all, an interesting experience.
—
—
"I want to stay home tonight !"
"Bruce... It's just a movie..."
"If you want to watch a movie, we can watch it at home. We have—
" Enough Bruce."
No anger, simply disappointment. He didn't need to raise his voice to convey that. To him I must look like a kid throwing a tantrum, but if only they knew...
Today is the day... Shortly after my eighth birthday, my parents decided to take me to see a movie. A rerun of "The Mark of Zorro"...
I knew, any DC fan knew what this day meant for me, for Gotham...for the world.
Today was the day I would lose them... the day that Bruce Wayne loses his innocence and make his vow to rid Gotham of injustice, the same injustice take took his parents... my parents...
I couldn't accept it! They are good people!
Aaargh! I know I should have created some contingencies for this day! But for whatever reasons, until today, it didn't cross my mind!
Is this... Is this the way for the universe to tell me that some things are inevitable!?
Is Bruce... Am I destined to suffer this tragedy!?
"Thomas... Don't be so harsh on him. Maybe he wants to finish one of his projects?"
"You don't understand Martha. It's one of the few times we can spend as a family. We both work too much and we rarely see him. And when we do see him, he immediately goes back to his lab."
"I know Thomas... But... We could do this another day. Bruce seems worried and—
"No. It's final. We will go out this evening as a family."
Nononononono—I need to do something, anything. To convince them to stay. Think Bruce, think. You are one of the smartest people on Earth... Wait, I know!
"It's dangerous to go out this late Dad!"
"It's always been in Gotham son."
"I know but the news say that the Falcone are getting restless this time! They could cause a gang war at any time!"
"Young Master Bruce is right, master Thomas"
Thank you, Alfred!
"It's too dangerous to go out. If you insist to go out, you should bring a security detail. I could make some calls, and you will be escorted by a team of bodyguards."
Alfred, you are the best! Dad always listens to his advi—
"Thank you Alfred, but it's just a movie. Nothing bad could happen."
If only... If only...
If my powers were there I wouldn't be this afraid, I would be able to defend ourselves. I need to find another way to protect them! If they really won't stay at home, then...
"If we go out tonight, Alfred... Could you wait for us outside the theater?"
That way we immediately go home right after the movie!
"If your father approves, then it is no problem for me, master Bruce."
I was looking at my father, silently pleasing him to make this decision, the right decision.
"Thomas..."
"Sigh... Yes Martha?"
"I think we should do as Bruce say. I too think it would be safer this way."
"..."
...
"... Allright. We will do this. But Bruce, we will talk when we return home. There is something you are not telling me."
"... Yes."
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and now I was relaxed. I managed to convince my father so everything is going to be all right...
Right?
—
—
Why.. Why!? I made sure to change things! How is it possible that we are here!?
"Alfred should be waiting for us here... Where is he!?"
"Calm down Bruce. He is probably stuck in traffic. We should just wait for him."
"You don't understand... We need t—
"Enough young man."
There it is again. Those eyes. He thinks I am throwing another tantrum...But I'm trying to save them! I knew I shouldn't have let my guard down after the movie!
"Do you have a light for me mister?"
My heart stopped. There standing in front of us was a man wearing a green trench coat and a cap. He seemed no different from any beggar in this part of town... But my gut... My mind already knew...
"Sorry, I don't smoke. You should ask someone els—
"I'm asking ya pal."
CLICK
No...
"And if we go take a walk heh? Right over there. Maybe the change of scenery would convince you to share?"
In the man's hand was a gun. Pointed at my father.
No...
"E-easy... We don't want any trouble. Just tell me what you want, and I will give it to you. Just don't hurt my family."
"I want you to move! You see there? Go over there!"
He was pointing to an alley, with only one street lamp illuminating it.
No...
"Bruce."
I looked at my father. I knew he was afraid. I was too. My mother too. But from his eyes... I could see he was more afraid for us...
"Listen you too. We are going to do as this man says. You need to be brave Bruce."
"Thomas..."
"Martha... Don't worry, everything is going to be okay."
"Hey! Enough yappin'! Move!"
No...
I could do nothing as we silently walked toward the alley. There were bystanders, but... It's Gotham, someone getting mugged isn't really extraordinary... No one was even trying to help us...
"Now... Let's start with the lady's necklace. Hand it over and don't try to play hero!"
No...
"Thomas..."
"Stay strong Martha... For Bruce..."
"Yes..."
She was slowly taking off her necklace...
Then she slowly... handed it over to the mugger...
"Good.. Now, your wallet... Or it's the lady who gets it!"
No...
"Please... Let us go... At least let our son go"
"Like hell! So he could rat me out to the cops!? I don't think so! Wallets, now!"
No.
"Let's give him what he wants Martha. Money isn't worth our family."
Then, my father looked at me straight in the eyes.
"Bruce. I'm sorry."
And ran straight to the mugger, intent on subduing him.
"You asked for it!"
BANG!
NO!
"Thomas! Thomas ! Stay with me, stay with me!"
"This'll shut you up!"
BANG!
"NOOO!"
"Tsk.. The brat's still here... Your pa shouldn't have played hero.. I warned him..."
This... This... This can't be happening!
"Dammit... Now the cops will come..."
I couldn't... I couldn't hear anything else...
I couldn't see anything else...
It was only me and him... And the bodies of my parents!
"What's that look!? You think you are tough kid!? I just iced your ma and pa, what are you gonna do!?"
Him...it's him... IT'S ALL HIS FAULT!
My eyes were burning, my whole body was burning up!
"Your eyes, what's happenin'!?"
All my rage and hatred were directed towards him...
And as my body continued burning up...
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
And all was white.