The Orphaned Waynes

A/N: All copyrights go to those who rightfully own them.

So I've been working on this little fanfiction for months now, having absolutely adored the new The Batman film when it first came out. It's easily in my top three Batman films.

With all that said, enjoy and destroy!

Chapter One; Paige

My name is Paige Elliot Wayne. I'm twelve years old and live with my Deaf parents Alan and Harriet Wayne, in Bludhaven, Gotham State.

Or rather, I did.

One rainy evening, my parents and I were almost home when Dad lost control of the car and crashed into a bridge support beam. Or at least that's what Harley, my social worker, told me when I woke up in the hospital. I don't remember the accident at all. I survived with a concussion, bumps and bruises because I was wearing my seatbelt and was in the backseat. Mom and Dad…

I don't want to think of them now. It hurts too much.

You've probably guessed from my last name that I'm part of the Wayne family. My cousin, Bruce Wayne, is one of the richest men in the world. My family is rich on both sides although nowhere near as wealthy as Bruce.

Speaking of Bruce Wayne, that's who I was sent to live with. He didn't even bother to come get me or attend the funeral. After the funeral, we crammed what of my belongings could fit into Harley's car and left the rest with Dr. Tommy Elliot, my older half-brother.

He's promised he'd send the rest of my things once I was settled in at Wayne Tower.

I've never much cared for Tommy. He's been too calm and collected throughout this whole process. It's almost spooky. Then again, Harley tells me to be patient with him.

"He's a doctor and is used to sights like this. Also, he's probably trying to be brave for your sake." She spoke as we started the three-hour drive to Gotham City.

I didn't bother correcting her but fiddled with my hearing aids. Tommy has never wanted anything to do with me ever since I was a baby. True, he was in his first year of college when I was born. And he never treated me like I was a piece of trash.

If anything, he treated me like…I was not there.

I almost wished Tommy was taking me in as we turned into the streets of Gotham. Gotham City has a bad reputation. There are Drops everywhere, criminals run loose as rats on a sinking ship and murders happen every minute.

Yes, I know what you're thinking, these sorts of things happen in every big city, not just Gotham.

I'd agree with you as there's some parts of Bludhaven that are bad, but what I saw as Harley drove me through the streets would make you change your mind.

Long shadows crept from the flickering streetlamps. Trash littered the street, filling the air with their rotting stink. Broken and boarded up windows glared at us from their places in the dirty brick buildings. Towering condemned buildings surrounded us like a gathering mob. Rats the size of my great-aunt's chihuahua scurried about. Worn down doors crouched in the buildings like screaming mouths and the few bums, dropheads and lowlifes huddled on every corner, waiting for someone to come by so they could panhandle. Above our heads, the funeral gray skies threatened rain.

I tried not to stare at the passersby who were no doubt watching us drive by in Harley's gray Nissan Leaf. Harley sighed, pushing a loose lock of her blonde hair behind her ear and adjusting her dark rimmed glasses. "It wasn't always this way." She said, shrugging her shoulders before pointing to a building. "That's the clinic your Uncle Thomas used to run for needy people. It was renamed for him after he and your Aunt Martha died."

Like the other buildings we had passed, the Dr. Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic had seen better days. The once white letters above the door were coated in dirt, gasoline fumes and God knows what else. Someone had tried to break in, if the piece of plywood over the glass door was any indication. Spray painted in green on the door were the words "Ring the buzzer" with an arrow pointing to the buzzer on the side of the building.

I didn't respond. Mom and Dad…it was my third time in a car since the accident and I was so scared that I couldn't sign. Plus, I liked Harley and didn't want her to get into an accident.

I didn't want anything else to be my fault.

Harley pointed to a tower in the distance. "And here is Wayne Tower."

I looked at where Harley was pointing and surveyed my new home. It stretched to the sky like an unsheathed sword, cutting against the rain. Artificial lights blinked in the many windows. It gleamed in the shining rain.

I swallowed hard as Harley pulled into the gatehouse, showed the security officer the pass she had been given and drove into the underground garage. We passed many different cars of makes and models but I guessed they were expensive before pulling into a marked spot.

The car next to us was a silver Prius. The same car Dad had.

I looked away.

Standing by an elevator was an elderly man in a nice suit and tie and an elderly lady dressed in a nice gray dress. They smiled as Harley parked the car, turned it off and got out. I followed suit, wincing as my bruised feet landed on the concrete.

"Hi, I'm Harley Quinzel, I spoke to Bruce Wayne on the phone." Harley said, shaking the man's offered hand.

"Hello Miss Quinzel, I'm Alfred Pennyworth, Master Wayne's butler. This is Dory, our housekeeper." The man said, gesturing to the woman.

"How do you do?" Dory said before looking at me. I liked the smile that crossed her face. It was warm and bright. "And you must be Miss Paige. You look so much like your mom."

Ignoring the jab of being reminded of Mom, I signed "Thank you. It's nice to meet you." I was disheartened when a confused look crossed Dory's face. Alfred remained stoic.

"She said 'thank you and it's nice to meet you.'" Harley said, interpreting for me. She then looked at me and signed, speaking for the benefit of both Alfred and Dory, "Is there anything else you wish to say?"

I signed "I have hearing aids and can read lips so I can understand what you're saying but I don't speak." Harley interpreted for me.

"Oh that's okay, I'm sure you'll do a good job teaching us to understand you." Alfred said, speaking clearly and making eye contact with me.

I decided that I liked Alfred. He felt warm, comforting and endearing. Dory, I wasn't too sure about as she eyed me with a bit of discomfort. I know now she meant well but didn't quite know what to do.

"Do you need help carrying your things upstairs?" Dory asked.

"There isn't much." I signed.

"Just what we could grab. Dr. Elliot is going to send the rest of her things once she's settled in." Harley said.

"Well the sooner we can get everything upstairs, the faster that can happen." Alfred said with a chuckle.

Harley unlocked the trunk and we started grabbing boxes and bags. I eyed the Yamaha synthesizer and took that before anyone else could. It was the last Christmas present I ever got from my parents so it's special to me.

"Do you play piano?" Dory asked me as we carted everything into the elevator. "Miss Martha used to play piano before she passed."

I nodded as my hands were full with the synthesizer.

"I think we still have her piano somewhere in the apartment if you want to play it. Of course, it needs to be tuned and fixed as it's been a long time since it was played." Dory said.

Despite my still aching heart, I smiled and my eyes lit up. Harley noticed and smiled back at me. "That's the smile I've been waiting to see!"

The elevator dinged as we arrived and opened. The first thing I noticed was how dark everything was. And I don't just mean the lack of light from the turned off lamps and closed curtains. Everything was in dark tones and drew my eye up to the ceiling. The furniture was in heavy dark wooden tones and looked like it would've been a perfect fit for a haunted house.

I was expecting a gargoyle to jump out at me at any moment.

We entered and I noticed a figure at the top of a stairway watching us. I jumped, almost dropping my synthesizer. Alfred and Dory noticed my reaction and looked up at the stranger.

"You're finally awake, Master Wayne. Miss Paige has arrived." Alfred explained.

So this man was Bruce Wayne. I thought as I studied the figure. He had longish brown hair in front of his angular pale face. His black turtleneck and jeans clung to his tall and skinny frame.

I noticed that he had dark shadows beneath his eyes.

At that moment, I wouldn't have been surprised if he was a vampire or something.

"Miss Paige was wondering if we could have Miss Martha's piano tuned and cleaned. She loves to play piano." Dory said. "It would be nice to hear someone play in the apartment again, Master Wayne."

Master Wayne looked at me with an unreadable look before signing and speaking. "I'll call someone tomorrow."

The synthesizer fell out of my hands, clattering to the floor. Master Wayne tilted his head in confusion and shrugged his shoulders. "I know you're Deaf." He signed and spoke.

I picked up my synthesizer as Master Wayne turned on his heel and went into one of the rooms, closing the door behind him.

Now I really wished Tommy had taken me in.