That Which We Are, We Are
By AngelQueen
Disclaimer: The characters of Batman Beyond are not owned by me. I'm using them purely for the entertainment of the readers here and no money is being made from this. Standard disclaimers also apply.
Summary: Bruce Wayne is dead. The members of the Bat Family gather to say farewell to the one who created the legacy of Batman.
Richard Grayson-Too Late
You used to make me so angry. Everything had to be your way. Your way or the high way. I used to think that it was to keep the glory to yourself. At least, that was what my pride was telling me.
The Devil take my pride. It's overrated, anyway.
I stare down at the coffin now and I am torn between screaming at the injustice of it all, and confusion. Bruce Wayne isn't supposed to be in a coffin. He's supposed to be either at the Wayne Enterprises Building, making billions a day, or in the Bat Cave, barking orders at everyone.
That was what drove me up the wall. I always thought you looked down on me because I couldn't be the Robin that you wanted me to be. That I'd never be worthy to one day take up the mantle of the Bat.
But I was wrong. You were harsh with me, with all of us, because you wanted us to be the best we could be. You wanted us to be able to protect the people we loved, to protect ourselves.
And I figured it out too late.
When I heard about Batman reappearing in Gotham for the first time in twenty years, a part of me thought you'd snapped and gone back out in the suit, even after you'd sworn it off.
But then, pictures slowly began to appear and I was able to piece together a few things. The new Batman was too small to have been you. He had to have been a kid. Then you started to actually started to come out of the house again, a young black-haired, blue-eyed kid hovering protectively behind you. It clicked after that.
I kept an eye on the happenings with Batman in Gotham over the years, until three weeks ago, Barbara called me and said that you were sick and calling for me.
I blew it off, thinking that it was just an excuse to get me back so you could criticize me again. I didn't want to go through that again, so I made a joke about it. I didn't see the hurt in Barbara's eyes until I thought about it afterwards.
When I showed up at the Manor, Barbara, Tim, and the kid met me at the door. Thinking back on it, the kid's face was murderous as he gazed at me coldly. He must have really cared about you Bruce.
But I didn't notice this at the time. I was too busy dealing with the guilt that had settled into my heart. You were dead, and I hadn't been here to say goodbye.
I figured everything out, just as the World's Best Detective would have. But, I figured it out too late.
I'm sorry Bruce. I was too late.
By AngelQueen
Disclaimer: The characters of Batman Beyond are not owned by me. I'm using them purely for the entertainment of the readers here and no money is being made from this. Standard disclaimers also apply.
Summary: Bruce Wayne is dead. The members of the Bat Family gather to say farewell to the one who created the legacy of Batman.
Richard Grayson-Too Late
You used to make me so angry. Everything had to be your way. Your way or the high way. I used to think that it was to keep the glory to yourself. At least, that was what my pride was telling me.
The Devil take my pride. It's overrated, anyway.
I stare down at the coffin now and I am torn between screaming at the injustice of it all, and confusion. Bruce Wayne isn't supposed to be in a coffin. He's supposed to be either at the Wayne Enterprises Building, making billions a day, or in the Bat Cave, barking orders at everyone.
That was what drove me up the wall. I always thought you looked down on me because I couldn't be the Robin that you wanted me to be. That I'd never be worthy to one day take up the mantle of the Bat.
But I was wrong. You were harsh with me, with all of us, because you wanted us to be the best we could be. You wanted us to be able to protect the people we loved, to protect ourselves.
And I figured it out too late.
When I heard about Batman reappearing in Gotham for the first time in twenty years, a part of me thought you'd snapped and gone back out in the suit, even after you'd sworn it off.
But then, pictures slowly began to appear and I was able to piece together a few things. The new Batman was too small to have been you. He had to have been a kid. Then you started to actually started to come out of the house again, a young black-haired, blue-eyed kid hovering protectively behind you. It clicked after that.
I kept an eye on the happenings with Batman in Gotham over the years, until three weeks ago, Barbara called me and said that you were sick and calling for me.
I blew it off, thinking that it was just an excuse to get me back so you could criticize me again. I didn't want to go through that again, so I made a joke about it. I didn't see the hurt in Barbara's eyes until I thought about it afterwards.
When I showed up at the Manor, Barbara, Tim, and the kid met me at the door. Thinking back on it, the kid's face was murderous as he gazed at me coldly. He must have really cared about you Bruce.
But I didn't notice this at the time. I was too busy dealing with the guilt that had settled into my heart. You were dead, and I hadn't been here to say goodbye.
I figured everything out, just as the World's Best Detective would have. But, I figured it out too late.
I'm sorry Bruce. I was too late.
