Title: One And Only: XXI
Author: D C Luder
Summary: Third in the Series of Three storyline. Set four years after the conclusion of Life Is Good. The Family moves on and... apart?
Rating: T (AKA The Rating Formerly Known As PG-13 ;) )
Infringements: All recognizable characters belong to DC Comics, not DC Luder.
Author's Note: It is highly advisable that you read Time Will Tell and Life Is Good or you may be a tad bit lost. I am writing this due to the numerous requests for a sequel. That and I am absolutely obsessed with the concept of the Bat and Cat living happily ever after.
A/N 2: I want to thank everyone who's read and reviewed this story and those that have preceded it. Since I have absolutely fallen in love with the characters and all the background I've created, I have decided to continue the series to follow the Family in what lies ahead… And because Mattie as a teenager and Bruce having to worry about boyfriends is way too much fun to resist. This is the last official chapter, but there will be an epilogue up next. Enjoy, 3 DC
A/N 3: References made to general continuity and to information provided in Scott Beatty's "Batman: The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight". Cass's proof to Tim that he's cut out for the job is based on a scene from Batman Begins. And for all my OADD girls…. Oooo Gerard ;)
A/N 4: I hope everyone enjoys the Dark Knight's summer triumph in theatres as much as I will. Even if Rachel is the love interest instead of Selina, we all know who he really loves… ;)
And a big thanks Chris for inspiring me and ultimately motivating me ;)
V
He forgot to close the black out drapes.
Early morning sun had made its way across the floor and onto the bed, warming my eyelids and daring me to open them. When I did, I squinted and looked at the bedside clock and sighed to see it was only seven-thirty. I had no reason to be awake before ten and there I was, wide-awake before eight in the morning. At least Bruce was still sleeping, for the most part.
Smiling, I reached under the blankets in search for his hand. He was lying on his side, facing away from me for a change, the blankets pushed down to his waist. I had no recollection of him coming home or for that matter, any idea as to when I had fallen asleep. As I found his left hand, I wove my fingers with his and squeezed gently.
Although it took a little while, he squeezed back.
I shifted and laid face down, smiling into my pillow and thinking it must have been a rough night. I guesstimated that he hadn't come to bed before five. Poor baby, I mused to myself. Moving beneath the covers, I inched closer to him and wrapped my arm around his middle while I rested my chin on his shoulder.
I kissed his cheek and interrupted his slumber once more, "Bruce?"
"Mmm…" he grumbled.
"Are you awake?"
He took a moment to form a reply, "No."
"Bruce?"
He didn't respond.
"I wanted to tell you that I'm pregnant with Gerard Butler's love child and we're running away together to Scotland to live happily ever after."
He turned his head back to look at me and I watched as his left eye opened slightly, revealing a bright blue iris, "What?"
"Nothing," I kissed his check again and snuggled closer to him. Ten minutes later, I began to trace the muscles of his chest and abdomen, "I think we should have breakfast in bed."
"Kay…" he murmured.
This was too much fun, I thought. Poor guy was running on probably nothing more than two hours of sleep and would wish for nothing more than to sleep another two or four or even six hours of sleep. And the least I could do was let him obtain said sleep. And instead, I was picking on him. When it seemed as if he had drifted off again, I promptly plucked a chest hair. He jerked suddenly and grabbed my hand.
"Good morning, Bruce," I said.
"Good morning, Selina," he replied quietly, "What time is it?" When I told him he swore.
"Now now, it's a beautiful morning, what could be bad about that?"
"That it's morning and I'm awake." I kissed his cheek again and he kept his eyes closed. After a moment, he asked, "What were your plans for the day?"
"Not much. Breakfast, a run, lunch, maybe some yoga, dinner, painting with Mattie and then maybe some private time with this guy I know," when I paused he snickered to himself. I added, "Makes a mean cup of mocha cappuccino."
"Ah, Alfred," he commented.
"Oh, did you think I meant you? Oh, no, sweetheart, I don't think I can fit you into my schedule today. Sorry, maybe tomorrow."
He sighed, "I understand."
"I thought you would," I whispered while patting his chest softly.
Before I could pick at him any further, I heard the door creak open slowly. Bruce must have heard it as well, as his breathing hitched. Although I could only see the side of his face, I was still able to spot half of a smile.
"Mornin' Dad."
Mattie, still in her nightgown, crawled into bed and snuck under the covers next to her father. He kissed her as she set her head on the pillow beside his, "What are you doing up, Mattie?"
She shrugged and settled back against the pillow, "I don't know, I just am."
"Well put," I commented. The next time I spoke wasn't until thirty minutes later, after I looked over Bruce and had made sure my daughter had fallen asleep. "So when did you get in, I don't even remember you coming home?"
I was surprised when he responded right away, "Late. Had to take care of a few things after patrols."
"Care to elaborate?"
He smirked briefly before saying, "No."
… I do want to be here, but I can't, not right now, I have things to take care of…
… What things?… Exactly, Bruce. The same nameless things you've been taking care of for years. The same nameless things that have come before anything else, no matter what…
At quarter of nine, I rose, as did Mattie, leaving Bruce to be woken by Alfred when he would come up fifteen minutes later. We brushed our teeth in the bathroom together before she left to pick out her clothes and get dressed for the day. I did the same, and emerged from the bathroom dressed in lycra shorts and a black elastic tank top.
Bruce had three minutes before the wrath of Alfred.
"Bruce, you getting up?"
He had rolled onto his stomach in my absence, taking up a majority of the bed and all of the covers and pillows. He showed no sign of hearing me but I wasn't about to bother trying to wake him. Poor thing…
After donning running shoes and meeting up with Mattie at the end of the hall, I spotted Alfred coming up the stairs. I beat him to the greeting, "Good morning Alfred."
"Ah, good morning Ms. Selina, Miss Mattie. I take it Master Bruce has yet to rise?"
"Yes," I waited until Mattie was halfway down the stairs before asking, "Alfred, do you know what time he came home last night?"
"Actually, madam, he came upstairs shortly after I woke. Half past five."
I nodded, "He mentioned this morning that he had some things to take care of after patrols… Oh well…" I began down the steps, "Oh, and Alfred… I'll wake him when I get back later."
He about faced on the step and joined me in descending them, "Very well, Ms. Selina. Can interest you in breakfast?"
From the bottom of the stairs we heard Mattie, "I'm interested!"
I whispered, "She is spending too much time with the Gluttons."
Alfred smirked and replied, "Very true, I'm afraid."
Mattie and I were halfway done with our bagels and orange slices when Bruce appeared in the breakfast nook doorway, sporting running shoes and shorts. He sat beside me and took an orange wedge off of my plate and ate it.
"Dad, you're supposed to ask," Mattie corrected him.
He chewed quickly, swallowed and then spoke, "You are absolutely right, kitten. Selina, may I have an orange slice?"
I smiled, "Yes you may."
As we finished eating, Bruce ate two more slices of orange. When I offered to get him a bagel and coffee he shook his head and said he would eat after we ran. I replied, "You're joining me?"
"If you'll have me."
I leaned over and kissed him, tasting citrus on his lips, "Of course I will. Just as long as you promise that we don't do those crazy six minute miles you seem so fond of."
"Pinkie promise, Dad!" Mattie spoke up, a dollop of cream cheese perched on her upper lip.
I held out my pinkie and he did the same. As we shook I realized that seven years ago, I would have never thought of myself pinkie promising with Bruce. In fact when I first met him twenty years earlier I would have never even imagined marrying him, let alone having and raising a child with him.
Things changed, I chided with myself, and they did so for the better.
V
"So what are you going to call this… business?"
I looked over at Barbara as she squeezed a lemon wedge into her tea. Before I could reply, Jim Gordon, who sat in the very chair that Bruce had been sitting in five hours earlier, smiled, "D and J's Security." I managed a smirk as well. It was funny and meant to break the ice but my mind was a million miles away.
After Bruce had left, I changed but had not gone to bed. I sat in the living room and stared out the window until Barbara woke a little before eight. She asked what was wrong and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't tell her. Before heading out, Bruce made me promise not to tell a soul. He wanted to speak with Tim before anyone else knew what was going on.
I had spent the three hours of sitting just thinking back and trying to remember every little thing I could about my time with Bruce. My time with Batman. And that year I spent with the man who had lost it all in the blink of an eye. There was plenty of bad, dark stuff in there, but all I could see was all the good he had brought to my life. When I was younger, even when I had been at odds with him, I couldn't help but think how important he was to me.
It was all I could think about.
Barbara's voice asked, "Dick, you all right, you've hardly eaten."
"What? Oh, sorry, tired I guess."
She sipped her tea, "Yeah, what was that last night?" Her father looked over at me, slightly confused and she clarified, explaining how I hadn't slept at all.
I shrugged, "It happens. Brain gets working and doesn't go back into low gear."
The change in conversation came in the form of Frank's grumbly bark as trotted back into the kitchen. Jim had brought him over, supposedly in fear of leaving him home alone. From the way he looked and talked to the dog, I knew it was because he simply wanted the dog at his side.
Frank paused between Jim and I, proudly displaying a damp sock. I took it from his mouth and held it up, "Hunh, I was looking for this… Here you go, buddy, guess it's yours now." I tossed it out into the hall and he yipped before taking after it.
"Back to business, shall we," I tempted another forced smile along with a British accent.
I had forgotten that Barbara had invited her father over for breakfast so I could work on some of the general details of our possible joint venture. When I had initially proposed it to him over dinner, he had been generally excited to not only get back into work, but to be invited to do so. Before he had left that night, we shook hands and he made me promise not to do cartwheels in the office. I drew the line at handstands though. How could a person possibly think clearly if they weren't upside down?
In light of my predicament, I would have to do a thousand back flips to clear my head.
Damnit, Bruce…
I picked at my eggs and bacon, sipped coffee and tried to pay attention as Barbara and Jim talked. But it seemed like everything they said faded into Bruce's words from the night before. All I could see was his tired face and all I could hear was his voice, quiet and fighting for control.
… I know. But Gotham will have a Batman…
The rest of breakfast was a blur. I must have stayed in the conversation on some level all on my own. As Jim set out to go back home, I patted Frank on his little flat face and picked him before handing him over to his "dad". I cracked a joke that I was free to babysit whenever needed and Jim had rolled his eyes at me.
After saying our good-bye's, I left my full plate and glass and retired to the bedroom. I laid out on the bed, eyes closed, and listened as Barbara picked up the kitchen. I wasn't sure how long, but eventually she came into the room and paused next to me.
"What's wrong?" she asked, taking my hand into hers.
I sighed, "I don't know." I looked over at her and then patted the empty spot on the bed next to me.
She smirked and climbed up onto the mattress before reclining next to me. She kissed my brow and then said, "You are not allowed to leave this bed until you are happy."
I half-smirked, "Is that a threat?" Usually I would have put a leer into my voice, but I couldn't summon the energy. Or the will.
As she brushed back a lock of hair behind her ear, she sighed, "I have a confession to make."
"Please tell me you're not a man."
She smiled, "No. I think I know what's bothering you."
"Oh?"
Barbara nodded, "I'm not the all knowing Oracle for nothing." I watched her take a deep breath before she continued; "Bruce has been tripping the sensor on the front window all week long."
"Wait, what sensor?"
I rolled my eyes, "The one I put in while you were drinking beer with your cop buddies a while back. Can I continue?"
"Yes."
"Anyway, Bruce has been tripping the sensor every night around four in the morning. My cameras have him breaking in, going into the kitchen and waiting until you come before he leaves out the back."
I closed my eyes, remembering how he had been sitting there in the dark. What had the other nights been? Practice? False starts? The more I had thought about it, the more I had realized how nervous he had been. Eyes shifting, voice changing from high to low…
Not that I could blame him.
"And then last night, it recorded him staying, talking with you…" she put a hand on my face, "Dick, what did he say?"
"I can't… Barbara, I'm sorry… he…" when I opened my eyes, I looked into her pair of glassy greens. I suppose simply watching what had transpired last night would be terrifying even without hearing the conversation. Bruce fidgeting. Me hugging him. Me drinking out of the carton…
"Please, Dick. I know something's going on with him, we all do. What I don't know is what. And from what I saw, I think he told you." When I didn't answer her, she moved her hand from my face to my fingers, gripping them tightly. I saw a flash of fear in her eyes, before she let loose a string of questions, the next coming out louder and quicker than the one before it, "What is it? Is he sick, is he hurt… Is something wrong with Selina… Or God, Mattie? What?"
I stopped her before her thoughts could go any further, "No… He made me swear to him, Babs, I can't break my promise. He'll… he will tell you, maybe not today but soon." I knew she wasn't the only one that wanted answers. Tim's wanting to find him last night… I hadn't told Bruce that Tim was troubled because I'm sure he was gearing up to talk to the young man and didn't need any more reasons to be worried.
She kept her eyes directed at me, "Okay. I'm sorry, but it's just that… seeing him like that… It was unreal. God, Dick, he looked scared."
I wondered how well my fears had come across the camera.
Or my tears.
V
I slipped through the service entrance of Wayne Manor a little after ten, the taste of Dana's French toast still in my mouth. As I fished my pocket for a stick of gum, I walked into the kitchen, surprised for once not to see Alfred. But he had been there at some point as there was a basket of oranges on the counter. I snatched one and figured that would taste better than a stick of stale Big Red.
When I walked down the hall, I tried to find any sound indicating that someone was there. As comfortable as I was with the residents, I wasn't about to go traipsing upstairs. But I was more than comfortable going downstairs.
After changing to shorts, I stretched on the training mats and then warmed up by mixing up shadow sparring, some jump rope and then a few sets of push ups and sit ups. The plan was that I would kill time working out, messing around on the computer, and maybe conning Alfred into making me lunch. All the while, I was to plot out how I was going to approach Bruce with my concerns. If I wasn't ready when I saw him, I planned on tracking him on patrols in order to talk to him then.
It wasn't until I was finishing my sit-ups that I felt it. It didn't matter if it was an icy winter eve in downtown Gotham or the cool stone floor of the Cave. When he was there, you still felt a chill down your spine.
I stood after finishing and looked around the Cave. Most of the lights were, only the basic ones that offered enough illumination so that you didn't fall to your death. Just as I was about to convince myself I was being foolish, I heard the softest of sounds towards the stairs. Far above, a cluster of Bruce's namesakes shrieked and fluttered off.
"Good morning," I called out, smiling as I identified the sound. Padded leather loafers on granite.
Bruce's form appeared as he stepped up to the training mat. His hair was still wet from his morning shower and he was dressed casually for the day in blue jeans and a navy polo. I noticed a bright red spot on his jaw line. A razor nick. After he paused at the mat he spoke, "I'm not interrupting am I?"
I shook my head, "Nah." As the cave went silent, my brain was filled with rapid thoughts. A hundred things to say and no idea how to say them.
"I want to talk to you," he said suddenly.
Well, that made things easier for me… I nodded and walked towards him.
"Not here," he said quietly before turning away from me and walked towards the dark center of the cavern. I half expected him to flip on the light switch but hadn't been too surprised when he proceeded in the dark.
For Bruce having to declare the need to talk to me, I was slightly confused when he simply kept walking in the, not uttering a word as I followed him a yard behind. After ten minutes of silence, I spoke up, "Before you say what you want, Bruce, I have a few questions for you."
He took a quick half step before returning to his normal stride, "Go on."
Instead of thinking it through and gathering my thoughts, I dumped my plan and went for it, "Fist of all, why have you been avoiding us?"
He paused and turned to face me. We were standing at the opening of a narrow entrance to a section of the Cave I had never been. The light from the main area permeated the darkness just enough for me to make out Bruce's face. I saw his jaw tighten before he replied, "I haven't been, not directly."
I shook my head, "That's not true, Bruce, ever since we took down Black Mask, hell, even before that… You've worked on your own, pushing cases onto us and taking care of your own work…" I took a moment to try and gauge his response but his face hadn't changed and he made no attempt to reply.
Finally, I heard him sigh softly, "Breaking up the work has always been a standard of practice. And with you and Batgirl handling the missing persons case, I could direct my focus elsewhere."
"Then why did you turn your homing signal off for two weeks?" Had I not been looking for it, I would have missed the corner of his lip twitching downward. When he didn't answer, I hit him with another low blow, "And Cass says that Barbara has been working on a new computer system. Working on upgrades for some secret location."
Another twitch.
"Bruce… I've been working with you for almost ten years. I trust you with my life today just as much as I did when I first started. But I can't go on thinking that you're keeping something from me. I like to think that you would trust me enough… To tell me if something was wrong."
He turned from me without uttering a word, crouching slightly before ducking through the small passageway. I followed him blindly, not sure if I was going to be welcome on the other side or not. As I maneuvered myself through the entranceway, I remembered one of the tests I had taken years earlier when I had first begun training with Bruce. Claustrophobia and being able to function without sight were handicaps that would not be tolerated. In order to drill that into my mind, he had me navigate the narrowest passages in the cavern, finding my way without accessories such as maps and flashlights.
Needless to say, I passed.
When I emerged on the other side, I was met with silence and darkness. I listened for Bruce's footfalls or at least his breathing but couldn't detect them amidst the scurrying of bats and the ever-constant dripping of water. I was about to call out his name when a flash of light registered in the middle. When my eyes adjusted, I realized it had been Bruce lighting up a flare. He was looking up at the roof of the small chamber we had entered, which caused an eerie shadow on his face that blacked out his eyes.
Not sure what else to say, I commented, "First time I've ever been in here."
He kept looking up, "I was six years old when I fell…" he looked down and pointed the flare towards the uneven stone floor, "I cut my knee, needed stitches. I can still hear my mother, calling out my name. The fear in her voice… And my father, coming to save me. I remember his fingers… covered in my blood. Two years later…" he took a moment to finish as he turned away from me, "Two years later, I had their blood on my fingers."
I took a step towards him, as I waited for him to continue. When I was in mid-step, he turned to face me once more, "I let you and Batgirl handle the missing persons case because I was confident that your efforts would prove successful. And they were. The work that I have Barbara doing is related to completing another one of the satellite Bat-caves in Bryanttown. Once finished, it will be primarily for your use."
"What about your homing signal? Why did you turn it off when we were in the middle of closing a case that important?"
As his eyes locked onto mine, he replied, "I needed to know you could handle something of that nature if… when I was no longer around."
"What do you mean when?" I asked quietly as my deepest fears settled heavily in my gut. Bruce kept his gaze aimed at me. He rarely made eye contact and when he did, I always found it difficult to maintain it with him. Those icy eyes…
"I made you take an oath, just as I made Dick, Barbara, Cassandra… and Jason… Loyalty, secrecy, courage. In the time you've spent in the guise of Robin I have yet to see you falter in upholding your word, of which I commend you on considering the trials you've faced."
As I listened to him, I fought to push back ancient memories of myself as an awkward teenager, training with the man, the hero I had studied and admired. Then, the countless memories that usually haunted me in my darkest hour.
"I'd do anything for you, Bruce, you know that."
He nodded, "I know that. It's actually the reason why you are the only one I can ask this of…"
As Bruce continued, I did my best to just stand there and listen to him. But as he stated his offer, as he asked that I step up and become the Batman, all I could do was look back at the last year, at all the little things that had changed and lead us to that very moment.
Batman letting us handle the rescue efforts when Firefly had decided to spread some holiday cheer.
… Check your re-breathers and stock up on foam pellets…
…Already done…
Bruce himself, something off but never being able to put a finger on it.
… He let me go down first and followed shortly after. I tried not to make it obvious, but I looked up occasionally and watched as he moved. We had been sitting for less than twenty minutes and because I knew him and trusted him as much as I did, I saw the stiffness…
And then the missing persons case and the face off with Sionis…
… In light of an unusual spike in criminal activity, Batman had decided that in order for the major problems to each receive attention, it was best to split the caseload…
Bruce reaching out…
… I wanted to congratulate you. And Cassandra. You did a good job last night. Over the last few weeks even…
It wasn't until I heard my own forced breaths echoing in the chamber that I realized Bruce had stopped talking. I did my best to regain control of my thoughts before asking, "Why did you choose me? I mean… Dick's stepped in for you before---."
"This is different. This isn't forced like when Pasqualle shot me or even when I was paralyzed by Bane. In a way it's voluntary… and it's permanent…"
The flare was slowly frizzing to its end of use, but I could still make out the look on Bruce's face, one that I would certainly never forget. Such uncertainty in his eyes… No doubt the same look was plastered on my face as well.
"I understand if you choose not to accept my offer. With it comes the same troubles and challenges that I once faced. But I cannot step down, I can't let Gotham go without knowing that there will be someone out there… watching over it."
As the flare offered its last ounce of light, I looked into his eyes.
My uncertainty was gone.
And so was his.
V
The first cowl had been made of dark cloth and had done little aside from irritate Master Bruce's ear lobes and leave his hair in a disarray after a long solitary night of patrols. Over the years, modifications had been necessary not only to improve the usefulness of the mask and provide efficiency in his work, but also to provide the necessary protection from those that dared to stand up against the Bat. The Starlite lenses and aural electronics improved Master Bruce's perception of his surroundings while the optional Kevlar implants and throat protection brace offered a slight peace of mind for myself whenever he stepped out into the night.
The cowl was the last item donned as part of the necessary physical and mental preparation and the first removed after nocturnal activities had ended.
And it was being passed onto another generation.
"Now do hold still, Master Timothy. The mold will only take a moment to solidify."
"Can I talk?"
"No," I answered as I went about wiping the fast drying latex from my hands.
It had been a nearly three weeks since Master Bruce officially announced his retirement, for a lack of a better word, I had assigned myself the task of altering the suit that Master Bruce had donned for do long in order for it to fit Master Timothy. In that time, I had fit the bodice itself, which remarkably needed little alteration considering how much the young man had grown in the last few years. As I had finished the new pair of gloves, I had mused to myself how much larger they were from the gloves Master Dick had first sported. Gloves that I had to mend constantly…
All that remained was the cowl, of which in itself was practically complete with the exception of the latex liner that would conform to Master Timothy's head and keep him as comfortable as possible the countless nights to come.
Unlike the others, it hadn't come as a shock to see Master Bruce take such a bold action. Then again, unlike the others, I had the opportunity and the privilege of being at his side for his entire life. The restlessness, avoidance and inward reflection were all signs of a great change that was brewing. I had seen them combined several times before.
Before he left to travel the world as a teenager.
When he returned to save Gotham and had nearly died from his first attempt.
The few nights before he had lost everything to Pasqualle when he had first been deliberating as to whether or not he deserved a life as a loved man.
And more recently, when he had been deciding the fate for not only himself but for those he considered to be his family.
And as always, he would bear the burden alone.
"Is it time?" Master Tim's voice startled me.
I glanced at my pocket watch and replied, "Fifteen seconds."
In less then eight hours, the first official night when the role of Batman was to become that of Timothy Drake would commence. Naturally, in order to help keep his mind off it, Ms. Selina had set up a night on the town for herself, Master Bruce and Miss Mattie.
For some reason known only to himself, Master Bruce had waited to tell his wife of such a monumental change until after had made arrangements with his protégés. He had told her in the confines of their bedroom the evening after he had spoken with Master Tim in the Cave. I had done my best to avoid the third floor, but when I took fresh towels and linens up for Mattie's room, I couldn't help but over hear loud questions and quiet pleas.
The next day, over tea, Ms. Selina had summarized their conversation and had shared the fact that Master Bruce had been troubled by the fact that she had initially been attracted to Batman, not Bruce Wayne. It didn't matter to him that she had stayed with him that dreadful year he had been recovering from amnesia and that she had given birth to his daughter and had even married him. He had still been worried that she would have thought less of him if he did not don the cowl at night.
She had told me that her reply to him was that there was no way in her right that she would have ever done any of those things just for Batman.
"All done, sir, if you'll hold still for just a moment I'll take it off."
As I carefully peeled the material back and off of his face, he smiled, "Whew… That stuff stinks."
"Wait until after a long, humid evening of August patrols, sir. I do believe it is the very definition of an appalling odor."
Once completely off, I watched as he ran a hand through his recently trimmed hair. It was hard to say whether he had taken to the shorter hairstyle for the summer weather or to limit the discomfort from his more familiar longer hair while wearing his new mask.
"Supposed to be a low of seventy-five tonight," he commented while standing from the stool he had been sitting on.
We were just inside the costume vault, finalizing his suit for that evening's patrol. He had been putting instruments into his utility belt and had been fixing the micro-digital camera that had apparently been taking less than ideal photographs recently. Electronic rubbish…
"Have you a busy schedule for the rest of the day, sir?"
He shrugged and closed a compartment of bolas, "No. Not really. Was pretty much going to hang out up here all day, Cass was coming up a little after seven and then I were going to head out."
"Ah. Then can I interest you in a celebratory lunch? Or dinner, perhaps both?"
Master Timothy looked up from the workbench and smirked, "Alfred, you know me all too well."
"Indeed, sir," I replied as I went about slipping the liner inside of the cowl. "Did you wish to try it on now?"
He looked at the mask, as I held it, his face suddenly somber, "No… I think I'll wait."
"Very well then," I set it on a small shaped frame beside the mask that Master Bruce had donned the night prior for the very last time.
When he had returned from patrols a little after three, I had been waiting for him with coffee and ham sandwiches. He had sat motionlessness in the 'Mobile for well over twenty minutes, hands on the steering wheel. As much as I wanted to approach him, I held my ground and waited him out. Eventually, he stepped out quietly and walked towards the costume vault as if everything was normal. As if in twenty-four hours he would be doing the same instead of his young pupil…
But he wouldn't.
It had taken less than fifteen minutes for him to undress and emerge dressed in a dark housecoat. I had offered a smile and the refreshments but as always, he brushed them off with a glare. I stood by and watched on as he logged his activities of the night and then smirked to myself when he finally reached for the mug of French Vanilla roast.
Before I could have asked if there was anything else I could do, he had said, "I told Jim Gordon."
"Oh?"
"At first he seemed upset, but when I told him about Tim… He said he couldn't wait to see Batman convince the new commissioner to change her mind about vigilantes."
We had talked a little longer on the various crimes he had come across that night before he had switched back into his working mode. From what I saw in his speech and behavior, it had been a good night to end on.
After setting Master Tim's mask onto its holder, I glanced at Master Bruce's cowl and fought the urge to reach out and touch it. Instead, I turned back to look at Master Tim and asked him if he had preferences for his meal.
He shrugged, "Surprise me, Alfred."
I nodded and left him to his work. Upstairs the Manor was nearly as silent as the caverns below it. Master Bruce was not due back until after five from Wayne Enterprises and Ms. Selina and were at the Preserve for the day. As I made my way to the kitchen, I thought on how it resembled a time when another young and driven man sought refuge in his work in the Cave while I found mine in the kitchen. But then I thought on how Master Bruce had grown and started a family with the woman he loved, very much the same as when Master Thomas had started his own family.
A family that had been destroyed through tragedy.
I prayed that a similar fate did not rest for Master Bruce.
V
I had suited up in less than ten minutes.
Tim had been working on it for forty-five minutes and he still wasn't done.
Not that Bruce showing up halfway through hadn't helped matters.
Although I had been actually the last person told about Bruce stepping down, in a way, I had been the first. The night he had told Tim, I went to his apartment after patrols and we had spent what had been left of the night talking about his concerns and thoughts. It was then, as we sat on his couch drinking hot cocoa and sharing a bowl of ice cream that I realized I couldn't lie to him or myself any longer.
I told him the truth.
He wasn't mad. In fact he had actually been wondering how coincidental it had been that he had been somewhat tricked into preparing for the step up with the increased training. I had joked that was good he finally caught on or else he would give the world's greatest detective a bad name.
He was scared. After talking for nearly three hours he finally admitted that he wasn't sure if he could do the job. I sat and listened as he lamented on the fact that solving one big case on his own was nowhere near the level of experience needed to be Batman. I tried to convince him otherwise by pointing out all of the things had taken part in over the years and how much of a difference he made. He still wasn't buying it.
I thought of one instance when he showed his worth, of which there was no way he could deny.
It had been over a year earlier, on one of our last nights on patrol together before I left for Europe to train for the summer. I had been chasing down a mugger who had shot a young woman who had been working the register at a grocery store. The perp had tried to seek out cover in an aged apartment building, one long since condemned and occupied by squatters. I had followed him up the stairs into a third floor flat while Robin had scaled the fire escape. Literally no way out.
Without lights, the gunner tripped and stumbled about the empty rooms, gun hand shaking as he gave off waves of fear. I had kept to the shadows and was about to make my presence known when the guy screamed frantically, "Where are you!"
Before I could answer, I spotted Robin behind the perp, barely visible even with my trained eyes. As the mugger backed closer to him, Robin growled in response, "Here," before lurching out and knocking him unconscious with two quick blows to the head.
After reminding him of that night and watching his face calm, I added, "That shows that it's true. You can do it because you already have. Just a different mask."
"Just," he had sighed.
"Ready yet?" I called from the computer bay. He growled something in reply and I smirked briefly under my mask.
It had been over ten minutes since Bruce had left for the night. He was spending it with his family in town so he had been dressed for the occasion in a nice midnight suit, slate shirt with a white collar and a deep maroon tie. Even thought he was in civilian clothes, I could still see the man underneath, the man I had known for years.
The Batman.
His visit had been as brief as it was awkward. He commented on a few things he had come across the night before in the Bowery and suggested that we check in at some point. Before leaving he had added that if anything major went down, to have Barbara call him. Afterwards, Tim had joked that Bruce wanted an excuse from a night of being normal.
It had been odd patrolling with him the night before. I had expected him to tour the city furiously, to hunt down every criminal and to search every dark alley, more so than he had been for the last few weeks. Instead, he seemed to revert back to his old self: alternating riding in the 'Mobile and working on foot, all the while randomly checking in with us and then signing off before I could say anything else besides our location and status.
The good old times.
Just as I was about to call out to him again, he stepped out of the costume vault. I couldn't help but stare; for it was the first time I had seen the entire suit on him rather than the bits and pieces of it as I had over the last few weeks. The cape billowed over his shoulders and the edges danced on the floor as he walked towards me. The fitted shape of the suit itself only accented the form he had worked so hard at creating. As Bruce had recently, Tim had kept the black-gray bodice with the dark emblem emblazoned across his chest.
All that was left was for him to pull on the mask.
I stood from my seat and closed the distance between us. He must have been bothered or humored from my gawking because he smirk, "What? Do I have toilet paper stuck on my boot?"
I shook my head and stopped mere inches from him. Without thinking, I reached up and traced the emblem on his chest. He looked down at me, his smirk fading into a familiar frown.
"Nervous still?" I asked.
"Nah. How hard can it be to step into the shoes of a living legend?" he sighed and added, "You know, when I first became Robin, I never even dreamt that this would happen. I knew I would be the best Robin I could be, no matter what and that I would do the job for as long as I could… But some day I would have left it all behind, have a normal life…"
I dropped my hand from his chest and took a hold of his gloved hand. After squeezing it softly, I replied, "I once thought that the only thing that mattered was being Batgirl. Being Cassandra was unimportant. I never thought that I could gain anything in life by being normal and ordinary. I told myself relationships or friendships would only slow me down..."
After I let him go, I finished, "Things change."
He nodded in agreement and took a deep breath before reaching up and pulling the cowl over his head. As he lowered his hands to his sides, I noticed his eyes were still closed. Bruce did that whenever he donned the cowl, taking a moment to erase away all of his outside concerns so that he could transform.
When he opened them, he spoke in a deep gravelly voice, "Let's get to work."
V
Mattie looked up at us in disbelief, "I get to pick anything I want?"
"Anything," Selina turned back to face our daughter in the backseat.
We had just finished dinner and were traveling down 57th towards the Theatre District. Without any set plans, it was up to my six and a half year old daughter to decide as to what would be our form of entertainment for the evening.
I watched her in the rear view mirror as she looked out her window, staring at the cars and surrounding buildings. Of all the people I considered to be my family, she was the only one that treated me the same. The second they knew, it seemed that they had taken a step away from me, retreated the tiniest fraction. I had at first thought it had been out of shock but I realized they were distancing themselves simply because they were scared of what was ahead. They all accepted my reasoning and had stated no conflict but I could see the fear in their eyes. The same fear I saw in my own when I stared at myself in the mirror.
If she only knew the reason why her father would be home at night…
Selina's hand snaked over and settled on my knee. I looked over at her and offered a quick smile of reassurance. Of all people, it seemed as if it was the hardest to tell her. When I had explained how I had been considering it for so long and that I had been preparing things for Tim to take over, she had gotten upset. But not because I had lied to her, but simply because she had not been included in such a major part of my life.
That night when I had returned from patrols, she had been awake and waiting for me in bed. After I slipped in beside her, she moved over and kissed me softly before asking me, "Can you promise me something?"
"Anything," I had replied while finding her eyes in the dark room.
"Don't hide anything from me ever again."
"I promise."
The time from the night that I had met with Dick in the Clocktower to the night that Tim was officially stepping up had breezed by. In between working during the day and going to Mattie's soccer practices and one of her games and spending time with Selina in addition to touring the city at night, I had barely found time to speak with Tim. And even when I had, I hadn't known what to say to him. Alfred, on the other hand, had been spending a considerable amount of time with him and relayed any questions and answers that we had for one another.
As I sat at the red light two blocks from the Theatre District, I cursed myself for avoiding him.
I must have let my leg tense for Selina began to trace circles on my leg with her fingernails. I had to relax. I promised her I would… For Mattie. As far as she knew we were spending the night on the town to celebrate her last weekend before starting first grade. She was already talking about school field trips and Bring Your Daughter to Work days.
"Can we go see a movie?" Mattie asked suddenly.
Selina looked back at her again, "Sure thing. Any one in particular?"
I watched her reflection shrug, "I don't know… Katrina saw the new one about the kangaroo family. She said it was really funny."
"Well, what do you think?" Selina asked, her tone asking the underlying question: Are you okay seeing a movie in a theatre?
The luxury of being wealthy meant that I could have private screenings of practically any film I wanted in the comfort of my own home. I hadn't been to see a film in a theatre since the night my parents had died, some deep, subconscious factor coming into play. I wasn't afraid of doing it; I simply had no desire or reason to go through with it. Or to risk it.
Until then.
For Mattie…
"Sure," I nodded, "We can go to the new one on Beverley Ave."
"Yeah!" Mattie cried form the back seat.
We made it just in time for the eight o clock showing of "The Hoppy Bunch." After picking up three tickets in the lobby and a small tub of popcorn, we walked together towards the theatre entrance manned by a single usher. With every step I took, I waited for the old memories to surface. The smell of my father's cologne. The sparkly pearl necklace that had been around my mother's neck. The sweet, sticky smell of the theatre.
Of their blood…
But to my surprise, they never came. I walked alongside my wife and daughter, found seats towards the back and then proceeded to sit in their company for a little over an hour while the latest CGI film played on the screen. I listened to my daughter laugh and felt Selina's breath on my neck as she leaned against my shoulder. Even still, I knew that any second, I knew it would happen…
After the film let out, Mattie bounded and bounced as she walked in between Selina and I, her hand latched onto each of ours. I knew how she felt. I remembered busting out of the Monarch, my pretend sword slicing through the cold night air. I may have gone in as an eight-year-old boy but I had left Zorro, protector of the people. Even though it was downtown Gotham, I could hear the thunder of Toronado's hooves. All of it brought on by the joy of being lost in another world where those who did wrong were punished and those who did right were never hurt.
We had parked two blocks from the theatre in a private lot. The closer lots had already been filled by those who had planned out their evening before we had. After reminding Mattie to keep a hold of our hands, we walked down the well-lit sidewalks, enjoying the warmth of the night. When we paused at a crosswalk, I looked up and down both streets.
Mattie giggled, "Look left and right, then left and right again…"
I couldn't shake that gut feeling that someone was out there watching me…
With a slight smirk, I looked skyward and scanned the rooftops. It took only a minute to find him, perched on the corner of the Landmark Theatre. Despite the fact that he was four stories up, I did my best to lock my gaze with his. As he remained absolutely motionless, I mused with myself that it did make you look like a gargoyle…
Mattie tugged on my arm and looked in the same direction as me, "What are you looking at, Dad?"
I was about to tell her it was nothing when a great flash of light seared the sky, its focal point coming from Tri-Corner's most famous building: Gotham City Police Department. Apparently the new commissioner had a change of heart…
"Dad, look, look!" Mattie cried out as she let go of her mother's hand and pointed at the Bat-Signal. The direction it fanned out in only caused the dark form on the rooftop to stand out more. I noticed he had turned to look at it as well before looking back down at me. I nodded and he stood and disappeared.
Mattie gasped, also noticing the dark cowled figure, "Dad, was that Batman?"
After a moment, I looked down at her, a slight smile on my lips, "The one and only."
V
FINIS
Stay tuned, the epilogue is on its way…
