"If you want to know about Bruce, you could try talking to him." Terry stated. They were at a park, and it was well into the night, meaning he didn't need to worry too much about anyone over hearing them.
"Then he is still alive..." Wonder Woman said quietly.
"Amazingly enough, yeah. He should even be awake, it's time for some of his pills."
"Could you still please, tell me what you know of him?" Wonder Woman was pleading with him. Terry would bet it was something she didn't usually do, being the Princess of the Amazons.
"Alright, but we should go somewhere a little more private, follow me." He knew she could fly, so he took off into the sky, and headed home. He lived at the Wayne Manor now, it just made things easier. Fortuneately his room had a big balcony, which meant he didn't need to walk in the front door to get inside. He let both himself and Wonder Woman in, the removed his mask once again. "So, you want to know everything?"
"Please."
"I don't know much, but I have worked with him for more than fifteen years now, so there is a bit I can tell. Let's see... He gave up being Batman after almost having a heart attack while he was on the job. Probly... ten years later, I was near his place and he saved me from some Jokers. It was strange seeing an eity something year old beating up a bunch of teenagers with his cane.
"Anyway, after that he needed help getting his medicine, he tired himself out. While I was there, I did some exploring. Long story short, I found the cave, stole the suite, and have been the new Batman ever since. Even then, Bruce still kept his hand in things. He did reserch, and with the vid sceen in my suit, he could see everything I could see.
"He doesn't do nearly so much now, because I can handle it all on my own now. He finally completely gave up Wayne Corps., by giving it to me. Now the old Geezer is kinda like my version of Alfred. He tries to give me advise, he makes meals and tea. He'll also be the Best Man at my wedding."
"Did he ever... find someone?" Diana asked, almost wondering if any woman he could have found would also still be alive.
"He never married if that's what you mean. I saw some pictures of old girlfriends in the cave, but he was never willing to tell me anything about any of them."
"I see." Diana said. Seems some answers would have to come via Bruce Wayne himself. "Would you mind if I go talk to him?"
"Be my guest, just don't let HIM know you're my guest. I may be the new Batman, but the Old Man still has some tricks up his sleeve."
"Now that I beleive." Diana said with a laugh.
"He's either in his study, the kitchen, or the cave."
"Thanksyou, Batman." Diana smiled, and left, journeying first to the study. There seemed to be even more books that she remembered, but other than that, the room was exactly the same, safe a new chair behind the desk.
She moved on to the kitchen, but it too was empty. There were several dirty dishes in the sink, but that was all there was to be found.
That meant there was one more place to search, a most obvious place to look, and she hadn't forgotten how to get there eaither. She moved the giant Grandfather Clock, and went down the stairs to the cave.
The computer was on, different files were coming up on the screen. So he was still doing research after all... or was he reminicing?
Diana could see pictures of villan, but she could also see dates underneath those pictures, dates of when those villians had died. Why would Bruce want to look at pictures of dead enemies?
"All these years, and you still haven't given up the fight." Diana said with a small smile, oud enough for Bruce to hear. Then there was silence, and the piture on the computer didn't change.
Bruce's chair slowly turned, and then she saw him.
A frail old man.
His hair was gone, he was covered in wrinkles. Though his frame was still large, all of his mucsle mass was gone all well. And his eyes... they looked tired, and at the same time, very overly surprised.
"Princess?"
"Come on Bruce, you know better than to call me that."
He actually smirked, and suddenly he did look more like himself. Bruce grabbed his cane, though she had been told of Bruce's using one by the new Terry, it was still hard to beleive how much support he needed from it. "I should know, yes. But I doubt you'll use the same tactics on an old man that you used on me sixty-two years ago."
After Bruce had called her Princess for what seemed the hundredth time, after she had started to protest against his doing so,she'd knocked the wind out of him and then managed to have him laying on his back.
"I suppose not."
"It's been a long time Dianna."
She gave a nod. "It has. Kal El asked me to rejoin the League, he said the numbers had dwindled considerably and that he need the extra help.
"The numbers have dwindled because everyone is either dead or as old and feeble as I am." He walked past her, and to an... elevator? That had to be new. "Lets go upstairs, it's time for my tea."
Diana followed just as he had ordered her to. He must have seen her looking at the elevator.
"The stairs became tooo much of a challenge in recent years."
There was a ding when they reached their destination, and Bruce went straight for the kitchen and put a pot of wter and the stove. "Would you like some."
"Yes, please..." Diana had never seen ?Bruce in the kitchen before, but then there was no way Alfred could still be alive. He would have had to learn or starve she supposed.
He continued by taking out the tea, honey, and the necessary utensils, namely, his tea set. Soon enough the water boiled, and the tea was made. Then before he could object, she took the tray everything was on. "The dining room?"
"Fine with me."
Diana carried the tray to the dining room and set it down on the table while Bruce took a seat. He also toold his cup of tea and added a generous amount of honey.
"So what are you doing here Diana?"
"I told you about Kal-"
"Yes you told me why your in 'Man's World', but you did not tell me how you came to be in my cave."
"I met your replacement. He told me you were still alive, so I thought I would come visit an old friend. What is with that new siut anyway? I think I rather miss the cape."
"Couldn't have a cape atching fire when the rockets went on, now could I?" Bruce had an answer for everything.
"What about the mask? Does it really need to cover the entire face now?"
"I designed the suit for myself, and when I did, my age had started to show. I didn't want anyone realizing that Batman was becoming more vulnerable." Bruce then sipped his tea.
"You really do have a reason for everything, don't you?" Dianna asked with a smile.
"Why make a change without a reason. That seems like it would be rather pointless."
"True. So tell me Bruce, how have you been all these years?"
"I've worked, as always. Made peace with a few people. Nothin out of the ordinary for me really. Life has been very... routine, for a long time."
"You know Bruce, you never did tell me why you resigned permanently from the League, even though you still had a major hand in funding it." He had also never told her why he had put an end to their budding relationship.
"I saw just what could happen to people I worked with, and was close to. Robin... Joker took him, torchued him not only physically, but mentally. Tim... he went crazy. After that, I always worked alone. No more Batgirl, Nightwing, or Justice League. After all, I was Justice, I was the Night, I was Batman. I was the only one that I would allow to be hurt because of what I did."
Diana sipped her tea to fight off looking at him in a pitying way. And then you somehow found a new Batman.
"Something like that.He didn't give me muchof a choice, he did steal the costume. I even threatened to get him thrown in jail for it. I could do so without blowing my secret afterall, Batgirl is the new Comissioner of Gothem."
"And yet you didn't." Diana smirked. "You wanted someone to carry out your mission."
"He wanted to carry out the mission. I respected that enough to let him do so."
Then, there was silence. An awkward silence. And the tea was gone.
"I need to go on duty soon."
Bruce gave a nod. "I understand."
And with that curt dismissle, she left.
