Wayne Manor, Gotham City

Bruce is on the computer, reviewing the history records on the Wayne family, starting with the day he remembered his parents being killed that night in the 20th Century. History is quite difficult difficult to comprehend: his own parents alive. He even went online, trying to find reports of a masked vigilante that appeared in Gotham a very long time ago. A secretive thing that Bruce kept up to the present. Not reports or articles. Not a mention of someone dressing up like a bat. Although the Justice League did exist but they he wasn't partaken in the organisation's founding.

A door opened where Claire came inside, sighting Bruce on a computer. "Never one to think you're historian", Claire remarked while moving toward Bruce's side.

Twisting the chair half-circle anticlockwise, Bruce looks straight at Claire. He glances down, and then looks at her again, sighing. "My life-This life... turned out to be beyond my understanding", Bruce said, lowering his eyes.

"Your parents are worried about you... after you freaked out", Claire addressed. "and took off".

"Claire, in a different life...", Bruce said, facepalming because of feeling the agony of reflecting this dark story. "...my parents died, and I suffered this trauma for a long time".

Claire felt sympathy for hearing it. "I'm... sorry... to hear that", she said, turning away from Bruce, knowing how personal it is, and how painful these serious of events would loom catastrophically in his mind.

"No. No. I'm glad I have someone I know I can trust and share. You", Bruce said, standing up, and moving by Claire's backside. He wraps his arms around her waist, and he leans his face to her shoulder. "I don't know who else I could trust".

"Is that why you contemplate a Batcave underneath the mansion, that you believe you're a vigilante?", Claire gently asked, twisting her head right.

Bruce steadily breathes. He subsequently nodded. "My whole life of being a vigilante was to create a persona in order to bring forth peace and justice. I wanted to avenge my parents' deaths, and make sure there is a world where no 8-year-old would ever have to lose their parents", he explained.

Claire gently separates from Bruce. She looks at Bruce directly. "Perhaps we could look into your subconscious, find out why you're suffering from these nightmares", Claire suggested, and holds a hand up. "If that's okay with you".

Responded with a smile, Bruce felt like the heavy weight has been lifted out, no more he has to think about bottling the sequences of his dreams he underwent.

A hand was put on Bruce's forehead; the hand illuminates in full of pink energy; Claire started surveying Bruce's mind while keeping Bruce relaxed. The process wouldn't work if Bruce wasn't to remain calm and harmonious. Although Bruce would never be required to relax, Claire forbids herself from treating Bruce in any harsh manner despite the fact Bruce wouldn't complain in any bad situation.

Bruce stares with wide-balled eyes at Claire who looks to be scrolling through his mind, gathering knowledge about his bizarre dreams. He trusts Claire with his life; he trusted her from the day they formed a close bond regardless of something that happened in the past that brought about their fallout, which appears to have only happened in his dreams.

Collecting critical details adding up this long-spanned dream truly disturbs Claire, even she thought it was all becoming real. Assembling those dreams aren't just given to her like packages, they also blast distinctive physical sensations right up her chest. One of Claire's many abilities. Feeling pain is apart of life, something Claire can endure. This is about Bruce she's concerned about.

Her sympathetic look straight convinces Bruce he was right to allow Claire into his head as though she was the sunlight Bruce was trying to swim up to when he was drowning in his dream, almost lonely in the dark, and Claire shoves the feeling of loneliness away; short stretch of time.

Claire finally ends the operation. "These dreams has certainly left you in shades of black and white. You struggle to live on which side of reality you are in because you don't know what's real, what's not", Claire concluded.

"Claire, please tell me what's real?", Bruce asked humbly.

She sighed. "That's not for me to say, Bruce", she said. "Do you believe this world is real?".

He turns away, taking a hurried look everywhere in the room. "There's nothing in the Universe that would be far better than living the greatest shaped-form of my fantasy", Bruce said honestly. "But as much as the fantasy suits my tastes, I can't simply believe this is my life".

"I suggest you meet familiar faces. Maybe that might strengthen your two-edges of your real reality", Claire said.

Bruce turned, staring at Claire, wondering what familiar faces Claire refers to. Maybe she's saying people she gathered from Bruce's memories.

Wayne Enterprises

In the elevator, Bruce and Claire are on their way to many storeys upwards.

"Why are we in Wayne Enterprises building?", Bruce asked.

Claire hadn't answered the question yet. There's no guarantee a little spoil would ruin the glimmer of joy as Claire would view it a surprise.

They finally arrived at their floor. Claire and Bruce came out, passing along a few staff who exchanged words of regarding not expecting the Supreme Chancellor to be here.

Bruce took a short eye at the back, taking note of their surprise and positive remarks.

"Everyone respects you, Bruce. You did a lot of good to them", Claire said whilst keeping a sharp eye like a compass guiding her to a door.

Her saying that should mean something to him: a sort of relief. Getting touched by it seems frozen concrete. "Who runs the CEO here?", Bruce asked, knowing the rules that cannot be shattered.

Claire was a little amused to hear it. "I thought it was obvious: Thomas Wayne runs Wayne Enterprises", she said.

"You're kidding?", Bruce said. "He's over a hundred years".

"Well... since I'm currently a Senator, and not allowed to run this company, and your Supreme Chancellor, I had to do a little tweaks to the rules", said Claire before noticing Bruce stopped. And she knows his reaction. She afterwards looked at him with an assuring expression. "Don't worry. Only had the Senate be convinced Wayne Enterprises shouldn't be illicit since they all put their faith in Wayne Enterprises".

Bruce started acknowledging it may be for a good purpose. Blind trust is not a thing to utilise for anyone except the people you genuinely trust.

"Come", Claire said, gesturing.

As they forwarded plenty of feet to cover down the half-length of the corridor, the Waynes arrived before a door.

Claire slowly opened it, only having emitting a creak as she widens it open.

Bruce was behind her. Once she moved out, Bruce was no more held by a fleshy barricade. Upon getting a load of a man sat in a chair in front of a desk, Bruce understood who that was.

"Ah, Mr. Wayne, Mrs. Wayne, how it's so nice to see you two?", a man greeted as if these two have made his day. "I can't remember the last I saw you two in person. Only saw you both in the news".

"How has work been, Arnold?", Claire asked kindly.

The name Arnold rings a bell to Bruce. He barely recognised him. He's very old, and he seems like a whole another person different from the Arnold Bruce saw in the other side.

"It was good, Mrs. Wayne", Arnold replied with same kindness manner.

"Great to hear", Claire said. She glances at the photo laid on the desk. "How's the family?".

Family?, Bruce thought to himself. Arnold never had a family under the Batman side of reality. This side appears Arnold Wesker lived a happy life.

"Oh, they're great. My son and daughter Ferdie and Shauna are living a happy life. Gotham is a safer place", Arnold said, tilting up to look at Bruce Wayne. "thanks to you Mr. Wayne".

Bruce responded with a smile.

After minutes of talking with Arnold Wesker about his life, Bruce and Claire returned to the elevator.

"Arnold Wesker", Bruce mentions with a soft tone. "with a family".

Claire set the elevator to ground floor before readying to speak with Bruce. "Because in this world you removed majority of crime and total corruption off the face of the city, people like Arnold Wesker wouldn't be engrossed into running criminal organisations, and be enslaved by a mad dummy", Claire explained. "Arnold instead lives for the next decades building a family. He owes it all to you".

Bruce turns away from Claire. He frequents the question inside his head: is this the world he wants? Is the world real?

Somewhere in Gotham...

During the drive along the roads of Gotham, Bruce could repeatedly see the whole of Gotham in a very different era compared to the decayed era his one once was. The bright future of Gotham, and it never needed a single vigilante to help bring peace. Bruce already saw it, and he was completely amazed.

Another place to visit done by Claire.

Claire and Bruce arrived at the doorstep where Claire punched a finger at a holographic screen, thus causing whoever is inside that house to be alarmed. Seconds later, a door unrolled, revealing a wrinkled lady with a friendly face.

"Ah, Mr. Wayne, and Mrs. Wayne", the woman greeted. She widens the entrance for Bruce and Claire. "Come in".

"Thank you, Nora", Claire said nicely.

Bruce on the other hand was thinking if Claire actually meant Nora Fries, the wife of one of Batman's many enemies: Victor Fries.

Once inside, Bruce and Claire are guided by the old lady as she moved.

"I hope everything has gone well for you, Mr. Wayne, Mrs. Wayne", the lady said. "I've heard a certain Senator gave an impassioned speech in front of the full senate".

"For the sake of lesser war, I would risk anything for a better future", Claire said, exchanging smiles with Nora.

Nora Fries has taken Claire and Bruce into the dining room.

As soon as Bruce stepped in, he feelings sank deeply over the appearance of others he recognises. Others who turned and showed wondrous expressions. Others who welcomed Bruce with open arms as though the prodigal son returns to the home of which various familiar faces live in, which is ironic since the other side; the Batman side: they are enemies.

"Chancellor Bruce Wayne, what an unexpected appearance"

"Senator Harvey Dent", Claire said cheerfully, coming toward Harvey's side.

"Retired Harvey Dent, Senator Wayne", Harvey corrected her before embracing a hug with Claire. "I've way past that stuff". Harvey parted with Claire before looking warmly at Bruce. "It's pleasure meeting an old friend, Bruce. What're you doing standing around there?".

Bruce produced a fake grin even though he shadowed a look showing he is conflicted by his approach to two different sides of reality: light and dark. "My apologies, I'm kind of a tad bit disoriented", Bruce said. The hidden look is partly due to looking at Harvey Dent. He's a good man. He's not Two-Face, he's a happy Harvey Dent living to the pinnacle of his life.

"Disoriented?", another person said before giggling. "Quit goofing, Bruce, does an old friend have to give you a leg up not to bother with disillusions?".

Bruce directed a glance at who spoke to him just now. "Joker", Bruce exclaimed, almost dared to plunge a fist but felt the whole world's bright era dragging him from doing anything stupid.

"Careful, Brucie, you slipped the wrong name in the deck", Jack said.

"Leave him alone, Jack. Can't mess around with the world's most benevolent billionaire. It's because of him, nature always wins", a woman said.

The woman who spoke, Bruce recognises her. Pamela Isley.

"'Joker', huh? Creative for the guy who loves to tell jokes", a lady said to Jack.

The recent speaker sat next to Pamela Isley: Harley Quinn.

Bruce broadens his eyesight over everyone in the dining room: Harvey Dent, Victor Fries, Jack & his wife Jeannie, Pamela Isley & Harley Quinn. Such paradise where no chaos is inflicted by them. They're all happy. They're not causing pain, not even to themselves. Messengers are sending flows of tranquillity, easing Bruce as he is no more troubled. An enormous segment of his sentience once stemmed badly from the monsters he created. He's now darted into a new reality where he feels nothing to worry. Batman doesn't need to exist for their wellbeing, or the wellbeing of a billion sentients.

Wayne Manor

Back in the mansion, Bruce recollected his thoughts about this world. All the people he saw as enemies from another world, they are poles apart to the people Bruce met today.

He's in the living room with Claire, observing their kids playing.

Seeing these kids put a smile on Bruce's face. Traits like that don't come from him. Years of suiting the vigilante stripped his happiness. In this reality, it petrified the meaning of happiness taught to him clearly by the people who love him.

Claire sensed it within Bruce starting to accept this reality. "Have you narrowed the two-way tunnel yet?", she asked, coming closer to Bruce's side.

Heart shuddered, breathing shuddered, Bruce felt touched by this existence. It purely illustrates the long last lust Bruce failed to achieve following brutal years tormented by results of mistakes. Hands of clock and the dark city from the other existence would tickle the nerve on Bruce. No more. All his pain relinquished finally shed tears.

Claire spaced away from Bruce. The latter needed his space. He is appearing to rupture the long-spanned struggle, coming to his realisation he is in his true world.

Bruce is suddenly enveloped by his kids wrapping their arms around. They are asking for his help. Normally, Bruce would excuse himself because of important things. This new existence is pushing the important piles out of his book. Bruce has fully embraced it. "Sure thing, son", Bruce said as if it sounded like it was the first time Bruce ever called someone who is his kid the word 'son'. Afterwards, he joined with them.

While that happens, Claire watches from a bit of a long distance. Secretly kept from her husband is about Claire's doubts that she won't tell to Bruce. Doubts about his resolve. As much as she wants the best for Bruce, there are matters Bruce hasn't embraced yet.