I had actually gotten most of this chapter written before I published the prologue, so here we are with the first chapter!
I want to reply to the review this story has before we continue!
Luna Moon 12 Official: Hi! Glad you like my story! For whatever reason, I can never watch a good movie or TV show without thinking 'what if this character had a wife/sister/whatever-comes-to-my-brain' and then I have a new OC, so glad you like my idea of giving Bruce a sister! :) I gotta confess I'm not sure what you mean by not waiting for the time Selina meets Aria, but maybe I misunderstood your review!
I hope everyone likes this chapter! Now, onto the fanfic!
God Bless and Good Day!
~The Lupine Sojourner
After lunch, I notice Bruce has that look in his eye that means he has an idea, so I follow him. I've always been good at sneaking. Used to scare poor Mom half to death, even as young as three.
Bruce goes down to the ground floor of Wayne Tower and a minute later, I follow.
He's nowhere in sight, but I hear the faint sound of a door being locked from inside a room, so I look around.
There aren't a lot of doors immediately near me, but I wander around in the hopes of finding where Bruce had gone. It's then I remember the 'secret' room Bruce showed me when we were little.
He called it his 'cave' and I remember it partly being a cave. It was also a train stop, a way for our family to privately go from the train into the tower. No one had used the station in years, so no one bothered to check it anymore.
I remember Bruce tugging my wrist as he led me somewhere, refusing to say where, a large happy smile on his face. We spent the next few hours exploring the small station. I was nine then, Bruce thirteen. He'd found the old station, telling me all the things he wanted to do with it as we spent hours exploring.
Alfred found us later that evening, playing on the tracks, racing if I remember right. Poor Alfred had been a bit scared when he couldn't find us around the house, but once we were found entirely unscathed, we were only given a lecture on running off without telling someone and taken back up to the penthouse. That day had been fun, and one of the few times Alfred nearly didn't give us our nightly cookie.
Somehow, I knew Bruce hadn't forgotten that station, so I walk into the study Alfred was in more often than not, hoping to ask him for a key.
He wasn't at the desk.
I raise a brow, but walk over to the desk and open a drawer. I smile to myself when I find a big keyring. I internally promise Alfred I'd put them back and leave the study.
I find some of the keys labelled in neat tiny print as the elevator dings and I step off.
The door was still beside the furnace, as I knew it would be. I smile to myself as I insert the key labelled 'train stop'.
To pay Bruce back for sneaking off without me, I decided to sneak up on him, so I quietly open the door to hear the sound of Bruce using some tool or another.
Upon entering the room and quietly closing the door, I see that Bruce is under a car I remember him buying and tinkering with off and on when he got his license last year. He's currently engaged in his work and confident no one would disturb him.
Perfect! I think to myself, creeping closer.
When I was close enough, I crouch down and grab Bruce's ankles, yanking him out from under the car.
"Boo!" I yell. He jumps to his feet, poised as if to attack.
I fall over laughing. "You should see your face!" I tease, laughing harder.
"Ari, you should know better! Don't sneak up on my like that!" He grumbles.
"Why'd you sneak off?" I ask, sobering and standing up. "You know I like helping you."
"Ari, this is complicated stuff. There's not a lot you can help me with."
"I can hand you the tools."
"I have them with me on my toolbelt."
"I could-"
"How'd you get in here, anyway?" Bruce asks, frowning and looking around. He sees the closed door (the keys are in my pocket) and his eyes narrow a bit in thought.
I shrug. "Magic." I reply, hoping to get him to lighten up a little.
"Alfred gave you the key, didn't he?" Bruce asks with a sigh, but a small smirk told me I'd more or less succeeded.
I huff. "No he didn't, but I'll put them back in a sec. I just wanted to see if you want to take a break and get food."
He sighs resignedly. "May as well. I'm actually at a decent stopping point. C'mon then." He takes my hand and leads me to the door.
I squeeze his hand. "What are you gonna use the car for?" I ask curiously.
"Don't know yet, but for now I just like working on it."
Fair enough, I reasoned. I then spot the table with a lot of science stuff on it and stop, staring at it. "What's that?" I gesture vaguely toward the table with my free hand so Bruce would know what I'm talking about.
"My lab, Ari. I'm exploring with chemistry. C'mon. Alfred will be waiting, probably." He gently tugs my hand and I start walking again.
Bruce has always been a bit secretive, even with me sometimes. But, I told myself, he knew what he was doing and would tell me in his own time…probably. Hopefully.
"Why didn't you tell me you're using the station?" I asked as the elevator doors close and the ride up begins. "It's so cool!"
"You're a bit too young to help me, Ari. Besides, there's not much for you to do in there."
I sulk a bit, leaning on the wall of the elevator. "I could help."
"Maybe someday." Bruce concedes with a sigh.
We go up in the elevator in silence. That was ok. Bruce was always thinking, so I usually left him to it.
As I thought, Alfred was waiting for us at the entrance to the penthouse.
"There you are, children. Now, I was about to prepare dinner. What can I get started for tonight?"
"Maybe burgers?" I ask.
"Certainly. Master Bruce?"
"Sure. I'm going to shower." He says, letting go of my hand and heading toward his room.
When Bruce was out of sight, I hold up the keyring. "I had to borrow these to find where Bruce went." I explain, dropping them into Alfred's waiting hand.
"I see. Well, in future, please ask and I will give you the key you need, alright? I know this is your home, but I'd like to be kept informed of your whereabouts."
This place hasn't felt quite like home since…well. It's just where Bruce and I stay when we're not at school. I muse inwardly, sighing a bit. "Sorry, Alfred." I mumble.
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah, I just wish Bruce would tell me where he goes. He came out of hiding before I needed the keyring."
"Hmm. Another reason to ask for specific keys, Miss Aria. I might need a key while you're looking for your brother." Alfred muses.
I'm not sure why I lied. I know it's wrong, but there's a part of me that wonders if there's a reason Bruce meant the cave to be a secret. I wanted to know what that reason might be, and that was only possible if I can keep the secret.
Sighing a bit, I look in the direction Bruce had gone. "I'd like to help him, if he needs it." That much, at least, was true.
"Well, Miss, you are only thirteen. There's only so much you can do for him."
I frown. "There has to be something, Alfred."
"Maybe, Aria, but either way, we can't change his mind when he has an idea in that head of his." Alfred's comforting hand is on my shoulder.
"Don't I know it." I shake myself. "Mind if I help with dinner?" I ask.
Alfred smiles, squeezing my shoulder a bit. "Of course not. Let's find you an apron." I nod, letting Alfred lead me to the kitchen.
=#=#=#=#=
"Ari, c'mere." Bruce calls softly when I was heading to my room.
It had been a few days since I'd found him in the station.
"Yeah?" I ask, curious. Alfred had just gone to bed, so what could Bruce be up to?
"I was going to test my car out. Want to come?"
I light up. "Heck yeah!" I chirp.
Bruce smiles, but puts a finger to his lips. "Quiet, Ari. Alfred doesn't need to know about this, alright?" I knew that meant keeping the joyride a secret from Alfred was the condition of riding with Bruce. If I told on him, I wouldn't be allowed in the car again.
"Sorry, Brewster." I mumble, smiling. "I'll grab my shoes. Meet you outside the station."
"Five minutes." Bruce ruffles my hair and leaves.
I practically skip to my room and grab a pair of Toms and a jacket. Then, I pretend I'm a spy, creeping to the elevator and hitting the ground floor button.
Bruce was waiting, smirking as I approach. "I was about to leave you." He teases as he unlocks the door.
"No you weren't." I retort, opening the passenger side door and settling in the seat. "I can't wait to get my learner's permit." I muse, eyeing the car with a bit of awe as I buckle my seatbelt. My brother had done a lot of hard work, and it had paid off big-time.
"That'll be a sight." Bruce chuckles as he starts the engine. It was a bit loud for my taste, but it sounds really cool, I have to admit.
"Whoa!" I exclaim as Bruce moves it toward the train stop and from there, onto the streets. The engine was powerful!
"Like it?" Bruce asks.
"Yeah! This is so cool!" I chirp, watching Gotham zip by as Bruce increased the speed. "Can I drive it someday?"
"...Maybe. If you learn to drive stick."
Bruce was quiet now, taking streets seemingly at random.
He was thinking again. I contented myself with watching how fast buildings were left in the rearview mirror. This car is incredible!
"Thanks for taking me, Brewster." I realize I hadn't thanked him yet.
Bruce chuckles. "The ride isn't over yet, Ari."
"I know, but thanks."
I notice we're heading to the countryside…and some flashing red and blue lights in the rearview mirror.
"Uh-oh…" I gulp, squirming down into my seat as Bruce sighs in irritation even as he slows and pulls over.
"It's alright, Aria. Just let me do the talking, ok?"
I nod. "Okay." I was still nervous. Surely, Bruce wouldn't be arrested, right? We wouldn't go to jail just for this, would we?
"Relax. We're not going to get arrested. They'll just give me a ticket, that's all." Bruce assures me as he rolls down his window.
I nod, swallowing again. How did Bruce know I was worried about getting arrested?
The cops walk up unhurriedly. "Hey, Mike, is this still 8th Avenue?" One asks.
"Far as I know, Shaun." The other replies. "Why?"
"Oh, I dunno. The way this guy was driving, I thought maybe they'd changed it to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!"
I roll my eyes, sitting up and relaxing a little. Great. They were jokesters.
They finally arrive at the window.
"Sorry." Bruce mumbles, hands on the wheel. "Guess the car kind of got away from me."
"'Got away from you'?" One of them repeats sarcastically. "Looks to me like you're still in it, with your foot on the gas. Your heavy foot on the gas." The cop then sees me in the passenger seat. "Son, you oughta know better, especially with a passenger. You coulda gotten yourselves hurt." He seems more serious now, which might mean more trouble for Bruce.
"My brother's a good driver. He just wanted to test out the engine." I try to paint my brother in a better light.
"That so? Well, missie, your brother didn't need to test it this way. There's plenty of safer ways to test an engine." The officer retorts firmly.
"I told you to leave the talking to me." Bruce grumbles to me as he digs out his license, registration, and proof of insurance for the officers. "I'll keep that in mind." He says a bit louder for the police as he hands the papers and liscense over.
The one holding Bruce's license's eyes go wide. "Bruce Wayne?" He asks, incredulous. "The Bruce Wayne?" He eyes me again. "So you must be Aria, then?"
"No way! Lemme see!" The other officer grabs Bruce's license, which I think is rude.
Regardless, I nod sheepishly. "Yeah. I am." I wasn't used to being recognized.
"Well I'll tell you one thing, we know you can afford the ticket! Hell, either of you could!" One officer laughs at his own joke, the other joining in.
I feel my face warm a bit in embarrassment. So what if we can very easily afford the ticket? We still ought to get one, right? Why can't they hurry up already?
I think it's Officer Mike who shakes his head, still highly amused by this situation. "Busting rich kids and their sisters isn't worth the paperwork. They just pay the tickets with their pocket change." He muses, shrugging. "Sit tight, you two. We'll be right back."
I frown. So…are we getting a ticket or not?
They leave for a bit, then come back.
"You're clean, Mr. Wayne, no record, so we're letting you off with a warning, ok?" What? Why? Bruce sped and got caught. He should get a ticket. That's how it works…right?
"Thank you." Bruce grumbles, trying to be polite, but I know he's irritated.
"If you're gonna drive like that, you should be on a racetrack, not the streets of Gotham City, and for your sister's sake, don't take her along for the ride, alright? You never know what will happen when you go that fast, even on a racetrack." I bet the officer thinks he's being helpful, maybe even inspiring, but I just find him a bit patronizing.
"Slow down, kid. Get your sister home safe for starters. You're young. The world's your oyster, both of you." The other officer, Shaun, I think, adds as he hands Bruce back his papers. "You got plenty of time. No need to be in such a hurry." I nod to show the officer I was listening, but inwardly I wish these guys would just let us drive home now. What was going to be a fun joyride in the countryside had quickly soured.
Bruce takes his papers back as politely as he could. Finally, the officers bid us goodnight and Bruce rolls up his window, his jaw set angrily. He makes sure he's slow pulling off the curb and turning around.
The ride is now silent. Bruce's grip on the steering wheel was almost white-knuckled. His jaw is clenched in irritation.
"You ok?" I ask tentatively.
"Why couldn't they have just given us a ticket and been done with it?" Bruce mutters, sighing and shaking his head. "Or better yet, why not go after real criminals?"
I shrug. "I don't know, Brewster. Wanna stop for ice cream or something?" It was a lame attempt to cheer him up, and even though he was still irritated, he smiles a little. I feel better when I see him unclench his jaw.
"Thanks, but no thanks, Ari. I don't want another person recognizing us right now. Tell you what though; why don't we sneak some ice cream from the freezer when we get home, huh?"
I grin. Maybe tonight wasn't a total bust after all. "Sounds good to me!"
=#=#=#=#=
"Alfred?" I ask the next morning after a bowl of oatmeal.
"Yes, Miss Aria?"
"Can I study for my GED?" I ask. With Alfred, it's usually better to cut right to the chase.
"...Why?" He asks, setting down his tea and looking at me over the news article he was reading on his laptop.
"Because Bruce is going to college next year and I get top grades, anyway." I smirk. "Why bother continuing to take classes I've outgrown?"
Alfred laughs. "Well, you put it that way…I'll think about it. You realize you'll skip most of high school, right?"
"Yeah, but I want to stay with Bruce." I reply, getting serious.
"I see." Alfred has known about Bruce and my promise, and never minded helping me keep my end. "You won't be able to take it for a year or two. You can't just skip all of high school to go straight to college, you know."
"I know, but I want to- -"
"Keep your promise. I know." He sighs. "He probably won't care for the idea too much."
"You're right, but still. I have a feeling I'll be glad I did it in the end."
Alfred picks up his cup. "We'll see, I suppose."
