"Sir," Alfred Pennyworth inquired nervously. "Are you sure you should do this? What possible good could come of it?"
Bruce Wayne's eyes remained firmly fixed of the massive screen of the Batcomputer as he answered.
"Closure, Alfred, closure. This computer program is the most advanced ever created. Once I link up to the UN's deep space satellite network, I'll be able to collect information on every single earth from across the multiverse. I want to know, I need to know that somewhere in the endless expanse of creation, there's a Bruce Wayne who lived a life of peace and happiness, a life untouched by death, sorrow, and tragedy. A Bruce Wayne who lived the life I was denied."
Alfred signed. "I understand. I'll leave you to it. Call if you need anything."
As Alfred's footsteps disappeared up the stairway to the mansion. Bruce wiped his sweaty hands on a nearby rag. He took a deep breath.
"Okay, here we go. Computer, initiate program."
"Program initiated, data gathering… … data gathered. Program commencing…"
A window containing the desired information on one of the countless parallel earths in the DC multiverse appeared on the screen.
Earth 30:
Location: Atlantic Ocean
Year: 1912
Parents: Thomas & Martha Wayne- Status: Drowned On The Titanic
Son: Bruce Wayne- Age: 15- Status: See Above
"Christ," Bruce muttered. "That didn't turn out so well. Still, the multiverse is infinite. Somewhere out there is the person I'm searching for, a Bruce Wayne that lived the life he deserved, free of tragedy and heartbreak. All I have to do is find him. Computer, continue."
"Continuing Program…."
Earth 170:
Location: New York City, New York
Year: 1993
Parents: Ted & Martha Wayne- Status: Wealthy & Respected Industrialists
Son: Bruce Wayne- Age: 10- Status: Trampled in a Clown Riot at the Circus
Earth 13:
Location: New York City, New York
Year: 2015
Parents: Tim & Mildred Wayne- Status: Professional Stoners
Son: Bruce- Age: 22- Status: Founder of B-List Punk Band, "Bats In The Hood"
"PUNK"! Bruce snarled. "Punk is nothing but death… and crime… and the rage of a beast!"
Earth 129:
Location: New Jersey
Year: 2008
Parents: Tom & Margaret Wayne- Status: Contemporary Artists
Son: Bruce Wayne- Age: 30- Status: Community Organizer In Hoboken N.J
Earth 69:
Location: San Francisco, California
Year: 2019
Parents: Tod & Molly Wayne- Status: Professional Bar Flies
Son: Benji Wayne- Age- 25- Status: Bat Themed Porn Star, "The Dark Hunk"
Earth 96:
Location: Okinawa
Year: 2012
Parents: Tanimoto & Mariko Waynabi- Status: Owners Of Shity Wok Restaurant
Son: Benimaru Waynabi- Age: 34- Status: Sumo Wrestler, moonlights as the Okinawan superhero, "FatBat"
Earth 134:
Location: Hollywood
Year: 2019
Parents: Thomas & Martha Cage- Status- Alive
Son: Nicholas Cage- Age: 56- Status: Nicholas Cage
A cold chill of sheer horror ran down Bruce's spine.
"Is it just me, or do these entries seem to be getting progressively worse?" He muttered to himself.
Earth 60:
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Year: 2014
Parents: Toliver & Millicent Wayne- Status: Professional Welfare Recipients
Son: Bruce Wayne- Age: 36- Status: Substitute Math Teacher
Earth 5:
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Year: 2020
Parents: Thomas & Marty Wayne- Status: Gay
Son: Bruce Wayne- Age: 40- Status: Star of the highly controversial children's television show, "Mr. Homo's Neighborhood"
"I wouldn't want to hear the theme song for that show." Bruce muttered.
Earth 12:
Location: Eskimo Settlement of Ice Ass, Alaska
Year: 1922
Parents: Kunuk & Chiki- Status: Senicide
Son: Bunuk- Age: 30- Status: Professional Eskimo
Earth 98:
Location: Nile River
Year: 1995
Parents: Thomas & Martha Rockefeller- Status: Eaten by Crocodiles while on safari
Son: Bruce Rockefeller- Age: 12- Status- See Above
Earth 41:
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Year: 2019
Parents: Thomas & Martha Chang- Status: Professional Tiger Parents
Son: Bruce Chang- Age: 12- Status: Committed suicide after receiving a C- on his middle school Math test.
Earth 105:
Location: East Africa
Year: 1995
Parents: Tomamba & Magumbo Walikiliki- Status: Eaten by African Army Ants
Son: Burumba Walikiliki- Age: 30- Status: Swore vengeance on all insects, became professional exterminator known as, "Antman"
Earth: 26
Location: Los Angeles, California
Subjects: Timothy & Maggie Wayne- Status: Professional YouTube Gamers, No time for children.
Earth 18:
Location: Moscow, Russia
Year: 1950
Parents: Tevia & Masha Waynovich- Status: Professional Communists
Son: Boris Waynovich- Age: 32- Status: Shot for not clapping hard enough at Joseph Stalin's anniversary speech
Earth 55:
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Year: 2010
Parents: Tommy "The Weasel" Wayne & Milly "Iron Broad" Wayne- Status: Meth Dealers
Son: Benny "Snotnose" Wayne- Age: 9- Status: Being groomed to take over the family business
Earth 130:
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Year: 2013
Parents: Garth & Glitter Wayne- Status: Buffet Managers At Caesars Palace
Daughter: Bell Wayne- Age: 23- Status: Stripper
Earth 86:
Location: Western Europe
Year: 10,000 B.C.
Parents: Turka & Murka- Status: Members of The Ass Picker tribe
Son: Borg- Age: 13- Status: Adolescent Ass Picker
Earth 43:
Location: Palestine
Year: 1980
Parents: Thomas & Martha Wayneberg
Son: Ben-Zion Wayneberg- Age: 27- Status: Rabbi
Earth 114:
Location: San Diego, California
Year: 2018
Parents: Timbo & Maris Wayne- Status: Professional Geeks
Son: Bruce Wayne- Age: 4- Status: Winner Of The San Diego Comic Con's annual Baby Groot Cosplay contest for three years running
Earth 22:
Location: Iran
Year: 2019
Parents: Muhammad Abdulawayne & Masooma Abdulawayne- Status: Islamic Terrorists
Son: Osama Bruce Abdulawayne- Age: 13- Status: Enrolled in the Iranian Junior Suicide Bomber Youth Program
Earth 75:
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Year: 2018
Parents: Thomas & Mary Smith- Status: Sociology Teachers
Son: Bruce Smith- Age: 45- Status: Chartered Accountant
For what seemed like an eternity, Bruce Wayne stared at those two final words. Chartered Accountant. He stared at them until the words burned themselves into his brain. Finally, he hit the intercom button.
"Alfred, I need a drink, the strongest stuff we have. And… bring the bottle."
I have decided to label this work as ongoing is case I decide to add another chapter down the line. If you enjoyed this story and want it to continue, I would welcome any ideas for other earths. Feel free to shoot me a message with any suggestions you might have. Thank you, and see you next time!