Chapter one

Blue eyes opened to a sun filled room. The curtains were open. Being the reason as to why the sunlight was filtering through the closed window. Toys and games were scattered throughout the floor. Posters of heroes were hung up on the wall. Such as Batman and that Terrific Trio that went away after awhile. (Batman was way cooler anyways.)

He could hear birds chirping through the window and cars go by.

It felt too peaceful for the first day of summer break.

It had been weeks since Matt found out.

He had been thinking.

He had been extra determined at his judo practice (as his mother made him join after that Stalker guy incident).

He had been researching. Learning.

He needed to talk to his brother. Asap.

With a determined nod, Matt got out of his bed. Quickly, he went to grab some rather generic clothes and walked out of his room, off to the usual morning routine.

All of this was done in record time. So Matt went to the kitchen to eat breakfast. Only to see Terry was there. With a pile of toast on his plate. And another one across from him.

The teen was staring at him. Expecting something.

Matt was clearly shocked. He hadn't seen his brother in these past weeks. He was sure that he would be the one to start the confrontation.

Why the change?

"Hurry and eat breakfast, Matt. Mr. Wayne wants to officially meet you." Was all his older brother said as Matt walked closer to the table. The other plate that held toast was pushed closer to him.

"What about-?"

"Mom thinks this is a good idea," Terry interrupted, "we get to spend some time together, I still get to work, and Mr. Wayne gets to meet you."

The nine year old blinked. He then nodded and began to nibble on the toast, not really all that hungry.

Silent minutes passed.

"Where is she?" Matt finally asked.

"Work."

He ended up just shoving the rest of the toast into his mouth. Matt wanted to go see his brother's boss.

If Bruce Wayne was the first Batman, maybe Matt will convince him to let him become Robin.

Maybe.

One can hope after all.

Terry tossed Matt a helmet as they got closer to Terry's bike while his backpack was snug against his back.

"Just hang on tight okay?" Terry told his younger brother as they got on.

"Okay."

And as Matt watched the city go by, he saw how truly peaceful it was.

He felt like Gotham was lying. That it was the calm before the storm. (Unfortunately that's basically Gotham on a daily basis.) He didn't like it.

Stupid gut feelings.

The first thing Matt heard when they got to the manor was barking. The first thing he saw was a dark manor up upon a hill with decaying trees.

Wayne Manor looked old to say the least. It had history, and it stood up for so long.

Within it, it felt dark, sad, and perhaps bitter. It felt that it once held happiness, laughter, love. That it held grand balls, and children ran around in joy, playing.

Now most of everything was covered in sheets. Hiding. Shielding the world from its once wonderful past. A past that it wants back but couldn't have. After all, Bruce Wayne is the last Wayne. Matt had heard that he took in two boys, but he also heard that they never visit.

They left him. Or maybe he pushed them away. Matt didn't know. He wasn't sure if he ever will.

Bruce Wayne and the Wayne Manor are all alone now and share the same aura that made Matt feel like he should be crying for them. Yet the deminer on Bruce Wayne made Matt feel small, and the need to hide away. To protect himself from a danger that wouldn't show itself quite yet.

Bruce Wayne could be very scary to say the least.

"So you know." Bruce Wayne simply stated.

"Know what?" Matt played dumb. However he also wasn't completely sure if they were talking about the same thing. There would always be that seed of doubt. He was nervous.

His older brother and his brother's boss exchanged a look.

He wasn't sure if he liked it.

The old man grunted. "Terry tells me you want to be Robin."

The nine year old could only nod.

"Why?"

The child felt surprised by this question when he shouldn't be. He began to fiddle with the hem of his shirt.

As he gathered his thoughts, he watched dust particles float through the sunlight that streamed through the windows. The large curtains were pulled away, allowing this. He felt the warmth of the sunshine that it bathed all it touched in.

Terry and Bruce however… they were standing in the shadowed part of the room. They were in the darkness. The cold. Watching. Waiting.

Matt was sure that there was probably some sort of metaphor in this, and he felt that his answer would change everything.

"Well…" he started, "before, I wanted to be Robin because he's Batman's partner right? Fight bad guys, being a hero and save the day right? But now…" he trailed off. He looked at the old man and the teen.

The man looked like he once held so much power, but time took that away from him. Oh he still had power, yes, but not as much as he once did. He held himself that only a person who had fought many times would. Frown lines were chiseled into his face and what could only be a scar that ran down from his left eye. It was almost like a tear streak, but it wasn't. No, this man probably hadn't cried in years.

And Terry… oh Terry was standing in a very similar way. He has power, but not enough. Not like the man did. One day he might, but right now, it's not enough. He had fought too, and he would continue to fight until he would be in a similar state as the man.

Of course Matt wasn't old enough to process all this information correctly and instead got a vague sense of 'an old man who has lost power, and a young man who will gain power. And one day they will become the same person.'

Both of their faces were blank.

Would Matt look like them one day?

"Now I want to help Terry. I wanna watch his back. Make sure he doesn't get really hurt really bad. I want…" he then looked at Mr. Wayne straight in the eyes, "I want to protect my brother in any way I can so he doesn't end up dying. I don't want him to get killed."

Terry went tense. He probably didn't expect Matt's answer.

Bruce Wayne's eyes and Matt McGinnis's eyes were locked. The old man's icy blue eyes showed nothing but glaciers hiding his emotions from all, and only gazing into Matt's soul. Matt's own blue eyes, however, showed off the fire of determination for all to see. He needed the man to see how serious he was about this.

He needed to keep his big brother safe, and if fighting alongside him would do the trick, Matt will do it.

"I'll think about it." Was what Bruce said.

Immediately did Matt's hope rise, and immediately did Terry's head snapped to the man.

"Mr. Wayne! You can't be serious!" Terry tried to argue.

"I said I'll think about it. Doesn't mean a no, but it doesn't mean a yes either." He turned his head from Matt's direction to Terry's. "I want you two to talk about it."

"What?" Both Matt and Terry asked at the same time. They weren't expecting that answer.

"You two," he pointed to each brother, "talk to one another about this. Now if you'll need me, I'm going to be with Ace."

He gave them both a meaningful look, and left.

Two brothers watch him leave, only to stare at each other afterwards. Terry sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and walked up to Matt.

"Come on, we're going out."

Well that happened.

They ended up in the old part of town. The part that hardly anyone goes to anymore. There were buildings made from bricks, and some from metals that probably weren't really used now a days.

"Where are we?" Matt asked.

"The historical district." Terry said. He then led the younger boy to an old movie theater. It was practically rotting. Letters from movies past clung desperately up, not wanting to leave. It was as if they were trying keep any resemblance of what they used to be. Old movie posters were ripped and faded. They were no longer showing as it had been years, yet they were never taken down.

It was as if the building wanted to be loved again.

Terry then took Matt's hand, and led him down an alleyway.

"Bruce was just a kid when it happened." Terry began to explain, pulling his backpack up onto his back. "His parents had taken him to a movie and when they were getting to their car…"

"They died." Matt finished. "I looked him up."

Terry nodded. "It was hard on him. Couldn't really let it go… so he decided to do something. I think he did it so it wouldn't happen to anyone else."

Matt looked up to his brother. "Didn't Batman disappear for like, twenty years or something?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?" His eyes bore into the side of Terry's face. His brother didn't look at him.

"He got old."

"And now? Batman's back. Why did Batman come back?"

The seventeen year old closed his eyes. "There was a murder. A corrupt businessman. And the old Batman wouldn't do anything."

Fear gripped Matt's heart.

"...dad?" He whispered, tightening his hold on his brother's hand.

"The Jokerz gang was framed." Terry opened his eyes and looked down at Matt. "Listen, Matt. I-" whatever Terry was about to say, he didn't get actually say it for everything suddenly went white, then black.

Gasping for air was the first thing Matt was aware of. The second thing he was aware of was that he was held tightly in Terry's arms.

"Matt! Matt are you okay?" He heard Terry question him.

He didn't trust his voice, so he only nodded his head.

He felt as if his body were made of jelly.

Matt opened his eyes to see that they were still in the alleyway. Only it was… more dirty? There were more garbage than a moment ago, and thus more stinky.

Police sirens were heard in the distance, getting closer.

"Wha- what happened?" He asked.

"I dunno. But I think it's best we leave." Terry told him, keeping him in his arms.

The teen held him as he quietly ran out of the alley, and into the streets. What they saw made him stop.

Gotham's historical district looked relatively new than it normally was. More busy.

Oh and there wasn't any tall buildings or hover cars in sight.