New update. Thank you for the reviews and the new favs/follows. It means a lot.

Note: The credit for the very strong statement Bruce is making in this update goes to swiftbolt99. He's a great author and has some Bruce/Selina stories you might like to check out. He is such a big help and supports me a lot during this story. I guess, without swiftbolt99 I wouldn't have written eight chapters already because usually I get a writers-block after 1 or 2 chapters. Especially serious stories like this one lol


Chapter 8: The council attacks, again

Soon as Thomas told them where to find his laptop and what they would find on it, Bruce wanted to head out to retrieve it, instantly. Alfred however, stopped him in time and told his young master a good night sleep would be nice for everyone.

The young billionaire tried to object a few times but it was Alfred who finally won the argument.

The next morning the two teens rushed into the kitchen and Alfred updated them that Thomas was still tied to the chair as they had left him. To be sure he wouldn't escape the butler tied the knots extra.

Bruce thanks Alfred, grabs two juices and sandwiches and tells his butler he and Selina would head out to the apartment while he stayed to make sure his so called brother would stay in place.

Alfred sighs and wanted to object but then the cab they ordered honks in front of the house and the two teens rushed out. Alfred sighs again and starts cleaning the kitchen table he had set for them earlier.

Soon after the cab drove them to the apartment, Selina climbed up the fire escape and sneaks into the house. She didn't want to wake George up because he would definitely interrogate them and ask why they needed to be in Thomas bedroom.

Selina sneaks down the living room and opens the door for Bruce. He still wasn't comfortable with climbing up tall buildings, especially not when everything was still wet of the rain.

"Which room do you think belongs to Thomas?" Bruce whispers as he sneaks after Selina. His heart is beating so loud and fast he's scared someone might hear it.

Selina, who walks calmly in front of him, points at the room down the hallway and on their left before whispering back; "My guess it's that room."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Bruce asks anxiously. "I mean, maybe we should have woken up that guy you told me about on the way here. What if he wakes up and calls the police?"

Selina ignores Bruce's questions and heads to the door down the hallway, listens carefully first before entering. After all, she could be wrong and the room belongs to George instead.

Soon the door was open far enough she could peek inside, Selina saw it was indeed Thomas's room. The laptop he mentioned in the interrogation was lying on the desk beside the bed.

The street girl signals to Bruce to stay by the door while she retrieves it. Bruce nods shortly before looking down the hallway, anxiously. He so wishes that Selina's friend wouldn't wake up.

Selina tip-toes to the desk and grabs the laptop, starting it up. Maybe they could find some information now instead later. Bruce, who grew patient by just standing by the door, tip-toes inside as well and stops beside Selina.

"What are you doing?" Bruce whispers and shoots glances at the door. He's so sure he heard something but Selina's body isn't tense so maybe he just imagined it. "I mean, shouldn't we do this at the manor?"

Selina chuckles softly as she glances at her friend from the corners of her eyes. Sneaking into people's houses is definitely not Bruce's thing. She even starts to wonder if it ever will.

"Relax, the sooner we have the information, the better," Selina smiles.

Bruce steals glances at the door again. Now he definitely did hear something, or did he? Selina still seemed relaxed enough. Maybe he should relax a little too. Selina would warn him in time, right? She has cat-senses after all.

"I still think we should do this with Alfred. I mean, I know you said George is your friend but he still took my brother in. What if he works for the council as well? What if he wakes up and catches us snooping?"

Selina smirks; "He will come after you with his axe and chop you in million pieces." Selina's eyes are still fixated on the laptop but she can feel Bruce's body become even more tense. When she glances over she can see his face his completely pale. "Kidding!"

Bruce tries to smile but doesn't succeed. Then they see the laptop asks for a password and Selina grunts aggravated; "Great, now I have to make my nails messy again."

"I'm pretty sure Thomas will spill the password soon you walk in," Bruce says. "You made him pretty scared."

Selina closes the laptop with a satisfied smirk. Bruce is right, that kid was pretty scared. The street girl wants to open her mouth to say something witty but her ears pick up the sound of someone walking down the hallway.

Suddenly the door swings open a little further and George's warily head pokes around. "You two want breakfast or what?" Without waiting for a reply, the older boy pulls his head back and wants to head further when he suddenly makes a double-take and says indignant; "Wait, you're not Thomas!"

Bruce looks at the older boy with fear in his eyes and a pale look on his face. He's not sure what to say. Selina rolls her eyes and pushes the laptop in Bruce's hands before stomping over to the door.

"George, really? You expect me in one room with Thomas after I called him scrawny?" Selina walks past her stepbrother into the hallway.

The older boy glances one more time to Bruce before heading after Selina, scowling sarcastic; "No, I definitely expected you to be in a room with a Thomas Wayne look-alike."

"Don't call him like that!" Selina exclaims a little agitated and heads into the kitchen, poking her head into the fridge. "Since you invited us for breakfast, you don't mind do you?"

"Actual, yes I do mind!" George heads over to Selina and pulls her away from the fridge. "I did grocery shopping like yesterday and once you're done with raiding my fridge I have to do it again. Now, you sit down and while I make breakfast you explain me why you sneak into Thomas's room with a kid that looks like him."

Selina plasters a pouty face on and strolls to the kitchen bench, hoisting herself up and says; "Fine, but only if you add extra bacon on my plate." George chuckles and Selina turns her head to face the hallway; "You can come out, B, it's save! George just told me his axe is blunt and is to the shops for repair!"

"What?" George frowns as he starts preparing breakfast. Then, suddenly getting it; "Ah, you still tell those ridicules stories about me and my so called axe. I thought you forgot all about that."

Selina grins; "How can I? I mean, the look Robbie had on his face when I told him to stop picking on me or else you would hunt after him with your axe, day and night."

"Yes, well, it was not as amusing as you think," George says as he drops some bacon into the frying pan. "It took me hours to convince the police I didn't have an axe."

Bruce comes scurrying into the kitchen, the laptop already hidden securely into his backpack. The young billionaire clears his throat and when he has Selina's attention he jerks his head to the door, indicating he wants to leave.

"You know kid, you're so lucky you're a friend of Selina otherwise I would have called the police for trespassing," George says with a straight face. Selina, sensing he's just messing with Bruce, holds in a fit of laughter. Bruce however, darts his eyes nervously from George to Selina, to the door. "You're going to tell me your name, or what?"

Bruce looks questioned at Selina who had peeled a tangerine and was now eating it as she waited on her breakfast. Selina seemed relaxed so maybe he should too.

The young boy cracks a half-smile and replies, awkwardly; "My name is Bruce Wayne."

"Nice to meet you, Bruce. I'm George Anderson but Selina probably told you everything about me, right?"

Bruce wants to open his mouth but Selina was faster and replies; "Only about the illegal stuff you do." Selina smirks and leaps to the floor and lingers back to the living room, asking over her shoulder; "You don't mind me taking a shower, right?"

The young billionaire's eyes grow in shock. Is she really leaving him alone with her stepbrother? She can't be serious, right? She knows he's still a little suspicious toward him. He might be more dangerous than she thinks. Maybe he works, just like Thomas, for this secret council.

"So, you and Selina, huh?" George turns around to face Bruce, folds his arms and leans casually against the kitchen bench. Then, he eyes Bruce up and down momentarily. "I can tell you're special to her."

Bruce swallows and feels his face become red of the idea. How could George tell? He certainly never knew because Selina always hid it so well.

"You like her?" Bruce's eyes grow in shock at that question but he doesn't need to reply. The answer is readable in his eyes and his blush also says enough.

George flicks his fingers and then points to the floor as cue for Bruce to step a little closer. The young boy darts his eyes nervously but can't stop his feet from stepping closer.

George steps closer as well and you can feel the tension in the air. They look at each other for a moment and the older boy suddenly says with a slight, stern undertone in his voice; "You treat her right or I make your life as miserable as a bucket of fish bait. After I get my axe back, it always needs a test run, you get what I'm saying?"

Bruce gulps noticeably and nods. His face turns pale up to the roots of his dark hair. Then George suddenly cracks a smile and asks, merrily; "You wanna set the breakfast table, Bruce?"

The young billionaire nods obediently and George hands him the utensils and the plates. Bruce takes them and disappears back into the living room finding a smirking Selina, sitting on the table.

"You left me alone with him!" Bruce says with a accusing voice as he walks toward his smirking friend. "Why did you do that?"

Selina looks thoughtfully for a moment; "Hmm, I'm not sure but ehm, didn't you leave me alone with Silver?" Cue, wide grin.

Bruce sighs and sets the plates and utensils onto the table beside Selina and says, slightly annoyed; "You will never drop that, will you?"

"Nope!" Selina replies with a bigger grin. "But honestly, can you blame me? I mean, there is this moment you blew me off by telling you moved back into the manor and-

"Yeah, yeah, I get it! I've been a total jerk."

Selina cocks her head playfully and answers; "Well, jerk is not really the word I was looking for. Idiot maybe. Fool or nitwit, debatable. Bonehead? Definitely a yes!"

Bruce chuckles softly and starts setting the table with Selina's help. A few minutes later they sit around the table, eating their breakfast. It's finally George who breaks the silence.

"So, your last name is Wayne, does this mean you and Thomas are what, twins?"

Bruce looks up and meets Selina's eyes before facing George. The billionaire quickly swallows his food before replying; "Yes, it appears Thomas is my twin brother."

"Appears? So, what, you never met him before?"

Bruce stays quiet for a moment and meets Selina's eyes again. She gives him a reassuring nod and Bruce replies; "Yes, I've never met him before. I'm not even sure if my parents really knew about him because they never mentioned him before."

"Why sneaking in Thomas's bedroom?"

Bruce stays silent again and Selina kicks him underneath the table, nodding he can tell. That George can be trusted. Bruce drops his eyes to his plate and Selina rolls her eyes.

"Thomas is part of a secret council who wants to get rid of Bruce," Selina blurts out while chewing on her bacon. "Thomas gave them green light to send an agent to the manor in order to blow it down. Luckily it didn't go off due to the missile's manufacture reasons."

George's eyes grow wider as Selina continues her story and once she's finished her stepbrother gasps; "I need some fresh air." The young man rises to his feet and walks over to the balcony doors to stand outside.

Selina stands up as well and suggests to Bruce to investigate Thomas's room a little more. Maybe there are more things in there Thomas didn't mention to them.

Bruce nods agreed, glances one more time at George on the balcony and then follows Selina.

As the two teens do their investigation, George's mind wanders back to the time he was sixteen. All the things Selina told him triggered the memories he tried to forget since the day he found out about the 'council's' existence.

When George found out about them he also found out how dangerous they actual are. They are not the people you can mess with without consequences.

George sighs deeply as he hears his visitors come back down the hallway after their failed investigation. They were arguing a little about the cleanness in Thomas's room which was according Selina another thing he and Bruce had in common. Bruce however, defended himself and told Selina his room was not that clean and tidy.

The young man chuckles and shakes his head with a smile. He surely knows what Selina will do when someone contradicts her opinions. Bruce apparently still needs to learn a lot but George is sure Selina will show it to him, the hard way.

"Poor kid."

Bruce and Selina head to the front door and as they are about to head out, George clears his throat and stops them by asking; "You're really about to investigate this council thing further?"

Selina turns around and finds George walking back inside, closing the balcony doors behind him. Then he beckons them to come back to the table and sit down. The teens frown in sync but do what's asked.

"There is something you need to know before you leave." George swallows and the two teens sit down, waiting for the young man to continue. George looks into Selina's eyes and says; "I know you don't want to be reminded of them, but our stepparents were involved in some dodgy businesses."

Selina can't help it and drops her eyes to the floor when a memory of her being locked up most of the day flashes in her mind. Despite she did her best to forget the details of those times, she couldn't.

"There was a reason why I helped you escape the home," George continues after a brief pause. "One night I heard them talking. Our stepmom promised our stepdad she would take you to "them" and that they would know what to do with you. By then I didn't know who "them" were. All I knew was that other kids also disappeared over-night and I didn't want you to be one of them."

Bruce glances beside him at Selina's face. She still has her eyes fixated on the floor, darting them from left to right like an anxious cat.

George rises up to his feet and walks toward the windows, looking outside as he continues telling; "You know exactly what happened then. I bolted your bedroom window, woke you up and took you to a close friend for safekeeping. I couldn't stay with you because I wanted to try do the same thing for them as I did for you."

Selina feels Bruce's eyes on her and she slightly turns away from him, quickly wiping her eyes dry. Bruce never had seen her cry and today is not the day to let him.

"Sometime after, I did some digging into the disappearances of the other children and that's when I discovered who "them" were." George turns around and walks back to the table, sitting down. "One night I snuck into stepmom's car when she 'drove' another kid away. That's when I saw he was handed over to people with owl masks on their faces. They took him off for training and they simply referred to themselves as the council."

George swallows again and another long pause ensues, and it's finally Bruce who breaks it and asks; "Why didn't you go to the police with these findings?"

"Like they would believe me! Also, I had other reasons to avoid drawing attention to myself."

Selina lifts her eyes back up which are surprisingly dry and nods understandably. Bruce opens his mouth to ask another question but George is faster and says; "It's best to drop this and let Thomas go. You're sailing uncharted waters if you continue challenging these people."

"Sorry, but I won't drop it!" Bruce looks sternly at the older boy. "When it comes to dealing with people who won't stop hunting you, the best form of defense is offense."

Selina nods agreed with the same stern look in her eyes; "And I don't like it when people think they can just waltz into Bruce's life and mess with him, or even try to kill him."

"Selina and I aren't the kind of people who run for the wolves that come for us. We run at them together, fight them together, and win together!"

This statement gives George the best sense of who they are and their relationship than any other statement could. Even Selina is awe-stricken with it for a moment.

"Thanks for your warning and for the information you gave us," Bruce continues and rises to his feet, holding his hand out to George. "But I have to continue with this!"

George nods understandably and shakes Bruce's hand, briefly. "Very well, but please be careful, both of you!"

Bruce nods and grabs the backpack from the floor, hoisting it over his back before walking to the front door. Selina glances at George one more time and before heading after her friend, she quickly gives her stepbrother a hug, whispering in his ear; "Thank you." George watches the two teens walk through the door and close it behind them.

The two teens walk quietly through the long hallway. Bruce just discovered more about Selina in the past few minutes than in those two years he knows her. She always hid her past so well and now he realizes why. Though, he still has a lot of questions, he knows he can't ask them. She will do it eventually, right? And if not, he would understand.

Out of habit, Bruce steps aside to let a man who walked in opposite direction pass. Selina does the same and keeps following her friend until she suddenly gets a very bad feeling. The street girl stops and turns to take a double-take on the man who just past them but he's already disappearing around the corner, into the next hallway.

Bruce stops as well and frowns; "What is it, Selina?"

Selina turns back to face her friend, shrugging to feeling off as she replies; "Nothing, I thought I sensed something."

"That's perfectly normal for the circumstances," Bruce says with an understanding look. "I mean, "I'm pretty shaky too." Selina nods and follows her friend further down the hallway and into the elevator. Once outside, Bruce called for a cab to take them back to Wayne Manor.

Meanwhile, in the apartment, George had drifted back into his own thoughts. There are still parts in his past he hadn't told Selina and her friend but that was to keep them safe.

A year after his secret car-ride, his stepparents came to his room and announced to him he was finally ready. He knew what it meant and a few hours before they would take him for a midnight car-ride, George escaped through his bedroom window.

Soon he found out that was the biggest mistake to make. When his stepparents realized he had made a run for it, they searched through his room for evidence that could tell where he went to, but instead they found all the researches he had done on them and the council.

After the council's first attack on him, George realized how dangerous they really are. Also because they always seemed to know where to find him.

That's when he realized he had to move away from Gotham. One last time he visited Selina when she was with the Pikes. Bridgit told him her so called brothers had a fight with her cousin and they kicked him out. Selina didn't feel safe anymore and left with him.

George told her he wanted to leave a message in case she might see Selina. He left a note, saying he left Gotham for a while and that he wished her all the luck in the world.

The young man sighs deep when a knock on his front door pulls him from his thoughts. Slowly he rises to his feet and strolls over to the door to open before even looking through the peep-hole first. Normally he's not that careless so why now?

Soon as the door swings open, George realized his mistake but it was already too late. The person on the other side of the door swings the door into George's face, making him momentarily stunned before his defences kicked in.

The man charges into the room and aims his gun at the young man who ducks away into the next room in time. The man rushes after him but soon as he enters, George knocks him to the head with a nearby lamp.

The gun falls to the floor and when George is ready to pick it up, the man grabs him around his knees and knocks him to the floor as well. A fight follows.

George flips him and the man over to the point he's on top and punches his attacker in the face, repeatedly. The man makes a swing to George's face and hits his target. Then he kicks the young man off.

Without hesitation, George scrambles back onto his feet as the assassin grabs for the gun shooting a few times before realizing he missed his target again.

George runs down the hallway to his room where he keeps his own weapons. The assassin realizes his gun is empty and grabs for a kitchen knife before charging after his target.

The assassin jumps onto George tries to stab him with the knife. George fights back but it doesn't avoid him from getting stabbed a few times. A sharp pain went through George's arm when the assassin pushed the knife into it.

George screamed momentarily before adding enough momentum in his swing and punched the assassin in the face. He could hear the nose crack and the man tumbled to the floor. George took that as an opportunity to flee to his window and opened it.

As George climbs through the open window, the assassin grabs for his knife and throws it upon the boy, piercing it straight into his leg. George howls in pain, trips and feels himself slide down the roof.

In the meantime, Bruce and Selina arrived back at the manor. Luckily Lucius was there and he had cracked Thomas's password in no time. It was only a matter of time they would finally find everything there is to know about the secret council.

Sadly enough, soon as Mr. Fox broke through password security, a virus was triggered and it wiped the hard drive, completely clean. Bruce grunts aggravated and throws the item across the room.

Then, before anyone could say something or stop the young billionaire, he stomps outside the cave while shouting angry; "I'm going to pay Thomas another visit!"

Selina signals to Alfred to stay put before rushing after her friend. Once she's outside, Bruce is already halfway down the garden path and she quickly sprints after him, shouting; "Bruce, stop! Let me deal with him!"

"No, Selina! He's my brother, I'll deal with him!"

Suddenly, a roaring sound comes from inside the garage and Bruce and Selina look at each other, frowning. Then, suddenly getting it, they rush to the garage only to find something big breaking right through the door.

Selina grabs Bruce around his waist and jumps out of the way when Thomas, in one of Bruce's cars, steers right toward them. Then the car makes a spin and continues racing toward the gates.

"Alfred, lock the front gate!" Bruce bellows as loud as he can up to the house and sprints as fast as his feet can carry him after the car. Selina pursued.

The butler, knowing what the roaring and crashing sound meant, quickly heads to the control panel to close and lock the gates but Thomas saw the gates closing and took a little extra speed, disappearing through it and into the distance and there is nothing Bruce and Selina could do about it. They just lost their only lead to this secret council.


So, what did you think so far? Please let me know by review because I like to read what you think of it LOL