Reunion
Chapter 17: Present Or Past
Disclaimer: I don't own Batman or DC
Bruce's head turned frantically, taking in every part of his new surroundings. Panic clutched at his chest, sending him into hysteria.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" He yelled at a slightly older man, who seemed to be every bit as confused and shocked as himself.
"Bruce, calm down." The man held out his palms towards Bruce, as if to reassure him. Or to make him keep his distance.
Bruce stood quickly, remembering his training. Don't let this guy get the upper hand. Yet his legs shook violently, and he soon collapsed back down onto the floor.
Jason eased himself down to Bruce's level, showing the terrified kid he wasn't a threat. That only seemed to make Bruce more suspicious of him.
"Where am I." Bruce glared and spoke through gritted teeth. Jason shivered, feeling the effects of that deadly look.
"You're in my apartment. And to answer your earlier question, I'm Jason." His voice wavered. What the hell was going on?! Had Bruce got amnesia when he fell?
Bruce's eyebrows furrowed and his brain tried to make sense of the situation. When he spoke, he didn't seem as panicked. In fact Jason was a little taken back as Bruce's voice actually had emotion in it. Perhaps the monotone came in his later years.
"But... you didn't buy me? A woman did."
Jason laughed nervously at the comment. It made no sense to him at all.
"Maybe I drank too much at the auction... we didn't have sex did we?" Jason blanched. What. The. Hell.
"Oh god. The last thing I remember... I punched Gordon... But that means..." Bruce became just as alert as before as he realized this was not an easy situation to get out of.
"You kidnapped me." Bruce scrambled backwards away from Jason, still too weak to stand.
"You fucking drugged me and kidnapped me."
"What?! No! I'm just as confused as YOU!" The honesty in 'Jason's' voice was as clear as crystal. That didn't mean he was to be trusted though.
"Who are you really?" Bruce accused, more than ready to get some answers.
Jason sighed and looked up to the ceiling. Well if he needed to get this Bruce's trust, the only key was to tell the truth. The Bat was a living lie detector. Bruce's daggers could pierce the soul.
"Fine. I'm Jason Todd. My parents disowned me at a young age and I resulted to stealing to get cash for food. I kill people who deserve to die and keep Gotham's streets clean."
Bruce looked quite uncomfortable to be sitting next to a murderer. He shifted slightly, but was intrigued at the man before him. It was quite surprising this guy was telling his life story to a complete stranger.
"I have no money. Any cash I do get goes straight into prostitution. I've also been to hell and back. Quite literally. Oh and one more thing."
Bruce raised an eyebrow, willing him to continue.
"You're my adopted father."
"Ah, good evening Master Dick."
Dick barely reacted to his butler's greeting, too immersed in the memory of the past hour to care about the present. Dick slowly closed the Manor door behind him and removed his jacket. Shadows gathered below his eyes and acid stung in the corners, threatening to show the world Dick's emotions.
"Are you alright, sir?"
This time Dick raised his head slightly to nod in response, but even that simple gesture weighed down his whole mind.
"She's gone, Alfred." Dick croacked, his voice hoarse. "She left me."
Alfred nodded in understanding, knowing all too well what it left like to lose such a huge part of your life. It wasn't a surprise really, considering the couple's differing opinions now a days. Alfred gave his sincerest condolences and offered his young Master a spot of supper.
Dick merely shook his head and started making his way to the Bat Cave.
"Sir perhaps I could suggest that at this crucial time, instead of being alone to brood, you should be near those who care for you? Tim is in the living room and I'm sure he would enjoy your company"
Dick managed a small smile, "I wonder how many times you said that to Bruce."
"More than you would think."
Tim shuffled nervously in his seat, eyes locked on the screen of his phone. How long did it take to text someone your number?! Danny was one of the coolest guys he had ever met, and he certainly didn't want this opportunity of a new friendship to pass him by.
Tim looked up quickly when he heard the familiar creek of the living room door, alerting him to company.
"Dick! We have a new guy at school, and he's awesome! His brother has this killer Porsche, he's just broken the school exam record, and he even takes the same subject as me! I was just... Dick?"
The older boy gave a small sigh and sat down in the leather couch opposite his brother.
"Is that Danny? I met him in the Mall before... it doesn't matter."
"What? Before what?!" Tim walked over to the other couch and plopped himself beside Dick. There was a glint of concern in his youthful eyes.
Dick silently pulled the Boy Wonder into an embrace, clinging at Tim's small frame and burying his head into his shoulder. Tim returned the hug, knowing when Dick just needed some comfort. Whatever the problem was had to be about his social life since they weren't rushing to the Cave at this precise moment. And honestly, there was only one thing in Dick's social life...
"Have you guys broken up?" Tim whispered, feeling just as sad that Barbra Gordon would no longer be a part of their little family. Especially since all they had been through.
Dick nodded into Tim's shoulder. After a few minutes of stillness, Dick finally released his grip on his younger brother. His red eyes suggested to Tim that he'd been fighting back tears. Tim pretended not to notice.
"So," Dick sniffed "you were telling me about Danny."
Jason allowed the revelation to sink into the mind of his former mentor. If the situation hadn't been quite so serious, Jason would have found the look on Bruce's face priceless.
"Right... um, well I think you need help... Jason was it?" Bruce started rising from the floor and backing away from a desperate Red Hood. He inched ever so slowly towards the door.
"Look, you can keep my...clothes..." it just dawned on him that he was dressed in a different outfit, still formal, but definitely not what he was originally wearing.
"If you let me go, I won't tell the cops. No one will know. But if you hold me hostage, I'm going to have to start defending myself. Trust me, you won't like that."
"Bruce, listen to me, I'm telling the truth! You adopted me, you trained me! You're Batman and I was Robin! You were killed and resurrected in a Cave in Brazil, and you turned back to 17 years old! You just had a...a fit and when you woke up, you had amnesia or something. Please," Jason closed the gap between them and took Bruce's shoulders in his strong grip, "you've got to believe me!"
Bruce punched Jason square in the nose yet again, in the same place. The sickening crunch confirmed it had broken badly.
Bruce ran. He ran as fast as he could, out of the apartment and down the flights of stairs of the building. Heavy footsteps followed behind him as Jason tailed right behind him, calling Bruce to stop and wait.
"YOU NEED TO STOP, BRUCE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"
The cold air of the afternoon bit Bruce's face as he ran down unfamiliar streets with buildings and developments he had never known to exist in Gotham. Jason was still behind him, not giving up the chase.
Bruce thankfully was more agile and easily gained a large distance from the kidnapper when he started to sprint.
Wait, did that sign say Gotham West? He was merely a mile away from the Manor! His scenery suddenly started to become familiar, relief flooding his mind. Over the top of the hill and... there! He could see it! His home!
"STOP BRUCE! DON'T GO IN THERE!"
Jason had stopped running, and was shouting from a spot in the distance. Why wouldn't he go near the Manor?
Bruce on the other hand continued to run until his persuer became a speck one the horizon. At the gates of Wayne Manor, he regained his breath and composure. He had run miles just to get away from that freak. What the hell had he been talking about?! Bats, resserection, adopted fathers?! Bruce was not even 18 yet, how could he adopt a man older than himself?
The atmosphere radiating from the Manor seemed... different...
Where was the jovial hum of the party? Most lights of the Manor were off and he didn't recognise the cars parked in the driveway. Perhaps he had been kidnapped for a while and only just regained consciousness...
Bruce walked up the stone stairs to the front porch and definitely felt something was amiss. Perhaps Alfred would fill him in. Bruce wrapped on the Manor's front knocker, something he would not usually do, but given the oddness of the situation, he wanted to be inside his home as soon as possible.
~Past~
"I... I need to go..." Bruce suddenly felt very claustrophobic surrounded by so many people. He could feel them judging him, making assumptions about his behaviour. Whispers started to fill the crowd;
"Punching a defenceless man..."
"...how he got that scar?..."
"...with the wrong sort..."
"...parents think?..."
Bruce's hands flew up to his ears in a desperate attempt to quiet down the voices bombarding his senses.
He ran for the main entrance of the Manor, the crowd parting as if he were a Messiah. Or perhaps a criminal...
Bruce ran away from them all, into his garden. He took a desolate path he used to follow so often when he was a child, the time when exploring had been the most important part of his young life. Down the dirt trail, he went into the denser and unkept parts of the Mansion's surrounding woodland until he found his favourite spot. Away from the Manor, it overlooked a small trickling river. In the moonlight the water seemed to wink at Bruce, calming his body and mind.
That whole experience had been bad enough the first time, let alone the second. He knew what happened next. It was like re reading a story. And right on cue-
"Hey stranger." Bruce turned around to meet the eyes of Selina, his purchaser.
"Oh...Hi."
Selina slinked over to him and decided to sit down beside him. Bruce thought she was brave in that very expensive dress.
"That dress must have cost you a pretty penny. I wouldn't sit in the dirt with it on if I were you. "
Selina smiled "And leave you all on your lonesome? Seeing as I just paid quite a hefty sum of money to be with you, I don't think a little mud will scare me away."
Bruce snorted and looked out to the river. Selina's eyebrows furrowed.
"Did I amuse you?"
"I know you don't own that money. And I know you stole that dress." Bruce sounded bored, which shocked Selina. Why was he not viciously accusing her of basically taking charity money?
"I'm not stupid, Selina." She hadn't given him her name... "I know you just want to get your hands on whatever jewels I own, not to comfort me."
Selina pouted, mentally cursing herself that she hadn't been more subtle.
"Only the family jewels." she mumbled.
"Or have you come out here to accuse me of harming a defenceless man too." Stick to the script Bruce, he thought. You don't know if this will affect your future.
"Not my style, rich boy. That officer had it coming, talking about you and your parents like that. If I'd been it that situation, I wouldn't have shown any mercy."
"Good to know." Bruce sighed and turned to face Selina head on. Something inside him just couldnt help to continue..."I don't have my wallet on me if that's why you're out here."
Selina's eyes narrowed dangerously, remarkably feline like. This was starting to get a little personal.
"Nice watch though." She held up his rollex, leaving Bruce gaping at her pickpocket skills. He looked down at his wrist. Sure enough, there was a band of pale skin clashing with his tan. He hadn't even felt it.
"Youre good." Bruce smirked.
"No, I'm bad. Isn't that the point?" She sounded bitter.
"Stop making assumptions about me. I came out here because all those stuck up ponces act like they've never seen a fight. They've literally got no understanding of the real world. It's just infuriating. Plus I would rather have company with a guy who knows how to throw a good punch rather than run off crying."
Bruce laughed lightly.
"How did you figure out I was a petty thief and not a rich toff? I haven't even met you before."
"Intuition."
Selina smirked, "where was your intuition back in the Mansion? You were besotted by me, I'm pretty sure you didn't know what I was when we kissed. Bruce Wayne would never covort with thieves."
"Stop making assumptions about me." Bruce couldn't help but grin at the childish face Selina pulled.
"Using my own words against me is not original Mr Wayne.", she smirked. Selina threw Bruce's watch back into his lap.
"Keep it. You'll get at least fifty grand from it." Selina gaped at him and scrutinized his face. No one had ever been this kind to her...
In the past, this scene hadn't played out quite the same. Bruce had needed comfort and Selina had been there for him. They'd ended up going into Gotham for food and visited various bars. Being the Prince of Gotham, no one even questioned why an underage Bruce Wayne wanted alcohol. They practically handed it to him on a silver platter. The night had been perfect in Bruce's opinion, and Selina was his ideal companion.
Bruce had once loved this girl in front of him. She'd been his world after this night. They had dated for a few years. He'd figured out that she was a crook but felt in himself that he was rehabilitating her. However, when Bruce had once noticed a hefty sum of money missing from his bank account, she simply vanished before he could even question her. Bruce had been certain they would never meet again, and it pained him. That is, until Catwoman showed up.
"Listen... it's getting late. I better get back into the Manor and clean up the mess I've made."
And try to figure out why the hell I'm in the past.
"Right. Well it was nice to meet you Mr Wayne." He helped her up off the grass and they awkwardly stood opposite each other for a few moments. Suddenly, Selina pecked him on the cheek and as soon as it had happened, she was gone. No doubt to avoid being caught by the cops if they figured out who she was. Or perhaps to avoid Bruce catching the incredible blush on her face.
Bruce was left in a daze. He reached up to feel the faint tingling sensation lingering on his cheek. Shaking himself into awareness, he made his way back up the dirt trail to the Manor.
Why can't my life be simple, Bruce thought as he wrapped on the door knocker, waiting for Alfred to gain him access into his own home.
That's when a familiar wave of nausea hit him once again.
Superman hesitated before pressing play on his television remote. He had burnt the collected video footage onto a DVD, and said disk was currently inside his TV. Did he really want to see the truth? A shiver ran down his spine from nervousness mingled with excitement.
The simple press of a button transformed a black screen into one full of vibrance. Bruce's jet could be clearly seen beside the ancient entrance of the Cave of Eros. The League started to make their way into the cave, the Flash tailing behind. For a Speedster, he could be remarkably slow when he wanted to.
Clark fast forwarded the video, predicting it would be hours before Bruce left the Cave. The same picture stayed on the screen as it progressed, with the exception of trees's leaves blowing in the wind, as well as birds passing by in a flash of black.
Unexpectedly, a humanoid blur momentarily travelled across the screen. Superman hastily stopped the video, his blood running cold. Someone else entered, he thought.
Rewinding, the blur appeared again. When played, it was very obvious as to who had joined them. Jason Todd cautiously crept across the screen, surveying his surroundings as he did so. The black hair with a tuft of white couldn't belong to anyone else. The thin black material surrounding his eyes did little to hide his identity.
Clark's curiosity peaked and he resumed fast forwarding, still waiting for the pieces of puzzle to fall together. A few minutes passed as Superman sat on the edge of his seat, anxious about Jason's appearance.
Without warning, the ground erupted in the video, sending dirt flying in a mile radius. Superman hit play quickly, astounded at the display before him. He was lucky mud hadn't covered the camera's lense.
Stood at the centre of the eruption were two dark figures. Dust surrounded them, making their bodies merely silhouettes. They were doubled over, shivering and retching. The dust began to settle, revealing two young men helping each other up from the floor where a puddle of vomit could be seen.
Clark froze. His body stopped. His heart stopped. His mind stopped. He could do nothing as he saw Jason leading a man into the jet. Clark rewound the video again. And again. And again.
Not believing his eyes, he watched the same footage repeatedly. There had to be a mistake. The camera angle must have distorted the view. It couldn't be true.
On the screen, a young man had a Batman costume swamping his lithe frame. It was clearly too large for him. His cowl was missing, showing a youthful face with piercing blue eyes and a scar running down the side of his face. The placement of the cheek bones... the glaring eyes... the thin lips. Clark was convinced that was what a young Bruce Wayne had looked like.
Before they entered the jet, Jason's lips moved as if muttering something to the Bruce look alike. Superman squinted, desperately trying to read what the Red Hood was saying to his younger companion. He zoomed in onto Jason's face, large pixels distorting the image.
Clark enhanced the picture with his remote, allowing the words from Jason's mouth to be now recognizable.
"Come on, Bruce."
Clark's fears were confirmed. That young man was Batman. Although relieved that his best friend had indeed survived, he certainly didn't celebrate.
A new bout of rage blossomed inside him, swallowing his being with serious hatred. It had been her. She had done this. Cracking his knuckles, Superman slowly walked out of the room. He needed more answers from that bitch, Le Fey.
A/N: surprise! An update earlier than I promised!
I'd missed writing this little tale and all the lovely people who review and generally make my day brilliant!
Lots of mysterious things going on at the moment, but honestly I just want to hug Dick. He's my favourite DC character ever, he's just amazing.
Any who, I hope you enjoyed! Please please review! Any tips or advice would be brill.
Love you all!
~Pikaachew~
( Ps I got into medical school!)