Bruce: Chapter 18

"Is she gone?" Bruce asked when his loyal servant returned from the door.

"Yes Master Bruce, I sent Lady Kyle away. She looked rather distressed over the matter," he replied with an obvious layer of disagreement in his voice.

"Alfred, I need her as Batman, not Bruce Wayne. I got what information out of her that I needed to as Bruce Wayne. Now, Batman needs her for her criminal connections." Alfred would never understand why Bruce was doing this, but nothing could be done of it.

"And what of Bruce Wayne's legacy, ser? Are we to throw that to the wind? What should happen should you die one night out there on the streets? No heir to your estate, no way to tell the city folk their lord had perished, lest they find your bloodied and armored corpse on the streets and discover your secret themselves! You are but three-and-twenty Master Bruce, you need not swear yourself to a life of solitude just yet," Alfred replied half pleading and half arguing.

"Alfred, I can't. I know it hurts you to say this, but I cannot do that." I cannot go out there, knowing someone is waiting for me in my bed back here.

Alfred regained his posture and composure, "Very well, ser. Ser Gordon is to arrive within the hour or so his messenger this morning said. You know what his intent is I trust?"

"He's spoken with the Batman but has yet to speak with Lord Wayne. He hopes to see whether he can make any connection between the two. You found the right girl I trust?"

"Yes ser, beautiful, expensive, and most importantly, does not speak a word of the Common Tongue," Alfred replied dutifully. He began neatening the array of plates and dishes with half eaten food rotting away on them. Bruce rarely ate, but he had made Dick eat at least two meals a day. The boy was still growing and with the strain Bruce was making his body go through every day Dick needed all of the energy he could get. Even now Dick was hard at work, practicing with his throwing knives. Bruce glanced over to see two in the center ring of the target's alternating rings with three scattered throughout the others. One more than the week past, good.

He called out to the boy, "Dick! I have some matters to attend to upstairs! Stay here and continue practicing, Lucius is in charge."

The young boy turned from his target and wiped the sweat from his brow with his wrist. He nodded in understanding and returned to his work. Bruce followed Alfred up the carved, stone stairs of the cave leading up to the castle. They climbed the ladder to Thomas Wayne's study and pulled the book lever to let the large wooden bookshelf cover their tracks. Bruce grabbed his cane and limped out into the hallway and up the marble steps to the second floor. He went to his chambers and changed into his satin bed robe that he had yet to wear since returning to Gotham.

When he exited the room Alfred was there with a full wine bottle and a beautiful woman at his side. She had the darker skin of the lands from across the narrow, but had golden hair. She was wearing a light pink silk bed robe that was loosely closed by a matching silken belt around her waist. She had light blue eyes and thin reddened lips. Much like Talia's, Bruce thought to himself. He still saw her in his dreams on a rare occasion, the few times he even did dream.

The woman began speaking in Myrish,"So you are the wealthy man who pays for my company?"

Bruce smiled and replied in the same language, "Yes, if you do nothing but giggle and laugh anytime I look at you with a smile than you shall leave here much wealthier than whence you came."

The lady smiled a seductive smile and nodded. Bruce took the opened wine bottle from Alfred and guzzled half of its contents in a few gulps. His guests would think it to be wine, when in actuality it was but juice squeezed from raspberries in their garden. "Alright Alfred, we will be waiting in the common room on the first floor. Meet us there when our guests arrive."

Bruce offered his arm to the lady who graciously took it up in hers as he proceeded to limp down the stairs. He walked through the stone corridor until he reached the oak doors to the lavishly decorated common room. The chairs were all made up of the finest satin this side of the narrow sea, the tables were finely detailed oak and cherry wood, and large glass windows stood facing out towards the sea. Alfred's sole duty for the day had been dusting and cleaning the place as if it were commonly used. Bruce had ordered Dick to help him much to the boy's disagreement.

Bruce settled himself and his lovely guest into the nearest lounge seat facing two chairs that had been pulled up. Bruce spoke to her for a few minutes about where she was from, what her family was like, why she had come to Westoros, before Alfred knocked at the door. He parted the door just enough to slip himself in before announcing, "Ser James Gordon and Lady Sarah Essen of the City Watch, my lord."

Bruce stood from his seat and limped over to his guests as Alfred led them in. He took Sarah's hand in his and kissed her knuckle, "Lady Sarah, a pleasure to meet you. So good of you to visit us all the way from…where was it again?"

She smiled and replied, "Highgarden, my lord."

Bruce chuckled, "Ah yes of course, it was but on the tip of my tongue. Was never one for geography I'm afraid. Alfred! Some glasses for our guests. And another bottle if you would, this one seems to have evaporated, Ha!"

James raised a hand to stop him, "A little early in the day for us to be drinking my lord but you have our thanks. We do not wish to waste your time-"

Bruce cut him off, "My time is worthless Ser. Simply ask Alfred."

Alfred left the room and closed the large doors behind him with a thud. Bruce sat himself back down beside his female companion as he gestured his two guests to sit in the chairs across from him. Now to lay it on thick.

"I have been following your exploits Ser Gordon. I must say I'm impressed! You seem to be getting as much attention as this Batman fellow. It is Batman you wish to be speak to me about is it not? Something along the lines of me being him?"

Gordon and Sarah looked to each other confusedly and with worry in their eyes. They fear they have offended me.

"My pardons Ser Gordon, it must be this delicious wine," Bruce said before taking another long drink from the bottle Alfred had just given him. "Oh where are my lordly manners? I neglected to introduce my, um, friend…You see, I'm not entirely sure what her name truly is. She also doesn't speak any language that I know of." Bruce laughed and turned to the woman resting her head upon his shoulder cuing her to giggle as they had agreed.

"Well that must certainly be convenient," Sarah said with a frank smirk on her face.

Gordon shot her a glare, "Sarah. My apologies Lord Wayne, but I need to know where you were these past few nights. I have some other dates as wel-"

Bruce interrupted once more, "For the past few nights I have been with my lovely guest sitting to my left. As for the other dates, well Ser, any nights past this last week are a bit of a blur in truth. Good wine and good women will do that to a man I suppose!" Bruce laughed again as his foreign beauty joined him.

Sarah looked to Gordon with a raised eyebrow in a look of irritation. The man sighed before standing, "Very well my lord. We shall return another time when your memory is hopefully less…foggy. We will see ourselves out."

"Oh nonsense, Alfred!" After waiting a few moments with no response, Bruce shouted once more, "Alfred! Alfred!"

"Truly my lord, it is no problem at all," James said as he opened the door with Sarah at his back.

"I suppose I shall lead you out myself then, Ser James. It is the least I can do for a man as brave as yourself."

He silently lead his two guests down the dark stone corridor from which they had came until they reached the towering oak doors at the front of the castle. "Have a pleasant rest of your evening Ser James, Lady Essen," he insisted with a smile.

"Thank you my lord, we will," James replied as he led his companion out the doors and back down the hill to Gotham. Bruce closed the door and let his smile fade. He lifted his cane and walked with a swift but cautious determination to the corridor adjoining the main entrance chambers. As he strode past the main dining hall he heard a thud from within. There's an intruder, Alfred…

He burst through the door, "Alfred!" His cane was waist level, ready to strike should he deem it necessary. Bruce was at the northern side of the hall, looking out upon the vacant dusty tables, save for the lord's table at the back of the large room. Alfred was standing to its side with a worried expression upon his face. He softly called out to Bruce, "Ser, it would appear we have visitors."

Bruce turned his gaze to the three sitting at the table in the center of the lord's horizontal row. One was a young girl, no older than ten with dark brown hair and fierce looking eyes. Next to her sat a girl appearing slightly older in age, with light auburn hair, high cheekbones and vivid blue eyes. To her left sat a man Bruce had not seen in almost fifteen years. His closely trimmed beard was beginning to gray, his hair was longer than it had been all of those years ago. His eyes remained gray, but his face had grown older, with more wrinkles at his brow and eyes. He was wearing a dark green doublet with a golden emblem of a hand on one breast and the emblem of a silver direwolf on the other. He stood, and looked at Bruce with his cold eyes.

He called out, "So is this how they treat guests in the South? I've been here but two months and already I have had my fill of your Southerners' excuse for hospitality!"

Bruce remained frozen, his eyes unable to move from the man's gaze, his legs frozen in place. Lord Eddard Stark looked upon the young lord and gave a warm smile, "Oh thaw those bones before they shatter, and come give my daughters and I some food before we starve."

Alfred: Chapter 15

They ate a hurriedly fixed meal of sliced beef with potatoes and steamed carrots. Bruce sat in silent astonishment for a majority of their supping, shocked that the man that had helped start him on his current path was now sitting before him. Lord Eddard Stark looked almost magnanimous despite being weary from travel and supping between his two small daughters. Men often look at their greatest in settings such as these, not out on the battlefield.

His daughter Arya had a rather fervent appetite, quickly devouring most of the food on her plate. Alfred watched in a silent admiration as the small girl grabbed a potato whole and began biting into it as if she were a wolf biting into a deer's hide. Her sister Sansa seemed the complete opposite, quietly and slowly cutting and eating her food in small bites. She barely looked at her sister as they ate, and on the rare occasion she did it was with an obvious look of contempt.

After Arya ate her third potato by hand, Sansa spoke up. "Arya we are in a lord's presence. It's not as if we were at home where your lack of manners goes unnoticed by everyone."

Arya frowned and replied to her sister, "We were on the road for more than a fortnight. I'm hungry, father's hungry, you're hungry. If you want to eat slowly I won't stop you, but I want food in me and I'm not going to eat slowly just because that's the polite thing to do."

Sansa's face grew a lighter shade of red in both embarrassment and anger, "Arya we ar-"

Lord Eddard cut his daughters' squabble off, "Girls stop this arguing or I'll send you both off without finishing your supper. Arya we are guests in Lord Wayne's castle so please eat with some amount of manners. Sansa, we have spent a great deal of time traveling these last few months so go easy on your sister. Now, Lord Wayne please tell us more of ho-"

Now Lord Stark was interrupted by his daughter as Arya blurted out, "Tell us about Batman!"

Ned turned his gaze upon her with a look of reproach, "Arya we are guests, please remember that fact and act as such you do not just shout out questions about matters close to home."

Bruce smiled. "No, no Lord Stark it's quite alright. What would you like to know dear girl?"

Arya's face lit up with intrigue and excitement, "What does he look like?"

Alfred smirked, black hair, dark blue eyes, has an uncanny resemblance to Bruce Wayne.

Bruce responded, "I have yet to see the man myself, but I hear he has the blood of a direbat flowing through his veins. He stands tall amongst other men, not as tall as the Mountain mind you, but makes others cower under him. They say he adorns himself with a cape made from the shadows of the night itself. Batman strikes quietly in the night, but then disappears before any man can lay eyes on him for long, as if he were nothing but an apparition."

Master Bruce is enjoying his 'story-telling' quite a bit, truth be told he's quite good at it. I believe I'll take credit for that. Alfred smiled, remembering all of the nights he stayed up with a young Bruce recounting tales of ancient heroes and dragons. He watched the young girls' reactions to Bruce's tale. Sansa looked interested but still had a very calm, reserved face. Arya on the other hand, her face was grinning and her eyes followed every movement of Bruce's hand and her ears clung to every word from his mouth. Just like the young boy I knew all those years ago.

After Bruce had finished his storytelling, Lord Eddard smiled, "Well girls I believe that is enough for now. Alfred, if you would please lead my daughters to whatever chambers you would have them in."

Alfred's spirit flared a bit, hearing his name spoken by a man as renowned and noble as Ned Stark. If anyone can help Bruce free himself from the dark shackles he binds himself in, it is Lord Eddard. "Yes my lord, right away. Lady Arya, Lady Sansa, if you would."

Alfred held a hand out to the nearest entranceway beside the lords' table as the girls excused themselves from their places. Sansa walked slowly and gracefully from the hall as Arya quickly leapt from the upraised stone platform the table sat upon to Alfred's side. Sansa was wearing an elegant teal dress with gemstone studs down the front and white lace ruffles down its length. Arya was donned in a green tunic with dark brown trousers and leather boots on her nimble little feet. Alfred led them out of the hall, shutting the large wooden doors upon his exit.

As they walked through the stone corridor to the stairwell Alfred inspected the two young guests. Arya was several steps in front of them and walked with a hurried pace as if her impatience to reach her destination outweighed her care to uphold a usual sense of ladylike courtesy. Her sister on the other hand moved with the slow and steady elegance of a queen. As opposite as fire and ice.

"Tell me lady Arya, how old are you?"

The girl turned around, "Nine, ser."

Alfred turned his head towards Sansa walking beside him and raised an eyebrow as they met eyes. "Eleven, ser Pennyworth."

The servant chuckled, "Oh my dear by no means am I a ser Pennyworth. You may simply call me Alfred."

"Alfred, how does Lord Wayne walk up those stairs if he's crippled?" Arya pointed to the marble stairway before them leading up to the upper floors.

"Well my lady, despite having a cane he can still walk up stairs. He does it just as the rest of us do, one foot after the other," the Dornishman replied with a smile.

Arya leapt up three steps and turned back to face them as Alfred and her sister caught up. "Well if I was a lord of a castle I would never let another man injure me severely enough to be a cripple! I would fight off any man that challenged me and leave unscathed."

Sansa gave her sister a scathing look, "You will never be the lord of a castle because you're a girl. You'll grow old, have sons, marry a lord, and do anything he asks. Stop jumping around like a fool."

The small girl frowned, "Well perhaps you can accept that life of growing into an old crone in a castle, but I won't. I'll learn to fight, and kill, I will be a better fighter than even Jaime Lannister!"

She ran up the remaining stairs to the second floor, skipping every other or every three until she stood at the top and looked down at her followers. Alfred spoke up, "Well from my experience Lady Arya, I have seen great men become legends, and great men become peasants. So I believe anything is possible."

Arya smiled, "Alfred, if you are no ser than I am certainly no lady. Just call me Arya from now on if you would."

Then Sansa spoke, "Alfred only spoke of men, Arya, he said nothing of women becoming legends."

Arya's cheeks flushed with red, "Then I will be the first woman to become a legend! And you can stay in your dusty old throne room with that craven little girl of a husband and turn to dust with him!"

Now Sansa's pale white cheeks reddened with anger. "Joffrey is a noble man and will grow into a great king!"

Sansa laughed, "His chances of becoming a righteous king are about as good as mine growing something between my le-"

Alfred interrupted, "Well that would be enough of that my ladies. Lady Sansa your chambers are right here on the left, Arya yours are the next door down."

"Thank you Alfred," Sansa stated bluntly before storming in her chambers and slamming the door shut. Alfred turned to Arya who was looking up at him with quizzical eyes.

"What is it my dear?"

Arya hesitated a moment and bit her lip before responding. "I'm sorry for annoying you Alfred."

An apology? Well this is unexpected. "It is fine dear girl, siblings do squabble. But you would do well not to stab your words so closely to your sister's heart. Prince Joffrey is our king's son and a pleasant enough young fellow."

"Have you ever met Joffrey?," she asked.

"No, I have not."

She looked to the ground, "then that is why you think he could be pleasant and noble. He is a monster."

Alfred kneeled down beside the girl and laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "I have seen monsters my dear. Terrible beasts on both four legs and two. Joffrey is but a boy, he can still grow and change as age grants him wisdom. Some men, they are but monsters born into darkness and that die within it."

She looked up, "Are you speaking of Batman? Tell me about him."

The Dornishman sighed, and looked up to her with a smile. "I was not, for Batman is not a monster born into darkness, merely a man trying to fight a war in the dark of night." Bruce was not born into darkness, he was born into a light as blinding as the sun's. Darkness crept up on his world, and overtook it with such speed that even the Others would hide from. "One night I will tell you a tale of Batman, but for now why don't you go to your chambers and wait for your father. I'm sure he will not be long."

She gave a small smile and nod before turning and walking to her chambers. She certainly has a warrior's spirit, I pray for the man that tries to wed her.

Bruce: Chapter 19

Bruce watched the girls follow Alfred out of the feasting hall, the older one walking slowly while the younger one moved with the lively pace of a young boy. When the doors thudded closed, Bruce turned to his guest. It had been so long since he had seen Eddard Stark that he had forgotten just how intimidating of a man he truly was. When Bruce saw him last he was but a boy, and Ned was close to the age Bruce was now. His hair was shorter then, only halfway down his neck. Now Ned had more wrinkles and lines from years of stress, and his hair reached to the line of his shoulders. But his eyes, his eyes were just as cold and unreadable as they had been all of those years ago.

Bruce opened his mouth to speak, but no words could come out before Lord Eddard spoke. "Why?," was all the man said.

Why..? Bruce looked to Ned in confusion, "Why what my lord?"

Ned gave a small frown, "You may call me Ned, boy, and you know right well why. Why are you doing this?"

Bruce put down his fork and took another drink of his wine before proceeding. "I'm afraid I do not understand, why am I doing what? Why did I leave? Why do I stay in this castle all day instead of attending to my city like you would do?"

Ned looked to the ground in disappointment before meeting Bruce's gaze. "No. Why are you running around in the night with a damned helmet and cape trying to wage some lone war on crime. Why must you do this to yourself?"

Bruce let out a light but nervous chuckle, "Lord Eddard, I do not know what you have heard, but I am not this Batman. I'm crippled, a drunkard, I spend my nights with whores and a glass of wine in my hand. I don't run about rooftops and-"

Eddard stood from his seat, anger apparent on his face. "Do not lie to me boy. When you charged in here you had your cane raised as if it were a sword. You are a swordsman, I have seen more of those in my lifetime than I can even begin to count. You are also not a drunkard that whores himself to sleep each night. My dearest friend is King Robert Baratheon, so I know a true whoring drunkard when I see one, and you Bruce, are not. Do not attempt to tell me I am wrong."

Bruce did not know how to reply to what Ned had said. He just sat silently and stared back at the older lord who was now pacing in front of the lord's table. Am I that apparent that a man who has seen me but twice in my life can know my secret?

Lord Eddard looked up to Bruce who remained seated on the raised stone platform a few steps above the floor. He looked as stern and unforgiving as the North itself, "I told you to continue on your father's legacy! To become a symbol of peace and justice! Not one of fear and darkness! Agh Bruce, why do you need to become this knight of darkness? You could help your city in the daylight. You could be wed, have an heir, give the City Watch gold! Teach them what you have learned in your decade long absence. You do not need to cast yourself into the shadows to do this. Nor must you live your life in such solitude to do it!

That boy I saw fifteen years ago was scared and angry but he had hope. There was a light in him that was not going to be put out by anything in this world. Yet you have somehow managed to not only dim that light, but extinguish it, and for what? To beat up thugs in the night, scare some thieves, give birth to creatures such as this Joker?"

Bruce's temper flared, "I did not create that monster!"

Ned shouted back, "No you are not the one that poisoned his soul but you were a beacon that led him here like a moth to the flame! You brought him here, because you decided to be a fool and paint a target on your back for the entire world to see! Do you think it was just the Joker that saw the light this Batman cast into the sky? That's why Lord Tywin came here, to rid the world of something that would change it in such a way even he could feel fear. And there will be others, soon enough maybe Lord Tyrell, or the Red Viper of Dorne, perhaps even King Robert himself will send an army to your gates calling for Batman's head!

That is why I am here Bruce. King Robert is wary of what the Batman is, if he represents a threat to the realm, if he must be dealt with. He wished to send Jaime Lannister here to avenge his father's honor, but I knew it was you, and I could not let someone as quick-tempered as Jaime come here. I told the king that this is a delicate matter and one that requires more than a good sword, but I did not know what type of man would greet me when I arrived. Would it be the same angry boy I saw all of those years ago? Or would it be someone whose heart has only darkness locked away in it. So tell me Bruce, what sort of man are you?"

Bruce stood, leaving his cane resting against the table and showing Lord Eddard the strength of the man that stood before him. "I have hope, hope that my city can be saved. That my people can live on without fear of criminals corrupting the core of this city beyond repair. That is why I do this, why I wage my war in the shadows. The kingdom, the crown, none of you have ever done anything to help my city's plight! My city bleeds because of it, while King Robert sits upon his Iron Throne and drinks and fucks his life away. While Lord Tywin sits upon his golden throne shitting his fortune. While you sit upon your throne of ice and watch the world around you change as your wintery fortress remains the same. I chose to act! In a world of men that sit down and give orders I chose to stand!

Do not lecture me on whether there is light in my heart or not! There is more than a light there, there is a burning fire more intense than the rays of the sun itself. My light will never be put out, just as my mission will never cease. No matter if it is Lord Tywin or King Robert himself at my gates, I will continue trying to save this city! You once said to become something more than a man to honor my father, well I have done just that," he finished, realizing he was breathing deeply. His hands were clenched into fists, and he had somehow found his way to where Ned stood at the front of the lord's table. They were but a few paces from each other now, both staring into the other's eyes unwilling to falter.

Lord Eddard sighed, "This is not the life your father wanted for you."

Bruce turned and looked about the grand feasting hall as he shouted, "Yes! My father would wish for me to marry, father some heirs, continue on the legacy of Wayne! What a perfect world that would be." He turned back to face his guest. "That life was ripped from me the day they were killed. It was never an option; I had no choice but the path that was laid out before me. Surely you understand that easier than most."

Ned looked to the ground. "Yes, I too have had loved ones ripped from me. My father was burned alive in his armor, my brother strangled himself while trying to save him, and my sister was raped and murdered, all three at the hands of King Aerys Targaryen. I am well aware what the poison of hatred and revenge does to a man's mind, to his soul. That is why I tell you there is always a choice! You need not condemn yourself to this life. You can still leave the helm of Batman behind you. You can find happiness as I did. I took my brother's betrothed as my own and grew to love her, bore children with her, continued on my family's legacy. As you can choose to do."

"I am honoring my parents' spirits. They tried to save this city by giving gold, being loved by the people, being symbols for hope. It did not work. I will be a symbol for criminals to fear, I will help this city with my own two hands, and I must do that alone. I am sorry Lord Eddard, but nothing you say will deter me from my cause. I am no threat to the realm, so long as they do not come to Gotham to interfere with me I will not go out to seek a war with them. Lord Tywin came here for selfish reasons, and he was left shamed. It is not only I who fight, but the city will defend itself. That is what you may tell King Robert, that I am no threat so long as they leave me out of their wars so that I may fight my own. I trust you did not tell anyone else of my identity."

"No, only I know of it. Very well Bruce, but I would still like to stay a small while to judge that for myself. Now show me it," he replied sternly.

"What Lord Eddard?"

"Once more, call me Ned. And the suit, I want to see it."

Bruce looked back up to the stone ceiling of the feasting hall. Looking over the hanging golden chandeliers that would illuminate the large room should they be lit, the stained windows along the right wall, the metal, spired beams supporting the angled roof. "Very well, follow me, Ned." Bruce grabbed his cane from its resting place and limped down the corridors of his family's castle to his father's study. Ned slowed his pace to walk beside Bruce, never inspecting his surroundings, only staring straight ahead at the path laid out before him. They were silent, never whispering a word to each other in the few minutes it took to slowly make their way to Thomas Wayne's study. Bruce felt different being in Ned's presence, he did not know how to describe it, but he felt like a child.

As they reached the doors to the tomb of books, Ned spoke, "Why bother with the cane? It is only us?"

Bruce smiled, "I remember hearing your youngest daughter had a knack for not following orders. I imagine she's exploring the castle as we speak. I would believe it would appear odd should she see the crippled lord of the castle walking about fine with two legs. It would certainly make your duty as a father more difficult with all of her questions."

Ned stared at Bruce a moment before replying, "Fair enough."

Bruce led him inside and closed and locked the doors. He walked over to the bookcase beside the fireplace and pulled the book to make the wooden shelf slide to the side. Ned stared in awe with his mouth hanging open, not believing what he was witnessing. They climbed down the ladder to the stone tunnel leading into the cave.

As they left the narrow walkway to the open air of the massive cave, Ned's breath caught in his throat. Bruce watched as Ned took a few, steady steps onto the cave floor and gazed around at the massive, hollow bowl in the ground. He watched the bats fly above him, the water rush through the stone islands connected by stone or wooden bridges, and finally rested on the wooden cabinet in the center of the room. It's as if he can feel it.

Ned looked to Bruce for reassurance, and Bruce gave a slow nod. Now it is as if he is the child. Ned walked out to the large, center island of stone and stood before the dark-stained wooden wardrobe. He gently placed a hand on each brass, bat wing handle and pulled the doors open. He took a slow step back as his eyes were met with the blank, hollow eyes of Batman's helmet.