This story is based on the prompt idea from Rainybyday on tumblr, I posted these first two chapters on there before deciding to make it an official fanfiction. You can find me on tumblr Kettlefire!
Anyone who knows Bruce Wayne knew everything about his life revolved around Batman. Revolved around his crime-fighting family, and the burning passion to make Gotham safe. Make Gotham the home he once thought it was. A safe place for the coming generations of Gotham-raised citizens. A place where kids didn't have to worry about whether their family was making it home that night, where a joker or scarecrow could be found on every street corner.
It was taking time, and over the years, it has been getting better. His family has grown, and advance, and Bruce was left with a mostly empty nest in it's place. The few that still resided in the manor didn't need him, not like they used to.
The man would tell those around him that this venture out into the word was for the name of Wayne. Not for his nighttime activities. He would be lying.
Yes, Bruce Wayne was invited to this small town for a business indenture. Something he's been invited to plenty of times, something he's turned down just as often. Then news started cycling around the man who ran it.
Vladimir Masters.
He was mysterious in the world of business. Having suddenly come along a large fortune after a close brush with death. Since then, he'd monetary value only taken a rise. His competitors dropping like flies while he's numbers began to sky-rocket. Any sensible business-man kept a distance from the man, Vlad was deemed to bring bad luck to any business he worked with.
Bruce wasn't sensible, as Alfred has mentioned plenty of times.
So yes, the man reached out to Vlad. Apologized for the ghosting, and accepting the invitation this year. Chalked his absence up to much more internal things. The articles posted of in the past years all but supported his excuse. A child of his had just graduated, off to college in Metro city. Or as the public believes. Bruce Wayne was simply trying to find time for friends and activities since his number of children at home has decreased.
In truth, he wanted to know more about Vlad. Since hearing news about the Dalv co. expanding to Gotham, he found it best to check in on yet another corrupt business-man. Especially one stepping into his territory.
He hadn't expected to find out more about the rumors circling Amity Park, Illinois.
The town was infamous for it's attracting to all things supernatural. Ghosts are said to roam the town as often as it's citizens. If not more. Stories that many didn't believe, until they touched foot in the town. Within the few hours it took him to get situated in his hotel room, he had already seen three glowing creatures. Two had been in passing, floating the sky. Animals. Birds, to be specific.
The third was a man, dressed ready for a business meeting. He was laughing in a way that rivaled the Joker's own laugh, writing like maniac into a little notebook. Let's just say, it took a lot for Bruce to turn the corner and ignore it. No one else was flustered by the strange creatures, so he settled that it wasn't a dangerous thing.
Thus began his long day of shaking hands and rubbing shoulders.
Smiling, and laughing along with the other's that were invited. Playing nice. If Alfred had seen him, he'd be impressed considering the many events he hosted and failed to do his best at.
It was overall taxing and exhausting. He didn't find a single good thing among it all, no hint, or tip in where to look. It left him on edge in his motel room later that night, pacing and reading up on the various articles he found. Nothing was helpful. Vlad was almost as invisible as the ghosts that ran this town. He settled on going out, dressed in black, and eyes peeled for anything.
Bringing Batman to Amity would have been risky, if there weren't various different people from Gotham there. If the mayor of the town wasn't hosting so many different people from so many different places.
If the people of the town weren't the type to roll with whatever was thrown at them.
Bruce ran into one person on his new patrol. That person had fangirled about how amazing he was, begged for a photo, and rushed off squeal about what she could tell her friends.
The night was still. Nothing bumped, or screeched into the night. It was a drastic change from Gotham. Even after the oddities this small town carried, it was nowhere near as hectic as Gotham. Assuming the stories of the town disappearing from the dimension was a little exaggerated. Or the story of a plant trying to take over. Or the time the town was sent into eternal sleep.
The stories went on.
Bruce wondered why the league never thought to explore this place. Never gave it much thought. Only to remember he never had either. If it wasn't for Masters, he wouldn't be here. He never knew the extent of things until this moment.
His concern for those in the town rose when he learned about Phantom. A simple ghost who dedicated it's afterlife to keeping the townsfolk safe. A teenager. A child. Someone half the town hated, the other half idolized him. A child had died, and in the aftermath of it's death he protected the town he haunted. Even if the ghost hunters of the town fought hard to catch him.
This town had a macabre feel over every part of it. Everywhere Bruce turned a heaviness seemed to sit, a twisted heavy sense that so much more happened behind the eyes of the public. Something twisted, damaging for those who didn't know much about it. Even in a town that seemed to crawl, everything felt fast. Even as citizens lazily walked the sidewalks, a strange sense of urgency and speed coated everything along side the tension.
That feeling stopped the moment he saw him.
Bruce was coated in the shadows of the trees, only just reaching the park through the trees when he caught sight of the teenager. It wasn't the way the teen played carelessly with the dog. It wasn't the glowing green dog that yapped and ran around the teen. It wasn't the way the kid occasionally laughed when the dog got too hyper and ended up floating high enough to be eye-level.
It was the way he saw almost all his kids in those blue eyes.
They way it reminded him of the time he brought a younger boy into his manor, a boy who experienced depression at a young age after the death of his parents. Or the kid who would look to the world with longing, one who wished to still believe the magic of his name. His daughter who was brilliant and filled with strength, but held the weight of the world on her shoulders to protect those around her. His tired son who always worked hard to earn his approval that he already held. The son who would stare out into the world thinking about his parents that had yet to heal. The one that seems lost with the world around him because of the way he was raised.
He was a child that needed saving.
It wasn't the black hair and blue eyes-even if Dick would laugh at the cliché of it-or the glowing dog and almost aloof feeling the teen had about him. Even with the knowledge of his children teasing him about it, or Alfred's comments on finding another one he would be bound to receive if his family were to catch wind of it all. None of it seemed helpful in his investigation of the twisted mayor, even if a human friendly with a ghostly dog was something interesting. None of it motivated his next moves.
He settled for heavier footsteps, attempting not to alarm the teen, as he took calculated steps closer. The slight shift in the teen was evident, but nothing too drastic. Eyes staying focus on the puppy, hand waving through the air as the little being chased after it.
Bruce kept walking until he was standing over the two. The puppy froze in it's place, red eyes staring into Bruce's. A soft growl leaving the small creature.
"Easy Cujo." The teen eased, running a hand along the dog-Cujo's-shoulders. "He's okay." Even Bruce caught the edge of the words, a catch breath in concern of his words weren't true.
"Hello." Bruce spoke plainly, his modulator filtered his voice. The teen turned his head, catching Bruce's gaze. He offered a hesitant smile as he managed to easy the tense in the puppy.
"Sorry about Cujo, he's pretty protective." The teen answered, turning back to look fondly at the yapping Cujo. "It's not often you run into someone late at night that isn't look to cause trouble."
"I'm -"
"Batman, I know." The teen turned back, a small smirk on his lips. "Hard not to know the dark knight of Gotham. My friends a huge fan... I'm Danny, by the way." The teen tagged his name on to it in the last second. Bruce nodded, idle taking a seat next to the teen.
To others it may seem funny that Batman had chosen to spend his night with a relatively awkward teen. Sat there as the teen rambled about nothing and everything at the same time. Gave short answers, appreciating the advice given to him. The ghostly beings to keep away from if they were to rear their ugly heads. The note that if he wanted to find anti-ghost protection to go to Fenton-works.
Bruce didn't just sit there and listen. He actually observed the words, watched the way Danny's body or tone would shift ever-so-slightly as they spoke. His eyes shifting when he brooch a topic he seemed to know so much about. Bruce worried about how much the supernatural side of this town has affected the teen. In that moment, it wasn't Batman talking to a lonely teen in a park.
It was Bruce Wayne chatting it up in a dark empty park.
It was just Bruce. All of him sat in that suit as he spent time with the kid. Unable to hide the smiles, or laughs that left him at the animated way the teen told the story. Or the way Danny apologized when he mentioned loving the Flash over Batman. It was okay. It was easy. It was comfortable.
In a way Bruce hadn't felt in years. Hadn't felt in who knows how long. He was a man checking in on a lonely teen. Someone who could easily be left to more devious intentions.
It was different in a good way. He wasn't picking up a kid who lost his parents, or needed a helping hand to keep from the criminal life they could have. He was simply being there for a young boy who has a family. Has a support system, but was still fraying at the edges. A kid who would backtrack if he felt like he was taking up too much space.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Bruce finally asked after what felt like hours had past. A feeling that any moment now the night sky would exploded with light color, the sun slowly rising to say good morning to the inhabitants of Amity Park.
"I should, shouldn't I be." It wasn't a question, a soft look filled the kid's face. "I got... restless." Danny replied, softly petting the snoring dog. Cujo was a sweetheart, despite the name. The small explanation the teen gave flickered in Bruce's mind. The puppy came with the name, and Cujo had decided that Danny was his new human.
"Won't your parents be worried?" The shift was obvious, although subtle. A slight tension bled into his muscles, and a strange look crossed bright eyes.
"Your right." Danny nodded, pulling himself to a stand. Cujo cradle in his arms. "I should probably face the consequences. Estas tempo iri hejmen, kamarado." The language slipped from the teen fluently. Bruce watched with curiosity as the puppy yawned, suddenly floating at eye level with the small boy. Cujo yapped happily, rubbing his cheek against Danny's before vanishing.
"This was nice." Danny absent-mindedly mentioned. Bruce watched with a heavy feeling as the teen left, hands buried in his hoodie's pockets. It was strange, and although Bruce had an urge to make sure he made it home safe, he settled with waiting until he was out of view before heading to his own bed.
By the time he settled into his room, the sky was beginning to dust with color. He had a couple hours before he was bound to have to be awake. Putting on the Wayne face as he worked through yet another meeting. Yet another dull situation about it all. He could make this visit just a little more bearable with this new teenage boy and his ghostly dog.
If Bruce found himself at that park the next night, well that was a coincident.