Cassie was revealed to have the Wayne black hair, with Selina's skin tone, nose, and her grandmother Martha's smile. Kate was even more surprising, having Bruce's skin tone, nose, and Selina's smile, while her hair was revealed to be light brown just like her grandmother Martha, showing that genes can be skipped through the parent, from grandmother to granddaughter.
The story to the public and the staff when Bruce and Selina returned from their 'vacation', was that Selina gave birth on their private plane when returning back to the good old USA, not knowing that she was pregnant, with Bruce being there by her side.
Honestly, at times it was a bit scary how easy they could pull off all the lying. But at the end of the day, it was for the best for both the family and the public as they tried to make up for the lying by keeping the city safe. It was still a difficult job after all these years but one could really see quite the difference compared to when the She-Hulk first started making her normal appearances.
It was like day and night's difference of decades, as Gotham before was more industrialized, more attuned to the rich, but now, it's more green than industrial, with equality to all kinds of people in expenses and such, with more police protection in the popularized crime-run areas, and less worries for the homeless people who has more opportunities to seek normal lives again.
Yes, it's true that Gotham is still crime-run and difficult at times, but it's certainly far considerably less than decades ago, all thanks to the guardians of Gotham, with occasional unseen help by Doctor Fate and his apprentice, Zatanna Zatara who was the foreseen magician that Dorji mentioned, and by the kids who are happily taking turns at being Oracle on weekend nights, and taking lessons from their parents in several defensive techniques.
Almost two years has passed since the birth of Selina and Bruce's twin girls, and now Damien is almost 11, Dick being already 12 like Sean and Daphne, and Jane being 13, while Stephanie, Cassie, and Kate are either 2 years old already or almost 2 years old.
Victor had graduated university and is quite making his way to being a well-connected scientist in Gotham, happily engaged to his lovers in Barbara and Nora who are now in their fourth year of university.
So, yes, it was essentially a couple of peaceful years for the huge family. However, unfortunately, as of late, perhaps in May a few months ago, of 2024 now, there was a riot at one of the most protected prisons in Gotham, and a few people has escaped, breaking out. The family took care of the first few people, but when they discovered the last person who broke out, it was a bad dream coming back for it was the Mad Hatter aka Jervis Tetch.
He has gone even more madder, according to the people at prison, forever blaming Poppy for somehow indirectly bringing She-Hulk and Batman to ruin his vision, as kidnapping 42 girls including Poppy had made Jervis a lifer, with no probation or freedom.
How he managed to escape was quite the mystery as they were certain he was well secured in his cell. They obviously kept him away from all the other prisoners, considering that his crime was liable to get him killed by the other prisoners since there almost was like a strange code amongst even the most ruthless and hardened criminals: no kids.
Yet they didn't expect how much madder he got, sure, he's truly revenge-mad, but he also went dangerously crazy-mad, for he had made news of a crime spree, not kidnapping girls again, no, but worse...He broke into places that had blonde women, beating and raping them before disappearing again, and it wasn't just apartments, but different places, and the parks around Gotham was even used too, and it was said that he kept calling the women Alice, according to the victimized women sadly, along with mutters and raging snarls about Poppy.
Barbara herself was grateful that the penthouse and with upgrades, Victor's apartment house, was tinted with windows that can't be seen inside, keeping Nora safe as she's a blonde, and if she needed to go to college, she took to wear a brunette wig, where the university was upping security so much which Barbara was relieved, since her Batsuit and all was moved to Victor's apartment house, with a back exit where she used to depart and head back through when needed on patrol.
Mary was grateful herself as Stephanie needed her, so there was no danger leaving Wayne Manor, since she's the only adult woman with blonde hair in the family. The Guardians was determined to catch him, especially Poppy who was terrified and horrified that she brought this to Gotham, even when everybody else was reassuring her that it wasn't her fault, that Jervis Tetch had gone mad even before her.
Still, the fact that they couldn't find him was worrisome. Obviously, it was clear he had gone to ground just as quick as he would appear and carry out his horrific acts. A whole city and almost statewide manhunt were out there for him as it was clear very quickly from his first victims that he was the one carrying out the rapes.
It carried on for months since May, and now it's October, the day before Halloween, and since Jane had a call that her father could not pick them up because he was busy directing the staff to decorate the ballroom for a Halloween party to accommodate the Wayne Entreprises people tomorrow before they have a private party to celebrate Poppy's birthday and pay respects for Kel after the people and the staff goes for the night to be with their families for trick and treating, the kids are riding one of the private school's buses, chatting and trading tips on homework, as life has to continue on around the manhunt for the Mad Hatter.
There was at least one silver lining with the kids sticking together even without any of their crimefighting parents or relatives; they weren't really defenseless themselves as they all had quite a bit of fighting training through the years, especially Dick with his acrobatics background mixed in.
And of course, since they were brought into the family secret, their training got more important than before, and as of late, they intensified their training because of the Mad Hatter. Even Alfred and Caroline, the most normal ones out of the adults still had some moves to teach.
Through, strangely enough, when the twins in Sean and Daphne hit their teens, they have been hoping that something would activate their birth forms, but so far, they are 12 years old now, and nothing happened so far, though they couldn't blame themselves for thinking to want to help as they are stressed in worry for their mom in Poppy, having read the adventure in the book with the others.
Damien was stressed too by being worried for Momma Poppy too, but since he's not even 11 until next year, he probably figured that he can't be activated, due to not entering puberty yet. Anyhow, the kids agreed to stick together for the bus as they live in the same place anyway, which is not very often, but used to the necessity anyway when Alfred couldn't pick them up.
"You alright?", Damien asked Jane as she had a look on her face as she bit her lip with worry. "Yeah, I'm fine... just... keeping eyes out... can never be too careful.", Jane reminded as Damien nodded. Considering that they were the children of Gotham's wealthiest family, obviously, it wasn't the escaped Hatter they only needed to worry about.
Dick replied in a whisper, "We will be warned if the bus driver sees something off.", as he kept glancing to the front, before acting like he was asked a question by one of the other kids about his costume tomorrow for Halloween.
Sean and Daphne, in twin speak, "And you know that these kids... got cell phones to call 911 like us...and it's daylight in the middle...of the city, where people in... other cars and on sidewalks and such can see.", responded with twin nods.
"I swear, some days, you two creep me out when you do that...", Damien admitted. He loved his cousins greatly but when they pulled that sort of wavelength thing; it was freaky as hell. Maybe an effect of their gamma genes... if they became hulks... well, for starters, a male hulk would probably be terrifying if Waylon's scaled form was any indication. But two hulks practically thinking the same... God help any sort of criminal trying to fight them with just how perfectly coordinated they could be.
Sean laughed, "Sorry, cuz, can't help it, but you gotta admit, it's a bit more freaky at home, hmm?", with a wink as he kept up the act of calling Damien cousin, even though they are technically brothers, thanks to being bonded from Poppy through Selina and Bruce, they are also cousins by blood as well, just like with Daphne being Damien's technically oldest sister, yet cousin to him too, and same situation with Dick as well, through to the school, Dick was like a ward of the Wayne family while still a Grayson, through John and Mary.
Damien shook his head with a chuckle, "Can't argue with that.", as it would be a hit for trick and treat tomorrow in the party after school with all the Wayne Entreprises employees for a few hours before they leave for the night.
Daphne replied, "At least they didn't burden us down with much homework for today, hopefully, it's the same for tomorrow. Sometimes I wish Halloween is actually on Friday or Saturday.", keeping up the act around the rest of the kids on the bus.
Jane chuckled, "Agreed. But you have to admit the calendar changes every year, so maybe it's a Friday next year.", with a nod before Dick hissed lowly, "Got an old lady jaywalking up ahead.", as the bus was slowing down now to their notice.
"You'd think it'd be easy to respect the vehicles on the road and cross at the proper places...", Jane grumbled. "Maybe she has to go exactly across the street, and it'd be quicker than going all the way to the crosswalk and the light then walk back around. Like at the house, if we want to go to the backyard from the front of the house, we go inside and through rather than walking around the whole manor.", Sean said.
Daphne replied, "Oh, she's pushing one of those trolley carts, and I think there's an alley curb across the street to her apartment or something...".
Damien frowned, "Looks like she didn't realize the weight of that cart and the urgency of those other cars, they're slowing down and honking...", as sure enough, there's honking sounds from the other cars on the other side of the street.
The other kids murmured and perched up over the seats to watch the old lady, and they gasped as they saw her stumble and fall. The bus aide stood up as with the manhunt, a bus aide is necessary next to the bus driver as the only adults on the bus, and called out, "Settle down, and stay in your seats, children. Ralph, I'm going to help her, lock down the door after I get out.".
Ralph the bus driver nodded, and replied, "Be careful, Lily.", and opened the door with the mechanism, and Lily the bus aide walked out to help the old lady.
"Excuse me, ma'am... do you need some help?", Lily asked the woman as she was also trying to keep an eye out; last thing she wanted was for somehow to have missed finding Jervis because she looked away for even a few moments.
A weary voice replied, "Oh, thank you...I forgot again, didn't I? I'm sorry that I crossed the street like this...", as she struggled to get up before whimpering in pain, "My ankle!", falling again, as the trolley went out of control, crossing the rest of the street, crashing into the curb.
Lily leaned in to help, "Oh, my! Here, lean on me...", and the old woman leaned, getting up, "Oh, thank you!", tucking her arm around Lily as she gathered her other arm around Lily's arm, and then a press of cold metal in almost hidden sight, as Lily gasped quietly, feeling the muzzle of a gun against her chest.
"Don't scream, or I'll shoot you in the lung. I hear blood flooding can kill a person in minutes if unattended.", the voice changed while staying quietly, "Now take me to the side of the bus, to pretend that I got a broken ankle.".
The woman was absolutely terrified as her worst fear had suddenly come to pass, as it was instantly clear to her that she had found Jervis... and he was holding her at gun point. She was well aware of what he had been doing with the children when he first went to prison... was he now planning on starting that again, or was he just going to wait until they stopped somewhere else where he could rape her?
Lily cursed herself mentally for being a blonde at the time, she should have dyed her hair or brought a wig! She tried to act normally for the other cars on the opposite side of the street, smiling as she waved them along, showing that she got the woman walking back to her origin point, disgusted on the inside that she's touching Jervis, shocked that he's clearly using his acting skills and disguise to hide himself, realizing that's one of the things how he has been laying low, gone underground and all.
She pretended to assist the visible old lady to the side of the bus, as Jervis pretended to hobble and wince at the broken ankle, making it to the door of the bus.
"Is it alright if we let her ride with us, Ralph?", Lily asked the driver as she was trying to make sure not to give off any alerts to the driver. Last thing she needed for him or herself was to get shot, but even worse, for Jarvis to start taking shots at the children.
Ralph smiled warmly, "Ankle's really bad, huh? Yeah, good thing that one of the kids' stops is near one of the hospitals. Dr. Thompkins' clinic, I believe. Come in, ma'am.", nodding to the unfortunate old lady.
"Alright. This way, please...", Lily led him on as she was trying to make sure that she would be his target and not the children. She'd rather sacrifice herself for them since she knew no matter what... if anything happened that she herself could control, she'd never forgive herself if she decided to be a coward and focus on herself in this moment.
Jervis disguised his voice, "Thank you, such a sweet young man! And thank you, dear.", while keeping the gun mostly hidden and pressed on Lily's side, as they took a seat.
Sean narrowed his eyes and frowned, "I feel something-", as Daphne finished, "wrong, guys. Lily looks off.", as Lily had canvassed her eyes over the kids as she assisted the old lady before sitting down.
The family all kept their eyes on Lily and the woman that was with her; though not trying to let them notice that their eyes were on them. The twins were right, something was very off as Lily was trying to keep calm but one could see the fear and worry in her eyes.
Oblivious to the situation, Ralph started up the school bus and kept driving as the other kids gossiped and shrugged about the old lady that needed help, or other stuff like homework, or getting excited about their free time to play at home after being dropped off at their street.
Dick whispered softly, "Code Blue or Code Red?", as they, like the other kids, because it's a common thing, have their cell phones. Code Blue is being delayed, a bit late than usual for their drop off time, while Code Red meant something is very wrong.
Damien glanced at Jane, "Both?", and Jane hummed, "Better to be safe than nothing, both.", and the family went to discreetly text on their phones to their parents before Damien frowned, "I can't get through.".
"Impossible...", Dick whispered. "We're in one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the country; bad signal these days?", with a frown.
"I don't think it's a signal issue...", Jane feared. "It's a jamming issue.". The others quickly realized the issue as they all quickly put things together when she said that.
Sean and Daphne glanced at each other, and nodded their heads as one, and whispered, "We think it's time...to switch on the backpack tags...as this is an emergency...they said they should link...immediately to the special computer...Between training in or sleeping in or taking care of the imps...one of them is bound...to be in the hideout.", under the noise of the other kids chatting and all.
The adults had discreetly put miniaturized tracking tags in each kid's name tag on each backpack, in case if something happens, like a school shooting or a gas leak or, of course, a hijacked school bus.