It's because I'm Batman (becauseimbatman) wrote in crownplazaic, @ 2021-04-30 14:37:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log/thread, bruce wayne, cassie sullivan |
Who: Bruce and Cassie
What: Arrival
When: 4/30, mid-afternoon
Where: The lobby
Rating: PG-13 for Language
The Batcave
3:45AM 4/30
Bruce was up later than he should have been again tonight. He'd gotten absorbed in the work, utterly, Batcomputer glowing in his face on one side with his work table on the other. Alfred, Dick, Barbara and the others had long since gone to bed or found their way out, leaving Bruce to work alone. All the better, since he didn't exactly need prying eyes as he stumbled his way through this project. As it was, Dick wasn't going to be happy it wasn't for him. Dick could eat one if he didn't like it.
Their reunion had been recent enough as it was, and the words still echoed in Bruce's mind.
"Fuck Batman."
He heard them so often now, in his surrogate son's deep voice, longing for that freedom they all eventually wanted. It had gotten Jason killed and now Tim was god only knew where. Stephanie Brown had convinced him to take off at some point, leaving Bruce alone for a time, before Luke Fox came along. In the end, Bruce had decided it would be Luke who would take up the mantle. Dick was busy with the Titans, being Nightwing, or whatever the name was these days, and he didn't have another successor anymore, not even his own son. So Luke Fox, with his father's sharp mind and conscience, would have to do.
The soldering iron in his right hand sparked periodically, the hits precise, each leading to immediate diagnostic updates from the computer. What a project this was. How long had Bruce been at this, even with what help he'd been willing or able to get? Easily six months or more, but it was almost done. He glanced at the monitor and saw a single word flash past as the diagnostic screen refreshed.
Beyond
The next hit of the soldering iron sparked into Bruce's face and the world faded from view.
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When he came to, Bruce found himself in the lobby of a hotel. At a glance, it seemed normal enough, but he could have sworn he heard whispered voices. The place looked old, by his estimation, and the voices were no coincidence. They were familiar.
Jason.
His parents.
Selena.
Damian.
Bruce shook it off, trying to block it out. He couldn't be having another episode here. He wouldn't let it happen. The more he tried, the louder the voices got. In the instant Damian's voice broke through the others, echoing a single word, father, Bruce reached out and found himself grabbing someone by the arm.
"Hey! What is this place? Where am I?"