I AM VENGEANCE

Edward let out a sharp gasp when Bruce finally spoke. “How dare you. I don’t have to prove anything to you.” He snapped, crossing his arms. “We both know I’m the smartest man here. This has nothing to do with that. If this puzzle were about brains we would be out by now. Or at the very least, I would be. The glaring issue here is my lack of strength. Neither of us could pry the doors open because this building installed interlock devices.” He glared at the other man when he mentioned rescuing him. It was true that occasionally Batman had to help him out a dangerous situation or two but he didn’t appreciate the comment. “I’d like to see you get out of this one with no utility belt.” He scoffed. 

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Bruce couldn’t stop the smirk on his face at the other’s reaction something about getting under Edward’s skin really seemed like a wonderful idea. “Oh, so our past years of you attempting to get my attention that was just a phase?” He replied back with a raised eyebrow before looking at the other “This still counts as a puzzle if you look at it as an obstacle that needs to be defeated, but maybe that isn’t really where your smarts lie” He replied offhandedly moving to hit the elevator call help button “That didn’t work which means this could be power outage meaning I hope your arms are stronger then they look?” He asked moving towards the door waiting for the other to join.

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     “Thank you, father” Damian couldn’t help but smirk softly. His father had never said anything by way of putting a cap on the amount of animals the youngest Wayne was adopting, but Damian could tell that he must wonder how they were going to handle all of them. Damian always found a way, however. “Oh, I did not forget. In fact, I had plans drawn up shortly before my departure from Gotham City. It felt careless to begin such a project until I returned” he explained with a sigh. He also wasn’t sure how serious his father had been about the entire project, but he was relieved to hear that he was just as dedicated to it was Damian was. “I would tell you” he blinked, not missing a beat. Hell, he’d likely tell the person that was making him uncomfortable too. “But…I appreciate that you would take my judgement into consideration” he nodded, his judge of character had never failed him thus far. “She has her faults. I’m not blind nor naïve to that, but she cares for me deeply” More than she cared for anything. “I cannot guarantee that my childhood would have been as pleasurable without her”

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“You are welcome Damian” Bruce mused looking at the other he knew that his son had a deep love for animals something that he didn’t mind nurturing given it was one of his better sides to himself. “I’m glad to hear you counted for your absence and didn’t start the project knowing you’d be taking a break. Whenever you are ready to bring your Project Planning to my attention I’ll be available” He replied honestly he rather liked the idea of using this as a way to bond with his son in this way. “I know you will, I never fear about you making your discomforts known” He smirked at the other chuckling softly “You are my son so of course your judgment and opinion will always be heard.” He replied before nodding his head “Which is why I don’t speak ill of her or dissuade you to not chat with her.”

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     She teased him endlessly for it, but she had found it incredibly endearing back then and she still did now. Gotham City had hardened that once soft and naive boy that she had first met, however, and while it was probably inevitable, it saddened Selina deeply. “Are they alright?” She wasn’t close to all of Bruce’s children, but they meant the world to him. It was the least that she could do to take an interest in their wellbeing. Especially considering how often she was likely to see Bruce now that they were in the same city again. “I’m sure you missed them”

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Bruce looked at the other rolling his eyes he remembered those days quite well, the little rich boy and street smart girl, who know this was where that story ended up. “Jason and Damian are the most work, they have their own lives that at times don’t include me, I have so much to make up for with them both but I’m trying. The rest seemed to be alright when I think about it,” He mused honestly that alot of them could very much take care of themselves without issue but he wanted to let them all know his place was open. “I have, even the most difficult ones” He joked looking at the other.

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      She did believe him, but she also didn’t believe that it would get easier to handle as long as they lived under the same roof. It had been a year, and seeing him was still hard. “You’ve done a lot for me, Bruce.” She started, hoping that the next part wouldn’t offend him. “But Babs offered for me to move into her apartment with her. I think I’m gonna do it. There here are….” The blonde searched for the right word. “Hard.”

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Bruce wanted to help his children in any way he could, granted not all of them had been the easiest ones to reconnect with but he cared deeply for Steph and wanted to look out for her. “Steph, no matter where you go or where life takes you this will always be your home, You can move in with Babs if that is something you wish but the door to this place is always open okay?” He mused honestly he wouldn’t stand in her way if living here was hard then she could try somewhere else.

“Have you? You don’t look all that different.” Dick teased back, giving him a quick glance over before cracking another smile. He had to admit, he wasn’t used to this at all. Bruce had been his father for a very long time but dinners alone where they weren’t in costume together grabbing a quick bite was incredibly rare. Let alone lunches. “Wow, crazy! It’s weird how our schedules just happened to line up like that with no interference whatsoever.” Dick replied before finally getting a little serious. “You’re asking me about work?” He said as if it was the oddest thing in the world. “It’s alright but a little much on top of my night work and my… team stuff. Speaking of night work. That’s not what this is really about right?”

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“Oh how funny you are today Dick, I wonder what put you in such a good mood” Bruce teased the other before chuckling softly “Okay okay, maybe I might have stalked your schedule just a bit to ensure my free time lined up with yours'' He replied chuckling softly after all he had wanted to spend time with his sons as much as he could now that he’d returned and Dick had been pretty high on the list. “Should I ask about your love life instead?” He questioned raising an eyebrow at the other for a moment before nodding his head “Not really, I was mostly inquiring about how you yourself were doing with all the various tasks you’ve taken on. I’m not here for some secret mission debriefing Dick, I’m here to spend time with my son, that's all I swear.”

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Jim chuckled softly, his pride in both his children suffusing his face with a warmth that it didn’t usually hold. “He would be over the moon if he heard you say that,” he said, with another quiet chuckle. “I mentioned to him once that I was thinking of going for Commissioner someday, and now he’s convinced I’m inevitably going to get it. And if I get it, he’ll want it, too. He already wants to be a detective.” He smiled crookedly. “After serving as a beat cop for a few years, of course.” He smiled a little. “Yeah, you’re telling me,” he said. “It seems like just yesterday Barbara was small enough for me to walk around with her sitting on my shoulders.” It was easy to forget the way the little girl had inadvertently yanked mercilessly on his hair, and to focus instead on how happy she’d been, thinking she was on top of the world. How he’d been able to give her that. “Oh, yeah?” he said, grinning briefly. “Tell me about it. Where did you go?” Jim gave a little laugh. “That’s true, I never thought of it like that,” he said. “He’ll probably be better at the dinners and galas and things like that than I’ve ever been.” He smiled faintly. “True,” he said. He chuckled. “Okay,” he said. “I’m guessing there’s no way you’re actually going to let me pay, huh?”

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Bruce looked at his friend smiling softly “It’s true I’m sure he holds plenty of will and strength to take control just as well as you did start out.” He mused before chuckling softly patting the other’s should “Hey, You’d have my vote and hell of companion manager that no one could say not to. The idea of him being a detective is kind of adorable of course I can’t help but picture the little boy running a case” He smiled amusingly before nodding his head “Got to put in his time first before he tastes that nice promotion” He joked before looking at the other nodding his head “Yeah, I swear every time I blink another year passes, I hate it” He mused looking at the other smirking “Took a little break from City life and tried that country air for a bit, also visited the ocean for a while” He explained before tilting his head “Why are you thinking about taking a long-overdue break?” He teased his friend before nodding his head “Babs certainly has taught him all the high society type things but don’t worry old friend you never needed to worry about things like that.” he mused before shaking his head “Nope, just let yourself be pampered for a moment Detective Gordon” He winked at the other.

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     “I plan to introduce them tomorrow. Bartholomew has had a big day. We’ll save the big dog for after he’s had some rest” Damian nodded gently, understanding where he was coming from now that he had explained it in a different way. He appreciated that Bruce did his best to be patient and communicate clearly with Damian who could often misinterpret some social cues. “Ah.” the youngest Wayne nodded. “What does it have to do with me, then?” He didn’t ask to be cold, truly he didn’t. It was more that as Bruce had stated himself, it was about his father and Selina Kyle and the relationship that the two of them shared. “I see, father. Well, when you put it that way…” Damian nodded, understanding his unexpected and unwilling involvement in the matter. “I’m not sure that I know Miss Kyle well enough to make any judgements upon her character beyond what I’ve observed when she’s Catwoman but I’m not opposed to the notion…so long as you understand that she is not and will not be or replace my mother”

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“I bet, well I’m very glad to have Bartholomew here with us, you know this does bring up that discussion we had at one time. Regarding you drawing up some plans for a potential Animal Shelter” He mused knowing they had talked about it at one point in time but never really came back around to it. “Damian, I know I haven’t always been there but I am your father and I want you to feel comfortable when you come over here, and if someone’s presence keeps that from happening I’d expect you to tell me.” He replied looking at the other knowing that feelings and talks of love were a little lost on the boy so it made the most sense to take things slow. “I’m glad to hear it, and I would never expect anyone new in my life to take the place of your mother, while I don’t maintain the best relationship with her, I know that isn’t the same case with yourself.”

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     “Oh, I don’t know about that…you’ve gotten a little better than that first time I took you out on the streets…only a little, but still” Selina teased, smirking up at him. “Settling into New York City - not that it was hard. I’m a City girl. Wouldn’t know what to do with myself anywhere else, although, it is nice to not see a clown everywhere you turn. What about yourself?”

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Bruce looked at the other smirking softly “Yeah, that was a rather fun night, I remember being quite the wet pup to your skilled cat like reflects” He teased before nodding his head he understood one City always seemed so like another, and New York was close enough to Gotham that he could navigate around it. “I admit I also like that aspect of things, and while there is a crime it’s not as horrific as it is back home. I’m settling in, checking in on all my children, and seeing what  they are up to.”

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Jim laughed softly and shrugged. “Honestly, what else would you expect from my kid?” he said, grinning crookedly at Bruce. “It does. Babs will be 27 on her next birthday, and Peter is turning three this week.” He chuckled briefly as Bruce spoke, raising an eyebrow as he looked up at him. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “Does that make you the pot or the kettle, Bruce?” Jim gave Bruce a little smile and shrugged his shoulders. “He’s the type of kid who’s never met a stranger,” he said. “I don’t know where he got that from. I wouldn’t call his mother shy but she’s definitely not a people person.” He laughed a little. “Well, as long as you’re the one she gets angry with and not me,” he joked. “She’s already perpetually mad at me because he wants to be a cop.” He smiled and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. “Yeah, sure, that would be great.”

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Bruce chuckled with the other at his words, he couldn’t really say he was surprised after all the Gordon genes seemed to run deep in both of his children there was no denying that. “Not really, I wouldn’t even be surprised to see him running a police station after graduating from the academy” He offered before laughing “They grew up way too fast, I can’t believe it, it seems like just yesterday Little Babs was just a tiny little thing:” He replied making a fake gasp “I’ll have you know I actually took a vacation, unlike someone I know “ He teased his friend before smiling “Its a happy skill to have after all being a people person is nice PR for anything he ends up doing” He mused before nodding his head “I suppose I understand, but lucky for you I’ve dealt with Babs a little longer than most so I’m sure she won't stay mad for long, and it’s worth to see Peter’s smile” He replied before smirking “Great, there is burger joint just up the block a bit I’ve been dying to try.”

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     “I’m missing your point” Damian blinked, still unsure what the supposed problem with his new kitten’s name was. “Of course. Titus is better trained than most K-9 canines, he is exceptionally gentle with other animals that he knows come as no threat to me” he explained with pride. Titus has been his first pet, a gift from Bruce that Damian had been certain had been an attempt to bond with him when he had first come to live with him at the manor, and while he didn’t have favourites, he held a special place in the younger’s heart. “More as in…a business partner? As your Robin I have to remind you of how stupid of an idea it is to entrust a woman that would rob you blind given the chance” Damian shrugged. “Why? I know where to find her should I find anything I wish to talk to her about”

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Bruce looked at his son sometimes out of all of his children Damian was the hardest one to reach, he never blamed his son, after all, he seemed to have a deep love for lost animals and he cultivated that love ensuring that he’d always find or make room for whoever he decided to bring home. “Damian, I merely mean to see if they bond, while Titus may never do anything being the trained dog he is sometimes Animals just don’t vibe with each other” He explained slowly to the other though if anyone could control the various types of animals they had it would be his son. “More like a life Partner, This isn’t a discussion about Batman and Catwoman but one about Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle” He mused smiling softly shaking his head “I bring you back to the whole bonding chat we just had If I find myself spending more time in the company of Miss Kyle I want my children to approve. I may not show it daily but all of your opinions and feelings matter to me.”

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     Selina bit the tip of her tongue, holding back the response that he usually got from her that she took care of herself. It wasn’t that the comment was no longer true but more so that she was beginning to think that it might not be the worst thing in the world if she allowed him to look after her, also. “Oh, of course. I couldn’t let a pretty boy like you get roughed up by the streets” she smirked, teasing him gently as she nudged his side. “I’ve always got your back”

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Bruce looked at the other for a moment he knew she could take care of herself there was denying her prowess as a fighter or woman but that didn’t mean he wouldn't worry or look out for her. “I’d be left for trash I’m afraid” He teased her before smiling “I know you do, it’s one of your best qualities actually, so tell me what have you been up to Sel?” 

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     “What’s wrong with the name Bartholomew?” Nothing was wrong with the name. Like all of his pets names, it was perfectly fitting, although Damian was curious to know why his father found it so amusing. “The vet checked him over already” Damian sighed. It should have been obvious, really, but he supposed that he couldn’t be annoyed by his father’s concern for the small kitten. “I wasn’t actually trying to be humorous, but alright. Good, I know that she’s a good friend of yours” Plus, Damian missed her. “Not recently, no”

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“It’s rather proper don’t you think?” he questioned his son but then again he would allow him to due what he wished when it came to his pets. “I’m glad to hear it, are you going to introduce him to Titus?” Bruce questioned taking a seat in the chair near the both of them rolling his eyes “Yes your attempt at humor was well-received, she is a good friend of mine, and maybe this time around something more” He wanted to slowly test the waters with his children Damian wouldn’t hold back. “Maybe we can invite her to the manor and you two can chat once again?”

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Jim smiled softly as Bruce spoke. “Oh, a few,” he chuckled. “Mostly when he wants to watch one more Paw Patrol episode before bath time. The other day I got a ticket because I wouldn’t let Donut into the bathroom when I was giving Peter his bath.” He nodded with another little smile. “Yeah, Dick pulled me out of the office for a drink the other day,” he said. “I probably would have stayed at my desk for hours after shift if he hadn’t done that.” He offered Bruce a commiserating grimace, knowing that if anyone would understand working too hard, it was Bruce. Well, and Alfred. “Cass and Babs Jr are close, so Peter has met her a couple of times. He likes her.” He smiled. “Yeah, well, they’re amazing kids. I’m lucky,” he said. He gave a soft laugh. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. Peter will probably find Batman cool for many years to come.” He grinned. “Probably, but Peter would be thrilled.”

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Bruce looked at the other chuckling softly “That sounds rather adorable, to say the least, I can just see your look of surprise at getting a ticket.” He mused nodding his head ‘I’m trying to reconnect with all of them, if possible, time certainly flies by when you aren’t looking.” He replied feeling hopeful that he could slowly rebuild their family. “You have quite a bad habit of overworking yourself, so I’m glad he pulled you away the other day, maybe I’ll have to come down and do the same from time to time.” He chuckled softly nodding his head “She is very nice, and Joy to be around, So I’m glad Peter is getting around to meeting everyone.” He smirked nodding his head “Good Tastes in that kid, well sometimes one must live with a little risk here and there, and to see Peter smile would make it quite worth it to weather Babs’s ire.” He paused for a moment to glance at his watch “It’s around lunchtime now, think you’d be free for a bite?”

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     “Yeah?” he heart thrummed in her chest with the way that he looked at her, a small smile growing as she followed him along to the place that he had chosen. “Safe from what?” the cat rose a brow. As far as she had known they were simply going to dinner, but Selina should have known better by now than to expect Bruce not to surprise her. Even after all of these years he still could. 

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Bruce smiled softly as they walked together, he knew deep down Selina felt the same way about him after all these years and for once he wondered if they could fully explore those hidden feelings out in the open. “Safe from the big bad bat who tends to watch over you” He mused whispering in her ear with a smirk on his lips. “Just promise to protect me from the rabble of the streets” He teased.

☆ﾟ*·ﾟAT THIS POINT, the little girl, Elena sat in Edward’s lap. He couldn’t believe that these little kids didn’t see anything bad in him. This little girl was perfectly happy sitting in his lap, telling jokes and just spending her afternoon. But he was thankful for her, because it gave Edward a chance to interact with Bruce on a less hero and villain level, and an actual personal level. Elena leaned back and whispered in Edward’s ear again. A laugh slipped through The Riddler’s lips, actually finding himself enjoying the riddles of these young kids. “You can tell him, Elena,” Edward whispered softly to her. The little girl was shy, something that Edward liked about her. He felt almost protective of her. She shifted and answered him. “A centipede with sore feet!” Once again, Edward laughed. These kids would ruin him. He could spend all day with them.

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Bruce had to admit he knew not all his villains were bad people, some were just victims of circumstance, while others suffered due to the city’s lack of care. Edward while in this setting seemed to be thriving at allowing the young minds to expand and learn all the new Jokes and Riddles. He seemed eager to assure them that no matter how silly their voices were heard, something he wondered how many people actually stopped to take the time. “Yes Elena I’d love to hear the answer” he reassured the small girl before chuckling at her words “I never would’ve guessed that, very good Elena, I see why Edward like you so, he is quite a cleaver too did he tell you all some good riddles and jokes?” he questioned the kids the smile never leaving his face.