#avoiding midterms

I just remember running and running until my legs gave out on me. I had no idea what time it was, how long I was running for, and where I was. I needed to figure this shit out. I thought about calling someone, but with what phone? Who would I even call? The only person I could ever call is.... I needed to get a grip. I looked at my surroundings; I was on a bridge. It was freezing out, I didn't know how cold it was until I started shivering. All I could think about was missing my hoodie, and my mama. Definitely my mama way more, she would have made shivering in the cold into a fun game somehow. I missed her so much.

I kept getting stuck in my head, I needed to find a way to contact someone. What for? I had no clue, but I needed help. Just needed to find a phone. Somehow. Once I find a phone, I'll figure it out. Maybe. I felt pain shoot through my legs as I tried to run across the bridge. I groan and catch myself on the railing. Fuck, that hurts... Running isn't an option anymore. I had to remember what Mama taught me in case of emergencies.

One, look for a landmark.

South Old Gotham...Robert Kane Memorial Bridge! This was where mama and I took our walks! I’m near the outskirts of Gotham. Holy shit I ran that far out from the city?! Fuck.. It’s okay. I just need to take a deep breath and figure this shit out. In and out. In…and out. As I try to step forward, it was like knives were stabbing at my legs. I don’t think I have ever screamed so many profanities before. I just had the bear through the pain. I was near the old overpass, I thought if I can get through there, I can borrow a phone from one of the houses nearby. Easy right?

The Palisades was where the richest in Gotham lived. Just outside the city. Funny how Gotham’s richest don’t even live in Gotham. My mother used to think the rich folks just wanted to receive the looks of pity and a tax break from living in Gotham. When she wasn’t working the diner, she spent the weekends cleaning these houses. And since she had no one could watch me, I always came along. We used the walk the bridge at dawn and leave at sunset. The views were so beautiful.

The lights were so dim, and the walls are painted with all kinds of substances, and the smell... I couldn’t get out of there any quicker. Finally making it out of the overpass, and you would think after coming here for years as kid, it wouldn’t take much to impress me. But this place, is fucking magnificent. Even the air smelled cleaner compared to the city. The streetlamps lit along the sidewalks, the clean streets, the fresh air. I wish people in Gotham lived like this. I wish I got to live like this. I wish Mama... Right. Phone. Look for a phone.

It’s been a while since we came around here since most of the families we worked for either moved or no longer wanted my mother cleaning for them. Assholes. I recognized a few houses, but those families would never help me, even now.

Two, in case of emergencies; find somewhere safe.

There was always this one house on the street: dark, intimidating, and larger than any other house in the neighborhood. My mother used to walk past this house quicker than the others. Avoid it like the plague. Hell, even when I stared at it for too long, she dragged me away. But it was the closest house, and I was fucking exhausted. And with nothing left to lose, I walked right up to the gate and—... It was open. What kind of idiot would leave a gate open at this time of night?? God these rich people…. Right! Phone! I still need- ugh I had to stop getting distracted.

I walked up to the porch and knocked on the door.

Three, in case of emergencies, find a trusted adult.

“Hello? May I help you with something?”

The man in front of me exuded class. I don’t think I have met anyone with an English accent before. It was strange hearing it in real life for the first time.

“Child, are you well?”

“Uh.. sorry. Your accent took me by surprise.”

“I can say the same about you,” the man chuckles.

“I don’t-..Right..funny joke.” “My humor not of your taste?”

“…It’s just been a long day. Do you have a phone I could borrow?”

“Of course, why don’t you come in?” “It’s alright. I just need a phone. I don’t really want to intrude.”

“I insist. It’s freezing out and try not to take offense, but you look like you're nearing collapse. Maybe a change of clothes as well.”

“I really don’t need—“ “Please. Enter.”

The man opens the door and ushers me inside, “I-I don’t even know your name.”

“Pardon my manners then, my name is—"

Maybe it was the lack of food and water. Maybe it was the exhaustion from running so much. Maybe because I had nothing left to lose, I trusted him so easily. When I entered the manor, I felt the warmth and security of the house just envelope me. I think the adrenaline was finally wearing off, because the moment I stepped into the house, all I can recall was falling. And then darkness.

“Child-!”

—————————————————————————

Hours before...

As Bruce watched Gordon leave the apartment, He finally had a moment to himself. Everything about today just sent him on a whirlwind. Not only did he find out his former partner in crime just died, but she also had a child. His child. Another biological kid hidden from him by the one person he thought he could trust. By the one person he thought died years ago. Another person who betrayed him. He didn't have the energy to mourn her, not again. He just wanted this day to be over.

As Bruce attempted to recollect his thoughts, he heard frantic footsteps approach the door. Gordon comes rushing in, out of breath, looking for his briefcase.

"Gordon?"

"Bruce! The kid! They were here! I heard footsteps and saw them rushing out of the building!"

"That can't be possible, I left them with Archie before we left the station—"

Bruce reaches for his phone and realizes it had died. He should really consider getting a new one. Flip phones aren't as reliable these days.

"Shit."

"We have to move, now! Or we'll lose them. Get to the car!"

"Give me your phone." "What?!" "Gordon, if you want to find the kid as quickly as possible, give me the phone."

"I've been telling you to replace your phone for months! I told you—!"

"Gordon, for fucks sake, the phone!"

Gordon tosses Bruce his phone as they quickly set off into the road. Gordon mumbles faint curses and profanities under his breath in Bruce's direction but the man couldn't have cared less. He could already tell this kid was more trouble than they were worth. Bruce lets out a frustrated sigh and begins to dial his driver.

"Hello?" "Archie?"

"Mr. Wayne?" "Why isn't the kid with you? Gordon just saw them running around the city?!"

"Mr. Wayne, let me explain—"

"How could you lose a child, especially one so volatile after everything they've be through!"

"They jumped out the car!" "What." "When we left the station, they started screaming and crying about wanting to get out, and they just bolted once we hit a red light. I knew I should've been more careful, but when I tried going after them in car, they were already gone."

"...Head back to the manor. We will discuss the consequences once this is over."

"Yes sir. Mr. Wayne, I am so sorry—"

Bruce hangs up before Archie could finish his apology. Gordon stares at him with expectant eyes.

"So?" "The kid ran and Archie lost them."

"Shit." "Did you see where they went?"

"Not that I could recall. I can send out a BOLO and have officers on patrol search."

"That won't be necessary. I can have someone find them. It would be a waste of police resources."

"...Do you even care if something happened to them?"

"Excuse me?!" "Really. Because it sounds to me like you would rather be doing something else entirely than be here."

"But I'm not. I'm here searching for them. The same as you. Now focus on the road, we don't have much time before nightfall."

"Don't fuck this up, Bruce." ".... Just drive, Gordon."

Bruce calls in a couple favors before they went back to the police station. Hopefully his contacts would be able to find the kid soon. He doesn't want to deal with another body today.

When they returned to the station, they see a few detectives crowd around a computer. It looks like they finished decrypting the flash drive they found in the safe. Gordon asks for Bruce to wait on the rooftop before rushing to see what the commotion was. Bruce exits the bullpen and heads off to the staircase. Knowing where most of the camera's blind spots were, he is already changed once he spots Gordon the rooftop, next to a lit-up bat signal.

"Was that really necessary?" "What, it's tradition."

Gordon gives Batman a smirk before retrieving a file and the flash drive from his coat pocket. Batman cocked his eyebrow in suspicion.

"The techs made a copy of the drive, so I thought you can keep it safe."

"You didn't have to—" "I know but it was either this or have you steal it from the evidence locker later."

"...I'll let you know once I finish analyzing the data."

Gordon was about ask something before being interrupted by Batman's communicator.

"Batman, come in Batman."

"Nightwing, report. Any signs of the subject?" "Nothing in the east quarter."

"Batman." "Red Robin, status." "Nothing from the west, and north was all clear."

"Who's in the south quarter?" "Robin is on patrol, but it seems mostly quiet. We haven't heard anything about a missing kid on the scanners either."

"That can't be right, I sent out a BOLO hours ago." "Gordon, you did what?" "Like you could have stopped me."

"Batman." "Robin. Status." "South Sector is clear. Nothing seems out of the ordinary."

Batman lets out a sigh before speaking, "Reconvene back to the base. I'll have Oracle look through the city servers and see if she could find anything. Over and out."

Batman couldn't believe it was taking this much effort to find one kid. He was already at his wits end with them and he hasn't even had a proper conversation with them. He couldn't even recall their name. That's how inconvenient this whole thing was. He wanted to stop searching, but he couldn't. Because he knew she would hate him for giving up like that.

"Don't give up on the kid." "What?" "I know that face. They need you, Batman. More than anything right now."

"...I'll give you that report soon. Take care."

With that, Batman takes his grappling gun and launches himself through the air. After making a quick stop at the Wayne Enterprise building and changing, he drives himself home back to the manor. He used the drive to think about how he would explain all of this to the family. Sure, another person coming to live in the manor wouldn't be out of the ordinary, but he feels with this one, everything is going to be different. His thoughts are interrupted once again by a call, this time from Alfred.

"Master Bruce. Finally, I have been calling all of your devices, where are you?" Alfred sounded rather frustrated, maybe he should get a new phone sooner rather than later.

"On my way back to the manor. Listen Alfred, there's a child who's gone missing. I sent the information the police had so far to the bat computer. If you can contact Oracle and ask her—" "They're here."

"Who?" "The child. At the manor." "What? How?" "I'm unsure myself. but they arrived in quite the state. Master Bruce, may I ask who this child is?"

".... They're Lilith's kid. She was murdered almost two days ago."

"Lilith... as in Lilith Sullivan?" "The same one."

"Wasn't she assumed dead?" "Well, we don't have to assume anymore."

"Bruce. I understand her death was hard on you when she first—"

"You said the kid was at the manor? Are they hurt?"

"No, but they did collapse. It seems that they ran all the way here from wherever you last saw them. They're resting the guest wing."

"Have everyone meet me in the Batcave. There are a few things that need to be explained and I assume they have questions."

"Right as always," Alfred chuckles, "I do have the feeling that I'm being eavesdropped on." Bruce hears footsteps patter off in the background and a slight thud. Predictable.

"We'll see you soon, Master Bruce."

With that, Alfred hangs up. And Bruce is left with his thoughts again. He was tried, angry, confused; more than anything else, he wants nothing to do with this kid. If that kid was really Lilith's, then he can't go through with being a parent. Not again, not with them. He was already a father, but they had a parent, and she was one of the worst and best things that ever happened to him. He's not ready. He can't.

He's a coward. And he's willing to be one until this kid realizes he couldn't be a parent, at least, not to them.

prev next

A/N: PART TWO BABYYYY, this shit is so fun to write. especially when I'm trying to actually do schoolwork. i hope y'all enjoy. and there may be edits later but for now, be nice and have fun!

Prologue: I wish I never met you..

Bruce Wayne… a role model, philanthropist, rich beyond his means. He was everything I wanted to be. I grew up thinking that this man, this guy was an inspiration. His parents died right in front of him, and he makes sure that no kid goes through what he went through. Not only did this man survive Gotham, but he also saved it. Hell, he rules Gotham. He couldn’t be any more perfect, right?

They always say to never meet your heroes; you put them in a pedestal too high that they will never be able to reach your expectations. I never wanted to meet Bruce, I didn’t want to ruin the image of him that I had in my head. Of the kind, caring man that he would be; the kind of father I have always wanted.

It was has always been me and mama. She took shit from no one and gave her all so we could live without want. I never thought I would miss the days we spent at the food pantry or riding the bus together. She made everything we did fun. I don’t think I can remember a day we weren’t laughing together. I never thought it would end the way it did. And that meeting Bruce Wayne would be the worst thing to ever happen to me, but it was.

—————————————————————————

5 years ago…

It’s been a half a decade since that day, and I can remember almost every detail about it. Mama planned a whole day for us to do together; we took a boat over to Metropolis and went to the aquarium, the pier, this huge arcade center where she won me this derpy looking bootleg of a black cat, it is my favorite toy… The day was perfect. Until we went to visit the Hall of Justice.

It’s stupid I know, going to the hall of justice is such a gimmick; such a tourist trap. But I was always jealous of the kids who bragged about visiting the hall and getting to meet the Flash or Superman; I just wanted to meet a hero. After begging and pleading for what felt like hours, she relented and we went off. I had never been so happy; I loved looking at the architecture and cool trophies from their battles. Everything in that hall told a story, and I couldn’t be more excited.

What I didn’t notice was my mother nearly having a stroke after stepping into the building. She was fucking petrified and I couldn’t have cared less; I was so up my own ass I couldn’t see my own mother struggling. I understand her fear now. Bringing her there was like bringing meat to a pack of rapid wolves.

Would she have told me, even if I was too young, what could I have done? I can barely comprehend how she could have hidden this from me my entire life, and that’s not even the worst of it!

No, the worst of it was when my mother was confronted by a certain bat hero once we were about to leave the hall. I was so enthralled by him that it didn’t even register with me that he was actively threatening my mother. I started jumping around and asking him questions at the speed of light; but his demeanor never changed. He was rigid, cold, and not very nice. I was nearly out of breath when the Flash appeared and began to talk to me. To me?! The Flash was talking to me! The perfect distraction for a hero obsessed kid. I never knew what they talked about that day, but when we were finally able to leave, my mother looked like she had the whole world on her shoulders. I wish I could’ve helped carry that weight, but I was too small. Too weak.

When we got back home to our dingy apartment, she took a phone call. That was the last thing she did. All night she was stuck on that damn phone call. Even as I told her goodnight. I kept telling myself what if, you know. What if I stayed up? What if I did something that day? Something that would have kept her alive...

Maybe if she wasn't so preoccupied with that call, she could have lived.

————————————————————————

I don't know how she died. I remember the faint stench of blood wafting into the air. The silence. The cold air. I didn’t think a death like that could be so quiet. So instant. I didn't know she was dead until I walked into the kitchen the next morning, found her laying down face first on the ground. I was frozen. I didn't even feel myself fall to ground right next to her. I don't even remember calling the police. I just sat there and looked over her corpse. She must have been so scared...

Everything happened so quickly after that, the investigation, the press, the conspirators. Everyone had a say in what happened to my mother. I wanted nothing more for all of it to end. The pain. The anguish. The crippling loneliness. I wanted to just end it. There was no one left for me here. That's what I believed. Everything came to a halt when Commissioner Gordon explained who my mother really was.

My mother had a life before me as most mothers do. What most mothers didn’t do was become a data broker for the criminal underworld. She had information on just about anyone, and can get you information on whatever you wanted, for a price. This was whole her life until she went dark for a couple years. The police had kept record of all her active up until her death. She became active again a couple weeks before her end. They thought I would have some insight in what she did, but all I knew about her work was as a waitress. It would have been nice to know my mother was one of the most infamous data brokers in the tristate area, but what the hell was I supposed to do? What could I do? What should I do?!

The more Commissioner Gordon tried to explain the more tired I got. I just wanted this all to stop. I didn't think they could surprise me anymore. But then they mentioned a safe. They found it in my mother's closet. Someone clearly tried to pry it open but failed. What they found inside was nothing short of a fucked-up joke. Three things, my birth certificate, a flash drive, and a paternity test. When they told me my father was alive and arriving soon, I think I had a heart attack.

————————————————————————

My mother and I never discussed who my father was because I never really cared to ask. Sure, I was jealous of kids at school with their dads, but that didn't make me love my mom any less. She was both of my parents, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

A sleek black town car arrives at the police station, and out comes the richest man in Gotham, Bruce Wayne. I don't think I spoke or even breathed for what felt like eternity. There he was, on the steps of the station, my dad, my father, my...idol?

Why does he look so angry? Why does he look at me so coldly? Did I do something to upset him? What did I do? All I remember after that was being ushered into the car and watching Bruce and Commissioner Gordon's conversation. I didn't see their faces, I couldn't understand a word they were saying, but I saw their bodies. The tense shoulders balled up fists, and invading personal space. Bruce was angry. Why?

It ended as quickly as it started. Bruce rushed back into the car and sat in the front seat. We haven't said a word to each other since he arrived, and I have no intention in starting a conversation. All I could think about was my mother and why my father could ever hate me.

"...We'll pick up your things tomorrow. You should get some rest."

He steps out of the car and the driver heads to the manor. What in the actual fuck just happened. I couldn't think, breathe, I wanted out, I wanted to leave-! I yelled at the driver to let me out. Screamed, pleaded, begged. We hit a stop light and I booked it. I just ran, and ran, and ran. I didn't know how I got there, but I was back home. Back where it happened. I guess I wasn't the only one either. I hear their voices, Bruce and Gordon. What were they doing here?

"Did you really know the mother? Or was she...you know?"

"Jesus, Gordon. Really?"

"Bruce, you do have quite the track record of-"

"Not another word. This kid just lost their mother; do you have to make this any more uncomfortable?"

"Death is always uncomfortable, and you have the tendency to withhold details of your 'escapades' even if they may help with our investigations."

"Gordon." "Bruce."

"...Her family was well connected and she was the center of it all. Any rumors, reports, theories; everything about anything came across her desk. She helped me out on a few cases. We got close."

"Close enough that-" "That disparaging her, especially now, is out of the question."

"That bad, huh?" "...She makes Talia look like Mother Teresa."

"Holy fuck... And the kid?" "The timeline makes sense, so it could be possible."

"You have doubts? We did find the paternity test, those can't easily be faked."

"Not for the average person. But she was different. Meticulous, smart, and well connected; hell she could have faked her death-!"

"Bruce-!" "You didn't know her like I did, she hid herself so well she had her own kid convinced that she was nothing but-"

"What happened to not disparaging the dead?! Bruce, I am vehemently aware that I have no idea who this woman was, but what I do know is that she was and is the most important person to that kid and you don't have the right to decide whether or not she is worth mourning over. You lost your parents; don't you remember how that feels??"

".... I won't abandon the kid. But I can guarantee they are just like their mother."

"What the hell does that even mean?" "They can't be trusted."

"Bruce-" "I'll write down a full report of what I know about her and send it your way; just let it go."

"Fine."

With that, I hear Gordon approach the front door, and I run out of the building. Maybe they heard me run, maybe they saw me rushing out through the window. Whatever they did next, I don't know. What I do know is that I never want to see his face again. For a slight moment, I thought maybe this could have been the start of something good. Maybe we could have bonded over our memories of my mama, maybe have a proper ceremony, become a real family....

I wish I never met him.

next

A/N: I eat this genre up everytime and thought it was about time I write something. Please be kind this is my first fic, be gentle yall. Anyway posts will be irregular as hell, but this will be continued. Let’s have some fun!