Chapter Text
Darkness…always darkness, Bruce Wayne had thought he had reached the bottom of the pit of despair and the very being of pure emptiness when he had walked down deaths door that lonesome night in the alley way with his parents. Even more so in the pit and even now as “The Batman” it was a path that would only lead to his demise.
He thought he thrived in it, the very edge of light and dark was the only place “The batman” could exist because if it were to disappear so would Batman. The path he walked was a solemn one and he had been warned by even Alfred that eventually that darkness that was the fuel for Batman would swallow him whole and leave nothing behind.
But sitting here in this burning building with a massive log pinning his leg to the floor was not how he had planned it to go, it all seemed too bleak, heroes weren’t meant to die such an ordinary death, there would be no fits of glory, no stories of heroism, just an empty spot on the local News Column. Spots of blackness danced in his head like drops of black ink. Bats crawling around in the caves of his mind, he was bought back to his childhood reduced to a boy In a cave surrounded by only those blind bats scrambling around in the darkness.
He closed his eyes ready for the inevitable the sound of glass shattering from the climbing fire consuming the building he was trapped in sounded like a symphony of chaos.
Words from the stories Alfred used to tell him wrapped around him like a comforting blanket, it was one about a boy who was just as lost as bruce had felt as a child and the words had comforted him ever since…
“To die would be an awfully great adventure..”
He sighed as his body relaxed and he thought of Alfred tenderly.
“I’m sorry old friend…this is it for me” He muttered coughing up soot his lungs burning.
Darkness….just as he was fading, the many wounds on his body sapping him of his strength a hand was held in front of him.
Alfred? He thought to himself his eyes weakly fluttering open as he was slowly going under the spell of unconsciousness he saw a white gloved hand, a standard police uniform in navy blue and as he looked up at the man in question his features blurry he could just make out the faintest hints of a Glasgow smile.Then he was dragged under the wave of blackness passing out that smile sinking into his head like an anchor.
1 month later
“Haven’t you ever heard of the healing power of laughter?”
Bruce held the card In his hand. It had a mocking sense of irony to it, a wit…or a private joke that was aimed at him and he didn’t know what it meant, and he needed to know.
It was inscribed in gold cursive writing, too fancy to be a corner store card stock and on the left was a imprint of a Lyrebird.
This was only the 100th time he had read the card trying to decode it.
It had been attached to his costume when he had woken up in an alley, his wounds patched up enough that he didn’t die that night, whoever it was had dragged him out of the building a distance away but not too far that he couldn’t hear the sound of ambulances ringing in his head and fire brigades rushing to the burning building and the smell of smoke, ash and burning still buried In his nostrils, Alfred had tracked him down using his homing beacon and bought him home.
Alfred also hadn’t let him leave the manor for an entire month and the only way he had gotten Bruce to agree was if he searched for this strange officer.
The events to occur only became stranger.His smile branding itself on Bruces mind.
Something nagged at Bruce tortured him, whoever this person was they didn’t ask for glory, there was no award ceremonies, no prestigious titles, no press conferences done by The Gotham City Police force. Saving the Batman, any other person would have used this to at least get a promotion but nothing, radio silence.
He’d even got Alfred to hack into the Gotham City Police Force data base, searched by hand every single officer in the whole force by hand meticulously without cutting any corners he had lost sleep, sanity and dignity searching for this “Ghost-of-a-man” that seemingly didn’t exist.
“Are you going to keep fussing with that card Master Bruce you haven’t touched your breakfast.”Bruce looked into the concerned eyes of his old friend and sighed. “Sorry Alfred, of course.”
He sat up straighter tucking into the delicious breakfast Alfred had made, his shoulders slumping from his lack of sleep and maddening search.
“I’m telling you Alfred it’s like this man doesn’t exist.” He said between mouthfuls of sausage and egg, it had been part of the agreement that he would listen to Alfred in terms of eating and resting.
Alfred gave him a pensive look. “Master Bruce we have scoured the very depths of the local police force, looked over into the neighbouring cities and their police forces…are you sure it wasn’t…just..”
Bruce stopped and sighed.
“I promise Alfred I’m not crazy, he was there! I couldn’t have dragged myself to the alley way several blocks away.”
“You saw my injuries, I couldn’t have….healed…”
The radio sparked to life.
Thank you everyone for your donations to the “Heal the children” comedy show, It is going to be a fantastic night with special guest and millionaire philanthropist BRUCE WAYNE will be attending so it is going to be a special night at the old town house. Remember tickets needed to be booked 3 weeks in advance and have your tickets out at the front gate. We will also like to thank Jim Gordon for volunteering his officers tonight…
Whatever else was being said was lost on Bruce as a light bulb went off in his head.
Alfred nearly jumped out of his skin as Bruce shot up knocking his own cup of tea over, it splashing all over the imported carpet as he basically climbed over the table.
“Bruce that was new.” Alfred huffed.
“WAIT WHAT!” Bruce yelled nearly tripping over himself to get to the radio.
Alfred was busy trying to pat at the stain starting to form on the carpet.
Alfred mistaking it for anger sighed “Bruce you must make an appearance they’re going to get suspicious…”
“No Alfred don’t you understand?” Bruce beamed at the man who looked at him as though he had lost the last of his sanity.
He scampered over to Alfred and pulled him in an surprisingly strong hug.
“Bruce! Have you lost your mind?”
Bruce pulled back realising he wasn’t making the slightest sense and coughed to cover his embarrassment, he handed Alfred the radio.
“No Alfred I thought I was losing it, but its all starting to make sense now.” Alfred gave him a puzzled look.
“ Haven’t you ever heard of the healing power of laughter.”Bruce repeated and he patted Alfred’s back.
“He meant the charity event, not just me, oh thank you Alfred.”
Alfred gave him a warm smile, the older man tenderly looking at Bruce “Ah I will get your coat ready.”
As Alfred gathered the last of their plates just as he was walking up the stairs to exit the study a nervous voice followed him. “Uh hey Alfred?”Alfred paused and waited “Yes Master Bruce?” An awkward cough followed “Would you get me the new suit, the one with purple lapels.” Alfred tried not to let the glee in his voice show.
“Impressing someone master?” A strangled laughter followed and that was all the answer Alfred needed. He left a rather puzzled Bruce to sit and think.
