Hello thanks for coming to read my story, it may be a good idea to either print this out or copy and paste it somewhere because when I'm finished it will be a good ten to fifteen page story, but don't let that dicourage you, this is a worthwhile story.
This story takes place in a seperate universe then the current D.C. heroes, The reason it's called 'Human' is because of the fact that everybody is human, there are no superpowered people running around, this universe is very much like our own. Enjoy, e-mail me at mrbrown_1@Hotmail.com .
Batman looked at the painting he had only days earlier put up in the cave, lately he hadn't been getting out much so he liked to look at the paintings and reminice. The cave was still dark, yet it carried more sound now, for there were several hundred people living there now, most of them young, homeless and confused, others were just atomitons that needed to be led. Bruce heard the scratch of metal bristles as he moved the wire brush down the barrel of the 44. Magnum he was holding. He hadn't gone out as Batman in two months and Gothamites were all wondering and Hoping he was dead.
Bruce put down the 44. and picked up a shiny silver DD44 Dostovei and began cleaning that, he continued to look at the painting and smile, he liked paintings they helped him to calm himself, he looked down into the cave at his wife training on the high bars down below and smiled, he put the DD44 down and walk over to the edge and called "Hel, would you like some Tea?"
"No thanks Hon, I have to finish my routine, get some for yourself though" Said Helena from the top of the highbar. Alfred had long left, so Bruce had to make his own tea, he liked doing things for himself, since he was young he had been waited on hand and foot, but since Alfred left back to London to pursue his drought acting career Bruce was forced to fend for himself, although Alfred left on bad terms with Bruce he would still feel like a traitor if he hired someone else. He made the journey up the marble stairs of the cave and through the Grand Father clock that served as the enterance and exit to the cave. Bruce made his way to the kitchen made sure that the kettle water was hot. He poured the kettle's water into a small china cup and took a quick sip as he walked out the door. There were serveral children in the downstairs living room all sitting around watching t.v. and some reading on the sofas. Bruce continued his journey into the library were he found his long time friend Jean Paul Valley.
"Paul?" Bruce asked as Jean Paul looked up from the book he was reading
"just wondering if you wanted some tea?".
"No, thanks anyway.... Bruce,.... have you ever read this book?" asked Jean Paul.
"What is it? oh, Zorro, yes it is a favorite of mine, when I was younger and even now" Said Bruce with a smile.
"Bruce......" Jean Paul looked reflective for a moment, "do you ever.....think about Jason, the only reason I asked, What we're doing....what we are planning to do I mean, these people are not warriors like us Bruce, they are simple people with no talent for the work...and as I recall from your stories Jason wasn't cut out for the work either".
"That's why we spent all this time training them, for the enevitable breakdown of society" said Bruce, the smile now gone from his face.
"I don't mean physical training Bruce, I mean mental conditioning, these people don't have the same disposition as we do Bruce." Jean Paul was looking back at Zorro on the cover.
"Don't worry, with you, Helena and I, we should be fine." said Bruce with a curious look on his face "I was thinking of going out tonight, care to join me?" Bruce's smile had returned.
"No I think I'll stay here and look after the masses." Said Jean Paul with a grimace.
"Fine suit yourself." Bruce didn't think Jean Paul was cut out for the work.
Slade Wilson looked over the grounds of Wayne manor, "The brown and orange sky holds it's breathe as the sun retreats into the distant horizon....." he smiled and then looked back at his friend Donovan. " Hey Donnie, wait up, said Slade as he jogged to catch up with his friend. "Where are you going, I'm not done whupping you yet!" Said Slade with a smile on his face.
"Bruce just called us in, didn't you hear him?" asked Donovan, who was slightly smaller then Slade "....and if I remeber, I was doin all the whuppin' son..." in his thick country drawl.
Slade looked at his watch, 7:30 p.m. "So what does Bruce want?"
"I don't know, what do I look like a Clairvoyant,"
"No you look like a Moron to me" said Slade with a smile.
"Slade your dumb as an ox and uglier then an ox's ass".
Slade walked down the path from the training grounds and pulled slightly ahead of his counterpart. Slade had come to Bruce a herion addict and Bruce had turned him into a person again, Bruce made him better. Slade was one of the world's greatest gunman and he had taught Bruce how to shoot good and from what Robin told him Bruce used to hate guns, Slade knew people change, drasticly sometimes.
Bruce looked over all the faces in the library, some dirty from working out, some old, most young. "The reason I brought you all here this evening....well I wanted to touch base with you on why we're here, because I've heard some of you have your doubts about why we are here and why you are here in peticular, I know why I'm here, I'm here because I own the deed to this house and I am looking for some soldiers to help me, The world is dark people, now the reason your here.....Well it's for one reason, you are the people who fell beneath the cracks, Now I'm going to tell you all a little story, about a man, he used to follow my way but he chose the highway, his name was Richard, Richard had his own ideas, which is good.....sometimes, anyway Richard had his ideas I had mine, so Richard left and became his own man, theres another story that I'm sure you all know, It's about another man, Jason, he had his own ideas, he, just like Richard followed his own path, he's dead now, because he didn't listen to me,.....now the moral of the story, if your going to listen, listen good, if your not goin to listen leave!" Bruce stepped of the podium and walked out of the library. He stopped in the kitchen to get some tea, then walked towards the grandfather clock on the wall and set the hands to 10:40 and the door opened, a path led down some marble steps into the cave, his cave where he spent most of his time, training.....practicing.
The old suit still fit after the two month hieadis he had from the Batman identity, he put some gas pellets into the belt pouch and holstered the 44. and DD44 he was cleaning earlier today. He walked over to the computer/CB and turned it on. " .......*shcak* he's on Kaner street heading up towards Baker boulevard, *shcakk* we do not have visual confirmation that the Mayor is unharmed." "*sheeesssh*.... 42 are you off Kaner yet" another voice jumped in "no, I'm still on storer........" Batman was gone before the last sentence left the dispatcher's mouth.
The Batmobile moved down the Gotham turnpike at about 250 towards intown, Batman listened to the scanner in his car "*42 are you there yet?" " yeah, yeah !I'm 10-3" he responded, 42 must be Bullock tonight thought Bruce as he sped toward exit 7-a to midtown. He wished he could've found Helena for this but he couldn't. He didn't want to put his wife in danger after all. She had come to him about two years ago, the misunderstood Daughter of a mob boss knee deep in danger, Bruce trained her, and eventually fell for her. He didn't want to lose her after Jason.
He pulled toward midtown and saw flashing lights ahead, The Mayor's transport was heading up Baker and Bruce knew that street well, he pulled hard left on the wheel and cut down Rosevelt toward the oncoming highjacked coupe that belonged to Mayor Gordon and his wife Kitty. He had long ago severed his connection to Jim after Jim swore out a warrent on him for killing the Joker after Joker killed Jason. Bruce Killed the Joker with his own bare hands, it felt great then, but terrible after. He saw the oncoming Coupe and swurved in front of it, the coupe swurved to get out of the way and ended up on the sidewalk, Bruce chuckled.
He stopped chuckling when the car swurved into a store front window and seconds later exploded. The Batmobile stopped and Batman jumped out and ran toward the fire. He used his cape as a shield form the heat and tried to pull the door off of the car but it was jammed shut. Blue lights started flashing all around and Batman still tried to pull the door off.
"Freeze mother fucker!!!!" said one of the cops now on the sceen, "don't even Move!!".
"Please let me help him!!!" Said Batman as several more cops arrived on the sceen, Batman pulled his 44. and shot the first cop in the chest, it might break a couple of ribs, but with his kevlar vest he'd survive. Batman ran for the Batmobile through the hailstorm of bullets, he reached it no problem and the hatch covered him and he hit the ignition. He drove into a road block of five or so cop cars and tried to turn onto the sidewalk, but a car pulled up there too. He decided to put it into reverse and ram them, and it worked too, the Batmobile cut through the cop cars easily. Batman rode away with a grimace, he prayed for the first time since he lost Jason.
Later on Gotham news Television police commisioner Montoya issued a warrent for the arrest of Batman, for murder of James Gordon, and attempted murder on a Gotham city Police officer.
Bruce pulled into the Batcave and slid out of the roof. Helena was there waiting for him. He pulled down his cowel and hugged her. "I....I..killed James?" said Batman almost not sure of himself.
"No it was and accident honey, comere let me look at you" Said Helena guiding him over to the small infirmary in the cave. "Now tell me what happened" she said but Bruce didn't respond. They just sat there with each other.
"Tell everyone that nothing has changed, tell them to go on patrol like every night, nothing....has changed" said Bruce in a whisper.
Dick walked over to the nightstand and put on his watch, he looked over at the bed and saw Barbara still sleeping. He looked out the window onto the streets of Bludhaven and realized that it looked much friendlier in the morning than at night. He walked into the kitchen and turned on the coffee machine, pulled a cup from the cabinet and set it down next to the coffee maker. Dick pulled a draw open and grabbed a small pad of paper and a pen. He set them down on the table and wrote a note to Barbara:
Babs,
gone to see Bruce today, see if I can talk him down, I will be back for 4:30.
Love, Dick
He grabbed the keys to the Saturn and poured some coffee as he walked out the door. Once on the inter state Dick started to rethink this whole plot, he hadn't seen Bruce in almost a year, he never came to the wedding which really hurt Dick because Bruce was like a father to him. He sent flowers but its not like he was there or anthing. Bruce was pretty upset with Dick for trying to talk him into turning himself in after he killed the Joker. Dick messed with the radio dials until he came a Bludhavens alternative rock station and took another sip of his coffee. He had a spare costume in the trunk as well as some spare fighting batons in case he ran into trouble. He didn't expect to but there was always a maybe, Bruce could have gone right wing on him or something like that. Dick stopped at the toll both, paid the toll and he was officially in Gotham. He was going to try to talk to Bruce alone without his groupies around, Dick had heard from Conner Hawke that Bruce had "the worlds greatest gunman" Slade Wilson up there. Conner and Dick were very good friends. Dick changed lanes and adjsuted his seat, Bruce hadn't been the same since he took the bullet to the head from the Joker and Dick knew that, He had lost alot of blood and some of his motor skills, but Bruce is a fighter he came 110% better than he was before. After about ten more mintues of driving Dick reached his exit. After he was off he started to remeber the area and in no time he was pulling up the Wayne manor driveway. He reached the gate and pushed the button in the small neck that came up from the ground.
"Hello?" he said wondering why no one had answered when the doors slid opened. "thanks" said Dick as he drove in.
He aproached the front door and some old guy answered it, "may I help you young man?" said the old man.
"Yes, I'm here to see Bruce, ...Wayne" said Dick and the man just stood there looking at him.
Dick walked up to the door and walked past the old man, The old man said "Shall I have to call security?"
Dick walked over to the grandfather clock and put the hands on 10:40 and the door slid opened. "Bruce?" he called down the stairs.
"Come on down Dick" said a female voice from down the stone stairs.
Dick catiously walked down the stairs and ducked his head around to see down into the Cave. Helena was sitting at the computer console and Bruce was down on the next level doing push-ups. He continued to walk down the stairs when Bruce started coming up from the lower level. He met Dick with a frown as he looked him over. "How's Barbara?" asked Bruce.
Dick gave him a frown and said "fine". Dick looked Bruce in the eye but Bruce broke contact, another sign he had changed, Bruce had always beleved in eye to eye contact while talking. "I came...." said Dick but Bruce finished his sentence for him.
"....Because of what happened last night, I know" Said Bruce wiping sweat off of his face.
"Bruce you need help, you can't do this to yourself." said Dick as Bruce walked toward Helena.
"The Nightwing comes back to help the Batman, thats cute, but the secret is Dick, I don't need help, its not me that needs help, its the world." Said Bruce picking up his water bottle.
"That may be so but your not the man to help, are you Bruce? not anymore anyway. You not the same Bruce, your not Batman, your not Bruce Wayne, your nobody anymore." Bruce shot him a look that scared Dick for a moment. "Bruce, you need to stop"
"Stop what Dick!?" yelled Bruce.
"Why are all these people here Bruce, Huh? they needed help?, Bruce your not helping them your turning them into a cult" Said Dick as Bruce turned and backhanded him across the face. Dick fell down and looked up at Bruce who now had his head down looking at the stone floor, Helena hugging him from behind.
"Leave now Dick, Leave" Said Bruce in almost a whisper.
"I'm not leaving Bruce, unless you let me help you" Said Dick whiping the blood form his mouth.
"Fine" said Bruce as he walked to the cosole and pushed a button "Slade?"
"Yeah Bruce" said a voice over the intercom.
"Could you come here a minute and bring Donovan" said Bruce into the intercom.
"Sure thing, hold on a second" said Slade on the other line.
"Now enjoy your stay at Wayne manor" Said Bruce with a superficial smile.
Dick stood up and threw a round house at Bruce and Bruce blocked it and gave Dick an uppercut that put Dick back onto the ground. The door opened and Slade walked in followed by Donovan, "Bring him to one of the emty, lockable, rooms, and then put his car in the garage" said Bruce to the pair. As they left Bruce went back to training, he felt trouble on the horizon for Dick.
Slade and Donovan led Dick by the crook of his arms to a small room without any windows he couldn't resist, they were strong and they probally had been trained by Bruce. Dick had never been in this room, even though he spent alot of his childhood exploring the mansion. This room had a bed, a T.V., a fridge and a bathroom. Dick was placed into a chair and he sat there for a moment after they left. That wasn't Bruce in there, if that had been Bruce he would have assumed that Dick could escape a trap like this. His face was still numb from that uppercut Bruce had given him and his gums were bleeding a little. He stood up and looked at the bed, Actually, come to think of it he had been in this room before. Once, he had come in here and looked at the paintings in boxes, but those pictures weren't here anymore, Bruce had remade all the rooms for his guests, Bruce had the right idea, but at the same time the wrong one. Dick sat on the bed and put his face in his hands to think, he would have to find a way out of this one.
4:30 rolled around and Barbara became worried for Dick, he wasn't ussually right on time, he was ussually early. She put the spagetti sauce on low heat and went to the phone to call Bruce. She picked up the reciever and dialed the number to the mansion. Someone answered and she asked to talk to Bruce Wayne, and when Bruce came on he sounded cheerful.
"What's the matter Barbara?" said Bruce.
"Bruce has Dick been there yet?" she asked.
"Dick? no, why?" asked Bruce.
"He said he was going to see you this afternoon, but he hasn't been back yet" She said now worried.
"Well he hasn't shown up here, but if he does I'll tell him your worried" said Bruce.
"Okay thanks Bruce, bye" said Barbara.
"Wait Barbara, do you need to talk?" said Bruce. Which was strange for Bruce to ask that, especially Bruce.
"No...No I'm fine" said Barbara.
"Okay, you call if you do, okay? bye" Said Bruce on the other line before the click. That was strange thought Barbara, I don't think he's ever been like that before, especially the day after he killed a man by accident. It smelled like sour grapes to Barbara.
Bruce hung up the reciever and looked at Slade, "Wilson, take somebody and go crash his car into a tree, now" said Bruce.
"Okay Mr. Wayne" said Slade as he tapped Donovan on the shoulder.
"Oh and Slade, make it look like a robbery, put a gun in there, mabye shoot up the trees." Said Bruce.
Bruce wondered where Jean Paul was today, he was probally training in the gym. Bruce would go see him later, right now he had to worry about Dick. Bruce didn't know why he'd have his own "son" locked up. But for the first time in his life he was content with life. He didn't like the fact that the night before he had killed Jim Gordon, but he had a wife, he had a family. The reason Jim was the Mayor was because he had stopped affiliating with Batman, that had shot him up like a rocket. Jim was a good man though, Bruce would've liked it if he'd have lived through it but he didn't and Bruce put the events of last night away, anyway the cops didn't know that Bruce was Batman.
John Paul walked through the front doors of the police station, it was time to confess his soul. The man at the counter asked what he wanted and John Paul answered, "I'd....like to speak to Detective Bullock about what happened last night, to the Mayor, right" said John Paul looking across the counter at the Officer.
"Okay, sir...name?....."Said the Officer "Name?..."
"Ohh, sorry, John Paul Valley, would you like me to spell it?" said John Paul.
"No, thanks. I think I can manage, have a seat and if a Detective is interested he'll be out." Said the Officer before closing the window. Jean Paul walked over to the row of seats and took one. He hoped he was doing the right thing, being here, He was worried about the people and Bruce and Helena for that matter, she had always been nice to him. After about five minutes wait, Harvey Bullock walked out and looked at him. " You Jean Paul?," asked Bullock.
"Yeah, yes I am" said John as Bullock nodded and cleaned his teeth with his tounge.
"Youse comin?" asked Harvey with a impatient look on his face.
"Yeah, Yeah sorry, my mind is somewhere else." said John Paul.
"Hurry up I've got a hot date with a cold one" said Bullock through the doorway as he gestured for Jean Paul to follow him. After they got into the interigation room, Bullock closed the door and looked at John Paul for a second. "So....".
"It's started about ten months ago, or so I'm told, I wasn't there but I was told. Batman and Robin went looking for Robin's mother. One woman claimed to be her, but she was working in cahoots with the Joker. Joker killed Robin and when Batman arrived Joker was gone So Batman went back to the U.S. and found out that the Joker was the new Ambassidor to the U.S. from Iran or some country out there, anyway, Batman killed the Joker on the spot and was nearly arrested, I also heard that Batman took a bullet somewhere in the head, but it didn't kill him...." Bullock interupted.
"Hold on a second, you want Coffee?" asked Bullock.
"Yeah sure, okay" said John Paul. Bullock walked out the door and came back a minute later with two cups of Coffee. Bullock nodded for him to go on. "So Batman took a bullet to the head and lived. Since then he has been inviting people up to the Mansion, and He's married now. And last night he killed Mayor Gordon, by accident, and I'm worried something else is going to happen, it's like a cult up there. Bruce has got......." he was interupted by Harvey once again.
"Bruce.. Bruce Wayne, are you saying Bruce wayne is Batman?" Asked Harvey.
Jean Paul looked at him, "yes".
"Jesus jumped up Christ, are you sure, we've ahd people come in here saying Boy George is Batman, We have pictures of them together?" said Bullock looking slightly puzzled.
"Well......." said Jean Paul as he pulled a picture of the Mansion from the inside with all those people living there. "Does this improve your disposition?"
"Well let me get some of my supiriors in here and I'll be right back, Okay?" said Bullock as he turned to walk out.
"Fine" said Jean to himself, he couldn't belive what he'd just done to Bruce but he needed to be stopped and Jean wasn't good enough to do it.
The next day came and Barbara made her way down the sidewalk in downtown Metropolis, toward the 'Green Arrow DA' sign she saw down the street a little ways. Dick hadn't been home all night but the police had called saying they had found his car crashed into a tree with no sign of Dick what so ever. They were saying it was probally a robbery attempt but if it was Dick was one of the most capable of defending himself on the planet. So Barbara knew what had happened, Bruce had done something with him. She didn't think Bruce would kill him. Not at all actually. She was going to find out what had happened though one way or another, Dick had promised to quit the Superheroing thing when the baby was born, she had quit when she got pregnant..., obviously. She walked through the door and up a flight of stairs into the office of the receptionist, 'Lucy Lane' it said on the desk tag. "Excuse me?" Said Barbara.
"Yes how may I help you today?" said the young blonde as she looked up.
"I'm here to talk with Oliver......for a moment" she said.
"Please have a seat, I'll ask him, do you have an appointment?"
"Yes" said Barbara "For twelve o' clock."
"Okay just a minute" she said as she picked up the phone "Okay, yep okay" she said over the phone then she put it down "Mr. Queen will see you now".
Barbara walked through the large Oak doors into Oliver Queen's office. He was turned toward the window talking on the telephone with someone else sitting in a the chair across the room wearing a GA union suit.
Oliver hung up the phone and turned around, "Roy, just get the arrows, I don't care how long it'll take for them to arrive, we've got a business to run here as much as it pains me to say it. Come on boy move it, we're under siege, boy move, move." said Ollie.
When Roy was gone he smiled "so the now rutund Batgirl comes to see old man Queen ehh?"
"I'm pregnant Oliver, and I'm here on business" she said.
"Ahhh, busisness, my least favorite subject, so what is it going to be girl, don't tell me, you need me to find something you lost in your utility belt ehh? hee, heh sorry bad joke" said Oliver.
"No Oliver, I need your help, did you hear what happened to Gordon in Gotham".
"Yes....The Batman killed him, sorry about your loss by the way, what does that have to do with me and my five associates?" asked Ollie
"My husband, Nightwing, I'm not sure how you knew my secret either, But I guess secrets aren't good in a partnership...." Barbara stopped when Olliver gave her an amused look but went on, "but anyway, Batman killed my Father and when Dick went to investigate this morning he was kidnapped by Bru.....Batman."
Oliver looked down at his desk for a moment and said as if reminicing about times past "you want me, or us rather to go get him out" said Oliver as he nodded "You want me to challange the Batman?"
"If Dick is still alive of course.....?" answered Barbara with a forced smile. "I have money, Mr. Queen......of course."
Ollie shot here a hurt look and said as if aghast "....What kind of animal do you think me to be?......, I only charge if I come solve your problem?"
Barbara smiled and sat down across from Oliver.
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