White Knight-Batman SI (Bruce x Rachel)(OC x Selina Kyle)

Part 14

Chapter 14

BRUCE WAYNE

Thomas's words still rang in his head as he watched his brother climb up the stairs of the manor. It seemed that his brother wasn't as simple as he had thought, and truthfully, Bruce didn't know what to make of that.

He could understand the reason behind his actions, yet he held fear as well, for he knew firsthand how intoxicating power like that could be. Thomas's power was checked as he literally bought his way into the city's rotten system, trying to reform it.

He didn't know if anyone could be trusted with so much power, yet he could also not deny the positive effect he was having, nor how, if it wasn't him, the rotten elite of this city would be using the same tactics to save themselves from justice.

So, with a long sigh, he plopped down on the chair and looked at Alfred.

"You never told me of this side of Thomas," he nearly complained as their trusted butler simply raised a brow.

"Your brother has many sides just as you, Master Bruce," he tacitly replied, and he nodded and replied as he picked up the water bottle and put it to his mouth.

"And one of them aims to control this very city," he retorted to Alfred.

"Not control, improve," Alfred cut in.

"And isn't that what you are trying to do as well, but in a different way? Your brother is just trying to help this city in his own way," Alfred cut in, and he shook his head.

"I have lines that I have vowed never to cross, but from the way he just talked, I am beginning to think he doesn't. And for someone with as much power as him, that is dangerous," he replied, looking straight at his butler.

"Very dangerous."

He had vowed never to take a life, to aid in bringing justice to this city, to not become the judge, jury, and executioner all at once. Batman was to be a symbol, one to spread fear amongst the criminal element infesting this city, to do what ordinary men couldn't do, to stand up where ordinary men could not.

"Your brother has limits, and though it may seem to you that they do not exist but that is exactly what he wants everyone to presume," Alfred cut in, his tone a bit sad as he glanced at him, making him frown.

"There are people in this city, people who live only because of your brother's restraint. Their crimes are numerous, some of them targeted at Master Thomas himself, and though as retaliation, he had them exposed and had them prosecuted as per law, he never went beyond that," Alfred replied, and he knew that there was more to this.

"Then what of those men, the ones who were at this apartment, and those that can be found near Rachel," he argued, for that all seemed like a private militia to him. All these men were well-trained and armed with the latest weapons.

Their skill had been enough to push back against the League's enforcers, which was not a small feat at all. And though they had sustained injuries, they had ultimately succeeded in their task.

And that was one more thing that worried him. The League of Shadows.

He had hoped that he had brought an end to the organization when he had burned their monastery to the ground. Yet somehow, it had survived, and now they were back, and their target was none other than his own city.

And most importantly, Thomas was somehow aware of them. How?

"When the criminal element in the city realized that they could not go after Master Thomas, they tried to target others around him. His friends, most specifically Miss Rachel," Alfred replied, and he perked up at that.

"It caused Master Thomas quite some distress, and their demands were simple they wished for him to stop his reforms, to stop helping the poor and the needy. Yet he couldn't do that, that is why those men were guarding Miss Rachel, and that is also why your brother takes that boundary less posture, for he knows the importance of his work, knows how much this city needs him, and so while he may not respond to an attack on himself, but if one were to target those he cares about," he added as he stood up.

"He is not afraid of pushing his boundary a bit forward, just to send a message," Alfred clarified, and he didn't know what to make of this all.

Yet what could he do? Thomas had known of his secret and had not judged him for it. Instead, he had helped him, put his trust in him. There was no denying that the city was rotten to the core and that if Thomas was to give up his power, someone else, someone much eviler and more sinister, would take his place.

"I can see that, and what I fear is that maybe in the future, he won't know when to stop," he said, looking at his own reflection in the table glass.

"Then you should tell him," Alfred's voice cut in, bringing with it a sense of clarity as his head snapped toward the aged butler.

"After all, it is an elder brother's job to guide the younger one, isn't it," he said, and he smiled, a sense of ease overtaking him.

"Thank you, Alfred," he said, and he was genuinely thankful. It seems his time with the League and as Batman had robbed him of some basic reasoning, for the truth was that though he may not feel comfortable with Thomas's powers, it was also true that that same power could end up in the hands of someone much more sinister.

"No need, Master Bruce. And I believe you must show some trust in Master Thomas just as he has done for you. From someone who has seen him grow up all these years, I can proudly say..." said Alfre with glinting eyes.

"....there is no man in Gotham more trustworthy with all that power apart from young Master Thomas," he said, his voice unwavering and confident, as Bruce nodded.

"Thank you," he said as he stood up, his mind now moving on to the other thing Thomas had mentioned about making a splash.

If it was found out that he was indeed Batman, it could be very bad. Perhaps he should take his advice.

"Didn't the prima ballerina have a show tonight?" he asked Alfred, remembering receiving an invite to the show some days ago, and Alfred nodded.

"Indeed, Master Bruce," came the reply, and he made up his mind as he stood up and buttoned up his suit.

"Brilliant!" he said as he leapt out of the chair and began to walk out the door, walking towards the literal row of car keys hanging by the door.

"Which one of our cars is the most recognizable, Alfred?" he questioned the butler behind him.

"I would say that would be Master Thomas's Audi. The Times even did a piece on it," Alfred replied.

"Though I would recommend against using that one," the aged butler quickly added just as he was about to pick up those Audi keys.

"Master Thomas will not like that," he finished, and Bruce's lips turned up.

"Well, you can tell him that is what he gets for hiding his little girlfriend from me," he said and saw Alfred's lips turn up as the old butler simply shrugged.

"It's your funeral, Master Bruce," before he added in a somber tone.

"And what of Miss Rachel? What will you tell her?" he questioned again, making him still on the steps of Wayne manor.

"For now," he replied after some thought.

"Nothing."

And with that, he walked up to the white Audi parked in the driveway, got in, pushed in his key, and sped out of the manor.

And if our young master Thomas wasn't engaged in certain activities, they would have been able to listen to the notification on their phone signaling that their car had been hijacked and later crashed into the infamous Gotham opera house by an allegedly drunk Bruce Wayne, who would later drive away in the same car yet this time with the ballerina herself.

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