"Wai- WHAT!" I couldn't help but shout once I realized that we were headed to Wayne Manor.
It was no wonder that Batman was okay with my first response for a whole banquet when he asked what would we like to eat. The guy is the billionaire Bruce Wayne!
Jason and I exchanged shocked looks as we sat on the passenger's seat of the Batmobile, which camouflaged as your typical expensive car from outside.
Expensive...
Damn, it was so obvious.
"Wait! You're Bruce Wayne?!" Jason jumped up to place his hands behind the headrest of Batman's seat.
A single smirk from the vigilante and it was obvious that he was looking forward to our reactions since the beginning. We even sort of slandered his name when we were eating the burger he bought for us.
°• Flashback •°
"Why do you both think it's okay to steal things from people?" Batman asked, resting against the Batmobile as Jason and I sat on top of it.
Jason raised his eyebrow, "You kidding me? Look at this view. Freaking billionaire playboy thinks he's the king of the world, hah"
"If I could, I'd steal from him too. I don't care" I shrugged, continuing to eat my burger. "Thergh no exshceptions" I added with food muffling my words.
"Sometimes just try to give people a chance," Batman replied facing both of us,
"they'll usually surprise you"
°• End of Flashback •°
"Still want to steal something from me?" Batman said to me with that same smirk plastered on his face as he took his cowl off.
I looked around the place. The walls were certainly clean and every furniture seemed tidy and expensive. Certainly different then where Jason and I slept.
Even the floors seemed to be shiny and slippery. My shoes were definitely dirty, and yet the floor was sparkling. I think this whole manor could kill me if I even tried to sleep in it. I'm so not used to it.
"I... I could steal..." I glanced around, trying to look for a souvenir, trinket, or something. My eyes spotted a candleholder that had the shape of a crown at the top.
Once I pointed to it, I felt an immense amount of regret. Of all things, I had to choose a candleholder. Really?
"I'd steal that"
Bruce delivered a half-smile, "Go ahead. Whenever you'd like"
"Woah! This place IS really huge! This is awesome!" Jason shouted, energetically running back from looking upstairs of the manor. I've never seen such a huge smile on his face before. His eyes were filled with amazement which nothing we encountered together ever gave us.
"Master Jason, Miss (Y/N), would you like me to show you to your rooms?" The butler with a British accent of the manor stated further.
"Or do you both want to see the Batcave?" And after Bruce mentioned that, both Jason and I blasted with enthusiasm, "The Batcave!" We both yelled at the same time.
• ° • • ° •
"🎶 Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Jason. Happy Birthday to youu!!🎶"
We all started singing at the same time, and would've ended at the same time if it wasn't for one person. I punched him in the arm, stopping him from continuing his singing. "Hey!" He pouted and rubbed his arm
Barbara sighed with a laugh, "Gosh, Dick..."
"Haha, okay okay, I'll tone it down" He laughed it off. His chuckling must seriously be contagious because then Bruce, Jason, and I began to do the same. A few months ago, I was scared that Bruce would send me back with my parents after telling him the truth about not being an orphan.
And now, I'm here laughing, living the best of my life. A life I've always wanted to have. Forgetting about my parents, school, and focusing on the friends and good memories I'm receiving now. Speaking of school, Jason has recently been attending Ma Gunn's boarding school. It was a bit difficult to register me into one since I was already going to another school before, so I'm being homeschooled instead.
"Wow, you look so fixated on something else other than my birthday" Jason broke me out of my trance– the only voice who can. I felt my face warm up at how his hand was under my chin as his face was inches in front of me, holding a cup of soda on his other hand.
"S-Sorry Jay, I-I'm just wondering if you hated this idea of throwing you a party. It was my idea so I'll feel guilty if you really didn't want one in the first place" I glanced away, hoping that no one else was watching, which I bet someone was.
He rose his head and with no filter, he blandly admitted, "Yeah I hate it" My eyes widened as he pulled a chair to sit next to me. As I thought, I shouldn't have done this in the first place. I knew he disliked parties. I don't know why I thought he would've loved the one I helped organize.
"But," he watched as Dick was dying of laughter which Barbara tried to stop while holding her own snickering, and Alfred responding with sarcastic remarks— the whole reason why Dick was able to laugh hysterically— towards Bruce who looked stunned to say anything back. With a honest and gentle smile, Jason continued,
"You all make it fun and bearable"
"Huh" I replied with a satisfied smile. I guess it was worth it in the end. I turned to him, showing him that these past months were the happiest moments I've ever had, "Happy 13th birthday, Jay"
• ° • • ° •
"So... Bruman, can I?" I pleaded with my hands together.
"First, there's no way I can convince you to change the nickname, is there?" Bruce turned around from the Batcomputer. I shook my head from side to side, "Nope. I will never stop calling you that from here on out"
I needed a unique name for him. At first I thought "Brucie" but... it seemed to hit home for him, so I didn't want to bother him with the name. Then I thought "Batsy" but he said villains would call him that, and that's not what I wanted it to sound like.
And then, I mixed Bruce and Batman together, getting "Bruman" in the end. It was a nickname I'd only call him at home, and I'll implement this starting the same day I came up with it: today.
He nodded, "Alright"
"And second, no, I disagree with your idea" His answer made my shoulders drop, "Huhh? But you let Jason go out there, why can't I do the same? You know I can take on 5 people– AND you even saw me take down Jason several times while we sparred! I can manage"
"I'm sorry (Y/N), but I can't allow you"
I sighed, lowering my head and facing the ground. There goes my hopes. "You can, you just don't want to"
"Bruman," I wanted to give it another try and lifted my head, "Barbara can teach me. I know- I know she got shot, but she can train me and become the next Batgirl, you know. Maybe that would also lighten her up a bit"
I remember the day I found out Barbara ended up in the hospital because of what the Joker had done. That ugly bastard got a great laugh out of it, and we all felt so terrible. He even managed to make Dick angry, which isn't a cool scene to see.
For a second, Bruman wore a grimace look on his face and rotated his glance back to the tech in front of him, "No. You can't be a hero. That's final"
Seriously? Jason and I are not that far apart in age. I'm 14 and he chooses Jason to be Robin. With my hands in my sweater's pockets, I walked away up the stairs with a losing face. I really had hoped that he'd say 'yes.' However, it pained me that he could shut me down like that. It pained me because I know exactly why he doesn't want me to go.
It's not because I'm not capable of fighting. He knows I am a bit better at fighting than Jason is right now, but I'm sure Jay will get better soon enough especially because he's trying really hard to become a better Robin than Dick.
I contemplated whether I should go back outside to take a walk like I sometimes do. Though encountering a drooling drunk man is a 95 percent chance guarantee to happen. I don't tell Bruman that I've had to knock out a few of them when I go outside. If I do, he'll probably want Alfred to come with me every time.
Ever since Barbara got shot by Joker, Dick barely came to visit. And every time he'd come he would always end up in an argument with Bruman. If anything maybe it was better for him not to come, no matter how much Jason and I missed him. I can understand that it's the best for all of us, especially since Dick should focus on leading his team, the Teen Titans.
Spending time with Jason was out of the list as well, since he was getting ready to patrol with Bruman again. So instead, I'll spend time with his buddy ol' pal in the living room.
"Hey Alfy" I huffed out as I dropped myself on the couch while he cleaned the small glass table in the middle.
"Miss (Y/N), everything alright?"
I released a loud heavy sigh, "If only you knew... also, do you need any help?"
"I'm just about done, just need to brush off the dust off those books on the shelf"
"I'll help then" I placed my feet on the floor and walked over to the books after grabbing a cloth I assumed he was using. I began to wipe the book's front and back cover.
"Thanks" he smiled, joining me seconds later.
I noticed his eyes taking glimpses of my expression, and I think he already knew I was upset. "Would you like to hear about what happened?" I asked.
"I'm all ears"
And after telling him what happened, minutes went by and I assumed Bruman and Jay were already outside fighting off crime somewhere in the city. I didn't realize that as I was talking, I missed a few spots to clean, and Alfred would reclean it after reaching my side.
"I see..." he gave a few soft chuckles. "Master Bruce cares a lot about you. He probably sees you as his own daughter"
I froze mid-way from pushing the book back in it's place, and looked away with my eyes shut, "I know Alfred, I'm not that little or stupid. I understand"
"But why... he didn't adopt me, so why..." my grip on the book increased a bit. "Why does he treat me like that? I-" I paused.
He treats Jay as his own son, and that's great because he adopted him. I have parents of my own, which is why he can't exactly adopt me. He's asked me a bunch of times if he wanted me to confront them with him, but I always refused.
Every time he treats me like his kid– like his daughter, I always dislike it. I dislike the feeling because...
Because it always makes me wish he really was my father.
Then, Dick would be my big brother. I'd be by Jason's side, and I'd have a butler like Alfred. Funny how I always thought the rich were all cowards living only because of their wealth. I thought Bruce Wayne was no different, no matter what good thing they said about him. But he surprised me.
"Sure, Miss Gordon comes to the manor now and then, but not enough for him to get attached to her like he did to you"
"Though if you really insist to go, I can talk to him about letting you go with both him and Master Jason in smaller areas with less grim and derogatory scum to deal with"
My eyes lit up, "Really?! Thank you Alfred!" Even though he didn't asked for it, I jumped on him with a hug. Of course, as expected, he didn't lose his balance.
Hours later, I found myself not being able to concentrate on the book I was reading. Unfortunately, Alfred had to start cooking dinner since Jay and Bruman would be here anytime soon.
"Still reading those romance books, huh?"
Or maybe they're already here.
"Yep. Got a problem with it, Jay?" I placed my bookmark on the page and closed it to place it aside.
He chuckled and walked over to plop his body on my bed, moving the side of the bed I was sitting on. "Nope, no problem. It's just I was expecting to find you for the twentieth time drooling on your book"
I blushed out of embarrassment, "And you won't find me doing that again!" I stared away, trying to hide my red face. After hearing his laughter— in a way of making fun of me— I managed to calm down. I brush my fingertips on the book's cover. "If I'm not immersed in these romance books, then that's not me"
I love these books. It's these stories that give me hope that true love exists. Or that love in general does. I felt Jason stare at me quietly for a few seconds before he opened his mouth, "Good to know. I'll crash you with something if you ever stop. You know, to bring you back" he wore an innocent smile as if he didn't just say he'd kill me.
"Good to know my best friend will be my killer. I should let everyone know right now" I sarcastically remarked, reopening my book. From the corner of my eye, I saw he was scrutinizing the book's title. "What? Does it sound cliché?"
"I'm glad you're aware. 'A Trace of Hope' sounds like the definition of cliché"
"But it's actually really good Jay!" I praised it. "So far, I think the girl's parents are shit like mine, though at least they're shit for what they both believe is her own good unlike mine. And get this! She just met this cute, adorable boy whose parents... unfortunately passed away-"
"Gross, sounds a lot like me" Jason stuck his tongue. In order to annoy him, I returned an innocent smile,
"Sounds nothing like you"
He grabbed the nearest pillow and hit me with it, which almost threw my book on the ground. "H-Hey!"
I safely placed the book away and grabbed myself my own pillow and charged towards him with it. The room was filled with giggling and creaking sounds of the bed for a while. In the end, we both ended up laying on the bed, out of breath, huffing and puffing.
"How was... patrol... today" I managed to say.
"Great... Fun... haa" Jason lifted his hand as if reaching for the roof.
I internally sighed. This... might ruin the mood, but I need to ask. I need his opinion.
"Do you think... I can go fight... too?"
I saw his hand lower and he sat up straight to give me a frown. I knew it.
"No. You're weak"
I let out that sigh I tried to hold back, and turned around to have my back facing him, "I'm not weak" I didn't think he'd say some half-assed lie like that.
"Okay, you're not. But still, you shouldn't go" his voice seemed more demanding than his earlier response. "Fine... I get it" I mumbled, a bit upset that even Jason was overprotective of me as well. "Can you... leave me alone for a while? I just got declined by the 2 people I trust the most. That shit hurts"
I felt the bed move down and then slowly up again. His steps felt light as I heard them nearby. A hand landed on my head. He swayed it calmly,
"Strong people like you should be preserved-"
"Oh shut up"
[End of Chapter 4]
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Word Count: 2,765
Guess who's calling Bruce, Bruman now. LMFAOA, it's all thanks to this story, oh god. Someday I know that nickname is going to slip off my tongue. I just know it 💀💀
Is there any story out there that has used that nickname? I'm curious.
Also 'A Trace of Hope' is the title of one of my upcoming books :)
*cough* Dick Grayson's *cough*
—Yam
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