human
Written By;
RoseThorn & Hallucinate
I. Dawn of a Dynasty
I.
Dawn of Dynasty
Wayne Manor, 8:47 PM
Night fell upon the corroding city of Gotham. Ever since the rise of the Batman, more and more tried to rival the caped crusader. It wasn't long before the corrupt city turned over every corner, searching every crevice and crack in search for the one man standing in their way. Though still young in his life, Bruce Wayne felt old and withered from the wicked winds of change that fell upon Gotham.
As his back healed from being broken over a year ago by a behemoth named Bane, the city turned to complete chaos. Desperate for his return as he battled through the roughest part of his life. His wife and sidekick, Barbara Gordon, died in the hands of the same monster. His partner and sidekick, the boy wonder Robin had been killed in a failed attempt to avenge the death of Batwoman at the hands of the Joker and Harley Quinn. All the whilst laying lifeless, hopeless, and defeated. All that remained was Alfred and his daughter -TBA-.
Bruce never wanted this life for his daughter. He knew well the pains of losing the ones you love at an early age but at least she still had him, and he had her. Despite his deep and dreary depression pushing him to resign, he knew he would have to teach her how to survive. He just hoped that she didn't continue to thrive to be what he used to be -- a hero.
"You are not going fast enough, find your form." Bruce's bravado beating against the marbled walls, echoing his deep baritone in the small confined Fencing room.
He was watching her, studying her form and finesse as she fought against her shadow. It was only one of the many exercises that became a usual mundane chore. Her form at this point was near flawless, and though both Bruce and Alfred could agree, stubbornly he didn't show it. The fear and constant pain in his back, serving as a constant reminder of just how much more she will need to push herself if his identity is ever discovered.
"Faster- Pass forward," He commanded. He repeated it once again.
"Master Bruce?" Alfred tried to interfere, feeling that Bruce was pushing her too hard. They had been going over these forms for hours now and the human body can only go so long before needing to refuel.
"Lunge - Faster,
Flech,
Not now, Alfred.
Cross Over - Faster." He dismissed Alfred, continuing to see her repeat the six-teen forms of fencing's footwork in a game of Bruce Wayne Says. Bruce could care less if she knew how to use a sword, knowing the battle took place first in out footing your opponent. Being a nimble navigator in a fight ensured you controlled the fight.
"If I may say, Sir." Alfred probed again.
"No. Appel." Bruce continued. He knew Alfred was going to say what he wanted to say anyway, but he smiled at the option of having a choice.
"It just appears to me, Sir, that you are shaping her to be Gotham's new hero." Alfred went for a low blow. At his age, he knew how to pluck Bruce's chords. He had a fair point, after all. "Not teaching her to defend herself, from who exactly I am just uncertain. Perhaps the first boy looking to take her to the prom?"
"Gotham doesn't breed heroes anymore Alfred. " Bruce looked over at Alfred. He was always convincing, if not at times cynical. "You of all people should know this. "
"Right you are at that, Sir. As my mother used to say; You can't unfry an egg. So, Master Bruce, what shall I prepare for dinner?" He gave a cheeky smile.
"I don't know, Alfred. Something with eggs." Bruce smiled, leaning back against one of the marbled balusters. "Alright, that's enough." Dismissing her from her routine. "For today, anyway."
gpt
Sabrina Wayne: prodigal daughter of Bruce Wayne and Barbara Gordon. A fifteen year old girl with a million expectations on her from the moment she was born. She could only be thankful that her mother and father had kept themselves anonymous despite their superhero lives or else she would be expected by the world to take up their torches. But still, being a Wayne daughter gave her enough expectations as is. The expectation to be an upstanding member of society at all times, the expectation that if her father died, she would take up that mantle that he left behind, the expectation that she would be the one to continue the Wayne legacy. It was a lot for a young girl to take on her shoulders, but what was more was thatsheknew what her mother and father were. What her motherwasand what she died as. What she would expect herself to be to make her mother proud.
She'd heard horror story after horror story from the tales of her father's exploits as the Batman. Just the fact that his back had been broken the way it had was enough of a horror story in itself to make any person run from that life. But Sabrina had this constant nagging in the back of her mind that she couldn't just be another girl. You couldn't be the daughter of Batman and Batgirl without having a sense of justice in your heart, or a desire to get out into the world and make a difference of your own. So when she was trained to survive the streets, she took it seriously and without complaint. Most of the time.
Her father was strict with training and Sabrina always tried to live up to his expectations. So when she found herself striking a dummy with a fencing sword while he barked commands at her, she did it with grace and stubborn determination. She hated failing, so she did her best to be the best that her father had ever seen. Though for as young as she was, she still had a lot to learn. She was no superhero. Far from it.
While she had potential, there was no room to be overconfident. She was already an Olympic level gymnast and a great hand to hand fighter, but she was all agility and no muscle. Her father had so much to teach her, and she would be ready to take it all in when the time was right. She could beat many foes with her agility alone, but when she was caught... she needed to learn more.
But even as the prodigy fighter and hopeful hero that she was, she still had her own things that she liked to do. Things that made her Sabrina Wayne and not just Barbara or Bruce's daughter. She loved to do makeup and even when she was training she wore it. Makeup had come a long way and what would last in the rain can make it just as great through sweat. Right now she had black eyeliner done lightly across her lids and flipping into a small wing at the edges, mascara, red lipstick and light pink blush that blended into her skin with just the slightest accent on her tone. It was a toned down look, one that was just done for the sake of doing it and for training. Her long blonde hair was done up in a ponytail so it would stay out of her face and she was wearing a white tank top and small shorts for the freedom of movement they both gave her.
Despite her young age, Sabrina had grown up very well. She filled out her top like a grown woman would with C cup breasts and she had a round ass behind her that jiggled with every thrust of her fencing sword. She could hear her father and Alfred, their butler and confidant, speaking beside her but she did her best not to get distracted, zoning them out and instead focusing on the orders that her father gave her. So when he told her to stop, she let out a sigh of relief and let her sword drop. She took a moment to get out of her form and shake herself off, brushing her hand through her hair as she turned towards her dad. She was sweaty but her makeup was intact and she was breathing heavily.
"Getting better aren't I?" she asked, her serious demeanor that she kept during training fading into a more playful one now that she could relax. "When are you going to teach me how to use your grappling hook, dad? I want to know how it feels!"
She'd been asking her father for more training for awhile, but she always wanted to get more experience with things that were meant for vigilantes and heroism rather than self-defense. Like how to use his gadgets and his computer. It was a bit childish in a sense, but she had this dream of becoming the next Batgirl some day and taking up her mother's role. She knew that her father didn't want that for her... but she still asked for more. The more she could dip her toes in, the more she could see what it would be like. What it had been like for her mother.
human
Bruce watched as she dropped her fencing sword onto the ground to shake off the exercise. It caused the muscles of his lip to scrunch to the left side. Embedding discipline to the young took patience. He tried not to fault her for being fifteen, taking things for granted.
"Ahem." He cleared his throat. As he caught her vibrant colored eyes, they drifted down to catch the sword. They had been over this before. A true disciplined fighter would respect the ceremony of politely putting away the weapon. He tried not to smile. It was refreshing to not take things so strongly. He waited for her to properly place the sword back upon the pillowed pillar it belongs.
The way she jerked back her locks, the look she gave. She had that stubborn determination about her that always reminded him just how full his hands were. It was all deja vu of a woman he let slip from his fingers.
'Barbra' His mind echoed.
'Aren't I?' She even sounded like her.
Sabrina was pushing for more technical high tech techniques. It first sent his blue eyes to turn ice cold, narrowing for a moment. He was conflicted, he mentally investigated his options:
' She still lacks discipline. She is forgetful and reckless. These things aren't toys, much less for children
But, if I push her away too much I might betray her trust. And I can't lose you, Sabrina.
Not now
not after
aghh...
Barbra.'
After pondering it over, his eyes loosened his long lingering gaze. His stern smirk finally shifted into a smile. His face spoke his answer before he could even speak. "Alright. You win. But only until Alfred is finished with dinner. And then I expect you to run through the forms before bed. Do we have a deal, Sabrina?"
He eased up from the pillar, uncrossing his arms to extend one of them out to offer her a truce. An unspoken promise to get it out of her system before continuing her mundane chores.
gpt
Sabrina huffed as her father cleared her throat while he looked at the fencing sword. She knew that she was supposed to put it away like a good girl but she thought maybe one day she'd get away with it. She leaned over to grab it and slowly brought it to the place it was meant to be placed. She was a good child who knew right from wrong but every now and then she enjoyed pushing her father's buttons and seeing what she could get away with. Most of the time it depended on his mood.
It was a mixture of being a brat and also trying her best to keep her father from taking things too seriously. At the end of the day, she wanted to have a good relationship with his dad and keep him from falling into any sort of trap of taking all of their time too seriously. They both needed that playfulness and fun. Or else they could find themselves thinking too much about the people that would be doing this with them if they could.
When he conceded to her to let her use his grappling hook, she gasped and jumped a bit with a clap. "No way!" she said in surprise, really not expecting her father to agree to let her using one of his gadgets finally. "Alright, alright we have a deal. I'll do the formstwiceif I have to," she grinned and she ran forward to extend her hand and grasp her dad's to solidify their truce. She just couldn't wait to fly.
human
Bruce made sure not to squeeze her hand. For him, it came naturally to shake with a strong grip but he tried to put the entrepreneurial spirit he had to bed. Smiling as he brought her young hand up and down softly and firmly. He loved to tease and pick on her at times. He would love nothing more than for more practice as she boasted doing them twice. "Deal. Two training sessions."
He wasn't sure what to do next in the awkwardness of being a father. She wasn't so little anymore, not enough to hold hands as they walked down the halls. But something magical was in her eye, taking him back to the first days he laid eyes on them that made him yearn for yesteryear. He retracted back his hand, shoveling off an awkward rubbing to the back of his neck. It was easy for Bruce to get lost in his thoughts, losing track of how much time had passed. They slipped into the pockets of his black pleated pants as he started to stroll out by her side down the halls of Wayne Manor.
"You are getting better, Sabrina. You are very fast and being fast means survival. I.. Eh.. Know I can be a little tough on you, but you know it is because I love you. You know this, right Sabrina?" Bruce stopped in his stroll, turning to look down at her somewhat sternly as always yet sincere as his blue ocean eyes seemed to sparkle. He felt that she knew this, but perhaps positive reinforcement was something they both might be searching for.
gpt
Sabrina grinned at her dad when he made the deal on two training sessions. That wouldn't be a big deal for her if it meant that she could get a chance to work on using her dad's gadgets. She'd been trying to get him to let her give them a chance for far too long. She just wanted to know what it felt like to fly with a cowl or use a grappling hook or even get to know his super computer! She'd been kept so far away from it all and she didn't think it was fair.
When her dad let go of her hand, Sabrina felt a bit disappointed. She wasn't a little girl anymore, but the lack of a mother in her life made her an obvious daddy's girl. But her relationship with her father was... complicated. They had a good one but it consisted of Sabrina always wanting to prove herself as mature and as more adult like so that her father wouldn't take things so easy on her, while simultaneously wanting to be babied by her dad at the same time. It was hard being a girl. But, she didn't go out of her way to grab her dad's hand back. She just followed him through the Manor.
She looked up at him with a big smile when he told her that she was getting better, nodding her head. When he stopped, she stopped to. She took a moment to think of how to answer, looking down at the floor as she pulled her hands behind her back. "I know, daddy," she told him, looking back up at him finally with a smaller smile but no less genuine. "If you weren't so hard on me I might start thinking you don't care," she teased with a giggle. "I love you too. That's why I try my best. I'll survive no matter what," she promised him.
human
He laughed in relief and joy. He eased his hands from his pockets, releasing them to his sides as he continued down the halls of the Wayne Manor. His shoes clicking down the hall as he stalked his brutish shadow to the main living quarters. Just near a lit fire was an enormous bookshelf with an assortment of treasures including a bust of three bat looking gargoyles covering their ears, mouth, and eyes. He turned the first one slightly to the left before turning the one on the right to the right. The center figure had its head lifted back by Bruce's finger to expose a small red button hiding under it.
He looked down at Salina. He had that smirk on his face as he crossed his arms. That twinkle in his eye suggests she presses the button. He thought she would find more amusement in pressing the button. Sometimes it is the little things that they share that make up that magic between them when both light up like chandeliers gently chiming in the warm breeze blowing through the room.
At the press of a button, a long section of the bookshelf that housed a variety of books would protrude to display the shiny metal double doors of the elevator leading into the Batcave.
"Going down?" He smiled, standing next to the elevator as it opened. He had his elbow propped up against the shelving. He wasn't often a goofball, but Salina often brought out the brighter side of Bruce.
gpt
Sabrina had been to her father's Batcave a few times in her short life and she never got tired of taking the path there. Her house was admittedly beautiful and she knew that she was privileged for having it handed to her since birth. The manor was huge and beautifully designed. She followed her dad to the living quarters and watched as he set up the cave to be opened, a giddy smile on her face as she bounced slightly from foot to foot. When he looked back to her and seemed to suggest that she push it, her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a small smile as she looked back to the button.
"I get to press it this time?" she asked with a giggle before she quickly bounded forward to press it. She looked up at her dad as the mechanisms inside the secret door began to move, enjoying the fact that she was seeing this side of her dad again. She was used to his sternness, but when she got to see such a quiet and cold man turn into this joy loving guy was always just the best. She felt special because she knew she was one of the only people that got to see it.
She giggled as he made a joke once the elevator arrived, walking in with a bow of her head. "And you?" she asked in a formal and somewhat British tone before she settled into the elevator. "This trip never gets old. When did you even get this stuff dad?" she asked.
human
Bruce moved into the elevator as it closed shut behind him. The elevator started to move down. It was silent, unlike most elevators, and they could hardly feel the ride down. He had to ponder her question over, conflicted on if he should tell her the truth or not:
If I tell her when I was her age, it might put the idea in her head that she's ready. But then again, who is ever ready for Gotham? No I shouldn't lie to her.
Bruce cleared his throat and thoughts. He gave a sort of awkward laugh, his arm coming back up to stroke the back of his neck when nervous or uncomfortable.
"Ah, when I was about fifteen the plans started. Alfred had the elevator put in not long after that. It was different then though." He sighed, looking down as his hand slid back into his black slacks. "Sometimes it feels that in my efforts to eradicate crime in Gotham, it only has caused more chaos. These guys today are not your normal thugs, even the organized criminals couldn't possibly compare to the monsters we have now. "
ding!
The Batcave, the top-secret cave that served as the Caped Crusader's headquarters was a shine to behold. Artifacts and keepsakes had been collected over the last few decades, including a giant animatronic T-Rex taken from criminal theme park owner Murray Hart who used various animatronic bots to try and defeat him. A large joker card and penny were also noticeable from more recent villains who managed to escape the prisons Bruce placed them in. Weapons from other notorious criminals and the outfits of supervillains long forgotten.
It also had a remembrance area dedicated to Batwoman and Robin, a collection of gear, and a variety of outfits preserved in sealed glass tubes. Even his sidekicks spared no expense with the variety of tools that touched on the individual skills to give them their characteristics. It was a hard place for Bruce's eyes to linger for too long but they earned their right to remain on display.
There was also his massive computer and lab area with a variety of monitors and electronics. It had a variety of lab tools to help process and analyze clues or evidence. In this area was the area that his gear and variety of suits were, glowing and radiating by the four monitors that scrolled the words "Wayne Enterprise" in its screen saver.
Finally, a garage that fitted a variety of vehicles was at the very center that leads down a long dark passageway, miles in the middle of nowhere, just outside Gotham. It too had its elevator that went a level up to an aerodrome or below the garage to the calm crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean that rocked a submersible boat.
"So, what first?" He forced a smile. He could see the brightness and excitement in her eyes and it provided a certain warmth. He knew he could be too uptight, hopefully, it didn't come kicking him later.
gpt
When her dad admitted to her that he'd built the Batcave when he was only fifteen, just like she was now, she couldn't help but feel a bit inferior to him. Her dad had always been extremely smart, she knew that. He stillwasone of, if notthe, smartest man in the world. That kind of thing wasn't entirely genetic. Sure, Sabrina was smart but she definitely wasn't on her dad's level at all. Sabrina had other priorities in her life. Ones that she probably shouldn't give so much time to, but she just liked to take care of her appearance and working on her gymnastics ability more than she wanted to focus on reading or becoming an architect.
When he brought up that the crime has gotten worse in Gotham since he started to be the Batman, Sabrina's eyes lowered a bit. "But if you think about it... these people probably would have risen up at some point anyway. Without you then it would have just gotten out of control, right? It was just a matter of which one of you came first," she said, looking up at him with a smile. It was better to think positively than think about what could have been.
The Batcave never got less impressive every time she walked in. She didn't get a chance to experience the cave often so when she did, it was always special to her. She looked around for anything that might have changed, her eyes falling on the area dedicated to her mother. She smiled sadly before looking away. She didn't like to dwell on her mother's passing. It wasn't exactly... a fun thing to think about.
As he asked what was first, she looked up at him with a big, real smile. "I want my promised grappling hook experience," she told him. "And then I want a ride in the Batmobile. I never get to ride in it! I want to know how fast it will go!"
human
Bruce moved towards the communications and lab of the cave. His gear laid out on a flat stand next to the dome that housed his current multipurpose suit. It had been years since he put on the suit. It was tempting as he touched against the glass as he drifted in a whirlwind of memories.
Hmm.." Bruce grinned. He crossed his thick strong arm around to cling his chest. One hand came up to tuck under his prickly chin.
We could take the Batmobile out and we could use the grappling hook. You wouldn't want to mess up those clothes. They're almost as expensive and provide very little protection. I believe your mother has a few over there. Why don't you go take a look while I get suited up? You know how much Alfred loves stitching. " He laughed at his sarcasm. If only Alfred was here to hear it.
I heard that and I agree completely, Master Bruce. As I've said before-- 'If you're going to act the part, dress the part'. I am just glad to see you coming around, Master Bruce." He dished it right back, offering a few cut sandwiches dor them to take. "But never on an empty stomach."
Bruce reached down, taking one of the sandwiches cut into halves compared to the other cut into fours. Bruce had a full breakfast sandwich topped with eggs, lettuce, tomato, and ham. As he chewed, he pondered if he had made the right call. Her mother was a sensitive topic for both of them. Taking a stroll down memory lane or dressing up in her outfit wasn't something he would ever suggest. If he did, he hoped it didn't put her on the spot. He had gotten caught up in her excitement. Deep down, the idea of them fighting side by side was a dream come true if it didn't turn into a nightmare.
gpt
Sabrina smiled a bit as she watched her father touch the glass that held his suit. Imagining him in that suit was both terrifying and relieving. The Batsuit was part of him, and for Sabrina it was a symbol of hope and protection to her. But it was also when her father was in his most dangerous situations and it left Sabrina worried that he wouldn't come home. Like her mother. She shook her head, looking away from the suit as she listened to her father speak.
Her mind was taken away from the sad memories of her mother when he told her that they could take the batmobile outandshe'd get a chance to use the grappling hook. She clapped her hands together and even jumped a bit in excitement as she ran off towards her mother's costumes. Her excitement slowly turned into somber memories as she looked at her mother's old costumes. It wasn't easy to look at them, much less be wearing one, but she could tell that her mother would be happy to see her in it. She wanted to believe it at least.
She didn't pay attention to Alfred and her father's back and forth, placing her hands on glass as she imagined her mother in them. There were some she'd never even seen before. She bit her lip as she finally decided on one that she thought would be best. She'd never used the mechanisms in the batcave, so she decidednotto go out of her way to break something. Instead, she turned her head and lifted one hand to wave to their butler.
"Alfred! Can you help me get this one?" she asked with a small smile. "I don't want to break it..."