The Gotham City was especially gloomy today as people seems to be walking zombies with haggard faces walking with lifeless faces in the streets.

The cloudy and polluted sky that stopped any rays of sun from coming down, didn't help with the atmosphere.

As the mood of the city was equally downcast coupled with gothic architecture style of the Gotham. It is hard to believe that the city exists in the modern era instead of industrial era.

But people couldn't be blamed for there lifeless expressions as today was the funeral of Thomas Wayne. 

The last hope of Gotham as the general public called him, was the only one in the entire city who took for the betterment of Gotham and even proposed steps to completely dig out the roots of crime families in Gotham City.

Naturally, people were full of hope after being oppressed for so long by criminal but now even that hope was dead.

In the outskirts of Gotham, A massive graveyard was built on a hill with an old looking spire in the middle.

Countless people in expensive looking black clothes were gathered around one grave but none of them paid attention to the sermon recited by the priest but looked at the young boy in the front.

"500 billion....... to a child." A woman in black mourning clothes spoke softly with a greedy glint appearing in her eyes.

"And that is only the surface wealth, Miss Sionis. Who knows how much is hidden within." A man besides the woman spoke to her.

The man besides the two, who was only one close enough to heard them didn't say anything about their secret whisperings. 

Both cautiously looked at him and seeing him silent they become even more happy, no longer concealing the greedy looks on their faces 

The young son of the couple looked,Roman Sionis, at his parents expressions with wonder as if studying something interesting. 

The young son of the couple looked,Roman Sionis, at his parents expressions with wonder as if studying something interesting. 

The young child couldn't understand his parents as they were conversing with the Waynes with smiles just the other day. This sharp contrast in their attitude made the young child fascinated as if he is looking at an elaborate mask invisible to the eyes.

While the child was looking at his parents with wonder, the couple seem to have gone through a mental calculation as their faces changed from greed to thought and then to killing intent as they stared at the crying child grieving his parents.

Suddenly, both felt a chill as they hurriedly looked towards their aged companion as he stared sharply at them.

"Do whatever you want but don't harm the child. He has far more uses to the Court of Owls then your family ever have." He warned softly.

The couple quickly nodded as they hurriedly nodded with cold sweat on their faces. 

The aged man furrowed his brows and didn't stay for long before leaving.

As he was leaving he looked back at the the young child of the Sionis couple as he hurriedly caught up to him.

"What do you want, Child." The man looked down at the child asking in a soothing voice.

The young man looked up at him silently for a minute and a disappointed expression appeared on his face as he failed to find any mask on the man.

"I will donate half of my inheritance to the Court." He said blankly.

The Old man's eyes widened slightly before quickly reverting to normal,"I am afraid I don't understand what you're trying to say." 

The child, around twelve, didn't explain to the old man but turned his head to the side.

The old man also turned his head, finding the child's parents with somber and sad faces as they comforted the crying Bruce Wayne.

"Like I said. I will donate half of my 'inheritance' to the Court but I want those masks." The child said apathetically without looking at the old man.

The old man silently took out a golden pocket watch from his vest looking at time.

"Is that so. We will pray that day comes sooner. Sleep early today. Tommarow is Christmas, who knows what gift the Santa has prepared for you." 

After saying that, he left. While the child was still looking fascinated as he stared at his parents faces.

Who would have known that the next day the Sionis family would have disappeared from the face of the earth.

…………..….…

Bruce stirred awake covered in sweat as he hurriedly scanned the room with terrified eyes.

Seeing the empty dark room, he hugged his knees while trying not to cry. Afraid of them finding him again.

This caused the young lady sleeping on the sofa on the side to wake up.

The young lady with red hair, Barbara Gordon, looked at Bruce crying and a worried expression appeared on her face.

She silently hugged him from the side and asked in a soothing tone, "Bruce, what happened." 

Bruce didn't answer but instead dug deeper into her embrace as his silent whimpers echoed through the room.

After a while, Bruce crys silence down as he tightly hugged Barbara.

"It's bats barb..." He whispered.

Barbara tilted her head at this, confused. Bruce tightened his hold on her,"Bats..... They are after me."

Barbara stroked his head silently,"Don't worry, I am here."

"Sniff- I am scared barb. I am afraid they will take me.... Just like dad and mom."

Barbara tightly held Bruce while burying her face in his shoulder,"...I will not allow them to take you. I promise."

.................

Gordon sat in the living room of the Wayne mansion besides the fire place. Uncomfortably looking around the room.

It wasn't long before an aged old man in butler clothes entered with tea. 

Seeing him gordon sat up straight,"My condolences for what happened. I apologize for not being able attend the funeral."

Alfred placed the tea on the table in front of Gordon,"Don't beat yourself, Commissioner Gordon. Master Bruce don't blame you nor do the others. Everybody in Gotham knows that commissioner has gone crazy over catching the culprit." Alfred conforted with a hint of joking.

This caused Gordon's expression to ease a bit before he looked towards the second floor with worry,"How's he doing?" 

"... Honestly, not good. The psychiatrist guessed that his brain self defense mechanism brewed fear to ignore the piling of depression. If not, he would have committed suicide."

The room fell into silence for minute as both sighed at the child's misfortune.

Gordon looked up again,"What kind of trauma is it." 

"Bats. They think it was because he feared darkness." 

"......Could he recover?"

"He will. Slowly, but he will. Then the pent up emotions will be released through either Sadness or Anger."

Anger? At who? Gordon didn't ask this question as he sensed Alfred's depression.

Knowing tact he didn't continued the conversation and fell silent.

________________________________________________

Alright, I can already hear the typing of comments cursing me for bringing the forgotten ship again (Barbara x Bruce). 

But please listen. This is a parallel verse in which instead of bruce being at the age of her father. He's her age and the closest friend in her childhood. Morever, we both know that she don't work with Nightwing. In every verse he leaves her for Starfire while she gets crippled. It is better to just separate them from the start.

If even then you're planning to leave then I don't know what's the problem here. Please do tell me in the comments.