Chapter 1

Bruce Wayne

In an abandoned runway deep into the mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush, a private plane stood parked as a shabbily dressed man walked towards it, his clothes unsuited for the chilly air of the perilous mountains, yet the chill didn't seem to affect the man who smiled as a small set of steps dropped from the door, and a rather old and balding man stepped out of the plane.

The man gave him a smile as he spoke up.

"You look rather nice, Master Wayne," Alfred teased him as Bruce reached the bottom of the staircase. He wore shabby rags, covered by mud and grime from his journey. A journey that had led to the end of the organization of Ra's Al Ghul.

"Apart from the mud, of course," added the man with a raised brow, and he chuckled as he began to walk up the stairs.

"You made rather good time," he added as he entered the place, and the luxury and the safety felt foreign to him. He had spent the last decade chasing after criminals, trying to understand their ways.

He had seen depravity, he had seen hunger, and yet now he found himself sitting in a private jet. His private jet.

"Yes, the new jet is quite an improvement over the last one," he said, raising a brow as he took a seat as Alfred gave instructions to the crew.

"Moreover, Master Thomas sorted out the rest of the affairs rather hastily once we received your message," and Bruce stilled at that as he looked guiltily at the butler, giving him a rather icy stare.

Thomas Wayne, named after their father, was his younger brother. Born prematurely after Joe Hill shot both his parents on that fateful night, the doctors had managed to save the child growing inside the womb of Martha Wayne, and though the babe was forced to spend a year in the hospital and on many nights, it seemed as if the babe would not make it, his brother persevered.

Yet a younger Bruce had hated his brother for surviving, hated him for he had survived while neither his mother nor father had done so. And only now did he recognize how foolish he had been in his rage.

"How is he?" he questioned cautiously, and instead of answering, Alfred simply pushed forward a newspaper towards him.

Thomas Wayne had taken after neither him nor their father. He had taken after their grandfather, at least according to the various news clippings and articles he had read about him in his travel. For there had been many words written about the rising star in the business world, the young man who had expanded the Wayne empire beyond anything the world had imagined.

And there he was again, on the front page. He had grown up and was dressed in a fine suit, wearing black frameless glasses, as his photo was positioned opposite to that of a rather old blonde man, a man he recognized as well.

William Earle was the the current CEO of Wayne enterprises, and from what he could gather after a quick skim of the article his brother aimed to change that.

"Thomas wished to become CEO of Wayne Enterprises," he questioned as he looked up at Alfred who shook his head.

"No, Master Thomas has his own businesses to take care of," and wasn't that a task. Thomas Wayne was one of the biggest rising stars in the tech world, his early investment and backing of various companies, companies that had now become industry giants had seen him become one of the wealthiest individuals in the country. And that was besides the massive Wayne inheritance that remained relatively untouched.

"Master Thomas believes that Mr. Earle is unfit to run Wayne enterprises, and is moving to install one of your father's old friends, Mr. Lucius Fox as CEO," Alfred elaborated. Bruce was not aware of the man, but if Thomas had chosen him then he would trust him.

"Don't we control more than half the shares? Why is the media making it seem like Thomas is having trouble with this," both he and Thomas controlled nearly eighty percent of the company. If Thomas wanted to, he could have had Earle removed within a minute.

"I believe that is your fault, Master Bruce," Alfred said, and he frowned.

"How?" he questioned, perplexed. He hadn't done anything that would hamper Thomas. Even his shares were to go to him if anything were to happen to him.

"Your absence means that Master Thomas only has access to his part of the inheritance, and though that forty percent is significant, it is still eleven percent less than what he needs," Alfred said pointedly, and he nodded until he recalled something important.

"Didn't they try and have me declared dead?" he questioned, he had read the news clipping about his own death nearly a year ago.

"Yes, indeed. Though, Master Thomas had it put down, assuring them that though absent, Bruce Wayne was still alive," Alfred said with a smile as he passed him a folder, a folder containing his documents.

"No matter, the newspaper is wrong. Master Thomas was able to buy out a couple of other investors and has enough control to do whatever he wished even without your shares," Alfred added, and he smirked. Of course, he had. As he had said, Thomas Wayne had taken after their grandfather, and he wouldn't pick a fight he couldn't win.

"He does miss you, you know, Master Bruce," Alfred added suddenly as he saw the mountains vanish under a thick cover of white as they flew out of the mountain range, a pang of sadness passing through him at both the ending of his journey and Alfred's words.

"He doesn't mention you, but despite what others said, he was adamant that you were alive," Alfred spoke up.

"That you would come back," and Bruce looked towards Alfred and answered the hidden question.

"And he was right. It is time for me to return to Gotham," he answered.

Alfred looked at him with a complicated gaze, before he questioned.

"And what is the reason for this change of hearts?" and Bruce sighed as he leaned back in his seat.

Gotham was his home, a city that the Wayne's had lived in for more than a century now. The once prosperous city had become a haven for the crime of the worst sort. Once Bruce had wished to change the world, yet under Ra's he had realized something: how could one change the world if one fails to change his own home.

And so he would change Gotham.

"Change Alfred. Change! It is time the people in Gotham realized that their city didn't belong to the criminals and the corrupt. That there is hope," he answered and saw Alfred's eyes glint with pride before he spoke up.

"You and your brother are more alike than you think," Alfred commented, his words making him frown.

"Why do you say that?" he questioned in a cautious tone. Bruce had trained for years under the tutelage of the best fighters and assassins in the world. Thomas was younger than him, and the circumstances of his birth meant that he was often ill. And though things had improved over the years, Bruce would not like it if Thomas was engaged in physical alterations with eh scum of the city.

Alfred seemed to realize the intention behind his question and answered quickly.

"It's nothing of the sort you are imagining. Master Thomas's attempts are not as physical as yours plan to be. His approach is more surgical, I would say," Alfred said.

"It is one of the reasons he is going after Mr Earle. The man planned to cut down all the philanthropic work done by Wayne Enterprises to boost profits so he could take the company public," Alfred pointed out, and Bruce shook his head.

That would have done it.

"And though the city has not improved, though his efforts, it holds on. Gotham and its people aren't as hopeless as they were in the past," Alfred added, and Bruce smiled, pride welling up in his heart at Alfred's words.

Alfred leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

"I would recommend a quick wash and a change of clothes, Master Wayne. The journey is quite long," Alfred advised him, and even Bruce could barely stand the stench coming out of his rags.

So, he stood up as he headed towards the shower before he suddenly became curious.

"Does Thomas have a girlfriend yet?" he questions, as he remembers the petite woman by his brother's side in the picture.

Alfred smiled cryptically and didn't even open his eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

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Have fun reading!