Chapter Text
May 13 (ꌚꇞꁄꉣ 3꙲ )
“What on earth is a Batman?” Oh great, my dad’s crazy. He looks disappointed? No, pained. I’ve said something wrong, Yipee.
“Not “What”, Who, Batman is a vigilante, I go out at night and fight crime,” Bruce explains patiently. He gestures to a row of cars I hadn’t noticed before, all of them are sleek black cars that look like something out of an edgy villain’s lair. Honestly, I want to take one for a joyride sometime, they look like they go super fast.
“Wow! So you’re a Superhero?!”
“I- Yeah, something like that.” He answers, smiling fondly at me, it’s a strangely familiar sight. He looks happy, almost….. Fond. It’s clear that he cares about me, it…. feels odd, to be able to see love like that so clearly. I guess I’ll get used to it though. I looked around the cave in a new light before whispering under my breath, “So cool.”
He starts to disconnect me from the monitors, “All your vitals are fine, and your physical injuries are all healed up. I’ll show you around so you can settle back in, feel free to ask questions whenever you want.” He explains, sending me a comforting smile as he helps me off the cot. I take his offered hand, stepping barefoot onto the cold white floor. He looks down at my feet before reaching for me and aborting the motion halfway. “I could carry you upstairs if you’d like, I’d forgotten you’ve not got any shoes.”
“That sounds acceptable,” I’m trying to play it cool, HE doesn’t need to know how nice that sounded, being treated with that level of care.
“Alright, then chum.” He replies, lifting me up into his arms like I weigh no more than a pillow. Not even a hint of struggle? Dang, my dad is strong. (He still can’t, won’t, protect you) The comforting warmth of his body is a stark contrast to the natural chill of the cave. I can feel myself getting sleepy as he carries me to the elevator, and by the time we reach the top, my eyes have begun to droop shut. The doors of the elevator open to reveal a lavash office with deep red walls, warm gold accents, and furnished with intricately carved wooden furniture. Bruce sets me down on a plush maroon carpet that spans most of the floor, “This is my office as well as the entrance to the cave. This is where I am most of the time during the day, you are always welcome to join me here if you wish.” I nod in response, taking in the wondrous sight of such a luxurious space. He starts walking through a door at the other end of the room, stopping to look back at me, “You coming, Jaylad?” I stop looking around, “Coming, Dad!” I jog over to him, pulling to a stop next to him. “Let’s Go!” I smile up at him, seeing him smile softly back at me before taking my hand and leading me out the door into a hallway.
The hall is just as stunning as the office had been with the same red tone on the walls, gold accents on doors and windows, and dark wood flooring leading as far as I can see. Most of the doors look the same as we walk, there are the occasional tables displaying different vases or candelabras, and there’s a portrait of someone I don’t know here and there. He stops and I look at the door he’s paused in front of. Centered on the top section of a door like all the rest sits a golden plaque that reads, “Jason’s Room” in fancy lettering, a decorative “W” charm hangs from the bottom of it. “So this is my room?”
“It is, and my room is right across the hall if you need anything.” He gestures to a door directly parallel to mine. “Do you have any questions, or would you like to get settled in?”
“I’ll head to bed, thanks Dad!” I still feel pretty tired, besides, maybe something in the room will help me remember things.
“Alright, goodnight chum.” He ruffles my hair before heading into the room he’d pointed out.
“Night Dad!” I call out, ducking into my own room and shutting the door behind me. I take a second to look around the room, the walls are the same deep red as the office had been, though there seem to be slightly lighter Double W’s scattered around. It also has the familiar dark wood and gold accents that had been everywhere else I’d seen so far. What really catches my attention however, is the large floor to ceiling bookshelves on the opposite wall from the door. A cozy reading nook is nestled in the middle, carefully built into the bay window. Said window has regular glass at the bottom, fractaling into stunning stained glass as it goes up, looking almost like a glass sunset.
Tearing my eyes away from the almost fantastical sight is a struggle, but I can’t just look at a bookshelf all night, that’d be stupid. There’s a bed in the middle of the room, a red bedspread that matches the rest of the room, with the same Double W’s from the walls, though they’re gold on the bed. Even the pillowcases match, why was I so obsessed with W’s? Strange. The room seems familiar at least, although more like I’d seen it in a TV show than actually lived here. I’ll look around a bit more in the morning, but for now, I want to sleep. Thankfully, I’m already in comfortable clothes, I turn off the light and slip under the covers, asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.