Chapter Text
It was a cloudy day. The clouds covered the sky and hid the sun from the public eye. In the UK, this is the average weather. But there was something different. It was as if the sky was hiding from everyone, not wanting to see what had happened.
It had been two and a half months since Alfred's dismissal. During this time, he had made improvements to his living space. He had purchased a new sofa, clean sheets, and curtains. He had also modernized his kitchen. It has become much more cozy and comfortable. God, how Alfred loved his kitchen - no one could imagine. It became his life's work, because it is there that he cooks for the closest people.
Speaking of close people. Yesterday was Bruce's birthday. The boy turned 8 years old. Oh, how he screamed with joy when he told Alfred on the phone that he and his parents would go to the cinema to see The Sign of Zorro in the evening.
/ I need to call Martha and ask how everything went / - Alfred thinks with tenderness in his heart. He can already imagine how Martha will happily talk about Bruce and the movie, how Thomas used to reproach his son for behaving appropriately in a public place.
Alfred picked up his phone and started dialing the Wayne Manor's home number.
.
.
It was strange, they should have been awake by now. So why didn't they answer the phone?
Okay, maybe they didn't hear it. It's better to call Martha on her work phone.
Alfred started dialing Martha's personal phone number... After a couple of minutes, he was answered.
"Hello, this is Jim Gordon, the Commissioner of the Gotham Police Department. May I ask who is calling?" - a man's voice answered him.
After a short pause, Alfred finally spoke.
"Hello, this is Alfred Pennyworth. I'm a friend of Martha and Thomas Wayne, as well as their former butler. Can you please tell me what happened? Why isn't anyone answering the phone at the Wayne estate? Why do you have Martha Wayne's phone?" Alfred's voice was filled with concern and worry.
"Calm down, Mr. Pennyworth. And... It's hard for me to say, but your friends were attacked at night. It seems they tried to buy off the attacker, but they couldn't... They were shot. I took the phone to investigate who could have killed them... I'm very sorry," the police commissioner said with pauses.
"And their son, Bruce Wayne, what about him!?.. Was he killed too?" The man asked brokenly.
/It can't be, he's still so young. They couldn't have killed him... He's so innocent./ Alfred thought in disbelief.
"Unfortunately, it seems that after killing his parents, the attacker realized his mistake and decided to kill Bruce as well..." Before Jim Gordon could finish his sentence, the call ended.
Alfred looked at his hand holding the phone. His hand had pressed the end call button on its own. It was hard to believe. For the first time, Alfred wished he had a hearing problem.
"Okay, Alfred, you need to calm down," the man muttered. After placing his phone on the hallstand, Alfred went to the bathroom to clean himself up. In the mirror above the sink, he saw a shocked man with messy hair. He definitely needed to cool down. Without hesitation, Alfred turned on the cold water and washed his face. It didn't help, he couldn't stop thinking about how his only friends and their little son died just because a stranger was in a bad mood.
Looking out the window, he saw the glass getting more and more covered with the tears of the sky.
/I'd rather go for a walk than drown in my thoughts, locked in four walls/ Alfred decided. He went to look for an umbrella and a raincoat in his closet. After finding both, he put on the raincoat and took a folding umbrella with him. Double protection will not let anything get in the way.
As Alfred went outside, he was comforted by the fact that there was no one around, just him and his umbrella. As he walked along the wet sidewalk, he breathed in the scent of the rain and the plants in the nearby park. Finally, Alfred was able to calm himself and enjoy the natural surroundings.
As he continued down the street, he noticed the light in a small grocery store. /I need to buy flour and chicken eggs. To make cookies. While cooking, I'll definitely forget about everything and be absorbed in my work/ Alfred concluded.
Just as he reached the door, something behind the store made a squeaking sound. Without hesitation, Alfred followed the sound into the alley.
It was a small, charcoal-colored kitten. Its eyes glowed blue. It was drenched in sweat, and its paws were covered in blood. Its body was thin, with skin stretched over its ribs and skeletal structure. It was a sad sight to behold.Black fur and blue eyes... Just like the Waynes/
The kitten stopped meowing as soon as it saw a human and immediately ran to hide behind a trash can. As Alfred walked further, he noticed the dead bodies of two black cats, which had formed pools of blood beneath them. There were clear signs of teeth marks covered in red liquid. There were also many torn pieces of fur scattered around the black creatures. It was likely that they had been torn apart by dogs. And the kitten was able to hide from them under the trash can, where the other animals couldn't get to.
In front of the bodies, there was a trembling ball of fur on legs. As soon as Alfred took a step forward, the kitten started making high-pitched sounds. The kitten was trying to drive the intruder away from the dead bodies.
/Apparently these were important creatures to him/
Alfred thought desperately.
Alfred left the alley and entered the store.
After buying flour, eggs, and bags of cat food, he returned.
"Where would you put the food? The man muttered.
Then he heard the sounds of a kitten. The kid pulled out a cardboard box from under the trash and placed it in front of Alfred.
"How clever! The man grinned. He opened the bag and poured the food onto the cardboard. As soon as this happened, the kitten began to pull the food away with its teeth towards the dead bodies.
The food and cardboard began to get wet from the rain.
"It's a good thing I brought an umbrella," said Alfred, opening it over the kitten and the food. He crouched down, bringing the umbrella closer to the kitten.
However, for some reason, the kitten wasn't eating the food; instead, it was poking its paw at the dead cat's head.
"Hey, kitten," said the man sadly. The kitten looked at him, and Alfred lied, "They don't seem to want to eat, so why don't you eat first?" He wanted to get closer to the baby, but he heard another indignant sound. "I'm standing still," the man said, raising his hand, which was not holding an umbrella.
The kitten stared at Alfred for a couple more minutes. And then I started eating the food a little bit, glancing in his direction.
After standing like that for a while, Alfred had a crazy thought / What if this was what Master Bruce looked like after his parents were shot/
.. This idea did not want to let go of the former butler. And he decided on a turning point in his life.
Take the kitten home and name him Bruce. Let this little Bruce have a second chance.
After waiting for the kitten to finish eating, Alfred carefully reached out with his free hand. This time, he received permission, and Alfred began to stroke Bruce's back.
"Will you come live with me?" The man asked. Bruce abruptly pulled away and turned his head towards the bodies nearby. "They're dead..." I am so sorry. But I think they wish you a better life. "Bruce went up to the cat first and poked his nose into her nose. He did the same with the cat's body.
"How do you like the idea of burying them in a secluded spot in my garden? Alfred asked. The kitten meowed. "I'll consider it an agreement."
After asking for small boxes from the store clerk, Alfred put the bodies inside. And while he was messing with the bodies, the kitten climbed onto Alfred's shoulders.
Sighing in relief, the man said, "Let's go home, Master Bruce."
Upon arriving home, they began the funeral for Bruce's parents. Afterward, Alfred thoroughly washed Master Bruce from the blood and fleas and placed him on a makeshift bed.
"Good night, Master Bruce." Upon hearing the response, Alfred left to brush his teeth.