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Damn time travel. Sure it was possible. He knew it was possible, the Flash and superman have both accomplished to go back in time due to their speed, but Flash has also gone to the future. He also knew certain heroes had the ability, but as much as he knew that such he didn’t expect to actually go through it. He’s been to different planets and universes, but actually going through time and seeing how anything you do whether it be the smallest movement or smallest detail in that period could become the biggest consequence for the future.
But it wasn’t that he changed the present he was living in, no. It was the future that changed him.
It was a bit of an adventure as it all began with lunch with John, who was a bit too inquiring about Bruces love life, thinking he wanted a relationship that was more that friends with Diana. If John only knew the complex life he lived and how he didn’t have time and every time he did try to spark a relationship it never ended well.
It was then that Diana, the amazonian princess appeared but so did Chronos. He appeared for less than a two minutes and escaped so quickly with Batman’s belt, through a time portal.
They followed Chronos’ trail to the past, coming across a time of cowboys but with a twist of machinery and lasers. After a fight and a chase, the three of them found Chronos locked up and just as they got him he escaped once more, but this time into the future. But the future in Gotham.
Gotham seemed the same just with some new technology. It was still the dark cold criminal driven place. It was still the smokey clouded home to the lost, to the unhappy, to the damned.
But it was what he found in Gotham that made him lost in the train of his thoughts for days.
Alone. That what he was. He was to become an old alone man who could never give up his crusade and when he no longer could continue he made another join it.
He saw his home, he saw eyes that were more worn, saw more turmoil and pain. He saw a lonely future where he still tried to make Gotham better but in doing so he had driven so many far from himself.
Bruce knew the less he knew about his future the better but just by the little that he saw, he knew that he was alone, as he saw not even the slightest of happiness in those eyes only pain. He was old and alone in the future no one by his side. They was no Dick, Jason, Tim, or Damian or even Cassandra. And there was no woman as far as he could tell saying he could still see the dead emptiness inside.If there was a woman he was sure there would have been a glimmer of happiness that once existed. A glimmer of romance that was successful. He didn't want to know much about his future but the more he looked at himself the more he observed and the more he learned he was going to be alone being Batman until someday in his old miserable life he finds another kid to be the Batman.
He then thought about how he probably didn't even have a happy family with a woman in the picture. He knew that being with a normal woman that lived a normal life of working and creating a family couldn't truly fit with him as he had an alter ego that put his life literally on the line, which many wouldn't or couldn't live with.
He had loved many but it seemed that he ended with none at the end, but as he continued on that thought he truly began to think of the ones he loved. There were ones that he had felt something for but weren't much compared to others. Vikki Vale, Silver, Lois and Zatanna all fell into such a category. There was then Diana, the Princess of Themyscaria, who he knew she had strong feelings for him and as much as he wanted to act upon certain ones he couldn't see such a relationship with her. Then there was a woman who he had loved, but his and hers morales differed very largely. Talia gave him the gift of another son, one with his own genes and as much as he did love her throughout the time he had spent training with her father, however, he couldn't be with her as she was always willing to be Ra’s tool and as much as she had such devotion to him she was devoted to her father, who only wanted to purge the world, to purge the city he loved.
But lastly there was Selina. Off and on again, maybe. A known clever, cunning, beautiful thief known as Catwoman. A woman who stepped into the picture of his crusade since the very beginning who he was first at odds with but gave into. A woman, who was so against the side of the law but helped throughout numerous amount of times and is now reformed, helping him with his city. Complicated she may be, but he was just as complicated and throughout so many years she proved time and time gain how well she knew him. Time and time again he felt a tug towards her and as he did he revealed the man under the mask to her, showing his trust to her. She knew the kind of danger she be in being close to him, but even throughout the torture she endured through so many villains who used her to get to him, she never gave in and in return he had done the same for her risking his life for hers by all means.
“Aren’t you suppose to be in space, with your super friends?”
Bruce snapped out of his trance, from the building across from her apartment, hearing her voice from the comm link he opened since he got back to Gotham. He looked to her apartment but saw no lights and through his googles he found no one inside but quiet a few of her cats.
“Three building to your left darling.”
He turned and sure enough she was there. Dressed in her black cat like attire may be but still visible to his eyes under the moonlight.
“May I ask why the big bad bat in watching my apartment? I mean I’ve been a good girl.” He saw her walk down across the buildings, with such calm cat walk like movements before she had to hop down. Just as she finally reached him, he saw the smile on her. “I promise I’m clean bats. I was just coming home from a little hero work.”
Hero work. He smirked to himself, at what she called patrol. She was entrusted to care for the East End as she knew it best and she was entrusted to help any of the Robins or any member out if they needed it, he knew she would since for she was close to most of the members of his vigilante family.
She did a slow spin to show she didn’t have a bag, “You can pat me down if you like,” she smirked. He trusted her, although he was sure she probably stole something earlier in the day, probably somebody’s wallet, but he trusted her to no longer steal anything high in value anymore.
“What’s on your mind Bats? Haven’t seen you for a few days, missed your company but go anywhere fun?”
Gotham in the future, if that was really counted as anywhere fun.
“Going to be the silent tonight? I mean you could’ve gotten coffee, but I guess if you’re just going to stare at me all night, which isn’t all that bad,” she smirked.
“Selina,” he sighed.
“He speaks!” She exclaimed happily, then placed her hands on his chest, “Clearly somethings on you’re mind so come on. I’m sure one of the cats will be to your liking for comfort.” She started to walk away but then turned, “unless you have a specific comfort in mind?” She gave him an alluring grace, with her eyes hooded underneath her goggles.
Playful. Always playful. How is it a woman like her was drawn to man like me? Destroyed, broken. Such different beginnings, different sides and yet we were drawn to each other how? Especially her to me, how? She has everything a man could ever want, she is what a man could ever want. But me. I’m a broken man, with one bad event that tortured me for years, and no matter who I loved it has always be my true self, my night self that has drawn them away, put them in danger or put halt in our relationship. Yet Selina. She doesn’t care. She loves the danger, she was never pushed away from it and she kept coming back as did I to our relationship.
“Earth to Br-Er- Bats. Earth to Bats,” she was using the comm links once more, looking at him through her window. “Darling your starting to look like a creeper from across my apartment.”
Bruce shook his head, smiling to himself, finally gliding down to her balcony.
He entered through the glass doors, entering her living room. He shut it slowly then pulled the curtains to cover it. He took off his cowl, running his hand through his hair.
“Alright coffee is almost done.” She turned around to him, still in her black cat suit, slightly unzipped, but with no cowl. Hers was resting on the countertop. “What’s going on Bruce? I know the Joker isn’t loose. Eddie has been quiet. All of the birds and baby bats are safe. Alfred I know is healthy, so something happened on your lovely trip with your super friends.”
He sat on her couch, carefully to not sit on one of the two cats laying on the two other cushions. It was then that the most known cat Isis jumped on his lap, happily purring and rubbing her hear against his chest. He smiled down, petting her as well as scratching her under her chin and between the ear. “And here I thought I was the detective.”
“And he speaks with a snarky comment. Something did happen.” She smiled, god did he love it when she smiled. “Alright so speak. Tell me the dets.” She jumped onto the countertop corner, placed her elbows at her knees and rested her head on her open palms, looking directly down at him.
“It probably wouldn’t be the best to tell you.”
“Bruce, you have come here just to sit in peace but I thought we trusted each other enough to tell each other whats going on.” She jumped off the counter, grabbed two mugs in the cabinets and started to pour the brown liquid.” Mugs in hands she turned around started to make her way to him. “You can sit in silence, I’ll let you be. But I rather you tell me what has you so off. Tell me why you look drained.” She handed him the coffee then use her free hand to move one of the cats that was on the cushion next to him to the a cat bed. The cat didn’t really seemed to mind. she then proceed to sit next to him, legs crossed and hands holding the mug like she needed to warm up her palms. “Tell me why you were staring at my apartment, like a creepy stalker ex boyfriend. Tell me why your eyes seem like they seen worse hell then what you’ve been through?”
Bruce contemplated on how to say any of the things he wanted to say. He looked into her eyes, her ever green emerald eyes, he loved looking into. He then looked into the coffee. “Selina, do you ever feel like me being Batman is futile and I should just give up?”
She wrinkled her brows. “No.” she spoke after a short pause. “No, because although many may seem like its futile and stupid, I see you actually making a difference for a lot of these people that live in this damned city. You should give up if one you feel like you should as you never owed
this city anything.” She looked up at him, “Why are you asking?”
“I time traveled.” Curiosity sparked in her eyes. “Nt as fun as an experience as you would think.”
She smirked up, “Whys that?”
“Well, we went to the future. Gotham was still the same. Criminals still reigned on. Gotham was still as dark. And I never gave up my crusade.” Bruce looked away from her to look at the happy black cat on his lap. “I was alone, old and cranky.” He saw her slight smile at him saying cranky.
“How did you end up going to the future?” Her body was now fully turned around to him, reaching a hand out to pet her most notably companion.
“Chronos stole one of my utility belts and created a time portal. I, along side Green Lantern and Wonder- Diana, chased after him, into the past. 1879 to be more specific.”
“An Old West adventure?”
Bruce huffed out a laugh, but Selina was still interested. “We easily found him as he had a trail of machines that didn't exist back then, as well as running into heroes of the old west, like JonahHex, El Diablo, and Ohiyesa. But right before we could take him back to the present he tricked me and we went to the future.”
“Where you found old cranky and alone Bruce?”
“Yes.” he paused. “From what I observed I’ve been alone for some time, and there wasn’t anyone left. No Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian or Cass.” He sighed, “Every time I saw my future self, my eyes were cold, distant and completely broken.” Selina stayed silent. “I don’t even think the kid that was the new Batman was mine and he seemed like he was new to it so I must have done this until something happened. Something that made me incapable off.”
“You think you drove everyone away.” She stated it more than questioned. She placed her mug down on the table in the middle of the room, then took hold of his chin and made him look into her green eyes. “Bruce thats not your destined future.”
“I know. But Selina, seeing that future, seeing me, without anyone, seeing my eyes have more of a burden of loneliness and sadness. It made me realize what I have now.” He lifted Selinas chin up, smiling, “Selina, it made me realize that I clearly never tried to actually have a life, I acted the part but all I really do is shut myself from everyone. And I want to stop.”
Selina smiled and sat up on her knees placing both her hands on the sides of his head. “But you don’t know how.” she laughed, “Well for a start, open up to all your kids. Stop bottling up yourself. You don’t have to be Batman all the time.” She gave him a chaste kiss, “talk to them like you talk to me,” she laid her forehead on his.
He smiled up, “Selina I’m starting with you.” He shuttled a bit, Isis jumping off of him and one hand wrapped around her cat suit clad self. “I love you. I always have and I always will. You’ve been through so much with me. You’re one of the best things I have ever come across. Selina, I need you. I know you don’t need me but if you’ll have me.” He pulled back a little showing her a small velvet box and flipping it open, “Will you marry me?”
Tears slipped from her eyes as she smiled. “Yes.” She kissed him. “Yes, I will my young cranky handsome man.” Bruce smiled back and took the ring out of the box to put on her finger. She took off her glove allowing him to put it on her ring finger. “This diamond looks familiar.” She said looking at it.
“It was the one you first stole, when we first met on the boat.” He smiled up at her.
She narrowed her eyes, “we didn’t meet on the boat, we meet on the street.”
“Selina, I distinctly remeber-“
“Oh shut up,” she kissed him again, pushing him down to the couch arm, straddling him as he swung his legs up. “Its a cute sentiment either way.” she spoke against his lips. “But we’ll fight about this later.” She stole his breath away as he took hold of her hips.
She stole something every time from him, whether it was part of him or from him, but at that moment as they pushed and pulled against each other lips he knew he made the right decision. The right decision in who he was going to spend the rest of his life with. The right woman who he was going to fight for.
Maybe time travel wasn’t all that bad.