Chapter Text
Lance almost slipped as his feet glided across the wet ground. He had already spent years running from his past, his life under Bruce wayne, his time as..
That didnt matter anymore, the Bruner fortune was enough to support his usual lifestyle ten times over, he donated some of the money occasionally, whenever the trips to the casino turned out a good chunk of money or one of his fathers investments turned a too good of a profit, maybe it was to make up for his past.. Maybe it was in the hope that the big donations to his hometown of Gotham would bring up a flag in batmans system.. but.. of course, it never did.
He would occasionally get a Christmas post card, when Dickie boy or Mr Pennyworth found out where Lance had ran to next, showing off Bruce's new child, though lance had realised a long time ago, Alfred just sent him those out of pity, and to keep it believable, he put Dickie boys name on them.. But he hadn't gotten one within the last year, even though he did not move yet..
Lance never sent anything back, it was kinda understood he shouldn't, the last time he sent something was a simple, sorry for your loss, when they thought Jason had passed away, it was all over the news, at the time he'd guessed everyone in the family had a problem with passing away then being found on paper alive a year or so later.. though Lance was in a brain-dead coma, and Jason was missing.. supposedly.
He never properly met these.. Technical god siblings of his, he met Tim when he was a baby once, his bio dad took Lance to a gala where the Drakes were showing off their new shiny baby, he must have been about.. 5 or 6.
But that was a baby.. He never met Jason or any of the other ones. He only knew their names from the magazines and joyful posts on Bruce's social media.
Lance tried to avoid being near gotham, but occasionally if he got to close and someone figured out he was back to check on Bruner Manor.. he'd be hounded by reporters and paparazzi trying to figure out who Bruce Wayne's missing god son became, thats why he came back only at night.
To see bruce squirm on an interview whenever his name was mentioned, seeing Dickie boy shake his head and make some side comment about trying to keep in touch, and the confusion on his younger.. siblings?.. faces is always a laugh.
But he didnt want to bother them, no reason too, they wherent his enemies or anything, he didnt hate them, it was just.. strange, to look over at them and consider them his.. family.
Knowing their secret identites, basically having the big threes identites on speed dile yet..
Not being close to any of them, other then Alfred.
Lance didnt particularly know superman was Clark Kent, he was never out right told, but once you reveal Diana Princes, Bruce Waynes, Oliver Queen and West's[whichever runs as flash that week] the rest of the Justice league eventually falls in place.
But Lance wasn't treated as a loose end. He knew batman was probably keeping tabs on him, which was creepy in its own right, but he never reached out directly, and Lance wasnt exactly in the mood to have a vigilante family on his back, Batman, nightwing and the crime boss red hood, not to mention the rest of the hero community, on his back.. N O thank you.
Lance was happy being a nobody, why wouldn't he be?
The one night he was a hero he lost a year or more of his life.
The one night he did anything good..
He slipped down the entryway, pulling the letter out from his jacket pocket feeling his heart race, as he would continue to walk quickly through the dark garden, hoping he was just reading it wrong.
It was supposed to be a simple, visit to check on Bruner Manor, there was a pile of mail on the side table by the door like every time, but it was different, there was a letter in what looked to be Bruce's handwriting, saying Alfred had passed.
Inviting him to the funeral, tonight, earlier in the day, why invite him? Lance didn't know.
He knew Alfred didnt have a grudge against him but why would the family still invite him, then demand no matter what time he got there to come to the manor.
Its not like Alfred would leave him anything right?
As he came up to the porch or the house he looked up at the large glowing manor, his body pausing half way up the steps, maybe he was crazy for coming here, they probably invited him out of respect nothing more, why was he here, why did he come?
Maybe he should-
Then the door opened and lance froze as the music and laughter broke through the now open wooden door, a teenage girl.. Lance would have to guess about 17, short black hair she was letting a dog out, the dog was a German shepherd, and it didnt look to happy to see him.
It began growling and barking as the girl stared at him in confusion.
"Uh.. i- um.. hello.. Cassandra.. right?"
Lance said holding his hands up trying to show he was no threat, as the dog lowered itself to the ground, the girl would turn away closing the door slightly, walking back inside making Lance worry slightly, was he about to get mauled?
"Nice.. puppy?"
He took a step back down the step his eyes glancing to the door as the dog growled louder.
"Ace down! I told you Alfred todays your birthday you get the day off-"
Bruce. That voice was recognisable anywhere. The dog would sit still unhappy with him being here.
The door would open wide again, the man was older then lance remembered him, the hair at his temples going slightly grey.
They froze as they stared at eachother, Alfred appearing behind Bruce pushing out from behind him.
"Master Lance, what a pleasant surprise!"
"Yo-your alright?"
"Of course im alright young man, whatever shall you mean?"
Alfred pulled the blonde boy into a hug, Lance blinked twice.
"But the letter.."
"Dont worry about the letter."
Alfred would step back taking the letter from his hand and stuffing it in his pocket.
"Now master Bruce are we going to invite your second eldest son inside or are we going to leave him in the rain?"
"Second el—"
There was a silent extange between them, and Lance just wished he decided to wait an extra day, and not get that deal with his flight..
"Yes, of course, Lance please, come in."
Alfred would hold Lance's arm guiding him to move inside, Lance would hesitate but ace would growl at him as he did so he was forced to follow the man up the stairs.