Detective-Verse. In stately Wayne Manor.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

It was late afternoon, the sun was a deep golden yellow even though the hour was still early, as late fall was wont to do. The shadows were long in the quiet manor, silence permeating every inch of the estate. No sounds of footsteps, no voices, nothing. The only sound was the thunk of the refridgerator opening as a heavy hand reached out to grab a carton of milk. Bruce glanced around, even though he knew Alfred was not around, and drank right out of the carton. Something he couldn't do when the gentleman was here. Feeling a bit juvinile, he stuffed the milk back into the 'fridge and on second though, reached in for some leftover apple pie. He had a couple hours to kill before dusk--a few rare hours--and wanted to keep up his strength, work on a few leads down in the cave on the computer, and add a few new toys to the 'mobile. He was still musing on his odd visit to that 'universe', and was thus a bit absentminded at the moment.

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[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

The seemingly innocuous gunmetal gray watch on his wrist began buzzing, and immediately the half-eaten apple pie was placed on the counter, Bruce was on edge. It couldn't have been Alfred, he wouldn't have tripped the alarm, would he?

He hit one of the cabinets with his fist and behind the canned food there was a secret door, where some spare batarangs were kept. He stuffed them in his khaki pants pocket, and untucked his blue polo shirt and pulled it over, just in case . Bruce slinked around the corner and out of the kitchen, catching a glimpse of the main hall. He could have easily made a run for the cave and come back as Batman, but really, that would take way too much explaining.

His blue eyes opened wide when he saw the pigtails. It was a little girl. He breathed a sigh of relief, but still snuck up behind her. There was not even the sound of breathing before the voice behind her said sternly.

"You ought to knock before you enter."

[random_xtras]

Those icey eyes turn up to him indignantly. "What are you doing in my house?" Her accent held a trace of France.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

"Your house?" His eyebrows were both raised incredously. Suddenly it seemed like the fire had gone out from him and he sighed, feeling another headache coming on, remembering the recent events from that one universe-hop. Here we go again.

"I'm Bruce Wayne." He folded his arms across his chest. "Who might you be?"

[random_xtras]

"My name is Brenda Wayne." Her brows drew together as the scowl turned to bewilderment. "I don't have any relatives."

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

The headache tripled. First he had met teen Brenda, then adult Brenda, now kid Brenda. What was this, did one of his enemies curse him or something? Or was there some kind of camera on him right now? Maybe Mxy was playing games again...Bruce rubbed his forehead wearily.

"Okay. Brenda. Let's just say I'm a long-lost one. How did you get here?" He was immediately concerned, because she was six. Had she lost her parents already?

[random_xtras]

"Je ne sais pas," she said, her bewilderment increasing. "The last thing I remember is getting on the bus to go to the museum."

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

She did look confused, but he didn't know how to comfort her, or cared to.

"Great. Just great." He paused and stared at her for a moment, memories surfacing up of his own childhood. He wondered vaguely if that odd girl from Gotham that had kicked him back here would turn up, or if it were her doing. Well actually it could be any number of things, he had of course recently gone through that whole mess with Joker and Bat-mite and Mxy with Clark, and he had his fill of alt. universes for awhile. But here was it again. Except there was no option in this one, this was his home (hmm, was it really? He got paranoid again.) and this poor girl had no way of getting back to hers at the moment. Where was Alfred when you needed him? He would know exactly what to say to her.

Instead, Bruce was...Bruce.

"You're stuck here, as far as I know. I'll try to get you back as soon as possible but you're pretty much going to have to stay here right now until we can figure this out." He grunted. "I'm an older version of you, except a guy." Way to break it to the kid easy.

[random_xtras]

Her bewilderment grew. "Je ne comprende pas."

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

He sighed again. "Look, it's like this, kid. You're not home anymore. You're..." He thought about it. "You're in a new world. I don't know how you got here, but...you are and you'll just have to deal with it. Sometimes there are worlds with people in them that are...you. Alternate yous. And I'm one of them, and you're one of...mine." It was probably way over her head.

[random_xtras]

"I know that I am not home," she says with sudden icey coldness, her little face still and hard. "Home is the school with the sisters. And you are rude."

This said, she whirled on her heel and marched away, back straight.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

He was amused at her abrasiveness and spunk, to talk like that to someone thrice her size and a stranger to boot.

"You won't find home there, sorry," he said lightly. "It's a good quarter mile to the end of the gate if you want to get out of the manor."