Another Death in the Family

[nation_citizens]

"...continuing coverage of the events of Bludhaven, where cleanup crews led by current and former members of the hero group Teen Titans have unearthed the bodies of both the costumed hero known publicly as Nightwing and the terrorist known as The Red Hoodwithin a day of the initial attack. Repair and construction crews have worked for the

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[kathy_duquesne]

Kathy knows what this means.

She knows Bruce will want to be alone at a time like this. But what he wants and what he needs are two different things.

[fanboy_power]

Eddie knows Bruce wants to be alone too. He also knows that he shouldn't be alone. He was just too timid and unsure to know what to do on his own. His first thought was to call Tim but all he got was voicemail. He called next closest person to Bruce he could think of since Alfred was asleep.

"M-m-m-m-ms. Duquesne?" he asked as soon as the phone was picked up.

[kathy_duquesne]

"Eddie," she greets. "Call me Kathy. How's Bruce doing?"

[fanboy_power]

"I...um..." Eddie pauses. "C-c-could you come over? I d-d-don't think it's g-g-good that Mr. Wayne is all b-b-by himself and Mr. Pennyworth is resting and..." he pauses again to sigh. "P-please?"

[kathy_duquesne]

"I'm already on my way. How are you doing?"

[fanboy_power]

"Thank you," Eddie replied. There was a long silence before he replied. "I...d-d-dunno," he admitted.

[kathy_duquesne]

Kathy nods. "Don't let Bruce do anything stupid, okay? I'll be there in... five minutes."

It normally takes at least 15-20 minutes to get to Wayne Manor from Kathy's penthouse... provided one obeys all the speed limits. Kathy's not one to do that on her best days.

[fanboy_power]

"I'll d-d-d-do my best, Ma'am...I m-mean Kathy," Eddie replied. He really doubted he could do anything but annoy Bruce but he wasn't going to say that. He'd just wait for Kathy since she would know what to do. Or so Eddie hoped.

[mr_bruce_wayne]

Sitting alone in the Cave, Bruce's eyes are glued to the news screen. The report has played several times over on the feed, even though he doesn't have it on repeat. CNN is making a giant deal of this, as they should, but he can't bring himself to change the channel.

Part of what hurts so badly, that he recognizes, is not only that Dick is gone.. but Jason is gone for a second time. Maybe he'll finally find peace. he thinks to himself as his brow furrows, his hands steepling before his mouth.

He knows that Eddie has been lurking, but he's completely ignored the boy up until this point. SOme parts of him feel bad for that.. but to be completely honest, Bruce also doesn't care. His sons are dead. There will be no one to pass on his legacy to, no one to carry on for him once he dies. There is Sandy.. but she's too young to shoulder all of the legacy.

Bruce's eyes tingle and burn, but he refuses to let the unshed tears loose. Instead, he simply glowers harder at the screen.

[fanboy_power]

Waiting where he's in earshot if spoken to but where he can't see those screens...Eddie has indeed been lurking. Sitting still and silent, he hasn't really expected Bruce to even acknowledge he was there. He was just sitting and waiting for Kathy to arrive and wishing he could be of some help. While Bruce won't let the tears go, Eddie's rather obviously been crying. Occasionally he peeked over at Bruce to see if there was a change in the older man but mostly he just say and hoped Kathy got there soon.

[kathy_duquesne]

A short time later, Kathy is there.

She doesn't say a word. She just goes to Bruce, where he's sitting before the screen.

She moves behind him, gently placing her hands on his shoulders.

[mr_bruce_wayne]

Bruce is silent for a moment, not recognizing that Kathy is there.. Until he finally makes a low growling sound and tenses heavily under her hand. "I failed.. I bloody failed!" he snarls, though his voice rose to a thundering tone by the last word.

Turning to look at Kathy, Bruce wears a wild expression, one that looks haunted by too many ghosts to name. "I tried to stop him.. For months I chased after him until he made it perfectly clear that he didn't want me following him. I tried to help him, to offer whatever I could do to assist him. He pushed me away." Shaking his head, Bruce then says "The last words that we said to one another were in anger."

[fanboy_power]

Hearing Kathy approach, Eddie peeked out from his little hiding spot. He squeaked quietly and ducked back down half way when he heard how angry Bruce sounded. He just hoped Kathy could be more help than he was.

[kathy_duquesne]

Kathy doesn't break eye contact, but her tone is both firm and gentle at the same time.

"He knows you loved him, Bruce. I don't think anyone could doubt that."

[mr_bruce_wayne]

"Knowing and hearing it are two different things. I never told him. He never said it to me, but I know that.. that.. it was something he wanted to hear. I could never give that to him and now it's too bloody late for any of that." says Bruce, his expression hard and unconvinced, still.

There is a snarl from the man, and he turns in his chair, his fingers flying over the keyboard of the Batcomputer as he says "... And he isn't going to be subjected to the same hell that Jason was..."

A map of the world pops up onto the screen, and red dots start to light up across the continents. They seem to be locations.

[kathy_duquesne]

Kathy watches Bruce work. She steps back, knowing that whatever it is he's doing, he needs to do it. But it won't help. And when he's done with whatever he's working on, she'll be there to prop him up, when he can't hide behind the cowl any longer... when Bruce Wayne has to face the grief of losing two sons.