The Shadow: A Renegade Sory

The Locked Draw

A week later Bruce decided to go on a quick patrol to make sure that everything on the streets where as fine as he thought they were. He left the boys and home and took the Zeta tube to the centre of Gotham. He ran around the roofs for a while finding nothing more then a few minor robberies and where about to go home when he heard a scream he rushed over to find a lady being surrounded by five thugs. He quickly got to work taking them down as the lady ran for the hills. When they where all down and hog tied. He was about to call the cops when he heard a voice "That was truly amazing" and a loud slow clap. He looked up and found the mysterious man sitting on the roof of a building kicking his legs backwards and forwards grinning wildly.

Batman crossed his arms as he looked up and the young man. The Boy laughed wildly as he took a dive off the building and landed in front of him with a bow. "I heard you got my little drawing" the boy said taking a few steps back to lean against the wall. Batman still on guard nodded "We did" the boy smiled and nodded a few times. "Good good. I worked super hard on those you know" Batman once again didn't say anything as the young man kept rambling "You know it would be a pity if you threw them away all that hard work wasted, all those clues gone"

Batman froze "clues?" the boy smirked "Oh yeah you don't think I would just send them for no good reason did you?" the boy sighed "I don't remember you being this slow on the uptake." Batman let his arms fall back on the side "So we know each other?" he asked carefully unsure how many questions he could get away with. "Oh sure long, long history you know?" the boy paused mid thought "Okay maybe not long but history deep dark history" Batman nodded in understanding "How long ago?" he asked, the boy smiled sheepishly "Oh I can't remember how long ago did your son die?" Batman froze and didn't say anything. The young man shrugged his shoulders "You don't have to tell me I suppose, but it was before that. Before both of them that is in case you where confused."

Bruce paused for a moment "Both of them?" he muttered he knew he was talking about both Jason and Dick. But he had always hoped despite the fact they had declared him dead that Dick was alive some were out there. The young man frowned "Oh man oh man I can't believe I'm the one bearing the bad news I hate that" he said giggling softly "Well your oldest birdy" he started grinning manically "Not the one that came back from bye bye land anyyyy way. Your oldest bird boy is most definitely dead saw it me. It was sad you know; he was good one. You raised him well and all that".

"You knew him?" Bruce asked, "You know what happened to him?" the young boy gasped and put a hand over his mouth. When he removed it he was grinning "Didn't I tell you I knew all your little secrets? Though now that im saying this I suppose this is not one of your secrets but someone else's. My bad" he said laughing softly.

"so, I like got to go" the young man said after a moment of silence. Bruce knew he should stop him but having a confirmation on his sons demise was heart wrenching. Some how he managed to make it back to the manor, though he didn't remember the journey. He quickly got unchanged and into some sweats before stumbling to his room. Bruce didn't know how long it took for him to get to sleep but when he finally did manage it his dreams where filled with the heart breaking reality, the past, the happy giggles and the bright grin of a young boy. The next morning Bruce stumbled out of bed and down to his office.

He didn't know how long he sat there staring at the draw that held all the photos of him. Bruce wasn't proud of it but when his oldest son disappeared he took every trace of him and hid him away and locked the door to his bedroom. He believed that Alfred probably went in there to keep it clean but other then having to explain what happened to him when Jason came back they didn't speak about it. Bruce couldn't talk about it. He knew he probably should, that he needed to in order to heal and that Jason and Tim needed to but he didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to remember.

Bruce walked over to the draw pulling the chain with a key on it from around his neck and slowly with shaky hands pulled it open. He took a deep breath and pulled the first picture out. He looked down at a boy who looked no older than seven. He had dark black unruly hair, bright sad eyes and a strained smile. This had been a few months after he had formally adopted Dick. Bruce had called in sick to WE and taken him to the beach. Dick had been terrified that he was being taken back to the orphanage, but when he heard the crash of waves, he lit up for the first time since he had been with him. Dick had giggled at the feeling of seaweed brushing against his legs when he had stepped into the water. He had gotten all sticky from strawberry ice cream and had dug a hole as deep as he himself was.

For the first time since the funeral Bruce let himself feel all that he had lost. He flipped past a few more photos smiling sadly at the memories that had ambushed his mind. He laughed through tears as he remembers the time that Dick had left a flour bomb for Alfred. Bruce had found Alfred covered in white powered tickling a nine-year-old Dick till he was begging through fits of tears.

He remembers the first time he had taken Jason home, how Dick had calmly taken the boys had and dragged him to the sofa to watch movies. Bruce had woken up that morning with two snoring boys sleeping against his shoulders, a sore back and a crick in his neck but it was worth it.

He remember the day that Tim, Jason and he had a water balloon fight in the back yard, all three where soaking from head to toe. The had ambushed Bruce as he stepped out his car and he had retaliated. Dick as his usual self some how managed to sneak up on him and wrapped his arms around his neck and legs around his waist. Alfred had come out brandishing a camera. They look ridiculous a 16 year old Dick on his back. Jason grining widly with two water balls in his hands and an arm thrown around his younger brother.

Bruce Spent a long time reliving the memories of the past but when he finally did put them away once more locking the draw up tight he felt exhausted but so much lighter as well.