Batman Is Not Dead

Alive

"Hey, are you okay?" Dick asks as he walks down the hall to the groaning guy I was sitting next to.

I glance away from the Heart Healthy sign and look at Dick as he's walking towards me.

"What? Yeah. Why?" I ask.

Dick gestured to his face. "You're crying."

I wipe my face and see tears on my hand. "Oh, my adrenaline must be dropping."

He opened his mouth to say something but I couldn't hear him.

I zone out for a minute and listen to the hospital sounds. People were hurrying past me, not caring that I had four stitches in my chin or that both my arms were wrapped up and strapped to my chest that was covered in a bloody shirt.

My family told the hospital that it was from the bridge collapsing. They said that the glass got into my arms and chest because of the car crashing. They of course didn't tell the nurses that Bruce and I were only here because Alfred couldn't help. We were losing blood too quickly and the Hospital was closer. Talia al Gual had been attacking Gotham viciously and it ended at the Gotham bridge. She blew it up and Batman and I were there, saving people on the bridge and fighting assassins. Dick and Jason were in the water saving the drowning people with Batgirl. Talia was settling a score. She was attacking Bruce and starting war over Damian. In the end, Tim and Damian managed to get everyone off the bridge and I went back to help Bruce. I remember running to Bruce who was standing in front of Talia. Bruce turned, his mask half torn off, and he gave me this look. It was a terrified look. He lifted his hand and yelled for me to stop but it was too late. Talia had another bomb and she activated it. After that I remembered the glass and metal flying into every limb. My face had been scorched, my head suffering from a concussion, and my brain blurry with pain and confusion.

I woke up in the hospital to my arms sewn up and wrapped, my clothes changed out of my uniform and in some ratty clothing.

They didn't even tell me what happened to Bruce. I could only assume he was in a coma.

I've been sitting in this chair ever since. Finally, Dick has shown up, not a scratch on him.

"Isaac? Did you hear me?" Dick asked.

I blink and look up at him.

"No. I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time hearing." I say. It was true. The explosion had deafened one of my ears and the other is just hard of hearing.

I look at him and squint yo try to get the three of him into just one again.

Dick sighed and ran a hand through his hair before saying "Bruce... He's dead."

I stare at him.

"No he's not." I say.

Dick frowned as I looked at my knees.

"Isaac," He says quietly. "I understand, you're in shock. I was too."

I shake my head a little which hurt.

"He's alive." I say again as my ears start to ring and my legs grow in my vision. I close my eyes, trying to get control of my vision.

Dick crouched down and put a hand on my chair handle. "I watched his heart sensor flatline, Isaac. He's dead."

I inhale and lean my head back, exhaling shortly.

"Okay." I say.

Dick put a hand on my shoulder and started to stand. "Okay." He sighs.

He stands and I say "Let's see the body."

Dick pauses for a second then looks down at me in disbelief. "What?"

I sigh and look up at him with a blank face. "Show me the body."

"Isaac, you don't want to see it." Dick says.

I frown "I've seen a lot of bad things in my life. I want to see my longest lived guardian's body."

I stand up and Dick steps back like he physically couldn't believe what I was saying.

"You think I'm lying?" He asks.

"I don't know, Dick. There's been a lot of faked deaths recently and I want to make sure this time instead of taking someone's word for it." I shrug "You understand right?"

I start to walk down the hall, forcing my limbs not to ache and my vision not to move as I swayed and tried to walk straight.

Dick stood in front of me. "You can't." He said quickly.

"Why not?" I ask.

Dick sighed "He's been sent out to get cremated. It was in his will."

I frown "How convinient." I say flatly.

Dick scowled "You think him dying is convenient."

"I think it's convinient that you shipped his body off to get burned into untraceable ashes so I can't tell if it's really him or not." I say sharply. "So yeah, perfect timing I guess."

Dick scoffed "Look, I know you're in mourning-"

"I'm not in mourning." I say. "Because there's nothing to mourn for. You say he's dead but he's not. I don't believe it even if you do."

"How could you say that? Bruce was blown up into four pieces! I was the one who had to carry those pieces here!" Dick snapped.

"I say it easily." I reply through my teeth. "Because I'm noticing a pattern here, Dick. When villains start targeting one of us we find it easier to fake our deaths to save the rest of the family from specific attacks instead of dealing with it together. So no, I don't believe you because this family lies to each other so many dang times that it's hard to tell apart what's a lie and what's real. It's bad enough you did it and Jason did it twice but Bruce has done it so many times it's hard to keep track!"

Dick stared at me. "We did it for your own good. It was dangerous."

"Look at me!" I yell as I lift my wrapped arms harshly. "You don't think I get it? I know it's dangerous, but it doesn't get less dangerous when people leave. It gets harder and I feel like I'm going insane when you guys do this!"

"Calm down." Dick says quietly as he looks over cautiously at the people who were shooting us suspicious glances.

I stare at Dick. "He's not dead. Don't lie to me."

I watch as Dick's expression hardens. His whole body becomes tense as he stands like stone.

"You're out of line." He hisses quietly. "You have a concussion and you've been through a traumatic event. You're not thinking straight."

"Oh bullcrap!" I snap.

Dick doesn't flinch as he says it again. "Bruce is dead. I'm sorry, I know you were close."

"Too close apparently. What? Did he get scared and run off?" I ask angrily.

Dick walked past me. "I can't do this with you Isaac. I need to go and arrange a funeral. The doctor said I can bring you home but you have to be back soon to take stitches out."

So he's going to ignore me. I know he's alive and Dick turning me down like this proves it. He's in on it.