From Camp Half-Blood to Gotham (Nico x Batfam)

Through Shadows and Smoke (67)

Light poured into the manor through the large glass windows, whose drapes were drawn open. It looked still and calm, and immaculately clean. Alfred must have been hard at work today. A warm fire crackled in the kitchen hearth, dancing cheerily against the blackened stones. The stove was on, and a large pot of what smelled like stew broiling over the flame.

Leo, his hands gripping tightly onto each one of the backpack's shoulder straps, looked around, lips quirked up. "Is this your hidey hole?"

"No, but it is Alfred's," Nico replied, looking around for said man before looking down at his watch. It was only one o'clock, nowhere near dinner time so the butler was probably tidying the boys' room while they were at school. Turning around to throw a glance out into the closest sitting room, silently hoping Bruce wasn't at work. He needed Bruce to be home.

"I forgot how big this place is," Leo muttered, staring into the entrance hall as they walked out of the kitchen.

"It's so much bigger than you think. I haven't even seen all of it." Nico smiled, grabbing Leo's hand to drag him deeper into the mansion, skipping the grand staircase leading up to the master bedrooms to head straight for Bruce's office. "They have an entire pool in their 'training center' and a sauna."

Leo stared at him, open-mouthed for a few seconds. "Why didn't you invite me sooner?! Do you know what I could do to a sauna?!"

"I don't want to know." He really didn't want to know since it would probably involve turning it into a human cooking oven. Or maybe a giant pizza oven. But he didn't have too much time to dwell on any more possibilities since they had arrived at the dark oak doors of Bruce's office, which he quickly knocked on. No answer.

"Nobody home?" Leo guessed, tucking his fingers back under the backpack straps.

"Nobody except me, Master Leo." Alfred sighed, descending the stairs, white cleaning gloves tucked into his back pocket. "And now you two."

"Hello, Alfred." Nico smiled, pulling away from the door to meet up with the older man. "Is Bruce busy right now? Is he in a meeting?"

Alfred sighed again, his eyes crinkling around the edges as he smiled lightly. "Those are the questions Master Dick always asked when he got in trouble. I shall go call him."

"Thank you, Alfred!" He called after the butler, who shook his head, picked up the old rotary phone, and began dialing.

"Wow," Leo mumbled, his elbow brushing lightly against Nico's. "I found one of those in the attic in the big house, apparently it's been haunted by a sort of thorybism forever. Chiron hasn't managed to banish it yet."

They stood in silence as Alfred talked to the secretary first before being passed to Bruce. "Yes, I believe it might be best for you to come home, Master Bruce. No, he is not alone. Young Master Leo is here as well. Yes, I will keep an eye on them." Alfred's eyes twinkled as he glanced back at them, and then he set the receiver back in its place.

"What does he think we're going to do?" Nico asked as Alfred walked towards them, reaching for their two backpacks, Leo only passed the one he was carrying, which was just full of clothes.

"I'm not sure, but I'm sure it's nothing good," Alfred said good-naturedly, leading them up the stairs. "But I shall get Master Leo settled into a spare bedroom for now."

"Hope I didn't get you in trouble with Mr. Wayne," Leo whispered, his eyes moving around to look at each of the Wayne children's bedroom doors.

"I don't think you did," Nico reassured him, frowning slightly as Alfred picked a room on the opposite side of the hall from his own. "He can't be mad when he knows what happened."