Don't Fear the Reaper

33) Lemme Tell You Some More About Dante...

A/N: IK I keep doing DFtR updates, but the other book's next chapter is like 4k words long and I do not have the mental capacity to edit that rn


Bruce sat at the breakfast table as the family slowly trickled in. Even though it was only because he had been missing/injured, it was nice to have everyone back in the house. Dick lived in Blüdhaven, only returning to visit every once in a while, Jason usually lived out of an assortment of safe houses in Gothem, and even Tim had his own apartment that he stayed at half the time. Barbra rarely stayed at the manor, but she had been getting there before breakfast every morning and stayed until after dinner. Steph had slept at the manor half the time since Bruce had been back, but she used to only came by when Tim was there. The only ones who still lived in the manor full time were Cass, Duke, and Damian, but Cass was considering moving in with Barbra and Duke planned on getting his own apartment after he graduated high school.

Having them all back in the manor was refreshing in a way that Bruce hadn't expected. He liked having his chaotic family around.

When everyone but Nico had gotten to the table, Alfred came out of the kitchen with a cart loaded up with food, placing the plates in front of each person.

Bruce's eyebrows furrowed, at first confused as to why Alfred was bringing out the food already when he knew for a fact that the man was a firm believer in 'no one gets served until everyone has arrived', but then he noticed it. Nico's seat was skipped over when the man was placing down food.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Bruce said, looking at Alfred.

The butler just nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "He left this morning."

The table was silent, everyone with varying responses. Steph didn't look surprised, but she had a look in her eyes that Bruce couldn't understand as she reached into her pocket and grabbed something out, staring at what was in her hands below the table.

Dick immediately left the table, Barbra going after him. Damian was just staring at his plate, seeming to be trying his hardest to keep his mask of neutrality in place. Jason looked like he was trying to be angry, but the sadness in his eyes wouldn't go away. Duke looked concerned, either for the others or for Nico himself. Tim just sat with his eyebrows furrowed, his mind probably trying to figure out what they did wrong. Cass just looked at Bruce, most likely trying to figure out what he was thinking.

Bruce didn't know what to think. He had only known Nico for about a month, and they had spoken only a handful of times. Sure, the others had told him things about what he was like before Bruce had come back, but that didn't change that he never met that kid.

He never met the kid who beat them all, except Cass, at mythomagic.

He never met the kid who let Tim explain Pride and pride flags to him for half an hour.

He never got to meet the kid who told Tim that his parents got a good afterlife, or took the time to signed with Cass after a spar, or pushed Damian in training in a way none of them could manage, or gave Dick an answer to his never ending question of 'what happened to the boy from the roof', or any other act of kindness that he had done since getting to the manor.

He never truly met Nico. The only real glimpses he got of the boy they all had known was during their conversation in the library, and when he watched the kid get shot through the neck while trying to save him.

He saw Nico die that day. He saw Nico hit the ground before that horrific, crime against nature of a suit injected him with Lazarus water and force the Reaper to rise once again. He saw Reaper take shot after shot, only for the suit to stop him from passing— and for what?

The kid hadn't just risked his life to save Bruce— he died. He died, time and time again, just to save Bruce— so wasn't it his fault?

Dick had been too scared to be like Bruce to save him the first time. Maybe if he had been a better father, Dick wouldn't have been scared and he could have been saved him before his eyes ever turned green and his soul had ever broke to this point.

Maybe it was his fault. Bruce tried his best, but maybe he wasn't good enough. Just because you take in some kids, it doesn't make you father— or at least, it doesn't make you a good one.

Bruce, before he even knew what he was doing, was leaving the dining room. He heard Alfred call after him, but he would talk to the man later.

His feet had a mind of their own, but he didn't bother trying to fight it. He just let them lead him to wherever they wanted to go. He finally stopped in front of Nico's room, staring at the door for a long moment before stepping in.

It looked just like any other guest room in the house. There were no decorations or patterned pillows and blankets like his children all had in theirs. The only things that gave away that someone at least used to lived there were the clothes that still at in the closet and some paper on the desk.

Bruce crossed to the small desk and sat in the chair looking at the envelopes in front of him, all of which sat on separate pieces of paper with handwritten Italian on each one.

Bruce's eyes skimmed over the papers until he noticed a loose piece of paper with his name written at the top. The man pulled out his phone, taking a picture of the text and running it through the Batcomputer's translating software.

Bruce,

These letters are for someone who should be coming to your home soon. If they follow my directions, then it will only be one person, however I doubt they will. The first is for the doctor, the second is for my cousin, and the third is for our mentor. If only one person arrives, give them all to him before he leaves and he will know what to do. I wish you all safety and hope that we never have to meet again.

-N

Bruce stared at the page for a long moment before tossing it down. As it fell back to the desk, it flipped revealing another short sentence written on the back.

Non temer; ché 'l nostro passo non ci può tòrre alcun: da tal n'è dato

Fear not; our fate cannot be taken from us: it is given

Inferno: Canto 8

lines 104-105

A/N: IK this one is also short but I'm building something hehehe

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