Batman Beyond: A Different Past

Chapter 1: A Death in the Family

"Master Wayne? Are you there?" Alfred cracked open the door slightly. "I thought I told you not to disturb me until the car arrived." Damien closed the leather bound book he was reading from and placed it back on the shelf next to the fireplace. "Well that's why I'm here sir the car has arrived." Damien turned to Alfred and strolled to the door. "Oh thank you Alfred. Are you going to accompany me to the funeral?" Alfred replied in a cool voice "Indeed I am."

Alfred walked along side Damien as he proceeded to the car. "I also took the liberty of having the driver pick up two of your fathers closest accomplices, Mr. Dick Grayson and Mr. Tim Drake. Damien remembered those two back when he fought crime with his father under the alias as "Robin." They had both been Robin before him and now they all were in one place together again.

"Damien... It's been too long." Almost 10 years had passed since he last fought alongside Dick. "You can say that again" Damien looked in Tim's direction "how you holding up Tim?" Tim didn't move he continued to stare at the moving scenery outside of the car window. "Tim?" "Oh sorry what did you say" Tim replied with the saddest tone in his voice. Damien could see in his eyes that he was hit the hardest by Bruce's death. "I said how you holding up" Tim took his time to answer " ok I guess I just.....can't believe he's gone." Silence filled the car until they arrived at the cemetery.

The car stopped next to a old oak tree sitting in the middle cemetery, 10 feet from their fathers newly dug up grave. A woman, wearing a black dress with a blue flower pinned to her chest, opened the car door.
"Hi sweetie" Damien exited the car and hugged the woman
" Hi mom." Dick was the next to exit the car and immediately spotted a woman in a wheelchair talking to a group of people under a canopy and made his way toward her. Tim waited in the car for a while collecting his thoughts and repressing the urge to bawl his eyes out.

When he finally got out he saw a girl looking at him and waved to her. She ran to him and he caught her in his arms with a warming embrace. The funeral had begun as soon as Tim took his seat between his brother Damien and his girlfriend Stephanie.

"We gather here today......" Damien blocked out the words of the priest and let his mind go weary to ease himself. After what seemed like a eternity a man began to shake his shoulder "Damien?" Damien snapped back into reality and looked at the man. He had short brown hair and wore a black suit with a green Q clipped on a black tie. "I'm sorry do I know you from somewhere?" The man smiled, his beard showing slight strands of grey "I doubt you remember me you were so small the last time I saw you." Damien racked his brain to find any memory. "You still don't remember me huh?" Then Damien finally remembered "You're Oliver Queen."