hello! this is my masterlist for all my fics and links. i have ao3 in which you can read all of these fics on and a tiktok account where I make edits.
gold rush - robert pattinson’s bruce wayne x nonbinary oc
summary: carter hume attends a gala to try to convince gotham socialites to support a lgbtq+ youth center in gotham and catches the eye of the prince of gotham that has a secret side to him
warnings: mention of transphobia, homophobia, violence, blood, smut, abandonment
tags: slow-burn, protect each other, secret identity, bruce doesn’t do feelings well, batman hates homophobes/transphobes
playlist cast ao3
chapter i chapter ii chapter iii
destiny - morpheus x female oc
summary: in which king of dreams is unlucky in love and his only way to break it is an english schoolteacher who has been reincarnated throughout his lifetime
chapter summary: in which gale teaches her class about tragedy and love, she forces her nephew to get friends and sees a familiar face.
word count: 1k
notes: hi this was quick because i wrote this instead of doing homework
playlist cast ao3 chapter i chapter ii
“Now, what makes Romeo and Juliet not a romance but a tragedy?”
Gale leaned against her desk with her hands holding onto the ridge. Her fingers tapped the surface in sync with the raindrops against the roof. She overlooked her sea of students. Some of them just stared back at her with their eyes fluttering, trying to stay away and others stared down at the ground. One of her students raised their hand and Gale pointed at them to answer.
“Yes, Diane?”
“Because they both die in the end?”
Gale nodded. “Yes, exactly.”
She jumped off the desk and stepped forward. “They were so close to reaching their love story. If Romeo just waited a few seconds for Juliet to wake up, they would have gotten their happy ending, but they didn’t. Romance stories are more of how we want love to go. We don’t want our love stories to end with sudden death. I mean, the play ends with the quote: ‘For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo’.” A story of more woe, in ways, that means tragedy. Can you think of another prominent tragedy?”
Gale gazed at a student in the back who clearly was on their phone and had headphones in. “Daniel?”
Daniel dared not to look up. It took his friend, Marty, to smack his shoulder that made Daniel look up and stop his music.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Can you name a tragedy?”
“…Romeo and Juliet?”
The class roared with laughter, but Gale silenced them with shush and a yell of “quiet!”. She smiled, not wanting to embarrass Daniel.
“Can you name one that isn’t Romeo and Juliet?”
It took Daniel a second before spitting out. “Eurydice and Orpheus?”
“Yes! That’s perfect, Daniel!” Gale shouted with excitement. “For many who don’t know, in Greek mythology, Orpheus went to the Underworld to retrieve his love, Eurydice. Hades said he could if he travels throughout the Underworld without looking behind him to check if Eurydice was behind him. Much like Romeo, Orpheus was so close to his happy ending but he looked behind to see Eurydice behind him, breaking his promise. Following that, he fell into despair.”
Diane asked. “So, ma’am, tragedies can have love in it, but love stories can’t have tragedy?”
Gale thought for a second before answering. “I mean like every story, there is going be sad parts but love stories don’t end in tragedy-“
Before Gale could continue, the bell rang, causing her students to rise from their seats and run towards the door. She yelled over the bell. “Remember your papers on Romeo and Juliet are due by Wednesday. If you need any help, let me know!”
The crowd of teenagers left the room. As Daniel was about to leave, Gale said his name. He turned with his headphones in. Gale gestured to take them out and he followed.
“Great work today, Daniel.” She said. “Just to let you know though, if I see you on your phone and headphones in again, I will take your participation points off.”
Daniel sighed. “Got it.”
“Hey.” She reassured. “I know you’re a smart kid and I want you to show it off. I mean, when I was your age, I wouldn’t have even thought of Orpheus and Eurydice.”
He smiled back and walked out of the room, passing Troy in the doorway. Gale stared at her nephew and sighed. “Troy, what are you doing here?”
Troy stepped into the room. “What? Can’t I have lunch with my favorite aunt?”
“I’m your only aunt.”
“Exactly!”
Gale rolled her eyes. “Please, go have lunch with the other kids-“
“Excuse me, I’m sixteen-”
Gale snapped. “Exactly. Please, be social. Hell, go to a party this weekend.”
Troy gasped. “But what about our Doctor Who binge?”
“We can watch David Tennent some other time.”
Troy wrapped his arms. “Fine, if I’m going out, you do too.”
“No, no, I’m the adult here, you listen to me.”
Troy scoffed as he waved goodbye and left. Gale waved back and smiled before folding up her papers. She stared out the window. The rain continued to pour against the window. The clouds covered the sky. It made her want to fall asleep again. She shut her eyes for a second and opened them but suddenly, the wilderness was gone.
Instead of the trees and rain, there was a library. Shelves lined each side but in the middle was a gorgeous staircase that led up to a throne. A raven sat on the top, peering over the room. Behind the throne, stain glass windows let sunlight shined through.
On the steps sat a familiar face. The pale person from Gale’s dream this morning. But instead dressed in 19th century clothing, he wore a normal black t-shirt with black slacks and a long, black cape that fell behind him like a waterfall.
Gale stood up in amazement, walking towards the window. She breathed in and out. This had to be a dream too right. This had to be real right? She put her hand to the glass of the window. Suddenly, she heard a voice yell, “Morpheus, look!” Then, the raven flew to the person’s side. Who Gale believed to be Morpheus looked up from the ground and stared right back at Gale. The two locked eyes.
“Who are you and what are you doing in my library?”
His voice was the same as the dream or memory she had. It was quiet but still gruff. She took a step back away from the glass as he stepped closer. He started closing in. Gale wondered what he would do if he broke the glass between them, but she didn’t want to know. She wanted to get out of here, out of this dream or nightmare. When she was a kid, Gale always clicked her heels together three times, like in the Wizard of Oz, to escape her dreams or nightmares. And that’s what she did to escape. She quickly clicked her heels together and closed her eyes. She opened them and instantly heard the rain pour. There, in front of her, the trees were back and no Morpheus in sight.
chapter summary: in which gale dreams herself in the 19th century meeting a brother and sister but wakes up from her house almost being burnt down
word count: 975
notes: hi hopefully you enjoy! sorry that this was a long time coming
playlist cast ao3 chapter i chapter ii
Gale’s dreams had always felt real, even if she didn’t remember them. She could always feel the happiness of a true dream or the fear of a nightmare. However, the dream she was having now was different. This one felt real, but it felt like she had it before even though she never had.
She sat in a meadow with the sunlight bathing her. A book sat in her hand but made of leather. She looked at the cover to see the golden letters of A Midsummer’s Night Dream etched into it. Of course, it was Shakespeare. It made sense to Gale that it would be in this dream. She was teaching Romeo and Juliet this week. However, she has never read A Midsummer’s Night Dream even in all her years of schooling. But somehow, she felt a connection to it, and it wasn’t the first time she glazed her eyes on the pages.
She looked up as she heard not just the wind blowing but voices in the woods. Her head turned to see two people walking through the trees. One of them was a masculine-looking person with pale skin and short black hair. The other was a feminine-looking person with curly, black hair and dark skin. Unlike his stern expression, hers was cheerful. It looked like she was the one carrying on the conversation as she bit into a peach.
Gale didn’t recognize either of them. She got the feeling that she knew everyone in the town. It was intriguing to her to see new faces. She stood up swiftly and started running through the meadow, following behind them. Her dress flew behind. As she came closer, the more she overheard the conversation.
“Please, at least try it.” The curly-haired person shoved the peach in the pale one’s face.
Even though his eyebrows were arched, he reluctantly took it and ate it. His face didn’t change.
“Good, right?” She smiled.
He doesn’t say anything back to her, not disagreeing or even agreeing. Gale could notice that he tried to hide a smile. The curly-haired person elbowed him and laughed. “Oh, brother, I did miss our time together.”
“And I did too, my dear sister.” He spoke back.
Gale hid behind a tree watching them and was about to follow them until she took a step onto a stick. It snapped loudly, causing the two siblings to turn in Gale’s direction. She quickly hid behind the tree.
“Seems like we have a secret admirer.” The sister smirked and walked closer to the tree.
Her brother responded. “Humans are an invasive species.”
Gale breathed as quietly as she could. She was confused by what he said but she focused more on hiding her identity. She looked down at her feet to find black shoes in front of her. Gale breathed out as she moved her head up. There, standing there was one of the people she was watching. His eyes looked longingly at her. No wonder he didn’t talk much, his eyes said so many words. Her lips quivered as she was about to say something-
~
Gale jumped up from her bed to the fire alarm going off. It took her a second to realize where she was. She wasn’t in a meadow, dressed in a 19th-century dress but instead in her baggy University of Cambridge t-shirt and plain underwear. The fire alarm continued to go off and Gale groaned, knowing what was causing it.
Smoke filled the kitchen as a teenage boy, whipped a towel around the smoke alarm. Gale watched him jumping up and down, trying to move the smoke away.
“Troy. Not again.” Gale sighed before grabbing another towel to help him.
He yelled back as the alarm stopped. “I wanted to make you breakfast for the first day.”
After the alarm stopped, Gale ruffled her nephew’s short, curly hair and kissed him on the forehead. “I appreciate it.”
Then, she opened the cabinet above the oven and pulled out a bowl. Next to that cabinet, she opened a few boxes of cereal, taking out the Special K’s box.
“This is why you should stick to making cereal.”
Troy laughed while he grabbed the milk from the fridge and poured it into the bowl. Gale rolled her eyes as she grabbed an apple from the basket on the counter. Troy, then, poured cereal into the bowl.
“I thought I raised you better.” Gale laughed before she took a bite of her apple
Troy responded with a chuckle. “Nope.”
Gale said before taking another large bite. “Please tell me you studied for that science exam. Mr. Gilmore has been bragging every day in the teacher’s lounge that all his students are going to fail.”
Troy took a bite of his cereal and almost choked on it as he laughed. “Don’t worry, I did. His exams aren’t as hard as he thinks they are.”
Gale laughed before she said. “Well, eat quickly while I go change.”
“What do you mean?” Troy joked. “You’re not going to go to work dressed like that?”
Gale rolled her eyes before turning her head to look out the window. Rain poured against the window, making her yawn. The thoughts of her dream came flooding to her. She wished she didn’t have to work, and could just go back to sleep.
I don’t know how to explain it but if you are ever writing a dream/morpheus romance fanfic, the song “if I can’t love her” from beauty and the beast FITS PERFECTLY FOR HIM
chapter summary: in which carter comes to wayne tower to find that they already have met bruce wayne and alfred pennyworth
word count: 1.6 k
notes: hi everyone! sorry this took a while but i just got back to school but enjoy
playlist cast ao3 chapter i chapter ii chapter iii
Carter stood silently in the elevator. They fiddled with Lila’s dress and stared at their ripped-up sneakers. In their brain, they thought of what to say and what not to say to secure the donation. They couldn’t lose this. The kids needed this. Lila needed this. Carter, themself needed this. When the elevator dinged, Carter gave one last large breath as the doors broke open.
Standing in front of them was the same man that they had a discussion with last night about beer. Carter tilted their head, trying to figure out who he was and how he was connected to Bruce Wayne. In his eyes, Carter could see him, attempting to recognize them. His eyes widen once it hit him.
“Mx. Hume?”
His voice sounded familiar, and Carter recognized it from the phone call earlier today. Alfred Pennyworth.
“Like I said on the phone,” Carter smiled. “Carter is just fine.”
Alfred smiled before he held out his arm. “Follow me.”
He started to walk, and Carter followed. The two stopped in an open dining room and Carter stood near a circled dining table in the middle of the room. The windows let the light in. They overheard footsteps and turned their head toward the stairs in the corner of the room.
At the top of the stairs, a man stood. He wore a long, black shirt that went to his hips with matching dark pants and black sunglasses, covering his eyes. Carter tilted their head. He looked familiar to them, but they could place their finger on where they knew him from. At first, Carter thought it was from the newspaper, but they felt like they had seen him in the flesh before.
They heard Alfred beside them sigh and said. “Mr. Wayne, we are inside. You don’t need to wear those.”
“There’s too much light coming in.”
Bruce Wayne’s voice was soft but gruff and familiar. How did they recognize Bruce’s voice? He never did any voice or video interviews.
Alfred walked over to the large window and pulled a curtain over. The light disappeared and the only lighting in the room was the chandelier above them. As Bruce walked down the stairs, he took off the glasses. Carter recognized him from his tired eyes and the specs of black paint around his face like the man from last night. They held back their gasp in shock. Last night, when they ranted about the rich in Gotham, they ranted to the literal prince of Gotham. If they were alone, they would scream in annoyance. But they couldn’t. They had to get this donation; they couldn’t lose it. All they could do was fake a smile.
Bruce walked in front of Carter and stared them down. Carter did the same. Standing by each other, he was taller than they thought. He was about a head taller than them and stood straight.
“Bruce Wayne, Carter Hume.”
Carter put out their hand first for a handshake. Bruce stared at it first before slowly shaking it. Carter thought he wouldn’t have a strong grip, but he did. He squeezed it hard that it made Carter break from the shake a few seconds after. As Bruce walked to the other end of the table, Alfred slid the chair at the end of the table for Carter and they sat down. Bruce sat down while Carter thanked Alfred.
Alfred asked as he leaned over Carter’s shoulder, “Is there anything I can get you to drink, Carter? Beer?”
Carter laughed at the inside joke and responded back. “Um, no, I’m good without beer. Do you have coffee?”
“Yes.”
“Can I have a coffee with cream and sugar please?” Carter ordered.
“Yes.” Alfred responded before looking at Bruce. “Mr. Wayne?”
“Water.”
Alfred nodded and left the room. The silence grew between Carter and Bruce. Carter turned to Bruce as they watched him pick up the newspaper, trying to avoid their eyes. The front headline read “Batman Strikes” with a drawing of the vigilante under it. Like many of Gotham, Carter had never seen the Batman, only heard whispers. The kids that came into the center would discuss what they heard from the streets. He came from the shadows and disappeared into them.
Carter leaned over. “Sorry if I offended you last night.”
The silence came back except for the folding up of the newspaper. Bruce stared at them before speaking, “You didn’t. You told the truth.”
Before Carter could respond, Alfred walked back into the room with a glass of water in hand and a plate with a mug on it. He placed the plate in front of Carter which they thanked him for, and Alfred walked to Bruce with his water. Bruce nodded his head, thanking him. Alfred sat next to Bruce and started the conversation. “So, Carter, explain the center and how it came to be.”
Carter folded their hands, trying to look professional. They took a breath and straightened their shoulders. “I worked in Metropolis for a few years at their LGBTQ+ center and it was an amazing experience. After hearing about the flood, I felt it was right to come back to Gotham and create one with my colleague, Lila Pace. So, while the city was rebuilding, we were building the center.”
“Back?” Bruce repeated one word.
Carter tilted their head. “Hm?”
“You said ‘to come back to Gotham’.” He spoke. “Did you grow up in Gotham?”
Like the night before, he asked the question like he was interrogating them for an investigation.
They could just leave it in a small sentence like they did for everyone who asked. Yes, they did live in Gotham but left to go to college in Metropolis for a little. That’s all could they say. Lying came easy to Carter. Responding “okay” if someone asked how they were. They even lied to Lila which they hated but they didn’t want her to worry.
“Yes, I grew up in Gotham and then left to Metropolis for college and stayed there for work.”
Bruce stared more at Carter, trying to find something to catch them in a lie. Carter noticed his eye contact but fluttered their eyes and looked to Alfred as he said. “So, what does the center help to support Gotham?”
“Oh, well, we offer services including meals and beds. We have free menstrual and sex products. We are near the schools in Gotham so that in case they need to use our gender-neutral bathroom instead of dealing with the schools’ non-inclusive bathrooms. We also hold support groups where many people can talk about their feelings and build a community together. What your donation will do will allow for us to pay for the space and speakers for those support groups, continue to offer meals, and buy materials.”
Bruce stopped searching for a lie when Carter spoke. He listened to them and their passion. He could almost hear himself in their tone. Both wanted to fix and help Gotham not just for others but for their past selves. He could tell that there was something deeper that inspired them, he just didn’t know what. Carter though faced the people they helped face to face and helped them firsthand. He did that as Batman, not as Bruce Wayne. He was jealous of them being able to do that. For the first time in a while, Bruce gave a soft smile. Alfred noticed as he turned his head to see Bruce’s reaction. He smiled also before turning to Carter.
“We will be happy to make that donation. Would we make it out to you?”
Carter joined in with the smiling. “Thank you so much. It can be made out to me.”
Alfred took out a checkbook from his pockets and handed it off to Bruce. Bruce placed it on the table and wrote with a black pen. Once he stood up from his chair, he walked over to Carter and handed it to them. Carter knew it was rude to look at the amount on the check first, but they were curious. They had never seen so many zeros in their life.
Without even thinking of it, Carter stood up and wrapped their arms around Bruce. At first, they could feel Bruce jump at the feeling but then he slowly relaxed. Carter relaxed too. They didn’t know why they did but they felt comfortable in his arms, and he felt the same with them. Both of them needed a hug. They needed someone to hold them. Bruce was the first to break off. Bruce stared at them for a second before looking down. Carter looked at him for a second before ruffling their hair.
“Thank you.” Carter looked at Alfred and then back to Bruce. “The center, especially me, really appreciate it.”
Carter picked up their bag and threw it on their shoulder. “Come to the center anytime. The kids would love to see you.”
“Do you have to go so soon?” Alfred asked.
Carter said. “I’m sure you two have a busy schedule. I don’t want to intrude.”
“We aren’t-”
“Alfred.” Bruce said. “I’m sure Carter has to get back to the center. We don’t want to keep them-”
“I’m free.”
Bruce looked at Carter and they returned the look with a smile. “Lila is there, and I trust her, even if she almost burned down our apartment once because of microwaveable mac and cheese.”
They heard a small chuckle from Bruce’s mouth, but it stopped once they looked at him and he locked eyes with them. He coughed a little to cover his tracks, but the damage was done.
Alfred asked. “We were going to have sushi tonight. Would you like to join? We don’t get many visitors.”
Bruce stared at Alfred with his eyebrows arched and Alfred smirked back.
chapter summary: in which bruce wayne is reluctant to be a wayne, alfred has to push him and carter receives a call from the recluse billionare's butler
word count: 1k
notes: hi! enjoy!
playlist cast ao3 chapter i chapter ii chapter iii
Alfred Pennyworth knew where Bruce would be when he woke up the next morning. He wouldn’t be in his room. He wouldn’t be in the dining area. Bruce would be below the tower, in his cave.
When the elevator door opened, he found Bruce hunched over on his computer. Footage from his crime-fighting played on the screen. Alfred rolled his eyes as he approached him.
“Good night?”
Bruce turned his head. The black paint from his late-night adventures still was around his eyes. He shrugged before turning back to his computer screen.
Alfred crossed his arms, “You know you can help the city as Bruce Wayne too, not just as Batman.”
He looked down beside Bruce’s keyboard to find his suit from last night and a business card on top of it. Alfred took the card and spun it around in his hand before reading it. “You can donate to causes and build foundations to help Gotham.”
“I have.”
He wasn’t wrong. He signed large checks every month going to different causes in Gotham, taking in Bella Reál’s advice. But, that’s all he did. He never met who he helped or went to the places he supported. Nothing else.
Alfred sighed. “But you just signed checks. Have you ever thought of going out and helping as Bruce Wayne?”
Bruce didn’t respond and instead was focused on the footage in front of him.
“What about this?”
Bruce cocked his head to see what Alfred was talking about. He responded, “I ran into this person last night and they dropped it.”
Alfred smirked. “And you kept it?”
He shrugged again, avoiding Alfred’s eyes. Alfred noticed and his grin widen. He doesn’t say anything but placed the business card in his pocket. He started to walk away towards the elevator.
“I’ll write a check for them.” Bruce muttered.
Alfred didn’t turn to face him as he clicked the elevator’s button.
“You’re not just going to write a check, you’re going to meet and follow this through.”
~
“Nothing from you either?”
Carter shook their head as they sat at their desk with the old computer they’d found at a thrift store, slowly loading up. Lila sat on the desk, drinking water from the water fountain. The center was usually quiet during the day due to the majority of kids being at school. However, some would hang out in the center during lunch and if needed, use the restroom. That’s one of the reasons why Carter and Lila chose a building near the school district in case the kids needed somewhere to be or a break from the school day. As much as Carter cared about learning, they knew the overwhelming stress of school. When they were in school, that’s all they could focus on. That’s what help bottle up their emotions and deal with their parents. Just do homework, read books, and get out. Education was their only way out of Gotham.
Carter blew out a sigh and leaned back in their chair. “We need to think of ways to raise money. We can’t close this down.”
Lila tried to calm them down. “Look, we just need to find other ways to promote. Kiss up to Gotham’s rich folks just didn’t work.”
“We could stand outside with buckets and tell people to give us money.” Carter joked.
Lila sighed before jumping at the sound of a cell phone ringing.
Carter looked around. “I’m not imagining that right?”
“Carter! Answered your damn phone!”
Carter searched through their bag until they found their phone. The caller ID was unknown, but Carter didn’t care. All they cared about is if this caller was going to help keep the center alive.
“Carter Hume speaking!” They said into the phone after they accepted the call.
The voice responded back. “Hi, Mx. Hume-”
“Carter is just fine.”
“Oh, okay, Carter, this is Alfred Pennyworth, I help with finances at Wayne Enterprises.”
Carter’s eyes widen. Wayne Enterprises? As in the Wayne family company, owned by Bruce Wayne, known as not only the prince of Gotham but also the richest man in Gotham. They knew of his story, everyone did. Besides the flood, the murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne that left their son, Bruce, an orphan was what Gotham was known for. Obviously, he still lived a very comfortable life due to him being born into a rich family, but he never made any appearances. It was rumored he was just hide out in his mansion and did nothing. The last time people saw him was at the funeral for Don Mitchell Jr. Carter had heard from murmurs that he started to give his money away and help Bella Reál rebuild the city but nothing else.
They tried to hide their excitement. “Oh hi, Mr. Pennyworth, how are you today?”
Lila whispered in the background. “That sounds like a fancy name alright.”
“I’m fine. Mr. Wayne found your business card and was interested in contributing to your Gotham Rainbow Youth Center.”
Carter could scream. This could help the center big time. Not only would a big-name donator help with the funds but also a name like Bruce Wayne supporting a center like this could normalize it in Gotham.
“Tell Mr. Wayne we are very thankful for his contribution to the center-”
Alfred stopped them in midsentence. “Actually, he was hoping you could stop by Wayne Towersometime today. He would like to meet you in person, get to know about the center and give the check personally.”
When Carter was younger, they would always look up and see Wayne Tower. They always wondered what it looked like on the inside. Another thing they wondered was about Bruce Wayne and how he was in the flesh.
“That works for me. I can come in about two hours, does that work?”
“Yes. We will see you soon.”
Carter smiled. “See you soon.”
They ended the call and grabbed Lila’s hands and moved them up and down. Lila questioned. “Did you say ‘Wayne’? As in Bruce Wayne?”
Carter nodded very quickly. “Yeah! He found one of my business cards from last night and wants to donate! He wants me to go to Wayne Tower and meet him.”
Lila jumped off the desk. “Wayne Tower?”
“Yeah, but I don’t have anything to wear. I returned my suit this morning.”
Lila spoke. “Go back to the apartment and go into my room and take one of my dresses. I’ll cover here.”
Carter smiled as they threw their bag over their shoulder. They hugged Lila. “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
summary: carter hume attends a gala to try to convince gotham socialites to support a lgbtq+ youth center in gotham and catches the eye of the prince of gotham that has a secret side to him
pairing: robert pattinson’s bruce wayne/ nonbinary oc
warnings: mention of transphobia, homophobia, violence, blood, smut, abandonment
tags: slow-burn, protect each other, secret identity, bruce doesn’t do feelings well, batman hates homophobes/transphobes
chapter summary: in which carter hume hates champenge, asks bruce wayne’s butler for a beer and complains about the rich to the prince of gotham
word count: 1k
notes: hi! I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of this.
playlist cast ao3 chapter i chapter ii chapter iii
Carter Hume stood against a wall, overlooking the large ballroom filled to the brink with Gotham socialites. They hadn’t taken a single sip of their champagne glass. They only had it in their hand to blend in with the crowd. The chandelier shined over the tiles that people scratched with their heels and dress shoes. The bright light made Carter sweat under their suit which they hope didn’t stain it because they needed to return it tomorrow. A they/them pin laid on the suit collar.
They swished their glass back and forth, watching the champagne rise and fall. If anything, it was more interesting than anything that happened to them at the gala. So far, the only thing that happened is Lila left them all alone to get a drink before they would search for donors but hasn’t found her way back to them. It felt like an eternity.
“Enjoying the champagne?”
Carter cocked their head to the right to find an older man, standing next to them. His dark hair was slicked back with a beard hanging over his dark tie. Burnt marks covered his face. He wore a black vest, covering over a flowy white shirt. He held his own empty champagne glass. Carter smirked before tilting their own.
“Yes, I’m loving it.” Carter said with sarcasm. The man laughed silently like he hasn’t chuckled in a while.
“Do you know if they will serve beer at this function?”
“Not that I know of.”
They sighed in disappointment, looking at the glass before staring back at the man.
Carter tilted their drink towards him as they asked. “Do you want to trade drinks?”
The man looked at them in confusion while they explained more. “I haven’t taken a sip and I’ll take your empty drink to the kitchen.”
He smiled in response as he handed Carter the empty glass in their open hand. Then, Carter traded the full drink in the man’s other hand.
“Thank you.”
Carter smiled. “You’re welcome, now do you know where the kitchen is?”
He laughed as he turned his body and pointed with the champagne glass, “I believe if you go down that hallway and wait a little bit before making a left and then make another left and then a right.”
Carter faked a smile, pretending to register the directions and went down the long hallway.
~
“This doesn’t look like a kitchen.”
Carter stood in the middle of the doorway of a large library. It almost as half as big as the ballroom they were just in. It reminded them of the long study nights at the college library they spent. Most college kids hated those long study nights, but Carter loved it. They loved staying up with a cheap warm coffee while reading and learning before an exam. Winter was their favorite time for that, especially when snowflakes would fall in front of the large window.
They took a few steps into the darkness, only being lit up from the hallway lighting outside the room and the moonlight glowing through the window. Carter stared at the books around and gracing their fingertips against the spines. They placed the empty glass on a small table and took a book off from the shelf. Carter smiled, staring at the older copy of The Great Gatsby. Their fingers tips graced the pages before getting to the first page. They stood, smiling as they read like they were back in school.
“Interesting read?”
Carter jumped and turned their head to see a figure. He sat in a seat across from Carter. The man leaned his head forward, letting his appearance be revealed by the moonlight. His hair matched his black suit. He had bags under his eyes like he hasn’t slept in a few days. Around his eyes were also small specks of black paint that he didn’t wash all of it off well. It contrasted against his pale skin.
“More interesting than anything out there.” Carter gestured the book towards the open door. “I’m guessing galas aren’t your thing either?”
The man nodded in response as Carter continued to speak. “Yeah, galas are just an event for rich people to dress up and pretend that they care about other people than themselves.”
“Then, why are you here?”
His voice was hoarse and silent. The way he asked the question sounded more like he was interrogating them than getting to know them.
Carter stated, “Because, maybe I can get them to actually care.”
The man observed Carter as they placed the book back on the shelf. Carter put their hand in their pockets and felt the few business cards they had.
Right as Carter was about to open their mouth, they could hear their name being called. As the voice grew louder, Carter recognized it as Lila.
“Lila?” Carter shouted back.
A woman, dressed in a flowing blue dress ran in with her white heels clicking against the tile. Flowers decorated her long blonde hair and dangling from her ears were “she/her” earrings. She grabbed Carter’s hands.
“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!” Lila looked around her surroundings but not noticing the man in the chair. “Of course, you hide out in a library here.”
“Well, anyway, sorry, I got lost in this mansion but come on, I can’t talk to these people alone.” She grabbed Carter’s hand and started to drag them out of the room.
Carter turned their head towards the man in the chair and smiled as a goodbye to him. He didn’t smile back as wide, but he gave a slight smile. He stood up and walked over to Carter’s empty glass. As he picked it up, he noticed something on the floor. A small, rectangle business card laid there. He picked it up and stared it for a little, finding the name of “Carter Hume”.
“Mr. Wayne?”
Bruce Wayne looked up at his butler before he could read anymore of the card. Alfred Pennyworth stood in the doorframe and pointed towards the window. Bruce turned around and saw the Bat signal up in the sky. His eyes widen as Alfred asked.
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