Bruce Wayne Whump because I thought of this and wanted to cause share the misery.
Imagine the batfam are facing off a new villain who sends send them to an alternative universe. Everyone is pissed off, they are lost in another universe, Bruce is injured and can’t fight, and they aren’t even in a Gotham. They family walks around, trying to find safe shelter, before an older man finds them injured, and the family is shocked to see Alfred in causal clothing, asking if they want his help.
The batfam see that this alternative Alfred so happy, chuckling at their jokes in a way their Alfred never does. Sure, he often ignores Bruce, but Bruce wasn’t the best conversationalist. Plus, this Alfred is fun with the kids, so it is cool to see a new side of Alfred. The kids and Bruce are wondering, why is this Alfred so happy? Also, why is he in England and not Gotham, how come he doesn’t recognize the kids? Alternative Alfred diminishes it and says he worked in Gotham for a while, before deciding he wanted new horizons.
Alternative universes often have a critical event that determines the change in the new timeline. So, the kids think the critical event was him never accepting a job with the Waynes and experiencing the trauma of losing them. Bruce doesn’t think so, because the way this Alfred is acting, he seems to be hiding something. But his kids think he is overanalyzing things again.
They have to go to the alternative Gotham, so they say goodbye to Alfred who gives the kids a warm smile and Bruce a neutral look.
They go to alternative Gotham and are surprised that crime is at an all-time high and that there is no Batman. They go to the mansion, only to meet alternative Bruce. This Bruce lets them into the mansion, a cold, silent and empty house. This Bruce smiles at the kids as he grabs the cart with drinks, his legs shaking from excess use. His arms shake as he hands each person a tray of tea, muttering apologies for spilling all over the floor, He looks at the younger bats in wonder, his one eye never strawing far from them.
Soon, the curiosity is too strong and one of the kids ask how he got those injuries. Alternative Bruce just shrugs. “When I was moved to the orphanage,” he starts “I was one of the smallest boys, so I was picked on a lot. Before I knew it, I was getting punched every day. One day, they decided it be fun to dangle me from the roof, just to scare me, nothing more.” He stops talking, looking down at his tea with an empty look. “You know how kids are. They don’t have the strength to hold someone by the legs for long.”
The room is silent, everyone processing the story as they watched the other Bruce shrug it away, as if it was a normal occurrence. As it was inevitable.
Before they can argue, their alarms go off, and the villain who sent them to this universe is here. The kids run ahead, and Bruce is just stuck. He watches his other self-stare at him. He didn’t know wat to do, too injured to join the fight.
“Why?” Bruce said after minutes of deadly silence. “Why were you in an orphanage?”
“Well, you know it is. When the family learned there was no way of them getting the inheritance by adopting me, no one seemed interested.”
“Bullshit!” Bruce yelled, standing up from the chair and ignoring the pain in his back. “What about Leslie? She was supposed to be our guardian!”
Alternative Bruce looked at him like he was insane. “Why are you surprised? We were always difficult children. It was a matter of time before she gave us to CPS.”
Bruce looked at the man all come and collected, while his own breathing increased in speed. “But she never had to worry! She didn’t even come to the manor, she had Alfred!”
Alternative Bruce looked down, his body stiffening after hearing the butler’s name. “Well, the bullies at school always messed with us and we didn’t stop the fights. Alfred always got mad.”
He remembered it, Alfred looking at him with irritation every time he came home with bruises around his body, blood on his uniform, and a detention slip on his hand.
“The school has called me a third time this month, and we aren’t even halfway through it.” Alfred stated, patience all gone after two years of living with the young boy. “I swear, Master Bruce, if I get one more call I am leaving!”
Bruce remembered that argument, the same fear he felt after losing his parents returning. The next time he saw the bullies, the next time he heard them insult him and his parents’ death in front of class, he didn’t yell back and put a target on his back… he stayed silent. He continued to stay silent for the next few years, until the bully’s family moved away from Gotham.
“That’s the difference between you and I.” Alternative Bruce said. “You learned to stop, but I never did. I thought Alfred was joking.”
“Alfred always keeps his promise.”
