DC:The Darkest Knight

On the day of the funeral, I wore my black suit while Teleute wore a gorgeous black funeral dress, and we made our way to Wayne Cemetery, which was still on Wayne Manor's grounds. There, I waited for guests to arrive.

Teleute offered me the chance to talk to the Wayne couple one last time, and after thinking for some time, I agreed. At least I could do this for them after I killed their son by taking his place. As I stood before the Wayne couple's grave alone, since Teleute wanted me to have a conversation with them alone, a bright light shone from the Wayne couple's grave and a man and woman appeared out of thin air.

"Bruce, is that you, son?" asked a man with a mustache, whom I guessed was Thomas Wayne.

"Yes and no," I replied as Martha Wayne, the blonde woman with medium-length hair, came over and hugged me.

"Oh, my baby boy, look how thin you are. Are you not eating well?" she said as she cupped my cheeks.

"I'm not your son, ma'am, not in this life," I explained while Martha checked all over my body.

"What do you mean, not in this life, son?" Thomas asked ,looking confused 

I briefly told them about my first life as Bruce Wayne, not that I actually remembered. I just told them what I read on the internet from my previous life. I didn't mention the one who laughs for obvious reasons. Then, I told them about my second life, but I only mentioned being a normal dude, like having a job as an engineer, having a girlfriend, normal things like that. I didn't want their pity, so I didn't talk about my life as a mercenary.

"And in my third and current life, I took your son's place."

Thomas let out a sigh and come to my side,"It doesn't change anything, you were our son in your first life, while you were not in the second life, but you came back, didn't you? You are our son and always will be," he said as he patted my head.

"Your father is right, dear. You will always be our child, nothing can change that," Martha added with a warm smile as she wiped her thumb under my eyes.

I found her actions odd and touched under my eyes, feeling the wetness there.

I was crying, but I felt no sadness. The tears just flowed on their own.

'It's probably lingering feelings of Bruce Wayne, what a bother,' I thought as I wiped my tears away.

"Don't cry, sweetie. Mommy is here," Martha said, pulling me into a tight hug.

We kept talking, and I realized that time seemed to stand still. We discussed everything, including my second life. I tried to stick to my story about a normal life, but Martha sensed I was lying with her 'motherly instincts,' as she called it.

So, I came clean about my second life. Martha cried while trying to comfort me. When I mentioned that, despite my fucked up life, things weren't so bad since I found some comfort after rising in ranks, it made her cry even more. Oddly, seeing her tears made me cry too.

They shared stories about their lives since I didn't have Bruce's memories. They told me how they met, fell in love, got married, and had me.

"Then you, hehehe. Peed in your father's mouth, ahahahaha," Martha laughed, covering her mouth.

"From that moment, I knew you were going to be a troublemaker, you little devil," Thomas said with a smile, playfully ruffling my hair. But soon, his expression turned serious.

"We can't stay here forever, Bruce. We don't belong here," Thomas said, kneeling to my eye level while Martha held me close.

"Just because you can't see us doesn't mean we're not with you, son. We will always be by your side and support you no matter what. I'm proud of the man you were, are, and will become. Never forget that," Thomas said as he began to fade away.

"Don't forget to eat your meals, not fill your stomach with junk food, and don't stay up late watching TV. If you do, I know and I will come back to give you a good spanking. And if anyone bullies my baby boy, tell me, and mommy will come back to punish those bad guys," Martha said with tears in her eyes as she kissed me on the forehead.

"Mommy always loves you and will always be with you,my sweet baby boy. You deserve to be safe and loved, and I am sorry I can't give it to you anymore," she added, holding me close for a moment before getting up and taking Thomas's hand.

As he began to fade away, Thomas smiled and said, "Send my thanks to Teleute. I'm really grateful she let us see you one last time," He patted my head gently one last time.

"Never forget, baby, Momma will always be with you," Martha said as she began to fade, just like Thomas.

While I did apprentice their love and care for me, my emotions became far too numb from living life like an animal on a leash and constant killing that any positive emotion I had in me died with each of my kills.Because of that, I couldn't return their feelings even if I wanted to. The only person who can ever awaken any emotion in me is my beloved wife, Teleute.

*swoosh*

A strong wind hit my face as time began to move again.

"Dear, are you okay?" Teleute asked as she came to my side.

"Hmmm." I nodded my head as I held her hand.

As time went by, guests began to arrive one by one, and Teleute left for the deeper part of the cemetery to talk with other Waynes since she didn't like the covered places. After she left, I ordered the staff to not let anyone into the deeper part of the cemetery under any circumstances, in case one of the guests were to see and try to bother or flirt with her. I didn't want to shed blood at the funeral.

***

The guests were rich and influential people involved in business or politics. They offered their condolences while talking about how kind, good, and generous my parents were, or how they saved many lives and made Gotham a better place.

Most of them said the same thing, but none of them were actually sincere. They were just trying to gain my favor. After offering their condolences, they began to do what they really came here to do: discuss business among themselves or try to make connections with a smile on their faces ,acting as if they were at a party instead of a funeral.

Some guests even attempted to manipulate me, like the money-hungry leeches they are, trying to convince me to sell my shares in Wayne Enterprises or buying my properties at a lower price.

Giovanni and Zatanna were also among the guests who came.

"Bruce, my boy, I'm really sorry for your loss. Your dad was an amazing doctor and a good friend. I will miss him a lot," Giovanni said, giving my shoulder a gentle pat.

"Thank you," I said briefly. I wanted to avoid too much interaction with Giovanni since he was a powerful magician who had erased Bruce's memory before. You can never fully trust mages. He could be using magic on me right now,you can never know.

"You are like a son to me, Bruce. If you need anything, just ask," Giovanni said before Zatanna pushed him aside.

"Bruce, I'm sorry I couldn't get here faster," Zatanna said, giving me a warm hug.

"It's fine, Zatanna," I said, hugging her back.

I chatted with Zatanna and Giovanni for a bit before saying goodbye, claiming that guests were still coming in. I wanted to avoid mages for now since I didn't have any magic protection yet.

Bruce Wayne's uncles, Jacob and Philips Kane, came to the funeral with their families. They offered their condolences and assured me they were there for me if I needed anything.

I also met Bruce's cousin, Katherine Kane, the Batwoman in the canon, but not in this universe where I am Batman. There will be no Bat-family, since I alone will be enough.

Once most guests had arrived, I stood by the gravestones of the Wayne couple and delivered a speech in their honor as the rain started to pour. After I finished, other family members, including Jacob Kane, shared brief speeches about the couple.

An hour later, the rain stopped, and the funeral concluded as guests departed one by one. Instead of going back to the manor, I chose to head to the nearby river. I invited Teleute, but she turned me down.

***

Leaning against the tree, I gazed at the river's clear water as a leaf drifted down, creating ripples. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath of fresh air, and cleared my mind.

"Bruce."

I opened my eyes at the sound of a girl's voice. Turning around, I saw Zatanna smiling at me.

She held a coin in her left hand, showed it to me, and waved her right hand over it, making it vanish. Then she came closer and touched the back of my ear.

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Pulling her hand back into a fist, she opened it to reveal a bubble instead of the coin. With a playful grin, she blew on the bubble, causing it to multiply and pop all around me. A refreshing sensation washed over me, like a warm shower on a chilly winter day.

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Once the bubbles burst, I noticed Zatanna looking at me with a bright smile, eager for my approval.

I patted the grass next to me and invited her to sit. "That was an amazing trick, Z. Thank you," I said after she settled beside me as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder.

Zatanna is one of the strongest,if not the strongest mage in DC. I should get closer to her since she's still young and build a strong bond.

"Z... I like it," Zatanna said softly, resting her head on my shoulder.

We sat together, watching the river for a while until suddenly Zatanna took my hand. "It's okay to feel sad, Bruce. I'm here for you... I lost my mom a few years ago. I cried a lot that day, and sometimes I still do when I think of her. My dad helps me when I'm down, but you're not alone either, Bruce. You have me, Dad, and Alfred. Don't shut yourself off like this."

I was taken aback for a second when she suddenly began to comfort me out of the blue.

"Don't worry about me, Z. Now that you're here, I feel better," I said, thinking it was the right thing to say.

It's easier to pretend to feel what others think I should rather than showing my real emotions. This way, I can manipulate them more easily.