Bat-Home
Nightwing didn’t put me down until we reached the cave; they covered my eyes and drove in circles, ensuring I didn’t know the location.
They don’t Trust you…
It makes sense. I’m an experiment which they currently have no information. For all they know, I’m a sleeper agent ready to kill them. I could be. I don’t know much about me. In fact, the boy only has memories of the lab and the room where he lived with the rows of children. Then, his life on the streets which was very short as his metabolism had him starved in less than a week.
So, who am I?
What is my real name?
Did I ever have one?
Should I tell them I like the name Peter? That would help. I would hate to be called a different name. But I’m not Peter. I’m S-444, but that just seems like a mouthful.
The car stops when we reach the cave, and my blindfold is removed. I look around; it is just a cave, like an actual cave that they turned into a building.
Someone is at the large computers, wearing a mask. We get closer, and that heartbeat… that the woman from the library. Barbra, why is she here? She pulls away from the desk, turning to us with a look of recognition.
“Hey there… I’m Oracle. It's nice to meet you,” she said, wheeling towards Nightwing and me.
“Hello, Mrs. Barbra,” I answer, hoping from Nightwings arms and hugging her. “Thank you for the snack earlier. I was starving…”
The men behind me looked a little confused I knew her name. Maybe that was a mistake, but I really liked Mrs. Barbra.
“How’d you recognize me? I’m using a voice changer and everything…” I let her go, taking a step back.
“Your heartbeat…” I say quietly. “It’s a very lovely sound.” I smile, looking around the cave again.
“You’ve met before?” Batman asks her while I continue to be lost in the cave's interior.
“He came to the library. His stomach made so much noise that I gave him one of the granola bars I keep behind the desk.” She sighed, taking her mask off. “He was researching you, Nightwing.”
Batman looked to Nightwing and back to Barbra. “Well, I was on the fence before, but now I think we have to keep him.” He sighed, “Especially since he can recognize our heartbeats.”
“Sorry…” I whisper, now back in front of Nightwings feet. My head pressed against his leg.
“Hey, little man, don’t be sorry! If I’m being honest, I was going to convince him you needed to stay…” I smile a little, not moving from my position, Dicks hand now patting my head.
“You all should be careful with your identities…” I whisper.
“Maybe, but not everyone has super hearing.” He laughs a little, his hand messing up my already messy hair. “But we’ll try.” I feel someone is coming down the hall. I rush behind Nightingale's legs, hiding. “Little man?”
“Sorry, did I interrupt?” The man said, his accent clean and crisp. They all looked over.
“No, we were just about to call you. Do you think you could prepare a bath for Little Man here? And food would be great, too.” Nightwing said. I peek out from behind Nightwings legs, looking the tall old man over. He was a butler… The suit and all. He man looks me over as well.
“Will… ‘Little Man’ be staying long?” The man said, looking at Bruce.
“Yeah, indefinitely…” Bruce said, looking away from the older man, his heartbeat increasing slightly. He walks over to Nightwing and me, kneeling and looking into my eyes. He thinks for a moment before pulling his cowl off. “My name is Bruce, and I want you to stay with us for a while. If you're okay with that?” His heartbeat increases, but his tone and appearance does not change; he’s very good at keeping his emotions a secret. I’ve been silent too long…
“Yes… That's okay with me…” I answer, now standing right in front of Bruce.
“Good.” He stands back and looks at the old man, “And this is Alfred. He’s my butler and will help you get all clean, okay?”
“Okay,” I answer, now looking at Alfred. No Malice, no spider-sense.
“What should I call the new Young Master?” He asks—awkward silence. No one speaks. What do I say? I have no name. Bruce looks at me, then Nightwing.
“He doesn’t have a name. I’ve just been calling him Little Man…” Dick says, pulling off his mask. “Little man… Is there a name you’d like to be called?”
“Any name?” I ask back. Should I say Peter? What if they ask me how I picked it…What character's name is Peter… Peter Rabit… A Rabit? I have a toy bunny in my bag. That would make sense…
“Yeah, anything you want,” Bruce answers.
“Peter…” I say. The people around look content with the answer.
“Alright, Master Peter… let’s run you a bath.” The old man turns and starts to walk away. Do I smell? I Snif my arm, getting a small chuckle from Dick, before following Alfred wherever he plans to take me.
“Mr. Alfred, sir…” I start to ask.
“Just Alfred, Master Peter,” His accent southing to my ears.
“Alfred, do I smell?” I retort.
“Yes”
I was sitting on the bench in the bathroom, and Alfred was starting the water.
“Master Peter, could you please take your dirty clothes off?” I listen, removing my shirt and pants, Alfred lifting me and putting me in the tall tube. “Will you need any more help?” He asked sincerely, his eyes looking down at my chest, my burn visible to the man.
“No, thank you, Alfred…” I sit in the water, my back to him, my knees to my chest. Alfred leaves, and I start to clean myself off. Listening to the voices outside the bathroom. Bruce, Dick, and Alfred.
“The young master seems to know basic manners…” the butler began. “He does have many scars over his body, including his number burned into his chest like the other children from the… facility… and he is awfully fragile. I don’t think he’s had a good meal in weeks at least.” I couldn’t see what they were doing, but there was an uncomfortable silence. Their footsteps got further away. Silence.
I finished cleaning myself using the soap provided. I feel clean for the first time since I got here. I climb out of the tube, my feet hitting the ground with a thud. Why is this bathtub so tall… or am I really that short? This body is only 6… but I look smaller than that…
I look in the mirror for the first time since I arrived. My face looks almost the same; I'm definitely younger, but I have the right features. My eyes are the same hazily brown…, and my nose is the right shape. It's uncannily similar to me… but it's not me… I use a towel and dry myself off. I put on the outfit laid out by Alfred. It was too large, but it stayed on me without falling off.
My senses say someone outside the door, knock…
I open the door, and Alfred is standing there.
“Hello, Alfred,” I say, opening the door wider.
“Master Peter, I have made you some food. Master Dick has told me of your wound on your leg; could I carry you to the kitchen?” I nod, and he lowers himself, picking me up and carrying me down the long hallway. Eventually, he placed me in a chair at a small table in the kitchen, and he put a bowl of soup and some grilled cheese sandwiches in front of me. “Something easy, as I have been made aware of you not having had much food in a while. This is tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. If you want more, please tell me…” He walks to the sink and cleans the dishes as I eat. I grab the spoon and begin to eat.
It was the best food I’d had in a long while. It was warm and comforting, just the right texture. Clearly not the canned stuff I'd eaten back when I was Peter Parker. I eat quickly, dipping the grilled cheese into the soup and devouring it. I ate everything on the plate and drank the rest of the soup from the bowl. My stomach no longer growling from pain.
“That was the best thing I’ve eaten ever, Alfred, sir…” I say, looking down at my clean plate.
“Would you like seconds?” He asks, looking over at my empty plates. “And no need to call me sir”
“Yes, sorry… Alfred.” I pause. “And I’m okay I don’t need more”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Si… Alfred”
Alfred took me to my room next. It was very plain—a guest room with a large king-sized bed in the middle, a desk with a computer, and a TV on one wall.
“This is quite large…” I tell him.
“Yes, we can fill it up with things you like later… is there anything you like specifically? I can go to the store and get something to make you feel more at home?” Alfred asks. I look around the room again. What would a child want? I have a computer…
“I’m not sure… Can I think about it?”
“Yes, Master Peter. I will leave you to get comfortable. Master Dick said he would come to visit in the morning” With that, Alfred leaves.
When he leaves, I make my way to the bed, pulling myself up and lying down in the middle, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.
Wow, this is soft…
So comfortable.
I’m awoken by my senses going off. Someone new is in the building, walking the halls—the person from before, the small one in red and green and another… the red one from the warehouse. He must be their friend… but something about the green one sends servers up my spine. He’s dangerous. He’s killed people before.
I grabbed my blanket and hid under the large bed, curling into a ball—someones at the door, not the scary kid. Knock. Knock
The door opens slowly, his presence familiar.
“Little Man?” He asks the room, almost nervous at my missing position. “Peter? It’s Nightwing… It’s morning.” He approaches the bed and sees the blankets sticking out from under. “Peter, are you hungry? Alfred made a huge breakfast just for you.” His voice was calm, almost soothing.
“Sorry…” I say, pulling myself from under the bed. “I got nervous.” I walk to him. Standing in front of him.
“That a-okay, Little Man.” He gets to my level. “I’m staying across the hall for the next while if you need anything, okay? So if you get nervous, you can come and say hi.” I smile, giving him a little hug. He grabs my hand, and we walk to the dining hall together. It was larger than the kitchen, and there were more people. Bruce, and Alfred. But also the man who wore red and the boy in green and red. I hid behind Dicks back.
“Dick! Is that him?” The green one asks, rushing over to us. “Hi, I’m Damian. I’m older and stronger than you, so I’m your boss.”
“Damian. Stop that.” Bruce said, sitting down at the table. His tone demanding and harsh.
“What? It’s true. If Dicks is the boss of me, I can be the boss of him!” Bruce shakes his head.
“Damian, let him get used to you before you get bossy.” He sighs, “You’ll scare him away.” Damian huff and returns to his seat.
“Peter, that is Damian. And this is Tim.” He points to the other boy, the one who wore red.
“Hey Peter, nice to meet you,” he smiles, waving slightly.
“You're the man in red…” I answer, looking him up and down.
“I am. You really can tell? We should test how…”
“Tim…” Bruce said
“Sorry.”
Dick and I walk to the table. I climb into my chair and realize I’m too short to see over the table. I look at Dick, whos sitting next to me. “Well, that's a problem.” Alfred, being ever diligent, beings over a booster seat.
“Peter, tell me how you moved so fast?” Damien asked me, his voice less questioning and more demanding. “Is it your meta ability to run fast or something? I thought I'd catch you for a second, and then you were three roofs down. You have to tell me.”
I think for a moment. “Yes… I have enhanced speed and other abilities…”
“How much? Like, what can you do?” I stay silent for a moment too long, and he looks annoyed.
“Damian…” Bruce says again. “He can talk about it when he feels comfortable.” He looks at me, almost telling me I don’t need to answer.
“They were trying to give us the powers of animals…” I pause, sifting through fragmented memories. “I was Spider 444, the four hundred and forty-fourth experiment. I can do most things spiders can…” I hold my hand up and shoot webs onto the chandler in the middle of the table. “I’m strong; I can hear crazy good. I heal faster than a regular person. My metabolism works so fast that I’m almost continuously starving… I can see in the dark. I can climb on walls.” I pause.
“And I can feel danger, like a sixth sense… That's why you all scared me so much. You all are dangerous. And when you chaced me, the power screamed at me to run away….” I look at all their faces, a mix of emotions each. I just look away and start eating.
“How much can you lift?” Damian asked, breaking the silence.
“Don’t know.”
“We should find out…” A cheeky smile falls on Damian's face, one that makes me nervous.