Obligatory Disclaimer : I do not own anything (except maybe OC characters) all characters, places, worlds, universes…etc mentioned here belong to their respective owners and/or companies.

This is purely a work of fiction. Not meant to offend or incite, but to entertain and (maybe) inspire.

ROUND GOES THE WHEEL

I saw them on the security camera feed before they walked into the cave. Thomas was bruised and bleeding, supporting him was a lady with pastel white skin in a purple suit, the smile painted onto her face with red was disturbing to say the least when matched with her corpse-like complexion.

Her eyes were dead when they first fell on me. Slowly, they widened and took in the light, the madness pushed away by the surfacing of repressed emotions. First came the wonder and disbelief, then joy and love replaced the blatant apathy.

“BRUCE!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, brown messy haired blurred into my vision, a soft body slammed into me right after. Fingers dug so deep into my sides that they’d have drawn blood without my suit in the way. she smelled of caustic chemicals, perfume and sorrow. Her tears were nearly acidic, her saliva and makeup were.

Every peck she planted on my face smeared her makeup on me, it itched so hard it made me want to rip that part of my skin off. I bore with it, this was a moment I could not interrupt.

I shut my eyes and wrapped my hands around her. Ohh, she was soft alright. Mmm, MILFs, gotta love em, especially the athletic ones. Yeah yeah, judge me all you want, but this lady wasn’t my real mom, plus I needed this distraction to stop me from focusing on the itch.

“Bruce, sob, my Brucie, my sweet boy.” She cried. Yeah, your Bruce darling. What? You want me to have some decency? Fuck that, I never asked to be here. But since I am, I’m not going to be living the same as I was in my world.

“I, heh miss hehe, you too mo--hehehahaha!!” Why the fuck was I laughing? “Hahahaahahahah!” What’s happening to me?

“Bruce? Bruce!” The lady tugged at me.

“Martha what did you do!?” Thomas roared.

“Hahahahaaaaahaaha” It hurts to laugh but I can’t stop it, like I can’t stop the smile on my face. This bitch poisoned me with the Joker venom on her makeup.

“Nothing! I don’t—no, no, no, it’s the venom!”

I was trying to reach into my utility belt to retrieve a vial of Dionesium but I was laughing so hard I lost control of my limbs. I don’t know how long it would take my acquired healing factor to get rid of the venom.

“Fix it! Fix it dammit, we just got our son back and this is what you do!”

“Fuck you! Why would I ever do this on purpose to my own Bruce!?”

“Just fucking fix this!”

“What do you think I’m trying to do!?” She yelled at him, while still holding onto me “Bruce, son, you’ll be fine, I promise on my life.” She said, kissing me on the head, smearing more of her fucking makeup on me!

“Put him on the bed.” She ordered, pointing at the surgical bed. Thomas grunted and carried my spazzing body up to the bed. He took out straps from somewhere and restrained my body.

Martha went to the workbench with the chemicals and lab equipment. She rummaged through her cloak and retrieved various objects, one of them being a plastic rose, a lipstick and a toy buzzer. She took a test tube.

“Hahahahhaahaheeheee”

She emptied the neon green substance from the fake flower into the tube, broke off a bit off her red lipstick and dropped it into the test tube. The chunk floated in the substance, she placed the tube on the buzzer, causing trails of electric current to run all along its length. The chunk dissolved into the fluid. The color never changed. She began a process of mixing, distilling and boiling the chemical over a Bunsen flame.

“HahahaHAHAHAHAHA”

Thomas retrieved an IV bag from the cupboard above the bed and hung it on a stand. He connected it to a drip and IV needle which he dug into my wrist after roughly pulling my gloves off. It must have been a top-grade painkiller; my spasms ceased and the pain was slowly fading away.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA” My smile widened further, so much so that my facial muscles went numb. I could feel a tingle along my spine, my healing factor in action.

“Open his mouth.” She instructed, a steaming tube of yellow chemical substance in her hands. Thomas didn’t snark or even question her, his hand covered my jaw and squeezed between the joints, bruising the insides of my cheek.

The lady bit on her finger hard enough to draw blood, she let that drop of blood into the tube. The yellow turned black as though the drop of blood was an ink blot instead.

You wanna put that in me? That’s what she said. “HAHAHAHAHA” Brain, you idiot.

Martha poured the substance down my mouth. It singed and tongue and throat. I would have been screaming out in pain with the reaction the chemical had with me, but I couldn’t and honestly wouldn’t.

“HAHAHahaha..ha..ha..argh motherfucker!” The laughter faded as the smile did.

“No cussing boy” The lady slapped the back of my head and leaned in to hug me, I could feel just how relieved she was. I flinched when I realized she’d be rubbing her makeup on me again, except it didn’t itch or irritate me anymore.

“Huff” Thomas exhaled, supporting himself against the wall. “You ok kid?”

“I’m good.”

“I’m so sorry Bruce.”

“It’s alright. I know you didn’t mean for things to happen like that” Plus I'm now immune to joker toxin. So it's not all bad.

“That remains to be determined.” Thomas interjected, earning him a glare from Martha.

“Said the man who couldn’t protect our boy” She jabbed. It was brutal. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m…I’m not fully healed yet.”

“…No maybe you’re right I--"

“Could you both stop. Please. You lost your me in this world, I lost you in mine. It wasn’t our fault. I just want us to feel like a family again, no matter how little the time we have left is…please. Let’s just leave all the terrible things we’ve done at the door and have this moment to ourselves” Is it too much?

“My Brucie is all grown up. Look at you speaking all maturely like a little man.” She smiled with tears pooled in her eyes. No, it’s perfect.

“You do know I’m seventeen, right?”

“I can’t believe it, you’re so grown.”

“He is my son after all.” He joked.

“C’mon you guys, bring it in.” I said with arms open. The lady was already on me, the old man was deciding if he should let his pride go or not. He chose wisely. His reach was wide enough to wrap around the lady and me. The warmth was real nice, real cozy and all that.

I now have people who’d die for me at the drop of a pin. Any doubt that they held for me before now was evaporated. Perfect. Truly perfect. Now to put the cherry on top.

“We should immortalize this moment” Thomas suggested. He set up a polaroid on the workstation, next to the portrait of the Wayne family. We stood side by side as the timer counted down; he had his hand on my shoulder, the lady pulled at my cheek with a playful smile on her face, I wrapped my arms around the both of them and gave a smile so brilliant it outshined the camera’s flash.

The film slid out, it was the perfect image of a happy family, one that was really into cosplaying. We took many more photos, only stopping when the film ran out and hunger caught up to me.

We went up to the Manor. I had to make an effort to not seem too shocked. This house was like a palace. It was massive, and in top condition, furnished to the neck in that brit nobility style; Ornate desks, twenty-four seater dining tables, crystal chandeliers, antiques, wall framing portraits and artwork and so much more. I was wowed. This is wealth in its truest form—extravagance and luxury.

Martha went into the kitchen; she was going to be cooking. Thomas wanted to help, Martha said we’d all go sick if we let him anywhere near the stove.

What would they say if they knew I wasn’t even their son, just some guy in his body? It’d be devastating I bet. My lips are sealed on that one, not out of compassion—maybe a bit of it ok— but more out of necessity.

I know, I know, the world’s ending and all that. But me eating wouldn’t make it go any faster would it? Right. Nice and easy wins the race.

“Bruce! Bruce are you there? It’s me Barry!” Sigh, no rest for the wicked.