Fallout: Gotham

Pairing(s): Batstroke Bruce Wayne/Slade Wilson, Lois Lane/Clark Kent, etc.

Chapter 6: Harmony the Deathclaw

Description: DCU Fallout AU. The nuclear fallout had literally dropped a bomb on the people of America, and it hadn't been long before the continent was nothing but a deserted Wasteland. Now, an ex-Vault Dweller named Bruce Wayne travels with an ex-Raider mercenary called Deathstroke, and the two do odd jobs for various cities in Illinois. However, when Vault 18 suddenly opens up not far from where they're at, the two scavengers are eager to scope out the Vault for tech and supplies, but are appalled to find the Vault already destroyed and massacred by Raiders. But to all's surprise, Bruce finds a newborn baby in the wreckage, and with Deathstroke's help, begins to raise the child in the Wastes. Are the scavengers really up to the task of raising a child?

"I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring." ~Liz Armbruster

"Jesus Christ," It was Deathstroke who whispered it, staring up at the huge, dangerous Deathclaw, which was chained heavily to a telephone pole, with little room to attack or move. "Who even manages to catch one of these bastards and LIVE?"

"Personally, I'd rather not know. And watch your language!" Bruce snapped, patting Richard's head thoughtfully. "I'd rather our child not learn to cuss at such a young age..."

"Why not!? I think it would be perfect; a man should learn at an early age how to properly address his enemies!" Deathstroke explained, not nearly as concerned for the baby's future vocabulary.

"Are you two gentlemen here about the job?"

Both men jumped, swinging around to stare at a very tall, very intimidating businessman with a fine pressed suit and razor green eyes. "Hello, I'm Lex Luthor. I'm the man who sent out the call for any local mercenary's. I see you two have both met Harmony here." The tall man said, smiling and nodding towards the Deathclaw.

Deathstroke just stared at Luthor, absolutely astonished. "Harmony!?" He repeated, floored by the fact that the Deathclaw was given a name, much less such an innocent and sweet sounding one. "Why in God's name is it called-"

"-And what a lovely name for such a lovely pet," Bruce practically chirped, slapping a hand over Deathstroke's mask to shut him up. "I'm the man in charge of our little group. It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Luthor," He took Luthor's hand, shaking it calmly. "My name is Bruce Wayne, and this is my partner Deathstroke," He nodded his head in Deathstroke's direction, earning a nod from Lex. "And the baby strapped to my chest here is Richard. He's our son."

"I see..." Luthor muttered, smiling down at the infant, who smiled back, making little gurgling noises at the businessman. "How cute. However, I have no intentions for this mission to be 'cute', Mr. Wayne."

"Of course. My apologizes. You see, the mother to Richard died after his birth and, well, we have no one to keep him with during this mission. Don't worry though, we have everything under control in any battle situation. We've been surviving with Dickie around for almost a year now," Bruce assured the businessman, giving him a warm, confident smile. "We're all business when it comes to a job."

"That's exactly what I need... as well as, of course, some skills with... unusual cargo," Luthor signaled to Harmony, who was sitting down in a rather docile position on the ground, head cocked at the two strangers and her master. "As you can see, Harmony is my beloved pet, and I am moving bases very soon. Unfortunately, moving a Deathclaw as well as myself is problematic for my people. They cannot focus on both protecting me and keeping Harmony under control at the same time. That is why I need a mercenary- preferably more than one- to transport Harmony to my base across the Wastes."

Deathstroke and Bruce shared a look. "Can you give us a moment to decide?" Bruce asked, glancing from Harmony, to Richard, and then to Luthor. "As you can imagine, it's a hard decision to make, considering we have a child with us."

Luthor nodded, giving the odd-jobbers a knowing look. "I completely understand, however, the pay is very high compared to your usual run-of-the-mill missions, and I'm sure that having a child is very expensive. I'd give that some thought, gentlemen."

As Luthor walked away, giving them time to think and talk, Deathstroke turned to Bruce, eye full of deep concern, both for Robin and Bruce. "This spells out trouble, Bruce," He warned, not trusting Luthor for even a second. "What kind of lunatic has a Deathclaw of all things for a lap dog!? I don't trust this guy. It's not worth it."

"We need more caps, Slade," Bruce reminded the mercenary, giving the baby a scared look. "We've hardly had the caps to pay for meals and supplies, not to mention that we're almost out of breast milk! We need to get some more income, especially if we're going to be starting Dickie out on harder foods soon. I know it's dangerous, and I don't trust Luthor anymore than you do, but trust ME when I say that I know what I'm doing. Just... let me sort this out, alright?"

"... Alright," Deathstroke agreed, huffing loudly at the thought of his employer accepting such a dangerous job. "But remember, it's not just our lives at stake here: Robin doesn't stand a chance against any creatures of the Wastes, much less a Deathclaw."

"I know," Bruce promised, breathing uneasily as he approached Luthor, his stomach twisting at the thought of what he was about to do. "... Mr. Luthor? I, er, WE have come to a decision."

Luthor brightened, turning around to face Bruce. "I do hope it is the right choice, Mr. Wayne. You and your husband have best thought this all out before coming to me."

"HUSBAND!?" Deathstroke spat out, earning a giggle-fit from Robin. "What in God's name makes you think I'd marry such a sarcastic pri-"

"-We'll take the job." Bruce hurriedly promised, not wanting Deathstroke to finish his sentence and very well ruin their latest job offer.

"Excellent choice, Mr. Wayne," Luthor praised, nodding to one of his guards. "Go unchain Harmony, and make it snappy. These men need to be out before nightfall... I would hate for any fellow Deathclaws to harm my dear pet."

The guard, hesitant at first, very slowly made his way towards the chained up Deathclaw, the monster making low, growling sounds as it glared daggers at the security guard. In the end, the guard had no choice but to undo the chain around the telephone pole, careful as a cat stalking its prey as he tied a sturdy looking leash around the Deathclaw's collar, leading it with shaky steps towards Bruce and Deathstroke. More brave than the guard, Deathstroke, without a hint of hesitation, took the leash from the guard and pulled the Deathclaw to stand beside him, the beast towering around two to three feet taller than the mercenary. Bruce kept glancing fearfully at Harmony, arms wrapping around his torso in an attempt to hide Robin from the monster's view.

Luthor chuckled, amused by both men's reactions. "I see you two have everything under control. I wish you both the best of luck!" He turned to Harmony, the Deathclaw letting out a low-key, purr-like sound as the businessman bravely scratched behind its horns. "You be a good girl, understand?" The Deathclaw nodded, and Luthor left her in order to refocus his attention on Bruce. "I and my men will meet you in Breese. If you somehow lose Harmony or she dies… I suggest running, though it will do you little good."

Bruce swallowed, nodding hesitantly at the much richer Wastelander. "You have our word, Mr. Luthor. I can assure you that I and my partner have this under control. We'll see you at the rendezvous point. Until then, good luck to you and your men."

With that all said and done, Luthor retreated to a surprisingly well-tended to caravan. He and his men soon disappeared out the gates of the abandoned facility, leaving Bruce, Deathstroke, and Robin to deal with Harmony. Dick seemed intrigued by the huge, scary beast, reaching out and making grabby hands at the Deathclaw. Curious of the tiny human, Harmony sniffed at Dick, ready to approach the infant, only for Deathstroke to yank on her leash, making the radiated beast growl and hiss as the fiery burn hit its neck and throat. Deathstroke glared behind his mask at the formidable Deathclaw, locking eyes with the monster as both beings had a short stand-off.

"The baby is off-limits," Deathstroke deadpanned, not at all amused by the abomination's curiosity towards his and Bruce's child. "If you want something to eat, you wait until we feed you. Simple as that."

Harmony growled again, turning from Deathstroke's gaze to meet Robin's sea-blue one, preferring the child to it's foster father. Finally, the Deathclaw huffed and turned away, making Bruce sigh with relief as the attention of the Deathclaw was turned away from his baby. The last thing he wanted was for his kid to become monster food. After they were certain Dick didn't need to be fed or changed, the two Wastelanders set out for the nearest town, hoping against hope that nothing would go wrong… aw, what were they thinking? Nothing ever went to plan; they figured it was only a matter of time before shit hit the fan and something horrible happened. They could only hope it wouldn't result in anyone's death, specifically Robin's.

As the two Wastelanders, their baby, and their Deathclaw finally reached town, they weren't as surprised as one might've thought at the reaction they got, considering most of the local townsfolk already knew Lex Luthor had a Deathclaw. As soon as they hit the marketplace, people went running, terrified of the chained up Deathclaw. Even without Harmony, they were a sight to be seen, with Deathstroke being so tall, Bruce wearing an Enclave helmet, and them having a baby, they definitely stood out among the crowd. Deathstroke, in the end, mainly because he overheard some security guards getting suspicious and feared for Dick's safety, stayed by the front gate of the town with Harmony, unintentionally scaring away any Wastelanders outside of the town.

This left Bruce with some elbow room to move about and buy supplies, while at the same time leaving less people staring at him. However, thanks to Richard, he had a whole new crowd following him around… mothers. It seemed that Benton had far more mothers than any towns Bruce had been in before with Dick, and due to this, Bruce soon had twelve to thirteen mothers following him around the marketplace, critical eyes judging him as he made each and every purchase. It didn't matter if they seemed harmless and were a lot less evil than Raiders, Bruce still felt their eyes did all the torturing Raiders could never achieve. Each time he heard one tisk, huff, or disappointed sigh pointed at him, Bruce felt obligated to place whatever he was holding back, resulting in him having to give up on buying any ammunition.

"*tisk* What is he thinking?" One lady asked, just in earshot of Bruce as he inspected a seemingly ordinary box of cloth diapers. "Does he even realize how crummy that quality is?" Bruce put the box back, shivering under the group of mother's stares. "Oh thank God… if he doesn't get Pampers Deluxe, I don't know what that poor baby'll do."

Careful to make sure they were watching, Bruce grabbed the diaper product the woman had suggested, stuffing it securely into the shopping basket he had with him. This earned a few hums of approval from the mom squad. "Oh, Debby, just look at him! Oh, he's so cute… I wonder if his little one is a boy or a girl?" A lady asked, making Bruce stiffen, knowing they were staring at Richard. "Do you think one of us should ask?"

A slightly older woman scoffed, and Bruce supposed she was Debby. "Heavens, no! Oh, Helen, that poor man is probably shy, he keeps squirming! Not to mention, his wife probably isn't around if HE'S out shopping for her!"

Helen sighed, nodding her head in agreement. "I suppose so. Poor baby, doesn't even have a mommy to take care of him… did you see that mercenary looking guy by the way, the one with the Deathclaw? I heard that he and that poor man are married!"

The entire group of women gasped, and Bruce wanted nothing more than to repeatedly slam his head into a wall, preferably one with nails sticking out of it. "Helen, where did you even hear such a ridiculous story? … Although, it would make sense. He does look a little, how do I put it… gay?" Once again, the women all gasped, making an audible groan leave Bruce's throat. "I mean, look at him, Debby! He has it written all over him!"

Just as Bruce was about ready to kill himself- or make a run for it out of overwhelming embarrassment- someone else in the marketplace stood up for his and Robin's well-being. "Hey, leave him alone! He can hear you, just like everyone else in this market!" A woman pointed out, who Bruce found sounded oddly familiar. "Why is it wrong to be gay anyhow?"

Debby laughed, like she heard that particular question all the time. "Oh sweetie, it's just not in God's nature to birth us broken! Don't tell me YOU'RE gay, dearie? You just haven't met the right man yet, that's all."

The woman who'd stood up for Bruce looked irate, and her name hit him like a truck. Diana Prince, one of the kids from his old Vault. But how in God's name had she made it all the way out here!? He had figured that all of the survivors were in Dixon. "And what if I am? What would you do about it?"

Debby and her group scoffed, baffled by Diana's obvious aggression. "Well! I never! Come, ladies. It's obvious that this woman is nothing but an atheist!" She led them off, allowing Bruce to breathe easier.

Before he could even approach his rescuer, Diana was beside Bruce, eyes growing to the size of dinner plates as she too realized who she had just defended. "Bruce!?" She asked, amazed by who she had ran into in such a faraway place from her home Vault. "What in Hera has brought you to Benton of all places!?"

Bruce sighed, looking from Diana to Robin, who seemed intrigued by the newly met woman. "It's… a long story." He sighed, swallowing around a lump in his throat.

A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! Also, warning for next chapter: I'm planing on starting it out with a flashback from when Bruce was just a little kid growing up in his Vault. Please R&R, it would mean a lot to me!

~Supercasey.