Nights of Tomorrow

In all his years, Alfred has seen many things. He served his country as a secret agent. He seen all the terror a spy could ever see in a lifetime. He shared an intimate night with a woman named Mademoiselle Marie from the French resistance and later found she had his child. There wasn't much he saw in life then. Serving the country, serving the royal family that was his priority.

Alfred was under a reconnaissance mission when a shooting occurred at the scene. He was severely injured and would have died if not for the traveling doctor. The man had found him bullet ridden in an alleyway with blood pooling all around him. He was drifting off to the unknown until he awoke in a comfortable bed with bandages wrapped with tender care over his injuries.

He had thought it was a ploy by the Americans to detain him and put him through interrogation and torture, but the man did no such thing. More unbelievable, the doctor didn't even bother to ask why he was injured in the first place. He gave him a warm smile and tended to his injuries until he was well.

At the time, Alfred had no clue to who this man was. Thomas Wayne was a young man fresh out of medical school, unmarried and uncertain with what to do with his life. After years wasted in studying, he decided to travel the world rather than settle down in an office and continue his practice. The man was completely open and truthful when it came to Alfred asking questions, but he kept his questions to himself, rarely asking personal questions unless Alfred had volunteered the information himself.

Even so, despite their peculiar meetings, they've become close acquaintances. While Thomas Wayne was in Europe, Alfred trusted him to treat whatever injuries he obtained from his missions and the man would treat him without question. It would be years before Thomas would voice out his concern as a friend for Alfred to cease whatever he's doing. He soon to return to the United States, to home, to where the love of his life was waiting for him and he couldn't bear to leave his friend knowing what danger he goes through every day. He offered what he could and even the promise of employment just to know his friend was safe.

Alfred had thanked him for his concerns, but he declined any help offers to cease whatever he was doing. The dear doctor left dejected and he himself sadden. Nonetheless his loyalty was to his country first, all else came in second… at least, until he spotted files and newsletters on a missing billionaire to the Wayne fortune. He didn't believe it when he grabbed the report. His friend, his doctor was a rich man and a missing man at that.

He felt remorse for his friend and decided to use what resources he had to search for him. For months nothing came up. Until one day he found Thomas in Greenland. The man was unharmed, but he blabbered nonsensically about being abducted by aliens and an alien scientist named Jor-El.

Finding the man hopeless, he couldn't bear to leave his friend at his current state. He resigned from service and left for the states with his friend. He watched Wayne Enterprises to new heights despite the poor economy in Gotham. Thomas claimed the aliens that abducted him have shared their technology with him and he was quite adamant in reverse engineering what he could.

Wayne Enterprises prospered and Thomas decided to ask the love of his life to marry him. Alfred stood as his usher. The event was a merry affair and he watched as the loving couple grew closer and closer. It wasn't until he married Martha Wayne that they became well-known philanthropists. The woman had a huge heart and a touch for charity events.

Gotham at the time was at its darkest hour and this husband and wife with their caring hands brought it back to light. Alfred watched with pride when the new heir came to the world, Bruce Wayne. He was trusted with Bruce's upbringing while Thomas and Martha was busy with tending to Gotham. Even though they were busy, never once did they neglect their son. They spared whatever free time they have with the lively toddler. It was a picture perfect family: the willful doctor for a father, the kind philanthropist of a mother and a sweet well-manner child.

Sadly, life is never picture perfect. Nine years into his service to the Waynes the greatest misfortune happened. His young master, Bruce, lost his parents due to a mugging. He watched as the boy fell into despair burying himself in his studies and searching for vengeance. As the next decade passed he watched, as his charge grew colder and more distant until he went missing all together.

Alfred feared for the worse that Bruce might've died in his carelessness. For five years he searched for his charge, but to no avail he could not find him. Gotham fell with the deaths of the Waynes and it seems like it would only continue with the disappearance of the youngest Wayne. With a heavy heart he reluctantly declared him dead and held a small service in remembrance for him and his family.

Not even a year later, much to his surprise, he received a call from his young master, finding him alive and well… physically well, he could not say the same for his mental health. He watched as the young man delved into his mission to save Gotham just as his parents have, but instead of working in the light as they have, he had decided to dwell in the darkness. Scaring the criminals, haunting the skylights, he created an urban legend out of himself. He left Wayne Enterprises in the capable hands of Lucius Fox.

Alfred could do little except stand by him as his father has done for him. He shared whatever experience he had in the darkest hours trying to encourage and support the sullen man, but it was not enough. He was nothing more than a caretaker; he couldn't give what he needed.

Fortunately or unfortunately, a gift came from above in the form of a little circus boy. He too suffered the lost of his parents, he would be able to relate to Bruce and hopefully heal the hole left by the death of his parents.

Alfred watched as the boy and his master grew closer and closer, but as the years passed they grew distant and eventually the little boy was grown and left. He knew Bruce was torn at the lost of his ward, his small source of light in this dark world, but to the aging butler's worry, the man brought home another ward, a street rat. He can't say he approved of the child, but he saw what the child meant to Bruce.

He was another Dick, he was another chance to make things right, but sadly Jason was not Dick. He was coarse, rash and reckless. And he paid for it in the end when he went off after the Joker. He was beaten with a crowbar to near death before finally dying in a violent explosion. Alfred saw something break in Bruce that day. That hole his parents left widened and cracked.

Alfred thought he was going to lose his master to the darkness, but then the unexpected happen. A young boy by the name of Timothy Drake appeared claiming he knew everything about Batman and Robin. He went in search for Dick and tried to make him to make amends to his mentor. He tried to revive the Batman and Robin duo and have even gone as far to steal the costume to make it a reality.

Slowly, he watched as the boy's efforts break through to Bruce. While still strict and concern with Tim's safety to joining the night, the sullen man smiled. Alfred had hope this meant a brighter future was coming, but fate had other plans.

He watched as Gotham was plunged into hell by earthquakes, plagues and even abandonment. He watched as his new charges lose what were close to them. He watched as their innocence fade little by little. When the country reinstated Gotham, he had little hope that it would get any better. It felt like the calm before the storm. Something worse was going to happen.

What actually happened, he couldn't determine whether it was good or bad. Two boys dropped into their laps. One was a son, Damian, Bruce conceived with Talia al Ghul during some mishap encounter and the other was Terry, a son created by Cadmus to destroy Bruce. In the month they were together, the manor was in chaos with their constant death tags.

Even so, when the worse came, the two joined forces in order to protect and save Bruce. While their means was violent and far from the manner that Batman handled matters, it was a sweet sentiment that they both tried. Following after was one crisis after another too many for him to list and too heartbreaking for him to elaborate.

He was turning 90 today.

Epilogue: Alfred's Tale

"You got tickets to what?" Damian said in deadpan as they stepped out of the limo and standing in front of a theatre.

"It's Batman the Musical and no complaining from you. It's my birthday present to Alfred." Terry said childishly as he stuck out his tongue.

"… I understand it's Alfred's birthday, but why are we here as well?" Damian waved his hand at the rest of the family. Dick was carrying Barbara to her wheelchair. Stephanie and Cassandra were helping Alfred out of the limo. Tim finished a text on his phone while Jason tossed the keys to the limo to the valet.

Terry rolled his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's not much of a birthday if the people Alfred cares about doesn't spend it with him." He hurried over to help Alfred along. "Come on, it's starting soon."

Alfred smiled with a soft chuckle. "It's all right master Terry, you needn't do so much for these old bones. A birthday at my age is no more than just another day."

"Hardly just another day Alfred." Tim quipped. "You're turning 90 today! That's a big deal."

"Just leave everything to us today and you enjoy it to the max okay?" Stephanie chirped as she looped an arm around Cassandra's arm and dragged her along. The quiet girl smiled and shook her head in amusement as she allowed the shorter woman to drag him.

"You're not going to win them today Alfred. They're much younger and more energetic." Barbara mused as Dick wheeled her along.

Jason snorts. "You act like you're just as old as Alfred here Babsy."

"Call me Babsy again and you'll find your toys malfunctioning for a week." Barbara warned. The red-haired man raised his hands defensively as he zipped his mouth silent.

Alfred chuckled again. "It's so nice to have the whole family together." He said softly… If only it was truly the whole family.

They were quickly seated in their box seats and waited for the curtains to rise when Damian spoke up again. "Whose bright idea is it to make a Batman musical? Where do you even begin to capture the darkness of Batman?"

"Darkness?" Terry grinned from ear to ear. "Who said this was going to be dark?"

"What?" Damian questioned, but was quickly silenced as the theatre roared with the audience's clapping. The curtain rose.

Fog from a mist machine wafted across the stage as a shadowy figure appeared. They could see the familiar bat ears peaking through the mist. "I am vengeance! I am the night! I—am—BATMAN!" The actor roared out… before promptly breaking into a song. "Batman! Batman! BAAATMAAAAN! There is a song the good folk sings!"

"…What… the… hell?" Damian's eye twitched.

Alfred grinned in amusement at the merry making on the stage while listening to the various reactions from the family. Damian's outrage, Stephanie's giggles, Barbara and Cassandra's mirth, Dick and Jason's disbelief and Tim's dead silence. He glanced to Terry and found the young man shushing his older brother with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Truly, whoever thought of Batman the musical has a sense of humor. Alfred was thoroughly amused for the duration until intermission. Damian and Jason had attempted to flee during the break, but between Tim and Terry, they made good work in binding the two to the chairs until the whole play was over.

"Boys, is that truly how a gentleman should act?" Alfred quipped with mirth in his voice.

"This is torture!" Damian protested.

"Come on, I rather you just kill me now! Don't be so cruel." Jason pleaded.

"We'll have to gag them Tim." Terry said cheerily as he pulled out gag balls.

"… Do I want to know why you have that on you?" Dick asked warily.

"Always prepare for the unexpected." Terry chirped.

For the next hour, Alfred could hardly keep himself from laughing. It was all too ridiculous. More so with his two charges tied up and whining the whole while. Eventually, the play ended and Terry was reluctant to release his brothers, but a soft chide from Alfred made him change his mind. Though the first thing the two did once they were free was to grab Terry in a headlock and tickle him mercilessly.

"How'd you like that?" Damian growled playfully as they dragged him out of the theatre laughing and squirming from their administrations.

"A-Alfred! Haha! They're picking on hahaha! Me!" Terry whined between laughing.

"Next time we're picking the event!" Jason declared at he left Terry to Damian and retrieve the limo from the valet.

"I enjoyed it." Barbara said in amusement. "Did you Alfred?"

The old butler smiled. "Immensely." He watched as Terry slip out of Damian's grasp and darted behind Tim for safety. Tim tried to settle Damian, but in the end he was caught up in the scuffle and a game of tag started between the three. It may not be the full family, but it was the family he loves.

o.o.o.o.o

TO BE CONTINUED: Whispers in the Night

CM Aeris: Thanks for reading! The story will continue in the next part, but do drop by Nights of Tomorrow: Forgotten Years if you're interested in what happened during the time gap.