Moving In

"I still can't believe this is really happening."

With a deep breath, Duke Thomas carries the last of his boxes up the drive to Wayne Manor. He leaves the movers to do their job. They had almost finished anyway, for there was very little to be taken from his old place in the Narrows; clothes, a few mementos of his mother and stepfather, Elaine and Doug, and of course his Signal Suit. It was this that he carries now, paranoid that any missteps he made in his haste to pack and move would result in an incident that would lead to the discovery of his life as a vigilante, and by extension that of his adopted father and family. 

Duke Thomas, aka The Signal, is Gotham's newest vigilante to work under the tutelage of Batman. An ally to the whole Bat Family, they took him under their wing - that pun was not lost on them and was the group's private joke whenever another member joined the team - after Elaine and Doug were gravely injured during an attack by the city's Clown Prince of Crime. 

He is fifteen, wears casual clothes, and feels completely alien to his surroundings. He can comfortably fight mobsters, assassins, and literal gods, but this was something else entirely. 

He spots his billionaire mentor waiting for him on the front steps. Bruce Wayne, tall, well-built, and classically handsome gives Duke a large smile. Duke was not used to seeing this side of the man. Batman rarely smiled. He was not averse to humour and wit you must understand, but when the cowl was on, his main focus was on the mission; to protect Gotham from itself. To improve the city and ensure that no child goes through what he suffered. It was very much an ongoing process. 

"Welcome to your new home, Duke. I hope you'll be happy here." 

"Th-thanks."

Following Bruce up the stairs, Duke finds Alfred Pennyworth holding the door open for them. The aged valet to the Wayne Family, he only retained the title in memory of his former employers. He was more than a butler for the family. He was a father. A friend. A confidant. And in Duke's eyes, he was the best of them. An opinion shared by many of "the Bats".  

"Master Bruce and I will oversee the movers. Why don't you let Master Damian give you a tour? He's very excited about your arrival."

The seven-year-old Wayne, the perfect likeness to his father, except for the tanned skin of his Arabian heritage, leans against the bannister of the master staircase. One hand is in his pocket, he looks sullen and critical; two moods Duke has become accustomed to in the short time of knowing the Son of the Bat. He is dressed in shorts and a green hoodie. His knee has a sticking plaster on it, no doubt from training.

Damian did not want to be there, and Duke knew it. It was not his fault mind. Raised by assassins all his life, he did not have the greatest people skills. Some have that gift. But not every member - or in his case an ex-member - of the League of Assassins could be as personable and charismatic as Black Spider. Or as uninhibited as the "merc with a mouth."   

"That's okay. Maybe I can help you guys instead?" 

"Nonsense. We have everything covered here. Off you go."

Damian leaves his perch, arms folded. Duke tries to protest further, but Alfred is having none of it. Alfred gives him a friendly shove towards his begrudging guide as he goes off to assist Bruce. 

The pair walk in silence through the Manor's main corridor. Its splendour awes Duke with its wood panel walls, crystal chandeliers, and ancestral portraits of Waynes dating back centuries; Nathaniel (Malleus) Wayne (the first recorded Wayne of note, as of the 17th century), Anthony Darius Wayne & Herkimer Wayne (war generals of 1812), Charles Arwin Wayne (the first Wayne to move from Boston to the burgeoning Gotham), Solomon Wayne (the mansion's founder), Joshua Wayne (the abolitionist), Kenneth Wayne (founder of Wayne Chemicals), Patrick Wayne (founder of Wayne Tech and later Wayne Corp), Silas Wayne (Bruce's grandfather) and finally Thomas and Martha Wayne (Bruce's beloved parents). 

And that is only to name a few, for the family was expansive. 

"Wow! It's one thing to visit. It's another to realise I'll be living here."

Damian Wayne stops at the latest framed painting; a silhouette Family Tree listing this current generation of Waynes, inspired by the artistic style of Augustin Edouart. At the top of the branch is Bruce Wayne himself, closely followed by Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, and finally Damian. 

"The family. Minus Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown, Luke Fox, and Kate Kane. Father has been meaning to get the portrait updated."

"Do they all live here?" 

"Father, Pennyworth, and I are the only permanent residents. The others are in and out."

Damian's answers are short and to the point. It is clear, he doesn't want to be playing tour guide. 

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"Does this room suit you?" 

Duke's new bedroom was large, spacious, and bright, with a king-size bed, chest of drawers, a small table, and a pair of one-person sofas. A potted plant sits bathed in sunlight next to the window. If he looked out the window, he would see a picturesque view of the manor's grounds. 

Duke's eyes light up. 

"Uh. Yeah. This is great." 

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"Father sometimes hosts parties here to maintain his identity. There's so much small talk. It's terrible."

They have now made their way downstairs, passing the dining room and heading in the direction of the kitchen. 

"This is Pennyworth's domain. He'll decide if you have cooking privileges. Father has a lifetime ban." 

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The tour has moved to the Batcave, the sprawling subterranean caverns and tunnels that the Bat Family use as their base of operations... well one of them anyway. They had several safe houses throughout the city. The Bunker. The Belfry, and of course, Oracle's Clocktower. 

Duke has been here many, many times, but this felt different. New. Exciting, as though he were a young child exploring a museum for the first time. 

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask -- what's with the dinosaur?"

"It eats intruders." 

He was joking. Right? ... Right? Duke could not tell. Damian shared his father's serious nature and right now, he is completely deadpan. 

"Whoa. Cool."

Duke has always been impressed by the gigantic lifelike mechanical T-rex that looms overhead, dwarfing the vigilantes in its shadow. But now he knew that it could spring to life and attack anyone, including himself if anything happened to their scanners - which had happened several times over the years - he didn't know whether to love it ... or fear it. 

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"I'd be careful moving about the grounds."

The grounds of the manor, maintained solely by Alfred, are well-ordered and precise. The pathways are crack-free, jet-washed, & leafless, and the green lawn has been meticulously cut. 

"Why?" 

"Booby Traps." 

Damian grins at Duke's unease. 

"There you are. Damian, could you help Alfred for a moment?"

"Welcome to the manor. I suppose." 

And with that, Damian walks away, leaving Duke and Bruce alone. 

"How was the tour?" 

"I didn't realise the dinosaur in the Batcave could take out intruders." 

"Huh? I think Damian might have been having a little fun. The dinosaur is just a souvenir from an old case." 

*hmph* "Oh. I should've guessed he was messing with me. Can't believe I thought you booby-trapped the backyard." 

Bruce laughs, surprising Duke. 

"Ah, that one is actually true. I finished installing the laser grid just a few weeks ago."

"Laser Grid?!" 

"Don't worry -- we only arm it at night." 

"This place is ... overwhelming." 

"I know moving into a new home can be tough. It'll be a bit of an adjustment, but we're all here for you." 

"Thanks. That means a lot." 

"Welcome to the family, Duke."