The Black Guy Law
๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ; ๐ธ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ฆ โ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐.
๐๐๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ; ๐ต๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐!๐๐ (๐๐๐ก๐๐๐)
๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ; ๐ธ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐, ๐ต๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐, ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐, ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ; ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐)
๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ฌ; ๐ผ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐๐/๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐, ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฆ. ๐ด๐๐ ๐, ๐ผ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐. ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐...
The time was around 3 in the afternoon, an hour of anticipation for teachers, parents -whichever ones bothered to show up to pick up their children anyways and didn't send their chauffers instead- and students alike, all waiting expectantly for that almost euphoric ring of the bell.
Outside the Gotham Academy's grounds, somewhere amongst the awaiting crowd of adults, there was Eli Wayne, smoothily leaning against a wall, absentmindedly conversing with some of the other parents, occasionally taking short drags from the lit cigarette resting between his fingers.
Eli was usually the one that went to pick up his kids from school. With Bruce being busy with his business work and Alfred busying himself around the house, he had offered to take over miscellaneous tasks. The man was a stay at home dad of shorts, not feeling the need to work, his husband's fortune being more than enough to provide for their family.
Soon enough the familiar ringing sounded through the halls and the outside areas of the school and was followed by shuffling and a mixture of a plethora of young children's shouts and laughter as they rushed to their respective caretakers.
"BABA!"
"BA!"
Eli heard a couple childish shrieks through the crowd, coming from behind him, a fond grin subconscious overtaking his features. The man put out his cigarette, before turning at the direction of the frantic light footsteps and kneeled down, arms wide open.
Soon enough, the small bodies of his 8 and 6 year-old sons, Dick and Jason, collided with his chest, small arms wrapping around him in a tight embrace.
"Hey, boys. How was your day at school?"
After letting them say their goodbyes to their friends, Eli took his sons' hands, starting their usual walk back home. His youngest was bouncing around blubbering endlessly about his day, while Dick was excitedly butting in to talk about his experience as well, skipping on his steps like his brother. Eli was humming along, enjoying his time with his sons.
So far everything seemed like any other day. That was until Eli caught something seemingly incospicuous out of his peripherals. A police car pulled up behind them, as they walked in the sidewalk.
Dick noticed the sudden change on his father's posture and stared up at him in confusion.
"What's wrong, baba?" the 8-year old asked, only receiving a slightly tighter grip from his father in response.
"Hey!" a voice boomed from behind the three, gaining their attention. Eli glanced over his shoulder at the men getting out of the vehicle, but decided to pay them no mind, unconsciously gripping his childrens' hands a bit tighter, feeling uneasy.
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Eli softly tensed his shoulders, turning to face the two policemen rushing behind him obviously on edge. Eli frowned, glancing down at his children who looked back at him in confusion.
He knew what was coming. He knew exactly the situation that was unfolding before his own eyes, yet he dreaded it with his whole being.
Not in front of the kids.
Bruce and him had tried their best to keep their boys protected from the brutality of the world, of Gotham. Unfortunately, coming in contact with the reality was inevitable. They just wished it wasn't so early.
"Is there a problem, officers?" Eli tried to keep his calm, glancing between the two men opposite of him, as the kids moved a tiny bit closer to him, sending the hostility of the policemen.
"Where'd you get these kids?"
The man almost flinched at the bluntness, immediately getting frustrated at the situation. Here we go, he thought.
"They're mine, sir." growled the father under his breath in distaste, before glaring sharply at them.
"Do you have any paperwork to prove it?" the second man grumbled in disbelief, obviously staring between him and his noticeably light-skinned sons.
Eli was fuming by that point. He almost wanted to laugh by the ridiculousness of the situation and most importantly at how unlucky he was to even encounter those morons. He decided against it, instead he responded with sarcasm.
"No, I don't happen to carry the legal paperwork of my sons' adoptions on me. Now if you excuse us we have to go home."
Eli went to turn around and leave, both Dick and Jason, scurrying along, now visibly upset by the atmosphere. However, not even taking a step they heard a frantic movement and a loud click sound, before a booming voice called after them.
"Don't you take another step, buddy!" Eli immediately froze, holding his breath in shock.
Jason, not knowing any better, turned to look at the two men, his eyes immediately filling with tears of fear, as he spotted the guns in their hands. Even at his age, the boy was fully aware of how dangerous they were, and fearing for his ba, he immediately hugged his father's leg.
"Let the kids go."
The father's heart was pounding in his chest. Not because of him being in gunpoint, but for his kids' wellbeing. He could feel the terror radiating from their small figures. That exact feeling was confirmed because as soon as Eli hesitantly let his grip on them loose, they both latched on each of his side tightly, as they tried to keep their cries quiet.
By that point, they were all downright terrified.
"Come here, boys." one of the men demanded, his gun still aimed at the back of their father. Seeing their hesitation only infuriated him more, as he barked louder at them. "Come over right now!"
Eli hung his head low, glancing at his children with a heavy heart and whispered at them, his voice breaking softly. "Go, boys. Baba's gonna be just fine."
Two pairs of teary eyes met his gaze.
"But, baba-" sobbed his eldest in protest, as Eli shook his head.
"Go."
Jason glanced at Dick, as their gazes met, and they both slowly let go of their father, immediately grabbing each other's hand in dread, as they dragged themselves to the scary men.
Once the kids were on their side, the two white men placed all their focus on the adult across them.
"Turn around slowly with your hands raised in the air."
Eli did so, now having a full view of the other four.
"Look, man, I'm sure you know Bruce Wayne. These are his kids-"
"Oh, so you kidnapped Mr. Wayne's sons, huh?"
"What?! No, I-"
"You are under arrest for the kidnapping of minors." declared the first man, quickly pulling a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket and approaching Eli
"Hey, hold on-" exclaimed Eli startled, hearing his sons' cries in the background.
Without anybody noticing, the second cop, who still had his gun pointed at the man just in case, had become a bit uneasy, seeing the children's reactions from up close, finding odd how the boys could react to the arrest of their captor in such manner.
"Ron, maybe we should-" tried the second cop, but was cut off by his elder, who slammed the other man on the hood of their car with force making him groan, feeling his nose start bleeding heavily by the contact, as his arms were firmly pulled behind his back.
"Get the kids in the car now." grunted Ron, as Eli struggled under him.
"Hey! Get your hands away from my kids!" hollered Eli, eyes flaring with outrage, as he pushed and kicked back at the officer behind him.
And, suddenly, it was as if time froze.
There was so much noise, all at once.
High-pitched shrieks and sobs, an electric buzz and a scream.
Yet all Eli could hear now was the ringing in his ears, as he felt his muscles spasm as an effect of the taser firmly pressed against his lower back. And, just as suddenly, all he could see was black as he collapsed on his attacker's grip.
The boys cried endlessly screaming for their father at the top of their lungs, being actively held back by the second cop. Soon more police cars arrived at the scene.
Rushing towards the five, two other men pulled the now unconscious man's body into another police vehicle, away from the children, who continued to forcefully struggle against the cop's hold, were softly placed into the first police car, being taken to the GCPD.
Bruce Wayne was on his office at the manor, swallowed in his work, blissfully unaware of his beloved husband's and children's state. He was reading one of the legal documents he had recently been given for approval, when he received a phone call -not on his business phone- but on his personal one.
Bruce checked the room's clock. They were late. He knew because the kids hadn't burst into his office yet to greet him after arriving home, Eli following in tow, giving him a short peck before gathering the kids in his hands and leaving him continue his work. So, he assumed the caller would had been his husband calling to inform him of a reason why they were late.
And in a way he was right. He just couldn't have guessed what had happened.
Picking up his phone, he answered the phone without bothering to see the number.
"Hello?" answered Bruce, immediately noticing the intense amount of background noise from the other side of the call.
"Daddy?" Bruce froze, his heart coming to a halt, as he pulled his full attention to the phone call, hearing his youngest sniff and hiccup from obvious crying. He immediately panicked a million scenarios rushing into his head.
Why was his 8-year-old son on the phone with him crying? Where was-?
"Dick, son, what happened? Are you and Jay okay?" Bruce rambled at the phone, sitting up on his desk chair, as he received a tiny muffled hum in response. "Where's baba?"
"The big bad men took him!" he heard his Jason shriek, which caused him to immediately stand up and rush to leave the Manor.
"Who took baba boys?"
"The police, daddy." Bruce almost tripped over as his whole body froze eyes wide in realization of the severity of the situation. Something had happened and he was sure as hell his husband wasn't the one that provoked the police. "They brought us here and took baba away."
"How was baba when they took him away?"
That caught Alfred's attention who, with furrowed eyebrows poked his head from around the hallway he was dusting, concerned.
"Ba was screaming and then he fell asleep." Jay announced innocently yet with a noticeable discomfort in his voice.
Jason didn't quite grasp the reality of this situation, he was merely 6 years old after all, yet he knew the bad men did something bat at Eli that made him cry and fall asleep and then took him away. He knew they were bad, but he knew his dad would come save them like he always did.
Dick was quite aware that his baba was getting hurt for something he didn't do. They didn't believe him when he told them they were his sons and punished him under an assumption. It was scary because it didn't seem fair. And now Dick didn't let go of his brother's hand in fear of them taking Jason too.
"Boys, I'm coming to take you and baba home. Don't talk to any of those people until I get there, you hear me?" Bruce rushed out to a car, spotting Alfred following behind him.
"Okay, daddy." he heard from the other line, before they hung up the phone and Bruce stepped on the gas.
By the time they arrived at the station, both adults were fuming, dragging themselves through the doors enraged.
"Mister Wayne, he-" squeaked the receptionist startled, as the man passed right by her not paying any attention to her, Alfred staying behind to ask for the men who had made the arrest.
As he walked into the main area of the establishment, he spotted his sons sitting by a policeman's office silently. They both spotted him in a matter of seconds and rushed into his embrace as he picked them both up in ease, holding each other tightly as they cried.
"Are you both okay?" Bruce mumbled under his breath, still holding onto them protectively as he scanned them for any possible collateral injuries, breathing in relief as he found none.
The man stood up noticing Alfred approaching them with a few officers by his side, the kids immediately hugging him as well, as he softly took both their backpacks that were still place on their backs. Bruce felt his rage coming undone, as he was faced with the men that were obviously responsible for this travesty.
"Are you responsible for all this?" he heaved dangerously, as the first policeman, Ron, grinned proudly -yet oh so obliviously- at his accomplishment of rescuing the kids of one of the most powerful men in the country.
"Yes, sir. I'm glad I could do my job and bring your sons back to you safe and unharmed."
Something in Bruce snapped. The smugness, the audacity.
"Get me your superior now!" Bruce shouted, causing the whole room to freeze, chills running down every present person's back.
In just a few moments, a uniformed man around his age came out of his office and approached the situation.
"Mister Wayne. I was informed of your children's kidnapping and I-"
"They were not kidnapped!" Bruce exclaimed with a crazed look in his eyes. "That's my husband for f*ck's sake!"
"Husband?" gasped the second cop, starting to feel cold sweat running over his face, a wide-eyed expression matching his partner's.
"Now wait a sec-" tried Ron, being cut by the booming voice of Bruce.
"Don't you tell me anything and get him out right now!"
The police chief nodded disheaveldy at some of his men to grab the man they previously thought -or better off assumed- to be a criminal.
Minutes later, while Bruce was calling his lawyers, Eli was practically dragged out of his cell, him barely able to walk by his muscles being strained by the electrocution. His face was covered in sweat, tears and a trail of unwiped blood coming from his nostrils, indicating just how poorly he had been treated there.
The boys burst into tears once again as they ran to their other father, slamming into him as he took staggered towards them, exhausted yet beyond relieved to be reunited with his untouched sons.
"Oh, thank god." the man cried in desperation, hugging his sons as tight as possible, close to his chest, breathing heavily.
"Mister Wayne we are so-" hurried the superior, looking startled at the misunderstanding.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves." Alfred cut in, a deep frown itched on his face, frustration evident in his eyes.
"You'll be speaking with my lawyers." grumbled Bruce as they all stormed off the department, Eli with the help of Alfred, piling into the car, the older man driving while the rest sat in the spacious back seat embracing each other in relief. This was supposed to be another normal calm day. But then again when did things go their way.
Bruce and Eli were now layed on their bed sleeping away the pain and exhaustion, their sons huddled between them cozily. They would soon have to have a talk with their boys, give answers to their innocent questions such as 'why did they think ba stole us?' but for now they all stayed cuddled, finally at peace.
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In health and in sickness and in death.
"I'll call out your name, but you won't call back" | thermometer | delirium | "they don't care about you"
Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd
Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, The Joker
The worst part about Gotham in the winter is the flu.
In particular, Gotham was at its worst when Jason got the flu. Even as a small child, it was like Death was waiting just outside his window for the tiniest mistake. The branches knocking against the glass mocked him, waiting for him to break against the pressure of 102ยฐF feverโ to give into dehydration.
This was not fixed by the glitz and glamor of Wayne Manor. No, if anything, the white walls and almost-sterile bed sheets made things worse. Jason couldn't even comprehend throwing up anywhere that wasn't a trash can (which was particularly jarring when he woke up covered in his own vomit). Everything was justโฆ too nice; he already felt like he was taking up too much space, being moved into the guest room (two doors down from Bruce's room, the room across from Dick's) at Alfred's insistence.
Jason did not miss the all-seeing gaze he shot at him as he tried to throw his own bed sheets into the washer, stopped only by a well thrusted thermometer and the click of a tongue.
So, ala white sheets, cramping stomach, and the Joker staring down at Jasonโ a cruel frown on his permanently smiling face.
"Well, well," the Joker's voice always sounded like bileโ acidic and unsettling. Even now, Jason's stomach turned as sweat ran down his face, "looks like a little birdy fell from the nest."
The blankets are slick in Jason's clammy hands; his heart is in his throat. Had it not been for the flu, his urge to vomit would be related only to the living demon of Gotham.
"Looking a little pale, Jason," he twirls a green batarang in his large hand, his wiry, unnatural fingers folding over one another with disgusting ease, "looking just like your Uncle J!"
"Stop," Jason found himself whispering, "not realโฆnot real."
"I hate to be the one to break it to you, but they don't care about you."
Jason's stomach cramped violently, his throat watering. In lieu of a response, he rolled over on the mattress and vomited. He reasoned with himself that none of this was real, fueled by his own feverish delirium, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they, truly, didn't care for him.
Jason feels the absence of breath as the Joker leans down and speaks directly into his ear, his voice completely void of humor in a way that far surpassed any horror written, "was that real enough for you, boy wonder?"
It wasn't logical; it didn't need to be.
"Give up," the Joker commanded, then he was gone.
For a moment, Jason almost didโ then Alfred walked in, holding a cold rag and a grim expression.
104ยฐF: almost too long, too long.
Jason woke the next morning with an IV drip in his arm and Bruce asleep at his bedside; they sipped on hot chocolate together after the fever broke. He convinced himself that the Joker was wrong, but he didn't have enough time to spare.
A beatingโฆa bombโฆ a prayer, unansweredโฆ
โฆthe next breath Jason remembers taking happens long after his dip in the Lazarus pit, waking from a flashback with Bruce's name on his tongue: "dad." There's nothing there, save for a rat gnawing on a wire in an attempt to save itself from starving to death.
That night, in the small journal he found along his way, he writes: youโre gone, youโre gone, youโre gone. He picks up the red helmet; Jason Todd remains dead.
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