Chapter 1 - Eye Opening

Yes, after slowly opening my eyes, it took me a few seconds to realize where I was. Everything seemed so different from what I was used to, as if I had been transported to another dimension. But as I looked around and saw the candles on the floor, the thatched roof, and my parents, I realized that I was no longer Batman. I was just a newborn baby.

For a whole day, I couldn't believe what was happening to me. Me, the Dark Knight, now a baby in what seemed like a medieval world. It was too surreal to be true. I looked at my mother, my father, and the midwife for hours in disbelief.

However, as I assessed my situation, I realized that at least I understood the local language perfectly, even as a mere newborn. That would be useful to start with.

I began to analyze and perceive the environment around me. Everything is very different from what I was used to. There are no signs of modern technology, and the place where I live seems to be a peaceful place because I don't hear any other voice than my mother's and father's. Soon I realized that my abilities and strength had completely disappeared. I can't even lift my head straight, and a few times a day I involuntarily fill my cloth diaper. Shit, this is very embarrassing.

It is becoming increasingly clear that I will have to learn to adapt and live again. However, as I try to process all this information, I begin to wonder how I ended up in this place and situation. Is it torture or a second chance? I can't tell, it's all too confusing.

Obviously this is not reincarnation, otherwise my parents would not have the last name Wayne and they would not call me Bruce. Maybe it's an alternate universe? Another timeline? Thinking about the possibilities does not explain why I am in control of my counterpart's body on this earth.

The last thing I remember is fighting Darkseid with the rest of the Justice League. He was much stronger and faster than the last time we fought, and at a crucial moment in the battle, Darkseid fired one of his beams at Superman. But what happened next? It is natural to think that Superman would resist the ray, but that is not what happened, is it? Somehow, Superman disappeared after being hit by the ray, and the other members of the League began to disappear one by one.

Argh! We lost that battle.

But what about me? What happened to me? Why is it so difficult to remember? Did I die? No, it would be impossible to be conscious if I were dead. Then why am I here in the body of a baby? I can't find any logical answers to these questions.

As I desperately tried to remember what happened to me, as the days went by, and as I ended up in this new reality in this condition, my parents took care of me like a normal baby. My mother breastfed me, my father changed my diapers, and they both held me very carefully while singing songs to make me sleep. Obviously, they were very happy about my arrival and treated me with a lot of love and affection, something I could hardly remember experiencing in my previous life.

I am grateful to have such loving parents, but still something inside of me is a little uncomfortable with this situation. I used to be Batman, and now I am completely vulnerable and dependent on others. This sudden change is hard to accept. But I have to face reality and adapt to this new life. I quickly begin to observe and learn from everything around me, trying to understand how things work in this time and how I can survive.

For the next four weeks after waking up in this strange world, I feel completely helpless and vulnerable, with no motor control in my limbs. I try to lift my arms or legs, but I soon get tired. I also feel sleepy all the time. So I realize that babies do not have the same ability as adults to precisely control their limbs. And it doesn't stop there. My enhanced reflexes that I had trained for so long have disappeared.

And on the day I turn one month old, my father tells my mother that he is going to take me to the city so that I can learn a few things and she can get some rest. Martha was reluctant, but allowed him to do it.

This is also the first time I have left home, because the local doctor said it would be good to wait at least a month for my body to develop before exposing me to the sun, a somewhat stupid recommendation I would say, but my parents have followed it to the letter to this day.

As I walked through the door, I saw a large yard surrounded by a stone wall with some vines and bushes growing in the cracks. As I crossed this yard in my father's arms, I was dazzled by the vast fields of wheat stretching as far as my eyes could see, gently swaying in the breeze. The golden rows of wheat create a mesmerizing pattern that draws my gaze to the horizon, where a small village appears among the green hills. Thatched houses cluster around a stone church with a tall steeple, and a dirt road winds through the houses, disappearing into the distance.

The sound of birds singing and the wind blowing through the wheat is the only sound that breaks the peaceful silence of the rural landscape. It is a scene that seems to have remained unchanged for centuries, a glimpse of rural life at the end of the Middle Ages, and just after the village, I can see a large medieval metropolis, which I can easily see even from so far away. It was an impressive sight. The tall towers and imposing buildings rise against the sky, creating a majestic silhouette. The city walls are high and thick, with battlements and watchtowers dotting their length.

So my father stops in the middle of the courtyard, points to the city, and says: "Do you see that place, Bruce? That place is called Gotham City, the capital of the Kingdom of Arkham, whose domains extend as far as our eyes can see. One day this city will be very important to the world, so pay attention and watch it grow with you.

I look at my father and see how hopeful he is. His eyes sparkle, and in that moment I realize what my duty is in this second chance at life: I cannot allow the Gotham of this world to become the Gotham I knew.

...

Already available up to chapter 19 on Patre on

www.patr eon.com/KovenFanfics

Like it? Add to library!

Don't forget to vote with Powerstone to support the book if you like it...