The Knights of the DC House

Foreword: This is a story about one of DC's greatest heroes, Batman. It takes place before the Justice League is established and before Superman officially debuts. Because of the preference for the New 52, ​​every hero and villain has an origin.

, this is more realistic, and the old man was already about 33 years old when he formed the Justice League. But the old man here is from the story not long after he became Batman. The old man here is younger, and he does not have the scheming skills of the later period.

For him, Batman's identity is still a burden or a cover-up of another identity. This is the first time I'm writing a side story, and readers who have read it may give me some advice.

Prologue: Rainy Night

Night, Gotham, Wayne Manor. The old butler Alfred was sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, there was a strong wind, lightning and thunder, and wind and rain. Big raindrops hit the window, making a crackling sound, because of this unrest

The night brings a different rhythm. In front of the radio, Gotham news is playing.

[Today is the 30th day since Batman disappeared in Gotham City. Ever since Batman brought the Joker and former prosecutor Harvey Dent, now Two-Face, to justice in the factory explosion, we are here again.

We have not received any news about this Dark Knight. With the disappearance of this Dark Knight, the crime rate in Gotham City, which once dropped to a bottom line, has also begun to gradually increase. Can we understand this, this person who has always been in trouble?

The vigilante who is number one on the Gotham Police Department's most wanted list is an important factor in maintaining order in Gotham. Does his disappearance mean that the city of Gotham cannot be saved? The incompetent police and government officials are again

Can you give us a reasonable explanation?】

Alfred turned off the radio, took a look at the room in the attic, took down a photo album from the bookshelf nearby, sat in front of the window and started flipping through it. The album was not thick, but Alfred flipped through it very slowly because

The above are the few happiest times in his memory for the former young master and current master Bruce Wayne.

The photo album contains photos of Bruce as a child with his late parents, Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne. There are photos of him crying when he was just born, photos of him going on an outing with his parents to catch butterflies, and photos of Bruce Wayne.

There were a few photos of Bruce playing with a little girl, one of the few. Looking at these photos that only existed in the past, Alfred felt a little dazed, and he couldn't tell what he was doing.

What era are you in?

"It's another rainy day, Master Thomas." Looking at the pouring rain outside the window, the elderly housekeeper sighed and looked at the portrait hanging on the wall.

That was the only portrait of five-year-old Bruce wearing a formal dress with his parents. Because it was the first time that he and his parents were being drawn like this, the young Bruce seemed a little nervous and anxious. After all, he could not maintain the same posture for a long time.

Moving is still a very difficult thing for a child, so Bruce didn't perform well, but this is the only portrait of him and his parents. At that time, Alfred and Bruce did not expect that the accident would happen

It happened so fast and suddenly, leaving this family of three that should have been the envy of many people with only a five-year-old child and an old housekeeper to support them.

Back in 1974, Alfred had just retired from the British Special Forces. As an elite special forces officer, Alfred had completed many missions. He had sneaked into assassinations in the enemy's hinterland and also solved some supernatural crimes.

Incident, it can be said that as an excellent soldier, with this resume, he can rise to the top and become a rising star in both the military and political circles.

But he didn't. He gave up all the honors and powers that were at his fingertips, retreated bravely, and came to another country to start a new life. He was tired of the days of using guns to deprive other people of their lives, even if the person was heinous. He just came here

When he was in Gotham, his skills attracted the attention of many local gangs, businesses, and nightclubs. They wanted Alfred to be their bodyguard, but Alfred refused. In the end, he chose to apply for Gotham.

The most influential family in the city, the position of steward of the Wayne family.

No one would have thought that this executioner, who once had bloody hands on the battlefield, had a strong British accent, and looked like a gentleman, would choose a job serving people, but the person in charge of the interview at that time happened to be the sole owner of the Wayne family, Thomas.

After seeing Alfred, Wayne only asked one question: "Why did you choose to come to me?" With the ability of the Wayne family, it was easy to find out the information about each applicant, and Al

Fred also had no intention of lying on his resume.

Because in his opinion, that bloody job is also part of his life, and he has no reason to veto it.

"I just want to know if people like me have a second chance to start." Looking at Thomas looking directly at him, Alfred replied in a neither humble nor condescending manner.

"So, congratulations, Alfred, you are hired." A smile broke out on Thomas's face, and he extended his hand to welcome Alfred. That year, he was 27 years old, and Thomas Wayne was also 27.

age.

In the days that followed, Alfred began to take charge of everything in Wayne Manor as the butler of the Wayne family. As a former member of the special forces and one of the best, Alfred played many roles, but as a butler,

Obviously not among them. At the beginning, Alfred was very embarrassed in terms of management. He was accustomed to using everything on hand as a weapon, and it was difficult for him to put these things on hand where they should be used as tools.

As his master, Thomas Wayne did not blame him, but taught him how to manage. This young master who should have enjoyed the greatest power in Gotham City taught him a lot like his best friend, which made him

Alfred was puzzled. Because his master put the business aside most of the time, and went to the slums to open a private clinic, specializing in free treatment for those who could not pay the high fees, and even

A large amount of money was earmarked from the company for road planning and construction in Gotham City.

"Why did you do this, Master Thomas? You should be among those at the top." Alfred once asked Thomas this question in his spare time.

Thomas, a young man who had mastered the wealth of the country at a young age, just showed an honest smile to Alfred, looked at the new road being built by the construction team contracted by Wayne Enterprises outside, and said with emotion:

"I am a doctor, Alfred. As a doctor, what I can do is treat diseases and make bad things better. Now, I am just doing the job that a doctor should do."

Thomas's words made Alfred remember him deeply. He was full of respect for his master who was also a teacher and friend. And after ten years of this time, Alfred also stayed in Wayne Manor for a full ten years.

, ten years have transformed him, the former king of special forces, into a competent old housekeeper. He can arrange everything in Wayne Manor in an orderly manner. In these ten years, he has personally seen Thomas find

He fell in love with Martha, a kind-hearted girl who also served as best man at Thomas' wedding.

Finally, he saw with his own eyes the birth of the heir to the Wayne family, Bruce Wayne. The loud cry made him feel that his life had become brighter. He was also invited by Thomas to become Bruce Wayne's godfather.

As an unmarried man, becoming the godfather of a child was a light in Alfred's life.

In the following days, Alfred did his best to take care of little Bruce. When Thomas and Martha were doing free clinics for the poor in Gotham, Alfred had to learn how to change little Bruce's diaper and master the bottle.

The temperature during feeding, Alfred can say with certainty that the five years of taking care of little Bruce were definitely the happiest five years of his life, if not for that incident.

It was a rainy night, just like the heavy rain now. Alfred, who had been busy for a day, took the resignation letter he had written and was about to go to sleep. The fifteen years in Wayne Manor had given him a lot, and Thomas also knew

He shouldn't keep Alfred tied to him like this. He needed a new life, so he asked Alfred to resign, and Alfred was ready to do so.

"Ding, ding, ding, ding!" Just as Alfred was about to turn off the lights and go to sleep, the phone on the desk rang rapidly, an unknown number, but at this moment, Alfred had a bad feeling that this call would not be too serious.

Good news for him, but he still took it.

"Yes, this is Alfred." After answering the phone, Alfred felt that he was ready, but the news from the other end of the phone still caught him off guard.

"Mr. Alfred, we are the Gotham Police Department. At ten o'clock tonight, Thomas Wayne and his wife were shot dead. Only one child survived. We need you to come over."

The phone slipped from his hand, and the simple-looking phone hit Alfred's instep, but he didn't realize it at all. Only those words echoed in his mind, and the Thomas couple were shot. He never thought about this.

This is what would happen to a kind-hearted couple. They had been doing good things, but they were shot dead in the alley just for a pearl necklace! Alfred's brain stopped thinking and he fell to the ground helplessly.

Knocked over a row of books.

"Yes, I have to go to the police station! I have to go to the police station quickly!" The blow made Alfred react. He hurriedly took off the windbreaker from the hanger, took the umbrella, and Alfred hurriedly ran out of Wayne.

Manor, drove to the police station.

The journey was so fast that Alfred arrived at the crime scene in only fifteen minutes. The couple who had treated him like family just lay there, with white cloth covering them and broken pearl necklaces scattered everywhere.

The ground. And his godson, Bruce Wayne, was on the ground, picking up pieces one by one regardless of the muddy rain. The rain hit his face, and his expression was so numb.

A police detective held an umbrella over his head and did not stop him, because he knew that this was the little boy's last insistence. Alfred did not dare to look at the faces of Thomas and his wife, and walked forward.

He took the umbrella from the detective and put a windbreaker on little Bruce.

"Master Bruce, I'm here." Alfred tried to be as gentle and gentle as possible and said next to little Bruce.

"Alfred?" Little Bruce Wayne turned around stiffly, looked at his godfather, and hugged him without saying a word. What he needed at this time was not some comfort, but a strong voice.

shoulders for him to rely on.

Alfred knew that, so he didn't say a word. No matter how sad he felt at this time, he had to stay strong in front of little Bruce. The police detective on the side didn't say anything and handed the umbrella to Alfred.

Finally, he began to ask, "Mr. Alfred Pennyworth?"

"Yes, I am."

"My name is Jim Gordon, and I'm sorry that this happened, but we'll find out."

"I hope so." After living in Gotham for so long, Alfred already knew the city well. After saying a polite word, Alfred left with little Bruce.

Driving back to Wayne Manor, little Bruce wrapped his windbreaker and stared out the window without saying a word. When he returned to the manor, the servants had gone to bed, and Wayne Manor, which should have been full of life, was

It's like an empty city, so quiet that it makes people feel strange and scared.

He took little Bruce back to his room. The extremely nervous little Bruce held the pearl necklace he had picked up and strung in his hand, lying on the bed without saying a word. After sighing, Alfred was about to turn off the light.

Close the door and let little Bruce have a good sleep.

"Alfred?"

"Yes, Master Bruce."

"Can you not turn off the light? I'm scared."

"Of course, Master Bruce." Alfred didn't turn off the light or leave. Instead, he found a chair and sat down, stayed with little Bruce, watched him fall asleep, and then felt sorry for him who still had nightmares even after falling asleep.

He covered himself with quilt.

Alfred knew that from the moment he sat down next to little Bruce, there would be no chance to hand over the resignation letter. In fact, he did not need to hand it over. After that, Alfred became

The lifelong butler of the Wayne family, he stayed with the Wayne family for ten years and twenty years until the end of his life. He also watched the little Bruce in his memory leave Wayne Manor. What came back again was a man with eyes filled with tears.

An angry young man, a dark knight who belongs to Gotham.

Closing the photo album, Alfred looked up at the painting on the wall. Thomas and Martha in the painting were still looking at him like they always had. "I'm sorry, Master Thomas." Alfred murmured in a low voice.

Only then did De stand up, take the already prepared dinner, and quietly walk up to the attic.