C4 Acceptance

(A/N: Want to read ahead of what I've posted so far? Go to my patreòn and get early access chapters.

As of this chapter, the patreòn is 2 chapters ahead at chapter 6. Chapter 7 is almost done and will be up when I wake up. I'll probably be writing and posting at 2 more chapters tonight.

https://www.patreón.com/AlienWarlord

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[You appear in a dark alley. Searching your surrounding, you see a larger figure blocking your path outward. Behind you is a dead end. You're trapped. The figure moves closer, revealing itself to be Shrek, wielding a large butchers knife. Suddenly, a door appears behind you. Although, the only way to open it is to insert power stones like a key. Hopefully you haven't used them already...]

'This has to be a dream. I can't actually be Bruce Wayne.' He thought as he started questioning his reality.

The butler.

The name.

Officer Jim Gordon.

It was all so very convincing and clear compared to any other dream that Bruce has ever had.

Doing what most people would do to prove whether they were in a dream or not, Bruce pinched his arm as hard as he could.

No pain.

'This must be a dream then.' He thought but then he remembered something. 'I'm in the hospital. I'm likely on some sort of painkillers right now. Well, there goes that idea.'

"Are you okay, Bruce?" Another person enters the room dressed in a white lab coat with a well-kept beard.

"Dr. Burns." Alfred greets with a slight bow.

"Alfred, I see you got here before me." Dr. Burns smiles and greets back.

Walking past Alfred, the doctor arrives at Bruce's bedside and starts checking him over.

Alfred stands on the sidelines, watching carefully for when he's needed with the poise of a skilled butler.

"I rushed here as soon as the nurses informed me." He says as he shines a light in Bruce's eyes. "Is it true you can't remember your name?"

Hearing this, Alfred's eyebrows raise straight up.

"Is that true, Young Master Bruce?" Alfred asks in alarm.

Alfred came running the second he found out Bruce was awake, not staying to hear anything the nurses had to tell him for a single second.

Unsure of what to do after hearing these questions, especially after the shock he's gone through since waking up here, Bruce knew he had to get his mind under control and answer them.

After a brief silence filled with contemplation, Bruce decided on what to do.

Whether this was a dream or his new reality, he decided to just treat it as reality and make the best of it.

If he really was Bruce Wayne, then would that actually be a bad thing? Certainly not in his opinion.

He went to sleep as a poor orphan high school student and woke up as an extremely rich billionaire orphan child.

That's an upgrade in his book. He even gained some lost years back.

He may have lost some friends, as they don't exist in this world, but Bruce wasn't that close to them in the first place.

He's always been more of a loner than anything else, so they were rather closer to acquaintances.

Everything would be okay at least until superheroes and villains start appearing and turn the current world into a much more dangerous place. That's assuming that they haven't already grown into their comic book selves and appeared in front of the public, of course.

Hopefully, that wasn't the case and Bruce would have time to prepare for when that would happen. Because as he is now, Bruce is easy pickings for any low-tier villain to swoop in and steal his family fortune and life away.

Looking at the two adults in the room, Bruce knew he had to answer them or else they may become suspicious or think something is wrong with him.

Knowing that he doesn't have the memories of the original Bruce Wayne, he thought It would be best to simply feign amnesia, so Bruce nodded his head to the doctor's question.

"So it is true..." Alfred looked down in shame and sadness. 'Will he not be able to remember his parents?'

"Hmm, do you remember anything at all from before you woke up here?" Dr. Burns asks after jotting down some information on a clipboard.

Going along with his hastily formulated plan, Bruce shakes his head with a frown and a furrowed brow.

'I hope my acting is good...' he thought as he watched their expressions for any suspicion arising and thankfully saw none.

"Is this permanent, Dr. Burns?" Alfred asks with a heavy frown.

"That's possible but not very likely. This is most likely a side effect from the lack of oxygen and blood flow to his brain..." The doctor explains as he continues writing things down.

"So, this is just temporary memory loss?" Alfred asked with a small amount of hope.

"It could be." Dr. Burns replies as he turns his attention back to Bruce. "We have you on pain killers, so it's doubtful you feel any pain, but do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"

The check-up and yes or no questions continued and Bruce was later taken for multiple tests around the hospital.

After a long day of being questioned, prodded, and scanned, Bruce was finally left alone in his hospital room once again.

'This dream has gone on far too long...' He thought as he looked out at the world outside the hospital windows. 'This isn't a dream.'

At first, he was resistant to believe this has happened, but slowly acceptance took over.

After coming to this conclusion, Bruce felt a wide array of emotions.

Fear, for what he may have to experience in this new life.

Sadness, for everyone he knew in his old life that he knew he would never see again.

Excitement, for the far less mundane future he would have.

Happiness, for the much more advantageous life he was given.

And much much more.

'If I'm going to embrace this new life then I want to honor the Bruce Wayne that came before me. I would feel like a complete a**hole for taking over his life without at least doing something for the poor kid.' Bruce thought as he tried to remember the name of the man that killed Batman's parents in the comics.

'Joel, no it was Joe. Joe something. What was his last name? Joe Exotic? No that's the tiger guy from Netflix. Joe Cold? Joe Freeze? I know it was something related to being cold or something.' He thought as he started regretting not reading or watching more Batman-related comics, shows, and movies.

After a long night of brainstorming, as he couldn't sleep due to already sleeping for a week, Bruce finally remembered the name of the man that killed his new identity's parents.

Joe Chill