=Father of the Night 16=

>Curtains in Equestria seem to have the same weakness as the ones on Earth, they can't block the sun when you need it.
>The rays of light seep through the thick curtains and rouse you awake.
"Stupid sun goddess..." you mutter as you rise up.
>You scratch at your oddly light chest in your hazy state and look down to find that you're alone.
>Oh right...Bruce has his own room now.
>Still a bit weird, not feeling the familiar weight on you when you sleep.
"Ah well..."
>You swing your feet over the edge of the bed and hop up, grabbing your robe on your way out.
>The house is...eerily silent as you walk out of the master bedroom and past Bruce's.
"Bruce? Are you in there?" you ask knocking twice.
>No answer comes from behind the door.
"Hmm...must be abusing trees again."
>Fluttershy would have your head if she ever found out.
>You leave Bruce's door and head downstairs into the kitchen. You reach into the fridge and start cooking some bacon.
"New house, new kitchen, new food, same old job."
>Not that you could complain, you knew what you got into here.
>You set the food on the table and sit.
"Bruce! Wherever you are, come get your food!"
>Bruce does come out.
>Of the pantry.
>He swings open the door and nonchalantly hops up to the table.
"Uh...miss your old closet?"
>Bruce nibbles on his bacon a bit, good to see he was developing a taste for it. "I think it'd be easier to tell all three of you at the same time, Mister Anonymous."
>You cock an eyebrow.
"Three of who?"
>Bruce picks up his plate and takes it back into the pantry. "All will be made clear in time, sir. I've got a bit more work to do."
>The door shuts and leaves you alone.
>...What just happened?

>After that...non-routine breakfast, you decide to continue with your day.
>You eat, clean up after yourself, and then hop in the shower.
>Still, you're wondering why he was in the pantry of all places.
>At your old house, Bruce would hold himself up in the closet at the end of the hall for hours at a time.
>You peeked in there once and found a toolbox and a makeshift workbench covered in metal screws and bolts. You assumed that was where he drummed up all of his Bat-things.
>Still, you were confused.
>If he was still doing that, then there are better places in the house to do it, bigger places that could hold more stuff to make it easier to build.
>So why a pantry of all things?
>After your shower, you brush your teeth. Gotta set a good example for the kid.
"Why a pantry?" you mutter, the toothbrush distorting your words.
>Your thoughts are cut short as you hear a faint "ding-dong" from the foyer.
>SHIT.
"Coming! Hold on!"
>You dash out of the bathroom, hair still dripping a bit, and throw on some clothes as fast as you can before running down to the door.
"Comingcomingcomingcomingcoming!"
>You practically tear off the door. If it's social services again you swe-
>"Hey Anon!"
>"Howdy there, Partner!"  
>Ohit'sjustthem.
"Hey girls...what are you doing here?"
>Applejack and Twilight both canter into the house and look around. 
>"Oh, WOW! Look at the size of this place!"
>"Mighty fine house you got here, Anon."
"Thanks AJ. And Twi, you should check out the library."
>Twilight's eyes light up at the mention of a library and you swear you can see her dancing on her hooves.
"But I'll ask again...why are you two here?"
>"I invited them." a voice from behind you says.
>You turn around to see Bruce standing by the open pantry in the kitchen.
>"Please, follow me." he says before trotting into the pantry.

>The tree of you follow Bruce into the pantry and find that the pantry does not in fact hold your spices and food stuffs, but has a stairwell in the back of it.
"So...you've been busy."
>"I have." Bruce says.
>Twilight and Applejack are tailgating you as they walk down the stairs. "Uh...kinda spooky down here, aint it, Bruce?" AJ asks.
>"Fear not, Miss Applejack. It does not last much longer."
"Bruce, what in the hell does that-"
>The four of you exit the stairwell and find yourself in a cave.
>No...not a cave, a positive cavern. One dozens of feet high and equally wide. Stalactites hang from the ceiling and metal platforms are constructed around the stalagmites jutting up from above.
"...mean." you finish.
>Applejack and Twilight have equally shocked expressions on their faces. "Bruce...what IS all this?" Twilight asks.
>Bruce trots over to a worktable. "This is my...well, I don't really have a name yet. But this is where The Batmane will be basing himself out of from now on. I've had tunnels dug from here to secluded spots in the woods where I can leave without being seen, as well as brought in some tools to increase my efforts."
>You're still taking in this place. [spoiler][/spoiler] "How did..you get all this in here without me knowing?"
>"I brought it in through the tunnels." Bruce says.
"...Tunnels?" 
>Your eye is caught by some movement from the space below the metal platforms. You head to the railing and peer into the darkness, making out bipedal shapes milling about down there.
>Bipedal shapes with fur.
"Are those-"
>"Diamond Dogs!?" AJ finishes for you.
>Bruce nods curtly. "It seems they were without direction after Dogfather was imprisoned. I attempted to..repurpose them."
>The three of you share equally unconvinced looks. "Can you trust them?" Twilight asks.
>Bruce trots over to a corner of the cavern. "No less than I trust any pony contractor with this location. Now come over here, I've something else to show you."

>The three of you follow over to a small room sequestered off to the side.
>Bruce throws some switches and the sound of machinery whirring fills the cave.
>"Please wait here." he says before stepping into the room and shutting the door.
>You, AJ and Twilight continue to look around the hidden grotto.
>"I...still can't figure out how he managed to get all this dug out." Twilight exclaims.
>"I could fit the entire barn, AND the farmhouse, AND maybe a grain silo in here..." AJ says.
>From behind the doors comes a voice. "The Diamond Dogs are very efficient tunnelers."
>You call back to the room. [spoiler][/spoiler] "I just impressed you did it quietly enough that no one heard you."
>"A lesson in -ngggh- discretion was needed."
>You turn around.
"Bruce?"
>He sounded like he was struggling with...you don't know, something.
>"It's alright, sir!"
>The door opens and out walks The Batmane. But not the one you knew.
>Bruce's old suit was a collection of clothes and fabrics, the cape being a done up curtain and the belt a stolen toolbelt.
>This was...
>He stands taller now, a few inches, and his shoulders seem broader. The armor as a hole is sleeker, thicker, and seemed to be build for him and him alone.
>"So...how does it sit?" he asks.
>AJ trots forward with a smile and circles around him. "Well shoot, pretty cunning, I think."
>Bruce smiles underneath the cowl. "Thank you, Miss Applejack. I felt that the suit needed to be upgraded."
"How'd you pull that off?"
>Bruce stands up a bit straighter and gestures to a pile of boxes. "I have begun to accumulate various stock from my father's company. If The Batmane is to expand, I'll need new gear."
"Let me guess, you-"
>"Snuck it in through the tunnels, yes."
>Great.
>If this superhero thing didn't work out, you now know your ward would make a great little moonshiner.

>The four of you head back upstairs into the house proper, Bruce still in his suit.
"You...planning to walk around like that all day?"
>Bruce nods. "I have to get used to the weight of it if I'm to go out tonight."
>Your face drops like a rock.
"Bruce...do you really want to put more strain on your shoulder?"
>You could understand that night the crowns were stolen, but this was different. There was no crime in progress, it was a patrol.
>A long all night patrol with lots of swinging from rooftops and the occasional fistfight.
"I...don't know."
>Applejack puts a hoof on Bruce's shoulder. "Ya sure you want to go putting yourself through that, sugarcube? Nop0ny will blame you if you take it easy..."
>Bruce nods but removes AJ's hoof. Your concern is warming, truly...but I can't give up on my crusade after one injury, especially not with this new gear. My shoulder healed long ago, I am as ready as ever."
>Twilight nods on the other side of Bruce. "There's no one here who knows Bruce's limits like himself, I trust him."
>She smiles down at the boy. "I'm sure you'll be great tonight."
>He smiles back. "Thank you, Twilight."
>Yeah...
>You hope so.