Room 513, Wednesday evening

[willbethenight]

It was nearly time. A few years of more or less staying in one place (even if that one place didn't always stay in the same place) for the first time since he started training around the world, and now Bruce was just about ready to take one final step before returning to Gotham City. The Plan had progressed nicely. He learned so much about various

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[wrongkindofsith]

Somehow or the other, Cara found herself leaning in the doorway. "Bruce."

Oh, like it was a shock she failed at farewells?

[willbethenight]

"Cara," Bruce greeted. "Here to see me off, or are you just generally loitering in doorways?"

[wrongkindofsith]

The first, but good luck getting her to come out and say that.

"I lost track of you after the fight," Cara said. "I wanted to see if your ankles survived intact."

[willbethenight]

"Tragically, I lost them to one of the drop bears," Bruce said, vaguely curious if she was ever going to let go of the bunny thing.

[endsthegame]

"Somehow I'm not surprised you're not staying around for the summer," Ender commented from the doorway.

He didn't need a heads' up. He walked the halls some days.

[willbethenight]

"Honestly, it's a little surprising to me that I've stayed this long after graduation," Bruce said. "I usually would have walked away immediately following the ceremony on Saturday."

[endsthegame]

"So what made you stick around?" Ender asked. "Sentimentality?"

He didn't know Bruce well enough to make a definite call about whether he had that or not, but his instincts told him not so much.

[willbethenight]

"Partially. There are more than a couple people who deserve a proper goodbye from me," Bruce said. "But mainly it's that my next stop won't be ready for me until tomorrow."

[holy_daughter]

Lucrezia greeted the news with a mixture of feelings, herself. But she had resolved to smile, and wish the best to her departing friend.

"Do you suppose we shall meet again?" she asked. Best to have the practicalities out of the way first.

[willbethenight]

"At least for as long as you're in school here, I'm sure we will," Bruce said, returning the smile. "I know I'll have some reasons to return on occasion. Not the least of which is to check in on good friends."

[holy_daughter]

"I am honored to think myself counted among those," she said. "Though I do not know how long my sojourn here shall last. I may be called home at any moment, should the Holy Father find need for me."

The most likely form of this would be another arranged marriage, but she did not wish to reflect upon that.

"Should our paths fail to cross, I would like to say that I am glad to have known you."

It was certainly premature, but news could change in an hour in Rome, and it needed to be said.

[willbethenight]

"I appreciate it and share the sentiment," Bruce said. "But for now I'm going to assume you'll be here next time I'm in town."

[annieadderall]

Annie was deciding that she was not a fan of the whole 'people leaving' thing. But she stopped by Bruce's room anyway, knocking at the door and poking her head in. "So you're all ready, huh?"

[willbethenight]

"Pretty much," Bruce said, giving Annie a hello nod. "There's not much left to do but wait for a shuttle to pick me up and catch up with people before I go."

[annieadderall]

"It's not going to be the same around here without you," she said. Like she wouldn't be gone on Friday. Details.

[willbethenight]

"They'll be saying the same about you," Bruce said. "If I can be so bold, I think everyone will be right about both of us."

Compliment accepted and returned in one move.

[batwaffles]

Yeah, Stephanie coming by to see Bruce before he left? Imperative, really. And not because he was the younger version of her boss, either.

She could see the door was open, but she paused outside in the hallway just long enough to consider how weird-and-yet-cool it was to sort of be seeing him off on the start of his career. Weirdly philosophical, or something.

Okay, moment over. Breathe, Steph.

She poked her head around the doorframe. "So. Back to good ol' Gotham for you, or parts unknown?"

[willbethenight]

"Parts relatively well-known," Bruce said. "I'm spending a month in New York before finally going back to Gotham."

If Stephanie realized that would keep him out of town for the lead-up to the 10 year anniversary of his parents' death, that would probably inform his choice. If not, he figured she would just assume it was simply part f his training.

[batwaffles]

Stephanie would like to say she knew that anniversary date because she paid attention to her Gotham City history or had it explained to her by the big guy himself, not because her father kept a framed copy of that newspaper front page. It still took her a few moments to make the connection and do the math, and when she did her eyes went wide just for a second.

She'd always thought of him as broody over that. She'd never thought it might, you know, be something that hurt.

"Oh," she said in the uncertain tone of someone trying to tread carefully around a subject. "Why New York?"

[willbethenight]

He appreciated the treading. "One last experience before I settle back into Gotham life," Bruce said. "I'll be helping out a local doctor for a few weeks. Who knows, I might even pick up a thing or two about medicine." As if she wouldn't know that was the entire goal. "And it'll also be nice to have something to compare the Gotham nightlife to." Building up the playboy reputation. Shock of shocks, he had all of that planned out.