Chapter 32: At the library

Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the time of the year, the library was extremely busy when he reached it.

He saw groups of children off for their winter holidays, teenagers and college students studying for their exams or hanging out with their friends, and adults with their families or on their own. They clustered in small circles, some at tables, other in the coffee shop area, which was the only spot besides the Kids' section to be filled with loud conversations and laughter. He was reminded of a time where he had sat in a very similar place, plotting with MJ and Ned over a slice of cake or a cup of coffee. He missed those simpler times.

Would Jason like to go there sometime? The older teen didn't look the type to enjoy sitting in a library, what with his love of bikes and firearms, but he did have a large collection of books in his container bedroom. Appearances were often deceiving, especially in Gotham, where looking tough and dangerous was often one of the most effective way to keep yourself out of trouble.

That, or becoming famous in the underworld for being a metahuman. Of course.

He would ask about it, once they had gone over what had happened at the Pits, maybe they could decompress a bit and hang out without having to think of vigilantism or their feud with the Bats. That would be a nice change of pace.

But that's only if it works out between you two, isn't it?

Even though he tried to tell himself he hadn't come to talk to her, he felt disappointed when he didn't see Barbara at the oak counters. A quick swipe of the computer area did not get him any more results. Well, that was that. No friendly librarian today, he'd just have to come back another time to let her know he was doing alright.

The next thing to do was to find the books he wanted. Not wanting to bother any of the employees on such a busy day, he looked around for the psychology and human sciences session on his own. He didn't find it on the ground floor but ended up hesitating in front of the fantasy aisle. It was very well stocked and seemed to be a popular area of the library. Maybe he could spare just a few minutes, find something for him to read during his free time? 

No. The temptation was strong but he didn't have that much time before he had to head out to work. He could always come back later.

There were two upper floors above him, each connected through two massive open wood staircases. Climbing up, he quickly found the hard sciences section, right next to the human sciences area. Once more, he had to convince himself not to grab something completely unrelated. He could find information on this world's scientific discoveries online, he didn't have to get it there. Really, he had to focus. He forced himself to walk past the dozen or so aisle on physics, biology, chemistry and everything he would usually have jumped on, and only allowed himself to stop when he reached the first bookshelf of the Psychology section.

With the library being so big, he had expected a large choice of authors and texts on the subject, but he was still impressed to find almost a dozen rows of books focusing on mental health and self help. It was also quite a busy few aisles, with several patrons of all ages browsing alongside him. So not only was the place well stocked, it was used a lot.

From what he knew of Gotham, this made a lot of sense. New York had been rough on a lot of its more unfortunate citizens but it was nothing compared to this city. Between the regular villains attacks and the downright abandoned town districts, it was no wonder some people would try to find answers in books. Not everyone had the money, the time or the predisposition for therapy after all. He hadn't, back in his home world. He had relied on his friends and on his family to-

Focus.

Anger management. He could find stuff about that here. 

He apologized to a tiny old woman as he side stepped her and her bag stuffed with thick, complicated psychology volumes, and started looking through the shelves. Depression was a common topic, but he did not think it was fully applicable to whatever Jason was dealing with. Addiction was a close second, with dozens, if not hundreds, of texts focusing on all kinds of different substances, life journeys and research. They had different targets, some were for active users, some for past users and some for loved ones who wanted to understand and help. Several of the drugs mentioned there were completely foreign to him. He would have to learn the terminology, in case he was involved in a bust in the future.

Focus.

He was about to grab a thin book about meditation, something he'd been taught about but had never really practiced seriously, when he realized he had just made a mistake.

He didn't have a library card.

He was an absolute idiot and he didn't have a card.

What was he going to do then? Sure, he could go back home and research it online but he didn't feel ready to head there yet and it would make his entire trip to the library a waste of time. He couldn't take books out without one, could he? That would be theft and even if he brought them back later, the employees would be wondering where they had gone. He really didn't want to have to bother an overworked civilian, and he did not have the time to wait in line at the front desk, which, from where he was, looked extremely busy still. As it was, he probably had forty more minutes to finish up there, anything past that and he would end up late for his shift.

Did that count as a strike? Losing his job now, and the apartment that came with it, would be a disaster.

He sighed, hand dropping back to his side, resigned. He had to accept his mistake. This had been a waste of his afternoon.

Turning around, he took a few steps away from the bookshelves and almost crashed right into someone.

He stepped back just in type, apologizing profusely, mentally cursing himself for his lack of attention. Any other day, with more sleep and more food in him, he would have heard Barbara coming minutes before she actually got there but-

Ah!

Barbara was there.

She was there... and he had almost stepped right into her.

She smiled at him patiently, a pile of books on her knees and a notepad tucked in between her leg and the side of her wheelchair. She didn't look upset about what had almost happened, although she seemed slightly confused. He felt like a bumbling fool and, worse, he could feel himself blush from the sheer embarrassment. 

"Everything alright?" She asked him, barely above a whisper. They were in a library after all.

"Yes!" He replied, a bit too loud. Flinching, he lowered his voice. "I was looking for you."

She raised an eyebrow at that and it took him a few seconds to realize just how creepy he sounded. How could she know she had be the first person to be nice to him after he had been displaced to Gotham? She might not even remember who he was, with how many people she had to see everyday. Good job, Parker, making a great impression there.

"I'm Peter." He laughed awkwardly, still trying to keep his tone as quiet as possible. "We met a couple weeks back."

Not good enough. What kind of guy remembered someone after meeting them only twice, and both times at their place of work? And she probably had no idea what he was talking about. He had to find something to say to clear up any misunderstanding. Between the Bats mistaking him and Jason for active rogues and the Pits pushing him to fight for the enjoyment of criminals, he really didn't want to add 'stalker' to his tarnished reputation. Quick. "I-uh… I wanted to get some books but I forgot I don't have a card. And you're the only employee I know here."

Barbara's surprised look melted back into a gentle smile and he felt himself relax. Disaster avoided. He didn't look like a creep after all.

"I remember you. And I can help you with that. Do you want to do it now or do you need help picking your books?"

He ended up smiling back at her and accepting her offer for help only to realize that what he was looking for might seem sort of weird. Obviously, a lot of people needed help and that was nothing to be ashamed of, but he didn't want to throw her off. He still told her and was relieved to see her expression did not cloud one bit. 

"Sure. We have a few really good ones on that topic actually!"

Her positive demeanor put him further at ease and he followed her down the bookshelves, accepting the various books she was passing him.

"You have a limit of twenty books on your account," she told him seriously, still managing to keep her voice low enough not to bother anyone. "But only ten of them can be graphic novels or comics. You can also take up to twelve items from the multimedia section." She whirled around, pointing a finger at him, the pile of books still on her lap somehow remaining perfectly balanced. "Now, you can keep them for three weeks. You can request an additional two but please don't go past that."

"I won't." He promised.

"I'll hold you to it." She nodded, adding yet another book to the half a dozen or so already in his arms. "This one is a bit different, but I find it really interesting, so you should read it."

She added three more items to his stack before clapping her hands and beaming at him. "I think this should be all! Of course we have a lot more but those should help you decide how you want to go about it."

"Thanks." Peter told her, fully meaning it. "You guys have so many options it was kind of overwhelming at first, so I really appreciate it."

"Oh no worries. Now let's deal with your card problem."

He stole a glance at a nearby wall-mounted clock. Twenty-five minutes left, that should be just enough time to get it done. 

She led him away from the bookshelves and he followed, smiling despite himself. She was older than Jason and him but he wouldn't mind hanging out with her if he had the chance. She knew tons about books and she was nice, what else would you want in a friend? Not that this would ever happen, of course. She was a librarian and had no idea what she represented to him. To the tired, hungry and lost Peter of a few weeks earlier, she had been proof that not everyone in the city saw him as a dangerous mutant or as an outsider. To her, he was simply a regular patron.

"I'm glad to see you back," Barbara told him, deceptively fast on her wheelchair. She must have really strong arms, to be able to go this quickly. "Are you living here, now?"

"Uh... yeah." Peter picked his words carefully, not wanting to reveal anything too personal or too suspicious. "I got a job and an apartment."

"No school, then?" She didn't sound like she was judging him for it and he had seen plenty of teens his age out in Gotham late at night, so perhaps not finishing high school was not so unusual. He had gone through hell to get his degree, though, in between the Thanos incident, Mysterio and the routine of going out as a vigilante several hours every day.

"I graduated high school last summer."

He knew he looked young but still, he wasn't going to pretend not to have finished something he had really struggled to achieve. As long as he didn't have to give too many details, who would even check? New York was a very big city with very many schools and universities, and it wasn't like a librarian he had just met a few times would care enough about him to look into it. As he had expected her to, Barbara took his answer with a nod and congratulated him. It was nice, being able to act like a normal teenager. He had been that way for years, even after he became Spiderman, and wanting to get that more simple half of his life back was what had pushed him to go to Stran-... to Stephen. In Gotham, he had lost the opportunity to live a regular teenage life, not because his secret identity had been exposed, but simply because he had to survive the city and his poor decision making had led way more people than expected to knowing about some of his meta powers.

A few more aisles down, they turned left and headed for one of the distant stone walls. There, an oddly modern touch in the midst of the classical architecture that surrounded it, was an elevator. Sleek in design, it opened with a ding and they got in. Accessibility was always nice to see in an older building, although he should have expected it, considering Barbara had been on the upper floor in the first place.

As the doors started to close, Peter looked back at the bookshelves, wondering if he should have taken the time to find some hard science books for his entertainment after all. A lot of the content on the Internet was paywalled. Had he had more time, he could have easily broken through, but here he could get everything for free and without any effort. Maybe Barbara could have given him good advice about that too. He almost asked for them to turn back but closed his mouth abruptly when his eyes caught those of a little boy, standing on the other side of the aisle closest to the elevator.

With smooth bronze skin and perfectly styled hair, he had rarely seen a child with such an intense aura around him. In fact, it took all he had not to step back when they locked eyes and all of that intensity was directed straight at him. It was only made worse by the change in the kid's expression, going from smiling and talking with whoever he was walking with to going silent and extremely serious. Things went from worse to terrible when the strange preteen decided to ditch his guardian and began to run towards them, dropping his books on the ground without a single care.

He thought he heard Barbara groan behind him but was too distracted by the sight of that tiny boy sprinting and slamming his hand in between the still closing elevator doors to know if he had imagined the sound or not. The whole thing was so odd he didn't even react when the child forced his way in and smashed the button to close the doors, shutting out whoever his adult companion had been, all the while ignoring the two bewildered looks he was getting. He turned to them, his perfect haircut slightly disturbed by his quick run but his breathing even. Maybe he did track in his free time.

Wait, wasn't he too young to do track? At what age did that start? 

"Hi Damian." Barbara sighed, and from her tone he could tell he had not dreamed her groan earlier. Dropping books on the floor was quite a rude thing to do inside of a library and she was probably one of the people in charge of keeping the place stocked properly. She knew him, though. Perhaps that was why the boy had decided to rush into the elevator. 

"Gordon." The tiny child nodded, more composed than an experienced business man about to conclude a deal. With the same serious attitude, he turned towards Peter and nodded again, one of his eyebrows twitching slightly, a micro expression too subtle to be spotted by the average human. "And I do not believe we have met before."

"Uh-…" He looked down at the red-haired librarian, who had a very strange expression on her face. No help would come from her. "…Peter."

"Peter." The kid, Damian, repeated. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He reached out his hand, obviously expecting the meta to shake it. His grip was deceptively strong despite his size. It felt a bit like they were coming to some sort of a business agreement, or they were world leaders meeting for the first time. Except they were just two kids introducing themselves inside of a public library elevator. Damian's voice had a slight accent behind it, barely perceptible. Was he bilingual, maybe? At that age that was impressive.

Still, Peter felt incredibly awkward talking to and shaking the hand of a child he had never met before, especially without their guardian around. At least Barbara seemed to know him, perhaps he could rely on her to save him from being accused of kidnapping.

"He's the little brother of a guy I used to date." His companion in confusion said, breaking her silence and shaking her head. "Don't mind him, he's a bit unique."

Damian's head whirled around and his previously pleasant demeanor turned frosty. The boy narrowed his eyes at Barbara and, had Peter not known better, he would have thought the kid was about to jump up and strangle her.

"Yes." The child said, with all the friendliness and enthusiasm of a brick wall. "Unique in ways you couldn't comprehend, in fact." He made a point of turning away from her after he spoke, and even managed to somewhat convincingly look like he was ignoring her. This was quite an achievement in such a cramped space.

Peter shifted his weight uncomfortably as those cold blue eyes locked onto his. Or were they green? It was hard to tell, under the weak artificial lighting. Either way, the kid did not look amused. Perhaps he had a bone to pick with him? Maybe he delivered him a cold pizza a couple days ago and that had ruined his night. 

No, that wouldn't make sense. Whoever the boy was, he did not look like he would be living in North Gotham, where Marco's operated. He couldn't quite tell what materials his clothes were made off but they looked as if they had been cut for him. Either his family was very good at picking outfits off the shelf or they had gotten them at a tailor. The only person Peter had ever known to use one of those for every day clothes had been Tony. Well, the Wakanda royals and their entourage had done the same but they were nobility! He didn't think there were nobles in Gotham but, if there were, this boy looked as if he would be one of them.

So he made a rich child mad somehow, and it didn't have anything to do with his civilian job. The only other option would be the Pits. Maybe one of his parents was a criminal and they had lost a bet when he won his fights? It seemed far fetched but his luck had been pretty terrible since he landed in Gotham, so this wasn't completely out of the question. He really didn't need some crime boss baby to get a grudge and come after him but hey, that wouldn't be the worst think to happen since he got that spider bite.

"Have we met before?" His mouth decided to ask, way ahead of his brain, which was still processing his confusion.

Damian's eyes flashed with something indecipherable but Barbara cut both of them off before the boy could get a reply in.

"Really, don't mind him." She glared at the preteen. The change of attitude was surprising, even if there was barely any heat behind her eyes. "He always says weird things that shouldn't be heard in polite company. Right, Damian?"

The preteen in question gritted his teeth, shifting his cold gaze to the redhead. Once again, he looked about to jump her and aim for the throat. The elevator's doors chose that moment to open, the mechanic ding cutting through the tension that had settled in between the three of them.

Barbara moved first, and both of the boys stepped back to let her through, Damian aiming a dark look at her back.

"Let's go," she told Peter. "I'll help you make your card."

He followed her with a nod, hoping the uncomfortable interaction would end there. Unfortunately, his luck had apparently decided today was the day he would be taken for a creep, and, against all logic and reason, the strange child decided to stick with them. He desperately looked around, trying to spot anyone who could be Damian's guardian. If he reached out to them first, they shouldn't get the wrong idea, right? Plus, Barbara and the boy knew each other. Even if they didn't seem very friendly, that had to mean something.

"Should we get him to the front desk?" He leaned forward, whispering and hoping the kid wouldn't hear him. "Find who was with him?"

"Oh, he'll find us himself." Barbara shook her head, looking exasperated. "Just ignore him for now. Don't take anything he says to heart."

"I can hear you, peasant." Damian growled, stepping up to stand in front of them, fists on his hips. "Don't act as if I'm not-"

He spluttered with outrage when the woman simply wheeled around him, not slowing down her pace and completely ignoring whatever he was about to say. Peter cleared his throat uncomfortably, trying to give the kid a smile he hoped looked friendly and not completely awkward. The boy bristled further at this, glaring so hard the meta ended up turning around and following Barbara, hoping he hadn't worsened whatever enmity was already there.

They ended up stopping at a table a few paces away from the front desk and the seemingly infinite line of Gothamites either entering or leaving the library. He could smell coffee and pastries from the louder eating area and his stomach rumbled. It was loud enough that he hoped nobody heard it, although, for a second, he thought he saw Barbara's eyes flicker towards him. Was she curious, worried or did he simply imagine it? It was hard for him to focus on reading her micro expressions, not only because she had very little of them, but also because he was starting to feel really tired. He could go longer than the regular human without sleep but he still needed it, and he also very much had to eat to keep his strength up.

He would grab something from Marco's tonight. That should be enough to make him feel better.

"Alright," Barbara told him, pulling a laptop out from under the table and typing a few words on it. "Let's get started."

He sat across from her, wondering if he should tell her he was running on a tight schedule. Surely she could get everything done in twenty minutes. He would feel terrible, having to leave all the books she helped him pick behind.

Damian stood next to the table, arms crossed and staring at Peter. The boy definitely had some kind of gripe with him, he didn't look away once and it almost looked like he wasn't blinking either. Creepy.

"Do I have to pay anything?" The teenager asked, doing his best to ignore the angry child. If he pretended he wasn't there, he would have to leave eventually.

Unfortunately, the preteen decided to reply to his question, even though it had not been directed at him.

"It is free for any Gotham citizen. Wayne Inc funds the program." He clicked his tongue, a weird tick coming from someone like him. Was he annoyed at the billion dollar corporation or did he approve? It was difficult to tell, especially when so many sounds and scents were already threatening to overwhelm Peter's brain. He needed to get some sleep. Damian kept on talking, seemingly unaware that he was intruding into a conversation that did not concern him. "You should be grateful for their generosity, not everyone is so kindhearted as to use money to better the lives of others."

Barbara rolled her eyes and Peter bit his bottom lip. This was awkward.

"That's... that's cool."

The kid nodded shortly. Apparently, his lackluster reply was enough to satisfy him.

"Library card." Barbara said suddenly, clicking and typing something on her computer. "It's free, as Damian here so kindly explained. Just need some info and I'll get you one."

"Sure, sure." He nodded vigorously. "I kinda need to get going as soon as possi-"

"Is it because you're an employee?" Damian cut in, looking up at him with a slight frown. In his mouth, the word "employee" sounded foreign. Well, he looked rich enough that he probably wouldn't have to work for anyone in his lifetime.

Peter's mouth hung open for a moment, he shook his head and closed it. "Uh... yeah. I am. Need to get to work soon."

"If you are late, we can drive you there." The boy offered, sounding completely emotionless. Under all the other smells around them, the meta thought he could detect some kind of excitement hidden away inside of the child. Oh that was most definitely a trap. He wasn't going to fall into it. He had seen enough traps for a lifetime.

"Thank you," He smiled awkwardly, "I'll be okay."

"But Father doesn't mind." Damian protested, looking very much like he believed that argument was convincing enough to change his mind. "You don't, right Father?"

"Of course not!" Someone beamed from behind Peter.

The teenager almost jumped out of his chair in shock. He had been hearing footsteps but there were so many people in the library, and the ground floor was so busy that he had not paid any attention to the noise. He kept forgetting where he was. Gotham was more dangerous than New York and letting people get close to him like this was a good way for him to get into massive trouble. Even more so now that his face was wildly known among criminals.

He turned around and ended up having to look quite a way up to meet the newcomer's eyes. With a bright smile and sparkling blue eyes, the man looked way too enthusiastic to be talking to a random teenager in the middle of an overcrowded library. He also appeared to be quite well off, wearing a long coat and a dark turtleneck which both looked like they had been commissioned specifically for him. His shoes were leather, and perfectly polished. He had to be the kid's father and, if Peter was right, he had some kind of grudge towards him. 

Damian's father didn't look the part of a dangerous crime lord, with his bright smile and his earnest eyes. He smelled odd though, a mix of expensive cologne and of something chemical. Drugs? Medication? He couldn't quite identify it.

"Ah…" He mumbled. "Uh. Thank you? I'll be alright." Remembering the kid standing right next to him, he hurriedly added: "I swear, I did not kidnap your son."

Smooth, Parker. Real smooth.

The tall man frowned, his smile faltered. If he was a criminal, he'd know him as what he truly was, and having a metahuman say that to his face couldn't be pleasant for him.

"You couldn't kidnap me." Damian informed him in a pleasant tone, patting him on shoulder. The display caused his father's eyebrows to raise even higher. Apparently, not even his parent was used to the boy's antics. 

"I wouldn't want to kidnap you." Peter cleared his throat, looking back at Barbara, whose own eyebrows were twitching in annoyance. "Do you… uh… mind? Sorry, I just. Ah. Have to go to work soon."

"No worries." The smile was back on, brighter and bigger than ever. "Do what you must."

Neither one of the two strangers moved from behind his seat. Peter felt the urge to bolt away from the situation but, instead of running, he took a long, slow breath and turned to face Barbara. He caught a glimpse of her shaking her head at the man behind him before her glare turned into an earnest smile directed at him.

So they knew each other, uh.

"Let's get started. It'll be pretty quick. I just need your full name-…"

"Peter Parker." He told her. It felt weird, he hadn't given his last name a lot recently. She wrote it down on her computer. He heard the man shift slightly behind him, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Phone number?"

"I… don't have one yet."

Barbara looked over her computer at him but, instead of asking him why, she nodded as if it was a common occurrence. For all he knew, it might be.

"Email address?"

"I uh… I also don't have one."

That was easy to fix at least. He hadn't had any reason to create one in this world, otherwise he would have made it already. He still felt his cheeks heat up as the strangers shifted behind him again. What were they thinking? They looked rich, were they judging him for how poorly put together his life was?

"Home address? You said you have an apartment now."

He thought about his neighborhood, the people he sometimes saw in the staircase and his landlady. Even if it was just for a library card, he had a feeling it wouldn't be a good idea to let anyone know about it. The place definitely did not seem to be run in a very legal manner.

"I would rather… not."

This time she did frown, although it didn't seem to be directed at him. "I do need a way to contact you, but…"

She reached down under the desk and pulled out a small pile of card, held together by a plastic cord. She slid one out and swiped it over her computer then handed it over to him.

"Temporary. Please come back with an email as soon as you can, I'm not exactly allowed to do this."

"You're not?" Peter stared down at the library card. Why would she break the rules for him? "Uh… thanks?"

"Don't mention it. But do get back soon to actually make an account."

She led him closer to the main drop off area, past the line and down to a more private, smaller counter. She politely ignoring Damian's glares aimed straight at her back. The boy's father peered curiously at the books as they were being scanned. Perfect, now he was going to think Peter had some kind of anger management problem. Oh, joy.

He smiled awkwardly at the tall man, feeling sweat creep down his back. 

Barbara ended up lending him a bag as well, made of fabric and with an ink line art of a a woman wearing an intricate dress of flowers and pearls. Despite being intent on him returning it, she still pushed it into his hands when he tried to put it back down. He ended up stuffing the borrowed books away, all under the watchful eyes of the father and son duo, which still had not left his side.

"Where to?" The adult smiled, clapping a hand on his shoulder. The palm of his hands felt rough despite the shirt in between their skins. Calluses and old scars. Unusual, for someone who seemed so well off.

"Really sir." Peter shook his head, waving at Barbara and making a beeline for the exit, hoping that would be enough to shake him off. "I'm alright."

"But you helped my son get to the front desk, didn't you? See this as a way to thank you. I truly don't mind."

If this was a trap and the guy was just pretending to want to be helpful, he was doing a very good job at it. His scent was smothered by chemicals and cologne but his face didn't show any sign of dishonesty, and he looked as eager as a puppy about to go on a walk. 

"I…"

A trap would make him late to work, but if this was a legit offer wasn't it rude to just say no? He bit his bottom lip, wishing Barbara had stayed with him until the exit. She could have helped with this, she knew the guy. According to her, she used to date his older son. He didn't really have time to head back and get her, no matter how much he wanted to.

"It's not in the best area." He said instead.

That was not enough to dissuade the guy, who was acting like a golden retriever in human form. The man's smile grew tenfold and he assured him he was not bothered at all at the idea of going into North Gotham. He added in quite a few friendly shoulder pats and a bright "Call me Bruce" while he was at it.

Notes:

B gets home and immediately starts looking into the name Peter Parker.

Peter is too polite lol.

bruce is like a B- dad in this. I'm taking off the abusive stuff he does like manipulating tim and steph, triggering Jason and punching Tim and Nightwing. He still has massive issues though. Just not the punching his kids kind.

Some of my irl trouble is getting better. This chapter took a month of writing a few hundred words at a time to get done, quality might have suffered but it's finally done!!! And I have more free time now!!