{AN: Yo, I had a migraine yesterday and couldn't finish, so, this is a touch longer then usual.}
Jaime sighed as he looked at the letter on his desk. It was a simple little thing, nothing but the words To the Reyes Family on the back and a simple wax stamp of a mansion acting as a seal.
"...And you're sure no one entered?" He asked.
[Positive. There were no signs of entry and no alarms were tripped. Who ever placed this here has experience beyond what we can account for.]
There were a few people that jumped into his mind when Khaji said this, but only one he knew he had a connection to. "Batman."
He raked his fingers through his hair, sighing once again. "Well, it was a matter of time until he found me, but I really wanna know how he did it. I was cloaked every time I left end entered-Shit."
[Have you reached a possible conclusion?]
Jaime facepalmed himself. "I can't believe I almost forgot about that-Greeny told us that I emit a faint signal because of my powers, but we never tried to cloak it."
For once, Khaji seemed to be surprised by something. [That...is true. It seems our other responsibilities temporarily blinded us.]
Jaime nodded, finally picking up the letter. "While I read this, examine ways to block or dampen the signal, oh and check the room for bugs too."
[Already on it.]
Cracking open the letter, Jaime was utterly surprised by what was in it, but it actually made sense as well.
[To the Reyes Family,
We are pleased to inform you that after careful consideration, the Gotham Academy for Excellence has identified Jaime and Milagro Reyes as exceptional candidates for our Gifted Transfer Initiative. This program is designed to support students who demonstrate outstanding potential across academic, creative, and personal disciplines.
In recognition of their talents and the values your family has clearly instilled, we would like to extend a full scholarship offer to both students. This includes tuition, room and board, educational materials, and access to all campus facilities. Furthermore, Wayne Enterprises—our chief sponsor—has agreed to provide complimentary housing and living stipends for your entire immediate family, should you choose to relocate to Gotham.
Additionally, we are pleased to offer continued educational opportunities to the adult members of your household through our online learning consortium, supported by the Wayne Foundation's Continued Education Program.
We believe that with the resources and guidance available at Gotham Academy, your family will find both academic and personal growth in this new chapter. Should you wish to discuss this opportunity further, please contact our admissions office at your earliest convenience via email at [email protected].
Warm regards,Dr. Marianne WhitmoreDirector of AdmissionsGotham Academy for Excellence]
[Do you believe that this is connected to the Justice League in anyway?]
Sometimes, Jaime forgets that Khaji doesn't know the things that he does. "I don't think its a coincidence that Greeny paid me a visit just a few days before this thing shows up out of the blue."
Jaime thought it over for a while before deciding to 'lead' Khaji to a particularly important piece of meta information. "And think about it: The Justice League has to be extremely expensive in anything it does, so who better to fund them than a multi-billionaire who doesn't care in the slightest where his money goes?"
It wasn't anything ground breaking, but just this little bit could help Khaji Da get closer to the true identity of one of the founding Leaguers- Batman.
[I will investigate more in his finances and get back to you Jaime.]
"Thank you Khaji. Now wish me luck in explaining some of this to my family."
He took the stairs two at a time, letter in hand, stomach doing slow, nervous flips. This was going to be one of those conversations. Not the kind where he explains a bad grade or why he had a dent in his bike, but the kind that could change everything.
"Hey, can I talk to everyone for a sec?" he called, poking his head into the kitchen.
Milagro was already halfway through an orange soda. Nana didn't even look up from her crossword. Uncle Rudy paused mid-laptop-tinker. His mom looked up from stirring something that already smelled like heaven, and his dad clicked off the radio.
"Did you get someone pregnant?" Milagro asked immediately, like she'd been waiting for a chance to drop that question.
Jaime choked. "Wha—NO! Dios, what the hell, Milagro?!"
"Then this better be important," she said, sipping her soda and giving him a look.
"It is. I, uh..." Jaime glanced at the envelope again, then cleared his throat. "We got a letter. From Gotham Academy."
His mom frowned. "For school? You already go to school."
"No, Ma, listen—it's for Milagro and me. They're offering full scholarships, like, everything paid. Plus they'd move us to Gotham. Housing, food, even online classes for you and Dad if you wanted to keep learning while working."
That got their attention.
"Wait, what?" Uncle Rudy stood up, eyebrows raised. "All of that... for what exactly? Did you enter some contest behind our backs?"
Jaime shook his head, placing the open letter on the table. "It's part of some Gifted Transfer thing. Sponsored by Wayne Enterprises."
Pa was already skimming it, eyes narrowing with every line. "Wayne? As in Bruce Wayne?"
"Yeah. That Wayne."
His mom sat down hard. "This is... a lot. Just thrown at us like this. Why would they offer something like this to people they don't even know?"
"They probably do know us," Jaime said carefully. "Or at least me."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Nana muttered, "Well, that's ominous."
"I've been doing a little more... extracurricular stuff lately." He gave them a pointed look. "You know. The kind with armor."
"You said you weren't out there looking for trouble," his dad said slowly, voice calm but dangerous calm. "That you were being safe."
"I am being safe. I swear. I'm not throwing myself into fights—I'm patrolling. Learning. If I didn't, people would've been hurt. I can't ignore it, not when I have the power to do something about it."
There was another pause. Milagro looked between them all, then stood.
"I mean... it is kinda cool that someone noticed. You could be like Spider-Man. Or—"
"Don't say Batman," Jaime cut in.
"Wasn't gonna," she lied, and sat back down.
Uncle Rudy scratched his head. "Look, I'm not saying it's a bad deal. Free schooling, full coverage, real opportunities? That's more than most people dream of. But this kind of offer... it always comes with strings. Gotham's not exactly sunshine and rainbows."
Jaime nodded. "I know. I think they're watching me. Or testing me. Or maybe just... trying to help in their own weird, spooky billionaire way. But I wouldn't have brought this to you guys if I didn't think it was worth considering. You always told me to grab opportunities when they come, right?"
His mom stood, looking at the letter again. "We'll think about it. As a family."
"And if we say no?" Pa asked quietly.
"Then we stay," Jaime said, simply. "We're a family. I don't need Gotham if it means breaking us up."
A silence followed. Not tense—just thoughtful. The weight of change sat in the air, heavy but not suffocating.
"...So," Nana said, still chewing her dinner like none of this fazed her. "Do we get Bat-health insurance or what?"
That broke the tension like only Nana could. Jaime smiled. His mom rolled her eyes and kissed the top of his head. Uncle Rudy muttered something about encrypting their emails. And Milagro?
"Gotham, huh? Wonder if their boys are cute at all..."