Breaking Good With Edward Nashton

1. waltuh... putcha riddlebat away waltuh

Let's get one thing straight.

Edward Nashton and Bruce Wayne hate each other.

They've hated each other for who long, but Edward is pretty sure he's hated Bruce since he set eyes on him.

Okay, that isn't true- Edward was a massive fan when he was younger. He was always daydreaming of being best friends with Bruce Wayne, of Bruce Wayne saying, "Hey! Why not move in with me in my massive mansion! You can be my sister!"- but that wasn't just about Bruce himself.
It was simply a coping mechanism for Ella, as he used to be called, to escape from the dank, dirty reality of being an orphan and escape to a dream world where no babies died of cold every winter and everyone always had enough to eat and enough blankets to warm themselves with in bed.
But alas, that was simply a dream world. Something unreachable.

He had been a huge fan of Bruce and had worked out this speech to tell him if they ever ran into each other. The speech was about how Bruce and his parents were billionaires, so why wouldn't they pay for everyone to have food and nice beds? They had the money for it, right? They should do that!
Everyone would be happy!

Oh, his close minded, younger self.

And when Sister Maria had told them that the orphanage's choir members- which Ella was one of- were going to perform for the Waynes, his happiness was immeasurable. He believed, just for a day, that he was going to escape the orphanage and have nice things and the lovely Waynes would pay for it all.
That he'd never have to hear the screams and cries of dying babies ever again.

He'll never forget being a scrawny 11 year old girl with aviator glasses and a stare that could pierce your heart with one gaze, looking at 10 year old Bruce Wayne as 'she' sung in the choir just for the spoiled Wayne family. And... and Bruce had looked back. Just for a second. And he'd smirked.

Bruce Wayne had smirked at Ella Nashton.

Edward will never forget that. That was when his burning rage towards Bruce Wayne had started, and now that he personally knows the guy, Bruce himself has been adding kindling to that raging fire of hate. He swears that Bruce is doing this on purpose or something.

But the last nail in the coffin of Edward's undying hatred for Bruce Wayne was after the performance, when 'Ella' had rushed after the Waynes, ignoring the, "Get back here!" from Sister Madeline, speech at the ready. Bruce's mother had glanced at 'her', upper lip curled at the mere prospect of a poor person talking to her or her family, and turned towards the limo a few feet away.

"Wait!" Ella had said. "Wait, please!"
Bruce had glanced back at the kid following them, but his mother had said, "No, we shall not," in her prim, proper accent, then put a hand on the back of Bruce and Bruce's father's backs, escorting them to the limo. Bruce had stared at 'Ella', his facial expression unreadable, until he was gently forced into the car.

He'd just stared. There hadn't been any, "No, Mother, I want to talk to her," or anything. He'd just stared, like Edward had been a particularly interesting exhibition at the zoo. Roll up, roll up, come one and come all to see the dirty, poor eleven year old girl! Point and laugh at her! Or, if you're Bruce Wayne, simply stare at her and do fuck all.

Yeah, so Edward has harbored hatred for Bruce Wayne for nearly seven years. Seven years. That's how much he hates this rich, spoiled kid. Edward had been beyond happiness a few months after the choir incident when Bruce's parents were murdered.
Would have liked the rest of the family to go as well, but you can't always get what you want.

Now Edward knows Bruce personally, though...

His steadily burning hatred had started as a candle, always there but hardly noticeable, and has ended up as a blazing bonfire. Complete with Guy Fawkes replica.