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Alfred Pennyworth is immortal.
It's a running joke, really.
And it helps. It really does. Because Alfred is a constant, and the thought of losing him is a terrifying thing, isn't it?
Alfred Pennyworth is immortal.
It's a running joke, really.
When Bruce's hairs start going grey. When his bones ache just a little more than they normally do. Alfred's still there. And so they laugh over it, just a little. They joke that he's going to outlive them.
Alfred Pennyworth is immortal.
Isn't that a good thing, this little joke?
He's got contingencies, after all. Preparations. So the family can take care of themselves when he's gone. Notes and books. Reminders. He worries, after all. What they'll do when he's gone.
Alfred Pennyworth is immortal.
Isn't that a good thing?
Generations after generations of Waynes. And he'll be there. To watch over the children. To be a steady constant.
Alfred Pennyworth is immortal.
But Bruce Wayne is not.
What does it mean to outgrow your young charge? To watch him go into danger. To watch him don a suit and fight.
No parent should watch their child die of old age.
But you do anyway.
Alfred Pennyworth is immortal.
But none of his children are.