Batman: The Paradox of Shadows
Batman
Silence fills the room, void of life except for one insidious being, slouched in a metal chair. The Dark Knight emerges from the shadows, glaring at the man in the chair with spite in his eyes. The dark knight slowly walks up to the chair to find the man with a hood over his head. The dark knight shadows the man with his height, engulfing him into darkness.
Batman: I won't play your games with you. Where is he?
In a deep, scuffled voice, the mysterious man speaks up.
Mysterious Man: Here is a relative term, my dear dark knight…
Batman: I don't have time for your tricks! Where is he?!
The mysterious man remained silent, ignoring the dark knight's questions. The dark knight losses his patience and his eyes widen with anger. He then lifts the man up by his neck and kicks the chair across the room. The man chokes and tries to grab for air.
Batman: I won't ask again… where is Robin?! If you don't tell me, I will make sure you will never live to see-
Mysterious Man: See what? You think I could give a damn about your empty threats? You couldn't even harm a fly, even if it killed… your PARENTS!
For a brief second, the dark knight felt the sting of his past and thought about the death of his parents. Then all he could remember was his anger and rage how he felt when they were taken away from him. Batman began to become fueled with rage and it took over. His intuition, and unbreakable spirit had shattered into pieces.
Batman: I WILL BREAK YOUR NECK IN SEVEN DIFFERENT PLACES IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHERE ROBIN IS!
Mysterious Man: Hehehe… You're too easy bats, I've gotten you all figured out. The one mystery you just couldn't solve, oh great detective. You and me, we aren't that much different from each other. You, a self-proclaimed billionaire with nothing to loose, who dresses up like a bat and goes crawling through the night. Honestly… what made you think dressing up like a silly bat would strike fear into the hearts of your enemies? You're just a little boy who lost his mommy and daddy to some crack junkie in the street!
Batman: Arghhh! I'll kill you!
Mysterious Man: HAHA! You won't kill me. No, no, no, no, no, you see, you can't kill me… because… I Am You!
Batman: You're the Joker! A maniacal self-deprived fiend with nothing to lose.
Mysterious Man: Well gosh..haha… you know me so well, batsy! Hahahaha! Why don't you just take of this hood of mine so we can stare into each other's soul?! Then again, you'd just be looking into a mirror…careful not to break it!
Batman with confusion on his face, decides to pull the hood off of the mysterious man. As he slowly pulls the hood off, the bottom of the mysterious man's jaw is rugged, and unshaved and as the bag comes off more, the mysterious man grins manically as his face is revealed. His eyes, a bright reddish color, that glows in the darkness. As his face comes forward into the light, the resemblance of his face becomes clear to the dark knight.
Batman: It can't be… you… you're Bruce Wayne?
The mysterious man chuckles in a demonic and shallow voice.
Mysterious Man: Oh but don't you see, we're the same person, Bruce Wayne! I AM YOU!
The mysterious man then enlarges himself, turning into darkness, engulfing the dark knight in an abyss of shadows.
Batman: NO!
The dark night remains in an abyss of darkness, a never ending pit that keeps falling until what seems like an eternity, until a small voice spoke softly in his head.
Thomas Wayne: Remember why we fall, Bruce?
End of Chapter 1