AN: This story evolved out of a wish to make Batman more 'Batman'. Some stories don't make him 'Batman' enough, so suffice to say, I decided to write a piece on the Goddamn Batman. Some inspiration from the All-Star series (never knew why people didn't like the Batman there… I like him better as a sadist)
Note that Batman is early in his career.
The dark figure stood atop the summit of the tallest building in Gotham, eyes searching the streets for a sign. He was hoping the criminals gathered enough courage to come out tonight, because he was getting bored, and if there was one thing he hated, it was being bored.
Behind him was lit the trademark symbol of Wayne Enterprises, a huge 'W' that shone radiantly out into the night, battling for dominance with the encroaching darkness of night; Batman wondered for a moment whether his father would be proud, seeing his son dressed in an outlandish costume and preying upon nightly criminal activities. Draped in a long, thick cape and crowned with two jutting appendages upon his head, the Batman finally found what he was looking for; curling his lips upward into a caricature of a grin he leapt off the building and spread his cape out behind him in one swift motion.
Finally they come. I was beginning to think I was having an effect on them.
The Batman swooped down in a precarious nosedive, losing himself in the rush of air and the buffeting winds; he aimed himself at an obscure alley, one amongst many that branched out from the dirty, littered streets of the city.
It's almost as if Gotham was built to hide criminals. Batman thought mirthlessly.
As a cement roof rushed up to meet his face, the Batman allowed his cape to balloon out behind him, curbing his daredevil descent and cushioning his impact.
Booted feet met the hard surface as the Batman landed, and he crept up to the edge of the roof, silently observing the drama unfold beneath him; muscles tensed and slitted eyes narrowed as he readied himself for combat.
"... C'mon, take the money from him! We never know when the Batman will appear..."
Batman's eyebrows arched behind his cowl. Evidently, his reputation had preceded him.
The man who had uttered the warning was a short pudgy man. The kind who would betray his accomplices to save his own skin. Batman mused. The man's eyes darted all around, and it was obvious that he was positively dreading the Dark Knight's appearance.
If it had been another day, the Batman might have counted the exact number of thugs he would battle. He would have patiently observed his enemies, silently making backup plans for any possible occurrence, no matter that such fodder did not have the slightest chance of injuring him.
Not today, however. Batman was not in the mood for such precise calculation; tonight he only felt the urge to submerge himself in violence, and had no wish to diminish his pleasure. A scuffle broke out between the petty thieves, no doubt due in part to the pudgy man's cowardly emission, and Batman wondered whether they might end up doing his work for him.
Batman silently dropped down to ground level, facing his targets stoically. The group of men were an assortment of low lives, arguing pitifully in front of the cowering old man they had sought to mug. Walking up to the group, he put one gloved hand upon a particularly tall and muscular male who was in the middle of a tirade directed at his partners.
"… Shut up, Joe! I let you come out tonight, so don't go chickening out on me here; we just get the wallet and scram! He'll never find–" He never quite finished his sentence, because the next minute, he was clutching at his face and screaming in agony.
Batman exploded into a flurry of movement, smashing his fist into the downed man's face then snapping his elbow out in a head strike that knocked another out cold. With deadly accuracy, he let fly his fists upon the remaining men, flooring them with debilitating groin-strikes and liver-shots.
Within seconds the alley was silent, and Batman snorted derisively, disappointed that he had not been afforded more resistance. Giving the cringing old man a withering glare that sent him running, Batman began the task of slowly trussing up the unconscious would-be criminals… before he halted.
Another grin passed over the Dark Knight's features, although any who witnessed it might have likened it closer to a grimace; it was a quiet night, so perhaps he could have some fun…
When I regained my senses, I could see nothing but an infinite blackness. Immediately, I panicked and struggled with all my might.
Something bound my arms and legs, and I couldn't move them, nor was I able to talk; forcing myself to calm down, I tried to remember my name…
Yes, my name was Joseph, and I work as a truck driver at… the Gotham Pier. I tried to recall more of what happened, but the pounding in my head made that nigh impossible.
Stilling myself, I became aware that I was in a particularly windy place, and not for the first time I wondered what I could have done to end up like this.
I was promptly jolted out of my reverie when my ears picked up a guttural voice. It took a moment before I recognised the words that were growled out.
"So you're awake."
I felt something being removed from my mouth, and then I found that I could speak again. I tried to keep myself calm, but anybody could have picked up the fearful quiver of my voice. "W-who are you! Oh god… I can't see anything! Am I blind?"
"Quiet maggot! I will give you back your sight."
I felt the pressure lift from my forehead, but was not even slightly relieved to see that it had been my captor that was covering my eyes.
I admit I was a little scared at the time.
"Hey dude, what are you- AAAAAAAHHHH!"
The Batman laughed. It was a horrible grating sound, guttural in its utterance and unpleasant to hear. With a single gloved hand he held the short pudgy man over the edge of the roof, cackling amusedly at the high-pitched scream emitted by his victim.
"You broke the law. I shall break you in return." Batman growled.
The man struggled futilely against the nylon ropes that bound him, catching his breath as he tried to catch a glimpse of his tormentor.
Batman frowned. His victim wasn't showing enough fear. Letting his grip slacken, he allowed the man to drop straight down from the top of the Wayne Enterprises tower.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Batman chortled in amusement once again, shooting his grappling hook down to catch the falling man. The line went taut, and the criminal's descent was halted; nevertheless the screaming continued, and Batman basked in the cacophonous chorus.
Slowly, he hefted the man back up to the roof and looked him in his eye. Batman was pleased to see an all-encompassing fear in his eyes. "You injured an innocent man for money. Now you shall pay."
A look of abstract horror marred the man's features, but he managed to stutter out, "N-n-no… Please… no more… w-w-why…"
Batman frowned; the man could still talk. Reaching down into his utility belt, he took out a gas canister, one filled with the infamous 'fear-gas' that a recent nemesis, Scarecrow, employed. Batman had been fascinated at the ingenious hallucination-inducing gas, and had decided to synthesise its compounds for use against his own foes.
In his hands was an upgraded version of the fear-toxin, one that was more potent, and far faster-acting than Scarecrow's own invention.
Growling deeply, Batman emptied the entire canister in his victim's face, deeply excited at the ensuing effects.
The man coughed and spit, and for a moment the Dark Knight wondered if his weapon had worked… until the screaming started anew. The man's eyes widened and he hyperventilated, crying his throat hoarse as he battled with a vision of an immensely huge bat eating him alive.
Batman laughed in delight and threw the man on to the floor, laying into him with hard punches to his face. The pain only heightened the man's fear, and he choked on his own spit, vomiting all over the floor.
"Your fear!" Batman laughed. Then he looked down at the screaming man, and for a moment remembered that same cowardly look upon the murderer that started it all. The murderer who had killed his only parents, the murderer that had shot out of fear, the murderer that had-
"Your fear!" Batman roared again, this time seething with menacing anger. Clenching his fist, he broke the man's nose and dislocated his shoulder, before he was brought back to reality by the wail of police sirens.
More people to punish… more fear to spread.
Batman shouldered the wailing mugger, planning to drop him off on his way to the next crime scene.
Dammit Selina, this is not a good time to get caught!
Dressed in tights and getting caught by half of Gotham's police force was not what Catwoman had in mind when she went for a relaxing stroll. All she wanted to do was to get that goddamn diamond, and get out of the damned museum before anybody had the chance to smoke her out.
Unfortunately for her, security had been a little tighter than she had expected. Proximity sensors had responded to her presence by alerting the entire city with an impossibly loud alarm, and Catwoman was currently snaking her way through the vents in an effort to get out of the trap she had inadvertently set for herself.
Damn… this is tight. But I'm almost there…
"…and you, my little baby," Catwoman cooed, taking out the diamond she had so painstakingly snatched to marvel at its qualities. "You'll soon see the light…"
Catwoman grunted as the walls to her sides became narrower as she progressed; it would not do to get stuck just when she was making good her escape.
After what seemed like an eternity in the dank, dusty confines of the ventilation system, Catwoman heaved a sigh of relief as she slipped out by the back of the museum. She could already hear the police dogs barking and the loudspeakers screeching at the disappearance of the treasure… her treasure.
Looks like it all worked out in the end.
Smirking to herself, Catwoman scaled the adjacent brick wall with ease, making her way to the opposite rooftop leisurely.
"A woman."
The utterance made Catwoman jump, and for a moment wondered whether her senses were playing a trick upon her. She looked around frantically, but could see no sign of another soul.
Slapping herself lightly, Catwoman chuckled nervously. "Come now, Selina. Have some faith in yourself; nobody's ever caught you before. It's not like the Batman will come or anything."
Catwoman had heard stories about the Batman, but she knew it was all a load of bull. After all, she doubted anybody had the aptitude to 'crush cars with his bare hands' or 'fly like a bat'. It was simply a superstition, and she wasn't about to spend any time mulling over the existence of a Batman.
Deciding not to test her luck, the 'professional' thief crept away stealthily.
Not like he can see me any-
Catwoman bumped into a solid object, causing her to lose her footing and stumble to the ground. She quickly got to her feet eyes open and alert. In front of her stood perhaps the most ridiculously dressed man she had ever seen.
He happened to be dressed like a bat.
He stood there, stock-still, as though he were a statue; the uncomfortable silence lengthened, and Catwoman weighed her options.
Hopefully, he's just some kook that gets off of wearing a bat-suit. I could risk kicking him in the nuts… or I could make a run for it – he's unlikely to be able to catch me.
Catwoman chuckled softly. Deepening her voice into a sultry purr, the thief slinked closer to the masked man, "Hey big man… what are you doing up… HERE!"
Raising her voice slightly, Catwoman aimed a swift kick at the man's groin, feeling it impact with satisfying force.
Only it evidently hurt her shin more than the man before her.
What does he wear… a groin guard?
"Fuck! Who the hell are you…?" Catwoman cursed, feeling her heart rate rising.
"I'm the Goddamn Batman." Was all he answered before the hardest fist she ever felt planted itself in her face.
AN: Please review! Just a warning though, updates might not be regular.
I really appreciate your time!