ISSUE 1

Prologue:

He didn't mind the rain, but it never was very forgiving. It was June 26th. The time was 10:47 PM. On this day, every year, he would visit the place of his greatest failure, his second birthplace. To him, the cement was still painted with their blood, a blood yet to be washed from his hands. They were the grounds that shaped the man he would eventually become. Every time Bruce entered the alley, he witnessed his parent's murder again. The sounds of the gunfire, the rapid beat of his heart thumping against his rib cage, the tears knotting his throat. It was the moment he lived with every donning of the cape and cowl. The constant reminder of a once innocent child, forever gone by the sheer tragedy that found him.

The stench of the alley was just as he remembered it. It's sharp, musky, aroma carried through past the theatre that faced him. As Bruce walked down the alley, the scent of fresh urine greeted him as he felt vomit moisten his throat. He could smell the mildew engrossing the edge of most of the surrounding buildings.

He bent down on one knee and pulled out two red roses from his inner pocket and set them in the center of the alley, one over the other. "I'm sorry" he began to say. "I come here every year, and every year I let you down. It's been twenty years and I still haven't set it right." He rested his hand on the roses. It's damp, yet smooth petals mildly comforted him. But they still were just a reflection of his past. "Every time, I'm reminded of the guilt. Knowing I led you to your deaths." His head sunk. "I thought I could make a difference in a way you could be proud. So you could forgive me." His eyes swelled with rebelling tears and stung his throat. "So I could forgive myself."

His heart throbbed. The moment of his parent's murder returned to haunt him like a recurring nightmare that he couldn't control. He made a vow, one that he swore to uphold. Not for vengeance, but for justice. On his watch, he would protect Gotham from the crime that it delivered and allow those criminals to fuel his burning desire to set things right.

There was a dark presence within the alley, filling the hearts and minds of all the men inside with the essence of fear. Street lights were all around, but they barely helped purge the darkness. The six in the alley were all in their mid to late 20's. One man wore black leather with spiked bracelets across his wrists, a likely biker. Another wore tattered jeans, a brown leathered jacket with a white undershirt and a small ball-cap that covered his head. The third male wore nothing but some tattered jean shorts and a bandana around his head like he belonged to a gang. All three men held small 9mm pistols in their hands, clenching them tightly with their sweaty palms. Three of them were at the end of the alley beating a man, trying to pump him for information. The other two stood at the front.

"Man, I don't like it out here" one of the men said, tightly gripping his arms as he shivered under the breeze.

"What are you so afraid of?" asked another, looking lazily around the alley.

"He's out there man..."

"What are you talking about Johnny?"

Johnny was a young for hire, and it was his first night on the job. The only thing that scared him was fear of the unknown. He stood nervously, trying to comfort his trembling arms. "The Batman..."

"The Batman? Please. He's a myth, an urban legend."

"I don't know Doug, I've heard stories."

Doug rolled his eyes. "Maybe Dwayne and the boys should be throwing you around instead of that other guy."

"I'm serious man. My brother told me about the night he got caught. He couldn't sleep for weeks."

"That's 'cause your brother's a pussy."

"Screw you man."

Dwayne approached Doug and Johnny. "He won't talk. Phil and Matt can't get anything out of him either. I think he likes being hit" he said with a thick, African accent.

"I'll make him talk." Doug turned and walked toward the end of the alley. He drew a gun and knelt down beside his prey. Matt stood behind him. The man's face gave no fear. He leaned against the wall behind him and prepared for the attack. Doug pressed the barrel firmly against the bridge of his nose. It's chilling, rough surface pinched his skin. "This turf belongs to Black Mask." He looked in his eyes, but earned no response. "You're one of Falcone's aren't you?" Doug grew irritated at the lack of cooperation and threw his fist against the man's stomach. It sank in the soft tissue of the skin around it as the flesh fought against itself. Laughter was the only answer Doug was able to obtain. "You gonna answer me?" He struck him again. This time, he worked a smile. "Answer me!" Laughter was evoked again. "You're a crazy motherfucker aren't you?"

"You've got nothing on me" the man chuckled.

"Is that right?" Doug struck his nose with the handle of the gun. The blood was warm, yet soothing. "Next time, that will be a bullet."

A noise from above stirred the men. They were silenced as the sound was hushed.

"What was that?" Doug asked.

"I don't know. It sounded like it came from up there?" Johnny's finger was vertical with the night sky.

"No shit."

A body struck the ground.

"What the hell?"

"Dwayne?" Doug asked.

"This isn't right man. This isn't right!" Johnny panicked. Before Doug could say anything, Johnny cut him off. "The Batman must have got him. He's trying to scare us."

"Would you shut up? There's no 'Batman.' You're full of shit."

Screams echoed through the alley. They turned and saw Phil disappear into the darkness.

"What the hell is going on?" Johnny pointed behind him. Doug turned to see the origin of the disarray. Before he could get a clear view, he was sent to the ground by an unknown force. Dazed and confused, he began to get to his feet but was pushed down by a heavy thrust from above.

"The Batman" Johnny gasped.

"Waste him!" Matt ordered. Gunfire thundered as Batman vanished into the shadows. "Show yourself you sonofabitch."

Doug rose and looked around. From behind, Matt was pulled into the abyss. "Shit." He and Johnny both drew their weapons and peppered the area with rounds of fire. "Where are you?" Matt's body emerged from the shadows and struck Johnny in his chest, sending him falling to the harsh ground below. A sharp surge of raw force ran through his arm as his weapon fell from his hand to the ground. Batman emerged and delivered a brutal blow to Doug. Numbness coursed his left cheek as gravity overcame him. Within seconds Doug rose and sent one back. Batman grasped Doug's fist as it met his own and bent Doug's arm. Twisting the wrist and breaking the bone, Doug fell to his knees, clutching his wrist to shelter the pain. He reached for his gun. Batman kicked it out of reach and grabbed Doug's shirt collar. Elevating him, he thrust Doug against the brick wall and released him after impact, allowing him to fall unconsciously to the ground.

As Batman approached the two remaining men, he sensed their fear, their trembling shells, their swelling eyes, their quivering lips. He fed on it. They ran at him, he didn't move. A fist was thrown. He grabbed the man's arm and bent it far enough to fracture it. The other ran toward him and with one fluid motion he grasped his face, drew him in, and threw to the wall to his left.

He turned from his victims to a noise in the distance. Matt desperately scaled the chain-linked fence in the back of the alley. Batman pulled a bat-shaped item from his belt and threw it in the direction of the fence. The batarang pierced Matt's back. Matt unwillingly let go of the wires and fell on his spine, driving the batarang deeper in his flesh. Batman bent over Matt and his brutal blow crushed his jaw and fractured his nose. Blood colored Batman's vengeful fist as he let his prey lay on the ground. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Johnny running, one arm sheltering the other.

Johnny ran as fast as he could to escape, but the heavy rainfall made it nearly impossible to get good traction. He turned a sharp corner, nearly losing his footing, and approached another section of the dark, blind alley. His heart raced.

Water splattered under his feet as he continued to run. He nearly ran out of breath but he forced himself to continue. Johnny paid no attention to his footpath, ignoring all the dangers that laid beneath him. Neither did he look back, fearing what he'd see. Instead, he stared ahead without breaking his gaze from the obstacles in front of him. He suddenly lost traction and stepped in a deep puddle of water. His ankle cracked under the pressure and he struck the ground, spawning countless cries of anguish. He gripped his fractured ankle, trying to sooth the pain.

From above, a silhouette slammed down in a pool of water. Johnny became more terrified with every inch Batman drew closer. "Get away from me!" Batman reached for him and pinned him against the wall. A sharp snap traveled up his back. He screamed.

"Here's how it works slimeball, I have questions, and if you have answers I'll leave you alone."

"I don't know anything. This is my first night on the job, I swear. They didn't tell me anything."

"I don't believe you." His voice was edgy.

"I'm telling you the truth. Please don't hurt me."

"Try again."

"I don't know."

"Keep lying to me, and see what happens." Batman crushed Johnny's hand. He screamed. "Tell me what I want to know, and I'll at least let you walk."

"Ok, okay."

"That man, the one you were beating. Who was he?"

Johnny took a deep breath. "His name is Jack White. He's an informant for Carmine Falcone."

"Why were you attacking him?"

"He was trying to get dirt on the Black Mask."

"I need more than that."

"Black Mask doesn't enjoy Falcone sending his boys to his turf. We were just taking orders. That's all I know, I swear."

As he fed on the fear in Johnny's eyes, he knew his interrogation was over. Batman held Johnny against the edge of the dumpster. Inside were moldy, rotten scraps of once desirable foods, and mushy, lumpy, bags of old garbage that should have been thrown out weeks earlier. It seemed like the perfect place to dispose of such a waste of a human being. Batman knocked him and out and tossed him in. As he fell on the bags of garbage, the lid slammed shut, leaving only his legs visible from the exterior of the dumpster.

Batman returned to the other side of the alley and looked for Jack White. As he scanned the area, he realized he had disappeared.