Batman: Raiders of the Tree of Life
Chapter 1: One Night on the Rooftop
Billionaire Bruce Wayne casually mingled with his guests atop the roof if the famous Wayne Enterprises building. The heated summer air had cooled off for the night leaving a pleasantly cool breeze to blow over the gathering. The sky above Gotham City was a cloudless black freckled with shining stars. The rooftop itself was well lit and decorated with colorful Chinese lanterns. Extravagant tables of food had been set out and the party goers moved from one to the next chatting about things that honestly did interest Bruce in the slightest. To him, these parties were a bore.
He sighed on the inside. If his oldest son Dick Grayson were only here, this party might actually be entertaining. Dick had a way of making the most boring party into something people wanted to talk about later. When he was little, Dick had behaved himself; but as he got older, all bets were off. From the stunt with the Roman candles in Bruce's birthday cake at the office to the piƱata shaped like Batman, Dick had a talent for making things interesting. Bruce clearly remembered Dick and Wally West (aka. Kid Flash) starting a guerrilla warfare battle shooting ice-cubes at each other for the entirety of the Wayne Foundation Christmas party four years ago. At the time, Bruce had been annoyed. But now, he would do anything for a little of Dick's shenanigans.
At least Tim Drake was there. Although not as entertaining at a party as Dick, Tim could carry on an intelligent conversation about anything. The boy had a sharp wit and a little of Alfred's dry British humor. It made him a wonderful companion in any circumstance. Tired of standing alone or talking about business, Bruce began to make his way over to Tim. He turned when he felt a hand on his arm. Looking back, he saw Barron Burkhalter.
"Mr. Wayne, may I have a word with you in private?" inquired the old Barron.
"Certainly," Bruce answered, "shall we step into my office?" Bruce guided the Barron down the stairs to a penthouse office on the eighty-first floor. "What can I do for you?" he asked slipping behind his desk.
The Barron seated himself across from Bruce and regarded him for a moment before answering. "Have you ever heard of the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life?"
"Sure," said Bruce, "in the Bible, the Tree of Life grants eternal life while the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil brings death. Its' a Sunday school story. I have to tell you though, if you're here to save my soul, the door is that way. I don't believe in that stuff."
"But what if it's real and we can find it?" asked the Barron speculatively. "Think about it; we live in a world where people like Doctor Fate, Zatanna, and even the Flash can open portholes to other universes, other realities, and alternate dimensions. Superman and Supergirl came from a planet beyond our galaxy. The lost city of Atlantis hides beneath the waves, but it's real and ruled by a member of the Justice League. If all of this can be real, why not the Garden of Eden? It may yet exist in another dimension."
"Very interesting, but why are you bringing this up?" asked Bruce.
"I want you to help me find the legendary Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life. To an old dying man, this means the world."
Bruce smiled politely and skeptically. "What makes you think I can help you with that? You already have the money necessary to fund such an expedition if you so choose."
"I need the best detective in the world. I want you to help me because I know who you are and what you are. Batman. You're the perfect person for the job."
Bruce felt his heart skip a beat, but time and training allowed him to keep his face neutral. He didn't so much as bat an eyelash. "What makes you think I'm Batman?" He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers in front of him like a man who held all the aces.
"I spent years watching you, studying you, setting up missions for you. How could I not know who you are? I have dedicated my life to finding the Tree of Life and Batman fit into my plan perfectly." The Barron pushed a little leather-bound notebook towards Bruce. "This has everything you need to start looking."
"Even if I was Batman, what makes you think I would help you?"
The Barron gave Bruce a wicked smile. "Because, young man, I have all the aces in this deck. I can reveal your identity to the world and end Batman's crusade once and for all. I would, of course, take no pleasure in doing so. But I warn you, do not get in the way of fulfilling my life's quest."
"Supposing I silence you?" said Bruce evenly. His Batman voice crept out, low and sinister and cold.
"What makes you so sure you can? I can play on the same level as Ra's al Ghul. Well, not physically, but my organization has a vast reach. And I'm sure you want to protect your remaining little orphans. What are their names again? Ah yes, Dick Grayson and Tim Drake. Would you really want to fail them?"
Bruce rose to his feet. "If you touch them, there is no place on this earth that you can go I won't find you and turn your miserable life into a living hell," he snarled.
"Think about it Bruce," said the Barron getting up, "do what's best for your boys. Don't tell me I can't blackmail Batman. I already did. I'm not asking you to kill anyone or bring me some earth destroying weapon. All I want is to see the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life with my own eyes." He held the notebook out to Bruce again. "Don't tell me you aren't curious. If we find it, you can keep your boys safe. Unlike the Lazarus Pit, the Tree of Life doesn't heave evil side effects. Just think, you won't ever lose them like you did Jason Todd."
Bruce snatched the notebook from Barron Burkhalter angrily. "I'll consider it. But for now; get out of my building." He watched the Barron turn and walk through the door to the elevator. The nerve of anyone to threaten the boys galled him. Once the Barron was gone, he sat down at the desk again and began flipping through the pages of the notebook. In his heart, he knew he would help the Barron on his quest for the lost Tree of Life. Despite his resolve, the old man had peaked his curiosity. After a few minutes of looking at the book, he set it on his desk and pulled open the bottom left drawer.
Inside the drawer were two picture frames that had once rested on his office desk. He had laid them face down at the bottom of his desk, buried under papers, more than a year ago. Bruce lined them up with the picture already in front of him. His eyes roamed from the picture of Tim to the pictures of Dick and Jason that he had buried alongside memory lane. When he could hardly look at the picture of Jason any more, he turned it face down on the desk.
Just think, you'll never have to lose them like you lost Jason Todd. The voice still rung in his head like a promise. It was this promise that had peaked his curiosity. The nerve of anyone to threaten the boys galled him. He had failed Jason. Staring at the picture of Dick, he felt his heart catch. He felt like he had already lost Dick in another way. But that didn't mean Bruce was ready to throw in the proverbial towel.
Rising again from the desk, he returned to the party. Tim was standing at the door leading to the stairs with his arms folded across his chest. "What did the old man want?" he asked.
For a moment, Bruce cursed Tim's powers of observation. The boy had seen the Barron approach him and knew something was up. "Not this time Tim," he said. He patted his suit jacket where he had pocketed the little notebook. "You need to stay out of this for your own protection."
"Yeah, right," said Tim rolling his eyes and falling into step behind Bruce as the older man ambled over to the punch bowl. "You'll let me in on it when the time is right won't you?"
"When the time is right," Bruce echoed. He poured himself a glass of punch and one for Tim. "In the meantime, let's enjoy the party and each other's company, shall we?" Bruce raised his glass and hit it lightly against Tim's.
After they had each taken a sip of their punch, Tim said, "I wish Dick were here dancing on the table with a lampshade on his head again. This party is a bore." Bruce smiled. He agreed, the party was a total bore.
Author's Note:
Although it speculates on the legendary Garden of Eden and the Tree of life, this is not in any way a religious piece of writing. However, if you are hostile to any Christian themes, please don't read. I have a love of Indiana Jones and a fascination for ancient landmarks and artifacts. Some may be interested in the Lost City of Atlantis or the Pyramids of Egypt or the Seven Wonders of the World. However, I have always been interested in Biblical, Jewish, or Christian artifacts like Noah's lost arch. Although this story is pure fiction, I have done research for this story to make it as plausible as possible.
