Batman: Children of the Night
By: Scott Free
braveandthebold@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: DC Comics and Time/Warner own all the characters; this is an original story that does not intend to infringe on their copyright. No profit has been gained through the use of these characters.
Batman created by Bob Kane.
Chapter One – Hunter and Prey
Thomas and Martha Wayne walked out of the old movie theatre hand in hand. Their son, Bruce, playfully ran ahead. Thomas smiled as he looked down at the nine-year old boy.
He made his son happy.
As most young boys are wont to do, Bruce had gone through a series of hobbies/obsessions. His previous hobby had been dinosaurs. Now, he was knee-deep in 1930s monster movies. Thomas hated the damned things himself. That's why he had held off for so long before he let Bruce drag them to the old theatre.
But, the boy was happy. All of Thomas' hatred for Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff washed away with a fatherly smile.
He made his son happy.
"God, Dad that was so cool!" Bruce repeated several times as he ran further ahead. Suddenly, Bruce abruptly stopped about twenty feet ahead of Thomas and Martha. He slowly walked back in fear.
"Bruce?" called Thomas. "Are you okay, son?"
Red eyes shone through the black night. Thomas released his wife's hand and walked several feet ahead to his son's side.
"Bruce." said Thomas, growing concerned. "I want you to walk over to your mother and stand beside her." Bruce obeyed and slowly walked backward, his eyes never breaking contact with the seemingly disembodied glowing eyes. Thomas stood erect and faced the strange, red eyes.
"You're one of them, aren't you?" said Thomas. "He told me about your kind. What do you want with my family?"
Out of the fog, the mysterious figure stepped forward, eyes still glowing. He began to chuckle.
"Little doctor, I want nothing," replied the stranger. "But my master, on the other hand, wants to punish the Hunter." Calmly, and quickly, the stranger grabbed Thomas Wayne by the neck and lifted him a full foot in the air. In the background, Martha fell backward and fainted. "And you, Doctor Wayne, have the Hunter's stench surrounding you."
With a sharpened fingernail, the stranger ripped open Dr. Wayne's jugular, and sunk his teeth into the torn vein. Still clutching his unconscious mother's hand, Bruce's eyes grew wide in fear. His breathing became shallow and he began to tremble, but the nine-year-old boy was too afraid to scream.
Blood dripping down his chin, the beast looked up to the marquee atop the nearby theatre. The demonic force before Bruce began to laugh.
"I have to admire your taste in movies, kid. Lugosi was certainly a master. Too bad he was a drug addict. One can only imagine how well he could have done if he weren't hooked on coke…"
The demon walked towards Bruce. The young boy inched backward, terrified. The beast reached down and grabbed Martha Wayne by the neck.
"Tell me, kid, do you really like monster movies?" The stranger then plunged his sharpened nails through her sternum and promptly removed her heart. Like an apple he plucked from the tree, he hungrily pulled it to his lips.
"Well," continued the monster as he chewed on her heart. "I hate to sound cliché, but you're in one."
Bruce, still clutching his mother's hand, began to convulse in fear. The beast wiped the blood from his chin and began to approach Bruce. "I've been ordered to send the Hunter to hell, too, so be sure to give him my regards."
The creature grabbed Bruce by the neck and raised him up in the air. Bruce trembled as the sharpened fingernail began to pierce his skin. His eyes widened and then, suddenly, a silver-colored spike shot through the demon's chest. The now lifeless body dropped to the ground, taking Bruce with him.
Clothed in all black, a new mystery figure appeared from behind the demon. Tears in his eyes, he knelt down beside the boy. "I never meant for this to happen, you know. I'm so sorry that they murdered your parents to get to me."
"I am the Hunter," he said, removing his mask.
The boy shuddered. A single tear escaped from his eyes. Having finally seen a familiar, friendly face, Bruce's breathing relaxed.
"Alfred?"