After much deliberation, hesitation, meditation, and crucifixion, I have finally decided to continue the story I began with Gotham City Apocalypse.
If you haven't read that one, then you should, otherwise this won't make anywhere near as much sense. Seriously, read it.
Or don't read it. I'm not your boss.
This story features a wide range of characters from DC Comics (none of which I own) and takes inspiration from storylines including Batman: The Court Of Owls; Justice League: Cry For Justice; Superman/Batman: Public Enemies; Batman And Son; the films Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Rises; and the Batman: Arkham videogame series.
Enjoy, grasshoppers, and thank you for any and all support,
-TheGhostOfLostBoys
He was in his forties or fifties, his stocky but well-built frame barely hidden under his overcoat. It was going to rain, he could tell. He huddled close to his wife, her stark white pearls matching her white coat and white evening gown underneath. A night at the theatre was always wonderful, and they both enjoyed it, especially the opera.
He wasn't sure if the same applied to his son, who'd said more than once that he'd rather have gone to the movies than be dressed in his suit and taken to the Monarch Theatre. You just can't convince an eight year old of the artistic and cultural significance of the opera when you compare it to the raw celluloid appeal of The Mask Of Zorro.
It was definitely raining now, and the car was around the corner - the other side of the block. The raindrops slished ever so gently down to the pavement in front of them, and onto them.
"Come, we can cut through here," he said, taking his wife and child by the hands and pulling them into a dark alleyway. He could tell by the look on their faces that they thought it was one hell of a bad idea.
Trashcans were scattered and toppled over, and a few rats, their fur as black as the ace of spades, gnawed on scraps before the approching footsteps sent them skittering away. The building on either side of the three were of old brick, cracked and punished by decades of abuse by the weather, and they loomed over the three like goliaths, casting dim shadows over them.
As they kept walking, the end of the alley in sight and within reach, the light was obscured, and a dark shape emerged from the shadows. A gun emerged from the shape, pointed at her heart.
"Money, jewellery. Now."
Fear sent shockwaves through their bodies, down their spines and into the ground. The boy barely understood what was happening, but he knew he was terrified. And the man knew that unless he did something soon, the shape would take him or his family. Or all of them.
The gun cocked.
The wife tightened her grip on her husband's arm.
The boy could only stare in shock.
The husband closed his eyes.
And then the whirlwind of something cutting through the air in the alleyway broke the silence, broke the tension, and the boy felt something greater than fear: hope.
A silver batarang slammed into the gun, sending it flying out of the thug's hand and falling with a clatter to the ground. The boy turned to see where it had come from, and two great wings unfurled and flew downwards from the rooftops, hurtling towards the crook. It slammed into him, sending him to the hard ground with a dull thud as the wings fell back into position; little more than a cape.
The thug made no other sound, except a brief groan of pain, before he passed out.
"Thank you for saving us," said the wife. Their savior turned and looked at them, a flicker of a smile on his cowled face.
"You're welcome," he said. "dark alleyways tend to be dangerous at night, especially in Gotham."
They knew him. The good people of Gotham looked up to him. The criminals feared him.
Underneath the mask, he was Dick Grayson. But to them, he was the Batman.
It'd been five years since he taken up the mantle of the Bat. Five years since the death of the original bearer of the title, Bruce Wayne, along with his son, Damien, who had been known as Robin.
Five years since Rās Al Ghūl had attacked and invaded Gotham, killing off all but a few of it heroes and villains - villains who proved themselves heroes, sometimes by making the ultimate sacrifice to save the city. And now, the city was saved.
Five years on, the city was recovering, growing. The economy was on the rise, the reconstruction was ahead of schedule (thanks, in part, to the involvment of Wayne-Queen International) an the city was protected by Dick and the other heroes.
Even the Justice League was again active. Many members, including Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg, and Atom, had fallen in battle during the invasion of Gotham. But now, lead by Supergirl, the team was stronger than ever.
Gotham was safer than ever. Crime was still present, but at an all-time low thanks to the actions of Dick and his team. And Dick knew that if Bruce could see Gotham now, he'd be proud of what his family had achieved.
For the first time in a long time, he felt worthy of the cowl. he truly believed that everything was going to be alright.
In the coming days, he would know how wrong he truly was.
