The Sound Within the Silence

by Fae 206

[Modern Day AR] Everything was going well for newly engaged Kirk Langstrom until he went too far in his experiments and became the subject of his own work. When a corrupt corporation is developed in Gotham, Kirk needs to rely on his psychology as both man and bat to become the hero the dark knight can't. Fortunately, he has never really been alone in his trauma. 100% Manbat Focused

1. Prologue

Author Note: I wanted to first of all say that I'm really just a beginner of the Batman comics. I love the animated series and have seen the movies of the 90s and 2010s but as far as comics go I've only read some of the Dini ones, some new 52 ones, the first of rebirth, and then some mixed comics. However, after reading the Arkham Asylum 'Manbat' volume, I got really interested in writing this AU so I hope you forgive my clumsiness and I hope even more that you enjoy it.

This is AU but incorporates many -not all- canon facts.

The Sound Within the Silence

Prologue

Kirk smiled as he looked back at the empty field where the graduation ceremony had just taken place. He, the 'bat boy', was going to start his work soon. He was excited to tell the truth, he had been offered a position as an intern at the Gotham Natural History Museum within the department that researched nocturnal animals. It was an ideal fit for him.

He, Robert Kirkland Langstrom, was going to be able to study that which interested him most. Bats. He smiled to himself, maybe it was the way he always remembered the bats saving him as a child, but the power that came from believing he could pay back that debt. It was impossible to pay it back in full, but if he could gain more protection for the winged creatures it would be worth it.

He knew he had to leave, step away from what showed as the past. This kind of study was part of his youthful development, the growth that made him who he was now. It wasn't a world he belonged to anymore, but he would soon step into a new world and hopefully that would be a world without worries.

Feeling the wind at his back, he grinned to himself. With the breeze pushing him like this, it was almost as if he had wings that could fly and soar through the sky. The bats did that a lot, the rush of them lifting their wings and deciding with their own voices where to go. Sonar. It was a poor thing that the general population of neither Chicago nor Gotham had this sonar. Imagine all of the lives that could be changed for the better.

Maybe he was wrong in his belief in the bats, belief that they were a part of him. After all, bats weren't that popular, it would be a shame if such noble creatures became a fad, a gimmick.

He had to have more faith in his work and more protection over them.

After all, when he had been a boy, even if just for a short time, the bats had been his family.