Chapter 2, up as fast as lightning! I believe a "whoo!" is in order. No? Darn…
Disclaimer: Is this even necessary?
Beatrix had taken Mr. Jones up on his offer to investigate the doings of the copycat Phantom and help recruit the new league. With her daughter safe at the headquarters, she hefted her up her travel bag, which was full of such useful items as a Katana, a dagger, several throwing stars, a nine-millimeter, and a fully stocked cosmetics case.
She strode out of her house, walking up to…well, she wasn't sure what it was.
"What the hell is that?" she asked in her matter-of-fact way.
Mr. Jones stood beside their mode of transportation. "It's called an automobile."
Beatrix rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I figured, what kind though?"
"A very old and reliable one."
It was a squat, elongated white car that looked more than a hundred years old…mainly because it was.
Beatrix stared doubtfully at it.
"She's more than she appears," added Mr. Jones. "Why don't you look inside?"
Beatrix opened the door and found the latest top of the line GPS, as well as seven fancy looking cell phones jacked in to the dashboard. The seats were plush leather and somehow it seemed bigger on the inside than it appeared on the outside.
Mr. Jones allowed himself a rare smile. "It has a V8 engine, concealed mounted guns, and an I-pod jack."
"Wow…"
He motioned to the front passenger seat. "Shall we?"
"Where are we going?" she asked as they got underway.
"Quite far," Jones replied. "To New York, a place called Gotham City."
He handed her the profile of their target and she browsed through it. It was a man in his early thirties. All the newspaper clippings about him told the story of a rich, orphaned playboy who drove exotic cars, dated exotic women, and drank more than a little exotic alcohol. But the information that the "agency" had found knew this to be a façade, a mask for a dark, brooding man who took justice to the streets of his crime-riddled city under the guise of a giant bat!
Great, my first teammate's a crazy gazillionare with a rubber fetish…just great.
The Bride soon fell asleep as Mr. Jones speeded down highways, taking various shortcuts and little-known by-ways. After a monotonous four days of travel, they finally reached New York State.
Beatrix stared up at the skyscrapers that seemed to pierce the heavens, unimpressed.
Give me Japan any day.
They drove on in bumper-to-bumper traffic; the car getting many odd looks. A monorail encircled the city of Gotham, the hub a giant tower reading "Wayne Enterprises". Mr. Jones motioned to it.
"That's our man."
Sometime later, they had made it to the Wayne mansion, which appeared to be in a state of partial reconstruction. Mr. Jones rang the doorbell and was almost immediately greeted by an old man who managed to look more polite and formal than Mr. Jones himself.
"How may I be of service to you?" he asked in a thick English accent.
"We're looking Mr. Bruce Wayne, is he currently at home?" apparently it was a manners and pomposity contest.
"For what purpose do wish to see him? He's a very busy man," the butler shot back, twice as icy and polite.
Beatrix watched Jones, curious to how he would respond.
"It is a matter of utmost importance, I assure you. We have need for his alter-ego, the Batman."
Mr. Jones won. The butler froze for several seconds before recovering. "Right this way, please."
Beatrix had automatically dismissed Wayne as a nutty wannabe superhero, but when she saw him, she had to admit, she liked him, no matter how much she didn't want to.
He was on the floor doing some impressive push-ups, a suit of samurai armor hung on the wall, and his chest was severely bandaged.
Well whaddya know, he just might be the real deal.
Bruce hopped up and stared at the strangers: a mousy man and a dangerous looking woman.
"Yes?"
Alfred shrugged hopelessly. "They know sir."
After a night battling a new weirdo calling himself the Riddler, Bruce was too tired and too bruised to be upset.
"All right, what do you want?"
The man stepped forward. "My name is Mr. Jones, and the world needs your help."
A good deal of explaining later, Bruce rubbed his eyes tiredly. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep in who knows how long, eventually lost another smart-assed villain and was now being told that he had to go stop World War Three with a woman who looked like she could bench-press him.
"I'm sorry," he replied. "But I can't leave Gotham for alone for so long. We're on the cusp of recovery, but if Batman were to disappear, I'd lose all the ground I've managed to gain."
"But much more than a city is at stake here, Mr. Wayne. We're talking about the entire planet!"
Well that just makes it so much easier, thanks!
Keeping his emotions well beneath the surface, the Dark Knight turned to his most trusted friend.
"Alfred, what do you think?"
The old butler shrugged. "I'm not the one they're asking to go. But I think this is something for the greater good, I think it's something your father would've done."
My father…Bruce took a deep breath and sighed it out slowly. "I'll do it."
They waited outside while Bruce packed his things. He stared at the Bat costume, torn on whether or not to bring it. It was definitely useful, but he couldn't wear it all the time. Eventually he'd have to take it off and the other people Mr. Jones had spoke about recruiting would know his secret identity as well.
Ah well, if they're anything like me they'll have their own secrets to worry about.
He carefully packed up the Bat suit and dragged his bags to the front door where Alfred was waiting. The old Englishman grinned.
"I'll keep the home fires burning."
"Consider it a brief vacation from me," joked Bruce.
"Could I maybe take the Rolls out for a drive then, Master Wayne?"
"As long as you bring it back with a full tank."
They hugged and Bruce hefted his stuff out to the strange car that served as transport for the newly forming league.
He and Beatrix stared each other down for a long moment, knowing that they were looking at someone who was their fighting equal. Beatrix made the first move.
"Millionaire Bruce Wayne, I've heard of you. Didn't you burn your house down on your birthday?"
"Actually that was the leader of the League of Shadows, Ra's Al Ghul. I don't know anything about you, but I had heard of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad."
Beatrix held out her hand. "Former Miss Black Mamba, at your service."
Bruce shook it firmly. "Batman, pleasure to meet you."
That's all for now! Things are going to speed up a bit, and I got a good twist coming up too. But first, brief note: obviously, this batman is from Batman Begins universe. Oh and Batman and the Bride are NOT going to fall in love, in case you were wondering. God no, neither of their characters could do that. But they respect each other as warriors. Just in case anyone was confused on that point. Rambling is now over and see you next chapter!
