Sorry this one isn't as long you guys. Thought I would make something for Alfred as well, considering I did one for Matthew.

Also, with this whole hunt-ban thing going on, I really hope some of my favorites make it through and survive... really... I think I will have to start haunting LJ, and Tumblr...


Alfred had enough of Matthew constantly beating him up with that hockey stick of his. It was time to get something to fight back with. Wandering around a nearby town, Alfred started to look into different stores seeing if there was anything that could be used to hurt someone. Clothes stores, bakeries, super markets. Nothing. Ah, well, since he was here he might as well go into that comic store he passed a while back.

The bell above the door rang as he walked into the store, the clerk behind the counter looked up before going back to the comic he was reading before Alfred came in. Walking over to the stand of comics, Alfred picked up the newest edition of his favourite comic. Opening to a random page he started to skim through, flipping the page occasionally till he spotted something. There, in the background, was a boy with a baseball bat. Well... that could work. Matthew had a hockey stick, why couldn't he have a bat?

Rolling the comic book up he placed it inside his jacket and walked out of the store. Alright, time to find that bat.

Making his way down the street once again, he started to look for a sport shop. Seeing one a couple of doors down, Alfred started to jog towards it.

Another chime of a bell as he pushed the door open, no one was there so he just headed towards the back of the store where he saw the wide selection of bats. Lifting a big metal bat off of the rack it was stored on, he lifted it up. Did he want metal or wood... Choices, choices. Tapping the bat against the ground, he heard a muffled 'tink' of the metal hitting the concrete underneath the thin carpet. Shrugging he picked up a decently sized wood bat. It felt lighter than the metal one, and when he tapped it against the floor, it made a nice 'thunk', like a body hitting a table when Arthur decided to cut it up for dinner. Yeah, this would do.

Picking up the bat he headed towards the front of the store, but as he passed the counter, a clerk came out of the back of the store.

"Boy! What are you doing! Put that back and get out!"

The man started to stride towards Alfred's small frame, but Alfred just cocked his head. Did this guy have a death wish?

"Dude, don't come any closer if you know what is good for you." It would have probably been more intimidating if Alfred was taller, and had more muscle, but he didn't and the clerk continued to walk towards him, only to reach out as he neared Alfred.

"C'mon man! I told you!" Raising the bat , squaring his shoulders, and lifting his front foot he swung the bat as hard as he could, body twisting as his front foot hit the ground. A sickening crack as he connected with the mans head, blood pouring out of the wound that he created.

Stepping over the body, Alfred wiped the blood on his undershirt so he wouldn't cause a scene. The last thing he wanted was to be taken in by the police again, last time that had happened (some guy had gotten hit by one of his fire crackers, causing a couple broken fingers and some minor burns), Arthur had not been pleased. An angry Arthur equaled a force-fed-sweet-filled Alfred. Arthur knew how much he hated those cupcakes.

Bat clean, he left the store and went out into the busy streets.

-oOo-

The crack of wood on wood rang through the small garden at the back of Arthur's house. Both Matthew and Alfred were trying to get the upper hand (more often than not, Matthew beat him within minutes, but damn if he didn't try!) His beloved bat had been doing well so far. He'd added black tape to the handle, which had started to fray and wear away, he would have to replace that soon. He also hammered nails into the bat, some were now rusting from the blood that coated them, those would also need to come out at some point and replaced, but most of them were just bent at odd angles from hits against concrete and bones, those could stay.

There was also the faint markings of 'HERO' that he scribbled on the side of it years ago, but with the amount of cleaning that it had went through it was starting to fade.

Matthew was once again charging at him. He got into position.

"Batta' up!"

He swung.