The sun was most especially bright today with the solemn breeze of dew brushing through the warm sound of the waves crashing down the shore.
A 16 year old Bruce could feel the sand crippling in his hands as he tried to open his eyelids just to be stunned by the harsh bright sunlight of the Morning Sun. he was wearing a torn down shirt and a baggy loose pair of pants.
He reached out to his face, covering any further light blinding his vision. Bruce was still having a hard time explaining what clearly happened last night that left him in this situation.
He managed to survive after almost drowning last night.
Bruce sat upright on the shore while his head was tilting from left to right. Observing his whole surroundings, he noticed that everything around him awfully resembled a paradise that most people would go to their vacations to
Bruce finally stood to his feet, trying to regain memories that stood remains from last night's incident.
He was supposed to go to the Caribbean but somehow got stuck in a big storm in the middle of the sea which eventually led him to be in this situation.
He didn't really have the time to reminisce when all of a sudden, his stomach started grumbling. It had been almost a day since he had last eaten.
"I'll patrol the area for any resources that I may use" He thought to himself as he was walking by the nearby palm trees.
Bits of shells and some crabs which were too little to even fit a gap hole in one's tooth were the only resources he could find in the shore. He was always prepared on situations like this and so he set on his survival instincts if he wishes to live for quite longer.
Bushels of leaves covered his outpost with a pile of rocks in the middle that will serve as the stand in case he'll get lucky and catch at least one fish today.
He scraped the small fibers of the Palm leaves and weaved them into an intersecting pattern, making a net in the process. Bruce knew for himself that fishes don't really appear till afternoon mostly on islands like this. Making up his mind, he decided to leave the fishnet at the far end of the island across the shores.
Basic necessities like Food, Water, and Shelter lingers through his mind, causing him to be a little bit anxious over what this island has in store for him.
He found himself wandering over the vast wilderness of the forest. He knew for himself that waiting around for nothing won't really help him at all. Hints of footprints from different kinds of animals caught his attention, especially the footprint that resembled a bear's.
"I may have my resources in this island, but it seems like predators are roaming around too" he thought to himself
Walking through the empty shades of the trees that looked like a maze from afar, he notices something that awfully resembled an arrowhead or some sort. He came up with the idea that the island had been inhabited by people before.
"Tribes?" he whispered to himself
Most primitive tribes are really dangerous to the point that they'll chase people off the island for stepping on foot on their precious sand. This is what's been troubling him while coming up with the conclusion of civilization.
A big loud grumbling of footsteps was heard from afar as the young man himself disappeared in a blink of an eye. He found himself dangling above a tree, having a good view from above.
There were two girls who were walking with each other, armed with bows and arrows in their respective yields. Alarmed, Bruce anticipated for the right moment to escape while observing the ladies from above
If the girls were so vigilant enough, they will probably notice the marks that he's left on the trail that he readily forgot to conceal, such a big blunder from the young man.
Bruce was patiently observing the girls go on their way. Listening to them gave him the conclusion that they were indeed civilized to a point.
They were able to communicate in old English which indicated they had some sort of a Language vessel which led them to be cultivated. He then concluded that these women are not from a tribe of some sort.
One girl had scarlet red hair pulled high in a ponytail arching her neck. She seemed smaller than the other one. On the other hand, the other girl had long raven hair and sapphire blue eyes; she seemed a little bit taller between the two of them. She was busy eyeing the whole surroundings with a wary expression on her face
If she was as wary as what his hunch was aching, he'd be in trouble for sure.
If she were that smart, she'd probably notice the patterns of leaves that indicated a track on what direction he came from, which would ultimately give lead to the small post that he established near the shores.
Bruce needed to think fast upon his feet to prevent such a possibility to happen. The last thing he'd want in this island castaway adventure is to be killed by this "group" he's concluded.
They may be civilized but hints of savagery sings through that thick tunic that they are wearing, the sword and bow proves that for sure.
In the corner of his eye, he noticed a Bear from far away which could be a great asset on his escape. By poking a bear with a stick literally, but this time, he'll be using his own weapon boomerang in his little pack of saddlebags attached to his belt.
He then reached out for his saddlebags the his weapon and measured the exact measurement of the vector distance from a high position which would ultimately decide how much force he should exert with the throw, making the speed just enough to hit the bear in the head slightly, preventing from knocking it out
The bear was as unstable as a little girl in the first day of class but Bruce had patience of steel. He held his breath like an experienced sniper waiting for the right time to pull the trigger.
Slowly but surely, he inhaled and exhaled, heaving out the tension that was forming in his muscles, avoiding to freeze on the spot.
When suddenly, the bear shifted to the right, leaving its right cranium open for a hit. All of a sudden, a fleeting boomerang flew through the dense and thick leaves of the trees, cutting the vines through in the process until hitting the bear finally.
Somehow, the raven haired girl sensed it out of nowhere and immediately braced herself to battle. Bruce was thoroughly impressed with how her instinct came in quickly by how she was able to sense danger from afar.
"Sister, I sense trouble." the girl with the raven hair stated in a wary manner
The other girl was startled upon hearing her. She readily pulled out her sword in unison
"I knew something was indeed making me somewhat uneasy since we came to this area" the girl with the scarlet hair responded
"Likewise, my intuition has been bothering me about something off" The girl with the raven hair stated
She then leaned in close to her comrade who had a very menacing expression on her face. Bruce could tell from their demeanor alone that these girls are not to be messed with.
"I smell something new…. Like an unwanted visitor, an intruder perhaps" The girl with the scarlet red hair stated
This made him somewhat pressured more so than before. The fact that they have a strong sense of smell made it a more lopsided game of cat and mouse. He'd definitely be spotted if he'll continue to stay in his position more so than longer.
All of a sudden, a loud roar from a beast startled the both of them. The big bear from earlier came out in a very feisty nature with claws ready to rip and tear even the thickest of all trees. This could be a diversion that Bruce could use for his big disappearing act.
But somehow he was frozen on the spot, clearly interested on how they are gonna neutralize the raging beast
"Ready your arms, Diana" The scarlet haired girl uttered
"Diana, the other girls' name must be Diana." Bruce thought to himself as his eyes grew narrow to the girl who had long raven hair
"All the time, Artemis" Diana responded heavily
"The other girl's name must be Artemis then."
The vile beast then swung a massive strike to Diana which she evidently evaded. This leaves a heavy opening for Artemis to attack, but instead of taking the advantage. She instead headed to the Bear's front which is a big mismatch.
Bruce shook his head of the missed opportunity to strike the beast down finally when he remembered something important.
He was supposed to escape
He made his way down from the trunk to the big roots about to escape but as he was about to turn his heel. He noticed an upcoming attack from the bear towards Diana who wasn't really paying attention.
"Diana! Look out!" Artemis yelled
Diana turned around as the bear was about to swing. Its claws were definitely sharp enough to carve her skin with Diana standing unguarded and vulnerable.
The Bear was almost successful in his strike towards her when suddenly he got stunned by an object that seemed to come out of nowhere. This gave Artemis an opening to attack the beast fully with her sword, hitting the bear's arm in the process which made it retreat deep into the woods.
Diana was somehow surprised of what just happened. She was adamant that the bear could've hit her right there if not for something that caught it off guard.
With suspicion rambling in her mind, she immediately scanned the whole place. The surroundings were the same as before but in the corner of her eye – she spotted a figure moving alone the shady brushes of the leaves. This piqued the girl's attention and curiosity
"Hey, you there, Halt this instant!" she yelled in command
Artemis grew startled over Diana's sudden outburst.
"What are you going on about, Diana?" Artemis asked politely
Diana didn't even bother to respond as her feet took her along in a wild dash. The figure had ran rampant upon yelling her absolute command.
She was adamant that the figure had some kind mystery in it that she wanted to know
"Stop right there!" Diana commanded as she chased the runaway
The runaway was fast for its own good but it fueled Diana even more desperate on catching it. She was always the type to love the thrills of a challenge otherwise an easy hunt would easily bore her.
She finally caught it cornered in a big cliff, causing the runaway figure to finally stop in its tracks.
"Submit. It's over" Diana ordered in a powerful voice
Slowly, the figure turned around revealing the young teenager who had scrapes and scratches all throughout its body. It was wearing faded shirt of some sort and a torn out baggy pants. She has never seen anything like it before. This person looked nothing like the rest of them, that's for sure
"Who are you!." Diana yelled menacingly
Slowly, the person reached out to its waist. Pulling out some kind of a weapon that would definitely backfire to the young lady's odds
"I must warn you that I am ready for anything" Diana confidently yelled
When all of a sudden, Artemis' voice came echoing on the deep pikes of the trees, causing Diana to be astonished for a second. This gave the young man a chance to pull out its hidden trump card
Upon seeing the lady quite distracted by the voice from afar, Bruce immediately pulled out two anesthetic bombs that he made on his own out his saddles and dropped it on the ground.
This caused a major puff of smoke invading the very area where he was cornered. In a blink of an eye, Bruce climbed a tree towards the trunk where it held him above and out of danger
Diana was still coughing very hard; her reaction to the anesthetic gas was expected knowing it penetrates the passageway of the air in the nose or mouth, causing a reaction such as coughing in the process.
Artemis then came into the scene as the smoke starts to fade away.
"I'm sure she'll be safe now" Bruce thought to himself
Bruce had no time to waste as he learned his lesson from earlier that evidently led him to such a disadvantage being cornered. He immediately swung right past the trees to make the distance between them bigger. He knew for himself walking would just leave tracks which will be easily tracked by that "Diana" girl.
"For someone as feisty as she is, she sure does has a beautiful face though" He thought to himself while swinging past the posts
xXx
It was almost afternoon as he was still wandering on the outskirts of the forest. He spent almost 8 hours just scanning for anything that might be helpful to him throughout. He managed to collect 10 mushrooms and 5 edible berries on his quest for resources.
Luck somehow beseeched the young man for after hours of searching, he finally found the river he was so desperate of finding.
He didn't even hesitate as he took off his clothes and dove right in. The feeling of solemn and relaxation was felt all over his body with the calming splash of water from a waterfall served as a very nostalgic lullaby.
The young man closed his eyes as he felt the magical spring water soothing through the deepest areas of his muscles that had been through a lot since earlier.
He was too caught on to his relaxation to notice the footsteps that were coming from afar. It also didn't help that the loud crashing of water from the waterfall served as a loud white noise which filtered the rhythm of the ground pounding
A sudden splash then came out of nowhere alongside with a loud voice that made the little man jumpy all of a sudden. He wasn't alone here anymore, he's sure of that.
Sneakily, he tried to make his way out by hiding behind the huge platform of a boulder that served as his hiding spot. His heartbeat was pounding harder at every second knowing at any moment, he could be spotted and exposed.
The young man stayed stationary behind the big boulder for quite a while that he ended up listening to their whole prattle.
They were surprisingly lively for a group of women of savagery. The river was filled of echoes of laughter and prattle that made the whole place vibrant.
Trying his hardest to come up with a plan to escape, he slowly tiptoed towards the forest to leave. Tragedy unfortunately struck when all of a sudden, he stepped on a branch which made a loud noise that attracted the ladies' attention
"Is that you Diana?" one of the girls asked "What are you hiding there for? Come join us."
The young man had no inclination now on what better maneuver to pull especially being cornered in the spot. Stress invading him at an all time high
Another set of footsteps then came along as the boy was listening eagerly. He was currently worked up, coming up with a plan to escape
"Diana? Wait… we thought" one of the girls stated
"Why are you surprised my sisters? I just came back from a long training session with mother" Diana replied
Their gazes were then shifted to the big boulder from the corner with suspicion growing rampant in their minds.
Diana slowly sneaked towards it with her curiosity getting the best of her yet again, If this was indeed who she thought it was, then it's a good catch for her today.
She pulls out her dagger and paced slowly to the side, aching to see what lies behind the big boulder that's concealing the person.
"Hiyaaah!"
Diana surprisingly bolted out hoping to catch the person off guard but to her surprise, there was no one behind.
On the other hand, Bruce who dashed through the forest for another getaway was having a hard time putting on his clothes while storming off. He knew for himself that he needed to get away as soon as possible.
Luckily, Diana checked the other boulder which was on the other side, giving him the distraction that he so desperately needed to escape.
xXx
It was almost getting dark when finally he reached his encampment. Crickets were now singing the afternoon away as the cold breeze of the ocean was swaying by every wave to the shore.
That's was his cue to start a fire ready before it gets totally dark. The young man then stood up - collecting all the branches nearby. He rolled and rubbed the branches in a horizontal position hoping for a spark that will start the fire
The first try wasn't very successful but he was an experienced and trained for these types of situations, eventually creating a spark from a whole 30-minute session of rolling and rubbing. He then structured the branches, creating a campfire as the fire grew steadfast blazing in a matter of seconds
Now all he needed was food of some sort. He went to the Fishing net that he laid upon earlier from across the shore. There he saw 3 squirming fishes which were still alive. Smiling to himself, he immediately collected the fishes and brought them to his encampment near the bonfire that he created.
The young man took 3 branches from the ground for skewers of the fish that he was gonna cook with the fire. Sharpening the branches, he can't help but be proud of himself for being competent of living alone, in an island of all places
He slowly positioned the skewered fishes to the base that he created from sticks lying on the ground above the campfire. He didn't really have anything to eat for today so he's definitely munching all these big fishes that he caught for this evening.
The cold breeze of the ocean slowly passes through his side making everything very solemn for Bruce for a moment. If this is what his life is gonna be, then it's not that bad at all. But he also knew for himself that he had to find a way to leave the island and continue on his expedition
It was almost a month since he left Gotham but somehow it felt like it was just like yesterday for him. The expedition that he came upon has finally started and he couldn't get any more excited than this
Yet again, he was too all up on his thoughts to notice footsteps coming from behind sneaking up on him.
When all of a sudden a loud voice came blasting from behind out of nowhere
"I finally found you intruder!"