Disclaimers: DC owns Batman and all related characters. I don´t.
Batman created by Bob Kane.
Please forgive any spelling or grammar mistakes but english is not my primary
language. Hope you enjoy this short story.
Dedicated to Chuck Dixon.

BATMAN: MY FATHER´S EYES

Someone once told me fear is the greatest sin.
God hates a coward.

That night I first met fear. I was never really afraid before.
Except for the day I fell into that dark, silent place.
Where those winged creatures live.

But that night. That night I was alone for the first time in my life.
I´m alone since then, since the moment the man pulled the trigger.
Since the moment their bodies hit the ground and life escaped them.

Alone.

I hated my father for trying to protect us. He was a brave man.
But that cost him his life. He died because he wanted to protect the weak.
He died because he loved us and did not want nothing to harm us.
He was a strong, caring person.

Protection of the weak.
I´ve spent my life to protect the others.
Just like him.

And I can´t stop. Because I have no life of my own.
That life is based upon the others.
I´ve got to protect them, because I can´t allow that to happen again.
Nothing like that, like that pain (I still feel it), can happen to anybody again.

Helping other ease the pain. Innocents know somebody protects them.

This city will always have his angel. I will be watching forever.
Like my father watched over me.

***************************

In a window nearby a young boy, almost four years old, is watching the
dark figure standing on the top of the tower.

"Mom! Come here! It´s the Batman!"

The mother comes, looks at the window and, with a gentle smile, takes
the child to his bed. She covers him and kisses him in the cheek.
But this kid is excited and wants to keep looking at the shadow outside.

"Do you think the Batman is afraid sometimes, mom?"

The mother puts her hand on her son´s head and moves hers.

"You know, dear... I knew the Batman... When I was a photographer before
I met your daddy and you were born."

"Really? You really knew him?" - says the child with excitement opening his eyes wide.

"Yes. We were... well... kind of... friends. And I can tell you I don´t
think Batman is afraid of someone. I think he fears no one.
But he is afraid of something. He is afraid that good people get hurt.
Honest, working people like your daddy and me. Or nice kids like you."

"So he is not afraid of Superman or someone stronger than him?"

The mother laughs not too loud and whispers to her son´s ear:

"No. He is not afraid of anybody. Believe me when I tell you that."

The kids goes to sleep, and her mother looks at the dark shadow in the tower.
Waiting. The shadow is alive and, even though it´s frightening, there´s something else about it.
Something almost kind and gentle.
Something that makes this woman wonder about the true fear in Batman´s soul.

"Have a good night. I know you´ll be there" - says the woman and slowly gets
out of her son´s bedroom.

**********************************

Outside the night is dark and cold. The city sleeps, but it´s angel is awake.
When the light in the kid´s room is out, the shadow on the tower moves.

If you were near it, you could almost hear it whisper:

"Have a good night, Vicky."

And then It jumps, It spreads it´s dark wings into the air and growls.
It´s gone. Someone needs help.

**********************************

I will always be here. I will never stop.
No one will suffer what I did long time ago.
But I will not surrender to that fear. I will confront it.
My parents gave their lifes for me. I will give mine for this people.
I believe it since I saw that last look in my father´s eyes.

God hates a coward?
Then he will hate anybody who dares defy me tonight.

Someone once told me fear is the greatest sin.

But for me, every night, Fear is a friend.


THE END