Disclaimers: I don´t own DC or any of their characters. Lucky them.
No money was mode with this story. It´s just to have fun.
Please forgive grammar and spelling mistakes.
English is not my native tongue. =)
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.
R & R please!
BATMAN: SQUARE ONE
Willie "Cut" Pullez ran as fast as he could.
Gotham night was around him and there were tears escaping from his eyes.
He did not stop his run but turned and shot at the dark behind him.
"Die! Die!"
Willie couldn´t see anything. Those alleys were dark and, even though he
knew them very well, he felt like a mouse in a labyrinth.
A dark and wet labyrinth.
He pointed the gun at...
"Where..?"
He was alone. There was no one in sight.
But he wasn´t alone.
"Oh, my... Where are you..."
Sound. At his right.
BLAM!
The bullet produced sparks in the metal of the trash cans in the
silent alley and some light was made.
He couldn´t see anything around though.
A furry little rat ran away, scared, from under the trash cans.
Willie was covered in sweat but still he chuckled.
His situation was funny. Afraid of a little rat and trembling
because he thought something was after him. He was alone now.
He knew he was alone.
"Where´s the girl, Cut?"
Willie felt the blood going from his head straight to his feet.
Fear´s cold fingers touching his neck sweaty.
That voice, terse and menacing. Where did it came from?
He didn´t know. Escape. He saw the sewer entrance under him.
Yes. That thing would never follow him into that stinky place.
He pulled up the trap as fast as he could and jumped inside the hole.
His nightmare was just beginning.
* * *
"Great Hera, this is stupid. We can fly, Clark." Diana said when they
were waiting for a cab.
"And using glasses and my hair like this. I look like a character from a
lame 70´s TV series..."
"Did you like the name I choose for you?" Clark said with a hint
of fun in his voice.
"Diana Prince? Oh, for a reporter and a (great) novelist you don´t seem to
use your imagination when It´s about me..."
The Amazon Princes was not comfortable with dressing like a mere human.
Diana had a lot of contradictions. Clark had thought about telling her that
but Wonder Woman was a woman that reacted with violence sometimes.
Clark tried to make her feel better.
"Look, sometimes I do this. Reminds me I´m human.
Once I was quite upset because Perry and I had to fly by plane to Smallville.
Perry started talking and I thought the flight was going to be very very long..."
"And?"
Clark smiled. His eyes were bright behind those funny glasses.
"Well, I was wrong. It was the shortest trip ever. Perry´s stories where
amazing. You know, that man has dedicated his life to journalism."
Diana chuckled and put his luggage into the cab´s trunk.
Then she looked at the sky and her face got serious.
"He will not be at home, you know. It´s nightime."
Clark opened the door and Diana got inside the cab.
"Yes. I know."
Inside the cab the stench of tobacco and sweat were almost sickening.
"To wheeeerreee, my frrriends?"
"Wayne Manor, please. As fast as possible." Clark said.
Diana put her hand over her face and tried not to breathe very hard.
"Pass as humans..." She said in a very low voice.
Still, Clark heared. And laughed in silence.
* * *
Gotham Stadium.The hockey game was over.
The Gotham Hawks Team had won an important match against The
Metropolis Dragons. So, people were leaving the stadium very slowly.
The emotion was still in the air.
"Great game, huh, Tim?" Jack Drake said and put his arm on his son´s shoulder.
"Yes, dad. I wish Leo Penna would give me his autograph..."
"He´s the best in the field. He´s very brave also.
I don´t think I could stand against those Metropolis guys... They are big..."
Tim smiled and looked at his father. He tried to smile.
"Dad, you´re a brave man. Believe me."
Jack didn´t answer. He seemed sad sometimes. Tim knew he had been
like that since his mother had...
"Look! there they are! They are coming out to ice to salute the public!"
An ovation.
The audience was very pleased with the game and all the team´s
players were in the middle of the ice, without the helmets
waving at the public.
"Maybe you can get Penna´s autograph, son." Jack said.
But Tim did not hear his dad. His attention was focused in the man running
around the ice-field. He was dirty with... mud? And he had a gun in his hand.
A gun.
"Yeah, Dad... I´m going near the field... I could get... lucky."
The man with the gun entered the field.
The ovation stopped. The screaming begun.
"He´s got a gun!"
Security guards ran around the field trying to reach him
but the man was already inside.
Suddenly, He was pointing his gun at Leo Penna and ordered all the players
to lie on the ice with their hands on their heads.
"But... but it´s cold..."
"Do it, dammit!!! Do it!!!"
The man was sweating buckets and his clothes were dirty.
His left arm was bleeding and Leo saw something coming out of the wound.
Like a little black pointy thing. And very sharp.
He didn´t know what it was but sure as hell that was not a knife.
And, God, the smell... Awful, stinking and coming from that man.
Security officers around the field tried to talk to him.
"Shut up!!" he said and shot at them. The bullet hit one
of the guards in the leg.
More screams. Tim was behind one bench trying to change his
clothes but then he heard people talking nervously.
"Look! What´s that?"
"I´ve never believed he existed..."
"Oh, God have mercy of us..."
Tim got up and looked.
The shadow fell from the top of the stadium and suddenly
it was standing in front the armed man.
"Give it up, Willie!" the voice was like thunder.
"Leave me alone!!! You hear, LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"
Willie put the gun in Leo Penna´s head.
"Oh, please..." Leo said.
"SHUT UP!!!"
The criminal then turned and looked at Batman.
"Get away or he buys it!!! I know bullets can´t hurt you!!!
I´ve heard all about you. Now, get away or I´ll blow his damn brains out!!!"
The crowd was silent. Still, Tim heard one woman crying and an old lady praying.
Batman stood in the ice like a statue.
Willie´s hand trembled and his mouth was dry.
Waiting.
"Where´s the girl, Cut?" Batman said in a calm, but loud voice.
"I said ... GET AWAY!!!"
Leo Penna closed his eyes and begged for mercy as he felt the cold piece of
metal against his forehead.
Willie pulled the trigger. At least he tried to.
His finger did not answer.
A very small piece of black metal was (suddenly) stuck into Willie´s hand,
right deep into the forefinger´s tendon.
A lot of blood started to come out from the wound.
There was no pain... in that moment.
Silence. The whole stadium was looking at that scene that was as terryfing as it was incredible.
Willie was still trying to understand what was happening.
He looked at his hand.
And it was over.
The shadow of the Bat fell over him inmediatly.
Covering him with darkness.
Something came out of Batman hands when he fell over Willie.
Sound of glass crashing. The stadium lights over the ice where broken
in an instant, and what was happening in the field was not too clear to see.
Only Willie´s scream gave people a clue of what was happenning.
"Oh, Godddd!! No!!! Help! Help M...*!
Tim was going to put on the special night vision glasses Harold designed,
but it wasn´t necessary. The light suddenly came back.
Batman was standing near the unconscious Willie "Cut" Pullez.
Tim knew he was relaxing now. He knew by looking at Bruce´s movements.
Now the menace was over.
Silence. The Hockey players started to get up slowly.
Claps. The players were clapping.
The audience, slowly started to clap too.
Shouts.
Whistles.
Ovation.
Batman did not say a thing.
He grabbed Willie by the shirt and walked towards Leo Penna...
"Are you all right, son?" he asked with a voice as cold as the ice below them.
"Yes... Sir. Thank you very much." Leo was still trembling
but the courage he had shown was amazing.
He was trying to control himself.
Batman nodded.
And, without letting Willie go, he went to the security officers and
looked at the wounded man.
"How´s he?" Batman asked one of the officers.
The guard was amazed. Batman himself was talking to him.
"The bullet hit the muscle." The guard say nervously.
"He´s hurting and in pain. But he will use the leg again."
The ovation continued. Applauses. Shouting.
Batman put Willie over his shoulder after tying his hands up.
He hurled a smoke capsule against the ice.
Suddenly he was covered with smoke.
The audience applauded again
Then he took a small gun-like artifact.
Bang.
A hook with a rope came out of it and, suddenly, he was going up.
And then Batman was gone.
Tim, allowed himself a small smile.
He stood up and went slowly back to his father´s side.
He heard people talking and yelling around him.
"Did you see that? Did you see that???"
"So, that was Batman..."
"... he actually exists...!"
"Wish I had my camera here..."
"Oh, God..."
"Is he human?"
"I dunno, but he´s sure a hell of a showman..."
* * *
The big brown door opened and this tall and distinguished man dressed
in black appeared behind it.
"Welcome to Wayne Manor, Mr Kent. Madam. Do you need help with that?"
"No, thank you, Alfred. It´s okay." said Diana pulling her bags into the manor.
"An explendid disguise you´re wearing, Madam."
Clark chuckled. "Thank you for receiving us Alfred. Does he know?"
Alfred´s voice had a hint of worry.
Still, not a single muscle in his british face moved.
"I´ve not tell a soul, Mr. Kent. I could loose my job for this.
I´m not sure they would accept me back at Buckingham Palace..."
"You were really at...?" Diana started but Clark interrupted her.
"English humor." he said. "Alfred, Bruce´s at... uhh... work?"
"Yes, Mr Kent. I was watching the hockey game live from Gotham´s stadium
and I can assure that now."
"What do you mean, Alfred?" Diana asked.
"See it for yourself, Madam. I taped it. Please follow me to the TV room."
"That ´room´ looks like a cinema, Alfred." Clark said behind him.
"True Mr. Kent. Sometimes I watch old Buster Keaton movies in the big screen
with Master Bruce, Master Dick and Master Tim and we have some beers and good laughs."
Diana put her mouth near Clark´s hear.
"Is he joking now?"
"I hope so..." Clark answered.
* * *
"Wake up."
Willie opened his eyes. His head hurt. His arm and hand too.
Pain, pain, everywhere.
"Oh, god... I cant´see anything..."
"You´re going to tell me where the child is, Willie." said the menacing voice in the dark.
Willie was confused. Where was he? Blood coming out from his nose.
Pain. He was cold and wet. And dirty.
Willie hurt. Hurt like hell.
"I want to know who and where you boss is, Willie. You´re going to tell me that too."
"He will kill me..." Willie cried. "... Kill me... Arrrgh!!!"
Something suddenly grabbed his wounded finger and twisted it a little.
Pain was incredible.
"Oh, stop, stop, stop it... PLEASE!!! I don´t know who he is!!!"
"How´s that?"
"I´ve never even seen him fer crying out loud!!! He leaves me cash and
instructions at home!!! I just do what he tells me!! PLEASE STOP IT!"
The pain suddenly ceased. Willie still could not see anything.
"Oh, God, oh, please... Oh.. fu..."
"Watch your mouth." the voice said.
* * *
The video stopped. Diana and Clark were sitting in one big couch and Alfred was
standing near them. Clark put on his glasses again and passed a hand over his hair.
"He got quite an acknowledgment there" Clark said.
"Master Bruce cares little for that, Mr. Kent."
Diana put an strange face.
"I wonder what he really cares about... I don´t know why we are here...
He does not care for us and that I know..."
"I beg to differ, Madam." Alfred said calmly but his tone was slightly different.
Like a father talking about his son. Defending his son.
"Master Bruce is a solitary man, but he does care a lot for many people around him."
Diana looked at the butler with sudden interest.
"I know, Alfred. You mean Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl..."
"Diana..." Clark started.
"He has a great deal of respect for you, Sir." Alfred said looking at Clark.
"When he got... mmm... expeled from JLA, Master Bruce was quite sad.
You two had voted him out."
"Alfred, I was... upset and angry with him... That rock he developed hurt
me in a way I never imagined possible and... You said ´sad´?"
Diana was following every one of Alfred´s words with a lot of interest.
"I was with Master Bruce when he developed those fail-safes.
You can imagine how it cost him to forgive himself for what he was doing.
He used to say: ´I´m sorry, please, understand...´ Guilt was destroying him."
Diana was amazed.
"He said that to you, Alfred?"
Alfred was slightly amused by the question but he did not demonstrate it.
"You must be kidding, Madam. We are talking about Master Bruce.
He said that to himself. I heard him once or twice.
Please don´t tell Master Bruce I´ve said this to you.
He does not like to talk about this kind of things."
Clark smiled and got up.
"I don´t think Bruce´s coming home soon. I´m going to the cave."
"Wait, I will disconnect the alarms for you, Mr. Kent."
"Thank you, Alfred."
Diana stood up too. She looked around and then asked.
"Alfred, is it possible for me to take a shower?"
Clark raised an eyebrow and left the room.
"Of course, Madam. I will take you at once to Master Bruce´s bathr..."
"Oh, no, no... Not in his bathroom, please..."
"Madam, If Master Bruce learns that you wanted to take a shower
and that I didn´t offered you his private bathroom he would
fire me inmediatly."
Diana was stunned. Was he joking?
"Are you serious...?" she asked in disbelief.
"You don´t know how serious I am, Madam. Please, follow me"
They left the room and walked up the stairs. Diana noticed a big painting
on the wall. A couple. A Man that looked a lot like Bruce but with mustache
and very beautiful woman with dark hair and blue eyes.
"Alfred... are those...?"
"Yes, Madam. Master Thomas and his beloved wife, Martha.
Master Bruce´s parents..."
"How old was he when...?"
"Only six years old, Madam..." and then Alfred looked away and
his voice was slightly different again. "Only six years old..."
* * *
Batman kicked the door. It collapsed. That was easy.
The next steps would not be like that.
The Dark Knight entered the abandoned factory.
He heard in the distance a voice. A little girl crying.
Lots of chains in the floor made of metal.
Where? Where?
There. Batman walked very carefully.
The place was dark and he knew someone was waiting for him.
Laughter... Near.
"Welcome, Batman... You´ve found me! And so soon." the voice had some
kind of electronic distortion. It sounded like a robot from "Star Wars" talking.
"Stop the voice-act. I know who you are..."
Silence. Then the robotic voice again.
And sounds made by a little girl crying down a very long hall.
"You know who I am? Heh, heh, heh... I don´t buy this...
Did I screw up so easily? How did you know I was behind this?"
Batman´s voice turned into a growl.
"I´m a detective. You should know that."
"Then, come and get me, Winged Avenger...
Before I get to little Mary and do what I do best..."
* * *
Clark looked around. Everytime he was in the Bat-cave he was amazed.
A place so big, with so many places to hide.
Bruce loved that place. And hiding.
He noticed a costume behind a special glass.
He read the plaque.
"JASON TODD. A good soldier."
A voice behind Superman.
"He was like a son to him."
Clark smiled and turned around.
Dick Grayson in his black costume was standing near the Batmobile´s
parking place.
"Hi, Nightwing. Glad you came."
"I wouldn´t miss this for anything in the world.
But, I´m kinda dissapointed.
I was hoping I could get you by surprise..."
Clark and Dick gave each other a handshake.
"Only your mentor can sneak up on me... And I heard your motorcycle
when I was upstairs."
Dick lowed his voice like if someone could hear them.
"I think Kyle, Dinah and Barbara are coming... But I´m not so sure about..."
"I know... They had some... arguments, right?"
"We all had problems with Bruce at least once in our lifes.
He is not an easy person..."
Clark put a hand on Dick´s shoulder.
"Tell me about it..."
"You know, I´m not sure how´s he gonna react to this..."
"Well, Dick... That´s what makes all this interesting..."
* * *
Diana got out of the bathroom with steam still coming up from her wet skin.
She was wearing a blue wrap with a small bat sewed on it.
"Cute." she said to herself.
She stopped at a small table near the door.
There were three different pictures.
One showed Bruce with Dick sitting in a camping.
Dick was young, maybe 14 years old.
Bruce had his hand on Dick´s shoulder and he was smiling.
Diana had never seen Bruce smile.
Never.
Until now.
And looking at him without the cape and cowl...
So different
The other picture was Bruce with other kid.
Jason. They were at some great lake. They had caught a very big fish.
Jason was stealing Bruce´s bait.
They were laughing.
Laughing.
Like a father with his son.
That kid was dead. Diana knew. Clark once told her that awful story.
The Joker had beaten him up and then killed him and his mother with a bomb.
Jason put himself in front of his mother to save her
but the explosion killed them both.
Bruce never really recovered from that.
The last picture was Bruce and Tim. Playing golf together in Wayne Manor.
Alfred took the picture. His british shadow was visible on the ground.
Bruce was explaining Tim how to play but Tim was looking at him with
a funny expresion, almost mocking him.
This kid was mocking Batman himself.
She touched the picture and smiled.
Bruce´s room was inmense. And dark.
The bed was large, even for a big man like Bruce.
Diana suddenly thought how many women could have been there with Bruce.
And doing it. Then she blushed and laughed out loud.
She had never thought about Batman like that.
The amazon sat on the bed, gently, she touched the gray sheets.
"Mr. Wayne..." she said in a deep voice.
"What are you doing, Mr Wayne? Why did you bring me here?
Oh, Bruce... what are your intentions?"
She laid on the bed facing the ceiling, closing her eyes, feeling comfortable.
"Batman... I did not know your... bed was this big..."
Diana felt sleepy. Three minutes passed and then she was dreaming something.
And Bruce was in that dream.
What she dreamt, we can´t know. But she enjoyed it, that´s for sure.
* * *
Batman found the girl tied up in a chair. Her mouth covered.
Crying. She was clearly scared when The Dark Knight appeared.
He took the bandages of her mouth but she was not making a sound.
Panic. Then she burst in tears, calling for her mom and dad.
"Hush, dear." Batman said. "I´m going to take you home now.
Don´t be afraid of me."
Suddenly, the girl´s eyes opened wide.
There was a flash in her pupils.
With incredible speed, Batman moved his right hand up and caught someone´s arm.
And that someone had a knife in his hand.
"Zsasz." Batman said.
"Nice to see you again, Winger Avenger..."
"Why, Zsasz? Why did you did this? You murdered this girl´s family and you took her.
WHY?"
"Well, I had planned it, you know. I like survivors who will fear my name for
the rest of their puny lifes... And this girl here is a survivor... for now..."
Batman´s grip on the killer´s arm was stronger now.
Bruce was starting to feel his own anger rising.
Danger.
"You burned her family to death..."
"Oh, I know... That must bother you. Well, It bothered me too.
But I had to change my M.O. That should have made my trail a lot harder to find...
How did you know it was me?"
Batman face was even darker now.
"You´ll never know." he growled.
A kick at Zsasz stomach made the psycho fly.
He hit his back hard against the wall.
He made a sound. Batman thought he was moaning but no.
It was laughter.
"Heheheheheh..." Zsasz laughed.
His mouth was bleeding hard but the madness in his eyes made him look like what he was.
A demon. With fire in his expression.
"You know, this girl, all this is my present for you in this special night..."
"There´s nothing special with this night..."
Zsasz seemed dissapointed.
His face showed (if that was possible) some kind of surprise.
He tried to get up.
"Hey, there IS something special about this night.
It´s your anniversary!
Eleven years ago you appeared in Gotham. Don´t you remember?
Now, I´m going to make this an special evening... For You!"
He opened his coat. Another knife was suddenly in his hand.
Batman gave two steps back.
"Her death... and your death... And you´ll be out of your misery, Batman.
Forever..."
In a blink of an eye, Zsasz jumped towards Batman with the knife ready to slash.
"Now, dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
Batman hit the killer in his chin as hard as he could and Zsasz fell out of the room.
He stood up with incredible speed and came back towards the Dark Knight.
"I´m burning, baby!"
Bruce got out of the room.
He did not want to be near the girl during the fight.
"Come for me, Zsasz. Kill me."
"With pleasure..." The killer hissed.
And followed Batman into the darkness.
* * *
"You slept a couple of hours..." Clark said, now in his Superman costume.
"Well, yes. That´s one comfortable bed." Diana answered as she got into the cave.
She was wearing her Wonder Woman suit. And she smelled like heaven.
"Hi, Dick."
"Hi, Princess." Grayson smiled at her.
"Where´s your mentor? Has he returned?"
"Not yet. Don´t be counting on him coming too soon, Princess" Dick answered scratching his head.
"Would you like some tea, Princess Diana?" Alfred asked behind her.
"Oh, yes, Thank you very much, Alfred."
Diana took a beautiful chinnese cup.
The tea was hot and delicious.
"You´re welcome, Princess."
"Oh, How did you know I like tea with one spoon of sugar?"
Alfred smiled. But he was back at his serious self one second later.
"I didn´t, Madam. Master Bruce told me one.
When you drink tea at your JLA meetings he noticed you
putting one spoon of sugar in your tea."
Dianna was stunned.
She would have never thought Bruce could pay attentions to small things like those.
He was such a cold and distant man.
But he prevented his butler about her driking tea habits.
Amazing.
"Well, he´s a detective..." Superman said taking one cup of tea himself.
"Yes... he is." Wonder Woman said.
* * *
A lot of pipes in the ceiling. The floor was made with some kind of metal.
Oxid everywhere. Many holes. Batman came to a dead end.
Old chains on the floor.
"You don´t have anywhere to go, Batman."
"Zsasz, drop the knife. That´s enough."
A creepy laugh came out of Zsasz mouth.
"Enough? There´s never enough, Batman. I will never be satisfied...
I´m burning! Burnining! Look at the scars in my body.
I´m an artist. And art is never pleased."
"You´re a killer."
"Yes. A killer artist. Burning inside. Burning with hate." Zsasz laughed again.
"Not one more scar in your skin Zsasz. Not one more."
"Oh, Batman... At least one more... The scar that indicates you´ve been
part of my never-ending game."
Batman suddenly opened his cape.
He looked like a big, menacing medieval monster with bat wings now.
And looked at Zsasz with fire in his eyes.
"Come and claim it, murderer..."
Zsasz jumped and the knife´s blade cut Batman on his chest.
Small wound but lots of blood. Batman hit hard on the killers face.
Blood came out from Zsasz´s mouth. And a tooth.
The killer fell to the floor, old chains all over him, around him.
"That´s the second... time you´ve... broken that!"
Zsazs got up. Fire in his eyes full of madness.
Some chains where hanging from his body and were all around
him like long, heavy snakes. Amazingly, he could move.
And very fast.
"You´re dead now... We´ll burn together"
Zsasz ran towards Batman with the strenght of a bull.
Batman was ready to strike back.
The murderer moved the knife, lighting fast, and blood came
out from Batman´s shoulder. But the floor was old and
some part of the metal collapsed under the killer´s feet.
The overweight of the chains made that happen.
Zsasz fell through a big opening that suddenly, like a trap,
opened and swallowed him whole.
"Curseee youuuuuu...!!!"
Crack.
Silence.
Batman looked over the hole.
Zsasz´s was dead.
The chains had tied up around his throat, hanging him when
he fell into the hole. His neck was broken.
The psycho´s eyes were still looking up and he had an
expression of surprise (if that was possible) on his face.
Batman touched the bleeding wound on his chest.
"Son of a bitch." The Dark Knight said. "Now, you can burn in hell."
* * *
The Batmobile ran across the dark night like a devil on wheels.
Batman was in pain. Hurting. Tired as hell.
The girl was safe now. She was in costudy. He would visit her soon.
When they got out of that damned factory, little Mary fell assleep in his arms.
She did not fear him anymore.
"Nnngggg...!"
Pain from Zsasz cuts. Lots of blood lost.
Batman was thinking about what would happen when he arrived to the Batcave.
He would call Alfred. Some bandages on his wounds.
Something to eat. Water too. A hot bath.
And then sleep. Lots of sleep. He deserved it now.
The fire of his obsession was calming down.
One killer was stopped.
That felt good.
The vehicle entered the cave and stopped in it´s spot.
"Nngg..."
The cabin opened and The Dark Knight descended from the Batmobile.
Pain in his chest and shoulder.
"Alfred... Alfred?"
Silence... Not even the bats made noise.
The cave was all dark, nothing was on.
"Damn... Nggngg..."
Batman pulled a couple of batarangs from his belt.
Someone had entered the cave. He was sure.
Someone turned on the lights.
"Arrrghhhhhhh!" Batman attacked but he stopped with violence
when he saw what was in front of him.
A large table in the middle of the bat-cave.
A big, chocolate cake with a bat-simbol on it.
One gigantic black poster hanging from the rocks of the cave.
"Happy anniversary, Batman!" written on it with yellow letters.
Batman could not believe what he saw...
"Wha.. What´s...?"
"SURPRISE, BATMAN!!!!"
Batman turned around and saw a lot of people standing there.
In his cave.
Alfred. Nightwing. Barbara Gordon. Cassie.
Superman. Wonder Woman. J´onn. Kyle Rayner.
Wally West. Blue Beetle.Dinah.
Oliver Queen and even Plastic Man.
"Oh." Batman said.
And right after saying that, he collapsed.
"Master Bruce!"
"Batman!"
"Bruce!"
* * *
Nightmare.
"Burning. Burning with me..."
"Die..."
"I´m not like you, killer...!
"... Anniversary..."
"Killer..."
"I´m a detective..."
"Betrayed our trust..."
"I´m tired, I´m old... It´s time to retire..."
"Mom! Dad!"
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"...BREAK YOU!!!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
"Criminals are coward..."
"Jason, Jason, Jason... JASON!!!"
"I shall become... A BAT..."
* * *
Bruce felt the smooth skin of a woman´s hand touching his cheek.
That was a small pleasure in a night full of pain.
"Talia?"
He woke up with violence.
A beautiful brunnette with blue eyes and a radiant, almost
supernatural smile, was sitting near him on his bed.
"I´m not Talia, Bruce..."
"Princess? What are you doing here...?"
"We are all here, Bruce. You´ve had a rough night.
But still, you were quite surprised..."
"Wait, let me..." Bruce made an attemp to get up but Diana
gently put her hands on his shoulders and made him lay again.
She was irresistible.
"First, you are naked. Second, you´re going to have some toast and tea.
And then, just after you´ve dressed up, you´re going down to the cave
where we´ll continue the celebration..."
"Celebration." Bruce said. He didn´t know exactly what she meant.
"You´ve been sleeping for two hours.
But you´re still in your aniversary night.
You don´t have fever and your wounds are all patched up.
We are not going to let you get away from this party just because you´ve had a rough night."
Bruce closed his eyes like trying to remember something.
"Zsasz... gave me quite a... celebration a few hours ago..."
Diana looked slightly amused at Bruce´s commentary.
"Really? Was it good?"
Bruce tried to smile. He only managed to look bitter.
A hand on his bandages indicated he was still in pain
"Well... not for him."
Diana kept looking at him. He was obviously trying to say something.
"Still... he actually gave me something..."
Bruce looked straight at Diana´s eyes.
The Princess trembled inside.
"Something good..."
"You want to tell me about it?"
Bruce got up and covered himself with a sheet.
Diana blushed and looked away. He allowed himself half a smile.
"I´ll tell you about it. When I get down to the cave."
* * *
A few minutes later, Batman walked down the stairs into the cave.
They did not noticed him. Superman was talking with Kyle and Beetle.
Wonder Woman, Dinah and Barbara were chatting and laughing in a low voice.
They were drinking champagne too.
Alfred was helping everybody had what they needed and Cassie was
playing darts with Nightwing.
Ollie was trying to explain Plastic Man a few things about archery
but Plas was too busy checking out Dinah´s legs.
Batman stood at the end of the stairs.
"Now, I´m here."
His voice was like a bomb. Everyone shut up and looked at him.
"Oh, no... he´s angry with me for setting this up..." Superman thought.
Batman looked straight at him and Superman reminded himself Bruce
couldn´t read minds. He started talking.
"This same night, but eleven years ago, I went out into Gotham´s night and
my life changed forever. I discovered that I could help people, stop crime,
make changes into one city. Soon, I discovered it wasn´t enough. Then I
discovered I could never acomplish my goal."
Oliver cleared his throat and drank some champagne.
"I´ve heard the screams of the innocents. I´ve sworn to do anything to
protect innocent lifes. I´ve done my best and more and I will never
stop trying. I´ve lost soldiers, people I cared for."
Batman looked one instant to Jason´s Robin costume and then he
focused on the people in front of him.
"Tonight. You´re here. I don´t know why. Somehow, celebrating I exist.
I´ve never thought this was possible but, something happenned today.
Someone told me... "
Bruce interrupted himself and looked down.
"Someone who should have lost all hope told me..."
He interrupted himself again.
Nightwing bit his lower lip.
He understood Bruce´s effort, he could almost feel his exhaustation
as he tried to say... something. Still there was no emotion in Bruce´s face.
If you didn´t knew the man you could never say he was nervous.
Batman elevated his eyes and stared at all of them.
"I guess what I´m trying to say is... Thank you.
Please enjoy the celebration."
Batman smiled and walked into one of the passages of the cave.
Clark looked at him and Bruce moved his lips: "Thank you"
just before going into that dark path.
Clark felt relieved.
"Did you see that?" Dinah said to Diana "He smiled!!! I´ve never seen that
before"
Diana looked at the place where Batman had dissappeared. She remembered
those pictures at Bruce´s room.
"I have." she answered. And she had to repress her impulse to run after him.
* * *
Behind him there´s a celebration.
Noise has begun again and he can hear Superman´s words talking about
their first encounter. Magpye. Laughs. Questions about Bruce.
"Thought he was another criminal" Superman says with a funny tone on his voice
"He got me. He told me there was a bomb somewhere in Gotham ready to kill
an innocent person if I dared touching him. Well, it turned out HE was the
one who would explode, because the bomb was in his damn belt."
Batman can hear Wonder Woman asking Alfred questions about
Bruce´s childhood. Then he hears her laughing.
"The pool story." Bruce said to himself.
A few steps down and Batman enters a big rocky room.
There is a small hole in the rock and the rising sun enters,
like some small flashlight.
The top of the cave is full of bats.
They make a lot noise when the Dark Knight put his feet inside the cave.
He looks at them and nods his head.
That night that little girl had not lost her faith in him.
She knew he would save her. She had told him so.
When she rescued her after the fight, full of blood, weak,
in pain and anguish, little Mary did not care about that.
She hugged him and told him:
"I knew you´d come... Thank you..."
This night he has remembered why he does what he does.
Tonight Batman stands in the cave of the bat like that
first night so many nights ago.
And so many nights after Thomas and Martha Wayne left this world.
Bruce looks into the darkness.
He smiles again.
And Batman knows it´s all a new beginning.
And that he will never stop trying.
And that he´s feeling young, strong, envigorated.
Like coming back. Back to square one.
"Hello, again. I´ll be always around..."
THE END
No money was mode with this story. It´s just to have fun.
Please forgive grammar and spelling mistakes.
English is not my native tongue. =)
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story.
R & R please!
BATMAN: SQUARE ONE
Willie "Cut" Pullez ran as fast as he could.
Gotham night was around him and there were tears escaping from his eyes.
He did not stop his run but turned and shot at the dark behind him.
"Die! Die!"
Willie couldn´t see anything. Those alleys were dark and, even though he
knew them very well, he felt like a mouse in a labyrinth.
A dark and wet labyrinth.
He pointed the gun at...
"Where..?"
He was alone. There was no one in sight.
But he wasn´t alone.
"Oh, my... Where are you..."
Sound. At his right.
BLAM!
The bullet produced sparks in the metal of the trash cans in the
silent alley and some light was made.
He couldn´t see anything around though.
A furry little rat ran away, scared, from under the trash cans.
Willie was covered in sweat but still he chuckled.
His situation was funny. Afraid of a little rat and trembling
because he thought something was after him. He was alone now.
He knew he was alone.
"Where´s the girl, Cut?"
Willie felt the blood going from his head straight to his feet.
Fear´s cold fingers touching his neck sweaty.
That voice, terse and menacing. Where did it came from?
He didn´t know. Escape. He saw the sewer entrance under him.
Yes. That thing would never follow him into that stinky place.
He pulled up the trap as fast as he could and jumped inside the hole.
His nightmare was just beginning.
* * *
"Great Hera, this is stupid. We can fly, Clark." Diana said when they
were waiting for a cab.
"And using glasses and my hair like this. I look like a character from a
lame 70´s TV series..."
"Did you like the name I choose for you?" Clark said with a hint
of fun in his voice.
"Diana Prince? Oh, for a reporter and a (great) novelist you don´t seem to
use your imagination when It´s about me..."
The Amazon Princes was not comfortable with dressing like a mere human.
Diana had a lot of contradictions. Clark had thought about telling her that
but Wonder Woman was a woman that reacted with violence sometimes.
Clark tried to make her feel better.
"Look, sometimes I do this. Reminds me I´m human.
Once I was quite upset because Perry and I had to fly by plane to Smallville.
Perry started talking and I thought the flight was going to be very very long..."
"And?"
Clark smiled. His eyes were bright behind those funny glasses.
"Well, I was wrong. It was the shortest trip ever. Perry´s stories where
amazing. You know, that man has dedicated his life to journalism."
Diana chuckled and put his luggage into the cab´s trunk.
Then she looked at the sky and her face got serious.
"He will not be at home, you know. It´s nightime."
Clark opened the door and Diana got inside the cab.
"Yes. I know."
Inside the cab the stench of tobacco and sweat were almost sickening.
"To wheeeerreee, my frrriends?"
"Wayne Manor, please. As fast as possible." Clark said.
Diana put her hand over her face and tried not to breathe very hard.
"Pass as humans..." She said in a very low voice.
Still, Clark heared. And laughed in silence.
* * *
Gotham Stadium.The hockey game was over.
The Gotham Hawks Team had won an important match against The
Metropolis Dragons. So, people were leaving the stadium very slowly.
The emotion was still in the air.
"Great game, huh, Tim?" Jack Drake said and put his arm on his son´s shoulder.
"Yes, dad. I wish Leo Penna would give me his autograph..."
"He´s the best in the field. He´s very brave also.
I don´t think I could stand against those Metropolis guys... They are big..."
Tim smiled and looked at his father. He tried to smile.
"Dad, you´re a brave man. Believe me."
Jack didn´t answer. He seemed sad sometimes. Tim knew he had been
like that since his mother had...
"Look! there they are! They are coming out to ice to salute the public!"
An ovation.
The audience was very pleased with the game and all the team´s
players were in the middle of the ice, without the helmets
waving at the public.
"Maybe you can get Penna´s autograph, son." Jack said.
But Tim did not hear his dad. His attention was focused in the man running
around the ice-field. He was dirty with... mud? And he had a gun in his hand.
A gun.
"Yeah, Dad... I´m going near the field... I could get... lucky."
The man with the gun entered the field.
The ovation stopped. The screaming begun.
"He´s got a gun!"
Security guards ran around the field trying to reach him
but the man was already inside.
Suddenly, He was pointing his gun at Leo Penna and ordered all the players
to lie on the ice with their hands on their heads.
"But... but it´s cold..."
"Do it, dammit!!! Do it!!!"
The man was sweating buckets and his clothes were dirty.
His left arm was bleeding and Leo saw something coming out of the wound.
Like a little black pointy thing. And very sharp.
He didn´t know what it was but sure as hell that was not a knife.
And, God, the smell... Awful, stinking and coming from that man.
Security officers around the field tried to talk to him.
"Shut up!!" he said and shot at them. The bullet hit one
of the guards in the leg.
More screams. Tim was behind one bench trying to change his
clothes but then he heard people talking nervously.
"Look! What´s that?"
"I´ve never believed he existed..."
"Oh, God have mercy of us..."
Tim got up and looked.
The shadow fell from the top of the stadium and suddenly
it was standing in front the armed man.
"Give it up, Willie!" the voice was like thunder.
"Leave me alone!!! You hear, LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"
Willie put the gun in Leo Penna´s head.
"Oh, please..." Leo said.
"SHUT UP!!!"
The criminal then turned and looked at Batman.
"Get away or he buys it!!! I know bullets can´t hurt you!!!
I´ve heard all about you. Now, get away or I´ll blow his damn brains out!!!"
The crowd was silent. Still, Tim heard one woman crying and an old lady praying.
Batman stood in the ice like a statue.
Willie´s hand trembled and his mouth was dry.
Waiting.
"Where´s the girl, Cut?" Batman said in a calm, but loud voice.
"I said ... GET AWAY!!!"
Leo Penna closed his eyes and begged for mercy as he felt the cold piece of
metal against his forehead.
Willie pulled the trigger. At least he tried to.
His finger did not answer.
A very small piece of black metal was (suddenly) stuck into Willie´s hand,
right deep into the forefinger´s tendon.
A lot of blood started to come out from the wound.
There was no pain... in that moment.
Silence. The whole stadium was looking at that scene that was as terryfing as it was incredible.
Willie was still trying to understand what was happening.
He looked at his hand.
And it was over.
The shadow of the Bat fell over him inmediatly.
Covering him with darkness.
Something came out of Batman hands when he fell over Willie.
Sound of glass crashing. The stadium lights over the ice where broken
in an instant, and what was happening in the field was not too clear to see.
Only Willie´s scream gave people a clue of what was happenning.
"Oh, Godddd!! No!!! Help! Help M...*!
Tim was going to put on the special night vision glasses Harold designed,
but it wasn´t necessary. The light suddenly came back.
Batman was standing near the unconscious Willie "Cut" Pullez.
Tim knew he was relaxing now. He knew by looking at Bruce´s movements.
Now the menace was over.
Silence. The Hockey players started to get up slowly.
Claps. The players were clapping.
The audience, slowly started to clap too.
Shouts.
Whistles.
Ovation.
Batman did not say a thing.
He grabbed Willie by the shirt and walked towards Leo Penna...
"Are you all right, son?" he asked with a voice as cold as the ice below them.
"Yes... Sir. Thank you very much." Leo was still trembling
but the courage he had shown was amazing.
He was trying to control himself.
Batman nodded.
And, without letting Willie go, he went to the security officers and
looked at the wounded man.
"How´s he?" Batman asked one of the officers.
The guard was amazed. Batman himself was talking to him.
"The bullet hit the muscle." The guard say nervously.
"He´s hurting and in pain. But he will use the leg again."
The ovation continued. Applauses. Shouting.
Batman put Willie over his shoulder after tying his hands up.
He hurled a smoke capsule against the ice.
Suddenly he was covered with smoke.
The audience applauded again
Then he took a small gun-like artifact.
Bang.
A hook with a rope came out of it and, suddenly, he was going up.
And then Batman was gone.
Tim, allowed himself a small smile.
He stood up and went slowly back to his father´s side.
He heard people talking and yelling around him.
"Did you see that? Did you see that???"
"So, that was Batman..."
"... he actually exists...!"
"Wish I had my camera here..."
"Oh, God..."
"Is he human?"
"I dunno, but he´s sure a hell of a showman..."
* * *
The big brown door opened and this tall and distinguished man dressed
in black appeared behind it.
"Welcome to Wayne Manor, Mr Kent. Madam. Do you need help with that?"
"No, thank you, Alfred. It´s okay." said Diana pulling her bags into the manor.
"An explendid disguise you´re wearing, Madam."
Clark chuckled. "Thank you for receiving us Alfred. Does he know?"
Alfred´s voice had a hint of worry.
Still, not a single muscle in his british face moved.
"I´ve not tell a soul, Mr. Kent. I could loose my job for this.
I´m not sure they would accept me back at Buckingham Palace..."
"You were really at...?" Diana started but Clark interrupted her.
"English humor." he said. "Alfred, Bruce´s at... uhh... work?"
"Yes, Mr Kent. I was watching the hockey game live from Gotham´s stadium
and I can assure that now."
"What do you mean, Alfred?" Diana asked.
"See it for yourself, Madam. I taped it. Please follow me to the TV room."
"That ´room´ looks like a cinema, Alfred." Clark said behind him.
"True Mr. Kent. Sometimes I watch old Buster Keaton movies in the big screen
with Master Bruce, Master Dick and Master Tim and we have some beers and good laughs."
Diana put her mouth near Clark´s hear.
"Is he joking now?"
"I hope so..." Clark answered.
* * *
"Wake up."
Willie opened his eyes. His head hurt. His arm and hand too.
Pain, pain, everywhere.
"Oh, god... I cant´see anything..."
"You´re going to tell me where the child is, Willie." said the menacing voice in the dark.
Willie was confused. Where was he? Blood coming out from his nose.
Pain. He was cold and wet. And dirty.
Willie hurt. Hurt like hell.
"I want to know who and where you boss is, Willie. You´re going to tell me that too."
"He will kill me..." Willie cried. "... Kill me... Arrrgh!!!"
Something suddenly grabbed his wounded finger and twisted it a little.
Pain was incredible.
"Oh, stop, stop, stop it... PLEASE!!! I don´t know who he is!!!"
"How´s that?"
"I´ve never even seen him fer crying out loud!!! He leaves me cash and
instructions at home!!! I just do what he tells me!! PLEASE STOP IT!"
The pain suddenly ceased. Willie still could not see anything.
"Oh, God, oh, please... Oh.. fu..."
"Watch your mouth." the voice said.
* * *
The video stopped. Diana and Clark were sitting in one big couch and Alfred was
standing near them. Clark put on his glasses again and passed a hand over his hair.
"He got quite an acknowledgment there" Clark said.
"Master Bruce cares little for that, Mr. Kent."
Diana put an strange face.
"I wonder what he really cares about... I don´t know why we are here...
He does not care for us and that I know..."
"I beg to differ, Madam." Alfred said calmly but his tone was slightly different.
Like a father talking about his son. Defending his son.
"Master Bruce is a solitary man, but he does care a lot for many people around him."
Diana looked at the butler with sudden interest.
"I know, Alfred. You mean Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl..."
"Diana..." Clark started.
"He has a great deal of respect for you, Sir." Alfred said looking at Clark.
"When he got... mmm... expeled from JLA, Master Bruce was quite sad.
You two had voted him out."
"Alfred, I was... upset and angry with him... That rock he developed hurt
me in a way I never imagined possible and... You said ´sad´?"
Diana was following every one of Alfred´s words with a lot of interest.
"I was with Master Bruce when he developed those fail-safes.
You can imagine how it cost him to forgive himself for what he was doing.
He used to say: ´I´m sorry, please, understand...´ Guilt was destroying him."
Diana was amazed.
"He said that to you, Alfred?"
Alfred was slightly amused by the question but he did not demonstrate it.
"You must be kidding, Madam. We are talking about Master Bruce.
He said that to himself. I heard him once or twice.
Please don´t tell Master Bruce I´ve said this to you.
He does not like to talk about this kind of things."
Clark smiled and got up.
"I don´t think Bruce´s coming home soon. I´m going to the cave."
"Wait, I will disconnect the alarms for you, Mr. Kent."
"Thank you, Alfred."
Diana stood up too. She looked around and then asked.
"Alfred, is it possible for me to take a shower?"
Clark raised an eyebrow and left the room.
"Of course, Madam. I will take you at once to Master Bruce´s bathr..."
"Oh, no, no... Not in his bathroom, please..."
"Madam, If Master Bruce learns that you wanted to take a shower
and that I didn´t offered you his private bathroom he would
fire me inmediatly."
Diana was stunned. Was he joking?
"Are you serious...?" she asked in disbelief.
"You don´t know how serious I am, Madam. Please, follow me"
They left the room and walked up the stairs. Diana noticed a big painting
on the wall. A couple. A Man that looked a lot like Bruce but with mustache
and very beautiful woman with dark hair and blue eyes.
"Alfred... are those...?"
"Yes, Madam. Master Thomas and his beloved wife, Martha.
Master Bruce´s parents..."
"How old was he when...?"
"Only six years old, Madam..." and then Alfred looked away and
his voice was slightly different again. "Only six years old..."
* * *
Batman kicked the door. It collapsed. That was easy.
The next steps would not be like that.
The Dark Knight entered the abandoned factory.
He heard in the distance a voice. A little girl crying.
Lots of chains in the floor made of metal.
Where? Where?
There. Batman walked very carefully.
The place was dark and he knew someone was waiting for him.
Laughter... Near.
"Welcome, Batman... You´ve found me! And so soon." the voice had some
kind of electronic distortion. It sounded like a robot from "Star Wars" talking.
"Stop the voice-act. I know who you are..."
Silence. Then the robotic voice again.
And sounds made by a little girl crying down a very long hall.
"You know who I am? Heh, heh, heh... I don´t buy this...
Did I screw up so easily? How did you know I was behind this?"
Batman´s voice turned into a growl.
"I´m a detective. You should know that."
"Then, come and get me, Winged Avenger...
Before I get to little Mary and do what I do best..."
* * *
Clark looked around. Everytime he was in the Bat-cave he was amazed.
A place so big, with so many places to hide.
Bruce loved that place. And hiding.
He noticed a costume behind a special glass.
He read the plaque.
"JASON TODD. A good soldier."
A voice behind Superman.
"He was like a son to him."
Clark smiled and turned around.
Dick Grayson in his black costume was standing near the Batmobile´s
parking place.
"Hi, Nightwing. Glad you came."
"I wouldn´t miss this for anything in the world.
But, I´m kinda dissapointed.
I was hoping I could get you by surprise..."
Clark and Dick gave each other a handshake.
"Only your mentor can sneak up on me... And I heard your motorcycle
when I was upstairs."
Dick lowed his voice like if someone could hear them.
"I think Kyle, Dinah and Barbara are coming... But I´m not so sure about..."
"I know... They had some... arguments, right?"
"We all had problems with Bruce at least once in our lifes.
He is not an easy person..."
Clark put a hand on Dick´s shoulder.
"Tell me about it..."
"You know, I´m not sure how´s he gonna react to this..."
"Well, Dick... That´s what makes all this interesting..."
* * *
Diana got out of the bathroom with steam still coming up from her wet skin.
She was wearing a blue wrap with a small bat sewed on it.
"Cute." she said to herself.
She stopped at a small table near the door.
There were three different pictures.
One showed Bruce with Dick sitting in a camping.
Dick was young, maybe 14 years old.
Bruce had his hand on Dick´s shoulder and he was smiling.
Diana had never seen Bruce smile.
Never.
Until now.
And looking at him without the cape and cowl...
So different
The other picture was Bruce with other kid.
Jason. They were at some great lake. They had caught a very big fish.
Jason was stealing Bruce´s bait.
They were laughing.
Laughing.
Like a father with his son.
That kid was dead. Diana knew. Clark once told her that awful story.
The Joker had beaten him up and then killed him and his mother with a bomb.
Jason put himself in front of his mother to save her
but the explosion killed them both.
Bruce never really recovered from that.
The last picture was Bruce and Tim. Playing golf together in Wayne Manor.
Alfred took the picture. His british shadow was visible on the ground.
Bruce was explaining Tim how to play but Tim was looking at him with
a funny expresion, almost mocking him.
This kid was mocking Batman himself.
She touched the picture and smiled.
Bruce´s room was inmense. And dark.
The bed was large, even for a big man like Bruce.
Diana suddenly thought how many women could have been there with Bruce.
And doing it. Then she blushed and laughed out loud.
She had never thought about Batman like that.
The amazon sat on the bed, gently, she touched the gray sheets.
"Mr. Wayne..." she said in a deep voice.
"What are you doing, Mr Wayne? Why did you bring me here?
Oh, Bruce... what are your intentions?"
She laid on the bed facing the ceiling, closing her eyes, feeling comfortable.
"Batman... I did not know your... bed was this big..."
Diana felt sleepy. Three minutes passed and then she was dreaming something.
And Bruce was in that dream.
What she dreamt, we can´t know. But she enjoyed it, that´s for sure.
* * *
Batman found the girl tied up in a chair. Her mouth covered.
Crying. She was clearly scared when The Dark Knight appeared.
He took the bandages of her mouth but she was not making a sound.
Panic. Then she burst in tears, calling for her mom and dad.
"Hush, dear." Batman said. "I´m going to take you home now.
Don´t be afraid of me."
Suddenly, the girl´s eyes opened wide.
There was a flash in her pupils.
With incredible speed, Batman moved his right hand up and caught someone´s arm.
And that someone had a knife in his hand.
"Zsasz." Batman said.
"Nice to see you again, Winger Avenger..."
"Why, Zsasz? Why did you did this? You murdered this girl´s family and you took her.
WHY?"
"Well, I had planned it, you know. I like survivors who will fear my name for
the rest of their puny lifes... And this girl here is a survivor... for now..."
Batman´s grip on the killer´s arm was stronger now.
Bruce was starting to feel his own anger rising.
Danger.
"You burned her family to death..."
"Oh, I know... That must bother you. Well, It bothered me too.
But I had to change my M.O. That should have made my trail a lot harder to find...
How did you know it was me?"
Batman face was even darker now.
"You´ll never know." he growled.
A kick at Zsasz stomach made the psycho fly.
He hit his back hard against the wall.
He made a sound. Batman thought he was moaning but no.
It was laughter.
"Heheheheheh..." Zsasz laughed.
His mouth was bleeding hard but the madness in his eyes made him look like what he was.
A demon. With fire in his expression.
"You know, this girl, all this is my present for you in this special night..."
"There´s nothing special with this night..."
Zsasz seemed dissapointed.
His face showed (if that was possible) some kind of surprise.
He tried to get up.
"Hey, there IS something special about this night.
It´s your anniversary!
Eleven years ago you appeared in Gotham. Don´t you remember?
Now, I´m going to make this an special evening... For You!"
He opened his coat. Another knife was suddenly in his hand.
Batman gave two steps back.
"Her death... and your death... And you´ll be out of your misery, Batman.
Forever..."
In a blink of an eye, Zsasz jumped towards Batman with the knife ready to slash.
"Now, dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
Batman hit the killer in his chin as hard as he could and Zsasz fell out of the room.
He stood up with incredible speed and came back towards the Dark Knight.
"I´m burning, baby!"
Bruce got out of the room.
He did not want to be near the girl during the fight.
"Come for me, Zsasz. Kill me."
"With pleasure..." The killer hissed.
And followed Batman into the darkness.
* * *
"You slept a couple of hours..." Clark said, now in his Superman costume.
"Well, yes. That´s one comfortable bed." Diana answered as she got into the cave.
She was wearing her Wonder Woman suit. And she smelled like heaven.
"Hi, Dick."
"Hi, Princess." Grayson smiled at her.
"Where´s your mentor? Has he returned?"
"Not yet. Don´t be counting on him coming too soon, Princess" Dick answered scratching his head.
"Would you like some tea, Princess Diana?" Alfred asked behind her.
"Oh, yes, Thank you very much, Alfred."
Diana took a beautiful chinnese cup.
The tea was hot and delicious.
"You´re welcome, Princess."
"Oh, How did you know I like tea with one spoon of sugar?"
Alfred smiled. But he was back at his serious self one second later.
"I didn´t, Madam. Master Bruce told me one.
When you drink tea at your JLA meetings he noticed you
putting one spoon of sugar in your tea."
Dianna was stunned.
She would have never thought Bruce could pay attentions to small things like those.
He was such a cold and distant man.
But he prevented his butler about her driking tea habits.
Amazing.
"Well, he´s a detective..." Superman said taking one cup of tea himself.
"Yes... he is." Wonder Woman said.
* * *
A lot of pipes in the ceiling. The floor was made with some kind of metal.
Oxid everywhere. Many holes. Batman came to a dead end.
Old chains on the floor.
"You don´t have anywhere to go, Batman."
"Zsasz, drop the knife. That´s enough."
A creepy laugh came out of Zsasz mouth.
"Enough? There´s never enough, Batman. I will never be satisfied...
I´m burning! Burnining! Look at the scars in my body.
I´m an artist. And art is never pleased."
"You´re a killer."
"Yes. A killer artist. Burning inside. Burning with hate." Zsasz laughed again.
"Not one more scar in your skin Zsasz. Not one more."
"Oh, Batman... At least one more... The scar that indicates you´ve been
part of my never-ending game."
Batman suddenly opened his cape.
He looked like a big, menacing medieval monster with bat wings now.
And looked at Zsasz with fire in his eyes.
"Come and claim it, murderer..."
Zsasz jumped and the knife´s blade cut Batman on his chest.
Small wound but lots of blood. Batman hit hard on the killers face.
Blood came out from Zsasz´s mouth. And a tooth.
The killer fell to the floor, old chains all over him, around him.
"That´s the second... time you´ve... broken that!"
Zsazs got up. Fire in his eyes full of madness.
Some chains where hanging from his body and were all around
him like long, heavy snakes. Amazingly, he could move.
And very fast.
"You´re dead now... We´ll burn together"
Zsasz ran towards Batman with the strenght of a bull.
Batman was ready to strike back.
The murderer moved the knife, lighting fast, and blood came
out from Batman´s shoulder. But the floor was old and
some part of the metal collapsed under the killer´s feet.
The overweight of the chains made that happen.
Zsasz fell through a big opening that suddenly, like a trap,
opened and swallowed him whole.
"Curseee youuuuuu...!!!"
Crack.
Silence.
Batman looked over the hole.
Zsasz´s was dead.
The chains had tied up around his throat, hanging him when
he fell into the hole. His neck was broken.
The psycho´s eyes were still looking up and he had an
expression of surprise (if that was possible) on his face.
Batman touched the bleeding wound on his chest.
"Son of a bitch." The Dark Knight said. "Now, you can burn in hell."
* * *
The Batmobile ran across the dark night like a devil on wheels.
Batman was in pain. Hurting. Tired as hell.
The girl was safe now. She was in costudy. He would visit her soon.
When they got out of that damned factory, little Mary fell assleep in his arms.
She did not fear him anymore.
"Nnngggg...!"
Pain from Zsasz cuts. Lots of blood lost.
Batman was thinking about what would happen when he arrived to the Batcave.
He would call Alfred. Some bandages on his wounds.
Something to eat. Water too. A hot bath.
And then sleep. Lots of sleep. He deserved it now.
The fire of his obsession was calming down.
One killer was stopped.
That felt good.
The vehicle entered the cave and stopped in it´s spot.
"Nngg..."
The cabin opened and The Dark Knight descended from the Batmobile.
Pain in his chest and shoulder.
"Alfred... Alfred?"
Silence... Not even the bats made noise.
The cave was all dark, nothing was on.
"Damn... Nggngg..."
Batman pulled a couple of batarangs from his belt.
Someone had entered the cave. He was sure.
Someone turned on the lights.
"Arrrghhhhhhh!" Batman attacked but he stopped with violence
when he saw what was in front of him.
A large table in the middle of the bat-cave.
A big, chocolate cake with a bat-simbol on it.
One gigantic black poster hanging from the rocks of the cave.
"Happy anniversary, Batman!" written on it with yellow letters.
Batman could not believe what he saw...
"Wha.. What´s...?"
"SURPRISE, BATMAN!!!!"
Batman turned around and saw a lot of people standing there.
In his cave.
Alfred. Nightwing. Barbara Gordon. Cassie.
Superman. Wonder Woman. J´onn. Kyle Rayner.
Wally West. Blue Beetle.Dinah.
Oliver Queen and even Plastic Man.
"Oh." Batman said.
And right after saying that, he collapsed.
"Master Bruce!"
"Batman!"
"Bruce!"
* * *
Nightmare.
"Burning. Burning with me..."
"Die..."
"I´m not like you, killer...!
"... Anniversary..."
"Killer..."
"I´m a detective..."
"Betrayed our trust..."
"I´m tired, I´m old... It´s time to retire..."
"Mom! Dad!"
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"...BREAK YOU!!!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
"Criminals are coward..."
"Jason, Jason, Jason... JASON!!!"
"I shall become... A BAT..."
* * *
Bruce felt the smooth skin of a woman´s hand touching his cheek.
That was a small pleasure in a night full of pain.
"Talia?"
He woke up with violence.
A beautiful brunnette with blue eyes and a radiant, almost
supernatural smile, was sitting near him on his bed.
"I´m not Talia, Bruce..."
"Princess? What are you doing here...?"
"We are all here, Bruce. You´ve had a rough night.
But still, you were quite surprised..."
"Wait, let me..." Bruce made an attemp to get up but Diana
gently put her hands on his shoulders and made him lay again.
She was irresistible.
"First, you are naked. Second, you´re going to have some toast and tea.
And then, just after you´ve dressed up, you´re going down to the cave
where we´ll continue the celebration..."
"Celebration." Bruce said. He didn´t know exactly what she meant.
"You´ve been sleeping for two hours.
But you´re still in your aniversary night.
You don´t have fever and your wounds are all patched up.
We are not going to let you get away from this party just because you´ve had a rough night."
Bruce closed his eyes like trying to remember something.
"Zsasz... gave me quite a... celebration a few hours ago..."
Diana looked slightly amused at Bruce´s commentary.
"Really? Was it good?"
Bruce tried to smile. He only managed to look bitter.
A hand on his bandages indicated he was still in pain
"Well... not for him."
Diana kept looking at him. He was obviously trying to say something.
"Still... he actually gave me something..."
Bruce looked straight at Diana´s eyes.
The Princess trembled inside.
"Something good..."
"You want to tell me about it?"
Bruce got up and covered himself with a sheet.
Diana blushed and looked away. He allowed himself half a smile.
"I´ll tell you about it. When I get down to the cave."
* * *
A few minutes later, Batman walked down the stairs into the cave.
They did not noticed him. Superman was talking with Kyle and Beetle.
Wonder Woman, Dinah and Barbara were chatting and laughing in a low voice.
They were drinking champagne too.
Alfred was helping everybody had what they needed and Cassie was
playing darts with Nightwing.
Ollie was trying to explain Plastic Man a few things about archery
but Plas was too busy checking out Dinah´s legs.
Batman stood at the end of the stairs.
"Now, I´m here."
His voice was like a bomb. Everyone shut up and looked at him.
"Oh, no... he´s angry with me for setting this up..." Superman thought.
Batman looked straight at him and Superman reminded himself Bruce
couldn´t read minds. He started talking.
"This same night, but eleven years ago, I went out into Gotham´s night and
my life changed forever. I discovered that I could help people, stop crime,
make changes into one city. Soon, I discovered it wasn´t enough. Then I
discovered I could never acomplish my goal."
Oliver cleared his throat and drank some champagne.
"I´ve heard the screams of the innocents. I´ve sworn to do anything to
protect innocent lifes. I´ve done my best and more and I will never
stop trying. I´ve lost soldiers, people I cared for."
Batman looked one instant to Jason´s Robin costume and then he
focused on the people in front of him.
"Tonight. You´re here. I don´t know why. Somehow, celebrating I exist.
I´ve never thought this was possible but, something happenned today.
Someone told me... "
Bruce interrupted himself and looked down.
"Someone who should have lost all hope told me..."
He interrupted himself again.
Nightwing bit his lower lip.
He understood Bruce´s effort, he could almost feel his exhaustation
as he tried to say... something. Still there was no emotion in Bruce´s face.
If you didn´t knew the man you could never say he was nervous.
Batman elevated his eyes and stared at all of them.
"I guess what I´m trying to say is... Thank you.
Please enjoy the celebration."
Batman smiled and walked into one of the passages of the cave.
Clark looked at him and Bruce moved his lips: "Thank you"
just before going into that dark path.
Clark felt relieved.
"Did you see that?" Dinah said to Diana "He smiled!!! I´ve never seen that
before"
Diana looked at the place where Batman had dissappeared. She remembered
those pictures at Bruce´s room.
"I have." she answered. And she had to repress her impulse to run after him.
* * *
Behind him there´s a celebration.
Noise has begun again and he can hear Superman´s words talking about
their first encounter. Magpye. Laughs. Questions about Bruce.
"Thought he was another criminal" Superman says with a funny tone on his voice
"He got me. He told me there was a bomb somewhere in Gotham ready to kill
an innocent person if I dared touching him. Well, it turned out HE was the
one who would explode, because the bomb was in his damn belt."
Batman can hear Wonder Woman asking Alfred questions about
Bruce´s childhood. Then he hears her laughing.
"The pool story." Bruce said to himself.
A few steps down and Batman enters a big rocky room.
There is a small hole in the rock and the rising sun enters,
like some small flashlight.
The top of the cave is full of bats.
They make a lot noise when the Dark Knight put his feet inside the cave.
He looks at them and nods his head.
That night that little girl had not lost her faith in him.
She knew he would save her. She had told him so.
When she rescued her after the fight, full of blood, weak,
in pain and anguish, little Mary did not care about that.
She hugged him and told him:
"I knew you´d come... Thank you..."
This night he has remembered why he does what he does.
Tonight Batman stands in the cave of the bat like that
first night so many nights ago.
And so many nights after Thomas and Martha Wayne left this world.
Bruce looks into the darkness.
He smiles again.
And Batman knows it´s all a new beginning.
And that he will never stop trying.
And that he´s feeling young, strong, envigorated.
Like coming back. Back to square one.
"Hello, again. I´ll be always around..."
THE END