The City was darker than usual. No stars, no moon. Miles above the Gotham
Ritz, a lone figure clung to the underneath of a gargoyle with a vice-like
gloved hand. Either side of him, dark fabric flew out like waiting wings
casting a dark shadow across the huge building on which he now grasped.
Any below who looked up would fail to see The Batman, his life depending upon his hand's grip upon the underside of the grimacing bust. His cowled head moved slowly from left to right, scoring the city as a bird scouts for its prey. Finding none, his powerful leg muscles tensed before extending hard, firing his entire body from the buildings side like a bullet from a gun. His cape flew out behind him, now held by both of his wiry arms. Bringing his arms forward, the cape extended, more than ever resembling dark and menacing wings. It became a drag on his momentum, a hindrance on gravity. As he darted down, he let out behind himself an almost invisible strand of rope. The fibre wrapped tight around another bust, pulling taunt and allowing the Batman to swing his figure round, changing direction in mid-air away from the famous club. Releasing the rope, he snatched with lightning speed a grapnel from his versatile belt and fired it towards another building. His aim was true, allowing the clawed end to find a grip on the skyscraper. He again swung, retracted his grapnel and glided down with his cape into an alley a few streets away from The Ritz.
Landing gracefully, Batman stood up to his full height and seeing for the first time a nearby rolls. He stepped up to the car, opened the passenger door and stepped in.
"Good night, Master Bruce?" The driver enquired.
"Difficult, Alfred." The Batman answered. "But about to get more so."
"Indeed. I had hoped that you would put aside this Gala event to concentrate on acquiring a modicum of rest, certainly something that has evaded you recently." The engine started smoothly, the noise never rising above a soft purr. "Not that I mind chauffeuring. This is no doubt one of the finest back alley's in all of Gotham."
"This event is important from the point of view of Wayne Enterprises. The Metropolis Branch's merger with Lexcorp was a large source of income for the company. It is up to Bruce Wayne to make appearances."
"Even if you had little control over the merger yourself."
There came no answer to this. Batman was in the process of changing into a smart tuxedo suit that had been hanging on the far side of the car. The Rolls tinted windows allowed no visual intrusions.
The car pulled around the corner to the Ritz Club. At the entrance large bouncers were greeting guests and stockholders. Alfred drove the car right up to the main steps. The door into which Batman had entered before was opened, and out stepped Bruce Wayne. Flash bulbs went off all around the entrance and questions were being shot at him by the press. Two massive bouncers escorted Mr Wayne through the doors of the prestigious event before closing them on the prying eyes of the paparazzi cameras.
"Bruce! How are you?" Wayne was being addressed by Lucius Fox, the company's general manager. "Still the old night owl? Come and have a drink."
Lucius invited Bruce over to a group of five people. Three were men wearing black tuxedos, and the other two were women, one in a red dress and the other in a shorter green one. They were all drinking white wine except for one.
"Bruce, this is Mr John Brennan, the vice-president of our Metropolis branch, with his lovely wife Linda. Mr and Mrs Brennan, Bruce Wayne." Bruce shook hands with both Brennan, a slightly overweight individual of average height, and then his short and similarly plump wife in the red dress.
"He organised the merger with Lexcorp Arms Division. This is Mr Bill Dee from Lexcorp, with whom the merger was finalised. This is his wife to be, Miss Jane Lorents." Dee was tall and handsome, with an almost shaved head. His fiancée Lorents was also tall and very beautiful, with raven-black hair. There was an exotic quality about her that was familiar to Wayne, although at the time he could not place why.
"And finally," Luscious spoke up when the introductions had finished, "This is Mr Castiglione from New York. He is writing a book on arms commerce." Bruce shook Castiglione's hand. As every businessman knows, the best way to begin an acquaintance is by a very strong handshake, but his grip was among the firmest that Wayne had ever encountered. Castiglione was very well built; he had a very thin moustache and a short ponytail tied at the back. His muscles could be seen bulging parts of his tuxedo. He was about the same height as Wayne with an incredibly similar build. As Wayne gripped his hand, Castiglione neither smiled nor spoke, but simply stared into his eyes.
"Are you a weapon expert yourself, Mr Castiglione?" Wayne enquired, "or a commerce expert?"
"Weapons, Mr Wayne," came the answer, "Like the ones being manufactured between Lexcorp and Wayne Enterprises Metropolis branch."
"I'm not fully informed on the system," Lucius began, "but I believe the US Army can benefit directly from this deal."
"Indeed." It was Brennan who had spoke. "That is the sole reason why I proposed the deal with Mr Dee here."
Dee spoke up, "With the enemies building in the east, the military can use all the help it can get. We are charging a very small percentage to the government in turn to developing these weapons."
"Have you been in the army yourself, Mr Castiglione?" Mrs Brennan enquired. Castiglione turned his head towards her slowly and almost menacingly.
"I served in 'Nam." His demeanour suddenly lightened as he said it. "I presume safety measures have been installed in city branches? I'd hate to think that those weapons could spill onto the streets of New York."
"Of course," said Dee, "the only way goods could leak is if Mr Wayne authorised it himself! We have introduced very tight security."
"Glad to hear it." Castiglione smiled for the first time, bringing the corners of his thin moustache up. "Gentlemen, ladies, I'm afraid I must leave you. I have an appointment to keep. Good evening." He left without shaking hands.
Any below who looked up would fail to see The Batman, his life depending upon his hand's grip upon the underside of the grimacing bust. His cowled head moved slowly from left to right, scoring the city as a bird scouts for its prey. Finding none, his powerful leg muscles tensed before extending hard, firing his entire body from the buildings side like a bullet from a gun. His cape flew out behind him, now held by both of his wiry arms. Bringing his arms forward, the cape extended, more than ever resembling dark and menacing wings. It became a drag on his momentum, a hindrance on gravity. As he darted down, he let out behind himself an almost invisible strand of rope. The fibre wrapped tight around another bust, pulling taunt and allowing the Batman to swing his figure round, changing direction in mid-air away from the famous club. Releasing the rope, he snatched with lightning speed a grapnel from his versatile belt and fired it towards another building. His aim was true, allowing the clawed end to find a grip on the skyscraper. He again swung, retracted his grapnel and glided down with his cape into an alley a few streets away from The Ritz.
Landing gracefully, Batman stood up to his full height and seeing for the first time a nearby rolls. He stepped up to the car, opened the passenger door and stepped in.
"Good night, Master Bruce?" The driver enquired.
"Difficult, Alfred." The Batman answered. "But about to get more so."
"Indeed. I had hoped that you would put aside this Gala event to concentrate on acquiring a modicum of rest, certainly something that has evaded you recently." The engine started smoothly, the noise never rising above a soft purr. "Not that I mind chauffeuring. This is no doubt one of the finest back alley's in all of Gotham."
"This event is important from the point of view of Wayne Enterprises. The Metropolis Branch's merger with Lexcorp was a large source of income for the company. It is up to Bruce Wayne to make appearances."
"Even if you had little control over the merger yourself."
There came no answer to this. Batman was in the process of changing into a smart tuxedo suit that had been hanging on the far side of the car. The Rolls tinted windows allowed no visual intrusions.
The car pulled around the corner to the Ritz Club. At the entrance large bouncers were greeting guests and stockholders. Alfred drove the car right up to the main steps. The door into which Batman had entered before was opened, and out stepped Bruce Wayne. Flash bulbs went off all around the entrance and questions were being shot at him by the press. Two massive bouncers escorted Mr Wayne through the doors of the prestigious event before closing them on the prying eyes of the paparazzi cameras.
"Bruce! How are you?" Wayne was being addressed by Lucius Fox, the company's general manager. "Still the old night owl? Come and have a drink."
Lucius invited Bruce over to a group of five people. Three were men wearing black tuxedos, and the other two were women, one in a red dress and the other in a shorter green one. They were all drinking white wine except for one.
"Bruce, this is Mr John Brennan, the vice-president of our Metropolis branch, with his lovely wife Linda. Mr and Mrs Brennan, Bruce Wayne." Bruce shook hands with both Brennan, a slightly overweight individual of average height, and then his short and similarly plump wife in the red dress.
"He organised the merger with Lexcorp Arms Division. This is Mr Bill Dee from Lexcorp, with whom the merger was finalised. This is his wife to be, Miss Jane Lorents." Dee was tall and handsome, with an almost shaved head. His fiancée Lorents was also tall and very beautiful, with raven-black hair. There was an exotic quality about her that was familiar to Wayne, although at the time he could not place why.
"And finally," Luscious spoke up when the introductions had finished, "This is Mr Castiglione from New York. He is writing a book on arms commerce." Bruce shook Castiglione's hand. As every businessman knows, the best way to begin an acquaintance is by a very strong handshake, but his grip was among the firmest that Wayne had ever encountered. Castiglione was very well built; he had a very thin moustache and a short ponytail tied at the back. His muscles could be seen bulging parts of his tuxedo. He was about the same height as Wayne with an incredibly similar build. As Wayne gripped his hand, Castiglione neither smiled nor spoke, but simply stared into his eyes.
"Are you a weapon expert yourself, Mr Castiglione?" Wayne enquired, "or a commerce expert?"
"Weapons, Mr Wayne," came the answer, "Like the ones being manufactured between Lexcorp and Wayne Enterprises Metropolis branch."
"I'm not fully informed on the system," Lucius began, "but I believe the US Army can benefit directly from this deal."
"Indeed." It was Brennan who had spoke. "That is the sole reason why I proposed the deal with Mr Dee here."
Dee spoke up, "With the enemies building in the east, the military can use all the help it can get. We are charging a very small percentage to the government in turn to developing these weapons."
"Have you been in the army yourself, Mr Castiglione?" Mrs Brennan enquired. Castiglione turned his head towards her slowly and almost menacingly.
"I served in 'Nam." His demeanour suddenly lightened as he said it. "I presume safety measures have been installed in city branches? I'd hate to think that those weapons could spill onto the streets of New York."
"Of course," said Dee, "the only way goods could leak is if Mr Wayne authorised it himself! We have introduced very tight security."
"Glad to hear it." Castiglione smiled for the first time, bringing the corners of his thin moustache up. "Gentlemen, ladies, I'm afraid I must leave you. I have an appointment to keep. Good evening." He left without shaking hands.