PROLUGUE

It was beautiful. Beautiful. The way it just ran smoothly on the ground. Big, dark puddles of it. Her head it was long gone. He could have laughed. Her motionless, slender body was stretched along the concrete, torn with wounds. He knelt down and held out his hand for one quick moment. He focused. Blasts of hot energy flew out of his hands, burning the body to the crisp. With that, he stood up. With one quick moment, he was gone.

Puddles flew up in the air as the huge Batmobile sped through the streets, sending everything in its path aside. Fire blew out of its engine pipe at the back, sending clouds of steam flying out behind it. The Gotham night air was lit only by the moon and all of Gotham knew to be inside past midnight, even in packs.

The Batmobile sped up, easily gaining on the motorcycle. "Go away!" Screamed the man riding the bike. "Just leave me alone!" He took out the stolen money bag and held it in front of him. "See, I'm putting it down!" He yelled. He tossed it on to the streets. It fluttered on to the ground and flew out in to the wind.

It was still behind him, and gaining. He was average height, a few inches short of six ft., and thin. His hair was dirty blonde and long, hanging down past his shoulders. He was white, though tanned, and his face was thin and rough. He reached his hand in to his pocket and withdrew a revolver. He aimed at the Batmobile and shot. The bullets bounced harmlessly off the vehincle. He emptied out the clip, cursing obsceneties and tossed the empty weapon away.

Suddenly, a rope sprang out of the front of the Batmobile. There was a hook on the end and it flew out, the hook catching the edge of the motorcycle. The motorcycle was jerked back, sending the young man flying forward and in to a dumpster. He landed on his head, upside down.

The door of the Batmobile slid open. Batman stepped out. He was a tall and graceful figure, the cowls on his mask sharper and stronger than ever. His costume was made of leather and metal, utterly frightening, but also fascinating. The cape was longer, reaching around his broad, heavily muscled shoulders and gliding down to the floor. The bat insignia on his chest was dark, shining with something that resembled neon.

The young man, who's name was Eddie, stood up groggily. "Get tha hell away from me." He hollered. "Go away!" He snapped a pocket knife out of his pocket.

"You don't want to do that." Batman said calmly.

"Go away!" Eddie hollered.

"Put the knife away." Batman said. "You're coming with me."

"Oh, you're not taking me anywhere." Eddie snapped. "So you can go to hell."

Eddie rushed at Batman, knife outstretched. Batman waited for a moment and Eddie swiped at him. Batman ducked the blow and grabbed Eddie under the arm, throwing him over his shoulder. Eddie landed on his back. He swiped at Batman's legs but the Dark Knight side stepped the blow and kicked the weapon out of the man's hand.

"You're going to pay for that!" Eddie shouted.

A loud sound was heard. Batman looked around him. Dozens of gang members appeared, all holding weapons. Eddie laughed standing up.

One of the gang members said, "Your little game is up, Bat."

The gang member all got closer to him, holding out there weapons. Batman stood still, looking around him for anything, an escape. One gang member raised a long machete. Batman awaited the attack. Suddenly, a loud engine-like sound was heard.

They all looked up. Robin clutched on to the handlebars of the beautiful, long Redbird motorcycle screaming, "Whooo!" He was in the air until the motorcycle began to descend rapidly. He landed smoothly in a turn and stopped the Redbird. "Now that's what I call a ride." He said, getting off it and dusting himself off. His costume was black, a battle armor with a metallic, gray R insignia on his chest. His mask now, was shaped in a robin-like manner, longer around his eyes, and metallic also. His cape was long, though just reaching the edge of his beautiful boots.

"I told you to stay at home." Batman mumbled out of the side of his mouth.

Robin shook his head in disbelief, "Now is really not the time."

The gang members rushed at them. Batman ducked a blow and round house kicked the man. Another man aimed at him with a pocket knife. He grabbed the man's arm, easily breaking it, and punched him in the chest, sending him flying. Robin easily took on his own opponents, punching and kicking. A man aimed with a bat. Robin dodged the blow and speared the man against a dumpster. Then, he clothes lined the man in to the dumpster.

A man jumped on Batman's back. Batman elbowed him in the face and managed the throw the huge man on to the floor. He then ducked a blow and swept the attacker with his feet. The man with the machete lunged at Robin. Robin ducked the blow easily and upper cutted the man, sending him flying back in to a trash can.

A man rushed at Batman, swinging a long, thin spear-like object. Batman back flipped from the blow, landing on his feet a few ft. away from the man. Another man raised a gun, pointing it. Robin knocked his current attacker over and ran over to the man. The man aimed and shot at him instead. Robin flipped, landing on his hands, then springing to his feet so the bullets landed harmlessly away. Robin reached in to his utility belt quickly just as the man was aiming at him. Robin threw a batarang and it hit the gun, knocking it away from the man. Robin clucked, "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with guns?"

A man swung at Batman. Batman side stepped the attack and lifted the man, throwing him against the wall. He then punched a nearby man in the jaw and kicked him in the stomach, sending him stumbling back. He turned and saw some men heading towards his vehincle. Batman lifted a small device out of his utility belt. There was a joystick on it and some buttons. Batman touched a button. The Batmobile immediately transformed, spouting out armor. Thousands of spikes came out of the interior. The men who had been reaching out were instantly poked painfully by the spikes. Batman pressed another button. A net shot out of the Batmobile, it was huge, and it captured all of the men, surrounding them together.

"Get me the hell out of here!" A man hollered.

Batman pushed the joystick forward and flames sputtered out of the engine pipes of the Batmobile. The Batmobile sped away, quickly engulfed in the shadows of the night. Batman pressed another button and the Redbird sped after it. There were few people left. Robin smashed a man in the face and kicked him in the chest, then jump kicked him in the face. The man fell, unconscious. Batman grabbed two men and slammed their heads together. They too fell unconscious. There were no more attackers left. Robin expected Batman to say something but the caped crusader simply said, "Tie them up." They quickly bound the men with thick nylon cables. Batman flipped a device with a screen out of his pocket. He pressed a button and it was turned on to reveal the face of Commisioner James Gordon.

"Batman?" Gordon asked.

Batman nodded, "Yes, Commisioner, we've had some trouble on Williams Avenue, 7th street. Some thugs are here, unconscious."

Gordon nodded, "Very well. We'll be there in a few minutes."

Batman nodded. The Dynamic Duo stood still for a few moments. Then, Batman took out his grapple gun and aimed it at a roof top. Then he shot a grapple line, jumping in the air and swinging away. Robin watched and shook his head in disbelief. Then, Robin took out his grapple gun and swung away after his partner.

"Nothing seems to be going on here." Batman said, watching the Batcomputer located in the Batmobile. Robin sat in the passenger seat. Batman was driving, while looking at the Batcomputer. Batman turned it off as they entered the Batcave and the entrance closed behind them. He drove down a narrow ledge until he reached the car's platform. Then, they both got out. The platform started to spin with the Batmobile. They both walked away, towards the Batcomputer. A thin, eldery man wearing a three piece suit with a bow tie was holding a tray with milk and brownies on it.

"Dinner is served." Alfred Pennyworth said.

"Oh, thanks, Alfred." Robin said, taking off his small mask. It revealed a young boyish face with black, curly hair. Dick Grayson set his mask down and grabbed his dinner. "You want some, Bruce?" He asked.

"Oh, no, I'll be fine." Bruce Wayne said, setting his mask aside. His face was full and muscular, square jaw and hard chin. His hair was full but short and his eyes were small but intelligent.

"Well, I'm going to change." Dick said, heading for the elevator. He removed his glove, still holding his tray, and set his hand against a little hand print reading device on the wall next to the elevator. It hastily read his finger prints.

"Access allowed."

The door opened and Dick got in. "See you," He yawned. "Got a big test tomorrow. Gotta crash after these cookies." The door closed and the elevator rose.

"Anything I can get you, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked.

Bruce shook his head, waving it away with his gloved hands. "No, that's o.k., Alfred."

"Very well," Alfred said, "I'll be heading for my living quarters." And he too headed too the elevator, holding out his hand for reading. The elevator opened and Bruce watched him go up.

Bruce headed to the massive Bat Computer that was set in the Batcave. He dropped in to the swivel chair and typed a few words. There was no emergency. He smiled, content and shut it off, heading towards the elevator. Perhaps if he had stayed a few seconds later, he would have seen the emergency calling.