Batman had entered the house making not a sound. Before him was an overweight, drunken slob, mumbling incoherently while searching the room for something, another bottle of alcohol most likely.
The man had his back to him as Batman approached. No sign was shown that the man was even aware of Batman's presence until he felt the Dark Knight's breath on the back of his neck.
Tony Harris whirled around, expecting to confront his son, only to come to face the dark eyes of what he thought to be his death. Not that his inebriated mind could have come up with a coherent thought, but other than the sharp pain in his jaw, he had no time to form any other thoughts as his world descended into darkness.
Batman stood there for a moment, clenching and unclenching his armored fist that had just struck the man who had been abusing his son for god only knows how long. Batman had always been one to reign in his emotions no matter the circumstance, or so he thought. But, truth be told, he hadn't even registered throwing the punch until the action had been completed, and the drunken slob before him lay sprawled on the couch.
Shaking out of his musings, Batman glanced toward the staircase and listened intently. When he heard no sound of his son leaving his room, he turned his attention back to the bastard in front of him. He and Tony needed to have some words, but not here. Batman reached down and hauled the unconscious man out of the house. He made his way towards the Batmobile and grimaced as he deposited the man roughly into the passenger seat. He had to wince at the thought that this piece of garbage was soiling the seat his son had sat in not so long ago with his mere presence.
Batman made his way around the car and was quick to get in. He closed the cockpit and began to make his way out of the neighborhood. He had done a recon of this town earlier. He knew exactly where to go to do this.
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Anthony Harris had become used to the headache a hangover would cause. It had become almost a natural sensation that was almost a normal feeling nowadays. The sharp pain in his jaw was a new sensation, one that he hadn't felt in quite a while, his last bar brawl to be exact. That was the first thought that give him warning; something was amiss. The next realization confirmed this as he became aware of the fact that his feet were apparently dangling in the air. With more wariness than he usually showed, Tony Harris opened his eyes, and quickly wished he hadn't.
The sight was something that would haunt his nightmares for years to come, should he survive this experience. He was greeted with the enraged face of Batman. He knew who Batman was. He had watched the news on occasion, and he knew Batman's reputation. The visage in front of him was terror inducing, and the fact that Batman was holding him effortlessly, over the edge of a cliff, was a sobering experience. He saw the Dark Knight's eyes narrow dangerously, and found that he could no longer control his bladder as he began to wet himself in a state of panic.
Batman looked at the man he was currently hoisting in the air, with a good amount of anger and disgust. For a short moment his disgust surpassed his anger, as the man began to soil himself.
Batman turned slightly and tossed him onto the ground away from the cliff's edge. As if on instinct the man began to crawl backwards and away from his imposing figure. As Tony began to crawl backwards, Batman slowly stalked after him. When Tony's back finally collided with a tree, the man let out a whimper of fear.
In a meek and shaky voice he asked, "What do you want with me?"
Batman growled at him, causing Tony to push back against the unyielding tree. Batman was clenching his hands into fists, the action causing his Trinium Spikes to retract from their dormant position, lying against his armored arm. The movement of the, now noticeable, spikes caused Tony to yelp in shock. After a moment of unnerving silence, Batman responded.
"For years now you have been mentally and physically torturing that young man, that child that lives in your house." Normally Tony would have something to say whenever someone mentioned the boy, but as terrified as he was, for the first time in his life, Tony made an intelligent decision, and remained quiet. "Tonight I was there to witness your abuse first hand."
Tony was beside himself. How in the hell had Batman, of all people, taken any notice of his home life? This particular line of thought left him, as Batman leaned forward and spoke in an extremely menacing voice.
"Tonight it ends."
The last thing he remembered was Batman taking his first step forward before the overwhelming terror rendered him unconscious.
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Batman had taken but a step before the slob in front of him slumped to the ground. He stopped where he was and simply watched the slumped form. He could see the man's stomach rising and falling with each breath. As he was debating on what to do next, the sound of a twig snapping behind him drew his attention
A thin, lanky man with peroxide blonde hair, wearing a black leather trench coat stood behind him with a lit cigarette in his mouth and a cocky expression on his face.
"Hello Mate."
Batman looked at him for a moment. With a complexion that pale, the man couldn't be anything but a vampire. Good, he had some frustration to take out, and if it was a vampire, it had something he wanted, the jacket.
As he turned to address the possible vampire, it went on talking completely ignoring his movements.
"You know mate, me bird just left me. But before she left, for an entire week, she was raving about the 'dark warrior' who was going to give 'her kitten' new claws." The man with the British accent shook his head. "Now, me bird was a world class kook, who just flew the nest. But when she starts raving about the stars and her Ms. Edith, it's in one's best interest to listen." The man was now smiling dangerously. "Besides, she just left and I already miss her something fierce. Perhaps this will help me get me Dru back."
With concealed motions, Batman withdrew one of his 'specialized' batarangs. The vampire, however, continued talking; seemingly unaware of the danger he was in.
"Now, I don't know what I should have been expecting when I listened to that crazy bint, but it sure as hell wasn't you, Bats." He shook his head ruefully. "I mean, anything that would give her 'kitten' claws can't be all bad."
By the time he had finished that statement, Batman had already thrown his batarang. The darkness of the night cloaked the object as it flew towards its target. The throw was meant to incapacitate the vampire before dusting it. The reflexes on this vampire, however, appeared to be far greater than he had anticipated.
As the Trinium-laced, razor edge of the batarang neared, the vampire shifted his position, and instead of incapacitating him, it left a smoking gash along his cheek. The vampire looked pissed.
"Oy, what in the bleedin' 'ell do you think you're doin?" The vampire shifted into game face. "Here we were, having a nice conversation, when you had to go and do something like that. But if you want to play, then let's play." He pointed towards Batman's Trinium spikes. "And when I rip those off of your arm, you'll find out just why they called me William the Bloody, and Spike."
Just as Spike finished off his idle threat, he shifted position again, as if sensing something from behind him. By the time he had finished shifting his position, he had an identical gash on his other cheek, still smoking, as Batman caught the batarang from its return path.
Pissed off beyond belief, Spike rushed toward Batman, expecting to make good on his threat. Unlike most vampires, Spike had some actual knowledge on how to fight. He used his vampiric speed and strength, and a good amount of skill, to land a punch into the armored chest of Batman. The contact only staggered the Dark Knight back a step, but that was all that Spike wanted.
As Batman was forced back, Spike closed his hands around the spikes that had retracted from his arm. They looked sharp and jagged, but he was not expecting his undead flesh to start sizzling the moment his hands came in contact with them. With an unholy roar of pain he withdrew his hands, only to find them blistered and still smoking.
Batman used this to his advantage as he swept Spike's legs from under him. As Spike was heading for the ground, Batman's hand snaked out and grabbed the leather duster the vampire had been wearing.
As Spike rolled with his landing, the jacket was still grasped in Batman's armored hand. Batman tossed the jacket onto the ground and advanced on the downed vampire.
Even while cradling his damaged hands, Spike was able to make it back to his feet, and attempt to deflect the deadly and viscous attacks sent his way. Spike had to admit that whoever was behind the costume, they were a damn good fighter. The skill this man, or thing, was putting forth would have had a Slayer hard pressed as well. This fact was proven even further as the Trinium spikes on Batman's right arm seared Spike's flesh as his chest became impaled on the holy metal. It was only Spikes phenomenal reflexes, once again, that left this wound a non-fatal one, though, from all of the pain he was enduring because of those spikes, part of him wished for eternal rest.
Even with the holy spikes embedded in his chest, Spike let loose with one last ditch effort punch. He was close enough that the punch was able to land, dazing the Dark Knight slightly but still serving its purpose.
With the last of his strength ebbing from his undead body, Spike wrenched himself from the jagged spikes. He fell gracelessly to the ground. With blood oozing from his smoking wounds, and dripping from his mouth where he was coughing it up, he spoke to the trees.
"Kill them!" He wheezed. Then, in a stronger voice, he spoke again. "Kill both of them."
From out of the shadows, another 8 vampires appeared. Batman took stock of his surroundings. Tony Harris was still out cold, the vampires were beginning to surround him, and Spike; he was no longer there. In fact there was no longer any sign of the injured vampire, only his jacket remained.
The vampires began to circle around the caped crusader, seemingly ignoring Tony until their main threat was dealt with first. Batman took another quick glance at Tony, who was now starting to stir, though for some unknown reason, he didn't think the alcoholic slob would be of much help.
Taking out one of his Trinium edged batarangs, he launched it at the vampire closest to him. Before the weapon had decapitated its first victim, Batman was already on the move.
Three vampires seemed to turn to ash at the same moment as the batarang cleanly decapitated its victims. After that, the vampires had shifted position, causing the batarang to soar through the air before imbedding itself in a tree. But by that time it had served its purpose. The odds were now 5 to 1, and Batman had used the distraction to get in close between two other vampires.
He crouched low, with his back to both vampires, and launched his hands backwards. His spikes found their way into the unbeating hearts of both vampires, rendering them to dust. He brought his hands forward, just in time to catch a kick sent his way.
With as much power as he could put in it, he pushed himself up in the air, sending the vampire in the air. He lashed out with a kick of his own, and his armored foot found its way to the vampire's groin. In a cry of agony, the vampire made it down, and showed no sigh of getting back up in the near future. To his right, both remaining vampires began to advance on him.
He rolled across the dirt, all the while taking out a weapon from his utility belt. When he was at the proper angle, he depressed a trigger, causing his grappling line to shoot outward. The Trinium stud went through both vampires and didn't stop until it imbedded itself, and the vampires, into a tree behind them. With a flick of his wrist, the unit flew from his hand, wrapping the chord around the tree, and securing both vampires, who were howling in agony as smoke was emanating from their wounds.
Batman calmly advanced on the downed vampire and used his arm spike to slay it. He then proceeded to the tree that was his batarang's temporary resting place. Once he dislodged it from the tree, he whipped it at the two trapped vampires, cleanly decapitating both. Now the batarang found itself imbedded in a new tree, not too far from a wide eyed Tony Harris.
Batman saw the quivering man, who was still on the ground, and advanced on him. He didn't know how it was possible, but the man seemed to wet himself even further, but at this moment Batman didn't care.
As he approached the downed man, Tony let out a whimper of fear. The anger and hatred in his eyes would have made any man do the same. Batman finally got within inches of his personal space and leaned down.
"You disgust me, how you ever raised a child like Alexander, I'll never know."
"What does the brat have to do with any of this?" His voice was still weak, but Anthony Harris had never been a smart man. A smart man would have realized it would not have been a good decision to call Alexander a 'brat' at this particular moment. However, that was what Tony Harris had always referred to the kid as, it had been as normal as drinking. There was that, and the fact that he was so scared shitless; forming coherent thoughts was becoming a problem. Nevertheless, it didn't help his case as he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his jaw, in the same location he had earlier, and fell unconscious to the ground.
Batman just stared in sheer disgust at the man before him. The moment he had registered the word 'brat,' Batman saw red. By the time Tony had finished his question, Batman had already started the process of backhanding the drunk.
He wanted to throttle the man, and it took every ounce of willpower he had to stop himself. Instead he reached into his utility belt and retrieved his recall device for the Batmobile. Within a few seconds, the car was at their location.
Batman walked over and retrieved his equipment that had been imbedded, and wrapped around, the tree. He then went and retrieved Spike's duster. He opened the cockpit of the Batmobile, and laid the jacket across the passenger seat. He then went over to Tony and deposited the man with the soiled pants on top of the jacket.
Batman smirked at the scene. Perhaps he would have to find Spike and return the vampire his jacket, and then, of course, he would have to end the vampire's unlife. But that would come later.
He really hated the fact that his son had been in the same seat earlier, and now the man that had been the boy's 'father' was truly soiling the seat, and area, that his own son had graced earlier. He wasn't sure if it was some sort of balance or irony. In the end, he really didn't care; it just pissed him off to no end.
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He had gotten back to the Harris household with no problems. He roughly deposited Tony, face down, onto the couch. He looked around the disorganized house. He had to hand it to the kid. He didn't come from a great environment, but he was out there, apparently every night, trying to help people.
He glanced up the stairs to the closed door leading to his son's room. He quietly made his way up the stairs and stood quietly outside his son's room. He stood there in complete silence, debating on going in there and taking his son away from all of this right now.
After what seemed like hours, he simply placed a gloved hand tentatively against the door and held it there for a moment. After a few cleansing breaths he turned and made his way out of the house.
Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
