GOTHAM, CITY OF NIGHTMARES
By Vicky Vale
Humanity has remembered in these past decades that there is more than mankind on our blue planet, thanks to the Justice League and other superhero and supervillain teams. But what most don't realize is that we were never alone to begin with.
For Gotham, it is true in more than one sense.
Before the arrival of the first colonials, tales ran rampant among the indigenous population about a monster summoned by injustice. It was a vengeful entity capable of summoning hellish artifacts to enact its will, and that, if properly assuaged, was capable of righting any wrongs. Its appearance, however, earned it the label of 'devil' by the European colonials.
This Devil has been present throughout the city's history in brief but intense sightings of its activity. A black eyeless shadow descending on its victims with large fangs bared and translucent leathery wings. Its limbs are said to be wreathed in flame and its body stained by blood.
Sometimes, its arrival has been tied to the appearance of a summoner, a figure cloaked in a dark silver pelt and with its head covered by a wolf skull. The swishing of its staff has the ability to call forth lesser demons, before the Devil answers the Necromancer's call.
This old tale had been relegated to traditional horror stories and rhymes, alongside many others in Gothamite culture. Until the city fell in shadow once more, a darkness so foul and oppressing that the Devil rose again.
However, the Necromancer was not the one to accompany it.
Many are the victims who fell to Gotham's darkness, but none more painful than the children.
That is why they came back.
Represented by a single entity, the Ghost flies over rooftops and through shadows in the nighttime, and, more rarely, during the day. It is always laughing and playing like the child it resembles, fluttering under the Devil's watchful gaze.
Experts debate intensely on the both of them, but all seem to agree that the casualties have an effect on the Ghost's appearance. Sometimes a boy, others a girl, older, younger… It is hard to pinpoint the range of time that affects the Ghost, though the manner of death is suspected to be far more relevant.
More mysterious than both the Devil and the Ghost is the Nightwing. It is a creature whose body flickers with patterns of stars and galaxies, and is as ephemeral and insubstantial as them.
Many thought it to be a counterpart to the Devil's darkness, but it soon became obvious that it was even worse. A mind-reader, the Nightwing is an expert manipulator capable of twisting people into its puppets, both metaphorically and literally.
The darkness of Gotham has kept growing despite everyone's best efforts, with others joining the Devil's crusade. Most of them are demon-themed human vigilantes, fighting against the likes of Black Mask and Joker and Red Hood.
It isn't until the Necromancer comes back, though, that things change.
The earthquake and subsequent No Man's Land will be forever engraved in the city's history as one of the bleakest times. Still, it saw the return of the summoner of the dead, of the Necromancer, to usher order amidst the chaos of destruction and survival efforts.
However, that is not the only addition to the city, as evidenced by the arrival of the worst creature yet: The Grim Reaper.
It has the ability to access the Underworld and call forth the tortured souls inhabiting it, and bears the characteristic scythe and stylized skull-like face of classic interpretations. This new entity standing alongside the Devil is the most unsettling yet not only by what it represents, but also by its ability to see the future and its lack of regret in cutting down the darkest of the population.
And yet, there they stand, rising atop the city like guarding gargoyles and looking after our hometown, as well as the world. They may be visible only as much as needed to remind everyone that they are there, but no one doubts anymore that they are real.
Fear Gotham's Nightmares, but hope they never go away.
"I think that's the best one yet," a soft voice hums over the sound of crinkling paper being smoothed over.
"Indeed, it is," another agrees as slightly wrinkled but steady hands guide the scissors expertly cutting the newspaper.
"Aren't we going to show them?" the first questions as the clipping is carefully pulled aside.
"As soon as they awaken, they can figure it out themselves," is the chuckled answer, something that ends with a pointed look at the paper missing the story. "Oh, I plan on letting them read it, indeed, but only after making some copies first. I do, after all, want to keep this one."
And Wayzz snickers softly, floating down to sit on his Chosen's shoulder as the human works on his new project, unbothered by the negligible weight of the kwami.
"I won't be the one disagreeing with that, Alfred."
AN: Just a silly little something I found in a notebook. To any that might be interested, in this universe, the Batfam uses the Kwami to protect Gotham/the world, each with their own. However, the 'heroes' are different even when they have the same kwami (as seen with the book, and the different Ladybugs that have been around). And so, depending on their 'roles' at the time, each 'costume' changes a bit, as do the weapons.
As for the 'costumes' themselves...
Bruce Wayne/Batman is Gotham's Devil, or simply the Devil. His kwami is Tikki, the Ladybug, and his costume is based on a twice-stabbed lady beetle.
Dick Grayson/Nightwing is still Nightwing. His kwami is Nooroo, the butterfly. As Robin AKA Ghost, his costume was based on a ghost moth, but as Nightwing, it's based on a cracker butterfly.
Jason Todd/Red Hood was the second Ghost, took the Red Hood name for a bit, and then became the Grim Reaper. His kwami is Duusu, the peacock. As the Ghost, he didn't yet have a kwami, and so simply wore a slightly different costume than Dick's had been, made by Alfred. He found Duusu with the League of Assassins after his 'resurrection', and his costume is based on a melanistic Indian peafowl.
Tim Drake/Red Robin was the third Ghost and is now the Necromancer. His kwami is Trixx, the fox. Same as Jason, he didn't obtain his kwami until later (also from the League of Assassins, because the League had hoarded most of them over the centuries), and so wore a costume as the Ghost, also Alfred-made. As the Necromancer, his appearance is based on a silver fox.
Damian Wayne/Robin is the fifth and current Ghost (Steph was the fourth). His kwami is Pollen, the bee. Unlike Jason and Tim, he does have his kwami already, and so his Ghost costume is based on a Caucasian honey bee, though Pollen is clever enough to change it to fit the 'Ghost' persona.
And Alfred Pennyworth has Wayzz as his kwami, though he isn't an active 'cape' of Gotham. Those days of espionage and MI6 (that he will forever deny, that is preposterous) are far behind him now. But still, if he were to pick up the suit once more, it would be based on a leatherback sea turtle.
As for Plagg, the black cat... Either he's still with Ra's al Ghul and the League, or he has managed to fall into the hands of some undesirable folk. I haven't explored this crossover enough to know, but he is NOT Selina's kwami, that's for sure. Even if it would fit.
