Harm will never come to an innocent again.
I will protect this city.
This city needs a new hero, after all.
It needs a new Batman.
BATMAN BEYOND REVISITED
EPISODE:
THE NEW BATMAN
"Batman?" I asked, completely stunned.
Dick Grayson nodded.
"Bruce Wayne? Billionaire playboy? Cheater? Drunk? Total a-hole to everyone he surrounds himself with?"
Dick was about to get up and knock me out to next year until Barbara put her hand on his chest.
"Don't you ever talk like that about Bruce." He said with a not-so-subtle anger in his voice.
I flinched, but I kept looking him in the eyes.
"If Bruce is Batman, then I'm Nightwing."
"That would be me."
I stared at Grayson in shock.
"No way." I said, refusing to believe circus boy Grayson was Nightwing.
"He's telling the truth." Said Barbara.
"Prove it, then."
The two looked at each other and nodded.
"Follow us." Barbara asked of us.
So, I did. And they brought me to an old clock.
It must have been two... No, three hundred years old.
"So, you brought me to see a clock that doesn't work?"
"We haven't used this in so long."
"The cobwebs make that clear."
Dick glared at me before opening the glass on the clock face.
He pushed the numbers two, one, and then pushed ten twice.
The clock began to move.
The clock pushed itself to the side to reveal a staircase.
It was dimly lit, so we had to use flashlights to find our way down.
There was a lift, so Barbara didn't need the stairs.
When we got to the bottom, I couldn't see a thing, even with our flashlights.
All I could do was hear a dripping noise and an echo.
"Batcave." Dick yelled.
The lights turned on.
I could only stare in awe as I saw the room light up, bit by bit.
In the center of the cave was a giant computer system.
To my left was the Batmobile and to the back were the suits, with one suit obviously missing.
"So, you guys weren't lying."
"No." Barbara said. "Bruce is Batman. Dick is Nightwing. I'm Oracle, the first Batgirl."
"Well, I take back what I said, then..."
Then I noticed something.
"Why aren't you guys still out fighting crime?"
"We retired." Dick said as he walked over to the suits.
I followed him, as did Barbara
"Retired?"
"Retired. Done. Hung up the cape."
"Why?"
"I'm 75 years old now and Barbara is 70. We can't keep fighting forever."
"And why not?"
"I will not wind up like..."
He didn't finish, but he didn't need to.
I could see it in his eyes.
"Look, we can't fight anymore. We need someone to take up the mantle. We want him to be you."
I looked at Dick in shock.
"Me? Batman?"
"Yes." Barbara answered.
"I have no training."
"We'll train you. I can teach you how to fight and better your stealth. Barbara will teach you how to be a detective."
"I don't know."
Barbara put a hand on my shoulder.
"We need you, Jake Vance. The city needs you."
Dick looked me in the eyes.
"So... What do you say?"
