Chapter 5: Novice Hero
That first year I lived with Bruce was a particularly fast one. It was probably because my life had changed around so much and I was very happy with how things were going. Time has a way of going by very quick when you're enjoying yourself and much slower when things aren't going so well.
My training was still slowly but steadily making progress. Particularly my endurance gained the most. By the time I turned eleven in April I could run four miles in half an hour, and over ten miles without stopping if I had no time limit. Running ten miles would take me almost two hours, since I would run slow to get that distance. But I was very pleased with the progress I had made.
My strength training was slower. I was only lifting one hundred pounds consistently by the time I was nearing the end of the school year, and on my best days I could manage a couple repetitions of an added five pounds. Bruce and I would also spar routinely, and I found this part to be a lot of fun. I knew he was always going easy on me, but my polished reflexes were good, and it was fun to dodge attacks. I was also pleased with myself, because my added muscle did help me to bounce back if an attack connected. I could truly take a hit pretty well, even from the legendary Batman.
Also as expected, my intense training at home gave me some great skills in my gymnastics practice. My coach was impressed with my huge increase in ability, and was urging me to go on the competition team. But I had refused, not wanting to take up more of my time. Gymnastics for me was a training supplement, not something I wanted to compete in.
"That does look very nice, and I see your gymnastics training isn't going to waste," Bruce complimented after I did my best tumbling pass before we began a training session one morning. "But stop showing off, and get on the treadmill. Today is an endurance day."
"I'm not showing off," I said. "It's called having fun. You should try it sometime," I argued getting on the treadmill and starting it to a gentle five miles per hour.
"My life isn't about having fun," Bruce shot back, getting on his own treadmill.
"Then I have much to teach you," I said smugly. Talking to Bruce had become very easy over the last few months. It was energizing to be able to talk to another person so naturally. Now that I was comfortable with Bruce it was more common for him to tell me to stop talking so much than to scold me for being too quiet and emotionless. I had never realized how good it could feel to verbally communicate with another person.
"That is what the Robins have told me as well, so I'm speaking from experience when I tell you it doesn't go well when a kid tries to tell me how to have fun. Trust me, you will not get me to change." Bruce sped up his treadmill so he was running at a pace that could have easily passed a slower moving car. "Now stop playing around and focus on running. You're barely working right now."
"Cranky old man," I muttered darkly. Thankfully the motors of the treadmills were too loud for him to hear me. I sped up my treadmill to a sped where I could barely keep up and focused on pushing myself for every tenth of a mile I could get at that speed.
After running, we spent a full hour lifting lighter weights to increase our muscle endurance.
"Jayden, don't slow down your rhythm," Bruce commented as he continued a leg press of a few hundred pounds to a fast cadence.
"I'm not," I grunted from under my bench press of forty pounds. But I focused on going faster anyway.
"But I wanted to tell you, I won't be around all day tomorrow," Bruce grunted. "You had better stay well behaved for Alfred."
"Where…are…you going?" I asked between pants, as I began to get very tired.
"That is something I do not need to tell you," Bruce said shortly. "And don't slow down, you should be able to stay at the same rhythm even while you're talking or paying attention to something else."
"Well that was an unexpected answer," I muttered under my breath.
"What was that," Bruce snapped.
"Nothing," I answered loudly. But I was excited. I had not yet risked using my Nightmare costume since being punished for creating it. If Bruce was going to be investigating some big crime or whatever he was planning, it would be a good chance for me to finally bring it with me. I had kept it hidden for so long, waiting for just the right time to take it with me. This could be that moment.
The next morning I wore the inconspicuous parts of my costume under my baggy clothes, since it was chilly outside. I skipped my gymnastics training that day with plans to search through the streets for any crimes I could stop. I wanted to find the little ones Batman didn't have time for, since I no longer had the opportunity to practice on the bullies in school.
It didn't take long in a city filled with crime for me to find something: A simple mugging by a cowardly and desperate old man, as he tried to take money from a mother and her young child. The boy hid behind his mother and trembled, while the mother tried to tell the mugger she didn't have any money with them.
"I know with the fancy clothes you're wearing that you must be loaded," the man snarled angrily pointing a small pistol at her.
"We don't," she gasped in a shaky voice. "If you don't hurt us and come with me, I will even go to the bank and get you some money."
"Do you think I would trust you to do that?" he yelled. I was appalled to see other people ignoring the scene and avoiding that particular alley. Not a single person seemed to even bother to call the police. It seemed almost everyone in Gotham was a coward, but I refused to be one of them. I quickly hid my presence in the darkest corner behind a garbage can and changed into my costume. Then I silently climbed the gutter nearby so I was holding on to the top of the building.
I grabbed a rock and chucked it so it neatly hit the man on the head.
"Who's there," the mugger snarled, rubbing the spot where the rock had hit.
I ran across the roof of the shorter building, making my footsteps audible as I did so. I could sense the man's eyes following the sound of my movement without actually seeing me. I soundlessly climbed onto an old pipe hanging from the side of the building and found a spot along the wall side where the shadows kept me well hidden. I chucked another rock so it clattered to the ground next to him.
"Where are you? Show yourself," he bellowed spinning around.
I dropped from my hiding spot to land lightly on the ground behind him. He spun around again just as I motioned for the women and her child to run away. They quickly did so as he turned his back on them. "So you are just a small child," he spat, oblivious to the disappearance of his victims. "Pathetic."
I knew at the very least I had to distract this ugly dirty thug long enough for the mother and her son to be far away. More ideally would be to knock him out and get the police. Without a word he clumsily shot at my feet with the gun, which I easily dodged with a back handsping. Before he could shoot again I jumped into a back tuck, landed against the wall of the nearest building, and pushed with all my strength to tackle him.
Upon impact I got him to the ground and wrestled his gun away from him. I pointed it silently and steadily at his head. "Wait, please don't," he pleaded shamelessly. "I was just desperate."
"Not a good reason," I said slowly in a low toneless voice. I made a quick move with my finger on the trigger only to deliver the hardest punch I could to the side of his head while his eyes were on the gun. He was immediately knocked unconscious. I wanted to call police, but didn't think I could make myself speak on the phone, so feeling satisfied that I had done as much as I could I turned to leave. On my way out I could have sworn I felt eyes watching me, but I couldn't find anyone around. I even climbed to the tops of buildings to check.
Unfortunately, by the time I got back to the school to be picked up by Alfred I was late. I had spent too much time searching for a stalker that might not have even been there. Alfred had probably already come to get me, found I wasn't there, and gone home with a call to Bruce. That was certainly not good, and I knew I had to get back. I couldn't have Bruce coming out here searching for me, especially when he was caught up in the middle of something else that was probably important.
I pushed to my fastest running speed and ran all the way home in just minutes. I got to the gate and told Alfred to open the door through the monitor.
"Ms Jayden, I was getting worried for you," he said when I came in the door.
"I decided to walk home after gymnastics," I said purposely making sure to mention gymnastics for explanation to my sweaty and tired appearance.
"I should call Master Bruce and inform him of your return," he said opening his cell phone. After the quick call he had me come into the kitchen for dinner. I knew I wasn't allowed to walk home, and I hadn't planned on it. I hoped this hadn't gotten me in trouble. I had really enjoyed being able to help that mother and son. I ate my food quietly, and went to my room to hide my costume in the space behind the wall I had made months ago.
"You're awfully quiet tonight," Alfred observed when I had come down later for a snack.
"Just tired," I said softly grabbing some water and a handful of pretzels. "I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight."
"Very well, I know you still have to be up early to train tomorrow. Master Bruce will be back sometime very late, but still plans to have time for training."
I smiled. I loved how the training that always concluded Bruce's night prowlings were the start of my day. When we finished training each morning he would get ready to sleep and I would get ready for school. But our training was how we got to see each other more since he had a nocturnal schedule and I was actually a morning person.
The next morning was a strength training day. These training days included my least favorite exercises, so I wasn't in the best mood.
"Just lift it, and stop doubting yourself," Bruce growled as he spotted me for the one hundred and ten pound bench press.
I gritted my teeth and gave it everything I had, just barely getting the weight off its holders. Bruce helped me lift it a little higher and I was able to get it up to a full extension from there. I breathed a sigh of relief and dropped the weight with a crash. It missed the holders and was about to smash right into my head when Bruce caught it effortlessly and placed it lightly in the holder.
"How many times have I told you to slowly let gravity take over," he glared.
"Sorry," I said meekly, sobered up by the near miss to my skull.
"Never mind, let's end this early today and spar."
I nodded and stood across from him on the padded floor. I took my stance and we began. Today I gave more effort than usual, and could only think of other thugs on the street like the one I had taken down yesterday. I imagined him every time I went for the attack. After I drove my feet hard into Bruce's chest and actually made him stumble, he grabbed my arm and threw me to the ground, knocking the wind out of me.
"Something's got you fired up," he said.
I didn't reply and got right back to me feet. I ran toward him for a tackle, but he dodged. I attempted to swing a punch into his chest but he caught my fist. "Bad move," he said quietly. "I'm surprised at you. You know you're weak at punching." Then he moved his hand from my fist to my wrist, spun me around, pulled some cord from his belt and wound it around my tightly so I couldn't move an inch. I didn't even know he ever wore a weapon like that with his normal clothes. I lost my balance and fell forward on the ground.
I furiously tried to escape, but I couldn't move. "It's no use, even I don't know how to get out of this particular material and restraint technique," Bruce said softly putting his foot on my back so I couldn't roll over.
"Then why are you doing this? Let me out of it so we can continue training," I snarled.
"First I wanted to ask you about yesterday," he said sternly crouching down and putting his hand on my back to replace his foot.
I froze with a feeling of dread. I thought I might be in trouble, but I hadn't expected him to bring it up here. "I decided to go for a walk home after gymnastics," I lied with an almost toneless voice, but adding in some fake emotion to hopefully hide the lie from Bruce. "It was cool out, and it felt good after getting too hot and sweaty in practice."
I felt a hard swat, and I grit my teeth from making a noise. "That's careless thinking," he snapped. He swatted twice more," and you know you're not allowed to walk home. The streets in this city are dangerous."
"But I can take care of myself. I thought that's what all this training was for," I said emotionlessly. I didn't want him to see the pain was getting to me.
"No," he swatted again. "We are doing this to get some energy out of you, and as a form of defense if you absolutely need it. But we are still not going to take it for granted or take any unnecessary chances."
I resumed squirming and struggling to get away. "Stop treating me like such a little kid," I yelled.
"I've heard that line before from all the Robins," he said darkly, swatting again. "Hearing that demand didn't stop me then, and it doesn't stop me now, because you are just a child."
"Alright, I'm sorry. I won't walk home again, alright." I strained against the cords as hard as I could.
With three more hard spanks he released the cord and let me up. "For your sake you had better," he growled. "Now attack me again."
I was a bit shaken up, and thankful to escape what could have been a much more severe punishment. But I shook it off and made a feint and tried to attack from behind. He caught my foot without even looking and threw me back. I landed on my hands, sprung to my feet and charged again. Sparring was becoming fun and more effortless. I quickly forgot about everything and became lost in what I was quickly discovering was indeed a form of art.
I had to keep this victory to myself of still managing to keep my secrete a secrete. I had once again successfully hidden something from Bruce. Better yet, I had been able to hide something from the legendary Dark Knight of Gotham City. It was an achievement almost any powerful villain in the city would love to be able to brag about.