BATMAN: Shadow of the Bat

A Date with Destiny Part I

By George Jones

I wake up. I feel the strong, tight ropes which are pulling against my chest and the iron clamps around my wrists and ankles. Searing pains explode inside my head, the blood drips from under my cowl and down my face. As I slowly regain consciousness that is when I first see him, his towering body standing over me. His face is covered by a demonic skull mask and he is dressed in a black hooded robe. I tense my muscles and attempt to break the holds that keep me down but my attempts prove futile.

"Who are you?" I question my captor.

"I am your destiny"

He is using a voice changing device. It may scare a brainless retard but it doesn't scare me.

"I decide my own destiny"

"You would think so but I am here to change all that. Please don't struggle, there is a toxin running through your veins. My own recipe, your muscles are currently running at 20% their strength. These ropes are enough to hold even the Batman with my toxin inside of him"

"When I do break these holds, which I will, I'm going to break your face"

"I wouldn't be so sure Dark Knight. Your mind will implode on itself before then, leaving you in a vegetative state. Then this City will be mine to manipulate as I see fit"

"Why don't you just kill me then?"

"I did try but you seemed to…heal rather fast. So instead I shall kill your mind and not your body"

"My mind isn't a nice place"

"Well we'll see"

This freak is welcome to my thoughts. My mind, my dreams, my nightmares, he can have the lot.

The robed man turns away from Batman and opens by the drawer of a wooden cabinet. He takes out a lab bottle filled by a red liquid. The skull faced man then places the bottle next to the nose of Batman, the fumes escape into his nostrils. His eyes turn red and demented.

My eyes, the darkness comes over me. Welcome to my world…

I once again awaken and I find myself inside a cemetery, none of this is real. I walk past the grave stones and they all are inscribed with my name. I continue down the cobbled path and the black skies open up. The black clouds dance around to form the face of my captor. He speaks to me.

"Your mind is an interesting place. How about we see what scares you most?"

The black clouds disperse and the landscape changes. Now I am standing in the middle of the desert and I am no longer me. I look down and I am wearing my old Robin uniform. I look at my hands, I am 14 again. How is he doing this? The voice comes from out of nowhere this time.

"Such a sweet looking child, Ooooh do I sense mummy issues? Let's see if you can defeat your own demons boy"

The hot desert sun beats against my boyish face. From out of the horizon the figure approaches. I begin to start walking forward and soon I can properly see her. I haven't seen her face in years…Mother.

"Hello son. Still wearing that costume your Father made I see"

What is happening to me?

"Mother? This can't be real…"

"I am real as your mind allows me to be"

"What do you want from me?"

"I want to know why you killed me."

"You made me do it! You caused the death of millions! You slaughtered half the globe like cattle!"

"It was necessary. The third world nations of the planet feed and live off the recourses of others. It was only survival of the fittest darling"

"You're a monster"

"I'm your Mother"

"No, my Mother died a long time ago; you died long before I pushed that sword into your heart. You died when Father rejected you"

"You're Father is a coward. He made you weak, he held you back. He prevented you from fulfilling your destiny. The destiny I made for you. You were to be the next Alexander, the next Genghis Khan. A conqueror of nations but you threw it all away to follow your Fathers futile crusade"

Why am I talking to myself? I answer her anyway.

"No, you don't understand. You never did. You tainted and twisted the mind of an infant. You raised a toddler to kill and show no mercy. You taught a toddler how to use a sword, how to break a neck, how to ignore pain. You twisted your baby son into a killing machine. You treated me like a weapon, your own little toy to play with and mold. You never loved me. Father treated me like a son, he loved me and he cared for me. You are nothing to me"

"Well if you feel that. It will make this a lot easier then"

A sharp edged Katana suddenly appears in her hand. I looked down and there is one in mine now also. She charges at me and swings the blade from above her head, I block the strike and the swords make an almighty clang. She then swipes for my legs but I jump up and dodge the attack. I then see my opportunity and jab at her neck but she evades. Mother is talking to me but I block the voice from out of my head. The fight continues for a while, neither getting the better over the other. A second sword appears in her free hand and now I have to evade double the amount of strikes.

"This battle is mine son! Let me finish you!"

"Shut up"

She is first to make a mistake, she gives me the opportunity and I take it. I slice off both her hands, her swords all to the floor and disappear into the sand. I then place my sword against her neck.

"Do it boy, kill me again"

I don't answer but I smile. I swing and plunge the sword against the side of her neck. I cut through it with ease. Her head rolls off her shoulders and falls to the ground.

Suddenly the landscape disappears again and now I am standing back inside the cemetery. My body is restored to its true form. I am Batman once more. But the voice comes from the skies again.

"Every good Batman, you defeated my first obstacle but I fear that she wasn't worthy of your skills of a swordsman. Now lets make this interesting. Who shall I find next, Oooh I've found someone and it appears you two were quite good friends. This could get interesting…"

To Be Continued in 'A Date with Destiny Part II'