Damian: Shadow of the Bat

A Date with Destiny Part III

I am still being held down against the table but I have stalled this bastard longer enough for the toxin to wear off. I will have to wait for the opportune moment to strike; I won't allow him to feed me that hallucinogenic shit again.

"Oh I almost forgot Batman; I haven't introduced to you my new friend" Dr. Destiny spluttered

"Friend?"

"Yes Dark Knight, you've been with me for a while now and word got out on the street I had you so this 'friend' asked me if he could meet you"

"Anything from you is a step up"

"Ouch, that hurt"

Dr. Destiny pressed a leaver on the side of the wall which in turn opened the large padded metal door of the room. In the shadows of the door stood the large framed man, a black hood covered his face. His muscular body was covered in crimson red robes and from either hand were attached two gigantic shiny blades.

"Remember me?" The shadowy figure growled in a low tone

The man emerged from the shadows and over to the captive Dark Knight.

"Don't you speak?" The mysterious man continued

Batman remained silent.

This freak is going to try and slice me up. I cannot allow that minor annoyance to happen.

"Remember what we agreed! You don't kill him!" Dr. Destiny hissed

"I know. I just want him to know who I am and what his father did to mine. Your father created me! Your father created the REAPER!"

"Cute, did your boyfriend help you come up with that?"

The Batman lifted his heavy arms, snapping the leather straps that held in with ease. Instinctively the Reaper buried one of his large blades into the Dark Knight abdomen. Blood squirted out but it did not prevent Batman from nailing the reaper in the face with a solid right hook. As he stumbled, The Dark Knight untied his ankle straps. The Reaper swung down both his blades; luckily Batman rolled off the table as the two blades sank lodged into the thick wood.

"NO! Not like this!" Dr. Destiny screamed as he ran out of the room while the chaos erupted.

The Reaper dislodged his weapons with a heavy pull but this gave Batman time to elbow strike him in the chest, knocking the wind from his lungs. The Dark Knight swung again but the Reaper evaded it and sliced open Batman's broad chest with his blades.

Damian stumbled and the Reaper struck again, this time slicing gashes into his thighs. Batman fell to his knees, dripping in blood. The Reaper continued to slice and slice until Batman's blood painted the walls. With the Dark Knight coughing up blood on the floor, the Reaper knelt down and placed his mask covered face next to Damian's.

"I think this is a good time to tell you who I am…" The Reaper growled "…when I was a little boy, one night I heard banging noises from my father's office. The noises I heard every night for two months straight but I never went to see what it was. But this time my curiosity led me to investigate.

I peered through the small gap in the door and saw Batman, the REAL Batman standing over my whimpering father. That bastard passed dad a pistol. My father hadn't slept in weeks, you see, Batman had be coming to my house every night for those two months and passing him that pistol every time…"

Batman spat out a tooth drenched in blood.

"…This night my dad snapped. He blew his brains out with me watching from the shadows. Batman picked up the gun and left. I never saw him again. Batman created me! I wasn't old or good enough to kill him before he went away so I'll just have to settle for your blood"

With his last ounce of strength Batman grabbed The Reaper's mask and pulled it off.

"That's it! Look into my eyes! My name's Joe Chill Jr. and I'm going to kill you"

Batman screamed in pain and tackled the Reaper, lifting him up into the air. The Dark Knight carrying his foe ran towards the window. The two men crashed through the glass and fell for what felt like an eternity. Both men landed on the floor with a heavy thud.

Blood began to pool around Batman as he lay on the floor, the Reaper stood over him ready to deliver the killing blow.

"Brother-I online" Batman mumbled through mouthfuls of blood

I_Online

"Lights show"

Suddenly the dark of the night was gone for a few seconds; the streets were illuminated by what appeared to be a giant flash bang in the sky. The disorientating flash of light gave Batman the opportunity escape into off into the shadows, alive to fight another day.

Later that night

Damian Wayne sat topless inside his medical bay. The floor had been given a new carpet of blood. Damian's wounds healed by themselves quickly, the benefit of having a healing factor but the deep tissue trauma had almost killed.

"Batman recording: For the first time in a while I tasted death. He was too good for me; he was too fast, too agile, too deadly. He claims to be Joe Chill Jr. This man claims to be the son of the bastard who killed my grandparents, whether this fact is true or not it doesn't take away the fact that my best wasn't good enough to beat him. I fear next time I will not escape him. There is only one option for me left"

Damian stood up and walked out of the medical bay. Alfred the cat ran up his arm and sat perched on his shoulder. Damian entered his father's old evidence vault and reached for a small metal box that sat on the top of one of the many shelves. His placed it down on the table next to him and opened it up. The shiny metal of the pistol glistened; Damian took the pistol in his hand. He now held the same pistol that was used to murder his grandparents.

"I'm sorry father but this is my only way to stop him" Damian muttered to himself.

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