The Doctor land the TARDIS a fair distance away from an area that will become to be known as Crime Alley. He looked at his wristwatch; 10:47pm. It was happening now. He looked at Batman. "I'm sorry." He said, "I am so so sorry, but I cannot allow you to save your family."
Eight-year old Bruce and his parents walked down an alleyway. The fog was becoming thicker and they could barely see two feet in front of them, but they all saw it. The shrouded figure.
"Gimme your wallet." His voice was shaky; this was his first time doing this with a-
"Look, I'd be glad to lend you a twenty or-"
There was a metallic click as the shrouded figure's arm propped up in their direction. They didn't need to ask what it was.
Thomas spoke softly, "Okay, okay." Slowly, he reached into his back pocket and grabbed his wallet. He then pulled it out and handed to the figure. It took it quickly, nervously. "Now that we're done, we can just go and-"
But it still wanted more. It pointed it's gun at Martha. "Necklace too."
"Do what he says, Martha."
Martha slowly reached back and took off her pearl necklace.
Amidst all this, Bruce was in shock. His heart throbbing excessively and his body full of fear. He'd seen this in movies, read this in books, but they could never describe what it really feels like in person. His eyes were constantly trained on the gun, fearing what would happen next.
And then it happened. Even two miles away, both gunshots were clearly audible to the Doctor and Batman on Gotham's quietest night.
The shot heard 'round Gotham City. Thought the Doctor solemnly.
Batman wept. He knew he would look vulnerable doing it but he didn't care. He trusted the Doctor in the sense that he means no harm. Crazy? Definitely, but far from evil. As Batman collected himself, he turned to the Doctor. "Can we leave?"
The Doctor scanned Batman yet again with his do-almost-anything sonic screwdriver. "No. Yes. Sort of. You see, we can't go back to the present; too much time energy coursing through your veins. Although, we can move through space. Fancy a stay at a hotel?"
Not really many options to choose from. He nodded. The Doctor open the door of his phone box to allow Batman in first, in which he did. Before the Doctor followed him inside, he took a look around the area. Not a single weeping angel in sight.
The Doctor wasn't sure if that was good news or bad. Could the angels have submitted to defeat, or is there a bigger scheme in the works?
He shuddered at the thought. He hated the weeping angels. He's also intrigued by them. And right down to the core, he feared them.
He went inside the TARDIS to focus on bigger matters, and moments later, the TARDIS vanished.
Traveling through time and space is much easier than traveling through just either time or space. When you travel through time and space, there is infinite freedom, but when traveling through just space or time, it's like trying to keep a greased-tired ferrari at top speed on a narrow curving road. The Doctor was somewhat thankful for the barriers the Time Vortex created to counter Batman's time energy, but cursed it for harming his TARDIS. This time, he was doing only the necessary controls.
Batman sat in a chair near the console. As he watched the Doctor running frantically around the console, turning knobs, pulling levers, and steering with three different wheels. Batman was impressed. This machine seemed to be made for a crew of at least six, but the one Doctor managed with surprising ease.
But his focus wasn't fully on that. He just half-witnessed his life's nightmare, and now it's as vivid in his mind as the day it happened when he was only eight. It only takes one bad day to turn anyone into a psychopath, the Joker had said, "Just one bad day." Bruce had witnessed countless bad days, but he almost re-lived the worst one. The one that made him the psychopath he is today, running around dressed as a bat to avenge his dead parents. Is it all worth it?
Meanwhile, the Doctor navigated the TARDIS until it was brought to a halt. "Hang on a sec," said the Doctor as he walked towards the exit, "Let me make sure we're actually at a hotel." He walked out of the TARDIS, closing the door behind him, leaving Batman alone.
Batman was was trying to push the memories of his parents' death out of his head, but the more he pushed, the more it pushed back. Then he realized it's been fifteen minutes since the Doctor left. How long did it take to make sure the place was a hotel? Five minutes? Ten? Unless, you got distracted…
Or in trouble.
Batman got up and walked to the exit, pulled the door open slightly, and took a quick peek of the area.
Everything seemed fine: normal carpet hallway, numbered doors that told him he was on the third floor. Looks like a fine hotel. The Doctor must have gotten distracted. Seemed like the type that could be.
Batman got out of the TARDIS, closed the door behind him, then realized something: he was still in his outfit. Quickly, he turned and went to the TARDIS doors, only to find it locked.
Guess I gotta stay dressed like this.
He walked down the carpeted hallway. Every door he passed was silent; not a single television was on. Batman risked to make a sound.
"Doctor?"
Nothing.
"Doctor?" He said again, but louder.
Nothing.
He was now halfway down the hall. To his left was a vending machine, and further down the hall were the elevators. After Batman did a quick walk-around, then went pressed the button to call an elevator. Maybe the Doctor was checking in for a room, needing to get a key.
But the lobby was empty as well. No one at the desk, no one sitting in any of the seats, and the television was off. Batman looked at the clock which stated that it was currently 11:14 pm. Surely there had to be somebody around.
He walked around the front desk and opened the office door: nobody there. There were two office chairs, a desk, a bunch of papers, and a desktop statue of a cowboy.
Batman closed the door and started to head back to the elevator, on his way to the TARDIS, then the power went out.
"Oh, you little daleks." Said the Doctor as the power went out on the second floor. He was about the press the button to call the elevator to get to the third floor to give Batman the all clear, but apparently, it wasn't. He turned on his sonic, giving him the light he needed. Time to find the stairs, go to the next floor, and get out of here before the angels come.
He found the stairs, and was greeted by a statue of a smiling angel blocking his path upstairs.
Batman pressed a button on the side of his cowl, which brought lenses over his eyes and turned green. Night vision. He knew he was going to need it to find the stairs to get to the TARDIS, because even the emergency lights had no energy.
He walked slowly down the hall. Whoever shut the power off was after them. Was he being paranoid? Maybe a little, but this has been a strange night so far.
He found the stairs, turned, and came face-to-face with a large statue of an angel. He blinked in surprise. Big he opened his eyes, the statue was looming over him, arms outstretched and teeth bared.
Batman jumped back in surprise then froze. This was like nothing he has ever encountered, but it didn't seem to move when he was looking at it.
Then he heard it. The faint buzzing of the Doctor's sonic, probably just a floor above him. He risked to speak. "Doctor?"
And he heard him. "Bruce?"
"Are you upstairs?"
"Yes, but I'm a little... well, I'm blocked right now."
"Statue?"
"Yes. How'd you know?"
"I've got the same problem."
The Doctor kicked his mind into high gear to formulate the safest plan.
"Doctor?"
"I'm here Bruce, just thinking. But whatever you do, do not take your eyes off that statue, don't even blink. Blink and you're dead."
The buzzing from his sonic went to a lower pitch and the light at the end of it dimmed. The angels tend to drain energy from sources of light, and it seemed his screwdriver was no exception. And that's when he came up with a plan.
"All right, Bruce, I'm coming in your direction. Whatever you do, don't blink!" He slowly walked around the angel, eyes and sonic pointing in its direction, and the light slowly fading.
"Bruce, did you hear me?"
Nothing.
"Bruce?"
Still nothing. He was now halfway down the stairs, the angel at the top was barely visible and the Doctor's eyes were starting to burn. He was hoping the angel at the bottom of the steps-
The angel that Bruce was watching!
The Doctor turned towards where Bruce was standing.
Was.
Batman was gone, and it looked like the angel was gone, too.
Then he felt it. The cold, stony fingertips on the back of his neck. Then he was elsewhere.