Batman: Darkest Knight

Chapter 2: Headfirst into the Dark

The next day, after being with Matt all night, I went to work to have Vicki Vale load the work on. I was very uninterested in anything we were doing at work today, until the subject of interviewing Mr. Wayne came up.

This would be a great opportunity for me to probe his mind about the happenings of last night. His family was the quintessential family of Gotham; they were the driving force behind fixing it while they were alive.

Bruce Wayne did what he could. But there was just too much darkness in the world for one man to fix alone.

As I sat in the lobby of Wayne Industries, I watched a recap of a fight of Superman and General Zod. Superman easy disposed of him after supposedly being poisoned by red Kryptonite.

As the Raven-haired woman came from behind the desk, I was thrown back into reality. I wondered why, though, couldn't things that happened on a smaller scale be news of the day? Ra's Al Ghul killing a normal person wasn't an everyday happening.

This brought my attention back to Matt, who was devastated. He'd lost his father to a seemingly senseless act of violence. He ranted to me about how the Batman should have been there, should have kept tabs on Ra's, but I thought about it. How does one keep tabs on someone like him? I didn't say it but I thought it.

As the woman led me into Mr. Wayne's office, I felt more insecure than I had before. I realized that he owned the magazine and this could determine whether or not I ever got promoted. If I asked the wrong question…

"Hello, Mr. Reese."

His voice was deep and shook me out of my reverie. It had been a while since I heard my name. Preston Reese. I walked over and shook his hand as the woman shut the door behind us. I took a seat in front of the CEO and stared at him intently for what seemed like an eternity.

"Uh, you had some questions for me?" Mr. Wayne asked politely.

I chuckled and nodded, asking him to the approved questions first. I took my time with the questions, asking what I thought would be appropriate but it wasn't long until my curiosity got the best of me.

"So, who are you dating?" I asked.

Bruce looked at me as if I had asked him a question that was entirely too personal.

"I, uh, just ask because it's on every gossip rag in the world, including ours." I smiled, "Not that it's a rag…actually our circulation is up and we just won an award for—"

He stared at me with wide eyes.

"Next question…I was involved in a scuffle with Ra's Al Ghul. You're known to have ties with him and surely you've heard about what happened to the local business owner, care to comment?" I asked.

"Well, Mr. Reese, I am dating, just not one particularly person." He said with a polite albeit strained voice, "And I did hear, and I'm sorry for your loss. Jinsu was a good man."

Familiarity rang in my head.

"You knew Jinsu?" I asked.

"He's the best martial artist in that area of Gotham." Bruce nodded, "It was a tragedy. I hope your alright."

I nodded.

"I've been campaigning to get the streets cleaner for years, which is why I'm a staunch supporter of Batman." Bruce smiled, "I am curious how you survived a brush with Ra's."

"Luck." I said quickly.

I wasn't about to boast about my fight with Ra's. He probably could have easily taken me out. It was only by luck and good teaching that I was able to even land a punch.

"Not many people escape with their lives against Ra's." Bruce's voice became darker, concerned even.

"I think the Q&A is over. I would like to thank you for your time." I said standing.

Bruce stood too, "Thank you for your service. I think you'd make a great reporter." He said, "Are you on that track?"

"I wish. I'm a copy writer." I said quickly, "It would be nice to get credit every now and then."

"I'll keep an eye out for you." He smiled.

"Thanks." I said self-consciously.

I turned from him and quickly exited the room, exhaling n the way out. As I opened my eyes I saw that the secretary was staring at me with an amused expression.

"So, it's not just me." She smirked as she answered the phone.

I shook my head as I exited the lobby. No, it wasn't just her.

My apartment was small, a one bedroom but it was more than some people had, so I was beyond the moon. After college I lived with my mother and she is a great woman all around but she had this thing about being too clingy. She still called multiple times a day. I was thrilled to be living alone now.

I walked into my bedroom and threw myself onto the bed. I let out a sigh as I remembered that I agreed that I would go back to Matt's apartment, which was entirely too much better than mine, and make sure he was alright.

I looked up at the ceiling and began to count the dust bunnies on the ceiling. I meant to clean but I wasn't much of a cleaner and a maid was out of the question. I thought about switching on the TV but everything in my body was too tired to move.

I frowned to myself as I rolled over facing the window which looked out onto Gotham's skyline. The night was so dark that even the lights of the skyline seemed to dim in contrast.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw that the window was open and felt as if someone was watching me. I could see a silhouette in the shadows and found myself inching to the other side of the bed.

I kept a retractable staff beside my bed, a gift from Jinsu. He said that it would keep me safer than a gun ever could. I found that to be true.

"You don't need it." A dark voice said from the shadows.

The voice didn't fill me with darkness, as Ra's Al Ghul's voice had. Instead, this one was familiar in a warm way.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Batman said as he took a few steps out of the shadow.

I looked at him, trying to find my wits, "This is not real." I said quickly.

He was quiet now, instead letting me come to the realization by myself.

"I swear I drifted off in my sleep because this…what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I had to see if you were safe."

"I am. Should I not be?" I asked.

"Ra's Al Ghul doesn't just attack anybody." Batman went quiet again, "Neither does he run from a fight."

"So, I'm not crazy for asking myself how I got off one punch?" I asked.

"No." He said, "I've been trying to connect the dots but I've been unsuccessful. His league of assassins are on the move."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"You shouldn't. I think he finds you worthy." Batman said with a scowl, "It's not a good thing to be."

"Taken from experience?" I asked.

"Yes." He said simply.

"Okay, so I'm alright. He's not come for me. So I'm good." I said quickly.

"Yet. He will. He will test you." Batman said quickly.

"Any idea how?"

"No." He said walking to the window, "Be careful." He said as he disappeared from the window.

I sighed to myself and sat on the edge of the bed. If Batman was right, and he usually was, Ra's would come for me again. And this time it would actually be for me. The more I thought about it, the more I felt paranoid. My paranoia hit an all-time high when I realized that Ra's Al Ghul had no limits. He'd do anything…to anyone.

I jumped off the bed and grabbed my keys on the way out. I was headed to the one place I knew he might go: Matt's apartment.

As I entered Matt's apartment, I quickly realized that it wasn't as I left it. The placed was trashed beyond comprehension. The really worrying thing was the slash marks on his couch. I quickly ran to his bedroom to see more of the same. I shouted out for Matt, but he didn't answer. He was nowhere in the house.

I made it back to the living room to see the Batman already investigating. He was digging through rubble and examining the cut marks in the couch.

"Ra's." He said darkly.

"No. No!" I said angrily.

He stood and walked over to me, "You've got to go somewhere safe." His face was the epitome of serious.

"No." I said angrily, "I've got to find Matt before something bad happens to him."

"I'll find him."

"Can you do that?" I asked.

"I always do." Batman said as he shot a grappling hook out of the window and shot out of the window.

I watched from the window as the Batman plunged headfirst into darkness and the police lights neared.