[Location Unknown. Date Unknown. Earth-6612364]

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." A low, stern, deeply masculine voice echoed through the shadows. "Remember all of your old habits. Don't actively prevent them. Focus on building new habits and in the process forget the old." The loud screeching of a sword being unsheathed shot through the air.

Two sets of footsteps crept through the room, one set was calm, slow and paced while the other was frantic, rushed and panicked. The unsheathing of the sword belonged to the calm set of footsteps as the panicked ones already had their sword ready.

"Employ your time in improving yourself by others' writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have laboured hard for," The voice said once more, in more of a scolding tone. "Everything was invented to be used. All the skills you know were invented to be used. Use them."

A sharp sigh came from the owner of the panicked footsteps before a rush of motion caused a chain reaction of loud clangs of metal on metal before a thud on the ground. The calm footsteps kept walking as the panicked ones disappeared. A clunking noise came from a far wall as lights finally lit up the rectangular, windowless room.

Standing by a large lever on the southern wall was a man looking into the centre of the room. He stood tall, at about six feet and two inches, with a full head of light grey hair and some small, scruffy grey stubble around his jaw, upper neck and his mouth. His blue eyes seemed dull and his posture dictated otherwise, but he was still fit and in perfect shape.

On the floor in the centre of the room was a woman. She was sprawled out on her back, staring up at the high ceiling. In her right hand was a traditional Japanese katana with ice white wrap over a dark grey leather base on the handle, and a series of small inscriptions near the guard.

The woman was also tall, at about five feet and ten inches tall, with a thin but slightly muscular frame. Her hair was shoulder length and jet black.

She took a few deep breaths before violently throwing her sword toward the wall to her right. It stabbed a foot deep into the wall and stuck. She put her palms to her forehead and sighed heavily.

The man grabbed a scabbard from below the lever and threw it at the woman. "Clean up," he said to her as he made for the door across the room. "See me in the hall when you're done, I want a word with you."

The woman spent the next half hour cleaning up the sweat and blood from the floors and pulled her sword out of the wall. As she exited the room with her katana in her ice white, black floral decorated scabbard attached to her waist, she looked left and right for her trainer. He was nowhere to be seen.

"You're weak, Rin," his voice boomed, but the location of the source was an absolute mystery. "You're slow. A disappointment." She looked up and down, left and right and down the halls for him, but to no avail. "I regret bringing you in."

"Master, what are you—"

"I thought you would be like Damian. I was a fool to think that," he stated harshly. "I was a fool to think that you could be a worthy heir to the cowl."

That comment cut deep. She had trained for years on end to become a better fighter. To become the new Robin. After Damian had died, she was taken in and trained ruthlessly to become as good as Damian. If not better.

"Over the past year and a half you have not progressed any further." As Rin neared the end of the hallway, she stopped herself at the dead end. She screamed in frustration, anger and sorrow. She thrashed her arms about, punching the walls, ripping her knuckles wide open. "You are a disgrace."

Splatters of blood tainted the walls of the hallway as Rin kept punching. Over and over, she wailed at the concrete, now focusing on the wall the cut off the hallway.

One by one her knuckles cracked, and then shattered, sending immense jolts of pain up her arms. Of which she completely ignored. Though her knuckles were shattered she kept punching. Filled with rage, directed at her master. As she punched, she recalled many events from her times during training.

Multiple times she's been relentlessly punished for simple mistakes such as missing a step during a free run course or improperly holding a sword by an inch during sword fights. Her punishments were always a series of lashes or beatings. Cleaning the training area was not even a punishment compared to other occurrences of her mistakes.

Finally she stopped punching and fell to the ground, crying.

"Are you done foolishly breaking your hands?" He asked, disappointed.

"Yes... master." She said silently.

"Good." He said in a neutral tone. "Now pick yourself up and go to your quarters." You've had enough for today." He paused for a moment. "We both have."

Rin nodded and stood up slowly. She wiped away her tears with her right arm and gently managed to pick up her sword. As she began to walk the other way down the hall, a large tremor shook the facility she was in. She looked around cautiously and panicked slightly.

"Master! What's—"

"It's fine, Rin! Just get to your quarters!" Her Master said over the speakers.

"But—"

"Go!" He shouted.

Rin obeyed and began running down the halls to her personal quarters. They were small, with a bed and dresser on one side and a toilet and sink on the other.

Over the speakers, another, different voice boomed. A voice she had never heard before.

"It's over Bruce! You can't escape this time! We're taking you in and you're going to pay for your crimes!" The voice shouted, making Rin briefly question both whoever this person was and question her Master.

Rin waited in her quarters for a few minutes before her Master showed up, and when he did he was bruised and bloody. He fell down, and as he fell Rin caught him.

"Rin. In my quarters, there is a button under my desk. Press it. It will open a passage to my old armour and a sword I made for the next Robin. Take the sword and the armour. They're yours now." He said to her quickly. "Just escape. I'll hold off the League, just go." Rin could only nod before he pushed her away. She grabbed her sword and began running down the halls. She reached his quarters and quickly searched for the button he had told her about. Finally she found it and pressed it as fast as she could. On the opposite wall, a passage opened. She ran down it and found a display case of pitch black armour and next to it a sword.

In front of the sword was a plaque. On it, it read "For Rin, Nth Metal sword." Rin's jaw dropped slightly as she examined the sword. Quickly, as she remembered the severity of the situation, she used the butt of her old sword to smash the glass and claim the new sword. The moment she touched the handle, she felt reinvigorated. Her hands were no longer battered, and her bruises given to her by her master had slowly disappeared. She smiled lightly before smashing the glass to the armour.

As she put the armour on, it somehow resized itself to fit to her perfectly. She wondered what it was made of before quickly running out of the passage.

As she exited through the opening, she was confronted by a tall man in a green hard light suit floating in front of her. He had brown hair and a stern look in his face. His mask, albeit pointless, somehow emphasized his angered expression.

"Listen, kid, I know you think Bruce..." He paused and looked down for a quick moment. "Your mentor is right and he's all good but he's not. He's done some very evil things. He's killed innocents without batting an eye. Look at yourself as well. He kidnapped you, beat you and trained you relentlessly just so you could do his dirty work for him." The man explained, but Rin refused to listen. "I can show you the things he's done. You just have to trust me. I'm telling the truth and I want to show you what the truth is."

"Ok..." Rin said silently. "Fine. But if you're lying I'll kill you on the spot."

"I don't doubt it."