CLXIV
Happy Endings Part Four:
The Batman
In the weeks following the greatest Birthday party ever, Bruce had managed to initiate his extradition from political office, in order to focus more on the newly created Justice League and Wayne Industries. In Congress, the federal election campaigns had now kicked into high gear, and (quite frankly) he was happy to become an observer.
In his professional life, Bruce had made some provisions before he would name Tim Drake as the new CEO of Wayne Industries. Tim had not been happy about the provisions, but Bruce had remained adamant. The contract that Bruce had formulated with his team of lawyers had been very specific and binding.
Tim had to go on a date.
Meanwhile, the Justice League had accepted two new members; a scarlet speedster who could (literally) run as fast as lightning, and a mysterious dark avenger who was gaining a reputation in Gotham.
Of course, Bruce and Raven knew exactly who these individuals code-named 'The Flash' and 'The Batman' were, but they respected their wish to be left anonymous. After all, Dr. Barry Allen was a respected and valued forensics scientist in the GCPD, and – to all outside appearances - Richard Grayson was dead.
And it wasn't just to the outside world. Considered what had happened to Dick that night, Bruce had to admit that the old Richard was dead and that this thing called the Batman had taken his place.
Dick Grayson's new destiny and identity had been set in stone the night the bat-demon came for him.
Crashing through old, plate glass window the night after his sudden resurrection, the bat-demon of vengeance claimed Richard's newfound life as his own. Twenty years of loss and hatred were suddenly reignited in Dick's soul, as the fires of Hell consumed any of his old innocence that may have remained.
He was now a different man… a man possessed.
They had no choice but to aid him in his war against crime. Against men like Tony Zucco who had killed his parents twenty years before.
With Alfred's fortune, Dick designed a new Wayne Industries stealth suit which could allow him to turn invisible at will. Its cutting-edge technology would also allow him to survive a direct hit from a tank, while augmenting his own considerable strength several times. He had knockout gas, electroshock grip, cutting lasers and concussive rounds.
And to pay tribute to the dark spirit dwelling within him, a black bat was emblazoned onto its front chest plate… the last gruesome sight many criminals-at-large in Gotham often saw before awaking in police custody.
As the world came together, so too did the crime syndicates. Gotham was a prosperous city, ripe for plunder, but it was also protected by more than just the Police.
James Gordon and the rest of the GCPD didn't know what to make of this new vigilante who patrolled the streets of Gotham after dark, but Batman's results left little room for argument. Clearly, this techno-vigilante's pre-emptive strike methods were outside of the law - and he would be prosecuted when arrested – but Gotham was a safer city because of the Batman.
At Bruce's suggestion, the intense Martial Arts training that Dick had undertaken seemed to help control the fiery rage and calm him. Bruce understood the demon well, having been its host for twenty years, and understood what had worked for him. Bruce was also Dick's technical advisor and a shoulder to lean on whenever needed.
Alfred had been as supportive as ever. As one of the wealthiest investors in America, the elder gentleman had personally bankrolled Dick's armoury and new underground headquarters. The caves had been converted from Bruce's former weapons bunker into something closer to a cutting-edge military intelligence operation.
And much to Bruce's chagrin, Dick had nicknamed this new theatre of operations (which Alfred had poured millions of dollars into) 'The Batcave'.
Complete with a Bat-Pole.
To further vex Bruce, Dick had also taken to naming all his weapons in this manner; the Bat-Grenade, the Bat-Bolo, Batarangs, Bat-Darts and so on… just to see the priceless and incredulous look on his adopted father's face.
It was best when Dick said it in the absolutely serious monotone he had developed to disguise his voice. It was really hard to keep a straight face when he witnessed Bruce's pained reaction to that... He had even considered naming poor Bruce 'Bat-Dad' just to watch him cringe.
But the greatest support Dick had received came from Raven.
His young step-mother had been the only thing keeping him sane these days. Raven taught Dick how to control his mind and emotions, the same way she had been forced to for the first twenty-one years of her life in Azarath.
With her inspired coaching, he was able to focus his hate and his rage, channelling them into plans and action. And then he learned something really cool.
Her instructions on astral projection had allowed Dick to cast his own bat-shaped soul self into the Gotham nightscape, infiltrating the secret lives of criminals to learn all their secrets and be ready when they acted. He couldn't teleport like Raven, but his invisible stealth suit could travel at Mach 4.
Batman was the spectre of the crime world, a vengeful ghost, suddenly appearing amongst criminals at the very moment they committed their crimes… But his fists and weapons were all too real.
This Dark Knight of Gotham was said to live in the shadows, patiently waiting for evil to act before he would materialize, punishing those who would defy his law. This figure of terror would then disappear seconds before the police arrived, leaving only beaten men eager to confess to their foul deeds to the officers who had saved them.
The criminals of Gotham now lived in constant fear.
But the mysterious Batman wasn't contained to Gotham alone.
As the newest member of the Justice League, Dick had also been called upon to travel to worlds far away.
To Apokolips.
Where Darkseid's chief torturer, a New God named Desaad had allied with Darkseid's first-born son Kalibak in an open rebellion against Orion and Lightray. And although Desaad possessed some of the most vile technology available, the Justice League proved ready for battle.
Dick himself had saved Diana from a lethal doomsday weapon (that punctured a hole into a nearby moon) during the fierce battle. It was the evil Desaad who had gleefully fired this powerful weapon at the Amazon Princess, and the New God hadn't even considered the possibility that an interfering, unarmed mortal would be capable of punching his immortal lights out…
Dick had been more than happy to prove him wrong.
After that, Clark, Diana and Orion beat the stuffing out of Kalibak and freed Lightray from the energy prison where he had been trapped. The treacherous pair of Desaad and Kalibak were banished by Orion's decree to one of the deepest prisons of Apokolips and all was well.
So their first real test as the Justice League had gone extremely well, and Dick even thought that Diana may have been developing feelings for him, based on the way that she expressed her gratitude afterwards…
But all of this…
All that the Justice League had accomplished that victorious day…
Absolutely paled in comparison to the impossible task faced by Raven and her Blue Lantern Corps in order to save their Universe.
Next Chapter: Brainiac Vs. The Blue Lantern Corps