Batman and King Arthur

Paladin of Gotham

by Matthew Snee

Chapter Four

Once they were through the cave, dawn had taken form in the sky outside and a cool gray light blanketed the Earth. What fears the Batman had trifled with the day before now seemed ludicrous, but one thing was certain: danger was omnipresent in this land, and he would have to deal with Mordred and his men soon enough.

They rode across a wide plain, their horses' hoofs pummeling the ground as they raced.

"That forest," Durant pointed at the horizon before them. "That is our route. But we must be careful. Bandits and brigands are about. Not to mention Mordred's fiendish flunkies."

"Alright," said the Batman, holding tight to his horse's reins. He wondered what kind of "superhero" he was now, clad in rags, without his gadgets and cowl, lost in a time once thought lost forever. Would he die here, his disappearance from Gotham just another mystery of the Batman? Or would he return triumphant?

They passed by a farmhouse that seemed as though it had once been earnest; now it seemed deserted, with a great, burnt hole in the hay roof.

"The lives of ordinary men revolve around the good or evil of their betters," said Durant. "Mordred has brought war here, and it is no one's fault but the Round Table's. We have failed."

"There is always hope," said the Batman. It was what he lived on.

"Aye," said Durant. "There is. But what a ragged rope it is to hold onto sometimes."

They continued on their way and the forest inched closer. Wilderness such as this was rare in Batman's world, and he tried to marvel at what once was now before him like it had never disappeared. Vast swaths of nature had been consumed in mankind's struggle to survive, by commandeering men that were as great and terrible as he was. Men had once been sparse among the landscape, and in his time, they overflowed atop each other.

Still, good and evil flourished the same in the past as it did in the future. There would always be heroes, and there would always be villains, and like Durant had said, there would be always be ordinary people who either suffered or profited in the battles between them.

Finally they reached the forest.

"The brush is too thick to ride hard here," said Durant, slowing his horse. "And we must be cautious."

"I understand," said Batman, following the knight's lead.

Their horses stepped into the trees, and the sky was soon hidden by branches and leaves. The forest was rich with life, and obviously unimpressed by man in his current state. Birds chattered, wind brushed through the trees, and the brush rose up to their feet in their horses' stirrups. It was slow going.

After some time, Batman noticed that the sound of the birds had quieted, and the wind was still. Too late, he realized they were set upon, and a harsh word came out the woods:

"Halt!"

Five men stepped out of hiding around them, armored and holding weapons, preventing their escape. Durant and Batman ceased their movement, and glanced at each other, agreeing with their eyes that there was no quick answer here.

Reluctantly, they dismounted their horses, and raised their hands.

The five men were armored head to toe, with all of their faces covered by masks except for one, who brandished his visage with a malicious eye. Pale, and with a cancerous tumor perched on his left cheek, he smiled and spoke like a snake slithering: "So... what brings you two to my forest?"

"We are just travelers," said Durant. "Headed East."

"I see," said the brigand. "And you wouldn't be loyal to King Arthur, now would you?"

"And if we were?" asked Durant.

The brigand leader chuckled. "Then we're going to have to dispatch you to hell. So what is it? Do you serve Mordred? Or do you serve Arthur?"

Durant did not speak, obviously trying to calculate his next move. Batman spoke for him:

"We serve Arthur!" he exclaimed, lunging at the leader. Batman punched him perfectly in the jaw, breaking it with a resounding crack that made the other four men shudder.

"Raaa!" yelled Durant as he ripped his sword from its scabbard and attacked the nearest remaining brigand.

That left three more for Batman. He leapt, somersaulting across the forest floor towards a brigand, karate-chopping the man's knee through a weak link in his armor, breaking his leg, and probably maiming him for life. The brigand screamed and fell to his back.

Two more. Batman got to his feet as these two surrounded him with their spear and sword. The one with the spear jabbed at him; he grabbed the weapon and pulled the man towards him, knocking him off balance and punching him in the neck in the weak spot where his helmet and chest of armor met. The brigand wheezed and fell to the ground with a metallic crunch.

One left. The brigand hesitated, obviously outmatched. Batman launched himself at the warrior, knocking his sword down with one hand, and grabbing the brigand by the throat by the other. Batman squeezed with all his might, forcing the brigand to his knees.

By this time, Durant had taken care of his opponent, and they were once more safe. Batman took the moment to interrogate the last conscious brigand he choked at his feet:

"Who are you?" he barked.

"No one!" the brigand gasped. "Just hungry bandits!"

"I think not," said Batman, digging his fingers into the man's throat. "What are Mordred's plans?"

"He plans... to destroy Arthur with the help of the Queen..."

"How?!" shouted the Batman.

"I... don't know... but he keeps her in the castle..."

"Where is Mordred now?" Batman asked.

"In Camelot... he waits for word of Arthur's arrival, and then... he will use the Queen as a weapon..."

"Thank you for your help," said Batman. "Now: goodnight." He squeezed further, knocking the brigand out, but not killing him.

He looked at Durant, who was astonished. "You just defeated four armored men with your bare hands!"

"It wasn't a fair fight, for them," grinned the Batman.

"We should slay them where they lay," said Durant.

"No!" said Batman. "We will not."

"We will only have to fight them again."

"Then we will defeat them again," argued the Batman.

Some hours later, they had traversed the forest and come out to the other side, where the village Durant had spoken of stood. A light rain drizzled upon them as midday stoically reigned.

The village was quaint, perhaps a dozen thatched buildings huddled together in merry old England. No one was out on the streets, which were nothing but mud, and a heaviness hung in the air.

"Come," said Durant. "My men wait at the tavern."

The largest building in the village was the tavern, "The Traveler's Rest", a two story affair with stables to the side. Batman and Durant tied their horses, and then entered the inn.

They were immediately greeted with shouts as men and women inside recognized Durant gladly.

"You've made it!" exclaimed one fellow.

"We never would have believed it!" said another.

Most of them were armored warriors of some sort, though there were civilians, a bartender, and a barmaid as well.

"Durant!" said one of the warriors, gesturing at Batman, "Is this him? Is this the Paladin of Gotham?"

"He doesn't look like a paladin to me," said another.

Some others muttered in agreement.

"He is the Paladin of Gotham," said Durant. "And if any man in this world is a knight, he certainly is one as well."

After that they accepted Batman as one of their own. He introduced himself as Sir Bruce, and he and Durant were offered a place at the tavern's center table. Mead was served, and potatoes and venison was promised. A warm fire burned in the tavern's hearth, and the whole place was comforting.

Still, the Batman had no time for frivolity. "When do we attack the castle?" he asked them.

He was answered by stunned silence.

"Attack the castle?" asked Durant. "They outnumber us ten to one!"

The others grumbled as well.

"Our time, the Queen's time, and my time are more withered than you think," explained the Batman. "If Arthur is on his way, and Mordred holds the Queen hostage, we might only have days. Perhaps hours."

"Yes," said Durant. "But what do you propose we do?"

"You say the castle is well-guarded?"

"Very well," said Durant.

"Then I will attack it alone. By myself."

The men and Durant looked at each other in doubt. "How will you do that?"

"Do you know the castle? Well enough to explain its layout to me as exactly as you can?"

"Yes," answered Durant.

"Good. Then all I will need after that is some leather armor, rope, and a mask."

"A mask?"

"Yes, a mask."

"And that's all?" asked Durant, dumbfounded.

"Well, there's one more thing," said Batman. "I'm going to need a distraction."

"What kind of distraction?"

"One that will be a legend for the ages," the Batman told them.