Batman and King Arthur

Paladin of Gotham

by Matthew Snee

Chapter Seven

Christendom had all but wiped out the pagan world, and the pluralistic society of old Rome was almost unthinkable at this point in time. Instead, New Rome dictated belief from atop golden towers with Latin words that used to describe freedom and a wider world. Trade dwindled, invention suffered, and the Dark Ages overtook Europe. At the same time, it was the remaining pagan tribes that filled out Mordred's army: men just looking for vengeance for a world long gone. Mordred exploited their agony and sent them from their lives to their graves, while they chanted his name and followed his orders. There were no heroes here-

But the Batman.

Appavain's thought crimes would be punishable by death in most instances - powerful druids were especially hated by the followers of New Rome. But here she had kept her secrets, and remained as she was, one last unharmed tree in a burned out forest. 21st century scholars would have died to know what Appavain knew about the old world: its potions and medicines, its astronomies and geometries, its philosophies and religion that are now as mysterious as anything. Batman tried to remind himself how wonderful a find such a woman was, something so certain to be erased by time and the relentless power of "progress".

They spent most of the day in bed, talking sometimes, but mostly just being. Finally, they went back downstairs when Appavain had to go to work, and Batman had to make battle plans with the knights.

Immediately Batman was taken aside by one of the men, who introduced himself as Lowry.

"Sir!" said Lowry. "The Queen! She's gone!"

"What?" asked Batman.

"Absconded in the daylight, she has! No one knows where she is."

The Batman was not surprised. No doubt she had secret allies waiting for her should she escape the castle. Perhaps it was better they did not know where she had gone.

Her part in this tale was almost complete.

King Arthur was supposed to arrive by sea within days. However, Dover was heavily guarded by Mordred's fleet that waited anxiously for the founder of the Round Table and his broken army. Not only had Lancelot betrayed the king, but men loyal to him had joined Mordred, along with all the other warriors that had grievances with the King.

Batman and the knights knew they had to do something to ease Arthur's arrival. It was soon decided they would infiltrate Mordred's men on the shore, and sabotage what they could.

But it wasn't time yet.

Lowry had another surprise for the Batman: a suit of plate armor and a sword were being forged just for him, by the village's renown master blacksmith. Batman informed Lowry he didn't need a sword, to which the knight laughed. Then Batman had one more request: he asked for the creation of a helmet that resembled his cowl, with the mouth free, but the eyes almost covered, and two points on the top, like ears. If he was to face such a battle, it would be in the familiar trappings that had sustained him this far: the Bat would exist, again.

The Batman waited as his armor was created, and he and the knights planned disruptions to Mordred's supply lines. More men came to join them. An army was forming to greet Arthur's coming force in alliance.

The next day, Appavain informed him she had a terrible dream, and that it spoke of prophecy that doomed the King and Camelot. Batman did not doubt it. But he would still do what he could, rather than flee like she suggested.

"We can escape," she told him. "Far away."

"There is no escape from history," Batman told her.

"That is not so," she argued. "There are places, hidden away from the world, where people can take off their masks and just... live."

"I am not one of those men," he warned her. "I have a duty I have sworn to."

"Life is all that matters," she told him.

He knew it was true for some, but not for him. That freedom - to be alive - had never been in the cards for Bruce Wayne or the Batman. He wished he could explain such to her, but he knew he never could. He had built endless miles of responsibility down into his soul for the human race, and he knew that - no matter how it came to him - he almost had to say no to glimmers of happiness. Instead, he tried to enjoy the time he had with Appavain, and did his best to make her glad for the moments they had together.

"I love you, Sir Bruce," she told him one night.

"I love you too, in my way," he told her.

"What if you don't return to me?"

"I was never yours to begin with," he said.

"Then who possesses you?"

"The Bat," he told her.

Just in time for departure, the suit of armor was finished, and Batman was fitted into it and he said his goodbyes to Appavain. She doubted his return, but he was too human to accept his own death as imminent, and felt deep inside he would see her again. He wanted to see her again. And if he was stuck here in the past, he decided he would be gladly stuck with her.

But he knew that would not be.

They mounted their horses, waved in salute to the villagers, and then departed. Batman took one last look at Appavain, soaking in her beautiful dark eyes as the wind tussled her hair about. She was beautiful. It was for such beauty and purity that they fought.

His face now masked again, he was the Batman, after a short stint of being the only human Bruce Wayne. The Bat fluttered in his soul, ready for anything.

The sky was surprisingly blue on that day, the clouds gone, and the air, though still damp, was fresh. Their horses thundered across the soil. The main force would camp outside of Dover, but Batman and a few others would attempt to infiltrate the beach and see what they could do to sabotage the enemy or otherwise cause strife. Once Arthur had landed, the large force would attack keeping Mordred in danger from two sides, if not preventing his escape.

But more war was coming than any of them suspected, and when the sun grew low in the sky again and the beach drew near, they found themselves tired gloomy. Even the Batman had his doubts. Their future, however, was already in motion, and could not be stopped by anything - not even by God or spirit.

Batman and Lowry and five other men left the others at camp outside Dover, and headed deeper into enemy territory. But sooner than they had expected, they were surrounded, found out, and taken.

Mordred's men disarmed them, but did not kill them, and led them down to the beach, where they were greeted by Affelette and Korone. As Batman was unmasked, Affelette laughed, and Korone snarled.

"It's the priest!" laughed Affelette. "I cannot believe it."

"We should have killed him when we found him," said Korone. "We should kill them all, now!"

Affelette ignored his subordinate. "Doubtlessly, you are the knight that rescued Guinevere from the castle. Am I wrong?"

"You are not wrong," said the Batman.

"Marvelous!" said Affelette. "Isn't fate the strangest thing? And now here you are, once again in my charge, and once again I must decide what to do with y-"

An alarm sounded. Mordred's army came awake.

"A sail! A clear white sail! On the sea!" Men cried out to each other.

It was King Arthur. His fleet had arrived.