Batman and King Arthur

Paladin of Gotham

By Matthew Snee

Chapter Eight

Affelette, sensing the tide had turned, fled quickly in the chaos that had just awoken.

Korone did not flee. "I'm going to kill you, 'priest'!" He launched himself at Batman, disregarding the Lowry and the other knights, who themselves attacked Affelette's men encircling them.

Sir Korone was quick, but Batman was much quicker. The Dark Knight caught the evil knight's sword arm in one hand, and with his other, knocked the weapon away from Korone. Then he broke Korone's wrist in one place, and his hand in two places. Korone cried out, but he was a tough man, and with his remaining good arm, took Batman by the throat and kicked his legs out from under them.

They tumbled into the sand, wrestling with each other, their armor crashing together. Batman head-butted his opponent; the Dark Knight had a helmet on, but Korone did not, and the knight was almost knocked unconscious by this attack. But he continued to fight against the Batman, not giving up. The Dark Knight head-butted him again, and again, breaking his nose, and making his lip spit blood. Finally, Korone fell back, dazed, and Batman leapt to his feet and stood over his opponent.

"I... I'll still kill you," said Korone, obviously beset by dizziness and pain.

Batman was content that the fight was over. But Lowry, who had bested his own enemy, now came over with a sword and stabbed Korone in the gut before the Batman could anticipate his action.

"No!" the Batman yelled.

Confusion took Lowry's face. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Korone grunted and coughed blood.

"There was no reason to do that!"

"There was reason enough," said Lowry. Then he raised his sword to finish Korone off, but Batman seized his arm and shook his head. "I'll break you too, should you strike him again."

"This is battle!" argued Lowry. "You are crazy."

"Yes," said Batman. "I am crazy." He released Lowry's arm and glared at him one last time. "Go. But have mercy if you can, when you can."

Lowry, still upset, did as he was told, and took the two of his remaining knights with him.

Batman looked down at Korone, who had paled and now convulsed with his hand at his belly. Their eyes met, and Korone spoke:

"You are not a man! Why don't you finish me and be done with it?"

Batman did not respond, looking away from Korone and staring as Arthur's ships met Mordred's. This was a very different world than he was used to, a more brutal world. The Joker was a cruel, terrible creature - but here even the heroes were bloodthirsty and merciless.

But he would not stop being the Batman.

It was at this time that the rest of Batman's and Lowry's knights attacked the beach, causing such a disarray as the Dark Knight had ever seen. For a moment he was almost frozen in his tracks, so out of his element here. This was true war, something he had only waged from the shadows until now.

What a carnage. By now, Arthur's ships met Mordred's, and metal clanged and clashed on the beach as boat met boat on the sea.

Finally Batman came to his senses, and spying a group of men on horseback close to the beach with banners fluttering, realized Mordred was here too.

He had confidence in his abilities, with training that put the rest of these men to shame, as well as an intellect that was daunted by nothing. He knew that if he could take out Mordred, all this would be quickly over, and he decided this was his directive.

Among the men he watched, there was a tall, black-clad knight with a red cape. Mordred: the Bat's prey.

Men screamed and shouted. Swords crashed together. Blood spilled onto the sand. Unnoticed, Batman approached his quarry.

He saw that they were waiting for a small boat approaching the shore filled with Arthur's knights, which met the shore and emptied with a battle ensuing. If Mordred was fighting there, these could be no ordinary knights, and must have been someone important to Arthur, if not Arthur himself.

Batman broke into a run, knowing time was of the essence. As he arrived, he found most of Arthur's knights slain, and Mordred combating a silver-clad knight with a spear as the rest of Mordred's men watched. With their attention so focused, they did not see Batman coming up from behind them. He punched one of the guards in the lower spine in a vulnerable space in his armor, knocking him to his knees, and then as another turned in response, punched that one in his neck between helmet and chest, casting him to the ground also.

Four other knights remained, in addition to Mordred and the silver-clad knight he battled with, who both turned and gaped at the Batman.

Batman of course took advantage of their shock and attacked the four other guards. But here he was outnumbered, armed with only his bare hands, while they all raised their swords. Though he was the greatest warrior on the beach, the Batman was still not used to the armor he wore - it made him slow, even though it protected him. Worry struck him for a moment as he engaged the four knights, but it quickly subsided into a frightening rage as he remembered his whole life, the death of his parents, the years of guilt, Robin's death, and all the other tragedies he had witnessed - he was the Batman, and this was just another battle that he would win.

Mordred and the silver-clad knight began their fight anew as Batman approached the four guards. Two of them had their faces protected with metal; two did not - he attacked them first. Dodging a sword swipe, and then another, he punched one of them squarely in the mouth with his armored fist, casting tooth and blood into the air, and knocking the knight onto his back.

One of the others though swung at him and did not miss, bashing his sword against the Batman's left flank, but not penetrating the armor. Still, the wound knocked him off balance, and when another one of the guards attacked, he was not quite ready. This one attacked the Batman's head in a foolhardy gamble that did not pay off - the Dark Knight dodged it quickly, and then kicked this guard's knee out. The guard wobbled and then fell, leaving two more standing.

Batman heard a cry of pain - he looked and saw that Mordred had landed a sharp blow to the silver-clad knight's head, and crimson blood streamed out of the wound down onto his armor. The silver-clad knight fell onto his face in the surf, perhaps mortally wounded.

His enemy finished, Mordred fled.

Batman quickly dispatched the remaining two guards and ran to the silver-knight's side, rolling him over. The knight spat blood and sea water, but he was still alive. "Who... who are you?" the knight asked, weak.

"I am the Batman," said the Dark Knight. "I am a friend of Merlin, and of Arthur."

"Well met, Batman. I am... I am Gawain. You fought well. I'm afraid, I didn't fight well. I'm afraid, I'm dying."

Batman examined the wound. Underneath the blood, he could see bare skull. "You will be fine," he told Gawain.

Gawain laughed. "This is the same wound Lancelot gave me. Mordred has unknowingly exploited it. I knew when Lancelot gave it to me, it would be the death of me, I just didn't think it would take so long."

Batman glanced at the battle around them. They were not safe. "I cannot dawdle," said Batman.

"No, you cannot," said Gawain. "Put me in the boat. I will be safe there for should we win. If not, well, I am dying anyway." He croaked, trying to chuckle.

Batman was impressed by his brevity. No doubt Gawain suffered incredible pain. He helped the knight onto his feet and helped him to the boat, where he lay him onto his back.

"Thank you," said Gawain. "Now - go!"

Batman bit his lip, crushed with emotion. "Goodbye, Gawain."

"Goodbye...Batman..."