AN:/ Hey all, happy new year! Hope you enjoy this little gift from me to you. I'm apologizing now for Hagrid's 'accent'. But I don't really care enough to go and make sure its done correctly. so you'll just have to deal with it. Woe is you. Once again, don't know when I'll be updating next, but I do love those reviews! Enjoy!
Batman Doesn't 'Do' Magic
Chapter Two
by: deadlydaisy8o8
Originally Uploaded: Thursday, January 3, 2013, 5:30AM
The next day arrived on schedule. Batman had spent the majority of the night inspecting his living space. He had moved all of the portraits out into the hall and hung them up where they got over their disgruntled moods when they saw that they would be hung up with the likes of Salazar Slytherin and Lady Belladonna. He had found no secret or hidden entrances to his rooms but was still uncertain of who was allowed in and out that would be able to light the fireplace. Teleportation was not a foreign or impossible concept.
Batman had done a routine check of the supplies on his person and found that nothing that relied on electricity worked. The computer in his cowl, his communicator, his taser, and a plethora of other little gadgets did not work. He was secretly thankful that the bolas he used operated on a spring so that he had avoided embarrassing himself. After this realization Batman made to strip everything from his person that he would not be able to use, and then disassembled those gadgets, so that if they did start to spontaneously work they would not be able to be used until they were reassembled. The strip made him lighter and more mobile should the situation call for it: an advantage against unknown attacks.
Because the security of his room was still incomplete, instead of sleeping Batman allowed himself to slip into a deep meditative state that was like a light form of sleep, but that would allow him to 'wake up' abruptly if he needed to defend himself or become aware quickly.
When the clock in his room struck six o'clock he started his morning workout regimen, one hundred 'ups' as Jason had put it. One hundred each of push ups, pull ups, and sit ups. When it was seven o'clock he made his way to the Great Hall along the path he had remembered from the previous night, taking note of more details along the route as he went.
While in the dungeons he relied on the uncharacteristically deep shadows to give him cover from the traveling student population, but when he reached ground level and above he easily climbed up into the rafters and traveled silently above the hallway to the Great Hall.
However once he was at the entrance to the Great Hall there was no way to get into the room covertly. At this point the students were in a near constant stream in and out of the large door. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky, which meant that he would stick out against the sunny weather, this also meant that the room would be well lit, meaning nowhere to hide.
So instead of attempting to sneak around, Batman simply dropped from the rafters and walked through the doors. His initial drop had caused several high pitched screams. Batman had expected this, as that was a reaction he generally got when he dropped from the ceiling, and knew that the attention would be on him because of it. So he was not phased when upon entering the Great hall, there was a moment of silence before hundreds of students broke out into loud gossiping as he walked down the center of the hall.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a young man stand up, but his posture was different than those around him. Batman saw the extended arm and reached onto the table to pick up an empty serving tray. He flicked the round silver tray and it collided with a purple beam of light before continuing in its arch and landing on the floor with a loud crash. The boy who had cast the spell was distracted momentarily and that was all the time Batman needed to launch himself over the table that separated them and twist the boys arm so that he let go of his wand, pinning his other arm behind his back. The hall had broken out into sporadic screams at the action and were yelling loudly and franticly. Batman leaned down and spoke into the boys ear.
"Tell your father that if he or his friends try anything here, they won't be getting away with it. No matter how hard you try, you will not defeat me, magic means nothing in this fight. The next time you decide to attack me, Draco Malfoy, I'll demonstrate for you exactly how that is possible." Batman gave the boy a warning squeeze, causing him to grunt at the pain before he released his hold. Coming down the walkway were a slew of professors, Dumbledore, Snape, and a stern woman with green robes and tight black bun. Dumbledore was the first to speak, a large smile on his face.
"Splendid display. I haven't seen such acrobatics since I was a young man!" The stern woman was very quick to comment on the old man's choice of words.
"Albus! This man has just attacked-"
"Defended, Minerva, defended. I do believe that young mister Malfoy was the one to attack Batman before he retaliated. Batman's actions were in self-defense and no one is the worse for wear. Severus I will leave you to young mister Malfoy. I will take Batman and get him on his way with Hagrid. Minerva, do calm down your lions, they do seem to be getting a little overanxious." Minerva turned to see that not one single Gryphindor was in their seat and that a majority were standing on the tables and benches to see what was going on. Minerva immediately went over to get the lions under control while Snape clasped Malfoy by the shoulder and lead him out of the hall. Dumbledore turned to Batman with a gesture as he moved back down the isle towards the teacher's table. They quickly approached the largest man there, easily over twelve feet tall with an enormous beard that nearly obscured his face.
"Good morning Hagrid this, as you have already seen, is Batman." Dumbledore gestured towards a spare chair beside the giant that was obviously there for Batman. "In light of recent altercations I don't believe my hope of seeing you sit with your house will be realized. Why don't you have a seat and you and Hagrid can get aquainted while I go get your transportation ready. You must be hungry." Batman looked to the full breakfast laid out before the empty chair and back to Dumbledore. He stared the old man down before he moved to the chair. The giant he was now seated beside obligingly scooted over some to allow Batman some space. Dumbledore clapped his hands together once as he dismissed himself. "Well I'll be back shortly. Dig in then!" And Dumbledore twirled away making his way down the isles of the Great Hall. Batman stared at the fare before him before he took up a fork and started in on the eggs. He did not like accepting the food made by people who he did nto trust. But he admitted to himself that he would need the energy.
"Rubeus Hagrid, nice ter meet ya. You can just call me Hagrid though, everyone does." Batman put his fork down and looked over to the large man. Unlike most who had first met Hagrid, Batman was not at all put off by the man's size. He regularly fought men just as large, if not larger and won. Batman looked at the man's hand, which was extended as much as it could be for a handshake. He stared at the large hand and considered that it was a possibility he would be spending a large amount of time with this man and he had no desire to be at odds with the man for a majority of that time. It would be much more to his advantage if he had this man's cooperation.
Batman had been considering Hagrid's hand for such a long time that Hagrid was beginning to squirm, before Batman's arm finally appeared from underneath his black cape. Batman knew from expirence that trying to grab such a large hand when he might conciviably be able to only grasp a finger, would make him look infantile, so he left Hagrid to grab his hand and saved himself the dignity. Batman provided hsi name as a way of invitation.
"Batman" Hagrid smiled, and enthusiastically went to grab Batman's entire forearm only to draw away with a hiss almost as soon as he had started to close his fist. Hagrid turned over his hand to see three relatively shallow cuts in his palm. His eyes immediately went back to Batman's arm only see three protruding spikes disappear into Batman's cape.
Batman's eyebrow raised underneath the cowl when he saw not fear, or anger in Hagrids eyes, but genuine excitement at the danger that Batman had seemingly posed to him. It was scarcely a moment before Hagrid was attempting to hold conversation with him and Batman being extremely unaccommodating in his participation.
As Batman listened to the large man prattle on about his animals and how they were misunderstood, even if they were all dangerous. Batman quickly came to the conclusion that the man had very little perception of what was and wasn't dangerous. Most likely because he was difficult to injure himself, and had been treated as dangerous due to his size and durability. It would also explain his lack of anxiety over Batman's presence, which everyone else had reacted to with anxiety. Even after Hagrid had been accidentally injured by Batman's gauntlets, he did not have the context to perceive danger. Batman filed this information away as he listened to the man describe the feeding habits of a herd of Thestrals that lived in the Forbidden Forest.
Being a part of the Justice League meant that Batman was exposed to more forms of transportation than was usual for any one person in their lifetime. So while the pulling sensation was unexpected, he coped with it much better than anyone else who had taken their first Portkey ride.
They landed outside of what Batman deduced was a pub of some sort, based on the smell of food an alcohol that came from the inside. Batman looked up briefly to see that Hagrid was holding his mouth and his stomach, obviously queasy from the ride and unable to stand straight based on the slight swaying. Batman sunk back into the shadows while the giant gained his bearings. After a few large breaths from the large man he was back under control and he exhaled loudly. Turning around rapidly to locate Batman when he didn't immediately, he grinned when he finally did see Batman, who was standing slightly out of the shadows to be able to be found.
"Right then, sorry 'bout that. I've never really been one for Portkeys. Welcome to Diagon Alley!" Hagrid turned and opened his arms towards the busy chaotic street, waiting for some sort of reaction to the chaos and displays of magic present. Batman gave none. After a person goes to work on a satellite overlooking the earth as the sun rises on a regular basis, it takes quite a sight to compare. Hagrid seemed thrown off by Batman's lack of reaction and stuttered a bit, a light blush rising on his cheeks.
"Yea' this is where we'll be getting' all yur supplies." Hagrid opened up his coat and started to dig around. "If I can just find the money that Dumbledore gave me. We can get started." After rooting around in several of his pockets he came out with a bag of coins. "'ere it is!" Hagrid opened the bag and pulled out a piece of paper that had been placed inside. He carefully unfolded it before he started to speak again. "Okay well we'd best get started on the list then. We' got a lot to get to. We should stop at the robe shop first, you don't want to be going around in that, attractin' attention and all that." Hagrid shifted his body, indicating that he was ready to move down the alleyway towards the robe shop but Batman didn't move. Instead he proposed his own plan of attack.
"We should split up and each handle half of the list. I can navigate the market well enough by myself, and when we are done, I will be able to spot you easily if you stay out in the open. We will get done faster this way." Hagrid seemed a little flustered and fidgeted with the edges of his coat as he replied.
"I guess we could do that. I mean its not like you're eleven like Harry was when I took him. I think I might be able to be getting some of the fertilizer I've been needing for the pumpkins too." As Hagrid justified splitting up to himself he grew in confidence. "Yea' alright. 'ere," Hagrid handed Batman the list and opened the bag to pour its contents into his large palm, "You take the list. I already know what's on it. I've seen it enough times and whatnot. I can collect all of the standard supplies for ya, like yur potions supplies and yur books, and you can get all of the stuff that you need to be there for: robes, a wand, and a pet, and whatever else catches yur fancy. Dumbledore gave us enough to do a little extra shoppin'." Hagrid picked out the amount of gold coins he would need before pouring a majority of the coins back into pouch and handing it over to Batman. Batman easily grabbed the leather pouch and made it disappear into his belt. Hagrid smiled as he stood up properly.
"Right then. I'll be waiting at Fortescue's over there when I'm done. Take your time and all that. I've got some shopping to be done for myself so don't be in a hurry." Hagrid nodded at Batman, waiting for him to move away or make some indication that he was going to say goodbye. Hagrid only shifted on his feet as Batman only stared at him. He coughed into his hand before he opened his mouth, "Well, In a bit then." Hagrid then awkwardly turned away from Batman and started to make a path through the crowd.
Batman waited until the man was turned away before he sunk back into the alleyway and started moving. While he did intend to buy what was on the list, he had a few other goals in mind as well. First on his list was finding himself a disguise to work in while he was here. He couldn't be seen as Batman doing shopping.
First he needed a safe place for his armor while he shopped. He quickly climbed up the sides of the surrounding buildings and up to the roofs of the surrounding shops. There were more than enough hiding places to keep his things for a short period of time where no one would find them.
Batman disassembled himself from foot to head, hiding his equipment in all different places, so that if one piece was discovered the others would not be in jeopardy. Finally he had hidden his cowl and he was left in nothing but black under-armor tights, a long sleeved under-armor shirt, and black socks carrying a bag of money and one dose of knockout gas.
Still hiding himself in the shadows he waited patiently for a man of about his height and weight to walk by before he struck. He covered the man's mouth, held the knockout gas under his nose, and he was out. And would remain that way for the next five hours. He dragged the burnet man further into he alleyway and propped him up behind one of the buildings and a stone wall. Carefully he slid the robe and shoes off of the man and put them on himself. The robe was long, and closed in the front, so he wouldn't need to steal the man's other clothes. It was a wooly grey with brown trim and deep pockets. The shoes were a bit narrow, but they would do until he could buy his own pair. Bruce found a wand in one of the pockets and carefully placed it in the man's waistband so he would find it if he woke up. Once he secured the wand he found an empty bottle that said 'firewhiskey' on the side, deeper in the alley, and he didn't have to be a detective to know that this was exactly what he needed. He placed the bottle in the mans hand, tussled his hair, and smeared a bit of grime on his face so it would look to anyone who discovered the man, that he had simply passed out drunk and leave him alone.
Once Bruce had himself situated he combed his hands through his hair and tried to make himself look at least slightly presentable. He really needed a shower and some cologne but a quick tousle and a spit bath would have to do. With that he walked confidently into the crowds, the robe swishing around him and headed straight for a shop named Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.
The bell gave a cheery jingle when he entered and he was greeted by a slightly tired but enthusiastic matron. "Hello dear, I'm Madam Malkin. What can I do for you today?" Bruce turned up the charm and flashed his best playboy smile at the woman. She smiled a bit more genuinely back at him for his efforts. Bruce winked at her before he started speaking in a thick British accent.
"I'm afraid I am in need of a new set of robes. I have a party I'm going to next week, my best mate is turning forty, and his wife has been planning the affair for ages. I need something a bit more fancy than what I have in my closet. I don't suppose this would be the place to be?" The stout woman chuckled as she turned and waved towards Bruce to follow her.
"You are in the right place then. I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?" The woman had lead him to a small stand, which he knew from having his suits tailored for him his entire life, would be where his measurements would be taken. Bruce stepped up to the small platform without prompting as he replied.
"Bruce Wayne, at your service." As the woman turned back to him she had a smile on her face as she tapped a small tape measure with her wand and it started to zoom around his form. Bruce made sure to stay still as he had been trained to do.
"Well Mister Wayne, what did you have in mind for colors and materials?" Bruce allowed himself to relax when the tape measure fell to the floor.
"Oh I wouldn't presume to know anything about dressing myself. My wife makes sure that she gets a look at me before I leave the house. I'm colorblind, you see, so I don't really know what looks best. I was hoping that you wouldn't mind me as a project. My wife loves playing dress up with me as it were. I figured someone else might like the chance. I need a set of trousers, a blouse, and a new pair of shoes long with a new cloak. Just as long as it isn't too outrageously priced, I would trust your judgment. That is if you don't mind?" Bruce shot his innocent boyish grin at her and she smiled at him widely she clapped her hands together rapidly. She went to the stacks of fabric across the room.
"Of course of course! I would be more than pleased. I haven't gotten to do this sort of thing in ages. I just spent the last month doing nothing but Hogwarts robes. Dreadfully boring, after a while. And everyone these days always knows exactly what they want. Even if it isn't exactly tasteful. This is why I started in robes you know. When I was a girl I was convinced I would be a clothing designer, but you know how that worked out. Though I can't complain, I get to meet wonderful people here and I can't say that I don't enjoy my job." As the witch rambled she selected a number of bolts of fabric and waved her wand at them so that they moved themselves into a neat pile next to the podium Bruce had been standing on. Bruce watched as a clear pallet of nearly black greens and blues revealed itself. Bruce found himself smiling at the development. Everyone who ever got the chance always jumped to bring out his pitch hair and his blue eyes.
Madam Malkin quickly slipped into her element as she got to do what she loved and stopped making small talk to focus on her work, which was perfectly fine with Bruce, as he was not overly fond of it in the first place. The woman selected a number of trims before she walked back over to the podium and started holding fabrics up the Bruce's shoulder, letting them drape down before she would shake her head and move onto the next, the pile of discarded fabric was soon growing until she settled on a fabric that seemed two toned. It was a black silk that shined a dark blue when it was lit correctly. The trim she had selected was a plain silver, and not overly shiney, but bright enough to be silver and not grey. She went on to select an ornately crafted clasp, that was designed to look like a dragon guarding a small sapphire, when it was fastened. She went on to select a simple black silk for the lining of the cloak before she moved on to picking out the colors of his pants and shirt. The pants would be a plain black, while the shirt would be grey with an oxford collar, and a line of black buttons.
She went to collect a pair of shoes for Bruce to try on after she asked for his size. Bruce made sure to give his European size and she came back with a pair of black square toes ankle boots that laced up the side. They were tight at first, but they molded to his foot after a moment, obviously due to some magic, and fit perfectly.
Bruce looked up to the woman to see that she was smiling happily down at him as he sat in the spare chair she had ushered him into to try the shoes. "Well, Mister Wayne, I do believe that's it. I can have your robes ready for you in about two hours. So if you'd like to shop around and go to lunch they'd be ready when you come back. I must say that I am certainly excited to see them come to life. Thank you for letting this tired old girl have some fun." Bruce smiled confidently up at the woman as he took off the new shoes and shoved his feet back into the ones he had come here in, not wanting to looks suspicious or too eager to wear shoes that were supposed to be for special occasions.
"Oh Madam it was my pleasure. I do think you have done me the greatest service here. And I could have sworn you were not a day over twenty-five!" The woman blushed at the obvious exaggeration and ushered him towards the door as she responded.
"Your wife certainly knows how to pick them, Mister Wayne. Now unless you would care to watch me sew your garments, I think you had best occupy yourself until they are done. I'll see you in a small while." Bruce nodded to the woman and thanked her before the door jingled shut and Bruce was back out into the alleyway. Silently Bruce congratulated himself for making sure that he would have wizarding attire that was socially appropriate from this point forward. By getting Madam Malikn to design the robes he was ensuring that someone knowledgeable about what looked 'good' and 'bad' was making the decisions, preventing any mistakes that Bruce might have made from the guesses he would make based on the small sample of wizard clothing he had been exposed to. And if the woman's taste wasn't desirable and people decided to notice or comment, Bruce could blame the lack of fashion sense on the witch and not himself.
Bruce spotted Hagrid further down the alley going into some sort of botanical shop. Not wanting to waste any time he headed straight over to a shop, 'Ollivander's Wands' and did not hesitate to go inside.
The store was completely empty and smelled like an antique store. The dust was visible as it floated through the air and the windows were foggy with grime as the light had trouble penetrating from the outside. Bruce had to restrain himself from whipping around when he felt the presence of someone to his side, and instead 'jumped' slightly as he looked over when the old man beside him decided to get his attention.
"I don't believe we've met before, Mister…"
"Bruce Wayne. I'm afraid I don't know your name either." Bruce extended his hand and tried valiantly not to let the loud objections his gut was making to the man show on his face. The old man gave him a knowing smile as he slowly took Bruce's hand.
"I am Mr. Olivander. And I believe I would be correct in assuming you need a wand?" Unlike in the Robe Shoppe, a tape-measure came out of nowhere without warning and started measuring his every limb and orifice as the old wispy man disappeared into the shelves, though his voice could still be heard as he continued to talk. "You know it's not very often that I get a costumer in here over the age of eleven. This should be interesting I think. You see, matching a wand to a child is on the whole a much simpler task, as their personalities are still developing. A wand can sense this and will be more willing to choose a young impressionable child. A grown man however is already set in his ways and he won't find a wand that fits unless it fits perfectly."
Mr. Olivander reappeared from the depths of the isles carrying several small thin boxes. Bruce was reminded unwillingly of trips to the shoe store when he had been little. "The wand chooses the wizard Mr. Wayne. They are fickle things that won't work properly until they find just the right touch." Bruce watched as the old man set down the stack of boxes, and swiftly opening one, discarded the box carelessly on the floor as he held the piece of wood in his hands delicately out towards Bruce. "Here we are, Pine and Dragon heartstring, thirteen inches."
Bruce looked to the old man before he cautiously reached out and grabbed the wand by the handle. He examined the small piece of wood in his hands for a moment flexing his fist around it before he gave it a short wave, as Dumbledore had instructed him to do in the headmasters office. Immediately after Bruce had started moving the wand through the air, the old man had snatched the wand out of his hand, and given him a new one with only the introduction of 'dogwood, dragon heartstring, twelve and a half inches.' And thus the arduous process of choosing a wand had begun.
Bruce knew it had been approximately forty five minutes of the wispy man running back and forth between his isles of wands and Bruce. After the first fifteen minutes Bruce reminded himself to take a seat because a normal character would not be able to remain standing and motionless for longer amounts of time. So Bruce made it a point to fidget occasionally, while he gave the old man an increasingly impatient smile on his every return with a new slew of wands for him to try.
Though If Bruce were being honest with himself, the process was slightly intriguing. He could clearly see a pattern being followed as the wand maker narrowed in on what would match his person best. Though he supposed the pattern wouldn't be apparent to someone who didn't have at least a mediocre knowledge of dendrology. The woods had been narrowed down first to those with a tolerance for a winter climate. Quickly the man had stopped bringing him wands made with the wood of fruit trees or temperate woods. Next the man had seemed to zero in on a length. The wands bouncing between longer and shorter before they settled on a consistent thirteen inches. What the man could not seem to decide on was a wand core. It was clear he favored the pine of thirteen inches, but was uncertain of what the core should be and continued to change the woods to others similar because of his indecision. Finally the man snatched the latest wand out of his hand and placed it neatly on a large pile of discarded wands. However instead of immediately going back into the shelves, he paused and examined Bruce for a long moment.
Bruce noticed and met the mans eyes to determine the purpose of the man's examination, only to immediately regret doing so. As soon as he had met the man's intense gaze it was obvious that he had given something of himself away. Bruce didn't' know what information this man had gleaned from him, simply by a look, but in this world of magic he could not predict accurately for what was possible. A trait about magic he sincerely hated.
"Mister Wayne, if you will give me a moment. I think I know what it is you need." Bruce gave the man an acknowledging nod and the old man winked at him with a knowing smirk before he disappeared one final time into the isles of wands behind the counter. It was truthfully only one or two minutes before the man re-emerged, an old and abused box in his hand.
"Mr. Wayne, This wand really is most peculiar. It is one of the wands I made in my younger days, when I was running around trying to prove the impossible. You see, today I only use three wand cores, as they produce consistently the best results; unicorn hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix feather. However before I came to this conclusion, I experimented with a number of different cores. Thestral hair, among them. It was said to have untold properties, but was nearly impossible to work with. To even be able to see a thestral, a person must have witnessed and understand death. So naturally a hair I could not see would be difficult to craft into a wand, but I persevered. I went as far as to take a trip to St. Mungo's down the way and ask permission to watch, as the life left a persons eyes. I went back to the hospital forty nine times before I was able to see the hairs I was working with. But once I was, I created a wand that I knew was special.
However up until this point, any person to handle a wand with a core of thestral hair, has immediately broken down into hysterical tears, overcome with a depression so great that most needed to be treated by a healer to be right again. It seemed that the wand did not agree with anyone, as even I myself had trouble handling the wand without being overcome with despair. I had put the wand away and I had not thought of it for decades… until now." The old man held out the box and Bruce looked at it for a moment before he took it. Bruce opened the lid to see a long thin wand that was black as pitch.
"Ebony and Thestral hair, thirteen inches." Bruce forced himself not to look up into the man's eyes. Refusing to let the man know anything about him from further eye contact, especially in the perceived importance of the moment. Deliberately cautious Bruce reached for the wand in the box and held it in his hand.
There was a moment where nothing happened before Bruce started to feel the wand react to his touch. All of the other wands he had tried had only given off a light tingle through his fingers, varying in strength depending on the wand. It was almost immediately apparent that this wand was different.
Instead of a tingling sensation starting at his fingertips, there was a completely different sensation filling his gut. Something that made him want to squirm and thrash to release it from his body. Some type of emotion that makes a person need to get up and scream; to punch a wall or a door until their knuckles bled. Bruce forced himself to sit still as the sensation assaulted him, never relinquishing control. As Bruce forced control on himself the sensations throughout his body started to develop. Pure anger turned to righteousness fury and started to build in his lungs, causing his breathing to become strained. Rage pounded through his head as the need to do something to relieve the pressure built. Something needed to meet the business end of fist. He needed to make them pay, to make them bleed. He needed to make someone scream. He wanted to hold their life in his hands as they begged for mercy and then he wanted to make them watch as he decided their fate right before their eyes. He needed to make sure that they felt his pain, so they would never cause it in others. It was the need to right what was wrong. To punish all of the scum and the filth that had corrupted and controlled his life.
What filled him was a need for vengeance that would never be satiated. Bruce knew now, what the feeling was inside him, he had felt it before, but not for years with such intensity. This wand was making him truly feel death. However unlike others Bruce had felt this before, with even greater sensitivity. What he was feeling was the tearing of his soul after his parents' death, an anger so absolute that it had nearly consumed him. The anger and righteousness that filled his soul so completely it now sustained him. With this realization the rage became possible to control. It was familiar to him; something he could use. Instead of an uncontrollable inferno, it was cool as ice. This was a rage Bruce had learned to tame and control long ago. He understood this rage and its purpose for him. It was nothing for him to fear, but something for him to use.
And then all at once the pressure subsided, leaving Bruce lightheaded as he realized he had become so tense, and his breathing so shallow that he had not taken a proper breath in over a minute. He could feel a light sheen of sweat on his forehead and his knuckles cracked as he forced his fists to relax. As awareness went back to his fingers he realized he was holding a loose piece of wood, and that in his trance he had cracked the armrest of the chair he was sitting in clean off. Absently Bruce set the piece of wood on the floor and flexed his fingers to allow the blood to flow freely once more.
Bruce looked to the thin wand in his hand with a mixture of resentment and respect. He did not trust this instrument in his hand, especially after what it had done to him, and he hated the part of him that did not want to let go of the wand to put it back in its box. He did not trust this instinct in him to keep the wand at hand. He didn't trust the wand or magic. Bruce knew he would only be using the instrument when he was absolutely required to.
Bruce glanced back to Mr. Olivander and saw something truly sad in his eyes. As if he knew that there was something deeply wrong with Bruce that he would never get over. That there was that something dark in his soul that cried for justice, for revenge.
"I am truly sorry, Mister Wayne. More sorry than I myself can comprehend. I refuse to accept payment for this wand. You have paid for it in other ways." Bruce frowned slightly at the man as he stood preparing to make his leave.
"Thank you for your patience in finding a wand for me. If there is anything that I can do to repay you for this…"
"Keep someone close, Mister Wayne. For this old man, let someone close so that you do not have to be alone." Bruce was silent as he placed the wand back in the box and the box in his pocket. Neither of them said a word as Bruce turned and the door jingled as it was open and shut.
Bruce did not take a moment to regain himself as he moved down the alley. There was nothing for him to need regaining from. The fact that the rage he felt on a constant basis had come to the fore was nothing to get excited over. It was something he dealt with on a daily basis. Every time he woke up. He left the shop and the owner behind as he focused back on his objectives for the day. As soon as Bruce exited the shop his first task was tracking down Hagrid and seeing where he was in his shopping. If Bruce didn't time his shopping correctly he would keep the giant waiting. This wouldn't be a problem if it were for a short period of time, but if he took too long, the large man would inevitably become suspicious, and that was something Bruce didn't need.
So with a practiced air of nonchalance Bruce walked down the alley towards the botanical shop he had last seen the man enter. The man was still inside, talking animatedly with someone. When the giant threw his head back in response to something his companion had said, Bruce could hear the laugh all the way outside the store.
Bruce didn't see any bags with the giant. This would normally indicate that the man hadn't done any of his shopping yet, however Bruce had seen several people in the street shrinking and pocketing their bags, so there was no true indicator of how far along the giant was with his portion of the shopping. Worst case scenario, Hagrid would be finished by the time Bruce came back out of the pet shop and retrieved his robes. Best case scenario, he would still be occupied when Bruce had all of his required items and he would have an opportunity to start establishing an alternative identity in this world. Something he could use to disappear in if he ever needed the escape route.
Taking a look down at the list before he made his way down to the pet shop Bruce read it over once and then twice to make sure that he had read correctly. It seemed that a pet was not required as had been implied by the giant upon their arrival. And if he was not required to be responsible for any but his own wellbeing, that was just fine with him. The last thing he needed was more than one life to be responsible for. This was just as well, because it gave Bruce more time to do what he needed to do, and more money to spare on his more relevant endeavors.
However for what Bruce wanted to do he would be more comfortable accomplishing it in the robes that he had had ordered and would fit him properly, than in the stolen slightly worn robes he was currently wearing. So as Bruce made to b-line back across the alley towards the robe shop, he hopped that checking up on one's purchase before the estimated completion time was not terribly bad form.
The door jingled merrily when Bruce entered the room once more and the much younger and happier sounding voice of Madam Malkin came from somewhere within the shop. "Coming! Coming! I'll only be a moment!" There was a rustling of fabric and the thunk of boxes being moved before the plump woman came from behind a slatted door.
"Mr. Wayne! Was there something you wanted to change about your order? It's barely been an hour." There was a genuinely curious look upon the witches face as she moved to a spot properly in front of Bruce before the counter. Bruce gave the woman a nervous smile as he responded.
"I'm terribly sorry, Madam, I suppose I was a tad impatient. I was simply wondering how far along the clothes were. I must say that you have me rather excited about them."
Madam Malkin blushed lightly as she swatted the air. "Oh Mister Wayne it is no trouble at all. The clothes themselves are finished of course. I was only about to start weaving the standard spells into them. Self-repairing, spill-protection, and the like. Truthfully that is the part of the process that takes the longest."
Bruce let a frown appear on his face as he responded. "You never mentioned any spellwork involved." Now Madam Malkin responded with her own concerned frown.
"I apologize dear. I thought you knew. The spells are standard on all of the robes I make. I didn't think it worth mentioning. Would you like a more complete list of the charms I use and the costs involved?"
Bruce smiled hesitantly as he spoke. "I'm sorry if I offend you in saying so, but spelled clothes have never really gotten along with me. My mates always had the best time messing with my clothes in school and I've never really felt comfortable in anything magically enhanced since. If you don't mind I would be more comfortable if they remained un-spelled." Bruce mentally winced at the juvenile story. He had no way of knowing if spells were used in such a frivolous way in this society. Even if the behavior exhibited in the street would suggest so. His story sounded merely plausible to his own ears. He could only hope that the report he had built with the woman up until this point would incline her towards believing him.
"Oh its no problem. In fact if that is the case it is a good thing you caught me when you did. I would have taken me twice as long to get the clothes unspelled as it would to have spelled them in the first place. Long lasting charms do take time if you want them to last for more than a few days, you know." The matron smiled warmly up at Bruce and Bruce allowed himself a sigh of relief, but not for the reason Madam Malkin was thinking.
"Thank you madam. I apologize for not making myself clear earlier." Bruce kept up his flashing white smile while the matron shooed at him as she went back through the slatted door.
"I'll have your clothes right up sweetie. Just give me a moment." Bruce nodded to the woman's back as he mentally filed away the fact that long lasting charms needed a longer time to be cast. Bruce was going to take information where he could get it.
From there it was less than ten minutes between making the purchase exchanging goodbyes, and making his way back to the man he had rendered unconscious earlier to change.
The man was still out cold, and it appeared as if no one had been by to alter his charade. Still, Bruce moved quickly to return the clothes to the man and get out of the way. Instead of bothering to put the robes and shoes back on, Bruce merely placed them over the man to add to the drunkenness of his appearance. The finishing touch were three gold coins left in the man's robe pocket as compensation.
When Bruce left the alleyway he was clad in his own robes clothes and shoes. All which fit considerably better than what he had been wearing previously. And a large portion of the money he had started out with was still in his pocket. Bruce did not like the noisy quality of the coins, but he would figure out a way to prevent that when he had spare time.
It was now that Bruce made his way to the bank. It did not take the world's greatest detective to figure out where the bank was. As while the building was labeled 'Gringotts' it was built with the splendor and attention to detail usually reserved for buildings of government or finance. Bruce would know, as he was overly familiar with both types of buildings.
As he approached the bank, Bruce Wayne took a back seat, while Batman's observational skills came to the fore. The small stanza on the front of the building did not go unnoticed. If the architecture did not give away that the people handling his money were proud people, this warning did. He made a note to comport himself properly in light of this observation, being respectful, but not a pushover. The other glaring detail was the set of guards that appeared to be Goblins stationed at the doors. They bowed very briefly as Bruce approached and Bruce, having become very familiar with the art of bowing in both his personas, made to return the bow just a small fraction deeper.
The guards looked surprised at his gesture for a brief moment before they were back to their stoic poses, but the emotion was not unnoticed. Bruce straightened himself out and his mind furiously went about the implications of the reaction. The most obvious being that they had not expected the courtesy of the returned greeting from him. Whether this was due to a regular lack of respect, or a deeper issue between species', was yet to be seen.
As Bruce walked into the bank he kept his defenses up, but could not help be recognize that he was now in a familiar environment, despite a few obvious differences. The set up was largely the same. He approached an available teller who was in the process of recording a series of numbers, and waited to be addressed. The Goblin slowly looked up to him from the piece of parchment he was working on, a grimace appearing on his face.
"Yes?" remembering the bows he had been given outside by the guards, Bruce made the same gesture to the teller, on a hunch that it would be appreciated similarly. Bruce restrained his smile when the small expression of surprise flicked over the small creatures face at his gesture.
"If you would excuse me, I would like to set up a savings account in the name of Bruce Wayne. Would you be able to assist me in dong so, or perhaps point me towards someone who would?" The Goblin seemed to stand up slightly out of its chair to look over the counter at Bruce's person. Bruce allowed himself to remain relaxed as he was looked over, and made it a point to not look offended when the Goblin looked him back in the eyes.
"You would be Mister Wayne I take it?" Bruce bowed again as he responded.
"I would be. I am afraid I did not catch your own name, Mister…" The goblin smiled and revealed a set of black and bronze teeth, all tapered to razor points.
"That would be because I have yet to offer it, Mister Wayne. Blacktooth the Bloodthirsty, it is a pleasure." The Goblin offered a small head nod as a way of acknowledging the bow before he spoke again.
"I do believe we would be more comfortable in one of the back rooms while we conducted our business. If you would meet me behind the door at the end of this row of tellers, Mister Wayne I will show you to where we can conduct our business properly." The Goblin extended a long pointy finger towards a large brass door at the end of the line of tellers. Bruce nodded his head and made to move towards the door as the Goblin hopped down from his chair. Bruce made it to the door just as it swung outward slowly and silently on well oiled hinges. The Goblin that had been speaking to him before stood on the other side and only came to about his kneecap.
"Follow me Mister Wayne." Bruce stepped through the door when the goblin turned and started to walk down a hallway. The Goblin absently waved his hand and Bruce was aware of the small thud that signaled the door closing behind them. There were several other tall brass doors lining the hallway. Blacktooth seemed to be aiming for a specific one and gave a very stern waving motion to the door when they arrived there, causing it to swing inward. Bruce did not hesitate to walk into the small office after the goblin and sat himself as the goblin made his way around the desk and seated himself at his own chair.
"Now then, Mister Wayne All I will need from you is your signature, a small sample of your blood, and your initial holding. After this we can determine the details." Bruce narrowed his eyes at the grinning creature, knowing that the expression would not be held against him later from someone of this character.
"I will be more than happy to provide these things for you after you have explained to me the necessity of my blood and signature. I would also like assurances of where my money will be held and how it will be protected before I entrust you to its care." Bruce's eyes became calculating when the goblin behind the desk suddenly became colder. It was obvious that Bruce had said something wrong and he was about to be informed as to what.
"And I suppose that as a wizard you believe you cannot entrust your wellbeing to a Goblin?" Bruce scowled at the blind prejudice that was being ascribed to him as he stared into beady black eyes as he responded.
"This is obviously not the case, as I am here with the intention to entrust my money to you and your business. However I will not hand over my wealth without having first determined that it will be safe in the hands that it is placed. I had supposed that you being a man of business would understand the necessity of details, but if you expect me to blindly trust another with my money, then I will gladly take my business with me and excuse myself. I do not care who or what you are, I do however care deeply about your ability to conduct honest business with me. Have we come to an understanding or should I show myself to the door?" There was an intense silence as Bruce stared at Blacktooth and Blacktooth stared back. Finally something seemed to shift in the goblins eyes, from anger to sadistic glee as he shifted in his seat behind his desk.
"A wizard who cares for his money and not his standing as you do is not come by often, Mr. Wayne. Allow me to explain our procedure. I assure you, you will not come across a safer bank in all of Europe." Bruce glared at the Goblin. Blacktooth accepted the glare with a nod and Bruce knew that this was all he was getting in the way of acknowledgment or apology. Honesty it was fine with Bruce. He wasn't very good with apologies himself, and he understood the goblin's need to keep his pride. Forcing the goblin to dismantle that would not be good for his savings account.
"That would be appreciated Mister Blacktooth." The goblin nodded before he launched into an explanation.
"Very good. The Bank of Gringotts requires a small amount of your blood and your signature to verify your identity and establish your unique control over your holdings. Once the appropriate documents that have been signed, your unique magical signature will ensure that Gringotts and yourself are held into a legitimate contract to be abided by both sides. The blood, will be used for the protection of your money. The small amount will enable whatever vault to recognize and identify your signature along with disallow anyone else whom you have not specified access to your holdings. The remaining blood is properly disposed of, that is to say destroyed, and the contract will be stored in a secure vault in a file of its own. Is this explanation satisfactory?" The Goblin raised a long scraggly eyebrow at him and Bruce gave a small nod of acknowledgement.
"No, I do not need further explanation. I am still wary of the use of my Blood for such purposes however, and I will request that it not leave my sight until it is disposed of as you described. I do not feel comfortable leaving such substances without my supervision." The Goblin nodded back to Bruce as he opened a drawer and drew out several documents as well as a small crystal bowl that looked as if it could hold maybe four ounces at most.
"This can be accommodated, I believe. However I will assure you that we here at Gringotts do take the security of our clients' monetary wealth very seriously. You have nothing to fear in leaving your money in our hands." The Goblin made x's in all of the lines that Bruce was going to be required to sign and then turned the parchments around so that Bruce would be able to sign them. Bruce took the parchments and the quill he was offered, but set the quill down on the desk as he picked up the parchments to read.
"No security is absolute. This is a fact, not a doubt of your honor or sincerity." The Goblin did not respond to Bruce's comment and instead remained silent as Bruce read carefully through the documents and made sure he understood what they said before he placed them on the desk and swiftly signed each of them in the sweeping signature of Bruce Wayne.
The Goblin looked the documents over to make sure no changes had been made after the thorough examination of the wizard before him, but he saw none. Blacktooth calmly set the parchments down as he looked back to Bruce.
"Very Good Mister Wayne. Now that we have that out of the way, we may discuss your account. What is the amount of your initial holdings?" Bruce moved his hand easily to his pocket and pulled out the leather pouch that held the remainder of his money. Bruce took out five of the coins to put back in his pocket for emergencies and then set the small pouch down on the goblin's desk. The Goblin stared at the money for a small moment before he let out a short laugh that sounded like the grinding of glass. Bruce scowled at the action as he waited for the Goblin to realize this was not a joke.
When Blacktooth did see that Bruce was indeed serious, based on the expression on his face, his own expression became annoyed and somber. "This is truly all of the money you have been guarding so valiantly?" Bruce allowed a small sneer to appear on his face as he leaned forward in his seat.
"You sneer at my money, as if it were beneath you? To you this may be a petty amount, but I do not take it so lightly. These robes and my appearance have betrayed you. This wealth is all I have access to in my current position. If you believe this money is worthless you are sadly mistaken. What I am entrusting you with is the safety all of my currently accessible wealth and I do not bestow that duty lightly. I have half a mind to be on my way for such a disrespect as I obviously will take the security of my money more seriously than you ever will." The Goblin blinked in surprise before he growled at Bruce for the slight against his business.
"How dare you presume that we at Gringotts are anything but serious about our business."
Bruce narrowed his eyes. "I dare because that is the display you have given me upon the appearance of my money. If you are as prestigious as you claim then you will treat my contract with the due respect, regardless of its perceived value." The Goblin continued to glare at Bruce but there was not the same anger or resentment in his eyes. Blacktooth had realized his offense but was not at all willing to admit it. Bruce saw the regret for his current predicament in Blacktooth's eyes and it was enough for him to realize that Blacktooth knew Bruce was right in this instance. Bruce leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Blacktooth took the action as the disarmament it was meant to be and moved to shuffle the papers on the desk into a neat pile beside Bruce's money. He reached over towards the small crystal bowl and pulled a small knife from inside a drawer to his right. Both instruments were handed to Bruce.
"If you would still be willing, I will require at least two ounces of your blood. At that point we will proceed into the caverns so that we might properly arm your vault against any ill intentions." Bruce was now handed the small crystal bowl and a small knife, which Bruce accepted without comment.
Blacktooth raised an eyebrow when he saw that Bruce did not even flinch upon the piercing of his skin and as calmly as if he were pouring tea allowed the blood to drip into the small bowl from a cut on the inside of his wrist. Blacktooth raised his other eyebrow to match the first when Bruce did not bring out his wand to heal the cut, but pulled out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and tied it tightly with practiced motions around the open wound instead.
Blacktooth's respect for this unknown man was slowly, very slowly, rising. He did not waste any time once the bowl was full and got down from his chair. He gestured for Bruce to take the crystal bowl while he grabbed the money and the signed documents.
"If you would follow me Mister Wayne, we will have you squared away shortly." Bruce once more, did not answer with words but with actions. He grabbed the bowl and made to follow the small creature down a hallway around several corners until the opulent décor of the hallway abruptly cut off to a rock cave entrance. A mining cart was waiting for them on a set of tracks. Blacktooth refrained from prompting Bruce to follow when he saw that he had not hesitated to get into the cart after he had made it clear that's where they were going.
Blacktooth, had the thought once they started moving down the rapid rollercoaster-esque tracks, that he had not seen the wizard pull out his wand to ensure that the blood would not spill on the journey. He looked back a hand raised to cast a quick charm over the bowl, only to see the wizard behind him moving fluidly with the cart as if he were a part of it, the bowl he was carrying not in the slightest danger of spilling. Before Blacktooth could ponder on the sight the cart had come to a stop. He stepped out of the cart, the wizard not far behind and started assigning the curious wizard a vault.
Bruce stepped out of the bank twenty three galleon's lighter, and satisfied with his first interactions with Goblins. He had made it a point to bow to both Blacktooth and the guards on the way out, earning him more quirked eyebrows. Bruce supposed that he had let himself get out of hand in his overall demeanor. His actions would not at all go towards helping him blend into the goblins everyday interactions, but he did not regret letting his more ruthless side slip through. Truthfully, Bruce did not know if he would ever need to come in contact with the goblins or the money he had left behind again. However if he did, he knew that the goblins will have done their best to keep it safe, and that they had no vested interest to sabotage it on his account of being weak or rude. And it was merely a hunch, but Bruce did not think he had anything to worry about in regards towards the Goblins motivations in relation to him specifically. He had proven himself different, and that was his advantage in this case.
However, as Bruce moved down the alleyway towards the ice-cream shop that Hagrid had previously pointed out, he did not want to be so different. So Bruce allowed his shoulders to slouch and his face muscles to relax out of their guarded pose. Bruce did not have t get very close to the shop to see the Giant, waiting near one of the tables, and obviously debating whether he should attempt to fit himself under the umbrella at one of them.
It was on the inside of five minutes that Batman had himself reassembled into his armor and his robes and shoes neatly folded and back in the bag he had received them in. The bag having been saved in his robes pocket for when he would need it later. Batman easily maneuvered in the alleyways shadowed crevices towards the ice cream shop and appeared easily in the giants shadow. He caused the giant to spin and jump slightly when he spoke.
"Let's go." Hagrid placed his hand over his heart as he smiled good naturedly down at Batman.
"Merlin, you nearly sacred me half to death you did. Have you got all of your supplies then?" Batman allowed his cape to shift to the side, exposing his bag. Batman had hesitated putting the wand back into the bag, and not having it immediately on his person. But he had quickly scolded himself and placed the wand with his other purchases.
Hagrid nodded to the bag before he seemed to realize something. "Did you stop by Eyelopes? You might want a bird later. Great for carryin' letters and whatnot. Practical they are. Smart too." Batman scowled slightly as he replied to the giant.
"I do not have time or energy to care for another's well being." Batman easily sidestepped the trash-lid sized hand that came rapidly swinging towards his back to give him a harty 'pat'. Hagrid seemed to hardly notice the dodge.
"Nonsense! You won't hardly have to take care of 'um. They just stay up in the owlery. Come on, you'll see, cute little buggers they are. Not my taste exactly, Buckbeaks much more my type." Batman quickly found himself with little choice but to follow the giant who had made a b-line for the magical menagerie if he didn't want to be left out in the open. It was peculiar how everyone who got a glimpse of him in his armor seemed to write him off once they had gotten a look at Hagrid beside him.
Hagrid maneuvered his way into the store gathering several looks and overall being a wonderful distraction from Batman's appearance. Hagrid was not at all sidetracked however and moved straight over to the half of the store dedicated to owls and their supplies.
"Here we are! Plenty to choose from. I remember I got Harry a snowy owl. Beautiful thing, she is. I imagine we might get a little something darker for you though." Hagrid laughed silently at his own joke as he looked down to Batman and gently pushed him away from his own shadow.
"Go on then have a look see. You won't know who you like until you say 'ello." As soon as Batman was within the owls line of vision they started to screech and claw at there cages, obviously not very happy with the appearance of a giant bat and seemingly intent on attack. Batman looked up blankly to Hagrid who had blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I forgot that. Owls eat bats now don't they. Well then we can always get you something else. I'm sure that-" Hagrid was interrupted as a black blur dive bombed from the ceiling with a high pitched squeak right into Batman's chest.
Batman caught the animal easily in his open palms as it quickly righted itself and looked up at Batman. It was a bat, easily the size of a small cat. It had to weigh at least three pounds, its fur was black as pitch. It's eyes beady and shinny as it blinked and its huge ears twitched.
"Nightmare! That's where you have been hiding. Oh thank god I thought one of the owls had finally gotten to you." A skinny woman in an oversized brown leather apron and huge leather gloves came running over to Batman, though Batman himself seemed to hold little of her attention, most of it was on the large bat in his hands. She attempted to reach for the it and take it out of Batman's hands but it merely squeaked loudly and clutched onto what it could of Batman's gauntlets. It was at this point that the woman looked up to see that she was indeed standing in front of a man dressed as a giant bat. She stepped back for a moment, clearly uncomfortable before she smiled hesitantly.
"Well I can certainly see why he's become attached." She chuckled nervously as Batman glared at her. She tried once again to take the large bat gently from Batman's hands but the bat was having none of it. It screeched once more before it wiggled out of the woman's hands and found its way inside of Batman's cape, using its tiny claws to climb over the ridges and plates in Batman's armor and hang itself on his back, underneath his cape. The woman now went pale as she looked back to Batman. Her hands uncertain of what to do.
"I am terribly sorry sir. This should have never happened. He fell asleep yesterday when I had left him out of his cage to stretch and I couldn't find him. You see Bat's like him turn invisible when they sleep. It's a mechanism they developed to avoid predators. He's been able to get away from me until now. He really is a gentle little guy, I've been told he'll even deliver mail, but nobody really wants to take home a bat that tends to dive bomb them from the ceiling and scare them witless. It doesn't help that his likes to hide himself up in the rafters and is rather shy. But it seems he rather likes you." Batman did not get a chance to respond as Hagrid bellowed loudly.
"We'll take 'im!" Batman growled lightly and made to protest. He did not want to be saddled with this unnecessary responsibility.
"That will not be possible. The list clearly states that only a cat owl or toad are permitted. We will be leaving the bat here." Hagrid chuckled briefly before he swatted the air, stirring up the stagnate current in the room.
"Nonsense, I'm sure the headmaster won't mind. The Weasley's have been allowed their pet rat for the past eleven years. Ugly little bugger. Percy brought 'im to me once when he had a case of the flu. Strange thing for a rat to catch, but there you go." Batman was then left completely out of the decision as the woman who had now introduced herself as Terra, gave him a book on Media Nocte Vespertiliones, Midnight Bats, then proceeded to explain that the bat would need a steady diet of nuts and grains and should be allowed a dark enclosed space to rest during the day.
While Hagrid scrounged around for three galleons, as Batman had chosen not to inform him of the five in his belt, Batman looked to the creature that had shifted to the front of his chest when it became clear it was not going to be required to move from its roost. It's head poked out upside-down from Batman's cape as it looked around. Batman only mental sighed as it disappeared back under the black fabric. "A Nightmare indeed." The bat gave a happy chirp when it recognized its name as it pressed itself closer to Batman's armor.