If one were to ask anyone else in remnant to describe the city of Atlas, you'd probably hear the same thing over and over again. "A metropolis", "the City of Riches", "The Crown Jewel of Remnant". However, if you were to ask a native, the answer would always be different. "A hell hole", "Feeding ground for the corrupt", "The most crime-ridden place on Remnant". With all these contradicting statements, one might ask which of it was true.

And that's the 'beauty' about it all. If one were to know the truth, he must understand that both speak true. A Crown Jewel of a City built on lies and deceit of the powerfully corrupt.

It was a cold night in the city of Mantle. Formerly known as the capital of the kingdom, but now renowned for its abundance of criminals and gangsters alike. Similar to Atlas, the city also reeks of crime and corruption and is ruled by different gangs that control sides of the city. One particular gang, however, would find themselves slowly losing their grip on the city.

Somewhere in the eastern slums of Mantle stood an abandoned warehouse owned by none other than crime boss Salvatore Valestra. Legally, the warehouse is nothing more than a storage facility. But off the books, it's one of Valestra's ports for illegal shipments of weapons and dust. Yet, for the time being, the building would be neither as it was reduced to a crime scene for the Mantle Police Department.

Multiple police vehicles were stationed outside of the warehouse, flashing the outside with the colors of blue and red. The building itself was in rough condition with the faded paint of the walls, windows being either dirtied, cracked, or shattered, and even the front shutter entrance was destroyed. To keep any reporters out, the perimeter of the building was surrounded by cops on duty and a continuous line of yellow tape.

Arriving on the scene were Captain Jim Gordon and his old partner Harvey Bullock. Both looked disheveled and tired as their already long shift still continued after hours. But even after a long day, Jim knew that if he wanted to change the city for the better, he needed to put in the work, no matter how long the hours are or how angry the wife gets. Taking a sip from his coffee, he and his old partner head-on and look over the scene of the crime.

"Heh, whoever did a number on this place must really have a death wish." Detective Bullock said, also taking a sip from his drink. While Jim preferred to keep himself warm and active with caffeine, this detective preferred using alcohol.

Captain Gordon simply ignored his Bullock, already used to the detective's normal banter whenever they head to a crime scene, and continued looking around the crime scene itself.

Within the building, the entire place was a mess. Broken furniture, glass shards on the floor, bullet holes on the wall, still wet blood on the floor, and chalk outlines of the different victims that died.

"6 victims murdered in cold blood"

"8 victims actually"

That surprised Gordon as he faced the detective. He only saw 6 outlines, yet here his old partner is saying that there were more. Bullock simply pointed outside towards the outside. "Our guys found a crashed vehicle not too far from here. The driver died on impact. His passenger wasn't so lucky either and got his throat slit. The kid still had a look of fear on his face."

Jim gritted his teeth upon hearing his partner. Whatever happened to these men, they didn't deserve it. They needed to be tried, not murdered in cold blood, even if they were slimy.

"That ain't all of it yet Jim," Detective Bullock continued. "Eyewitnesses of the crash claim to have seen a shadowy-like figure with a cape fleeing the scene. Jim, you don't think it's the-"

The Captain grumbled at what his old partner was suggesting. "By the gods Harvey, for the last time, there is no such thing as a 'Batman'. It's probably just some rogue Hunter or Huntress who thinks they can do some vigilante justice. Don't tell me that the media has got to you too."

"I'm telling ya, Jim. I've been doin' this for over 15 years and I have never heard this much chatter from criminals about just this one guy. Ain't ever seen people like them this scared."

For a second time that day, Jim Gordon simply ignored Harvey Bullock who was trying to convince him of the existence of a Batman. Unbeknownst to them, they were being shadowed and stalked by a figure in the darkness.

It was already mid-morning when young billionaire bachelor Bruce Wayne headed off to Wayne Tower for an important business meeting with an old associate of his father. There he sat in the back of a limo, reading a Newspaper as his butler, Alfred Pennyworth, continued to drive. Currently, he was focusing more on the article that talks of the crime that had previously occurred hours before.

"8 criminals dead. The police conclude that it was just a result of a gang fight and yet the media is claiming that the perpetrator was none other than the 'Batman' " Bruce folded the paper onto his lap and he looked at his aging caretaker through the rear-view mirror. "Any thoughts on this, Alfred?"

"It seems that Batman has become popular amongst the media. He's looking more like a celebrity than anything else." Alfred chimed, still focusing on the road. "However his popularity isn't the main issue, but more on his reason for infamy. So, either you've gone even crazier and started killing in your sleep or-"

"There's someone out there trying to impersonate me."

Dread and worry began to fill the car at the thought of someone else performing their own version of vigilante justice. Whomever this person was didn't have the same set of rules that Bruce follows as Batman, making him or her even more dangerous. But Bruce cleared his mind of the thought for now and decided to change the subject for the moment. He'll deal with that problem later that night.

"Speaking of popularity, think that the media got over the return of the heir to Wayne Fortune?"

"Try turning to page 6, Sir."

Raising his brow, Bruce unfolded the paper and skipped towards page 6 where he finds a very interesting headline: 'PRODIGAL HEIR UNFIT FOR CEO?!'.

"Don't remember making a public announcement about this."

"Well, it's fairly simple to connect the idea with your recent reappearance. You must additionally take into consideration that you're the only Wayne child that the media has ever seen in public for the last couple of years."

Hearing that only brought back a sorrowful thought into the billionaire's head before he asked the dreaded question. "Alfred...how's Summer fairing in Vale so far?"

The atmosphere thickened at the question as Alfred had to temporarily park by the sidewalk to properly face the man who he sees as a son. This was a topic that both men needed to talk about but were too fearful to even start the conversation.

"Master Bruce...don't you think it's best that you call her yourself? After all, I believe it is due for her to hear from you again." Alfred suggested with pleading eyes. But Bruce merely looked off into the distance.

"What exactly am I going to tell her, Alfred? 'I'm sorry for abandoning you for all these years? I can't bear to see her after leaving all those years ago. She's already built a life without me, Alfred. Re-establishing myself would only bring her more grief."

Silence again filled the car. It was left undisturbed for a minute or two before the butler decided to answer the original question. "Last I heard, she appropriated a small apartment in the city for the time being. There would be dorms in the academy for those who pass initiation so she hadn't packed anything heavy for the trip."

Hearing that caused Bruce to feel different emotions within himself. For a majority, he was absolutely proud of his younger sister for being able to get an offer for Beacon Academy. He heard many great things about her and her capabilities as a Huntress-in-training so he wasn't worried about her not getting in. However, he felt a huge pang regret for not being able to see it all for himself. The only reason why he was able to know anything remotely about her was because of Alfred. As a sibling and her last remaining family, he had failed to be present to support her emotionally and physically. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if she wouldn't want to see him ever again.

In the end, Bruce again shut the idea down and closed himself off for the remainder of the trip. All Alfred Pennyworth could do was pity the young man and try to support him in any way a butler can. But as the caretaker for what's left of the Wayne family, it breaks his heart just seeing them like this. If tragedy had not struck the family years before, perhaps things would be different for them.

It wasn't long until the two arrived at Wayne Tower. As Bruce was exiting the limo, he turned to Alfred before closing the door and heading on up. "Don't wait for me. There's still one more place I'll be going and I prefer doing it alone."

The Wayne Butler knew immediately where the man was going, but decided to keep quiet about it. Although he preferred to follow and comfort the young heir, the caretaker knew that he needed to be left alone during his visit. After all, it had been years since he last visited, even after his recent arrival back in Atlas.

As Bruce continued his venture towards his office, he continued to hear the whispers and gossip of different employees as he walked past them. He simply ignored them all and carried on, it's always the same thing anyway.

'Hey, is that Bruce Wayne?!'

'What's he doing here?'

'Gods, you think we'll get laid off if he becomes our boss?'

'What does some trust fund kid know about running a company?'

Arriving at the front of his father's old office, voices can be heard from the inside. The billionaire put his ear onto the door to better hear the conversation. He recognized one voice belonging to William Earl, an old associate of his father who took reign over the company after the death of the Wayne's. Bruce didn't recognize the other voices, but their hushed but angry voices made their conversation ever more intriguing to him.

'Another building got shaked last night. That's the 3rd one this month Earl, and I don't believe whoever is doing this going to be stopping anytime soon. We need to act!'

'Act how exactly? Atlas' changed Sal, the police aren't going to turn a blind eye if any one of us moves! If you start a full-on hunting party for the guy, the police would get even more involved than they already are! And besides, where exactly are we going to start?'

'Schnee. He definitely has something to do with this, I just know it! He'll start with the branches before closing in on the roots!'

'Alright Alright, if you're so insistent, perhaps we can have Jack take a- did you hear that?'

Bruce hadn't noticed himself accidentally shifting weight onto the door, causing a sound to be made, and alerting the men inside. With quick thinking, Bruce knocked onto the door and opened the door slightly to pop his head out, giving the impression that he just arrived. "Sorry, am I interrupting anything?"

From what Bruce could see, the men inside were none other than William Earl, as he predicted, behind his father's old desk and an unknown frail old man sitting in front of him. The unknown assailant was wrinkly and hunched over, his face looking like it was barely holding onto life. The way he was dressed, however, hid his skin and weak bones with a nicely tailored gray suit and a hat. What caught his attention was the oxygen tank and mask that sat next to him.

Earl's face morphed into one of joy at seeing Bruce's arrival. He stood from his place and went over to properly greet the Wayne son. "Bruce! Very nice to see you again! Although I could've sworn we were supposed to meet later for lunch."

"Well, forgive me for dropping by a bit early. Something new had come up and I didn't think there was enough time for me to make it for our lunch. I'm not interrupting something, am I?" Bruce asked as innocently as he could, hoping they'd buy it.

"Not at all Bruce! We were just finishing up a small meeting". Fortunately, they did as Earl's smile seemed forced and a forced chuckle was made. "Oh, and where are my manners! Bruce, this is Salvatore Valestra, he's an old business partner of your father."

Salvatore brought out his hand which Bruce unwillingly shook. He knew exactly who Salvatore Valestra was. But what does Wayne Enterprises have to do with the leader of one of Atlas' oldest and biggest crime bosses? But the thought would have to wait for later that evening.

"I know I'm a couple of years late to say this but sorry for your loss," Mr. Valestra said to Bruce before retracting from their handshake. "Well, I'll be going then. It was nice to meet you Bruce and remember our talk, William."

With that, the crime boss was slowly helped and escorted out of the office, leaving Wayne and the current CEO alone. To officially start their meeting, both men went to take parallel seats from one another, with William Earl behind the desk and Bruce reclined in the seat before him.

"So Bruce, I've spoken with the board of directors and I'm afraid we have some bad news." Earl started. "We've...come to a decision that, maybe, it wouldn't be beneficial for the company to have you take the role of CEO. At least, not for now."

At the same time, Bruce was both shocked at the news but kinda expected that to be the result. Just because he was the son of the original CEO doesn't mean that he can just waltz in and take the position.

"While you may still be generously compensated for your shares, they don't see you fit to take your position just yet."

"Perhaps I could possibly change their minds?" Bruce interjected, catching the current acting CEO's attention. "Maybe, I don't know, get to know the inner workings of the company. I could prove myself fit to the boards."

Earl thought the idea through and decided that there was no harm in him doing so. As if the Wayne boy could change the minds of the entire board of directors. "Any ideas where you would start?"

Bruce smirked at the thought of his first and only suggestion. "Applied Sciences caught my eye."

At the mention of the department, Earl simply chuckled at his choice of department. Out of all the departments Bruce had chosen, it was the one that Wayne Enterprises barely even used or even paid attention to. Hell, most products made there are often left to rot in their basement. But Earl decided to humor him, unknowingly taking the bait. "Hm, alright then. I'll notify Fox that you'd be passing by his department tomorrow. I assume that's all you wanted to talk about?"

With a nod, both men stood up and shook each other's hands before bidding each other farewell.

"Again, it was good to see you again Bruce. You should come by more often, maybe I can even show you the place I hide my better scotch".

Both men laughed at the joke before Bruce finally left the office. With his objective finally complete, it was time for Bruce to make one final stop before starting his 'detective work' back at the cave. He'd also have to stop by somewhere for flowers.

It was already the afternoon when Bruce finally arrived at the Atlas cemetery. This is the place where many would bury their taken loved ones. It was a place of remembrance for those who not only died during the war, but also those deceased after. Many go here to honor those who've died, spend time with those who had little time, and grieve for those taken too soon. However, Bruce was here for a different reason.

He wasn't sure how long he had been walking, but that didn't matter to him. There was no rush to visit them. They hadn't seen him for a couple of years, so waiting a couple more minutes for him wouldn't make that much of a difference. It wasn't long for Bruce to finally arrive at the tombstone. Compared to those around, the stone for memorial even towered over Bruce in height, but not without reason. Bruce simply lays the flowers he bought in front of the tombstone and he stares at the bold letters engraved in the center.

'WAYNE'

'IN LOVING MEMORY OF THOMAS AND MARTHA'

He wasn't here to just pay his respects to his parents. He had done that many times years ago. No, he was here to honor the promise he made to them after their death. A promise to rid the city of crime to prevent anyone else from experiencing what he felt during that night. A promise he wishes to fill as the Batman.

But with that, Bruce also thinks to himself: do they or even the city need Bruce Wayne? What exactly has brought to the city in comparison to Batman? Many dismiss and loathe the idea of CEO Bruce Wayne, Summer is living her life just fine without her brother Bruce Wayne, and society thinks nothing of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. What was the point of coming back to the city as Bruce Wayne? What purpose does Bruce Wayne have for existing?

His thoughts would be interrupted by the sound of a voice close by. Bruce would've dismissed it as a figment of his imagination, but the voice spoke louder and continued to speak. Was someone calling him? As the voice continued to talk aloud, Bruce easily followed the source to behind his parent's tombstone. There stood a woman, standing there while talking to nobody.

In his opinion, she looked very beautiful. She wore a very white-themed outfit consisting of a dress coat, scarf, some designer handbag, and heels. Her complexion was as pale as snow and what caught his attention was her long snow-white ponytail. She was probably the same age as him, maybe younger.

Curiosity eventually brought him to walk over to her to see what she was doing. The closer Bruce got, the more of the conversation he could hear the woman was having.

"-And if Daddy were to get any more protective, he's gonna build a moat around my bedroom. Oh, it's times like this I wish you were around to-". Her conversation stopped as she heard someone approach behind her. She turned to the approaching Bruce Wayne. "Yes?"

"Excuse me, I thought you were saying something. Well, to me I mean." Bruce said with uncertainty as he looked around the winter-themed woman, only to see nothing.

"No" She quickly said before facing back forward.

"Uh...-o-okay" Bruce was left in confusion but decided to just leave her to be and turned to the exit. But it wasn't even a second later did he hear her talk again.

"Know who that was? Bruce Wayne. You know. Wayne Enterprises? He's been all over the news. Very moody, but cute though."

For a second time, Bruce turned and proceeded back towards the young woman. Again, she sensed him approaching and faced him again. "Yes?"

"I heard my name. I thought…" Bruce tried to word before deciding to ask her directly. "Who're you talking to?"

"My mother" She again quickly answered before gesturing to the grave in front of her feet.

Guilt began to rise within Bruce's stomach upon realizing his intrusion. He was lost for words. "Oh. I didn't mean…"

"That's okay. We're done. Mom doesn't have much to say today." She said before picking up her bag and facing to leave. Still seeing his 'lost for words' face, she spoke as she passed him. "Hey, I'm not the only person who speaks to their loved ones."

"I didn't say anything." Bruce quickly said as he followed behind the woman. It didn't take him much effort to be by her side as they both walked to the exit of the cemetery.

The two walked in silence. Both walking at a steady pace to keep up with one another. The silence proceeded to quickly dissipate as the woman started talking.

"It's just that when I talk to her out loud, I can imagine how she'd reply. I can hear her like she's right there."

Bruce simply smiled at what she said before reminiscing when he did something similar. "I remember doing that, but only once."

That caught her attention, having her face him and look at his eyes. "Really? What did you say?"

"I made a promise to them."

"What promise?"

"A secret one. One that not even my sister knows about."

"Hm, a man who's so mysterious. I like that. Did you keep your promise?"

"So far."

Before both of them knew it, they were outside the cemetery and by the side of the woman's car. Time had passed before both of them even knew it. Before the woman got in her vehicle, she stretched out her hand towards Bruce.

"Willow Schnee"

"Bruce Wayne"

"I know. You're all over the news. So tell me…" Willow said as she entered her vehicle and started the engine. "With all that money, power, and women, why do you always look so depressed?"

"What's it to you?"

"Nothing" She said before smiling. "Mom was just asking."

Afterwards, she proceeded to drive towards the city. Bruce did nothing but watch her and smile at their conversation.

Perhaps there is a reason for Bruce Wayne to exist.

The thought was kept within his head for now. He needed to get back to the manor soon. It was time for some detective work.

This was just some Mask of the Phantasm-inspired story I had posted in Archive of our Own. Unfortunately, it didn't really get much traction there so I didn't really continue writing it. If people are interested in the story, then I'd probably continue it when I'm not busy with College or Rise of the Girl Wonder. Speaking of Rise of the Girl Wonder, this story would be considered its own standalone story to not limit itself to that story's continuity. I'm also not abandoning that story, but more of taking my time. Anyway, I'll have the next chapter up for it sooner or later.

I do not own any of the characters. All characters and names used are owned by either Rooster Teeth and Detective Comics (DC)