Song: The Dark Knight Main Theme - Hans Zimmer

POV: Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Batman is driving a stolen motorcycle without a helmet on.

Yes, that's seriously what's happening right now. Of course, he would return the bike later - since he knows the last known location of where he got it. Already, he's memorized the entire location of Beika - also taking into account of certain areas that possibly may not be listed off of the map. His experience in Gotham City taught him well to never always rely on any kind of maps - handwritten or digital. Sometimes, one needs to trek the unknown, and Gotham was full of unknowns.

Gotham City has been joked and mocked over the years by a few heroes and villains as the cesspool of every single evil that could ever be committed in the godforsaken Earth, but that joke unfortunately is far more true and terrifying - a karmic punchline if you will. The city seems by nature inherently corrupt, with countless sins and evils that scatter even the depths of the lowest sewer, up to what lay underneath. Monsters fester within his city. It wasn't just human beings - those who commit evil and worst, but something lurks and thrives within it. A favorite spot of activities of the infernal regions and its Lords of Hell.

When the Joker died at long last, while the city remained relatively in peace, there were still things that needed to be done.

And with Batman probably dead - Batman himself thought in light of his current predicament - someone else may have to step in. That's something he was relatively and genuinely afraid of. He doesn't want any of his children - the Robins, or Barbara, or anyone else to become him - to become Batman. Batman was his burden to carry, and his alone. It was a darkness that felt inherently corruptive, and if one did not become vigilant, becoming the Batman would ultimately consume that person and become something worse- maybe worse than even the Joker ever was.

Now, the current case, which Ran would explain to him on the phone. It involves the kidnapping of a young ten year old girl - a kidnapping twice in a row? That seems oddly coincidental timing. The girl's name is Akiko Tani. Akiko was the daughter of a CEO of Tani Enterprises - one of the client partners of the Suzuki Financial Group (the name Suzuki comes up again, Batman noticed - this conglomerate seems to have pockets in all manner of businesses in Japan) which is known for the manufacturing of a series of jewelry that would be marketable for young females - essentially, of what was formerly thought as the butler of the family kidnapping her - which was confirmed by Ran Mouri's father after correctly deducing the ruse, had actually been kidnapped for real by a mysterious individual who had contacted the father on the phone.

The mysterious man on the phone had already decided to threaten the girl's father to shut down Tani Industries, if he wanted to see his daughter again.

That made his blood boil - almost making him ignore the wincing pain altogether as a silent burning wrath was leaking in because it felt close to home. It made him recall the one time he lost his own parents. Because of some punk with a gun. It seemed no different this time. It was not all. The kidnapper demanded a large ransom as well, and at this moment, he was now contacting the bank to register some account.

At the very least, the girl who was kidnapped was able to tell from the phone of her current possible location. She was somewhere in a storage room, in a school that had a chimney in it. There was a problem because there were lots of schools in Beika that had chimneys. And if one were to limit it to the nearby area of the family's address, then there would have to be five schools that have chimneys. They don't have time to look for them all.

"Tell the father to continue to buy the kidnapper some time, Mouri-san. I'll be there as soon as I can," He commanded.

"...Ha-Eh, what?! Wait?!" Ran, after hesitating a bit for some reason (doubt perhaps? A wrong way to address her?), she suddenly exclaims from the phone.

"What is it?" The man asks.

"It's the family dog. It seems to be running off to somewhere."

Batman felt his natural instincts kicking in, as a memory of a precious dog that he left back home came to the forefront of his mind. A German Shepherd, whom he named after a young girl whom he carried in his arms, robbed of her own childhood. He wanted to honor that girl, hence he gave her name to his treasured companion - the man's best friend. (*1)

"Mouri-san, follow that dog!" He commanded. "Tell me everything you see while following him."

"Alright!" Ran obeyed without hesitation. She would describe to him of the places that she would dash to - being able to catch up with the family dog due to her athletic ability. Then, stopping somewhere, Ran would exclaim, in an epiphany. "Shinichi! It wasn't a chimney! I believe that the girl mistook the chimney of a school for the central tower that's owned by Salia Incorporated located around Haikuji Park!"

"Hold on, if it's not a chimney, then..." As Batman racked his brains together, calculating and narrowing it down to schools that could have a possible side view of the tower - and could mistake it for a chimney if they weren't looking properly, he found the answer. "Futatsubashi Middle School!" He would turn to Ran. "Ran, I found out where they are. I need you to make contact with the police and tell them to block all roads that lead to Futatsubashi Middle School."

"But...But what are you going to do?" Ran asked, worried.

"Whatever I have to do," Batman spoke with resoluteness, narrowing his eyes. "Save the girl."

Then, deactivating the call and placing it on his coat, he pushed through the pedal and swerves through the streets, with the wind blowing a little of his clothes, before arriving at the school in question. Eventually, he would a park somewhere inconspicuous and hop across the wall and head inside. Before confronting the kidnapper, he would do a little prep-time.

First, he would break into a janitor's closet where he would steal a few clothes, discarding his high school ones for a black hooded jacket, grey janitor shirt and trousers, with a few white lines, and an attached ID that has the words: "Kage Shiro" (*2), and a white face mask that covered his face. Not the most ideal costume to hide one's identity but better than nothing. Then he would break into a classroom and break the chalk into powder, placing it into his pockets.

Then, running out of the school building, he would head outside a nearby storage room, where he would echoes of a man who was speaking from an old phone, upon closer inspection from a side hole of a slightly cracked-open door.

"...Place the money on the bench in Hyakuji Park. Once I have, I'll return your daughter into your hands," The man in black spoke. Looking at him, Batman could surmise that he did wear... black clothing...

Wait...black clothing... He thought, wincing due to that detail. It didn't deter him from concentrating. He was used to all manner of pain - turning it into one of his sources of strength. Some may accuse him of indulging in unhealthy sadomasochism, but the proper term for this - he believed - was pure determinism in the face of all odds. After all, how else did he manage to shoot Darkseid? Even if the Big Man actually killed him as well.

The wincing related to a flash of memory. A static - a man with silver hair and cold eyes that spoke nothing but pure unadulterated evil (though not as bad as The Joker at least), hitting him - or Shinichi Kudo - in the back of the head with some kind of metal pipe, making his head bleed (could it have explained the headache from earlier, even though there was no visible sign of any bleeding or wound in his person?), and gave him some strange drug, of white and red colors.

It was a quick flash and miss.

What was that? He thought.

Perhaps this was Shinichi Kudo's own memories resurfacing within his mind?

Whatever the case, he would set aside the issue for later. Right now, the girl was in danger.

After speaking from the old phone, the man with a black jacket and trousers, and a black cap would hung up, looking down at a little twin-tailed girl who was crying a little, with her mouth gagged. A memory flashed - seeing himself, as he cried, while his parents lay dead.

"Looks like your father and I had come to an agreement," He grin with an evil smirk and teeth. "Which means..." He would raise his left hand which sparks...flames... "You're no longer gonna be of use to me, little girl."

An ability? Batman thought grimly.

"You see this right here, girl?" The man said. "It's a Quirk, you know, the same ones that all of those superhero wannabes that you saw on the news that are getting on the craze about these days. Though, word of advice," He would slowly draw near with a sinister face, making the girl terrified. The haunting echo of the killer of his parents - a memory - replayed in Batman's mind. "I'm no stupid hero. Remember that as the last thing you ever hear."

(*3) "Then you wouldn't mind if I make everyone forget you," Batman would speak - in his natural original voice. He had recently figured out a way to speak after testing it in the Kudo Mansion.

"Who's there?!" The man exclaims as he blasted a bunch of flames that poured out of his hand and thrown towards the door, breaking it down to dust. Instinctively, he would dash outside.

But that was a mistake.

"Up here."

He instantly ignited his flames and blasted from up above, but...

"AHHHHHH-AHHHH!" The man screamed as he felt chalk dust cover and burn his eyes, feeling a force that tightened his neck, sending him flipping backwards and down on the ground and knocking him with a single mean punch to the face, causing a concussion. He wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

The kidnapper was down for the count. Batman would turn towards the girl who was tied up. He would gently walk towards her. As he did so, the girl would look at him, removing his mask and hood, revealing the young man, with strange eyes that made the girl look up in awe, tilting her head a bit.

"Who...Who are you?" The child muttered, as she felt her bonds and gag removed by the man.

(*4) "...My name's not important," He smiled a bit, laying down towards the girl's eye level and gently patting her head. "And I think it's time that we get you back to your father, young lady, is that alright with you?"

"H...Hmm," The girl smiled, relief and happiness flooding her.

The man would begin to call Ran from the phone.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Shinichi?"

"Mo...Ran," Batman would correct himself, though he knew that it was too late, because he could tell from the conversations earlier that the woman would have gotten suspicious of him at this point. Better he switched tactics with a more familiar first name basis without honorifics. "I got the girl, she's safe."

"Really?!" Ran spoke with relief.

"But," Batman would cut the relief a little. "I need you to do something for me."

POV: ?

Somewhere in Beika...

As white doves would fly overheard, with the full moon turning bright...

As the winds ran with a gentle breeze...

A young woman spoke softly - her heart pounding in joy, relief, and other swirling emotions - as her hands raised to her bosom, her scarlet blood eyes filled with tears of joy as she felt his presence. A beautiful Japanese face, maroon dark hair, with a black shirt and white blouse, dark pants, and black high-heel shoes.

"...Bruce."

She found him. At long last.

Trivia For Chapter:

(*1) - In case anyone is wondering, Batman is referring to Ace - the ex-Royal Flush gang member from the Justice League cartoons, and Ace the Bathound from the comics/cartoons.

(*2) - If the name is translated to English, means White Shadow (Shadow White - backwards).

(*3) - Kappei Yamaguchi - Current Voice Switched To - Kevin Conroy.

(*4) - Kevin Conroy - Current Voice Switched To - Kappei Yamaguchi.