T.J. steadied himself, clenching his fists as he faced Green Hair and Joker Tattoo. Despite his aching side, he was ready for whatever these two clowns threw at him. He shifted into a fighting stance, ready to dodge and counter. Before the first punch was thrown, a can flew out of nowhere and smacked Green Hair square in the face. He stumbled back, cursing loudly as he clutched his nose.
"What the—?" Joker Tattoo began, his surprise giving T.J. the perfect opening. Wasting no time, T.J. lunged forward and delivered a hard right hook to Joker Tattoo's jaw. The thug staggered back, stunned. T.J. followed up with a quick jab to the gut, doubling him over.
"Guess I'm not the only one with good aim," T.J. said, turning toward the direction the can had come from. He squinted through the dim light and saw a figure emerging from the shadows. An older man, hunched slightly but with an unmistakable air of authority. The faint streetlight caught the silver strands of his hair, and T.J. recognized him immediately—Bruce Wayne, Gotham's own reclusive billionaire.
T.J.'s eyes widened in surprise. "Bruce Wayne?" he muttered under his breath. "What's he doing here?"
Bruce approached with a confident, calm stride. Despite his age, there was something in his posture and the intensity of his gaze that spoke of years of experience. He gave T.J. a nod, his expression stern but not unkind.
"Nice work, kid," Bruce said gruffly. "But it's not over yet."
Green Hair and Joker Tattoo shook off their initial shock and squared up again. Green Hair snarled, blood trickling from his nose. "You think you're smart, old man? You think a kid and a senior citizen can take us down?"
Bruce smirked. "I've taken down worse than you on a bad day."
Green Hair roared in anger and charged. Bruce moved with surprising speed for his age, sidestepping the thug and landing a swift jab to his kidneys. Green Hair howled in pain but kept coming. T.J. ducked under a wild swing from Joker Tattoo, then landed a kick to his knee, sending him stumbling.
"You know," T.J. quipped as he threw a punch, "I've always wanted to fight side by side with a legend. I just thought it'd be in a comic book, not an alleyway."
Bruce gave a half-smile, still focused on the fight. "Less talking, more fighting, kid."