1 Prologue: "Rumors Of The Head Hunter Of Rainy Days!"

At The Gotham City Port Docks,

A Few Hours past midnight

What seems like a group of honest workers doing overtime anywhere else in the world, may not be so in Gotham city...

Men work hard moving packages & crates on & off docked ships.

An older man looks on again at his workers after retracting his nervous eyes from the night sky above for the 13th time tonight!

"It's still dry as a bone tonight, good! We should be safe!" Said the head in charge of this shipment tonight.

Looking at the clear night sky again, wiping away the anxious sweat from his uneasy face with an expensive handkerchief.

"What? Boss, do even you believe in that fantasy-like tale going around about the headhunter of rainy days?" Said an assistant who guessed what the boss was concerned about.

"Oh, I'd sooner believe in the alligator man in the Gotham City sewers!" said another with a chuckle.

"That's all just rumors, don't believe in the hype bullshit!" Said another worker who heard the topic before, not believing in anything like ghosts & goblins!

"Yeah, those guys just got pinched by the law, and then made up excuses for their failure on the job!" Others joined in to talk about the gossip.

An enthusiastic new worker suddenly chimed in saying:

"Yeah & the other fairy tale is about The ba-hmm!-

The new subordinate's mouth was closed off forcefully before he could continue saying the name!

 It was a forbidden name to say out loud completely!

To those in the underground, it was more than a superstitious tale or urban legend that kept the crooked up at night!

In Gotham, 'it' was maybe the only thing that can bring fear in the hearts of some of the wretched & sinful!

"DON'T!"

"...don't say 'its' name!" Said The handkerchief holding Boss very seriously!

"What are you doing new kid?!"

"Yeah, are you trying to jinks us?-!" Said another worker looking around, already pulling his gun halfway out his backside!

Others who heard, all stopped working for the commotion & gathered.

Suddenly a tough-looking man stepped out of the crowd with a limp and said to the gathered:

"Water monsters in the sewers, or head hunters in the rain, I'm not too sure about it!

"But...I know for sure that, the ba...' The black-winged guy' exist!" Said a tough-looking man fearfully, while gripping his now partially lame leg in reflection.

"I've seen it, myself!" The boss said fervently & agreed to the injured worker's claims!

"So don't fool around & give 'it' time to notice us, small guys, back to work!"

The leader's eyes began gazing around in nervous sweat, then released the hand that covered his new subordinates mouth.

"Sorry, boss I just-

"Save it!"

"Just work quicker, I feel itchy all over now! Damn It!"

As he was leaving, The boss paused suddenly, then frowned deeply, & then said  loudly to his crew of thugs & workers:

"You all quickly finish on double-time, let's get out of here, I mean asap, I got a bad feeling now, damn-it, so unlucky!" He said dashing into the distance to the phone booth to make a call, just in case!

Everyone immediately started processing the illegal product visibly faster without a word of disagreement! 

Watching others take his bosses words so severely the new guy was amazed, & puzzled, so he asked:

"Why so serious?"

Another worker talked back to him to explain, but he didn't stop working at all, not even for a second & said briefly:

"If the boss has a bad feeling, then don't look down on it!

"He's never been arrested in his over 20 years in this business! 

Not Once!

" He's been a low-key legend whose reputation only blew up recently because he escaped the most troublesome guy in Gotham!"

"He claims to have seen the ba- ah, I mean the 'black-winged guy' take down a large smuggling group, that was transporting rare illegal cargo with a trained armed mercenary crew, consisting of dozens of people!"

Shaking his head he continued:

"But the 'black wing guy' took them all out & did it solo!

Everyone was either beaten, caught, comatose, half or totally crippled, & is now serving consecutive years in various prisons!"

"However, only the boss somehow had slipped away safely from this chaos just like he's done for year's before, & was successful enough to inform the big boss client about the raid afterwards!"

"That same big boss then immediately stopped the rest of the cargo from coming to Gotham & saved the rest of the goods from being seized by the coordinated police sting!"

"Strangely enough the boss had even warned this smuggling big boss that he did not feel right about the designated location or the action date just a day before the drop, but they just scoffed at him!"

"Saying that the metaphysical, and horoscopes are all just bullshit parlor tricks!

 But, the boss, he turned out to be right, & has been a famous hidden legendary figure ever since then!" 

Many underworld bosses are aware of his flawless record, & now seek his consulting services, & even some started dabbling in the occult themselves, pff, haha, ha!" The dock worker man said with a slight laugh recalling his boss's luck.

"Wow!" Said the new crook with wide eyes in admiration!

"Yeah, so, if he tells ya to do it, just do it!" said the old employee.

The new worker nods, and goes to work speedily like the others!

As they work harder to finish the order, no one noticed the thin fog spreading on the ground below them in the dimly lit darkness of the shipping dock!

They only became aware when the mist fog starts to rise & the few dock's bright lights start reflecting on it!

The sudden rise of this thick Misty fog in front of the workers alarmed them greatly, & something was recalled in their minds about similar recent rumors they talked about just now!

*BAM!*

They quickly started dropping everything they had carried in a panic and began getting some distance from the shady fog as much as they could!

But it was too late, it was already all around them!

They began to dread, not because they are afraid of the water mist condensation, but what truly scares them is what's rumored to accompany it!

Abruptly, the clear skies starts to dribble water, then into a full-on downpour around the immediate docks surrounding area had begun!

They all stopped in horror at the quickly changing weather, it's obviously not natural! 

Is it?

no, it can't be?

 it's just a fake story that-

*Splish,

*Splash 

Their denials are cut off by an ominous sound that chilled their collective hearts-

*Splash

*Splish

Step by step footsteps splashing in puddles of the accumulated water can be heard, & it's approaching them!

The rising fog blocks their senses, and they can't see too deeply or hear from what direction it's coming from at all!

 The brave & cowardly both start to flee desperately, but their vision was impaired so they tripped over themselves or ran at full speed straight into walls & crates blindly; which were hidden by the thick mist!

*Splish!*

*Splash!*

*Splosh!*

The walking steps stop, and in the mist, there appears to be a hooded masked person whose silhouette fades in & out of vision like a mirage, if you don't look close, or if you look away, it disappears before your eyes!

 The figure with a heavy sword on their backs, raised their lowered head up, revealing chilling, blood-red eyes behind the mask, that gazed back at the huddled together criminal workers!

The figure suddenly started raising a hand at the group & began throwing several black sharp daggers that hit the hands of men who were stealthily pulling their guns out!

Their decisive action was caused by the overwhelming fear, and pressure that the mysterious figure had brought to them!

So with madness in their eyes, others desperate to survive woke up too!

'Live or die, so why not take a shot, nothing to lose either way!' They thought collectively!

 But before the other thugs who hadn't tried to start shooting got a chance,

The hooded masked man-made several rapid strange gestures with his hands together, 

then raised one hand up towards the sky, & a large *RUMBLING* sound escape the already gathering dark clouds in the sky!

 the hooded figure in the mist throws at the group, that which they had just pulled from the sky above, and that was lightning itself!

That lightning turns into an electric whip, which formed into some kind of silhouette of electric beasts when it touches the ground!

 The electric beast is running on all fours towards the fleeing group, shocking all the gangsters disguised as normal dock workers, simultaneously making them unconscious in an electric thunder explosion!

Calling lighting from the sky!

Throwing lightening casually at others!

Is this a god!?

Is your surname Zeus!

These are what many present had as their last consciousness thoughts!

Remnants of electric discharged currents sparked here, and there in the water puddles, as some smoking blackened bodies still twitched & jerked!

 While some bodies lay still forever...

The life & death these peoples seemed was inconsequential on the hooded masked man.

Standing in the rain, the still figure turns & walks towards a certain direction.

That direction was of the boss in charge of tonight's job, who is stealthily hidden from the eyes of others!

This boss was the lucky feeling consultant from before, who has never been caught on any illicit gig in over 20 years in the business!

He even use to bragged about personally having escaped a Batman run raid!

However, in the rain, it seemed nothing could escape the hooded man's perception!

The long streak for this veteran & lucky guy seems to be over tonight!

The shipment smuggling boss decisively puts on his best to run away!

The hooded mask nonchalantly pulls out a razor-sharp ninja throwing kunai, flinging it expertly exactly towards the middle of the running drug pushers neck!

However at this time!

*CLING!-CLANG!*

!!

The thrown ninja kunai blade is forcibly Veered off track by something in mid-flight!

The hooded mask man looks up to a shadow that glided down to the ground surface, landing in between the criminal & his would-be murderer!

*BANG!* heavy metal friction sounds, as sparks against the sinking ground flashes, as the metallic battle armor descends from above!

The trademark insignia on the blacked-out armor's chest lets everyone not have to guess who it was!

"BATMAN!" 

Exclaimed some of the remaining criminals, saying the previous taboo name out loud as if they saw their savior!

"So glad you are here, save us!"

"It's the rain man-killer!"

"Crazy Headhunter!"

"Water monster!"

They all are screaming pleas to stop this mysterious figure of many names!

The boss who had the bad feeling & almost just died now, was also in hysteria, speedily crawling on his hands & knees until he's standing up in front of the heavy mech armor suit, & clamoring on Batman to save himself! 

He would rather go to jail for the first time losing his street prestigious record, than die under the blade of the fog water mist demon of Gotham!

But-

 Batman just extends his arm sideways, then pushed the arm outward, delivering a straight side punch to the nuisance!

WHAM! PICHI!

URGH!

The blow connected, knocking the 'unlucky man' out cold on his feet, 

KA-THUMP!

As the body fell to the soaking wet Gotham port grounds, Batman never took his eyes off of the hooded man in front of him, from start to finish!

The hooded man also gazed back, & slowly pulls out a kunai from his sleeves, 

and Batman following him, also pulls from his utility belt, a metal-like shard, that when he flicks his wrist, it fans out into a bat-shaped dart!

The previous pleading onlookers ran away quickly seeing this standoff!

Only one loyal thug, the new subordinate didn't forget to drag their 'lucky' boss along with them!

Silence enveloped the now deserted area!

 No need for words, or any explanations between the two, whose ideals are diametrically opposed to the next!

The time for talk has long been over!!

Batman's unique eye visor that adorns his head suddenly lights up & glowed brightly!

 The hooded mask man's red pupils Iris spins majestically in response to Batman's visual defensive measures.

In the heavy artificial rain surrounded by fog, they soundlessly stared off at each other...

*BAM!* 

the kickoff sound of force clashing against the ground is heard, as the two combatants spontaneously ran towards each other with all their strength, hurling what they had in their hands at one another!

 With their respective attacking efforts, the result was an intense metallic Clash in the air-

 *CLING-CLANG!!*

 The thrown projectiles offset each other in the air, giving off violent sparks as they ricochet in the darkness!

Grhh!!!

Argh!!!

Growl & grunts escape as both the hooded man, & Batman's outstretched arms simultaneously & with all their strength are about to strike each other in the faces!!!

Lightning flashes in the atmosphere, Drowning the battlefield out in white light!

.

.

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This saga all began going back months ago...

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