Issue #4: Kill Bruce Vol. 1

I know that the path to power is not easy, nor do I expect it to be. As such, I half expect a booby trap the moment I open the door leading into the manor proper.

To my surprise, however, it's Alfred that welcomes me the following morning, with a gentle smile and cup of disgusting tea. 

He informs my nervous self that we're not to be training today, but are to be medically and psychologically tested to learn the limits and capability of our bodies. Well, my body mostly.

"Now, if you would follow me, Young Master Edmund." Alfred gracefully stands from his seat and leaves the living room, expecting me to follow.

I trail behind him, looking around the vast halls of Wayne Manor for the first time. Frankly, I'm excited at the thought of coming to this very hall and training with the Dark Knight. To be granted such a pleasure is undoubtedly a god's reward for all the good work I did in my previous life. Though I could not recall the specific deed that I did.

We enter another chamber furnished with a large dark piano and a wall of worn down books. The spines were rotting and ancient, but, through careful glances, its owner had taken care of them with extreme caution. Alfred's work, by my guess.

Alfred strides past the piano and pulls a mundane book, which causes the wall to part in the middle. He looks at me, his hand extending towards the dark hole in the middle.

My grin could not be more excited as I nod at him repeatedly and nearly leap right in. Fortunately for me, Alfred grabs a hold of the scuff of my shirt, before taking an unlit sconce.

With a strike to the dark hole, the sconce lit up with great orange flames, illuminating the cave hole. At least, the next ten feet away.

"Is this… the Batcave, sir?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"It is." He replies enigmatically, as I expect from the butler. He walks in, shadows flickering under the guide of the flames.

Alfred did not stay silent for long. As we descend the long winding steps of the dark caves, he begins to tell me a story.

"When I was but a young lad… my mother would oft recount to me stories of Gotham of old. How the city would swallow every man, woman, and child that set foot in its domain."

His hands trace the rough walls of the cave as a somber mood grabs hold of the ambience.

"This city is almost four hundred years old… older than the country it stands on. Throughout those years, many took it upon themselves to tame Gotham. To take it upon themselves to be its master. All failed. All died in numerous painful ways. Do you know why, Young Master Edmund?"

"No. Why?" I ask.

"Because Gotham is alive." He answers in a grave tone.

"Alive?"

"Yes, Young Master. For any person to tame such an entity is an affront to God himself. For anyone to be a master of another's fate is an affront to dignity and humanity. Gotham has no hands, so we stalk the night and let our fists represent the justice of this city."

"Is that why Batman does it, sir? For justice."

"That is why we do this, Young Master Edmund, that is why Batman exists. But don't let this old man impair your judgment. Find it out for yourself… "

As soon as Alfred finishes his words, his form vanishes within sight.

Not because he went invisible, but because something else caught my eye. An extensive series of caves reflects off my very eyes, vastness defying rational thought.

The stalagmites, on greater scans, are home to a vast number of bats that guard their home with utmost vigilance. Their eyes, like yawning portals, were crimson and violent.

The granite hew that houses the various land and air vehicles, the next-generation technological infrastructure, and the platforms for the tokens of Batman's defeat and victories are coarse and rough, unlike that of the tiled floors of Wayne Manor.

Blue screen illuminates a minor portion of the Batcave with various news clips, classified documents, and a picture of me and Richard Grayson side-by-side.

Speak of the devil, Dick appears from the side, having hidden himself behind a large cylindrical glass chamber storing a variant costume of Batman, white armor raped in thick wool.

"Oh, you're here too!"

"Hey, Dick!" I walk towards him and give him a fist-bump. "How did he take it when you told him you figured it out?"

"I think it impressed him." He recounted the event with a grin on his face. "But he said that although I figured out his identity, it doesn't mean he'll go easy on me. In fact, he'll train me even harder!"

I could feel the ferocity even from afar. Bruce really riled him up for training.

"Speaking of training… Where is Batman?"

My words were like throwing a bucket of water to his face. His expression went from an excited grin to a dangerous one. "Heh! I think he's hiding from us. Think about it. What is the most prominent feature of Batman?"

As if responding to his words, my senses tremble and feel a dangerous man stalking me as if I was prey and he a…

'Predator.'

"Shoot. Should we look for him alone?" I suggest, scanning the dark corridors that populated the cave. "Fuck, Alfred's gone too."

"Heh. Do that and he'll pick us off one by one." He hastens to my back, gazing towards the parts of the cave that I do not see. "I say we tackle this together. Even if one of us spots him, then it's game over for Batman."

His words make sense, but I feel like we're missing something. Nevertheless, I agreed to his words, my heart beating faster by the second.

We move around, circling each other's back and making sure there are no blind spots for the Dark Knight to move in.

We were so fucking wrong.

All it took was for my distracted ass to trip on a small outcropping. My view distorts as I try to find my balance. That's when Dick's words enter my ears.

"Look out!"

I feel Dick's hand push me downwards and, at the same time, use me as a springboard to dodge the Batarangs flying our way.

Dick's figure soared through the air, nearly being cut by a stray Batarang, but agile enough to deflate his chest. 

Frankly, I should be worried about my body. Thankful for Dick's action, my body goes tumbling down one of the winding platform paths of the cave. My previous positions were slugged by three Batarangs.

I steady myself, scanning the cave for any hints of the damn vigilante, but find nothing but a dark place perfect for brooding.

"Robin, do you see him?" My words come out a little loud, for my heart knew that Batman took training way too seriously. 

"W-Who? Damn it, not the time." Dick shakes his head, prefering to table the matter and scanned the room instead. "Not a lick. It came from the west, he must be there."

"Don't move yet." I ordered. "Cover me!"

I run towards the three Batarangs and hastily grab all of them. Dick ran towards me, wary of any more attacks from our invisible opponents.

I check the weapons and, sure enough, they are blunted. Just enough to hurt like a son-of-a-bitch and teach us a lesson of pain. 

'Predictable.' I sure do hope this Batman doesn't have mind reading powers.

"Robin, take one. We'll do a pincer attack on the spot you last saw him. Understood?" Although I know voicing out my plans is stupid and irresponsible, this is the only way I know that will allow proper teamwork between us.

"Got it!" Dick takes one Batarang and brings it to his mouth.

It's disgusting, but looks cool as hell.

We move at once, diverting on a parabola with the same destination. The tubes holding Batman's costumes.

The western area of the main cave platform hosts a large number of cylindrical chambers that housed Batman's variant suits. One of them is currently empty.

There are also cooling machines that help facilitate the technological enhancements and devices within the cave. If we include in the various wires and modem lights, this will be tricky as a jungle floor.

Now, I don't know how to throw a Batarang, but I sure as hell am going to try. I grip the first one in between my forefinger and middle finger, the webbing of my fingers helping steady the weapon.

"Guide me!" I know Dick's hand-eye coordination is better, but we need to save our ultimate weapon for last. So, I relegate him to being my spotter.

He nods, fully intent on beating Batman's stupid test. He didn't even bat an eye when following my orders. 

His eyes work double time as he runs through the costume chambers, before: "Last Costume! Cape!"

Striding long and full of energy, I leap from the ground and rear my throwing hands to aim at Batman's fluttering silhouette. The Batarang weaves through the wires and strikes the fluttering silhouette, keeping him in place.

I grin, gripping my last Batarang and running towards Batman. I knew I could not keep him in place for long, so I intended to use the other weapon to tag… it?

What I struck was not Batman, but just a cape. One that he had removed from his costume.

"Shit. Robin, it's not Batman!" I call out to my partner, moving away from the Western front, but not without taking my Batarang with me. "Robin! Answer me!"

I appear before the Batcomputers and see no sight of Dick nor Batman.

He must have got to him while I worked on his cape.

I scan the room, both Batarang in each hand. I see a residue of a struggle coming out of the costume chambers.

Dick fought hard, but still not hard enough for me to hear.

"No, he must have utilized some cloaking device to restrict sound."

Suddenly, I hear a dull click as the large monitor in front of me opened a video file featuring a tied up Dick Grayson somewhere in the cave.

"Badass." I mutter, a grin on my face. "But you can't scare me, Batman. I'm not like your poor criminals. I'm a goddamn survivor!"

I hear skittering in the darkness below me. And then another above me. He's moving fast, too fast.

"C'mon, is that all you've got, Chicken-man?" I roar, gripping the blunt Batarang so much that it hurts. "Face me-"

I couldn't even finish my sentence when a foot plants itself on my face. My body flies a few feet into the air before crashing down into the hard coarse floor of the Batcave.

I find my hands empty of the weapons, face bleeding from the kick, and my body sore from the flight. What a fucking power move!

My body was shaking, but I still stood up. Sweat singed my eyes, blood filled my cheeks, but I still look at his nightmarish form. 

"I see you!" I wipe the bloodied smirk on my face as I tease him in a childish voice.

Being up close and personal to him is not really making my heart go slower. It was as if the darkness had embraced him as its champion, his very presence inviting fear.

He stands still as a monolithic creature of darkness. His pure white eyes, logically, are lenses, but still feel weird and unsettling. The way his cape drapes over parts of his front torso made him unfathomable, like he's part of everything and nothing at the same time.

"Do you yield?" He asks, his voice reaching the stalagmite columns below the platform.

"Make me." I replied defiantly. 

He takes one step closer and I move back instinctively. I couldn't help it, my body just naturally fears him.

As he moves towards me, my mind racks itself silly as I try to figure out how to last longer.

That's when I noticed a Batarang not far away, one that Dick had to dodge from mid-air.

I gaze at Batman, his eyes never leaving me, but I knew he knew that I knew that he sees me look at the Batarang.

I run towards him, veering slightly to my left to be closer to the Batarang. Batman just stares at me, not faltering from single quick steps, not even to stop me.

As I grow close, my dominant foot scrapes the floor as I turn left, my ankle twisting itself to support my turn. That move allowed me to skip away from Batman and sprint towards the Batarang.

Unfortunately, I figured out what I was missing from the start of the training.

'He's Batman. Game over isn't even in his vocabulary.'

I didn't know when he raised his foot, but I sure did feel it bearing down on my back. The weight nearly breaks my spine, just enough to hurt like hell, but, surprisingly enough, this didn't hurt as much as the ritual.

Knowing full well that my strength is not enough to break free, I turn to my other talent.

I scream at him, tears fill my eyes as I beg, nay, plead for him. "P-please! Please don't kill me! N-no more b-b-blood!"

In response to my words, however intentional or unintentional it was, Batman lightened his grip on my back for a brief moment. Just enough for my body to crawl out.

As soon as I feel it, my eyes, still wet, turn vicious and my feet scrape the floor repeatedly like a revving motorcycle before launching out of his grip and towards the Batarang.

I roll and crawl my way just to get the damn thing and, by the grace of Lucifer Morningstar, I did. My hands, now bloodied and dirty, tightly grip the weapon as I look back and see the caped crusader still standing a few feet away from me.

"Apologies? Apologies!" I give a sweet smile, because he seems mad. "No harsh feelings, Batman."

The motherfucker gives a small smile at my words and utters the words, "No harsh feelings."

'I'm fucking doomed.'

Before he can move, my fear overtakes my rational mind as I throw the Batarang with as much force as I could muster. The blunt ranged weapon tears through the air, but before it can even hit him, he already has it in his hands.

I sigh at the outcome. "Well, at least, you did-"

Another Batarang hit my tummy, forcing me down to the ground. I give my everything not to throw up from the pain.

"Ugh, man. Why'd you do that?" I ask from my position on the ground.

"To teach a lesson." He responds, but you can't fool me, Batsy. I hear a smirk in those words.

He frees Dick after that and lets us rest in the manor for an hour. A short reprieve for the hell he puts us through, but one that I will gladly take.

We sit around the large antique couch in the living room, our bodies nearly turning into a jelly the moment we feel its soft touch.

"Man, you were intense!" Dick breaks the silent pants and moans of pain. "Like, you took control. That was so cool!"

"Me? Dude, the way you bit that Batarang was so badass!" I compliment back. But something is nagging at me. "By the way, what happened to you back there?"

Dick groans, putting a hand to his chest. "Man, after you went in, I noticed it was just a cape. Ugh, I was calling you, but Batman told me he threw something that muted any sounds of our fight."

My guess is right, apparently. "I knew we should not have split up. I should have waited for you."

"I guess. But I feel like he'll still find a way to make us split up." Dick waves away my self deprecating insight from the fight. "Dude, at least you made him reveal himself! That's cool. By the way, did you call me 'Robin'?"

"Ah, y-yeah!"

"I like it!" Dick looks away and smiles at the scenery. "If we were to be Batman's sidekick, then we need a superhero name. And it needs to be flying-based, too, another bird name. I like Robin a lot. Do you mind if I take it?"

I smile, relieved by his reaction. I guess- wait. "I'm not going to be a sidekick."

Dick looks back at me as if I was crazy. "What do you mean? Isn't that why you're here? He trains you and then helps him in his crusade."

"Nope. I'm just here to be trained." I say with a straight face. "Just enough to not be ritualized again."

"O-oh, is that so?" He seems sad by my revelations. It's not that I don't want to be a sidekick to Batman. Frankly, who wouldn't? But the fact remains that most of his sidekicks were subjected to pain and suffering no other sidekicks have endured. Granted, almost all of them were powerless, ass-kicking humans, but the point still remains.

"Well, I think I'm thinking too far ahead. We're still gonna train together at least!" Dick smiles again, waving off the far future, but has a sudden look of realization. "I-is that why Batman beat you in the training?"

"I think so, but guess what," I laugh aloud, the memories of Batman kicking me in the face still hurt, but, boy, was it worth it. "I-I tricked him into letting me go! "

Dick's eyes go wide in disbelief before he, too, laughs alongside me. "Oh, man! I gotta see that."

"Oh, maybe we can ask for a copy, Alfred!" Laughter erupts once more.

"A copy of what, Young Masters?" Alfred, like some kind of classy poltergeist, comes into the room holding a tray of piping hot beverages.

"Ah, nothing, sir." I try to straighten up from my seat, but my back fails me at this moment. Creaking dangerously, I assume it would break if I move from my current position. "Ugh, sorry. I don't think I can move."

Dick nods to commiserate with me. Fortunately, Alfred brought some disgusting refreshments. "T-Thank you for the tea… sir."

"Thank you, Alfred!" While I despise the leaf water, Dick seems to be soothed by the herbal concoction. The boy notices my stare, apparently, for he gave me a smirk and shrugs his shoulders. "I like it. My ma would always… She would always drink tea after every performance. Calms her mind, I suppose."

"I see." Damn it. Now I have to drink because I'll look like a douche. I give a silent sigh before taking a sip of the jasmine tea. "Hmmmm… i-it's good! Tastes like… dirt a-and flowers and other things. I-uh, you know what, it doesn't actually taste that bad."

Alfred hums in delight. "Now, finish your drink and return to the cave. Master Bruce has summoned you."

We didn't want Batman to wait, so we quickly finished our hour-long break. Dick wanted to enter after our tea, but he's not the one who got sucker punched in the mouth, chest, and back. 

We enter the dark cave and onto the main platform where Batman sits on his chair, with his computer lit up like a disco ball as it releases files and documents every few seconds.

Batman didn't look away from his screen as he addressed us. "Good, you're all well rested."

"I guess. Not too muc-"

"Yeah!" Dick yells.

I have got to let the Boy Wonder chill.

Batman rotates his chair and faces us, expression unreadable as usual. "Your performance during your initial tests has been reviewed. As such, I have created a training regiment that will amplify your talents and increase your proficiency in the aspects you lack."

The computer responds to his words as the various windows remove itself, leaving only Dick and my face.

His face hardens. I didn't know pure white eyes could brood meaningfully. "I will now be stating your problems one by one."