28Rebirth Part 1
City of Vale. Twenty Years Ago.
Three days ago, a Faunus family's residence had been broken into. The husband was beaten viciously by one of the attackers into a coma while his wife suffered from a concussion, three broken bones, and her tail being cut off. All of this, and their six-year-old son had been taken as she laid bleeding out beside her unconscious husband, the news spread across the city that night. He was busy breaking down the door to known associate of one of the kidnappers while the news broadcast the details, he left the man untouched, but scared enough that he wouldn't alert his friends of who was coming.
He knew police would only investigate the crime as far as taking statements, saying they would do all they can, and then dragging their feet through the rest of the investigation, human on Faunus crimes were not police priority. But he wasn't the police, he was not the law.
The associate pointed him to a warehouse near the docks, he was to procure a escape for them with a watercraft. Escape out into the ocean and heads towards somewhere like Patch until the heat dies down. But they didn't know their boat wasn't coming, so they were forced to wait, but that was a double-edged sword. While they were forced to wait, it could give them time to rethink their plan, do something rash, so he needed to act NOW.
The warehouse was wedged between the fence surrounding the docks and the water, the building on the strip of concrete that reached out towards the ocean. He approached the building from outside the fence, hidden in the shadows he saw the lights were on, their friend wasn't lying. Approaching the fence, he bent his knees and jumped into the air, the soles of his feet fired out a boost of fire to rocket hum up further into the air and towards the warehouse.
He fell towards the rooftop, he extended his arms out and from his back a pair of wings sprouted out from his back, slowing his fall to land safely on the roof silently. Standing up, the shattered moon in the sky illuminated him. He was a tall, imposing in statute even without his current uniform on. He wore a black suit that covered him head to toe, on his forearms two bladed scallops reached back up the arm, around his waist was a belt. It was silver in color with a circular buckle with a red center, on either side where small capsule looking devices, and circling around the belt from there were an assortment of pouches with black lining.
His face was covered by a black mask, his eyes were only visible as two white eyes, what was strange about the mask were the two pointed peaks reaching up from either side of his head, easily mistaken for ears. On his chest was a symbol, it was red in color and was shaped as a bat, with the wings pointed up towards his shoulders and the tail end pointing down towards the buckle of the belt.
Walking across the roof, he kneeled at a skylight and peered inside.
Down below there was five men, each of them human, two of them standing in front of a laptop with the news on, 'In the news of the financial world, The CEO of the Schnee Dust Company, Jacques Schnee was poised to acquiring the land rights in Vacuo by Wayne Incorporated. The SDC was apparently planning to open a new Dust Mine in the region, however Wayne stated with the allegations of unfair working conditions in mines run by the rival company that he feels that the people of Vacuo should chose what they use the land for. This was his statement before returning the deed to the local governor of the area.'
Two more were sitting on the comers of a metal table, one of them cleaning a knife, probably what mutilated the mother, and the other holstering a pistol. The Final perp was sitting on a barrel beside a metal support beam where the child was tied up around with rope. His mouth was gagged as he sobbed to himself, he looked unharmed, his black panther tail laid limply on the ground, curled around him in fear.
He gritted his teeth, he knew he should do this smart, surgical precision, but the sight of the child fueled the desire to simply beat these men to a bloody pulp.
Opening the skylight, he dropped down into the warehouse, raising his fist he aimed it at the man by the boy, on the top of his hand a slit rose up and fired out a red disk with sharpened ends. The disk cut through the ropes holding the boy in place, the man guarding him saw the ropes get cut, looking to where it came from he turned to have a heavy boot crack him across the face, landing in a crouch in front of the boy the man in black looked at him, "Run." He stated before turning back to the other four as one of them reached for the gun on the table.
Something small and black with red edges to it slid from his wrist into his hand, holding it between his thumb and index finger, the sides extended and curved out, it was shaped like a bat, the wings red and curved. He threw it at the man as he aimed the gun, it whirled through the air and hit the side of the gun, knocking it out of his hand and clattering it across the floor.
The two by the TV got to him first, one threw a haymaker at the man in black. He countered by parrying the punch with his right forearm and quickly striking at his opponent's face by pivoting his arm and landing a blow across his face while he landed another blow into his midsection and finishing with upper cutting the kidnapper. His ally ducked as his friend flew overhead, the man in black front kicked him in the chest, cracking his ribs as well as kicking the air out of his lungs.
The final two looked at one another with fear, three of their friends were down and he wasn't even hurt….he was breathing a little hard however.
He noticed it too, he needed to take these last two down quickly, the kid was safe so he could take them down, call the cops, and leave. Case closed. The pair rused at him at the same time, he gritted his teeth. That's what he gets for being positive.
As they got close, he jumped towards them, kneeing one in the chin, landing on the ground he swept his leg out into the other's and brought them down onto the ground too. Rolling back between them, he grabbed them both by their heads with each a hand, they reached at his hands and tried to break free but he slammed them into the ground, once, twice, three times for good measure until they stopped struggling.
Standing up over the fallen kidnappers, he breathed heavily as his chest flared up with soreness. He needed to give himself a minute.
That minute was shirt lived when he cracked across the back of his head with a crowbar, he fell to the ground, as he started to pick himself back up a kick to his ribs knocked him over onto his back. His attacker was the one guarding the kid, Stupid. He thought before the man slammed the crowbar into chest, the suit wasn't just fabric, most of the defense was around the chest so it didn't do any major damage, but it still hurt like hell.
"I thought the Batman was supposed to be kind of big badass." He brought the crowbar down across his face, blood splattered across the ground. "Guess the stories were bullshit!" he shouted as he raised the crowbar like a golf club and hit the side of the Batman's head, making him roll across the ground.
He could barely breathe, his chest was killing him, he could barely move. He needed something. He needed something to turn this all around, he didn't have the strength to use any of his gadgets, but if he had something like a lead pipe or something to knock his attacker down with, turn the tides, he could take this.
He felt something brush against his hand, he grabbed it out of reflex and swung it back at the man as he turned over. The kidnapper froze in fear for but a moment before dropping the crowbar and turning around to run away. There were police sirens in the distance, they would be here before the last one got too far away.
The object in his hand began to weigh down, he finally looked at it….it was the gun the man pointed at him before. Batman's hand started to shake, his gaze locked on the weapon in his hand….the gun he was holding. It clattered on the floor as he stood up, his hands reached up to his face and pulled the mask off, he needed to breathe, he needed to think he was revolted, he was horrified. Not with the gun….with himself.
As the mask slipped off his head, he gasped loudly as the air hit his slightly wrinkled face. His hair was greying on the sideburns, his jet black hair was messy and his face was covered in sweat and blood on the corner of his mouth and chin. He sat there for a few seconds before picking himself back up.
No….no. he thought as he walked towards the open door to the warehouse.
It took him a few hours to prepare everything. The man shut down the database he accumulated over the years, he disconnected the bugs he planted. He shelved all the gadgets he was carrying in the armory. And finally the suit.
It wasn't his first uniform but it was his last, over the years he wore dozens of variations of his first one. To this end he stored them in what his first ward referred to as the Closet of Costumes. The hall stretched three yards back, the lights in the ceiling illuminating the room and the various costumes that lined the walls to the end where he stood, putting the last costume in it's proper place.
He adjusted it so that the head mask was facing the correct way before turning around and walking down the hall. He passed the suit he wore when Mount Glenn fell and had to fight through hordes of Grim, the suit he made for his replacement when his back was broken, when his greatest failure was fulfilled, when his mission became global, when he donned the cowl for the first year.
And just his, but the one for the boy who started a partnership, for the girl who was put through a sick joke, and another boy who found out the man's secret on his own.
Walking to the doorway of the hall, he turned around and looked back at the uniforms, he made them for his war, his personal war that ended with far too many casualties for him. But even after the dead and wounded were tended to he soldiered on, until tonight when he broke his rule, his code, his vow. He reached for the switch that controlled the lights.
"Never again." He said to himself solemly before hitting the switch, the lights shutting off down the hall to the back where the last costume was displayed.
City of Vale. Present Day.
Vale had changed greatly in the past two decades, the largest difference was in terms of Culture, Faunus were for the most part viewed as Equals now among humans. Not to say that there was no longer any animosity between humans and Faunus. For one the White Fang, a once peaceful organization had turned to more aggressive ways to get their message across, and the Schnee Dust Company had been pushing the envelope on what was considered to be hard labor, targeted at Faunus.
It was not perfect, but it was a vast improvement over what they were like two decades ago. However not all changes were for the better, such as the steady rise in crime since the last known sighting of the famous, or infamous, vigilante known as the Batman.
And with gangs like the Mutants running around Vale, it wouldn't exactly be unwelcome for someone to knock some sense into them.
Not that they actually are mutants, they were basically punks with red visors over their eyes who vandalized, beat, and occasionally murdered people who pissed them off, they also adopted a strange speech pattern, not so bad that one couldn't understand them, but they sounded unsettling. In fact, on a bus driving through the streets of Vale, a pair of Mutants stood in front of a young, pretty woman. "Pretty lady sits alone now." One of them said.
"Pretty lady like company yeah?" the other asked, they both had shaved heads and red visors staring at the young lady as she hugged her purse close to her chest and avoided their eyes, clearly scared by the duo. "Pretty lady carrying' lien?" one of them asked, she didn't answer one reached out and grabbed her chin, making her look at them. "You dunce? The ask if you carrying!" one barked at her.
"Hey." One of them looked back to see a fist ram into their visor, breaking it before they hit the floor, the other was cracked across the jaw and hit the back of his head against a metal pole before sliding his back down against it to the ground. "If you're going to threaten someone? Either do it against someone your own size, or at least learn to say it right like this." The voice began as the Mutant looked up.
Standing over him was a teen, around 5'8 with a slightly athletic build. He wore a brown pullover with a white shirt underneath it with dark blue pants and black sneakers. On the shoulder sleeves of his pullover was a patch of wings, each of them pointed back as though they were in mid flap. He had a fair skin tone contrasted by his black hair that was slightly combed to the left, "Get off the damn bus before I throw you off." He threatened.
The two started to get up but the bus slowed, the momentum shift made them tumble across the floor. The two started to get up but the young man grabbed them by the backs of their shirts and swung them to the side to the doors as they opened. The two fell out onto the sidewalk. As the two got up, they saw their attacker grinning at them, "Total honesty I wasn't serious about throwing you guys out of the bus but when the doors opened? I had to." He said as the doors shut and the bus drove off.
"Thanks Rowan." The driver of the bus said to the young man who simply smiled at him, "Those assholes have been hassling this ride for the past week." He explained as Rowan reached his seat and picked up his single strap backpack. The young woman who was being harassed sat across from him gave him a grateful smile, the young man nodded back before walking up to the front of the bus as it pulled up at his stop.
"Well you know sometimes you just got to hit people." Rowan replied with a shrug as he walked to the door, giving the elderly bus driver money for the ride, "See you next time Sal." He said before hopping off at his stop and walking down the street as the bus drove off to it's next stop. The bus had dropped him off in the residential district of the city where his father lived so he could be closer to work in the industrial district of Vale.
His mother lived in Atlas with his younger brother Patrick, his parents had divorced two years ago and he stayed at the old apartment with his dad while Patrick and his mother moved to Atlas. The reason behind the devoice was that between his father working more than being home, his mother….found comfort in another. Her and his little brother lived with him in Atlas.
Rowan turned the street corner and continued down the sidewalk until he came upon the building he and his father lived in. Entering their apartment building, Rowan entered the elevator and hit the fifth floor button, riding up to the second to top floor he walked out and turned left to his and his father's apartment. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. He kicked his shoes off near the door as he entered, walking into the living room he slung his schoolbag off his shoulders and hopped over the couch in front of the TV projector.
Picking up the remote on the cushon next to him he turned on the set and flipped through the stations, searching for something to watch. He stopped clicking the remote when he felt his scroll vibrate in his pocket. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out the device and extended it, Rowan smiled when he saw the text was from his friend Yang Xaio Long.
.:Hey, me and Rubes r catching movie 2nite. Join?:. – Yang.
Rowan -.: Wot movie?:.
.: New Planet of Plants movie:. – Yang
Rowan - .:Sure:.
.: Sweet! You won't Be-leaf your eyes!:. – Yang.
Rowan - .: Godamnit Yang!:.
.: Please you know you love it. Movie is at 8:30:. – Yang
The young man rolled his eyes at his friend's stupid joke before putting his scroll in his pocket, he had met Yang and her younger sister Ruby when he lived on Patch. Back when his family was whole and all together, however when his parents split he had to move with his father to his new home. But even with his family splitting apart, Yang and Ruby had been there to help him through it.
They stayed in touch, they went to Signal Academy in Vale and took the tram from Patch to the city to and from. But even then they didn't see each other much since Rowan went to another school altogether, though he'd be lying if he said he didn't like the idea of going to school to learn how to kill grim. In fact, when his parents spilt, he had half a mind to go to Signal along with Yang but he had to get parental permission. And his father was entirely against the idea of his son being a Huntsman.
It caused a rift between the two, it's still somewhat fresh too. But at least now Rowan understands why his father was adamantly against it.
The sound of the door opening made him look back over the couch, his father entered with a charcoal colored suit, his hair was starting to recede back but the widow's peak suited him along with the goatee and glasses he wore. The briefcase in his hand had the company name on the side, Waynetech. Harold Bryce had started working for the company years ago and was still working there now as a accountant.
"Hey dad." Rowan greeted from the couch before turning back to the TV and flicking through channels, missing the tired and concerned look on his father's face. "Yang just texted me about going to a movie, I'm going to meet her and Ruby go out later to meet them." He explained as he shut off the TV after seeing that there was little to nothing on.
Harold ran a hand down his face, "Rowan why didn't you ask if it's ok to go first?" he asked, his toe showing he was displeased his son decided on this without his word on the matter. Rowan sighed, "….what time will you be home if you go?" he asked, willing to hear his son out.
"Eight thirty." Rowan answered simply, he didn't have a curfew, he was sixteen he could drive, his father didn't mind him staying up or out late as long as he came home.
Harold shook his head, "I'm sorry Rowan-"
"What?! Come on! I've stayed out later than that!" Rowan argued as he stood up from the couch, "I barely see them enough as is!" he protested, last time he saw Yang was last month, and his last communication with Ruby was an email last week. He had other friends of course but Ruby and Yang stayed with him through a challenging time in his life, to him they were almost family, it was unfair that he couldn't see them.
Harold sighed as he walked over to his son, "Rowan…please, just tonight? Stay in." he pleaded with his son, Rowan crossed his arms over his chest. Harold gave him a guilty look, "Rowan….I know this isn't fair. But….trust me…..I'm asking you to do this for a reason." He said as he reached out to put his hadn't on his son's shoulder as a sign of comfort.
The young man brushed him off, "Whatever. Not like it matters or anything." He said bitterly as he grabbed his bag and headed for his room located beside the entrance to the apartment, slamming the door shut, Harold raised his glasses and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. Glancing down at his briefcase he took a deep breath and steeled himself.
Meanwhile in Rowan's room, the young adult laid on his bed across the mattress with his legs hanging off the side and his scroll in his hand, as he raised it up to text Yang an explanation he stopped himself. Looking at the door to his room, he sat up and crept over to the door as quietly as he could. Turning the doorknob, he slowly opened the door and peered out, his father satin the living room on the sofa, his briefcase open and a few papers out on the cushions.
Looking back to the door, he saw his shoes tossed aside, reaching over he picked them up and closed the the door. Slipping them on inside his room, he made his way to his window. Sliding it open, he looked down to the balcony below, the apartment below them had been vacant for the past three months so no one was home. Climbing out the window, he dropped roughly a yard onto the balcony and entered the apartment.
Walking through the vacant home, he made his way to the front door and opened it, smirking to himself. He'll sneak out, catch the movie, get back home when his father was asleep. "It'll be like nothing happened." He said to himself as he ran down the steps, the movie theatre they always went to was a few blocks away, he'd cut through a few alleys and be there in no time.
The cabbie dropped Rowan off outside the movie theatre, the young man walked over to a bench planted between movie posters. The young man stretched his arms up and his legs out, he was a few minutes early so he already bought the tickets for the three of them. He would have to explain to Yang that he had to sneak out in order to meet up, but he knew she and Ruby would keep quiet. Ruby actually had a streak of bending the rules out of the three of them, Yang had stated several times that she was strangely proud about that with her sister.
Rowan thought to when he first met Yang, he was in elementary school on the playground getting picked on by a bunch of kids older than him, he and Yang were in the same class but he didn't talk with anyone really. However she came over and, for lack of a better term, decked the biggest one right in the face. When another tried to pull on her pigtails, Rowan jumped on his back and their first of many brawls together began.
Rowan didn't exactly have a fighting style refined as Yang's, he just knew how to fight relatively well for someone who grew up on a peaceful island such as patch. Yang and Ruby however, they both were well on their way to becoming capable huntresses, he had seen their weapons and knew for a fact that he was outclassed when if he ever tried to spar with them.
The sound of a bike engine drew him from his thoughts as the sisters arrived on a bright yellow motorcycle. Yang Xiao Long had long, flowing blonde hair that went down to her waist, the top of her head had a single lock of hair stand up. She had a tan short sleeve jacket on that exposed her midriff with a matching half skirt covering her lower half with black boy shorts. Her hands were covered by black fingerless gloves with yellow bracelets on her wrists and her legs had a pair of brown knee-high boots on with her socks slightly exposed and a lavender colored bandana on her right knee.
Her younger sister Ruby Rose had a gothic style blouse on that reached up to her neck and down to a combat skirt, black in color it reached out her wrists with red trim that matched the rim and underside of her skirt. On her chest was a matching black corset that had red strings intertwining at her midsection and a dark grey belt around her waist with her symbol on the side and a cross on the other. Her legs were covered by thick black stockings and black boots with red trim and lace. What topped her outfit off was the red cape she had on with matching hood, clamped onto her blouse. She had short black hair with red tips to them.
As Rowan got up to greet them, Ruby rocketed into him with enough force to nearly knock them both over, "Ohmygoshit'sbeensolongit'sgreattoseeyou!" Ruby aid with excitement as Rowan smiled, happy to see his friend as well. Ruby's semblance was speed, he'd seen her run a mile within five minutes in the form of a red blur. Upon pulling Ruby off him, Yang and he shared a smile, she raised her fist and he bumped it with his.
"Good to see you, you got the tickets?" she asked, Rowan dug into his pocket and pulled out the stubs, Yang grinned. "Awesome! Now for the best part of the movies, the Arcade!" she said excitedly as she cracked her knuckles as Ruby grinned. As Ruby rushed off to get tokens so she could start getting some high scores, Yang and Rowan walked together into the building behind Ruby. "So how's your dad doing?" she asked, getting a scoff from her friend as an answer, "Well that's not a good sign." She said as Rowan ran his hands up his face.
"I had to sneak out to come here! It's just the movies, and he acts like I'm going to go outside the kingdom!" he complained as they pushed through the doors, turning towards the crowded arcade Rowan stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I mean your dad doesn't give you a fuc-" Yang elbowed him, "FRICKING curfew." He corrected as they entered the arcade, the games lighting up the room from end to end, Ruby was right beside the door working on a claw machine, to no avail.
Yang disliked anyone swearing around Ruby, the Blonde had raised her sister along with their dad and made sure not to swear around her growing up. It became a sort of tic with her, every time someone tried to swear around Ruby Yang would stop them beforehand. "Well me and my sister are also huntresses in training." She pointed out with a shrug of her arms, showing her yellow bracelets off.
"Yeah and I would be too if my dad let me." Rowan stated as they walked over to Ruby, watching as the girl tried to use the claw to pick up a plushie of a Beowolf Grim. Ruby dug into her pocket and pulled out a few tokens for both Yang and Rowan, the pair looked around for something to bide their time while they waited to watch the movie. "I fought two Mutants today on the bus ride home! I can handle myself." He pointed out as they walked up to a punching bag game, the goal was to hit it as hard as you can and get scored on it.
Rowan went first, inserting two tokens the scoreboard on the arc that supported the bag, drawing his fist back he struck the bag in it's center mass as hard as he could. His frustration might have given his attack more power to it than he planned, the machine made a few chimes before giving him a score of fifty-five. Yang smirked, "Not bad." She said as she stepped up to the bag, giving her knuckles a kiss before drawing back and punching the bag hard enough to make the bottom of it hit the machine itself.
She scored eighty points for that one, causing the blonde to grin widely. "Yes!" She cheered silently. Rowan crossed his arms over his chest, Yang noticed and elbowed him playfully, "Hey lighten up. Look, your dad just wants to do what he thinks is best for you." She explained.
Rowan didn't look entirely convinced, before he could respond, two patrons entered the arcade, it was the same two mutants who he had encountered on the bus. "Oh crap." He muttered, Yang looked at the direction he was and glared as the pair closed in on Ruby.
The hooded girl was meanwhile distracted with the crane game and had not noticed the two visor wearers approach her. "Little red, Little red, you got treats?" one of them asked, Ruby however was far too focused on the flaw, she had angled it just right over the plushie she wanted. The pair looked at one another dissatisfied, "Ask you again or you get sliced. Little red, you got treats?" one of them threatened, making Ruby look back at them.
"Huh? Oh no. I don't have any snacks yet. Our movie doesn't start until-" she stopped when she saw who she was talking to. "-you two aren't taking about actual treats are you?" she asked in realization.
As Yang and Rowan got close he realized something, if they started a fight then there was a chance that someone would get hurt, the place was full of people. "Yang, you got your keys to your bike?" he asked, the blonde nodded, pulling her keychain out of her pocket slightly. Before she could protest, Rowan yanked the keys from her pocket and ran towards the door. "Hey! Tweedle Dum and Dee is that you?" he asked the mutants, making them turn over at his direction.
The two were sneering as they chased after him, Ruby completely forgotten as Yang called out to him, he blocked her concerned yell out and burst through the doors past the ticket booth. However upon exiting the theatre, he found that he had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Awaiting outside was roughly half a dozen other Mutant gang members, "There's the buzz! Slice and Dice!" the pair he was running from the theatre after him. Rowan turned and swung his foot up, round-housing the mutant in the face, only to be tackled by the other. The other Mutant punches him in the face, Rowan could hear the others closing in as he was struck again and again in the face. As the Mutant raised his hand to punch him again, Rowan striked at his throat.
As the man choked, Rowan threw him off and ran towards bumblebee, Yang's motorcycle. Sliding over the seat he put the key in the ignition and turned it. Pulling on the throttle as the other Mutants closed in wielding various improvised weapons such as pipes and bricks. The Rear wheel squealed as it turned against the ground causing the Mutants to back off before Rowan drove off on the bike.
Ok this is not how I thought tonight would go! He thought as he took one hand off the handlebars and grabbed Yang's helmet and slipped it on over his head if he crashed. Looking back he saw that a van was fallowing him, he could see the red visors inside staring him down. Alright Yang, let's put bumblebee through her paces. He thought as he turned down a narrow alleyway that the Van couldn't fit through.
Knocking down a few cans he emerged from the alley out onto the road, narrowly avoiding a large truck. Turning down the right lane, he was passing beside a park when the van carrying the Mutants came out from around the corner of a building. They forced Rowan to cut through the park with the Van gaining on him. The dirt was slowing the bike, but the Van was keeping it's speed. The side of the car slid open, a mutant wearing overalls leaned out with a lead pipe in his hand, the Van pulled up alongside him.
Rowan swung his arm back, backhanding the Mutant in the face before he could swipe at him with the pipe. Looking ahead he ducked in time to avoid a tree branch hanging low the Mutant in overalls wasn't as lucky as he tumbled out of the Van while his friends drove off without him. Rowan suddenly breaks, the Van shooting past him as the young man pivoted on the bike and drove towards the tone path and fallowing it until he reached the exit to the park.
Diving down the road, he looked back as he neared the onramp to the highway, turning his head back ahead however he saw the van driving right at him! Quickly turning into the ramp he drive up towards the highway.
The highway system in Vale consisted of roads that towered above the ground, they had guard fences that curved upwards so that no one could climb over them and do something stupid. As Rowan continued down the road, he passed a sign reading 'Commercial District limits'.
He'd been driving for about fifteen minutes, the Sun was down and dusk had turned to night as he dove off the highway and out to the limits of Vale. The van was still fallowing him but after cutting through traffic he managed to put some distance between them, as he drove down a empty road, he noticed he was in the nearing the limits of the Kingdom by the amount of woods surrounding the road. He either needed to loose these guys or fight.
Further up the road he saw a sign. He flew by too fast to read it but it directed to a side road. Turning off his headlights he turned down the road off to the side and up the winding roads until he was overlooking the turnoff where he entered the road from. The van approached the side road and turned off the way he came, "Shit." He cursed before turning the light on again and continuing down the road.
Maybe I can ditch them in the woods. Park the bike and stay low or- he thought to himself before the headlight shined over a man in the middle of the road. Rowan quickly turned off, the sudden turn causing the bike to slide out as it's rider tumbled across the ground as it did the same. Rowan hissed in pain as he turned over onto his hands, pushing himself up as the Van slowed to a park, the headlights shining on him before the occupants exited the van.
"Skid out, get to slice and dice! Slice and Dice!" one of them ordered as Rowan got up onto his feet and readied himself for a fight. His count put him at one to seven, he didn't feel that any of his bones were broken but Rowan was no doubt hurt from the crash. But he readied himself for a fight nonetheless, even as they chanted Slice and Dice.
"Leave him alone." A stern voice, said, Rowan and the Mutants looked over to see a man walk out from the shadows of the trees. He had grey, almost white hair on his head that was neatly combed back, giving him a distinguished look. He had a black suit on with matching pants and shoes over a grey sweater, he used a metal cane to walk out from the shadows. "And get the hell off my property." He added as he strode over towards Rowan's side.
"Better scat old time, slice you too." One of them threatened.
The older man raised a brow, Rowan explained, "He means leave before they hurt you too. And you should….this is my problem, you don't need to-" he started, not wanting to drag this old man into a fight. However he was cut off when the man used his cane to puck a rock right into the face of one of the Mutants, the man grabbed his now bloody nose and left himself open for him to be grabbed by Rowan and kneed in the gut and punched down to the ground.
The remaining six rushed the two, Rowan had a man with a chain run at him. He ducked under the metal chain. He backed off as the Mutant advanced, whipping the chain out again Rowan raised his arm and let the chain wrap around his arm and yanked the mutant towards him and landed a hard right cross with the arm with the chain around it just before he was grabbed from behind in a arm lock.
Meanwhile the old man was dealing with the three remaining ones, they surrounded him from his front and sides. The one in front pulled a switchblade from his trousers and lunged at the old man, he raised his cane and batted the hand holding the balde away and slammed the head of the cane into his face, making him stumble as the man was rushed from both sides.
He held his cane horizontal, and slammed the ends into either Mutant's stomach before cracking them upside the head with each end. As the one in front of him with the blade, now recovered, charged again the old man sidestepped out of the way, reaching the head of his crane out in the direction the blade wielder was heading and tugged, making him trip over himself before smacking the back of the fallen Mutant's head with the butt of his cane.
Rowan was busy with the mutant holding his arms back as the third one approached with a set of brass knuckles and struck him acros the face a few times, Rowan spat out a bit of blood. He looked up at his attacker and smirked, "You hit like a girl." He taunted, making the Mutant reel his arm back, Rowan suddenly jumped back and kicked his feet into his attacker's chest. Throwing his weight forward, he tossed his captor over his back onto his Mutant friend, he fallowed up by jumping on the of both of them and kicking them both in the head for good measure.
Stepping off them, the Mutants dragged themselves back to their Van as their comrades dis the same, the Van backed up down the road as one of the ones that Rowan had encountered on the bus shouted out, "WE Slice you! We'll Slice you good!"
Rowan turned over to the elderly man's he started towards a gate he hadn't noticed before, "Thanks…I'm sorry I got you involved I didn't-" he started before the man dropped his cane and dropped onto his knee with a grunt of pain. Rowan's eyes widened before rushing over, "Hey! Are you ok?! Should I call an ambulance?" he asked as he kneeled at the man's side.
He shook his head, "No I…need medicine…at the house." He panted out as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his scroll, pressing a few icons the gate opened for them. Grabbing his cane, the old Man was lifted up by Rowan and helped him walk down the path, looking up, he could make out the silhouette of a large mansion in the short distance. As they walked down the drive, a shadow moved through the darkness towards them.
Before Rowan knew it a large dog was growling at him menacingly, "Um….hiya boy?" he asked, the dog didn't stop growling at him, it was Great Dane that was black in color with a brown collar around his neck. Yang and Ruby had a dog, a little corgi named Zwei, but this thing made him look like a mouse.
"Down boy…he's ok." The older man said, making the hound stop bearing it's teeth at Rowan and walk over to his master, licking his hand with concern. Walking the rest of the way up to the manor, Rowan opened the door to the mansion with the dog leading the way inside past the grand staircase and into a study, directing the young man to a chair for him to set the man in. "Medicine…upstairs. First bathroom behind mirror…Apixaban."
Rowan nodded in understanding, running out to the staircase he found the bathroom he was talking about along with the medicine. Returning to the study he also had a glass of water to help drink with. "Here you go, is there anything else I can do?" he asked as the old man took the pill and then drank the water.
He leaned back in his seat and shook his head, "No…no I'll be fine…just….." he started before drifting off, for but a moment Rowan feared that he did something wrong, however his fears were put to rest when the man started snoring.
Rowan breathed a breath of relief, looking over he saw that the dog seemed to have calmed down now. Rowan smiled at him, "Hey buddy….sorry your boss got hurt." He said, calmly reaching his hand put he rubbed the dog between the ears. The hound let out a gruff of satisfaction as his tail thumped against the ground, Rowan stood and reached for his Scroll, "Better let Yang and Ruby know I'm ok…man she'll kill me if I dented bumblebee." He groaned out when he realized the bike's condition.
However upon opening his scroll he saw that there wasn't a signal that he could call from, "Great." Rowan breathed out, they were near the city limits so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that the signal was finicky. Looking around the room, he saw a phone on a table beside a old grandfather clock, walking over to the table he picked up the phone and began to dial. However a strange scratching sound made him stop and search for the source of the noise, only to find it was coming from the clock.
Looking it over, he jumped when he saw a bat trying to claw it's way out from behind the face of the clock, "How the hell did you get stuck there?" he asked himself aloud, reaching for the handle, he pulled the glass door opened and reached for the glass around the clock, the bat was getting antsy, "Hold your grim, I'll get you out. Just don't bite me ok?" he asked as he held the side of the glass and tried to pull.
Adding some more weight to his pull, he nearly fell when the entire Clock swung forward like a door, revealing a doorway leading into darkness. Rowan stared down the dark passage as the bat flew into the shadows, the young man looked at the doorway then back to the elderly man who he fought beside. He was torn between privacy and curiosity, but curiosity won out and he ventured into the doorway.
The hall continued a few feet before descending into a long staircase, the walls went from bricks to cave like walls. Upon reaching an opening, all that he could see was the bottom of the steps and darkness spread throughout the rest of the space. His footsteps echoed as he reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Ok so how do I turn the lights on?" he muttered aloud.
'Lights On.' An automated voice said, the young man jumped at the voice before lights lit up the room.
Well room wasn't the correct word. Cave was.
Rowan stood inside a huge cave, however a few feet away was a large computer with multiple screens beside a ledge with a guard rail. Walking over he looked over to see another staircase further away lead down to a lower level of the cave where a circle was located and a road that lead out of the cave, Rowan backed up away from the railing, his mind racing.
"No way….I mean no way. This couldn't be…..it could just be a mancave…..a very literal mancave." He said as he kept back stepping until his back pressed against a door that slid open, whirling around he turned in time to see a hallway light up, however on the walls there were glass cases lined with costumes. Most of them having a cowl with pointy ears and a bat shaped emblem on the chest. At the end of the hall there was a all black suit without a cape, with white eyes and a red bat shape on the chest and belt around the waist with long pointy ears.
Rowan's jaw dropped. "No. Fricking. Way." He said to himself in realization.
Right before something hit him in the back of the head very hard. Falling to the ground, he clutched the back of his head as he let out a pained moan, turning over he saw that the old man was awake. And the creased brow and frown told him he was not happy, "Get. OUT!" he commanded, pointing the end of his cane at him.
"B-bu-But you're-" he babbled out, the man glared at him even more. However Rowan realized that the man just nearly had what he assumed was a heart attack. He really shouldn't be arguing with him, "Ok…..I'll go….and I won't say anything." He said as he got up and walked towards the exit, the canine fallowing him as though to make sure he would leave.
Minutes later he exited through the front gates of the manor, the automated gats shutting behind him as the dog sat obediently on the other side of the gate. Looking up to the large home, he saw one of the dozen windows of the estate lit up before being turned off. Rowan made his way to Yang's bike, thankfully it wasn't damaged. Starting it back up he pulled on the handle and drove back the way he came.
Not knowing that the old man watched him as he left.
It took an hour to get back to the movie theatre, by that time though Ruby and Yang were waiting outside the theatre. Slowing the bike to a stop, the two sisters approached him differently. Yang slugged him in the arm hard, while Ruby was grinning wildly, 'That was awesome/Stupid!" they said at the same time.
Rowan held up the keys to Yang's bike as a gesture of goodwill but the blonde yanked the keys from his grasp, "I swear if you had gotten hurt I would have kicked your butt all the way to Patch." She threatened light heartedly before grinning, "But I guess you were right, you can handle yourself."
Yeah with the help of a geriatric Batman. Rowan thought as he shrugged, "The bike is nice….though I might owe you some gas money." He said, realizing he must have burned through at least half her tank.
Before the three could continue however, the sound of a approaching police siren mad the three turn their heads to see a cop car pull up, "Oh god did my dad call the cops on me?!" Rowan asked frantically.
"What? Come on he wouldn't do that…..would he?" Ruby asked, Rowan and Yang nodded, "Oh…well it's nice knowing you Rowan." She said, patting the young man on the back as the police exited the car and made their way towards the trio. Rowan didn't realize the sisters both took a few cautionary steps back.
The two officers in uniform approached the young man, "Rowan Bryce?" one of them asked, he had a bald head with a thick beard, the young man nodded. "I'm afraid we have some bad news son." He said, making a shiver go through the young man's being, "Ealrier this evening…..there was a break in at your home."
It was like a sucker punch when it hit him, Ruby and Yang were in a similar state but only he managed to find the words, "M-My dad….what about my dad?" he asked shakily. The officers were silent, "My dad…he's ok right? He's got to be ok, he's ok right?!" more silence. Before anyone could stop him he startd running, he heard Ruby call out to him but like last time he simply bocked it out and ran on adrenaline.
He cut through the alley acorss the street and turned down the sidewalk towards his apartment building. The next moment he was at his apartment, there were police cars outside. "No…..dad?!" he called out as he ran to the building and charged up the stairs, "Dad!?" he called out as he ran up the stairs, when he reached his floor he stopped at the words on the wall painted in blood.
Slice and Dice.
"DAD!"
Rowan awoke with beads of sweat covering his body and sheets.
Taking a few seconds to calm himself down, he looked around his surroundings and saw he was in the guest room of the Rose/Xiao Long household.
Laying back down onto the guest bed, he ran his hands down his face. His dreams had been of that night for five days now. Taiyang had offered his guest room to the young man fallowing his father's murder, Rowan hadn't even left the room since, Ruby and Yang left him food outside his door to eat and he did so, but he simply was numb to the world right now.
He was admix of emotions, sadness, confusion, but above all he was angry. He was angry at the police for not finding anything as of yet on the people who were responsible for his father's murder. He was angry at the Mutants who had to have done this, he wanted nothing more than to find them and took what them what they took from his dad. His was angry at his mother for not returning his calls.
But most of all he was angry at himself, he was angry for the words he spoke with his father, for not being there when his father needed him. For making his father worry before his death.
Throwing the sheets off himself he made his way to the door in his pajamas bottoms and tee shirt. Opening the door, he looked to make sure he'd not awoken the other residents, walking down the hall he made his way to the stairs and walked down them to the living room. Taking a seat on the couch, he folded his hands together and bent over until his forehead rested against his hands.
"Can't sleep?" Rowan looked back over the couch to see Ruby in her black Pj's with red dots on the stairs with Zwei in her arms. Rowan shook his head, Ruby walked down the stairs and walked over beside him, taking a seat next to him she let go of her dog. Zwei walked across the couch to him and nestled into his side affectionately. "…..how are you doing?" she asked.
Rowan sighed, "I don't know…..I'm sad…..I'm hurt….I'm angry….I just….I just don't know Ruby." He said exhaustedly, rubbing his eyes with his fingers.
The red headed girl pulled her feet up onto the couch and hugged them close to her chest, "My mom died when I was little…I don't remember it much, but I remember how nice she was, how pretty, how cool she was." She said with a smile. "And when she died…..I was sad but…I didn't understand it at that point…..but what I knew was that she was in a better place. Watching over me and my family." She said sadly, thinking of Summer Rose's grave that she visited every now and again.
Rowan however was clenching his hands into fists, "Ruby I could have been there. I should have been there! If I was then maybe I could have helped fight them off and…." He choked as tears began to leak from his eyes, "I was mad at him Ruby. I was mad at him, I yelled at him, and I didn't listen…and I'll never get to say how sorry I am." He explained as his head fell into his hands.
Ruby's arm was around him in an instant, letting him let out the emotions he had kept to himself for the past week come out.
Two days later, Rowan was out of the guest room and walking around the house talking to Taiyang and his daughters again.
The funeral for his father was already paid for, Rowan assumed Tai set it up. It was a week away, and Rowan needed to grab somethings from his old apartment. Taiyang walked in with Rowan, the man was physically fit, his job as a teacher at Signal academy having helped with keeping himself sharp. He had blonde hair like Yang though nowhere near as long, it was more scruffy and short on top of his head with inklings of a beard across his face and a soul patch.
He wore brown cargo shorts with a dark brown belt, black shoes and a red bandana around his left arm. He wore a brown leather vest over a tan dress shirt with the right sleeve cut off, on the right shoulder was a metal spaulder with vambrace around his arm and glove on his right hand. On his right bicep was a tattoo of his symbol, "Thanks for doing this Tai.' He thanked the huntsman.
The man shrugged as he picked up a box from the young man's room and carried it with him down the stairs, "Eh it's no problem. Besides I figure you wouldn't want Yang learning you have heart patterned underwear."
"Say a word and I shave the soul patch old man." Rowan retorted with a smile.
Tai smirked back, "….it's good to see you smile again kid." He said as they continued down the stairs, "I know that…..loss can be hard…..and it's hard to get past. But trust me when I say that time heals all wounds." He said empathetically, making Rowan nod at his words, "You can stay with us for as long as you want. Ruby and Yang love having you around…..that being said, if I find anything hookie-" Tai started in a slightly serious tone.
"I understand…..but right now I don't think I'm up for anything Hookie related." Rowan said to his defense. He was well aware he was under the same roof as two girls around his age, Yang being fifteen and Ruby being fourteen while he was sixteen. But even so they were all friends, he couldn't screw that up by trying to be more.
Besides if he tried anything with Ruby, Yang would set him on fire. If he tried something with Yang and it went bad, same thing.
Walking out the front of the building, he and Tai set the boxes down in the car that Tai had drove to pick up the young man's belongings. Setting the boxes in the back, Rowan closed the door to the car and turned back to the building, "I'm going to back and do a onceover, see if I forgot anything." He explained, Tai nodded as the young man walked into the building and made his way up the stairs.
Entering his apartment, he looked to the living room. It was the crime scene however but now it was spotless. Rowan walked into the room where he last saw his father, looking on the couch he sat down where he last saw Harold. Rowan took a deep calming breath and let it out before pushing himself up off the couch.
His hand sunk into the crease between cushions, he felt something brush against his fingers. Reaching further down into the couch he pulled out what was in the cushions, in his hands was a folder. Setting it down in his lap he opened the folder to find paperwork with certain columns and numbers highlighted On the inside of the melena folder was a sticky note, "In the event of disappearance or death? Shit dad…." Rowan muttered as he turned the page and read down the columns.
Copious amounts of money where transferred from the savings and into the miscellaneous account, then to a number of other departments in smaller amounts before it was moved collectively to the R&D department. And this has been apparently being going on for three years. The next page was of employees and their paystubs, one of the names was highlighted Prat Keet, who received the money though the form of bonuses.
The next few pages were files on various projects that the R&D department was currently working on. So dad was looking into something at work….someone was paying someone else to make things….but why was this such a big deal? Rowan wondered as he turned to a page with a few pictures paperclipped to the corner. The first one was of a small horse in sealed glass chamber, the next one was a green gas being released into the chamber. The next one was of the horse falling, after that the horse was covered in black spots, then it began to loose it's skin, it's muscle tissue, bones, "What the hell?" he asked.
If this is the kind of stuff this guy is making…dad must have found out. Well what the hell do I do now?! The police think the Mutant gang did this…and they could have….did they? Shit I don't know! What do I do? What- he thought frantically before someone came to mind. A few days ago he looked up the residence where he discovered Batman's cave, it belonged to Bruce Wayne, CEO of Wayne Enterprises. And the boss of his dad.
Closing the file he put it in his schoolbag and zipped it closed before slinging it over his back. Hurrying down the stairs, he ran out to the car where Taiyang was waiting, "Hey I just got a call from my dad's work, they want me to come by and clean out his desk." He lied, not wanting to tie the Rose/Xiao Long family in this mess.
Tai raised a brow, "Really? I mean…..are you up for that?" he asked.
Rowan nodded, "Yeah I got to do it sometime or later. Figure it might as well be now….you take this stuff back to the house, I'll call a cab." He said, Tai looked unsure but Rowan gave him a small smile of reassurance, "I'll be fine…..just might get back late." He said honestly. Tai conceded and tuned the keys in the ignition, as he drove away, Rowan pulled his scroll and dialed a cab.
"You sure this is the place kid?" the driver asked as he pulled to a stop outside the gates to Wayne Manor. Rowan pulled his wallet out and paid the driver for his service before exiting the car.
"Yeah, thanks. Keep the change." Rowan replied, closing the door behind him and making his way to the gate while the Cab turned around and drove off the way it came. Walking up to the gate, he looked around for some sort of buzzer and found one on the stone side pillar of the gate. Pressing the call button, he spoke, "Look I know you're in there! I need to talk to you!" he said into the buzzer. He let go to get some sort of response, however nothing came.
He pressed the buzzer again, "Look my dad is Herold Bryce. He was an accountant for your company…..he was killed five days ago. I don't know why but I found these files and…" he bowed his head as he took a breath, "I don't know what to do…these files….they say there's something going on, there's money transfers he found that goes to this one guy, and these projects…..I don't know what it all means but if my dad died because of this….he deserves justice for it…so please….help me." He pleaded to the machine.
For a few moments there was nothing but silence, the only sound being the wind howling. Then the gates creaked open, much to the young man's relief.
Bruce Wayne watched as the youth made his way up the drive towards his manor, a conflicted look on his face.
AN: I've been wanting to write a Batman story for SO LONG. I wanted to write batman back when I was writing Legend of the Spider-Man but couldn't find the right angle. But now? I think I got it. However that's my opinon, so tell me what you think and I'll keep writing!
