Batman stood hunched over a metal desk. His palms leaned flat on the surface, but his fingers were curled slightly. Folders and files lay scattered haphazardly over the surface. They seemed to glow under the harsh LED panels hanging from above. His eyes were downcast and unfocused — visible only because he wasn't wearing his cowl.
In truth, this wasn't Batman — it was Bruce Wayne. Not the lively, ever-charismatic playboy billionaire, either. This was Bruce Wayne, the mortal man. The father. The orphan of Gotham.
He let out a silent sigh, so subdued that it could have been mistaken for a normal, if audible breath.
Behind him, Dick Grayson approached. Like Bruce, he had cast away his alternate self for the time being. He detected the unusual atmosphere had taken off his face mask — as soon as he entered the Batcave.
Bruce's back looked so small to Dick as he drew closer. His footsteps were ever-silent out of habit brought on by years of training, but approach didn't go unnoticed.
Bruce turned his head slightly. A tiny physical gesture, but it was a world of acknowledgement whenever he wasn't trying to act like a 'normal' person.
"Bruce," Dick said simply. Despite his relatively low tone of voice, the cave's acoustics caused it to echo into an almost bellowing volume.
"Dick."
"The stress getting to you?"
A deep breath. A slow exhale from the lips. Four seconds each, precise to the millisecond.
"It's getting to me," Bruce admitted.
With the distance between father and son closed, they spoke so quietly that outside the cave, nobody could have heard.
"Which part?" asked Dick, which drew out an unexpectedly long answer.
"Bane dealt so much damage in the incident last September," Bruce started.
He wasn't referring to the damage that he had taken in the fight. He could handle that — he always had, and always would. The worse half of it was damage to the city, all an effort from Bane to draw him out over some petty, one-sided rivalry.
The underground infrastructure that the monster had targeted could have killed people, but Bruce managed to keep property damage to a minimum and casualties at zero. He even covered up the incident as an unfortunate and untimely cave-in — his 'public Bruce Wayne' persona worked well for those sorts of things. Still, the incident took its toll on his heart.
Then, no more than a month later, Killer Moth happened.
"Almost happened, more like," said Dick, taking the words out of his dad's mouth.
"Almost," Bruce agreed. "But that's because the Manticore happened before he could. If Lucian didn't stop that van when he did, who knows what else Killer Moth could've done afterwards from the distraction."
The typical domino escalation of Killer Moth instigating a crime, then fanning proverbial fires throughout the city while Batman and law enforcement struggled to end whatever had been started. This would have continued until Killer Moth either escaped or had gotten captured.
It was Dick's turn to sigh. He moved around from behind Bruce and leaned sideways against the metal desk.
"You know what I think?" he started, proceeding without waiting for any sort of response. "The universe is telling you that you're getting too old for this."
Puzzled, Bruce looked up at his son. "Too old for the mission?"
Dick shook his head. "Too old to get distracted from it," he corrected. "Maybe this is the universe's way of telling you, 'You can focus on what you really want to do now.'"
Bruce subconsciously tightened his jaw, brows creasing. This all started with a wish: to help the city and its people from the seemingly endless crime and corruption that festered everywhere. He just wanted to help Gotham fix herself from the ground up.
Sure, he still did help by defeating so-called 'supervillains' like Bane, Scarecrow, and the Joker, but... the more he did so, the more he felt himself drifting away from the heart of the mission.
"A man shouldn't be dealing with monsters on the daily," Dick added. "Okay, not literally daily, but definitely not more than one at any given time. Gotham's already more than enough of a monster for you to take on."
Bruce smiled bitterly then. "... it's almost like the world brought out its own monster as an immune response when things became too much for me..."
Dick smiled — a small one. "Now you get it. I'd point Lucian in the right direction sooner rather than later. Hell, I think everyone would support it if you wanted to induct him. Gotham could really use the help down here, with us spread out so far so often..."
The tension finally left Bruce's body then. To Dick, it was as if his dad's presence swelled, the silently overwhelming visage of the Bat superimposing on his now clear face.
Smiling brighter now, Dick clapped Bruce's shoulder. "I'll go do that job you told me about now," he said before clipping his respirator half-mask back on. Beyond the blue respirator, it also had a classic domino mask attached to it. Grabbing a sealed folder and small thumb drive from the desk, he added, "Just needed to pick up my deets."
Bruce watched his son leave the Batcave before pulling his cowl back over his head, which had been laying like a sad rag over his upper back. Inspired and reinvigorated, he gave the files before him a quick once-over, nodded, and cleaned them all up.
'I should visit Karlo tonight,' he thought to himself. 'I'll need his help to get Sandra Donovan's support...'
◎ ◉ ◎
Lucian was brooding on the corner of a high-rise building's rooftop. He had crouched down like an animal about to pounce, and his Retractable Claws had carved superficial lines into the concrete's surface.
The wind from up there helped him calm down some, left good room for his mind to think.
He wanted to meet up with Batman again, ask a few questions. Unfortunately, he had no reliable means of getting in touch. All he had gotten out of the man was a promise that he would be sought out at some point.
Batman had eyes all over the city — Oracle, police contacts, plants in gangs and such. Batman finding him would just be a walk to the fridge. The other way around? Pretty much impossible.
Then, an idea came to him. He looked to the sky, hoping to find a certain something missing.
There were dark grey clouds all around, subtly reflecting the city lights that beamed up from down below. He scanned his eyes over every direction — nothing. Just the skyline and brilliant lights that set the buildings aglitter.
'Score... the bat-signal's turned off.'
He had seen it turned on only a handful of times before. It might have been a stretch, but there was a good chance of attracting the Bat's attention by lighting it.
Leaping off the rooftop dozens of floors high, he started swinging and gliding over to the GCPD's headquarters with One for All on full blast — 9%.
As part of his contributions to making Gotham safer, he also stopped a handful of incidents along the way. He'd picked up some zipties, rope, and a first-aid kit just before starting to brood, so he was fully ready.
'Time to do the work...'
...
[ Quick Report: ]
[ Incidents cleared: 6 — 600 EXP ]
[ Perpetrators captured: 5+2+1+2+1+1 = 12 — 600 EXP ]
[ Takedown rewards + Arrest bonus: 1,200 EXP ]
[ EXP to next level: 3,000 ]
...
The Manticore's mind drifted briefly to Spider-Man as he traveled at speeds previously inaccessible to him, now drawing closer to the GCPD HQ after settling several 'issues.'
'So this is how he helps so many people every day. Webslinging is so... convenient.'
Everything that he had on hand came in handy.
First, he swung into a street brawl and broke it up. There were five men with weapons drawn, two on three. It was a territory dispute between 'protectors,' basically lower-scale vigilantes that kept an eye out for trouble in their areas for a fee.
A few threats and promises later, the Manticore patched them up and left after they agreed to cooperate instead of cannibalizing each other — not literally, of course. They weren't the best people out there, but after confirming that they weren't gouging their 'clients' of their money, he let their business be.
The rest were typical crimes. Burglaries, muggings, 'assaults,' and harassment. Most of them, he left alone after being put into police custody, but some... Some of them, he gave a particularly 'hands-on' education.
Eventually, the Manticore drew close enough to his destination. He scaled a building to perch on its rooftop and take in the sights.
The GCPD headquarters stood out among the towering structures that surrounded it. The city's construction seemed to instinctively lean away from the bastion of the law.
Certainly, even the headquarters itself was filled with corruption like the rest of the city, but the infrastructure all around seemed to be averse to the concept itself, the very thing that the building represented — so much so that the headquarters was given a naturally wide berth.
'A silent stone sentinel of justice and order... Beaten, battered, and poisoned, but its true purpose will never be forgotten.'
The Manticore couldn't help but laugh at himself a little. 'Haha, cringelord. So dramatic,' he thought to his own internal monologue.
Shaking his head, he crouched low and focused his strength.
A single bound was all it took.
His leap brought him tens of meters high and nearly twice across, easily clearing half of the distance to the GCPD's rooftop. His Weave-Wings carried him the rest of the way, and he landed with such grace that not a single sound was produced when he touched down.
With Blackwhip shifting back into its cape form, the Manticore scanned the rooftop with his enhanced senses.
Eyesight and near-night vision betrayed nothing. His hearing picked up only the wind and the trembling of wires and cables. [Danger Sense] and the abilities that had been merged into it, like [Keen Senses ] and [Eye for Trouble], didn't alert him to anything, either.
'Didn't expect this place to be so desolate,' he thought. 'Then again, it's the rooftop. Who would ever put guards up here?'
He made a note in Penny's lists: 'Make sure to add rooftop security if I ever get my own buildings.'
Now taking in the layout of the rooftop itself, he easily spotted the hulking spotlight that had been installed dead center. Thick cables snaked out from underneath the bulky main mass, which itself was supported by thick legs of rusted iron. Sprouting out from its side was its activation lever, waiting silently to be pulled up. The glass that protected the high-power lightbulbs within was caked in dirt and grime at the edges, but it was polished to a shine across most of its surface.
The Manticore strode towards the bat-signal with silent confidence. The wind picked up, fluttering his cape in the wind, and he took a second to bask in the moment.
"This thing's a beauty..." he remarked at the crude device, his gaze eventually shifting and focusing on the lever.
Reaching down, he pulled it. There was a loud groan at first, the metal protesting the motion. Then, a resounding clunk! followed.
The light that blasted from the signal would have blinded him if not for how fast his eyes could now adjust to changes in light intensity. From there, a pillar of yellowish-white light shot up into the sky, painting Batman's emblem upon the roiling smog clouds.
"Now, we wait..."
He dramatically flared his cape with one arm as he turned, moving to a nearby antenna-looking structure that seemed to be defunct. He jumped up high, latched onto the top with Blackwhip, and pulled himself towards it in an arc.
'Ten out of ten landing.'
The Manticore seemed to fade into the night as his cape extended, covering his entire body in absolute black...
◎ ◉ ◎
Batman's eyes were drawn to a sudden brightening in the sky. He steered the Batcycle to a slow stop, the silent vehicle only creaking ever so silently.
This was strange. Gordon would have usually notified him before turning on the signal — unless it was an emergency and he was somehow unable to radio his intentions.
Curious, Batman pulled a black radio from his utility belt. It connected directly to its counterpart with Commissioner Gordon, a much more regular-looking one, and that other device was picked up right away.
"Batman," said Gordon's voice, made crackly through the old speaker. "What's going on?"
"You weren't the one who lit the signal?"
There was silence on Gordon's end. Seconds later, he responded.
"I wasn't, but we're about to find out who did. Hang tight, but make your way over anyway just in case."
Both communication devices clicked off, and Batman turned to a main road. He was planning to visit an establishment simply called 'Joel's' that night, but seeing as he hadn't notified the man in charge of it, he figured he could make a detour for GCPD HQ.
...
Commissioner Gordon huffed and cussed under his breath. Pushing his prescription glasses up his nose, he turned away from his office's window and left the room. The door slammed shut behind him, and his tan trench coat fluttered dramatically as he paced in a hurry.
Along the way, he pulled several trusted officers from their posts and had them replaced for the night. With a squad of four people excluding himself, they went to the roof to investigate just who or what had caused the bat-signal to light up.
"Guess I should've expected you to come too, huh...?" said a distorted voice.
It came from somewhere up above, and Gordon and his men had to crane their necks just to spot who had spoken.
The four officers pulled their firearms and trained them on the figure perched atop a defunct signal antenna. It was hunched over, almost into a ball. From its shoulders hung a cape much like Batman's, which wrapped around its form and made it blend seamlessly into the surrounding darkness. It also had these long, pointy 'ears' sprouting from the sides of a full mask that fluttered in the wind, which... was oddly cute.
Unlike the Caped Crusader, however, this figure had clawed metal gauntlets and a mouthpiece that looked too much like a carnivorous beast's maw. The metallic surfaces glinted menacingly through the darkness as the figure rose to an upright position. It seemed to have no trouble keeping its balance, and the cape that blanketed it receded to reveal a purple-and-black leather outfit, with white fur shimmering brightly around the neck and shoulders.
"Who are you?" asked Gordon in his authoritative voice.
"Take a guess?" said the figure's warbled voice. Purple lightning began arcing off of their form, and everyone observing quickly realized who this was.
"The Manticore," someone mumbled, and the vigilante himself slowly raised his two clawed hands.
"I'm gonna leap down, if you don't mind."
Gordon turned to his men. "Back up," he ordered.
Once they were a few paces further away, the Manticore hopped down from his perch, slowing his fall and eventually hovering off the ground using what used to look like an ordinary cape. Now though, everyone could clearly see that it was made of some sort of 'living' material.
The officers kept their guns in hand, but none of them were directly aimed at the Manticore anymore. Once the vigilante stopped levitating forward, Gordon asked, "Why did you light the bat-signal?"
"Needed to talk to Batman," the Manticore answered simply. "Didn't really leave me with a phone number to call or anything, so... yeah."
Seeing how relaxed the lone vigilante was about all of this, Gordon allowed some of his own tension to dissipate.
"We'll all wait here," he declared. "Batman should be on his way. Until then, we'll keep an eye on you."
The Manticore supplied a nod and let himself slump down to the ground, sitting cross-legged while the cops watched him intently. As for Gordon, he backed up behind his men and retrieved his radio...
...
Along the way to meet up with Gordon, Batman's radio crackled to life. He brought it up, and Gordon spoke.
"I've identified who brought up the signal. It's the Manticore, said he needed to contact you."
"Tell him I'm on my way," said Batman.
"Are you actually acquainted with him?"
"Yes. I've worked with him once, and tested his skill myself. It should be pretty important if he's trying to contact me now."
"Alright, I'll trust you. We'll leave him to you once you get here."
"Thanks."
Click...!
◎ ◉ ◎
Lucian didn't have to wait long for Batman to arrive. He just sat around awkwardly with Gordon and his men after the commissioner used a radio to contact him. Batman showed up some five minutes later, giving Gordon some assurances before he was reluctantly left alone with the Manticore.
The two of them stood before each other now, silently assessing one another. Had anyone been watching, they would have looked to be part of the same team or faction now: Batman was obviously the experienced and well-put-together leader, and the Manticore fit the role of a scruffy, scrappy newcomer with unconventional skills and abilities.
"I assume this is about the last incident," said Batman, skipping any formalities.
"It is," Lucian answered in his regular voice. With the [Howling Maw] imbued into his mouthpiece, it no longer muffled his voice when he spoke. "Just finished dealing with business. Those people didn't make any moves on me, but I did spot a drone earlier. Same build as one I saw last time, but there was nobody to chase after me in this go-around."
Batman nodded, taking in the information. "When you get the chance, see if you can catch one of those drones. You can disable the cameras and microphones or other sensors, but make sure to keep it mostly intact. I want to see if we can trace it back to the source."
"I gotchu," said Lucian with a thumbs-up. "So I'll be sneaking off and monitoring Paulie's fighting pit, I guess?"
"Only if you want," Batman clarified, though he definitely approved of the idea, judging by his inflection. "It'll speed up my investigations, but it's not wholly necessary. As much as possible, I actually want you to focus on keeping the streets clean as you are now. You're still new, so I'd like you to leave larger syndicates like this one to people like me."
Lucian crossed his arms, leaning back against Blackwhip to support his weight.
"Sure, but I still want to help whenever or however I can. That's why we do this, right? The world ain't finna wait for me to catch up and grow, so I wanna learn as much as I can as fast as possible."
The corners of Batman's lips curled up slightly, and he nodded.
— — — — — — —
[A/N]:
Sorry for no chapter last week, things have been shitty for a while at home, which kept me from writing anything
Lots of raised voices aggressive motions, which, well, don't mix well with ADHD and the 'tism
Chapter Summary from Ao3:
Blue bird comforts sky rat
Purple car gets up to shenanigans, then screams at the sky rat for attention