randomplaces | Futureknight Chapter 3

Batman stood and stared impassively at the man who stood next to the special spotlight, arms wrapped around himself against the chill of the spring night.

"I'll distract him." Robin lifted into the air and flew past the watcher in a puff of wind.

Batman followed, settling down behind the Commissioner moments before he turned back.

"Sheesh!" He jumped. "That's not fair."

Batman just stared at him, not turning as Robin landed on the parapet behind her.

"He struck again." David sighed and rubbed his face with a shaking hand. "A senior's residence. No survivors."

Batman gave no sign that she'd even heard, only took a recorded chip from a hidden compartment on her suit and held it out to him.

"What's this?" He took it and turned it over on his palm.

"Information on the killer," said the emotionless voice.

David brightened fractionally. "I knew you'd find something."

Batman paused and studied his body language, then felt a surge of sympathy as she understood the slumped shoulders and absent expression. "Your grandmother."

David flinched, his face going blank. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"Thanks." He put the chip in his pocket. "You wanna go look at the scene?"

"No." She didn't need to. As soon as Lobo got a lock on Hormah they'd have him.

David glanced at her in surprise, but didn't argue.

"The chip contains information about a murder that the perp committed twenty seven years ago." Batman turned to look out over the city as the roar of a motorcycle reached her suit sensors.

"Who was the victim?"

"There was more than one," said Batman grimly, turning back to watch his eyes widen in understanding.

"The Waynes. I should have seen the similarities!" He slapped himself in the forehead, then frowned. "That's a long time to stay silent. Are you sure it's not just a copycat?"

"No. But I turned up a string of unsolved murders in Argentina. Same M.O. Nerve gas and total destruction of the surrounding area." Batman eyed a shadow on a neighboring rooftop. "They all happened between 20-- and 20--."

David nodded, then turned and frowned toward the shadow himself as a slight sound reached them. "Watch out. Fangirl."

Batman watched on her peripheral screens as the girl crept closer with exaggerated caution, finally jumping the narrow space between buildings to totter up to her in what she supposed was supposed to be a sultry manner.

"Kid, go home," said David in disgust.

The girl ignored him, smiling coyly up at Batman from underneath a “bat” shaped mask that did very little to conceal her identity.

Batman took in the thigh-high black boots with the gleaming metal stiletto heels, the cheap nylon cape, and the scanty black costume that left little to the imagination. "You heard the man."

The girl frowned slightly, but then resumed the smile and ran one gleaming polished nail along the arm of the Bat suit. "But I can help you."

"No." Batman stepped away from her. "This isn't a children's game. Go home now."

"I'm not a child," she purred, reaching out again.

There was a flash of motion and a scream of terror as she suddenly found herself dangling over a twenty story drop by one wrist.

"This. Isn't. A. Game." Batman shook her with each word, then let go of her briefly.

She screamed again and blubbered hysterically. "Pull me up! Pull me up!"

Batman gave her another shake and did so, dumping her in a heap at David's feet before fading from sight.

"You okay, kid?" David knelt next to her.

"He was supposed to save me!" she sobbed pitifully.

David sighed and wrapped her cape around her, then lifted her into his arms and carried her toward the door. "He did."

* * *

Batman reached over and shut off the forgotten Bat signal, then turned to look at Robin as he came to hover at eye level with her. "You're giving away my position."

He grinned and poked her helmet in the nose, then zipped away.

Batman chuckled and faded back into sight before lifting off herself. "You find anything, Lobo?"

"No," his voice was a disgusted growl in her earphone. "How 'bout you?"

She landed next to him. "Only a misguided child in a cape."

"Another one?" said a lilting brogue over their coms. "Maybe if ye fill the office 'o Batgirl ye wouldnae hae so many, laddie."

"Watchman," said Batman impassively. "You were gone yesterday."

"Family matters," he said jovially. "And don't ye go ignorin' me suggestion."

"They'd just make up different names." Lobo threw his cigar over the edge of the roof.

"Ahh, that's true." Watchman fell into a thoughtful silence.

"Did you find anything?" Robin impudently tossed the smoking butt back at Lobo.

"Nae," said Watchman heavily. "Naught that ye didnae already know. I was callin' tae let ye know Silver's lookin' for ye."

"I see that." Batman watched as a figure in a shimmering grey Bat suit walked toward them over the rooftop.

"Told ye ye'd find 'im before I did, Silver." Watchman's channel went dead.

"Batman, Robin." The man in grey nodded to them. "Lobo. You're back."

"No &@%$, Sherlock," he growled, narrowing one eye.

"Silver Bat." Batman inclined her head slightly toward the man who'd watched over Gotham and Bludhaven till she was old enough to take the mantle. "What do you want?"

He grinned briefly under his cowl, but it faded quickly. "Someone is killing my people and trashing the 'Haven."

"Bastich gets around." Lobo scowled.

"You knew?" Silver Bat stepped away from him unconsciously.

"Yes. We're on it." Batman watched Robin do a string of backflips across the rooftop.

Silver Bat nodded. "Need any help?"

Batman shook her head. "Stay off the case."

His lips drew into an angry line. "He's working in my city."

"And he's throwing flechetts that pierced this suit," she countered sharply.

He paused and bowed his head, then looked up, the eyes of his cowl reflecting light. "I won't abandon the 'Haven. I let you have Gotham because I recognized that suit and the people you work with, but Bludhaven's my responsibility." He turned in a swirl of silver cape and jumped over the edge.

"Frag brain." Lobo leaned over to watch him go, idly revving his bike.

"Would you leave something of yours if someone threatened to kill you?" Batman turned to glance at him.

"Nope." He grinned and drove off the roof, roaring away between the buildings and leaving a trail of hastily lit windows and curses in his wake.

"So now what do we do?" asked Robin from where he sat cross-legged in mid-air, munching on something.

"Now we patrol." She checked the suit's fuel cells and shot off into the sky.

"w00t!" Robin zipped after her.