Legends of the Batman #18

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Orphaned as a child when his parents were murdered before his eyes, a traumatized Bruce Wayne dedicated his life to fighting crime in his beloved Gotham City. After years spent traveling the world, putting himself through arduous physical and mental training, Bruce returned to his city and adopted a new persona to instill fear into Gotham’s criminal element: the dread Dark Knight known as Batman!

The Multiverse Presents

Legends of the

#18
Final Exam

Written by Aaron Martel (Fan4)

Edited by Daniel Dyer (Spider-Man Beyond)

Multiverse logo created by Tony Peterson (Starfall)

Previously in Legends of the Batman:

Dick Grayson, young ward of Bruce Wayne, has discovered Bruce’s greatest secret: that Bruce is in fact the costumed vigilante Batman. Recognizing Dick’s inherent physical and mental gifts, Bruce has reluctantly agreed to train Dick to become his crime-fighting partner. Many months have passed since Dick began his training, and Bruce has determined that the eagerly enthusiastic Dick is nearly ready to join the Batman’s nightly crusade.

The Riddler, a costumed villain utilizing riddles left behind as clues to his upcoming criminal activities, cleverly determined that Bruce Wayne is the Batman. After defeating the Riddler with the help of Dick’s puzzle-solving skills, Bruce used holograms of the Batman to publicly disprove the Riddler’s claim of the Batman’s identity, thereby revealing to the world at large that the mysterious Batman does, in fact, exist.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The music began to swirl throughout the gala ballroom in Wayne Manor, and many of the fundraiser’s attendees stepped out on the floor to begin the dance. The members of Gotham’s society elite had come to this occasion not only to contribute to the Wayne Foundation Homeless Children’s Relief Fund, but also to simply mingle among themselves. The party’s host, handsome billionaire Bruce Wayne, was working the room, greeting his guests with a smile and a handshake, listening to the idle prattle of Gotham’s rich and powerful.

“Good evening, Mayor. Mrs. Hill,” Bruce greeted the Mayor of Gotham City and his wife, who were attending the function for appearances only.

“Hello, Wayne. Quite a shindig you’ve put on here.” Mayor Hamilton Hill’s voice was chilly; though he respected the old Gotham family name of Wayne, Mayor Hill was not fond of Bruce’s dashing playboy image.

“It’s all about the kids, sir,” Bruce said, winking at Mrs. Hill, who blushed.

Bruce slid away from the Mayor and spotted Commissioner James Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department standing not far away, his foot tapping to the big band beat.

“Good to see you, Commissioner,” Bruce enthused, shaking Gordon’s hand. “And who is this lovely lady you’re escorting tonight?”

Next to Commissioner Gordon, a tall, redheaded, obviously teenaged girl nervously stood, adjusting her glasses and smiling at her host awkwardly. Although she was certainly pretty, the girl was also thin and gangly, unsure of herself and terribly self-conscious.

“Bruce, I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Barbara,” Gordon proudly stated. “She’s a senior and top of her class. Got her pick of colleges for next fall, though I hope she chooses Gotham U.”

Barbara elbowed her father in the ribs. “Hi, Mister Wayne,” she said meekly.

“Hi, Barbara,” Bruce said. “Welcome to my home. But if you want to stay here, you have to call me Bruce.”

Barbara giggled.

“Hey,” Bruce continued, “there’s someone here I’d like you to meet.” Bruce scanned the crowd. “Dick! Hey Dick, come over here!”

A dark-haired and athletic young man approached them. “Dick Grayson, I’d like you to meet Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon’s daughter.”

“Hi,” Dick said, smiling. He was a couple of years younger than Barbara, but he was possessed of a maturity beyond his years.

“Hi,” Barbara replied.

Bruce smiled inwardly at their forced and clumsy pleasantries, but then his attention was diverted by the appearance at the gala of a woman he had never seen before. She was tall, lithe, and stunningly beautiful, her long black hair upswept and her eyes so intensely dark brown they seemed nearly as black as her hair. She was wearing the proverbial little black dress that perfectly accentuated her shapely form, and a brilliant diamond necklace that glittered in the ballroom’s bright lights. She locked eyes with Bruce for a long moment, and he felt an electric charge in his heart and loins.

“Excuse me, Commissioner,” Bruce said absently, and Gordon nodded to him as Bruce left the group and moved in the new guest’s direction. On his way over he was interrupted a few times by other partygoers, and by the time he reached the woman she was politely refusing a dance with a potential suitor. She gazed at Bruce confidently as he drew near.

“I don’t believe we’ve ever met,” Bruce said suavely.

“No, I don’t believe we have,” the woman spoke.

“Well then, I suppose I should act the gracious host and introduce myself. Bruce Wayne.” Bruce took her hand and gently kissed it.

“I know who you are,” the woman said slyly. “I understand you’re quite well known in this town.”

Bruce smiled at the light joke. “Well then, perhaps you would do me the pleasure of granting me this dance-”

Bruce was interrupted as Lucius Fox, CEO of Wayne Enterprises, took Bruce aside for the purpose of discussing a pertinent business venture. Politely excusing himself from the woman, Bruce turned to speak with Lucius, annoyed. But Lucius was a good businessman and a good friend, and Bruce knew what he had to say must be important.

After two minutes the conversation with Lucius had ended, and Bruce, looking for the mysterious beauty he had been speaking with, was miffed to see that she had consented to dance with someone else.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the bandleader announced at the microphone, “the final amount donated to the Wayne Foundation Homeless Children Relief Fund is five hundred thousand dollars!”

The assembled guests applauded politely as Bruce stepped to the microphone to thank them for their generous donations. When he was finished, the band began its final number, a slow waltz. Bruce searched throughout the ballroom for the raven-tressed woman he spoke with earlier; he hadn’t been able to track her down since their initial exchange. He spotted Dick, who was now cautiously dancing with Barbara Gordon as her father kept a close eye on them. It occurred to Bruce that Dick had spent the entire festivity talking to her- apparently they had made a connection. Bruce desperately wished to make a connection himself with the lady in black.

Finally, he saw her dancing with one of Wayne Enterprises’ board members, and Bruce decided he had to take the opportunity to do something. He asked to cut in on the dance, and the board member begrudgingly, yet willingly, stepped aside. Bruce led the woman into the waltz, and as her body pressed closer to his he couldn’t help but notice how tight and toned she seemed, as if she were a trained athlete.

“You’ve been very difficult to pin down,” Bruce said.

“Have I? I thought it was you who was always occupied,” she shot back.

“Are you kidding? You’ve made quite an impression this evening.”

“Well, I’m rather new to the scene,” she said. “People are just checking out the new girl in town.”

“Ha. I think every pair of eyes have been on you the whole time.”

“Coming from the man accused of being the Batman?” she chided.

That caught Bruce off guard. He had assumed that the Batman hologram at the courthouse before the Riddler’s trial had dispelled any doubts as to the question of Bruce as Batman. “Oh, so you think I’m Batman?”

“No,” she laughed. “With your, ah, reputation, I don’t think you’d be moonlighting as a costumed boogeyman. You’ve got a strong pair of hands, though.”

Bruce was becoming more and more intrigued with her. “Would it be forward of me to say that I find you fascinating?”

“What about me? The ‘Prince of Gotham’ asks me to dance the final dance at the ball? I feel like Cinderella.” The music finished, and the party began to break up. “Speaking of which, I think the clock’s struck twelve and I have to go.”

Bruce was taken aback. “Wha-? Could I see you again some time?”

She began to walk away from him. “Oh, you’ll see me again. I’ll be around.”

“Wait!” Bruce called after her. “I didn’t get your name!”

“Oh, silly me,” she said, not turning around and still walking away. “It’s Selina. Selina Kyle.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Later that night Bruce sat at the supercomputer in the Batcave, in his Batman uniform with the cowl pulled back, checking some last minute facts before heading out on patrol.

No Selina Kyle in the society pages or tabloids. Maybe she’s new in town. I’ve never heard of her.

Bruce pushed the thoughts of Ms. Kyle away and settled into the hard mind frame of the Batman. He did some quick research concerning his night’s prime quarry, and pulled his cowl up over his head, completing the transformation into the Dark Knight. Batman stood up and moved to depart-

Only to find Dick Grayson standing in front of him, wearing martial arts training gear and a stone-faced expression.

“I’m ready,” Dick said.

“What are you doing here? You should be up in bed,” Batman snapped gruffly. He attempted to pass the boy but Dick sidestepped into his path again.

“I said I’m ready, Bruce,” Dick said firmly.

The Batman gritted his teeth. “I’m not Bruce!” he hissed.

The punch came at Dick with great speed and Dick barely avoided it, the blow glancing off his shoulder. It was followed by a hard slam into his stomach that dropped the boy, and Dick had a split second to think- he’s not holding back- before a kick to the chest sent him sprawling. The Batman pounced on the boy, but somehow Dick kicked up and flipped the Dark Knight over his head, giving Dick space to regroup. The Batman whirled around into a fighting stance, and Dick prepared himself for the coming attack, the pit of his stomach still sore.

Batman next launched into a series of straightforward strikes that Dick had little difficulty blocking with the taekwondo techniques taught him by the Dark Knight Detective. After one such block Dick thrust an open-handed strike into Batman’s chest, and the black-clad hero actually took a step backward. Dick attempted to follow up with a leg sweep, but the Batman leaped over it and lurched forward, intending to grapple with the youngster. Dick saw this coming and deftly ducked down into a crouch, grabbing Batman’s wrist and using the momentum generated by the unexpected movement to flip the Batman onto his back. Dick threw an elbow at Batman’s open sternum, but he was too slow and Batman retaliated with a double-footed kick from the ground that tagged Dick’s jaw and rattled his teeth.

The Batman quickly sprang to his feet and, spinning around, assumed a traditional western boxing stance. Dick put his fists up, his head still foggy from the kick to his jaw, and the Batman began to move in a graceful stalking pattern. Dick shook his head to clear it, and came forward at the Batman while throwing a couple of weak jabs to the body that didn’t land. Batman threw a left hook, which Dick dodged, but then the Dark Knight brought a vicious right uppercut to Dick’s chin, and the boy went down. Batman then tried to stomp on Dick’s head, but amazingly the youngster rolled away at the last second and somehow got to his feet, still wobbly from the last blow.

Batman seized this opportunity and wrapped his hands around Dick’s neck, squeezing tightly as Dick’s eyes bulged. For an instant there was total panic written on the boy’s reddening face, but then Dick put his arms straight above his head and spun his body, breaking the chokehold. In one fluid, incredibly fast movement, Dick dropped down and leg swept again, this time taking the Batman’s legs out from under him and sending the costumed crimefighter crashing down and whacking the back of his head on the hard cavern floor. Like a jungle cat, Dick pounced on Batman’s torso and pinned the Dark Knight’s biceps to the floor with his knees, while bringing his fist down on Batman’s face with a loud CRACK!

Then Dick looked down at his opponent, who had stopped resisting the attack, and saw that a trickle of blood was spilling from the Batman’s nose. Dick hesitated, his fist raised, unsure if the fight was continuing-

When he heard the sound of someone clapping, and he looked up to see Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s butler, aide, and confidante, applauding from the landing at the bottom of the stairs leading up to Wayne Manor. Dick got up from the Batman’s chest, and stood silently as the Dark Knight swiftly got to his feet.

“Good show,” Alfred said in his proper English tone. “I do believe that you are indeed ready.”

“I agree,” the Batman said, wiping his nose with a tissue. “Your skills need sharpening, but you’ve proven your case here tonight.”

“So… what now?” Dick questioned, his pain from the sparring session forgotten as his heart fluttered with excitement.

“I’ve been waiting for this night to come,” Batman answered. “Go to the dressing chamber. There’s something for you in there.”

Dick practically sprinted for the chamber as Alfred came down the remaining stairs to meet the Batman.

“Were you holding back, sir?” Alfred asked.

“I fought him with very basic movements, like an untrained, common criminal would. Though I was never in any danger, I fought him very hard. He earned this.”

“Very good sir,” Alfred said.

“Alfred,” the Batman spoke, his voice lowered, “am I doing the right thing?”

It took Alfred a moment to collect his thoughts. “He certainly has the ability, and the desire to join your crusade. I daresay he even may possess the drive to help you accomplish your objectives. But I’ve spent much time with him these past months, and I fear his mission might not be the same as yours.”

“What do you mean?”

“His life has been marked by tragedy eerily reminiscent of your own, sir. In that respect you are kindred souls. But his spirit has a… lightness about it, a quality that you may possess but keep buried away and very rarely display, if I may be so bold. His reasons for doing this may be different than yours.”

The Batman frowned as he considered Alfred’s words. “Well, he better be on the same page as me-”

“Batman!” Dick called. “It’s awesome!”

The Batman and Alfred saw Dick emerge from the dressing room in his own body armor, though it was much different in appearance than the Batman’s. The torso, arms and legs were a dark red, with a yellow “R” on the left pectoral. The boots and gloves were a dark green, with black trunks, a black cape with yellow lining, a black utility belt, and a black domino mask completing the uniform. The outfit was light, supple, and fit Dick perfectly.

“I took the designs you had originally developed and modified them for your gear,” the Batman said. “You’ve already given yourself a codename, and that’s what you’ll be. You’re Robin.”

“Yeah! Batman and Robin!”

The Batman frowned. “Now listen carefully. When we are out in the field I am in charge. You will follow my commands and instructions implicitly, with no questions or hesitations whatsoever. I am entrusting you to maintain our secrecy and no one else may be privy to our operation, save Alfred. This is not a game- it’s a matter of life and death.”

“Okay,” Robin said.

“And let me make something else perfectly clear. This is not to interfere with your schooling, your studies, your social events or any other facets of Dick Grayson’s life. If I perceive a problem, this ends immediately.”

“I understand,” Robin said solemnly.

“Then let’s go out on our first patrol. To the Batmobile!”

Robin chuckled as he raced down to the vehicle bay. “Batmobile! You call the car the Batmobile?”

The Batman frowned as Alfred stifled back a snicker.

The end— of the beginning