Legends of the Batman #6

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Legends of the Batman #6
Apprentices
Part 2:
The Ties that Bind

Written and Edited by Daniel Dyer

Alfred groans as he lifts his head, seeing the man called Captain Boomerang standing in the rubble that was the entree way to Wayne Manor. “Run, sir!”

Dick gets to his feet and runs after Alfred. “Who is that?” questions the young boy.

“I don’t know, sir. Now, hurry,” Alfred urges as they run through the Manor.

Captain Boomerang follows. “Aww, come on, mates. Ya gonna make me work for this, ain’t ya?” The Captain throws out a boomerang which soars pass Alfred and Dick.

Dick notices the boomerang begin to illuminate and shuts his eyes. “Al! Close your eyes!” But his warning is too late and the room is filled with intense white light.

“I... I can’t... see...” Alfred stammers.

“Well, well, well,” Digger says as he walks closer to the two. “Not the target I was looking for, but I doubt you’ll just leave the ol’ fossil, eh, boyo?” Captain Boomerang then grabs Alfred, pulls out a razor sharp boomerang and holds it to Alfred’s neck. “Ya gonna come along peacefully now, boyo? Or will I have to...”

“M... Master Dick. Go...”

Dick considers it, but... “I’ll go with you.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Atop the armored van escorting Killer Croc into DEO custody. Arsenal swings his bo staff at Deathstroke’s legs, but Slade leaps up, kicking at Arsenal, making him hunch over.

“Pathetic.” Slade let’s Harper stand back up straight, knowing that he poses no real threat. “I thought I trained you better.”

“You did,” states Roy as he acts as though he’s going to swing the staff with his right hand once again, but as Deathstroke moves to avoid it, Roy let’s fly a pellet from his left hand which explodes in a cloud of smoke in Slade’s face. Roy follows that move with a punch square in Slade’s face, knocking him back. “You taught me to learn from my mistakes.”

“Wilson...” Slade hears Digger’s voice over a communicator.

“Busy, Harkins.” Slade gets back to his feet.

“Just lettin’ ya know. The kid’s secure.”

“The kid?” inquires Harper. “You’re going after another protege. The Grayson kid?”

“You always were a quick study,” Slade says, taunting Roy.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Below, as the Dark Knight cautiously approaches a slumbering Killer Croc. Batman notices Croc’s chains cut, apparently severed using some kind of laser. He pulls out a small welding torch. Hopefully, the welder will be able to fix the severed chains. Unfortunately, Batman won’t get a chance to find out.

Jones grabs the Dark Knight by the throat with one hand. The large crocodile man holds Batman within inches of his face. “You back for some more of what I gave ya before?”

“As much as you can give, Jones,” Batman says as he brings up the welding torch to Croc’s wrist, scorching the skin.

“AAGH!!!” Killer Croc screams as he releases Batman.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Hearing the scream, Slade gives Roy a spin kick to the face. “That’s my cue. Class dismissed.” Deathstroke jumps off the van, grabbing a lamppost and swinging around it till his feet are on the ground.

Great. Just then Arsenal feels the van shaking. “Uh... Bats. Need any hel...?”

The van shakes more and swerves just as Batman’s thrown from the back. Roy barely manages to save himself, jumping to a passing overhead traffic light as the van crashes into a building. Roy drops to the street and runs over to Batman.

“Ugh,” groans the Batman as he tries to get to his feet.

“Bats! There’s another!”

“Another...?”

“RAAARRR!!!” growls Killer Croc as he comes from the turned over van.

“Later. Find Wilson,” orders the Dark Knight. “I’ll handle Jones.”

“But...”

“NOW!”

Without any more thought Arsenal turns and runs in the direction Deathstroke was headed.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Arkham Asylum, as Jonathan Crane has a meeting with Jeremiah Arkham.

“How goes your progress, Dr. Crane?”

“Well... the patient is...”

Just then the door swings open and in enters the Joker. “Nuts? Crazy? Bonkers? All of the above? Heh hehe.”

“Guards! Guards!” Jeremiah screams into the intercom.

“Oh, I doubt you’ll get a response. My newest toy, Harley, took care of that.”

“Harley?” Crane mutters just as Harley Quinn enters in full costume, white make up on her face and carrying a big gun. “H-H-Harleen? What did you do to her?” asks Jonathan.

“Me? Why do you think I had something to do with it? Hehehehe. Come now, Harl, grab the good doctors, and put them in my old cell. It’s paaaarrrrttyyy time!” Joker announces as Harley takes Arkham and Crane out of the office.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Atop Gotham Tower, as Captain Boomerang has Dick Grayson bound, waiting for Deathstroke.

“What do you want me for?”

“Quiet boyo.”

Then Deathstroke steps out onto the roof. “The boy deserves an answer. You’re to be my new student. My heir.”

“And you are...?”

“Deathstroke.” Pulling his mask off. “Slade Wilson.”

“No offense, Slade, but I refuse. You’re not too, bright, are you? You’re responsible for my parents’ deaths!” Dick yelled.

Pulling his mask back on, Slade grabs Dick and holds him over the ledge. “Then you join them.”

“Then I join therm,” Dick stated, not even flinching.

“Farewell, Boy Wonder.” Slade let’s go.

“All this trouble... and you just let him die?!” Digger asks shocked.

“I need a willing pupil. Now, let’s go.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Dick Grayson was raised to defy gravity. Above the big top he was the Boy Wonder. Now, he’s just an ordinary boy, falling fast towards the pavement.

“I gotcha, kid,” Arsenal says as he swings out, snatching up the falling Grayson.

“Huh? What?”

“No sweat, Arsenal’s got ya.” Roy swings them to a building. “Kid, the police have been notified and will be here to help you shortly. Right, now, I’ve gotta help the Bat.”

“The Batman? Where?”

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just hope I get there in time... or he might be croc food.”

“Croc?”

But Roy was already gone.

Seeing Arsenal running along the sidewalk as Dick looks over the side of the building, he says, “Forget this.” And with that Dick dives off the side of the building, gripping a flagpole, swinging on it and launching himself onto a distant rooftop, following Arsenal by way of “the rooftop express”.

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The Dark Knight can only stay one step ahead of his attacker. He ducks, weaves away from Killer Croc’s heavy fists. He lays few punches, with barely any effect. The crocodile man is relentless and has a rage of a wild beast. Croc connects with the Batman, sending him crashing into the side of a building, his armor taking the brunt of the blow.

“Hey, Bubba!” Croc turns to see Arsenal, holding a bo & arrow aimed right at him. “I’m calling you out,” Roy states as he lets the arrow fly.

Before Croc can avoid it, the round tip of the arrow makes contact, sending massive surges of electricity through the huge behemoth, causing Croc to collapse.

“H... Harper... I told you... go after Deathstroke,” the Batman states.

Twirling his bo around, Roy states, “What? No ‘thanks for saving my life’?”

“Thanks,” Batman says dryly. “Now... Deathstroke?”

“He met with some other mercenary. They were....”

Just then Dick Grayson runs up to the unconscious Killer Croc, having watched the whole thing. “Murderer!!” Dick repeatedly kicks Jones, taking out his rage on the monster.

“Dick!?” Batman then sees Croc’s eyes shoot open. “DICK!”

Waylon grabs Dick in one hand, lifting the kid as he stands up. “Back,” he says to Arsenal and Batman.

“Easy, big guy. Let the kid go.”

“If you insist.” And Waylon throws Dick high in the air and turns to run.

Batman leaps in the air, catching the boy as Arsenal charges to Croc. The behemoth backhands Roy, sending him crashing into a wall, and then Waylon is gone.

“Ow... this has been a productive night, huh, Bats?” Roy looks up to see only the boy standing there, Batman having left. “You’re welcome again.”

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Not long, as Batman stands on a rooftop, watching the police take away Dick Grayson. They’ll take the boy back to Wayne Manor and get a full statement from Alfred Pennyworth. Bruce knows this. Dick is out of danger for now, but the man beneath the cowl of the Batman can’t help but focus on the boy. On the frown upon his face. His face wet with tears. And the words of Alfred comes back to him, “...like another young boy I once knew, Master Dick might need more than simple protection." With that the Dark Knight leaves, disappearing within the darkness of the night.

Down below, after Roy Harper has given his statement, he contacts the head office at the DEO. “Yeah, it was Wilson. A lot of excitement. Croc’s sprung and there was a new player brought in. The kid says he called himself Captain Boomerang.”

“George ‘Digger’ Harkins,” says the feminine voice on the other end.

“He’s in the database, dollface?” inquires Roy.

“Harper!”

“Sorry, ‘boss’.”

“I’m your superior now. Remember that,” states the commanding woman.

“Sorry, ‘Director Sullivan’. So, is he?”

“He’s non-meta. Not a priority. He just has an assortment of boomerangs he utilizes as weapons. What about your progress on the Batman. He was helping you?”

“Yeah... but he’s not a priority either. I’m pretty sure he falls under the non-meta classification too, Chlo... uh... Director Sullivan.”

“Return to base, Harper.” Chloe Sullivan breaks the link and brings up files on all involved in that night’s events. Deathstroke, Killer Croc, and Captain Boomerang. What are you up to, Freeman?

***

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The following day in Wayne Manor. Dick Grayson sits in his room, thinking about the previous night, wondering if he’ll have a normal life again. Then he thinks, Have I ever had a normal life? “Heh.” There’s a soft knock at his door. “Come in, Al” Dick says, a hint of sorrow in his voice.

“Dick?” says Bruce as he enters.

“Mr. Wayne? You’re actually here.”

“Yeah. I want to... apologize. About yesterday. You shouldn’t have had to go through that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Dick looks up, seeing Bruce still standing there. “Anything else?”

“I also want to apologize for how I’ve acted. I should have been here yesterday.” Bruce sits beside Dick on the bed. “As you know, I lost my parents when I was a kid, too. I know how hard it is. The pain. The need for... completion.” Bruce looks down at Dick, seeing tears well in his eyes once more and Bruce puts his arm around the boy. “I won’t say the pain will go away. Truth is, you’ll keep the pain close to you at all times. What you need is to find a way to focus your pain.”

“Yeah...”

“Dick, meet me downstairs, in the study, okay?”

“Yeah...”

Bruce gets up and leaves the room, heading downstairs.

Moments pass and Dick enters the study, noticing blue mats on the floor. Bruce tosses him a bo staff.

“What’s the deal?”

“I figure I could provide you with a focus. You game?”

Dick grins as he grips the staff with both hands. In the doorway, Alfred watches as Bruce and Dick spar, noticing a bond being built. Alfred sees that young Dick can provide the family that Bruce desperately needs, while Bruce can provide the father figure that Dick would need. Yes, this is definitely just the beginning of a great thing.

End.