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Batman
Aug 27, 2012 23:51:24 GMT -5
Post by Batman on Aug 27, 2012 23:51:24 GMT -5
[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=valign, top][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, border: 10px solid #f1e3b4; width: 450px; background-color: #f6f7f1;][STYLE=font-family: times new roman; font-size: 36px; color: #191919; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px;]PERSONAL FILE[/style][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 8px; color: #FF0000; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px;]HIGHLY CLASSIFIED AND CONFIDENTIAL[/style][STYLE=float: right; margin: 10px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 10px solid #FFFFEE;][/style][STYLE= color: #000000; background: #BBDD22; font-family: courier new; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; width: 296px; margin-left: 05px; font-weight: bold; padding: 02px;]GENERAL INFORMATION[/style][STYLE=color: #191919; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-left: 10px;]NAME: Bruce Wayne ALIAS: Batman GENDER: Male AGE: 41 OCCUPATION: President of WayneTech Enterprises ALIGNMENT: Good AFFILIATION(S): JLA, JLI, WayneTech Enterprises, Batman Incorporated[/style] [STYLE= color: #000000; background: #BBDD22; font-family: courier new; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; width: 296px; margin-left: 05px; font-weight: bold; padding: 02px;]PHYSICAL PROFILE[/style][STYLE=color: #191919; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-left: 10px;]HEIGHT: 6’2” WEIGHT: 210 lbs EYES: Blue HAIR: Black CLASSFICATION: Human UNUSUAL FEATURES: After years of crimefighting, Bruce Wayne's body has no small collection of scars to show for his numerous confrontations with his foes. While no scar individually is worth noting, the number and prominence make the collection itself noteworthy.
BEHAVIOR PROFILE[/style][STYLE= margin: 0px 10px 0px 10px; border: 2px solid #191919; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; height: 125px; overflow: auto; font-size: 11px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.8] Bruce Wayne
To the world at large, Bruce Wayne is seen as an irresponsible, superficial playboy who lives off his family's personal fortune (amassed when Bruce's family invested in Gotham real estate before the city was a bustling metropolis) and the profits of Wayne Enterprises, a major private technology firm that he inherits. Forbes Magazine once estimated Bruce Wayne to be the 7th-richest fictional character with his $6.3 billion fortune. However, Wayne is also known for his contributions to charity, notably through the Wayne Foundation, a charity devoted to helping the victims of crime and preventing people from becoming criminals, notably by building up under-developed areas. Bruce creates the playboy public persona to aid in throwing off suspicion of his secret identity, often acting dim-witted, reckless and self-absorbed to further the act. Batman makes it clear that he considers keeping his secret identity a top priority; on various occasions, he often risks death rather than exposing his skills in public as Bruce Wayne.
The Batman
Bruce Wayne creates Batman to strike fear into the hearts of Gotham's underworld. The costume — and the way he acts while wearing it — are meant to be as imposing and intimidating as possible. While Bruce Wayne is lighthearted and irresponsible, Batman is stoic and driven. In addition to the change in costume and personality, Bruce Wayne also changes his voice significantly to become Batman. The Dark Knight's voice is a low, rumbling, growl for both disguise and intimidation.
In keeping with the "dark" theme of the comics and the nature of bats, Batman is usually presented as operating primarily at night. After Zero Hour, DC Comics introduced the idea of Batman as an urban legend; however, Batman is "outed" in the "War Games" crossover, when his live image is broadcast over the news during a brief daytime appearance in front of a high school under siege in Gotham. In The Long Halloween, Batman himself regards "his appearance to be more effective during the night".
- Calculating: Life is a game of chess, and Batman is not just a grand master, he is the grand master. Like a skilled chess player, he thinks ahead, picturing how the 'game' will resolve if he moves one way, envisioning all possible scenarios and picking the action which is most likely to result in the scenario he most wants to see. It's a necessity in his life - his enemies are powerful, sometimes far more powerful than he is himself, and without super powers to rely on like his allies in the Justice League, Batman must think far ahead to keep from giving his enemies an advantage. Of course, he has discovered that such planning has its down side: if he has planned for every contingency, anybody who can find a way to access his plans can use them in ways they're not intended.
- Cunning: Most super heroes are very straightforward people. They act in a simple and direct fashion: somebody does something bad, they stop that somebody by whatever means are necessary that conform to their personal moral code. Batman isn't like that. Batman is a hidden threat, a creature of fear. His attack begins before he even sees the enemy, before they even make their first move - they're in Gotham and they know the stories of the Batman that lurks in the city, preying on criminals. His attacks are well planned, and he is capable of adjusting them on the fly to make them still more effective. It's hard to plan against such a varying and shifting arsenal. However, it has its down side as well - people don't trust him in part because of his devious nature.
- Discerning: Batman is an utter master of deduction, one of the greatest detectives that the world has ever known. He understands the nature of his team and his enemies as well as basic human nature and can pick up on subtle shifts in a person's mood and attitude very quickly if his attention is focused on them. His tendency is to cut through the chaff of a conversation and guide it to its logical conclusion, finding the questions that will get him the information he needs in the least amount of time. His tendency to push off small talk and get right down to the meat of the issue can be off-putting, particularly for those who don't know him well and don't expect his more direct approach.
- Enigmatic: One of Batman's greatest assets is his ability to hide what he is thinking and feeling. He is a puzzle to those around him, never quite letting them get a read on him. He has deliberately cloaked himself in mystery to the point that for much of his career, despite his supposed involvement with the Justice League and his activities in Gotham, many people in his own city believed him to be no more than a legend to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. Even if one comes to know Batman, even if they know his secret identity, the layers of mystery that separate him from others are almost impenetrable. Keeping his friends at arm's length can keep them from getting hurt, he figures - and sometimes even he isn't even sure about what's really beneath all of those layers of enigma.
- Heroic: No matter what horrors Bruce Wayne has witnessed in his life, at heart he is a hero. He is a champion of those who cannot defend themselves against the darkness of Gotham City and the greater dangers of the world at large. He protects all of those he can as Batman, and if he had never put on his costume his heroic nature would have come through in other ways - he tends toward philanthropy even now, giving away millions of dollars as Bruce Wayne annually via the Wayne Foundation and other such associations. No matter what the trouble, a children's program burdened with debt or an alien invasion threatening to overwhelm the world, Bruce Wayne will be there, in or out of costume, to protect those who need his protection.
- Obsessive: Batman is driven by some inner fire, forced to confront the horrors that haunt Gotham City and the ghosts of his own past. He is obsessed with the vow he made in childhood to prevent tragedies like his own. He may narrow his focus when a given enemy has presented him with a particular challenge, and will often go without sleep or food for much longer than he ought to without somebody to remind him to rest or eat. He has ruined more than one relationship when he showed up for a date two days late after finally tracking down an enemy. Without having a friend on hand to make him slow down, his obsessions will push him to his limits and over.
- Playboy: The counterpoint to almost everything about Batman that makes him Batman, when Bruce Wayne is out and about as Bruce Wayne he plays the role of playboy with aplomb. He plays the buffoon, the womanizer, the high society snob. He is a complete hedonist, often appearing uncaring for the troubles of the world, only for his own enjoyment. He has been accused, on occasion, of not being half the man his father was when he puts on this act. It may be something more than a diversionary tactic, of course. It could be assumed that the role of playboy is intended as a form of release as well, considering how rigid he is in the rest of his life.
- Pragmatic: Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. Superman may hold the title of the boy-scout but Batman lives their mantra, 'Always be prepared' and he is. Guided by practical experience, Batman is almost always a few steps ahead of his enemies simply by virtue of the fact that he has planned and prepared for every foreseeable problem. He has little patience with people who let life come at them without taking the time to consider their future needs. A little planning would protect them from so much heartache and heartbreak down the line.
- Protective: Bruce Wayne has more money than he could ever spend and more gadgets and gizmos than he can even identify. He is among the most skilled human beings in existence, a true renaissance man who has mastered as many or more fields of study as Leonardo da Vinci. He would give it all up in an instant if he could just have his parents back. Bruce Wayne's defining moment was the moment in which his parents died. It has shaped everything that has happened to him since. As a result, he is incredibly protective. This is not a specific protectiveness; he is not protective just of his loved ones or of a select group of individuals. Batman is a defender of everybody, wants harm to come to none. He even feels protective toward the villains he battles - he will not let them come to permanent or lethal harm if there is any way to prevent it.
- Stern: All of that self-discipline comes a rather large streak of strictness. He has very exacting standards for nearly everything, expecting himself to adhere to all of them. Fortunately, for Bruce, it's rather easy; for everyone else, however, it's a much different story. Unlike Superman's warm, understanding, and ultimately likeable method, he is a strong, commanding presence, demanding respect and receiving it somehow through that merit alone. He is somewhat surly in nature if anything at all, which only adds to his effect. Bruce has no time or inclination for niceties or anything said for the sake of politeness, rarely having anything nice to say to anybody at all. On the rare occasions that he does give out praise, it's often very heavy-handed, like an embrace given a little too roughly and a little too short.
- Compassionate: Bruce may be a grim, uncompromising figure, but underneath the immediate display of all that is a truly compassionate man. Rather than turn the Batman into a mere tool of aggressive revenge, he has crafted the Bat into a tool for the service of others, making sure they are kept safe in the night. Upon his return to Gotham City after his initial excursion to properly equip himself for his war so long ago, Bruce set up the Wayne Foundation, his own charity organization, spending much of Wayne Enterprises' wealth and annual income on aiding those less fortunate than he. He believes that all life is sacred, even those that would devote theirs towards preying upon their fellow man, and from this stems his belief that one should never take a life for any reason.
- Realistic: Some might say he's being pessimistic, but Bruce would merely counter that he's being realistic. Batman always seems to assume the worst and that's because he is, hoping to plan for the worst eventuality he can think of so that he's never caught with his pants down, so to speak. It's been claimed by an anonymous person that being a realist (pessimist) just means you'll either be right all the time or just pleasantly surprised and it seems to be a philosophy that Bruce has taken quite seriously. It's not appropriate to describe him as without ideals, as Batman has devoted himself entirely to an ideal, but he does make it his business to know all the limitations. Rallying forth the troops with dazzling speeches oozing with bright, shiny hope is the work of Superman and Wonder Woman, so let the bastion of "Don't get your hopes up and make sure you cover your ass." be the Batman, ready to ground everybody once they've been lifted to the skies.
You can't run when you're floating and not everybody can fly.
- Stoic: Batman is eternally composed, rarely betraying his thoughts or feelings. To call him a stoic person may be underestimating just how good his statue impression is, as most of the time, the only expression that sits on his face is a scowl so severe it may as well have been carved in. Even most people that don't normally telegraph their thoughts have some manner of a 'tell'; simply put, Batman doesn't have one (excluding his signature glare, used only when he wishes to express extreme disapproval and communicate that the receiver's teeth are in peril). Emotional response holds no candle to rationally thought out action, calmly executed. He is also laconic by nature, not one to engage in lengthy, wordy dialogue, preferring to get his point across immediately and clearly rather than beating around any proverbial bushes.
- Loner: Batman began as a solo effort (or so Bruce would have anyone believe) with nobody else to rely upon but himself; this is the method that Bruce is most comfortable with. Even now, though Bruce would not trade his "family" away and sincerely recognizes their utility - that Batman would not be as effective without them - he would prefer to be working alone. This greatly stems from his inability to trust and rely upon others. Working as part of a duo, and nowadays as an entire team, has helped to alleviate this somewhat as Bruce has found a solid handful of people that he can trust almost explicitly. In the end, however, Batman is still essentially a loner, keeping his own counsel, a solitary shadow in the darkness over Gotham City.
- Leader: Whether he likes playing with others or not, Batman often requires the unique skills, talents or sometimes just support of his fellow heroes and heroines. Despite his difficult personality, obvious loner personality and repeated statements of neither wanting nor needing the aid of others, people seem to flock to him. Perhaps because he always knows what to do, perhaps because of his constant and calm demeanor, his intimidating presence acting as a barrier to hide behind or perhaps just his natural and latent leadership call to those around him. Whatever the reason, Bruce knows he won't be winning any popularity contests but when other look to him for guidance or support they will find it in droves.
- Theatrical: Batman despite all his secrecy does not do things quietly when the time comes to reveal himself, he explodes put of the shadows at his enemies like a vengeful demon. These are all part of his tactics to intimidate criminals and strike fear into their hearts, not only to scare them into surrendering or making foolish moves but also to keep them from ever returning to crime, for fear of encountering him again. He has got his timing perfected, he knows exactly when and how to make himself known to the world and conceals himself, remaining completely unnoticed and almost invisible until he wishes it to be otherwise; this knowledge that Batman can be anywhere at anytime only lends to his mystique, only making the mere thought of Batman alone more terrifying.
- Mysterious: One of the rare moments where both Batman and Bruce Wayne intersect; each side of his identity seems to have difficulties in letting anyone into his life truly. Perhaps Bruce's one true confidant could be said to be his butler, Alfred. This is in part thanks to neither Bruce Wayne, nor Batman, truly being the man in his entirety (although he does have difficulties in letting anybody into his life at all). While Batman is a dark and brooding figure, naturally steeped in mystery, striking from the dark, ever-present and driven far beyond comprehension, a man beyond reckoning. Bruce Wayne however is perhaps even more mysterious than the Batman himself, a man who secluded himself in his mansion, only emerging for social events, visiting his company on occasion for a board meeting, often taking unexplained and unexpected journeys abroad, often with dubious reasons for doing so and even more dubious reasons for the injuries sustained while he was away.
- Tormented: With every day that Batman lives, another disaster seems to befall the Caped Crusader. His parent's death, Jason Todd's demise or Barbera Gordon's paralysis; every tragedy Batman sees as a disaster he could or should have been able to avert. This has placed an immense strain on his psyche that at one point even caused the Batman to suffer an emotional and mental breakdown. While Bruce Wayne has shown an amazing ability to withstand truly immense amounts of mental anguish, the truth haunts him, all of the disasters which he could prevent remain with him, haunting his dreams and even on occasion his waking moments.
[/style][STYLE=color: #191919; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-left: 10px;]DOCUMENTED HISTORY[/style][STYLE= margin: 0px 10px 0px 10px; border: 2px solid #191919; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; height: 125px; overflow: auto; font-size: 11px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.8] Bruce Wayne was the only son of Thomas Wayne, a renowned physician and heir to Gotham City's Wayne's, who had lived in the city for centuries, since the first citizen of Gotham had built Wayne manor, and Martha Wayne, a socialite and philanthropist. The Wayne's were important figures in Gotham, both of them going out of their way to make the city a better place not just for themselves and their friends, but for the city's inhabitants as a whole. Thomas's medical work was often done for free if his patients could not afford his fees, and Martha organized many charity functions that were huge boons to the less fortunate in both Gotham and the world.
One night, when Bruce was eight years old, he accompanied his parents to the theater to see the classic 1940s film, "The Mask of Zorro". With their son in tow, Thomas and Martha decided to leave the theater by a side exit, stepping into an alley. In that alley something happened that would change the course of Bruce's life and Gotham's future. The Wayne's were assaulted by a man who demanded their money and jewelry. Ever the hero, Thomas tried to dissuade the man before grappling with him and was shot. Martha screamed and was shot as well, even as the mugger grabbed for the string of pearls around her neck. The string broke and pearls clattered to the pavement. The mugger ran. Bruce was left with his parents' dying bodies. He was found there, kneeling by their corpses, staring into the darkness.
It was not long after their funeral that Bruce Wayne made a vow that would grow into an obsession, making him the dark hero of Gotham City in later years. He swore that he would never allow such a tragedy to happen, never let another family be shattered the way his own had been. He vowed upon his parents graves that he would stop crime and evil wherever they reared their ugly heads. Someday.
Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne's' butler, and Dr. Leslie Thompkins, a friend of the family and professional associate of the late Thomas Wayne, took the raising of Bruce upon themselves, becoming a surrogate father and mother to the boy. Still very young he nevertheless put aside his toys and games and devoted himself to the promise he had made. The Wayne's had a comprehensive library and access to tutors in many fields, and it was in these directions that Bruce first turned his attention. He trained himself in speed reading and forced himself to develop a photographic memory. He began a physical regimen that exercised his body to perfection and only Alfred knew the whole of it, or the driving vow behind it.
Alfred and Dr. Thompkins were concerned for Bruce and his obsessive routines. Bruce, though, arranged through a lawyer to become an emancipated minor. Though Alfred still worked for him, Bruce was no longer subject to any sort of rules laid down by anybody but the law, and he was able to direct his own education as he saw fit. At the age of fourteen he planned out a trip around the world to meet with educators and experts in all manner of fields, all with the intention of fulfilling his promise to his parents.
He studied with Henri Ducard, a skilled private investigator, in Paris. From this man he learned investigation and marksmanship, though he quickly decided that he did not wish to use firearms in his quest for justice. Guns destroyed lives. He took classes at top universities in such diverse fields as chemistry, criminology, history, psychology and engineering. He worked with a cat burglar to learn about criminals, making a temporary place for himself in the underworld.
At twenty Bruce entered the FBI, but it did not take him long at all to realize that the rules by which law enforcement agents were bound were too restrictive for the vow he had made. He left on another trip, this time to Asia, traveling to masters of the martial arts in Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, learning karate, ninjitsu, kung fu, savate and silat among other arts and skills. He traveled through Africa on his way back to the United States and learned from master hunters and trackers who could track their prey across the Savannah or desert. In America he met with Ted Grant, a boxing champion (and the Justice Society's Wildcat), John Zatara, a stage magician and escape artist, Oliver Queen, an expert archer (also known as the Green Arrow), David Cain, the world's foremost assassin, the Sensei and Richard Dragon who is the world's greatest martial artist. From each of these men he learned the skills that would turn him into the champion he wished to be.
During his travels Gotham City had become more and more corrupted. Bruce returned to find the city in the clutches of organized crime bosses like Carmine Falcone and the Maroni family. The police were corrupt, and average citizens lived in fear of their supposed protectors as well as the obvious villains. Bruce was determined to prove himself. He went to a slum neighborhood in the guise of Matches Malone, where he was almost killed by a pimp and prostitutes (one of whom was Selina Kyle), then taken by police officers who shot him and considered dumping his body in a remote location. He broke free of his cuffs and his attempts to free himself from the car made the driver crash. He rescued the police from the burning vehicle, then left them there and retreated to Wayne Manor.
Faint from blood loss and exhaustion, Bruce made his way to his father's study. It was there that he sat down, on the verge of giving up his vow then and there. In despair he begged his father for a sign, any sign, to show him how to fight the darkness that gripped Gotham and how to make his enemies fear him and he received a sign as requested.
A bat crashed through a window and came to land upon a bust of his father.
In his youth, Bruce had been playing on the grounds of the Wayne estate when he fell through a rotten well cover and into the cavern system that would become the Batcave many years later. This came back to him now. The bat reminded him of the horror he felt when he found himself in that darkness, staring up into the glowing eyes of hundreds of bats, listening to their screeches of rage. He could become the bat, become the darkness, and take back the city in that guise.
Ringing for Alfred he explained, as his loyal butler all but saved his life, his plan to take back the city in the guise he had formed. With Alfred's help he created the Batcave in the caverns beneath Wayne manor, as well as create the tools needed to fight crime throughout Gotham.
Over the years spent as Batman he gained a lot of attention for his superhuman feats, attracting the attention of other powerful heroes, perhaps the most notable being the Man of Steel himself, Superman. His connections among other heroes grew, eventually forming the Justice League along with Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Flash (Barry Allen), Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Aquaman. While the Justice League is the most prominent of the groups which Batman belongs to, over the years he has attracted a lot of followers, a small number of which form the Bat-family while a large number of Batmen have begun to operate internationally thanks to Batman Incorporated; a foundation set-up by Batman's alter-ego, Bruce Wayne, to fund, equip and train an army of Batmen to tackle crime world-wide. [/style]
[STYLE=color: #191919; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-left: 10px;]POWERS AND ABILITIES[/style][STYLE= margin: 0px 10px 0px 10px; border: 2px solid #191919; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; height: 125px; overflow: auto; font-size: 11px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.8] KNOWN POWERS: Batman as a regular human, has no true superpowers. However thanks to intense physical and mental training since his youth, he has reached the very peak condition possible for an unaltered human.
KNOWN ABILITIES:- Genius-level intellect: Batman has trained his mind perhaps even more rigorously than he has trained his body; gaining no less than 12 masters degrees and becoming an expert on many more subjects. This allows him to have all the practical skills he needs to defeat his opponents and create his high-tech gadgets.
- Master detective: Batman's most recognisable trait; he is a modern day Sherlock Holmes, a master of observation, investigation and logical deduction and inductive reasoning, allowing him to almost invariably arrive at the correct conclusion with only a fraction of the data.
- Multi-lingual: Bruce knows many if not most or all spoken languages and is fluent in the most commonly used, the languages he's known to be able to speak include Spanish, French, Latin, German, Japanese, English, Russian, Cantonese, Mandarin, Greek, Portuguese, Arabic, Sanskrit, Hindi and Thai although he may possibly know many more, also having a perfect accent for each language.
- Master tactician & strategist: Batman is not able to outmatch many opponents in terms of sheer power, as such, Batman is sure to always have a plan and always be prepared for whatever the world throws at him. Making sure to plan ahead for every villain, maintain an arsenal for every opponent or obstacle he might encounter.
- Engineer: Batman may rely on his physical prowess and his mind in equal measures but there are times when those two skills alone are not enough, when the time comes for Batman to face his more powerful foes he needs a well-stocked arsenal and well-stocked it is. Every invention is another brainchild of Bruce Wayne, he regularly creates new inventions simply to dispose of his villains or improve his crime-fighting abilities.
- Scientist: Batman is an accomplished academic, seemingly knowledgeable in virtually all fields which could possibly be relevant to his task. He often grapples with complex scientific situations, simply because his opponents often have access to advanced equipment. He is able to analyse and reverse most things he comes across, often useful seeing as many of his opponents use chemicals which he must develop antidotes for.
- Intimidation: Batman may not be the strongest of Earth's heroes or the fastest, he can't fire lasers out of his eyes or fly into outer space. There is one title he can claim though... he is the scariest hero ever to walk the planet, in a world of gods, a glare can terrify virtually anyone into doing as he wishes. To the criminals however, he is a nightmare incarnate, a creature of the night capable and willing to bring great misfortune down upon whosoever happens to cross him.
- Vehicle expert: Batman has proven himself capable of piloting many different kinds of vehicle, from bikes to the most high-tech jets, proving himself a capable combat driver/pilot. Not only do his skills extend to piloting these vehicles but also to designing and maintaining them.
- Escapology: Batman has been captured multiple times, he realised this would be a problem, occasionally he would be captured, sometimes he would need to allow himself to be captured, either way, due to his mysterious nature and loner attitude it would be rare for him to reveal his plans or intentions, so he learned to escape whatever situation he was forced into, unable to rely on his companions to save him. He has been seen to escape from a Posey straitjacket in under 52 seconds and later remarked that he was dissatisfied with the time.
- Master of disguise: Bruce often needs to infiltrate the underworld in a guise which will go unnoticed, in order to do this, Bruce honed his acting abilities and his use of disguise techniques to allow himself to go virtually unnoticed in any situation.
- Survival skills: Although known to be far more at home in the city of Gotham, Batman has learned many useful survival skills which allow him to survive in harsher terrains. These skills include tracking, navigating by the position of the sun or the stars, climbing without the aid of equipment and survival in extreme environments with little to no specialised equipment, he has also learnt to navigate terrains like deserts and jungles with relative ease, able to run marathon distances over them.
- Peak Physical condition: Through intense training Batman has managed to push his body to the physical peak capable for any human, of his height and weight.
- Peak strength: Batman is able to bench-press at least 1,000 lbs and does so as part of his workout routine, similarly he can leg-press at least 2,500 lbs and does so also as part of his workout.
- Peak speed: Batman's speed has been stated to be greater than an Olympic gold medalist, surpassed only by the likes of Nightwing.
- Peak agility: Through training Batman is capable of feats of gymnastics which surpass that of an Olympic gold medalist, again only trumped in this field by the likes of Nightwing.
- Peak endurance: Batman's endurance has been stated to be on the par of, or above that of, an Olympic gold medalist decathlon runner.
- Peak durability: Batman often sustains injuries as the Batman, sometimes serious, like broken bones, stab-wounds and even on occasion gunshot-wounds. Despite this however he has learnt to bury the pain and push on until the task is completed, often receiving only basic medical attention before returning to the streets.
- Fighting skills: Bruce has trained and received tutelage with the very best fighters the world over, both in ranged and melee combat. With the years of combat experience under his belt, he has become a world-renowned fighter, knowing over 127 different forms and styles of martial arts.
- Weapons master: While Batman prefers fighting hand-to-hand, he is not at a loss when the need arrives to use weapon either. Due to his years of training and experience, Batman is just as dangerous with a weapon as he is with his fists. This has been shown when he battled an army of Doomsday clones with an axe and fought Ra's Al Ghul with a sword.
- Marksman: While Batman detests firearms, he often uses a firing range, sometimes even taking other members of the Bat-family with him. This is not in case they should ever need to use them, it's merely so they understand how firearms work, allowing them to more effectively combat them. Batman has shown however to be a crack shot with a gun on the occasions he has been required to use one, although he has only done so very few times. He is also extremely skilled with bows and arrows and most notably with his Batarangs, it has been stated that he's almost as good an aim as the Green Arrow.
- Master of stealth and infiltration: Batman's Ninjitsu training has given him an uncanny knack to stay out of sight and out of mind, at least for as long as he wishes to remain that way. Further training has allowed him to deal with other means of detection and advanced security systems, allowing him to slip into high security installations undetected and evade those looking for him, even the likes of Superman cannot find the Batman when he doesn't want to be found.
STRENGTH LEVEL: Batman is at peak physical strength, capable of bench-pressing at least 1,000 lbs and leg-pressing at least 2,500 lbs
WEAKNESSES:
- Bruce Wayne: In a way, Bruce Wayne has not really existed since the night his parents were murdered. In a way, Bruce Wayne died with the rest of his family that night, leaving only Batman - a vengeance driven creature that, over the years, tempered itself into a force for justice. There are things that can awaken aspects of Bruce - his love for his adopted family, for example - but by and large, Bruce Wayne is nothing more than a front. A useful tool, like so many other, that allows Batman to operate so successfully. He provides funds and contacts, as well as an invaluable cover story, all of which promote Batman's agenda. Bruce Wayne is a mask, and Batman can put on or take off that mask whenever he wishes. This detachment, this ability to separate himself from the human world so thoroughly, has left many of his friends and family worried for Batman - it is a quality frequently noticed in many of Batman's most violent and sickening enemies.
- Cynic: Call him a cynic. It's accurate. Bruce Wayne is an idealist, certainly, but his desire to see the best happen does not prevent him from acknowledging how unlikely it is. Batman is cynical to a fault, never believing that the best is the reality. He doubts, he suspects, he pokes until he finds the faults in the surface. He cannot accept things at face value, and this costs him when face value is what is truly there. People do not like to have their motives questioned, and when those motives are genuinely altruistic, that questioning may alter the motives.
- Dour: While Bruce Wayne plays the jovial libertine, it is entirely a mask. Batman is a dark figure of gloom. He is intense and brooding, constantly thoughtful, calculating even the most minor of actions to greatest effect. He comes across as cold, even to those closest to him, and to those who do not know him, his chilly demeanor is an insurmountable wall that most won't even bother to try to breech. It is this coldness that has become the greatest rift between himself and some of his associates, such as Nightwing, to whom Batman has been his only parental figure since Dick Grayson's parents died in an accident arranged by Anthony Zucco almost twenty years ago. His darkness is calculated - he is deliberately cool and flat in affect to cause discomfort in his enemies, and he does have a sense of humor, but it is extremely hard to tickle Batman's funny bone. By and large, what you see is what you get.
- Enemies: Batman has made no shortage of enemies in his quest to save Gotham from the criminal elements that once threatened to overrun it. Even today, and even with allies ranging from the Gotham City Police Department to fellow heroes like Batgirl and Robin, those enemies frequently rear their ugly heads and sometimes the challenges they present are almost too much for Batman to handle. He has always persevered, to date, but it only takes one lucky shot, in the end, to bring him down permanently.
The first enemies that Batman faced in Gotham were primarily the minions and leaders of organized crime - the Falcone, Viti, and Maroni families caused quite a few problems for him in the early days of his career. These enemies, though, were self-interested and sane. They used standard weapons - a variety of firearms and hand-held weapons that are the mainstay of thugs around the world. In short, these people made sense. While there are still a few of these organized crime leaders around Gotham, they have mostly taken to using less traditional weapons and adopting more unusual tactics in the face of the new enemies who threaten their former empire. Batman and his allies, at least, won't kill them. Arkham's inmates will. Primary among this new breed of organized enemy are the Penguin, the Odessa Mob, and the Antonioni family.
While organized crime represented the bulk of Batman's early enemies, he has quickly discovered that these men, while selfish and willing to take whatever they could get their hands on, were nowhere near so dangerous as the maniacs that seemed to spring up from nowhere. The Joker, the Riddler, Two Face, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze. These villains and more represent the bulk of Batman's enemies. Each of them is genuinely insane and most have a personal grudge against the Bat. While their various psychoses and neuroses offer a key to help take them down, in the end that makes them no less dangerous. The Joker is a psychotic killer who probably doesn't even know why he does the things he does. Poison Ivy believes that plants should inherit the earth, and intends to see every human being dead in her quest to see that Gotham and the world are given over to florocracy. The Riddler is determined to have Batman someday admit that he is not as smart as Riddler, and uses devilish and deadly riddle-based traps to prove it. These villains are collectively known as Arkhamites, spending much of their time in Arkham Asylum - and Batman is typically the one who puts them there.
Some Arkhamites, it should be noted, blur the line between their maniac ways and the original organized criminals of Gotham. Almost all of them retain some sort of villainous aide (the Riddler's Echo and Query, Two Face's Sugar and Spice), but Two Face, Mr. Freeze and the Ventriloquist, among others, have been known to establish entire gangs in those times in which they are free from Arkham Asylum.
Gotham attracts its share of major threats as well, beyond the maniacs of Arkham Asylum. Ra's al Ghul came to the city for many reasons, and has been one of Batman's greatest enemies for a long time.
Batman's activities are not confined to Gotham, and neither are his enemies. Among his most dangerous enemies of recent years is Prometheus, who established himself as a one-man anti-Justice League, and almost succeeded in taking down the entire team (and possibly could have killed Superman, if it were not for the timely intervention of Catwoman). The White Martians, the Key, Dr. Destiny, Dr. T. O. Morrow, Dr. Ivo, and any number of other villains have faced Batman as part of the Justice League. They all went down in the end, and except for those, like the White Martians, who have been brainwashed into believing they are productive members of society, they'd all like to get Batman alone in a room for a few minutes without his toys.
Finally, there are those who simply don't like the way Batman handles things. These enemies are not likely to attack him directly, of course, but they have other power to cause problems for him. He has his detractors in the police department who dislike the nature of vigilantes in general (and more specifically dislike vigilantes who have taken down any number of corrupt brother cops), and his secrecy is always alarming to the free press. Any of these people could cause trouble for Batman in small ways, and small ways can add up to much larger ones.
- Firearms: Though Batman has trained long and hard with firearms and really is a very good shot, it is a rare thing for him to pick up a gun and an even rarer thing for him to use one. It was one gun that destroyed his life when he was a child, and his hatred of the weapon grew from that night. Batman will use a gun only if it is the only way to save a life, and even then only if he can shoot to disarm. He has only ever let things get to the point where a gun was his only option once, and he will go far out of his way to prevent it from ever happening again.
- Moral code: While there are few acts that Batman cannot justify in the name of saving lives, there is one thing he will never be able to justify and he will never do. Batman does not kill. He will not cross that line under any circumstances. What's more, he will not accept that killing is ever justified by anybody else, either. He knows that there are heroes who have killed. He doesn't trust them. If he ever found out that Superman had killed, his respect for the Man of Steel would plummet and never recover. Those who celebrate a death are suspect in themselves. Batman is very forgiving of the lengths to which people will go to protect others and to bring justice to evildoers, but by his own moral code, murder is an unacceptable option and an unforgivable crime.
- Mortal: When it comes down to the nitty gritty, Batman is human. Under all that armor and behind his weapons, and despite the fear that he inspires and the cold alienness he represents, Batman is entirely human. His body is just as susceptible to injury or disease as that of anybody else. He pushes himself to his limits every day, and as a result he pushes back those limits further and further, but there is only so far that a person can bend before they break. He has broken before, when Bane pushed him to the point where he was exhausted and weak from injury, and he broke Batman's back for all of Gotham to see. Batman came back and has beaten Bane down time and again since. However, this is a man who rushes into battle every day against enemies who scare hardened superhumans. It is very unlikely that Bruce Wayne will die at home in bed, surrounded by loved ones.
- Nightmares: On a daily basis, in the few hours of sleep that Bruce Wayne allows himself, he finds himself returned to that fateful night more than thirty years ago when a young boy in a dark alley saw his parents murdered before his eyes. The details are always the same - a man walking out of the shadows with his gun, grabbing for his mother's jewelry, and first his father, then his mother shot. Their bodies fall to the pavement. His mother's string of pearls has broken and the pearls hit the ground with a series of taps and bounces. And then Bruce, ten years old and terrified and grieving, is left alone with his parents' bodies as the killer retreats into the night. The constant presence of these nightmares, which do not let up under any circumstances, keeps him driven to succeed at his goal of ridding Gotham City of Crime, however unlikely that may seem in the end.
- Remorse: Bruce Wayne's life has been punctuated by tragedy. The death of his parents when he was only ten years old was the first great one, the one that turned him into the man he is today. Since then he has seen one of his best friends, Harvey Dent, turned to a horrifying criminal by a senseless act of revenge. He has seen his adopted son, Jason Todd, killed by a murderous madman. He feels great regret and responsibility for Barbara Gordon's paraplegia, knowing that he should have been able to stop the Joker before he could shoot her. Bruce blames himself for so many lives lost that he feels he should have been able to save. He bears a tremendous amount of guilt and remorse, the loss of so many people he held dear, and this, too, keeps him going, makes Batman the dark creature of the night that he is.
- Secret identity: A secret identity is considered a necessity for many heroes. Sure, the world may know that Garfield Logan is the Changeling and that Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran is Starfire, but those people don't have families to speak of, or their family members are powerful enough in their own right to protect themselves from those who might strike against them to get at their better-known relatives (it is comical to think of somebody trying to get at Starfire through her brother Ryand'r - the distance one would have to travel to find him is, in itself, a nearly insurmountable obstacle). Batman does not have this luxury. Though there are few who are very close to him, there are enough - Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon-Grayson and others - and what's more, there are so very many employees of Wayne Industries, WayneTech, the Wayne Foundation, and Bruce Wayne holds himself responsible for their welfare. If it were to get out that Batman is Bruce Wayne, and the Joker's next killing spree involved an assault on one of his properties, it would be still more devastating for him. It has weighed on him heavily through the years that when Harvey Dent became Two Face, Batman had been on the verge of revealing his secret identity to the man. It weighs on him even more heavily that the likes of Ra's al Ghul already knows who he is.
- Star-crossed: Bruce Wayne has been involved with any number of women through the years. With some he even managed long relationships lasting months or years. In the end, though, his responsibilities, the commitment he made when he first put on his cowl, will always get in the way. Selina Kyle and Talia Head were both long and meaningful relationships, and if he had shared his identity with Selina, at least, he might have found more than a lover - he could have found a lasting partnership (and, in fact, his Earth 2 counterpart -did- find such a relationship with the Selina Kyle of his world - they married and had a daughter, Helena Wayne, who went on to become that world's Huntress, though Bruce knows none of this). There is always something that gets in the way of his relationships, whether it his own actions or somebody else's, and while, in the end, this does mean that Batman is free to perform his necessary duties without interference, it can get very lonely for the man.
- Suspicious: Considering the life that Batman has lived, there is little wonder why the man is so very paranoid. He suspects everybody around him of plotting something horrible, and really, by and large his suspicions have proved founded. It is extremely difficult to earn Batman's trust, and he can count on his fingers the number of people he trusts implicitly (Alfred Pennyworth, Leslie Thompkins, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon-Grayson, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, Clark Kent, Princess Diana of Themyscira, J'onn J'onnz - and those last three have their moments when he doesn't quite trust them either). His trust is an incredibly brittle thing, easy to lose once earned - it just takes one mistake. In general he finds that people are untrustworthy, little more than apes and only kept in line by fear of punishment.
- Territorial: Batman has long considered Gotham City his own stomping grounds. The Wayne family has been actively involved in Gotham's social, business and political arenas since the city was founded. Gotham City is home to both Batman and Bruce Wayne, and he is protective of the city on a level unmatched by any other hero in the world. Other heroes have their home cities that they protect - Superman in Metropolis, the Flash in Central City and Keystone City, Green Arrow in Star City. None of them are quite so defensive about who comes into their city and begins fighting crime as Batman. Batman keeps an iron grip on the vigilantes in his city, and they operate with his permission, or not at all, ideally. He cannot prevent other heroes from coming to Gotham to fight crime, but he can try. A new hero putting on their cape and fighting their first thug in Gotham is likely to find Batman looming over them as they place cuffs on the unconscious criminal's wrists, and hear the words "Get out of my city" spoken in a voice of barely restrained rage. Rigid control of his city is how Batman maintains what safety there is in Gotham; letting outsiders wander through is a good way to let people get hurt - most particularly those self same outsiders.
- Uncompromising: There is no room in Batman's world for compromise. He has a very strict code of ethics, allowing him to go just so far and no further, but also not allowing him to bend the rules. He gets through adversity through sheer force of will, and while he has worked with many partners and allies, he keeps his own counsel, by and large. When he is confronted with a challenge to his own point of view, it is almost invariably the person with the opposing viewpoint that backs down in the end, unless Batman is presented with incontrovertible evidence in such a way that he can change his mind without appearing to do so. He is self-reliant in the extreme, stubborn under the best of circumstances, but can be seen as egotistical or arrogant as a result.
- Vow: After his parents' funeral, Bruce Wayne made a promise that he would never allow such a tragedy to occur again if he could prevent it. That vow has become a driving urge in his adult life. It is impossible for him to deny. He has sculpted himself into a being that can try to fulfill this promise, studying and training, constantly preparing his body and mind for the trouble he may face. It has become almost a religious commitment for him, a fanatical fervor on the order of those who give their lives in the name of their deity. He has not always succeeded in preventing such tragedies - with the sheer number of monstrous persons he faces on a day to day basis, it would be impossible to do so. He strives to keep his promise anyway, and each failure takes its toll, making him harder, forcing him to push his limits. The vow directs his every action and drives him constantly. The vow will someday be the death of him.
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[STYLE=color: #191919; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-left: 10px;]PARAPHERNALIA[/style][STYLE= margin: 0px 10px 0px 10px; border: 2px solid #191919; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; height: 125px; overflow: auto; font-size: 11px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.8] EQUIPMENT:
- Batcomputer: A supercomputer, far in advance of any other which can be found on Earth. It can virtually limitless amounts of data, find almost any piece of data known to exist on Earth, is capable of immense calculations, create false data (including official documents) and analysing virtually any piece of data or object.
- Batsuit: The Batsuit is a multi-purpose suit, designed for combat and crime-fighting as well as responding to any appropriate situation Batman may find himself in. The base-suit is fire-proof and insulated against electric shocks, it also provides limited protection against small-arms fire, piercing attacks and melee attacks. The cowl is similarly protected, much like the rest of the suit. The cowl also has some other useful features however, including a communicator to stay in touch with his team and hack into police radios and other communication devices, a listening device in the ear of the cowl which allows Batman to hear conversations happening out of his listening range including through walls and glass, different vision modes including infra-red, night-vision and ultra-violet and finally a built in digital camera. Batman's cape is made of similar materials to the rest of the suit, it can be used to glide, slow Batman's descent from high places, is fire-proof and also, like the rest of his suit, it provides some protection from attack. In a pinch, the cape has also been seen as able to act as a kind of body-bag, capable of holding about four minutes air and providing protection for whoever's wrapped inside. Batman's entire suit can be electrified like a taser, electrocuting whoever touches him, this effect can also be limited to just his gloves, allowing Batman to directly choose who he electrocutes. The gloves in addition also carry a small amount of lead in the knuckles, to increase the power of Batman's punches. Batman's boots have been seen to house small propellers to allow for easier underwater navigation, although Batman is a capable swimmer so these are rarely necessary; other than that his boots are steel-tipped for more powerful kicks and contain am ultra-sonic bat-call which attracts a swarm of bats to his location. The last and most iconic part of the Batsuit is the belt, it holds most of Batman's gear and is often equipped both with locks and/or tasers and occasionally marker paint to prevent tampering or removal. The Batsuit comes in several verieties, including fire-resistant, scuba and even a powered armour version.
- Bat-rope/lasso: Batman often carries lengths of rope or wire on him, often so he can catch villains who would otherwise risk death from a fall. These ropes can often be electrified, to knock-out their targets.
- Bat-cuffs: bat-shaped cuffs in the style of ty-cuffs used by the special forces but with a solid core, requires a diamond-edged cutting tool or super-strength to break out of. Batman also has cuffs for super-powered opponents.
- Bat-tracer: Used to track enemies.
- Grapple gun: A gun which launches a cable capable of supporting the weight of two people, capable of pulling Batman vertically, holding him or lowering him. It can also grab opponents or their weapons however, for Batman to attack or disarm them.
- Line launcher: Like the grapple gun it fires a line, however it fires in both directions, creating a zipline.
- First aid kit
- Acetylene torch: A powerful cutting tool.
- Lockpicks
- Rebreather/gas mask
- Crime-scene kit: A kit which contains everything Batman needs for analysing and collecting evidence found at the crimescene.
- Bat-pad: A pocket computer that Batman carries with him, it's got a direct satellite link to the Batcomputer and is capable of intercepting hacked transmissions, operating equipment remotely and reading and analysing digital data.
- Cryptographic-sequencer: A hacking device, used to hack into locked devices and signals remotely, able to operate or disable computerised devices remotely.
- Disruptor: Two separate devices, one sends out an electrical burst which temporarily disables electronics and another which is used to target a gun and use vibrational frequency to dis-align the bullet with the firing chamber, easily rectified by reloading the gun or ejecting a bullet from the chamber.
- Electromagnet: A small but powerful electromagnet used to wipe computer drives and recording devices.
TRANSPORTATION:
- Batmobile: The Batmobile is essentially a tank in the guise of a car, designed for Bruce Wayne's war on crime in Gotham. The car itself has reactive armour plating, jet engine, onboard computer with a direct satellite link to the Batcomputer, contains several different kinds of missiles and projectiles and can be controlled remotely.
- Batplane: The Batplane is jet which Bruce Wayne uses when Batman is required outside of his usual operational distance, the Batplane is capable of remote operation, can fly at 60,000 feet, can fly at a speed of 44,000 MPH and can carry a payload of 2,670 lbs.
- Batcycle: While essentially just a motorcycle this part of Batman's garage has more than earned it's wings by swiftly traversing terrain which the Batmobile would be unable to clear.
- Batboat: The Batboat is more than just a boat, it's also a submersible vessel, capable of holding six hours of air for operational use underwater with another twelve hours air for life-support. The boat also contains state-of-the-art navigational technology, as well as a harpoon, connected by a high-tensile titanium wire, a launching grapnel which also acted as an anchor, variable-setting depth charges and even homing torpedoes.
- Miscellaneous vehicles: Bruce Wayne keeps a large garage, usually of sports cars, useful for when he wants to be out during the day or when he needs to explain away his mysterious new injuries. He also has in his possessions service vehicles like ambulances, for when a member of the Bat-family needs to be recovered before the paramedics can unmask them.
WEAPONS:
- Batarangs, these come in many varieties, such as blunt, sharp, explosive, electro-shock, heated, magnetic and even an ultra-sonic batarang which attracts swarms of bats to the target.
- Bolas, three weighted balls connected by a high-tensile wire, capable of entangling an enemy and even delivering an electric shock if Batman needs to further subdue the target.
- Bat-dart: Blow darts tipped with a tranquiliser which incapacitates enemies.
- Kyrptonite ring: Kept on him at all times and held in a lead-lined container.
- Miniturised grenades: These come in several types, concussive, themite, flash-bang, smoke and freeze, often no bigger than a pellet.
- Bat-taser
- Bat goo-gun: This device fires a spray of adhesive goo which solidifies and holds subjects in place.
- Bat-net: The nets are deployed as a small ball, it is thrown at an enemy and then bursts, allowing a net to fly out and ensnare it's target.
- Explosives: While Batman refuses to kill, he has been known to use various explosives to incapacitate his foes or demolish obstacles.
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[STYLE=color: #191919; font-size: 10px; margin-top: 10px; margin-left: 10px;]EXAMINATION RECORD[/style][STYLE= margin: 0px 10px 0px 10px; border: 2px solid #191919; padding: 2px; font-family: verdana; height: 125px; overflow: auto; font-size: 11px; color: #000000; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; opacity: 0.8]INPUT SAMPLE ROLEPLAYING POST HERE![/style][STYLE=color: #191919; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center; font-family: courier new]subject examined by Doctor Cyber[/style] | [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 40px;][STYLE=background-color: #f1e3b4; font-family: times new roman; font-size:30px; color: #404040; min-height: 150px; padding: 5px; text-align: center; moz-border-radius: 0px 10px 10px 0px; -o-border-radius: 0px 10px 10px 0px; border-radius: 0px 10px 10px 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px 10px 10px 0px;]B A T M A N[/style] |
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Batman
Aug 29, 2012 23:11:33 GMT -5
Post by Batman on Aug 29, 2012 23:11:33 GMT -5
The shadowy figure stood atop of Gotham's concert hall, his steely gaze only accentuated by his mask, cold and expressionless on its own, instantly brought to life by the addition of the serious man beneath it. With Bruce beneath the mask, it almost seemed to spring to life as an occasional spot of light hit it, highlighting the sharp features, making it scowl along with its owner, like some hellish creature pulled directly from a nightmare... in a way it was.
The opaque, white, lenses were able to give Bruce a reading of who was where, through a use of the different vision modes. The mayor had organised this little get-together for the city officials, to cement his popularity, in truth so he could get everyone drunk and happy enough to ignore the proposed changes to the administration outlined in his speech for his upcoming term in office. Bruce was somewhat pleased that he had decided to stay out of the affairs of Gotham's politics, at least directly, he had plenty of charity events to be concerned with without having to navigate that social and political minefield.
It seemed to be a pretty standard affair, champagne, cocktails now that the night was beginning to wear on, there had indeed been entertainment and now was the interlude, the time when the mayor would give his speech before allowing the party to eventually wind down so he could return to his uptown penthouse with a couple of young women on each arm, only to slip back home in the morning with an excuse for his wife.
...
If there was a time for the Joker to strike it would be now.
Sure enough, at six minutes to midnight, when the mayor was due to give his speech several vans pulled up outside the concert hall and out of the back unloaded a lot of men. There were at least sixteen that Bruce could count, he wouldn't discount there being more though, so he waited, now wasn't the time to make his move anyway. He waited as the goons poured into the hall, firing their weapons and herding the politicians into the centre of the room, they began to check the rooms, clearing them too; these guys weren't military, that much was obvious but they were armed, he had to be careful.
As the time ticked down to midnight Bruce's vision shifted, looking instead over to the roof of the building right of the concert hall. There they were, another four men, these ones with heavier gear... and better training, they moved like professionals, possibly ex-military. Firing a line across to the other building, the point-man clipped on and slid across, smoothly and silently to the other side, landing and detaching himself from the line in one swift movement, scanning the roof for any signs of targets. Once he had confirmed that there was no threat he signalled so to the rest of his team, the other three men quickly sprung into action, preparing their gear to cross as well as themselves.
As Bruce watched he suddenly heard a soft, calming, voice speaking in his ear, which as usual, came as no surprise to him whatsoever.
"You know it's a trap, don't you Bruce?"
"Of course I do, Barbara." Bruce replied solemnly to Oracle, her voice as usual, holding the distinct trace of worry for her former mentor; using her voice to calm her slightly. He knew she liked names; it reminded her that he hadn't been consumed completely by the monster he unleashed on the villains of Gotham.
Bruce had never fully forgiven himself for what had happened to her, for what the Joker had done to her and she had never fully forgiven him for not worrying for his safety, as she did.
For just a moment, a flicker crossed the Gotham Knight's face. It was as close as he could, or would, allow himself to regret while he donned the cowl.
As the second man began to slide down the rope, the mind of Gotham's greatest protector began to refocus itself, mentally narrowing its vision.
"Relax Oracle, the Joker won't let any of his goons kill me, he wants that pleasure himself. Just be ready to do your part, I can't afford any slip-ups"
This time there was a slight chuckle in the woman's voice, Bruce couldn't tell if it was forced or not. "Bruce, have you ever known me to let you down?"
He didn't answer, he didn't need to, he was on the offensive now and Barbara knew it. She wouldn't distract him and he would do his job, brutally, quickly, efficiently, he was ruthless in his pursuit of Gotham's criminals and that was what was required. They weren't going to blow up the Earth in a day but left unchecked they would grow, like a tumour. Batman would not allow them to spread their malignant presence; he would stop them and prove that he was right, that no matter how dark things looked, his way worked.
The third man was now down the zip-line and the final man was now hooking their heavy equipment onto the line to be sent down before him, that was a mistake, they should have had two men doing that, for security on both sides while at the same time letting the man struggling with the heavy bag load it faster with the aid of his friend.
It all worked to Batman's advantage though; pulling a Batarang from his belt and throwing it at the case as it descended before launching himself of the building opposite the street. His cape caught the wind, letting him soar through the air, gliding silently through the dark of the night towards the unsuspecting thug.
The Batarang cut the cable holding the bag, allowing the case to drop to the ground. It made surprisingly little noise over the din inside as the Joker's crew inside threatened and roared at the hostages trapped inside, animals, the Caped Crusader thought to himself. The lone man however did notice the rope going slack, for a second or two he didn't quite grasp what was going on as he attempted to run through everything that could have happened in his head. By the time the man had figured out what was going on, the shadowy figure was on him, the gentle rustle of the Gotham Prince's cape caught in the soldier's ears. He turned to fire and yell out to his comrades but it was too late, Batman's weight was catapulted into him as he spun in the air, bringing his feet forward and extending them, kicking the man in the chest and landing on top of him, breaking a rib... or four.
The unfortunate goon was out in an instant and would stay out for a while, even if he could bring to push himself up simply breathing would be painful. None the less, the Dark Knight was sure to cuff the man before moving on.
The other three were oblivious for now but they wouldn't be for long; climbing the wire Bruce set out across it, trying very hard to keep his balance of the narrow, slightly slanted, wire. He had reached the other side silently and in just a few seconds, it would have been faster to jump but here he had the tactical advantage.
The team leader grunted something to one of his lackeys just as Batman reached the other side of the rope; the three were evenly spaced, the leader in front, surveying the roof while one man knelt a few metres behind him, crouched down on one knee and covering him, while the final man stood just in front of the rope. Bruce had been hoping to take them out one by one with no noise but those hopes would be quickly dashed as the man closest to Bruce turned on the order from his boss to come face-to-face with the dour face of Gotham's Dark Knight.
The man went through several expressions in that split second before finally settling on a satisfying mix of terror and shock, while trying to coordinate his arms to raise the gun he was holding at the monster before him.
All he managed though was a strangled cry as Batman launched himself forward, palms outstretched, striking the man in the centre of his chest, knocking him down and forcing the air out of his lungs.
His friends had already begun to turn but Batman never missed a beat; as he landed on the man's chest, he flipped himself over, coming to a perfect handstand and then just tumbling over until he reached the perfect angle, whereupon he pushed off with his hands, flying towards the next goon, delivering a flying kick with both feet to his mid-section, sending the guy sprawling on the floor.
The leader now had plenty of time to react; he was raising his gun and was ready to fire. Reaching beneath his cape and grasping at the grapnel gun, the snarling beast that was the Caped Crusader pulled the device free of the belt and out from under his cape. Pointing it at the last standing member of the group he fired, the clawed end snaring the rifle in the thug's grip before being pulled free.
Bruce could hear movement behind him; the first man was getting up. Putting the grapnel away as quickly as he had drawn it Bruce whirled, coming to stand, delivering a perfect right hook to the soldier's face, the blow putting him down for good.
Turning again he delivered a harsh boot right to the chin of the second man who was trying to sit up and get himself back in the fight; that dealt with all the armed threats, now just the last man.
He was clearly intimidated, this creature standing before him had just taken out all of his friends. He said nothing, a glance to his gun confirmed that it was too far away and in any case it was right next to Batman. He was still considering it though; just to highlight his situation Bruce hooked his foot beneath the gun and pushed it off the edge of the building, sending it clattering to the street below.
The soldier was looking more intimidated by the second, clearly considering something stupid. His knees were bent, expecting a fight, one arm forward, another on his hip, not a gun, not a sidearm though, probably a baton of some description. His face however showed a different story, he was sweating despite the chill night air, his eye were wide, pupils dilated and he had the calculated expression of someone who was trying to retain his cool, the very stillness of his face betraying the panic threatening to break loose just beneath his skin.
After a few seconds of staring back at the truly, calm, composed and viciously glaring, shadowy figure, the leader of these mercenaries made one of the larger mistakes of his life. Pulling a small stick from his side he flicked it out, extending the baton to its full length. With a snarl he charged the figure, who remained unfazed until he brought the stick down towards the Caped Crusader's head.
Suddenly raising his arm, the crook didn't even have time to react, as Bruce grabbed his wrist, holding it in place. It had almost been as if the Dark Knight hadn't moved at all but instead now, his hand was merely there, holding the other man's wrist. Giving a sharp tug, Bruce felt the man's hand lowering and twisting, tugging painfully at the sinews inside. With a yell the leader would drop the baton, seeing it clatter to the ground helplessly before him. He would get only half-a-second longer of consciousness before the weighted gloves, wrapped around the Batman's fist, connected with his chin in an angled uppercut.
Bruce wasted no time in getting the thugs secured, handcuffing them all and setting the first two out next to each other, propping them all up against a wall as a little voice popped into his ear again.
"Bruce, are you ok?" Came Barbara’s worried tones, yet again.
"I'm fine, Oracle." He responded almost emotionlessly.
Bruce could tell that Barbara had been holding in her breath,"Ok, it's just that last guy looked a little-"
"I’m fine, Oracle." Bruce insisted, a slight edge of annoyance mixed with his voice.
"Ok right, just checking." She sounded more relaxed, Bruce could tell she was rolling her eyeballs at him though. "When you're ready just give me the signal, I've got it all set up."
Looking to the leader Bruce frowned, he had something special in mind for him. Handcuffing him was easy, dragging him up to the top of the arch that overlooked the glass roof was somewhat more difficult but not too much effort for the look on the man's face when he eventually came to and realised they were both hanging on a precarious ledge.
"Jesus man! F**k! Watch it, we're gonna fall! You're gonna kill us!" He yelped, already terrified of the creature before him and now he would have a fear of height to add to it.
Pathetic, Bruce thought, the joker should start hiring better men. Bruce hauled the man up, pulling his legs off the ground and holding him out over the empty space between him and the roof. "Tell me the Joker's plan, now!" Bruce snarled, using the techniques he'd learned in Africa, not to produce a fearsome growl but to add a terrifying, grating tone to his voice.
The man struggled and kicked at the air, trying to find a foothold on the air. "Ahhh! Damn it, ok, ok! You win, alright, you win! Look the Joker just hired me and my guys to watch over the street ok, well half of us, the other half are down with him, behind the curtain on the stage. He's got some kind of plan and he just wants you there to see it, I think he's planning on getting my guys to bring you to him, ok? I swear that's all I know, please just let me go!" The man yelled, all but crying as he tried to escape the Dark Knight's iron grip.
Batman knew Oracle would be watching through Gotham's CCTV or via a satellite or something but all the same, he tapped a button on his gauntlet, giving her a warning before he pulled the thug close, so close he could smell his bad breath.
"In a moment, I need one last thing from you." He growled, bracing himself and gripping the goon with both hands, the Dark Knight pushed himself off the arch of the building, flying out above the hall in time to watch the lights go out completely as Oracle cut the power to the building.
For a moment they seemed to hang in the air, the man's mouth opening to scream. He never got the chance though, as a second later both he and Batman plunged like stones into the darkness below, Bruce using the man's body to break the glass so he could land softly on the floor, his cape spreading out like a shadow, looking to spread out from him.
The unfortunate mercenary leader was knocked unconscious by the sudden stop as well as the impact from the glass, receiving minor lacerations in the process thanks to his tactical dress. Batman was sure he had heard his leg pop out of it's socket as well... not his problem.
He stood, like a ghastly spectre and observed the room. The room was almost completely in shadows and despite that, Batman still felt all eyes turning to him.
"You're going back to Arkham, Joker... give yourself up."
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