Batman: Death and Vengeance

True Power

"John? John? JOHN!" John's slumber broke as he heard someone call his name. He woke up to see that it was the teen titans. "You know I spend the night awake right?" John said as he opened his eyes properly. "Well we have decided to go on a trip to the beach!" said the very enthusiastic Kid Flash. "Ugh whatever." Raven said as she sat beside John. "Right so why are you all in my room?" John asked "umm we wanted to tell you something." Robin said. "Ok" John said. "You are officially part of the Teen titans Kid Flash said as he gave John a Teen Titan machine. "Welcome aboard brother" Damian said as he hugged his brother in joy. "Thanks brother" John said as he suddenly remembered that his brother died a long time ago. "Dam-" John stopped mid sentence as he was not in his old teen titan room nor was he in his elder brother's embrace. He was hanging from outside a window of the Titan Tower and was badly injured and bleeding. "RRRHHH" He made his way up and knocked on the window. The window opened and he climbed into the room it was connected to, to see that it was Raven's room. He even noticed that he was in his Vengeance suit. But he wasn't Vengeance for a very long time as he was Batman. "You..." Raven said as she came closer. "What are you doing here?" Raven asked. "I thought maybe I could get a little help." John said as he thought he had been through this before. "And why should I trust someone like you Vengeance?" Raven said. "Cause it's me" John said in his normal voice removing his mask. "John......I should have known....so you are the one who Bruce told me about." Raven said as she now knew that why she would have to help him no matter what. "Yeah I'm supposed to be trained by yo-" He stopped once again mid sentence as he was now once again not in the Titans Tower. He was in a rainy street where on both sided buildings were on fire and the streets were full of blood. "Wait no, no, I've been here before." John thought as he ran and it was where he thought he was. He saw himself and Damian holding a lifeless Batman in their arms as John was crying and in front of them was a laughing Joker. But this time things were different John attacked the dying Joker and in turn got stabbed by the so called dead Joker. "What" John said as his scenarios once again changed and it was at the destroyed fortess of Doom. "Not this again" John said as he now saw the lifeless body of yet another Batman and yes this was exactly who he thought it was. It was Damian. "NO" John said as he hugged his dead brother and started crying as he felt as if he had lost his brother once again and behind him the Teen Titans arrived and in front stood Darkstar. "Pitiful he never deserved to live" He said as when it originally happened John knew he wouldn't stand a chance against Darkstar although he was very angry he didn't engage him. But things were different now as he tried to engage him and ended up dying. But he was still alive. "See" Bruce said as he walked up to him. "Is that really you?" John asked as it was quite hard to believe what he was seeing. "Yes it is me. But what you experienced now was what would have happened all those years ago if you too like Damian were driven by anger." Bruce said as Damian appeared behind Bruce. "It is true brother. Do not let anger control you." Damian said as he walked upto John as well. "Batman uses his anger and his rage to make himself stronger. Not to feel pleasure in hurting others. The things you did while wearing that suit are things that Batman would never do. You made the same mistake Damian made but." Bruce said "But what?" John asked. "You still have a chance to find him." Damian said. "I never found him but if you do you shall truly become the Batman just as father was." Damian said as he disappeared. "But I felt powerful for once without it I could never had defeated those enhanced villains." John said. "No you could have." Bruce said. "I know what you are feeling son you feel as if you are a failure to my legacy and are not worthy to wear the cape and cowl. But due to giving that thought too much attention you have still not managed to find him." Bruce said as he looked at his son. "Him? Who is he?" John asked. "The one who made me and you who we are." Bruce said as he turned around. "Always remember what I taught you and remember that you are not a failure, in fact I couldn't have asked for anyone better to succeed me." Bruce said as he walked away. John felt something inside him as he now knew that he had to go somewhere. He knew what he had to do now.