The Cape Void

Summary: Batman's cape is bigger on the inside, is the constant delight of his children, and may or may contain demons. 

[Author's note: this fanfiction is a series of short stories not in chronological order because I thought it was funnier that way. It still makes sense, though! There is also quite a bit of swearing and some mild violence, so be aware of that. The violence isn't even close to as bad as canon gets, though. I hope you enjoy!]

Batman stood tall and dark, a silent sentinel overlooking the glittering Gotham skyline like a nightmare in wait. His cape rippled in the wind, flapping violently this way and that while the man himself remained unmoved. 

Every so often, the breeze blew against his body and his cape hugged it tightly. Victor drew a breath of relief. Robin sometimes liked to hide under Batman's cape and jump out to kick people in the head at the most annoying times. 

He definitely wasn't there now, and that meant there was only Batman to contend with. No mean feat, of course, to fight Batman, but an easier one when there were twenty-seven of you. 

Victor grinned savagely, and motioned to his men to move in, leaping as quietly as they could across the rooftops towards where Batman stood. This ended now. Victor had had enough of his weapons shipments being destroyed. He had a business to run, after all. 

Batman noticed them before they'd even reached his rooftop, whipping his head round sharply, and Victor swore savagely under his breath. Still, no matter. Not even the legendary and mythical Batman could dodge fire from twenty-seven AK-47s. 

Just as they reached the edge of the rooftop, having jumped the small gap between the adjacent apartment block with ease, Victor faltered and almost tripped. Somehow, impossibly, Robin had materialised from underneath Batman's cape, bouncing out to stand at his side with a sharp grin on his little face. 

Victor was no idiot. He knew that both Robin and Batman had the stealth skills to essentially almost appear and disappear at will, but there was no way Robin had been under there. Where in the actual fuck had he come from? 

'What's the plan, B?' Robin said, casual in the way that Victor knew was deliberate, in order to set people's teeth on edge. The worst thing was that it was working. 'I go left and you go right?'

Batman said a few short sharp words too low for anyone except Robin to hear, and Robin nodded. 'Righty-O.' 

He wouldn't give them any more time to plan. 'Shoot them!' Victor shouted, launching forward. He let out a scream of frustration as both vigilantes dropped over the side of the roof. Running to the edge, he saw that they'd already disappeared. 

'Split up! Find them! They can't be far!' 

A few of his men clambered down a fire escape and took to the streets, the others spreading out across the rooftops. A couple stayed behind with Victor, tense. Waiting. 

A cut off cry of pain from the man behind him was the only indication of Batman's presence. Victor spun wildly around, only to catch a fist to the face, hard enough to make the world fade around the edges. 

'It was stupid of you to split up,' said a child's voice, Robin's voice, echoing weirdly. It was almost like it was coming from– 

'We can just pick you off one by one, now,' Robin said cheerfully, emerging from underneath Batman's cape at a jog. He was running? How– 

Victor didn't have much chance to think anything else, as he was out cold a second later due to the expert punch of a very small fist.

'Good job, Robin.'