Beyond Remnant

Chapter 35: A Very Strange Place VI

Chapter 35: A Very Strange Place VI
Written by VinylScratch7

It was a gruesome night. Y/N., in his secret base, the Batcave, was meticulously sifting through the files on Dr. Hugo Strange, seeking to unravel the doctor's enigmatic agenda. Complicating matters, Y.N.'s alter ego, Batman, found himself in an unusual predicament: he had been caught pickpocketing a dead body as it was being carried away. Determined to understand the purpose behind this incident, Y.N. closely examined the little black book he had retrieved from the corpse. "Maybe this will shed light on Strange's intentions," he pondered. Flipping through the pages, he found them blank, except for one. A list. "Why does it contain the names of every White Fang member?" Y.N. mused, sensing something amiss.

Meanwhile, Blake Belladonna was on a stakeout near the White Fang's base. Suddenly, a banana hit her face. "Want one?" Sun Wukong offered, holding out the fruit. Blake, annoyed and distracted, scowled. "Unbelievable," she muttered.

"Don't look at me like that. I know you're hungry," Sun Wukong teased, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as Blake's stomach betrayed her with a loud gurgle. Flushing with embarrassment, Blake remained silent, conceding to her hunger and Sun Wukong's perceptiveness.

Blake and Sun were now sitting together, the air filled with a mix of tension and the sweet scent of bananas. Sun, munching on the fruit, remarked, "Man, bananas sure are delicious, especially after all that running." Blake remained silent, her attention seemingly elsewhere, though she didn't outright ignore Sun.

Sun, curious, ventured a question. "So, can I ask about you and that big bad bat?" This prompted a sharp glare from Blake. Sun felt a chill down his spine, realizing he might have crossed a line.

"There's nothing you need to worry about," Blake replied, her voice cold and distant.

"I mean, it's not like you're keeping secrets or anything," Sun persisted, undeterred. "Have you worked with him often?"

Blake finished her banana and cleared her throat. "Like I said, it's none of your concern."

Sun, trying to lighten the mood, rattled off recent events involving Batman. "He's been involved in a lot of stuff. There was Poison Ivy at Beacon Academy, the Riddler, and even rumors about big zombie and a Scarecrow."

Blake sighed deeply, then turned to Sun. "Why are you hanging out with me?" she asked, changing the subject.

Sun, caught off guard, fumbled to respond. "Well, I—"

Blake pressed on, her gaze intense. "No, seriously. Why are you hanging out with me?"

Sun, caught off guard by her directness, responded with a question of his own. "What about you? You're as enigmatic as Batman. You and that big bad Batman have a lot in common," Sun Wukong pointed out.

"So, what made you trust him?" Sun Wukong inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Blake, her gaze fixed on the night sky, seemed lost in her thoughts. "He saved me," she began, her voice soft, avoiding eye contact with Sun. "After I left the White Fang, seeking freedom from the chaos, he appeared. Not as Batman, but simply as a man."

"A man?" Sun echoed, confused. "Isn't he a faunus, like us?"

Shaking her head, Blake clarified, "No, he's purely human. I remember being lost in a town nearby, feeling isolated and unsure. I had just abandoned the White Fang, disillusioned by their actions. Then, I heard him. His first words to me weren't about Batman, but about my well-being. 'How long since you've eaten?' he asked."