Bruce Wayne

Chapter 11: Taking Action

The first of the five muggers Bruce approached had his back to him, letting Bruce close the distance between them unseen. The other criminals were focused on their intended victims and didn't notice Bruce coming until it was too late to stop him.

Bruce lashed out with his left foot and struck the unaware thug hard on the back of his right knee, causing the leg to buckle and tip the man backwards as his balance was thrown off. Before the man could recover, Bruce struck again, driving his fist hard into the man's jaw, slamming him to the ground on his back.

Attention diverted from the two civilians toward Bruce as the four remaining bandits realized a new threat had arrived, and they were the intended target.

One criminal shoved a blade toward Bruce's stomach, hoping to end the fight with a quick kill. Bruce had trained extensively on how to handle attackers with blades of all sizes and capabilities. The limited number of attackers made the fight feel more like practice than anything else. Seizing the wrist of the man, Bruce twisted hard, summoning a scream from the bandit as his wrist broke. Bruce used his free hand to grab the thief's shirt and swing him around to collide with the brick wall of a nearby building. The man's skull struck the bricks hard, and he slid to the ground in no condition to fight anyone.

With two attackers down, the number of opponents had dwindled to three. Two of the knife wielding men worked in tandem while the third waited a few steps behind them, ready to jump in if needed. Bruce had to move fast as the coordinated strikes left no margin for error. If he missed a single dodge, deflection, or counter, it would surely mean his death.

The mistake, when it came, wasn't made by Bruce. The men with knives both stabbed toward him at the same time and in the same manner, straight toward his heart; Bruce brought his hands together and swept upward from underneath. The maneuver struck both men's wrists with his, knocking the knife hands upward and leaving a perfect opening for Bruce to attack freely, so he did.

Stepping forward, he shouldered the man on his right, forcing him backwards into the criminal waiting behind the two attackers. Kicking toward the man on his left, Bruce landed a blow against his midsection, knocking the wind out of the mugger and doubling him over. Moving quickly, Bruce snared some of the gasping man's shirt at the shoulder and used it for leverage, swinging him around to collide with the other two men before any of them could recover.

Knives clanged against the ground as the reeling thieves lost their grips on the weapons. Bruce responded before any of them were able, kicking the blades down the alley behind him and forcing the confrontation to be strictly a hand to hand engagement.

One of the three remaining men tried to throw a punch, but Bruce easily dodged it, retaliating with a fist to the criminal's stomach before raising his arm to catch the crook under the chin with his elbow. Taking a firm grip on the man's arm, Bruce lowered his shoulder while wrapping his other arm around the thug. A turn and shift of weight perfectly flipped the man over and into a garbage dumpster.

The courage of the two criminals still standing seemed to have vanished with the loss of their weapons, and they fled with all the speed they could manage. Bruce let them go rather than tire himself needlessly chasing after them. They knew these streets better than he did, and they might have better armed friends out there; it was safer and smarter to let the cowards run.

Bruce turned to check on the condition of the imperiled couple, but they were also hurrying away, not wanting any part of the battle. Seeing as how they were well enough to escape, Bruce was satisfied and headed toward the end of the alley to meet Alfred.

"Well done, Master Bruce," Alfred praised. "You seem to have a natural talent for finding trouble and stopping it. Have you considered a career in law enforcement?"