Bruce Wayne

Chapter 12: The Obstacle Course

After Bruce completed his training on the standing logs of the pit, he was able to move on to the next challenge. He followed Yuro Sensei while silently waiting for instructions on what would be required of him.

"Complete the course of obstacles to pass this level of training," Yuro Sensei ordered. He stood beside a large hourglass filled with sparkling white sand, gently resting his hand upon it. "One more thing, Wayne-san. You will be timed."

Bruce took his place on the starting line, nothing more than a mark scratched in the dirt, and waited for the order to begin. Wooden stakes had been driven into the ground, and thin rope hung suspended between them to mark the boundaries of the course. He was slightly surprised when ten other students, some of whom he didn't recognize, joined him at the starting line of the course.

"Begin," Yuro Sensei commanded, flipping the hourglass over and starting the sand flowing from one end of the glass vessel to the other.

Bruce's shoes tore into the dirt as he exploded away from the starting line in a powerful burst of speed, quickly taking the lead. He swiftly approached the first challenge, a water filled pool with several hanging ropes above it. He adjusted the direction of his run to line up with the nearest rope, but an instant before he jumped, a fist slammed into his spine between his shoulder blades. The blow threw him off balance and made Bruce stumble to his hands and knees.

"Watch your back, rich boy," quipped one of his competitors as he ran past Bruce, swinging over to the other side of the water barrier on the rope Bruce had intended to use. The other competitors quickly followed, leaving Bruce behind.

The attack had cost Bruce both time and the lead, and he would need to push himself hard to gain them back. Digging his fingers into the dirt for additional traction, Bruce charged the rope. Leaping over the pool, Bruce snared the rope with both hands, easily swinging to the other side. He dropped down on the far shore and sprinted to catch up with the leader who'd taken his place.

The second obstacle he faced resembled the constructed endeavors of a spider. Similar to a dead forest, numerous logs jutted out of the ground in no apparent pattern. Strung between the posts, also lacking any particular order, were sturdy ropes. The ropes crisscrossed between posts either horizontally or diagonally. Bruce didn't slow down as he approached the spider web of ropes. Surging upward in a short jump, he secured both hands on a horizontal rope above his head. Bruce landed his feet on a diagonal rope, but its sharp angle forced him to spend precious seconds finding his balance before he could release the upper rope he still held in his hands.

Letting go of the upper rope, Bruce dived for the next set. He caught one of the two ropes he'd been aiming for, but his right hand slipped off the outside of the opposing line. The rough material of the rope scratched at the underside of his arm, rubbing the skin raw from his wrist to armpit where it was painfully halted. Bruce growled away the discomfort and forced himself to continue, pushing himself back up and moving toward the next rope.

As soon as he'd completed the spider web, Bruce picked up the pace. He'd lost considerable amounts of time, and he desperately needed to make them up if he wanted to complete the course in time, to say nothing of winning.

A small bit of good fortune found him when he approached the river acting as the next challenge. Resting upon the bank were small rafts barely large enough to stand on. A grappling hook and rope were coiled neatly on each raft. Six of his opponents didn't know how they were supposed to cross with the equipment provided, standing on the bank with looks of confusion on their faces. The other four rivals hadn't cared about the rules and had simply jumped into the river to swim. Bruce stepped forward and took one of the grappling hooks, preparing to demonstrate to the confused students.