Before We Grow

Back To Square One

The next night, I was back at it again, but this time with a full plan. In order to get Batman to respect me, I had to get my name out there. In order to do that, I had to start at the bottom and work my way up.
    It would take awhile, but that was nothing compared to the ultimate goal. Even twenty years would be worth it if it meant I could take revenge on Superman.
    Would my parents approve of the route I had taken? Probably not. They never liked fighting, but they knew what was right. There were hundreds of criminals out there, and a super-powered killer. Stopping them was the right thing to do, and nobody else was going to do it for me. In a way, I think they would have been proud, but also exasperated.
    The radio had told me of a small robbery down on Westheimer. I was in and out within ten minutes, and left the crooks tied up for the cops to find. From there, I handled a few small muggers, but it wasn't anything big. As I said, start at the bottom and work my way up.
    I was quickly finding this to be boring. After a night of apprehending small-time crooks, I became bored out of my mind. I had tasted the big game, felt the thrill of a real fight, and I was dying to feel that again.
    There was a building in the middle of the city that had large, decorative, gargoyles on the side. I found that these were the perfect spot to take a break. My legs dangled off the side, thousands of yards above the street as I nibbled on a protein bar. Fighting crime all night was exhausting, and nutrition was a must.
    "Criminals caught on third," the radio said, "Tied just like the rest."
    The cops were beginning to notice a trend. They knew it wasn't Batman who caught all of those criminals, because he doesn't leave a scorch mark somewhere on them. Their theory was fire, any logical person would jump to that. They probably figured Batman got a new teammate, or he developed new tech. Soon, they would know.
    "More on Bludvire," another cop tuned in, "Someone's catchin' them."
    "The Batman?"
    "No, this is different. Batman doesn't work like this."
    I smirked, they were beginning to realize. Soon, the entirety of Gotham would know my name. I didn't care if the rats knew who I was, I just wanted Batman to know.
    It was nearing four in the morning, and I was exhausted. I decided to turn in for the night. Using my boots, I leapt from the gargoyle and to the neighboring rooftop. From there, I jumped to the next and the next, my focus on my shelter. My attention was diverted, however, when I heard the folds of a cape billow.
    Quickly, I dove behind an air conditioning unit. Nobody would ever see me there, not unless they were looking. Glancing over the top, I saw two shadows swing onto the building. There was no doubt in my mind I was looking at Batman and Robin. They stopped on my building, turning to brood over the city.
    "Do you think it's her, Batman?" Robin asked, "The girl who attacked Mister Freeze?"
    Batman sighed, "Yes, Robin, I think it is. She said she would make us know who she is."
    "She doesn't know what she's getting herself into."   
    "She doesn't," Batman agreed, "That's why we have to stop her, before she hurts herself or anyone else."
    I scowled. I had done such good for this city, and they still thought I was incompetent. When I'm through with them, they'll think twice about the next girl they find.
    "How can we find her? She seems pretty good at hiding," Robin said.
    Batman was silent for a moment, "We wait, we watch. Eventually, she will turn up, and we will bring her in."
    I didn't want to hear anymore of the conversation. Silently, I leapt from the building and returned back to my hotel.
    I had to get his respect, and, to do so, I had to do something big. I could always take down a villain, maybe even kill The Joker.
    That wasn't big enough, Batman arrests him everyday. I had to do something never done before. Something big, something grand, something unforgettable. I had to do something that would demand his respect.
    His secret identity, that was it! Nobody had ever even come close to figuring out who The Batman truly is. If I could figure that out, he would have to respect me. He would ask to team up with me, then!
    The question is, how to do it. Thousands of detectives had tried, and all had failed. Nobody knows who he is unless he wants them to. I would have to take a new route, something nobody else has tried.
    My only idea was stalking him. If I could stay deep enough in the shadows, he would never know I was there. That would never work, a fly doesn't land on Batman without him knowing ten minutes before.
    I had to take the old fashioned route. With research and study, and the process of deduction, I would, maybe, eventually figure out who he really is. Once I knew that, he would have to respect me.
    It was my only chance.
***
    The next day, I went to Gotham City Public Library. There, computers were open to the public without need for payment. I could research Batman there, and hopefully discover his true identity.
    Papa had taught me everything he could about body language and the science of people. His knowledge in that was what got him as high up in the political world as he was. He had taught me that, no matter how good they may be, everybody has the same body language even when they're impersonating someone else. Batman should have similar body language to someone else in the city. That narrows it down by about none.
    My other theory is that he has to be rich. He has to be a part of Gotham's 1%. He has so many weapons, cars, jets, and stuff that he has to be rich in order to afford it all. That narrows the search down a bit more.
    Even beyond that, he has to have a motive. There has to be a reason he is so dedicated to fighting crime. Whether is be someone he loved was murdered, he himself has seen the pain of crime, or he's simply sick and tired of people robbing him. There has to be a reason, nobody ever becomes what he is without a motive.
    For three hours, I studied videos of Batman and Robin. I studied their body language, their gadgets, and their fight patterns. By the time I had seen every video and read every article, I knew everything there is to know about Batman and Robin.
    Except for their secret identities.
    Even after three hours, I could think of nothing. I researched every one of the richest people in Gotham. Turns out, Gotham has a bigger number of rich people than any other city in the country.
By the time I had been at the library for six hours, I had narrowed my search down to only 30% of the population of Gotham. That was only six thousand people.
    "This is pointless," I grumbled, dropping my head on the desk, "I'm never going to figure this out."
    I should have known, if detectives couldn't do it, why could I? They were trained for this, this is what they did for a living. I was a gymnast, not a detective. I was good with machines, not with mysteries.
    The library had begun to close, so I packed up my stuff and left. Even at night, I made sure to keep my sunglasses on. I couldn't risk the authorities picking me up, I had enough trouble as it is.
    My only option was to revert back to Plan A in Operation Find Out Who Batman Really Is. Research had proved futile, but stalking him was still an option. The very least it could do was give me a hint about who he was.
    That meant I had to find him, which proved difficult enough before. It seemed that he found me rather than the other way around. From the conversation I overheard last night, Batman and Robin were trying to find me. It was a never ending circle of stalking each other.
    This entire mission was proving more difficult than I had anticipated. It was impossible to gain the assistance of Batman if I didn't even know who he was. It was even more impossible if he kept dismissing me as a little kid.
    I fell on the floor of my makeshift home, grumbling into my backpack. Maybe I was in over my head. It might be best to give this whole charade up and turn myself back over to CPS.
    No, I've come to far. Mama and Papa won't rest properly until I've avenged them. I have to complete this mission, for them.