The Last Knight

Raw Power 🦇

19 years later...

The world has changed drastically. Gotham City is no longer the safe haven it was previously meant to be.

Batman has retired in and out of the years. But now on a desolate and cold night, the Caped Crusader strains to continue on the legacy.

58 year old Bruce Wayne is a former shell of the man he once was. His trusted butler Alfred Pennyworth, his former lover Vicki Vale, and his close partner Dick Grayson have all died.

Selina Kyle had also abandoned Bruce Wayne nearly five years ago due to a romantic disputed. She now works as a prostitute at the Gotham Casino. She has retired the Catwoman mantle.

One night in Gotham, Bruce dressed up in his bulky and hardened Batman suit. He was on a parole mission in the city's alleyways, trying to beat up a few gangsters.

One of the gangsters held Batman tied up and hostage. They teased and mocked the hero, spitting and kicking him for bitter amusement.

As Batman opened his sunken eyes more clearly, he was hanging upside down from a rope. The gangsters spoke fluent Italian amongst themselves. It occurred to Batman that the language sounded familiar.

"What the fuck is going on?" demanded Batman. His language had been downgraded to insults, a reflection of his own self-demeanor being tampered horribly with.

The Italians then turned their heads back to Batman. They suddenly started swearing frequently in their foreign language.

"You have no idea who you're messing with," warned Batman. He struggled to untie himself loose, finally figuring out his utility belt.

As the Italians turned back to focus on their sinister plan, Batman then used his razor-knife attached to his belt and began ripping the ropes tied to his wrists.

"Fuck..." he whispered as the blade accidentally cut his wrist at the same time. Eventually, he let himself go. "Time's up," he told the Italians. They confronted the Dark Knight.

Batman raised his fists. He was ready to fight them. The Italians then looked at each other. They pummeled Batman into the ground, kicking him.

Batman was much weaker, due to his age. He tried pushing them away, but was seduced to a cowardly ball. The Italians swore at him, kicking and punching.

Finally, Batman couldn't take it anymore. His anger deepened and intensified. "Arghhhhhhhh!!!!!" he screamed in fury.

He tripped one Italian, and slit his throat with a sharp Batarang. Blood gurgled out of his neck as he fell to the ground. Batman punched another Italian to the ground.

He then tackled another guy into the floor, punching and head butting him repeatedly. One of the lead Italians yanked Batman off of his friend, only realizing a big mistake he made.

Batman growled in fury, as he then used his grappling hook to pierce the Italian in the thigh. He pulled the rope towards him, hitting the Italian up into the ceiling.

Batman then choked the fallen Italian until he fell unconscious. He then tossed a smoke grenade at the group of gangsters, the grenade actually landing perfectly in one of their mouths.

The smoke exploded, and Batman ran for cover. He waited until the Italians stopped coughing, and went into immediate action. Batman intensely combated the Italians.

After finishing off the last Italian, he heard reinforcements down a hallway. "Carrie! Carrie, do you read me?!" Batman exclaimed on his walkie-talkie wrist.

"Yeah?? I'm here, over," said a high-pitched female voice. "Get my Batmobile out of this shithole!" he replied. The mercenaries began running down the hallway.

The Batmobile suddenly launched itself into the room, smashing through the glass windows. Batman hopped inside, nearly spraining his ankle. "Go go!" he yelled to the auto-piloted driver in the mobile.

The Batmobile turned itself around and accelerated out of the building, just in time before the Italian reinforcements came in.

Batman sighed of relief. He looked at his bleeding wrist. "I'm gonna need some bandages when I head home Carrie," he told the transmitter of the mobile. "Okay," replied the female voice.

The Batmobile drove through an alleyway of Gotham City. It then miraculously transformed into a Batwing. The Batwing was a new transportation, able to fly like a plane at maximum speed and velocity.

The Batwing then shot itself through the sky, heading north. Batman was in the passenger's seat, having the controls do the work.

The Batwing arrived safely at Wayne Manor. The building was in need for some major remodeling. It was decaying fast, looking old and tattered.

The plane flew through the Batcave, which also looked worn down. There were fewer gadgets and Batsuits laying around. It also felt quieter without the inclusion of a butler.

Batman stepped out of the Batwing. A young female, roughly fourteen years old, walked up to Bruce. He unmasked himself, revealed his grizzled and elderly face.

"Hey Carrie..." he said to her. Carrie Kelly had bright red and short hair, with a pair of glasses. She was a young orphan adopted by Bruce to help aid him in his missions since Alfred died.

"How was it out there? You should have called me in as an ally," she asked. Bruce grunted in reply. He didn't feel like talking, instead asking for his medication.

"You can't hide the pain," she warned him. Bruce looked at her with intense, but sunken eyes. "Haven't I already got so much pain?" he replied. Carrie rolled her eyes, handing him the right pills.

Bruce sat at his chair in the Batcave. He blew away some cobwebs and dust on the controls for the mainframe computer. "So tell me what happened," Carrie told him.

She sat at a much smaller chair, having to awkwardly look up at Bruce in his much bigger chair.

"I came across some gangsters, they spoke a foreign language that felt uh-familiar. They tied me up and beat me. I had to untie myself and beat them, almost uh-to death," he told Carrie.

"Damn..." she replied. She asked Bruce what will happen now. "It seems a new generation of criminals are upon Gotham. I don't know if I can keep doing this anymore," he said with a pale face.

"Keep doing what?" Carrie asked. "Being Batman and shit. It's getting old for me. Retirement is just around the goddamn corner," he replied with some anger. He was so conflicted.

Carrie felt bad. "You can't leave Gotham in a state like this if the criminals come into the spotlight. Keep them out of the light," she softly told him.

"I made so much failures, Carrie. You have no idea," he replied. "I know what it's like. I was born as a mistake before you adopted me," she said. She paused.

"You weren't born a mistake. Shit happened yes, but you're here for a better reason than good ol' me. I'm the old man here," Bruce uttered.

"Whatever," she replied. Carrie then got up from her seat and departed out of the Batcave. Bruce undressed himself, putting himself into pajamas.

"I'm sick of this shit...why leave me to suffer?" he said to himself. Bruce was much more brooding and a complainer. Due to his age, he had some trouble getting out of his chair.

Bruce then left the Batcave and headed inside the manor. He fell into his bed, sighing. Carrie had left him a tray of milk and cookies. Bruce ate a few cookies before feeling his belly rumble.

"Ugh..." Bruce uttered. He struggled to lay in a good position on his bed. His poor back ached.

"What am I?" Bruce asked himself as he looked up at the ceiling. It was past midnight, and the city was silent.