Rest In Peace

A Vacation to Honor the Dead

     "Master Bruce, I did suggest you go back to the town to visit the grave, but given your mood since we have let Gotham... Sir are you sure you want to go?" Alfred asked worriedly as he looked at Bruce through the rear view mirror. 

    Bruce had been sadly gazing out the window. He made eye contact with Alfred briefly through the mirror. "You were right Alfred. We have to go. I have to... I have to see it. I wasn't there for the funeral and I owed her that."

   "Master Bruce, I believe she would have understood why you could not. You were devastated. I believe that she is just happy you have come to see her after four years." 

   Bruce just nodded and sighed. Then he looked back out the window. It was not long before they arrived. What they saw shocked them. The entire town was in ashes. No one was left. Bruce hopped out of the car. "Alfred check for any survivors or what could have caused this. I'll go check around the cemetery." He then rushed off. 

     The sky was overcast as it had freshly rained. The ashes that scattered the ground were not fresh. This had happened a while ago. No one knew because the town was hidden and small. Bruce picked up a small object from a pile of ashes. He knew what it was. "This was her place... why was her stuff still here..." he mumbled to himself while he looked at the damaged and dirty object. It was an old leather bound journal. Bruce pocketed it as he walked to the cemetery. 

    He stopped in his tracks. The cemetery was left untouched. Everything was perfect. Bruce rushed through the headstones. He had to find hers. This whole situation was too strange. It only became stranger. Her grave had a hole in it. Bruce rushed to it and crouched. "What is going on here... (Y/N)." He had not said that name in four years. The name made him choke up. No one had made him feel like she did. Yet he constantly blew it. His only hope was that she died knowing he loved her. His head bowed as he lay the roses upon her grave. In between them was her favorite flower. 

   A chuckle came from above him. Bruce stiffened and looked up. Crouched on the headstone was a woman. She wore a suit like Batman. Only it was like a bird. Her mask was a dark blue and covered her eyes and nose. The cape was black, but lined with the dark blue. The suit was a black and had the dark blue accents. It had no symbol. 

    Bruce stood and stepped back a bit to gain some space. "Who are you? What happened here?" 

    The woman grinned. She looked around. "Oh Bruce, you've been gone a very long time. They burned this whole place to the ground as the war raged."

    "They? Who is they? The war... You mean the war between the witches?"

    "Yes the war between the witches. And you know who they are. You trained with them. The League. Just in case it isn't ringing a bell, the League of Assassins."

     Bruce's gaze hardened. "How did you know that?"

     "They told me."

      He didn't respond. The glare spoke volumes.

    "Oh dont give me that. Listen, I am not responsible for this. I was here trying to stop them. I was not trained like you are. So they came, they burned the place to the ground, and all I could do was protect the grave yard."

    "Why didn't they burn this place?"

    "No use in burning the dead."

     "Why is her grave empty?"

     "Empty? Look again Bruce," She laughed. 

     "How do you know my name? Why are you here on her grave? Who are you?"

     "So many questions, Bruce. I know you because you know me. I am on (Y/N)'s grave because she deserved some visitors. Can't have her feeling alone in death now can we?" She asked bitterly. Yet then she smiled again. "I am R. See ya around Bruce." Then just like that she was gone in a puff of smoke. 

    Bruce thought through what she said before looking down at the hole in the grave. In there was a note. He took it just as Alfred called him. <Sir, you better come see this.> 

    "On my way Alfred." he responded before hanging up and heading over to Alfred's location. Alfred was in the exact location Bruce had seen (Y/n) die. He gulped and slowly walked up to Alfred. "What is it?" Then he saw it. A throwing blade in the shape of a feather. On the grip was an etched R. Bruce wrapped a cloth around it in case there were finger prints. "Lets go Alfred. It seems we have work to do."

    Alfred sighed, "Never is a dull day with you, is it sir?"

    Bruce chuckled lightly, "I guess not."

    It was dark when they arrived back in Gotham and at Wayne mannor. The Batman would not be seen that night as Bruce stayed up all night in the Batcave researching R. He would find no traces of her fingerprints or any knowledge of her existing. Soon days would pass and Bruce would not find anything. He went about his normal days and nights as Bruce Wayne and the famous Batman. 

    Weeks would pass. Three exactly. Batman was out patrolling on the rooftops. A bank robbery went into effect across the street and he was off to take care of it. From around a corner on the rooftop he just vacated came a small laugh. "Oh Bruce... what you have become... I had no clue. It makes so much sense. You know, its been four years. I've changed. I wonder if you have? You never came to the funeral. That hurt you know. I knew you hated me, but you didn't have to leave me alone in death. If you would have stayed... You would have seen I was very much alive. I needed you! And... you just got hit by a crowbar. I guess my rant that you can not hear is temporarily over..." She rolled her eyes and dove off the roof. It seems the men had gotten a momentary upper hand on Batman. Yet not for long as the woman swooped down from the shadows and took them out. Then she walked over to Batman and helped him up. "Well you seem like you could use a hand. Guess I'll just have to stick around."

     Batman was dumbfounded. She was here. "Who are you?" 

    "I'm R. Yet I'm pretty sure you already knew that. You want to know who I am behind the mask. Well... You gotta buy me a drink first." She smirked as she came in close. 

    Batman went wide eyed as a man was not fully down and shot at them. "Look out!" He yelled as he grabbed her and pulled her out of the way. The bullet pierced her side. R threw a blade and it sliced his hand which made him drop the gun. Then batman rushed to knock him out. R held her side as blood seeped from the wound. When Batman came up to help her she backed away with a pained smirk. 

    "No no bats. I know what you would do with some of this blood. Can't have you find out just yet. We have a game to play. Be seeing you around. I've gotta spread the word. There is a new vigilante in town." Then just like that she vanished once more. not a drop of blood hit the ground. Batman had nothing. Her words echoed through his head. 'We have a game to play...       A new Vigilante in town....'