Chương 125: Wayne Manor
Standing in the shadows of the forest that made up the East side of the Wayne Manor property, was a figure in a dark grey Owl costume. In his hand, he held a device with a digital arrow, and it was pointing to an area on the South side of the property.
"Wayne Manor, I had almost forgotten what it looked like. I do regret burning it down sometimes." Owlman knew he had a habit of talking to himself, and once again wondered if he should find someone to be a sidekick so it didn't look so awkward at times. No one questioned talking if there was someone to hear, but the stigma of talking to oneself indicated to outsiders a mental instability.
"Hmm. Maybe the next kid that discovers my identity, I train instead of killing? Well, it's a moot point now isn't it." A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Stepping out of the forest, Owlman quickly made his way to a side door of the Manor and bypassing the alarm, entered. He was somewhat surprised to see no staff moving about the building as he moved through the large mansion that was so familiar and yet so oddly different. Looking over the rooms he found many were covered with dust sheets and not in use.
In Fact, he would guess that 90% of the building was not in use. He made his way to the den, and there he found the first sign of a room in regular use. If he looked close enough, this hallway had more wear than any of the others. Someone with a perfectly even step traveled this hall a lot. The stride was too light to be the Devil-costumed figure.
Entering the den, Owlman is brought to an abrupt halt at the painting that dominates the room. Tearing his gaze away, he moves to a darkened corner before inspecting the painting again.
The large painting was of a family of three, the man was broad-shouldered and tall. Clean shaven and his black hair was slicked back. His face was stern if you didn't look at his eyes, the artist seemed to have caught a mischievous light there.
Beside him was a beautiful slender woman with short dirty blond hair, she wore a single shoulder strap gown that was green. The only visible jewelry was a string of pearls around her slender neck. Between the two grown figures was a little boy of maybe seven or eight years old. The boy wore a suit that was fashioned to match his father's in the picture, the jacket was the same color as his. However, his shirt and tie were both green to match his mother's outfit.
Both of the figures Owlman knew as Thomas and Martha Wayne had a hand on the boy's shoulder. Not to keep the boy at arm's length like in his own version of old paintings. But like they both wanted to pull him closer to themselves.
He recognized why this picture bothered him so, it wasn't just because there was a fourth figure missing, the figure of an elder son. But the air of love captured by the artist, the inclusion and downright contentment they showed.
{Did they only have enough love for one child? Is that why this is so different from my world?} So many questions went through his head. He wanted to rush forward and tear the false picture down, use it to start the flames and burn this parody of his past down to its very foundations.
Just before his muscles moved to enact his plans, he caught the sound of footsteps headed his way, he pulled back farther into the corner so he could remain unseen.
A slow even tread that Owlman recognized from long ago stopped at the door and entered. "Good evening, Master Thomas."
Owlman felt his heart stop and his hand went for a wing to throw.
"And you as well Mistress Martha. I know it is unbecoming of one such as myself to complain, but this time our dear Matt may have brought more trouble upon himself than he is prepared for. Master Dick was a challenge on his own but, this time… I just don't know."
The grey-haired figure shook his head and placed a tray on a table near the grandfather clock and opened the face of it. Owlman watched as Alfred moved the clock hands to precisely 10:48. Once he closed the clock face cover, the whole clock moved aside and revealed a staircase that went down. Alfred quickly grabbed the tray he had brought and made his way down the stairs.
Owlman was tempted to follow him down the stairs, but the hallway was very narrow and would be disadvantages. He decided to look around more, no animal had only one entrance and exit to his lair.
Continuing to move about the manor, Owlman's anger at the painting was forgotten in the face of his mission. He followed his tracker outside to the point directly above where the trigger was stored and began to look around for anything that could lead to an entrance. All he saw was an old well that had been covered up a couple hundred feet away.
After inspecting the cover, he found the mechanical lock but didn't stop there. It turned out to be a smart thing as he found a couple of sensors he had to bypass before opening the cover undetected. Following the well down he came to a series of caves that he had never seen before. {I wonder if these were here in my world?}
Hearing running water he cautiously turned on his infrared goggles, so he didn't step on any trip Lazers of other warning devices and made his way towards it. When he found the source of the sound, he found a dock of sorts with a small black boat that had a cross between bat and devil adornments.
Seeing many layers in this cave system, Owlman began climbing and inspecting each layer. He came across a giant penny propped up next to a replica of the T-Rex dinosaur. In the same room were glass cases filled with other mementos and costumes. {Quite a sentimental one, this guy.}
The next area he found was a hangar of various planes that like the boat were molded after the costume of their creator. Hearing the faint edges of a conversation, Owlman silently approached to listen in.
A young high-pitched voice reached out as he got close enough, "Come on Butt-ler, I am bored… Show me how all the gadgets work. Or let me out of here so I can go to the mall."
"Forgive me young Miss Todd, but I have my instructions. Until you can move through this course with impunity, it is all the training you are allowed to do."
"Stop with all the Young Miss junk. My name is Jubilee, just use it."
"Funny young Miss, in my investigation I have only found a Jubilation Lee Todd. Nowhere did I see the name Jubilee?"
"Ok, let's make peace here. If you promise to never call me Jubilation, then I will only call you Alfred. We got a deal?"
"I will do my best Miss Todd. Now, I believe that is a long enough of a rest. You don't want to disappoint Master Matt by not completing his tasks before he returns, correct? You're wish to be trained as the next Robin hinges on his willingness and your progress."
Owlman had approached close enough to now see a set of gym equipment set up as an obstacle course for training in dexterity. A young girl in blue shorts and a pink top was working her way through the course at what he considered a snail's pace. Her short-cut dark hair and partial oriental features made for a striking, if young, figure.
As she moved through the course, Jubilee continued talking to Alfred. "You know, I think instead of being the next Robin, I would prefer to be called Sparrow. What do you think?"
"I believe a Sparrow would move through this course at a much faster speed with more grace than you are currently showing. You have yet to put the effort into the training that you will require. The Devilbat does not play games with the criminal element, they do not shoot Nerf bullets and let one off easy once wounded. His nights are filled with Life and Death, often on the edge of the latter."
"You don't have to tell me about the streets, try living on them alone as a girl." As she spoke, her movements picked up speed and she began to show her true potential. Her movements took on a somewhat savage look.
Owlman moved quickly behind the distracted Alfred and landed a chop to the neck that should have knocked him out, but the butler reacted just enough to put the blow to low on his neck. Using the momentum of being hit from behind, Alfred rolled and pulled a gun from his holster.
Owlman was not caught flat-footed, he had followed the movement forward and when Alfred turned, he turned into an open fist of Owlman, who held a poison gas pellet. With a simple inhale, Alfred fell to the ground frothing at the mouth. Owlman then took out a simple bolo rope and threw it at the young girl and watched as she was tied up and hit the ground.
Walking up to the girl, "The old man is right, this is no game and death lurks ever ready for the slightest of missteps."
Owlman then turned his back and walked away, leaving her tied up.
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