Ghosts of the Past [OPEN]

[avenging-bat.livejournal.com]

To a few onboard Stacy, some would recognize the surroundings in one of the Sensoriums.

It was Gotham City. But, not just any Gotham, it was the Gotham before the earthquake, before No Man's Land, before its rebirth. To some, it would be a bit of a nostalgia, especially after what they've learned some time earlier.

Of course, the painful screams and breaking of bones certainly something that would either creep people out or add on to it.

The source of that? One Jean-Paul Valley, the second man to take up the Mantle of the Bat, tearing through everything coming towards him. Small time crooks to those such as Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, the Scarecrow and more - all fell to his blades. The System, the psychological brainwashing the accessed his skills, kept pushing him on, driving him more and more, not letting him stop...

...until he heard it.

"JEAN-PAUL VALLEY..." a voice called out. As the last crook dropped, Jean-Paul turned his head and looked up. Underneath his helmet, his eyes widened. Above him was a man, garbed in nothing but Crusade-era armor, a sword and shield in his hands.

"...Saint Dumas... you're okay! You're safe!" Jean-Paul said, his voice wavering.

"DO NOT PATRONIZE ME, JEAN-PAUL." Saint Dumas said. "YOU HAVE FAILED IN YOUR MISSION. THOSE YOU WERE CHARGED TO PROTECT ARE NOW GONE. THOSE ON BOARD THIS VESSEL HOLD FAITH IN THE OTHER AND YOU, WORSE OF ALL, HAVE FORSAKEN ME FOR ANOTHER..."

"Forsaken... I haven't forsaken you! I swear!" Jean-Paul said.

"YOU HAVE FORSAKEN ME FOR ANOTHER HERE. YOU DISAPPOINT ME, JEAN-PAUL. YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO HERE AND FOREVER MORE..." Saint Dumas said, disappearing. Jean-Paul dropped to his knees.

"No... no I haven't forsaken you. I... I can still complete my mission, I can still protect those I am charged to protect..." Jean-Paul muttered. He lifted his head up and thrust is arms into the air "DAMN YOU, SAINT DUMAS! DAMN YOU AND YOUR WORDS! I WILL COMPLETE MY MISSION OR DIE TRYING!"

If anyone saw Jean-Paul during all this, they probably would have seen him arguing with thin air.

Comments

[bornintherain.livejournal.com]

"You know," said a a disembodied voice that didn't belong to any saint, "I've heard that the sensoriums are a good place to take out your frustrations. But I don't think this was exactly what the people who said it had in mind."

The tone was flat, ironic rather than sarcastic or teasing. The voice was low and gravelly, though it sounded like it belonged to someone still in his youth. There was the distinct sound of metal on metal from somewhere in the shadows above. And if Jean-Paul looked hard enough he would probably be able to discern four small, red points of light in the darkness. Raiden had walked into the Sensorium by accident. Finding it already in use, he'd spent awhile flitting through the shadows of the city. That is, until he'd heard the screaming.

[avenging-bat.livejournal.com]

Jean-Paul heard the voice and began looking around. There was someone else here with him.

"Who's here? SHOW YOURSELF!" Jean-Paul shouted, standing to his feet. "Is that you, Wayne?! If it is, I'm tired of it all!"

[bornintherain.livejournal.com]

Call Raiden crazy, but eve if he wasn't really a ninja, he still had the thought processes of one. Why show yourself when you could hide safely in the shadows. He didn't just stay in one place however, oh no. He knew the lights in his helmet would give him away sooner or later. So he moved, swiftly and silently between the shadows even as he spoke.

"No. It isn't 'Wayne.' Just someone who's mildly concerned about the safety of the crew members on this ship. Specially with an armored psycho running around."

[avenging-bat.livejournal.com]

Jean-Paul looked around as he tried to find Raiden. He was right - this wasn't Bruce at all. There was still the lingering feeling he would try to take the suit from him.

"I don't need anyone concerning themselves about me! I am fine! Always will!" he said, though it was easy to tell that he wasn't.

[bored-admiral.livejournal.com]

Spaurh arched a brow from her position in the doorway (well, it was an alleyway now) and took a single step forward, hands resting on her hips as she watched Jean-Paul argue with the air. This place seemed so horrid. A city (a lander city with far too much gravity) surrounded by darkness and decay. She snorted, "So, are you going to continue ranting at thin air or should I let you be alone with... yourself?"

[avenging-bat.livejournal.com]

Jean-Paul arched his head up and quickly turned to face the person, raising the arm with his shuriken launcher just in case the person tried anything.

"...what do you mean "thin air"? You didn't see him? You didn't see Saint Dumas?" Jean-Paul said. "He was right there!"

[lackofdarkwings.livejournal.com]

Matt stared. When he was planning on getting around the Sensorium, the last thing he expected to see was a man screaming at thin air. Some of his magical senses warned him as "possibly if not totally dangerous" but common sense overrode his logical nerve.

At least until he opened his mouth. "There's um, no one there..."

[avenging-bat.livejournal.com]

"There IS someone here! Are you not BLIND?!" Jean-Paul shouted, standing up and facing Matt. "...of course you are. You're nothing but a BRAT! Why are you even here in the first place? You should have joined those unworthy...!"

[lackofdarkwings.livejournal.com]

"Hey hey, calm down man. Just because I can't see him, it doesn't mean you can't right?" Unworthy? Oh boy, why did he have to step into this Sensorium?

[avenging-bat.livejournal.com]

"...of course. Though, it just proves you weren't meant to see him at all. And if no one else does, then that means that this entire SHIP is unworthy!" Jean-Paul said, realizing some of those who'd seen him earlier was probably the same.

"I'm going to ask once more: why are you here?"

[lackofdarkwings.livejournal.com]

"Um, I'm here because I'm here?" replied Matt, completely out of his element. God was this guy going to flip on him or something?

"Look, I was just looking for a place to play my music. If you'll excuse me..."

[avenging-bat.livejournal.com]

"I prefer to be by myself. And if I have to get rid of you by force, I WILL!" Jean-Paul shouted, reaching out to grab Matt, intending on launching him out.

[lackofdarkwings.livejournal.com]

Matt reacted instinctively when Jean-Paul came at him with those sharp claws of his. A thin but powerful pink barrier formed between the pair and he stammered out, "Hey! You're wearing pointy gloves y'know!"