Chapter 13

News of the Batman coming back spread out through Gotham.

'Did he come back to life or is this Batman another phony trying to make waves.'

After the death of Batman, wannabes tried to take up his role. They all ended up just getting hurt. The police had advised the public not to continue this trend or they will be forced to make arrests and charges the next time.

'Gotham Police Commissioner said that this Batman had contacted her anonymously.'

Of course, Barbara Gordon was questioned immediately because she was the one that turned on the Batsignal.

"Anonymously, huh?" Terry was in the batcave readin an online newspaper article about the appearance of the Batman. He was sweaty from his training. Even though he graduated from being taught, that doesn't mean that he gets to slack off afterwards.

"It's something I thought of ahead of time. That's how Bruce contacted my father before." Barbara said. Her corporeal body isn't in the batcave. It was her virtual form produced by the hologram.

"Is that what you wanted me to read?"

"No. It's the second article below that."

Terry looked for the article that Barbara was pointing out. He frowned as soon as he found it.

It was an article about the mutants.

'Two men almost killed by the vicious mutant gang'

"What are you going to do now about your former friends?"

Barbara is asking him now that he's Batman if he will personally capture the mutants.

"If I ever catch them, I'll bring them to you."

"... You're hesitating."

Terry looked at the somewhat disappointed Barbara.

"If you don't get to them first, we will. Just remember that."

If the police ever gets to the mutants first than Batman then casualties might rise because the police will fire on them, no doubt.

But Terry wasn't that worried. He knows how smart and cunning the mutant leader is.

The mysterious mutant leader. A mutant albino who mysteriously appeared. No history or records was found about him. The whole gang just knew him as leader, no name.

"Fletch..." Terry muttered

That was what the leader told him his name was. Fletch Tallon. He doesn't know if he was lying about it or if he's not the only one who he told his name to.

Terry already tried to search Fletch from any database available but he could not find a Fletch that matches his face. Not even just a slight resemblance of him.

One thing he's sure of is that he has a mission and the gang he formed was just a means to accomplish that mission.

There is a pattern of him choosing his targets. Wealthy and well connected politically. Terry got caught probably because the other party also saw this pattern. They probably already set a trap. If he hadn't seen through it earlier, his whole crew would have been arrested instead of just him.

The question is why. Terry thought. He couldn't include Barbara in investigating this because he fears that Barbara will be pinned somehow because she is police and the police have to be reformed first before they can be trusted. He feels bad about it too because Barbara, in a way, saved his life.

"... I guess I have to ask him myself."

That night. Terry as Batman scoured Gotham to find the mutant leader.

When he was part of the mutants, they always had to change their base. There were twelve divisions and each division had multiple hideouts. The mutant leader himself also changes locations and just calls the heads of every division to meet them in a certain place.

Because Terry was very cautious, he memorized how the mutant leader decides the location of the meeting. After a stunt like gravely injuring people, he would choose the location from only four places. One of which, where the authorities least expects it. Behind a restaurant just a block away from Police headquarters. The mutant leader is friends with the owner.

"There you are." Terry uttered as he luckily found them on the first location he checked.

You would think it's foolish because even if they don't expect it, they would be easily spotted. But how can you spot criminals, really? Especially when the mutant leader specifically asked for no uniforms which worked perfectly well with Terry's style. They all dress up like normal citizens, hiding in plain sight. Some even bought luxurious garments but no large brandings so it's subtle. The next problem would be their transportations that were mostly motorbikes. If the twelve heads would roll together on their bikes, of course they would attract attention. Because of that, they bought three economy cars.

They are more sophisticated than your average street gang.

The twelve heads entered the restaurant by which car arrived first. Don, who was Terry's second when he was in the mutants was in the group. Terry saw him and felt a little guilty. He must have filled up Terry's position after he was forced to leave.

Turning on the cloaking function of the suit, Batman entered the restaurant with the last four members to enter.

The owner recognized them and just nodded.

Batman followed them into the backroom.

Entering the room, there were lounge chairs and couches. The first eight that entered the room were already sitting there. A huge man that can tower over a bear was standing in the corner. The mutant leader's personal bodyguard.

In the middle of the room, patiently waiting, was the mutant leader. Wearing his signature fedora hat and trenchcoat, he had his back facing towards the rest of the people attending the meeting.

He turned around and faced them, revealing his long white hair up to his shoulders, his crimson eyes.

We all heard the rumors about him circulating around gotham before. They say he is a big burly man with a disfigured face. The one they might have seen was his bodyguard, Cedric. The real mutant leader who is here before us has a slim physique and a beautiful face that worked well with his pale skin. He's an albino. Maybe that's why he calls himself a mutant and if so, that is sad.

He smiled as he scanned the room then suddenly frowned when his gaze passed by the general area where Batman was while being invisible. He closed his eyes and began to speak.

"I never called to meet thirteen people." He said softly.

The people in the room looked at each other with confused expressions because there were only twelve of them that came inside except for the mutant leader and cedric who were already here before them.

"Quit the charades. Show yourself."

Batman was taken aback. 'I guess he really did sense me earlier. This isn't going to be easy.' He thought.

On the far side of the room, appeared a man all-clad in black. Batman decided to reveal himself, turning off the cloaking function of the suit.

The twelve that were sitting got startled and they all jumped from where they were sitting in. They looked at Batman and immediately took out their personal weapons. Guns. Knives. Batons.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" one of them shouted.

"Who the hell are you?!" another one shouted.

Before Batman could reply, the mutant leader spoke instead.

"Stop. You're no match for him. Those things you have in your hands probably look like toys."

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?"

"He obviously didn't come here to fight."

Silence filled the whole room but each one of them could hear their hearts beating loudly.

"That's right." The being that just appeared replied.

Chills went down their spine because the voice of the being sounded so deep and distorted that it was unpleasant.

"Then, what do you want?"

Batman planned to listen to their whole meeting first to get some information before talking to the mutant leader but that was immediately foiled and so he just said...

"I came here to talk to you."

The mutant leader was silent for a moment and thought to himself.

"You twelve, go outside for now." He instructed

"What?"

"What if he kills you?"

Voices of concern and suspicion arised. The mutant leader raised his hand and silenced them.

"He won't kill me. The symbol across his chest forbids him to do so. If a fight ever erupts between us then I'll surely win because of that factor. Now, go eat outside and wait for me to call you again." He knew the real Batman would not kill and so he based his confidence on that.

The twelve heads of the mutant gand frustratedly walked out of the room and occasionally glared at Batman. During all that, the bodyguard did not budge.

"They're gone. What do you want?"

"What about him?" Batman pointed towards Cedric.

"He won't be a problem. He'll only become a problem if he ever senses me being troubled. And as you can see, I'm calm as a cucumber."

"...What is your goal?" Batman went straight to business.

"My goal on what?"

"Your goal for forming the mutants. You're not just some random street gang. You act more like a syndicate. Someone who made this gang must have more aspirations than just forming a group of lowly thieves. I bet you never even told them what you wanted."

"I didn't have to and they don't need to know."

"Why?"

"Why do I have to answer your question?"

"I'll force an answer out of you if I have to." Batman glared and the mutant leader just received it with a smile. But the bodyguard didn't take it so lightly as he began to move from his corner but the mutant leader raised his hand to stop him.

The mutant leader covered his mouth and chuckled.

"Your predecessor must be truly dead if he didn't tell you any information about me."

"...Predecessor?" as Terry, his eyes widened as he had not expected the word to come up.

"You don't expect us to believe that you were the dead Batman and came back to life, don't you?"

"It's possible."

"You mean how the Justice League ressurected Superman before? Or a Lazarus pit? You'd have to have body to do that."

The mutant leader was so knowledgeable that Terry was at a loss for words.

"How do you know that there was no body?"

"Please. What the Justice League buried was just a suit. An omega beam would disintegrate the entire body."

"Why do you know so much?" Terry asked.

"Because your predecessor saved me."