Gotham - 2:00 A.M.

Gotham, on a dark and rainy night. The city is shrouded in mist, and the wind howls through the alleys. In an old, abandoned mansion deep within the city, young Tim Drake, also known as Robin, has fallen into the clutches of a cult of dark sorcerers. A slip on Batman's part—he had been busy thwarting a coalition between Mysterio and the Penguin, who had joined forces to deal with him while pursuing their own schemes.

Robin, having been sternly warned by Batman not to act without informing him, had nonetheless followed leads on a string of disappearances that led him directly to the cult. Unfortunately for him, even though Batman had anticipated that Robin might break protocol, it ended in his capture. Though Batman’s contingency plans accounted for many scenarios, they were less effective against mystical forces.

What began as a failed assault on the cult resulted in yet another victim being taken hostage for their dark rituals.

The sorcerers had been searching for a way to unleash a malevolent force from beyond the stars, and the young prodigy had become their key component.

Outside the Mansion:

Perched atop a nearby building, Batman surveyed the mansion with his sharp eyes. Though his suit was battered and torn from gunfire and blades, and exhaustion weighed heavily on him after thwarting the plans of two villains, he had rushed there in the Batmobile, determined to rescue his partner. Nothing could stop him now. The Dark Knight would never allow anyone to endanger his ally.

Inside the Mansion:

The altar was surrounded by a circle of flickering candles and arcane symbols scrawled across the floor. The cultists, clad in crimson robes with eyes burning with obsession, whispered in forgotten tongues, invoking forces beyond their control. Tim Drake was bound to a stone pillar, immobilized by a spell, his breaths ragged under the crushing weight of the magic.

The cult’s leader, an elderly man with a snow-white beard, approached Robin slowly, his wand glowing ominously.

Cult Leader:

"The boy is the key. His purity is the sacrifice required to open the portal. The darkness will heed our call."

Robin (struggling against his restraints):

"You’ll never succeed! Batman will stop you!"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Suddenly, a dull thud echoed from the mansion’s roof as smoke grenades and flash bombs began to detonate around the cultists.

A shadow moved swiftly through the haze, landing softly on the ground. The figure emerging from the mist was unmistakable: Batman.

Batman (in a low voice):

"Release Robin, or I’ll stop you myself."

The cult leader turned with a wicked grin. The other sorcerers, realizing Batman’s presence, raised their wands and began to conjure spells.

Cult Leader:

"The Dark Knight... What a surprise. But no magic in the world can overcome the will of the dark gods."

Batman (glancing at Robin):

"I told you, Tim. No going solo."

With a quick motion, Batman hurled a series of explosive batarangs toward the cultists, shattering their wands with deadly precision. However, the sorcerers retaliated with bursts of magical energy, hurling fireballs and beams of light at him.

First Sorcerer (shouting):

"Die, cursed Bat!"

Batman dodged with agility, leaping and sliding across the ground while using the shadows to his advantage. With a fluid movement, he deployed his cape to block a magical beam, then closed in on the nearest sorcerer, delivering a swift punch to the face that knocked him unconscious.

But the cult leader remained unfazed. He raised his wand with determination, chanting a more powerful spell.

Cult Leader:

"The shadow cannot overcome the light. Tremble before our power!"

A dark bolt of energy shot through the air, aimed directly at Batman. He barely had time to react. The magical energy struck him, slamming him into a wall. The Dark Knight fell to the ground, wounded, yet his expression remained unyielding.

Batman (in a raspy voice):

"This ends... now."

With almost inhuman speed, Batman rose and unleashed a smoke bomb that cloaked the room in total darkness. The sorcerers began to panic, straining to see through the thick fog, but it was futile. Batman, ever the master tactician, moved among the shadows, systematically disarming and incapacitating his enemies with ruthless efficiency. One strike here, a kick there—each movement was deliberate and devastating.

The cult leader, desperate, attempted to cast a final spell, summoning a massive shadowy beast made of pure darkness and magic. The creature rose from the ground with an earth-shaking roar and lunged at Batman. But the Caped Crusader, with his training and experience, knew how to handle even a monster of such size.

Batman (gritting his teeth):

"Just another shadow."

With remarkable agility, Batman leapt onto the creature, using his grappling hook to cling to its body. He pinpointed its weak spots and struck with precision, dismantling the beast until it collapsed into a puddle of dissolved darkness.

Finally, Batman approached the altar. With a swift motion, he destroyed the spell binding Robin. The young hero slumped against the stone, exhausted but alive.

Robin (panting):

"I thought... you wouldn’t make it."

Batman (adjusting his cape):

"I’m always where I’m needed."

With the cultists defeated and the danger neutralized, Batman and Robin left in silence, knowing that Gotham’s shadows were ever-present. But together, they would always find the light.