Batman: Hardened: Prologue

“Holy suffering limericks, Batman.  It's the Riddler.”  The words echoed into the ceiling from the campy technicolor-ed show on one of the monitors in the Bat Cave.  Bruce, unimpressed, stared at the screen in mock amusement at the actor's bastardization of Robin.  “Ridiculous.”  Bruce turned it off and turned his attention to the more important stock ticker. 

Wayne Industries had dropped well below “marginally well” since Lex Corp. had moved into Gotham.  Luthor was on a one man campaign to alert the world of how terrible Bruce Wayne truly was. He played up Bruce's playboy status to the media, showing them he was incapable of running such an industrious company, and that the shareholders were in danger investing with him.  Wayne Industries would be fine, but it didn't stop Bruce from being annoyed.  Luthor was a criminal, and even if Batman's alter ego was a carefree playboy, he was by far a better role model than a wealthy psycho bent on world domination and the destruction of one certain boy in blue boy scout. 

Bruce leaned back in his seat, his cowl irritably scratching the back of his neck where it was resting.  “Maybe a bit of recon at Luthor Corp may be in order.”, he thought, feeling the sensation that Lex was up to something other than character defiling.  He stood up, his bones protesting only slightly at the thought of more exertion.  Bruce absently locked down the Bat Cave computers, and walked towards the Bat Mobile.  “What a stupid name.  Why does everything I own have to start with “Bat”?”  The media made a mockery out of the efforts of this famed crime fighter despite the seriousness of his cause.  Rid Gotham, The United States, and the World of crime, poverty, and devastation.

He threw his utility belt into the passenger seat and got in.  It was a tricked out military vehicle known only by the code name Thrasher.  Basically it was a tank that maneuvered like a Ferrari with enough weaponry to wage a one man war against a sovereign nation.  It was low, powerful, and sleek.  There were no doors, just a canopy top.  Bruce remembered Lucius Fox, his friend and accomplice, telling him to give up on this style and just a get vehicle with proper doors.  “We're not as young as we use to be Bruce.  I'm nearly twice your age, and the silver is already taking your temples.  That extra jump might just lose you a hip one day.”  He laughed, knowing full well that even at 57, Bruce was more agile then most men at 20.

That was ten years ago.  Lucius was dead.  Old age had taken his friend, and left Bruce to sort out gagetry all on his own.  His lack of trust in man kind put him back on the one man show.  Alfred was long dead, and Dick had his own thing, along with the preceding Robins that survived.  The new staff was completely unaware of the Bat Cave or of the master's darker side, noting his creepy sudden appearances in various rooms of the mansion.  Oracle.  Barbara was available, but Bruce didn’t like bothering her especially since she disapproved of geriatric crime fighting.  That's why she created the new suit for him.

The suit was rigged with advanced plastic polymers allowing him to keep up with the younger generations of degenerates.  They worked as prosthetic muscles contracting in response to his own movements increasing strength and speed respectively. 

( more to come.  please bare with me.  i plan on reworking that second paragraph.  makes Bruce seem younger than he's supposed to be)