House of Valen Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Enter the Dark Knight

The morning sun had only just broken through Gotham’s haze when Nox found himself drifting lazily above the city, the wind rushing past his ears stretched outward. He had learned to wield his hearing the way a pianist used their fingers.

Each note and sound was tuned until he could pluck what he wanted from the chaos of Gotham.

This time it was easy. Gunfire erupted, dozens of sharp, rapid rounds shattering the quiet a mile away. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing.

“A robbery,” he mused.

He soared through the sky and touched down silently on the edge of a crumbling apartment rooftop. From there the scene unfolded clearly: the bank at the corner of Fifth and Danton.

Squad cars jammed the street; officers crouched behind doors and barricades, barking orders. Smoke curled from shattered windows, and inside, shadows shifted as hostages were forced to the ground.

At the center of this crime currently taking place was a name he recognized.

Firefly…

He’s a B-list arsonist with a jetpack and a flamethrower, more nuisance than threat. Yet in Gotham, nuisances had a way of festering into plagues if left unchecked.

Nox leaned forward, elbows on his knees, watching like he was front-row at a show. His feet swung idly over the ledge, a faint smile curling his lips.

Police shouted, moving to flank the culprits. Firefly answered with a torrent of flame that forced them back, heat rolling off the street in waves. He was buying time, creating distance, but Nox could see the hostages huddled inside. Their fear was real.

It wasn’t that Nox didn’t want to help. He could end it within seconds, but something in him hesitated… not from mercy, but out of curiosity.

Who will answer the call?

Clark rarely set foot in Gotham, leaving it to Batman’s watch. The thought of meeting the Dark Knight thrilled him, though he had never seen the man in person.

Today that would change when a growl cut through the chaos.

Nox’s ears twitched as his grin widened.

The Batmobile rumbled into view, sleek black armor and brute force, a tank prowling the streets of Gotham. It didn’t come barreling through the front like a hammer; instead, it slid into the alley at the back, tires screeching only once as it braked to a halt.

A dark figure emerged with the cape, cowl, and a living shadow of Gotham itself. Batman didn’t waste time; he scaled the side of the bank with effortless precision, vanishing from sight.

The only eyes on him were Nox's.

“Finally,” Nox whispered, kicking his feet in excitement. “Let’s see the legend in action.”

Inside the bank, chaos erupted. Smoke bombs rolled across the floor, white plumes hissing upward. Gunfire rattled, shouts turned to coughing, and then silence as the shadow swallowed everything.

One by one, Nox tracked it… then a silent ballet of a predator. A thug lifted his rifle only for a black gauntlet to seize it and slam him into the marble pillar. Another spun, firing into smoke, until a fist cracked his jaw, teeth scattering across the floor. A third screamed as he was yanked upward into the rafters, his cry cut short by the thud of unconsciousness.

Nox’s grin widened. “He’s efficient.”

Hostages scrambled for cover as Batman flowed from one enemy to the next, dismantling them with surgical precision. In minutes, the common robbers were broken, groaning on the floor.

Only Firefly remained, his pack roaring as flames swept across the lobby, forcing Batman to retreat into cover.

He laughed, a harsh bark amplified by his mask. “You think bats can stop flames, freak? I’ll burn this whole city down if I have to!”

Batman didn’t respond. He moved, a flicker in the smoke, gadgets flashing. His grapnel hook snapped into place, cutting fuel lines. A precise batarang ricocheted, sparking against Firefly’s tank. Another strike severed the ignition line.

The arsonist's face turned to panic as his flames roared on his back.

That was when the Dark Knight emerged in full, towering over the man with his cape flaring like wings. He seized Firefly by the collar, wrenched him down, and slammed a fist into his mask with such force the glass cracked.

Then he hit him again and then another time. Until the villain crumpled against the marble floor, flames hissing out as his pack sputtered dead.

Outside, the police surged forward, storming the lobby and securing the hostages.

From his perch, Nox clapped slowly, the sound carrying only for himself.

“Not bad,” he murmured. “Not too bad at all, for a human.”

His smile sharpened. Superman was an immovable wall. Batman, on the other hand, was a scalpel, a hunter in the dark. Both of them, in their own way, could make for interesting games.

Batman didn’t linger once the hostages were safe. The moment the police charged in, he was already gone, slipping away through the bank's shattered doors.

Firefly and the others were all groaning on the marble floor, bound, but still alive. Not even one of them is dead.

Nox leaned forward, resting his chin in his hand, amusement curling his lips.

“Of course none of them are dead,” he muttered. “Which means they’ll escape eventually and cause even more havoc, but Gotham’s jails are secure, right?” He couldn’t hold in a laugh. “Not a chance! This is the most corrupt city on the planet. That’s why he exists in the first place.”

He shook his head, still chuckling, as he watched Batman approach the waiting Batmobile in the alley. The armored plates slid open with a mechanical hiss, its black frame gleaming under the orange glow of the fire still lingering inside the building.

Nox suddenly got a brilliant idea; he smirked.

In less than a heartbeat, his body turned into a blur. The next instant, he was no longer perched on the rooftop… He was seated casually in the driver’s seat of the Batmobile, one arm draped over the wheel like he owned it.

Batman froze mid-step. His reaction was instant, with a batarang already half-drawn, his cape flaring as his body twisted into a combat stance. For a human, he moved much faster than Nox would have expected.

He just smiled at such a reaction while continuing to lounge in the leather seat. “Comfortable,” he said, patting the dashboard like it was an old friend.

“Who are you?” Batman’s voice came low and harsh, that rasping growl he used in costume. It echoed in the narrow alley like gravel grinding against steel.

Nox tilted his head. So that voice is real. He remembered the parodies from his old world, the exaggerated impressions of Batman’s ridiculous tone. The temptation was too much to resist.

Dropping his chin, he deepened his own voice until it was comically husky. He narrowed his eyes, giving his best brooding glare.

“I’m Batman,” he declared solemnly.

The silence lasted just long enough for Nox to savor it. Then, against all odds, he saw it, the tiniest flicker of hesitation in Batman’s posture. The Dark Knight seemed stumped.

Nox leaned forward, grinning through his fake scowl. “No? Not buying it?”

“Tell me who you are and what you want,” Batman demanded, his voice sharper now, less shaken.

“I’m Batman,” Nox repeated, louder this time, like a child doubling down on a lie. Then he slapped the steering wheel with mock triumph. “If you could just be on your way, I’m going to take this baby out for a ride.”

The growl from Batman’s throat was almost feral: “Out, now!”

Nox stretched his legs out across the console, utterly relaxed. His eyes glittered with mischief as he studied the legendary detective in front of him. He tried to stay in control and yet was so easy to provoke.

Finally, he leaned back with a lazy grin. Come on, Bruce Wayne. Don’t look so tense. Let me play with your toys.”

The effect was immediate. The name struck him at once, sharper than any blade. For all his training, for all the masks he had worn, it cut straight through to his core. His body moved before his mind could catch up, stance tightening.

How could this stranger know his name?

His silence was louder than any roar.

Nox wagged a finger at him, laughing softly. “There it is… the great Batman, rattled. Don’t worry… I’m not here to out you. Your secrets are safe for now, but you have to admit, this kind of stuff is fun.”

Batman took a step; shadows of the alley were clinging to him as he moved forward. “You have three seconds to explain yourself before I put you through the pavement.”

He leaned his head back against the seat, completely unfazed. “I’ve been paying attention to you, Bruce, studying Gotham and the way you play the long game. You catch, release, escape, and then repeat. You save the day, but only to face the same battle again tomorrow. It’s admirable, but ultimately short-sighted.”

Batman couldn’t help but scowl as his jaw clenched. “You don’t understand Gotham.”

“Oh, I understand it just fine,” Nox grinned, sharp as a blade. “The city doesn’t need a cycle. It needs an end, and I’m very good at endings.”

The air between them turned electric, tension thrumming like a tight wire. For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then Nox slid out of the seat in one smooth motion, standing eye to eye with Gotham’s Dark Knight. “Don’t worry, Bruce. I’m not your enemy yet. But… sooner or later, you and I are going to disagree on how to handle things, and when that day comes…” He let the words hang, his grin devious. “I’ll still be smiling.”

Before Batman could respond, Nox blurred, his body vanishing into the sky with a burst of displaced air.

The Batmobile’s engine hummed in the alley, its door still open.

Batman was left staring up at the sky; he tightened his fist until the gauntlet groaned.