Batman Log File 002 – Training & Return

Batman Log File – Master Record
Confidential – Batcomputer Internal Node

File 002 – Training & Return

After the night of my parents’ murder, the years that followed were deliberate, calculated. I could not afford wasted time. I could not afford weakness. Every day, every choice, every lesson was measured against a single purpose: to prepare for what Gotham would demand of me.

I left Gotham in my late teens. Alone, I traveled the world. I sought out masters of combat, stealth, strategy, and discipline. From the martial schools of the Far East to the secret academies of Europe, I trained my body to be a weapon and my mind to be a fortress. Pain was constant; failure was frequent. I learned to endure, to adapt, to anticipate.

But strength alone would not suffice. I studied criminology and forensics, immersing myself in law, detective work, and the psychology of criminals. I read cases, memorized patterns, dissected the mind of the murderer, the rapist, the thief. To fight crime, one must understand crime. I understood the law would only ever reach so far. My work would take me where it could not.

I returned to Gotham in the dead of night. The city was the same — familiar streets, corrupt officials, gangs vying for control — yet it was different to me. I was no longer the boy in the alley; I was something else entirely. A shadow. A predator for those who preyed on the innocent.

My first operations were small, surgical. I tested my limits, studied the criminals’ reactions, refined my approach. Fear became my weapon. I learned to strike from the darkness, leaving my presence known but unseen, an idea more than a man. Gotham needed a symbol. I became that symbol.

Alfred, my guardian and only remaining family, became my anchor. His counsel, wisdom, and unwavering loyalty provided balance to the darkness I cultivated. I learned that even a symbol must be tethered to humanity, however faintly.

It was during these years that I first encountered the rogues who would define my mission: the Joker, the Penguin, Two-Face, and others. They tested me physically and mentally, forcing me to adapt continuously. Their unpredictability hardened my resolve. I could not afford hesitation; hesitation meant death — theirs or mine.

Barbara Gordon’s story would intersect with mine later, but even now, her presence loomed in the larger picture of Gotham’s protection. She would face tragedy and rise stronger — eventually regaining her mobility through advanced nanotech after her time as Oracle. Gotham’s defenders are resilient. That resilience is what makes me believe, however quietly, that our work is not in vain.

This was the return: the city reclaimed, the mission begun, the shadow cast across the streets. Every step forward demanded vigilance. Every decision carried consequence. The path I chose was lonely, but it was necessary. I am Batman. Gotham will learn that fear can be more than a tool. It can be a shield.