AN: First off, for everyone waiting for the next chapter of Chivalry of a Dark Knight, it's still in the works. I've been held up with a bad cold this month so I got much less work done than I would've liked. Don't worry, the wait will be worth it ;)

Secondly, I want to give a shout-out to Okami Princess for some of the ideas she's given me for this chapter. Thank you so much and I hope you're well!

CHAPTER 03: A Monster of Another Kind

Before him was a large monitor displaying multiple windows of photos and looping video clips, they were taken from the built in camera within his cowl lenses during his encounter with the possessed Killer Moth. They were all of...her.

It had been a few hours since he turned in Kite-man's gang to the GCPD, they were probably back in their cells in Arkham by now, and throughout this whole time he still couldn't get her out of his mind. He knew that trying to find out where she actually came from would be futile but he could run facial recognition to see if she used a passport to get into the country.

Unfortunately that also turned out to be a dead end; if she did arrive by plane or boat, it probably wasn't through legal means.

He thought back to their fight with Moth and the mentioned word 'Ayakashi' came to mind. He had already looked it up and apparently it was another word for Youkai. Japanese supernatural creatures of folklore and myth, but surely they're nothing but just fairy tales, right?

And then there was something else that disturbed him: they both seemed to know him. That thing that possessed Moth referred to him as a descendant and Himari specifically sought out Bruce Wayne and seemed to know he was Batman.

And more importantly, why did she call him 'Master'?

His eyes narrowed as he zoomed in on one image, bringing her heart-shaped face and violet eyes into view.

"Himari..." he breathed out.

"Did you say something, Master Wayne?"

Bruce quickly minimized the whole program and brought a map of Gotham on screen just as Alfred approached.

"Nothing, Alfred. I was just checking the Police feed. Aside from the trouble at the fundraiser, there doesn't seem to be anything else going on tonight." Bruce explained in haste, deciding to keep the whole 'Youkai' thing to himself.

Alfred nodded with a content smile, glad that the city was at some semblance of peace.

"Indeed, sir. A much needed quiet respite."

But of course, Bruce was far from content and stood up while pulling his cowl over his head.

"Too quiet." he said grimly. "I'll be heading out for patrol."

With a disapproving frown, Alfred firmly stepped in front of Batman before he could leave.

"With all due respect Master Wayne, I recall you haven't slept for two nights straight."

"Forty six hours and twenty five minutes by my count." Batman responded in mock defense.

"Regardless, I highly suggest you refrain from jumping off rooftops until AFTER you've had proper nourishment and at least eight hours of bed rest! You said it yourself: there are no pressing emergencies and I'm sure that even the Batman could use ONE night off."

Batman glared silently at his Butler but Alfred stood there steadfast with his arms crossed in defiance. For a short moment, a silent battle of wills raged between the two of them until Batman finally relaxed with a defeated sigh.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" he asked wearily.

"Indubitably, sir."

"Fine." Bruce grumbled while taking off his cowl as he made his way towards the secret entrance to the Manor.

Alfred meanwhile smirked in triumph, it wasn't everyday he got the Master to listen to him and so he reveled in his victory before following after him.

With the two of them gone, the cave seemed quiet and there didn't seem to be any activity. That was until the Batmobile's canopy suddenly slid open and out jumped a certain snow white cat.

Bruce laid on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head, his eyes were open and his mind was still buzzing with activity. He felt a little frustrated that he didn't have anything else to focus on but here he was. After sighing in resignation, he finally decided to close his eyes and attempted to put himself in a meditative state so he could relax his body.

So deep he was in this state that he didn't notice the sheets over his lower body slowly being pushed up and take shape like there was another person underneath.

"Retiring to bed so soon?" came a familiar voice.

Bruce's eyes popped open just as Himari's face poked out from under the sheets and hovered over his. He first blinked, thinking for a moment that he was dreaming but when he realized that the situation was very real, he quickly shot up and scooted back from startlement.

"W-wha-what the hell are you doing here!?" he balked, caught completely off guard.

"How rude. Is that anyway to greet a lovely girl who's taken to trouble to visit you at night?" Himari pouted playfully.

The sheets around her slid off as she crawled towards him with a mischievous smile, those haunting violet eyes seemed to gleam in the dark. That was when Bruce noticed her attire: all she wore was a thin white yukata that fitted around her loosely to the point that her cleavage hung before him.

"You should learn to be more appreciative." she said.

"You're trespassing!" Bruce snarled defensively. "How did you get past security!?"

"I snuck inside your ox-less carriage and entered through that cave. Such a large castle and yet you spend all your time down below, why is that?"

Bruce's eyes widened, realizing that she was in the cave! He assumed what she meant by "ox-less carriage" was actually the Batmobile but how did she sneak inside? There was no way anyone could do that without his notice. But more importantly, if she entered the Manor through the cave then that only meant one thing.

"Dammit." he cursed to himself.

There was no way he could deny out of this. It was obvious that Himari knew who he was.

"What do you want!?" he asked harshly.

No being the least discouraged by his hostility, Himari took him by surprise by suddenly pulling his hips towards her and then pushing his shoulders down on the bed so she could crawl over him.

"Do you perchance remember earlier when you touched me? You have quite salacious hands, Master." she teased.

"That was-!"

Bruce's voice completely died in his throat when she suddenly took one of his hands and pressed it against one of her breasts! All his mental protocols in trying to control the situation instantly evaporated and all he could think of was the softness in his palm.

"It's alright, I don't mind. If you wish, you can touch me as much as you want." she said so in a soft, sensuous voice.

His mind turned to complete mush as she draped herself over him with her bosom firmly pressed to his muscled chest. He could clearly hear the purring from her throat as she snuggled her face to the side of his neck and then proceeded to lick him.

Bruce flinched and his nerves tingled, feeling the surprising roughness of her tongue. As much as he was internally protesting, a large part of himself admitted that her actions were turning him on.

"Master..." he heard her moan and then felt one of her hands feel over him. From his arm to his abs before beginning to trail down to his crotch.

This triggered alarm bells in his head, telling him that this has gone far enough and with a sudden panicky resolve, he roughly pushed her off as he sat up.

"Enough of this!" he growled. "If you think you can just break into my property and have your way, you've got another coming!"

Himari first looked at him confused but then her mischievous smile returned when she suddenly grabbed hold of both his wrists and pushed him back down with his arms trapped above his head. Bruce attempted to fight back but to his surprise, her strength was freakishly overpowering his own and securely held his wrists down.

"What the...?" Bruce blurted in disbelief.

With ease, Himari readjusted herself so she could pin down his arms with just her forearm, leaving her other hand free to place a finger to his lips.

"Shhhh..." she instructed playfully.

Bruce froze as she trailed her finger down towards the button of his night shirt which she slowly undid.

"What are you doing? S-stop that!"

But she didn't listen to Bruce's protests and continued to unbutton his shirt until his chest was exposed.

"As I thought, it's broken." Himari said.

"Huh?"

Bruce blinked and then realized that she was referring to the Omamori on his chest.

"This charm was imbued with great spiritual power that protected you till now. Now that it's broken, the Ayakashis will begin to sense your presence. Such is your destiny."

"Destiny?"

"Yes. But remember, you don't need to worry because you are now under my protection."

"I don't need any protection." he stated with a glare and then tried to pull his arm free but she still managed to hold it there with her strength.

"What are you anyway?" Bruce asked.

Himari giggled at this.

"As I've said, my name is Himari." and then to Bruce's shock, a pair of fluffy white cat ears suddenly sprung from her head and a long wagging white tail revealed itself behind her.

"And I'm also an Ayakashi, a cute Bakeneko." she finished.

Bruce's jaw slacked as his expression turned flabbergasted.

" 'Da Hell!?"

And just in that moment, the door to his room swung open and there stood Alfred with a shotgun in one hand.

The butler froze at the scene before him and both Bruce and Himari looked back at him awkwardly like two teens caught in the act by their parents.

"Alfred, this isn't what it looks like!" Bruce cried out frantically.

Ignoring his employer, Alfred quickly aimed the shotgun at the female intruder.

"Identify yourself at once!" he demanded.

Surprisingly, Himari softly chuckled and regarded the older British with a warm smile.

"It's been a long time, Alfred-sama." she said, shocking both men. "But if you're trying to threaten me, you'd have better luck with those infernal English lessons than that gun."

Alfred lowered his weapon slightly and squinted at her for a moment before his eyes fully opened in recollection.

"Miss Himari?"

Himari let out a sudden cat-like noise before she sprung from the bed towards Alfred and threw her arms around him.

"My word! It IS you!" Alfred laughed in joy.

The shotgun was dropped to the floor as he returned the hug, making Himari purr with happiness. Alfred then pulled away slightly to get a proper look at her.

"Goodness, the last I saw you, you were but a mere kitten but look at you! You've grown into such a beautiful young lady."

The reunion between them was interrupted with a hard "Ahem", bringing their attention to Bruce who now sat at the edge of his bed looking none too pleased.

"Alfred..." Bruce began with grit teeth, his temper on the verge of being lost. "Mind explaining to me what's going on? How do you know this...cat person!?"

Alfred briefly looked back and forth between Himari and Bruce and then let out a defeated sigh.

"I suppose it was foolish of me to think it wouldn't come to this." he said morosely.

Bruce raised a brow, jaw still clenched as he waited for an answer. Alfred then straighten himself and walked by the door before he gestured Bruce and Himari to follow him.

"Come Master Wayne, it's time you learned a little something...about your family."

Elsewhere in a dark abyss was a gathering of various Ayakashis. They had been exchanging information regarding Wayne's survival and the fall of one of their brethren.

"So the Crimson Blade of Noihara has allied with him." one of them mused.

"That traitorous Bakeneko!" another spat with disgust.

"What should we do? How can we get to Wayne with her following him?"

The one they asked looked surprisingly human and not only stood out from the menagerie of strangely shaped creatures but also stood at the center of them as if figure of authority.

"Have patience." the person said. "Understand that Wayne isn't like the other Slayers, he hasn't awakened his abilities yet."

Behind their apparent leader came a soft emotionless voice.

"It doesn't matter if he has or not. ~Nano."

Another human appeared before the gathering but unlike the leader, this one looked like a pre-teen girl.

She had a petite stature, giving the impression that she was as old as twelve but no younger than ten, with short green hair that had thick bangs framing her forehead and the sides of her face. She wore a short soaking wet white sundress that clung to her pale skin and was translucent enough to reveal her panties. To top off her unusual appearance, her eyes were deep red and looked dead along with her expression.

"All Demon Slayers are evil and shouldn't be allowed to live. ~Nano." she stated in a soft yet cold voice.

"Ah, Dear Mizuchi." The leader turned slightly to address her. "Have you found a suitable host?"

"Yes. I have."

"Good. Then you may take the Honengyo with you and proceed."

The girl paused for a second before speaking up.

"Why are you so interested in this...'Arkham'?"

She pronounced it with some difficulty and then uncharacteristically narrowed her cold red eyes.

"It is a dark and dreadful place. ~Nano."

Their leader smiled and in a dramatic fashion, spun to address the surrounding Ayakashis, answering not only for her but for everyone present.

"Because as I've said: Wayne isn't like the others. He is more preoccupied with fighting these criminals and costumed freaks."

To emphasize, the leader flung his arms in a throwing motion.

"So we'll scatter them! Empower them, use them to distract him and the Bakeneko until they both drop their guard for us to strike at the right moment."

The leader's hand then gestures towards the green haired girl.

"I will even leave that honor to you, Dear Mizuchi."

"Wakatta." she responded simply with a nod.

And with that, her entire body turned to water, fell and then seeped into the floor.

The sounds of rain hammering against the skylight above echoed throughout the long corridor. At intervals the monotonous sounds were accompanied by a distant rumble and a flash of lightning that momentarily lit up the surroundings.

"Jeez, what's with this weather?" Correctional Officer Mills commented. "They didn't say anything about rain in today's forecast."

He was accompanying an older and shorter man that had stern features and was wearing a lab coat and had a clipboard in his hand, obviously a doctor in the facility.

"Well it IS Gotham after all." the doctor grunted sardonically.

"Maybe you should clock off early, Doctor Clarke. Before it gets worse."

The two of them continued to walk down the dark corridor that had rows of cell doors on either side.

"One last patient to visit and then I'll call it a night."

Mills halted when Clarke stopped before one particular door and the Correctional Officer balked in horror when he realized who's cell it was. The name plaque was displayed before him as another flash of thunder and lightning illuminated it in an ominous fashion. The name was...

'W. JONES'

"You're ending your rounds with HIM!? You're itching to get nightmares or something?! That thing isn't even human!"

But Clarke ignored the officer's fearful protest and commanded him with indifference.

"Open the door, Officer Mills."

Mills gulped and then took out his key bunch, he cycled through them and went through the usual motions until he paused when his key hovered before the keyhole.

"Alright. Remember protocol, Doctor: stay by the door and keep at least four feet of distance." he cautioned.

"Yes, yes, I know." the Doctor waved off in dismissal.

And so the key was turned and the door was slowly pulled open.

At first there didn't seem to be anyone inside the dark padded cell but if one were look further, they would see a large shadowed form hunched up against the wall seemingly asleep.

Wearing only a pair of pants, he was a hulking mass of green scaly muscles with his arms bound by heavy thick links of chains attached to the wall. He was bald but like the rest of his body, his head was adorned with thick plates and his mouth was a large maw with interlocking teeth. At the sound of the unlocking door, his eyes opened and revealed them to be all too reptilian.

"How are we feeling today, Waylon?" Clarke asked apathetically.

Killer Croc's only response was his flat nostrils flaring. He never liked Doctor Clarke, especially when he used his real name. It sounded so condescending.

Clarke shot a scrutinizing glance towards the Crocodile-man before flipping through his clipboard.

"You've been quite busy the other day, I hear you got into a sort of altercation with some of the security guards. Three injured, two hospitalized and one in intensive care for having his...foot bitten off."

The doctor read that last bit with slight disbelief before turning his attention back towards Croc.

"Would you like to share your thoughts on that,...Waylon?"

Croc remained silent.

"Very well, here's mine." the doctor said. "My preliminary assessment is that these violent outbursts of yours could be traced back to some deep rooted childhood trauma. They called you names, didn't they? 'Lizard boy'?, 'Scaly freak'?,...'Ugly bastard'? It couldn't have been easy growing up with that condition of yours, especially with your abusive aunt."

This got a reaction. Croc narrowed his eyes as his throat rumbled with a warning growl.

"I initially assumed that you embracing such animalistic behavior and cannibalism was your way of getting back at your abusers but after reviewing your file, I came to the conclusion that this is a case of self-loathing. You hate yourself, don't you Waylon? For your father abandoning you and your mother's death after giving birth-"

With an appropriate flash of lightning and thunder, Croc charged with roar! The chains bound to his arms managed to hold him back but it didn't stop him pulling against it and snapping his jaws at the air like a leashed rabid dog.

Mills was startled enough to quickly grab his taser-gun and take aim but Doctor Clarke stopped him with an outstretched arm. Seeing that the chains was still holding the criminal, Mills shakily put away his weapon. Even if the chains didn't hold, he doubted if the taser would actually stop him.

"Waylon..., we talked about this." Clarke said disapprovingly like a stern father. "Remember what I said about using that aggression more constructively?"

Croc finally spoke out with an inhuman gutteral voice.

"Oh, I remember alright!"

The Crocodile-man then gave a sinister grin.

"Want me to say it out loud? How 'bout you come a little closer, Doc...So I can whisper it to ya!"

The Doctor sniffed with indignation as he took out a pen and wrote on his clipboard.

"I see that your progress has been slow as usual. For now, I'll recommend doubling the dosage of your medication. Good night, Waylon."

Right then, a drop of water fell on the paper he was writing on and smudged some of the ink.

Curious, both Clarke and Officer Mills looked up to see a damp spot forming on the padded ceiling where water was beginning to leak. Drops of water continued to fall, drip after drip, enough to form a small puddle at his feet. The doctor figured the rain caused enough damage for the water to seep in, but he found it strange that it seeped all the way here.

"Odd..." he commented.

"That's not going to be a problem, is it?" asked Mills.

Mills was worried that a leak like that could effect the structural integrity of the cell but Clarke waved off his concerns.

"No, I wouldn't worry about it. Besides..." the doctor spoke as he took one last look at Croc. "His skin could use the humidity."

Croc's throat rumbled in fury again as the two of them left and locked the door again. Alone again, he turned his attention towards the leak from the ceiling and noticed that the damp spot seemed to be getting bigger and bigger with multiple drips forming. And then to his surprise, a large watery body began to seep through.

It was almost human-size and like a giant droplet, it stuck to the ceiling until enough mass seeped through for it to fall. And just like magic, when it splashed upon impact, it revealed a young green-haired girl in a crouched landing position.

Surprisingly, Croc didn't show much of a reaction. In fact, he chuckled at the whole thing.

"That's a nice trick you got there, Short Plate." he sneered.

The girl straightened herself up facing him. Her eyes and voice as emotionless as ever.

"My name is Shizuku. Not 'Short Plate'. ~Nano."

"Name's Croc, Killer Croc. And in case you didn't know, Vistin' hours are over and I get awful cranky before dinner. So, are you here to bust me out?"

Croc evilly licked his chops.

"Or are you on the menu?"

Shizuku frowned slightly at him.

"I had first thought you were one of us but I realized that you're just a bloodthirsty beast, like the rest of the humans. ~Nano."

But then her expression faltered.

"However..." she spoke softly.

His reptilian eyes widened in surprise. Those red eyes which appeared dead earlier now seemed to show pity.

Shizuku had overheard what the doctor said about Croc she couldn't help but compare him to her fellow Mizuchi who were feared by humans and hunted to near extinction.

"I know what it's like. ~Nano. To be judged and persecuted."

Croc growled dangerously. The last time someone acted sorry for him, he found out he had been set up. He had been hurt and betrayed so many times that he was convinced that everyone only saw him as a monster to be used. He had decided that if he was going to live in this cruel jungle, then he'd rather live in it with him at the top of the food chain. At least the Bat in some way understood him, even though he wanted rip that caped bastard to shreds.

"Save that sympathy crap!" he snarled. "I've heard it a million times already and I don't need to hear it from some green-haired little bitch!"

Shizuku paused, a little taken aback before narrowing her eyes coldly.

"Very well." she said without emotion.

She then stretched her arms out from her sides with open palms like an act of psychokinesis and on cue, water broke through and gushed from the ceiling. Croc looked around to see water filling up the padded cell but that wasn't the strangest thing; even though the water isn't deep, he could see an enormous shadow swimming beneath the surface. It swam beside Shizuku, the spines on its back slowly breaking the surface.

"Honengyo, take him. ~Nano." she commanded

The shadow lunged at Croc and everything for him went black.

"Demon Slayers?" Bruce asked in bewilderment.

By then Alfred had given a basic gist of Thomas and Martha's double life while leading Bruce and Himari past the living room and into Thomas Wayne's old office.

Himari had earlier changed into a purple hitatare-style kimono that Alfred brought her. Apparently, it used to belong to Martha. Her mind drifted back to when they passed living room and the large portrait of the Waynes that hung over the fireplace, seeing it made her ears lower and brought a sad expression to her face.

"I don't understand what you mean, Alfred. And what does this have to do with my parent's trips to Japan? They were just business trips, weren't they?" Bruce continued to inquire.

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

Bruce saw Alfred walk towards one of the portraits in the office where he pulled open a panel to reveal a key hole. That's when the young billionaire noticed that there was actually a hidden door built into the wall along with a portion of the painting. He couldn't believe that he overlooked something like that, especially in his own home!

"There's a secret room in my father's office?"

"Indeed Master Wayne." Alfred nodded with a smirk. "This house held many secrets long before you even became one yourself."

The butler pulled out a special key and unlocked the door.

Bruce and Himari stepped into a large room that looked like a small antique museum. There were glass cases that contained Katanas, Naginatas, bows and arrows, various weapons that a samurai would wield. There were also paintings, scrolls and even model skeletons depicting all sorts of creatures and finally, adoring the walls, were framed photographs. The largest one was black and white group photo of a traditional Japanese family, Bruce looked around before stopping in front of it.

"Alfred, what is all this? Who are these people?"

Himari spoke up behind him.

"They are the Amakawa family, one of the twelve major Demon Slayer clans in Japan."

Bruce turned towards her with a look of skepticism.

"Is it really that hard to believe?" she asked with an amusement smile. "The twelve families have a long history stretching back to ancient times. They were tasked by the ruling government to hunt and kill Ayakashis whom they believed endangered humans. The proof is before you, as I myself am an Ayakashi."

Then without warning, she closed their distance and put her arms around him while her breasts squished against him with an audible sound.

"If you still have doubts, perhaps you would like a more thorough examination?" she sensually offered as her cheeks tinged.

Alfred coughed in both uncomfortable and stern matter while Bruce slowly pulled her hands away from him while frowning.

"Fine, I get it, they're Demon Slayers. But what does that have to with my parents?" he asked.

"It has to do with her." Alfred said, point to another photo.

This one was smaller but was in color and more prominent compared to the rest. It was of a young Japanese woman in an eye-catching Kimono.

"Her name is Hikaru Amakawa." Alfred explained.

The butler then fixed his eyes with Bruce's before what he said next.

"She is your grandmother."

Bruce first blinked, not sure if he heard him right but then his jaw slowly dropped as the reality of what he said hit him.

"That's ridiculous! Dad told me she was a New York businesswoman and that she died giving birth to him!"

"That's what his father told him." Alfred said. "Your grandfather, Patrick Wayne, met Miss Hikaru during a trip to Japan. She found him near death and took him to the Amakawa house to nurse him back to health."

"Near death? What happened?"

"He claimed he was being pursued by dangerous men. The leading theory was that they were Soviet spies. Master Patrick was the founder of Wayne Tech after all."

Bruce recalled hearing that during the height of the Cold War, Wayne Tech was a huge benefactor of the US government with its technological innovations. This led to rumors that his grandfather was a "Target of the Commies" but Thomas told him it was just nonsense conspiracy theories.

"In any case, Master Patrick was moved by Miss Hikaru's kindness and extended his stay for over a year. One thing led to another and the two of them fell in love."

Alfred continued to tell the tale as he moved up towards the Amakawa family photo and sighed.

"But her family did not approve of their relationship. The Amakawa's ways were steeped in tradition and couldn't tolerate the idea of their eldest daughter marrying a foreigner. So to prevent her from being harmed and ostracized from her family, Master Patrick chose to leave and return to America, along with their newborn son."

"My dad was born abroad?" asked an utterly gobsmacked Bruce.

The butler nodded in response. Bruce ran his fingers through his hair, trying to digest this information. The whole thing put everything he knew about his life in a light he never imagined. He tried to approach the situation logically and that brought one question to mind.

"Alright, I take it that Dad grew up in Gotham unaware of his roots and the Amakawas continued on, treating the whole thing like a dirty secret. What changed?"

"What changed was that your father inherited the Light Ferry." Himari said.

Bruce looked at her weirdly.

"The what?"

"Certain members from each of the twelve families are born with supernatural gifts to help them combat demons. The Light Ferry is the gift bestowed to only male members of the Amakawas."

"Master Thomas only found out about it as a teenager." Alfred interjected. "I had just been assigned to his charge when the heirs of the surviving families approached him. They needed his power and requested that he join their ranks."

As Alfred spoke, Bruce approached a different framed photograph. This one was more recent compared to the others. It was of Thomas and Martha in samurai-like gear posing valiantly with their weapons alongside five other people Bruce didn't recognize. He assumed that these were the surviving heirs.

Seeing his parents in this life he never knew about made him feel like his whole world was spinning, it was proving too much for him and he wasn't sure what to think.

"Believe me Master Wayne, Your father was as befuddled as you are when he first learnt the truth. But he was also fascinated about his mother and so he accepted his role as a Demon Slayer while balancing his life as heir to Wayne Enterprise."

"And my mother..." Bruce asked with a low voice. "She knew about all this?"

"Far more than that, Sir. Master Thomas took her as an apprentice of sorts and she became his partner. They made quite the team." Alfred said with a sense of pride.

Bruce lowered his head and mumbled.

"This whole time..."

"Sir?"

"Why did you hide this from me!?"

Alfred flinched from Bruce's sudden outburst and Himari looked on in silence. The older Englishman sighed and spoke with a somber tone, dropping titles at this moment to not speak to Bruce as his butler but as his guardian and friend.

"I understand that you're upset, Bruce. But understand that like your father, I care about you like my own son. Master Thomas had intended to tell you on that fateful night, how could I possibly tell you after what happened. I thought perhaps I should give it time but by then, you were already so hell-bent on vengeance and your crusade against crime in Gotham that I couldn't bear to think what the truth could do to you."

"Just answer me one thing, Alfred..." Bruce growled. "Did the Ayakashis have anything to do with my parent's death?"

The older man was little caught off guard by the question, even Himari looked off to side in discomfort.

"No. At the time, Master Thomas had set up many wards over the city. Ayakashis wouldn't dare attack him here." Alfred answered.

"So none of it mattered." Bruce said and then released a light bitter chuckle.

"Heh, It's actually kind of ironic. My parents were warriors trained to fight powerful Ayakashis and monsters but in the end, they were killed by a monster of another kind: a desperate punk with a gun!"

Alfred and Himari remained silent as Bruce continued his diatribe.

"I've learned the hard way about how poisoned this city is. Perhaps my parents thought giving half attention to Gotham would be enough and they paid the price for it but I won't make that same mistake!"

Bruce narrowed his eyes while giving a firm statement.

"This changes nothing."

And then swung an arm gesturing his surroundings.

"None of THIS changes a damn thing!"

Himari frowned and then stepped towards him.

"It is no use being in denial." she said. "The blood of the Amakawas runs within you and you are next in line to inherit the Light Ferry as your father did."

"Except I don't have this Light Ferry or any supernatural gift of any kind!" Bruce fires back.

"Not yet but it's only a matter of time. Or do you really intend to continue this masquerade as Ayakashis hound after you?"

Bruce clenched his jaw realizing that she had a point, continuing things as they were was definitely going to be difficult with these new developments. This whole mess started because the Omamori his parents left him broke, once again that damned thing has caused nothing but-

His thoughts halted as an idea formed.

"The Omamori." Bruce said as he pointed to it. "You said it lost its power when it was broken, can it be restored?"

Himari stayed silent for a while, closing her eyes in contemplation before opening them again.

"It is possible. If taken back to the source where it was imbued, in Noihara."

"Noihara?"

Alfred spoke at this point.

"It's a territory of land owned by the Amakawas."

"Then that's what we'll do." Bruce decided. "I'll arrange a flight to Japan then go to this Noihara place and put things back to the way things were."

Bruce then shot a glare towards Himari.

"As for you: after we're done, I want you to stay out of Gotham and never come back."

This of course made Himari narrow her eyes and blow out an irritated breath.

"I didn't realize that I'd be dealing with such a troublesome idiot." she muttered in Japanese.

"Sir, don't you think you're being a little too-"

Alfred's attempts to reason with him was interrupted by a high pitched alarm sound that seemed to be coming from the cave below. Bruce and Alfred glance at each other briefly with a grave expression before quickly rushing out of the room with Himari trailing after them in confusion.

By the time Alfred was down in cave, Bruce was already in front of the Batcomputer where on screen was displayed a map of Arkham Asylum with smaller windows that displayed footage from the security cameras. From the footage, Alfred could see the carnage that was taking place.

"Massive riot and break out at Arkham. GCPD has already been dispatched but I doubt the security will be able to hold out till then." Bruce relayed.

"Oh dear." Alfred murmured with dread.

Wasting no time, Bruce ran up to a large cylindrical pod where the metal doors slid open to reveal the Bat suit.

"I'm going in. Keep the drone on standby." Bruce said as he began to suit up.

"Of course, Master Wayne. Godspeed."

Now fully geared up, Batman raced towards the Batmobile as the circular platform oriented the vehicle towards the cave exit. He jumped in the driver's seat in a smooth motion but what he didn't expect was someone else jumping into the passenger seat before he could close the canopy.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Batman yelled.

"I'm coming with you." Himari firmly stated. "You'll be much safer with me around."

"I told you, I don't need any protection! Now get out of this car or I'm ejecting you!"

But Himari wasn't the least bit deterred and looked at him with challenge in her eyes.

"Don't you have pressing matters to deal with? The way I see it, you could either waste time trying to get rid of me or save it by letting me assist you. It's your choice..., Master."

Batman glowered at her briefly before facing ahead and starting the engines, allowing the canopy to close and for them to zoom over the internal bridge.

Inside, Batman pulled open the glovebox and retrieved an object which he tossed on Himari's lap.

"Put this on." he said.

Himari held it up and looked at it curiously: it looked like a large black domino mask with white eye lenses.

"I'll only say this only once, Himari: When we get there, you will do exactly as I tell you. To the letter, no exceptions. Are we clear?"

"How do I look, Master?"

Batman was caught off guard by that and turned to her.

"Huh?"

He found that the domino mask actually fitted Himari's face well.

"Does it make me look...cute?" she asked, smiling bashfully.

Batman balked, unable to believe she asking questions like that now of all times.

"I am not answering that!" he stated firmly and fixed his steely eyes in front of him.

"Then I suppose I'll pass the time by poking these buttons." Himari pouted angrily.

"She wouldn't dare..."

Sure enough, she extended a finger towards one of the buttons on the dashboard. Her finger slowly approached the dashboard, inch by inch, until finally...

"You look fine." he rasped begrudgingly.

Himari's lips curled into a satisfied smile and with her hand drawn back, leaned back against her seat as a slight blush spread over her cheeks. Batman on the other hand, groaned in exasperation, the girl really was like a cat: curious, stubborn and constantly craved attention.

He still didn't know her part in all this nonsense, Why would an Ayakashi want to serve people who's profession was hunting them? How does she know about his parents? The answers would have to wait, right now he had a job to do.

TBC