BOOK 1: CLONE WARS
GREAT BEGINNINGS PART 3
It had been nearly a week since Bruce's battle with Deathstroke the Terminator, he had fallen into a coma since his fight, Thomas, Martha and Alfred stood over him, his injuries were all healed but it was as if he was gone. Alfred was running another scan of his body, the results were the same as before.
"Im sorry master Wayne..... there's no change, perhaps we should tell the Jedi that he wont make it on time. "
Thomas just stood there watching at his son, he wondered if he would ever see him again or if he was lost forever. "Were gonna wait a couple more days, if he doesn't wake up then, tell the Jedi were going to have to change our plans. "
The three of them exited the room, Bruce on the other hand found himself in a strange place it seemed like a swamp, but when he looked around he saw a lava region, a forest region and many more places thatshouldn't be able to exist like this. He turned around to see a robed figure with a mask approaching him, his clothes resembled a Jedi but his mask seemed Mandalorian.
"You've been here for a long time boy, you should return from where you came from. " His voice was cold and imposing, there were small echoes that followed his words, but they were quiet as whispers.
"Been here too long?! I dont even know where here is, I dont even know how long ive been here. "
"This place is the spirit world, a place where all mortals go when they day, Force sensitive or other wise, judging by your faint aura you are not dead... yet. "
Bruce gave him a puzzled look, then he took a closer look at the robed figure, his aura was red while Bruce'swas blue but it was faint and flickering. "Can you help me get back to the world of the living? "
"Not me personally, but I know of a being that can, but I must warn you, this creature is very dangerous and to face him you will need to have great self control. "
"What do you mean? "
"The creature is called Koh the Face Stealer, he can take your face if you show the slightest hint of emotion,that's why you must be completely cold and emotionless, his lair is over there. " He points his figure to a large rotting tree on the edge of a giant cliff, Bruce looks to it then back at the figure to see that hedisappeared.
Bruce looked back at the tree and began walking to it, the world was again changing and shifting, but as he approached the tree the land around it looked like it was dying, Bruce then noticed a monkey jumping around the branches, it turned around and its face was gone, yet the creature was still alive. Bruce closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he entered the tree. He reached a dead end and began looking around.
Then Bruce felt something large crawling on his back, a demonic looking face showed up in front of him, a attempt to scare the boy but it didn't work.
"Hmm, shame it has been quite a while since I added a face to my collection, how may I assist you mortal? " His face was constantly changing from a white female face, to a ape face to dark skinned woman with long black hair and blue eyes.
"A spirit here guided me to you, I was nearly killed in a fight and now im stuck here, how can I return. "Bruce's voice was monotone and he tried not to look at the creature, it was a giant brown centipede-like creature with a large hole where his faces were.
"Ah, a poor soul lost between two worlds, very well child, to return to the world of the living you must go to the spirit gate at the edge of the swamp region, there you must mediate and return your spirit to your body. " He sounded very amused by Bruce's situation, almost sadistically.
"Thank you great spirit for this knowledge, I will leave you now. " He turned around and got to the entrance when Koh came behind him and told him.
"My services have a price boy, one day you will need to send me a face to add to my collection, it doesn'thave to be soon, but dont keep me waiting, I get very.... mad shall we say when a debt isn't paid. " He chuckled to himself as he crawled back to his pit, sending chills down Bruce's spine.
Bruce ran from the entrance and returned to the spot where he found the cloaked figure. "Thanks for warning me about the giant bug in the tree. " Bruce's tone was a mix of anger and sarcasm.
"I warned you that you were facing something terrible, and you survived which is more than I can say about most. " He gave Bruce a small hand gesture to follow him, Bruce could see a giant asian looking structure, assuming that it was the spirit gate Bruce followed the cloaked man.
"Why are you helping me? Im just a stranger, you dont even know me. "
"I was lost once in this place like you, and it was only the kindness of strangers that allowed me to return to my loved ones. "
They reached the structure, it looked like an old doorway from ancient Japan, nearby was a monkey dressed in monk clothes meditating, Bruce only gave the ape a brief puzzled look before standing on under the doorway.
"Mediate below the gate, and your spirit will return to the land of the living, but warned however, your spirit may turn up somewhere else, the experience of going back will not be pleasant your first time. "
Bruce remembered his training and placed himself in the correct position, he closed his eye and when he opened them he found himself deep in the forest where he fought Deathstroke.
"Im still not back in my body! " His spirit was sent hurling through the forest, he passed through them without any injury but he felt like he was stuck on a rampaging fun park ride. His spirit passed through thewalls of the mansion and finally returned to his body.
Bruce opened his eyes and gasped as he finally found himself back in his body. He let out a small chuckle and fell back in his bed. He then got out of the bed and put his clothes on, he started walking around the upper floor of the mansion, no one was seemingly home but he was soon corrected when he heard some one yell behind him.
"Master Bruce! You're awake! " He turned around to see his loyal droid Alfred, he was hugging him using his thin robotic arms.
"Alfred? You can let me go now, you're acting as if ive been gone for god knows how long. "
"Sir.... you've been out cold for nearly a week, dont you remember what happened to you? " Alfred's joydisappeared, he started wondering if the young master suffered any brain damage, but he soon remembered his masters healing factor and felt silly.
"Yes, I was electrocuted then shot and you must've brought me back home. "
"Oh dear, maybe you should come downstairs, your mother and father will be happy to see you. "
The two of them entered the kitchen, Thomas and Martha were eating their breakfast, when the saw Bruce they ran up to him and started hugging him, Bruce made a uncomfortable smirk then pushed them off of him when he finally had enough.
"Alright, alright, im not a baby, you can all stop hugging me already! "
"Oh, Bruce, thank god you're awake, I was worried wed never see you again. " Tears were in Martha's eyes but she whipped them away.
"Well you wont believe what it took for me to come back, it was definitely.... different. "
"What do you mean? Did it have something to do with what happened in the forest. "
Bruce just gave him the same puzzled look he gave Alfred. "Bruce.... your eyes started glowing and you were throwing a man around the forest with the Force, then you started shooting lightning from your hands and you were ripping the ground apart with your punches. "
Bruce's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, was this why they wanted to send him to the temple? He took a chair and sat down. "I..... dont remember that at all...did anyone see me? "
"Deathstroke had a recording device on him, my guess is Udina sent him to kill you, that's when you just..... started tearing everything apart, then you saw me and Alfred and you passed out. "
"I was in the spirit world, it was this weird place where everything was shifting and disoriented, I met some spirits that helped me come back, I need help dad, if I was as bad as you say I was, then maybe the Jedi are the only ones who can help me.... "
To be continued......
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