A massive shadow loomed over little Simon.
The faint wails around him didn't scare him—instead, they calmed his jittery heart. Though Simon had never seen Batman: The Beginning, he'd once huddled in his dad's coat, listening to Batman's voice.
Maybe it was his imagination, but Simon swore he heard a faint strain of background music. Beaming with what he thought was a brave smile, he shouted, "Stop pretending! I know you're Batman! You sound just like the voice I heard in Dad's coat!"
No Batman appeared, but Simon, brimming with courage, wandered the streets alone. "Sis? Sis! Come on!" he called.
"Simon, you go ahead!" Dujuan waved from the fog. "Be brave and face Batman's test!"
Simon glanced back at Dujuan fading into the mist but didn't mind. His kid brain was too full of that mysterious voice to care about his long-legged sister. Dujuan, meanwhile, had completed her first task.
Guided by staff, she finally saw Gotham Town in full. The massive set was covered by a giant skylight, smaller than Simon imagined. Outside, a sea of people watched two huge screens in rapt silence—one showing Simon wandering Gotham Town in search of Batman, the other broadcasting Larry King interviewing Simon's dad, Fast Sharaf.
Fast, in his usual Tesco uniform, looked nervous on camera. But Larry King, a pro, kept things light with jokes and cues to ease Fast's tension.
"Wow, Simon says he's heard Batman's voice. Care to explain?" Larry asked.
Fast blushed. "It wasn't really Batman. When Batman: The Beginning came out, tickets cost about a day's wages. I used to work as a projectionist, so I asked an old friend at the theater for a favor. He let us watch from the attic, but it was buggy up there. To keep Simon safe from dust, I wrapped him in my coat."
"And attics, you know, they echo," Fast added with a fatherly sigh. "Simon fell asleep, but when he woke up, he kept asking what happened. So, I made up a little white lie."
Dujuan, led to the interview room, was met with a crowd so respectful they didn't make a sound, not wanting to disturb Simon. As she passed an elderly British man, he grabbed her hand, startling the staff. Dujuan quickly signaled them to stand down.
"You're a good person. May God bless you," the man said, making a cross before her. Dujuan, sensing his faith, handled the moment gracefully despite it being her first time.
In the interview room, she spotted the Batman creative team and DC Comics legend Neal Adams. Though not Batman's creator, Adams had kept Superman and Batman alive on screen. The room stood and bowed as she entered, making her flush with embarrassment. Larry King waved her to the camera.
"I kept wondering what Dujuan, the mastermind behind this event, looks like. Seeing you in person, I regret being born a few decades too early," Larry teased.
"You're my idol! Thanks for the compliment," Dujuan laughed.
"Lots of my seniors have been on Larry King Live. I always hoped to guest on your show, but I wasn't famous enough," she added, charmingly returning the flattery. After all, Larry, the old-but-young-at-heart host, had just married a 22-year-old model—a colleague of hers.
Larry handed her a card. "Next episode! If you're up for it, I'd love to have you."
The room's praise didn't throw Claire Lee off her game. Watching CNN's live broadcast from a hotel room with Costa Mayor, she sighed. "You sure it's okay giving Dujuan the charity spotlight? Don't you feel like you're missing out?"
Claire shrugged, unfazed. The event had already hit 10 million online participants—a phenomenon covered by at least 40 global media outlets. But it wasn't USA Today's doing—it was the British Royal Foundation's move.
Fifteen minutes before the event, Tom Hardy, the foundation's spokesperson, called Claire, securing funding for Simon's dream and snagging the Lem Valley Music Festival's title sponsorship. Claire wasn't naive, nor was Warner's Edgar Bronfman Jr. He ordered Costa to plaster the Warner logo everywhere and planned to attend himself, alongside big names Claire had never even heard of. Her uncle was handling the VIPs—turns out, he loved the spotlight too.
"We can't hog all the wins," Claire said. "USA Today got exclusive U.S. print rights and sold tons of papers. Taylor Swift got her album's lead single. Linkin Park got fame. Lem Valley Stadium got foot traffic, a Batman licensing deal, and profit shares. Claire Tickets got web traffic. Warner DC saved on Batman 2 promo costs and boosted its public appeal. Dujuan just got a shot to shine in the UK or U.S. What's to regret? I'm probably the biggest winner here. You can't be greedy—eat alone, and you'll lose friends."
Claire settled into the makeup chair, relaxed. As Costa opened his mouth to reply, she cut in, "Oh, and tonight, I'll blow up with one song, broadcast by 40+ global stations."
Costa, speechless, shook his head. His phone rang again. "Hello? Boss, aren't you on a plane? Eminem? Isn't he with Universal? Got it, I'll add him to the lineup."
Hanging up, Costa caught Claire's smirk. "See? Even the boss knows to share the wealth. You're the only one playing dumb, giving stuff away for free."
"No love or hate comes without a price," Claire said. "You want something, you pay for it."
---
Their chat didn't slow Simon's quest in Gotham Town. Global viewership had soared past 1.7 million, and Newcastle's entire police force and helicopters were deployed to manage the crowds in Andlem.
Simon felt a chill and a creeping sense of fear as faint cries and breezes swirled around him. Time dragged, and he hadn't seen Batman or heard that voice again. Just as he felt lost, the fog in Gotham Town's northeast corner cleared.
A blond man in a suit, blood trickling from his mouth, reached toward Simon, gasping for help. Simon hesitated, then ran to him. "Sir, do you need help?"
"Are you Batman's heir?" said Aaron Eckhart, playing Harvey Dent. "I'm Gotham's DA. I need your help." He coughed up blood, startling Simon.
Though scared, Simon steadied himself. "Sir, what do you need?"
"As Batman's heir, tell him the Joker's escaped. He must protect Gotham's people." With that, Harvey collapsed.
Simon froze. The crowd outside, watching Simon's Dream, erupted in anger, some even smashing distant screens. Director Christopher Nolan, horrified, realized Aaron Eckhart had gone off-script. This was a charity event, live on air—death scenes were a no-go.
"F! Is Aaron Eckhart an idiot? Quick, get the interview room to clarify! What a moron!" Nolan raged, as the crew scrambled for damage control.
Claire, hearing the news, stormed the set, kicking over a lunchbox. "Don't you do background checks? This is charity! Charity! No death scenes! It's banned!" Ignoring Nolan's expression, she grabbed a cloak from props and rushed into Gotham Town.
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Christian Bale, the Batman actor, stood frozen, unsure what to do. "Wait here. Stick to the original plan," Claire barked.
Bale relaxed, relieved. The script, approved by the Queen via the Royal Foundation, was sacred. Eckhart's stunt risked disaster.
Cloaked, Claire darted into Gotham Town, spotting Simon in seconds. The fog hid her perfectly. "Simon! Hold on! Remember what you promised me—no matter the challenge, you face it yourself!"
Simon's teary face lit up. "Big brother!" He spun, searching for the voice, calling, "Big brother! Big brother!" Claire wanted to run to him, but the timing—and the overrun script—stopped her. Eckhart's collapse had thrown everything off. If she appeared now, it'd ruin Simon's dream.
To stay mysterious, Claire crouched, repeating, "No matter the challenge, face it yourself, Simon. Don't forget—you've got to protect your mom and dad."
After three repeats, Simon snapped out of his shock, wiping tears and heading toward the direction Harvey pointed. Finally, Batman appeared.
"You're here!" Simon's voice cracked with emotion. Christian Bale lifted him gently. "You're stronger than I thought."
"You've earned this legacy," Bale said. "I see strength, courage, and responsibility in you. The world's watching, keeping you safe today, but those traits are your true treasure. Carry them forward."
From the ground, Claire muttered, "Not bad. You saved your own asses." She glanced at Aaron Eckhart, who was grinning nearby. He didn't recognize her in the dim light, but before he could react, Claire socked him in the face and kicked his chest.
Eckhart's pained yelp echoed, amplified by Gotham Town's mics—almost like a "whip the corpse" moment for those who recognized his voice. Claire didn't care if she was caught; she'd reveal it all later in a YouTube "exposed" video. He deserved it.
Luckily, Simon was already off with Batman, patrolling Gotham Town to take down the Joker.