It felt strange to be back in the mansion.

Bruce had thought he'd feel at home back here, but he had to admit, being here only made him sad. It only brought back painful memories of his parents, the days he had spent before their murder.

But he didn't care. As soon as he had returned to the house, he'd grabbed a dozen notebooks, and began writing down ideas for his crusade.

Alfred had come by every now and then, either to get him some food, or to observe his ideas.

Half an hour into his work, Bruce heard a chirping noise. At first, he ignored it. But then, he heard it a few more times. Curious, he stood up, and followed the noise.

He entered the room where the chirping was coming from, and he looked around for the source. Then, as he looked to the roof, he spotted it.

A bat was fluttering around, searching for a way to escape the room, but to no avail.

"Blessed bat again, sir," Alfred said as he walked into the room. They nest somewhere in the grounds."

Bruce's eyes widened as he looked up at it, remembering what his plan to save Vale was in the first place. He wanted to strike fear into the hearts of criminals.

He placed his hand on the bite mark, remembering that traumatizing moment in the well when he was a child.

The symbol . . .

Bruce took his father's spelunking equipment to the old well. It was now covered in long vines, which almost made Bruce miss it. But once he spotted it, he tugged the vines off, set up the spelunking equipment, and climbed into the well.

It was strange being down here after all these years. He remembered the scratching of claws and talons. Remembered the sharp teeth sinking into his neck. It was fear he'd learned to shake away thanks to the League of Shadows, but it was fear still present here in the well.

Bruce looked to the opening in the well, where those flying creatures had come to attack him years ago. For his childhood self, it was an opening to his greatest fear. Even now, Bruce felt terrified as he climbed into the hole, the spelunking rope still attached to him. He was glad it was, because he found himself sliding down a rocky slope.

He climbed down carefully, removing the spelunking rope when his feet met solid ground. As he settled himself into a standing position, Bruce looked around, finding himself in the largest cave he had ever seen. But then, he hadn't ever been in a cave before.

In the distance, he could see a waterfall, with a light from outside the cave shining through, the only source of light in the darkness. Above him he could hear a familiar chirping noise.

He walked deeper into the cave. The floor below him was wet, as if a small river had been formed on the floor of the cave due to the waterfall.

He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his scroll. He turned on its flashlight, and pointed it to the rocky ceiling. In response to the light, a swarm of bats fluttered straight towards Bruce; the same bats that had attacked him when he was a child.

He fell to his knees, bracing for an attack, that childhood fear returning to him. Then, he realized that the attack didn't come. He opened his eyes, lowering his defenses, realizing the bats weren't attacking. He wasn't swinging at them. They had no reason to be afraid of him beyond the light in his hand. Therefore, he himself had no reason to be afraid.

With this knowledge in mind, Wayne dropped his defenses entirely, lifting himself onto his feet, and closing his eyes, allowing the bats to swarm around him. His childhood fear subsided, vanishing entirely, as he now welcomed it as a friend. The bats were no longer controlling him through fear. Fear couldn't control him anymore, not in this moment.

In this moment, he embraced his fear . . .