Flash Fiction: The Blackbird

I didn’t write for the last Terribleminds.com flash fiction challenge because… fill in your own excuse here. I couldn’t miss this week’s flash fiction challenge, though. We were given a list of 20 books, films, comics, and TV shows. We were to randomly choose two of these and then write a piece of flash fiction which would be described as a mixture of the two.

Chuck Wendig described the challenge like so…

“…the result should be thematic and stylistic, not actual mash-up fanfiction. (Again, envision you take your story into a pitch meeting and to pitch it, you combine two seemingly unlike pop culture properties. It’s like that.)”

I rolled my virtual D20, and I got Batman and Pride & Prejudice, which is an interesting combination.

So here we go, this is The Blackbird which should hopefully be described as Batman meets Pride & Prejudice. You see?

Anyway, hope you enjoy it, and feel free to comment.

Lucian crouched down next to the ornately carved gargoyles protecting the roof of the bank and looked down over the alleyway, pulling his black cloak tightly around him. A lady in a gold coloured gown turned down the alleyway and walked down the street beneath him.  There was another maiden, fair of face and virtue, but completely innocent of the dangers that lurked in wait in the darkened streets of Bath, he thought to himself.

His eyes had been opened to the dangers of the streets at night. It had been two years since his wife had been taken from him. The attack had left his memory torn; much of his old life was fragmented with pieces missing. The only memory he had left of his wife was her alabaster face staring back at him from the blood soaked cobbles. He had been left physically numb, as well as emotionally. The scars on his mind made him unable to feel any sensations of the flesh, neither a bruise from a punch nor a kiss from a lady. He vowed to watch over the streets, protecting the innocent from those that may do it harm, The Blackbird was born.

Lucian watched as a shadow moved down the street towards the unsuspecting lady. The man was catlike in his approach, and his prey was oblivious to his presence until he had put a dagger to her neck.

‘Excuse me M’lady, give me your money and your…’ the robber was stopped by the tip of a rapier pushed into his back.

‘I do beg your pardon’ Lucian said ‘I hope you weren’t propositioning this lady in any way that I would consider indecent. I must apologise myself, for the rather crude method used to gain your attention.’

The robber slowly took his knife away from her neck and moved away, the point of the rapier insisting that he took no fast or sudden movements.

The woman turned around, and Lucian saw her face for the first time, the visage of death itself. Not the fine features of a lady but a grinning silver skull.

Lucian let the rapier point slip, and the robber took this opportunity to escape into the night. Within only a few seconds the robber had disappeared.

‘You are safe now my lady’ said Lucian ‘You really shouldn’t walk these streets alone, for fear of harm.’

‘Do have any concept of what you have done?’ said a crisp voice from behind the silver skull.

‘I do, and there is no need to thank me, my lady.’

‘Thank you? You insufferable, arrogant man!’ before Lucians eyes could register the movement, a silver dagger was gently pricked at his chest. ‘I have been searching for him for many years, now because of your unwanted assistance he has gone again.’

Lucian smiled a little, but not before he had knocked the dagger away from his chest with his rapier with one flick and positioned the point at her throat.

‘Who are you?’ asked Lucian. ‘…and why are you after that man?’ I might be able to help. You wouldn’t be the first lady in distress to which The Blackbird has provided assistance.’

‘The man you so expertly let escape, destroyed my family, my name and my standing. I do not require any assistance, least of all a so-called gentleman who would hide behind a mask and hold a blade at a lady’s neck.’

Lucian lowered his weapon to his side, within a heartbeat the lady had moved to behind him.

‘…nor from one who would bow and whimper to me’ she said. ‘I will not forget this when we next meet.’

Lucian could see the lady lifting her mask out of his eyes corner. She turned Lucians face around and planted a kiss on his lips.

As Lucians eyes began to focus on the new face in front of him, his eyes blurred and his head became heavy, before he could no longer keep his eyes open and dropped to the floor unconscious.

Lucian was woken by the refreshing pitter-patter of rain, he didn’t know how long he had lain there but the sun would soon rise, and he needed to return to his estate.

When he got back on his feet, Lucian noticed a lace handkerchief on his chest. It was made of fine silk, and had the letters CW embroidered in one corner.

‘Now that was an interesting turn of events.’ Lucian said to himself as he put a hand up to his throbbing head. He put the handkerchief to his nose and inhaled the unusual scent.

‘…oh yes, a very interesting turn of events.’