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"Terry McGinnis is the true successor of Batman." Kuroyanagi’s words cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter.
Sakura and Sumio paused, turning their face to meet Kuroyanagi as she calmly sips her coffee.
A confused Shiroyabu turned to her and asked. "What?"
"Terry McGinis is the true successor of Batman." She repeated. "I mean he didn't start off as a Robin or any other sidekick. That's why he kicks so much ass. Like he IS the Batman of the future. Like eat a dick Damian."
Shiroyabu blinked. "No like, what the fuck are you even talking about? Why the fuck did you bring this up?"
"It's Batman Beyond, Jabroni." She said.
"Batman… beyond?"
Sumio sighed, grabbing a nearby beer can and calmly drinking half of it before slamming it down on the table. "You saw that Batman cartoon in the 90's?"
"The one with Mark Hamill as the joker?"
Sumio and Kuroyanagi blankly stared at him before giving him a flat. "Yes."
"Okay yeah I saw that."
"And you didn't know it had a sequel show?" He burped. The beer was getting to him.
"I thought it was Superman the animated series?"
"That ones not a sequel, it's not a spinoff either. It just takes place in the same universe." Kuroyanagi said, stuffing another piece of sushi into her mouth.
"Batman Beyond is like Batman but like 30 years later?" Sumio scratched his head. "And I think it was like… Spider-Man?"
"Yeah and it kicked so much ass!" Kuroyanagi enthusiastically jumped out of her sheet, slamming her first on the table, rice and fish pieces flying out of her mouth.
She took a massive gulp.
"Terry - the main protagonist is literally THE coolest! I mean have you seen his fucking suit and how cool it looked! And fuck, everyone else left him but he fucking stayed by Bruce's side. I mean he's just badass for being a teenager like-"
Sumio held up a tired finger. "Yeah, no. Terry is awesome - yes. However…"
Sumio dramatically raised himself, throwing an index finger at Kuroyanagi. "If we're including comic book media… Dick Grayson still reigns supreme!"
"Oh that's so like you!" She threw her hands. "Of course you’d like Dick fucking Grayson!”
“Yeah and he’s fucking awesome!”
“So is Terry you idiot.”
“We’re not judging them based off of awesomeness.” Sumio scoffed, straightening his collar. “We’re judging them based on how much of a successor they are to batman. And I nominate Dick. Because comic books.”
“Newsflash asshole, there’s comics based on Batman Beyond.”
“They’re like an alternate future at best.” He said. “We’re talking about the prime continuity. Pre and post New 52 counts by the way.”
Kuroyanagi grumbled as Sumio continued.
“Dick literally became Batman after Final Crisis. Yeah while Bruce was becoming a Caveman or meeting Jonah Hex or fuck- boning his own mom…” He burped yet again, holding his mouth. “Dick was protecting Gotham like Bruce would, he didn’t even need the Batcave, he had bunkers and shit. He was doing it rag tag… without the fancy gadgetry.”
“I think he did. And even on the gadget side of things.” She dramatically pointed at Sumio. “Terry’s gadgets are fucking awesome-er!”
“No they're not!”
“He can turn fucking invincible! The man can fucking fly with wings and shit! ROCKET BOOTS! ZOOM!” She made a flying motion with her hands then took another swig of beer, the liquid sloppily oozing of her lips and down her chin.
“The hell you mean invincible?”
“You can’t fucking see him!”
“That’s inVISible!”
“SAME FUCKING DIFFERENCE!”
Shiroyabu wanted to drop down a trapdoor, his shoulders tensing up.
He looked on the opposite side of the table, Sakura Natsume’s eyes were closed. There was an obvious scowl on her face.
“He’s literally just spider-man! Does that even make him a successor to Batman?”
“DICK WENT BACK TO BEING NIGHTWING WHEN BRUCE CAME BACK!”
“YEAH! When he CAME THE FUCK BACK!”
“Can you both shut the fuck up?” Sakura growled.
The two bickering people trailed off and looked at her as if they were naughty children caught by a school teacher.
Sakura’s eyes blasted open, her gaze piercing the hearts of the both of them.
“You’re both wrong, anyway.” She stood up. “The real answer is Cassandra Cain.”
They blinked. “What?”
“Yeah I said it. Batgirl is the true successor to batman.”
They blinked again.
“Batgirl… you think batgirl is the true successor of batman?”
“Yeah and?”
“I mean…” Kuroyaangi scratched the back of her head. “Is that like, possible?”
“Yes. She can call herself batman if she wants to.”
“I don’t think that’s possible.” Sumio slurred, his fingers fumbling over his face.
“Yeah it is. Because she’s Cassandra fucking Cain and she’d wipe the floor eith either of them!”
“Oh you’re fucking mean!” Kuroyanagi stomped her feet, pouting.
“Not my fault you’re not based Cass stans.” Sakura smirked.
"Yeah well…" Kuroyanagi gritted her teeth.
Shiroyabu's eyes darted around the room before he meekly butted.
"Yeah who?"
"Cass." Sakura shot a look in his direction. "Cassandra Cain. Batgirl. Orphan."
"Yeah I… still dunno who that even is."
Kuroyanagi rolled her eyes. "I don't think he reads comics."
"Looser." Sakura scoffed.
"I read comics! The Beano is rad."
All three exchanged looks at each other before staring straight into Shiroyabu’s soul.
Kuroyanagi leaned in. "Jabroni, name three Robins real quick."
He blinked. "There's more than… two?"
Kuroyanagi swiveled back to Sumio and Sakura. "See? What did I tell you?"
"The bar was already low." Sumio shook his head.
"No seriously. Three Robins? Who was the third? Who came after Tim?"
"Do you wanna tell him or…?" Kuro raised her hand stopping Sakura in her tracks.
"I'll tell him don't worry." She turned to Shiroyabu who gulped and cowered in fear, anticipating her response.
"There's four Robins actually."
"What the fuck."
"And that's only if we're going in a linear fashion. Because we're discounting when Stephani Brown became a Robin, or in The Dark Knight Returns where Oldman Bruce Wayne gets a brand new robin-"
Her words transformed into mush as she went on, Shiroyabu couldn't understand a lock of what she was even saying.
Eventually he began hearing static.
"- and that's why Terry McGinnis is better than any Robin!" She grinned triumphantly.
"Oh fuck you!" Sumio and Sakura starred in unison.
Kuroyanagi cheekily stuck out her tongue revelling in her roundabout victory.
"You just had to bring it full circle didn't you?"
"Yes, yes I did. I have an agenda and I have a right to spread it."
"No you don't." Sakura folded her arms.
"Says who?"
"Says me."
"Not do I have anything to say about it!"
The three began bickering once again but even more violently this time, destroying poor Shiroyabu’s eardrums in the process.
Uehara looked on from another table calmly sipping a coffee.
He lost track of the amount of options he chose already but he knows this one was a very pleasant change of pace. He wonders if all the other batman codes would end this way.
He wondered how this one could possibly end.