Chapter Text
Within the shadowy confines of the Batcave, The chamber was illuminated solely by the glow of multiple screens, accompanied by a soft yet persistent sound, the rhythmic tapping of the keyboard and before these displays stood Bruce Wayne. He had been diligently investigating for weeks. As one of the founding members of the Justice League and, more precisely, as Batman, he understood the significance of adhering to and enforcing rules. This understanding gave rise to contingency plans, which is precisely why he felt a sense of unease regarding the new hero in the league, Captain Marvel.
This superhero had appeared rather suddenly, performing noble acts and advocating for peace. Such occurrences were no novelty for the Dark Knight. What was indeed novel, however, was the city of origin of this hero. On one of his screens, a map of the United States was displayed, marked with numerous lines indicating the locations where this superhero had been sighted. All the lines converged upon a singular area: the so-called 'Fawcett City.' It was no secret; even Captain Marvel had openly acknowledged that this was his primary area of residence and operation. However, this revelation posed a new quandary: this city did not feature on current maps. Strikingly, it was present on maps prior to 1953, but all subsequent maps had omitted it, resulting in an information void spanning more than fifty years. The closest current information regarding the city and its superhero was derived from comments shared by individuals online, discussing their life in the city. This was particularly troubling, as it implied that the information was unreliable, complicating Bruce's investigative efforts.
"If only I had the time, I would visit the city to conduct further research," he mused to himself. After all, he could not formulate a contingency plan without understanding the weaknesses of this hero and, more importantly, grasping what was transpiring in that city. Yet, his lifestyle precluded such indulgences. Working as the CEO of Wayne Enterprises during the day, battling Gotham's villains by night, and fulfilling his responsibilities within the Justice League caused the weight of fatigue to grow burdensome with each passing second, to the point that blinking became progressively more challenging and slower. Blinking once, twice... and on the third, slower blink, the realm of dreams beckoned him. Although his body felt fatigued, he managed to resist, summoning all his willpower... along with several cups of coffee.
“Master Wayne, might I suggest that perhaps it's time for some rest?" said Alfred trying to persuade him, as he collected the already empty cup from Bruce's desk. The Batman only responded with a low grunt, dismissing the suggestion while continuing to type and organize the amassed data. That made the butler raise his eyebrow, looking at him defiantly. He would not yield in his determination to ensure that everyone in the manor received adequate rest. "If I may be so bold, perhaps it is time to consider enlisting some assistance."
The sound of the keyboard ceased. Perhaps Alfred was correct. Bruce found himself at an impasse with the case. A fresh approach might prove beneficial. While he could not venture into the city personally, perhaps one of his children could assist him, and he already knew who the most adept detective for this particular case would be.
A week had passed since Bruce delegated part of the investigation to his son. For Tim, it had been a full week of gathering information, organizing data, and crafting his new persona for the research. After all, standing out as the son of one of the wealthiest figures would attract unwanted attention, and this job demanded a low profile. He had noted the key objectives of the mission on his phone:
1. Investigate the weaknesses of Captain Marvel.
2. Understand what happened in the city.
There was something peculiar about the second point. According to the files, Batman had already consulted the hero about the mysterious disappearance of the city from the maps. Captain Marvel had only responded that he was working on fixing the phenomenon without providing any further details. Bruce had attempted to pry for more information, but each time he did, Captain Marvel seemed to grow increasingly anxious, delivering inconsistent answers. Meanwhile on the internet the information was equally unhelpful, consisting mostly of surveys conducted about Fawcett City. The responses from civilians fell into two main categories: those who claimed they had never heard of the city and those who recognized it solely because a distant relative had spent part of their life there.
However, the most intriguing aspect of the data was a small group of individuals who asserted they had visited Fawcett City. All of them were over the age of 60, and while they acknowledged having been there, they could not recall their experiences or even how to get there—it was as if they shared a collective amnesia.
Batman confronted Marvel, demanding answers. After all, maintaining his private life and fulfilling his duties as the proclaimed champion of magic was one thing; but if some phenomenon was affecting civilians, it was an entirely different matter. The captain stood there, mouth agape, and apologized; it turned out he was unaware of the situation affecting those outside Fawcett City who had been marked by it.
It was frustrating: a ghost town for a ghost hero. At least Marvel promised to investigate the cause of the collective amnesia and requested that no other superheroes get involved to avoid further complications. With the information collected, he was the only one capable of navigating in and out of the city without losing his memory to date.
Bruce decided to put the mission on hold for now, giving Tim a much needed break since he had already taken time off from the company. The young man seized the opportunity to unwind, finding himself captivated by the dawn as the sun's warm rays painted the sky, gently dispelling the remnants of the night. His car was parked in the middle of the road, a necessary pause in his journey, allowing him to soak in the beauty of the morning.
He glanced down at his wrist, where his watch indicated it was 5:00 AM. Beneath it, a new bracelet caught his eye. Although it wasn’t his favorite accessory, he felt it was important to wear. Returning his gaze to his phone, Tim realized he still had three hours of travel ahead of him. He hoped his father wouldn't mind that he was taking a vacation, even if it happened to lead him to Fawcett City. After all, who could blame him? Solving enigmas and diving into cold cases had always been his favorite pastimes during his downtime.