Atop the rooftops of Beacon Academy, Batman stirred.

His cape flowed with the wind, as a storm started coming in from the distance. Bruce's blue eyes stared directly into Team RWBY's dorm, as he waited for Ruby to be the only one left awake. He cared little for respect for their privacy, partly because they dressed in the bathroom, and partly because he cared more about the mission.

Ruby was staying awake in her bed. But this time, it wasn't because of thoughts about the corrupt Huntsmen and Huntresses. For some reason, she had this feeling inside, like she was being watched. But not by something threatening.

Certain something was watching, she sat up in her bed, staring into a dark corner of her room. She had an odd feeling about that corner, and she climbed off her bed, trying to search for a certain silhouette.

"Storm's coming."

Ruby spun around, and smiled as she saw the source of that weird feeling she had.

Batman crouched on the tree outside her window, staring through to her.

Ruby looked at her friends, seeing them sound asleep, and not listening to the conversation. She leaned out the window to speak to her new friend.

"The storm isn't all that scary because you beat Roman Torchwick."

"It's a start," Batman said, not admiring his actions the way Ruby did. "A student named Cardin Winchester was at the docks with him."

Ruby grumbled. "He's the worst kind of corrupt Huntsman."

"They were splitting the shipment in two," Batman shifted the topic to something more important. "Only half went to the dealers."

Ruby tilted her head in confusion. "Why? What about the other half?"

"Cardin knows," Batman said.

"He won't talk."

"He'll talk to me."

"Professor Ozpin told everyone in the academy to catch you. He thinks you're dangerous."

"What do you think?"

Ruby looked to her friends for a moment, making sure they were still asleep before she could say the next thing.

"I think you're . . ."

She looked back to Batman, but he had already vanished, as if in thin air.

". . . trying to help . . ."

Batman climbed back to the rooftops. He had kept an eye on Cardin before talking to Ruby, and knew he was making his way back to his dorm for the night. It didn't take long for Batman to find his position, and he crouched on the rooftop, setting up his trap.

The rain was pouring down as Cardin Winchester was headed for his dorm after grabbing a snack. While he walked, he saw the rabbit faunus, Velvet Scarlatina, approaching him. He reached out as he past her, grabbing one of her ears, and pulling.

"Ow!" she shouted. "Stop!"

Cardin laughed, letting her go. "What, can't take a joke?"

The two turned around, going their separate ways. As Cardin stepped up to the building where his dorm room was, he felt something tie around his ankle, and he was pulled from his feet, hanging upside down in the air, and being pulled higher and higher. He screamed as he soared high above the ground against his will, dropping the snack he had been eating beforehand.

As he slowed to a stop, dangling high above the ground, he found himself face-to-face with the "Bat-Man". He stopped screaming immediately, terrified of the creature that was staring at him, drenched in the water of the rain.

Batman reached out, grabbing Cardin's hair, and violently pulling his head closer into eye contact. His eyes were filled with anger and hate, which he used to overwhelm Cardin with fear, just as he'd done to Torchwick the other night.

"Where were the other drugs going?!" he growled, and he felt Cardin shaking in his grasp.

"I never knew!" Cardin cried, tearing up. "I don't know! I swear to the Gods!"

"Swear to me!"

With a pull of the trigger on his grapnel gun, Cardin was dropped at top speed down to the ground, screaming as he went. He stopped inches above the pavement, and was pulled straight back up into Batman's hand.

"I don't . . . I don't know!" he shouted through sobs. "I never knew! Never! They went to some guy for a couple days before they went to the dealers!"

"Why?!"

Cardin slowed at his next words. "There was something . . . Something else in the drugs . . . something hidden!"

"What?!"

"I never went to the drop-off point! It was in the Narrows! Huntsmen only go there in force!"

"Do I look like a Huntsman?!"

Another pull of the trigger, and Cardin was falling back down to the pavement. He stopped inches above the ground, and Batman released him, causing him to crash against the concrete floor. He looked up to see the monster that had attacked him, but he was gone.

Where Batman once stood was nothing but the black sky . . .