I forgot the notes at the end of the chapter.

Given that Then Be Batman is a new story, and also has a lot of competing elements, I think a note about what it's going to be like going forward is important.  But I forgot to add the notes to the post.  So here they are.

Author’s note:

This is not a Gamer fic.

Yes, I’m using elements from the Gamer. Indeed, they’re part of the concept of the story. But they’re not central to the story. This isn’t a fic about numbers. Numbers going up do not make my head go brrrrrrr. In fact, other that the initial chapters, which are there to establish the concept of ‘this is how a nobody can pretend to be Batman’, actual numbers won’t show up much. I’m not going to include ‘200xp gained!’ every time Batman does something. It’s intrusive and annoying. It’s a background thing. I probably won’t even bother posting a character sheet. I have one, but it’s subject to constant revision as the story requires.

Because, again, this is not a Gamer fic. This is not a game, not an RPG. This is a story. The Gamer elements are there to serve the story, not dominate it.

What this is, is a story about Batman.

Out of all the aliens and metas and mutants and magical beings in DC comics, Batman is the least human.

Weird, right?

But one of the things I’ve always appreciated about the character is that they actually do acknowledge that. The guy is grim. Brooding. Paranoid. Constantly preparing.  Superman has a crush. Superman goes on dates. Superman flies out to his parent’s house for pie. Batman has insane passionate flings with villianesses that are hot enough to overcome his discipline. The rest of the time, he’s preparing. Training. Grinding.

The only really human aspect of Batman, throughout most incarnations, is the Batfamily. And that’s beautiful, I think. It’s interesting. It’s a good story. That this, if you forgive the term, BATSHIT INSANE man still has the compassion to gather those who need him, and enough need for human contact to value them.

I am not Batman. I think most people understand that they are not, and never really could be, Batman. I don’t think I’ve ever even seen a Batman SI before. He’s just not human.

And that’s what this story is about. A human trying to be Batman. The MC isn’t really me so much as he is a generic everyman SI with a few me aspects thrown in for flavor, like adding a bit of parsely on top of your instant ramen. He’s a fan of DC comics and animation but hasn’t seen or read everything. He doesn’t have an encyclopedia like knowledge of the setting, but he’s not ignorant of it either. This isn’t metaknowledge the fic, but taking steps to head off certain disasters, or going for obvious powerups is the kind of thing I just about expect from reading DC fics, so it’s less about exploiting the setting and more about not irritating the reader because ‘of course he’d do this, why isn’t he doing this’.

So the Gamer aspects are there to give the MC a fighting chance. They have a clear, artificial source. But most of the story is, really, about a guy who’s not actually insane, and the troubles he has trying to fill a pair of bat-themed boots. A mix of comedy, action, and drama.

I hope you enjoy.