"Batman silently walked the top of the old, rugged buildings. Smoke rose into the air and he rose with it as he escalated to a higher building. He continued walking.
He leaped onto a 56 story office building and looked to the ground. He watched as the green and red gas flooded into the streets of Gotham. The pedestrians stood silent and then began their screams. 'AHHHHHHHHH!' they all cried as their worst fears were coming to life. It was Scarecrow's doing.
He put his oxygen mask on and took one last look at the smog ridden sky. The Bat-Signal lit up. It was a sign of freedom, justice, honor, and loyalty. He stares for a moment at the beautiful emblem, for it may be the last time he may see it. Batman then watched the ground as Scarecrow's troops came around the streets, seizing control of Gotham. Batman took a huge sigh and spread his parachute cape. He bent his knees and launched himself into the air and dove into blackness, feet first."
Dr. Burton walked down the long, long hall of the darkened asylum. The walls were a dark brown. It was a black, dismal place. He looked at the inmates as he walked past them, he saw lunatic after lunatic behind glass, protected from the world of sanity.
Burton stopped at the cell, last on the left, and grabbed a chair from the corner, sat down in front of the glass, with small air holes in them. He pulled the chair tight, and placed his file folders on his lap.
He looked into the cell, and saw nothing, nothing but black. He was nervous, too nervous. He brushed back his large hair and cleared his throat. Beeds of sweat gently, slowly trickled down his forehead. Suddenly, a pale face appeared, startling Burton. "Good evening, Dr. Burton," the strong, female voice said. "Good evening..." Burton retorted.
Burton sat up straight and looked through the glass. "Ok, today, is your psychological evaluation, I will begin with some questions, and you answer them, is that alright with you?"
"Very good, begin, Doctor."
"Okay, how do you feel right now?"
"I feel...absolutely.....hil...air...ee...uss!"
"And why do you feel hilarious?"
"Because, I feel funny, humorous, comical..."
"...comical?"
"Oh, now, Burton, you aren't playing that psychological game with me, turning my final word into a question, that's rude, and is a waist of my time and yours...get to the point."
"Okay, next question, what are you're inner most desires?" He grew more nervous, he saw sweat on his glasses, dripping from his forehead.
"You mean, my cravings? My dreams? My wantings?"
"Yes,"
"Well, Dr. Burton, let me tell you this..." Now we are getting somewhere, Burton thought.
"last night, I had a dream..."
"what kind of dream?"
"A funny dream,"
"Tell me about it..."
She sighed, "It started with me getting out of this place..."
"Why do you want out of here?"
"We all do, me, Ivy three cells down, even poor Ed Nygma next to her, we want out of this giant cage...so anyway, I broke outta here...and I...got...revenge."
"Revenge, for what?"
"For murder, for taking away what I loved."
"Revenge against whom?"
"Against the world, against humanity, but most of all, against...a rubber suited menace named Batman."
"Batman? Why?"
"He killed someone I loved..."
"Who?"
There was a long, silence, unbroken. Burton grew more nervous, what was this lunatic thinking, speak lunatic, he thought. "Your time is up," the figure said.
No, it isn't," Burton said, looking at his watch.
The pale, white face descended back into the darkness. Why had she said that? He wanted to know why.
Burton knocked on the glass, and pressed his ear next to the glass to hear her. Suddenly, a white pillow slammed against the glass, startling Burton.
Burton stood, put his chair back and started back for his office, when, he heard the voice, almost like the voice of a demon. His heart dropped and he turned around.
"Tell me, Burton...have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light?"
....................
Ms. B. Haven, stepped out of her black limousine and onto the dark brown dirt. It was disgusting. She stood six feet tall, and wore a long black dress, with long, black high heels. She had long, black hair, that dropped to her shoulders. Her smooth, dark African-American skin was her primary highlight to her evil sexuality.
She was moll, a gun runner, a gang leader, most of all, a successful business woman in crime. She was Gotham's only female gangster, and she enjoyed that title.
She held a small note in her hand, a note that was sent to her earlier that evening. It read, "Meet a new, prominant bussiness partner at Thirty-first and Broadway. Come alone." She looked up and saw a building, what appeared to be a run-down condemned office buidling.
Ms. B. Haven stepped into the old abandoned shack and looked around. How distgusting, she thought. Suddenly, the doors shut behind her, she turned around, but no one was there.
She looked around, and saw nothing but darkness, black. What was she doing here? Suddenly, several candles illuminated the room, up twenty feet above, in front of her.
"Hhhello?" she said, a little bit frightened.
"Hello," said a deep, male, almost demonic voice. "Come, sit down, Ms. B. Haven."
A chair rolled out of nowhere. She looked at it. It was black and leather. She sat in it. She crossed her legs, placed her hands in her lap and looked up at the candles, that all she could see. Then, red eyes illuminated the space between the candles. The figure, whatever it was leaned forward and she could see a tall hat. She grew scared, frightened, very afraid.
"I understand, you run sixty percent of all thugs in Gotham, Ms."
"Yes, I supply the men, the guns, the training--all my men have been trained in martial arts, in sharp-shooting, you name it." She could hear her own fright in her voice. This was scary the living daylights out of her.
"Good...I have a deal, a proposition for you. I need fifty thugs by tomorrow, is that possible?"
"Yes, fifty thugs, will run you ten million dollars."
"Very good...I understand that you also supply helicopters and land vehicles."
"Yes, two million dollars per helicopter rental, and ten-thousand dollars per car."
"Very, very good, I will pay you in cash, right now, in the amount of twenty-five million dollars, for fifty thugs, four choppers, and ten cars."
A small, black breif case dropped, five feet in front of her. She stood and picked it up. She turned in her heels.
"Its a pleasure doing business with you,"
"Yes, and thank you...ahh...what do I call you." There was a long pause, as she looked up and saw the figure, red eyes and all lean forward, his hands clasped.
"I am the everlasting fear in all men's minds. I am the monster under your child's bed. I am the murderer behind the door, but best of all...I am the Scarecrow."
Ms. B. Haven swallowed and left, with her breif case. She had almost reached the door, when the figure spoke one last time, "Tell me, do I scare you?"
The cool autumn air swept through the glass towers of Gotham City. It was night. And in Gotham City, Gotham University to be exact, a large crowd of press flanked a large limousine pulling to the curb. It was a charity ball.
Bruce Wayne stepped out of his limo and walked onto the side walk. He stood next to Alfred as the old butler extended his hand. A small gloved hand fell upon his and out stepped a beautiful, tall, blond woman. Her name was Jennifer Berry.
Bruce stepped to her and held out a folded arm. Jennifer slid her arm through his and they walked to the Gotham University Charity Ball.
The ballroom was large and had several windows on the ceiling. A large chandelier hung from the top. A long staircase unfolded along the middle of the room. Extravagent banners hung, long curtains draped the windows.
Bruce and Jennifer entered and examined the huge room. Bruce then waved at familiar faces and began chatting with them. Jennifer smiled at them.
After chatting, the two went to their designated table and asked the waiter for glasses of champagne. There were smiles, kisses, hugs, greetings, handshakes, all about the room.
An elderly man stepped up to a podium on the stairs and began to speak. He looked as if he was in his early seventies. "I would like to thank all of you for coming tonight. It is a pleasure to have you all here. I also thank you for your gratitude and you funding for the university. Tonight let's enjoy ourselves and give our money to charity."
He stepped down from the podium and then went to the tables for conversation.
"Oh, Bruce, who is this new, beautiful and dangerous woman of yours?" asked a friend.
"This is, Jennifer Berry, an ex doctor, now a full time journalist. Jennifer and I have been dating for several months now."
After some more talk, Bruce stood from his table and kissed Jennifer's hand. Oh, how he liked her. "I'll be right back dear, I need to visit the Men's room."
"Don't be too long," she said and smiled. She turned to her tall glass of champagne."
As Bruce departed he saw a bright spotlight cut into the room from above. He heard the beating of helicopter blades. The room started to vibrate. The chandelier was moving. All of a sudden a giant blast of machine gun fire broke through the three windows on the left of the chandelier. Then the three on the right broke out. Everyone ducked.
Several men jumped through the windows, with ropes attached to them. The men wore black jumpsuits, with silver armor. They waved automatic machine guns.
Not tonight, Bruce thought. He then went to the bathroom before being noticed. He went inside the room and found a small window he opened it and climbed through it.
Bruce ran to the limo, climbed inside and grabbed a hidded compartment, under the seat. He produced a large, silver belt. He left the limo and dashed into a small alley, behind the ballroom. The center of the belt had the bat-emblem. He pushed it, and silver leg panels slid down from the belt, covering his thighs. Then, they slid into his shins. Bruce placed black, rubber boots over the silver. Silver panels extracted out of the belt again and covered his stomach, then his chest, there a large bat-emblem stood. Then, a cowl covered his head. Then, a cape flapped from his back: Batman.
The men hushed everyone as a dark figure came down from the windows it was clinging to the rope. It silently came down. As it entered light, people shrieked.
It was a tall lanky man wearing loose, brown pants and a blood-red shirt. His pants were tied around his ankles by a rope. His head was covered in a brown mask, with eye holes cut into it. He wore a straw hat atop his head, with straw sticking out of the sides, acting as hair. He wore thin, brown gloves, with sharp finger nails in them.
"Greetings my ex-colleagues. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Many of you don't recognize me because I once was a doctor here at Gotham University. My name is Jonathan Crane. I once worked here studying mental stability. Well, I discovered drugs and syrums that got me fired, experiments on students. You," he said in a demonic voice, pointing to the elderly man, "fired me on the grounds that I played around with fear too much. You had me thrown in jail, but I got loose. I'll show you fear."
The elderly man stepped to him and said, "Jonathan, you're crazy!"
"Crazy, I'll show you crazy!" Crane extended his hand and red smoke came from it. The smoke surrounded his face as he inhaled it. He twitched a little. "Oh, and my name is.... The Scarecrow!"
He laughed as the old man imagined several insects climbing and crawling all over him. He was frightened but, there was nothing there, nothing. "Ahhh OHHHH get them off Oh god, get them off of me AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
The man kept screaming. He heard his heart pounding and pounding and pounding. He then let out one final scream as he dropped on the ground, frozen in fright. He was dead.
People screamed and shouted. Scarecrow spoke to his men, "Put on your masks and release the gas!" Gas started spewing out of the air ducts.
Scarecrow laughed as a loud crash came from the last standing skylight window. A silver and black, caped figure emerged, he seemed to glide to the ground. He landed and closed his cape. The people watched in awe. "Whoever you are, you won't get far!" said Batman.
"My name is Scarecrow, winged avenger, I am not afraid of you!"
Scarecrow then signaled his men as Batman put his oxygen mask on.
They tried shooting him as he performed back flips and somersaults dodging the bullets. He pulled a computerized Batarang from his belt and hit some buttons. He threw it away from him and the Batarang flew around and hit every single gun that was in the room.
There were now ten unarmed men against himself. He'd say the odds were about even. He knew he would win. The first man tried to punch him in the head. Batman ducked and punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Batman picked him up and threw him at an oncoming man.
Two down, eight to go, he thought. Two more came at him. He punched them both in the face, knocking them out. Six more to go. One came at him and jumped in the air and tried to kick him in the head. Batman extended his fist and hit him square in the crotch. The man fell down, clutching his wound. Five more. One came form behind and grabbed him, holding back his arms. Two more came at him. He kicked the two in the face, knocking them unconscious. Batman head-butted the one holding him and he fell back wards.
The remaining three came at him in a row. Too easy. He then kicked them all in a row. 1,2,3. They were gone. He let out a big sigh. Scarecrow then was on his way up as Batman realized what was going on.
"AHHHHHHH, it's a giant bat!" a woman cried. "Hit it Hit it!," cried a man. A swarm of people attacked Batman, thinking he was a bat. The Fear Gas had gotten to them. They pushed him up the stairs and Batman looked upward to see the helicopter ready to leave.
He pulled his spear gun from his utility belt and fired the spear at the helicopter. He then rose out of the crowd, into the open air he left the window and then the building.
The helicopter took off at break-neck speed, literally. Batman inched toward the chopper.
When, finally, he reached and climbed to the cab part of the chopper. There, was Scarecrow and some henchmen. he climbed in side and snap-kicked a henchman, and reached to grab Scarecrow.
Scarecrow grabbed a scythe and slashed Batman's mask off of his face. Scarecrow, then released the Fear Gas on him. Batman watched as The Scarecrow turned from a man in a costume to a towering monster. Batman stepped backwards as the monster came toward him. He kept stepping, then he could not find his footing. He fell out of the cab and dropped to the city.
Batman looked for his speargun on his utility belt but found a snake, with poison venom ready to lay its teeth into Batman. He tried to get it off as he fell.
"This is an illusion," he said to himself. He grabbed the gun and the snake bit him. It was painful. He swallowed his pain and fired at a nearby building. There, he grappling hook caught. He swung down to a roof top and looked up into the sky. The helicopter was already gone. There was no snake, all a minor fear. He knew he would meet Scarecrow again.
Bruce Wayne sat at the Batcomputer, deep in the Batcave. It was a large console with lots of buttons and screens. He typed in the name, CRANE, JONATHAN. The computer pulled up a police file.
Bruce read aloud, "....jailed for two weeks, for experimenting on students at Gotham University..."
"What an interesting file," an old friend said from behind. "Quite so, Alfred," Bruce retorted. He continued reading.
The telephone rang, on the control panel. Alfred put it on SPEAKER PHONE. "Wayne Manor, this is Alfred Pennyworth speaking."
The voice that called was female. "Yes, Alfred may I please speak to Bruce?"
"Why of course Miss Berry, I'll put him on."
"Thank you." Her voice was soft and calm, smooth.
Bruce stepped to the microphone. "Hi Jennifer, I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, I was busy. You made it out last night okay, didn't you?"
"Yes, but how did I miss you?"
"Well, honey, they had locked me in the bathroom. Shame I missed the best part of the party."
"Well, Bruce do you want to get together for lunch tomorrow?"
"Sure, why don't we meet at noon at the Matlin's?"
"Great, it's a date."
"All right, great, see then, bye."
He hung up. "Well, Alfred, I better get to bed, I have a lunch to get to tomorrow."
"Of course sir"
Bruce Wayne climbed out of his limo and talked into Alfred's ear. "Meet at Wayne Enterprises at 11:00." he said. Alfred nodded.
Bruce then grabbed his brief-case and stepped to the awaiting helicopter. It's propellers were chopping away as Bruce climbed in and fastened his seat belt. The pilot, Ralph, handed him the headphones, to communicate with.
Bruce switched on an overhead television and switched his headphones to the frequency. He watched the news as the chopper lifted off the ground, into the air.
Bruce looked out the window, into the rolling hills of his estate. They were beautiful. Just a few years ago, he bought that land, expanding his ownership. He wanted to ride horses and maybe even play golf. There wasn't enough time.
He looked onward, toward the city, Gotham City. They traveled over buildings and skyscrapers. There wasn't that much smog, this past week, due to funding he received from the city council to put air cleaners on smoke stacks, and it worked.
He continued listening to the news, " ....Mayor Hill has announced this morning that the crime rate of Gotham City is in its lowest in twelve years. Mayor Hill also adds a thank you to the Dark Knight, for a job well done." Bruce had to smile.
He continued his look, where saw his giant office building. It was over 150 stories tall and has three separate columns. It was beautiful. The giant "W" was placed directly in the center of the building. He looked up to find his office. It was suspended from the top, and stuck out ten stories higher than the rest of the building.
The helicopter landed on the black concrete. He pulled open the door and climbed out. He reached back in and grabbed his brief case. He strolled to the glass doors and opened them.
He stopped just inside the door and took a deep breath. His assistant ran to meet him. She was tall and African-American. With straight black hair. She had a notebook and a cup of coffee. "Good morning Maggie," Bruce said. "Good Morning Mr. Wayne. This morning you have a meeting with the mayor at 10:30 and the president called, call him back at 11:30, and you are having lunch with Miss Berry at twelve sir."
They walked into his large office. It was a long rectangular box shape and had a big desk at the end and a window wall and balcony behind it.
Bruce sat in his large chair, set his brief case down and drank his coffee. "What time is it?" he asked. "9:33, sir," she said. "Good, I have an hour to do those forms due into the city council."
"Maggie will you call Lucious Fox and get him in here, and grab a note book and get ready to take notes."
"Yes sir."
He turned to his computer screen and looked at it. It had his forms for the cleanup of the South Street bridge. He was meeting with the mayor in an hour.
The buzzer turned on. "Yes, Maggie," he said. "Mr. Wayne, President Kurasawa from Japan is on line four."
"Thank you."
Bruce turned to his phone console and picked up a headset. He put it on his head and began to speak in Japanese.
He spoke Japanese well and flawlessly. His conversation lasted a few moments and then Lucious Fox, his Vice President came in. He was a big, slightly round, African-American man, that was bald. Bruce had hired him, when starting the company, he was dependable and tough. He was hired to be the Vice-President of Wayne Enterprises/Industries.
Bruce hung up the phone and greeted Fox. "What did Kurosawa want?"
"Oh, Sony is willing to get off of my back. He will by one of my radio stations, in exchange for 100 million and give me his 30 percent of each TV network. Sound good?"
"Great."
"Lucious, I want to use that thirty percent to buy more into the five major networks. If that works out, I'm interested in buying into Time-Warner."
"Sounds wonderful,"
"Whew, I thought you weren't gonna like it."
"I do, I do. Changing the subject Bruce, I heard about the Gotham University Charity Ball. There was a crazy called, Scarecrow. I'm glad no one was hurt."
"Yeah, Lucious, I'm glad too, thanks to Batman once more, Lucious, I need to get on these forms, I'll talk to you later,"
"Yes sir."
Fox gave a mock salute and left the office. Bruce continued his work
After meeting with the mayor and talking to the president, Bruce stood from his chair and stretched his tall body. He found his coat, on a sofa at the right of his desk. He walked over and picked it up. He checked his watch. It read 11:01. He then put on his coat and walked out of his office.
He walked into the secretary lobby and nodded at Maggie, acknowledging that he was leaving for his lunch. She nodded as well.
He got in the elevator and hit the key and the doors closed. He stood silent in the elevator.
When the elevator stopped at the lobby, he stepped out and saw all of his employees walking around, getting to their work stations. Most recognized him, and some waved or said hello. He would wave back or say hello to them as well.
He walked outside. Mark, his old doorman held the large, glass doors open for him. "Good morning Mr. Wayne, and how are you this very morning?" he asked. "Oh, fine Mark, and you?" he replied. "Oh just doing my job."
Mark opened the designated limo door for him and Bruce jumped in it. "Bye, Mark" he said. "Good-bye Mr. Wayne." Bruce loved his job, working with all these wonderful people.
The limo pulled away, into the congested street. Alfred sat in the driver seat listening to classical music.
"I suppose the Matlin's was your choice, sir?" Alfred asked
"Yes, I enjoy it's peaceful atmosphere."
The long black limousine drove on until it reached the door to the Matlin's restaurant.
Bruce stepped out and moved inside the building. He walked to the lobby and stepped to the main waiter.
"My reservations are under Wayne, and I am supposed to meet someone else here." Bruce said the man.
"Yes, Mr. Wayne, Miss Berry is awaiting you."
"Thank you," Bruce ended.
He walked to the main eating area. He looked at his watch. It read 12:01. Great, he wasn't late. He scanned the crowd, looking for Jennifer. He saw great tables with several, tailored waiters. He spotted Jennifer. She was sitting in a two seated table, waiting for him.
He walked over to the table and she stood. Before he could place his coat on the back of his chair, a waiter rushed over to take his coat.
"Thank you," Bruce said. He kissed Jennifer on the cheek, and the two sat down.
"So, dear, how is your day, so far?"
"Well, Working for Time isn't what it used to be. I mean, last week the editor cut our time for articles in half. He also doubled everyone's schedule. He is driving us all crazy. But, it is for the best. Newsweek nabbed a bunch of our people, and now it is really hurting our business."
"What story are you working on now?"
"Well, my next story is about the rise of insanity in the U.S. You won't believe how many people are crazy these days, its rediculous, you know..."
She talked and talked. Bruce watched her talk . He loved everything about her. The way she walked in a room, they way she drank, the way would knock her hair away from her shoulders. He loved her....maybe.
A waiter came to their table. He was young and skinny. "What would you like to drink?" he asked.
Bruce turned his head and spoke, "Well, how about two glasses of Derigoinne Chapagne?" Jennifer nodded. The waiter rushed off to get the drinks.
The two drank and talked. They loved each other. He met her almost a year ago, while she was writing a profile study on him. She interviewed him, and the two hit it off. He asked her to have a drink with him and they fell in love.
After chatting awhile, Bruce realized he was late for an appointment.
"Sorry, to cut this short, Dear, but I have a racket ball game with another business guy."
"Oh, well, I loved the lunch, thank you."
"Sure, waiter!" he signaled.
The waiter came, carrying a check and his coat. He handed him the check. Wayne signed it and gave back. The waiter held his coat for him, while he put it on.
"Thank you, sir." Bruce said, handing him a twenty dollar bill.
He then stepped to kiss Jennifer, this time on the lips. "Bye," they both said at the same time. He sighed and realized that he didn't have enough time for her.
Night fell on Gotham city, and Dr. Burton sat at his desk and looked over the progress reports of the many inmates of his asylum. The worst cases were once villains of Gotham, now, locked up by Batman.
He scanned one sheet that kept log of the progress of a woman named Harleen Quinzell. It was an interesting case. Dr. Burton was never so interested in this kind of case.
This woman actually thought that she was the Joker, the first of Gotham's infamous villains, her case, was 6669.
He looked over another sheet. This was the case of an arms dealer who dressed like a butler and carried a wooden puppet, claiming the puppet ran the show. The puppet was a gangster and scared several people. The police had caught him and brought him Dr. Burton. He concluded that the butler, using his ventriloquist skills had two separate and completely different personalities.
He looked over another who was fired from Wayne Enterprises, claiming to be the character from the children's story, Alice in Wonderland, named the Mad Hatter. He was fired and vowed revenge against the company who fired him. He put him in a cell close to that of Edward Nygma, hoping the two would be friends. So far, they have gotten along.
And Nygma, he after several years, thinking to be Batman himself, has shed that skin and grown back to adoring people. He claims he once knew the identity of Batman but forgot it. He still knows that Batman put him behind these walls and has a grudge behind it. Burton kept on his work.
Outside of Gotham Asylum, a black van drove up. The door slid open and two giant boots came out and dropped on the dirt beneath them. It was a large man. He wore black leather pants and had a wrestler-like uniform on. He wore a dark mask. He was called "Bane."
After Bane outstepped several foot-soldiers. Then, the dark, tall, menacing figure of the Scarecrow emerged, more frightening than ever.
He spoke in a demonic voice, "All right men, let's do this fast and have a little fun too."
Bane nodded and opened up a black case. He reached in to grab a large rocket launcher. He turned the high powered device on and pointed it to the power transformers that supported Arkham's electricity.
He fired and a red, flaming missile fired violently through the air and exploded as it hit the electricity. Bane watched as the power left the windows to leave dark, soulless shadows danced upon the evil glare.
Dr. Burton tried to find the alarm switch under his desk. The lights were now out and he heard an explosion. Someone was trying break the inmates out. He found it and pressed it. Red emergency lights lit up the hallways and Burton tried to maneuver through them. He passed the open cells very fearfully.
Suddenly a second explosion rocked the building and Burton was thrown to the floor. A hand grabbed his neck and began to choke him. "Hello doctor, I'm ready for my medicine." said a female voice. It was Harleen Quinzell, or, as she went by, "Harley Quinn". She let out a laugh as she lifted him from the floor.
Bruce sat at his desk in the giant mansion, Wayne Manor. He read Jennifer's latest article in Time. He read every article she ever had written. He liked her writing.
He heard sirens in the house. He looked up at a nearby window. He saw the Bat-Signal light up the sky. He scooted his chair out from under him and went to a large, grandfather clock and turned the hands on it. It slid away to reveal an elevator. He stepped into it and touched a button. He then went downward.
He then stopped and the door opened the reveal, the Batcave. He stepped out and went into the suit chamber.
There, he undressed and took out his black, bullet proof Batsuit. He had many of them. He put everything on. Last, he put black, smudge make-up around his eyes. He then dawned the black cowl.
He opened the door that led to the Batmobile chamber. He stepped up a small flight of metal stairs and, just as he reached the top, he saw the Batmobile rising from a deep pit. It rotated. After it rose to the top, he stepped to it and looked at it for awhile.
It was long and black. He had used it in the fight against Mr. Freeze. It now had a canopy. He looked at the six, turbine engines and then opened the canopy and jumped in. He ignited the engines and shot out of the Batcave and thundered toward crime.
Batman shot out of the Batcave in his rocket propelled Batmobile. He saw the giant city ahead of him.
He switched on his computer on the dash board. He located where the crime was taking place. After a few seconds of computing, the computer read the location. Batman's heart dropped as it read, ARKHAM ASYLUM.
Someone was staging a breakout. Maybe Scarecrow, he didn't know. This was going to take more than one man. He pulled on a small compartment and pulled out a decoder. He typed in a message. He hoped Dick would be there.
Dick Grayson stood behind the bar. He bought and opened a biker bar a year ago. He called it, "Old Rusties". He loved it. Although it was hard at times. The bucks were rolling in. He finished his four years at Gotham University and hoped to go back later and get a doctorate, perhaps in crime. Bruce was a bit upset that he didn't get his doctorate and now, but after a few long talks, he convinced him.
But his new life still didn't stop his life from being a crime-fighter. He now dawned the name, "Nightwing." He wasn't Batman's sidekick anymore, he was his own creation.
"Charles I thinks you have had enough to drink," he said to an old man, who was lying his head on the bar. He was obviously drunk. The old man hadn't shaved in days. Dick took the glass of beer away from him and picked his head up.
"You listening to me?" Dick asked. "Yeah," the drunk Charles, replied. "Come on, I'll put you in a cab home. I'll pay for it.''
"Okay, you're the boss." Charles said. Dick rounded the bar and picked up Charles' wallet. He looked at the old driver's license and found his address.
He picked Charles up and slung his arm over his shoulder. They exited the building.
Dick whistled at an oncoming Taxi Cab. It stopped and pulled over. Dick opened the door and placed Charles in the back. Dick closed the door and walked to talk to the cab driver. "Take him to 1202 South Street, and here is the money you need." He handed him fifty dollars.
The cab drove off. Dick was alerted to a beeping noise. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a beeper. He turned it off and read it. It read BREAK OUT AT ARKHAM.
Dick knew what it meant. He walked back in the bar and signaled Doreen, his best employee. She rushed over and asked, "What's up?"
"Doreen, can you take over a couple of minutes, I'll be right back."
"Sure!" she said in a cute voice.
He walked out the back door to see a long line of motorcycles. He walked over to a trash bin, in the corner of the alley. He turned a knob on it and it flipped over to reveal a black, slick motorcycle. He found a suitcase on the back of it and opened it to find a black and blue, bullet proof suit. He then changed in to it.
When done, he stepped out, cape and everything. He jumped on the bike and a orange and red flame lit in the back as he shot out to Arkham Asylum.
The Batmobile exploded onto the street and fired toward Arkham Asylum. Batman increased the throttle and kept going. He saw the police lights ahead, blue and red.
He saw the main highway ahead and saw a small dirt road leading to an over look that was directly over Arkham. Batman made a choice. He jerked the steering wheel to the right and fired up the dirt road. The flames grew larger in size, the Batmobile raged on.
Police Commissioner James Gordon pulled up to the onslaught of police cars and vans. He saw they had blocked off the large part of the main entry way to Arkham.
He climbed out of the car and shut the door. The red and blue lights hurt his eyes. He walked to his best police officer, Lt. Harvey Bullock. Bullock was a large, round man with a dark coat on and wore a suit on under it. The suit was wrinkled and his chin was covered with unshaved facial hair. He wore a brown, not matching hat over his black, short hair.
"Bullock, what's going on?" Gordon said. "Well sir, we have blocked off and surrounded the building. No doubt they'll have trouble trying to get out. We have several gunmen and sharp shooters positioned all over and all the crazies are still in there, as far as we know."
Gordon spoke again, "Well, have we figured out where these people are, who are trying to break the inmates out?"
"No sir, but I have dispatched scouts to find out."
"How many?"
"Twelve officers."
"Good."
Gordon heard a strange rocket sound. He looked around but couldn't see it. It wasn't like a missle, more like an engine, a jet engine. After it got closer, he realized he was listening to the Dark Knight's entrance, in the Batmobile.
The Batmobile stopped at the top of the overlook. He turned off the engine and climbed out. His boots landed hard on the dry dirt. His cape flapped as he walked. He silently trotted to the edge of the cliff and unhooked his binoculars from his belt. He held them close to his eyes and saw all the policeman below.
He looked over near the back of the asylum, where a lower overlook was. There, he saw several men, not policeman, and several black vans sitting there.
He tossed away his binoculars and pulled out his grapple gun and fired it at a large tree, near the other cliff. He swung on it toward the men. In the middle of his flight, he saw a familiar face, or mask for that matter: Bane. The large, muscular man fired a rocket into the wall of the Asylum, followed by a great explosion.
Batman dropped several feet and landed on three of the men. Six more came at him. He kicked and fought and took them down easily. After taking down the final thug, he saw the dark menacing figure of, the Scarecrow. Lying next to the villain's feet, were twelve dead policemen, their bodies slashed with a bloody scythe, wielded by the new monster to Gotham.
The Scarecrow laughed and stood on top on one of the armored vans and watch his masterpiece of a breakout unfurl before him. He then noticed
the Dark Knight. "Take care of the flying rodent, won't you Bane," he said in a demonic voice.
Bane jumped from his small lookout and lunged for Batman. In doing so, Bane pushed a red button on his right arm. A drug called Venom pumped through his veins and his muscles enlarge, five-fold. Batman knew what was going to happen.
Bane continued his lunge at the Dark Knight. Batman leaped over the hulk's body. Bane tried and tried to get him, but was unsuccessful, The Dark Knight kept jumping out of the thug's grasp. Batman then kicked him square in the jaw and pushed him to the edge of the over look. He grabbed his Batarang and tossed it around Bane's ankles and fired the spear gun, lifting the huge villain into the air, ontop of a tree. Bane hung there, trying to wiggle free, but was unsuccessful, his large body not working for him when being tied up.
Batman looked upward to find that the Scarecrow went to a higher ground. Batman then heard the sound of the inmates flooding out of the holes supplied by Bane. They had to be stopped.
He spread his cape and jumped into the earnest.
....................
Nightwing increased the speed on the bike. He grew more nervous as he drew closer. His cape was flapping and he gritted his teeth, in fear that he may not be there in time, and several million lives may hang in the balance.
....................
The skylight in the asylum exploded, and Batman dropped, his cape large, like wings. He descended onto the cold, black ground of the asylum. He looked around, and found nothing, but empty halls.
He lowered his defenses and heard a scream. He raced forward, into the blackness. The dark consumed him, as it always had.
He slowed down as he found nothing but more darkness. He then saw a shadow. Batman silently walked toward it. He didn't know what it was, but it was hanging from the ceiling. Fear began to consume him. What was it? He noticed something dripping from it.
He grew closer. And touched it, it was a body. He turned the body around to the face. He recognized it all to well. It was Dr. Burton. When Batman brought the carcass into the light he saw that the dead man's face was twisted into that of a smile.
The Joker had done that years before. It scared him. He then remembered that fateful night when his parents were murdered by that madman in that black alley. That is when the night consumed him, became his ally, he would become Batman.
"Hahahahahahahahaha!" Batman heard, startling him from his thoughts. He was laughter, strange laughter. It continued, getting louder and louder. It was the voice of a woman. He began walking into the direction of the voice.
Batman rounded a corner to see a figure dart into a doorway. He went to the door and saw that it lead to the basement. He followed.
Down the steps he rushed, his cape trailing him in the air. The laugh grew closer and closer, louder and louder.
At the bottom of the stairs he saw her. It was a woman, sitting in the corner with her face looking downward. She wore an inmate jumpsuit. Her hair was blonde.
She looked up at him. She carried a demonic smile, her lips covered in gobs of bright red lipstick. She spoke, "Tell me Batman, have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?"
Batman's heart dropped, just as it did when Jack Napier spoke those same words to him on the night his parents were murdered. He nearly fainted. She then let out a large laugh and ran away. Batman was too scared to follow.
He dropped to the ground. He had never thought of the Joker in a long time. He was dead. Batman let him die. Although it was wrong he did so. Why was this woman parading around like his old archenemy? Whatever the reason, it scared him.
He gained control of himself and walked back up the stairs. The sound of his heavy boots tromping up the stairs was interupted by the sound of people running, perhaps like a stampede of people, and it was in the door in front of him. He opened the door to find hundreds of inmates, some he had put away, surrounding him. "Well, isn't it the 'Batman'" one spoke. "Yeah, let's do to him, what he did to us!" said another. On that notion the inmates began to beat him and started to kill him.
Batman was forced to the ground and helpless. They were punching and stomping and kicking. His lip began to bleed. All he heard were shouts of his murder and torture. The inmates continued to beat him with their hands and feet. Was he going to die? He hoped
Then, the wall exploded as a hero on a motorcycle came through the wall. It was Nightwing. His ex-sidekick shot a net over the majority of the crowd and jumped off his bike to finish some of them off.
He got to the center of the crowd and grabbed Batman's hand. The two stood and fought their way out of the crowd. Batman and Nightwing took out smoke bombs and threw them to the ground. Mist rose and engulfed them. Two grappling hooks shot from the smoke. The two heroes lifted to the air and entered the outside.
.......................
Scarecrow stood on a command platform and oversaw the breakout. Most of the prisoners escaped. He watched as the police tried to stop them, but were mulled over. The inmates overpowered the police officers and Scarecrow enjoyed it.
He pressed a button on his console and spoke into a microphone. "Men, put on your masks," he said. He the pushed several buttons. Seconds later, a red gas shot out of two barrels sticking out of his platform. Several more barrels, positioned around the asylum shot out the same substance.
The gas engulfed the police and inmates. Seconds later the police cried several different fears. Scarecrow overheard such cries. He heard everything from a fear of spiders to a man swearing he saw snakes. It was all too much enjoyment for him.
Batman and Nightwing watched as the police were overpowered by the inmates. Now red gas was being released onto them. They both had their oxygen masks on.
The Dark Knight looked to the ridge where Scarecrow was overseeing this. He saw that they were packing up, preparing to leave.
"Nightwing, go get the Batmobile, and hurry!" Batman commanded. The young hero rolled his eyes at his old master. That is the exact reason why Dick had left, Bruce treated their partnership more like a dictatorship.
Nightwing then shot out a grapple hook to the ridge where the Batmobile was parked. Batman shot out his grapple hook to where the Scarecrow was.
As Batman drew close, he saw that some of the inmates were being put into the vans. Probably because Scarecrow wanted them for something.
Batman dropped down and took on several thugs. He took them down easily, kciking the first, hitting the second. Then, he realized that the vans were driving off. He tried to catch one, but it was too fast. He kicked the final thug, knocking him out.
Batman looked below to see that Nightwing had gotten the Batmobile and his motorcycle. Batman jumped off the cliff and landed in the cockpit of the Batmobile. Nightwing was on his bike. The two fired off onto the streets of Gotham.
The ten black vans fired down Main Street, where years ago, Batman defeated the Joker. The Batmobile and Black-Bird were in close pursuit.
Batman recognized the street. There, on that street was where he and his parents went to see Zorro at the Monarch Theater. His parents and he left the theater and went down a dark alley, and that is where Joker killed them. He remember the words Jack Napier said to him that he would never forget, "Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?" Napier chose to leave him alive, a mistake, for Batman turned him into a monster and then killed him. Who was this woman impersonator. He concentrated at the things at hand.
The Batmobile thundered toward the vans at break neck speed. Batman kept on the gas pedal. He switch on his intercom. "Nightwing, catch up to one of the vans and put the Black Bird onto automatic driver and get on one of those vans. Stop them!" Batman said. Nightwing nodded.
The Black Bird increased speed and caught up with the trailing van. Nightwing set his bike to AUTOMATIC DRIVER. The Black Bird drove on its own.
Nightwing stood and balanced himself on his bike. He looked over at the van, and it began to speed up. Nightwing jumped, his bike driving alone. He landed on the side of the van. He looked into the window and saw several thugs. Nightwing took back his fist and punched through the window, hitting one thug hard in the head.
Nightwing climbed on top of the van. He turned back to see the Batmobile and now several police cars were in the pursuit. He reached in his utility belt and picked up several pointy spiked balls. They were no larger than the sized of toy jacks. He positioned himself and threw them down in front of the wheels of the van. The wheels popped and the van driver lost control. It rammed into the van next to it and sent the two vans rolling. Just before they hit the ground, Nightwing took a flying leap off of the van and caught onto the back of another. Two down, he thought. He proceeded to do the same for this next one.
Batman sat in the Batmobile watching. He watched as one van drew back towards him. It pulled directly in front of the Batmobile. The van's roof slid back to reveal a man sitting at a machine gun console. He loaded the large automatic machine guns. The barrels rotated, firing bullet after bullet. The bullets just ricocheted off of the canopy. Batman was glad that he installed that canopy.
Batman switched pushed a yellow button. From the sides of the Batmobile came two similar machine guns. Batman targeted the vans wheels and fired. The wheels exploded. The van started to slow and Batman realized that the Batmobile was going to ram it. He pushed the accelerator and rammed the van, causing it to flip completely over the Batmobile, leaving it unscathed.
Batman looked to Nightwing and saw that he had taken out three of the vans. That left five more.
Two of the vans slid close to each other. Batman saw his chance. He charged them, pushing the accelerator pedal. The center of his car was placed right between the two vans. As he struck the vans, they were knocked away, dropping onto their sides. The Batmobile seemed to have cut through them. Batman sighed when he realized he was successful.
Nightwing threw down an explosive charge, for he was out of spikes, and the wheels exploded. The vans slowed down and Nightwing jumped to the next. As soon as Nightwing was on the top of the van, the doors opened and a thug stepped out. He scaled the top of the van and tried to shoot Nightwing. He snap kicked the gun out of his hand.
The thug put up his fists. Nightwing put up his. The man tried to hit him in the head but Nightwing ducked. Nightwing attacked his ribs one-two-ing them. The man was hurt Nightwing jumped in the air and gave him a round-house kick, knocking him off of the van.
Nightwing let out a sigh. There were only two vans left, counting the one he was standing on. All of a sudden, the roof of the van exploded and the huge monsterous Bane appeared. He had jumped thorough the ceiling. His muscles were bulging, Nightwing could see his veins.
Nightwing tried to trip him but Bane punched him in the back. He picked Nightwing up and threw him towards the Batmobile. The body flew throug the air and hit the cockpit of the Batmobile. Nightwing climbed higher on the car, and grapped on for life.
Nightwing put a small microphone to his mouth and spoke. "Black bird: draw back..." The Black Bird motorcycle slowed down, reaching the same speed of the Batmobile, next to it. Nightwing leapt onto the cycle and rode next to the almighty Batmobile.
Batman and Nightwing continued their chase of the remaining two vans. The vans turned onto another street, onto the "back roads" of Gotham, that lead to the forest outside of the city.
The speeds of the vehicles got faster. The buildings got smaller and smaller, until finally, they were gone, replaced by even taller trees. The roads were damp, leaves falling from the trees, brown.
Batman upped the throttle even more. He looked at his ex-partner on his black bike. He didn't look good. His face was still bleeding. He kept putting his head down, as if he was in pain.
Batman switched on his intercom and spoke, "Nightwing, how are you doing?"
"Not good, I need to stop my bleeding..."
"Go ahead and go, I can handle these guys."
"No, Batman, I'll stay..."
"GO!" Batman once again commanded. Nightwing pulled away and disappeared. The Dark Knight upped the throttle, and pressed the accelerator harder and the flames grew larger.
Batman pulled to the van on the left. He set the car on AUTOMATIC DRIVER. He pushed a button and the cockpit slid back.
Batman climbed outside the Batmobile. Suddenly, rain fell from the dark skies, and blue lightning exploded from the stars. Batman leapt onto the roof of the first van. The cockpit slid shut. The rain got harder.
Batman leaped onto the front of the van, his cape blocking the driver's view. A thug produced a small machine gun and fired at Batman. Batman leapt up, back ontop of the van.
He dropped down to the side and pulled back his fist, and thrust it through the glass, hitting the driver hard in the face. Batman grabed his shirt collar and rammed his head on the roof.
The unconcious driver lost control of the van and ran off the road. Batman leapt off, the first van crashed into a tree. The second skidded to a stop. The Batmobile stopped as well.
Scarecrow stepped out of the second van. He opened the door to the first van and the inmates from there dashed into the second van. Batman rose from the dirt in the woods. The rain poured through the trees and onto the wet, leaf covered ground.
Scarecrow stepped around the van and faced Batman. "Don't move, Scarecrow!" Batman commanded, drawing his net launcher and pointing it at the villain.
"Batman," Scarecrow said, "I don't think you are in a place to speak to me like that."
"I mean it, Scarecrow.
"Allright, if you insist." The villian raised his arms in the air, surrendering. Suddenly, red smoke started flooding out of his long arms. The smoke circled Batman. He inhaled.
Batman blinked his eyes and slowly watched Scarecrow once again turn into a hulking monster. He dropped to his knees and the net-launcher fell out of his hand.
Scarecrow left, while Batman was having his hallucinations. He watched as the vans pulled away. The Dark Knight stood and looked to the city. He saw that the city was on fire, every building was on fire, burning. It was all a hallucination, and he didn't know it.
"Oh god!" he said as he saw the glass towers explode. "Jennifer, Alfred, Gordon, all eleven million citizens dying!" he said to himself. He looked further down the street and saw something, he ran towards it, trying to find out what it was, fallen on the ground.
As he drew closer, he figured out what it was. It was the dead body of Dick Grayson, Nightwing, another hallucination. Batman started speaking in rapid succession, not knowing what to do.
"All citizens of the city, dying, Jennifer-surely dead, Alfred-dead, Richard-dead."
He started wondering into the woods, the Fear Gas taking over his brain. He fell onto the wet ground, the leaves enveloping him. Then, it came to him, he realized his greatest fear: "Oh my god...I'm alone." He closed his eyes and the black came.
Hours later: his ears opened up. He heard water dripping, he heard the wind howling. He felt his face covered in water, and his lip bloody. He opened his eyes and saw trees. Lost and lots of trees, all reaching for the black clouds hovering high above him.
He sat up. His head hurt, a massive head ache. He got to his feet and looked down the street and saw the Batmobile. What had happened? He didn't remember.
As he walked back to the vehicle, it all came back to him. The car chase, the crash, the fear. He looked back to see nothing on the street, the city intact. He climbed into the Batmobile and fired into the city.
He held one hand on the wheel, on on his cowl. His head hurt. The sound of the engine hurt his mind. The "ping ping ping" of the rain was painful. He wanted to get home, to bed.
He upped the throttle and pushed the accelerator pedal. He started getting sleepy. He got faster. He closed his eyes. He threw his eyes open, and smacked his head, trying to keep himself awake.
Then, he saw it. He saw Dick's body again. Batman slammed on the brakes and the Batmobile violently skidded to a stop. Damn it, Batman said to himself. "I ISN'T real!" he said. He then fired up the engine again and continued. This is going to be a long night, he said to himself.
Bruce Wayne sat in his leather chair, wearing his Batman suit and watched the computer monitor in front of him. It was displaying a downloaded police file. He had gotten a few hours of sleep, then descended back the Batcave. His headache was gone. On the left of the computer, there laid a file tape that Batman had used out of the police station. Gordon had let him have access to any file he needed and anything else. Gordon simply forgot to lock the window in the file room.
After reading the file, Bruce turned to the tape and opened the box. He turned on the tape player and inserted the tape into the slot. He pushed play.
The tape began dark. It was a surveillance video. He recognized the office that was being taped. It was the office that belonged to the Dean of the Gotham University. He had spoken to that Dean, his name was Charles Levitan, about Dick's education.
The video showed Dean Levitan working at his desk, when the door, next to his desk, opened slowly. Levitan looked up. There was a dark figure standing there, in a defined, brown trench coat.
Bruce watched as Levitan swallowed. "C-can I ugh help you?" the nervous man asked to the figure. The figure stepped forward, mute. "Sir?!" asked the Dean. Red gas began to seep out of the bottom of the figure's jacket. Levitan loosened his tie. "Who are you?!" he asked.
The figure spoke in a demonic voice, "Welcome to my kind of excitement Dean Levitan." He recognized the voice. "My god Crane, you killed Dr. Fielding at the party and you're here to get me, aren't you?!"
"It was unfortunate you weren't able to join us at the party... let's just say it was thrilling," The figure said with a laugh.
Levitan stepped backwards, towards his office window and grabbed a fire extinguisher. "If you come any closer, Crane, I'll...."
"Crane? Crane is gone, you fired him and made sure he wouldn't touch you. He is gone, so I was born. I am..." The figure ripped off his coat. ".....the Scarecrow!"
"My god, you are nuts!" Levitan said. As Scarecrow drew closer, the gas spewed more. After a few seconds, the entire room was so covered in red gas, you could not see five feet in front of you.
Levitan's eyes began to bulge as he watched the Scarecrow become a monster before his eyes. Levitan witnessed Scarecrow's arms bulge and his teeth dropped into fangs.
Scarecrow, in Levitan's eyes let out a giant growl. He tried to strike the Scarecrow in the face with the fire extinguisher, but the red tool was cut in half by the scythe that Scarecrow wielded. Scarecrow discarded the red metal case of the extinguisher and rose his scythe up higher.
Lemure let out one last scream before the scythe shot through his stomach and set the screaming man flying through the window. His screaming body fell several stories before it hit the ground.
As the tape ended, Bruce turned off the video player and sat in his chair, watching the date on the files state the Levitan murder occurred the night after the charity ball. Scarecrow was a busy person. Now he could assemble armies of the hundred and take control of Gotham.
The telephone rang. Bruce picked it up. "Sir," Alfred, on the other line said, "Miss Berry is on line two."
"Thanks Alfred."
"Hello Jenny......oh, I'm sorry honey tomorrow night I have to work late......no.... I'll be busy a lot in the next week...especially nights..."
The Batwing swooped down into the city skyline. The bat-signaled shaped jet fired through empty space like a rocket.
Batman sat in his cockpit and looked around the city. Nothing appeared to be wrong....yet. Batman took a long turn to the right and flew down Main Street, where years before, he fought the Joker. He saw the old cathedral that he finally won his battle.
As Batman turned a few more rights, he saw a strange platform on top of a small building. It had bright lights on it. Batman touched a button and he slid down to a lower part of the cockpit. Seconds later he fired out of the bottom of the plane. A glider attached to his back, Batman flew to the site, as the Batwing flew on.
He set the glider down and unhooked it from his back. He folded the wings up and put them against a wall. He turned and saw a large metal rim gate. In the middle it read a giant A. Batman proceeded with caution.
He stepped to the gate and pushed the two parts forward. They swung to a stop. He saw colorful plants and flowers as he rounded a corner.
When he turned another, he saw a long brown, wooden table, with a short little man sitting at the end. He wore a ridiculous sized top hat. He wore an old nice shirt and large, blue jacket.
The man looked at the Dark Knight. "Welcome my friend, have a seat," the little man said. Batman stood motionless. "No? Well, if your going to be rude then be rude. Would you care for a cup of tea?"
Batman stood motionless. He saw large statues of a tortoise, a man-condor. But behind the man stood a beautiful statue of a little girl. She was reaching for the stars. The man turned to see what Batman was looking at.
"Ahhh, that is my Alice, my dear sweet Alice."
He turned back to the Dark Knight. The man tossed a book at him, Batman caught it. It was the story of Alice in Wonderland. The man began to sing, "I'm late, I'm late for a very important date!" he whistled the rest.
After a few seconds more, he stopped. "You do know who I am, don't you, Dark Knight?" the man said. Batman was silent. "I am the Mad Hatter! HAHAHAHAHAH!!!"
The man stood and danced. He then rose to the statue of Alice and danced with it. After a moment or two more, he stopped. "I was once an employee of Wayne Enterprises. They fired me because I was fooling around too much with the stuff Edward Nygma did. I perfected what he had done and created a simpler, more efficient 'Box'. I hold it here in my hand." He flipped out a thin metal flat device. It looked like a playing card. "I was fired and got my revenge. I controlled everyone who I knew. I won over a woman, named Alice, but she slipped from my grasp. They put me in that asylum and we broke out. Now, with the help of Scarecrow, I will conquer Gotham with my mind manipulation."
"Now, Dark Knight, join us, and be a part of the conquest, or die!"
Batman stood emotionless.
"Die, I guess. Gentleman!"
Three hulking men appeared and had those cards in their ears. Batman opened his cape and swung a Batarang at them. The Batarang hit the first in the head, but didn't knock him unconscious. It must have been those ear, mind-controlling devices.
Batman jumped into a somersault in the air and landed behind them. He took the ear-peice out one man. He fell to the ground. The second man tried to hit him. Batman ducked and tried to shove him away, tackling him. The man caught him and tossed Batman aside.
The third man tried to chop at him with an ax. Batman dodged him, and ran a few feet, then leaped into an air somersault, grabbing the man's ear-peice.
He fell to the ground. The last man came at him. Batman pulled out a tranquilizer dart and fired at the man's neck. A direct hit made the man fall to his knees. Batman pulled the ear-peice off. He looked toward the end of the table. The Mad Hatter was gone.
Bruce Wayne sat at the end of the table, Jennifer Berry on the other. They sipped their soup quietly. It was a large room, with many tapestries.
Bruce broke the silence, "Jen, I'm sorry to say this, but this will be the last time this week we can eat together."
He dropped her spoon into the bowl, annoyed. "I never get to see you anymore, Bruce. You are always working nights. I mean, what do you do exactly?"
"Well, I have to go out of town," he lied.
"Well, I am sorry but I am very upset!"
She rose and tossed her napkin on the table and walked off.
Bruce went after her. "Jen, it is only this week, I promise."
She stopped and thought a moment. "Just this week?" she asked. "Just this week," Bruce assured.
"Okay, I can live with that." He hugged her and the two went back to dinner.
Alfred walked in and announced, "Sir, there is a telephone call, you need to take it the kitchen."
Bruce rose and walked to the kitchen. Alfred joined him. As Bruce entered the door, he immediately saw the signal. "Damn...I said I wouldn't do this anymore. Alfred, can you tell Jen that I have to go on that business meeting now?"
"Yes sir," Alfred loyally said. Bruce stepped away, into the Batcave.
The Batmobile fired through the streets of Gotham. Batman handled the controls with ease. He was annoyed. He loved Jennifer, but he didn't have enough time for her. He kept heading toward the police station. As he turned a corner, his computer began to bleep.
He switched on his DISPLAY switch and he looked at the console. It read that several cars were approaching. He looked out the window and saw several 20's-style cars. The cars surrounded him.
They began to fire machine gun bullets at the invincible car. They simply didn't get through the metal. They were obviously new in town.
Batman increased speed. The cars followed. He saw a gasoline truck in the middle of the highway. He saw a chance. He pressed a button and the cockpit lowered two feet. So did the canopy. He headed toward the middle of the truck. The car went directly under the gas tank.
The other cars tried to do the same. The first hit the tank and made the truck explode and a large fire ball.
Who was this, trying to kill him? He had to know. Two cars kept following him. He increased speed and headed for the Gotham Bridge. It was a heavy, bulky bridge. It had two, large rope-like supports on it.
There was traffic. He pulled onto the bridge. Batman pressed a small brown button. It gave the Batmobile a large boost. The car leaped onto the rope-like support and darted up it. Batman opened up the canopy and jumped out the back, the Batmobile still driving.
He clung onto a rope, attached to the driving Batmobile. Batman produced a tracer, a weapon he fired onto a car and would feed the cars whereabouts to a computer. He loaded it into a gun and fired it at the enemy car. The Batmobile kept racing. The enemy cars slid to a halt, realizing they couldn't perform such a feat.
Batman climbed the rope and returned to the cockpit. The Batmobile ramped over the top of the support and fired onto the city.
Batman sat in the Batmobile and looked at his computer screen. It showed a map of Gotham. There, on South 25th street, was where the cars' headquarters were. He would pay a visit to South 25th street.
........................
Batman slid through the open window, like a thief. He pushed on. He walked out of the bathroom, where the window was, into a bedroom.
The bedroom was full of wood and nicely furnished. There was a rather large bed, with white, silk sheets. In the bed lied a wooden faced puppet. It's torso was covered in the sheets. The eyes were shut. The puppet was masterfully sculpted, with a scar on the right cheek. The hair was a shiny brown. It was sculpted to like some kind of mobster.
Batman opened the door that lead to an empty hall way. This was a strange building because half of it was a house, half a mechanic garage/warehouse.
He closed the door. Just as he did so, he head a voice come from that room. "Will somebody close the DAMN window!!!!????!!!!" the voice cried. Batman's heart dropped. Was the puppet talking? Batman opened the door to find the puppet, like it was before.
He must have been hearing things. He closed the door. As he did he heard the voice again, "Will you close the goddamn window!!!???!!!"
My god the puppet was talking, Batman thought.
Batman heard another voice, from the room next door, "Coming Mr. Scarface, I'll be right there." The first voice was rough, hard and loud. The second was weak and less confident.
Batman tried to hide. He opened a door on the other side of the hall. It was an office. He closed the door and listened, and watched out, through a crack in the opening.
He heard the man walk out of his room and go to the next. The man closed the window and went to the puppet. "Ah hell, I can't freggin sleep. Get me a cigar, NOW!"
"Yes, Mr. Scarface!"
The round man gave the puppet a cigar. He also lit it for the puppet. The man picked the puppet up and stuck his hand inside of him. The puppet seemed to live on its own, puffing the cigar, blowing out the smoke.
"All I need is a goodnight's sleep. Scarecrow broke me out of prison. Why? To kill Batman. When I do that, I can have my own share of Gotham. I need a goodnight's sleep, but somebody leaves the damn window open, and wakes me up. I am sick and tired of people screwing with me!"
The man, holding the puppet was small and had white, thinning hair, almost bald. He must be throwing the voice around. He must be a good ventriloquist. But this was different. The man probably had two personalities and one was the puppet, the other his slave.
"Look, Mr. Scarface, I'll lay you back down and you get your rest, you'll be refreshed in the morning."
"Ah shit, I suppose your right. I need my rest."
The man laid the puppet down on the bed, removed the cigar from his mouth and turned the light out. The man put the cigar in the ash tray and closed the door. He then went to his own room and went to sleep.
Batman opened the door and creeped to the adjacent door. He opened it, to find the dummy asleep. He turned and closed the door, to find a tuxedo hung upon the door. Batman pulled a small listening device form his belt and stuck it under the butler tuxedo. Batman walked to the dummy and lifted it from the sheets. He looked at it, examining it. He laid it back down. He covered it with the sheets. Doing so, the eyes flipped open, startiling Batman. He closed the eyes, assuring himself it was dummy, and climbed out the window.
As he sat in the Batmobile fear drove through his mind.
Batman sat at the Batcomputer console, listening. The voice of the dummy was astounding, how the butler could have those two voices, two personalities.
After listening for quite a bit of time, Batman had figured that the butler was in Arkham, and Scarecrow broke him out, using him as a gangster to run Gotham, and his first job was to kill Batman.
Batman sat and pondered. He was alerted when the phone rang. He picked it up, switching egos. "Hello," he spoke.
"Hi, Jenny.......I am sooo sorry, but I have to work tomorrow night.....no I don't think I can get out of it.....ohh...so its a press dinner, for journalists and people like that..... where? The Flugenheim......well, I'll try.....but I am open for lunch tomorrow, how about that.......Okay, how about.......noon and Ramsey's.....okay see you there bye!"
He hung up, disgusted that he had to lie. He turned back to his work.
He loved Jennifer though. Alfred came up behind him. "I just overheard your telephone call with Miss Berry. She certainly wants to love you doesn't she?"
"Yes, I suppose you're right. You know Alfred, I do love her. Do you remember my dark period, where all I did was sit around the house and just dwell on my parent's death?"
"Yes sir."
"Well, after Vicki Vale, I just felt more wanted and level. Then Selina, she just kind of forced me into another depression. Then Chase, she was wild. And then Julie, oh, she brought out my sense of humor. She asked me if I wanted marriage. I said no. I mean, I pushed her away because of Batman. Maybe, Batman can be pushed away. Dick is out there now, he can handle himself. Maybe Batman can be only once in awhile. Maybe I created Bruce Wayne as a cover, for justice, for Batman. But, I am a person. I am not a monster. Maybe I should lead a different life, other than Batman. I mean, I could marry Jennifer."
"That's it, I will marry Jennifer. I am thirty five years old I need to live. I have dated and dated and dated, maybe I could settle down. Jennifer is the perfect woman. I'll ask her tomorrow. But, Batman will retire....after all the inmates of Arkham are put away and the Scarecrow is with them. Then, I can live."
Bruce walked into a nice place called Ramsey's. He loved to eat there. It wasn't too fancy. Wasn't to grubby either. He walked in and spotted Jennifer. He walked to her table and she rose. Bruce kissed her on the cheek. They sat down. After minor chat, Bruce got serious. "Jennifer,"
"Yes."
"Jennifer, we have been dating now, for more than two years. We both feel that we love each other. I know that we are two very stressed out people but, I love you with all of my heart."
Jennifer smiled. Bruce stood and rounded the table. He bent down on one knee he produced a small velvet case. Jennifer had a great smile and she began to cry. He took her hand and placed in his.
"Jennifer, will you marry me?"
Jennifer began to cry, as she said it. "Yes, Bruce, I will marry you. I love you." The crowd around the restaurant cheered as Bruce rose and gave a her kiss on the lips. He held her as she kissed him back. The two embraced for they loved each other dearly. They were to get married. Bruce looked at his beautiful future wife, for it may be his last.
The Flugenheim Museum was a large building. Jennifer came into the huge bulky doors. She saw hundreds of journalists mingling and drinking chapagne. She walked with them and grabbed a glass herself.
She joined a group of TIME journalists. One woman announced her presence. "Well, hello Jennifer. I heard about your engagement. To Mr. Bruce Wayne." The group oowed and awed.
"Yes, Bruce and I are getting married, sometime next summer."
"Oh let me see the ring!"
The woman grabbed Jennifer's hand and looked and the large ring.
"How much did that thing cost?"
"Bruce won't tell me."
"Darn, girl, with a thing that big, I'd have him tell me."
The group laughed.
A strange hissing sound entered the room. She looked around to find green gas spewing from the ventilators. What was it? It had a strange smell.
"My god, it's gas!" she cried. "Everybody get out!" she lead. The group of people tried to get out of the building at the bulky doors, but they were locked.
"Everybody, cover yours mouths!" The tried but, to no avail.
She watched as people fell backwards, with smiles on their faces. They were dead. People were falling right and left.
She made her way up a long set of stairs. People were falling right and left. She tried to hold her breathe. She tried, but she grew weak. Her muscles then gave out. Then, the darkness came.
Everyone, in the building was dead. The green smoke cleared out. The bulky doors flung open. Several large men came out from behind them. Then, a small woman came out. Her face was painted in all white. She had red lipstick on. She wore a purple suit. It had long tails and an orange dress shirt under it. On her head, there was an odd hat, with two horns coming out of it, with bells on the ends. She looked like a court jester, or a harlequin.
She danced in, a large smile on her face. "Well, boys, let's have a little fun, before Bat-poop gets here!" The men went and started trashing the art, just as the Joker had done years earlier, in the same building.
She danced around the building. Harley Quinn walked around the dead people. She reached the top of the stairs. There, she found a tall blonde woman. She picked her up. "Looky here, looks like we've got a survivor." Then woman was Jennifer. Her eyes were now open, she looked ill.
"What's your name?"
Jennifer couldn't talk.
She stopped her dizziness. She then was startled to find a clown-like woman standing over her. Jennifer stood up and started backing away. "Who are you?" asked Jennifer. "I am Harley Quinn. I once the Joker's dame, but he ditched me for some dame named Alicia. Batman killed him, and I am out for revenge. I am now, the Joker."
Jennifer grew wide-eyed. "You must be joking!" said Jennifer.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Jennifer coughed. The woman rounded her. "I tell ya, Scarecrow broke me outta that asylum to kill Batman and that's what I am doing. I am here for a little fun, a little tun, Batman's head well done."
"Now, just to have fun, why don't you have a whiff of my posy!"
She squeezed the little flower on her jacket and acid spewed out. Jennifer ducked. She dashed for the nearest table and grabbed a light, white chair and held it over her head, ready to hit Harley. "Come on, chick, I don't wanna hurt you, I wanna bash your brains in!!!"
She brought the chair down on Harley's face, striking her nose. "Ahhhh, you broke my gaddamn nose, ahhhhhhh!" cried the woman her hands were over her face.
Meanwhile, The Batmobile swung around a curve and stopped. Batman leapt from the cockpit and dashed to the edge of the parking garage. He looked over one-hundered stories down, he saw the Flugenheim Museum. He opened his cape, big. He leapt, high in the air, then started his descent.
He brought his cape close to his body, and dropped faster. He fell past el trains, past bridges. He fell faster and faster. Batman threw his cape open, and started to slow down. He saw the skylight.
Jennifer stepped back. Harley threw her arms opened and fake, chapping teeth jumped at her. "Booooooo!" said the woman, uncover her face, with fake blood. "HEHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHA!"
Then, the skylight window above them shattered as Batman dropped from it. He large cape flew open. He landed and grabbed Jennifer. He looked at Quinn. He rose a grapple gun to her. She pulled out a pistol and pointed it at him. It was a face off. Batman looked square at her, she at him. Harley fired first. But a bullet didn't come out. A small, red flag popped out of the barrel. The flag said, "BANG". Harley started laughing. He then fired it upward, and the two started lifting upward. The thugs cocked their guns and fired at Batman. The bullets missed, whizzing past Jennifer and The Dark Knight. They stepped onto the roof top. Suddenly, the skylight exploded, several feet behind them.
"Get them!!!!!!" commanded Harley.
Batman held Jennifer in his arms, as he jumped across, onto another building. Jennifer slowed. Batman stopped. Jennifer fell, her breathing was getting harder and harder.
"Jennifer, are you all right?''
"No, I think I was shot."
"Oh god..."
Grabbed her arm and held her hand. He loved her, more than anything else. This was the best thing that ever to happen to him and he didn't want to let it go. He left his raspy voice and spoke as Bruce Wayne.
"Jennifer, hold on everything is going to be okay...just hold on..." he lied. She recognized his loving voice.
"Bruce, you're Batman?"
Bruce giggled through his crying, "Yes, Jennifer for some time. Now, Jennifer, you are going to be okay, you know that."
"You never were a good liar. Bruce..."
"Jennifer, I love you don't forget that..."
"Bruce, I love you."
Her eyes went empty. He rocked her body. Tears flowed through his eyes. He laid his head on hers, gently caressing her head. He looked at her and gently kissed her warmly on her wet lips. He couldn't beleive it, he loved her...and now...she was gone. He laid her body on the ground. She was dead. Fiery hate flowed throughout his body, like a bomb. He was enraged. He turned, ready to kill someone, when he saw the ambulance drive up, ready to get her. He gently picked her up and leaped to the ground.
He started to approach them, an ambulance official dashed to the Dark Knight. He handed her body to him. The official checked the pulse. He looked at Batman, in tears. "I'm sorry..." the young man said. He was enraged, upset, mad. Then, he heard her, Harley, the woman who took love from him.
"Get in the car," Harley commanded of her thugs. Batman turned in her direction. The cars' engines were firing up. They started driving on the wet pavement. Batman dashed down the street and leapt onto the lead car.
He landed hard on the roof, his cape spatting across the wind-shield. He reached to one side and punched his fist into the window, tossing a smoke bomb in it. The car stopped, Batman flew into the air. He landed on hard on his back, a few yards away from the stop.
He rose to his feet, his cape, over both of his shoulders. Smoke came out into the streets. Harley Quinn, the Joker woman turned her lights on and revved the engine. She pushed on the gas, laughing with all of her breath.
The car flew towards Batman, but he stood there, motionless. He did not do anything, like he was in some sort of coma. The car was inches away, Batman stood, ready to die. It was an inch away, steam rose into the air around him, the car kept its power and Batman leaped over it, landing on the pavement. The car slammed violently slammed into a brick wall, peices of the car, being ripped apart.
Batman stood, his cape draping from his shoulders, he surveyed the damage. The car had smashed hard into the wall, the nose of the car, flat. Batman looked to see if there were any survivors.
He opened the front, the door was bent. The woman was dead, her head back, blood seeping from her nose and mouth. Batman laid his hand on her head and turned it, so she would appear to look at him.
Suddenly her eyes opened. And she let out a giant "BOOO!" and she laughed as Batman jumped backwards at the scare. She climbed out of the debris. She pulled a ridiculous sized gun out of her pocket, with a barrel five inches in diameter.
Batman stood there, waiting to dodge some kind of rocket. Then, came a red boxing glove, out of the gun. It struck Batman in the face. It knocked him back several feet. It hurt.
She laughed. He felt his lip. It had been split. He rose to his feet, hatred flowing through him. He ran to the woman and lifted her up, with one hand. "Who are you?!!!" he asked with hate. "I am Harley Quinn, the Joker--in the flesh! HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she said.
A bright spotlight shone upon them and a sharpshooters gun fired, hitting Batman in the chest. It was a helicopter. He fell back, the air knocked out of him. She then ran away. "We shall meet again!" she said as she grabbed on to a white, portable ladder. The green helicopter sped off.
Batman caught his breathe. He stood and climbed a fire escape. He looked over the skyline. He knew that it was a dark time for Gotham, and dark time for him.
Batman walked over the high building of Gotham. He felt his lip. It had apparently stopped bleeding. He was a tired. But, he could carry on a few more hours.
He kept walking. The air was moist and smoggy. The night was black. The skyline was like spikes pointing into the night.
After walking a low rooftop, he heard a small man command something. It was the Mad Hatter. "Get him men. Remember, all I want is his cape and cowl." The men charged Batman.
Batman leaped in the air, tossing down two smoke bombs, they exploded. The men scrambled to see. Batman did a flip on the ground, bringing his legs on thug's head. Batman locked his legs around his face and, with his palms on the ground, flipped the man over his head, the man flipping over several times, he was gone.
The other thug came at him. He punched at Batman. Batman ducked and laid on the ground, on his back. He performed a kip, throwing his legs at the man, kicking him to unconsciousness. Batman rose and walked to the Mad Hatter, who was curled up in one corner, apparently afraid.
Batman picked the little man up, by the shirt, with one hand, several feet off the ground. "What do you want?" Batman said in an angry voice. The man grew nervous and then swallowed. He then grew without fear into a mad man. "I want to have your cape and cowl. I want to wear it and become the night, become Batman!"
"Your crazy," Batman said. "Crazy I am not, MMMAAADDD, am I!"
The man laughed. Batman stared directly into his face. All of a sudden, a skyscraper, a few blocks away, exploded with a huge red fireball. Batman dropped the man, tossing the small man down, onto the roof and jumped onto another building.
Batman ran from rooftop to rooftop. He leaped onto a particularly small building. There, he saw his next enemy, the Ventriloquist. The puppet sat on the butler's lap, on top of the rooftop.
"Welcome Mr. Batman, your mission, if you choose to except it or not, is to die!"
The puppet raised a Tommy-style machine gun. He fired it at Batman. He ducked and dodged. Batman launched Batarang at the dummy. It hit the dummy square in the head, knocking it away from the body.
Batman rushed to the Butler, who tried to get the dummy back together. Batman pushed the man against the wall. The man had the air knocked out of him. Batman picked the man up by the shirt collar and brought him to the edge of the building.
"Stop this, you must stop this, the puppet is not anything!" Batman said. The butler let out a squeal. "But, he's Mr. Scarface!" the man said. Batman picked him further up and violently threw him out of the way. The man was hurt.
Batman looked over the rooftops to see a red gas spewing onto the streets, pedestrians, running from it, then finally, being consumed. Batman rushed to the butler and gave him one more final blow, knocking the man out.
Batman had grown violent, hateful, if he was not careful, he would die soon...
He walked the rooftops, leaping over buildings and archways. Gas let out of smoke stacks. Batman rose with them. He kept walking.
He settled on a tall building and produced an oxygen mask. He put it around his face and took a breath. He looked onto the streets below him, lunatics running ramped.
He took one final look at the skyline. He found that emblem, which he created, it stood for freedom, justice honor and loyalty: the Batsignal.
Batman looked at the crowd and opened his cape. He the leaped into the earnest, hoping he could restore peace to Gotham.
He landed on the hard asphalt. He saw the people running from the gas, Scarecrow's Fear Gas. It was making people's worst fears come true. He looked up the avenue and saw the skyscraper that had exploded, now on fire. He looked up, hoping to find Scarecrow. He found him, on a distant high rise. Batman produced his grapple hook gun and fired it at the building. It latched on and he swung onto the building.
There Scarecrow was alerted to his prescence. He signaled Bane, his body guard.
Bane walked toward the Dark Knight. Bane, his muscles bulging, came to Batman. Batman tried to hit him, but he was too slow. Bane caught his fist and tossed him away.
Batman rose and attacked Bane. Batman tried to flip over him, but he was too slow. Bane picked him up and punched him in the face three times. His lip was now open in three places. Bane punched him one more time, in the nose. Batman fell to the ground. He felt his nose, it may be broken.
Batman rose. Bane came at him, quiet, fast. Batman tried to move, but couldn't gather his energies quickly enough. Bane punched Batman in the stomach, forcing Batman to fly upwards. He was too strong. Batman was flung fifteen feet in the air, he fell hard to the ground.
Batman couldn't breathe. He looked at his armor. it was dented form the punch, forcing it into his stomach. Batman felt a small opening and grabbed a piece of silver metal, under the black covering. He pulled it out. It was the bullet proof part of his armor. He saw that it was dented from Bane's punch and several bullets that had hit his armor. he could breathe again, but that didn't stop Bane from coming.
Bane grabbed Batman by his rubber ears and brought Batman's head down to Bane's knee. Batman was in pain. Bane picked Batman up and brought him down hard, Batman's back against Bane's knee. Batman fell to the ground, defeated.
Batman was now unconscious. Bane picked the Dark Knight up and held him above the crowd, now, not affected by the gas.
"This is your hero, Batman. He is broken. He is no hero. He has failed you. Scarecrow is now the one you look to. He is you master. This is what happens to people who disobey the Scarecrow!"
Bane launched the carcass of the hero into the air. The black body fell. He fell over thirty stories. Bruce watched as windows flew past him in slow motion. He saw his death coming. Batman landed hard on the pavement. Blood was seeping from his mouth and nose. He felt it, he felt his back.
The crowd stood silent as Bane crept back into the night. He laid there, his suit torn, face broken.
A little boy, no younger than five stepped toward the fallen hero. A single tear fell upon his face. It silently trickled down his face and dropped onto the hero's chest. The boy then got on his knees and softly touched Batman's gloved hand.
The boy lifted it and held it in his lap. He held the man's hand. The boy wept.
After a few moments, a white ambulance came. It had, at the top a insignia, indicating it was from Sunny Side hospital. The ambulance stopped and a young man stepped out of the passenger side. He was accompanied by an older man with white hair.
It was Dick Grayson and Alfred Pennyworth. They wore white uniforms. They brought a stretcher and lifted Batman onto it. They put him in the ambulance and drove off.
On the way to the Batcave, Dick drove and Alfred tried to save Bruce.
It was silent most of the way. After a long mute, Dick said, "What is it Alfred?"
"Master Dick, I am afraid it is his back. But I am not sure, could be something else." Dick swallowed, for it may be the death of Batman.
This Batman novel is by Nick Corporon. He has been waiting to patiently for me to post this novel. It took long enough for me to ger it. He's a real cool guy. Emailhim to tell him how good this thing is!
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