Authors note: This quote from Alfred in Batman v Superman trailer got me thinking. What is the cruelest thing Batman could do to a criminal? And what would make him do it? This story is the result of that speculation. It is not meant to be anything deep and the ending might be abrupt, but hopefully it is true to the characters and it is entertaining.
Enjoy!
Eddie Thompson ran down the hallway as fast as he could, already gasping for air as the panic flooded his body.
As luck would have it, he tripped, causing him to crash into the ground at maximum velocity.
Eddie struggled to get to his hands and knees, only for a boot to viciously plant itself into his back, flattening him to the ground.
His attempts to craw were rendered helpless by a second boot crushing his fingers, violently grinding them against the rough surface of the rundown building.
His screams were cut short by a black hand, which reached out and sized his neck with the tightness of a vice.
With the force of an inverted gravitational pull, Thompson was hoisted upwards until he was eye to eye with the scowling face of the terror of the underworld:the Batman.
Batman slammed Thompson against the wall, still holding his body with one hand at his throat, batarangs tucked between the fingers of the other.
Thompson coughed violently as he attempted to speak.
"Okay….you win Bats. I get it. I learned my lesson. I shouldn't have sold those drugs. I shouldn't have stolen that car five years ago. I shouldn't have shot that spitball at my 9th grade math teacher. I was wrong to dis my mom. And I shouldn't have wet my bed when I was 17. But what you saw in that room is totally clean. It's my most legit source of income. Heck, if it paid just a little more I wouldn't be a drug dealer. I'd do that full time. I'm not saying it's right, but it's harmless. Especially to them. It's just a form of supply and demand. People do it all the time. It's no big deal, right?"
Batman clenched his teeth and raised his bataranged fist.
"HEY, NO WAIT-"
pop
That was the last thing Eddie heard before he screamed as loud and as long as he could, before the need of oxygen coerced a deep breath out of him, allowing him to scream again.
And so the cycle continued until his cries degenerated into a pitiful wailing before he passed out.
***8:30 AM Bludhaven***
A well-built man stirred to life at the sound of a ringing phone.
"Grayson here!"
"Channel 39."
"What?"
"Channel 39 Now!"
"Worst. Wake up Call. Ever. Babs."
"Just do it!"
"Alright." Grayson said grabbing the remote and tuning in to the desired channel, where Vicky Vale was reporting live at what looked like a rundown building.
"Recapping our top story of the day, at 5:12 AM police were alerted to screams coming from the abandoned Sprang complex near Miller Harbor. Police arrived on the scene where they found 2-time drug dealer Eddie Thompson in a homemade meth lab in critical condition."
"Viewer discretion is advised, the following images may be disturbing to younger audiences"
The camera cut to the paramedics loading Thompson up into a stretcher. As the camera zooms in we see the that Thompson has batarangs protruding out of his eyes.
Vale's voiceover continued.
"Based off what Thompson told police, the low tier drug dealer was apparently the victim of the Batman who attacked him last night. Doctors say they are unsure if they can safely remove the offending items, but they are certain that even if they get them out, Thompson will be blinded for life."
"They've been playing this for hours. What do you think Dick?"
"I think that guy's blind as a bat."
"Seriously Dick! I'm worried. This is excessive. Even for him!"
"Maybe this guy did something that punched Bruce's berserker buttons. Any record of heinous crimes?"
"Nothing! I checked him against every criminal database on the planet. Thompson is arguably one of the least threatening criminals in the city. No murder charges. No attacks on children, no history of rape or stalking, just a mild history of theft and drug dealing. He's done nothing that would set him off like this."
Grayson winced. "Why come to me though? Can't you ask him yourself?"
"I tried. Alfred said he was unavailable. I tried to reach him online and he locked me out of the system."
"That never stopped you before." Dick replied while grabbing a shirt.
"I tried hacking his computer. Got infested with viruses for my trouble. Took me an hour to clean my system. I think he did that out of spite. Whatever's bothering him he's not talking."
"So you want me to find out what bat is up his belfry?"
"You have to Dick. He has never done anything like this. Not even to the Joker."
Grayson's eyes widened at this realization.
"On my way Babs."