Batman: Sons of Gotham
Bruce/Batman
"Run a locater on that phone call and send its location!" Batman yelled to Alfred as he ran to his motorcycle. "If he even touches a hair on his head," Batman thought. An elevator in the Bat cave lifted him to the exit. It wasn't but 10 seconds until Alfred called over the radio, "The call was made just outside of Gotham near Black Gate."
Batman sped off; all that could be seen was a black blur shadowing Gotham streets.
"Hang in there, Robin, I'm on my way."
Batman began to wear the guilt as if this mess were his fault; He thought about the first time he and Jason had met.
Bruce had stopped to meet an old friend in Grant Park. When he went back to his car he saw him. He had a familiar face, Bruce recognized him from days before in a street fight against 3 men in an alley in Park Row. These men all ranged twice his size and possibly his weight. Each delivered several devastating blows to the young man, but his heart didn't let him give up. Before Batman could intervene this young man countered and disarmed one of the three men holding a lead pipe and beat him with it. A second man attempted to charge him, but Jason threw his knee up as high as he could and connected to the thugs jaw. The third had a knife, and even though Batman had confidence in the bruised young man, he jumped down from his position and watched the thug flee. The young man walked to pick up his war torn jacket off of the wet ground.
"Thanks for trying Bats, I already kicked their asses."
"You're pretty fearless, where did you learn that?"
"I was raised in Gotham, where do you think I learned it? You know for being Gotham's protector you're a little…"
The young man turned around and saw no one there.
"Late", he finished as he staggered home.
The young man Bruce recognized from the street fight stood tired, sweaty and with a slim jim in hand. Bruce smiled and said, "You've been doing this a long time haven't you?"
He stood quiet and Bruce spoke again.
"You got into the car without the alarm sounding, you're pretty good… well minus the fact that I saw you eyeing this thing when I got here."
"Wait, you knew I was trying to get in here?"
"Well you made it obvious kid"
"And you're not mad?"
"I know what Gotham's like… Trust me. All too well, and I think you do too. Listen, what's your name?"
"Jason."
"I'll tell you what Jason, you give all that you took back to me and I'll make sure you'll never have to steal again."
"Bull shit guy, who do you think you are?"
Bruce laughed as he opened the door to his elegant sports car.
"I'm Bruce Wayne."
Jason jumped in the car in shock.
"So what do you feel like today Bruce? Lobster? Steak? Lobster Stuffed Steak?"
Bruce laughed at the boy's suggestions.
"You like steak? Have you ever had Wagyu steak?"
That afternoon they had lunch and got to know each other. Jason was smart, witty and could eat like a football team. Bruce saw the potential in him from day one and from that point on they built a friendship that was unbreakable.
Batman made his way through Gotham to find an abandoned warehouse that only had one light on. An eerie feeling told him Robin was there. Dead or alive.
Robin
The Laughter echoed in the room and I can't move. I can hear his voice its cold like Gotham's winter. "Wakey, Wakey Robin; I don't want you to miss the show!" His white-gloved hand cradles the crow bar and like the peak of a rollercoaster he lets his reach max out and quickly fall to meet my jaw. "Ooops you missed it! But that's ok it's here all week". He laughs. These breaks of his laughter give me just enough time to regain consciousness, but this consciousness is short lived by another bash to my jaw. My helplessness causes the Jason in me to cry but Robin won't let me. I can hear Bruce's words in my head. "We can never stop fighting and we can never give up. We are the symbols that mean this city does not have to fear bad men. We give them hope Jason, and for that, we can't give up."
"How does it feel to know he's not coming for you? Maybe he doesn't care? I mean it's taken him this long hasn't it."
I spit the blood and tooth fragments collected in my mouth in his face. I am so exhausted the words are barley understandable. "He will always come for me!"
His red lipstick begins to crack, as his smile grows larger. He can't hold his laughter. Through it I can only make out the words I had been thinking but would dread to hear. "But what if he's too late." Still in daze from the last time he hit me, he grabs my face and whispers, "He won't be able to find you in time kiddo and well, if he does… there's a surprise for him too." My screams mixed with his laughter crowd the room. Blood drips from my forehead making it hard for me to see. "Ok now! I've got to go before your father comes home you know how he gets all feisty and what not. I won't be back. I'm going to Jan's to play bridge. Oh! But remember to tell dad there's a bird in the oven. Oh, never mind its ok he'll find out." His laughter fades off and I hear a door close. I flip the chair I'm in over to make my way to what I think is the door. There's a beeping sound but I don't know where from. I wipe my face on the hard concrete to clear some of the blood from my vision. The engine of a motorcycle dies just outside and here comes Bruce suited up. The beeps are synced to 6' x 6' of stacked C4 tucked away in a closet. No wait this can't be! He asks if I'm ok but in my exhaustion I can barley make the words out as he tries to untie me. "Get out, there's no time, Bruce get out" I tried to yell with all that is left but all that could be heard was a faint whisper. He didn't notice the beep flat line. The tears from my eyes mix with the blood on my face and fall heavy as he holds me for the last time… The last time for both of us.
Victor Pierce
"Still no sign of him huh" Tony responded to GCN new's anchor's top story.
"It has been 3 years since the last siting of the vigilante known as Batman. Police say they will continue to shine the symbol every third of December to remember the Batman wherever he is. Thank you for watching I'm Cindy Geyser GCN News."
The bar tender changed the channel and Tony had enough, "It's a god damned shame Victor, this city had its bumps but never like this. It's a hellhole. The Falcone's and those damn Joker thugs run everything. And even Wayne Enterprise fell, hell no ones seen him where'd he go?" Victor took another sip of his drink and hummed in compliance to Tony's inebriated spiel.
"Listen you guys are a young couple and with a kid on the way? If you and Lana are gunna have a kid you've got to go Vic and go now. Get the hell out of here. This ain't a place to raise no kid Vic, and you know that." Victor got a text from Lana.
"Need 2 get some stuff the store. B home soon. Love U 3"
"Tony, thanks ok I know, I know how it is here. I need to save up a little more money so we can move to the lower east side of Metropolis, but I've got to do it after this."
Victor pulled out a blue silk box from his jacket pocket.
Tony almost choked, "When are you gunna do that?"
"Tomorrow night."
"Victor that's wonderful! Geez come here."
Tony gave Victor a genuine hug. They had only been working at Ace Chemical together 4 years, but they felt like brothers. Victor said his good byes to the other locals at Callaghan's and made his way to his car. He paced the usual 15-minute drive home to an even 20. When he pulled to the drive way he saw Lana's car on the left side of the driveway and couldn't help but smile. He pulled into the right side. The door was open and there were grocery bags on the floor.
"Lana!"
"Lana!"
He grabbed a knife from the kitchen and saw there was one missing.
The silence made his vigilance spike. As he got closer to the room he heard the flood of blood collect in Lana's throat.
"NO!"
Victor tried to sop up the blood oozing from her neck with their blanket. From ear to ear on her face was carved a jagged smile. As her dying hands attempted to grasp the little life she had in her, he called the police. For whatever good it would do in this town anyway. Victor held the lifeless body of his fiancée baring his unborn child for 45 minutes before GCPD came. He couldn't even look at her, to keep his sanity he recited the words, "It's going to be ok. It's going to be ok."
The Funeral
Victor walked through the pews filled with wet faces with the blue silk box and two roses in hand, one larger and one smaller. He placed the three items on top of the casket and walked away. His dry eyes shocked everyone in the room, but he was tired of crying, he cried for the 4 weeks up until this point. The police told him there were no leads other than the obvious. It was one of Jokers thugs. Just as he was about to reach the door, Lana's mothers voice echoed in the Church.
"You can't even cry for my daughter!"
Victor turned around and Lana's mother burst into tears.
"Not one, not one tear has been shed by you Victor, why?"
"I can't cry anymore… I have to find who killed my fiancée."
He continued walking and finished with, "And my son."
The room gasped and everyone stood in shock of the revelation.
Just outside the church doors stood Commissioner Gordon and Sargent Bullock.
"Mister Pierce?"
"You did your job officer, now let me do mine."
Bullock attempted to grab Victor, but Gordon grabbed Bullock's arm.
"Victor we found something interesting you might want to hear."
Victor turned around to face the two officers.
"Last night we arrested a prospect for the Joker's gang."
Bullock joined in.
"Yeah a scared little shit who spilled a lot."
Gordon Continued…
"It seems your fiancée was in some sort of trade with this prospect."
Victor clinched his fist.
"What do you mean?"
"Lana was giving one of the Joker thug's money to buy drugs. Once he flipped those drugs he doubled her money and gave it back to her. One of the main heads caught on to the activity and figured she was a loose end."
Victor turned away, he couldn't believe his ears.
"God dammit, Lana. Why didn't you just tell me? Where's the prospect now?"
"He's down at the precinct."
"Can I speak to him?"
Gordon and Bullock looked at each other.
"Yeah that's fine, we'll meet you down at the 76th precinct in an hour"
Bullock started the car and Gordon walked around to get in the car.
"Hey commissioner, thank you."
76th
Victor walked into the precinct with Bullock and Gordon. It was typical he thought the type of place you'd see on NYPD Blues.
"If all the information you tell us is accurate you're free to go, got that?"
Dozer nodded his head.
"Ok. Why did she need the money? Go."
Dozer was nervous and shaking. If any of the Joker's gang knew he was here it would be death on the spot. If he answered wrong, he'd be locked in here for a while. Plus Bullock wasn't the nicest guy on the planet, so he figured its best to answer truthfully.
"She told me…"
Dozer tried to keep from shaking.
"Who? Who told you?"
"Lana. Lana told me."
"You know you would look really good in a jumpsuit right about now."
Dozer sat up straight in his chair.
"Told you what!"
"She said she needed money. She said, She said she would match what I pay to get Venom from my supplier and In exchange after I sell it I give her back her share of the profit."
"And how much is Venom, roughly, on the street?"
"The usual case is $100.00 but it can be broken down to total of $300.00 after adding house hold ingredients and sold for 20 dollars apiece."
"So she would triple her money?"
"Something like that. I shaved $50.00 off of her cut for a 'buyers fee.' I mean come on I was the one doing all the work."
"But it made you look good to the Joker because you were moving more product than any other prospect, Right?"
"Yeah, that too."
"Thanks kid, give me a second all right."
The Commissioner and Victor stood outside the room spectating through one-way glass. Bullock walked in shortly after.
"Was she borrowing any money from anyone or say she was working for someone?"
"She told me she was taking care of her aunt and she was paying her, but this is what she was really doing. I understand why, but I wish she just would have told me… She didn't have to do this I could have easily asked for more hours at Ace… and she'd still be here.
Victor hung his head with regret and tried to keep from crying.
"Where is the Joker's hideout? Did he tell you?"
"It's on the west side of Gotham we are not exactly sure where. Listen it's been a long day Victor get some sleep if we get any more leads we'll let you know. In the mean time keep a low profile, we don't know what their next move is."
"Thanks again, Commissioner."
"Here's my number if you need anything."
Victor had left the precinct and was smoking a cigarette near his car when he saw Dozer walk out to an old beat up Ranger Stallion. Victor threw his cigarette and hopped in his car. He decided to follow him hoping he would lead him to the hideout. Vic drove for at least 45 minutes until the car finally stopped at an old beat up mansion outside of Gotham cemetery. It was getting dark now and all Victor could see were old beat up motorcycles and muscle cars. He turned his lights off and watched for a while to see any signs of the Jokers presence.
Dozer walked up to the main entrance door and was greeted by a large man with the same vest and purple hair Dozer had. They exchanged words briefly before more of the Jokers thugs came out. The Large man at the door punched Dozer in the stomach and watched him fall to the ground. Two others grabbed him and pushed him up against his Ranger. They broke his window with a bat right by his head, laughing as shards of glass made nests in his face. They continued to beat him until a man with a welders mask and a blowtorch heated a smile outlined brand to a molten red. The others held him down. His screams and their laughter made a symphony of unpleasant harmony. The man stood next to him and whispered something in his ear. The man paused for a deep bellow of laughter and jammed the searing brand on his face. They all laughed as the man let the brand dig into his tissue for about 7 seconds. They flipped him over and put his face in the glass sprinkled dirt, rubbing his face in it. They couldn't stop laughing after the man with the brand yelled, "Look at his face boys! He liked it! He can't stop smiling!" The man took off the welder's mask. Black paint ran down his face as he held his stomach with laughter. His yellow teeth shined like HI beams and chills rolled down Victor's spine.
"You sick bastard, now I know where to find you, you son of a bitch."
All the men praised the Joker and followed his prance inside the once glorious Anthony Arkham mansion. Victor was horrified at what he'd just seen. He knew he couldn't call the police so he got out of the car in an attempt to sneak between cars and grab Dozer.
Victor waited till the last of the thugs strolled in. He sprinted as fast as he could to get to Dozer. He grabbed his bloody hand and placed it over his shoulder. The smell of the burning flesh and blood made him gag.
"Hey! Hey! Stay with me all right. You've got to get up right now! Let's go!
Dozer moaned and groaned as they hobbled as fast as they could to Victor's car to speed back into town.
"Listen we're going to get you to a hospital ok just hang in there. Do you hear me? Hang on!"
Victor drove like lightning to the nearest hospital and called the commissioner.
"Come on don't let this kid die! Come on!
He grabbed dozer out of the back seat and held him over his shoulder. Vic screamed to the doctors pleading for help as he ran to the entrance. The doctors rushed to grab all the materials they needed. Victor stood covered in blood and dirt. He kept reciting to himself. "It's not too late please tell me it's not too late."
Bruce/Batman (After Explosion)
"Master Wayne? Master Wayne? Bruce?"
Alfred called for Batman on the intercom, but didn't get a response. In a panic Alfred pulled up Bruce's vitals from the satellite inside the suit. They showed a flat line. Alfred stood in shock for a moment and snapped back to reality. He jumped inside of his Kingston and headed for the location near Black Gate.
Weaving through cars he called Jim Gordon. It was the first time Jim received a call from Alfred and he knew it was serious. Alfred told him about the location in Black gate and told Gordon to come hurry.
It was so cold, Alfred only thought about the odds of survival. When he arrived he saw how far the debris spread in the vicinity and did the math in his head. A blast like that, plus a cold like this, equals almost no chance in hell any man would survive, even the Batman.
Alfred looked around, the Jokers cards were everywhere, but to his left he could hear rubbing of wood. A man completely seared by flame tried to lift large wooden planks off of himself. Alfred ran to help him and lifted each log piece by piece before he heard a faint call to him.
"Alfred… Alfred."
"Master Wayne?"
Bruce had been completely burned from head to toe including all of the technology in his suit. He had no hair on his head or eyebrows and was completely unrecognizable. Pieces of silicon were burned onto his face. He lay next to what was left of his mask and a tear of a yellow cape locked in his fist.
Alfred ran to hold him. His violent shivers caused Alfred to weep uncontrollably. Tears filled in his eyes as he saw Bruce struggle to get the words out.
"I couldn't save him, Alfred. I couldn't save my boy."
Bruce's tears of regret burn his scorched skin as they both sit and morn the death of Jason.
Gordon arrived and ran toward the two with haste.
"We've got to get him medical attention right now! Come on! Where's his suit. We have to clear up all of this."
Alfred and Gordon grabbed all that was left of the suit and team lifted Bruce into the back seat of Alfred's Kingston. They both sped down the highway as sirens and police cruisers sped the opposite direction. Gordon tried to conceal his identity by pulling over for the sirens and waited for them to pass before speeding off again to follow Alfred.
It didn't take them but 30 minutes to get to Wayne Manor and they parked towards the side of the huge mansion covered in ivory. The vegetation consuming this colossal structure Bruce called home didn't take away from its beauty but was an enhancer.
When they arrived, Gordon was shocked as to why they decided to come here, opposed to stripping Bruce of his suit and sending him to a hospital under an anonymous name. Gordon shortly saw that like Bruce, Alfred was draped with secrets.
Alfred and Gordon lifted Bruce's burned body to a brick wall closest to Alfred's Kingston's driver door. Alfred quickly kicked a thin brick into the wall an slab from the wall detached from the house and slid to the side. Gordon's jaw dropped.
"What the hell is this?"
"Quickly sir, we haven't got much time."
They walked as fast as they could with Bruce to get to an elevator shaft that would send them down to the Bat cave.
"Alfred this is incredible."
A light smile fell on Alfred's face as he looked at Bruce.
"We built this… Together."
The elevator shaft came to a stop and they ran to place Bruce on what looked like an ordinary table. Alfred pressed a small rectangular button on the side of the table and Bruce's suit sent his vitals to the giant screen in the Bat cave. He was barley hanging on.
"Alfred we can't just play doctor here. We have to get him to a hospital!"
"I believe neither one of us is playing doctor here Commissioner. I have seen the likes of this and worse."
Gordon looked puzzled trying to think. When was Bruce in this kind of danger before? Or if before him was there another Batman?
"How?"
"I was a medic in the British Navy commissioner now please I need your cooperation to save him."
Gordon took off his coat and rolled his sleeves up.
"Hand me those clamps."
He handed Alfred the clamps and he started to pull off pieces of the suit that were burned onto him. With the tough pieces came thick slabs of skin that made Bruce scream in agony. He tried to be as gentle as one could pulling shards of splintered wood and burned silicone out of flesh. Alfred knew this wasn't going to be an easy task but was determined. Bruce's survival depended on it
After several surgeries Bruce stayed asleep for 3 nights before finally trying to walk again. It was clear after his first stumbling steps he would need a lot of healing time to be at even half speed. He asked Alfred to remove all of the mirrors in the house and to perform a fake funeral for Bruce Wayne.
It was said that Bruce Wayne died in a skiing accident. Combined with a fake will written in his honor. It was believable. Wayne Manor was to be given to Alfred Cobbelpot and Wayne Enterprise to his father's greatest friend and financial advisor Lucius Fox.
Crime tripled with the absence of Batman and the economy suffered with the absence of Bruce. Wayne Enterprise was taken by Marciano Falcone and within a year entered bankruptcy, causing thousands to lose their way in Gotham. Both Falcone and The Joker started recruiting and became the two main powers in Gotham splitting the city into two districts. In the midst of the financial crisis dirty money was the only money to be made around town. The honest work was low budget and rare at that. Even police officers were the on the Falcone payroll. The darkest days had arrived for Gotham and there was no light in sight.
Victor Pierce
"Where'd you find him?"
"I followed him to one of the Joker's hideouts."
Gordon looked around in shock of Victor's answer. He began to whisper.
"Are you out of your god damned mind? What were you thinking?"
"I knew he would get me one step closer to the Joker. And better yet he led me right to him"
"If they saw you there then you just signed your death wish Victor! Tell me you're not going back there."
Victor looked at Dozer's room from his chair in the waiting lobby.
"I wasn't seen."
"That's not the point. These men are killers. They rob. They steal. They rape. They are out for carnage. You've seen what they've done."
Victor stared at Dozer's room door.
"What about her face Victor? Think about it!"
Victor quickly looked at Bullock.
"What did you say?"
Victor stood up and got right in front of Bullock's face.
"Say that again Bullock."
Gordon interrupted…
"Bullock go wait in the car."
Bullock's pride wouldn't let him stay silent.
"What are you gunna do? Huh?
Gordon snapped, "Bullock go wait in the car right now!"
Bullock muttered and walked out of the automated sliding doors. Gordon got closer to Victor.
"Victor what are you trying to solve here? Revenge? The only thing that's good for is getting you killed and you know that. I need you to think about this. Please."
The Doctor walked out of Dozers room toward the two, scanning a clipboard filled with Dozers medical history. Victor stood anxious waiting for him to finally get within a confidential speaking distance.
"How is he doctor? Is he going to be ok?"
"Well he has a fractured rib, several glass pieces we can't get out, and his burns are infected not to mention several teeth missing. He has a couple of minor scratches and bruises. Who ever did this to him really did a number on him. If you didn't bring him in here like you did last night he could have died. We've been seeing those burns around his mouth a lot lately they're beginning to show a little more regular than usual."
Victor looked at Gordon in shock.
"He'll be ok, but after a couple skin graphs and a lot of healing time. He's up now if you wish to speak to him commissioner… and you too Mr. Pierce. I'm sure he'd like to thank you."
"Thank you for everything Doctor. Again."
"Just doing my job Commissioner, I'm sure there's a lot of work on your hands after something like this? I'll get out of your way… Oh one more thing. The burns on his face are… Shocking to say the least. I'm sure you've seen horrifying things… but nothing like this sir."
Gordon and Victor walked over to Dozer's room and saw him lying there facing the window. Victor knocked on the doorframe to flag their arrival. "I said I'm not hungry", said Dozer with a deeper growl than usual.
"Dozer it's commissioner Gordon I'm here with Victor… he saved you. I just want to ask you a few questions son if I ca…"
Dozer shouted with haste, "I don't remember anything, I woke up and I was here and I looked like this!"
He turned around and his cold eyes stared at them.
"You can't even look at me! Can you!"
His left eye was swollen from being kicked in the face; his nose scarred by glass and his face had small shiny shards of glass still in it. From the top of his right cheekbone through his bottom lip to the bottom of his left cheekbone bared the blood red and green encrusted horizontal semi circle. Its swelling bubbled and were filled with pus and burnt blood. In between those divots sat dirt that infected his skin. Plum colored bruises sat on his neck like jewelry.
"Dozer do you…"
"Get out!"
Gordon noticed some of the nurses were looking to see what the yelling was for and looked at Victor.
"If he remembers… Anything… you tell me… ok?"
"He said he doesn't remember. What more do you want?"
Gordon stepped his way out of the room and stared at Victor with frustration until he finally turned around to exit the automated doors.
Victor walked closer to Dozer.
"I'm going back there tonight."
"What? You're crazy?"
"He's not getting away with this Dozer… He's not getting away with any of it."
"They'll do this to you if they aren't in a killing mood today. You'll die if you go alone."
Victor walked around thinking.
"What? You think just cause they killed your old lady your just going to walk in there guns blazing with a Smith and Wesson. You're gunna need more than that. More. Way more. You're gunna need me."
"I'm doing this alone."
"You won't even make it past the front door. If you do this, your gunna need a way in and I know that place better than you do."
Victor looked out the window thinking about the situation.
"You're gunna get your shot at revenge why can't I?"
Victor finalized his thoughts.
"Do you have guns?"
"No, but I know where to get em. You've just got to get me out of here.
"Let's go."
Dozer pulled off the I V in his arm as Victor tossed Dozer his blood stained clothes. Victor put his jacket on Dozer to cover up the dried blood marks from the beating. They found an exit to a courtyard after they walked through several hallways in the hospital. Victor pushed Dozer over the fence, but the landing made him cringe. Victor got a running jump-start and met with him on the other side. They walked around the southern half of the hospital to finally make it to Victor's car. They road to the mobile home Dozer lived in. There they picked up a bulletproof vest and a handgun that made 3 total including Victor's contribution. Victor sat baffled at the idea that 3 handguns would stop them. Dozer explained that the Joker didn't like to use guns. He liked to savor his kills, he felt like a gun didn't give you the time to do that. Instead he used crowbars, lead pipes, knives and even dull objects to prolong the torture.
They sat and devised a plan of entry and attack using Dozers mental map of the mansion.
"The best time to attack is late at night when there is less of them there. We can climb up from the back of the mansion to the top floor and make our way down to where he stays. That's where we'll find the most guards though once we take them out we're golden."
"And you're sure about this?"
"I spent most of my time packing Venom and doing initiations in here. Trust me."
Victor nodded his head.
"How's 3:00am sound then?"
"Perfect… Get some sleep… We leave in 4 hours."
Bruce/Batman (After Rehabilitation)
Alfred 's Journal
December 2nd
Today Bruce and I played tennis in the courtyard. His recovery has been miraculous. I didn't have to let him win today. His motivation is unparalleled, but I am afraid his reasoning and motives are tainted. He misses him. We all do. Jason was no more his ward than Bruce be mine so I could only imagine what would happen if a menus like the Joker dare try to take my boy away from me… On the contrary, I pray his itch for revenge is that but only an itch and if not I surely fear the days to come. I doubt this lonely heart could stand anymore loss. Thomas. Martha. Jason. Please God almighty not Bruce. Don't take him away from me. He says he wants to be Batman one last time tonight, but I don't know what one last time means to him. Father watch over him, you know his drive does not allow either of us to stop him. Please Thomas, Martha and Jason. Be the Angels of the Knight. Watch over him.
Victor Pierce
3:00am
Victor and Dozer parked the car around an old freight and walked the rest of the mile to get to the back of the mansion. Dozer seemed overly excited and Victor could see the plan they had just decided fade to obsolete with every step towards this mansion. This unbalance made Victor think twice about his decision, but these second thoughts made him realize the black and white of his situation. This event was inevitable. If it wasn't his fiancée and his unborn it might have been his mom or his brother, which would not change his reaction. This whole thing was out of control, but this is the way it has to be he thought. This is the way it has to be.
They climbed up to the mansion and heard loud music.
"I thought you said they would all be gone?"
"I did think they'd be gone I don't know what's special about today?
Victor raced his brain thinking of all possible holidays it could be. It was not until he looked to his upper right that he saw the Bat symbol in the dirty, polluted clouds.
"It's the day the Batman left."
"Oh, that's right. It's a gangster holiday!"
Victor hung his head.
"God dammit!" What are we supposed to do now?"
"Relax, just look at the window."
20 of the Jokers thugs were passed out with green powder on their faces.
"Are they dead?"
"No man, that's Venom. They're going to be out for the night! Hell maybe even tomorrow night. Lets go there shouldn't be anyone around. Lets find him."
They climbed up the rest of the way and found a ladder leading to the roof. None of the usual guards were on their post so the climb was easy.
They started on the top as planned and made their way down. Hundreds of people with clown painted faces and colored hair were scattered around the floor. The 2 skipped over bodies to make their way down the stairs. Half way down the stairs they heard an ogre of a man slide his feet to make it to the bathroom. They sped past him to finally make their way to the first floor and heard the laughter. Dozer looked at Vic with excitement.
"That's him."
They tried to sneak into the master corridor to surprise him but to their surprise were 15 passed out clown-faced women dusted all over the room. Vic and Dozer stood by the doorway and hid as the joker tried to walk back to his bed. Victor sped over to him and placed the gun to the back of his head.
"Make a sound and I'll paint their faces in your blood."
Dozer tied his hands with 3 zip ties and walked back to the doorway.
The Joker smiled and looked at Dozer.
Victor pushed him on the shoulder to tell him where to go.
"Move. Now. Over there."
His eyes locked on Dozer.
"Dooooozer… how lovely to see you again. I see you enjoyed the make over?"
Victor shoved the tip of the gun to the back of his green flakey hair. He looked at Dozer.
"Where's a place no one will be right now."
"The parking garage."
Victor walked the Joker over to the elevator and pressed the circle button with a P on it. Victor noticed Dozer wouldn't get in.
"What are you doing?"
"I've got to find the blow torch and that brand. You know return the favor."
The Joker spoke again.
"Oh that's in my office. Um third drawer on the left going downward or is it upward. Oh you'll find it… It's still got a little piece of you on there."
His red smile opened up and a flood of laughter drowned him.
Victor tried to keep from ripping his head off
"Shut up!"
Victor punched the Joker in the back of head with the tip of his gun. His blood and green hair dye made a murky stain on the barrel.
Dozer ran off and all Victor could think about was how he should have given him the vest.
The elevator stopped and Vic gave command.
"Start walking."
They walked together and their steps fell into sync. "This is it," Victor thought. All the pain, the tears, the funeral, the death all led up to this moment. A feeling of triumph ran through his spine. He dreamed of this moment. The revenge has a taste he has tasted before, but just the sip from its glass was not satisfying. Victor couldn't hold it in.
"On your knees."
The Joker giggles, "Ooooh, I like this game."
"Shut up!"
Victor's cry echoed in the complex.
"How does it feel to be on this end? Does it feel good!"
"It's quite cold actually. And you know I'm kind of tired you took me from my beauty sleep. What will my guests think about these bags under my eyes? I'm hideous. Just hideous."
Victor saw it coming.
"Like. Your. Wife."
A riot of laughter filled the complex echoing like tidal waves. Through the laughter Victor heard…
"That is of course until I made her pretty again!"
Victor dropped his gun and let the rage consume him. His steps were solid and measured.
"I'll try not to be too rough I want you to be around for the whole show."
Victor grabbed a head full of hair and began striking him. The punches were in a 4 beat meter, even, and getting stronger in magnitude until the rest period. The punches began again resting at the same rest stop as the last stanza before Victor's stamina required him to slow the tempo. This went on with a chorus of kicks and knees sprinkled between measures.
The Elevator shaft rang.
Batman
December 3rd 2:53am
Batman arrived by motorcycle and entered through the top of the complex. The gathering was slowing down just as he had planned. The shipment of Venom that was sent out to them this morning was intercepted by Batman and replaced with timed sedatives. He knew the Joker never takes from his own cake, but he figured without the other distractions it would be easier to get to him.
Batman scanned the room for anyone who was not victim to his potion. Only a man near the bathroom was seen but 2 men holding handguns shocked him when he spotted them from down the hall. They weren't Joker's gang. He followed them around to see what they were up too.
Down on the first floor the men took advantage of Batman's spiked Venom and walked straight up to the Joker's room, grabbed him and tied his hands. The smaller man's scars indicated to Bruce that he must have been an exiled Joker, but the taller slim man looked familiar.
His story was in the paper not too long ago.
"Victor Pierce", he whispered to himself. Batman thought about the situation. "He's here for what I'm here for…"
The tall man hit the button to call the elevator and after getting inside, the shorter man ran away. Batman heard a groan from a man near what looked like an office. The man heard the fumbling of the shorter gentleman in the room and walked over to it. He recognized him.
"Dozer, what the hell are you doing here?"
Dozer drew his gun at the fat man and held a blowtorch in the other hand. Out of instinct the fat man reach for a shotgun on the desk to his right.
Dozer fired two shots to the fat man's chest and in his last attempt he squeezed the trigger but Batman threw a Batarang at the gun to knock the man's accuracy.
The bullets grazed dozers lower right side as he fell to the ground. Batman ran towards both to check them. The pulse of the man first shot was non-existent, and he walked over to Dozer, he could feel his slipping…
"You. You're alive?"
"Barely."
"He did a number on your face too."
"You and your friend. Why are you here?"
Dozer laughed and said, "Were finishing your business."
Dozer's deep pants for air told Batman there wasn't much time for him.
"Where did he take the Joker?"
"The Parking Garage."
Batman got up from his kneeling position and walked towards the elevator. Dozer yelled, "You gunna just leave me here?"
Dozer heard the elevator shaft go down.
Victor Pierce and Batman
Parking Garage
"Guess who decided to join the party Victor?"
Batman ran from the elevator door to the end of the garage. The Joker was covered in blood laughing hysterically till the first knee to the face. Teeth fell from the Jokers mouth like broken glass from the impact of a bat to good china dishes. Combo strikes came fast like Indy cars to his face and blood, paint, hair dye and sweat became murky fluid.
Victor stood in shock at both phenomena.
Batman took off the mantle.
"Look at what you did to me."
Bruce's teeth cringed at the Joker's dizzy defiance.
"LOOK AT ME!"
Bruce's voice shook the structure like tank engines on D-day.
"He was 16!"
Another blow split the Jokers head clean open as he struggled to talk.
"Then do it. DARK KNIGHT! DO IT! KILL ME!
Bruce stood quiet for a minute before walking over to Victor. They locked eyes and Bruce caught his breath.
"Killing him, won't bring my Jason… or your family back."
Tears swelled in Victor's eyes.
"If we kill him what does that make of us? That's what's he wants. He wants us to become him."
Victor tried to revoke the truths he just heard. With all that was inside of him he wanted to pull the trigger. He wanted a full glass of revenge. But thought about, how far would it go? When does it stop? What does it do once it's inside?
"If you feel in your heart that killing him will bring you peace. Do it. But if you do, know that you may be the man I come after next. It won't stop here. It's acidic. It will consume you."
Victor looked at Bruce's burned face.
"I've spent 3 years thinking everyday about how I was going to do just what he did to my son to him. But what would that bring me. Not my Jason. Not my face. Not my parents. He tried to break me. He's trying to break you. We have it in us to be the better men Victor… Be the better man.
Bruce began walking out towards the location of his cycle.
The Joker fought for his words.
"Don't listen to him. Vicky. Do it! SHOOT ME!"
Victor held the gun up to him with 6 feet separating them.
"I DID IT. ME! I KILLED THE BITCH VIC! ME! HAHAHA…"
He laughed until a chunk of blood met his throat. He struggled with a cough to get it out and laughed again. The laughter sounded like 10 years of cigarettes to infant lungs, hoarse and hollow in depth.
Tears and sweat strolled down Victor's brow blurring his vision. He couldn't keep the earthquake that had possessed his hand steady. He fought to keep the atom of composure he had left intact. He closed his eyes momentarily and heard the hammer hit the gavel. He opened his eyes in shock and looked at the gun. The hammer was still cocked. He took deep a breath and stood numb with fear.
He turned around and the smoke from Dozer's gun was still visible. Victor ran towards him and tried to catch his broken steps.
"What the hell happened to you?"
"Son of a bitch shot me. But I got him."
Victor looked at the Joker's dead body hunched over.
"Get out of here Victor. They're commin. You don't need to be around this anymore he's gone. I had to make sure this was done one way or another. Get out of here NOW!
Dozer's body fell lifeless and Victor remembered the feeling. He held him like Lana and wept as he rocked back and forth. He lifted his body and yelled to Dozer.
"THERE'S TIME! THERE'S TIME COME ON!"
Dozer's dead silence made Victor fall to his knees and sob his loses.
He walked the mile to his car covered in Dozer's blood. The winter cold was enough to give polar bears chills.
The drive home, he sat in silence. He made it down his street and pulled up to the driveway. He parked on the right side and stared at Lana's car for a moment.
When he stepped into his house he saw a silhouette by the sliding glass door and turned the lights on. Bruce started speaking.
"Your heart wouldn't let you would it."
"No."
They stood awkwardly in the room until Bruce had a seat. He pulled out a picture.
"This is Jason. He was a son to me."
Victor pulled a picture off of a shelf that held many pictures.
"This is Lana. She was my fiancée."
The 2 counted their losses like soldiers after war and had a drink to them. When the night concluded, Victor mustered up the courage to ask him…
"What now Bruce? Gotham's finished?"
Batman stood by the door upon his exit
"I can never stop fighting. I am the symbol that this city needs, to know, not to fear bad men. I gave them hope before and I can do it again, and for that, I can never give up on them. Or this city… my family died here Victor. And I'll be damned if I let their deaths be in vain."