Quiet Nights

Batman stood on the top of Wayne Tower, poised and ready to jump. As he stood there, surveying his city, the radio in the Batmobile was scanning the police frequencies. It fed anything it picked up straight to the headphones built into his cowl. Usually it was a constant chatter of muggings, robberies and homicides. Tonight it was quiet. That was unusual in an ordinary city but in Gotham it was unheard of. All of the major villains in his Rogue's Gallery were all safely locked away in Blackgate Prison or Arkham Asylum. The majority of the Falcone family was in prison and the mob was effectively broken in Gotham. Ra's al Ghul was dead and buried. The Batman owned the nighttime in Gotham.

Well, maybe he'd make a quick patrol of the city and call it an early night for once. Wouldn't Alfred be surprised? The thought of the shock on Alfred's face at him coming home early was enough to bring a smile to Batman's face. With that, he leapt from his perch. As he sped downward head first his hands automatically went into action, throwing out his grappling hook with precision timing to achieve the swing that he wanted, twisting him into an arc that put him on the roof of a neighboring building. The hook released and he pulled the line back in as he ran along the roof, heading into the Narrows.

Jim Gordon turned off the TV and gathered up his sleeping son. James Jr. had fallen asleep watching Mythbusters again. At least he watched that and not some of the crap that's on TV these days, Jim thought. Amazing that he'd been able to spend the entire night at home and no calls from the office. He'd checked his cell at least twice to make sure it was on, had even considered calling Montoya to make sure they hadn't decided to be nice and not call him for once. But he'd seen Barbara looking at him the last time he'd checked and the look on her face told him that if he made that call, she'd likely throw a fit. Not that he could blame her. What was wrong with him? Shouldn't this be what he wanted, to spend time with his wife and son? Maybe tomorrow he'd suggest they go to a ball game.

In the Narrows, Batman found what he was looking for. A group of kids looking to cause some trouble were roaming the street, vandalizing cars and mugging anyone who happened to venture near without realizing what was happening. Batman watched just long enough to determine who the leader was a tall, lanky kid with a ball cap on backwards, holding a switchblade, right in the middle of the pack. The rest were clustered in three groups.

Batman pulled out three stun grenades, then fired his grappling hook and swung out over the pack, tossing the grenades and dropping himself right next to the leader. He grasped the leader's right arm, twisted it around and disarmed him. The kid had barely realized what was happening and it was over. The grenades went off, stunning the rest of the kids long enough for Batman to tie them up, leaving a note for the Gotham police. That felt good, he thought, but it was entirely too easy. The hardened criminals, the ones who really knew how to fight, were gone. Seemingly no serious challenge remained in Gotham for the Batman.

The next day, Gordon was at his desk reading when his secretary came into the office. "Commissioner, I've got the Mayor on the line and he wants to talk to you."

"Sure Cathy, I can talk to him right now." He picked up the phone and punched the button for line 1. "Mister Mayor, this is Commissioner Gordon. What can I do for you today?"

"Commissioner, how are things?" A loaded question, Jim thought. Mayors rarely called for idle chit-chat. "Quiet at the moment," he replied, "I was taking advantage of the down time to review some of the recently closed cases from the Major Crimes division."

"Yes, things have gotten fairly quiet, haven't they?"

Jim decided to be blunt. "Mr. Mayor, did you call me for a particular reason?"

"Not one to beat around the bush, eh Gordon? That's one of the reasons I like you. I think it's time we deal with the Batman, Gordon."

"Deal with him?" Jim's voice was cautious. Where was this heading, he wondered?

"He's a vigilante, Gordon. He's broken who knows how many laws over the years. We've tolerated it because the level of crime was so extreme that we took help from any quarter we could get it. But now that has changed."

"Surely you're not suggesting that we arrest the Batman, are you Mister Mayor?"

"Only if he refuses to hang up his cape. He's guilty of assaulting at least a few hundred civilians, even more than a few police officers. With things quiet, we can hardly continue to overlook that without taking some major heat from the press and the council."

"But sir, we owe the Batman so much. He's saved this city dozens of times, saved so many lives..."

"Then let's throw him a party and give him the keys to the city. Build him a statue if you want. As long as he agrees to retire afterwards. Do it Gordon, or I'll find a commissioner who will." The mayor had hung up the phone. Jim hung it up reluctantly, trying to think of some way that he could salvage this situation. He didn't know what had driven the Batman to don his mask and fight crime, but he doubted he could convince him to stop. Nor did he relish the thought of trying to apprehend him. They'd tried once before, when the Batman first appeared, back when Jim was just a lieutenant. It hadn't gone well. He hit the page button on his phone "Cathy, get Lt. Montoya up to my office pronto. I need her and Bullock on the roof with me this evening."

"This is Stacy Siever on Channel 4's Morning Show with Dr. Hugo Strange, discussing Gotham's current low tide on crime."

"Thank you so much for having me on the show, Stacy, " Strange said with a small, condescending smile. His tall thin body, austere glasses and severe angular features gave her the willies. Stacy didn't care for the man but what she cared for rarely entered into her producer's considerations.

"So tell us what your thoughts are on this sudden, precipitous drop in crime, Dr. Strange."

" Well, as you know, I have specialized in studying the criminal mind. Criminals are cowards, who seek to break society's laws for their own gain. When the risk outweighs the reward, they will choose safer lines of work. Gotham's finest and the Batman have changed that equation, making our streets safer in the process." Dr. Strange reclined bank in his chair, his hands pressed together under his chin.

" You're suggesting that the Batman has been a positive influence?" Stacy could hardly contain her incredulity; Strange's hatred of the Batman was well known.

"Yes, undoubtedly. When he first appeared, crime was out of control in Gotham. Batman has tipped the balance in favor of law and order."

"And here I thought you were going to complain that he is a vigilante and a magnet for psychopaths."

"Oh, he definitely is all of those things. And I would argue that now he has outlived his usefulness. The drop in crime has allowed Gotham's police to finally gain the upper hand. The Batman is no longer needed. It is likely dangerous if he remains now as he will continue to be a draw for more lunatics like the Joker."

"So we just kick him to the curb? Say thank you and please go away?"

"Please Stacy. Remember that he is not a police officer or government official. He is a vigilante and he operates outside the law. And given his violent nature and costume, he is clearly quite disturbed himself."

Stacy was indigant. Her body language could hardly help from showing how angry she was.

"Disturbed? I don't follow, Dr. Strange. He's worked with the police for these last few years, helping to put hundreds of criminals behind bars. He may have broken some bones and given more than a few a concussion but he's never killed anyone. In fact, witnesses have documented the Batman going to extraordinary lengths to save the lives of even some of the most heinous criminals like the Joker."

"Stacy, calm yourself," said Dr. Strange. "Has he really changed that much since he began? Or did the police simply find it convenient to work with him rather than trying to arrest both the real criminals and the Batman? If he were a policeman, he would have been thrown off the force and tried for assault."

Stacy turned and faced the camera. "Well, you heard it hear first, Gotham. Batman, I for one thank you and hope you continue to protect the innocent of Gotham. But Dr. Strange thinks you need to just go away now. And that you should see a good shrink."

The nights were getting colder. Jim's bones were complaining; wouldn't be long before the first snow now. He lit his pipe while he waited. Montoya and Bullock were silent behind him. None of their usual banter. He hadn't told them why he was turning on the signal this evening, although they must know something was up. Certainly there had been no crime or breakout from Arkham that would warrant summoning the Batman.

Jim wished he'd hurry up and show; he might make it home in time to tuck James into bed. Maybe even watch Leno. The signal was the only light on the roof. Plenty of shadows, the way Batman liked it. He looked out over the city. It was quiet.

Batman stepped out of the shadow. "Hello, Jim." As always, that rough grating voice.

"Do you know why I wanted to talk this evening?"

"There's been no signs of any major activity that I'm aware of. No new psychopaths and the rest are all safely locked up in Arkham or Blackgate. I imagine the mayor has told you to arrest me."

"Not quite. I don't think he's that bold, not yet. He's asked that you retire and disappear."

"And if I don't?"

"Then I'm to arrest you."

"What do you think about this, Jim?"

"We tried that once before, to arrest you. Didn't go well for us."

"Yes, but you know that if we're fighting each other, the criminals will benefit. Resources that would be dedicated to finding and arresting them will be instead directed toward me. We could end up back where we started, with the Roman or someone like him running things."

"Not a pleasant thought." Jim stared hard at him, trying to discern something anything behind the mask. As usual, the Batman was completely inscrutable. He couldn't see his eyes and the mouth was a thin, even line. The press called the two of them friends, but what did he really know about this man after all this time? Only that he had always proven equal to the trust that Jim had given him. And that counted for a lot in his book.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence. Jim decided to break it. "No one would deny that you've earned the right. This city was a cesspool of criminals when you showed up. Virtually everyone was on the take. But the cops and the people in charge are more clean than dirty now. With the break you've given us, perhaps we can finish the job ourselves."

Silence. Jim wasn't sure if that was good or not. He turned and looked out over the rooftops toward the bay.

'I'll have to think about that Jim. How long have I got?"

"Not long. Probably a few days, maybe a week at most." Jim turned to look at the Batman. As usual, he'd disappeared without Jim hearing him leave. Some things never change. Jim motioned to Montoya, who cut the power to the signal.

Hiding in the shadows, Batman stood silently in an alley. Gordon's request hadn't caught him by surprise. But before now, he hadn't really thought about it. For so long, he'd been on this... What would you call it? A quest? Obsession? Crusade? Since that night his parents had died, he'd studied, trained, done everything necessary to fight crime, to not just avenge his parents but to bring peace and justice to Gotham. He had partnered with Jim Gordon, working together with the police to put criminals away. And now it appeared they'd succeeded. Had he really thought this was possible, that he would live to see this moment? No, he admitted to himself, he hadn't. He'd always assumed this quest would one day claim his life.

He knew why he had come to this particular alley. It was the alley in which his parents had died. Where his crusade had begun. A reminder of why he had chosen to take up the mantle of the bat, to fight crime and insure that other children wouldn't suffer as he had suffered. Could he now walk away from what he'd done, dare to live a 'normal' life as Bruce Wayne, billionaire? Silver St. Cloud had deduced his secret while they were dating, but had left him saying that as long as he was Batman she could not be with him. She couldn't stand the lonely nights and the worrying. And he had let her go, because he loved her and wanted her to have a life with a man that could make her happy. But if he gave up Batman, would she be willing to rekindle their romance?

He moved out of the shadows and knelt in the center of the alley. It was in this spot that Joe Chill had killed his parents, where he had watched as his parents bled to death. Joe was long dead. "Mother, Father, I've done it. Gotham is safe. What should I do?"

Years ago, when he had returned to Gotham after completing his training, he had nearly died on his first night out. As he'd lain in his father's chair, he'd looked out through the windows and asked a simple question to his father. A large bat had burst through the window and he had taken it as a sign from his father that he should become the Batman.

Now there was only silence. He waited silently for what seemed like an eternity. Nothing. He had his answer. He was free to do as he willed.

The next morning Jim was walking into his office when he heard a commotion from down the hall. It was Clarence, the night janitor. "Commissioner, commissioner, I've got something for you. I found it on the roof by the bat signal."

Gordon walked over. "What do you have, Clarence?" Clarence handed him a piece of paper that had a hand-written note on it. Looked to be with a sharpie. "Where did you find this?"

"On the roof, Commissioner."

Bullock walked up, donut in hand. As usual his clothes were wrinkled and covered with crumbs from breakfast. "What is it Comissioner?"

"It's from the Batman." He showed it to Bullock. The note read 'Tell the Mayor I will take him up on his offer. Good luck' and below that, the sign of the Batman.