A/N : So here goes my first attempt at . This story line is set after the events of Zero Year, focusing on a Gotham that has still tiny bits which are not accustomed to Batman.

Disclaimer : I do not own Batman or all of its characters. If I did, all would have beards.

Chapter 1: The Alley

It was raining, slowly. The droplets fell from the sky with a barely audible sound; there had been no flashes of thunder. It was the type of rain a child would proclaim as somewhat boring and parents would advise their kids to stay at home. It would make all of Gotham safe and sound, with its people tucked away in their beds, sighing comfortably at how peaceful yet grey this night was.

With half of Gotham in their homes, their criminal counterparts were looking forward to this opportunity, waiting patiently for the right moment. For some fugitives, the sudden urge to commit a crime was important, as they thought of their victory and the leisure after it. The loot, the parties and yes, the money!

The lust for crime in this wretched city was stimulated by money and money only. The criminals paid little attention to this immaturity.

It was almost too dark for the thugs to notice a pair of eyes watching them as they silently continued their activity. They broke into stores and left via the dark alley, proudly with the loot, before moving on to the next in line. The rain drops produced the only audible sound as they crashed against the steel dumpsters; their flow continued until the looters halted. Something had them concerned, probably fear had them cornered.

"Ay yo, Hector! Speed up a little, will ya? Ain't got all night!" one of them hissed.

It seemed as if they were behind schedule. Good. That will make them perform their work a bit more hastily, more panicked. It was as if they had unwittingly walked into a trap.

It was amusing how that Hector fellow carried what appeared to be a weapon, clutching onto his "safety."

The dark pavement of the top-most apartment gave the caped figure a clear picture of what was happening. The thugs were utilizing the low lit street for their cover while one of the muscle men among them stood guard at the end of it. The Dark Knight performed a quick analysis of the surroundings before taking any action. Hector will most likely take more time in crossing the alley due to his clumsiness and will be distracted rather than paying any attention to what happens above him. Hence, Hector would be an easy target, in fact, bait for other members of his gang.

The eyes behind the cowl immediately shaped out the figure of Hector approaching the dark passage, limping under the immense weight of the television he carried. Batman heard him murmur some curses

"Stupid little shit, thinks he could brag all the time. Well, I'll show him, that so called master son of a bitch! I'll show him and I'll show his Tiffany what real thugs are like. Short little bitc….."

He came to an abrupt stop. A mysterious sound had caught his attention. He felt an uncontrollable urge to look above him. He had to look, look into the dark where the rustling noise had originated. One quick glance upwards, and his eyes went wide in sudden fear as the dark figure descended upon him. He was not even spared a second to open his mouth and scream in desperation.

The gang stood anxiously, a bit far from the exit of alley, waiting for the arrival of their member who had perhaps a much better business to attend to in the dark passage. At least, according to Rocco it was.

"What's taking that fat git? Holding to ease himself in the dumps?" he blurted, the thin voice hinting at a puny frame. Frustrated, the short, bald man set off towards the alley whilst making sure that his pistol was loaded and tucked safely in his jeans.

The alley was cloaked with the same darkness as it had been earlier, though Hector was absent.

Where could he had most possibly gone? Rocco's mind seemed to be buried in irritation and a quiet tension. He was not wondering why Hector had gone missing—he was wondering whether had Hector had exposed their activity and had been involved with Gotham's finest. Now anger took over as Rocco tried to push his thoughts aside and decided to call out for Hector. Maybe afterwards he could teach Hector about the consequences of disobeying orders.

Hand on the butt of the revolver, he called out with no response. Another attempt was made, yet again Hector did not reply. Has he disappeared or something?

He continued to tread deeper into the alley with his heart beating at much greater pace. Scanning from right to left, Rocco saw nothing except broken glass windows and dirty brick walls. There was not even a sign of struggle or any indication of Hector's presence. Now, a sense of panic replaced his anger in the form of a stiffness around his neck and an elevated heartbeat, alongside the repetitive delusions his mind kept playing.

"Madre di Gesu!" escaped from Rocco's lips followed by a few deep breaths, as the situation evolved from mysterious to horrific...

Almost immediately his attention snapped when he heard faint murmurs that came from behind the two long steel dumpsters near the wall, rigid and innocent. His head played games with him. He knew he had to go closer because it might be Hector. Watching his steps carefully, Rocco advanced, able to hear his own heartbeat as loudly as it was beating. His doubt disappeared when he saw behind the dumpsters was indeed his partner, but unconscious. The bruises on his face could be easily distinguished in the dark.

"What in the world…?" Rocco barely managed to pronounce the words before he became aware of the presence of something else. Now, he allowed himself to panic. With his finger on the trigger, Rocco called out at the top of his lungs.

"WHO IS IT, HUH? COME THE FUCK OUT!" He fired his pistol two times, hoping to intrigue who (because he believed they were human) was lurking in this death trap.

Two consecutive gunfire sounds were heard, accompanied by flashes of light. It seemed that their boss had either shot Hector or the person who had delayed their entire procedure. Albeit from being satisfied, they were still quite fearful about what lay between those two walls.

The blonde among them was the first to break the silence: "Boss got that son of a gun, righto?"

The other criminals nodded in agreement.

"Well, then let's give him a nudge to get back home right, Broc?" suggested the other as they all advanced towards the dark pathway...

A.N : Read and Review. Spare me no mercy