Chapter 1

"Bruce Wayne?" Jim asked outloud, as if not sure what to believe. His mind flashed back to that faithful day all those years ago when he comforted the stricken child who was as pale as a ghost, the look in his eyes kept Jim up on many nights, to lose one's parents, in such a tragic way. The Wayne murder was the talk of the town for many weeks after it happened, many months after that the city completely forgot it ever happened, that the good people of Gotham lost two very important people on that cold night, two people who held a candle to the darkness that even then consumed the city, but the murders were still fresh in the mind of a young police officer. In Jim's mind, he was certain, if Bruce's parents were alive today, they would have been proud of their caped crusader, at least, that's what he told himself, no parent wants to see their child in danger, he'd go mad if anything happened to his Barbara.

He was brought out of his musings by a bright flash of light coming from the direction of the sea. When he openned his eyes again, Batman's charming friend was gone "Great... another disappearing act..." He knew what that bright flash was, more importantly, he knew what it meant. That Gotham had lost it's champion, because of that madman, and that accursed woman, speaking of whom, Jim turned around and walked up to the truck with the intent of dragging miss Tate's body out. He climbed up the truck "aaand she's gone." said Jim to no one in particular.

He rifled through his pockets "Still got a phone, thank God." he dialed the only number he could think of "Blake! Blake, it's Commissioner Gordon, as soon as things have settled down a bit, I want an immediate APB on Miranda Tate!"

"Tate? Sir, what the hell happened?"

"Long story, Blake. Come pick me up and I'll tell you all about it. I'm on Burton Avenue, just under overpass 6."

"On my way, sir."

As Jim waited, he pondered the events of the last few months, how terrible the wait was, knowing that you couldn't leave behind 12 million people, the way the terror was dragged out, like being strapped to a table whilst a fat madman slowly sapped all your blood, drop by drop, laughing all the way.

Jim turned to see a taxi turning at the bend and screeching to a halt in front of him.

"A cab?"

"Only thing with keys in it, sir." said Blake as he got out and rubbed his hands together in the cold, he sat on the hood of the car and made a notion towards the bent up truck. "So I see our mutual friend saved the day, anyone left here?"

Jim sat down next to the young detective "No, no one. Batman's... gone, his friend also took off, no real reason for her to stick around I guess..."

"And Tate?"

"She turned, well, not exactly. She was behind all of it."

At that Blake's eyes bulged a bit "She what?"

"Bane was just another pawn, as far as I could tell, she really had it out for Batman for some reason, I guess she got him in the end, and" Jim pushed himself off the hood of the car and collected his coat "knowing that her plan failed, I'd bet my two bit pension that this wasn't the last we've seen of her."

"I don't know, sir. I made the call just before I got here. Every major intelligence and law enforcement agency on Earth will be hunting this woman."

"I hope you're right, son."

"Trust me, she'll be like Tom in the lake, hiding from the bees."

"Tom...?"

"Tom & Jerry, sir. Don't tell me you never were a kid." Blake smiled as they got in the car and started making their way back towards downtown.

"I never was a kid." said Jim, looking over the rim of his glasses at Blake, a second later a faint smile under his mustache.

Blake smiled and as he drove through the cold streets of Gotham he quickly realized just how close they came to "Sayonara, suckers!", and how much work was now in front of them.