== SHADOWS OF THE PAST ==
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Dark Knight Trilogy or Batman or any related character. That belongs to Bob Kane, DC Comics, and Warner Bros. Batman is a creation of Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The Dark Knight Trilogy is a creation of Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David Goyer. This applies to all chapters.
AN: Well, that's just an idea under construction while I figure a way of going on with "The Knight's Last Temptation". If it has a good feedback, then I shall keep going. Otherwise, I'll stop updating it.
Again, English is not my native language, so my sincere apologies for possible errors of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Reviews (negatives and positives), suggestions and beta readers are very welcome. Hope you enjoy it.
1. PRELUDE TO CHAOS
"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." - George Bernard Shaw
8 years ago
"Harvey Dent was needed. He was everything Gotham has been crying out for. He was… a hero. Not the hero we deserved — the hero we needed. Nothing less than a knight, shining…"
Standing before a podium, Police Commissioner James Gordon addressed the huge crowd gathered in front of the courthouse. At least a dozen media outlets were broadcasting the event live, and everywhere he looked around he could see microphones, cameras and cell phones capturing every word spoken by him. It was intimidating to say the least and he felt like a fraud.
As he delivered remarks about the courage and heroism of Harvey Dent, a massive picture of the deceased district attorney stood behind him. In contrast to the monster he had turned into in his last hours of life, Dent looked like a typical movie heartthrob in that image and that was how Gordon expected him to remain in the minds of the people of Gotham City.
He glanced over at the VIP tribune, where somber dignitaries, including the mayor and the city council, were on hand to honor Dent's memory. No one there had any idea or suspected of what the real Harvey Dent had been capable of doing. That was a secret he shared with only one other man, a man who had sacrificed his own legend to preserve Dent's legacy and reputation.
Hesitating briefly, he continued, "But I knew Harvey Dent. I was… his friend. And it will be a very long time before someone inspires us the way he did."
Choked with emotion, Gordon gathered the papers of his eulogy and, before exiting the podium, he said, "I believed in Harvey Dent."
3 years ago
Light rain was pouring down as a lonely figure walked among the tombstones, fighting the puddles and the bitterly chilling air. Although it was still daytime, the sky had grown quite dark all of sudden. It looked like everything was conspiring in favor of a sober, sad atmosphere.
The graveyard was situated in the grounds of an antique Romanesque-style church tucked away behind a narrow street not far from Gotham's old financial district. It was a picturesque place where the usual cacophony of the downtown area was often replaced by the harrowing sound of silence and, sometimes, by pealing bells.
Maneuvering a cane in one hand and a black umbrella in the other, the man headed toward the well-known site that housed the remains of his childhood sweetheart. He had done the same ritual around this date over the past five years and he always could not help the poignant sense of loss and grief.
The man finally stood in front of a spartan gravestone, on which could be read "RACHEL DAWES, Beloved Daughter and Friend, a brave woman in the service of justice, RIP," and put a small bouquet of purple dahlias — her favorite flowers — on it.
He uttered a quiet prayer and closed his eyes. Flashes of every people he felt he had failed in his life swirled into his mind. His parents, Rachel, Harvey, even Ducard. One after another, their faces turned into a sinister laugh. The killing laugh of the Joker. Suddenly he heard a choked howl, the sound of an animal in pain. Then he realized the guttural noise had been emitted by himself.
"I'm so sorry, Rach," Bruce Wayne whispered into the falling rain, only to then turn around and storm back to the car.
Feeling utterly drained as if nothing could soothe the pain and distress he was experiencing at the memory of his lovely best friend, he sat behind the wheel and inhaled deeply. After a brief pause he switched on the engine and turned on the radio, surfing from channel to channel until he found a news station.
"Today marks the 5-year anniversary of Harvey Dent's death. To pay tribute to the deceased District Attorney, Mayor Anthony Garcia established a new municipal holiday, the Harvey Dent Day," the female broadcaster announced. "Garcia said that Dent was and still is an inspiration for the people of Gotham City, and several free events are planned throughout this day and in the following as part of honoring the memory of this hero who died in line of duty."
He kept listening to the day's headlines until he lost patience and tuned in a period pop music station. The old stuff. He started to pay attention to the song that was playing. He smiled and then failed miserably in his attempt to sing along the song like a happy idiot.
The last five years had been full of ups and downs in Bruce's life. His double persona as a masked vigilante had been put aside and he had begun to devote himself to his family business. The beginning had been tough but he soon had earned the respect and trust of Wayne Enterprises Board of Directors.
With Lucius Fox's help, he had managed to run the company for quite some time. But his dreaming of helping the city without the cape and cowl had gone down the drain when he had learned about an east European scientist, who, in simple terms, had found a way to turn a fusion reactor into a nuclear weapon. Thus, Wayne believed his brainchild — the clean energy project — was not worth the risk and decided to shut it down.
Once Wayne Enterprises entire R&D budget had been used in its creation, and Bruce himself had heavily invested in it, cancelling the project led to an uproar in the markets. The company's stocks dropped 28.24% within a matter of two days.
Frustrated and defeated, Bruce tendered his resignation to the board and pointed Fox as the new acting CEO. He hoped the trick would calm down the markets anytime soon and would rise the company's institutional credibility.
His only worry right now was how to deal with the second main project investor — TELOS Holdings Inc. Perhaps it would be wise to leave it to someone who really knew how to manage a business crisis.
"All set to the videoconference, ma'am," a young, dark-complexioned man who looked Middle Eastern stated as soon as Nattie St. Dumas stepped into her luxurious hotel suite.
"Thank you, Zayn," she dismissed him politely, crossing the room, and then took a seat in front of the laptop.
Her gaze fixed on the computer screen, on which the CEO of Wayne Enterprises was awaiting her.
"Good morning, Mr. Fox," she began flatly. "I hope you have good news for me."
"Good afternoon, Ms. St. Dumas," Lucius Fox's voice echoed out from the tech device in his usual nice manner. "Or should I say good evening?"
"Well it's almost evening over here," she replied as her hand gestured to her surroundings. "So, Mr. Fox, I imagine you haven't set up this meeting just to make small talk."
A forced, sick smile played at Lucius's lips. "I'm afraid I'm not the bearer of good news. Mr. Wayne remains steadfast in his decision. He demanded to freeze the experimental fusion reactor project, to lock the files and reassign the resources."
"So it's true, then," she said coolly, though there was a hint of rage in her voice. "He can't make a call like that without consulting me first. As the main supporter of this project I should be involved in a decision of such critical importance. Don't you think so?"
"I'm very sorry, Ms. St. Dumas." Normally tough as nails, Lucius cleared his throat in what looked, on the computer screen, like embarrassment. "It's purely precautionary."
"We're making progress. What happened?"
"Basically, the machine doesn't work as expected. Mr. Wayne believes it's just safest if we knock it down before it lead us all to bankruptcy."
Nattie's blood sizzled but she held her face steady. "And what about all the inflow I've done? Most of it comes from a collective investment fund. What am I supposed to say to my investor partners?"
"Surely we can reach an agreement that will benefit all parties," Lucius replied, sounding as placatory as he could. "As you may know, by the contract terms, TELOS Holdings is entitled to some kind of compensation in cases like this. That's why Wayne Enterprises is willing to assign part of its senior quotas to your company."
"That doesn't strike me as a good deal. The value of the company's stock has plummeted in the last few days."
"Trust me, the tide's gonna change." He sounded a bit more confident right now. "Besides, those shares will ensure you a position at the Board. They will give you the right to vote on Wayne Enterprises business decisions as one of majority shareholders."
It was an irresistible offer, yet she seemed to ponder it for a few seconds.
"Tell me, Mr. Fox, do you really think that's enough to keep me from calling my lawyers?"
Lucius grinned at her challenge. "A good business person always knows what something is worth. And I'm sure you know that few things are priceless."
A seat on the Board of Directors of one of the largest multinationals in the world was one of these things for sure.
The edge of Nattie's lips curved up slightly into what it looked like the outline of a smile. "As you Americans say, it's a winwin, right?"
"That's right, Ms. St. Dumas," Fox agreed with a chuckle. Apparently, they were on the same page now.
But the other executive was unwilling to missing out an important point. "What's going to happen to the reactor?"
"Ah… Actually…" Fox seemed unsure whether the news might upset Nattie even more. "That's classified info I'm not allowed to share."
"No. I think I have a right to know," she insisted calmly, but firmly. Her flaming gaze was highlighting the implacability which had made her name as much feared as respected in the business world.
Defeated, the man sighed wearily. "All I know is that it will be stored in one of WE's warehouses. Mr. Wayne's really playing it close to his chest."
"Any chance I could change his mind? I mean, about the program cancellation..."
"Good luck with that, cuz I haven't had any."
Nattie chuckled and the smile became real. Shaking her head at him, she seemed to enjoy herself. "My powers of persuasion are often to be reckoned with."
"I must warn you that Bruce Wayne isn't a man easy to be persuaded."
"I'll take my chances."
"Well, if you plan to join us, you'll be very welcome here in Gotham."
"I'm sure I will," she said, taking a quick glance at the computer clock. It was nearly 6:30 which meant she was late to get ready for her next appointment on the other side of the town. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Fox, I really have to dash. I've got a business dinner to attend in less than an hour and I still need to get ready. I'll get in touch."
"Thank you for your understanding. I'm sorry for how things turned out but I'm sure we'll figure a way around the problem."
"I hope so. Have a good day, Mr. Fox."
Lucius gave a half nod. "You too, Ms. St. Dumas. Bye"
Nattie switched off the video conferencing service and Lucius's face disappeared, giving way to a dark screen. Then she stood up gently and walked over to the French doors that led out to the balcony. Looking out the window, she was rewarded with a glorious Bosphorus view. The sky was beginning to darken as the last rays of sun were fading away at the horizon. It was a shame she could not enjoy the city's attractions properly.
Being in Istanbul for a four-day business trip, she had no time for distractions. Running a millionaire investment company left little to time to live a creative and meaningful life, and the raw reality was that she was always focused on work. Nattie knew very well that technical brilliance alone build no empire. It was the energy source of one's drive combined with a volatile degree of unpredictability which kept competitors at bay in a cut-throat market. She was hoping that on the conclusion of this important endeavor she finally could carry on a more normal life — whatever this may mean.
As her mind replayed her conversation with Fox, she realized that, in hindsight her plan had gone according to her calculations right down the line. Even Wayne throwing a full-fledged spanner in the works, the timing was so perfect that she almost laughed out loud.
The man was not a fool, and no matter how much obsessed he was with the clean energy project, he would never put the lives of his fellow citizens at risk. No, not Bruce Wayne. He would rather give up his valuable properties than that.
The linkages that existed in place for her to take advantage of this opportunity were mind-blowing with their simplicity. Not even in her most optimistic thoughts Nattie could have envisaged an outcome so advantageous as this. If there was such a thing as karma, this was it.
All she had to do was adjust her tactics with Wayne and his allies a little bit and work really hard in order to achieve her ultimate goal. The question was: How to approach her target? Oddly, neither she nor Wayne had showed any interest in meeting each other face-to-face. And they did not really need it. From the initial negotiations until now, Lucius Fox had always acted as an intermediary between them. Wayne seemed to be more concerned with the engineering than the financial side of the project.
Would be this the ideal time to confront her antagonist in his own backyard? To finally face down the spoiled and irresponsible man she had learned to despise? Something was telling her that she was going to enjoy every minute of it.
Suddenly, a barely perceptible movement in the darkness startled her and broke her train of thought. She peered into the gloom and then became aware of no longer being alone in that hotel room.