The city has been unusually quiet the past couple days, and everyone knows why, but don't say a word about it.
Finally, Gotham is safer. Safest it's ever been. The grime has been snuffed out and a brighter future lies ahead, as the Caped Crusader has done the one thing so many would never have imagined: Taking justice into his own hands, the only way.
It all started over a month ago, when Batman was contemplating about his parents' legacy, and how his will compare. If his promise will be followed through. He's done a lot of good in Gotham, but recently, it's like crime is starting to get worse, and his efforts are futile.
He was in his Batcave at his computer, analyzing a murder, with ten other cases waiting to be solved.
And he knows it'll keep piling up. Elaborate and cruel murders in all. More villains are coming out of the woodwork, causing even more trouble. One wearing a Pig mask, of all things. As silly as that sounds, it isn't a joke. The bad guys don't see Batman as enough of a threat to stop their escapades anytime soon. There's only so many times you can see a monster before you convince yourself it isn't real.
It's been a long night, tackling the life of Batman and Bruce Wayne has gotten harder, and he's starting to wear himself thin. He hasn't slept in days, nor has he eaten anything in hours. Bruce knows this is getting too much for him, but he tells himself he just has to work harder. Every night he works harder than the last to stay on top; unfortunately, he's just sinking lower. Life is now like quicksand; the more you struggle, the faster you sink.
Alfred comes by and puts some food on a table near the computer, and Bruce ignores it out of his peripheral. Alfred then opens the lid and reveals some chicken with a note on it: "Just breathe, Master Wayne."
Bruce ignores it still, even if the smell is appealing.
Alfred has given up trying to get through to him, so he just puts the lid back on the tray, leaving the food on the table, and goes back to the Manor to relax.
Everyone has been trying to get through to Bruce, but he ignores them. Bruce finally stops and rests his arm on the computer, with one other hand covering his face. Anger. Fear. Hopelessness. Thoughts of doubt running through his mind. He gets up from his chair and takes a breather, tired of looking at a dead body on a screen, and the ten others waiting to be seen. And who knows what others are happening now.
How many with their faces cut off, or how many have smiles painted on them. Which one is in new Ridder trap. Or how many dismembered and in bandages.
Bruce walks to his suit and stares at the mask, scowling back at him for being weak. His phone rings and he lets it go to voicemail. A girl calling about the date he missed, again, and how their relationship is over and hangs up, only before she screams some obscenities at him. His phone rings again and it goes to voicemail. Bruce's eyes shoot up in fear as he hears Harvey Bullock say Gordon has been shot. It's not a major wound, but enough to be in the hospital. Bruce scoffs and rests his head over his Batsuit, breathing heavily. Gritting his teeth. He gets another call by Dick, calling to check up on him. Another voicemail. Then silence at last.
All the hidden rage and pain comes out in a terrible shout, causing bats to awake from their slumber and flutter about in the cave. The screeches infinite. Unrelenting. Bats are flying everywhere now. Bats begin to fly around Bruce now, cutting his shirt and gnashing away at him. He tries to fight them off, but it's no use.
In the Manor, Bruce has planted secret monitor screens around the house, in case of invasion, and Alfred sees the commotion unfold, and rushes as fast as he can to the cave. Fast at his age, of course. By the time he gets there, he finds Bruce is gone, along with the batsuit. Alfred shouts for Bruce, but he doesn't respond. "I'm sorry, Bruce." He whispers, as he begins to shed a tear.
Batman is atop a rooftop, surveying the city, taking a breather with his mask off. He contemplates a new direction for his crime-fighting, but he's too afraid to do it. Afraid of the repercussions. For the past week, he's been battling with himself. He presses the bridge of his nose and breathes heavily again, remorseful still. I can't do this. But I have to.
Then a couple blocks away, he sees an explosion. He scowls and puts his mask back on, determined it's now or never. He jumps from the rooftop and to his Batmobile, driving to the scene of the crime. A bank explosion.
There, Two-Face and his men are making a break for it and as they're rushing into the car, and go full speed away from the bank. Batman just arrives at the bank as they're leaving, but sees them turn a block before they disappear. Batman puts the pedal to the metall and darts towards them, trying his best to avoid destruction of public property, mostly. He tries to get a lock on the car and once he has it, he fires a missile at it. He missed it as it turns a corner, breaking apart a side of a building. The second time's the charm as the car flips over and lands on its top, smashing the vehicle completely.
He drives up near them and exits his Batmobile, walking towards the crashed heap of metal. The thugs frantically try to get out of the car, and one does, Batman catches them and smashes their head against the vehicle, repeatedly. He uses his grapnel gun to lure back an escaping thug, and he clotheslines them. Harvey comes in behind Batman, trying to land a hit but the vigilante elbows him from behind, grabs his head and slams him onto the ground. Another thug tries to fire his gun at Batman, but he's too fast for him, and the crusader throws a batarang at the assailant, knocking the gun out of his hand. He gets with close quarters with him and he breaks his jaw, then his arm, kicks his leg. As the criminal falls on his knee, Batman puts him in a headlock and kicks him in the back. He jerks back at his neck as he knocks him down, dislocating his spine and his neck.
The other thugs heard every bone crack, and they struggled to get to their feet to run away in fear. He throws batarangs at their legs, knocking them down. He catches up to them, grabs two of the criminals by the collar of their shirts, and slams their faces onto the ground. Harvey tries to land a freebie on Batman again, and he would've succeeded if the crusader wasn't fast to react. He grabs his hand and twists it, snapping it. He tries to hit him with his other hand, but he blocks that too. Batman head butts him and knocks him to the cement. Harvey tries to crawl away, bruised and angry. But he knows this a loss. It always has been. "There's something different...about you…" he struggles to speak.
He coughs up some blood and shouts back, "What have we ever done to you!?"
Batman steps on his back, stopping him from crawling away. "These games have gone on long enough."
Batman puts more weight on his foot, and continues. "And nothing's changed. But tonight,"
Batman picks him up and snarls angrily, "it will."
"You always say that." Harvey chuckles. "Nothing changes."
Harvey coughs up some blood and he barks back. "Same damn cell in the same damn prison!"
"There's always another cell.."
Batman turns him around and puts him in a head lock, and before he twists his neck, he apologizes. "I'm sorry, Harvey."
Then he snaps his neck, killing him as he falls to the ground as a lifeless sack of meat. The police arrive to see it unfold, and they're in disbelief. Five thugs, dead. Including Two-Face. One of the cops shout, "You just killed those guys!"
Batman stares at Harvey's body and answers back, "I know,"
He looks back at the cops and finishes, "But that's one less criminal."
He walks back to his Batmobile, and stops at the cops. "It's time I do things differently."
He gets into his car, and drives away as the cops get the bodies, one by one, to take to the Morgue.
