Canis and Chiroptera Way
Chapter One
Adustum: To kindle
Gotham City Police Department
Police Report
Date: December 10, 199-
Nature of Incident: Break and Enter, Theft of over $5000 (estimated), Damage over $5000, Assault, Attempted Murder
Location: 2035 Nall Drive, Umbrella Pharmaceuticals Corporation Gotham Headquarters
Responding Officers: Kemp Hummel, Fionnbarra Kerry, Leon Kennedy, and Addie Flynn
Incident Report:
Alarms went off at Umbrella Corp.'s Gotham HQ at 00:02 am. Responding officers arrived at the scene at 00:13 am. Officers found the fence surrounding the building destroyed. Appeared to have been ran over by a large vehicle or a tank. Doors to the building were thrown open. Later investigation revealed that door locks had been melted rather than kicked in. Officers identified themselves before entering with guns drawn. There was no sign of the suspect.
Inside they found five guards unresponsive with large grins on their faces. Officer Flynn returned to the cruiser to grant clearance to medical team. Officer Kerry started to give first aid to the guards. Guards were removed from the scene at 00:15 am and arrived at hospital in fair condition.
Officer Hummel and Kennedy searched the building. Officer Hummel pointed out the skylight had been broken and the ground was covered in broken glass. Officers Hummel and Kennedy proceeded with caution. Bullets holes lined the walls only in loading area. Samples have been sent to the lab with guard's guns. Chairs had been knocked over in the office rooms behind the loading area, possibly by the suspect. Kennedy discovered blood, strips of black fabric, and playing cards in Southeast corner of the office room. Playing cards were embedded in the walls. Officer Hummel located the safe in an office which was open. Nothing was found inside.
At 00:45 am Doctor Schmeling arrived at the scene. According to the doctor, inside the safe were three vials of a new experimental drug.
Officers and emergency vehicles left the scene at 1:00 am.
Guards' testimony will be recorded on Friday when they are released from the hospital.
Rustling the papers in his hands, the police officer reread the nature of incident line. "Looks like everything but an armed robbery charge," he muttered. Running a hand through his blond hair, the young man continued to reread, willing himself to block out the sounds of the office around him. To his left three cops were trading the latest news about a costume vigilante. Over in the far corner a pretty Spanish reporter was warning residents to avoid the Downtown area due to heavy traffic.
"Hey Kennedy."
Kennedy glanced up from his papers and smiled. A larger built African-American detective wandered towards his desk, a box of donuts in hand. With a grin, he offered one to Kennedy who grabbed a Fruit Danish. Easing his bulk into a chair, the large man glanced at the papers scattered on the desk.
"So your first case. What did the punk do?"
Kennedy quickly summarized the police report. When he had finished, the older man's face no longer held a smile.
"How much damage?"
"Five doors with melted locks, a few broken windows, bullet holes all over the interior loading area and five guards with a few injuries."
The large man nodded as his red-rimmed eyes looked over the photos from the crime scene. He moved one so he could see the photos of the guards. He stared at the sight of the grins on the guard's faces. Meanwhile, Kennedy, who had finished his treat, glanced towards the TV to briefly watch the weather forecast. Looks like I'm driving through snow tonight, Kennedy thought to himself before looking back at the man behind his desk.
"I don't get it, Walker," the younger man finally admitted. "How could some guy do all this without a weapon? He'd have to be insane."
Walker shook his head. "I don't know what the 'official word' is but this has the Joker written all over it. Guy's loonier than a Loony Toon. You haven't been here long enough to recognize the MO of some of our more dangerous criminals but if you're smart, Kennedy, you'll leave this one alone. This is too much for a rookie to handle. Get Montoya to take this one."
The larger man lifted himself from the chair with a slight groan. When he was standing, he looked down on the younger man. Walker frowned as he studied the boy. Barely out of teens, new to the force, filled with the urge to prove himself. It was a recipe for disaster. Walker tried to smile at the boy. "Leave this one alone, Kennedy or you'll look like them." He gestured to the guards' photos. "Believe me, those are life-threatening injuries even if it doesn't look like it."
The rookie stared at him with gray-blue eyes. Barely twenty-two years old and the kid already had the eyes of a veteran. Walker found the smile impossible to keep and turned his back towards Kennedy. Giving the excuse of a new lead for his own case, Walker started to walk away. Veteran or not, the kid had no idea what Joker was capable of.
Back at his desk, Kennedy glanced back at the photos on his desk. The grins stared back at him. At least they aren't rotting, Kennedy reminded himself before turning to his computer. Upon entering the police database, he typed the name Joker. A photo of a man with green hair, white skin, and a wide grin appeared on the page. Listed beside the photo were a list of charges, sentences, and modust operardi (methods of choice for committing a crime.) Kennedy's eyes narrowed when he noticed one item listed under the Joker's MO. Gas bombs that released Joker gas. At least he knew what had happened to the guards. He started to read the various trials when one of his fellow cops shouted at him from the door. Something about a domestic violence call. Part of him wanted to remain at his desk and learn what he could about his current case, the rest knew he couldn't. Grabbing his gun from his desk drawer, Kennedy slipped on his coat and rushed for the door.
In another part of Gotham, another person was reading a similar report. However, this one had key differences. Instead of having the heading "Gotham City Police Department", it was blank. The date, nature of incident, and responding officers' information were also missing. However, the information regarding the events of the incident was there as well as a few extras. Extras that were only known to the suspect and the man who had battled with him. Sitting in his chair, covered in shadows was the man who had fought. He was dressed completely in black. A scowl was fixed on his face as he looked at the information on his screen. Above him bats went about their daily lives only shrieking when the elevator behind the man dinged open to reveal a butler in a black tuxedo with a pencil mustache carrying a dinner tray. The butler placed the tray on the desk before looking at the scene.
"Working on some paperwork are we, Master Bruce?" he asked with a smile.
Leaning back in the chair, light ran over the person's face revealing a man only thirty years old with black hair and blue eyes. On his chest was the image of a bat. A small smile had replaced the frown but it did not last long as the man's mouth became a determined line. Turning back to his computer, Bruce added another line of print to his screen.
"In one of her books," Bruce explained, "Agatha Christie's character Hercule Poirot said that everything must be in its place and that often he had used his friend's written accounts to be sure he knew the facts."
"The recent Umbrella Corporation Robbery is proving to be perplexing?"
Bruce nodded as he added another note to the report he had created. "The Joker rarely works for hire, and if he is, he makes sure to be as chaotic and loud as possible." Bruce frowned as he studied the information before him. "But this time he was stealthy and the Joker gas he used was non-lethal. It doesn't make sense, Alfred."
The butler frowned. "Well perhaps our friend the Joker has turned over a new leaf. In any case, it is time Batman returned to the shadows of night while Mr. Bruce Wayne readied for the start of the new day."
Bruce did not reply as he stared at the information he had compiled. What was he missing?
Disclaimer: I am not in any way connected to DC or Capcom.
A/N: Thank you for reading.
-D101