H.o.T. Comics Presents
BATMAN
By: Daniel Medrano
'Gotham has always been my home. I have traveled the world; been to countless countries and lands that few would honestly believe, but no matter what I never leave Gotham. I am needed here and I need to be here.'
Rain fell on the grim city of Gotham. Even the rain could not clean this city however. Years have passed and the evil of Gotham still ran rampant. Though with that there is one constant to combat it; and high above the city of Gotham looking over stood that constant. A figure stood on the ledge of the Gotham clock tower. Cloaked in a black cape his head the only thing exposed showing a scowling face covered in a black cowl with ears that pointed upward. This was Gotham's one constant, this was Gotham's justice. This was Batman.
The rain hit Batman with light taps as his eyes scanned over the city. The changes in the city had been so numerous; the criminals have never changed however. The splitting screams of the sirens from the Gotham City Police department driving ferociously through the city gave proof to that. "Available units please respond, available units please respond. Code: G1-8-4-2, repeat: G1-8-4-2." Batman listened intently to the words spoke by the female dispatcher and opened the cape draped over him revealing his bat-suit and his trademark Bat-symbol. Taking a step forward his entire body fell from the building the air had whipped his cape into the air. With him falling through the air at a quick pace he moved his hands calmly to his utility belt and pressed a button on it causing a visible light to race through his seat up to his cape. The light caused the cape to become rigid and spread out opening to show the complete bat motif. He spread his arms to the side grabbing the top of his now rigid cape and began to soar through the sky following the sound of the blaring sirens.
Bristol Township, Gotham City
11:45 PM
Several GCPD cars had parked in front of one of the few high scale houses in Gotham. Crime techs were moving around the house. Police men had cordoned off the area keeping the people back. A grey Gran Torino drove up to the line and stopped with a middle-aged man with a bald head wearing a grey t-shirt under a green-blue jacket and blue jeans smoking a cigarette. This man was Detective Joseph Bennett.
'Detective Bennett; one of the primary detectives for the newly created Major Crimes division in the Gotham Police department, transferred from Metropolis PD's now defunct Meta-human Crime Unit. Several accommodations and more than twenty-five years on the force. He's Clean.'
Detective Bennett walked up to the door of the house where he was stopped by another officer. "You kiddin' me?" Detective Bennett asked reaching into his Jacket pocket and pulling out his badge and looking at the officer until he is moved on through. "Yeah, thanks." Bennett said with a thick layer of sarcasm as he walked past the officer to the foyer of the house where two people were being spoken to, by some uniformed officers. Walking up to the officers he tapped one on the shoulder. "I'll take it from here guys." Bennett said motioning for the officers to move off.
Detective Bennett stood in front of the two people. One, a man with peppered grey hair and a similarly colored beard. The man was thin and dressed in a formal suit wearing gold rimmed glasses. Next to him was a woman with dirty blonde hair, maybe more than ten years younger than him sat next to him; dressed in a deep red dress with a slit up to the side of her shin, spaghetti straps loosely hanging on to her shoulders and her cleavage prominently shown. Her eyes were red from tears and make up smeared. "Mr. Focks" Detective Bennett said pulling out his badge again, "I am Detective Joseph Bennett with the Gotham Major Crimes division." He added putting his badge back into his pocket and looked at both of the people.
"I am Gerald Focks, and thank you for coming. " The older man said standing up and trying to be courteous but in his eyes it was evident he didn't have that much in him for it.
"It is nothing sir." Detective Bennett replied, "Now I was told that your daughter was abducted. Am I correct?" Bennett asked, Mr. Focks nodded, anger showing clearly. "Your daughter is seventeen correct?" Another nod, "Sir did she-."
"I see where you're going detective." Mr. Focks said interrupting the detective. "She did not have a boyfriend and we did not have any problems aside from the typical teenaged rebellion, even after her mother passed." Detective Bennett nodded but then looked confused then looked to the woman.
"So this isn't your wife?" He asked,
"This is Marion, she's my fiancé." Mr. Focks said.
"I see."
"You will find Katie won't you?" Marion asked with worry. Detective Bennett looked at the woman with a soft reassuring smile.
"We'll try our best ma'am." He said turning his head to a pair of officers waiting on the side and motioning for them to come over to him. "Your daughter's room is upstairs correct?" He asked to Mr. Focks turning his head to him.
"Second door on the left." Mr. Focks said bluntly.
Detective Bennett turned to the officers that had just came over to take the statements of Mr. Focks and Marion while he went to go check the daughter's room. He walked upstairs and saw several techs searching around the room to find some sort of evidence. "How's it looking Mendoza?" Detective Bennet asked one of the tech. A young Latin woman with black hair with blue highlights in her hair and a pair of wire rimmed glasses.
"Nothing out of the ordinary sir…of course that's beside the fact that the room is completely trashed. Most likely from the struggle of the kidnapping; also a few picture frames." Mendoza said said pointing to a few that were on the ground. One was of a younger girl with an older woman. "What was the name of this girl again Detective?"
"Katie Focks." Detective Bennett replied looking at the picture of young Katie with the other woman,
"Why was she taken, you think?" Mendoza asked,
"Her father's a DA, you think someone would have a job like that and not have any enemies?" He asked. "Guy's tried quite a few cases and a 90% conviction rate."
"Impressive." Mendoza said,
"Especially when you pad your case files."
"What?"
"There were rumors, nothing confirmed…yet." Bennett said turning his gaze to look around the room again and stopped looking out the window, which was opened. "Was that open earlier?"
"Hmm?"
"Everyone out."
"Sir?"
"OUT." Bennett said forcefully startling the other CSI techs. But no one wanted him to get louder so each followed the order. After a few seconds each left the room and he closed the door behind them. He then walked to the middle of the room. "You can come out now, no one's here."
A few seconds passed and out of the girls closet was Batman his cape cloaking over his body once again. "Okay, even for someone dressed like you that's odd."
"Detective Bennett." Batman said in the same voice that sounded like sandpaper scratching stone that Batman has been known to have for years,
"Not one for back and forth eh? I like that." Bennett said looking the Cowled man up and down. "You know when I transferred here people told me to be careful of "The Batman." Bennett added chuckling lightly. "But the way I see it, you can't be all bad….crazy, but not bad."
"The case Detective?" Batman said looking around the room.
"Katie Focks, seventeen, abducted while her father and his fiancé while the two were out to some function for the DA's office. No Ransom has been made yet."
"Suspects?"
"You heard the guys stats, might as well have the whole d-block at Blackgate interrogated." Bennett said,
"I know, he's being investigated now for falsified evidence. I've looked into it myself." Batman said looking at the broken photos and saw the frame with the older woman and the younger Katie. "The woman with her father. Do you know her name?"
"All I got was Marion." He said,
"Marion Sindale, at one time otherwise known as Mary Sin, a former adult star who left the business three years ago when he got a call to act on one of Gotham's stage show of Batman the Musical, and then went by the name Marion Connelly."
"How do you know all that?" Bennett asked, Batman just continued to look at the picture.
"When someone's under investigation I prefer to be thorough detective." Batman replied standing up. "Who was the first officer-!" Batman's eyes darted quickly to the window and looked outside. Bennett pulled out his gun quickly.
"What's the matter?" Bennett. Batman shook his head,
"Nothing. Do you know who the first officer to respond was?" Bennett put his gun back and stared at Batman confused for a second,
"Uhh…I think it was someone named Murray."
"Officer Murray, he's been on the force for three years." Batman said, "No known connection to the victims correct?" Bennett shook his head,
"If you're asking me, what makes you think I know?" Bennett asked pulling out a cig and lighting it. "You know…" Bennett looked up and saw Batman gone as if he wasn't there. "So that's what that's like." Bennett said with a smirk before taking a drag off the cigarette.
Crime Alley
11:59 PM
Crime Alley, everyone knows about crime alley; from its beginnings as an upscale neighborhood, to its fall into darkness and crime, to a select few however it's the birthplace to something that is the only light this city will ever have. But as the years have passed changes have been made. The crime has gone underground; looking at the east quarter it looked like just another neighborhood in a city. Batman watched over the rooftops looking for someone in particular.
'This is his block, he usually shows up….There we go.'
Batman stood up and made his way across the street. Below hiding in an alley was a young Asian teen in a red and yellow jacket with another, a man who looked in his late thirties in tattered clothes; rubbing his hands repeatedly, the man was obviously an addict. "See what I got here m'man," The young boy said, "this stuff right here will get you so messed up that you won't believe how you ever got yourself set without it." He produced a bag with a white substance.
"H-h-how much?" The man asked staring at the bag intently.
"Well this stuff right here, this stuff is good stuff." The teen said with a smirk, "But since you look like a good customer I'd say….sevenTAAAAAYYYY!" The young Asian was pulled up into the air yelling at the top of his lungs until he was hanging upside down face to face with Batman. "Oh, Hell no!" He yelled looking at Batman with fear and anger in his eyes.
"We need to talk Kim." Batman said.
"You're payin' me for that bag that junkie just ran off with." The young boy "Kim" said swaying in the air.
"I'll pay you by not letting that narcotics officer you gave your best stuff to get to you for the next half hour." Batman growled.
"Man was a narc? DAMNIT!" The young boy yelled,
"Focus Kim, I want you to listen."
"Look, I can focus a lot more on the ground." Batman said nothing but the line holding Kim loosened and he fell fast to the ground screaming, stopping before his head hit the ground. "WHAT THE HELL MAN!"
"You wanted to be on the ground." Batman said bluntly pulling out a batarang and using it to slice through his line forcing Kim to fall to the ground with a thud. "Focused now?"
"Sonuva-."
"On your feet Kim, there's been a kidnapping and want to know who's been running their mouths about it."
"Kidnapping?" Kim asked, "Naw man I don't deal with those people."
"Kim…"
"Listen man I hadn't heard anything I swear, no kidnapper would run their mouth unless they were stupid or they weren't planning on getting money." Batman let out a low growl but could see that Kim was telling the truth.
"Mary Sin."
"The Queen of sin?" Kim got excited quickly, "Hadn't heard about her since she left the scene and went legit after her brother got sent up the river."
"Brother?"
"Yeah, she had a brother who got pinched a few years back over some product he was running."
"I see…." Batman said looking at Kim, "That all?"
"Yeah man that's it Damn. Can you go now I've got a business to run."
"Twenty minutes Kim." Batman said turning away and firing a hook up to one of the roofs and soaring up to them to run. Kim dusted himself off and began walking before a shadow covered him and steps were heard,
"Who's there?" Kim asked turning around quickly and saw another person, "T'hell you want?" Kim asked putting his hands in his pockets.
"Why was he talking to you?" A voice asked coming from the silhouetted figure,
"What's it to you?" Kim asked,
"Why, was he talking to you?" The voice repeated.
"Hey man, I asked you what's it to you and you've….What the hell is that for? Hey, put that thing down man, you don't have- I'll talk man! I'LL TALK!" Silence then filled the alley as Kim's voice disappeared and nothing else filled the noiseless void.
'Kim was telling the truth, been getting info from him for a long time and he's never lied to me. I never gave him the chance.'
The East End (Gotham's Red Light district)
2:16 AM
Batman ran across the roofs of the East End Like the rest of Gotham, seedy, vile and filled with degradation. What made the East End so much different at one end the dealers worked and the other the girls worked, it sickened him but Batman could not do anything about it…yet.
'Murray's working the East End beat, with the way the GCPD has been going they gave him a single man unit to drive.' Batman thought as he ran across the roofs, 'His unit shouldn't be too hard to-!'
Batman's thoughts were cut short when a scream pierced through them and caught his attention. Batman knew he had a job to do, but he was never one to ignore a scream, even in the East End. Changing his direction he followed the screams to an alley where surprisingly enough a cop car was there.
'Gotham's finest at their best.'
Batman jumped from the roof and soared to the ground landing on the cop car and on the side on the ground a cop on top of a hooker struggling as if she was fighting for her life, and in Gotham, that was more than likely. In her struggles the woman saw Batman and in her eyes fear took hold, but a slight sliver of hope was seen by Batman. "That's better baby." The cop on top of the woman said with a sick tone of joy.
Batman dropped silently from the car and grabbed the back of the officer's collar and lifted him from the ground and into the air. "What the FFFFF-!" The cop's word wasn't finished, or it was but the sound of him hitting a bunch of trashcans that drowned it out. Batman turned his gaze to the woman and saw she was fairly young; she was in her twenties, and Batman let out a low growl,
"Get out of here." The girl didn't need any convincing as she jumped up and took off down the alley. Batman then turned his gaze to the officer, who had gotten up quickly with his gun drawn,
"My god…" The officer said, his hesitation was enough for batman to take him in.
'Right handed, dark short hair; too short to grab, 195 lbs., 5'11, standard issue GCPD pacification pistol. Eight rounds, Murray…Murray?" Batman's eyes narrowed as he looked at the officer. What to Batman was long enough to have already disabled the officer and extract the info from him was only a few seconds too long for the officer.
BANG! The first shot fired which Batman dodged with ease.
BANG! The second shot fired which was dodged again moving closer to the officer.
BANG! The third shot was fired but it went into the air after batman forced his gun into the air and disarmed the officer. "You sonuvabitch! He yelled. Batman then struck him with a hook to the face and swung his arm back striking Officer Murray with an elbow; the force knocking him into the wall. Bat was on top of the policeman grabbing him by his neck and holding him against the wall with one hand and pulling out a batarang with the other holding it at his face.
"All this over a little fun on the side?" Murray wheezed out through Batman's grip.
"I hardly think she thought that what you were doing was "Fun" Murray." Batman growled tightening his grip on the man's throat.
"Wh-wha-what do you want?" Murray wheezed out,
"I was going to ask for info about you being the first on the scene for the kidnapping of the Focks girl, but you just piqued my curiosity detective," Batman said with a smirk, "We're going to have a little talk."
Gotham Warehouse District, Warehouse 4
3:27 AM
Warehouse four sat near the empty Gotham docks, all appearances would have you believe these buildings were deserted; the warehouses haven't been used for years, but in warehouse four, something was going on. Sobs were heard inside. "SHUT THE HELL UP!" A gruff voice yelled at the sobs. A man with a beard and a shaved head walked over to a young girl who sat chained to the ground with tape over her mouth. "If you don't shut up I'll give you something to cry about little girl." He said brandishing a hunting knife at the girl, eyes red, fearful and the tears stained her cheeks. The young girl was Katie Focks.
"You touch the girl and I promise you," A voice said, "You will never see the outside of a cell for as long as you live. I hear Bubba is lonely." The man turned to the voice but the person speaking was in the shadows.
"Why the hell do I have to take this crap from-!" The man's complaint was cut short as the warehouse doors burst open and through the air came Officer Murray tied in wire and on the front a batarang. "The hell?" Footsteps were quickly heard and the man turned to see only a door close. "What got h-." The man didn't get to finish his thought as he was struck with a punch to the face and flew to the ground.
The bearded man looked up and only saw a silhouette of a man with ears pointing upward. "Oh, hell no!" The man said grabbing a 9mm gun and turning his head, "GUYS! HE'S HERE! THE BAT-UGHHH!" The man didn't get to finish his call to his partners as Batman struck him with a flying sidekick to the man's chest, knocking him to the ground, and then kicked him in his face; knocking him out.
Batman made sure that the man was subdued but was cut short by the sound of footsteps running towards him. Disappearing into the shadows, five men showed up running to the downed bodies of Murray and the bearded man. "Oh my god man, you have got to be kiddin' me." One man with one piercing too many said with fear causing his voice to shake.
"Shut up you moron!" One said slapping the pierced one on the back of his head, holding an uzi. "There's no way he's here it hasn't been long enough!" He exclaimed. "It has to be some kind of JOOOOOKE!" A rope wrapped itself around the waist of the man with the uzi and yanking him into the darkness where several grunts were heard and thuds of flesh being struck.
"What the hell's going on!" Another one yelled; Small and mousy looking holding a berretta looking around feverishly, obviously scared.
"Shut up!" One yelled wearing a beanie and a sleeveless hoodie showing both arms full of tattoos. "Just stay in the light you idiots, he won't get us if we stay-."
CRACK!
KLACK!
CRASH!
Several other noises similar to that were heard where glass was breaking around the warehouse and lights were going out leaving the one the thugs were standing under and the one over the young kidnapped girl. "Crap man, crap, we're in trouble man. We're in his city and we're pulling this?"
"The hell you talkin' about Kenny?" The one with piercings asked shaking.
"Shut up!" The taller one told them.
"This ain't right man this ain't RIIIIIGGGHHHHT!" The one the taller one admonished was yanked back as well. The men fired their guns but the one with piercings ran to Katie while the other two continued to fire.
The one that ran watched and stood stupefied as he saw the light over the other two and yells and groans of pain were heard by the men. "What the hell man…" He said shaking uncontrollably. The last kidnapper moved frantically under the light, scared to even step out of the light; eyes crazed and breathing as if each breath would be his last.
"Why are you doing this?" "What did we do to you?" He yelled firing several shots. "WHO ARE YOU?" He yelled after the shots flew through the air.
Behind him a low whisper came into his ear. "I'm Batman." A scream filled the dark night of Gotham followed by the coming sirens.
An hour passed and the police had rounded up all the people involved and Detective Bennett stood with the now reunited father and daughter. The two held each other tight as if they hadn't seen each other in years. Detective Bennett stood near the two smoking one of his cigarettes and smiling at the scene of the two. Detective Bennett smirked and walked off as he did he saw one of the officers forcing Marion into the back of the patty wagon with the others that were working with her. Bennett walked back into the warehouse after everyone had cleared up the scene and he stood with a smirk. "You certainly live up to your reputation you know that?" Bennett said and from the shadows stepped out Batman once again.
"Detective." Batman said,
"Call me Joe, or at least Bennett." He said with a smirk letting out a bit of smoke once again.
"I'd rather stay with calling you detective." Batman said looking around.
"To each is own I guess." Bennett said, "Tell me Batsy, how'd you figure out it was the fiancé?"
"Marion Sindale had a brother named Tyler Sindale, he was a delivery boy for one of the families and was used as a scapegoat and Focks was the prosecutor for the case." Batman explained turning to the detective.
"The sister got engaged to the man who put her brother in jail?"
"She didn't get engaged for love." Batman said, "She got engaged to find leverage over him to admit he falsified evidence against her brother. Focks was smarter than that however so decided to go after the daughter."
"Wow, she seemed really upset over the kid getting taken."
"You ever seen that Batman Musical she was in? She earned her spot in that." Batman said,
"You joke?" Batman just scowled, "Fine, fine. So what was the plan, get the brother out of jail then take out the girl?"
"No," Batman replied, "She was going to return the kid; unfortunately she would have to deal with her own father being imprisoned so he would know what she went through." Batman said.
"How d'you know this?" Bennett asked flicking his cigarette to the side.
"Officer Murray admitted to having an affair with Sindale and helped set it up. A few of the men that she was arrested with were men she knew from back in her days as Mary Sin. The others were from out of town."
"And you took them all down without any support or guns of your own."
"I was taught not to use them."
"Who could teach you to do something like that?"
"The best." Bennett looked at Batman only to see him gone.
"That's gonna take some more getting used to."
Wayne Family Graveyard
Batman stood in front of a grave looking down at two head stones. "I made a promise to you two…I intend to keep it." He said gazing at the headstones. "I will do what needs to be done and I will make you proud Mother….Father…." Batman said removing his cowl and revealing a young man with light brown hair and green eyes. Turning from the stones he left the graves to his home.
The man left the graves but someone was still there. Standing behind the graves the person chuckled. "Heh, Have a nice night Thomas Wayne. Nice night."