Gotham Knights
Gregorian
"Can you not hear the sleigh bells ringing my dear? Can you not smell the cold white snow descending already?"
Staring at the overweight man pinning down the young prostitute, the cloaked figure leapt from the roof of a nearby bank. It was nearly six in the morning, the sun had risen over a Christmas Eve Gotham.
"Listen to me girl..." the overweight man continued, "I will give you a gift...the gift of knowing you died on Christmas Eve, on the 24th of December of this year."
The man laughed a soft and slightly effeminate laugh, as if he was surprised by what he was doing. On top of the young woman, he quietly wrapped his right hand around her throat whilst covering her mouth with his left. Her muffled screams and choking could not have been heard by anybody but Julian Day, the Calendar Man.
"Shh...shh my dear. It will all be over soon..." his voice trailed off and became mist in the winter air. He could feel the adrenaline pumping in his veins, his meticulously kept hands still choking and gagging the woman.
"What's the date today?" A voice behind him asked, as Julian Day turned and began to reply, a swift thump to his jaw knocked him off of the young woman and further into the alley he had taken her down. Julian landed face down in the snow, secretly drawing a small knife emblazoned with the image of a reindeer from his breast pocket. He feigned his injuries for a few seconds longer before turning to swipe at his aggressor. His attacker dodged, expecting it, predicting the blades movement. That was when Julian realised who punched him, it was Robin.
Disarming Calendar Man, Robin threw the knife down the snow covered alley out of Julian's reach. It didn't stop him, sluggish punches were thrown at the Boy Wonder, easily evaded. Taking his arm behind him, Robin pulled his baton from under his cape, the satisfying click of it extending into a stick gave Robin his own rush.
Julian was furious yet his expression was of frustration. He hated what Robin had just done, he had taken his moment away, his Christmas Eve kill. Punching with more force, Calendar Man aimed for Robin's kidneys and stomach hoping to debilitate him and make this day particularly special.
Seizing his chance, Robin performed the splits, shoving the end of the baton into the Calendar Man's groin, the wincing sound coming from the overweight man was painful as he held on to his testicles to console himself.
Standing, Robin span around and smashed the stick behind Julian Day's head, knocking him to the filth laden ground. Brushing himself off, Robin turned to the young woman, helping her up, only to have her run at the Calendar Man and boot him in his body and face.
"You bastard, you heartless bastard!" She yelled at Julian, Robin ran to her and dragged her from him, despite what the Batman may have taught him, Robin was only a few seconds from seeing this woman die. He had to be faster.
Calling for a police escort, he told the prostitute to sit on a nearby bench in the street, the Calendar Man was watched by Robin. As the sirens were heard, Robin got out of sight, an ambulance arrived and treated the young woman whilst two police men handcuffed the eccentric villain and placed him into their car.
9.00 am
Arriving at Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne stepped into his office and sat in his leather chair, awaiting Lucius Fox. He tapped on his desk, his bruises from Arkham Asylum a few nights prior prominent on his brow. Watching the door, Lucius stepped through, not uttering a word and motioning his finger towards his own office. Bruce stood up and followed.
"Mr Wayne, your suit is fixed and I have added a few extras." Fox said.
"Like?" Wayne asked.
"I have altered your 'Detective Vision' if you will, enhancing the range and accuracy along with adding a more streamlined connection to the bat-computer."
"Anything more?"
Pacing, Fox continued, "Your cape was badly damaged, I have made the material more durable along with it being able to stay gliding in the air an extra second."
"But doesn't that depend on the distance and speed I'm gliding from?"
"Not as much as you'd think, if you jump off the same building with both capes, you'll find that your old cape will not catch as much air and you will land faster."
Bruce put his hand to his mouth, covering it in intrigue, "I'll try it out tonight."
Wayne Manor: 6:00 pm
Tim Drake sat in the lounge, the roaring fire warming his goose-bumped skin. Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's loyal butler stepped through with a pot of tea, offering it to Drake.
"I'd rather not Alfred."
Alfred arched an eyebrow, "Have you not had a productive day Master Timothy?"
Tim sighed, "I have, it's just...exhausting, on my own I mean."
"Master Bruce will be back soon, he will be resuming his regular duties soon." Alfred poured the tea regardless.
"I can't rely on him for everything though...he is beginning to get old and he won't be able to jump from building to building."
"Ahem. He may be nearing middle age but you forget that he is in peak physical condition and apparently in peak mental condition, despite what people believe."
"What happened to the other Robin's though? I mean, when they wanted to give Bruce some more independence."
Alfred sat down himself, "Well, you have Nightwing, whom I am not really supposed to speak of. Obviously you know about the second Robin. He didn't get the chance I'm afraid."
"I know, I know. But why can't we talk about him?"
Alfred furrowed his brow, "He didn't leave on the best of terms. That is all you need to know."
Bruce Wayne stepped into the lounge, startling the two. He sat on the priceless sofa, opposite Tim's seat, gazing into the fire.
Sitting up straight, he asked, "Did you capture any criminals?"
Tim replied, "Calendar Man was about to kill a hooker. I stopped him."
"Where are they taking the criminals now? Did the police tell you?"
"No, I didn't stick around long after."
Bruce quickly became annoyed, "You should have investigated. I haven't been able to do it."
"Sorry...I was exhausted."
"Hmm. Alfred, has Barbara located any other escapees?"
Alfred shook his head, "No sir. It seems Arkham became much more dangerous after you stopped the Joker, ironically. It has been demolished now. Calendar Man is the only notable criminal stopped from the facility so far."
Bruce stood up, "I'll make sure to get the rest. They'll rebuild Arkham and then we can rest a little easier."
Gotham Precinct: 9:00 pm
"He's in here Mr Strange."
The bearded man waited for the police officer to open the interrogation room, "It's Doctor Strange actually."
The officer felt condescended but let the psychiatrist through silently.
Strange sat on the metal chair, adjusting his round, silver rimmed, bottle lensed glasses and quietly studying the man sat across from him. Strange set the recorder down on the table and switched it on.
"I am Doctor Stranger and I would like to ask you a few questions. First of all, what is your name?"
The man across from him looked up with innocent black eyes, "I am the Calendar Man."
"Your real name please, we haven't got all night." Strange's deep, booming voice shocked Calendar Man at first but he replied.
"Julian Gregory Day, born on the 29th February, forty one years prior to today. Not exactly of course, but I will keep the dates simple for you."
"Tell me, Julian, is your supposed real name an alias also?"
"I changed my name on April 1st, eighteen years ago. Only my first name, mind."
Strange leaned in, "Can you tell me your birth name?"
"I don't remember."
Strange wrote in a notepad and moved on, "Why are the dates so important to you Julian?"
"They are special."
"How are they special?"
"The dates break free."
Strange listened.
"Christmas Eve, today of all days, it is a time of nervousness and excitement and that gets me joyful."
"Why do these dates break free?"
Calendar Man started to fidget, "They break free of societal 'norms' of course."
"...and that allows you to...?"
"Do what I like. Take today, I would happily reach across that table and do terrible things to you on this day."
"Why?"
"Because then you would know the joy of Christmas Eve, how special would you feel knowing in your dying thoughts that you died on such a unique day in our calendar?"
Strange noticed how Day's voice was cracking with each sentence.
Strange lowered his glasses, "What do you do once you each of these unique days closes? Do you re-evaluate? Do you relive it?"
"As the day closes, I do something private..."
"Private?"
Beads of sweat dripped from Julian's bulbous head, "Yes."
"I assure you, nobody can hear you barring myself and this confidential patient tape." The doctor smiled.
"Are you sure?"
"One hundred percent."
"If I had successfully strangled that young lady, I would have taken her back to my apartment, dressed her in tinsel and decorations and made her watch me..."
Strange knew how Julian changed on holidays, from mild mannered and polite, to psychotic and polite.
"What would you have made her corpse watch Julian?"
Julian's head moved from side to side, in an attempt to dismay any imaginary watching eyes.
"I would make her watch me climax on the last minute of the day."
Doctor Strange stood up and Julian recoiled.
"No need to worry Mr Day, I have all I need. Thank you for your co-operation."
Strange left the room and the young officer that let him through locked the door. Strange exited the station without a word and was given a car ride to the Gotham Rehabilitation Centre. Inside, the soon to be elected Mayor, Quincy Sharp, waited for the doctor to speak with him.
"Hugo, er, did you talk to him?"
"I did indeed Quincy."
The Arkham head looked nervous, "...and?"
"He is quite the deranged murderer, a sociopath that strikes exclusively on important dates. Obviously his case file from the Asylum has all of this information. This is exactly the type of criminal the Batman would seek to eliminate."