Chapter 2
(Author's note: Lines in italics during flashback scenes signify Jason Todd narrating.)
The Gotham District Attorney's Office. Today.
The Gotham District Attorney peered at the man across his desk. Jason Todd was a pitiful little man in his 30's. His left arm sported a plastic prosthetic hand and his left leg was twisted and turned inward. He had explained that the damage to his leg and the absence of his left hand were the result of a motorcycle accident several years ago. He absent-mindedly ran his good hand through his dark hair as he gathered his thoughts. The attorney had been informed this guy had a record, but today he was a witness so he couldn't get him on anything.
"Go ahead." The DA said, resting his arms on his desk.
"It all started about six weeks ago." Todd said. "A truck load of stripped gun parts got jacked outside of town. The driver said the hijacker was wearing some kind of costume, so he couldn't tell what he looked like. But the guy screwed up royally, the driver heard his voice. Sometimes, that's all you need to nail a guy."
Gotham City. 6 Weeks Ago
"Freeze!" A cop shouted as the team burst into the apartment of Edward Nygma. They surrounded Nygma, who was lying on the couch doing the crossword.
"Don't you ever knock?" He said, looking up from his puzzle.
"Edward Nygma. We have a warrant for your arrest." One of the officers said.
"Later. Right now, do any of you know a five letter word for a physics term that starts with 'Q'?" Nygma asked. He was answered by the cops pulling him to his feet and dragging him out of the apartment.
In his lab, Dr. Jonathan Crane was looking over videos of his experiments on agoraphobia. Suddenly, the doors burst open and policemen filed in.
"Dr. Crane, we have a warrant for your arrest." The lead cop said. Crane reached over the desk for something, which prompted the cops to aim their guns at the former psychologist. He only produced his glasses and put them on calmly.
"You were saying I was under arrest?" Crane asked.
A pudgy man in a suit, walked down the street swinging an umbrella. His long nose in the air purveyed a snobbish expression of superiority. Oswald "The Penguin" Cobblepot was striding towards his lunch at the Silver Spoon restaurant. Suddenly two policemen came around the corner and made a beeline for him. The man nonchalantly turned to walk the other way, only to find two more policemen standing behind him.
"Is there a problem, officers?" The Penguin asked, his voice filled with arrogant and condescending.
In The Gilded Truffle restaurant, a man and his fiancée walked into the restaurant arm in arm. They earned a few stares, but they were used to it. Though it wasn't the scarring on the man's face that bothered them, it was his past. Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes sat down at their table, both ready for a nice quiet dinner.
"So, Harvey, how's the campaign?" Rachel asked, hoping it was going well.
"Oh what's to tell? Most people say politicians are crooks; with me at least they know for certain." Harvey asked, chuckling. He stopped when he saw Rachel wasn't laughing. "Ah, come on, babe. You know that's all behind me."
"I know." Rachel said, taking Harvey's hand. "I just wish everyone else would put it behind them and see what a decent human being you are."
They smiled at each other until a man walked up to the table. Without looking up, Harvey assumed it was the waiter and ordered. "We'd like a bottle of champagne please."
"Sorry, no alcohol tonight, Dent." The man replied curtly. Harvey rolled his eyes when he heard the familiar voice. He looked up and saw the face of his old friend, Lt. James Gordon accompanied by two other officers.
"Hi, Jim." Harvey said sardonically.
"Don't call me Jim." Gordon said sternly. "You lost the right to call me that a long time ago."
"Officer, what's going on?" Rachel asked, getting a little upset.
"I'm sorry, Miss Dawes, but we have a warrant for Mr. Dent's arrest." Gordon said apologetically. "We have reason to believe he was involved in a hijacking."
"That's ridiculous!" Rachel said heatedly.
"It's OK, Rache, they got nothing on me. I'll meet up with you later at home." Harvey said calmly. The police escorted Dent out of the restaurant much to his and Rachel's humiliation.
At the station, five suspects shuffled down a hallway to the line up room. At the front was Jason Todd, hobbling along on his crooked leg. Behind him was Harvey Dent, who had taken his jacket off and carried it in his arms. Next was Oswald Cobblepot, with his umbrella slung over his shoulder. Then Edward Nygma and finally Dr. Crane.
It made no sense that I was there. I mean, these other guys were hardcore crooks and I was a smalltime con man, I don't know how they thought I could have something to do with it. But there I was. At that point I wasn't worried, I knew I hadn't done anything they could put me away for. Besides, it was fun being there with the big league guys. I felt all infamous.
The five men filed into the room and stood up against the line up wall. They were blinded for a second as the bright light came on.
"Christ, you think they're giving us a tan before they book us?" Dent asked, getting a chuckle from the other men.
"Shut up!" came a voice from the other side o the glass. "All right, you all know the drill. When your number's called, step forward and repeat the phrase given to you. Number one, step forward."
Dr. Crane took a step forward and looked at the card the officer gave him. He sighed and said in an indifferent voice, "Hand me the keys or you're fucking dead."
"Number two, step forward."
Edward Nygma took the card from Crane and stepped forward. Edward Nygma stepped up and screamed, "GIMME THE FUCKING KEYS OR YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD YOU ASSHOLE RAT BASTARD BLAAAAAAAAAHH!"
The others couldn't help but laugh at the over the top antics, which prompted the inspector to order "Knock it off! Step back! Number three step forward."
Oswald Cobblepot stepped forward and looked down his nose at the card. "I won't."
"Say again?" The officer asked.
"I won't demean myself by uttering this vulgarity for your amusement!" Oswald said defiantly.
"Do it or you'll be up for obstruction!"
"Oh for heaven's sake!" Oswald said defeated. "Hand me the keys or you're fucking dead. Happy?"
"Yes. Number four, step forward."
Harvey Dent took the card and read it quickly. "Hand me the keys or you're fucking dead."
"Number five, step forward."
Jason Todd lumbered forward with the card in his one hand. "Hand me the keys or you're fucking dead."
They took us one by one into the interrogation rooms and drilled us all night. Somebody was mad as hell about that truck getting jacked and the cops had nothing. They were grasping at straws with the five of us, hoping somebody would slip up and give them a lead. They knew we wouldn't fight it cause they knew how to lean on us. Our rights went straight in the crapper, it was disgraceful. They started with Edward Nygma, known to most of Gotham as the Riddler. He used puzzles and brainteasers to keep the cops off his back while he committed his crimes. Nice guy, smart but crazy.
"So, where did you dump the truck?" Lt. Flass demanded.
"What truck?" Edward Nygma inquired.
"You know damn well what truck, Question Boy!" Flass said dangerously.
"'Question Boy?' Oh gentlemen, can't you do any better than that?" The Riddler asked.
"Hey, we're the ones asking the questions today, pal!" Lt. Eckhardt barked.
"Sorry, it's just my nature." The Riddler shrugged. "You know, you really have an interesting job, always asking questions. I think I might have enjoyed being a cop."
"Shut up!" Flass said, smacking the back of Riddler's head.
"I thought you wanted me to talk, now you're telling me to shut up. You guys should make up your minds." Riddler said acerbically.
Oswald Cobblepot, or as you probably know him, the Penguin. He worked with the Riddler occasionally. He was kinda hoity-toity, but when it came to the job, he was a total professional.
Oswald's turn came and he was no better off. "Who?"
"The Riddler, your pal with a mania for puzzles, he told us a totally different story." Flass said.
"Oh, was it the one about the time we robbed that country club?" The little snob asked.
"Listen pal, you're sweating bullets like you're guilty as hell, so why don't you save us some time and tell us where the truck is?" Eckhardt snarled.
"I am sweating because arctic birds don't do well in this kind of heat!" The Penguin snarled back. "I hope you can hear me in the back, I'm being harassed."
"Yeah, cry me a river." Eckhardt snorted. "Now you're going to tell us what we want to know!"
"Please, a fellow of my breeding would never show such weakness in front of the likes of you." Penguin said haughtily. "I'm a penguin, not a pigeon."
Dr. Jonathan Crane a.k.a. the Scarecrow, former psychologist in Arkham Asylum and specialist in fear inducing drugs. He was as ruthless as they come. He didn't give a damn about anything besides scaring people.
"I want my lawyer." Dr. Crane said calmly when he was taken into the interrogation room. "I'm going to have your badge for this."
"Yeah right!" Eckhardt said fiercely, slamming his big meaty hand on the table.
"That rattled you, didn't it?" Scarecrow asked, smirking. "Your whole life is being a cop, and it scares you stop being one, doesn't it?"
"We can put you in the outskirts of the city on the day of the hijacking." Eckhardt threatened.
"Really?" Scarecrow asked sarcastically. "I live on the outskirts of the city. Fine detective work there, boys. Do you bounce ideas off of the police dogs?"
"You know what happens if you do another term in the joint?" Flass asked.
"Yes, I get to try out for the prison production of The Producers." The Scarecrow answered snidely. "What about you, Flass? You strike me as a claustrophobic person. Afraid of getting stuck in small places? You know, this room isn't really that large, are you sure you can handle it?"
"Save your mind games for the lab rats." Eckhardt said, interrupting the Scarecrow's monologue.
But Harvey Dent, or Two Face as you guys are so fond of calling him, he was the real prize for them, for obvious reasons.
"I'm charging you." Flass said to Harvey Dent as his turn came.
"With what?" Dent asked exasperated.
"You know damn well, Two Face." Eckhardt said angrily.
"Hey, it was your mistake, not mine." Two Face said, leaning back in his chair. "Why didn't you ever just ask me? I've been walking around the same name, same face…"
"Faces." The two cops said mockingly.
"I'm not in that business anymore." Two Face said angrily. "I've got a new career in the works."
"What, running for the DA's office again? Uh uh. You blew that long ago." Eckhardt said, getting right in his face. "From now on, getting fucked by us is your career! I'm gonna make you famous, freak!"
"Like I said, it was your mistake, not mine. Now, you charge me with this bullshit or get me the hell out of here. Let's get back to the truck, asshole." Two Face said seething. In response Flass punched him in the face.
Later, Two Face was lead back to the holding cell, a bruise that was noticeable even among the scarred tissue on the left side of his face. He walked in to find the Penguin pacing and ranting about the arrest, while the others just sat around.
"This is an outrage! An absolute travesty of justice! The have no right to do this!" The pudgy man fumed.
"Penguin, will you calm the hell down?" Scarecrow asked, tired of the snob's whining. "We won't be here much longer, they have no probable cause."
"It's not right. So, I may have had a stay in the state's correctional facilities, that does not give them the right to pull me off the street whenever someone is robbed. To hell with them all. They treat me like a common criminal. I am NOT a common criminal!"
"Fine, you're an extraordinary criminal." Scarecrow said, rolling his eyes.
"True, but don't interrupt, I'm trying to make a point!" The Penguin said triumphantly.
"That'd be a minor miracle. As if I haven't heard enough of you making points from the other side of the desk." Two Face sighed, earning a glare from the Penguin.
"Riddle me this, Dent." The Riddler said, staring at the scarred former lawyer. "I heard that you died."
"You heard right." Two Face said not looking at him.
"Yet here you are. How is that possible?" The Riddler enquired.
"You don't believe in life after death?" Two Face asked sarcastically.
"I heard you dropped out of the life." Scarecrow interjected.
"What?" Riddler asked, incredulous.
"Yep, seems our dear Mr. Dent's gone straight. He's screwing Rachel Dawes." Scarecrow continued.
"That mousy little idealist at the D.A.'s office?" Penguin asked, remembering how she got him locked up for the jewelry store heist a year ago.
"Oh she may be a little girl, but she's got backbone. I think our dichotomous friend here sees her as his meal ticket and maybe a little help for his image." Scarecrow said, smiling at the rage welling in Two Face's eyes.
"Is it true, Harv?" Riddler asked giggling. "Are you a lawyer's wife? How often do you offer her an appeal?"
"I'd say you struck a nerve, Edward." Penguin said, smirking.
"Do your friend a favor, bird brain, tell him to shut up before I shut him up." Two Face said grimly.
"The great Two Face gone straight. I don't buy it." Riddler said grinning. "I bet you hit that truck, or at least are working with the guy who did."
"Nah, this whole thing was a shakedown." Two Face said dismissively.
"What makes you say that?" Scarecrow asked, slightly curious.
Two Face, being an ex-district attorny, knew most of the procedures of the Gotham police, especially the corruption of the precinct. "How many times have you been in a line up? A few times, right? Well would I be wrong in assuming that when you were in it, you were the only one who actually did something and the other four guys were dummies?"
"You would not." Penguin said, interested.
"That's right." Two Face nodded. "They have no real leads mostly cause, with that fucker Marone running things, they don't want to find any. They pay homeless guys half the time to point out nobodies so they can pin it on so there's less of a threat to anyone with knowledge of his business getting indicted and spilling to the DA about him. No way in hell do they get five actual felons in one shot, even on accident. No way."
"So then, how did they arrive at arresting us if they don't want to put criminals behind bars?" Riddler asked.
"The Feds." Two Face stated as if it was obvious. "A truck full of guns gets stolen, Customs comes down hard on G.P.D. for answers, and they can't pass off homeless guys to the Feds as possible suspects like they do the city officials. They had to come up with guys who actually could do something like that to at least give the appearance of doing their job. It's all political bullshit."
"So then who stole the freaking truck?" Riddler asked, frustrated at being unable to answer this riddle.
"I don't give a damn. What I want to know is who's the gimp?" Scarecrow said, staring at Jason Todd, who had stayed out of the conversation up till then. Todd looked up as the four big time thugs stared at him.
"That's Jason Todd." Two Face supplied. "He's OK."
"What's your story, one armed bandit?" Scarecrow asked, getting a cringe out of Todd as he put his hand on his prosthetic limb.
"I just moved to Gotham last year." Todd said defensively. "I haven't really done anything worth reading about."
"We met a few times in, uh, where was it?" Two Face asked.
"County." Todd supplied. "I was there on a fraud charge. We met in a line up then, too."
"How'd that turn out, anyway?" Two Face asked, curiously.
"I walked." Todd shrugged. "Ninety days, suspended."
"So it was you, you scoundrel!" The Penguin said in mock accusation.
"Look, this whole thing has fucked us all up." Riddler addressed the other four men. 'I think we owe it to ourselves to get back some dignity. I have a plan for a job that'll pay the cops back with interest."
"Oh shut up, already." Two Face snarled, rubbing his temple.
"No, I want to hear this." Scarecrow said, standing up.
"Hey, I'm just talking." The Riddler said, holding up his hands. "Besides, it seems Penguin and Dr. Crane want o hear what I got to say. How about you, Todd?"
The cripple looked intrigued and nodded. "Let's hear it."
"There, see?" Riddler said victoriously. "Now, I'm gonna use my Constitutional right to free assembly… or incarcerated assembly, whatever… to talk to some friends about an idea."
"I'm not joking, shut up." Two Face snarled.
"You're missing the point, Harvey!" Riddler argued.
"No, you're missing the point. Shut the fuck up. You want to talk, fine. I don't want to hear your little plan. I don't want to know anything about your little job. Don't let me hear a word. I want don't want anything to do with it or any of you jackasses." Two Face said angrily, before turning away.
"Harvey Two Face taking the straight and narrow." Riddler shook his head. "The world's gone mad."
"Screw him, what's the job?" Scarecrow asked eagerly.
The other four criminals huddled together to hear the Riddler's scheme. "Now, I can't go into detail cause of our current location, but listen up…"
And that's how the whole mess started. The five of us brought in on a trumped up charge to get leaned on by morons. But there's something the cops never figured out. Something that I know now. And that is that these men would never break, never lie down for anybody. Anybody.
