Chapter 2: The Grinning Man
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The chapters become longer (1000+ words) later on, so if you're someone who likes longer chapters, do not despair and quit at this point.
Two years earlier:
The green haired man in an orange jumpsuit sat back, and laced his pale hands behind his head. Leaning back, he prepared to enjoy watching the news for only the second time since he had been put into Arkham.
"This is Vicki Vale; welcome to the five o-clock news. We start tonight with video footage sent to us by the terrorist known only as Bane. The following is highly graphic- parents, if children are in the room, we highly suggest waiting until they leave before watching."
The image quality- while better than the camera Joker had used to show the false Batman's death years earlier- still wasn't very high. The sound of rushing water could be heard, and the area the film was taken in was dark. Perhaps a sewer? Everything was still visible, but shadows covered all. Within seconds of the video starting, a face appeared on the screen. Wrapped in a metal mask, it gave the wearer the appearance of a sinister skull. Although the mask didn't move much, a powerful baritone voice ran out. "Gotham, behold the Batman. This savior of your city is no more."
The terrorist stepped to the side, revealing another masked man. This one only visible because his suit was even darker than the surrounding area. It was also clear that he was not capable of speaking. Lying on the floor in his own blood, he appeared dead except for the slightest raise of his chest ever so often. The camera zoomed in on his face. The bat-shaped cowl was broken in a cruel jagged line, and blood dropped slowly from the vigilante's mouth. Then the other man spoke again, his electronically modified voice rising and falling in an oddly unidentifiable accent. "And make no mistake, the Batman, he was your savior. You have been deceived for the last eight years. But more on that in a few days." Walking around the limp body of the caped crusader, Bane looked down at him for a while. When his gaze finally fell back on the camera, his eyes were filled with hatred. "For now, all you need to know is that the Bat is... broken."
The screen turned black for a brief second, then it went back to the blond haired woman and the panel of so-called experts quickly dragged in to discuss and analyze the video. Joker threw the remote at the concrete wall in a fit of anger. It shattered into pieces as he stood up. "That was my job! The mob paid me 'half' to break the Batman. This world, well, it just isn't very fair, is it Joe?" Looking at the guard on the couch next to him, he smiled. The uniform of the man was red-brown with drying blood, and his throat had been cut in a curve. "Still though, my world's more fair than yours. You only had what?... two days left before you were supposed to transfer to Blackgate. Now that's unlucky. Hehehe." Pacing through the guard station, he looked at each of the five murdered guards and the still dripping blood stains on the walls. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? I just had to get out of the uhh, hellhole I was in. And besides, you guys don't need all this room!" Cackling manically, he sank back down into the faux leather couch, and his mood changed instantly. While he couldn't actually frown due to the scars on the sides of his mouth, he was still visible upset. "This truly is a sad day for me. You know, Batsy, well, he made me. Did I ever tell you that, Joe? Guessing by your silence, that's a no. I've never told this to anyone, so you'll have to keep it a secret."
AUTHOR NOTE:
I'm updating this chapter, fleshing it out a bit more. I watched TDKR this weekend, and realized that there are some areas of the story that don't mesh 100% with the storyline, the main thing being that Bruce didn't spend as much time in The Pit as the movie implied.
Reviews are appreciated. Let me know how I can make this better!
