Chapter 2: "One Mistake Is All It Takes"

Batman then returned to the Batcave, by signaling the Batwing to pick him up. After a short ride in the Batwing, Batman arrived in the Batcave with Alfred holding a plate filled with many delicacies on it. As Batman stepped out of the Batwing, Alfred said, "Good evening sir, How was…" Before Alfred could finish his sentence, Batman slammed his fist into the railing to his right, he then said with an angry bombastic voice, "What happened between Falcone and my father Alfred!?"

"Wha… What?" Replied Alfred.

"Oh come on Alfred, you must know, you knew Thomas better than anyone! So tell me!"

Said Batman.

"You wouldn't understand Bruce, The Waynes did not always have the reputation that they had…" Said Alfred

"Goddamnit it Alfred, Tell me!" Said Batman in the loudest voice he could muster.

"Alright Master Bruce, the night before you and parents went to that play. Your father had bought and illegal substances from Carmine Falcone but he didn't want your mother to know so he stole the substances from Falcone and ran before giving him the money so that Martha wouldn't notice that they had lost money. The next day, Falcone came to the mansion looking for your father. I told him he wasn't here and that they should leave but he persisted. He put a gun to my head and beat me half to death, and finally… I told him where he was…"

Batman's eyes flared open wide, his heart pounding, he began to breathe quickly and heavily. He then said, "You told him where… You killed them…" Batman grabbed Alfred by the throat and began squeezing his throat as tight as he could, all the while screaming, "You killed them! You killed my parents! You coward! You damn coward!" Alfred dropped his plate onto the floor, spilling the delicacies all over the floor. Batman was instantly filled with an unending, uncontrollable rage. He couldn't control himself anymore. As this happened, Robin came down from the mansion and saw Bruce choking Alfred in the Batcave. He ran up to stop him, "Bruce! Stop this now! Stop!" Batman looked over at Robin and looked back at Alfred's red face, he suddenly felt no remorse, no love for this man, he no longer knew him in his mind, he was just the man that killed his parents.

Robin ran up to Batman and tried to pull him off of Alfred. Batman threw Robin aside and continued to crush Alfred's throat, until finally… A load cracking sound was heard throughout the room. Batman had unintentionally broken Alfred's neck, but all Robin saw was a hero who had become a monster. Robin began to sob violently. Through his tears, he tried to make out the words, "Why did you do this?" Batman, suddenly feeling terrified, nervous and alone said, "I… I didn't mean to…" Before he could finish, Robin drove out of the Batcave on his bike, the Red Bird, and drove out into the night with tears streaming down his face.

Batman looked at Alfred's dead body and began to tremble, "What have I done?! How could I do this?! Oh god…" Batman into the part of the cave he only goes into when he's deeply troubled, the darkest part of the cave… As Batman walked into the darkness, he could feeling nothing but regret and fear fill his lungs. He was afraid to breathe, even afraid to move. He couldn't undo what he did, this would plague his life forever… He reached the end of the darkness and sat down. He stared into the darkness and thought about what he'd done for hours. After what seemed like forever, Batman stood up and thought, "This is what needs to happen, I needed to break my one rule to fix this city for good. I can finally shape a Gotham that my parents could be proud of." He walked out of the darkness and went back to streets of Gotham…

Robin drove to a place called the Watchtower, a clocktower in Gotham where the Oracle resides. Robin climbed into the Watchtower and said to the Oracle, "Barbara, something terrible has happened!"

"What, What happen!?"

"Alfred was killed!"

"Oh my god! Who killed him?"

"Bruce…"

Barbara was dumbstruck by the news, first she was in utter disbelief of the news but as Robin explained what he saw and what had happened, she knew that he was telling the truth. She began to cry as well, she then said, "Why did Bruce kill him?"

"I… don't know. He looked so angry at him for something… I'd never seen him like that before."

"I can't believe this… He would never… We should tell Gordon."

The two sat in near silence as Oracle made a phone call to Gordon to report a murder in the Wayne Manor…

Meanwhile, Batman nearly attack the city of Gotham, tracking down criminals and killing them on sight. He'd chase down a car full of thugs who had just killed a man with limitless fury and anger. He burst through the windshield and beat the hell out of the occupants of the car, pushing some out of the car into light posts or other incoming cars. He then steered the car into a tree just before jumping out. The car exploded with fiery chaos, the criminals had been killed, murdered by a murderer known as the Batman… He didn't stop there, all throughout that he killed as many criminals as he could find all throughout the night, it was a horrifying sight to see your hero become the villain, worse than the villain. By daybreak, fifty criminals had been found dead at their own crime scenes, the GCPD would not stand for this in their city. Gordon wouldn't allow the hero of their city to do something so disturbing and get away with it.

He flashed the Bat signal that night and waited for the vigilante to return. After a few silent moments, Batman appeared on the ledge of the building facing Gordon. "What is it Gordon?" Said Batman.

"You know damn well what this about. You murder fifty people yesterday!" Replies Gordon.

"Fifty criminals Gordon, this is what needs to be done to stop crime for good, it took me a while but I understand now." Said Batman.

"This isn't you, you've changed! You used to stand for justice and the system but now you've left us all behind. How could you do this?!" Replies Gordon.

"If we lock them up, that will only build up their angry for authority and break out again. The system is broken Gordon, it's time we take a stand a change it for good!" Said Batman.

"I don't know you anymore! This isn't the Batman I know, you have to stop this!" Said Gordon.

"I can't Jim! This is what must happen. Trust me." Replied Batman.

"No, I...I can't." Said Gordon.

As Gordon said this, a squad of twenty SWAT came up to the balcony and aimed their weapons at Batman. They were heavily armed and ready to take Batman into custody. "I'm sorry…" Said Gordon as the policemen moved closer to Batman to cuff him. As they did this Batman looked at Gordon and said, "So am I." Batman drops a smoke pellet and dives off the rooftop, leaving no trace to be followed.

Batman realized now that he was alone, no one to help him in his new crusade against crime. If he was going to rid Gotham of crime for good, he would have to do it soon and do it alone. People, friends will try to stop him but he can't allow them to stop him. This is what they would have wanted, this is what Gotham needs, this cannot be stopped…

Meanwhile, The Oracle receives news of Batman's resistance of arrest from Gordon. So what she does from there is tell Robin to find the rest of the Bat family to help convince Batman to stop. Robin nods in approval and makes his way to Bloodhaven to get Nightwing's help. Robin arrives to aid Nightwing in a fight against Killer Croc who had just escaped Arkham to get the head of the man who put him in there. Robin finds the two of them in a brawl at a shipping yard at the docks. Robin drives Redbird into Killer Croc knocking him into the ground, giving Nightwing a chance to make the finishing blow. As Nightwing lunged towards Killer Croc, Croc threw him aside and stood back up. Robin came back at Croc with flurry of blows, none of which seems to do any real damage. Killer Croc grabbed Robin by the skull and pressed him against a shipping container, causing the metal to dent and bend. Killer Croc enjoyed the sound of the metal bending and the sound of his skull being crushed, one of his favorite sounds actually is the skull cracking part. Nightwing threw two concussion grenades at Killer Croc and kicked him in the back of the leg in the same move. Croc fell to his knees, Robin was released. Robin then got back on Redbird and drove it off a makeshift ramp into Croc's face, knocking him out.

As Nightwing cuffed Killer Croc and made an anonymous call to the Bloodhaven Police Department, Robin was trying to find the best way to break the news. After Nightwing finished his call, he asked Robin, "So what are you doing in Bloodhaven Jason?"

"This isn't easy to tell you Dick but Bruce has changed..." Said Robin.

"What do you mean?"

"Bruce killed Alfred, were not sure why..."

Nightwing hangs his head and tears begin to flood out from behind his mask. After a short moment of subbing, Robin says, "After it happened he gave up on his rule. He's killed at least fifty criminals now. I need your help to stop him."

"This can't be true, Bruce could never do this!"

"I saw it first hand Dick. He is convinced that this new crusade of his will end crime."

"That's insane! I just can't believe this..." Replied Nightwing.

After Nightwing took a few moments for the news to sink in, he agreed to help and Robin and Nightwing made their way back to Gotham. Nightwing decided to give Batwoman a call to see if she would be willing to help as well. She answered quickly with a friendly, "Hello?". Nightwing then replied, "Meet us at the Clocktower in twenty. It's important." Batwoman quickly answers, "I'll be there in ten."

After ten minutes, Batwoman, Nightwing, Robin and the Oracle all discussed how to stop Batman and convince him that what he's doing is wrong. Collectively, they concluded that they should prepare for confrontation even if they don't enjoy that idea. Also finding a way track him throughout the city would make it easier to set an ambush for him. However, getting a tracker on the Batman without him noticing will be nearly impossible. So what they would decide to do is scout out Gotham to find Batman, then once he's spotted the other members of the Bat family will converge on him and attempt to get a tracker on him. Best case scenario, they take down the Batman and convince him, worst they are all defeated or possibly killed by Batman, hit or miss i guess...