The following is a non-profit, fan work based off the respective works of Rei Hiroe and Christopher Nolan
All rights belong to the original creators, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., and Madhouse Inc.
The Bluefire Phoenix presents...
A File from Operation Dusk Hour...
Chapter III: Fallen Heroes
"…only human after all, Master Bruce," Alfred Pennyworth said from somewhere beyond the dark veil that surrounded me. I felt the fog in my head swirl around.
The cold floor materialized below me. My head rested against the hard tile. I opened my eyes to see the textured ceiling of the west wing gallery of Wayne Manor.
Alfred was leaning over me with his hand extended. I grabbed it and he helped me up. A lightning strike of pain hit my left knee. I had to let out a groan.
"Maybe you should start smaller sir," Alfred suggested. I sighed. The past week had been nothing but trouble.
I finally got the heart to try walking unaided. Yet nothing worked. I couldn't keep enough pressure on my leg to stand. A simple stroll from one side of the room to the other had become an excise in futility.
The doctors offered to repair the knee. But after a closer inspection, they found it inoperable. That was that. I was reduced to using a cane at age thirty.
There was a time that this wouldn't stop me. I was once indomitable. I was the Batman.
Now I was a feeble wreck, incapable of walking without assistance. Everything I ever wanted had been taken away with nothing more than some gasoline and a bomb. This was the price of being a hero.
Alfred handed me my cane. I began to head for the dining room. "You shouldn't be so dour, Master Bruce. Look what you've done for the city," he tried to reassure. I kept quiet, the echo of my cane hitting the floor my only response. The man grabbed my shoulder.
"It may not be my place to comment sir, but you need to move on. From Batman, from Ms. Dawes, maybe even from Gotham," he said. My head lowered.
"Gotham still needs a protector," I halfheartedly muttered. I tried to break away, but Alfred's grip held strong.
"Gotham doesn't need Batman anymore. Once the Dent Act passes next week, the police will be able to clean up the city in ways he never could."
No response came to me. He was right that the people didn't need Batman. He was a murderer who betrayed his morals as far as they knew. I forced myself out of Alfred's grip.
"And even if the city did need Batman again, what could you do Master Wayne?" Alfred added.
Nothing. There was nothing left. My body was broken. But maybe I had options!
I started to hobble to my study. My computer was waiting for. I logged on and began researching. Page after page, article after article passed by.
An idea planted deep in my mind. It grew and grew. Before long I had a blue print.
My body relaxed after I hit the save button. I transferred the file over to a flash drive. I knew that Gotham was once in good hands.
Something in the room caught my eye as I leaned forward in my chair. It was a tray with a sandwich and a glass of water. I unplugged the drive. "Alfred," I called out as I grabbed the sandwich.
"Yes Master Wayne," he said. He appeared out of nowhere it seemed. I guess he had learned a thing or two over the years.
"I need to see Mr. Fox."
Thus far Lucius Fox had turned out to be a solid ally. His return to Wayne Enterprises was fortunate. He assisted me with my various extreme, sometimes downright bizarre requests when I was a younger man so to speak.
Alfred pulled up the Rolls Royce to the front of my company's headquarters. He got the door for me and I got out the best I could. I marched into the office with my head held high.
The receptionist let me through. Lucius' office was near the top and the elevator ride was long. Many who came aboard my car gave me plenty of distance. Some even got off early.
I rolled my eyes. As long as they worked hard and didn't connect the dots they were safe from my wrath. Honestly I didn't care that much anymore.
The elevator stopped at Lucius' floor. It was a pretty minimalist space. A few decorative art pieces sat near white walls. I walked up to his office, gently knocking on the door.
Lucius looked up from his work and smiled. "Ah Mr. Wayne, it's been a while," he greeted. He noticed my cane. "I take it you aren't here for some crazy request."
I shook my head. I offered him my flash drive. Lucius plugged it in to his computer. He opened the file. His eyebrow rose up with surprise.
"Can you do it?" I asked. Fox nodded.
"It will take a while but this is quite doable," he said. He stood up and walked over to me.
Smoke suddenly started to rise a few miles outside his window just as we locked hands. Fox turned on the television. A brunette anchorwoman was sitting at the main desk of GNN.
"Initial reports indicate that it was an explosion that came from to the apartment of city councilwoman Cynthia Redding. We are still waiting for Freddy Garcia to arrive. Stay tuned for further updates," she said.
Fox frowned. "I think I'll get to work on this now, if you don't mind," he said. He released my hand then walked off probably heading to the R-and-D department. My gaze was stuck on the pyre rising over the skyline.
We both knew this was wrong. Cynthia Redding was new to the city board, having been elected in the wake of the Joker's attack. She was a prominent member of the local business community before. Most of her work was dedicated to creating jobs and lowering unemployment. Her campaign revolved around carrying on the legacy of Harvey Dent.
As such she was the largest proponent of the Dent Act. The bill would still have life even without her. But her death just felt suspicious and could shake the will of other supporters. Only I could get to the bottom of this crime.
This was my city. This was my Gotham. I wasn't about to watch it slip back into the hands of criminals.
To Be Continued...
A/N: This chapter is criminally short, I know. But this is a Bruce Wayne chapter rather than an actual Batman chapter. Plus do you really want me to write the angst of a retired Bruce Wayne? Because I can copy-n-paste: "My Parents and Love Interest are dead. The Villain won. I am useless now," a few hundred times mixed with lyrics from some emo bands if you'd like. Sorry but the plot needs to start revving up now and Bruce Wayne is boring.
I liked The Dark Knight Rises. It's got nothing on its predecessor and it drags from time to time, but I liked it. However it bothered me a bit that Bruce Wayne didn't have a plan in place to immediately become Batman again. Yeah he kept his stuff, but you really can't just dump that kind of hardware. It sounds hypocritical because I groan at the Batman has a pre-made plan for everything cliché. But that is a believable plan compared to some of the things he has in place.
Next time we are back with Rock. Will he be able to catch the Bat? Will Revy kick ass? Will I stop bitching about Batman?
Possibly. Definitely. No.
Until next time, Crawling in my skin, these wounds— {Does it look like 2001 to you?}