ISSUE 10:
Ryan kept trying to keep his head in the zone as he coordinated multiple people across the warehouse and the docks as the GCPD collected up the drugs, firearms and stolen money from inside the warehouse.
All he could was feel regret of what he had done. This one mistake could have cost him his whole training and vigilante identity with Bruce. But he had to try and refocus as he saw Gordon and Tom make their way over to him.
He slung his duffel bag, with his Nightwing costume stuffed inside, over his shoulder and walked over to them, meeting them in the middle.
"How did you get here so quick?" Tom asked with a smile.
"I was running around near here and when I got a call from the Station with the coordinates; I changed and ran straight here," he replied with grin. He felt like shit but Tom always made him feel better, that was why they were such good partners.
"Well it's good to see you are here," the Lieutenant replied, trying to take the friendly conversation back to the current case. "Now we have another gang down and I've decided to be kind on you guys and transfer all the paper work to the Sergeants."
"Sweet!" Tom grinned, almost doing a dance on a spot; he was like a child and it made Ryan smile.
"But I want you to interview the ring leader here, Lil' Jon, and try and see how much we can squeeze out of him," Gordon said, his coat ruffling behind him in the wind.
"Cool," Tom smiled, producing a set of cop car keys and spinning them on his finger. "Let's get down to the station."
"Give me two minutes," Ryan told him as Gordon walked off and Tom electronically unlocked the car. "I need to make a call but I'll make it quick."
"Fine but hurry up, I can't wait to scream at that little guy," Tom grinned, opening the car door.
Ryan turned away as Tom slid into the driver's seat and produced his mobile phone. If he couldn't get the mask on; he had put a special app that Bruce into the phone which linked into comms system and could only link in when someone allowed it in; it was like an untraceable phone connection which could be cut off quickly.
He activated the app and held his sleek smart phone to his ear. He waited for it to beep. Slowly he waited for Bruce to answer the call. After a few seconds, Bruce picked up.
"What is it?" he said, sounding unnaturally calm.
"I'm going down to the station to interview Lil' Jon," Ryan explained. "But I wanted to say sorry to you first."
Bruce remained silent.
"Bruce?" Ryan asked the silence, slightly worried.
"Yes."
"I just wanted to say sorry."
"There's no need."
"What?" Ryan uttered, clearly confused.
"People make mistakes, that's how we learn," Bruce told him, coolly. "I am an example of that. I have learned from my few mistakes and turned myself into what I am now."
"Okay, good," Ryan sighed with relief. "Just wanted to make sure we were good."
"We are fine Ryan," Bruce replied, almost as if he was irritated. "Now get back to work, I have something I'm doing."
"Okay but don't leave me out," Ryan burst out as he moved towards the 'end call' button.
"I wouldn't dream of it," Bruce sighed, almost joking. Bruce then ended the call and Ryan grinned. The old man was growing on him. He pocketed the phone and returned to Tom who was looking rather impatient in the car.
The interview room was a small grey perfectly square concrete room and in the centre was a table, a few chairs and metal in case recording device; just in case someone tried to break it.
Lil' Jon, a once mighty gang boss, sat in the room; looking bemused and frightened. He had just met the Bat and he'd been stopped by him. All he could see was Bats and all he could think was that the creature was coming for him.
He anxiously turned to the door to see Detective Connolly and Detective Jones enter the room. He fumbled nervous and turned to face the wall. The two Police officers sat down at the other side of the table and placed a folder down.
"Mister John," Ryan said, trying to get the clearly distressed man's attention. "Are you okay?"
"The Bat," the criminal boss mumbled, twiddling his stubby thumbs. "Bats, flying rats, bats, bats..."
He sat there staring at the table, his eyes wild and terrified.
"Bats?" Tom asked.
"The fucking Bat!" he screamed. "He's coming to get me and he's gonna fucking kill me!"
"No one's coming to kill you," Ryan said, going for the comforting route.
"He's going to kill me and then throw my boy in a trash compacter!"
"Shut the fuck up man!" Tom shouted at the hysterical man. Tom jumped up and backhand slapped Jon across the face. Jon took the impact and fell out of the chair with a grunt.
As soon as Jon hit the floor, Tom came out of character and grinned at Ryan, he loved playing bad cop. Jon climbed back into the chair and looked more scared of Tom that he did of the Bat.
"Now we'll start the interview and if you start being an idiot again I'll punch you in the fucking nose; are we clear?" Tom barked, resuming the bad cop identity.
"Yes, yes," Jon whimpered, rubbing his face.
Ryan produced the remote from his trouser pocket and activated the recording device. "Gotham Central Police Department Records, Interview number 2759632, the time is eleven thirty pm, Mister Lil' Jon Harwood is the interviewee."
Ryan stopped speaking to the device and looked directly at the man who was slowly coming back to life from the dark abyss in which the Bat had flung him in; Ryan noticed the cowl and the white eyes had that effect on people.
"Now Mister Harwood," Ryan began. "Have you been leading a gang in arms dealing, drug smuggling, muggings, murder, assault and the supposed attack on the life of Bruce Wayne?"
"Yes," Lil' Jon replied. "But I have some information you'll want."
"What is that Mister Harwood?" asked Ryan, with a soft expression; contrasting from the harsh glare from Tom.
"Well I need a deal," Jon replied, slowly gaining back his confidence which Ryan had seen him use in the warehouse. "You want info and I don't want to go to prison."
"We don't deal with criminals!" Tom replied, emphasising the word 'criminal'.
"Well I'm not giving you the information then," Jon retorted.
Without warning, Tom jumped from the chair and punched Jon in the nose, the sound of bones cracking filled the room and Jon dropped out of the chair again. Jon groaned on the ground. "I told you if you acted like an idiot again I'd punch you in the nose."
While Jon couldn't see, Tom cradled his sore hand, but as soon as he rose; Tom hardened his expression and stared at the man with the bleeding face.
"Now tell us what the information!" Tom barked.
"Okay, okay, just don't hit me in the face again!" the man whimpered, trying to stop his nose from bleeding.
"Well hurry up then!" Tom snorted.
"Okay," Jon whimpered. "My gang didn't just operate alone. How do think we're so good?"
"So you're saying there's a conspiracy in the gang world," Tom snorted, interrupting the man who was clearly scared of him.
"There's a group," Jon told them. "A connection of gangs across Gotham, coming together for one goal."
"And what's that?" Ryan asked, stopping Tom from making a remark, he needed to know this, he had to tell Bruce.
"I'm sorry guys but this interview is terminated," came the familiar voice of their superior as the door opened. Gordon stepped in looking grim and defeated. Behind him came the Commissioner, a large muscular African-American man, the most decorated officer on the force; although most people claim he bought the position.
"What?" Ryan exclaimed.
"Mr Harwood here has been released on bail," Gordon explained to the two angry looking officers. "The Commissioner is here to see him to his car."
"And I think an apology is in order!" The Commissioner barked as he helped Lil' Jon out of his chair and motioning to the man's broken nose. "This man's medical bills are coming out of your pay." It was evident whose pay it would come from by the blood on Tom's knuckles. "Now let's get you out of here."
Lil' Jon, pint sized crime boss, was slowly taken out of the interview room by the head of the Police. Ryan and Tom sat perfectly still until the door shut behind the two of them. As soon as they were left alone with the Lieutenant, Ryan switched off the recording device and flipped over the heavy interview table.
"What the fuck!" Ryan screamed as he kicked his chair against the wall. "What the actual fuck Jim?"
"I'm sorry boys but there's no point arguing the Commissioner of Gotham Police," Gordon told him, trying to calm him down. "Not that I didn't try."
"Well thanks for that Jim," Ryan grunted, strutting out of the room with anger following in his wake.
"It's okay Jim," Tom said, getting up, trying to comfort him. "I'll go talk to him."
Tom exited the interview room and walked down the corridor which was lined with uniformed officers chatting and labelling the drugs and stolen firearms from the warehouse. He turned down a corridor and made his way to the changing rooms.
Ryan was going through his locker. He took out his coat and a large black duffle bag which he had at the crime scene.
"What's up?" Tom asked, sitting on the bench in the centre of the locker area.
"What's up?" Ryan sneered. "What's up?" He angrily slammed the locker door and threw the duffle bag on the bench. "Lil' Jon got away from us and all because of how corrupt the Police are! I bet the Commissioners even in on it!"
"Ryan, you've gotta calm down," Tom said in a soothing tone. "He got away but we'll nail him next time."
"No we won't!" Ryan exclaimed. "He'll just escape and come back again. And now I see why the Commissioner has outlawed the Bat; because he's the only thing that threatens this corruption!"
"He's outlawed because he wears a mask."
"But he's doing more good than us," Ryan retorted. "He's doing what we can't! Perform actual justice!"
"He's a criminal!" Tom retorted, raising his voice. "We wear badges and he wears a mask as if he needs to hide himself from us."
"That's the whole point!" Ryan exclaimed. "Who's scared of a man? But a symbol, a monster of the night, now that's truly terrifying! He wears a mask not to just protect himself or the people he loves, he does it because it means that the fear he instils in criminals is maximised. Fear is what keeps Gotham corrupt and its fear that'll save it!"
Ryan angrily pulled on his trench coat.
"How do you know so much?" Tom asked nervously.
"I just do!" Ryan growled, picking up the duffle bag.
"Ryan," he said warily, getting up from the bench. "Are you the Bat?"
"No!" Ryan snapped. "But right now I wish I was!"
Ryan walked straight towards the door scowling.
"You just need to cool off," Tom told him. "Come back in tomorrow and you'll be fine."
"No I don't!" Ryan shouted, turning back around to his partner. "Because I'm not coming back tomorrow. I'm done with the Police, I quit and I'm not coming back until I can arrest someone and know they'll pay their time, instead of being punched in the nose and then being set back on the streets to ruin more lives!"
Ryan reached under his jacket and produced his gun. He dropped it on the ground and then took his golden GCPD badge off his leather belt. He stared at the item, a symbol of the once power which the piece of expensive metal invested in a person, and then tossed it to Tom.
"One day I'll be back for that," he told his now ex-partner. "I'll see you around."
Ryan turned and walked away from the locker room for the last time as Tom stood bewildered with the badge. Did the most dedicated Detective on the force just quit? Did he just see his best friend give up on his dream job and walk away?
He didn't really know what happened but he did now that things were only going get worse at GCPD from here on in.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
What did I tell you, so this chapter is less action and more story but what you guys have coming next is following on the story with a bit more action which is just gonna be great. So keep reading.