The Scars Left Behind
This is the Sequel to the Harlequin and the Bat and The Harley and The Ivy.
Important notes: I do not own Batman or any portion of the franchise. I give all credit to DC Comics and respective owners. Except the characters I wrote in my profile.
Chapter 10
(Jim's POV)
Almost inexplicably at the same time the result came back the DNA match, both the Police and the Bat-Family were stunned. Gordon didn't say a word still not believing the result.
"The DNA results: it's…" Bullock stood in disbelief with his hand on his head.
(Bruce's POV)
"…Me." Bruce spoke in fear with Harley and Alfred looking in shock.
(Jim's POV)
"Run it again." Jim said in as much normality as he could
"I'm sorry sir…?" Sam asked
"Run it again!" Jim barked his order
"Gah! Yes sir" Sam panicked and he ran it again, almost instantly the result was the same. "Sir…it's conclusive. Bruce Wayne's DNA is a perfect match." Sam trembled in fear of Gordon.
"I never pegged Wayne as a killer…a lady killer but never a real one." Bullock said rubbing his temples.
"He isn't a killer. I know it." Gordon spoke denying the evidence.
(Harley's POV)
'Bruce's DNA…on the victims; the police…they'll send him to Blackgate…or Arkham!' Harley thought 'I-I-I got to do something!' "AH!" Harley screamed from a hand touching her shoulder.
"Miss Harley…" Alfred tried to calm her "I hope you're not thinking of anything to get Master Bruce into more trouble."
"No…I mean…I don't know…this has to be fixed! It just has to be!" Harley tried to get her thinking straight but just couldn't believe it.
"Harley…" Bruce spoke "I know you've got every right to be worried, but…" trying to calm Harley down
"No "buts" Bruce! Remember that cop who sent me to Arkham for making a deposit? He'll do the exact same thing to you! Judge, Jury, Prison Warden!" Harley explained in a frantic state.
"Harley…I know you're concerned for me, but let's just figure this out one step at a time." Bruce explained "I'll run through my calendar list with Alfred to make sure what happened really happened."
The door slammed open and Dick raced down "Bruce, Bruce! It's not true is it? Tell me it's not true!"
"Dick, we don't know if he knows! He may think you're going crazy!" Tim explained
Dick and Tim see the Bat-Computer and know the answer "Well that answers one question but raises a frick-tonne more." Dick answered
"A frick-tonne? Have you been hanging around Bill again?" Bruce asked
"Yeah…glad I'm not picking up his bad habits." Tim said
"Bad habits, I can only name one…and it's part of his personal life." Alfred spoke
"Don't tell Tim that Alfred." Harley groaned "Speaking of Bill I hope he hasn't heard the news yet."
(Jim's POV)
"Commissioner…what do we do?" Sam asked
"We follow the protocol. We go to the suspect's house and question him there or here." Gordon answered after a number of deep breathes to compose himself.
"Yeah, follow protocol. We do it right or we end up like Karlson." Bullock answered the Commissioner
"You're actually agreeing with me? That's a first." Jim was astounded
"Well somethin' isn't sittin' right in my gut. It's tellin' me that Wayne was set up." Bullock gave his opinion
"We settle this quietly before we go to the press on this." Jim commanded without knowing someone behind the door.
(Bruce's POV)
*March Eighth, ten twenty nine AM*
Bruce, Harley, Sonia and Alfred scanned Bruce's last month meticulously. Every nook and cranny in everyday, they had to make sure Bruce had an alibi for all of them. Bruce, Sonia and Alfred worked for the next hour. Bruce, Sonia and Alfred worked hard but Harley worked until she fell over in exhaustion. "It appears Miss Harley doesn't want you to go to Blackgate, Master Bruce." Sonia smiled
"Indeed, she worked faster than any of us making up these along the way." Alfred pulled up different alibi's Harley wrote up for Bruce.
Bruce examined some of them and smirked "Went to the Zoo with Harley, went to a conference that took thirteen hours." Bruce stroked her hair then saw the third one "Had snuggle time with Harley Quinzel?" which made his smirk gain a glow.
He felt Harley's hand hold his and heard her mutter "I won't let you leave…I won't let them have you…"
"Now that's adorable." Sonia spoke grinning
The phone rang and Alfred took his leave to answer it. "Wayne residence…Miss Barbara? Turn on the news?" Alfred pondered
Bruce turned on the news and saw Detective Karlson on every station; this woke Harley up "He's guilty of being sexy!" she shouted "What's going on?"
"Detective, detective! Have you found any suspects on this Identity-Thief case?" a woman's voice called to the detective
Sonia pointed towards the TV and they saw the Detective give his statement: "Yes, we have identified the prime suspect: Bruce Wayne. His hair was discovered on the victims and his father, Thomas Wayne, was a famous doctor specialising in surgery. So Mister Wayne, would have some medical knowledge on removing faces with ease." The reporters questioned him for more "Bruce Wayne, has a notorious streak for dating women and several acquaintances who could easily be bribed to verify his whereabouts."
"Karlson! Get here you cent a million moron!" Bullock grabbed his colleague and threw him into the station "Shut those cameras off! I said shut them off!" Bullock shouted putting his hand over the lense before going into the station.
"There you have it folks: Bruce Wayne accused of being the prime suspect in this latest crime, now the body count has gone up to, twelve! With the number of bodies piling up, will Miser Wayne prove his innocence or will he be put inside Arkham Asylum? I'm Vicki Vale for the Gotham News" Vicki sounded off
'No chance!' Harley thought with venom towards the Detective who threw her into Arkham on his "once a crook always a crook" state of mind and anger towards Vicki
(Bill's POV)
*two minutes before Barbara's call*
Bill continued to work on his gadgets pondering to himself 'I never pegged Louise to have the hots for me…and what's more she's agreed to help. Bill kept on fading in and out on overhearing the TV Deadshot and Slade were watching on. "Hey can you two turn it down…I'm working." Bill called out
(Slade's POV)
'Two days…two day's and we can end this.' Slade thought while watching the boxing match with Deadshot.
With a sigh Deathstroke rubbed his eyes in frustration. "Come on you idiot! Punch his freaking face in you weakling! What's up with you?" Deadshot gave his comments and turned to Deathstroke.
"Nothing…just…nothing, don't worry about it." Deahstroke sighed
"We interrupt this fight to bring you an immediate update on the Face-Lifter case." Vicki Vale's voice sounded through the TV.
"Oh come on! You stupid! He was gonna kill him!" Deadshot groaned yelling at the screen.
Deathstroke shook his head and as he saw the picture of Bruce Wayne by the Detective giving his comments. "Hyde…you've got to get in here!" Deathstroke called out.
(Bill's POV)
Bill placed down his tinker-toy and walked to see the Detective give off his statement about how Bruce Wayne did the crime and how he was the perpetrator. A silence lingered as each member of the Suicide Squad watched in awe the first to speak was Deathstroke "Well…that's certainly more entertaining than the result from the boxing match."
Followed by Copperhead "Wayne…accused of murder? That's a laugh." She spoke folding her arms
"This…is interesting…very interesting." Killer Frost spoke in her sly manner
Deathstroke turned to Hyde and asked "Hyde…your thoughts?" Bill just clenched his fist and stood still in anger
"It seems Hyde has mixed feelings about this. Don't you?" Waller spoke behind the group almost bearbaiting Hyde to expose his thoughts.
"Wayne…" Bill began to strain his words carefully but not exposing his real loyalties. "He's too stupid and too soft; to pull of any sort of murder. He's being framed." He spoke acting like he didn't know Bruce at all. With that he left to the gym.
"Someone's got problems…" Copperhead spoke looking at Hyde walk off.
(No-one's POV)
In a fantastic mansion there sat the man orchestrating all of this, his grin appeared through the bandages that wrapped around his face "Stage one is almost complete. Stage two is ready to start." He sneered as his eyes burned through the picture of Bruce Wayne. He got up and began to walk towards what looked like an operating theatre and examined the stitched together head of human flesh that looked almost similar to the photographs scattered around the room. "Soon my masterpiece…soon." He grinned maliciously as he stared through his window
Unbeknowst to him there was a second figure through the window; hidden in the trees the shadowed figure threw a stare that was filled with venom, daggers and fire, he slunk down to the ground not making a sound. The figure looked at the name on the gates that adorned the front: Elliott. With this information the shadowed figure leaves.
(Jim's POV)
"Damn it Karlson, you broke protocol!" Jim yelled at the Detective "I don't know what possessed you to do this but you must be insane!"
"I did what needed to be done Commissioner! Something you seem incapable to do yourself, you old fogey!" Karlson roared back at Gordon, insulting him in the process. "ARGH!" Karlson shouted in pain and fell to the floor. "Urgh!" being pulled up by the man who punched him: Bullock; and was slammed into the wall.
"Listen you, little snot nosed brat: I may bend rules to get answers, but I'd never go 'round Gordon's orders! What you did is a violation, you're lucky I don't: take your badge and gun, throw your ass down these stairs and hogtie you all the way to the outskirts of town and beat you senseless!" Bullock roared
"Bullock, stand down!" Jim ordered
"Best listen to him. Don't want to lose your badge Bullock." Karlson sneered
"Why you!" Bullock pulled his fist to punch his co-worker and was held back by Jim and then dropped him.
"That's what I thought…" Karlson shook his clothes of dust off "now…I'm off to make an arrest." He spoke and left for Wayne Manor.
"Why did we hire that guy? He's stepping over us like nothing to get his way! He's acting like he owns the joint!" Bullock wondered in frustration
"His father is friends with a bunch of higher ups; their hands control our budget and resources. Our hands are tied." Jim sighed rubbing his eyes "Come on…we've got a job to do."
Sighing Bullock nodded "Yeah…let's move. I don't like it though Comish."
"Neither do I, Harvey…neither do I." Jim sighed
(Karlson's POV)
'Worthless idiots; I've done the right thing. This is my case! I'll bring him to…' "Crap! Urgh!" Karlson was car crashed by someone, he crawled out of his car and began to rant into the crashed victim and saw a black haired individual. "You total moron! You wrecked my car!"
"I'm sorry but to be honest: you rammed into me." The man gave his explanation
"I don't care! How am I supposed to get to Wayne Manor now?" Karlson groaned
"You're that detective who made that accusation about Bruce Wayne!" the stranger spoke
"Yes…your car looks fine; I'm commandeering it for the case!" Karlson demanded the car
"Of course I also know the location to the Manor, I can take you there." the stranger offered.
"Okay…I'm Detective Karlson." The annoying detective took the offer and gave his name
"Thomas." He reciprocated
(Ivy's POV)
"Come on; pick up, pick up!" Ivy whispered to herself as she waited on the phone.
"Mum…?" Venus asked "is everything going to be okay with Bruce?"
"That's what I'm hoping for; Scavenger?" Ivy answered and heard the phone being picked up using Bill's pseudonym.
"Bloom! It's good to hear your voice and everything, but I can't talk for long; Waller maybe listening in on me." Bill sounded happy then switched to fear.
"Okay; I guess you heard about the Identity-Thief case?" Ivy asked
"Yeah; it's ridiculous. But I'm guessing Anduril is making a frick-tonne of alibis for him." Bill sounded serious then joked
"Yeah…what are we going to do?" Ivy asked
"We'll think of something…can you…can you put Vee on the phone?" Bill spoke then asked for his daughter, being careful not to use her real name
"Of course; Vee." Ivy passed the phone to their daughter.
"Hi dad…" Venus began to tear up
"Hi baby…*sniff* it's good to hear your voice. *choked laugh*" Bill started to tear up, not hearing his daughter's voice in so long. "How are you?"
"I'm good; I've something to tell you." Venus started to smile
"You're not pregnant are you?" Bill joked hoping to not hear it over the phone
"No! *laugh* But I'm…I'm going out with Crimson…that's okay isn't it?" Venus asked telling her father about her relationship with Tim (Crimson is her nickname for him)
"Crimson? I thought Boo-boo was bad." Bill clocked on to his daughter's name "Yeah…just make sure that he's not doing anything too explicit."
"I think that's the opposite dad." Venus smiled
"Well you are your mother's daughter." Bill sounded happy then instantly turned to fear "Baby listen to me I've got to go. Tell Bloom: if Paladin is caged, the Scavenger will skip winter to summer for bunnies."
"Okay I-I will." Venus remembered what her father said
"Vee…I love you okay…I love you and your mother. Don't ever think that I don't." Bill reassured the two.
"We love you too dad; bye." Venus began to cry
(Harley's POV)
"Is this everything?" Harley asked looking over the details of Bruce over the last month.
"Yes and there seems to be concern regarding the fourteenth, nineteenth and the eighth." Bruce explains
"But those are our birthdays and the thirteen hour long meeting." Harley ran her fingers through her hair.
There was a knock at the door. "They're here." Alfred spoke with remorse
"It's alright, let them in Alfred." Bruce told his former guardian
"Bruce…" Harley whimpered
"It's okay Harley." Bruce reassured her with a kiss "It'll be okay."
Bruce left the room and Harley saw the pile of alibis that she made and the calendar lists on the table 'I've got to move the alibis!' she thought grabbing each paper she wrote on and shoved them in her pockets. 'I've got to hide these!'
(Bruce's POV)
Bruce went to the door to expect the detective who made the comments but saw Gordon and Bullock. "Commissioner Gordon, Detective Bullock. I know why you're here." Bruce spoke calmly.
"Well…that's good. Mister Wayne, I'm afraid you'll have to answer a few questions for us." Gordon spoke with regret being as professional as he could be given the circumstances.
"Of course." Bruce answered "Alfred, lead the Detectives to the library. We can talk there."
"Of course Master Bruce." Alfred was about to lead the Police detectives to the library
*half an hour later*
"Now that we've established that this day you were in a meeting Mister Wayne; where were you on the Fourteenth and the eighteenth of February and the first of March?" Gordon asked
"The Fourteenth I was with Harley for her birthday. We stayed in from nine till five; we then left at six thirty to a Gala birthday for her that was ready at seven."
"Where were you for those ninety minutes?" Bullock asked
"We were watching a movie: Two Longing Hearts." Bruce answered
"Can anyone verify this?" Gordon asked "Any besides Miss Quinzel?"
"No…Dick and Tim were down the park, Alfred and Sonia took the day off and Ivy and her daughter went for a mountain hike." Bruce answered truthfully
"What about the nineteenth?" Gordon asked
"Again Harley and I spent the day in until midday; we went out in the afternoon into the evening. We went out around seven for dinner." Bruce answered again
"Anyone who can verify this?" Bullock asked
Bruce thought about it and only one name popped into his head zealously Bruce answered the truth "Dick can. He walked in early in the morning by accident."
"What was the nature of this "walk in"?" Bullock asked
Harley walked in and sat next to Bruce "I was…with…Bruce at that time."
'Harley…' Bruce thought thanking Harley; but also thinking that this might compromise the investigation.
"An intimate moment I'm imagining." Gordon pondered
"Bullock." Bullock answered his phone "It's the boy's, I'll take this outside." He spoke taking his leave
"And March the first. Where were you?" Jim asked
"Well…" Bruce started
The door opened Bullock sighed. "Comish…we've got something."
"What is it?" Bruce asked
"We've got a witness saying that: a guy matching your description got ram raided and took Detective Karlson for a ride…he's resurfaced…" Bullock groaned
"But he was here all day!" Harley defended her fiancé.
"I'm sorry. Bruce Wayne, I'm arresting you on suspicion of twelve counts of murder and the kidnapping and murder of Detective Jon Karlson." Gordon spoke getting his handcuffs out
"No! You can't do this! Stop him!" Harley spoke but was held back by Bullock
"I'm sorry Miss, but we've got to take him down to the station. Protocol you know." Bullock apologised as Bruce was taken away.
"No! Bruce!" Harley struggled to get free and was sat down by Sonia.
As the police drove Bruce away Harley cried and wept into her hands.
(No-one's POV)
Three days passed and the media went crazy! Bruce Wayne Accused Of: Murder! But with all that went on one figure was not in a sorrowful mood; in fact he was in a small amount of pain and a large amount of pleasure, the figure seethed as he looked into a standard mirror and gazed upon himself. "Well, this has just got better and better…Bruce Wayne in Arkham and I have my last piece. Glorious." The figure gazed at his reflection and applied some scar healing slave and in the light he looked exactly like: Bruce Wayne! "Now, the fortune is mine." The imposter spoke darkly and laughed into his empty mansion.
To be continued
I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter as I have writing it.
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And thank you to all the people who have reviewed and followed my story thus far.
The next chapter coming up soon.
Thank you
Additional notes: I do not know if there is a real film called: Two Longing Hearts. If there is please note that it is purely coincidental along with any and all names that appeared during the previous chapters relating to persons living or dead.