Misconception
Chapter 11:
Disclaimer: I love Batman, but sadly I don't own him. If I did, I'd be making movies about him.
Gordon and Blake stepped outside of the room and watched the family reunion through the glass door. The kid clung to his aunt like a lifeline, and to Gordon's relief, they looked like a kind family that would take care of the boy. Blake's gaze was not a hardened as it usually was, but it was focused on something faraway. The lieutenant had handled the situation with a little experience. It was almost as if he'd done it before. Questions about Blake's past rose in Gordon's mind.
"Blake" Gordon prompted, and Blake shook himself out of his reverie. The lieutenant smiled stiffly, but Gordon ignored the uncharacteristic silence of his friend. He instead motioned to the stairs that lead to the rooftop, and Blake nodded and followed the commissioner to the stairs. Once on the rooftop, Gordon turned to Blake with a questioning gaze.
"You handled that pretty well." Gordon stated, shoving his hands into his pockets. The brisk Gotham air swirled around them, bringing a slight chill to the rooftop occupants. Blake sighed, recognizing the question in his superior officer's voice. He debated internally whether he wanted to talk about it, and decided to talk. He'd known Gordon for a while, and he trusted the man with his life.
"I learned to push forward at a very young age." Blake responded, and looked at his feet, a grimace in his tone. His dark eyes were filled with an old and frigid sadness. He kicked the bit of gravel on the roof. "My mom died when I was young, so I didn't have to deal with the memory of her passing. My father, however, was shot and killed when I was a little older, and that isn't so hard to forget."
Gordon could tell he was trying to get past the subject without feeling the emotions that came with the memories. Blake held himself as though he had the weight of the world on him, and Gordon noticed the similarities that the lieutenant had with others who had been orphaned at a young age. The lieutenant sighed deeply as the winter air greeted him.
"I'm sorry," was all Gordon said, and Blake glanced at him and put on a brave face by quirking a small smile. He shuffled past Gordon, and looked down at the twinkling lights of the vast city. Gordon noticed that the boy's back was a little straighter than before, and the smile was a little forced.
"You have nothing to be sorry for." The lieutenant responded, in a tone that betrayed his darker emotions. That same smile was one that Gordon had seen before on another famous face. Similarities between Bruce Wayne and John Blake were suddenly apparent. Both wore masks of deception to hide their true pain for the people around them.
"Don't John… You don't have to put on a brave face, not around me." Gordon responded in a softer tone, and Blake's mask dropped instantly. The lieutenant frowned, his jaw clenched tighter when he looked Gordon directly in the eyes. There was a longer pause and Blake continued to stare. A moment later, the lieutenant dropped his gaze in defeat.
"You are one of the few people who has said that to me." Blake responded, his voice was full of grief. He sniffed, and tried to straighten himself up more. He paused for a moment, but continued with a softer voice. "They tell you that you can move on, but the pain never truly leaves us."
"The pain never goes away, because people you loved never leave you." Gordon responded after a moment of silence. Gordon thought of the instances where he'd talked with people who'd lost family at a young age, and realized he'd dealt with them very often. He added in a soft voice, "I try to understand the pain, but I can never truly experience it the way that you do."
"I appreciate your honesty." Blake responded genuinely, and sighed with remorse. "Being treated with apathy, or as a charity case, really used to bother me. That's why I do the job that I do, without divulging people with my history."
The commissioner knew the conversation was over, and opted to go a different direction with the conversation.
"It does rest my mind knowing that this city has another idealist." Gordon came to stand next to the younger man, to gaze at the city life below. "If I'm ever gone, I'd trust both you and the Batman to take care of this city."
Blake didn't even blink at the mention of the Batman, and smiled genuinely. Gordon's expression grew curious at Blake's expression. The lieutenant chuckled softly at a thought that overcame him. Gordon looked at him with slight amusement, and cocked an eyebrow. Blake noticing his look, shrugged, but opted to respond.
"It's just something that I remembered from my early days as a rookie." Blake waved him off. Gordon huffed in bewilderment, and continued to arch the eyebrow. Blake let out a slightly exasperated laugh, but continued with a dimpled smile. "All right, since I've told you a little bit about myself… I guess I can tell you this- but don't tell anyone."
Blake's last few words were stated sharply and Gordon nodded easily. Blake shoved his hands into his pockets, stalling his answer. He huffed out, "This is embarrassing…"
"Go on Lieutenant, I won't tell a soul." Gordon chuckled, and motioned for the man to add onto his explanation. Blake didn't look reassured, but continued anyway.
"I used to dream of working with the Batman." Blake responded with a small embarrassed smile. Gordon's eyebrows shot up in surprise at this remark, and Blake chuckled and thought for a bit. A moment later, the smile turned into a slight frown. "When it was declared that Batman murdered Harvey Dent, that dream was obviously futile. I guess I became bitter with the man, and that's why I'm not so keen on speaking with him."
"Now you know that he's innocent." Gordon replied, wrapping his coat tighter to himself. Sounds of the highway below them was carried up by the wind.
"I know that in my mind… but it seems that a part of me just can't let that go." Blake responded with the same frown Gordon seen that night several times. "A part of me can't forgive him, since he let me down."
"I am involved in the lie as well, John." Gordon added with conviction. "He and I both deserve the blame for all of this."
"No, no you don't." Blake retorted. "Neither of you deserve the blame for the crimes, but I am still angry about what happened after it. When I heard what really happened, I was angry with both of you, but more so towards the Batman."
"Why?"
"Because, it shouldn't have been him! He shouldn't have offered himself up like that!" Blake shot back. "Now the both of you are struggling with the shackles of these lies, while this new killer continues to grow in strength!"
"I know we've created a situation more difficult for ourselves, but it had to be done, lieutenant." Gordon responded, his voice rising a bit. "I assure you that despite the difficulties, we are prepared and determined to keep fighting."
A slight movement caught in the corner of Gordon's eyes, and he turned his head. The dark knight himself was standing stoically in the shadows. Blake startled, but Gordon saw that irritated expression slip back on his face. Gordon turned to fully face the vigilante, and approached him, leaving Blake standing by the edge of the building.
"Anything new?" Gordon asked tentatively, and the Batman's eyes found his for a brief minute.
"Hush is just a distraction." Batman said without preamble, and Blake walked up behind Gordon. "Falstaff is planning something big, involving the shipments. He needed an excuse to import things on a larger scale."
"That makes sense, but we don't have any leads to connect him to something like that." Gordon argued.
"Actually commissioner, there is." Blake responded, glancing back and forth between his boss and the vigilante. "In all the excitement, Stephens and I weren't able to complete the report yesterday like we wanted to."
"You told me that Falstaff plans to get his hands on a high tech lab owned by Wayne Enterprises." Gordon retorted. "How does that pin Falstaff, Falcone, or the killer?"
"It doesn't, seeing as Stephens and I were in his office without a warrant." Blake muttered with a tinge of embarrassment, and Gordon looked at him in disbelief.
"You did what? You know you can't use that evidence in court." Gordon groaned, and Blake held up his hands in self-defense.
"Don't worry, there wasn't anything in the office, but he did have a secret room." Blake stated, and Gordon stared at him with disbelief. "We didn't actually look in there, so whatever's in there, can still be used."
"I can access the vault." Batman spoke up. "I can also try to get you evidence for a reasonable warrant, once I confirm that the evidence is there."
"I do like that plan, on the condition that you let the police do their work once the warrant is issued." Blake responded, going back to his usual attitude towards the Batman.
"Lieutenant, you know how sensitive this case is." Gordon remarked, his voice stern. "We need all the help we can get."
"I understand completely commissioner." Blake said, his voice reasonable. "Which is why I'm going to ask Batman to keep an eye on Bruce Wayne. He's our other lead."
"Wayne? In what way?" Gordon asked, feeling silly knowing that the person they spoke of was present. Batman's solemn expression didn't change at the mention of his true name. He must have had a lot of practice with not giving things away with expressions.
"I heard Falstaff talking about trying to go after Mr. Wayne to get his hands on those labs." Blake remarked grimly. "He also mentioned that something needs to be disposed of. Three guesses who."
"I don't know about this Blake. Even if the man wanted something like that, don't you think it'd be a bit extreme trying to kill him, if not counterproductive?" Gordon responded stroking his chin in thought. "You heard that he was trying to get Wayne to sign something, and judging by the fact that Falstaff's company hasn't consumed Wayne's I'd say he wasn't able to get a signature."
"I just want to be careful. Besides, even if the guy is a bit of an airhead, he does have his smart moments." Blake replied, and crossed his arms. "Remember when he worked with the crime boss for us? He was able to get more information out of him than we ever did."
"Sounds like he can take care of himself then." Gordon remarked, wanting to chuckle. Batman keeping tabs on himself was a little funny after all… Blake looked like he was going to speak again when Batman beat him to it.
"I'll do it, only if you allow me to work, without argument." Batman crossed his arms over his chest. Blake looked ready to protest, but paused in thought. He eyed Batman for a while, glanced at Gordon for a moment, but nodded eventually.
"Fine." Blake grumbled after a moment of silence. Gordon let a sigh of relief escape him. Blake and Batman agreeing on something was a miracle, in and of itself.
"We'll have to get to work then." Gordon uncrossed his arms, and turned towards the rooftop door. He looked over his shoulder to see Blake still facing Batman.
"Oh, and by the way, you're welcome for not ratting you out to Stephens. I knew it was you hiding under that man's desk." Blake stated, and Gordon almost swore that Batman's face held a ghost of a smile. The commissioner knowing that he'd missed an inside joke, shook his head and walked towards the door. He paused in front of the door to listen for a moment. "I hope you'll be able to find that evidence, we're going to need it."
Batman watched from another building as Blake and Gordon headed back inside. He'd actually heard the conversation about the reason for Blake's animosity towards him, and didn't know what to make of it. He felt a small smile come over him, knowing the information. Blake was a misunderstood person at first glance, but when one looked closely, they'd see a completely devoted and loyal man. Shaking off that thought, he stood from where he was crouching, and walked towards the edge of the building. Immediately after that, he jumped off the edge and glided down towards his batpod. He had some information to gather.
Once he was nearing his destination, he slowed the vehicle down, and parked it so that it was hidden. He gazed up at the looming structure above him and shot a grapple to the nearest ledge. Very discreetly, he made his climb, finally coming to the right window.
He climbed inside the building, choosing to hide before he made his move. He looked down at the device in his hands, and hacked into the security system to shut down all the cameras, but before he did, he decided to check all the rooms. He was currently located behind one of the pillars, listening for any sound. In those moments he switched through all the cameras, and watched as Falstaff and his doctor approach the very room he occupied. He closed down the screen, and found a better hiding spot in the higher up beams of the room's structure. As he was getting settled, he heard the door below him open.
"This is hopeless!" Falstaff burst out as he collapsed in his desk chair with a huff. Batman noted that the doctor stood in front of the desk with an air of nervousness about him. "I know you are one of the most brilliant biochemists out there, why can't we do our own research without using what he owns?"
"I know that this is hard to understand, seeing as you're a very busy man, and don't have time-" The nervous man began.
"Oh get on with it!" Falstaff snapped, and placed a hand delicately on his face, as if exhausted.
"Those labs hold the research that is key to the kind of drug you want developed." The doctor replied with a little more strength in his voice. "If you want this to work, with a high demand and all, you need the supplement that those labs hold. There's no other lab that's more sophisticated in Gotham."
"I know this! And without this thing, we'd barely get enough sales to impress the mob lords." Falstaff replied, his voice tinted with anger. "I need them to see a glimpse of my wealth and power."
"I can guarantee you a successful product if you get me to correct resources, as long as you promise me your side of the deal." Elliot responded, and Batman noted that his voice didn't waver.
"Yeah, yeah I know. You want to become a surgeon like daddy. I get it!" Falstaff waved a hand in irritation. "You told me already."
"I want to earn the license to become one. Nothing else." Doctor Elliot responded with a tinge of irritation, but Batman suspected that he was too afraid to speak out.
"I don't know why. You're brilliant in your area already." Falstaff replied with a shake of his head. Doctor Elliot smiled nervously again.
"It's been a lifelong dream of mine." The doctor responded humbly, and Falstaff rolled his eyes. Elliot's cell phone began to ring, and the doctor excused himself from the room to take the call. Meanwhile, Batman watched as Falstaff picked up some papers to read over and sign. Halfway through that, the man turned on the television to look at the news station. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening, since several homicides in a single night was common in Gotham.
As if remembering something, Falstaff stood to leave the room. Batman checked the cameras on his device, and saw him heading for the elevator. From the looks of it, he was heading to some offices below him. Knowing that this was his chance to see what was inside the vault, he jumped down from the rafters, barely making a sound as he landed. Finding the secret button was easy to do since he already knew where it was. Once the panel door was opened, the dark knight headed inside to see what sort of evidence waited for him. He found nothing out of the ordinary. There were stashes of money, some hand guns, and a few legal documents. The documents interested him the most, and he leafed through them carefully, taking pictures of each of the pages to look at later in case they needed some of this information.
By the end of the search, Batman knew a lot about the man, including all the societies he was a part of, how many different wives he'd had, and that he was deathly allergic to sesame seed, but no documents were found about his plans for Wayne Enterprises, or his involvement with Falcone. Apparently, the man kept up with covering his tracks. It was then that Batman remembered that Falstaff wanted to dispose of something the last time Bruce was inside his office. That something had to be the evidence that could've been used against him and Falcone. Of course they'd all assumed that he'd been talking about his alter ego, Bruce Wayne.
Knowing that finding anything incriminating inside the vault was a lost cause, he exited through the hidden door. He glanced down at the cameras to see that Falstaff was still downstairs with one of his employees discussing something work-related. Batman glanced at the TV once more, but regretted doing so once he saw what filled the screen.
The video of a family was projected in the screen. They all had bags over their heads, and their arms were tied behind their backs. Below the image, text from the news station flowed across in a continuing line. Batman knew that this was the work of the infamous Hush because the killer's loud breathing could be heard off-screen.
As before, nothing was said, but the message was clear.
A/N: Here's another chapter for you guys! One of Gordon's lines to Blake is actually a slight crossover line from another film that actor's been in. Can you tell me which one it was? My thanks goes to Riptide2 for the review, and to all those who chose to favorite or alert this story! Seriously guys, your reviews keeps me going! I enjoy writing this story immensely, but it would be awesome to know that there are others who are enjoying it too. Oh and by the way, have any of you seen the show Gotham? If you haven't, stop what you're doing right now and watch it. If you want to see it, go to to see their shows. So far, it has all the episodes uploaded to the latest episode. It's really good for a show, and I recommend it to all Batman lovers out there. Well, I got to go! Don't forget to review! :)