Every Hero's Journey:

Chapter 21:

Disclaimer:

I do not own Batman Begins/Dark Knight or any of it's characters.

"And now to continue the breaking news report… "Mike Engel put his hand on his papers, and looked at the camera. "Both Arkham Asylum and Blackgate have gone up in smoke and prisoners and the criminally insane have escaped. The cells stand empty as city officials try to grasp what actually happened. There is no word on how many escapees they have brought in, but we do know that they are urging citizens to remain indoors at all costs. We have reporters live at Blackgate who say that witnesses testified that they actually saw the entrance go up in smoke and flames as criminals broke free seconds later. A guard of Blackgate was reported to say that all the cells had been simultaneously opened for no apparent reason. He had only moments to act. The prisoners were too many to stop, but they were able to catch a few before they made it outside. Over at Arkham Asylum it seems that they too have had similar break outs. As the GCPD tries to catch the fugitives, they advise citizens to call them if they see any of them nearby. We have live footage of the Asylum from a chopper. As you can see there are smoldering remains of the entrance, but the rest of the building seems to remain intact. The same is reported for Blackgate. More will be said as the night goes on, but the riot squads say that they should have most of this under control by morning. More will be said if any news is heard. This is Mike Engel from Gotham To-" Mike Engle image on the screen started to become distorted. Something was interfering the signal. Engle noticed this and tried to put up a reassuring face for the citizens.

"There seems to be technical difficulties, but don't worry-" Engle failed to keep his voice even as he was cut off. He knew someone was trying to override the system. The last time that this happened, the Joker had used the report to spread his anarchy. Suddenly the screens all over Gotham displayed random grainy pictures some of the citizens took as the fugitives made their escape, grainy pictures of the Joker, and eventually Batman. It went on to show the Commissioner in fine health, but then shifted a video of him beaten with pronounced bruises. Immediately after it showed Harvey Dent's face and suddenly one side of it began to change into different shades of deep red, and his face shifted before the image of Mike Engel was back on the screen, and he was talking to someone off camera.

"Sorry folks, it seems someone is trying to have a little fun…" Mike Engel visibly gulped but his face remained neutral, if not slightly pale. Someone was trying to send a message.

The momentary distraction of the gunfire snapped him out of his rage for the moment as he looked at the source of the noise. He shook his head suddenly he remembered what he needed to do. He couldn't afford to be caught up in emotion. He tried to clear his head, minding his surroundings, and thinking of a proper course of action. He focused on what was important, and turned to look at the black mass of shadows, and came up with an idea. Quickly, he grabbed a League member by his back armor and the shadow turned with the Dao in his grasp facing him.

The sword cut his skin as it came over his unprotected bicep. He growled and grabbed for the hilt of the sword, turning it so that it fell limply from the shadow's hand, he twisted around from that opponent to another who came from behind him. He surged forward and somersaulted between the two, rose up, and elbowed the weaponless shadow in the head knocking him down. Three down.

It was then that he remembered the devices that he still carried from the Bat suit that he tossed overboard. His gloved fingers brushed over the grapple gun on his side, and his eyes had a moment to settle on the ledge near the metal stairs that Talia had gone up in. He kicked the back of the shadow in front of him, sending the man face forward onto the deck. His hand gripped the gun, and he calculated the trajectory he needed to get to the ledge easily. He aimed and shot the hook, and he was yanked forward into the air, as several hands and Dao's tried to get at him.

His feet landed on the metal roof loudly as he turned to see Gordon running a different direction around the corner. The Commissioner limped along and held the heavy weapon in his arms. Gordon made eye-contact with Bruce for a moment. Bruce was caught, not knowing what to do. Help Gordon or go after Talia? 'Go!' Gordon mouthed to Bruce, and the decision was made for him. Bruce nodded and turned running across the rooftops of the boat. His feet barely made a sound as he raced along; his heart was pounding, and his senses sharper and more focused.

Just behind him he heard the quick footsteps of the other League members chasing him, and looked as they came up towards him. He shot his grapple hook catching the member that was closest to him by the foot, and shoved him off the containers so he dangled freely. This left him with another who circled him in caution. Bruce reached for another device, handling it carefully. In a swift blur of motion Bruce threw the thing directly at the shadow. It missed as the League member moved, and the device stuck to the metal crate behind him.

If Bruce could see past the mask, he was pretty sure the shadow was smiling in mockery, not knowing that Bruce had missed on purpose. Bruce smirked, and the shadow turned in confusion, seeing the device counting down. Before the League member had time to react Bruce saluted, circled, and continued his trek across the metal containers. There was a small explosion as the shadow fell forward, hitting his head, and becoming unconscious, and Bruce still continued walking forward. He tried to search for signs as to where Talia had gone, and caught one clue. A door was ajar, looked to be opened in a hurry. He landed on the deck of the boat, by sliding down the wall from the roof.

He hesitated a moment before the entrance, preparing for an ambush or a trap. There didn't seem to be an entrance any other way so he slipped inside in dead silence. The darkness was pitch black. He couldn't see two inches in front of him. He leaned against the far wall and waited there. There he would wait for his prey. He allowed his eyes time to adjust, and he was able to see his hands. He listened for anything, any disturbance in the quiet. He couldn't afford to give his hideout away by producing light, because he had no clue where she was, and whether or not she had an advantage over him. He also couldn't waste any time; the countdown was happening, and if he was correct, he only had ten minutes to disable it from doing the actual damage in Gotham.

Just then he heard shuffling directly in front of him, he couldn't see a thing, but his ears worked perfectly fine. He knew another was in the room when he heard the very slight sound of breathing a foot from where he stood. She didn't know he was there.

Gordon swiveled around another corner, feeling sure that more were chasing him. All his injuries throbbed in harmony, and his practically empty stomach growled in displeasure. His fingers tightened around the handle of the gun, as he waited behind a metal crate, on the container ship. His ears were able to catch the swishing of fabric, and shallow breathing. In front of him the dull lantern light on the ship caught a shadow, and he looked up silently to a member who had no clue that the Commissioner was there.

Gordon rose up behind him and hit the member's head with the buffer assembly part of the rifle. The member was dazed, but not unconscious as he fell over rubbing the back of his head. He had to get out of there fast. He needed to move before the rest of the League found him. His eyes swept over the large metal crates that obscured his view of the ship itself. He felt his legs carrying him forward, towards the bow of the boat. That is where it would be, he was sure. He remembered seeing it on his escape a couple days before, and when he was trying to leave the boat with his son and Wayne.

Where was it? His legs were stiff, but he kept going. His head was throbbing, but he ignored it. He was closer to the bow now, drinking in air quickly. He tried to make his running quieter as he slowed down behind a wooden box. He looked over the crate, and smiled despite everything. He had found it; in two seconds he would make a run for it, and enter. Suddenly he felt the boat surge forward. It was moving; leaving Gotham Bay. 'Not for long…' Gordon thought as he came before the door he was searching for and the entrance was marked as the engine room. He went through cautiously descending to the ship's source of movement. He knew that this was risky, he knew what he needed to do, but what he didn't know was that someone was following him.

Bruce knew it was her when he saw her stand by the entrance that he came in. He had to keep himself from taking her down at that very moment. He needed to pounce at just the right time. 'Being invisible is a matter of patience and agility…' He remembered Ras' training despite how much he despised the man who had originally organized the death of his parents.

The little light that came from the entrance to the room, allowed him to see her outline. She held something big and clunky to her chest, protectively, and held her sword at the ready. She was searching in the shadows; her cold blue eyes seemed to penetrate the darkness. She looked over Bruce several times, and once looked directly at him, but she made no sign that she saw him. She probably felt there was another presence in the room. She seemed to be letting her guard down, as she stood normally once again, and held the computer with a looser grip. Once her head was turned from him, he used this opportunity, and lunged forward without a sound.

Her head snapped back in his direction, and at the last minute, she brought up her sword, with such force, to his armored gauntlets. Sparks flashed from the impact, giving Bruce a moment to see her angry and pained expression. He expected angry, mocking, or emotionless, but pained? He pushed it out of his mind. He didn't have time to think about it. An instant later Bruce brought his hand down on the computer, knocking it from her grip. It skidded on the floor into further darkness. She growled and brought her Dao down again, and he caught it with his bladed gauntlets. With the sword caught between the blades, he twisted it around, and it went soaring into the wall. An instant later he felt himself being knocked to that wall. His back hit a lever. In the next instant the lights flashed on, and everything was suddenly visible. His eyes stung from the sudden brightness, but he only allowed a moment to recover from the sudden burst of light. They were in some big storage room with a slightly high ceiling, and several crates that lined the walls.

Talia swung an arm at him, but he dodged it, and got behind her shoving her against the wall. She stopped herself from the impact by putting her hands in front of herself. He jumped for the laptop, and opened it quickly before he heard her moving quickly. He turned around to face her and she was seething at him. He saw her go for something in the folds of her armor, and he reacted by remembering the things he saved from his suit. At the same instant she threw her knives, and he his batarangs. He dodged most of the blades but not all. A small knife caught in his arm, but the rest of them embedded themselves in the wall behind him. A batarang grazed the skin on Talia's neck, but the rest were stuck in some crates. He pulled the blade out and threw it to the side forcefully. Bruce made sure not to move away from the computer that was counting down, he had to corner her.

"50% upload another 50% to go." The computer reported. Bruce let out of huff of impatience as he glared at her, and Talia looked uneasy at how he was so near the device. Talia suddenly jumped up on the boxes, skillfully leaping from one to the other, and running up against the side of the wall. She landed behind him, and her hands closed around the computer. Bruce twisted to face her, but she was already headed towards the door. He didn't stop to think as he growled and pursued her quickly. The lighter armor certainly made it a lot easier to run. He was becoming impatient, but he knew that he had to persevere, and that he must get to the computer. He had to find her before the upload was complete.

Blake's mind was tired and spent. He was in the streets ordering the riot squads to rally in a group of prisoners. The sirens wailed loudly in the air, and gunshots sounded. Most of the guns that were found on the fugitives were foreign and highly dangerous. He shook his head, wondering where they had received these weapons from. Someone shrieked in the night air, and Blake knew it was another bystander being cornered. In that single night they had to rescue dozens of citizens from the hands of the jail breakers. Some of the citizens were homeless, so it wasn't their fault, but when he found that there were citizens with homes, he really got ticked off. They spotted two guys with the orange jumpsuits of Blackgate, and several law enforcers pounced upon them. They of course fought back with fists and teeth. In front of them a woman and child were weeping uncontrollably as the members of the GCPD tried to lead them away, taking them to safer locations. It was anarchy in the streets. Suddenly his phone rang, and in spite of all the noise he was able to hear it.

"Hello?" Blake asked as he picked answered his cell phone wearily. The last thing he needed was a distraction. He expected to hear another officer pleading for back up, or the jail warden to be asking the progress, but instead he listened to the voice of a ten year old.

"Mr. Blake my dad and Batman are in trouble! I tried call the Coast Guard but they aren't answering!" The boy's words rang clearly in his ears. Blake pressed the phone closer to his ear in surprise. He was finally getting word from a child that had gone missing along with the rest of his family. Blake didn't have time to contemplate this. He needed to help the boy, and the Commissioner. Of course the Guard wasn't answering; they were too darn busy helping the city officials and they would never take a ten year old seriously.

"Where are you?"

"Out in the water. It's miles away from Gotham, but I don't know how far." James answered, his voice sounded shaken.

"I'm coming for you, and your dad. I'll bring the Coast Guard with me." Blake said reassuringly.

"Hurry, please, Mr. Blake, the boat is moving away. I almost can't see them anymore." James pleaded and Blake felt his heart rate accelerate. This was his chance. He was going to help them, no matter the cost.

"I will kid. Don't move from your position, the Guard will come and find you." Blake ordered, and slipped in a quick bye to the boy. Now they finally knew where the enemy was. He was going to find them, and make them pay for all the trouble they caused. He wasted no time as he pulled away from the chaos in his cruiser, racing down the roads to the docks near Gotham, as he called the Coast Guard to be ready.

In the department of the Archives, Fox got himself ready for his departure to the penthouse. Usually Bruce arrived by that time from his nightly habits, but he knew he wouldn't be there. He was just going to visit Wayne's butler who was probably having the hysterics right about now. He couldn't call, because all the lines were busy, and the only way to talk to his friend would be to visit. He wouldn't let any amount of rioters get in the way of him and his destination.

He looked at the clock, it was around four-thirty in the morning. He was sure going to feel his bad sleeping choices in the morning, but Wayne needed any possible leads on the mystery enemy and he was going to keep researching until they had answers.

Just then he heard the sound of machine fire, and he looked in the direction of the elevator. At the entrance stood three burly men with guns, they were obviously hired help. Fox kept his gaze neutral as he looked at them.

"Need anything?" He asked as they moved forward with their weapons in hand. Fox took off his glasses, and hid the files underneath his briefcase. He reached for a prototype closest to him.

Gordon descended into the engine room; the dark interior was only lit by a single light bulb. He knew his plan was reckless, but he needed to figure a way to stall the engine. He had no idea how he was going to do this, but knew he had to find a way quickly. All of the sudden he was abruptly shoved into the wall by something black and fast. His glasses were knocked off from the impact, and he was pretty much left blind because of the additional darkness. He didn't know if it was instinct or pure luck that he felt the urge to need to duck, which he did, as a huge fist came at him, hitting the wall behind him.

It was then that he made a run for the general direction of his glasses. He bumped into the League member and he heard a thump of something heavy hitting something metal. He blindly felt along the floor, and eventually had his glasses in his hand. He put them on, and everything became a lot clearer. That thump he heard moments before was the member falling on the gas component of the engine. He didn't know how, but he had actually made a shadow stumble.

The member wasn't all too happy about it, because he stood, and glared at Gordon who made himself ready with his weapon. He was about to fire, when he noticed the gas coming out of the component, and knew it would be fatal for both of them if he let a single spark ignite the dangerous fumes. The shadow didn't seem to notice, his dark glare was too intense to break. He was cut off from the entrance, and gas that was escaping didn't stop filling the precious air in the room.

He was using her tactics against her, as he shot his grappler up to higher ground. He landed with a light thud on the top, as he watched her run faster down below. His burning anger kept him from slowing. She wouldn't get away with destroying Gotham, or the satisfaction of slandering his father's name. Only he should have the right to do that. He did it all the time when he acted like a billionaire playboy. He didn't insult his parents directly; he would never do so, but his actions as their son, suggested failure to carry on their goodness to the city of Gotham.

He jumped down in front of her, wrenching the computer from her hands. He didn't want to make the mistake of letting her back away from him again.

Gordon raised his weapon above his head, feigning surrender, as the shadow moved towards him. He held back a smile as the member did exactly what he wanted him to do. As soon as the ninja was far enough away from the stair way, he made a run for it. As he was surging up the stairs he felt his ankle get grabbed and he fell forward, and turned over so that he saw the shadow dragging him down. He knew his last idea in his head was pure stupidity and would probably cause him a lot more pain but Gordon saw no other alternative.

He allowed himself to pull the trigger, and that did it. The area that was clouded in gasoline ruptured, and orange fire surged through the air. Gordon and the shadow flew across the deck. Gordon landed on the boat, but he heard a splash from down below. He was able to see the fire suddenly consuming the whole boat, and it started eating away throughout the entire ship. He knew that he had not only stalled the ship, but totaled it.

Just then a huge explosion rocked the boat, and Talia had one moment she was distracted. This was his one chance to bring her down. He didn't waste this opportunity. He grabbed both of her hands, and twisted them behind her back, as she struggled, and twisted. He used the remainder of the lines from his grappling hook to tie her arms to the boat.

"99% upload, 1% to go." The computer reported again, and Bruce opened it up quickly. He took his gloves off, and saw the remainder of seconds it needed. His hands worked frantically over the keys, as he tried to reprogram the command. "10…9…8…7… Command canceled."

"No!" Talia yelled in displeasure, and Bruce breathed a sigh of relief. Ten intense minutes he chased that computer down, and the person who carried it. His hands gripped the computer, knuckles turning white as he tried to reign in control over his temper. He breathed in slowly, and put his gloves back on and faced her when he was ready. His glare was steely, and her stare was cold. He waited a few moments to speak, and sighed.

"Why Talia?" He looked at her his face returning to neutral. Her expression remained angry. "Why did you have to do this?"

"You honestly can't get it through your thick skull? I came back to my home only to see it destroyed by flames! I was told that my father had finally gone to Gotham to finish his work, and when I get there he too has been consumed by fire! First my mother, and now my own father had to die at the hands of Batman." She spat, and her face displayed anger and pain that it had minutes before.

"Talia… I didn't kill him." Bruce said in a low voice, but he no longer was as angry as before. She looked at him in shock.

"But… you… you were there! You were on that train when it went down!" She struggled. At last Bruce understood her rage, and bitterness all made sense. He had felt the same effect before. He knew that anger could lead someone to do great and terrible things. She had held onto the worst kind of bitterness: revenge. Bruce nodded at what she had said.

"I was there, but as the train went down, I decided not to extend my hand to save him again."

"Again?" Talia asked in rage.

"I saved him from the first fire Talia, but I learned of his true intent for Gotham, and the nature of my parent's death, I could not save him a second time." Bruce replied calmly.

"Your parent's were murdered by a common thief…" Talia spoke in a quieter voice.

"He told me…that it was him." Bruce looked into Talia's blue eyes which seemed more curious. "We both have been lied to. Ras Al Ghul deceived you. He did not try to serve true justice. He murdered innocent lives to get to destroy Gotham and was going to do away with more lives." Bruce said this in a way that was not mockery, but Talia's eyes went back to angered.

"Well then, I guess that makes me the daughter of Ras Al Ghul. A member of the League of Shadows." She twisted around, cutting her bonds with her bladed gauntlets as she faced him. In fast and angered attacks they fought in the shadows and flame. The air was cold and hot, and the night in its darkest hour as the fire around them consumed more.

Blake was beginning to lose hope of ever finding them, when he saw something orange and bright light up in the night sky. It stuck out like a sore thumb. He jumped up, and ran to the captain of the speed boat. Two helicopters flew over them as several other boats followed.

"Over there!" He yelled, and waved one arm for the captain to speed it up. It had to be them! He knew they were several miles away, and he hoped that he could make it in time to save the Gordons…. And Batman, though he would never admit it to anyone.

Bruce suddenly realized that they were surrounded by fire. 'Why was there always a fire?' He felt the heat, and smell the overwhelming fumes. Talia didn't seem to notice, for she was far too busy attacking him, as he blocked her hateful blows.

"You…you will pay for your crimes!" She growled quietly; her voice sounded desperate now. She was not noting the wooden crates above her that were going to collapse at any minute.

"Talia-" He was about to talk to her, to tell her to move, but the wood came crashing down before he had the chance. It managed to slam on the back of her head, sending her sprawling to the ground in unconsciousness. Bruce felt himself moving forward, and kneeling down. He felt her pulse. She was alive.

Despite his past anger at her he pulled her out from underneath the smoldering wood, and hot metal with some difficultly, but managed it. He was very bitter at what she had said, but he knew that she had been corrupted by the same half truths that Ras had told him. He was able to see other shadows moving in one direction through the light of the boat, not bothering to stop and save their leader. 'Cowards…'

He turned back to Talia, and picked her up as the ashes rose through the air. The ship groaned as the damage of the fire worked on its skeleton. He carried her in his arms as he walked in the direction of all the shadows. They were already getting into another speed boat to leave, not noticing him. One more was about to go when he realized someone was there with Talia. Bruce handed her over to the shadow, and glared fully into the eyes of the member.

"Never come back to my city again!" Bruce growled in his Batman voice in anger. The shadow looked at him with narrowed eyes as Bruce glared in return. "Go! Leave Gotham!"

The shadow descended with Talia and the members all left him and the city as he stared them down until they were out of sight. The speed boat drifted farther off the coast of Gotham as he let them go, but just this once. Only this time he would let them leave this way.

He turned and grabbed the mask he had been wearing earlier at his feet. He pulled it over his head, and turned looking at the boat. He returned to the smoke, and went in search of Gordon.

Talia opened her eyes. Her head throbbed painfully, and she noticed that she and her men were on a speed boat. The shadows were looking different directions, knowing that she did not like it when they hovered. It was then that she noticed her ship was afire, and sinking into the black waters. The choppers of the Coast Guard and several GCPD speed boats circled the container ship. It was at that moment that she realized what she had truly lost. A silent tear escaped her eye as she thought about what Bruce had said of her father. Talia asked what had happened and a shadow reported it to her immediately. She was shocked, but maybe she shouldn't have been that surprised. The view she held of Wayne was now bitter, but all in all, she knew she owed him her life. She looked at the boat once again, and closed her eyes.

'Thank you…' And they rode away in the silence of defeat. They had lost the battle over Gotham, but Talia shook her head, refusing to accept it. She would always live to regret this day. Just then dawn broke, sending its small rays of light giving only hints of light to the cold night sky.

A/N: Phew! That took a while to write. Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to make sure every detail was in there, and I wanted to give you guys the best finale my mind could think of. You can tell me you hate it or like it. I hope this has been a good read for you, but I have a little more for you to read. Thank you for bearing with me through all the bumps and cracks along the road. I'm grateful to every one of my readers and reviewers, because you have been awesome! I will be posting more so don't go away. Until next time!