Chapter 26: Under Martial Law

Gotham was now caught in the iron grip of Bane. All bridges leading out of Gotham were destroyed, save for one. Under Bane's threat, if anyone tried to leave or interfere in Gotham, the triggerman would set off the neutron bomb and destroy the city. Bane declared Gotham under martial law. The wealthy were ripped from their homes, and their were many murders, as Bane promised. Bane held kangaroo courts which sentenced many of Gotham's citizens to death or exile. With the threat of the triggerman setting off the bomb, there was little anyone could do. Before his men freed the inmates of Blackgate, Bane made the revelation from Jim's speech that Harvey had been the one who committed those murders eight years ago, not Batman. This revelation troubled Emma and Blake, as they were stunned that Jim had not trusted them with this information. While Jim slept, Emma found herself wide awake. She got up to make herself a cup of coffee and found Blake with a cup.

"Couldn't sleep?" Blake asked.

"When you have a newborn, sleep often eludes you," Emma said.

"I can see that," Blake laughed. "The little guy is a screamer. I don't know how you do it."

"It's a maternal instinct," Emma said.

"Well, I haven't heard a peep from the kid, so I guess that's not why you're awake," Blake said.

Emma sighed, poured a cup of coffee, and sat at her table with Blake. "I couldn't stop thinking about yesterday."

"About the commissioner's speech," Blake said.

"I just don't know why he never told us," Emma said.

"You got me," Blake said. "I would've thought he'd have told you, if anyone. I've seen the way you look at each other."

"Excuse me?" Emma said, baffled.

"Never mind," Blake said.

"I was more horrified that he watched a man try to murder his son and did nothing," Emma said.

"Well, I'm not a parent, but I can see why that would get you," Blake said.

"I just don't know why I feel guilty," Emma said. "I am angry with Jim for his actions eight years ago, but I feel guilty about what I said to him."

"You didn't lie for eight years," Blake said.

"I've been awake all night thinking about what Jim said and those events eight years ago," Emma said. "I know Jim lied, and that was wrong of him, but perhaps it was wrong of us to judge him."

"Emma, we both knew Batman didn't murder Harvey, and we were both forced into believing it because of the commissioner," Blake said.

"But we weren't there," Emma said. "That's why I feel we were wrong to be so harsh. Jim has never let me down before. He's always done the best for this city."

"I'll take your word for it," Blake said.

"I was thinking about what Jim said to me. He asked me to think as if I were in the same situation he was," Emma said. "He said I would've done the same to keep Gotham safe, especially for the sake of Jacob. I told him I wouldn't have, but now I believe that I was wrong."

"You do have a point," Blake said. "If I had a kid, I would do anything to keep this city safe."

"I believe Jim made just as great of a sacrifice by keeping this secret," Emma said.

"How'd you figure that?" Blake asked.

"Remember the Joker?" Emma asked.

"How could anyone forget?" Blake said.

"The Joker wanted chaos in Gotham, and I think Harvey was the key to unleashing it," Emma said. "Jim kept that secret to ensure that didn't happen. He could've caved in and let the people know how evil Harvey really was, but he never did. He let us hold on to the White Knight we knew. That's why I can't help but feel I was the one who was wrong. Perhaps in our anger, we forgot what Jim did for us."

"Well, I can't argue with you there," Blake said. "As a matter of fact, I don't know what I would've done if I had to carry a secret like that for eight years."

"Remember what Jim said about having a friend like he did in such a moment of crisis?" Emma said.

"Yeah," Blake replied.

"Jim is that friend," Emma said.

"He is," Blake said. "Our hands have been kept clean because of him."

The city of Gotham was on complete lock down. The only bridge in Gotham was now guarded to keep anyone from leaving. The city was now living in fear. Blackgate Prison was stormed and every inmate was running free over the city, killing and thieving at will. Jim, Blake, and Emma remained in her house until they could find a plan to stop Bane. Without the aid of the police, the majority of whom were trapped in the tunnels, there was little they could do.

"Isn't there any way we could sneak out of here and get on to a television network?" Jim asked.

"That's unlikely," Emma said. "Bane's men have eyes and ears in every corner of this city."

"And if they see you, they'll most likely shoot you before you can do anything," Blake added.

"These people are living in fear," Jim said. "If I don't show Bane's true colors, sooner or later, they'll play right into his hands."

"Honestly, commissioner, I don't think the situation is in our hands anymore," Blake said.

"We need you alive more than anything," Emma said. "If you die, then we have no one left. I'm afraid there's little we can do."

"That's what I was afraid of," Jim said.

Later that night, Jim was pacing around the room. He was frustrated by Bane's revolution and what it had done to Emma and Blake. They were two people who trusted him and he let them down.

"What were you thinking, Jim?" he asked himself. "What did you think when you covered up for Harvey Dent all those years ago?"

Jim ran his fingers through his hair. "How can I stop Bane now? I have to stop him. I have to bring Gotham back."

Jim's thoughts were interrupted when he heard whimpering. He opened the door and crept into Emma's room. Jacob's crib was not far from Emma's bed. Jacob was squirming and whining as he lay in his crib.

"Hey, Jacob," Jim whispered.

Jim gingerly picked up little Jacob as the baby still whimpered. "Hey, Jacob. Hey, little man."

Quietly, Jim carried Jacob out of the room and into the living room. Jim fixed Jacob a warm bottle and sat down on a rocking chair. Jacob greedily sucked down on the bottle as Jim rocked him.

"Wow, you were hungry, weren't you?" Jim said.

Jim continued to rock Jacob and soothe him to sleep. Jacob fell asleep as Jim rocked him slowly. Jim smiled and stroked his cheek. Jim looked up and saw Emma watching him.

"Look at you two getting along," Emma said.

"He was awake and hungry," Jim said. "I thought you deserved a break."

"You didn't have to," Emma said.

"No, it's alright," Jim said. "You deserved some rest."

"Look, I wanted to apologize for what I said," Emma said.

"You don't owe me an apology. I owe you one," Jim said earnestly.

"No, you don't," Emma said. "I reacted too hastily when Bane read that speech, and I said some terrible things."

"I was wrong not to tell you, or the rest of Gotham," Jim said.

"I understand why you never told anyone," Emma said. "You did it for the good of this city. I understand that it couldn't have been easy to do what you did. You were right. If I had been in your situation, I would've done the same thing."

"Thank you for understanding," Jim said.

Emma nodded. "Are you sure you're alright with him?"

"He's fine," Jim said. "It's been a while since I've done this, but I think we're fine."

"Are you sure?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," Jim said. "You go back to bed. I'll take care of him."

"Thank you," Emma said.

In the morning, Jim, Blake, and Emma met in her living room to discuss what to do about the bomb. They knew from Bane's interference at the football game that the bomb was rigged to blow by the triggerman. Jim made it his priority to find the bomb.

"What have you got, Jim?" Emma asked.

"We need to get out and find the bomb," Jim said.

"How do we find it? We don't even know what they've done with it," Blake said.

"I believe they must be keeping it mobile somehow that makes it undetectable," Jim said. "I need you two to go out and get an idea of where it could be. I'll try to contact Foley so we can pass information to him."

"Alright," Blake and Emma said.

Blake and Emma headed out onto the streets. After all the action that had happened, the city was now quiet. It was as if the city was a ghost town. Blake and Emma knew Bane would be hunting police officers and they remained wary.

"We can't stroll around in plane sight," Emma said. "We have to get somewhere out of sight."

"Let's get to City Hall and see if we can find anything from up there," Blake said. "It's a good vantage point."

"Let's go," Emma said.

Emma and Blake walked down to City Hall and took the elevator to the highest point in the building. From their vantage point, Emma and Blake could see the vehicles moving down the streets. As a result of Bane's occupation, the only vehicles on the streets were three, enormous trucks with lead-lined roofs.

"Look," Blake said. "That big truck with the lead lined roof. I'll bet anything that's where they're keeping the bomb."

"If they want to make it undetectable, that would be they way to do it," Emma said. "I see two more coming down."

"So they've got the bomb on one of three trucks," Blake said. "We'll report this to the commissioner."

Emma and Blake took the elevator down. It was there that Emma found someone familiar.

"Isn't that the CEO of Wayne Enterprises?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, Miranda Tate," Blake replied. "And that's Lucius Fox."

"Do you think they know what happened to Bruce Wayne?" Emma asked.

"Let's find out," Blake said.

Blake and Emma approached Miranda Tate, a tall, slim woman with dark hair and bright blue eyes. Lucius Fox was a tall man with grey hair. Emma and Blake flashed their badges.

"Mr. Fox and Ms. Tate?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Miranda and Lucius said.

"I'm Detective Emma Lawson, and this is Detective John Blake," Emma said. "We need to know what happened with Bruce Wayne. Would you know anything about that?"

"No," Lucius said. "No one has seen Bruce since he was pulled from the Wayne board."

"What about the incident a few days ago?" Blake asked. "Bane kidnapped you and your board. Why?"

"He wanted us to turn on the bomb," Lucius said. "The bomb was originally a fusion reactor meant to be the first of its kind. Bane pulled the bomb out of the core and turned it into a bomb."

"I'm afraid I have to accept responsibility for this," Miranda said. "It is my job as CEO of Wayne Enterprises."

"We have to work out a situation before the triggerman sets it off," Blake said.

"I'm afraid we don't have to worry about a triggerman," Lucius said. "As the bomb is disconnected from the core, its cells will deteriorate. This bomb will go off in another two months with or without the triggerman."

"So, we have to find a way to reconnect it to the core," Emma said.

"I'm afraid that won't be likely anytime soon," Blake said.

"We'll let you know if and when there's a chance to get that bomb," Emma said.

Emma and Blake reported back to Jim, who was watching the television for any further news on Bane or the bomb.

"Commissioner," Blake said.

"What have you found out?" Jim asked.

"We got a vantage point from City Hall," Emma said. "They're keeping the bomb on one of three trucks, each with a lead-lined roof. And there's something else you should know."

"We encountered Miranda Tate and Lucius Fox of Wayne Enterprises," Blake said.

"What do they have to do with this?" Jim asked.

"Their fusion reactor is now the bomb," Emma explained. "Bane disconnected the reactor and turned it into a bomb. The bomb will deteriorate until it becomes unstable and detonates, regardless of the triggerman."

"But we should still be looking for a triggerman, shouldn't we?" Blake asked.

"No, it's a ruse," Jim said. "Bane would never give the trigger to an ordinary citizen. How much time do we have, Emma?"

"According to Lucius Fox, we have two months," Emma replied.

"Then let's not waste any time. We have to find that bomb," Jim said.

"But there's no way we can do anything without Batman," Blake said. "We need his help if we're going to get rid of that bomb."

"Blake, I think at this point, we're on our own," Jim said.

A/N: Uh-oh. Where's Batman when you need him? I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for the reviews, favorites, etc. Enjoy!