City in Pieces II

Chapter Thirty-Five: Aggravated Assault

Gordon, Miranda, and the other cops were on "trial" before Jonathan Crane of all people. A mob of hoods, mercs, and escaped prisoners—many of whom Gordon was personally responsible for putting behind bars—crowded the former stock exchange, hooting and hollering at the disgusting spectacle. Bane himself watched from the upper gallery. Gordon repressed a shudder at the sight of the masked madman who was close to destroying Gotham. Gordon's eyes looked along the jury, recognizing the prisoners of Arkham, and as all the other victims of this plot might have done before, Gordon's eyes fell upon the only woman wearing Marine fatigues. He could spot those eyes from a distance if he had to do so. Gordon wondered if Chance was still appreciating the new regime, though her face seemed less devilish now that he was on the stand.

Gordon noticed that her hair color was tinged. There was abnormal warmth in the air, though he was only a little convinced that it could be anything but him, knowing his fate. Miranda Tate, of course, stood close beside Gordon, gazing at the other hoodlums on the floor. Her eyes met Bane's, and then fluttered to Chance, who also looked at her from the balcony.

Jonathan Crane banged his gavel to silence the crowd.

"The charges are espionage and attempted sabotage," Crane declared with an undisguised smirk. "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

Ace's voice could be heard around the room in response,

"As if it's any help now!"

Joker's laugh followed.

Gordon glanced in the general direction with a scowl. He turned to Crane, whom he thought belong in a strait jacket rather than a judge's robes. Gordon knew that Ace was enjoying the role-reversal. Gordon glanced up to the crowd to see Chance once more. Her gaze was nearly catatonic.

"No lawyer," said Gordon, "no witnesses? What sort of due process is this?"

"More than you gave Harvey's prisoners, Commissioner."

There was agreement all around the room.

"Your guilt has been determined. This is merely a sentencing hearing. What's it to be, Commissioner? Death or exile?"

By now, the entire city knew that both choices would lead to a cease in all existence. Really, at what point did this even matter?

"Crane, if you think that we're going willingly out onto that ice, you've got another thing coming."

The psychiatric judge waved away Gordon's insolence.

"Death, then?"

Gordon wasn't about to plead for his life, Chance knew, as she watched the brave soldier give Crane a sardonic look. She admitted admiration for him. Twenty years…Thirty years…It was quite a long haul for him. Gordon glanced at Miranda furtively; he was hoping that her life might be spared.

"Looks that way." Gordon resigned.

"Very well. Death," Crane said, and then he smiled, "by exile."

The crowd roared with applause as he banged his gavel once in finality. Then a hush fell across the room as Bane stepped forward. Crane glanced toward him. Chance watched Bane signal one of his men to the middle of the room.

"Bring her to me," he said, indicating Miranda.

As Talia made her way up to the gallery, Chance turned to Ace quietly.

"The bomb is due to go off soon, Ace," informed Chance. "It's set to go off today."

Ace's eyes widened. It seemed as if yesterday, it had been only three months. This day had finally arrived, though Ace had been counting on an intervention by a long-gone Batman, but the caped crusader hadn't shown his face since the Stock Exchange. Ace glanced behind them at Talia and Bane, who were in the middle of a discussion, probably as intense as the one they were having. Ace turned back to Chance, who was giving Ace an enduring look.

"I promised," explained Chance, "that I would warn you of the impending explosion from the detonation. We have only hours."

Ace looked at her boldly.

"The bomb is going to go off today? I thought we have a day or two left. There are so many things I want to do…" Ace muttered. "Chance…"

"I'm not saying that you have to leave. Things have changed since you've been in Black Gate, and I don't intend to think that you were set on leaving."

"Bane's got me as your protector." Ace shrugged. "Besides, I always wanted to go out with a bang."

Chance started to say something, but Bane approached from behind. He glanced at Ace then to his lieutenant.

"We have to get ready." Bane told her.

Ace, Bane, Chance, and Talia strode the streets of Gotham, heading back from the courtroom to headquarters in City Hall. This was the last time that they expected to walk this route. Everything was in place. After so many months, the culmination of Bane's plans was less than a day away. Soon Gotham would see its last dawn—and the legacy of Ra's al Ghul would be fulfilled at last. Bane hoped that Wayne was enjoying the show. Ace approached Chance with a grin on her face.

"Chance."

"Hm?"

Chance glanced at her friend, who was smirking too widely, staring up at the skyscrapers.

"You should be the one," she whispered, "to inform your baby daddy that your plan," her accent transformed into Joker, "has been turned on itself."

Chance gave her questionable look, then she followed Ace's gaze. Chance stopped Bane from walking any further.

"Sir?"

Bane halted, hearing the tone in his lieutenant's voice. He turned to follow Ace and Chance's gaze to see a burning sign of a bat burning brightly on a building on the other side of the river. Talia appeared by Ace's side, watching flames on the building tease.

"You think it's really him?" asked Ace curiously, a hand on one of her curvy hips.

"Impossible…" Bane muttered.

Under three hours, Chance was a woman with fire coming out of her hands. Ace watched her pyrokinetic friend with a bored expression on her face, not at all phased by her superpower. All Ace knew was that she handled heavier fire power in the past, and Chance's sudden new ability was not something of an issue. However, Chance had a right to be irritated at the matters at hand.

"They're ruining everything!" Chance roared furiously. A burst of flames recoiled from her fingertips, charring the marble floor beneath her feet. Ace sat down on the desk in City Hall, arms crossed. "In three hours, my plans, my strategies have been destroyed!"

"Hey, you still have this bomb, don't you?" said Ace decisively, "That plan is still in the making."

Chance turned to her.

"In only a few hours, Batman has come back, and I know it's his doing! The cops have been freed from that dungeon! They're out and about! They're a whole army."

"Well, you couldn't have expected that Bats would stay at bay…"

"He wasn't at bay!" Chance yelled angrily, approaching Ace, who handed Chance a reproachful look. "He wasn't given a flesh wound; Bane broke him. Bane broke his back and sent him to continent miles away from here! Miles, Ace! Africa!" Chance was steaming on her shoulders. "Ace, he was a broken shell of a man who was watching his hometown be annihilated before his very eyes. How has he come back?"

"Stop screaming at me." Ace said dangerously.

Chance looked at her, annoyed.

"You told me that Batman wasn't part of the problem anymore." Ace reminded her. "You said he wasn't going to intervene."

"I was certain that this plan was fool-proof." Chance argued. She paced back and forth. "I watched Bane myself. I saw him break Batman's back. I saw it. He could barely move. Now you tell me, Ace, how a man who has no spine was able to climb out of a stone pit, and walk several thousands of miles back and ruin a plan"—Chance was in Ace's face—"that I had been perfecting for seventeen years!"

Ace pushed Chance away from her.

"I don't know how he was able to recover, Chance, but it looks like your arrogance has gotten the better of you again—you and Bane. You've obviously mistaken again and underestimated what he can do!" Ace said firmly to a very aggravated Chance. Ace pointed outside to the rising dawn. "He is freeing those who have imprisoned by you, by us. And they'll fight to take control of their city, just like Bane said. Everyone knows that he was lying, Chance. You think they'll just sit back and take it?"

"Yes, until the bomb turned everyone into dust!" Chance retorted, igniting flames along her arms.

Ace, exhausted from being Chance's match, took a nearby cup of water and splashed it in Chance's face, extinguishing her almost immediately. Chance wiped water from her mouth, staring at Ace in slight surprise.

"Stop lighting up like a torch, Chance. It gets desperately hot when you do that!" Ace said, clearly annoyed.

Chance crossed the deck of City Hall to peer out the window. Even as they argued, an army of uniformed officers were only a mile away, walking toward them to declare war upon the League of Shadows. Chance turned to Ace, who was also gazing out the window. She smiled.

"Well, my friend," said Chance lightly, "it looks like we're going out with a bang after all. I have to get Bane."

"I surely recommend that you do." Ace muttered. From within her sleeves, Ace whipped out two very sharp long knives. Ace smirked at Chance. "You better get him fast, too. War is upon us."