Weary blue eyes stared blankly into the reflection in the mirror. Droplets of water dripped down from wet greying locks and down the man's stubbled chin.
'HA HA HA! JOKE'S ON YOU BATMAN!'
The man in front of the mirror sneered and the grip on the lid of the sink tightened to the point his knuckles became paler and paler.
'HA HA HA! JOKE'S ON YOU BATMAN!'
A fire burned in those pair of blue eyes as dark whispers haunted his every thought and the corners of his vision slowly turned red with rage.
'HA HA HA! JOKE'S ON YOU BATMAN!'
A fist slammed into the mirror, leaving large cracks while some pieces fell down on the sink. Rather than seeing the man's own reflection, a more darker and masked visage took it's place. The reflection on the broken mirror was not that of Bruce Wayne but that of Batman. Gotham's Dark Knight.
~Line Break~
"H-Here. T-that's everything in the safe. Just please let us go!"
The jewelry store's manager shakily handed the duffel bag back to the masked robber who then threw it towards his companion. His companion caught the bag and checked the contents before turning to the other two tying up the terrified civilians inside the store. A dead guard sat with his back against the wall as blood flowed down the hole on his forehead.
"We got it. Bug out!"
The robber in front of the manager turned away from his companion and looked at the woman.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Without another word, he riddled the poor woman full of holes. The robber didn't release the trigger until he used all 30 rounds of his SMG. The robber reloaded his weapon before making his way out of the store. As soon as he walked out the door, the escape van arrived and the side door opened to reveal the rest of his partners.
"Get i- "
Before he could finish, something large slammed into the van and sent it crashing down the street. The masked robber's jaw slackef before feeling a sharp pain near his shoulder and screamed. He looked to where the pain was and saw a long cord sticking out near his shoulder. Before he knew it, he was pulled forward and something hard slammed into his abdomen and sent him crashing through the jewelry store's glass window. The people inside screamed when they saw the robber but stopped as the tall and muscular figure of the Dark Knight jumped through the window and quickly close in on the downed man. The robber reached for his gun but a heavy boot slammed into his hand and the man screamed in pain as the weight of the boot crushed his hand.
Batman grabbed the robber by the shirt and lifted him up before slamming him into the ceiling. He didn't stop his brutal assault as he grabbed the man once more and slammed him into the wall before proceeding to punch the man across the face again and again until the masked robber was barely conscious. The Dark Knight gave him one last punch before letting him fall into a heap on the floor. Batman then grabbed the robber's ankle and dragged the semi-conscious man towards the window before, in a show of great strength, throwing him towards the Batmobile which was a prototype and unreleased armored tank. A gift from a friend.
The robber slammed hard into the side of the vehicle and rolled to his back. Batman grabbed the robber once more before slamming him on the Batmobile. The Dark Knight reared his fist back for a punch but was stopped as one of the robbers from the van shot exited the wrecked vehicle and managed to get shot to the side of Batman's head. Unfortunately for him, the Dark Knight's cowl was layered with armor and the round bounced off Batman's head. The Dark Knight turned his head towards his attacker and growled before throwing two Batarangs at the man and nailing him on the hand and the hip, causing the second robber to drop the gun in his hand and fall to the ground.
As the man tried to pull the bat-shaped weapon embedded on his hand, a shadow loomed over him and looked up to see the Dark Knight looking menacingly down at him.
"P-Please. I give up. Take me in." The robber begged but Batman stared impassively down at the cowering criminal "It was all their idea. I'll tell every thing in court. Just give me a chance, man!"
Slowly, the Dark Knight squat down and pulled the whimpering man's head back by the hair before looking straight into the man's eyes.
"No."
And without another word, Batman decked the robber across the face and the man fell unconcious to the pavement. The force of the blow was enough to give the robber a concussion. Batman then stood up and made his way over to the jewelry store. He walked towards the tied up civilians and pulled out a Batarang before crouching to the closest tied up person and cut her free. The teenager rubbed her wrists before looking up at the Dark Night.
"Thank you."
Batman didn't reply before moving on to the others. Ignoring the mix of terrified and grateful looks they gave him. By the time he was done, police sirens were heard from down the street and Batman hurried to the Batmobile. The doors of the vehicle opened, allowing the Dark Knight to jump inside and make a speedy getaway just as the police arrived. By the time Gotham City Police reached the area, all they could find were the robbers and their wrecked escape vehicle.
Commissioner Jim Gordon arrived at the scene a bit later and saw the carnage left behind by the Bat. The man sighed and took off his glasses before rubbing the bridge of his nose. When did the Bat became so ruthless? Why ws he even asking that when Jim already knew the answer to that question. Hell, he was there when he saw the Bat take away the boy's body. Jim shook his head before putting his glasses back on.
"Commissioner Gordon."
Jim turned to the speaker to see one of the officer's approach.
"Report."
"Three unconcious robbers and one dead. All male. Two civilian casualties. The store manager and the guard. Female and male. Both death via gunshot."
"How did that other one die?"
"Guy's neck is broken. Witnesses said that the Bat's vehicle slammed into the van and sent it rolling down the street. Forensics report that the man broke his neck on impact. I saw the body before it was moved. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt." The officer sighed before looking back at the wreck and the three robbers getting hauled in via ambulance while the fourth robber, the manager and the guard were placed in body bags "The Bat's getting out of control."
Jim let out a hollow laugh at that.
"He's a vigilante. What'd you expect?"
"You saw the reports from last week. Ten guys were sent to ICU while five were dead on arrival. He didn't used to be like this."
Jim looked away from the officer and found himself staring at the body bags as they were hauled away.
"Maybe. But things change. People change. For better or for worse. The Bat isn't any different."
"And what if he goes too far?"
The Commisioner scowled and turned away before opening the door to his car. Before he entered, he looked over his shoulder and gave the officer his answer.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
~Line Break~
Bruce Wayne yawned as he got off the bed and made his way over to the bathroom. The jewelry store robbery wasn't the only crime that happened last night. There were more crimes happening all over Gotham and he made sure to stop every single one of them. From petty theft to human trafficking to arms dealing, he stopped them all. But the problem was, he was the one that won't stop. It's been eight years since Jason died in the hands of that mad clown but Bruce kept going. No. The Batman kept going. He kept fighting and fighting. Day after day. Night after night. He was getting old, he just hit forty five back in February, but his rage refused to acknowledge that. And that rage never died down. Even now, it was still there.
Once upon a time, he had faith that those people will change. But as the years passed, they didn't and he was the one that changed. Back then, he would've given them a second chance. He wouldn't have killed but now he brutalizes them to the point where they were barely alive. He stopped giving a damn about their lives. He had denied it at first but as time passed, he had begun to enjoy what he did. And deep down, he was scared of what he had become. He turned his back on the things he stood for. Things that separated him from the ones he fought. A criminal. But he still can't stop.
Perhaps it was time for the Bat to hang the cowl but then what? He had no successor. His last one died in the line of duty and the one before him left. And even if he did retire, the criminals out there would burn this city to the ground once they hear that the Bat was gone. It would be absolute chaos and he would not let that happen. Over his dead body.
"Master Wayne."
Bruce looked to the voice to see Alfred standing by the door. A grim expression placed on the older man's visage.
"What is it?"
"There's a situation in Metropolis."
~Line Break~
18 Months Later
Batman watched hidden from the rooftops as the GCPD dragged the branded trafficker away to the station while the press took pictures of another victim of the Dark Knight. The girls held prisoner were taken to an ambulance to get looked at while being questioned by Jim Gordon. When asked why they refused to leave the cage, they answered with one word. Devil.
"I knew I'd find your brooding butt here. Looking down at them like some kinda gargoyle."
Batman grunted as he heard the softly accented voice behind him. Turning his head to look over his shoulders, the figure in the shadows stepped out to reveal a woman with short blonde hair that reached just above her neck. A set of blue eyes undereath a pair of red tinted, round rimmed glasses. She was wearing a white ribbed tank top along with a black, high waist suit pants and a pair red pumps. Over the blouse was a black trench coat.
"If anyone else saw you, they would've called you a creep."
"Harleen."
Jason's torture under the Joker was her wake-up call and without her, he wouldn't have found him. But even with her help, he was still too late. The warehouse exploded just as he was about to enter it. He digged through the wreckage and refused to leave until he found the body. By the time GCPD arrived, Batman walked away from the scene as he silently carried Jason's broken and desecrated body. Harley Quinn went off the grid and never came back but Batman knew where she was. She went into hiding because she knew that the Joker knows what she had done. She had betrayed him by telling on Batman and cutting the Joker's 'fun time' with Robin short. Batman gave her a safehouse that no one would expect. The Manor. No one expected her to take refuge there and everyone knew that Bruce Wayne hasn't been living in the Manor years after his parents' death. Living in some isolated house somewhere close but not too close to the Manor. The only time she went out of hiding was when the Joker was finally dealt with. Finally free from the mad clown, the Bat let her leave and start anew. She once more took the role of a psychiatrist but made sure to stay as far away from Arkham as possible. Though sometimes she would be at the Cave assisting him in Alfred's place.
"Bruce."
Harleen Quinzel, formerly Harley Quinn, walked over to the Bat and placed her hand on his shoulder. She had figured out his secret identity by accident during her stay at his safehouse. When he gave her refuge on Wayne Manor, she was bored and if she wasn't bored, she was paranoid. Paranoid that the Joker would pop up out of the doors or windows or closets and kill her or worse. A few days later she saw Alfred tending to the gardens and followed him back to Bruce's house and stumbled upon the Cave. It didn't take long to put two and two together. And just her luck, the Bat came back. She remembered falling to the ground as the Bat walked over to her. She felt fear as he loomed over her and when she saw the blood on his knuckles, that feeling skyrocketed. She closed her eyes in fear when she saw Batman reached out but nothing happened. When she decided to open her eyes, all she saw was Batman holding out his hand for her to take.
Maybe it was because when he helped her up, he didn't follow it up with a sharp punch to the gut or a hard slap to the face like the Joker. Maybe it was because of the promise he made to her when he took her in. That he swore to protect her and won't let the Joker anywhere near her. Maybe because she knew that he would keep his promise. Maybe it was because he could still see Harleen underneath the crazy. Maybe that's why she trusted him and not once did she thought of revealing his secret to anyone. She even surprised herself when she told him she will take the secret to her grave and she meant it.
"Go home, Bruce." Her voice was always soft and her accent was barely recognizable whenever she talked to him "Please. You've done enough for tonight."
That was an understatement. As soon as the sun went down, Batman began patrolling the streets of Gotham. Like a hidden predator, Batman was waiting for the opportune time to strike. There's a new mean in the Bat and he's hunting. She had noticed it ever since the death of Jason Todd and his killing of the Joker. He had changed into something more dangerous. Unhinged. Like an animal within him was released. It didn't help that Bruce kept Robin's desecrated suit in the cave and every time he goes out, he would look at it. And he's been doing it for ten years. A stark reminder of his greatest failure. She had tried to dissuade him but the Bat can be stubborn and inside she knew she was partly to blame for what happened. She helped the Joker capture Robin in the first place. She was the one that dealt the blow that knocked the boy unconscious with her baseball bat. It was something that haunted her to this day. Wondering if she hadn't done it, perhaps the boy could've escaped.
"I'll see you at the cave."
"You better."
"You'd know if I was lying."
Though it was brief, Harleen still managed to spot the small quirk of his lips. Without another word, the Dark Knight left the former criminal alone in the rooftop as she watched the man in the bat suit leave.
~Line Break~
"Thank you for your help, Doctor Dawes."
"Anytime, Wesley."
Harleen Quinzel, or Doctor Hailey Dawes, nodded as the man left. Walking over to the door, she made sure it was locked before removing the brown wig off her head and placing it on her desk with a sigh. The guy's problem reminded her of a cellmate back in Arkham. The one who can't pee unless it was their own home bathroom. She had to wonder how long the woman had been holding it in before she finally burst. Good thing it was in the showers and not the cell. That would've sucked. But it still didn't suck as much as what Wesley was going through. I mean, really? How unlucky can you be if your wife leaves you for a pizza delivery guy? Unless said pizza delivery guy turned out to be a superhero in disguise, she could see why she would leave the average Joe for that. There was a knock on the door and Harley quickly placed the wig back on her head before unlocking the door and opening it slightly.
"May I enter, Miss Quinzel."
Harleen smiled and opened the door fully.
"Come on in, Alfred."
"Thank you, Miss Quinzel."
Harleen closed the door and locked it as the elderly gentleman walked inside before holding out a large paper bag to the reformed criminal.
"For you, madam. I believe you had takeout in mind for lunch you hadn't had time to eat breakfast before you left for work so I made you sausages and mash. With a serving of gravy of course."
"You are the best, Alfie."
Harleen couldn't help herself and grinned widely as she wrapped her arms around the elderly man who replied with a small chuckle. It reminded Alfred of a time when Master Wayne was still young. A time before the horrible tragedy befell upon the young master. A time when Bruce Wayne was just a happy child with a loving family. A family that he had the honor to be a part of. The blonde took the paper bag and set it down on the desk before offering Alfred to take a seat to which he politely declined.
"I'm afraid I must be going, Miss Quinzel. Someone has to wake Master Wayne. Hopefully, the cellar won't be empty this time."
"Don't get your hopes up."
Alfred bid her farewell and Harleen smiled as she waved goodbye. Once the door closed, Harleen lost the smile and her thoughts went to Bruce and his path to self destruction.
Sometimes she was the one to wake the man up after a night of sex and drinks with whoever girl he brought back. She had seen the pills and the bottles of alcohol lying around. From the living room to the bedroom. It's a miracle he hadn't died of alcohol poisoning with the way he's been going. She really wished she could do something about it. Hell, she had nearly ten years to do something about it but what can she do when he won't even listen to his son or the man who was like a father to him? What can a reformed crazy like her do to stop him from going further down this path? She asked that question for nearly ten years now and she still didn't have an answer.
She was interrupted from her thoughts when her stomach decided to make it's presence known. The blonde shook her head with a laugh and opened the paper bag before taking out it's contents.
"Eat now. Worry about Batdrunk later."