Gotham City
"Move the hell out my way!" Chester pushed pedestrians aside and kept running, knowing the Demon would find him. Chester turned down an alley and saw his shadow in the moonlight.
"Shit!" he started to climb a fire escape. Chester fumbled with his phone. As he got onto the roof he froze, seeing a tall dark outline of Him.
Chester slowly backed away, reaching for the knife in his back pocket.
"Don't try it." The Demon's voice was quiet yet held fury. Chester heard the anger and rage carrying his every word. Chester dropped the knife onto the floor and looked up at him to only see he was gone. Suddenly Chester was thrown into a vent and saw Him standing much closer. "You know what I want. You're going to give it to me."
Chester leaned up against the vent and closed his eyes, letting tears fall down his cheek. "I didn't think you was real. Thought you were a telltale to keep small timers out of East or somethin."
The Demon grabbed Chester's throat and began to squeeze on it tightly while he just stared blankly. "Is this real enough for you?
Chester put his hands up as his eyes began to bulge and veins became more apparent. "Okay! Okay! Alright..whatever it is, you got it!" he choked out. The Demon released Chester and he began to cough violently and spit phlegm on the ground before recollecting himself.
"The Chechen..I want EVERYTHING on his operation!" The Demon became more intense, seeming animalistic.
"Listen..I can give you anything else but that is out of my han-" Chester was interrupted as he was picked up by his collar and the vigilante dangled him off of the roof over oncoming traffic.
Chester screamed as the Demon just looked into his eyes. As Chester looked back, all he saw was cold blue. It was as if there was no soul behind that window. "I'm giving you a choice right now that you will never be able to make again. So choose carefully."
"Jesus man! Relax! I'll tell you!" Chester felt his chest tighten as the cold air blew fiercely.
"Hey! Goddamn freak, put him down!" a voice yelled from the other side of the roof. Three men walked up the fire escape, armed with bats and pipes.
The Demon just threw Chester back onto the ground. "I don't have time for this." He balled his fist and scowled at all of them.
"Get the fuck outta here pal. This ain't your business and frankly … I don't like to beat up on crazy people like you," the leader said cockily. The rest of the group chortled and snickered like hyenas while the Demon remained in place, almost as if he hadn't heard anything.
He began to walk towards the gang as they all stood there stunned at his paranormal-like presence. The Demon stopped in front of them and looked the leader into the eyes. "I'm not finished yet. Leave. Now."
The leader just laughed and looked back to his buddies. "He's not finished, that's real cute-" The leader swung his bat at the Demon but it was stopped centimeters away from his face.
The Demon twisted the man's arm back, causing his bones to crack, and his hand to open forcibly before dropping the bat while he screamed in pain. The Demon then tossed the man aside and looked at the rest of the group.
"Jesus Christ Jackson.." they looked at Jackson, who rolled over in pain and began to cry quietly before all charging The Demon, swinging bats and pipes. The vigilante put his gauntlets up as they swung, making a loud clanging sound against the pipes as he began to fight back, stopping another pipe and headbutting the man before kneeing him in the stomach causing him to drop to the ground.
"Nick cmon! Beat his ass!" His buddy encouraged from the ground. Nick charged at the Demon as they slowly got closer to the edge before Demon struck his sternum with a quick knee and delivered a hard right hook to his jaw causing him to stumble. Two more men climbed up the fire escape and ran into the fight, one receiving a shuriken in the shape of a bat in his leg. He immediately grabbed his knee in pain and laid down slowly and swore to himself.
"Dante, let's go!" Nick called out to him while he was recovering, inciting Dante to charge the Demon mid fight, and tripped and fell over the ledge of the building. Nick got back up and tried to wrestle the Demon before being pushed away. The Demon raced to the edge and shot his grapnel gun at Dante's foot as he descended fast. As he began to pull Dante up, Nick he had fought previously grabbed the pipe Jackson discarded and charged the Demon. The Demon got back to his feet and began to pull back harder as Nick got closer before ducking a swing and kicking him back.
Nick fell back and dropped the pipe near Chester, who was still cowering in fear. He looked at the pipe then back at the Demon who had nearly got Dante back onto the roof. He slowly picked up the pipe and charged the Demon and swung hard at his head, making a loud thump noise. The Demon stumbled as he finished pulling Dante up, leaving him to scramble on the ledge. He looked back at Chester, practically defenseless. "Chester...stop this now." He tried to get back to his feet before being struck again in the head, causing blood to fly out of his mouth. The Demon fell to one knee before being hit violently again, causing him to tumble to the ground.
Chester stood over him, as the rest of the group looked at him. "Should we kill him?"
"Yeah..yeah let's kill this son of a bitch, show him who we are," said the leader with a broken arm.
Police sirens echoed faintly a few blocks away. "Forget it...the cops will...". They all scaled down the fire escape, leaving the Demon to die.
Three Months Earlier
December 31st
Bruce opened his eyes, and saw a hardwood ceiling. He blinked once and tried to sit up but felt immense discomfort. He looked down at himself and saw bandages and gauze all over his body and laid his head back onto the pillow. He saw a girl standing across the room, playing with her dolls. He reached out to her with his hand and flicked the bed lightly. The girl turned around and exclaimed in a foreign language. She dropped her toys and ran into another room. "Damn it." Bruce cursed to himself.
He heard footsteps coming and turned his head to see an Asian man sitting down in a chair beside him with a mug. "Be still. You have not fully healed yet."
Bruce groaned and sat up anyways. "I can feel that. How long have I been out?"
"Weeks. We found you, nearly dead by the river." He handed Bruce a cup of steaming hot tea.
Bruce took a gulp and sighed, feeling his dry throat sting. "Thank you. Really. Do you have any notebooks or paper? Need to write to a friend."
The man pointed to the desk adjacent to him.
Bruce stumbled over to the desk slowly, waving the man away, and sat down. He took a deep breath, not knowing how to write this.
"Dear Alfred...I know it's been a long while. I'm sorry for being out of contact for so long. It's time I return. My training is complete. I'm in the Tibetan Himalayas, Ladakh to be more specific. Please, keep my arrival confidential and send a jet right away. Thank you.
From,
Bruce."
Bruce put the pen down and looked down at his letter, feeling unsure. He then put it in an envelope and handed it to the man, holding another cup of tea. "You in a rush?"
"Something like that. Been away from home for too long." Bruce took the cup and sighed.
"Ah, makes sense. I remember in my much younger years, I had ran away from home. My father had punished me severely for losing our week's worth of fish and I just became so full of anger and guilt I ran away. 3 days later, I was tired and hungry. You can bet I was on my way back. The butterflies, nervousness. Unsettling feeling of returning to home, it stays. I hope you found your peace, your home will be far different upon arrival. That's certainly what I learned." The man patted Bruce on the shoulder and walked away with the letter.
January 6th
Bruce walked onto an abandoned runway, and saw a jet landing ahead of him. He retrieved a white cloth from his sack and flagged them down, and they began to descend slower and slower before landing smoothly onto the ground. Bruce saw the large "W" on the side of the jet and chuckled to himself. The door slowly opened and an older man wearing a black vest walked out and saw Bruce.
"Bruce, it's been so long, my boy." The man walked closer to Bruce and pulled him in for a tight hug.
Bruce patted his back. "Maybe too long. I missed you Alfred."
As they walked back, Alfred just looked at Bruce, studying the details of the new face of the young man he hadn't seen in 12 years. As they walked onto the jet, Bruce let out a soft sigh, easing back into comfortability. "Take a seat, get some rest. It'll be a few days before we get into Gotham." said Alfred.
Bruce nodded and walked to the back of the jet, and entered the bathroom. He looked in the mirror, and didn't recognize the man staring back at him. His eyes looked soulless and his jaw was clenched. He looked at his knuckles, red and bruised. He began to take a razor and shave his stubble, carefully going over the scabs. He finished shaving, and washed his face. As Bruce looked back up at himself, he looked his age. He looked like the facade of a playboy billionaire. He looked like Bruce Wayne.
January 8th
A bright light shined through the window cracks and awakened Bruce. He yawned before checking an alarm clock. Bruce put on casual sweatpants and a t-shirt slowly ... still feeling slightly sore. He walked out of his room and into the cockpit, where Alfred was reading the newspaper. "Morning Al."
Alfred looked up and glanced at Bruce before going back to reading. "Master Wayne, you're up earlier than I expected. Pilot said we should be arriving in Gotham in an hour."
Bruce just sighed deeply and sat down across from Alfred. "Truthfully, I'm a little anxious," Bruce admitted.
"Why?" asked Alfred.
"Everything is riding on this Alfred, 12 years of training and preparation."
"Well … what is it you intend to do?"
"To become someone else...something else."
Gotham Knight
Book One: The Legend Begins
Chapter One: Who I Am And How I Became
Adam West National Airport
Why are we here exactly?" The reporter asked, impatiently waiting.
"Dunno, heard some rich mooch was coming into town. I reckon for the Guardsmen game," said the photographer, flicking ash off his cigarette.
"Who the hell's that?" asked another photographer.
"Probably some nobody," shot down a paparazzo.
"..wait a minute, that's Bruce Wayne!"
From the terminal emerged Bruce, Alfred and a team of security, trying to hold the reporters back. Hundreds of pictures of Bruce were taken by onlookers and paparazzi as they kept walking.
"Mr. Wayne! Mr. Wayne, why are you back?"
"Mr. Wayne, have you come back for your father's company-"
"Mr. Wayne, are the rumors about Princess Caroline true?"
"Mr. Wayne-"
Bruce kept his head down as the reporters called on him and took pictures until he saw Vicki Vale, who he knew from news reports and special investigations into Gotham's control. "Mr. Wayne, what do you have to say to the citizens of Gotham?" Vicki asked, holding a microphone.
Bruce stopped next to Vicki and smiled slightly. "I'm afraid I have business to attend to but for you Ms. Vale, I'll take a raincheck." Bruce nodded and walked out of the airport.
Wayne Manor
"We can stop in the driveway Alfred, I want to walk around for a bit. " Bruce said in the back of the car.
"Alright then, I'll see you inside."
The car came to a slow stop and Bruce stepped out of the car, and looked back up at the manor. He had returned to his father's home. Bruce began to walk across the lawn. The way the snow crunched under his shoes gave him a sense of nostalgia.
Bruce walked past the sculpture of his grandmother, Agnes Kane. It had been kept well over the years. He looked into the distance and saw his parent's gravestones. He sighed. "Mother, Father. It's good to be back."
"Mr. Wayne declined to comment on his return, but we sure are glad to have Gotham's favorite son back in town. Back to you Jack."
"In other news, charges against Commissioner Loeb have been dropped following the disappearance of key witnesses. Gotham D.A Harvey D-"
"Enough of that." The TV was shut off and the old man sat back in his chair.
"Didn't you know his father, Thomas Wayne?" the woman in the corner of the room asked him.
"Been a while since then, Selina. But yes, I knew him. Good man."
"Hmm. Gotham's favorite billionaire with Gotham's most infamous man, Carmine Falcone. Interesting."
"Watch it...rude to speak ill of the dead," Falcone scolded.
"Who said I was speaking ill?" teased Selina.
"Do me a favor, get going. Got a meeting in a few minutes, don't want you here."
"If you say so." Selina got up from her seat and she and Carmine kissed each other's cheeks. Selina walked out of Carmine's office and winked at his assistant.
"Selina Kyle, is that you?"
"Romy! I missed you!" Selina hugged the well dressed crime lord and kissed him on the cheek.
"How have you been, dear?" Roman asked.
"Been okay as a girl can be in a town like this," Selina answered.
"Your father's inside?"
"Yeah, just sent me on my way, I didn't know it was you."
Roman laughed and looked into the office. "Oh you know, just business as usual. You be well Selina, we should get a drink sometime."
"Maybe we should." Selina began to walk away and waved back. "Until then, Roman."
The door knocked a few times before Roman Sionis entered the office, meeting Falcone with a handshake.
"How are you, Carmine?" Roman asked sincerely.
"I'm alright, any reason you came by?"
Roman fixed his suit and sat in a chair and Carmine sat back behind his desk. "Skipping formalities then, I appreciate that." Roman took out his phone and opened some files. He showed pictures of large crates of drug supplies and weapons. "Cool, isn't it? Been working with our friends from Star City, and we got a big deal coming up. If we secure this deal, we could bring Gotham into a new age, we can make this city beautiful and prosperous again Carmine!" Roman stood up in excitement and began to pace back and forth.
Carmine sighed and sat back in his seat. "So where are you going with this?"
"I need you to pick up on supply and distribution. By a large margi-"
Carmine rolled his eyes and covered his face with his hands in distress. "You have to be kidding me."
"Carmine! Listen, listen. This will do us a lot of good but YOU need to pick it up." said Roman.
Carmine just scoffed at Sionis. "Your father would never offer such a bullshit deal like this."
"DON'T mention my father! This isn't about him, this is for Gotham!" Roman snapped.
"Why are you even asking me? You remember the war you started, right? You stepped in and drove a wedge between the power scale in this city. You hold everything. You manage everything. Which means, I'm not the only person you should be asking."
"Maroni wouldn't get it. He's a dinosaur, he moves his product and keeps to himself." Roman said with spite.
"You may have trouble understanding this young man, but it's called minding your business. Maroni doesn't disrupt the natural order, you did when you killed your father. You've been doing this for years now Roman. You know what happens when you change the status quo." said Falcone.
"Don't lecture me about the good days, you people let Gotham rot." Roman accused.
Falcone took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep calm. "Whatever you're trying to do, it's not happening. You care about Gotham, become a mayor. You rigged the last election anyways so it doesn't matter, semantics aside you hold the most power here. But when the king of the jungle tries to change his kingdom, it doesn't work. This is as much of their territory as it is yours and if you want to change it, you're going to start something you won't be able to finish. I'm not moving shit."
Roman then got up from his seat. "Clearly you need some time to think on it. Not long though." Roman nodded before opening the door and slamming it behind him.
January 10th
Wayne Manor
I've been home for two days now. Haven't gone out much to avoid press and media.
Bruce stood in the cold, wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. He cracked his knuckles and placed another block of bricks onto the tree trunk before swiftly going through them with a quick jab. He looked down to the ground as the remains of the bricks made indents in the snow and he clenched his red knuckles, dissatisfied.
I have the means.
Bruce kicked a block of bricks beside him into debris almost effortlessly.
The skill.
He then turned around and punched a dying tree to his right, and left a large crack..but didn't fall.
But I'm not ready. Something's missing.
Wayne Tower
HQ Of Wayne Enterprises
Bruce stepped out of the limo and looked up at his father's name on the side of the tower. A secretary came up to him and offered her hand to him. "Mr. Wayne, pleasure to have you back. My name is Chelsea and I'll be your guide today."
Bruce smirked and took her hand and kissed it. "Pleasure to meet you, Chelsea. Unfortunately I can't make the full tour today. I'm quite busy. I'd rather speak to the board first."
"We shouldn't feel so pressured to stunt our own growth, this is ridiculous."
"Mr. Earle, it isn't a matter of business, but ethics. If Thomas Wayne didn't permit the production of arms then why start now?"
Earle clenched a jaw and chuckled sarcastically at the board members. "Look we-...Thomas Wayne has been gone for years now. Twenty to be exact. We should always abide by his principles and morals but look at Gotham City. Poverty, all time high. Domestic tensions in families, all time high. Corruption, all time high. Murders, robberies, rapes, all that is at an all time high. We can change Gotham. Give the police the resources they need. Sell weapons to the military and distribute to the public.-"
"Mister Earle, you do know weapon dealers will be after our supply," said Lucius Fox.
"Then we'll take full responsibility, young man. Have some hope in our people, we've lived in two very different eras of Gotham." Earle clasped his hands together and looked at the rest of the board, who looked conflicted.
The silence was broken by giggling from a woman outside of the door. "And you, take your right arm, put it on the right side of the bar, left arm on the left side-and make sure you get it firmly."
Earle bit his gums in annoyance and walked over to the doors and opened them. "What the hell is g-" Earle stepped back as he saw the tour guide, Chelsea, their secretary Monica, and Bruce Wayne with a golf club, as Chelsea was learning how to swing.
Bruce looked up and smiled at Earle. "Thank you ladies, I'm sure my assistant Alfred will keep us in contact." Bruce walked up to Earle and shook his hand. "I don't mean to intrude, but I always wanted to be in one of these meetings."
"Please..make yourself comfortable. I wasn't expecting you so soon." Earle poured a glass of champagne and handed it to Bruce.
"I'm quite busy today. I would love to take the tour another time but I'll be out of town for a few days. Business reasons, if you understand."
"Loud and clear. Whatever you need I can provide," Earle said before taking a sip.
"I know I've been declared dead officially for a while considering I went off the grid, so it's a little hard to change the...management here. But I want a job. Anything is fine, I'd just like to know the company my family built a little better."
"Well, come back whenever you can, tour the building. I know you're an exploring type guy considering there's rumors of your..interesting exploits during your time away before the sudden disappearance. So check out our R&D department, our head Lucius Fox is a genius. And I'll give you executive level access as soon as possible," said Earle.
"Thank you, I appreciate your accommodation on such short notice." Bruce drank the rest of his champagne and rose from his seat.
"Of course, anything for a Wayne." Earle got up too and walked Bruce to the door. "You know, you look like your parents. Both of them."
"Pardon?" asked Bruce.
"You have your mother's eyes, but your father's demeanor."
Bruce faked a smile and chuckled dryly. "Thank you."
"Of course. Welcome home son."
"39-M Train to Gotham Central Station will be arriving shortly, M Train arriving shortly."
Gordon looked out the window to the city. It looked hopeless and bleak. He gave a quiet sigh as the train came to a stop. Gordon took out his phone and opened his messages with his wife, Ellen. "Just arrived. Going to the department to meet with the commissioner. Be safe coming in."
Gordon tucked away his phone and exited the train with his suitcase in hand. He looked around and saw a man speed walking towards him. Gordon shifted slightly, preparing for a mugging, but the man smiled and flashed his badge. "Lieutenant! Pleasure to finally meet you. Commissioner Loeb sent me to pick you up, my name is Arnold Flass, you can call me Flass though." He extended his hand and Jim took it cautiously as Flass took command of the handshake, firmly gripping it. Flass let go and they began to walk out of the station.
As they walked down the stairs, Gordon noticed the amount of garbage on the sidewalk and he frowned. Flass saw him and scoffed. "Don't mind that Jimmy, just takes a minute for the trucks to come around. You don't mind if I call you Jimmy right?"
"Lieutenant." corrected Gordon.
"Yeah sure thing Jimmy." Flass unlocked his car and got in. "I think you'll like things here. Little rough around the edges like Chicago, but people like us have it easy around here." Flass looked at Gordon and he smiled.
"People like us? As in cops?" asked Gordon.
"Well..." Flass paused for a second, catching himself. "Something like that, you'll see."
Gotham City Police Department
"Interesting." Loeb licked his finger and flipped through another page of Gordon's file. He looked up at Gordon and back to the file. "We're all delighted to have you on the team, Lieutenant."
"You'll get my best work. I promise that." said Gordon.
"You've got some team spirit too. I like that. Record shows you got some real shit done in Chicago." Loeb slipped a mint into his mouth and crunched on it loudly.
"Yes, I was quite busy during my time apart of Chicago PD. Mainly murders and assault cases."
"You'll be having a lighter load in here for a while so you could get a better feel for Gotham, feel like you could use that." Loeb popped another mint into his mouth, making his ice cold breath noticeable.
"I've made my fair share of mistakes, but I'm thankful I was able to have this opportunity to change things for the better."
"Don't worry about your mistakes, son. We all do that, just make sure you have what it takes to get up out of the mud, brush yourself off and keep it going. Need to make sure we have trustworthy folk working here. We got a real clean shop here and I'd like to keep it that way for all of our sakes." Loeb said with caution in his voice. He closed the file and stood up to shake Gordon's hand.
"You won't have to worry about me, Commissioner. I swear it." Gordon got up from his seat and shook Loeb's hand, looking him in the eyes, sensing distrust.
"Last thing on my mind. Last thing."
January 12th
Wayne Manor
"There." Bruce circled the lower half of Gotham on a map with a black marker. "The East End. It's the borough with the most poverty and gun violence. The corrupt let this place rot, allowing gangbangers and lowtime dealers to infect it like a parasite."
"You're analytical for someone who's been back for under two weeks. " remarked Alfred..
"I've studied cities similar to Gotham in the years I've been gone. They're all the same, yet different. The wage gap is always noticeable, the suffering always forgotten. Same goes for Gotham City." He looked at Alfred, who stood on the opposite side of the table.
"What's your plan exactly? For tonight." Alfred came over and looked at the map of the East End.
"Recon. I can't rush into it, I'll get myself killed. I need to work my way up the ladder. From dealer to supplier."
The East End
Bruce slipped on his beanie and looked in the mirror. He hadn't shaved at all since returning and grew out a stubble to make himself unrecognizable. Alfred applied some makeup to make him seem like he was less pale and had some bruises. Bruce took out a fake piece of skin out of a small case and applied it to his right cheek, now having a noticeable scar. He put a pair of shades on and got out the car. It was a lemon, nothing too out of the ordinary and inexpensive. He began to walk out of the parking garage and lit a cigarette to keep himself comfortable. He hated it, but he had to stay in character. It was a 20 block walk to the enemy.
As Bruce walked, he kept his head down and didn't make direct eye contact but he observed the neon lights. He found the filth of the East End. He ignored the homeless who begged and prostitutes who attempted to service him, but realized he was looking too suspicious.
He stopped at a corner, waiting to cross the street and a woman with black hair and caramel skin looked him up and down. She smiled at him and took out a cigarette. "You got a lighter?" Bruce took it out and lit her cigarette and she nodded as a sign of thanks. She blew out a puff of smoke and looked back at him more closely. "You from around here?"
"Nah. Jersey. One of my boys told me that spot, the Iceberg Lounge, is hot so I came down for a little business and fun." Bruce spoke in a thick Jersey accent.
"Fancy. Why're you out here and not in there then?" The girl asked.
"Got kicked out, apparently I had some beef with the manager." The light turned green and they walked across the street.
"You're in deep shit with Thorne? You're practically a walking dead man." The girl's eyebrows raised. "Who exactly are you, stranger?"
"Matches Malone. You?"
She blew out another puff of smoke and stopped at an apartment complex. "Selina Kyle. You wanna stay at my place for the night?"
Bruce chuckled and shook his head. " 'fraid not, Ms. Kyle. I'm sure it'd be a lovely night with you but I gotta train to catch."
Selina stomped out her cigarette and waved before entering the complex. "Your loss. See you around, Mister Malone."
"See you around, Ms. Kyle." Brue turned back and kept walking before taking out his cigarette and stomping it on the ground too.
Bruce kept walking another half hour. It was almost midnight. He learned, but not enough. He began to walk back to the car, the recon was enough, but he heard yelling from a few blocks away.
"The hell do you mean can only give 80 now? Gam's tired of waiting on your ass, Mouse!"
"Aye, listen, listen. I can get him what he needs in a week, but he needs to chill the fuck out and so do y'all."
"Man..."
There was a sudden sound of scuffling and grunting immediately afterwards. Bruce heard it and began to run down the alley, breaking character but not caring. Bruce got up to them and saw a few men jumping someone.
"Hey! This is over now, get out." Bruce commanded.
They all stopped but the leader looked to his buddies and snickered. "You serious right now? I know you ain't serious."
"I don't want issues gentlemen. Just get the hell out of here," Bruce ordered again.
Mouse spit out blood and crawled to lean up against the wall. "Mind your business, it ain't worth it, white boy."
"You better listen to him. Scram," the leader said before getting out a pocket knife. He walked up closer to Bruce and waved it in his face.
Bruce pulled his arm in and elbowed the leader in the nose, causing a loud cracking sound as it shifted out of place. The leader dropped the knife and stumbled while holding his nose before being kicked into a dumpster. "God-Damn it!"
The two others charged Bruce and tackled him to the ground as a struggle began to ensue.
"Attention all units, we have a 10-10 on Nolan road, 4 suspects, three black males and one white male."
Flass ignored the call and kept driving and noticed Gordon's side eye. He sighed and chuckled. "Listen Jimmy, it's always something over here. It's nothing to worry about."
"It's not a schoolyard fight, it's a full on brawl," Gordon reasoned.
"It's fine, someone else will handle it. You need to take it easy. It's not Chicago, we do things differently here." Flass put the car in drive and kept going but refused to look Gordon in his eyes.
Bruce rolled out of a right hook and stumbled before pulling the thug over his arm and dragging him, causing his shoulder to dislocate. The thug screamed in anguish before Bruce kneed him in the abdomen, causing him to tumble over. The second thug charged at Bruce and punched Bruce in the nose, causing it to bleed profusely. Bruce grunted and delivered an uppercut to his opponent, stunning him and causing him to bite his tongue before punching the side of his head, knocking him out.
Bruce spit out blood and looked at the leader, who slowly rose to his feet. He rushed Bruce, and punched him in his midsection before receiving a punch to his jaw, barely startling him. Bruce was surprised before concluding they were both going off of pure adrenaline. Just as Bruce prepared to make the next move, Bruce heard sirens and saw red and blue lights flash.
"Shit," the leader cursed under his breath.
"GCPD! Everyone put your hands where I can see them." Mouse got up and ran away limping as Bruce looked back between them. The leader looked at him with vengeance in his eyes before throwing one last punch at Bruce, catching him off guard.
As Bruce recollected himself, he heard a loud bang followed by a thud in front of him. He realigned his jaw and saw the leader's body on the ground, bloody and with a single bullet hole. He looked at the cop, who had a stunned partner. "He didn't do anything, he just punched the guy, why'd you shoot him?" His partner asked, confused. Bruce stood there and slowly backed away.
"He was gonna do something to us too, I know it," the veteran cop answered before raising his gun again and pointing it at Bruce.
BANG.
Author's Note:
Hello everyone, I hope you enjoyed chapter one of Gotham Knight. To give you a little backstory, (if you care to read all this, thank you) this was an abandoned story from my younger years and from when I really just started to write. It's been developing for over a year now and it's finally coming.
This will be formatted similar to a TV series or comic book series (hence the "Book One") and takes inspiration from Batman mythos such as The Batman 2022 (based on the information we've received so far), Batman Year One, Darren Aronofsky's canceled Batman Year One film, Batman Arkham Origins, and Batman Earth One, Batman the Telltale Series and of course the classic Batman The Animated Series. As well as Netflix's Daredevil Season One and Taxi Driver being driving inspirations too.
This will hopefully be released bi-weekly if things go accordingly and I think it's gonna be fun. Below I have an imagined cast for this series (as it is envisioned as a TV series produced by HBO or something). Everytime a new character is introduced there will be another name announced but this is the hypothetical cast of Chapter One.
Bruce Wayne/Batman - Robert Pattinson
Alfred Pennyworth - Andy Serkis
Jim Gordon - Jeffrey Wright
Roman Sionis/Black Mask - Ewan McGregor
Vicki Vale - Vanessa Hudgens
Selina Kyle - Zoë Kravitz
Arnold Flass - Teddy Sears
Gillian Loeb - Brett Cullen
Carmine Falcone - John Turturro
Mouse - LaKeith Stanfield
Lucius Fox - Donald Glover
Lastly, if you've read up to here thank you. Let me know what you think about this chapter and very premise of this story. I welcome any and all feedback and if you have questions comment or PM me. I'll see you next time, same Bat-time, same Bat-story.