Episode 3: The coming storm
Gotham city hall
A member of the city council was walking to his car. After a long day of meeting, doing paperwork, and responding to criticism for new city laws, the man was eager to get back home to relax. Unbeknownst to him, a sniper rifle's sights were on him. The shooter waited until the man was at his car. Once he got in and started it, the sniper opened fired, piercing the windshield and going clean through the city councilman's head. Seeing his work done, the shooter then left the scene, wanting to get out of there before the police showed up.
Sometime later
After someone reported an gunshot near the city hall, the GCPD quickly dispatched any units near the area to investigate. What they found was the dead body of a city council member. As the police lock-downed the area, detectives Yin and Ethan were searching for any evidence they could find to help with the case.
"*Sighs* I got nothing." Said Yin after examining the car for any evidence. "What about you?"
"Found a bullet." Said Ethan as he picked up a bullet from somewhere near the crime scene. Upon examining the bullet, he let out a whistle. "It's a .50 caliber, Yin. Whoever wanted our guy dead, must have some serious hardware." He then placed the bullet in an evidence bag. "Better get this to forensics. Hopefully it can lead us to the killer." Yin nodded before walking away with Ethan. Meanwhile, Gordon was at the edge of the lock-down, waiting for the Batman to show up. Sure enough, the entire bat family arrived.
"Glad you showed up. This case might prove difficult, even for my best detectives." Said Gordon as he looked at the Batman.
"What's the situation?" Asked Batman. Gordon sighed before explaining.
"Councilor Malcom was assassinated some time ago. When exactly we don't know. We're gathering up evidence now, but we barely have, if any, evidence. Whoever did this is good. Very good. I'll give you access to the scene of the crime. See if you can solve this. Detectives Yin and Bennett are examining the crime scene. Perhaps they found something that can help." Said Gordon before stepping aside to allow the bat family to pass. As they walked to the detectives, they got some stares from the police, but nothing else. They found them near a trunk with another officer. Upon, seeing the Batman, Ethan walked to him and held his hand.
"Good to see you, Bats. Hope you can help with this." Said Ethan as the Batman stared at him. Seeing that he wasn't going to shake, he lowered his hand and went to work.
"What have you got?" Asked Batman as he observed the officers work.
"*Sighs* Nothing." Said Yin as the results of the bullet came in. "The bullet we found at the crime scene is untraceable. No unique markings that can help us find the shooter. It's completely blank. What we do know, is that it's a .50 caliber." Batman went into thought, using the information gathered to help solve this case.
"If the bullet has no unique marking, then it means that the shooter was either supplied with such ammunition or has the skills necessary to remove the markings himself. The .50 caliber rounds also helps narrow the list. No, normal thug has access to that kind of ammunition." Thought Batman before going to the wrecked car, thinking that the police missed a detail or two. His search led to nothing until he began to notice the area where the bullet hit. Examining the bullet's entry point, he knew where the area the shooter was. Deciding to leave Batgirl and Robin behind, so he can examine the area without hindrance, Batman fired his grabble gun to a nearby rooftop, allowing him to get closer to the one where he needed to go to. Upon arriving at his designation, he began to examine the area for any prints or a bullet casing the shooter left behind. He soon found what he was looking for in the form of a bullet casing. Picking it up, he placed it in a container he brought before leaving the rooftop. He then contacted Batgirl and Robin to meet him at the Batcave.
Batcave
"You seriously left us there. I mean, you left us to do nothing, but keep the cops company while you went and tried to solve a crime. What kind of partner does…" As Batgirl complained about him leaving his two partners behind, Batman began to examine the bullet casing he found. After she finished, Batgirl looked at Batman, who was currently examining the bullet casing. "So, what did you find?"
"Well, it matches the bullet found at the car, but other than that nothing." Said Bruce, holding his chin in contemplation. Robin, who was silent for the whole exchange, spoke.
"Don't bullet casings and bullets have markings in them that help identify the gun that fired it?" Asked Robin.
"Normally, yes, but all the markings have been removed. Whoever did this, knew what they were doing." Said Bruce. "And without any way to identify the shooter, we're forced to let them get away with this." Bruce said the last sentence with a hint of disgust and anger in his voice. Batgirl and Robin looked at each other. They had never seen him act like this before. That was because they always managed to capture the criminals and brought them to justice. Now, they couldn't do that. It must have been a blow to Bruce's pride for something like this to happen.
"Hey, we'll get them next time. And we'll bring them to justice for this." Said Robin, trying to cheer Bruce up. Upon hearing his adoptive son's attempt to cheer him up, Bruce let a small smile grace his features. This was interrupted when Alfred came down to the Batcave via the hidden elevator.
"Pardon me, master Bruce, but it's time for miss Gordon to return home, less her father gets suspicious of her activities." Said Alfred while carrying a plate of refreshments. Upon hearing that, Barbara groaned in annoyance before saying good bye. As soon as she left, Dick turned to Bruce, who went back to rying to solve the case.
"Must be hard for her to keep all this a secret from her dad." Commented Dick as he began to eat the refreshments Alfred brought. "I mean, keeping her crime fighter career secret from her police father as well as dealing with her normal life, must make things hard for her."
Bruce just nodded while Alfred sighed in agreement as well. They knew that it must be hard for Barbara to handle all the responsibilities she has. She had to skip nights of being Batgirl due to extended family visiting, Jim staying in for a night to spend time with her, or to catch up on school work, something that Dick had to do so as well.
"Miss Gordon obviously has the most responsibilities out of the two of you, master Dick." Said Alfred as he looked at Dick. "I fear that one day, she'll have to choose between this life and her normal one." Bruce nodded in agreement. Eventually, whether it'll be a year or even tomorrow, Barbara will have to choose either continuing her life as Batgirl or to give it up and live life as a normal girl. Dick will have to do the same as well, of course, but unless something came up that required him to do so, he wouldn't stop being Robin for awhile.
"You think that Barbara will leave, Bruce?" Asked Dick as he looked at his adopted father. Bruce stopped working for a moment before getting back to work.
"To be honest, Dick, I wouldn't blame her for doing so." Said Bruce. "She has a good life, friends, and a caring parent," He said the last part with a hint of envy. "I wouldn't' be angry with her if she choose that life over this because, at least with that life, she'll be safe and happy."
"Oh, master Bruce." Said Alfred with a sigh. "Miss Gordon will never do such a thing. Not until crime in this city has been completely eradicated." Bruce just stayed silent as he continued to work. Nevertheless, Alfred's words reached him a bit.
The next day
Midday
Apartment building
"Are you sure this is enough security?" Asked an elderly council member as she and four policemen were walking down that stairs of a luxurious apartment building. Ever since the successful assassination attempt on Councilor Malcolm, all council members were given police escorts until the culprit/culprits were caught.
"Positive, ma'am." Said a police officer. "No one is getting past us." Despite the reassurance, the council member was still nervous at the possibility of being assassinated. This elevated when they all made it outside, where potential snipers can pick them off quite easily. "Councilor, I can assure you that we got this under control." Said the police officer from before upon seeing her anxiety-filled face. Before she could comment, a sniper round impacted against her skull, sending blood and brain matter all over her escorts. As they were recovering from their shock, the shooter quickly left the scene, wanting to report back to his superiors.
Meanwhile
Barbara Gordon was currently studying for a history test at her while her father was making lunch. She had a half-day today so she had more time to do her homework, and be with the Wayne family sooner. After placing the food on the kitchen table, Jim Gordon called Barbara from her room so they can eat. Upon seeing the food, she cringed.
"Casserole again? Really?" Asked Barbara as she sat down.
"Sorry, Barb, but I didn't have the time to make something new." Said Gordon as he sat down as well. "Besides, you love my casseroles."
"Not all the time." Commented Barbara as she ate. Gordon just grunted, understanding her reasoning, before munching down as well. As they were eating, Gordon struck up a conversation,
"You've been hanging out with the Waynes a lot recently, Barb. Any reason?" Asked Gordon as he looked at his daughter. He rose an eyebrow when she looked at him strangely.
"What brought this up?" Asked Barbara, curious. Her father never brought this up before when Alfred would drop her off. He rose an eyebrow at this, but left it alone.
"Just curious." Said Gordon. "It's a bit strange for someone, like you, to be hanging out with the Waynes without any sort of interior motive. Not that I suspect you're doing that." Gordon quickly said upon seeing his daughter's glare.
"I just like hanging out with Dick. We're friends." Said Barbara, annoyed with the conversation.
"I understand that, Barb, but I wonder why you're doing it in the first place." Said Gordon. "I'm glad that you're making friends, but some people might not see that. That you're in it for their money."
"Well, I don't care about their opinions." Said Barbara, her body rigid with anger. Gordon was about to retort when a call from his cell phone caught his attention. Upon answering and hearing what the caller had to say, Gordon sighed and dropped his plate off in the sink.
"A crime?" Asked Barbara.
"*Sighs* Yes. Another councilor." Said Gordon before leaving, but not before saying good bye to Barbara and wishing her good night. A few minutes after Gordon left, Barbara went to her room. From there, she picked up her hidden batgirl costume. Upon putting it on, she called Dick and asked where the crime about the councilor was.
Later
"*Sighs* Same thing as before, Bats." Said Ethan as he talked with the bat family while his partner was trying to find more evidence. "All we got is a single bullet, but like before, it's untraceable." If Batman was angry at this, he didn't show it. He then looked at the covered-up body before him. Ethan, seeing where he was looking at, explained. "Another council member. This time it was councilor Maria. She got shot while leaving for a council meeting, managed to get past her escort. Bullet trajectory would probably be from there," Ethan then pointed to a couple of buildings with a good vantage point to assassinate the councilor. "We got teams searching them, but so far they only got one bullet case, same as before."
"*Growls in frustration* That guy better wish he stays hidden. Otherwise, he'll regret ever crossing us." Said Robin. Ethan looked concerned for the kid and was about to say something when Batgirl suddenly showed up.
"Sorry for being late." Said Batgirl. "I had some trouble getting here." Batman simply grunted before motioning Ethan to leave, who did so after some persuasion from Batman. Upon him leaving, the Bat family began to converse.
"So, another one dead." Commented Batgirl with concern as she looked at the covered body. "Any connections.
"Hmm. Possibly." Said Batman while trying to connect the dots between the two assassinated councilors. "They were only acquaintances, and they only meet during important meetings."
"What about bills or laws?" Asked Robin. "Any from there?" Batman nodded his head.
"Tons." Said Batman before explaining. "Both councilors were supportive of bills or laws that help the people of Gotham and the GCPD. They were also notorious for their integrity."
"So, they couldn't be bribed to vote against such acts." Said Batgirl. She smirked upon Batman nodding his head.
"So, that leaves someone with the skills necessary to do this." Said Robin.
"Or someone with the money." Said Batman. "Who's the only person we know that can afford the ammunition used against the councilors and benefit from this." The two sidekicks instantly knew who it was.
"Let me guess, Black Mask?" Asked Robin with a smirk.
Batman gave a grunt before explaining. "Black Mask would no doubt have the money to afford someone with the skills necessary to pull something like this off. And with a few more councilors out of the way, Gotham's governmental authority would be crippled, leaving him to go do what he pleases."
"Okay, but that still leaves the question, who can do all this without a trace." Said Robin. Upon hearing that, Batman examined the distance between the councilor and possible distances. He had a hunch, but he needed to verify it.
"I got a possible suspect, but we need to verify first. Come with me." Said Batman before taking off. Robin and Batgirl followed in close pursuit.
"Who is it?" Asked Robin as the bat family glided through the skies of Gotham.
"A very dangerous mercenary." Said Batman as the three grabbled to one of the possible rooftops the assassin used to kill councilor Maria.
Meanwhile
Undisclosed location
In an undisclosed location, Black Mask was currently sitting in a chair while his number one and several other guards were standing besides him, ready to defend him. Soon, a man in high tech armored appeared. The armor was red in color with a gun on each of his wrists. There were a variety of gadgets on his belt and forearms. His head was covered with a fully-insulated silver helmet with eye slots that helped with aiming along with other things. He had a large-caliber rifle on his back along with several grenades and a knife on his belt.
"I've done what you wanted, Black Mask, now let her go." Said the man as he glared at Black Mask, who simply chuckled.
"I don't think so, Deadshot, you've still got a hit left." Said Black Mask.
"We agreed on just two councilors." Said the now names Deadshot.
"Two councilors, yes," Agreed Black Mask as his number one gave him a folder. He then tossed it at Deadshot, who caught it with ease. "And a commissioner." Upon reading the file, Deadshot looked at Black Mask with disgust.
"No way. I've done some dark shit before, but no way am I going to do something like this." Said Deadshot.
"Oh, you will, or else your little girl gets it." Said Black Mask as he held a phone. "One touch and your little girl dies. What's your decision, Deadshot?" Deadshot, then growled before throwing the folder back at Black Mask.
"You're gonna regret this." Said Deadshot as he left. As he was walking out, the Deadshot began to think about the one thing that made his life filled with purpose.
"I'm doing this for you, Zoe." Thought Deadshot as he marched out, Black Mask smirking as he did so.
Later that night
Gordon residence.
Barbara was quickly putting away her Batgirl uniform before her father arrived. Just when the bat family was going inside the Batcave, Gordon called and told Barbara that he'll be coming home soon. Because of that, Batman drove her home and she quickly got out and into her room, where she was now getting her costume off. She nearly got it off when she heard her dad coming up the stairs leading to her room. Panicking, she quickly tore off her suit, ignoring the small tears in it now, and quickly tossed it beneath her bed. Then she quickly, tossed on a pair of jeans and shirt before grabbing a magazine and jumping on her bed. She just opened her magazine when Gordon opened the door.
"You okay, Barb?" Asked Gordon. She simply smirked as she continued to read her magazine.
"Why wouldn't I be." Said Barbara. "We're in the safe part of Gotham, remember?"
"Just being cautious." Said Gordon as he went inside. "Sorry about before."
"It's alright, dad." Said Barbara, looking at her dad with a knowing look on her face. "You've got to do what you got to do to keep this city safe." Gordon let a small smile graced his face before getting serious.
"About before, Barb, I'm sorry for brining that up." Said Gordon. "I think it's fine for you to get along with the Waynes. They're nice people and it's good for you to see them as that and not for their money. Most people just see them that way." Barbara simply smiled at this before smirking.
"Same for you?" Asked Barbara. Gordon simply huffed before looking at the window.
"I believe that the Waynes are what the rich should be like." Said Gordon. "People willing to provide for the poor and help those in need. God knows that we need more people like that." He then turned to Barbara. "But some people will take advantage of that, used the Waynes as a means rather than a solution. So, it's up to people like you, Barb, to remind the Waynes that people they're trying to help are worth the effort." Barb smirked at this before gasping when she saw a small red light appearing through her window and ending right at her dad. Before she could do anything, a gunshot rang throughout the room and hit Gordon, his blood splattering on Barbara. Shock and terror filled Barbara, as her dad fell down with blood quickly forming around him. A few seconds passed before Barbara screamed.
Later
Gotham hospital
Barbara was watching with tear-filled eyes as she watched doctors trying to save her father. The bullet nearly went through his heart and would have if it went a little to the left a bit more. As she watched the doctors try to help her father, Bruce, Ethan, Yin, and Dick Grayson arrived to see what was going on. Seeing the crying Barbara, Bruce walked to her and wrapped her in an embrace.
"I'm sorry for what happened miss Gordon." Said Bruce as Barbara returned the hug, sniffing as she did so. The others meanwhile, looked on with sympathy, Dick in particular.
"He's going to make it, right?" Asked Barbara as she went back to watching her father.
"He will." Said Ethan with confidence. "The commissioner is one of the toughest cops I've ever seen. If anyone is going to pull through, it's him." Yin nodded in agreement, though there was some hesitance in it.
"Yeah, he'll pull through." Said Dick with a determined look. Barbara let a weak smile grace her features as she watched the doctors work, happy that others were hoping for the best.
"So, were will you live?" Asked Dick, wondering if Barbara had any other family.
"I don't know." Said Barbara. "My mom is gone and any family I have is too far away for them to take care of me."
"You can stay with us." Said Bruce. Everyone looked at him in surprise, but Ethan looked at him in respect. "You've been a great friend to Dick, I feel that this is a way of repayment for that." "Especially with what Gordon did for me, all those years ago." Thought Bruce with solemn.
"You mean that?" Asked Barbara with tears rolling down her face.
"Absolutely. Is that alright for you, Dick?" Asked Bruce. Dick nodded instantly. Seeing this, Barbara accepted the offer. With that out of the way, the five looked at the commissioner for a little while longer before forced to leave as visiting hours were nearly over. As the bat family was being drove away to the Wayne mansion by Alfred, the butler looked at Barbara with sympathy.
"Will you be alright, Miss Gordon?" Asked Alfred as he drove.
"No, Alfred." Said Barbara as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm not, all I can think about is the person, who hurt my dad, and how much I want to hurt him." Bruce, upon hearing that, looked at Barbara with concern.
"I understand how you feel, Barbara, but we don't do that." Said Bruce. To his surprise, Barbara glared at him.
"Why not!?" Yelled Barbara, tears spilling down her face. "Didn't you feel the same when your parents were killed?" Bruce looked hurt at this, but it quickly disappeared.
"*Sighs* I did." Said Bruce. "And so, did Dick, but we've moved past that." The boy wonder nodded in agreement.
"We're just worried for you, Barb." Said Dick. "We're friends, right?"
"If you're my friends, then you'll help me get revenge for my dad." Said Barbara bitterly as she looked away. Dick was about to retort when Bruce stopped him. Obviously, Barbara needed time to grieve. Upon arriving at Wayne manor, Alfred took Barbara to her room as Dick and Bruce sat near the fireplace.
"You gonna tell her about Deadshot?" Asked Dick as he looked at Bruce contemplating. After they've dropped her off, they've confirmed, through extensive research, that it was indeed Deadshot committing the assassinations.
"I don't know, Dick." Said Bruce. "At her state right now, she'll want revenge against him. Maybe even kill him. I don't want that for Barbara. For now, let's keep it from her."
"She'll resent it, you know." Said Dick. Bruce simply sighed at that.
"I know." Said Bruce as the two watched the fire crackle, Dick suddenly had a thought.
"How come Deadshot didn't kill Gordon? He did it before with the councilors, why not him?" Asked Dick. Bruce nodded in though and agreement. Deadshot was known notoriously for always killing his targets along with the rumor that he never misses. The fact that, now of all times, he refused to kill his target, was something that Bruce found intriguing.
"I don't know, Dick, but I have a suspicion that it involved Barbara." Said Bruce before getting up and proceeding to enter the Batcave.
Meanwhile
"I'm disappointed, Deadshot." Said Black Mask as he saw the mercenary he hired give his report. "You failed to kill Gordon. Care to explain?"
"You asked me to get him out of the picture, you never said to kill him." Said Deadshot. "And I did, he's out of commission for a while, letting you do your big heist or whatever. Now, hand me my little girl." To his horror, Black Mask simply held out the phone he threated him with, his finger close to touching it.
"You made a poor choice, Deadshot, now your daughters going to pay." Said Black Mask. "Unless you got something for me to make up for this." Deadshot growled before speaking.
"I'll stick around for you heist. As extra insurance." Offered Deadshot. "But you got to release my daughter after the whole heist." Black Mask smiled before putting down the phone.
"After the heist, huh? Good choice of words." Said Black Mask. "Alright, you got a deal. Now go report to my number one. The heist will be done soon." With reluctance, Deadshot obeyed his new boss, and left. With Deadshot gone, Black Mask picked up the phone he used to threaten him earlier, dialed a number, and placed it on speaker.
"I've done my part, now get ready to do yours." Said Black Mask. On the other end, he heard insane laughter. Laughter that was the bane of many of Gotham's residence.
TBC:
Scarecrow: A new villain has come to Gotham. Unlike those before him, he relies on the use of fear to win his battles. After being exposed to his toxins, can Batman overcome his fears to defeat Scarecrow. But is Scarecrow working alone?