BATMAN: GOTHAM CAMPAIGN OF CRIME
By Bruce Wayne
Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger
DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters portrayed in this story are copyright by DC Comics, an AOL/Time/Warner company. They are used without permission for entertainment without profit by the author.
CHAPTER 5
"Stay just as you are, Batman! Don't move! Don't even breathe hard!"
As he stared down into the barrel of Patrolman Nate Adams' Glock semi-automatic, the Caped Crusader felt no compulsion to disobey that order. He stood stock-still under the Gotham Plaza Hotel's awning and slowly raised his hands above his head. "Okay, officer. Let's be careful with that gun, now."
Adams kept his aim steady as he slowly stepped toward Batman. Behind him he could hear his partner radioing for assistance. That was fine with him. Purse-snatchers and flashers he could handle. He wasn't sure about super-criminals, nor was he particularly anxious to find out.
"Everything will be cool if you just keep your hands right where they are," Adams said, trying to keep his voice sounding official.
Batman shrugged. "That's where they belong," he said, "right there at the ends of my arms."
Well, so long, phony Batman! But then, considering I'm standing here with a nervous policeman pointing a gun in my direction, that's probably the least of my worries.
Batman asked the officer, "Is this going to take long? I've got another appointment at ..."
Officer Adams' gun wavered slightly. Jeez, he thought, I wish the back-up units would get here! Batman's staring eyes made the patrolman nervous. Those white lenses seemed to look right through him, reading his very thoughts. Nor did he like the Dark Knight's light, snappy tone. Hell, the guy wasn't bulletproof, was he? Why didn't a gun, in the hands of a trained professional, intimidate him?
That's the ticket, Mister Policeman! Keep your eyes on my face.
Batman could hear the sounds of approaching police cars as he moved imperceptibly closer to the officer. Moving so slow to get into the proper position that he would need to effect his escape. The nervous cop never saw Batman moving closer to him, even though his eyes never left the Masked Manhunter!
Suddenly, Batman whirled his body on the balls of his right foot and kicked out with his left at the gun of the patrolman.
"Well, I have to be going now, officer."
Adams was confused. "Huh?" he said as his gun went flying out of his hands.
Batman's hand went to his utility belt and quickly pulled out his grapnel. He shot the strand of wire straight up into the facade of the hotel. The Masked Avenger of Gotham City then pressed another button and he began to rise with great speed into the air.
Pii-ting!
A ricocheting bullet sprayed chips of concrete into the Caped Crusader's face. He glanced quickly over his shoulder and saw Adams' partner standing in the middle of the street, realigning his gun for a second shot.
I don't remember signing on as a target for the GCPD.
Batman stopped on a ledge and reached to his utility belt once again. This time, he pulled out a green pellet and threw it down toward the armed law enforcement officer.
Let's see if a little tear gas affects your aim.
When the pellet hit the street, it exploded into a cloud of choking gas. The effect of the chemical immediately caused the second officer to begin coughing and his eyes began to tear.
Aiming his grapnel at a building across and down the street from where he was, Batman pressed the button again and soon was swinging his way back in pursuit of his phony counterpart.
I hope those cops will think twice before shooting at me again.
^^V^^ ^^V^^ ^^V^^
Commissioner Gordon handed a sheaf of freshly signed papers to his secretary, never bothering to look up from the desk in his office at Gotham City Police Headquarters. The secretary dropped a manila folder on his desk. The folder was filled with photographs that were taken at Dan Foster's press conference at the Gotham Plaza Hotel.
A half hour earlier, Gordon had received a phone call from an irate Mayor Edmond Hamilton about the Batman attack at the Gotham Plaza. The commissioner told the mayor that he would look into what had occurred.
Gordon began looking through the file of a dozen photographs or so that were in the folder.
The door to his office opened and a big hulk of a poorly dressed man walked into the office. "You called for me, Commish?"
"Yes, yes, Bullock. You hear about what happened at the Gotham Plaza?"
"Yeah. I've been tellin' ya that Bat-Creep would go over the edge sooner or later. They say he threatened Foster if he didn't get out of the mayor's race."
"So, you really think it was Batman, huh, Bullock?"
A quizzical look came over Lt Harvey Bullock's face. He took a bite out of the powdered donut he held in his big paw and thought about the question. "Yeah. The way I figure it, anybody who goes tromping through the city wearing a goofy costume probably has a screw loose and is capable of doin' anything weird."
Gordon smiled and handed Bullock the photographs that he had received. Bullock frowned because he felt the commissioner was setting him up to look like a big fool again.
The commissioner informed his detective, "I say the Batman who attacked Foster is a phony."
"A phony, Commish? Are ya sure?"
"The proof is in the pictures."
Bullock started to go through the photos one by one. He stuck the rest of his donut in his mouth and wiped the white powder on his fingers on his brown sport jacket.
"Believe me, Bullock," the commissioner continued, "that guy at the Gotham Plaza was a phony."
Bullock looked at the pictures as carefully as he could. He walked to the side of the room where there was a small conference table. The detective arranged the pictures in sequence on the table, with Gordon leaning over his shoulder, watching.
The Commissioner pointed to the first picture. "See? This guy came running into the ballroom and then, instead of just leaping up onto the dais like the real Batman would, he has to schlep himself up. That's clue number one."
His finger moved along to a close-up of the fake Batman holding Foster by the lapels. "Clue number two, here! Look real closely at this Batman's costume, Bullock. Notice anything?"
Harvey Bullock leaned forward and scrutinized the photograph. He followed Gordon's finger, squinting at the costumed figure. The commissioner was right! There was something amiss with the familiar costume and mask. It seemed rather loose on the figure and the white lenses on the mask were definitely the wrong shape.
"Yeah," the detective agreed. "Yeah, I see what ya mean."
"Nodding, Commissioner Gordon pulled out an old photo from a shelf and handed it to Bullock. It was a shot of Batman facing the camera in a dark, littered alley. "Here's a picture of Batman a couple of months ago. This is the real one. Compare the two and tell me if you don't see a difference."
Silently the detective compared, squinting first at one picture and then the other. He reluctantly nodded. "I'm inclined to agree with ya, Commish. After all, you are the department's resident Batman expert."
"Well, I have known him for a quite a few years and I think I can tell the man's moves well enough to know him when I see him. And that" he said, stabbing a finger at the fake Batman, "isn't the genuine article."
Bullock began collating the photos back into a single pile and placed them back into the manila folder. He handed the folder back to the commissioner.
"I guess you're right, Commish," the big detective said in a disappointed tone.
Gordon nodded. "Okay, hit the streets and keep your eyes open. Shake the trees and see what falls out. We need to get this phony Batman off our streets -- he's a menace."
"Like the real one ain't already a menace?"
"Go!"
"Okay, okay."
^^V^^ ^^V^^ ^^V^^
The Penguin was tired.
For long minutes after the seven crime bosses had departed, he sat in the soft, comfortable darkness of his office. He reclined in a large easy chair, trying to shut off his thoughts. But it was hard. There was so much riding on this ... so much more than the other participants in the operation could possibly conceive.
Except, perhaps, Two-Face.
He could be a problem. No, he was a problem. Harvey Dent had a suspicious mind and he was a brilliant criminal. If there was any one cog that could bring the vast machinery Penguin had set into motion to a grinding halt it was Two-Face.
And the Penguin did not like to take chances.
Indeed, he could not afford to. Not this time.
A ringing phone jarred him away from his inner thoughts.
"Quack, squawk! Yes?"
On the other end of the line came a sultry voice. "Hello, Oswald."
The Penguin's eyes snapped open as he sat up straighter in his chair. "Selina? What a pleasant surprise. How nice to hear from the delectable Catwoman."
"You are such a flatterer, Oswald. How are things?"
As she spoke, the Penguin's mind conjured up an image of the beautiful Selina Kyle in his mind.
"Splendid, Selina, my dear, just splendid! Tell me, are you still seeing that cad Bruce Wayne?"
Her voice changed only slightly and contained just a wisp of exasperation. "Yes. Don't you read the papers? We're an item!" She laughed at her small joke.
"Is your call business or pleasure, my dear?"
"Actually, a little of both, Oswald. I was wondering if I could meet you for dinner tomorrow night?"
""Quack, squawk! It would be a distinct honor to be in your company, Selina! Perhaps, afterward, we could ..."
"Just dinner, Oswald!" she interrupted.
"Of course, my dear. How does the Rainbow Grill in the Saturn Building sound?"
"It sounds fine. Around 8:30 alright with you?"
"Of course, Selina. I look forward to seeing you. Good-bye."
The Penguin hung up the phone. He wondered what Catwoman was up to. It was not like her to call him to have dinner unless there was something she wanted. He decided he could only concentrate on one thing at a time at this moment. He'd figure out what Selina wanted in due time.
But before that happened, he had to figure out how Two-Face was going to die!
To be continued ...
Please visit my web site at: groups.yahoo.com/waynemanor/