I am Slade
Written by JD
Based on DC Comics Characters and is owned by them as well…
-S-
DATA ENTRY 3
SUBJECT: Arriving in Gotham
I knew Gotham City was the definition of Noir, but I have never noticed it until now.
I drove into Gotham pretty late. It was 11:52 PM to be exact.
Surprisingly the city was empty. I drove through the slums in a minivan I jacked from a mall parking lot, and found that there was no one about on the streets. Only a few bums with shopping carts filled with assortments of cans.
As I was cruising through the slums district, I came across a mugging. There was really nothing out of the ordinary about it. The mugger was a tall man, dressed in a sports coat and brown slacks. He also wore a driver's cap atop his head. He didn't seem like the mugging type. He was probably some punk college kid wanting to make some cash quick.
The woman he was mugging looked as if she was in her mid-sixties. She wore an executive dress which was a dark pink. She was trying desperately to keep the kid from taking her purse.
The kid pulled a gun on her.
"Just give me the purse lady, so we can get outta here!"
The woman gave it up immediately. It was a smart move, this brat looked nervous.
Now that he saw that she had stopped her futile objections, the kid took off down the street I was traveling on with a big grin on his face. I stopped to watch him. I don't know why this punk interested me so much. It seemed like this was his first time to ever commit a crime. And this baffled me…
To find that a regular human being could just commit such an act of violence and thievery out of nowhere, it made me question the essence of the human being. This kid gave a great example on how we are all evil inside, and that the evil has to be pushed out before it can take root. This evil then takes many forms, such as a murderer, a rapist, a thief, or just a complete madman.
I leaned against the steering wheel watching this youth. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black swoosh from above the building sides. I looked out at the rafters and rooftops to get a good look. I had a feeling I knew what the stir was…
The kid stopped at an alleyway to catch his breath. He raised his head to look at the street and his eyes trailed the street to my car, where I was sitting watching the whole scene. It was at this time that I got a good look at him. He had red hair and freckles, and braces as well.
I had my mask on. I stood out in a crowd. I then believed that it was not wise to be in full view of the public if I wanted to keep a clean slate.
The kid looked at me with a very perplexed expression. He began to walk towards me to get a better look. It was at that time that I put the car back and drive, and proceeded to continue my voyage to the Joker.
But before I could, a black glove shot out from the alley, and grabbed the troubled youth by the collar. He was yanked from the street into the alleyway.
"Wha? Who are you?" The youth yelled at the perpetrator. I knew it…
The kid was then launched out onto the street. He landed on his rear and flipped backwards, finally stopping. He lay out now on his chest, arms spread out.
The purse was missing…
The dark knight himself emerged from the streets with the purse in hand.
It was actually quite comical to see The Batman holding a pink purse now that I recollect.
"Don't you think you are a bit young to be stealing purses? Plus I don't think your college buddies would like to see you holding this."
Speak for yourself Batman…
"I-I-I-uh… Ple-Please don't h-hu-hurt me!" The kid yelped and trembled. He raised his hands in forgiveness, forming a prayer to the Dark Knight.
A God one minute, then a mouse another…
"Look at you! So much potential, and yet you waste it stealing purses. I should beat you to death for being so stupid."
The kid turned white at that. "No! No! No! Please don't!"
"Get lost kid… And if I ever see you trying to pull that again, I'll make sure you can fit into the purse you are stealing."
I think The Bat is getting soft…
"O-O-O-OK! I'll go back to my-my dorm now…"
The youth rose and ran for his life down the street. Batman walked out to the middle to watch him.
Now that I mention it I could have killed him right there… I could have squashed that hooded hero across the asphalt.
Something inside me, however, believed that this man disserved a proper duel. I would not allow this man to be shot in the back…
The woman ran out to the street to recover her purse. She was wearing high heels, and it looked difficult to run with them.
"Oh thank you Batman! How could I ever repay you?"
Batman didn't even look at her. From what I saw, he was still watching the fleeing youth, now making a turn at the corner. He stretched out his hand, and handed her the purse. She grabbed it with much enthusiasm.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
He didn't reply…
The Bat stood motionless for what seemed like an eternity. The woman looked uneasy. She turned and walked away from The Bat, turning her head once or twice to eye her rescuer. Still, he was unmoved…
Then he reached for a grappling hook, and shot off with a pistol-like sound into the distance. And with that, The Bat swung off into the night…
A hero indeed…
END DATA ENTRY 3