Note: Batman, his rogue's gallery, supporting cast, and all affiliating characters are owned by DC Comics which is a Time-Warner Company. For the purpose of improving my skills as a writer and for your and my entertainment I'm merely borrowing them for this mystery story.
Note 2: This is an AU fic and takes place outside of the current continuity.
BATMAN in
THE COPY BAT KILLER
By
Mimick
Gotham Central…
The Gotham City Police Department was hard at work compiling all the evidence they had on the case of the murders that Batman had seemingly committed. As Commissioner Gordon sat in his chair he could hear the ruffle of the curtains and the window blinds.
He started to pull his gun from his holster when a gloved hand gripped his wrist.
"Stay calm old friend."
Gordon recognized the voice instantly and relaxed…a bit.
"Stay calm? Half of the damn police force is after you. What were you thinking killing those people?" Gordon asked.
Batman walked out of the shadows. With the large, black bat that stretched across his muscular chest capturing the scarce moonlight that shone through the windows.
"I didn't kill them."
"I-I wish I could believe you, but all we have is your word. We have no idea who you are and I have a feeling you can't back up any alibi you might have."
Batman slightly grimaced. He walked around the desk and placed palms first down on the top of the desk and stared deep into the commissioner's eyes.
"We have worked together for eight years now and there has been two times that some one has committed acts that were traced back to me. One was the Man Bat and the other was a cop suffering from severe mental problems."
"Yes, I recall both cases, but we never caught the Man Bat and the copy cat Batman killed himself while in prison."
Batman's eyes widened at the last thing Gordon said.
"How long ago was it?" Batman asked.
"A year, maybe two. He slit his wrists while he was in the shower."
Batman's eyes narrowed.
"You say you didn't do this…then bring in whoever did. I can only buy you twelve hours at the most before we come after you with everything we have," Gordon said as he steepled his hands under his chin
"That's all I need," Gordon heard Batman say, but when he looked up Batman was gone from sight.
"How does he do that?"
Outside…
A hot air blown floated towards Gotham Central and inside of the basket underneath the balloon was the Joker. He picked up some lit fuse bombs and tossed them at the thirty second floor and the whole building shook from the explosion. Plaster and concrete came loose and another series of explosions blew a huge hole in the wall.
"All ashore that's going ashore, ahahahahahah!"
"It's the Joker. Get him!" Bullock ordered his fellow officers.
The Joker's eyes furrowed and he raised his hands up letting loose some kind of gas into the room. All of the officers inside were rendered unconscious.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are Commissioner," The Joker said with a mad grin on his face, "We have ta have a nice heart ta heart."
The Joker headed for the commissioner's office and after opening the door a gun was pointed at his temple. He put his hands up and his face pouted up.
"Ya got me pardner."
"You are under arrest."
"I think not," Joker said as he slapped the gun from Gordon's hand and knocked him onto the floor.
Joker stood over Gordon and leaned down, "Where can I find Batsy?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't try and kid the clown prince of crime. I know you and Batsy have a strong friendship."
Gordon spit the blood from his split lip onto Joker's face and the Joker put the boots to him. After few moments of stomping he stopped and primped himself up.
"I will only ask this once more. Where can I find Batsy?"
The nearby window crashed and a dark figure rolled across the ground and came to his feet right across from the Joker. The Joker squinted his eyes as he tried to make out who shadow enshrouded figure was.
"Batsy?"
The figure leapt forward delivering a thrust kick into the Joker's abdomen, which sent the clown prince falling back wards onto his ass. The figure strode forward with his cape pulled closed.
"No fair Batsy. I didn't get a chance to defend myself," The Joker whined as he got to his feet.
The figure grabbed the Joker and dragged him over to the hole in the wall. The clown prince looked down at Gotham below and he cackled madly. He looked up at the figure who he believed to be Batman and give him the middle finger.
The figure tossed Joker off and the mad villain cackled with glee as he fell almost thirty stories before being caught by the real Batman.
"I knew you didn't have it in ya Batsy," Joker said as he laid a kiss on Batman.
Batman let go of the Joker and let him fall a few feet into an eight foot deep pool where a Swat unit had gathered when the Joker attacked. Batman hoped he could get up there in time to save Gordon.
He used his zip line to get inside and he found Gordon lying bloody on the ground. Batman went to tend to his friend, but Bullock came rushing in and Batman leapt out the window just as Bullock started opening fire.
"Youse guys make sure that the Commissioner makes it safely to Gotham General. The rest of you wise asses is with me. We are goin' Bat huntin'"
Nearby…
Batman dropped down into the batmobile and sped away as he could hear the closing sounds of police sirens. He switched the batmobile to visual camouflage and raced the streets all the way to the back roads of Gotham Heights were he would take the secret path to the bat cave.
"Alfred, be prepared for my arrival."
"Are we expecting company sir?"
"Maybe, have an alibi ready just in case."
"Yes sir."
Gotham General…
Barbra Gordon made her way into the room where her adopted father was lying in a bed with tubes in him. She walked up to him and ran a hand through his gray hair.
"Hey dad," Barbra said.
"Hi Barbra," Jim replied weakly.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Gordon coughed, "I'm fine."
Barbra kissed his forehead, "If you need anything I'll be around."
Jim nodded his head before he feel back asleep.
Barbra pulled up a chair quietly and sat beside him. She took hold of Jim's hand and prayed that the Joker would stay in Arkam this time. Because if he didn't. She wasn't sure what she would do to him.
Wayne Manor…
Bruce came upstairs after taking a shower and as he approached the living room he heard Alfred speaking with officers of the GCPD. He waited near the cave entrance and listened to the conversation they were having.
"Mister Bruce has been here most of the night."
"Would you testify to that?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Thanks."
Alfred closed the doors as the officers left and Bruce walked over and sat down in one of the love seats. He dried his hair as Alfred walked up beside him and took the damp papers off the nightstand which Bruce had laid his feet upon.
"This murderer is causing me more trouble then I can afford."
"Perhaps, you should retire your identity until the police apprehend the culprit."
Bruce looked at Alfred and dismissed the notion, "Gotham needs Batman. I have to help capture this murderer before he kills again."
"How do you propose capturing him, Master Bruce?"
"By doing some simple detective work, Alfred."
"Very good sir, should I prepare your dinner?"
"I'll just take a sandwich in the study."
"Very well sir, I will get it ready for you."
Bruce headed towards the study and went over his findings on the metal flakes. Apparent whatever the killer wore that caused the scrapes was treated with mozline oil. That mean Batman would be paying some visits to all the local gun shops. Both the legal ones and illegal ones to see who bought mozline oil in the past couple of days.
But for right now he was hungry and he hoped Alfred would hurry up with his sandwich. Because tonight was going to be another long sleepless night and he needed all the energy he could muster to try and figure out who was behind these murders. Only then could he clear his name.
The east end…
The Batman copy cat leapt from roof top to roof top as he followed the gang bangers below. He pulled a device from his utility belt and tossed it at their car as it started drive. The back end of the car exploded and the car was sent sailing straight into another car. As he came near them he dropped down using his cape to glide down and he landed on the car with a thud.
"It's the fucking Bat."
"Git'em."
The gang bangers got of the car and started attacking the Batman copy cat only for him to deal them critical injuries that left at death's door. When the Batman copy cat passed by them. He pulled a batarang out and slammed into the heart of the gang banger's leader.
"Vengeance is served…"
The Batman copy cat turned to leave when he heard mad cackling from behind him. He turned around a yellow skinned; green haired nutcase was propped on a car across from him.
"Who are you supposed to be? Because you are most certainly not Batman." The Creeper said.
The copy cat said nothing. He merely drew a batarang and tossed it at the Creeper only for the Creeper to catch it in mid-air and crush it in his super strong hand.
"Is that all you got?" The Creeper cackled.
The copy cat pulled a device from his utility belt and fired it at the Creeper and he leapt out of its path. The electrical shock that the device emitted caused the car he was perched on to explode.
"Okay, I see your playing for keeps, eh, Bat fake."
The copy cat pulled several small balls from a pouch on his utility belt and tossed them at the Creeper. When they exploded they shot several hard small poison filled spikes into his skin. The Creeper wobbled as he made his way towards the copy cat.
When he finally got with in reach of him he grabbed hold of the copy cat's cape and fell to his knees. His vision hazed over as he tried to see the face of the copy cat, but eventually he gave into the poison and passed out on the ground. The copy cat reached over and felt for a pulse.
Once finding a faint one, he stood up and then turned to see the sight of the distant police cars that were heading towards the scene. He looked up and fired a zip line and escaped across the roof tops where the police could not follow.
As the police arrived the found the unconscious Creeper laying on the ground and the dead bodies lying next to the car wreck. A batarang dug into one of their chests. Bullock was among the gathered police officers who arrived and after he looked at the scene he cursed and then looked to roof tops.
"This gettin' out hand," Bullock said, "We need to make a Bat task force and hunt him down before dead bodies start spilling onto the streets."
He walked back to his squad car knowing that things were only going to get worse if something wasn't done soon. He just hoped the mayor gave him the power needed to bring the bat down once and for all.