"The End and the Beginning"
Part 6 of 6
Nick Gourley
A few weeks ago.
The plane soared its way into Gotham City airport. He had the method and the means. He was ready. The question, was if Gotham was ready for him.
The woman he had sat with the entire trip home was only a tad bit anxious. She wanted his autograph so badly, that she had asked for him to sign anywhere on her body. Whether to his own disappointment or hers, he signed her hand.
"I'll never wash this hand," she vowed. Bruce could only smile and look away.
"Flight 121 will be landing now, please fasten your seatbelts, just in case."
The voice came in over the intercomm, belonging to a young woman's. Bruce peered into the skyline that belonged to Gotham City. The buildings were dirtier than he remembered.
It would only be a matter of days. Gotham would finally be saved, and everything would be done.
Would it be that simple? Would it take only a matter of days to clean up Gotham and save her from herself? These questions would, and had to be answered later, for now, it was time to be a millionaire playboy.
"Thank you for choosing International Airlines, we hope you enjoyed your flight. Please come again. Have a good day!"
Bruce took his bag from the compartment hanging above his seat. Only a single suitcase was the only luggage that he had, and also the only that he would ever need.
As the men, women, and children exited the plane, Bruce wasn't in the least bit surprised to already see a long line of photographers, journalists, and photo-journalists waiting to greet him.
It had been 7 years. He was finally home.
The lights flashed with his exit and he could only tussle his blonde hair and smile his pearly white smile. Bruce thought the flahses would never stop as he made his way down the ramp.
"Mr. Wayne, how've you been?"
"Where've you been?"
"Are you married?"
"Heard you hooked up."
"I LOVE YOU!"
These were only a few of the cacophony of sounds, noises, and voices that he heard on his way to the limousine waiting for him through the congregation of the masses. A tall, slender, and elderly man waited for him at the limo.
Alfred, his long trusted butler, was waiting for him. His friend and confidant, and as far as Bruce was concerned, his second father.
Bruce saluted the crowd, and opened his blue eyes as big as he could for one last picture. Then, he disappeared into the limo with his butler.
"Quite the return wouldn't you say sir?"
"They haven't seen anything yet Alfred. Not even close."
--
Gordon regretted taking the train. It was dirty and filthy, exactly how he had remembered it.
He had left Gotham 20 years ago. The thought never crossed his mind to ever return here again. It never made its way into his cerebellum that he would return to this corrupt, and distraught city. That's exactly why he returned.
Chicago didn't need a good officer like him, they had plenty. Gordon felt that Gotham needed him, and she needed him real bad.
The city was now every bit as corrupt as the officials who ran it. Good families like the Waynes were gone. That was one of the many reasons for Gordon's leaving. He knew that with their passing, Gotham herself would follow suit.
It had fallen into the hands of drug and crimelords. She was pathetic, and she needed help. Maybe, just maybe, Gordon was the very help that she sought.
Barbara was waiting for him when he walked off of the train. The two greeted one another with a romantic kiss. Damn how he had missed her.
"Hey babe."
"Hey handsome."
"You hungry?"
"Famished."
"Let's go get something, beautiful."
Bruce Wayne was returning to Gotham, Gordon had heard. He might actually see the guy, it would be good to see him again. He hadn't seen the kid since he sat in his office, hiding from the press, holding his father's bloodstained coat. Hopefully, he had changed for the better.
--
Bruce fell to his knees before them.
It had been 7 years, 7 long years. He could make good on his promise now, on his vow. Soon it would all be over, and he could rest for a long time.
"I'll protect her," Bruce said aloud, "I"ll protect her with my life."
He touched their tombstones and retreated into the Manor. There was lots of work to do.
--
A few weeks later.
Sal took one last drag from his cigarette and dropped it onto the concrete.
"Aight boys, we go in, find the Hood and the dame and drop 'em both, ya hear?"
"Understood boss."
"You see anythin' else unusual, you take it out too."
"Of course boss, of course."
"I got a good feelin' about tonight boys. A real good feelin'."
--
Gordon and Dick came to the gates of the facility, they weren't alone.
Detective Flass came with them, as did Branden and his SWAT team. Something that Gordon felt was completely unneccessary, for Branden would bomb an entire block just to catch a jaywalker.
"Alright guys, do not fire unless provoked and it's safe. One stray shot and the entire building goes up in flame along with all of us."
"You sound a little worried there Jimbo," Branden stated with a hint of cockiness.
"I'm a little more than worried 'Brando'. I have a bad feeling about this, a very bad feeling."
--
Gargoyles.
They are the witnesses of many murders and other various crimes. They are everywhere in Gotham. It seems as if they live there.
A block away, there were 3. All of them with their eyes and gazes set towards AXIS. Without a warning, one of the gargoyles fired some kind of projectile cable and flew to the building.
--
He couldn't take it any longer.
He checked his watch again. 12:00. All of the pieces were set, all that was left was for Maroni's men, the cops, and the Batman to show up.
What a party. What a party.
"Everything will be just fine my dear, just fine."
Joe lifted his hood and gave Selina a kiss on her smooth cheek. He pulled it back over, and vanished into the fumes and mist.
--
The firing started quicker than Dick had anticipated.
As soon as he had entered the complex, there were screams and shouts of "Pigs! Get 'em!" There had already been losses on both sides, that was for certain. However, Dick was to do one and only one thing. Find Selina Falcone.
"Shoot 'em."
Dick shot a glance to his left to see 2 thugs approaching him. Neither one had a gun, and Dick didn't feel like killing anyone. He had made a promise that he would never kill, never. He would live up to it.
The bigger one on the right revealed a baseball bat and swung for the fence. Dick duck and gave him a short elbow to his third rib. He could hear it crackle and splinter. Within seconds, blood forced its way out of the man's mouth and he tumbled to the steel floor.
In these precious seconds the smaller one aimed a baseball-sized fist at his face. Dick shifted his weight at his waist and turned to the right. The punch missed him by centimeters. As the thug was following through, Dick grabbed the inner part of the man's elbow and swung his own elbow right for his eye socket.
Like the other's, his bones crackled and popped, and, in perfect unison, they fell onto the floor together. Dick took a few seconds to catch his breath, and proceeded up the staircase.
--
Another one was down.
The head-shots always worked for Sal. These shots always, for some unknown reason, seemed easiest to him. The SWAT helmets that the force wore did very little to truly protect themselves.
"C'mon ya pigs! Don't tell me this is all ya got!"
After the words came out of his mouth, he felt something long and hard smack the back of his head. His knees buckled from the force of the blow and he fell to the ground.
"Damn cops comin' from behind."
Sal rolled onto his back, firing as soon as he lie flat, upwards. He caught a tall, and incredibly big, man in the shoulder. The shot forced the man down to his own level, and Sal leveld the barrel of the gun to the man's forehead.
"See ya piggie."
A pointed boot came and ferociously kicked his hand at the wrist. Sal let out a scream in agony and found himself staring at a dark-skinned individual with glasses and a moustache.
"Hey there Sal," the man pulled out a cassette tape. "I was wondering if you'd like to explain this."
--
Dick came to a catwalk, and could barely hear the screaming of a young woman over the various other screams and gunshots. Selina. He was close now, real close.
"HELP ME!"
Dick found her tied by a rope to a pole that extended to the top of the building.
"Hold on alright, I'm gonna get you out of here."
Bang.
Dick could feel a sudden warmth in his shoulder, and in seconds, he was out.
--
Joe couldn't believe his aim, nor how fast the man went down. It was a good shot, and an incredibly lucky one at that. He could barely see him through the mist, and shot more by sound than by sight.
Walking through the fumes and mist, he found the body of a young boy, couldn't be any older than 20. His prize, Selina, however, was gone.
"Oh Selina my dear. Where are you?"
He held his gun ready, just in case. She could've run down the stairs, but if she did that, she would certainly be dead. He thought about his own welfare, and decided it was time for him to exit. He walked through the fumes and mist.
"Oh bloody hell."
A fist landed straight in his nose.
--
Time to end this.
He swung again at the pathetic wretch of a man, this time breaking his nose. Blood stained onto his black kevlar gloves. Batman couldn't deny that he loved it. Hood crumpled to the floor and retreated further through the fumes.
"Don't come any closer!"
Hood revealed a knife from his belt and swung violently. The design reminded Batman of a snake. The blade was curved, and almost seemed to sliver. He caught Hood's wrist and violently turned it, forcing him to release the blade, but not enough to break the bone.
"It's over Hood."
"No, Battyman, it's only just beginning."
The Red Hood pulled a .9mm Baretta out of his tuxedo and fired at him. Batman rolled to his left and threw 3 batarangs at his wrist and hand. They connected, forcing him to relinquesh his gun, dropping it to the ground.
Bang.
A bullet from the mist drilled into Hood's shoulder. The kid was conscious again. He had deadly aim, and he knew his spots. It wouldn't kill him, nor would it keep him conscious for long.
"OH MY GOD! YOU SHOT ME!"
Joe was going into shock, and it was painfully obvious. He came close to the railing, too close. Hood slipped over the edge of the railing.
Barely fast enough.
Batman caught Joe's hand with his own, just seconds before he would've been out of reach. He knew he could pull him up, but only if he would stop wriggling and worming his way out of his grip.
"HOLD ON HOOD!"
He could see a smile creep along Hood's face underneath the hood.
"See ya."
Somehow he had managed to grab the gun before he fell. He released one final bullet into Batman's cranium. The impact forced him to fall backwards and let go of Hood.
Only a splash preceded.
--
Dick awoke to the sound of a young woman.
Selina.
"Are you alright?"
"I will be. Where's Batman?"
"He's gone."
"Gone?"
"Gone."
Gordon came striding through the mist with the police force and Sal Maroni in tow.
"Selina, it's time to go home."
--
He made a secret and solemn vow. He would never again let the citizens of Gotham be taken from their families from acts of random crime. He felt that he had taken a small step in accomplishing this. It would only be a matter of time.
Until then, he would continue his fight . . . until he died.
--
A dark mass made its way out of the sewage only miles away from Gotham City. The chemicals were dripping off of his face and hair. He was in unbearable pain, and in an odd way, it was funny.
As a matter of fact, it was hilarious.
He let out a laughter. A small cackle at first, but then increased to outbursts of laughter. His voice was changed, his skin felt different. It was great.
He continued to laugh. After all, why not, if its funny, you're to laugh aren't you?
His voice carried throughout the streets and echoed at the very heart of Gotham. Many were terrified, some just simply shut their doors or windows.
His former life, like so many others, had ended. But in the destruction of his former life came a new beginning.
"Ohhhhhhhhh, this is going to be sooooo much fun."
THE END