ULTIMATE DC and YoungD16 Presents…
ULTIMATE BATMAN
RECAP: And the winner is… the Batman! Bruce defeated the Croc with ease but was it Bruce's amazing fighting abilities or was there something else going on? And what of the Croc?
Case 4: The Grudge
"You stole my title you punk!" roared the Croc as he grabbed Bruce by the shoulder.
In Bruce's mind he knew that the fight between himself and the Croc was not over but he had hoped to change clothes before the Croc went out on his search for him…too little too late. Bruce could not fight the Croc again, if only Bruce could find that damn mouth piece to get Alfred. OR maybe Alfred hadn't left yet, Bruce didn't know unfortunately.
"Hey! I won fair and square, get lost, Croc!"
Bruce's insides and outsides were aching with pain from round one another blow from the Croc and he'd be done for.
"Fair and square huh, well that's what you think."
The Croc pushed Bruce onto the ground, Bruce turned over facing the larger man. Bruce could see now that the Croc was wearing an "army" t-shirt. The Croc, however, still looked as threatening as before when exposing all of his muscle.
"Bet you think everything in life comes easy don't you rich boy?"
The Croc grinned an evil grin, he knew something…
"What did you call me?"
The Croc's grin widened. "You heard me."
Bruce couldn't believe what was going on, the Croc somehow knew that "Batman" was really Bruce Wayne, but how? All that time Bruce and Alfred spent trying to alter his appearance was for nothing then? Or maybe the Croc was a bluff?
"What are you talking about, Batman has no money."
"It isn't Batman that had the money it's Bruce Wayne that does. Isn't that right Bruce?" The Croc grinned and eyed Bruce. "Don't deny that you're Bruce Wayne I can see through your costume, one of my abilities, I'm afraid. I guess being a freak of nature pays off. Just like how I'm going to get paid when I turn you in to the police!"
The Croc pounced on Bruce crushing Bruce's arms. So that's why the Croc let him win, he knew there was better money in turning in Gotham's most wanted than there was in winning some small cash.
"Ahh!" Bruce yelled out in pain.
"Yes, scream in agony, there's not a damn person on earth that can help you now!"
Bruce cried out hoping someone, anyone, would answer his call, but no one did. Bruce's body was weak and the Croc had broken Bruce's left arm. Defeat was an understatement for this situation. Bruce was broken, once again at defeat, every time he was up someone or something would bring him down. Would he ever get back to the life he left?
The Croc knocked Bruce unconscious and threw him over his shoulder to carry. The Croc started to head for the city when he heard something. He looked around into the darkness of the pier but he saw nothing. What ever it was it wasn't close enough for the Croc to see, his unique vision only worked within a certain range. The Croc shook it off and continued to head for the nearest police station.
Gotham Heights…
"Gotham, is a place where crime and poverty has plagued it's streets and people. I am one of the few who actually care about the well-being of a city with so much potential. Not too many youths these days care enough to help stop the devastation of their city."
Jack Hart explains to a reporter as he enjoys a meal at a fine "five star" restaurant. The reporter seemed more interested in Jack than in the real story.
"So how do you plan to make Gotham a safer and better place to live?"
"To start I'll hired officials who I know can handle the pressures of building stability in a city such as Gotham. Top-class lawyers, scientist, police men, businessman…people of that nature. I myself can't do everything; it would be nice if I could be surrounded by people I trust."
Jack took his glass of champagne and twirled it a little. He looked around the room full of Gotham's wealthiest.
"I heard you're going to work side by side with the major of Gotham. Is that true?"
"Yes, of course, you see he's the one who's funding the international move WayneTech is making so I'm very excited about the major choosing me as a representative of him."
"Can you tell me any plans you have for the international franchise? What countries have you started to branch off to?"
"We've moved things to Canada and Mexico recently and we'll have things moving in South America soon too. Some scientific work will be done there, plants and such, it'll be interesting to see what our scientist can do down there."
The reporter was persistent but Jack liked that. But he was interrupted by a call from Harley Quinn.
"Excuse, miss, this'll just take a second." Jack went into the bathroom and locked the door.
"It's Bruce Wayne…he's alive! Someone turned him in about an hour ago, the authorities will be there soon, what do we do?"
"Calm yourself, Harley, you're much sweeter when you're quiet…Let them take custody of Bruce for now. I'll be there as soon as this interview is over. Do not let them ask him too many questions."
"Understood."
Jack knew it was all too good to be true, Bruce "dead" and he gets everything he ever dreamed and more. He wasn't about to let Bruce Wayne stop him from taking Gotham. Hopefully the people of Gotham will have a hate for Bruce enough to never get him back to where he was before.
Downtown Police Station…
It was cold and dark in his cell when Bruce had awakened from being knocked out. Bruce could hear the men in the other room talking about how they should give "him" the chair. Bruce knew they were referring to him. His arms were life less as he sat on the cold ground. Bruce's Batman get up was gone, stripped from him. Bruce sat and wondered if the Croc had gotten his just payday or did the cops just laugh at him.
Once again Bruce had sunk to an all-time low and the only way out was to maybe confess to everything. Just to make peace with himself and the Lord that loved him so much to see to it that he survived the bout with the Croc. Maybe Bruce would tell the truth in hopes that he would be let go easily but then what? There were about a thousand people out there in the city that think Bruce killed those people. Half would maybe get the news that he was innocent; the other half would still see him as a big disappointment. No matter what they'll always remember.
Maybe Bruce should just let what Jack wants to happen just happen. Maybe Bruce wasn't meant to save Gotham from it's filth like the Jokers? Maybe Bruce missed his opportunity to please his father? Whatever the case Bruce had to be strong, yet that was the way Bruce's life had always been. Bruce had always had to be strong, never once had there been a moment that Bruce could just…be. Bruce had never been able to cry, he'd never been able to sulk, and he'd never been able to find closure because everyone around him expected him to be strong at such a young age. And to be honest with himself Bruce wasn't strong because he was built that way, he was strong because he had no other opinion.
The death of his parents only forced him to be strong. The lives that were taken from him changed him forever, no really, forever. And he wanted revenge for this, he wanted to make everything alright but in doing so he made mistakes. And no one had ever been there to tell him that making mistakes was okay, no one had been there because the two people that were ever there for him, always, were taken from him.
If there was anything that Bruce wanted it was to make everything right but he realized that doing so with the intentions of making "everything" right was actually not the right way to do it.
Bruce had to get out, he had to find some kind of proof that Jack killed those men, or he may not ever have a chance for things to be right. Not to make everything the way it was because it wasn't right to begin with but to really make things the way it should be.
"Wayne, you got one phone call, make it quick!"
Bruce got to his feet slowly, holding his left arm, wishing he had never been in that fight. He reached the phone and dialed the numbers.
Bruce could hear it ringing but no one was answering. Finally after four rings a person answered.
"Hello, is this Gotham Gazette?"
"Yes, sir, this is but we aren't taking any leds for the WayneTech case right now, call back tomorrow."
"No! Listen to me, I must speak to a…Barbra Gordon."
"One moment, I think she'd here, it's late you know."
The person on the line disappeared for a moment, and then returned.
"Hello?" it was the woman Bruce bumped into at the docks.
"I'm alive…tell them that I'm alive."
"Hello? Who is this? Where are you?"
"I'm…Bruce Wayne, they have me in the Downtown Police Station. I need your help, tell all of Gotham that Bruce Wayne is alive. Tell everyone that I'm innocent, I know you don't know me but I'm telling the truth. Jack did it! Don't believe any one of his men! Tell everyone that Jack is involved with the Jokers. Tell everyone that Batman will get Jack without a doubt! Tell everyo…!"
A policeman grabbed the phone and hung it up, then pushed Bruce back in his cell. Bruce wondered if Barbra Gordon would believe him, if so Bruce's plan would work. If all goes according to plan she'll put it in the paper and Alfred will see it. If all goes according to plan…