Encore
2 Days Later
8: 07 AM
[FOUR DAYS UNTIL OPERATION: KNIGHTFALL]
"Batman took out Deadshot just like you said he would. Tell me, how can you know Batman so well to predict his every move?" Hug Strange inquires as he walks beside a ghost white man that was dressed in a purple shirt and green waistcoat. Professor Strange was wearing a black suit under a white lab coat. He turns his head towards the ghoulish man that walks beside him "You appear to be very well acquainted with him, I almost feel a sense of familiarity between you two" Strange observes.
Joker gives one of his signature grins that was accentuated more by the red lipstick over his lips. He slides his palms together, rubbing them as he sniggers "I prefer the phrase *kindred spirits*. I told our friend that the assassin wouldn't be able to get the job done; it was so...boring, and boring is predictable. Batman saw right through it and had little trouble taking him out. The only thing that can kill Batman is something, even more, crazier than him, and luckily I'm just that" the disfigured man taps his scalp "You can't outsmart him, we need to upstage him"
Strange holds his arms behind his back as he too gives a light smirk "Operation: Knightfall will commence in four days. More accurately eighty-eight hours. Once it begins, even Batman will be helpless to stop us. You are quite clever. You thought of this, you planned for it and it has proven to stump him"
"Don't underestimate him. He will figure it out before Knightfall can begin. We need something to distract him" Joker replies as both he and Hugo Strange stand in front of a lab door that was sealed with a security panel "We need someone to not only distract him but the whole of Gotham"
"I see" Hugo slants down and presses the keypad, entering a four-digit code "I believe that I have the perfect solution to this problem of ours. During my time at Arkham, I devised a way to make cloning of human life possible. I recreated several individual and after they broke out we managed to catch a few of them. One might catch your attention. The cloning process is highly unstable and all the known clones have died, we had to put the remaining ones on ice to slow down the decomposer process" the lab door slides open and the two men walk in.
Joker's eyes focus on a cooling unit at the end of the room "Interesting..." he laughs as he rubs his hands together in excitement. He paces forward and walks towards the unit "Oh this will do! Oh this will do quite nicely, yes it will..." his blood-red lips curve as he presses his left palm against the glass "Now this is my idea of a family reunion,...brother" he chuckles as he looks to a shirtless man with orange hair that was frozen in the unit "I hope he'll love it..."
[Wayne Manner: 1: 34 PM]
"Master Bruce, I do hope that what's going on with Mr Dent won't change the fact that you have a bunch of loonies to track down. Harvey is indeed a friend, but don't lose sight of the real threat to this city at the moment" Alfred reminds Bruce. The billionaire, dressed in a black turtleneck shirt and dark-blue jeans gives a nod towards his words. Bruce's hair was combed back with a few strands falling on his forehead. He puts on his messenger bag and looks to Alfred.
"I know, Alfred. Lately, it feels like both Bruce and Batman can't catch a break. There's always something else that pops up right after I think I have made progress. I haven't lost track of this mission. Knightfall, I need to stop it before it has the chance to start, I only have four days to do so, otherwise who knows what will happen" Bruce replies in a monotone voice, clearly tired with bags under his eyes "I'm going to see Talia, Hopefully, she might have dug up some useful information"
"Hold on, master Bruce. You haven't slept for days now. You can hardly keep your eyes open and contrary to popular belief, coffee can only do so much. You should take a kip for a few hours" Alfred advises the other man who rubs his eyes.
"I'm fine, Alfred. I don't feel like resting until I stop Knightfall" Bruce trots out of the room with Alfred following close behind "I spent all last night looking for Black Mask's partners and I came up with nothing. Someone must have known that I would have used Sionis' phone to track them. Whoever is behind this...is on a completely new level than anyone that I have ever faced before. I will feel a whole lot better once they are behind bars" he continues.
"I respect your conviction, sir. But what good will that do if you are too bloody tired to even throw a punch? Surely you can call in a favour from one of your *super* friends, Master Bruce" Alfred suggests as he and Bruce stop at the front door "Even though the guy from metropolis may not be able to help out at the moment, there is still Talia and miss Kyle. I think that they would gladly assist you in this ordeal. You don't have to do this alone, Bruce. There is even someone in Bludhaven who could be of some help"
"I'm not putting Selina in harm's way of these lunatics, Talia is working undercover and can't risk exposing herself, and Thomas shouldn't be pulled back into Gotham. Being used a weapon is what made him that way in the first place" Bruce replies as he grabs the doorknob "As much as I want to help out Harvey...I can't risk any distractions. Batman needs the time to do-" Bruce pulls open the door and was greeted with the sight of Harvey Bullock and a blonde woman. Bullock had his fist up like he was about to knock before Bruce opened the door.
"Bullock? What a...surprise and uh...miss...?" Alfred straightens his stature "I didn't know that we would be having your company today"
Harvey raises one eyebrow "Bruce didn't tell you?"
"Uh...I didn't tell him what?" Bruce asks dazed as he slants his head in confusion.
Harleen, dressed in a purple sweater and hair tied in a ponytail holds out her hand to him "Hi, I'm your new housemate. I look forward to gettin' to know you" she chirps. Bruce bats his eyes at a lost for words as he sees the blonde woman smile, he recognized her as Harleen Quinzel, though he couldn't let her and Harvey know that he did. The billionaire still remains silent for seconds, but the time dragged on for what feels like an eternity.
"Pardon?" he asks.
"No, my name is Harleen" the blonde smiles as she grabs his hand and begins to aggressively shake it, not out of malice but out of nervous energetic state "Thanks for agreein' to let me live here for the meantime. I really appreciate this. I'll make sure to stay out of trouble...so when's breakfast? I am famished, do you do pancakes, I could really do with some pancakes " she smiles.
"Pardon?" Bruce repeats himself, this time in an even more addled tone.
Encore
G.C.P.D
Harvey Dent walks with his hands handcuffed from the front while Jim Gordon and two other officers follow behind him. Jim gives a worried look to Dent "You are going to get out of this. Harvey and I will not rest until we clear your name" the commissioner promises "We were getting close to something big, I can feel it. Once you are a free man again, we will hunt down the son of the bitch who did this to you. You're a good man, Harvey. I appreciate you playing along with this"
"It's all over the news, Jim. The whole of Gotham thinks that I am a murderer. Even if we find some way to prove my innocence...my campaigned is ruined. They will have the thought of me being a murderer in the back of their heads. The damage is already done, Jim" Dent keeps his eyes facing the ground as speaks with a depressed tone "There is no footage, no eyewitnesses - my recording of the whole thing was taken away by your men...I'm finished"
"Not if I have anything to say about it. If anyone deserves to be Mayor of this city...it's you, Harvey. The people who did this know that you are a threat to them, our *friend* left us a present on the roof last night. I say it's time I open it. I will find out who did this" Gordon guides his hand to Dent's shoulder "You are going to get through this. The good people of Gotham know that you didn't do it and they will have your back" both men approach the lockup cells.
"What about Bruce? I can't imagine that this publicity can be good for him. The press is probably dragging his name through the mud just as much as mine. I would understand if he wanted to disassociate with me. I can't blame him either" Harvey mutters.
"You know Bruce better than that. He sticks by his friends. He's not giving up on you, and neither am I. Bullock transported Harleen to Wayne Manner, he thinks that she will be safe there. Let's hope that he's right" Gordon opens the door to the cell "I'm sorry to do this to you, but I don't have a choice. Just relax here until I come back, hopefully, I can get the information that I need out of the shooter" the commissioner steps aside and Harvey Dent walks into the cell, still looking at the ground. Jim goes for the door of the cell, looking right at Harvey.
"Jim, please do this by the book. If we are going to save Gotham...we can't lower ourselves to their level. If we do this, I want to do legally" Dent requests to which Jim nods.
"You got it"
[Ten Minutes Later...]
"Floyd Lawton a.k.a Deadshot...you are a wanted man" Jim slams his hand on the table while his left arm was secured in a sling "You tried to kill Batman, send your men to kill me and my friends at Gotham central. Why did you do it?" he spits. Floyd Lawton, a Latino man with dirty blonde hair that parts over the sides of his face to under his ears with specks of facial hair around his chin and under his nose where looks it looks like he hasn't shaven for a few weeks. Nothing remarkable about his appearance, nothing that you make you glance twice in his direction if you were to pass by him on the streets.
"I'm not telling. You're wasting your time little piggy" Floyd uncaringly responds as he tries to lifts his hands that were chained to the table.
"And you're testing my patience" the commissioner circles around Floyd and the table "We looked you up, Lawton. You are suspected of hundreds of assassinations. There are a lot of people who love to get their hands on you. Police and crime lords alike. So I suggest that you tell me who hired you and what they are planning before I have your ass shipped off to one of those people who won't be as friendly as me" Gordon circles around the man once again.
"Didn't you get me? I said get lost pig cuz I'm ain't telling you jack shit and jack has already taken the last train out of town to see your mother, I hear that they have a very intimate relationship" Floyd leans back in his chair as he looks to Jim "Listen, you got heart and that's good; means I have an easy target to shoot when I eventually come and kill you, but that doesn't mean that having heart is a bad thing. But, I'm not squalling, what are you going to do? Throw me into the slammer? Scary...that would be if I don't have the threat of death looming over me" Floyd smirks "Whatever you think that you can do to me...my employer will do even worse"
Gordon leans over the table, resting both of his fists on it as he glares to Floyd "Do you really want to test that?"
"Try me" Floyd nonchalantly dares the commissioner.
"So that's how you're going to play it?" Gordon stands straight "With the pending charges against you, I can make it that you will never see the light of day again. With every murder you ever did, every law that you have broke, I can put you in Blackgate for life and can even have the guards and prisoners there make what little of a life that you will have there a nightmare, a hell for you, and when you are thrown back into your cell after the umpteenth beating that you will get for a quick break between that hell, you will be shaking in your covers, broken and wondering why you didn't do the smart thing and just tell me what I wanted to know" the commissioner threatens.
"No deal" Floyd shakes his head "You can't scare me pig"
Wayne Manner
"So Miss Quinzel will be staying with us now apparently" Alfred grits his teeth as he places a silver tray on a wooden table placed between the couches "I must say. I am surprised that you would think keeping Miss Quinzel here is at all a good idea" the butler directs towards Bullock as he pours tea into the blonde's cup "After you believe that the same people that came after her may be linked to the people behind Mr Dent's problem"
Harvey rubs his nose and leans forward "Everywhere else in this city is watched by the crime bosses who want her head on a silver platter. I know that I am asking a lot here, but Bruce said that he was for it" bullock reasons with Alfred and Bruce.
"I thought you were going to ask for money to improve the department. I didn't think you would bring a suspect to my house. If I knew what you were going to ask, I wouldn't have just replied with a yes" Bruce tells Harvey "With all due respect, Captain. Alfred and I don't have time to babysit her. I am busy trying to get Dent's name cleared and Alfred is meant to be overseeing side projects for Wayne Enterprise. Neither of us will be home enough to keep an eye on her at a reliable basis" the billionaire sits on the couch opposite Harvey and Harleen.
Harleen adjusts her glasses "Mr Wayne, I understand that you are a very busy man. But I don't need you to keep on eye on me to see if I am behavin' myself" Harleen crosses her legs over and points to her right ankle where the small device was strapped around it "Because they made sure that they could keep track of me at all times. I kinda feel it's way too much, but I have nothin' to hide from them. They just need me to stay put here until they can sort this whole thing out - you won't even notice me, I swear"
"But I bloody will" Alfred mutters under his breath.
Bruce rests his hands in his lap "Just speaking hypothetically, how long would she need to stay here?"
"I don't have exactly know. Just until we are sure that her life is no longer in danger, it could be days, weeks maybe even months. All I know is that I need you to help us out here, please. No one knows that she's here, it's remote. It's perfect for her"
"Too perfect" Bruce thinks to himself. He lifts his head, looking to Harleen "Fine. I'll have Alfred prepare one of the guest bedrooms"
"You're having me do what sir?" Alfred laughs before his eyes narrow "Oh...you're being serious, aren't you?"
"Harvey's right. We need to keep an eye on her, Alfred. Harleen could be the only way to find out what is going on" Bruce stands to his feet "Listen, she can stay here. But I expect her to follow the rules of the manner. Now if you would excuse me, I have a meeting to attend. Feel free to stay as long as you like, Harvey" Bruce puts his messenger bag back on and heads out of the room with Alfred following after him in a hurry. The grey-haired man stops Bruce in his tracks.
"Hold on, Master B. You are aware that if Harleen is to stay here; your access to the Batcave will be practically non-existent. You can't risk her finding out who you are, especially if your assumptions about her are correct and that she is apart of the breakout and somehow involved in this Knightfall operation" Alfred stresses.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. There is more than one entrance to the Batcave. Keeping her here will be good for us. Because if she is involved with all of this, she will have to slip up sooner or later. She is being watched by the G.C.P.D and us. She won't be able to hide for long. And if she's innocent; we are saving her life. It's a win-win situation" Bruce explains as he heads towards the front door "Just keep an eye on her, at a distance"
"Don't worry about that sir. I was already planning on keeping my distance" Alfred retorts.
"I'm off to meet Talia. She is going to be pissed at me being late. She would try and kill me if she thought that I stood her up" Bruce lets Alfred know.
"Going on a date our we?" teased Alfred as he holds his arms to his chest.
"No" Bruce replies as he opens the door and walks out "It's not a date. I'll let you know if she learned anything new" Bruce shouts as walks down the concrete steps. Alfred closes the door behind Bruce and sighs loudly as he hears Harleen's voice coming from all the way back in the living room. He brushes off his suit and heads back towards the sound of the voice with a face of thunder.
"I think I have had enough stress for now" Alfred thinks to himself.
From outside the Manner. Bruce brings out his car keys and presses it. The headlights of a dark blue Ferrari light up as Bruce walks towards it "I sure hope that Talia isn't mad. I already have enough people trying to kill me" Bruce slides into the car. Driving off out of the gate and leaving the grounds. From outside of the black gate that walls off the manner. A figure dressed in a grey hoodie looks at the car drive off only to then turn his attention to the Mention.
A dark chuckling comes from the man as he removes his hood. The ginger man's lips curve into a grin as he holds his palms against the gate. Jerome's eyes turn to one of the windows on the first floor of the mansion where he recognized Bruce's butler "You sure have grown up, Brucie. So that leaves one question...what the hell happened to me?" he asks "Oh well who cares. I say I make up for my lost time...time to raise some hell" Jerome laughs as he claws at his own face "Oh...this is going to be fun!" he presses his face against the bars of the gate.
2: 05 PM
Bruce walked through the streets of Gotham, this time remembering to dress more casual to decrease the amount of attention that he would receive, though that didn't stop a few people from looking at him in a way that made him feel almost alien. He finds it hard to believe that the same streets that he walked on that were full of people just going about their life was the same ground all those years ago when Gotham was in its darkest hour, a hopeless dream.
Bruce snaps back to reality when sees Talia not far from him, she was sitting in one of the tables that resided outside a restaurant or maybe it was a café. Bruce really didn't know how they worked. He waves over to the woman, knowing full well that she did not welcome his lateness. She flicks her hair and points to the empty seat that was placed opposite of her own. Bruce knew that she was not happy with him, something that is starting to become a trend between the two of them.
Bruce saw that Talia was in a black fitting dress, something that worked too well on her. If there was one thing he could be certain about the woman, he knew that she was beautiful, gorgeous even. It was hard for him to imagine that Ra's helped create such a prepossessing creature such as Talia. Bruce mentally slaps himself as he suddenly realizes the thoughts that he was having of her "I need to get it together" Bruce reminds himself as he exhaustion was catching up to him a lot faster than earlier.
Talia flicks her hair back as she sips from a wine glass. A smile forms on her face as sees Bruce sit in the empty seat opposite her "Usually when a guy asks me out on a date, I expect to not have to buy my own drink" she gives a playful wink.
"This isn't a date, Talia. I need to know what you have found out on the people responsible for all of this" Bruce quickly dismisses that notion.
"Forget about breaking the ice, you just caused an avalanche" Talia rolls her eyes as rests her arms on the table "I told you that it is going to take time. I can't just go around knocking on people's doors until I find out who did it. It's a very delicate process and involves more than just threatening and beating up criminals...which is why it's really, really boring" the dark-haired woman crosses her legs over and slants forward, sipping from her glass.
"You must have come up with something, please. Talia, you have to know something that would help. Whoever is behind the breakout...they framed my friend for a murder that he didn't do. You have to know something, something that I can use" Bruce begs Talia who lifts one of her eyebrows.
"You must be talking about Dent. Ah yes, I heard about that. The self-titled light for Gotham. Bruce, you seriously did not think that the underworld of Gotham would just let a man like Dent just waltz about and threaten them without them firing back? What did you think was going to happen?" Talia questions the man.
"You're right, I should have seen this coming. Just tell me you have some way to help prove Dent is innocent" Bruce asks the woman.
"Love, I know that you are desperate to help your friend. I get it. But you can't expect me to solve all your problems. I helped heal you when you were going to go after my sister with the wound of yours, I gave you a heads up about the threat coming to Gotham and now you expect me to go out of my way to help a person that I have never met? You have a lot of faith in me even though you treat me like I'm your enemy" Talia observes as she smiles.
"I know how I treat you is wrong, I'm sorry" Bruce apologizes.
"No. You're only sorry when it benefits you. You couldn't care less about me. I'm just a tool for you to use to get what you want" she leans back in her chair and picks up her drink "You only care about me when you think that I can give you something. I'm sorry, but I have nothing worth value to give you. Dent ticked off the wrong people and they didn't like that. Or maybe...he really did kill the Mayor. They were known to have quite the history" Talia remarks.
"Harvey is not a killer. He's the shining example for Gotham. He would never take a life...he doesn't have that kind of darkness in him" Bruce detests the woman's words.
Talia reaches her hand over and places it over Bruce's own "Or is that what you want yourself to think that, Bruce. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow, you should know that better than anyone else. I hate seeing you like this, but I dislike lying to you just as much. Maybe Harvey doesn't know or remember that he did it, maybe he does believe that story of his, but you tell me, Bruce. What would you do if it is true that he did do it?"
"It won't come to that. I know he didn't do it, I know that he didn't" the billionaire takes his hand out from under the woman's own.
"Were you there? Did you see the footage? Did you hear it? Face it, Bruce, you having to go off of but Harvey's word. I don't want him to actually have done it, that would hurt you. Trust me, I don't want that for you. But I don't want you to be fooled by your own misguided need to believe in people while you are not willing to place your trust in them. You want to believe Harvey, I know you do. But deep down you too are questioning the validity of his words, the part of you that matters the most to you...your own darkness" Talia brushes her hair behind her right ear "I hope that I'm wrong, you truly believe in him. Just make sure that whatever happens...you will do what is right"
"I'll do what is best for Gotham" Bruce tiredly replies.
"What about what is best for you? Bruce, you're human like the rest of us. No matter how hard you try to hide your feelings...your cracks will eventually show and if you aren't careful, you will break" Talia warns Bruce as she sips her wine. Bruce's eyes look at the glass.
"What is it with my exes all suddenly becoming alcoholics?" Bruce asks.
"Well...you are the common denominator" Talia teased with a smile "I'll look into it. If that friend of yours was framed...there's bound to be someone who knows who did it"
"Thanks, Talia. I mean it"
"A thank you?" Talia rolls her eyes in a playful manner "You know in all my years of knowing you...I have never had you thank me, not even in our most intimate times and there was plenty of those" her once playful smile slowly turns from sweet to a salacious nature, her green eyes glimmer with the look that she gave him plenty of times before, a look that Bruce knew all too well. Bruce couldn't be sure if it was his exhaustion that bent his mind to miss their olds times, or if he was really feeling such emotions towards the league of shadows' leader, the same ones that they once shared for each other.
"You look tired, Bruce. Maybe you should take a night off of your...patrols. I know that you are being overwhelmed by the gravity of the threat closely heading to Gotham, but you being exhausted won't help for when Gotham is eventually put on the edge. I wish that I could help you, but that is not my role. I have to work behind the scenes, watch you and see if you are ready for your role of leading the shadows with me. Soon this city will be at the mercy of those lunatics, you may be on your own, my love" Talia sheepishly tells the man sat opposite her.
"I'm never leading the Shadows. The sooner you realize that the easier you will get over it." Bruce forewarns her.
"My father used to say that the greatest of leaders are not those of whom that are born into greatness , but those of whom who seek it out" she speaks with imperiousness "Sometimes when it comes to one's calling...you never know when you will answer it. My father had great plans for you, believe it or not, he admired you like an equal once he saw who you would become"
"Well...your father was also one crazy bastard" Bruce disputes her words.
"I never said that he was perfect; there's a couple of bones that I would like to pick with him, yet again not everyone's father can be a beloved man adored by millions like yours" Talia shoots back with a solemn smile as she finishes her drink. She rests her glass on the table "Let's do this again, Bruce. I will let you know if I find something, though I may just call you to talk. I missed your brooding" she chuckles, leaning back, she glances at Bruce "There is no one else that can brood as well as you can"
"Thanks. I've been practising" Bruce's tooth-full smug grin greets her own smile "Talia..., I know I have been treating you like a hostile ever since you got to this city, and you coming into my party and attacking me sure didn't help that" Bruce chuckles.
"Okay, I will be the first to admit. I may have gone too far with that. We could've talked it out, but what would have been the fun in that? I'm a work hard, play hard kinda gal. Luckily for me, those two usually align together on regular intervals quite nicely. Though...I'm sorry about punching you in the face and putting you in the hospital, it was the only way to keep you from going off and getting yourself killed" Talia explains as she lifts an eyebrow.
"You left me as bait for the Talon, you knew that he couldn't resist coming after me" Bruce leans forward and gives a small smile.
"Oh, love. I was there waiting for him to show and I would have gotten ridden of him if it wasn't for your good pal the Commissioner pointing a gun at me. I would never put your life in danger, unless that I was absolutely certain that there would be no risk of you actually dying" she softly kicks her legs forward "Whatever happened to the Talon? Nyssa was carried off to face justice for her crimes, yet you allowed the Talon to walk free, even though he helped kidnapped your friends, killed my men and almost killed you. It makes a girl wonder...just who is this Talon?"
"He's..." Bruce looks away from the woman for a split second "He's under my care. I wasn't going to hand him over to the shadows to be executed"
"Who said anything about killing him? He's a criminal, Bruce. I thought you made it your mission to combat them, but once again, you let another criminal walk free. First, you choose the company of a serial thief who has killed before, you let the Talon leave a free man, and you slept with me: the leader of the most dangerous group of people in the world. For someone who preaches his morals, you sure do contradict yourself a lot, I would even say that your hypocrisy proves that you aren't on a noble quest to rid this city of crime, but to just let loose your true nature" Talia observes as her jade green eyes reflect the uncertainty in the man's face.
Wayne Manner
Annoyed. Peeved. Irritated. Anguish. Bothered. Hopelessness. Alfred's head flooded with those thoughts as he hears Harleen call out to him from all the way in the living. Alfred was in the kitchen, chopping up vegetables on the board as he uses a knife to cut the red and green peppers with a small pile of onions and two balls of garlic off by the side "Remember no meat! I'm a vegetarian!" Harleen yells from a large distance between them.
Alfred rocked a face of thunder and slams the knife down to cut the peppers "She's only been here for a few hours and she's already acting like I'm her butler. What a load of rubbish" he mumbles to himself as he scoops up the chopped pieces of the peppers and pours them into a pan "Either she is really good at playing dumb or she is just a total mug, or maybe both" the grey-haired man picks up the balls of garlic and rests them on the board.
"Master B is going to owe me big time" Alfred chops at the garlic. His ears pricked as he hears a scream come from the living room. He swiftly turns his head and let go of the knife. He hurries towards the scream's origin, pulling out his handgun from his holster.
Entering the room, Alfred sees a distress Harleen swiping a golf club at a dark-haired woman that was standing in front of the open window to the room "Selina? Bloody hell you frightened the life out of me just now" the butler wheezes as he returns his gun to his holster under his blazer. Selina shrugs, dressed in a black tank top and jeans with a black leather jacket zipped up. She looks to the blonde who was still swinging the club, almost like she thought that it would scare her off "We have a door, Selina. Don't be shy...it's for everyone to use"
Selina's eyes eased up as she slivers her hands in the pockets of her jeans. Her sudden movement made the charm on the choker around her neck jingle. Her dark eyeshadow and mascara heightened her soft features, her green eyes reinforce her posture, standing on the spot as she fidgets, slightly twisting her upper body, tapping her heel against the ground. The slow and precise breaths that she takes slightly pump out her chest outward and inward.
"Sorry Alfred, I saw the window and it made me start thinking of old times. I came here to see Bruce, but I didn't know that he would be having a guest over" Selina looks to Harleen who had ceased rattling the club. She drops it to the floor. Her baby blue eyes meet Selina's hardened green irises.
"Actually. Me and Mr Wayne are not involved romantically. I'm here because someone sent a group of armed men to kill me, and this seems to be the only place where they won't be able to find me" Harleen smiles "Sorry about the club..."
"Please, princess. Bruce had a bad experience a long time ago that would have put him off blondies for life...so you have no chance" Selina turns her head to the grey-haired man while Harleen drops her smile "Anyway, if Bruce isn't here; can you give him a message for me, Alfred?"
"Of course, Miss Kyle. What shall I be relaying to him this time?" Alfred walks towards her with his arms behind his back.
"Bruce offered me a job at Wayne Enterprise a couple of days ago" Selina reveals as she bites her bottom lip.
"Did he now? And you came all this way just to decline his offer in person?" Alfred struts forward "I understand that work-life at Wayne Enterprise will not be to your liking. I'm sure that Bruce will take no offence to you declining of his offer"
Selina bats her eyes "Actually...I was hoping that Bruce was here so I could accept his offer and that we could go over the details. It may sound boring, but that's because it's normal and I have had a lack of that in my life lately"
"Well...ain't today full of surprises" Alfred replies astonished "I'll be sure to pass the news onto Bruce. He will be happy to know that he will be personally welcoming the newest member of Wayne Enterprise" he gives a smile to Selina.
"By the way. Where did he get off to?" Selina asks.
"Oh...he had some business that he had to deal with" Alfred stops himself from mentioning anything about the real reason why Bruce went off "He will be back later. You are more than welcome to stay...I wouldn't mind the company" Alfred awkwardly urges her.
"Hey, don't worry. I'm here to keep you company, darlin'" Harleen adjusts her glasses as she responds.
"Please" Alfred snappily begs.
"Sorry, I would love to stay, this was just supposed to be a quick visit. Barbara wanted me at the little one's birthday party" Selina replies as she heads back towards the window.
"Hold on, her birthday already happened" Alfred lifts a finger but Selina had already left through the window "Oh bloody hell" he curses as he rests his hands on his hips. Harleen tip-toes next to him and pats him on the pack which drew an annoyed look from him.
"Don't feel lonely, I'm still here" Harleen tries to cheer him up.
"I feel better already" Alfred replied in an heavy-hitting tone flavoured with sarcasm.
"See. What did I tell you?" she smiles, obviously not catching the man's sarcastic push back. Alfred grits his teeth, holding back every harsh word that he wanted to hurl her way. He eventually begins to passive-aggressively nod to her, another sign that she didn't seem to pick up on. It made Alfred wonder how she even becomes a psychologist in the first place. Harleen puckers up to a bigger smile "So...those are the type of girls that Bruce is into...he has...a unique taste. Bruce wouldn't happen to be seeing another woman that he has a romantic interest in, would he?"
"How did you?" Alfred tensed.
Harleen taps the side of her scalp "I could see it all over you when you had the moment of pause towards the girl. You obviously stopped yourself from disclosing information that has hurt her feelings, and since she came here to see Bruce, I figured it would be about another woman, one that Bruce has feelings for. From your hesitance, I could tell that Selina must know this woman too, maybe she has a bit of jealousy towards her? From Selina's sense of uneasiness in this place even though she said that she has come here before, must mean that something happened to strain her trust for Bruce, did he choose this mysterious woman instead of her?" Harleen intrudes far more than Alfred thought that she has the right to.
"As if I would tell you" Alfred retorts.
"That display of defensiveness told me all that I need to know" Harleen comments, turning her head to look at him "So...about my chilli? When can I expect it? I am famished"
G.C.P.D
Gordon and Harvey Bullock sit opposite a petite blonde woman who had her head low "I know that you are going through a lot, but we need you to go over what happened at the Mayor's office, please don't leave out any key details. If you are telling the truth, we need all that we can go on" Harvey was mindful in his tone as he sees the melancholic woman return a weak nod to show that she understands his request. She slightly lifts her head, but still not near making eye contact with them.
"Okay" she nearly whispers.
Gordon takes it from there "Can you please start by stating your name, your occupation and then go over what happened there that night" he presses the record button on the voice recorder that was on the table next to him "When you are ready"
"My name is Helen Naux, I work- worked as James Aubrey's personal assistant, I usually just took his calls and arranged for his appointments" the blonde clearly says "And I saw Harvey Dent kill Mayor James" she adds as her voice slightly took a more weak tone.
"Did you see him kill the Mayor?" Jim questions.
Helen places her hands together "When he showed up he barged into Aubrey's office, even when I told him that he couldn't, he still did. James told me to leave them alone so I did - If I knew what was going to happen, I would have called security myself" she stiffens up "A couple of minutes passed, I had returned to my desk since I thought they were just going to argue - that happened a lot. Sure things usually got heated between them, but they never ended up hurting each other..."
"So what happened?" Jim follows up.
"I heard Dent starting to yell some strange things, like how he was going to get rid of Aubrey's corruption, and how he thought that he was connected to the breakout at Arkham. I thought that it was just standard stuff for them. Dent would throw accusation after accusation at the Mayor. The Mayor would kick him out, only to repeat the process another day, but then I heard gunfire" Helen start to shake in fear as she relived the moment "I ran into the office to see Mayor James with a hole in his chest and Dent standing with a gun in his hand. Dent had this...crazy look in his eyes...he then shot the Mayor in the head and looked at me"
"What happened after that?" the commissioner inclines towards the woman.
"He pointed the gun at me and said that I was just as guilty as Aubrey. He brought out a coin and told me that we were going to play a game for my life. I made a break for the gun, but he punched me, he knocked me out. By the time that I came too...Dent was already taken away by the GCPD" Helen lifts her head to reveal that she had a black-eye on the right side of her face "I thought that he was going to kill me...he's a monster. He needs to be locked up" she hollows.
"If we can prove your claim, then we will lock him up" Harvey reassures her. Standing up, Jim stops the recording and heads out of the room with Bullock following behind. They both step behind the one-way-mirror and look to each other. Harvey was the first to speak up "Jim, I know that you think Dent is innocent and I'm with you on that, but you can't deny that this woman must have the makings of a top-notch actress to come across as convincingly as she did" Bullock comments which brought about a fowl look on the commissioner's face.
"You think that she's telling the truth?" Gordon asks, obviously bewildered by his partner's deducing of the situation.
Harvey takes off his hat and ruffles his hand through hair "I'm saying that we need to look into her claims of Dent's guiltiness equally as we are looking for his innocence. I know Dent would never do anything as crazy as that, but maybe I don't know him as well as I think. I do believe in Dent, I know you do too and even Bruce. He has the most faith in him out of anyone in this city, but that doesn't mean that Dent is innocent. It just means that we are holding on to that ideal version of him" Bullock confesses which draws even more suspicion from Gordon.
"Harvey...you have been acting strangely recently. First, you trust Harleen with all the evidence stacked between her and agreed to let her stay at Bruce's home; putting him in possible danger too. Then you are now trusting this woman when the gun that was fired didn't have Dent's fingerprints on it and that no one else reported the yelling that Helen heard" the Commissioner tries to reason with Bullock who gave a stiff shrug of his shoulders.
"Maybe Dent used the gun with a cloth or something and Helen got her fingerprints on the gun when she tried to grab it" Harvey argues as he places his hat back on his head "I'm perfectly fine, I'm thinking about things in an open mind and just doing my job. You need to trust me, Jim. When have I ever let you down?" Harvey rests a hand on Gordon's shoulder "If Dent is innocent, I will be with you when we catch the son of a bitch that framed him, but if he is guilty...I will be there to arrest him and you better be by my side if that happens" Bullock adds.
"Deadshot is being transported to Blackgate later for holding until his trial. I will go and make sure his transfer goes off without a hitch" the commissioner walks off and leaves Harvey with Helen alone. Harvey rests his hands on his hips and sighs. He walks into the room to greet Helen's gaze.
"What did you talk about?" Helen asks nervously.
Harvey grins "He gone. I think he is actually buying it" the man chuckles with a dark glare "Everything is going to plan. Our employer will be pleased, the good old commissioner still thinks that I am his friend: Captain Bullock"
Wayne Manner
Harleen Quinzel lays in a bath full of bubbles and steam with the biggest smile on her face. Her right leg with the ankle monitor was hanging out of the tub. She taps her foot in tune with the loud rock being played over the radio next on the counter next to her. Her hair hung down her back and sides, stuck to her skin by the water. Candles were lit all around the room with the light to the room dimmed. She hums to the tune with her eyes closed "This...this is the life! If I knew that I would be taken here, I would have gotten a group of crazy psychos to kill me sooner. This is amazin'!'" she whispers to herself with glee "Being housebound in a mansion is frickin' awesome" she scoots up handfuls of the bubbled water and throws it up like it was glitter.
From the bottom level of the Manner. Alfred stands in the living room as he cleans the heaps of emptied wrappers and dirty plates along with half a dozen empty glasses "Even Bruce wasn't this messy as a child. This whole place was neat and tidy in the early hours but now it looks like a zoo" Alfred collects the rest of Harleen's junk in a trash bag "I dread to think what she would do to this place if she is to stay here for a prolonged amount of time" Alfred's eyes look down to leftover food that was stuck to the leather couch "Oh bloody hell" he curses.
Hearing steps coming from behind him. Alfred rolls his eyes and returns to throwing the trash into the bag "Listen here. If you are going to stay here than you need to learn proper etiquette. I would greatly appreciate it if you start to actually eat the food rather than dropping it all over the bloody floor" Alfred blasts while from behind him a hand gently reaches for the golf club on the ground. Alfred groans as he steps in a pile of foot left on the carpet "Goddamn it. I won't be able to get that out! You and I are going to have a real problem if you are to keep up this vile behaviour"
Alfred turns his head and was struck over with the club. Alfred was knocked over onto the floor as a trail of blood drips down from the wound. The grey-haired man's eyes look at a pair of black beaten up shoes. Looking up he sees it. A ginger-haired man dressed in a red shirt under a black waistcoat and red blazer. The man also wore red pants "Surprise! Did you miss me? I know that you did..." Jerome laughs as he sees Alfred reach up "C' mon Jeeves, I missed you!" Jerome fakes a British accent as he whacks the Butler again, this time over his back.
"You're...you're...how?" Alfred questions with his staggered breath. Jerome grins as he strikes the man again with the club, this time the club was broken in half and the parts were thrown over the room; breaking a couple of glass ornaments.
"Oh...that's a shame. I had a couple more swings in me" Jerome sounds disappointed, he turns his head back to the beaten butler "I have a couple questions for you. First of all, when did little Brucie become...not so little? Talk about a growth spurt, am I right?" Jerome chuckles as he knees down beside Alfred "One minute you have your knife at his throat and then he's all grown up! Where does the time go?" he reaches under his blazer and pulls a gun and points it at Alfred "And you're even older than...usual? What the hell happened?"
"You're alive? how...you're supposed to be dead..." Alfred half-consciously stammers at the presumed dead man who shrugs in return.
"That is what I would like to know. I remember having little Brucie at my mercy. The tip of my blade at the skin of his neck...then...oh...that bastard Galavan tried to upstage me...that son of a bitch" Jerome's hand slivers against the sides of his neck "That bastard killed me! Next thing I know, I wake up in this weird lab place where I was tied down for most of my stay until the breakout" Jerome stands up and paces around the room "I was broken out with all the rest of the freaks, I even could have sworn that I could see Brucie on that bus"
Alfred tries to push himself up only to be whacked across the head by Jerome with his gun. Alfred was rolled onto his back as he stares up to the ginger "But that doesn't matter too much. The last thing I was trying to do was kill Brucie and I'm going to through with it, then I'm coming for that bastard Galavan. I will make him suffer" Jerome chortles as he grabs Alfred's collar, lifting him up "I would kill you here, but I want Brucie to see it. What says you if I would say that we are going on a road trip?"
Alfred spits blood in his face. Jerome shrugs "Can I take that as a yes?" he whacks the gun across Alfred's face once more with a cackle "Also...do you have a camera?" Jerome inquires as he looks at bruised man's face with a grin.
Later...
The door to the mansion opens as Bruce walks in, looking tired and like he was about to give up on life "Alfred, I'm back!" he calls out as ruffles his now out of place hair that rests over his forehead. His once slicked backcombed hair is now a mess. Strands of his hair stuck out from the sides and back. He rubs his eyes, feeling the dehydrated skin under his eyes, stiff and slightly cracked "Alfred, how's our guest? I'm sorry that I had to leave you with her, but Talia told me that she would look into-" Bruce turns the corner as sees the broken ornaments on the ground of the living room "Alfred?" he calls out once more, this time in concern and he hurries into the room.
"ALFRED!?" Bruce yells as he sees he was the only person in the room among the carnage. His eyes look down to the ground to small stains of blood over the floor, small drips that eventually ended up leading his eyes upon a small pool of crimson liquid that had stained into the carpet. His eyes eventually see a video camera by the pool of blood, the same camera that he used to play around with before he lost his parents. Some of the best memories he had of them were on it.
Bruce kneels down and picks it up, opening the sides as he looks through the videos. They were all gone. All his happiest memories of his mother and father - gone. Erased. His eighth birthday party, gone. His and his Father's first camping trip together, gone. His mother's speech at Wayne Enterprise for funding Arkham, forgotten.
He forgot to ask Alfred to back them up, and now they are gone. He bats his eyes as he sees that there was a recent recording taken a hour ago. The camera was old, very old, it the videos that it did produce came out all out low quality with a slight static layer. The sound it gave off was also not ideal either, with the voices and sounds sounding like they were layered with a small buzzing that came from them. Fearing what he was going to see he hesitantly presses play.
/CLICK/
"HI THERE, BRUCIE! LONG TIME NO MURDER! HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?!"
Bruce's eyes reflect the video shown on the camera. He was in disbelief at what he was seeing so much that he nearly drops the camera.
"I know what you are thinking Bruce - isn't this handsome guy supposed to be pushing up daisies? How did this charming young man come back from the grave? Well Brucie...I have completely no idea" Jerome laughs as he holds a gun against Alfred's head while he held the camera with his spare hand "But I sure as hell ain't complaining! Maybe I was brought back to finish the job that I started all those years ago - to slit your pretty little throat! Oh...I would have had you if it wasn't for that bastard Galavan!" Jerome shakes the camera as his eyes tense up.
"Galavan?" Bruce thought to himself in confusion.
"So this is the deal, Brucie boy! I want to kill you and your manservant who you call a friend. I want you to come to me...at the place where I was supposed to end you before!" Jerome's eyes look down to Alfred as he hears him say something "Aye, what do you mean that Wayne Tower blew up? Awwww...fine! Wait...there's a new one? ALRIGHT, change of plan, meet me at the top of the world where your little company rules. Meet me on top of the roof of Wayne Tower...and do it soon, otherwise, your butler will become paste on the sidewalk! Also no cops...I want to surprise little old Jimbo! TOODLES!" Jerome grins into the camera as the recording stops.
Bruce drops the camera and stamps on it with his foot out of anger. His face reddened as breaths heavily "Jerome Valeska...how is this possible" he says under his breath. His ears prick as he hears a yelp come from behind him. Turning his head he sees Harleen standing at the entrance to the room, dressed in nothing but a towel that was wrapped around her chest which she holds in place. Her hair was hanging down her back still damp. Her eyes look at the stains of blood on the floor.
"Oh...god...where's Alfred? It wasn't those armed men was it?" Harleen gulps.
Bruce turns his body towards her "No. It was Jerome Valeska" he replies as he storms towards "You were here the whole time and you didn't think to tell me about this? Alfred has been gone for almost a hour" he hissed at her as he got right up in her face, causing Harleen to backway from him.
"I've been in the bath and just got out to see if Alfred got those clothes that I asked him for. He was supposed to put them on my bed so when he didn't. I came right down to see him. I h-had music playing, I didn't hear this happen" Harleen points to the blood stains.
"You were in the bath for over a hours" Bruce asks astonished as he sees Harleen's hand that held her towel in place was wrinkled.
"Uh yeah...with a tub like that...I would buy as much time as I can. Anyway, I thought Jerome was dead...like fallen to his death" Harleen questions as she looks away "You don't think that he and Jeremiah are working together do you?" she asks with consternation plaguing her voice.
"Doubt it. Jerome never felt too warm about his brother. Stay here" Bruce heads for the exit only for Harleen to pull at his arm.
"Uh...where are you going?" she pleas.
"He wants me to meet him. He'll kill Alfred if I don't" he shakes off her grip on him.
"Call Gordon or something. You can't possibly be thinking of facing him by yourself?" she advises.
"He'll kill Alfred if tell the copes, trust me. I can take care of myself" he heads out of the room.
Harleen's lips curve into a smile "I know that you can, get 'em, B-Man" she says in a whisper.
Bruce grabs his phone from his pocket and holds it to his ear "Lucius, It's me. Alfred has been taken, I need you to prepare something for me"
"Oh my. Of course, Bruce. Whatever you need" Lucius responds.
Wayne Tower
Wayne Tower, the monument of Gotham. Synonymous with the city itself as it stands tall. From the roof, Jerome grins as he looks down from the skyscraper to the streets below. The cars and people below seemed so small, like ants, meaningless ants to Jerome who stands above them all. He holds Alfred over the edge of the building, his nightmarish grin shows the child-like joy that he was experiencing from the whole ordeal "Gotham sure has changed a lot since I died. It's almost completely alien to me" Jerome sniffs the air "But that stench of a cesspool is just as strong as ever! It's nice to know that the city didn't fall apart without me. I would hate to have actually seen this city become a safe place...that would have been boring"
"I don't know how I came back, but I'm gonna make the most of it. I'm going to drive the whole damn town crazy...ohhh...I can picture it now. Blood all over the walls of Gotham, laughter coming from everywhere, it will be magnificent!" Jerome chuckles "And best of all, there will be no one to stop me from raising hell!"
"That's what you think!"
Jerome turns his head to see Bruce standing in the middle of the roof, dressed in a black top under a black trench coat "How'd you do that?" Jerome asks as he sees that Bruce just appeared out of nowhere. A small smile slowly creeps up on his face as he points his gun towards Bruce "Come any closer and I'll drop him" he sniggers, looking at the man was being held over the ledge "Hi, Brucie. You sure have grown up from a pathetic boy to a pathetic man. The more things change, the more they stay the same...so...how have been?" Jerome waves his gun around as he talks.
"I've been great. I have been taking punks like you off the street for almost a year now" Bruce paces back for forth, looking at Jerome "Should have known you would find some way to be brought back again. Wasn't your last scourge on Gotham enough kicks for you?" Bruce asks, clearly annoyed.
"Brought back again? What are you talking about, Brucie? This is my first-second wind. I'm going to kill you and then Galavan for killing me!" Jerome grins "Oh my...your eyes. I can see so much darkness in them, much more than I could when you were a kid..."
"Galavan? You said that in the recording too. You don't remember the last time you came back..." Bruce raises an eyebrow "Your not the same Jerome. You're a clone. The real Jerome is still berried" Bruce observes as he sees Jerome's face take an interest.
"Clone, Brucie? You really need to get your head out of those comic books" Jerome chuckles "You're starting to sound crazy and trust me. I know a thing or two about that" the ginger man takes a deep look at Bruce "Wait, there's something different about you. Your eyes...they are full of darkness, anger...this is interesting..." Jerome puzzled over the darkness that he could see in the other man's eyes "Where is that pathetic scared boy that had my knife against his throat?"
"I stopped feeling sorry for myself a long time ago when I swore to take down people like you" Bruce stops in his tracks as he glares over to Jerome "Believe me or not. You came back before, and you managed to take Gotham, you and a few other Arkham inmates took over the city..."
"Oh...do tell, Brucie! Did I do a good job, did people run in fear of me! C'mon, I can take constructive criticism" Jerome playfully responds as he waves her gun around while keeping Bruce in the line of fire.
"You failed" Bruce steps forward "You died and were forgotten. You may try and tell yourself that you will matter, that your legacy will go on beyond you, but you will be forgotten. When it was all said and done...you were nothing. Someone else came along and replaced you" the billionaire growls, arms hung by his sides as he glares at Jerome "For the rest of time, you will just be known as the prelude to the true horror of Gotham. You were nothing but a warm-up for your brother"
"Ah...yeah...Jeremiah. That bastard always tried to piss me off, now you're telling me that he's a better me than...me? Wow...wow...that actually is hurtful" Jerome bounces on the spot "I really need to think of something that will put me back on top, I can't have him outdoing me, bad for my image" Jerome laughs, wavering the gun "Listen here, Brucie. I'm going to shoot you here and now, then I am going to drop your manservant and watch him become a street paste, then I am going to drive Gotham crazier than my brother ever could!"
"You could..." Bruce insinuates with a soft tone of voice.
"Yeah, I can and will..." Jerome tittering smile stretches across his cheeks "I will shoot you here and I will enjoy it. I have been waiting so long for this..." he gently places his finger over the trigger of the gun "Any last words, little Brucie?"
Bruce takes another step towards Jerome "Really? Are you happy with killing me here? That's boring and is lacking style" his hair was gently blown by the wind that flows through it, along with the material of his black trench coat that was gently wavered by the breeze from the top of the tower "I expected more" Bruce recalls that Jerome fell for the same trick all those years ago, he was hoping that it would work again since this Jerome shouldn't have those memories.
"Hmmmm" Jerome conflicts with himself as he bites his lip "Ahhhhh, what do you mean? Is it not flashy enough? Dying on the tower that elevates your presence all throughout the city? I thought it was clever, and kinda ironic" Jerome flips the gun in his hand "What am I doing wrong? What could make for a better tomb for you than this?"
"I am the most famous and beloved man in Gotham, and you were just going to kill me without a proper audience?" the son of Gotham lifts his eyebrows to acclimate his point "You can't seriously be happy with finally getting your chance to finally kill me and not have anyone here to see it? Last time...you had a giant audience"
"Ahhhhh" Jerome tilts his head "See...I know that you are trying to play me but you're right. I need people to see it when I slit your throat...they will all cheer for you demise" Jerome snickers as he turns his head to Alfred who was half-lying over the ledge of the tower "But your manservant? Not quite..."
"Let him go" Bruce growls.
"Very poor choice of words, Brucie...very poor indeed" Jerome lets go of his grip and beaten and bruised Alfred begins to fall "Looks like it's just you and-" Jerome steps aside as he sees Bruce run up to the ledge and dive off the tower after Alfred who was speeding towards the hard pavement below. Jerome tilts his neck "...Me...?" he stammers in a confused tone "He really does care about him, here I was just thinking it was a publicity thing...doesn't he know that he can just replace him, you would have thought that old Jeeves was the only living butler left in the world" he shrugs his shoulders.
From below, Bruce quickly descends down the tower after the unconscious Alfred who was vastly heading to the ground "I'LL SAVE YOU!" Bruce yells as he brings his arms into his sides to quicken his descent "ALFRED!" he screams as he steadily approaches the other man in freefall. Bruce's eyes widen as he sees that they were both more than halfway down the tower and were in quick motion to the ground below "Not you...NOT YOU TOO!" Bruce reaches out his hand and grabs the man's hand.
Bruce's eyes narrow as he lifts up his right arm, his trench coat expands and helps him glide through the air to slow their descent "I got you!" Bruce panics as he holds the man to his chest. Bruce pulls out his grapple gun and without thinking fires it and hoped that it would take them to higher ground. Bruce and Alfred were zipped upward towards a building opposite Wayne Tower. Bruce positions himself to take the brunt of the impact as he holds Alfred close to his chest as they were thrown onto the building.
"Gahhh" Bruce groans as he lands on his back. After taking a moment to rest he quickly got up and gently places Alfred down on the roof. The son of Gotham's eyes widened as he sees just how battered and bruised his closest thing to a father was. His face was covered in cuts and scrapes, his teeth were soaked in his own blood and his right eye was reddened. Bruce holds his arm under the man's neck and rests his spare hand on his chest to search for a heartbeat "Alfred? Alfred? It's Bruce...please...please...say something...please" Bruce rests his head over Alfred's chest. He hears a week and uncommon beat of the man's heart "No...Alfred...you need to stay with me..." he suddenly hears the soft and irregular beating of his heart stop.
Bruce's eyes widen as he sets the man down fully on the ground and places both of his hands over the man's chest "ALFRED! NO!" He presses down on the man's chest "YOU CAN'T BE..." Bruce breaks down as he repeatedly forces his hands down over his chest "No..." he distresses as pinches the man's nose and blows in his mouth "You can't die" Bruce then repeats the process over and over before returning to holding his hands down on his chest "Alfred...?"
Jerome smirks as he sees the sight unfold "Aww god...he's crying. I killed my mom and you don't see me crying about it, he's such a wimp" he slowly shakes his head "Sorry Brucie, but you ain't no hero. No matter how much you try to get passed it, you always be that pathetic boy from that night...sayonara, Brucie" Jerome laughs as he turns around "It's been a killer!"
Later
[Selina Kyle]
In her apartment: Selina Kyle stands over her bed as she packs her Catwoman suit in a briefcase. Her green eyes reflect the black outfit and the red goggles on the helmet of the suit reflects her. She brings her hand to the lid of the case and with a moment a pause, she closes the briefcase. Her green eyes slowly move over to a picture frame on one of the shelves. It held the picture of herself and Bruce along with all her other friends. The image was taken right after the end of no man's land. She noticed how she had her arm over Bruce's shoulder with him having his arm around her waist. They were both smiling, they were both happy...the moment was so perfect.
She closes her eyes as she recalled those memories.
[Jim Gordon]
The commissioner sat alone on the couch as he holds an empty wine glass. His face showed every emotion that he was feeling. Anger, distress, confusion, fear. They could all be seen in his facial expression, a soulless stare at the television. His fingers lightly tap the glass. His collar was unbuttoned and his tie and jacket were lazily thrown over on the floor next to him. Lee walks up behind him and rests her arms around his neck She leans over and kisses his cheek "You should get some rest, Jim. Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow" she plants another kiss on the man's cheek, however, Jim kept his blank stare.
"Who knows if there is even going to be a tomorrow..." Jim soullessly responds.
[Harvey Dent]
He sits on the bench of the cell in almost pitch-black darkness. It was silent ike there was no other person for miles on end. He sighs, bringing out his coin as he fiddles with it in his hand, rubbing it with his thumb and index finger. His grabs the coin into his fist as he face takes on a dark expression, anger flooded his face as he looks outward at the room. He presses the heel of his shoe much harder against the cold solid ground of the floor.
[Harleen Quinzel]
The sweet blonde now turns on a much more serious tone on his face. She walks through the living room of Wayne Manner, a smile creeps over her lips as her blue eyes land on a picture of both Bruce and Alfred. She picks up the picture frame, Bruce was just a little kid in that picture and was not smiling, he seemed miserable in fact. Her face was reflected in the glass of the frame, showing all the features of her face "It's hard to believe that this little squirt became...him..." she mutters.
[Harvey Bullock]
Harvey walks through a long empty hallway as he smirks until he is greeted with the sight of Hugo Strange who stands with his arms behind his back "So how did it go?" the professor asks as he sees Harvey heads towards him. Hugo Strange's dark-tinted glasses reflects Harvey as he comes closer and closer "I trust that it is all going according to plan? I went through a lot of effort to stabilize you, it would be a shame if all that hard work turns out to be a waste of time my friend"
Harvey grins "They don't suspect a thing, after all this time. You would have thought that Gordon would have realized..." Harvey's body liquidizes into a grey disfigured man. With jet black eyes that eventually hardened into a grey figure who has an even bigger grin on his face. Instead of having five fingers on his hands, Clayface had three massive ones on each hand. Parts of his body slowly drop off. Wet chunks fall drip onto the floor only to be absorbed through his oversized feet "This is easier than I thought" Clayface's voice was a much lower tone, and had a small echo to it.
"Good job, Mr Karlo" Strange compliments.
[Jerome Valeska]
Rain hits down like a storm alongside quick flashes of lightning. Jerome stands in the middle of a graveyard as he stands in front of one specific tombstone: Jerome Valeska. His hair is soaked, his clothes were damp and clinging to his body. He sees the uncared for grave, it was cracked, broken and a complete mess. Holding a shovel in his hand, he grins as he sticks into the ground "...Hello...me" he laughs as he digs up his own grave, bit by bit, piece by piece. Lightning strikes the ground behind him and thunder roars all around "...Nice to meet you..." Jerome throws another collection of dirt over to the side and shoves his shovel back into the ground "I'm not sure that we have met before..."
[Bruce Wayne]
Bruce Wayne stands outside the operation room of Gotham Central Hospital. His hands tucked away in the pockets of his black coat. His hair was damp, sticking to his forehead his clothes were beyond soaked as they drip onto the floor. The rain that stuck in his hair drips down into his eyes, but Bruce just let it fall as his eyes focus solely on the window looking inward on the operation room. He sees Alfred lying on the operating table with several nurses and doctors stand around him.
His face held nothing, no emotion. He was broken, shattered at the scene that was playing out right in front of his eyes. The excess rainwater slivers down his face, down his neck. His only worries and concerns were happening right there in the next room over. He hears them nurses and doctors panic "We're losing him!" he hears one of them alert the other as they hurry around "He's going into cardiac arrest!" another yelled. The head Doctor grabs the defibrillator and presses it against Alfred's bare chest "CLEAR!" she warns as Alfred's body slightly bounces upward due to the shock "CLEAR!" she calls again as she repeats the motion "I'm not seeing any improvement!"
"CLEAR!"
Bruce silently watches, not making a sound, not making any movements. He just watches, motionless as he sees the nurses and doctors run around in the room "CLEAR!" the Doctor says once more as another jolt was sent through Alfred's chest.
"CLEAR!"
"CLEAR!"
"CLEAR!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Time of death: 23: 04 PM..."