The Dark Knight Initiative
A/N: Hey guys! Back with a new chapter, just to let you guys know this chapter and the next few chapters will be focused on the five months Bane ruled Gotham. About one month passes by per chapter until we get to the climax of the fic.
As for what I thought of the three big comic book movies that came out. Personally, I was disappointed in BvS, the way they moved the plot on was kinda jarring, going from one scene to the next in the span of seconds, and there's killing off Superman in only his second movie! The only saving grace the movie had was Ben Affleck doing a badass Batman, even if he was a Batman that kills, but I'll see if I change my opinion of the whole once I watch the 3-hour director's cut.
Civil War was the best of the three in my opinion, the action, tension, drama and humor were all perfect for it, and I think it's because of the pacing, which BvS didn't have. BvS had some great characters, but the pacing was not good. Civil War had both, the only slight down side I thought Steve was gonna die because of the comic the movie is based on. You know, have Steve die on this movie then somehow the Avengers and GotG use the Infinity Gauntlet to revive Steve back because they need a leader to go up against Thanos.
And last but not least, Apocalypse. Loved it, except one thing, Apocalypse himself, I kept waiting to hear the voice of Apocalypse from the X-men Animated Series from the 90's. Now THAT, was a badass Apocalypse voice.
Anyway, some messages to my dear reviewers:
PhantomGalaxy13 – I know! A part of me felt sad Leadger died, but he left us with one hell of a badass Joker. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Bluemachine – The Avengers will meet Batman again soon, and when they do they will see what makes Batman Batman.
JJAndrews – Well to answer your two questions, 1) It crossed Steve's mind, that and Fury already suspected Batman didn't kill Dent in chapter 1. 2) I know the movie has passed, but I was Team Cap all the way.
Miss Singing in the Rain – Hey there! Always looking forward for your input. So, let me know what you think of the chapter.
Newboy – Thanks for giving me some info I will be using for the fic, and you always seem to call it pretty close as to what the next chapter would be about. Great minds think alike, thanks.
Disclaimer: I don't own either of these movies or franchises, if I did, or rather if anyone did, they wouldn't be putting it on the internet but rather make the crossover happen in reality right now. Lol
Ch7: First Month
It's been a few days since The Avengers and SHIELD began investigating Bane's movements before he conquered Gotham. Having gathered around the conference room while Fury and Hill displayed all their findings on Bane which led to their current situation. Currently, the only Avengers who gathered were Steve, Tony, Banner and Thor, wherever Romanov and Barton are off to right now is beyond their guess. Though they have a feeling Fury has something to do with it.
"So, we don't have to mention this again that we have twelve million people being held hostage by a mercenary who's one of the world's most wanted list using a nuclear bomb we've never seen the likes of before. As for the reason why Bane is doing this eludes us, there's no clear motive for him to do this, he's doesn't seem to be getting any sort of payment for his current actions, so why?" Hill started off.
"Which is the reason we're here, to retrace his steps, find out what he has been doing, where he's been, any information we can get," Fury continued, "Yes, Stark?" he looks over at Tony who raised his arm.
"Question, where are the other two members of our team? Haven't seen them since this whole mess started," Tony wondered.
"I sent Agent Romanoff and Barton off to West Africa, we have sources that say Bane's men have been spotted over there a couple years ago, we believe he was responsible for a coup that happened there," Fury replied.
"And how does that help us with our current problem?" Banner asks incredulously, he can't understand why they're inspecting something that happened in the past when there's a direr situation happening right in front of them.
"To figure out his plan, then maybe we can find out who's behind this," Fury continued.
"Uhh, we already know who's behind this, some guy who thinks he's Jason Voorhees 2.0, all the spine-chilling features along with a surprisingly above average intelligence," Tony remarked.
"You're not listening Stark. Bane is a mercenary, and mercenaries always work for someone else, and it's always for profit," Fury insisted.
"So, we search for who could have hired the masked mercenary, find him and we find out who is the mastermind behind all this," Thor claimed, if he understood so far what Fury is saying.
"Affirmative," Hill nodded.
"How can we help?" Bruce wondered, detective work was not their forte, but if there's anything any of them can do, they will do it.
"Good thing you asked, Dr. Banner, since radiation is your specialty, you can help by finding a way to disable the neutron bomb. Last we've seen of its location; they have it in the back of one of three armored tanks that are currently driving around the city," Fury explained.
"Got it," Banner nodded.
"Now comes the hard part," Fury sighed.
"Which is?" Steve looked at both Fury and Hill, he didn't like the mood coming off of the both of them.
"We wait," Hill answered.
Looking stunned, Thor couldn't help but stare at his companions, "That's it? We just wait?"
"We know Thor, but so far that is our only play until we can find a way to get inside the city without risking the lives of millions of civilians," Steve reasoned with him.
"And by just sitting here trying to come up with a plan we are still endangering those same lives!" Thor bellowed but realizing how detestable he acted he silently sat back down, muttering an apology.
"Now that that's settled, shall we continue?" Fury waited for someone to make another wisecrack, when none came, he commended the silence and looked towards the Super Soldier, "How do you want to start off Cap?"
"First things first, who exactly was the man Bane killed in front of millions of people watching?" Steve inquired.
"That man you saw, his name was Dr. Leonid Pavel, a Russian nuclear physicis-," Hill tried to clear that up for them before being interrupted.
"Yeah yeah, we got that part already, he said so himself before Jason Voorhees snapped his neck like a chiropractor session gone wrong," Tony's antics came back full force.
Scowling at the billionaire, Maria calmed herself down and kept going, answering the questions as best she can, "And as Director Fury stated before, he was declared dead by the CIA six months ago."
"Reasons why?" Banner kept with the questions.
"All we can gather is that Dr. Pavel was made an offer by Bane, but he refused in favor of the CIA, so instead Bane forcefully kidnapped him."
"Why him? What did he do to get under the CIA and Bane's radar?" Banner is the one asking questions, wanting to know more about his former acquaintance.
"We found it has something to do with a research article Dr. Pavel made three years ago about being able to weaponize fusion reactors. The article that got published gained the attention of both parties and that's when they approached him. So, after being captured by Bane, Dr. Pavel was in his servitude trying to build him a neutron bomb, all the while the good doctor found a way to contact the CIA."
"How'd he manage that?" Tony was invested in the story now, knowing full well what it's like to be imprisoned and forced to build a weapon for terrorists.
"Morse Code, he was able to put together some equipment signaling the CIA of his general location, and making use of local militia they contracted, they were able to reacquire Dr. Pavel, along with some of Bane's men they captured along the way. The final report on the matter is that the plane that was supposed to deliver Dr. Pavel back home suffered technical complications and crash landed over Inverness, Scotland. Though the casualties were zero, the rescue mission was deemed a failure," Hill laid the folder back down, finishing the first part of the investigation.
"Obviously from what occurred a few days ago that report is a complete lie," Fury declared, "So gentlemen, what do you think possibly could have happened? How much of this report is true and how much are lies? And what exactly happened beneath the lies?"
Those questions stumped the four men sitting across from Fury, sure they are badass fighters, two of the four are even geniuses who could create something out of nothing if they wished, but thorough investigation like this is really not their niche, it could take them days to pull the pieces together even with SHIELD backing them up. Luckily two people walked into the conference room, looking ragged for wear but otherwise unharmed.
Raising his eye from focusing on the quadruple, Fury gazed towards the two who just entered. "Agent Barton and Romanoff, glad you made it back, I hope you have news for me?"
"We do sir," Clint nodded, "And to be honest, it just further adds more pieces to a giant puzzle box if you ask me."
"How so?"
"Well, our investigations in West Africa led us to a name we think might be behind this, still not sure though," Nat informed.
"Apparently the reason behind the coup was so Bane and his men could secure mining operations for a man named John Daggett," Clint continued, "Not only that, it ain't a regular mine that Daggett got, but a diamond mine he managed to obtain."
"Blood diamonds," Fury grunted, "I take it you two took care of the problem over there?"
"Of course," Nat answered, "So I take it we're gonna be looking into this Daggett character?"
"Obviously. Seems like we're going to be playing the long game for this one," Fury said as he faced the team, "And I don't need or want spontaneous or emotional outbursts from ANY of you," he looks on at Tony, Thor and Banner subsequently, knowing full well about their tempers, "Understood?"
The three looked at each other questioningly before Tony and Thor looked directly at Banner, who looked at the other two in disbelief, "Yeah, as if I'm the only one with a temper problem," he belittles the two, pointing at them.
"At least we don't turn into a giant green rage monster when we lose our tempers," Tony wisecracked.
"So, what's the plan here?" Steve stopped the bantering with the question.
"SHIELD'll be looking into John Dagget," Fury started, "While I need your team to somehow find a way inside."
"We already surveyed the entire city; Bane left no stone unturned. We figured we could sneak in by the sewer system, but it looks like the explosion Bane set off literally cut off every passageway into the city," Hill concluded.
"Which is why, we're gonna need someone to keep an eye on the city, and someone to sneak inside in disguise," Fury looked at the team, making them raise their eyebrows, wondering what Fury could possibly have planned for them this time.
A few more days passed…
Ever since Bane and his men took over Gotham, all entrances and exits to and from the city have been destroyed, save for one. On one corner of Gotham, there was still a bridge intact as US army tanks, convoys and soldiers slowly proceed towards the city, led by Captain America. But as they closed in, a group of Bane's men lead by his second-in-command, Barsad, intercepted them.
"Tanks and planes cannot stop us from detonating our device!" Barsad called out to the army with a megaphone, "Send an emissary to discuss terms of access for supplies and communication," he finishes as he walks up right in front the Captain.
"How many of you are there, son?" Steve asks, "You don't have enough men to stop twelve million people from leaving this island," he tells the mercenary.
"No, no we don't," a smile creeps up on Barsad's face, "but you do."
"And why would I try to help you keep your hostages?"
"If one person crosses this bridge, Gotham gets blown to hell," Barsad reminds them what Bane said to the world a few days ago.
With that one sentence, Bane's men stood tall, leaving the army to head back to where they came from, unaware that someone was watching the event happen right above them. Steve snuck a quick glance above him, holding up a hand to his ear, "Distraction accomplished."
From above on top of one of the suspension bridge towers, keeping himself hidden from view, Clint Barton made himself comfortable while still being vigilant. He had managed to sneak in thanks to Steve's distraction and have made a small camp on top of the bridge's suspension towers right where Bane's men left a painted line, as if to say, 'do not cross this line'. While he could have infiltrated further into the city, that wasn't his mission, he was more on stake out duty, with equipment and several rations to last him for a few weeks. Clint wasn't sure how long he'd be staying up here, but it better end quick, especially with winter coming soon.
"Position secured," he spoke into his comm link as he relayed what he saw and heard from the conversation before.
SHIELD Helicarrier
"Affirmative Agent Barton, report back if you find anything. Come back to the helicarrier Cap, the next phase is starting soon," Fury replied back from onboard the helicarrier.
"Are you sure he can see anything from that far away?" Tony asks about the plausibility of this strategy Steve and Nick came up with. Using Cap to keep all eyes on him while Clint sneaks in, and that's only about half of the plan, what sucks is that he doesn't seem to be involved in the plan.
"You know Clint better than that, Tony," Banner responded, "his eyesight can see farther than a person using binoculars, imagine if he's equipped with a scope? Hand him a directional mic that has a hearing range far enough to encompass the entirety of Gotham, all he needs are some rations and he'll be our eyes and ears."
"It's not like we're allowed to enter Gotham's airspace and use our own surveillance equipment anyway," Fury retorted. Ever since Bane took over Gotham the US Government barred anyone from entering Gotham's airspace, not willing to take the risk of having the nuclear bomb detonated. Though it may piss him off, Fury understood the apprehension and actually agreed to the terms.
"What about hacking into the security cameras in the city?" Tony suggested.
"Our surveillance and satellites can only do so much," Fury added.
"Tch," Tony cursed, "We can't just stand here!"
"They are doing their best Stark," Thor tried to calm him down.
"Well, it's not good enough!" Tony began pacing around, his patience wearing thin before heaving a huge sigh before calming down, "Look, Fury, you and the rest do your thing, let me know if anything happens," he then proceeded to walk out the room.
"And where are you going?" Nick calls out.
"Going to the workshop! I've got equipment and materials coming to the helicarrier so make sure your men bring them in!" Tony replies.
"My men are not your personal room service Stark!"
Waving him off, Tony continues walking. With a slight grin on his face despite shaking his head, Banner has a good guess what the Stark prodigy was going to do. As Tony leaves Natasha walks in, moving in between everyone.
"So, when's it my turn to play?" she asks.
"Give it time, by next month your new identity will be ready, we just need to make sure that it's solid, that way no one would suspect who you really are," Fury assures her. With Clint as their eyes and ears monitoring from the outside, Natasha will be their person on the inside. He could trust no one else to be doing this, when it comes to infiltrating and remaining incognito, Natasha's the best one for the job.
Suddenly, one of the SHIELD agents on monitor duty shouted, "Sir! Bane is spotted heading for Blackgate Prison! We have live footage coming up on screen!"
Turning towards the screen, SHIELD and the Avengers watch as three tank-like vehicles drove up to the entrance of the prison. Fury immediately noted that the design of the vehicles is exactly the same as the one Batman used years ago, except these were in a camo color design.
Bane stands on top of one of the vehicles, facing the camera men and shouting out, "Behind you, stands a symbol of oppression, Blackgate Prison. Where thousands of men have languished under the name of this man, Harvey Dent!" He says as he holds up a picture of the late District Attorney, "Who has been help up to you, as the shining example of justice!" he proceeds to rip the picture into pieces as he continues, "You have been supplied with a false idol, to stop you tearing down this corrupt city! Let me tell you the truth about Harvey Dent from the words of Gotham's Police Commissioner, James Gordon…" Bane pulls out some papers from his trench coat pocket, reading over what it says, "'The Batman, didn't murder Harvey Dent, he saved my boy. Then took the blame for Harvey's appalling crimes so that I could to my shame, build a lie around this fallen idol. I praised the madman who tried to murder my own child. But I can no longer live with my lie, it is time to trust the people of Gotham with the truth, and it is time for me to resign,' and do you accept this man's resignation?" A loud roar could be heard coming from inside the prison, everyone onboard the helicarrier, the rest of the people in the city and the ones watching in their homes across the nation quickly realized what Bane was about to do with wide eyes, "And do you accept the resignation of all of these liars! Of all the corrupt!" the roar gets even louder, but the realization kicked in when it came not just inside the prison, but faint cheers could be heard within the city as well, the homeless, the struggling people who are sick and tired of being persecuted, abused, exploited, and not receiving help from anyone, for them it changes today.
Everyone in the helicarrier began to move, ready to fight until Fury shouted, "STOP! YOU WILL NOT BE GOING ANYWHERE!" they all paused, except for two. Both of them didn't listen to the SHIELD Director, Tony simply got in his suit as he and Thor flew down to the city. "NO!" Fury cried, "Stark! Thor! Return back to base! You hear me?! Return back! Have you forgotten about the BOMB!?"
Ignoring their orders, both Asgardian and Billionaire flew down as quickly as possible before landing right in front of Bane. Everyone around either cheered, in the news reporters' case, or backed up in concern, in the case of Bane's men. The only one who didn't seem panicked at all is Bane himself, who simply glared at the two Avengers as he walked up to them slowly.
As he approached, both Avengers notice his size, about the height of Thor with the muscular build to boot. Showing they're not fazed by his intimidation tactics, Tony pointed his repulsor blasts at Bane while Thor got ready with his hammer, ready to strike down lightning bolts to any of the mercenaries who dares to fight.
"You've made a big mistake messing with us," Tony threatens them.
"Aye, we simply cannot idly stand by anymore if you are releasing all these culprits unto the streets," Thor stated.
As his men and the Tumblers prepare to fight, Bane held up his hand, signaling them to stand back before bringing his hand back down to his tactical vest. Walking towards the two Avengers who dare defy the warning he gave for them, he stares them eye-to-eye, the dialogue Ironman gave reminded Bane of a few days ago when he broke Bruce's back, he said almost the exact same words, so he might as well entertain the notion.
"Not as big as yours, I fear," Bane tells them, not paying attention to Thor for now, "You come here despite my warnings, you would really risk the lives of millions to soothe your own ego? I would suppose it stems from your own past, heralded as the greatest warmonger the world has ever known, being the cause of the deaths of tens of thousands of people? Let's not lie to ourselves here, Mr. Stark."
"SHUT UP! You don't know m-"
"Oh, you're not that hard to evaluate, Mr. Stark. For the most part, you're just as egotistical as people perceive you as. And yet behind all that façade, all that money, power, and brilliant mind you have, you are as weak and foolish as they come," Bane says as he points at the neutron bomb a few meters away from them. Not even a second passed when a *ping* sound came from it, motioning his arms outwards, making a cross symbol, "The triggerman has armed the bomb. You believe you can stop the bomb? Well, go ahead and try."
"JARVIS, scan everyone in the vicinity for the trigger to the bomb," Tony said immediately.
"Sir, my scans pick up nothing, nobody here has the trigger," Jarvis replied in the span of seconds. The *ping* sound coming from the bomb starts to repeat more rapidly.
"Then try everything you can, JARVIS, there's no way Bane would give it to some citizen!" Tony began to panic, hearing the sound from the bomb pinging even more rapidly.
"Already tried all of them sir, and this city has too many inhabitants to scan all at once. We don't have much time, by my calculations they can have the bomb detonate in less than one minute," JARVIS tells him how much time they have left.
"The way I see it, you have two choices, Mr. Stark," Bane holds up a tablet with the picture of a certain redhead in Tony's life.
"Pepper!" Tony cries out, "What have you done with her?!"
"Nothing yet, Mr. Stark," Bane taunts, "I merely have a proposition. You see, if you continue on this path, the bomb explodes. Gotham City is annihilated from the map along with twelve million lives, men, women, children, including your own life. In the event that happens my other men who are currently in hiding will search for Ms. Potts and slowly torture her in ways you cannot imagine, and then they kill her, along with your long-time friend, Mr. Rhodes," he tells the Avenger as a matter-of-factly, "but if you decide to leave and heed my warning to never set foot on this city again, my men will not be on the search for them. Life or death, make your choice."
Gritting his teeth, Tony keeps running several scenarios in his head in the span of seconds. But with time not on his side, in the end he figured out one thing, he won't take that risk, not for Pepper's or Rhodey's life, ever. Hanging his head in defeat, he lowers his repulsor blasts glaring at Bane through his visors before taking flight back towards the Helicarrier. Once he did, the sound from the bomb stopped, signaling that the triggerman didn't go through with blowing up the city.
Thor watches as his comrade leaves in anger and frustration, turning back to the fiend in front of him, the threat that was given to Tony still fresh in mind. Gripping Mjolnir, realizing exactly how calculating and underhand Bane is, he probably would be given the same thing with Lady Jane as the leverage. Not wanting to make that error, all Thor did was ask Bane one question, "Did you murder him?" wanting to know what happened to the Dark Knight
Tilting his head slightly to the right, Bane replied, "His body and spirit have been broken, there's nothing you can do for him. Now, if I've made myself clear, leave," he tells the Prince of Asgard, who in turn quickly flew up back to the Helicarrier, before turning around to finish his speech.
"We take Gotham from the corrupt!" Bane continues his speech as he motions for the Tumbler to point its canon at the Blackgate entrance, "The oppressors of generations who have kept you down with myths of opportunity, and we give it back to you... the people. Gotham is yours, none shall interfere, do as you please," the Tumbler fires at the entrance blowing a hole in it allowing Bane's men to enter, "Start by storming Blackgate, and free the oppressed! Step forward those who would serve, for an army will be raised. The powerful will be ripped from their decadent nests and cast out into the cold world that we know. Courts will be convened, spoils will be enjoyed, blood will be shed. The police will survive, as they learn to serve true justice. This great city... it will endure… Gotham will survive!" as he finishes his speech, thousands of orange-clad prisoners emerged from the entrance. Each of them holding assault rifles as they all cheered, ready to take the city. Bane made sure the reporters caught everything on camera so that everyone can see. The sight of the entire populace of Gotham eating each other, struggling for survival, people getting thrown out of their own homes.
Arriving back on the Helicarrier, Thor looked on at the others with a frown on his face, dropping Mjolnir to the floor as he held his hands to the sides of his head, mulling over his failure as a guardian of Midgard. Tony on the other hand began growling, even with all the technology he has, he feels as helpless as he did when he was kidnapped a few years ago, taking off his helmet he violently throws it against the walls while he screams, "RAAAARRRGHHHH!"
Keeping his cool, Fury stared at the two Avengers having fallen silent. Making sure they don't do any more stupid things before he turns back towards the screens, "No matter what, stick with the plan," he tells the others. Banner quickly glances at the Thunder God and Armored Avenger, giving them his sympathies before walking off to the workshop to place the finishing touches to his radiation tracker. Natasha stood still, not knowing what to say to her comrades, instead focusing on her new mission, which may be the biggest infiltration mission she will have to do.
Back on the ground, Clint, still on top the suspension bridge, merely looked away from the horror unfolding in front of him. For Steve himself, as he stood on the bridge listening to the chaos happening right within his reach, his grip on his shield getting tighter, he can't help but wonder if there's someone out there who can help them with this, because they really need it.
A couple weeks later…
Somewhere in the outskirts of Gotham, the three stolen Tumblers drove by and tore through a metal gate, advancing towards a massive building surrounded by mountainous acreage. Halting in front of the castle-like estate, Bane and some of his men emerged from the Tumblers and proceeded to enter the threshold.
Inside the building, the hallway is completely dark and empty, considering Bane and his men cut off all the power to the city, practically bringing it back to the stone age. Looking around, the environment seems to look like some sort of hospital, yet the atmosphere feels terribly… unearthly, as if the location where they currently are in has a strange, mysterious history behind it.
Making their way to a certain cell, perhaps the only cell with the only occupant in the building ever since Bane took over Gotham. From what they've heard, after everyone basically vacated this particular building, they let most of the patients out as well, all except for one. This certain person apparently is still here because no one was willing to let him out. As they neared their destination, Bane noticed the cell number where the individual is being held in.
'Cell 0801,' Bane slightly chuckled to himself, the irony of that statement seems fitting for the man they're here for.
"He-llloooooo…." The man in the cell calls out. His hair hanging down slightly covering his eyes, his skin complexion having gone pale from not having been outside in nearly a decade. But the most chilling thing when Bane's men look at the man in the cell are the scars running across his mouth, like a crooked smile. Though the scars have significantly faded, they are still slightly visible. "How can I help you?" he asks Bane in a smug way while being bound in a straitjacket.
"I just want to say, I admire your work…" Bane replies with amusement in his voice, "I'd very much like it if you keep doing what you do," turning to one of his men, he says, "Release him."
"….are you sure sir?" The henchman asks warily.
"Yes, release him," Bane replies in a firm manner, tugging on his tactical vest with both hands as he stares down at the man in the cell. As his men unlock the bar doors, they cautiously approach the man in the straitjacket, unbinding him. Soon as they did, they handed the patient a makeup pack.
"Sooo, you never answered my question. Also, why exactly are you doing this?" The patient questions Bane while adding green dye to his hair.
"As I said, I admire your work. Not only that, you and I are similar in a matter of ways."
"Oh? How so?" Patient 0801 ponders as he puts black and white make-up on his face and eyes.
"We're both after Gotham's soul."
"Eh, did that years ago, it's old school by now."
"The world only knows us by the masks we wear, our original identities are forever gone in the sands of time."
"Our masks? Heh-HA! What we're showing to the whole world is our true faces!" The pale man finishes off by painting his lips and mouth red in a glasgow grin.
"Ah, yes, I suppose that is true. Also, the both of us have had a tussle with the Bat, and we have taken things from him, broken him. Isn't that right, Mr. Joker?"
The patient turns to them having finished putting on his war makeup, his chuckling growing louder into a maniacal laugh, "h-hehehehhaaahahahaHOOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAH!"
Bane's henchmen could do nothing but shiver and stare between the two men, as the sound of cold, empty laughter filled up the empty halls of Arkham Asylum…
To Be Continued…
A/N: Okay, the way I finished this chapter was different from usual. I was stumped on how to proceed this when I began typing the end part of this chapter all the way to the beginning of it. Might be harder to explain than I thought. Anyway, til the next chapter!