Blood, it always is blood. Every morning, every afternoon, every evening there's always just a little. On the walls, the floor, the light, and the hands of the ones leaving the scene, but these are not always in the safety of a house. But on the dark streets and the alleyways, where the shadows were most prevalent… where they could always be seen clearly; if one is clever and silent enough to watch.
Legends and whispers drifted through the city in mere seconds, mere moments after the first appearance of what could only be described… as a slice of the night. The embodiment of the shadows, something to check your backs for… something that never stays behind on the scene of the crime he just witnessed. The gargoyle, who stares down on its perch upon the common criminals and the worse down in the streets… and though he could be seen everywhere; he can't be himself.
The Batman, the masked vigilante of Gotham City itself, a myth as many would come to know him as… and yet is there. One feared by the public, distrusted by the GCPD, and yet is the one who saves as many lives as he can; the shadow that fights alone on the streets. He is impossible to track, and even more so impossible to catch even a photo of. All the reference photos being made from witness reports.
This was the case that always stumped Lieutenant James Gordon or Jim to his friends. Tireless nights spent following crimes that lead to ultimately nowhere, spread throughout the city. The more he digs into it, the more it became apparent the supposed dark knight was moving throughout the city, spreading his legend to every corner. In a city where crime mostly works in groups, the officer had to give this boundless creature that much credit… it sure was spreading like wildfire.
His worry was all on his daughter Barbara, after the loss of his wife she was his main worry. But as the city streets got darker, there was always a greater weight on his shoulders. Mayor dent seemed to be doing his best to help clean up the dangerous streets, but there was only so much one person could do at a time. Jim had to admit; despite the unpredictability of the Caped crusader… it was nice to know someone would be there where he couldn't.
"All officers in western Gotham, I report indicate an active hostage situation. I repeat an active hostage situation, 22nd West Street; the local theatre!" Officer Mendez's voice rang through the radio as Jim looked down at his tap, raising his microphone to his mouth. About to speak when he was cut off by the voice of Commissioner Lopez ringing over the system instead, ordering a fall to the theatre immediately from all active officers.
"Oracle is on his way." Jim joined in, as protocol to protect officers and their families, over open communications it is required to use codenames. As Officer Gordon turned on his sirens and blew his way through traffic, he thought for a moment he could hear a second voice joining in. but it was faint and brief, enough to cause belief for it to have just been another officer; as his engine roared and cars pulled off to the side to let him through.
As Jim pulled up to the front of his destination, he pulled out his gun instantly as he exited the car; the rain battering down on his graying whisky brown hair and mustache. Moving towards the front with the arriving officers, he joined Mendez up at the front door. "Do we have any confirmed hostage names, Private?" he asked the officer who was drenched from waiting for reinforcements, pressing his shoulder against the front door.
"We have none confirmed so far, the coast is clear for the entryway… just waiting for the commissioner now." Private Mendez reported just as the last Officer Car pulled up and out stepped the man himself. Shaking off his cigar as he stepped up to beside the two men, his shaved head glistening for a moment in the street light before it was covered by his cap in the next moment. As he looked down at Mendez who bowed his head before repeating his report, Lopez listening carefully before he raised his fist and gesturing to fall in to the remaining officers.
…
"We have two confirmed snipers up on the balcony, three armed below you now, and 4 out blocking the exits." The voice rang out in Bruce's ear as he sat perched up on the railing looking down into the room, while it took the Cops long enough to show up. He just so happened to be in the area when he heard the call from his port in his car. it took a mere couple minutes to get dressed in his costume, and five more to get up on his perch now.
By day he micromanaged his company, half-awake most of the time as he sat back in his fancy chair… by night he was out on the patrol; ready to drop by and give his personal thanks to the crime of the city. Things around here were getting much more organized, and with no help from city hall this place was rotting in its own grave. The mayor flipping a coin on how he runs the city for the day by the looks of things, this could have all been different had the Wayne's' survived. Some even believed Bruce would take his father's place in the campaign against Dent in the upcoming election.
But Bruce had to fix this place in the only way he knew how, defending the lives of the people in the way he wished someone did for his parents. Striking fear into those who hear his name, the ones who deserve to fear it rather. Every chance he gets he develops all new tech for his suits, improving in areas that had failed him on more than one occasion now. As he pulled up his grapple hook and attached it to his back, ready to use it again soon.
Bruce stood up and adjusted his gauntlets as he surveyed the room; it was suicide to just drop in there as it stands now. So he leaped over and almost missed the next scaffolding looking over the scene of the crime. Scrambling up to his feet and checking on the armed foes below him. They remained completely unaware of the almost fail feet above their heads, but it wouldn't be long before he makes his official move.
As batman crossed the room, he looked down at the two snipers on the high rise seatings. Looking down at the crowd of innocence below them with their weapons drawn, that is when the voice returned. "I have just received word that the police have entered the building, they may not be aware of the ones above the crowd." Alfred spoke clearly and decisively into Bruce's ear. As bruce nodded in response.
"I will take care of the snipers, save as many of them for the cops as I can." He agreed before taking out his hook and rope and tying it to a support beam and then throwing it onto a small ledge. Carefully and quietly crawling up on top of the wire to above his first target, he prepared to make the drop on him, checking to make sure the other one was distracted. Batman's dark suit helped him hide in the darkness, so he wasn't scared for his own life here.
…
Jim burst through the doors, gun raised and followed by Mendez and Kenzi. Lopez right beside the lieutenant as the cops quickly swept through the entrance hall, as they were gathering their bearings to head into the theatre itself there were gunshots and screaming coming from within. "Shit, we've got to move, now!" Jim cursed as he looked up at the destroyed security cameras looking down at them.
As the officers burst into the next room they see all the guards firing not at them, but up on the higher levels of the room; a perfect opportunity to strike while they were focused on whatever was up there. As the police flooded the area and disarmed and cuffed the armed men one by one while they were distracted, Jim surveyed the hostages before his attention was drawn up to the shadow perched on the railing; looking down at them with more of the hostiles taken care of. "Batman, but…?" Jim asked in confusion, why was he here… how did he get here so quickly?
But now was not the time to be asking such questions, as Jim pointed the vigilante to his fellow officers. "Up there, someone get up there and bring him in for questioning." He ordered, silenced by Lopez who stepped up to beside him, and in that opportunity the batman took off running across the upper levels. Officers rushing towards the entrance to try and cut him off, but mere moments later he was reported to have vanished.
Jim rushed to beside them, shocked and surprised to the sudden disappearance without a trace. As he looked left and right through the room, he noticed a shattered window high up. "He's gone boys; let's get everyone to safety and these bozos to the cars." Lopez ordered as he arrived beside Gordon before turning back into the room. Jim sighed as he followed with the rest of them, another mystery added to the library he guesses.