A/N: This story suddenly got significantly more complicated to write when certain 2020 events started happening.
Disclaimer: This story was crafted before any of that and has nothing to do with any of that.
Also, for those who are not reading my other fic, RWBY: Chaos, Bruce Wayne's Semblance is Detective Vision (as Dick & Barbara called it). It gives him increased passive perception of his immediate surroundings. When focused he can expand its range or focus in on extremely fine details.
Bruce was still six blocks away when the fighting started. That was close enough to hear the roar of the crowd. He was already hurrying to catch up when he caught wind of the police line. When he heard the sound, he broke into a full sprint along the rooftops of Atlas. Every second counted.
Five blocks away.
He passed protesters in the street; the ones who'd been at the rear of the crowd. They were fleeing the scene. Clearly, a brawl was not what they had signed up for.
Four blocks away.
The rear of the crowd was in full retreat, following the lead of the early runners. Bruce was thankful for how many of these there were.
Three blocks away.
He saw the tear gas canisters being launched over the crowd ahead. The police were trying to disperse as many as they could before they could enter the fray. Gordon was going to get reamed for this tomorrow, but Bruce was close enough to hear the fighting. That gas was a tactical move made in a state of life-threatening danger.
Two blocks away.
The street was engulfed in tear gas. Wherever the canisters were emitting the smoke-like powder from, the crowds moved in whatever direction constituted as "away." Unfortunately, that meant that some were being pushed towards the combat.
One block away.
From here on, it was a riot. These protesters were here to stay. They were here to fight. Based on the looks of them, some were here to kill. Bruce pulled smoke grenades from his belt as he ran.
The line.
Chaos.
Violence.
Bruce hurled the grenades into the street below. He produced a handful of batarangs infused with Lightning Dust and threw those in a line between the concentrations of rioters and Atlas PD.
He continued his sprint and leaped over the edge descending into the fray. His smoke was already filling the street, disorienting the crowd. The batarangs hit the ground and the Dust pulsed electricity, stunning the fighters in their radius and dropping a few who were too close.
Batman landed in the street. He activated his Semblance and went to work.
He grabbed the nearest rioter and slammed him into the ground.
He turned to a crowd of three stomping on an officer. Three ice-infused batarangs stopped them cold.
He approached an officer in a rage, beating an already downed Faunus.
"That's enough!" Batman shouted as he grabbed the officer by his vest and threw him to the ground. He pointed to the one he'd saved from the three rioters and ordered, "Get him out of here!" The officer refocused and complied.
A man's shout alerted him to the pipe wrench being swung at his head. He leaned away and followed his dodge with a powerful right hook that dropped the attacker.
A Faunus with eagle wings flew over, rising up to divebomb the police. Batman fired a grappling line at her and yanked her back to the ground.
A guttural roar echoed through the smoke.
Batman dove out of the way of the oncoming behemoth. He leaped back to his feet to see the eight foot, crocodile Faunus turning back to face him.
"We were secretly hoping to get a taste of you," Croc growled.
We?
The second attacker came from behind. She was nimble, her footsteps nearly silent. She leaped through the air and swiped a clawed hand across Batman's cowl, barely missing skin.
She landed gracefully and spun back to the Bat, seductively sliding her forked tongue over the claws on her glove she'd struck with. "Estarás delicioso."
Croc charged again. He swiped with his left claws. Batman raised his gauntlets high to block the hit. Croc aimed low with his right uppercut. Batman took it to the gut.
With him temporarily stunned, Copperhead rushed in and leaped at him again. She went legs first and wrapped her thighs around Batman's neck. She threw her momentum around and spun the Bat off his feet.
He was quick to pick himself back up, but was only on his feet for a moment. Croc had closed the gap and was lifting him off the ground, one massive hand gripping each bicep. The Faunus pulled him closer and opened his toothy maw wide.
Batman thought fast. He's still a Faunus. He reached into his belt and yanked out a small handful of loose Fire Dust. He closed his eyes and flung it into the air between them. He felt the small explosion singe his skin and heard Croc release a reptilian shriek.
Croc released his grip and reached to his sensitive eyes that were now seeing spots.
Batman landed and drew two batarangs from his belt. These didn't have any Dust effects, but were specialized all the same. He flung them at Croc, each piercing one of his scaley shoulders enough to hold. A second later, they released a high-pitched frequency that forced the Faunus to clutch his ears and shout in pain.
On cue, Copperhead leaped over her partner and landed herself on Batman's shoulders, legs wrapped around his neck and sitting up so she looked down on him. She swiped both clawed gloves at his face.
Batman raised both gauntlets to deflect both attacks before gripping her thighs and throwing his upper body to the ground. He slammed her down hard into the pavement and thoroughly knocked the wind from her lungs.
It was at that moment that the sirens began to wail and the turbines of airships came roaring in, blowing the smoke away.
Atlas military ships flew down below the buildings. Their bay doors opened and Atlesian Knights dropped down into the street. The machines began targeting anyone without a badge with nonlethal, concussion rounds and stun batons.
That included the masked vigilante.
Batman caught the baton of one charging him and flung it at another aiming its cannons before tearing the robotic head clean off the first. When more turned their sights on him, he fired a grapple to the rooftop nearby and flew up to it, letting Ironwood's machines do what they were designed to.
He looked down to see the riot dispersing. Some were placed under arrest. Others were incapacitated by their new foes. Multiple were already unconscious. Most, including the two reptilian Faunus he'd fought with, fled the scene.
Over a dozen Atlesian police officers were injured. He'd have to confer with Gordon to find out how many wouldn't be returning to the line of duty.
Of all he saw below, Harvey was not among it.
This is a mess.
Jacques stormed through the front door of his manor with an escort of Ironwood's troops following in behind him. Klein and his eldest, Winter, stood in the foyer, seemingly awaiting his return. His two youngest, Whitley and Weiss, hid at the top of the stairs.
"Klein!" he called out.
"Yes, sir?" his butler jogged over to his employer, ready for his orders.
"Please assist the Corporal here with navigating the manor. Apparently we're to batten down the hatches for when this so-called revolution gets here. Make sure they don't touch anything."
Though Jacques slathered the statement with sarcasm, Klein recognized the grave messaging that Jacques himself was underestimating.
"Yes, y-yes. Corporal, please, this way. Allow me to show you the best vantage points for you and your men." The butler led the troops to the manor's east wing.
"Father," Winter said as she stormed over.
"Winter, I suggest you make yourself comfortable," Jacques cut her off before she could begin. "It's unlikely you'll be going anywhere tomorrow. But I'm sure the academy will still be there in a day or two."
"What is going on out there?" she demanded to know. "We heard an explosion. We saw smoke. The news is saying there are riots. We saw them threatening you."
Jacques marched up the stairs, heading to his office. Winter followed behind him.
"Yes, people are threatening me," he answered still with his back to his daughter. "People are always threatening me. There have always been those jealous of our success. The only difference is now the animals have discovered fire."
"What are we going to do?" Winter asked.
"Nothing. We're going to do nothing. We'll let Ironwood deal with this. Lord knows my taxes are paying him enough to deal with it."
He reached the top of the stairs and turned to head to his office. It was there that he reached his two youngest. Whereas Winter's fear made her angry, these two were somber and let their fear radiate off of them.
"Whitley, Weiss, chins up. Look sharp. We're not in trouble. If you despair, the rabble's already won. Winter, take care of your siblings. You're not out of this house yet, so you can still be helpful. I have important work to attend to."
With her off his back, Jacques marched to his office and closed himself in. With the door closed behind him, he let out his frustrations.
"Son of a bitch!" He shouted as he yanked off the tie that was clipped to his collar and threw it to the floor. He pulled his jacket off and tossed it into one of his chairs. "If that goddamned DA had just stayed dead-"
"So I take it Mr. Dent is alive?"
The voice caught him by surprise. He realized he'd forgotten to lock the door, but the majority of his surprise came from who it was speaking to him. Jacques pulled back his anger and straightened up.
"Hello, Willow," he greeted his wife standing in the doorway. "I'm surprised to see you conscious at this hour. Impressed, really."
"Winter was to leave tomorrow," she replied as she entered the office. "I thought it best to take it easier today."
"I didn't realize moderation was a skill you still possessed."
"It was an occasion." Willow closed the door behind her. "So Harvey Dent is alive?"
"Yes, he is. Worse for wear by the looks of it, but alive."
Willow nodded in understanding. "And he's blaming you for the explosion?"
"That can be assumed."
"Is he right in doing so?" she asked directly.
Jacques clenched his fists and felt his blood simmer again. "Why does everyone assume I had anything to do with it? Accidents happen all the time. It was the Narrows, for god's sake."
"You're not saying no," Willow remarked.
Jacques' eyes narrowed at his wife. "I didn't think I needed to, I suppose." He paced closer to his wife until he was looking down his nose at her. "It might do you some good to remember that you are my wife. Do you know what that means?" He didn't let her answer. "It means that nothing else matters. That's all you'll ever be to the mob. As far as they're concerned, you're just as guilty as I am. If given the chance, they'd have us hang side-by-side, and probably still not be satiated. So before you join the savages in accusing me of things you know nothing about, I'd suggest you remind yourself that I am the only one on your side."
Willow didn't meet his eyes. She didn't retort either. She couldn't.
Satisfied with his victory, Jacques led his wife to the door and into the hallway. "Now that that's settled, it might help your nerves to start on another bottle. Winter's not going anywhere any time soon, so you won't have to worry about controlling yourself. You can wake up when the storm blows over." He closed her out and ensured to lock the door this time.
"Gordon, we don't have time for this," Ironwood argued. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but Atlas is on fire. And if we take Dent at his word, he's not done yet."
"Believe me, General, I noticed," Jim Gordon replied. "But we have time for this."
Atlas's police commissioner and military general were stood on the roof of the Atlas Police headquarters. Gordon had called Ironwood to meet him there to "regroup." Ironwood begrudgingly complied. They'd been waiting for a few minutes now and the general was getting anxious.
"Gordon," he interjected again, "I don't know what it is you asked me here for, but-"
"I know, General. I know. But trust me on this one." He looked out over the smoking city. "He'll be here soon."
"Who?"
"Gordon," a low voice sounded from behind the two.
Gordon grinned. Every damn time. He turned to face the man in question. "General Ironwood, allow me to formally introduce you to my friend, Batman. He'll be helping us get our kingdom back in order tonight."
Ironwood took a moment to take in the figure before him. Specialized combat gear. Utility belt. Long, black cloak. Black cowl with only his jaw exposed. Eyes hidden behind white lenses. The man looked like something out of fiction.
"General," the dark knight greeted him.
"So the Bat of Atlas is real after all," Ironwood mused. "I take it you're the one to thank for Mantle's recent decrease in crime?"
"I do what I can," he answered.
"I believe you destroyed one or two of my droids tonight."
"They got in my way."
"I'm sorry."
"As am I."
"Glad I could finally introduce you two," Gordon stepped into the conversation, "but I called you both here to talk strategy. My men took a hit tonight so I'm going to need more help from you than I'd prefer to ask for."
"How bad?" Batman asked.
"Over a dozen injured officers that won't be returning to duty for a while. More that are still being patched up, but will be back on their feet soon." He lowered his gaze. "I have some families to visit tomorrow, too." He looked back up to the two men in front of him. "I thank you both for saving who you could."
"Your men were brave," Ironwood assured him. "I'd like to attend whatever memorial takes place for them."
"I should've gotten there sooner," Batman lamented. "Do you know what set off the attack? I don't believe Dent would have called for an attack on the APD."
"That's what I thought," Gordon agreed. "But the footage from the news helicopters is giving me my doubts."
"We all saw him in front of the courthouse," Ironwood said. "He doesn't look like the man we knew before that explosion."
"I'm not convinced," Batman argued. "Harvey fought with us to make this kingdom a safer place. More than anything, he believed in Mantle and cared about its people. Gordon, he knows you and the officers working for you. It's Atlas he's going to war against. He said as much to the news cameras. Atlas and Jacques Schnee."
"I've already recommended Jacques stay in his home until further notice and sent a squad to guard the place," the general reported.
"Tell me," Gordon asked, "do you think he had anything to do with that explosion in the Narrows?"
"He claims he didn't. But I've known the man long enough to know that he's rarely the most honest man in the room."
"I'm looking into it," Batman told them. "I don't have anything definitive yet, though. It's been a long week since Dent's disappearance."
"So what's next?" Ironwood asked.
Gordon replied, "I've got who's available processing the ones we've arrested and looking for leads on where the rest ran off to, but I'm pretty short handed. And after getting kicked as hard as we were, my boys are scared."
"I can bring in as many troops as I can spare to assist you and hopefully raise morale," Ironwood said. "Unfortunately, this is going to draw the Grimm. I can't guarantee for how long until I need them back to defend the walls."
"Whatever you can give, I appreciate it."
"I've called for a state of emergency," the general informed them. "The order's being given now for citizens to stay in their homes until further notice. Hopefully that prevents any civilian casualties."
"I'd like to question some of the rioters you've brought in," Batman requested.
"I'll arrange it," Gordon responded. "And I've got something interesting I thought you might want to see: a body of one of the rioters. Died from a gunshot to the head."
Batman paused to review the riot in his mind. "I didn't hear any guns fire."
"I didn't authorize my men to use any. We wanted to de-escalate and disperse," Gordon said. "My gut tells me that dead Faunus holds the answer to why this went so badly so quickly."
Batman narrowed his eyes. This had the potential to completely reframe the situation.
"I'll go to the morgue," he decided. "I'll leave you two to coordinate your reinforcements. We need to find Harvey before this can get any worse."
Only about half of Dent's following remained. Many ran off as soon as the tear gas was launched. Some didn't escape the military and the Bat. Those that were left rendezvoused in the last place the APD would want to look: the sewers beneath the streets of Atlas.
They were recommended by a Faunus named Otis Flannegan. He was a dirty fellow with a rat tail and a bit too much knowledge of the sewers.
As for the sewers themselves, they conveniently ran all across the floating city and could be accessed from most streets. If you knew how to navigate them, like Flannegan concerningly did, you could stick to the systems designed for rain and avoid those for… other sewage systems. Unfortunately, not everyone was lucky enough to drop down into the right pipes. Several parties arrived to the rendezvous smelling, sweating, and swearing.
They weren't pleasant, and that's why the police would be hesitant to investigate them. The Bat, however, would be less deterred to go in after them.
Damn him, Harvey thought to himself as he waited for what was left of his revolution to meet back up and be ready to move out. Doesn't he see that I'm doing what he does? I'm cutting through the red tape to save the kingdom. I'm taking his methods to their natural conclusion.
He thought back to the police line. He'd lost someone tonight. A Faunus girl died right in front of him tonight.
Harvey flipped his coin repeatedly. He found it calming. It was too close. The target had to have been me. The shooter missed and she died for it. Gordon's branded me a criminal; a dog that needs putting down.
He caught the coin and checked how it landed. Clean side up
No. Jim and I were friends. Are friends. And Batman was trying to stop the violence. Officers died tonight. That's not what I wanted either.
He flipped the coin and checked it. Burnt side up.
They tried to kill me. They've been corrupted. Corrupted by Schnee and the rest of the elites. I'm sure they put a price on my head. Gordon has a crooked force and he doesn't even know it. Batman's defending a bunch of wolves in sheep's clothing. And of course Ironwood's military is with them. He lives in the clouds, not caring about those of us stuck on the ground. You don't care what happens down here as long as the peace is kept, do you, General?
He checked the coin. Burnt.
We stay the course. Atlas bleeds. Schnee hurts. Mantle rises up.
"Hmm… The Rise… That's not terrible."
Harvey pocketed his coin and approached two of the nearest protesters: Waylon Jones and Larissa Diaz. They were violent, but passionate. And they hated Atlas's elite.
"How are we looking?" Dent asked the two.
Jones took a second longer to register his question. His ears were still ringing after fighting Batman.
"We have all that we're going to," Diaz answered. "The rest are either captured or cowards."
Harvey grimaced at that situation. "Then spread the word that we're moving on. Get Flannegan up here. We need him to lead us to our next stop on the list."
Only about half of Dent's following remained. But the half he had left was committed to The Rise.
A/N: For those who aren't too deep into Bat lore, Otis Flannegan is the name of a lesser villain called the the Ratcatcher.