The night time air gave way to the cold of the winter that had just started in Gotham, snow blanketed the ground as it continued to fall from the sky in a beautiful display, to some, they would sit for hours and just watch it fall and blanket the ground and roads in a white blanket, but for tonight, it was completely different.

Frank sat in the back seat of the Ford SUV, his associates were beside him, they had a mission and one mission alone, deliver the package and not to let anything get in the way of the mission, not even the rumors of Batman's return.

Some in Black Mask's organization thought it was a naughty rumor started within the organization to fool Roman's associates into giving up their operation in Gotham while others were die hard that Batman's return was real and that he was hunting down the boss.

The car continued to swerve in and out of the main drive, the road was deserted as they pulled up to a warehouse in the middle of the Narrows.

The three men jumped out of the car with a large container having to be carried by Frank and his other associate James.

As James and Frank moved inside with the package, the leader slapped the back window with his hand "Move it out!"

The trio moved inside, the leader Matthew walked toward the back of the room, his submachine gun slung around his shoulders.

"Place it there boys." Matthew's voice was deep as he pressed the lights on

With Christmas coming up soon, the lights turned on with green, red and blues, but soon turned off as some of them broke.

"Oh come on." Matthew tossed his mask on the table "Frank, check the breaker."

Each man wore a ski mask over their faces, with black skull masks, the trade mark of Black Mask's gang, though they weren't as detailed as Roman and the False Facers. As Matthew and James waited for Frank to return, they didn't notice they were being watched.

Frank slowly began to stalk toward the circuit breaker, his machine gun pointed forward, he silently approached his pray, silently opening the breaker's front panel, and he quickly grabbed a flashlight and placed it between his teeth.

A figure silently approached him, Frank didn't see it coming as his head was slammed into the breaker, the flashlight breaking teeth and stuck in his mouth as his body slumped down onto the floor.

Matthew and James looked up when they heard the noise, they silently began to move, James took the lead as he pointed his M4 forward and kept looking out, he knew Batman struck from above or from the shadows.

The floorboards broke from below him and James was grabbed by his ankles and dragged down below into the bottom floor, his body making impact.

"No…no…no!" James yelled as his head was slammed into the ground by a fist

Matthew looked down "James? Hey James quit screwing with me!"

Matthew fired his gun into the hole, hoping to hit something, there were no cries of pain; the bullets must have made impact on the ground. He quickly reloaded and attempted to try again, when he clicked the trigger, no bullets came out.

"What the hell?" He tried clicking the trigger again, but again nothing, as he ejected the clip and checked it again

Every bullet was in the clip, so he couldn't understand, he began to move backwards in fear, as he hit something, and he turned around in shock. Matthew pressed the trigger of his gun, hoping to frighten him, only to have the gun knocked out of his hand, the figure's hand wrapped around his throat, its head made impact.

As Matthew fell to the floor, Batman stood over top of him, sure he could have interrogated the men, but that wouldn't help at all with what he was looking for.

He walked over to the box the foot soldiers brought in; the name LexCorp written on the front, Batman slammed his foot into the front and the lid flipped open, within a series of fragmentation grenades with a detonator hooked up to an explosive.

The timer quickly hit five seconds Batman immediately ran for the wall and dove into it, the wood broke as the explosive detonated and sent the young vigilante forward, his body slammed into the snow.

As he began to climb up, a figure stood in front of him, Batman recognized him as Deathstroke, the same mercenary he had been hunting the last few days.

"Glad you received my invitation." Deathstroke smirked behind his mask

Batman immediately charged as he grabbed one of the swords from his back, Deathstroke slashed forward in the air, Batman kept dodging, slash after slash he moved his body with swift motions, he used his arm guards to block the sword and attempted to elbow Deathstroke in the face but missed and was met with a kick to the stomach.

He was sent flying backwards and into the snow, as he stood, Deathstroke began to move again, Damian held the sword between his arm guards and moved his arms to the sides, breaking the sword into a multiple fraction of pieces.

Deathstroke began his assault using his shortened sword, he slashed forward like it was a dagger, slashing with angry precision, he was intending on killing Batman this time around. Batman quickly went on the retaliation by blocking Deathstroke using his arm guards, elbowed the assassin in the head but he got the upper hand and grabbed Batman by the throat and held the dagger up to his throat.

Batman acted fast by slamming his foot into Deathstroke's foot, as he was sidetracked, the masked crusader slammed his fist into the assassin's stomach then slammed his elbow into his back, sending him into the snow.

Now, let's finish this. Batman walked over to Deathstroke and slammed his foot into his back "Tell me where Black Mask is."

Deathstroke smiled behind his mask "Sorry, you'll never know."

As Batman prepared a batarang to throw into Deathstroke's chest, he felt it leave his hand and fly into the snow, Batman sighed and walked over to his weapon, upon further inspection, an arrow pierced it in the middle.

Another arrow flew through the air and landed right beside him, Batman turned his head to the new foe that stood before him in a form fitting black suit, a hood concealing the person's head, a white full face mask showing only the eye slits.

"Who are you?" Batman growled

The voice coming from the mask was feminine but seemed to be robotic as well "Call me the Black Rose." Her voice showed no sign of emotion

Another arrow flew as Batman caught it with his hand and snapped it in two, quickly gaining ground, Black Rose began her assault with her black bow, using it almost like a club, Batman blocked it with his arm guards, she continued her assault, each hit being blocked hit for hit by his arm guards, finally Batman got the upper hand and tossed her bow aside a few feet away.

Deathstroke quickly stood and ran over to help, his pistol drawn, Batman heard the click as he took off the safety, he knocked the pistol away and slammed his fist into his face, drawing his grapple gun, aimed and fired, it wrapped around Deathstroke's waist sending him forward, Batman responded by slamming his forearm into Deathstroke's throat.

As he watched him cough for air, Black Rose began her assault once again, using her fists striking quickly like a cobra, Batman blocked each punch with his hands, moving his backwards as she continued to strike, he quickly got the upper hand, when she struck again, he grabbed both of her hands and used his weight to toss her aside into the snow.

"Good evening Batman, I see you met my associates."

Batman turned his head sharply to one man coming out of the flames of the warehouse, a revolver in his hand, his white suit was complimented the snow, he would normally be an ordinary citizen, but his black skull mask set him apart from others.

"Black Mask." Bruce growled as he ran to strike

As he raised his fist, Black Rose quickly responded, sprinted in front of her employer, striking Batman in the stomach then in the face. He actually felt the strikes even though his armor was metal plated with a graphite, leather cowl.

"Now, while you're here, let me make one thing clear." Black Mask growled, his voice carrying a combination of street Italian, New Yorker and Boston "your so called crusade against me is flattering, but mark my words; people will die if you continue."

Batman smirked "You really think I'm scared of you? I have no one that you can harm Roman. I will not stop, so you just made you an enemy."

Black Mask smirked "Well then, Black Rose, kill him."

She nodded and flicked her wrists, a twin set of daggers slid from her wrists and into the palms of her hands. She quickly struck, Batman quickly retaliated by catching both weapons in his wrist gauntlets, as their faces met, he saw her brown eyes, they were glazed over, just the same as the waitresses at the Iceberg Lounge.

Moving with accurate precision, he let go of her knives and tossed a smoke bomb onto the ground, when the smoke cleared, Batman was gone, Deathstroke and Black Rose looked around.

"He's gone sir." Deathstroke said furiously "I had him! Next time keep your other assassins out of my way." He pointed at Black Rose and tossed his broken sword on the ground near Black Mask's feet

She rolled her eyes as Black Mask walked over to him "Your just like your father Joe, too idealistic and arrogant, you are not the only the assassin out on the prowl tonight."

Deathstroke shook his head in frustration and stormed off, the snow continued to fall over head. Black Rose soon followed as she walked off the other way.

"Please…help!"

Black Mask turned to Matthew crawling out of the burning building, his body was bloody and his body from the waist down was dead.

"Sir…help please!"

Roman looked over and walked over to Matthew "Did you do your duty son?"

"Yes sir…but Batman….he came back….took the flash drive from my pocket."

Black Mask looked at him "The one I told your men to retrieve?"

"Yes sir…"

Roman's gloved hands clenched into fists as he grabbed a singed two by four and slammed it into Matthew's head.

"Yes of course Mister Sionis, I will see to it at once."

Doctor Hugo Strange turned the cell phone he held in his hand off, scratched his beard and proceeded down the hall of Arkham Asylum, he had been an associate of Roman's for years and if his plans went into fruition, he would be more than just a doctor evaluating the insane criminals put away.

As he walked down the hall, his head turned to a cell with a few knives sitting on the bed, the cell door was open and the words RIP Prince of Comedy was written along the wall in blood, it was a shame what happened to Joker, but it had to be done.

His boots continued to carry him as he approached the cell he desired, he took his card key out of his pocket, slid it through the scanner, the red lights next to the handle changed to green as he opened the door.

Two men sat inside, one was older, his salt and pepper hair hung down to his ears, glasses were broken on the one side and his arms were held in a strait jacket.

The other man was sitting in the corner, holding an old photograph, evidence of this being the crease in the middle of the picture, his thinning dirty blonde hair hung at his shoulders.

"Doctor Crane, I hope you are well."

Scarecrow glared at him, the mask he wore years ago hung at his feet, he didn't say a word, only growl.

"Mister Tetch, I hope you are well this morning."

Jervis looked up "Oh yes, it won't be long until Alice is here correct?"

"Yes Mister Tetch, Alice will be here soon." Strange's voice was strong, deep and dignified "Mister Sionis has been in contact with me, it seems he is in need of your assistance once again."

"An….and what does Black Mask want me to do?" Jervis growled "You two took everything from me!"

"Because Batman has returned, I know you want his mask for yourself." Strange smiled "I will return your hats to you, all you need to do is report to Black Mask at his base in Crime alley."

"Yes sir!" Jervis smiled "Alice will be so happy!"

Damian kept to himself that night, too many scenarios were going through his mind as he thought about what happened tonight, he was almost killed and he felt scared, but something else caught his mind, Roman's female associate, the Black Rose.

Something about her seemed familiar, it was her brown eyes, they seemed familiar, like he had seen them before.

As the moon began to rise overhead, he pulled out his cell phone and leaned back, letting his back hit his pillows as the phone continued to ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi mom, it's Damian."

He couldn't see it, but Selina was smiling on the other side "Damian, thought we'd never hear from you again."

Alright double header in a short amount of time. I absolutely love this story, and now we have two more characters, Doctor Strange and Mad Hatter, I promised myself Scarecrow would follow the Nolanverse tradition and make a cameo appearance, this won't be the only one to appear.

Some answers will be given in the next two part chapter.