July 4, 1990
7:22 PM
Bruce Wayne
God, I still hate these parties.
After almost a year of being back in Gotham, you would have thought that I would have gotten used to going to these stupid things. As the owner and chairmen of the Board for Wayne Enterprises, I was constantly being brought into town to go to charity events and fundraising balls.
I hated it. However, it allowed me to constantly assert my public personality of a drunken buffoon. Although I never actually drank, slowly acting like I was getting more and more intoxicated and occasionally picking up a drink and then dumping it in the nearest flower pot gave everyone the idea that Bruce Wayne was a drunken fool.
This particular banquet was being given in my honor. Wayne Enterprises had gone public on January 1, 1990 and I had swiftly purchased about 35% of the shares. I knew that this wouldn't allow me to control the company quite yet, but that was all part of the plan. In March, W.E. released a new smart car that was the first to utilize a computer system in its engine. The technology was years ahead of what anyone else had. As a result, W.E. stock skyrocketed. When it reached its peak, I sold everything, making nearly one billion dollars. That money was then place in a Swiss bank with high interest funds. I paid the bank one million dollars and the money gained ten percent interest monthly. By early June, I had gained nearly 500 million dollars in interest. By that time, the boom that W.E. had gained was back down to its normal prices and I was able to repurchase what I had lost. Except for this time, I was able to purchase 43% of the company, almost 5% higher than Maximillion Hauer.
The next day, I went to Wayne Tower and shared the good news with the board, I was now the official majority owner of Wayne Enterprises. That meant that a large majority of the board and ownership positions were being overhauled. The 10 person Board was now reduced to just three: myself, Lucius Fox, and Carl Beaumont. I learned that the next day, Hauer sold almost two-thirds of the stock that he had owned. Finally, Wayne Enterprises was under control of a Wayne again.
For the next months, changes were frequent. Lucius was named CEO and CFO of Wayne Enterprises. I named myself Chairman of the Board and with Lucius being the boss of the company, I found myself in need of at least seven new Board members. So, I went out and spent a ludicrous amount of money securing the services of some of the best business men in the world. They were each giving 5% of the company as a bonus and instantly began to serve on the board.
Then, one month later, we boomed. On July 1, we launched numerous new products and were given seventeen new grants for projects by the United States Defense Department. Finally, Lex Luthor's company, LexCorp, had competition. In fact, there were several economic analysts that thought that within the next year or so, Wayne Enterprises could buy out LexCorp. While I had no interest in doing that, it was an interesting thought.
My other life was just as successful. Batman had been a surprising success. Crime in Gotham, especially muggings and violent crimes, had slowly dipped the ten months Batman had been active. However, I was still working on slowing down the Mafia and other organized crime organizations in Gotham.
"Good evening, Bruce." a voice said behind me.
I turned around to see Board Member Carl Beaumont coming towards me.
"Carl! How are you this fine evening?" I replied in my best "drunken playboy" voice.
"Wonderful. Have you met my daughter, Andrea?" he replied, motioning to the woman walking up behind him.
"I don't believe I have." I replied, extending my hand to the beautiful red head that had just walked up. "Good evening, my name is..."
"I know who you are, Mr. Wayne. Everyone does." she replied, barely even looking at me.
"Wonderful. Would you be interested in taking my arm and wandering the room with me?" I replied, disgusting even myself.
"I don't think that's such a good idea."
Carl was apparently very worried about his place on the board, because the second she denied me, he intervened.
"Andrea, please walk with Mr. Wayne. It's the least you could do. For me?" he begged of her.
She looked at him for a moment and then replied with disgust.
"Ok." was her reply as I extended my arm and she took it.
For about twenty minutes, we walked around the room and talked to various socialites and media moguls in the room. Then, during a rather dull period, I spoke to her as a real person.
"I'm not really drunk." I spat out, not knowing what made me say it.
"Oh, really?" she replied sceptically.
"Really. It's all an act." I replied, cursing my newfound honesty with a woman I had never met before.
"Why do you do it?" she asked in response.
Suddenly, I had no answer. I realized I was going to have to lie.
"Throws the scent off of any business competitors. If they see me as a buffoon, they won't treat me as seriously and let me know information they wouldn't normally." I replied, hopefully doing a good enough job of covering my hatred of lying.
"Does anyone else know this?" she asked, pulling herself a little closer to me.
"Lucius might. I've never told him but he's far from stupid so I'm sure he can see that I'm acting." I replied.
"What about my father?" she asked.
"Your father is too concerned about his job to notice anything." I said frankly.
"Isn't that true."
"Do you want to get out of here?" I asked.
"Bruce Wayne, I'm not that kind of girl. I know your reputation." she replied with a smile.
"Again, the reputation I let get out. I pay the women that stay with me to say that we had sex. I think that's only actually happened once and that was because I genuinely liked her." I replied, smiling when I noticed the shock on her face.
"There really is more to you, isn't there?" she shot back.
"There has to be. There's nothing to the person that I portray in public." I remarked.
For a little while longer, we walked around the room, talking to Wayne Enterprises employees and such. However, just before we were about to leave, I noticed someone that definitely should not have been there. The man without a name, The Jester, or whatever you wanted to call him was talking with Carl Beaumont. With that, I turned to Andrea.
"Andrea," I started.
"Call me Andy." she said in reply.
"Ok, Andy, who's that man talking to your father?" I inquired.
"Oh him? I don't know. I know that he works for my father. I think he helps mediate some business deals that Father does outside of his work with your company."
"Interesting. Andy, I still want you to come over tonight. However, it will look to suspicious if I actually leave with the girl that I've spent most of the night with. So, I'm going to go over to that girl over there and get her to leave with me. You can leave here whenever you want. I would really like it if you came by Wayne Manor sometime tomorrow. How does 3 o'clock sound?"
"This morning?" she asked.
"If you want to." I said returning the wink she had given me earlier.
"OK, tomorrow afternoon sounds fine." she replied, obviously trying to cut me deep.
"Thanks, Andy. I'll see you tomorrow." I said, turning to leave.
July 4, 1990
11:48 PM
GCPD HQ
"How did White get free?" I asked Gordon in his office.
"Good behavior." Newly appointed Head of Major Crimes James W. Gordon replied, not looking up for the report he had been reading.
"Do you think Thorne was involved?"
"I'm not sure. These guys aren't as big time as Thorne's men usually are, but they did manage to buy a DA to get him out, so you never know."
"What have you heard about him?"
"Who? White? Nothing. We did find out that Joseph White isn't even his real name. He had his name changed about twenty five years ago but we can't seem to find what it used to be. It's like he never existed."
"Career criminal?" I asked in response.
"I don't think so. I think he's been hiding from them for the most part. I wouldn't be surprised if he had done something to piss off somebody in Metropolis. However, he does seem to be pretty mentally imbalanced. Even under his current legal name, he's been arrested twice for assault. However, his charges seem to get dropped shortly thereafter."
"Owned by someone?"
"Maybe but I believe that this guy might just be screwing around with us. I think that the guy is a little off his rocker and is mildly prone to violence but I think in the end, he's pretty harmless."
"Do you have any information as to where I can find him?"
"Actually, yes." Gordon replied with a smile. "Rumor has it is that he's been frequenting a couple of the Red Hood locations. We've had someone watching him for the last couple weeks. He's hit up Axis Chemical and the Iceberg Lounge recently. I think those would be a good place to start."
"Thanks."
And I was gone.
July 5, 1990
2:13 AM
Iceberg Lounge, Gotham
The Lounge was owned by a Gotham socialite known as Oswald Cobblepot. However, to the criminal community, he had codenamed himself "The Penguin." He had a penchant for wearing a tuxedo all the time and for carrying umbrellas. Unknown to most of Gotham, these umbrellas usually double as automatic weapons. I hadn't been able to get any solid information that he was working with Thorne or the Red Hood, even though he didn't hide that Rupert often came over to the Lounge for a drink.
After sitting on the rooftop of a nearby building for nearly two hours, he finally showed up. A limo pulled up to the front of the building and out stepped White, The Jester, or whatever the hell his name was. Instantly, he cut past the line and walked inside. For some reason, it hadn't dawned on me until now. Axis Chemical was the building adjacent to The Lounge. He had to be using the Lounge as an entrance to Axis without anyone noticing.
Instantly, I launched myself off the roof and used my cape to slow my fall. Silently, I hit the pavement below me and sprinted into the nearby alley. Running as hard as I could, I ran to the other side of the Lounge. Sure enough, he was already inside Axis Chemical as I could see through a first floor window. Anyone that knew anything in Gotham knew that Axis Chemical was only half used for the processing of chemical waste. The other half was a drug manufacturing and money laundering outfit run by the Red Hood. More than likely, it was run personally by White.
I pulled out my gas-powered grapple and launched it in the direction of the closest corner of Axis. When it was secure, I was hit the button to real me in. Within moments, I was launched to the top of Axis Chemical and with a short trip through the ventilation system, I was inside. Sure enough, White was parading around the building, overseeing all the illicit activities that were going on inside.
Quickly, I ran over to the fuse box that lay on the highest of the many catwalks that rose about the many people that sat on the first floor, processing what looked to be large amounts of heroin. Also on the first floor were several large vats of chemical and radioactive waste that was due for processing in the morning. Once I arrived at the fuse box, I quickly removed them, shutting off the lights in the main room. Only emergency lights and lights from the hallway were left on.
"Goddamn it! Can't this fucking place work, just once!" White's voice rang out over the darkness. "What the hell is going on?
No one replied. Suddenly, two gunshots rang out in the dark and confirmed my suspicions of his character.
"Anyone else got an answer?" he screamed.
"A fuse might have blown..." a timid voice said from the same catwalk I was on.
"Check it, you dumbass!" White yelled from below.
Suddenly, I felt someone brush right passed me. Utilizing the distraction the fuse box was placing on him, I jumped down to the floor and hid in the darkest corner of the room.
"The fuses are gone, boss!" the man on the top bellowed.
"What the fuck do you mean "they're gone?" White replied.
"Someone took them!" the man replied nervously.
"Fuck. It's got to be the goddamn Batman." White replied nervously. Suddenly, he turned into a military commander. "Everyone, spread out and find the freak! But don't kill him! I want to do that bastard in myself."
Swiftly, I stepped out from my hiding place and began to quietly eliminate my opponents. First, I jumped out and broke the arm of the man closest to me. Luckily, I was able to cover his mouth before doing it preventing the large yell that erupted from his mouth from escaping. Next, I came up behind another gun-toting guard and strongly punched him in the side of the head. Instantly, he dropped to the ground, motionless. A quick check of his pulse told me that while he would wake up with a mind-numbing heading, he would be fine. However, in the time that it had taken to do this, two guards had slowly gotten closer to my location. By the time I looked up, they were on me.
Automatic gunfire rang out as the two men fired relentlessly towards me. Lucky for me, I had chosen not to ditch the extra layer of Kevlar despite the intense heat of the evening. Unlucky for me, Kevlar doesn't work as well at nearly point blank range. I felt the first one plunge into my arm and another into my hip moments after the started. Fortunately, they were never taught that gunfire begins to spread when it is fired without a break. With a quick fire of my grapple, I was able to get away to the top catwalk, albeit in lots of pain.
I was getting ready to begin my assault again when one of the storage tanks on the lower level that had been hit with the gunfire exploded. The explosion rocked me to the core. Even a good sixty to seventy feet away from it, I was thrown against the nearest railing, putting my pain at a new level. Even though my body felt like it was on fire, I stood up to continue my assault. However, once I looked down on the bottom floor, my worst fear was realized. Joseph White, along with many of his henchmen, was dead. His face looked like it had been completely melted off, along with much of the suit that he had been wearing. Numerous bodies lay in flames on the floor. I was about to leave the situation to the Police when a voice rang out.
"Help me! Please, please Help ME!"
I looked over to notice a man hanging off of one of the catwalks, directly over one of the open chemical vats. Instantly, I ran as fast as my wounded body would allow me to get over there. It wasn't until I was steps away that I noticed something. Electrical wires had been pulled loose during the explosion and lay everywhere. Initally, falling into the vat of chemicals wouldn't have killed the man as long as he didn't ingest to much and could have been properly cleaned off within minutes. Chances are he probably would have contracted some kind of disease from it that would have stuck with him for a very long time, but in the end, he would have been alive. However, two different electrical wires lay inside the vat. The amount of electricity inside these wires wouldn't kill him instantly but would definitely cause him lots of pain before he did.
Also, another wire lay over the platform to get to him. My rubber boots would work to a certain extent but eventually the electricity in the wires would come after me just the same.
"HELP ME! PLEASE BATMAN HELP ME!" he screamed out again.
"Stop struggling." I ordered him. "If you hold still, you'll be able to hold on longer."
"OK. Please, just hurry!" he replied desperately.
Quickly, I pulled out my grapple again and aimed for a metal bar that hung just over where the man was hanging. Once it was firmly secure there, I dove off the platform I was on and let the wire retract, pulling me up to him. I was inches away from him when he suddenly lost his grip on the platform. A second seemed like it lasted forever as I reached down to grasp his hand, the two bullet wounds screaming out at me from inside.
"OH MY GOD! PLEASE PULL ME UP! PLEASE!"
"Hold still." I replied. "I'm going to swing you over to the ground next to the vat."
I pulled back and was ready to launch myself, with him, to the side of the vat when a door on the other side of the room opened up. Flood lights poured in through the door. I looked over to see Gordon and his partner Bullock, guns drawn.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Bullock screamed from across the large room.
While I was perfectly calm, the thug I was holding onto was not. Bullock's voice booming across the room apparently frightened him enough to look his grip on my hand.
This time, I didn't catch him. I watched helplessly as he fell, screaming for help into the large vat of chemicals. In an attempt to save him, I launched myself to the floor, pain electrifying my body when I landed. Next to me, the nameless thug splashed into the chemicals. Instantly, I began to hear him as the electricity ran through his body. I ran to the other side of the vat where the computer panel was. Moments later, I was able to begin the drainage process. However, it would take nearly twenty seconds. I turned to Gordon.
"Get the power for this building shut off now!" I shouted desperately.
Instantly, he ran out of the building and across the street to the Lounge. I knew that it would be a couple minutes before he would be able to call the power company and get it shut off but it was the best we could do. Seconds later, the vat was empty. I crawled up the top of the giant chemical storage unit and looked down in. Thankfully, he hadn't come down straight on top of the wires. I quickly grabbed both of the wires and pulled them out, throwing them to the side without care. Next, I jumped down inside and grabbed the man. I swiftly ran up the side of the tank with him on my shoulder and once I was out, I laid him on the ground.
There were many things that could have gone wrong. He could have been electrocuted, he could have drowned, he could have been poisoned. However, I was able to lean in and feel the warmth of his breath on my face and I could see his pulse in his neck. Assuming he hadn't contracted anything from his brief exposure to the chemicals, he would be fine. I stood and turned to Gordon who had returned from the Lounge. He was breathing heavy but looked satisfied with himself.
"Power's off." he said just as the various exposed wires around the large factory's main room stopped sputtering.
"ON THE GROUND, HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!" Bullock suddenly screamed, redrawing his sidearm.
"I wouldn't suggest that." Gordon said with a smirk.
"Shut up, Gordon. We're taking him in now." Bullock replied, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Gordon, this man needs a doctor and soon. White is dead. His men hit one of the large gas tanks while trying to shoot me and it exploded. The security tapes are up on the fourth floor. I would suggest you move quickly, Cobblepot might already have people over here trying to destroy them."
"Great! Now, on the floor!" Bullock yelled.
"Stop it, Harvey. I'm calling off the manhunt." Gordon replied.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Bullock replied in obvious confusion.
"As Head of Major Crimes, I am calling this manhunt to an end. Batman helps more than he hurts. Loeb will agree with me."
"I still don't get it." Bullock shot back.
"It's not like we'd ever catch him anyway." Gordon mumbled in reply.
"What are you talking about? He's right here!" Bullock said, his eyes never leaving me.
Doing my best to contain a smirk, I finally spoke up again.
"Not for long."
I quickly pulled a smoke pellet out of my belt and threw it to the floor. While Gordon and Bullock spent the next thirty seconds coughing and hacking, I launched my grapple to the glass roof of the building and took my exit.
July 5, 1990
6:00 PM
"...was killed early this morning at Axis Chemical." Jack Ryder's co-host, Molly Blum, said without emotion. "White was famous for being the first criminal reportedly caught by the vigilante known as Batman. He was convicted of burglary and sentenced to two years prison time. He served seven months before he was released on good behavior."
"In other Batman news, Lt. James Gordon, Head of Major Crimes, has called off the hunt for Batman. This is what Gordon had to say on the matter." Ryder interjected.
A quick video of James Gordon appeared on the screen.
"While we do not necessarily agree with The Batman's methods, we do understand that he was not brought anyone forward who was not later convicted of a crime. Therefore, Commissoner Loeb has decided to stop wasting the manpower of GCPD officers on Batman and more about catching real criminals."
Alfred walked in the room just as Gordon was finishing up.
"I believe I won the bet, Master Bruce." he said without a smile.
"You did. Less than a year. How long did I say?" I asked, laughing.
"Never. While I must say that I do not always agree with your methods either, Lt. Gordon was too intelligent to keep a manhunt for you going forever, Master Bruce. It would just be making his job easier." Alfred replied as he finished preparing dinner.
"Too true, Alfred. Which charity would you like me to put the money towards?" I asked.
"Put it towards the Boy and Girls Club of Gotham, Master Bruce."
"No problem, Alfred."
Suddenly, the doorbell rang for the first time since I was a small child.
"Aflred, who was the last person besides you and me to come to this house?" I asked seriously.
"I believe that Randall Mayer came over when you were eleven." Alfred replied, not looking up from the quiche he was diligently preparing.
"I think we need more visitors." I replied.
"As do I, Master Wayne. Now, I must go get the door." Alfred said.
"I don't think so, Alfred. I've seen how you've been looking at that quiche. If you leave it, the chances of dust getting on it are just to high." I joked.
"Too funny, Master Bruce." Alfred replied dryly.
Leaving Alfred to attend to dinner, I made my way to the other side of the house to the front door. Sure enough, a bright red convertible and an equally red-headed woman lay in front of the house. Not wanting to make her wait any longer, I opened the door.
"About damn time!" she said through a smile.
"Sorry, it's a big house." I commented sheepishly, wondering what the hell was wrong with me that was making me act like this.
"Whatever, Wayne. You were just making me wait." she said as she walked towards me.
"Maybe. Now, Ms. Beaumont, would you like to come in?" I asked, stepping away from the door and waving her in like I had seen Alfred do millions of times as a child.
"Bruce, I would love to. Just don't ever call me Ms. Beaumont again." she said, following my gesture and walking through the door.
"Oh boy." I mumbled quietly to myself.
"What?" she asked, obviously hearing me.
"Nevermind." I replied, not wanting to ruin the moment.
We followed the aroma of Alfred's wonderful cooking to the second kitchen towards the back of the house. It was much smaller than the first one and had a small living area in it that gave it a more homely feel that you would expect to get from a house the size of Wayne Manor. We were greeted by the backside of my aging butler as he leaned forward, staring into the oven, obviously making sure that the quiche was coming out exactly as he wanted it to. A small cough let him know of our presence.
"Ah, Master Wayne." he said as he stood up and faced us.
"Alfred, this is Andrea Beaumont, Carl's daughter. Andrea, Alfred." I said as Andrea leaned forward to shake Alfred's hand.
"It's a pleasure, Alfred." she said with a smile.
"Ah, but it is all mine, Ms. Beaumont." Alfred said before he leaned forward to kiss her hand.
"Is that what you said "oh boy" for?" Andy asked, turning towards me.
"Yes."
"Well, you know what?" she asked.
"What?" was my simple reply.
"I like it coming from him."
Just as I was getting ready to reply, the news that had been playing on the TV caught my attention.
"Breaking News! A patient and accused Red Hood Gang member that was being held at Gotham General after his capture this evening has escaped." Ryder said with hardly any emotion.
Instantly, my mind went to the man who had been dropped into the vat. The man who had been nearly dead when we had gotten him to Gotham General.
"Coinciding with the man's escape are the murders of eleven members of the hospital staff on the floor he was being held. The nurse that had been in his room near the time of his escape was found with needles shoved in her eyes and a scapulae in her stomach. Near where she lay were the words "I am Joker." They appear to be written in blood. Doctors had told police that he would be unable to awaken for a couple days after injuries he sustained. As a result, police removed handcuffs from the patient in clear breach of police procedure. The identity of the man is unknown as he had no ID on him when he was taken from Axis Chemical and all attempts to identify him have been unsuccessful."
For what seemed like hours, I couldn't talk. Then, Andy brought me back to the present.
"Wow. Things are really going to hell in this town." she said in awe.
Instantly, I went to the phone and dialed the number of my secretary at Wayne Enterprises.
"Betty, it's Bruce. Call the police and find out the names of the hospital staff that were murdered at Gotham General today. Once you have that, call me back." I ordered into the phone before hanging up.
Andy came over to me, looking confused.
"Why did you need their names?" she asked.
"I am the leading financial donor to the hospital. In fact, most of the newest portion of the building is being built in my parents' name. Also, as a member of the board, I think it would be appropriate to send money to each family in order to help with a memorial service for their lost." I explained, covering the real reason I wanted those names with one that would be understandable considering my financial standing.
"You really are different that you appear on TV, aren't you?" she asked as she stopped walking towards me.
"I told you."
"You did. But, I heard-"
What she heard I would never know. Again, for some reason, the evening news caught my attention.
"Gotham City, a video was just dropped on the door step of Channel 7. While the police is working on check its authenticity, Channel 7 has granted all channels in Gotham to show it. I warn you that while there are no obscene images or foul language, this video should not be shown to small children."
For a brief moment, the screen went black. Then, the video started. It started it what appeared to be an empty garage. Suddenly, a voice rang over the empty screen.
"Two cannibals are eating a clown. One looks to the other and says..."
Without warning, the owner of the voice jumped in front of the camera.
"Does this taste funny to you!" he screamed into the camera. Even though the room that he was in was incredibly dark, you could still see his face. He had used white makeup to cover up his face but it hadn't worked completely. In fact, you could still see the scabs and the lines of bleeding wounds that were a result of the electricity that ran through his body. Also, there were signs around his eyes where the chemicals had started to seep in, despite his eyes being wedged shut due to the electricity seizing his body. But, nothing was as terrifying as his grotesque smile. The grin seemed to be frozen permanently. It was a disgusting sight.
"Oh boy, wasn't that funny? HA HA HA!" he yelled, laughing maniacally afterwards. Suddenly, he stopped laughing and looked into the camera again.
"I'm sorry, Gotham, but I don't hear you laughing." he said far too serious for my liking. "Well, you'll be laughing soon. You'll all be laughing soon! Be prepared, Gotham. Be prepared, Mayor Hill and Commissioner Loeb. But, the person who should be the most prepared of all is my oldest friend. Batman." he said, doing his best to imitate the stony growl I use while in the cowl.
"You made me who I am today, Batman! Hoo Hoo and now there's nothing you can do but watch as Gotham City burns to the ground. All of this at the hands of THE JOKER!"
Seconds afterward, the video turned off and Jack Ryder graced the screen again.
"Anyone with information on the man who calls himself "The Joker" should call..."
Again, the news lost itself to my thoughts. I had created this monster. If I had been able to hold on to him, if I had just moved a little quicker, he would have lived and spent the rest of his days in jail. As it was, the electricity and chemicals had ruined him. For some reason, the thought occurred to me that this would not be the last time that I saw the Joker...