A/N: New Poll out for whether or not I should write a sequel for "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Also, here's a list of all the villains I'm considering doing for the sequel if I decide to write one: The Riddler, Black Mask, Hush, Poison Ivy, Catgirl, The Penguin, Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, Mr. Freeze, Deadshot, Azrael, Hugo Strange, Victor Zsasz, Two-Face II (James Gordon Jr., who grew up to be a psychopath and serial killer according to the comics), Killer Croc (I might have to make the rating M if I do my interpretation of a Nolanized Killer Croc), Man-Bat, Calendar Man, Prometheus, Firefly, Killer Moth, Clayface, the Ventriloquist, the Great White Shark, The League of Shadows, the Jokerz (a gang from Batman Beyond), the Mutants (a gang from the Dark Knight Returns), and the Sons of the Batman/the Batmen (gangs from the Dark Knight Returns/The Dark Knight). Some of these will be easy to write in Nolan's universe, others not so much. However, I am confident in my abilities and am willing to accept help from others when it comes to brainstorming. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter, vote on the poll, and leave a review with the names of the villains you'd like to see in the sequel.
Special Forces
"You have ID?" Foley asked as three men entered the back room of the grocery store that was the designated meeting place for the special forces and what remanded of the GCPD.
"Of course not," the leader stated.
"Well, how can we trust you?" Foley inquired.
"We don't have any choice," came a voice from behind them and the men gathered turned to see Commissioner Gordon enter the you.
"Commissioner Gordon, Captain Jones, Special Forces," the Captain said, shaking the Commissioner's hand.
"Captain, glad to have you here," Gordon greeted.
"It's our job sir. Now, uh, how many of you are there?"
"Well, there's dozens. I'd rather not say exactly. But the men trapped underground number almost 3000."
"What kind of condition are they in?"
"They've been getting food and water," Gordon confirmed.
"Can we break them out?"
"Yes sir," Blake cut in. "Take out the mercenaries south of Ackerman Park. Blow the rubble, we can make a hole big enough for around ten at a time."
"We have the resources to break them out, we just need to make sure that the bomb's can't be remotely detonated before we make our move, or else we could be toast before our men take their first steps," Jenna explained.
"Our men are ready for the fight when it comes though. I'm in contact with my partner who's down there. They're just waiting for the day," Blake added.
"Men who haven't seen daylight for four months?" Captain Jones asked skeptically.
"Gotham City police officers who haven't seen daylight for four months," Jenna amended, staring the Captain down, clearly irritated by his underestimation of the power of Gotham City.
"What about the bomb? Satellite can't pick up any radiation hot spots," Captain Jones inquired.
"They keep it on a truck. It must have a lead-lined roof. They move it constantly," Gordon explained.
"So you know the truck?"
"It's one of three. We've been tracking it. The routes don't vary much."
One of the trucks passed Jenna, John, and Captain Jones as they stood on the street corner, Captain Jones holding a device used to scan for radiation.
"Decoy," Jones said, looking at the device. John marked the route with a chalk drawing of a Bat, and the trio began walking again.
"You don't really think he's coming back, do you?" Jones asked incredulously.
"Doesn't matter what I think," John stated.
"Actually, it does. You should put your faith in something a little more real," Jones suggested. Jenna narrowed her eyes at him.
"Like what? The President? The Government? Right, because they've certainly done a hell of a lot to help us," she spat harshly, and the Captain gave her a glance, before he shook his head and continued on his way.
"What about the triggerman?" Jones inquired.
"No leads. It's a bluff. Bane wouldn't give control of that bomb to someone else," Gordon said.
"We can't take that chance. Until we have the triggerman, we just track the device."
"And meanwhile, Gotham lives under a warlord like some failed state?" Blake pointed out.
"Dial it back, officer. This situation is unprecedented. We can't do anything to risk millions of lives." Blake shook his head and looked at the Commissioner.
"You gonna tell him what's really going on?"
"Captain, the situation is more complicated than you think. There's someone you need to meet," Gordon said. A while later, Jenna, John, and the Special Forces men made their way up to city hall.
"Came upstairs looking for a vantage point. Found the people who run the corporation living up here," Blake explained.
"What corporation?" Jones asked.
"Wayne Enterprises."
"Mr. Fox would you like to brief the captain?"
"Miss Tate is fully aware of the situation," Fox clarified.
"And as CEO of Wayne Enterprises, I have to take responsibility for it," Miranda explained.
"Why?" Jones inquired.
"We built it."
"You built the bomb?" Jones repeated, confused.
"It was built as a fusion reactor, first of its kind. Bane turned the core into a bomb and removed it from the reactor." "Here's the important part," Blake stated.
"As the device's fuel cells deteriorate, it becomes increasingly unstable, to the point of detonation," Fox lectured.
"This bomb is a time bomb," Blake restated.
"And it will go off, in twenty-three days, regardless of Bane's revolution, or what we or the outside world choose to do."
"So, your appeasement plan might not be as practical as you thought," Blake shot back.
"Could you disarm it?" Jones inquired.
"I could reconnect it to the reactor. Stabilize it."
"Let's move away from this location then call it in."
"Let's go."
"We'll take it from here. You stay here and guard these folks." With that, they headed for the exit. Hardly ten seconds afterward, the sound of gunshots filled the air, accompanied by screams and shouts of refugees as mercenaries revealed themselves and began to round people up like animals.
"Get them out of here!" Lucius ordered, shoving Jenna and Miranda toward Blake.
"No, Lucius!" Jenna made to grab him but was stopped by John dragging her back as the mercenaries
"Jen we have to go!" Blake told her. Jenna didn't even have time to reply as John started dragging her back.
"I'm coming back for you! I promise!" she shouted at Lucius as she turned a corner and escaped.
The sun was setting over the river. Most of the ice covered river was already dark. Several shots were fired into the air, causing the men and women to flinch and attempt to scurry away. They looked behind themselves at the mercenaries, before starting to carefully walk on the ice that covered the river that acted as the barrier between Gotham and safety. A mercenary felt pain in his neck. He barely had time to pull a bat shaped dart out of his neck before he dropped to the ground unconscious. His comrades pulled their weapons up but soon joined the mercenary, on the ground and unconscious. A red head woman in an all black suit with a bat eared cowl emerged from hiding and called out to the people on the ice. "It's ok! It's safe. You can come back." The people looked back and the Batgirl could feel their relief. Carefully, the men and suit and women in fur coats, made their way back to the relative safety of the shores of Gotham, the ice cracking beneath them, many of them promptly collapsing the moment they were on solid ground.
"Thank you. Thank you so much," panted one man.
"You don't have to thank me. Now go." And once Gotham's former elites had caught their berth and regained their strength, they swiftly made their exit, escaping back into the shadows under the cover of night.
"Any luck?" Batgirl asked, holding her hand to her ear, activating the communicator.
"Nope," came Flamebird's voice.
"None," said Huntress.
"Sorry. None here," Black Canary replied.
"Looks like Bane's catching on." They'd been pulling rescues like this since the river froze over, trying to save as many people as possible. The goons tried to stop them but failed more often than they succeeded. "I'm going to sweep by the courthouse, try and see if I can spot any weak points in their defense," Batgirl informed her allies.
"Alright. Catch you later." Batgirl turned and headed for the edge, looking back at the last second. Some of the people had fallen through the ice by the time Batgirl had taken out the mercenaries. Batgirl and the other vigilantes of Gotham did their best to save as many people as they could, but they couldn't save everyone. It was the terrible truth of crime fighting. No matter how hard you train, no matter how hard you fight, no matter how powerful you are, you can't save everyone. There will always be innocents hurt and killed, always be injustice, always be horrible people who walk free. But that didn't make their fight fruitless. And as long as there were people being helped by her donning the cape and cowl, Jenna would continue to be the Batgirl… even if it was the death of her.
The Batgirl looked down at the courthouse were so many innocents had been unfairly tried and sentenced, and where Lucius Fox currently resided. She adjusted her binoculars, trying to find weak points in their defenses but they seemed to have learned from the Batgirl's last stunt in the courtroom.
"Sneaking up on me isn't a wise thing to do Ms. Kyle," Batgirl remarked, not bothering to turn around.
"How'd you know it was me?" came the sly voice of Selina Kyle as she slipped into view.
"With the sound of those heels, it was either you or Black Canary and she's on the other side of town right now," Batgirl replied.
"Speaking of which, you've got yourself quite a little group there," Selina smiled.
"Yeah, well, just because you're a spineless little coward doesn't mean there aren't other people who are willing to help."
"Can you go three minutes in my presence without insulting me?"
"Can I? Yes. Will I? No." Batgirl put away her binoculars and looked at the cat bugler. "What are you doing here anyway? Waiting for the purrrrfect chance to pick my pockets, or are you the one sending Bane all of our plans?" The Cat looked at Batgirl oddly at that.
"You got a mole?"
"How else do you think they found out about the Special Forces?" Selina shrugged.
"To be fair, that was pretty idiotic move." Batgirl glared at Catwoman.
"I'd like to see you do better," she hissed, before turning back and putting a foot on the edge of the building.
"Well, before you go pointing fingers at me, you might wanna think about doing background checks on your little friends." Batgirl froze.
"What are you talking about?" Batgirl inquired hesitantly, her thoughts immediately going to Black Canary, the member of her team who she knew and trusted the least.
"I saw Miranda Tate out walking a few minutes ago. She certainly didn't look scared to be out on the streets like most rich stiffs nowadays and entered an abandoned building. It looked like she was meeting someone." Batgirl turned and looked at the jewel thief, her expression a little softer.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Cause despite your beliefs, I don't support Bane anymore than you do." And with that, the Cat slinked away back into the shadows, leaving Batgirl confused and worried.
Miranda would never do that, shed never betray us. Not with millions of lives on the line, a softer voice in Jenna's head maintained.
What do you really know about her? said another, harsher voice that sounded like the voice of Batgirl. You know everything there is to know about Helena, Bette, and even Dinah. And out of all the people who knew about the meeting with the Special Forces, who were the only people to escape City Hall?
Well, why am I trusting the Cat more than my own friends? the softer voice pointed out. She's the one who betrayed the Batman. How do I know that she's not still working with Bane?
She helped you with escape Bane's men and told you where she last saw the Batman, Batgirl reminded herself.
She was trying to stifle her own guilty conscious and she probably warned Bane I was heading that way, Jenna argued back.
Either way, Jenny, millions of people are at risk and you can't afford to take any chances whatsoever. Jenna sighed in exasperation.
Well then what do you suggest I do? The Batgirl thought for a minute before replying.
Don't say anything. But watching more closely and keeping sure people don't stray can't hurt either. Jenna thought this over for a second and eventually, though reluctantly, nodded.
"Any sign of her?" Jenna asked her friend, holding her walkie talkie to her mouth. After arguing with herself over her trust in people, Jenna had rushed back to base as quickly as possible. Upon finding Miranda was not there, she'd informed her partners and told them to keep an eye out.
"None," Helena responded.
"Why are you so worried Jenna? She's a big girl, she knows how to keep herself hidden," Bette asked.
"No reason. I'm just worried that's. After Lucius…" Jenna trailed off and she could practically hear Bette nodding in understanding.
"I get it. She'll be fine," Bette assured her friend.
"I hope so. Call me if you see her." With that Jenna, shut off her line and looked out over the maps of the city, thinking of all the lives she'd saved and failed to save over the past few months. How did Bruce deal with all the guilt of failing? Actually, when Jenna thought about it, how did Bruce do this at all? The injuries, the memories, the guilt, finding balance between day life and night life. Jenna had always admired the Batman and Bruce but after living like them, she couldn't help but wonder how he'd managed to keep himself as intact as he appeared.
But not all scars are visible and sometimes, those scars are the most difficult to move on from, Jenna lamented. She was shaken out of her thoughts at the sound of a door. She looked up to find Miranda Tate walking into the room, looking cold, but perfectly fine.
"Miranda! Where've you been, we've been worried," Jenna said.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry anyone, I was just visiting an old friend," she explained. "After what happened at City Hall and considering how much time til the bomb goes off I… I just wanted to make sure that everything was ok." Jenna nodded slowly, not buying the alibi but not confronting her about anything. Not until she was certain or had proof. Until then, she'd have to keep a closer eye on her friend.
"I get it. Don't want to die with anything unsaid." Jenna looked at the plans, maps, and materials laid out on the table and sighed. "Do you really think we can do it, Miranda? Save the city." Miranda Tate looked at Jenna and touched her arm in a reassuring manner.
"Oh my beloved Jenna," Miranda smiled. "I know you can."