CHAPTER 3
Author's Note: Some original dialogue is taken from Robin: Year One by Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty.
BATMAN'S JOURNAL
I got to work. If Harvey wanted me, he could have me. It's widely known that Two-Face has an obsession with duality or doubles. He is attracted to targets, victims, places, people that represent the number two. I considered it likely that Dent would plan a crime spree related to the number two.
My first step was to run a keyword search against the Gotham Gazette database, looking for variants of the word "two". Hopefully, I would be able to turn up some likely targets. The search pulled up three potential victims. The Ragly chewing gum company had scheduled a public open house, to be attended by its famous "DoubleMint Twins". Curious, but I couldn't see anything of value for Harvey. Next, the rock band, "Los Dos Hermanos" were going to be performing at the Civic Center, located at 222 Second Street. Again, tempting, but aside from stealing the box office take, I couldn't see anything along Harvey's line.
It was the last result that caught my eye. Eileen Damascus, the newspaper heiress, had just given birth to twin boys and was expected to bring them home tonight. The family lived on the twenty second floor of their high-rise.
The more I looked at the computer screen, the more certain I became. This was it. This was Two-Face's next target: ransom the twins for thousands. Again, I was grateful that Robin was somewhere safe.
"Alfred!" I called over to him, as I went over to the cabinet and began filling my utility belt. "I'm going after Two-Face tonight. If he calls, do NOT tell Dick where I've gone, just that I'm out on patrol."
Alfred frowned. He's as much as told me that while he disagrees with my taking a partner, especially one so young, he does appreciate that now have backup for the tough ones. "Very well, sir," he said, grudgingly. "What location?"
"The Damascus Towers," I said, buckling the belt on again. I slid into the car and drove off into the night.
ROBIN'S JOURNAL
He wasn't going to be able to fake me out on this one. I hacked into the bat computer and monitored Batman's database searching and...There! That was the one. The Damascus family had just brought home newborn twins. The family's wealth made Bruce's look paltry. There'd be a generous ransom if somebody kidnapped them. Dent might even loot their wall safe. It was time to go.
I made my way out into the common area and groaned. Wally was there, watching the late night monster marathon.
"Hey, Rob! They've got Godzilla versus the Smog Monster tonight! Wanna join me?" He moved his bucket o' popcorn from the seat next to him onto the table.
"Sorry, bro," I said and tinged my voice with regret. "Batman has something for me to do in Gotham. I've gotta zeta out. Maybe next time."\
Wally stuffed another handful of popcorn into this mouth and spoke through it. "I thought you said you were staying long term...Whas he wan' you back for?"
I shrugged, mentally kicking myself. Wally's an easygoing guy, but he can be awfully sharp. "I dunno. He just called and told me to zeta home. I'll see ya later!" I walked as fast as I could to the zeta and quickly keyed in override code I'd pulled out of the system earlier. I grinned when it lit up and announced my name, then ran down the pathway into it. Destination: Gotham City.
REPORT OF: Wally West
CODE NAME: KID FLASH
Page: 1
Aw, c'mon Batman, you know I hate writing these things! Every single time I'm on some kind of mission with you, I've gotta write a report or something on it... Well, okay, okay, I'll do it but I don't make any promises about my spelling or typing or anything!
Alright...Rob came through on the zeta and looked really mad. (You don't, like, deduct points or anything for swearing, do you? At any rate, don't tell Uncle Barry!) Anyway, there's Rob and he's hauling this huge suitcase along with his regular backpack, so I know something's up. I get one look at his face and I know that he and Batman are on the outs...I mean, had a disagreement. Anyway, Rob was really pissed off.
I tried to help him with the trunk he was wrestling, but he didn't pay any attention to me at all, and just humped it down to his room and threw it against the wall. At that point, I was really starting to wonder what was wrong, so I asked him if he was having trouble with Batman and he said 'no'. I also asked him why the big suitcase and he said he'd be staying a while but wouldn't give me any details, just the patented Dick Grayson smile with big blue eyes. I gotta admit, I bought it, hook, line and sinker.
He spent the rest of the evening in his room and wouldn't even come out for dinner (which was pretty good, by the way-Artemis makes a really good spaghetti with meat sauce).
The next day, M'gann and Artemis decided to go to the mall, but Robin decided to stay in. Said he was working on a project for Batman.
"What kind of project?" I asked, munching on my caramel corn. "Here, ya want some?"
Rob barely looked up from his computer. "No. It gums up the keys." He finally turned to me and kinda sighed. "All right, if you have to help, here!" He tossed me some printouts. "Make yourself useful. Read through that and tell me what you think."
He went back to the computer while I read the papers. It had, like ten years' worth of data on somebody called Harvey Dent, who used to be a DA in Gotham City. "So, what's so important about this guy?"
"Have you read the psych reports?" Rob asked, still focused on the computer.
"Yeah," I answered, flipping through the papers. "He's a total whack job. So what else is new? You guys in Gotham grow 'em psycho."
"Multiple personality disorder," Robin said. "He's had ten years to plan his revenge against those who had him committed to Arkham: Judge Watkins and Batman, former friends of Harvey Dent." I could see over his shoulder. He was scrolling through the street maps database for Gotham.
"So, what's up?" I asked, handing the file back.
He turned his face away from me and seemed to be focused on the computer screen. "Uh...Batman wants me to familiarize myself with Dent and write a profile on him. He thinks our...um...'whack-job' could be gunning for either Batman or the judge. I'm to look for potential crimes he might commit, keep Batman updated, that kind of thing."
I finished the bag of popcorn and hooked it into the trash can. "So why did Bats send you here? You got Crays in the batcave."
That seemed to upset Robin, but I could see him tamping down on the anger and keeping his cool. "How should I know? He'll call me when he needs me and I'll zeta back. You know Batman..." He hunched over the computer even more.
"Yeah, he keeps his cards close to his chest," I said. "Well, your guess is probably better than mine about where Two-Face hits next. Need anything else?"
Rob just shook his head and I left him crouched over that computer. Later that night, I was watching the late show when Rob finally came out of his room, creeping, I guess. Anyway, he was walking stealthy and didn't look glad to see me. I asked him if he wanted to watch movies with me, but he said that Batman had an assignment for him and he had to leave. Who was I to argue? Bats..I mean, Batman always has assignments for him at strange times, so I didn't think much about it. Wish I had.
BATMAN'S JOURNAL
As I arrived, I could see a tall man running across the rooftop, holding two bundles clutched tight. He was followed by a man and woman in dressing gowns. The man, Harvey, perched at the edge overlooking a twenty two story drop.
"Cute kids! You can have 'em back when I'm done with 'em!" Dent shouted gleefully.
The father ran forward. "Don't hurt them!" he cried. The mother just stood by, silent with horror.
I dropped down between the parents and Harvey. "Hand the children over, Harvey!" I shouted.
He giggled. "Hey! The guest of honor. I thought this gig was high-profile enough for you." He held one bundle out over the abyss. "Don't force my hand, Bat. I'd hate to break up a set."
Maybe there was something of my old friend buried deep inside the monster, something that I could appeal to. "Even you can't be this heartless, Harvey. They're innocents."
I heard a cackling laugh and saw a flash of yellow and green. Robin? What was he doing here?
"Don't do it!" Robin shouted.
Harvey's face took on a look of glee. "Ho ho! I was hoping the both of you would show!" He eyed Robin with a predator's eye. "Let's see how high a bouncing baby boy can bounce!" He dropped the child over the edge.
"Nooooo!" Robin yelled and followed the baby down over the side, his line trailing behind him. As Robin went after the first baby, Dent tossed the second. I dove for it and as I caught the baby, I felt a sharp pain at the base of my head and then nothing.
ROBIN'S JOURNAL
Sorry it's been so long since I updated, but... a lot has happened and I've had a long time to think about it. Guess it's time to record it. Alfred and Bruce are out of the room, so I know nobody's listening and I can be honest.
What an idiot I am. What a damned, stupid, f***ing idiot. Batman warned me. He warned me and I didn't pay attention. ...
So, anyway, here's what happened. I zeta'd to the old phone booth near Artemis' apartment house. It was also about four blocks away from 22nd street. I swung the whole way and ended up on top of the skyscraper next to it. I sat and watched for a while and I saw Dent down below, holding a baby over the side of a building and a second in his other arm. There was no way that Batman could save both kids. So, it was time for Robin to swoop in and pull Batman's fat out of the fire again.
Like I always do, I laughed out loud as swung down to the neighboring building. Artemis calls it my 'cackle'. Batman has told me more than once that it's dangerous to make a noise on approach because it warns the bad guys I'm coming and, well, it shows I'm kinda showing off. That never stopped me from cackling, 'cause I knew that I was something special and even if the villains did know I was coming, I'd get 'em anyway!
So, I was mid-cackle when Two-Face dropped the baby over the side. I yelled "Nooooo!" and followed the baby over and down. I was on a long decel cable and knew that I had a good chance of grabbing him before he hit. Actually, I did get him. We both landed on a ledge. I pulled open the blankets to check on him when I noticed that it wasn't a baby after all. It was just a doll! And then some funny smelling white smoke began to come out of the baby's mouth. Next thing I knew, everything went black.
I woke up later and boy, did my head hurt. My hands were tied at the wrists behind me but my feet were free. I heard a couple of voices standing over me saying things like "Wakey-wakey!" I mean, who says that? Only the bad guys. I finally popped my eyes open to see twin guys standing over me. Identical twins; so, I could guess which villain had me. Yup, Mister Psycho himself, Two-Face.
When they saw that I was awake, the twins hauled me upright and took me to the guy himself. On paper, Harvey Dent is weird, but in person he's even stranger. He was dressed in a half suit. The part that lined up with his uninjured face looked like a normal suit, but a black half shirt. The half that lined up with his injured half was all black, except half his shirt was white.
Dent looked down on me like I was a bug or something and said, "So, you were the only choice for a comrade in arms?" I remembered that he'd been Batman's partner or something in the early days of cleaning up Gotham City. I think he was jealous.
Well, I've been Batman's partner since I was nine years old, thank you. Harvey's attitude made me mad. "I was the best choice," I said proudly, thinking, better than you could ever be, you psycho!
Harvey got mad, then, and just glared at me. Then he said, "Defiant to the end," and chuckled. Then he said, "Let's see how you deal with the fate of your big scary buddy!" He shoved me through a curtain and I saw Batman, hooded and tied up and roped to a gallows. Next to him was another man in a suit, also hooded and tied. Probably Judge Watkins. Next to them was a jury box filled with store dummies and mannequins. Okay, this Dent guy was seriously weird. He went on, to show off his 'custom made' gallows, equipped with only twelve steps instead of thirteen (he doesn't like odd numbers). Both Batman and Judge Watkins had already been 'judged' and found guilty.
Harvey got conversational. "I heard a lot about the 'dynamic duo' when I was in Arkham. Funny, I always thought that the Bat and I made a pretty dynamic duo, then suddenly I'm nuts and Bats puts me away like I'm some kind of freak. Then he takes up with some kid to be his partner?" He moved in close and glared at me harder. "I hoped my bat-trap would rope you in, too. I hear you fire off a laugh just before you start punching criminals. Pretty proud of yourself, aren't you? A little arrogant? Batman's new partner..."
"Like I said, I was the best choice," I repeated, looking straight into Harvey's good eye.
"Well, Robin, I'm going to hang both the Judge here and your partner unless you'd care to offer a side bet," he flipped his double sided coin and caught it.
For the first time, Batman spoke. "Robin! Don't play his game! You can't win." Dent clouted him into silence and turned back to me, looking expectant. "The odds are fifty-fifty. What are the stakes, kid?"
Batman shook me only for a second. I figured I was smart enough to beat Dent at his own game. I'd out-thought and out-fought other villains before. My wrists were tight and I wasn't getting loose any time soon, so doing the tap-dance and buying time was the only option left. I still had an emergency panic button we used on the team. If I could just get to that button, they'd track me here and clean Dent's clock for him.
I needed to get my hands untied. "No bets unless I'm the one to toss the coin, Harvey."
"I'm crushed. You think I'd cheat?" He let out a laugh.
"No deal unless I'm the one tossing the coin. For all I know, you've got a fake somewhere." I kept my voice low and steady. It wouldn't do to let him think I was scared.
Harvey nodded at his henchmen and they undid my wrists. I reached up and grabbed the coin after Harvey tossed it to me. "Stakes?" I grinned and let out a cackle as I leapt on top of the jury box, then used my momentum to take me into the rafters. "You let Batman and the Judge go and I'll give you your coin back!"
"Get him!" Harvey was shouting to his scrambling henchmen. I just laughed and went from rafter to rafter, heading for the gallows where Batman and the judge were pinned. I gave a final cackle as I dropped onto the gallows' crossbar.
"Here's your coin, Harvey!" I shouted and threw the coin hard in the opposite direction. I heard it clatter against the far wall and saw Harvey and henchmen running for it. I dropped down to the platform and began untying the judge, starting with his ankles. The ropes were tight and I had just decided to try cutting them with a knife I pulled from my boot, when I sensed someone behind me. Too late I turned to defend myself. A blow from behind took me down and a pair of henchmen pinned me with all their body weight.
Batman tried to kick out behind him, but he was blind and couldn't help. They rolled me off the platform and when I was free, a grinning Harvey Dent pulled the lever that activated the Judge's trap-door. I heard the judge gurgling and swinging, while the two men dragged me forward to face Harvey Dent.