A.N.: Alright, another long chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy. If you do, please R&R!

Bruce sat in his chair, his leg currently resting on a stool. Konomi was bent over his thigh, fishing the bullet out while Yuu held his hand for support. He didn't actually need it but did appreciate the sentiment. Konomi picked out the bullet, before applying the stitches to the wound. Yuu squeezed his hand, smiling at him as Konomi worked on the bullet wound.

"Can there ever be a day where you come back down here not shot someplace on your body?"

"I honestly doubt it."

She sighed as she began applying the bandage. "I can't believe they actually tried that... I mean, I knew they were trying to kill you but after you saved their teammate, I just hoped..."

"I'm not surprised they tried. I just didn't expect them to do it while we were under the base. It was an oversight in my own judgment."

"So," Yuu interjected. "What do we do now?"

"No more games." He said. "I'm going to bring the corruption of the police to light and take down Black Label once and for all."

"How?"

"Yuu-chan, for that, I might need your help. The other day, you told me that you were an expert archer, correct?"

"Yes, but I stopped practicing two years ago."

Bruce stood up, putting weight on his uninjured leg and walked over to a case. He opened it and inside was a green bow with a quiver of green arrows. Yuu gasped in surprise.

"What's all this?"

"Your weapon. You'll be using a bow and arrow in the field."

"Is that really anymore effective than a gun?"

"It is in the right hands. Here," He handed it to her. "Feel it out."

She took a hold of the weapon, aiming it around the spacious room with a proper archer's stance. She closed one eye and aimed, pulling back the string and firing an imaginary arrow. "This... feels weird. I haven't held a bow in so long..."

"You'll get the hang of it." He handed her an arrow and then grabbed an apple. He put the apple on his head and walked a few feet away from her. "Hit this apple." He dared.

"Wha-what?"

"Ryu!" Konomi exclaimed.

"Do it! Take up your bow and aim. Breathe and concentrate. See your target and shoot."

Reluctantly, Yuu brought up the bow, exhaled and took careful aim. She extended her arm, keeping it straight and focusing intensely. She tried to keep her hand steady, closing her eye and pulling back the arrow. She raised her elbow properly before releasing it, the arrow whizzing through the air.

Konomi gasped and covered her mouth upon seeing it hit the apple perfectly, knocking it off Bruce's head and sending it to the floor. Bruce smirked, walking over to her.

"Good work."

"That was so dangerous, Ryu-kun! What if I hit you instead?"

"I knew you wouldn't. And from your willingness to even raise your bow in the first place, you believed in yourself too."

Konomi punched Ryu in the arm. "Don't scare me like that, jerk."

Bruce gave her a small smile before turning to Yuu. "Practice with that. I'm going to need it when I expose the police crimes."

"Once again, how do you plan on doing that?"

"Several officers I've been keeping tabs on are planning something tonight. These officers have been taking bribes from various drug dealers, allowing them to fester and sell their product in exchange for a cut. I'm going to take out one of their members and convince them to confess their illegal acts and the acts of the police force to an honest cop." He glanced down at Konomi, who nodded and saluted him.

"Gotcha, you can count on me."

"Ryu-kun, what do you want me to do?" Yuu asked.

"Alright, here's the plan..."

Yuko rested in a private, secure room of Mochizuki Hospital's secret base. She was unconscious, her injuries nonfatal but still somewhat dangerous. She had tubes going into her body, several clear liquids helping her body recover. Miki sat in a corner, watching her friend sleep with concern. The door opened and Mikoto walked in.

"How is she?" She asked softly.

"She's fine... Her wounds aren't life threatening and with the CCHV fluids flowing into her, some of her injuries will heal faster than others. There shouldn't be too many scars on her body after her treatment is over. Even her toenails should grow back at a faster rate."

"I can't believe how much Yuko-sensei was put through... She's strong."

"Yeah... She's stronger than anyone." Miki reached out and grabbed her friend's hand, kissing it softly.

"I was sent here by Fiona-san. She said that she's not able to pick up the transmitter you fired into Batman's leg."

"I think I shot the wrong bullet... I'm sorry. I must've been too flustered from getting Yuko back."

"I understand. I'll let her know." Mikoto hugged Miki from behind, giving her silent support before walking out of the room, leaving her alone with her friend.

"That's not why you didn't do it..."

Miki glanced up upon hearing the weak statement of her friend. Her eyes were open, staring at the ceiling.

"You heard?"

"I got the gist of it... You were commissioned to shoot him with a transmitter bullet in case he escaped. Should he have done so, we could've tracked him back to his hideout and eliminate him. Miki, even in the most dire situations, you would never mix up which bullet you were supposed to use. You know guns like the back of your hand. You purposely chose not to do that... and instead pinned your hopes on him escaping the near-hopeless situation."

"Heh... I can never hide anything from you, can I?"

"Nope."

The two shared a small chuckle before the seriousness returned to the room.

"Miki... At that moment, you sensed it too, right?"

"I don't know what I felt when I pointed my gun at him... except..."

"Except?"

"He felt like... something that's not from this world. I couldn't place it but I know I've never felt anything like that before. It's such a different vibe from-"

"-Mochizuki, right?"

She only looked down, while Yuko turned her head back to the ceiling.

"The fact that you were ordered to use such methods to take out our target, methods we've never used before, tells me one thing... Something's changing with our organization, with our leader. Something that I don't think we can stop..."

"You might be right. For once, we may have to call into question... what we're really doing here and what good is it bringing."

Yuko closed her eyes, an image of Batman projected in her mind. She sighed to herself, letting her vision fade to nothingness and allowing sleep to takeover.

Bruce, after discussing things with Yuu and Konomi, walked the streets to his job. A phone to his ear, Bruce crossed the street.

'There's hardly anything on them. Whoever overlooks the distribution of their personal history keeps the lid on it well. However, I did find a couple interesting tid bits about Mikami and Hitsugi.'

Bruce had Vixen on the other line, using the special phone she had given him. He knew about the tracking device she had planted on it and had disabled it upon receiving the phone.

"Go ahead." He responded.

'Hitsugi's father was Itaru Togo, a researcher that flew off the map some 12 years ago. He was working with Mochizuki, though there are no records of what or why. Mikami had some special drug used on him that allowed his transplanted limbs to regenerate with ease. Don't know what the name is though.'

"D99. I heard the doctor talk about it once. See what you can find out about it. I'll find clues about her father."

'D99? Never heard of it but I'll see what I can do. Just remember our deal. I don't like it when people skimp out on their word.'

Bruce turned a corner, putting his phone in his pocket. He began to take a short cut through an alleyway, only a few blocks away from his job. As he walked down the alley, he felt something was off. The air around him was shifting and he could feel eyes staring at him, peering at the back of his head. He felt killer intent waving through the air as if a knife was being pressed in his throat. He stopped walking, his eyes slowly looking out of his peripheral vision.

"If I announce that I know someone is here, I'll give away that I have training. This may connect me to something I don't want to be connected to."

Bruce resumed walking, slower than before but without giving away signs that he was looking out for danger. It took a certain amount of fortitude not to panic when you find out someone is after your life. At first, it seems like every movement and noise is a sign of an attack – every stray cat frolicking, every honking horn and even the smell of the garbage makes you think you're under the threat of a poison gas attack. Bruce, however, retained his calm and simply struggled to determine where they were and how many were there. He couldn't understand why someone was after him particularly, either. Unlike in Gotham City, he wasn't a public figure and therefore wasn't a big target to go after. He also wasn't wearing astonishingly expensive clothing or watches so he didn't look any different from your average businessman. Still, someone was after him. Bruce glanced up to see someone walking his way. It was a woman, wearing a mask over her face and had purple eyes. In her hands were two kusarigama, complete with chains wrapped around her arms. She also had a bandage wrapped around her leg but the wound didn't seem to affect her.

Bruce stopped short, narrowing his eyes. "Excuse me, but those look dangerous?"

The woman didn't respond, the dead look in her eyes becoming more apparent as she walked closer and closer, her chest bouncing ever so slightly. Bruce's eyes widened upon recognition of those eyes.

"They are familiar... Goryu?! I see... So it makes sense. After opposing him, Tobishiro wants me dead. It's also good for him that I die near the company. It's almost a warning signal for anymore board members who decide to cross him..."

Feigning fear, Bruce raised his hands and began taking a step back. "H-hey, you're not going to hurt me with those things, right? I didn't do anything..."

"I can't turn my back to her. The minute I do, she'll take my head off. I have to keep my sight on her."

Goryu raised her weapons and, with near superhuman speed, rushed forward to lop his head off. Bruce pivoted his feet and pushed himself back, falling to the concrete.

"My reaction has to look like an accident. Like I tripped and fell as I tried to back away."

Goryu came down with the strike and Bruce skidded back, kicking himself away from her in a scurry. She regarded him with what seemed like pity before jumping in the air and preparing to offer the final blow. Bruce reached for a trash can top and blocked her attack, the blades going through the metal and nearly impaling his stomach. Bruce redirected her arms away from him and began sprinting away from the alley. Bruce reached into his coat pocket while his back was turned, pulling out a taser.

"Stay back!" He screamed.

"Keep playing the victim, don't let her onto me. Make it seem accidental, make it seem like lucky hits..."

He spun around just in time to see her swipe for his head. Bruce stumbled back, dodging the strike and shocking her in her injured leg. She grunted in pain, dropping to one knee. Bruce took this opportunity to push her away and sprinted for the exit.

"I can't risk engaging her anymore. If I do, I'll have to properly defend myself. I'll have no choice... I have to make it. Make it!"

Bruce heard her chasing after him, her kusarigama spinning over head. She threw them at him, aiming the blade to cut into his calf. Bruce jumped out of the way.

"No choice. Whatever happens, happens." Just as he prepared to get up and fight did Goryu throw a smoke bomb on the ground. Silent bullets were then shot into the smoke and a man walked before Bruce. He recognized the man as Paulo, the Vixen's bodyguard.

"Are you unharmed?" He asked.

Bruce glared at the back of his head. "How did he find me?" "I'm fine." He replied. "Thank you... but who are yo-"

"The facade won't work. The Madame already knows who you are, Batman."

Bruce's glare intensified. "How?" He demanded.

"That tracking device you disabled was actually a switch. One you turned it off, the real tracking device would activate and we would be able to locate you wherever you were. I know, after all, since I developed the thing. I may not look it but I'm a kick-ass engineer. I used to make some deadly military vehicles."

"Why did you come here? Could you hear what was going on?"

"No, but the Madame suspected that since you were in an alleyway for so long, that you may be in danger. She suggested I check out, just in case. Do you know that woman?"

"No." He lied.

"I see... In any case, she's gone for now. Something tells me she wasn't in the best condition to fight."

"That wound seemed like a knife wound... Perhaps a sword? With her combat skill, it would seem unlikely that she would get hit by some amateur. Sagiri, perhaps? If that's the case, was she tortured or guarded by Goryu?"

"In any case, you should be safe for now."

Bruce continued on his way, moving down the alley and leaving Paulo behind.

"Geez, what an unsocial-able guy..."

Bruce eventually came up to the building of Tobishiro' company. He stared at it for a few moments before walking around the building, coming along the fire escape exit. He pressed on the door, opening it.

Bruce began walking up the fire escape stairway slowly, his hands in his pockets. His head was down but he stopped upon seeing a shadow cast before him. Someone was standing on the landing above him.

"Well... you look like shit."

Bruce raised his head, his eyes meeting Sayo Hitsugi's. She was staring down at him, a satisfied smirk on her face, with her eyes crossed and the business clothes that she wore the other day on.

"Not happy to see me?" She teased.

"I was right. You did come in the building through the fire escape exit."

"Yeah, it was pretty easy. Fire exits are supposed to have 'storeroom' locks so that you can only go one way and not reenter but most contractors these days just put in unlockable doors so they can't get sued if a lock jams during a fire. All it took was walking upstairs, having on a nice suit and flirting with some of the company workers and boom. No one suspected a thing."

"Are you going to get out of my way or are you going to try to finish what Tsurugi couldn't do?"

"If I try to kill you here, it'll just cause a ruckus. Besides, I suppose I kind of owe you for Yuko-sensei anyway. So, no, while we're at work, we'll just be good ol' business associates... but don't get it twisted. If I see an opportunity to murder you, I'm gonna do it." She turned and began to walk away when Bruce spoke up one last time.

"Who's Itaru Togo?"

She stopped short and spun around, a wild confused look on her face. Images flew through her mind like a wave and before she knew it, she was clutching her head. She glanced down at Bruce, who, while not smiling, had a smug look about him, almost like he knew how it would affect her.

"Where-where did you hear that name?!"

Bruce walked up the stairs slowly, coming up to her. He moved his face near hers, bringing his lips next to her ear.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He whispered. He walked on, opening the door to the office floor and going in, leaving Sayo standing there shellshocked and more than a little pissed off.

"That smug son of a..."

Bruce walked to the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. His suit coat had dirt all over it and his white shirt beneath the coat was torn in several places. Bruce turned on the faucet, gathering water in his hands and splashing it over his face.

"Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you looked like you were robbed."

Bruce glanced out the corner of his eye to see another business partner, Rouga Shiro, walked into the bathroom.

"Yeah. Grubby bastards took everything I had on me."

"Well, this city has its downsides."

"I suppose it does."

Rouga walked over to the sink next to Bruce. "I meant to tell you the other day, that was an impressive show you put on in the board room. You not only put down Kyoji and perhaps, saved lives, you prevented us from going into a lawsuit and uncovered how incompetent Tobishiro might be. After the CEO of Rayko Co., Yamamoto, got arrested and revealed to have done illegal experiments on himself and others, we really need some businessmen in Tobioka who won't be trying to make money off of people's misery."

"That's why I plan to start my own business soon enough."

"Oh?"

"Developing advance software products for various tech companies and such."

"Well, how interesting. Would you be looking for a co-kickstarter?"

"And what would you be willing to offer?"

"I've graduated top of my class in Computer Science and Programming. I think I may know a thing or two. Why don't we discuss it over dinner?"

Bruce smirked. "Are you asking me out?"

Rouga chuckled lightly. "Tis a mere business dinner, worry not."

"I can't do it tonight, but once I have more of the details ironed over, we can discuss them tomorrow."

"Sounds good. I'll call you. Oh, and here," Rouga handed him his own suit coat. "So you can look decent during the meeting."

Rouga sauntered out of the room, leaving Bruce alone to stare at the mirror. His eyes lingered on his reflection and it contorted and twisted until the face of his other half became the mirror. His mind wandered back to last night, when he felt the urge to kill. The urge to lower himself to that of a criminal. It wasn't the first time he has felt like this. *He remembers the reflection and when he first met it, when he first saw himself and the surface of the monster inside him.

Bruce splashed water on himself one last time before grabbing a paper towel and walking out of the bathroom. After fixing himself up and putting on the coat Rouga gave him, Bruce walked into the meeting room where everyone had already gathered. He took his seat across from Rouga, who was wearing what seemed to be his spare suit jacket. Bruce turned his head and glanced at Kyoji, who was were refraining from glancing Bruce's way. He seemed tense and noticeably frustrated. His teeth were gritted and veins were popping in his head.

"What the hell is Komori still doing alive? Damn Goryu... I'll teach you a good lesson, alright, you bit-"

"Tobishiro-san?" Bruce addressed him. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm-I'm fine. Shall we get to business, gentlemen?"

Arashi sat under a tree in his lunch hour, staring up at the sky. He watched the clouds float away, content with just staring at them. That was, until, Hinako Kominato blocked his vision, standing over him and smiling down at him.

"Hello, Arashi-kun~!"

"Oh, hey, Kominato."

She sat down beside him, the smile on her face remaining. "I made you something." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a packed lunch, sitting it on his lap. "A homemade meal! I figured sinc0e you said you always forget your lunch money, that I would make some for you. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all." He politely replied, smiling at her as he opened it. His smile made her cheeks crimson. "Thank you, Kominato. This was really kind of you."

From afar, Yuu watched her friend sit with Arashi and she frowned. She knew who he was, had seen it with her own eyes and it chilled her to her bones. She also knew her best friend had a major crush on Arashi, ever since last year and had been subtly trying to gain his affections. She was always kind of wary about him but never so much now as before. She wanted to storm over there, grab Hinako and pull her out of there, yelling at Arashi to never come near her again but Hinako would be livid. Yuu sighed, biting her lip.

"Ryu-kun said that so long as they were around civilians, they wouldn't kill anybody. They only go after murderers after all." That thought, however, did nothing to alleviate the anxiety she felt upon seeing those two together. "Speaking of Ryu-kun..."

Since it was lunch hour, Bruce told Yuu that he would take her out of for lunch and she happily agreed. She walked off school grounds, striding along the sidewalk until she saw Bruce waiting for her across the street. She waved at him joyfully before crossing the street to meet him.

"Are you ready?"

"Mmhm!" She nodded. Hands in his pockets, Bruce and Yuu walked off from their school, unaware of the pairs of eyes that watched them from afar.

"Where would you like to go eat?"

"Anywhere you want to go is fine with me."

"Alright, good." Bruce grabbed her hand and led her into the park, leading her somewhere unbeknownst to her. Yuu, however, wasn't so focused on their destination as she was on the fact that his hand was extremely warm. It wasn't visible now, as Bruce had put special cream on his hands that hid them, but his hands had all sorts of abrasions and scars from constant training and hitting hard objects. Looking at those from the surface, you would think such calloused hands wouldn't be comfortable to hold. However, such thoughts would be wrong. Yuu never felt softer hands and the fact that he was so human just made him seem even more attractive than he simply looked. Bruce stopped when they reached the top of a small hill. Yuu glanced around him to see a small blanket laid out on the grass and a picnic basket sitting on it. Her eyes widened with delight as she squeezed his hand.

"Ryu-kun! You did all of this?!"

"Well, I arranged it. The food, however, I had to order because I know absolutely nothing about cooking."

She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Wow, this is beautiful." She took off her shoes, sat on the blanket and opened the basket. When she noticed Bruce hadn't sat down yet and was standing there looking around, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"I thought someone was watching us just now... was it my imagination?"

"Don't worry about that now. Come on, sit!" She patted the spot next to her.

"Right..." Still somewhat cautious, Bruce complied and sat next to her, smiling down at her charmingly.

From behind a tree, staring at them from out of sight, a pair of eyes gleefully spied on them. "Heh-heh-heh..."

Hours later, night fell over Tobioka City. The night fog of the pollution in the city began overtaking the air, clouding the stars and only revealing the ghoulish smirk of the moon. Bruce walked through the streets with his hands in his pockets, an elaborate disguise keeping his identity hidden. Instead of his slicked back hair, he had his hair color dyed red and his hairstyle messier than before. He had his contacts on his eyes that made them seem hazel and make-up on his face that gave him a tan glow. He had an earring on his left ear and a red goatee on his chin. Bruce wore a grey hoodie and black jeans with his white undershirt sticking out. He wore the hood over his head, keeping the comm-link in his ear hidden.

"You two remember the plan?"

'Yes.' Came the simultaneous reply of both of his operatives.

Bruce walked into an alleyway where he saw four men gathered in a circle, talking amongst themselves. Upon noticing him walking towards them, they turned at him and pointed a gun at him

"Stop! Who rules the king?"

"Ain't no king that rules a damn king." Bruce replied, altering his voice to be more urban and thug-like.

"Alright..." The man lowered his gun with a sigh of relief. "You him?"

"Yeah. I'm him, sent by the Dragon himself. You need ID or somethin'?"

"Nah. You knew the code, so it's all good."

The Dragon was a mysterious crime lord that rivaled Tobishiro in terms of underworld power. He had been feeding crime to the city for over 50 years and even Batman didn't know much about him. He had kept his information secret and remained in the shadows, plaguing people's lives. If all goes well, then police corruption would end tonight and the Dragon's identity would either be exposed or threatened.

Standing around him were four police officers who took bribes and jobs from the Dragon for extra cuts. It was more for greed than anything, seeking money for vile pleasures. The first man was Matsuda Akiyama, a cop on the force for over three years. One of the most experienced people when it comes to performing these jobs. Akira Fujimoto, the man who aimed the gun at him, was a cop for one year, became upset with the pay and opted to take some dirty jobs on the side for some extra cash. Chouko Kita, a rotund cop whose only goal in life is to endlessly cause misery for people in Batman's city. A true sadist to his core. The final man was a rookie cop by the name of Haruto Matsushita. He really didn't know what he was getting himself into. He simply heard about a great deal and wanted to join in.

"So how do we know you're the real deal?" Matsuda asked.

Bruce rolled up his sleeve, revealing a tattoo of a red dragon slithering around his arm.

"Alright," Chouko chimed. "He's the real deal."

"Yeah." Bruce rolled his sleeve back down. "The Dragon told me that he wanted this clean, no dead bodies leadin' back to him."

"Yeah, we know man." Haruto replied.

"Then why the hell you idiots pointing a damn gun at some random guy walking down an alley? That's just callin' for trouble. And you guys gotta know that the Dragon don't like loose ends..."

That statement made them all look at each other nervously.

"From here on, I'm callin' the shots. We do this clean, no killing and in the dark. We get in, make the deal with the Yakuza and get the hell out."

"Ay, ay!" Akira protested. "Why the fuck some no name lapdog from the Dragon telling us what to do? You know how long we been doing this? We ain't taking orders from you, motherfu- AHH!"

Bruce grabbed the man's nose and painfully twisted it. The man dropped to his knees under Bruce's complete control.

"I don't give a damn about your feelin's and I don't give a damn about how long you been makin' deals. I call the shots because I ain't some stupid trigger happy fool who would shoot the first civilian on sight. So, yeah, you gonna do what I say or I can put you down right here and right now. Capisce?"

"Y-yeah..." Bruce kicked him to the ground. The man rubbed his nose, seething under his breath.

Bruce stuck his hands in his pockets, silently pleased at the turn of the events. "Good." He thought. "My dominance, identity and the no-killing rule has been established. The first part of the plan went smoothly. Now, let's see how the rest goes..."

The five men got into a car, with Bruce taking the front seat and Matsuda at the wheel. Akira, Chouko and Haruto all sat in the back.

"We're goin' to the abandoned underground storehouse facility near the docks. The Yakuza boys have already gathered there. Let's make this transaction quick."

The rest of the ride was taken in a tense silence. Everyone was either staring out the window or staring at their hands. For the corrupt cops, it was because they were venturing into a situation which could mean life or death. For Bruce, it was something else entirely.

"We're here." Matsuda announced. The car drove down underground, parking in the lot where there was only one extra car. Standing outside their car were the Yakuza, four in number, wearing red horned masks and suits. Bruce and the other four got out of the car and walked up to them with a briefcase in hand.

"You're the pickup?" The lead Yakuza asked.

"Now, these next few moments determine the course of the second part of the plan..."

Bruce tapped on the case twice. "Yeah. Where's the merchandise? It better not be some hit-or-miss second-rate garbage."

Atop a rooftop, staring at the meeting from afar, the girl codenamed 'Hunter' overlooked the meeting. Though it was underground, it was really just in a basement. At the base of the buildings were windows that allowed you to see through. Two of the Yakuza were positioned where she could see them. Hunter wore a dark green bullet proof leather jacket that had black on the sides and the jacket zipped down to show a generous amount of cleavage. She had dark green pants with black on the sides and wore black tactical boots along with black gloves. She had a dark green hood over her head, concealing her face and black mask covering the lower half. In her hand was the bow that Bruce had given her and a quiver of five special arrows with cylinder ends. Two emitted electricity upon impact, one was anesthetic, one carried oil and another released fire. She was ordered to spend the whole day getting bulls-eye targets and it wasn't until the end of the day that she was gaining a record of hitting them 9/10 smack dab in the middle. The nervousness she felt now as Bruce gave out the signal with the phrase "hit-or-miss" sky-rocketed and now, thoughts were flooding her head about what happens if she missed. She shook her head quickly, banishing such thoughts from her mind.

"Now's not the time to think about that. This is an integral part of Ryu-kun's plan. I need to focus." She steeled herself, taking out an electric arrow and aiming with the scope on the bow. She directed it to a Yakuza's neck. "Breathe, relax... raise your arm, draw the arrow back... AND SHOOT!"

The arrow flew through the air, hitting one in the back of his neck. The cylinder end attached to him and sent a shock of electricity that made him fly into unconsciousness. Before anyone could process this, another arrow hit another Yakuza and had him meet the same fate as his friend.

Hunter smirked, her eyes glistening with both pride and ferocity, something she didn't expect to feel. "BULLS-EYE! YEAH-AH!"

"Get down!" Bruce shouted. The Yakuza and the police followed Bruce's warning as he they all got into cover behind pillars or the car. Inwardly, Bruce smirked. "Perfect. She may really be a natural, after all... She's still not ready to be directly involved but so long as she can maintain a distance where no one can get her, she'll be fine."

"Holy shit, what the hell was that?!" Matsuda exclaimed.

"Was it the Batman?" Haruto cried.

"Maybe..." Bruce replied.

"You idiots were followed?!" The Yakuza shouted. "Because of you, look what happened to our men!"

"Shut the hell up! We ain't got time to be bickerin'! We gots to move! Let's get in our cars and bail!" As soon as those words left Bruce's lips, an arrow was shot at the exit and it spilled a large mess of oil. A second arrow was fired and this released a huge fire, blocking the exit completely.

"Oh, shit..." Chouko uttered.

"There's ain't no other choice... There's another exit on the other side of the building! If we cut through the underground facility, we can make it."

"Damn, I guess there's no other options..." Matsuda clicked his teeth in frustration. "Let's go!" All of them sprinted for the underground, busting the door and running through down the hallways of the old building. The lights above them flickered off and on and old cameras, seemingly deactivated, were over them. The men stopped at an intersection, the flickering lights making the moment completely tense.

A loud clattering, clang was heard in the distance and it unnerved them greatly. Due to the situation, no one payed attention to the demonic glint in Bruce's eyes.

"Second part of the plan has been executed without flaw. Now, the real fun begins..."

She was sweating, breathing hard, and unsure of where she was going. She ran and ran, twisting and turning down the halls only to meet dark ghouls. They plagued her, haunted her mind and then, before she could attack or defend herself, she felt a stab in her back. She turned and it was her father who held the sword.

"No!" Yuko sat up in a cold sweat, panting heavily. Her chest went up and down noticeably as her hand flew to her face, covering half of it. After calming down, she looked around the room and saw she alone. Though she felt like getting up, she knew she was in no condition to do so and simply laid back down.

"The poison is still lingering in my system, giving me nightmares..."

Elsewhere in the large, underground facility, Miki and Hitsugi stood before Mochizuki, who contemplated on the news they've just delivered.

"I see... I suppose mistakes do happen, Miki. Don't let it bother you too much."

"Yes, sir."

"Still, this is rather troubling news... He defeated Yamamoto and appeared blatantly at his job, knowing we'd find out about his actions either way. He did this as if to say 'I'm alive, so what's your next move?'... What an amusing man. He's beckoning us to make a move, almost as if to show he's not afraid and that he's ready and willing to counter whatever he throws at us. Very well... It seems we will have to go on the offensive."

"What do you mean, sir?" Hitsugi asked.

He smirked, his head resting on the back of his hand.

In the training room, Arashi held his gun in his hand, having been staring at for over half an hour. Next to him stood Ryuu, staring down Arashi as he thought.

"You're thinking about him, again?" Ryuu asked.

"Yeah... The Batman. There's something about him, something I can't place... Something familiar..."

"Can you feel it, Arashi?"

"Feel what, Ryuu?"

"The war on the horizon. The Batman's going to do something big soon and we're going to do something big in retaliation..."

"I suppose you're right."

"We're going to have to kill him, you and I. He needs to die. If he continues to interrupt the Triage, he needs to die."

"I know... but, still, Ryuu..."

"What?"

"Do we... is Mochizuki's Triage... ever wrong? The Triage that had your limbs and heart used to save mine, is the Doctor's Triage infallible or-"

"Arashi." Ryuu interrupted. Arashi glanced up only to freeze upon catching Ryuu's heart stopping glare.

"Are you questioning the man who saved your life, who made you what you are? My father? Think about it – how many people will die because of the wickedness of the tumors the Batman lets run loose. This isn't a complicated situation. Criminals... should die. The world is better off without them and the ones to rid of them should be clear minded people prepared to handle the consequences of killing off tumors."

"You... may be right... but-"

"No 'buts'. You have to follow the Triage, execute it while trusting his judgment. Alright?"

"...Yeah. I guess... I guess you're right, Ryuu. Sooner or later... the tumor known as the Batman will be excised."

Bruce, the cops and the Yakuza, ran down the hallway, unsure of where to go, which way was right or wrong.

"We should go this way!" Matsuda shouted.

"No, forget that! We should go this way!" Akira pointed to the opposite direction.

"No, we should-"

"Alright, shut it, you dumbasses!" One of the Yakuza shouted, pointing a gun at them. They all held their hands up, keeping their distance. "We don't have time for your shit, alright?! The Bat may be hunting us down as we speak so just stay the hell away from us! We'll go this way and you go the other way, got it?"

"Y-yeah, man..." Chouko complied, a nervous drop of sweat on his brow. "Just stay calm..."

"Come on!" The Yakuza turned and ran down the increasingly dark hall, their footsteps fading as they got further and further.

"Well, I guess we're going this way." Bruce began walking in the opposite direction to them. "Let's go."

The group continued down the halls, their guns out. Bruce pretended to exhibit nervous body language which included dodgy eye movement, slow pace of walking and quicker breaths. The corrupt cops mimicked this, the eerie halls and the darkness of it all contributing to the terrifying atmosphere.

"Hey, man," Akira addressed Bruce with a slight stammer. "You don't think the Bat's hunting us, right?"

"Don't know... Could be. Wouldn't be surprised."

"'Cuz... I heard stories, man. Guy's like a damn demon sent from Hell. I heard he beat up some guys and left them dangling by their guts..."

"Yeah? I heard he sucked people's blood." Matsuda said.

"Come on, what kind of vampire bull is that?"

"Well, it's more believable then your crap!"

"Both of you, shut the hell up!" Bruce shouted.

At that moment, the lights went dark. No one moved, no one breathed, they simply waited, almost as if they were expecting to get attacked in the dark any moment now. Nothing came and that only increased the fear, increased the tension, and increased the sweat running down their heads. They continued to stand still until Bruce finally made a sound.

"Everyone, t-turn on your lights. You got phones, right? Use them for light." Bruce sounded scared, which only made their other cops more frightful. They continued on their path, walking down the hallway slowly. A myriad of bats flew out at them, blocking their vision as the bats attacked them and caused them to drop their phones. They waved their hands around, trying to run but ended up tripping over each other.

"Ow, what the hell, man?!"

"What's going on?!"

"Run, damn it, run!"

By the time the bats had flown off the down hallway, everyone was scratched up. The cops and Bruce looked at each other, before noticing that one of their own was lying face down on the floor with a batarang sticking out of his back.

"What... the... hell...?" Matsuda uttered at seeing Chouko on the ground.

Before anyone could say anything else, an intercom came on and a voice was heard.

'You realize who you are dealing with now, don't you, scum? You realize that I'm after you and that the one I have just taken down is Chouko Kita, one of the four cops who will be brought to justice because of your crimes. I'll start with each and every one of you, right until you're screaming from the depths of fear. Those bats that have just scratched carried a certain herbal medicine. This medicine, when injected into the bloodstream of a healthy person, could lead to hallucinations, breathing issues, paralysis and ultimately, death. Now, run, scumbags, run."

"HOLY SHIT!" Akira sprang up and sprinted down the hallway, running back down from where they came.

"Hey, wait!" Bruce yelled. The group got up and ran after him, leaving Chouko on the floor alone in the dark.

"I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die!" He turned a corner, now running in the same direction the Yakuza ran in. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!" His running stopped after he tripped on something, hitting his face on the floor. He rolled over and shined his light on it just as his group caught up.

"What the..." Haruto whispered. On the floor was one of the Yakuza, lifeless and motionless. Bruce knelt down and to feel his pulse. He grimaced upon feeling none.

"He's dead..."

"H-holy shit..." Akira exclaimed, hyperventilating now. "What are we... what are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?! He's after us, he's after us!" Akira hugged his knees, openly sobbing now. He slowly laid on his side, shutting his eyes closed tightly. "He's after us... he's gonna kill us all just like he killed the Yakuza..."

"But... the Batman doesn't kill... right?" Haruto hesitantly asked.

No one answered, anxiety written all over their faces.

"For now, it looks like Chouko and Akira are out of it. We ain't got a choice, we got to move on..." Bruce began pressing forward when Matsuda grabbed his arm.

"Wait, I don't want to live anyone behind..."

"You kiddin' me, right? Those guys are already screwed, probably dead. You wanna risk your neck just to get 'em back? What if the Bat nabs you and you end up in jail... or worse?"

"I've known the guy for years... I don't want to just leave his corpse here. I'm going back for it!" Matsuda ran off, his gun at the ready.

"Idiot!" Bruce began to run after him as Haruto got up to follow.

"Wait for me!"

"No! Just stay with him!" Bruce replied quickly before running off after Matsuda.

"Stay here... with Akira...?"

Haruto glanced down at Akira, who was a blubbering mess. Haruto stood in the hallway, scared and with a feeling of solitude. The darkness felt like it was circling him, closing in, and overtaking him. His eyes dashed right and left, his hands shivered with fear as the thought of facing the Batman terrified him to his very core. Akira's whimpering didn't help things, either. The thought of ending it entered his mind, of taking his own life into his own two hands and killing himself before the hallucinations start, before the paralysis prevents, before the Batman catches him. Just as Haruto's hand inched near his gun, he heard a rebounding scream ring down the halls.

"RUN!" Bruce came sprinting down the hall in full-speed. "GET HIM UP AND RUN! HE'S COMING! HE'S COMING AFTER US!"

Without thinking twice, Akira and Haruto began making a break for it with Bruce turning the corner with them. They ran down the halls, turning at every corner they saw. The lights continued to flicker as the footsteps echoed in the hallway and it didn't stop until they ran into an office and blocked the door. The three remaining men, plopped on the ground, breathing heavily.

"What... the fuck... happened?!" Haruto exclaimed.

"He just... he just... came out of nowhere... Just grabbed him and dragged him into the darkness, clawing at the ground and tears flying out. We never even made it to Chouko..."

"Shit, shit, shit!" Akira grabbed his head, gripping his hair tightly. "We're next, we're next! He's coming after us next and there's nothing we can do!"

"This all your fault, goddamnit!" Bruce exclaimed, standing up. "I'm lumped into this damn thing because of you stupid bastards! I ain't gonna die because the Bat thinks I roll with you! Stay the hell away from me, both of yous!"

"W-wait...!"

Bruce reached in the back of his waistband and pulled out a gun with an empty clip. The police, of course, had no idea of this fact. Haruto immediately stopped and raised his hands in surrender while Akira kept mumbling strings of words to himself.

"Stay back or I swear to God!"

"A-alright, man... alright..."

Bruce kept one gun on them and the other hand moved the chair that blocked the door and opened it. Once he was out, he shut it before running off. The minute he was out of sight, he threw the gun away in disgust.

"Even if it's unloaded, it still feels like vile dirt being in the palm of my hand. Regardless, it was necessary for the mission. Now, for the final act..."

Moment after Bruce had left the room, he let out a loud, reverberating scream that reached Haruto's and Akira's ears with crystal clarity.

"Oh, no..." Haruto got up and moved for the door. "We can't stay here. He'll come for us too... Akira, come..." Haruto glanced back to see Akira making a cross motion on his chest. He looked resigned and was kneeling now with his hands pressed together. "... Akira?"

"I see it now... He's your messenger, isn't he, dear Lord? You have sent him here to correct us, to judge us and to return us to Your Way. I understand now..." An off-putting smile crept onto Akira's face. "I finally understand... I see it now... the clear path..."

"Akira!" Haruto shouted, trying to get his attention. It proved fruitless, however, as something clearly snapped with Akira and he was now humming to himself, his eyes closed as he swayed back and forth.

Haruto's eye twitched, a clear indication that he was near his breaking point.

"Fine then... Fuck you..." Haruto whispered before opening the door and running off. "I'm not gonna die! I'm not gonna die! I-" He stopped short upon seeing the body of the second Yakuza. The dim, flickering light above showed the sitting up against a wall, clearly dead. This made his heart race with panic. The lights shut off and when Haruto looked around wildly, he saw him. He stood in the darkness, his foreboding figure barely distinguishable from the pitch blackness of the hall. His red eyes glowered at Haruto as the rookie cop found his legs give out on him. He collapsed, trembling. His eyes widened exponentially as Batman slowly walked up to him, standing over him. He seemed colossal, and his eyes pierced right into his very soul. "I'm... s-sorry..."

Haruto's scream reached the ears of the praying Akira, who simply grinned upon hearing it. "Ah... That is what happens when you anger God... You suffer His wrath at the hands of his dark angels..."

Batman slowly walked through the halls to the office where Akira sat, mentally recounting the details of his plan.

"All according to plan. The two Yakuza Hunter took out were real but the ones that ran inside with us were fakes, agents I indirectly hired. They have no stake in this and simply were looking for a quick buck. Their faked deaths only enhanced the atmosphere I wanted to create. The bats were simply a diversion, used to emphasize who was after them. The details about the medicine was fake too, only added to cause a mild panic. One by one, I would take them out strategically, using Oracle to shut the power when needed. Having her play that recording helped as well."

Batman turned a corner, his cape drape around his large frame. He blended in with the shadows, moving as if he were one with them.

"The tactics itself would push them mentally, in the end, producing one who would be so far gone that he would be susceptible to a little suggestion. It didn't matter who, but in the end, the results were better than anticipated. Now, let's end this game..."

Batman opened the door in which Akira sat, his head bowed in prayer.

"-My Lord as my shepherd. I shall not want. I-" Akira glanced up at Batman, who stood over him. "The Angel!" He exclaimed, holding out his arms in a reverent manner. "I see it now, o powerful one! I see your message and the crimes we have done against those He deems holy! I seek forgiveness for my soul from our Lord!"

"If you wish to make amends, then you'll need to do something that would help the innocents of Tobioka."

"Anything, o messenger of God!"

"I want you to personally testify to the police, describing every corrupted cop and their connections. Will you do this?"

"Yes, dark angel! Anything for the Lord in Heaven to absolve me of my sins!" Akira kissed Batman's boots fervently. "Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

After that night, the police arrested Akira and all who lay in that underground facility. It wasn't overnight, but the city saw major crime lords get taken down, a few CEOs dragged off to jail and even several small-time drug dealers, fellow cops and criminals. Outside the police station, in the middle of the day, the citizens of Tobioka gathered in crowds to watch corrupt policeman get taken away. This was happening all over the city, at every police station. Those who were corrupt, including the police commissioner, were taken to jail. In a rare moment, the Batman stood in the daylight, high on a building overlooking the process. He had to see it for himself – the change, the movement, the revolution from a city ruled by crime to a city ruled by hope. Where criminals can actually get charged and are threatened now. Where they can't easily buy their way out using politicians who no doubt feel the pressure on them.

Hunter stood beside him, watching it with a sweet joy in herself. She watched as a small smile etched his way on his lips and this made her smile in turn. She knew this was what he was fighting for, what she was fighting for.

The wind blew and Batman's cape fluttered in the air, a calm sensation overtaking him.

"I'm not smiling because I'm happy or because I'm proud… I'm smiling because I'm winning. I'm smiling because, soon, there will be a day where I don't have to fight this anymore. Here or Gotham. Someday, I will win."

BOOM!

That sound could be heard from the police station below and so could be seen a roaring explosion that took out the police station, setting it on fire and the buildings around it. Explosions could be seen in the distance as well, the origins coming from the police stations around the city.

"Oh my God!" Hunter exclaimed.

Batman clenched his fist and gritted his teeth angrily. "Get back to the Cave!" He ordered.

"No!" She protested. "I can still help!"

"Your mission is finished! You're not trained to handle this. Whoever did this is someone I don't want you facing. Obey my orders – Go back to the Cave and rendezvous with Oracle!"'

Though reluctant, Hunter obeyed and left Batman on the building alone. He growled to himself before grappling onto another building and swinging away.

"Whoever did this will pay!" Batman silently promised.

"Hm-hm-hm… hm-hm-hmmmm-hm!" Oriha walked through the corridors, humming to herself. The elevator was in front of her. "I wonder when my tour's gonna start… I guess I'll call my manager and-"

She was interrupted by the elevator coming down and opening. Her eyes widened at seeing seven men, all armed to the teeth with what seemed to be SAT gear on their person.

"Is that… the police?!" Oriha raised her hands in surrender as the lead man walked up to her, holding his gun in her face.

"Where is Arashi Mikami and Mikoto Kiba?" He asked, a deep voice modulator disguising his voice.

Oriha, even with the gun in her face, smiled cutely. "They're humping downtown! I can give you their location and you can just leave, no problem!"

"You making fun of us, girl?" The safety of the gun was turned off and the man's hand got tighter on the trigger. "Last chance. Where are they?!"

Oriha put her fingers to her chin. "Hmm… Maybe on a ship in Ori-ori's sea~!"

"Hmph. Cheeky girl."

BANG!

A.N.: Alright, so I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you did, spread the word and let people know about it. Fav, follow and review with your thoughts. Also, as a side note, Chikage's doctor didn't give her medicine to raise her heat temperature. He gave her "hot beef injections" i.e. he boned her over and over again. Needless to say, that's being retconned from this story. Just thought I'd clarify that.

Until next chapter.

Green out.

( s/11153476/3/Batman-Chronicles-Origins For those who want to know some of the context behind certain things Batman says, I'll be posting chapters which explain the events. This will be important for future stories and will allow you to be updated in case you wanna know.)