Batman swung into a burning police station, crashing through the window and landing amongst the flames. He looked around wildly, seeing dead police officers buried under rubble. These weren't corrupt officers, they were the good ones. The ones who decided to stand firm when all of their other comrades were dealing with the devil. Their reward was to burn in the very suits they wore to uphold themselves as pillars of justice in the very buildings that was to enforce it. Everywhere Batman glanced, he saw burning corpses. Some weren't burning but rather, had been crushed under rubble. This made Batman boil with rage.
"The second station I've come across that had all the officers dead inside. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. They expected me to clean up the police force and waited until the moment where the citizens felt hope and could finally breathe after years of being suffocated with crime and injustice then took it away in an instant, showing them what happens when they even hope for light to shine on this city, leaving only a handful of officers alive."
Batman grappled out of the window he crashed through, landing on a building parallel to it. Batman looked out into the distance, seeing the black smoke plume into the air.
"In order to detonate this many police stations at once, they needed to have had set the explosives months ahead of time. This was probably executed by Syringe. Damn it..."
Konomi ran through the halls of the hospital, swerving around the various beds being rolled around the corridors. Police officers, some dead, some missing limbs, were being rushed into the emergency room, being treated in the halls and being declared dead in the halls.
"Please be okay!"
Konomi stopped upon finding the bed she searched for. Her partner, Isoroku Tatara, lay in a bed that was getting wheeled off to the emergency room. Half of his face was scalded and he was missing a leg. She ran alongside the bed, trying to get through to her partner.
"Tatara-san! Stay with us! You're going to be alright!"
He didn't respond, or rather, he couldn't and simply breathed haggardly as the doctors pushed him behind the emergency doors, leaving Konomi in the crowded waiting room.
BANG!
Mikoto shot the gun out of the man's hand while Miki unloaded on them with an assault rifle. Oriha had used Mikoto's intervention to get behind her comrades before Miki shot at them. The men hid behind the elevator corners, peering out of its doorway only for bullets to whiz past them.
"Get to cover, you two! I'll hold them off here. There may be more in the facility so be careful!"
"Yes, ma'am!" They simultaneously replied.
Mikoto and Oriha ran down the hall, Mikoto tossing Oriha her grenade launcher.
"Alright!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Let's fuck 'em up!"
Armed men came around the corner but were quickly put down by Arashi, wearing his helmet and suit. He was focused, calm, steady. His two guns in hand, he ran down the halls. The plan was announced via comm-link – to escape the facility and rendezvous at their back-up hideout somewhere else in the city. Arashi could hear gunshots down the hall.
"Tsurugi-sensei… I have to assume that everyone is okay. If I don't, I'll never have the strength to get out of here. Who's attacking us? Who?!"
A man tried to sneak up on Arashi and shoot him but, without even looking, he shot the man between the eyes. Arashi turned down the hall, reloading his gun.
"Hitsugi-san will get Yuko-sensei, Ran will take care of Mochizuki-sensei while Mikoto, Oriha and I will all escape together. The news yesterday claimed that the corrupt police officers were apprehended on account of a testimony from a criminal. The criminal said he was arrested by Batman… could he have sent these people here? They're wearing SAT gear… the first conclusion one could make is that we've been found out and these people are here to arrest us or worse. But they move less like trained SATs and more like mercenaries… Could it be-"
His thoughts were interrupted as two people sprang out of the corner. He aimed his gun at them while they did the same in turn. Arashi's eyes widened slightly with relief and he lowered his gun upon seeing Mikoto and Oriha standing in front of him.
"Arashi!"
"Ara-chin!"
"Mikoto, Oriha, you've got Ran's orders, right?"
"Yeah." Mikoto replied. "We got to leave Yuko-sensei to Hitsugi-nee-san and get out through the south exit."
"I got a bad feeling..." Oriha said. "Maybe we should check on Yuko-sensei, too..."
"We got our orders. We just need to follow them." Arashi shot at approaching gunsmen mid-sentence. "Come on, Ampule One."
"Right." Mikoto nodded.
"Right..." Oriha replied, still unsure and concerned.
With that, the three companions began making their way for the exit. In the medical room of the facility, Yuko's eyes awakened upon hearing blows being hit outside her room. She groaned and sat up, reaching for the sword next to her bed. Her vision was still fuzzy and her body still felt immensely sore but she forced herself to snap out of it, swing her legs around and stand on her own two feet. She wobbled slightly, putting her hand on the wall for balance just as Hitsugi came through the door, her mask on and her hands dripping with blood.
"Yuko-sensei!" She put her mask to the side of her face and ran over to her, offering her support.
"What's going on?" She asked weakly.
"Someone's found us out. They seem to be cops..."
Yuko grabbed her achy side. "Did he blow the whistle on us?"
"We have to move or else we could get ambushed."
Ran and Mochizuki were moving quickly to an elevator that would allow them to escape underground. Ran had a gun in her hand while Mochizuki moved his wheels down the hall. They had encountered a few man, shooting them dead on sight. Though she didn't look it, Ran was a good shot.
"We have to hurry, Doctor."
"Right..." His breathing was slightly quickened due to moving his wheelchair so speedily.
"You should let me push you."
"No, I'm fine. Just keep an eye out for any enemies."
"Very well. We're almost there-"
"Hold it." A voice spoke out. Ran spun around but the minute she aimed her weapon, it was shot out of her hand.
Mochizuki glared at the two people who stood before him. One was a man, who held the gun, while the other was a woman with a big red hat, wearing shades and red and black clothing. She smoked her pipe, blowing it in the air.
"Hm! Who would've known that the famed Masamune Mochizuki was the leader of the Black Label organization."
"Who are you?"
"I'm a bitch out for blood. You," She addressed Ran. "Call your lapdogs – Arashi Mikami and Mikoto Kiba."
Batman stood on a tall building, staring down at the city he swore to protect. Soot covered him from head to toe, evidence of his repeated attempts to save lives.
"Two… Only two officers I managed to save… Every other officer of the law lay screaming and burning to death. Civilians died from the radius of the blast, the fire spread from building to building, costing more lives… Too many lives… The firemen weren't able to save too many officers and people… The city I swore to protect now breathes smoke from the charred bones of human beings, evidence of my failure to recognize a hidden threat who may have been expecting this… How many lives did I fail to save? How many people died hoping 'The Batman' would rescue them? Too many… Far too many…"
He closed his eyes painfully and went "there". "There" was the place he would go where he would put it all on himself, all of the pain, all of the misery. There was no one else to blame. He could imagine that this was his city – Gotham City. He could keep his eyes closed and breathe in the air and he could swear that he had never left. This entire atmosphere felt the same. From this building, it feels like he could point to the alley where his first true failure began. When two of the most important people in his life were taken away from him. Batman opened his eyes and slowly stood to his full height.
"Oracle."
No response.
"Oracle, come in."
'Batman?'
"Hunter? Where is Oracle?"
'I don't know. She wasn't here when I got back.'
Batman looked into the city that spewed smoke, the city he could swear was his and pondered. "Where are you, Oracle?"
Konomi sat in the waiting room with Tatara's family while he was in surgery. The mother was a mess, sobbing profusely. Konomi was doing her best to comfort her at the moment.
"It'll be okay, Mrs. Isoroku. He's stubborn and strong. He'll make it." She couldn't tell if that statement was for herself or for his wife. Konomi glanced up at Tatara's 15 year old adopted daughter. She was very passive, ignoring the emotional moment her mother was going through by playing a video game on her handheld.
"Uh… Ayaka-chan… are you alright?"
"Fine." She replied indifferently. She pumped her fist with a wide grin on apparently winning her game, leaving Konomi completely flabbergasted by her attitude to the situation. Before she could comment on it, a doctor came out out of the doors.
"I'm sorry..." He said slowly. "We did our best, but… it was already too late."
"Oh, no!" Tatara's wife buried her face in her hands, Konomi rubbing her back for comfort while blinking back a few tears herself. She glanced over at Ayaka, who was simply staring at the floor. She had no reaction whatsoever.
"No." Mochizuki fiercely replied. "I won't hand over Mikami and Kiba to you."
The Vixen sighed, blowing at her fingernails. "Paulo."
"Yes, mistress." He shot at Ran, putting a bullet in her knee and forcing her to the floor.
"Don't mistake the position you're in, doctor. I'd rather not kill you if I didn't have to but I have no qualms about it. Besides, from what I hear, quite a few people would be happy if you died..."
Mochizuki glared at her. "Are you working with the Batman?"
"The Batman? No. I'm simply using him just as he is using me. It's strictly a professional relationship. No, I found you and hunted you people down on my own volition. Now," She snapped her fingers and Paulo aimed the gun at Ran once more. "Bring me Arashi and Mikoto."
Mochizuki glanced down at Ran, nodding down at her slightly. "Call them."
"We're almost there!" Oriha exclaimed after shooting a grenade at some enemies.
Running down hall, Oriha stopped and glanced back upon seeing Arashi and Mikoto pressing their fingers to their ears.
"Understood." They responded simultaneously.
"Oriha, go on ahead." Arashi said.
"What, why?"
"Fiona-san asked us to come back." Mikoto responded. "But we'll catch up to you after we take care of whatever she needs."
"But-"
"Don't worry about us, Oriha. Just get clear, meet up with the rest and we'll see you soon." Mikoto smiled down at her, ruffling her hair.
Arashi and Mikoto ran off, leaving Oriha alone. With a determined look, she ran the other way, deciding to believe in her friends.
Arashi and Mikoto made their way through the halls, shooting down any gunsmen they saw. Ryuu ran next to Arashi, his apparition seen only by him.
"Stay alert, Arashi. There's something unusual about Ran's order. There's a high chance she may be compromised somehow."
Konomi sat in the Batcave, her head bowed. As of this moment, she felt a myriad of emotions. They ranged from grief to sadness to anger. After the family went home, she walked the streets, her eyes focused on the white smoke that filled the sky and her ears were deafened by the loud sirens that flooded streets. The police force had been severely crippled and the idea of becoming an officer now was effectively a curse, not a privilege. A tear trailed down her cheek, only for it be to quickly wiped up upon hearing the elevator come down.
Batman walked up to the computer and began typing. "Oracle, I need you to-"
"No..."
He glanced at her. "What?"
"Please, just… not right now… I-I can't right now..."
"We don't have time for this. We need to get to work. The people who did this are still out there."
"I know… But I… I just lost my partner, the family is a wreck and I can't..."
Batman growled, slamming his fist on the keyboard in frustration. "We don't have time to mourn! We have to catch them before they do something else."
"What?!" She sprang out of the chair, getting into his face with an angry. "Is that all you're focused on? The criminals? What about the lives lost and their families?"
"Who's dead is dead. We can still save the people who are alive but I need you focused!"
Yuu came in through the door, stopping short upon seeing them yelling.
"Are you just saying to forget about them? I just lost someone I care about. I need time to process it, to feel it! I can't just put on a mask and be inhuman like you!"
Yuu nervously stepped forward a bit. "G-guys, let's just calm down..."
"Then maybe you're not cut out for this job." He said coldly, turning back to the computer.
"Yeah, maybe not..." With tears in her eyes, she grabbed her jacket and walked over to the elevator. Batman paid it no mind, his thoughts solely focused on the mission. He glanced out the corner of his eye at Yuu, who was still staring at him.
"What?" It came out angrier than he meant it to.
Frightened, she shook her head and made her way to the elevator, far away from Batman. As she left, the lights cut out, leaving the only light in the room coming from the Bat-computer. Alone now, he put his face in his hand, a movement of exasperation, and sighed.
"Glad you could make it." The Vixen blew smoke into the air nonchalantly while Arashi and Mikoto aimed her guns at them. Paulo had his gun trained on Ran and Mochizuki.
"You're the Red Vixen!" Mikoto recognized. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I want you two. Simple as that. I don't care if I have to kill the rest of your murderous team to get to you but I will get revenge for my brother. Understand, kiddies? Surrender and I'll pull my forces out of here. If you don't, I'll have them chase your friends to the depths of hell. Which will it be?"
Arashi held up his hands, letting his gun dangle in his thumb. Realizing they had no other choice, Mikoto followed his lead.
"Good." The Vixen said with a tone of satisfaction. "Kick them over here."
Arashi and Mikoto dropped their guns and kicked it over to her.
"Now, let them go!" Mikoto demanded.
"Sure. But first, I want to-"
They were interrupted by a shot to Paulo's hand, forcing him to drop his gun. Everyone glanced up at the ceiling to see Miki in the vents, aiming a pistol at them. Taking this quick opportunity, Mikoto reached behind her back and pulled out a secondary and shot at the Vixen, who ducked out of the way and took it to the shoulder. Paulo quickly shot at Miki with his other gun while the Vixen took out a gun from her side, a submachine gun and began spraying rapid fire on Mikoto and Arashi. Arashi, acting quickly, stepped in front of the bullets and took them all in the back, shielding his partner with his own body.
"Paulo!" The Vixen exclaimed. "We're leaving!"
"Yes, mistress!"
He continued to shoot at Miki, forcing her to keep herself hidden in the ventilation shaft, her suit protecting her from getting shot. Behind Paulo, Ran tried to take the opportunity to pick up his gun but the Vixen glanced behind her and noticed her movement. Taking out a pistol, she shot Ran in the gut, causing her to collapse to the ground.
"Ran!" Mochizuki shouted.
"No!" Mikoto exclaimed.
In the vents, Miki clicked her teeth. "Damn it..."
Using the diversion, the Vixen and Paulo made their way to the elevator, keeping their shots on both Arashi and Miki. Paulo pushed the elevator button, ducking down when Miki tried to shoot at them.
"Damn!" Miki thought. "I need a better shot than this..."
The elevator opened, the Vixen keeping her fire on Arashi as the doors closed. The Vixen sighed in relief, sliding down the wall with a cringe. Paulo knelt down next to her, concerned.
"Are you alright, mistress?"
"Have you set the explosives and evacuated the patients?"
"Yes, mistress… It's just that now, the other medical facilities throughout the city will be quite full."
"Well, that's their problem." The elevator stopped in the hospital. The Vixen and her bodyguard began running down the hall and out of the exit. Once the two got to a clear distance, Paulo pulled out a detonator and pushed the red button, blowing up the hospital and the secret hideout underneath.
Konomi walked through the streets of Tobioka City with her head bowed and a phone to her ear.
'I'd really appreciate it if you let me know.'
"Of course, Mrs. Isoroku. I'll let you know if I see her."
'She's probably just having some trouble coping… I'm sure she'll be home tonight. If you're not too busy, it would really mean a lot to me if you came over for dinner.'
"I'd be happy too. Mmhm. Of course… You too. Goodbye, ma'am."
Konomi stowed away her phone, stopping in front of her ruined workplace – the burnt police headquarters. Tatara had been in that building and was unfortunate enough to feel the full force of the blast. She blinked back a tear of regret. She wishes she could've saved him. He wasn't her partner long but he was dedicated to serving justice. He wanted to build a safe place for his family and despite the many temptations, he never went dirty. He stood fast, waiting for the day reform would come. The day when police would actually be pillars of justice. When that day finally came, it blew up in his face.
Konomi walked to the edge of the city, coming along the banks of the river. The sun was setting now, the orange hue of the sky reflecting off the water. Konomi spied a person sitting on the banks, looking out at the water motionlessly. It was Ayaka.
Konomi walked down the bank, coming next to the girl. "Ayaka-chan." The girl didn't respond. "Ayaka-chan!"
"Huh?" The girl looked up to see Konomi standing over her. "Oh, it's just you..."
"What are you doing out here all alone?"
"I just wanted to be alone. Is that a crime or something? Not that you could arrest me if it was… There's no place to book me..."
"Do you mind if I sit?"
"Whatever."
Konomi sat down next to her, staring out into the water. "I know how you feel-"
"You don't know anything about how I feel!" She retorted harshly. "You were just his stupid partner! You weren't his friend! You weren't his family! I don't even know why I care… I'm not even his real daughter..."
Konomi softly placed her hand on top of the girl's hand. "If he loved you, cared for you and tucked you into bed when you were small… Then he thought of you as his real daughter and he was your father."
This made the girl look deep into Konomi's eyes. Something about the girl's look unnerved her slightly but she paid it little mind and continued. "Your mother is worried about you. You're all she has left now. Without you, I don't know what she would do. You should go home now and try to take care of her."
Ayaka, still somewhat emotionless, nodded and stood up before mechanically walking off, leaving Konomi somewhat worried for her mental state.
"If she's Tatara-san's daughter, I'm sure she'll be alright."
"Tell me what I want to know."
"I don't know nothing, man! I don't, I swear!"
"Wrong answer."
"AAAAHHH! Please, please!"
"The bombs that destroyed the police stations had to be military grade. You're in charge of importing and exporting various bombs into the city. I want to know who ordered military-grade bombs."
"I don't know, man! We never met 'im personally! They just had us deliver to an address!"
"Where?!"
"Downtown, in that new hotel that was built a few months ago!"
"Thank you."
Batman knocked the man out with a elbow to the head and dropped him to the floor. That was the eighth man he had interrogated today. Batman had figured out that the only bombs to have caused the explosions of that scale would have to be a certain type. Using this notion, he hunted down several of the bomb dealers in town and nearly broke every bone in their body, sometimes for information and other times out of anger.
Batman swung through the city, looking down on it from above. It never looked dirtier. Batman had landed on the hotel rooftop. Tying a rope to a pipe uprooted from the building, Batman rappelled down the wall until he was at the window he wanted. He opened it and jumped in. No one was there and the place had no signs that anyone had used it.
The only thing out of the ordinary was a CD that said, "For the Batman" on it. Narrowing his eyes, Batman picked it up and inserted it into the CD player of the room and turned the TV on. On the screen was a man wearing a wolf-mask. He had a green coat with a hood over his head and gloves on his hands. He wore a bulletproof vest and black pants along with black tactical boots.
'Good evening. If you see this, it means you've figured out who's activated the bombings. It also means you've deduced who initiated them in the first place. Good. I'm glad you did. This would no fun otherwise. We are Syringe, harbingers of chaos. We've come destroy all that is good, including you, Batman. I am Wild Hunt, the leader of the pack. I dare you, I challenge you to find me, to end me. I dare you, harbinger of order, to face me. To pit your pack against mine. To see which is a better hunter – the bat or the wolf? We shall see who will find out whose identity first and who will win in the end. Let us spill blood on the hunting grounds.'
Batman took out the CD and crushed it in his hand. "You're on."
Night had fell over the city of Tobioka. The citizens were just beginning to get over the calamity that had taken place today. Still, they slept uneasily. Konomi was currently on her way to the dinner date that she had previously been invited to. She wasn't sure how comfortable she would be going into the home of her now deceased partner but she didn't want to be impolite. She made it to the house and stopped at the steps. A bullet had sounded off, coming from the inside. Konomi pulled out her gun and ran forward, kicking the door in.
"Police!"
She moved through the hallway, coming into the kitchen, where the sight of it all made her drop her gun. She covered her mouth in shock. Lying on the floor were Ayaka and Tatara's wife. Ayaka had a gun in her hand and it was smoking, presumably from the shot she just heard. They both had bullet wounds in their head. On the wall were the words "Thank you" painted in the wife's blood. Konomi openly sobbed, collapsing to the floor. Tatara and his family had been erased from this world at the hands of their traumatized daughter, never to return.
"I'm sorry..." She said between sobs. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry..."
"No. I'm sorry..."
The Batman, who made a habit of appearing from the shadows, now stood in the dim kitchen light with Konomi. He knelt down and embraced her, allowing her to bury her face in his shoulder. Batman grimaced upon seeing the dead bodies and only tightened his grip on her, letting the woman know that he was there for her. She could only cry. For her partner, for his wife, for his daughter, she could only cry.
"Everything is going smoothly. I didn't expect Bats to clean up the police department so soon but it was a good thing we managed to establish the explosives on time."
"So, when do you get to cause ruckus?"
"Soon. I'm sure Black Label and the Batman are pretty livid to what we've done to their city."
"Ah, you're such a pain to work with, Kaname… I wanna hit someone."
"You will soon, Kaoru." Wild Hunt walked into the room. "The seeds have been planted. The city's psyche has been hit. Tobioka City is in disarray and the Batman has been challenged."
"Isn't sending a message to him a dangerous thing to do?" Kaoru asked. "I mean, didn't you check into the hotel with witnesses?"
"I wore a disguise so they shouldn't be able to pin me. I have no prints and there is no way to pinpoint where I recorded the message through the video. Knowing this, he probably crushed it in his hand in frustration. He knows I've won this round."
"Heh, I guess the Batman isn't as tough as I thought!"
"Don't underestimate him. He'll come back somehow. He wouldn't be a worthy opponent otherwise. We'll hunt him and his allies down during the night, preying on their bones and watching them bleed. The hunt is on."
Batman stood on a rooftop of a building that stood high above the city. On a building in front of him was a large TV that was currently broadcasting. It was press conference being made in front of the ruined police headquarters.
'This is an unforeseen tragedy that has crippled this city but not destroyed it. We will come back from this. Stronger, better and united. We will not let these terrorists defeat us. I, Captain Hijiri Hamasaki, swear this – we will catch the people responsible. We will hunt down the man who did this – the man known as the Batman.'
Batman narrowed his eyes at the screen, Konomi in his arms. She wasn't asleep but was deathly quiet. He understood why but simply wanted to get her back home now. His cape fluttered in the air as he glanced up at the moon.
"Wild Hunt..."
The man known as Wild Hunt stared up at the same moon, his own coat fluttering with the wind.
"Batman..."
"I will hunt you down..."
"And drag you into the light..."
"I will catch you…"
"Using any means necessary..."
"And unmask you in front of the world..."
"No matter what, I will…
"Defeat you. I will rain this city with..."
"I will rain this city with..."
"Justice/Chaos!"