All Happy Families Are Alike

It was honestly shocking how fast hell was able to break loose in the Narrows.

When news had broken out that Maroni was finally making his move on Falcone, there had been mixed reactions.

However, most fell into two categories: those wanting to capitalize on the opportunity, and those who wanted to survive.

Bruce fell into the latter category.

Henry had turned the Gym into a fortress, and, along with Bruce and Ted, three other families had taken refuge in the safe house.

The police were so busy, either fighting in the war or trying to end it, that most in the Narrows were left to fend for themselves.

This wasn't a problem for the extended Grant-Kyle family.

Henry had bolted two large beams into place over the main entrance, which itself was made up of two, four inch thick steel doors, and Ted and Bruce had gone around covering the bottom floor's windows. The back door had been blocked off with a pair of vending machines, and the only exit left available was the trapdoor on the roof.

Bruce spent most of the first week up on the roof, watching over the streets as people either ran amuck or hid like their lives depended on it, the latter of which was probably accurate.

Halfway through the second week, Bruce borrowed one of Ted's switchblades and headed towards the Flea by rooftop.

Like he'd expected, the building had a red banner strewn across the front, which meant it was a territory dominated by Maroni.

Curiosity got the better of Bruce, and, tying a red bandana around his arm, he coolly sauntered on into the Flea.

He got some suspicious looks, but no one gave him any trouble. Most probably knew his reputation, and knew that they didn't want a fight. That, or they saw he was wearing red and figured he was one of them.

Bruce walked around for a bit, trying to find any of his friends that typically hung out there.

However, none of them were there.

He should've guessed this, after all, Floyd hated Jack and Maroni with a passion, Zinda had gotten caught and was temporarily upstate in some foster home, and Zee hadn't been in the Flea since Jack had threatened them in the concrete room.

However, there was someone he recognized.

Unfortunately, he would've preferred the other boy to not see him.

"Bruce Kyle!" Ben announced.

The room quieted down a bit and people started watching the two teens, waiting to see what would happen next.

Bruce nodded. "Sup, Turner?"

The older boy shrugged. "Nothing much, how 'bout you?" He grinned wickedly. "How's your old man doin'?"

Bruce shrugged in response. "Alright." He turned and started to walk away, calling over his shoulder, "Well, it was nice seein' you."

Two of Ben's goons stepped out in front of him, blocking his exit, and Bruce sighed inwardly.

He turned back to Ben and asked, "What?"

Ben grinned. "This may not be true, and I'm not one to gossip," he started, gaining the attention of most of the room, "but I heard a nasty little rumor about your old man."

"Oh yeah? And what rumor is that?" Bruce challenged, refusing to back down to the older boy's attempts at intimidation.

Ben started to slowly approach him. "Well, I heard that he'd boarded up the Gym, didn't take a side…"

Bruce nodded. "Yes."

"From what I know, Maroni's new policy is you're either with him, or you're against him," Ben told him. "And that bandana ain't fooling anyone."

Bruce put on a forced grin and responded, "Thanks for letting me know. I'll tell Henry."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you call him Henry," Ben commented offhandedly.

Bruce tried to force himself to walk away. He honestly did. However, the words were already out of his mouth before he could think.

"What about it?" Bruce spat, irritation starting to flare up in his voice.

"Nothing, nothing. I just forgot that you don't have any parents," Ben replied, intentionally trying to provoke him. "Wasn't your mom a stripper or a prostitute or something? Maybe that's how she had you…"

Bruce clenched his jaw. He wasn't going to let words beat him.

"What happened to her anyways?" Ben continued. He turned his back to Bruce, speaking to the crowd of onlookers, "I heard that she just up and left you, probably saw what a worthless pile of…"

He never finished his sentence.

Bruce moved like lightning, simultaneously crashing into Ben, knocking him to the ground, and opening the switchblade at his throat.

"Say one more word," Bruce growled, rage boiling in his dark eyes. "I dare you."

"Now, now, Brucey. Play nice," a chilling voice lulled.

Bruce refused to look up as the slow footsteps approached. Bruce couldn't remember another time when the Flea was so quiet. In the near silence, the loud, clear footfalls rang out in the hanger.

The feet stopped a few feet away from where Bruce was pinning Ben to the ground.

Jack smiled down at him, asking, "Will you put the knife away, please?"

Although it was a question, Jack's demeanor made it clear that it wasn't up for debate.

Begrudgingly, Bruce closed the knife.

However, since he had Ben on the ground anyways, he figured he'd send a message.

Bruce punched him hard in the nose, earning a cry of pain from the older boy as he rolled on the floor, cradling his bleeding face.

Jack chuckled mirthlessly. "That wasn't very kind of you," he commented. "But, it was probably warranted." Jack turned to where Ben was sprawled out on the floor and he delivered a hard kick to his ribs. Bruce heard an audible crack, and Ben cried out in a mix of shock and agonizing pain. "Family is a touchy subject for many of us, after all," Jack said offhandedly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He crouched down next to Ben and told him, "Next time you provoke someone, especially Bruce Kyle, don't turn your back, got it?"

Through his bloody hands and pained expression, Ben managed to gurgle out, "Got it."

Jack smiled. "Good. Now someone get him up, please," he announced. Two of Ben's lackies brought him onto his feet and helped him limp away, although he threw a dark glare at Bruce as he passed. Jack turned on Bruce and told him, "As for you, I'm glad you came around. I just wish Henry would do the same…" he trailed off, eyeing the red accessory on Bruce's sleeve.

Bruce, figuring there was nothing left to say, thanked Jack for the 'help' and turned to walk away again.

Unfortunately, he was stopped, again, by two of Jack's cronies. Jack told the crowd of onlookers to scram, and he then walked up to Bruce. He asked quietly, "How's Zee doing? I heard you two were on the outs, again."

Bruce nodded, refusing to respond.

"Have you heard from her recently?" Jack asked, a sinister humor apparent in his voice.

Bruce felt chills run down his neck. "No…why?" he asked, still looking away from Jack.

Jack shook his head. "Just curious…rumors and stuff."

"What rumors?" Bruce pressed.

Jack grinned darkly. He knew he had Bruce hooked. "You should go talk to her, make sure she hasn't done anything…stupid." He chuckled. "After all, the cops may be sucking right now, but all this will probably be over before you think and we wouldn't want her to come out on the wrong side, now would we?"

Bruce got the feeling that Jack was making a reference to something that only he knew about.

"Will do," Bruce forced out. Seeing no more reason to stay and talk to the lunatic, he quickly turned and marched past the two goons before they could block him again.


The second he was out of the damned place, Bruce ripped off the bandana and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. He scaled a building and then set off on rooftop to find Zee.

As he was running across the roof of an apartment complex, Bruce did a literal double-take.

At first glance, nothing was off in the streets of the Narrows. An ambulance was driving down a side-road, which had recently become a common sight.

Then, he took a second glance.

The ambulance in question was riddled with bullet holes, and the sirens weren't on.

Bruce knew he that should've walked in the opposite direction. He knew that following the ambulance would probably not end well. He knew that he'd decided to not meddle anymore…

But his curiosity got the better of him.

Bruce followed the ambulance, occasionally losing sight, but never for long.

Finally, it turned sharply into an empty warehouse on the waterfront, and the doors slid closed behind it.

Bruce scaled the side of the building and slipped in through a skylight.

Inside, the warehouse was mostly abandoned, other than the bullet-riddled ambulance and the five men standing near it.

Bruce's jaw legitimately dropped.

He recognized almost all of those faces.

Penguin, Falcone, Gilzean, Detective Gordon…and some pasty, scraggily dude in a trench coat and fedora.

This time, Bruce came to his senses. He knew he had to leave right then and there.

But it was too late for that.

"Nobody knows about this place, right? Nobody," Bruce heard the fedora dude ask Falcone.

Falcone responded, "Nobody. Anybody who did is dead." He sighed sadly. "We'll be safe here."

A pair of deliberate, slow footfalls rang out in the hangar, and everyone else went still.

At first, Bruce had a momentary flashback to Jack's entrance from earlier.

Maybe this is what he was smiling about… He knew where Falcone was going to be and was going to kill him himself, probably bring his head to Maroni on a platter…

But these steps, although similar, seemed too light to be Jack's. Bruce sighed, certain that the new presence was not that of Jack Napier.

No.

It was much, much worse than that.

It took his brain a few moments to comprehend what he was seeing, and even then he didn't believe it.

His heart dropped.

A couple dozen feet below him stood Zee Zatara. Bruce didn't recognize her immediately, on account of her new short, jaunty hairstyle and her dark, gothic attire, but it was definitely her…

And she was holding an assault rifle.

"Hello," she lulled, with a nastiness that Bruce had never heard her use before. The five men stared blankly at the newcomer, confusion written clearly on their faces. "What's up?" she asked simply.

A sharp, grinding sound shrilled through the warehouse as one of the garage doors was lifted up. Once again, Bruce's jaw was on the floor.

For the month or two before the gang war had broken out, the supposed death of Fish Mooney had been a major topic of conversation among the people of the Narrows. However, there she stood, alive and well with a small mob backing her, which included Zee apparently.

Did Jack know? That son of a… Bruce took a deep breath. He'd skin that little bastard later, but for now, he needed to stay calm and collected.

"I know, I know," Fish said to the other party. "It's astonishing," she said with a victorious smirk. "Sometimes I astonish myself."

Penguin and Gilzean looked about ready to be sick, the fedora guy looked severely confused, Gordon stared at the new party unwavering in his sturdy expression, and Falcone just looked…sad.

Bruce thought it was weird, how such a feared, hardened mob boss could truly be so sorrowful on the inside.

"Tie them up," Fish said to her followers, "and Kelly, call Maroni."

Four of the five men were restrained, while the fifth, Gilzean, walked over to Fish and fell on his knees. Bruce couldn't make out what they were saying, not that he really cared. He was still in shock of seeing Zee in the state she was in. She walked around the four men and prodded Penguin with her gun, teasingly.

What the hell was she doing?

Eventually, Fish walked back and started talking to the four men, explaining how she'd made a deal with Maroni for Falcone's head. She momentarily went off on Penguin, and then told Gordon and Bullock that she'd keep their death's simple and clean. She asked the room if there were any questions…

The most chilling part of it all was Zee's next words.

"How you gonna kill them?" Zee passively asked with a complete lack of empathy in her voice.

Bruce felt pins and needles creep down his spine. Whatever had become of the girl he'd known was either gone, or buried too deep to see. Either way, she'd changed, and Bruce didn't like the result.

After a few minutes, the doors of the warehouse screeched open again, and in walked a small army led by Maroni. Among the group was Jack Napier. His pissed-off expression made Bruce chuckle. He was probably mad that he hadn't told Maroni about Fish earlier, and had ended up wasting an opportunity.

"So there he is," Fish announced with a sly grin.

Maroni approached her, a vicious smile permanently plastered on his face. "Fish, you mysterious, crazy, gorgeous killer, you…I love you," he said, taking her by the shoulders and wrapping her in an awkward embrace. Maroni let go of her, much to Fish's relief, and approached Falcone. "This…This is delicious. Finally. You're hard to kill, old man."

"No," Falcone responded flatly and calmly. "Your people are second-rate," he told the fellow Don, causing him to scoff.

"Miss Mooney, if I may, a brief word," Penguin interjected. "I know my life is forfeit. I speak not for my sake but yours." All eyes turned to the quivering man. "Because after all, I still love and respect you. Kill me if you must, but keep Falcone alive. As soon as he's dead, Maroni has no use for you. You are simply a threat. He will kill you!"

"No…" Maroni said.

Fish stalled momentarily, turning back to Penguin. "You think?" she asked.

Penguin saw his chance. "Why would he need another boss in town? Another rival?"

"That's where you're wrong, smart guy," Maroni told him. A, she's not a rival, because she's not a boss. She's an underboss."

Fish thought about this momentarily, then replied, "An underboss takes orders. I don't take orders."

Bruce noticed Zee starting to shift away from her position next to Fish.

He could feel it, too.

Something bad was about to go down.

"I know that," Maroni replied. "We're cool. Relax," he said with an arrogant, smug expression.

Fish raised her brow in challenge. "I'm relaxed," she told him.

"I don't think you are, babes," Maroni responded with a condescending look.

Fish physically cringed at his words. "Please don't call me 'babes'," she said with a passive-aggressive tone.

"You see? Not relaxed. Babes? Really? It's a term of endearment. It means I like you," he told her, patting her on the shoulder. She glared icily at him and he started to back up. "Fine," he relented. "I misspoke. You're not an underboss and you're not a babe. You tell me what you are."

Fish started slowly approaching him, saying, "What we are, Sal…are partners."

"Whatever you want. Partners," Maroni agreed. "I'm Partner Number 1, and you're Partner Number 2. That's the deal, right?" he asked. "I'm number one, and you are…?"

Fish paused. "Number two," she responded, clearly not happy about the 'agreement' they'd reached.

"There you go," Maroni lulled. "Simple math. One, two, babes. Oops," he teased. "Sorry. That's the last time, I swear." He turned to his men and announced, "Guys, can you feel the buzz in the air? That's victory. Redemption. Power." He pointed at Falcone, "When this old man dies, a new day begins. We will rule Gotham. We're building a dynasty! We will whip this town like a rented mule." He turned to Fish. "Right, babes?" he teased, earning a chuckle from his men. Fish's somewhat happy, victorious expression dropped and was replaced with that of annoyance. "All right, relax," Maroni told her. "I'm kidding you. Guys, no, seriously," he said to his men, turning his back to Mooney. It would be his fatal mistake. "Don't call her 'babes'," he told them. Or 'toots' or what have you. It's a woman's lib thing…"

He turned back, and the gun was already jammed in his face.

A gunshot rang out, and Maroni slumped to the ground.

Everyone froze, but Bruce's brain was on overdrive.

"I am relaxed," Fish uttered.

There were two seconds of tense, shocked silence before the gunfire started ringing out. Maroni and Mooney's people started shooting at each other.

The fight only lasted a few minutes, as Maroni's men had come to the meeting severely lacking in firearms. During this, Bruce watched over Zee, making sure that she was alright. For some reason, he felt like he needed to wait, like the whole ordeal wasn't finished yet.

Fish's gang won easily, suffering minor casualties when compared with Maroni's gang which was almost completely wiped out.

In the chaos, the four hostages had managed to get away, and Fish sent parties out after them.

Within five minutes, three of them had been caught and dragged back into the warehouse. Penguin was missing. Bruce scanned over the dead bodies on Maroni's side.

Unfortunately, Jack Napier's corpse was not among them.

Fish talked with the other party, saying how even though Falcone was dropping out of the fight for Gotham, she would have to kill him anyways. During this, Bruce noticed that Zee had wandered away from the main group and was now standing almost directly underneath his hiding spot. Whether it was by fate or just dumb luck, Bruce didn't know, but her moving underneath him may have saved her life.

Gunfire began ringing out again. This time, it was Penguin with a literal machine gun, mowing down anyone in sight.

Bruce's body moved before he could think, and he dropped from his hiding place.

He latched onto Zee's wrist and started sprinting towards an exit. Zee cried out in surprise, and stumbled at first, but eventually they fell into stride with Bruce.

He didn't stop running until they were two blocks away from the warehouse.

Finally, feeling that they were safe, he slowed down and Zee ripped her arm from his grasp.

"What the hell?" she yelled.

"You're crazy!" he responded.

"When…why were you there?" she demanded.

"Forget that. Why were you there?" he shot back.

They stopped yelling, both breathing heavily from the running and then the sudden argument.

Bruce calmed down enough to speak normally. "Why were you there?" he asked.

She was still breathing heavily, but responded, "I joined up with Fish."

"Why?" he pressed.

"What's that to you?" she spat.

"I just wanted to know why you thought it was a good idea to commit suicide, is all," Bruce told her passive-aggressively.

She rolled her eyes. "Why were you there then? And don't you dare say it was because of me, cause we both know that's not true."

He looked at her like she was insane.

"Excuse me, I just dropped from the rafters of a building into a firefight just to save your crazy ass from getting shot by a mob boss," Bruce responded in a single breath.

"Oh, right," Zee responded icily. "Bruce Kyle always has to save the damsel in distress, right?"

Bruce looked at her, his face void of emotion. "What happened to you?" he asked, his voice audibly cracking at the end.

"I met you," Zee told him. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, regret flooded her eyes. He knew that she didn't really mean it, that she was just angry and scared, but it still hurt nonetheless. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just thought…maybe if I joined with Fish, I'd get a shot at Napier," she told him.

He shook his head. "Why…"

"I know that you hate him, Bruce, and I know that you'd do everything you could to stop him if he tried to hurt me, but…"

"I can't," Bruce finished for her. "I can't beat him," he stated, his voice starting to break. He closed his eyes so he didn't have to see the look of shame he was sure would appear on her face. "He's too good, too well protected…I can't beat him, and he tries to hurt you, Cat…"

Bruce hadn't realized he'd said something wrong until he heard her scoff.

He looked up at her in confusion. "What?"

"You called me Cat," she stated.

Horror spread across his face. "I'm sorry, I meant…"

"I know what you meant," Zee interrupted. She didn't look angry or hurt, just understanding, as if she was finally coming to terms with an inner struggle. "Bruce," she said, taking him by the shoulders. "You're an amazing guy, and I'll never stop…" She suddenly stopped her train of thought and took a started approach: "But you obviously don't feel the same. You know I can take care of myself. You've always known that. But you think that Selina can't, and you want to protect her. You're a protector, Bruce, and," she took a deep breath, "it's one of the things I love most about you." The shock in his face must've been evident. She laughed out loud and told him, "Yeah, Bruce. I love you. Or, I think I do. I'm not really sure if I get the concept, to be honest. But I want you to be happy. You deserve better than this," she said, gesturing around them at the grimy alleyway and smoggy twilight sky. She stared up at him, her dark eyes meeting his. She suddenly got up on her tippy toes and kissed him on the cheek, then whispered, "Go be happy, Bruce."

She turned and walked away.

A small part of Bruce wanted him to chase after her, but the majority voted against it.

After all, every word she had said had been true.

Bruce had always thought she could see right through him, and once again, she told him everything he'd been thinking.


He didn't know how he ended up in the theater district. His legs had taken him there on autopilot.

Speaking of which, where was there?

He had no idea where he was, other than that he was in an alleyway between two tall buildings. The twilight had turned to night earlier than usual, on account of the rain clouds which had been rolling in all day.

A few drops fell, and Bruce took shelter on a covered fire escape as the downpour began.

He imagined what he day would've been like had he just stayed at home like Henry had advised.

Approaching footsteps brought him out of his stupor. He didn't know how long he'd been in the alley, but it must've been quite some time, as the rain had disappeared and the moon was high in the sky.

Three sets of footsteps rounded the corner, a father, a mother, and…

Bruce froze.

It was him.

Granted, this version of himself was shorter, he looked a lot more innocent, and his hair was neater than anything the real Bruce had ever done with his. They looked happy, probably taking the alley as a shortcut to get to Downtown. Bruce recognized the parents, too. They were Thomas and Martha Wayne, the people Bruce had witnessed getting shot.

Another pair of heavier footsteps entered the alley as well, and Bruce's blood ran cold. He knew what was about to happen.

He wanted to cry out to the family, to tell them to turn and run, but his voice wouldn't work. He tried to rise from his hiding place and attack the man, throwing himself in harm's way, but he couldn't move.

He was frozen and had to simply sit and watch as the events unfolded.

Eventually, the man reached the family and removed a gun from his coat. He demanded their jewelry, money, anything of value. They did as he said, but Bruce knew what happened next.

Bruce felt a shift of movement above him. He looked up and saw a dark figure latched onto the alley wall. It didn't look quite human, nor was it an animal, so Bruce came to the only logical conclusion:

There was a demon above him.

It silently dropped down from its spot, falling over three stories onto the ground below and landing in a crouch. The gunman lurched back in shock and fear. He raised his pistol and fired two shots, but the bullets passed straight through the figure like nothing. He tried to run, but the figure broke apart into dozens of…bats? They swirled around him and raised him into the air before dropping him two stories to the ground.

There was a sick crunching sound of one of the man's legs breaking, and the figure reformed.

"No, no, please," the criminal begged and the figure slowly approached. "Don't kill me!" he pleaded.

"I won't kill you. I'll make you wish you were dead," the figure growled, before stomping on the man's broken leg.

He writhed around in pain, screaming bloody murder. Bruce watched on a mix of fear and…some other emotion that he couldn't place.

After a few seconds, the mugger passed out from the pain and the figure looked over his shoulder at the family.

"Get home safe," he told them. Then, like a flash, he was gone, leaving Bruce alone in the alley with the terrified family.

Bruce woke up with a start. A cold drop of rain had landed on his face and he wiped it off in annoyance. He thought back on the oddly vivid dream, and the image of the man in the cowl was permanently burned into his mind.


Selina felt that something was off in the manor that night. Her brow had a light layer of sweat covering it, and the study looked as though a tornado had passed through it. Where the fireplace had used to stand now was a dark entrance into an even darker passageway. It'd taken her the entire day, but she'd found it: her father's secret.

She and Alfred had arrived at a large steel door. She tried several different combinations and codes, but it was to no avail. She tried her name, her mother's name, and anything and everything she could think of. Alas the door still stood, appearing as impenetrable as ever.

As if was well past midnight, Alfred begged her to leave the study for the night, and, exhaustion overruling her curiosity, she finally complied and went to take a shower. Getting the dirt and grime off felt amazing, but she still felt that something was wrong.

Well, not 'wrong' exactly. She didn't sense danger.

No, more like something was…different.

Clad in a towel, she grabbed a glass of milk from the kitchen and returned to her bedroom. However, as she walked down the corridor, something felt different. As she arrived at her own bedroom doors, she felt a cold breeze graze the very bottoms of her bare feet. Turning around, she stared at the doorway opposite to her own. Those doors led to a spare bedroom which was usually inhabited…

On impulse, she walked towards the large doorway and took hold of the doorknob. It was unlocked. The lights were off, but there was still some light seeping in from somewhere.

That was strange, Alfred would have never left an empty bedroom's curtains open…

She cracked the door open as noiselessly as possible. After the day Selina had had, she thought nothing could surprise her anymore.

She was wrong.

Sprawled out on the huge bed in the middle of the room was the familiar profile of Bruce Kyle, fast asleep.

She audibly gasped. It'd been over a month since she'd last seen the boy, and he'd just up and disappeared on her. A part of her wanted to walk up to the boy, slap him across the face, and demand that he leave at once.

She didn't do that.

Selina slowly approached the bed, her footfalls nearly nonexistent on the soft carpet. She reached the side of the bed, and her hand moved on its own. She brushed a random lock of messy hair out of his face. She smiled to herself. He looked so calm and peaceful when he slept.

She remembered the times when she and Bruce had found themselves in the study or the library in the early hours of the morning, both shaken emotionally from their respective nightmares. They wouldn't speak; they didn't need to. When morning came neither would acknowledge that it even happened, and they'd go on as if it hadn't, but she'd never forget the comfort she felt sitting next to him, staring into the fireplace as the flames danced in their watery eyes.

He shifted slightly, bringing Selina back to her senses. She leaned forward and lightly kissed his forehead.

She could've sworn she saw him grin a bit, but she left anyways. She'd find out his reasons for being in the manor the following morning.

That night, neither Selina Wayne nor Bruce Kyle had a nightmare of the tragedies they'd both endured.

Unfortunately, the next morning, Bruce was gone. The bed had been made, the curtains closed, and the door was locked. She'd had Alfred open it, and when she entered, she felt her heart droop.

Maybe it had all been a dream?

No. There was still something off.

There was a note left on the nightstand. She took it and read:

Dear Cat,

Sorry I had to leave again, but I didn't want to bother you.

I'm also sorry for leaving you at the party, but like I said before, it was urgent.

Below is my new phone number if you ever need me.

Be careful,

-B

PS. Thanks for the kiss last night

Selina read the note a few more times, making sure she didn't miss anything. She carefully wrapped the note up and tucked it into her pocket. Turning on her heel, she marched past Alfred, giving him a quick, "Thanks," offering no explanation for why she needed into the room so badly.

She walked back into the study, took the small black remote they'd found the night prior, and clicked it.

Classical music began to blare through hidden speakers, and the fireplace began moving out of the way. It finally stopped and Selina took a few careful steps towards the entrance.

Down below, she heard a bat squeak.


Somewhere else in the city, a woman asked the man who'd threatened Bruce, "Ra's al Ghul, I beg your pardon, truly, but, do you think it wise? Showing the boy this much…isn't this the utter opposite of what you wanted when we switched the children all those years ago?"

He nodded. "This is true, but the boy intrigues me. The Demon's Head allows me to see into the future, and I can see that he will become the Dark Knight of Gotham, but that's all. I don't know what is going to happen next. However, I do know one thing: this is going to be enjoyable to watch." Another set of footsteps approached and Ra's greeted, "Ah, Mr. Galavan, old friend. Are you ready to begin?"

The tall man nodded. "Yes, Ra's al Ghul."

"And I suppose you've selected the vessel who will send the gas into Arkham?"

Galavan nodded again. "Yes, but I still do not fully understand how breaking a handful of insane…"

"Patience, my dear Theo," Ra's lulled, gazing out across the city known as Gotham. "Patience. This city must fall in order for the Dark Knight to rise." He chuckled. "And fall it will…"

A/N: Okay, so this is gonna be a pretty long author's note, so I'll try to put all the important stuff into the top two paragraphs.

First off: I'M SO SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG TO PUBLISH! I AM AN AWFUL HUMAN BEING! *inhales* Seriously though: I'm so sorry I made you all wait a full month in between updates (for reference, my longest break between updates prior was a week and two days…) I was just stalling to be honest. For some reason, I couldn't motivate myself to write it and I found myself getting caught up in anything else that I could.

Secondly: Thank you so much for supporting this series! Y'all are the reason that I do this, and I would never have finished this without you all. So, from the bottom of my heart: thank you. I couldn't have done this without each and every one of you who reviewed or favorited or followed or just put up with my terrible descriptions.

This story has been a journey for me, and I look forward to continuing it, but I'll probably take a month or two off of it before I start season 2. I've gotten invested in some other fandoms that I want to write pieces for, so those will probably be popping up here and there as well.

Once again, I just want to say thank you to everyone who supported (and put up with) me through all of this. It honestly means the world that people are reading, and hopefully enjoying, what I put out.

So, until next time, ciao for now!

(And, as always, make sure to review!)