PART 1 - Chapter 20 - The Dark Matters of Faith - Lamentations
After the night, the day will succeed. From the ashes, thus sprouts the seed.
WORD OF WARNING: Reminder, "The Dark Matter of Faith" is a heavier arc.
Trigger Warning for angst, deaths, drugs and manipulation of spiritual nature.
WORD OF WARNING THE SECOND: This author has SILL NOT played the new PS5 Spider-Man 2 game nor watched any "let's play", trying to keep the surprises still surprising, and probably that could be the same for many other readers, so, be considerate and avoid spoilers in the reviews, please!
Thank you!
The white clad superhero entered through his lab's window - and promptly fell down, face first onto the floor.
"Careless…", he mumbled, as he pushed himself off the ground, strength enough only to lay seated against the wall. Slowly and with supreme effort, Peter pulled off the mask and started opening up his jacket with only one arm.
There were two objects in his inner pockets that he quickly pulled out and tossed onto his side. One was the sandwich that he had been given hours earlier. The other was a blood coated knife-sized switchblade, the very same that had nicked him on the left shoulder during the fight.
Taking the sudden numbness in his left arm, and the pain that followed on the rest of his torso and spreading to his other limbs, that was all he needed to know for an educated guess.
Poison.
Luckily, his healing factor was already kicking in to fight the toxins or whatever nasty concoction was now flowing through his veins - and what a fight was going on!
'Seriously… I'm no Logan, but I bet even that bastard would have a hard time against whatever is in that blade…"
Peter's thought process had to be interrupted, as the sudden spasm in his lower abdomen was the only warning he had, before he had to turn to the side and start retching.
'Cult-employed… martial arts trained… professional killers… with poison laced weaponry…'
'Gotham, am I right?', and the hero couldn't think coherently anymore, as he was forced to empty his stomach's contents on the lab's floor.
It was early in the morning when Detective Harvey Bullock had arrived at the crime scene, pulling the police tape high enough to pass under it.
"Freaking weirdos", the large man spoke up, grabbing the paper cup of coffee brought to him by one of the newer guys of the precinct, a man whose name he vaguely recalled. "What's the situation?", he asked before gulping the cheap black drink, while spotting the name 'Blues' in the man's badge.
"Sir, we received a report of a large fire in the woods of Gotham Park, around two hours ago.", the younger man, Blues, stated. "Officer Plainview and I were already investigating two suspects of a bodega robbery, two blocks west so we could only respond half an hour ago. When we arrived, the fire was still going, that is when Officer Plainview called the Fire Department and the CSI division."
"Where's Benny?", asked the Detective, eyeing the pile of burnt remains, put out by the firemen already in the case, and the two crime scene investigators already picking apart the charred remains.
Officer Blues pointed at the bald officer, 'Benny' Plainview, currently talking on his cellphone a bit further from the crime scene.
Bullock gave a quiet huff, already making some mental notes. "Bodega robbery, right… well, you know the drill, Officer Blues, go and remind your partner to keep the perimeter."
"Yes, sir!", the younger cop gave a small salute and left obediently. Bullock kept a quick watch on the officer, before returning his attention to the macabre spot.
"McKenna", Bullock spoke up to one of the investigators, the graying redhead easily recognized by the experienced cop.
"Bullock", was his curt reply. There were already five body already bagged and tagged on a cloth, the CSI doing a preliminary spread of identifiable separate parts on an open white tarp.
"Someone was busy tonight", Harvey commented, sipping the lukewarm beverage. "Message from the mob?", he asked, reminded of the reports of the supposed arrival of some distinct members from Metropolis' Organized crime.
"Not likely", the investigator retorted, finally looking back at the Detective, who didn't flinch (anymore) at the sight of McKenna's corroded ear, a small reminder of the Joker's 'acid on the sprinklers' prank on the Second National Bank, years before.
Several good men had been lost that day.
"The remains are too burnt for initial analysis, but from what we can see, we are pretty sure we got evidence of broken C-sixes and C-sevens."
"Snapped necks", the investigator concluded, then took another sip. "Nasty. And yeah, not the MO of the Families. A'ight, let me do my thing…" The large man cracked his neck and gave a quick whiff, then coughed a little out of the foul smell. "Five dead and burned, with broken necks. That's the way they went, so the pile up and barbecue was the message. But to whom?"
The patches of grass around the bonfire had dried up with the heat, but the soil was still wet from the short rains in the previous afternoon.
"By the smell, kerosene or diesel was used to burn these guys, instead of cheap gasoline. What says you, McKenna?"
"We still need the lab results, but it seems like it."
Bullock hmphed. "Opportunity dictates using what you have in hand already.", he said, already giving another whiff and checking the area around him. "So… who carries around this much diesel? Trucks? Trains?"
"A bus? A boat?", McKenna helped. "Some cars do use diesel."
"I'm thinking more on the line of farming equipment", Bullock got near a cataloged set of prints nearby and pulled out his smartphone.
"Why do you say that?"
The detective shone the phone's flashlight on the ground. "Because these footprints have manure in them. Had a farmer uncle once, funny guy, killed himself decades ago, but I can always remember the man's smell: pig crap and diesel soaked rags. My Uncle was always fixing tractors, cleaning stains, refueling the generators, all the work around, so it's the sorta smell that sticks in your clothes. Plus, it's a farm, you always end up stepping on something with so much animal crap and fertilizer around."
Bullock pulled his signature hat off his head and started fanning himself with it. "Dammit, it's too hot for the season. You know what, Blues, Plainview, I need to walk around or I'm going to start sweating and smelling of ashes."
The two officers on duty replied in affirmative, waving the heavy set man off.
Bullock checked around and confirmed he had not been followed.
"So… this mess is from one of yous?"
No voice came as a reply for a moment.
"You know, the thing about you guys showing up all the time out of nowhere, it's cute and all, but do it too many times and the routine gets stale.", Bullock complained, quirking an eyebrow to the darkness in front of him, the spot of hiding he suspected behind a couple of nearby trees.
"I'm not there."
Years in Gotham have given the large man good reflexes, his arm already shooting out the pistol, aiming at the person that had, unknowingly to himself, been right behind him all this time.
"G47?", the kid asked, because Bullock had met him years before as a Robin and just because he had grown up (a little) and put a Red in front of his codename, did not change the fact that he would always be a kid to him. "And I see you customized it, as well. Not the standard PD-approved firearm."
The still-yet-to-be-an-adult was humoring him, he knew. "Warn a guy next time, kid. I could have put a bullet through your melon."
Red Robin just smirked. "Sure you could. Besides, I was just mixing up the routine."
"Cheeky brat…", he mumbled as he put the gun away, but then got serious. "Where's Bat-Daddy?"
That silenced the grown teen real quick. "Occupied. Why the question?"
"The Commissioner is antsy. It's the little things that add up, you know, he visited the HQ's rooftop one time too many last night, he is taking his coffee with no cream. Gordon is tough, but that doesn't stop him from worrying about his family, and that includes the Force… and you guys as well. So, again. Where's Batman?"
"Somewhere else.", the vigilante's tone was firm.
"Oh", was Bullock's reply, in a knowing tone. "I see…"
The 'hero' didn't seem to like him suspecting things. 'Good', was Bullock's conclusion. "Then you guys should have enough on your plate already with the city, without having to come here to check on an ongoing crime scene investigation… unless you're here because you know what's going on."
"No, this was not on our radar", came the reply, not as quick as before. 'Interesting.'
"Well, whoever it was, this is not normal organized crime crap nor it seems to be a thing from the Asylum Freaks. Unless Firefly is out again?"
"We can confirm that Garfield Lynns is still locked up in the max security ward."
"Then we got nothing but a bunch of evidences that either you already picked up before our arrival or you are going to be borrowing from our lockers, later."
No reply at first, then "I… should warn you, we have evidence that Officer Plainville is being bribed."
The Detective took a moment to process the information. "Hm, I already suspected the story Blues told me and was gonna check the records at the precinct over it myself… it's Sionis, I'd bet. This is his turf."
"Sionis fled town last week." Now that took the Detective by surprise. "He's not far, just buried himself in Blüdhaven. The Penguin took over most of the Black Mask's Downtown area last week, in defiance to the other families."
"This… shit, this is bad. And this mess is definitely not Cobblepot's kind of solution either, which means this is from someone else's, someone who doesn't care about what happens next."
Harvey had been a cop for more than half his life, and he had never known a crime boss, one of the bigger ones even, to fold and leave the game like that, especially a mass murdering psychopath nutcase like Roman Sionis.
Then, just to top it all off, Penguin was now defying the rest of the Families by taking over the territory, just to, coincidentally, five men to die in the most dangerous crime boss' yard in a very public display?
"Batman saw the signs and warned all of us, even the Commissioner. Something big is happening in the background, and things like this are just the first signs.", Red Robin warned him. "I came here to tell you because we want everyone to be ready for it. All our allies, all our contacts, everyone."
"That includes the 'new' guy?", asked Harvey and, another surprise, Red Robin looked down for barely a moment, then back at the Detective. "Good morning, Bullock, and good luck."
Harvey Bullock finished his walk with more questions than he had expected, but some certainty as well, after Red Robin's dismissive attitude.
Spider-Man had something to do with all of this background stuff.
But how? And why?
"You look awful, P", Metron Jackson told it straight to Peter Parker, only to receive an evasive "Rough night" as his reply.
They were currently at the cafeteria, Metron enjoying a light breakfast when Peter Parker, Kord's evasive star player, had suddenly showed up, looking like he had been ran over by the Batmobile then dragged behind it for a few miles to boot.
The black teen stared into the older and newest employee of the Chrysalis in deep concentration and decided to finally risk it, after weeks of indecision.
"It all ended up in flames, right?"
Peter's double take had not surprised Metron Jackson, at all.
Because of his age and lax attitude, people often did not take into account that Metron was, in fact, a genius - which meant he was smart enough to see right through Peter's disguise a long time ago.
How could he not, when all the clues were right there in the man's face? "Come on, P. You act all calm and sure of yourself, but all those hours locked into that vault you call your lab? The constant tiredness? The excuses not to join the others?"
"I know the truth."
Peter blinked, expressionless.
"And I know because I am the same as you."
Red Robin pulled his motorcycle and parked it right next to his sister's Batcycle, while his older brother was about finished with his medical care.
"So, I got most of our people in the PD warned, except for Montoya", he reported.
"Got that covered when I was visiting the Sirens", Kate replied, still practicing her kicks on the training area.
"Any updates?", the younger hero asked, already en route to the large holo projection nearby, a ten feet high and thirty feet long depiction of Gotham City.
"Harley told Helena that Nygma's left town", Kate huffed. "March Harriet did too, along with Jenna Duffy and all the rest of the Wonderland Gang, straight to Keystone, except for their boss, who also decided to disappear."
Red Robin took off his mask, already assessing the situation. Jervis Tetch was only the latest inclusion to the number of rogues who had gone silent instead of leaving the city.
'Will they join whatever is going on or will they just weather it?'
"Any news on B?", asked his oldest brother, as he endured the last of Alfred's ministrations with needle and suture.
"I checked the Whisper Gang in the subways, but they fled after Batman had interrogated them."
"They'll be back", Dick commented, to which Tim agreed. "I mean it, they are coming back in a few days, Red Hood just informed that they're joining forces with the Odessa Mob to go after 'The Hammer' and the Ivgene Clan."
Tim Drake silently cursed to himself.
"Then that explains why I found Yakuzas on La Eme's tunnels, either they're allied or that's another player out of the board", Tim started unlatching the upper part of his suit. "They also told me nothing new when I asked them. Did Cass get anything new?"
"Tony Li is dead, along with the other leaders of the Neon Dragon Triad."
Tim Drake not so silently cursed again, despite Alfred's presence and reprimands.
"Suspects?"
"All clues point to the Tally Man."
"Warren White's hitman. Then Sionis is not completely out of the picture", Tim deduced, since the 'The Great White Shark' was still one of the bosses under the Black Mask. "Or he is trying to make a move in the chaos to come."
"Most likely", Dick agreed, then hissed as the butler patted his closed wounds with a swab of cotton imbibed in alcohol. "Thanks for the bedside manners, Alfred."
"Merely a sample of what is to come, Master Grayson, should you decide again to do something as foolish as picking a fight with a giant superpowered undead man."
"Solomon Grundy did that to you?", asked Tim, in surprise. They all knew how dangerous the supervillain could be, especially when his curse could bring him back from the dead in smarter and stronger incarnations.
Before Dick could reply, Alfred interposed. "No, Mr. Grundy merely cracked Master Grayson's ribs. It was Mr. Waylon Jones' attack from behind that left a brand-new scar to join his ever growing collection."
"How could I have expected Grundy and Killer Croc forming a partnership?", grumbled Dick Grayson. "Also, remind me to send my thanks to Lucius, Croc's claw would have torn my back open, if not for this new armored padding."
"New from Waynetech?", asked Tim, already checking Nightwing's torn suit, impressed with what he was seeing. "Feels lighter than before, and more malleable. Fox has outdone himself, yet again."
"Though Mr. Fox will be delighted to hear that", Alfred remarked, already composed and bringing a set of three steaming mugs on a tray, "these new protection plates were in fact part of Master Wayne's custom order from Kord Industries. It's the latest in protective equipment developed on his Gotham Labs."
They all knew he was referring to the Chrysalis, the high tech blank check project from Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle. Scientists with barely any supervision, throwing new ideas to the wall and seeing what stuck.
There was currently a bet among the Bat-Family members on how long it would take until a major disaster happened inside the Chrysalis that they would have to deal with.
The only one of them not being part of the pool had been, unsurprisingly, Red Robin.
"Then I should go make a visit to Kord myself", the younger hero spoke up. "I know he is helping on the searches for B, but maybe I could go over K.I. and lend a hand."
"Sure", replied Dick, in a much better mood. "And maybe you can get him to show you 'the Roach'?"
"His vehicle is called 'The Bug'."
"Oh, much different", Kate suddenly added, toweling off her sweat. "Bugs, beetles, chrysalis, spiders, there's been a weird creepy crawlers things going on lately in Gotham. Hey, Alf, don't we have any bat-bug-repellant in stock?"
"I'd make a remark over Master Bruce's usual overzealous preparedness, but I do believe there is a working prototype on his lab."
Three heroes went quiet around the older gentlemen, than, in unison, came their reply.
"It figures."
To Be Continued!
Author's Notes:
This chapter... it took way too long to complete. I blame myself, but I won't lie that Real Life and Doctor Who's 2023 specials did not contribute a little.
That is why I had to make a choice and, instead of the 5k+ unfinished chapter I had in my draft, I decided to post half of it now and the rest as the next chapter, so that is the reason for the shorter chapter today.
More bad news on top of the previous ones, I will have to travel to the USA for a family situation over there, so... from New Year's Eve until the end of January, I won't be able to update this story.
Which means, next chapter of this arc, only next year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!