Disclaimer: I do not own Batman
Gotham City, 15 Years Ago
The Wayne family, Thomas and Martha, alongside their 10 year old son, Bruce, walked out of the Gotham Theatre, little Bruce was miming a sword fight from the show they saw.
"Glad you enjoyed yourself, son, hopefully you'll still be able to get enough sleep tonight." Said Thomas
The Waynes turned to walk through Crime Alley, a shortcut to their car. Bruce stopped his imaginary sword fight when he looked at the people around him, people sat against the cold walls in tattered clothes, these were humans, they deserved a roof over their head.
"What's wrong, Bruce?" Asked Martha
"Um…it's just…these people have nothing, it doesn't seem fair when he have everything we'd need while these people wonder when they get their next meal."
"I know how you feel, I felt the same when I was your age, you want to change things for these people, so do I, that's what Wayne Enterprises does, we help all the people of Gotham, one way or another, I hope you'll be able to take responsibility when it's your time."
Bruce smiled at his father and they continued to walk through the alley, when a man approached them, his face was slightly concealed by the shadows. The man pulled something out of his pocket that gave off a shine. Bruce was pulled towards his mother when he heard the gunshots, and his father fell to the ground, 3 more gunshots and Bruce saw his mother's pearls scatter on the ground, before Martha dropped to the pavement. Bruce broke out in tears, as he saw the pools of blood around his parents, he looked up to see himself staring down the barrel of the man's gun, a click was heard.
"You got lucky, kid."
The shooter turned around and walked away. Police arrived about an hour later, alongside the Wayne family butler, Alfred Pennyworth, who comforted young Bruce. The boy gave his statement to Detective Jim Gordon, before Alfred took him home. Something inside Bruce changed that day, a common criminal took his parents from him, he won't let that happen to anyone again!
15 Years Later
4 years, that's how long criminals of Gotham City had been scared, the mysterious appearance of some sort of demon has changed everything in Gotham, whoever he was, he couldn't be bought, unlike some of the police, and he never discriminated.
Police arrived at the City Hall, a group of robbers broke in and tripped the silent alarm. The robbers got to work breaking into Mayor Hill's office while the police took the stairs after the robbers dropped the elevator. The robbers believed that they had plenty of time, if not for who else was there. One of the robbers stood by the window, when he saw the dark figure smash through. 3 robbers were drawn to the sound, seeing their ally knocked out. They split up to find their unexpected guest, when one of them was dragged across the floor and disappeared. The other 2 robbers stood back to back, when the shadowy figure dropped a smoke bomb from above, obscuring the robbers' vision and allowing the figure to pull up one of them. The last robber started shooting wildly before some projectile knocked his gun from his hands. He saw his colleagues hung from the ceiling and the shadowy figure walking out of the smoke.
"What are you?"
A grapple grabbed the robber by his chest and pulled him towards the shadowy figure, who grabbed him by the throat and held him up.
"I'm Batman!"
A few minutes later, the GCPD arrived and saw the robbers hanging from the ceiling. Commissioner Gordon looked around when he found something stuck in the door to Mayor Hill's office, a small item shaped like a bat and made of metal, no doubt who was here.
The Next Day
"And last night, a group of robbers were caught breaking into city hall, comments from the robbers put the mysterious Batman at the scene, who has been helping GCPD for the past 4 years…" said Jack Ryder
Gordon turned off his television. Across his desk was Detective Renee Montoya and Officer Michael Lane.
"4 years is too long to find a man dressed like a bat, Mayor Hill wants him found and behind bars, please tell me that you two have something." Said Gordon
Gordon didn't trust Batman, a man taking the law into his own hands, making the GCPD look bad. It was only a matter of time before Batman went too far.
"Afraid not, Commissioner, whoever he is, he knows how to cover his tracks."
"Aw, isn't that a shame?"
The trio looked towards the door, where they were faced with Mayor Hamilton Hill.
"An entire police department and a task force to take care of Gotham's Bat problem and he's still out there, honestly makes me think, Jim, maybe you're not cut out to be Commissioner after all…"
Gordon gritted his teeth, while he had to answer to the Mayor, that didn't mean he liked him. Hill was the personification of corruption, only allowing Jim to be commissioner for publicity since Gordon was one of the few cops that wasn't corrupt, but ever since, Hill has done all he could to get Gordon fired.
"…I mean, just look at who's out there now, those thugs in the Red Hood Gang, a twisted serial killer with a calendar obsession, and a man dressed like a flying pest doing your job. I'm starting to wonder if you actually like him."
"Hill, my best men and women are working tirelessly to find Batman, as well as the Red Hood Gang and the serial killer, but they're good at covering their tracks, I guarantee you, by the end of the year, Batman, Calendar Man and everyone in the Red Hood Gang will be behind bars."
"For your sake, Jim, I hope so."
Without another word, Hill left.
"Commissioner, there's something I've been thinking…" said Renee
"I'm all ears, Detective."
"Well, how does Batman always know where to be to stop criminals, it's like 2 years ago, when he caught Egghead, the GCPD was struggling to locate his hideout but Batman knew exactly where he was, is it possible that someone in the GCPD is helping him?"
"Montoya, I don't want to believe anyone here would do something like that, even the few that actually like him."
"Don't rule it out, Commissioner, personally, I think it could be Detective Nashton" said Montoya
The Batcave
Bruce Wayne sat at the Bat-Computer, looking through the files of several cases he was working on, but there was more on his mind. To his side was a newspaper talking about his capture of the robbers last night.
"Something troubling you, Master Bruce?" Asked Alfred, setting down a serving tray with some tea.
Bruce didn't look to his butler, only grabbing the newspaper and handing it to Alfred.
"Hm, an article about supermodel, Margaret Pye? Apparently she twisted her ankle during a fashion show, an unfortunate accident, but I fail to see why it bothers you so much, she's expected to make a full recovery."
"Not that Alfred!"
"Oh, 'Several men broke into City Hall last night and were apprehended by GCPD, with some help from the dark vigilante, Batman. Commissioner Jim Gordon was quoted as saying "Whoever this Batman is, he's not the hero he seems to think he is, for now he's only tying up criminals, but it's only a matter of time before he goes too far and causes serious damage, GCPD will work hard to bring in the Batman, this city doesn't need masked vigilantes taking the law into their own hands"'. I'm sorry Master Bruce."
"It's not your fault, Alfred, I just don't see why they don't trust me, we want the same thing!"
"As I recall, sir, you didn't care what the police thought about you, you work alone, am I right?"
"I'm not after their help, Alfred, but I don't want them thinking I'm the villain, we may not be working together, but I'd prefer if we weren't enemies…" said Bruce, as he came across a file on a serious case. "…and I think I know exactly how to prove myself."
That Night
Batman waited on the roof of a building, waiting for his contact. When he saw the police car arrive and the cop step out and walk into the alley. Batman dropped from the roof, facing the dark skinned man.
"I trust you brought the file, Officer Lane?"
"Got it right here, Bats, you really think you can catch them?" Asked Officer Michael Lane, handing Batman a police file labelled 'Red Hood Gang'.
"I hope so, these guys have almost a million dollars worth of stolen goods, GCPD has caught a few members but they all have different descriptions of their leader."
"Think there's a pattern?"
"Nothing immediate, I'll be in touch if I discover anything."
"Well, I hope it doesn't take too long, I'm putting my career on the line with this, you do realise that, right?"
"I do, and I thank you for your help, you're a good man, you realise that I only want to help keep Gotham safe. Stay safe, I'll be in touch." said Batman, handing back the file, before taking out his batclaw and zipping away. He returned to the Batcave, where he looked through the Red Hood Gang file on the bat computer, with new information from the police file that he had scanned with a feature from his cowl. No patterns to their crimes, usually just standard break-ins, no way of predicting their next move…but maybe he didn't need to…checking the locations of the crimes committed by the Red Hood Gang, Bruce believed he had triangulated their hide-out.
Abandoned Warehouse
Members of the Red Hood Gang sat around doing whatever, reading newspapers, playing pool, watching TV etc. while other members were out preparing for their latest heist. The gang started coughing as smoke filled the warehouse, followed by the sound of shattered glass. By the time the smoke cleared, most of the gang was knocked unconscious, the last conscious man felt Batman's boot on his face.
"THE RED HOOD! WHERE IS HE?!"
"He's out, on a job!"
"WHERE?"
"I don't know, he only tells the guys he brings along."
"YOU'RE LYING!"
"I swear, I'm not!"
A hard stomp to the leg caused a compound fracture, the Red Hood Gang member screamed in pain before Batman picked him up and pinned him down on the pool table.
"Start talking or I keep going!"
"Okay, okay, ACE Chemicals, they're at ACE Chemicals!"
A hard punch by Batman and the man was knocked out cold.
"Much appreciated…" Batman activated the communicator in his cowl to contact Lane.
"Lane, Red Hood Gang are at an abandoned warehouse in South Gotham, the Red Hood is planning a break-in at ACE Chemicals."
"I'll inform Gordon, but how do I explain how I got the information?"
"Tell him the truth, an anonymous source."
ACE Chemicals
Batman waited on the roof of the building opposite ACE Chemicals, waiting for the Red Hood. GCPD arrived and headed inside, Batman followed them, entering through the roof. It wasn't long before he overheard a gunfight. He spotted the Red Hood, a skinny man in a tuxedo, red cape and a large red helmet.
Batman dropped to the catwalk, landing behind the Red Hood.
"LOOK, THE BAT!"
The Red Hood turned to face Batman, while Batman couldn't see his face through the red helmet, he could tell exactly what he was feeling, pure fear, nothing like what he was expecting.
"Wait, you've got it all wrong!" Said the Red Hood
Batman only continued to walk forward as the Red Hood backed away.
"I'm not a crook, I swear!"
The Red Hood went to remove his helmet, but he tripped on his cape, breaking the rusty guardrail next to him and falling from the catwalk. Batman rushed to grab him before he fell, catching his cape, but it ripped, and the man fell into the chemicals beneath him. The Red Hood gang and GCPD officers looked up at Batman in shock.
GCPD
Commissioner Gordon stood on the roof. The Red Hood Gang were taken to their new cells. He looked at the file, now filled with the information on members of the Red Hood Gang, Curtis Base, Jarvis Porter, Winslow Heath, etc.
"It was an accident." Said Batman, standing behind Gordon, who spun around and aimed his gun at Batman.
"I know, I don't trust you, but I know you don't kill."
"Did they say anything?"
"Confessed to everything, the Red Hood Gang is officially done with."
"The Red Hood, before he fell he said he wasn't a crook, he was about to reveal his face."
"Matches what we heard, turns out the whole Red Hood thing was a decoy, one of the members said that the guy was some down on his luck nobody that only agreed to help them to support his pregnant wife."
"Did you get a name? The wife needs to know what happened to her husband."
"No, no one got a name, they just called him 'J'. Besides, apparently the wife's dead, accident when testing a baby bottle heater, but they wouldn't let him out of the deal."
"Tragic, whoever he was, he just wanted a better life and now everything is taken from him."
Gordon lowered his gun.
"You helped us a lot tonight, I'm gonna let you go this time, but I won't always be so lenient."
Gordon turned back around and lit a cigarette.
"I'm on your side, Commissioner."
"If only I could…"
Gordon turned back around to face Batman, only to see that Batman had vanished.
ACE Chemicals
GCPD had ACE Chemicals shut down for now for the police investigation, no one was there now, so no one saw the wet footprints or drops of chemicals making a trail out of ACE Chemicals, complete with the sounds of crazed laughter.
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