Batman: Squid Games
Chapter One: The Game Begins
The rain lashed against the grimy windows of the Batcave as the city of Gotham glistened below, shrouded in a blanket of mist. The faint sound of distant sirens filtered through the thick glass, but the ominous silence of the cave was deafening. Batman stood before his computer, his sharp gaze fixed on the monitor, eyes narrowing with each new piece of data he processed. Hours had passed since Commissioner Gordon had sent him the report, and the weight of it only grew heavier the longer he studied it.
The Squid Games. It wasn't a name Batman had heard before, but the report was clear—this was not a typical criminal endeavor. It was a deadly underground competition, one that originated in Asia and had somehow found its way to Gotham. In the darkest corners of the city, desperate men and women—suffering from poverty, addiction, and shattered lives—had been lured in with promises of unimaginable wealth. But behind the facade of a quick escape from their suffering lay a brutal game. A game where the stakes were far more than just money. The cost of failure was far worse than death—it was annihilation.
"Master Bruce, you need to take this seriously," Alfred's voice crackled through the comms system, his tone stern but filled with concern. "These people running these games are ruthless. If they get their grip on Gotham, it could be disastrous. This is a ticking time bomb, and if it explodes, it could take all of Gotham with it."
Batman clenched his fists, the leather of his gloves creaking under the pressure. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the Batcomputer's surface. He could already feel the weight of the city's pulse beneath his fingertips, beating with desperation. These were the kinds of games that Gotham had always bred—rich, powerful people feeding off the misery of the lower class, betting on human lives. But this? This was something different. Something more insidious.
"I know, Alfred," Batman muttered, his voice colder than the night outside. "I'm going in."
There was no need for further explanation. Alfred had lived long enough by his side to understand what that meant. Gotham was on the edge, and if Batman didn't act quickly, these games would spread like an infection, consuming everyone in their path. And no one, not even the powerful or the wealthy, would be immune. Everyone had their breaking point.
The city had always been Gotham's greatest enemy, a city that lived in shadows. But now, those shadows were darker than ever before. It wasn't just the criminal underworld that had grown more vicious—it was the very fabric of the city, torn and frayed by the chaos that these games had introduced. And yet, despite all the darkness around him, Batman felt a flicker of something—an anger, a resolve to stop this new form of brutality before it tore everything apart.
Two Days Earlier
The polished glass of Wayne Enterprises' skyscraper reflected the dimming light of the evening sun as Bruce Wayne paced across his office. His mind, usually a whirlwind of meetings and high-level decisions, was now consumed with one thing: the Squid Games. The news had spread through Gotham's underworld like wildfire. But there were no familiar faces behind this one—no Joker, no Penguin, no Riddler manipulating the chaos from the shadows. This felt different. More sinister. More global.
Bruce's sharp eyes scanned the data on his laptop, the glow from the screen illuminating his face as he studied a video file sent by a confidential informant. The video was grainy, shot through a shaky handheld camera, but it was clear enough to show a masked figure—dressed in black, his face obscured by a white porcelain mask. The figure stood in front of an enormous arena, surrounded by hundreds of people. Some looked scared out of their wits, others hungry for the promise of fortune. It was hard to tell if they were captives or willing participants.
The video cut in and out, the sound glitching, but the message was unmistakable: Gotham's turn is coming. Will you play?
A chill ran down Bruce's spine. The cold message echoed in his head, reverberating through his thoughts. Gotham was now a target, drawn into the web of these cruel games. But what exactly was their purpose? Was it entertainment for the wealthy elite to gamble on, or something deeper, more insidious? Bruce felt the tension coil in his chest. There was no time to waste.
Late into the night, Batman went to work. The more he uncovered, the more unnerving the situation became. It wasn't just about survival—it was about manipulation, about breaking people down mentally, physically, emotionally. The first round, he discovered, was a brutal fight club where participants battled until only one survived. But that was just the beginning. There were more layers to the games. Dangerous layers.
That night, after hours of investigation, Batman found himself standing in a dark, forgotten alley near Gotham's east side. The familiar sounds of the city's underbelly—the rustling of rats in trash cans, the hum of neon signs flickering in the distance—were drowned out by the pounding rain. The alley reeked of rot and decay, a reflection of Gotham itself.
His cape billowed around him as he stood, hidden in the shadows, waiting for the informant to arrive. The alley had been a whispering hole for rumors and secrets, and tonight, it would deliver the next piece of the puzzle.
A figure emerged from the darkness, a man wearing a tattered trench coat and a crumpled fedora. He was skittish, constantly looking over his shoulder, as though the shadows themselves might come alive and consume him. This was the first round, the starting point for the Squid Games, and the man had information that Batman needed.
"Batman?" the man croaked, his voice hoarse from years of smoking and fear.
Batman's gaze was unwavering, his posture rigid with authority. "I need information. Where's the fight club?"
The man's eyes widened in fear, but there was no turning back. He had already made the decision to cross Batman. "I don't know what you want, but you gotta know... people disappear, man. If you enter those games, there's no coming back. No one wins."
"I'm not here to play," Batman replied, his voice low and steady. "I'm here to stop them."
The informant hesitated, his face a portrait of desperation. Then, after a long pause, he spoke. "There's a club. They're calling it the first round—it's underground, like all of this. But you don't get in unless you know the right people. You need to talk to Red. He's the recruiter. He decides who gets in and who gets left behind."
"Where can I find him?"
"Gotta be careful. Red's got eyes everywhere. One wrong move and you're dead. No one gets out unless they've got his mark."
Batman's jaw tightened, and his mind began to race. The game had already begun. But in Gotham, there was no room for hesitation.
The man turned to leave, but Batman's hand shot out, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off the ground. "If you're lying, I'll make sure you regret it."
"I swear—I swear it's all true. Please... just be careful."
With that, the informant disappeared into the rain-soaked night. Batman stood there for a moment longer, the words echoing in his mind. One wrong move, and you're dead.
He wasn't afraid of dying. But Gotham was. And he would do whatever it took to protect it.
Back in the Batcave
Batman sat at the Batcomputer, the cool glow of the monitor reflecting off his dark cowl. The screen was filled with images of the masked figures, distorted and blurred, their eyes hollow behind their faceless porcelain masks. The longer he stared at them, the more the weight of their malevolent presence pressed down on him.
He ran his fingers over the keyboard, pulling up every known connection to the Squid Games in Gotham. The pieces were slowly coming together—criminal syndicates, underground fight clubs, corrupt officials. But the more he uncovered, the harder it was to pin down the mastermind behind it all.
No one seemed to be in charge. The organization was faceless, operating from the shadows, its power coming from the anonymity of its structure. The rules were simple: win or die. But it was more than that. The games were about breaking down everything the participants believed in. It wasn't enough to test their strength; they were testing their will, their morals, their very souls.
He didn't have all the answers. Yet. But he had a plan.
The Invitation
Batman had made arrangements. The invitation to the Squid Games was his only ticket in. But those invitations didn't come cheap, and they didn't come easily. Only the most desperate had a shot at one, and the higher you were in the criminal ranks, the better your chances. In Gotham, that meant navigating a treacherous world of deals, favors, and threats.
His first lead took him to a low-level dealer named Charlie. Batman found him in a bar, the kind of place where lowlifes came to drown their failures and drink away their guilt. Charlie was a skinny man, his hands trembling as he nursed a glass of bourbon. His skin was pale, his eyes bloodshot from too many sleepless nights.
"Please, I can't help you," Charlie stammered, his voice cracked. "I'm just a courier. You don't want to mess with these people. They'll kill you."
Batman's figure emerged from the shadows, his presence suffocating. His voice was calm but unwavering. "I'm not here to play. I need an invitation. Help me, and I'll make sure you stay alive."
Charlie's eyes darted nervously around the bar, but the desperation in his face was clear. "Red's the man you need to talk to. He's the one who decides who gets in. But you've got to be careful. If you mess with him, it's over. Game over."
"I'll find him," Batman replied flatly.
Charlie's face paled further as he whispered, "But don't say I didn't warn you."
The game had begun, and now, Batman had no choice but to play.
The Alter Ego
As the night deepened, Batman returned to the Batcave. He had the information he needed. But now, he needed to become someone else—someone who could slip unnoticed into the twisted world of the Squid Games. The mantle of Gotham's protector had no place in this game. To infiltrate this world, Batman needed to shed the persona that defined him.
A few minutes later, the Batcave was silent once more, save for the steady hum of the Batcomputer. In a dark warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham, Bruce Wayne was no more. Replacing him was a different figure—grizzled, scarred, and full of menace. The man who had been abandoned by the world. The man known as Matches Malone.
Matches Malone was a persona Bruce had crafted over the years, a thug with a reputation for violence and betrayal. He was the perfect cover. If the Squid Games were about deception, Matches Malone could survive.
The invitation would come. He would be ready. And when the time came, he would strike.
To be continued….