Chapter Text
Gotham City,
February
An icy wind cut through Gotham City like a blade through flesh as a fresh snowfall descended upon the town.
Gotham City. To the poor, it was a hellish nightmare. The streets were full of crime, and the shadows flooded the slums at night. It was a city where even a simple run to the grocery store could get you murdered or worse.
But to the elite, Gotham was a dark kingdom and they were the royalty. Royalty built on corruption, death, and backroom deals. Their castles were the soaring, art deco skyscrapers that stood tall over the grimy and dangerous streets below. It was in these buildings that they felt truly impenetrable.
But the streets weren't without its royalty. Crime bosses controlled the streets, with thugs acting as their enforcers, and nightclubs like Gotham City Olympus and The Snake Nest being hotbeds for backroom deals, drug trading, and a whole heap of other unsavory behavior.
The most famous of these crime bosses was Carmine “The Roman” Falcone, the head of the Falcone Crime Family. They were some of the highest royalty not just in the crime ridden underworld, but to the city’s wealthy elite too. They were so wealthy and powerful that nobody would dare to touch them.
None of them had any inkling that their royalty was about to be challenged.
***
It was February 13th, Valentine’s Day Eve, and Mario Falcone was out celebrating with his girlfriend, Julia. The night was going beautifully and the two felt on top of the world.
Julia was many things, all of them good. Funny, sweet, considerate. The kind of person who would smile at you and ask how your day was, even if she didn't know you.
There weren’t many people like that left in Gotham, making him cherish her even more. In fact, he planned on proposing to her tomorrow. The day before, his father had given him the ring his late mother wore.
“Cherish her like I cherished your mother,” his father had told him. Mario fully intended to do so.
The happy couple made their way to Mario’s car, big red bags of merchandise in their hands. They put their bags in the back and hopped in.
As he started the car, Mario asked “Did you have a good time, my bellezza?”
Julia smiled that sweet smile of hers. “Hehe. Yes, I did. Did you have a good time?”
“Absolutely! You were the best part of it.” He said with a charming smile.
Julia blushed. “Oh… shut up! You always say that.”
“I know, I know, but I mean it. You made this day all the more special,” he said before sweetly kissing her hand.
The two drove back to Mario’s luxury in Gotham Village. Gotham Village was a quieter neighborhood, which was why Mario liked it so much. There wasn’t much crime and everyone seemed to treat each other a little nicer here. It was a place he was ready to raise his children in.
The apartment building stood on a small hill overlooking the rest of the neighborhood. It was the nicest looking apartment building anyone had ever seen. Mario’s apartment was on the top floor, which gave them a beautiful view of the city.
As soon as they got inside, Mario took off his shoes and coat before lounging in his favorite chair in the living room. Every light in the house was off, with the only illumination being the street lights outside. Julia smiled, a hint of mischief in her eyes.
“I think I’m gonna go take a shower. You wanna join me?” She asked while slowly sitting down on the arm of his chair.
Mario gave her a sly look. “Hmm… maybe. Or you could meet me in the bedroom after you’re done. Without a towel.”
Julia bit her lip before leaning down. Their lips were quickly locked in a hot, sensual kiss. Mario’s hand slowly caressed the back of her neck as his tongue slid into her mouth. The two quickly broke the kiss, but their faces remained close. Julia stared longingly into her lover’s eyes.
“That sounds like a good idea… Pop open a bottle of wine while you’re at it.” She whispered seductively.
“Mmm. How do you always know how to say the right things?”
“Hehe. It’s my superpower.”
As she walked away from the chair, Mario tapped her gently on the ass, which earned him a little squeal of enthusiasm. Once she disappeared into the bathroom, Mario got up from his chair and went into the kitchen. He went to the wine cabinet and as he reached into it for a bottle, he felt a sudden chill go down his back.
Cold air was coming into the house from somewhere and it didn’t take long to find the source. The wide window in their kitchen…had been completely shattered.
“What the hell…?” Mario whispered.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He could’ve sworn he saw something move in the darkness around him. But… maybe he didn’t. Maybe it was just a trick of the street lights. Mario reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He slowly turned on his phone flashlight…and that’s when two gloved hands wrapped around his throat.
***
Julia was drying herself off when she heard a loud crash from the kitchen. She hastily wrapped a towel around her waist and exited the bathroom to investigate. She walked out into the kitchen…and let out a blood curdling scream.
Mario was writhing on the floor, clutching his throat and letting out guttural, agonized noises. Blood was trickling out of his eyes and nose. As he laid there convulsing, Mario desperately reached out for her.
“Mario!! It’s okay, baby, I’m here! I’m here!” She cried out in horror.
Julia quickly got her phone from the bathroom and ran back out into the kitchen. She dialed 9-1-1 and waited frantically for the operator, while Mario continued to bleed out. Julia sobbed uncontrollably. The man that she was going to spend the rest of her life with…was dying on their kitchen floor.
As she held Mario closely, a shadowy figure slowly snuck up behind her.
***
The Narrows
The Narrows was a small neighborhood, nestled on a small island in the Finger River, and sandwiched between Robinson Park in Midtown and Downtown’s Diamond District. A poor neighborhood, it was a breeding ground for all sorts of seedy and unsavory activity. And such activity was going down in an abandoned warehouse.
Inside the warehouse was a group of seven men, all dressed in matching purple and gold tracksuits. On the chests of the tracksuits was an ancient Greek symbol, meaning that this particular group belonged to Maxie Zeus.
Maxie Zeus was a…peculiar crime boss. A newer one with a flair for dramatics, Zeus crafted a persona in which he believed he was the human incarnation of the Greek god of the same name. His club, Gotham Olympus, was equally themed around the ancient stories and this theme extended to his henchmen.
In the center of the warehouse were two long, wooden tables which held various pieces of lab equipment. The group were currently cooking up Heraculian, their premiere drug, which promised its customers that as soon as they took it, they would feel the power of the gods running through their veins.
Stationed outside the warehouse were two of the members, who stood guard with machine guns. One of them, a tall new guy, was looking particularly jittery tonight. The other member, who was more seasoned at this, quickly took notice.
“What the hell’s your problem?” He asked gruffly.
The tall thug looked at him. “N-nothing, it’s j-just… What if they show up tonight? You saw what they did to those other guys. What if they do that to us?!”
“Calm down!” The short thug ordered. “Grow some balls! If either of those two freaks come around, we’ll pump ‘em full o’ lead!”
He gestured to their machine guns. The tall thug didn’t look convinced.
“I don’t know, man. The things I’ve heard and seen about them… I should’ve just taken that busboy job at Salone’s. It would’ve been way less stressful…”
The short thug rolled his eyes when suddenly, the sound of a flapping cape was heard above their heads. The two thugs looked up and began screaming as a big shadow flew at them!
Within the warehouse, the other thugs froze as screams and gunfire came from outside. They all stopped and quickly ventured outside to investigate. What they found made their blood run cold.
The two thugs were sprawled out on the ground out cold, with their guns lying beside them. They all jumped when they heard the sound of flapping capes.
The head thug, codenamed Theseus, shouted “Back in the warehouse! Now!”
The group fled into the warehouse, locking and securing the steel double doors as they went. They huddled together in the lab and started grabbing weapons. Butcher knives, rusty pipes, small handguns, it didn’t matter. Once they were all armed, they watched the steel doors carefully, anticipating for something to bust down the doors and-
SMAASH!!
The thugs all jumped with fright. Following the smashing sound came a loud hissing, as the room slowly filled with a thick smoke.
Theseus’s eyes darted around the room. He made sure every man was still standing. When he was sure they were all still there, he steadied himself.
“Alright, everyone. We’re under attack so keep your wits about you!” He ordered.
The thugs all nodded and kept their weapons ready.
“AHHH!!”
One of them screamed as they were pulled into the shadows. The thugs moved quickly, trying to find their fallen friend.
None of them noticed as a dark figure slowly rose up from the smoke. The figure wore a suit fitted with sleek body armor on its midsection, legs, and chest. Nestled on its chest was an emblem shaped like a bat with its wings spread wide. His true face was hidden behind a black cowl, fitted with white eyes and pointed ears.
One of the thugs turned around and dropped his knife in shock.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. It was him. It was… it was…
“It’s Batman!” One of the others shouted.
The others quickly turned around, weapons ready. Batman narrowed his eyes, sizing each of them up. It wouldn’t be hard to take them all down and he knew exactly how to do it.
Theseus readied his rusty pipe and charged at the Batman. The Batman grabbed him by the wrist and delivered a double elbow slash to his face.
POW, POW!!
The others watched in shock as their leader crumbled to the ground. Another thug ran at Batman with a butcher knife. He swung wildly, trying to slice or stab at him, but Batman dodged every swing effortlessly. He grabbed the thug’s wrist and twisted.
CRRRAAACK!!
“Ahhh!!” The thug screamed in pain before being thrown to the ground and knocked out with a swift punch to the face.
Another thug loaded his pistol and took aim at the Dark Knight. But before he could even fire a shot, Batman grabbed his wrist and pulled the pistol from his hand, before landing two punches to his face.
BAAM, BAAM!!
The last two thugs quickly fled from the main room. They didn’t want to end up like the others and they didn’t care about how badly Zeus would punish them for it. They just wanted to get as far away as possible.
But what they didn’t plan on was the fact that Batman wasn’t the only vigilante out tonight. As the two made for the back exit, another figure dropped from the rafters.
“Hey boys!” The figure said. His voice was gravelly and distorted, likely by some kind of modulator. “You weren’t gonna leave without saying goodbye, right?”
They turned around and saw another vigilante. He was clad in a suit made up of segmented, red body armor, while the bottom half was a pair of green pants made from bullet proof fabric. His cape was black, with the inner lining being yellow, and his face was hidden under a green hood. Embroidered on the right section of the chest was a golden R symbol.
“Oh shit, it’s Robin!” One of them shouted.
“That’s me!” said Robin with a playful smile.
“Let’s take him,” the other thug said, “he’s gotta be easier to fight than Batman!”
Robin let out a small chuckle. “Oh, yeah? Let’s test that theory.”
The two rushed at the Boy Wonder. They were fast, but he was faster. The bigger thug tried to punch him, but Robin ducked swiftly. When he came back, he knocked the bigger thug onto his ass with an uppercut. The smaller thug saw this and looked at Robin, horrified.
Robin looked back at him and simply said “Boo!”
The smaller thug squealed in fear before bolting for the exit. Robin pulled a black handle piece from his utility belt. With a quick flick, it transformed into a 26 inch escrima stick.
He casually walked up to the thug and zapped him on the back with the electrified tip of the escrima. The thug howled before crumbling to the ground.
With the two of them taken care of, Robin ran out into the main room, where Batman was waiting.
When he saw the others all lying unconscious, Robin grinned underneath his face mask. “I’ve been wondering… why would a Greek god have his goons wear tracksuits? Shouldn’t they be wearing centurion armor or something?”
“Centurions were Roman, Robin, not Greek,” said Batman calmly, who walked over to inspect the drug equipment.
“I don’t think they had tracksuits in ancient Rome either.”
The two tied up the thugs and made their way outside. “I’ll send a tip to the GCPD when we return to the Batcave.”
Robin looked off in the distance, his eyes lighting up with excitement. “Looks like we’ll get to tell Gordon in person, boss.”
Batman looked at where Robin was pointing and saw the Bat Signal shining brightly against the night sky. Without another word, he pressed a button on his gauntlet. A car drove toward them, coming to a stop on its own.
The car was long and sleek, with its main paint job being a very deep navy blue. Its front was heavily armored, with a bat-shaped battering ram bolted to the hood. Red lines ran across both sides of the car, and ended at the trunk of the car.
Batman put the Batmobile into drive, igniting the turbine exhaust port before speeding off into the night.
***
The GCPD Building
On the roof of the GCPD building stood a large distress signal. On the front of this distress signal was a large, bat-shaped insignia made from metal, which was currently being projected into the night sky.
Standing next to this distress signal was a bespectacled and middle aged man, with a bushy mustache and red hair with flecks of grey. He stared up at the night sky wearily, his long trench coat acting as a shield against the cold.
Next to him was a slightly heavy set, middle aged man, with a salt and pepper beard and matching hair. A worn fedora sat atop his head, complimenting his dark coat. Between his lips sat a lit cigarette, nearly spent.
The red haired man was Jim Gordon, police lieutenant.
The man next to him was Harvey Bullock, detective.
The two had first met when Jim moved to Gotham. Initially, the two didn’t get along too well, but they soon grew to respect each other. Jim kept Bullock honest, while Bullock encouraged Jim to get his hands dirty…when the situation called for it, of course.
Bullock looked up at the sky and sighed. “Damnit, Jim, where the hell are they?”
Jim shrugged and said “Haven’t a clue. They’re usually not this late.”
To which Bullock said, “Out of all the superheroes we could’ve had, why did we have to get saddled with those two?”
“Oh, come on, Harvey. It's been almost three years. You haven't gotten used to them yet?”
“Used to them? Jim, you know how much I hate guys in masks.”
“You don’t hate Superman.”
“Superman doesn’t wear a mask! Besides, I’m not keen on him either. We have enough shit on our plates as is, we don’t need guys in spandex flying around and taking our jobs.”
“Hello, Jim.”
The two men jumped and turned around. Emerging from the shadows was Batman and Robin. Robin waved at the two of them in a friendly way.
Jim said, “Good to see you two. Where’ve you been?”
“We had some business to take care of in the Narrows,” said Batman. “What’s going on?”
“Mario Falcone is dead.”
***
Batman, Robin, and the two detectives slowly entered the apartment. Other officers and forensic investigators had already arrived. As soon as they saw them, the other officers stopped and stared.
The room became so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Bullock quickly broke the silence.
“Alright, keep it movin’, people. They’ll be gone soon.”
Gordon shot a dirty look at Bullock, who didn’t say anything.
Batman looked over to Robin. “You know what to do.”
The Boy Wonder nodded and started moving through the police officers, searching for any clues. Batman broke away from the two officers to do the same. One of the forensic investigators walked up to Gordon and Bullock.
“What did you find?” asked Gordon.
“We inspected both bodies. One is in the kitchen, the other in the bedroom.”
“Any idea what they died from?”
“Mario Falcone was bleeding from the eyes and nose, which suggests a poison of some kind. The woman, from the looks of it, died of a drug overdose.”
The two vigilantes moved around the investigators. Robin searched the kitchen, while Batman searched the bedroom.
Sitting at the large window was the woman, though she was very clearly dead. Her body had been crudely propped up in a chair to make it seem like she was still alive. On the wall next to her were the words:
You took everything from me. Now I’ll take everything from you.
“Hmmm…” Batman looked at the writing and then back at the body.
There was a trail of almost fully dried blood coming down from her nose. Cold saliva dripped from her half opened mouth.
He reached into his utility belt and pulled out a small vial, which he used to take a small sample of saliva. Batman then closed the woman’s eyes.
Robin was searching the kitchen. Broken glass crunched underneath his boots as he approached the wide window.
While examining the sill, he found something peculiar. Stuck in between the glass and the track was a ripped piece of green fabric. He pulled it out and looked at it before looking outside.
That’s when Robin noticed something hanging in a tall tree outside.
“Umm, Batman! You might wanna come look at this!”
Robin led everyone outside to the tree and pointed up at it. Upon seeing it, Gordon quickly called in a ladder. Once it arrived, the officers were able to get the thing down. It was…a hang glider, with a damaged green sail.
“It’s… a hang glider,” said Robin.
“Kinda looks like the hang glider Kite Man uses,” Bullock commented.
“Kite Man? Well, that explains the shattered window. But where did he glide in from?”
Batman quickly deduced it as he pointed to a tall skyscraper near the apartment building. “The Stagg Enterprises building. He was able to glide off of the roof and into the apartment.”
Bullock said, “Okay, so… Kite Man is our guy right now. I’ll buy that. But why the hell would he try to go in on one of the Falcones? Kite Man’s a fuckin’ idiot, but he ain’t that stupid.”
“He’s a contract killer. They’ll do anything for money.” said Batman.
“Still. Carmine’s gonna rain down hellfire on the poor bastard.”
“Not if we get to him first,” said Jim. He looked at the two vigilantes. “Thanks for coming in. We can probably take it from here. I’ll make sure to keep you posted.”
Batman nodded silently. Jim watched as he and Robin hopped into the Batmobile and drove off into the night. He turned to Bullock.
“You ever wonder where they go after they’re done for the night?”
“Pfft. A cave with a big bird cage?”
***
The Batmobile drove outside of the city, and into a hidden cave in the Gotham Countryside. Its bright headlights led the way as it drove through the dark cave system. A stray bat flew in front of the wind shield for a split second before flying back up.
“Hey look. It's one of your brothers,” joked Robin.
Batman simply scowled at him, to which Robin shrugged.
“Yeah. It wasn't one of my best.”
Soon, the Batmobile entered the heart of the cave system. It was a massive, subterranean headquarters made up of different sections. In one section stood a gigantic, robotic tyrannosaur. In another section stood glass display cases for when the suits weren’t in use. And in the main section stood a giant computer with an 83 inch screen, and a wide keyboard sitting beneath it.
They called this underground HQ the Batcave.
As the Batmobile came to a stop, a man stepped out from the shadows. He was an older man, with a weathered face and greying hair. He was wearing a sharp looking butler uniform and carried a silver, lidded platter.
“Hey, Al!” said Robin as he hopped out of the car.
Alfred smiled at the boy.
“Good evening, Master Grayson. Could I interest you in a sandwich?”
“Oh, absolutely. I’m starving!”
Robin began to unmask. He lowered his hood, and removed his goggles.
Underneath the vigilante costume was a good looking, seventeen year old boy with roguish facial features and curly, walnut hair. Across his olive cheeks was a faint line of freckles.
The boy’s name was Dick Grayson, and he smiled as he took one of the sandwich slices from the platter.
“Mmm, I’m gonna need like ten more of these, okay?” He joked, to which Alfred chuckled.
“I’m pleased you appreciate my culinary abilities. Now it’s time to see if I can Master Bruce to eat,” said Alfred, before flashing a cautionary look at Dick.
Dick whispered, “Good luck with that.”
Alfred walked up a small set of metal stairs which lead to the display platform. Batman slowly removed his costume and placed it piece by piece into the display case.
He removed his cowl, revealing the wary face of Bruce Wayne underneath. Black makeup was smeared around his eyes and his black hair was damp with sweat.
With the suit put away, Bruce shut the display case for the night. He saw Alfred’s reflection in the glass and slowly turned around.
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people.”
“And you shouldn’t go out without having something to eat. Here.”
Alfred handed him a sandwich. Bruce eyed it slowly before raising it to his mouth and slowly taking a bite, which sent a small wave of relief through the old butler.
Alfred and Bruce had a very…personal relationship. After the untimely deaths of Bruce’s parents, Alfred had become something of a second father to him. Alfred trusted and loved Bruce like a son… but he didn’t always approve of the things he did.
There was always an aching worry in his mind that the two wouldn’t come home at all. But he always believed Bruce would succeed. He had to. Otherwise, he would lose hope.
Bruce walked over to another section of the Batcave, this one housing the forensic equipment. Bruce took the vial and inserted it into the BatComputer’s DNA sequencer. An animation of the woman’s DNA flashed onto the screen, along with bullet points describing components of it. Dick and Alfred came over to see what it said.
“I collected this blood at the crime scene. It belonged to the woman,” Bruce explained to Alfred before continuing “It holds large amounts of a certain chemical compound. It’s similar to steroids in that it provides a burst of temporary superhuman strength.”
“Good heavens…” whispered Alfred.
This was sounding all too familiar to Dick. “Wait… is that what I think it is?”
Bruce nodded. “Yes. It appears the woman died of a Heraculian overdose.”
“You think Maxie Zeus is behind this? Maybe he paid off Kite-Man to kill Mario and his woman.”
“Hmmm… it doesn’t make any sense. Zeus only uses people already in his employ.” said Bruce. “We’ll have to wait until the autopsy details of Mario Falcone. Gordon will keep me posted.”
“Do you think they were killed by the same drug?” Alfred asked.
Bruce shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know what it is, but something about this murder doesn’t feel right, even by Gotham’s standards.”
“We can theorize about potential suspects tomorrow. Right now, I have to go get some beauty sleep,” said Dick, before he let out a yawn.
As Dick ascended the stairs in the Batcave, Alfred quietly asked “Did you get him to fist bump you tonight?”
Dick shook his head sadly. “No. But one of these nights, I’m gonna get him to do it. Just you wait.”
“I’ve been waiting for a long time!” said Alfred with a wry smile.
Bruce sat quietly at the BatComputer for a moment. He looked to be deep in thought. Something about this just felt strange. Between the Heraculian overdose, Kite-Man’s hang glider, and the woman being propped up in the chair like that, it felt like a hotchpotch of different serial killers and hitmen.
His mind was already racing with potential suspects, though that wasn’t clicking right either. With how sloppily it was all done, it felt more like someone trying to evoke the standard practices of a Gotham serial killer. The idea of a copycat killer in Gotham was already bad, but to have it be one who copied numerous serial killers instead of just one?
He wouldn’t let it stand. Alfred stood next to him.
“Master Grayson is in bed. Are you going to bed also?”
“Not quite yet. I’m going to do a little research on Mario Falcone and what he was involved in.”
“Mario was one of the nicer members of the family. Compared to the others, he was a saint. I don’t know who could possibly want him dead,” pondered Alfred.
“All the more reason to look into him. Someone that nice isn’t killed in his own living room, unless he angered the wrong person.”
“Indeed. You know… at times it feels like the world is getting darker and darker around us. Between Luthor being arrested and now this… it makes one wonder how exactly we’ll get through it all.”
Bruce gave Alfred a somewhat reassuring look. “We’ll figure it out.
We always have.”
Alfred smiled halfheartedly. “I can only hope you’re right, sir.”