Batman: The Scarred and the Damned [Fanfiction]

[ApolloXL5]

"No, I have had time to think about the situation with Applied Sciences and I think it is time we started manufacturing our own equipment." he replied, gaining a confused look from Fox.

"What do you mean Bruce? We already have been."

"I mean I don't want to use any more tech that can be tracked back to Wayne Enterprises, the incident we had last year with Coleman Reese cannot be allowed to happen again." Wayne said back.

"Well I have already taken our Applied Sciences division completely off the books, so no one should be able to do what Mr. Reese did in the future." Lucius replied, which gained a nod from Bruce as he held the document in his hand and looked out the window.

"True, but since the eyes of the World are going to turn towards Wayne Enterprises when it starts my initiative, I would prefer we have nothing to hide. And having an entire division disappear might peak someone's attention, so please put Applied Sciences back on the books."

"Okay, consider it done..." the older Man started to say as he took out his phone and used it, while the younger Wayne watched.

"...but I have to ask, how do you expect to get your 'unusual requests' for your nocturnal activities now?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could together create a 'shadow'-Applied Sciences that could continue to supply Batman." Bruce replied with a knowing look, one that Fox could not help but smirk at.

"I see. So you want to have a shadow-operation within Wayne Enterprises, one that is completely off the books that can design and build your Bat-Tech in secret."

"That's the idea."

This brought a curious look to the Chairman's face as he went quiet for a second, leaving Bruce to wait for his answer with baited breath.

"Okay, we can try that. Though due to the nature of the work and the secrecy needed, the whole venture will take a while to set up." Fox then said, gaining a nod from the Wayne.

"That's alright, in the meantime I will continue to use the tech that I already have. But I do have a few suggestions for you, once the operation is under way." he replied while handing the document to the older man, who quickly looked through it's pages as a smile appeared on his face.

"I see you have added more of a Bat-motif to these designs."

"Yes..." Bruce then began to reply as he looked at the pages in Fox's hands, while the latter continued to study them.

"...I have a number of ideas, as you can see." he added, only for the older Man to cut him off.

"Even a new Motor-Vehicle..." Lucius started to say while pointing at one particular page.

"...the Batmobile', that's a very theatrical name, Mr. Wayne." Lucius replied, making the younger Man smirk.

"Well as you may have noticed, Batman is very theatrical." he said back with a knowing tone, which made his friend mirror his expression.

"Yes I do, Mr. Wayne."

The Chairman then closed the document, before returning his attention to Bruce with a thoughtful look on his face.

"By the way, considering that Applied Sciences will no longer be actively supplying our mutual friend, there is one more creation of it's that you may want to have. I mean it's purely a prototype, like most of the equipment and vehicles you have used in the past. But unlike them, it's schematics have yet to be branded with the Wayne seal, so it is not in our files."

This earned a curious expression from the Billionaire as he looked at Fox, who was just about to continue when he was interrupted by a knock on the door. This made both Men turn round as the door opened to reveal Fox's Secretary.

"Mr. Fox, I am sorry to intrude but your 12 o'clock is here."

"Thank you Jessica, we were just finishing up here." the older Man replied as he and Bruce turned and walked towards the now open door, with the younger Wayne glancing at his watch.

"Who has meetings at Lunch time?" he asked with an inquisitive tone, earning a friendly sigh from the Chairman.

"This is lunch meeting Mr. Wayne, the second one with this particular person in fact who has just planted roots for his company here in Gotham City."

"And who is this Business Man?.." Bruce then inquired, only to be cut off by a familiar voice speaking up as they left the Meeting-Room.

"Bruce..."

This made the Billionaire turn to see a Caucasian Man dressed in an expensive suit with clean-cut brown hair getting up from his seat beside the Secretary's desk, who had a smile on his face as he looked over at them.

"Seb?"

The newcomer's smile widened a little as he noticed the wide-eyed look of surprise on the other guy's face, while Fox just looked between both Men with a curious expression.

"...Bruce Wayne, as I live and breath."

"This is Sebastian Lamont, but I guess you already know that Mr. Wayne." Lucius replied as Bruce nodded back while offering his hand to Sebastian.

"Yes, Lucius. We were room-mates at Yale,..." he began to say as both younger Men shook hands.

"...it's good to see you Seb." the Billionaire added as the new arrival took a step back and smiled.

"You too, Bruce. And I would love for us catch up, but..." he started to say back while gesturing to the Chairman, earning a nod from Wayne in return.

"Of course, you and Lucius have a 'Lunch Meeting', so I should get out of your hair and let you two get on with it." he replied with a hint of embarrassment to his voice while taking a step back from the pair.

"Well it's true that Mr. Fox and I have some things to discuss about the futures of both Wayne Enterprises and Lamont Industries, but we can chat over drinks later...if you're not busy of course?" he asked with a hopeful expression, one that made Bruce smile back as he began to back away from them.

"Unfortunately I am swamped today, but why don't you come to the Fundraiser I am hosting at Wayne Manor tomorrow evening, we can catch up then."

"That's a great idea Bruce, count me in." Lamont replied, which made the younger Wayne nod back as he continued to back away.

"Mr. Wayne, I will forward the details that we were discussing to you later on." Lucius then said, earning an appreciative smile from the young Billionaire.

"Thanks Lucius, and I see you at the party Seb." he replied before turning around and entering the elevator, leaving Lamont and Fox standing there.

"What time does the Fundraiser start Lucius?" Sebastian then asked earning a smirk from the older Man as he began to gesture towards his office.

"We can discuss the details during our meeting, now if you will follow me."

"Right, then by all means, lead the way please." Lamont said back as both Men then walked towards the Chairman's office.

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

A few moments later and Bruce exited Wayne Tower in his dark-Blue Lamborghini-Mercielago, joining up with the traffic which was flowing down the main street beside the Skyscraper. The young Man was focused on his driving as his smart-phone activated from it's holder on the dashboard, the Bat-symbol appeared on it's screen which brought a smirk to the Billionaire's face.

'Great timing.' Bruce thought as he glanced at the screen, before returning his attention the to the road ahead.

"Phone, enable hands-free."

"Hands-free activated, password please." the device spoke back in a robotic voice, while the driver turned the vehicle onto another street.

"Password '10:48pm'." Bruce then said in a solemn tone, as the mention of that particular time brought back flashes of his Parents deaths to his mind, though his face remained completely calm as this happened.

"Password accepted, access to Bat-Computer granted." the device then replied, with the Bat-symbol flashing in return .

"Report." the Wayne requested, which made the Phone's screen change as data began scrolling down it.

"Police unit-1300 has reported a sighting of 'The Bird' in Down-town Gotham, in the area of China Basin. Commissioner Gordon has called in several units to search the area."

This made Bruce stop at the cross junction ahead and signal a right turn as the traffic light shone read overhead.

"Okay. Phone, call Alfred and encrypt call." he said while sitting there and waiting while the traffic drove by on the junction, with the device pinging as the Butler's name appeared on the screen.

"You rang, Master Bruce?" the old Man's voice spoke out from the Smart-phone, while the green light suddenly appeared on the traffic light. Which made the Billionaire turn the Lamborghini right and accelerate away from the junction.

"Alfred, the Bat-Computer just notified me that the GCPD has possibly found 'the Bird'."

"That is the Arms-Dealer, correct?" the Butler replied with a curious tone, gaining a nod from Bruce as he kept his eyes on the road.

"Yes, he has been moving weapons through Gotham for that last six months. And I think it is time for this Bird to be caught, don't you?"

"Of course, Master Bruce. But considering that it is the middle of the day, I do not think that there is anything Batman can do at this time." Alfred said in a very frank-tone, one that earned a knowing look from the young Man.

"Yeah, it wouldn't be very subtle for Batman to make an appearance in broad daylight now, but if you can go down to the Cave and ensure the Bat-Computer keeps us updated on this event."

"I am on my way now, Master Bruce. So I can assume that you are returning to Manor now?"

"Yes, I should be back in around twenty minutes." the Billionaire replied as his vehicle left the City Centre, joining the free-way leading out of Gotham.

"Very well Sir, everything will be ready for you when you arrive." Alfred said back, gaining a smile from the young Wayne.

"Thanks Alfred." he replied before putting his foot down on the accelerator, making the Lamborghini speed up more as it zoomed down the free-way back to the Manor.

[ApolloXL5]

CHAPTER IV

The atmosphere at the Police headquarters was a hectic one to say the least as it's Men and Women worked frantically, their focus completely on their work as Gordon watched from the sanctity of his office. The Commissioner sat at his desk and returned his attention to the files that lay on his desk before him, while listening to his Police-Scanner.

"Unit-1300 reporting in. We are shadowing Man suspected of being 'The Bird' to an abandoned factory on the China Basin's south side." the voice spoke as Jim took a sip from his Coffee.

"Roger that Unit-1300, the local precinct is sending additional units to your location and we have a SWAT team also inbound." the dispatch replied, while the older Man sat and looked through the pages of the Intel they had on the Arms-dealer.

'Still not a lot to go on, since there is not even a good photo of the guy.' he thought while looking at the one blurry image they had, which only had real detail on his clothes.

But just as was about to reach for his Coffee-Mug again, there was a knock at the door, making Gordon look up to see Bullock waiting on the other side.

"Come in." he said while gesturing with his hand, earning a nod from the Chubby Officer who then walked in.

"Commissioner, thought you would like to know that Air-01 and 02 are available and are ready to move."

"Alright, but tell them to keep back for now, since we don't want to alert 'the Bird' that we are on to him. That is if this is really him." the older Man replied, gaining a curious look from his subordinate.

"You don't think it's him?"

This made Gordon gesture at the open file that lay on his desk between them both, which Bullock stared at before returning his attention back to his boss, who started to speak back.

"Considering how incomplete our file on him is, how can we be sure that this really is the Arms-Dealer. We don't even have a reliable photo."

"Well even if we don't, we should still check it out." The chubby Officer said back, which earned a nod from Jim in return.

"I agree, though if I had thought otherwise, then I would not have given the go ahead to track 'the Bird' back to wherever he has based himself..." he started to say while tidying up his desk, placing the file back in it's sleeve, only to stop and look back at Bullock with a questioning look.

"...Foley has clocked out right, I mean he is no longer in the building?" he then asked, which made the Officer nod in return.

"Yeah, saw Foley leave myself. He didn't look happy though, but I guess you already knew that." he said back with a knowing smile, though the Police Chief remained stoic as he sat at his desk.

"No comment..." he started to reply, not wanting to give his situation with the Lieutenant any more thought.

"...now I'd appreciate it if you could keep me apprised on the situation with our Air-support, since I have my attention on 'the Bird' one." Jim added while pointing at the Scanner, making his Subordinate nod back again.

"Will do, Commissioner." Bullock replied before turning around and starting for the door, only to stop as another, more familiar voice spoke from the device.

"Unit-1300, this is Lt. Foley. I am on my way and will rendezvous with you in several minutes, hold position until I arrive."

This made Jim's eyes narrow as he gritted his teeth, before grabbing the Police Scanner's receiver and holding it to his mouth, only to stop as he looked down at the device while his colleague stared back.

"Commissioner?" he said with a confused tone, which snapped the older Man out of it as he put the receiver down and turned back to him.

"Get me a car, we are going out there." he replied with a determined expression, gaining a nod from Bullock before they both left the Commissioner's office together.

A few minutes earlier, back at the Cave. Bruce sat at the Bat-Computer and typed away at it's keyboard, turning his gaze to each of the several screens that stood before him which showed camera feeds and various information, while also listening to the various G.C.P.D. reports from his own Police Scanner. As he was doing this, Alfred walked up and placed a hot drink next to the keyboard which caught the younger Man's attention.

"Here is your Tea, Master Bruce." he said with the Billionaire picking it up with one hand and taking a sip, while he continued to type on the keyboard with the other.

"Thanks Alfred." he then replied, before a curious look befell his face.

"So you think we should have a section of the Cave cornered off and made into a miniature Kitchen, so that it doesn't take a couple of minutes for you to bring the food and drink down here to me?"

This made the Butler stare back with a knowing expression in return.

"Oh dear lord no Sir, I think that would be a terrible idea. I mean bringing you food and drink down here is one thing, but to have a space down here to prepare it...I wouldn't dream of it, Master Bruce..." he started to say, stopping mid-sentence to gaze around the Cave as he smiled slightly.

"...besides, I think that a kitchen in the 'Bat-Cave' would not be very fitting of Batman, wouldn't you agree?" he continued, noticing the now thoughtful look on his Master's face.

"I guess not." he replied before taking another sip of his Tea.

"You're just going to have to be patient Master Bruce, which is something you claim to have an abundance of since coming back from your 'seven year 'sabbatical with the League of Shadows." Alfred said back with a slightly teasing tone, one that made the young Wayne spin his chair round and face him with a humble smirk on his face.

"You're right...once again."

"Well, surely you have heard the old English proverb Sir,..." his older Friend replied with a warm smile, gaining a curious but similar look from the Billionaire.

"...the Butler is always right."

"I am not about to disagree with you there..." Bruce started to say back, before taking another sip of his tea as he turned back to the Bat-Computer.

"...at least not this time." he added, gaining a smirk from Alfred as he looked at the screens with his Master.

"So I take it you have been monitoring all G.C.P.D. comms channels since this 'Bird' was first mentioned?" he asked, earning a nod from the young Wayne as he typed away on the keyboard.

"Yes, though from what I have heard, it sounds like the Police are not entirely sure that this is the Bird." he replied, which made the Butler look at the screens with a curious expression.

"What do you mean, Master Bruce?"

"Well..." the Billionaire began to say, before bringing up the Criminal's profile on his left screen.

"...this is the only photo that they have of the Man, which you can see is not a very descriptive one. So it would not be put of the realm of possibility for someone to simply pose as him."

"So you think this Man is an imposter?" Alfred asked, gaining a nod from Bruce in return.

"It is possible, I mean my own research into 'The Bird' has not brought up enough information to form his real identity, which at this moment could be that of a Man of a a Woman."

The older Man looked at the photo of the Criminal on the screen, his expression became inquisitive as Bruce looked back at him.

"So this Arms-dealer is a complete mystery to everyone at the moment."

"Yes, but it won't be for long. I haven't had that much time to focus my attention on 'the Bird' due to the rise of street-crime in 'Old Gotham' while keeping myself out of the Police's cross-hairs. But considering how many weapons he has smuggled into the City, I think it's time 'the Bird' had Batman's full attention."

This made Alfred smirk as he looked back at his younger friend, who had returned his attention to the Bat-computer as another Police report could be heard from the Scanner.

"I could not agree more, Master Wayne..." he started to say, only to have Bruce gesture to him while keeping his attention on the audio-device.

"Quiet Alfred, I am trying to listen to this." he said with a slither of annoyance to his voice, making the Butler go silent while Bruce turned up the device's volume and the voices of the G.C.P.D. echoed around the Cave.

"This is Unit-1300, the Suspect has entered the derelict Factory at the end of Ciders Street. I repeat, the Suspect has come to a stop at the end of Ciders Street."

"This is Lt. Foley, stay and observe until SWAT and I arrive."

"Roger that, Lieutenant."

After listening to the conversation, Bruce then returned his attention to the Computer and typed on it's keyboard again as plans for the factory appeared on the main screen.

"Alfred, I apologize for cutting you off..." he began to say, only for the Butler to shake his head back.

"No need to apologize Si..." he then tried to reply, this time being cut off by the Police Scanner from which a familiar voice spoke up.

"This is Commissioner Gordon. I am taking control of the operation. I repeat, I am in command, not Lt. Foley...so no one do anything until I arrive."

This brought a worried look to Bruce's face as he heard his friend's voice, one that Alfred noticed.

"Sir, what is it?" he asked as the Billionaire started typing again in a determined manner, bringing CCTV footage from Ciders Street up on the left screen, while going through the Factory plans on the main one.

"Ciders Street is a one way street, with the river directly behind the Factory."

"Perhaps 'the Bird' has planned to escape via Boat." Alfred then said as pointed at the body of water, only for Bruce to shake his head in return.

"That isn't possible, since there is no boat-dock back there. So the question becomes..." he then began to say while looking at the plans of the Factory.

"...why lead the Police into a dead end? Since he is only trapping himself." his Butler finished, before the Billionaire's eyes widened as he saw something in the designs.

"Master Bruce?" the older Man then asked, having noticed his friend's face.

"Because he is not the one who is trapped..." Bruce started to reply as he brought up detailed floor plans of the derelict building, making Alfred's eyes widen as they both saw what the younger Man meant."

"Good Lord." the Butler said back, earning a nod from Wayne in return.

"You see it too, don't you."

The screen showed that the inside of the building was just a giant room, much like a warehouse. Except for the two floors that were nothing more than catwalks, which overlooked the massive space that was the majority of the factory.

"You see, this factory was once a Subsidiary of ACE Chemicals. But when it was shut down, the Company had to pretty much gut the place and take everything with them, so not to leave any traces of the dangerous materials and liquids that they had produced." the Billionaire explained, while his friend and confidante just looked at the screen and imagined what the Police were going to walk into.

"They will be sitting ducks in there, especially since all exits bar the main entrance were sealed shut."

"Exactly..." Bruce replied, before then getting up and walking over to the Armory.

"...which is why I am not going to let that happen." he added as the clear plastic cabinet opened up and revealed the Bat-suit to him, gaining Alfred's attention.

"But how are you going to get to the other side of Gotham without being seen? If you haven't noticed, it's the middle of the day and the Bat-pod is as you say...not very subtle."

This earned a knowing expression from Bruce as he looked back at his Butler.

"I don't have time to go through the details now, Alfred. And I will need you to man the Bat-Computer while I am out there." he replied, gaining a nod from the older Gentleman.

"Of course Sir."

"But if you want a hint..." the Billionaire continued to say as he pointed over to the workshop located near the elevator, while starting to change suits.

"...feel free to take a look at the device on the table over there."

This made Alfred look in the direction that his Master pointed to, noticing the football-sized object that lay there, which brought a curious expression to the Butler's face.

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

[/b]

Meanwhile in the China Basin, the G.C.P.D. Had cornered off the entrance to Ciders Street, with Patrol-Cars blocking the road and the Officers using them as cover as they aimed their weapons at the derelict factory ahead of them.

"Alright. As soon as our SWAT team arrives, we will move in, secure the building and arrest 'the Bird'. Does everyone understand their roles?" Lt. Foley said to the group.

"Lieutenant, are we not supposed to wait for Commissioner?.." a young Officer standing to his left replied, making Foley turn to him with a serious expression.

"If we had time, then I would agree. But we don't know if 'the Bird' is in there and planning his escape, plus I would rather stop him right now and have no more military-grade weapons coming into our city..." he said to the whole group, before returning his attention to the junior Officer once more.

"...do you?"

The young Man shook his head in return, gaining a confident smirk from the Lieutenant as he returned his attention to the entire group, who kept their guns aimed at the derelict building.

"Good..." he started to reply before the sound of an approaching vehicle caught his attention, making him and the Junior Officer look back to see the armored SWAT Van turn a corner and drive up to their position.

"What's your name, Son?" Foley then asked, earning a nervous look from the Lad."

"Eckhart, sir."

"Don't look so down Eckhart, this will be a walk in the park." the Lieutenant said with a reassuring tone as he patted the younger Man on the shoulder, gaining a thankful smile back.

[ApolloXL5]

Elsewhere at the outskirts of Gotham, at a large opening that looked like an exposed Sewer entrance. Batman was riding the Bat-Pod, as he drove at full speed and entered the City's underground. His cape flapped wildly behind him as he left the light of day and accelerated into the darkness of the man-made caverns, glancing between the low-lit computer screen on his controls as the vehicle's headlights activated and shone the way ahead.

"So you are using Gotham's sewers and decades-old tunnels to make your way to 'the Bird', Master Wayne." Alfred's voice spoke on the Vigilante's comms, earning a slight nod from Batman as he kept his attention on His driving.

"Yes, Fox gave me a couple of Wayne Enterprise's experimental 'Eagle-Eyes', after I had the idea of mapping out the tunnel and sewer system under the City for my activities as Batman. I mean it makes sense to have another means of getting around Gotham if needed during the daylight hours."

"I see Sir, and that is name Mr. Fox came up with for this device. So I guess you will be calling it 'the Bat's-Eye' then." the Butler teased, bringing a smirk to the Dark Knight's face.

"Considering the fact that Bats have poor eyesight, I decided against that name. But since the probes use the same sonar-tech that Fox developed last year. They can scan and map any area they enter..." he started to explain, only for his friend and confidante to cut him off.

"And I see that they share similarities with those 'Volantor' devices." he observed, gaining a nod from Batman.

"Yes, they use ventral rotors so they can hover and fly. So I decided on calling them my 'Bats' instead."

"I see..." Alfred started to say back, the slight teasing tone to his voice dialing back a little as he spoke somewhat more seriously.

"...and you used them to map the tunnels under Gotham."

"Yes, but even though I have been at it for just a few months. I have managed make an accurate map of most of the tunnel and sewer system that has been in service for the last several decades, which is why I have a fast and efficient route already programmed into the Bat-Pod's nav-com." the Vigilante replied while making a quick right turn into another tunnel, after having noticed the change on the vehicle's screen.

"I sense a 'but' coming up though." Alfred then said.

"But I have also discovered that the previous system, the one that is centuries old is far bigger, with hundreds of tunnels that are unaccounted for in the City-plans." Batman replied in his trademark voice as he tightened his grip on the accelerator, making his vehicle speed up through the dark underground.

"I guess that the 'Bats' are going to work into overtime then, so that you can have the far older system mapped as well?" the Butler then asked with a curious and yet knowing tone.

"You know me so well..." the Dark Knight began to reply, before noticing a large gap in the tunnel ahead.

"...just a sec." he then added before speeding up and jumping the gap with the Bat-Pod, landing perfectly on the other side and noticing that he was closing on his target.

"Anyway, I am nearing the section where I can resurface in the China Basin. So I will need you to access the CCTV cameras for the route I am taking to 'the Bird's' lair and shut them down momentarily, I am sensing the details to the Bat-Computer now." Batman continued as he tapped a button on the screen, before getting both hands on the vehicle's controls.

"Receiving the details now Sir. And I suppose it makes sense to do that, since you do not want to alert the authorities to your presence. But when did you gain access to the City's CCTV network?" Alfred asked, while the Vigilante took another tunnel at speed.

"It wasn't that difficult, though not entirely legal either. But considering my current relationship with the Police, it was an necessary evil."

"I understand, Master Bruce..." the older Gentleman replied with a reassuring tone to his voice, which always made the Billionaire feel at ease.

"...now your GPS has you approaching the tunnels under China Basin, so you should be able to resurface in a minute or so." he then added, gaining a nod from the Dark Knight in return.

"That's right, so I am going to go silent for the time being. I will contact you once I arrive at the factory, Batman out." he then said before the comms went quiet, while he drove the Bat-Pod further into the darkness of the tunnels, with nothing but the headlights of his ride to light the way.

Meanwhile back at Ciders Street, the SWAT team were finally ready to move as they joined Foley and his officers, dressed in their black uniforms and armor and armed with assault rifles.

"Ready to move when you are, Sir." the leader said, earning a nod from the Lieutenant as he finished checking his pistol and readied it.

"Good, I will lead you in with Johnson, Matkins and Eckhart. Meanwhile the rest of you will maintain this blockade, ensuring no one leaves this street."

The cops all nodded back, making Foley smile confidently as he took a step toward the factory.

"Alright, let's do thi..." he started to say, only to be cut off as another Patrol-Car pulled up and pulled everyone's attention from him.

'Oh crap, of course 'he' had to turn up now of all times.' he thought as Gordon and Bullock stepped out, with the former looking furious as he stared back at the Lieutenant.

"Stay where you are, all of you." the Commissioner said with a serious tone, one that had a tinge of controlled anger to it. This made everyone just stand where they were, not one even answering back as he walked right up to Foley.

"Lieutenant, what the hell are you doing?" Jim then asked, gaining an annoyed and frustrated look from the other Man.

"I am trying to do my job. Stop an Arms-dealer from further degrading Gotham with his weapons, which happen to be military-grade, as I am sure you know." he said back with just a tinge of respect in his voice, which may not have been noticed due to the growing anger he was showing.

"Yeah, I know. But you 'were' going home to your Wife, after another 'extra-long' shift. So why are you 'here' and not there?" the Commissioner asked while doing his best to ignore his Colleague's attitude, not that the others around them were doing the same as they watched and whispered to each other.

"I heard about 'the Bird' over the wire and thought I could help, my Wife will understand. And I would appreciate you not sticking your nose into my business, especially since my family life is far more stable than yours right now." Foley hit back, which made Jim's eyes widen in shock, before he grit his teeth in frustration.

'How dare he bring up my Family and rub it in my face.' he thought furiously, but before Gordon could say anything back, the older Man felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Commissioner, I think we should shelve this until after we have dealt with the situation at hand here." Bullock then said wisely, earning a reluctant nod from the Police Chief in return.

"...Right, that's... a good idea." he said back, before looking over at the rest of his Men.

"Okay, then we play this tight and by the numbers. I guess you already picked who is going in with you, Foley?" he asked, gaining a nod from the Lieutenant.

"That is correct." he replied with a 'matter-of-fact' tone, which James did his best to ignore as he then gestures to both Bullock and himself.

"Well you can count us two on the team as well."

"But Commissioner, perhaps you should run things from here." Ekhart then said with a tinge of worry to his voice, gaining a smirk from the Police Chief as he adjusted his glasses.

"That is kind of you Ekhart, but I learned a long time ago, never to ask anyone to do something that you are not prepared to do yourself." he said back in a reassuring tone, making Bullock nod back while Foley kept quiet.

"Well said, so are we doing this or what?" the chubby Officer replied, gaining the others attention.

"Let's go." Gordon said back, before he, Bullock, the SWAT team and Foley and his group, then left the blockade and walked cautiously toward the derelict factory.

However, little did the Police realize that their movements were being monitored as a Man was watching them through a pair of binoculars. He was dressed completely in black and had his face covered by a balaclava, with only his eyes visible. He knelt at the window-sill and watched as another Man stood behind him in the shadows, with his face obscured by the dark.

"Okay, they have taken the bait, Boss. I have a SWAT team flanked by half a dozen Cops, including Lieutenant Foley...and Commissioner Gordon." he added, gaining a nod from the other Man in return.

"Good, keep an eye on them until they enter the factory and then return your attention to the blockade and monitor them..." he started to say, before turning around and looking back at several more balaclava-wearing Men standing in the doorway, each holding high-powered Machine-guns and launchers in their hands.

"...we will deal with Gordon and his Pigs." he added while picking up a Mini-gun, exposing a white and black 'Bird' emblem on the back of his coat.

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND DAMNED

[/b]

It was dark inside the Factory as the Cops entered via it's main entrance, with only a few beams of sunlight shining through from the few windows that the derelict building had on it's third level. The interior looked dusty and dank, not at all like a place that was recently used by...well anyone.

"We should split into two teams..." Foley suggested quietly to Gordon and the SWAT team as they slowly entered the large main area, taking cover behind a rusted and gutted old machine that had been left behind.

"...Commissioner, you and your team will search the ground floor while mine will take the upstairs." the Lieutenant added as he pointed to the stairs aways to their left.

"I don't think that is wise. If you haven't noticed, we are currently in a kill-box." the older Man replied while gesturing to their surroundings, gaining a nod from Bullock in return.

"We're like fish in a damn barrel."

"That you are!" a heavily distorted voice then spoke, with it echoing around the large room . This made the Cops look out from behind their cover as they tried to pinpoint where it came from, but the group quickly took cover again as a gunshot rang out from one of the upper levels.

"Sniper!" Foley called out, gaining a nod from Ekhart and the others.

"Yeah, but he isn't aiming at us." Gordon replied as he looked behind them just in time to see a steel net fall down and cover the main entrance, covering their only means of escape.

"It's a trap!" Bullock exclaimed as the group looked back at the blocked exit, before the sound of clapping caught their attention.

"How very astute, Officer Bullock..." the distorted voice began to reply as the interior lights activated, making the Cops look out from behind their cover to see armed Men aiming assault rifles at them from the higher levels, as well several more on the ground floor with them.

"...I find it astounding that someone like you could be like that." the voice continued, earning the Police's attention as a hooded Man appeared on the top floor and looked down at them.

'Damn it, can't make out his face. What is it with Gotham's criminals these days?' Gordon thought for a second as he and his Men aimed their weapons at the balaclava-wearing Men.

"You're 'the Bird', I assume?" the Police Chief then asked with a knowing tone, gaining a nod from the Arms-dealer in return.

"Yes, the 'one and only'..." he started to reply as the laser-sights of his Men's weapons remained trained on them, before he then pointed down at the group.

"...and you're Commissioner Gordon, alongside Lieutenant Foley. The two big heads of the G.C.P.D. which has been a thorn in my dealings for far too long." the Bird added, gaining an amused look from Foley.

"Really? I don't mind the extra praise..." he began to say, gaining a curious glance from the Police Chief.

"...but we haven't exactly stopped any of your weapon shipments yet, so I don't think we have earned the 'thorns in your side' accolades."

"You have brought attention to my business, shone a light on something that should always be shrouded in the dark. This is something that my clients and I will not tolerate, so today I get to kill James Gordon and his Lieutenant. This will serve as a warning to any who would stand against 'the Bird'." the Arms-dealer replied as he picked up his Mini-gun and aimed it at the Police, which made Bullock's eyes widen as the large gun's barrel began to spin.

"That's a god-damn Mini-gun!" the chubby Officer exclaimed before he, Gordon and the others took cover as the Bird and his Men opened fire.

[ApolloXL5]

"Kill them all!" the Arms-dealer called out of the combined weapons fire, while empty bullet cases rained down onto the floor next to his feet from his Mini-gun.

"Well what do we do now?" Ekhart asked with a worried tone, showing his inexperience as he held on to his weapon, earning a thoughtful expression from the Commissioner.

"We don't have the firepower to stand against that Mini-gun."

"And we can't call for backup as our Radios appear to be blocked somehow." Ekhart added while holding one in his left hand, which was only broadcasting static at that moment.

"Then I guess we will have to improvise then." Foley then replied with a knowing expression, before looking at the others and the SWAT team.

"Matkins and Ekhart, you're with me as we draw their fire. Giving Gordon and the others a chance of getting to a better position, so that we can ground this Bird for good." he said while quickly reloading his pistol, only for the Commissioner to give him a surprised and worried look in return.

"Foley, don't be a fool. That Mini-gun will cut you all in half before you can get even a meter away."

"You should have more faith, Commissioner. Or have you really lost your nerve, now?" the Lieutenant replied, only to then look at the SWAT team's leader.

"Do you have any smoke grenades?" he asked, gaining a nod back as the armored Cop handed him one of the devices, which Foley then pulled the pin and rolled it out into the opening front of their cover.

"Now wait for it." he added as the Bird and his Men continued their barrage while the grenade started to leak smoke, starting slowly before getting faster and faster as it released enough smoke to blanket them in a fog-like cloud.

"That will not help you!" the Arms-dealer replied, only for Foley to stand ready at the edge of the rusted machine the group was using for cover.

"Now!" he shouted before firing his gun up at the higher levels as he started tp run to the left, quickly followed by Matkins and Ekhart who did the same. This caused several of the enemies to take cover as the Cops gunfire came close to them, which gave Gordon, Bullock and the SWAT team the chance they needed as they copied their fellows, running out to the right while firing they guns at the Bird's Men on the ground floor with them, taking a few of them down as the rest took cover. But the Bird seemed not th least bit bothered by this move from the Police as he continued his barrage, which riddled three of the SWART team with bullets as the Commissioner and the others dove behind cover while their team mates fell to the ground dead.

"Nice move, but it doesn't improve your situation Commissioner." the Arms-dealer observed, which gained a morbid realization from the older Man as he and the others noticed that their new cover was only a thin metal table.

'Great! That Mini-gun will make short work of this.' he thought as the Bird aimed his hulking weapon down at them, while his Men re-acquired Foley and the others in their iron-sights.

"Time to die." the Criminals Leader then said as he clenched his hand around the Mini-gun's trigger, making it's large gun-barrel spin around. But just as Gordon took a deep breath and thought about his Family, the building's lights suddenly shut off and engulfed everyone in the dark.

"What the...?" the Bird suddenly said with a shocked tone as he let go of the trigger and looked around him, his men doing the same as everyone's attention was off the Police.

"Finally, take them down!" Foley shouted as he, Matkins and Ekhart opened fire on the enemy, hitting one in the shoulder and two in the chest. This brought the Balaclava-wearing crooks attention back to them as one quickly turned his assault-rifle back onto the Lieutenant, who's eyes widened as he found himself staring up the barrel of his enemy's weapon. But then suddenly the Man was pulled away, earning a cry from him as he was snapped up into the darkness.

"Arrrgh!" he cried out, making his comrades look at where he was, only to find his weapon.

"Where did he go?" another called out with a confused tone as he looked around in a panic, mirrored by those around him while the rest focused on the Cops.

As three balaclava-wearing thugs fired their rifles down at Gordon, Bullock and the remaining SWAT, one in the middle felt something hit his foot.

"What?" he asked aloud before looking down and seeing a metal claw clinging to his ankle, which made his eyes widen in response.

"What the hell!" he then added before suddenly having his feet pulled out from beneath him, making the Man fall onto his front.

"Jay!" the guy on his left called as the stricken Man was then pulled quickly into the shadows, his arms waving frantically about as he tried to grab hold of something.

'He's here.' Gordon thought as he witnessed this happen, while a slight smirk appeared on his face.

"You four, keep the Pigs busy..." the Bird spat at the remainder who stood over the Cops position, before turning to the Men right next to him.

"...and you Men, use your torches for God's sake!"

This gained panicky nods back from them as they turned on the torches connected to their weapons and began searching the upper levels while the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the building.

"There is nothing here with us." one of the thugs replied as he checked his immediate area, before another shone his torch over to the right-hand corner behind the Bird, revealing their two missing comrades who were unconscious and slumped against the wall.

"I found Ben and Jake." he replied, gaining his Boss's attention.

"No names, you idiot." he spat back while holding his Mini-gun ready, before starting to back towards the door nearest to him.

"Follow me, we have a better defensive position in the next room, no way anyone can get in without us seeing them." he added, trying to hide the slight slither of fesr in his voice.

"Yeah, but we will be trapped too." one of the Men replied.

"Doesn't matter, the Cops are trapped and unable to call in back up..." the Bird said while gesturing to a slight bulge in his coat's pocket.

"...and we have our secret exit, now move!"

"But what about the others?" another balaclava-wearing Man asked with a worried tone, making the Arms-dealer look back.

"They have the Cops pinned and should finish them off, while we deal with the intruder. Now move!"

So the group started to back towards the door, with the Bird in the middle as the others surrounded him in a protective formation. But just as they crossed through the doorway into the smaller Office-like room, one of the Men shone his torch to the nearest corner and revealed Batman.

"Oh my God!" the Man cried out in a panic as the Dark Knight flung his cape up in both directions, creating a demonic-looking shadow on the wall behind him, before launching himself at the Thug. The others all turned around just in time to see the Vigilante knocking their comrade out with one punch to his balaclava-covered face.

"It's the Bat!" another man screamed before being silenced as Batman kicked him in the face, before he then spun around and knocked down another with his elbow.

"Kill him!" the Bird shouted as he fired his Mini-gun, making the Dark Knight dive behind a metal-table and pull it down on it's side as cover while the others the only remaining Thug standing joined his side and opened fire.

"Keep firing, don't give him an inch!" the Arms-dealer spat, as their combined fire punched many holes into the table.

"I think we got him." the Henchman said enthusiastically as he shone his torch at the felled table, it's light shining through the table's many holes and reflecting off the wall behind it.

"Only one way to be sure...go and check." the Bird said in his disguised voice, making the other guy look back at him with widened eyes.

"Boss...?" he replied with a nervous tone, while the Leader gestured to the table with his Mini-gun.

"I'll cover you from here, now go." he replied, earning a nod from the Henchman as he readied his weapon and slowly walked over to the table.

"Okay..." the younger sounding Man said back as he focused on the spotlight his torch created on the ground in front of him, watching it like a Hawk as he closed in on his target. The Arms-dealer though looked away and down to his Mini-gun, which made his eyes widen as he noticed he was virtually out of ammo.

'Now that's unfortunate.' he thought before looking back at his last Man, noting his almost frightened posture as he approaches the table.

'I think it is time for a tactical retreat.'

The Bird then turned around and walked over to what appeared to be a trapdoor built into the floor, before kneeling down and attempting to open it, only to find that it would not budge.

'What the hell?' the Arms-dealer thought, before noticing a Batarang wedged into the trapdoor.

"There's no one here!" the Henchman then called out, making the Bird look back to see him standing behind the table, his torchlight illuminating the barren floor.

'Where is he...?' the Leader started to think, only to stop as his Henchmen looked back to him and suddenly froze on the spot, looking like a Deer caught in car headlights. This brought a sense of dread to the Bird as he slowly turned his attention back to the trapdoor, only to find the Batman standing directly over him.

'Oh shi...!' he began to think, but was cut off as the Dark Knight grabbed the Arms-dealer by his throat and lifted him off the ground.

"Gah...shoot...him!" the Bird managed to say despite his Apprehender's vice-like grip, snapping the stunned Henchman back to the moment as he raised his weapon at the Vigilante. But Batman quickly threw a Batarang with his free hand, knocking the rifle out of the other guy's hands. This made his eyes widen as he felt like his heart had suddenly stopped in that moment, before turning around and running out of the room in fear.

"Arrest Me!" he screamed, leaving the Bird with the Dark Knight, who just stared directly into his eyes with a quiet ferocity.

"You have my attention, Bird!" he growled with a furious stare, making the Arms-dealer almost lose control of his bowls as his hood fell back and revealed his bald head and wide-eyed, frightened expression.

Meanwhile downstairs, the Cops were still in the middle of their fight with the remaining Balaclava-wearing Henchmen. Both sides taking shots at each other from behind their respective cover, as Foley then heard the shouting coming from above them.

"The Batman, he is here. Let's get him!" he said with a determined tone as he shot down the last Henchman firing at them, gaining the attention of both Matkins and Ekhart.

"But Lieutenant..." the youngest Officer started to say, while gesturing back to Gordon and the others.

"...shouldn't we help the Commissioner's group first?" he added, gaining a serious look from Foley in return.

"Do what you want, but I am going to take down the Son of a Bitch who murdered Harvey Dent!" he spat back, making Matkins nod back in agreement.

"What are we waiting for, Sir." he replied, before they both left the safety of their cover and made a run for the stairs, leaving Ekhart to turn his weapon on the remainder of the enemies firing at the Police Chief and the rest of the SWAT unit.

"What the hell are do they think they are doing?" Bullock then asked as he noticed the Lieutenant and Matkins charging up the stairs to the second floor, earning Gordon's attention as he shot another Henchman in the shoulder.

'He's going for the Batman!' the older Man thought as his eyes widened, before suddenly noticing that Ekhart was covering them from his area as he shot at Balaclava-wearing Men.

"Cover Me!" he shouted, gaining nods from the chubby Officer, the Rookie and the SWAT leader and his subordinate. This made the Commissioner rush for the stairs on the group's right, while the rest of them opened fire on the last few enemies, making them take cover as he ran up the stairs.

"...stop selling weapons in 'my City', or I will make you regret it!" Batman warned with a threatening tone as he dropped the Bird onto the floor, making him wet himself as he cowered and nodded erratically in front of the Dark Knight.

"God yes, I swear!" he cried out, with the tone of his voice completely soaked in fear. But before the Vigilante could do anything else, a voice suddenly called out from behind him.

"Don't you dare move, you Bastard!"

The Dark Knight calmly looked over his shoulder to see Lt. Foley and Officer Matkins standing in the doorway, their pistols aimed directly at his head.

"Help me please! I will answer your questions, just get me away from this maniac!" the Bird cried out, gaining the attention of the Cops as they looked at both him and their target.

"We will, but first we deal with you, Batman." the Lieutenant replied as he stared daggers back at the quiet Masked-Man, who simply stayed calm and collected despite the dire situation he was standing in.

"You might want to lower your weapons." the Batman spoke back with a low growl, which unnerved Matkins slightly.

"And why would I do that? Especially since I have been waiting for this moment for a long time." Foley replied, not even showing a tinge of fear for the Dark Knight.

'Lt. Foley is definitely a problem...' the Vigilante thought before glancing at the other Officer, noticing the uncertainty written on his face.

'...though this one is not.' he added while planning his next move, while the Lieutenant stepped closer to him.

"Have you now?" he asked back, making the older Police Officer's smirk widen a little.

"You're finish...." he then started to say, only to be cut off as Batman quickly turned around and grabbed the pistol out of Foley's hands, before knocking him to the ground with his other. This gained a stunned look from Matkins as the Lieutenant quickly looked back at him with a furious expression.

"Take him down!" he spat, snapping the guy out of it as the Dark Knight lunged at him. But before the Officer could react, the Masked-Man quickly disarmed him and sent him flying with a round-house kick.

The Lieutenant then looked up at the Batman, who stared back with what could only be described as a look of disappointment before throwing the pair's pistols to opposite sides of the room, far from their reach.

"Freeze!" a very familiar voice then spat, which made the Vigilante look to the door and see Commissioner Gordon looking at him via the iron sight of his Berretta.

'Gordon!' Batman thought as he looked back at his one-time Friend, who in turn stared back with a reluctant expression.

"Shoot him Gordon, take that son of bitch down!" Foley shouted furiously while the two Men looked at each other, each one waiting for the other to make the first move. The Commissioner could hear his heart-beat quicken as the Batman's voice echoed in his mind.

'You'll hunt me, condemn me, set the dogs on me!'

But the Dark Knight could see that the Police Chief was not going to act, which would only inflame Foley even more.

'I'll make it easy for you, Gordon.' he thought before quickly reaching into his Utility belt, which made Jim's eyes narrow.

"Don't move, you are under arres...." he started to say, only for Batman to cut him off as he then threw a ball to the ground which quickly exploded into a flash of light and smoke, making the three Cops cover their eyes as the Vigilante dived to the back-right of the room.

The Commissioner quickly recovered and fired several shots into the smoke, only for it to quickly dissipate and reveal that the Batman was gone.

"Oh, perfect!..." Foley then began to shout with an angry and disappointed tone, while Jim looked down to see that the trap-door was left open.

"...I want this place locked down, for that freak is..." he continued to say, only for the older Man to cut him off as he adjusted his glasses.

"He's long gone...." he started to say, before looking down at 'the Bird' who was cowering where he sat.

"...but we got what we came for." Jim added, gaining a distrustful look from the Lieutenant in return as Bullock then entered the room.

"The other guys are down, SWAT's watching them while Ekhart goes out to call in reinforcements..." he started to explain, only to look around the room with a puzzled expression.

"...so what did I miss?"

To be continued...

[Edd Grayson]

I am not a critic and I like fanfiction, and I especially like your work so far, so I can just say: Keep it up! 

[ApolloXL5]

Thanks mate, I really appreciate that.

[Edd Grayson]

Thanks mate, I really appreciate that.

Good. 

[ApolloXL5]

Several minutes later and Gordon, Bullock and Ekhart were driving through the streets of Gotham in a Patrol-Car with 'the Bird', who was handcuffed in the back with the latter as the former drove the vehicle and the Commissioner sat beside him.

"Boss, tell me again why we aren't taking this guy to Blackgate?" the chubby Officer asked with a curious expression while never taking his eyes off the road, earning the older Man's attention as he looked over.

"Bullock, seriously...?" Ekhart suddenly jumped in, cutting Jim off before a single word could leave his mouth.

"...have you seen how this guy is dressed? He is obviously a nut-job." he added while gesturing to their Prisoner, before noticing that his Boss was looking back at him.

"Sorry for cutting you off Commissioner, I didn't mean to..." he then started to say, only to be stopped as Gordon smirked and waved him off.

"It's okay Ekhart, you took the words right out of my mouth." he replied, which made Bullock look directly at him after stopping at a red light.

"You're agreeing with the Rookie, Commissioner?" he asked as his expression looked more curious, all the while 'the Bird' just sat silently in the back and looked down at his lap.

"To a degree, yes. I mean he is dressed as theatrically as the Scarecrow, Zsasz or even the Joker..." he started to reply, before looking over his shoulder at the Arms-dealer.

"...but I highly doubt he's as crazy as any of them, so let's see if spending some time around them will make him a little more talkative."

This made 'the Bird' look at the Police Chief with an expression that was more than a little worried, earning smiles from both Bullock and Ekhart.

"Sounds good, especially as he has been so quiet since we left Ciders Street." the latter replied.

"That's right, I mean he did say he would tell us everything he knows." the chubby guy added as the traffic light switched to green, allowing him to drive their car through the junction and down the opposite street.

"Wait, I will tell you everything..." the handcuffed Prisoner then said, not even attempting to hide the uneasiness in his voice, gaining a smile from Gordon as he turned his attention to 'the Bird'.

"Oh I know you will, but after you spend a few nights in Arkham." he replied knowingly, which made their Captive sink a little more into his seat with a deep breath. Bullock then sighed as he kept his attention on the road ahead, just as the bridge leading to Arkham island appeared in the distance.

"Anyone notice how pissed the Lieutenant looked before we left the factory?" he asked, gaining a nod from the Rookie sitting behind Gordon.

"I did, yeah." the young Man replied, while the Commissioner just looked out of the window and watched the buildings pass by.

"I can honestly say I don't give a damn how Foley is feeling right now, not after the stunt he pulled back there." he answered in a matter-of-fact tone, gaining a sympathetic expression from Ekhart.

"He only wanted to catch 'the Batman' Sir, it's not like there have been many opportunities in this last year, if what the guys at HQ have been saying."

Gordon though was about to turn around and reply to that, only for Bullock to speak up in his stead.

"Kid, it does not matter. Yeah, the Lieutenant wanted to catch the Batman...hell, 'we all do'..." he started to say, earning an eyebrow raise from the Commissioner as he looked back out of his passenger-window.

"...But we were there for 'the guy' we currently have sitting in the back of our Car. And we don't leave our mates in the heat of a gunfight, even if it is for a good reason...I mean you didn't." he finished, gaining a sigh from the younger Man who then nodded back in agreement.

"Yeah...you're right."

"Of course I'm right..." the podgy Officer said back, before looking over at his Boss.

"...I hope I didn't step on your toes too much, Commissioner?" he the asked with a hopeful grin, making the older man look back and smirk back appreciatively.

"No Bullock, you didn't." he replied, just as their vehicle arrived at the bridge to Arkham Island.

Meanwhile back at the Bat-Cave, Batman burst through the Waterfall covering it's main entrance and landed on the soaked ground beyond it with the Bat-pod, gaining Alfred's attention as he turned away from the Bat-Computer.

"I heard over the Police-Scanner that you got away, Sir. So Mission accomplished then." he called while watching the Vigilante climb off the bike-like vehicle, gaining a knowing look him.

"Well, the Bird is in Police custody. But they lost a few of their own during the assault." he replied while walking up the metal stairs to his friend, earning a nod back.

"Yes, two of their SWAT team..." Pennyworth began to say with a respectful and regretful tone as his Master walked past him, towards the Armory which rose up out of the floor to greet him.

"...but at least the Arms-dealer is now behind bars." the Old Man added, which made Bruce nod back as he started to change clothes, taking the Cowl off first and looking down at it for a second.

"Yes, but Alfred..." the younger Wayne started to say, keeping the Butler's attention on him as he looked back with a knowing expression.

"...you do know 'the mission' will never be over, no matter how many Jokers, Scarecrows or Birds, Batman helps put behind bars." Bruce carried on as he then returned his attention to the Cowl and placed it back in the Armory, gaining a knowing smile from Alfred as he walked up to the Billionaire and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course, Master Bruce. Having seen what I have seen over the past few years, I now know without a doubt that there will always be threats to the City, just as surely as you will stand against them as a symbol for the people to rally behind..." he added as his smile began to fade.

"...even if they do not at this moment."

"Yes..." the Billionaire started to reply, only to go quiet for a moment as he continued to change his clothes while his Butler had turned away and walked over to the nearby table, where a pot of Tea and a cup stood.

"...I'm certainly not doing 'this' to be popular..." Bruce then continued after getting dressed into a pair of jeans and a black top, only to turn around and find Alfred standing ready with a hot cup of Tea in hand.

"No Sir, you're doing this 'to fight the good fight'." he cut in, earning a smile from Bruce, who took the Tea and gave it a sip.

"You read my mind." he replied with an appreciative tone, which made the Older Man's smile widen in return.

"Of course Sir, it's in my job description."

The younger Wayne then sat down at the Bat-Computer and started typing, while Alfred stood at his side.

"So what are your plans for the remainder of the day, Sir?" the latter asked with a curious tone as his Master took another sip of his Tea, before placing back on it's saucer and continued typing.

"I am going to send the 'Bat' out to the locations that the Bird spilled during our short talk, have them check for any further Military-grade Weapon Caches. If they do, then you can give the Police an anonymous tip..." the younger Man began to reply, earning a smirk from Alfred.

"Happy to oblige." he cut in politely, which made Bruce mirror his smirk before continuing.

"...and tonight I will go out on patrol."

"I see, Master Bruce. And what of tomorrow, before the Manor's grand Party?" the Butler then inquired, making the Billionaire stop and turn to face him in his chair with a knowing expression.

"Oh, I haven't forgotten about that Alfred. I have meetings tomorrow morning with all those that will be involved with making the party a success." he replied before hitting a keystroke, which brought the probe lying on the worktable to life as it began to hover, gaining Alfred's attention as he looked in it's direction before the device then flew past the pair and through the waterfall as it left the Cave behind.

"Impressive." the Butler stated as he watched it go, while Bruce continued typing as he kept his eyes on the screens.

"And off it goes. I have also programmed the other 'Bats' to temporarily stop their mapping of Gotham's underground so they can head to the other locations, as you can see." he explained, gesturing for his old Friend to look at the screen.

"So I see..."Alfred began to reply as he saw three other blips moving over a map of the city on the screen, each blip shaped like the Bat-Symbol. But then Bruce turned to him, cutting the older Man off mid-sentence.

"You know Alfred, I'm kind of hungry." he said with knowing smirk, which brought a curious expression to the Butler's face.

"Really, Master Wayne? Shall I bring something down for you then?"

"That won't be necessary..." the Billionaire started to say as he stood up and left the proximity of the Bat-Computer, joining the Butler's side.

"...as I have just finished programming the 'Bats'. I don't need to watch their every move, so let's go in the Kitchen and see what we currently have in." he added, earning a smile from Alfred as they both began to walk over to the elevator.

[ApolloXL5]

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

The following Evening...

Penelope Young sighed deeply as she sat at her desk and looked at the large stack of files that lay directly in front of her, before looking at her watch.

'Great, it's nearly Seven and I am still here.' she thought with an annoyed expression, before taking the top file and opening it up to reveal the records of one of the Patients. But before she could even start reading, her attention was caught by the sound of footsteps and laughter, making her look through the Office window to see two more Doctors walking past as their made their way out.

'Perfect. Both Stevens and Banning get to leave before me, I knew I shouldn't have volunteered to help Dr. Cassidy.'

But then she sighed again as her expression softened to a slightly guilty one, while she reached for her Coffee.

'I shouldn't think like that, since this is only my second day and it wouldn't have made a good impression if I just up and left with the rest of them.'

But just as she lifted the xylophone cup, the Doctor noticed that it was much lighter than she remembered.

'Damn it. If I am going to continue with this late night work, I will need much more Caffeine than this.' she thought while looking into the now empty cup, before her attention was taken by Dr. Cassidy who just entered the room.

"Penelope, thanks again for helping me with all these files. I really appreciate it." the older Woman said as she placed another large pile of files on her own desk, which was to Young's right.

"You're welcome. Though I could do with another Coffee, should I get you one too?" the Penelope replied as she started to get up, only for Cassidy to stop her with a gesture.

"That's okay, I'll go and get them as you already have your hands full enough as it is." she said back with a smile, before turning around and heading for the door. But before the older Woman reached for the door's handle, her ear-piece began to beep, stopping Cassidy in her tracks as she tapped it.

"Dr. Cassidy..." she then started to answer, while Penelope watched from her seat.

"...what? You can't be serious...?" the senior Doctor then said with a surprised and clearly aggravated tone, gaining a curious look from her Subordinate.

"Can't the Warden handle this, because i have enough on my plate right now...oh, right. Okay, I am on my way." she then answered reluctantly, before deactivating the device and looking over at Young.

"We're going to have to out a hold on this for now..." the older Woman started to say, bringing a questioning look to the latter's face.

"Why? What's wrong?" she asked, cutting the other off.

"It's just something that the Warden should have dealt with, but since he left earlier to go to a Fundraiser hosted by Bruce Wayne, it's been left for me to deal with..." Cassidy continued to say while taking out a Card from her pocket and handing it to Penelope, who just looked back with a puzzled expression.

"...but I need you to go to the Supply-room near the East Wing and grab some things that I have wrote down on the list lying on my desk over there, then meet me in the Main Reception. You can use this Card to gain access to the Supply Room."

"Okay, I can do that." the younger Woman replied with a confident smile, earning an appreciative smile back.

"Good..." she started to say back, before the expression changed to one of annoyance.

"I just hope Quincy is having a good time, because her certainly won't be after I am through with him." she added before walking out of the room, leaving Penelope by herself.

A moment later and the Intern found herself walking down the corridor towards the East Wing, an area which was forbidden to her for the time being and it was understandable why that was, as it was where the sickest and most insane Lunatics were held. Penelope found herself stopping and staring over at the rusty looking metal door that lead into the forbidden Wing, her heart-beat quickened ever so slightly as she felt an uneasiness came over her.

'That's where 'they' are.' the Doctor thought to herself, before remembering the reason she was there and carried on to the Supply-room. Still even though Penelope could not see the door now as she walked past and pulled out Cassidy's card, she still knew it was there which made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

'Ignore it!' she thought while shaking her head with an annoyed expression, before swiping the card-reader and opening the door to the Supply-room.

But before the Intern could enter and pick up what her Superior wanted, the sound of a scuffle caught her attention. This made the young Woman turn to see two Orderlies grappling with a Patient, who was putting up a good fight as they tried to calm him down.

"Help me, the Dragons are after me! They want to feed me to the Dragons!" the pale Man screamed as he tried to fight them off, before both Orderlies managed to get him on the ground.

"Hey you!" one called, noticing Penelope standing there as he straddled the Patient and pinned him down.

"...give us a hand, will ya!" he added, gaining a surprised look from the Intern in return.

"What can I do?" she asked with an unsure tone, her eyes returning her focus to the Patient as he squirmed and struggled under the Orderlies grips, his eyes locking on to hers as she saw the cold, petrified fear staring back at her.

"Grab us a straight-jacket out of the cupboard on the other side of that door." the Man replied as he pointed just aways from her, while his friend administered a shot into the crazed Man's arm. This earned a gulp from Penelope as she looked back at the entrance to the East Wing, bringing her attention back to her quickening heart-beat.

'I have to go in there!' she thought while her senses became hyper aware, feeling not just the beat of her heart, but also her pulse in her wrists, neck and temples.

"Come on!" the Orderly shouted again, snapping Dr. Young out of her thoughts as she nodded and started for the door.

"Okay." she replied, her voice not even disguising her shaken nerves at this moment while she took Cassidy's card and swiped it through the Card-reader located on the wall beside the entrance, earning an unlocking sound from within the door.

"Don't worry, just ignore the In-mates in there, okay." the other Man said back as he removed the needle from the Patient's arm, having noticed how nervous Penelope looked.

"Okay..." she said back as she opened the door and hesitantly entered the East-Wing.

There was a change not only in atmosphere, but in the environment which was instantly apparent as Penelope walked through the door into what looked like an early scene from a Horror-movie. For the decor was like a bathroom from the early fifty's, one which had been forgotten and left to rot in the decades since. The dim lighting did nothing to help the Intern as she looked around, finding that the Moonlight coming through the windows was the best source of illumination in the area. But even this only lit up the areas directly in it's path, leaving much of the interior shrouded in darkness.

'My god, this is horrendous.' Dr. Young thought as she observed her surroundings, seeing the cells up ahead, noticing the leaking pipes overhead that were dripping water down into the puddles directly beneath, the sounds of each splash echoing around the large room like the ticks of an old clock. But then the young Woman's eyes came across the large cabinet to her left, one of the only objects that did not fit with the decor around there.

'There it is.' she thought while walking over to it, before swiping the card yet again to gain her access to the straightjackets. But as she opened the cabinet up, it's hinges let out a loud creak-like sound which echoed throughout the room, causing the Doctor to stop and look back toward the Cells. But there was no sign of movement or that anyone was in them, so she sighed and returned her attention back to her new objective.

'So this cabinet is not as new as I thought.' she thought to herself while noticing that the door's hinges were rather rusty. But the young Intern simply shook her head disapprovingly, while grabbing one of the neatly folded jackets out of the storage unit.

"Ha ha, he he, ha...ha." an unnerving and creepy Male voice then laughed, causing Penelope to spin around and look in it's direction.

'I've heard that laugh before.' she thought while looking towards the cells just as a pale and scruffy Man came into view from behind the bars of one of them. His face was painted white and his hair green, though the colors were really starting to wear off after such a long time without reapplication. His eyes locked onto the Intern almost immediately like a Predator with it's prey, while his smile widened and exposed the scars at the edges of his mouth.

'The Joker!' Penelope thought as she found herself staring back like a Deer caught in the beams of a Car's headlights.

"Why so shy, Miss? Why don't you come closer so we can talk..." he then began to ask in an unnerving to e while reaching out with his hand, beckoning her to him.

"Give it a rest, Joker!" another Man started to say, cutting the former off mid-sentence as he appeared in the cell next door. This One though had a more clinical and smart look to him, with his brown hair styled into a side-parting.

"...can't you see that she is scared..." he continued before staring back at her with an inquisitive and methodical expression.

"...I wonder what else frightens her?" he added as a creepy smile appeared on his face, which made the younger Doctor feel even worse as she recognized him as well.

'Jonathan Crane... the Scarecrow.' she thought as the two Inmates simply watched her as the Clown rolled his eyes and licked his lips.

"Again with 'the Fear'..." Joker started to say as he sighed.

"...you know Johnny-boy, I think you need a new hobby." he chuckled, gaining an annoyed expression from Crane as he adjusted his glasses.

"And you need a new 'line', because I doubt you can come up with any more tiresome stories about those scars of yours." he replied with disdain in his voice, gaining another laugh from the Joker as they ignored Penelope, who just found herself watching them quietly.

"You're a real hoot to be around, Craney. But how about we shelve this for another time and get back to our visitor here, because surely she will be better company than our new Cell-mate over there." the Pale Man said back while gesturing to the Cell next to Crane's, gaining the Intern's attention as she looked in it's direction.

"I'm not too sure about, Joker..." he started to say while returning his focus back to Penelope, who felt her skin crawl as she felt his eyes on her.

"Is someone there?" a frightened and trembling voice then spoke from within the other Cell, which brought an curious look to the young Woman's face as she found herself walking over.

"Please, I can't stay in here another night." the voice added as Penelope walked in front of the cells, ignoring the stares of both Joker and Crane as she stopped in front of the third Cell. It was then that she saw what looked like a frightened bald-Man curled up on the ground in the middle of the Cell, shaking his head from side to side as his body trembled. But then as if he had sensed her presence, the prisoner looked up at the Doctor standing on the other side of the bars and his eyes widened in response, quickly getting back to his feet as a glimmer of hope appeared on his face.

"Hey you, please tell Commissioner Gordon that I will confess everything he wants to know...please, I can't stay in here another night and listen to those two." he managed to say with a fearful and begging-like tone, earning a sigh from Joker as he rolled his eyes in return.

"Boy, this one is a real let down. I swear if I could, I would go into his cell and put a smile on his face...just like mine." he said in a devious tone while gesturing to his scarred mouth, but Penelope tried to ignore him despite how much his voice and stare was getting under her skin.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you." she then replied to the third Prisoner, backing slowly away from his bars as he got to feet and ran up to them and her.

"Please, I don't belong with these Psychos. I would rather spend my life in Blackgate, please!" he pleaded.

"Oh, sticks and stones mat break my bones...but not before I break yours, ha ha ha." Joker replied as he started laughing hysterically at him, but Dr. Young had turned around and started back to the cabinet while trying to ignore the inmates.

'I shouldn't have dawdled around here. I should have just taken this straightjacket back to the Orderlies as soon as I picked it up.' she thought disappointingly, before a fourth voice suddenly spoke, one that made her stop in her tracks and look over to the fourth Cell.

"...Rachel..."

'That voice, I know that voice too.' Penelope thought as she remembered hearing it on the radio and the Television only a year ago. So the Intern walked over to the Cell and looked in side, all the while the familiar voice muttered the same word.

"...Rachel...Rachel..."

As soon as the Intern reached the Cell's bars, she looked inside and thanks to the Moonlight shining in from the large barred window behind her, she could see a Man lying on a Berth inside though he looked to be restrained as he slept.

"...Rachel..." he said softly once more, making Penelope's eyes widen in surprise as she clearly saw the right side of his face, recognising him almost immediately.

"Oh my God, that's Harvey Dent..." she began to say out loud, gaining some more laughter from Joker's Cell as she continued to stare at the sleeping former-D.A.

"...but you're supposed to be dead." she then added with a slither of disbelief before he then opened his eyes, making her almost take a step back, only to stop as she still held onto the bars of his cell.

"...Hello..?" she then tried to say, only to stop as he then tuned his head in her direction, letting the Moonlight illuminate his face's hideously scarred right side. This made Penelope's eyes widen fully as she then opened her mouth and screamed so loud that both Joker and Crane could only look on and smirk in response.

"He He He, ooh this is going to be fun!" the Clown replied with an enthusiastic tone as he licked his lips from one side of his mouth to the other, while the intern's scream echoed around them.

[ApolloXL5]

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

Meanwhile on the outskirts of Gotham, Wayne Manor was bustling with smartly dressed Gentlemen and elegant Ladies as they all gathered in the Mansion's main-hall. They were all conversing and drinking, while numerous Waiters and Waitresses made sure their glasses did not empty too much. But as the majority of the guests were having fun, Jim Gordon and his Wife Barbara looked anything but the happy Couple as they stood at the Buffet-table, which spanned the length of the Hall.

"Come on Barbara, try to smile at least." the police Commissioner said with a slither of hope to his voice, having noticed his Wife's icy expression as she took a sip of her Wine.

"Don't get your hopes up, Jim. I may have agreed to come along to this party with you, but I will certainly not act like all is well." she replied with a slither of venom in her voice, which made Gordon sigh as he adjusted his glasses and looked down at the food on the table beside him.

"May I suggest you try the Chocolate Truffles, Commissioner?" a familiar voice spoke, gaining the Police Chief's attention as he found Alfred Pennyworth standing beside him.

"Ah, Mr. Pennyworth. I guess these are good, then?" he replied with a curious expression while picking one up from the silver plate in front of him.

"Their the best in State, sir..." he started to reply with a knowing smile, bringing a similar look to Gordon's face.

"...quite possibly the best in the Country."

"That's quite the claim, so I guess I really should try one now." the Commissioner said back before taking a bite from the cake, his eyes widening a little as he chewed and then swallowed.

"Wow! Okay, that is no claim." he added, making the Butler's smile widen more in return.

"That comment will certainly please the Kitchen staff."

Gordon then looked around the room, through the crowds before him, made up of the rich and important members of Gotham's society.

"I haven't seen Mr. Wayne yet, I suppose he is going to make one of his big entrances?"

"Master Wayne will be here shortly, Commissioner. Perhaps in the mean time, you would like to introduce your Wife to the Truffles?" Alfred replied while gesturing back to the food, only for the Police Chief to glance over at Barbara who was standing with her back to him as she looked out at the party.

"I don't think she is really in the mood right now." he said back with an unsure tone and expression on his face, which brought a thoughtful look from the Older Man.

"Well, it would not be gentlemanly of myself to pry into the personal life of another..." he started to say while picking up the plate of Truffles, before holding them in front of Gordon.

"...but there is an old saying, 'food is our common ground'." he added with an ever so slight smile, one that made the Commissioner sigh in defeat, before nodding back as he picked up a Truffle and turned in the direction of his Wife, who was still watching the rest of the party.

"Barbara..." he then called out while walking up to his Partner's side, gaining barely an acknowledgment from her as she glanced back.

"...you should really try out these Truffles, their to die for." he said with a hopeful smile, which made the Woman turn round and face him with a disinterested expression.

"Jim, if I want something, then I can get it myself." she replied in a blunt fashion before walking off into the crowd, leaving Gordon standing on his own as Alfred watched from the table.

'Oh bugger, I guess their relationship is in alot of trouble.' he thought, while the Police Chief just shook his head and ate the Truffle alone.

Meanwhile Bruce Wayne suddenly appeared at the top of the Grand-staircase in his finest Tux, looking over entire Party from his vantage point on the second floor.

'Looks like we have a full house, it's a who's who of Gotham down there.' he thought before tapping his small earpiece, gaining a small buzz in his ear.

"May I have everyone's attention please." he then said with his voice echoing throughout the Hall, making all the guests look around before their eyes fell upon him at the top of the stairs.

"It's Wayne."

"About time."

"The guy certainly knows how to make an entrance." were some of the things being spoken by everyone as the Billionaire began to walk down towards them, looking back with a large and warm smile on his face.

"First of all, I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming tonight. It means a lot to me,..." he began to say before a slightly embarrassed expression appeared on his face.

"...especially after how the last party I held under this roof turned out..." he added, gaining knowing looks from Fredericks and a few members of the audience that Bruce recognized from that previous evening.

".., but that was a long time ago and I guarantee that tonight's proceedings will not mirror those in any way, shape or form. I see that you have been enjoying my booze and snacks, which is great because I have a question that I wish to ask you in return." the young Man continued, earning curious looks from the crowd as he stepped onto the ground floor and looked at them from eye-level.

"What do you want Gotham City to be? It is a question that I have been asking myself a lot in the time since I came back and took over my Family's company, and I hope that it is one that you all have asked yourselves at one time or another. It is no secret that Gotham has been plagued by crime for a very long time. In fact as many of you are aware, I myself learnt this the hard way when I as an eight year old boy, witnessed my Parents being gunned down in what has since been called 'Crime Alley'..." he continued to say, while a number of the guests glanced over to the large portrait of their Hosts Parents which hung on the main wall to their right.

"...and even though the days that followed were some of the darkest of my life, I have come out the other end much stronger than I would have believed at the time. And I believe that means something, because our City can do the same. Because if we work together and pool our resources, then we can help bring Gotham out of the dark and back into the light. The Dent Act was a good start, crippling the Mob and taking organized crime off the streets. But unfortunately the streets are still not completely safe, so I am having the Applied Sciences department of Wayne Enterprises develop state of the art equipment for the GCPD, while also donating $50 million into it's budget."

This earned gasps from those in the audience, while Jim Gordon simply stood in shock at what he just heard.

'$50 million...from just Wayne alone.' he thought, while the Billionaire continued to speak.

"...that's not all, since I am turning Wayne Enterprises eyes to a part of our City which once stood as it's beating heart, which has since been allowed to wither and decay....'Old Gotham. Starting from next week, my Company will begin an initiative to rebuild and renovate the area, creating new jobs and opportunities for many in the City as well as improving it's public transport system." he added, while everyone still stood in absolute silence and stared back in wide-eyed surprise.

"And I ask you to join me in this endeavor and share in the responsibility, because we are all children of Gotham and together we can breath new life into our City, rising it back up so it can stand tall once more." he finished, which earned him a round of applause from everyone as the sound of hands clapping echoed around the room.

"Thank you, now please enjoy the Party." the young Wayne then replied with a little embarrassment underling his words, before Mr. Fredericks then walked up to him with a warm smile.

"Nicely done Bruce." he said while offering his hand, which the Billionaire quickly shook in return.

"Thank you, Douglas." he started to say as more people began to surround him, all eager to grab some of his time as they started to shower him with praise. But Bruce had his sights already set on one man in particular as he weaves through the crowd, thanking each and everyone of them as he made his way to the Police Chief.

"Commissioner Gordon, I am glad you and Lieutenant Foley could make it." he said with a friendly smile and tone, gaining an appreciative smile in return from the older Man as they shook hands.

"You're welcome Mr. Wayne and thank you for the support you're giving to the GCPD, it is beyond generous." he replied, earning a humbling look from the billionaire.

"I see the hard work that you do for the City even though the budget is not as high as it should be, putting yourselves in harms way day in, day out and I thought that I could make a contribution."

"Mr. Wayne, I don't know what else to say other than it is greatly appreciated..." the Commissioner started to say, only for another voice to speak up from behind them.

"That was one hell of a speech, Bruce."

This made both Bruce and Gordon turn around to find Sebastian Lamont standing with them, glass in hand and dressed in a very smart tux.

"Seb!" the former said with a surprised smile as the pair shook hands, while the Police Chief looked on bemused.

"And I can tell you that from what I saw, it has definitely turned heads around here." Lamont added, before turning his attention to Gordon.

"Commissioner Gordon, my name is Sebastian Lamont and I am here to pledge my support to the GCPD, along with a donation of the same amount that Bruce gave....$50 million."

The Older Man could only look back with a surprised expression once again, shaking the new guy's hand just as quickly as he had Bruce's,

"Thank you..." he began to say, only for someone from behind him to put a hand on his shoulder and cut him off.

"Yes, thank you Mr. Lamont..." Foley then said as he looked at both Sebastian and his friend.

"...and you too Mr. Wayne, your contributions will definitely be of help to us as we continue to combat crime in Gotham..." he continued to say, earning a joint curious look from both Bruce and Lamont while Gordon caught a glimpse of his Wife standing behind them, near from where Foley had come from.

'What is...?' he started to think, gaining another annoyed glare from Barbara as she turned and walked away.

"...as well as take down the murderous Vigilante known as the Batman." the young Lieutenant added with a overly confident tone, that brought a slight apprehensive undertone to Bruce's face before he then smiled back, while Gordon's attention was snapped back to the three of them as his Wife disappeared into the crowds standing around them.

"Well, I am glad to hear that he is still in the Police's cross-hairs. I mean it's been a year and the Bat is still out there." the young Wayne replied with a knowing tone as Alfred appeared at his side and handed him a drink, gaining a unsure expression from the Police Chief.

"It's not like we have been sitting on our hands. We have still been very busy since crime in the City hasn't fallen that much, despite the Mob having been off the streets for the last year." he replied with a defensive undertone to his voice, gaining a glare from Foley as he took a sip from his drink.

"I don't want to overstep my boundaries here, since I am clearly the new guy in this topic..." Sebastian then said, gaining the attention of both Gordon and his Subordinate while Bruce looked on.

"...but for the last few years, I have been working between Metropolis and Star City, but yet the stories of the Batman have reached even there. Though I don't recall him being labeled as 'murderous'?" he asked with a puzzled tone, which just made Foley's eyes narrow a bit.

"Well then, please allow me to enlighten you..." he began to say back with a knowing tone, while Gordon just awkwardly took a sip of his drink as Alfred gave Bruce a similar look.

"The Batman is a vigilante who works outside of the law..."

This brought an insulted look to the Businessman's face, as he held up his hand to the Lieutenant.

"Let me stop you right there, Officer." he said, earning a similar look from Foley.

"That's Lieutenant."

"Whatever..." Sebastian replied before taking a sip from his drink, which brought a smirk to both Bruce and Gordon's faces in return.

"...but do I look like an idiot to you, because I own and run a Fortune 500 Company, so of course I know what a Vigilante is, so just get to the point before you embarrass yourself and your department any further." he replied in a 'matter-of-fact' tone, making the Lieutenant grit his teeth a little under his breath.

"Well, as I was about to say...you obviously know that the Batman killed Harvey Dent."

"Yes, but killing one Man does not make one 'murderous'." Lamont replied, earning a nod from the Cop.

"True, but he also killed three others as well. Two are known as one of the Mob Leaders, Sal Maroni and his driver..." he carried on, only for Gordon to cut him off mid-sentence.

"But there was no fifth victim, since former-Detective Anna Ramirez turned up alive and well." he said, while Sebastian kept his attention between the two Cops. Meanwhile Bruce watched the trio with a curious expression with Alfred close behind, handing drinks to the other guests around them.

"So who is the fifth victim, Lieutenant Foley?" the young Wayne then asked, making all three Men look over to him.

"The fifth death that hangs around the Bat's neck is none other than a Terrorist responsible for the Chemical attack on Gotham over two years ago, and he goes by the name of Ra's Al-Ghul."

'Ra's....that's a name I have not heard of in a long time.' Bruce thought to himself in surprise, while keeping a calm and collected expression to his face.

"That was never confirmed, nor should you even be telling anybody that." Gordon then said, his voice underlined with an aggressive tone as he glared at his subordinate, who simply continued without a care.

"But it wasn't denied either, since your report stated that the Batman confirmed this Ra's was in control of the train that was carrying the bio-weapon, the same train that was then derailed and crashed into the underground section of Wayne Tower and destroyed. This Terrorist was never arrested and the last person to see him alive was none other than the Vigilante, you know what that makes him.." Foley said while looking at the three Men, his eyes ending up on Bruce.

"...a murderer."

"You look like you could use with a top-up Master Wayne." Alfred then said, quickly pouring the Billionaire another drink into his empty glass.

"I could too, thank you Alfred." Lamont then said with a smile, gaining a mirrored expression from Bruce in return.

"Yeah, all this talk of Vigilantes and murders...it can leave you with a very dry throat, thanks Alfred." he said back, gaining a knowing nod from his faithful Butler.

"I think you and I should have a talk..." Gordon then said to his Lieutenant, before turning his attention to the others.

"I feel I have to apologize for Foley's behavior, he shouldn't have..." he began to say, only to be cut off as the Host put his hand on his shoulder.

"There's no need Commissioner, Lieutenant Foley is obviously a Man who takes his job extremely seriously and feels very strongly about this situation with the Batman." he replied, gaining a nod from Sebastian.

"That is true, and I do feel I have to agree with him now on that subject. I mean with everything the City has been through in recent years, it really does not need a Vigilante messing everything up for it now, especially if what Foley told us is true." he added, making Gordon nod back while looking down at the ground. But Bruce recognized that look, even if no one else around them did. For he knew the Commissioner far better than anyone outside of Alfred would know and the Billionaire could see it in Gordon's eyes that he did not agree with Lamont's words, hell...even he himself did not.

'I'm sorry I can't stand up with you on this one Commissioner.' the younger Man thought.

"Well, thank you both for your contributions Gentleman. And thank you for the Party, Bruce. I wish you luck with your Initiative." Gordon then said, before turning around and walking away with Foley.

"Poor guy, he obviously has a lot of trouble with that one." Sebastian then said observantly, earning a lopsided grin from his friend.

"What gave you that idea." the young Wayne replied before taking a sip of his drink.

As the two friends began talking amongst themselves, Gordon and Foley made their way through the crowded Hall, with the former looking like thunder as looked back at his colleague.

"What the hell was that? You know you shouldn't be spouting things like that, especially on a night like this." he said in a low and calm voice, though barely disguising his anger.

"Well unlike you, Gordon. I don't look back on the days when we were helping a Vigilante with any warmth whatsoever, in fact I despise that and will do what is necessary to put that freak where he belongs." Foley spat back, barely keeping his voice down. But then the Police Commissioner caught a glimpse of his Wife in the background, bringing a previous thought back to the forefront of Jim's mind.

"By the way, were you talking to my Wife before coming over to us?" he asked with an inquisitive look, making the younger Man stare back knowingly.

"What if I was? I thought that if you cared so much about my relationship, then I should at least do the same." he replied, gaining a deep breath from Gordon in return. But before he could say anything else, his mobile-phone suddenly started to ring in his pocket. So the older Man took it out and looked at the screen.

"Ah good timing." Foley then said with a smirk, which made the Police Chief look back with narrowed eyes.

"This isn't over." he replied before accepting the call and putting the device to his ear.

"Gordon..." he said before listening to whoever was on the other end, which gained Bruce's attention from just aways as he was talking to Sebastian, with the Billionaire glancing over his friend's shoulder subtly as he talked.

'I wonder what that is about...?' the Billionaire started to think, before noticing his former-Ally's expression change as his eyes widened in shock as he spoke up.

"What!"