The Killing Joke
1/4
“Master Wayne,” interrupted the old butler, Alfred. Bruce was in the middle of having dinner with one Selina Kyle. It was New Year’s Eve, with only a few hours to go until midnight.
“Yes, Alfred?” Bruce turned his head, looking over his shoulder at his friend. “What is it?” he followed Alfred’s eyes out the window, where he was faced with the familiar sight of the Bat-signal in the cloudy Gotham sky. “Can’t that city last one night without any problems?” Bruce sighed to himself. Of course he wasn’t being serious, he enjoyed saving Gotham. It was his job, though he didn’t get paid for it really. But Batman didn’t need to get paid. Batman just had to save the city. “I’m sorry,” he began, looking over at Selina as he stood up.
“It’s fine, Bruce, I understand,” Selina laughed softly and waved it off with her hand. “I’ll be here when you get back,” she sent him a small smile as Bruce nodded his head and left the room. Selina honestly didn’t mind. She knew he was Batman, and he knew she was Catwoman. She would have gotten up to go and help him, but she wasn’t in the mood. Catwoman wasn’t as holy as Batman was; she was more of a villain then a hero at times.
Bruce walked out of the dining room, making his way to the old grandfather clock and then down into the Bat-cave, Alfred two steps behind him. “Should I phone Master Dick?”
“No,” Bruce shook his head as they walked down the big staircase. “Not necessary. He’s probably got a plateful in Bludhaven anyway.”
“Master Tim?”
“No, Alfred, I don’t think it’s that serious,” Bruce couldn’t help but chuckle, running a hand through his hair. “And besides, I don’t want to bother his night. It’s New Year’s Eve; his parents are probably having a party of some sorts,”
“If you insist,” Alfred trailed off with a soft sigh.
“I do. Now please, Alfred, go and keep Selina company while I’m gone,” Bruce replied with a nod of his head as he slipped into the room with all the suits. He picked out his usual suit, nothing too fancy, and slipped into it. Putting the cowl on his head his smile couldn’t help but widen. This was who he was. Sometimes it felt as if Bruce Wayne was just a cover up, just someone to fill the empty spaces of the days and nights when Gotham didn’t need their Dark Knight.
Batman tapped a few keys on the computer on the opposite side of the wall. He contemplated calling Oracle, seeing if she could give him any information on what was going on and where. But he decided against it. Bruce had an odd feeling in his gut, one he couldn’t place. He didn’t want to bother anyone else with this specific mission for some reason, besides the fact that it was New Year’s Eve and everyone else was celebrating.
Shaking it off he slipped into the Batmobile and quickly skidded off into the night. He turned his lights off, so as not to draw any attention as he sped down the country roads, past all the other mansions, and right to the edge of the city. Batman parked the car right near Arkham Asylum, and continued on foot to the Gotham City Police Department’s Headquarters, where he managed to appear on the roof just as Commissioner Gordon was about to go back into the building.
“Commissioner,” Batman said in his deep, raspy voice, one that had taken Bruce forever to master.
“Good, you’re here. I thought you weren’t going to show up. What with it being New Year’s and all,” Gordon turned around and walked back over to where Batman was standing. Bruce didn’t respond, just stared at the man. He wasn’t one for small talk when it came to this. Gordon knew that, and without a beat he started telling him what was going on. “There’s been a robbery, at two banks, in the past hour. One on each side of the city. Two school buses arrived to pick up the money and all of the remaining people who had helped.”
“How much money was stolen?”
“Two hundred-thousand dollars from each bank,” Gordon nodded his head with a sigh. “Do you think it could be Two-Face?”
“Possibly, or someone trying to copy him. It’s December 31st, if it were Harvey he would have planned to do this on the second.” Batman nodded his head, furrowing his brows in thought.
“Well, maybe he needed the cash right away,” Gordon shrugged simply.
“Maybe. Anything else? Did you send any men over there?”
“Yes, a few patrol cars were radioed and sped right there. Four for each bank.”
“And?”
“Nobody ever radioed back, aside from a ‘we’re on it,’” Gordon’s face dropped down into a deep frown. “I waited a good fifteen minutes or so before turning the signal on. I figured they were all either taken hostage or killed.” Gordon sighed again, heavily, and ran a hand through his hair.
“Nobody else came over the radio?”
“Nope.” Gordon shook his head, glancing up at the sky. “It’s a shame, really, those were some of my best men. Most of them had families, too.” He looked back at where Batman had been, but was faced with the sight of just an empty rooftop. The caped crusader had left, who knew how long ago. But Gordon was used to that by now, he was okay with it now. With another sigh he turned off the signal and picked up his coffee mug, starting for the door leading back into the building.
“Yes, Alfred?” Bruce turned his head, looking over his shoulder at his friend. “What is it?” he followed Alfred’s eyes out the window, where he was faced with the familiar sight of the Bat-signal in the cloudy Gotham sky. “Can’t that city last one night without any problems?” Bruce sighed to himself. Of course he wasn’t being serious, he enjoyed saving Gotham. It was his job, though he didn’t get paid for it really. But Batman didn’t need to get paid. Batman just had to save the city. “I’m sorry,” he began, looking over at Selina as he stood up.
“It’s fine, Bruce, I understand,” Selina laughed softly and waved it off with her hand. “I’ll be here when you get back,” she sent him a small smile as Bruce nodded his head and left the room. Selina honestly didn’t mind. She knew he was Batman, and he knew she was Catwoman. She would have gotten up to go and help him, but she wasn’t in the mood. Catwoman wasn’t as holy as Batman was; she was more of a villain then a hero at times.
Bruce walked out of the dining room, making his way to the old grandfather clock and then down into the Bat-cave, Alfred two steps behind him. “Should I phone Master Dick?”
“No,” Bruce shook his head as they walked down the big staircase. “Not necessary. He’s probably got a plateful in Bludhaven anyway.”
“Master Tim?”
“No, Alfred, I don’t think it’s that serious,” Bruce couldn’t help but chuckle, running a hand through his hair. “And besides, I don’t want to bother his night. It’s New Year’s Eve; his parents are probably having a party of some sorts,”
“If you insist,” Alfred trailed off with a soft sigh.
“I do. Now please, Alfred, go and keep Selina company while I’m gone,” Bruce replied with a nod of his head as he slipped into the room with all the suits. He picked out his usual suit, nothing too fancy, and slipped into it. Putting the cowl on his head his smile couldn’t help but widen. This was who he was. Sometimes it felt as if Bruce Wayne was just a cover up, just someone to fill the empty spaces of the days and nights when Gotham didn’t need their Dark Knight.
Batman tapped a few keys on the computer on the opposite side of the wall. He contemplated calling Oracle, seeing if she could give him any information on what was going on and where. But he decided against it. Bruce had an odd feeling in his gut, one he couldn’t place. He didn’t want to bother anyone else with this specific mission for some reason, besides the fact that it was New Year’s Eve and everyone else was celebrating.
Shaking it off he slipped into the Batmobile and quickly skidded off into the night. He turned his lights off, so as not to draw any attention as he sped down the country roads, past all the other mansions, and right to the edge of the city. Batman parked the car right near Arkham Asylum, and continued on foot to the Gotham City Police Department’s Headquarters, where he managed to appear on the roof just as Commissioner Gordon was about to go back into the building.
“Commissioner,” Batman said in his deep, raspy voice, one that had taken Bruce forever to master.
“Good, you’re here. I thought you weren’t going to show up. What with it being New Year’s and all,” Gordon turned around and walked back over to where Batman was standing. Bruce didn’t respond, just stared at the man. He wasn’t one for small talk when it came to this. Gordon knew that, and without a beat he started telling him what was going on. “There’s been a robbery, at two banks, in the past hour. One on each side of the city. Two school buses arrived to pick up the money and all of the remaining people who had helped.”
“How much money was stolen?”
“Two hundred-thousand dollars from each bank,” Gordon nodded his head with a sigh. “Do you think it could be Two-Face?”
“Possibly, or someone trying to copy him. It’s December 31st, if it were Harvey he would have planned to do this on the second.” Batman nodded his head, furrowing his brows in thought.
“Well, maybe he needed the cash right away,” Gordon shrugged simply.
“Maybe. Anything else? Did you send any men over there?”
“Yes, a few patrol cars were radioed and sped right there. Four for each bank.”
“And?”
“Nobody ever radioed back, aside from a ‘we’re on it,’” Gordon’s face dropped down into a deep frown. “I waited a good fifteen minutes or so before turning the signal on. I figured they were all either taken hostage or killed.” Gordon sighed again, heavily, and ran a hand through his hair.
“Nobody else came over the radio?”
“Nope.” Gordon shook his head, glancing up at the sky. “It’s a shame, really, those were some of my best men. Most of them had families, too.” He looked back at where Batman had been, but was faced with the sight of just an empty rooftop. The caped crusader had left, who knew how long ago. But Gordon was used to that by now, he was okay with it now. With another sigh he turned off the signal and picked up his coffee mug, starting for the door leading back into the building.