Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Gotham; June 3rd, 12:42 am
Gotham.
It's dark, gritty, and unlike anywhere else on Earth, with a unique psyche all its own. Its gothic-inspired architecture deepened its menacing atmosphere, giving it a presence that rivaled many European cities. The cement gargoyles were silent witnesses to all that transpired here, both the bad and the good.
It may not rank among the country's most desirable places to live, but I risked my life every night to protect it because Gotham was my home, and I loved this city. I have faith in the decency of the people who lived here, the families that have resided here for multiple generations. I dream of a future where my protection will no longer be necessary, where the Batman mantle will at long last be retired forever.
It's not like me to be full of such optimism or to possess a spark of hope. I worked in the dark shadows and dirty back alleys, the places no one liked to talk about in social settings. I typically only believed in cold hard facts that I could trust, but I believed in Gotham. If given the chance, it could rival any of the best cities in America, even bright and shiny Metropolis.
Standing atop the roof's ledge of a building in Gotham, I gazed down at the streets below like a steadfast sentinel among the ever-present gargoyles, keeping watch for any signs of trouble. So far, it had been an uncharacteristically quiet night, making me wonder what was potentially brewing beneath the surface.
I felt it in the air swirling around me. There was an almost imperceptible shift in the mood of this city, an undercurrent of impending chaos. Most wouldn't notice or feel it, but I sensed it. There was something deadly looming on the horizon, a storm that was coming to disrupt the inexplicable sense of peace that had settled over Gotham tonight. I needed to be prepared for whatever the tempest could be this time.
As my mind wandered about the trouble that could be stirring, I sensed something else in the air, something sweet and familiar that always managed to stir feelings inside of me. I knew she was there long before she made her presence known, and I can't help the minute twitch at the corner of my mouth as I awaited her approach.
"You're not supposed to be here, princess," I growled with a dark, otherworldly warning, knowing that it won't have any effect on her. Still, I couldn't help but provoke her a little.
I enjoyed it very much, loved seeing the fire in her eyes that my prodding seemed to ignite. It's like poking the proverbial bear, knowing that I was tangling with a deadly Amazon warrior, but I have always chosen to live dangerously. Our verbal sparring matches were as enjoyable as the physical sparring.
I heard her sigh in frustration before her boots hit the rooftop somewhere behind me, a Greek curse carried on the wind. "I'm never going to be able to sneak up on you, am I?"
I don't turn around to greet her, choosing rather to wait for her to join me on the ledge. "Never," I confirmed.
"One of these days, Batman."
I can't help the smirk that formed on my lips as I finally turned to look at the most breathtaking woman in the world standing close beside me. "I won't hold my breath, princess."
A single eyebrow arched in perfect question, a playful expression on her face. "Cocky, aren't we?"
"Just stating a fact."
I'm pleased to see Diana, though I won't admit it to her or anyone else. We just recently started a relationship together, deciding to give this a chance despite my fears that it could ruin the close bond that we already share. Still, I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure this works with her. I never go into anything without being fully committed to it, and this will be no different.
"Here," she said as she offered me a large cup of coffee. "I thought you could use a little caffeine to get you through the night."
"My personal guardian princess," I murmured as I took the offered cup, immediately taking a drink. "I think I could get used to this."
"The coffee or having Wonder Woman as a girlfriend?"
"Both."
She smiled warmly at me, her eyes dancing with affection. "I thought you didn't want me in your city."
"I guess I could make an exception just this once," I relented as I turned to face her. "Just don't make a habit of it…and no interfering in my city."
"Oh, Hera," Diana muttered with a shake of her head and a barely suppressed smile on her lips. "Is this what I get to look forward to now that I'm your girlfriend?"
I smiled despite myself and took another sip of the much-needed caffeine. "There's a whole lot more where that came from," I teased. "You knew what you were getting yourself into long before last week when we decided to try this."
"Try this?" she asked with a concerned frown and unmistakable flash of worry in her eyes. "Trying sounds like you already have one boot out the door, ready to make an escape at the first sign of trouble."
I turned to face her once more as my heart began to beat a little harder. I can't help but lose myself in the bluest eyes I've ever seen. "I promise you I will give everything I have to make this work with you," I swore to her. "If you're sure you can handle me, that is. I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but I've been known to be quite challenging at times."
Diana stepped dangerously closer until we were toe-to-toe, a sexy smirk playing on her red lips. "I think I'm one of the few who can handle you, Mister Wayne," she seductively whispered, her gaze falling to my mouth.
I watched as the tip of her tongue snuck out to run across her bottom lip, and I felt my breath hitch with the teasing move. Before I could respond, she dipped her head slightly before suddenly pressing her lips to mine in a kiss that was passionate and hinting at the desire smoldering beneath the surface.
I returned the kiss with the same passion she was conveying to me, my gauntleted hand moving to her hair to cradle her head as her hand came to rest against the side of my cowled face. I knew I needed to stop this as the desire for this woman burned through my veins like a dangerous aphrodisiac, making me lightheaded with a wanton need that ran bone deep, but I'm finding it more than difficult to stop. I wanted far more as our tongues began a sensual caress. I wanted all of her.
She finally broke the kiss, both of us struggling to catch our collective breath. We had decided to take things slow, not rushing into any intimacy just yet. Now, at this moment, I am strongly regretting that decision as I kiss her once more.
She smiled softly as she retreated, her hand now resting against my chest and my hand still fisting her hair. "I'd better go," she replied, though neither of us wanted her to. "You have work to do, and I don't want to be a distraction to you."
"It's far too late for that," I confessed with a shake of my head.
Her smile brightened even more, a fleeting kiss my reward. "Focus," she instructed me as she patted my chest. "I don't want an injured boyfriend. I prefer to keep you in one piece. I have plans for you and me."
"You should get some sleep," I reminded her, taking her hand and squeezing it affectionately. "We have an early morning Founders meeting."
"I'll see you then," she said, taking a step back, and I immediately missed the intimacy we had just shared as I released her hand.
"Sleep well, princess," I told her, "and thanks for the coffee."
"Anytime," she replied as she took to the air, disappearing into the night sky.
I felt foolish for even thinking about it, but I found myself missing her already. I have loved Diana from afar for so long, but now that we are finally embarking on this relationship, I'm more than anxious to see where this will lead us and to spend as much time with her as I'm able to afford, but Gotham will always have to come first.
I sighed to myself, knowing that I couldn't stop thinking about her before, but now that we're finally a couple, it's even worse. I knew that I needed to remain focused or someone could get hurt, or even worse. I won't let this relationship interfere with my pledge to protect my city, no matter how much she means to me.
Thankfully, Diana was one of the very few people in my life who truly understood that and supported me in my mission to protect Gotham. She never wanted to interfere or demand more of me than I'm capable of giving if Gotham needed me. She was perfect in every way and yet accepted all my jagged pieces and imperfections. For that alone, I would always love her, though neither of us has said those coveted words yet.
I just hoped her gods blessed her with an overabundance of patience, or this relationship could be over before it really began.
I downed the last of my coffee, pausing to send a message to Robin to check his status. I scanned the streets once more, relieved that nothing had changed since Diana's arrival and departure. With the night being so slow, I was beginning to wonder if I could cut patrol short tonight, but the niggling in the back of my mind that some unknown crisis was coming seemed to only grow stronger as the night wore on.
"Kinda slow here, Bats," Robin responded, boredom evident in his voice.
"Do another round and then head home if you want to," I suggested. "I can call you if I need you."
"Are you serious?" he questioned me, clearly surprised. "Is this a new and improved Bat?"
I frowned at his comment. "No, and I'm not getting soft if that's what you're implying."
"Oh, I was definitely thinking it," Robin quipped. "You seem almost happy lately…or at least not as surly as you usually are. Something going on that I need to know about?"
"No," I firmly stated, knowing Tim would find out sooner or later about Diana and me.
"All right, if you say so," Tim said.
"I say so."
"I'll make another round, but contact me if you run into trouble."
"I will."
"Robin out."
I would rather keep Tim from finding out about Diana for now. As we explored this new, exciting territory, I wanted our relationship to remain private, free from prying eyes and unwanted commentary. The others would no doubt be anxious to share their opinions about how I should handle this relationship with Diana.
No one knew about Diana yet, except for maybe Alfred, but he only suspected something was up and had no concrete proof at the moment. He has yet to see anything questionable going on between Diana and me. We haven't even had a formal date, but it will happen soon if I have anything to say about it.
I could tell Tim's mind was already working overtime. He would question Alfred the first chance he got. Tim was sharp and had the makings of an excellent detective—good enough to rival me someday if he stayed on this path. With his analytical mind and strong deductive skills, it was only a matter of time before he figured it out.
"Oracle to Batman."
"What's up?"
"Shots fired at the Iceberg Lounge," she relayed.
"I'm on my way."
"I'll be there too," Tim chimed in. "I'm dying for some action."
I just shook my head as I fired my grappling gun. I'm only a couple of blocks away from Penguin's establishment; Robin maybe five minutes out. I could only imagine what Penguin was up to this time and who he was involved with now.
I arrived to a hail of gunfire, immediately rushing through the front door of the lounge to find a brawl taking place right in the middle of the Iceberg Lounge. I quickly intervened, throwing a punch to take out one thug before dodging a bullet from another. I immediately pulled out a bola and threw it at him, effectively pinning his arms to his sides and forcing him to drop his gun.
Patrons scattered in every direction, diving under tables in a frantic effort to escape the conflict. A woman with auburn hair and striking green eyes suddenly appeared in the line of fire. I quickly grabbed her around the waist and shielded her from the fight with my body as Robin arrived on the scene. I released her, allowing her time to duck for cover with some of the others as we attempted to get a handle on the situation.
Just as I turned, someone seized me from behind, an arm slipping around my neck in a stranglehold. I swiftly threw him over my shoulder, my boot slamming down hard on his chest before following up with a vicious punch to the face that knocked him out cold.
Robin threw a Batarang, knocking a gun out of another thug's hand before he fired on any of the patrons. I glanced to my left and spotted Penguin racing through the lounge to the doorway that led to his office. I immediately followed him, wanting to know what was going on here and how deeply involved he was in it.
Sirens wailed loudly as I left Robin to deal with the last three gangsters and pursued Penguin, who had vanished into his office. Something had gone down here, and I was determined to uncover whatever Oswald Cobblepot was involved in this time.
I didn't hesitate to kick the door open to his office, finding Penguin gathering up a pile of money to put into a suitcase. "Don't move!" I ordered him.
Penguin immediately froze, his cigarette nearly falling out of his mouth with my appearance in his office as he stared up at me. "You don't have any right to be in here!"
"Putting innocent people in danger gives me every right to be here," I growled as I advanced on him.
"This is my money," Penguin claimed, throwing himself over the piles of money on his desk. "It's all legal…I swear."
"Somehow I find that very hard to believe," I replied as I picked up a bundle of money, finding hundred-dollar bills neatly wrapped in piles.
I carefully inspected the money, momentarily wondering if it could be counterfeit as Penguin continued to prattle on about how he was innocent and that I was violating his rights. I had a sneaking suspicion that some sort of deal was supposed to go down here tonight as Robin abruptly entered the office. Unfortunately, something went seriously sideways.
"We've got everything secured in the lou…whoa! Where did all the money come from?"
"That's what I'd like to know," I replied as I leveled a dark glare at Penguin. "I'm guessing this money has something to do with your nightclub being shot up."
Penguin sat back in his chair, puffing on his cigarette as he glared back at me. It was his futile attempt to appear unintimidated by my presence in his private office, but the way his leg was shaking uncontrollably gave away his uneasiness.
"There may have been an unexpected misunderstanding about a deal that was supposed to be made tonight, but I assure you it was all legal."
"Nothing about you is legal," Robin retorted.
"Who were those guys?" I demanded to know. "They're not the usual suspects seen around Gotham."
"They're from Bludhaven," Penguin revealed to my surprise. "It was supposed to be a deal to open a second Iceberg Lounge there. It fell though…obviously."
"Obviously," I snapped, not buying it for one moment.
I was going to need to check with Dick to see if he recognized these guys that we arrested tonight. I knew one of the guys was Penguin's personal assistant; the other identities were unknown to me. There was a lot more going on than what Penguin was willing to divulge at that moment.
"I'm telling you the truth," he insisted, his face reddening with anger. "I'm just trying to expand my business…you know, branch out a little."
"That's what has me concerned…you trying to expand into Bludhaven," I icily stated as I inspected the money. "I know what kind of business you deal in."
The money looked legitimate, yet something just felt off. I threw it back onto his desk, aware I had no proof it was dirty… at least not yet. I have nothing, however, that I could arrest him for at that moment, leaving me with little choice but to leave for now.
I'm going to have Robin look into it as we both exited through the back door, allowing GCPD to clean up the mess in the lounge. I heard Penguin audibly sigh in relief, mumbling something under his breath, but I'm not about to let this go. He has some sort of scheme brewing, and it has nothing to do with starting a new nightclub in Bludhaven. I'm going to have to bring Dick into this one.
"Well, I know where I'm spending the night," Robin quipped as he pulled out his grappling gun.
"The next several nights…maybe more depending on how things go," I clarified. "Nothing more will probably happen tonight, but I want eyes on him until we know what he has his sticky fingers into."
"Got it," Robin confirmed. "Want me to contact Wing?"
"I'll contact him," I replied. "I want you to start looking into all of Penguin's investments when you get back to the cave. Try to figure out where his money is going."
"I'll get O to help me too."
I nodded as I hit my commlink. "Batman to Nightwing."
"What's up, Bats?"
"There was a shooting at Iceberg Lounge tonight," I informed him.
"That's not really anything new. What do you need me for?"
"No, but the Penguin said he was trying to make a deal with people from Bludhaven to open a new nightclub there."
There was a long pause, making me wonder if he was going to answer or not. Finally, he responded, and he was as concerned as I was at that moment. "Okay, that is very weird. I haven't heard any word on the street about it. I wonder what Penguin wants with Bludhaven? Doesn't he have his hands full as it is with Gotham?"
"That's what I'm wondering," I told him. "Something is wrong about the whole thing. Penguin was trying too hard to make me think that he was actually doing a legal business transaction tonight, as if he's even capable of doing something like that."
"Penguin doesn't do anything legal," Dick agreed. "Let me do some digging around here and see what I can find out."
"I'll send you the mug shots of the goons we arrested tonight," I replied. "Penguin said they're from Bludhaven. Maybe you'll recognize them."
"I'll let you know what I find out."
"I'm going to have Robin sit on the lounge for a few nights to see what Penguin is up to."
"Sounds good. I'll be in touch. Nightwing out."
I looked up and spotted Robin perched on a rooftop across the street from the Iceberg Lounge. He wasn't particularly visible, but I knew he was there, so he was easy for me to spot. He gave me a nod as I decided to make another round of Gotham.
I spent the next couple of hours patrolling the city, stopping a couple of muggings and an attempted carjacking. It was eerily quiet, more so than normal, despite the shooting at the Iceberg Lounge. It left me wondering when the dam was about to break.
Unfortunately, I didn't have to wait long.
Just as I was about to make another round, the Batsignal shone brightly against the overcast sky, alerting me that Commissioner Gordon needed to see me. "So much for a slower night," I muttered to myself as I fired my grappling gun and headed towards the Gotham Police Station.
I arrived in a matter of minutes, silently landing on the rooftop to find Jim Gordon waiting for me. He had a cup of coffee in hand, a stern expression on his face that caused an unnerving feeling to settle in the pit of my stomach. It only confirmed the bad feeling that something unspeakable was looming in Gotham once more.
"Jim," I grimly greeted him as I approached the man whom I hold the utmost respect for, my cape draping around me like an imposing wraith.
"I'm afraid we have an urgent situation, Batman."
"What is it?"
"We have another homicide," he replied. "Jackson Blackwell was just found murdered in his home tonight."
I stifled the wave of shock and sorrow that unexpectedly assaulted me, keeping my expression emotionless despite the feelings roiling within me like a fierce tidal wave. I've known Jackson since my elementary school days, running in the same social circles for years. He was a friend, not someone I'd consider to be in my inner circle, but he was still someone that I respected and had known most of my life.
"That's the second one," I responded, my mind racing with questions.
"Do you think we could have a serial killer on our hands?"
"It's beginning to look like it," I stated, remembering Collin Steele's unexpected death. "How similar is it to Steele's murder two weeks ago?"
"Almost identical," Jim revealed, taking a sip of his coffee.
Collin Steele had been murdered in his home two weeks earlier, discovered by his housekeeper early that morning. He had been found naked, kneeling on his bed, with a butcher knife driven straight into his heart.
I knew Collin, again passing in the same circles, but we were not close friends by any means. I found him to be rather offensive most of the time. He was overbearing and flamboyant, something that I typically shied away from.
While I had fostered a playboy persona to hide my secret identity, I detested it with every fiber of my being. Collin, on the other hand, seemed to embrace it and relished the lifestyle, making a point of flaunting his wealth and womanizing ways in front of others. To say he was obnoxious would have been an understatement.
"I need to see the crime scene before it gets disturbed," I told him as I turned to leave.
"I thought you would want to investigate it yourself," Jim replied. "That's why I brought you in right away. I had it locked down as soon as it was reported by his sister. She couldn't reach him, so she stopped by the estate and discovered his body in his bedroom."
"I'll check into it."
"Oh, and Batman," Jim stopped me in my tracks, forcing me to look back over my shoulder at him. "There's more. The killer left a message this time."
My gaze narrowed with the unexpected information. "There wasn't a message left behind when Steele was murdered."
"No, there wasn't," Jim confirmed. "I'm not sure if they're escalating or just boasting about it as if they're sending us some sort of message."
"What does it say?"
"Hysteria."