Batman: The Scarred and the Damned [Fanfiction]

[ApolloXL5]

Less than ten minutes later and the Arkham grounds were under complete lock-down as the GCPD swarmed the area, while being held back at the City's side of the lone bridge connecting the Island to the mainland, the Media could only watch with fascination at what had transpired there.

"Excuse me..." a smartly dressed Red-haired Woman exclaimed as she attempted to gain the attention of one of the Cops standing over the barricade that cornered off the bridge to the Asylum, gaining nothing more than a glance as he stood with his colleagues.

"...Vicki Vale, Gotham News. What has happened over at Arkham, the people of Gotham deserve to know the truth!" she added, but to no avail as they continued to ignore her and the rest of the Reporters.

Meanwhile at the main Building's entrance, Harvey Bullock was been wheeled into an Ambulance as Gordon watched with a solemn expression, not even noticing Foley approaching him from behind.

"I hope you have a good explanation, Sir..." he started to say, barely hiding the discontent in his voice as his Superior turned and faced him.

"...about how Harvey Dent isn't dead? I mean you did say in your report that he was dead and

that the Batman had killed him, so what happened?" he continued with a self-righteous tone, but the Police Chief just remained quiet as he noticed the body-bags being carried out of the Asylum, making him sigh in return. Foley then looked in the direction that his Superior was staring in and saw the same thing.

"You do realize that this is on you, don't you?"

Gordon's eyes widened as those words hit him hard, regaining his attention as he looked back at the Lieutenant.

"What?"

"With all that the Bird has done in the last year and the strength of the Men and the quipment in their possession, why didn't you think of putting more Officers into guarding him?" the younger Man replied, his eyes refocusing on the bodies as they were loaded up onto the Vans.

"He was only going to be in there over overnight, just one night." the Commissioner said back, which just made Foley's eyes narrow even more.

"That just isn't good enough Commissioner, not anymore. I mean in the past year, I have seen you make some very questionable decisions like not chasing down the Batman..." he started to say, only for the older Man to cut him off.

"Well the Batman didn't kill Harvey Dent, so there's no need to keep up with that pretense any longer of having to hunt him."

"I knew it, I knew you didn't want to hunt down that Vigilante. And you're wrong. Because even if he didn't kill Harvey Dent, doesn't mean he hasn't killed before and that he is acting outside of the law, which is something 'I' will not tolerate in this City..." he replied with a hint of venom to his voice, while unbeknownst to them, Penelope Young watched them from the back of an Ambulance.

"...the Mayor will be wanting to see you tomorrow, I guarantee it." the Lieutenant then finished before walking away from Gordon, who then pulled out his mobile-phone and dialed a number.

"Barbara, did the patrol I assigned to you arrive at the house?...okay, that's good...no, I will tell you when I get home...no, everything will..."

The Commissioner then simply looked down at his phone with a disappointed look as the hung-up sound could be heard, only for it to then stop as he deactivated the device and put it back in his coat pocket, before then walking away back to his car.

Penelope simply watched the older-Man, a knowing expression on her face as a Paramedic finished checking her.

"You're going to be fine." he said, gaining the Intern's attention as she nodded back.

"Thank you." she replied as he then picked up his bag and left to help someone else, while Dr. Cassidy walked up to the Ambulance.

"Thank god, you're okay." she said with a relieved tone, making the younger Woman look back to her, noticing that her boss had a bruised face and her left arm in a sling.

"Yeah, I wish I could say the same for everyone else." she replied with a sad tone, earning a mirrored expression from the lead-Doctor.

"Warden Sharp is a tremendous loss for the Asylum, since it was because of him that we managed to turn this place around after the debacle with Crane. Plus only a few of the staff came out with light to moderate injuries while the rest were killed..." she started to say, earning a solemn-nod from the Intern as she continued.

"...all of this was just to get 'the Bird' out? I can't believe it." her Superior replied, gaining a nod in return.

"It's true, plus Harvey Dent has escaped as well."

"Yeah, it was him that gave me these." Cassidy replied while gesturing to her injuries, before a serious expression appeared on her face.

"We should have kept him in his Cell, if only the other Inmates were not made excitable when finding out about his presence."

"I am sorry." Dr. Young answered with a guilty tone to her voice, making the older Woman look back at her with a knowing expression.

"It wasn't your fault, which I believe was something Quincy Sharp had probably told you as well, before his passing."

"Yeah, he did." the younger Woman replied, earning a pat on the shoulder by her Superior.

"Please don't beat yourself up over this, Quincy would not want that. Plus I am going to need your help getting this place up and running again."

"So does that mean you are succeeding him as Warden?"

"Yes, eventually. But until that happens we are going to be working closely with the GCPD as they help us contain the other inmates. So go home and take a couple of days for yourself and I will see you again next week." Cassidy replied before leaving the intern's side, leaving her alone sitting at the back of the open Ambulance.

"Dr. Young, are you alright?" a familiar disguised voice asked from the shadowed area at the side of the Ambulance, making the young-Woman's eyes widen a little as she looked at her surroundings.

"Yes, thank you..." she began to say, only to get cut off by the Vigilante as he stood behind the open door in it's shadow.

"Keep looking ahead, don't acknowledge me."

"Okay. I'd say that your taking a big risk talking to me while surrounded by Cops, but I guess that isn't the case when you consider how you have constantly evaded them this past year." the Intern replied while turning her attention to the people working in front of her.

"They won't find me?" Batman replied confidently, gaining a nod back from Penelope.

"Naturally, so...how can I help you?" she asked in a matter-of-fact tone, before three Cops walked passed.

"What can you tell me about Harvey Dent?" the Dark Knight than asked, making the young-Woman shake her head slightly.

"Not much I am afraid. I found him in the East-Wing, in a cell between both Jonathan Crane and the Joker. It seems that the entire Arkham Staff knew about this, but I think you should ask Commissioner Gordon, since I think this started with him." she replied, earning a look of surprise from the Vigilante in return.

"Thank you, Doctor Young." Batman then replied, which made the Intern get up and look behind the door, only to find that no one was there.

"How does he do that?" she asked herself, before then leaving the safety of the Ambulance and walking towards her Car, which was mercifully undamaged.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Gotham. Harvey Dent brought his and Sloane's car to a stop, earning a confused look from the unmasked-Soldier.

"So where we? I mean first you pull away from the Van, the van that carries my leader and the reason my team and I broke into the Asylum, just to drive us to this burnt down wreck." he said with a frustrated tone, while looking out at an extremely damaged derelict-building through the vehicle's windscreen. But the former DA simply remained quiet and stared out at the sight in front of them, which made his passenger even more frustrated.

"Come on, let's stop wasting time and regroup with the rest of the Men." he added, making Dent look over at him with a dagger-like stare that brought a worried expression to the Soldier's face.

"We are here, because there is something here I need." he replied with a cryptic tone, before getting out of the car and leaving him there.

"Where are you going now?" he spat, but Harvey just ignored him and walked towards the derelict, his mine flooding with painful memories as he reached where the front door used to stand.

'250-52nd Street. It still looks the same, even after a year.'

There was nothing but silence as Harvey walked throughout it's hollow and lifeless halls, making the place feel like a tomb as it was obvious death was still present there.

'Rachel, you are still here, aren't you?' he thought while he walked up the main staircase, every time he breathed in via his nose, the former DA could still smell the burnt concrete and metal that stood around him like a Skeleton.

'Of course you are, since this dreadful place is your final resting place, my love.' Dent added before stopping and standing complete still, his eyes widening as he recognized where he was.

'It was right here.' he thought as his mind was overrun with memories once more.

"Harvey!" he heard Gordon call out, making him turn and look in it's direction, only to find no one there. Then there were the sounds of the Police Commissioner's Family cowering to his left.

"Stop pointing that gun at my family!"

"You don't want to hurt the boy, Harvey!"

"Don't punish my Son, punish me."

But then one more memory broke past the others, as a very familiar and caring voice spoke.

"I do have an answer for you and my answer is...yes."

This suddenly made the former DA's grab his head with both hands and scream, like everything he was feeling and remembering at that point had exploded within his mind.

"AAAGGGHHH!"

His painful cry echoed throughout the scarred remains of the building, even gaining the attention of the Soldier who then got out of the car and entered the derelict himself.

Harvey though fell to his knees and slouched there on the floor, feeling completely over come by the memories. A single tear ran down the scarred side of his face, feeling like a knife being run over his skin as it crossed over the burnt tissue, making him grit his teeth as he stared down at the spot where his Lover had died.

"Rachel...I know what I have to do, but...I don't know how to do it. Please tell me?" he asked softly, before another voice spoke from behind him.

"Are you okay? What's happened?" Sloane asked as he looked down at the former DA with a puzzled expression, with the latter just ignoring him.

"Why are you just kneeling there like that?" the Soldier continued to ask, in a tone of voice that Harvey found annoying. But then as he stared down at the burnt and charred ground, something there caught his attention as it reflected a little light towards him.

'What is that?' the former DA thought as he reached with his right hand and picked it up, making the soldier stare back with a now curious expression as he watched.

'Yes, finally.' Dent thought as he picked up the small object and then stood up beside the other Man, who looked at his clenched hand.

"What did you pick up there? What's in your hand?" he asked, gaining a knowing look from Harvey in return.

"Where is this base that your team was heading too?"

"If I tell you, will you show me what you've got there?" Sloane asked back, making the scarred Man nod back.

"Of course, so where is the base?"

"It's down at the Docks, a warehouse owned by 'The Final Offer' transport Company." the younger man replied, gaining a slight smile from Dent as he then opened his hand to reveal a Nickel lying in it's palm.

"A Coin? I don't get it, why would you just randomly pick up a coin?" the Soldier asked with a confused tone.

"Oh this is no ordinary Coin, it's my lucky-charm. I have made every major decision of my life with this..." Dent began to explain, looking between the small object and his puzzled companion as he rubbed his thumb over object's surface, wiping the dirt away to reveal the Coin's true shine.

"...but I lost it, thanks to the Bat and Commissioner Gordon, just like how I lost the Woman I loved." he added, while Sloane just stared back with a bemused expression.

"Okay, so...we going now?" he asked with an impatient tone.

"Yeah..." Dent started to reply before flipping the coin into the air and catching with the same hand, noting that the burnt side was facing him.

"...but you're not."

"What...?" the Soldier started to say as a more confused look appeared on his face, only for his eyes to widen as the scarred-Man then aimed his gun at him and pulled the trigger.

The sound of the shot echoed throughout the hallowed out husk of the derelict, before Sloane's body fell into a heap on the floor.

"Thank you, Rachel." Harvey then said softly as he clenched his hand around the coin, before looking back out at Gotham as a smile appeared on his face.

"Now I am ready."

[ApolloXL5]

CHAPTER IX

The night air felt cold and unforgiving to Gordon, despite it being still being Summer as he stepped out of his parked car and looked up at the house.

'All the lights are still on, that's not a good sign.' he thought with a sigh, before walking up the wooden steps to the balcony and the front door. Each one creaked loudly as he stepped on them, making him grit his teeth as he knew there was no way that Barbara and the kids had not heard them.

And before he even managed to reach out for it's handle, the door opened to reveal a rather furious-looking Woman staring back as the Kids watched from the top of the stairs.

"So...it's actually happened... hasn't it? Why else would we suddenly need to have an armed escort waiting outside." Barbara asked with an angry tone, still wearing the dress from the Wayne Fundraiser as he walked in and closed the door behind him.

"Can we talk about this later?" the Father said while glancing up at his Children, who simply stared back with innocent and confused expressions.

"Don't want to discuss this in front of the kids.' the Commissioner thought as he started for the Living-room, hoping that his Wife would follow.

"No, we are going to discuss this now...!" she replied with a defiant tone while staying where she stood, gaining a defeated sigh from the Man in return as he turned to face her.

"...since you have had us living with this secret for the past year, condemning the Man who saved our Son while the one who tried to kill him went unpunished..." she continued, only for her Husband to cut her off.

"I know that, but 'my friend'' chose to take responsibility for everything that Harvey did, so that the City wouldn't fall back into the hands of the Mob."

"I don't care about any of that, Jim. What I care about is the safety of our family, which you have put in jeopardy because of this insanity." Barbara spat back, making Gordon look down at the floor with shame.

"Why didn't you just tell the truth, Dad." a younger voice suddenly spoke up, gaining both Adults attention as they looked behind them to find their Son standing at the bottom of the stairs, while little Barbara peeked out from behind the wall next to him.

"Jimmy, it's not that simple..." Gordon started to say, only for his Wife to cut him off again.

"Jimmy is actually right there, James. When has lying ever done more good than harm?" she asked back in a knowing tone, making the Police Commissioner look at his Kids, with only his Daughter staring back at him with an innocent expression, while Jimmy's face mirrored his Mother's.

"Because if the City knew the truth..." the older Man begun to say, turning his attention back to Barbara, only to stop as he saw the resolve in her eyes.

"...never mind."

"No, Jim. You can't hide behind that excuse of...'Gotham would fall apart if it knew the truth', because the truth is you just don't know what would happen, not really." his Wife said, before turning back to their Kids.

"Jimmy, Barb, back to bed....now!"

The elder Child nodded back before taking his Sister's hand, leading her back up stairs and out of sight, while the Parents remained where they were.

"Look, Barbara..." Gordon began to say, only for his Wife to cut him off once more.

"No Jim, I don't want to hear another word..." she replied with a finality to her voice, one that made the Police Chief stop before he could open his mouth and say something back.

"..., just make sure he doesn't get to our children again..." Barbara added, making Jim instantly nod back as she continued.

"...because no matter what has happened between the two of us, 'Jimmy and Barb' are what matter most."

"I know, me too." he replied, making the Woman repeat his previous action of nodding back, before she turned around and started for the stairs.

"Right, I am going to bed."

"Okay, though I think I will stay up a little bit longer." Jim replied as he watched her go, gaining an indifferent expression from Barbara, who glanced back.

"I never asked." she said back while leaving the room, making the older Man take his glasses off and rub his eyes.

'Well....crap.' Jim thought before putting them back on and looking around the room, noticing the bag of garbage lying under the archway that connected the living-room to the Kitchen.

'...guess I am the one who always has to deal with the garbage, no matter where I am.' the Commissioner added with sigh as he walked over to the large plastic bag and took it outside.

The entire area was deathly quiet as Gordon dealt with the Garbage, dropping it in the Bin and placing it's lid back on top.

'If only it was this easy to throw away all the garbage in our lives.' he thought while looking out at the Neighbourhood, noticing the Police Car still parked alongside his house as he stood on it's balcony. The older Man could see the pair of Officers sitting inside the vehicle, completely oblivious to him as they chatted.

'Unbelievable, they are supposed to be watching my home...' he started to think with a disappointed expression, before he took a step towards the balcony's stairs.

'...I should...' he then began to add, before being cut off as a familiar voice spoke up from above him.

"Commissioner, we need to talk."

This made the older Man glanced up at the wooden stairs that ran up the side of the building and the Dark Knight, who was squatting on it's railing, staring back with an unreadable expression.

"It's been a while..." Gordon started to say while he remained in place, returning his attention to the street ahead of him.

..but after what happened earlier tonight, I knew it wouldn't be long before you would show up."

"Then you know what we are about to talk about, don't you?" the Vigilante responded, gaining a nod back from Gordon who looked back with a knowing expression, trying to hide the dread he felt behind his eyes that he had been feeling

"Well my 'friend', go ahead and ask your question already." he said back before silence descended between the two Men for what like an age to the older Man, only for Batman to cut through it with his response.

"I thought Harvey Dent was dead, how did that 'not' happen?"

"I have no idea, since the whole thing was a surprise to me as well..." Gordon began to reply as he leaned on the railing in front of him, keeping his attention on their surroundings as the Dark Knight listened from his perch.

"...but and I can't believe that I am saying this, but when Stephens and I discovered that Harvey was still alive, albeit in a coma. I am ashamed to admit that I wished he was actually dead, since having him alive brought up quite a few problems."

"You had to make a choice, either keep a secret that spares the City knowing the truth, or condemn it to oblivion." Batman quickly replied with a knowing tone, earning a nod from the older Man in return.

"Yeah, some choice. Of course I chose to keep the secret, not that it has actually improved anything. I mean has Gotham really changed at all..." he started to reply, those words weighing heavily on him as he spoke them, only for Batman to cut him off before he could add another.

"Things have improved, even if the changes are not as noticeable as we might want them to be. A wiser Man than I once said 'that things were always going to get worse, before they got better', which is exactly what is happening right now. I do not know what has happened to you over the past year, but please do not go deluding yourself into thinking that having the Mob running amok in the City would be a good thing."

"But...this secret has been like a cancer on my Family, eating away at the good that we once had. I have all but lost my Wife and Son since they now believe me to be a coward, a coward who allowed a better Man than he to take the fall for him..." Gordon began to confess as his voice began to break, making the Vigilante's eyes widen se he witnessed his Ally bearing his soul to someone he didn't even know, not really.

"...but I chose this, it is my burden to bare..." he tried to continue, only to find himself cut off by the Batman.

"There will be no need for any confessions, Gordon. Certainly not to me..." he started to say, gaining a sigh of relief from the Police Chief.

"...but we now have a very big problem, with Harvey out there in the City."

"I know, we have to find him before anyone else discovers that he is still alive and 'insane' no less." Gordon replied with a knowing look, while keeping himself from physically acknowledging his Ally.

"Then I should get started..." he started to say while equipping his Grapple-gun and turning away, only for the older Man to physically turn and face him.

" Batman, wait...." James began to say, making the Vigilante stop in mid-action and look over his shoulder at him.

"...before you go, I want you to know that I am sorry. Because with everything you have had to endure in this past year, trying to do your job while having my Police Force breathing down your neck. I am sorry, because in the end, I guess it was all for nothing." the Commissioner added with a regretful tone, gaining nothing more than a stoic expression from the costumed-Man in return.

"That was my choice, to take on the burden of what the Joker and Harvey had done, remember? How were we supposed to know how this would ultimately turn out? Believe me Commissioner, you have nothing to apologize for...certainly not to me." Batman replied, earning a sigh from the Police Chief as he looked down at the ground with a relieved face.

"I know you don't like to be thanked..." Gordon then began to say, before looking back up at his friend, who was now nowhere to be seen.

"...damn it, every time." the older-Man then finished, as a slight smirk appeared on his face as he re-entered his home. Meanwhile up on the top of the building across from it, the Dark Knight knelt on it's edge and watched his friend disappear inside.

'I will stop Harvey, Commissioner. That is a promise.' he thought before standing back up, turning around and running over to the building's other side, quickly leaping off and gliding away. Though unbeknownst to the Vigilante, he had been spotted. But it was by neither Gordon, nor the Cops sitting in the Patrol-Car that was parked in the street. Instead it was the Commissioner's Daughter, who had been watching from her bedroom window. She just quietly watched as the Batman disappeared from view, a slight smile appearing on her young face as she stared out the window.

[ApolloXL5]

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

The sun slowly rose up and shone it's light upon the windows of Wayne Manor as the new day began, but there was no one in the Mansion to enjoy it as Alfred once more exited the elevator and entered the dark and dank atmosphere of the Cave, noticing his younger Master right away as he sat at the Bat-Computer.

"I see you've taken the nocturnal approach to life a little too literal, Master Bruce." the older Man said, gaining the other's attention as he glanced over to him.

"I don't have time to waste Alfred, not with Harvey Dent out there in the City somewhere."

"I still cannot believe that the former District Attorney is actually alive, yet alone stalking the streets of Gotham." Pennyworth replied, bringing a stoic expression to Bruce's face in return.

"I would not have believed it myself, had I not seen Harvey with my own eyes." he said back, before a more unsure look appeared on his face, which his Butler noticed immediately.

"What's wrong, Master Wayne?" he asked with a curious tone, which made the Billionaire turn his chair away from the computer and stay into the darkness of the Cave.

"I could have ended it then and caught Dent there in the Asylum, but I hesitated and gave him the chance to escape."

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Master Wayne. It's not everyday that you see somebody who is supposed to be dead, anyone else would have had the same reaction." Alfred replied, before noticing that Bruce's expression had not changed as one of the Cave's many Bats flew overhead.

"Why do I get the feeling there is more to this than Harvey Dent's sudden resurrection, what is really bothering you?" he then asked with a knowing look, one that Bruce could not ignore as he sighed and turned his chair back to his friend.

"It was something that I was told during the Fundraiser, which caught me off guard." he replied in a cryptic tone, though Alfred soon figured it out as a look of realization crossed his face.

"You are referring to what Lt. Foley had said while you spoke with Commissioner Gordon and Sebastian Lamont..." he then began to say, earning a nod from the sullen Billionaire.

"...why would you take stock in anything that Man has to say, because even though I did not know him that well and I am thankful that I did not. I could tell from the first second he spoke, that he was an arse-hole."

This brought a surprised look to Bruce's face as he stared back at his Butler, who looked back with a determined expression.

"Alfred, please remember to use some etiquette." he replied, making the older Man shake his head in return.

"I am sorry Sir, I truly am. But I cannot in good judgement do so, not when an idiot like Foley has you questioning yourself. I have to remain truthful to you, Master Bruce. After all, you are a good Man and I don't want you to forget that." he said back with an affectionate tone and smile, one that the younger Man wanted to mirror. But he instead remained solemn as he sat in his chair, looking down at the ground with a thoughtful expression.

"Thank you, Alfred. But what Foley said brought back something to the forefront of my mind, something that had been weighing on me in the days following our defeat of the League of Shadows."

"And that would be, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked with a curious tone, though deep down he knew what the answer was going to be.

"That even though I swore that Batman was going to be a symbol, something that could not be corrupted or destroyed. That night I faced Ra's and let him die, that one moment did in fact corrupt what Batman was supposed to represent and I became a killer because of that choice." Bruce replied with a regretful tone, making the Butler's eyes widen in response.

"No, no, Bruce. Did you put your hands around his neck and strangle the life out of him? No you didn't, you left him to the fate that he had created for himself."

"How is that any better...?" the younger Man then said back, turning to Alfred with a regretful expression.

"...I may not have done the deed, but because I had the chance to save his life and chose not to, that makes me responsible for his death..."

Bruce then stood up and walked over to the Bat-suit as it was displayed in the Armoury, staring at it as though he was examining all of it's details.

"...in the days after that, I told myself that I had no choice but to leave him. That no Prison was going to be able to hold a Master-Assassin such as Ra's for long, all so I could justify the decision I had made. And it appeared to work, since I just carried on as Batman like that moment had never happened. But then..." he explained, only to stop and go quiet, earning a knowing look from Alfred.

"...You killed Mr. Dent, or so you thought." he cut in, making the younger Man nod back.

"With Harvey, I just went on instinct and reacted. I mean he was going to kill Gordon's Son, right there in front of the entire Family. I couldn't let that happen, but I would be lying if I said that how it happened didn't prey on my mind afterwards."

But as the Billionaire stood there and stared at the Bat-suit with a solemn expression, his Butler walked up to his side with an understanding look on his face.

"But Sir, after all this time, you still do not understand..." he started to say, before pressing a button on the control-panel located on the side of the Armoury, which made the transparent doors of the Case close and reveal the faded reflections of the pair staring back at them.

"...Instead, you have allowed yourself to see only the bad things that you have done and not the many good things, which in my opinion far outweigh the former..."

As the Man who raised Bruce carried on, the younger man just stood there and listened intently.

"...Now when I look at you, I see a man who not only made sure that the darkness he had lived through had not dragged him down, but instead took a hold of it in his hands and used it to create something good and pure. You might think that you have poisoned that creation with the death of Ra's Al-Ghul and the attempted murder of Harvey Dent, but to me Batman is the one person who will do whatever it takes, even the things that seem impossible to do and so are out of reach. Ensuring that no one will suffer like that 11 year old Boy who lost his Parents, because of a Coward with a gun. You go out into that cursed City every night and put your life on the line for it's people. There is a name for a person like that and that is 'a Hero'. That is what you are, Bruce." Alfred continued as a proud look appeared on his face while looking at the Billionaire, who couldn't help but allow a slight smile cross his face as he turned to his friend and Confidante.

"You don't know how much I needed to hear that, Alfred, thank you."

"Oh I think I do, Master Bruce. And you're most welcome." the older-Man replied with a humble tone, making Wayne place a hand on the other's shoulder as they smiled at each other.

"Okay..." he then started to say before taking his seat at the Bat-Computer once again, while his Butler stood at his side.

"...but from now on, Batman must stand for even more which has to include no more killing, no matter what. You said that he is the one that will do whatever it takes. But now I believe that Batman should be the one that always finds another way, one that does not include the taking of a life. Because I have to believe that the system can work, that those who harm innocents will face justice for what they have done, even if I have to work outside of it to help ensure that it does." he continued before trying to hide a yawn, gaining a knowing nod from the Butler in return.

"Very good, Sir. But may I suggest that you turn the bat-Computer off and get some sleep, because even though you are Batman, you are still just a Man and like the rest of us, you too must rest." he said with a hint of wisdom to his voice, which Bruce smirked at with a tinge of reluctance, because he knew he had no defence against his Confidante's words.

"Okay, I will go to bed. But can you stay down here and monitor the Police bandwidth and Media, in case there is any mention of Harvey or his location?" he asked while getting up from the chair, which Alfred then sat in and began typing on the device's keyboard.

"Of course, Sir. Now I believe your bed is waiting for you." he replied, earning a sigh from Bruce as he walked toward the elevator.

I'm going, I'm going." he said back before yawning once more, making the old Man smirk as he glanced at the young Man he thought of as a Son, who then disappeared into the elevator and left him alone in the Cave.

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

Meanwhile in a Warehouse down at Gotham City's Docks, the Bird and the lead-soldier entered it's largest room and were greeted by many more masked-Soldiers, earning a surprised look from the former.

"Oh, I thought you had brought everyone with you to get me out of the Asylum." he said with a puzzled tone and expression, making the squad-Leader shake his head in return.

"You seriously think that I would risk my entire team on this mission, just to get you out. No, you are not worth that much." he replied with a disgusted tone, making 'the Bird' stare back in shock.

"Then why did you get me out?" he asked, making the other Man stop and look back at him with a knowing look, gaining similar stares from the rest of his men as they did the same.

"Because we didn't want you singing like a Canary to the Cops, telling them everything about 'my' operation you are running here in Gotham." a familiar and sophisticated male voice said, making the new arrival look over at the wide-screen TV that was standing on the main table at the far end of the room, with the shadowed image of a Man on it, with his silhouette being the only thing they could make out of the Man.

"But Mr...." the Bird started to say with a grovelling tone, only to be cut off as the Man on the TV slammed his fist onto the desk in front of him, since he knew what the other man was about to say.

"Imbecile, how many times have I told you!" he spat back, his voice echoing through the room from the speakers on either side of the device.

"Sorry I forgot Mr....Chester. I know not to use your 'real name', since somebody could be listening in, if they know about us of course. I mean I am not a complete idiot." the Bird replied with an embarrassed tone and look, gaining what he could tell was a disapproving expression from the Man on the TV, despite his face being unseen.

"You say that, but I'm not so sure. Wintergreen, please tell me, did he say anything to the Cops?" Mr. Chester asked with a curious tone, gaining the Lead-Soldier's attention as he removed his mask, revealing a Caucasian Man with a diagonal scar running over his nose, who then looked between both the TV and the Bird, giving the latter a knowing look.

"I personally can't say, but if what the Joker said was true..." he began to reply, gaining an angry and shocked expression from the Arms-Dealer as he stepped forward.

"You seriously going to take that Clown's word as fact, I mean he is a Lunatic."

"You make a legitimate point, Bird. But tell me, honestly. Did you tell the Bat and the Cops anything?" the man on the TV asked with a knowing tone, which made the bald Man's defiant stance waver as he glanced at the ground.

"Well..." he started to say, before returning his gaze back to the shadowed Mr. Chester, who had picked up the glass of Vodka of his desk.

"...I didn't tell the Police anything, but I may have mentioned a number of our depots to the Batman." he finished, which made their Boss clench the glass in his hand so tight, that it started to crack, earning a wince from the Bird in return.

"You told that costumed freak about my depots?" Mr. Chester asked with a building anger behind his calm tone, while the glass in his hand continued to crack.

"With all due respect, you haven't met the Man...if he is even a Man. I had to tell him something, so I gave him only a few of our locations." the Arms-dealer said back in a pleading-like tone, which made the glass in Mr. Chester's hand suddenly shatter as he stood up and placed his hands on the desk before him, making him look very intimidating as the bald Man gulped.

"I think you should be more scared of me at this moment, because all I have to do is nod to Mr. Wintergreen over there..." he started to explain with a tempered anger in his voice, while the Bird glanced over at the lead-Soldier, who pulled his pistol out of it's holster and readied a bullet.

"....and he will put a bullet in your head."

"Don't you think that action would be a little hasty?" a voice then spoke from the direction of the main entrance, gaining the attention of everyone in the room as the soldiers all aimed their weapons toward it.

"Who's there, show yourself!" Mr. Chester blasted, making the stranger slowly walk forward into the light, earning gasps from all as they saw the half disfigured figure of the former District Attorney.

"Harvey Dent? I thought you were dead?" the Man on the TV questioned with a puzzled tone, while Wintergreen and his Men kept their guns trained on the visitor.

"I have been told that a lot lately, but...no, I am not." he replied before gesturing to the burnt and crispy side of his face as he walked closer to the TV and the group.

"...and now I want to make those who had a hand in making me this way suffer for what they did, and you're going to help me." he added while pointing a finger at the shadowed Man on the screen.

"Am I now. Well before I agree to this, can you tell me how exactly you found this place?" Mr. Chester asked back with a curious tone, which made Harvey smirk in return.

"Of course, you're Man Sloane told me how to get here, after I helped him escape the Bat."

"And where is he now?" Wintergreen asked, gaining the scarred-Man's attention.

"He's dead." Dent replied in a half interested tone, making the Lead-Soldier grit his teeth as he kept his gun pointed at the other guy.

"What, why did you kill him?" he spat back.

"I had no say in it one way or the other..." the former Lawyer began to reply, removing the Coin from his prison-top's pocket, earning confused looks from the others.

"...but let's just say it was his 'fate'."

"You son of a...." Wintergreen started to spit as he began to squeeze the trigger of his weapon, only to stop as Mr. Chester spoke out from the TV.

"Wait!" he called, making the Merc stop and look back at the screen with a shocked expression.

"Why? He killed one of my men...and for nothing!" Wintergreen blasted back, which made his mysterious Benefactor point at him.

"Don't make me repeat myself."

The Lead-Soldier then reluctantly lowered his weapon, before gesturing for the others to do the same.

"I want to hear what Mr. Dent has to say..." Chester added as the Mercs all lowered their weapons, before he returned his attention to Harvey.

"So what are you suggesting Mr. Dent? A partnership?"

"Actually, I am not sure, since I have come to know who you really are." the scarred Man replied, making the Man on the TV sit up straight and narrow his eyes back at him through the shadows, which made Dent shrug and gesture back with a wave of his hand.

"Now don't worry, I am not going to reveal your identity. I had that decision made for me when I was outside..." he started to explain, glancing between Mr. Chester and the Coin in his hand.

"...but I was this City's District Attorney, in what feels like a lifetime ago. And I had access to all of Gotham's files and historical records. So it wasn't difficult to determine who you actually are, Mr. Chester, not when the name of this building gave it away."

"Okay, if I remember anything of the Man you were, it was that you were a Man of your word. So, I will ask again, do you want A Partnership with me and my team here?" the Unknown Man on the screen asked, which made Harvey hold out his Coin before him, gaining curious and confusing looks from both Wintergreen and the Bird.

"Let's see what the Coin says, heads I accept or tails...well you know what that means." he said before flicking the small metal object into the air above him.

'What should I do, Rachel?'

The coin then fell back into his hand, prompting the scarred Man to then lie it on top of his other, revealing it's blackened side to everyone.

"Okay? What does that mean Dent?" Mr. Chester asked with a confused tone, only to be answered by the former DA pulling out a pistol from behind his back and pointing it at the screen.

"That's a no." he replied before pulling the trigger and firing a bullet into the TV, causing it to short-circuit and break down, cutting them all off from Mr. Chester.

"What the hell was that!" Wintergreen then snapped as he and his men raised their weapons at the scarred-Man once more as he flicked the coin back into the air and caught it easily with the same hand, while the Bird just watched with a unsure expression.

"Tell me something, you are all just Mercenaries right? I mean you basically work for the highest bidder?" Harvey asked as he turned to the lead-soldier with a calm expression on his face.

"Your point being?"

"How much were you being paid to work for this....'Mr. Chester'?" Dent asked, making the Mercs all look at each other, not one of them willing to answer him.

"He was paying them $1 Million each, Mr. Dent." the Bird then answered nervously, gaining both his and the rest's attention, making Wintergreen shake his head disapprovingly.

"I guess the Joker was right about you." he replied, before the former DA smirked and looked back at the latter.

"I want to make you a proposal, if you're willing to hear it?"

This gained a curious look from the lead-Merc in return, before he then gestured to his men to lower their weapons again.

"Say what you've got to say then."

"Alright. I want you and the Bird here to forget about 'Mr. Chester' and work with me instead..." he started to say, only to be cut off by Wintergreen.

"And what do we get for our troubles?"

"I can guarantee you a pay-day so large, that you will never have to work another day of your lives...ever again." the scarred-Man said with a confident smile, making the other guy grimace a little as he saw the bare and burnt muscles of the scarred side of Dent's face contract and flex.

"And...where would you get this money, assuming it actually exists?"

"You remember the Mob right?" Harvey asked back, earning a nod from Wintergreen in return who stared back curiously.

"Well, I can get you their Life-Savings which if I remember correctly, are worth Billions." he added.

"And how would you get us that, exactly?" the Bird quickly asked, getting the question in before the Merc-Leader could open his mouth, making both Men look at him.

"As I said before, I was the District Attorney, so I know where to look. I will require your help in retrieving it..." he started to reply, before looking back at Wintergreen.

"So what do you say....or should I flip my coin again?" he finished while moving the lucky charm in his hand, while the room went quiet as everyone else looked at their Leader, who merely stared back as a smile appeared on his face.

"Okay, what do we do then."

[Edd Grayson]

This is good, keep it up! 

[ApolloXL5]

CHAPTER X

"Okay, so what do we do?" Wintergreen then asked, making Dent mirror his expression as he looked back.

"Before 'we' do anything, I am going to need a suit." he said back, earning bemused look from the lead-Merc in return.

"Excuse me?" he replied in a surprised tone, to which the scarred-Man gestured at his current outfit.

"You don't expect me to keep wearing these prison-rags, do you?"

This gained a shrug from Wintergreen, before he turned and looked at the soldier closest to him.

"Marc, I want you to head out in your civvies and go get our new Benefactor a suit."

The other Man nodded back, while the Leader returned his attention to Harvey.

"You'll have your suit, but it will take at least an hour, maybe two. So in the meantime, if you really need to change clothes right this second, then we have some spare civvies in the back." he added, making Harvey pull out his lucky-coin once more and toss it up into the air with a thoughtful expression, before catching it in his hand with blackened side facing up.

"I'll be fine, for now..." he started to reply, only to stop and look at their surroundings.

"...but if there is some place that I can have some privacy and rest..."

"Of course, there is a spare room just down there, if you need to sleep..." Wintergreen jumped in, as he cut off the former District Attorney. But this made the latter turn and stare back in annoyance.

"I don't need sleep, since I have slept for over a year." he snarled back, earning a surprised and unsure expression from the Merc-Leader, who noticed how tightly Dent was holding his lucky-coin.

"Okay, well it's the third door to the right, back there."

"Thank you." Harvey said back before turning around and heading in the direction that the other guy had pointed in, while the latter looked back at the other Men with a bemused expression.

"Right, let's get back to work." he ordered, gaining nods from them all as they returned to their tasks as he returned his attention to their new Benefactor, as he entered the other room and closed the door behind him.

Away from the crowd, Harvey looked at the surroundings that he now stood in the middle of, noticing that it had a desk and chair on one side, with one single bed on the other. So the scarred-Man sat down on it, leaning back against the cold concrete wall and began to flip his Father's coin again and again as a slight smile appeared on his face, closing the only eye he could as his mind began to wander, while his left eye stared straight ahead as he remembered Rachel once more.

"You're flipping a coin to see who leads?"

"It's my Father's lucky coin. As I recall, it got me my first date with you."

"I'm serious, Harvey. You don't leave things like that to chance."

"I don't....I make my own luck."

Harvey's smile started to widen as he remembered the love of his life, focusing on every detail from the color of her eyes, to the way she smiled when looking at him. Dent could feel his heart warming as sat there and continued to flip the silver Dollar, though it did not last long as his day-dreams turned sour as he once again remembered Rachel's cries over the radio as he was being dragged away at that fateful moment.

"...Harvey!"

The scarred-Man then tightened his hand around the coin as he gritted his teeth, feeling his temper building up while the painful memory replayed itself.

"...I do have an answer for you...and my answer is Yes."

Suddenly Dent opened his eye and narrowed it, while his left remained always the same.

"ARRAAGGHH!" he screamed out before getting off the bed and grabbing it at it's legs, all while keeping the Coin held tightly in one hand. Harvey then lifted the Bed up and tossed it aside, making it break against the concrete wall. He then turned his attention to the desk and picked up it's chair, before smashing it down on the former again and again.

Meanwhile on the other side of the door, the masked-Mercs nearest to it all stopped and looked in it's direction as they heard their new Boss raging behind it for a minute or so, before it suddenly quieted down again.

"Glen, go check it out." one then said to the other standing next to him, making that guy shake his head back in disagreement.

"Hell no! There is no way I am going in there." he replied while slowly moving away from that area, earning a shrug from the former in return.

"...Yeah, I agree. It's not worth the hassle." he said back, before doing the same.

Back in the room, the bed was toppled over and broken at one side of the room, while the desk and it's chair lied in shattered pieces as Harvey sat at opposite it where the former once stood. He leant back against the wall and held his gun to his head, resting it's cool metal barrel against his forehead while moving his favorite Coin in his other hand.

"I miss you, Rachel, so very much. I have to make them pay." he whispered while taking deep calming breaths, while there was nothing but silence around him.

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

In the damp, depths of the Bat-Cave, Bruce was back at the Bat-Computer as Alfred entered the area via the elevator carrying a tray with a drink on it.

"That was fast, Alfred." the former said with a humorous tone as he glanced at his older friend, with the latter gently shaking his head as he joined the other's side.

"Considering how many times I have checked your always 'empty' Bedroom, I have decided that the Cave should now be my first stop from now on."

"Better late than never, but before you ask, I have only been down here for say 20 minutes..." the Billionaire then began to say as he got up, revealing that he was already dressed in a suit.

"...since I have an appointment with the Mayor today." he added, earning a nod from the Butler in return.

"I believe that appointment is about your Old Gotham Initiative."

"Yes that's correct, but it isn't the only reason I want to visit the Mayor's Office." Bruce replied as he started to head for the elevator, while Alfred followed behind.

"Oh, what would that be then, Master Bruce?" he said back as the pair approached the opening doors ahead.

"Well, I heard from Commissioner Gordon last night that he is to meet with the Mayor as well..." Wayne started to reply, while looking at his watch as they entered the elevator.

"...in just over an hour."

"And how do you know that." the older Man asked, as they felt the Lift stop and the doors opened up and revealed the interior of Wayne Manor's large Living-room.

"I hacked into the Mayor's schedule earlier and saw that Gordon's name was quickly added before my own, which was done less than an 30 minutes after the break-in at the Asylum..." he replied as they walked out, while the younger Man adjusted his cuff-links.

"...which means they are going to have a conversation that I should really hear."

"And how do you want to go about doing that, considering that meeting will most likely be private and not to mention that the Mayor's Office is checked hourly for bugs." Alfred asked with a curious expression and tone, which earned a mirrored look from Bruce in return.

"How do you know about that?" he asked as the pair stopped in the main corridor, outside of the Living-Room.

"Please, Master Bruce. You do not honestly think that when I am on monitoring duty, that that is all I am doing on the Bat-Computer?" the old Man replied with a knowing smile, making the Billionaire smirk back and nod.

"No, I guess not. But since you asked..." he started to say back, before lifting his arm up to his friend.

"...tell me what you see?" he carried on, while his friend and Confidante looked at the Cuff-links.

"I do not recall seeing that particular pair, Sir."

"That's because these are special listening-devices developed by Fox and myself, which after being used will self destruct and look like any other kind of Suit-accessory. And it is even undetectable via current means of detection, so there is no need to worry about that. All I have to do is see the Mayor before his meeting with Gordon and plant it there." he replied in a confident tone, gaining an unsure expression from Alfred.

"And how will you see the Mayor before the Commissioner, if your appointment is actually set after?"

"That won't be a problem, since I can be very persuasive." Wayne said back with smile, making the older Man look back knowingly.

"Are you talking about yourself or your alter ego, Master Bruce?"

"Well it really isn't the Batman' style to visit people in broad daylight, Alfred. So I thought I would deal with this 'myself'." the younger Man answered.

"So you are using your Checkbook then, very good, Sir." the Butler said with a pleased tone, before looking at his own Watch as the former started to walk to the door leading to the Garage.

"Well, Sir, you should get a move on. As by my estimates, you have just under an hour now."

"That's why I am taking the Veyron." the Billionaire said back with a smirk as he opened the door and walked through, while Pennyworth nodded back with a smile.

"Good luck, Master Wayne." he replied before turning around and headed back into the inner part of the Mansion. Moments later, a black Bugatti Veyron drove down the winding lane that lead from the large house to it's front-gate, before speeding off towards the City.

Back at the Docks, Harvey was still sitting against the wall, his mind still wandering through the sea of his thoughts as a knock at the door snapped him out of it.

"Mr Dent...I have your Suit." a nervous voice spoke from the other side of the door, making the scarred Man look towards it and then back at his coin.

'No need for that.'

Dent then clenched his hand around the Dollar and then got to his feet, before walking over to the door and opening it.

"Good..." he began to reply, gaining an uncomfortable look from Marc as he saw his scarred face.

"...let me see it then."

"It's over here..." the other Man started to say back with a gesture, with the two then walking over to a table while Wintergreen watched from another just aways.

"...so what do you think?" he asked as their new Boss looked over the suit, taking note of it's sharp looks. If it were not for it's black sleekness, Harvey would have sworn that it was a new version of his old one along with the red and black striped tie.

For what felt like a long moment, Harvey said nothing as he stared down at the suit while everyone watched with confused looks on their faces.

"...um, Mr. Dent, is there a problem?" Wintergreen then spoke up, looking slightly annoyed as he started to approach the pair next to their new purchase.

"It doesn't look right." he replied, making Marc's eyes widen as a look of shock appeared on his face.

"What do you mean? I spent a good amount of our money on this suit, so what could possibly be wrong with it?" he almost snapped, leaving Wintergreen speechless as he was stopped in his tracks by the Subordinate's words. But before he could say anything else in return, Dent looked over at the other guy.

"Relax, it's nothing that I can't fix here..." he started to reply, only to stop and look at their surroundings.

"...I just need a few things first..." he carried on until his eyes focused in on one table in particular.

"...those will do."

Everyone just remained in their places and watched as their new Benefactor walked over to said table and picked up a few of the items that were on it, only for the guy who bought the suit to remain stunned-looking as he saw what the scarred-Man had in his hands.

"What are you going to do with those?"

"I am going to use these to improve the suit." Dent said back as he returned to their table.

"What? With Motor-oil and a lighter!" Marc replied with a growing anger to his voice, that did not go unnoticed by the former who carried on as he unscrewed the lid of the Oil container.

"Wintergreen, please can you deal with this Man..." he started to say, before looking back at the Merc-Leader with a serious expression.

"...or would you like me to?"

This earned a knowing nod from the other guy as he then turned his attention to said person, who was still biting his lips as he watched Dent begin to pour the oil over one side of the suit.

"...stand down, that's an order!" he called out, gaining a look of surprise from Marc, who then saw the expression of Wintergreen's face and realized his mistake.

"Okay..." he said back reluctantly, while Harvey then tossed the empty container aside and activated the Lighter, before gently throwing the device and it's naked flame onto the soaked side of the brand new set of clothing, which suddenly lit it up as the fire spread out over the left side of the suit, burning and crisping up the garments.

A few seconds passed as Dent watched that half of the suit burn, his expression was completely blank as everyone else's attention was focused on the fire that had now engulfed the entire left side as the smell of burning cloth began to fill the room. Wintergreen though managed to move his attention away from the fire and towards the former District Attorney, who he noticed had a slight smirk on the right side of his face,which left him feeling a little uncomfortable.

'Yes, that's the feeling I remember. The heat, the rage that burns more than flesh...' Harvey started to think as he felt the heat of the flames on his face, while never taking his eyes away from the dancing fire that was consuming half of his new suit.

'...this is what I want to share with Gordon and his family. While, Batman too will watch this City share the same fate, because everyone failed Rachel and I, and so deserve to burn as well.' he thought with a smirk, before gesturing to the Lead-Merc with his right hand.

"Okay, put it out." he said, making Wintergreen look at the Man closest to the former DA.

"Marc..." he called, gaining a nod from the younger Man, who then picked up a fire extinguisher from under the table and used it on the burning garments, covering them the white smoke of the CO2 which snuffed out the fire instantly.

Then it once again went quiet as the white cloud began to dissipate, showing the look of the suit to them all. This made Dent's smirk widen as he gazed down on the clothing, though the smile could only be seen on the right side of his face, gaining uncomfortable expressions from the rest of the men there.

"Excellent, now it's perfect." he said with an admiring tone, while Wintergreen took a step toward him.

"Alright, Mr. Dent, you have your suit. So what is our next move?" he asked, which brought a knowing look to the scarred Man's face.

"Very well. But for what I have planned, we are going to need a few things." he replied, making everyone there stare back with curious looks.

"Like what?" Marc replied, voicing the question that was on all their lips before the main-merc could even take breath to speak.

"We are going to need the rest of your Men, the ones who were arrested back at the Asylum." the scarred-Man said back, gaining a surprised look from the younger man in return as he went quiet, giving Wintergreen the chance to speak up again.

"I have been keeping tabs on them and they are currently sitting the cells at the 'Major Crimes Unit', waiting to be processed and then sent on to Black-Gate."

"And who is now in charge of the MCU, since Gordon is the Police Commissioner?" Dent asked with a tinge of curiosity to his voice.

"That would be Capt. Crispin Allen, who was promoted to the position not long after the 'Joker Incident' a year ago."

Hearing that name brought a thoughtful expression to Dent's face as he looked back at the smoldering suit, before taking his Dollar out from his pocket.

'That Clown...' he started to think before flicking the coin and catching it, while the rest of the Men watched him.

"Mr. Dent...?" Wintergreen then asked, while the Scarred-Man looked down at the shiny, clean surface of the coin.

"...Mr. Dent?"

This snapped the former District Attorney out of his thoughts, making him look back as he gritted his teeth.

"What!" he almost spat while clenching his fist around his Father's lucky coin, earning a worried look from the former as he noticed this.

"You had asked about the MCU and Capt. Allen before spacing out for a moment." the Merc replied.

"Yeah, I did...never mind. Okay, I want you to take half of your men here and get the rest back from the MCU." Harvey said back, earning surprised looks from everyone other than Wintergreen, who simply nodded back.

"This could have been a problem..." he started to say back, before looking to another door on the other side of the room.

"Noah!"

This caused the door to open as a spectacled brown-haired, Caucasian Man stepped out.

"You called, Wintergreen." he replied before his eyes fell upon Harvey Dent, making his eyes widen as he found himself focusing on the scarred half of the Man's face.

"Okay...how did I not know about this?" he asked out loud, gaining a chuckle from one of the guys nearest to him.

"That's because you locked yourself in that room with your computers, that's why." he said, earning a glare from Noah as he adjusted his glasses.

"That's enough." Wintergreen then said with a serious tone, before gesturing the new Man to join him and their Benefactor.

"Who is this?" Dent then asked with a curious expression, that could only be read via his right side of his face.

"Harvey Dent, meet ,Noah Kuttler'..." the Merc-leader started to reply as the spectacled-Man joined them and offered him his hand.

"...who is our Tech-Expert." he finished as both men shook hands, though Noah had to hide his disgust as he noticed that he was shaking the heavily scarred left hand of the former DA's.

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Dent, though I thought you were dead?" he said back with a curious tone, earning a bemused expression from their new Boss in return.

"It didn't take." was all he would say, before turning his attention back to Wintergreen.

"So what's he going to do?"

"Noah will hack into the MCU's security and make it that much easier for us to get in there and liberate our Men..." he started to say, only to stop as a thoughtful look crossed his face.

"...but why don't you want me to take all of the guys here?"

"I am going to need the rest for something special, which I will tell you once I have a chat with 'The Bird'." Harvey answered with a sinister smile, before flicking his coin into the air once more and catching it.

"So let me just go talk to him and then I will get changed into this mighty fine suit." he added before gesturing to the garments lying on the table next to them, earning a unsure look from Kuttler as he stared at them.

"Yeah, they look very...sharp." he replied before turning back towards his room.

"I will be in my room, preparing for the hack of the MCU." he then said to the Merc-leader, gaining a nod from the other man.

"Okay, Mr. Dent, we have been keeping 'the Bird' in a secure room over this way." Wintergreen then said as he lead the scarred Man away from the table, with both Men heading towards the north end of the building.

[ApolloXL5]

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

Meanwhile, Bruce had arrived at City Hall and was met by Mayor Anthony Garcia, who had a surprised expression on his face.

"Good Morning, Bruce..." he said as the two shook hands outside of his Office, gaining a knowing smile from the Billionaire in return.

"...but aren't you a little early, since our appointment is not for another hour?"

"I know Mr. Mayor, but you know how it is. You have plans, only for something else to come up in it's place." he said back, earning a mirrored look from Garcia.

"I understand, Bruce, truly I do. But I really don't have time right now, since my first appointment will be here any moment." he answered, making Wayne look around them in return.

"There is no one here besides the two of us so far, I just need a minute or two of your time and then I will be on my way. Then we can rearrange another date in the future..." the Billionaire said back with an honest tone, before his smile changed slightly to a more serious one.

"...or are you really going to turn away one of this City's biggest Benefactors, if not biggest. Who is also a good friend?" he then asked, which made the Mayor look at the ground and sigh in defeat.

"Okay..." Garcia began to reply, before turning to the double doors and unlocking them with his keys.

"...come on in, but we really don't have time to sit and talk, believe me." he finished as the pair then entered the room, with Bruce inspecting the room with a quick glance while the other guy walked to his desk.

"Oh I do." he replied with a reassured tone while noticing a set of white Kallax shelves with a number of awards standing upon them, before walking over to inspect them.

"Good, so what was so important that you could not simply rebook our meeting?" the other guy then asked as he sat down and began to flip through the files on his desk, not even paying attention to Bruce who smirked in return.

'Good, just keep looking there, Anthony.' he thought before quickly and quietly disconnecting the Cuff-link and placing it behind one of them, before the Mayor then looked up at the Billionaire.

"Bruce, what you doing?" he asked, which made the younger man, in one fluid action, pick up the award next to the bugged one and look at it.

"I was just admiring your Awards collection here, especially this one..." he started to say with a smile, before reading it's engraving with a confused expression.

"Municipal Empowerment Award....what exactly does that mean?"

Garcia then got up and walked over to his Visitor, before taking the Award and placing it back in it's place.

"Come on, Bruce. You didn't come here to talk about my collection of Awards, did you?" he replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice, which made Wayne nod back as he turned away from the Awards, with the Mayor following.

"Of course not, I was just curious...." he started while walking toward one of the large windows, with it's view of the nearby Plaza and the Skyscrapers that surrounded it.

"...but since I had already spoken about my Company's Initiative with you before the big reveal last night..." the Billionaire added, only to be cut off by Garcia as he looked at his watch.

"I hate to cut you off, Bruce, but you need to get to the point." he said with a mix of annoyance and regret to his voice and expression, making the other Man shrug in response.

"Okay, well I think that due to circumstances that are...unfortunately beyond my control right now, that we are going to have to postpone by about a week or so." he replied with an honest disappointment to his voice, earning a bemused smile from the Mayor in return.

"Bruce...you didn't need to come here and tell me this, a simple phone call would have been fine."

"Yeah, but we're friends and I felt it would be better to tell you in person. Plus the Mayor's Office is on the way to that really good Shawarma restaurant that just opened a month ago, and I was thinking of buying it so they could deliver their food straight to me whenever I want with no hassle." Bruce said back with a smirk, which gained a mirrored expression from Garcia as he shook his head in a faked disapproving way.

"Billionaires and their eccentricities. You do realise that just being 'Bruce Wayne' would get you no hassle with your orders, right?"

"Yeah, but I have found that places are that much better when you own them." the younger Man answered, which made the Mayor chuckled in return.

"Well thanks for visit, Bruce, even though it wasn't necessary and also for that chuckle, since I doubt that I will be seeing any joy for the rest of the day." he said back as his smile slowly disappeared, earning a curious and concerned look from Wayne in return.

"That sounds ominous..." he then said back with a curious tone, though secretly, he already knew the reason.

"It does doesn't it, but I cannot talk about it Bruce, though you understand why." Garcia replied, before a knock at the door caught both Men's attention.

"Come in."

And then Commissioner James Gordon opened the door and entered, joining the pair as Garcia began to walk toward it.

"I am afraid that you have to leave now, Bruce, since the Commissioner and i have some business to discuss." he added, with the billionaire nodding back in return as started to walk towards the door too.

"Yeah, I understand..." he started to reply, before turning his attention to the older-moustache wearing Man.

"Good Morning, Commissioner."

"Good Morning, Mr. Wayne." the Police Chief replied, trying to sound completely normal, though Bruce could see right through the charade, noticing the slither of nerves that Gordon was trying to hide.

"I'll speak to you later, Bruce." Garcia then said back as the Billionaire left the room, closing the door behind him and leaving his friend alone in the corridor and himself with Gordon.

'Okay, time to eavesdrop.' the Wayne thought as he first tapped his one remaining Cuff-link and then activated his phone, putting the latter to his ear as he walked away from the Mayor's Office.

"Alfred, it's me. The Bug is now on and I am heading down to my Car." he said, before walking through another door and heading down it's stairwell.

"I can confirm that from here, Sir. I can see from here that the device is working at 100% efficiency, so you should be able to listen to their entire conversation." the Butler replied from the other end of the call, gaining a nod from Bruce as he took out a small ear-piece and put it snug into his right ear where no one could see it.

"Okay, I'm ending the call now."

"Very well, Master Bruce." his friend and Confidante answered before the call then stopped, allowing the Billionaire to put his phone away as he reached the bottom of the stairs and entered the Parking-Garage, just as the voices of Gordon and the Mayor could now be heard within his ear.

"So Commissioner..." Garcia started to say as the other man sat down in the only chair facing the desk of the Mayor, while the former walked around him towards his own.

"...do you know what I was doing last night?"

This gained a confused look from Jim as he kept his focus on the City's Leader while sat behind his desk.

"You were at Wayne's Fund Raiser, we were all there." he said back, making Garica nod back in response.

"That is true, until you and my good friend, Quincy Sharp then left the party all of a sudden..." he began to say, before picking up a pen that had been lying on the desk and pressing it's button every couple of seconds.

"...which I could not help but wonder about. So it came as a huge shock for me to hear an hour or so later that Arkham Asylum had been breached, that one of he prisoners had escaped and my friend was now dead." he finished as a pained expression befell his face, making Jim's crack a little, revealing his guilt that could be seen clear as day.

"Look, Mr. Mayor..." he started to reply, but he was cut off as the younger Man continued to speak.

"But that wasn't even the most shocking news, because then I was told that a Man that I and the entirety of Gotham believed to be dead, was in fact alive and now roaming the streets of our City..." he added, while Gordon went quiet, only for the Mayor's eyes to look directly at him with a judgemental look.

"...which I could not believe, so I am going to ask you now, Commissioner..."

This brought an eerie silence between the two as Garcia took a breath, making Jim gulp in return.

"...is Harvey Dent alive and running amok in Gotham?"

The Police Chief could feel his heart-beat quicken, each and every beat pulsing through his body as a small drip of sweat ran down the side of his face.

"...Yes...I am afraid he is."

This made the Mayor look at his desk and take a breath, like he was letting the weight of that realization really hit him hard, before sighing.

"My God..." he started to say, before turning his chair so he could look out of the large window behind his desk.

"...then I guess that means that the Batman is innocent in all of this, in that he didn't kill those people...Harvey did." he added, gaining a nod from the Commissioner in return.

"Yes, that's true, Mr. Mayor." he replied, while the other man kept his back to him as he continued to stare out of the window.

"Do you remember when we were here with Dent and Commissioner Loeb...?" Garcia then started to ask, which made Gordon nod once more.

"Yes, after he and I managed to put the Mob's leadership behind bars. You then asked Loeb and I to leave the room..." he began to reply, only for the Mayor to turn back round and cut him off.

"I told him that if he continued with that risky proposition, then it would all be on him. That everyone who had a hand in the Mob's pockets would be after him, looking for something to pin on him..." he continued before dropping hos pen back on his desk and shaking his head in disgust.

"...well it looks like that will actually happen now. And all the Mob's men that have been rotting in Black Gate for the past year, who were denied a hearing or parole because of an act you had me sign..." he tried to continue, only for Gordon to this time interrupt him.

"With all due respect, Sir, what had happened to Harvey, what he became, was exactly what the Joker was intending. Because he wanted to drag down our City's White Knight and prove to our Citizens that it is all for nothing and that Chaos was the only path. But the Batman chose to take the blame instead, so that the City would be spared that fate. Because if he hadn't, we would be living in War-zone right now." he said back with a controlled anger lining his words, making Garcia stare back with a somewhat thoughtful expression.

"Well that was very...noble of a Vigilante to do that. But in the end, it didn't work that way did it. Because once this comes out, everything is going to fall apart. All those criminals in Black-Gate will be released back onto the streets, with you and me quickly following them."

Meanwhile, Bruce was back in his vehicle and listening to the conversation with a stoic expression on his face.

"Nobody outside of handful of people know about this right now, so it is possible that we can keep this under wraps, but that hinges on is bringing Harvey in and I think to do that we need..." he heard Gordon start to say, only to be cut off by a familiar voice that spoke over his, one that made Bruce's eyes widen as a cold dread crossed his face.

"Did someone mention my name..?"

'Harvey!' Bruce suddenly thought, while Gordon and Garcia remained quiet as the sounds of guns being cocked could be heard over Wayne's earpiece.

"...because I am back in City Hall!" the former District Attorney was then heard exclaiming, as Bruce's eyes narrowed in response.

[Edd Grayson]

Thank you for the update, I'm enjoying this!

[ApolloXL5]

CHAPTER XI

"Dent...my god!" Garcia gasped as standing before both Gordon and himself was the scarred former District Attorney, complete with a new suit though it's left half was heavily burnt to match the man himself. He had a smirk on his face while staring at his stunned former colleagues, while being flanked by a group of Mercs with two on either side of him with silenced-rifles.

"Hello, Mr. Mayor..." Harvey started to say before his eyes turned to the Police Commissioner, making his right one narrow as his smirk became more sinister.

"...Jim."

"Harvey..." the older Man said almost under his breath as he slowly went for his side-arm under his blazer, only for one of the Mercs to notice and step toward him as he looked at him through the sights of his rifle.

"Don't even think about it." the masked Man said back, gaining the Scarred Man's attention as he looked between the two, a knowing look appearing on his face.

"...now, Jim, that's not very friendly."

"Harvey, what can we do for you today?" the Mayor then asked with a calm tone to his voice, trying to hide the fear he was currently feeling as he spoke, not that it fooled Dent as he showed that he was holding his own silenced-pistol in his left hand and his lucky coin in his right.

"Well I will get to that in a moment, but I could not help but notice that you don't look that surprised to see me. Your Staff though, they looked like they had seen a ghost...as we killed them..." he began to say, making Garcia and Jim's eyes widen as they heard him say that, which brought an innocent smile to his face.

"Now, now. It's not like we just came in guns blazing..." he carried on before flicking his coin into the air and catching it.

"...I had to make a choice first, but as they are all as guilty as the two of you with everything that happened to Rachel and myself. so I let 'fate' decide theirs."

"But they had nothing to do with what the Joker and his Men did to you and Miss Dawes, no matter how terrible and tragic it was." the Mayor answered back, face showing how appalled he was as he stood up behind desk in an almost defiant manner, earning a surprised and unsure expression from the Police Commissioner as he remained seated.

"Oh, but they did, 'Mr. Mayor', as they are a part of your municipal government..." Harvey replied as he walked up to Garcia's desk, stopping next to Gordon as he turned his gun on the former.

"...and it was you, who gave Jim here, the green light to create his own special crimes Unit, which he then filled with crooked Cops..." he continued, which made the Police Commissioner want to speak up against his words. But before he could move, the older Man felt a hand grab his shoulder and looked around to see one of masked-Mercs stand next to him, holding his rifle at his head.

"...so in fact, everything that Rachel and I went through at the hands of the Joker, turning me into who I am now, actually started with 'you'. And though I did come here to pick up my old friend, 'Jim'. I should see that you receive your rightful punishment, should 'Fate' see it so."

"Harvey, you're not making any sense..." the Mayor began to say back as he found himself staring between the Scarred-Man and the business end of the gun that was being pointed directly at his face. Harvey then grit his teeth as he heard his name spoken as it was, making him tighten his hand around the Pistol's grip.

"It's so easy isn't it? Not accepting the blame for your part in what was done to me...in what I lost!" Harvey then said with venom underlining his words, bringing both confusion and fear to Garcia's expression as he stood there, while Gordon just sat there with barrel of a gun at the back of his head.

"Look, this isn't the way to do things and it won't fix everything that has happened. But I can get you the best psychological and cosmetic help possible, so that you can be once more Harvey Dent...the White Knight of Gotham." the Mayor then said with a sincere smile, selling that line with as much confidence as he could muster up, despite looking directly at the Scarred-Man and the gun being aimed at him. This brought a moment of pause to the former DA as he looked at his Pistol, a thoughtful expression on his twisted face as his hostage took a deep breath and waited for his answer.

"Even if that were possible, I would still be living without the one person that makes it all worth while..." he then started to say as he returned his attention to Garcia, with his right eye narrowing as he spoke.

"...and either way, I am no longer Harvey 'Dent'."

Meanwhile in the Garage that was a number of floors below, Bruce drove his car at speed as he made his way out, all while listening to every word of their conversation.

"Then what are you?" the Mayor could he heard saying, Bruce recognizing the growing fear in his friend's voice as he spoke.

"Gordon and his fellow Cops had a nickname for me, back when I was working in Internal Affairs. Didn't you, Jim?" Harvey then replied.

"And what was that?" Garcia said back.

"Harvey Two-Face, a name far more fitting for me now, wouldn't you agree?" the former DA could be heard saying, while the Billionaire drove his Super-car back onto the street with a determined expression on his face.

"Look, Harvey..."

"Sshh, like I said earlier. I would love to kill you right now, but it isn't up to me." Harvey then replied, cutting off the Mayor as the sound of a coin being flipped was then heard.

"I am sorry, Anthony, but Fate is not on your side."

"NO!" Gordon could then be heard shouting, before the sound of a gunshot cut him off. This made Bruce's eyes widen as he continued driving, with the Billionaire gritting his teeth and tightening his grip on the steering wheel in return as the sound of a body dropping to the floor could be heard.

"Okay, Jim, time to go." former DA then said, before silence then took over the remainder of the eavesdrop, making Bruce tap his other Cuff-link.

"Damn it, Phone, call Alfred and encrypt."

"Master Bruce, your GPS has you leaving City Hall in the direction of our Bat-Bunker in the City. Does that mean you have heard the news?" the Butler then asked, while the younger Man kept his eyes on the road as he over took three cars and a taxi in quick succession.

"Harvey just appeared and kidnapped Gordon, but not before killing the Mayor and the majority of his Staff currently in the building."

"Forgive me for asking, Sir, but why didn't you try to help." Alfred said back, making Wayne shake his head in return.

"I was eavesdropping on Gordon and Mayor Garcia's meeting from down in the Garage, when Harvey and his men suddenly appeared. And besides, I don't have my 'suit' with me. So next time I say that I want a Bat-suit packed into the trunk of each of my cars, please don't call me paranoid." he replied, gaining a sigh from the other end of the call.

"Very well, Sir." the older Man said back, before Bruce's expression changed to one of confusion.

"Wait a minute, what news were you on about just now?"

"It came over the Police bandwidth just a few moments ago, Master Wayne. Several Mercenaries that match those that broke the Bird out of Arkham, have just attacked the MCU. It appears that they are after the rest of the men who were arrested there and since the bunker is closer to that building than City Hall, you can make it there before this unpleasant situation ends." Alfred replied, only for the Billionaire to shake his once more.

"Can't do that, Alfred. Besides, I read up on the MCU's Chief - Crispin Allen. He is a good Officer and should be able to handle them."

"But, Sir, these Mercenaries must be part of the same group that is working with Mr. Dent and the Batman should be there to stop them from regaining their full strength." the Butler replied with a disapproving tone, while Bruce turned a corner sharply and passed several more vehicles.

"Of course they are, Alfred. But since Harvey has now captured Gordon, I know who he will be after next and I must get to 'them' before him or his men..." he started to explain before an unsure expression befell his face, while he drove the car into the Wayne Enterprises owned Dock where his Bat-Bunker was located.

"...but I don't think that the Bat-Pod will be enough for what I have in mind." he added before bringing the super-car to a halt inside an abandoned warehouse on it's premises, creating a small dust cloud around it from the force of the stop.

"Well, Sir, I may have some more news for you on that front since Mr. Fox had called only 30 minutes after you had left the Manor. He said that the prototype he had mentioned to you the other day was ready for deployment, and he can have it at any location that you require it." the Butler replied, earning a smirk from the Billionaire as he prepared to exit the Bugatti.

"Sounds good Alfred, tell me more on the way down to the Bunker."

[ApolloXL5]

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

'How did it come to this?' was all Gordon could think as he sat restrained in some kind of vehicle, or at least he thought it was a vehicle. It was not an easy thing to tell, since as soon as Harvey and his men had take him, they blindfolded him and made the Police Chief wear a pair of sound dulling headphones. So the older and wearier Man was basically in the dark about where he was and where he was being taken. But still, it did not stop his mind wearing down on him with the thought of what the choice he had made last year had cost.

'God damn you, Harvey, things would have been much simpler had you just died that night.'

But this made Jim flinch, since this train of thought did not sit well with him as he felt wherever he was suddenly shake like it had turned sharply.

'Definitely inside a vehicle, which kind of feels like a van.' the Policeman deduced.

'What are you planning, Harvey?'

But before Gordon could ponder on that question any further, he suddenly felt the headphones being removed from his head.

"Hey, Jim. I hope you haven't fallen asleep or anything, believe me I know what it's like to lose a few of our senses, making you question what is going on around you as you feel completely and utterly helpless." he said with a calm tone, though the venom behind his words was still very much present.

"After all it was you and the Bat that cost me all that I cared about. And then the latter cost me the chance to 'end it all', making me become a prisoner in my own body as I kept reliving my tragedy over and over for an entire year...an entire Year!" Two-Face then almost shouted, making the Police Commissioner flinch as he felt the force of the scarred-Man's breath on his exposed face, gaining a curious expression from the Gordon in response.

"You still want to die, Harvey?" he asked back.

"I told you a year ago, Gordon, that there was no escaping this. That you would pay and suffer for what you made me lose, but what the Batman did to me only delayed it. Because I have had a year...a year to think about this, nothing but this and I can promise you that what I have planned is only going to get worse for you...and the Bat." Harvey replied with a sinister tone.

"But, Harvey..." the older Man began to say back through the darkness around him, only to be cut off in return.

"We can talk more once we have picked up 'everyone' we need to begin..." he began to explain, which made Jim's eyes widen behind the blindfold.

"Who? Who are you on about?" he demanded to know with a fearful tone in his voice, for deep down the Police Chief knew what the answer would be. And even though he could not see the Man holding him captive, Jim could feel the dark smile that his Captor had on his scarred face as he moved closer.

"Oh, you know of who I am speaking of, Jim..." he started to say in a dark and teasing tone, which made Gordon bite his lip as his heart-beat sped up once more.

"...because like I just said, there is no escaping what is to come and this time everyone you love will suffer."

"No...!" Gordon then began to scream as all his emotions just exploded and he tried to fight against his restraints, only to be cut off as he suddenly felt something being forced into his mouth, gagging him as the headphones were placed back on his head, plunging the Man into the empty void once more with nothing more than the fear he felt for his family.

Two-Face watched Gordon fight against his restraints, a look of glee on his face as he enjoyed seeing the Police Chief's panic and anger coming to the surface.

'Just you wait, Jim.' he thought before one of the Mercs sitting at the front of the van turned around and gestures to him, holding a phone in his hand.

"It's Wintergreen, Boss." he said, gaining a nod from he scarred-Man in return as he took the device in hand.

"Thanks." he replied before putting the receiver to his ear.

"Two-Face here." he said, before his second in command replied.

"Mission successful, Boss, all of our guys are accounted for."

"Excellent, Wintergreen, and what about your other objective?" Harvey then asked with a curious tone, while looking between his captive and where another one of his mercs were driving their vehicle.

"I have the account details, which were exactly where you said they would be."

"Of course they were, I knew that neither Gordon or the rest of GCPD would have touched nor moved the rest of the Mob Money that they had confiscated from the remainders of the men that had sided with Joker last year." the former DA explained.

"Well, they are currently locked down and need a code to access them." the Merc Leader replied, with Two-Face noticing the disappointment in his subordinate's voice.

"Don't worry, I can get the code that unlocks those accounts. But that will only happen, after my plan has been put in motion, understand?" he said back, those last few words carried a subtle hint of authority.

"Yes, Boss, of course." Wintergreen quickly answered, earning a slight smirk from the former Lawyer in response.

"Good, now you can track the GPS of our Van, so you can meet us at the next objective."

"Alright, will do." the Merc replied, before the call came to an end

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

Meanwhile in the Gordon Household, Barbara was rushing about as her and Jim's kids stood around fully dressed with their coats and shoes on, watching her with amused expressions, especially little Barbs.

"You did it again, Mummy." she exclaimed with a giggle, gaining a knowing and reluctant look from her Mother in return.

"I know, but if you two could help me find them, then we would be able to get going."

"Did you look in the third Cup to the right on the Mug rack, Mom?" Jimmy asked, making the older Barbara stop and think for a second before sighing and rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"...of course." she muttered and turned to the rack, finding the keys exactly where her Son had suggested.

"Good catch, Jimmy. Now turn off the TV and let's go." she said, earning nods from the pair of youngsters as the older of the two walked over to the device and was ready to deactivate, only to stop as a news Bulletin played on the screen.

"The Batman spotted on the streets of Gotham!" it read, making he watch as the footage showed the Vigilante speeding through the City on his strange-looking Motorcycle.

After a moment or two, Barbara walked in with his little Sister following in her stead as she gave her Son an annoyed expression.

"I thought I told you to turn off the Television." she said, gaining a surprised look from the Boy as he pointed at the screen.

"But, Mom, it's Batman...during the Day!" he replied, making both Mother and Daughter turn their attention to the screen, only for the doorbell to suddenly ring and snap her focus back.

"Ugh, I have to deal with this. Just turn it off, or else we are going to be late." the former said back as she rolled her eyes and left the living room, while little Barbara just kept watching the footage with her Brother as her eyes widened as she noticed something.

"Jimmy, isn't that Joey's Mom's Haircut place?" she said as Batman was shown speeding past a shop, earning a surprised look from the older Brother.

"Yeah, it is. He's in our area!"

"Police have been alerted and are mobilizing as this is being reported." the Newscaster was heard saying over the footage.

Meanwhile, Barbara reached the front-door and prepared to open it as the doorbell rang again.

"Just a moment!" she called back, before beginning to unlock it.

'I swear if this is just some...' she started to think while opening the door, before stopping as her eyes widened at the sight standing before her.

'...pointless...'

"Hello, Barbara. It's been a while." Two-Face then said as he was joined by two masked-Mercs, which made the Woman think of the only thing that was important to her.

"Kids, RUN!" she screamed while trying to slam the door back in the Scarred Man's face, only for Harvey and his Men to stop it and force it back. As that was happening, Jimmy took his Sister's hand and pulled her away from the screen just as it showed Batman making a sharp turn.

"Come on!" he snapped with an urgent tone, making the little Girl focus her attention back on their situation.

"What about Mummy?" she cried back as they ran past the hallway on their way to the Kitchen, just in time to see her grab an umbrella and attack the intruders with it.

"She told us to run..." the boy snapped back, while both kids suddenly remembered that night a year ago, having recognized the disfigured Man with their Mother.

"...so we run. Let's go through the back." Jimmy added as they approached the back door, only to stop momentarily as they suddenly heard their Mother being knocked to the ground as that familiar and terrifying voice spoke over it.

"Now, Barbara, that's no way to treat guests."

"Mummy!" the youngest then cried out as Jimmy reluctantly returned his attention to the task at hand, opening the back door and pulling his crying sister outside, only for the pair to instantly get grabbed by another pair of Mercs that were waiting for them.

"Good, bring them into the front room." Two-Face then exclaimed with a smirk as he and the others brought Barbara out of the Hallway, noticing that the others had stopped the kids.

A moment later and the Mother and her children were on their knees in the middle of the Living Room, surrounded by the former DA and his Mercs.

"What the hell is that?" Harvey asked as he noticed the TV, which was still showing the news footage of Batman.

"He's heading this way, Boss." one of the Men then said, having recognized where the Vigilante currently was. Gaining little Barbara's attention as she glanced at the screen.

"He's coming." she whispered, making both Jimmy and their Mom look at her as they heard what she said. The Disfigured Man meanwhile, pulled out his phone and put it to his ear.

"Wintergreen, please tell me that you are here now." he asked with just a hint of urgency to his voice, while looking down at their hostages.

"Yes, we are just arriving now." the lead-Merc quickly replied, making Two-Face's smirk widen into a smile.

"Good, then block off the street and prepare to take out a flying rodent that is on his way here."

"Will do." the other Man said back, before the call ended and Harvey put the device away and smiled back at the Family at his feet.

"There we go, all done. Now, Barbara, I am going to need you and your children to come with us and join your Husband." he said, earning a hateful look from her in response.

"We are not going anywhere with you, not this time." she snapped back defiantly, which made Two-Face look on with an amused expression.

"You have more spine than your Husband, that's for sure. But you are all coming with us regardless... He started to reply, before looking down at Jimmy.

"...or should I just continue where we left off." he continued as he took out his pistol and aimed it at the Boy with his left hand, while revealing his Father's coin with his right.

[ApolloXL5]

Meanwhile Batman was nearing their location as he sped down the street on the Bat-pod, weaving in and out of any traffic that was in his way, earning surprised looks from all who saw him.

'Come on, faster.' he thought before making one last turn, only to widen in his eyes as he saw the fake SWAT Van from Arkham blocking his way at the far end of the street, complete with a team of mercs standing in front of it with their weapons aimed directly at him.

"There he is, open fire!" Wintergreen shouted, making them all pull the triggers of their weapons and unleash a barrage of gunfire at the Dark Knight.

'Damn it!' he thought as he took evasive action and began strafing go the left and right, with the bullets either hitting the ground beside him or hurtling passes his Cowl.

"Batman, the Prototype is active and I am sending it to your location now...ETA, two minutes." Fox then spoke over the Vigilante's Com-link, which made his narrow his eyes in return.

"Thanks, then I don't need this any more." he said back, before pushing the throttle down hard and gaining a burst of acceleration from his vehicle.

"What the hell, the freak is coming right at us." one of the Mercs then said over the gunfire, earning a smirk from the Merc-leader behind his Mask.

"Good, then he will be harder to miss. Give him hell, boys!" he exclaimed as they continued to barrage their enemy with bullets.

The Batman meanwhile laid forward as low as he could on the Bat-pod, feeling the air hit the exposed parts of his face hard as he sped toward the blockade.

'That will do.' he then thought before noticing a deactivated street lamp that stood just behind the armored Van, so he pulled out his grapple-gun and fired it at the tall object.

"What the...?" one of the Mercs asked out loud as they witnessed the action, before the grapple connected to the lamp and pulled him off the vehicle and through the air toward it, leaving the Bat-pod to continue toward then without a driver.

"Wow!" another Merc reluctantly admitted as he watched the Dark knight sore over them, before Wintergreen panicked in return.

"It's gonna hit us, get out of the way!" he screamed, making them all dive for cover before the Bat-vehicle collided with the Van, taking the larger one with it in an explosion, whose force knocked the mercs onto the walk. As this happened, Batman quickly disconnected the grapple and let his inertia launch him into the sky, before activating his cape's glide function once again, allowing him to soar through the sky overhead as he zeroed in on the Gordon residence.

'I hope I am not too late.'

Meanwhile, back at the house. The explosion outside in the street had caught the attention of everyone inside, earning a curious expression from Two-Face as two of the Mercs holding the Family at gunpoint looked over their shoulders in it's direction.

"What the hell was that?" one asked with a nervous tone, earning a nod from the guy next to him.

"I know, right. Wintergreen's team weren't carrying explosives with them, so what caused that?"

"You two, shut up! I want to enjoy this moment..." Two-Face then said, focusing instead on

Gordon's Son as he aimed his pistol at the Boy's head and prepared to flick his Coin.

"How's the saying go again, 'second time's a charm'." he added before flicking the keepsake into the air, a sinister glint in his prft eye as he watched the Dollar spin as it rose up above him.

But just as it then started to descend back down into the disfigured-Man's hand, Batman suddenly smashed through the large Living-room window and landed next to the group. This action made everyone stare at him, from the surprised Soldiers and Barbara, to growing looks pf glee on both Jimmy and his Sister's faces. But the most telling look was of Two-Face as he stared wide-eyed and shocked, completely forgetting about the coin as it fell to the ground and landed with heads facing up at his feet.

"What...!" he then started to exclaim as he stared at the new arrival, before remembering about his Coin and so looked down at the ground to see it. But before anyone else could even react to the Vigilante, he tossed a couple of smoke pellets into the center of the room.

"Hold your breath!" he then warned the family, before the devices exploded and enveloped the room in a white smoke.

"Do as he says, Kids." the Mother said, earning nods from the pair as they did exactly that. Though both tried to watch as the Dark Knight then turned his attention to Mercs, disappearing before their eyes as he slipped away into the smoke.

"Where's the freak..." one started to say, only to be stopped as his gun was suddenly pulled out of his hands, with it's but then being rammed into his chest, making him lurch forward as his mask was then shattered by an armored fist, knocking him down onto his back.

"Just kill him!" another cried out, before he suddenly had his feet swept up from under him, which made him hit the floor face first.

"I can't see a thing!" one of the two remaining masked-Men said, before he then bumped into his friend.

"Me neither, but let's stay close and go back to back. The Bat can't get the drop on us then." the other replied, earning a nod back as they both did exactly that and kept their eyes peeled for any Bat-shaped movement in the slowly dissipating smoke.

"I think the smoke's fading, I can see the Boss." one then said, having noticed Two-Face on the floor on all fours as he searched for his coin.

"And I see Gordon's family..." the other started to reply while looking directly at Barbara and the kids, who were still on their knees as she held them both close. But before he could say anymore, the whole building began to shake as the sounds of a jet engine came from the roof.

"What the hell is that?" both Mercs asked simultaneously as they, Harvey and even their hostages looked up in it's direction with curious expressions.

"That's my Ride." A deep, gravelly voice then spoke from behind the pair, making them both spin around to find the Batman standing there. But before either could react, he quickly grabbed their heads and smashed them together, shattering their masks as they then fell to the ground unconscious.

"Go to the roof, now!" the Vigilante then said to the Family, gaining a nod from Barbara as she grabbed both kids hands and pulled them away, while he returned his attention back to Two-Face.

"I am sorry, Harvey." he then said calmly, gaining the scarred-Man's attention as he looked up with hatred in his eyes.

"That's 'Two-Face' and this isn't over, not by a long shot." he spat angrily, before grabbing his gun and aiming it at his enemy, only for Batman to knock it out of his hand with ease and punch him in the face.

"I know." the Dark Knight replied with a uneasy tone as he watched his former Ally fall unconscious and collapse on the floor.

As this was happening, Barbara and the kids reached the roof as they exited the interior. But what they were greeted with made their eyes widen as they looked on in a dumbstruck manner.

"Awesome!" Jimmy exclaimed at the sight, while his Sister merely smiled.

"Okay, we are leaving..." Batman then said as he joined them, making the three turn and look back, still with surprised expressions on their faces.

'What's up with...oh!' the Vigilante suddenly thought as he saw what had landed on the roof, before an ever so subtle smirk crept on his face.

"Alright, get in." he then added, before gesturing to the Family to do so.

Meanwhile in the street, Wintergreen and his Men slowly recovered as the wreck that used to be their Van continued to burn.

"We need to give the others some back up, so let's go!" he exclaimed while picking up his rifle, the others doing the same. But suddenly the sounds of a jet-engine powering up caught their attention as they all looked in it's direction.

"What the..." the Lead-Merc began to say with a dumbstruck expression, one that was shared by his team. For they all saw the same thing, witnessing what looked like a futuristic fighter-Jet, clad in jet-black as it hovered over the Gordon Residence.

"...hell?" Wintergreen managed to finish, before the Jet then fired it's afterburners and flew away into the distance, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared and left the Mercs standing there in the street as Sirens could be heard faintly in the distance.

"Oh Crap...okay, let's get the Boss and get out of here!" he then ordered, with the others following as he then ran into the building.