Batman: The Scarred and the Damned - Chapter 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yeah...you're right."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

The following Evening...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"...Rachel..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BATMAN: THE SCARRED AND THE DAMNED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That comment will certainly please the Kitchen staff."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It's Wayne."

"About time."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That's Lieutenant."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"…a murderer."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What!"

A/N: Well I hope you liked this chapter and thanks for reading, I really appreciate it.

Next Chapter: Gordon heads to Arkham Asylum as it seems the secret is out, but he is not the only one as Batman follows in the shadows, as do others with a prison-breakout on their minds.