CHAPTER 15: Finale - "Aut Caesar Aut Nihil"

*Eastside Gotham, Entrance to Sprang Bridge, Present Time

Things had been quiet for Eastside Gotham. The tenants who lived in the rundown apartments near the Sprang Bridge may not have the most luxurious of accommodations, but the calming waves of the ocean and cool breeze air did make it better than most poor regions in the city. They also had a greater degree of safety than most.

The area was after all under the control of the Penguin which afforded it a few protections from the other criminal elements of Gotham. A few blocks away was also the Thompkins Clinic which was neutral ground for all criminals and provided much-needed medical help for the area. The Batman himself patrolled the area frequently as well, which is why many of the residents of the Iceberg Lounge down south both hated and loved the area.

So despite it still being one of the worst and most dangerous neighborhoods in the nation, the other top contenders also coincidentally being in Gotham, a certain amount of calm could be expected.

Alas, the last 12 hours would prove that Gotham still was the worst city in the world.

Fire engines, ambulances, squad cars, and even some of the National Guard covered the entire area. Burnt-out buildings and a few that were still on fire were being combated by all the emergency services Gotham could muster.

Sometime around 12 hours ago an arsonist or arsonists had set fire to multiple buildings from as far north as the Ace Chemical facilities to as south as the Iceberg Lounge. Investigators on-scene were not sure who the culprits were, only that they had organized themselves using basic accelerants to put multiple tenant buildings and warehouses on fire simultaneously.

So far, rescue efforts had been successful with most people getting out with minor injuries. A few of the older residents suffered the most from smoke inhalation but were taken to the hospital to deal with the worse. Gotham's finest had worked tirelessly to fight the growing flames and evacuate the civilians. And they were not alone.

In a strange twist of fate, cops soon found themselves getting help from gangbangers, mobsters, druggies, and various other petty criminals in the rescue efforts. When the fires first broke out the first responders were actually many of the local criminals of the area, a lot of them were simply trying to help their friends or family. But a few proved to be somewhat heroic as neighbors were helped, unknown pets were grabbed, garden hoses commandeered to bring relief, and so on.

When the actual authorities arrived there was no time to get into fights about warrants or turf wars and such. It was somehow a quite harmonious effort from the Eastside Gothamites along with their typical enemies Gotham's police, firefighters, and emergency services to combat the growing disaster.

Even the legendary Batman was seen in the early morning swinging into buildings and helping escort people out of the flames. Many considered Batman in East Gotham to either be a vengeful spirit, a lunatic in a cape, or an annoyance for 'good' business. That night he was seen by many as an angel.

Standing at the south entrance of the Sprang Bridge with the ocean to his back, Commissioner Gordon stood at the main command center for operations. He was not in charge, control of the situation went to the Gotham Disaster Relief Administer, a smart experienced woman who had gained exposure during the Katrina hurricane. He was here to coordinate whatever resources he could spare of the GCPD to assist in one of the worst cases of arson in Gotham's recent history. Save for a few squads and detectives he had sent over to the Narrows battle, much of the force was here, helping where they could.

The cool breeze from the ocean blew gently on his neck bringing some comfort to him. He currently had an unlit cigarette in his mouth which he mournfully took out and tossed onto the street. Things had finally calmed down this afternoon with crews being able to contain the fires to a few select buildings. No one knew what the casualties would be, but the odds were looking good at low fatalities thanks to the reactions of the residents and first responders.

'A god damn miracle really,' he thought pleased to himself.

Though, not everything had gone off without a problem. Sighing he turned around to look at the bridge where just an hour ago the Penguin enforcer, 'The Hound,' had stood. A partially collapsed tenant building had landed right at the entrance of the bridge cracking the asphalt and to many's concern maybe the bridge itself.

The Sprang Bridge on Eastside Gotham boasted an impressive cliff from the start as it connected up north to Robbinsville and the Bowery. Over 250 feet to the bottom made it a scary sight to look down on. To prevent accidents the city had thick wired fences nearly 10 feet high around the various walkways and paths to keep pedestrians safe. For the most part, it worked, and it kept people safe from the fall that would certainly kill them immediately. And if that didn't do it, then the fast-running and violent Sprang River probably would. Many a boater had both nearly and completely drowned due to the unrelenting currents.

But in regards to potential damage to the bridge, luck seemed to have also decided to show its face that day as closer examination found the bridge to be perfectly stable. Merely damage to the front entrance and random rubble from the collapsed building on the bridge needed to be cleaned.

Still though, as Gordon stared at the mess the Hound had left, he could not help but feel a sense of unease. Something did not feel right to him about the whole situation.

It was at that point he felt a presence behind him, one that he had grown to recognize throughout the years as one of his closest partners.

"I am surprised to see you out and about. Shouldn't you be hanging upside down in a cave and sleeping," Gordon joked.

Batman as usual did not smile or react to the jab. He never did, he was almost impossible to read in these situations. But Gordon over the years had picked up some minute details that gave him a better understanding of his moods. A minuscule clench in the jaw, his eyes a half millimeter narrower, ya, Gordon knew he was troubled as well by the situation.

"How are the rescue efforts?" Batman asked, staring at the destruction of the city.

Gordon sighed and turned around to look at what his partner was staring at, "All things considered, we do not think there are many fatalities... maybe a dozen or 2. We were lucky, though the arsonists," nodding to the sidewalk where 2 bodies were covered with a white crime cloth were, "were not."

Taking his glasses off, he took a cloth out and began to wipe them clean of some of the dust in the air.

"Several people have 1st to 2nd-degree burns but nothing life-threatening. Some smoke inhalation for seniors seems to be the worst of the health concerns. I have heard the EMTs got a lot of help from the local crooks when things first began." Gordon paused for a moment to reflect on that. Even though Gotham was considered the worst crime-ridden city in the nation, it was nice to see that little spark of light that broke out every once in a while. Not everyone in Gotham wanted the world around them to burn.

Batman grunted at that, before turning around to stare at the bridge and the partially collapsed building. Gordon put his hand on his shoulder in hopes to comfort his friend.

"You know," he began, "It was not your fault, the Hound has never reacted like he did before. And one way or another, he seemed the type to have no interest in going in quietly if at all."

Batman said nothing at that but merely stared at the rubble.

"You know you probably need some rest, you have to be pushing close to 33 hours on the job, maybe you should..."

"Gordon..." Batman interrupted him, "Jim... I checked with Robin and Batgirl... they both confirmed... he could not have been much older than them. Maybe even just 15..."

His voice trailed off as for a moment his facade broke to reveal a deep sadness. Gordon knew that beyond that hard exterior, Batman was deeply sensitive to failure, especially when it involved kids.

Taking his hand off his shoulder, Gordon took out another cigarette, and this time lit it to breathe in the relaxing fumes of tobacco. Barbra was definitely going to kill him, he had been going a few weeks strong now, but he figured she would understand that right now he was not in the mood.

"That is what is probably bothering me," Gordon said quietly.

Batman looked over at him, "Bothering you?"

Gordon shrugged tiredly, "Ya, I don't know why but something has been bothering me about the Hound and what happened but I could not pinpoint what. Him being a kid is probably going to earn me a few sleepless nights and a couple of empty Jack Daniels."

Taking out his cigarette and crushing it under his foot he said, "The investigation into the 'Hound' is officially closed now."

Looking out to the sea he couldn't help but say, "Let's hope the kid is having a better life than whatever he had while alive."

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*James, Sionis Cosmetic Factories, 12 Hours Earlier.

Staring at something that looked like it would better fit a Jurassic Park film, a part of James really hoped that maybe his concussion had just gotten worse and he was now hallucinating.

Sadly, the roar that shook the very ground itself, and the fear seen in the fleeing mobsters, the fat guy in a suit, and the two vigilantes did not give him much confidence in that dream.

Killer Croc, one of Gotham's best 'muscle-for-hires' walked out of the factory, all 500 plus pounds of muscle from him.

James could not help but say out loud, "Well shit... but at least it's not Bane. Or is Croc worse? Actually who is stronger? And if Croc eats people, would that not make him a worse opponent? But Bane has a weird crippling people-for-life thing, but Croc will just kill you which could be considered the better option."

Talking out loud like he did caused everyone around him to stare at him like he had lost his mind, which in fairness was a possibility.

Even Croc after finishing his roar stared at him oddly, the reaction from James was not his weirdest encounter, but it certainly was up there.

Holding his hands out, palms open to show he was unarmed he said, "Listen Killer Croc, can I call you Croc?"

A glare from the reptile gave him the answer he needed.

"Mr. Croc, I think we could all take this moment to remember that we are all friends heeEEEERRRRREEE!" James started to say before shouting and jumping out of the way as Croc charged directly toward him.

Rolling to the side he managed to dodge Croc whose momentum had him running a few feet ahead. With his back to James, he released a powerful concussive blast hitting the creature but only caused it to stagger a bit.

'Well that's not great,' he thought, Croc had turned around with bloodlust in his eyes from what felt like to him a hard shove.

James looked sheepishly at the towering giant now within arms reach.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly fearful and wide-eyed.

Croc swung throws at him once, then twice, and then 3 times, James managed to somehow dodge each one. But that left him open to the unexpected tail swipe that sent him flying a few yards, scrapping the asphalt and finally stopping when he rolled into the fence surrounding the factory.

At that point, the heavy-set man in the ruffled suit had stopped running and gave a laugh of relief. He seemed to of come to the realization the giant creature was actually on his side.

Pointing at James who was feeling quite unwell laying on the asphalt he said, "Well I see that tonight will be the night for me after all!"

His words were slightly slurred and though James was nowhere near him he felt like he could smell the alcohol from where he was laying.

"I should have hired the Croc to catch me a Hound ages ago," he said with glee, "Blackwater can be rebuilt, plenty of young idiots running about. Idiots who will join up for a few bucks. Tony is back in business baby!"

The Blackwater Chief drunkenly staggered over to James' side, taking a handkerchief from his ruffled suit he wiped the sweat from his face. Being so close to him, James was tempted to knock him down physically or with his powers. But when he tried to lift his head up he found his body refusing to cooperate. Even trying to focus was becoming increasingly difficult as a migraine-like no other ravaged his head, mixed with dizziness and nausea it felt like he couldn't even lift a pen. It seemed like he had reached his limit from his injuries.

Batgirl during this had crawled over to where Robin was and managed to cut the seatbelt holding him bound. Stirring slightly from the fall, Robin groaned before opening his eyes to see a concerned Batgirl hovering over him.

Robin blinking to wake up muttered, "What happened?"

Batgirl motioned her head in the direction of James and Croc, "Well, turns out that your old friend the Hound," Robin's eyes widened at that, "Has changed his wardrobe... he then knocked you out and threw me. Then Killer Croc came out of the factory and now we are here..."

Robin gave a nod of acceptance, giving Batgirl a look over he could tell that she was injured but not life-threatening. Looking back at the Hound, though his face was covered he could tell from the body language the man was looking down for the count. Killer Croc who loomed over near the Hound looked as intimidating as ever though there was a hint of boredom in his pose.

'Must be here for a couple of bucks,' Robin thought as he changed his gaze to the fat man gloating near the Hound.

With a large belly with meaty hands, the man had a pencil-thin mustache and wore a pinstriped grey suit that was in some disarray. Probably he had slept in it and based on his slurring words was a little drunk the last few hours. He had the look that epitomized what an old-fashioned gangster would look like, nothing like the street thugs the Blackwater gang were known to be dressed as.

But what bothered Robin most was something he did not expect. He knew this man!

Batgirl felt him tense up beside her, "What's wrong?!?"

Robin didn't respond but just kept his eyes firmly on the Blackwater Chief. His gaze was hidden by his domino mask but Batgirl could tell. There was a look she did not like from him.

A few more gunshots from the factory distracted the group from all their various musings. Grunting in dissatisfaction Croc turned around swiftly and made his way back into the building.

The Blackwater Chief followed him for a few steps, "You big stupid fu&*king lizard, finish them off right now!"

Only to be pointedly ignored by Croc walking back into the warehouse, a roar followed by more gunfire breaking out.

Stamping his foot in frustration, the Blackwater Chief turned around to see James had managed to at least sit up, one hand propped on the ground for support and the other holding his head. He really could go for a good dose of morphine right now, or maybe some oxycodone, or anything really.

"You know," the Blackwater Chief started, "You proved to be the defining figure in this turf war." He reached into his suit and pulled out a small pistol, pulling the slide back, he cocked it and examined it.

"Everything was going great for me. I took over a small-time gang and made a killing with the profits from it. You would be surprised by how much a gang leader can make from the streets, sure not as much as I use to but what can you do?" The Blackwater Chief mused, still looking at his gun.

James snorted a little at that causing the Chief to look up at him, "You were a terrible leader, who declares war on one of the biggest factions in Gotham." Glaring at him with irritation he said, "You are a moron."

The Blackwater Chief seemed surprised by that, perhaps even a little insulted, though the alcohol made it a little difficult for him to think clearly. It was made even more difficult when he found his gun knocked out of his hand and being tackled by the ground by Robin who began punching his face repeatedly with no stop in sight. Batgirl soon followed, though instead of helping the boy wonder she seemed to be trying to stop him from caving in the gangster's face.

James decided not to curse his good luck and slowly got up to hobble toward one of the parked SUVs. The timing proved perfect as two things happened, both very unexpected and further proof to James that the universe had decided to make this night a total 'fubar' for everyone involved.

Away from the main entrance of the factory at the side, an emergency exit was slammed open with the Penguin being dragged by two of his guards. A third stopped at the exit and began a cover fire back into the warehouse. Another roar from Killer Croc greeted the gunfire as the man seemed to be able to hold the Jurassic horror back.

The guards spotted James and dragged the injured Boss in his direction. At that point, the sirens who had been getting closer finally arrived. 5 squad cars of GCPD came charging down the street pulling up right to the entrance of the factory. Immediately doors swung open and officers using their cars as cover brought up their service pistols.

"THIS IS THE GCPD!"

"PUT YOUR GODDAMN HANDS UP!"

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!"

And rinse and repeat the shouts of the officers made the whole situation turn into a stereotypical police drama. And that is when things went from bad to worse.

The two guards with Penguin had reached the front of the SUV when the police had shown up. The third guard who had been providing cover fire into the building still had his weapon drawn when he turned towards the officers. Now the officers who were trained to defend themselves at seeing an armed assailant whose weapon was drawn turn towards them, acted as most in law enforcement would.

Bullets rang out spraying the SUV, factory, and even parts of the asphalt. Everyone reacted differently, Batgirl and Robin dove to the ground, the Blackwater Chief remained where he was unconscious from Robin's beating, and Penguin's guards immediately forced Penguin to take cover behind the car. Those aforementioned managed to avoid most of the danger.

James and the third guard with his weapon drawn were not so lucky. The third guard found himself riddled as he was the one with the weapon out. James proved to be collateral damage as 2 rounds punched his right shoulder throwing himself against the SUV and collapsing to the ground.

At that point, things became very hazy for James. The pain in his shoulder was putting him in shock and the growing black haze around his eyes was becoming more pronounced. Events started to become flashes as he began to slip in and out of consciousness.

Gunfire, screams, yelling, the sound of feet running.

Penguin's voice ringing out, "GET THE BOY OUT! I'LL HOLD THEM!"

Police yelling, "GET ON THE GROUND NOW!"

He remembered rough hands grabbing him and pulling him into the back seat of the SUV.

Then darkness, flashes of light, and a bumpy ride as the SUV sped down the streets of Gotham.

The driver was one of the Penguin's guards who kept saying the same thing over and over again. "Hang on Hound, we are almost back to the Eastside! Just a little bit more, just a little bit more!"

Darkness overtook him again and time seemed to jump. He felt a sudden jerking stop of the car, from his view of the windows he could see buildings on fire and flashes of emergency vehicles lights.

James heard the driver say in dread, "Holy shit, Black Mask wasn't bluffing, he really is burning down the Eastside!"

'Eastside? Wait, his home was in the Eastside, wasn't it? And it is on fire? Why is it so hard to think right now, and why is it so painful? Penguin... Boss... is he alright? Wait! Eastside, his home, his Aunt's home!'

Those were his thoughts as he fell back into the rest of unconsciousness. At some point, the car had been driven away from the growing fire to the one trusted clinic in the area. He could distinctly remember hearing voices, then being put on a bed, feeling a prick in his arm vein followed by pain relief, being jostled about, pricks of pain as someone dug into his shoulder.

The next time he was fully awake with his faculties he found himself wrapped in bandages on his shoulder and head. An annoying older doctor ordered him back into bed before he choked her and then fled the hospital. Stealing a jacket and a medical mask he went out into the evening daylight towards his home. At the time his memory was incredibly faulty and he struggled to remember how he ended up in a small clinic.

Now as he walked briskly, he gave up limply jogging after a few minutes, towards his home he was able to piece together the night. And the fear that drove him to get home ASAP was now understood.

Flames in the Eastside, a driver's comment, his aunt's safety, all that was running through his head as he managed to reach the south entrance of Sprang Bridge. On his way he had passed multiple emergency vehicles and growing crowds of civilians, luckily the chaos of the situation had provided a perfect distraction. With so many panicked people and the authorities being busy putting out fires, no one noticed a young man wearing a blue windbreaker with a hospital gown and slippers.

Several burnt-out tenant buildings greeted James as he paused to catch his breath, from the south entrance of the bridge he could see his apartment. It seemed the arsonist assigned by Black Mask had started their mission on this side of the area. Many of the buildings nearest to him were burnt-out husks. The one just on the corner a few yards away from the bridge looked to be standing on a thread. The ocean breeze made it seem like it was swaying, but that could perhaps be because of the drugs James was on.

The damage to the buildings stretched all the way down the main road. James would not be surprised if the flames reached the Iceberg Lounge. His apartment luckily looked better than most of the structures, a few ambulances were located outside of it and people were being loaded in.

Steeling himself and gathering up his strength he hobbled his way down the street to the ambulances. Pushing through the crowds and ducking his head as police walked by James finally got to the front of his building. Firefighters crowded the entrance and seemed to be keeping a vigilant guard from anyone entering.

James reasoned that the building must be cleared by now and began scanning the area for his aunts. His panic began to grow, and with that so did his anger.

Walking around he manage to grab one of the firefighters who was heading into his building.

"Hey!" Grabbing the firefighter's arm, "I have family in this building, can you tell me if everyone got out?!?"

The firefighter ripped his arm away from James and said in a busy tone, "Most of the residents have been evacuated, now if you excuse me."

James however took a step forward blocking his way, "Most?" he asked in a cold tone.

The firefighter sighed, "Listen some people were still asleep when the fires broke out. If you want to check with GCPD, they are taking the list of fatalities." He pointed in the direction where a squad car was surrounded by an EMTs and a police officer looking over papers on the back trunk.

James nodded his thanks and walked over to the squad car. He could hear the group talking about moving people to Mercy and St. Hope hospitals.

Grabbing one of the EMTs by the shoulder, James swung her about to face him.

Spluttering the EMT said, "Woah, can I help you?!?"

James ignoring the annoyed looks by the others at the car said, "Yes, I need to know if the occupants of apt. 397 were evacuated or were even there?"

If the EMT seemed surprised by James' outfit she did not show it. Probably tonight seeing many different strange sights and outfits was not a high priority.

"Sir," she began, "Right now we are still doing head counts and organizing things, we cannot help you right now."

James stared at her for a moment before looking over at the paperwork on the trunk of the police car. "Are the lists there?" He asked before walking past her and pushing through the group to begin looking over the paperwork.

The officer annoyed at being pushed away said, "Hey, hold on a second, you can't read that..."

The officer began sputtering and then began making choking noises. His eyes bulged and he began clawing at his neck, falling over to the ground. The EMTs around the car all acted with their instincts and began crouching down to help the choking officer. Though they soon became puzzled as nothing indicated why the officer was choking.

James paid no mind to the EMTs or choking officers as he scanned the various documents and clipboards on the trunk. Finally finding the list of his apartment complex, he glanced back down to the choking officer before walking away, the sounds of the cop gasping for air soon started, and EMTs relief that the choking had stopped.

Walking back in the direction of the Sprang Bridge, he read quickly through the list of evacuees. His walking had brought him back to the entrance of the bridge, the tenant building across the street had been now taped off, apparently the unstableness of the building was worse than he first thought.

Stopping, he focused on the list scanning for the names he was terrified to see.

'Sarah, Violet, Crystal, Jane...' he thought looking through the various names. The list was set up not by apt. numbers but rather the resident's name, their condition, and where they were sent. Unfortunately, it was not in any order but rather just whoever had been found or notated as they came along.

And then he saw a name... Sarah Bergstrom... smoke asphyxiation... Mercy hospital morgue.

James stared for a long time at the name... Aunt Sarah... it couldn't be...

A few lines down he saw another name... Janice 'Violet' Smith... smoke asphyxiation... Mercy hospital morgue

Tears were free-flowing from James at this point, his breathing had become ragged, his knuckles became white from clenching the clipboard. He felt nothing but terrible despair enter his whole being, this was not what was supposed to happen.

Finally, he came to the last two names he was searching for.

Crystal De Angelique Martinez... 3rd-degree burns, severe smoke inhalation... St. Hope Burn Unit.

Jane Bella Coulson... 2nd-degree burns, minor smoke inhalation... St. Hope E.R.

'Why... why did they have to get hurt... die' James thought as sobs began to rack his body, mind, and soul. He felt like he was a little kid again, hiding out on the emergency staircase looking at the stars. A little kid mourning his lost parents, that is what he felt like now, a small child mourning another set of parents he had lost. Why was fate out to get him?

"Shut up you idiot! We need to get out of here!" A gruff panicked voice said as two men passed by James.

"Black Mask is going to kill us for letting things get out of hand!" The other said, glancing around nervously as they walked to the pedestrian walkway of the bridge.

James looked up from the list, his face, and mask wet from his tears. The two men looked like any other pedestrian, save for the hurried pace and nervous glances as they made their way to cross the bridge.

Eyes red from mourning turned to red with rage, James dropped the clipboard of names as his fists clenched with anger. He could feel his nails stab into his hands and blood begin to drip from his palms. His brown eyes now had turned completely black, as dark as the midnight sky.

James made his way after the two men, with the evening sun beginning to dip for the night and the ocean breeze picking up its pace, James felt fate had finally decided to throw him a bone for once...

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*Eastside Gotham a block from Sprang Bridge, Batman

Perhaps he was getting too old for a 30-plus-hour workday. Or maybe he needed to drink more coffee, Batman pondered as he stood on top of one of the stable buildings in the neighborhood.

Out in the middle of the day was not his typical M.O. but with the fires breaking out in the early morning every hand was needed. He had just finished debriefing Batgirl and Robin who had caught the tale end of a gang battle at the Narrows.

They had been given his firm displeasure for their various failures. Batgirl for jumping into a fight without backup, and Robin for yet again underestimating his opponent. Yet despite that, they had bought the police enough time to arrive and arrest several high-level individuals.

'Penguin... Blackwater Chief... dozens of associates... the Hound, Black Mask and apparently Killer Croc escaped but overall a great haul.' Batman had thought in the moment. With the testimony from Eddie Blade, all the recently captured associates, and Penguin being caught red-handed in this battle, Penguin would not be able to escape justice easily.

But before he could celebrate he had received a emergency alert from the Bat computer of a massive fire breaking out on the Eastside of Gotham, possible arson. Instructing Batgirl and Robin to return to base immediately for a medical check-up, he left the crime scene and arrived to find an inferno going on.

For the next several hours he helped evacuate civilians, performed basic first aid, and helped in whatever ways he could. The dark early morning turned to day, then it turned into the afternoon, and finally, now evening crawling around the corner. For the first time since he had visited the Narrows earlier 10 hours ago, he had a second to breathe. During the fire, he had a few moments to interact with Commissioner Gordon, fatalities were fairly low though a few had perished from smoke asphyxiation and burn wounds.

'As soon as things clear up and I have a second to rest I am going to hunt down whoever did this and make sure they are thrown into the deepest prison!' He thought with satisfaction. That and take a moment to look for the boy Dr. Thompkins had called him about.

Apparently, a young meta had been dropped off at her clinic, critically injured before getting up and walking out. She had warned Batman he was violent but that she thought it was only because he was panicking and needed help. That and he was just a kid, he needed help and he needed it quickly.

"OH GOD PLEASE NO!!!!!"

"PLEASE WE DIDN'T MEAN IT TO GET SO BAD AHHHHH"

Screams of abject terror and pain rang out overcoming the noise of hoses, rustling of EMTs, and occasional sirens. The various emergency crews and civilians all seemed to pause and look around where the noise was coming from. The screams were becoming more prominent and soon a panic erupted with the crowds beginning to shout and officers trying to control the situation. Panic truly did make a crazed pit of chaos.

Batman did not stay still though, he was experienced and was able to triangulate where the noise was coming from. Swinging down in a wide arc, he let go of his grabbling hook before engaging his cloaked glide mode, flying over the crowds he spotted where the problem was.

Right at the entrance of the Sprang Bridge where the bridge began and the cliffs that dumped right into the ocean and the Sprang river sat a few hundred feet below. Three individuals were there. One was on the ground, his legs twisted in an unnatural manner, another seemed to be floating off the ground by a foot, his hands grasping his neck. The final figure stood with his arm raised and his hand in a choking motion.

Batman swooped down low and landed a few yards away from the three. The man with the broken legs was sobbing and offering profuse apologies. The other being hanged in the air was turning purple from the lack of air. The final figure who seemed to be the assailant was young-looking, wearing a blue windbreaker with what appeared to be a hospital gown underneath, his black hair was a mess, partly covered by a bandage on his left side. Though his face was covered by a hospital mask keeping his identity still a mystery.

It appeared that he had found Dr. Thompkins missing patient, and if he was not mistaken probably also the Hound himself. He was looking a little worse for wear, and that was not just because of his outfit. It was his eyes, they were bloodshot with the pupils burning with a black power that was leaking out from them. They had a look that he had seen many times in the past from many of the rogues gallery, the problem was they looked like the ones from the darkest members of said gallery.

The black eyes that burned with rage and madness looked over at him and appraised him. Despite the mask and bandage Batman could see what his associates had told him was true, the Hound was young.

"They did this..." the Hound whispered in a monotone voice.

Batman felt great unease, he did not like how this was going already.

The Hound continued, "They did this, all the fire, destruction... death." He looked back at the man that was hovering off the ground. His hand was still raised when he twitched his fingers to the left. Immediately the floating man's legs snapped unnaturally causing the choking man to scream with what little air he had.

Looking back at Batman, the Hound said, "So much suffering... so much pain..."

The floating man was dropped to the ground, with a mixture of gasping for air and crying for pain of his broken legs. The Hound stared at the 2 individuals with an intense gaze, Batman's unease grew with that. He had seen that particular look and had even shared it a few times.

"You don't have to do this Hound," Batman said softly, holding his arms out to show them empty. He tried to make himself seem less threatening with his body language and tone, but considering his outfit was designed to cause fear, he was not sure how successful he was.

The Hound gazed up at Batman, this time he could see evidence of tear streaks on the Hound's face which cause the question. Why was the Hound so affected by this?

"These men will go before a court and face justice, they will pay for what they have done." At this point, a few people had noticed the standoff near the Sprang Bridge and were slowly gathering to watch. A few police officers including the Commissioner stood back watching the situation, it seems they decided to let Batman handle it.

Taking a step closer, the Hound did not react, so Batman took another step closer and then another. Now Batman was only a few yards away from him, enough that he could take a leap and grab the Hound if need be.

"You look like you are in pain and need help," Batman offered his hand, "Please, let's not let this go on any longer..."

The Hound interrupted him abruptly, "You understand... I think you really do, but there is a big difference between the two of us."

Lifting his hand, he raised it slightly, loosely pointing his thumb, index, and middle finger, he tilted his head slightly and leveled his hand to his eyes like he was aiming.

"We are men of action, we do what needs to be done. But you do things for the right reason... I do not."

And with a swipe of his hand, a sharp swooshing noise sounded followed by a slick to the necks of the two men on the ground. At first, nothing happened, then slowly the cuts became pronounced. The red began to leak before a burst of blood began squirting out of the men's necks spraying both the Hound and even Batman a little.

Batman as soon as the Hound finished talking leaped into action jumping towards the Hound only to be thrown back by a concussive blast.

Allowing the blast to propel him he used the momentum to flip back onto his feet sliding across the ground before coming to a stop. Preparing to jump back into it Batman saw the Hound spin around and in a clawing motion seemed to grip something big with both hands before groaning and yanking it.

Across the street, a tenant building taped off due to its unstable condition saw its cornerstone ripped completely off and shuddered with a force pulling it towards the Hound. Time seemed to slow as the building crumbled onto its side collapsing at first onto the street and then its top part coming down directly on top of where the Hound and two men had been. Dust began springing up making visibility difficult and the sound of concussive blasts rang out.

One blast hit the collapsing building halting it for a second and another blew the protective fence guarding the sheer drop into the Sprang river. The Hound dodged a few bricks that came flying his way left and right before being hit by a few pieces of debris. Knocking him to the ground the Hound dragged himself to the edge of the cliff. It was at that time the rest of the building fell on the area blocking the view of the Hound from Batman's sight.

Time started flowing again as Batman jumped into the dust and wreckage of the collapsed building to where the Hound was a moment ago. Now several thousand pounds of bricks and wood laid on top of where he was. Looking up and seeing the destroyed fence it was possible he jumped to the Sprang river. But either way, whether he was buried under the building he just had collapsed or jumped to the 200-plus foot drop there was no way he could have survived.

For the first time that whole night Batman felt defeat.

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*Blackgate Penitentiary, Visitor Lounge.

The visitor lounge of the prison was usually packed full of families, lawyers, and of course, the inmates they were visiting. This evening though it was completely empty save for a single visitor in a suit passing papers to one of the many inmates of Blackgate.

"The plan went without a hitch," the visitor explained, "Penguin is in custody with enough evidence to keep him locked up for quite a long time. Even with his money and lawyers, he won't be in the picture for a long time."

The inmate clapped his hands with glee, "Finally got that bastard!"

The inmate was not something much to look at. Thin but fit, he was an older man in his late fifties or early sixties, with close-cropped white hair and a gaunt face, not many would realize that this was at one point one of the most powerful and dangerous men in Gotham.

His imprisonment had left his family in some disarray and to be preyed on by the other criminal factions. But now with the Penguin going to jail, his influence could return and perhaps eventually allow his release. He prided himself on his patience, many years ago when Penguin whacked his brother he decided to be patient, when Batman had busted him and put him in his current accommodations he decided to be patient, when an opportunity came to bring about Penguin's fall he had been patient.

It took time and a little bit of money but the plan to stage a war between Blackwater and Penguin had been rather inspired if he said so himself. Sending the fat idiot Tony to take over that small gang proved more successful than he could of imagine. Though they never needed Tony to win the war and doubted he ever could, he had hoped it would have dragged out longer, but the end result was still the same. Penguin overcommitted, and a leak from him to both the Black Mask and Gotham's Major Crimes Unit had insured all his enemies were in one place.

The visitor took a moment to check his phone before nodding, "It appears the Hound showed up at the Eastside and executed Black Mask's men who had set the fire. The Batman showed up, and then the Hound collapsed a building onto himself."

The inmate gave another laugh at that, "So the Penguin's newest toy is also dead? It looks like Christmas has come early after all!"

"So with the plan finished what would you like to be your next step?" The visitor asked.

Pondering a moment the inmate said, "Tony being captured was less than ideal, as soon as you can I need you to whack him, no one will miss Tony Zucco except maybe the prostitutes he hires."

"After that, we will review my appeals for probation. Without that fat bird around they should be more amenable to my bribes. By this time next month, I can be out walking the streets again." At that the inmate stood up, the meeting apparently was over.

The visitor stood with him, "Of course sir, I will make sure things are arranged."

That caused the inmate to pause before reaching out to warmly grip the visitor's shoulder, "My dear son... Mario, you have always been so loyal to me. While your siblings have lost their way you stayed with me."

Smiling at the visitor he said, "Aut Caesar Aut Nihil, are you familiar with the phrase?"

Mario shook his head in the negative, the inmate said, "It bares a meaning which I have always lived. 'Caesar or nothing!' It means that there can only be one boss, and that boss will be me!"

Patting his son on the shoulder, the inmate went back to his prison cell humming a contented tune as he did.

'Soon I will be Caesar again of Gotham.' Carmine Falcone thought smiling as he lay in his prison cell bed.