(Remember to Vote and Comment as it Does a Lot for Motivation Seeing That You're Reading)

Twenty Years Ago

In the red-tinged darkness, Y/N slams his fists against the cold, unyielding door. Desperation claws at his throat as he calls out, "Dad! Please! Open the door!" The only answer he receives is silence, thick and consuming. His voice cracks, softer now, almost pleading. "Dad..."

The world around him blurs, his vision swimming, and he fights the tremors of panic threatening to overwhelm him. His hand presses against the door, almost as if he could feel his father's presence through the metal barrier, but there's no response. Just a hollow, unrelenting silence. He's alone.

Then, a sound. His ears prick up as he hears a faint rustling in the shadows behind him. Y/N turns slowly, dread pooling in his stomach. "Huh?" he whispers, eyes wide, catching sight of something moving in the darkness.

A creature a bat, grotesque and snarling, leaps from the shadows with a piercing screech. Its beady eyes lock onto him, wings spread wide like a nightmare come to life. The air is filled with a cacophony of screeches as more bats emerge, flapping and swarming in a frenzy, their silhouettes twisting and merging into a chaotic, writhing mass against the blood-red backdrop.

The rest of the class seemingly vanished from Y/Ns world, blanking them out, invisible to his own eyes as the Bat became the only thing in the room with him.

Y/N stumbles back, hands raised in defense as the swarm engulfs him. The bats' sharp claws graze his skin, wings brushing against his face, and he feels himself swallowed by the darkness they bring. He can't scream; fear grips his throat, silencing him. All he can do is watch, frozen, as they swarm around him, blocking out any shred of light.

Jim Gordon steps into the darkened exhibit hall, his eyes straining to adjust to the dim, red-hued emergency lights that cast strange shadows on the walls. The room is eerily quiet. Behind him, the muffled sounds of terrified teachers and students echo down the corridor, hurriedly evacuated from the chaos.

It's empty at first glance rows of exhibit cases filled with dusty relics and glass-enclosed habitats, motionless. But then he hears it a faint, desperate plea echoing from deeper within the exhibit. The voice is small, muffled but unmistakable. "Dad... please... open the door..." he repeated, his mind unable to comprehend the events of today.

Gordon's heart sinks.  His grip on his gun tightens, every instinct telling him to hurry, to move faster, but he forces himself to stay calm, stepping carefully between the exhibits, the smell of dust and stale air heavy around him. As he rounds a corner, he finally sees him.

Y/N is pressed against the wall at the far end of the room, pounding on it, his voice barely more than a cracked whisper now. The boy is alone, his small form almost swallowed by the shadows around him. The sight stirs something protective and fierce in Gordon, like his own protective for his own daughter that was Y/Ns age.

But before he can speak, a rustling sound erupts from above. Gordon freezes, eyes darting up to the high, vaulted ceiling where shadows shift and swirl. From the darkness, a bat drops down, then another, and another, until the air is thick with wings and shrill, piercing screeches that echo off the walls.

Y/N turns, and in that moment, Gordon sees the raw terror in his wide eyes, lit by the eerie red glow. The boy backs up, pressing himself against the door, hands raised in a futile attempt to shield himself as the swarm descends upon him. Gordon takes a step forward, but the chaos intensifies a whirlwind of claws, wings, and piercing red eyes that obscure his vision, blocking any path forward.

"Y/N!" he shouts, voice strained as he raises an arm to shield himself from the storm of bats. He can barely make out the boy through the flurry of wings, Y/N's small form disappearing into the nightmarish blur of leathery wings and gnashing teeth.

The bats swirl tighter around him, like a tornado made of darkness, their screeches mingling with the terrified sound of Y/N's gasping breaths.

Gordon's heart hammers as he tries to push through the swarm, his voice hoarse as he calls Y/N's name again. But the boy's scream raw and shattering cuts through everything else, lingering in the air long after Gordon's own voice has been swallowed by the dark.

-------------------------

The alarm buzzed from somewhere across the room, dragging Y/N out of a fitful sleep. He squinted, his vision bleary as he slapped at the bed, searching for his phone. The room was still dim, barely touched by the gray light slipping through the half-open blinds. For a second, he considered just lying back down. Just closing his eyes for five more minutes. But he knew how that went.

Groaning, he hauled himself up and stumbled to the bathroom, where the face staring back from the mirror looked like it had just gone a few rounds. The bruise under his eye had darkened overnight, and he grimaced as he splashed water on his face, feeling the sting on his busted lip. "Look at you," he muttered to his reflection. "Real charmer."

By the time he was dressed and out the door, the sun was up, and the city's busier side was starting to hum with life. He caught a bus to the other side of Gotham, passing by the rows of brownstones and brick buildings until they turned into high-rises and freshly planted parks, places untouched by the city's harder edges. This side was built for people with the money to ignore the struggles a few blocks over.

He check his phone, update from the computer. Part of the Cipher had been translated. The cipher must translate to HE LIES STILL, the answer to the riddle. He just needed to figure out the whole thing. Y/N wanted to go further, to get off and head straight to the Cave. But he needed this job, he needed the money.

It was the only way to fuel his mission.

All people talked about was the murder, something so heinous, despicable, violent, happening to someone in power? Unheard of in Gotham. From his heavy eyes, Y/N spied some suited man, crossed legs, reading a newspaper. Headline reading about LexCorps failed hostile takeover of Starrware Industries. The man didn't even notice the glares he got from the other passengers, the hatred, or maybe he did? And simply didn't care. A man with a flashy suit like that had money, and he was flashing it for all to see. 

He got off at the corner near the construction site, where the scent of freshly poured cement and dust filled the air. Workers milled around, loading pallets, hauling equipment, checking over plans. Y/N stepped onto the site, nodding at a few of the guys he recognised.

"Hey, L/N!" one of the guys called out, a wiry man named Pete who always seemed to be smirking at something. "You look like hell."

"Yeah?" Y/N replied, shrugging. "You should see the other guy" he muttered, trying his best to put on the facade. 

Pete snorted, tossing him a pair of gloves. "Who was it this time? Busted up a trash can that looked at you funny?"

"Somethin' like that," Y/N muttered, pulling the gloves on and nodding to the stack of concrete bags waiting by the scaffolding. "Let's get this moving, huh?"

Another worker, an older guy with a thick mustache and a Boston accent everyone found funny, chuckled from behind him. "You know, L/N, you keep goin' with that face, you're gonna scare off the tourists. Try smilin' once in a while!"

Y/N smirked, giving a quick roll of his eyes as he hefted a bag of gravel onto his shoulder. "That's your job, Jim. I just keep my head down and let you handle the charm."

A few of the others laughed, and one of the younger guys tried tossing him a coffee from a thermos. "Here, Y/N! Need somethin' to get the blood flowin'?"

Y/N held up a hand, shaking his head. "I'm good". 

The truth was, the banter was nice, easy. It kept him..........grounded, gave him a reminder why he did what he did. But he wasn't in the mood to join in. He'd barely slept. 

He was on his third trip from the gravel pile to the site perimeter when he noticed a sleek black car pulling up to the edge of the construction zone. It was too polished, too expensive, its paint gleaming in the sunlight as if it had just rolled out of a showroom. He knew the brand even before the door opened. Of course he did. Everyone did. It was a Wayne Enterprises car.

The men around him started to straighten, some murmuring to each other, and Y/N set down his load just as Thomas Wayne stepped out, dressed in an impeccable suit, his shoes polished to a mirror shine that had no place on a construction site. Thomas Wayne was what every Gotham Citizen strived to be, living the American Dream. Hell, every tabloid in Gotham kept publishing stories on all the clubs his son Bruce would visit.

"Mr. Wayne!" the foreman said, a bit too loud, his face flushed. "Didn't expect you to be here today!"

Wayne smiled, casual but with a hint of something else, a kind of arrogance that lingered just beneath the surface. "Thought I'd come down and check out the progress for myself. This is a big project for us, after all. The start of something special."

A few of the other workers drifted closer, clearly eager for the chance to be seen by Gotham's golden boy. Wayne acknowledged them with a slight nod, a gracious smile that had the kind of practiced ease money could buy. He looked around at the faces before him, his gaze landing briefly on Y/N before he turned back to the foreman.

"I know you all have been putting in the hours, and I just wanted to say how grateful I am for it. You guys aren't just laying down concrete you're building Gotham's future." His voice was strong, a practiced pitch that felt like it was meant to inspire, to rally.

The foreman grinned, nodding eagerly. "We're glad to be part of it, Mr. Wayne. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Wayne chuckled, reaching out to shake the foreman's hand. "I'm the one who gets to stand in front of cameras, but you're the ones getting things done. I can't say it enough this city's backbone? It's you guys. And I don't take that lightly."

The men around Y/N murmured their agreement, a few of them clapping each other on the shoulders, standing just a little straighter. Y/N kept his expression neutral, his arms crossed as he watched Wayne make his rounds. Y/N's missions requires him to protect every single one of Gotham's citizens, the rich, the poor, the ones who wouldn't help themselves. Even the Waynes.

-------------------------

Y/N's shoulders ached by the time he made it back to the container, the ache settling into his bones after a full day of work. The night was cool, and the sky above Gotham was draped in clouds that blocked out any stars that dared to shine. He unlocked the container's doors and slipped inside.

The laptop still hummed faintly on his desk, its screen casting a weak blue glow. Y/N leaned over, glancing at the analysis report on the cipher, fingers drumming restlessly against the table. The program had been churning through possibilities for hours, trying to make sense of the code. He tapped a few keys, skimming the results. A single phrase blinked on the screen:

INCOMPLETE

He frowned, a surge of frustration bubbling up inside him. That was it? After hours of processing, his old laptop hadn't even managed to fully calculate the rest of the cipher? Whoever had left the cipher was leading him in circles, toying with him. He felt a sharp, angry heat rise in his chest, and before he knew it, his fist connected with the metal wall of the container.

The metallic clang echoed in the small space, a shock of noise that seemed to hang in the air. He flexed his hand, ignoring the dull ache spreading across his knuckles, letting the silence settle back in around him.

They wouldn't just give me an incomplete clue, he told himself. Whoever left this cipher had to be clever maybe cleverer than most of the thugs he'd dealt with before. They wanted him to think, to follow breadcrumbs.

He sat down heavily, staring at the words on the screen. "He lies still." It felt like the start of something, a hint. But to what?

Taking a breath, he began to reconfigure the settings, narrowing the program's parameters to focus only on the letters "HE LIES STILL." Maybe if he removed any extraneous possibilities, he could get something more. He worked slowly, eliminating everything outside the parameters of those letters and numbers, watching as the squares on the screen began to disappear, one by one.

Square by square, the screen cleared, until only five letters remained, standing starkly against the darkened grid.

D R I V E

Y/Ns mind raced, thinking of all the possible outcomes that this one word could mean. His mind went to what was most likely the case, a car, one of the mayor's cars, there were a few articles of how the mayor did love his car collection. He contacted Gordon, he would need his help to gain access to the mayor's garage.

-------------------------

"Damn" Gordon whispered to himself, standing next to the new suited up Batman. "Yeah he's got a car" he said, looking around at the collection. There must've been twelve to fifteen cars here. "Guess it's good to be the mayor. Where to even start?" the two then began to walk along the lines of cars. Batman scanned each car they passed, looking for anything that seemed out of the ordinary. "You sure this isn't a leap? "Drive" could mean anything" he asked.

"You don't trust me?" Batman replied, his voice that of a husky whisper.

"It's been two years now, and I don't even know who you are, man" Gordon replied but he failed to notice that Y/N had stopped in his tracks, looking towards one particular car.

"There" he said, causing Gordon to look at the car as batman approached it. There was a tool lodged in the door, what seemed to be metal surgical scissors. Batman approached the tool, and plucked it from the door, showing that blood was stained on the end. Batman opened one door, and Gordon the other, Batman held up a cheap UV light, scanning for anything that could of note.

"What are we looking for?" Gordon asked.

"A USB port" the masked vigilante replied as he opened a storage compartments.

"USB?" Gordon repeated, confused to how Batman had made such a leap in logic.

Batman looked down, seeing something the killer had left for him. A USB plucked into the car, and Gordon picked up on his hesitation of the vigilante.

"What?"

Batman unplugged the USB, and brought it up and showed it to Gordon who reeled back in disgust. "What?"

Batman showcased the USB, which was attached to a key chain. What was also attached to the keychain, was the missing digit from the good mayor. "Thumb, drive" Batman said slowly, so Gordon would understand. The killer was smart, and Y/N would need to match him move for move.

"Jesus" Gordon said, thinking to himself that was going to be sick.

The two backed away from the mayor's car, where Gordon pulled out his GCPD issued laptop and inserted the USB drive into it. The lieutenant tried to open the data only to be met with a blockage, "It's encrypted" he noted.

Batman slowly raised the key chain where the thumb was attached to, "Try this" he said.

Gordon flipped opened a panel on the Usb drive, revealing a biometric fingerprint scanner. "Oh this guy's hilarious" he replied, and took the thumb and pressed it down. Suddenly many images flashed before the duos eyes, each image telling a different story. But two images that caught their eyes, were ones of the former mayor, with what seemed to be a lady of the night, who looked like she had seen better days.

(These HD images were actually gathered from an ARG Riddler website you could visit when the Batman came out, sadly currently it's been seized by the GCPD. It was temporarily back up for the Penguins series tho)

"Oh well, well, well" Gordon repeated, "So much for family values" he added.

"Who is she?" Batman replied, hoping his ally would have an answer.

"No idea" Gordon noted, but his gaze quickly changed to another image of one with Mitchell surrounded by multiple people. And one in particular stuck out, "But that's the Penguin, Carmine Falcone's right hand".

"I know who he is" Batman sharply replied, but before the two could continue. Y/N knew exactly who Oz was, and he knew that place. The Suddenly Gordon's laptop made several notification noises, much to their confusion. "What was that?" Batman inquired.

"Shit, shit! The drive" Gordon said in a panicked tone as he clicked through the applications, as more and more notifications flooded in. "It send out the photos, from my account", opening the email application, Gordon saw at least fifty emails had been sent. "Gotham Post, Gazette, GC-1, Channel 52, Central City Citizen, Daily Planet, all of them" he listed all of the notable newspapers in America, soon every news outlet would be picking up on the story. "Jesus. I'm gonna catch hell for this. Pete's gonna bust a gasket".

"He Lies Still" Batman repeated, taking control of the mouse and changing over to one of the photos. "About her?" he asked.

"Maybe" Gordon noted, looking at the vigilante and then back to the screen.

"That place" Batman spoke, taking note at the buildings in the background. "It's the Iceberg Lounge" he noted, he knew that place, it's everyone went to lose themselves. To forget about the world, forget about their problems, just for a few hours. Y/N knew, he used to go there every chance he got. The pulsing music, the alcohol, it was one of the only few moments in his life where he could forget.

"Well goo luck getting in there" Gordon said, already panicking and receiving texts about these leaks. "Place is like a fortress".

He was right, anyone who had a gun in that place worked for the Falcones. Y/N going in there would be a death sentence, but Y/N wouldn't be the one going in there. The Bat will.

-------------------------

Batman marched towards the Iceberg Lounge, a train passed over head causing the ground to shake slightly. As he got closer, he could hear the pounding of whatever techno music was playing. He arrived at the door, and gave it a heavy knock. The door opened, revealing a thug soaked in red light.

"Know who I am?" the vigilante asked the man who held a slight smirk.

"Yeah, I got an idea" was all he replied with.

"I want to see the Penguin"

"I don't know what you're talking about pal" the thug replied with, shutting the metal door on the vigilante.

Batman stood there for a second, the rain soaking him. Before he could act again, the door opened revealing a second thug, identical to the other. It was then Batman recognised who these men were, these were the Trigger Twins. Pretty high up in Falcone's organisation.

"What's the problem?" the thug asked his brother.

"Says he wants to see the Penguin"

"Penguin? There's no Penguin here"

"That's what I tried to tell him"

"Get out of here, freak. You hear me? Or that little suit's gonna get all full of blood"

Batman glared at the twins for a second, his face not even twitching. He replied to both twins with a threat of his own, one that would make the hair on the back of their necks stand up;

The left twin reached for Batman, who batted the hand out of the way and punched the thug in the face. Before the second thug could react, the vigilante dealt him his own punch, grunts emanated from the twins as Batman elbowed them in the face repeatedly. They both fell to the ground, holding their faces as Batman marched over them, bathing in the red lights of the club.

"Get him!" one of the twins yelled, signalling to the other thugs in the club. Batman barged past many of the club goers in the hallway leading to the main club, couples, friends, all looked on in confusion at the sight of a Bat themed man. Being met with less than impressed remarks from them.

But as Batman got to the main area of the club, seeing flashing lights and dancing people all around trying to forget about the problems of the real world, he was grabbed from behind on the shoulder. Filled to the brim with all sorts of people, people drinking, smoking, grinding their bodies against one another in acts of lust, allowing the music to flow through their bodies like a river and forget about all their troubles. Y/N had been one of these very bodies years ago, and a part of missed it, a part of him wanted to forget, but he wouldn't let that happen. 

Batman quickly punched this man in the face, and followed it up with another blow which would leave a mark. The vigilante repositioned the thug, and kicked him down a flight of stairs, causing him to fall and knock over another thug that was coming his way.

Another thug wrapped his arms around Batman, throwing him towards another thug who smacked Batman in the face, with the other thug socking the vigilante in the nose causing him to stagger back dazed. A third thug once again grabbed batman from behind, and tried to send Batman over the railing, but he lacked the strength to do so. Breaking free of the grip, Batman grabbed the thug by his hair, threatening to tear it straight off his scalp with such force. As another thug came his way, Batman used his free hand to punch an incoming thug sending him away.

Returning to the thug in his other hand, Batman took him, and slammed his mouth against one of the metal railings shattering his teeth and causing blood to spill. The vigilante then launched the beaten thug over the railing in the crowed below.

With two quick blows, the third thug was finished off. With the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Batman was in the mood for a fight. Letting out a sharp exhale, he leapt over the railings and landed on one of the walkways.

A group of goons appeared in front of the Batman, and quickly he flicked out the handle and attached his bladed axe head. One thug charged towards Batman, and was quickly met with a slash to he legs, causing blood to spew from the wounds. Dropping him to the floor.

The second and third thugs attempted to grapple either side of the Dark Knight. One was quickly knocked unconscious with the blunt end of the axe. Holding in the axe in one hand, Batman knocked the third thug back, and brought the axe up in both hands, pinning the staff end into the thugs neck and pushing up against the wall. The man tried to push Batman back, but this strength was no match for the years of training Y/N had undergone.

Quickly the man felt oxygen leave his body, but still tried to fight back. Slowly, Batman began to push the sharp edge of the axe against the mans ear slowly, inching and slicing its way through the flesh causing blood to drip down the mans head. The thug attempted to scream out but with the lack of oxygen, he passed out. Blood was slowly seeping through the metal walkway into the crowed below, non the wiser.

Batman reattached the symbol to himself, exhaling through his nose as he could hear more thugs approaching from all sides.

A thug charged towards Batman, only to be met with with a punch straight to the face. Another thug came from behind, and Batman beatdown into him. Delivering a furry of swift blows to the thugs face and chest, spilling more blood. One charged up the steps wielding a metal Bat, and struck downwards, with Batman raising his gauntlet to absorb the blow.

As the weapon was down, Batman grabbed it and plunged it back into the thugs gut causing him to wheeze. With him dazed, Batman slammed the weapon into the thugs face knocking him out cold.

One thug rose to his feet, still having some fight in him. So Batman would beat it out of him, two blows form the bat to the face caused the thug to drop to the floor, raising the bat above his head, the vigilante prepared to finish him.

"Hey, drop the bat! Or I'll blow your head off" a new voice threatened coming down the stairs, holding a pistol and pointing it towards the vigilante. Breathing harshly, Batman grit his teeth, and threw the weapon at the man threat, hitting him in the face and knocking him out

But Batman felt something barley clip his shoulder, it was pellets from a shotgun, the bulk barley missing him. Turning round, the vigilante saw the Trigger Twins, one wielding a shotgun and the other a handgun.

Raising his right hand and flicking it, a small grapple gun would emerge from the gauntlet straight into the vigilantes hand. Batman then fired the grapple, stabbing right through the handgun wielding twin through the leg, with a quick tug he was pulled down. Before he could engage the second twin, the vigilante felt a presence behind him. Quickly turning and assuming a stance, Batman was met with the man himself.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Take it easy, sweetheart" Oswald Cobb said, slightly raising his hands in defence.

"You looking for me?" he shrugged with a hint of amusement in his voice. "I see you met the twins" he said with a smile looking up at said men. "Boy, you're everything they say, ain't ya? I guess we both are" at this point the mobster was practically smiling ear to ear. "How you doing? I'm Oz"he said, offering the Batman a handshake. 

-------------------------

Oswald insisted the two had this conversation in his office, he even told his men to back down although the vigilante kept up his guard. Scanning everything around him to he could map it by playing back the recordings. The office was stylish, alcohol covered almost every surface, although it was top shelf stuff. Oz inspected the photos Batman had brought form the files, shifting through each one and shaking his head playfully.

The pounding of the music could still be heard from here.

"Who is she?" Batman asked, standing above Oswald.

"I don't know chief" Oswald replied, looking up at the vigilante. "I might have been coming out at the same time, but I wasn't rolling with them" he said playfully, throwing two photos on his desk.

Batman then heard some light footsteps coming down the corridor, peering outside, he saw they were women boots. And slowly this figure was revealed by the light of the office, she wore a white tank top that exposed a slight bit of skin from his slim waist. The woman had hair then stopped right before her shoulders, with a few piercings scattered about here and there. This woman chewed gum and didn't even seem surprised when she saw Batman standing there.

'Selina' Y/N thought to himself, her name rattling around in his head the moment he laid eyes on her. He hadn't seen her in so long, Waylon mentioned something about inviting her to poker night. She was the one who introduced him to the Lounge in the first place, and it's through the Lounge Y/N met her.

Y/N could only pray she wasn't involved in this.

"It's okay baby" Oz called out to Selina. "Mr. Vengeance here, he don't bite. Come on" Oz added waving her towards him. It was only then Batman dragged his eyes away from Selina's face and noticed she carried a metal tray with drinks and an envelope. As Selina placed the drink down, Oz took the envelope and inspected what was inside. "Thank you honey".

Must have been roughly $15,000 cash. Penguin nodded his head at seeing the money, and grabbed a few packets of drops and placed them onto the tray. But as she placed the drink, Selina looked at the photos, and Batman caught this, the way her face softened slightly. A look of worry, alarm, Selina knew the woman in the pictures.

Oswald arose to his feet, and gathered all the photos together. He tried to give them to Batman who simply starred at the mobster as Selina left the room, Y/Ns eyes followed her as she left, once again his mind asked 'why was she here?'

"Here you go champ" Oz said, holding the photos to the masked Vigilante.

"I wanna know who she is, and what she has to do with this murder" the vigilante snarled back.

"Whose murder?"

"The mayor's" he growled back.

"Is that the mayor?" Penguin asked, perhaps feigning ignorance as he brought the photos closer to his face. "Oh, shit it is. Look at that" he smiled. Y/N was slowly losing his patience with Oz, he never liked him to begin with, whenever Waylon suggested going to him for help Y/N would always feel uneasy, working with Oz was like making a deal with the devil. 

Batman grabbed Oz but his shoulders, and slammed him into the glass windows of the office, causing them to crack around the body of the mobster. "Don't make me hurt you" he threatened, almost wanting to.

"You better watch it. You know my reputation?" Penguin threatened back.

"Yeah, I do. Do you?" Batman spat back, his hands shaking slightly and he tried to hold back his own aggression and rage.

"Look..." Penguin began, looking the vigilante dead in the eyes. "I'm just the proprietor, okay? I mean, what people do here ain't got nothing to do with me" he said, and Batman judged this to be truthful. The vigilante released Penguin from his grasp and backing away. "Tell you one thing. Whoever she is, she's one hot chick" Penguin laughed lightly tapping Batman on the shoulder. "Why don't you ask Mitchell's wife? Maybe she knows. What? Too soon?"

Batman then inspected the image once again, seeing if there was anything he had missed. Any slight detail that would give him a lead, and he saw them. A pair of slim legs, and boots, he recognised those boots. Selina, the look she gave, she knew the woman in the photo. It was the only lead he had, so Batman stormed out of the office.

"You let me know if there's anything else I can do" Penguin called out to the leaving Bat.

Batman moved quickly, he would need to follow Selina home. He didn't know her current address. But Selina knew this woman, so many questions. But Y/N knew Selina, knew her too well, just exactly what kind of trouble was she in.

-------------------------

Y/N waited what seemed like hours, time was an element of little consequence for one who did not care for it. He needed to know, he needed to know what Selina knew. And what kind of trouble she had got herself into.

'Just like old times' Y/N thought to himself. Raining pouring around him, hidden in a nearby alleyway on his motorcycle reading and waiting.

He saw her, Selina, quickly leave the Iceberg Lounge in a rush.

She hailed for a taxi and hurried inside which took off. Y/N revved the engine of the motorcycle, and maintained a steady distance to not alert her or the driver. Through the rain, helmet and rear glass of the car he barley see her, but he saw her talking on the phone to someone.

Eventually the taxi dropped her off at an apartment complex near West Harlow in East Gotham. Selina hurried inside with Y/N parking his motorcycle nearby, carrying the backpack with his suit the un-noticed drifter ascended a nearby fire exit of a building from across the road. He laid down on the building and used a pair of binoculars to peer into the apartment he saw the woman enter.

That's when he saw her, the woman from the photo inside the apartment. She was distressed, in tears and Selina had to immediately move to comfort her. The woman from the photo cried out, Y/N couldn't make out the words but she was so upset she fell to her knees and Selina wrapped her arms around her trying to pull her from the brink.

Selina hen left her friend, and moved into another room which Y/N followed with his eyes. This new, smaller room had a wall filled with many tools, some household, some someone would call specialist tools. Selina then removed her whig, and began to strip her clothing. Y/N closed his eyes, lowering the binoculars and swore to himself. Selina was his friend, used to be, whatever the situation was, there were boundaries. A few seconds passed and he saw that Selina was dressed differently.

Skin tight black leather which clung to her figure, she then grabbed a small bag of her equipment and then opened a window, acrobatically flipping down and mounting her own motorcycle and driving away. Y/N acted quickly, and revved up his own motorcycle and gave chase. Once again he maintained his distance, intrigued on to what Selina's plan exactly was.

-------------------------

Selina Kyle knew what she had to do, Annika needed to get away from this City. And that piece of shit dead mayor had her papers and she would get them. She pulled up a few blocks away from the crime scene that was the dead mayor's house. Selina pulled a black wind mask over her face, looking herself in the motorcycles mirror to inspect her look. Noticing that parts of the mask almost looked like cat ears, huh she chuckle, a Cat Burglar, now she knew why the tabloids gave her that name.

Finding her way into the mayor's house would be easy enough, the unguarded, unmonitored skyline window would be her point of entry. She descended through said window with ease, doing this dance a hundred times with other rich chumps.

She slipped up a false painting in a frame, revealing a secret safe. Not even the wife probably knew about it. Quickly Selina assembled her tool, clicking three parts together. A miniature drill, silent, small yet powerful. Holding it stead Selina began to drill away at the combination lock, slowly making her way through the heavy duty safe.

With the first part done, Selina then effortlessly cracked the combination. A bit to the left, back to the right, and click. She reached in, and grabbed a single paper that was among many,

Little did Selina know, she had been trailed every step of the way.

"You're pretty good at that" Batman said lowly, startling Selina and causing her to turn around seeing the masked vigilante putting his grapple away.

Quickly, Selina leapt into action. Knowing her ability was her best bet against the Vigilantes upper body strength, Selina attempted to deliver several quick kicks which were blocked by the vigilante but still managed to force him back.

Seeing that the man clearly had training,Selina changed up her tactics. Rather than aim for his upper body, she'd aim lower. Selina sent a flurry of kicks towards Batman's legs attempting to trip him over, but these proved fruitless.

Batman either blocked the oncoming kicks or simply avoided them. Starring down his opponent, raising his fists ready to strike back against her. Y/N didn't want to hurt her, Selina used to be his friend, or still was, just not spoken to her for a while. He just needed to talk. 

Seeing that Batman had the advantage, Selina turned tale. But this was a misdirection itself as she kicked herself off a wall and aimed backwards attempting to strike at the vigilante. Thinking quickly, Batman grabbed Selina midair and pinned her against a nearby table.

Selina struggled against the man's grip, but eventually she could see that the Batman had her in his grasp. The room was eventually filled with the heavy breathing of the duo, Selina starring up at Batman and let out a small growl in his face. Y/N easily over powered her, there was no way she'd be able to match his strength, but she did do well to keep him off balance. 

Looking up, Batman drew his attention towards the item this Catwoman had taken from the safe. A passport, and he quickly snatched it from her hand and separated from her and inspected it seeing it was an Estonian passport.

"Hey! Gimme that" Selina protested as she tried to snatch the item back. But even with the small tussle Batman was able to open the password and see who it belonged to.

"Kosolov, Annika" he stated reading the name, he then looked up at the burglar. "What's her connection to all this?" he asked, seeing what exactly Selina was up to. Y/N knew there would be no way Selina and this Annika would be directly involved, but they were a link in the chain. He just had to find it. 

"What?" Selina asked, surprised and shocked that someone would accuse her of the crime of murder. "Oh please" she sighed. "Just give me the god damn!" once again she attempted to snatch the passport. But as the woman lunged for the passport, Batman overheard the creaking of a door and as she was close he wrapped his hands around Selina, pulling her against him and covering her mouth with.

"Susshhhh" he whispered to her as she struggled against his grip, and even almost broke free. But soon even she heard what Batman was worried about. A flashlight shined into the room from a cop who was on guard, the light swooped across the room scanning for disturbances. Whomever this cop was, clearly wasn't doing a good job as he didn't notice the open safe. Selina looked back at the man holding her, and their eyes briefly connected for a moment as they bodies pressed together so close.

The cop inspected some spots of the room, letting out a small whistle as he did so. But eventually, he let out a sigh and made his exit. As soon as the closing of the door was heard, Catwoman shrugged and pushed herself free of Batman standing away from him to keep her distance.

"Listen, honey. You got the wrong idea, okay? I didn't kill anybody" she whispered as Batman looked her up and down, trying to gauge if she were telling the truth or not. "I'm here for my friend. She's trying to get the hell out of here, and this sonuvabitch stole her passport" she explained.

"What does her know?" Batman responded, his own voice low and barley a whisper.

"Whatever it is, it's got her so spooked that she won't even tell me" Selina barked back, anger filling her voice.

"She did seem upset" Batman netted, this comment causing Selina to look at him confided while he stared back. "Back at your place" he added, causing her to look at the vigilante in disbelief, but her stare was still cold. "Let's go talk to her" he spoke breaking the silence.

He offered the passport to this Catwoman, she snatched it and continued to glare at him. Selina knew she couldn't trust him, he needed her trust to him. Y/N just needed answers. 

-------------------------

The two motorcycles raced through Gotham, the lights barley guiding them as the rain continued to poor. The Bat and the Cat working together, had a nice ring to it.

As they prepared to enter the apartment, Selina removed her mask no point now considering the Batman knew her identity. But as the door opened and Batman followed Selina, the two could see that the entire apartment had been ransacked. Knife slashes into the couches, dishes were smashed, cupboard doors hung off the hinges. Several cats walked along the floors and kitchen counters without a care in the world.

Y/N scanned the apartment, if you took away all the damage it seems like it would be a nice place to live. Selina was doing well, better than him, many people lived in better conditions than Y/N. 

"Anni?! Baby?! Anni! Anni?!" Selina cried out, running into the wrecked apartment hoping that perhaps Annika had amanegd to beat back whoever had forced their way in. Batman allows moved into the apartment, scanning the environment for anything that might prove useful. He stood in a small collection of letters, unpaid bills. The TV blared, covering news of the serial killer loose in Gotham, the headline read;

SERIAL KILLER CLAIMS CREDIT FOR SECOND VICTIM IN TWO DAYS -- GCPD COMMISSIONER MURDERED

Pete Savage was dead, a second victim, someone else who had sway and was in a position of power.

"Jesus, what are they gonna do to her? She's just a kid..." Selina cried, re-entering the living room/kitchen area. She sighed out as she looked for something. "Shit, they took my phone". Selina went to pet one of her cats that was close to the toaster, when she saw just how intensely the Batman stared at the TV and the news it presented. The female anchor began;

"His victim, longtime head of the Gotham PD, Commissioner Pete Savage, was found dead earlier tonight inside the Police Athletic Facilities in the Tri-State Corner Area. The killer posted the following message on social media, and we have to warn you, the video is very disturbing"

A handheld video began, heavy breathing blasted through the audio as a hand painted white question mark surrounded by crosses coloured on a dark green heavy rain coat.

"Hello People of Gotham" a deep voice let out as the camera of the video panned to a white male figure, he wore a dark green hoodie underneath his heavy coat, a green military cold weather mask covering his face. Clear glasses dawned on his eyes, and his hair, wrapped in kitchen wrapping film. "This is the Riddler" he introduced himself. The Riddler, a man of mystery, the serial killer plaguing Gotham, a name and appearance to match the calculated crimes.

Y/N could finally put a face and name to this killer, someone who wore their own mask much like himself. 

"On Halloween Night, I killed your mayor because he was not who he pretended to be, but I am not done" the Riddler panned the camera around revealing Commissioner Savage, mostly stripped and attached to some kind of mechanism around his head, with a small box containing rats strapped to his chest with pipes connecting the two devices the rats could climb through. "Here, is another...." over Savage's mouth was duck tape with three words written on it in red lettering. 'NO MORE LIES'.

Selina wiped some tears away from her eyes and folded her arms, creeped out at the sight of this man.

"...who will soon be losing face. I will kill again and again and again until our day of judgement, when the truth about our city will FINALLY! Be unmasked" Savage could be heard whaling trying to scream through the duck tape, Riddler then turned the camera around framing himself and Savage. "Goodbye!" his voice sounded almost goofy and playful when he said that and the video cut off. with muffled shrieks. And the news anchors appeared on the screen again.

"Commissioner Savage served a distinguished thirty-year career on the GCPD--" an image of the former Commissioner appeared on the screen and Selina took note.

"Holy shit, I've seen that guy, too" she said, gently pointing to the screen with an index finger still keeping her arms crossed. "At the club".

"At the Iceberg Lounge?" Batman inquired, turning his face towards her but not his entire body.

Selina gently shook her head. "44 below" she replied.

"What is that?" he asked.

Selina shrugged, almost annoyed but a vain of smugness that even Batman didn't know about it. "The club within the club? The real club. It's a mob hangout" she answered opening the fridge and pulling out a plastic bottle of milk.

'Must be new' Y/N thought to himself, that place wasn't there ten years ago. Carmine has slowly been building his empire for years now, this club must be where the infection gathers. 

"Is that where you work?" the vigilante asked as the woman tended to her cat and pulled out a glass for herself. "Selina" he said, using her name and this seemed to garner her attention as she turned to face him. For a brief moment, Y/N allowed himself to speak, for one word a brief second, Y/N could be heard, the curtain of the Bat being drawn back ever so slightly. 

It was clear she picked up on it, Selina narrowed her eyes slightly but did not say anything about it."No, I just work at the bar upstairs" she replied, moving and leaning her back against the kitchen counter. "But I see 'em come in".

"Who?" Batman whispered back.

"A lot of guys that shouldn't be there, I can tell you that" answered as she lifted the glass close to her lips. "Your basic "upstanding citizen" types" she said, taking a small sip of milk.

"You're gonna help me on this" he stated, Selina did not know if this were an ask, or a demand. "For your friend" he added, and it was this comment that made Selina wonder if she was to go through with this. Her warily eyes studies his own, then Batman felt something rubbing up against his feet. Looking down, he saw several cats swarming against his armoured legs. "You got a lot of cats".

"I have a thing for strays" Selina replied, holding the glass close to her lips.

"You're not safe here" he warned her, concerned for her. She was his friend, even if she was a criminal. Selina was also, his only link to this ever expanding chain of mystery. 

"I can take care of myself" she called out, seeing the Batman leave her apartment and let out a sigh. He would give her time to get ready for work, and return later. She needed time to grieve after all. To not let that sinking feeling absorb her. 

-------------------------

It was going to be a long night, it always is. Y/N had met up with Gordon at the coroner's, where Pete Savages body was being kept. The body had been quickly transported away from the publics eye. Batman and Gordon stood as the metal door opened and the white body bag was brought out, Gordon moved to it hesitantly and slowly, he still couldn't believe it.

"He waited for him, at the gym" Gordon stated as both men looked down at the fresh corpse. "Pete always liked to work out late at night when no one else was around" he added.

"There's a needle mark on his neck" the Vigilante observed as his head titled slightly, it was an exact clean injection.

"He injected him with arsenic" Gordon informed, revealing the cause of death and Y/N what that was.

"Rat Poison" he whispered, his eyes drifting to Gordon. The video showed Savage attached to a rat cage, a theme. Rats.

"Yeah, that seems to be his theme, here" Gordon said as he turned around lead Batman to a nearby table, where said container that once housed the rats lay. "Look at this thing" he said as Batman scanned it.

The container was home-made, but of high quality. Metal, screws, and glass was used in combination to create this thing. This killer, this Riddler knew exactly what he was doing, he had planned this, planned every step. This container was made with the Commissioner in mind. "It's a maze" he said, Y/N had to admit, he was almost intrigued. The thought, the dedication, what would drive a man to commit such acts with such flawless work?

"What kinda demented sunovabitch does this to a person?" Gordon asked, voicing the Batmans exact thoughts.

Batman went to his utility belt, and pulled out a UV torch and shined the ultraviolet light into the maze inspecting it for any clue. Sure enough, as the light shined over the floor of the rat maze symbols were revealed. Marked by the Riddlers hand writing, Y/N had studied it enough, finally the question mark surrounded by crosses was revealed. "More symbols, it's another cypher" he said, knowing his contacts was recording this, he would look over these facts later in the early morning.

"He blasted these out after his message went viral" Gordon informed, he handed several images to Batman who inspected them. "Bastard murders you and your reputation" all of the images were of Commissioner Savage. All of them damming showing Savage taking money from a man in a back alley.

Batman knew who that was, he had been on his trail a while back but it went cold. "That guy pushed drops on the east end" he said, Savage was allowing drugs in his city. He was looking the other way while drugs festered and poisoned his city.

"I don't get it, Why would Pete get involved with something like this?" Gordon pained, he knew Pete he was a good cop after all, at least he thought he was good.

"Looks like he got greedy".

"You kidding me?" he sighed in response, pain clear in his voice unable to comprehend this revelation. "After everything we did to take down the Maronis? He busted the entire operation, then he caves to some lowlife dealer?" he listed, unable to understand this.

"Maybe he's not who you thought" was all Batman could say in response, cold and uncaring.

"You make it sound like he had it coming" Gordon said as his gaze looked at the Vigilante next to him.

"He was a cop.....that crossed the line" the Vigilante countered, in this mission, this life. There could be no exceptions. As Batman's light shined on the container, he noticed something underneath what could considered the entrance of the maze. Pressing a small button marked with the Riddler's symbol, and a small draw popped open. Inside was a small envelope, with the words 'to the batman' written on the front. The envelope opened with ease, and Batman flipped the card of a cartoony scientist mixing chemicals. Batman read out was on the front of the card;

"I'm mad about you. Wanna know my name? Just look inside and see"

Opening the card inside were the words 'But, Wait, I Cannot Tell You -- It Might Spoil the Chemistry!' in cartoony writing, this was almost like a Valentines Day card with the wording. Wrong holiday. But underneath that writing were words written by the Riddler himself in green writing.

"Follow the maze 'til you find the rat. Bring him into the light, and you'll find where I'm at"

"The hell is that?" Gordon asked in confusion, not understanding any of this. "Bring him into the light?" "Find the rat?" he repeated, hoping saying the words out himself would make him understand.

"I don't know" Batman admitted, himself lost with this mystery. None of this made any sense, he was in over his head. Previous cases at been easy, but this was complex. The Riddler's motives were unclear, did he want to cause chaos? Disrupt the system? Thoughts swam through Y/Ns mind as he tried to comprehend this. But he knew he needed an outside point of view, he needed a new direction.

Suddenly the GCPD officer Batman had seen before at the mayor's crime scene rushed down the stairs and into the examiner's room where the two men stood. "Lieutenant! They're coming back!" he warned as he moved back up the stairs but his eyes were trained on the Batman, unnerved at his presence.

"We gotta get you outta here" Gordon said as he hurried to the back of the room to take the other entrance. But Batman remained still, his eyes lingering on his name written on the envelope itself. And then the thought remained, solidifying itself like concrete creating his decision. C'mon" Gordon said grounding the Vigilantes thoughts.

-------------------------

Under a slate-black sky, the rain slashed down in relentless sheets, making Arkham State Mental Hospital seem like a dark castle rising from a primordial swamp. Its jagged towers were barely visible in the downpour, but the few weak lights cast sickly yellow glints off the rain-slicked stone. The ivy that clung to the Gothic structure looked like grasping fingers. The first time in ten years he had set foot in this God forsaken place, and that sense of dread, and despair creeped down his spine. 

The Batman moved through the shadow-draped corridors, his heavy boots and footsteps creating slightly loud noises. Tonight, he wasn't hunting criminals on the streets, he needed insight. This Riddler, he committed crimes clean and efficiently. There was only one man in Arkham who had committed similar acts, and Y/N needed insight. So he practically demanded to see the one man who could offer insight, Julian Gregory Day, or how the media had dubbed him; 

The Calendar Man 

The door to the maximum-security visitation room creaked open. Y/N stepped inside. 

A single, reinforced glass pane divided the room, keeping him separate from the man waiting on the other side. Day sat facing away, his bald head gleaming under the fluorescent light, his posture unnervingly still. Even with his back turned, Y/N could feel the calculating gaze of the man who played games with time itself.

As the file slid to the other side, Day finally turned. His gaze was icy, clinical, but a slow, sardonic smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. This was a man who savored the passing of days, a man who looked at each tick of the clock as a reason for both celebration and slaughter.

Portrayed by James McAvoy 

"A new killer on the block," he drawled, glancing down at the file without touching it. "And you came to me? I'm honored, Batman." His tone was smooth, like someone about to perform for an audience. "This must be special if you're here. Halloween, the Mayor's blood on display, and then just one day later the Commissioner. What timing," he mused, the gleam in his eyes betraying a fascination with the killer's ritual.

Y/N's jaw tightened. "I need your insight. What do you make of him?" Day liked the game, he liked looking down on other, lesser would be killers. 

Day's smile widened, a predator pleased by the scent of fresh prey. He opened the file with a delicate touch, as though savoring each photograph, each page of notes. His fingers traced the grisly images of the murder scenes, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Ah," he murmured, "he's...punctual. He strikes precise as a clock. His violence isn't the random thrashings of a lunatic. No, no, no, no, no this one has a schedule." Day tapped a finger on a blood-streaked photo, his voice calm, dissecting each detail with cold precision but almost with a joy, he liked this, he revelled in it. "Look here Halloween, and now on All Saints' Day. These kills are milestones in his mind. A pattern...a path." He gave a low chuckle, void of humor. "Like a calendar, marking the days with blood."

"And what's his endgame?" Batman asked, eyes never leaving Day's face. "Why these dates? What does he want?"

Day tilted his head, as though genuinely pondering the question. "What we all want, dear Batman. Recognition. To make his mark, for Gotham to know him. Each strike cements him in the calendar of the city, etching his name into history. Or perhaps he wishes for recognition, even us in Arkham saw that news report, maybe just wants to be seen. You, of all people, should understand that desire." His gaze sharpened, flicking up to meet Batman's eyes. "After all, don't you have your own dates marked? Nights where you step out in that suit and remind them who watches over Gotham?"

The implication hit hard, but Y/N brushed it off. "This isn't about me," he said, his voice a low growl.

"No," Day agreed, an edge of amusement in his voice, "but maybe it is. The Mayor, then the Commissioner these aren't nobodies. This killer wants an audience, someone to notice his craft. And who better than Gotham's masked sentinel?" Day's eyes glinted as he turned back to the photos. "He's toying with you. This," he tapped a cypher left by the killer, "is his invitation."

"So he's reaching out to me? Why?"

Day smirked, savouring the Vigilante's discomfort. "Could be admiration, could be competition. Perhaps he sees you as a rival or worse, a muse. Either way, he's holding up a mirror, and it's distorting your image. You see a madman, but somewhere in there..." he leaned forward, his voice dropping to a whisper, "maybe you see a reflection, don't you?"

Y/N resisted the urge to clench his fists. "This killer's method is deliberate, but why the symbolism? Why the need for riddles and codes?"

"Because, symbols...........endure," Day replied, his voice almost reverent. "One can shoot a man, and he dies. But when you strike with purpose, with meaning, you live forever. These deaths aren't mere murders; they're ceremonies. The killer marks each moment, crafting a story for Gotham to remember. He wants them them to make the connection, to see the rich and powerful die" Day's gaze narrowed, growing colder, sharper. "And the city loves a story, doesn't it?"

"You think he's choosing his targets in advance?" almost begging Day to give him a clear cut answer. 

"Perhaps" Day whispered, a chilling smile stretching across his face. "He's choosing his dates, crafting his own calendar of carnage. Perhaps he believes he's cleansing Gotham, clearing out its rot." His gaze flicked up, locking onto Y/N. "Or maybe he's just trying to get your attention, to see if you can keep up."

Y/N felt a pulse of frustration. "This isn't a game."

"Isn't it?" Day's eyes flashed with a perverse glee. "Every night, you don that cowl, and Gotham watches. Every crime you stop, every headline you make it's all part of the performance. You, him...you're both players, acting out a story for this city." He chuckled softly, the sound hollow. "You're not that different. Masks, secrets, rituals... In the end, you're both just marking the days."

Y/N stiffened, a cold anger building in his chest. "Enough. If you have nothing useful to add—"

"Oh, but I do," Day said, his smile fading to something darker, his voice dropping to a whisper. "This killer wants to be remembered, and that makes him dangerous. He'll keep marking the calendar with lives until someone stops him. And he's counting on you to be there, watching, waiting." Day leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with a twisted thrill. "Ask yourself this: are you his hunter, or his muse?"

Y/N had heard enough. He turned, pressing the call button for the guards. But Day's voice followed him, echoing softly, insidiously in the narrow room.

"Tell me, Batman," he called out with a chilling smile, "when will your day be marked on the calendar?"

The door buzzed open, and Y/N stepped into the hallway, away from the venomous presence of the Calendar Man. But Day's words lingered, like a dark mark on the mind. Batman shook his head as the door opened, he needed to shake those words. 

He just needed rest, tomorrow;

He Had a Cat to Meet 

Author's Note 

And there we go another chapter done and dusted, totalling just over 10K words so not too shabby. Did not expect it to be this long (that's what she said). I did like some of the bits I added, this was kinda a merger between 2 chapters from an old deleted Batman book so made things a little easier. 

I know some people are kinda unhappy with some stuff from The Batman not changing, I'm just using the movie as a building block for the story. Kinda what all those Spider-Man stories do with the MCU, but I am trying my best to add original stuff and make it fit the Absolute Batman style and Batman basically being middle class. 

I would like to thank my friend Specturm_2002 for giving me the idea for Calendar Man, originally I thought about just doing the Joker scene but he gave me the idea to use Calendar Man instead. It helps I don't really have any plans to introduce a Joker to this universe. 

Anyway,

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