The Batman: Downfall Ch. 10

Bullock nodded looking about the room his face still bore sores and scars from the chemical factory, though the sickly coloured skin had begun to return to its usual cheery self. Bullock walked over to the long sofa that Alberto was sat on and sat himself down on the end of it, "Interesting place to hide out in."

Alberto frowned, "I am not hiding out you idiot." He said.

"Really?" Bullock replied surprised, "If I had James Gordon gunning for me, I would be hiding out if not skipping town and the whole continent if I could."

Alberto laughed, "Oh Bullock, is this a last ditch attempt to save your sorry ass." He put on a gruff voice as he continued to talk, "Don't kill me or my Commissioner will be angry."

Alberto went to shout out as Bullock pulled his service revolver from his coat pocket, he only stopped when the man handed it to him, "Kill me if you want, no doubt this town would be better without me, hell you can even pass it off as suicide." Alberto took the gun, with practiced ease he broke it open and counted six bullets. "But Gordon won't avenge me, his daughter on the other hand."

Alberto pointed the gun directly at Bullock, it was point blank range no chance of missing, "Okay, I got time to kill," he chuckled to himself before he continued "I'll bite what is this about Gordon's daughter?"

"You not heard, she was attacked and raped in her apartment, they got a suspect," Bullock pointed at Alberto, "All-points bulletin for the arrest of Alberto Falcone."

Jim Gordon had wasted no time in putting out a call for Alberto Falcone's arrest and with little surprise Carmine Falcone was being filled in on the surprise a few minutes after that, three or four on the take cops phoning through eager to please their boss. Bullock hoped to God that Batman's plan went as smoothly as he claimed it would. Harvey was staring down the barrel of his own gun and right there and then the plan seemed a really bad idea.

"I call bullshit and you are still a dead man," Alberto cocked the hammer back. He would have heard about it the moment he walked into the joint...was that why Jimmy was being so nice, greasing up Alberto waiting for the cops to turn up, no that was not Jimmy's style...waiting for his dad to turn up on the other hand. When the penny dropped was the moment the lights went out. "What the hell?" Alberto shot up the gun clattering to the floor.

Beyond the curtain's he could hear people shouting, drinks crashing, tables being upturned. A gun went off, followed by another in rapid fire and Alberto almost shit himself, there was a hidden exit somewhere in the room but the cold panic that enveloped Alberto took all sense from him, leaving his mind blank with fear, "It's him." Bullock said his voice trembling a little.

"Dad!" Alberto said in response.

"Not Daddy Al, the other him, Batman." Bullock said and he grabbed the gun from the floor.

The curtain parted and a giant black figure passed through, Batman stood between the two men and the exit an immovable object. "Alberto Falcone you're coming with me," Batman said in a soft tone that dripped with certainty.

Alberto felt a hand on his chest and found Bullock pushing him away from Batman and putting himself between them, his gun pointed at Batman. "Here we are again Batman, you staring down the barrel of my gun, only this time toxic fumes are not going to stop me."

Batman took a step forward but Harvey refused to back down, "He is wanted for the brutal attack of Barbara Gordon, one way or another he is coming in."

"Over my dead body," Bullock shot back.

"Have it your way," Batman replied and darted forward, the gun was snatched from Bullocks hand at the same moment a powerful elbow connected with his ribs knocking the air from his lungs in an explosive exhale, before his brain could comprehend what was happening his legs were swiped from under him and Bullock landed heavily on his back.

Alberto rushed for the exit while Batman went to work on Bullock, one hand managed to take hold of one of the red curtains, the fabric thick in his grip. Alberto let out his own squeal as the collar of his shirt was yanked, he flew bodily backwards his death grip on the curtain pulling it from its fixings as he went. The air was pushed from his lungs as the black mass that was Batman pushed down on his prone body, "Alberto Falcone you are worthless scum that is going to spend the rest of his life rotting in a prison cell."

The gunshot made Alberto's ears ring, the flash in the dark confines blinded him. One moment he was unable to move the next Batman was flying from him, tumbling across the ground as more shots rang out one after another. Even with all the bullets expelled from Bullocks spare piece, Harvey continued to pull the trigger, the hammer hitting nothing but air. "Fucking freak," Harvey yelled. Bullock tossed the gun to one side and grabbed his service pistol where Batman had tossed it, "Get up you lazy idiot," Bullock shouted holding out a shaky hand to Alberto. Alberto took it and his light frame was yanked onto wobbly feet and both men stumbled out of the room and into a room of men pointing guns at them.

Carmine Falcone was stood in the centre of the group, his hands knitted together in front of him, "Well, well, well Detective Bullock how nice of you to finally show up." He nodded towards his son and one man stepped forward and took him away from Bullock, "Drop the gun," and Bullock reluctantly did. "You made a mess in here Bullock,"

Bullock laughed, "Me? You think I took out this place,"

Carmine did not enjoy being laughed at, but he swallowed hard biting back what he wanted to say. He took another look around at the carnage that the street lights could show through the clubs open door, "Then who was it."

"Batman," Alberto replied instead, "He came for me, wanted me for raping a girl. Bullock saved me"

Carmine nodded, he had heard the news of the rape it was sad no doubt about it and he felt some sympathy for James Gordon, Carmine after all was a family man. What he could not stomach was the fact his son Alberto, was the main suspect. The few incidents before this were easy to bury, in two cases quite literally but now we were talking about the Police Commissioners daughter that was not so easy to hide. "Where is he, where's Batman?" Carmine asked and took an involuntary step backwards.

Bullock motioned back into the VIP room and Carmine dispatched two very nervous looking men to check it out, they came back out a minute later looking relieved. "He's gone boss, went through the hidden exit."

Carmine relaxed a little, his men feeding off this lowered their guns and relaxed also, Carmine looked about again, squinting into the gloom his mind working away. "Okay let me get this right you just happened to turn up moments before Batman and saved my son." Bullock thought about it then nodded, "You see that's not your style Bullock," Carmine waggled a finger back and forth in front of his hawk nose, "Something's not right with this set up."

"I came here for Al you got that right but not to save him, I was going to straighten something's out between us then I was going to sell him back to you or the cops, whoever paid the most." Bullock said, controlling the nerves that were threatening to be the undoing of him.

Carmine laughed, "Well now I have my son and you, so what's stopping me shooting you right here right now."

"Honour," Bullock played the card Batman had told him would work, "The Falcone's are known for their honour Carmine, I saved your son. Batman would have fed him to the cops and right now he'd be in an interrogation room spilling his guts on your little operation. "

"Honour eh? A damn corrupt flat foot is talking to me about honour." Carmine shook his head and bit his lower lip, "Out you go boys," he finally said, his eyes remaining on Bullock. Around him his men walked out, Alberto sandwiched between two of them. "This stinks Bullock, I don't know how yet but it does. What do you want?"

"To be left alone," His reply came instantly, "no bounty on my head, no accidents heading my way, no messages, nothing. In return I don't touch you or yours."

Carmine Falcone, the biggest and deadliest of the crime family bosses, stared long and hard at Harvey Bullock, his eyes boring into him. Finally the man nodded, a simple up and down of his head "Have a nice life Officer Bullock," he said then turned on his heels and walked out of the club.

Bullock had waited until the sound of cars had disappeared into the distance he waited another twenty minutes on top of that before finally venturing out of the club. To be sure he even went back to the VIP room and took the secret exit, which lead him to the rear of the club and out behind a large dumpster overflowing with refuse. With unsteady hands he searched his pockets for cigarettes and came up empty. The sky was beginning to lighten and the gloom of the alleyway clung on desperately, a shadow broke away and approached Bullock, "Well they brought it, I don't know how but they did." Bullock rubbed at his ribs, "Did you have to hit me so hard?"

"It had to look real," It had been the only way, real punches and real bullets. Curiosity would get the better of Carmine and someone would be in to look at the casings every angle had to be covered.

"Well it felt real believe me, for a moment there I thought he was not going to buy it, we got lucky this time." Bullock had never been so scared, but now standing here a free man so to speak scared him even more.

"It's the only time we need to be lucky. The rest is up to you now. Gordon needs good men like you to help get this city straight." Batman looked down the alleyway to the lightening sky, "It's a new day Officer Bullock, make the most of it."

Outskirts of Gotham City,

Selina Kyle was waiting for Bruce at the city limits, a large battered and bullet hole ridden sign thanked travellers for visiting Gotham and the hopes of seeing them again. Selina was sitting on the rear end of a classic red sports car, the paintwork vibrate in the noon sun when Bruce pulled up to the side of the road and stepped out of his sedan. The smile on her face lifted his spirits for a moment, just seeing her did that to him, but had he not felt the same way when Barbara smiled at him. As he approached she pushed herself from the car and met him half way her arms opening and they hugged.

"Thank you," Selina sighed into his chest, "For saving me."

"I think you will find you have Batman to thank for that."

She hugged him even tighter, "Same difference." She gave a deep sigh then looked up at him she went to break the hold but found herself kissing him instead, long, deep and perhaps for the last time.

Finally she broke free, "Whoa there," she took a step away, "Let's not get carried away. So what did you make of my offer?" The offer she spoke of was one that Bruce had found on his mobile phone upon his return to Wayne Manor that morning. It was a simple offer it was an offer to leave Gotham City forever.

"Selina I..." her laugh broke his sentence, she knew what was coming she always did.

She took his hands and led him to the sports car, then turned him around. The Gotham skyline rose up before them, it dominated the Horizon, its tall towers pulled the languid blue sky down, "See, you are not in Gotham and it is still standing. Sooner or later you have to turn your back and leave make it sooner than later." He turned back to face her and he knew instantly she had seen in his eyes there was more to it than that. "Who is she?"

The words of truth bit deep, he could see the hurt cross her face then disappear as she repressed it. Selina crossed her arms as if suddenly cold, "That's why you did not visit me in hospital isn't it?" She dropped her arms and gave him another hug, "Bruce I cannot wait forever you know that don't you?"

He found it difficult to find a reply to her, she was right. "In the boot of the car there is a bag packed with essentials, I drove here with the firm believe I was ready to leave it all behind. So much has happened I am tainted by it all. But the more I stand here the more I need to go back."

"Back to her?" Selina sighed, "You make so damn difficult to hate you when you get like this. Does she know your secret," He replied with a nod and she whistled long and low, "Serious then. I won't say I am a little jealous Bruce." She leaned in and kissed him, "After I finish touring with that damn diamond I might just have to come back to town and see this woman for myself."

"About that diamond, at what point did you switch the real one for a fake?" he asked. Back at the museum not long after Harley Quinn's attack Batman had scanned for evidence, it was only out of curiosity that he had scanned the diamond, it was a fake a good one but a fake never the less.

Selina gave a loud laugh, a laugh that walked a fine line between crazy and happy, "Picked up on that did you. I guess the next time I am in Gotham you will just have to stop me to find the answer." She walked around to the car's driver's door and climbed in a smile stretched from ear to ear, like the cat that had gotten the milk.

Bruce watched her go, the back wheels of the sports car digging into the soft soil a cloud of dust and stones flying skyward as the engine gunned and she sped off. He waited until the distinctive red became a dot then disappeared before he turned around and faced his city once more. There she stood, the sun glinted of tinted windows of the tallest tower blocks, a container ship moved with agonising slowness down the Gotham River and towards the sea. Traffic moved back and forth along the bridges that were her arteries, the island of Gotham her dark beating heart. Selina had asked him who she was. Who held him in Gotham, one answer was Barbara Gordon. That was the good answer, the clean answer. Though to Bruce Wayne and Batman it was a trick question as there were two answers, the other answer was before him, Gotham City was the other woman.

Gotham General,

The damage sustained to Barbara Gordon was worse than first thought. She had lost all feeling below her waist yet with extensive tests doctors could find no sign of lasting damage, the issue it seemed was now mental. Bruce had not slept for days now, last night's final play had taken so much out of him, he felt guilty and dirty outside but inside he was free of Harley Quinn, the news had nothing on Batman and Harley only her arrest. Now sitting at Barbara's bedside he felt his head becoming heavy, the soft beep of the machines lulling him towards sleep.

"You look worse than I do," Barbara's voice was groggy but to Bruce it sounded like music, his head came up from his chest an easy smile on his lips, "Busy night?"

"You could say that, they caught Harley Quinn and Carlos Constance is dead." Bruce reported in, he saw the alarm in Barbara's eyes, "Batman had nothing to do with it. Looks like Ivy had her hands in that."

Barbara nodded resolutely it had come to an end with or without her. "Did you speak to the doctors? Did they tell you about my legs," Bruce nodded, "I can help still, Oracle is a big job I doubt Alfred can do it on his own and..." she swallowed hard, tears lined her eyes, "We need to find him still."

"I will find him and he will pay Barbara but without you. This is too much for you like this, you need time to heal, go be with your father."

"You cannot cut me out Bruce, I need this." The tears came rolling down her cheeks.

Bruce stood up, "Then prove it." He said then left the room.

Soon after Bruce's visit, Barbara was discharged; Jim Gordon collected her and brought her to the home she had grown up in. For two weeks neither of them spoke much, her physical wounds began to heal but her mental ones seemed more ruptured as time went on. Barbara hardly slept now, her father would find her staring out of her window at bedtime and wake up to find she had not moved. Her phone remained with in grabbing distance, even in the bathroom while showering the phone would be close by, waiting for a call from Bruce Wayne that never came.

Those three words had taken up residence in her head, when she woke up screaming, covered in a film of sweat, shivering as the dream and her sweat evaporated, those three words would drift out of the fog of sleep "Then prove it." It had been such a direct, final statement one filled with little pity for her situation, but offering her a way out that she had not seen before.

The Bat Cave,

Alfred was in awe of Oracle, he had told Master Bruce time and time again of its ability to think one step ahead of them in tracing evidence and finding links (though sometimes a little too oblique) allowing Batman to move in the right direction in his pursuit of cleaning up Gotham. Bruce stood at the terminal now, his mind not truly on the job. Bruce found it difficult to concentrate since saying goodbye to Selina no matter how hard he tried her last kiss was still fresh in his mind and on his own lips.

Bruce tapped at the keyboard, his eyes hurting from so much data that he squinted even through his reading glasses it had been a long night, his arms ached and one rib felt tender to the touch Bruce made a mental note to get Alfred to look at it when he came down later on. Sleep was elusive as it ever was for Bruce Wayne when he had so much on his mind. His feet took him in the direction of the elevator but his mind pulled him to the dojo and his feet followed. The makeshift lab that held Klaus Cannon was now gone and the sparing mat had found its rightful place once more.

His workout flowed naturally, the kicks lay flat all the invisible opponents, his punches found their mark in phantom guts and faces even with his rib screaming he did not hold back, the pain made his mind a blank slate, Harley Quinn slipped free, Selina faded, Barbara...lingered. Bruce's roundhouse fell short, he stumbled forward landing awkwardly and he fell to one knee, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his face and pooling on the training mat.

His head lifted up as the elevator doors swished open Alfred stepping out in his usual straight back, shoulder straight way. It was only when he gave a quick look behind that Bruce realised someone else was with him. Bruce found his feet and stood up, one hand going to his rib and rubbing it absently, he had not seen the second person as they were in a wheel chair, the red hair, tied back in a severe bun still made Barbara stand out.

Bruce remained at the centre of the training mat, his face a mask hiding the smile that so desperately wanted to spread across his face. He waited patiently as Barbara wheeled herself across the platforms and towards him, Alfred remained near the elevator a small look of worry on his face his hands knitting together then falling apart as he worried. Finally the wheelchair came to a stop at the frayed edges of the training circle. "I need this, and you need me." She said her eyes wet with tears that threatened to flow at any moment. Bruce remained still, giving nothing away. "I can do this," she said through gritted teeth, her eyes gave way and her pale cheeks glistened with her tears.

"Then prove it." Bruce replied.

Barbara swallowed hard, her eyes closed as she took control of her emotions. Her hands tightened on the arm rest of the wheel chair. Her face reddened with the effort, with a gasp of desperation and exertion one foot lifted from the wheel chair and landed with a defiant stamp on the training mat.

Bruce gave a nod, "Let's begin,"

Prologue

Porto Areta,

Juliana had watched in amusement as the ineffectual local police attempted to take control of the Axis Chemical building. Up on the top floor she had watched the streets far below fill up with an assortment of police vehicles, when she got bored of the view she turned her attention back to the computer and to the file transfer she was currently conducting.