Kidnapped for Ransom: Bruce and Harvey’s Unexpected Predicament

After a moment, Bruce gave Harvey a faintly apologetic look and murmured, "Sorry for dragging you into this."

Harvey looked utterly exasperated.

This couldn't be the end of it; they hadn't even made it onto the evening news yet.

"So Bruce was kidnapped by a gang of ex-cons desperately in need of cash? And Harvey Dent just got dragged along as a bonus?" Avery asked.

"No, actually, it's hard to say who was the 'extra' in this case," Alfred replied, his expression turning oddly amused.

Because what followed was even more unexpected…

After successfully kidnapping Bruce and Harvey and getting them into the van, the kidnappers drove according to their plan, heading toward the outskirts of town. As they left the city center behind, the streets became increasingly deserted. The kidnappers began humming cheerful tunes as they drove.

These men were all recently released prisoners, scraping by on the lowest rungs of society, barely distinguishable from the homeless except for their criminal records. Since being released, they'd survived on meager handouts from relief agencies, though often there wasn't enough to go around.

Eventually, many of them grew desperate enough to turn to crime—robbery, theft, gang work, whatever they could find.

Their lives had been tolerable until about two years ago, when the "industry" hit an unprecedented downturn. And the cause of that economic slump? None other than Batman.

In the old days, taking risks in their line of work at least meant that if they succeeded, they could live comfortably. If they lost, they'd just die or end up back in prison. Many found those odds—fifty-fifty between a good outcome and a bad one—acceptable.

But now, the odds had shifted severely. While the big-time crime bosses could still evade capture, low-level criminals like them bore the brunt of Batman's crackdown.

Their lives had become a monotonous loop:

Get punched by Batman, get taken to a hospital funded by Wayne Enterprises, get sent to prison, get released, end up broke, and fall back into crime. Then get punched by Batman again, back to the hospital, back to prison, back out broke…on and on it went.

At this point, they could even compare their "Batman beatdowns" like badges of honor back in prison. *"How many times has Batman pounded you? Only three? Pathetic! I've been knocked out by him five times!"* They'd boast about it, earning admiration from fellow inmates.

It wasn't that they all wanted to keep going in circles. Some had genuinely tried to go straight, picking up honest jobs that, while low-paying and exhausting, at least spared them Batman's fist.

But the stubborn ones had their reasons. Some of them had drug addictions that legitimate jobs couldn't support, while others simply loved the thrill and fast money that crime offered.

Then there was the stark reality for the rest: they couldn't find work at all.

Yes, a glance at the homeless lining the streets in America might explain how situations like this arise.

If the U.S. could somehow solve the widespread homelessness (in non-violent ways), Gotham's crime rings might not be so rampant. This is one of the main reasons Bruce has always been committed to charity.

Back to the story.

Since this gang was a group of desperate men with nothing to lose, who didn't care about going back to prison as long as money was involved, it's no wonder that when Thompson heard from his ex-girlfriend Bertha that Wayne was at the café, he immediately got the idea to kidnap him for ransom.

Without hesitation, he contacted his old cellmates, and after some quick planning, they decided—this was their shot, and they were taking it.

They tailed Bruce Wayne's car at a careful distance until he left the bustling, heavily guarded street. Once he and his friend got out of the car, the gang swarmed, grabbing Bruce Wayne and his companion, bundling them into a van.

As for Batman, who was funded by Wayne—well, they could care less about facing him later. They could barely afford food, so why worry about taking a beating? Besides, it wasn't every day they had the rotten luck of catching a rich guy alone.

Imagining the good life they could have once they had the cash, Thompson couldn't help but chuckle.

Meanwhile, Bruce looked up at the kidnapper in front of him, trying a meek, negotiating tone. "I'll pay you whatever you need—just please don't harm me or Harvey."

Of all people in America, the jobless and homeless despised the wealthy the most. Many of them blamed the rich for their unemployment. Corporations, they reasoned, simply didn't need as many workers as they once had. And unfortunately, they were among those cut loose.

So, no matter how he looked at Wayne's face, the kidnapper found it hard to feel anything but disdain. Still, for the sake of money—and maybe even out of respect for Batman—he leaned in, mockingly patted Bruce's face, and said, "Well, let's see what you can offer. Don't worry. As long as you pay up, we'll let you both go."

Harvey breathed a sigh of relief. If they only wanted money, that was easier to handle. Far better than if they were out for blood.

Soon, they arrived at their destination, an abandoned house. With the owner away, they had occupied it and turned it into their hideout, their base of operations.

After bringing Wayne and the other man inside, the kidnappers all gathered in the house. The leader pulled a cellphone from his pocket and tossed it onto the table in front of Bruce.

"Tell your people to prepare a hundred million dollars and deliver it here."

One of the goons then obligingly untied Bruce's hands. Finally free, Bruce rubbed his wrists, which had gone a bit numb. As he did, a faint but unusual glint appeared from the diamond cufflinks on his sleeves, though no one noticed.

He obediently picked up the phone from the table and, with the kidnappers watching, dialed the number for home.