6: A Man In Grief

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(General P.O.V)

(Elsewhere)

Bruce Wayne stood at the podium in front of a sea of reporters, his face drawn with sadness and concern. He took a deep breath before he began to speak, his voice low and measured.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you today with a heavy heart. I'm sure all of you know why. But for those who are not yet aware, it is with great sadness that I must announce the passing of James Gordon, the Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department."

There was a murmur of shock and sadness from the assembled press. Having it confirmed by Bruce Wayne of all people hit different. Bruce paused for a moment to let the news sink in, his eyes scanning the crowd.

"Commissioner Gordon was a true hero of Gotham. He dedicated his life to serving and protecting the citizens of this city, and his loss is a profound one. He was a friend and ally to me and to many others, and his absence will be deeply felt."

Bruce's voice caught for a moment, and he cleared his throat before continuing.

"I want to assure the people of Gotham that we will do everything in our power to find out what happened to Commissioner Gordon, and to bring those responsible to justice. I extend my support to all our officers as well as Harvey Bullock, the acting commissioner who couldn't be with us today."

The press was silent, hanging on Bruce's every word. He knew that his words would be scrutinized and analyzed by the media, but he also knew that he had a duty to reassure the people of Gotham in their time of grief. This was what the Bruce Wayne persona was meant for. To be seen. To be in front of a camera and work in the light.

"As a community, we must come together to honor Commissioner Gordon's memory and to continue the work that he started. We must be vigilant in the face of danger and injustice, and we must work hard to make Gotham a safer place for all of its citizens."

"To that effect, Wayne enterprises is working on new tools and weapons to help our officers better protect our streets. Stronger body armor on the level of what the military has will soon be issued to the GCPD."

Loud cheers and claps rose up from the crowd.

Bruce paused again, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Commissioner Gordon was a good man, a brave man, and a true hero of Gotham. He will be sorely missed, but his legacy will live on through the actions of those he inspired. I know that I speak for many when I say that I am honored to have known him and to have worked alongside him. Rest in peace, Jim."

With those words, Bruce stepped away from the podium, his heart heavy with grief.

The moment he was in the car, the Bruce Wayne persona washed off him. He pressed a button on the edge of his seat.

"Go on, Alfred."

"Master Bruce, the...package has arrived."

Bruce narrowed his eyes.

"I'll be there in 5 minutes."

(Later)

Davian jolted awake, feeling groggy and disoriented. He tried to move his arms, but found that they were bound tightly behind his back. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. The room he was in was completely white, devoid of any decorations or furnishings. There were no windows, no doors, no apparent way out.

As he turned his head to the front, he saw the Batman standing before him. The dark knight was clad in his signature black suit, his imposing figure looming over Davian. Davian felt a wave of fear wash over him as he realized that this was no ordinary encounter.

Pulling on the zip ties holding his hands behind him proved futile. He wanted to be anywhere but there.

The last thing he remembered was crawling away from the super-powered fight happening around him. His fingers felt raw from dragging his body across the rough ground. At least until he had the energy to start stumbling away. That's all he recalled.

"What do you want from me?" Davian asked after a while, his voice trembling only slightly. This was the friggin Batman! He was talking to one of the most beloved and iconic characters in fiction.

The Batman regarded him with a cold, steely gaze. "You know why you're here."

Davian shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand. What have I done?"

He knew why he was here. And Davian would be the first to admit that while the gates of hell were terrifying, the thought of what an unhinged Batman could do sent a shiver down his spine. He was not going to admit to Killing Gordon.

The Batman stepped forward, his cape billowing behind him. "You killed Commissioner Gordon," he said, his voice low and menacing.

Davian felt his heart skip a beat in that same bone chilling fear. "What?! I would never-"

But before he could finish his sentence, Batman pressed a button on his wrist computer and the white walls of the chamber changed into a screen with a clip playing.

Davian gulped at the sudden change. He felt as if things were soon about to turn from bad to worse. What if...what if he really did it?

"Watch."

Batman commanded causing Davian to rip his eyes off the floor and to the walls.

The clip itself was grainy and shaky.

However, it showed enough. There was a figure floating above a building. No, not floating. There was purple light under each of his bare feet. He was shirtless, displaying a chest that was littered with a few notable scars.

Davian clenched his jaw. Yeah...this was not looking good.

He was dressed in torn blue jeans that reached just below his shins. In his hands he held a huge sword that was shaped like scissors only thinner, sharper and longer. The sword instantly grabbed his attention. It was...immaculate. An aura of purple energy surrounded him.

His most distinguishing feature was the white cat mask on his face, underneath which were purple eyes. The mask was smooth and bone like. Two small spikes in the shape of horns curved upwards from it and it fit his face perfectly. As of it was a part of him. Davian could not tear his eyes away.

Apart from the scissors, that was the second thing that grabbed his attention.

'There's that feeling again...that feeling of being heavy and light at the same time.'

"Everyone hang back!"

A voice shouted and the owner of the footage, who turned out to be a civilian, fled the scene along with dozens of others. Davian leaned closer.

"Wait...what's happening?"

"You."

Batman answered as the shaky footage reeled back to capture him raising the hand holding the sword to the sky. The civilian had reached the end of the street and begun filming from behind the corner of a Starbucks.

"No...no, what are you doing?"

Davian muttered. He knew what was coming.

"We have you surrounded. Come down and surrender yourself Son. This can only go one way."

The statement was delivered through the megaphone.

"Oh Fuck oh Fuck oh Fuck... nobody's gonna believe this..."

The Civilian, a young girl whispered to herself. Any other time, Davian would have been wondering why she stayed back when everyone but the police was evacuating.

For a few tense seconds all that could be heard was labored breathing and then the figure dropped the sword. Purple light bloomed across the evening sky.

A massive shockwave caused the girl recording the whole thing to stumble and fall. There were people screaming and running by from something. Then the phone was reoriented to the source of the commotion and Davian's breath hitched.

The building was split into two. One section was a burning mess, the other was rubble.

Davian watched in horror as the footage played out before him, unable to comprehend how he could have been involved in such a thing.

"12 cops were admitted to the ICU. Commissioner Gordon was in the building, trying to reason with you when you decided to destroy it."

Batman grabbed Davian's hair, pushing up his face to stare at the whites of his mask.

"No no no no...that can't be true... You're lying!"

He yelled.

"You caused the explosion that killed a friend!"

Batman shouted to his face. This close, Davian could see the stubble on Batman's chin. He wasn't impeccable or put together...this was a Batman who was stressed. This was a man in grief.

Davian begun to shake his head but the grip on his hair was too tight.

"You're hurting me."

He told the Dark Knight, holding his gaze for a few seconds before Batman abruptly let him go. Davian exhaled forcefully, his gaze turned to the floor. He was trying so hard to call upon the memories of this body's former owner but came up blank. It was just him.

"I don't know what to tell you anymore." He looked up at Batman.

"I can't remember anything."

Batman scrutinized him, his eyes narrowing. "What are your powers?"

Davian stared back, anger getting the best of him. He was hungry, cold and restrained in a metallic chair in a featureless room. That was also right after escaping from a dangerous situation. Suffice it to say, he was close to hitting his limit.

"I don't have any powers." He said curtly.

"I don't know half of what you're talking about man!"

He jerked in his seat, his face set in an angry expression.

The Batman seemed unconvinced. "You were in that prison transport that was attacked. Do you remember who did it?"

Davian shook his head. "I don't remember anything. The last thing I recall is running away from Croc and a woman who could shoot energy from her fists! That's it! Untie me!"

The Batman regarded him for a moment longer before speaking again. "Are you afraid of me?"

The change was immediate. Davian settled down in his seat. Was it a threat?

He looked up at the dark Knight and hesitated before answering. "I don't want to die, if that's what you're asking. But I'm not afraid of you. If I did kill Commissioner Gordon, I'll do what needs to be done and go to prison. But without concrete proof, you can't accuse me of a crime I don't remember committing. You can't do shit like this! It's not lawful and I thought of all people, a hero would get that."

He gestured around.

"And even if you had proof, this is hardly a court room."

Batman glared down at him, his expression inscrutable. Davian could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for the dark knight's next move. He braced himself for an attack, but instead, the Batman simply pinched his neck and Davian felt himself slipping into unconsciousness.

"Oh Fuck youu..."

As he drifted off, he wondered what would become of him. Would he ever be able to clear his name? Or was he doomed to spend the rest of his life in prison, falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit? The footage was also damning and concerning. It had taken some time to jog his memory but the cat mask, it was modelled after something very familiar. A hollow. A soul devouring creature from Bleach.

The last thing he saw before everything went black was the Batman's stoic figure looming over him, a silent sentinel in the empty white room.

(Elsewhere)

Deadshot groaned as he woke up, staring at a concrete ceiling. There was dull ache at the back of his neck.

He sighed.

"I hate this shit."

He rubbed his eyes in frustration.

"Where the fuck am I?"

A voice said from beside him. He turned his head to look and immediately an annoyed expression crossed his face.

Captain Boomerang rubbed his head as he got to his feet.

"Oi, fancy meeting you here mate."

He greeted Deadshot, spotting him lying on the floor.

Boomerang held out a hand to the greatest marksman in the world but Deadshot slapped it away and got to his feet by himself.

"Boomer."

He nodded, looking around the both of them. 5 more people and a shark were waking up from the floor as well.

"Here we go again."

Captain Boomerang said from the side.

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Cool Comic Book facts:

Booster Gold was originally introduced as a self-promoting hero from the future, but later became a more complex and sympathetic character.