CHAPTER 8: "A Bullet Now Or A Bullet Later?"

Despite being past midnight, Gotham's East Bay docks were bustling with police cars, helicopters, ambulances, and dock crews.

Even a few of GCPD's watercraft dotted the bay with all the activity focused on a small section of East Bay, at an abandoned refueling station.

Or at least what was left of one.

The structure that consisted of a covered floating dock and a second story built onto the main dock had seen better days. The main floor had been broken away from the base and sunk partly before floating out into the river. The stairs leading up to the second story were smashed to pieces leaving a massive hole that led to the water below. The support structures had snapped from the added strain of the water and broken frame causing most of the structure on the main dock to collapse.

Dock crews were scrambling to contain the damage from spreading to the rest of the East Bay docks. Police were meanwhile busy maintaining the perimeter, keeping onlookers and journalists away from the scene.

EMTs were working like clockwork to load the missing Blackwater gangsters into the ambulances taking care of the men who had been beaten and or tortured by their rivals. Two of them had been found dragged out onto the main dock with a few storage shacks containing the other missing 37 Blackwater gangsters who had been taken in the last month.

All of the late-night activity though did little to distract from a conversation being held on top of a rooftop that was used earlier to spy on the Penguin Mob.

"You disobeyed my orders," a tall figure, shrouded by the night said while looking down at his shorter and younger apprentice.

"There was screaming and calls for help, there was no time to wait!" Robin heatedly retorted.

"You put yourself at risk as well as everyone life's at risk with your actions."

"I took out the Penguin's men and manage to rescue all of the missing Blackwater gangsters, everything went fine!" Robin said, getting louder in his anger.

Gotham's Dark Knight, the world's greatest detective, the Vengeance and the Night... The Batman was starting to lose his usual calm with his sidekick.

Taking a moment to look over his ward, Batman knew that they had been heading towards another confrontation of this sort. This was not the first time this past few months that Dick had bucked against following his lead.

"Everything," Batman emphasized, "Everything did not go 'fine', we have a destroyed dock, multiple victims in critical conditioned, destroyed evidence, and the best lead on the Hound has vanished."

Robin fidgeted in place, everything was by the book and Batman was just nitpicking. He did feel uncomfortable though with the last point. He did mess up badly with the last Penguin goon in the station. He should not have been so cocky, he should have followed through with his attack, he should of...

His thoughts were interrupted by a new voice entering the conversation, "...it actually has worked out better than we could have hoped."

Looking behind him, Commissioner James Gordon made his way to the rooftop they were standing on.

"Gordon," Batman acknowledge with a slight nod.

"Batman," Gordon responded, taking out a cigarette and putting it to his mouth. Only to sigh and toss it over the edge of the roof, looking mournfully as it fell.

"Barbara still having you quit?" Batman asked.

Gordon gave a stiff nod, "Says they are going to kill me, though I am still banking on a knife from some mobster or nut from Arkham."

Taking a deep breath Gordon took a few steps towards the view of the refueling station. The police light from cars and searchlights from the helicopters illuminate his face dimly.

"We got all of the missing Blackwater crew on their way to hospitals as we speak. Some of them were beaten pretty badly. Tommy Hil, the lieutenant, EMTs are saying is in critical condition, a concussion, multiple lacerations, and what looks like a clean-through knife wound into his thigh," Gordon said.

Taking a step back to look at Batman and Robin he continued, "Over a dozen of Penguin's men were taken, but that was not the real prize," he paused for a moment, a grin on his face.

Gordon continued, "The real prize is arresting Eddie Blade, with his rap sheet, we can put him away for life. Or he flips and gives up the Penguin."

Taking down the Penguin would take much more than just Eddie Blade, sure Eddie would be able to incriminate Cobblepot in multiple homicides and human torture. But with the amount of money he could throw around, hiring the best lawyers and the best witnesses it was unlikely to bring a conviction down on him. But it would make bringing convictions on the other members of his Mob a reality. This could effectively cripple the crime lord if handled properly.

"Eddie Blade is one of the arrested?" Batman looked thoughtfully, "It is most likely then he knows information on the Hound as well."

"Perhaps," Gordon agreed. "But we need to focus first on Penguin's lieutenants, we can deal with his extra muscle later."

"No!" Robin at this moment jumped into the conversation. Both Batman and Gordon looked at him questioning.

"The muscle Penguin has I can confirm is a meta. I threw a birdarang at him and he stopped it in midair." He stopped, looked over at the destroyed refueling station, and pointed, "The two craters there, those were caused by him. It was like he shot out some condensed force that rippled through the air smashing through them. I had never seen something like that before."

Batman said analytically, "Sounds like we can confirm his abilities are a form of telekinesis with potent concussive blasts... a dangerous combo... but one more designed for range combat." He paused considering a thought.

Meanwhile, Gordon replied to Robin's comment, "So he has a meta... that complicates things. But changes little." He held up his hand to stop Robin from arguing, "I know that makes him a dangerous individual, Penguin having him on the payroll is something we cannot allow. But the opportunity we have been presented means we have to prioritize."

Gordon looked over to Batman who was still thinking, "I cannot speak for the two of you, but at this point, the Hound has done more good than harm by taking out the Blackwater gang. He also has avoided killing which is more I can say for the rest of Gotham's rogues gallery."

At this point, Batman spoke up, "For now Gordon is right, we don't have time to pursue him, the Hound can wait."

He then walked over to the ledge of the building and took out his grabbling hook, "For now we need to focus on the opportunity presented to us with the Penguin Mob."

He motioned to Robin to follow him. At first, Robin stood stubbornly in place with a defiant expression, until a narrowing of Batman's eyes convinced him now was not the time.

He walked over to the ledge and took out his grabbling hook as well.

Gordon seeing the tension between the two decided now was maybe the best time to go inspect how things were going down on the dock, and made his way down the stairs he had come.

Robin watched him leave when Batman spoke, "You best return to base and rest, then you need to start your search as soon as possible before the trail goes cold."

Robin quickly swung his head to look at him, "What?"

Batman gave him a knowing stare, "You heard me, I know you well enough that you will not drop this. I have better things to do than waste my time stopping you hunt the Hound."

At this point Batman seemed to grow and loomed over Robin, his form casting a shadow on the younger man, "But you will not confront him on your own, when you find him you will contact me. This... is not... negotiable."

Robin found himself staring into Batman's eyes. He saw briefly a glimpse of the famous Bat stare, the one reserved for the worst of Gotham. One of absolute determination, coldness and resolve that could not be broken.

Robin gave a jerky nod in agreement.

Batman stared for a few moments longer before letting go of his shoulder and looking out into the city. Pondering on the figure known only as the Hound.

'Strange... and uncanny... he sounds similar to him... but that is impossible' Batman thought as he shot his grabbling hook and swung into the night. Robin followed him, not knowing his mentor's thoughts as they returned home.

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*Meanwhile, at old Sionis Cosmetic factories in the Narrows.

"ARE YOU F&^KING KIDDING ME!"

CRASH!

A chair smashed into a wall, a Blackwater gangster ducking in time to avoid it hitting him stuttered, "Sorry Chief, we just heard the news, most of the guys won't be in fighting condition. And the few that are have already said they quit. We are on our own"

The Chief as he was known was pacing back and forth on the old factory floor. Average height, a little on the heavy side, and slicked black hair, his physical appearance was not what one would guess for the leader of the Blackwater street gang.

His clothes also left that impression, a disheveled grey pinstriped suit that looked slept in, with gold cufflinks and black leather shoes.

No, the Chief of Blackwater looked like something straight from a Martin Scorsese film. Italian mafia and proud of it.

"Some bad news Tony?"

Sitting in the back was another man in a suit. Save for the suit being white, it was fairly similar to the Blackwater Chief. The similarities ended with the man wearing a pitch-black helmet that covered his whole head, it was molded and shaped like a skull.

The red eyes of Black Mask stared the Blackwater Chief down, both in curiosity and with a hint of madness.

The Chief snarling replied, "What do you think!?! The last of my warehouses are lost, most of my men are either in the hospital or fled, and now they know where I am!"

Black Mask snorted, "All is fair in war my dear Tony. I will admit Blackwater's performance in this conflict has left much to be desired." He then pointedly said, "Blackwater was well on its way to becoming one of the big-time street games till you showed up and shot their old Chief, now look at them. Barely making ends meet and paying me for room and board."

The Chief grimaced, it was true, the tax between Blackwater and Penguin had been very lucrative for the street gang. But it also had made them soft, allowing an Italian crook like himself to walk in with the support of his sponsor and shoot the old Chief. The rest of the gang fell in line with no problem, taking him one step further to completing his part in the 'Plan'.

"I just needed a few more months, I had allies preparing to flank that f&^king bird!" The Chief mournfully said.

Black Mask shrugged, "A shame to be certain, but you were the one who decided to wage a hopeless war against Penguin."

"Oh and like you wouldn't of? You who had the Hound messing with your drug operations?!?" the Chief retorted.

At the mention of the Hound, Black Mask got very still. He stood up and walked to stand right next to the chief nearly touching him.

"I would be careful about mentioning that name to me Tony..." Black Mask said quietly.

A few months ago Black Mask had been ready to score a massive drug sale. 90 kilos of pure product were ready to be distributed. It would have covered his expenses for years, instead, it became one of his biggest financial busts.

How Penguin had learned of the sale he would never know, but he had sent his Hound to hunt it down. The Hound succeeded and did more. After finding the warehouse he put his crew into the hospital and set fire to the safe house. 90 kilos of product, an entire crew, and all the miscellaneous supplies were lost in a single night. A literal fortune perished, and all thanks to one man.

One man who no one knew anything about. None of the crew could identify him and Penguin was keeping his identity locked tighter than Mount Justice.

Black Mask had not been very pleased or patient with his crew when they came back with no information on the Hound...

The Chief realizing his mistake nervously said, "Sorry, I misspoke."

Black Mask merely laughed at that, "Ah yes, everyone seems to misspeak around me." He took out a pistol, opened the chamber, and being satisfied he had a bullet there re-cocked.

"Everyone is always quick to apologize when they realize who I am, it's really nice..." He walked up to the Blackwater gangster who had brought the news.

"But it does make me wonder, are they apologizing due to my reputation or because they care that they hurt my feelings?" He said, standing now right next to the anxious man.

Looking back at the Chief he held his arms out like he was offering a hug, "I just worry so badly that people don't love me for me."

Then without looking he raised his pistol at the gangster and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The gangster collapsed to the ground, the bullet going straight through his head, killing him instantly. Black Mask did not stop there, standing over the body he pointed his pistol at the head and fired.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

He kept pulling the trigger, even after his pistol ran out of ammo. The distinct clicking sound of an empty magazine continued to echo through the factory as he kept pulling the trigger.

Stopping he admired the mess he had made. There was almost nothing left of the head of the Blackwater gangster. The blood and other matter had splattered all over the floor, walls, and his suit.

Putting his gun back into his suit jacket, he readjusted it, giving a quick look over at the blood splattered on it. Before shrugging and walking back to the Chief.

Standing again right next to him, he patted the Chief on the shoulder, "Tony don't worry about it..." Then leaning forward he whispered, "But don't ever f&^king do it again."

'This really was a bad idea... Not much choice in the matter now though,' the Chief thought, 'A bullet now or a bullet later, at least one keeps me alive longer to get out of this mess.'