Working Among Vengeance

Chapter 21: Darkness

Bruce Wayne/Batman POV:

        As I walk through the halls of a dark, dingy hallway, the scent of fresh blood quickly fills my nostrils. I was used to this scent but every time it came around, it still reminded me of the night, I was left an orphan. Now wasn't the time for flashbacks, it was time to serve justice for whatever was at the end of the hallway.

      An officer lays his hands on my chest as I try following Gordon in the room of where the murder had taken place. I shoot the officer a look of disgust. Does he really think I was a random guy just wanting to see a dead body? I am a Vigilante, I am darkness.

     "Police personel only." The asshole of an officer chirps out as his dirty hands continue to stain my pectorals. How dare he, who does he think he is?

     "He's with me officer." Gordon say's intervening, looking at me and then back at the officer.

      "Are you kidding me sir? You're going to let him in here?" This officer was actually starting to strike up an argument with his own commissioner. His Boston accent growing stronger the more he argued with Gordon.

      "Martinez, let him through." Gordon orders in his authoritative voice. Officer Martinez immediately takes his grimy hands off of me. He moves aside letting me through, scoffing as he shoots me eyes made of malice.

Finally, I enter into the disturbing, dull abode. Martinez muttering under his breath as I pass. What now stands in front of me is something I would never wish upon my worst enemy. 

A man's dead body lying upon a chair, face trapped in layers of duct tape, and a signal hand shoved inside a brown paper bag. On the duct tape across his face the words 'No More Lies' were shown in a bold red sharpie. This wasn't any man; it was Don Mitchell the governor of Gotham.

Commissioner Gordon asks the detective, as they stand next to the body, about the details of this case. "Blunt-force trauma, lacerations on the head. He got hit alotta times, and hard."

Gordon treks behind the corpse and begins to question the detective more. "All this blood's from his head?"

The lead detective struts towards the opposite side of the corpse. With his flashlight in hand, he begins removing the paper bag off of the bodies hand while stating in the process "Most of it's from his hand -". Before cutting himself off mid-sentence revealing the missing thumb of the corpses hand.

Gordon walks back over to join in on the bloody spectacle that the detective and I have just been made accustomed too. I've seen many messed up moments but never something this bad. Someone must be sick in the head to want to do something this horrifying.

"Thumb was severed. Killer may have taken it as a trophy" the detective says breaking the uncomfortable silence.

 I cut into the conversation adding my input "He was alive when it was cut off." They look back at me worried as to why I would've thought this. "Ecchymosis around the wound". Surprised at my observation Gordon turns to ask more questions to the detective.

I begin walking around, as I listen to Gordon and the Detective converse. Apparently, the kids were out trick or treating when the victim, the mayor, was killed. I notice blood splattered across the wooden floor as a photographer comes up behind me to take a picture of it for evidence.

Walking back over to Gordon, I see him opening up a card left by the killer. The left side of the card read: Haven't a clue? Let's play a game, just me and you... . The gull of this killer to make this into a joke makes me angrier than before. At the bottom of the card, were symbols. Gordon hands me a transcript, that was not yet decoded.

"Does this mean anything to you?" Gordon asks hopeful. Sadness arises from his face as I shake my head no.

A middle-aged man walks into the room and begins to angrily talk to Gordon. "What's goin' on here?" Commissioner Savage is shocked to see me. We never really got along as he didn't see me as legit. 

Gordon stands up for me telling Savage the truth, "I asked him to come, Pete" 

Savage retorts back "This is a crime scene; it's Mitchell, for crying out loud! I got press downstairs! You know I cut you a lotta slack, Jim, 'cuz we got history, but this is way over the line!" I could sympathize with his anger, but it feels unnecessary as there was stuff to get done.

Gordon pulls the card from my hand showing it to Savage. The card was addressed to me and only me. The address of the letter read "TO THE BATMAN". As they continue to argue about my loyalty, I look around to investigate more. 

Thoughts wrack my brain as I try to decipher the cards riddle. I mutter my presumed answer under my breath loud enough for the commissioners to turn and face me.

"Excuse me?" Commissioner Savage says in a condescending tone. 

Gordon tells Savage that I was talking about the answer to the riddle. "The riddle. "What does a liar do when he's dead? He lies still." Just as he finishes speaking a young officer rushes into the room telling Savage that the press wants statements right now.

Before Savage leaves he makes it clear that he wants me to leave the crime scene asap. As me and Gordon exit the premises a small bloody shoe mark catches my eye. Gordon noticing me acknowledging this detail tells me that Govenor Mitchell's kids found him.

This got me reminiscing about the horrors I went through seeing my parents murdered. My heartfelt condolences went to the kids and his family. 

I walk through the back door, avoiding press as I hear Savage talking about the cruelty of the killer. I'm happy someone as dense as him was able to acknowledge the horrors of what took place in that home today.

Changing out of my costume and putting it back into my backpack I was ready, ready to catch this killer no matter what the cost. If I take him off the streets not only would y/n be safe but so would everyone else in Gotham. They will never have to witness the same abominations that had scorched this room.

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Helloooo... Very sorry about being gone for a year. I've been struggling with some mental issues and time is always stretched thin for me. My new year's resolution involves finishing this so yippee for you guys <3 thanks to everyone who is still here!

Word Count: 1,116