Batman - Short Stories

Harvey Dent

(Yeah, I'm sort of back, ideas keep coming and we'll see how far I can put them into action)

"Harvey. Harvey listen to me, you can't-"

"Shut up, I'm not listening!"

"And that's the problem! You've gone soft, ol' boy and it's becoming a problem."

Can't he just stay silent for once? Harvey clasps his hand around the coin on his palm, hesitating to look at it, the fingers of his other hand flexing around the gun steadied at the panicking woman wailing to his feet.

"Are you saying I shouldn't kill them?", he stutters, eyeing the hostages, all whimpering and whining.

"No", he chuckles sinisterly. "No, I want you to do it properly! I want you to let go of that ludicrous idea of that rehabilitation nonsense and deliver justice like we used to!"

"Like we used to? You weren't even there then.. You know nothing about true justice!", Harvey's voice roars across the walls of the great hall, causing the hostages to flinch back.

Then he freezes, he can't help him take over, if only for the moment, in horror the once so proud Harvey Dent has to listen to Two Face's raspy laughter fill the room, all directed at him, mocking him, taunting him, belittling him.

"Shut up", the ex D.A. gasps out, covering his ears. "Shut up!"

Though his laughter no longer rings audible in the room, it echoes the louder inside his head, circling around his mind.

"I'll stop you, I'll bring us back to Arkham!"

"Well, you know what happens there! They'll make you calm and sleepy until I'm back in charge! We'll be out in no time."

"Please", one of the hostages begs, "You need help but we don't have to die for it!"

"Shut up", the dark figure snarls at her and presses the trigger, the loud bang sending shivers down everyone's spines. Most of all, it shakes Harvey to the core as he stares at the bleeding hole in the woman's head.

"No", he whispers. "She didn't have to die!"

"Then look at the coin!"

'No', Harvey thinks. 'He can't be right-' His fingers open from around the coin and give view to the scarred side.

"You see, Harvey? The coin never lies! And I'm always right. I know what's best for us and right now it is that you press the trigger on those people and get on with defeating Batman!"

"Batman was our friend! Maybe.. he can help me, too.."

"I helped you!"

Harvey's eyebrows furrow in anger. "No, you didn't! You never did, ever since that acid turned me into this, you've taken advantage of me! You ruined me!"

"Oh, Harvey.. have you really forgotten?"

That makes the man's blood freeze, what on earth is he referring to?

"You know I didn't come with the acid, I've been with you from the very beginning!"

The man of justice feels his focus shift for a moment, that can't be true.
"No, no you weren't! I remember that night!"

"The night he first beat you?"

"No! No, it was the acid!"

"Wake up, Harvey! He taught you to hate yourself, to feel like you deserved punishment because it was just!"

"Father loved me!

"Then how do you know I was talking about him?"

He drops the coin and feels his field of vision go blurry, dizziness getting a hold of him.