Batman: Hero of Gotham

17- The Data

Bruce returned to the Batcave to find more data on Falcone. "You assume the persona of a bat, but you are not an animal." Alfred said, pacing around with Batman's cowl in one of his hands. "You nearly killed a man tonight. Your parents didn't raise you this way. Neither did I."

"He's still alive, isn't he?" Bruce said.

"In the hospital." Alfred replied. "Next time it might be the morgue. Especially now, during this preposterous attack on your family, you must show the world the true nature of a Wayne."

"Giving everything to this city and then being murdered for it?"

"My thoughts exactly every time you leave this cave as Batman. You're a good man, Bruce--good just like your parents. Don't lose that. I don't mean to be a doddering old fool on the subject. But as a friend, the burden of advice falls on me."

"Sometimes this job...requires hard decisions."

"You're the right man to make them I suppose. In fact, I think you're the only one who can. You bury the person, Bruce, but you never bury the memory." Alfred said as Bruce stared at the tickets from that horrific night when his parents were murdered.

"Sometimes I wish I could." Bruce uttered. "That night...that alleyway...it made me who I am. I can't get it out of my head."

"That is your gift and your curse. Being Batman can allow you to turn back the tide of treachery that's reached this city's shores...or crown you in its sorrow." Alfred held up the tickets. "When you doubt your fate, remember why you started all this. Remember that boy in the alley."

Bruce grabbed the tickets and put them back in their case. "I won't forget."

"Neither will I." Alfred and Bruce both heard the beep when the data was decrypted. "Well, back into the fray again." Bruce walked over to his work chair and sat in it. He used the Batcomputer to access the data feed. 

"Looks like that egg finally cracked." He said as it loaded up. "More than I could have imagined." Bruce saw the bunch of information that came up on the screen. "This is a complete manifest of Falcone's criminal organization."

"What in the world was Mayor Hill doing with all this? Illegal arms dealing, drug running, mob hits, money laundering...Falcone's been involved in everything." 

"This is an insurance policy. Hill could expose Falcone if he didn't play along."

"That would explain why he's never made a move against him."

"Sure as hell better than any bodyguard." Alfred brought up the map of the entire city. "This is it, Alfred. With this proof, we can finally knock out Falcone's organization."

"Where would we possibly begin to dismantle it?"

"This is a police matter."

"There's only one cop we can trust to handle this evidence correctly."

"Lieutenant Gordon. He could mobilize the entire police force against Falcone."

"What about that reporter from the Gazette?"

"Vicki."

"Yes, Ms. Vale. She could release this evidence through proper channels. I suppose it comes down to who you want to help most. Or who you think could do more good with it."

"Vicki showed faith in me. She cares about the truth. Plus, I owe her one for dissing her. She'll get the story out the way it needs to be told." Bruce decided.

"A wise decision, sir. We'll attack Falcone on two fronts tonight. Vicki through the media and Batman...", Alfred trailed off.

"By any means necessary. Whatever Falcone is planning...it ends tonight."

"He's a spider, Bruce. Eyes everywhere, a dense web of goons poised to trap you. No one has 'ever' managed to bring him down."

"I haven't tried yet."

"Neither has Batman." Alfred pointed out.

Bruce met up with Vicki on an unpopular highway. Bruce gave her the documents to Falcone's secrets. "This...this is big." She commented. "You drop a bomb like this...there's gonna be fallout."

"That not even Falcone can survive." Bruce said.

"Why give it to me then? You could have given this to the GCPD and let them handle it. You don't know how much I appreciate this. But, you're a Wayne...you could have given this to anyone."

"I need an ally in the press."

"After handing me something like this? I'd say you've got one for life. Falcone's slippery, but this is enough to hang him out to dry. What this could do for this city...my career. I'm just wondering what the cost is gonna be."

"It'll be worth it."

"I don't know, Bruce. Falcone doesn't like bad press. If I run this story, I put a price on my head. The next time my name appears in the media...God, it might be an obituary. Falcone has a way of 'handling' reporters he doesn't like."

"I'll protect you, I promise."

"Chivalrous, but unnecessary. You're not Batman. I always think...crime in this city...it's a hydra. You cut off one criminal's head--"

"Three more appear in its place. I know."

"Unless we kill the beast once and for all. But who's even capable of that? If we don't act fast, that void will be filled by someone far worse. Wouldn't be the first time."

"Batman's a symbol of hope. That is better than any army."

"If Gotham can rally around him. Right now he's just a monster of the week. It's a good thing you gave this to me instead of the police. It could end up buried in some evidence locker and not on every screen in Gotham where it belongs."

"Public attention. That's what brings down men like Falcone. Not a bullet."

"Though after my story runs, he might get that too. I'll be seeing you, Bruce." Vicki walked to her car, got in and drove off. 

"It's done." Bruce told Alfred through his earpiece.

"Good. So is our hunt. The Drones located Falcone downtown, a place called the Skyline Club. Though, you're not dressed for that kind of party." Alfred responded.

"Well...I can always change in the car." Bruce said, hitting a button that activates his car to form into the Batmobile. He hopped in and speedily drove away, the Skyline Club in his view.