Thursday, October 31st

The city streets are crowded for the holiday, even with the rain, hidden in the chaos is the element; waiting to strike like snakes but I'm here too. Watching, two years of nights have turned me into a nocturnal animal; I must choose my targets carefully. It's a big city, I can't be everywhere but they don't know where I am.

We have a signal now, for when I'm needed but when that light hits the sky it's not just a call; it's a warning to them. Fear... is a tool, they think I'm hiding in the shadows. But I am the shadows, I wish I could say I'm making a difference, but I don't know. Murder, robberies, assault. Two years later they're all up, and now this. The city's eating itself.

Maybe it's beyond saving, but I have to try to push myself; these nights all roll together in a rush behind the mask. Sometimes in the morning, I have to force myself to remember; everything that happened.

♕

"Unbelievable breaking news this hour, everyone again four-term Gotham Mayor Don Mitchell, Jr. Was found murdered last night inside his home in the exclusive Crest Hill District."

"Exact details of the crime still have not been released, but a citywide manhunt is already underway as police and FBI search for a brazen killer, and this certainly is not the first time Gotham has been rocked by the murder of a political figure. In fact, in an eerie coincidence, it was twenty years ago this week that the celebrated billionaire philanthropist Dr.Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha were slain during Wayne's mayoral campaign; It was a shocking crime that remains unsolved to this day-"

Bruce shut the television off not wanting to hear anymore, was it eerie? That the same thing that happened to his parents happened to Don Mitchell? Maybe it was, but to him, it couldn't be connected. He had forced himself to forget everything about his parents until the news had mentioned it, thinking about it made Bruce's brain hurt so much he rubbed his temples groaning.

The door creaked open revealing Alfred Pennyworth, a father figure to Bruce, who cared for him so much; glancing at the television screen then showed a constant reminder of how Don Mitchell Jr. was murdered.

"You heard about this?" Alfred had asked, well it was more of a statement than a question; Bruce scoffed to himself. Who hasn't heard about it? Everyone was probably chatting about it now while they speak.

"Pretty sure I did." Bruce had replied sarcastically watching the tape from his high-tech eye contacts that could see anything and reply to the footage when he went inside the room where a dead Mitchell was in the armchair.

"Any of this... mean anything to you?" Gordon had grilled Batman showing the letter that was addressed to him, rotating the image and printing it out writing something.

"The killer left this for Batman?" Alfred urged, Bruce was getting sick of the obvious questions that his butler was asking and it was distracting him from trying to figure out the cipher and what it meant.

"I guess so," Bruce whispered, doing his work on the computer mentally praying to himself that Alfred would just leave and stop asking all these dumb questions.

"Have a shower," Alfred began with a sigh, "Our accountant friends from Wayne Enterprises are coming for breakfast." That made Bruce snap, his head snapped over towards Alfred and he heard a crack come from one of his bones.

"Here? Why?" He had asked, clear exasperation and some resentment heard in his vocal cords.

"Because I couldn't get you to go there." Alfred suddenly snapped back making Bruce's lips aquiver.

"I don't have time for this." Bruce voiced shaking his head cutting off the computer a literal eye-roll being heard in his voice, jaw clenched fist balled with vexation, and his eyes darting all around.

"This is becoming a serious problem, Bruce." Alfred hypothesized shaking his head with a deep huff.

"If this continues you won't have anything left." He spoke, Bruce had scoffed which was true two years ago he became Batman and that changed his life forever; he thought he had made a difference for Gotham City. But truthfully, he didn't know.

"You think I care about that?" Bruce had shot back with a kayoed look in his eyes, it was a standoffish look that sent chills down the vertebral column of many.

"You don't care about your parent's legacy?" Alfred oppugned the man not afraid of the look in his eyes, they had gone over this conversation before; about how Bruce needed to do more as his everyday persona to help Gotham City and build more superimposed on his parent's patrimony.

"What I'm doing is my parent's legacy." Bruce had riposted, the butler could practically hear the eye-roll in his voice. "If I can't change things, then I don't care what happens to me." Bruce susurrated mournfully.

"That's why I'm afraid for you-"

"Alfred, stop, I don't need your pity." Bruce adduced with a grimace, he didn't need anyone's pity; conspicuously Alfred's pity upon him since he was there when Thomas Wayne and Martha were liquidated right in front of his eyes.

"You're not my father." He muttered to himself but tumultuously loud enough for Alfred to hear him, words could not describe how the butler felt when Bruce uttered those words; it was like bodkin disintegrate right into his integument.

"I'm quite aware." Alfred dissembled a smile, Bruce had scoffed walking off into the elevator which took him out of the bat cave and into the Wayne estate; he let out a giddy sigh before he roamed over towards the desk where Bruce worked and found he solved cipher.

Shaking his head, the butler walked off not saying a word.

♕

Bruce had awakened the next day having a full shower, pulling the t-shirt on his vigorous body, and walking down the stairs of his mansion; his eye caught onto Alfred who sat eating blueberries along with trying to decode the cipher the perplexing killer had left.

"What're you doing?" Bruce questioned slipping his sunglasses onto his face, it was a hot day in Gotham; about ninety-one degrees probably. The man decided to stay for the meeting since there was no way he was going out in this humidity.

"Just reminding myself about my days in the circus." Alfred acknowledged Bruce as he ate some blueberries without Alfred seeing him.

"Whoever did this cipher is very acute." He bombinated making Bruce scoff, a serial killer smart? Well, the average serial killer's IQ is ninety-five or something lower. Bruce however had an IQ of 192.

"Where'd you get the O's?" Bruce catechized Alfred with an elevated monobrow.

"The 'he lies still' is only a partial key, it only gives us H, E, L, I S, and T." Alfred elucidated to Bruce, the man had only three hours of sleep trying to solve the cipher so all of this information was going over his head since he was exhausted.

"That's... nice." Bruce had uttered forgetting everything that Alfred had said to him, feeling someone behind them he turned around to see Dory a maid that also helped to take care of Bruce when he was younger.

"Mr.Pennyworth, the accountants are here." She verbalized, Alfred gave a microscopic head nod before getting up; he gave Bruce a look of concurrence before the two walked to meet with the accountants.

♕

Subsequently, after the meeting, Bruce and Alfred shut on the computers the cipher was placed onto the table as the two worked desperately to decode it. Alfred typed away on the keyboard while Bruce just stared at the cipher.

"What if there's no partial key?" Bruce had inquired.

"What?" Alfred had asked disorientated turning his head to look at the young man.

"What I'm trying to say is... what if it's the whole key?" Bruce had deciphered with a sigh, "Ignore the symbols we don't have letters with. Use the letters from "He lies still" leave the rest-"

"Blank, yeah I know." Alfred was still mad at Bruce about the vindication they had yesterday, it was obvious in his tone of voice.

"But that doesn't make sense, doing that means most of the cipher would be left unsolved-" Alfred glanced up at the screen and gasped, the computer had scribbled out the word DRIVE as Bruce and the butler exchanged glances.

♕

The metal doors opened as Gordon and Batman slowly trotted towards the head of cars in Mitchell's private garage full of expensive cars, about 100,000,000 dollars for one at least or 100,000 dollars.

"Where the hell do we start?" The detective questioned, Batman glanced at him drilling holes into the man before looking away.

"You positive this doesn't mean leap?" Gordon probed, Batman let out a laugh ever since the two met they were sorta friends one could say; but in reality, they only talked to each other when something went wrong or when Gordon needs something.

"After two years I thought you would trust me." Batman had joked, making Gordon laugh himself; the two had a brother dynamic and always joked with one another but now was not the time for laughs. They had a murder to investigate.

"You talking about trust? It's been two years and I don't know who you are." The detective teased, it was true for the years the two have known each other Batman has never revealed himself to anyone except Alfred; maybe he should but at the same time he never knew if Gordon would tell the whole of Gotham City.

They continued trotting past expensive lavish cars until Batman saw something sticking out in the headlight, walking towards it Gordon followed as the dark knight pulled jerked the pair of plyers that was submerged in dry blood.

He opened the car door, the two investigated the car until the dark knight came across a port in the car that slid open disclosing a USB drive. Gordon tilted his head when Batman showed him the object.

"Thumb.Drive." Batman uttered, Gordon's face puckered into a face of utter abhorrence shaking his head and seeing Mitchell's thumb there.

The two then sat around a laptop, the detective placed the USB on the left side of the microcomputer; after a few minutes, it was revealed all the information was cryptographic. Gordon let out a grumble.

"It's encrypted." Gordon shook his head but at the same time, Batman was observing the files on the computer before holding up the Thumb Drive in front of his partner.

"Try this." Batman held up the Thumb in front of Gordon, he held the bridge of his nose pausing a moment before grabbing the USB though his face was still loathing; pressing the shriveled thumb against the USB. The date was now obtainable.

"This guy is fucking hilarious." Gordon had seethed, just then a substantial amount of photos showing Mitchell with a woman; black shoulder extent hair, and a pair of black boots.

"Who is she?" Batman questioned pointing at the woman, staring at the photo indeed she was very pretty but that wasn't the point; she had a lot to do with his murder or maybe a suspect for fucks sake.

"Never seen her before," Gordon began holding the bridge of his nose before continuing with his sentence; "But that's the Penguin, Carmine Falcone's right-hand man." Batman mentally cringed jaw clenched and a consequential look in his eyes.

"I know who he is." The vigilante responded, noticing that the photos that the two not too long ago discovered were now sent to every news site that there was in Gotham City.

"Shit, shit... the stupid drive sent out all the photos," Gordon muttered indignantly rubbing his forehead now distressed.

"The riddle... what does a liar do when he's dead, he lies still... maybe Mitchell still lies about her?" Batman had expounded, it made sense to the dark knight once he thought it over, but at the same time, it didn't. Who was this woman? Did she murder him?

"Perhaps..." Gordon paused before glancing at the vigilante, "That's the Iceberg Lounge. Under the shoreline where Falcone is, can't get in without a warrant." He explained to Batman who scoffed, he was the dark knight and didn't need a damn warrant to go anywhere.

"Watch me." That was all the man said before turning his cape around and walking off towards the Iceberg Lounge.

♕

Moon had done around two late night shifts, it was tiring as her favorite song "You." Played on the speakers made everything sorta alright; sitting down for a moment closing her eyes rubbing her forehead fists clasped.

Screams echoed in her ears as Moon slammed her eyes open only to see a guy... in a bat suit? Narrowing her eyes it was clear, a guy in a bat suit out of all the animals storming through the club with one of the twins chasing after him.

This night is just getting more and more strange, Moon had thought to herself now watching the Caped Crusader take one man's head and bang it against the metal railings; that's gotta hurt the woman thought once again.

Should she tell The Penguin? Probably before he goes for her next, quickly getting up and going towards the stairs that held to the real nightclub; it was full of important people like Gil Colson the DA of Gotham City.

Her dirty Jordan sneakers hit the sophisticated floor until she finally reached The Penguin who was sipping a cup of wine in his fancy suit; his eyes caught Moon's and smiled.

"Ah Casanova, what can I do for you?" He asked, the woman didn't like the nickname since she wasn't a seductive person, unlike the Casanova who had five wives and dozens of mistresses all at one time.

"Bat freak is looking for you, I think." That's what people like whoever was behind the bat suit usually wanted, The Penguin was pretty popular but not in a good way; he chuckled hearing about the dark knight groaning while getting up.

Penguin walked off, Moon shook her head hearing the pandemonium going on downstairs; something was always going wrong in this place and the girl was thinking of quitting but money was tight right now and this was the only decent-paying job around in the area.

Letting out a sigh she trotted off.

♕

Batman fought like a nocturnal animal, fighting anywhere who dared got in his way of finding The Penguin and the woman in the photo; jumping over the railing after kicking a man in the face.

"Put that shit down before I knock your fucking head off!" Batman chuckled grabbing a bat and throwing it within pin-point precision, knocking the man out but also making the caped crusader step back from the impact.

Turning to look Batman saw the twins were back up and looking for revenge, putting his arm up and aiming the grapple gun at them firing it as the rope dangled around one of the twin's legs; pulling it and making the twin fall.

Hearing the sound of leather shoes made Batman turn around in a flash aiming his fist at whoever was behind him.

"Whoa whoa whoa, take it, easy sweetie." The Penguin cooed playfully with a grin on his face, Batman placed his arm down seeing that this was the man he was looking for.

"Lookin' for me?" Penguin questioned, Batman gave a grumble making Penguin smirk.

"I see you're everything they say, ain't 'cha?" Penguin questioned, Batman, scowled before the two walked off into the private area of the club where no one else was allowed to go to. The caped crusader tossed the pictures onto the table, the blank look in his eyes still there evidently.

"Who is she?" Batman interrogated the man, Penguin stared at the pictures for a moment until his face rekindled in disgust.

"Being completely honest, I don't know chief." The man had divulged, "We might've been coming out at the same time, but I wasn't rolling with them." Penguin's face was still in the same expression as it was before.

Before the dark knight could question him further, the sounds of heels clacking against the decorous floor; made Batman turn and his eyes caught a woman. Shoulder-length black hair, soft pink lipgloss, and finally to top it all off a white tank top.

Her eyes tore Batman's as the two held their gaze for a moment, the dark knight had looked down at the photos for a moment then at her; this was the woman he was looking for.

"It's fine sugar, Mr.Bat don't bite," Penguin smirked at the girl, she nodded setting the silver tray that she had in her hands and placing a brown envelope down too; which was just an enormous amount of money.

The woman noticed the pictures and froze for a moment, taking a glimpse at Batman who was staring down at her; she looked away handing a Hammerhead pen to Penguin before walking off to some part of the club.

♕

Moon had listened, listened to the bullshit coming out of her friend's idiotic mouth right now; her leg dangling from the high chair she was in.

"A man in a bat suit is not hot, he could be a serial killer for all you know; or worse one of those perverts for fucks sake." She tried to reason with Vanessa but the woman wasn't listening and instead went on rambling.

"I didn't say he was hot, I just said he was staring at me... come on you would find him cute look at him!" Vanessa exclaimed as Moon turned her head to look at the man, other than the ridiculous costume he had on he was... cute.

"He's a two out of ten," Moon says with an eye-roll, Vanessa did a fake pout eavesdropping on Penguin and the creepy bat dude as he repeatedly asked who the woman in the photo was.

"I want to know who she is, and what she has to do with this murder." The bat dude said, making Moon perk with interest; a murder? Whose? And what did Vanessa have to do with it? She turned to Vanessa.

"Who's murder?" Penguin questioned with the least peek of interest in his voice.

"The mayor's, mayor Mitchell." The bat dude had explained the glare still in his eyes, there was a long eerie pause in the room; making Moon shiver in fear she always hated silence it made her... scared in a sense that the reality hit that she was alone in this cruel dark world.

"The mayor's... oh shit it is look at that!" Penguin laughed, Moon watched as the bat dude grabbed his collar and pinned him against the glass window shattering it.

"Don't make me hurt you." The man spoke barking like a wild animal, Moon watched and somehow he saw her through the broken pieces of the window; letting Penguin go. It was a long creepy stare that made Moon's spine shiver in discomfort.

He looked away, and trotted off Moon finally caught her breath and breathed the deep air she so desperately wanted to breathe in.

"Let me know if there's anything else I could do!" Penguin exclaimed still chuckling to himself like the mad man he was.