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The Master

Registered: 03-2007
Location: Door County, WI
Posts: 52331
Karma: 19 (+22/-3)
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Batman: The Long Halloween Part XI Independence Day


Batman
The Long Halloween
Part 11
Independence Day

Based off the Comic Book miniseries The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale


Gotham City
July 4th

The dock was dark and deserted, this of course struck Jasper Dolan as odd, he was responding to a call for a pick up of a dead body. But there was no sign of any body or any police that would be with the body. Coming to a stop he exited the car and took a look around and seeing nothing. Turning back to the car where he was going to check in with the office to see if he had the right place he heard the sound of a faint step. Looking behind him he saw a figure dressed in a hat and trench coat which he thought was odd on the warm July 4th night. Before he could say anything the figure raised his hand which held a gun and opened fire hitting Jasper several times in the chest and gut before he fell back off the dock and into the water below. His shouts for help were covered up by the sounds of the fireworks coming from across the bay. As Jasper gasped his last breath he looked up at the dock and saw the face of Holiday.

*****
   
At Wayne Manor Bruce Wayne held Selina Kyle close to him as they watched the fireworks show from his balcony. He had invited her to the July 4th ball that was held in the ball room of Wayne Manor, an event that his father started as a way to raise money and awareness for charities. The ball had been cancelled after the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne before Bruce restarted the event a year after he arrived back to Gotham City. Now leaning on the marble railing of the Balcony he watched as the fireworks went off, for most people they could hear a musical score in which the fireworks were timed to but he had grown tired of the music due to his participation in the arranging of the event. Selina didn’t mind the lack of music however she didn’t come out here to listen to the music while watching the fireworks they would only distract her.

“Tell me Bruce,” Selina almost seemed to purr as she snuggled closer to Bruce. “Why do you stay here?”

“I made a promise to my parents when they died that I would change the city, it took me 10 years of traveling to figure out just how to do it but I can’t leave now.”

“But after all that happened,” Selina looked up at Bruce’s face. “What would it take to make you go?”

“You want the truth?” Bruce looked back into her eyes.

“No,” Selina tried to move closer. “Lie to me. I know places we can go, get away from it all things we can do together you and me.”

“I would like that,” Bruce muttered as he leaned in to kiss her. Deep in the back of his mind he wondered about what it would take to make him leave. To have him forget his mission and just run away with Selina. But as if someone was reading his mind the Bat symbol appeared over the skies of Gotham City.


*****
 
Harvey Dent stood alone on the roof top watching the symbol shine in the night sky. He knew from experience that it could be a while before the Bat appeared but he didn’t care, he wanted to talk to him he would wait all night if he had to. When the symbol disappeared from they sky he spun around to find Batman standing in the shadows behind the large lamp. He looked imposing standing in the dark; it was no wonder most sane people feared him.

“I need to talk to you,” Harvey flipped the coin his father had given him into the air catching it in the open hand but not checking the face.

“Then talk,” Batman’s voice was dark and low sending a shiver down his spine. He stood with his arms folded in front of him. The only movement was the flapping of his cape in the wind.

“Look remember that promise we made, about getting Falcone,” Harvey flipped the coin again.

“I remember, do you,” Batman’s voice remained cold, almost colder then it used to be. Part of him couldn’t help but wonder if he had done something to anger the dark knight.

“Look I made a mistake going after Bruce Wayne; I never should have done it.” Harvey bowed his head.

“Why tell me?” Batman remained still.

“I wanted you to know that when I make a mistake I don’t make it twice,” Harvey lifted his head to look at the dark shape that was Batman. “When Maroni gets on that stand and testifies against the Roman it will be over. I think then I will take a break, maybe take Gilda out of town for a little while, and start that family we’ve wanted to have.”

“And Holiday?” Batman asked quietly.

“He or she has struck again,” Jim Gordon’s voice called out from the door leading to the roof. “It was the city coroner this time.”

“Jim?” Harvey looked over at Gordon

“Where?” Batman moved for the first time since coming to the roof.

“The Docks,” Jim said. Before Harvey could even turn back to where Batman had been he was gone the only sound the compressed air of his grappling gun.

---

4/14/2008, 3:00 am Link to this post Send Email to Rogue9a   Send PM to Rogue9a Blog
 
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The Master

Registered: 03-2007
Location: Door County, WI
Posts: 52331
Karma: 19 (+22/-3)
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Re: Batman: The Long Halloween Part XI Independence Day


 Vernon Field approached the holding cell quietly, while he didn’t care if the man inside knew he was there it would be bad for anyone to see him around there with the person he had brought in to see the prisoner. The cell block was deserted a result of him switching some things around in the name of Harvey Dent. When the calls came in no one questioned them and obeyed with out pause. All he had to do was show up at the back of the jail at the arranged time and open the door to allow the visitor into the jail. If Vernon was anything he was loyal, The Roman had been good to him so it was the least he could do. He already planted the evidence to frame Bruce Wayne and he informed The Roman of Sal Maroni’s plan to testify against him. Coming to a stop in front of the cell he paused to take one more look around.

“Mr. Maroni,” Vernon whispered just loud enough for Sal to hear him. “You have a visitor.”

“I don’t want to see anyone Vernon,” Maroni remained where he was looking out the small window where he could see some of the fireworks.

“Hello Sal,” a low female voice called out as Sofia Falcone Gigante stepped out of the shadows.

Peering over shoulder he saw that he was right about his visitor, with all shorts of reasons flashing through him head he pulled the cigarette he had been smoking and threw it to the ground. “Vernon go and get a shoe shine or iron your tie.”

“Sure thing Mr. Maroni,” Vernon turned and left the cell block, he didn’t have to be asked twice to leave. No need to enrage either Maroni or Sofia.

“Your does your father know that you’re here,” Sal turned and faced Sofia.

“I went to Prison for you Sal,” Sofia placed her hands on the bars. “I never even muttered your name when they came for me. All the time they pushed for names and information I kept quite and lost 10 years of my life, all for you.”

“That’s you Sofia,” Sal placed his hands over hers. “I got to do what’s right for me.”

“I thought about you every night Sal, I missed you,” Sofia leaned in closer, pressing her face into the bars. Grabbing his arm with one hand she pulled him closer so that her face was almost pressed against his. “Pop knows its all Dent’s fault you are in this mess. With out Dent everyone lays off. You’ll do the right thing Sal, I know you will I trust you lover.”

*****
  
   Sarah Essen didn’t mind staying with Gilda; it was a time for some girl talk among other things ever since the attack on the Dent’s home Gordon assigned a cop to watch the house and when Gilda was alone a female cop would be with her in the house. She always liked Mrs. Dent, she found her to be a smart woman who could match wits with most men even her husband. But she felt at a loss to deal with her husbands moods these days. The Stress of everything was getting to him but the light was at the end of the tunnel, Harvey had told her that Falcone would go down soon when he did all of this would be over once and for all.

“Why did you come back Sarah?” Gilda looked down at her coffee mug seemingly contemplating some deep thought. “With all the Falcone crime family running things, living here does bad things to a person Sarah.”

“What do you mean,” Sarah set the coffee mug down after taking a drink.

“Look at the Batman, in another city he would never have been born, he’d be just a normal person with a normal job,” Gilda sighed gently. “Instead something bad happened and Batman was born.”

“As long as there are men like Falcone or the Joker, all we can do is dig in and hope we can win the small battles,” Sarah eyed Gilda as she held the mug between her two hands.

“Digging into hell,” Gilda muttered quietly. “It would be better if they were all dead.”

“What was that?” Sarah couldn’t be sure if she heard her right. It didn’t make much sense, she was in the Hospital during Thanksgiving, while she wasn’t in Gotham City then it was a reason she was here tonight. But that would mean she couldn’t be Holiday. But comments like that did seem to fit with the Holiday MO of killing Falcone and Maroni men, but not all the victims were members of the crime family Gilda couldn’t be that cold blooded.

“Nothing,” Gilda took a sip from her mug. “When Harvey first started out he was called the Golden Boy. There wasn’t a case to big he couldn’t win; even when he lost he came out looking great. He was so handsome he could do no wrong. The ladies loved him, there were fan clubs all over the place some were made up of woman others made up of law students. But with every day this Roman case goes by it changes him, its eating him from the inside out. Do you think it will really end, will I get the man I fell in love with back?”

“We can hope so,” Sarah continued to look at this woman across from her. She did seem to fit the profile but then so did Harvey. That was the problem with this case it could be anyone no one knew if it was female or male, old or young, tall or short. The only person who saw Holiday vanished from the face of the earth.

---

4/14/2008, 3:02 am Link to this post Send Email to Rogue9a   Send PM to Rogue9a Blog
 
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The Master

Registered: 03-2007
Location: Door County, WI
Posts: 52331
Karma: 19 (+22/-3)
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Re: Batman: The Long Halloween Part XI Independence Day


 Batman stood at the edge of the docks looking down at the water as the Medical examiners wheeled the late Jasper Dolan towards the black van. Doctor Sarah Brown looked disturbed but not all that upset, Batman knew why Jasper wasn’t a well liked man he was a hold over from the days when the Falcone’s and Maroni’s were waging war in the streets. He had been in both pockets doing the dirty work of covering up bodies and such. When the new order came in he should have been fired but with out proof no one could do anything. It was believed he still did jobs for the Falcone family; he had been the one to fish Alberto’s body from the bay not far from this very spot. Batman looked over towards the beach where the body was seen as Gordon talked.
 
“The killer stood right here,” Gordon looked down at the evidence that the killer always leaves behind, the gun and something related to the holiday, this time a small Statue of Liberty that like all the rest could be found in any store in Gotham City.

“He or She fired two shots at close range,” Batman added. “Whoever Holiday is they always get up close, suggesting that the killer knows the victims.”

“I don’t know, you’ve been known to get up close with out so much as a sound,” Gordon watched as the van drove off. Never noticing Batman glancing up at the docking crane over head, Batman had the feeling that they were being watched but wasn’t able to see anyone. He had the same feeling on the rooftop of Police Central but wasn’t able to check it out due to Gordon arriving on scene. “Why the Coroner Batman, all the other deaths were related to the Falcone family, even the gunsmith, he made guns for the family.”

“Can any one account for Harvey Dent during the killings?” Batman placed the gun in an evidence bag.

“Harvey? You don’t think he had anything to do with these,” Gordon was shocked at Batman’s question but it was a good one, as far as he knew no one could account for where he was. His thoughts drifted back to New Years Eve when Harvey came in his hair wet. He said it was from the snow, but Alberto was killed that night, witnesses say about a half hour or so before Harvey came home. Before saying anything to Batman his thoughts were sidetracked by the sudden explosions of fireworks. “That’s funny; didn’t the city already do fireworks? Probably just some kids right, Batman.”

Turning Gordon found himself alone on the docks with Batman no where to be seen. Shoving his hands into his pockets Gordon muttered about Batman’s lack of manors as he strolled back to his car. He had a report to write, the sooner he got to it the sooner he could get home. With Barbra spending the holiday with her Grandparents he wasn’t in to much of a hurry to head home.

*****

Across the city at the Gotham City Bank two guards watched the fireworks, it never dawned on them that something was wrong. But soon the smoky haze from the fireworks filled the streets and the guards found themselves cowering in the corner as Scarecrow’s fear toxin overwhelmed them. What they saw as a fearsome monster was really Scarecrow leading the Mad Hatter towards the part of the Bank where the safe sat. Rather then having to deal with going in threw the front door they would simply blow the back of the safe open and get what they came for that way. Behind them an empty delivery van arrived driven by men hired by the Roman, the men had no ties to the family and didn’t know who really hired them so if they were caught no one could lead the cops to him. He didn’t need a robbery charge added to his growing list of charges that Dent was putting forward. Once the wall was blown away Scarecrow and The Mad Hatter proceeded to take the cash from the vault. As the money was loaded into the van a loud thud echoed from the roof of the van as Batman’s shadow spread across the street below.

“The Money is staying here,” Batman’s voice was dark and foreboding. He thought it a little odd that these two would rob a bank, it was far outside their normal MO up until then he had thought they were working together, acting on their own. But with the attack on the bank he knew The Roman was helping them. With the Bank robbed the board would have to accept the Roman’s Money. “You two will be going back to Arkham.”

Leaping at Scarecrow he took out the anger he felt from having his mind violated when he inhaled some of Crane’s fear toxin. While he didn’t suffer too much of a break down his thoughts were clouded and he was unable to think straight allowing Dent to have him arrested on Mother’s Day. Driving his fist into Crane’s ribs feeling them break from the blow, trying not to enjoy it to much Batman followed the punch by droving an elbow into the back of his head knocking him out and sending him into the pavement with a groan. Before he could turn to take care of The Mad Hatter he heard the double click of a double barreled shotgun, not the best weapon to use on him but at this range he couldn’t be sure his armor could withstand the blow.

“And thick and fast they came at last and more and more and more,” The Mad Hatter pointed the shotgun at Batman’s head. He had a split second to make a choice before the gun fired. “All hopping through the Frothy waves and scrambling to the shore.”

When the gun fired Batman jumped into the air the pellets cutting through his cape. Landing on his feet in a crouch Batman slowly stood to his feet ready to strike, but before he could deal with the Mad Hatter the two thugs in the van took the moment to strike. Not the best fighters Batman used their size and strength to his advantage taking them out with ease. Turning back to the Mad Hatter he took a step forward just as a purple form pouched onto The Hatter from behind.

“Oh my paws and whiskers,” Catwoman placed a drop kick right to the back the Mad Hatter’s head knocking him to the ground him a heap. Crouched over him she could almost see the shock on Batman’s face. “Sorry that’s the only line I know from Alice in Wonderland.

“You’ve been following me,” Batman knew at once who was watching him at Police Central and the Docks. He had an idea but as soon as she showed up the idea became a fact. “Why?”

“I like fireworks, I also like the Cheshire cat,” Catwoman sat crouched at the edge of the van. “And I really like this money that just happens to be lying around. I know places, things only I could show you.”

“Falcone was behind this entire scheme do you want to help?” Batman was rarely at a loss but when ever Catwoman was around he was at a loss. She was a cat burglar who helped the homeless and poor. How can someone be both good and bad at the same time?

“That’s not what I meant,” Catwoman held out her hand and waited for Batman to respond. When he didn’t Catwoman showed no disappointment as she backed away. “Your loss Bats.”

Turning back to the scene at hand he found both Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter laying where they fell. Securing them for the police he stepped out of sight and waited for the police to arrive. When they did he disappeared into the Gotham Night. The Holiday Murders still had to be solved and the countdown was on before the next Holiday.

The End…

Next Time…
-More clues are discovered for Holidays identification
-Batman finds the only Witness to see Holiday
-Carla Viti confronts The Roman
-Sal Maroni goes to trial
-The Roman celebrates his birthday
-Tragedy strikes the Court Room
-Holiday strikes again

---

4/14/2008, 3:02 am Link to this post Send Email to Rogue9a   Send PM to Rogue9a Blog
 


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