(General P.O.V)
"The last time we spoke Miss Cobert, you complimented my tie before proceeding to critique my mannerisms as slanderous."
The smooth almost oily voice belonged to G.Gordon Godfrey.
He was dressed in a navy blue suit, his hair slicked back with a slightly mocking smile on his face.
His guest, a beautiful green eyed woman leaned back with a soft smile.
"Oh my, G.Gordon. Are you still mad about that? Don't tell me my opinion matters that much to the G.B.S top show host."
The lighting of the room was soft and warm, designed to bring comfort and serenity to the occupants.
The fact was compounded by the presence of 2 comfy seats with a coffee table in between.
The host and the guest sat on both seats, facing each other for what was supposed to be an amiable conversation but was actually a volatile and charged war of words.
"It does when it's coming from someone like you. You are the public affairs officer of the strongest army in the world, the Justice League!"
He exclaimed dramatically.
Catherine Cobert frowned in distaste.
"I would watch my words G.Gordon, you're only proving my previous point, your show is slanderous."
She told him, putting emphasis on the tail end of her statement.
"Free speech my dear."
Gordon was quick to reply.
"A right you use only when it's convenient for you, like spreading propaganda and undermining the Justice League's humanitarian efforts."
Catherine shot back.
Gordon slapped the armrest of his seat.
"Exactly!"
He said with a smirk.
"And I will use this right, to say what has been going through the minds of every single American citizen, the Justice League needs to be held accountable!"
The screens on the backdrop turned on to show numerous disaster shots and aftermaths from places all across the world.
"When is this going to stop!?"
G.Gordon shouted pointing his hand at the screen.
"Are you suggesting that the Justice League has something to do with this?"
Catherine asked the shrewd Host.
"Inaction is the same as admitting it. We all know what happened to Gotham 2 weeks ago."
He said, the image of a destroyed Gotham with plumes of smoke rising up taking over.
And then Gordon snapped a finger and the city was back in one piece. Better even, at least in some impoverished areas.
"Gotham was destroyed and then somehow brought back. Millions of lives resurrected after many claimed to experience death."
He paused for a dramatic effect, facing the camera directly.
"Now as a religious man myself, such a miracle can only be performed by God or... the Devil. Maybe the League had God's providence. Maybe even a tool of sacred power."
His face changed as a sharp gaze fell upon Catherine Cobert, whose face remained tranquil.
"Or maybe they struck a deal with the other side. And that is the reason why Gotham was brought back."
He fixed his tie.
"Like I said... slanderous and mis-informed."
The Public affairs officer replied calmly, with a shake of her head.
G.Gordon's smile tightened.
"No comment then?"
He asked.
"About that? No. What I can tell you..."
She begun only to be interrupted.
"Is not any different from the official reports released to the public. The Justice League claim no responsibility for anything that happened. We've had it before during the Apellaxian invasion."
G.Gordon rolled his eyes.
"You know what I think? I think at the end of the day, the League are cowards. You brought back millions but couldn't finish the job. 10000 people remain dead."
He added snidely.
"Cowards?"
Catherine enquired.
"Would you like to call them that in the presence of the millions that they have saved?"
G.Gordon narrowed his eyes. She'd got him there.
"A mistake on my part, I concede."
The blonde haired host said.
"However, the facts speak for themselves. The average American doesn't care about a lot."
"He just wants that pesky hurricane to stop destroying everything he owns. And if it was somehow destroyed, then he wouldn't mind getting it back."
G. Gordon concluded.
"The League is not responsible for bringing back Gotham. That is all I can comment on that. Secondly, the Justice League and it's Associates are in no shape or form responsible for the recent global shifts in weather and disaster events."
Catherine took over.
"We offer support and assistance to all, irrespective of age, gender, race and religion."
She declared amiably.
G.Gordon rolled his eyes.
"Yadda yadda yadda, miss Cobert please remember to whom you're addressing. No need for that over-practiced public relations spiel."
He pointed his hand at the Backdrop, which displayed an image of Oswald Cobblepot better known as Penguin, then the reel jumped to another image, this one showing two different pictures.
"Penguin, Victor Zsasz and Carmine Falcone, all criminals, all dead. And at the center of all of this...him."
G.Gordon narrowed his eyes at what came on next.
The screen changed to display a grainy image showing a silver haired man dressed in a long black trenchcoat with a red mask on his face.
The Scarlet Devil.
Too late Catherine realized G.Gordon had led her into a trap.
"The Justice League claims to not be responsible for bringing back Gotham. And with their stance on never taking a life, are we to presume that the one responsible for saving the most crime ridden city in America is him?"
The host continued.
"Not to mention the effectiveness of his actions when dealing with 3 of Batman's most notorious criminals?"
G.Gordon smile was wide and malicious.
"No comment."
Catherine Cobert replied.
(General P.O.V)
There was a crash of falling glass followed by loud cursing.
Two men were robbing a jewelry store.
The noise had come from an overzealous swing of a metal bat.
"Load everything up! We need to go before the Batfreak shows up."
One of the men told the other as he swept his gaze across the street.
"You worry too much!" The first man chuckled.
"The Bat is busy dealing with all those insane Arkham Inmates who escaped after the Scarlet Devil incident."
That was what everyone had taken to calling it. One of the thieves had a cousin who had died in the initial explosion.
They had described the other side as nothing but a void of non-presence. Gotham had grown more dangerous. This job was their way out of the city.
The look out spotted a couple of drunks coming from the end of the street.
"Heads-up we got some company."
He told his partner who stiffened and looked back.
"Oh just a couple of drunks."
His partner dismissed, turning his attention to the rings under a glass case.
He used the bat to smash the glass, the sound loud in the almost abandoned street.
The drunks shuffled away upon the noise, not wanting to be involved. The man on the lookout stopped reaching for the beretta in his pocket.
"Yeah you better run."
He muttered under his breath.
"They didn't run because of you."
A voice blared out from a speaker as something heavy landed on the sidewalk next to the store, cracking the concrete slabs.
With the flickering light of the streetlight above them, all they could see was a tall figure of grey.
A bat logo was on his chest and the signature long ears of the Batman shot up from the top of his head.
"Jesus Christ!"
The thief shoveling jewelry into the bag stumbled back in fear.
"It's Batman!"
The other one removed the gun and pointed it.
"So much for dealing with the Arkham Inmates!"
Then he pulled the trigger. The gun fired off but the bullet bounced off the chassis of the armor.
"Wait... you're not..."
The thief emptied the entire clip before swallowing in realization. The Batman wore armor but not a suit of metal armor. And...where was his cape?
"Raymond Phillips."
The Not Batman spoke up, calling the thief by his name as the logo on the Armor's chest glowed blue.
"He knows who you are! Fuck this! I'm outta here!"
His partner started running away with the bag of jewelry slung over his shoulder.
The tall armored individual standing close to 7 feet, took a step forward, focusing entirely on Raymond.
"Fuck! He's the one running away with the stolen goods! Go after him you freak!"
Raymond's voice quivered as he looked around in fear.
The gun was useless and there wasn't a weapon in sight.
"You were responsible for the death of one Ashleigh Gardner, an 8 year old girl."
The armored Batman stated.
Raymond's face underneath the mask blanched.
"How...how did..."
"You have an ouroborus tattoo circling your wrist. The mother identified your general body build. How do you plead?"
The Batman Armor enquired.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I was fucked up on Fentanyl and..."
As the thief started to plead for forgiveness, a room full of operatives were closely monitoring the incident.
"All systems at 100% functionality. The bullets failed to breach the outer panels."
An agent called out.
"The physical build scan matches the police report. It's him Ma'am."
Sasha Bordeaux informed her new boss.
Both of them stood on the deck staring at a screen that showed what the camera in the Batman Armor was picking up.
"Do it. One last pedophilic scum off the streets."
Another voice, this time male, gave the go ahead.
Back with the pleading thief, the hand sections of the Batman Armor unfolded, revealing the barrel of a gun.
"No, no...please no!"
There was a shot and the man lost his head, his brain was scattered across the pavement and blood seeped through the cracks on the floor.
"Order him to follow the other."
Amanda Waller said, her expression remaining impassive despite the gruesomeness of what was on the screen.
"Do it."
The same male voice commanded the operatives.
She turned to the source of the voice.
"I have to commend you, general Kane. The Batmen project seems to be a resounding success."
The man she addressed was wearing a navy blue uniform with numerous medals displayed on his chest.
"I'm glad that you see their value."
The general replied.
"With the number of Batmen we seek to deploy, city warfare will be heavily shifted to our side."
He smiled proudly.
"No battles we can't win when using the blueprint of the man who's always prepared for anything."
General Kane turned to the screen.
"This is how you save the world. Not through vigilantes who can't be controlled but by Batmen who can."
Amanda smiled. It wasn't a good smile.
"And I have the perfect first mission for them."
(Davian's P.O.V)
2 weeks would allow me to fully internalize the fact that Raven had been the best companion I would ever hope for.
Along with giving me a new hatred for the sea.
And what an eventful 2 weeks it would be!
(General P.O.V)
"The last time we spoke Miss Cobert, you complimented my tie before proceeding to critique my mannerisms as slanderous."
The smooth almost oily voice belonged to G.Gordon Godfrey.
He was dressed in a navy blue suit, his hair slicked back with a slightly mocking smile on his face.
His guest, a beautiful green eyed woman leaned back with a soft smile.
"Oh my, G.Gordon. Are you still mad about that? Don't tell me my opinion matters that much to the G.B.S top show host."
The lighting of the room was soft and warm, designed to bring comfort and serenity to the occupants.
The fact was compounded by the presence of 2 comfy seats with a coffee table in between.
The host and the guest sat on both seats, facing each other for what was supposed to be an amiable conversation but was actually a volatile and charged war of words.
"It does when it's coming from someone like you. You are the public affairs officer of the strongest army in the world, the Justice League!"
He exclaimed dramatically.
Catherine Cobert frowned in distaste.
"I would watch my words G.Gordon, you're only proving my previous point, your show is slanderous."
She told him, putting emphasis on the tail end of her statement.
"Free speech my dear."
Gordon was quick to reply.
"A right you use only when it's convenient for you, like spreading propaganda and undermining the Justice League's humanitarian efforts."
Catherine shot back.
Gordon slapped the armrest of his seat.
"Exactly!"
He said with a smirk.
"And I will use this right, to say what has been going through the minds of every single American citizen, the Justice League needs to be held accountable!"
The screens on the backdrop turned on to show numerous disaster shots and aftermaths from places all across the world.
"When is this going to stop!?"
G.Gordon shouted pointing his hand at the screen.
"Are you suggesting that the Justice League has something to do with this?"
Catherine asked the shrewd Host.
"Inaction is the same as admitting it. We all know what happened to Gotham 2 weeks ago."
He said, the image of a destroyed Gotham with plumes of smoke rising up taking over.
And then Gordon snapped a finger and the city was back in one piece. Better even, at least in some impoverished areas.
"Gotham was destroyed and then somehow brought back. Millions of lives resurrected after many claimed to experience death."
He paused for a dramatic effect, facing the camera directly.
"Now as a religious man myself, such a miracle can only be performed by God or... the Devil. Maybe the League had God's providence. Maybe even a tool of sacred power."
His face changed as a sharp gaze fell upon Catherine Cobert, whose face remained tranquil.
"Or maybe they struck a deal with the other side. And that is the reason why Gotham was brought back."
He fixed his tie.
"Like I said... slanderous and mis-informed."
The Public affairs officer replied calmly, with a shake of her head.
G.Gordon's smile tightened.
"No comment then?"
He asked.
"About that? No. What I can tell you..."
She begun only to be interrupted.
"Is not any different from the official reports released to the public. The Justice League claim no responsibility for anything that happened. We've had it before during the Apellaxian invasion."
G.Gordon rolled his eyes.
"You know what I think? I think at the end of the day, the League are cowards. You brought back millions but couldn't finish the job. 10000 people remain dead."
He added snidely.
"Cowards?"
Catherine enquired.
"Would you like to call them that in the presence of the millions that they have saved?"
G.Gordon narrowed his eyes. She'd got him there.
"A mistake on my part, I concede."
The blonde haired host said.
"However, the facts speak for themselves. The average American doesn't care about a lot."
"He just wants that pesky hurricane to stop destroying everything he owns. And if it was somehow destroyed, then he wouldn't mind getting it back."
G. Gordon concluded.
"The League is not responsible for bringing back Gotham. That is all I can comment on that. Secondly, the Justice League and it's Associates are in no shape or form responsible for the recent global shifts in weather and disaster events."
Catherine took over.
"We offer support and assistance to all, irrespective of age, gender, race and religion."
She declared amiably.
G.Gordon rolled his eyes.
"Yadda yadda yadda, miss Cobert please remember to whom you're addressing. No need for that over-practiced public relations spiel."
He pointed his hand at the Backdrop, which displayed an image of Oswald Cobblepot better known as Penguin, then the reel jumped to another image, this one showing two different pictures.
"Penguin, Victor Zsasz and Carmine Falcone, all criminals, all dead. And at the center of all of this...him."
G.Gordon narrowed his eyes at what came on next.
The screen changed to display a grainy image showing a silver haired man dressed in a long black trenchcoat with a red mask on his face.
The Scarlet Devil.
Too late Catherine realized G.Gordon had led her into a trap.
"The Justice League claims to not be responsible for bringing back Gotham. And with their stance on never taking a life, are we to presume that the one responsible for saving the most crime ridden city in America is him?"
The host continued.
"Not to mention the effectiveness of his actions when dealing with 3 of Batman's most notorious criminals?"
G.Gordon smile was wide and malicious.
"No comment."
Catherine Cobert replied.
(General P.O.V)
There was a crash of falling glass followed by loud cursing.
Two men were robbing a jewelry store.
The noise had come from an overzealous swing of a metal bat.
"Load everything up! We need to go before the Batfreak shows up."
One of the men told the other as he swept his gaze across the street.
"You worry too much!" The first man chuckled.
"The Bat is busy dealing with all those insane Arkham Inmates who escaped after the Scarlet Devil incident."
That was what everyone had taken to calling it. One of the thieves had a cousin who had died in the initial explosion.
They had described the other side as nothing but a void of non-presence. Gotham had grown more dangerous. This job was their way out of the city.
The look out spotted a couple of drunks coming from the end of the street.
"Heads-up we got some company."
He told his partner who stiffened and looked back.
"Oh just a couple of drunks."
His partner dismissed, turning his attention to the rings under a glass case.
He used the bat to smash the glass, the sound loud in the almost abandoned street.
The drunks shuffled away upon the noise, not wanting to be involved. The man on the lookout stopped reaching for the beretta in his pocket.
"Yeah you better run."
He muttered under his breath.
"They didn't run because of you."
A voice blared out from a speaker as something heavy landed on the sidewalk next to the store, cracking the concrete slabs.
With the flickering light of the streetlight above them, all they could see was a tall figure of grey.
A bat logo was on his chest and the signature long ears of the Batman shot up from the top of his head.
"Jesus Christ!"
The thief shoveling jewelry into the bag stumbled back in fear.
"It's Batman!"
The other one removed the gun and pointed it.
"So much for dealing with the Arkham Inmates!"
Then he pulled the trigger. The gun fired off but the bullet bounced off the chassis of the armor.
"Wait... you're not..."
The thief emptied the entire clip before swallowing in realization. The Batman wore armor but not a suit of metal armor. And...where was his cape?
"Raymond Phillips."
The Not Batman spoke up, calling the thief by his name as the logo on the Armor's chest glowed blue.
"He knows who you are! Fuck this! I'm outta here!"
His partner started running away with the bag of jewelry slung over his shoulder.
The tall armored individual standing close to 7 feet, took a step forward, focusing entirely on Raymond.
"Fuck! He's the one running away with the stolen goods! Go after him you freak!"
Raymond's voice quivered as he looked around in fear.
The gun was useless and there wasn't a weapon in sight.
"You were responsible for the death of one Ashleigh Gardner, an 8 year old girl."
The armored Batman stated.
Raymond's face underneath the mask blanched.
"How...how did..."
"You have an ouroborus tattoo circling your wrist. The mother identified your general body build. How do you plead?"
The Batman Armor enquired.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I was fucked up on Fentanyl and..."
As the thief started to plead for forgiveness, a room full of operatives were closely monitoring the incident.
"All systems at 100% functionality. The bullets failed to breach the outer panels."
An agent called out.
"The physical build scan matches the police report. It's him Ma'am."
Sasha Bordeaux informed her new boss.
Both of them stood on the deck staring at a screen that showed what the camera in the Batman Armor was picking up.
"Do it. One last pedophilic scum off the streets."
Another voice, this time male, gave the go ahead.
Back with the pleading thief, the hand sections of the Batman Armor unfolded, revealing the barrel of a gun.
"No, no...please no!"
There was a shot and the man lost his head, his brain was scattered across the pavement and blood seeped through the cracks on the floor.
"Order him to follow the other."
Amanda Waller said, her expression remaining impassive despite the gruesomeness of what was on the screen.
"Do it."
The same male voice commanded the operatives.
She turned to the source of the voice.
"I have to commend you, general Kane. The Batmen project seems to be a resounding success."
The man she addressed was wearing a navy blue uniform with numerous medals displayed on his chest.
"I'm glad that you see their value."
The general replied.
"With the number of Batmen we seek to deploy, city warfare will be heavily shifted to our side."
He smiled proudly.
"No battles we can't win when using the blueprint of the man who's always prepared for anything."
General Kane turned to the screen.
"This is how you save the world. Not through vigilantes who can't be controlled but by Batmen who can."
Amanda smiled. It wasn't a good smile.
"And I have the perfect first mission for them."
(Davian's P.O.V)
2 weeks would allow me to fully internalize the fact that Raven had been the best companion I would ever hope for.
Along with giving me a new hatred for the sea.
And what an eventful 2 weeks it would be!
