| Identity |

Bruce Wayne / The Batman

| Origin & Backstory | 

The Wayne Family

The Wayne family’s occupation in Gotham can be traced back to Nathaniel Wayne who was a small time merchant and professional witch-hunter who operated under his middle name, Malleus to avoid endangering the Wayne name. Whispers during these witch-hunting trials later haunted Nathaniel as he believed himself to be cursed by the horrible deeds he had done. But it wasn’t until the Revolutionary War for the Wayne family to become a true enterprise. As importers of trade goods, the Waynes become central to a conflict between the British Empire and the thirteen colonies of New England. The Wayne brothers Anthony and Darius were split on the issue when it came to war but ultimately agreed when they saw the brutality of the British Empire: it was here where they discovered a Lenape cavern called Takhwìkàmën which they used to mount a safe place to strategize against the British. This would be the future site of the Batcave. After the war ended in their favor the Wayne brothers were granted the plot of land that was placed above and near Takhwìkàmën and Wayne Manor was born.

Takhwìkàmën was a prospect of the Wayne resistance once again when Joshua Wayne used the cave as a way to lead the slaves to the north; part of an underground railroad. He came at odds when his brother, Solomon found out—who happened to be a maker and enforcer of law. Joshua and Solomon got into an argument and a gun went off killing Joshua Wayne in the process. Solomon never speaks of this and lives outside of Wayne Manor for some time due to the reminder of his brother. He swears to his brother’s grave to redeem himself while he looks down on him from heaven. Solomon’s son Alan took hold of the business opportunities during the industrial revolution and founded a Chemicals & Hazards department to the Wayne shipping company—thus starting its day as an Enterprise. The son of Alan Wayne, Phillip, serves in the Spanish-American war during this time and is killed; he bears no children.

The family from there has a varied history with business and development; always keeping in mind of the lessons taught by their ancestors.

Early Life

Bruce Wayne was the heir to two distinct people of Gotham City, New Jersey – Thomas Wayne and Martha Kane. Wayne was an ethical businessman and proprietor of Wayne Enterprises, a company that was in a constant battle for dominance against Queen Industries. Thomas Wayne had no interest in a corporate war when the city of Gotham continued to dive into corruption, anarchy, and filth; making it his mission in life to give as much as he took, the businessman founded the Wayne Foundation. The Wayne Foundation was Thomas’ sub-organization that handled charities around the poverty-stricken and those who needed rehabilitation – it was here where Paul Quinzel, Alfred Pennyworth, and Martha Kane met Thomas. The four became quick friends and together with their places in Gotham society strived to make it better. Thomas Wayne would end up marrying Martha within the next three years of meeting her.

Bruce Wayne for the most part had a good and privileged childhood, although on a vacation to oceania an incident with a group of bats terrified the young boy for quite some time – something he would never forget through his life experiences. However, tragedy hit the Wayne family when Bruce witnessed the murder of his parents at the hands of Cyrus Gold and Joe Chill; the two staging the “robbery” to put an end to Thomas Wayne’s invasive mission to clear Gotham of poverty & crime. Bruce was left there only as the appearance of a rookie police officer named Harvey Bullock arrived on the scene. This would be the makings of Bruce Wayne as he is today. With Thomas & Martha Wayne dead, Bruce Wayne had few options and during the reading of Thomas Wayne’s Last Will and Testament he discovered the Wayne Estate in a surprising move would not be left to the Kane family of which Bruce had been connected to through his mother but rather Alfred Pennyworth. A security contractor for Wayne Enterprises and several other companies; Alfred had since his initial meeting of Thomas Wayne gone from the best in 20th century security to a socialite and this sealed the deal. Alfred’s friendship with Thomas led to his acquisition of Wayne Manor and the guardianship of young Bruce Wayne. This Will of Thomas Wayne infuriated Martha Wayne’s brother Jacob Kane; and splintered the family even more—a thing that a young Bruce Wayne did not need.

Bruce’s friendship with his cousins Katherine and Elizabeth grew distant and when Bruce became more aggressive and detached with every year until he was eventually sent to military school; specifically the Samuel Lane Military Academy for Youths. This is where Bruce Wayne met Lane’s daughter, Lois Lane; and learned his discipline that he would later learn to centralize in his mission as Batman. At the age of eighteen, Bruce opted out of the academic school despite what it had taught him for a more personal goal: prepare himself for his war on crime. With the discipline he had received at the military school he now realized to center himself on a goal. Bruce Wayne used his college fund his parents had left him (one out of two trust funds) to study criminology, psychology, and business—testing out of each course when he absorbed the knowledge needed. It was around this time that Edward Nashton became the majority shareholder of Wayne Enterprises when Lucius Fox bowed out of the company to start his own after meeting investor, Jack Drake. After his formal education ended Bruce then looked to the east; and he left for the eastern hemisphere to learn pursuits of the body.

Bruce traveled the world learning from a variety of men and women in his pursuit to obtain the skills to become a spirit of justice on Gotham City. This inspiration never teetered but it didn’t take until Bruce Wayne met the one man that would change his life: David Cain – Cain found Bruce on one of his missions to discipline himself but after a run-in with criminal individuals in Bangkok it triggered something in the self-destructive (but skilled) Bruce Wayne. Bruce was at the end of his ropes as he found himself being tortured after weeks of attacking drug lords in Bangkok. That was when he was found by David Cain, a man who had actually been sent to destroy the cartels himself as a member of the League of Shadows. He took Bruce in as a potential candidate before the leader of the group that at the time ran its organization out of Bialya: Henri Ducard.

What happened between meeting Henri Ducard and leaving the League of Shadows was complex as Bruce was groomed to be one of the society’s top operatives. That was until Talia Ducard died on a mission in Qurac and the impending result was in a induced state of grief Henri went insane as he re-stylized himself as Ra’s al Ghul; the Demon’s Head, and Bruce found himself unwilling to follow the same self-destruction he once felt inside especially after Ra’s repurposed his society into one of violent discord rather than patient dissent. Bruce did not leave however until he discovered through the history of the guild that The League of Shadows itself had been responsible for the death of his parents and all of his recruitment was all patiently planned. But Bruce did not act out in a burst of rage; but a sense of clarity and resolve. Burning all of his bridges he completely abandoned the League of Shadows—and looked back… back to Gotham. He had seen evil and it had manipulated him- he knew how to face it and now it was time to start his mission against the thralls of evil and the darkness it utilized to corrupt his home.

Origin: The Bat's Crusade

Returning home was simple enough as Alfred welcomed him back with open arms as the press began to chatter about the return of Gotham’s prodigal son. Wayne then looked to his father’s legacy; the Wayne Foundation as his public responsibility. However, in the darkness Wayne knew he had more power than what a charity and welfare program could do and took to the streets with a ski-mask and his bare hands. His first few weeks of vigilante justice came through the event of several near-death scenarios and wondered what he was doing wrong. A documentary that Alfred was watching as he came back home about bats triggered the memory and Wayne had an answer – looking to the television serials he watched as a kid he begins to become Batman. After speaking to Lucius Fox, a former Wayne Enterprises R&D specialist and founder of the technological advancement firm called FoxTech; everything changed.

The Dark Knight – The Batman debuted and worked feverously against the crime families of Gotham and soon anyone else. This began Bruce Wayne’s triple life as Batman, Bruce Wayne, and Matches Malone. Bruce begins to date Julie Madison some time during this first year. In time, a group of people (Detective Helena Bertenelli, Lieutenant James Gordon, and the lawyer team of Harvey Dent & Julia Pennyworth); become vital assets in the start of Bruce’s quest to clean up Gotham City as the corrupt members of legal society begin to be pushed out. The Roman Empire begins to lose its hold on Gotham as Carmine Falcone is sentenced in prison and Gotham’s criminal underworld falls apart as several crime families and syndicates fight for the Roman Empire’s lost territory and strength. This war is not without it's casualties as Harvey Dent's wife; Gilda Dent is killed by Roman mobsters. This has a detrimental effect on DA Harvey Dent, but he attempts to power through as he tries to rebuild Gotham as best as he can as he wants to raise his daughter in a Gotham free of chaos and determined by order.

It was then that familiar enemies struck close to home as it came to Bruce’s ear that the League of Shadows were planning something “grand” and he begins an investigation that leads him to team up with Superman and Wonder Woman to prevent what would have become a cataclysmic war between Communist China and the United States. Circumstantial evidence also links LexCorp into the mix, but Bruce finds it inconclusive. And then the creation of the Justice League came after a world-threatening show of force by the alien Starro only months later. After this event this inspired Bruce to create the artificial information satellite that he named “ORACLE” which tied into his main computer in his ambiguous batcave hidden deep underneath Wayne Manor. This would help him spot planetary threats and assist the justice league even more as well as keep an eye on critical scenarios.

Rise of Supervillains

In his second year, this brings a new conflict when criminals and psychopaths begin to enter the woodwork as The Batman becomes a staple of Gotham City. The first of which enters at the end of this debut year for the Batman: The Joker. Working against the clock to prevent the Joker’s plot against Gotham he begins a constant relationship that he would soon begin to despise. The Joker escapes into the darkness of the cold winter night during this New Year's Eve creating Batman’s first real failure. In the crossfires of this event is a boy named Richard Grayson—a boy that Bruce feels sympathy for and is the first of his wards.

Days later, Bruce headed off to nearby Bludhaven to investigate a lead that the League of Shadows was at it again; this time trying to coerce a civil war between the entire city and its largest criminal force—an extremely organized biker gang named for their crimson helmets; the Red Hood gang. Batman needs to work with the Bludhaven vigilante, The Tarantula, to defuse the situation and restore peace to the city. At the end of the encounter Willis Todd, the leader of the gang is sent to prison—leaving an angry adolescent named Jason Todd in the aftermath; he is shipped away to the horrid Bludhaven foster care system as his father rots in prison. The remains of the Red Hood gang splinters and is ultimately conquered by opposing gangs.

Bruce returns to Gotham and fights the psychopathic Niccolai Tepes; who reveals his intentions with Gotham as he believes himself to be a “vampire” and fashions himself as what the Gotham Gazette refers to as “The Monk”. It begins a race against time as The Monk announces his next target: Zatanna Zatara—a young woman that he believes is tied into mystical power. As Batman, he stops Tepes from killing the girl and debilitates him until the police arrive. Following Tepes, Batman then has to deal with Dr. Karl Hellfern’s plot weeks later to use an experimental poison to extort money from the Gotham City high society with the help of his assistant. Julie Madison is poisoned during the investigation and soon the shadow of the bat is upon Hellfern’s doorstep and the work of the Batman continues to spread as the Gotham Gazette continues to glorify the vigilante as he protects the city from another supervillain.

In mid-to-late february, Bruce's ward: Dick Grayson discovers he is the Dark Knight; he discovers he is the Batman. Soon afterward, Bruce discovers during a operation that his father's company's is being used to support criminal cartels active in Gotham City and Bludhaven. This becomes a breaking point for Bruce to truly become public again; he begins an active role in Wayne Enterprises.

Adrian Nicholas Wentworth, a gotham city police officer has a mental breakdown where he becomes what the press calls “Sick Nick” as Batman races to stop his reign of terror as a serial killer and rapist—luring his victims and their families into a false sense of security with his skills as a police officer (and uniform). He targets teenage girls of high society. Marcie Cooper becomes scarred by Wentworth when he kills her parents in front of her only to be saved by the Batman at the last second. Bruce ultimately wishes he could have been faster- to stop the murder of her parents.

Guardianship of Harley Quinzel

Tragedy struck hard to Paul Quinzel, a close family friend when he was struck down after picking up his young daughter— Harleen Quinzel one fateful day in early summer. Harleen had been spending time with her friend, Pamela Isley, until her father got off of work which she had been doing since her mother’s death several years prior. A car accident happens a few cars ahead of them as a man walks up to their car in the confusion—two gunshots pierce the sound as Harleen’s father is left for dead; the second gunshot ending up not killing Harleen herself. The crime resonates with the chaos of Gotham and Harleen feels truly alone. Alfred and Bruce recollect on the Quinzel family and how much they met to Bruce’s father; this creating a mental belief in Bruce that if his father is watching that he needed to protect the young girl especially since her loss was mired in the same horrors as his own. Bruce adopts Harleen as his ward. Sometime afterward, a string of murders hit the news as the production of “The Terror”, an adaption of the horror novel by Basil Karlo comes to a steering halt and it becomes another race against time for Batman as scriptwriters and actors are targeted. Most of the cast including the lead actress, Rita Farr, find themselves thankful as it turns out that none other than Basil Karlo was responsible for the murders after he was shown how they were rewriting his successful novel.

A month had passed since the Karlo incident and Bruce could see in every step that Harleen made that she was much like he was—her obsession and distaste for the city had exploded in a tiny moment and the only thing that seemed to keep her comforted was that The Batman was out there doing the city good. Afraid of what would follow next Bruce took a precaution through his own gut feeling and began to train Harleen in his own brand of self-defense that he had created through his years of martial arts instruction all over the world. Eventually through this he sat the aggressive wounded girl down and she became the first person after Alfred and Richard to reveal his identity to—his identity of Batman. The training continued, moving from martial arts to bettering her perception and investigational skills as he prepared her for something that didn’t occur him until it was too late to step back – he was creating a shadow of himself; another masked vigilante.

When Alfred confronts him with this it leads into an argument that ends poorly as Alfred and Bruce came to a bitter standstill until the two wards speak for themselves; breaking up the fight and defusing the entire conflict. Despite this Alfred begins to start perhaps thinking Bruce’s obsession is going over certain boundaries he can’t approve of. In spite of this he still continues to support Bruce as The Batman, even with the tampering and training of the young Harleen and Richard.

Not too long after this event, Floyd Lawton a.k.a Deadshot assassinates Olivia Ortega (who was warning of the future war of the government and vigilantes) on the orders of the League of Shadows during a Robinson Park rally spurring a riot. Believing the government responsible the riot becomes violent. When Deadshot marks his second target; Detective Helena Bertenelli to incite chaos due to his contract he is stopped by the Batman and apprehended by the police with the riot defusing despite causing massive damage to Robinson Park during the month of September.

After discovering Edward Nashton is responsible for the criminal activities of Wayne Enterprises Bruce puts forward effort to bring Nashton down after securing the safety of his company. In the following weeks Nashton's luck goes south as his own business firm suffers a strike by Batman and then the police. Nashton is to be sentenced to prison. This event becomes a catalyst as Stephanie Nashton, Edward's teenaged daughter becomes obsessed with who Batman is. Shortly afterward, during the Halloween weekend a new supervillain debuts: Black Mask. Starting up a criminal empire seemingly overnight he begins to absorb weaker cartels into his criminal society in the greater Bludhaven-Gotham area.

As Batman begins to prepare to introduced Batgirl and Robin into his arsenal of weapons against crime Bruce finds himself surrounded by high priority crime—a ring of bank robberies under the guise of arson sweep Gotham financially off its feet, an anarchist murders Mayor Wilson Klass due to his apparent complacency against the crime of the city, and Stagg Enterprises finds itself under siege by a former employee by the alias of “Freeze”. In the middle of all of these events, Harley’s impatience leads her to get caught in the middle of crime before Bruce can properly introduce her to the concept beyond training—Bruce rushes to her aid and is admittedly a little impressed despite his disapproval of her doing it without his authority—Batgirl and Robin are ready. It is then that Batman, Batgirl, & Robin work around the clock to defeat Anarky, Firefly, and Freeze as well as several organized crime fronts that attempt to take the year early in the first week of January. Bruce considers this “sidekick front” as a “great success”. 

The highly publicized homicide case of Mayor Wilson Klass hits the news and the butterfly effect comes reeling as the two politicians (Oswald Cobblepot and Jean-Paul Valley, Jr.) voice their concern and begin campaigning early to help push themselves into the seat of power. Until the election, Alderman Charles Chesterfield reigns as mayor incumbent of Gotham. Throughout the year it seems Valley is taking the conservative vote and Cobblepot the liberal vote—proving the election in the future will be a difficult one for either.

In late October, the “Circus of Strange” rolls into Gotham City at the Haly Fairgrounds—The Joker “re-emerges” with accomplices Killer Croc and The Ventriloquist setting the stage to facilitate murder and mayhem. This becomes Robin’s most difficult and most personal fight yet. The Joker, Killer Croc, and The Ventriloquist are later captured and sent off to Arkham Asylum’s criminal wing after many injuries and casualties. 

On Christmas Day, the body of a politician is found nailed to the cross at the largest cathedral in Gotham with little evidence pointing to why or who outside of a catholic card depicting the angel called Azrael. Bruce attempts to decode the religious assassination but wonders who could be responsible for such a grizzly crime. 

| Character Notes | 

Individuals:

The Joker – Representing the chaos of Gotham, The Joker represents Batman’s greatest failure when he attacked Gotham on New Year’s Day of 2012. Many families were thrown into the chaos of desperation, suffering, and tragedy due to madman’s plot and one of which that the Batman never solved as the bringer of chaos disappeared without a trace letting Batman dwell on his failure.

Ra’s al Ghul – Known to Batman as Henri Ducard, a former private investigator who became the head of the League of Shadows sometime during the early nineteen eighties. After his daughter’s death during Batman’s initiatehood with the order he became maddened and in a fit of melancholy sacrificed himself to the Lazerus Pit. Repurposing the League of Shadows into a loud chess piece of world destruction, Ra’s is committed to become an enemy of his former protégé, The Batman. He is responsible for dissent in Bludhaven, Communist China, and much more.

Katherine Kane - Bruce's cousin through his mother's older brother, Jacob Kane, she is in the military. 

Bette Kane - Bruce's cousin through his mother's younger brother, Phillip Kane, she is a teenager.

David Cain – The man who trained Batman and an operative of the League of Shadows. Cain is as cunning as he is hard willed. He believes in nothing but success and will work forward to that goal despite the odds which makes him a very determined villain for Batman.

Harvey Dent – The district attorney of Gotham City and husband of the late Gilda Dent, a legal aide. Dent works hard with his ADA, Julia Pennyworth, but since the Roman Empire put a hit on his wife as a form of fear his psyche has begun to fail. Between the murder and the events of The Joker’s debut he has seen the chaos of the world and realizes one certain thing: you live or you die. It is uncertain if this will turn him into a man with two faces or not at this point in time.

Professor Crane – A professor of psychology that teaches at the University of Gotham, Crane is known for his unorthodox experiments and liberal studies of the concept of fear. He is certainly no “Scarecrow” yet, but with his partnership with Ace Chemicals as an exclusive property to his next experimental study… the future for him does not look well.

Edward Nashton – A former majority shareholder of Wayne Enterprises until it was discovered that the over analytical genius was using his pull in Wayne Enterprises to support a budding criminal motif. In the end the Batman revealed to Detective Helena Bertenelli that Nashton was fronting a massive money laundering scheme and following a police raid Nashton found himself in Stonegate Penitentiary. It is unsure if he’s going to become the Riddler or not.

Stephanie Nashton – Not the only Nashton struck by the arrest, Edward’s fourteen year old daughter, a math genius with a high IQ started asking questions to herself about how convenient it was for the police to bring down her father. Believing The Batman to have framed her father she began to become obsessive in discovering the identity of anything or anyone connected to the illusive vigilante. It was truly an enigma that had to be solved.

Sensei – The illusive leader of the League of Assassins and the primary broker of “the best assassins in the world” has yet to debut in Gotham, but he is a rumored rival and colleague of Henri Ducard as per the League of Shadows archives that Batman had once read. The Sensei is described as a quiet mastermind of asian descent.

Black Mask – The newest criminal mastermind of the Gotham-Bludhaven area, Black Mask controls the False Face Syndicate; a drug cartel that is muscling in on the weakened Red Hood Gang, the aggressive Blockbuster Gang, and even the Gotham Crime Families. Secretly Roman Sionis of Sionis Industries, a childhood friend of one Bruce Wayne. To keep out of the Bat’s sight Black Mask attempts to do most of his business out of downtown Bludhaven… for now.

Red Hood – Willis Todd formerly ran the Red Hood Gang out of Bludhaven until the teamwork of The Tarantula and The Batman put him in prison as his gang slowly fell apart, leaving his son Jason to the streets without any guidance. Willis is bitter and ready to be more proactive when and if he ever gets out of Blackgate Prison.

Clayface – Also known as Basil Karlo, an acclaimed horror novelist who tried to stop the film production of his novel, “The Terror” but was ultimately stopped by The Batman. He is currently residing in Blackgate Prison for first degree murder.

Harlequin – The Joker inspired criminal has yet to debut, but Marcie Cooper might just be one of many to envy The Joker’s madness.

Hugo Strange – Currently the Director of Psychology at Arkham Asylum, there are no hints of Hugo’s criminal mind.

Firefly – A former mob cleaner named Garfield Lynns transformed into "Firefly".

Groups:

The Falcones – Nicknamed “The Roman Empire” the Falcone crime family at one point was the strongest syndicate of crime dating back to Prohibition in the 1930s. Carmine Falcone served as the boss of the family until his imprisonment to Blackgate Prison. Currently Mario Falcone runs the family with Tony Zucco.

The Mandragoras – Nicknamed “The Great White” the Mandragora crime family is as ruthless as it is senseless. Defeating the Bertenelli’s in the 1990s granted the boss of the family, Stefano Mandragora a lot of leeway in the Bludhaven and Gotham game.

The Dimitrovs – Nicknamed “The Slavs” the Dimitrovs are Russians, Serbians, Poles, and Hungarians with a taste for blood. Masters of “information gathering” these eastern thugs moved into Gotham around 2004 and have stayed as a pretty intimidating force.

The Valestras – Nicknamed “The Sicilians” the Valestras are like a smaller more rabid version of The Falcones and actually served them as a co-family until Carmine Falcone was arrested and they started an independent streak once more. They are currently at war with the Falcones and are lead by Salvatore Valestra with consultation by their hitter; Carlton Duquesne.

The Blockbuster Gang – Led by Roland Desmond, the Blockbuster Gang is Bludhaven’s most aggressive gang. Once equal rivals to The Red Hood Gang, they are now the most powerful force in Bludhaven despite The False Face Syndicates ruthless takeover.

The Red Hood Gang – Once owning the Bludhaven crime game, The Red Hood Gang fell apart after The Batman and The Tarantula teamed up to put a stop to Willis Todd’s uniting of all of the motorcycle gangs and his war on the police department. Now led by Thaddeus Ryerstad, the gang is in a bad place but it’s still breathing.

| Powers & Abilities |

Peak Human Conditioning: Through intense training, specialized diet, and biofeedback treatments, Batman represents the pinnacle of human physical prowess.

Martial Arts: Bruce is well trained in multiple martial arts, the core of his fighting method include jujitsu, aikido, boxing, karate, ninjitsu, boxing, and krav maga.

Stealth: His Ninjutsu training has made him a master at stealth and capable of breaching high security facilities without being detected.

Genius Level Intellect: Batman is a brilliant, virtually peerless, detective, strategist, scientist, tactician, and commander; he is widely regarded as one of the keenest analytical minds on the planet. Given his lack of superpowers, he often uses cunning and planning to outwit his foes, rather than simply "out-fighting" them.

Disguise: Has mastered the art of disguise. Batman has many aliases he uses to infiltrate the underworld or just to go undercover in public situations though the most notable identity is that of Matches Malone.

| How is this character different? | 

Honestly, it has elements of previous Ultimate incarnations (Henri Ducard, Talia’s death, The Monk), as well as what I tried to do in Maximum DC before it ultimately failed. This Batman’s differences mostly sit with the supporting NPC cast such as Detective Helena Bertenelli, Julia Pennyworth, Edward Nashton, Harleen Quinzel, and the like. The intention of Ultimate Gotham is to really diversify and keep nods to several incarnations of the setting and its characters. I’m pulling ideas from Batman: The Animated Series, The Nolan Films, The Burton Films, The Animated Films, and the Comics I’ve re-familiarized myself with (pre-crisis, post-crisis, new 52).

| What is your goal with this character? |

Well, a lot of our previous Batman players are pretty much missing in action and I’d hate to put up an application without Eddie being around to understand we are rebooting, but as Maximum showed is that I can play Batman with enough inspiration and variety to keep it interesting and experienced. I strive to work with legacy characters and other contenders to make an enjoyable Gotham scene.

To add on to that, honestly, I can be active fairly often, and I’m a general team player. I can provide a competent and active Batfamily with conflicts that isn’t just him thwoping the Joker. There’s going to be plenty Bruce Wayne as much as there is The Batman and his dynamic with his supporting cast is something I can provide that will be different from previous incarnations by Byrd in World of Heroes and MB in Ultimate DC and Singular Universe. I constantly research, make links, communicate, as well as set aside time DAILY to decide what I’m doing with my next post, and read the backlogs of the entirety of the superherohype run as the most immersed player that debuted in 2013. I can tell you one thing: nobody is going to these lengths.

I will go at great lengths to make sure this Batman doesn’t disappear in a month and we have a missing Justice League member on our roster. I will refuse to slip up.

| Sample Post |

[CENTER]THE DIMITROV JOB[/CENTER]

It was finished—the replacement module to the motorcycle I’ve been using had finally all come together and I’m rather content with what it appears to be. I glance over to Alfred as I began to explain the vehicle before each of us in the hangar of the Batcave. 

“This is something I’ve needed since the very beginning of my mission. It’s all but indestructible, operates on a jet turbine engine and has night-vision head-lamps so it can run in total darkness.” 

To call this development of technology special would be what I’d refer to as an understatement and I believe that as I speak to Alfred, who in the last few months has changed much from the old family friend that helped me to become who I am today. It is a surprise how Alfred has helped me this past year; all with a soft smile. But I suppose it all ties back into on my father’s request that was written in the will, but the lengths he has gone and the secrets he is going to have to keep make me wonder about the lengths. Alfred was my guardian and now he is my closest friend—and that is worth something to me. However, there are many questions going on in my head about Alfred; mostly due to the inexplicable way I can’t read his emotions like I can anybody else—in a way it’s irritating but also intimidating. What had Alfred seen and done before he came to Gotham to be so?

"It’s an impressive piece of technology.” 

I’m sure Alfred is more impressed that this piece of technology was created in secret with no traces back to the name of Bruce Wayne. It’s amazing what you can do with discretion and a little edge with Lucius Fox, a man who used to work for my father and like Alfred showed me something about aged loyalty. 

I cross my arms as I sit there in the cowl, staring carefully at the vehicle for a moment before answering Alfred’s compliment.

“Indeed.” My voice is cold as I approach the vehicle. I have no time to test it; an informant has given me vital intelligence that Yuri Dimitrov, an enemy of “The Roman Empire” is making his move on a large freight shipment from Ace Chemicals. If I let any mobster get a hold on that supply innocents will be harmed and I cannot allow that; not now and not ever. 

“Drive safe, Bruce.”

I nod as I enter the batmobile—with this I can cut off the freight shipment and make an ambush for Dimitrov and anyone else that knows about this shipment of government grade chemicals. It was a good investment—and it’s certainly faster than anything else I have in my arsenal. Thinking back to the whole issue with the Justice League and Starro a thought comes to me as I blast out of the batcave: one of these with wings would be rather handy. I make a note to myself to take up flight lessons and investigate the issue later. 

It seems like I’m operating at lightspeed through the dark and seemingly abandoned streets—sliding around what little traffic there is at this hour. Ace Chemicals is on the entirely other side of Gotham—about an hour and a half from the batcave—yet when I arrive at the chemical warehouse and processing plant I arrive in less than half of the time. I’m impressed to see it at work, I really am—but I can’t be grinning over my mode of transportation while counteracting criminals. 

The cockpit of the vehicle slides open as I carefully make sure it’s succumbed in the darkness where few would notice it and prepare my body for what I’m about to do. I move quickly, using my grappling device to get to a quality vantage point—prepared to spot the ambush and the freight that is to be put in transit in due time. When these Russian gangsters decide to reveal themselves they will be in for the worst night of their lives—I won’t go easy on them. I’m prepared and patient.

In this time I tap into the ORACLE network.

“Command: Detect suspicious activity near Ace Chemicals 12, Gotham City—New Jersey.”[/SIZE] I whisper as the information gathering satellite and artificial intelligence goes to work. ORACLE is like a watchtower tucked up in space; ready to inform on any given situation at a time. I’m still surprised after its launch it was designated into the equivalent of a floating metal rock. The pitch for it by WayneTech was to sell it the GCPD as well as Gotham General to use to predict car accidents, robberies, and all sorts of observational issues. It was the last project that our former WayneTech head Lucius Fox developed before he resigned from the company and formed Fox Technologies. 

I don’t use it for car accidents. I use it in my mission. 

“{Three vehicles incoming location at erratic speeds.}” The A.I. informs me and I prepare the ambush.

Three cars arrive—the truck isn’t even in transit, they are deciding to cut it off before it makes too much noise. There are ten of them in total and they’ve just made a big mistake. I reach into my utility belt and hit a switch; I’ve hacked a nearby phone-line: I’ve set up an automated 9-1-1 distress call. The cops won’t arrive until I’m done, but these criminals will be all set up for them, I’ll make sure of that. 

I have a few minutes to take down ten armed criminals before the police arrive.

They have no chance.

One of them comments about how this will be ‘too easy’ as he overlooks the Ace Chemicals truck—the driver inside is dependent on Batman to save him from this heist. He’s noticed them and he’s about to leave the truck to question them who they are. My hand reaches to my utility belt and pressed a button down and the power drops for the whole city block—this will operate for ten minutes. Ten minutes is more than enough time for me to work— aiming a device I fire at one of them as they begin to get scared. I’ve operated in Gotham for about a year now and they understand that I’m there watching—waiting—ready to end their little activity. The device I fired holds a tranquillizer capsule of my own design that’s built into my gauntlets. It’s effective and filled with a non-lethal dose of experimentally modified fentanyl—people struck by it are out within seconds.

The capsule breaks—letting out the fentanyl-based gas into a thick smoke, the two caught in the blast try to catch their breath and cover their mouth but it’s too late as all it needs is a few seconds to get into your system.

THUD!

THUD!

Two down.

The other criminals are screaming. They have no clue.

The darkness is my weapon—these Russian mobsters aren’t even equipped with flashlights. That’s too bad.

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Gliding downward I take two of the scared mobsters on my way down—their nearest friend aims a gun at me and I’m attempted to smirk, I don’t of course—even as I shoot out my batclaw; the grappling hook tossing and propelling his gun far from us. His face drops and he blinks—I’m in front of him and he’s soon on the ground.

Five more to go—gunfire is propelled in my general direction as I roll behind an industrial dumpster—dropping a general smoke pellet in the process. As I land I prepare a batarang as I toss it in the opposite direction of where I’m hiding; it clanks against an old chevy Malibu which attracts their attention towards it and dropping their guard. One of the mobsters goes closer to the car to investigate while the other four stick close. Before these four realize it I’m behind them and another smoke pellet drops and I begin disarming them and causing them great discomfort… great pain. The noise frightens the lone guard but he’s the only one left.

He’s all alone.

He begins to panic and starts to run. I aim my batclaw at his legs.

TWHIP! 

CRACK! 

He’s on the ground and I can hear the police sirens. I look back to the freight truck—the Driver’s been in there the whole time, he’s scared. His eyes meet mine for a second, but before he realizes anything I’m gone—back into the night. Back into Gotham.

Just another night in my mission.