1. Home
  2. Master Bruce

Master Bruce male Member

Winged Freak

Avatar of Master Bruce

Status

User has no status, yet

Bio

Very well, where do I begin?

My father was a relentlessly self-improving boulangerie owner from Belgium with low grade narcolepsy and a penchant for buggery. My mother was a fifteen year old French prostitute named Chloe with webbed feet.

My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament.

My childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When I was insolent I was placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds - pretty standard, really. At the age of twelve, I received my first scribe. At the age of fourteen a Zoroastrian named Vilma ritualistically shaved my testicles.

There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum... it's breathtaking. I highly suggest you try it.

Most Recent Posts

In Master Bruce's Multiverse Of Madness → 6 yrs ago Forum: Character Sheets


The Narrows, 2005.

A traumatized boy is escorted out of his home by police as two bodies are covered by a tarp. The couple is a lower class family, a small business owner and a nurse practitioner. A break-in turned home invasion and double homicide, the attending officer James Gordon notes, with nothing notable about them except for their name - Wayne.

It isn't mere coincidence, as the city soon learns that the patriarch of the family was indeed the brother of billionaire Phillip Wayne, sole heir to the Wayne family fortune and CEO of Wayne Enterprises. Phillip's reputation as a cold, calculating businessman who never fails to step on the little guy to stay ahead is put aside, as the news portrays him in a gentler light when side-by-side with his 10-year-old nephew at the burial site of the deceased Thomas and Martha Wayne. It is said that Phillip will gain legal custody of the boy, whose name is kept anonymous from the press, and that the mystery child could potentially become the new face of Wayne Enterprises when he turns of age.

This, of course, never happens. When the cameras are done rolling, Phillip places his nephew Bruce into the care of a private investigator that he has on retainer, hoping that a foster home can be found without taking a hit to his newfound publicity. The private investigator, Alfred J. Pennyworth, takes an immediate shine to the boy and decides that Bruce needs to be raised with more care and finesse than Phillip would ever be capable of. Alfred ensures that Bruce's education is paid for and that his future remains prospective in the face of a two-fold barrage of tragedy and greed.

This only partially happens. Bruce is eventually diagnosed as having extreme Post Traumatic Stress. He can barely get through a night's rest without waking up screaming, reliving the horrible night that his parents were murdered. Alfred consults Gotham City's top psychiatrists, but nothing seems to work. Bruce is constantly sneaking out of the house, often being found at his parents' gravesite after hours and telling the officers that find him about the last movie he saw when they were alive: The Shadow Of The Gray Ghost.

"Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot,", the boy explains, paraphrasing the film. "That's how you can stop them, isn't it? Because they're afraid."

The officers usually say nothing, but it's a fantasy that Bruce carries with him for the rest of his life. Growing into the role of a teenage social outcast, he becomes reclusive from his schoolmates, teachers, and neighbors. Alfred eventually learns that Bruce is intentionally blocking them out, with his sights set on one goal: the complete and utter dissolution of organized crime in Gotham. So in a desperate bid to break through to his son, Alfred plays along with this delusion - so much so that he eventually gets lost in it himself. Bruce is convinced that he will need instructors for this mission of his, so Alfred reaches out through the grapevine to find what Bruce is looking for, still thinking it to be harmless, though an intense phase of his troubled young life.

The first instructor that Bruce meets is Ted Grant, a former heavyweight boxing champion turned owner of the run-down Wildcat's Gym. In exchange for taking on a part-time job in helping to fix up the place, Grant gives Bruce nightly lessons in hand-to-hand combat. The basics of boxing, at first, but Bruce eventually convinces Grant to bring in some friends that can teach him a cursory knowledge of how to perform Silat, Kali, Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, Tai Kwon Do, Wushu and even Judo with relative success. Grant is amazed at Bruce's proficiency with each style, displaying a level of memory retention that allows him to mimic and master every move that he's given. By the time that he turns eighteen, Bruce is a natural - so much so that he turns his attention away from combat to seek a new vocation.

Though Alfred eventually retires from the business, he does introduce Bruce to a detective named Slam Bradley under the pretense of needing a steady job. Bradley puts Bruce to work on errands, but eventually catches onto the kid's true intention: he wants to learn the trade. And so Bradley takes him out on a few field investigations, letting him know how to approach a scene undetected, tail a potential suspect, gather evidence, and come up with conclusive results. Within three years, Bruce becomes equal in skill to his mentor and is working as an assistant, breaking some of Bradley's toughest cases on his own.

During this phase in his life, Bruce runs afoul of some dangerous members of Gotham's underworld. But rather than turn back and avoid danger, Bruce seems to run toward it, despite Slam's protests - eventually having a falling out with his determined protege. But Bruce doesn't seem to care, and within a night, Alfred discovers the reason why in a letter left for him: he's realized that to learn all he needs to know, he'll have to turn to more unorthodox mentors to stay ahead. Burglars, thieves, underground fighters, drug dealers, gang members, street racers, and all manner of the criminal element that infests the city. Only through them, Bruce reasons, will he learn how to turn their methods against them. Alfred doesn't see or hear from Bruce for another five years.

But as Bruce's "education" continues, it becomes clear that the Wayne family name is carrying terrible secrets. Phillip Wayne is arraigned on suspicion of colluding with the Falcone Crime Family, painting Wayne Enterprises in a less than flattering light and prompting the question of who will become Wayne's successor. While a few stories run of the mysterious young boy that Phillip supposedly adopted, most outlets are focused on leading figures of the industry that are looking to bid for Wayne Enterprises' stocks. The most ruthless of them is the owner of a franchise series of nightclubs named Oswald Cobblepot, looking to go legitimate and put Wayne Enterprises back on top. In actuality, however, Oswald is Carmine Falcone's rival in the mob and knows that securing the company will generate enough revenue to make his weapons' trade the most prospective venture on the black market. The only thing standing in Oswald's way is the jailed Phillip - and with a single phone call, that obstacle is rooted out: Phillip Wayne dies in a pool of his blood, having been shivved by three fellow inmates. Within a month, Oswald is named CEO of Wayne Enterprises.

Over the next few years, the corruption in Gotham begins to escalate. The streets are engulfed in a massive gang war between Roman Sionis, the sadomasochistic leader of The False Face Society, and Waylon Jones, the murderous psychopath who butchered his way to the top of the food chain, earning himself the moniker of Killer Croc. Through these powerful underworld leaders, several criminal enterprises are allowed to thrive. Dr. Crane of the mental hospital established in place of Wayne Manor following Phillip's death, Arkham Manor, seems to be misplacing many of his patients. The police turn a blind eye to this activity and the District Attorney, Harvey Dent, is proven to be far from incorruptible. Mayor Rupert Thorne openly mocks the victims of GCPD brutality in The Narrows, proclaiming that any violence would have been avoided if they'd vacated their homes. Captain Lyle Bolton is visibly covering up these incidents, threatening any press that attempts to cover what's happening. Millions of citizens are being blackmailed by an anonymous hacker who bizzarely leaves puzzles in places of frozen bank accounts. The economy is down, tensions are escalating, and even those fighting for the good - such as Lieutenant James Gordon - are beginning to lose faith in the possibility that peace can be restored.

Enter a series of robberies at Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences Division. A figure in black attacks each of the archival warehouses with uncanny precision. Each security guard is systematically taken down, the alarms are bypassed, the military-grade technology that lies dormant is stolen in irregularly large quantities, and the warehouses themselves are ransacked to the point that no one piece of equipment can be properly identified. Oswald Cobblepot publicly condemns the lunatic responsible, placing pressure on Mayor Thorne and Commissioner Loeb to head up an investigation. But the thief is never caught and the robberies go unsolved.

Around the same time, Lucius Fox is greeted outside of his home by a young man with jet black hair. He tells Fox that he knows what happened to the man's late son, Luke, how nothing was ever done about the wrongful murder at the hands of a corrupt cop named Flass. He promises that if Fox, a former engineer and member of the board of directors at Wayne Enterprises, helps him to not only learn how to use a heap of stolen technology but improve upon it, that he'll make sure Luke's murderer is put in jail for the rest of his life. The man only ever identifies himself as William Kane, but Fox suspects it to be an alias. Nevertheless, he takes a chance. Within a week, Arnold Flass is arrested after evidence is anonymously collected and sent to Lieutenant Gordon. Fox begins teaching 'William' what each gadget does, and 'William' begins sending back notes.

But it isn't enough. Despite being armed to the teeth with such items as an experimental grapple launcher, modified tasers, tear gas and mace caplets that explode upon impact, and a police radio dispatch forcefully taken from a corrupt officer, Bruce Wayne returns to Alfred's doorstep in a bloody heap, near the point of death after having tried to save a family from being jumped just outside of a theater by a gang of False Facers. As he lies in a hospital bed, drifting in and out of consciousness, Bruce begins to relive the night that he'd always been afraid to confront in a series of hallucinations. This assault on his senses doesn't stop until, upon happenstance, Bruce notices a winged animal fighting to defend its nest outside of his hospital window. It inspires him to fight these delusions in tandem, becoming unafraid of the memories of losing his parents as the bat manages to restore its place.

Taking it as a sign, the words of The Gray Ghost echo throughout Bruce's mind throughout his recovery: that criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot. To prey on their fears, he'll have to appear to them as something that isn't entirely human. Within an hour of being released from the hospital, he phones Lucius Fox with a brand new series of ideas - and with some trial and error, a new persona that Bruce crafts for himself that will begin the fight to reclaim Gotham. An unsung figure that will strike from the shadows and use the night to his advantage.

The beginning of the The Gotham Bat's legend has begun.
In Three DC Comics RPGs, one game. Which moves forward? You decide! → 6 yrs ago Forum: Casual Interest Checks
I suppose while we're taking about creating canon, we ought to work out exactly how much of each canon we're allowed to shape. The DCU, after all, has tons of legacy characters and spin-offs and whatnot, so it may behoove us to clarify the rules around, say, if someone wants to have Wally West be the Flash first, or someone wants to play Damian as Robin before Dick Grayson shows up, etc.


I think, in the case of Pitch 2, it would have to work on a case-by-case basis... as long as the applicant keeps in mind that this would be a Year One setting. So if someone wanted to apply for Supergirl or Batgirl while their predecessors are just starting to cut their teeth, that'd obviously clash. But if there were a way to play Kara Danvers or Barbara Gordon another way, in a way that makes sense but is also sidestepping the sidekick element, I think that would be viable. Damian Wayne would be trickier since he's Bruce's son.

Overall, my advice is that it'd just be best to submit an app with a back-up plan in mind.
In Three DC Comics RPGs, one game. Which moves forward? You decide! → 6 yrs ago Forum: Casual Interest Checks
To answer a few questions at once...

@Crimson Flame, while it is true that these would be alternate DC universes, a vast majority of them rely on the idea of Clark Kent still being Superman, Bruce being Batman, Diana being Wonder Woman and all that. So that would have to remain.

However, I would like to note that Pitch 2 let's you create your own version of those characters with no continuity to speak of whatsoever.

But if this doesn't seem like the game setup for you, that's completely understandable. We all have our preferences on what we like to play.

@Mao Mao You absolutely could play a neutral alignment character like Selina, yes. I probably should have been clearer about that, but any character that isn't an outright villain would theoretically be fair game.

@Retired None of these games would allow OC player characters. I moreso meant that if you wanted to invent new supporting characters, that'd be fine.
In Three DC Comics RPGs, one game. Which moves forward? You decide! → 6 yrs ago Forum: Casual Interest Checks
I want to do an RPG set in the world of DC Comics. However, while I have an idea of what I'd like to do most, I can't decide on my own what setting would be the most desirable for potential players. So I'm leaving it in your hands! Vote on the following pitches. If you like one or some elements of one pitch but would rather see it transferred to another, let me know and we might be able to hash out something. I'm flexible.

PITCH 1 - A Prime Earth-Style DC Comics RPG



Following the disbandment of The Justice Society of America in the 1970's, the world was introduced to their successor ten years ago, in the wake of an attack against the city of Metropolis - The Superman. And thus a new age of heroes began, with costumed and superpowered crime-fighters taking to the streets to fight back against the tide of criminality and injustice. Though their presence inspired almost an equal measure of deadly villains and madmen bent on world domination, hostile alien threats, magic unlike anything the world had seen, and other phenomena that has inhabited the world of mankind since The Man Of Steel's arrival, the formation of The Justice League of America has led the charge to protect Earth and even the galaxy at all costs. But when a schism splits the League apart and the world's most powerful champions go their separate ways, who will pick up their mantle for the next shift in the paradigm of superhumans? And better yet, as the world struggles with the reality of these heroes continuing to seemingly exist above humanity - should they?


This RPG is loosely based on modern DC Comics continuity, with some leeway given in regards to strict events. The main point is that every major hero (IE: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, multiple Green Lanterns, multiple Flashes, The Teen Titans, The Doom Patrol, and others) has been around since 2010, leaving the door open for any sidekick and legacy character to be portrayed in addition to the former members of The Justice League and similar groups.

It would be largely up to the players as to who and what is considered canon, and it would expected for players within the same 'families' to work with eachother to establish set events for each corner of the DCU. Players could tell their own stories and leave interaction for set events of their own making, with any and all characters being allowed to join in once your event starts.

Emphasis would be on character interaction and world spanning team-ups and clashes, possibly even cosmic level skirmishes if the game goes on long enough. Teams and new factions could be formed, characters would be allowed to die or be killed with suitable reason and GM permission, and the characters would be allowed to be interpreted in a sort of 'catch-all' manner, meaning that you could take as much from the comics, cartoons, movies, and other sources as you want.

Villains would be NPC's and be left to related hero player discretion, though if the consensus opposes this, villains could potentially be allowed to become applicable following the launch of the game.

PITCH 2 - A Earth One-Style DC Comics RPG



This RPG would be the complete opposite of Pitch 1, though alot freer in creativity. There is no real backstory, as the central premise is this: we would start on day one of the DC Universe's creation. Superman would be putting the cape on for the first time, Batman would probably only have dabbled in vigilantism, Wonder Woman might still be on the Island, Hal Jordan may have just received his ring - all of it would be primordial and very organic, heavily reliant on player interaction to create the history of these characters as they grow and develop into who they are. And the state of play would be that players would be encouraged not to rely heavily on known events from the comics, such as the JLA's formation and events like Blackest Night having to occur. This would be a brand new continuity, made up of player created events that would hopefully diverge from established canon to create something wholly unique.

I hesitate to say that this would operate in an 'Ultimate Marvel' comics fashion, where you could go out of your way to modernize every little thing for the sake of it, but the basic principle is the same. You take a well known hero's backstory, powers or abilities, and superhero identity, and from that moment, they're your's. You define what their allies, their enemies, and their personalities develop into. You would even be allowed to incorporate original characters, though it would be strongly advised to build on the DC elements before creating anything too far in the realm of fan-fiction.

Despite reliance on interaction, this would be alot looser with set rules, and stories that build into well-treaded territory would actually be discouraged - this wouldn't be a situation where any character is boxed into prior knowledge of the DCU. The only real rule would be to make yourself open to player interaction as opposed to walling yourself off to only participate your own pre-planned set of stories. Though, there would be plenty of that allowed as long as it isn't all that you're doing.

Again, players could spring up events of their own making, with any and all characters being allowed to join in once your event starts. If things get too out of hand or unwieldy, it would be up to GM discretion to come in and work with the players to achieve a desirable resolution.

Villains would be NPC's and be left to related hero player discretion. This wouldn't really change, as the entire point is for a hero player to be able to take known entities and remake them at their will, so playing another hero's villain wouldn't make sense if they have yet to set up what their version is.

NOTE: This isn't actually intended to be based on the 'Earth One' line of books, the name and images are just the closest to what the game would be in terms of what exists in a published comic. This would be a new universe.

PITCH 3 - DC Comics: The Silver Age



Following the debut of The Superman in the year 1938, each subsequent costumed hero rose up to take back America from the scourge of mad science, hostile extraterrestrials, mechanical monstrosities, and the newest, most enduring criminal act since the abrupt end of World War II in 1945 - Lex Luthor's age of the Supervillain. Set in the year 1950, this would obviously be a period piece more in line with DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke. Heroes and villains would be their most classical selves, with the threat of real-world events driving the story forward in real time. While 1950 would start off with the heroes being accepted and even praised for their actions during the war and domestically, the road to 1955 and the 'Silver Age' of the DC Universe would see a change in attitude and even paranoia about what these super-beings and masked lawbreakers are capable of.


This game would perhaps be the most strict of all, with characters being made to act as they would in a time before any of us were born. You could easily incorporate classic elements from later stories into the story that you'd be telling, such as giving Superman a bunch of his post-50's enemies or creating a 50's version of The New Teen Titans with Starfire, Cyborg, and the like, but the general idea is that you would be playing roles rather than outright defining them. You would need to make these characters recognizable, either by emulating how they acted in the Silver Age or creating a facsimile of their modern day interpretations for the 1950's.

The bigger emphasis than character interaction would be world-building. What is Metropolis like in a Post-World War II America? What about Gotham City, or Themyscira, or even the OA and the Green Lantern Corps in a time before the space age truly began? What happens when what was only believed in the funny papers, the radio, and the talkies to be real actually turn out to be science fact instead of science fiction? This would be where you come in to fill in the blanks.

Villains would be outright playable from the start, with their classic interpretations holding as much to how you could play them as a hero character. Sidekicks could also be portrayed or introduced, though that would be more reliant on the setup of the main hero characters. You could even throw a curveball and play characters like Jimmy Olsen or Ambush Bug, as long as you have a story you want to tell and think it could contribute to the creation of a strange new world.

And ...that's it. Any questions or concerns with this could be addressed, any input would be welcome and ideas would be encouraged for the RPG of your choosing. Whichever gets the most votes, if any get a vote at all, would be the game that we move forward with.
In Master Bruce's Multiverse Of Madness → 6 yrs ago Forum: Character Sheets
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L
B R U C E W A Y N E

P H I L A N T H R O P I S T ♦ G O T H A M C I T Y , N E W J E R S E Y ♦ W A Y N E I N T E R N A T I O N A L
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:

"Never again."

For over half a century, Gotham City had been protected from the forces of evil by an unseen guardian. Considered an urban myth whispered among a superstitious and cowardly criminal lot, those who had been saved by him and those who had been unfortunate enough to earn his wrath knew him only as The Batman. And as the times and traditions of Gotham's citizens changed, he remained the one true constant, striking terror into criminal factions of all creeds and urban terrorists that sought to challenge him through their own bizarre, inspired gimmicks. But with the aid of Commissioner James Gordon, his trusted and faithful servant Alfred, his one-time partner Robin, The Boy Wonder, and the use of his civilian identity as billionaire Bruce Wayne, The Batman crusaded against evil successfully for many years - until one fateful night in 1986 changed everything.

Becoming hardened, grim and vicious, The Dark Knight Detective began to forgo the shadows and legitimately terrorize evildoers, leaving them maimed, broken, and scarred beyond repair. Some terrible evil had been committed against him, and those who knew him best were unable to comprehend how Gotham's greatest hero could have fallen so far. It wasn't until many years later, in a final fight against arguably his greatest foe, The Joker, that something finally shattered The Caped Crusader's restless spirit. Bruce Wayne realized that he'd come too close to the edge for comfort - or worse, that he may have even descended into the abyss without even realizing it. And so he made a choice.

Retiring the cape and cowl, destroying the many weapons, gadgets, suits and vehicles that he'd used to operate as a vigilante, and going so far as to abandon Stately Wayne Manor and block off the fabled Batcave beneath, Wayne devoted himself to his philanthropic and financial efforts entirely. One way or another, The Batman was dead. And as soon as his absence became noticed, his rogue's gallery seemed to slowly dissipate, either dying out due to age, unfortunate circumstances, or retiring far away from Gotham to live in peace, their war against the masked vigilante having ended. With only a few remaining in Arkham and no further escapes reported, Gotham seemed to settle into a period of peace, seemingly affirming that The Batman's war on crime had escalated the very evil he sought to vanquish and that the city was better off without him.

But while Batman's abscence may have left Gotham with eased tensions, they eventually began to boil over once again with a dramatic rise in street crime. With Commissioner Gordon having left the GCPD years earlier, a new civil servant had to rise up and challenge this escalating violence - and to everyone's surprise, the one to answer the call would be Harvey Dent. The one-time criminal known as Two-Face, Dent had been given a clean bill of health and returned to civilian life shortly after his masked enemy retired. Having managed to amass a fortune that rivaled Bruce Wayne's own in the years following, Dent's charm and ambition managed to win him back the public's trust - aswell as an eventual election for Mayor of Gotham City.

In a move that could only be seen as suspicious soon after taking office, one of Dent's first acts as Mayor was to erect a massive wall, blocking off the crime-ridden East End of Gotham City from the more fortunate West End, where the rich were accommodated while the poor were left to fend for themselves against common criminals and street gangs. Despite the best efforts of Commissioner Renee Montoya and the GCPD, whose members were beginning to align with Dent's promise of a Gotham where good and evil could be easily separated, The Blackgate Wall eventually stood as either an achievement in forceful dominion over crime or a testament to a city too far gone to be saved. Montoya eventually quit the force in disgust, leading the way for the ruthless Lyle Bolton to succeed her. But regardless of who was running the police, the massive blockade proved to be effective at preventing GCPD from interfering with what transpired in what was then dubbed "Old Gotham", with even fewer citizens of "New Gotham" willing to lend a hand. While some initially heeded the legend of The Batman as an example to try and take back their streets, those that fought back were soon eliminated by a vicious gang of masked criminals calling themselves The Disciples Of Order.

In the year 2020, all hope seems lost. Bruce Wayne is 81 years old, forced into a pending retirement as CEO of Wayne Enterprises. The once gallivanting socialite has turned into a bitter old hermit, never seen among the public between his hours at the office and the many nights spent alone on the top floor of Wayne Tower, overlooking the city he once would have given his life for - wishing desperately to be able to defend it once again, but physically and mentally unable to return to the mantle of The Bat. In his mind, he is poised to die a failure, leaving behind a Gotham City torn apart by the very sort of criminal that murdered his parents.

It is only until a mysterious figure treads the soiled ground where a ghostly Wayne Manor now stands and begins digging, reaching the partially collapsed ruins of The Batcave beneath with the intent to steal a very important book - The Journal Of Alfred J. Pennyworth - that the quest for Gotham's salvation begins again. Someone out there knows Gotham's biggest secret, and they're determined to continue the fight whether Bruce Wayne allows it or not.

The Batman is dead.

Long live The Batman.

C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:
This concept is the most ambitious endeavor I've ever attempted with the character. It's not so much about one single narrative - with the exception of Bruce Wayne and the new Batman's perspectives, since they're the protagonists - as it is the biggest statement I have about the myth and legacy of Batman and how that can affect a Gotham City which has seemingly lost it's hope. When Bruce began as a vigilante, he was trying to save a corrupt version of the city. This is the antithesis, where the war was seemingly won, but the corruption naturally took back over after the age of the costumed supervillain passed. There's been no one there to stop it - until now.

I've taken alot of inspiration from notable Elseworlds stories, including The Dark Knight Returns, Year 100, Brotherhood Of The Bat, The Batman of Bethlehem, White Knight, Arkham City, a very tiny bit of Batman Beyond, and the general history of the character in comics, films, television, games, and everything in between. I've also taken some inspiration from stuff like HBO's Watchmen, Logan, Netflix's Daredevil, and the current political climate of The United States to really try and tell a story with some meat to it. It's going to be something very personal that I hope can be wholly mine and yet honor everything that Batman is and has been for the last 81 years.

C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
Gotham is home to many characters that operate within the new status quo of a city quite literally divided. Very few of the original rogues gallery remain, and if they do, they're far too diminished to make any trouble now. But there are quite a few recognizable names that still appear within the city that will make up the supporting cast of Bruce Wayne and the as-of-yet-unidentified Caped Crusader.

































And finally...



The Once Deadly... And The Dead
Many of Batman's original rogues gallery were either scared off by their arch-nemesis' newly gruesome approach to striking fear into the hearts of his enemies, forced into retirement by debilitating circumstances, or simply died off due to a varying number of causes. Whatever the case may be, their names are almost as mythic as Batman's own, even now existing as whispers within the halls of The Arkham Institute from the mouths of those who still remember. They are...







Residents Of The Arkham Institute

Julian Day
Thomas Elliot
Hugo Strange
Drury Walker
Jervis Tetch
Arnold Wesker

The Dead

Poison Ivy
1966-1997. Transmutated.

Bane
1965-2012. Overdose.

Ra's Al Ghul
????-2005. Natural Causes.

The Scarecrow
1941-2008. Heart Attack.

Harley Quinn
1952-1992. Murdered.

Deadshot
1950-2016. Suicide.

Firefly
1952-2012. Asphyxiation.

Victor Zsasz
1972-2005. Shivved.

P O S T C A T A L O G:



THE DARK KNIGHT LIVES
1. And I Heard, As It Were, The Voice Of Thunder
In Master Bruce's Multiverse Of Madness → 6 yrs ago Forum: Character Sheets
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

TERRANCE 'TERRY' MCGINNIS ♦ PERSONAL ASSISTANT ♦ GOTHAM CITY, NJ ♦ WAYNE-SIONIS

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
"Somebody had to do something. And you sure weren't about to!"
- Terry McGinnis to Bruce Wayne

Obviously, this isn't a character that originated with me. @Lord Wraith did all of the heavy lifting to establish the blend of both the contemporary Batman mythos and the canon of Batman Beyond, resulting in a version where Terry can operate as Batman in a modern Gotham City that hasn't become a Blade Runner-esque futurescape. So the changes to the regular Batman canon should be apparent - my goal is basically to take the baton and run with it, seeing as I've had conversations with Wraith about the basic philosophies of what made Batman Beyond interesting (so don't expect a Riddler Beyond or similar gimmick concepts). We both seem to agree that Terry should be the focus, not Bruce.

Wraith provided me with alot of story content that he was going to do himself, but has no interest in pursuing any further, so I'm going to do what I can to blend what he had in mind with my own ideas since I like alot of what he came up with. Beyond that (no pun intended), I want to really flesh out the Gotham of the past and the Gotham of the present, since The Batman's been around since the 1960's and holds a metric slag-ton of history that influences Terry's life as the heir to the cowl.


C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:

The overall crux of Batman Beyond, as I've revisited the show, is that as Terry grew into the mantle of Batman, he became further away from what Bruce Wayne was whenever he was active. The best way to describe his personality is that Terry evolved from the best parts of each Robin to create a new character, someone who saw things like justice and heroism in a more optimistic light than his predecessor while retaining the rough edges that would make someone The Dark Knight. My plan isn't to deviate from this arc, but to take it even further. Right now, Terry's operating very much in the shadow of The Bat, but I want him to eventually own the role almost independently of Bruce and set the course for his own destiny. Which I recognize is a mammoth task when Bruce Wayne has been the originator from day one of his creation, but I want to make it clear that the old Batman's days are over rather than lean on Terry being an extension of one man's legacy.

Especially since the canon of the DCAU went so far in the opposite direction that they eventually retconned Terry into Bruce's biological... well, let's not get into it. Best to ignore the mistakes of the past, right?


C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:

Supporting Cast - Established By Wraith

Bruce Wayne - the original Batman, Terry's mentor, who retired in 1995 after a life-altering final mission. Wayne is actually 80 years old, but appears closer 60 due to a Lazarus Pit encounter.
Ace - the loyal guard dog of Bruce Wayne, and sometimes ally to Terry as Batman in the field.
Melanie Walker - Terry's current girlfriend, formerly the villainess 'Ten' of The Royal Flush Gang.
Mary McGinnis - Terry's mother, legal guardian, and widow to Terry's father, Warren.
Matthew McGinnis - Terry's younger brother, who lives only to annoy his older brother.
Maxine 'Max' Gibson - Terry's lone confidant in his secret life, a genius level hacker.
Carrie Kelly - Max's girlfriend and one of Terry's classmates at Hamilton Hill High.
Dana Tan - Terry's longtime girlfriend, recently turned ex.
Chelsea Cunningham - Terry and Dana's more 'out there' friend, prone to attracting attention for her rebellious behavior.
Nelson Nash - Terry's rival and frequent social antagonist, arrogant and spoiled rich.
Commissioner James Gordon - Current head of the GCPD, unaffiliated with The Batman past or present.*

*Established by @IceHeart

Antagonists - Established By Wraith

Roman Sionis/The Black Mask
Jervis Tetch/The Mad Hatter
Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin
Lonnie Lachin/MoneySpider
Deever And Dumfree Tweed/Tweedledee And Tweedledum
Real Name Unknown/The Tally Man
Warren White
The Mutant Gang
The Jokerz
The Sons Of Batman

Supporting Characters - Established By Me
TBD

Antagonists - Established By Me
TBD

Deceased Characters
The Joker
Catwoman/Selina Kyle
Alfred Pennyworth
Lucius Fox
The Riddler/Edward Nigma
Ra's Al Ghul, The Demon's Head
Two-Face/Harvey Dent
The Scarecrow/Jonathan Crane
Mr. Freeze/Victor Fries
Arnold Wesker/The Ventriloquist
The Phantasm/Andrea Beaumont



S A M P L E P O S T:

In Master Bruce's Multiverse Of Madness → 6 yrs ago Forum: Character Sheets
C H A R A C T E R   C O N C E P T   P R O P O S A L
S T E V E   R O G E R S

♦ ...S T E V E N   G R A N T  R O G E R S...♦...V E T E R A N / R E T I R E E  / L I V I N G   L E G E N D...♦...
...W H E A T O N , N E W   J E R S E Y... ♦ ...( F O R M E R L Y )   S . H . I . E . L . D ... ♦

C H A R A C T E R   C O N C E P T:

"The price of freedom is high. It always has been. And it's a price I'm willing to pay."

At this point, the foundation of who this version of Steve is wholly belongs to @webboysurf's fantastic work all throughout last season. I only want to build on what he's established and use it to push Captain America forward. At the end of season one, especially, he had to do alot of things that would completely break a lesser man. Murdering two villains fits that bill. While not broken, Steve is definitely lingering into this season with some considerable scars. Even a man of action needs some time to re-evaluate and figure out his place when things go that dark for him, and Steve's intent is to learn from what he considers to be compromises in order to discover if there's a better way. It'll be a road that'll last all season, and I'm not content to put him back in the stars and stripes immediately. He'll have to earn that, but I hope that in the journey there, I can help build Steve Rogers into the Captain America of today rather than keep him as the Captain America of yesteryear.


After the series of events that disillusioned him with both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the world that he once thought he knew, but learned he never really did, Steve Rogers left New York three months ago and retreated west. He now lives in partial isolation, taking up residency in the small town that was once home to his training camp in 1942. The locals don't ever really recognize him, and if they do, they keep it to themselves as he spends his days repairing an old house that belonged to a dear friend, and spends his nights catching up on every significant world event that transpired between 1945 and 2019 to observe, learn from, and form his own conclusions on modern society as it took shape without the bias of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files to blanket everything under the global peacekeeping organization's version of events.

But while Cap remains benched and unauthorized for field duty, Nick Fury and his Commandos have been struggling to balance the fallout of the Metahuman Supremacy Front's attack on New York and shutting down the machinations of the newly reformed HYDRA as they operate under the command of The Red Skull, seizing power away from Baron Zemo's personal vendetta to set a course for destruction on a worldwide stage. And while Fury himself may not think much of turning away a liability like Captain Rogers, there are those on the team - some likely, some very unlikely - who feel as though the fight with HYDRA only ends when Captain America returns.

C H A R A C T E R   M O T I V A T I O N S   &   G O A L S:

Captain America is one of the highest echelon of characters in comics, not because of how long he's been around, but because of how writers have shaped him over the nearly 80 years of his existence. He's one of the few characters that I'd consider it an honor to play. My motivation beyond that is whenever webboysurf indicated that he'd be retiring the role, I went back and read his stuff out of curiosity. Rather than finding myself bogged down by another person's continuity, however, I really found myself envisioning his next chapter as the stories played out - to the point that as his run wrapped up the first season, everything fell into place organically to tell my story entirely unaltered. Now I just have to carry it out while trying to keep true to the established character, weaving both webb's continuity and the larger mythos of Cap's history together into a tapestry of my own.


C H A R A C T E R   N O T E S:




S A M P L E   P O S T:

Normandy, June 1944 - D-Day

The humidity of a hard-fought battle finally gives way to the smell of gunpowder. Corpses of both allies and enemies line the sands of the beach. Distant gunfire and bombs pop off, filling the air with a metaphorical symphony of cataclysm. For the soldiers that stand, the hope is that it's the cataclysm of German forces and their stranglehold on the area. For those that want to go home, see their families again, and put aside the ever-looming threat of a violent end in service of a greater sacrifice. But for the man standing on the hill, just overlooking the parameter that leads directly from Omaha Beach into the Nazi-occupied city of Bayeux, the hope is that his men come back with good - hell, any news about the subsequent strike against Erwin Rommell's forces. Commanding the 107th battalion, the figure clutching at the hunk of metal strapped to his wrist had ordered that his personal strike team go ahead without him as he personally dispatched six enemy tanks that were flanking every direction. And yet Captain America's primary concern, amongst the dead and barely living, was that he hadn't made a grave error in sending these hundreds of an overall twenty-four thousand man operation directly into Hitler's clutches.

"Come on, Buck.", he silently whispered. "Don't do this to us. Not today, not now."

Five agonizing minutes went by without so much as a shot, signaling a change of course in the battle. Placing his battle-worn helmet atop his leather cowl, the Captain had finally ran out of patience. Of the many still stationed to watch the coast, Rogers counted fifteen who weren't visibly damaged or cut apart by enemy minutes. He'd need more to truly be able to breach the Nazi's wall and get into Bayeux to find his Howling Commandos - or what was left of them, at least - before it was too late, but he didn't see waiting as a viable option anymore. The wounded were being treated to, as were the dead. His job on this front of the war was finished. Now it seemed that a rescue op was in order. In an effortless motion, he removed the shield clinging onto his gauntlet and placed it on the satchel attached to his back. For the men below, it was an awe-inspiring sight. Even with the colors muted from a bright red, white, and blue into a virtually maroon, gray, and black uniform, Captain America still looked uncharacteristically fictional among the very grim reality that surrounded him. Like something out of the pictures or the pulps had sprung forth into their reality.

"Corporal?"

Turning his head as an armed soldier approached his six.

"Tell the others to gear up and prep for a run. We're going after the missing."

The color from the soldier's face nearly cascaded out of existence. But over the past few months, the man had grown to know better than to question a direct order from the man who was almost assuredly going to drive his fist through Hitler's jaw.

"Consider it done, sir."

Emptying the magazine from his side-arm, Captain Rogers removed another clip and placed it into the chamber. He had already practically spent every ounce of his super-soldier serum given strength and agility to take out those tanks, and yet any hesitation to head back into battle never appeared in his mind. But even he knew that there was a chance that this could be their last stand. His enhancements gave him a clear edge, but he wasn't invincible - at least, literally speaking. He could never tell that to the men who stood even less of a chance surviving the through the day.

"We charge for the city walls in..."

A deafening explosion knocked several of the soldiers off of their feet, as Captain America found himself interrupted. He turned, shield raised, to the North and braced for something to hit. An enemy band of troops sent to scout for survivors. German planes looking to incinerate the shores. At this rate, Rogers was half-expecting some metal monstrosity straight out of the adventure books he read as a child to emerge, with big claws and a beam from outer space.

Instead, he lowered the shield upon hearing his own troops begin to cheer. Cap looked again to the North, watching as a German tower crumbled onto itself like a sandcastle on the very beach beneath his feet. Brick and dust shot out of the side of it followed by a gust of fire. Steve could hardly believe his eyes, but the grin on his face was no less visible.

"THEY DID IT!", one of them cried. "SON OF A GUN, THEY ACTUALLY KICKED THAT GERMAN'S TAIL!"

This was the sign that Bucky had told him they'd give upon victory. They were alive.

How many, of course, was yet to be determined. But they were alive.

And that meant that they were going to see another fight, bringing the War even closer to the finish line.

"At ease, soldiers!", Cap shouted, looking over his shoulder. "Lieutenant Barnes and his fleet have done the hard work. Now it's up to use to clean up the mess. So let's make sure that bastard Rommell never sees the light of day!"

The soldiers gave an even louder cheer, raising their guns as they ran forth to join Captain America while he marched ahead.

He felt a hand clasp onto his shoulder, forcing him to stop.

"Captain?"

Steve spun around, seeing a familiar face greet him. But he felt the pit of his stomach immediately turn, and the hairs of the back of his neck stand on end. The figure that stood infront of him was familiar, sure, but it was one that didn't belong. The face of a blonde, hazel-eyed woman that smiled back him. A person that had never been alive in the year 1944. And one that he would never see again after 2019.

"God..."

Cap removed his helmet, his eyes widened in fear.

"Sharon?"

Sharon Carter evaporated just as quickly as she appeared, torn apart yet again by Zemo's horrid machine. Steve reached out, realizing that he had failed to grab onto her a second time. His heart stopped, and he immediately became aware of his surroundings. He wasn't in 1944, and this wasn't D-Day. As he looked back at the soldiers heading into battle, they began to evaporate too. Leaving him alone with their ghosts.

"You shouldn't have let them die."

Sharon's voice was no longer tangible as human. It was all around him. In the skies above him, in the sands. Even the seas seemed to bellow out with disgust, as Steve dropped his shield into the mud. He dropped to his knees, closing his eyes and realizing that he was hyperventilating.

"You shouldn't have let me die."

It felt as if his asthma was back. Only a thousand times worse, as though his lungs were made of lead.

"But that's all that Captain America ever was, wasn't it?"

"No..."

Steve clutched at both sides of his head, Sharon's voice becoming illuminated even further by the sudden return of the ambience of a destructive conflict.

"A harbinger of death, painted up as a symbol."

The Captain fell onto his side, trying his best to block out the voice.

"Stop..."

But it wouldn't leave.

"Please... stop..."

It would never leave.

"You failed us all."


P O S T   C A T A L O G:
N/A
In Master Bruce's Multiverse Of Madness → 6 yrs ago Forum: Character Sheets

Name: Peter Reilly Parker*
Hero Name: Spider-Man
Known Aliases: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, The Human Spider, Spidey, Wallcrawler, Webslinger, Menace
Age: 16
Powers: A genetically mutated spider transformed Peter's DNA into that of a human/arachnid hybrid, giving him the abilities proportionate to that of a spider. These powers include the ability to stick to any solid surface, superhuman strength, agility and reflexes, a biological survival sense that warns Peter of impending danger, and an organic pair of wrist spinnerets that secrete a tensile silk.

Equipment:

Spider-Suit: Put together from the ground up using salvaged bits of technology, the head-to-toe bodysuit that Peter wears in the field is based on his amateur wrestling gear, which consisted of a red jumper and a light blue hoodie. The advanced costume is designed to help Peter navigate throughout New York, easily take advantage of his ability to stick to walls, tune the mask's two-way mirror lenses to a variety of settings, and even protrude a gliding mechanism for emergencies.

Web-Shooters: Originally built as a container to house his own webbing samples for research purposes, Peter's outfitted these wrist-mounted devices to allow him to control his webbing with precision accuracy. Without them, he can still spin simple webs and traverse an area with ease. With them, however, he can pull of considerably more difficult stunts, such as catching a falling demolition crane, snatching up several criminals at once, and creating "impact webbing" - Peter's go-to for offense.

Spidey-App: Created by Peter himself, the encrypted phone application turns any common smartphone into a self-capture camera, an NYPD bulletin feed, a wi-fi based tracking device, and a low-level hacking tool. It's also capable of storing up to a terabyte of data on a private server.

Appearance:



Known Affiliations:

Uncredited Photographer for The Daily Bugle
Rotating Employment At Various Shops And Restaurants
Junior At Midtown High School

Allies

May Parker: Peter's aunt and widow to his Uncle Ben. His maternal figure and guardian.
Harry Osborn: Peter's best friend, one of the few to treat him kindly.
Gwen Stacy: Peter's neighbor since childhood, his classmate and friend.
Mary Jane Watson: Harry's girlfriend and Peter's classmate, harboring a rebellious side.
Dr. Curt Connors: Peter and Gwen's science teacher, an incredibly gifted genetic biologist that left Oscorp in disgrace following an accident that severed his arm.
Otto Octavius: Considered one of the world's leading authorities on robotics and their application in the research for clean energy sources, Otto is Peter's idol. Labelled 'Doc Ock' by the press following the Oscorp incident, the doctor is determined to rebuild his career.
Quentin Beck: A fellow classmate and kindred spirit, also frequently targeted by Flash Thompson. Peter keeps trying to help Beck out, only to be shunned by the teen's aggressively anti-social demeanor.
Felicia Hardy: Peter's classmate and longtime crush, she is virtually unaware of the timid teenager's existence - and is likely never to learn of it, given Peter's responsibilities.
Mac Gargan: Gwen's boyfriend, the high school jock with a heart of gold. Considered one of the only members of Flash Thompson's clique to accept Peter, Gwen, Harry, and MJ.
Miles Morales: A senior at Midtown, Morales regularly accepts Peter's help on science tests in exchange for helping Peter out with his own achilles' heel, history. Miles' dad used to work with Peter's uncle when they owned a small business as electricians.
Liz Allan: Flash Thompson's girlfriend, daughter of Adrian Toomes. While cold to Peter in public, she's more lukewarm when Flash isn't looking, even going as far as to befriend Gwen and MJ.
Jessica Drew: Principal of Midtown High. She genuinely cares about her students and looks to keep the peace among a growing paranoia about mutants and metahumans.

Enemies

The Chameleon: A mysterious crimelord whose use of uncanny mimicry and penchant for disguises has put him at the top of the local gangs. He can appear to be anyone, making his identity unknown.
Norman Osborn: CEO of Oscorp Industries, Harry's father and a figure of controversy. His presence alone seems to draw up more trouble than anyone Peter actively fights.
Eugene 'Flash' Thompson: Peter's rival in school, and the frequent instigator of bullying against him and the other 'nerds' of Midtown since the fourth grade. If he has any likeable qualities, they're well hidden under an oafish need to step on the little guy.
The Rhino/Alex O'Hirn: A two-bit thief, and the first recurring enemy Spider-Man ever made. Possesses an abundant strength and resistance to injury, chalked largely up to his size.
The Sandman/William Baker: Former corrupt cop turned genetic freak of nature, able to control his molecules and redistribute them in a similar method to grains of sand.
The Vulture/Adrian Toomes: Part of Oscorp's VULTURE para-glider militia, Toomes commands a team outfitted with technologically advanced armored wing-suits for the sole purpose of protecting Oscorp and it's employees.
Electro/Francine Frye: Serial killer who, along with her betrothed Max Dillon, was caught in the same accident that Sergeant Baker into The Sandman. She now possesses latent electricity-based powers and a burning need to avenge her fallen husband.
Hammerhead/Joseph Lorenzini: The Chameleon's rival, a hot tempered crime-lord with an indestructible plate surgically grafted to his skull.
Kite-Man/Charles Brown: Kite-Man. Hell yeah.
Edward 'Eddie' Brock: A relentless reporter for The Daily Bugle who, in conjunction with shock-jock J. Jonah Jameson, looks to discredit Spider-Man at every turn. Unlike Jameson, Brock holds no shred of integrity and values fame over all else.

In-Between

J. Jonah Jameson: The television host of a nightly news program, Just The Facts With J. Jonah Jameson, the loud-mouthed veteran newsman regularly criticizes superbeings and metahumans from Superman to Iron Man, and everyone in between. His newest target is Spider-Man, and judging by the ratings generated from Jameson's rants against Queens' new hero, he's unlikely to stop questioning the web-slinger's intentions anytime soon...
'Stan': A mysterious figure that keeps watch over Peter from the sidelines. A man whom he's never actually met, but seems to know a great deal about Peter's life. For now, he'll remain distant...

Who Is This Character?: Really?

List Of Reimagined Traits:

There's not much in the way of reimagination for Peter himself, so much as a remix of a couple of different versions. He's basically 616 Spider-Man mixed with Ultimate, the MCU, the Raimi films, the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon and the Insomniac Games' universe version. He's still a teenager burdened with Great Power and Great Responsibility with roughly the same origin, but he's of the year 2019.

The real change-up is how Spider-Man's origin relates to some of the villains' origins (Peter wasn't the only one affected by Oscorp's mistake) and how the supporting cast works and interacts with him. But otherwise, this is Spider-Man as purely as I can write him.

Story Overview:


Sample Post:

"Boy, there's just nothing I love more than being rained out on a swing home!"

I grumble to myself as the rain, almost as if the universe itself is sensing the wedgie building up between my soaked tights, begins pouring down to Biblical proportions over 5th Avenue. On a Wednesday afternoon. Funny enough, I checked the weather on my phone as I was leaving for work this morning. Sunny skies! Not a cloud in them! High of 87!

Now I know how the Yankees feel. Except, you know, I've probably got a better shot of winning the championship than them. Blindfolded, with one hand tied behind my back and no powers. They suck, is what I'm saying to myself. Why am I saying this to myself?

"Because I'm a sad, strange little man..."

Aunt May always tells me to think of all the best things in my life on days like this, where it's not so much raining cats and dogs as dumping entire buckets of zoos onto the rooftops ahead of me. Uncle Ben used to double down on that one with, "Son, for every rainy day in life, you get to enjoy years of sunshine."

Probably a good time to note that neither of them ever had to get into fights people who can actually control the weather, but hey, I'm just internally venting here. Poking my hand out infront of me in a vain attempt to see if it's somehow calmed in the forty seconds since I started on the Yankees analogy, I pull back my glove to look at my watch. Gwen and Harry wanted to see a movie tonight, and I said sure, as long as it's a matinee showing. Looks like someone's paying full price for sticking his foot in his mouth.

"Who am I kidding? That's practically my side career!", I say to myself, preparing to fire out a webline to brave the storm. "Eh, well. At least no matter what, I'm having a better day than Sandman."

Just as I say that, the distinct sound of an explosion rings out across Manhattan. My Spider-Sense buzzes loud enough to cause me to jump out from under my perch, somersault upwards, and land on the scaffolding above.

"I think I liked it better when the rain was my enemy..."

With alarms blaring from what appears to be the Fifth National Bank, I sigh to myself and briefly consider sending Gwen an apology text. But then I remember that I don't have my phone. Because I'm wearing wet, skintight underpants that can barely even hold spare change.

"Whelp, Parker. You wanted a change of pace from a lousy rainy afternoon."

Firing off a webline, the rain becomes something of a pelting series of windy scratches, as I soar high into the air and begin to fire another. Aunt May would be proud of me, because I am starting to think positively.

"Can't say you never get what you want."

- - -

*(Yeah, I know his middle name is Benjamin. This is a different Peter than in 616. Wanted to reflect that.)
In Master Bruce's Multiverse Of Madness → 6 yrs ago Forum: Character Sheets
Ultimate One Universe: Year One Application



Character You're Applying For: Batman/Bruce Wayne

Powers And Abilities: No physical powers, but is a master of twenty-seven martial arts, a gifted detective, and a billionaire with limitless resources that provide him with an arsenal of state-of-the-art gadgets and vehicles.

Origin And Backstory (In A Maximum Of Four Paragraphs): Born as the son of a wealthy philantropist and the head doctor of Arkham Asylum, Bruce Wayne witnessed the unthinkable whenever a mugger ended the lives of his parents on the streets of Gotham City. Suffering severe post-traumatic stress from the event, young Bruce was put under the care of legal guardian Alfred Pennyworth, who sought the treatment of Martha Wayne's dearest friend, psychologist Leslie Thompkins. Together they would act as Bruce's surrogates, trying to shield him from the ever-present public eye as he was mentally rebuilt. But despite their best efforts, Bruce would never be psychologically whole again.

Eventually fleeing the country in the middle of his senior year at Bludhaven University, Bruce travelled to the most remote areas of Asia and Europe and spent a period of ten years engaging in what he considered to be extreme trauma therapy. This soon evolved into lessons under a series of different masters that would incidentally make him an adept thief, a cunning detective, and a brutal hand-to-hand combatant. His experiences brought him closer to the criminal underworld as he began to see his own psychosis take on some of their habits - that is where he learned the nature of fear, and how powerful of a weapon it could truly become.

Under the tutilege of the legendary Ra's Al Ghul of The League Of Shadows, Bruce would learn to face his own fears in the dangerous Thogal ritual, meant to simulate a state between life and death to achieve a spirtual awakening. All that Wayne found waiting for him were shadows. Echoes of something he didn't fully understand, until he reached out - and was met by a large nest of bats, circling out of the monolithic caverns that The League operated from. But a falling out would occur whenever Bruce revealed that he held no desire to take his enemy's lives, leading to a duel between master and student that would only stop when the master's daughter forbade her father from delivering the killing blow. Exiled, Bruce travelled back to the United States at the age of 28.

Discovering that Gotham had become crippled by inner-city corruption headed by what was considered The Five Families, including mafioso Carmine Falcone, his rival Salvatore Maroni, a Siberian native that took to calling himself The Penguin, and a powerful drug lord known only as Poison Ivy, Bruce took up a mask and a series of gadgets supplied by his family's company of Waynetech and became a vigilante. But after being beaten half to death by the masked gang of sociopaths calling themselves The Royal Flush Gang, led by an individual called Red Hood, Wayne was forced to reconsider the nature of fear as he understood it. Only in a state of euphoria brought about by blood loss did he revisit his incident in the caves during Thogal, and remember the fear that overcame him when he was attacked by the bats. And so in order to strike terror into Gotham's criminals, a Bat is precisely what he would become.

What Makes This Character 'Ultimate'?: The comics, the movies, The Animated Series. The image that they conjure in your head is who he's destined to become - but for now, he's still new to everything. So his aversion to using guns, for instance, isn't exactly set in stone yet even if he still doesn't use them to kill. In addition, his psychosis is a little more unhinged, with vivid hallucinations and dreams often plaguing his waking hours whenever he's not fighting criminals, along with his violent tendencies being a little more brutal in his need to make criminals fear him. He also doesn't live in Wayne Manor or have a traditional Batcave, choosing to live in an inner-city penthouse with an underground bunker that leads out into a massive tunnel system beneath Gotham. This is Batman by way of the version Frank Miller created, if that version also produced an offspring with the Denny O'Neil and Scott Snyder versions that favor the humanistic detective. Mine sits at a happy medium.

As far as Gotham itself is concerned, virtually every supporting character is different from how they're usually portrayed. Alfred isn't Bruce's butler and is more of a proactive agent for the cause, Gordon isn't his ally in any capacity and the police almost entirely distrust Batman (The Bat-Signal still exists, but with a twist), Barbara Gordon is already paralyzed and will never become Batgirl, and Jason Todd isn't a Robin or a vigilante. The big villains are all going to be reinvented in ways that feel familiar but operate differently, aswell. And then there's the interconnected crime families, who are going to more closely resemble the warring factions of Westeros from Game Of Thrones than any previous incarnation.

Lastly, I've toned down the whole 'master of everything' element of his character. He's good at what he does, but I wouldn't call him the best ever as a fighter, or even close to the World's Greatest Detective. He's a man who learned alot of tricks that make him a force to be reckoned with against street criminals, with the cash to pick up his slack. If he were to go toe-to-toe with Daredevil, for instance, he'd probably do alright. But a fight with Captain America or Iron Man would leave him dusted fairly easily, not to mention a certain Man of Steel. And he's definitely not the brilliant strategist that makes the Batman of the comics seem almost ridiculously untouchable, with plans upon plans for every possible outcome. He's simply quick on his feet and lucky to be alive.

Supporting Characters: I'll start with his allies and leave the exact roles of his enemies as an in-game surprise.

Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's mentor and trusted field agent, among many other things. Raising Bruce from the time his parents were murdered, Alfred has overseen most of Bruce's training abroad and continues to act as his moral compass.

Captain James Gordon, Batman's relentless law-abiding rival who believes him to be a criminal. He's an honest cop and honorable man, but belives Batman to be the cause of several of the city's newest threats.

Harvey Dent, Bruce's best friend since boarding school and the city's crusading A.D.A. Unwittingly acts as an informat of Batman's through Bruce's charade as a carefree friend for Dent to vent his frustrations at.

Oracle, Batman's online accomplice whose identity even he doesn't know. In actuality, she is Barbara Gordon, the wheelchair bound teenage daughter of the Captain with a vendetta all her own.

Lucius Fox, Bruce's armorer, who outfits him with the latest in scrapped military tech. Fox also currently acts as a member of the board of directors for Wayne Enterprises, keeping an eye on it's shady business dealings with a potential buyer in the majority shares, Roman Sionis.

Jason Todd, Batman's twenty-something streetwise informant and occasional mechanic, responsible for customizing the equipment Fox provides. Known for his ability to seamlessly infiltrate the local gangs.

Leslie Thompkins, Bruce's psychiatrist and a surrogate mother who helps guide Bruce through the darkness. She also works as a doctor in Arkham Asylum, where her care is considered kinder to that of men like Jonathan Crane and Professor Hugo Strange, the Asylum's administrator.

Duke Thomas, Batman's only informant from within the GCPD. One of the few honest cops in Gordon's precinct, he nevertheless only seeks the vigilante's help in times of absolute crisis and only begrudingly feeds him information out of loyalty to Gordon.

Selina Kyle, Bruce's liason to the elite of Gotham. The daughter of crimelord Carmine Falcone, whose real alliegances are routinely questionable, she is primarily responsible for introducing the billionaire to some of the city's most powerful individuals.

A.C.E, Batman's Waynetech-provided A.I. that acts as a digital super-weapon, able to black out portions of the city, remotely control his vehicles, give him three-dimensional readouts of his surroundings, and hack into the GCPD criminal database, among many other features.

And Katherine 'Kate' Kane, Bruce's cousin and one of only a handful of blood relatives. Still a teenager, she occasionally resides in Wayne Tower to escape her militant father. She remains unaware of Bruce's double life.

Sample Post:


Post Catalogue:

Volume 1: Ninety-Six Hours

1. Signal In The Sky
2. Terrorized And Terrorizing
3. Shall We Play A Game?
4. Shot In The Dark
5. Deadly Influences
6. Motives Unclear
7. Roads Paved With Good Intentions
8. A New Player In Town
9. Allies In The Field
10. Temperate Toxicity
11. Roman's Holiday
12. Life Or Death
13. Out Of Your Element
14. A Fight You Can't Win
15. Desperate Measures
16. Rock And A Hard Place
17. Out Of Control
18. The Impressionable
19. When All's Said And Done

Volume 2: The Dark Before The Dawn

1. Second Chance
2. Matters Of Family
3. Cold Realities
4. Seeing The Light
5. Gathering Intelligences
6. Through The Mud
7. Fist Of Clay
8. Black And Blue: Part 1 (w/ AndyC)
9. Black And Blue: Part 2 (w/ AndyC)
10. Black And Blue: Part 3 (w/ AndyC)
11. Black And Blue: Part 4 (w/ AndyC)
12. Black And Blue: Part 5 (w/ AndyC)
13. Black And Blue: Part 6 (w/ AndyC)
14. Black And Blue: Part 7 (w/ AndyC)
15. Black And Blue: Part 8 (w/ AndyC)
16. Black And Blue: Finale (w/ AndyC)
17. Cards On The Table
18. The War Will Carry On
In Absolute Comics - Justice Rising → 6 yrs ago Forum: Casual Roleplay

The Journal Of Alfred J. Pennyworth
June 27th, 1947

One cannot ever properly prepare for death. The war taught me this cruel lesson in earnest. Watching friends and compatriots alike be ripped from this Earth with such precise ferocity was supposed to steel one's heart from feeling these bitter strikes at the center of my soul, and yet, here I find myself again. Answering death's call, my grief at the ready. I received a knock at the door of the Manor at 11:30 PM. A pair of uniformed officers, barely even half my age, waiting for me in the pouring rain. They tell me that they've arranged for me to be escorted into the city. Their words ringing in my ears as they've spoken of an unthinkable tragedy. Master Thomas and Lady Martha. They...

I suppose it does not do anyone any good to detail the grotesquely violent manner in which they were taken. Nor do I feel it necessary to offer my opinion of the event itself. I was, after all, not present for it. A fact of which shall haunt me until my dying day. Would I have been able to prevent it? Were the instinct to take hold, would seven years' service of training in combat medicine and the theater arts have given me some disproportionate advantage against their murderer? Perhaps not. But were it required for me to lay down my life for either party, for they were two of the finest people I shall ever know, I would have done so without question.

But the burden of my grief for their passing shall have to wait. In some small way, perhaps, the shock of their sudden removal from this life will allow me to carry on with my duties. For as important as it may be to honor the memory of the Wayne family, the tragic reality is that they are not the last of their bloodline. They left behind a son. A small, inconsolable boy whose life was just shattered amongst the rain. Carelessly taken for granted in a world where the horrors of humanity are becoming a more frequent companion to any redemptive qualities one might find.

Young Master Bruce. How I should hope that you never have to read this entry. For this night may undoubtedly be your darkest, my immense task shall be to guide you as far away from these memories as possible. Though I am neither your father or your blood relation, I owe it to your parents to try my very best. The world has such greater things in store for you than this, and when you are to come of age, I shall be comforted to see the pain of losing your family be washed away by your immeasurable success. In time, perhaps we shall even look back at this night as a faint glimmer in your life's overall story.

One could certainly dream.


Two shots ring out into the Gotham City nightscape. In a space where three individuals once stood, a boy drops to his knees and screams.

The gunman grabs the couple's valuables and flees for his life, never once daring to look back at the sobbing child's immeasurable loss. He simply wanted them to hand over some spare cash, he tells himself in between fits of panic. Why didn't they just give it to him?

He doesn't stop to question that line of thinking. He doesn't stop, period, as the sirens begin to sound off a mere block away. The police are already on his tail, and this idiot's still holding the smoking weapon. He hops a chain-link fence, lands hard, and takes off down a dark alleyway. His ankle beginning to lock up, the thug gasps for breath as he pitches the gun into a nearby open dumpster. Long as he has the cash, he can stay alive long enough to buy a new one. That's what the man wearing a sports jacket labelled "J" above the faded starting number for the Gotham Knights tells himself to remain assured that he didn't just shoot a couple of people for no good reason, that he didn't make an orphan out of some kid who never meant him any harm. That he didn't just fuck up and ruin his own damned life.

"Jesus Christ, call an ambulance! We've got a couple of gunshot victims on West 39th!"
"Over there! I think I hear footsteps..."
"He's over there! He's over there! In pursuit of suspect!"
"You two! Cut him off on the opposite alley at O'Neil Jewelers!"

The harsh barking of orders from a fedora adorned detective echoes out from behind the mugger, giving him even more reason to keep pushing past his aging body's limitations. He tosses the hat that he wore to keep his identity conspicuous, in the event that there were unexpected witnesses to his crime. He'd worked up the courage to do something like this for months, and it all seemed to go swimmingly in his mind. A pair of bodies, no kid, no police. It was supposed to be clean and simple. But he'd gotten desperate, and desperation had evaporated what was left of his patience, putting him squarely in the line of sight for Gotham's dirtiest bunch of crooks, the GCPD. He wouldn't have been surprised, he thinks, if they were on their way to collect protection money whenever they heard his two-bit 22. go off.

But that was just how it rolled. In Gotham City, you were either born as the top fish, or you always got swallowed up by the bigger one. And ever since The Roman's Holiday Massacre of 1929, the top fish in town was always the one in control of the cops. Sergio Falcone had taken a dive so that his own son could plunge the city into open chaos during one night that served as a grotesque power shift between rival factions of the mob. In alot of ways, it felt like the city would never recover from that night. And here this clown was, trying to scrape a couple of bucks off of some punk's mom and dad. He shook his head to himself, wondering how he'd ever worked up the stones to try and pull this pathetic stunt off. The amount of money he'd stuffed into his jacket was probably worth far less than this month's rent.

Just as it seemed that he'd outrun his pursuers, tires screeched out across the street infront of him. Red and blue lights shot out against the pitch black darkness, causing the crook to slide to a complete stop and stumble forward. He flailed wildly, trying to push himself up, but he heard the clicks of their weapons. He saw the slicked shoes coming towards him, and worse, he could sense even more coming his way from the rear. He was cornered, and this was over. He'd violated his parole, and this would easily send him back to the pen for life.

"FREEZE!"

"Don't even blink, asshole! We've got you pinned from all sides! Let's see those hands!"

"You're under arrest for armed robbery and double homicide! Put your hands on your head and lie forward on the ground!"

With an exasperated breath, the sweating crook complied with the officer's demands. His chin soon found itself against the pavement, and he could feel the cold steel of the officer's handcuffs snap hard against his wrists. Two sets of hands pulled him to his feet, and in a moment he'd feel particularly ashamed of later, a third officer pulled out the earnings of his crime: a measily fifty-seven dollars in cash. The criminal looked on with shock, swearing that there had been more. The way the bills were stacked, it seemed like so much more. But he'd killed two people over less than the going price of the gold necklace adorned around his neck. The criminal hung his head in shame as the officers forced him against the nearby squad car, patting him down for the murder weapon or any other unpleasant surprises.

"And so began the true end of Johnny 'The Spider' LaMonica's life..."

Mugshots from that night flash across the screen, showing the real-life Gotham City gunman that looked practically unrecognizable next to the actor that had just been shown playing him in a very dramatic re-enactment. The actual LaMonica's forehead was busted open, clearly suggesting a more violent encounter with the police than the television program had been permitted to show. Stories like this were often alot worse than they were presented as told.

"Caught dead to rights in the city's East End, LaMonica was arrested and charged with the murder of local grociers Edwin and Patrice Prewitt on October 12th, 1951. One of the more prominent couples in the city's growing community of African-American leaders of business at the start of the 30's, Edwin Prewitt and his wife were considered patron saints of the Park Row slums, with many residents portraying them as lively storytellers, eager to spin a yarn about Gotham's glory days for any customer that seemed to want to listen."

Tragically, a pair of photographs show the victims of LaMonica's crime in happier spirits, with Edwin Prewitt playing an impromptu set of drums outside the entrance of his supermarket, clearly helping out a group of street performers looking to make an honest dollar. His wife looks on, mid-laugh, as a vague tune can be heard in tandem with another set of photographs of the two together.

"It was this crime, among notable others, that led to Gotham's restructuring of Park Row as the now infamous Crime Alley. And their murderer, as identified by their grieving grandson, the sole witness at the scene, would soon face two life sentences in exchange for coldly taking the couple away in the midst of a botched robbery. LaMonica pleaded no contest, with his lawyer stating at the time that the known trigger for hire had expressed deep remorse for the senseless act, citing his inability to keep a steady job following the criminal takeover of the East End by the Falcone Crime Family as his only motive."

Grainy newsreel footage shows LaMonica, in prison stripes, being led out to an awaiting Blackgate Penitentiary escort amidst a field of reporters.

"Though speculation at the time pointed towards it being a racially motivated assault turned calculated murder, the Prewitt's grandson would later cooaborate LaMonica's version of events during an adulthood interview in retrospect. LaMonica was eventually locked away on August 3rd of the following year, leaving behind a tragic legacy that the victim's family would never be able to escape."

Unexpectedly cutting back to a panaround shot of the actor playing Johnny LaMonica in the re-enactment, now dressed in a prison uniform and sitting in an obvious television set's recreation of an interrogation room, the show keeps "LaMonica's" side profile in focus as the door opens. Two suited men enter, throwing down a lengthy file and staring the crook directly in the face. LaMonica's tired eyes, likely an effect of makeup, stare blankly at the mustached member of the pair.

"But would that be the end of The Black Spider's story? Or would this so-called 'deep remorse' act as fuel to an escalating fire within Johnny LaMonica, arguably put into this position by the very criminal factions that he used to run with?"

After a silent moment between them, the suited man nods to someone on the other side of the door to the room. In walks a third party, a member of the prison staff, carrying a massive suitcase. LaMonica looks confused, but distinctly intrigued. Something more is going on here. Something much bigger than him, it seems, as the camera focuses on the badges pinned to the suited men's lapels. The letters 'FBI' shine against the glare of the light, dramatically recontextualizing this seemingly innocuous meeting.

"He had the motive. He had nowhere to turn. And as far as the world was concerned, no one was ever going to miss a lifer that had plainly made his bed and chosen to lie in it. What if, instead of the reported hanging that would seal LaMonica's fate in the history books as a man who'd chosen to take the easy way out, The Black Spider had chosen to align himself with Uncle Sam's top men? What if the hanging was a cover-up made to conceal the fact that LaMonica had simply traded one animal moniker..."

The suitcase lands, hard, onto the table infront of him. The convict takes it with both hands, and slowly lifts open the top half, revealing contents which clearly shock LaMonica to his core.

"For another?"

The camera pans around, finally revealing what's inside the suitcase.

A fearsome, leathery black garb, seemingly extended from a mask attached to a folded cloak.

A black garb in the form of a Bat.

"I'm Waylon Jones. And tonight, we're asking Gotham City to contemplate the question that has rested on the minds of each citizen for half a century: which one of their own could have possibly been... The Batman?"

Lightning strikes, ever dramatically, across LaMonica's face as he raises the cowl to meet his own. The scene fades out to a heavily produced title card, displaying an assortment of headshots and mugshots alike across a golden banner, with the center filmstrip reading off the program's all too familiar title:



A loud cough interrupts the program just as it goes to commercial, prompting the junior member of the board of directors - who had been streaming the latest episode of Gotham's hit "reality" television show on his smartphone, while waiting for this meeting to begin - to suddenly look up and gauge the room around him. Practically everyone was either staring or side-glancing him, having noticed that he'd put in his wireless earbuds and wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention.

Adjusting his tie, nervously, the 31-year-old proceeded to remove the buds and place his phone on lock, quickly slipping it into the pocket of his suit's jacket. If his face weren't a shade of red before, it certainly was now, looking toward the far more professionally dressed woman standing at the end of the long table.

"If we could have everyone's attention before we proceed?"

The younger member of the board places his hands together, nodding silently while refusing to make eye contact. The woman merely shot him a stern look of disapproval before turning her attention towards the digital clipboard that she held firmly infront, marking down a note with the strokes of her fingertip.

"Glad to see that we're all equally as engaged. Please continue with the next phase of your pitch, Mr. Isley."

A red-headed gentleman adorned in a several-thousand dollar suit glances over his shoulder, clearly annoyed at the sudden interruption, but quickly composes himself and clears his own throat. He gestures to the image floating infront of him, projected via hologram.

"Yes, well. As I was saying, esteemed members of the board, I feel as though the next logical step for this company to take is one that evokes a more vested interest in New Gotham's economical growth than we've seen in the last decade."

Waving his hand over the hologram, Arthur Isley watches as a digitally reconstructed neighborhood of Gotham's slums becomes a theoretical haven of modern shopping, with several dummy businesses - such as a smartphone carrier, a couple of trendy restraunts, a corporately owned boutique, and a clothing store - appearing in the places of buildings seemingly abandoned and left to ruin over the years. Some eyebrows raise, while others sit intrigued.

"While these are just a few examples of the jobs we'd be creating if we pursued my initiative, imagine if we invest in enough neighborhoods to provide these spaces to prospective small business owners aswell as the local corporations. What you see here reflects a more traditional sense of systemic consumer output, but what if we could diversify the palate? What if we could actually turn one of the city's most notorious neighborhoods, affected in equal measure by crime and the impoverished conditions that have made these streets practically uninhabitable, into a more attractive lure for tourism?"

Several of the storefronts change, reflecting Isley's 'diversity' - though each new business seems to be a hollow imitation of the ones that came before it. Still, several members of the board eye eachother, clearly seeing the potential in such an investment.

"And if there's anything Gotham ever needed at this stage of it's economical lifespan, I would say tourism ranks far higher than the more steady approach we've taken in the past. While vital city resources have come to rely on us for land development, market research has suggested that the margin of tourism has dipped by over sixty-one percent ever since the implementation of Mayor Dent's Blackgate Wall."

Placing his hands together, Isley initiates the hologram's shutdown, triggering the overhead lights to come on and illuminate the room.

"Bottom line? This company's focus on reaching out to those affected by the conditions of the Mayor's strict documentation regimine for leaving the suburbs of Old Gotham is, while I can agree to be a noble cause, leaving the rest of the city to hang out to dry up in the current landscape. While we've no shortage of practical businesses operating out of the area, what we need is a firm invitation to people across the country - nay, across the world - that Gotham is once again open for business. Not just for local consumers, but to the casual market aswell."

Looking upon the room, Isley's eye darts to a seat at the very front that's been turned away from him for the entire meeting. It remains turned towards the large window overseeing the city below them, with the sunlight just barely reaching the chair's as-of-yet silent occupant. Isley raises an eyebrow, turning towards the individual members of the board.

"Are there any objections? Questions? Any feedback at all?"

While some go to speak up, evidently ready to share their own opinions, a voice of a much lower register cuts them off before any can attempt to broaden the discussion.

"This proposal is absurd."

Isley's annoyance only grows as several members of the board are caught off guard by the harshness of the older man's tone. The chair slowly spins around to meet the stewing business executive's gaze with an equal amount of contempt. Dressed in an entirely black suit with a silk tie that clearly costs more than any given part of the room itself, the elderly CEO of Wayne International remains completely, almost chillingly still as he continues to outline his displeasure.

"Gauging tourism, in my experience, has always proven to be a temporary fix for much bigger problems. And while we can certainly try and make the city seem appealing from afar, the fact remains that nobody's coming to invest their money here anytime soon. You of all people should know why, Arthur."

Isley, while clearly flustered, stands as one of the few in the room completely unintimidated by the commanding presence of the 81-year-old.

"Perhaps you'd care to enlighten us, Mr. Wayne."

Bruce Wayne sneers, slowly rising from his chair.

"While your people have been conducting market research, I've been paying more attention to the headlines. The crucial element of engaging tourists that you're missing is good publicity. And publicity for Gotham ever since Dent took office has been decidedly unkind. While most consider us to simply be bad for business, I keep hearing a common refrain used to describe the state of the city."

By the time he's fully stood, Wayne clearly stands a few inches taller than Isley, even at his advanced age. It quite literally casts a shadow over the executive, whose brow furrows when confronted with the debilitating fact.



"Dystopian."

Isley scoffs, turning towards his fellow members.

"An overexaggeration, I assure you."

"But a believable conceit in the minds of the public."

His hand gripping a polished wooden cane, Wayne begins to walk across the whole of the table as he eyes each individual member of the board himself. They're quick to pay attention, as the aging billionaire has spent a good portion of his life building up a reputation for blunt honesty, something that Isley seems to shy away from.

"The reason that Wayne International has been reaching out to the, as you call them, victims of 'documentation' is because we've devoted our resources towards helping those that are financially unable to provide the city with sustainable business. Not only those living in complete poverty, but those struggling to even stay afloat. Even if we were to cut out a swath of land for an investor with a modern sensibility, the fact remains that without the citizens of Old Gotham and New Gotham working together to provide revenue, we'd be delivering a staggeringly empty promise. In the short-term, that could be damaging. In the long-term, crippling."

Turning to meet the whole of the assembled board members, Wayne's face is only partially lit as he continues to outline why the proposal won't work. It's an image that unnerves even the stoic Arthur before the elder Wayne eventually steps forward to become fully illuminated.

"Our focus is to be dedicated to uniting both halves of a city that our Mayor has carelessly sought to divide. And as long as I'm still CEO, that's where it will remain. Vote however you wish, but I think I can safely speak for most of our stockholders when I say that Mr. Isley's proposal will solve nothing."

Arthur crosses his arms as his barely contained frustration washes over him.

"All in favor?"

A deafening silence fills the room, causing Isley to bitterly sigh.

"All opposed?"

Unanimously, the entire board raises their hands. Wayne's gaze never leaves Isley as he turns to head back to his seat.

"Meeting adjourned."

Helped back into his seat by his assistant, who hands him her clipboard while simultaneously beginning to pour him a glass of water, Wayne removes two pills from his jacket's pocket and downs them before anyone can notice. Taking a careful swig of his drink, Wayne does everything he can to hide the fact that his pulse is racing. His breathing momentarily shallow. It would be an eye-opening glimpse at a titan of industry, were anyone paying attention to anything other than the desire to leave the room and resume business.

But just as the door opens and people begin to pour out, Arthur Isley takes a few steps forward.

"And how exactly do you suggest that we unite this city, Mr. Wayne?"

"Your proposal is denied, Arthur. The meeting is over."

"But the discourse certainly isn't!"

Isley's outburst catches the attention of everyone. Wayne merely stares back.

"For months, I've been coming to this table - this same table from the same position - to do nothing but offer new ideas and expand the company beyond it's shrinking potential. And yet at every turn, you've made it your mission to cut every proposal down in it's infancy. The problem that the stockholders see with Wayne International is an inability to try something new, but you won't even let us get to that point. We're draining resources fast, and all because you tout an idealist's dream of bringing together a unified Gotham."

Isley finds himself leaning against the portion of the table directly infront of his boss, unafraid to get too close.

"You're the leader of this company. So I implore you, Mr. Wayne, to lead us. Help us understand your strategy for doing the impossible."

Bruce leans forward. "It's called faith."

Isley corrects his posture, immediately on the counter-offense.

"It's called suicide. We need to be proactive if this company's going to last into the next decade and avoid a buyout. And hoping that Mayor Dent's crime prevention initiative magically goes away along with that wall is well within the area opposite of productivity."

As the members of the board look towards their CEO, Wayne remains curiously silent.

"I realize that in your day, Gotham was an easier landscape to navigate. But we're suffocating under the conditions that you refuse to acknowledge as anything but temporary when, infact, all evidence points towards the contrary. I want to help the citizens of Old Gotham as much as you do, Bruce, but that's what the Wayne Foundation is for. And the whole of this company can't exist entirely as your charity."

Isley's tone borderlines on disrespect, but it's laced with enough truth to keep Wayne from an immediate retort. The two men clearly don't like one another, but the question of which one is ultimately right becomes more blurred as Isley speaks.

"But you and I both know that already. You also know what this is really about. So with all due respect, I'll try not to waste any more of your valuable time."

As Arthur turns to leave, finally, Wayne eventually speaks up.

"Isley..."

Arthur pauses, but doesn't bother to turn around and face his superior. He knows all too well where this discussion will lead. He's already cursing the fact that he even tried persuading the old man to see it his way. And yet the next few words still send a tremble down the spine of each lingering member of the board.

"Bruce is reserved for friends."

Seemingly lowering his shoulders in defeat, Isley gathers up his materials and wordlessly exits the room, along with the rest of the board. While Wayne's assistant personally sees to escorting Arthur out of the room, for fear of another outburst, Bruce takes another sip of water. By the time the door closes, his steely gaze gives way to a look of tired, frustrated repetition.

He made the mistake of giving up on Gotham once, years ago. And it cost him everything he held dear. The Manor. His closest friends. The remnants of the family that he built. And the other part of himself that could have fixed this - could have solved the problem before it even began.

If there's ever been a time for Bruce Wayne to remain hopeful that his city can power through the darkness, it's now. Because his days of fighting for Gotham are long since over. All he can do is sit back and allow it to try and heal itself.

Because right now, it's limping.

"Package is en route to destination. I repeat, package is en route to destination..."

A figure watches from the darkness above Gotham as two trucks cross the bridge from Arkham Island. A shipment of materials from The Arkham Institute is on it's way to the Blackgate Wall, to be delivered back where they originated: GCPD's archival warehouse. The figure has waited weeks for an opportunity to sneak into the heavily guarded facility, but he wasn't sure of how to gain entrance until a request for research materials was processed. Turns out, there was a mistake, and no doctor from Arkham had requested any of the items onboard either truck. That would be what happens when a report is electronically falsified, as the figure knows all too well. After all, he was the one that falsified it.

Perched atop two stone gargoyles, the figure briefly looks out across the Gotham skyline. He remembers, as a child, when it was brighter. The skies seemed to illuminate in a perpetual glow that cast the normally dangerous city in quite literally a safer light. But a sharp line now stands between that light and the people on the other side of the Blackgate Wall, cutting it off and leaving 'Old Gotham' in a shadowy landscape of terror and oppression.

No more, the figure thinks to himself. After tonight, everything will change.

It's been too long since Gotham's had a reason to believe again.

In hope.

In the future.

And especially in heroes.

The figure doesn't know whether he has what it takes to fill the void. But he's going to try his best, even if it kills him. And it may very well do so. Nevertheless, he positions himself firmly against the gargoyles that once were laid claim to by another man - and leaps into the night.



The first of many.
© 2007-2026
BBCode Cheatsheet