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hysterialevi · 6 years

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Lotus pt. 9 (Batjokes)

Author’s note: I wrote this chapter on a different computer, so forgive me if there are any typos as I’m not entirely used to the keyboard just yet. Hope you guys enjoy this part, and as always, thanks so much for being an amazing audience. I really appreciate the support. :)

From Waller’s POV

GCPD, COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE

“Any updates on Wayne or your agents?” Gordon asked, taking a sip of coffee. The man was finally back in his usual uniform, and the commissioner’s badge shone ever so brightly on the fabric of his coat as the steam from his mug fogged his glasses.

“They found Avesta,” I replied grimly, “but she’s been severely injured -- blinded by Wayne, apparently. As for the man himself, two of my agents are bringing him back for interrogation as we speak. I believe they just arrived, in fact.”

“Good. That bastard needs to answer for what he’s done.” the Commissioner scoffed. “Heh, bet he doesn’t feel so clever now. That’s the problem with most of these freaks. They’re too arrogant -- makes it inevitable for them to screw up eventually. Batman told me that when Riddler first attacked the Virago. I guess he was right.”

The urge to reveal the truth nearly took control of me again, and I felt terrible keeping such a secret from Gordon, but I held back and carried on the conversation, furrowing my brow in thought.

“Perhaps, but I can’t shake the feeling that this could all be a trap. Wayne practically invited us to capture him with that video, and Riddler’s water tower isn’t exactly a secret location anymore. Why would he make such a blatant move in broad daylight? Especially with the Agency and police on his tail? The only logical explanation is that he wanted us to bring him here. Either that, or he’s really just that stupid.”

Gordon tugged at his collar, not quite used to the nicotine patch yet. “Sadly, I doubt it. I’ve done research on Wayne in the past, and trust me -- the man’s much smarter than he looks.”

A third, strangely familiar voice joined in. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Curious to see who had walked in, I had to look twice when I found Agent Harrison standing next to Bruce’s old butler, Alfred, acting as if everything was perfectly normal. I gaped at him for a moment, thrown off-guard by the sudden appearance.

“...Alfred Pennyworth?” I said, glancing at Harrison for answers.

“He showed up at the water tower during our mission,” Harrison quickly replied. “Saved Blake’s life too, in fact. He’s the only reason we managed to capture Lazarus.”

I shook hands with the butler, beaming at him. “Then I owe you my thanks. Speaking of Blake, where is he?”

The agent gestured outside. “He’s taking Bruce to the interrogation room right now.”

“Great. Then I’ll head there immediately. Gordon, I’m gonna need your help with this one. I get the feeling Wayne isn’t going to give in so easily, and I’d like to have company in case the man snaps.”

Alfred stopped me. “Err -- actually, if you don’t mind, Director, I’d like to have a word with you first. Alone.”

I halted in my tracks, eager to hear what the butler had to say. “...Very well. I can spare a few minutes. Gordon, Harrison -- give us a moment, would you?”

“Of course, ma’am.” Harrison said, promptly heading out the exit as Gordon grabbed his mug and followed him. Before shutting the door, the Commissioner turned around to say one last thing.

“I’ll meet you at the interrogation room, Waller. Just lemme know when you’re ready.”

I gave him a firm nod. “Will do.”

Taking his leave, Gordon disappeared from sight while Alfred set his hunting rifle down -- as one does -- and looked at me, clearly heartbroken over what was happening. I decided to broach the subject in a more delicate manner, softening my tone.

“Forgive me for being blunt, Mr. Pennyworth, but if I recall correctly -- didn’t you leave Gotham?”

Alfred placed his hands behind his back, straightening his posture. “I did, yes.”

“What brought you back?”

The butler took a second to answer. “Well, Bruce, mainly. But also Tiffany.”

I was a bit surprised at the response. “Tiffany? You mean Agent Fox?”

“Yes, she contacted me whilst I was away, you see. Kept me updated on everything that was occurring in Gotham, including Bruce’s battle with Lotus. She informed me of every single step: Bruce’s infection, his death...” Alfred’s voice faltered slightly on that word, “and now, his resurrection. At first, I intended to stay far away from this city, but after hearing about all the heinous things Bruce has done...”

He took a calming breath, subtly clenching his fist. “...I just couldn’t ignore it. As much as it pains me to be back, Bruce is my son, Director. And I’m not a coward -- at least, I don’t want to be. Not anymore. It’s my job, as a father and a friend, to stop Bruce’s reign of terror. If you’ll allow me to help, I would gladly lend a hand.”

“I appreciate the assistance,” I told him, “but you don’t have to do this. I imagine it’s hard enough to watch Bruce lose his mind. I won’t force you to fight your own family as well.”

Alfred persisted. “No one’s forcing anybody. Consider accepting my help as repayment for saving your agent’s life.”

“About that,” I pointed out, “how did you find my agents?”

He walked me through the process like it was nothing. “To be frank, I was actually searching for Bruce originally. I pinpointed his location at the water tower using the Batcomputer, and once I heard that one of your agents had gone missing -- I put two and two together. Something was clearly wrong, so I jumped in to help.”

I chuckled. “I can certainly see where Bruce gets his skills from. I kind of wish he had less. Well...all right. If you’re sure about it, both the Agency and the GCPD would happily welcome your aid.”

“I am.”

I flashed a smile. “Then it’s settled. If we ever have a problem we need solving that requires your expertise, you’ll be the first one to know.”

Alfred returned the smile. “Thank you, Director. The last thing I want for Bruce is to be locked away in a padded cell, but I can’t bear to watch anymore people get hurt, or see Bruce betray his code.”

“...You heard what he said at the address?” I asked.

“About killing Batman? I did.” Alfred’s head drooped in sorrow, staring at the floor. “...I won’t lie, Director. This war against ‘Lazarus’ is going to be a punishing one, indeed. Much like yourself, Bruce is a powerful ally, and an even more dangerous enemy. If we want to avoid anymore death, we’ll have to finish this as quickly as possible.”

Wandering over to the door, I opened it and gestured for Alfred to follow, taking him to Bruce. “Then let’s head down and speak to Lazarus himself. I imagine he has a thing or two to say.”

From Bruce’s POV

Fluttering my eyes open, I found myself sitting in what appeared to be an Agency vehicle, and I could feel handcuffs scraping at my wrists. The car was currently stopped in front of GCPD, and leading up all the way to the front door, I saw police officers patrolling the area around it, ready to detain me in case I tried to bolt. Little did they know, the only reason they managed to capture me in the first place...was because I let them.

Disturbing the silence, an agent suddenly yanked the car’s door open and ordered me to get out, their tone rough with rage. It was Agent Blake. I smirked at him, calmly stepping out of the vehicle.

“Such a gentleman.”

Blake’s expression flattened with annoyance as he firmly held onto my arm, guiding me to the police station.

“And here I was hoping you’d invoke your right to silence.”

“No,” I said dramatically, “...I’ve been silent for far too long.”

Shoving me up the short staircase that led into the precinct, Blake dragged me through the double-doors and practically hurled me inside, grabbing the attention of all the other police officers as I was taken to the interrogation room.

All throughout the corridor, cops and agents alike both glared at me with despair in their eyes, almost as if asking me “why.” Some of them even refused to look at me, and as I was paraded through the halls, I could feel their intense gazes nailing onto my back. I glanced at Blake, whispering something in his ear.

“Well done, Blake. You’ve captured the most wanted man in Gotham on the very same day he earned that title. You must be proud.”

He grimaced. “This has nothing to do with pride, Lazarus. I’m just making sure you get the justice you deserve.”

I chuckled at that, afterwards letting out a disappointed sigh.

“Oh...you remind me of myself, not too long ago. A little boy who was naive enough to believe the world would reward him for his good deeds. Instead though, all he got in return was betrayal.”

Blake said nothing in return, and so I continued.

“It’s remarkable, how fast people can change, isn’t it...? Just yesterday, your beautiful Avesta was able to see all the light in the world, no matter how much the shadows threatened to consume it. Now though...she sees nothing but shadows. And her last memory of the world will forever be me, holding a knife up to her face as she begs for mercy. Tell me, how does that make you feel, Blake?”

“Just shut up!” He demanded in a hushed tone. “You’re lucky the Director wanted you alive. Otherwise, you'd be in a body bag by now.”

I gave him a warning look, refraining myself from smiling. “Careful, Blake. That fire inside you...it’s the same one I carry. Fan it too much, and you might hurt yourself.”

He shook his head. “You and I are nothing alike.”

“No?” I questioned. “Whether a flame is red or blue, it still burns, doesn’t it? I keep telling you people, that’s the universe playing with us. It manipulates you into thinking that just because you act with the law, it means everything you do is for the greater good. Why don’t you keep that in mind, the next time you kill a man who fights for the same reason. You’d be surprised how much different types of people have in common.”

INTERROGATION ROOM

Waiting in the dimly lit room, I remained handcuffed in a metal chair as distant footsteps approached from down the hall, heading in my direction. This was the same room where Montoya was interrogated after killing Falcone a year ago, and I couldn’t deny that my heart ached slightly at the thought of Harvey.

Mayor Dent was just another prime example of me giving everything to this city, and then having it thrown back in my face as a reward. I supported his campaign to reshape Gotham for the better, fought against corrupt pigs like Hill, and even helped him with his personal life, only to watch my friend lose his mind and end up in Arkham Asylum.

I guessed the same thing was happening to me now. Except this time, I wouldn’t rot away in some dark cell. Either Gotham would burn to the ground by my hand, or I would burn with it.

Slamming the doors open, Waller suddenly marched into the room alongside Gordon while some other agents gathered behind a window on the wall, observing the interrogation. Among them, I spotted Agents Blake, Harrison, and--

...No, I thought to myself. It was impossible. Was that...was that Alfred? What was that traitor doing here? When did he even return?

Wait a minute. During my fight with Blake, I remembered someone shooting me...but the bullet didn’t come from an Agency pistol, did it? No, it must’ve been from a rifle.

A pang of realization hit me.

Alfred was the one who shot me, wasn’t he? Not only did that bastard abandon me, he had come back to finish the job. Well, the old man certainly had guts -- I’d give him that -- but he was going to regret ever setting foot in Gotham again. I remembered every crime committed against me, and I certainly hadn’t forgotten his. Batman may have been dead, but that didn’t mean justice was.

Pretending not to see Alfred for the moment, I focused my attention on Waller and Gordon, giving them a lazy grin as I relaxed in the chair.

“So, a couple hundred deaths is all it took to get you two working together, huh? About damn time. What’s the mustache doing here?”

“He’s been reinstated,” Waller said sternly, crossing her arms. “In other words, We’re no longer fighting by ourselves.”

I smirked. “Good to know. I like a bit of variety when it comes to my targets. You get bored of going after the same kinds of people. That’s why Batman will always be my most memorable kill.”

The color in Gordon’s face drained a little at that, and I could’ve sworn I saw him gulp.

“I know it’s difficult to process,” I said somberly. “Batman was actually a close friend of mine too, you know? I used to look up to the vigilante, in fact. Did everything I could to become like him, growing up. But it was never enough. The crime in Gotham was relentless, and Batman looked at it all wrong.”

“What are you talking about?” Gordon barked, sounding defensive.

A more vengeful mood took hold of me, and I glared at the Commissioner.

“Look around you, Gordon. There are no such things as heroes or villains in this city. There is no good or evil. Gotham...is the evil, and I’m doing the rest of the world a favor by wiping it off the goddamn map!”

“Enough!” Waller pounded her fist on the table, causing Gordon to back off a bit. “You mentioned you had bombs hidden all over the city earlier. Where are they? Where are you keeping them?”

A light chuckle escaped me. “Oh, but that defeats the whole point of the search, Director. You can’t just expect the world to hand you things for free. Hell, it hardly hands you anything even when you pay.”

Gordon scoffed. “As if a billionaire like you would know what it means to pay.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Oh, I wasn’t talking about money, Commissioner, but nice to see you’re still involved in the interrogation. For a moment there, I thought you were actually letting Waller take the wheel. Now wouldn’t that be a twist? But I suppose that wouldn’t be the only twist today, would it?”

Springing up from my chair, the sudden movement made Waller and Gordon jump as I lurked towards the window, staring straight through the glass and directly at Alfred with a deathly gaze.

“Isn’t that right...Alfred?” I snarled, almost sounding feral. “What, have you finally come back to fix your mistake?”

The butler gave me a melancholic look. “You are anything but a mistake, Bruce. You are my son.”

Taking a step backwards, I laughed at the statement.

“Your son? Pfft. I wasn’t aware that a father was supposed to abandon his child, but...you’re right, Al. You’re right. None of this is a mistake. All of this is meant to be...”

Stealthily slipping a Phalanx Key out of my back pocket, I positioned my finger over the button and spun around to face Waller, amused at her bewildered expression.

“I gave you the chance to leave Gotham without any bloodshed, Director, but you refused to take it. Now...you’ll pay the price. By tomorrow, this entire city will be under my control...and guess what? There’s shit you can do to stop it.”

Activating the key, an alarm instantly began to wail throughout the station as red lights flashed on the walls, alerting the officers of a security breach. Blake cursed from behind the window, obviously noticing what I had just done.

“Oh, shit!”

Waller’s eyes practically bulged out their sockets.

“What is it?!” She yelled. “What just happened?”

“This was a trap!” Blake exclaimed. “He just unlocked Bane’s cell! He’s broken free!”

Listening closely through the door’s thick material, I could already hear Bane’s signature roar rumbling not too far away from me as the beast made a beeline for the interrogation room, ripping apart everything in his path. Panicked shrieks and agonized gurgles filled the corridors, and the havoc made my heart race with excitement.

“You know Bane’s favorite saying, Director,” I recited as the colossal man approached. “A man cannot win a war alone.”

Smashing the room’s doors down as if they were paper, Bane barged through the wall and sent debris flying everywhere, shattering the observation window with a sharp crack.

Gordon and Waller tried to put the monstrosity down on their own, but before they could even fire a shot, Bane had already flung them to the side like rag-dolls, hurling them against the walls just as he did to Batman.

“Perfect timing, Bane.” I praised him, remaining seated. He stomped over and tore my handcuffs apart with a single tug, setting me free.

Stretching my arms and neck for a second, I reached down and snatched Gordon’s gun from his belt before sauntering towards the room’s exit with Bane, the two of us prowling outside to raise some hell as the alarms continued to blare.

“Let’s get to work.”

From John’s POV

GCPD

“What’s that noise?” Willy asked me, peering through the car’s windshield. I shushed him, observing the police station.

“It’s an alarm, you idiot! It means something’s gone wrong. ...Wait, you don’t think it could be because of Bruce, do you? What if he already escaped on his own? I wouldn’t be surprised. That guy’s always two steps ahead.”

“Uhh, I think he did, boss,” Frank suggested, pointing at a peculiar man who was hijacking a car. “Either that, or that guy looks identical to Bruce.”

Following Frank’s line of sight, I squinted my eyes and examined the escapee’s face, instantly recognizing his marred skin and sleek, black hair. It looked like Bane was in his company, and the two of them were working together, but he didn’t join Bruce in the car. Instead, Bane fled in his own direction -- probably to divert the cops -- and his partner started the vehicle.

“IT’S HIM!” I shouted ecstatically, taking hold of the steering wheel and gearshift. “Hold on, fellas! This is about to be one heck of a ride! AHAHA!”

Flooring my foot on the gas, I sent the car soaring as Bruce took off like a bat out of hell, leaving skid marks behind him while a number of policemen attempted to keep up with his speed. There was no way I’d be able to catch Bruce for myself at this rate, and the cops were only going to be a hinderance for both of us.

Reaching behind me, I grabbed my machine gun and shoved it into Willy’s hands, pointing at the police cars.

“Goddamn cops...shoot them, Willy! Get ‘em off of Bruce’s tail! I’ll focus on catching up to him!”

Nearly levitating off the road, I avidly chased after Bruce like a homing missile and gradually gained on him, trying my best to corner him somehow as Willy fired at the cops. To help out a bit, I occasionally rammed the side of the vehicle against theirs, causing them to swerve into streetlights and buildings as civilians threw themselves out of the way.

“This better be worth it!” I groaned. “That was a beautiful paint job!”

Speeding up a little, I sent the car blazing over the street’s surface and mentally targeted Bruce with crosshairs, sliding opening the sun roof in advance.

“Whoa--” Frank blurted out, “--what’re you doin’, boss?!”

“Doing your job for you,” I retorted, taking out my grapple gun. “But don’t worry about me, kids. I learned from the best!”

Continuing to race after Bruce, I kept him in my sights while Willy finished off the last of the police, clearing the road for me. There were explosions blowing up left and right around us, and it looked like something you’d see in a movie. Despite all the damage we were dealing to my car though, I couldn’t help but be exhilarated by the pandemonium. It was the perfect type of mayhem, and the commotion only motivated me further.

“...Almost there...” I mumbled through bared teeth. With the cops gone, it was just me and Bruce now, zooming through Gotham’s streets like a pair of madmen as the distance closed between us. Though, I guessed that’s exactly what we were.

“...Almost gotcha...”

Driving as fast as I could, the outside view flashed into a blur while I bolted by, closing in on Bruce. Our bumpers were nearly touching at this point, and up ahead, I saw a secluded alleyway coming into view. This was the perfect spot to confront him. I aimed the grapple gun upwards.

“...NOW!”

Slamming down on the brakes, I came to a screeching halt and ejected myself through the top like Batman, landing right onto the top of Bruce’s car.

For a moment, the man swerved in confusion and poked his head out the window before noticing me, causing him to try and shake me off. I managed to latch on even with all the erratic movement for quite a while, and when Bruce realized I wasn’t going away, he drifted into a complete stop, slingshotting me forwards.

Crashing to the ground like an injured pigeon, I fell with a clumsy “oof!” and squashed face-down into the pavement directly next to a dumpster, letting out a pained groan.

“...Eeuugghh...” I moaned, struggling to get up, “...who the hell taught you to drive...?”

After taking a second to catch my breath, I weakly rolled over and found an extremely pissed-off Bruce towering above me, his sharp eyes almost sizzling with anger.

“Hey,” I said defensively, “I tried my best, okay?”

The other man wasted no time in hauling me into the air by the neck, gripping furiously tight.

“Why are you following me?” He questioned austerely.

“What d’you mean? Why wouldn’t I? You’re my best enemy, Bruce, and I’m the villain of your dreams! We were meant to be! You can’t keep arch-enemies like us apart...! It just...wouldn’t make any sense. After all, the caped vigilante needs someone to fight, even if you’ve declared him dead.”

“I didn’t declare Batman dead,” he corrected. “People like you murdered him!”

He rammed me into the ground, pinning me down with his own weight. “You infected me! You put this...poison inside me! Everything I’ve ever fought for, everyone I’ve ever loved -- it’s all lost because of you!”

I held up my hands protectively.

“In my defense, I never meant for this to happen, Bruce. It’s just -- you hurt me real bad on the bridge with your betrayal, y’know. I only wanted you to feel my pain. I wanted to...to be loved by you. Harley putting a ding in your gas mask was never part of the plan! The last thing I wanted was to infect my best buddy, and I...I was heartbroken when they said you died, Bruce. Really.”

Bruce released his grip on my neck, throwing my head down. “I don’t care what you meant. I would’ve given you everything, John. Anything you wanted -- I would’ve done whatever it took to make you happy. But instead, you took my love and twisted it into something ugly and wrong...!”

I blinked away some tears, desperately looking up at him.

“...Ugly? Wrong? B-But I thought -- I thought I was your light outside of Arkham.”

Bruce froze at that statement, and for the first time in forever, a spark of warmth ignited within his dead stare. He stumbled over his words, completely thrown off-guard.

“...w-what? How do you...how do you know about...”

I gave him a genuine smile, my heart floating with contentment. “The music box, Bruce. I saw it. Read the inscription, listened to the melody...the whole shebang. I keep it in a very special place in my office now -- right next to your doll -- and I play the music all day long. It truly is...beautiful. It calms me down when things get too stressful, and it also gives me company when...when I get lonely.”

Bruce seemed puzzled. “...Lonely? Don’t you have Harley?”

My lips sank into a frown. “Well...yeah, but she doesn’t care about me the same way you do. She only cares if there’s something in it for her. You though...you stood up to the Director of the Agency herself when she tried to shoot me. No one’s ever stuck their neck out like that for me before. No one. It’s why I can’t let you go. It’s why...I love you, Bruce.”

He appeared entirely paralyzed at the confession and remained motionless, unsure of how to react. There was distress written all over his face, and for just a split-second, I saw the old Bruce come out as he gazed at me longingly, acting as if he were about to say he loved me in return.

Did he still feel the same way about me as he did before Lotus came along? I mean, if the Riddler could remember his past after all those years, surely there had to be something of the old Bruce left in there, right? It had only been what, a few days? It would be impossible for a bond as strong as ours to just...vanish that quickly. I mindlessly held my breath, anxiously waiting for a response.

Before Bruce could utter a word however, police sirens cried in the distance and interrupted our talk, leading Bruce to shift back into Lazarus as he took one last look at me, preparing to flee.

“...Don’t follow me again,” he demanded, “or I will kill you the next time we meet.”

Bolting out of sight, Lazarus disappeared in the dark alleyways as I stayed on the pavement, trying to wrap my head around what just happened.

What was that? Was Bruce about to say he loved me too? For a while there, it actually looked like he had gone back to his old self, and I could almost see the same, compassionate Bruce I met at Lucius’ funeral...up until the police showed up.

I just wished we could’ve had more time to talk. These days, it felt like Bruce was always running away from me, and I couldn’t deny that I was annoyed by it.

He couldn’t just get a music box like that, and then pretend not to love me! The man had been dropping hints ever since we met that he wanted to take our relationship further, for god’s sake. Why was he avoiding me like the plague now? As much as I enjoyed Bruce’s complex nature, this isn’t how I wanted things to play out.

I guessed the best way to find Bruce now was to go after Bane. I didn’t know what the two of them had in common, and frankly, it was kind of insulting that they had a more stable friendship than we did. But if tracking down that beast meant getting to be around the love of my life, I was ready to do anything.

Death itself couldn’t keep Bruce away from me, and Waller certainly wasn’t going to succeed. That woman had screwed this city over for long enough. If anyone was going to take her down, it was going to be me.

Hurriedly pulling up to my side, Willy stepped out of the scraped car and called for me to get back in, his voice pumped with adrenaline.

“Boss! The cops are coming. We need to go!”

Slowly rising from the rough ground, I patted myself clean and sulked towards the vehicle, hanging my head low out of heartbreak.

“Is everything okay, Mr. Johnny?” Willy checked. “Where’s Bruce?”

I glanced back at the police car Bruce used to escape and clenched my jaw, my nose crinkling in anger as my face heated up.

“That’s exactly what I’m about to find out...whether he likes it or not. He’s doing everything he can to break the stitch, but I’m not letting him go. Not after all we’ve been through. Not without a fight.”

#telltale games #telltale batman #the enemy within #bruce wayne #john doe #joker #batjokes #fanfic #story #lotus

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