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See No Evil: Falling Pieces (ch. 65)
🕑 Added 2021-11-03 14:56:55 +0000 UTCThe Joker's death didn't magically unfuck Gotham, but it removed one major obstacle to get the job done. The Justice League reassured the world that the Joker was dead. For good and forever this time. That the other shoe wouldn't be getting dropped. Who had killed the Joker was a subject of fierce debate as the No Man's Act in Gotham was repealed by the US Government.
People guessed it was Batman. Or Robin. Or the Justice League. There were as many guesses as there were people in Gotham. But, if Jason Todd has to say who most people suspected, it would be Vergil St. Jude. And despite the heroes reassuring the public… they all knew that deep down, they knew who to thank.
Jason sat on a gargoyle in what was left of downtown Gotham. His favorite one. It lacked a name, but the fact that it remained while all the other gargoyles had crumbled in the quake told Jason he had excellent taste in picking out quality friends. For a month, Gotham was dead. Nothing but ruins acting as its corpse while a still-beating heart thumped beneath in Lowtown.
Now, a week after the death of the Joker, Gotham's corpse was being resurrected. The streets were being slotted in place, buildings were being torn down as often as they were being rebuilt. As far as Jason could see down the blocks of Gotham, he saw signs of construction work on every building. An SE logo on the back of their uniforms. SE trucks delivering supplies. SE owned buildings going up.
"Come on, let's get you out of here before someone breaks you," Jason patted his favorite Gargoyle on the back of its head. The building that it called home was slated for demolition later today. Time was short for the rescue mission that he was on.
"Here to help! Here to help!" Came the cries of those behind him -- Jason glanced over his shoulder at the Haros that he had purchased. All of them had been extensively modified to increase the power of their anti-gravity tech. There were over a dozen of them bouncing in place, flapping their wings in excitement as they chanted.
"Alright. Careful with him, he's pretty much my best friend," Jason said as the Haros mobilized.
"Helping! Helping!" They cheered, airbags emerging from their shells that they used to preemptively brace against the gargoyle. Jason stepped back as he took out a laser pen to start cutting away at the stone platform the gargoyle was on. A quick snip was all it took, and once it's base was free, Jason pushed against it, his calves straining for a moment before the gargoyle began to give way.
It soon reached the point of no return, and the gargoyle slid over the edge of the building with no hesitation. For a split second, the gargoyle dropped like the three hundred pounds of stone that it was, only for the Haros supporting it to rise up with chants of, "Strong! Strong!"
"Yeah, you guys are. You know where to put him," Jason said, giving them the coordinates for a remote drop-off. He would go himself, but… he had to deal with the moron that thought he was going to get the drop on him. The Haros continued to chant as they flew above the renewed Gotham, letting Jason turn around and give his full attention to the man behind him.
Nightwing offered a smirk, clearly amused and, despite it all, Jason found himself smirking back. "If you needed help for a rescue mission, I would have volunteered," Dick pointed out, abandoning his perch on the rooftop above him and leaping down to the ledge where Jason was with casual ease.
Things had changed a lot over the past couple of months. If you asked him a year ago, he would have rather pulled out every tooth in his mouth than say a single kind word about Dick Grayson. But, now… him and Dick were alright. Maybe even a little better than alright. It was hard to gauge when exactly Jason's opinion on his predecessor had begun to change, but if Jason had to guess, it would have been around his failed attempt to flee to Africa.
Things had been bad. Really bad. It was like no one could so much as breathe back in the Wayne manor without someone starting a screaming match.
But, Dick had his back the entire time. Regardless of how much shit he gave him for it.
"I figured you would still be asleep like you have been for a week now," Jason pointed out as Dick took a seat on the edge of the building, taking in the early morning sun. He found himself taking a seat next to him.
"I should still be asleep. So should you," Dick pointed out, and as if to prove his point, Dick yawned, then fucking infected him with it so he yawned too. "We had a rough month."
They did. Weeks of no sleep. Of constant focus. Of the bruises and scrapes adding up until life became a constant ache simply because there was no time to stop and rest. When Jason had peeled off his Robin costume on the final day of No Man's Land, he had more bruises than clear skin. Everyone had been like that. Even Superboy hadn't walked away from No Man's Land without taking a few licks.
That wasn't to mean that they had stopped doing what they did. The world was a lot bigger than Gotham, after all. But, for those that had been on the line since the start, they were currently getting the closest thing to a vacation Jason had ever had since becoming Robin.
"I was fine after sleeping through the first day. I get antsy doing nothing at the Manor," Jason admitted. The vacation hadn't been mandatory by any means, but it was highly encouraged. To decompress, the Justice League said. He understood what they meant, but boredom was the mind-killer.
Dick looked out at the city, "Nothing's going to be the same, Robin. But that doesn't mean everything has to change." Jason twitched when he heard that, mostly annoyed that Dick had managed to see through him so easily.
"Feels like everything has changed," Jason muttered, earning a clap on the back from Dick. Things changing was normal. If anything, it's why they put on tights every night to punch bad guys -- all for the hope that one day the ball would get enough momentum to finally start rolling, so there wouldn't need to be a Batman and Robin. However, that day came sooner than Jason ever expected. Honestly, he doubted it would actually ever come, so when it did, it caught him completely by surprise.
The fact that Batman wasn't the one that got the ball rolling was another surprise.
Jason looked off in the direction of the building that now dominated the skyline of Gotham city. The Sainthood Enterprises building was still under construction, but Vergil was aiming to shatter the record for the world's tallest skyscraper. A declaration of intent, just as much as demolishing the Wayne tower had been.
"Gotham City has a new prince," Jason pointed out. Though, honestly, Vergil was more like a King, and Gotham became his fief. He owned more than half of Gotham, even more if you counted Lowtown. And even the parts that he didn't own were being constructed by him -- after the quake, Vergil had been rebuilding almost instantly after. The parts that he built after No Man's Land ended… people wanted them.
Brick and mortar that self repaired. Bulletproof walls and windows. Temperature control that could keep you at a cool seventy degrees in the hotess Gotham summer or its coldest winter. The fact it was all completely powered by green energy was just icing on the cake. Tack on that Vergil was willing to build for dog shit rates, and it sealed the deal.
"He's not dead, you know," Dick pointed out. "And Wayne Enterprises is hardly bankrupt. He and Vergil are the two biggest landholders in Gotham." He said the words, but Jason could tell that Dick's heart wasn't in it. Simply because he knew there was a lot more to it than that.
What made Bruce Wayne the prince of Gotham was how much he gave to the city. He donated so much to charity that Jason honestly wondered how in the fuck Wayne Enterprises wasn't bankrupt. When you added all the support programs -- like covering college tuition for every employee, family support programs, supporting the police financially with top-of-the-line equipment… to say nothing of what he gave to the Justice League and the Team. Some poor accountant would fucking cry if they ever got a full look at Wayne Enterprises' financial records.
Regardless, Vergil had eclipsed Bruce Wayne in the public eye. People only recalled the last three things you did for them and Vergil made sure to leave an impression.
And Jason had helped him do it.
"Come on," Dick said, standing up. "It's time we head back," he said, earning a nod from Jason. Jason took out his grappling hook and fired it -- one thing he wasn't looking forward to was relearning angles to swing through the city. But, for now, he savored the feeling of the wind in his hair as he and Dick made their way back home.
…
"Master Jason, Master Richard," Alfred Pennyworth, the Wayne family butler, greeted them as they entered into the Batcave. Alfred looked as prim and proper as always, almost as if the past month had all been business as usual. "Shall I prepare breakfast?" he questioned, choosing to not remark about their irregular patrol. Or the gargoyle that found itself added to the Batcave's impressive collection of junk -- from a giant penny to a T-Rex. The gargoyle wouldn't stand out in the slightest.
"Thank you, Alfred. It's going to be a long day. Will Bruce join us?" Dick asked hopefully as Jason entered deeper into the cave. It was a home away from home. Jason couldn't even guess the number of hours he had spent down here. Which is why when something was missing, it was obvious.
He approached the main floor, looking at the back wall of the cave. And, no matter how many times he saw it, it never got less weird. Just like coming back home to find that the TV had been stolen while you were out.
The Batcomputer was gone. It had vanished a week ago.
Jason had a suspect in mind. He suspected that everyone else had the same suspect at the top of their list too, but no action was being taken over it.
"I am afraid not, Master Richard," Alfred said with audible disappointment. "It would seem Master Bruce still has a great deal on his mind. I believe it would be best to let him think it through."
Dick sighed as he nodded, probably already expecting that. Jason crushed the guilt that he felt welling up inside. He… felt like shit for his part in what went down. Almost as if he had stabbed Batman in the back. It wasn't a good feeling. But, as soon as he started to feel that way, he reminded himself of the cold hard facts. That it was the best way to defeat the Joker and ensure that he wouldn't have a chance for any more last laughs.
If Batman had been in on the plan, he would have approved of it.
But, that fact was a little hard to swallow when Bruce hadn't… recovered. Physically, he was fine. He was brought back from the dead with no issue. Mentally, however… Bruce had been quiet. Quieter than normal, even for him. He was constantly distracted to the point he shut himself off in his bedroom and hadn't come out for over a day.
It sucked. Old fears pulled at the back of his mind, but…
"Jason, are you feeling pancakes?" Dick questioned, making him wrinkle his nose.
"We've had pancakes three days in a row. Dick, if you want syrup so bad, then just go grab a straw," Jason retorted indignantly. Dick's sweet tooth was way out of control.
"Don't give him any ideas, Jason," Jason heard Barbara say as she came down the steps from the Manor. She was dressed in slacks and a white dress shirt, the badge she got from her father still at her hip.
Dick sighed, "You know, I think I liked things better when everyone picked on Jason." he said, throwing his hands up like the drama queen he was.
Jason smirked and made to flip Dick off, only to abort the gesture when Alfred cocked an eyebrow at him. However, Jason didn't miss the pleased smile on the older man's face. Jason knew why -- he knew himself well enough to know a remark like that would have set him off, before. He would have taken it as an attack, and defended himself with his best verbal offense.
"What brings you here, Barb?" Jason asked, earning a sigh from the redhead. She had been bouncing between the police and the manor. Jason didn’t think she had visited her house at all in the past week. She definitely got that from her dad. Barbara finished walking down the steps, sparing a smile for Alfred, before she looked sadly at the missing Batcomputer.
“I was hoping to talk to Bruce about something,” she said, getting her answer about the odds of that happening from their expressions. “Right. Well, regardless, we need to do something about the Batcmputer. My systems can handle the workload, but it’s a temporary measure at best. The Batcomputer is too important to leave unreplaced.” she said, crossing her arms.
Dick spared both of them a glance, “Should we go check Vergil’s lost and found?” he questioned, voicing their most likely suspect for who stole it. After all, the timing was a little too perfect for it to be anything else.
And Vergil was one of the few people that knew where to find the Batcomputer.
“Already on it, but Vergil came back… clean probably isn’t the right word, but he’s not guilty of this,” Barbara answered, a sigh in her voice. That caught everyone’s attention. It sounded like she had the culprit in hand. “We combed through his channels, his back channels, and his back back channels. We had Megan in his head for a week straight and all we got is more details about his sex life than I ever wanted.”
“That, and that he stole Cobbelpot’s fortune,” Dick pointed out. Vergil had tipped his hand with No Man’s Land -- he simply was spending too much money on buying and rebuilding the city to possibly be covered by some guys whaling over 2D tits. Hundreds of millions of dollars were being spent on rebuilding Gotham. Sainthood Enterprises was doing pretty well, but not that well. Vergil was pulling money from thin air.
There was no solid evidence for it, but there was enough circumstantial evidence to paint the picture of Vergil edging out the Penguin and seizing his treasury for himself. After all, the Penguin hadn’t been seen since before No Man’s Land, and prior to that, a number of his vaults were discovered and seized by the police. Which were now missing along with the Penguin. They had bigger concerns than keeping tabs on the Penguin, but there wasn’t anything on the various escape methods that Penguin had prepared if he ever had to flee the city.
Though, the Penguin might have sensed that his time in Gotham was up. However, Jason couldn’t imagine that there was a timeline where Penguin would have left his fortune to Vergil.
“It’s likely,” Barbara conceded the point, "But I think we have to be rational about this. Whether he stole the Penguin's fortune is a nonissue. What he's done with the money matters more than how he got it in this case." She was sticking up for Vergil. That… wasn't really something that Jason saw coming.
Dick crossed his arms and sighed, "I think we're ignoring the elephant in the room. If Vergil did steal the Batcomputer, it means he knows who we are. In and out of costume." he pointed out, his tone grim.
Jason fought off the urge to shuffle his feet. Vergil did know who they were. Jason learned that when Vergil reached out to Jason Todd about talking to Dr. Fate. He had gotten an answer about it too.
When he had fled to Africa, it coincided with the absence of Batman and Robin. Vergil said that was the final piece of the puzzle for him that made him certain that Bruce Wayne and Jason Todd were Batman and Robin. Meaning that he had tipped off Vergil to their secret identities. Yet, that was a secret that he had kept close to his chest.
"I don't think we can really trust Vergil, but… I think we can rely on him, you know?" Jason voiced his opinion. "If he knows or not, I don't think it actually matters for us. Vergil's a dick, but he's gone on record fighting for heroes."
Dick gave him an evaluating look, while Barbara nodded in agreement before she let out a sigh. "It's Catwoman all over again," she voiced, earning a chuckle from Dick.
"Should I be worried about you trying to seduce him to the light side?" Dick asked with a flirty grin, earning a smirk right back.
"Maybe. You're about six date nights behind schedule, Dick," Barbara remarked, making Jason roll his eyes. Their flirting was the absolute worst. They shared a chuckle for a moment before it quickly died down, the seriousness of the situation settling back in. "It's not really our call, but as far as I can tell, Vergil does more good than harm. I agree with Jason -- we don't trust him with any of our secrets, but that doesn't mean we treat him like an enemy."
Dick's lips thinned at that, but he adopted that same expression that he usually wore when he was shifting into 'mission mode.' "We need to tread carefully around him, and we don't give him an inch. But, you two are right. At this point, treating him like an enemy will ensure that he becomes one. It's not our call, but I'll pass on my recommendation for our course of action."
Which practically meant that the League would do what Dick said. They were practically wrapped around his little finger. A fact that used to infuriate him, but now Jason just saw it as convenient.
"Breakfast is ready. Do remember the rule of no costumes at the dinner table," Alfred's voice rang out through the intercom, interrupting them. Jason wasted no time stripping down and getting dressed in a pair of sweats before racing up the stairs to get to the dinner table. Dick appeared a second later and turned it into an impromptu race, and Jason was reminded why he fucking hated being short.
"Beat ya'," Dick teased, earning a scowl from Jason.
"Because you're a genetic freak with stupidly long legs," Jason retorted as Dick slammed through the dining-room door, and stopped so suddenly that Jason nearly ran into him. Jason opened his mouth to say something rude, only for words to fail him when he saw the cause. For a moment, Jason didn't know what to do.
Bruce was sitting at the dinner table. He looked at them, Barbara already seated by him. How the hell had she beaten them here? "Boys, take a seat. I think we need to have an overdue talk," he said, his tone calm and clinical. Jason nodded before he started to approach. Deep down, he knew what this talk was going to be about. He felt it coming since the second death of the Joker.
Jason and Dick sat down wordlessly, watching Bruce as he nursed a cup of coffee in his large hands. Then he set it down, the small sound of the cup hitting the saucer underneath as deafening as an explosion. The kitchen was silent as they waited for him to begin.
"I nearly murdered the Joker," he began, his voice quiet and calm. Alfred’s face tightened at that, and they all already knew as much, but they hadn't seen it like Jason had. "The only thing that stopped me was Vergil. Who was only able to stop me because I wanted the Joker to suffer before he died." There was a pain in Bruce's eyes that the older man couldn't keep hidden.
Jason had never seen Batman be that brutal before. Sure, some bad guys got a little more beat up than others, but when the casts came off, they'd be fine. What Batman did to the Joker was so many steps beyond that. If Jason was being honest, it was like the Joker had been trapped in that cage with a wild animal rather than a man.
"The Joker died… but he won. He finally pushed me to the point I was willing to kill him," Bruce said, making Dick speak up.
"Bruce, everyone was willing to kill the Joker for what he did. You-" Dick cut himself off when Bruce shook his head.
"Everyone is not me," Bruce replied. "That is a line that I promised myself that I would never step over. Not for any moral high ground or sacred vow -- I made that promise because I understand that if I do so, then I will kill again. With my resources and abilities, I would become one of the most deadly killers on the planet." He spoke factually, as if he were talking about one of their villains instead of himself.
"But you didn't step over that line," Dick argued, seeing exactly where this conversation was going.
"I was willing to. Regardless of if the Joker died by my hand or not, that willingness is what I have feared since I became Batman. It is what made me come to this decision," Bruce said, and Jason braced himself for what he was about to hear.
"As of today, I am no longer Batman," Bruce declared, in a tone that told them that it was completely futile to argue against his decision. His mind was made up. There was nothing that they could do or say to change his mind. "It's simply too dangerous to allow me to continue to wear the cowl going forward."
There was a beat of silence as they all digested that. Jason had seen it coming. As soon as Bruce came back after dying, Jason saw this coming. Bruce had been delirious for a few minutes before he got his bearing. Some of the things that he said made it clear that this was a foregone conclusion. Something that Jason had helped make happen.
Jason, deep down, knew the truth. The Joker wasn't the only one that had died that day. He had helped kill Batman.
"What will you do now?" Barbara questioned, recovering first. She didn't protest or argue. Instead, she respected his decision.
"I will refocus on Wayne Enterprises for the time being to help the company recover from the blows it suffered, and to get it through the economic slump incoming," Bruce answered. "The loss of Wayne tower is a painful one, but Wayne Enterprises is far larger than a single building in Gotham."
Dick shifted in his chair, "That's it? You're giving up the cowl? The life?" he questioned, not sounding condemning, but sounding like he was shell shocked by what he was hearing. Like he had never imagined that there was a possibility that this would ever happen. Everyone just kinda assumed that Bruce would die before he stopped being Batman. Batman had always felt immortal. Larger than life.
"I will still aid the mission where I can, but I will no longer take an active role," Bruce decided, looking to Dick. Then Jason, who averted his eyes. "This is a decision I made on my behalf. While I would prefer it if both of you gave up the life and went to school like normal children… I've had that argument with Dick often enough to know it won't happen."
That got a slight smile from Dick as he blew out a sigh. However, Barbara spoke up, catching their attention.
"We didn't plan this, but I came here to say that I'm hanging up the Batgirl costume," Barbara informed them, catching everyone at the table by surprise. She offered a thin smile that almost appeared apologetic to Bruce, who seemed relieved by the news. "I've been working with Concerned Citizen for a bit now, and while I won't call us partners, I've seen first hand just how much of a difference getting the right information to the right people can do. While we were scrambling, half of our leads came from CC, an information broker. It made me realize that I can do more good behind a computer screen than I can in costume."
Dick looked put out, "Are you sure about this, Babs?" he asked -- just like that, the Batfamily was cut in half.
Barbara nodded, "I am."
Bruce nodded, "You have my full support in this, Barbara. Whatever you need, you'll get it." he promised, and Barbara looked relieved. Knowing her, her wish list was going to make the missing Batcomputer look like it had been using dial-up.
"Thanks, Bruce. Right now, I'm going to focus on hunting down Checkmate. There was enough evidence to support Vergil's story about the organization, but I need to see if they're just the Light with another name on the tin. Beyond that, when my systems are up, I can be the Concerned Citizen for all heroes. I'm thinking of going by Oracle as my call sign, but I'm juggling a few other names."
Dick ran a hand through his hair, looking between Bruce and Barbara. Then he turned to Jason, "What about you, Jay? You've been pretty quiet."
"Our decisions don't have to influence yours, Jason. Nor do you have to decide now," Bruce offered as Jason thought about it. He really thought about it.
At this point, being Robin meant as much to him as being Jason Todd. Being Robin was his magic, and he wasn't sure if he was willing to give it up yet. At the same time, he had to make some hard choices during No Man's Land. Choices that had consequences not just for himself, but for others. Yet, that had always been true. That was a fundamental part of being a hero.
"I'm not ready to give up Robin," Jason voiced. "Gotham's changed, but it still needs us. Until all the old enemies are where they belong, I don't think I can hang up my cape." Bruce seemed disappointed, but he didn't argue. Dick reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Partners?" Dick asked with a smile, everyone already knowing his answer. There was a point in time that Jason would have smacked away his hand and told him to get fucked, but things had changed. He had changed.
So, instead, Jason smiled back.
"Partners." he agreed.
Comments
Z3r0Sama
Vergil uses "actually fix Gotham" on Barbara, its supereffective!
Anthony Essex
He's best friends with Klarion and everyone knows Best friends don't keep secrets from each other. So him using Klarion as a mole to eventually control/destroy the Light makes perfect sense especially considering what Virgil did to the Court of Owls.
AvoidDeath
Nah, during killing joke, Joker cripples batgirl and “Rapes”her depending on the version. After this moment she hung up the mantle of batgirl. Oracle was her new call sign, she became the hero’s new hacker while she couldn’t walk anymore.
Denis Safiev
Oracle huh. Is that a Persona reference by any chance?)
Adrian Gorgey
Really interesting. I think it was nice to see the heroes' perspective here - and i'm looking forward to how the the changes as SE brings in these new disruptive tech and Vergil's powers. He needs to get some sort of magician to teach him... Constantine? I wonder who the next big enemy will be... the Light and the Reach, probably.
Mioismoe
That's some damn good character development.
JohnJohn2195
Stole the goddamn bat computer. Can't have anything nice in gotham.
The Panda Queen
Now That feels like a satisfying end to No Man's Land, I'm super excited for the next arc but I feel like it's past time for Vergil to get something like Mirukuru or something, Vergil is definitely not a physical villain but a healing factor and at least Peak Human physicality sounds ideal
Anthony Essex
Can I just say I love your storytelling ability. Everyone feels so in character and the storylines so real that this could easily be a comic made by D.C.
Dream71
Well them huh didn't see that coming, still won't be surprise if Bruce is force to take the mantle of batman again. Ra for one won't let him quit that easy. Good on Vergil.
