Silent Knight

Chapter 1

Glowing in the dark winter night, Gotham shone across the country. Helicopters and searchlights illuminated places where the soft glow of electronic signs and interior lights failed. Police cars dashed back and forth across each street below me. As I stood atop a gargoyle decorating the building, I waited until it appeared.

The Bat Signal.

It shone directly from the GCPD rooftop, most likely activated by a desperate officer. Without a second thought, I began gliding to the beacon. Launching myself from my perch atop the gargoyle, I threw myself forward and activated my glider. Gliding gracefully across the harsh winter streets, I watched as at least hundreds of people walked among the streets of Gotham, without a care in their minds towards anything sinister. Dozens of people chattered about presents, Santa Claus, and other things regarding the festivities.

I passed by one of the electronics stores showcasing a dozen or so television sets. Each one was tuned to a different channel than the last. A couple children crowded around the window in awe of the things on the screens. A few worried parents overheard things on the televisions and pulled their children away. As I went overhead I could hear a couple of the channels going off on whatever topic they were on.

"...In for another blizzard, folks! Coming in on the twelfth and ending around the thirteenth!... Happy Holidays!..."

"...Renowned scientist Johnathan Crane has been missing since... Still not found... Authorities suspect..."

"...Billionaire Bruce Wayne comes out to public eyes... Spent thirteen years secluded..."

"...Asylum guards hospitalized after... Escaped prisoner Basil Karlo..."

"...Raphie, hurry up!... Raphie, get out of the bathroom and let your brother in!..." I quickly flew out of range from hearing distance. None of the things on the channels seemed to catch my attention.

"What was that?!" I heard one say as he saw my shadow flying above him. Everyone glanced at him and looked back to their own devices. He looked up but could see nothing. Eventually I made it to the GCPD building. At the light the Bat Signal emanated from was one singular officer, better known as Detective. Detective Nicholas Gage.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite rodent - Glad you caught the signal." he said. "We got us an issue, Bats. We found another guy for you. HQ's taken to callin' him the Scarecrow."

He handed me a blurred photo of a man in a burlap mask holding a briefcase of sorts, filled with something seeping out.

"What's stopping your men from getting to him?" I asked.

"You see that purple stuff seeping out of the briefcase he's holding? It's a hallucinatory toxin or gas of sorts. The last guy to go up on this guy ended up hospitalized, muttering about devils and hell on earth." he replied. "Somethin' tells me my good friend the Batman won't falter."

"What makes you so sure about that?" I asked him. Knowing myself, even I might not be able to survive a whiff of the gas.

"Because you aren't just the vigilante everyone's afraid of, Bats. You are fear itself." he replied. Detective Gage was keen on my style of confrontation. Using your enemy's flaws to your advantage, he called it. He always did admire my secrecy, too. "Alright, then. Consider the deed done." I said. I turned to leave when he stopped me.

"Hold up, my kid had a thing for you." he said as he shuffled around in his coat pocket. he pulled out a shredded batarang and a card. "And I figured you'd want this back. That, and it wouldn't be too safe for the toddler."

I snagged the shredded object, once a batarang, from his hands and put it in one of my belt pockets.

"You know, I don't say this much, but thanks, Bats. For everything." he said. "Just doing my job." I replied.

I opened the card and saw a crudely drawn picture of Gage and his family, and me stopping the Mad Hatter. His family was caught most in the incident and the reason I was able to stop him at all. I wondered why anyone would want to draw me of all things and consider it something you put on a gift, even if it was just a drawing. I kept it with me, nonetheless. Detective Gage turned towards the city.

"...Man, we got rogue hypnotists, thugs with bug zappers on

their hands, the Two-Face events and now this guy. Give 'em a one way ticket to hell. The city needs you this season, Bats." he said. After thinking over a couple things he sighed and said "It seems like this city gets worse every day."

"That's because it does."