#10
February 2001
Two Faces Have I
by Black Condor
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#10 February 2001 |
Two Faces Have I by Black Condor |
Bruce thought about his friend, Harvey Dent, who had gone to college with him, and was the District Attorney for the Gotham borough. In college, both young men had a great interest in crime, the law, and criminal justice. Harvey didn't come from the kind of money that Bruce did, so he pursued criminal justice more as a career than as an active interest.
But thoughts of his friend quickly passed from Bruce's mind as he walked through the door into the Precinct office, where other perpetrators waited to be processed.
He tried not to meet the eyes of the desk sergeant as Dibny announced his name. He saw a glint of shocked recognition in the otherwise sleepy-eyed sergeant. The man stiffened the way that people always do when they are in the presence someone of a higher class.
Dibny tried to lead Wayne into the precinct offices without anyone noticing, but this was impossible, considering his status in Gotham.
"Take a picture, boys," Bullock snorted. "It'll last longer! Go back to work!"
Detective Dibny continued his attempt to discreetly lead Wayne toward the interrogation room, an area of the precinct office where answers were drawn out of the most recalcitrant criminals.
Dibny and Bullock were masters of "Good Cop/Bad Cop," but Dibny didn't play the Bad Cop too often. The trust that the clean-cut, intelligent Dibny elicited had allowed the two detectives to obtain some confessions that other detectives would not have been able to get. He hoped that they wouldn't have to play too much "Bad Cop" with Wayne, because Bullock could get pretty rough sometimes.
"There's someone who can help us, Harvey. Someone who's not on the police force, but who helps us out a lot...I can vouch for him personally."
A beautiful, tall, green-skinned woman stepped into the room. She was dressed in a conservative business suit that strained to fit her muscular frame.
"Mr. Dent? Here's more information on the Joe Coyne case, as you requested." The green-skinned woman handed a file to Dent.
"Commissioner Gordon, this is Jennifer Walters. She's interning here while she's finishing law school."
"Yes," said Gordon, having already recognized the woman. "Sometimes you're that superheroine, She-Hulk, aren't you?"
Jennifer flushed a little. "Yes, I have done that from time to time, but that kind of thing is only legal for the Super-Unit Police. I'm going to fight crime from a law office for a while, I think."
Dent smiled proudly at his intern as she left. But his expression changed quickly as he remembered the purpose of his and Gordon's meeting.
"Anyway, you said there was someone you could contact to help me?"
"Well, get in touch with him, however you do that. We need to stop this Two-Face character before he causes any more mayhem."
"He'll come," Commissioner Gordon replied. He pulled a special signaling device from his desk and pressed it. The Batman was needed.
"Ok, Wayne, look, all ya gotta do here is tell us what really happened that day in the rest home. You remember that?" Bullock stared hard at Wayne, who remained composed in the chair across from him.
"I remember being there, but I did not kill that woman."
"Sure you didn't," Dibny said. "What I'm trying to figure out, Mr. Wayne, is why you were there. Why would you, an industrialist, and a philanthropist, want to go visit the Sunnyland Nursing Home?"
"We know you got no ma and no pa, Wayne, and we know you don't have no grandparents left alive, neither. What was your problem with that old lady, anyway?"
"We have a feeling that she may have reminded you of someone you hated, and that may have triggered something in you, Wayne," Dibny remarked. "You lost both of your parents when you were little?"
"Yes, I did." Wayne hated it when that distant but potent memory was even mentioned.
"We got the report you gave to the police when you was a kid," Bullock said. "You said you saw three people gun down your parents and Tony Stark's parents. One of 'em, you described as 'an old lady who looked like a hag.' Maybe you got some kinda thing against old ladies, and it just took the right combination of events to snap and kill one. Maybe you have some kind of personal connection with this lady that you still haven't told us about."
This was it. Bruce would have to reveal his deepest secrets, and the confidences that Agatha Haggschwarz had entrusted in him to these two policemen, if he was to ever have a chance to walk out of the third precinct a free man. Or, he could ask for a lawyer, which would send this case into court, and his name into the newspapers.
"Who?"
Robin stood as proudly as he could in the presence of two of the giants of the law of Gotham. He knew what accomplishments both men had made and their contribution to the attempt to keep Gotham safe, and he tried to look impressive.
"Who are you, young man?" Gordon asked. "Are you of some relation to Batman?"
"Yes, in a way. I'm Robin, and I'm Batman's partner. He wasn't able to come, so he sent me."
The two hardened defenders of the law looked over the college boy. It was obvious that they were slightly disappointed at not having Batman's detective prowess at their disposal. But the young hero would have to do.
"There have been some mysterious crimes taking place lately by a gang led by a criminal who calls himself Two-Face," Dent said. "From the reports that we've gathered, this man is insane and constitutes a threat to the people of Gotham. The way he strikes and the targets he strikes, it seems like he's out to discredit me personally."
Dent's brow hardened even more than usual, and the tone of his voice dropped to a near hush.
"I have a guy, Joe Coyne, who has been convicted of the 'Penny Dreadful' murders that happened about a year ago. Some of our informants have told us that he's connected to Two-Face somehow, and that Two-Face is planning to spring him during the transfer from the jail he's in now to the Maximum Security Prison.
"We suspect that Two-Face may have an inside source in the Police Department. So far, whenever we've thought we were going to finally get him, he's either laid a trap for our men, or just plain escaped. That's why we needed Batman, and that's why we need you. Since you're outside the police force, we know that Two-Face hasn't paid you off."
"Just let me know what you need me to do," Robin said.
"What have we here?" he said. "Batman has been looking for stuff on this guy, and this definitely seems like his handiwork. I'd better let him know."
And with that, he sent a message to the Batcave. Once Batman responded, he could give him more information. Batman just had to e-mail him back...
"Oh, dear, someone is trying to contact Master Bruce and he is over there in that police station." Alfred pondered a moment. "I shall have to contact Master Charles*, and forward the message to him."
*Alfred's formal way of addressing Chuck Barnes, otherwise known as Robin.
On the instrument panel of the Redbird, Robin's customized motorcycle, the new message light turned on. Robin pulled the motorcycle off to the side of the road, made sure nobody was looking, and accessed the message.
Oracle had discovered a connection between an arms dealer in Monaco and the Black Assassin, who had effectively framed Bruce Wayne for the murder of Agatha Haggschwarz. There was rumored to be a meeting of various influential Neo-Nazi leaders at a villa in Monaco, and the Black Assassin was rumored to be behind a far-reaching North American neo-Nazi movement. If Batman or Robin could get to Monaco, there would be a good chance of at least meeting up with the villain, if not capturing him.
Robin hoped that the problems with the Agatha Haggschwarz murder would clear up soon. If he or Batman didn't try to catch the Black Assassin now, when they had a chance, he would probably go underground, and it would be years before anyone saw him again. He didn't know whether Batwoman would be able to handle a case like this, but he was beginning to think he might need to ask her for help.
He looked at the chronometer on the Redbird. It was time to go to the 4th Precinct Headquarters and spy on the transfer of Joe Coyne, to see if Two-Face would show up. Robin had faced super-villains alone before, but he had a feeling that Two-Face would be more dangerous than anyone before.
He revved up the Redbird and sped away into the night.
Dent was thinking to himself when he saw someone through the open door of the interrogation room.
"What's Bruce Wayne doing in here? Is it that thing with the rest home? I hope Dibny and Bullock aren't dragging that out."
One of the new recruits to homicide spoke up. "No, sir, there's been an arrest, and Wayne's under questioning."
Dent was furious. "I don't know what judge gave out an arrest warrant for Bruce Wayne, the most upstanding philanthropist in New York City. He gave an explanation for what happened at the Sunnyland Nursing Home...I don't want this case tried in my town! Gordon, tell them to let Wayne go!"
Dent suddenly looked at his watch.
"Oh. There's somewhere I have to be. Can you monitor the connection until I get back? Make sure they let Wayne go free, too, or I'll be back with pink slips for Dibny and Bullock in my hand!"
He was out the door of the precinct very quickly, enough to make Commissioner Gordon wonder. Gordon shrugged and went to go persuade Bullock and Dibny to let Wayne go, and then to watch over Robin as the transfer of Joe Coyne took place.
Robin parked the Redbird across the street. He pulled out a set of Bat-binoculars that gave him a good view of the door. He might have to wait here for a while, but he would be able to catch anything funny happening.
"Yes, Commish," Bullock responded as he came out of the interrogation room. Dibny stayed in the room to keep an eye on Wayne.
"I just got off the phone with Harriet Fern, one of the nurses at the rest home. She saw Bruce Wayne run out after the lights went out, and he asked her for directions to the electrical closet, and she heard Bruce ask directions from another nurse who was killed along with Haggschwarz. It turns out she looked in on Miss Haggschwarz once, and she was still alive before Wayne came back. So, what does that say to you?"
"He coulda still done it, Commissioner."
"We don't arrest upstanding members of society on the basis of 'coulda', Bullock!" Commissioner Gordon was angry, which was different for a man of his usually even temper. The younger homicide cops started to get up and leave the room before they got a taste of his wrath.
"But he was the last one with her!" Bullock shouted defiantly.
"Weren't you listening to what I just said? By the way, Harvey Dent just told me that he wants you to drop the case, and let Wayne go."
The mention of the District Attorney's name was enough to make Bullock lose confidence. Dibny got up from his seat in the interrogation room and came out to listen.
The two detectives exchanged glances. They had spent days working on this case, only to have it fall apart. But they had to drop the case.
"There are other murders to investigate, boys. This is Gotham, so there's always someone killing somebody. Let's let Mr. Wayne go home."
Robin was lucky that a master of the martial arts such as Batman had trained him. Otherwise, he would have not moved aside in time to dodge the billy club that a huge thug tried to smash his head in with.
Robin jumped away, and assessed his opponent. The thug struck again with the billy club, but Robin quickly struck at a muscle in the thug's arm and made him drop the billy club. Robin took advantage of his opponent's pain and delivered three quick kicks to the thug's jaw and face. As the thug attempted to recover, Robin struck him in a place that made the thug drop to the ground.
At that moment, however, Robin realized that the thug's attack was just an opening attack directed by a much more dangerous force.
Robin found himself face-to-face with a monstrosity of a man. His face was light green, and entirely wrinkled and twisted, as if someone had molded a mask of what evil was supposed to look like and had pasted it permanently on someone's face. He held a snub-nosed pistol.
"So, you're interested in Joe Coyne, huh? Well, the guys I got dressed up as cops are going to take care of him real good. But I don't like people who nose around...did dent tell you to come here?"
Robin watched the villain carefully, thinking of the right moment to spring and knock the gun out of his hand.
"Two-Face?" Robin asked in near disbelief.
"In the flesh. I think it's time for you to die, young man," Two-Face said. Two-Face prepared to fire on the young hero.
At that moment, a Batarang flew out of the darkness and bit into Two-Face's hand. He barely had time to recover as Batman leapt upon him.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own age, ugly?" he said as he let him fly with a punch to Two-Face's gut.
There were other thugs accompanying Two-Face who revealed themselves, but only long enough to run away at the sight of the Batman.
The NYPD van zoomed over from across the street and the side door opened. A group of thugs opened fire on Batman and Robin, and Two-Face took advantage of the gunfire to jump into the van and get away.
Batman and Robin had taken refuge behind their mostly-bulletproof capes, but the delay had been long enough to let Two-Face escape.
"Who was the ugly guy with the heavily armed friends?" Batman asked.
"It's Two-Face, I think," Robin said. "I wonder why they call him Two-Face, though. All I saw was one ugly face."
"It doesn't matter now," Batman replied. "Get your cycle, and I'll get the Batmobile, and we'll see if we can track Two-Face down."
The heroes raced to their respective vehicles, and sped off.
Jennifer Walters came in to greet Dent, and noticed his glum expression. She knew what had happened, as the sympathetic look on her face showed.
Harvey Dent looked up from his coffee. "You know what, Jennifer? I'm beginning to feel like I know this Two-Face, and he knows me. He seems to know my every move. He'd better watch out, though, because the day I meet him face-to-face, he'll wish he had never been born."
Dent and Gordon were in Gordon's office at the 3rd precinct, getting ready to radio to Robin, who was staking out the prisoner transfer of Joe Coyne.
It was time for the prisoner transfer to take place. A white and blue NYPD van waited with its engine running.
"Bullock! Dibny! Get out here!" Gordon shouted.
Robin was watching the door of the 4th precinct headquarters as it opened. A few guards emerged, accompanied by a smallish, smirking man in the standard orange prisoner's uniform. Robin scanned the street for signs of anyone suspicious, but saw no one.
Early the next morning, Harvey Dent sat hunched over a copy of the Daily Planet. The headline read "Joe Coyne Escapes!". He hung his head a little as he nursed his morning coffee. Two-Face had foiled him again, even though Dent had the help of Batman and Robin.
Next Issue -- Showdown in Monaco! And Beware the Sea-Wolf!