|
Post by WildKnight on Jan 12, 2021 9:11:55 GMT -5
"Bruce old boy!"
Harvey tried to force the old exuberance into his voice, but Bruce could tell it just wasn't there. Harvey was a strong man who had fearlessly faced down Gotham's worst criminals in court without flinching, a man who knew full well what price he might pay for his crusade... but this was something he'd never foreseen and in a way, for Harvey, death probably would have been preferable to the loss of his looks. Harvey's greatest weakness was his vanity, and Bruce had dealt with enough... abnormal psychology to fear that this just might break The Batman's one-time ally in the halls of justice. Of course, today he was here not as the Bat, but as Bruce, campaign contributor and social ally turned friend.
Nearby stood Doctor Harleen Quinzel, a psychiatrist who was, frankly, overqualified for her work at Arkham. As the orderly let Bruce into Dent's room, the Doctor touched Bruce's arm gently and whispered to him "When you're done, if I could have a word with you before you leave, I'd appreciate it."
With that, he was alone with Harvey Dent. The rooms at Arkham were state of the art, and Harvey was getting the best of care. None of that changed the fact that Arkham was a mental facility and not just an ordinary hospital, and there was a reason Harvey was here. His lunch, now a few hours old, sat untouched on its tray. Although Harvey was perfectly able to get up and walk around at this stage in his physical treatment, Bruce could see immediately that none of the cards, flowers, or gifts that had been sent to Gotham's beloved District Attorney had been touched since they were left by the orderlies. In fact, it looked as if the only place Harvey ever went in his spacious room was to stand in front of the window, staring out at the bleak winter landscape outside, where the criminally insane were allowed to exercise a few hours each day. Another thing Bruce knew about was obsession...
|
|
|
Post by dorkknight23 on Jan 12, 2021 14:01:52 GMT -5
Bruce nodded at Dr. Quinzel's whispered request, the smile that came at the sight of Harvey's scarred face nothing less than genuine. He could only imagine the depths of the pain and the heartbreak the former "Apollo" Dent had experienced with his recent losses and injuries, not least of all the damage across half his once-famed face. The loss to Gotham, to the Bat, were all dwarfed by the sight of his pained friend. "How are you, Harv?" He reached out and clasped him on the back, looked out at the flowers and gifts gathering dust, "Not sure if I see the flowers I had sent. Looks like the whole city beat me to it. They want you to pull through, just like I want you to, and you will. I know it may seem hopeless, but time heals all wounds." (Many wounds, most wounds anyway, but that was not what Harvey needed to hear right now.) He could only speculate as to the depths of his friend's suffering and pain, but whatever the depth he would be there to reach out for him. If only he could have been here sooner...
|
|
|
Post by WildKnight on Jan 12, 2021 15:11:57 GMT -5
Harvey scowled, and for a moment Bruce saw a flash of something he'd never seen in Harvey before, something angry, something that wanted to get up out of that bed and smash Bruce's face in. Something that was Harvey, but wasn't. Something... other. When Harvey finally responded, his usually deep but melodic voice was gravelly, his words laced with spite. "They ain't seen me yet. When they do... Bruce, I was going to be Mayor, Bruce. And now? I'm in here with these... monsters. Know why? Cuz that's what I am now, Bruce. Just another monster." Harvey clenched his fist, his gaze going to the window.
"You wanna do me a solid, Bruce? Get Zsasz in here with me, so I can make him a permanent resident like he deserves..."
|
|
|
Post by dorkknight23 on Jan 13, 2021 16:35:07 GMT -5
"A heel like Zsasz doesn't deserves your attention, Harv, even if he does deserve a lifelong stay in Arkham. I'm sure the police are going full-stop on this; they want this guy as much as you do, maybe more." And, although he could not speak to the certainty aloud, he also knew the Bat would want a word with Zsasz later. "Never say never; they let Hill be Mayor and he was born looking that way." He half-snorted with his failed attempt at dark humor, tried to force the laugh, but saw little change in Harvey's grim expression, "I'm sorry I can't stay longer, Harvey, but I'm going to visit again soon. I promise..."
Before leaving, Bruce will go see Dr. Quinzel as requested.
|
|
|
Post by WildKnight on Jan 15, 2021 10:38:05 GMT -5
Doctor Quinzel's office was small and tidy, the only personal item a small porcelain figurine of a harlequin that had obviously been broken and repaired many years ago. Unlike other psychiatrists, she didn't display her diploma on the wall, or any of her other accolades. She seemed to be a woman who eschewed personal pride. A petite blonde who moved with a dancer's grace, Harlene Quinzel was an enigma even to Brue, but her credentials and her results here at Arkham so far spoke for themselves.
"Thanks for coming Mister Wayne," Quinzel always spoke cheerily, which offset her thick New Jersey accent. "I'm sure you're aware, Mister Dent has no next of kin and no designated caretaker. There is an important decision that needs to be made, and as you're the one paying for his care... the state can make a decision if you'd prefer not to, of course...
"Its my professional opinion that Mister Dent will likely not recover unless we try something radical. If he remains in Arkham, his mental state will likely continue to deteriorate. Its very controversial, but I've done some research on split personalities, and I believe Mister Dent is at risk of developing such a condition. I don't know if you're aware of the... difficulty of his childhood, but it seems as if some long buried thoughts and feelings are coming to the fore. We need... I believe, that is, that we need to shock him, psychologically. I'd like to immediately return him to his old life, full immersion. Living in his own apartment, going back to work at the D.A's office... if anything can divert him from the self-destructive path he's on, I believe this is the only hope."
|
|
|
Post by dorkknight23 on Jan 16, 2021 19:30:06 GMT -5
Bruce kept his hands in his pocket and looked at Dr. Quinzel's bare wall: could only imagine the difficulties facing a woman with a medical degree in this day and age, and her squeaky voice and bubbly blonde demeanor likely didn't help matters. He mulled over the decision, "Being back outside might be even more pressure than in here, but if he stays here I'm worried Harvey might crack all the same... If you think it's the best course of treatment, Doc, I'll do whatever I can to help."
He had already let down Harvey once getting him in this situation, it would be easier for him (as both Bruce Wayne and the Bat) to monitor Dent and help him as need be. Hopefully with Dr. Quinzel and others, Harvey really would get back to his old self.
|
|
|
Post by WildKnight on Jan 19, 2021 8:50:04 GMT -5
The Doctor nodded and rose from behind her desk. "One other question, before you go. I know you're very busy. In your associations with Mister Dent, have you ever known of or heard him reference anyone with the initial J, or possibly a 'Mister J'? I can't get answers out of Harvey, but an orderly swears he's heard someone else in Mister Dent's room at night on at least two separate occasions, but when they open the room up, Mister Dent is alone. The orderly says that Mister Dent refers to the other voice as 'Mister J'"
|
|
|
Post by dorkknight23 on Jan 19, 2021 11:46:54 GMT -5
Bruce wracked his brain trying to remember anyone with the last name J he remembered Harvey dealing with. Of course, in this town, the biggest name that began with J to The Bat was The Joker. Whatever he remembered he wouldn't tell Dr. Quinzel immediately: such facts could be pertinent to his own investigations. Like any investigation involving Gotham's self-styled "Clown Prince of Crime" he hoped the facts would point away from his twisted criminal pathology instead of towards them, but followed them in his mind all the same. His eyes wandered across the room and fixated on that broken harlequin statuette for a moment.
"Mr. J...? Sorry, Doc, Harvey and I didn't talk a whole lot about work if I can be totally honest. Maybe it was someone he knew from there? Sorry, wish I could be more help. If you need me for anything else, you should be able to reach me either at the Wayne Foundation or through my personal secretary Mr. Pennyworth. He'll relay any messages to me immediately. Now, if that's all, I really should be going; I have people waiting for me, I'm sure you understand..."
Bruce turned and left Dr. Quinzel's office, fixing his cufflinks as he adjusted his jacket. He did his best to keep Dr. Quinzel thinking of that Bruce Wayne she'd likely heard of or read about and less about the one right in front of her.
======= 3 into Detective (specialties in Deduction or Gotham Criminal Underworld, whichever might apply) to start thinking of potential candidates for who "Mister J" might be to Harvey 3 into Social Skills (Socialite) to keep Dr. Quinzel thinking of him as "millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne"
|
|
|
Post by WildKnight on Jan 19, 2021 12:25:34 GMT -5
Before...
The explosion that had taken the building down was thorough and precise. Whatever else The Joker was, he was brilliant. Still, the Batman wasn't one to give up. Until he found the body, Robin was not dead. The police searched as well, none of them bothering to even make a token effort to arrest or question The Batman. Jim Gordon, grim and stoic as always, tore through the rubble with frenetic energy. Jim was the only one who noticed that Jason Todd wasn't the original Robin when he'd first taken on the identity, and the only one who had trusted The Batman in those early years, before Harvey Dent had joined their crusade, and Batman became more of an ally to the police.
It was dirty, dangerous work, and the police that helped that day did it without question or complaint. They didn't know what they were searching for, but Jim Gordon had ordered it, and that was enough for them. That spoke volumes about who Jim Gordon was.
After agonizing hours, a small pocket was found within the rubble, as if the building had been perfectly rigged to create this tiny, safe area and within... the body... It hadn't been the explosion that killed him. Jason Todd was beaten to death with a blunt object. The attack was savage, but precise. The Joker wanted Robin awake for every second of it. And there, painted in blood on the wall, a message.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HOPE YOU LIKE THE PUNCHLINE - J.
Now
Was The Joker somehow visiting Harvey in his room at night. In theory, the man was currently locked up at Blackgate, the most secure penitentiary in the nation... but if anyone were capable of escaping without anyone noticing, it was The Joker.
"Mister Wayne?" Doctor Quinzel inquired. "If you're comfortable with it, we'll begin the process of releasing Mister Dent immediately...."
|
|
|
Post by dorkknight23 on Jan 19, 2021 19:10:48 GMT -5
"Right. Start it right away, and send Dent's forwarding address to my butler, I'll want to follow up with him." His first thoughts (after banishing the memories of finding Jason to the back of his mind,) were to rule out The Joker making any sort of contact with Dent from Blackgate and to decide for sure just who this Mr. J was (even if he was a construct of Dent's fracturing subconscious). His mind was many places as he tried to make his way out of Dr. Quinzel's office. She'd probably consider him a bit rude for how much of a hurry he seemed to be, but his mind was already racing ahead to the next destination.
|
|
|
Post by WildKnight on Jan 24, 2021 19:34:44 GMT -5
The Ice Box wasn't the worst place in Gotham. If more of Gotham's crime happened in places like this, it might not even need a Batman. The Penguin ensured the girls were cared for, the booze wasn't poison, and the customers behaved themselves. His security was an impressive who's who of enforcers that used to work for the various families, but couldn't stomach The Black Mask's new management. Batman knew from experience that many of these guys were far beyond the ability of the average street thug. Luckily The Penguin had wisely installed a skylight in his office, specifically because he knew The Batman would visit him, and he chose to give him an easy entrance rather than have him make his presence known in the club. Only The Penguin's closest bodyguards knew about his "special arrangement" with The Bat.
Right now, The Penguin seemed to be rearranging his expensive tailored suit, as if it'd been rumpled recently, and preening himself, a sure sign he was proud of something he'd just accomplished.
|
|
|
Post by dorkknight23 on Jan 25, 2021 9:39:45 GMT -5
The Penguin being in a good mood usually meant problems for Batman later down the line, but among Gotham City's many evils Oswald Cobblepot was almost always a lesser one, and best of all, one who could be reasoned with in terms the Bat understood. Cobblepot traded in vice over mayhem, and in these days of Tommy guns and bathtub gin the business of vice was booming, so he had a multitude of reasons to be preening his plumage in such a manner. The skylight closed behind him, and he allowed a single audible click to alert Penguin of his presence in case any of his security needed to be sent to watch the door.
The Bat loomed tall in the shadows, his cape intertwined in them, glowering silently as he let the Penguin speak first to fill in that void with his own nervous squawking.
|
|
|
Post by WildKnight on Jan 25, 2021 17:28:28 GMT -5
"Oh good, visits from the Bat and the Cat in one day. I'm so flattered..." Penguin was laying the sarcasm on thick. "You robbing a museum too?" He turned to face the Batman, as fearless as he was back when he was on the streets. Any fear Cobblepott may have had in him when he was a boy with Bruce Wayne was stripped away quickly after his family's decline and his time in the notorious childrens' home. To be sure, The Penguin preferred to avoid being directly involved in violence at nearly any cost, but when it came down to it, he could take a beating, and he had taken many.
A visit from the Cat explained his rumpled look, and the information he offered was clearly simply in hopes that the Batman would have time to chase after Catwoman today, and leave the Penguin alone.
|
|
|
Post by dorkknight23 on Jan 26, 2021 17:39:27 GMT -5
The Bat ignored the question, barely curled a lip before growling, "The Joker's been talking to people on the outside. I need to know who else and why."
While his mind tried its best to focus on the task at hand, his heart was already three steps ahead, racing to the museum. He hadn't quite anticipated running into her again tonight: the Cat had her way of dancing in and out of his life to his eternal frustration, leaving more than just claw marks to remember her by.
|
|
|
Post by WildKnight on Jan 27, 2021 8:55:21 GMT -5
Penguin's eyes narrowed as he tried to size up the situation. He seemed unsure as to whether Batman was lying to him in order to trick him into saying something or if this was some other trick.
"I... can have someone ask questions at Blackgate, but I believe they put your old playmate in a deep hole and threw away the ladder. You know as well as I do, Bats, if The Joker gets out, or even if he can reach out, I'm in danger as much as anyone. Joker is a bright boy, he knows I helped you put him away. Chaos. Bad for business. But I don't think he'd understand and unlike you, everyone knows where to find me."
The Penguin wasn't afraid, exactly, the man was all but unflappable, but this was the closest Batman had seen to him being shaken in the years they'd known one-another. This made sense, given that The Joker didn't just kill those who caught his attention, he preferred psychological and emotional torture, scars that would be invisible and last forever. There was always method in the madness and Joker's method was to break people at every level of their being. That's why he'd killed Jason, that's why he'd paralyzed Barbara and kidnapped Jim. That's why he could never be free again. The Penguin was right. If Joker was free to operate, the Penguin was in danger. But so was all of Gotham.
|
|