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Batman The Long Halloween: V New Years
Batman
The Long Halloween
Part V
New Years
Based off the Comic Book miniseries The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Gotham City
New Years Eve
Gotham City Airfield was a smaller private airport that sat next to the national airport, that all the major flights out of and into Gotham City landed. The Airfield was for smaller private aircraft that were based in Gotham City. A lone flight crew was on duty incase anyone wanted to make a last minute flight sitting around in the brake room, of the two story office building that housed all the small fight companies that used the airfield. Two of the crew were eating a snack while watching **** Clark doing another countdown on a small TV sitting in the corner, while a flight attendant stood near the window smoking a cigarette. Before **** Clark brought his next guest the two men began laughing as a green colored gas leaked through the air vents, the flight attendant soon followed as she was overcome by the fumes. After a few minutes the door opened to reveal the Joker dressed in a flight jacket with a white silk scarf around his neck. Behind him, Harley Quinn looked on as the Joker entered the room to grab a set of keys from the pilot laying dead near the table. As Joker left for a biplane used for spraying fields Harley stayed behind to stand guard. While the Joker was starting the engines Harley could see the Batmobile charging up the road slamming through the gates onto the Runway towards the Joker’s plane. It was too late to warn Mr. J so Harley made for the exit in hopes of escaping before Batman saw her.
“Going somewhere,” Harley spun towards the front entrance to see Batgirl standing ready to strike.
“Oh my flight was delayed I thought I’d go and wait it out somewhere else,” Harley reached behind her and pulled out a large gun.
Diving to the side as Harley opened fire Batgirl threw a batarang towards Harley distracting her long enough to disarm her. Countering the attack with a punch of her own Harley struck Batgirl in the temple knocking her into the table the dead pilot had been laying on. Getting back to her feet Batgirl reached out with a kick striking Harley in the gut, bending her over allowing Batgirl to connect with an uppercut that knocked Harley back into a vending machine. With Harley taken care of Batgirl went back outside just in time to see Batman leap from the Batmobile onto the plane as it flew off to the sky. It had been a week since the last Holiday killing and the Joker promised that if he couldn’t find Holiday he would kill everyone in Gotham City. It didn’t take them long to figure that he would strike on New Years Eve when most of Gotham’s citizens would be downtown to ring in the new year. Once they knew where he would strike Batman had tracked down where he would be and the two of them ran to intercept him before Joker could unleash his plan.
Batman wasn’t suicidal despite what his critics might believe, but had any of them seen what he had just done they would be hard pressed not to believe he was suicidal leaping from the speeding Batmobile onto the back of the Joker’s plane he nearly fell off before climbing to the top right behind the pilots seat. Joker did his best to get Batman off the back of the plane but nothing seemed to work. Heading into a spinning Dive towards the downtown Batman held on with all his might to keep from falling off.
*****
Harvey Dent was working long and hard, to hard for the money he was earning, his mind slipped back to the night he and Batman torched The Roman’s millions. He could really have taken some of that and no one would have known. But as soon as the thought entered his mind it was quickly pushed back.
“If you had half a brain, you would go home,” Harvey closed one of the files and packed it away.
“I’m not disturbing you, am I, Mr. Dent?” a small man wearing thick glasses entered Harvey’s office as Harvey was putting on his coat.
“Working Late again Vernon?” Harvey turned to look at the small man. “You’ll never get ahead working like that.”
“But sir, you’re working late,” Vernon stayed in the doorway holding a file in front of him. “You’ve worked late ever since I started.”
“See what I mean,” Harvey replied as he approached the door. “There is two ways of looking at everything. It’s New Years Eve, son, time to go home and kiss the wife and hope next year is better”
“Yes Sir, but I found something on the Roman case,” Vernon tried to hand the file to Harvey as he walked by.
“Put it on my desk, I’m sure it can wait until next year,” Harvey was sick of the Roman and just wanted to get home to his wife.
“Sir, it’s important,” Vernon pressed putting the file in Harvey’s hands as he waited for the elevator. “I’ve found a link between The Roman, Carmine Falcone and Billionaire Bruce Wayne.”
“Okay,” Harvey opened the file to read through what Vernon was talking about.
“I’m sorry sir but I thought you should be the first to know about it,” Vernon said his hands clasped in front of him.
“The Second I’m afraid,” Harvey sighed as he saw the evidence.
“Sir?” Vernon asked.
“Seems Bruce Wayne has known about this for some time.” Harvey closed the file.
*****
The plane looped as Joker pulled out of the dive causing Batman to slip from the back of the plane. Using a grappling gun he latched onto the tail of the plane as Joker turned the plane back towards the New Years Eve party in front of Wayne Towers. It was almost midnight, Holiday would strike soon, and though Batman had no idea where or when it would happen the police were set up ready to strike as soon as they saw anything. Batman would be there as well watching Falcone waiting for signs of Holiday but instead he was hanging from an Airplane by a simple wire as The Joker went about to kill everyone he could.
“What is wrong with this thing, you’d think they would give me a crop duster that would fly right,” Batman heard the Joker said as he struggled to regain control; the grapple had caused one of the flaps to stick. “Aha! Dead weight.”
“Put the Plane Now,” Batman kneeled behind the seat and bent over putting his face with in inches of the Joker’s.
“Heh,” Joker wrapped his hand around the flight stick. “Maybe later.”
“Joker!” Batman lost his balance as the plane climbed steeply, gabbing the tail wing at the last moment he hung as the Joker leveled off.
“See ya,” Joker turned back towards Wayne Tower as Batman struggled to climb back up on the plane. There wasn’t much time left Batman would need to hurry up, and finish this sooner rather then later.
*****
In Gotham Harbor, a yacht was anchored off the coast of the city, on the yacht some of the richest and most powerful people in the country gathered to ring in the New Year; their host, The Roman Carmine Falcone. All of the Crime families were represented, Gotham City, Metropolis, Chicago, New York and Las Vegas. A few years ago the Mayor and the Police commissioner would have been on board, something that wouldn’t be done now. With a new Mayor bent on bringing down the Roman’s hold on Gotham and the new Commissioner leading the war with Harvey Dent at his side inviting them here would only end the year in a jail cell. As the party goers carried on Salvatore Maroni, his arm in a sling from his encounter with The Batman on Christmas, met Carmine near the punch bowl.
“Happy New Year Sal,” The Roman toasted Maroni.
“Carmine, we’ve been enemies for along time, and you’ve always come out on top,” Sal tapped his glass against Carmine’s. “But if we don’t do anything about this Holiday business, this Year will be our last year.”
“You know Maroni I appreciate your concern, I really do, but believe me when I say I’ve been thinking about this Holiday as Ms. Sullivan calls him,” The Roman took a sip of his punch as he nodded to a young woman, a Vegas showgirl who came with one of the Vegas crime bosses.
“Or her,” Sal added.
“Whatever,” The Roman’s eyes turned hard as he looked back at Maroni. “All I know is this, my family has taken all the hits, hurting my business. While your family has yet to shed any blood.”
“What are you saying?” Sal fought to keep himself from blowing up in Falcone’s face.
“Have a Happy New Year,” The Roman walked away to mingle with his guests. “You’re right it might be your last.”
“Just like papa,” Carla Viti kissed her brother Carmine in both cheeks. “You keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
“Same could be said for us,” Carmine sipped from his wine glass. “Even if you are my only sister.”
Carla didn’t reply to her brother’s comment, it was nothing new, she was the head of the Viti Crime family of Chicago he the head of the Falcone Crime family of Gotham City and thus owned a large bit of the shipping industry. The Roman was by far the most powerful crime boss on the east coast and everyone else looked to him for importing and exporting their goods. Deep down she knew their father would be disappointed if they weren’t rivals.
“Have you seen Alberto, it’s almost midnight.” Carmine broke the silence just before it grew uncomfortable as he always did.
“I saw him on the deck,” Carla turned to leave. “I need some air anyway I’ll go and get him.”
Watching as Carla left Carmine reflected on where he was in life, nearly everyone in his life would gladly see him killed so they could step in and take over. His Sister would just as soon kill him rather then enjoy spending any time as a family. Carmine would think even less of Maroni if he wasn’t planning Carmine’s death as the year ended. He was already plotting Maroni’s death. His oldest son, Mario, may be exiled but he would gladly turn his father in if it meant cleaning up the family name, ever since he was exiled he had doubts about the family business. Sofia his pride and joy loved him deeply but he raised her under the idea of battle of the fittest. If she believed it was time to take over she would with some regret kill him. If it weren’t for Alberto there would be no one to trust at all in this world.
Carla Viti walked out onto the deck of the yacht lighting a cigarette, as she watched the erratic flying of an airplane over the city. She didn’t notice one of the lights go out down the deck taking her eyes off the plane she turned just in time to hear a gun shot in the darkness. Running down to where she saw Alberto last she found all the clues Holiday left behind at other crime scenes, a gun, a baby bottle nipple, shell casings and a glass of champagne near a puddle of blood.
*****
Walking into the house, Harvey Dent apologized for being late finding his wife waiting for him at the door. He was a little surprised to see her up walking around waiting for him, but thought nothing of it. Stripping off his hat and coat he handed them to his wife Gilda.
“Its okay, you’re just in time,” Gilda hugged Harvey lightly. “Harvey your hair is all wet.”
“It’s been snowing,” Harvey stepped away from Gilda to go into the living room.
“Oh, I have a surprise for you,” Gilda watched as Harvey entered the living room.
“James,” Harvey saw James Gordon standing next to an attractive blonde, Detective Sarah Essen, whom James was dating.
“Surprise,” Gilda said as Harvey turned to leave the room. “Harvey?”
I’ll go and see if he needs help,” Gordon put down the champagne and followed Harvey into the Kitchen. Leaving the women alone Jim walked into the kitchen standing in front of the refrigerator its door open as Harvey staring into it.
“Ever stand in front of an open fridge, looking for something that’s staring you right in the face.” Harvey didn’t look away from the fridge.
“What’s happened Harvey?” Jim asked.
“We have to talk, Jim,” Harvey turned his head to look at Gordon. “We need to talk about Bruce Wayne.”
*****
Batman struggled to stop Joker as the plane climbed while the Joker climbed out of the pilot’s seat to kick Batman in the chest. The two of them had fought before but this was by far the strangest place they had a fight.
“I don’t know why you are trying to stop me, you should be thanking me,” Joker slid back into the pilot’s seat and turned it back to Gotham Square the celebrations of the New Year going off. “I’m trying to Stop Holiday like you.”
“By killing everyone in Gotham Square,” Batman regained his balance
“Why not,” Joker continued. “You don’t know who Holiday is; I don’t know who Holiday is, so just maybe he or she will be there.”
“You’re insane,” Batman reached for The Joker while holding onto one of the support bars.
“Has it taken you this long to figure that out,” Joker dived towards the clock tower.
Batman grabbed the Joker by the throat and struck him with a right cross knocking him out cold, turning the plane back towards the bay he fired a grappling line towards the clock, once the line was secure to the minute hand on the clock both Batman and the Joker flew off the plane and swung down to the ledge before the clock face. Batman watched as the plane flew off towards the water and crashed. The Joker’s plan was foiled, but it was too late, Holiday would have struck by now, some where out there in Gotham City. He wasn’t one to make resolutions but he had one this year, Holiday would be stopped before the year ended.
Epilogue…
January 6th
Little Christmas
Carmine Falcone stood beside the car that had taken him to the beach, it had been 6 days since Alberto disappeared, the trademarks of Holiday left behind along with some blood. He had held out hope that maybe Alberto had survived. The Phone call by the city coroner had left little hope; he had his drive take him to the scene as soon as he hung up the phone. They had arrived to find a sea of cops and Medical Examiners hovering around the beach. Making his way down he was met by an older man slightly over weight and average height, he is also the only Coroner on the Falcone pay role. When Doctor Sarah Brown took over the Medical Examiners office most of the men on their pay role was left with out a job, he was the only one careful enough to hid his hand outs from the Higher ups. Gordon and Dent might believe him to be in his Pocket they had no way to prove it.
“Mr. Falcone,” Jasper Dolan approached Carmine. “We found some personal effects.”
“So you’re sure,” Carmine did his best to stay composed, as he took a look at the bag. There were no questions now the bag held a leather wallet with an A and an F in gold lettering and a silver cigarette case he had given Alberto on his 18th birthday as a Graduation present.
“Yes, the face was pretty beat up, the seagulls did a real number,” Dolan led Falcone to the sheet covered body. Stepping back he watched as Falcone came to the body and pulled the sheet from the face.
“My son,” Falcone fell to his knees. “Look what they’ve done to my son.”
“Mr. Falcone,” several of his men walked over to help The Roman to his feet.
“I want Holiday found and I want who ever he or she is dead,” He roared as the cops looked on. “Put the word on the street.”
Coming Next Time…
-Gordon and Dent want to talk to Bruce Wayne
-Batman pays The Roman a visit
-Bruce and Selina get closer
-Hoilday’s death total gets higher
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