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Batman: The Long Halloween Part 12: Roman
Batman
The Long Halloween
Part 11
Roman
Based off the Comic Book miniseries The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale
Gotham City
August 2nd: The Roman’s Birthday
Gilda Dent stood alone in the basement of the house she lived in with her husband; she had loved Harvey Dent deeply. But he had been changing, the Roman case had eaten him up inside. Now on the morning of the Maroni trial she worried about him and went into the basement where she found the lone handgun. It had tape around the handle and was a match to the gun from the Holiday murders. She was surprised to see the gun lying on the workbench. She had been standing there when Harvey found her holding the gun.
“Gilda what are you doing with that?” Harvey stood on the steps his briefcase in hand. “Why are you down here?”
“Tell me the truth Harvey, this is one of those guns from the Holiday case isn’t it?” Gilda held the gun in front of her.
“Its evidence that’s all, we’re working on the case together,” Harvey said the smile she hadn’t seen in a while spread across his face as he tried to reassure her. Taking the gun he slipped it into his briefcase. “I do it all the time.”
“Yeah all the time,” Gilda muttered as Harvey walked up the steps and went off to the courthouse where he would lead Gotham City vs. Sal Maroni. Closing the door behind her she locked it and headed up to the living room where she tried to keep her mind off things and relax.
*****
For nearly a year now Gotham City had lived in fear of an unknown killer called Holiday. As far as Batman was concerned it was 10 months to long, it wasn’t often that the world’s greatest detective was stumped. He had his suspects but the top one required more evidence before he acted on it. No one would go after the District Attorney with out a mountain of evidence no mater how much he looked guilty. Walking into a dark bar with Robin at his side he found the place to be smoky and dark but it was pretty much empty. He was following a tip and after 10 months he didn’t care when he went out, he hadn’t even gone back to the Batcave instead he tracked down the one person who could help him. His search led him to a small bar at 11 in the morning, not normally out in the day for the few people in the bar they watched in awe as he and Robin stepped up to the Bar.
“Don’t you come out at night?” The large bartender asked gruffly as he cleaned a beer glass.
“Where is he?” Batman didn’t waste time with small talk.
“Get the hell out of my place,” The bartender swung a baseball bat he had kept under the bar.
“Wrong answer,” Batman grabbed the bat with a gloved hand and drove the bat into the man’s face sending him into the bottles behind the bar. Another man tried to swing a chair at Batman but Robin quickly disarmed him and tossed him into a nearby table.
“Why is Batman like a row boat,” a quite almost squeaky voice came from a dark corner of the bar where one could see the whole room. “They both have a bow to take.”
“I’ve been looking for you,” Batman seemed to glide across the floor to the table. “Riddler.”
“What time is it when Batman finds your hideout,” The Riddler drunkenly poured himself another drink. “Time to find a new one.”
“On April Fools Day you saw Holiday didn’t you,” Batman crossed his arms as he looked over his smartest foe reduced to a bumbling drunk. He was scared, but not of Batman, of something he knew something he saw that fateful night.
“Yes,” Riddler lifted the glass towards his mouth. “And No.”
“You were outside The Roman’s penthouse,” Batman reached out and took the glass before the Riddler drank it. “What did Falcone want with you?”
“Good Question, he wanted to know who Holiday was,” The Riddler looked at the glass in Batman’s hand. “He didn’t like my answers so he kicked me out. A better Question would be why didn’t Holiday kill me? Was it an April Fools joke or…”
“Or the Roman wanted you to tell the world he was looking for Holiday,” Batman interrupted the Riddler. Setting the drink back on the table he turned for the door the costumers doing there best to stay out of the way.
*****
High atop the apartment building in the Penthouse he owned “The Roman” Carmine Falcone looked out the window towards Wayne Tower which occupied the center of town. He was still unhappy over what had happened on Independence Day, the Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter had failed to get the money out of the bank. He had hopped that with the bank out of money the board would have to take his money despite Wayne’s objections. The man had no sense of loyalty, he himself on his father’s orders had taken out Joe Chill the man who had killed Thomas and Martha Wayne and rather then show respect he fought against everything Carmine tried to do. However Wayne was the furthest thing from his mind, even the whole Maroni trial didn’t worry him. At the Moment he was on the receiving end of his sister’s angry tirade.
“You, my own sister dare question me,” Carmine slammed a hand on his desk causing a loud bang to echo around the room. “This is MY City; if you don’t like how I do things go back to Chicago.”
“I’m questioning your behavior Carmine,” Carla Falcone Viti didn’t like being yelled at but she will give it just as well as anyone. “You hired those freaks; Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, The Riddler, even that Poison Ivy.”
“Carla you are my sister and I love you,” Carmine turned back to the window. “But I don’t have to explain things to YOU!”
The office door opened carefully as the large woman known as Sofia Falcone Gigante, the Roman’s only daughter entered. She had spent the last 10 years locked up taking the rap for Sal Maroni allowing him to be on the streets. This fact had helped cause the cold war between both the Falcone family and the Maroni family. Her arrival had eased the tension in the room to a degree but the smoldering looks remained.
“Aunt Carla, Poppa, they’re ready,” Sofia announced.
*****
Jim Gordon couldn’t help but be a little amazed as he stood by as Harvey Bullock checked to make sure Sal “The Boss” Maroni wasn’t hiding anything. Only a few years ago, when he first arrived, this would never happen, there would have been no way a major crime boss would be going to his own Trial. Once he was secured Gordon watched as Bullock and two other officers escorted Maroni from the cell to the Courtroom. Maroni had smiled as he joked around with the cops even asking Gordon if he trusted him. The Truth was Gordon didn’t trust Maroni; he had a feeling that something was going to happen.
Sal Maroni was met at the top of the steps leading to the courtroom by Vernon Field, Harvey Dent’s assistant. Harvey Bullock and the two cops paid little attention when Vernon approached Maroni as they came to a stop allowing Vernon to talk to Maroni. But Maroni knew the truth about Mr. Field; he was on the Roman’s payroll and served as a middleman between his family and Carmine’s. The Roman had slipped Vernon into the District Attorney’s Office to spy on Harvey Dent and lead Dent on wild goose chases. It had been Vernon that led Dent to Bruce Wayne and caused him to take his eyes off the real evidence that could have put Falcone away.
“Mr. Maroni,” Vernon had pulled out a bag from a local pharmacy. “Mr. Dent wanted me to give you something for your ulcer.”
“My ulcer,” Maroni paused slightly as he looked down at the bag. “All of the sudden Dent’s worried about my ulcer.”
“Fine if you don’t want it,” Vernon made a big show of putting the Antacid back into the bag.
“No, I’ll take it, put it in my pocket,” Maroni leaned forward slightly allowing Vernon to slip the bottle in the inside coat pocket. Once in the court room Maroni sat next to his lawyer and waited for the judge to enter. Across the aisle Harvey Dent looked up as Vernon joined him at the table, the room wasn’t as packed as some had thought. It was just an opening act; everyone knew that the results of this trial would lead to The Roman’s downfall. When the judge finally entered the courtroom Harvey stepped forward to call his first witness.
“The State calls Salvatore Vincent Maroni aka “Boss” Maroni,” Harvey stood in front of a large family tree that was made up for the Falcone Crime family.
*****
Stepping out of his office Carmine Falcone was surprised to find his friends and family waiting for him. In front of them a large cake covered in candles sat on a table, as he entered the room the group broke out singing Happy Birthday to the crime lord. Stopping in front of the cake he smiled as the group finished singing, looking around the room his eyes stopped on Sofia.
“Make a wish Poppa,” Sofia looked happily at her father as he leaned over and blew out the candles. He thought quickly about his wish as he made the first cut in the cake before turning the knife over to a lovely looking young woman he guessed worked for the baker. Never one to make wishes he couldn’t help but wish Dent would be out of his life forever. Taking the piece given to him he went to join some of his friends as they joked about past events.
--- 
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10/15/2007, 12:51 am
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Rogue9a
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Re: Batman: The Long Halloween Part 12: Roman
*****
At Gotham Cities Courthouse Harvey Dent wanted to give The Roman a birthday present he wouldn’t forget. Standing before Sal Maroni he asked all the right questions getting Maroni to admit to several crimes. If all went well Maroni would tell the world that Carmine had issued several orders and from there he could arrest Falcone and end his reign of terror. At the moment Maroni was telling a tale of murdering a member of a rival family.
“Yeah I hit Mickey Gazzo and his brother Frankie, we tossed the bodies in the Gotham River,” Maroni looked calm and reserved almost as if he were telling a bedtime story. “Lots of wise guys you’re looking for are in the river, maybe that’s why I got an ulcer, from drinking bad water.”
“Ulcer?” Dent was taken back a little
“Yeah maybe a guilty conscience,” Maroni remained calm as Dent stepped closer.
“I will remind you that you are under oath,” Dent stood in front of Maroni. “Did you ever receive or over hear Carmine Falcone aka “The Roman” an order to kill. Did Falcone order the murders you have just confessed to committing?”
“Falcone,” Maroni started to say before he suffering a coughing attack.
“Mr. Maroni,” Dent stood up as Maroni coughed.
In the back of the court house an unassuming man dressed in a black coat over a t shirt with a black stocking cap and black glasses place a hand on the bench in front of him as Maroni reached into his coat pocked to pull out a bottle of antacid.
“I’ll ask you again,” Dent leaned in closer.
“One second,” Maroni had the bottle out and was opening it while still coughing. “I have something right here.”
Maroni moved to fast for anyone to step forward as the acid hit the right side of Harvey’s face. As Harvey hit the floor his hands covering his face as he screamed in pain. Bailiffs rushed forward with towels as two others grabbed Maroni by the arms.
“You’re dead Dent, you hear me. That stuff will eat through cement,” Maroni was dragged from the witness box. “Did you think you really had me, you’re nothing Dent, Nothing?”
“I’ll go get help,” Vernon Field ran from the table towards the back of the courtroom.
At the back of the courtroom, the man in black watched in horror at what had just happened. Getting to his feet a disguised Bruce Wayne turned and left the courtroom just as Gordon ran in a look of shock on his face. It was that moment Bruce realized he will never forget the sound of Harvey’s screams. Rachel Dawes barely noticed Bruce as she ran to the courtroom followed by Paramedics. With Harvey loaded on the stretcher Gordon left the Courtroom and rushed to his car. Gilda would be getting the news that something had happened in the courthouse from the TV. He wanted to make sure she got the news from him first and then he would take her to the Hospital to wait for news.
*****
The small waiting room where the Doctors put Gilda and Gordon didn’t ease Gordon’s restlessness. By now Sarah Essen arrived to sit with Gilda and keep them company. Looking out one of the windows he thought he saw the shape of Batman moving slowly on the rooftops below. His thoughts raced over the last few months and he couldn’t help but feel guilty over the fact he thought Harvey could be Holiday. Now he was fighting for his life the result of an attack by Maroni. Ellen Yin appeared in the reflection on the window causing him to turn to face his longtime friend.
“So what does he say,” Gordon couldn’t even say Maroni’s name out loud.
“He says he was avenging his father,” Ellen looked down at Gilda and Sarah. “Says everyone knows Dent is Holiday and he was just taking care of business.”
“That’s crap,” Gordon tried to keep his feelings in check.
“It seems to be the word on the street,” Ellen shook her head not quite believing the rumors.
“Mrs. Dent,” The doctor seemed to stager into the waiting room. His face was a bit pale and he appeared to be moving slowly. Stepping closer Gordon stood between the Doctor and Gilda. “Your husband is gone.”
“No,” Gilda gasped thinking the worse.
“No, he’s gone, he escaped,” The Doctor fell forward falling right into Gordon’s arms. In his back a large blood stain and a scalpel stuck out from his back.
“My God,” Gordon was shocked, laying the doctor down he pulled the sharp instrument from the wound and held his hands over it as Ellen led several more doctors to the waiting room.
*****
Carla Viti was relieved to find the coroner’s office empty as she snuck into the office of the new Coroner. It only took her a few moments to find what she was looking for, the Holiday file. All the notes the coroner made while investigating the bodies, including the official reports and photos of the bodies. Flipping through the folders she paused on the folder for her son Johnny Viti, Holiday’s first victim. Reaching forward she heard three gunshots followed by three sharp pains in her back. Carla fell backwards pulling the filing cabinet down with her spilling files everywhere. Leaving the gun behind along with the rubber baby bottle nipple and three shell casings, this time nothing was left marking a holiday.
The End
Next time…
-Batman and Gordon form a plan to stop Holiday.
-Batgirl tangles with Catwoman
-Batman looks for Harvey Dent
-An alliance is formed
-Holiday is revealed
---
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10/15/2007, 12:51 am
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Rogue9a
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Re: Batman: The Long Halloween Part 12: Roman
LOL Thanks I'll be answering the question in the next one, don't expect much in the way of why just yet though.
I'll go into the whys in the last chapter of the Long Halloween.
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10/16/2007, 2:00 am
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Rogue9a
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Re: Batman: The Long Halloween Part 12: Roman
lol thats good to hear
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10/17/2007, 1:19 am
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