Flashpoint Batman: Arkham

Chapter 1: The alley

(As a word of wisdom to those of you who aren't as familiar with comic books, flashpoint was a story arc in the DC comic universe. It centered around small changes to stories. For instance, batman is changed by the man behind the suit: Thomas Wayne. Not the son, but the father)

We just got done watching phantom of the opera. The actors did great for a bad director. "Can we go again dad?" Said Bruce as we left the theater. His eyes still held the wonder from the play, still having visions of the music and costumes playing in his head. "Of course son" I said "we can go again. Martha started head towards the car when she started to look down the street. "Oh no. The crowds too big. It'll take hours to get to the car." She was right, it was like everyone who left the theater all ran the same direction. Cars lined the streets, and neon signs light up the streets. "Hmmmm...." I said. There was no way we could get across without being stormed by paparazzi or the like. "Oh daddy" shouted Bruce "we could take the alley!" Martha thought it was a good idea, so we went. I held Bruce, he was scared of the dark alley. Finally we came up on a street lamp. 4 shadows came up behind us. Wait...4? Suddenly we were jumped. Someone tackled me from behind. Whoever it was, they were trained. When I got back up, he pulled a gun on me. "I don't want to hurt you, Mr. Wayne. But I've got a job to do." He put the gun to Martha. "Give me the pearls and access to the bank accounts, and you walk free. If not...." He pushed the gun towards her chest ".....bang. Your move." Bruce began to cry, and Martha gave him a hug. "Now Mr. Wayne. NOW." I saw a glimmer of something in Bruce's eyes: heroism. "NOOOOO-Ach" he shouted. It was all over. He pushed Martha aside, and rushed towards the gunman. Two shots were fired. They both hit the same target. Only .7 seconds apart. And I saw the life run away from his eyes. Martha screamed. I shouted. The gunman ran. I collapsed to the ground, holding my son in my arms. "I'm.....I'm cold daddy...." He said as his air left his lungs. Martha cried and cried and cried. "Martha....its....its ok. We need....we need to get the...the police. Now." Tears turned to laughter. Insane, crazed laughter. I couldn't move. I didn't want to. I wanted to make sure everyone was ok when they weren't. "Your....your a surgeon...." Martha whispered through spurts of laughter "you...can fix him YOU CAN FIX HIM!!! HAHAHAHA! YOU CAN GET HIM BACK!!! CANT YOU THOMAS?!!! AHAHAHA" I held Martha close to my heart. "Ma-Martha......Bruce is dead. There's.....no bringing him back now." Her perverse smile left her face as quick as it came. "No....noooooo....NOOOOOOOOO AHAHAHHAHAAAAAA NOOOOOOO. It's your fault!!!! If you had given him the money, he wouldn't be dead!!!" I ran to call the police. They didn't believe me that I was the famous surgeon Thomas Wayne. They thought it was a joke. The GCPD finally sent a car to check it out, and the dispatches mouth nearly dropped to the floor. It was true. Bruce had died.