GOTHAM KNIGHT: YEAR TWO

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: HALY'S CIRCUS

GOTHAM CITY GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE FOLLOWING MORNING:
Bruce had arrived at the hospital to visit his friend, Harvey, feeling guilt and ashamed of himself. "Jim told me about what happened, I'm sorry...a-", Bruce said as he entered the room to be cut off by Harvey, who lay there in his bed, with the bandages covering up half of his face. "Save it Bruce, there's nothing you could have done....it's my own fault, if I hadn't have gone off on my own stupid mission!...this would never have happened", Harvey responded. As the TV was on in his room, the news had started to talk about what had happened to Harvey, he clenched his fists and hit his bed with strength, in anger as Bruce turned the TV over. "You've been a good friend Bruce, I'm very lucky to have a friend like you, someone I can relate to...someone who's been through tough times, like me", Harvey told Bruce, then Bruce smiled slightly and sat at a chair besides his bed. "Maroni...have the police got him?", Harvey asked Bruce and then Bruce replied, "They say he's escaped, they don't know where he is, but they're working on it". "I'm stupid...I'm an actual fucking idiot", Harvey told Bruce, as he responded, "you're not, you're a good man Dent, one of the best in the city", "I was...now, look at me", Dent responded. A nurse had entered the room and said, "hi, I'm sorry but would you mind giving Mr.Dent some privacy, the doctor wants to speak to him for a moment?", "No, it's fine. Don't worry about it, I'll see you later then Harv", Bruce replied and then Harvey responded, "Thanks again...I mean it", then Bruce nodded and smiled, as he left the room, as the nurse said to Harvey, "Mr.Wayne seems like a nice guy and a good friend", then Harvey responded, "he is, he's one of my best".

THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, CHINATOWN:
The following night Bruce had suited up as Batman to go and take down an illegal drug operation taking place in China town. He repeatedly punched a dealer in the face , as blood ran down his mouth, with the rain pouring down on them. "I'M GONNA ASK YOU AGAIN, WHERE'S MARONI?!", Batman shouted, as he punched him again, then the thug cried, "I don't know man, please...I swear!", "SWEAR TO ME!", as he punched him again, causing him to be knocked unconscious. "I figured I'd find you out", Batman heard, so he turned to see Selina standing behind him in her gear. "I'M SORRY THAT I DIDN'T RETURN YOUR CALL...I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS LATELY", Batman apologised, as he stood up and walked towards her. She placed her hands on the side of his face, while he looked down at his bloody hands. "I can't be doing this...", he said in his normal voice as he turned away, then she asked, "doing what?", He turned back and told her, "being Batman...the lives I've put in danger...", "it's not your fault, you can't blame yourself", she told him. "What are you doing out here, anyway?", Batman asked her, then she responded, "looking for you, Alfred called...he wanted me to check on you", "hmm", Batman replied. "We're gonna catch Maroni, I'll help", she told him then Alfred interrupted through the comms saying, "Jim called, saying that wants you to meet with him at the precinct", "Bruce Wayne?", Batman asked and then Alfred responded, "yes, he's asked to meet you, because he needs your  help", "I'll be right there", he replied. "I've gotta go, something's come up", He said to Selina, then she asked, "what is it?", "Jim's asked to meet with Bruce Wayne", he answered. "Everything okay?", Selina asked and then Batman told her, "I don't know, I'm gonna have to head there now, until I'm done, don't go looking for the Maroni's", "whatever you say", she replied as Batman grappled up onto a nearby rooftop.

SOMETIME LATER, GCPD BUILDING:
Bruce had arrived at the precinct, wearing a black trench coat, along with a pair of black suit pants, black shoes, a white shirt, a black waist coat, and a black tie. "You asked to see me Jim?", Bruce said as he knocked on Jim's office door, "Bruce, thanks for coming. I need your help with something", Jim responded. "Sure, what is it?", Bruce asked, then Jim replied to him, "you hear about the shooting at Haley's Circus?", "shooting?, no...what happened ?", Bruce questioned in shock. "An hour ago, we'd been called over to the circus, when we arrived we found bodies everywhere, some had fell from the air, we found two victims in particular, John and Mary Grayson. Sometime later, we found a survivor, their son, Dick Grayson...he's here at the station, he's sixteen years old, I was thinking maybe you could help him, give him someone to relate to". "Where is he?", Bruce asked as Jim tilted his head as Bruce follows Jim through the precinct. "Dick, this is Mr.Wayne...he's a good friend of mine", Jim introduced Bruce to the teen, with dark, black hair, with a look of anger and fear on his face, drinking a plastic cup of water, wearing a dark blue acrobat costume, with a large, golden V shaped pattern, on his chest, with a blanket over his shoulders. "Hey", Bruce introduced himself, with a slight smile on his face, but Dick wasn't engaging in any form of conversation, he just sat there, starting into nothing, tears running down his face, as Bruce saw hatred in his eyes. "When I was a bit younger than you, I lost my parents as well", Bruce told him as he sat beside him on a bench. "I know how you feel, it's okay...you're not alone kid", Bruce said to Dick, as Dick responded , "let me guess, a doctor ?", "No", Bruce answered and told him, "my name is Bruce Wayne, I can help you, Dick. I know what it's like to be going through what you are, I've been there...it's okay".

THE FOLLOWING NIGHT, THE NARROWS:
Bruce had taken it into his own hands to investigate the murder of the acrobats himself, as he beaten the hell out of a mob boss, "YOU DON'T WANNA PISS ME OFF TODAY!", he shouted as he stamped on his hand, causing the mob boss to scream in agony, then Batman questioned, "WHO KILLED THE FLYING GRAYSON'S?!, LIE AND I'LL KNOW!", "there's nothing you can do, Maroni's taking over...!", he responded, "MARONI....", Batman said, then let the mob boss go, "MARONI KILLED THEM?", Batman asked, "not physically ...he sent some of his boys down to do it, something about him fallin' out with Haly...that's all I know", he told him. "WHAT IS HE TRYING TO PROVE?!", Batman questioned, "after Sionis, Penguin, The Red Hood gang...there's no one left to get in his way", the mob boss answered, then Batman told him, "WELL HE'S WRONG", then Batman punched him in the head as he saw a red dot on the mob boss's forehead. Batman threw the mob boss onto the ground, quickly turned around to see the same person who attempted to assisnate Dent, on top of a building, aiming his gun at Batman. Batman dived out of the way, grappled onto the building and said, "SHOWS OVER LAWTON", "you know who I am?", he responded, "DIDN'T TAKE LONG", Batman replied as Lawton dropped his sniper and said, "fine", as he pulled out a knife and charged at Batman. Batman dodged out of the way, while Lawton threw strikes at him, managing to cut his Bat symbol. Batman blocked one of his hits, as he forced the knife to Batman's face. "WHY DID YOU GO AFTER DENT?!", Batman questioned, struggling and forcing the knife away, "Maroni pays well", Lawton responded as Batman punched him in the chin, in the side of the face and kicked him backwards. Lawton pulled out a pistol and started firing at Batman as he ran towards him, then Batman dived at him, hanging him over the side of the building, "HOW LONG WERE YOU IN THE MILITARY FOR AGAIN?", being sarcastic, to anger Lawton, then he reached for another knife, but Batman stood on his arm and punched him in the head, knocking him unconscious. "Hmm", Batman grunted, looking down at Lawton, and he said, "ALFRED, I'VE CAPTURED LAWTON, GIVE THE POLICE A CALL", "will do".

MEANWHILE THE GCPD BUILDING:
"Hey, we've just had a call from The Bat...says he's caught the guy who tried to kill Dent at City Hall", Harvey Bullock said to Jim, in his office, "alright, send some people out....I'll be on the roof", Jim replied.

Jim had made his way to the rooftop, looking into the city, seeing a shadow over his shoulder. "Heard you caught someone for us", Jim said, turning to see Batman, "MARONI'S BEHIND EVERYTHING, HE KILLED THE FLYING GRAYSON'S TO PROVE THAT HE'S GOT POWER", "source?", Jim questioned, "A MOB BOSS I ASKED", Batman told him, "asked?", Jim responded sarcastically. "With one of the best men in Gotham out, I don't know how we're gonna put Maroni down", Jim said, "LEAVE MARONI TO ME, I WANT YOU TO MAKE SURE THE KID'S SAFE, HE NEEDS A HOME", Batman explained and then Jim replied, "I ain't sending him down to the orphanage", "I WASN'T TALKING ABOUT THE ORPHANAGE", "Well... I did have one idea", Jim said.

TWO WEEKS LATER, GOTHAM CEMETERY:
Bruce Wayne had attended the funeral of the John and Mary Grayson, alongside his Butler Alfred and Jim. Bruce stood wearing a black suit, looking at Dick cry over his parents grave's. "Dick, do you remember Mr. Wayne from the other week?", Jim said to Dick, as he looked to them, "Call me Bruce", Bruce said as he stuck his arm out to shake Dick's hand. Dick shook his hand, "I heard you payed for all this...thanks", Dick said, "you doing alright?", Bruce asked, "I'll be alright", Dick replied, looking down at the grave's. "You sure he'll be alright...his parents were all he had?", Alfred questioned then Bruce told him, "that's why I've decided to bring him in, as a foster son...he needs someone like you were to me after I lost my parents..."

A FEW DAYS LATER, BRUCE WAYNE'S PENTHOUSE:
"Welcome home, Dick", Bruce said to Dick as he entered the penthouse, with a speechless face, "make yourself at home", he said to Dick as they both entered the room.

TO BE CONTINUED IN 'CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: DICK GRAYSON'