Batman: Genesis

Chapter Eighteen - A Family For A Family

[Bruce]

When Bruce came to, he was still sitting on the bench in his backyard. Only with one slight difference. He was tied to it. Oh, and he couldn't see a thing. There was a pillowcase or something around his head, hindering his vision. Bruce thrashed around, but couldn't gain enough momentum to knock the bench over.

"We have orders to move him," said a deep voice from somewhere around him. "Just take the bench."

And they did. Bruce felt the bench beneath him being lifted up, and he was lifted with it. The people carrying the bench shuffled along for while, and then sat the bench back down. Several seconds later the pillowcase was removed from his head. Bruce blinked a couple times before taking in his surroundings, which he recognized instantly. He was in the woods clearing behind Wayne Manor. He could just barely see the house from where he was, in between some bushes and branches. He recognized the people around him, too. They were the other men with masks: Black Mask's cronies.

"I know who your boss is," Bruce spat at the cronies. "It's Roman Sionis."

Really he didn't quite know for sure, but it was too great of a coincidence that Sionis and Black Mask would both be at the Manor if they were different people. Bruce made a decision to put his odds on the assumption that it was Sionis.

"Ding, ding, ding," said a familiar voice. Black Mask stepped into the clearing. "You are correct. Hello again, Bruce."

"So it is you, Roman," Bruce said. "What was with the charades, then?"

Black Mask laughed. "You didn't actually expect me to believe that you don't have security cameras all around your house, did you? I may not be able to run a business, but I'm not stupid. You see, when you turn up dead, they'll check all the tapes. They'll see me talking to you, and then leaving, and I'll be ruled out entirely as a suspect."

"Clever," said Bruce. "So why are you telling me at all? Why didn't you just shoot me in the back of the head as soon as I was taken back here."

Black Mask waved around his handgun. "That would be no fun! I wouldn't get to see the lights in your eyes die out. I wouldn't get to see the look on your face as you realize that it's me that will cause you to meet your end. Oh, and plus, I'm not going to kill you just yet."

"Oh?"

"No. You took my business away from me, Bruce, which was all I had left of my family. So now, I will take away all you have left of yours. I will burn down Wayne Manor, and with it your precious old butler."

"No!" Bruce spluttered. "No, just kill me. No one else has to die. I'm the one you want."

Black Mask grinned. "Yes. You are the one I want. But it wouldn't satisfy me enough to kill just you. First I must take everything from you. I've checked, and the security cameras don't reach back here. You can still see your house, though, and you'll probably even be able to hear the butler's screams. Enjoy, and remember that I'll be back to finish you."

And then Black Mask walked off, with Bruce thrashing against his restraints.

"You won't get away with this!" Bruce yelled, but if Black Mask heard he didn't show it.

Bruce looked around at Black Mask's cronies, all of whom had their eyes on him. They all had guns, and they all seemed to be waiting for a chance to discharge them. No doubt they had been told not to kill Bruce, but he doubted that would keep them from harming him non-fatally.

Black Mask's cronies didn't look away from Bruce until the sound of footsteps in the woods a couple minutes later drew their attention. Before long, a police force squad had surrounded the clearing, led by Bullock and Gordon.

"The False Face Society," said Gordon. "You're all under arrest for being accomplices in the murders of Diaz and Johnson."

Bruce watched in surprise as the False Face Society raised their guns toward the police. He was about to shout out a warning, but the GCPD was too quick. Only a few of the cronies had time to get a shot off before they had all been downed by the police. As the GCPD cuffed up the cronies, Jim walked over to Bruce.

"Are you hurt?" he asked as he started to untie him.

"No," Bruce replied. "Thanks, by the way. Not bad for a rookie detective."

Jim smiled and finished untying him from the bench. "Any idea where Black Mask himself is?"

"Yep," Bruce said, and he started sprinting toward Wayne Manor.