(((JOE)))
Batman: scourge of Blackfire 4/4: THE END
(The final instalment of the arc)
Bruce follows the trail to an eerie plot of land cursed by the stench of death. A shipping yard. The same shipping yard that got shut down a year back when the gcpd busted a human trafficking case. He walked with caution to the centre of the yard. He can already sense blackfire wanted him to pick up the trail. Which means one simple thing for Bruce. He has taken the bait. And at that crucial moment the shipping yard is surrounded by flames more than 10 metres high. One of the shipping crates begins to emit a deafening scraping sound. Naturally Bruce walks towards the sound. It doesn’t last long and instead Bruce’s minds is corrupted by the daunting voice of BLACKFIRE!
Blackfire: well if it isn’t the devil himself. Come to seek forgiveness no doubt. If you are wondering where I am hiding. Do not even attempt To find me. You never will. oh no no no...for you see you cannot find what is not there!
His words echo through the yard as it is engulfed by a surge of white light. A distorted reality is instantly bought upon Bruce. The containers are gone and with no sign of mans industrial plague,he finds himself lying face down on the grassy hills which once stretched across Gotham. He gets too his feet and is soon shaken, struggling to keep steady, when a stone idol erupts from the very earth beneath him towering above the now dying grass. He instantly recognises the totem as the one which had haunted him on the grounds of Gotham cathedral when he was first faced with the evil that is Blackfire.
Blackfire: Familiar Bruce? You have to admire the sheer detail of it. The sinners. The justice. Just like the Old Testament. A personal favourite of mine.
Batman: You’re only mad with power Joseph. Where are you. End this now
Blackfire: Do not speak that ancient name!! You know who I am. What I am! But you do not know where I am...or when I am even... I would tell you but I loose track myself. You only need to know that I am century’s older than a mortal like yourself will ever be.
The white light surrounding Bruce intensifies, questioning his sanity and false assumptions of the world about him
Batman: What is this?! What’ve you done to me. A hallucinogenic?!
Blackfire: Hahaha. And yet he still relies on sense. Reality is bought to him with the snap of a finger and yet he cannot seem to make sense of it. I am very much honestly underwhelmed
...anyway I suspect you seek dear James Gordon.
Batman: Where the hell is he!?
Blackfire: Right before your eyes Bruce....or ears
Blackfires voice comes to an end and instead the screams of Jim Gordon can be heard at the top of the shadowing obelisk. A great stone door at the bottom is lifted with an abrupt rumbling sound and a steep winding staircase is revealed. Knowing he shouldn’t Bruce is compelled to climb the swirling stairs reaching to the heavens. A swarm of vicious winged devils fill the small space fighting for his body and soul,
screeching with the deathly sound of bloodthirsty madness . He throws his arms out desperately to fight them of to no prevail but when the sound of Gordon’s painful wail makes a gap in the crowd, he is reminded of what must be done and he abandons the stairs, pulling himself up the crumbling walls
He climbs up the walls, finding himself atop a stone slab surrounded by an endless sea of black. In the distance of the abyss, is a clear crucifix of solid red colour.
Blackfire: REPENT!!!
A second surge of white light engulfs the darkness and Bruce feels a strange clash of newfound emotions and conflicting morals flowing through his body and mind at the same time.
Batman/Bruce: what are you doing to me?! I don’t understand this...this urge.
Blackfire: yes? To see the light? No no no. Such mercy is beyond your reach. You are the devil’s child. And I am your executioner. Gods reward to me will be one of great thanks!!
He reveals himself towering above the bat,displaying a sense of confidence and illusion of ease at this simple task
Bruce will not make the mistake he made when first battling the man. He does not throw a punch or hurl himself towards the great beast. Instead,he disappears into the shadows and to Blackfires surprise, leaps onto the sturdy back of the shaman destabilising him as he stomps about. He clamps his arms around the mans neck choking him momentarily. The two fight and struggle for some time Causing the shaman to eventually drop to the floor.
Batman: Where is Gordon!!?
Within this crucial moment of realisation, Bruce comes to realise that he is back in the very same sewers he first fought Blackfire in. He takes control of his own mind and lifts the man, twice his size, by the neck,dropping him to the ground and hearing his plead
Blackfire: No..no no no...this is wrong...you are supposed to die...I must be your executioner. I must save Gotham
Batman: Save? You have Gothamites murdered night after night. Day after day. Yet you persist you are a saviour. I thought you at first, a mere cult leader. Somebody to brainwash the vulnerable in their time of need. But now I see. It is not only them who have fallen for these tricks. You yourself are a victim. Here to help you
The man Shrieks in retaliation
Blackfire: NOOOOOO!!!!!! Never!!!!!!!!!
Batman: Realise this now Or let delusion consume you
Blackfire: No...no...no....YOU ARE A LIAR!!! Do not deceive me Satan!!!! Face your punishment!!!
He stabs Bruce in the side of his stomach letting him drop to the stone cold floor
Blackfire: It has been done....the devil is no more!!!
And just at the point of doomsday, Gordon fires several rounds into the chest of the great shaman. He resists at first,refusing to die but is soon put down by the worn down detective
His eyes, now lifeless stare into Bruce’s soul resting guilt upon his burdened shoulders as he drops to the ground making his mark in the pool of blood and deathly waste which surrounds him.
Batman: No. He..he deserved real justice. You’re a man of law Jim. Yet.. you kill him like that? He didn’t need to die. No one does...As evil as they are
Jim Gordon: Come on now. you need to just Relax. It’s over now and we need to get you to a doctor. It’s bad. The cut. I’ll stop the bleeding but you need real surgery. Real attention.
Batman: no one can kno...know. Who I am. Don’t remo.. l
Jim pauses for a moment struggling to Supress his curiosity and urge to pursue truth
Jim Gordon: I won’t. You are fine. I won’t. And your armour seemed to help you quite a bit. Just please let me get you to a hospital goddamnit.
Batman: Thank you...but you killed him
Jim Gordon: that man has killed over a hundred Gothamites in the past month. Criminals or not, they were less guilty than him. Had to be done.....Now I really need to get you some help...
Batman: No... bye Jim
With that he makes his silent leave as Jim falls to his knees, pushing the dead shaman into the drift of the sewers green rivers. He kneels for a moment, letting his thoughts battle within his conflicted mind. After this he retrieves his radio as he climbs up one of the sewers ladders back up to the cold,empty shipping yard.
He talks under his breath
Jim Gordon: I don’t even know anymore...
Batman: scourge of Blackfire 4/4: THE END
(The final instalment of the arc)
Bruce follows the trail to an eerie plot of land cursed by the stench of death. A shipping yard. The same shipping yard that got shut down a year back when the gcpd busted a human trafficking case. He walked with caution to the centre of the yard. He can already sense blackfire wanted him to pick up the trail. Which means one simple thing for Bruce. He has taken the bait. And at that crucial moment the shipping yard is surrounded by flames more than 10 metres high. One of the shipping crates begins to emit a deafening scraping sound. Naturally Bruce walks towards the sound. It doesn’t last long and instead Bruce’s minds is corrupted by the daunting voice of BLACKFIRE!
Blackfire: well if it isn’t the devil himself. Come to seek forgiveness no doubt. If you are wondering where I am hiding. Do not even attempt To find me. You never will. oh no no no...for you see you cannot find what is not there!
His words echo through the yard as it is engulfed by a surge of white light. A distorted reality is instantly bought upon Bruce. The containers are gone and with no sign of mans industrial plague,he finds himself lying face down on the grassy hills which once stretched across Gotham. He gets too his feet and is soon shaken, struggling to keep steady, when a stone idol erupts from the very earth beneath him towering above the now dying grass. He instantly recognises the totem as the one which had haunted him on the grounds of Gotham cathedral when he was first faced with the evil that is Blackfire.
Blackfire: Familiar Bruce? You have to admire the sheer detail of it. The sinners. The justice. Just like the Old Testament. A personal favourite of mine.
Batman: You’re only mad with power Joseph. Where are you. End this now
Blackfire: Do not speak that ancient name!! You know who I am. What I am! But you do not know where I am...or when I am even... I would tell you but I loose track myself. You only need to know that I am century’s older than a mortal like yourself will ever be.
The white light surrounding Bruce intensifies, questioning his sanity and false assumptions of the world about him
Batman: What is this?! What’ve you done to me. A hallucinogenic?!
Blackfire: Hahaha. And yet he still relies on sense. Reality is bought to him with the snap of a finger and yet he cannot seem to make sense of it. I am very much honestly underwhelmed
...anyway I suspect you seek dear James Gordon.
Batman: Where the hell is he!?
Blackfire: Right before your eyes Bruce....or ears
Blackfires voice comes to an end and instead the screams of Jim Gordon can be heard at the top of the shadowing obelisk. A great stone door at the bottom is lifted with an abrupt rumbling sound and a steep winding staircase is revealed. Knowing he shouldn’t Bruce is compelled to climb the swirling stairs reaching to the heavens. A swarm of vicious winged devils fill the small space fighting for his body and soul,
screeching with the deathly sound of bloodthirsty madness . He throws his arms out desperately to fight them of to no prevail but when the sound of Gordon’s painful wail makes a gap in the crowd, he is reminded of what must be done and he abandons the stairs, pulling himself up the crumbling walls
He climbs up the walls, finding himself atop a stone slab surrounded by an endless sea of black. In the distance of the abyss, is a clear crucifix of solid red colour.
Blackfire: REPENT!!!
A second surge of white light engulfs the darkness and Bruce feels a strange clash of newfound emotions and conflicting morals flowing through his body and mind at the same time.
Batman/Bruce: what are you doing to me?! I don’t understand this...this urge.
Blackfire: yes? To see the light? No no no. Such mercy is beyond your reach. You are the devil’s child. And I am your executioner. Gods reward to me will be one of great thanks!!
He reveals himself towering above the bat,displaying a sense of confidence and illusion of ease at this simple task
Bruce will not make the mistake he made when first battling the man. He does not throw a punch or hurl himself towards the great beast. Instead,he disappears into the shadows and to Blackfires surprise, leaps onto the sturdy back of the shaman destabilising him as he stomps about. He clamps his arms around the mans neck choking him momentarily. The two fight and struggle for some time Causing the shaman to eventually drop to the floor.
Batman: Where is Gordon!!?
Within this crucial moment of realisation, Bruce comes to realise that he is back in the very same sewers he first fought Blackfire in. He takes control of his own mind and lifts the man, twice his size, by the neck,dropping him to the ground and hearing his plead
Blackfire: No..no no no...this is wrong...you are supposed to die...I must be your executioner. I must save Gotham
Batman: Save? You have Gothamites murdered night after night. Day after day. Yet you persist you are a saviour. I thought you at first, a mere cult leader. Somebody to brainwash the vulnerable in their time of need. But now I see. It is not only them who have fallen for these tricks. You yourself are a victim. Here to help you
The man Shrieks in retaliation
Blackfire: NOOOOOO!!!!!! Never!!!!!!!!!
Batman: Realise this now Or let delusion consume you
Blackfire: No...no...no....YOU ARE A LIAR!!! Do not deceive me Satan!!!! Face your punishment!!!
He stabs Bruce in the side of his stomach letting him drop to the stone cold floor
Blackfire: It has been done....the devil is no more!!!
And just at the point of doomsday, Gordon fires several rounds into the chest of the great shaman. He resists at first,refusing to die but is soon put down by the worn down detective
His eyes, now lifeless stare into Bruce’s soul resting guilt upon his burdened shoulders as he drops to the ground making his mark in the pool of blood and deathly waste which surrounds him.
Batman: No. He..he deserved real justice. You’re a man of law Jim. Yet.. you kill him like that? He didn’t need to die. No one does...As evil as they are
Jim Gordon: Come on now. you need to just Relax. It’s over now and we need to get you to a doctor. It’s bad. The cut. I’ll stop the bleeding but you need real surgery. Real attention.
Batman: no one can kno...know. Who I am. Don’t remo.. l
Jim pauses for a moment struggling to Supress his curiosity and urge to pursue truth
Jim Gordon: I won’t. You are fine. I won’t. And your armour seemed to help you quite a bit. Just please let me get you to a hospital goddamnit.
Batman: Thank you...but you killed him
Jim Gordon: that man has killed over a hundred Gothamites in the past month. Criminals or not, they were less guilty than him. Had to be done.....Now I really need to get you some help...
Batman: No... bye Jim
With that he makes his silent leave as Jim falls to his knees, pushing the dead shaman into the drift of the sewers green rivers. He kneels for a moment, letting his thoughts battle within his conflicted mind. After this he retrieves his radio as he climbs up one of the sewers ladders back up to the cold,empty shipping yard.
He talks under his breath
Jim Gordon: I don’t even know anymore...