In The Batcave – Gotham City-2027
Bruce was in the Batcave, tracking a very powerful criminal. He was just a normal man, not enhanced by a serum or anything. But was very influential, and undoubtably working with an entire organization.
"Hm, interesting. He has been in Gotham for a long time. For about 20 years. This is bad.", Bruce muttered to himself, bringing up newspaper articles, pertaining to various murders and catastrophes, which have occurred in Gotham in the past years.One of them was about a bus, carrying about 38 children on the Gotham Highway. But the bus had been highjacked with a bomb by one of the mobsters, which would blow in an hour. The bus would fall into the Gotham River, with all 39 occupants dying. It would first collide with a car, carrying two boys and their mother.
Flashback-2019
The bus was driving very unstable, due to the bomb already messing with it.
The Batmobile was in hot pursuit.
Batman strategically shot two hooks from the Batmobile onto the bus's rear, preventing it from falling off the road, before putting the Batmobile on autopilot and exiting it to save the car's occupants.
"Batman's here! He's going to save us!", One of the boys cheered.
"Come on, kids! Take my hand! Quick!", He yelled, stretching out his hand to them.
"But what about our mom?", The other boy protested.
"She'd want you to be brought to safety first! We don't have time!", Batman yelled, grabbing the kids and grappling back to the Boatmobile.
The family's car crashed into the water, with the boys' mother still inside.
"Mom!", One of them yelled.
"I must go save the bus. I'll be back in a few minutes.", Batman explained softly, as the boys nodded.
Batman quickly left to help the 39 other civilians, managing to disable the bomb and save the bus, along with catching the mobsters, handing them over to the GCPD.
He then returned to the two boys.
"You both had faith in me, and I let you down. I'm sorry. Also, my deepest condolences about your mother. Commissioner Gordon will contact one of your relatives."
"It wasn't your fault, Batman. And …. thank you.", The boy said quietly, fighting back tears, as his brother nodded in agreement.
Batman let the boys out of the Batmobile, and with a wave to both of them, disappeared into the night with his car.
End Of Flashback
15 years may have passed since that accident, but Bruce still felt guilty about it. Especially because the whole organization hasn't been dealt with yet, and the one who ordered the bus's sabotage, and thus, was responsible for the whole accident, was still at large.
"Wherever you are, you son of a bitch, I'm going to find you. And you will be rotting in Blackgate for the rest of your god forsaken life.", Bruce growled.
He considered that mission to be one of the greatest failures of his career as Batman.
Suddenly, the Batcomputer started beeping , showing a map of Gotham City , with a very specific location.
As Batman was tracking the criminals, he was contacted by the Boss himself.
"Ah, Batman. I trust you are still hard at work, trying to track me and my associates down? How noble.", He taunted.
"How did you get access to this frequency?", The Dark Knight demanded, glaring at him.
"Let that stay my little secret. Still pissed about that incident 15 years ago? Plus, I know that despite the mother dying, the two boys survived and are now your associates."
"I have a connection with that family. And sharing that information with you won't be of any consequence, due to you not being alive to tell anyone. Your associates will be in prison, but I'm going to kill you."
"Good luck with that, Dark Knight.", The Crime Boss taunted one last time, ending the call.
At An Underground Bunker-Somewhere In A Remote Part Of Gotham-A Few Hours Later
Batman was standing on the bunker's roof, in which the criminals were hiding.
He shot his grappling hook to a post and swung down, swiftly knocking out some guards. After clearing the premises, he activated razor sharp, metal claws, integrated into his gauntlets, climbing the bunker's outer wall.
Batman entered, and confronted the boss, along with the rest of his thugs.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Dark Knight himself.", He mused.
"The 20-year long reign of terror is over.", Batman growled, firing a dart from his gauntlet.
It landed a couple inches over the boss's head.
"If your aim is that bad, then I don't have too much to worry about.
"That depends on what I was aiming for."
The dart had damaged a curtain, which had fallen onto a few of the mobsters.
The others were immobilized by a Batarang.
"So, do you surrender? Or are you in need of further persuasion?", Batman asked.
"I surrender."
The Mob Boss and his associates were arrested and taken away by the GCPD, as Batman also left.
Later That Night- In The Batcave
Bruce was sitting at the Batcomputer , listening to a news report.
"Tonight, Gotham City's long time protector, the Batman , captured Mob Boss Hank Davis and his associates , who have been poisoning this city for the past 20 years. I think every resident of this city can sleep safely tonight, knowing that these dangerous men have finally been brought to justice. This is Catharine Viper, Channel 5. Have a safe evening and goodnight."
Bruce let out a relieved sigh, leaning back in his chair. It was finally over.