On the rooftop of the Gotham Police Department, beneath the looming Bat-Signal, it wasn't just Commissioner Gordon standing in the shadows.
Someone else was there too: Harvey Dent, Gotham's current district attorney. Once, he had been fated to become the criminal known as Two-Face. But in this world, that fate had already been changed. The long Halloween had come and gone, without leaving a scar on his face or soul.
Just like in many versions of Batman's story, the one played by Reid had also gone after the Falcone and Maroni families during his first year back in Gotham.
But unlike the comic version of The Long Halloween, this time the alliance wasn't just between Gordon, Harvey, and 'Batman.' It included three more unlikely allies: 'Bruce Wayne,' Lex Luthor, and Tony Stark. Three men who, under normal circumstances, wouldn't even be caught in the same room, now stood united under a common cause.
With that kind of backing, the events of The Long Halloween never had a chance to begin. Wayne Enterprises, LexCorp, and Stark Industries joined forces. Even in Gotham, the Falcone family didn't stand a chance. They were crushed completely, from both the dark and the light—left with no room to fight back.
Because of that, Two-Face never came to be. Instead, Gotham gained a district attorney filled with a strong sense of justice, though unknowingly influenced by the mental suggestions planted in him by Reid.
"You called for me."
The two men flinched. The sudden voice caught them off guard. They turned around and saw 'Batman' already behind them, silent and still.
"Technically, we didn't call you here just for us," Gordon explained while checking his watch. "An ally of ours said he'd be arriving in Gotham around this time."
"He's already thirty minutes late," he added, sighing. "I had a feeling this would happen. The guy lives up to his reputation—always unpredictable."
Harvey shook his head with a resigned expression. They both knew about tonight's plan. They were aware that 'Batman' had intended to use the Joker Gang as bait to try and capture the mutants. And to be fair, the plan had been quite successful. If it hadn't been for the mercenary arriving from New York at the worst possible time, both mutants might already be sitting in a cell in the police station beneath them.
Given that, there was no real reason to bother 'Batman' tonight. If anything urgent came up, it could've waited until tomorrow. But no, this new arrival from New York insisted on meeting Gotham's dark knight in person, and he wanted it now.
"I think I know who it is," Batman said, unfazed.
In the Marvel world, at this point in time, there was really only one person who could interfere in Gotham, request a meeting with 'Batman,' and still get Gordon and Harvey to agree.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from above.
"Ah, there you are. Sorry I'm late, but technically, you guys are late too, aren't you? A lot went down tonight, after all."
Speak of the devil. Just as 'Batman' finished speaking, a figure descended onto the rooftop using a flight device.
It was Tony Stark.
As for the flying tech beneath his feet—it came from a project years ago. After the government seized Norman Osborn's Green Goblin gear, they hadn't handed it over to LexCorp. Instead, they assigned Stark Industries to study, reverse-engineer, and mass-produce the gliders. The one Tony was riding now was his own specially upgraded version.
"No need for small talk," 'Batman' cut in, his voice cold and firm.
Reid, who had interacted with Tony under many different identities, knew better than to waste words with the playboy. Especially not while playing the role of Batman—who wasn't exactly known for being chatty.
"Tony Stark. America's richest man. New York's most famous playboy. Why exactly do you want to see me?"
Tony, unbothered by the harsh tone, simply shrugged and spoke.
"I want in. On your little justice squad, I mean. And help deal with the current mess in Gotham."
His answer didn't surprise 'Batman.' Back when they were taking down Falcone and the other Gotham families, they had borrowed Stark Industries' support more than once. Tony stepping in now wasn't exactly unexpected.
"For Alfred?"
"You actually guessed that?" Tony widened his eyes in mock surprise, then let out a sigh. "You're right. It's for Alfred. I want to help him stabilize Gotham. You all know, three years ago, Alfred finally got his young master back. The man deserves a little peace in his life now. A calm life."
Both Gordon and Harvey were taken aback by the honesty in his voice. They could tell he meant every word.
They'd heard about the influence Alfred once had on him. And now, he was willing to dive straight into Gotham's chaos for the sake of that old man's guidance all those years ago.
Whatever flaws Tony had as a playboy, this part of him more than made up for it. He earned the respect of both Gordon and Harvey—men who lived by justice.
'Batman' frowned slightly, but didn't say much. After a brief discussion, it was decided that Gordon would arrange a hotel for Stark and assign officers for protection. If they needed Stark Industries' support, Tony would step in to help at the appropriate time.
There was no need for 'Batman' to be involved in every step. Tony's role was meant to be public-facing, and Gordon and Harvey could handle direct contact. For now, there was no reason for the Dark Knight to remain close.
...
Later that night, 'Batman' returned to the Batcave. The cavern was quiet, dimly lit by the glow of computer monitors. Alfred was nowhere to be seen. The only person there was Deathstroke, seated at the Batcomputer, scanning through lines of incoming data.
"Where's Alfred?"
"He went to carry out your plan," Deathstroke replied, not looking away from the screen.
'Batman' nodded. Whether it was Alfred or the Joker, both were sharp enough to understand what he meant before he left. It wasn't surprising they acted on their own.
"Who's trying to test us?" he asked after a moment.
"Kate. Kate Kane. I'd guess she picked up something from the Court of Owls. What about your side? What's going on at GCPD?"
"Tony wants to get involved in the conflict between us and the mutants. But if you ask me, his reason for stepping into Gotham isn't just about justice."
Deathstroke paused for a second, then nodded as the pieces clicked into place. "He wants to protect Alfred."
"Yeah. That's the only reason that explains why he insisted on coming to Gotham himself."
With that, silence filled the cave again as both men focused on their preparations.
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