Batman: The Longest Halloween Issue 0 - Prologue

Narrator: "Gotham City... a city of darkness and evil, often said to have been built over Hell itself. A city that can turn a great man into and evil abomination... This is a tale of such a man, who tried to stop the evils of the city, but ended up corrupted by it..."

"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways." - Buddha

October, 30th, Crime Alley, East End, Gotham City, 4:48 AM

(Commissioner Gillian Loeb sits at a park bench in front of abandoned building smocking a cigarette as he repeatedly looks at his watch.)

Loeb: "Where the Hell is that Bastard!? I can't wait here for ever.

(Loeb throws away his cigarette and lights another, but as he does a man stops by the bench and sits next to Loeb.)

Loeb: "About time you came, Sal. I thought you would keep me waiting till the sun rose."

(The man's face is shown and the man is revealed to be none other then Salvadore Maroni, Head of the Gotham Second Notorious Gang.)

Maroni: "Sorry, Loeb, but I had bigger fish to fry."

(Loeb puts out a cigarette and lights another and smiles.)

Loeb: "Fish? Or do you mean birds?"

(Maroni glares at Loeb angrily.)

Maroni: "Get to the point of why I'm here Loeb."

Loeb: "Sal, I would never come to you unless we both had a problem that we both needed dealt with fast."

(Maroni looks at Loeb skeptically.)

Maroni: "This better not have to do with the Bat, because your plan failed with that problem."

Loeb: "It does deal with the Bat, but not directly."

(Maroni looks at him confused.)

Maroni: "What do you mean not directly?"

Loeb: "Its come to my attention that Batman has formed a small alliance with two important people to bring down crime in Gotham."

(Maroni looks at him intrigued)

Maroni: "Who is in this alliance?"

Loeb: "The alliance is made up of Batman himself if you can believe that, District Attorney Harvey Dent, and Lieutenant James Gordon. The group have made plans to bring down most of yours and Penguin's operations by working together. Batman takes out the operations that I know about and keep my officers from going near, Gordon takes out operations I don't know about, most likely getting the information from Batman, and Dent prosecutes the members of yours and Penguin's gangs and make sure you two can't get them out."

(Maroni gets up and looks at a street light beginning to flicker and then turns to face Loeb.)

Maroni: "So you want me to help you tear apart this alliance. How can this benefit me exactly other then keep my boys out of Blackgate?"

(Loeb smiles and stands up.)

Loeb: "I thought you'd never ask. If you help me tear this alliance apart, I promise that I will devote my entire police force to helping you win your gang war with Penguin. The way I see it, it helps get rid of your rival for Gotham's underworld and give me and the rest of the GCPD some good publicity for a change. In the end everyone wins."

(Maroni nods and smiles.)

Maroni: "So how do we go about it then? Do we go after Dent or Gordon, because I know there is no way in Hell to go against Batman directly.

Loeb: "We can't go after Gordon yet, because he has made to many allies on the Police Force and is the poster boy for the Hope of the GCPD. Did you know he turned Bullock the one cop I thought would join my side. Its a matter of time before Gordon replaces me as the Commissioner to please Gotham. We will go after Gordon eventually, but first we need to deal with the easier target, Dent."

Maroni: "What do you have in mind for him."

(Loeb begins walking away from the bench and waves Maroni to follow.)

Loeb: "We will talk about it over coffee."

(Maroni looks at Loeb for a second and then follows. The two depart from Crime Alley into the darkness of Gotham.)

October 30th, GCPD Headquarters, Gotham City, 1:58 PM

(James Gordon sits at his desk doing paper work.)

Gordon: "Hmmmmm... Was it J.J. Clark or was it J.J. Clarke?

(A police officer sets to Gordon's desk, with a confused look on his face.)

Police Officer: "Lieutenant Gordon, there's a.... someone here to see you. He says he wants to meet you in the lobby."

(Gordon looks at him confused, but gets up.)

Gordon: "Okay, I needed an excuse to get out of that stiff chair. Who wants to see my by the way."

(The officer looks nervous.)

Police Officer: "That's the thing Lieutenant, the person is Salvadore "Sal" Maroni and he says he wants to confess to you something."

(Gordon turns pale, but quickly regains his color and makes his way into the lobby, where he is greeted by Maroni.)

Maroni: "Nice to see you Gordon. Glad your still here. I have come to confess my crimes and believe your the only one here who will take it seriously."

(Gordon looks at Maroni with an intense glare not taking his eyes off him.)

Gordon: "Cut the Crap Maroni! I know that you didn't come here to confess everything without an an angle."

(Maroni smiles and begins to laugh.)

Maroni: "You got me Gordon, but my angle isn't what you may think it is. I came here to confess in hopes you can get me out of Gotham. Send me anywhere else, where that bird-brained bastard can't get his little talons into me. I know I can't win against him and its only a matter of time in till the bird wins, so I decided to cut my losses and get out when the getting's good."

(Gordon looks at him still unsure, but is still willing to listen.)

Gordon: "How do I know you aren't lying, Maroni?"

Maroni: "Gordon, why would I throw my entire empire away for anything other the self preservation."

Gordon: "Okay I am willing to listen to your confession, but I can't get you out of Gotham for at least a month.

(Maroni then stares at Gordon, with fear.)

Maroni: "Gordon, I will confess to the DA if you can get me out of Gotham within the next 3 days."

(Gordon looks at Maroni with a look of belief.)

Gordon: "Okay, stay here I have to make a call. Don't try anything funny."

Maroni: "Wouldn't dream of it, Gordon."

(Gordon leaves Maroni and dials Harvey Dent's office number, which shortly after ring once or twice Gordon reachs Dent's secretary who patches him through.)

Dent: "District Attorney Harvey Dent, may I ask who's calling."

Gordon: "Harvey its me Gordon, I got Salvadore "Sal" Maroni at the station here claiming that he has come to confess in order to get away from Gotham and the Penguin. He says he will confess to the DA if it means I can get him out of Gotham in three days."

(Dent smiles.)

Dent: "Sounds to good to be true, you sure he isn't planning something?"

Gordon: "I thought he was, but his fear makes me feel otherwise."

Dent: "We may not get another chance at this... Tell Maroni I will meet him, but at City Hall with a judge and you present, agreed?"

Gordon: "I agree it would be best that way. What time do you want to hold the meeting?"

Dent: "5 will do. Gives me time to finish my paper work and let you check Maroni for any weapons"

Gordon: "Sounds good see you then."

(Gordon hangs up and walks back to Maroni.)

Gordon: "Good news Maroni, Dent decided that he will meet you at City Hall, where he and a judge will listen to your confession and will allow you to go to prison far away from Gotham."

(Maroni smiles.)

Maroni: "Thanks Gordon, for helping me out."

Gordon: "This isn't about you this if for the good of Gotham."

(Gordon does not notice Maroni as a wicked smile appears.)

Maroni: "Of course Gordon of course."

October 30th, Iceberg Lounge, Gotham Bay, Gotham City, 4:34 PM

(Penguin sits in his chair and begins looking at his current profits and as he does one of his Lieutenants enters.)

Lieutenant: Mr. Cobblepot, sir, I have an important information to tell you."

(Penguin looks at him with slight hint of anger.)

Penguin: "What is so important that you came now."

(The Lieutenant looks nervous but takes a breath.) Lieutenant: "Sir, our informant in the GCPD has learned that "Sal" Maroni has went to the cops to confess his crimes in exchange for a quick escape from Gotham."

(Penguin stops looking at his profits and looks at the Lieutenant with intrigue.)

Penguin: "So Maroni is running then, if he think I will let him out of Gotham that easily he has another thing coming. Go tell Charlie and the boys to begin Operation: Hell's Gates."

(The Lieutenant salutes Penguin and then leaves.)

Penguin: "Know you were a coward Maroni."

(Penguin then goes back to counting his profits.)

October 30th, Gotham City Hall, Gotham City, 5:53 PM

(A judge, Gordon, Dent and Maroni sit in an empty court room as Maroni finishes to confess.)

Dent: "Anything you have to say before we send you to a safe-house before we transfer you to Metropolis."

(Maroni looks at Dent and then tries to speak, but begins to act strange.)

Maroni: "Yes, I would... like to... Sorry I need to take something to take care of my indigestion."

(Dent nods, looks at him and steps closer to look at the bottle he has.)

Maroni: "Nothing to worry about its just an antacid."

(Dent still standing at arms length stares at Maroni, but as Maroni opens the antacid he moves his hand and splashes the contents of the bottle at Dent's face."

Maroni: "Take that Golden Boy!"

(Dent falls to the ground screaming and covering his damaged face, before passing out. Gordon tackles Maroni.)

Gordon: "What the Hell did you do?"

Maroni: "I did what I thought would help Gotham, like you."

(Gordon looks at the judge and tells him to call an ambulance."

October 30th, Gotham General Hospital, Gotham City, 11:52 PM

(The skies of Gotham are covered in storm clouds that are set to cover the city in thunderstorms all of Halloween. Gordon sits in an empty room, where he is quickly join by Batman.)

Gordon: "I'm sorry... I failed."

(Batman looks at Gordon, showing no emotion.)

Batman: "You didn't fail Gordon. You and Dent were set up. There is no possibility that Maroni came up with this idea himself. We need to find his accomplice for Dent."

(Gordon gets angry and stands up.)

Gordon: "Dent is a few yards from us, near DEATH! Finding Maroni's accomplice, even if he does exist isn't going to keep Dent alive or fix his GODDAMN FACE! DENT IS SCARRED FOREVER, BECAUSE OF... because of me....

(Gordon calms down an sits down.)

Gordon: "If I wasn't such a optimist... I could of... I could of stop him."

Batman: "What happened has already happened Lieutenant. If we dwell on what could of been then we are wasting our time in finding out who help Maroni."

(Gordon looks at Batman and smiles.)

Gordon: "Your right we should____)

(A scream is heard down the hall.)

Gordon: Was that... Dent's room?"

(Gordon looks at Batman, but quickly sees he is gone.)

Gordon: "Damn.)

(Gordon leaves the room and makes his way to Dent's room to discover the doctor working on him with a surgical knife in his back.)

Gordon: "Dent, what have you done."

October 30th, Arkham Asylum, Gotham City, 11:57 PM

(Two thugs are standing over unconscious guards in the Asylum's cell control room.)

Thug #1: "So Penguin really wants us to do this."

Thug #2: "Yes, he wants us to free all the prisoners in order to trap Maroni here in till Cobblepot can get his hands on him. If it makes you feel better we aren't the only ones free prisoners. Some of the other guys are at Blackgate doing the same thing."

Thug #1: "Still doesn't make me feel better."

(The Thugs activate the emergency cell release function, which cause all the inmates cells to open at once freeing them all to roam Gotham.)

October 31st, Gotham City, 12:00 AM

Halloween has begun in Gotham let the true monsters roam its streets.