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Rated M for Mature
Appropriate for readers 18 and over. May contain extreme violence, sexual themes, nudity, or profanity.
Batman: Secret Files, Chapter 14- Changes
There was dead silence throughout the abandoned factory. No construction workers were available. Not even a single sound coming from the factory itself. It was actually a mining factory where Mexican workers come to Gotham City and work hard, day and night. Even though it was a dangerous job. Sometimes, you see these workers, drilling the mines beneath the surface. The sounds which is sort of like the heartbeat, which occurs from the center of your body.
It was the late night that the Batman had to come alone to the mining factory. The reason is that there is a person who killed so many people. A dangerous killer like the Joker himself. But this person was none like the Joker who keeps laughing all the time. This was the guy who used to serve back in Iraq. A war that lead this man to believe that he had so many enemies. The medical reports have claimed that the mental patient has suffered a tremendous war syndrome, which allows a person to experience a real-life war. Even after he served, fighting against the Islamic soldiers day by day, night by night. He was a strong man, alright. He had that muscular look, which is almost similar as Bane. Except that the former soldier didn't use the Venom formula. The formula which used to pump, Bane's muscles, and giving him super-strength. This war veteran came back to Gotham to visit his family. But there was a tragedy behind this. A tragedy that no one could even bear the harsh pain, violence, and terror. The man, whose name was Jack Knobb also known as "Berserker", claims that he had seen things which weren't actually there. The doctors were right about his medical condition. The condition, war syndrome, which made Jack do crazy things.
I found Jack in the mining factory, he was sitting there, waiting for me. Waiting for the Batman to arrive. He even thought that the Batman is coming to have some fun, firepower. Jack had lots of fire-power in his hands. He used his army weapons to kill innocent people. But the scary thing is that Jack thought those people were actually his enemies. Islamic terrorists who were shouting for glory against America, cheering for the cause, and their leader, the one who used to lead a terrorist organization. But the war was over. Every male and female soldier returned from the war, reuniting with their loved ones, smiling, crying, hugging over their children whom they missed their father or mother about a few years back. But Jack....Jack's war wasn't over. He thought the war continued throughout his lifetime. There were several cases of war veterans having these kinds of delusions. But they were cured by the best doctors in town.
When I met Jack, I should have stopped him with my bare hands. But things are turning out to be different as way as before. Because people wanted Batman to end Jack's killing spree. The name, Jack refers to the first name of a famous 19-century killer who stalked women in the night, and slashed their throats off. But Jack wasn't like Jack the Ripper. He was just a delusional man, seeing Islamic terrorists coming to attack him. He had guns, a knife, and blood on his hands. Not only he caused so many innocent people's lives in Gotham. My friend's life was on the line.
I fought Jack with my bare hands. He shot several rounds against me, while covering myself with the cowl. I ran away like the bat, rushing, passing the bullets, and used a trash shield to block the bullets off. Then I threw the shield straight across Jack. The shield knocked off his artillary gun away from his strong hands. Jack fell down on a pool of water while I ran towards him. Jack took out his sharp, army knife and tried to stab me. But my hands managed to caught it as the tiny blood came out. Like a droplets of water. I kicked on his stomach, very hard, which made him coughed a lot. He used his legs to push me off the ground. Then Jack hurled his fists towards me below the ground. I caught his hands and pulled him over to the other side. He fell down on a piece of mud. The mud came to this eyes, which made Jack barely see anything, anywhere in front of his reach. As he was struggling to see clearly, I got up and used my nerve pinches on several parts of his body, both of his arms and legs.
Jack knelt down on the wet half-mud pool, his arms were raising upwards as if he though he were hanging on the cross of Jesus Christ. He couldn't even move since my nerve pinches blocked his involuntary movements. My eyes were locked on him as I went behind his back. A few minutes later, I took out a gun from the side of my yellow pouch, aiming towards the back of his head. It was that moment, which the Batman had to do something. The time that could end his unstoppable killing spree.
There was a ticking sound, which erupted from the Gotham Clock Tower. It was almost going to be midnight while everyone was still asleep, not knowing what's about to take place here. The gun was still held on my black-gloved hands, still aiming at the back of his head, thinking it's time to do the unthinkable. As the Clock Tower was ticking, the thoughts ran through my head, the words which came from some people's angry voices and cries.
"Kill him....Batman. KILL HIM! HE DESERVES TO DIE!"
"YEAH! KILL HIM!"
"Why are you not killing him, Batman? How long you're going to keep us suffer like this?"
"You made a mistake for not killing the Joker. Now, you're doing the same to this mad man. I can't bear it any longer."
"I don't care if he's delusional or not. I just wanted peace. My wife is dead!"
"I can't believe you're Batman. You're nothing but a worthless bat!"
"KILL HIM! DO IT FOR US! DO IT FOR JUSTICE!"
The thoughts stopped as the clock was ticking again....and again....and again....and again....and....
The sound of the Clock Tower finally stopped. Dead silence. As my hand was ready to pull the trigger, I asked Jack to see if he can say anything at this moment.
"Any last words?"
There was still silence. I knew the nerve pinches couldn't allow him to speak properly. However, he was able to speak at a very slow pace.
"I....know....you....can't....do....it....Batman. You.'re....a....man....who....never....kills."
"We'll see."
BLAM!
To be continued in Batman: Secret Files, Chapter 15- Trauma.
Holy $h1t! Batman has finally killed a mad villain? No way! Does this mean his true identity will be exposed since he was meant to capture him? Will he be put to trial for killing the villain? And whose friend's life was on the line that Batman mentioned about? Was is it Gordon? Alfred? Dick? Tim? Find out how this trauma began in the next chapter of....BATMAN!
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