Prince of Gotham

Disclaimer: This is my perspective on characters that belong to DC comics.

So all rights and stuff go to them except for the character(s) that I make

Up.

*Author's Note*: I introduce a new character named Geoffrey `Frey' Calbot and he's based off Robert Gant from Queer As Folk and if you want to know what he looks like, look him up. He's hot.

"Sinful. Dirty. These are just some of the things we describe some of the simplest things as. Things that have no bearing on how good or bad our souls really are." Professor Geoffrey Calbot said as we sat in front of him, absorbing what knowledge he had to offer.

"Yeah, but some of those things are sinful, it's in the Bible." A guy shouted.

"Such as?" Calbot said, leaning on his desk.

"Homosexuality." The guy said, eliciting groans from most of the class, "Hear me out, it's in the Bible and most people live their life by the Bible."

"And a number of people don't." Calbot said.

"We're not talking about atheists here..."

"No, we're not, some people believe in God but don't believe in everything the Bible says." Calbot said, "In a world full of super powered people, what makes them normal people?"

"They're not." A girl said.

"Who says?" I asked, "Besides a cape and a few missions, they're not that different from us."

"They're like Gods." The girl said.

"Some might agree with you, but not all heroes feel that way." I said.

"How would you know?" the guy from earlier asked.

"I've met them." I said.

"You've met them?" Professor Calbot asked.

"The Justice League." I said.

The bell rang.

"Could you stay after, please." Calbot asked.

After everyone had gone, I found myself sitting with the Professor eyeing me.

"How was it?" he asked.

"They're people, just like us." I said.

"Us?" he asked, "Not like me. Are you a metahuman?"

I shook my head, "No." I said, "I should get going."

"Sure." He smiled, "I loved your paper, on the ethics and morality of Gotham, by just focusing on Gotham instead of America. It's unique."

"Thanks." I said, leaving.

"Dad, I'm okay, I'm just dropping off this money at the bank, I had to talk to a Professor after class." I said into my cell phone, "Everything is good. I have to go, bye."  I said, flipping my phone shut. I smiled to myself at my father's worry. Everything was good.

"Everybody on the floor!" A voice shouted.

"Oh bollocks." I frowned, turning to see four African American women wearing clear masks.

"Get down!" the women commanded.

I did as I was told, as did the other fifty people in the bank. We were shocked, but not shocked enough to catch a bullet. I listened up to what was happening. There was a shuffle; they were getting the money, but suddenly all the shuffling stopped.

"Stop!" a man's voice shouted. I raised my head to see a middle aged Caucasian security guard, pointing a gun at the women.

I stood, my hands still behind my head and, then brought my hands in front of me, "Everybody just calm down." I said.

"Get down on the floor, kid!" the woman with red and black extensions said.

"Kid, what are you doing?" the guard asked.

"Look, we all just need to put the guns down. You don't want to do anything bad..."

The guard took the time I was talking to take a few shots at the women. I shrieked in horror at the display as one of the bullets hit the woman with braids! The other girls began shooting and the guard ducked out of the way. I watched in horror as the remaining three women fled, then I walked over to the lifeless body of the woman that had been shot.

"Stay calm." I panicked.

"I...(cough), I never..." the woman began.

"Just relax and...just relax." I said

The woman wheezed for a few minutes, then just stopped all of a sudden. I looked down at her lifeless body and all the fear inside of me overwhelmed me.

§   

I stood on the balcony, staring out at the Gotham cityscape. It was beautiful, yet toxic. The vast metropolis had once been beautiful, before I was even thought about, and it had been safe, but all that turned to shit some time ago. After the things I had seen today, I wasn't in a very outgoing mood. I looked out into the cityscape, determined not let the harsh city get to me.

"You're not thinking about jumping, are you?" Nightwing asked, perched just above me.

"I'm debating." I said, looking up at him, "How long you been there?"

Nightwing jumped down onto the balcony, "I noticed your name was in the papers, you witnessed the bank attack." He explained.

"So, you thought you'd come and check up on me?" I asked.

Nightwing nodded.

"Just another day in Gotham." I said hopelessly.

"It's a sad thing." Nightwing said, "She died right in front of you."

"Let's not make this about me. She died. She died." I said, "I was just a witness."

"The other girls were gunned down, except one. She got away." He explained.

"Good." I said.

"They were criminals." Nightwing said, "They didn't deserve to be gunned down, but they didn't deserve to get away."

"They were women who needed money." I said, "You'll never get it."

"Oh, that you're black and I'm white, so everything's easier?" Nightwing asked.

I turned to him, "That's exactly it! You have no idea what it's like! To watch someone die. They were going to stop, to just stop, I was reaching them and some doink screwed it up because he had a little power!" I said, "I don't think it's right."

"It's not but..."

"You don't get it. Nothing's easy." I said.

"Another ground-breaking talk." Nightwing sighed.

"Sorry if I didn't say what you wanted me to." I said, "I'm not exactly a yes-guy." I said, walking back into my room.

§   

A man with a briefcase stood in the middle of a crowded terminal, waiting for his contact to come back with the bags. The man looked to be late, as he kept looking at his watch as he paced the terminal. Many people stopped to look at the man, worried that their safety was in jeopardy. The man took out his cell phone and began dialing, but the number apparently didn't work.

"Dammit!" The man swore out loud.

"You have the goods?" A large man said. The man in the suit turned to see that the man wore a red shirt with black khakis and a vest with a red and black flame on it.

"Where's my money?" the man asked, "The other guy was supposed to make the pick-up."

"Just give me the briefcase." He said, "The money's been wired to your account."

"You're lying." The man in the suit said loudly, "I want my money!"

Suddenly, there was a sound as an arrow whizzed through the air and stuck through the man's body. High above, a man stood with his bow raised high. The man wore a mask and the mask matched his flamed trench coat and his assistant stood beside him, looking on in shock.

"We gotta go, boss!" the minion said.

The man put down his bow, "Yup." He said, answering his phone as he and his minion walked away, "You got the briefcase? Good. Meet me at Headquarters."

§   

"This guy knows what he's doing, he missed all major arteries." Dick said.

Bruce reread the article to try and find any clues. He couldn't find anything that could lead to the solution of the case, "True, I don't think it's an accident."

"I know it's not." Dick said, "I say we got a new villain in town."

"New villain?" Tim said, walking in, "So, does that mean I'm staying this weekend?"

"Yes." Bruce said, "We need to get a heads up on this guy."

"I heard about him on the way, Alfred seems to think it's interesting." Tim said.

"What's interesting about it?" Dick asked.

"How he shot to hurt, not to kill." Alfred said, "Hello, master Dick."

"I'm going to have to side with Alfred, we're not dealing with a novice, this guy is professional." Bruce said.

"So, any ideas as to the where the next place would be?" Dick asked.

"No." Bruce said, "But I know somebody who might be able to help us."

§   

"You want me to help you find this new villain?" I asked, "Why me?"

"You're our resident psychic." Robin said.

"Thanks." I said.

"You're a good psychic." Batman said, "And you could help."

"I'll do what I can." I smiled. I closed my eyes and concentrated hard, "Sorry, nothing."

"Are you sure?" Batman asked.

Suddenly, there was a crackle of electrical energy and I lifted off the ground, "You will never catch me. I am the light in an otherwise dark city. The time has come for a new breed of hero."

"You're a hero?" Nightwing asked, "You really think you're a hero?"

"I am a beacon of hope in a hopeless city." I said clearly.

"Who are you?" Batman asked.

"I am the mighty Manticore." I said, levitating back to the ground, clutching my head, "What happened?"

Nightwing made his way to me, "Manticore." He said.

"Who?" I asked.

§