"Back so soon, Batsy?" Zsasz looked particularly menacing tonight, a fresh cut on his cheek just starting to purple.
He closed the metal door of the club with a thud, walking deeper into the alley. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a drag.
"You told me the Palmero Brothers didn't come here anymore."
"I'm pretty sure I said they didn't work here anymore. Nothing more, nothing less." A smile played on the man's scarred lips, small but very pleased.
It was sudden. One minute the cigarette was between his lips, the next it was falling to the floor and the vigilante was crushing the man's body to the brick wall.
Zsasz wasn't easily intimidated, nor had Bruce expected him to be. If anything, he was seemingly excited. His smile was wide and toothy. "Easy, pal. Buy me dinner first."
"Were the Palmero Brothers here tonight?"
He shrugged as best as he could with the large man's forearm pressed against his shoulder and mid chest. "Beats me."
The vigilante grabbed the man's shoulders slamming him against the wall again.
"I just love when you do that."
He slammed him again.
"Were the Palmero Brothers here tonight?" He asked again, voice dripping with something that even seemed to alarm the psychotic Zsasz.
Zsasz's alarm quickly masquaraded itself with mischief. "Were they here? Maybe. Are they still here? I dunno. Probably not."
He released the man.
"You can't go in there, Batsy, or we're gonna have some problems," Zsasz warned as the vigilante approached the metal door.
The Batman ignored the man's warning. In no time, the scarred man had lunged forward, drawing a knife from his pocket.
The Batman narrowly dodged several attempted knife jabs before striking the man with his fist.
Zsasz growled and seemed to go completely feral.
Just as Zsasz attempted to bring the knife down into the Batman's forearm, the vigilante grabbed ahold of the henchman's wrist.
It was a quick maneuver. Suddenly, the knife was falling, and Zsasz's head was connecting with the brick wall and then the blacktop.
The Batman made his way to the door, knocking once more.
***
Every table seemed to be occupied: some by men, tall flutes of alcohol in hand, voices lowered, clearly talking business; and others by citizens of Gotham, just trying to have a good time.
He stuck out in a place like this. It wasn't long before a hush fell across the crowd, and the singer at center stage seemed to dribble off into a complete stop.
The sudden silence was replaced with a loud voice.
"Hey, wow. Where'd all the music go?" The man asked, clapping his hands together.
He'd been seated in an area far enough from the entrance he hadn't yet seen the vigilante.
He walked slowly towards the rest of his club's patrons, chuckling. "You all look like you've seen a ghost-"
His eyes settled on the Batman.
"-Or something worse I should say." Roman stopped, eyeing the man as one would eye a loose tiger.
A loose tiger in his club, Roman seemed to realize.
He clapped his hands together, drawing a tight, fake smile onto his face. "Alright, let me see what Batsy needs. In the meantime, Carmen, keep singing. Sing something fun, alright. Bartender, round for everyone, on me."
The crowd picked up, and conversation resumed.
Nothing a drink couldn't fix.
The crime boss stepped over to the Batman, expression not relaxed but attempting to mask any fear he previously held.
"Alright, Batman. What are you doing here? Where's Victor?"
"Outside."
Bruce could feel a large figure slowly approaching him. Victor's eyes turned to the figure.
"Go get Zsasz." The figure hesitated. "Now!" He roared, and the figure obeyed.
The two were alone. As alone as one could be in the middle of a club.
"What do you want?" Roman spat.
"Information."
"On?" Roman pressed.
"Palmero Brothers."
Roman's eyebrow shot up. "Oh? Those bozos. Just saw 'em. Not too long ago. Left with some big fella."
"Who?"
Roman shrugged. "I don't know the guy."
"You know everybody."
Roman nodded. "Usually do. Gotta be new."
"What were they here for?"
Roman snorted. "Booze. What else? Conversation too. One of 'em was trying to sweet talk Carmen over there."
He looked pointedly at the singer on stage.
"Know what he said?" Bruce asked.
Roman snorted. "Beats me. Carmen's not interested."
Bruce began walking towards the stage.
Roman placed his hands on the vigilante's chest. "Aye, wow. Where do ya think you're going?"
Bruce jutted his chin in the woman's direction.
"She's on the clock," Roman said. "If ya wanna talk to her, make it after hours, alright? Now," he cleared his throat, straightening his shirt's collar. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Bruce examined the man, then the stage.
Then, he slowly descended to the door.
He watched as the bodyguard dragged Victor into the club.
Then he did something he knew he had to do, but that did not make the process any less agonizing: he waited.
****
Author's Note: Hope y'all are ready to finally wrap this story up. I promise I know how it ends, I've just been so busy with school and internships. I'll have another chapter up soon. - C
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Scars & Hearts: The Batman Fanfiction
Fanfiction"Things were never normal in Gotham. Anya Flores knew this, but finding a masked vigilante knocked out on your fire escape had to be one of the more peculiar things." Anya Flores is a doctor at Gotham General. Growing up in the mean streets of Goth...
