Gotham City has a crime rate of 0% was the lie this city’s foundations were built on, you just had to look past your Wayne Tech TV to see that.

Underneath the bright lights and glamor, crime pumped through the veins of the city all under the big building in the centre of the city with the big W in the middle.

Harvey Dent unfortunately had the displeasure of opening his eyes way too soon.

Christopher Dent was a great man, his mother used to say. His father must have had two faces cause Harvey never saw that. His father never smiled at him. He spent most of his time at work and when he got back from his firm, he’d bury himself in the office, never so much as acknowledging Harvey. Harvey was never allowed into his office until the day he (in his stupidity) opened the door to in his excitement after a vacation with his mother only to see him dangling from a rope around his neck.

The Commissioner ruled it as a suicide. Harvey and his mother were smarter than that. They knew the cases he was building against the Wayne Family pissed them off.

The Waynes. The history books say they founded Gotham and that Thomas and Martha Wayne saved the city from the depression that threatened to ruin it. What the history books neglected to mention was that Thomas and Martha Wayne caused the depression to fill their pockets. Though the people shouldn’t be surprised, the history books were printed by Waynetech printers.

It was a relief when Thomas and Martha and their young son Bruce were murdered by the crime families that they thought they owned. However, Thomas Wayne Junior was there surrounded by the shattered glass and bodies riddled with bullets and Thomas Wayne Junior was never the same.

As he grew up, Harvey Dent realised something. The foundations of the city were built on apathy. The people of Gotham didn’t care. They didn’t care that their rights were slowly being taken away from them, they didn’t care that the mayor’s they voted for fed themselves on their money, they didn’t care that medicine and basic food supplies were only being given to those that could afford it. They didn’t notice the cops were clearing the streets of the people that wanted change.

They didn’t realise the Owl was more than just a rumour to keep them awake at night.

Owlman, he appeared one night in the city to kill the crime families that murdered the Waynes. Didn’t take a genius to know it was old Thomas Jr. And soon Owlman was the big boss of Gotham, the new Kingpin of this rotten city. Not long after that, Owlman took a kid under his wing; Talon and not long after that Owlgirl prowled the streets. You’d have to really give a shit about Gotham to attract Talon and Owlgirl. And you had to really do something big to attract the big Owl himself.

And Harvey Dent was suing the Commissioner.

He knew it was a lost cause. Knew his case would be covered up and buried under red tape. But Harvey Dent knew that the Commissioner would want Harvey buried. He’d put on that signal to scare him, scare the people who gave a damn. The signal would flash and down the Owl would descend from his perch and kill Harvey and Harvey couldn’t have cared less.

Harvey didn’t have anything to lose. Gilda had divorced him a few weeks ago disillusioned by his obsession, suing Gordon for corruption already destroyed his career. What would it matter if he lived or died tonight?

In the lonely alleyway away from the lights and advertisements, Harvey flipped a coin. It was the only thing his dad taught him to do. Rain poured down on the streets, reflecting the light of all the advertisements that blazed in the night. Cars drove back and forth; the enticing voice of model Barbara Gordon convinced the general populace below to buy things they didn’t need and the symbol of the Owl blazed in the sky.

The coin clattered spun on the wet asphalt below. Harvey tucked the gun in his waist and left the alleyway.

The coin spun until it landed on heads.

...

It didn’t take much for Harvey to sneak through the precinct. All he had to do was knock out a janitor and steal his clothes and the officers didn’t pay any attention to him.

Harvey opened the rooftop door an inch, half his face covered in shadow. Outside he saw pot bellied Gordon talking to a black silhouette. This was it, Harvey thought. He was going to kill the Owl. He didn’t have to steal his nerves. He pushed the door open and he fired.

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Smoke trailed from his barrel. Harvey didn’t realise he had his eyes closed. He opened them only to see that he shot at air.

“You almost had me scared there,” said a voice behind him. A woman’s voice. “The way you opened the door like...”

Harvey turned around but the girl was faster. She knocked him to the ground, gun clattering on the rooftop. He tried reaching for it but Owlgirl crushed his palm. Harvey screamed in pain.

Owlgirl got off him as he cried out in pain, clutching his palm and staring at the swollen mess it had become.

“Harvey you two faced bastard,” Gordon said stepping over him, his big belly covering most of his face. “First you sue me and now you try to kill me. I invited you for dinner and this is how you treat me.”

“Shut up, you fat fuck,” Harvey said through grit teeth. “You killed my father you bastard. I know you fucking did. You and the Waynes.”

“That’s a very serious allegation, Harvey,” Gordon said, kneeling down to him, taking out his cigarette from his mouth. “And not one I can take lightly.”

“That’s not a nice thing to say to my dad,” Owlgirl said, leaning down in front of him, pulling his head up by his hair. “Huh, he has a pretty face.”

Dad?

“You’re that whore,” Harvey said, laughing turning to face the freckled laden face of Barbara Gordon. “Dick Grayson’s girlfriend.” Harvey laughed. “It was so obvious. Next, you’re going to tell me that the Talon kid is Dick Grayson.”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say to a lady,” Barbara said. “Didn’t your dad teach you some manners?”

Harvey spat in her face only for Barbara to slam it against the asphalt. “Wouldn’t know, your boss killed him,” Harvey muttered despite the craggy rooftop digging into his face.

“You’re a very naughty boy Mr. Dent,” Barbara said. “A very naughty, naughty boy. Maybe it’s time we teach you some manners.”

Barbara threw Harvey to the side. Gordon pulled him to face him, Harvey tried fighting back but Gordon kicked him in his side. Harvey tried clambering for the gun but Barbara stepped on his other hand, it crunched underneath her heel.

Harvey roared in pain but Barbara pressed her boot deeper in his palm. Harvey tried moving his other hand to stop her but it protested in pain. When she was done, Harvey rolled over defeated. Gordon had a gun pointed at his forehead.

“No, dad, don’t,” Barbara said. “I don’t want to ruin his pretty face.”

She leaned on top of him, running a finger through the left side of his face. “I think I’m going to have a little fun with him.”

The last thing Harvey saw was her licking her lips before the world around him went black.

...

The chains dug into his wrist. Scratches burnt all over his torso, his legs. He could hear his blood dripping on the floor.

“Scream you bastard,” she shouted as she whipped his back. “Scream!”

Despite the pain, he refused to scream. His body buckled under the violent lashes of the whip, each hit against his back feeling like it was fire but still Harvey refused to scream.

“I don’t like the look you’re giving me,” Barbara said, hands wrapped around his cheek, fingers trailing through them like spiders. “Let’s change that.”

From her gloves claws appeared. Claws that glinted in the faint brown light.

She scratched down the right side of his face and for the first time Harvey screamed. Harvey screamed as blood ran down his cheek and onto the floor.

“Scream more!” Barbara exclaimed in ecstasy. “MORE!”

She clawed his face over and over again till the only thing he saw through his right eye was bloody pulp. Scratched and scratched until the only thing he could see was red.

She could only see half her face, half of her grin as she pulled up the mirror.

“How do you like the new look?” Barbara said. “Two-Face.”

He couldn’t even see what remained.

The rest of his days were pain. He cried for his mum, he cried for his dad, for Gilda. He begged, he prayed, he wailed.

The only thing he could see was his blood in the floor. He could only see half the world.

“You’re getting boring,” Barbara said. “Maybe it’s time I got rid of you.”

“Please don’t,” Harvey sobbed. His tears burning through half his face. “Please, please don’t.”

That was when he heard the door being knocked.

“Who’s there?” she muttered. She removed a gun from her holster, carefully making her way to the door before opening it.

“Surprise,” said a jovial voice. A gunshot echoed in the air.

Harvey heard Barbara groaning in pain. The sound of something being kicked and then he heard another gunshot and the groaning stopped.

“Just for good measure.”

Harvey heard the man hopping around in her blood. “Get in boys, clean up the place. Hang her body up in the square if you hafta, just make sure everybody sees the goods.”

He heard the footsteps close in on him. “And what do we have here?”

The only thing Harvey could make out was a painted red grin and pale white face.

The Man untied him, Harvey fell to the floor, landing on his knees.

“Get Strange in here,” the man said. “We have somebody injured.”

Harvey could make out men dressed up in the same ridiculous purple and yellow colour scheme dragging away Barbara’s body.

“Can you walk?” the man said as he picked up Harvey by the waist. Harvey raised his hand to stop him.

“I’m fine,” Harvey said through heaved breath. “I’m fine. Just... Who...? Who are you? What have you done?”

The Man laughed. “I killed Owlgirl. That’s what I did.”

Harvey felt something in his stomach sink. Even though he could only make out half of the Man’s face he felt an odd sense of fear and awe at the nonchalant way the Man mentioned killing Owlgirl, like it was just another day for him.

“As for who I am,” the Man said, moving his face closer to Harvey’s. “Don’t you recognise me?” he said with a grin. “I’m the Joker, baby.”

To be continued…