Entry tags:
Officer Wayne, cont.
Incident Report: July 31st, 19--
Location: Ace Chemical Plant, Gotham North
Officer on Scene: Bruce Wayne
Report: Officer responded to a report of tripped alarm at Ace Chemical Plant. Two individuals found loitering outside the west entrance to the plant inside the fenced perimeter, without company ID. When confronted both individuals drew pistols and fired on officer. Both were physically subdued (see Appendix One, Listing of Suspect Injuries) and arrested.
Officer entered plant after calling for backup. A third intruder dressed in a tuxedo, a red tinted helmet and red cape was located on the catwalks above the mixing vat, heading towards the rear offices. Suspect appeared to be unarmed. Officer climbed onto catwalk to confront suspect. Suspect reacted with surprise, tripping over their cape and plunging into a chemical vat, and subsequently requiring rescue and treatment for severe chemical burns after arrest.
Officer would like to note the extremely poor safety standards at the plant, which included waist high guardrails that fail to protect individuals on the catwalks, and open chemical vats without sufficient building ventilation. Officer recommends the situation be forwarded to OSHA.
* * *
It was funny. It was just so damned funny.... What kind of cop starts a conversation with “So I understand you've had a bad day.”
“HeheheheHAHAHAHAHhehehehe.... Gee, you think?!” He waved a chalk white hand, cuffed to the railing of his hospital bed, at the cop. “I'm a walking freakshow now!”
“Maroni's thugs identified you,” the cop said. “I understand that your wife died today, late yesterday rather. I'm sorry for your loss.”
“Heheheheh.... Yup, Jenny, my kid... But hey, I've got my health, and my looks have certainly improved!” He sniggered. He ought to be screaming, shouldn't he? But all that was coming out was giggles.
“Sir, I understand you're in shock, but I need you to tell me everything you can about what Maroni's thugs wanted you to do. We've got them on ice in the lockup, but Maroni's lawyers will have them out by mid-morning, unless we can get a statement from you linking them to your attempted break-in.”
“Oh, let the weasels go. Joke's on them if Maroni plugs 'em for screwing up!”
“Sir, please...”
“Look at me, you idiot! It doesn't matter now! HEHAHAHAHA! Nothing matters!”
The cop's hand shot out, grabbing his. It was large, strong, and chalk white from his fingertips, up his forearm, almost to the elbow. “It matters,” the cop said softly.
Distracted by this sight, he asked, “What happened to you, buddy?”
“I pulled you out of that vat. Got the same burns you did.”
“Well that was silly thing to do! Why didn't you just let me drown?”
“Because you're alive, and you matter.” The cop's eyes were practically smoldering with some intense inner vision. “You can take all the pain you've had dropped on you today, and give up, let it take over, use as an excuse, and let it turn you into a monster. Or you can let it burn you, purify you, into something better.”
He snickered. The laughter inside him was subsiding, just a bit. He couldn't exactly wear a straight face anymore, but at least he was able to listen, at least as long as the cop was amusing. “What do you know about pain and fire, Officer Friendly?”
The cop took in a deep breath, his hand still gripping tight. “Let me tell you about the bad day I had once.”
Location: Ace Chemical Plant, Gotham North
Officer on Scene: Bruce Wayne
Report: Officer responded to a report of tripped alarm at Ace Chemical Plant. Two individuals found loitering outside the west entrance to the plant inside the fenced perimeter, without company ID. When confronted both individuals drew pistols and fired on officer. Both were physically subdued (see Appendix One, Listing of Suspect Injuries) and arrested.
Officer entered plant after calling for backup. A third intruder dressed in a tuxedo, a red tinted helmet and red cape was located on the catwalks above the mixing vat, heading towards the rear offices. Suspect appeared to be unarmed. Officer climbed onto catwalk to confront suspect. Suspect reacted with surprise, tripping over their cape and plunging into a chemical vat, and subsequently requiring rescue and treatment for severe chemical burns after arrest.
Officer would like to note the extremely poor safety standards at the plant, which included waist high guardrails that fail to protect individuals on the catwalks, and open chemical vats without sufficient building ventilation. Officer recommends the situation be forwarded to OSHA.
* * *
It was funny. It was just so damned funny.... What kind of cop starts a conversation with “So I understand you've had a bad day.”
“HeheheheHAHAHAHAHhehehehe.... Gee, you think?!” He waved a chalk white hand, cuffed to the railing of his hospital bed, at the cop. “I'm a walking freakshow now!”
“Maroni's thugs identified you,” the cop said. “I understand that your wife died today, late yesterday rather. I'm sorry for your loss.”
“Heheheheh.... Yup, Jenny, my kid... But hey, I've got my health, and my looks have certainly improved!” He sniggered. He ought to be screaming, shouldn't he? But all that was coming out was giggles.
“Sir, I understand you're in shock, but I need you to tell me everything you can about what Maroni's thugs wanted you to do. We've got them on ice in the lockup, but Maroni's lawyers will have them out by mid-morning, unless we can get a statement from you linking them to your attempted break-in.”
“Oh, let the weasels go. Joke's on them if Maroni plugs 'em for screwing up!”
“Sir, please...”
“Look at me, you idiot! It doesn't matter now! HEHAHAHAHA! Nothing matters!”
The cop's hand shot out, grabbing his. It was large, strong, and chalk white from his fingertips, up his forearm, almost to the elbow. “It matters,” the cop said softly.
Distracted by this sight, he asked, “What happened to you, buddy?”
“I pulled you out of that vat. Got the same burns you did.”
“Well that was silly thing to do! Why didn't you just let me drown?”
“Because you're alive, and you matter.” The cop's eyes were practically smoldering with some intense inner vision. “You can take all the pain you've had dropped on you today, and give up, let it take over, use as an excuse, and let it turn you into a monster. Or you can let it burn you, purify you, into something better.”
He snickered. The laughter inside him was subsiding, just a bit. He couldn't exactly wear a straight face anymore, but at least he was able to listen, at least as long as the cop was amusing. “What do you know about pain and fire, Officer Friendly?”
The cop took in a deep breath, his hand still gripping tight. “Let me tell you about the bad day I had once.”