Safehouse — Gotham City — Night
Jason sat alone in the darkened room, the cold glow of a flickering news broadcast painting his helmet in staccato light.
"—unprecedented crime wave sweeping through Gotham tonight. Police stretched thin as simultaneous incidents erupt across multiple districts..."
His red visor reflected the chaos — flashing images of masked bank robbers, emergency responders, and panicked citizens.
A faint, almost imperceptible smirk curved beneath the helmet.
Not chaos, Jason thought. Control.
He was not in the thick of it—yet.
He was the maestro, conducting the city's descent with deliberate strokes.
Internal Voiceover
They think it's random. Disorganized. But every strike, every explosion, every robbery—it's a test. A riddle for the Bat.
How far will he stretch? How many lives can he juggle before he drops one?
Tonight, Gotham will run the gauntlet.
Scene One: The First Test
Downtown Gotham — A Bank
Inside the ornate vaults of Gotham National, robbers moved with ruthless precision. Guns drawn, hostages in tow, they stormed the place with calculated timing.
Outside, a dispatcher crackled through police radios:
"Bomb threat at the Gotham Museum. Evacuate immediately."
The call went out just minutes after the robbery began.
Elsewhere — Gotham Museum
An explosion was imminent. A timer ticked down in the shadowed corners of the grand hall.
Batman's Dilemma
Batman stood on a rooftop between the two scenes, listening to dispatch on his comms.
Two crises. Same time.
Two places. Same city.
His mind raced.
Choice
He vanished toward the museum, swift and sure.
Back at the Bank
The robbers slipped through the chaos, slipping away with bags of cash into the alleys.
No interference.
No justice.
Just calculated loss.
Jason's Thoughts
Let him chase ghosts. I'm not here to stop petty thefts.
I'm here to dismantle an empire.
Scene Two: The Personal Test
A week later.
Gotham Opera House — Charity Gala
Crystal chandeliers shimmered over Gotham's elite. The city's most powerful gathered for a night of philanthropy, masks of civility hiding deeper ambitions.
Bruce Wayne stood among them—charming, guarded, an island in a sea of political sharks.
Jason watched from a shadowed balcony.
He knew Batman would come.
He knew Bruce's life would be at risk.
This was a game with higher stakes.
Inside Jason's Mind
The Bat protects Gotham's elite. But who protects the people they forget?
Tonight, I will see where his priorities truly lie.
Suddenly, chaos
Gunshots rang out.
Masked men stormed the gala.
Screams erupted.
Chaos swallowed the room.
Batman Arrives
Like a shadow unleashed, Batman descended.
Jason's Perspective
Will he shield the powerful? Or will he save the innocent?
Scene Three: The Physical Test
Gotham's Industrial District — Night
Batman cornered one of Jason's operatives.
The man—disheveled, beaten—wore a battered red mask. His hands bound.
Interrogation
"Who sent you?" Batman demanded, voice low but fierce.
The man smirked beneath bruises.
"He taught us to fight," he rasped.
"The Pit taught us to win."
The Tracker
Batman's eyes narrowed as he noticed a small device taped to the man's wrist.
A trap.
The Ambush
The tracker led Batman into the heart of an abandoned factory.
Shadows twisted and turned.
Assassins emerged—silent, lethal.
The battle was brutal.
Batman fought with skill born of decades.
But the odds pressed in.
A Moment of Clarity
In the fight's lull, Batman locked eyes with one attacker.
Recognition flickered.
Jason's new philosophy: ruthless, efficient, merciless.
Aftermath
Batman escaped the ambush wounded but unbroken.
His mind churned.
Jason isn't just back.
He's changed.
And this time, he's playing for keeps.
Closing Thoughts
Jason sat back in the shadows, watching Gotham burn under his orchestration.
His gauntlet was thrown down.
And the city would never be the same.