Behind His Mask

Scene of the Crime

I burst through the doors of the new station and into the hustle and bustle of Gotham's streets. It seemed more crowded than usual for this time of day. I instinctively hugged my purse closer to my body.

First things first, I decided to check out the bank where the Joker made his appearance. It was bound to be crowded there, but I had to start somewhere. I pushed my way towards the street and waved down a cab. Hopping into one I rattled off the bank name and street and the taxi made it's slow drive towards the bank.

The taxi inched forward slowly as we made our way through a traffic jam. I took this extra time to pull out my laptop from within my large purse to start the story that'd skyrocket my career. Typing down notes and questions I'd be asking the officers at the scene of the crime. Why did the Joker kill that hostage? How much was stolen? Do the police have any leads on his whereabouts? My fingers furiously continued to type.

Before I knew it the cab driver yelled back to me letting me know we'd arrived at the bank. My head shot up and I quickly shoved the laptop back into my purse. I quickly paid the cab driver and exited the vehicle.

As expected there were dozens of other reporters and news stations at the scene already and even more civilians. The police fought to keep everyone out of the crime scene. Shouting orders that no one bothered to listen to.

I squeezed my way past the crowd towards the bank. It was easier to weave through the crowd when you didn't have to worry about having a cameraman accompanying you. One of the few bonuses of not being a star reporter, I thought ruefully.

The police had put up barricades around the bank entrance, but I could clearly see the insides of the bank. I took out my phone and snapped a few pictures. From this angle I could see a pool of dried blood in the lobby. The sight of it made my stomach churn. That must've been where the Joker killed that poor hostage.

The crime scene unit busily worked inside and I spotted a few other officers. An older man seemed to be leading the charge. I recognized him almost instantly. He was the commissioner, Jim Gordan. A highly esteemed man working within Gotham PD. It made sense he would be here. If Commisioner Gordon was here that probably meant Batman himself was soon to follow. The two seemed to work closely together from what I'd gathered since working in the media.

I needed to get inside the bank before Batman arrived. Once he comes and takes charge it'll be harder to slip in unnoticed. I needed to find a way in and quick.

I scanned the streets. Police cars blocked the street to traffic but they were only able to set up a perimeter on foot around the entrance of the bank. The front door was obviously out of the question. Too many eyes. I didn't see any of the crime scene unit vehicles though. That was odd. "A back door!" I suddenly thought. They must be set up in the alley.

I peered around the crowd and eyed the alleyway entrance towards the backside of the bank. Just one police car blocked this entrance. Two officers stood beside it. If I could slip past them then I had a better chance of getting inside. The gears in my head turned as I tried to think of a distraction. An idea clicked and I made my way to the edge of the crowd closest to the alley.

I eyed the officers guarding the alley as inconspicuously as possible. With the chaos going on I doubt they'd take notice of me.

I scanned the crowd for a target. A middle aged woman with a designer handbag caught my eye. She was talking loudly on the phone telling someone about the robbery. Her shrill voice grated on my ears. Next I spotted a rough looking man. I wasn't one to judge first but his rough and rugged image just screamed criminal. He had his hood pulled down low and he kept his hands shoved deep in his pockets. His eyes darted across the crowd and he fidgeted as if there was something crawling all over his skin. I'd been in the city long enough to know the signs. This guy was on something and I bet it wasn't something legal.