Doors

[The news of a prison break at Blackgate comes in the early hours of the morning. Details are sparse at first, but as time passes, the escaped prisoners are identified as Damian Wayne and Jason Todd. Sources also claim that Batman was seen in the prison and was involved in the breakout.]

[Reports of Batman sightings begin as early as a few hours after Arkham is destroyed, and continue on throughout the night and into the next day. He strikes in areas with the highest concentration of Bane's men, and his attacks are both public and brutal. Nothing, not even bullets, seem to slow him down, and his opponents are left in the street, stripped of their weapons and at the mercy of the citizens they've terrorized.

There is no discernable pattern to his actions, no way to predict when and where he'll strike next. Only one thing is certain; the Bat shows no sign of stopping.]

[The rain isn't his doing, but everything else is. Waiting until Riddler, the self-proclaimed guardian of Arkham, is gone, is easy enough. The man is unpredictable, and unpredictable men never remain still for long. His men break in, and they set the bombs without even being noticed. The distraction of preparations for Blackgate transfers, with the filling of buses and filing of paperwork, is just that - a distraction. The ground is soaked by the time the explosions detonate, and the rain-soaked foundation helps the bombs finish their work. Arkham Asylum explodes, and then it sinks into the gaping maw left behind when the rain-drenched foundation fails. Screams fill the night, along with the smell of charred flesh, but there's no saving anyone inside. Amid the rubble, a message a appears once the smoke clears, one last present from Bane to his adversary, a taunt to come out from the shadows - a Bat symbol in flames in the middle of the debris.]

[Saturday night, the same blonde girl from before, the one in red, blue and gold is seen flying in the sky over the north end of the Gotham perimeter. She leads the guards there on a chase that involves enough firepower to light up the Gotham night, and that lasts nearly a half hour. The fight ends when Deadshot shoots one long distance, very green bullet into the girl. She's seen falling from the sky and splashing into the Gotham River. She doesn't surface, and is presumed dead by the guards, who return to their regular patrols.]

[After Jason Todd and Damian Wayne are taken away, and after Wayne Manor is sacked, a dozen of Bane's men remain at the Manor, in case anyone returns. Five planes attempting to take off have been shot down in the past 48 hours, and over four dozen men and women have been killed attempting to enter or leave the city through the perimeter. Those bodies have been left where they fell, as a warning. Blackgate is overflowing, and discussions have begun with Dr. Crane in order to turn Arkham Asylum into Blackgate's "overflow" facility. The number of local citizens joining the teams of "enforcers" is growing on a daily basis. The federal government, notably, is offering no assistance.]

[Shortly after this, a blonde girl in red, white and gold is reported as flying through the barricade on on the east side of Gotham. The men at the barricade shoot at her, and a plane tries to take her down, but none of them are effective. When the aircraft tries to pursue her, she throws it into the Bay, which makes for a very unhappy Bane, who turns his attention toward Wayne Manor for retribution.]

[The newspapers Friday morning are filled with a tragic story from Thursday. Gotham citizens are reeling after a tragic incident at a local daycare center. Five toddlers are dead and another 7 are in serious condition at a local Gotham hospital after the children managed to make their way to the roof of their daycare center. Witness reports indicate that the children seemed to be playing 'Superheroes,' with several of the male children emulating the infamous Batman. City officials could not be reached for contact. Grief counselors are available at for children and parents struggling to understand this tragedy.]

[In the early-morning hours on Friday, Gotham's new law enforcement team leaves the sewers. There are hundreds of men and women, Gotham's most violent. They're unaffected by Crane's toxin, protected from the first pass in the sewers, and all equipped with re-breathers by the time they emerge. The team protects the Mayor, and they take control of Gotham's perimeter, because no one else seems capable of doing so. Silently, they slide into place. Nothing is closed off yet, and no new rule is established.

The Mayor makes a candlelight statement about the wonderful future of the city, and about how there is nothing to be concerned about. Behind him, a different man in a mask lurks, waiting.]

[Wednesday evening, the first reports of death start to trickle through the news. The victims are five high school seniors on their way back from a sporting event. The vehicle they were traveling in crashed into a concrete divider on the interstate, and crash investigators estimate that the vehicle was going over 100 mph at the time of impact. While their names have yet to be released to the public, initial reactions are shocked. Responsible, hard-working, eager for their college life to begin in the fall, these are not the sort of people who engage in this kind of risky behavior. Officials are waiting for reports from the medical examiner's office before any more information will be released.]

[Early Wednesday morning, during the morning commute, low-flying planes pass above Gotham City. The city is abuzz as to their purpose and who they belong to, but several broadcasts on the news stations ensure the population that the planes are part of an effort in the city to eliminate a certain type of bug that has been threatening the local ash tree population. The chemicals, the reports claim, are an all-natural formulation that poses no threat to humans or animals, so the city is encouraged to continue about their daily activities.

By afternoon, reports of strange behavior start filtering into local police stations, hospitals get their first patients, and reports of unexplained violence start overtaking the local television stations.]

[Gotham's new Mayor is elected on Friday. He's a low-level politician, one that barely anyone knows, but he's handsome and enigmatic, and he can give one hell of a speech, which he does immediately upon taking office. He's full of regret and sadness for the prior Mayor's suicide (as it has been officially ruled by the ME, who is now in possession of a very nice car). He explains that Gotham has experienced a new dawn, and that his main priority will be ensuring Gotham is protected from any outside forces that might prove negative. He begins establishing checkpoints to this end. Crime is almost non-existent by Friday, and even the smaller, domestic disputes have gone quiet. Families have picnics in the park, and they walk to the movies, and they plan holidays. For once, even Metropolis is envious of Gotham's tranquility.]

[A fire rocked Country Club Towers early this morning, and residents were evacuated from their homes after the crude explosion on the fifth floor. The structural damage was significant, but only two people sustained injuries as a direct result of the fire. Government agents were spotted early on the scene. They offered no comment as to possible suspects or motive.]

[The Gotham quiet continues. Since Thursday, there have been no arrests, save the occasional person being dragged in for drunk and disorderly or public lewdness. No thefts, no murders, no assaults. Nothing memorable, and Gotham PD makes a statement about the effectiveness of a city without a Bat because, yes, the Bat's absence has been noted. Can it be a coincidence? The papers don't seem to think so. Officers take it easy, and fewer cars patrol the high-crime areas. New Gotham, as the news reports call the city, is a city at peace. At least on the surface.]

[It begins early on Tuesday, and it's marked enough to make the evening news by Thursday. For once, it's nothing bad, which is strange for Gotham. Petty crime in the city has dropped drastically, and the booking sheets at local precincts are nearly blank. No petty break-ins, no home robberies, no domestic disputes between hookers and their pimps. Crime Alley is seemingly safe enough to walk down without loss of limb, and no one hears bodies splashing off the docks into the night. Families comment on the new peace over their dinners, and cops linger on their cigarette breaks. The city is declared the New Metropolis! by the newspaper. It is, it would seem, a good night in Gotham.]

[It starts as a rumor that most don't quite believe, but there's no arguing against the evidence. Dozens of pictures are uploaded via cell phones, undoubtedly of Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy during various states of undress while in the Bio Lab at Midtown.]

[The news about students at Midtown continues to trickle through the papers and other news outlets. Reckless behaviour, out of control teenagers, authorities say it's gone beyond thrill-seeking to downright dangerous. Authorities are encouraging any students displaying any sort of strange behaviour that is new over the past week to seek medical help immediately.

"...four Midtown seniors were hospitalized Saturday evening and another two were pronounced dead at the scene following a high speed race between two vehicles. Both vehicles lost control after approaching speeds of over 120mph, colliding into an embankment. Local police are investigating. The names of the victims have not been released..."

"...a local convenience store was the site of tragedy this evening when a seventeen year-old junior from Midtown was killed during a botched robbery. The student apparently went to the aid of the cashier on duty when he was held up at knife point. The attacker fled from the scene after the incident and police are asking the public for any information regarding the individual..."]

[Late afternoon, after this, news stories start trickling down from Midtown High School.

“...an unexpected altercation between members of the debate team at Midtown. Three students were sent to the hospital with various injuries, including a broken hand and lacerations to the face. School officials are looking into the cause...”

“...a promising young member of the Track and Field team was taken to the hospital today from multiple strained muscles in the legs while attempting to break the school record in the long jump.”

“...the sixteen year old junior was taken by ambulance to a local hospital after eye witness reports of the student jumping off of the roof of the high school. Witnesses have been quoted as saying that the young man thought he could fly.”

“...a teacher in the art department was treated at a local hospital today for second and third degree burns to her hands after attempting to take pottery from a kiln that was still hot. The young woman was being held for psychiatric evaluation.”

“Three students fell ill during the lunch period at Midtown this afternoon. Reports of nausea and weakness in the limbs has been reported, and any student experiencing these symptoms is urged to see their primary care physician as soon as possible. Officials are looking into a cause for the sudden illness.”]

[The Friday morning news runs a story about a mugging gone wrong down in Crime Alley. Such attacks are hardly unexpected, particularly in that part of town, so it doesn't make major play among the headlines. The only notable detail is that the assault was stopped in a particularly brutal way. Both of the men were known criminals. One suffered a badly sliced-open hand which he is expected to lose, and the other was killed, his neck broken after being thrown into a brick wall with incredible force. The surviving victim has admitted the pair intended to assault a woman on her own for her purse, though there was no purse found at the scene, so the veracity of this has been questioned. Witnesses recall seeing an individual who matches descriptions of well-known murderous vigilante the Red Hood. A blonde girl was also spotted at the scene, with some witnesses even stating she was the one responsible for killing the man who died. She left with the Hood, but she has yet to be identified. As usual, anyone with information is being asked to step forward.]

[Friday afternoon, an unnamed source at Spring Valley Hospital speaks to one of the countless gossip sites clamoring for information. Rumors whispered that infamous tabloid favorite MK Robinson was admitted into the ICU earlier in the day, but no one knows the circumstances at first. The source fills in the blanks that she can, and the internet titters into a tizzy. Former on-again, off-again boyfriend Adam Waterhouse brought her into the ER, and the troubled model is currently in critical, but stable condition after an apparent overdose. The actual details are fuzzy even to those involved with in the case, though most question possible irreparable damage. In any case, everyone's wondering what fate awaits their favorite trainwreck.]

[Stark Tower makes the news early Thursday morning when 911 is called to the building, which has been relatively quiet since the death of Tony Stark two months earlier. Unconfirmed reports state that two teenage students from Midtown High School were removed from the premises by paramedics. Witnesses report that police spent hours removing illegal substances from the premises. One of the girls, an unidentified redhead, is said to be in critical condition at a nearby hospital, a victim of an overdose that might leave her with irreparable brain damage. The other teenager has been medically cleared and transported to NYPD holding, where she is expected to be charged.]