HBWnovel Chapter 168: Adventures of Batman (4)
Chapter 168: Adventures of Batman (4)
Chapter 168: Adventures of Batman (4)
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"A villain is simply a victim whose story hasn't been told."
– Chris Colfer, (The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell)
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<{Unknown warehouse, Gotham City}>
<(Omniscient POV)>
The warehouse was located in the shadows of Gotham's desolate industrial district, its cracked glass windows letting in faint streaks of moonlight. Inside, the air was thick with dust, and eerie mannequins standing in the low light like silent spectators among piles of old props from forgotten productions.
"M-mary, listen to me. You have to let us go. We will do whatever you wish. We will resume the show just like you want, we will cast you as the main lead again. Just please don't hurt us." A middle-aged man tied to a wooden chair screamed in fear while trying to free himself from his binds, his eyes closely following what looked like a five-year-old girl in front of him.
The man was none other than Jack Sniper, one of the most famous TV show and soap opera producers in Gotham. He was one of the most renowned directors and producers in the entire city, boasting numerous popular shows and franchises to his credit. Not only that, but he was also among the few individuals in the entertainment industry who didn't have any significant controversies or scandals associated with his name. However, Sniper did have one minor shortcoming, he was not a patient man. He didn't like sticking with projects with low ratings or bad audience reception and this habit of his had landed him in trouble countless times with the cast of his projects. This included his current situation as well.
"Calm down, Sniper. I don't want to hurt you. You are a good man with a good heart. You never treated me badly despite my... special condition. You never mocked me like some of the other annoying cast members." Mary Louise Dahl responded in a calm sweet voice before throwing a glare at some of the other tied-up cast members around the warehouse. "And please call me, Baby Doll." She requested in a childish tone of voice before closing his mouth with a piece of tape.
The remaining cast members of Love That Baby! were huddled together, their faces pale with fear as their eyes darted nervously to the "little" girl. They were bound to decrepit chairs arranged in a semi-circle beneath the glare of a single flickering spotlight. At the center of it all stood Mary, her small doll-like frame casting a disproportionately large shadow against the faces of some of the show's cast. She was clutching a faded 'Baby Doll' doll in one hand and gesturing wildly with the other, her voice fluctuating between childish sweetness and venomous fury.
A soft whisper of wind was followed by a noise resembling that of a metal boot touching down quietly on the floor, and then the sound of crisp, heavy footsteps started to approach the terrified girl holding the dynamite.
"I am Batman, and..." the voice responded, his sound calm yet firm before continuing with a voice that sounded a lot kinder and softer than before, probably more than any other criminal or bad guy had ever heard from him before. "... believe me, you don't want to do this. You are better than this, Mary. Don't let the Gotham inside you win and destroy you. Let me help you, let me change your fate... please." He requested in his signature deep yet empathetic voice as he extended his hand out to her as if he were reaching out to help her. "Let me be the hand to pull you out of this darkness."
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(A/N: I know what you all are thinking. No, this is not one of the chapters where Batman thrashes the bad guy/gal and saves the night. No, this is one of the few chapters where he saves the bad guy/gal from themselves, this is a chapter where he saves someone from the hell Gotham is. Baby Doll is one of THE saddest characters in DC, a representation of all the countless depressed people in real life who lose themselves to the darkness that haunts them and make bad choices that don't just hurt the people near them but also destroy their own lives. And this Bruce Wayne is someone who is actually willing to help such people out instead of just sending them to jail or a mental institution which is definitely going to make them into a permanent villain)
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