NOVEL WEB Chapter 6 – The Vindicator
It is 7 AM in the morning, and Commissioner Gordon is having a headache.
“Sixteen gang members, beaten and cuffed around the compound of the chemical plants of the eastern part of Gotham city. Just what the hell--?”
The commissioner then remembers several weeks ago, when he met a certain young man who asks him to compile the locations of the chemical plants, both abandoned and currently with active vats.
“Is it really him...? Or is it another person? Perhaps he’s hired to do this? But to be able to do this feat... just what kind of person is he?” Commissioner Gordon rubs his forehead; he had so many questions and none the answers.
“I knew I shouldn’t give that file to him, the last thing this city needed is a vigilante who does things their way... But perhaps I should also thank whoever it is for this one. These abandoned areas have been long infested that not a few of our officers were being harassed at least once.”
Commissioner Gordon did not pursue the matter, for now, but someday he will.
~
2 months has passed; Matthias has cleansed 2 more areas: another abandoned chemical plant infested with gangsters, and a thug den in a condemned building.
He did it the same formula as his first run: Set a diversion, decrease enemy number, then crash and intimidate.
New rumors appear as these dens of thugs were decimated. People of Gotham believed that there’s one man out there who’s doing the cops work to clean these filth, others believed that rather than one person, it was actually a group of people that did this.
With this, the people of Gotham have soon dubbed this vigilante as, “The Vindicator”. This rumor adds the relevance for Matthias, and with it, he gains more powers.
“Haha, The Vindicator? Really? Hmm. Not a bad name if I say so myself.”
Matthias was watching local news on TV the next morning. The interviewer were having a conversation to a police sergeant who’s saying that this Vindicator should stop doing this vigilante act because it will someday make people hurt.
Matthias was about to turn off the TV and return to his room when Alfred approaches.
“Master Matthias, I have prepared your breakfast on the table.”
“Ah, yes- thank you Alfred.”
... “Master Matthias,” Alfred stopped Matthias from his walk, “you don’t happen to know anything about this vigilante, do you?”
Matthias was sweating as he’s searching for a good answer. But Alfred continues, “Master Matthias, if Master Bruce were to know what you’re doing, he’d be sad.”
‘Well, so he knows after all. What else to hide now, is it?’ Matthias ponders. He wants to at least decrease the amount of bad guys around Gotham, and perhaps find ‘The Joker’ in the process. But he didn’t find the Joker, and the bad guys he’s been beating all these time were easily replaced by another batch of newer thugs.
“Alfred, if my brother were to return, please don’t tell him this... also thank you for the food.”
With that, Matthias walks to the dining table and eats, while Alfred sighs.
Alfred is worried. Very worried. Matthias is still twelve, but he trains and studies a lot harder than any boy his age. But then he uses these training to beat up thugs and becoming a vigilante; at first he doesn’t believe it, but the evidence is clear.
... “Master Bruce, I hope you return soon.”
~
It’s the 3rd month, and Matthias is currently scouting a certain chemical plant located at the middle part of Gotham city, surrounded by some still-working factories. The size was similar to the other two plants Matthias has been attacking prior, not to mention another abandoned one too.
“Jesus, so many of these chemical plants are closed down and abandoned without proper legal measures. Figures, the current district attorney of Gotham city are corrupt to the bone. Hmm, this makes me thinking; perhaps if I can save Harvey Dent aka Two Face, I could make sure Gotham city has a good hand to govern. I mean, Harvey Dent became a criminal supervillain because of his injuries inflicted by a thug throwing acids at him.”
But that was for another time, Matthias thought, for he’s now preoccupied with trying to make a difference bit by bit.
After scouting for about two hours, Matthias has concluded that this chemical plant also has some active chemical vats not properly sealed, but there’s still one key difference from the two plants he had been in before.
“There are two open vats in here, and even though the chemical have somehow been watered down before the closing, it’s still pretty much dangerous to any living being.”
Matthias concluded that since this plant has some open vats, then this plant is the one he’s been looking for, “Perhaps this place is where the Joker will born. Thrown into one of these vats and driven insane.”
The Joker backstory had him thrown into the vats, some media stated it was by Batman, some say a gangster was harassing him around here and Batman tried to save him but failed.
“Maybe, just maybe, I can clean up this place and make sure the Joker was never born. I mean, he may have been Batman’s greatest arch-nemesis, but I’d rather decrease the amount of villains as many as I could possibly do.”
Matthias then returns. It’s time for the cleanup preparation.
~
At the study in Wayne’s manor, while Matthias was secretly preparing for his another cleanup mission, Alfred was silently observing.
Then Matthias left the study. Alfred did not appear to intercept him like before, so Matthias quickly pack himself ready, and head out to the darkness of night.
Still inside the manor, Alfred went inside the study Matthias was in. He was searching for something- something that Matthias has been staring for many times a day. A map and a file. It was hidden in a locked desk, which Alfred promptly pick lock and open. Inside are indeed a map and a file, but there’s one additional item accompanying them: a small notebook.
Alfred reads the notebook as he opens it; notes and scratches of plans are written inside. But one sentence was highlighted clearly, “Secure the plants and make sure he doesn’t fall there.”
‘The plants...’ Alfred ponders. A small file containing a detailed locations and statuses of Gotham city’s chemical plants, both active and inactive, are put together with the map. The map itself has many red circles in it, obviously marking the locations of chemical plants.
Three (X) crosses the circles in the map, “Hmm, this one is on the east wing of Gotham, and this one is closer to the mill, and this middle part of Gotham seems like a recent scratch... Perhaps this is his next target,-”
Alfred then closes the notes and puts all the items back into the desk. He then heads to the main hall of the manor towards the telephone. It’s time to make a call.
~
Matthias is currently standing on an open grass near the side gate of the plant. He puts on his biker jacket, a pair of gloves, a leather satchel, and airsoft mask. He rechecks his batons; steel extendable and a stun baton. He then sets his diversion trap; the firecracker, on a nearby pole.
But...
!!! “CRAP!” !!!
“Get him! Get that sonovabitch!”
“Don’t rush, surround and corner him first.”
“Hehehe, lemme have a go with this guy.”
“You’ll have your turn, for now, don’t let him lose.”
An ambush... ‘Damn! I can’t fight this many!’