October 31, 2001 — Gotham City
The streets of Gotham City were nearly deserted, a consequence of the crime and corruption that plagued the city. But tonight, a great change was about to occur.
At Gotham's harbor, several groups of armed gangsters were gathered.
"Alright, boys. We need to deliver this merchandise to Mr. Falcone before tomorrow morning," said the gang leader.
"Yes, boss," replied ten gangsters as they began loading the truck with packages of drugs.
Suddenly, the lights inside the warehouse went out, startling the entire gang and their leader.
"What the hell was that?" demanded one gangster.
"Must be a power outage," another replied.
"Everyone, get your weapons ready," the leader ordered. "I think we've got an intruder messing with our business."
The gang obeyed, drawing their weapons and searching for the intruder. Suddenly, bat-shaped shurikens, glowing with flashing red lights, struck their weapons and destroyed them. Emerging from nowhere, a man dressed in a bat-like suit appeared before them, spreading panic throughout the room; even the gang leader froze in fear.
"Shit, it's the Bat! Kill him!" the boss shouted.
Batman lunged forward at superhuman speed and struck one of the men, knocking him out with a single blow.
Two henchmen pulled out knives and attacked Batman from behind, but without success. Batman heard their footsteps, instantly turned around, grabbed them by the faces, and slammed them to the ground, leaving them unconscious.
Another man charged at him, wielding a metal bar, attempting to strike him repeatedly. Batman dodged every attack, blocked the final swing, and delivered a powerful kick that sent the attacker crashing into two other henchmen, knocking all three out.
Two more men rushed him, brandishing lightsabers. The first unleashed a series of strikes, but Batman parried them with his gauntlets and delivered a punch straight to the man's face, sending him to the floor.
The last man seized the opportunity and swung his saber at Batman's head. Batman easily dodged, executed a judo throw, and drove a knee into the man's face, knocking him out instantly.
The gang leader was in shock. Batman had neutralized his men as if they were nothing. As he tried to flee, Batman caught up to him, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him off the ground with one hand, terror filling the man's eyes.
"Tell your boss that Gotham no longer belongs to him. Drugs and weapons will no longer set foot in this city," the Dark Knight said coldly.
Batman knocked him out and let his body crash to the ground. He left the docks and headed toward the Batmobile, parked at the end of the street. He fired his grappling gun toward the top of a building, launched himself into the air, and glided, his cape spread wide like bat wings.
Ten minutes later, he reached the Batmobile, climbed inside, started the engine, and drove back to his base.
A few minutes later, Batman arrived at his base of operations—the place he called the Batcave.
The Batmobile came to a stop deep within the immense cavern, its engine echoing against the stone walls before fading into silence. Water dripped from the stalactites above as the vehicle settled onto its platform.
Batman stepped out of the car, his cape falling heavily behind him.
"Alfred," he said calmly.
Emerging from the shadows, an elderly man in a vest and tie approached, holding a tablet.
"Welcome back, Master Bruce," Alfred replied. "I see your patrol was… productive."
Batman removed his mask, revealing the stern face of Bruce Wayne—and the soul within him, that of Sasuke Uchiha as well.
"Falcone's men were moving a major shipment through the docks," Bruce said. "Drugs and weapons. I stopped it."
Alfred nodded. "Police radio frequencies are already buzzing. Gotham is starting to notice."
Bruce stepped toward the Batcomputer, its massive screens bathing the cave in streams of blue and green data.
"They need to notice," Bruce replied. "Fear is the beginning."
Alfred hesitated. "And the gang leader?"
"He'll talk," Bruce said coldly. "Fear has a way of loosening tongues."
Bruce began reviewing the data on the screen: criminal networks, financial records, and surveillance images linked to Carmine Falcone.
"Falcone is expanding rapidly," Alfred said. "He's corrupted half the city council and owns most of the docks through shell companies."
Bruce clenched his fist. "Then we cut him off. The money. The supply lines. One by one."
Suddenly, a new alert appeared on the Batmobile's computer.
GCPD EMERGENCY FREQUENCY — COMMISSIONER GORDON
Bruce narrowed his eyes.
"Put it through," he said.
A distorted voice filled the cave.
"Batman… we have a problem. The Narrows district. Multiple hostages. Armed suspects. We could use your help."
Bruce pulled his cowl back over his head.
"I'm on my way," Batman said.
Alfred looked at him with concern. "You've barely had time to rest."
"I'll rest when Gotham is safe," Batman replied.
He turned toward his suit display, envisioning reinforced gauntlets and freshly prepared batarangs.
As the Batmobile roared back to life, Bruce's voice echoed through the cave.
"Falcone was only the beginning."
The vehicle vanished into the darkness, leaving behind only the hum of machines and the silent watch of the Batcave.