“Yeah Doc,” Frank said. “The GCPD is fucked up, aren’t they? But I’d be lying to myself if I said I didn’t feel whole when I saw the bullet go through that bastard’s head. Now I ran into a lot of assholes and I put a bullet in their head. Santana was a dick but he covered up for me and nobody cared. My kids didn’t need to know daddy was a killer and neither did my wife. Few years into my service, the Batman came.”
“You know the Batman, don’t you…?” Frank turned and saw the Doctor dozing off. Frank sighed, picking up a hammer he slammed it against the Doctor’s chest. Blood stained the tape over his mouth as the doctor keeled over. “I thought you got paid to listen. Now you got the tape all dirty…”
Frank ripped the tape off.
“Please,” the doctor begged, barely able to say those words with the amount of blood in his mouth. “Please. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Frank placed another tape over his mouth.
“As I was saying,” Frank said. “The Batman came to Gotham. I think people down in New York also know the Batman and when he came so did a bunch of freaks and I couldn’t do anything about those freaks. Nobody, not even me wanted the Batman on their ass. Even though they were a bunch of freaks, the Falconies and Maronies still had their grubby little hands all over Gotham. Sure, plenty of them were dying, that little Cobblepot midget had the resources to match but that didn’t change the fact that Gotham belonged to those mafia bastards. Until the Long Halloween.”
Frank chuckled. “Gordon needed cops he could trust so they could purge the families’ control over Gotham. And God bless his soul, I was one of those cops. Ratted out some of the pests in the force, even the ones who covered up for me. Good old Santana didn’t know what hit him but I could remember, just barely the hatred in his eyes.” Frank chuckled but then his face twisted, turned into one of deep sadness and a regret that caused his shoulders to slump down. “A decision I regret to this day.”
…
He had stopped hyperventilating; his heartbeat had steadied and he regained consciousness. His body had recovered but Frank didn’t rest. Couldn’t rest. How could he? Maria, Lisa, Junior they were… they were…
Gordon walked in the room. He looked even more stressed than usual. His hair was in its usual unkempt state and his face was pale.
“I… I have a wife,” Gordon said. “And a… a daughter. I’m…”
Gordon looked away. His face scrunched up in regret. “God, Frank if I had known I wouldn’t have put you up to it. I’m sorry Frank.”
“It’s okay Comish,” Frank said, his voice cracked. It had been a while since he talked. Frank let out a dry chuckle. “You are Commissioner now? Gotham hasn’t been in better hands.”
“I know but we lost Harvey and…” Gordon sighed. “Look Frank, I don’t know how I can…”
“You got the names, right?”
“What?”
“Your boys identified the bastards over at the park?” Frank asked.
“Yeah, some of Falcone and Maroni’s men but…”
“And those men, the dirty cops?” Frank paused. “They’re not cops anymore, right?”
“No but…”
Frank smiled. “Thanks, Gordon. After a few months I’ll be ready.”
“Ready for what.”
Gordon would never forget the stone-cold expression in his eyes on that day. The distant, hollow eyes of a man who had lost everything.
“To put those assholes where they belong.”
…
“I started with the Maroni and Falcone boys,” Frank said, sharpening a knife. “Doing that obviously pissed off a lot of the higher ups there but I didn’t care. Fun thing was I used their weapons. Stopped a shipment of theirs and stole it. Word got around Gotham about my exploits and they started calling me the Punisher.”
Frank turned to the Doctor. “You doing okay, Doc? You eyeing that knife pretty suspiciously.” Frank chuckled. “Don’t worry Doc, it’ll be over soon.”
“And then I started going after those cops,” Frank said. “The former cops. See I don’t have anything against folks in uniform, been one myself. But these guys, these weren’t cops. They were clowns masquerading as cops. Didn’t feel anything when I blew their brains out. It was when I was after hunting that fat bastard Santana that I ran into him. The god damn Batman.”
…
Santana collapsed on the flat rooftop, pain searing up his thigh. He walked towards him, trench coat over his suit. Belts littered filled to the brim with ammo, holding nothing but a pistol.
Santana crawled away, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
“I’m sorry, Frank,” Santana said, face contorted in pain. “I didn’t have a choice…”
“What you say next will effect whether I make your death painless,” Frank grinned. “Or painful.”
Santana paused. “I… uh… I…”
“I’m not a patient man, Santana,” Frank said. “Clock’s ticking.”
Santana pulled out a pistol but a bullet made his hand burst in an explosion of red as Santana let out a scream.
“You have nothing, Santana,” Frank said. “All your friends in the Falconies and Maronies are dead or they don’t give a shit about you. Why, Santana? Why’d you have to and tell em about me?”
“Fuck you Frank,” Santana said. “I covered up for you, all those fuckers you killed, I COVERED UP FOR YOU! And you go along and snitch on me. Snitch on all of us, you…”
“Shut up,” Frank said. “Don’t you talk to me about loyalty. I won’t hear any of it. Now tell me, Santana. Why’d you tell em about me?”
Santana grinned. “Money, Frank. It was all about the money. The Falconies and Maronies were offering a shit ton of cash for your head and…”
Before Frank could fire there was a ruffle of wind and someone tackled him across the floor like a truck.
“Robin, get him out of here.”
“You got it boss,” said a chipper boy. After last year, the Batman had taken in a young kid to fight alongside him. A decision Frank despised. Bringing a kid into a war was suicidal and Frank could see it in the Batman’s eyes. He was a soldier, just like him. The boy on the other hand hadn’t seen what this city had to offer.
Batman ripped the gun from his hand, when he was satisfied, he got up.
“Stop this, Frank,” Batman said. “Killing them won’t bring your family back.”
Frank ran towards his pistol. He saw the boy placing Santana over his shoulder. If he got to it in time maybe he could finally nab that bastard but the Batman was fast. He launched a grappling hook at the gun and emptied all the bullets on the ground. Just as the boy ran away with Santana on his back.
“Your war is over Frank,” Batman said. “You were an exemplary soldier and a good cop. We can rehabilitate you. They’re people in the force who care about you. You don’t have to keep fighting.”
“You talk about wars?” Frank asked. “About the war being over. Funny thing is, the look in your eyes says otherwise. You have the eyes of a soldier, my friend. You talk big but the war isn’t quite over for you now, is it?”
Batman was quiet.
“And you think I don’t see it,” Frank said. “That nobody sees it. All those little gadgets. That car that might as well be a tank. You’re fighting your own little war, aren’t you? We’re both soldiers aren’t we, Bats? Thing about you is that you’re a half-measure, you beat those freaks up half to death for what? To feel good about yourself after they kill even more people after they escape?” Frank scoffed. “Let me tell you something, Bats. Wars don’t end with half-measures.”
“I take it you don’t want to negotiate,” Batman said.
“Yeah, Bats,” Frank said. “I don’t.” Frank grinned. “Besides you really think it’s a good idea to be locking me up with those freaks? What’d you think’s going to happen to them? You really think I’ll let them go. No Pointy, I’m a soldier and we don’t believe in half-measures.”
“Very well.”
It happened before Frank had a chance to react. There was a rustle of wind and everything went black.
Frank woke up on the outskirts of Gotham, trees as far as the eye could see but the distant smell of smog was unmistakable. His neck was aching like hell and he felt groggy.
When he shook himself awake, he saw Santana right in front of him, hands tied behind his back and tape around his mouth. When Santana saw Frank, his eyes widened. Frank had a pistol in his hand. He was just about to shoot when an electric shock ran through his body causing him to keel over.
He heard heavy footsteps and turned to see Batman.
Frank went to pick up the gun but an electric shock ran through his neck again causing him to keel over.
“I implanted a chip in your neck,” Batman said. “It lets me know where you are and what you’re doing.”
Frank rushed over to Santana who squirmed backwards but Batman pressed a button and Frank collapsed mid-charge.
“You come anywhere near my city and I’ll know,” Batman said. “You touch anyone, scum or not and I’ll know.”
Frank glowered at Batman but he didn’t flinch.
“You try anything, Castle and I’ll know.” Batman turned to the trees. There was flash of bright red and Robin picked up Santana before disappearing into the woods. “Putting you in prison would be too dangerous and I don’t believe in half-measures.”
Frank chuckled. “How many people are going to die for you to realise what you’re doing is just child’s play huh Bats?”
Frank got up. Batman tensed but Frank waved him aside. “I’ll follow your rules, Bats but mark my words. One day one of those freaks will kill someone close to you. Could be Gordon, could be that little boy of yours and we’ll see whether or not those half-measures of yours still hold up.”
Frank walked into the woods, burying himself in the trees. “See you later, Bats.”
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