The Dark Knight

**The Dark Knight** was a role-play that took place in September 2018, and was written and directed by Buttons99999. It revolved around a caped crusader known as the 'Batman', a masked vigilante that attempts to end all crime throughout Gotham City. After a crazed clown in face-paint known as the Joker begins to terrorise the city, Batman, alongside Group Chat Police and Crime Commissioner James Gordon and Governor of Reville Will Conway, must team up and hatch a plan to end the chaos.

The main characters of this role-play were Bruce Wayne, The Joker, James Gordon and Will Conway.

## Storyline

Shortly after the masked vigilante Batman took down the infamous mob bosses of the Tiscali Mafia (Sangue), Group Chat Police and Crime Commissioner now summons the caped crusader in Gotham City to thank him for his work. At this late night meeting, Batman reveals to Gordon that he no longer wishes to play the role of the superhero, fearing that he has grown reckless on the streets of Gotham and wants to take a break. To Gordon, it would appear that this mysterious Batman is no more.

Several months later, after the Batman seems to have disappeared, a new criminal has taken over from the Tiscali's to terrorise citizens of the group chat. This villainous being is known as the Joker, dresses up in a purple suit and wears make-up to give the appearance of a clown. He also has several noticeable scars upon his face. In his latest attack upon Groupy McGroupface, he and three other henchmen aggressively took control of the Gotham National Bank, taking hostages and stealing all money accessible to them. The Joker eventually kills his three colleagues after taking the money for himself. Before hijacking a school bus and making his departure, he approached the bank manager and made the following remarks:

*"You wanna know how I got these scars? My father, was a drinker, and a fiend. And one night, he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. He turns to me and says, "Why so serious?" Comes at me with the knife. "WHY SO SERIOUS?" He sticks the blade in my mouth... "Let's put a smile on that face." And... why so serious?"*

In response to recent events, Governor of Reville Will Conway and Police and Crime Commissioner Gordon grow concerned about the growing crime rate throughout all of Reville, particularly in the city of Gotham. They feel that the Joker is the sole cause of this increase in crime and the only way to stop him is to recruit the Batman. After shining the Bat Signal on top of the Gotham City Police Headquarters, the Batman once again appeared to meet with Conway and Gordon. Batman does agree to look into the situation regarding the Joker, however he warns the two men not to be surprised when his involvement leads to blood on the floor.

After being forced into hiding after the deaths of Albert and George Tiscali, several members of a splinter group of the Tiscali Mafia now unite with one another in the now abandoned Fat Sam's Grand Slam in order to discuss their future. The Joker soon makes an entrance, immediately telling the Mafia members that he wishes to cut them a deal. After one of the Mafia members went to confront him, the Joker chose to kill him with a pencil, calling it a 'magic trick'. After agreeing to listen to him, the Joker went on to say that the Batman is what was stopping them in their tracks, and with his help they can put an end to this masked vigilante. Gambol, the leader of this group, begins to grow tired to the Joker and threatens to kill him, to which the Joker responds to by speedily pulling a gun out from under the table and shooting him. Now gaining respect from the remaining Mafia members, they are all forced to swear allegiance to the Joker.

The Joker then puts his plan in action to end the Batman once and for all. He hijacks the television studios and makes a speech ordering the Batman to come forward with his true identity, or he will go around Gotham City killing innocent lives. Joker then proceeds to film the dead bodies of Gambol and the one henchmen to prove this is not an empty threat.

Shortly after this, in the 'Batcave', the Batman receives a message on his computer to "come upstairs". Whilst entering a hidden lift as the Batman, he exits through Wayne Mansion, revealing his true identity. Bruce Wayne, billionaire, philanthropist, playboy and Celebrity Big Brother Contestant, exits from the hidden door showing that he is in fact the secret identity of the Batman. He is alone in Wayne Mansion with his loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth. Alfred shows Bruce the video released by the Joker, putting Bruce in the moral dilemma as to whether he should reveal his alter ego to the world.

James Gordon holds a press conference several hours later imploring the Batman to come forward and reveal himself, as if he doesn't innocent lives may be at risk. Bruce Wayne can be seen in the crowd and takes a few steps forward to the stage, planning to do what needs to be done. However, at the last second, Governor Will Conway steps forward and announces himself as the Batman instead.

In a flashback, Conway is shown to have created a master plan in order to lure the Joker into a trap. He informs his wife that he plans to declare that he himself is the Batman, therefore allowing the real Batman to put his focus solely on hunting down and capturing Joker.

Back in the present day, in response to this recent revelation Will Conway is taken into protective custody. He is taken into a truck, which is tailed by two police cars. On the route to Conway's holding cell a large fire appears on the main road, causing the protective custody to have a diversion and go into a tunnel. The Joker, in a car, follows shortly behind, as does another car driven by the Joker's henchman. One of these cars accelerates and drives into the back of one of the police cars, causing a major collision. On the opposite side of the tunnel another car appears, speeding towards the front police car. The two cars have a head-on collision, with pieces of both cars flying into the windscreen of the truck containing Conway. Losing his vision of the road, the truck driver loses control causing the truck to crash into the side of the tunnel and turn over on itself. At the centre of the tunnel is a horrific wreckage, and several feet away is the car driven by the Joker. Batman soon sprints into the tunnel and immediately enters the wreckage, where he discovers Conway's dead body. The Joker then exits from his car and confronts Batman, telling him about the scars upon his face. Batman, filled with rage, runs up to the Joker and begins to strangle him, however he is eventually stopped by James Gordon who has now also entered the scene. The Joker is then taken into police custody.

The following day, Gordon is forced to shine the Bat Signal once again where he hopes to meet with the Batman. An angry and hateful Batman appears before him, demanding to know as to why he has been summoned. Gordon declares that the Joker's henchmen had broken into the Governor's Mansion during the press conference and had kidnapped Hannah Conway. He went on to explain that luckily Conway's children had been away at a sleepover, and therefore they were unharmed. Gordon claims that whilst psychiatrists have attempted to reason with the Joker, he has said that he will only speak with 'The Batman'. Batman does agree to meet with Joker, however he makes the demand that the meeting must happen in a concealed room with the doors locked and no police present. Gordon then agrees to set this up.

Batman enters a darkened room in the Gotham City Police Department HQ, where he encounters the Joker yet again. He begins to ask a series of questions relating the the disappearance of Hannah Conway, but the Joker continually refuses to answer, and instead begins to goad him regarding the death of Will Conway. Batman soon becomes exceedingly impatient, and violently throws the Joker across the room. He proceeds to ask about Hannah's disappearance, but the Joker informs him that he won't tell him anything. Batman continues to violently beat him up for several minutes... until the Joker breathes no more.

Batman silently returns to the BatCave, where he is met by a creature lurking in the shadows. This being reveals himself to Batman, announcing himself as the Riddler. He informs Batman that he knows the location of Hannah Conway, also taking pleasure in declaring that she is in great pain. After proclaiming that he grew tired of Batman's company, he stated that whilst he would not reveal the exact location of Hannah Conway's whereabouts, he would give him a riddle to solve: *"The Italian Cats Scrambled".* With a poof of smoke, the Riddler vanishes.

Batman hunts down Alfred, and they begin to take the following steps in order to find the riddle

* *Scrambled* implies that a portion of the riddle may be an anagram.
* *Italian* implies that a portion of the riddle may not be in English, but in fact Italian.
* *The* in Italian is: Il.
* Il can be combined with *Cats* to create the word: Tiscali.
* The location of Hannah Conway must the the former hide-out of the Tiscali mob gang: Fat Sam's Grand Slam.

Batman races to Fat Sam's Grand Slam and enters the building through an air-vent. He begins to make his way through the building and locates the room where Hannah Conway is located, which is guarded by two of the Joker's henchmen. Batman begins by smashing all of the lights in the room, before murdering the two henchmen. He then frees Hannah Conway and quickly exits the building. Before he leaves, he pauses to tell Hannah what a good impact her husband has made on the world and how no one should ever forget what he has done.

Sat back in the BatCave, Bruce Wayne is accompanied by Alfred, who asks him about Conway's legacy. Wayne responds by declaring: *"You either die the hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."* Alfred then questions Bruce about future retirement as the Batman, to which he replies:

"*In this past year, I have experienced pain and torment like no other. I am a broken man and nothing can fix me. Crime throughout Groupy McGroupface is rapidly becoming worse and worse, and it will continue to do so until the end of time. So, do I just run and hide? Or do I face the music?*

*In The Joker, I met my match. Never in my life have I experienced anyone so cruel, twisted and villainous. No rational expiation could have explained his actions. You see, people think the likes of Albert Tiscali and James Moriarty are evil, but ultimately their motives can easily be broken down. Never has there ever been a creature such as this one. He has brought a new meaning to the word unpredictable.*

*Yes, I know, The Joker has been killed. But, who’s to say there won’t be another? For all we know, there could be someone just like him being born this very second. Or there may be one already creating a master-plan. After all, if you remember it was only several hours ago that this masked figure calling himself The Riddler hunted us down and broke into the Batcave. That frightens me, Alfred. Any moment he may strike, and we need to keep our guard up. Therefore, until every last Joker, Riddler and goon left in the group chat is terminated, then the Batman will live."*

## The Sequel - The Vindicators

A sequel entitled 'The Vindicators' is due to take place in the Summer of 2019. This role-play will see Bruce formally face off against The Riddler for the first time, alongside fellow heroes, such as Iron Man, Deadpool and Spider-Man.

## Cast

**Buttons99999**

* Batman/Bruce Wayne
* Will Conway
* Gambol
* The Joker's Henchmen
* Bank Robbers
* Bank Manager

**Fishmr**

* The Riddler

**GrandpaGames**

* The Joker
* Hannah Conway

**Red498**

* James Gordon

* Alfred
* Bank Robbers