Chapter Text
The patter of feet is nothing new in Gotham’s alleyways, always a crime happening in the city cursed to having nothing to stop it. That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t hope, but this criminal was something new. A child, it wasn’t a petty thief though. No, they murdered someone in cold blood and they were running not to get caught by the masked figure chasing them from the rooftops. The fresh red footsteps weren’t helping hide them from where they were heading, though they started to fade after steps were made. They tried to steady their breath, keeping it even so they wouldn’t run out of breath as they ran. Though soon they would try to hide, who wouldn’t when you murdered a man no matter the reason why.
The figure dropped in front of them, in the figure of a bat. All black and dark gray suit. “Were you the one to kill that man?” He asked like it wasn’t obvious, he saw the kid fled the crime scene. He wanted them to admit guilt, which Crystal isn’t an idiot. They knew Batman saw them flee, they took a deep breath and looked him dead straight into the white film that covered his eyes “Yeah…I had a good reason to do it!”
“Kid, there’s no good reason to kill a man.” Batman sighed, “He killed my parents, right in front of me. I think that’s reason enough.” They spat out like a snake dripping venom. They were angry at the man, at the world. Just like Bruce was when he was younger. Bruce sees a lot of himself in the person in front of them. But that didn’t mean they weren’t going to face the consequences. He kneeled down to the bloody 16 year old who was sitting with their knees to their chest with clothes that are a size too small for them. They needed a home, but that isn’t what they are getting. At least right now.
He placed a hand on their knee. “Kid, do you know why I don’t kill criminals?”
“No…probably because you think you are better than us.” Batman shook his head, “No.” Crystal looked confused, no? That’s not the reason? He frowned, “If I kill criminals, I am no better than them.”
“Are you calling me a criminal…?” They asked, they sounded heartbroken as if he called them the worst thing in the world. “Kid…” He tried to find the words to fix this, but it’s sorta true. “Not what I meant.”
“But it is what you meant.” Gods, they were like Jason after he came back from the dead. “No. I want you to get help.”
“You think throwing me in jail will help?” They knew it was no use anyway, there's no convincing Batman from not taking them to the GCPD. They weren’t really happy, but held their hands out in front of them for surrender. Batman handcuffed them after pulling the cuffs out of his utility belt, he helped Crystal onto their feet and helped them into the batmobile. As he drove Crystal to the department, they looked out the tinted window seeing all the people who were walking outside trying to avoid the car.
Once they got into the department, Commissioner Jim Gordon was the first to greet the man dressed like a bat “Ah, Batman. Good to see you answered the call.” He looked over to Crystal before looking down at the cuffs they are in “Batman. Why is the child in cuffs?” He asked, concerned and a bit angry at the idea of Batman cuffing a child. “They are your suspect for Mr. Reed’s murder.” Gordon got wide eyed at the sentence “Are…you sure?” He mostly didn’t want to believe it, but Batman nodded and he sighed “I got the kid Batman, you can go now.” Batman just nodded and left, and Crystal looked over to Jim. They were the same height as him, 6 feet so they didn’t have to crane their neck in either direction. “I’m going to ask you a few questions, kid.”
“You can ask, doesn’t mean I’m going to talk.” They shrugged, and he let out an exasperated sigh. They were a teenager, he should have expected this. “It’s just simple questions”
“I have the right to remain silent, yeah?” They smirked, being a bit cocky “Yeah, you do but it’s just simple questions.” They rolled their eyes “Fine, ask ahead.”
“What’s your name.”
“My pals over by the harbor call me Crystal.” He was confused and knotted his eyebrows together, “Is that your real name?”
“If you mean legal? No. But it’s the name I choose to go by”
“Okay, fine. Crystal, why did you murder that Mr. Reed?” He question, “It’s personal.”
“I need to know it.”
“You don’t need to know shit.” He sighed, for once he just wanted them to stop acting like a teenager. But that’s like asking a fish to actually fly. “Kid, I need to know motive.” Crystal glared at Gordon and he glared back, they soon cracked and looked away as the memory came back full force and they teared up “He killed my parents…7 years ago. Never got solved…I found him again, and I wanted revenge so I murdered him.” Gordon’s face soon turned in concern. “Crystal,” He sat them down, “I understand he took them away from you, and probably at a young age. But that is never a reason to kill him. Taking a life doesn’t give life back. I should know, the joker took my wife away from me.” Crystal chuckled a bit, it was soft and little but it was there. “He takes a lot of loved ones…”
“I tried to make it look like a suicide… I would have succeeded if Batman didn’t catch me…” They pulled their hood from their light gray hoodie over their head like they were ashamed of that fact. “You know I have to take you into containment right? And you’ll have to be on trial. You’ll get a lawyer, of course, can’t promise you it will be a good one.” They laughed, they knew lawyers in Gotham were easily bought off. “Yeah, I know.” They frowned, they just wanted to avenge their parents. There was a static noise for a second before the radio that Gordon keeps on his hip called out for him. “Have to take this kid.” They just nodded, knowing he would have to step back away. He stepped aside, the detectives just informing him they were at the scene of the crime and Batman already set up for them somehow.
He looked over at the kid, before walking over. “Let’s get there already. I don’t want to waste much time.” They sat up, and he looked concerned again, but complied.