Chapter Text
Nightwatch. Nineth hour. Transcribing recording…
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O319: 42 RW17 At three eighteen west side clear over
O319: 45 RW12 Just getting in through um east entrance over
O319: 46 RW9 East side clear have visual on RW12 Mirano over
O319: 49 RW17 RW8 please report over
O319: 53 RW8 Here RW8 Lewis over
O319: 54 RW8 North clear over
O320: 05 RW14 Here RW14 Rivera beginning first round at three twenty over
O321: 34 RW9 Moving to north side through east over
O322: 11 RW17 Is east side unsupervised over
O322: 13 RW12 RW12 Mirano in position beginning watch at three twenty-two over
O322: 50 RW9 RW8 Lewis what color is your flashlight over
O322: 54 RW8 White light ah faded over
O322: 56 RW9 Approaching your position northeast clear over
O322: 49 RW8 I have visual RW9 Porter
O322: 57 RW17 Anyone has visual on northwest over
O323: 02 RW8 Negative a tree knocked over the streetlight on the corner of ah right at the northwest corner sharp over
O323: 15 RW17 W14 Rivera do copy over
O323: 17 RW14 Here RW14 Rivera I copy over
O323: 19 RW17 Move to the blind point RW14 report any activity over
O323: 21 RW14 Copy that RW17 moving to northwest from section c over
O324: 38 RW12 Is anyone um near the ah north entrance over
O324: 41 RW8 Ah negative RW12 over
O324: 42 RW17 Negative over
O324: 47 RW14 RW12 please repeat
O324: 50 RW12 Anyone near the north side entrance I hear some noise over
O324: 53 RW17 [Unintelligible] and report over
O324: 58 RW9 Here RW9 Porter now moving to section b through northeast RW17 please repeat over
O325: 01 RW17 Keep a watch for animals and report over
O325: 09 RW12 No animals here over
O325: 12 RW8 Racoons could be coming back [Unintelligible]
O325: 16 RW17 RW8 repeat we couldn’t hear you over
O325: 19 RW8 I hear some scratching very subtly, but [Unintelligible] section C clear we have some wind tonight
O325: 23 RW17 Copy that over
0326 …
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0328 …
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0330 …
0331 …
0332 …
O332: 14 RW12 RW14 please report position over
O332: 18 RW14 Here RW14 Rivera blind spot secure mild noise but almost sure to be the wind now eh moving near north entrance through section d over
O332: 25 RW12 Copy that signal when you get there over
0333 …
0334 …
0335 …
O336: 39 RW8 Still hearing some noises if you see anything please report over
O336: 42 RW12 What kind of noises over
O336: 45 RW8 Uh I don’t know if it could be echo or a noise from the street over
O336: 48 RW17 RW8 please describe the noise over
O336: 52 RW8 Like a thud eh [Unintelligible] machinery over
O336: 57 RW12 Do you see anything over
O337: 03 RW8 Negative over
0338 …
0339 …
0340 …
0341 …
0342 …
0341 …
0343 …
0344 …
O345: 44 RW14 [Unintelligible]
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0347 …
0348 …
0349 …
0350 …
O351: 08 RW17 Seems like the bats are going home over
O351: 09 RW9 Copy that over
O351: 11 RW8 Copy RW17 over
O351: 14 RW12 Any incidents tonight over
O351: 16 RW17 Negative over
0352 …
0353 …
O354: 18 RW12 Anyone checked the weather tonight over
O354: 25 RW8 [Unintelligible] clear day over
O354: 28 RW12 It's a little dark could it rain over
O354: 32 RW8 Negative RW12 I don’t think so
0355 …
0356 …
O357: 09 RW12 RW14 I see you
0358 …
O359: 34 RW17 RW14 anything to report over
O359: 43 RW12 Eh Rivera is a little indisposed hell take five over
O359: 45 RW17 Did something happen over
O359: 48 RW12 Negative ah [Unintelligible]
O359: 49 RW17 RW12 what is happening
O359: 54 RW12 All good I’ll stay with him over
O359: 58 RW17 Report in five over
End of tape.
Nightwatch. Tenth hour. Transcribing recording…
O406: 34 RW9 RW8 do you have a jacket I could borrow it getting cold here over
O406: 39 RW8 I do are you near me over
O406: 58 RW17 More wind coming maybe a storm everyone make sure to be well covered over
O407: 11 RW9 RW8 approaching your position please walk towards me over
O407: 45 RW12 Here RW12 Mirano with um RW14 Rivera we are a little cold but Rivera is better over
O407: 48 RW8 What’s wrong with him over
O407: 58 RW14 RW14 here alive and okey over
O408: 01 RW9 Why do you sound agitated
O408: 06 RW14 I just got spooked babygirl don’t worry about me
O408: 09 RW17 Please stick to protocol RW14 Rivera over
O408: 12 RW14 Right I mean eh copy that RW17 over
O408: 15 RW17 What spooked you RW14 over
O408: 19 RW14 Um some noise I thought it was a voice I don’t know I felt someone was following me but I’m pretty sure it’s just this weird weather over
O408: 22 RW17 Okey RW14 stay watchful over
0409 …
0410 …
0411 …
0412 …
O413: 14 RW12 I’m feeling the rain coming [Unintelligible] feels heavy over
O413: 18 RW17 [Unintelligible] confirm I repeat everyone confirm [Unintelligible] have cover over
O413: 19 RW12 This isn’t rain its [Unintelligible] over the clouds where is the wind coming from
O413: 21 RW8 RW9 do you hear me I repeat do you [Unintelligible]
O413: 22 RW12 Can anyone tell me where the wind is coming from
O413: 22 RW9 Lewis I can’t see you
O413: 23 RW17 RW8 Lewis confirm position [Unintelligible]
O413: 25 RW8 I’m not imagining this I hear something the wind won’t
O413: 27 RW9 Signal with your flashlight Lewis don’t move
O413: 28 RW17 RW8 please repeat
O413: 29 RW12 Are we being attacked someone answer please are we being attacked
O413: 31 RW17 [Unintelligible] don’t panic RW12 stay in [Unintelligible]
O413: 32 RW9 Lewis I’m near you Lewis stand [Unintelligible]
O413: 34 RW14 Coming to your position Lewis what’s happening talk man [Unintelligible]
O413: 36 RW8 [Unintelligible]
O413: 38 RW17 RW8 we don’t hear you
O413: 42 RW14 Lewis I see [Unintelligible]
O413: 45 RW8 [Unintelligible] near north entrance I don’t [Unintelligible] what the fuck is that
O413: 45 RW14 [Unintelligible]
O413: 49 RW14 Help us central help [Unintelligible] es un puto muerto es un puto muerto [Unintelligible]
O413: 51 RW17 Rivera position Rivera Rivera
O413: 51 RW12 What the hell was that
O413: 52 RW17 Rivera answer Lewis answer calling [Unintelligible] please anwnser
O413: 53 RW9 [Unintelligible]
End of recording.
Transcript ( August 10, 4: 15: 22 )
Dispatcher 5: 911, where's your emergency?
Caller: I hear kids screaming um, I thought they were just some junkies but…
Dispatcher 5: Sir where are you calling from
Caller: Gotham Cemetery, well, I live out front, the oposite sidewalk, they have flashlights and they’re all running maybe something— I can’t go down there, my leg is bad
Dispatcher 5: Okey sir, we’re sending someone to check it out. Can you still see the kids?
Caller: Yeah.
Dispatcher 5: You know how many are there?
Caller: At least three I think— it’s so— it’s not raining is it?
Dispatcher 5: Excuse me?
Caller: I— something’s wrong please send someone
Dispatcher 5: Sir?
Transcript ( August 10, 4: 15: 28 )
Dispatcher 7: 911, where's your emergency?
Caller: I don’t know if it’s an emergency, we’re down at the Narrows hearing a lot of noise. My— my wife thinks it’s coming from the cemetery we just, we don’t want to get too close
Dispatcher 7: Okey sir we are sending someone right now I do advice you stay where you are
Caller: Okey. Thank you.
Dispatcher 7: You're welcome.
Transcript ( August 10, 4: 15: 35 )
Dispatcher 4: 911, where's your emergency?
Caller: Hey um, are you aware of some noise here in the Narrows?
Dispatcher 4: We are sir, someone is doing a check in a few moments.
Caller: It’s, ah, getting pretty cold too like— weird cold, lady, like something messing with the temperature.
Dispatcher 4: Okey sir, stay calm someone should be getting there soon.
Caller: I’m going to get inside now
Transcript ( August 10, 4: 15: 42 )
Dispatcher 9: 911, where's your emergency?
Caller: I think some gangs are fighting at the cemetery people are screaming there’s a lot of smoke I can see right from my window
Dispatcher 9: Ma’am, I can’t confirm this is about gang violence but please step away from the window and remain inside. The police have been alerted.
Dispatcher 4: Okey, okey. Please hurry.
Transcript ( August 10, 4: 15: 47 )
Dispatcher 7: 911, where's your emergency?
Caller: Is Batman fighting someone? Is this one of the bats or like—? Gotham, Gotham cemetery!
Dispatcher 9: We are aware of this incident and the police are on their way sir.
Caller: What is this? It— is it gas? It looks like a weather machine or— could it explode?
Dispatcher 9: Sir, we are working on it, I can’t confirm what it is right now I advise you try to remain calm and—
Caller: I have my son in here do I need to get him out? Please!
Dispatcher 9: Sir, do not panic we are—
Signal error.
Transcript ( August 10, 4: 15: 48 )
Dispatcher 5: 911, where's your emergency?
Caller: I just saw a— a creature coming from the cemetery! It’s making like a storm and it crawled out of the cemetery!
Dispatcher 5: Sir, I need you to try and remain calm, do you see the creature, can you describe it?
Caller: It’s like— it looks human, oh god, with like goo, or I don’t know what the fuck, mud. It just— is it a zombie? It looks like a zombie!
Signal error.
Transcript ( August 10, 4: 15: 52 )
Dispatcher 4: 911, where's your emergency?
Caller: ¡Soy Mario Rivera, somos la Robin Watch y acabo de ver un muerto salir de la tumba, un pinche muerto! Un muerto— A fucking dead body!
Dispatcher 4: Sir, I don’t—
Caller: A dead body just crawled out a grave and chased us! A fucking— a monster!
Signal error.
***
The static fills the air. It’s extraordinarily eerie for a sound they’re so familiar with. For what feels like a long time, it freezes them like a lighting just struck.
“Bruce? Are you reading it?” Duke says through the phone. “Did you— I didn’t know who else to call, my knee hasn’t healed yet.”
“You did the right thing.”
“I send it to Oracle too.”
“Yeah, I got it,” Barb says from the com in his ear. “Are you seeing this Bruce—? 911 hasn’t been able to receive calls for like ten minutes straight.”
“Do what you can for them, I’m turning back there.”
“What do you think this is?” Barb says, trying to conceal the concern in her voice. “When has— could it be a prank?”
“Perhaps.”
“It’s bad, isn’t it?” Duke asks, panicky. “Bruce, please; I send those kids there, I need to know they’re okey.”
Bruce increases speed. The Robin Watch are good kids, troubled no doubt, but eager to help, surprisingly organized. They wouldn’t do a prank like this; cause this level of panic for some laughs. And Bruce can’t avoid thinking what a great coincidence it is that something happens to them the exact week The Signal can’t come to their rescue. Sounds premediated, insidious.
“I though I put them in safe zones Bruce…” Duke says. “I promised them they would be safe.”
Bruce has no time right now to ease his guilt, but has a brief, guilty thought of his own.
There is no safe place, son.
“You’ve done what you could, Duke, don’t let it eat you away,” is all he says. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Okey.”
He sounds defeated. Bruce hears Barbara’s breath, her fingers tapping at full speed. He is getting into the Narrows.
“Batman, do I call Red Hood?” Barb asks. “He’s close; if this is big you may need assistance.”
Bruce can still hear Duke trying to calm himself over the phone and Bruce gathers patience. He can save the kid from the trouble of pleading him not to go alone. Besides, even if Jason is mad at him, he would do anything for Duke, for the kids.
“Call him,” Bruce finally says. “And send him everything.”
If he is not asleep, he probably already noticed something is off. Bruce already feels it, even speeding through the streets inside the batmovile. A chill deep into his core.
A dead body, crawling out of it's grave.
Jesus, it’s like a nightmare made for them.
***
Peter Parker doesn’t know many things right now.
Where is he? He can’t tell, it’s too dark.
Why is he here? The answer feels at the tip of his tongue, but his mind is scrambled eggs from the dizziness.
Should he be here? Well, that’s a strange question, not that he has the answer though.
No, I shouldn’t be here.
Where is he, again? Well, he ran here, Peter thinks. But also, here in a more general sense feels… off.
Why is he here? There is an answer, for sure. He just… can’t remember right now.
Wherever here is, it feels terribly, awfully, wrong. It feels too far away from wherever he was before.
And where was I before?
Oh, right.
I was dead.
Or more like, he was dying. Turning into dust, fading into nothing, or into everything, or however it is infinity stones work. He still feels the cold, the dark, the stabbing, paralyzing pain that had crawled all over him until… until.
He remembers now. The suffocation. The desperate, animalistic fight for air. The screams and the blood and the bones breaking and reattaching. In the box, all his senses could focus on were the sounds of this mangled body pulling itself back together. The blood, suddenly and violently starting to course through his veins again.
The rise up.
Against a mountain of dirt and mud that got into his ears and mouth and eyes and then— air, real air, restarting his lungs back into functioning. Rain, humid air, darkness. And then a light, hurting his eyes, forcing them to move and adjust.
A terrified face, holding a flashlight.
What are you afraid of? Peter had thought, confused. Is something behind me?
Peter had turned, coughing out blood and dirt, and seen probably the most upsetting thing he has ever seen in his life. A tombstone.
Here Lies Peter R. Parker.
A Joy to All who Met Him.
May He Rest in Peace
Screams, loud and bloodcurdling. His own, but other people’s too. And the panic to run as fast as he could, stumbling and climbing through walls to get somewhere safe.
He found it, apparently. Here. It’s dark: but it’s indoors, it’s quiet, he is alone. He can breathe. He can rest. Maybe tomorrow, he can think.
I was dead. Peter thinks. Why am I not dead?
Just my luck at it again, I guess.