Unlimited Legends #17 (Featuring The Spectre)

[spiritofvengeance]

Unlimited Legends #17
“The Engaged and the Mob”

Written By: Michael Bush
Edited By: Mike Bowen

Featuring...

Ten Years Ago

Jim Corrigan could not believe his luck. He was a detective, and a good one at that, with the Gotham City Police, but here he was also going to marry this beautiful woman hanging on his arm.

“A penny for your thoughts, Jimmy?” the goddess on his arm asked, interrupting his thoughts.

“Just thinking about the future, Claire,” he responded.

“Oh, and is there any hope that this future has a less dangerous job in it?” She asked with just a glimmer of hope, but really she already knew the answer.

“I doubt it,” he said as they turned off the sidewalk and continued up to the porch of her house.

“You know I hate that you don’t have a partner, remember James, he was a good partner, he looked after you, I wish that you could another one like him,” she said sorrowfully.

“Again, I doubt it, I work better alone, you know that,” he said as they finally reached the porch. “Good night Claire. See you tomorrow, honey,” he said sealing it with a kiss.

“Oh, I doubt that yous will, Jimmy boy, ya see Boss Benson wants to see ya,” began a voice from behind the door.

Slowly the door opened from the inside, and they saw several tough looking thugs in her living room, waiting for them, armed.

“The boss will be here shortly, why don’t ya take a seat, the both of ya.”

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Eleven Years Ago

Jim has been watching them load the goods into the van for a couple of minutes now. Inside he was hoping that the tip was a bad one. He wanted to spend more time with Claire. He had just proposed to her last night, she said yes, and he was happy for once in his often miserable life. But sadly the tip was turning out to be good.

Maybe I should wait for the Police, he thought to himself.

Just then he noticed that they had loaded the last bit of the goods into the van, and were preparing to leave. I guess I have no time to wait, and Jim Corrigan, Detective, busted out of his hiding place and laid a haymaker on the nearest thug, knocking him out. Wimp, he thought to himself as he continued towards the only one he knew there, who he was certain was the leader, knocking out thugs he went along.
But the leader had not been idle. He had already jumped into the van and was getting ready to floor it out of there. But Corrigan wasn’t going to let him get away. For the first time in a long time he actually pulled out his gun. Jim hated guns; he always preferred to use his fists, or what he always called ‘a man’s true weapon.’
He aimed at the tires, fired and… missed. The lack of practice was showing, and now he was going to get away. Then the roaring sound of sirens were everywhere and the leader, sweating a ton got out of the van, hands raised in surrender.

“Corrigan, you know you should have just waited until we got here,” said a familiar voice from behind.

“The was a small window of opportunity, and I took it Gordon, you can’t pull that guilt trip on me anymore,”

Turning around, Jim Corrigan turned around to face his former partner, James Gordon. Slowly they both started laughing.

“That guilt trip never worked anyways Jim, I don’t know why I keep trying to use it on you,” James smiled, then pointing to the other thugs, “So who were they working for?”

“My guess and it’s only a guess mind you, Benson.”

“You better hope not, because if it is he will get you back for this.”

“It funny that no one has actually seen him before; I mean, it makes you wonder sometimes don’t it.” After a brief pause Jim continued. “So, Gordon how has it been since we stopped being partners?”

“It been good, my new partner, Essen, she’s a good kid.”

“Glad you got a good one Jim. So now I have go do the paperwork on this bust, so see you around James.”

“Yeh, see you around.” Jim lowered in head.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Thirteen Years Ago

Jim was sweating, it was his first date with the Goddess who will became his future wife; he can feel it in his gut that it is true. He had taken her to nice Mexican restaurant, a place called Casa de Jesus, but on the way home she asked him to pull over.

“Look Jimmie. The Gotham River, isn’t beautiful at night?” she asked as she got out of the car.

But Jim never thought it looked beautiful, he knew that this place was the scene of many crimes, and many dead bodies.

“What is it Jimmie, what’s wrong?” she said interrupting his thoughts.

“Nothing's wrong Claire. It's just that I have never been here before for the beauty of it.”



“Well there is always a first time for anything.”

And deep down he knew that she was the one he would marry, no doubt about it.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Ten Years Ago

Jim and Claire were in trouble, he knew that in his gut. He knew that his nose was probably broken, and a couple of his teeth were missing as well, spilling blood into his mouth.

“Sorry about roughing ya up there Jimbo, you see when yous knocked out No Nose there we had to get ya under control,”

Jim tried to spit the blood out of his mouth and onto his face, but he missed and it landed on his shoes. I guess that will work.

“Ohs ya lucky the Boss wants to be tha one to send ya to ya heavenly reward, or I would get yous right now. But he will be here shortly, maybe I coulds convince him to let me do it,” he said, then just starting laughing.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Twelve Years Ago

“Jim get into my office now,” screamed the commissioner across the precinct.

Jim slowly walked into Commissioner Loeb’s office. It was chock full of Pop memorabilia, and a young looking kid sitting in a chair. He was wearing glasses and had on what looked like an old brown trench coat.

“Corrigan, I would like for you meet you new partner, James Gordon, he is joining us from Chicago. Well say hello.”

“Hi, and I guess welcome to Gotham, James” said Jim has he held out his hand to James.

James took the hand and began to shake and stood up, “Well, it good to be here, Corrigan, wasn’t it,”

“Yep, but that’s my last name. My first is Jim”

“Okay,” he said as the phone rang.

“Now that you two know each other's name, could you get out of my office,” asked the commissioner not very politely.

“Okay, you don’t have to bite our heads off. James let me show you around.”

As Jim left he couldn’t help but wonder why the commish was always secretive, but he decided to investigate it further later.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Eleven Years Ago

Jim got down on one knee at Casa De Jesus. He had taken her here on their first date, pulled a little box from behind his back, and took a deep breathe.

“Claire, would you marry me,”

She just stared at the ring for a second before she started to cry, Through the tears she was able to finally say a simple but efficient “Yes.”

Jim, in his heart, knew this was the happiest day of his life.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Ten Years Ago

There was a knock at the door and the one that Jim had learned was called Bubble-Gum Charlie went to answer it. Illuminated in the doorway was a huge man. He walked into the house reeking with power. The man’s name was Git Benson, he ruled Gotham’s Underworld, and Jim guessed that he had finally grown into a big enough pest and warranted a swatting. Deep down he know that they were not going to leave here alive.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Fifteen Years Ago

“Jim Corrigan, Welcome to The GCPD,” said Commissioner Loeb from behind his desk.

“I am proud to be here commissioner. I promise that I won’t fail you.”

“Well I hope not, Corrigan, I hope not. Cops got it made here in Gotham.”

“You don’t say?”

“Yep, maybe someday I will tell you the whole story.”

“I can’t wait to hear it.”

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Eleven Years Ago

Jim Corrigan had just handled another drug bust all by himself, and he could tell that James was not happy about that.

“You handled this alone again didn’t you? You remember that I am your partner right.”

“Yes I remember, and I didn’t have time to wait for you either. This was a once in a lifetime thing, being able to catch them in the act.”

“You know that they will be out before long, more than likely before this week is even out,” said Gordon, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

“Those things will kill ya you know.”

“And working without a partner could kill you,” Gordon took a drag and breathed in the fumes from the cigarette. “I have requested that I get a new partner, it not that you are a bad person Jim, it just that I need a partner that I know will be there when I need him.”

What followed was mainly silence, James at one point thought there might have been a hint of sadness in his eyes, but for just a moment.

“Okay James, but you know Claire won’t like this. She liked you.”

“Well we could still be friends you know.”

“You sound like were breaking up James, we were always friends, just now we won’t be partners anymore,” he said as he walked away. Inside James wondered if he did right thing, but he knows he did.

****

[spiritofvengeance]

Ten Years Ago

“Hello Corrigan,” began a familiar voice to Jim.

Inside Corrigan tried to place the voice, but he couldn’t, all he could remember was that it annoyed him endlessly. Slowly he lifted his head to see Commissioner Loeb standing in front of him. And inside it made sense, “Cops have it made in Gotham.” He remembered Loeb telling him that once, and now it made sense.

“Hello Benson, or is it Loeb, and what do I owe you the honor,” gasped Jim as he spit out blood.

“I had hopes that you would join us, high hopes, but you never did, you or that old partner of yours. You both are an infection in my wonderful system, and it's time to heal at least one of them,” said the mob boss/commissioner of police as he pulled out a gun.

“Goodbye Corrigan,” and then Loeb pulled the trigger and shot Jim in the face. Dead and a limp Jim slumped in the chair.

Claire screamed but before any of Benson’s muscle could do a thing, he held up his hand, stopping them in their tracks.

“Now to have fun with you, Jim’s would-be-widow.”

To Be Continued...