Already [MAD]

A full moon had risen over Gotham, over glassy skyscrapers and rat-infested alleyways. A pair of secret police patrolled down a street lit by dingy orange streetlamps, rifles in plain view. From behind a dustbin I watched them pass by. I held my breath and willed every muscle in my body to be still; the only sound in the night was the rhythmic thumping of their jackboots.

They continued down the street and split up at an intersection. When they were safely out of sight, I scurried across the street into another alley and scrambled up a ladder that led up to the top of an apartment building. A blinding glare hit my eyes: they were using searchlights! Instinctively I dove to the ground--the roof, really. The light lingered for a moment where my head was previously located, then resumed its arc. Breathing a sigh of relief, I continued my journey.

I leapt from building to building, sometimes having to avoid more searchlights. I climbed back down to the streets from another ladder. Having bypassed the security blockade, I was now within the heart of the city, a jungle of steel-and-concrete monoliths.

My target stood before me: the unimaginably named Administrative Building C, a skyscraper stretching up into the night. A horrid, rectangular piece of architecture, like an overgrown pustule. I had come well prepared. I retrieved a grappling hook from my coat and fired it skyward. It latched onto a vacant balcony and held fast. It was now time to ascend.

As I scaled the building, higher and higher, a weight close to my chest began to feel noticeable. It was almost time. Higher above, light shone through a window where the board members were holding a meeting. They would have never expected me.

I was now dangling beside the window, just out of sight. Men in black suits sitting at a round table, discussing the fate of the world. Did they think us mere pawns, playthings? Would they ever have expected this unwelcome intrusion into their lives? That we would break through and rudely interrupt their scheduled program to deliver them this devastating piece of news?

Live free or die!

I tore off my coat and let it drop. Tore open my shirt, revealing a bundle of explosives strapped to my chest. My specially reinforced boots and my combat training would allow me to break through whatever flimsy glass this building was made of.

I took careful aim. Kicked off the side of the building to gain momentum. Tensed my body at the apex of the swing. Braced for impact. A security guard noticed my dark shape hurtling towards him. Raised his gun, a moment too late, as my foot made contact--

White-hot pain shot through my entire body as I plunged face-first on to the linoleum floor. Blood spilled from my nose, a dark red stain against a stark white background. I felt my hands being pulled behind my back, and the cold sensation of handcuffs. I struggled against my invisible captor and babbled incoherent words. A meaty hand clapped over my mouth. They had already got me.

They had already known.