Revy Rock and Selina arrived at the hotel, leaping from the cab and racing though the lobby ignoring the bellhop in their haste who noted their progress with a nod before heading toward a phone.

"You do realize Balalaika will be pissed when she finds out what's really going on." Revy whined .as they rode up in the elevator.

"Better her being pissed off then her being dead." Rock countered, "If Selina's right, this Ivy is playing for keeps."

Selina nodded, "I got up close and personal with this chick once and yeah I'm betting she'll use your Balalaika to get whatever she wants then abandon her when it's over."

They entered the hotel suite to find the room crowded. Penguin was propping up the wet bar, a cigarette smoldering away. Balalaika stood over a map of Gotham surrounded by her men including Boris. Volchek and Vassily danced around the fringes trying to make themselves important but Mikhail was seated in a chair sniveling.

"Good, you're back." Balalaika said waving Rock and Revy forward; "We were concerned we might have to do this without you, especially you Two Hands."

"What's the deal Big Sis, are we making a move?" Revy asked.

"Yes, we are assaulting police headquarters. They have bio-agents there that we require for our operations. My team will assault the building, securing the canisters, and returning them to the Marie Zeleska for refit and deployment."

Boris nodded, "I will take a small squad and secure the Marie Zeleska. The rocket launchers will be ready when you arrive. What about you Cobblepot?"

"Don't worry about me - The Pinch I had built will have the city locked down. Flip of the switch and this city will go from digital age to Dark Age in a heartbeat. Once the gas hits, the city will tear itself apart."

Balalaika frowned at the map in front of her, "Gotham City's power systems are built like a spiders web with Wayne Tower at its center. Your device will be best used there."

"Will we need to defend Cobblepot at the tower?" Boris asked.

"This town is lousy with guys who'll do anything you say if you give them enough money and firepower. I have both."

Balalaika nodded, "Good, once power is cut, my team can make its exit from One Police Plaza making for the dockyards and rendezvousing with Boris and The Zeleska." Balalaika turned to the rest of her men, "Cobblepot's device will disrupt communications. We will be dependent on timing and audacity - two things we have always excelled at."

"Whoa, hold on there Big Sister, Why are we helping Cobblepot? And assaulting the police in Gotham seems a little high profile. I mean that would be a big deal back home let alone here."

Balalaika stared at Revy calmly, "I have reassessed the situation Two Hands, I now see Gotham is a cancer that needs to be cut down. The bio-agent will aid us in that plan."

"...And the millions who will die as a result, what about them?" Rock asked quietly.

Balalaika gave him a cold smile, "They will contribute to a greater beauty then they are part of now. Their bodies will be absorbed into The Green to be remade anew."

Revy was protesting but Selina stopped her "It's no use she belongs to Ivy now. She's just like Penguin and Boris."

"I thought I smelled something familiar." Isley said as she sauntered into the room. "Give the woman a prize for boldness."

"You," Selina's growled, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"I might ask the same Miss Kyle - or should I call you Catwoman." Pamela snapped, "You might not be wearing your mask but the orchids you touched while breaking into Cobblepot's office left their mark on you. A very distinctive smell."

Selina turned to Rock and Revy, "We have to go. Your boss is her slave and unless you want to end up the same way we have to get away from her."

"I wouldn't dream of you leaving," Ivy said smoothly, "at least not before I know what you've shared about my plans for the city."

"You mean your plan to make the world a better place by killing every living thing in it." Rock snapped.

"...Not every living thing Rock, Just mankind, but not to worry, there will always be a place for you in my Garden of Eden, How you serve is up to you companion or compost ... it's your choice. Don't you want to be my on my side don't you want to be my friend?" Rock heard her voice. It felt like it wasn't just in the room but inside him, in his most secret places.

"Hey, dumb-ass this aint the time to be spacing out." Revy snarled. Something about her voice yanked him back from the dark pool his mind had been sinking into. He was in another place another time hearing Revy ask him almost the same thing.

"What side you on Rock?" Revy had asked him so long ago...so long ago.

"I'm standing right here where I've always been Revy." He said drunkenly.

Revy cursed and pulled her guns. Suddenly every gun in the room was out and pointing at someone.

Rock cursed his head for numbers it made it way too easy to see they were badly out gunned.

"Secure that weapon Two Hands." Balalaika snarled with no trace of friendliness in her voice, "You might take one or two of us but even you can't shoot everyone in the room and your little friends will end up very dead."

"Rebecca," Pamela said soothingly, "You'll be so much happier on my side. Just give in."

"Actually I have an Option B," Rock held up the vial in his pocket. "A couple vials of this decimated the GCPD. I'm guessing there is enough here that breaking it open will make for a bad day across the board."

Balalaika scoffed, "Come on Rock, do you really expect me to believe you could pull that trigger, condemn everyone, me, your new little friend and of course your precious Revy to death."

"It's like I keep saying Miss, I'm a villain-in-training." Rock looked her steadily in the eyes.

"Enough of this charade!" Ivy snapped, she grabbed Volchek's pistol and shot at Rock.

Rock cried out as the hot fire of the bullet tore into his arm.

Selina grabbed him hauling him out the door while Revy snapped off a few rounds to keep everyone's head down as the three darted for the dubious safety of the hallway.

"You stupid fool you've killed us all." Volchek screamed at Ivy, slapping her in his anger. She looked at him coldly as a trace of blood slid from her lip where the man had struck her.

"I engineered that poison." Ivy explained coldly "I know more about what makes it deadly then anyone on earth. Okajima had more to be afraid of then us. Its only dangerous to you in airborne form." She wiped her lip with her hand before slapping Volchek's face. "This poison on the other hand works almost instantly and only requires contact with the skin to make it deadly."

Balalaika snapped, "Volcheck You idiot, I know Okajima. He was bluffing." She turned to her men, "Get after them both." she screamed.

Volchek began to twitch and spasm his face turning an ugly shade of gray as he collapsed in a gurgling heap.

"What are the rest of you doing?" Balalaika screamed at the few who had not responded instantly to

Her commands "Get after them."

The Soldiers cleared off after Rock and Revy. The sounds of gunfire soon filled the hallway outside.

"You are too kind mistress." Balalaika smiled coldly as they watched Volchek die.

Ivy turned suddenly and embraced Balalaika. "I see now Balalaika I should have relied on you from the beginning you are everything they said you were and more. I just could not believe such a woman could exist for real."

"I am nothing more nor am I anything less then a soldier my lady."

"...And soon you will have new lands to conquer starting with your lovely little island paradise. Boris has told me of your conflicts with Mister Chang and the others. When we are done with this city we will go back to Roanapur. You and me together ...nothing will stop us, no one will dare."


Rock and Revy arrived in the hallway with Rock snatching a broom off a maid's cart and jamming it into the door.

"That will hold for about five seconds if we're lucky." Rock shouted.

The door banged hard cracking the broom.

"Apparently our luck is the shits as usual." Revy snapped gripping her guns. She aimed for the aiming for the door ready to let fly with both barrels.

Rock startled as his cell phone chirped, he glanced at it. "It's Oracle she's locked down the elevators."

"WE needed those to get out of here?" Revy cursed, "Now we're trapped."

"So are they..." Selina snapped then she looked around the hallway, "No elevators? Guess we're taking the Laundry chute."

"What," Revy squawked in protest, "I aint going down the damn laundry chute. What kind of dumbass...?"

"IF we don't, we die." Selina snapped digging into the bag she carried and producing a grappling wire.

"Since when did you start carrying around a grappling hook and wires?"

"A girl in Gotham has to learn to look out for herself. Sometimes that means becoming a gun-toting psycho, sometimes it means rocking the skin-tight ballistic leather and learning to use a bullwhip. Hey Rock, how were you with climbing the rope in gym?"

"I sucked." Rock muttered. "I'm thinking I'd better get really good, really fast or get dead really soon."

"Good call" Selina snapped.

"Can we trust some random person texting us?" Revy asked.

"Every person on the other side of that door wants us dead." Selina pointed out, "I'd go with the mysterious texting stranger if I was you."

The door exploded open so Revy without hesitation hurled herself on the maid cart riding it down the hallway while her Cutlasses blazed and roared, peppering the soldiers with gunfire.

Hotel Moscow returned fire even as one of Revy's shots managed to hit a fire extinguisher. A vaporous cloud spewed into the hallway blinding some and making her harder to see and hit.

Rock took one last look at Revy.

"Don't just stand there ya moron get down there if yer going?" She screamed as the cart crashed into the wall spilling her on the floor.

Rock didn't hesitate any longer and rolled into the darkness of the laundry chute.

Revy was actually impressed. The old Rock would have been whining, wondering if they were going to live or die. This new and improved version seemed more devil-may-care. She had to admit it was change she could get behind.

She fired off a few more rounds before she too hurled herself though the chute door with a war cry sliding into blackness.


The Room was suddenly filled with soldiers again. Boris waited until His Captain had freed herself from Ivy's tight hug. "The Lagoon crew has fled. They used the laundry chute," he reported.

"The laundry chute?" Balalaika nodded, "...Revy, I'll bet, she always did enjoy a little theatrical flair to her work."

"They are gone Miss," Boris concluded, "The elevators aren't working either. By the time we get down there, I'm guessing they will be blocks away."

"Then you've failed me Boris," Ivy hissed, "and failing Poison Ivy has a rather strict punishment." She was raising her bloodstained hand to slap at Boris' face when Balalaika reached out to snag her wrist.

Ivy saw Balalaika's eyes darkening, The Russian mob mistress' mind was so strong and Ivy's control was not complete. "...Of course I yield to your experience Balalaika." Ivy relented and the dark look faded. Hotel Moscow's Queen was back under her sway ... for now.

Balalaika smiled coldly, "Chasing those two would be a waste of time and resources better spent on the operation."

"What do you mean, won't they be a problem?"

"I'd be disappointed if they didn't try something, Separately they wouldn't be much of a handful but combined and with a mission to occupy them, they have proven to be surprisingly tenacious and Two Hands has earned her reputation for spreading chaos."

"Then we will have to find a way to get them off our backs for awhile." Ivy said gently.

"I have a thought." Cobblepot mused, "Tommy the Tong Lord was most anxious to renew acquaintances with the young lady."

Boris nodded "As a teenager, she gunned down several of their street soldiers."

Penguin smiled wolfishly "I'm betting that left something of a bad taste in a few Triad mouths perhaps its time Tommy-Boy's gangbangers got up close and personal with the boogey-man, or girl in this case, Tommy used to seize control of the gangs?"

"An interesting suggestion Cobblepot. How do you propose to make it happen?"

"Easy, violent tendencies plus a surfeit of accessible weaponry always make for pliable cannon fodder."

"Too true, Sergeant; escort Cobblepot to his base of Operations. Make sure his weapons are distributed to the Triad Gangs along with Hotel Moscow's wishes for good hunting."

"At once ma'am," Boris answered, "how will we make sure that The Gun Woman moves as we want her to?"

"By leaving her no other options, The Police here are so much more competent then they are back home I'll assume they can handle a simple sweep and search of the city. "

"Are you sure, Cobblepot and I already neutralized most of the force." Ivy was fascinated to watch Balalaika at work.

"...And now the few that remain will be too busy searching for Two Hands to bother to effectively patrol their own fortress at One Police Plaza."

"Are you sure this will work they will want to investigate?" Vassily asked.

"Then best we give them something to investigate." Balalaika said with an evil smile as she shot Vassily, "But Yes, I'm quite sure my plan will work perfectly." She shot him again before tossing the gun to one of her soldiers.

Mikhail was quaking in fear "you just ...you just..."

"You're quite safe...for now." Balalaika growled, "I wouldn't dream of using anything less then my own bare hands to deal with you. However I need you to sell the story of Revy's rage. You angered her and she shot you and your partner in a rage. Is that understood?"

"Yes ma'am I understand." Mikhail said his voice shaking with fear.

Boris smiled "They might find the story a little more believable if he has actually been shot ma'am."

"How right you are Sergeant it is good to know I can count upon you again. "

Mikhail watched in terror as she was handed another gun that she shoved into his body.

"Choose quickly," She hissed, "...belly or kneecap if you make me choose, I might recall how much I really want to kill you."

"Kneecap." he squeaked.

"How typical," The Mob Mistress sneered as she shot the man in the stomach, "Men get to choose their fates. Cowards are victims now and always."

Balalaika turned to Corporal Denisof, "Bind him up enough so that he doesn't bleed out. Then take him to the hospital. Take Gregor and Peter with you. I'd like you to borrow two of the City's disease control response vehicles."

"What ... why are we doing that?" Penguin snapped.

"...Because emergency vehicles have unfettered access to the city during a crisis - like the terrorist threat against the police you will call into the CDC fifteen minutes from now." Balalaika paused to look at Boris meaningfully. "Sergeant when you are at Cobblepot's see to it that the Mistress' plants are moved to the Zeleska. When we are finished with Gotham, she will need them to produce more of the toxin."

"I will detail a team."

"Then its time to remind the people of this city why they huddled in basements for fifty years in fear of our coming. Gentlemen, lets bring them hell."