Chapter 7: Final Preparations
Hours before the freeing of Scarecrow, Link and Bruce had arrived at their destination. A massive tower loomed above them and stretched on almost endlessly into the sky as they pulled into the rear parking lot. At the top of this tower a massive letter 'W' was displayed with the name 'WAYNE' in all capital letters just below it in a smaller font. Link stared up at the tower, craning his neck. Not even the tallest tower of Hyrule Castle was this tall.
"This tower is massive" Link marvelled. "Did you build this tower?"
"No, my father did. This is the centre of Gotham City, Wayne Tower."
"Why are we here?"
"I wanted you to understand exactly who I am. Everyone in this city knows who I am. It's important that you know."
"I see. I guess everyone sees this tower every day."
"I guess they do. This puts my name out there for all to see, including my enemies."
Link suddenly realized what Bruce was trying to tell him.
"You want me to understand how important it is for me to keep your secret. I understand now."
"I'm glad you do. I have to go inside for a minute. Wait in the car until I return."
Bruce turned and walked toward the building and Link got back in the car. Link watched Bruce walk through the back door of the building. Link sat for a while, looking around the inside of this strange car.
He dared not touch anything, remembering Bruce's initial instructions the first time they met and rode in what Bruce called the 'Batmobile'. This whole experience had been strange and unfamiliar but not altogether unpleasant.
Bruce and Alfred had made things feel so much more comfortable in his short time around this new place. But he remembered his initial impression of this world and his encounter with The Joker.
How could this city be filled with an evil like that if a man like Bruce was around to stop it? This was certainly a place that defied explanation. Link was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of voices outside the car.
For a moment he thought Bruce had returned but it couldn't have been because there were four of them and none sounded anything like Bruce. He looked out his window and saw four rough-looking men surrounding the car.
He went still and tried not to be spotted and couldn't understand why the one man outside his window couldn't see him. Link couldn't have understood the concept, but the windows had been tinted to prevent anyone on the outside from seeing inside the vehicle.
He shifted his gaze to the outside and tried his best to listen to the muffled voices outside.
He heard the last two words of one sentence. They said "nice car".
He then heard most of another come from behind the car. This one said "They're... cars around... tower."
He couldn't make sense of what they were saying. He heard the man at the front say something.
All he could hear was "Maybe... ayne's car." He listened harder and heard the next few sentences quite clearly.
"It probably is Wayne's car. Guy can afford a ride like this."
"There ain't many in this town who could afford it."
"Nobody in this town deserves a car like this. Especially some rich scumbag."
"You're right, man. We should trash it."
The four men then each pulled metal sticks with a curve on the ends from their jackets. Link would later find out that these were called crowbars. He understood right then what they had planned to do. They hadn't begun destroying the car yet as they were discussing what each of them would destroy.
Link looked around frantically for a weapon. He needed to defend Bruce's car. He wasn't going to let anyone cause any sort of injustice to one of his only friends in this world. He wished to Farore that he had his sword.
He looked at the compartment in front of him. In it was one of those same sticks the men outside had. He grabbed it and flung open the door to the car, knocking one of the men over.
"Who the hell is that?" shouted one of them.
"Get away from here!" Link shouted.
"Good, let's just trash this dumb kid instead."
"Or better yet, let's take him with us. I'm sure Wayne would pay mightily for you."
The four of them surrounded Link.
Two of them swung at him with their crowbars and the two behind him tried to grab him. In one swift motion, Link hooked the two crowbars with his own and flung them both away while spinning around and hitting the others with his crowbar. They were both struck on the head and it opened large wounds. They were both still conscious but incredibly dazed.
The other two rushed him again but Link just put his shoulder into the first one to reach him. The man hit the ground and the impact knocked the wind out of him. The other caught a swift strike to the head with Link's crowbar and was knocked out cold.
Link opened the door to the car and put the crowbar back into the compartment he had found it in. He closed it and quickly jumped back inside the car. He sat like he had been before.
He saw Bruce come out of the building and approach the car. He stopped when he saw the four men on the ground. He opened the driver's door and sat down. He closed the door and looked at Link.
"Did you see what happened over there? Those guys are in pretty rough shape."
Link looked over and acted as though this was the first time he had seen them.
"They do look kind of beat up. There must have been a fight or something."
"Surely you noticed something that close to the car."
"No, didn't notice a thing. I drifted off for a while so I must have missed it."
"We're lucky they didn't damage the car."
Link looked out the window and smiled.
"We certainly are" he whispered.
"What was that?" Bruce said.
"Nothing, Bruce. Just kind of stunned I didn't hear anything."
Bruce cast a suspicious eye on Link, but decided to let it go. If what he was thinking was true, then it just proved Link's value as a crime fighter. If it wasn't, then it made no real difference.
Bruce then pulled out of his parking space and drove out of the parking lot and back out onto the street. The car sped through the streets and headed back to Wayne Manor.
Lanim paced the floor of the hideout in anticipation. Killer Croc and Two-Face were in there with him and sat off on their own. Lanim had heard of another two alliances that Joker had brought in and was growing desperate to meet them. Joker finally entered the room.
"Hello, oh mighty one" Joker said in a sarcastic tone.
He bowed to Lanim in a mocking fashion. He stood back up and held his arms out at shoulder height as if presenting something.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce to you, the newest members to this wonderful little all-star team-"
"Get on with it, Joker!" Lanim barked.
"Party pooper. Fine then. Here's Scarecrow and my own little sweetheart, Harley."
Lanim saw a man carrying a scythe with a hood over his head and a blank-faced mask with the likeness of a scarecrow, hence the name.
"Greetings, thing of nightmares. It is truly a pleasure to meet one such as you." Lanim instantly liked this Scarecrow.
"You're called Scarecrow, correct? I must say, you impress me."
"Thank you, master of fear. You must assist me with my research sometime."
"Perhaps another time, Scarecrow. And who are you?" Lanim asked, addressing the woman standing next to the Joker, clutching his arm.
She was dressed much like a clown herself, almost like a jester, or a harlequin, hence her name, Harley Quinn.
"I'm Mr.J's sweetie, Harley Quinn. He's just the best guy there ever was."
"Isn't she a doll?" asked Joker.
Lanim just shook his head.
"Whatever, Joker. If she'll help you, then it will help me to have her with us."
Killer Croc suddenly stepped in between them.
"Hey ghost, I have to tell you something. I just got word back from a bunch of my guys. I guess there are only a couple others interested in your offer. Most of them turned you down."
"It doesn't matter, Killer Croc. I have enough allies for my cause, anyway."
"Hey, who says we're working for you?"
It was then that Lanim decided to prove to them why he should be in charge. He charged up some of Midna's stolen power and summoned forth a swirling black vortex. The vortex churned up wind as fast as that of a hurricane.
Everyone in the hideout was being blown back and the underground lair shook and shuddered as the structural integrity was beginning to become compromised. Croc bore the brunt of it and was flung against the wall. The rest held on to the walls and open sewer grates. The wind suddenly stopped.
"That is but a fraction of what I am capable of. Do not tempt me, lizard. You will listen to me or you will learn my true power. Is that understood?"
Killer Croc nodded slowly as he got up, obviously dazed.
"And the rest of you, will you now follow my goal? Will you work for me?"
Everyone there agreed. But almost as soon as Lanim had finished his question, a large group of Croc's men had suddenly been frozen solid. Around the corner stepped a large man in a metallic suit. He had a clear glass helmet that showed his blue-skinned and bald head. Mr. Freeze had arrived.
"No parlour trick is going to make me follow you. But Croc's man told me that you're going to fry the Bat."
"He must be dealt with, yes. Would that make you follow me?"
"Not necessarily follow you, but I will do anything for revenge against the Bat."
"Good. Welcome to our alliance, stranger."
"Call me Mr. Freeze if you want to speak to me."
"Very well, Mr. Freeze. Don't mind me, but I like you."
"Why is that?"
"You've got power. You've got hatred and anger. You are just what I need."
"Forgive me if I'm not flattered, but I really don't care what you think."
Lanim let that comment go for now, not wanting to lose this powerful ally. Lanim turned around to face the door, but turned his head to speak to Mr. Freeze. He walked towards the door as he spoke.
"Tell me, have you heard of any others who wish to join me?"
"Ask your lizard patsy, here. I wouldn't know something like that."
Croc spoke up as loud as he could.
"Riddler is coming. He said he would, anyway."
He then turned to Mr. Freeze.
"You'd better watch yourself, you brain-frozen tin man."
"No, Croc. I think it's you who needs to watch yourself."
Lanim then left this sewer chamber to climb up to the building above. He left Gotham's villains to bicker amongst themselves. Besides, Lanim thought, the time has almost come for the first stage toward his ultimate goal to take place.