Chapter Ten: The Bird the Bat and the Wolverine

Bruce woke to a sudden hiss of tear gas, as the compartments on his mask released, responding to someone tugging on it. His head was dull, his thoughts sluggish, but he was aware of Penguin's nasally voice, cutting through the room like talons through eye balls.

"Fool! I told you not to touch it! Clear the air."

Drafts of cooler air entered the space, sweeping out the tear gas and the smell of blood. The wounds on Bruce's shoulder and leg burned and he remembered falling into the trap at the Iceberg Lounge.

"You know how much money the identity of the Batman will facilitate?" came Penguin's voice again, "If you want to see, you'll have to purchase a ticket like everyone else. In the meantime keep your grubby fingers away from him."

Bruce's head was throbbing and he felt hard steal on his wrists and ropes about his torso and limbs. He was bound to a chair. Maintaining the appearance of unconsciousness, he tried to access the situation the best he could. Judging by the vibration of sound, the room was small and relativity crowded with hard surfaces on the walls ceiling and floor. Penguin was standing in front of him with four to six other men, most of which were holding guns.

"This will be marvelous," Penguin continued, "Put out the word that I will be auctioning exclusive seating for the unmasking, humiliation and ultimate demise of The Batman. I'll have every rogue, scoundrel and rapscallion in Gotham clamoring for a viewing."

Carefully, Bruce shifted his wrists. They'd taken his belt and even found a few of his batarangs and other gadgets hidden on his suit, but they hadn't found the lock pick secured in his gauntlet.

"Leave," Penguin ordered, "All of you retire from the chamber."

Bruce heard men filing out and opened his eyes a crack. Penguin was shooing Nox and five other men out with his umbrella. The cell had no furniture, except the chair he was seated in, no windows and only one heavy door. A single light bulb hung from the stone ceiling unshaded. As Penguin closed the door, behind the guards, Batman undid lock on the handcuffs with a few subtle moves.

"Well well well," Cobblepot turned to face him, holding his umbrella and grinning. "I set a trap for a weasel and catch a bat instead," he chuckled and came forward. "After all these years of trying to shake you off my tail feathers, you fall right under my claws, without me even trying. Wakey-wakey Batman."

Stepping forward Penguin jabbed the tip of his umbrella into the wound on Bruce's shoulder. Blood dripped to the floor with soft splats and despite himself, a hiss of pain escaped Batman's lips. Giving up the charade, Bruce lifted his head, meeting Penguin's beaked grin with a hard glare.

"It's a foolish idea," Bruce stated, his deep baritone filling the little room.

"Hrm?" Penguin leaned on his umbrella.

"Auctioning tickets for my execution."

"Really?"

"Kill me now Oswald, or let me go."

"What do you think I am, Batman, a deranged lunatic only interested in personal vengeance and satisfaction? I'm a businessman, a true entrepreneur. And an entrepreneur never lets an opportunity go to waist." Grinning, Penguin adjusted his monocle. "Not that I won't enjoy making you suffer, but business before pleasure Batman."

"Maybe, but its bad business to make promises on a product you can't provide."

With a sudden twist in his bonds, the chair he was tied to crash on its side. Penguin let out a squawk of surprise and briefly saw the silver glint of handcuffs flying through the air, before the light bulb shattered and the room fell into complete darkness.

"Hey! Guards! Help I'm-"

Bruce finished escaping his bonds before Penguin could finish turning for the door and the chair flew through the dark, knocking the little man flat. By the time the door was opened and seven men with guns pushed into the room. Batman was holding Cobblepot hostage, the bladed tip of the businessman's own umbrella pressed against his neck.

"Order your men to drop their weapons and step back," Batman growled. Mostly obscured in the shadow of the darkened cell and dripping with blood, he pressed the blade closer to his hostage's double chin, barely piercing the soft skin, "Now!"

"Urp! D-do it," squeaked Penguin.

"Yeah right," drawled a voice at the back if the guards. "He's bluffing, you yella piece of shit. The Batman doesn't kill." Where he was standing behind the guards, Wolverine lifted his head with a manic grin. Dressed in a back suit, he matched the dress of the rest of Penguin's minions and was holding one of their guns. "Unluckily for you poor suckers," he continued, "I aint like that."

"No! Stop!" Bruce shoved Cobblepot into the corner and leap forward. Simultaneously, Wolverine fired the gun he held, deafening everyone inside the little room. With a splash of blood, the guards in front of Logan fell to the floor. Not bothering to finish off the clip Wolverine dropped the gun in favor of his own weapons.

Snikt!

"Everyone who doesn't want to die get out! I'm only after Beaky!"

Panic ensued as half the remaining men dropped their weapons to run and the others turned and started shooting. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder and leg, Bruce managed to disarm and then knockout one of the shooters on his way across the room.

Flashing adimantium caught the light and another man was literally disarmed, his shriek echoing down the hall beyond the cell. Grabbing up the chair, Batman threw it at Wolverine's head. Claws sliced like seizers through paper and the chair fell in clattering pieces to the floor.

"When I told everyone to get out, that included you Bats!" snarled Logan, "In fact, especially you."

"You've killed enough people for one night."

Knowing Logan would expect him to attack with his unwounded right arm, Bruce feinted a right-handed uppercut then stabbed at Logan's eyes with his lock pick held in his left hand. The trick work and Wolverine shouted, stumbling back and shielding his face. A roundhouse kick knocked him back into the hall and off his feet.

"Run!" commanded Bruce, grabbing Cobblepot by the collar.

Penguin squealed, but didn't hesitate, as they dashed past Wolverine and down the hall.

Trying not to let his wounded leg slow him down, Bruce pushed Penguin ahead of him. "I need my belt!"

"What!?"

"My equipment! It has-" Bruce was cut off by a shout of rage behind them. "Run!" he ordered.

Turning, Batman faced Wolverine and blocked the hall, letting Penguin dashed around the corner.

"Out of my way, Bats!" screamed Logan, stopping in front of Bruce and sheathing his claws.

"No."

"You have no idea what you're protecting!"

"I do, a life. It doesn't matter how despicable or perverted Penguin is, he's a person."

"He's a monster!"

"You're one to talk."

Growling low in his throat, Logan stepped closer. "Listen you righteous son of a-"

The stamp of boots sounded in the hall. Bruce glanced over his shoulder to see a dozen more minions with machine guns, just as Logan shouted, "Look out!" and leapt forward.

Knocking Batman to the floor, Wolverine covered him with his own body and gunfire filled the room. Bruce heard Logan grunting in pain and the mutant's heart rate and breathing quicken as blood spilled down his neck shoulders. With audible clanks, led shattered against adimantuim and Logan screamed. Then something got through to a vital, because the scream cut off suddenly and Bruce felt the heavy weight of the man collapse. The guns stopped a few moments later.

"Did we kill them?"

"Don't know. Go check."

"I'm not checking. You check!"

"We'll all go."

Remaining still, Bruce listened to the men approaching, noting all their positions and also the fact that he could see Wolverine healing before his eyes. These men were dead men, unless he could get to them before Logan woke up.

"Mutant ain't moving, but I can's see the Bat."

Someone made to kick Logan off of him and Batman sprang into acting. Swishing his cape as a distraction, he swiped his good leg under two of the guards, sending them crashing to the floor. He then disarmed another and slammed the butt of the gun into the face of a fourth, before anyone had realized what was going on. By then, Batman was moving too fast and in close quarters for anyone to reload a gun. He took down four more in a dozen seconds, but there were still too many for him to take on with a wounded leg, a wounded shoulder and no gear. Someone slammed the butt of a rifle into the base of his spine and then punched his hurt shoulder, sending him stumbling to his knees. Turning, Bruce managed to disable the attacker, but he could hear three others coming behind him and knew he didn't have time to get up.

Smack. Thud.

Bruce heard Wolverine roar and the sounds of more fighting at his back. Rolling back to his feet, Batman finished off the guards immediately before him, letting them fall unconscious to the floor. Spinning around he saw the remaining guards were also unconscious and collapsed at Logan's feet.

"Didn't kill them," Wolverine growled, cracking his neck and wiping blood from his face, "Happy now?"

Not waiting for an answer, Wolverine turned and ran on down hall, relentless in his pursuit of Penguin.

Batman glared then glanced down at the dozen men lying at his feet. They would indeed live. Letting out a heavy breath Bruce hurried in a different direction. Logan would be following Penguin's scent directly. If he wanted to keep Cobblepot from being ripped to shreds, he needed a short cut. Hopefully the ventilation would turn out more reliable the second time around.

He'd taken several bullets to the head and back. Some had made it to his heart, perforating his lungs and at least one had gotten past his skull into his brain. Logan could taste the blood filling his sinuses and flowing down his nose and he choked and coughed up bits of led and blood from his lungs, as he tried his best to keep track of Penguin's scent. This was why he usually cut people in half before they could finish emptying their clips.

"Damn Bat," he gasped and staggered at the top of some stairs. Falling to his knees, Logan focused on breathing and willed his healing factor to go faster. "Should'a let him get shot to pieces…"

With a sudden retch Logan, leaned over and hacked up a deluge of blood and metal. Gasping for air, he whipped blood from his mouth with the sleeve of Elliot's ruined suit and immediately began feeling better, as his lungs finally pulled themselves back together. "At least I can send him a bill for a new suit, the rich son of a bitch."

Hearing more men at the base of the steps, Logan ducked around the corner as five guys with guns and gas masks ran down. They didn't see him until after he ambushed them and he made a short order of them. Wolverine only actually killed one and left another maimed. The other three only suffered severe bumps on the head.

"Getting really tired of all these damn guns," Logan growled, kicking the weapons aside and racing on down the stairs.

He only encountered one other group and they did the smart thing, dropping their guns and running away in the other direction. Penguin's scent led to the very base of the foundation where a heavy steal door was sealed shut. To Logan's immense frustration he could hear Batman already on the other side.

"How'd you get in here!" came Penguin's squawk.

"I knew the Lounge had a foundation connected to the sewer system which is probably your quickest escape. And your ventilation has a main shaft straight to the bottom of the building."

"Very ingenious. Now stay back! I have your belt. Tell me how to use it against that ferret fiend. I can't get the damn thing open."

"I'm the only one who can access my belt. Now… No! Don't do-"

There was a screech and Logan could just catch the smell of singed hair and electricity through the closed doors.

"-that," finished Batman. "Give it to me. Let's go before he get's here."

The idea of his prey escaping filled Logan with a sudden rage and he promptly popped his claws and ripped into the door. "Cobblepot! Your dead! You too Wayne! I'm not letting you get away with him."

There was a surprised squeak and then the sound of a grate being opened, but Logan was already ripping the door from its hinges and it broke down with a protest of steel.

"Go!"

Wolverine caught a glimpse of Batman shoving Penguin through a sewer manhole then there was an explosion of gas and the air around him was suddenly engulfed with an overwhelmingly fowl smoke. His sensitive nose took half a whiff and his head reeled with immediate disgust. He was so stunned he didn't even notice Batman through the smoke, until the spray of mace hit him right in the eyes, followed immediately a boot to the face.

Blinded, stunned and unable smell, Logan fell back in a heap of tears and snorts, only vaguely aware of what was going on.

"He called you Wayne, as in-"

"Just move!"

Wolverine heard the manhole clang shut then rolled over to wretch in response to the mind-boggling stench of Batman's stink bomb.

It was several minutes, before Logan could recover from the mace to the eyes and the shock of the smell, but he finally found manhole cover and pulled it loose. Growling, Wolverine jumped the twelve feet down to a wide tunnel, grateful to escape the room into the relatively "refreshing" air of the sewer. It was very dark and Logan could hear water running, but he saw no sign of Batman or Penguin. He sniffed, but his nose was still too overwhelmed to find their scent. Crouching, he growled low and soft in his throat a frustrated predator in the dark.

"They can't have gone far. I'll find them." Spitting a bad taste from his mouth, Logan got up running in the direction leading away from the Lounge. He was surprisingly quite as he moved and listened hard, hoping to hear the sound of footsteps or voices ahead.

It was more by luck than anything else, but after guessing at a couple turns, Logan did hear voices coming from beyond a ladder leading up through another manhole.

"No way! I will not allow you apprehend me, Rodent! Stay back, or I'll shoot you again and this time it'll be more than a puny scratch."

"I'm trying to save your life." Batman's voice was coming harshly through gritted teeth. "If there's anywhere he won't get you, Oswald, its prison."

"And what sly conspiracy are you playing. Why do you care if that rascal flays me, huh?"

"Because!"

"Because what, Batman?"

"Because enough blood has stained this city's streets!"

"Is that so? Like the blood of your parents, hrm?" Penguin's tone was more nasal and mocking than ever before, "Oh, I remember the story. It happened not so far from here didn't it? The terrible, tragic death of the Waynes. Their pour little orphaned boy. It all makes since now. You're-"

There was the sudden smacking of fists against flesh, a cry and a struggle broke out above.

Smirking, Logan took the opportunity to hurry up the ladder and come out unnoticed into an ally by a parking garage.

Batman was punching a squealing Penguin repeatedly in the face and was so intent, that he didn't even notice Logan sneaking up behind him. One adimantium-hard punch to the back of the skull and Batman fell into a heap of blood and black clothe, unconscious on the ground.

"Gah-ahh! Stay away!" Raising a shaking hand over his blooded face, Penguin tried to point his umbrella at Logan and scramble back at the same time. Snatching the accessory from his grasp, Logan bent the umbrella into an U-shape and tossed it away.

"Answer my questions Birdy and maybe I'll let you live."

"Uh I-"

A ferocious snarl cut through the night and Logan grabbed Penguin by the shirtfront, slamming him against the ally wall. "WHERE. IS. HUGO STRANGE!?"

There was Snikt as all three claws in his other hand popped out.

"He never told me where he cloistered!"

Logan snarled harder and pulled back his arm to strike.

"But I'm pretty sure he's at the clinics by Gotham Observatory! Had some black market equipment smuggled there and some of my boys were involved!"

"Exact address. Tell me!"

"4300 Rolette Avenue!"

"You're Sure! You wouldn't lie would you Peacock-Brain?!"

"NO! I SWARE! I SWARE! Please!"

Logan snorted and lowered Penguin back to his feet. "Thanks."

"Y-you won't kill me?"

"No, I'm going to kill you." Logan cracked his knuckles, "That tape you sent me to retrieve, I watched it you sick bastard."

"But I told you all I know!"

"Yep. Which is why I'll do it quickly."

"No!"

Logan's arm plunged down on Penguin with the strength of a sledgehammer. There was a crack, followed by as squish of gore, as his claws broke the monocle and drove through Penguin's eyes, into his brain and through to the wall behind his head. Oswald Cobblepot died instantly and Logan stepped back in disgust, shaking blood and brains from his claws as Penguin crumpled to the ally floor.

"Perverted son of a bitch." Spitting on the body, Logan turned away a sour expression on is face.

Batman was still unconscious in the ally, bleeding from three minor gunshot wounds. For a moment Logan considered weather or not to get rid of him, or maybe tie him up and call an ambulance. The hospital would see to the wounds and also find out his identity. The days of Batman would come to an end and maybe the man would stop hounding his every move.

"All this trouble you make for me…" Logan sighed and glanced down at all the blood on his hands. Selena may have been right. Gotham needed monsters like him, but it also needed heroes. People who could make trouble for monsters with out becoming one themselves. Letting out a heavy breath, Logan walked past Bruce, muttering, "Try not to bleed to death, Boy Scout."

Turning out of the ally, Logan cut through the parking garage and noticed a large black car hidden in a lower corner. A wolfish smile appeared on his face.

"Well, well. At least I can leave in style. Thanks Bats!"

Running over to the Batmobile, Logan admired the car. "Some people have way too much money. Heh!" Bending over the lock on the driver's side, Logan popped a claw. "Hate to scratch the paint, but..."

A moment later several volts of electricity were shooting through the adamantuim of his skeleton. Wolverine screamed a curse, before blacking out.

Bruce opened his eyes and saw blood pooled on the dark ally floor. Thick and red it seemed too bright compared to the dull dirty cement and it was far too familiar. An old panic seized him and he sat up with a gasp, flashes of Crime Ally and his parents' blood on dirty cement filling his mind.

Then it started to rain.

Cool water hit his face in soft drops and Bruce sat there several moments, looking at Oswald's body. The man was dead. Once again he'd failed and a person's life had ended because of it. Letting out a shuttering breath, Batman dropped his head and pressed one hand against his side, where Penguin's bullet has grazed him only a few minutes before. He was loosing a lot of blood. Wolverine was gone and he best thing he could do right now was to get home and let Alfred patch him up.

He was nearly back to his car, when Bruce heard the sudden buzz of electricity and some one scream, "Mother fuck!"

Dodging into the darkest shadow, Batman peered round a cement support, just in time to see Wolverine get zapped unconscious and blown back by the Batmobile's security system.

"User not authorized" came the computer's voice.

Smiling slightly, Bruce took out a tazor and a pair of specialized handcuffs. It looked like something was finally going right tonight.

AN: I know I'm the slowest updater ever and I'm sorry about that. Some readers have probably given up on this story, but to those of you who still read this update anyway, thank you so much for your patience. If I ever truly intend to abandon the story, I'll take it down. So know that, as long as it's still here, I plan on coming back to it eventually.

Please leave reviews! It's the continued reviews, reminding me that people still like and read this that get my nose back to the laptop here.