Uncanny Batman

Chapter 10: Knightfall- Part 1

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar to DC Comics.

Arkham Asylum-

It was a seemingly quiet night in Arkham Asylum, Gotham City's infamous psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. Most of the Rotten Apple's more colourful evil-doers had been inmates within its walls.

One lone helicopter hovered above the asylum. Talia al Ghul, the estranged daughter of the seemingly immortal Ra's al Ghul, motioned to one of her lackeys in the helicopter with her.

'We hit the violent wards first.' Talia instructed her minions. 'Then the main security. There's no need to cause irreparable damage. Just enough to ensure that some of the more violent inmates escape. The rest should just unfold from there.'

One of Talia's minions hefted a rocket launcher onto his shoulder and took aim at the cells where the most violent prisoners were held.

FWOOSH!

Inside-

Harvey Dent sat bolt upright in his bunk as the walls of his cell were shaken by a colossal explosion.

KRABOOM!

'What in the world?' The scarred former district attorney now known as Two-Face, frowned as he got up to his feet. 'Hey Crane, what's going on?'

'Your guess is as good as mine, Dent.' Jonathan Crane, the former college psychology professor now known as the Scarecrow, responded with a shrug. 'But I'm willing to bet it's a break out. I wonder who could be behind it all?'

'Aww, who cares. Let's get out of here!' Two-Face said as the door to his cell swung open. His mysterious benefactors had obviously taken out the mechanisms that kept the inmate's cell doors locked.

'BREAK OUT!!' The inmates hollered as they surged towards the nearest guard station. The guards had weapons, and the inmates needed to be armed if they were successful in their break out.

Outside-

Back onboard the helicopter, several more of Talia Al Ghul's minions were struggling to push a crate out of the helicopter.

'Hurry with those munitions.' Talia told her lackeys. 'It's only a matter of time until the whole asylum is swarming with armoured response units. The inmates will need armaments, and quickly.'

The minions managed to shove the crate of munitions out of the helicopter just as the sea of inmates charged out into the asylum's grounds.

'Awright! We finally got some toys to play with!' Killer Croc grinned as he tore the crate apart, spilling its contents out onto the ground. 'Let's have some fun!'

The reptilian-skinned villain grabbed a handful of cartridges and set off to go enjoy himself. The rest of the asylum's inmates followed suit and armed themselves in preparation for the festivities.

Sure enough, it didn't take Gotham's finest very long to show up.

'Squeal little piggies!' Killer Croc laughed as he opened fire on the police officers.

BRATTATTATTA!

'Yeah! This is more like it!' Croc crowed as one of the squad cars exploded in a ball of flame.

BRAKOOM!

'At last I am free!' Maxie Zeus whooped in triumph as he grabbed handfuls of guns. 'Ha! Those fools thought they could imprison a god? I am Maxie Zeus!'

The Greek-themed villain looked up as a bat-shaped shadow appeared, silhouetted against the moon.

'Let you be the first one to be smote by my might, Batman!' Maxie Zeus pontificated as he struggled to load his weapon. 'If I can just… Accursed contraption!'

Batman leapt out of the Bat-Plane, swooping down into the asylum's yard, right on top of Maxie Zeus.

CRUNCH!

'No toys for you, Maxie.' Batman said to the unconscious villain as he turned to the rest of the fleeing inmates.

'Die, Batman!' Two-Face yelled as he let rip with twin shotguns.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

The Dark Knight easily avoided the gunfire and tossed a pair of Batarangs back at Two-Face, making the villain drop his weapons.

'Argh! Damn you, Batman!' Two-Face howled as he charged at the Dark Knight brandishing a knife.

POW!

Batman took down Two-Face with a well-faced punch to the chin. There was no need for finesse. He had to stop the riot right away. There was no telling what sort of chaos Arkham's inmates would cause if they all escaped into the city.

Up above the Dark Knight's head, Talia Al Ghul was watching the unfolding events with interest. She motioned to her companion sitting in the helicopter opposite her.

'I believe it's your turn, my friend.' Talia smiled. 'You know what you have to do.'

The heavily-muscled man dressed in a black-and-white wrestler's outfit leapt out of the helicopter to land behind Batman.

BADOOM!

'Surprised to see me, Batman?' Bane grinned underneath his mask.

'It seems the stories of your demise are greatly exaggerated, Bane.' (1) Batman responded. 'A dip in the Lazarus Pit, I take it.'

'Yes, marvellous things.' Bane nodded. 'Enough prattling. On with the fight, yes?'

Batman barely had enough time to evade as Bane swung his colossal fists, narrowly missing the Dark Knight.

Batman swung out a leg in an attempt to sweep Bane's feet from underneath him. Unfortunately, Bane barely moved an inch. It was almost as if Batman was kicking a brick wall.

'It will take much more than a leg sweep to make me fall, Batman.' Bane chuckled. 'Another benefit of a dip in a Lazarus Pit. It seems that I am even stronger than ever.'

Batman swung a punch at Bane, only for the giant enforcer to grab his fist.

'Too slow, Batman.' Bane tutted as he squeezed the Dark Knight's fist. 'Growing a little slow in your age, perhaps?'

Batman simply slammed his free hand against Bane's head.

CRACK!

'Argh! A lucky shot!' Bane howled as he dropped Batman's hand. 'You will not get another!'

Bane grabbed Batman by the throat and threw him against the wall.

CRUNCH!

'I was hoping that this battle would be worthy of my attentions.' Bane sighed as he booted Batman in the kidneys. 'Disappointing.'

'Not finished…' Batman coughed as he reached up to clutch at Bane's leg.

'Please Batman, you are already beaten.' Bane scoffed as he swatted Batman away. 'You cannot possibly hope to win.'

Bane grabbed the weakened Batman by the scruff of the neck an motioned for the helicopter to come and pick him up again. The gargantuan enforcer held on to the side of the helicopter as it took off again.

'You really should have joined with Talia al Ghul, Batman.' Bane told his quarry as the helicopter headed towards the throng of police officers. 'You know how the saying goes, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…'

With that Bane let go of Batman's neck,. Sending him tumbling back down to earth to land upon the hood of one of the waiting squad cars.

CRUNCH!

'Batman?!' Renee Montoya gasped in shock as she ran over to check up on the Dark Knight. Her face paled once she realised how much damage he had just suffered. She turned to Comissioner Gordon, her face ashen. 'Commissioner, he's not breathing…'

TBC…

Next: Knightfall- Part 2

Surely this can't be the end for the Dark Knight… can it? Tune in next time to find out!

Author's Notes-

(1)- Bane was killed by Power Girl in 'Uncanny Suicide Squad'.