Meredith Storm: Drifters

by AvariceMoonMoon

Meredith Storm is the newest member of the Drifter gang of thieves with a mysterious origin. All five thieves have faced his or her own trials in life from Gotham to Metropolis. What was originally a stop on the road to riches and fame became the gang leader's vendetta of an unhealed grudge against the Joker. Will the madness and terrors of Gotham's most wanted consume the gang?

11. Chapter 11: Take the Pain Away

CHAPTER ELEVEN: TAKE THE PAIN AWAY

I awoke on a concrete floor, smelling blood in the air. It was dark all around, but I was hearing movements. There was breathing. I stood up and gazed around, trying to sense what was out there. Red eyes suddenly lit up all around.

"Take the her down."

I heard gunfire and ducked down, trying to avoid the bullets.

TYGERs hunting me in the dark? Why?

I rushed around, struggling to take them all down by any means necessary. Breaking necks, shooting blindly, slitting throats, and throwing bodies to frighten them. When they were all down, I picked up some night vision goggles and looked around. I couldn't see any doors. There was one vent above me, but it was too high. I struggled to bring the bodies together to stack them high enough for me to reach. There were so many corpses. I completely lost count, but I managed to reach the top. My body dripped with blood and sweat. Most of it wasn't mine. I struggled to pull on the vent but it was too fortified for me to open with my bare hands.

There was a sudden and rushing noise. It sounded like water—

Cold water poured out of the vent at a high speed. It knocked me and the stack of bodies down, quickly filling up the room. Most of the bodies were floating and taking up space on the surface.

Running out of air… They're testing me. Seeing how my body reacts.

There's nowhere to go! The only way out is through the water's spouting point.

I dove down trying to find anything to go off of using a flashlight. There had to be some form of drainage for this room. I found the center had some closed drains. One had a body stuck in it. I struggled to pull it out.

I need more air.

No time! Pull! Pull!

I choked on water and the drain came open, starting to empty the chamber. The bodies were coming down with the water and started clogging the drain up. Idly, I tried to push them away from the drain, but I was losing consciousness. It was sucking me down, too. Air. Air. Air…

I pulled the grate apart and got sucked down with the water…

Tim woke up to the sound of everyone shouting on the radio at once. Something about titans? He quickly got up and stepped out into the main area. There were rumblings in the building and he heard the roars of a ferocious monster downstairs.

Tim quickly ran down with a fire ax and an arsenal of weapons on his armored vest. He saw people running away and shooting at a gargantuan monster-man, swollen with muscle like Bane. There was a Penguin mask on the monster's face. It charged at Newt and yanked him up into the air.

"Hotshot, what's your status?" Mark asked over the radio.

Tim jumped up on the monster's back and hacked its muscly head off with the ax before it could crush Newt in its grasp.

The beast crumbled to the ground with a great thump, sending Newt into a corner as his arms flung back.

"I am by the coffee floor," said Tim on the radio as he walked up to Newt. "I think I just killed one of those TITAN monsters Meredith was talking about."

Newt groaned, holding his sides. "I don't think my ribs were meant to make that noise."

Nick the accountant came running to Newt's aid. "Oh God, are you all right?"

"TITAN monsters?" Mark asked over the radio.

"Yes, they are resistant to gunfire and extremely strong," said Tim.

There was a big rumble. "Gotta use explosives!" Roy shouted over the radio. "Bust them out through the walls. They can't swim!... I need some help down here. We're getting slammed!"

"Don't worry, Papa! We're coming!" Lucy replied over the radio.

"Mark, have your snipers maintain their position upstairs and keep anyone else from coming in!" Tim called on the radio. "Mt. Olympus! This is a Penguin gang attack. Anyone unable to fight must escape upstairs or to the discussed evacuation points! Radio Tower, what's your status?"

"We're getting hit, too! I don't know how much longer we can handle them!" A Radio tower operative replied.

"Use your explosives and drown them. Send someone over to the toy factory to get Bane. We need all the help we can get!" Tim looked to Newt and Nick. "Go upstairs and keep these beasts from getting any higher, using the ammunition in my office."

They nodded and headed up.

"What do we do?" The remaining men on the floor asked.

Tim pointed after Newt and Nick. "Go with them. The snipers are our last line of defense. If they go, the entire building will be compromised! Nick, you're in command!"

"What about you, Sir?" Nick asked.

Tim was already running down the stairs past escaping Drifters running upstairs. A TITAN monster was right on their toes. Tim lunged at it, kicking it in the face back downstairs, tumbling down with it. When they reached the landing, he hacked it through the skull. As it died, Tim put his foot on its face and struggled to pull his axe back out.

Another started coming up the stairs with a growl. Tim quickly pulled out a grenade and threw it at the beast's mouth. It caught the grenade with its teeth and crushed it in one bite before it could explode.

My God…

"Tim, move your ass!" Lucy shouted a flight above. Tim saw a bazooka in her arms. Quickly, he dove past the monster's legs as it came running at him.

As Tim turned to look back, the monster was turning to look at him when it got blasted through the wall by the force of the bazooka.

"EAT THAT, PENGUIN-FUCK!" Lucy shouted.

Tim shook his head and picked up another fire axe from the stairwell. Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn… He stepped out onto the next floor and saw a regular Penguin thug holding a needle.

"Aw man, I can't fucking do it. Shit!" The thug groaned.

"You don't have to, Son," said Tim, carefully approaching. "You have a choice."

"No, I don't. I go freakazoid and kill you fuckers or I'm dead."

"Drop the needle and you can join us. Escape the Penguin's brutal ways. We are not so cruel to our own. What's your name?"

"Garrett… Sounds like dead or dead to me, Mister."

"I am Tim and I have hot coffee upstairs, Garrett," suggested Tim. "Surely you'd rather have that than take a drug that turns you into a monster and slowly kills you. It's been a very cold winter."

Garrett the thug sighed. "Oh man. I've dying for a cuppa joe."

"Drop the needle, let me pat you down, take off your uniform, and I'll let them know upstairs."

"How do I know this ain't a trick?"

"If I wanted you dead, I would kill you here and now."

"Okay." Garrett dropped the needle.

Tim quickly walked over and crushed the needle under his foot. He patted Garrett down for needles and other weapons, took off his coat. "Newt and Nick, I'm sending a new recruit named Garrett upstairs," said Tim over the radio. "Give him coffee and keep an eye on him."

"You got it, Hotshot," said Newt with some strain.

"Newt?" muttered Garrett rolling his eyes.

"He's your boss now," said Tim. "I suggest you give him some respect, Garrett."

"Sure." Garrett headed to the stairwell as Lucy opened the door. Mark was behind her with a big gun. They pointed weapons at Garrett.

"Let him through," said Tim. "We need to go now, Lucy. Mark, I need you upstairs."

"Not a chance," said Mark, frowning. "You're swamped downstairs."

"You're the best and most senior sniper we have. I need you upstairs, now." Tim rushed down with Lucy on his heels.

They reached the kitchens and saw five TITAN thugs devouring the food and tearing the place apart. Several people were dead. Roy and Helen struggled with the remaining kitchen crew.

"Hit the deck!" Lucy shouted, aiming her bazooka at a group of three TITAN beasts cornering the kitchen crew. They ducked and the monsters turned as Lucy fired the bazooka and took two out through a wall.

Tim rushed in to plunge an axe into the nearest monster head as Lucy reloaded with the last of her bazooka ammunition.

How many of them are there? If we keep blowing them out with explosives, the entire structure of the building will be at risk of collapse! Perhaps it is best if the people abandon the building completely and leave it to Meredith and me. Where is she?

Another TITAN charged at Tim as he pulled his axe out of a skull. He rolled out of its path and threw the axe into the back of its head. Lucy dove out of the path of the last monster's charge. Helen fired a grenade launcher after it and it was blasted through a hole in the wall.

"You okay?" Lucy asked the kitchen staff.

"We need help on the ammunition floor!" Felicia called over the radio. "It's a powder keg and we're trapped!"

"Where's Meredith?" Tim asked Roy and Helen.

"I don't know," said Roy, breathing heavily and touching his heart. "But she warned us just before these guys started showing up. I think she's in trouble somewhere else."

Tim closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. Meredith... "Roy, try to get in contact with Meredith or Sonny. We need her here. And check on the status of Radio Tower. See if they managed to get a hold of Bane. The rest of you will follow me to ammunition or head up to the Hotshot floor." Tim continued downstairs with Lucy, Helen, and a couple other kitchen staff members. They attacked all and any TITAN monsters in their path, sending more survivors upstairs. There were ten TITANS on the ammunition floor, terrorizing the staff on the floor as they screamed and struggled to get out of the way. There was a weak spot in one of the walls.

Tim glanced back to his five followers and indicated for them to lower their weapons. "We have to be very careful. No firearms here."

"Then how are we going to stop them?" Lucy asked, exasperated.

"You gonna just axe them all to stop?" One of the staff guys asked jokingly.

Lucy glared at the man. "Don't make me kill you."

"Not all of them," said Tim, noting the weak wall. "Lucy take the fast ones to that weak wall, gain their attention, and tumble out of the way at the last moment. I will cover anyone that doesn't charge."

"Okay dishwashers come on!" Lucy whispered, running out into the open. "HEY, YOU BIG FAT CHICKENS!" She shouted at them as she got near the wall.

Several TITAN monsters looked at them and growled.

"BOK BOK BOK!" Lucy flapped her arms at them in a sing-song voice. "SUCKACOCK SUCKACOCK SUCKACOCK!

"YEAH, CHICKENS!" The guys shouted with her, flapping their wings half-heartedly.

All ten of the TITANS roared and came running right at them.

Tim felt his gut tighten. That worked too well. He threw smoke down to confuse the TITAN monsters in their run and hacked at them from behind in case they were too smart to go through the wall like they were supposed to. They crashed through the walls and fell down into the water with Tim's encouragement.

As the smoke cleared, Tim found a half-conscious kitchen man that got trampled, two got out of the way, and Lucy was hanging over the edge. He pulled her up and noticed the water bridge was up.

"Hotshot," called Mark on the radio. "We got a big problem. There's another wave of those fucking TITAN monsters running our way and we are running out of explosive rounds. Bullets don't make a dent."

Tim saw the horde coming alongside regular Penguin thugs. "More ammunition is on the way, Mark," he said on the radio. Then, looked to the ammunition crew. "Take as much explosive ammunition as you can up to the coffee floor and ask for help of survivors. Kitchen people help and get the injured up to the coffee floor. I'm going to take down the bridge."

"I'm going with you," said Lucy.

"No, you and Helen are going to use this hole to fire off as much as you can at the oncoming horde. If they want their weapons back, they can have them."

Lucy nodded with a grin. "All right."

"We'll help them reload and cover fire." said Felicia nodding to her sister Nancy.

"At your own risk," said Tim with a nod before continuing down the stairs where he found a defective monster lying on the stairs. It was half-formed and contorted in pain, groaning like a dying wildebeest. Tim quickly put it out of its misery and continued down. "Talk to me, Roy."

"No luck with Meredith," said Roy, over the radio. "Sonny's trying to track her down. Radio Tower got Bane's help, but we owe him now."

"That's fine. All he wants is the TITAN that caused this problem in the first place. What's your position?"

"I'm headed to the Hotshot floor now. Make sure the girls have enough time to escape."

"You got it," said Tim. He carefully approached the bridge control room. Five, armed Penguin thugs had taken over the bridge controls. They had TITAN on them, too.

"You think Penguin will have someone take over Mt. Olympus?" One thug asked. "Like to keep?"

"Nah," said another. "What would a king want with a rat's hole like this?"

"It would get our foot in between Two-Face and Joker."

Tim pulled out his pistols and prepared to shoot them down.

"I'm surprised Two-Face didn't even put up a fight when we walked by," commented another thug.

What?

"Lucky flip, I guess."

"But isn't he supposed to be working with these rats?"

"He's called Two-Face for a reason, ya know? It's not just the fact that he's half-burned. He'll shake your hand one moment and shoot you point blank the next."

Tim narrowed his eyes. I might have to pay him back with a visit.

"What if he's looking to make a move while we're making our move?"

"Hah, like Two-Face has moves. We're gonna crush that loser."

"Especially now he won't have the Drifters to back him up anymore."

Tim jumped out and shot the thugs down. He looked back over to the oncoming thugs getting on the bridge as he dropped the bridge into the water.

Several TITAN monsters started drowning while others got back.

"The hell are you guys playing at?" A voice shouted over a Penguin thug's radio.

Tim picked up the radio. "You have no more friends here, Penguin thugs. Go home."

"Oh yeah? Watch this!"

Several TITAN thugs grabbed the other end of the bridge and started lifting the whole thing up out of the water and fighting the brake mechanism.

A couple of the fallen thugs started groaning, still alive. They started transforming into one of the monsters and while more came running across the bridge. Tim immediately dropped a couple of grenades and ran for the stairs where he dropped more grenades to barricade the path upstairs. "Helen, Lucy, prepare to go upstairs with more ammunition!" Tim announced over the radio. "Mark, give me an update!"

"Joker thugs are attacking radio tower at the same time as these Penguin thugs. We're in trouble, Tim. They keep coming and there's only so much ammunition left."

"Then, prepare to evacuate to the building behind us. Protocol Atlantis."

"You got it."

"What's Protocol Atlantis?" Lucy asked as Tim reached the ammunition floor.

"I'm going to blow up Olympus," said Tim, opening up a safe in the wall.

"What?!"

"This base is compromised, so we must move on to Atlantis."

"Which is what? The Radio Tower?"

"I'll explain later." Tim pulled out a detonator from the vault. "But for now, we must evacuate to the building behind us and stand clear of the demolition."

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Helen asked.

"Atlantis can't survive if the information gets out to spies, and its origin is based off of a threat we face in the future… a threat Meredith warned us about." Tim looked back through the hole in the wall to see the TITAN thugs running across the bridge.

"Fear not, my children!" said a man's booming voice. Tim sensed movement and suddenly a bearded man in a toga ran up beside him pointed a strange lightning shaped device at the thugs. "Back to Tartarus, Treacherous Titans!" Lighting shot down to the bridge and flew across the water. It destroyed the bridge and electrified the regular Penguin thugs. He sent down more strikes for the heartier TITAN monsters. "BACK, YOU HEATHENS, IN THE NAME OF ZEUS!"

They all stared at this strange man in shock and awe as he dispatched all oncoming enemies with this powerful staff. There were lightning scars all over his arms and burns on the top of his head.

Tim studied the lightning staff and noted the Greek writing on the side. "Gifted to Zeus from OLIVIA, daughter of Hephaestus"? But how?!

The bearded man turned to Tim. "Olympus is safe now, my son."

Tim shook his head. "There's more at the entrance, but attacking them with such power would destabilize the building. We must retreat and destroy this place."

"Destroy Olympus?" said the man, appalled. "The home of the gods? Do not jest, Hermes."

Does this man really think he's Zeus? "We can't leave them down there and if we attack the building will collapse anyway."

"Then, we shall face them, gods to titans, my boy." Zeus turned to the women. "This is no place for nymphs. Retreat to higher ground and call upon the other gods for assistance."

"Wait a minute, you're Maxie Zeus," Lucy said, pointing at him. "You're that businessman that went nuts and got fried at the asylum."

"Mind your tongue, Nymph, for I am a god." Maxie Zeus adjusted some knobs on his staff. "Let's go, Hermes. Olympus will not fall on my watch!" He ran downstairs.

"Wait—don't!" Tim called after him.

"Fuck him," said Lucy, shaking her head. "If he wants to die down there, we'll leave him to it. That guy is nothing but trouble. Trust me."

"He did just save our lives, Lucy," commented Nancy. "Surely we can't leave him to die?"

Tim sighed. "Evacuate the building." He handed the detonator to Lucy. "When I say clear, you will trigger the detonation… Don't let anyone see you with it. None of you will say a word to a soul about Project Atlantis. Understood?"

They nodded.

Tim rushed downstairs to find Maxie Zeus in the grasp of a TITAN monster. Immediately, Tim plowed an axe into the monster's face and struggled to keep the others back. "Zeus, escape through a window. There's too many!"

"I am the lord of the sky! I run from nothing!" Zeus shouted, blasting TITAN monsters across the room.

Tim frightfully noticed the building trembling around him. It was starting to weaken. He smacked Zeus in the back of the head, pushing him out a window.

"Ready, Tim!" Lucy announced over the radio.

"Clear!" Tim leapt out the window with Maxie Zeus into the freezing waters. There was a loud explosion that sent the building falling towards the west where the highway was. Tim pulled Zeus out of the path of falling debris and swam him out of harm's way. He grappled up to the roof where the rest of the survivors were.

"Holy shit," said Garrett, the former Penguin thug. "Did the Penguins do that?"

Tim was silent as he caught his breath.

"Where do we go now?" One of the people asked.

"We regroup at Radio Tower," said Tim, warming his chest and gazing over to the destruction.

Mark took off his coat so Tim could warm up. "Where the hell is Meredith?" He asked.

Olympus started sinking into the water. "We'll discuss that later, too," Tim replied softly. "Let's go."

Leaving Maxie Zeus behind, they headed over to the Radio Tower to regroup with the rest. A roll call was organized on the wall to discover who was missing, injured, and dead. Half of the group was dead or missing while a third of the remaining were injured.

Tim gazed at the names with a heavy heart, as he rubbed his sore joints. People talked quietly or gazed around in silence. The injured moaned in pain from their suffering. There were nearly fifty of the Drifters still alive. Meredith was still missing in action.

"You gotta talk to them," said Lucy, touching Tim shoulder. "They're all scared shitless and need you to talk."

Tim silently stood up and climbed up a platform. The people turned to him, shushing each other. He gazed around the room, fatigued.

Everyone looked tired and forlorn as he felt, except Bane who seemed to be waiting patiently in a corner.

"A moment of silence for the lives lost… Life is not fair," Tim spoke. "We are fractured and broken. The Queen of the Mile is missing and Olympus has fallen… but it is not over. We are still breathing and have the power to get back up again. We float in these cold times against all odds, drifting to sea to find other horizons. One day we will all part but not today. Today, we regain our footing in the radio tower and heal in the secret safe house of Atlantis… our new underwater base."

People whispered amongst themselves, confused and shocked.

"I will show you the path," Tim continued. "There is a stock pile of supplies that will last us the rest of the winter if you're ready to handle the somewhat claustrophobic conditions in exchange for safety."

"Why didn't we retreat to it sooner?" Someone shouted out.

"I wanted to put off claustrophobic tension as long as I could. I did not expect an attack that ferocious so soon. There were no warnings except for the one Meredith gave us at the last moment. If you have lost faith in the Drifters, leave now, but the rest of you follow me. Bane, I will speak to you soon if you could grant me your patience."

Everyone looked at Bane. He grunted.

Tim nodded and led the people to the lower levels of the Radio Tower where an underwater covered bridge between Mt. Olympus and the radio tower. He led them across as people murmured looking at the plexiglass and steel walls. Opening the door, Tim revealed the dormitory of floors. "If you get lost, look at the directory by the stairs. If you're claustrophobic, you may remain in the lower levels of the radio tower, but there will need to be shifts of people to protect the radio tower from outsiders. I need volunteers for the first shift while the remaining shifts are organized."

A few people stepped forward forlornly with Mark and Lucy. Newt tried to raise his hand but Nick slapped it down. "Your ribs are broken. I'll go."

"Fine, Meanie-Pants," said Newt.

Garrett sighed. "Yeah, me too, I guess."

"Roy and Helen, can you organized future shifts please?" Tim asked.

"You got it, Son," said Roy with a nod.

Tim nodded back. "First shift, follow me." They returned to the Radio Tower, where Bane still waited. Tim approached him. "Thank you for your assistance, Bane."

"Actions of gratitude speak louder than words," said Bane, unfolding his arms. He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket. It was a map of the sewers with five marked locations. They were near the bases of every dangerous gang. "Bring these five containers to me and I will consider the debt paid."

"This will take days," said Tim with a sigh. "Weeks… maybe months…"

"The sooner you get them to me, the safer your people will be, Hotshot. Hopefully you find Senorita Storm soon. She seemed resourceful." Bane started walking upstairs to the roof.

Tim gazed off, pocketing the map. He picked out a container in his pocket and looked at the small ARACHMECH inside it. It was the one Olivia hid in his ear as Tim entered Arkham City. He opened it up and the spider crawled up onto his shoulder as Mark and Lucy approached.

"Sonny?" Tim called.

"Yes, Tim?" Sonny replied.

"Where is Meredith?"

"I'm afraid I don't know, Sir. I found a blood trail leading to ACE chemicals, but the trail ends there. She was bleeding heavily."

"What was she doing tonight?" Tim asked. "Was she antagonizing Strange?"

"I cannot confirm that," said Sonny, "but she did rescue the Batman from TYGER guards by posing as him while I helped him escape."

"What?!" Lucy and Mark asked, bewildered.

"Is she fucking crazy?" Lucy asked, shaking her head.

Tim waved them down, conveying silence. "Continue, Sonny."

"After that I lost her," said Sonny, "because all TYGER security cameras and communications were distorted to assist in the Batman's escape. Mark's eye may have a better chance of analyzing the environment. It is far more advanced than the cameras and scanners of the ARACHMECHs."

"Can't you tell if she was captured by the TYGERs?" Mark asked. "They should have it in their records."

"The records are currently inaccessible to me. Including this miniature ARACHMECH, there are now only three ARACHMECHs left in Arkham City."

"Can't you just drop a bunch from the sky?" Lucy asked.

"Any planes that fly over Arkham City are targeted by fighter jets under TYGERs employ. Under Gotham's martial law, they have permission to seek and destroy any aircraft lacking permission. Only a madman with a high price would dare to fly over Arkham City. It is a price I cannot pay."

"How about madwoman in a small aircraft who owes me a favor?" Lucy suggested, smirking.

"You know such a person?" Tim asked, almost not surprised.

"Her name is Roxy Rocket. She is an adrenaline junky that loves to fly. Can you cover 10 grand, Sonny?"

"That is feasible," said Sonny. "But if she owes you, why do you need to pay her $10,000?"

"Well, she'll probably need parts. It's a serious discount considering what she usually asks." Lucy looked to Mark and Tim. "If you two want to investigate ACE chemicals while I call up Roxy, be my guest," said Lucy.

Tim sighed and handed the small ARACHMECH to her. "Are you up for it, Mark?"

"I'll sleep when I'm dead, Old Man," said Mark.

Tim noticed Mark was trembling pretty bad and frowned.

"It's honestly not that bad right now," Mark commented flatly. "Let's just go and come back."

Tim nodded and they headed up to the roof. He grappled across the ruins of the bridge and paused to look at Mt. Olympus on the roof of the church.

"Man," Mark commented, shaking his head and picking up a wandering ARACHMECH.

Tim nodded. "Let's keep going." They reached ACE chemicals and looked around the building, following a blood trail up the stairs. They followed the trail upstairs and back down, noticing a dirty residue on different parts of the catwalk.

Mark touched the dirt and rubbed it between his fingers, studying it. "I remember this gunk…"

"Unidentified substance," the ARACHMECH declared.

"Clayface was here," said Mark, looking over to Tim. "He must've came after her, mistaking her for Batman."

Tim closed his eyes. "She said that Clayface was currently allied with the Joker."

"So they got her in the mill?"

"It's the only lead we have now," said Tim with a sigh.

They walked back down stairs and Mark paused, seeing something on the main floor. He walked over to a specific area. "Hand prints on infrared vision. Someone was crawling here… like they fell out of this vat and collapsed here." Mark pointed to a spot where the odd chemical trail ended.

An ARACHMECH picked up some hairs. "Unidentified hair."

Tim picked them up. "They're about her length… Why can't the hair be identified with DNA?"

"DNA analysis inconclusive, partially destroyed from exposure to chemicals."

"We got the information we wanted," said Mark. "Clayface obviously took her down and kidnapped her. Hurt her real bad, too."

"Or the TYGERs picked up what was left?" Tim commented with a frown, seeing some dried boot prints on the floor. They were bigger than Meredith's feet, definitely high quality. "Let's go back and regroup. Perhaps Sonny will be able to gain more information after an ARACHMECH drop. How many can you send, Sonny?"

"An exact amount is still being calibrated with this Roxy Rocket," said Sonny, "but I estimate over 300 can be dropped into Arkham City, depending on Roxy Rocket's cooperation."

"Do they all have self-destruct mechanisms in case of capture or damage?" Tim asked.

"Yes, Sir."

"Have them dropped on top of the Courthouse, the Museum, the Mill, and the Tower. If they are to cause damage, I want them to take out our enemies with them."

"It will be done."

"The Courthouse? Aren't we friends with Two-Face?" Mark asked.

"He let those Penguin thugs walk by," said Tim bitterly. "He will pay for that one way or another." They headed out the door and carefully headed back toward the Radio Tower.

"Can't believe she stuck her neck out for that freak," Mark muttered.

Tim sighed. "Meredith is bolder than she used to be."

"You should've reined her in more, Tim. She needed structure."

"She wouldn't have listened, Mark. If she felt like she was being controlled, she would've ran off. I did my best to help her find discipline and someone to trust, but a torn heart can only maintain balance for so long." Tim paused noticing a green bat-shaped symbol, burned into a wall.

"There's a couple of those around the city every few blocks," Mark commented.

Tim looked around and noticed a camera pointed right at them. He frowned. "This symbol was placed in front of this camera."

"You think that Batman was running around doing this?" Mark asked. "Trying to piss Strange off?"

It clicked in Tim's brain. Meredith said she was intentionally antagonizing Strange. Could this be what she meant? Is he intimidated by the Batman? He was threatened enough to send the TYGER guards after Batman, hunting him down… Enough for Meredith to want to save him?

"Let's keep going, Tim," said Mark, shaking his head. "If what you said about Two-Face was right, it's not safe to linger in Park Row anymore."

Tim nodded and they headed back to the Radio Tower.

I awoke on a river bank in a dark forest full of moving shadows and whispering trees. It was cold, but I didn't mind it despite my shivers and jerks. I just wanted to get out of this creepy place and find my bearings.

The shadows started following me. Frightened, I ran faster down the path to find any way out.

Reaching a clearing of stumps, I found skeletons cutting down trees with axes and chain saws. One skeleton gave me an ax and pointed at the creepy trees before continuing its work. Shrugging, I approached the tree and practiced my swing.

"Don't hurt me," I heard a voice say.

I glanced around confused.

"It's not my fault I look this way. This is the way it's always been for us."

Frowning, I set down my ax and looked at the other trees. They were screaming in pain.

A skeleton with muscle on its mouth approached me and pointed at the tree. "It ain't gonna cut itself, Kid."

"But it talks," I said, pointing at it. "They're all screaming."

"Well, that's what happens when you bring your skin to work. You wimpy young ones bring your skin everywhere you go like a wet, baby blanket."

"Fuck you, Mr. Alphabet."

"That's fine. We got others dying for this job." He took my ax and handed it to another skeleton.

"Please, don't!" The tree begged. "I don't want to become a toilet seat."

"Too bad."

The new one cut the tree down with ease and shoved me aside.

Sighing, I started walking through the hills of stumps to see what I could find. There were a lot of skins on the ground, whispering and lying around the fields of stumps. They looked like crumbled clothing—dirty clothes that someone took off and never picked up.

"I want to be an artist."

"I want to be rich."

"I want to build hospitals."

"I want to sleep with the best porn stars."

"I want to save lives."

"I want to write a bestseller."

"I want to give a voice to the voiceless."

"I want to change the world."

"I want to die."

I stopped and looked down at the skin looking up at me.

"Let's die together," it said directly to me.

"Can't." I kept walking.

"Please, help me." One of them grabbed my foot.

"I want my dream to come true." Another grabbed my ankle.

"I want this pain to end."

"When will this torture stop."

"Why are you so selfish?"

"Please!"

"Please!"

I shook them off and hopped on a stump when I heard thunder behind me. Looking back, I saw the shadows stretching across the hills toward us, sending skeletons running back to grab their skins. Quickly, I ran with them as the shadows started stabbing the skins and eating them. Blood gushed from their mouths.

The skins screamed in terror and pain.

"OH GOD!"

"NO! NOT LIKE THIS!"

"THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE I WANTED TO DO!"

"PLEASE NOOOO!"

I hopped stump to stump trying to get away from everything. For some reason, they couldn't grab me while I was on one of the stumps. Lightning flashed with the last of the screams. The shadows formed into one being, stretching up to the sky with the dark clouds. Green eyes appeared in the sky as the shadows formed with the cloud. With one great hand, the shadow monster took a hold of me and raised me to its face.

"You all fuel the machine that caused all this destruction," It said with many voices. "All out of hope of building your own kingdoms when there is only one true one that you will never have."

"You don't have all the answers!" I shouted at the being. "Don't even lie."

They laughed in unison and lightning ran through me, repeatedly making me scream. In the distance, I saw a great tree with many bottles hanging from it.

The monster squeezed me in its grip, and I felt much pain pouring into me. My eyes were wide as I stared into the green eyes of this mighty and horrible monster. The screams ran out of me as my voice went raw and broke. It was breaking me!

Roxy Rocket was scheduled to make her rounds in a week, and the Drifter gang slowly but surely began healing while mourning the loss of roughly half their gang. Meeting in a conference room, they considered the possibilities of capturing the five containers of TITAN and venturing out into the Mill to see if Meredith was there.

"Those containers are gonna be big and heavy," said Roy, shaking his head. "We don't have the manpower to move them up from the sewers."

"What if we hired Killer Croc?" Lucy asked. "Big, bullet-proof, and probably wants those out of the sewers."

"Heh, you gonna just wander in there and talk to him about it?" Mark asked with a chuckle.

"Why not?" Lucy asked. "I've worked with him back when he was half his size. Hell, Meredith had no problem working with him."

Mark leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "Meredith has nerves and bones of steel. Anyone else is more likely to get brutally maimed if not straight-up murdered."

"I can do it," said Lucy, rolling her eyes. "The biggest bitch is gonna be getting down there when he's between the museum and the mill under the processing facility."

"I can escort you there," said Tim with a nod, "but we will need a proper plan before venturing out."

"I just said it would be a bitch. I didn't say I couldn't handle it."

"We don't have the resources for this," Helen said shaking her head. "We've lost Two-Face's support, Meredith's missing, half our men are gone, the rest are injured and devastated. We need to wait longer before venturing out on this."

"What about that Mr. Freeze?" Roy asked. "Maybe he could help us out since he owes us."

Tim sighed. "He's limited when the Joker has his wife. Admittedly, Meredith did discover where she was hidden—

"Then, let's save her," said Lucy. "Have a steady alliance for once."

"A cryogenic tank is about as heavy as a truck and temperamental as an ice sculpture," Mark argued. "And it's in the Industrial District."

"Where's it at, Tim?"

"North Gotham Dock," said Tim.

"That's literally across the water from us!" Lucy exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

"There's more," warned Tim. "Meredith said that Professor Strange handed Mrs. Fries to the Joker in order to keep Mr. Freeze trapped in Arkham City. If we take her, TYGER guard might take her back and put her some place we can't find her. We would have to sneak her out and convince Mr. Freeze to stay in Arkham City… Meredith also had the vague idea of disguising a TITAN container as Mrs. Fries and Mrs. Fries as a TITAN container..."

"Nice nice," said Lucy, scratching a cut on her cheek.

"Stop picking," said Helen. "It'll scar."

"My life's a scar, Ma. I'm thinking here... Okay, here's what I got. We sneak in while guards are taking a break outside, cause a huge distraction with TITAN tanks, disguising Mrs. Fries' tank as a TITAN tank, put a shell on the outside. We start running around with a fake Mrs. Fries, when it's a dead body in a cryogenic tank, put it back while disguised as clowns, and in the meantime sneak the real Mrs. Fries with the other TITAN containers, floating them over to Bane's. Nora's tank sinks and goes over to the GCPD underwater—

"Do we even have diving gear?" Roy asked.

"Yes, I used it to make sure Atlantis was secured from the outside," said Tim. "Welding any cracks."

"But wouldn't they pick up divers with heat vision?" Mark asked.

"Not if it was deep enough," said a different voice.

Tim looked over and saw Garrett, the former Penguin thug standing in the doorway.

"Uh, it's mostly a question if you can handle the cold," said Garrett.

"You know about diving in winter waters?" Roy asked.

"Yeah-I used to go freediving for my uncle."

Tim frowned, sensing he was lying.

Lucy frowned, too. "What do I know you from?"

"You pointed a bazooka at me the other night?" Garrett suggested, mildly annoyed. "I'm the new guy, he knows me." He pointed at Tim.

"No, no, I know you from sometime back," said Lucy, shaking her head. "In the city. You give me a bad feeling."

"I used to be a Penguin thug, okay? But I quit."

"That's not it. What's your name?"

"Garrett."

"Last name?" Lucy pressed.

"Minella."

"Garrett Minella…" Lucy shook her head. "Were you a snitch? You remind me of cops."

"I ain't no cop or snitch."

"He's a cop," Lucy insisted.

They all stared at him.

Garrett paled. "No, no, that ain't right. I'm no cop. You gotta believe me."

"If you want to be in this group, you can't lie to us like this," said Tim, shaking his head. "You won't be in trouble. We just want the truth."

"Okay, I'm a cop and I know about diving because I was in the Coast Guard. Detective Garrett Adams."

"Fucking knew it," said Lucy, flinging out her arms.

"So the GCPD is investigating Arkham City?" Helen asked, looking over to Roy with a smirk.

Roy rolled her eyes. "We'll discuss that bet later, Honey."

"Mmmhmm," said Helen suggestively.

"It's a secret," warned Detective Adams, "please understand we're on your side in this mess. If anyone finds out about the others, it will cost them their lives."

"Maybe if Meredith was around," said Lucy, folding her arms. "Technically you're on Strange's side and that don't sit well with me. How about you, Mark?"

"Not particularly," said Mark coldly.

"We've had worse allies," said Tim, resting his chin in his hands. "Not a word leaves this room on Garrett. Agreed?"

They made noises of agreement.

"If he randomly pulls cuffs out, I'm knocking him the fuck out as a reflex," said Lucy.

Roy chuckled.

"Your status amongst the others will not change either," commented Helen. "You do as we say, or you're on your own, Detective."

Garrett nodded.

"With that being said," said Tim, "we very well may need you in the transportation of Mrs. Fries when a plan is properly cultivated."

"You got it," said Garrett.

"Good. Did you come here for something?"

"Yes, um, the spider thing said that there is no sign of Meredith in the Mill and there's some complaints of mold and leaks in the lower floors. There's no cleaning supplies."

"I'll take a look," said Roy with a nod.

"Okay," said Garrett as he walked out.

"Who's got Meredith, then?" Lucy asked.

"Possibly the TYGER guard," said Tim, "but we won't know until your friend drops the ARACHMECHs from the sky."

"There's gonna be a bit of a delay on that." Lucy said with a sigh. "Roxy's aircraft is in the shop. It will take a few more weeks."

"Weeks?" Mark asked, astonished. "Weeks of Meredith suffering in the hands of whoever has taken her?!"

"It's all we have right now," said Tim. "Sonny is trying to infiltrate the TYGER database again, but he is having difficulties getting through. I hate to say it, but we might need to ask the Riddler for help."

Lucy shook her head. "Back when we were partners, Olivia was always extremely adamant about avoiding the Riddler. Ask for help once and he's gonna act like he owns our asses for the rest of our lives."

"We already owe enough people," said Roy. "Let's just wait until the spider drop. Meredith is tough as nails and can't die."

"She can still suffer," said Mark. "What if it is the TYGER guards? And Strange is mind-fucking the hell out of her brain."

"He's pretty good at that," commented Lucy, resting her face in her hands, "but it's not like we can walk inside that place and get her out without them dragging her back in."

"We need more resources to do anything," Helen said. "More allies, more power, and plans… Perhaps Meredith will be able to find her way out by the time we get there. Roy's right."

"Let's plan to gain the aid of Bane, Mr. Freeze, and Killer Croc in one swoop," said Tim with a nod. "I hate to say it, Mark, but we cannot plan to save Meredith until Sonny has found where she is hidden. She will have to wait for Roxy Rocket. Lucy, encourage her to move quickly by whatever means you can manage through Sonny. If she needs money for parts or labor… try to speed it along."

The people around the table nodded.

"By the way," commented Lucy. "What happened to that crazy lightning staff Maxie Zeus had?"

Tim tried to remember. "I think he dropped it in the water when I pushed him out the window."

"That thing would be nice to have as a defensive measure. Maybe our divers should dive for it as a warmup for the diving part of the plan?"

"If it still works," Tim said, shaking his head. "It's something to consider."

"That man was a real loony," commented Helen. "Might end up causing trouble for us if he blames us for Olympus' destruction."

"Or we could send him Penguin's way with the lightning staff," said Mark with a chuckle. "Fuck 'em up real good."

They chuckled.

Together, they concocted a plan to move TITAN, rescue Nora Fries, fool everyone else, and making sure that the Radio tower had defenses. The plan would begin with constructing the false shells, communicating the plan with Mr. Freeze and working out a deal with Killer Croc.

I woke up in a hammock on the bottle tree. The bottles occasionally clinked together, reminding me of pleasant wind chimes… sunny days at my grandparents'. My body felt horribly sore and I was curled up. I stretched out, feeling better and safer.

"This is an oddly decorated tree," a male voice commented below.

I glanced down and saw a purple squid with white spots climbing up the tree with its tentacles. The tree itself was in vast waters where there was no land in sight.

"Too bad you aren't a space squid," I said. "Those can fly."

"Hmm, I've never tried flying." The squid let go and flew up above me. It had white eyes and hovered nearby me.

"I must be on some really crazy drugs right now," I commented to myself, feeling a little unnerved.

"Did you drink all these bottles to make this tree?" The squid asked, holding a bottle up.

I shrugged. "I don't think I did, but I suppose it's my dream. For some reason this visual is stuck in my head… ever since that nightmare."

The squid sat down on a nearby branch, wrapping its tentacles around it for security.

"Are you okay up here? I feel like you should be underwater or something."

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm a space squid, correct?"

"I guess."

The squid looked at another bottle that glowed warmly. "This looks like a happy memory."

"Yeah?"

"A little girl being thrown up in the air by her father."

"Hmm, reminds me of my dad."

"Maybe this tree has all your memories."

I touched one nearby me. Instantly, I saw the memory of me having a mental breakdown at school, biting my hand as hard as I could. Failing too many classes. I can't be in the play and I'm one of the leads. Oh God, I'm so sorry! I can't hold it together! I-

I quickly let go of the bottle. "Some of them are bad memories."

The space squid picked up another. "But some of them are really nice. There's a memory of you and this pretty lady." The squid tossed it over to me and I held it in my hands. I saw Olivia and I lying together, feeling so content together. Looking at it made my chest tighten and drop the bottle.

"Whoa," said the squid, catching the bottle. "Almost dropped that one."

"None of these are worth anything," I said bitterly. "It's all just junk, hanging from this tree… cement blocks on my feet while I'm drowning."

It started storming above, blocking out the sun. Water was dumped from the sky and the shadow monsters came back. The squid looked sad, holding the glowing bottles.

"I just want to die. I want to forget." Tears ran down my face.

"Then die," growled the shadows as they formed together and grabbed the tree by the trunk.

The spotted, purple squid wrapped some tentacles around me and held onto the tree. The tree was thrown across the ocean and floated in the deep water.

I sat with my legs in the water while the squid sat beside me. My tears wouldn't stop coming. I vaguely wondered if the sea was made by my tears.

"Do you really think the pain stops when you die?" The squid asked. It looked more gray now.

"Sometimes that belief is all I have left," I said.

"Is there nothing else to make the pain stop?"

"I don't know."

The squid wrapped tentacles around my wrist and it slid into the water. The weight started to pull me in. "Perhaps I can help you find another way?"

"What would you know about helping someone like me?"

"I've met many sad souls that longed to sink into dark waters to find answers."

I saw my reflection as I was brought closer to the surface of the water. Weakly, I struggled against the squid's pull, leaning back. "You can't help me. No one can."

"Let me try," the squid insisted.

"I hardly know you. You might want to eat me."

"I know you eat kalamari but I don't judge you… What do you have to lose anymore, Meredith? I promise I will do everything in my power to make the pain go away… by death or anything else."

My muscles felt so weak and worn, but part of me knew I had to fight. "I've been lied to so much."

"I know… I have been, too. That's how I know we can help each other."

Is that supposed to make sense?... I don't know. I can't anymore. I just can't.

The storms started coming again and I felt the raindrops. Unable to fight anymore, I let the squid pull me into the water. We sunk fast into the deep water. The light grew fainter and fainter. It was difficult to breathe.

"I will take care of you."

Tim headed over to the GCPD to visit Freeze while Lucy headed into the sewers to visit Killer Croc.

"Who is there?" Mr. Freeze called out in a robotic tone as Tim walked into the GCPD.

"I am a friend of Meredith Storm's," Tim replied, stepping out with his hands up.

Mr. Freeze faced him, pointing the freezing gun at him. "Then you can tell me the name of the life she mourns?"

"Olivia," said Tim.

Mr. Freeze lowered his gun. "I see… I thought the Drifters were eradicated when Olympus fell."

"Our numbers have been cut, but we are not finished yet, Mr. Freeze."

"Is Miss Storm still alive?"

"I imagine so. She is a survivor—I'm afraid she has been captured, but we don't know who has her."

"This is most unfortunate." Mr. Freeze gazed off.

"Yes," said Tim, bowing his head. "But until our search pans out, the Drifters have affairs to sort out in these treacherous times. We need allies like you."

Mr. Freeze looked to Tim. "I'm afraid I cannot ally myself with you while my wife remains in Joker's territory. Meredith kindly revealed Nora's location, but advised me against saving my wife until the Drifters arranged a plan."

"That's why I am here," Tim explained. He went on to describe the plan to Mr. Freeze.

"The cryogenic tank was not built to go underwater," said Mr. Freeze.

"That's a benefit to building a TITAN shell," said Tim. "To protect the tank while underwater… We will need your help in making it mobile and moving it underwater during these freezing cold times."

"You're sure this will work?"

"We are professionals, Mr. Freeze. We share in your hatred of the Joker… and well… what other choice do you have?"

Mr. Freeze gave Tim a nod. "Very well."

Tim held out his hand to Mr. Freeze. They shook hands. "Thank you for trusting Meredith and us."

They let go. "Do not make me regret it, Sir...?"

"Tim. I have many legal identities, but I go by the name given to me by my friends… my true and only family."

"Were you an orphan?" Mr. Freeze asked.

"A slave… sold by my parents and passed around to master to master until my last master left me for dead. The original Drifters saved me and brought me to life when I thought I was long dead."

"Have you ever fallen in love?"

"Years ago when I was younger," said Tim, considering, "but it was forbidden. As punishment, I was castrated and I never saw her again. I developed the habit of disregarding any interest or desire I had. All I had was bitter and fading memories."

"For thieves, you seem to have a great deal of humanity to you," commented Mr. Freeze.

Tim shrugged. "We've all faced harsh times… I'm sad you had to face your troubles alone."

"I was always alone until I met Nora. When other people were wary of me, she reached me like the first rays of the sun's warmth after long winter. She made me feel alive."

Smiling softly, Tim looked at an ice sculpture of a female figure. "I hope you get her back, Freeze."

"As I hope you find Meredith," said Mr. Freeze.

They nodded to each other, and Tim departed. "We'll be in touch."

Tim returned to the Radio Tower about the same time Lucy did.

"How did it go?" Tim asked.

Lucy shrugged. "He's willing to go for it for some booze, a clean waterproof mattress, and drawing of the snake lady."

"The snake lady?"

"You know like the circus that used to be here? It's the raunchy part only adults go to. A lady takes off her clothes and does tricks with her pet boa constrictor. Man, I would explode in my pants every time."

Tim chuckled. "You're sure you don't want the drawing for yourself, Lucy?" He asked bemused.

"No, no, it's his idea… but if you made extras, I wouldn't complain."

"I'm sure… Perhaps you could give me a description while I'm drawing later."

"Absolutely," said Lucy with a smirk, "he also mentioned the possibility of using the flooded tunnels that are underwater by the radio tower. We'd have to blow the grates locking him in."

"As long as he doesn't attack us," said Tim, considering it.

"Yeah, he's cool with that, but anyone who walks into his sewers is free game."

Tim nodded. "Do you trust him?"

"As long as he's getting paid, he does his job. When you get down to it, he's a regular dude with regular needs, anger issues, teeth, and scales. You know?"

"I don't," Tim said with a shrug.

Lucy waved dismissively. "You got the humanity thing down. How'd Freeze go?"

"Pretty well… How is Mark doing, Lucy?"

"About as well as you can expect." Lucy lit up a cigarette. "He'll always hit the target, but it won't necessarily be a headshot. He sees stuff with his real eye, and hears things with his ears. Stuff and things that aren't happening or there. He gets the creepy feelings and chills down his spine."

Tim frowned.

"His job is the only thing keeping him together."

There was a loud scream. Tim and Lucy rushed inside the radio tower to see what was going on. A woman was screaming at the sight of Mark as he kneeled on the ground, blank-faced. Blood was trickling out of his ears and his empty eye socket where his real eye should've been. There were blood-covered knives in his hands. One had an eyeball stuck on the blade.

Tim's heart dropped. Quickly, he rushed up to Mark, touching his shoulders and fighting the urge to shake him. "Mark, are you all right?"

Mark blinked at Tim. "I'm okay," he said calmly with a smile. "I don't hear them anymore."

"What?"

"The whispers. The noises that weren't there. I started hearing my mother so I stabbed my ears and took out my worthless eye… but it's okay."

"No, it's not okay!" Lucy shouted. "You lost your hearing and your eye!"

"I can't read your lips when you talk that fast," said Mark.

Lucy called up a medic team. Tim got Mark to lie down on the ground.

"It dot really pain that much anymore," Mark continued, slurring a bit. "I mean bones still ouch from the tremorage, but not much I do about that. And Sonny to fracture another eye that Rox can bring with that spider shipment."

Lucy covered her eyes, anguished. "God, I think he stabbed part of his brain, too."

"It's okay, Loozy."

Tim nodded to Lucy. "Take the lead on the snipers for now, Lucy. I'll watch over him."

Lucy shuddered and walked away, sending the staring snipers back to their posts.

"It's not a big spiel, Tim," Mark insisted.

"I know," Tim said, annunciating for Mark. "But we need to be safe."

"Okay."

The medic team arrived with Nancy at the lead. She worked on stopping the bleeding in Mark's ears and eye socket before taking him down into the medical floor on a stretcher. Tim heard one of the snipers firing off. It was Lucy as tears ran down her face and she gritted her teeth.

Tim gazed back at the eye stuck on the knife on the ground. Picking it up, he tossed the knives in a burning barrel. His only interest was getting them out of his sight.

"Hey, uh, Hotshot," one of the snipers called.

Tim walked over to the sniper, who was a young man he didn't recognize. "Yes, Son?"

"We uh didn't announce this over radio, but Mark caught Claything trying to sneak in as Meredith Storm not long before this."

"You mean Clayface?"

"Yeah. Mark immediately knew it wasn't her, and tried to interrogate it. He asked it where Meredith was, and it laughed in his face. Then, Mark blasted that thing out the door and it didn't come back."

Tim folded his arms. "What do you mean blasted it? Clayface doesn't feel bullets."

"With Zeus' staff thing that the divers brought back. It's over there on that crate."

"Why was none of this reported on radio?" Tim asked.

"Mark told us not to, said you'd all be back soon enough for him to report."

Tim pat his shoulder. "Thanks, what was your name?"

"Harry."

"Thank you, Harry. Hang in there."

"You got it, Sir Hotshot."

Tim walked over to the crate and picked up the staff, studying it. Then, he picked up his radio. "This is Tim. I would like to make an announcement. Whenever one of us leaves the base and returns, they must speak a password or endure an electric shock in order to enter. The password will be determined and recorded by the sniping crew for every person that leaves. This is for our safety. Carry on." Tim set his radio down and returned to his office downstairs in order to finish the plans for stealing the TITAN and Mrs. Fries' tank. Idly, he looked at his drawing of Meredith, entwined with Olivia on a couch. Where are you, Meredith?

My eyes slowly opened. It was so dark. I could see glowing things moving around. Space? Underwater? There was an odd echo, but otherwise it was cold and quiet. I struggled to swim up to the light. As I got closer and closer to the surface, I noticed sharks with stripes swimming all around. I remembered how a friend told me tiger sharks had more testosterone, making them more aggressive.

They all turned to face me and I knew I was in trouble. Before I could think, they all came at me. Their jaws sank into my flesh, ripping up my body. My vision was clouded by all the blood, but I continued to struggle. I bit, kicked, and punched, fighting to see the surface again. Finally, I reached the surface and breathed feeling better. The air was very cold and it was snowing heavily. There was still no land in sight.

I floated up to the top of the surface, able to stand now. Lightning flashed and a silhouetted humanoid figure landed on the water across from me. It stared at me as the water started freezing over.

Other shadowy figures surrounded us, but were focused on me.

Hatred burned inside my chest as I looked at the shadows that long tormented my dreams. My wounds closed into stripe-like scars and I fought all of them off as they pounced on me. I cut them to pieces viciously and without regret. With a wave of my hand, they all collapsed. The significant shadow raised his hands and took lightning from the sky, blasting me with electricity as hard as he could. I caught the blast and forced it back as hard as I could. The resounding blast knocked me and the significant back, but we came running back in to each other to rip each other to shreds.

He was pretty fast compared to the others but so was I. I hungered for his blood-whatever it took to make this torment to end. Then, I slammed him down into the ice as hard as I could. Blood trickled from his head and we fell forever like the water dried up and disappeared. There was a splash and we were in the water again.

The squid approached, pulling me off to the side to help. The shadow came back and bit the squid. The poor creature flailed in pain.

Enraged, I became a shark, did a swimming charge, and ripped the shadow's head off with my teeth. The shadow's corpse floated up to the surface and dissipated under the moonlight.

I ran my hands along the squid's injury healing it up. The squid turned blue and wrapped a large tentacle around me. I realized it was bigger than before.

"Why are you blue now?" I asked, scratching my neck.

"I change colors to survive," the squid said. "Is there something wrong with blue?"

"No, it's my favorite color." I gazed up to the moonlit surface as snowflakes landed on my face, despite being underwater.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"I feel cold," I said, putting my arms around my torso. "I'm not complaining—it's just how I feel." It was so quiet-that silent winter feeling… so peaceful.

"Some of the toughest creatures are born in the cold darkness."

"True," I commented. "Lucky them."

"Let us descend again. You are nearly ready."

I nodded.

The squid dove down pulling me along with him. Much to my surprise, the snowflakes descended with us. "It is your guilt that weighs you down, Meredith. You feel such guilt for feeling inadequate. You fear to let everyone down when they held such high expectations for you. You also feel bitterness for the weight placed on your shoulders that sabotages your desire to please those that mean the most to you."

"Sounds about right," I said sadly.

"All you require is some guidance. Tell me everything I need to know and I will help you become a success beyond belief." The tentacles wrapped around me again. "We will go deeper still." He swam along and dove us down into a deep trench.

"I'm so tired," I said weakly.

"Then, rest. You are in my hands."

"You mean tentacles…?" I drifted off.

On the night of the heist, a team led by Lucy helped Killer Croc move five TITAN containers in the sewers while a diving team worked with Tim and Mr. Freeze on removing the underwater sewer grates. Helen led a team of fake clowns, staging a movement of false TITAN containers to the North Gotham Dock building. Helen's team would take over the building and hold. Roxy Rocket would also be flying across the sky dumping spiders everywhere, along with Mark's new robotic eyes. Roy had taken the lead of the snipers while Mark was recovering from his recent self-mutilation.

As Helen held up the North Gotham Dock; Tim, Killer Croc, and other divers moved the TITAN products underwater into Bane's base. Mr. Freeze assisted with Mrs. Fries' mobility and transformation into a TITAN container. Lucy and her crew headed back into the Joker sewer entrance and slipped past the clown thugs to give Helen's crew cover fire. Roy's crew offered sniping assistance while warding away anyone who tried to sneak up on the Radio Tower.

Lucy's crew retreated back to the Amusement Mile, Mr. Freeze dove underwater, and Helen's crew started dumping the fake containers of TITAN into the water. One of the fake tanks was Mrs. Fries. Helen's crew would escape across the cranes to reach Bane's place. The diving team would move Mrs. Fries into the flooded part of the GCPD. Mr. Freeze stabilized Mrs. Fries in the lowest unflooded floor. Then, the team of divers retreated before Mr. Freeze froze the water in the building, blocking out any future divers. Killer Croc returned to the sewers and the divers returned home.

As Tim returned and gave a password to the doorman, he noticed that Helen and a few others were lying on the floor, bleeding and shivering violently. Medics were attending to them. Lucy looked pale, gazing at her unconscious mother.

"What happened?" Tim asked, jumping in to help the medics take care of the injured and shivering. Two were beyond help as the blood pooled beneath them. Helen wasn't looking too well either with a bullet in her chest and leg.

Roy was kneeling beside his wife, holding her head up. "They got hit and fell into the water while we were distracted by that idiot Zeus."

Tim narrowed his eyes. "Where is he?"

"Blasted him out the door with his own staff," said Roy bitterly, "but I doubt that's the last we'll see of him."

"We need to go to the church for Helen," said Dr. Nancy to Tim. "Now."

He nodded in approval.

"You five on me," said Roy, pointing out some snipers. "Angel, stay."

"Fuck no, Pa," said Lucy, folding her arms.

"I need one hard ass keeping things tight around here and I'm counting on you. Now stay." Roy lead the team over to the church, leaving Lucy behind to lead the snipers.

She bit her lip, and it started bleeding.

Tim walked over to her, wiping off his bloody hands as the other medics took the stable downstairs. The three dead remained on the floor. He touched Lucy's shoulder.

"Don't say anything," said Lucy coldly.

Tim nodded and removed his hand from her shoulder.

Lucy picked up a radio and barked for the recovering shift.

Sighing, he looked down at the three dead and noted their names on his death list before going into the funeral procedure of sending the bodies into an abandoned building nicknamed "Death Toll". As Tim finished and announced the dead over the radio, Mark came walking into the sniper arena with bandages on his ears and over his eye socket.

"Is my stuff here?" Mark asked.

Tim shook his head. "I was just about to ask Sonny." He picked up the small ARACHMECH and contacted Sonny.

"73% of the ARACHMECHs survived the drop," Sonny announced. "I now have countless monitoring points in Arkham City and we have cut down the numbers of different gangs. Mark's items are on the way. An experimental device has been created for his hearing impairment."

"Good," said Tim. "Where are they?"

"The helicopters noticed the package so I had to hide it away in an alley in Park Row. I suggest you bring Mark to go get it personally."

"I got it," said Lucy, smoking a cigarette. "Come here, you psycho," she yanked on Mark's sleeve and picked up a wandering ARACHMECH on a wall.

Tim watched the two leave and surveyed with the snipers, anxious about his lieutenants being gone. He rested on the roof. "Sonny, did Roxy make it out okay?"

"I am currently analyzing the TYGER's data to discover the answer to your inquiry. All I know is that she made it out of Arkham City… Request denied."

"What request?" Tim asked, confused.

"A Batcomputer request to gain access to my network in order to gain intelligence on Arkham City. Without Meredith Storm's permission, I must deny access to all outside parties."

"Not even if I give you permission? They are on our side, Sonny."

"Permission must be granted by Meredith Storm."

Tim sighed in annoyance. Mark and Lucy came running back, dodging bullets from rogue criminals wearing jumpsuits. Tim picked up a sniper rifle and aimed at the front-most thug in orange. Then, Mark stopped and shot down each of the orange jumpsuits with a handgun.

Tim frowned, surprised, and noticed some clown snipers to the south. He alerted the fellow snipers and started shooting them down to cover Mark and Lucy.

Once they were clear, Tim headed downstairs to see Mark's new eyes. They almost looked like regular eyes until Tim looked up close and saw the cracks. Mark also had a new headband around his head.

Mark was grinning mangled ear to mangled ear. "Say something."

"Nice headband," said Tim.

"Yes it is," said Mark. "My new eyes do advanced speech to text that transfers to headband and then my brain. I am ready to work, Boss!"

"Get to it." Tim smiled at Mark and handed his rifle.

"Hell yeah," said Mark, climbing up to the sniping gallery. "Hey, I have new eyes," he told the snipers.

Lucy stared after Mark, concerned. "His brain is really blowing out," she murmured to Tim.

"At least, he's happy," said Tim.

"He's manic. I swear, getting machine parts is his new high. Do we know where Meredith is yet?"

"Located," said Sonny through the small ARACHMECH. "Maximum security isolation cell in the processing center. Status: Unresponsive and wrapped in bandages."

"Any notes in the system?" Lucy asked.

"I can read some of Professor Strange's notes if you wish? There are interview tapes that are still being processed and unscrambled."

"Yes," said Lucy.

"'Meredith Storm? aka Kindling Thief. A keen escape artist and thief with strong sense of empathy that allows her to understand the minds and pinpoint the weaknesses of her enemies and friends alike. Despite empathy for humanity, she is willing and capable of killing anyone in her way or threatens the lives of her friends. This was demonstrated in her assassination attempt on my life. Storm suffers from depressive episodes and low self-esteem that sometimes hides as humility. She feeds off the approval of her peers. Sometimes, she is even willing to appeal to the Batman's misguided ideals because of her father's strong morals. Her past before her 23 years is a mystery to the legal system. All I have is her word that is sometimes bent in her favor. Side Note: She may know more than what she is telling if she is intelligent enough to discover Batman's identity.'"

"Well, suck my dick," Lucy muttered, astonished. "She knows who Batman is? And Strange is cool with it?"

"They both figured it out," said Tim, gazing off.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at Tim. "You know, too?"

He shook his head. "I didn't ask."

"Why didn't she tell us? Why is she so protective of that bastard when all he ever does is get in our way and keep the bad people alive?"

Tim folded his arms. "We'll ask when we get her back… but we need a plan to get into that facility and get her out."

"Well, remember those flooded tunnels Croc told us about?" Lucy suggested.

I was suddenly in a vast darkness of space. The stars were bright in the universe as the gigantic squid flew around me. "Together."

"Yes," I agreed, "but you seem so powerful without me… You keep growing bigger and stronger while I stay the same."

"I build my power so that it may flow into you, making you more invincible than any of the gods."

I heard screams in the distance. People crying out in agony as planets started to shatter like glass.

"What makes their lives any less significant than ours?" I asked, feeling weak with pity.

"All souls have an equal meaning, but those that fight the hardest are the ones that live and thrive the longest."

"Survival of the fittest? That's so cruel."

"Only because your generation was taught that we should strive for equality and politely find what you want instead of fighting for what you want. When you start to see that, you will see no more pain… only failure and success… They have failed as you can see… will you fail?"

"I will not fail as long as you believe in me," I insisted.

His tentacles wrapped around my arms. "Good." The squid spun me around and threw me back down to Earth and I landed on the top of Wonder Tower. Fire was raining from the sky all over Arkham City.

The fire slowly turned into rain that froze in long streaks that became strings where spiders hung.

"Meredith, Meredith," they called to me. "Are you all right?"

"Go away," I said, pushing them away.

A large spider descended from the sky, wrapping me up in webbing.

"Ach! Stop it!"

"Meredith, wake up! Please!"

"Don't use her voice!" I shouted, trying to cover my ears. "You aren't her! You aren't Olivia!"

A great eye of the squid appeared in the sky and the spiders disappeared into the dark in fear. "We will save you, Meredith," whispered the spiders.

Tears ran down my face, and I felt the tentacle touch my face. My hands weakly touched the tentacle.

"You are mine."

Tim, Mark, Lucy, and Roy sat silently at Helen's bedside, contemplating their next move for rescuing Meredith. Helen was stable, but comatose from her injuries.

"I say we run a distraction while a few people sneak in through the tunnels," said Lucy. "They won't know what hit them in all the chaos."

Roy held his forehead as he spoke. "There's no way in hell that we can save her."

"Oh come on, we could outfox him!" Lucy protested.

"Sure, maybe we could get her out, but we have nowhere to run. He'll know that the Drifters took her—who else would risk their hides? He might not know about Atlantis, but he'll sure as hell know about the Radio Tower. He'll squeeze any alliance he thinks we have until he gets her back."

"Or maybe he'll think she's had enough and 'whatever, I'm done with this bitch anyway'," said Lucy.

Tim scratched his beard. "He's right. Meredith was scared of Professor Strange for good reason."

"Apparently not enough to prank him, and you still haven't said what she exactly did to piss him off, Tim."

"I'm not sure myself, but I think it had something to do with the bat symbols that are painted in front of every TYGER camera in Arkham City."

"So what? Strange is scared of the bat symbol?" Roy asked with a raised brow.

"Who knows?" Tim said with a shrug. "But that combined with rescuing Batman certainly angered him enough to lock her up."

"And put her in some sort of drugged up state that won't respond to Sonny," Lucy added.

"What if she's around the bend now?" Roy asked. "What if he's converted her into one of those TYGERs?"

"She wouldn't be locked up in a cell if he converted her, Pa. Hell, she's probably still fighting him."

Tim closed his eyes. "Or she has just been beaten. Her heart has been so weary lately. Losing Olivia and living through Arkham City has taken its toll on Meredith. If he is clever as she thought, he may have taken advantage of that."

Lucy put her hands on her hips. "Which is why we need to get her out and completely disappear to Atlantis where they can't find us. We can hold out for a few months, long enough for Protocol 10."

"People are going to get severe cabin fever," said Roy shaking his head.

"Well, they'll have to suck it up if they want to live," said Lucy. "Unless you want to leave Meredith to Strange?"

"Why don't we just hijack one of them helicopters and just leave?"

"Can you fly a helicopter?" Tim asked.

"No, figured one of you yahoos did."

Everyone shook their head.

"I can fly a helicopter," said Sonny through an ARACHMECH. "But I am positive they would shoot us down the instant they knew it was stolen. Then, they would recover Meredith's body from the wreckage."

"They don't know she's immortal, though," said Lucy.

"Apparently they do, I have analyzed Strange's data and he knows about her immortality as well as her vast knowledge about this universe."

"So he probably knows about Atlantis, too," said Roy, sighing.

"I actually didn't tell her about Atlantis," said Tim, shaking his head.

"Why wouldn't ya?"

"We just never got around to it. She was gone so much."

"So we got that on our side," said Lucy. "We just have to hide and never come out."

"I don't like it," said Roy, shaking his head. "Surely they'll be able to detect the heat signature underwater, especially if they're restlessly scoping out the area."

"Sonny, would you say that Professor Strange would restlessly waste resources trying to locate Meredith?" Lucy asked the ARACHMECH.

"The likelihood is 81%," said Sonny. "Meredith is bountiful source of knowledge and wisdom as well as an undying fighter. Most importantly, Meredith knows how Professor Strange will die and fail. Without her, he will have no chance of escaping said fate."

"What's the remaining 19% for?"

"Professor Strange's overconfidence, accidental death, and the possibility of him finding someone with as much (if not more) knowledge as Meredith."

"That's a possibility?" Lucy asked frowning.

"It is a theory that cannot be proven or disproven," Sonny explained.

"What is the possibility of Strange getting Meredith back from us?" Mark asked.

"62% likelihood."

Mark sighed. "You know what? I don't care. I'm fighting for that 48%. You know how many times we've beaten the odds? How many times she saved our lives?"

"Correction, you have 38% chance of success," said Sonny.

"Still fighting for it," said Mark. "Sonny has infiltrated the place and we share a pair of eyes." He pointed to his robotic eyes. "Meredith would fight through hell and high water if it was any of us."

"Well, it helps that she's immortal," Roy commented.

"She still feels a lot of pain and faces the risk of being captured alive like now. Sure she's got more endurance, but she doesn't have an easy escape like we do. Fuck it. I'm saving her with or without your help."

"Right with ya', Pal," said Lucy, smirking.

Roy sighed. "I'll stand with you, Angel Cake, but there's a good chance that saving her would kill us all."

"She's good as family, Pa. She didn't have to come back when Strange threatened our lives."

"She might not see it that way if we're all dead," commented Tim. "She may see it as her fault."

"So don't die," Lucy insisted. "We're smart enough to keep our heads above water for God's sake. Let's plan this right and save her."

Roy looked to Tim. Tim glanced at Mark and Lucy who were also waiting on him. God have mercy. Tim nodded. "Let's do it."

Roy would maintain position at radio tower. Tim and Lucy would head in through the sewer tunnels. Having shaved his beard, Mark would sneak in amongst the guards and let Tim and Lucy in. He escorted them through the strong hold to reach the isolation cell guarded by two guards that were now to be relieved.

"Open the door," Mark commanded as a lieutenant. "I need to make sure they're not looping our security footage again."

"Has there been a breach?" One of the guards moved to open the door with his keycard.

"One of our silent alarms. Might be nothing, but just in case."

They opened the door and flashed their lights on Meredith who was lying in the middle of the floor in a circle of blood.

"Huh, that's odd," Mark commented, walking inside. He knelt down and looked at Meredith's bandaged face. She sighed very softly as Mark touched her forehead. Then, he pointed his light to the destroyed grate in the ceiling caused by Sonny. "Oh no…" he said aloud. "This is a cold decoy. Call a Code Gray! Meredith Storm has escaped through the vent!"

"What?!" The guard exclaimed.

"This is a fresh corpse with brown eyes and brown hair! You two!" He pointed at Tim and Lucy. "Take this thing to the morgue for analysis." Mark pointed at the guards. "Why are you still here? Call the Code Gray!"

"Yes, Sir!" They saluted Mark and called the Code Gray. Alarms started blaring. Tim and Lucy grabbed a body bag and picked Meredith up. Mark relayed his report over the radio to the captain as five more guards came to analyze the escape scene.

Tim glanced at the walls and noticed a lot of writing and drawings made from blood. The most prominent words were "Life is Everything" and "Death is Nothing". He saw illustrations of squids, shadows, and skeletons.

"That's a lot of blood," Lucy commented lowly to Tim.

"Keep moving. We have a job to do," said Tim. They carried Meredith in the body bag down to the morgue. Mark eventually caught up, picking up another body bag and putting it on a cart.

"What are you doing?" Lucy asked, confused.

"They're o-onto me," said Mark, fighting his shakiness the best he could.

"But you pulled it perfectly."

"Too perfect, I know guards. Keep doing what you're doing. I got an ace."

"This isn't the plan," said Tim, shaking his head.

"I'm improvising. Trust me. Just get her out and I will take out my own way, Brother." Mark looked eyes with Tim.

Tim understood, his heart sinking. On your own terms… was this your plan all along?

"If they're onto you, you won't be able to go out the same way you entered," protested Lucy. "You gotta follow the plan."

"Sonny will help me out." Mark pushed the corpse on out of the morgue.

Lucy tried to stop him, but Tim grabbed her wrist. "He's going to get himself killed, Tim!" She hissed, trying to shake him off.

"I know," said Tim.

She stared at Tim.

"It's what he wants. Whether we like it or not, he is dying… and there's nothing we can do to stop that. At best, we can respect his wishes."

Lucy looked after the direction Mark went. "Come on, Cryogenics? That Lazarus thing?"

Tim's eyes widened.

Lucy folded her arms. "Yeah, I heard you and Meredith talking about it. Thanks for the heads up by the way."

"It's a great secret that can get you killed. It heals wounds, illnesses, and even death. What Mark has is embedded in his DNA. It would never cure his insomnia, any more than it would cure Killer Croc's skin. Even if it gave him more time, the assassins would hunt him down for using it. I barely escaped with my own life over a drawing, Lucy."

Lucy shook her head. "You let him kill himself, but you won't let us have the Mad Hatter."

Tim snorted. "I didn't expect you to listen to me."

"Well, I did because I fucking respected you."

Tim put Meredith in a large duffel.

They heard gunshots a roar in the distance. It sounded like a TITAN monster. The whole building started shaking.

"Oh shit," said Lucy, touching her heart.

Mark? God, your heart will probably explode in minutes! "Let's move." Tim lead her back to the sewer tunnels and they escaped. They returned Meredith to Atlantis, setting her beside Helen's bed. Together everyone checked in with Sonny on Mark's status.

"Mark is deceased," Sonny confirmed. "His heart exploded after five minutes of being exposed to the TITAN formula. He left several bombs on his body that mangled his corpse and anyone that came close to his body. Twenty-seven TYGER guards are now dead. Thirty-two are injured. Five assassins were amongst the injured. They are attempting to analyze who he is, but I have removed Mark from their system."

Lucy bowed her head in sorrow. Roy put an arm around her, bowing his head, too.

Tim gazed at Meredith as she breathed softly, still unaware of the world around her. Carefully, Tim removed her bandages on her face and saw five, long and deep scratches on both sides of her face. They went from her cheeks to her jawline.

"Isn't she supposed to heal any wound?" Roy asked, frowning.

"Those look like fingernail scratches." Lucy looked at Meredith's fingers and saw broken but sharp fingernails. "So anything she does with her hands and teeth stay longer?"

"I guess so," commented Tim.

"Shit," said Lucy.

"Yeah, shit shit shit," said Roy, shaking his head.

Meredith opened her eyes, and everyone jumped a little. "Where am I?" She groaned with a ragged voice. "I don't think I'm supposed to be here."

"Yes, you are," said Lucy, leaning forward. "You're here with your friends, Mere."

"Lucy? Is that you?"

"Yeah? Can you see me okay?"

Meredith blinked. "I—yes. My brain is all fuzzy."

"You're still pretty drugged up," said Tim, looking at her enlarged pupils.

"Tim?"

"Yes."

Meredith blindly glanced around. "Roy?"

"Hey, Kiddo," said Roy, patting her shoulder.

"Where's Mark and Helen?" Meredith asked.

"Helen's next to you in another bed," said Tim. "And Mark... Mark's gone."

Meredith closed her eyes and tears came out. "Is it my fault?"

"No, Sweetheart," said Roy. "It's not your fault. It was just his time."

Lucy sighed, gazing off.

"I'm sorry," said Meredith, covering her face. "I know it's my fault."

"Meredith, look at me," said Tim, touching her shoulder. "It is absolutely not your fault."

"Where's Professor Strange?" She asked with a sniff, covering her face.

"Don't worry. You're safe from him now," said Lucy.

"No, no, he's helping me," Meredith insisted. "He's making the pain go away."

"He was taking advantage of you, Meredith," Lucy implored. "You know him better than any of us. He is a monster! God knows what he's been doing to you."

Meredith struggled to get up, still in denial. "He made the pain stop. Please, find him. I need him. I can't do this alone."

Lucy protested. "Meredith—

Tim touched Lucy to silence her and leaned Meredith back down. "Shh," he soothed. "Don't worry, Meredith. Just get some rest. We'll call him and let him know where you are. I promise."

"Okay," said Meredith, turning on her side. "Thank you."

Tim saw scratches on the back of her neck. There were definitely needle marks here and there. Gently, he patted her head.

Roy and Lucy were wide-eyed and dumbstruck by what Meredith said.

Tim called Newt over to watch Meredith and led Roy and Lucy into a more private area.

"Why'd you stop me?" Lucy asked, annoyed.

"She wasn't accepting the truth," said Tim. "As long as she's calm, she won't do anything rash. Perhaps, she'll be better when the drugs wear off."

"What if she isn't?" Roy asked. "What if she's permanently dependent on Strange?"

"I refuse to believe that," said Tim. "She's in there somewhere. All she needs is time away from him. Time to recover her ordeal… Even if we have to restrain her."

"Maybe she just needs what I needed?" Lucy suggested.

Tim and Roy looked at Lucy, confused.

Lucy continued. "Remember? The Mad Hatter told her to reset the brain. We could use Maxie Zeus' staff on her!"

"We have no idea what the proper voltage, current, or anything was for that," said Roy, shaking his head. "We could muck up her brain even worse."

"Mad Hatter is out there in Arkham City! We could ask him."

Roy sighed. "As much as I'd love a piece of that little shit, we're supposed to be in hiding. And won't Strange put together that we're gonna try to fix her head the same way she fixed yours?"

"We gotta try," said Lucy.

"Only if it comes to that," said Tim, shaking his head. "For now, we're lying low and waiting for the drugs to wear off. Maybe figure out a special room for her. Lucy, look into that for now. Roy, seal the doors."

Tim returned to his new office floor, containing his new drawings, a desk, and a couch. He made an announcement over the radio. "May I have your attention, please?... We have recovered Meredith Storm, but in the process we lost Mark the Marksman. He sacrificed himself by using the TITAN drug to lure the attention of the TYGER guard. In the process of murdering and maiming guards, his heart exploded… Many of you did not know him before he was ill, so you purely him as a grouchy old sniper… To be fair, he was a grouchy old sniper to all of you… but I had the opportunity to know him as a brother… He is the only reason I am alive today. He taught me how to live as a free man when I was a slave for almost my entire life. He also saved Meredith's life when she was struggling to survive in the streets of Gotham City. It was from him that I learned the power of charity… that a little kindness can go even farther than you imagine… a kindness you mean from the bottom of your heart—not a tool to impress someone—but a kind thought because everyone has a rough day. Maybe if I help this one person, the world will not feel so terrible."