Batman Versus the Time Tyrants

by Matthew Snee

Chapter Fourteen: Invasion

Batman had correctly estimated the League of Shadows' fierceness; but what he had incorrectly judged was the reaction of the dogs once their own started falling dead. Though they spoke like rational beings, they were still animals. The assassins were brutal. The dogs were worse.

But it didn't start that way. On the ride up the elevator, Batman found himself doubting the dogs' commitment and bravery. He knew the League of Shadows would be expecting them, and have no mercy. He worried that they would be terribly outmatched, and it would be a bloodbath, with his side suffering the most losses.

But once the battle begin, everything went to hell. The dogs howled and snarled, their tore and ripped with their teeth, and they pounced upon enemy after enemy, enduring both sword and arrow wounds, which only multiplied their ferocity.

"Batman, we have a problem!" Robin cried over the noise of the battle. "The dog are killing them!"

"I know that Robin!"

"What are we going to do?"

"There's nothing we can do right now!"

"But - you have a plan for everything!"

"Yes," shouted Batman. "I have a plan!"

His strategy didn't require cynicism, but it did require time, and if he succeeded, it would provide redemption for those who needed it.

The first wave of assassins fell easily. The second wave was more coordinated. Batman hacked into a computer in the corridors of the Tyrant moon and disabled the lights - neither he nor the dogs needed them, giving them an advantage over the enemy. They then fought for inches. In the narrow corridors, swords and arrows were hopeless compared to sharp teeth and strong, whipping canine jaws.

Many dogs fell. The assassins died more horribly.

Like Alfred had suggested, Batman had made a mistake. But like the Dark Knight had argued, he had to make it. But he had no idea of the result of his mistake until the end of the battle.

Only Ra's and Talia, and a few of their bodyguards were left. Ordinarily, Batman would have taken this moment to welcome their surrender, and put a quick end to the battle. He shouted for the dogs to stop. But the dogs heard nothing but the pounding of blood in their ears.

The bodyguards fell, and Ra's escaped, but Talia stopped to plead with Batman. This was when the dogs struck, leaping upon her, a frenzy of fangs attacking her throat. Batman noticed too late, having chased after and been fooled by Ra's escape. Robin shouted and pulled at the dogs, but only one thing stopped the maelstrom: Talia's death.

Once her heart ceased pumping blood into their mouths, the dogs stopped tearing at her flesh, leaving her a bloody, half-decapitated mess.

A terrible dark ooze welled in his soul once he saw her body. He had loved her, he really had.

They had won, for what it was worth. But the sacrifice was too great. Everything the Batman stood for was compromised. He had gotten what he had wanted, and also what he had not wanted.

Afterwards, the Dark Knight held Talia's hand in his own and tried his best not to look into her dead eyes. "Talia..." he whispered, but no other words would come out.

It was then that they all heard a chomping static from all around them. As the dogs licked their wounds, and Batman and Robin stood sadly over Talia, the Dark Knight had a new realization: with Talia's death, this branch of reality was collapsing.

"Robin!" Batman exclaimed. "We have to get out of here now!"

"Why?" Robin asked.

"With no Talia, there are no Al Ghul - Wayne's to bring forth this branch of time! It's disintegrating! We have to go!"

"What about the dogs?" asked Robin. "What about Ra's?"

"I don't know," said Batman. "I don't know. But we have to go. Now. I will radio to Alfred to use his indusion machine to return to Gotham. And we are going to use ours as well."

"But everything here - it will be gone!"

"It was always gone," said Batman. "This was all an illusion."

"But this pain, this death! This is real!"

"It only appeared real," said Batman.

"And what about Talia?"

Batman had no quick answer for that. "I would have saved her if I could. Believe me, her death touches me more than you know. But we must leave."

Warf had survived. "What this new noise?" the dog asked Batman. "I thought we won."

"We did win, Warf. We did," answered Batman.

"But you said dogs would live!"

"I did. And I still believe they will. You have to trust me Warf. Whatever darkness you're about to witness, I promise: I will be back."

It was the promise of science. If they had destroyed what had happened here: all of it, from the birth of the first Wayne from Talia up to the existence of Alistair - they could also recreate it. Perhaps it was a hope, and not a promise, but with the Batman, there was little difference. With the corrupted Waynes out of the picture, there would be no telling what this branch of reality could turn into.

So Batman and Robin jumped out of it; spinning - back to where they belonged. The long hum of time erupted all around them, flashing blue color as their thoughts became glacially slow. It only felt like minutes -

- it only felt like minutes.

And then they were returned - back in Gotham, back in the "past", back across space and time to the Bat Cave.

"Hello again, sirs," said Alfred.

"Hello Alfred," said Batman, taking off his cowl.

"Hey Alfred!" greeted Robin, taking off his.

"I wouldn't relax yet, Master Bruce. Ra's Al Ghul is back too, and he's holding the city hostage."

"Where is he?"

"Under the city."

"That can only mean one thing: Ra's is still going to activate his monstrous indusion machine and catapult Gotham's inhabitants into the future!" Batman deduced. "Is the Bat Mobile refueld?"

"I took the liberty, sir," said Alfred.

"This time I'm going alone," Batman told Robin.

"What? No!" Richard was aghast.

"I can't allow you to suffer the same fate of so many of the dogs," said the Dark Knight.

"But I won't!" complained Richard. "I'll be okay. You need me!

"I need you to stay here," Batman said, forceful, but not truly commanding yet. "Richard - do what I say. If you can't do what I say, this isn't going to work."

Richard was silent, turning red in anger and embarrassment. He said nothing more, storming off.

"Master Bruce?"

"Alfred?"

"You're doing a great job with the boy."

"If he lives."

"It was time. You need to instill conditioning in him while he is still a child. That's how they always remember."

"I guess you're right, my friend. It worked for me."

"Yes, Master Bruce. It really did."

They said their goodbyes and Batman raced out of the Bat Cave and into the city in his Bat Mobile. It leaped from highway to highway, and then zipped through the downtown streets, towards Ingrid Wells' apartment and Killer Croc's underground hideout.

Back to the scene of the crime.