"Bruce! How good of you to drop in!" Maximilian Zeus exclaimed in a boisterous greeting. "It has been quite some time since we've seen each other!"
"What can I say, life's been keeping me busy," Bruce responded, a cheeky grin on his face. A knowing smirk appeared on Zeus' face before he took a step to one side and gestured widely with an arm, indicating the billionaire should pass.
"I know that all too well," the bearded man responded as the dark-haired man strode by. "You can't imagine my surprise when my secretary informed me you wanted to set up a meeting. How can Maximilian Shipping Lines help the great Wayne Enterprises?"
"Wayne Enterprises is looking for new markets to reach and your shipping company goes to places we haven't even thought of doing business with. I figured I'd come kick the tires and see what places you have access to."
As the two businessmen took a seat at a long table, Zeus' raised an eyebrow. "Forgive me for saying this, but your company has multiple shipping companies it likes to use. In fact, when I offered a venture to you, you said you were happy with who you were using and hung up."
Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "That was when I had a Board of Directors handling all of the tiny details. Now everything is up to me and I'm finding it much harder to offer a hard no nowadays."
A small smile appeared on Zeus' lips. Clearly he liked that answer. Bruce was well aware of how people saw him and had to fend off multiple sharks a day. That wasn't much of change from when he was an absentee owner, but venture capitalists had been more insistent since his takeover. No doubt many people thought he was just waiting to be taken advantage of.
"Then perhaps my company can be of service to you," Zeus said. "What markets are you interested in doing business with?"
"What do you have to offer?" Bruce countered.
"A whole host of Mediterranean ports, but you're quite aware of that. Greece has always been kind to me."
"I don't think I'm doing much business in Athens," the dark-haired man mused. "Would that be a place to consider?"
"Athens is a great place to start," Zeus acknowledged, "but I'm sure you're aware of the political turmoil at present. Piraeus has similar regulations and is a fine place to get your foot into the door in the Grecian markets. It would be a simple transfer to Athens once things settle."
A smile appeared on the billionaire's face. "That's what I like about you Zeus; you always look after your customers. I'm certain that if I went to someone else, they would have just jumped at going to a major market first."
"Well, you know that I like to make sure all of my customers are taken care of," the bearded man replied. "If I didn't, you wouldn't use me again and that is bad business."
"Here, here."
"So, what sort of freight are we looking into?"
"What exactly is the market like in Piraeus?"
"Shipping is one of the top industries there, though considering Piraeus has one of the largest ports in the world, that should come as no surprise. I'm assuming though, you're more interested in industries that Wayne Enterprises specializes in."
"Guilty. I imagine medical equipment might be a good start."
"Indeed it is. One thing my father always told me was that there would always be two growing industries: funeral homes and hospitals. There will always be sick people and dead people."
That was a morbid way to look at things, but he wasn't wrong. "I suppose you have a point. Is it alright if I look into this Piraeus more closely? As you can see I have little to no idea about it and Lucius would have my head if I just jumped into the market without a clear plan going forward."
"Of course, of course," Zeus agreed, though it was clear he was a little disappointed by the response. If Bruce Wayne was seen as easy, then Lucius was a tougher nut to crack.
"Then you can look forward to hearing from my people soon, Maxie," Bruce told him.
"I will be eagerly awaiting your call."
Bruce made to stand up before he paused. "Oh, speaking of people, that reminds me, I think I ran into one of your employees the other day. Just bumped right into him—literally."
"Is that so? To whom do you meet?"
"I think his name was John Dee."
Zeus stared at him. It was a stark contrast to the joyous, helpful man he had been "I don't recall having a man by that name in my employ," he said slowly. "What makes you think he works for me?"
Bruce shoved a hand into his pocket, pulling out the security badge. "He dropped this. I wanted to return it to him, but he was long gone by the time I picked it up." He held the badge out to the shipping magnate, who took it in his hand. A frown had appeared on Zeus' face as he regarded it.
"Well, this is indeed one of my badges, so I can only assume he works for me." There was a blank look on the man's face, one that Bruce found rather curious. Zeus had been quite animated when they had been talking, so this change was rather abrupt. "Though I believe it is an older version. We just updated the badges, so these shouldn't even be in use."
"Oh, then no wonder he was so brisk."
"Yes, that does sound like him. He does look like a disagreeable fellow."
Sounds like him? That was an interesting way to describe a man Zeus allegedly never met. "Then I suppose I'll let you keep that," Bruce shrugged, this time standing up fully. He held his hand out, to which Zeus returned the gesture and they shook hands. "See you around, Maxie."
"And a good day to you too," the bearded man replied.
Leaving the room, Bruce was greeted by the secretary. She was a rather pretty girl and her eyes lit up at the sight of him. He just sent her a smirk, one that caused a blush to rise up on her face.
However, though he was flustering the girl, his eyes glanced down to her name tag, one that looked just like the security badge that John Dee had. Now that was odd, Maxie Zeus claiming to have updated security badges. If that were the case, the office staff would have received them first.
Zeus had lied to him.
Entering an elevator, the playboy facade fell away as a stoic look took its place. Why would Zeus lie about an employee like that? An obvious answer was that he was covering something up, which would then require further investigation. He had been right to have the Birds on the case. They could search Maximilian Shipping Lines while he looked closer into Zeus' other affairs.
The cliff overlooked the Aegean Sea, dark waters battering against the rocky surface. The ground was cushioned by grass, which just went over the lip of the cliff's edge, sporadically placed flowers coloring the area.
The very sight irritated Eris, but she could deal. Privacy was needed and to ensure that, a return to Greece was needed.
Ever since she had come to the Mortal World, she had been holding back the bile that was wanting to explode out of her mouth. She, the Goddess of Discord, was supposed to prostrate herself to a mere mortal? Blasphemy! The audacity! It gnawed at her like a fester wound.
"I believe we are alone now," Deimos spoke then, pulling the redhead out of her grumblings.
"Can you believe that mortal?!" she exploded. "Him? Our king? What gall! What arrogance!"
Deimos raised an eyebrow at that. "You act as if this is the first mortal who thought he could hold himself over the Gods. Each one is now receiving their just reward in the Underworld and this Maxie Zeus fella will be no different."
"More importantly," Phobos added, his posture actually straight rather than the hunched over, lurking form he seemed to be preferring recently, "is that we gain this mortal's confidence. Who cares what needs to be done as long as we're the ones atop the mountain when it is over?"
It was rational, yes, but that did not mean Eris did not have her pride to consider. Why, the last time someone thought they were better than her, every goddess on Olympus ended up in a knock-out, drag-out fight, resulting in one of the most storied wars in history. That was one of her better works of art, if she didn't say so herself. Why, an entire civilization ended up wiped out because of it. She had been the apple in her father's eye after that.
"Besides, this man wants to bind Zeus inside of him—Zeus!" Deimos exclaimed. "Do you honestly think the King of the Gods will allow that to pass? No matter what ritual is performed, he will find a way around it. His very power will tear the man apart!"
"I thought the same," Eris admitted, "but that was before they created that stone. Did you not feel it? It was a perpetual source of power! If there is anything that can keep Zeus in check, it is that."
A grin appeared on Phobos' face. "And you were ranting about arrogance. You're lucky Zeus can't strike you down due to his own decree, otherwise you'd be nothing more than smoldering ash right now."
The goddess shrugged her shoulders. "That isn't my problem, now is it?"
"Then allow this foolish mortal to do as he pleases—for now. He has to follow the ritual to the letter; one mistake and it is all over for him."
"And he will make that mistake," Eris grumbled. "What is a more perfect opportunity than this to bring Zeus into this realm? He will exalt us above others for this."
"All the more reason to make sure everything is in place and little ol' Maxie thinks we're on his side," Deimos urged. "His little cronies are already suspicious, but that is because they're learned men. They most likely have looked into the stories of our misdeeds and know to be cautious. In fact, I'm expecting some resistance from them when we begin the ritual."
"It may be prudent to make sure they aren't present for the ritual, in that case," Phobos murmured.
That was definitely something to consider. However, Eris was certain at least one of those mortals will try to be present when the Desmeftikós Theós is performed. Any threat to its completion would be dealt with swiftly…
A smirk appeared on Eris' face. Oh, she was getting an idea. "So, did I tell you there's an Amazon in the mortal realm?"
Her brothers perked up at this. "Hippolyta's child is some sort of guardian here," she continued. "Our paths crossed last night. It seems she is aware of these mortals performing the Desmeftikós Theós. I fell under the impression she wanted to put a stop to it."
"Why is an Amazon here?" Phobos questioned. "I thought they exiled themselves to Hera's island?"
Eris shrugged again. "How am I supposed to know that? You think I pay attention to everything those warrior women do?"
"You do raise an interesting idea," Deimos spoke then. "And I encountered a few colorfully dressed men as well."
"I did too," Phobos added.
"So if the Amazon Princess is wanting to stop ol' Maxie, then we should give them a sign. They come, make some trouble, and we whisk our would-be king to another place and convince him to continue to ritual—with us as his loyal bodyguards."
"I was thinking the same thing," Eris said with a smile.
"He he he, this is going to be great fun!" Deimos exclaimed with glee.
The smile dropped from Eris' face then. "I've been meaning to ask, Brother, but are you well? You have not been acting like yourself as of late."
A large grin had been on Deimos' pale face, one that vanished in an instant. Normally Deimos was just like her, cool and collected while taking childish glee in their work. She could not help the excitement she felt when strife was present, a drug she never truly got over. Deimos was the same only with terror and fear. There was no terrified mortal in the vicinity, so there was no reason for him to be this giddy.
"It's...strange," her brother said after a moment. "Every so often, I can feel my host take over. At first I thought it was just their personality coming to the fore, but it is too overwhelming for that."
Frowns appeared over Eris and Phobos' face, the two gods sharing a look with each other. "Are you saying that you're having a hard time keeping your host in check?" the God of Fear questioned.
"Of course not!" Deimos retorted, offended. "He's just more difficult is all. We've all experienced this before. With a little more time, I will be in full control."
Eris studied Deimos then. As remarkable of a form as he had, she could see odd signs. While they were outside, she could see a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face. Neither Phobos or herself looked like that. And...was that a tremor she saw in one of his hands? Stranger and stranger indeed.
"Well, crush the mortal's will and be done with it," she snapped at Deimos. "Our elevation into the Pantheon is at hand. Surely that will be our reward when we successfully summon Zeus here."
"And even if we don't, just imagine the chaos we can wrought upon these mortals," Phobos said. "They are innocent to our powers. The very thought of that is making me drool with anticipation."
Oh yes, there was that too. That was a fine consolation prize, just so long as they continued to keep their mortal hosts. It had been less than a day since she had first experimented with her control over Demeter's children, but she could already come up with hundreds of ways to use them to sow the seeds of discord. She was a little out of practice thanks to the decree, but she was certain she could fall back into familiar habits.
After all, practice made perfect.
Investigative work wasn't Diane's forte. She could freely admit that. Still, there were times when reviewing the evidence gathered was the only way forward.
In today's modern era, there were cameras everywhere. Because of this, she was able to get access to the moment Eris attacked Downtown Gotham. Those man-eating plants had sprouted right out of the street below seemingly without any preparation. Diana had watched what seemed like countless hours of security footage and found nothing to indicate this act of destruction had been prepared.
So when a long term plan was not the answer, what did that leave? A metahuman with the power over nature was a possibility, but a dangerous one at that. In her estimation, that was a power not to be trifled with.
To her knowledge, it was also a power that Eris did not possess; and yet, she was firmly in control of that beast. Had centuries away from the Mortal World allowed her to develop that power? From her experience with other Olympians, that did not seem the case. So how had Eris developed this change?
If she hadn't done so, then perhaps it was the power of her host? Using the Watchtower's computer, she looked into metahumans that had such control over plants.
One result came up almost immediately. There was a resident of Gotham, a woman by the name of Pamela Isley. Further research showed she had attacked Gotham in the past using the same tactics, causing plants to overrun the city. She was able to find pictures and footage of the attack and the similarities were uncanny.
Thankfully, there were also pictures of this Isley woman. Currently a picture of her was on the screen and Diana was certain this was indeed Eris' host.
How had this come to pass?
"You look busy."
The Amazon turned her head away from the computer screen, spotting Shayera walking up towards her. "What brings you here, Sister?" she greeted.
"Boredom mostly, but you've got my interest now," the winged woman answered. "Why are you going through footage of an old Gotham attack?"
Diana returned her attention back to the screen. "I believe this is the person Eris has possessed. Her power over nature would explain how a goddess of discord suddenly had control over them."
"Using that logic, that Deimos guy would also have possessed the Joker," Hawkgirl pointed.
"And why not? We don't have any evidence that disproves that notion."
"We also don't have any evidence to support it either." Shayera then moved in closer, reaching past Diana so that she could type on the keyboard. The command she was inputting took awhile, but eventually she brought up cameras in a completely different area. On screen was now a street in a different part of the city. Diana could make out Green Lantern and Shayera at times, and then she picked out another person, the one the two Leaguers were fighting. Pausing the footage, the Thanagarian seemed to glare at it.
"I don't know who this guy is," Shayera admitted after awhile. "If he's to be believed, he's Phobos, your God of Fear."
"He isn't my god," the dark-haired woman protested.
Shayera shrugged her shoulders, indicating she didn't care either way. "Regardless, who is this guy? I've never seen him before."
Diana stared at the face too. She had to admit, she was at a loss as well. When one did not have an answer, it was always best to find one in that case. Striking a key, she started the footage up again.
Unfortunately, the camera they were currently viewing through was at a bad angle. Every so often one of the combatants would enter from one side, then vanish back the way they came. "Is there another camera we can use?" the Amazon could not help but ask.
"Check and see," the redhead prompted.
Pausing the footage, Diana did a search and found two more cameras in the vicinity. Accessing them both, she waited to see what sort of footage they would receive.
As it turned out, wherever Shayera and John had fought Phobos, it was somehow in a blind spot. Every angle of the three cameras did not cover one large area, so all they had were momentary appearances in each camera. That was quite frustrating.
"Figures," Shayera groused. "There are cameras everywhere, yet we can't even get a good view of what we want to see."
Diana was inclined to agree. However, before she could voice such feelings, Phobos appeared on one of the cameras, this time with enough of his face exposed. Immediately she paused the footage, entering a command to perform facial recognition on the god.
They got a result quickly too. The profile of a man called Corneilus Stirk appeared and his mugshot wasn't all that different from his current state. He was also arrested recently and was being held by the Gotham City Police Department for crimes of...cannibalism?
"Geez, this just keeps getting better and better," the Thanagarian muttered. Then she frowned. "Wait, this guy is supposed to be in police custody, right? Then how is he out and about?"
That was an excellent question. "Should we check the GCPD database?" Diana questioned.
"We should, yes."
Alright then. Diana immediately began getting access to the police database, the computer making contact shortly. Once in, she did a search for Cornelius Stirk and—
"You've got to be kidding me!" Shayera exclaimed. "He escaped? How? When?"
Diana continued reading from the monitor before she sighed. "It's not telling us, unfortunately. It must be recent if the police are still conducting an investigation over it."
"Or they're incompetent. So now we've got three Gotham bad guys with gods making their homes in them. What now?"
Now? "We go back to Gotham," Diana said. "All of us. We get in touch with J'onn as well. We'll need his telepathy to help find these people."
"Or we do it the old fashion way and look," Shayera remarked. "Which is what we've been doing for Dr. Alchemy and Shade so far with little to show for."
"Do you have any better ideas?"
"Sadly no. You're right though, we need to get J'onn on this. Something's gotta give if we're going to close this case sooner rather than later and we can use him badly." The redhead paused. "And now that you mention it, where has he been? It's like he upped and vanished without a word."
That was a good point too. It wasn't like J'onn to leave without a word, or him leaving no way to get in contact with him. This was entirely out of character.
"As much as I don't want to say this," Shayera suddenly started saying, "what if he was working a different angle on the case and was captured? It would explain why he hasn't been in touch lately."
"But who could keep him imprisoned though?" Diana pointed out. "He isn't one to be held captive for very long."
"We're dealing with your gods though. Who isn't to say they don't have some sort of power to keep him imprisoned?"
That was an excellent point and one Diana didn't like. "We currently don't have evidence to support that though," she slowly ventured.
"Point," Shayera acknowledged. "I guess we can only keep trying to get in contact with him until proven otherwise."
Diana could only nod her acceptance of this. There were too many strange things going on here, what with J'onn's odd disappearance, the possession of evil Gothamites by gods of the Pantheon, and of course the people trying to bind themselves to the same gods. There had to be a connection here.
It was times like these that she wished she were better with investigative work.
The skyscraper loomed over the Gotham skyline. It's modern design allowed it to blend in with the surrounding buildings, making none the wiser of what was kept at its top.
The upper stories were something taken right out of an Ancient Greek temple. The architecture was of a building plucked right out of that era, a garden surrounding it with lush vegetation. Unlike those ancient temples though, there had been modern updates to it, such as ventilation and windows.
Through the foliage Batman crept, slowly making his way to the building. He had been here once a long time ago, an invitation when it had been first built by Maximilian Zeus. He had been so proud of the work of his home that he wanted to show Gotham's elite the marvel he had built. That was the first and last time Bruce Wayne had been there, not because of lack of interest, or effort, but because he simply didn't do much business with Zeus and thus had no reason to visit. They were mere acquaintances at best.
At the time of that visit, there had been a distinct lack of security. Now, the vigilante spotted all sorts of security equipment, from cameras to sensors and the like. Clearly Zeus wanted to keep people away, not that it would work. Batman deftly avoided these security measures all the way to a window. The only resistance he had met were some ill-placed vines, but he had managed to pull his feet free of them. After making sure there were any sensors or trip wire, he opened it and crawled into the dark room beyond it.
Night Vision kicked in then, the lens of his eyes turning green to reveal a bedroom. It was furnished, no doubt for any guest Zeus had over. However, the bed was unmade, indicating someone had been using it as of late. Whomever Zeus had for housekeeping clearly hadn't been doing their job; Alfred never would have allowed an unmade bed to last all day.
Taking a moment to search the room, he found clothes kept in the dresser and closet, a travel bag long since emptied. The name FAUST was written on a tag kept on the bag's handle. He'd need to look into that name later.
There were a few books here too. Taking a glance at their covers, they were based off of Ancient Greek Mythology. These weren't books that could be found at a local library, or a bookstore either. Opening the cover of one, he found a page marred by a stamp that read PROPERTY OF GOTHAM STATE UNIVERSITY. This book, at least, was research material, taken right from the local university. Another lead to follow up on.
Heading towards the closed door, he was slow to open it, cracking it at first and listening to the hinges. There was no whine or protest as the hinges turned, so he opened the door wider. He was greeted with the sight of an empty hallway. It looked just the way it had when Zeus led a large tour through it so long ago. Glancing down either way, he saw no one and slipped out into the corridor, closing the door behind him.
Turning to his right, he glided down the hallway silently, turning the Night Vision off so as not to blind himself from the lighting. Despite it being empty, the lights were on as if it were in use, or company was expected. That was something to take into consideration.
Now, if he remembered right, Maxie Zeus had a room designed for hosting small gatherings. The shipping magnate had been gushing from pride at it if he recalled right. It was likely that was where Zeus was currently, especially if he indeed had company.
It took him a few minutes and a couple wrong turns before he found the right path, one that led right to a door. Reaching it, he was slow in opening it, cracking it much like he had the bedroom door.
It was a good thing that he had as well as he hit pay dirt. The room he found was quite large, with a circular table situated at its center, chairs placed around it at even intervals. On one side was a throne, in which Maxie Zeus sat. There were other people here too, a couple sitting in chairs, a few standing away. One by one, he eyed them, trying to place them.
From what he could tell, there were two men pouring over what looked like some sort of document. One had a hooded, green cloak and the other was in some sort of dark blue, almost purple robe. There was an element of a Greek toga as part of their ensembles, he couldn't help but notice.
A short distance from them, there was a man in black, wearing a top hot as he fiddled with a cane. He appeared indifferent to what was going on.
"As I was saying," the man in the dark purple robe spoke, "I'm afraid the amount of power necessary for the ritual may be too much for the size of the ceremonial circle needed. We're just as likely to blow apart the entire building as we are to be successful."
"That's not what I wanted to hear, Professor Faust," Zeus intoned back, clearly upset.
Professor Faust—that must be the man residing in the bedroom he had broken into. That at least explained why he had university research material with him; he'd have easy access to it.
"Then we must make alterations to account for the necessary power," the green-cloaked man responded.
"Of course," Professor Faust agreed. "But from my research, I was unable to divine such a way. The symbols necessary cannot be altered, I am afraid."
"If that is the case, why not make the circle bigger?" a woman's voice suggested.
Batman frowned. That voice, he knew it very well. But that was impossible. Sliding to one side, he tried to find its source, quickly spotting a woman in a green dress, coupled with flowing red hair. She was sauntering towards the table, every step the definition of seduction. He only had a look at the side of her face—
No, this was impossible. That was Pamela Isley and there was no way she should be here. She should have been at Strykers as was planned, not here in Zeus' apartment building.
Yet, here she was, her hands on her hips as she looked pointedly at the two men pouring over the document. "There is no reason it can't be enlarged," she continued.
"But the size we would need would have to be gargantuan," Faust protested. "We may have to make the city the circle."
"You're trying to summon the Thunder God, the King of Olympus," Poison Ivy stated pointedly. "That isn't some personification, it's the big man himself. You're going to need every advantage you can get."
"That would solve the main issue," the green-cloaked man spoke.
"But it increases the likelihood that something could go wrong," Faust replied. "Symbols and lines necessary could be damaged or destroyed with greater size, not to mention we'd have to change location as we'd have to move to some place close to the center of the city. That would make securing the new center more difficult."
"As they say in alchemy, there has to be an equivalent exchange. To gain more power and leverage, we have to sacrifice something in turn, in this case certainty."
"And what about us?" Faust pressed. "Each one of us has to be at a specific point along the outer rim of the circle. Need I remind you, Dr. Alchemy, that Mr. Dee is not receptive to our cause anymore. We'd need to have at least one person close to him to keep him under control."
It didn't take much to figure out what Faust was talking about. Apparently these people had gotten their hands on John Dee and were keeping him captive. At least that made sense as to why Batman and the others hadn't been able to find him last night. These people would be quite aware of his abilities and take efforts to keep him indisposed, at least for the time being.
Dr. Alchemy seemed to take his colleague's words seriously as he considered them. "That is an excellent point," he admitted. "Though we could still use the Philosopher's Stone as his replacement."
"Could we not use the stone to augment the ritual?" Zeus suddenly asked. "Would that not increase our odds of success?"
"It does, but Eris makes a point in that we are taking control of Zeus himself. We need to eliminate as many unknowns as possible."
Eris? Batman frowned. Who were they talking about? Before he could put any more thought to that, he froze as someone else entered his limited view.
"You're just arguing in circles now, gentlemen," the Joker announced, coming to stand right next to Poison Ivy. Even if he only had the man's voice, or even just the sight of him, Batman knew that man from every conceivable way possible. And yet, he was different too. He had been warned by Black Canary of his new appearance, but the warning hadn't done any justice to it. There were literal snakes growing out of him, altering his appearance somewhat. Then, as if to add more insanity to the matter, another person strolled right up, a gangling creature just like Huntress had described. Yet, even now the Dark Knight could pick out the features of Cornelius Stirk.
What the hell was going on here?
"We are Olympians, you know," the Joker continued. "So we are more familiar with the Desmeftikós Theós than you are. We know secrets of it that you have yet to become aware of."
"Why are you only mentioning this now?" Faust questioned, his tone full of suspicion. "Why haven't you told us before now?"
"Because you did not ask."
"Could we not come to a compromise?" Zeus interjected then. It was clear he was trying to maintain order here as the conversation was becoming heated. "Could we not use a bigger space to work with that keeps us within sight of each other?"
"That does increase our odds," Dr. Alchemy responded. "And it may be all we can do."
"If it's a bigger place we need, Gotham's got them in spades," the man in black suddenly spoke up. "There's warehouses we can use by the dozen."
"A warehouse is not suitable for my elevation to godhood," Zeus sniffed haughtily. "I demand a place more worthy of such a cause."
Poison Ivy, the Joker, and Stirk all glanced at each other. Then Ivy made a show of shrugging her shoulders. "You may do as you please; we want this to succeed as much as the rest of you. If you only want to make this a half-assed attempt, be my guest."
"Your suggestion is being taken seriously, Eris," Zeus was quick to say. "But we do have to consider there are limitations. That is all."
If Batman wasn't mistaken, there was some sort of tension present. Clearly there was distrust between the three murderers in the room and the others. Though Maxie Zeus had called Poison Ivy Eris; that was the second time that name had been brought up. There was something missing, he just knew it.
"I still sense some distrust," Ivy said then. "Perhaps there is something I can offer you that will help alleviate your concerns?"
"That is not needed," Zeus assured her. "Your help is very much appreciated."
"No, no, I insist."
Suddenly, something wrapped around Batman's arms and legs. Before he could react, he was forced forward, his face plowing into the doors and slamming them shut as they rattled from the impact. Grimacing, he then twisted his head around.
Much to his surprise, the entire hallway was covered in vines. These same vines were wrapping around his body, pulling his arms and legs apart. He pulled at them in an attempt to free himself, only for them to yank them back out. Some vines then wrapped around his neck and squeezed down tightly, causing him to gag.
Then he was pulled back, allowing for some room between him and the doors. A few vines reached out before him and wrapped around the doorknobs, turning them and opening the doors. He was then pushed forward into the room, heavily restrained as he was presented to the room's occupants.
"Holy shit, it's the Bat!" the man in black exclaimed.
Maxie Zeus and Professor Faust stared with enlarged eyes, their shock just as evident. Ivy strode in front of the Dark Knight, running a hand down his abdomen admiringly.
Batman immediately jerked at his bonds, finding he wasn't able to do much. Glaring down at Ivy, he then paused. He had seen that woman in many states and situations before. The look she was currently giving him was not one he had seen on her face before. It was almost as if she were an entirely different person.
"Gentlemen, may I present the spy in our midst," the redhead then proudly proclaimed. "I've been keeping an eye on him since he touched down in that lovely garden of our host's. I hope this proves my brothers' and my commitment to the cause."
Batman resisted the impulse to grimace. The moment he spotted Poison Ivy, he should have known he needed to leave. Her connection to plants was well known to him. Tilting his head down slightly, he eyed a piece of vine that was not the same as the ones currently restraining him. It was thinner and yellower, wrapping itself around his ankle. It matched the vines he had fought his way through in the garden and he hadn't noticed it attached itself to him.
It was sloppy of him.
"You know we can't let this guy leave," the man in black spoke then. "If he's onto us, there's no telling how far the Justice League is away."
"Quite right," Faust agreed. "We'll need to take steps." A peculiar look appeared on his face then. "Though I believe I know of a way to dispose of him."
"Do you now?" Ivy questioned with a touch of sarcasm in her voice.
"This man is considered a hero to the city. What better person to sacrifice than him?"
Out of pure reflex, Batman pulled on his restraints, once again being unsuccessful. He did not like that word, sacrifice. There were only so many ways it could be used and most of them involved someone's death.
"That is a wonderful idea!" Maxie Zeus cried out. "Surely that should help with our cause!"
"Of course we'll need to take steps to ensure we keep him ready." Faust then held a hand up to the Dark Knight.
J'onn! Batman shouted mentally. I need—
"Pígaine gia ýpno," Faust spoke as his hand glowed menacingly. Before Batman could even complete his thought, his entire world fell into darkness.