The Bat-wing soared high over the city of Gotham, blocking out the late morning sun to cast a looming shadow of a bat onto the rooftops below. Passing over the bustling highways filled with morning commuters, over the grey, frost touched shipping ports, until finally it was gliding out into the open sea towards the vast expansion of the Altantic Ocean.
Batman manned the controls, while Bane sat cross-armed behind him, with nothing to look at but a pair of pointy ears.
Alone above the clouds the Bat-wing was a sleek and powerful work of art, streamline and aerodynamic in its design. It was made for speed, though not so much for comfort. The tight confines of the cockpit and prevalent vibration of the engines only added to the sense of discomfort and unease between the masked men. And with an estimated flight of 3 hours it was looking like it was going to be a very long,very tense trip.
Still, Bane wasn't bothered, not when he had reason to be pleased. He was flying on the fastest jet he could get, and his alliance with Batman, though strained, would see him into the perilous mission they were about to undertake. To break into Pena Duro prison and rescue Marie Kelly from the clutches of the evil cult of the Demon's Head.
On the rescuing part of their plan Bane could certainly count on Batman. His noble sensibilities demanded that he protect the innocent at all cost. And with his arsenal of weapons at their disposal it would make finding her all the more easier than if he had to do it alone. And once Marie was safely out of the fray Bane would be free to go after the Doctor and claim the Phoenix Formula for his own. Vengeance and immortality would soon be his, and any man who got in his way would be feeding the sharks before noon.
"So. The League is in Pena Duro?" Batman broke the silence.
Bane suddenly broke out of his meditations, cocking an eyebrow. "You still don't think I'm telling the truth?"
non bothering to turn his head, Batman replied in his usual suspicious tone, "I simply want to make sure we're not breaking into the wrong prison for nothing."
"I can assure you, we're not. After you left, I called my men and they confirmed that an unmarked jet was seen flying over the prison. Unusual considering that the island has been a no fly zone for decades."
Over the intercom came a fizzle of static followed by a mannerly voice, "Doesn't it seem rather obvious, ridiculous even, for Dr Cooper to use the same old laboratory he worked in before he went into hiding?"
Bane sighed, he had thought Alfred dropped out of the conversation during take off. "I well aware of the irony, don't remind me," he said, rubbing his face.
"Let's just hope that the good doctor has the rest of his notes with him. So that they can be destroyed before Ra's gets his hands on them."
"If he hasn't got them already." Batman muttered under his breath.
Bane grinned, "Oh, don't worry. Bird is keeping a close watch on the island, if they leave before we get there he'll inform us."
The intercom flickered as Alfred spoke, "I feel I don't need to remind you how dangerous your plan is, Sir, or how likely it is that Ra's men are waiting in ambush. But whatever you're planning I feel it would be best to get Miss Kelly out of that viper's den first before worrying about Dr Cooper or the League of Assassins."
"Yes Alfred, but in order to do that we need to find out where they're keeping her. You're certain she's there too?" He asked, waiting for the slightest tint of doubt, but Bane gave non.
"Oh yes, I have a strong intuition." He smiled, his certainty giving him a swell of confidence.
But then he started to think about the prison, and then he started to remember. It wasn't the cells that he could see, in his mind he saw the men behind the bars. Standing on the platforms, walking down the stairs, moving freely within the prison under the watchful eye of the guards. Their sweat drenched faces and dark soulless sunken eyes, their gnashing teeth and brutal, grasping, snatching hands. Men, many of whom, who haven't seen a woman in years, who were never meant to see a woman again. Suddenly the thought that Marie was now inside that place made his stomach turn and lip quiver. He knew what kind of men lived in Pena Duro, he'd known them all his life. And if someone were to say that a woman was inside the prison, Bane could imagine that some desperate, opportunistic inmate would try anything to get his hands to her. And that made him sick. He struggled to keep his composure behind Batman's back, he clenched his fists and ground his teeth to try and shake those thoughts from his head. He told himself that dwelling on them wouldn't help him, or Marie.
I will get her out of there. He swore. And if they touch her I'll kill them all.
It was an long but smooth flight to the Caribbean, giving Bane and Batman ample time to plan their mission. After three hours of nothing but cloud and ocean, specks of land began to appear on the horizon. They were now flying over the Bahamas.
Not long now.
During their collaboration Bane suggested that since the league likely outnumbered them, they should call his allies on the island to assist them. He even supplied a phone number, making a mental note to destroy it later. Batman had Alfred call Bird on the number provided and as they talked Alfred relayed the instructions to Bird and his team.
They would land the Bat-wing in a hidden part of the jungle about two miles from the coast, from there one of his men will meet them and drive them the rest of the way. Getting inside the prison would be up to them, but if or when they found Marie one of them would lead her out of the prison and back to the Bat-wing ready to fly back to Gotham. In essence Bane had it all arranged.
As the sun crept higher above the skyline, up ahead Bane could just make out a familiar island among an archipelago of crooked rocks.
In a low voice devoid of humour, Batman said, "Welcome home."
From a birds eye view the island was no different to any other tropical destination, the shore was surrounded by fine white beaches, the ocean a brilliant clear blue, with little fishing boats floating in the shallows and impressive yachts docked in the marina. The promenade was dotted with resorts, shops, nightclubs and other small outlets all open for business. A typical tourist trap. But behind the allure of tropical weather and cheap alcohol the reality for the locals was much darker. Going past the beach resorts, hidden far from the tourists eyes the island was much more unstable, full of slums and primitive countryside cut out of dense jungle. A population living in abject poverty created by decades of rebellions, gang wars and government coups.
Twisting on the yoke Batman turned the Bat-wing to circle the island. He couldn't land it near the prison and risk being seen. So Bane instructed him to land the jet on the other side of the island. Outside the Bat-wing the sun had already disappeared behind a thick layer of Stratus clouds that covered the sky. Bane was thankful for the cover it would provide as they descended.
It's as if the elements themselves are acting in my favour.
They touched down with a jolt in an old stretch of farmland surrounded by the dense foliage. They wasted no time getting out, where they were greeted with a pleasant warmth despite the lack of sunlight.
"Its good to be back." Bane sighed. For all the islands faults at least he never had to worry about ice and snow.
Having stretched their legs the men immediately got to work getting the equipment they would need for the mission out of the cargo hold. It wasn't long before there heard a rumbling sound coming from down the road. They turned around to see a truck driving out of the wilderness towards them. It stopped with a high pitched screech. The engine was switched off and the two men watched as a bald, sickly looking man in a tailored suit stepped out of the drivers seat, clutching a cane decorated with a skull.
Bane walked up to greet the man with a familial good will.
"Zombie. It's good to see you again, old friend."
Zombie nodded in approval.
While Batman pulled out the rest of the cargo, Bane instructed Zombie to load it into the truck while he gathered branches and shrubs to camouflage the jet.
For an old man Zombie was sprightly, able to quickly load the truck by himself. Batman offered to help load the heavier items but Zombie said nothing and pretended not to hear him, then when they both grabbed the same article he heard a low growl and caught a grotesque sneer on the thin man's aged face, before he quietly slipped away. His open hostility didn't surprise Batman, he could recalled their last meeting several years ago, and even then it wasn't a pleasant experience. Like most criminals he fought Zombie was the type hold on to a grudge.
With everything loaded up and the jet camouflaged, everybody climbed in the truck and Zombie drove off. They rode on for a long time, shaking and jolting with every decline in the road. Through the winding hillsides and bushy undergrowth, passing by small rural communities until they arrive at the cliffs above the coastline.
Bane ordered Zombie to stop the van and the men climbed out. He wanted to get a better view before they went down to the shore.
Looking through a pair of binoculars he saw it, about a mile away from the coast sat a solitary stone building on top of a barren sea stack.
Pena Duro.
During his research Alfred learnt that there were very few records of the layout of the prison, which was understandable. It was once a Monastery built by the Jesuit monks, until the last revolution were the ruling government had it converted into a prison so they would have somewhere to keep the rebels and troublemakers locked up and out of the way. Most of the original records were destroyed to prevent outsiders from helping their friends escape. But Bane had had a lifetime to study the infrastructure from within. It was almost a shame that, when the time came for his own liberation, his knowledge wasn't needed. Until today.
The structure itself was built on a solid foundation surrounded by small white boats carrying armed guards. They were no bridges, the island was completely cut off from the mainland and the only way on the island was either by boat or by helicopter. The walls were tall and sparse, the masonry was worn by the salt of the sea air, speckled with rows upon rows of identical windows that once held stained glass but now were fitted with bars. The perimeter of the roof was also being patrolled by men with guns like Bird said and it was also surrounded by barbed wire, making it impossible for anyone to climb over.
Setting down his binoculars, Bane happened to glance back at the truck, and saw that Zombie too was also looking out over the sea at the prison. his sunken eyes squinted beneath his furrowed brow and his thin lips set into a tight angry curl. Though he stood with the patient discipline of a soldier Bane could sense in Zombie the pure, hot, seething hatred of a man who lost something he could never get back. Even though he was free of that place that held him prisoner, that took form him so many years of his life, he still couldn't look at it with anything other than the deepest concempt.
You're not alone old friend. I feel it too.
With that they carried on down to the coast were they emptied the truck and Zombie climbed back into the drivers seat and drove off. Giving Bane a curt nod before leaving.
"Now, we are clear on the plan," said Batman from the waters edge, "We go in unseen, and look for Marie. If she's here, we get her out and drive her to the Bat-wing. Then we come back, get Cooper and destroy the rest of the research before they move it out."
"Agreed," Bane nodded. "The best way in is through the old storm drains, they collect into a single tunnel that leads out into the ocean, the water level should be low when we get inside. We'll break through the floor into the ground level of the prison. The cells are on the second floor and above, if Bird is right and they came in from the roof they then would have had to go through general population to get to the old laboratory."
"and the inmates would tell you if they saw anything?"
Bane smiled, grabbing two pieces of equipment before throwing one of them to Batman, "You underestimate my influence in this place."