Gaze lingering on the spot where the woman had been standing, Batman let out an irritated growl, then spoke. "If we go after Shiva, then Joker has even more time to finish up with Sionis and do who knows what else. But I doubt she was bluffing." He finally turned to his "teacher." "I can't ignore this, Ozpin."
Ideas warred in Ozpin's head. The logical part agreed that the best course would be to focus all of their efforts on making sure the Joker couldn't cause any more trouble. Dangerous as Shiva was, she was either a pawn in his game or an unrelated matter; nothing compared to the… evil that emanated from that man.
The professor couldn't really explain it in a rational manner, but the fact remained: every second he had spent in Joker's presence once the truth had been discovered, his instincts had been screaming how dangerous he was. Only one other person brought out this level of trepidation from him, and he'd learned a long time ago not to let resources go to waste. Ozpin knew his own abilities, but having Batman along would tip the odds all the more in their favor. Letting a single life perish at Shiva's hand was tragic, but low in scale to letting their ability be diminished.
…But he still caught himself nodding to his partner's words. "No one said you have to, Batman. There's two of us, after all, and Shiva has expressly forbidden me from interfering. Let me move ahead for the steel mill and handle any obstacles there. Once you've completed her test, you can meet me at the mill."
The caped crime-fighter gave him a shrewd look. "You're assuming I can handle whatever she's got for me on my own, professor?"
Oz shrugged with a smile. "You've given me no reason to doubt you. Consider it a test from me as well."
His lips twitched minutely. "It's a risk for both of us, but we don't have many other options. Clear out the mill as much as you can, but don't confront Joker unless you don't have any other choice. He's mine."
A nod at that; if it were Salem and he had choice, he'd very much take the chance to defeat her personally. Not that such a thing was possible, he mused with a small touch of bitterness and envy. "Keep your guard up. There's a good chance another of the assassins might make their move." Ozpin launched his grapnel upwards. "Save the person, and don't let her get to you, Batman. You're stronger than that."
"I won't." Batman punctuated his affirmation with taking off in a separate direction, the Batwing awaiting him. Oz kept an impressed eye on him even as he navigated the nearby rooftops himself. He's willing to put saving a single innocent over stopping a madman. I can't decide if that's noble or shortsighted. Or both.
He gave a wistful sigh jumping as he traversed the upper parts of Gotham. Back on Remnant, the headmaster of Beacon could've sent Qrow or another trusted veteran (there was no way he would ever have students confront a creature like the Joker) to deal with the criminals. In the meantime, he'd be going over all the information, trying to guess what Salem's endgame would be. But in Gotham, all of the allies and resources he'd developed over countless lifetimes couldn't be accessed. All he had was his ever-reliable cane, his Aura, a fraction of his original magic, the experience and memories of similar situations…
And Batman, who seemed to trust him to an extent. The two had already accomplished a great deal, but would it be enough? Then his thoughts drifted to Barbara, her eyes and words so full of admiration. She definitely deserved a peaceful, safe Gotham. Her father, too. Not even counting those two policemen who first escorted him. They were green and definitely had their own ideas of what being policemen meant for them, but they were not irredeemable. They'd proven that much to him despite some of their less favorable side ventures.
I don't know if this is logical. But… saving lives is the most important part, right? Can you really say you're doing the right thing if you let an innocent die for the sake of convenience?
Oz' mouth curled up again. Either way, it's been a while since I've been so active in the field. Since I've had to make these choices in person. I could certainly stand to learn a few things from this little adventure. I think, deep down, I truly needed this.
Rounding a corner in midair with a twist of his body, Ozpin silently marveled at how quickly one could navigate the city from higher ground. He could already see the front of Sionis Industries' mill, the back of which he remembered from apprehending that Chase fellow. Only this time, it was more heavily guarded. His attempt to determine just how many enemies he might have to deal with was hindered by a familiar static in Detective Vision. Another jammer.
The Huntsman silently slipped among the shadows, using his goggles to track where the disturbance was strongest. He found it in an open container, a device mounted on the wall. A heavy blow with the Long Memory reduced it to scrap and enabled Detective Vision. Ozpin then grappled up to a higher vantage point, unseen by the guards.
"What you think they're doin' in there?" One thug asked another.
"Whatever they're doin', Black Mask deserves it."
"Heh, yeah. I wouldn't mind a few whacks at the old boss myself." Not much loyalty here. Sionis should've been more careful. Oz gently dropped down to behind a colleague of theirs that was patrolling a far corner. He kicked down a knee and wrapped his arms tightly around his face, though the elongated nose of his mask was a bit of a hindrance. Nevertheless, the man sank to the ground in less than a minute.
His partner chuckled in agreement. "Me neither. But… you think we can trust the new guy?"
"A guy who calls himself the Joker? Hell, no. But you can't cross him neither." So they're not completely blind to Joker's madness. But they just might regret changing sides soon enough. And not just because of me.
"Ain't that the story of our lives?" The goon almost sounded regretful there. Oz flashed a small bit of pity for them even as he disabled a sniper on the right walkway. In a place like current Gotham, making a living the honest way was probably difficult to say the least. Well, the least the professor could do was not harm them too much.
He snuck down to where the two had been conversing, guns at the ready, then pulled them in simultaneously, fingers of both hands at key spots by their necks. The pressure caught off their oxygen and quickly knocked them out with little pain and no long-term injury. Footsteps from behind made Ozpin whirl around and hurl a disk. The projectile struck the rifle of the one stepping into view, knocking him off balance. It only took three seconds for him to reach the goon and pin him to the snow.
Two more had heard the commotion and were running straight for him, but a second disk made one lose his footing as he tried climbing down a ladder, making him fall to the ground. The last one didn't even get a chance to pull the trigger before his head made contact with a black shaft. Multiple times.
Ozpin began brushing off the remaining snow when Alfred reported, "Sirs, I have isolated the electromagnetic signal on Electrocutioner's gloves. You can track him with your scanners now."
"A bit late, Alfred," Batman bluntly replied, making Oz frown a bit. "We're about to get our hands on Black Mask, and maybe the Joker, too."
"Still, it's good to know we can find Buchinsky before he leaves the city or tries something rash. No doubt that extravagant pup won't accept a rescinding of the bounty." Ozpin reminded, getting a thoughtful hum from his partner. "How's the test going?"
"The hostage is secure, I'm tracking the blood of one of Shiva's followers. Another man was captured. The mill?"
"I just finished with the outside's guards and am about to enter. You shouldn't encounter any resistance on your arrival."
"Very well, the signal is ready to be followed, should you need it." Alfred reminded them.
"Thank you, Alfred." The headmaster replied, honestly grateful for his assistance. He then opened the main door and stepped inside, The Long Memory collapsed but ready in his right hand.
Inside, he appeared to be in a loading bay, boxes stacked to the ceiling and various machines for carrying heavy loads lying in wait. And people, too. "The new boss's one hell of an actor. I had no idea it was him under the mask." In a relatively clear area, a trio of thugs were idly chatting around, two with knives, one with a shield. More were further ahead. Begrudgingly, Oz had to agree regarding the Joker's skill of mimicry.
"Me neither. He was the spittin' image of Sionis. How long you think he's been impersonating him?" Grateful no one outside had managed to fire their guns and thereby alerted these fellows, Ozpin slipped into a floor grate and slowly crept to under their noses.
"Days, weeks maybe. Who cares?" The third waved it off. "What I care about is what in the hell Rocco and the guys are still doin' down there? It's after midnight."
"They're changing the security codes," the first answered while playing with his blade, "and interrogatin' the Black Mask. That's what I heard."
"Ah, great. Sounds like we'll be here all night." By then, Ozpin had gotten far enough that he could leap from out of the grates and onto the nearest thug. With that one out of the fight, the other two hastily made to confront him, only for the makeshift-shield-bearer to get his feet tripped up. He sprawled on the floor, his ally falling onto him a second later with a bent knife.
The Huntsman then lunged at the armored thug coming down the nearby stairs with a rifle, twisting it out of his grip and into the head of the perp on his left. Then followed a barrage of rapid thrusts that practically stripped him of his armor before he tumbled backwards. Ozpin then ducked under the gasoline tank hurled at him, stuck the tip of his cane into its handle, and then swung it towards the wall next to the last mobster. The resulting explosion was just far enough not to kill him but stunned him enough to have his head slammed to the ground.
Oz righted himself and donned his goggles for more of Joker's lackeys. Sure enough, another was in the above office, one of which had been rattled by the commotion. "You see what happened down there?"
"What're you goin' on about now?"
"All our guys, gone. It's like they vanished. Vinnie, Paul, Frank… you don't think it was the Bat, do you?"
"The Bat? Here? N-no way, I just got the phone with a buddy said he was on the other side of town!"
"W-well, what about the new guy? Oz-something? They're probably out for revenge after the boss tried to off 'em." Not so much revenge as just trying to make sure that… unruly wretch is unable to cause more harm, Ozpin mused as he ran through the parts of the mill. The murder attempt, that's just part of the job.
His path took him through a door towards a staircase, a voice from higher up barely audible. "Listen, Anyone, including the Bat or his buddy, opens that, door, they're full of holes." Perking an eyebrow at that, Oz scanned the door at the top; sure enough, there was a rather large turret on the other side, pointed straight at doorway. "That thing's fully automated. Never misses."
Thanks for the warning. He pulled open the vent above the door and himself in with his grapnel. As his former student Taiyang had always been quick to remind his teammates (much to the professor's pride), if the direct approach didn't work, then find a way around the obstacle. "How do you know it works?"
"Trust me, it works."
He climbed through the shaft to find the group Detective Vision had seen earlier. Three were eyeing the door further away, safely behind its rather… thorough security, while two more, one in armor, stood at the room's center. A vault door similar to the one in the bank was partially open, leaking loose dollar bills. All of them appeared on edge to some degree. "This is like that scene in a horror movie, where you know the monster is just outside the house, and we're the dumbasses stuck in the house."
No, man, we're the monster." A little scoff escaped his lips, unheard by any of them. Times like this, he actually enjoyed his work a bit.
Ozpin slid out of the vent and crept along the steel beams before dropping onto one of the goons hovering behind the turret. The one right next to him panicked and actually tried to realign the gun; an attempt to use it against the intruder? Needless to say, it was too large and heavy to be moved by one person alone, and Oz himself wasn't interested in trying his luck against fully automated fire.
Driving back the armored thug with cane strikes, he kicked out the knee of the one near the weapon and with a single hand and a small roll backwards, bodily launched him at an armed colleague, downing them both. That left the big one and a non-armored goon charging at him with a pipe. Ozpin parried his wild swings with practiced ease before disarming him, then grabbing the metal and tossing it at the other thug. It struck him straight in the makeup-adorned helmet, making him fall back to the floor with a heavy thud. As for the last one, he twirled flailing to the ground after one more blow.
That battle over, Ozpin first walked back to the slightly askew turret and smashed it to pieces with an over-handed swing of The Long Memory. Batman ought to be done soon, wouldn't want him to be riddled with bullets due to my own negligence. Besides, we may need to leave the same way we came in. He headed for the computers on the far desk. I don't know the security code for the door, but that's likely a good place to look.
The headmaster crossed the distance in a few quick strides, dollars fluttering in the wind. He spared a glance at the pictures showing all eight assassins hired, then focused on the computers. Next to them was a heavy open suitcase nearly filled with stacks of money. Ozpin made to retrieve his sequencer, then spun around with his cane at the ready. He then relaxed. "Good to see you again. Already finished Shiva's game?"
Batman shook his head as he drew closer. "More like she's allowed an interval. I was just lucky the trail lead to under a bridge close by. I haven't really fought her or any of the other assassins yet. You encounter them?"
"No, so far, only Joker's men. From the way they spoke, I doubt he's actually here." Oz' jaw clenched at how he'd slipped away, then he exhaled and continued. "But Sionis is, I'm sure of it. At the very least, he may be of help." He thumbed towards the desk. "I was just about to access the security system."
"I can handle that with my gear faster." Batman stepped closer and typed a command onto his left gauntlet. Then he activated the comm as a digital screen booted up over his forearm. "Alfred, I'm uploading data from one of Black Mask's servers. We need codes to bypass a security door in the loading dock."
"Receiving it now, sir." Data of Roman Sionis began showing, including medical data they'd seen before. Both read with avid interest.
"More about Sionis' pacemaker implant…" Batman mumbled while watching a heartbeat simulation. "It says here he has prolonged Q-T Syndrome. Anything that raises his heart rate could trigger cardiac arrest." Then came pictures of a familiar lunatic. "Sionis was having Joker followed. These photos show him obtaining chemicals used in making explosives."
"Sionis definitely ought to have at least an idea what Joker's plans are," Ozpin summarized from the information. "So let's go arrange a chat with him."
"Good fortune to you, sirs." Alfred replied as a blueprint picture was seen. "I've also found the security codes you were looking for. You have access to the building now." The billionaire deactivated his screen with a confirming nod to both of his allies, then the duo grappled up towards the ceiling and dropped back down into the cargo bay. Then the butler spoke again. "Master Bruce, looking through Sionis' files, I found reference to a chemical similar to the compound you need for your glue grenade. I'm going to try to synthesize it in the lab. If it works, I'll have a prototype for you as soon as the resin cures."
"Good, I'll need it." Batman indirectly thanked him while they walked through the room. "The more we learn about the Joker, the more I realize…" he paused for a second, prompting Ozpin to eye him in concern. "there's something very different about him." He then turned to his ally in green. "Ozpin, you said a while that you train children to face threats worse than this."
"Back then, I thought Black Mask was the real threat tonight," Ozpin conceded, a frown deepening. "The Joker on the other hand… I can count on one hand the number of times I've met such insane evil. And there's no way I'd let my students have to face such a man if it could be helped otherwise." The Grimm, they're violent, destructive, but that's simply in their nature. There's no real malice to their actions, it's simply their drive. But Joker… he's something else entirely.
By now, they'd reached the door, access panel keeping it locked. Fortunately, the sequencer was now able to puzzle out the code, allowing them to open it. But as the door swung closed, a shadow drifted over the bay's depot, putting both on guard. "What was that?" Batman asked, hand drifting to his belt.
"I don't know, I couldn't catch a glimpse." Oz' eyes scanned the room. Desks with files, damaged machinery, a massive ice column in the corner, but no sign of an enemy. They continued with a strange mixture of haste and caution, eyes, ears, even noses a bit scanning for any hint of an attacker. But nothing. There was a small part of Ozpin that felt the silhouette looked familiar, but he couldn't place it.
Finally, they arrived into another loading room, this one with even more goons. Some were escorting a forklift into an opening in the right wall before the bricks slid in place after them. "We'll need to find a way inside that room." Batman muttered, eyes drifting back the way they came.
Hidden mechanisms were something Oz was quite familiar with (Batman as well, if his cave was any indication), so there had to be some sort of control. But first things first. "C'mon, why are you still messing round with that crane?" A thug scolded the one manning the controls as the crane drifted away from the wall. "We're supposed to be locking this place down."
"Whatever, man." Was the disinterested reply.
"I'm serious, knock it off!"
"Okay, okay! Let me shut it down." The heavy load swung to a stop. "Why we gotta lock this place down anyway? Joker expectin' the cops?"
"I heard it ain't the cops he's worried about, it's the Bat and his buddy." The two crime-fighters separated to box them in from opposite sides.
"The Bat." That one was positively skeptical. "So all that rumor stuff's for real?"
"Well, the boss seems to think so."
"Yeah, the boss also thinks that green and purple is an acceptable color combo." Some on Remnant would agree, though I personally prefer green primarily.
"What're you tryin' to say?"
"The new boss is… a little crazy, that's all." Understatement of the upcoming year.
"That's where you're wrong, man. Green is the new black." Oz paused while climbing onto a container. …I almost agree with that. Then he shook his head; no time for fashion, now.
He sped from the high ground to whip out the feet of two goons standing close together just as Batman pounced onto a third on the other side of the warehouse. Crouching low to place something on the ground, the veteran flipped away from the swipe of a club, then detonated the Explosive Gel he left behind. The resulting blast blew the still-downed goons into opposite directions while the third with the pipe somersaulted backwards. He didn't even get a chance to rise before another crashed on top of him, thrown by Batman.
As the vigilante reeled in another, Oz side-stepped a shield bask from the last one, then tripped him up with his cane. He then brought his foot down on the shield, smacking it against the man's head, finishing the job. But then the wall retracted again as a new voice called out. "Oz and the Bat're here, people. Get ready."
"Yessir!" More goons ran out, weapons at the ready as a heavyset brute in armor strode after them, cracking his knuckles.
The entrance slid shut after him. "I want them dead, you understand me? Deader than dead. They get past us and any of you that survive will wish you were deader than dead too." Ozpin made to answer the big one's challenge, then Batman gave him a little signal. Curious, he simply joined the black-armored man, cane out, as they circled the pair. "I'm gonna string you both up like salamis, then carve you into tiny pieces!"
Then Batman slammed a small blinking device onto the ground. A slight whine emanated from it, then a swarm of bats flew in from all sides, black shapes gathered into a cyclone of screeching darkness. The thugs, happening to be in their path, yelled and lashed out in desperation as they were assaulted by claws, fangs and more than a few wings. Even the brute wasn't unscathed from the bats' attempts to remove obstacles.
"…I can appreciate your chosen moniker a bit more now, Batman." Ozpin chuckled, himself unaffected by the avian creatures, but impressed. He in turn only gave a smirk before charging at the confused thugs, disabling two in twice as many seconds with a flurry of blows. Oz for his part lashed out with the Long Memory, battering multiple targets at the same time. Even as the device calling the bats deactivated and they fled the warehouse, the mobsters were too disorganized to mount any sort of coordinated counterattack. Batman and Ozpin, by contrast, fought like seasoned partners, aiding each other and sometimes delivering the coup de grace for each other's opponent.
In less than a minute, only the brute was still standing, and despite no more bats there to distract him, he couldn't hit either of the two. They, on the other hand, quickly stripped him of his armor, then assailed him with a collection of blows from fists, kicks, gadgets and a deceptively durable cane that wore him down until a final uppercut from Batman put him down for the count.
Even though the immediate threat had been taken care of, Batman looked around with a frustrated expression. "I can't see the controls for the passageway anywhere. With our luck, they're on the other side."
Ozpin simply eyed the crane holding heavy iron bars above them, then the controls right next to them. "Well, there's a time for every sort of tool. Including a hammer." He stepped over the unconscious bodies and activated the crane, making it move at full (rather unimpressive) speed into the wall above the entrance. It slammed hard into the surface, dislodging a couple of bricks, but not enough for an opening.
Clicking his tongue, Batman shot his grapnel at the back of the load, Ozpin copying his action, then both gave a good yank. It swung back from the force, then crashed again into the wall, breaking apart the rest. "That's more like it."
But as they grappled to the top, a cold cackle made them freeze up while a shadow passed over the now exposed floor. From their perch, they glanced in every direction, but still nothing. Dropping into the walled-off room, Oz remained on guard while Batman moved for an elevator on the other side. Just as he caught a glimpse of a woman standing high up in the warehouse, a terrified voice rang out.
"Get them out of me! Help! No! Oh, God! Please no!" That same laugh reverberated along the walls as the lift slowly came up, the voice growing louder. "Get out, get out, get- AHH!" The gate retracted to show a goon clawing at his chest, then shuddering to a stop.
"Who did this…?" Batman muttered, worry etched into his voice. While Oz quickly activated the button to make it bring them down, he scanned the body for clues. "No signs of assault… Hmm." Something in the tone made the professor step closer. "Ozpin, take a look at this."
Donning his goggles, he understood immediately. "His entire system just shut down- hints of toxicity. The man was poisoned, then." I'm not an expert anymore, but there are dozens of neurotoxins that could inflict such damage. And terror. He reminded himself, looking at the scratches the man's jacket and shirt bore.
Suddenly, he recalled another female assassin from the list shown earlier this night. He looked sharply at Batman. "The Joker is not the only one to use poison. In fact, was there not another individual who would be inclined to maintain a snakelike moniker?"
Batman, ever the sharp one, immediately arrived at the conclusion: "Copperhead. Keep an eye out."
Glancing about every which way, Ozpin responds, "Two, whenever I can spare them."
As the elevator came to a stop, the two heard a new voice while they walked towards the next door. "…just lost it. Started clawin' at his skin and then he ran into the elevator."
"We should call for backup," another suggested.
"So we can get laughed at cuz we couldn't handle our jobs? Hell, no." Batman opened the door to find a maintenance room with two lackeys in front of them and three more farther down.
"I swear it was some kinda witchcraft or somethin'." A third said, thankfully looking the wrong way.
"We ain't gonna make it out of here. None of us are…" Oz pulled back the closest into a headlock, allowing Batman to sneak over to the next man.
"Hey, yo." The farthest one said. "Somethin' doesn't feel right here. It's like we're being watched." When he didn't get an answer, he turned to see the two by the elevator unconscious and the remaining two trapped in chokeholds by a man in black armor and cape and another in a green suit. He charged down the stairs, only to be intercepted by the green one who batted away his knife with a sleek black cane, then unleashed a blur of strikes that sent him tumbling back into the stairs. The last thought in his mind before darkness took him was, huh, I was right.
Ozpin checked the pulse of the one he'd just knocked out. Satisfied with its steady beat, he gently pushed him out of the way, then climbed up the stairs, Batman following. On either side of the hallway were barred cells (for temporary prisoners, maybe?), a small office as well on the right, all of which were relatively new additions. The exit was locked, but a quick application of Oz' sequencer spelled out "NARCOTIC," allowing the door to be opened.
The next room was likely meant to be a simple boiler room in its original purpose, but Black Mask seemed to have converted it into a large drug laboratory; Ozpin recognized the equipment and arrangements similar to pictures he'd seen on Batman's computer and from council meetings over crime. A giant black skull had been partially painted on the massive tank in the room's center. There's not much difference in the narcotics being run here than on Remnant, aside from Dust usage in some. He didn't have much time or inclination to consider it, on one hand thanks to all of the other threats tonight, on the other someone yelling, "Let me out of here!"
The voice sounded familiar. "They're holding Sionis in here somewhere," Batman realized, but to their irritation, Detective Vision only showed static. Plus guards were patrolling much of the walkways. They grappled up to gargoyles in opposite directions, needing more of a natural bird's-eye view. At least five men, each with sniper rifles. And still that jammer.
"Whaddaya say, Joe?" A thug taunted, leaning his gun on his shoulder. "Should we let him out?"
"Joe" supped his chin as in thought. "Let me think: he did give us that raise he promised us." Then he snapped his fingers. "Oh wait, no, he never did. That's right, how could I have ever forgotten?" Batman had already dropped down to snatch up one of the snipers and leave him hanging by the gargoyle before moving on.
Sionis at least wasn't cowed easily. "When I get out of here, I'm gonna kill both of you slowly! With my bare hands!" If he weren't a remorseless crime lord, I'd admire his will. Ozpin swung lower to tackle one thug walking along into the corner and punch him out.
Done with that, he spread himself on the ground and fully extended his cane, holding it like a billiard cue aimed straight at the ladder in front. When the one he'd noticed earlier climbed up, he peaked over the ledge just in time for a square tip to ram into his head, sending him falling with a cry to down below. Another heard his cry, but a line attached to his back and pulled a gasoline tank into his back, setting off a small explosion. No fatalities, but they wouldn't cause any more trouble.
By now, the rest were on edge and ready to shoot at anything that looked funny. Ozpin first returned to higher ground, then tossed a special disk he'd been saving. As soon as it landed, the projectile began emitting a loud whine, drawing in an armored thug. When he looked down at it in curiosity, the Huntsman snuck up from behind and slammed his head hard against the wall. As the man slid to the floor, he peaked out to watch Batman descend to behind the men who had been taunting their former boss earlier and knock their heads together, making them crumple up. As he quickly rejoined his colleague, the two exchanged nods and walked inside the room they'd been hearing Roman's voice from.
Inside, it appeared to be a cross between a meeting room with blazing fireplace and armchair, and a torture chamber. Roman Sionis was strung up in the far part of the room, glaring at nothing. "Hey, Wonder Twins. Over here. Let me down!" he snarled. Ignoring him for the moment, they walked towards the desk and monitors close by. The desk itself was cluttered with technology, one of which was the jamming device which Batman quickly neutralized with his disruptor, large files of individuals (Cheshire, Black Spider, David Cain) that each had the word "REJECTED" stamped in red on them, and another suitcase filled to the brim with dollars. "Are you assholes deaf or somethin'?" The monitors were apparently linked to cameras all over the steel mill; no sign of any other mobsters or intruders. Then again, trained assassins likely knew dozens of ways to avoid detection. With nothing else of interest, they headed for the fallen boss.
Sionis showed no signs of gratitude at his rescue. "Get me out'a this thing." He spat out. Then again, neither Batman nor Ozpin felt really happy rescuing him in the first place.
Batman undid the locks for his feet, then Oz pulled him loose from the chains suspending him, lowering him to the ground. "I'm certain you have had a trying time, Mr. Sionis," the professor asked in a calm tone, "So allow me to be candid: Where is the Joker?"
Sionis just sneered. "You and your fancy talk can go to hell, snob."
"Wrong answer," Batman warned, kicking him in the ribs as Ozpin rose. He ignored the disapproving, mildly exasperating look the older man gave him and crouched over their captive. While he let out some of the frustration that Joker was still eluding him, Oz made to stop him (crude beating wouldn't get them anywhere with Roman) when his ears picked something up. A metal sound, like some sort of clicking. He slowly turned in every direction, but the room's only occupants were the three of them. No one else. Right?
His thoughts went back to Copperhead and the potential entryways for her. "By my count, there are still nine more ribs I can break." Batman flipped Sionis onto his back and punched his chest, making him cry out.
Honestly. Whatever happened to sitting down for a nice cup of tea, or cocoa, and a civilized interrogation?
But Sionis wouldn't budge. "You think that'll make me talk, after what he's put me through? The torture, turned my men on me, stole from me. Murdered my woman. He's my kill, not yours and not that old geezer behind you. Mine!"
Why does everyone assume I'm that old? Probably the silver hair… Oz' eyes flickered up to the ceiling, where most had crumbled and fallen away. Could she…
Batman hit him again and fiddled with his gauntlet. The holographic simulation of his heartbeat appeared over the arm. "I can control your pacemaker remotely. Want to see what two hundred and fifty heartbeats per minute feel like?" A bluff, Ozpin understood, but a risky one.
"You wouldn't…" Sionis didn't seem to buy it.
The headmaster opened his mouth to interject, the firm hand approach wasn't working. Maybe they could form some kind of temporary deal.
But then another noise, much closer, made him whirl around in alarm just as a lean figure dropped from the ceiling. "Batman!"
Yes, my loyal readers, this is a rather lackluster chapter. Consider it a filler. I'm fully aware that many of you wanted to see a Ozpin vs. Shiva fight, but I've a different idea in mind. Don't worry, just because you don't see it today doesn't mean it isn't coming. And sorry for the delay, classes have started up again (and were actually proper ones where you could go into the university up until two days ago…) and I've got a fair bit of work ahead. I promise to try and keep the chapters on a somewhat regular scale, and I'm not dropping the story, I promise. At the very least, I'm in this to the end.
Special thanks to my excellent editor, MasterPrince713. His ideas are delicious!
Review Q&A:
*To The Avenging Titan: Thank you for the praise and you're absolutely right, Oz has now caught a glimpse of the most depraved person this world has to offer. And the real fun has yet to begin…
*To Andromeda: Good to hear from you again and happy you're still enjoying this!
*To Jamieoeyes: I don't regret buying the Fairy Tales of Remnant book one bit, the Infinite Man story really went for my heart. I just had to add that little moment with Babs; Ozpin's got so many haters, especially himself. Someone needs to show him a little love. His time with Shiva will come, I swear.
*To Jebest4781: Thanks and I'll do my best.
*To Mastermind4892: …Okay, you are SCARY good at those descriptions! Maybe I should just let you handle the story because you described my intentions perfectly here ;-).
*To MajorBrony95: That seriously sounds awesome, I'd be surprised too at Ruby's anger towards the Joker, justified though it may be. Shiva's respect of her also makes good sense. Ah, if only…
*To the first guest: You have a point about Oz taking the other world thing in stride. In-universe, I justify it as him having seen just about everything so that nothing, even walking in a world with no Grimm, Faunus, or Dust, really surprises him. He'd probably think about it more if it weren't for all the excitement going on.
*To Agent 48: Yup, I enjoyed the look into Remnant's myths very much, no less because we got to see a time where Oz was more active in uniting humanity. Could explain his secretive nature in present day: an attempt to avoid past mistakes, but sadly making new ones. And who knows, we might get to see some form of the afterlife in the next volumes.
*To MetalScizor: Thank you for your criticism, sorry if Joker's reveal was under expectations for you. Needless to say, this isn't his last scene, and yes, Batman's still a rookie, but Ozpin most certainly isn't. Would you rather he stand by and let Batman got shot or blown up? Either way, the story continues, with a few more surprises here and there. Stay tuned!
*To the second guest: Believe me, I'd love for Oz to have a chance not to have to go through all the shit that life put him through, but I'm not sure time travel is refined enough for him to put in the exact spot where he could stop it. Another question is whether the gods would allow it, we don't know just how powerful they are.
*To the third guest: Hmm, curious idea you gave me there. Maybe Buchinsky gets saved, maybe not. We'll see…
*To Salior Pandora: Oh yes, both have little idea just what the other is capable of. But it's gonna get wild.