The Emperor's Talon

Chapter 19: Fractures and Splinters

The sky above Gotham city was cool as the sun dipped down beyond the skyline; speckled with the occasional star that peered out from the darkness like a watchful eye. The universe and the Force itself seemed to be waiting for something to happen. One might has said that the very wind held its breath as the Wayne Enterprises skyscraper burned like a funeral pier against the backdrop of blue. Police speeders, fire suppression ships, medical frigates, and Storm Trooper response teams hovered around the building inactive as they waited for the bounty hunters to issue instruction.

Two floors of the building had been completely blown out. Black smoke and golden fire curled around the support columns or spilled into the city through shattered glass windows. More benign fires burned in the turbo lift shafts or offices. The once lively building, the pride of Gotham's business sector, now looked like the skeleton of a burning warship adrift in black space. It looked alive with death. The description was neither possible nor comforting and yet seemed somehow to fit.

"I'm picking up 124 life signs in there," Robin announced as the Batmobile came to a halt hovering beside the lower blown out floor. His fingers flew over the instrument's keys. "There are three in the penthouse and 121 on floor 73."

"We're outside floor 56, that's below the penthouse and the other hostages," Batman stated.

"Looks like the turbo lifts have been taken out," Robin observed.

"Fett," Batman growled.

"It's an even money bet," Robin agreed, "what's the plan? Do we announce ourselves? We have," he looked down at his wrist chrono, "about 2 minutes until Boba kills the first hostage."

Batman was already on his feet ready to launch himself through the shattered window into the building. "We stay under the radar as long as possible. If we use grappling guns inside the turbo lift shafts, we'll make it in time. And whatever happens, follow my lead." Batman launched himself from the Batmobile and rolled as he landed on the 56th floor of the building.

Robin watched his mentor jump through the broken window as he prepared to do the same. "Follow my lead," he muttered under his breath, "I'll follow your lead as long as you don't do anything stupid." He jumped.

"The turbo lift shafts are just around this corner and down the hall," Batman whispered.

The duo rounded the corner quickly but cautiously. Blue emergency indicator lights glowed along the hallway floor. Other lights blinked dimly overhead. Small fires burned quietly along the walls while debris drifted lazily through the thickening air. This floor was quiet. Too quiet. The stillness was deceitful, worrisome, and terrifying. As far as Robin was concerned, facing down a hundred men with guns was far less frightening than walking through lifeless halls knowing what lurked elsewhere in the building.

At the end of the hall, Batman stopped in front of the durasteel turbo lift doors. He began to pry the doors open with his bare hands. The metal creaked and groaned with his effort but nevertheless began to slowly give way.

Robin looked down at his wrist chrono again. "We have a minute and ten," he whispered anxiously.

Batman grunted acknowledgment. With a dull clang, the doors finally slid back into their pockets in the wall revealing the empty shaft which ran all 81 floors of the Wayne Enterprise skyscraper. Batman leapt through the opening onto a narrow ledge inside the shaft. He aimed his grappling gun into the darkness overhead. A sharp sounding thwang indicated that the line had hit something above. A second thwang echoed down as Robin's line caught hold as well. Not even a split second later, the two were ascending the shaft quickly as the retraction mechanism on the lines pulled them steadily upwards.

At the top of their lines, the duo was forced to halt. Robin cautiously thumped his fist against the obstruction over their heads. It was solid metal. "Blast," he cursed, "it's the underside of the turbo lift. It must have gotten jammed here with the shaft blew."

Batman was already scanning the wall beside them. "We're at the 71st floor. The hostages are two floors above us."

"We-" Robin was cut off by the voice of Boba Fett which boomed through the shaft over the building's intercom speaker. The was no where to run form the voice. No way of telling from whence it came. It was like an omnipresent foreteller of death.

"I hope you're in the building Batman," he said, "cause' you only have 30 seconds to save these hostages."

Robin glared at the turbo lift over his head; the thing blocking him and Batman from the 73rd floor and the hostages. "Any brilliant ideas?"

Batman cast his gaze around wildly. "We'll have to blow it up," he decided.

Robin hid his terror behind a feral grin. "And I thought I had a death-wish." Nevertheless, he began helping Batman set the charges.

"15 seconds Batman," called Fett over the intercom.

Batman looked intently at Robin. "On my count, swing towards me and let go of your line." Robin nodded. "Three, two, one, NOW!"

Robin kicked himself off the opposite wall towards his mentor as Batman detonated the explosives. The two slammed against the far wall and ducked precariously on the narrow ledge. The turbo car lift blew apart. The explosion ripped metal and shattered transparaseel. The wreckage tumbled back down the shaft, nearly a hundred stories, almost taking Batman and Robin with it.

Before the smoke cleared, Robin leapt out from under his mentor's protective arm onto the opposite ledge. Using nothing but his skill and the Force, he propelled himself upwards through the shaft. Gripping the ledge of the floor above him with one hand, he managed to swing outwards and pull a gainer up to the final floor. Batman was only seconds behind him.

"Move," the Bat commanded as he began to pry the turbo lift doors before them open.

Robin looked down at his wrist. They were out of time. "It's too late!" he cried. Before Batman could react, Robing blasted the doors open with a powerful Force push. The doors crashed against the floor announcing their arrival. Batman and Robin strode confidently through the opening just as Boba Fett pulled the trigger on the first hostage.

The scene that greeted them was akin to one of nightmares. Boba Fett stood tall, blaster in each hand, over 120 hostages huddled against the back wall of the break room. The room was dark aside from the emergency lights and the flickering fire by the windows. Fett's blaster was smoking. Someone should be dead. But he wasn't. The blaster bolt that should have gone through the man's head remained motionless in mid-air as if someone with a cosmic remote had pressed the pause button. Batman and the bounty hunter turned to see Robin, hand out stretched, face contorted with concentration, holding the blaster bolt in the Force.

"Impressive, kid," complemented Boba, "I see you two made it to your funeral."

"Clearly you can't tell the future, Fett," growled Batman.

"Oh? And you can?" the bounty hunter goaded.

"I guess that remains to be seen," Robin answered, "but I like the odds in my favor." Robin let go of his Force hold on the blaster bolt, but not in the direction of the hostage. He set it on a return track back towards the bounty hunter. Boba dropped the blaster in his right hand as the bolt shot it to pieces. He had just enough time to draw his secondary pistol before Batman's fist connected with his stomach.

"You two are fast, I'll give you that," Boba coughed. "But are you fast enough to dodge this?"

Boba let loose a torrent of blaster fire. Unlike the Storm Troopers they had faced up until this point, Boba was a good shot. He could separate his concentration in a way perhaps no other human could. He had one blaster trained on the Bat and one pointed at Robin. Each hand fired with equal deadly accuracy. Robin twisted his body through the air in a corkscrew flip landing behind one of the break room's dining tables. He flipped the table over into a makeshift barricade. Robin ducked as a blaster bolt ripped into the table near his head. Splinters from the blast pricked at his cheek. That was close.

Batman, on the other hand, stood his ground. The additional layer of Kevlar on his suit allowed him to take multiple hits without immediate damage. Seeing that Robin had ducked out of the way for the time being, Boba focused his fire on the Bat. Batman advanced slowly under fire until Boba's blaster jammed.

"My turn," growled the Bat. He lunged.

Wayne Enterprise Penthouse:

Deathstroke paused his fingers halfway down the blade of his electrified katana and looked down at his captives. "From the sound of that ruckus downstairs, I'd say Batman and Robin are being held up by my associate."

"Boba doesn't stand a chance against them. He's out gunned and out matched," Jason declared confidently, "and it's only a mater of time before they whoop your ass too!"

"Fett was right about one thing, Jason Todd, you are an intolerable brat," sighed Slade.

"And you're nothing but an overcompensated lacky doing other people's dirty work," Jason shot back.

This time Slade stood up and slapped him hard across the face. He had expected Jason to flinch, back down, and perhaps shed a tear. He was surprised when the boy did neither. Jason glared back up at him with hard eyes. It was clear he had taken hard knocks far too often to be fazed by a slap in the face. Slade allowed himself to feel a little respect for the kid. The galaxy was a cold place. People either broke, bent, or fought back. It looked like this kid was a fighter. Too bad his days were numbered.

"You're right about one thing though, Batman and Robin might be too much for even Boba Fett to handle alone. However, that isn't quite the plan." Slade smiled down at the two kids' ashen faces. "You didn't think I was foolish enough to bring them here without a full plan in mind, did you?"

Jason and Barbra looked at each other as their hearts plummeted once again.

Deathstroke pulled out his com-link. "Fett, are you in a position to initiate phase 3?" He listened. "Divide and conquer, my friend. Now quit messing around and let's get this over with."

Wayne Enterprises Breakroom:

From behind the table, Robin was grumbling, "follow my lead he says." He snapped a new grip on his grappling gun. "Sure, I'll just go ahead and get myself shot in the chest." He rolled his eyes as a blaster bolt went wild and careened into the ceiling above him. "So uncivilized."

"Robin, what are you doing? Form Up," Batman called over his shoulder as Boba slammed him through the breakroom wall.

"You're doing fine," Robin called back, "give him the whole 'I am vengeance, I am the night' routine."

"Not amused," Batman shouted.

"Well I am." Robin pulled a few smoke pellets out of his utility belt as he snapped the final adjustment onto his grappling gun. "This had better work."

Batman and Boba Fett were going at it hard core. The two combatants seemed evenly matched. Batman's martial arts, tech, and of course Jedi training matched Boba's prowess with every kind of blaster, jet pact, dirty combative tricks, and Mandlorian training. Batman feigned a left jab but Boba predicted the actual attack aimed at his right flank and sent Batman into the mini bar. Boba moved quickly to follow up before the Bat could recover.

Rising from behind the table, Robin front flipped over the barricade. "Hey Bucket-head, I hope you didn't forget about me."

Boba turned on him. He fired three shots in rapid succession. Robin pulled an Ariel cartwheel allowing the first two bolts to pass harmlessly by his torso. The third caught his thigh just as he landed. He didn't have time to think about it. Boba fired another four shots. Robin charged forward throwing the smoke pellets at the ground as he did. The bounty hunter's next shots went wild and flew aimlessly around the room. Robin turned to the hostages still cowering against the wall. He made a motion with his hand urging them to make a break for it down the stairs. When they didn't move, he employed the Force to shove them out of the way. They seemed to get the hint after that and flooded out the door. Good. One less thing to worry about.

Robin's distraction was all the time Batman needed to get back in the game. While Boba was focused on the fleeing hostages, Batman grabbed him around the neck from behind. With his target secured, Robin fired the modified grappling gun at the bounty hunter. It caught hold of the upper corner of the man's left breastplate.

"You might find this trick shocking." Robin pulled the switch on the grappling gun's reconfigured retraction mechanism. Electricity flowed along the cable zapping the bounty hunter. Boba's suit took most of the damage, but he was still forced to his knees.

Getting up, he glared at Robin. "I can't believe you just made that pun."

Robin ran a hand through his hair. "Neither can I."

"It's over Fett," growled Batman, "you lose."

Boba Fett just laughed. "You forget Batman, there are two of us just like there are two of you."

"Jason and Barbra weren't among the hostages in here. They must be with Slade," Robin pointed out.

Batman tightened his hold on Boba's throat. "Where is Deathstroke?" he demanded.

Boba laughed again. "That's for the Talon to figure out."

"There were three heat signatures in the penthouse when I scanned the building from the Batmobile," Robin recalled, "they must be up there."

"Very good kid," said a deep voice over the building's intercom speaker. Slade. "Let's see if you're good enough to save them. You have, oh, let's say 60 seconds to get yourself up here before I throw Barbra out the window."

"Barb!" Robin didn't take even a second to think. He bolted back towards the turbo lift shaft.

"Robin wait," called Batman, "we go together."

"No, Batman," Boba Fett stated, "that isn't the plan." He slipped a durasteel blade out of its hiding place on his hip and jammed it into Batman's side. "It's just you and me now, Bats." Fett dropped a thermal detonator at Batman's feet. The Dark Knight had no choice but to make a mad dive away from the explosive to avoid being blown to bits. Batman pushed himself up onto his knees and elbows. He pulled the knife from his side. Fett was on him before he had a chance to catch his breath.

The Penthouse:

Robin kept an eye on the clock at he free climbed the seven floors up to the penthouse. He was going to be cutting it close. Again. Damnit. He glared into the darkness overhead. Letting go of the shaft's wall, Robin grabbed ahold of one of the Turbo lift cables and propelled himself upwards with the Force. When he reached the 81st floor, he was surprised to find that the doors had already been blown up. Jason and Barbra were chained to one of the support columns in the middle of the spacious room. Slade was nowhere to be seen.

Dick's Talon instincts took over. The room was dark, but he was no stranger to moving through the shadows. His eyes began to glow bright amber as the room around him became clear as day. At least the Talon serum had some benefits. Robin slipped through the opening and seamlessly into the shadows. Like a winter spirit on the breath of the wind, he moved through the room towards his friends. Slade was smart. He had moved his hostages away from the desks and furniture into the middle of the room where then was no cover. No where for him to hide save the darkness itself. Robin shrugged. When had that ever stopped him?

Not letting his guard down for a second, Robin slipped up behind Barbra and Jason. He covered their mouths before they could scream at his sudden appearance. Barbra tried to bite his hand, and Jason elbowed him in the ribs. "Shh!" he hissed urgently, "my name is Robin. I'm here to rescue you."

"Dude, what kept you?" asked Jason once his mouth was free.

"Get out of here," whispered Barbra, "it's a trap."

Robin was already picking the lock on their chains. "Of course, it's a trap."

"You don't understand! Deathstroke is…"

"Right here," said a deep voice behind him.

Surprised but unafraid, Robin rose and turned to face the bounty hunter. "You know, you look better in the dark, Deathface. I can hardly see the dent I put in your mask."

"You forget who won our last battle." Slade goaded.

"Well, this angry ex-assassin demands a rematch," responded Robin casually.

"Bold of you boy," complimented Slade, "I could like you if you weren't so impertinent."

"Insolence is part of my charm, Death-breath."

"Indeed," Slade deadpanned.

"So what now?" asked Robin, "we fight, I set them free, you run back to Darth Vader?"

"Oh we fight alright," answered Slade, "but you come will surrender or you will die."

"Yeah, I tired death. It didn't take."

"Ah, yes. The Talon will regenerate. But will Robin?"

Robin shrugged one shoulder. "I'm not planning on finding out." He drew his escrima sticks. "Bring it."

Slade pulled out his katana. "You're mighty confident for a kid who's already been beaten once."

Robin smirked. "And you're mighty confident for a man who got his ass kicked by an unarmed 13 year-old girl."

Slade growled. "Last chance; surrender."

"Let me think about that. Umm…no."

Slade shrugged. "Makes no difference to me."

Robin was ready for Slade's attack. The man lunged forward with his katana. Robin spun left before the weapon could impale his forehead. Slade swung his blade around aiming for his chest. Robin leaned back and under. Slade's weapon slammed into the column above Jason's head. Robin looked down at the wide-eyed boy still chained to the supports. He looked back up at Slade. He slammed the escrima sticks into the man's wrists forcing the bounty hunter to let go of the katana. A simple Force push threw his opponent into the back wall.

Slade was getting up already. "Damn, should have hit him harder," Robin cursed. He knelt behind Barbra and began working on her chains again. "I'll get you loose in a second."

"Look out!" screamed Jason.

Robin turned. Deathstroke yanked his weapon free of the column's grip. Robin stood. He didn't have time to grab his sticks again before Slade kicked him in the chest. Robin landed on his back with a thud. He rolled backwards as Deathstroke slammed the katana hard into the floor where his shoulder had been.

"Come now, Talon, Vader trained you better than this," Slade jeered.

Robin threw a baterang towards Slade. It sailed through the air and imbedded itself in the ceiling over the man's head.

"Tt, you've gotten sloppy."

"Have I?" The baterang began beeping. Deathstroke looked up. He tried to move. He wasn't fast enough. The device detonated blasting a hole in the celling. Chunks of plaster and ferrocreet rained down on the bounty hunter. While Slade was temporarily preoccupied with digging himself out of the mess, Robin went back to Jason and Barbra. His hands shook as he tried yet again the pick the lock. He heard a click. Almost there.

A blaster bolt hit the locking mechanism. The metal melted and warped. Robin turned to see Slade back on his feet again holding the katana with one hand and blaster with the other. The man moved forward.

"Never fight two battles at once, kid," Slade warned. "It gets you killed."

"Thanks for the tip." Robin back flipped away. Deathstroke fired several shots at him. He ducked, rolled, and flipped around the room maneuvering himself out of the line of fire. He was fast; nearly a blur of movement. After what could be described as instantaneous eternity, Slade stopped firing. Robin stopped moving. Both were breathing hard. Both sweating. They glared at each other from across the room.

The corners of Slade's mouth twitched upwards. It took Robin only a second to recognize his mistake. He had allowed Deathstroke to maneuver him away from Barbra and Jason. The bounty hunter kept the blaster pointed at Robin while he swung the katana at Barbra's head. There was no way Robin could make it across the room in time. He screamed as Slade brought the blade home.

The breakroom:

Boba forced Batman back. He fired shot after shot. Batman had taken out his three but blasters and his jetpack, but Boba, like Batman, was one of the best. He had conserved his energy. While Batman had been fighting to end the battle quickly and make his way to Robin's side, all Boba had to do was keep him put. The Bat was wearing down. He was getting desperate. Good.

They heard a soul crushed scream above them. Batman reached out for Robin in the Force. He felt an intense flash of pain through the connection. He had to get up there and fast. If only Robin hadn't run off to face Deathstroke alone. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why can't that boy just do as he's told?

"Any more party trick up your sleeve, Batman?" asked Boba.

Batman knew he couldn't keep dodging bullets forever. But he didn't have too. "Just one," he answered. Batman reached for his lightsaber and activated it. He caught Boba's fire with the bright yellow blade.

"I've been waiting for this," laughed Boba, "Aurra Sing will be so jealous."

"You're about to wish you'd left Gotham alone." The Dark Knight charged like a bat out of hell.

The Penthouse:

Robin felt physical pain shoot up his arm as he tried to catch Slade's blade in the Force. The effect on him was similar to taking the blow himself. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. Deathstroke still managed to sink the blade into Barbra's neck. Blood dripped from the wound. From this distance, Robin couldn't tell how bad the cut was, but it scared him. Barbra had come so close to death because of him. It would never happen again.

He had tried Batman's way. Batman's way had almost gotten Barbra killed. It was time to change things up. With a flick of his wrist, he smacked the katana way from her with the Force. Slade, refusing to relinquish his hold on the weapon, was thrown several feet like a ragdoll. Robin pulled his lightsabers out from their hiding place on his belt. The brilliant white blades blazed forth from the hilts.

"Barbra, Jason, heads up," Robin shouted. The threw a lightsaber in their direction. It spun end over end through the air cutting their chains as it passed.

"Awesome!" cried Jason standing and punching his fist in the air. "Did ya see that, girly? Rob's got lightsabers! Two of them!"

"I saw." Barbra smiled. She tried to stand. She wobbled and threatened to collapse. Jason caught her.

Over at the far wall by the windows, Deathstroke pushed himself back to his feet. "You know Talon, if you keep pushing me around the room, I might start to get angry with you."

Robin reached his hand out before himself. The lightsaber he had thrown into Barbra and Jason's chains sailed through the air back to his waiting hand. Deathstroke cracked his neck and activated the energy shield surrounding the blade of his katana. With the energy field, Slade could fight an opponent armed with blasters or even lightsabers. The shield worked on the same basic energy wavelength as a lightsaber protecting the metal underneath from being completely carved through by the more powerful weapons.

Slade smirked at the way Robin's expression faltered when he activated the energy shield. "What? You didn't think I would come unprepared for your little archaic weapons, did you?"

"Anything's possible," Robin answered casually, "you haven't exactly impressed me today."

"Arrogant whelp!" spat Deathstroke.

Robin pulled a paksalto over the office desk and landed between Deathstroke and his friends. Slade brought his katana down hard. Making an X with his lightsabers, Robin caught the move easily. The two combatants locked blades. Tension filled the atmosphere as they evaluated one another. When the moment passed, the began to duel in earnest; Deathstoke with his carefully measured and brutal attacks, and Robin with his acrobatics. The whole room filled with pulsating white lights as Robin's lightsabers spun and parried faster than the eye could track. Robin allowed himself to become one with the Force. He pushed Deathstroke back. He became faster and faster. Nothing remained in the world but the white blades of destruction and Slade.

Deathstroke faltered. Robin pressed the attack. He realized his mistake too late. Slade jammed a small knife into his abdomen. He might have still been able to fight had the knife not been laced with poison. Robin could feel the poison attacking the Talon serum still running through his veins. He was freezing and slowing down. He barely evaded Slade's last attack before falling to his knees. The room was growing dark. The world was spinning.

"You put up a good fight kid," Slade mocked, "now, surrender; or I'll finish what I started." The bounty hunter grabbed Barbra from behind and pressed the katana against her throat.

"Don't do it, Robin!" she screamed.

But Dick could hardly hear her. He could hardly see her through the red haze that clouded his mind. On the brink of losing consciousness, Robin recognized what he was feeling. It was the Dark Side. Part of him knew to fight it. But the other part of him wanted to give in.

"You can't do anything," taunted Slade, "you can't save her. You can't save yourself. You thought you could alter fate; redeem the irredeemable. You thought the hero could be born from the ashes of a villain, but the universe tells another story. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

He had tried Batman's way. Batman's way didn't work. Robin narrowed his eyes. Screw it. There was more than one way to win.

….

Sometimes sacrifices must be made to save the things precious to us. But can we sacrifice our principals? Our very souls? Sometimes the price may be too steep, but it's a price some are willing to pay. Sacrifices are made by good people for good reasons, but sometimes they will give too much.

….

A/N: Hey guys, hope you enjoyed this chapter.