Chapter 7

Bruce Wayne didn't have to look for very long to find Elsa. She had been staying at her sister's home in Arendelle. The problem was, he was sure she didn't want to see his face ever again. He didn't want to get near to her, fearing a bad reaction from her, but his other options were bleak. He ultimately decided to go with an approach he was sure she would appreciate; A hand written letter.

However, right now, there were more important things to take care of. For instance, the death of Garrison Slate had already been publicised, being declared a suicide, and Bruce assumed the autopsy would begin soon. But unless they found a mind control device in his brain, then it would prove futile to attempt any visit to the corpse.

His next course of action would be to return to the scene of the crime. He hoped there would still be something there, anything. It was the last thing he would do before he began his hunt. This time, however, he would go not as Batman, but rather Bruce Wayne.

As he walked through the doors, he greeted the staff that were present, and everyone stopped and pointed at him, shocked to see him. The assistant dropped her jaw when she saw him, and she fixed herself quickly, sitting up straight behind the reception desk, as he moved near her.

"Hello there," he greeted.

"Welcome, Mr Wayne, what can we do for you?" she stammered.

"I'm here to buy the company, of course," he smiled, joking, but she didn't pick up on it.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry, but our CEO just passed yesterday, so there's not really anyone you can speak to, but if you want, I can direct you to the board of directors," she said, gravely.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Bruce lied. He had been the only one to witness it.

"That's alright. So do you want me to-?" she asked.

"Oh no, it's fine, I'll find my way out. Maybe some other day," he finished.

"Have a pleasant day," she dismissed.

He wasn't done though, and he pretended to take the elevator down to the garage, but instead went up to the same level where he had interrogated Slate. Bruce entered the former CEO's office in a matter of seconds. He had to look for anything that might give him a clue, to anything. He checked through folders and files, and on the computers, but there were no secrets to be found. His clean sweep virus he uploaded to the computers found nothing on any of the villains, or any malicious plans. But, Slate's personal laptop was still in the room, and he had saved it for last. However, he heard footsteps approaching his location, and quickly hid the laptop underneath his shirt, in time to avoid any suspicion from whoever was coming.

"Hi," Bruce said, warmly. It was a security guard.

"What are you doing here?" the guard asked, casually.

"Oh, I'm just looking for the restroom. You wouldn't know where to find-?"

The guard pointed down the hall, and Bruce hurried to it. The security man didn't trust him completely, and decided to follow him to see what he would do.

Bruce rapidly locked himself inside one of the stalls. He was now stuck with no way out. Unless he wanted to reveal himself, he was stuck.

He heard the door open, and assumed it was the guard. The sound of the water coming from the faucet broke the silence, and Bruce thought of an idea. He took out his cell phone, which he himself designed, and used it to sound an alarm in the building. The guard heard it, and rushed out to help. As quickly as he entered, he was gone, and this time he took the stairs, to avoid any confrontations. He saw the fire trucks arriving, but they wouldn't find anything. Bruce entered his car, put the laptop in the passenger's seat, drove away, and began to call a certain member of the league to help him with his investigation.

"Batman to Flash," he called.

"Yeah, I hear you, Bats," Barry returned.

"I need your cooperation."

"No way! Batman? Asking me for help? I'm honoured," he joked.

"I'm not going to say it twice."

"Of course I'll help you! Anything for my dark, broody friend." Barry must have been beaming on his end.

"Meet me at the Batcave," Bruce grunted.

"Will do."

"Bruce what's going on? What's so serious that you couldn't figure out?" Barry asked, a little troubled that something was stumping the world's greatest detective.

"This." Batman pulled up on the giant monitors of the Batcomputer the cam footage from his fights with Poison Ivy, Ra's Al Ghul, Two-Face, and Garrison Slate's suicide. Everything was playing at once.

"Interesting, but, what does all this have to-"

"All of this is connected, but I have no clue to how. Whoever is in control of them is making sure they leave no evidence behind. Whoever's playing the game, is very good at it," Batman assessed.

"Wait, everything here is connected?"

"Yes. The fight with Poison Ivy and Two-Face happened at the same place, and though I never saw him, Ra's escaped shortly after the building I was led to destroyed," Batman explained.

"And the suicide...?" Barry asked. Bruce hadn't played audio with the footage.

"I was interrogating him when something or someone remotely triggered a cyanide capsule in his mouth. He didn't kill himself."

"So I take it you think everyone here is in a league, conspiring?" Barry asked, doubtful.

"There's someone else here at play, Barry, and I need to figure out who, before they cause more damage, all of them," Bruce warned.

"So what do you need from me?" he asked.

"I need you to go search your STAR Labs laboratories in Central City. They're most likely involved in this too. You need to gather any information that could help the investigation, anything out of place," Batman concluded.

"Well, I'll see what I can do, but I'm not a vigilante like you, Bruce. I can't just go breaking into buildings when I want," Barry protested.

"This will be for the greater good, understand that. There's something much bigger than any of us coming, and we must stop it before it arrives."

Barry's face looked quite disturbed, but he knew Bruce was right.

"Hey Bruce, before I go, there's something you have to know," he started. There was no response from the Caped Crusader, which let Barry know he could continue.

"Well actually, two things you should know," he went on. "The first is that once I've gathered enough money, I'll buy a house for Anna and myself in Central City."

This didn't surprise Batman, and neither would the next.

"The second is that, well, Elsa's been seeing Anna since she left you, which you probably already know, and she seems really hung up on you. She kept saying that she never wanted to see your sorry face again, but every time someone spoke to her, whether it was Anna or me, her face betrayed her emotions. It seems to me she wants nothing more than to return to you," he hinted.

Bruce stopped to think for a moment, and then gave his thoughts.

"Allen, she found out the hard way about my 'act' as Bruce Wayne," he responded. "That's all it was. I don't mind if I never see her again."

"Oh, come on, Bruce! You care about her! More than you think! When's the last time you felt like this over a woman? Vicki?" Barry asked, bringing back memories of the reporter to Bruce. "Make it up to her. For your own sake."

"Where'd you learn this much about emotions?"

"Well, let's just say I met a few love experts a while back," Barry grinned, remembering his time with Anna.

"I'll think about it. But that doesn't mean I'll do it," Bruce said carefully. He wasn't going to do it at all, but he hoped his response would fool Barry.

Barry clasped his hands. "We're getting somewhere!"

"I was going to, send her a letter, but I don't think I will anymore."

"Bruce, please, she's from the 19th century, she'll love that! At least, I hope." Barry stopped and thought.

"In any case, this investigation is a top priority now, I'll let the league know tomorrow," he informed him.

"Why not today?" Barry questioned.

"I want one more day before the whole league goes looking for the mastermind. They may be good heroes, but they're not good detectives. That's why I brought you in. Make sure to give me any information pertaining to this case," Batman ordered.

"Alright, will do. And remember, make it up to her," Barry reminded him.

"Allen," Bruce called out. "Stay out of my personal business."

Barry smiled sadly. "You'll miss out on many things you'll regret if you don't go get her. For your own sake, do it." And with that, he disappeared from the cave, moving faster than the mind could comprehend.

Bruce would still write the letter, but Barry's words left a message. He was confident he would regret many things at the end of his life, and he was sure Elsa would be one of them. Everything he had sacrificed during his life, all to help Gotham become a better place. His life was no place for a woman as good as her. She deserved better, and Bruce knew he couldn't give her that. He had all the money in the world, the best looks genes could give you, and yet, he could never have what his heart truly desired.

The silence was interrupted by a certain butler who had been eavesdropping.

"I take it you will not heed Mr Allen's advice?" Alfred inquired, revealing himself.

"You'd be correct," he gruffly responded.

"Quite a shame, Master Bruce. She would have been a welcome change around here," Alfred sighed.

"The dangers of my life would only endanger her much more than any normal citizen," Bruce countered.

"The problem is, sir, you can't seem to quite grasp the fact she isn't normal," Alfred responded, before resuming his cleaning in the cave.

Elsa's life had been turned upside down, again. This time, it was a horrible man masquerading as a good one who had tricked her. To make matters even worse, she had researched him after leaving, and found everything to be true, and more. He was know as a womanizer, possibly the most famous one in the world, and she hated him for it. He must have just seen her as an item, something he could poke and prod, and not an actual person. That's why he had been so distant, and why he never wanted to train her, or do anything with her at all. She came to resent him for everything he had done to her.

After her time with the Batman, she had headed for her sister's home, and had explained everything that happened between leaving him and now. Anna had understood her, and comforted her, and she too became furious with Batman. Of course, Elsa hadn't revealed the fact that he was Bruce Wayne, but she was considering it, as revenge. Anna promised to tell Barry about it, to see if he could do anything about it, and she had, who then relayed the information to Bruce in the best light possible, leaving out the part in which Elsa had looked him up. But she didn't want anything to do with him.

A few days had passed since Elsa had been staying at Anna's home in Arendelle. She had been reading a book, trying to distract herself from her 'problem', when there was a knock at the door. Anna rushed to it, hoping it was Barry.

"I'll get it," she called to her sister.

As she opened the door, she was surprised to see a man in orange and black clothing, with every part of his body covered in it. He threw what looked to be a small grenade into the house, and Anna had yelped out in confusion, when a gas emanated from the 'grenade'. It filled the entire house, and before Elsa could help her sister, she was falling over, losing the will to stay awake.

"Batman, there's been a kidnapping," the Flash informed him over the comms.

"There are multiple kidnappings every day, Allen, specify," he said, absentmindedly.

"You're not going to like this one, Bruce. Elsa was taken," he managed to say.

"Who?" Batman asked, calmly.

"We think it might have been Deathstroke, from what Anna saw," Flash murmured.

"Only Elsa was kidnapped?"

"Yes," came the response from a rather timid Flash.

"Catwoman," Batman muttered.

"What?" Barry asked, confused.

"Catwoman must be working with the villains I showed you the other night. She must have tipped them off about Elsa. And they hired Deathstroke," Batman illustrated.

"Are you sure? That seems like a far fetched-"

"What other explanation is there?" Batman asked, angrily.

"Well, it is flawed. For instance, how did Deathstroke find her?" Barry questioned.

"The day she left me..." Batman remembered. "She walked out, and I don't know what happened between then and her arrival at her sister's. I didn't bother tracking her until she was back in Arendelle." He was deep in thought when he realised something else.

"And the assistant that day, she looked rather familiar," he said, and started to walk over to the Batcomputer. "Give me a moment, Allen."

He pulled up body cam footage from the day Elsa had left, and right before she did, he looked at the interaction they had had with the assistant. He ran her face through a face recognition program, and sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed true.

"It was Catwoman. We were set up from the start," Batman told the Flash.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind that. Was there anything else?" he asked.

"Yeah, there was a note from the kidna- Deathstroke," Flash corrected himself.

"Send it to me," Batman instructed.

"Will do," Barry confirmed.

"And Allen? Don't look for her. Knowing Wilson, he's found a way to make your powers ineffective."

"Got it." And with that, the comms went dead.

Bruce couldn't believe the information he had just received, but he had to. It was all a play to get him to go after her. Of course, he didn't plan on falling for it, but Deathstroke was one of the few men alive who could possibly outsmart him. He had to be extremely careful in the choices he took.

He went over to the Batcomputer, and pulled up the picture of the note that the Flash had sent him. It read, "TOMORROW, OUR ORIGINS LECTURE". Bruce noticed every first letter of the note put together formed a word; Tool. He'd heard of Tool before, but where? He searched his databases, and found one singular mention of it. But it was spelled, TOOL, in all capital letters. It was mentioned in a document pertaining to the Reverse Flash. Interesting. He had mumbled it while half unconscious in Belle Reve, but instead of referring to it as an item, Thawne made it seem like it was a place, or an organisation. Was he the one behind everything? And if he was? Why would he be in Gotham, gathering villains to work for him? Nothing added up, and there was only one thing he could do try and get information. A little visit to a certain cat lady.

The cell Elsa awoke in was dark and damp. She couldn't make out where she was at all. The cell might have been under the sea, or in the clouds, and she couldn't tell; her sense of direction was completely gone. And her hands, they were tied together in a cloth that made them feel as if they were burning. Her powers were of no use, again. She was getting tired of not being able to use her powers in useful situations like this. Looking around more clearly, the cell was in a room, and there was a door in the room, outside the cell. She banged on the cell door, but no one was in the room. Elsa sat back down on the bed, and she started to wish she had never left Bruce. Sure, he might have been a bad person, but during all the time she actually spent with him, he had never treated her unfairly, or even made advances on her. She realised now that she overreacted many times with him, and how much she deeply missed him. Elsa felt like the little girl who had been trapped in her room for so long again, with no way out. The parallels were certainly there.

The door creaked open, slowly, and revealed the same man who had taken her. He walked slowly to her cell, and faced her.

"Where's Anna? What have you done to her?" she demanded.

"Your sister? We left her where she was. We're not after her, we're after you," he returned.

"What will you do to me?" she asked, now a little more fearful. Especially when he pulled a long, broad sword.

"The question is, what won't we do?" Wilson grinned. He paused for effect, and turned away from her, looking at the wall.

"You, my dear, have something we value very much," he continued. "We thought you were just another catch of the mighty Bruce Wayne. However, we did not succeed in realising what potential you hold. Magic? And the Batman has been keeping you in his basement? Why, he's barely even scratched the surface with you." He turned back to face her.

"Or perhaps, he values you too much to train you into a weapon." He stopped. "But we could turn you into a real asset."

"Who is this 'we' you keep mentioning? There's no one else in this room," Elsa pointed out.

"Ah, intuitive, I see," he commented. "We are not ready to reveal ourselves yet, but, don't worry, in due time, all will see."

"You're sick," Elsa spat. She could have swore she saw a smile form under the mask.

"Rest well, you'll need it," Deathstroke finished, and left the room.

The Dark Knight had been stalking Selina Kyle's apartment for over an hour, when she finally arrived, leaping into it through an open window. He used his suit's wings to glide to her building, and then entered through the window she had used. He wasted no time.

"Selina," he said, while walking to her. "Where is she?"

She slowly faced Batman, thinking about those words. "I figured you cared about her, more than you'd like to admit. But this is a little desperate, even for you."

"Answer me!" he shouted. He had lost his patience.

"I don't know, okay?" she defended. "They made sure not to tell me anything."

"Why are you working with those other villains?" He changed the subject to try and gather more useful information.

"Darling, you have no idea what's coming," she whispered. "And neither do I."

He grunted, and started to leave, when Catwoman called out to him, "Don't be surprised if they use your girl as leverage against you."

He took his grappling hook out of his belt, and shot it into the night, disappearing from Selina's vision.

"Batman? I have some news for you," Barry said, over the comms.

"It turns out the villains you fought are under a form of mind control," Barry affirmed. "It's definitely technological, no magic involved."

"You found a lead at Central City's STAR Labs?" Batman questioned.

"Sort of," Barry hesitated. "I'll explain when I get there."

There was no point in telling him not to come, the scarlet speedster was already there before he could open his mouth.

"Woah, Bruce, you look terrible. When's the last time you slept?"

"What were you going to explain?" Batman hissed.

"Right. So earlier today, I went to STAR Labs, and I found the place to be empty, except for the administrator of the building at his desk, 'working late'. As soon as he saw me, I moved at my speed to disarm him of any weapons he might have had, and I checked his mouth for the capsule you mentioned your guy had. Sure enough, he did, and I took it from him. I preserved it, and put it in this bag." He showed it to Batman, who got to work on it right away.

"Anything else?" he asked, while examining the capsule.

"Well, he was actually sending an email to someone, asking when they could meet up to deliver the 'payload'. I figured he should still send it to avoid suspicion," Barry explained.

"Slade was meant to be the recipient of that email," Batman growled. "And you shouldn't have bothered sending it. The ones responsible for everything put a tracker in this cyanide capsule. They know."

"So what do we do now?" Barry asked.

"We wait."