"YEARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHH!!!!"

It was all they could hear from the Crocodile/human hybrid, as they hoped that each attempt it made to rip through the electrified gates were a step closer to its death. It could be heard snarling, and easily perturbed by the sudden twist of events, as it yelled to them, "THIS WILL NOT SAVE YOU LONG! YOU ONLY DELAY YOUR TRAGIC FATES! INCLUDING YOU, NEW ONE, WITH THE SMELL OF THE BAT!" The voice boomed enough for Terry to hear from above as he tried to kick the grate open, and cursing that he could tell he was Batman. He got the grate to only part of the way, which seemed enough to slip through and escape out what had to be an intricate maze. After he pushed his bag through the grate, Terry followed, and in a matter of seconds, he was in the suit that he couldn't risk those below to see him in, even if they didn't know his name. Little to his knowing, one already did. Back below, the creature still tried to force his way into the lair, as Connor and two others held three more of the same units to place onto the entrance, just in case the power gave out. With the pressure the monster placed onto the field, it eventually would. "Where is that boy," one of the three asked. "He'll be back," Connor assured, "I can tell he'll be back." "What about that 'smell of the bat' thing it yelled," asked the second, who still played with his ears after the aforementioned audible announcement. "...I don't know," she replied. Something in her made her feel otherwise, as her head began to lightly pulse once again, but the pulses soon left as the sound of energy being broken through was heard from the gate. One of the three that held the field generators quickly played hero by running towards the gate to place the new device, just as the monster forced its way in one last time to fully enter the lair. With unyielding speed, the monster grabbed the martyr and took his entire upper body into its mouth, which echoed a sickening crunch in the area. No one knew that it could be that swift from him, but as they saw him chew and spit what bones he could, another figure appeared from behind him on the ceiling, and took fists to the beast with all its might until it was on the ground. As the prisoners silently rejoiced at the sight of the (in) famous Batman, he repeatedly attacked the enlarged creature one last time, before turning towards the remaining four and yelling, "Get out of here, NOW!" Not having to be told twice, the survivors ran through the muck and out the gate, hoping that freedom was now a moment away. Connor was the last to go, as she looked towards Batman with a smile and a whisper, "Thank you...and your secret is safe with me." Without another word, the beast reawakened and grabbed Connor by her torso to pull her in for the kill. As its mouth remained wide open for the long awaited feast, Connor threw her activated field generator into its throat, and caused it to ignite the most horrific scream that both Batman and Connor had ever heard. "Come on, he's finally getting a last meal," he said, cradling her and flying out the way the others left, and left the monster to hopefully choke on its deserving dinner.

As they raced through the winding tunnels, Batman and the others were not so easily condensed in groups by the dim labyrinth. Jesse and the first female were together hoping to run into the second one, who ran alone, but hoped to find her way out no matter what the fate of the others were. As for Batman, he still held onto Connor, who wrapped her arms around their savior, as she whispered to herself, "A dark knight comes to tame the darker dragon, in hopes to see the light." "Not until I get you and the others out of here," replied Batman, "besides, something's telling me that..." The steel and brick surroundings trembled at the roar made by the monster, who was at least a quarter of a mile off, but that wouldn't stop him from retrieving his prizes, even the Batman, now more that previously. Batman thermographically scanned the areas for the other escapees, hoping to strike it rich quick with all of them. "Where are the others," cried Connor. "I'm looking for them right now," he said, with a tighter grip on her as he accelerated through the halls with his jet attachments. The long search, however, was halted by the appearance of a manhole cover just above them. Batman flew to it, and landed so that Connor could be on her feet, as he spoke, "You go topside and find shelter, I'll find the others!" "Be careful," Connor warned, "he may be more dangerous, now that his 'personals' have been violated. He might kill you on sight." "And that's where our similarities end," he snarled, just as he extracted his wings and flew back into the dark depths of the lair. Connor watched him leave, and smiled as she said, "You will see the light, dark one. I promise."

Back below, lied the lone girl, crying for a way out of the hellish graveyard of those that will forever be missed to people above that search for their loved ones, and will never know their grim fates. It was the manner of how they died, what killed them, and even more to why they died that drove her to continue her search for an exit. Her stern face surveyed the next room she was about to enter, which gave off a light from its ceiling in the distant part of it. The only thing that displeased her of the room, was that there were no other lights to see where she would go, and even more as to what she would step on. Despite the fears already circulating in her head, the woman walked on into the room with a deep breath and steady steps, and with each step being a hope for life above ground once again. However, with each step came disturbing objects that ran onto, even through the outside of her feet and toes. Rats, feces, cockroaches, and even other things that remain unrecognized in any genotype touched her feet and legs, but she convinced herself with ease that it was much more welcome than where she and the others were.

Meanwhile, kilometers off from her, Jessie and the other female (who finally revealed her name to be Alina) continued to run for anything that lead towards topside, while at the same time, made sure the creature was not behind them. Even if it was, they still had the device to place on or in it to give them space from the monster in, what they hoped would be, more than enough time to escape. "How the hell are we going to find the exit in here," Alina wondered, "all these tunnels run into each other so much, and that Nemesis wanna'-be probably knows them like the back of his ass!" "First of all, if you wanna' live to get outta' here, be quiet so he won't hear us, and second, there's a chance we'll find one soon enough, if we're not stuck here conversing about finding one," bellowed Jessie. "This coming from the guy that wanted himself killed by the freak, as well as eating off...oh dear," Alina said, as she tried to hold back and vomiting actions from the thoughts. "How many times do I have to explain myself about that," he readied to argue, "but let's drop it and leave this damned place." "I'm all about it, but all I wanna' say is this," Alina forced out while she leaned on the wall, still with the nauseated emotion, "you may live to see your family again, but what brings a cycle returns it, you sick fuck. Now let's get out---." A large splash of water came from behind them, and as they turned to see what it was, Alina activated the device, ready to swing it into the creature. She placed herself in a throwing position, as her muscles locked up and eyes focused on the approaching figure's shadow. Though it started to look familiar, the woman remained ready to defend her life against the shadow's possessor, and care just a bit less for Jessie, who slowly walked away until he would officially out of sight. The figure stopped, and after careful detection, it then spoke, "You might not wanna' use that while it's still deactivated." Batman stepped into view, and Alina wasted no time in giving him a tight, meaningful hug, all while still holding the device just in case. As she cried out multiple notes of appreciation to him, Batman looked behind her and asked, "There was another one with you. Where are they?" Alina released her hold and turned to see Jessie gone, then cursed before turning back to Batman, "Forget 'em, let's go." "No," he said, as he grabbed her arm and cradled her, and flew off until another hole was found. "Call for help, immediately," were Batman's only words to Alina, right before he flew off to search for Jessie. "Find him all you want, Bat boy," she whispered to herself, "it won't save him from what he did."

Back in the dark room, the woman closed in on the location where the light shone on the ladder, which were only a few steps until it touched the streets above. Her steps into the grime accelerated, even now avoiding glass and other sharp objects within the vanishing darkness. She was only a foot away now, but as she grabbed the bars to climb up towards the manhole, a deep echo surrounded the room. As tears seeped from the girls' eyes, she felt the echo wrap around her body, and even to her soul. She felt it once more as the noise reoccurred, but she wouldn't let it halt her ascent to the top, which were only a few feet upward. Once she reached the top, the deep sound rattled the surroundings even more, with the ladder shivering as well from the addition of snarls and spitting, all while the girl struggled to push the manhole up and over enough to escape. The deep sounds grew louder and closer to her, now disturbing her very soul, and with all her reserved strength, she pushed the cover off with full ease, and nearly hopped the rest of the way out the sewer, landing right onto the pavement. Once she rolled and crawled away in shock and terrified emotion. The girl leaned onto a parked car set away from the manhole, as she balled and screamed in a chimera of emotions. Once she calmed down to look up at the calm night sky, a soothing voice came to her side. "Are you okay," asked the man, with the girl replying only by looking at him with frightened eyes, as if it was the first time she had seen another human. After calming herself, she finally forced out a few words, implying her encounter with the "Slayer", and how Batman saved her and others. Amazed at the story's oral synopsis, the man pulled out his cell phone and called for an ambulance to tend to her quickly, while she sat on the street and looked at him walk away and towards the manhole, but not too close to it. The girl then leaned back and fully rested on the back of the car, drowning herself in the sounds of civilization in the distance, and not a sound broke her joy of being out the disgusting hideaway. Not even the sharp, brisk noise of the samaritan being pulled underground by a gargantuan hand, and eaten right below the manhole.

Jessie walked on in a sluggish fashion in the nearly keen deep water, as he looked around the area of pure stench, seeing a light at the end, but it wasn't bright enough to be from the upper world. Even if it was, he knew that Alina was right, that he'd pay for his gluttony in any way fate saw it fit, be it in here or out there. With no other recourse to turn towards, including himself, he began to yell into the air, speaking in random, sarcastic tones that defined his loss of sanity. "Can you hear me, 'Slayer'," Jessie yelled, "it's me, your wayward protégé, hopin' you hear every bit of this somehow. I hope you're not hiding from me, or even more so, not hiding from bat boy! I was told that I'd pay for feein' off the less fortunate, a-k-a your leftovers, but hey, guess what? I give a shit! Y'see, I'm not exactly one who wants to go back upside, 'cause this'll get out faster than you eat. I'm open with my family, or lack thereof thanks to a wife that if I wanna' love her all night, I have to take a number! They don't need me, none of them do! You probably don't either, you just dragged me away from my 'life' just to make me think I'd be eaten, but won't, even after I die from waiting for you to, RIGHT? Fine...don't eat me. Kill me, but don't eat me...or at least let me join you...'cause I'll admit, it was great, but all some of those kids needed was some hot sauce." "You'll regret those words," yelled Batman, who stood a couple of feet away from Jessie. He replied, still in the varied tones, "Oh look, my lord and savior, here to bring me in 'cause I eat people! Who's the sicker one, Batty? Me, or mister happy lifestyle?" "This isn't the way to solve your condition," he tried to convince. "Oh? So now it's a condition? I thought it was because I just didn't give a shit!" Terry's mind wasn't in the set to negotiate Jessie out of staying longer, but in a last attempt before readying his Batrope, he spoke, "I'm not gonna' sit here and argue with you about this, but consider the following. Despite what you said about your family, they are what matters in your life, and if they lose you, what will they have to hold onto for the rest of their lives? What will they do without you? Believe me, it will be destructive." "Oh sure, like you lost a father." Without another word, Batman fired the rope at Jessie, wrapping around the upper half of his torso, almost tightening around the neck. Batman then pulled Jessie towards him with ferocity, as his body was drug through the water. As Jessie tried to force out the ropes, they were suddenly cut apart to the surprise of both himself and Batman. "Ha," he laughed in exclamation, "looks like you're your do-dads don't cut it anymore, 'eh? I'll find my own way---." Jessie's words were halted by the tug of his leg until he was underwater, but soon arose with what held him by over half of his leg, as Batman watched in horror at his holder's arrival. "I'm only telling you once," Batman harshly yelled towards the monster, "let him go, freak job,". "He'll either die here or in jail, if not in Arkham, so there's no need for such dull melodrama," spoke the scaled beast, "and as for you, my dear Jessie...my craving is gone, and your plea for your assistance is futile." The creature slightly lifted Jessie's body into the air, and with the same hand he held him with, he slashed through his body into thirds, as each piece splashed into the cold water, where others have been led into a much similar fate. As he watched the Slayer laugh with malignity, Batman's face grew animalistic, ignited by the dreaded actions that were implied, but now also seen. It seemed to him that at his level of rage, Terry could take the monstrosity on without his suit. But no...it would be too much of a risk to do so, but it was already a risk to try and fight the "Slayer" with so little weapons that can, or may affect it. No matter what he still had on him, no matter how hard or long it would take, Terry knew now, more than ever, that this was it. Even if Terry had to die trying...the monster's reign would end tonight.