World's Richest Chapter 2: Hostile Take Over

Derrick Dudley walked along the halls of the prison. He'd always admired the smooth silver walls and the way they complimented the white floors; to him it was like was like strolling through the clouds. It was so peaceful that one could forget that they were inside New Black Gate prison entirely but for the prisoners; some of the most dangerous on the planet. Derrick didn't think about them because if he did he wouldn't get up in the morning.

He stopped in front of two massive silver doors that stretched from floor to ceiling. He paused to gaze at his reflection. His blue uniform was still from the cleaners fresh despite the fact that he was nearing the end of a twelve hour shift. He slid his hand up to his XL-Nine pistol in his holster. The weapon could fire beams light that could render a man unconscious or punch through a foot of concrete. He laughed inwardly. If some one got out of line on his shift they'd regret it.

The doors retracted in to the walls and he entered. This was a special containment area. He nodded a hello to the officer in the security booth next to the door and made his way through the rest of the room. Different prisoners were strapped to the tables. Some had tubes pumping only God knew what into their veins. Others lay quite attached to machines that kept track of their vital signs. Finally after crossing the maze of beds Dudley reached the prisoner he'd came to see.

"How are you tonight Horn Head?" he asked staring at the gray behemoth know as the Rhino. The villain floated three feet off the floor in the middle of a twenty foot diameter column of light.

"I'd be a lot better if they let your mother give me conjugal visits." Rhino snapped. He couldn't remember when he'd felt more humiliated. Here he was one the strongest men on the planet and these yahoos had him helpless. Suspended as he was his strength was useless.

"Sorry." Dudley replied. "My mother's dead. Your mother volunteered to do it but that's illegal here in Gotham." The other officers around him laughed.

"Shut up!" Rhino screamed. He hated people laughing at him. "When I get out of here ya   are going to wish ya'd never been born. I'm gonna kill you so slow."

"I doubt that very much. Your friends ain't coming to get you Stupid." He replied. "With Batman after them it won't be long before they'll be joining you. I think its poetic justice. You and that sweet puff in the cape break out Lynns and you come to take his place."

Alarm suddenly sounded around the complex.

The Rhino laughed. "Who's the stupid one now?"

"Shut up." Dudley said rushing to his station.

"Remember what I promised ya," Rhino reminded the officer, "because I will."

Dressed in a cobalt blue body suit with white mask, gauntlets, and high heeled boots she sauntered through the hallway. Her every step shifting the silver belt hung low on her hips. She stopped in front of two large silver doors. They were composed of an alloy as strong as diamond.

"Too bad the mechanisms that hold them in place aren't." She thought placing her hands on the doors. There was a space smaller than a human hair between the doors. It was a slight engineering miscalculation but it was enough.

Near microscopic wedge of ice formed between the doors and continued to grow. The hallway got arid as she drew all the moisture and forced it into the doors. The hydraulic pistons inside the walls began to groan and creek. Slowly but just as assuredly as an ice age the doors parted.

Derrick Dudley and his fellow officers are waiting. They unleash a torrent of laser fire as the doors burst open. The dissipated ice fills the room with steam. Before they realize it she reached out with her icy powers. Every one else in the room is covered in a coat of ice. Then she casually walked through the strange statue garden looking for her prize.

She stopped at the Rhino. The Horned Menace was still floating in the column of light except now he was also encased in an icy sheet. She waved her hand at the control for the force field, impaling it with thick ice darts.

The column flickered for a moment then blinked off. The Rhino hit the floor with a tremendous thud. Second later, flexing his muscles, the gray giant freed himself.

"About flipping time!" he shouted standing to his feet. "And who are ya supposed ta be sweetheart?"

"I'm the Blizzard." She said sultrily.

"What happened ta the guy that wore that getup?"

"Would you really have preferred a man," she said placing a hand on his chest, "over me?" 

"I doesn't matter." He said removing her hand. "If it got me out of here I wouldn't care if the boss sent the Easter Bunny."

"Where you going?" she asked watching him walk off.

"I'm look'n for somebody." He answered.

"You're as bad as Whiplash said." She said. "We don't have time for this."

"There's always time ta keep a promise."

He found the guard he was searching for. Dudley was frozen with his weapon still in his hand and a surprised expression on his face. Rhino tapped on the ice covering Dudley's face, he was pleased when the other man blinked.

"My friend says we have ta go so it looks like I won't be able ta keep my promise." Rhino said loud enough so Dudley could hear him. "I'll have ta make it quick." He punched the human ice sculpture with the force of a stick of TNT shattering it.

"Yuck." Blizzard said flicking crimson slush off her costume. "Can we please go now?"

"Yeah." He said. "I'm done."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The city of Gotham was under siege. The attack on the Wayne manor two weeks ago was only the beginning. The mysterious force behind the crime wave was tightening its hold on the city. Batman and his crime fighting "family" were being stretched to the limit but he still wouldn't call for outside help. The only non native Gotham hero being tolerated was Iron Man with the emphasis on tolerated.

Jim Rhodes sat in the bed watching Conan O'Brien's monologue when the balcony door opened.

"Rough night?" he asked as Iron Man walked in the room.

"That's an under statement." Tony said taking off his helmet. His black hair was matted down by sweat. "Its enough work out there for six Iron Men."

"Why don't you call the Avengers?" Jim asked handing his friend a glass of ice cold Gatorade.

"Thanks." Tony said taking a quick gulp from the glass. He was careful not to lean or sit on anything. The expensive furniture decorating the suite wasn't built to with stand the four hundred pounds the armor weighed when activated. "He doesn't want to involve any one else."

"Since when does the former chair person of the Avengers take orders from the most anti social hero in the business?" Jim said jokingly.

"Hey you don't get to be the chair unless you know how to take orders." Tony replied. "Besides, this is Batman's city. I don't have a problem following listening to him."

"That's why you asked me to buy Gotham United Banking and Trust then hire Stark Solutions to protect it during these, what did you call it?" Jim Rhodes replied. "Now I remember; these uncertain times."

Tony laughed. "You and I both know I wasn't going to sit this one out." He said admitting the truth. "This way it gives Iron Man a creditable reason for being here since Anthony Stark left Gotham two weeks ago."

"You still think its Hammer?" Jim asked.

"I'm not sure." Tony said locking his helmet back in place. "HOMER is looking into it. This wouldn't be the first time that S.O.B. has come back from the grave."

"Tell me about it." Jim said. "Hey Shell Head."

"What's up Jim?" Iron Man answered.

"Let's be careful out there."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Bruce was at the computer going over all the evidence his team had collected. He was at one of his satellite caves. He needed to be closer to the city than Wayne manor. Sleep threatened to over take him but he staved it off. He was exhausted but his duty to his city came before his duty to himself. Nightwing and Iron Man had the last of the nightshift so maybe in an hour or so Batman would get some rest. It was strange thinking that somewhere over head Iron Man was patrolling the city. Even Batman had to admit he was impressed with the Golden Avengers performance. It wasn't hard to see why the other man had the respect of so many others in the superhero community.

"Iron Man calling Batman." The voice emanated from the cowl lying on the desk next to the computer.

"I'm here." Bruce spoke. "Go ahead."

"I just finished the follow up with Gordon on the Rhino escape last night." Iron Man informed. "The officers you prescribed the treatment for are going to fine." He paused for a reaction. When he didn't get one he continued. "We rounded up thirteen more of the rent-a-thugs making our total this week fifty."

"Each one of them billed out at ten thousand each, minimum." Batman said. "Someone's making Taskmaster a rich man."

Bruce had done his home work on the Taskmaster. Taskmaster, for whom the Taskmaster's School of Henchmen was named after, was a former super villain. He was gifted with photo-reflexes, which meant that he could watch a skill preformed the mimic it perfectly. While he couldn't duplicate meta-human powers he could throw a Batarang like Batman, shoot a arrow with the same surety as Green Arrow, or perform acrobatics as precisely as Nightwing. After one too many beat downs he decided that it was more lucrative and less dangerous to train henchmen for other would be super villains and world conquers.      

"We knew it was big money behind this from the start." Iron Man replied. "Our mastermind spent millions on the Wayne Manor venture alone. This is strange because unless they'd planed to kidnap somebody, there is no way to see a return on that kind of investment."

"The ones I interrogated said it was a robbery like the other jobs they've been pulling off." Batman replied. "I don't think this is being done for profit."

"Then what, revenge?" Iron Man said.

"Possibly."

"Who could hate you enough to spend that kind of money?"

"The line starts at city hall and stretches to the Far East."

"That many?" Iron Man replied. "Maybe you need a body guard too."

"No thank you." Batman said. "They're never around when you need them."

If Iron Man wasn't really Anthony Stark under the armor he would've taken offense at Batman's remark.

"I'll meet you tonight at police HQ." Iron Man said as the sun peeked over the horizon. "Iron Man out."

"Understood. Batman out."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *    

The world moved in slow motion to her. The sixteen year old watched the group of men before her, reading their body movements as easily as others read news papers. She knew that these men were professionals but then so was she, trained by the best to be the best. She dropped from her perch above them in silence. One of them was struck down by a kick to the head before they knew she was in their midst. The others were moving to intercept her. She knew what they were going to do before it fully registered in their own minds.

The round house to the face she ducked administering a crippling counter punch to the man's groin. The slash of a knife she deflected, catching the hand that held the weapon; breaking them both. He would never hold a weapon right handed again. One opened up with his nine millimeter pistol, a red beam guiding the bullets to their target. She was simply not there when they arrived. She didn't give him another chance. A black shape flew from her smashing him in his hand breaking three of his fingers. Before the gun hit the ground a chop to the throat sent him down. Then it was over.

Batgirl stood triumphantly in the parking lot behind Brendel's Royal Jewel Emporium. It was the second team she'd stopped in the jewel district tonight. She fired a jump line to continue her rounds when the neighborhood was rocked by an explosion.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *       

Across town two people dined at the Blue Bay restaurant inside the Ritz Gotham Hotel.

Jim couldn't stop smiling at the exquisite young woman sitting across the table from him.

"Is something wrong Jim?" Nikita asked.

"No. Not at all." He said. "I just can't remember the last time I had so much fun."

"Did you really like the club I took you to?"

"I'll admit the music wasn't my speed but I enjoyed the company."

"Are you flirting with me Mr. Rhodes?"

"If you have to ask I wasn't doing it right."

The delightful sound of her laughter fills his ears.

"My father warned me about older men."

"What did he say about us older men?"

"That you want the same thing as younger men except you have more money and influence to impress with."

"Then maybe he under estimated you."

"How so?"

"You strike me as a woman who's not impressed by shallow things."

This time Jim was blessed with her smile.

"Care to elaborate on that Mr. Rhodes?"

"Well." He said taking her hand in his. "You're an artist. Most people look at a block of ice and that's all they see. You look at that same block of ice and see a cityscape or a car or any number of things. It's in your nature to look beyond the surface."

"I've never heard someone sum me up so well. And it didn't take you all night to do it." She said. "You're right about my father too. I guess he doesn't see that I'm not a little girl anymore. Can you believe he wanted me to leave town just because the stuff that's happening right now?"

Jim felt pangs of guilt run through him. He'd been enjoying her company so much that he hadn't thought about the danger she could be in just by remaining in Gotham.

"You know that might not be such a bad idea." Jim said.

"Jim you're winning major cool points with me." She said. "Don't loose them all now by getting over protective on me."

"I wasn't." he said. "So you're not concerned then?"

"Of course I am but I don't think that I'm any safer somewhere else then I am here." She said. "While I was away at school during the 'Quake' and 'No Man's Land' I shared a dorm room with girl from Gotham. Her father was another executive at Wayne Tech. Both of our families made it through safe. Six days before the end of NML she dies in a car accident. That said to me that you can't hide from death. If it's your time it's your time."

"I guess I can see your point."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The speedometer on the Bat-mobile climbed steadily as Batman weaved through traffic, closing in on the fleeing black van. He glance casually at the GPS screen in the dashboard, it read what he already knew, he was heading west on I-70. The men had over ten million dollars in stolen technology and were determined not to give it back. The Dark Knight punched a series of buttons on the steering wheel and a set of grappling arms extended from the nose of the Bat-mobile. The jet engine throbbed as he applied more thrust.

As he maneuvered into striking distance of the thieves he caught a glimpse of Robin on the other side of the highway divider, behind the wheel of Red Bird, headed east in pursuit of another black van.

"This is getting ridiculous." He thought as the Bat-mobile's clamps locked onto the rear bumper of the van he was chasing sending blue sparks of electricity cascading across the van's surface. The Bat-mobile shuttered, shouldering the weight of the dead vehicle.

The men rushed from their crippled get away van as soon as Batman stopped on the side of the highway. With the fluidity that only came with years of experience he hurled two Batarangs dropping three perpetrators before they hit the fence. The other one he let go, he was to busy to chase him. By the time he dragged the three incapacitated men back to the Bat-mobile, one of Gotham's finest pulled up.

"We'll take it from here sir." The patrolman said.

Batman nodded. Once upon a time the patrolman might have been in awe at seeing the famed Caped Crusader but that was before "No Man's Land. Since that time most of the population had either seen or knew some one who had seen the former urban legend.

"Sir." The patrolman said as Batman returned to the car. "I think they could use you down at Shrewsbury and Fountain. We were headed that way until we saw you from the overpass.

Batman jumped in the car. "Police." He said as the canopy slid shut. The Bat mobile switched to police band. Normally it would've been there already but with the onset of the siege it was decided that Oracle would be the head controller for Batman and the other field agents. Reluctantly he'd agreed that all field agents stay in radio black out, with the exception of receiving orders from Oracle.

What he heard he didn't like. It sounded like a war zone down there.

"Oracle to Batman." Her voice sounded in his cowl earpiece as he sped along.

"Batman here." He said wishing he'd taken the jet instead of the car.

"GPS shows you're heading west."

"Why didn't you tell me about the Jewelry District." He barked.

"Because it's under control." She replied standing her ground. "That's why."

"Who's on scene?"

"I need you at the museum." She said.

"Get some else to do it."

"You're the closest. I didn't ask to coordinate this thing. You appointed me. " She said letting he frustration slip into her voice. "Then you have to let me do my job. You're going to have to trust me on this."

He cut transmission. A war waged inside him. He wasn't comfortable with not being in control. Deep down he knew she was right. If he hadn't put Oracle in charge he would run himself ragged. Behind the mask Bruce knew the dangers of living in "constant white water".

"Silence." He said. Instantly the only sound in the car was the steady hum of the engine.

Back at her watch tower control center Barbara fixed her green eyes on the GPS monitor. She let out a sigh of relief when the blue dot representing the Bat-mobile turned off the highway and headed north toward Gotham Museum.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *     

"I swear I'm moving the first chance I get!" Detective Bullock shouted diving behind a over turned police car.

"I tell you what." Detective Montoya said joining him. "This time I might join you."

It looked like scene from a disaster movie. The store fronts were burned out and mangled cars and debris littered the former jewel district. High above the street raining down hot death flew Fire Fly. His new armor was more insect in appearance than his other incarnations. It has a v-shaped helmet with large, round compound eyes, red thorax carapace and abdomen. The arm and leg armor were burnt yellow ending in red boots and gauntlets. He held what looked like a type of rifle and on his back was a pair of elytra coverings that opened to allow his inner pair of wings to beat freely, keeping him aloft.

"This time I'm unbeatable!" he ranted. His voice was distorted giving it a inhuman sound that matched his appearance. Below him men labored to fill black vans with ill gotten gains while he kept the police at bay.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Commissioner Gordon ran through the streets toward the situation despite the mayor's whishes not to. Gordon insisted that the only way to lead was from the front. That was his style. Never ask a man to do something you wouldn't do and right now that was facing a hyped up arsonist and some two bit hoods.

The explosions were getting louder as he approached under cover of darkness.

"Bullock you still there?" He spoke into his head set.

"Reading you loud and clear Commish." He answered as he and Montoya dashed to new shelter.

"We'll be to you in six minutes." He said. "Sit tight."

"Commish I hope you're bringing a couple tanks with you, Bullock out."

Gordon looked around at the men who moved through the shadows with him each dressed in blue-gray fatigues, black boots and black helmets. They were from the Gotham Heavy Crimes Squad, Gotham's answer to Metropolis Special Crime Unit. Like it's sister police organization, GHCS was formed to deal with the rising meta-human criminal population.

"Commissioner Sir," Lieutenant Gaunt said. "One of my Ghosts has a firing solution on Fire Fly."

"One of who?" Gordon started to say then he remembered that Gaunt's unit was named the Gotham Ghosts. He made a mental note to find out why. "Who has the firing solution?"

"My sniper Sir." Gaunt answered. "His name is Aaron Larkin."

"The former NRA sharp shooting champion?"

"The very same sir."

Gordon weighed the option as they ducked into a alley. It wouldn't be the first time he resorted to a sniper but it would be the first time he used one on a so called super villain.

He didn't know what kind of precedent it would set. Another explosion helped him decide.

"Lieutenant tell your man to take the shot."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *    

Larkin surveyed the world through his scope. It was his eye of truth and right now he was seeing all the evil that was Fire Fly. The criminal had been yelling how invincible he was for the past ten minutes pausing only when he punctuated his words with a heat blast his blaze gun. Fire Fly wasn't the only one with a rifle. Larkin gave his weapon a quick once over. The other members of his squad would be here soon it was his job to take Fire Fly out of the equation.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled pulling the trigger sending an armor piercing shell toward its target.

"What the hell?" Fire Fly screamed as the shot ricocheted of his helmet. His tracking systems locked on a near by roof top and he blasted it with his blaze gun. "Let's see how you like it." He said as the building was enveloped in flames. Just as he returned to his ranting he was struck again. This time he was cast to the ground, banished from the sky like a fallen angel.

Iron Man hovered over Fire Fly's crumpled form like the Arch Angel Michael.

"That's enough out of you." Iron Man said. "I really don't think the Beetle would consider you as flattery."

"I'm better than that rank amateur could ever be." Fire Fly said standing to his feet. "And if you think I'm scared of you then you're crazy."

"Says the man on his way to Black Gate." Iron Man replied lining Fire Fly up for another repulsar shot.

Before he could attack he was engulfed in fire. The surface temperature on the armor skyrocketed, in less then three seconds it was past fifteen hundred and still rising. The armor's thermocouples kicked in, siphoning off the excess heat turning it into stored energy. He went into a steep vertical climb to put out the fire and realized, as he hoped, he was being followed.

Fire Fly and nine Fire Wasps, each the size of file cabinets were on his tail. Ten heat beams lashed out at the Golden Avenger.

"Ten to one," Tony thought, "another wonderful night in Gotham."

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Make yourself at home." Jim Rhodes yelled from the bathroom. "I'll be out in a second."

Nikita Fox didn't reply as she sat back on the plush couch in the entertainment area of the suite. A seventy-two inch television came to life as the surround sound filled the room.

"The true nature of this attack we can only guess at." The reporter said. "The press isn't being allowed in for our own safety but I can tell you that we have conformation that Iron Man of the famous Avengers has been sighted along with Commissioner Gordon, the new Heavy Crime Squad and some of GCPD."

"It would have to be something big to get out all of those big guns Mike." The anchor woman interjected.

"You're absolutely right Melissa. From what I've been able to gather this is another piece in the crime puzzle that has held Gotham hostage over the past few weeks. The police and it seems our own resident superhero, the Batman, isn't any closer to finding out who's behind these vicious attacks."

"Is there any truth that Bludhaven's Blockbuster could be involved?"

"I talked to a member of the Blockbuster Syndicate earlier today and was informed that it was highly unlikely. He said Blockbuster was in the middle of a territory war right now and didn't have the resources to waste on Gotham."

"Mike we've got to go to commercial we'll come back to you after that."

She said as the cameras switched back to the studio. "Thanks for choosing the Gotham New Channel, all news, all the time. We'll get back to Gotham under siege in a moment."

"Maybe I should get you home." Jim suggested joining her on the couch.

""Why?" she replied snuggling up close to him. "Don't you think I'm safe in the hotel room of a handsome man at two o'clock in the morning?"

Looking at how the slit in her skirt lay open showing her long, shapely legs and the warmth of her body against his, Jim was hard pressed for an answer.

"Maybe I'm the one that needs to go home." He said as he stood up.

"What's wrong Jim?" she asked surprise evident on her face.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this." He confessed. "It's been a long time."

"It's like riding a bike." She said touching his hand. "You might be wobbly at first but it will come back to you."

"Hey!" he snapped. "I'm not talking about that."

"What?"

"What you were implying."

"Jim I'm confused." She replied. "What are you talking about?"

"NO." he responded. "What are you talking about?"

"I was talking about falling in love." She explained. "What did you think I was referring to?"

"Umm…" he said. "Let's just say that it has the word love in it."

"You thought I meant?"

"Yes." He said retuning to the space next to her.

They both laughed then she kissed him and soon nothing else mattered, not even the news.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 "What exactly happened here?" Gordon asked. With their air support gone the rest of the thieves were easy prey for the combined forces of GCPD and GHCS.

"When we got here these yahoos had smashed the store front windows and were looting the place." Bullock explained. "I couldn't believe they were so ballsy. When we moved in to make the arrest that clown Fire Fly comes out of one those black vans."

"That's when it went to hell." Montoya added. "He starts flying around shooting up the neighborhood. Then somebody took a shot at him."

"That was officer Larkin." Gordon interjected.

"Well it just made him angrier. That's when toasted the Templeton Building. Then outta nowhere swoops Iron Man who knocks that idiot right on his ass. I mean but. Sorry Commissioner."

"That's when these metal looking wasps fly out of another van and blind side Shell Head. You should have seen it Commish his armor was on fire like it was covered in napalm or something."

"What happened next?" Gordon asked trying to keep the detective focused.  

"Iron Man flew away and Fire Fly and his freaky insect collection followed." he answered pointing at the sky.

Gordon gazed at the night sky. With the naked eye you could see flashes of light from the battle still taking place miles overhead.

"HQ this Commissioner Cordon, I need a chopper down here on the double." Gordon said. "This isn't over yet."

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Iron Man crushed the head of a Fire Wasp in his hands and hurled it at another sending them both falling into the sea.

"Whenever you're ready to quit, feel free." Iron Man said.

Fire Fly laughed. "You don't understand Idiot." He said. "This was never about me. It's about killing you."

Then the insect swarmed the Golden Avenger, locking onto him. He grabbed at the monsters as his sensors showed each was building to critical mass.

3…2…1… Explosion. From the window of the GCPD helicopter Gordon watched a flaming mass fall into the harbor.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   

Jim Rhodes stood on the balcony enjoying the view as a cool breeze ruffled his silk robe. Gotham was a beautiful city at night. It wasn't hard to see why its residents were so committed to it.

"You don't look so bad from up here." He said.

"Don't let her fool you she's as deadly as they come." A masculine voice said.

"Who the hell?" he said turning around.

"My name is Robin Mr. Rhodes." He said. "There's been a incident involving Iron Man."