JSA: If Looks Could Kill
By Bruce Wayne
DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters portrayed in this story are copyright by DC Comics, an AOL/Time/Warner company. They are used without permission for entertainment without profit by the author.
An Elseworld's story: Stories, situation or events involving familiar characters in unfamiliar settings.
Chapter 11
"What the hell is that?" Colonel Flagg asked.
"It is a portal device that allows us to see distant events and/or places," Dr Fate replied.
Flagg nearly laughed. "Looks like a crystal ball to me."
Dr Fate had caused the crystal ball to materialize onto the table. The JSA along with Colonel Flagg, who was representing the United States government, were attempting to discern where the missing Catwoman and the ninety-nine canisters of VX nerve gas may be.
"This is probably our best chance to find out where we need to go," Wildcat said.
"A crystal ball?" an incredulous Colonel Flagg said. "You guys are going to use a crystal ball to determine what our next move is? I knew it! You guys are nuts! I told them back in Washington -- only nuts go around in public wearing masks and capes. That's it ... I'm outta here ..."
Flagg attempted to rise from his chair but he was unable to. He tried to stand up again, but it felt as though some unseen force was keeping him weighed down in the chair. He continued to struggle without success.
"I daresay, Colonel Flagg, the JSA needs the assistance of the United States government," Dr Mid-Nite started to explain, "and you'll just have to sit there and watch as our colleague, the esteemed Dr Fate, conjures up the information we require from his ... portal device."
"Stay still and enjoy the show, Colonel," The Sandman urged.
Flagg tried once more to move to a standing position but he was kept down by the invisible bonds. He finally resigned himself to sit and watch what would transpire next with the costumed crimefighters.
"Is everyone ready?" Dr Fate asked as he looked into the crystal ball.
"Isn't there some rule about everyone having to be a believer or something to make this work?" Wildcat inquired.
"No, that is only with parlor tricks," Fate explained. "Colonel Flagg's not believing what he is about to see will have no effect."
Wildcat nodded.
Flagg watched the crystal ball change from a clear color to yellow, then red, then a glowing bluish hue. Next, he saw smoke swirling inside of the ball.
"Hey, Houdini ..." Flagg tried to interrupt.
"Shut up, Flagg!" Sandman yelled. "Or the next thing you'll know, you'll be sleeping through this."
The CIA man decided to be quiet and watched as, incredibly, an image began to form in the ball. Flagg could see water and then an overhead view of a large ship. The ship began to get closer and closer. It was apparently a freighter somewhere on the high seas.
Batman spoke for the first time. "Is that where Catwoman may be held?"
"I believe so, Caped Crusader," Dr Fate answered.
"The name of the ship. We need the name of the ship," Gotham's avenger stated.
The image in the crystal ball started to move toward the aft of the large ship. There, in white letters on a black background, was the word: Das Wunderkind.
"The wonderchild?" Wildcat asked.
"Perhaps prodigy might be a better term in English," Dr Mid-Nite suggested. "Let me make contact with my maritime sources and see if I can track down this ship." Mid-Nite quickly left the room.
Flagg moved his eyes from the crystal ball to the faces of the Justice Society members in the room. They all had a serious look. Well, he couldn't tell what the guy in the shiny gold mask was thinking -- his face was totally obscured. But the rest of them were dead serious.
***
As the twin rotor blades of the Batcopter whirled overhead, I look over to check my passengers on the flight. In the jump seats behind me and The Sandman in the copilot seat are Wildcat and Dr Fate.
I can see from the corner of my eye that Wildcat's palms are probably sweating inside his gloves. He keeps pulling at them, stretching his fingers inside the leather-like material. Three Shuriken spikes were sheathed on hte back of each glove. He had the spikes custom-made, since finding them commercially was extremely difficult.
Dr Fate is an engima in my mind. I don't know him well and I admit to myself that I still feel uneasy around those who have extraordinary powers. But those same extraordinary powers are what was able to bring all of us and the Batcopter halfway around the world in the blink of an eye.
But still the shiny gold mask hides much of the emotion of the man behind it. I find it difficult to get a handle on Dr Fate. But I do know one thing, I'm glad he's with us tonight.
The Sandman was ready. But ready is such a nebulous term. One resigns himself to facing death out of necessity, it was never something to take with complete calm. But The Sandman came as close to it as possible. Even though his features were obscured completely by the gas mask he wears, it was easier to have a better understanding of what the man was feeling and thinking. His entire body gave away many of his emotions. I don't know if Sandman knew that or not.
I catch The Sandman eyeing me. As though he were reading my mind, he said, "I'm always nervous before something like this. Death holds little appeal."
If I were to allow myself to smile, I would've -- but I can't. I have an image to uphold. I say to him in reply, "Death isn't something I'm especially eager to face either."
The Sandman rolled back the sleeve of his suitcoat to look at his watch. He looked away from the face, and focused on mine. He nodded.
I look back out the windshield of the Batcopter. The superstructure amidships of the Wunderkind loomed on the horizon.
Sandman turned to look at Dr Fate and Wildcat. "The attack begins," he said.
Wildcat only nodded. The sweating inside his gloves had all but stopped.
The superstructure of the Wonderkind seemed higher now, more massive. The outlines of cargo-hold hatches were visible fore and aft, the radar mast and radar antennas towered over the bridge. Coming up from port I could make out the massive anchor, and just aft of the prow the windlass and mooring winch.
I can see men moving on the deck as the Wunderkind came into greater definition. The Batcopter was obviously becoming more apparent to them now, and some of the deck personnel began to run.
The Sandman spoke through the helicopter's PA System. He was telling those in command of the ship to heave to, and to prepare to be boarded. There was the possibility the ship's personnel would offer no resistance.
That possibility went out the window when I hear the ricochet of a rifle bullet off the fuselage of the Batcopter.
"Oh, well," Wildcat sighed.
The fuselage of the Batcopter was bulletproof and offered its occupants protection from the gunshots. Gunfire was streaming up toward them now from the deck. Sandman said, "Between the amidships cargo holds, land us there, Batman!"
There was no need for a reply as I maneuvered the Batcopter to bank hard to port, coming in at an angle toward the freighter. A man with a machine gun stood amidships, just where the Batcopter was heading. At the distance, a hundred yards and closing fast, anyone getting off the helicopter was an easy target.
Suddenly the chatter from the subgun seemed to stop as the weapon began to melt in the hands of the man. The result of a spell from Dr Fate.
Wildcat said to his companion in the next seat, "Nice going, Doc!"
We were twenty yards from the landing area I had selected, and closing fast. A man rushed up to where the machine gunner was, firing a pistol. As he dropped to his knees at the gun emplacement, Wildcat watched as the pistol seemed to turn into a small bird in the man's hand and flew away.
I wanted to smile at that one -- but I can't. There's too much work ahead of us. I need to find Selina.
After we land, I expect the fighting to be hard, perhaps deadly for some, but it will be a good fight. I can feel my muscles already pumping adrenaline and my senses are honed and sharp. This is what I live for.
The occupants of the Batcopter loosened their safety restraints as the chopper started to settle.
With the Batcopter still six feet off the deck, I yell to my colleagues, "Go for it."
Dr Fate slid open the fuselage door and flew into the air, his bright gold cape flowing behind him. Wildcat followed him and jumped to the deck. He was followed by The Sandman, who had his gas gun at ready.
I quickly land the Batcopter and put it into lockdown mode. Behind me I can hear the sounds of the grunts of our opponents being thrown into crates and hard onto the deck of the ship. The battle is on.
Batman hit the deck and rolled at the sound subgun fire to his left. As he came to his knees, a machine gun opened up from the superstructure amidships.
The Caped Crusader launched himself forward, the deckplates under his feet echoing with the machine-gun slugs, the pattern catching up to him as he dived to the protection of some cargo crates lashed down and covered with a tarpulin at the base of the superstructure.
The tops of the crates seemed to explode upward, and Batman felt bits of fabric and slivers of wood pelting him.
He looked toward the superstructure and the machine-gun nest trying to figure out how to get out of his predicament. A fresh burst of machine-gun fire hammered into the crates.
Batman could see The Sandman pinned down less than twenty feet from him.
The machine gun fell silent, but then started again.
The firing seemed to stop once more and Batman was up and running toward the metal steps leading up to the superstructure. What happened to the machine-gunner, Batman didn't know.
He reached the top of the steps and raced across the superstructure as the machine-gunner started to turn his weapon around. Batman flew into a drop kick and hit the man square on in the face, sending him sprawling to the slick surfaced deck.
The machine gunner's face and most of his head seemed to be a mass of blood.
While Batman had been busy with the machine gunner, Wildcat had reached the superstructure as well. He caught a blur of motion to his right, and glanced over to see the wheelhouse door opening. Wildcat's right hand snatched one of the Shuriken spikes from the back of his left glove. His hand snapped the stainless steel spike toward the target like a cobra making a strike. The man's body slammed back against the wheelhouse door as the deadly spike plunged into his chest, backflipping through the glass forming the upper panel.
The crimefighters fought the crew of the freighter in hand-to-hand combat now. There was little automatic weapon fire thanks to one of Dr Fate's spells that made the guns inoperable.
Sandman started across the superstructure. Crewmen came at him from various openings, some turned and ran as they saw him, some wanted to fight. The Sandman obliged.
Batman reached a companionway leading down into the bowels of the ship.
A tremendous explosion rocked the Masked Manhunter back against the bulkhead. The origin of the blast was unknown.
I started down into the companionway. If Selina were somehow still aboard, I intend to find her. No one is going to stop me.
There is a smell of gasoline ahead in the darkness as I reached the base of the metal treads.
I keep going. The gasoline smell is stronger now, almost nauseous. I turn at an elbow bend in the darkened passageway. Ahead of me I can barely discern the outline of a male shape. "Hold it!" he shouted to me in English -- it didn't matter. It was the sound, not the word in a situation like this.
The figure wheeled, and I tucked against the bulkhead to my left, dodging as a tongue of flame licked out toward me from the darkness, a huge one, like the tongue of a monster.
The bulkhead beside me was suddenly scorched a deathly black as the passageway burst with the orange light of fire. It was a flame thrower. My blood began to run cold.
After gasping, I dropped to my knees. The heat of the flame in the confined space of the passageway suddenly robbed me of oxygen and seared my face below the mask portion of my cowl.
Acting on pure instinct, I reach to my utility belt and pull out a smoke capsule. I need cover to escape. I throw the glass tube toward the man using the flamethrower. A tremendous roar hurled down the passage. I hit the beast too well. Dead on, in fact -- probably not the best idea. I throw myself flat onto the floor of the passage. I can feel the blistering heat as it cooked the air around me. I take my fireproof cape and cover my face with it. I can still see the orange light of fire pushing its way over me.
I can smell nothing but burning gasoline as the metal corridor was transformed into a furnace. I push myself up, and stumbled back down the hall, not daring to breathe again.
I reached the base of the metal steps, throwing myself against the treads, and crawled upward out of the inferno. My lungs are burning, and the skin on my face is drawn taught where the intense heat had sucked out the mositure.
I wanted desperately to draw a breath, but I knew if I did I would breathe in death. I summon up all my strength and lunge for the opening I see above me.
I staggered to the deck of the superstructure, gulping in the cool air. A wall of flames sealed the passageway behind me as I looked back.
I started to my feet. If Selina was down there I had to get to her. The feeling of panic of perhaps losing her again started to grip me. I started for the metal treads.
Suddenly, I felt a firm hand on my right shoulder. "What are you doing?" a voice rasped.
It was Wildcat and Batman shook his colleague off. "Going for Catwoman," the Caped Crusader almost shouted. "Get the hell out of my way!"
"They're carrying naptha," Wildcat pleaded. "In a few minutes this ship will be gone. We have to get away!"
"You get away --" and Batman shook Wildcat's hand from his shoulder.
Wildcat was hauling at him, trying to pull him away from the steps -- away from Selina. Batman's right fist punched out for Wildcat's face. He missed, and clipped the former heavyweight boxing champion of the world on the right ear, but Wildcat didn't let go.
Batman leaned over him, hammering his left fist into his fellow crimefighter's abdomen.
Wildcat fell back, and as Batman ran for the steps, he heard Wildcat shout, "If she's in there, she's dead, Batman!"
Punctuating Wildcat's words, a fireball belched upward. The Dark Knight reeled back, falling to the deck from the sudden explosion of heat.
Wildcat was shouting over the roar of the flames, "She's dead if she's down there. We will be too if we don't get off this damn ship!"
Batman yelled at Wildcat, "I thought I lost her on that island, and I'm sure not going to lose her now. You get out, I'm finding Catwoman!"
For a moment, Wildcat only stared at him. Then he pleaded, "We need you to pilot the chopper -- the damn ship's ready to blow!"
Batman grunted as logic tried to fight back into his mind.
A voice was screaming from beyond the superstructure, from the main deck below.
"Wait," Wildcat commanded, and he was up and running to the railing. He shouted down as Batman waited for the fireball to burn itself out. He would have to try this passage. There was no time for nothing else. But he sensed it was useless. He started forward, but the chemical smell hit him in the face like a fist.
Suddenly, Wildcat's voice was behind him. "Batman, the captain is in the custody of Sandman and Dr Fate. They found out where False-Face went. And Catwoman was taken off the ship, I swear it. She's not here!"
Batman wheeled. "What if he's lying?" he snarled. His voice was menacing.
Wildcat's face cracked with a grin. "To save your life -- why would the captain lie for that? You must trust him, you have no choice. Go in there and die or trust us and live to find her."
Batman licked his lips. His mouth was as dry as cotton. The Caped Crusader lowered his head. "All right," he hissed.
To be continued ...
By Bruce Wayne
DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters portrayed in this story are copyright by DC Comics, an AOL/Time/Warner company. They are used without permission for entertainment without profit by the author.
An Elseworld's story: Stories, situation or events involving familiar characters in unfamiliar settings.
Chapter 11
"What the hell is that?" Colonel Flagg asked.
"It is a portal device that allows us to see distant events and/or places," Dr Fate replied.
Flagg nearly laughed. "Looks like a crystal ball to me."
Dr Fate had caused the crystal ball to materialize onto the table. The JSA along with Colonel Flagg, who was representing the United States government, were attempting to discern where the missing Catwoman and the ninety-nine canisters of VX nerve gas may be.
"This is probably our best chance to find out where we need to go," Wildcat said.
"A crystal ball?" an incredulous Colonel Flagg said. "You guys are going to use a crystal ball to determine what our next move is? I knew it! You guys are nuts! I told them back in Washington -- only nuts go around in public wearing masks and capes. That's it ... I'm outta here ..."
Flagg attempted to rise from his chair but he was unable to. He tried to stand up again, but it felt as though some unseen force was keeping him weighed down in the chair. He continued to struggle without success.
"I daresay, Colonel Flagg, the JSA needs the assistance of the United States government," Dr Mid-Nite started to explain, "and you'll just have to sit there and watch as our colleague, the esteemed Dr Fate, conjures up the information we require from his ... portal device."
"Stay still and enjoy the show, Colonel," The Sandman urged.
Flagg tried once more to move to a standing position but he was kept down by the invisible bonds. He finally resigned himself to sit and watch what would transpire next with the costumed crimefighters.
"Is everyone ready?" Dr Fate asked as he looked into the crystal ball.
"Isn't there some rule about everyone having to be a believer or something to make this work?" Wildcat inquired.
"No, that is only with parlor tricks," Fate explained. "Colonel Flagg's not believing what he is about to see will have no effect."
Wildcat nodded.
Flagg watched the crystal ball change from a clear color to yellow, then red, then a glowing bluish hue. Next, he saw smoke swirling inside of the ball.
"Hey, Houdini ..." Flagg tried to interrupt.
"Shut up, Flagg!" Sandman yelled. "Or the next thing you'll know, you'll be sleeping through this."
The CIA man decided to be quiet and watched as, incredibly, an image began to form in the ball. Flagg could see water and then an overhead view of a large ship. The ship began to get closer and closer. It was apparently a freighter somewhere on the high seas.
Batman spoke for the first time. "Is that where Catwoman may be held?"
"I believe so, Caped Crusader," Dr Fate answered.
"The name of the ship. We need the name of the ship," Gotham's avenger stated.
The image in the crystal ball started to move toward the aft of the large ship. There, in white letters on a black background, was the word: Das Wunderkind.
"The wonderchild?" Wildcat asked.
"Perhaps prodigy might be a better term in English," Dr Mid-Nite suggested. "Let me make contact with my maritime sources and see if I can track down this ship." Mid-Nite quickly left the room.
Flagg moved his eyes from the crystal ball to the faces of the Justice Society members in the room. They all had a serious look. Well, he couldn't tell what the guy in the shiny gold mask was thinking -- his face was totally obscured. But the rest of them were dead serious.
***
As the twin rotor blades of the Batcopter whirled overhead, I look over to check my passengers on the flight. In the jump seats behind me and The Sandman in the copilot seat are Wildcat and Dr Fate.
I can see from the corner of my eye that Wildcat's palms are probably sweating inside his gloves. He keeps pulling at them, stretching his fingers inside the leather-like material. Three Shuriken spikes were sheathed on hte back of each glove. He had the spikes custom-made, since finding them commercially was extremely difficult.
Dr Fate is an engima in my mind. I don't know him well and I admit to myself that I still feel uneasy around those who have extraordinary powers. But those same extraordinary powers are what was able to bring all of us and the Batcopter halfway around the world in the blink of an eye.
But still the shiny gold mask hides much of the emotion of the man behind it. I find it difficult to get a handle on Dr Fate. But I do know one thing, I'm glad he's with us tonight.
The Sandman was ready. But ready is such a nebulous term. One resigns himself to facing death out of necessity, it was never something to take with complete calm. But The Sandman came as close to it as possible. Even though his features were obscured completely by the gas mask he wears, it was easier to have a better understanding of what the man was feeling and thinking. His entire body gave away many of his emotions. I don't know if Sandman knew that or not.
I catch The Sandman eyeing me. As though he were reading my mind, he said, "I'm always nervous before something like this. Death holds little appeal."
If I were to allow myself to smile, I would've -- but I can't. I have an image to uphold. I say to him in reply, "Death isn't something I'm especially eager to face either."
The Sandman rolled back the sleeve of his suitcoat to look at his watch. He looked away from the face, and focused on mine. He nodded.
I look back out the windshield of the Batcopter. The superstructure amidships of the Wunderkind loomed on the horizon.
Sandman turned to look at Dr Fate and Wildcat. "The attack begins," he said.
Wildcat only nodded. The sweating inside his gloves had all but stopped.
The superstructure of the Wonderkind seemed higher now, more massive. The outlines of cargo-hold hatches were visible fore and aft, the radar mast and radar antennas towered over the bridge. Coming up from port I could make out the massive anchor, and just aft of the prow the windlass and mooring winch.
I can see men moving on the deck as the Wunderkind came into greater definition. The Batcopter was obviously becoming more apparent to them now, and some of the deck personnel began to run.
The Sandman spoke through the helicopter's PA System. He was telling those in command of the ship to heave to, and to prepare to be boarded. There was the possibility the ship's personnel would offer no resistance.
That possibility went out the window when I hear the ricochet of a rifle bullet off the fuselage of the Batcopter.
"Oh, well," Wildcat sighed.
The fuselage of the Batcopter was bulletproof and offered its occupants protection from the gunshots. Gunfire was streaming up toward them now from the deck. Sandman said, "Between the amidships cargo holds, land us there, Batman!"
There was no need for a reply as I maneuvered the Batcopter to bank hard to port, coming in at an angle toward the freighter. A man with a machine gun stood amidships, just where the Batcopter was heading. At the distance, a hundred yards and closing fast, anyone getting off the helicopter was an easy target.
Suddenly the chatter from the subgun seemed to stop as the weapon began to melt in the hands of the man. The result of a spell from Dr Fate.
Wildcat said to his companion in the next seat, "Nice going, Doc!"
We were twenty yards from the landing area I had selected, and closing fast. A man rushed up to where the machine gunner was, firing a pistol. As he dropped to his knees at the gun emplacement, Wildcat watched as the pistol seemed to turn into a small bird in the man's hand and flew away.
I wanted to smile at that one -- but I can't. There's too much work ahead of us. I need to find Selina.
After we land, I expect the fighting to be hard, perhaps deadly for some, but it will be a good fight. I can feel my muscles already pumping adrenaline and my senses are honed and sharp. This is what I live for.
The occupants of the Batcopter loosened their safety restraints as the chopper started to settle.
With the Batcopter still six feet off the deck, I yell to my colleagues, "Go for it."
Dr Fate slid open the fuselage door and flew into the air, his bright gold cape flowing behind him. Wildcat followed him and jumped to the deck. He was followed by The Sandman, who had his gas gun at ready.
I quickly land the Batcopter and put it into lockdown mode. Behind me I can hear the sounds of the grunts of our opponents being thrown into crates and hard onto the deck of the ship. The battle is on.
Batman hit the deck and rolled at the sound subgun fire to his left. As he came to his knees, a machine gun opened up from the superstructure amidships.
The Caped Crusader launched himself forward, the deckplates under his feet echoing with the machine-gun slugs, the pattern catching up to him as he dived to the protection of some cargo crates lashed down and covered with a tarpulin at the base of the superstructure.
The tops of the crates seemed to explode upward, and Batman felt bits of fabric and slivers of wood pelting him.
He looked toward the superstructure and the machine-gun nest trying to figure out how to get out of his predicament. A fresh burst of machine-gun fire hammered into the crates.
Batman could see The Sandman pinned down less than twenty feet from him.
The machine gun fell silent, but then started again.
The firing seemed to stop once more and Batman was up and running toward the metal steps leading up to the superstructure. What happened to the machine-gunner, Batman didn't know.
He reached the top of the steps and raced across the superstructure as the machine-gunner started to turn his weapon around. Batman flew into a drop kick and hit the man square on in the face, sending him sprawling to the slick surfaced deck.
The machine gunner's face and most of his head seemed to be a mass of blood.
While Batman had been busy with the machine gunner, Wildcat had reached the superstructure as well. He caught a blur of motion to his right, and glanced over to see the wheelhouse door opening. Wildcat's right hand snatched one of the Shuriken spikes from the back of his left glove. His hand snapped the stainless steel spike toward the target like a cobra making a strike. The man's body slammed back against the wheelhouse door as the deadly spike plunged into his chest, backflipping through the glass forming the upper panel.
The crimefighters fought the crew of the freighter in hand-to-hand combat now. There was little automatic weapon fire thanks to one of Dr Fate's spells that made the guns inoperable.
Sandman started across the superstructure. Crewmen came at him from various openings, some turned and ran as they saw him, some wanted to fight. The Sandman obliged.
Batman reached a companionway leading down into the bowels of the ship.
A tremendous explosion rocked the Masked Manhunter back against the bulkhead. The origin of the blast was unknown.
I started down into the companionway. If Selina were somehow still aboard, I intend to find her. No one is going to stop me.
There is a smell of gasoline ahead in the darkness as I reached the base of the metal treads.
I keep going. The gasoline smell is stronger now, almost nauseous. I turn at an elbow bend in the darkened passageway. Ahead of me I can barely discern the outline of a male shape. "Hold it!" he shouted to me in English -- it didn't matter. It was the sound, not the word in a situation like this.
The figure wheeled, and I tucked against the bulkhead to my left, dodging as a tongue of flame licked out toward me from the darkness, a huge one, like the tongue of a monster.
The bulkhead beside me was suddenly scorched a deathly black as the passageway burst with the orange light of fire. It was a flame thrower. My blood began to run cold.
After gasping, I dropped to my knees. The heat of the flame in the confined space of the passageway suddenly robbed me of oxygen and seared my face below the mask portion of my cowl.
Acting on pure instinct, I reach to my utility belt and pull out a smoke capsule. I need cover to escape. I throw the glass tube toward the man using the flamethrower. A tremendous roar hurled down the passage. I hit the beast too well. Dead on, in fact -- probably not the best idea. I throw myself flat onto the floor of the passage. I can feel the blistering heat as it cooked the air around me. I take my fireproof cape and cover my face with it. I can still see the orange light of fire pushing its way over me.
I can smell nothing but burning gasoline as the metal corridor was transformed into a furnace. I push myself up, and stumbled back down the hall, not daring to breathe again.
I reached the base of the metal steps, throwing myself against the treads, and crawled upward out of the inferno. My lungs are burning, and the skin on my face is drawn taught where the intense heat had sucked out the mositure.
I wanted desperately to draw a breath, but I knew if I did I would breathe in death. I summon up all my strength and lunge for the opening I see above me.
I staggered to the deck of the superstructure, gulping in the cool air. A wall of flames sealed the passageway behind me as I looked back.
I started to my feet. If Selina was down there I had to get to her. The feeling of panic of perhaps losing her again started to grip me. I started for the metal treads.
Suddenly, I felt a firm hand on my right shoulder. "What are you doing?" a voice rasped.
It was Wildcat and Batman shook his colleague off. "Going for Catwoman," the Caped Crusader almost shouted. "Get the hell out of my way!"
"They're carrying naptha," Wildcat pleaded. "In a few minutes this ship will be gone. We have to get away!"
"You get away --" and Batman shook Wildcat's hand from his shoulder.
Wildcat was hauling at him, trying to pull him away from the steps -- away from Selina. Batman's right fist punched out for Wildcat's face. He missed, and clipped the former heavyweight boxing champion of the world on the right ear, but Wildcat didn't let go.
Batman leaned over him, hammering his left fist into his fellow crimefighter's abdomen.
Wildcat fell back, and as Batman ran for the steps, he heard Wildcat shout, "If she's in there, she's dead, Batman!"
Punctuating Wildcat's words, a fireball belched upward. The Dark Knight reeled back, falling to the deck from the sudden explosion of heat.
Wildcat was shouting over the roar of the flames, "She's dead if she's down there. We will be too if we don't get off this damn ship!"
Batman yelled at Wildcat, "I thought I lost her on that island, and I'm sure not going to lose her now. You get out, I'm finding Catwoman!"
For a moment, Wildcat only stared at him. Then he pleaded, "We need you to pilot the chopper -- the damn ship's ready to blow!"
Batman grunted as logic tried to fight back into his mind.
A voice was screaming from beyond the superstructure, from the main deck below.
"Wait," Wildcat commanded, and he was up and running to the railing. He shouted down as Batman waited for the fireball to burn itself out. He would have to try this passage. There was no time for nothing else. But he sensed it was useless. He started forward, but the chemical smell hit him in the face like a fist.
Suddenly, Wildcat's voice was behind him. "Batman, the captain is in the custody of Sandman and Dr Fate. They found out where False-Face went. And Catwoman was taken off the ship, I swear it. She's not here!"
Batman wheeled. "What if he's lying?" he snarled. His voice was menacing.
Wildcat's face cracked with a grin. "To save your life -- why would the captain lie for that? You must trust him, you have no choice. Go in there and die or trust us and live to find her."
Batman licked his lips. His mouth was as dry as cotton. The Caped Crusader lowered his head. "All right," he hissed.
To be continued ...