Chapter 7: Armageddon I
The Story Thus Far: Batgirl manages to stop a mugging and laments her failure from earlier that night; Bullock learns Two-Face and Penguin are behind the jewellery exchange firebombing while Gordon pours over Det. Allen's notes. Gordon finds an interesting address, but keeps other facts to himself; Bruce Wayne accuses Ra's al Ghul of giving Harley life after being shot and killed by the Joker. Ra's sees such a suggestion as an insult upon his character and he attempts to prove otherwise by commanding Harley to slay Bruce. Ra's reasons that if Harley were not saved by him, if she was not given the Lazarus Pit treatment, then she would not acquiesce. However, Harley appears to obey Ra's al Ghul's wishes as "the blade flashes through the air…"
…
The shimmering sword cuts through the air with an unerring accuracy, and only Bruce Wayne's years of training allow him to deftly evade each deadly strike. Nearby Ivy stands mortified by the sight as Harley Quinn takes another swipe at Bruce. Once more he sidesteps the blow, not wanting to harm his attacker.
Within their cavernous entrapment the horde of assassins merely watch in silence. From high above their master, Ra's Al Ghul, stares down with a puzzled look upon his face.
'How?' he wonders, 'How is it possible? No one had been able to steal the secret of the Lazarus Pit, not in all these years. Yet there's the proof…she's completely under my sway. The detective did not lie…I have been betrayed…'
Ra's turns away from the scene and disappears behind lavish curtains, muttering to himself, "This requires contemplation..."
Down below the participants of the macabre dance of death continue to wage their battle. With each of Harley's frantic cuts of air Bruce manages a last second dodge. Not once does he press the attack, avoiding each opening like the plague. Instead he opts for a defensive stance every time, not wanting to harm a hair on her head.
It continues on with Bruce knowing he must stay at his best as a single error may cost him his life...until he and Harley notice Ra's has removed himself from the scene. Harley acknowledges this change in the situation with a sly wink and a strong toss of her sword into a nearby member of the horde, to which Bruce smiles as he removes two small weapons from his utility belt, tossing one to Harley's waiting hand. She giggles like a child in a candy store and proceeds to fire the bizarre contraption at another horde member. This time a stark blue beam blazes forth and upon striking its target envelopes him in a clear sheath of ice! Together they begin to rush the horde.
"Ivy!" Bruce calls out as he reaches into his belt once more, this time removing a fistful of seeds that he tosses to one side. Ivy then wills them with her control of plant life to grow to maturity within seconds into large, near indestructible creeper vines, ensnaring any nearby assassin in the process.
At this point the horde has finally begun to rally and they begin to fight back. Sensing they might not make it across the chamber, Bruce reaches into his belt once more and produces a small remote control device with a single red button on it.
Ivy notices, "What's that for?"
"The Somnambulist," Bruce replies, managing a brief glance towards Ivy as he depresses the button, "Let's just say it was a good thing you didn't want to stay on the sub…"
Ra's al Ghul is, if nothing else, a very calculating man. Knowing that his foes did not arrive by air or land, he sent his men to scavenge the sea. As his foes dared walk on his soil he had secreted their only means of escape into his lair. So it comes as no surprise that within the artificial island's underwater bay, a few hundred meters away from the fray, a company of Ra's al Ghul's men stare at the submarine they've only recently salvaged, its propellers removed to ensure there would be no escape. Yes, Ra's al Ghul understands that in battle victory is everything, but victory with the vanquished foes' assets in your account is near sublime. And what an odd creature this vehicle christened Somnambulist is, with its boat-like features it appears capable of skimming the waves above just as easily as riding the currents underneath. Ra's al Ghul's men anticipate a dissection of the vessel in the near future, and even though booby-traps may abound not one fears for his safety. After all, Ra's knows his enemy well; the detective does not kill…
A low hum is then heard, unnoticeable at first its pitch and wail becomes louder and louder with each passing moment, until each member of the salvage squadron is covering their ears in pain. The noise soon penetrates into the chamber where the horde has begun to break down the defences of their prey. Slowly, ever so slowly, they are pushing forward, clustering their 3 foes closer and closer together…until they hear the fevered pitch emanating from afar. With anguish in their eyes they fall to the ground and cover their ears in a vain attempt to halt the pain, only there is no relief.
Bruce gestures for his two companions to hurry across the room, forgetting that he didn't warn them of the oncoming onslaught. As Harley and Ivy writhe in agony on the floor with the horde Bruce sighs, they haven't much time! Desperate, he grabs each woman by a leg and pulls them across the floor to the shelter of a doorway located beyond the horde and directly underneath the platform that supports Ra's al Ghul's throne. Once safely there Bruce stops and turns, firing his ice gun at the archway to seal it in a thick layer of ice.
"There," he mutters as he finishes, "That should hold."
"Was that necessary?!" Harley screams as she tries to drive the ringing from her ears and dust from her body, "And what is that freaking noise?!"
"They say it's dangerous to wake a sleepwalker, there's your proof," Bruce says in a completely deadpan fashion as he removes his earplugs.
The noise slowly dying away from her ears, Harley turns her attention to Bruce's handiwork. She saunters over to the ice block and rubs her hand upon it to produce a clear view into the chamber they have just escaped from. "Oh yeah, this'll hold," she remarks, "Good job, boss, good job. Yep, this'll definitely hold. Uh, what's it gonna hold, exactly? I mean, those guys are about as lively as Lenin right now…"
As if in answer the high pitched wail ceases as the Somnambulist's turbines wear themselves out. Ra's' troops rise up from their pain ridden stupor, grabbing their weapons and wanting to lash out. They don't get the chance as the bit of calm is shattered by the Somnambulist's second rude awakening. Its modified turbines had spun violently enough to generate sparks, which in turn became flames that migrated across the engine room to a well concealed armament. In a single, deafening blast the entire vessel disintegrates, ripping gigantic shards through Ra's al Ghul's horde and the hull of his floating fortress, allowing the sea to flow in unchecked. Water begins lapping into the chamber which Bruce and his party were once in and Harley and Ivy watch through the clear ice as assassin after assassin tries to flee in vain. Ivy sums it up best in a horrific tone, "They'll drown!"
A lowly "Yes" is Bruce Wayne's only reply.
"Way to go, boss!" Harley chatters back with a huge grin, "I knew you had it in you! Now if you'd just ditch the stupid mask and show off that nice toothy grin of yours…"
Ivy continues to stare out at the sea of suffering souls as the entire island begins to list. As she stares she sees one of the horde remove his mask and her mouth gapes open in shock, "That one, it looks just like…"
"Beloved," a voice calls from behind them. They turn in unison and see one of the most beautiful women the world has ever known. Her raven like hair and deep, soulful eyes would make any man swoon, and Bruce Wayne was no exception. However, he had always managed to stave off his feelings for one simple reason; she was also the daughter of one of his mortal enemies.
"Talia," he manages as she wraps her arms around him. Ivy stands in stunned silence as Harley whispers, "Oh yeah, this day just keeps getting better and better…"
Bruce could feel the warmth of her touch, this woman whom he's longed for what seems like time immemorial, and he finds himself pushing her away. "Where's Beal?"
"I…see," she replies after noticing his blonde and red-headed companions nearby. She looks at him with large, hurt filled eyes and answers with a quiver in her lips, "He's safe, only a few doors away…"
"Good," he turns towards Harley and Ivy, "I want you two to follow Talia and to do EXACTLY what she says. Understood?"
"Ja whol mein Fuhrer!" Harley smiles as she salutes him, then muttering inaudibly, "Jerk."
Ivy only nods as she grasps her side, trying to show that the tears in her eyes are due to the pain of her now reopen wound, and not because of…something else.
"But Beloved, I…" Talia starts.
"Not now, Talia," Bruce replies as he turns away to head down the opposite corridor, "Maybe not ever. Not until your father and I have a little…talk…"
…
"This the place, Commish?"
The Pit Bull like voice of Det. Bullock cuts through the silence as he pulls his dark sedan with extinguished headlights into the front of a boarded up warehouse. This portion of the Gotham's docks are affectionately referred to as the Rat's Nest, for the simple reason that only the vermin of society would dare to tread here. Commissioner James W. Gordon pushes back his glasses on his nose and attempts to double check the address by moonlight on the blood spattered folder in his hands. The rear seats of the car, his clothing and hands are all covered in blood. Though not his, the sight of it still cuts him deep for it belonged to a fallen officer who died for the fantastic information said file contains.
Gordon sighs, "This is it alright." Having memorized most of the pertinent facts already he shuts the file folder and tucks it under his car seat. Pulling out his police issued handgun he steps out of the car and into the night. A chill travels down his spine, but it isn't due to the night air.
Bullock does the same and the two make their way as silently as possible towards the seemingly abandoned building. They make it to the outside wall without incident and Bullock takes the moment to address the Commissioner, "You sure we shouldn't call in for backup?"
Gordon sighs, "I said it was taken care of." He then points to a spot on the wall, "That's the way in."
They trudge delicately to the spot and Gordon nudges a portion of it. It gives on silent hinges, revealing itself as a large, wooden flap. They make their way inside. Within is nothing but inky blackness all around. Bullock fumbles in his pocket for a flashlight and turns it on.
"For God's sake!" Gordon whispers as loudly as he dares, "Shine that thing on the ground and nowhere else! They could spot us!"
Gordon and Bullock make their way slowly across the floor and come across a bench top. Near it are some large cylinders with labels of flammable and explosive emblazoned in bold letters. Bullock notices a set of cassette tapes on a corner of the bench and chooses one at random. He places it in the adjacent tape recorder and after ensuring that the volume is set as low as possible he turns it on and places the recorder by his ear. He grins and motions to the Commissioner to come closer, placing the still playing recorder by his ear as well. Gordon's eyes grow wide and his jaw drops as he listens to a voice rambling on after being questioned. Gordon's aghast, "Joker…"
"They must've spliced together bits and pieces," Bullock whispers as he puts the recorder back, "until they got what you heard the night your place was firebombed, just to rattle you and throw us off the scent. It looks like they were behind the whole thing all along."
"Indeed!" a rare, dignified voice calls out as the lights go on. Bullock and Gordon whirl about and come face to face with twin silver plated handguns and a machine gun umbrella, each in the hands of the quarry they sought.
"Look at what we have here, two birds that have gone astray and into our gun sights," the short, monocle wearing fellow with the pointy noise remarks, "You understand, gentlemen, that while I abhor violence decorum dictates that we, as the villains, must aerate you both. Heh." The Penguin turns to his taller companion who is wearing a distinctive two tone suit that's topped off with a two toned hat to match his half-handsome, half-grotesque complexion. The Penguin grins, "Shall we, my dear fellow?"
In response Two-Face pulls back on the hammers of his guns and sneers…
TO BE CONTINUED…
The Story Thus Far: Batgirl manages to stop a mugging and laments her failure from earlier that night; Bullock learns Two-Face and Penguin are behind the jewellery exchange firebombing while Gordon pours over Det. Allen's notes. Gordon finds an interesting address, but keeps other facts to himself; Bruce Wayne accuses Ra's al Ghul of giving Harley life after being shot and killed by the Joker. Ra's sees such a suggestion as an insult upon his character and he attempts to prove otherwise by commanding Harley to slay Bruce. Ra's reasons that if Harley were not saved by him, if she was not given the Lazarus Pit treatment, then she would not acquiesce. However, Harley appears to obey Ra's al Ghul's wishes as "the blade flashes through the air…"
…
The shimmering sword cuts through the air with an unerring accuracy, and only Bruce Wayne's years of training allow him to deftly evade each deadly strike. Nearby Ivy stands mortified by the sight as Harley Quinn takes another swipe at Bruce. Once more he sidesteps the blow, not wanting to harm his attacker.
Within their cavernous entrapment the horde of assassins merely watch in silence. From high above their master, Ra's Al Ghul, stares down with a puzzled look upon his face.
'How?' he wonders, 'How is it possible? No one had been able to steal the secret of the Lazarus Pit, not in all these years. Yet there's the proof…she's completely under my sway. The detective did not lie…I have been betrayed…'
Ra's turns away from the scene and disappears behind lavish curtains, muttering to himself, "This requires contemplation..."
Down below the participants of the macabre dance of death continue to wage their battle. With each of Harley's frantic cuts of air Bruce manages a last second dodge. Not once does he press the attack, avoiding each opening like the plague. Instead he opts for a defensive stance every time, not wanting to harm a hair on her head.
It continues on with Bruce knowing he must stay at his best as a single error may cost him his life...until he and Harley notice Ra's has removed himself from the scene. Harley acknowledges this change in the situation with a sly wink and a strong toss of her sword into a nearby member of the horde, to which Bruce smiles as he removes two small weapons from his utility belt, tossing one to Harley's waiting hand. She giggles like a child in a candy store and proceeds to fire the bizarre contraption at another horde member. This time a stark blue beam blazes forth and upon striking its target envelopes him in a clear sheath of ice! Together they begin to rush the horde.
"Ivy!" Bruce calls out as he reaches into his belt once more, this time removing a fistful of seeds that he tosses to one side. Ivy then wills them with her control of plant life to grow to maturity within seconds into large, near indestructible creeper vines, ensnaring any nearby assassin in the process.
At this point the horde has finally begun to rally and they begin to fight back. Sensing they might not make it across the chamber, Bruce reaches into his belt once more and produces a small remote control device with a single red button on it.
Ivy notices, "What's that for?"
"The Somnambulist," Bruce replies, managing a brief glance towards Ivy as he depresses the button, "Let's just say it was a good thing you didn't want to stay on the sub…"
Ra's al Ghul is, if nothing else, a very calculating man. Knowing that his foes did not arrive by air or land, he sent his men to scavenge the sea. As his foes dared walk on his soil he had secreted their only means of escape into his lair. So it comes as no surprise that within the artificial island's underwater bay, a few hundred meters away from the fray, a company of Ra's al Ghul's men stare at the submarine they've only recently salvaged, its propellers removed to ensure there would be no escape. Yes, Ra's al Ghul understands that in battle victory is everything, but victory with the vanquished foes' assets in your account is near sublime. And what an odd creature this vehicle christened Somnambulist is, with its boat-like features it appears capable of skimming the waves above just as easily as riding the currents underneath. Ra's al Ghul's men anticipate a dissection of the vessel in the near future, and even though booby-traps may abound not one fears for his safety. After all, Ra's knows his enemy well; the detective does not kill…
A low hum is then heard, unnoticeable at first its pitch and wail becomes louder and louder with each passing moment, until each member of the salvage squadron is covering their ears in pain. The noise soon penetrates into the chamber where the horde has begun to break down the defences of their prey. Slowly, ever so slowly, they are pushing forward, clustering their 3 foes closer and closer together…until they hear the fevered pitch emanating from afar. With anguish in their eyes they fall to the ground and cover their ears in a vain attempt to halt the pain, only there is no relief.
Bruce gestures for his two companions to hurry across the room, forgetting that he didn't warn them of the oncoming onslaught. As Harley and Ivy writhe in agony on the floor with the horde Bruce sighs, they haven't much time! Desperate, he grabs each woman by a leg and pulls them across the floor to the shelter of a doorway located beyond the horde and directly underneath the platform that supports Ra's al Ghul's throne. Once safely there Bruce stops and turns, firing his ice gun at the archway to seal it in a thick layer of ice.
"There," he mutters as he finishes, "That should hold."
"Was that necessary?!" Harley screams as she tries to drive the ringing from her ears and dust from her body, "And what is that freaking noise?!"
"They say it's dangerous to wake a sleepwalker, there's your proof," Bruce says in a completely deadpan fashion as he removes his earplugs.
The noise slowly dying away from her ears, Harley turns her attention to Bruce's handiwork. She saunters over to the ice block and rubs her hand upon it to produce a clear view into the chamber they have just escaped from. "Oh yeah, this'll hold," she remarks, "Good job, boss, good job. Yep, this'll definitely hold. Uh, what's it gonna hold, exactly? I mean, those guys are about as lively as Lenin right now…"
As if in answer the high pitched wail ceases as the Somnambulist's turbines wear themselves out. Ra's' troops rise up from their pain ridden stupor, grabbing their weapons and wanting to lash out. They don't get the chance as the bit of calm is shattered by the Somnambulist's second rude awakening. Its modified turbines had spun violently enough to generate sparks, which in turn became flames that migrated across the engine room to a well concealed armament. In a single, deafening blast the entire vessel disintegrates, ripping gigantic shards through Ra's al Ghul's horde and the hull of his floating fortress, allowing the sea to flow in unchecked. Water begins lapping into the chamber which Bruce and his party were once in and Harley and Ivy watch through the clear ice as assassin after assassin tries to flee in vain. Ivy sums it up best in a horrific tone, "They'll drown!"
A lowly "Yes" is Bruce Wayne's only reply.
"Way to go, boss!" Harley chatters back with a huge grin, "I knew you had it in you! Now if you'd just ditch the stupid mask and show off that nice toothy grin of yours…"
Ivy continues to stare out at the sea of suffering souls as the entire island begins to list. As she stares she sees one of the horde remove his mask and her mouth gapes open in shock, "That one, it looks just like…"
"Beloved," a voice calls from behind them. They turn in unison and see one of the most beautiful women the world has ever known. Her raven like hair and deep, soulful eyes would make any man swoon, and Bruce Wayne was no exception. However, he had always managed to stave off his feelings for one simple reason; she was also the daughter of one of his mortal enemies.
"Talia," he manages as she wraps her arms around him. Ivy stands in stunned silence as Harley whispers, "Oh yeah, this day just keeps getting better and better…"
Bruce could feel the warmth of her touch, this woman whom he's longed for what seems like time immemorial, and he finds himself pushing her away. "Where's Beal?"
"I…see," she replies after noticing his blonde and red-headed companions nearby. She looks at him with large, hurt filled eyes and answers with a quiver in her lips, "He's safe, only a few doors away…"
"Good," he turns towards Harley and Ivy, "I want you two to follow Talia and to do EXACTLY what she says. Understood?"
"Ja whol mein Fuhrer!" Harley smiles as she salutes him, then muttering inaudibly, "Jerk."
Ivy only nods as she grasps her side, trying to show that the tears in her eyes are due to the pain of her now reopen wound, and not because of…something else.
"But Beloved, I…" Talia starts.
"Not now, Talia," Bruce replies as he turns away to head down the opposite corridor, "Maybe not ever. Not until your father and I have a little…talk…"
…
"This the place, Commish?"
The Pit Bull like voice of Det. Bullock cuts through the silence as he pulls his dark sedan with extinguished headlights into the front of a boarded up warehouse. This portion of the Gotham's docks are affectionately referred to as the Rat's Nest, for the simple reason that only the vermin of society would dare to tread here. Commissioner James W. Gordon pushes back his glasses on his nose and attempts to double check the address by moonlight on the blood spattered folder in his hands. The rear seats of the car, his clothing and hands are all covered in blood. Though not his, the sight of it still cuts him deep for it belonged to a fallen officer who died for the fantastic information said file contains.
Gordon sighs, "This is it alright." Having memorized most of the pertinent facts already he shuts the file folder and tucks it under his car seat. Pulling out his police issued handgun he steps out of the car and into the night. A chill travels down his spine, but it isn't due to the night air.
Bullock does the same and the two make their way as silently as possible towards the seemingly abandoned building. They make it to the outside wall without incident and Bullock takes the moment to address the Commissioner, "You sure we shouldn't call in for backup?"
Gordon sighs, "I said it was taken care of." He then points to a spot on the wall, "That's the way in."
They trudge delicately to the spot and Gordon nudges a portion of it. It gives on silent hinges, revealing itself as a large, wooden flap. They make their way inside. Within is nothing but inky blackness all around. Bullock fumbles in his pocket for a flashlight and turns it on.
"For God's sake!" Gordon whispers as loudly as he dares, "Shine that thing on the ground and nowhere else! They could spot us!"
Gordon and Bullock make their way slowly across the floor and come across a bench top. Near it are some large cylinders with labels of flammable and explosive emblazoned in bold letters. Bullock notices a set of cassette tapes on a corner of the bench and chooses one at random. He places it in the adjacent tape recorder and after ensuring that the volume is set as low as possible he turns it on and places the recorder by his ear. He grins and motions to the Commissioner to come closer, placing the still playing recorder by his ear as well. Gordon's eyes grow wide and his jaw drops as he listens to a voice rambling on after being questioned. Gordon's aghast, "Joker…"
"They must've spliced together bits and pieces," Bullock whispers as he puts the recorder back, "until they got what you heard the night your place was firebombed, just to rattle you and throw us off the scent. It looks like they were behind the whole thing all along."
"Indeed!" a rare, dignified voice calls out as the lights go on. Bullock and Gordon whirl about and come face to face with twin silver plated handguns and a machine gun umbrella, each in the hands of the quarry they sought.
"Look at what we have here, two birds that have gone astray and into our gun sights," the short, monocle wearing fellow with the pointy noise remarks, "You understand, gentlemen, that while I abhor violence decorum dictates that we, as the villains, must aerate you both. Heh." The Penguin turns to his taller companion who is wearing a distinctive two tone suit that's topped off with a two toned hat to match his half-handsome, half-grotesque complexion. The Penguin grins, "Shall we, my dear fellow?"
In response Two-Face pulls back on the hammers of his guns and sneers…
TO BE CONTINUED…