Batman/Resident Evil: The Gotham Protocol

Chapter 3

By: Christopher W. Blaine

e-mail: darth_yoshi@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER: Resident Evil™ is a registered product of Capcom Inc./Batman™ is a registered product of DC Comics Inc. Neither of these properties is used here with permission. This original story idea is ©2003 by Christopher W. Blaine.

Chris awoke feeling surprisingly refreshed; it had been a long time since he had slept so soundly, though the circumstances could have been a lot better. Barely fifteen minutes had gone by before a limousine had approached them with a kindly British gentleman at the helm. He had beckoned them enter and they found the car to be furnished for the super-rich. After that, all Chris could remember was the hissing sound as the knockout gas entered the passenger cabin via several hidden nozzles.

He was with Jill and Rebecca and none of them were tied up and they seemed to be in a relatively large space, a cave of some sort. He could tell by the moldy smell in the air and he could swear he hear the chattering of bats from somewhere overhead. The other members of the team appeared unmolested but he did note that their weapons were missing.

He helped them up and asked them if they were okay. "Nothing broken, but I think my pride is bruised," Jill confessed. "We should have seen this coming."

Rebecca seemed the most worried and she asked if they thought Umbrella had gotten a hold of them. Chris didn't want to think of the ramifications of Umbrella controlled the Titans too. "Just sit tight and remember we need to stick together," he told her. He then cast a glace over at Jill and she understood his meaning. No matter what, they could not leave Rebecca alone. She simply wasn't experienced in resisting torture methods like they were.

"Who are you?" a voice asked from the darkness. Chris turned in the direction he thought it had come from and squinted. He could just barely make out the figure in the darkness.

"I'm Chris Redfield of the Raccoon City S.T.A.R.s, Special Tactics and Rescue Squad. I am a law enforcement agent with the federal government…"

"That's a lie," the voice said calmly. "You have been removed from duty. Raccoon City no longer has an active S.T.A.R.s team."

"I'm working on a case…"

"Be quiet," the voice snapped. "You've already lied once. You cannot be trusted. You, the redhead with the beret…who are you?"

Jill cleared her throat and stepped up next to Chris. "I'm Jill Valentine, I'm a member of S.T.A.R.s as well…"

"Another lie. Next."

Rebecca was shaking, but she bravely moved to step in front of her two partners and she stared into the darkness. The overhead lighting prevented her from seeing anything except shadows. "I'm Rebecca Chambers. I am…I was a S.T.A.R.s agent until our team was disbanded."

"Continue."

"I…we believe that the S.T.A.R.s organization has been infiltrated by persons who wish to undermine the national security of not only the United States, but perhaps the security of the whole world." She swallowed hard, realizing that if they were in the hands of Umbrella, she was most likely signing their death warrant. However, she still believed in heroes and right now, she needed to let go of her suspicions and trust in something. "We believe the Umbrella Corporation is developing biological weapons that would be considered illegal under the Geneva Convention and several United Nations resolutions. We believe that they are experimenting on human beings and are guilty of crimes against humanity. We believe that even though the S.T.A.R.s have rejected us, we are still obligated to our oaths to protect and serve the public trust."

There was a pause; a long one and Chris readied himself for whatever was going to happen. He half expected a legion of armed Umbrella guards to come crashing in and he was more than willing to take a few of them with him when he finally went down. His only regret was not being more cautious and leading Jill and Rebecca into this mess.

There was a tap on his shoulder and he whirled around, gasped and stumbled back. Jill gave a small squeal and Rebecca nearly fainted. Before them stood a massive man, well over sox-foot tall with a chest that was even broader than Chris's, and he worked out religiously. He was clad in black, with a large cape covering connected to a dark cowl with little points at the top. On his chest was a large bat emblem.

"Finally, an honest answer," the Batman said.

Chris regained his composure and threw a punch. The Batman stopped it with an outstretched palm and then closed his hand around the fist. "Don't."

Chris decided to follow the advice and relaxed. The Batman let him go and then carefully looked the three of them over. It was obvious who the leader was, but the Batman had already done an extensive background check on all three of them. They were, for the most part, nothing more than criminals according to reliable law enforcement sources. The Batman, however, had dug deeper and found several discrepancies with what was official.

First off, most reports indicated that Chris Redfield was unstable, but all the Batman had observed was a professional who was more concerned about his people then himself. It didn't match the FBI profile he had Oracle download for him. Jill Valentine, a woman reported to be given to bouts of "uncontrollable nymphomania followed by a compulsion to commit petty crimes" came across more as a woman of complete self-control and deadly seriousness that was masked behind an artificial façade. She reminded him of the Catwoman, a person who was beautiful and knew it and was not above using it to get the job done.

It was the youngest one that most intrigued the Batman. Behind her quaking form he saw the potential for greatness. "You tried to contact Nightwing," he said.

Chris immediately assumed the role of speaker for the group. "Yes. We believe that he may have encountered something to do with Umbrella last night."

"And?"

"And we want to know what it was."

"You aren't in Raccoon City anymore; Gotham City is my territory. Give me your information and I'll let you go," the Batman said. He saw the look in Chris's eyes; it was the same way the Batman would react of given the same conditions.

"Mr. Batman, sir," Rebecca started, "it isn't that we don't trust you, it's just that we don't think you understand exactly what's going on. This isn't like chasing a mugger down."

The Batman started to speak when another voice broke through the darkness. "Damn it, Bats, you leather-clad fascist, quit the Gestapo tactics and turn on some lights!"

Batman held his tongue, knowing that his friend was only speaking his mind and nothing he could do would stop that. A man dressed in green archer's clothing, complete with the Robin Hood style hat, flipped on some more lights and the S.T.A.R.s agents were surprised to find themselves dead center in a mammoth cave. There were several other smaller caves here and there, each one packed with equipment or supplies.

It was the famous Batcave, talked about only in whispers by those in the know, a secret laboratory of crime fighting Rebecca remembered from her academy days. She couldn't help but be a little disappointed by it all. She had imagined wanted posters and banks of computers churning out tips every other second, along with a full staff working in a forensics lab.

There was a computer; a massive one with multiple screens, but it wasn't anything she hadn't seen in college. There were some vehicles, including the Batmobile, but she had never been one for cars. Chris seemed to be eyeing it approvingly, but Jill was busy staring off at several glass cases full of costumes. There was a tattered uniform of Robin and one of Batgirl, though none of the S.T.A.R.s could know the significance of their placement.

That was the memorial hall.

The archer approached and they recognized him immediately as Green Arrow, or at least one of them. He was an older man, but in good shape as evidenced by his bulging forearms and biceps. He had a well-trimmed goatee and there was the smell of expensive cologne about him. He was cordial enough when he introduced himself to Chris and Rebecca, but he took extra time when speaking with Jill. "I'm the Green Arrow," he said with a smile.

"Yes, so I can tell by the little forest outfit," Jill said with an equally charming smile. Green Arrow chuckled and Batman recognized the lady-killer laugh that signaled the beginning of Oliver Queen's newest conquest.

Like Bruce Wayne, the man under the cowl of the Batman, Oliver Queen was no stranger to money. He had lived with it most of his life, becoming soft as he grew into adulthood. After being trapped on a deserted island for several months, he come to learn to rely on him and a bow and that was all. It changed him, made him into an adventurer and he assumed the name of Green Arrow to pursue his need for excitement.

Unfortunately, Oliver Queen was also a man who juggled responsibility like he juggled women. Over the past decade he had lost his fortune, his fiancé and alienated his adopted son to the point he started taking drugs. Then, of course, he died, only to be resurrected under the strangest of circumstances. Then, to top it all off, he got his money back.

In a way, he was an oxymoron; a man who fought for the downtrodden but lived in a mansion. He was an advocate of the poor while he now made efforts to make sure he never ended up there again himself. He lectured his adopted son, Roy Harper, on the importance of fatherhood while he made countless efforts to see how many wombs he could enter before he died again.

The Batman stepped past them and grabbed Green Arrow by the shoulder. "Let's step into my meeting room. I have food there."

"Food!" Rebecca said and she fell into step behind the Batman. Green Arrow watched her with an approving eye, watching her backside with intent. Chris saw it and was about to step in when Jill took Green Arrow by the arm and started to lead him.

Minutes later, they were all seated around a long black table. Everyone except Batman and Chris were eating, the two men having a stare down from opposite ends of the table. Another costumed hero soon joined them, this time a woman with long silky black hair. Chris immediately recognized her as the Huntress, another vigilante from Gotham City.

He had a problem with vigilantes especially because that what cops are taught. The law was to be enforced only by those who have been trained and appointed. None of these people had the right, regardless of their intentions, to usurp the law. That was why he was fighting this war against Umbrella, to enforce the law.

The Huntress said nothing and received only a casual nod from the Batman. Chris could sense the tension between them and he wondered why she was even here. His question was answered when several more super-heroes entered. He immediately recalled their names as they stepped in and grabbed a seat.

Nightwing. Arsenal. Batgirl.

"Look like the super friends are all here," he commented.

Arsenal looked at him from over the top of his red sunglasses. "Oh, that's really funny, sport."

"Quiet, both of you," Batman ordered. He pulled out a remote control and pressed a button on it. The far wall lowered, revealing a giant computer monitor behind it. On it was a computer graphic image of a head. "Oracle, are you there?"

"Yes, Batman, I'm here," the head responded, complete with lifelike animation. Rebecca smiled and called out a greeting. "Hello, Rebecca, long time no hear."

She looked down at her plate. "I've been sort of busy…"

"You should enter the chat room some time, we've missed you," Oracle responded.

"Let's begin," Batman said and Chris nodded his approval. "Last night, based on a tip, Nightwing and Arsenal investigated a suspected shipment of biological weapons."

Nightwing then took over and detailed his and Arsenal's adventure the night before. When he was finished, he asked how the S.T.A.R.s knew he had been the one to send the call to the Coast Guard. Chris responded by telling them about the CIA database. Batman looked up at Oracle. "You have a handle on that?"

"Already hacked their database and changed the records. This won't happen again," was the response. Chris kept his face impassive but he was secretly impressed by the way this outfit ran. It was like an S & M version of the S.T.A.R.s.

"We know that this Susan Smyth was assigned to work for Umbrella; according to her resume which we found posted online, she was working with a Dr. Theodore Madison on a project underwritten by a company called Petro Chemicals," Nightwing said.

The Oracle head nodded. "Petro Chemicals was once known as Queen-Chem, a company that manufactured spray paint for the automotive industry." Green Arrow removed his hat and shook his head. Before his enlightenment as he called it, back when he was a money-grubbing capitalist, he had been the man who owned that company. To know that something he started was now involved in biological weapons just made him sick.

It was the reason why he was here because Arsenal had recognized Umbrella as one of the companies that had bought up the portions of the Queen Fund when Green Arrow had lost his original fortune. "Queen-Chem was based out of both Gotham City and Star City. The Star City facility was shutdown in a corporate cutback four years ago."

"Then whatever Umbrella is up to is in that facility," Chris said. He started to get up. "Thanks for the info, now show us the way out."

Batman regarded him. "Sit down," he said. Chris resisted for a second, just enough o show his defiance, and then slid slowly back into his chair.

Oracle continued. "Petro Chemicals was shut down six months ago after a toxic spill. Several workers were lost…"

"I remember reading about that, but I thought the EPA handled it," Rebecca said.

"They did until Metropolis S.T.A.R.s took over the investigation. Both Alpha and Bravo teams have been securing the site while a special Umbrella team has been allegedly cleaning things up." Oracle paused and a picture appeared on the screen of a man in his early forties with a balding head and large, thick glasses. "This is Dr. Madison, an expert in cryogenics and genetics. He was working on a way to perfect suspended animation when he was recruited by Umbrella two years ago. His research assistant was Susan Smyth. Both of them were reported missing three weeks ago."

Nightwing turned to Chris. "We believe that that, from what my source has told me, that Madison and Smythe were lovers and Smythe broke off the relationship."

"Yeah, he thought she sucked," Arsenal added.

"And?" Chris asked, not quite catching on.

Jill thought she had an idea. "You think that Madison infected Smyth with something and she killed him?" All of the heroes nodded. Oracle then spoke for her side. "What we would like to know is what is this all about? What is this biological agent?"

Rebecca coughed. "I'm a biochemist," she said and there was a look of disbelief, especially on the Huntress. "I barely understand the technology, but essentially Umbrella is developing a way to create the perfect soldier. They want to transform soldiers into unthinking, unfeeling killing machines."

"Fascists," Green Arrow muttered.

"The problem is that they don't want to wait for FDA approval on their work. It's big money for whatever they develop, trillions of dollars as governments compete for these soldiers. There are several different viruses that have been developed," she said, shaking her head. "The main one is the T-Virus; it changes a normal person into one of those creatures you saw last night. They survive for the most part by feeding off of other living things, but they do eventually rot away to nothing."

"So what was Madison working on?" the Huntress asked.

Oracle had the answer. Another picture appeared of a man in white armor, his head encased in a plexi-glass helmet. "We believe that they were working with a criminal known as Freeze. He is also an expert in cryogenics and we've learned that part of his rehabilitation in the Arkham Asylum has been paid for by a subsidiary of Umbrella. Freeze has developed a way to keep crystallization down during freezing."

Rebecca nodded. "That would be very useful."

"I don't get it," Arsenal said, leaning forward. Chris smirked, but the hero ignored him. "If these things don't feel pain and don't care, so what if their blood freezes?"

"The problem is ice crystals can damage the muscle structure," Batman said. Rebecca found herself entranced by the way he explained it. It was like having the worlds most fit professor, with a little bad boy thrown in, lecturing to you. "They would be useless after they were warmed back up."

"So what? Just make some more," Chris said. "That's what they do, experimenting on people and animals by the hundreds. They don't care."

"But their potential clients would," Batman pointed out. "According to Miss Chambers, they decay almost immediately. So, chances are they are only useful for a few months before they have to be replaced. If you could freeze them until you needed them, that would be a great selling point."

"Freeze-dried fascists, that's just great," Green Arrow grumbled. His anger at himself and at Umbrella was starting to get the best of him.

"Worse," Chris said, understanding the entire scope of what was going on in Gotham. "Freeze-dried hell."