Earlier...
Wolverine, Catwoman, and Xavier pursued Ra's and his daughter through the halls, tracking their movements, as they wove in and out of rooms, seeking to lose their pursuers and rush to Batman's side. However, with the tracking abilities of Wolverine made it almost impossible. The trio ran in silence, each to their own thoughts.
Wolverine's thought process was simple. He was not thinking about saving Batman. All he cared about was getting to the fight, and getting there fast.
Catwoman was torn between concern for Batman, and her desire to beat the stuffing out of that tramp. She said she loved him, and then allowed her father to beat the stuffing out of Batman. Oh heck no. They were going to have a conversation.
Xavier on the other hand was deeply focused on preparing himself to enter into Batman's mind. He knew that the task at hand was not going to be easy. Batman's mind was a dark and disturbing place when he was liberating Xavier's earth, which was a stressful situation to be sure. But now, with all of the additional trauma that he had incurred in the past few days, there was no way of telling how dangerous Batman's mind would be. However, Xavier was confident that with the additional information that he had picked up plus the fact that he knew what he was getting into, he would be able to reach him.
Xavier had to be confident. Cause he had to reach him.
The trio ran into a room and found Ra's and his daughter on either side of Batman. The Detective was beaten up to be sure, with probably a concussion and a few broken ribs, but in comparison to Barbara Gordon and her father, he was comparatively well off physically. His mental state of mind was an entirely different story. Staring vacantly at the wall, it was evident that no one was home. He hung limply against the wall and showed no signs of recognizing anything or anybody.
In front of Batman, there were a series of television screens which showed the beatings of his protégés and family, over and over again. Meticulous detail was placed on showing the savagery, and the filmmakers took their time, zooming in at important points. The tape was able to capture every detail, and prevented Batman from missing any detail.
"You three appear to be quite the trackers," stated Ra's as he pulled out a pair of swords. "Let's see how well you fight while your comrade lies in such a state."
Wolverine snarled and said, "Two things. One, he is not my comrade. I don't even like him. Second of all, right now all I am really interested is answering an age old question. How many ways are there to skin centuries old megalomaniac?"
With that Wolverine sprang at the old man, claws out. Wasting little time on her own, Catwoman leaped at Talia, all sense of form and tact aside, getting close for a good old fashioned catfight. Pardon the pun.
Xavier also moved quickly. Using his machine to quickly and safely destroy the television sets taking away the negative stimuli, Xavier quickly moved out of the battle suit. Beast and Cyborg had been able to fashion a wheel chair that would pop out of the suit that could float on the air, using hovercraft technology. Moving forward, free from the mental harness, Xavier used a laser to cut through the chains and steeled himself for entry as Batman fell to the ground. Then, Xavier closed his eyes, and placed three fingers on Batman's head. With that, Xavier was gone.
**********************************
Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl were able to pick up the trail quite easily, thanks to the rage of Wolverine and the variety of overturned furniture and broken items. Like the first trio, they too had a lot of thoughts running through their heads.
Nightwing ran through the hall recounting all the times Batman had been there for him. His fights with Bruce. Batman finally accepting Nightwing as his own man. A red-headed Batgirl swinging through the night. Barbara smiling at him from her computer screens. Commissioner Gordon by the Batsignal, smoking in the chill Gotham nights. A smiling Robin. Batgirl, no with a dark mask and dark hair, practicing her martial arts in the cave with such precision and beauty. Alfred, always Alfred, providing a kind word and a warm cup of cocoa. Barbara beaten and bloodied. Comissioner Gordon in a coma. Robin beat so hard he loses conciousness, calling for his mother in his sleep. Batgirl beaten so hard that tears run down her cheeks, though she doesn't cry out. Alfred, beaten repeatedly, coughing up blood, without remorse and without pain.
Batman gone. Bruce gone. Vacant eyes replacing his mentor. His father.
Losing his family again.
Nightwing ran forward, intent on saving his family. And punishing the man that wrought such pain.
Robin flanked Nightwing, slightly limping. When Tim Drake first took the mantle, he had accepted the risks. He had known the risks. He had known the costs that would be due him. And he had accepted it. He had concealed his dual identity from everyone and sometimes that hurt him. When he was in that dungeon, getting beaten, he had time to think. What would have happened if he had died? Who would have known? What would his friends have thought? His family?
His father?
Robin made a decision, then and there, to tell those closest to him who he was. He wanted to tell those who he trusted. He would. He had to. He couldn't do this anymore unless he did.
Batgirl's thoughts were not as complex, but not simple. She had been raised for years as an assassin, and for months as a crime fighter and a force for good. She knew that justice must be served for what pain was caused her. But how to exact such justice? This is what she struggled with.
The trio entered the room and discovered Ra's and Talia in battle just as Cyclops said they would be; with Wolverine and Catwoman. Nightwing barked out commands, "Remember what we were told. Robin, stand guard over Batman. Batgirl, take Talia. Ra's is mine." With that they ran off to their positions...or at least they almost did. A hand rested on Nightwing's and Batgirl's shoulder.
"Wait," said an out of breath Cyclops. "Man, even injured you guys are fast. Just wait."
"What is it Cyclops," asked a cold Nightwing. "We are kind of busy."
"Just listen," said Cyclops. "I have seen that fire in the eyes before, and it is never good. You are treading that line, that line people like us say we can't cross. Just remember who you are fighting for and more importantly what we are fighting for. Don't become Al Ghul to defeat Al Ghul."
Nightwing looked at Cyclops, with defiance in his eyes. Then he softened slightly and nodded. "We won't. We won't. We'll beat the stuffing out of them, but we won't kill them." Nightwing took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. "OK Batgirl, let's go."
With that, two jumped into the fray. Robin ran to the side of Batman and checked him out. He was in bad shape, and Tim did not know what to do. He was about to reach out when Cyclops stopped him. "His physical problems will keep kid, but his mental problems is bad. The best man I have ever known is in there trying to help out your mentor. If anyone can do it, he can."
*****************************
The battle with the Titans was going fine. While the Titans were doing more than their part to hold of the horde, it was horde. The sheer numbers of the group coming against them were overwhelming, and the fact that they were fanatics dedicated to Al Ghul did not help either. They were true believers, and that made them dangerous.
Arsenal let fly, hitting a soldier attempting to his BC from behind. The Titans had refrained from killing as of yet, but unless something drastic happened, they were going to have to stop holding back. Tempest already had gotten cut, Troia was going to develop a dark black eye, and BC would have been in deep trouble if Arsenal hadn't bailed her out. Arsenal re-notched his bow and looked for his next target.
But before he could fire, a large section of the invading force fell down on their faces. This was because their feet had been frozen together with a block of ice. Barreling towards the battle were the three X-Men Iceman, Rogue and Gambit. Throwing out exploding cards and ice the male duo was a force to deal with. Troia, seeing the duo flew up to Rogue.
"Rogue," asked Troia, "can Iceman freeze large sections of rivers?"
A light went on in Rogue's head as she nodded. "Yeah. It won't last forever with the heat, but it will last long enough. Get your team out, and then we can push them towards the river."
Troia began pulling her compatriots and moving them to the other side of the horde. Rogue gathered Iceman and Gambit and explained the situation to them. After pulling out Black Canary, Troia signaled the X-Men. With that the attack began. With the combined efforts of Gambit, Rogue and the Titans, the DEMON Head forces were driven back to the river. The relentless energy blasts, projectiles, sonic blasts, mystical blows, and fists pushed the soldiers hard, and they slowly tracked their way back to the shore. Finally, with one hard push, they were pushed into the water.
That was Iceman's cue. Placing his hands on the water, he exerted his powers to freeze the waters, ensnaring the forces within. Effectively trapping the troops, Iceman jogged up to the group. The Titans were asking about their leader Nightwing, and the rest of his family.
Rogue took the questions. "Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl were beat up bad, I won't lie." The Titans grumbled and flexed their fists in apprehension. "However, they appear to be more or less together. Nightwing and his brother and sister went after their Batman. Their grandfather, Alfred, was worse off, but he will live, as long as we get him to better facilities soon.
"But Batman is in serious trouble. According to Al Ghul, Batman has left the building mentally. He did something to Batman that seriously messed him up, and in a big way. Last time I heard Al Ghul and his daughter were still on the loose, but Catwoman and Wolverine went after them. Professor Xavier is trying to pull Batman out, but it is going to be difficult. But I'll tell you, he is the best man for the job. Come on, let's go and help them all out."
The Titans and the X-Men took off, running or flying towards the stronghold. Black Canary and Arsenal as pseudo mother and son ran next to each other. Arsenal turned and said to BC, "Wow, whatever they did to Batman it had to be really bad. He is the most together hero in the business. He doesn't lose his cool, for him to check out, man its like finding out Santa doesn't exist all over again."
"Shut up Roy," hissed BC. "Look around at you, at some of the younger heroes. Look at Arsenal. The boy is pale as a ghost. You are right, this is not good. Batman is one of those heroes like Superman, where if he goes down everyone feels it. But right now we gotta be strong for those heroes that have not been around as long. Cause right now their world has been shaken, and one of the constants of their life has been taken away. We gotta be strong for them. So if you got any comments to yourself."
"Besides," said Dinah in a louder voice so everyone could hear her, "Batman is too stubborn to be get beaten for long. He may be behind the count, but he won't be there for long."
Wolverine, Catwoman, and Xavier pursued Ra's and his daughter through the halls, tracking their movements, as they wove in and out of rooms, seeking to lose their pursuers and rush to Batman's side. However, with the tracking abilities of Wolverine made it almost impossible. The trio ran in silence, each to their own thoughts.
Wolverine's thought process was simple. He was not thinking about saving Batman. All he cared about was getting to the fight, and getting there fast.
Catwoman was torn between concern for Batman, and her desire to beat the stuffing out of that tramp. She said she loved him, and then allowed her father to beat the stuffing out of Batman. Oh heck no. They were going to have a conversation.
Xavier on the other hand was deeply focused on preparing himself to enter into Batman's mind. He knew that the task at hand was not going to be easy. Batman's mind was a dark and disturbing place when he was liberating Xavier's earth, which was a stressful situation to be sure. But now, with all of the additional trauma that he had incurred in the past few days, there was no way of telling how dangerous Batman's mind would be. However, Xavier was confident that with the additional information that he had picked up plus the fact that he knew what he was getting into, he would be able to reach him.
Xavier had to be confident. Cause he had to reach him.
The trio ran into a room and found Ra's and his daughter on either side of Batman. The Detective was beaten up to be sure, with probably a concussion and a few broken ribs, but in comparison to Barbara Gordon and her father, he was comparatively well off physically. His mental state of mind was an entirely different story. Staring vacantly at the wall, it was evident that no one was home. He hung limply against the wall and showed no signs of recognizing anything or anybody.
In front of Batman, there were a series of television screens which showed the beatings of his protégés and family, over and over again. Meticulous detail was placed on showing the savagery, and the filmmakers took their time, zooming in at important points. The tape was able to capture every detail, and prevented Batman from missing any detail.
"You three appear to be quite the trackers," stated Ra's as he pulled out a pair of swords. "Let's see how well you fight while your comrade lies in such a state."
Wolverine snarled and said, "Two things. One, he is not my comrade. I don't even like him. Second of all, right now all I am really interested is answering an age old question. How many ways are there to skin centuries old megalomaniac?"
With that Wolverine sprang at the old man, claws out. Wasting little time on her own, Catwoman leaped at Talia, all sense of form and tact aside, getting close for a good old fashioned catfight. Pardon the pun.
Xavier also moved quickly. Using his machine to quickly and safely destroy the television sets taking away the negative stimuli, Xavier quickly moved out of the battle suit. Beast and Cyborg had been able to fashion a wheel chair that would pop out of the suit that could float on the air, using hovercraft technology. Moving forward, free from the mental harness, Xavier used a laser to cut through the chains and steeled himself for entry as Batman fell to the ground. Then, Xavier closed his eyes, and placed three fingers on Batman's head. With that, Xavier was gone.
**********************************
Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl were able to pick up the trail quite easily, thanks to the rage of Wolverine and the variety of overturned furniture and broken items. Like the first trio, they too had a lot of thoughts running through their heads.
Nightwing ran through the hall recounting all the times Batman had been there for him. His fights with Bruce. Batman finally accepting Nightwing as his own man. A red-headed Batgirl swinging through the night. Barbara smiling at him from her computer screens. Commissioner Gordon by the Batsignal, smoking in the chill Gotham nights. A smiling Robin. Batgirl, no with a dark mask and dark hair, practicing her martial arts in the cave with such precision and beauty. Alfred, always Alfred, providing a kind word and a warm cup of cocoa. Barbara beaten and bloodied. Comissioner Gordon in a coma. Robin beat so hard he loses conciousness, calling for his mother in his sleep. Batgirl beaten so hard that tears run down her cheeks, though she doesn't cry out. Alfred, beaten repeatedly, coughing up blood, without remorse and without pain.
Batman gone. Bruce gone. Vacant eyes replacing his mentor. His father.
Losing his family again.
Nightwing ran forward, intent on saving his family. And punishing the man that wrought such pain.
Robin flanked Nightwing, slightly limping. When Tim Drake first took the mantle, he had accepted the risks. He had known the risks. He had known the costs that would be due him. And he had accepted it. He had concealed his dual identity from everyone and sometimes that hurt him. When he was in that dungeon, getting beaten, he had time to think. What would have happened if he had died? Who would have known? What would his friends have thought? His family?
His father?
Robin made a decision, then and there, to tell those closest to him who he was. He wanted to tell those who he trusted. He would. He had to. He couldn't do this anymore unless he did.
Batgirl's thoughts were not as complex, but not simple. She had been raised for years as an assassin, and for months as a crime fighter and a force for good. She knew that justice must be served for what pain was caused her. But how to exact such justice? This is what she struggled with.
The trio entered the room and discovered Ra's and Talia in battle just as Cyclops said they would be; with Wolverine and Catwoman. Nightwing barked out commands, "Remember what we were told. Robin, stand guard over Batman. Batgirl, take Talia. Ra's is mine." With that they ran off to their positions...or at least they almost did. A hand rested on Nightwing's and Batgirl's shoulder.
"Wait," said an out of breath Cyclops. "Man, even injured you guys are fast. Just wait."
"What is it Cyclops," asked a cold Nightwing. "We are kind of busy."
"Just listen," said Cyclops. "I have seen that fire in the eyes before, and it is never good. You are treading that line, that line people like us say we can't cross. Just remember who you are fighting for and more importantly what we are fighting for. Don't become Al Ghul to defeat Al Ghul."
Nightwing looked at Cyclops, with defiance in his eyes. Then he softened slightly and nodded. "We won't. We won't. We'll beat the stuffing out of them, but we won't kill them." Nightwing took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. "OK Batgirl, let's go."
With that, two jumped into the fray. Robin ran to the side of Batman and checked him out. He was in bad shape, and Tim did not know what to do. He was about to reach out when Cyclops stopped him. "His physical problems will keep kid, but his mental problems is bad. The best man I have ever known is in there trying to help out your mentor. If anyone can do it, he can."
*****************************
The battle with the Titans was going fine. While the Titans were doing more than their part to hold of the horde, it was horde. The sheer numbers of the group coming against them were overwhelming, and the fact that they were fanatics dedicated to Al Ghul did not help either. They were true believers, and that made them dangerous.
Arsenal let fly, hitting a soldier attempting to his BC from behind. The Titans had refrained from killing as of yet, but unless something drastic happened, they were going to have to stop holding back. Tempest already had gotten cut, Troia was going to develop a dark black eye, and BC would have been in deep trouble if Arsenal hadn't bailed her out. Arsenal re-notched his bow and looked for his next target.
But before he could fire, a large section of the invading force fell down on their faces. This was because their feet had been frozen together with a block of ice. Barreling towards the battle were the three X-Men Iceman, Rogue and Gambit. Throwing out exploding cards and ice the male duo was a force to deal with. Troia, seeing the duo flew up to Rogue.
"Rogue," asked Troia, "can Iceman freeze large sections of rivers?"
A light went on in Rogue's head as she nodded. "Yeah. It won't last forever with the heat, but it will last long enough. Get your team out, and then we can push them towards the river."
Troia began pulling her compatriots and moving them to the other side of the horde. Rogue gathered Iceman and Gambit and explained the situation to them. After pulling out Black Canary, Troia signaled the X-Men. With that the attack began. With the combined efforts of Gambit, Rogue and the Titans, the DEMON Head forces were driven back to the river. The relentless energy blasts, projectiles, sonic blasts, mystical blows, and fists pushed the soldiers hard, and they slowly tracked their way back to the shore. Finally, with one hard push, they were pushed into the water.
That was Iceman's cue. Placing his hands on the water, he exerted his powers to freeze the waters, ensnaring the forces within. Effectively trapping the troops, Iceman jogged up to the group. The Titans were asking about their leader Nightwing, and the rest of his family.
Rogue took the questions. "Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl were beat up bad, I won't lie." The Titans grumbled and flexed their fists in apprehension. "However, they appear to be more or less together. Nightwing and his brother and sister went after their Batman. Their grandfather, Alfred, was worse off, but he will live, as long as we get him to better facilities soon.
"But Batman is in serious trouble. According to Al Ghul, Batman has left the building mentally. He did something to Batman that seriously messed him up, and in a big way. Last time I heard Al Ghul and his daughter were still on the loose, but Catwoman and Wolverine went after them. Professor Xavier is trying to pull Batman out, but it is going to be difficult. But I'll tell you, he is the best man for the job. Come on, let's go and help them all out."
The Titans and the X-Men took off, running or flying towards the stronghold. Black Canary and Arsenal as pseudo mother and son ran next to each other. Arsenal turned and said to BC, "Wow, whatever they did to Batman it had to be really bad. He is the most together hero in the business. He doesn't lose his cool, for him to check out, man its like finding out Santa doesn't exist all over again."
"Shut up Roy," hissed BC. "Look around at you, at some of the younger heroes. Look at Arsenal. The boy is pale as a ghost. You are right, this is not good. Batman is one of those heroes like Superman, where if he goes down everyone feels it. But right now we gotta be strong for those heroes that have not been around as long. Cause right now their world has been shaken, and one of the constants of their life has been taken away. We gotta be strong for them. So if you got any comments to yourself."
"Besides," said Dinah in a louder voice so everyone could hear her, "Batman is too stubborn to be get beaten for long. He may be behind the count, but he won't be there for long."