Chapter 5- Red Death's Return to Arkham
Outside the wall of Arkham a man stood with a team of others attaching scrap iron to the holes placed in the wall. The man looked much like Red Death, with his uniform and silver skull mask, but his color code was green. He pointed people out to where to place the scrap and what areas they should concentrate on. Though the mask kept from showing emotion, the body language of the man was all too evident. He was tired and very worn. It almost seemed to be an impossibility considering that the nanotech kept him from needing sleep and revived the body structure every 15 minutes. Somehow though, the human side of Green Death seemed to come through.
Green Death was a designation given to him and his kind when they were being used as death squad. These days much like the others of the death squad survivors, he preferred to be called by another name, Jade. He took the name from the history of the heroes that Red Death often tells to the workers. Though Jade knew that the "historical" Jade was a female hero, he thought it could be no better way to mark honor to her than to use her name in the line of what he though to be good. He sometimes wondered what made him so special. Again like his kind he didn't remember who he was previously to being Green Death. Though unlike most, he'd given up on it. It wasn't as important for him to find out as the rest. He thought it to be a good idea to just forget about it. In his mind it was like reincarnation. It didn't matter who he was in a previous life.
Jade never left the wall, not for a second. He had troops and workers out there that swore their lives to keep Brother Joker's faithful in the walls and that of the Reptiles. The Reptiles were the brood of Killer Croc. He'd mated with a scientist that was able to recreate the Langstrom serum that made Dr. Kirk Langstrom Man-Bat. This unknown scientist decided to use the Crocodile DNA instead of that of the Bat because they seemed to be more natural survivors. Although this was the accepted story, it was more speculation, as the true story was lost to the ages. It concluded that from there she and her mate spawned dozens and each year there are more born. Jade often calculated that by mid point of this century the faithful would all have to be converted to nanotech or suffer being eaten by the reptilian hordes. Though it seemed that Brother Joker didn't care much about that. Something that Jade couldn't fully understand was Joker's motivation. Red Death explained that his motivation was insanity. Only he truly knew what it was going on inside his head, and that was far and away enough to cause massive problems for the outside world. Jade knew for a face that Joker hadn't stayed inside the walls of Arkham City, and more to the point that he could've empowered his faithful with the same power to keep them from staying. Though it didn't matter to him why Joker didn't change it, it was the fact that he didn't that kept him happy. The wall worked, and that was all there was to it.
A man screamed and ran to Jade as fast as he could. "WE HAVE MOVEMENT OUTSIDE THE WESTERN SECTOR!"
"Let's move people! We need enforcements out there to take care of it!"
Jade ran fast to get to the breach. He knew that the people inside were looking to get out and more often than not if the faithful were met with disdain they decided to gas their oppressors with the Joker's Smile-X. There had been occasions that they ran away once resistance had been issues by Jade's forces, but it was few and far between.
"Which faction was it?" Red Death asked looking at the man that ran for aide.
"Joker Brotherhood. They've been poking at the wall they found a weak spot in it and are starting to come through."
"This is a hell of a time for Red Death to be gone. I hope he gets back soon, it's been 2 months."
Jade and his forces got to the wall. There were tons of the faithful standing outside the wall fighting back with the righteous attitude of zealots. He looked upon them and they barely acknowledged the presence of more fighters. Jade took out his cannon weapon and fired it into the air. The concussion of the discharge made everyone stop and look over to him.
"CEASE AND DESIST THIS BATTLE NOW!!!"
The fight ensued after the bravado. This time the faithful decided to turn on Jade and his men. Jade tried to restrain from using his gun for fear of hitting his own people.
"Christ...when will I learn that I'm not Batman?" He thought to himself as he battled through the armies.
The battle kept raging, and more and more faithful kept piling out of the hole. Out of the dust a beat up old truck started to honk its horn and the silver skull mask of Red Death gleaned into view.
"COMIN' THROUGH!"
Everyone scattered as Red Death started heading towards the hole in the wall. He started shooting the faithful on the outside when the shots were clear of anyone that was working with him to keep it shut. The truck started to go faster and faster and he aimed it perfectly with the wall. Red Death jumped out of the truck and rolled for about 60 ft and then watched as the truck slammed into the wall with great force. The faithful realizing that they had no place to go started to try and gas all the people. Red Death and Jade opened fire. In no time thanks to the diligence of those that were brave to stand with the former death squad they took out the remainder of the escapees in no time.
"Show off." Jade said to Red Death. "You show up in the nick of time and then pull something out of a movie to end the fight. You know how many lives could've been cost by that little stunt you just pulled?"
"Yeah, I'm a piss off. Got it. The Junkyard Hybrids think of me so well too. So what's the situation in a nutshell?"
"Joker's been sending them out at regular intervals."
"Isn't the Joker sending them Jade, these guys were feeling penned up. When the Joker sends them, he'll come with and it'll be in force, not just singular disturbance at the Wall."
"I'd feel penned up to if I had to go through what they've had to recently."
"What are you talking about?"
"The Reptiles. Word from the Wall is that the Joker sent his faithful into the sewers looking to find people, and to convert 'em. They ran into the Croc herd down there."
"Great, the Langstrom solution at its all time best I see."
Jade pulled a half masticated collar out of his tunic and handed it to Red Death. The white color was stained in a darkish brown color, the color of dried blood.
"They've been coming out the walls trying to get out of there and convert us to their causes. I tried to tell them that the Joker was a madman and that they'd be better off with us out here surviving, but they wouldn't hear of it. They wanted our weaponry and our people."
"They always wanted our weaponry and our people, what's the change?"
"I think they're starting to run low on rats nowadays, cannibalism is one option to keep themselves alive, the Joker's been sending stuff out of Arkham, moths that are probably him in a nanoform. And we've seen him bring things in too, but I think they're for his personal stock. I think these people are trying to get our weapons to hunt Croc Meat. "
"They want to eat the Reptiles? Lovely, madmen of God or what they believe to be."
"It's sad Red, but nonetheless it's the only thing that makes sense right now. Their numbers don't need guns with all the stuff that they've been stockpiling. And the faithful are only fighting us because they're trying to get out and away from Crocs. Joker's got something in mind for these people and soon they're going to do it. And we're going to have to hold down the Wall like never before."
"I'd be disappointed with nothing less. The anniversary of Batman and the Joker's final confrontation won't end with just the celebration outside of the GCPD. It'll end with the plan to extend the lands of the faithful."
"We need details Red Death. We have no one on the outside that knows the city as well as you do. Someone's gonna have to go in."
"With the Death Squad just outside of the Wall? C'mon Jade, we should be able to hear something easily from our current position. Especially since Blue, Yellow and Black have secured their sections. And if all else fails we can extend the nanotech to the wall and use it as our ears."
"Red Death, that's suicide. None of them want to try that anyway, while it's true our nanos self replicate, we'd be at a loss for how big the wall is and how long it would take for our bodies to reintegrate with enough to fight back. There's also no telling what Joker's done to the Wall from his side and traps he's set. For all we know we could be infected with a nanotech virus the minute we tried."
"I know that we've talked about this Jade, but I don't want to go back into that city. It's a mess in there, and not to mention the single most horrifying experience you could ever imagine."
"I can't go in there, Red Death, I don't know the city like you do. We can't risk more than one of us in there anyway. You have to go Red; we need to know what the Joker's planning and how we're supposed to deal with it. God knows I don't want to ask this of you, but it needs to be done."
"I could give you a nano-download of everything. There's no reason that you can't go in there without me."
"I'll give you good reasons. First off, we've got command units in which need our direction to get scrap to points of the Wall that need it most. And amongst others, here's the biggest. You're alone, you've made it a point to stay on your own and help the Death Squad with collection of scrap. You made yourself the maverick, and that makes you the best candidate."
"If you'd seen what I had in there, you wouldn't want back in either."
"Probably not, but that's alright. I'm not going in, you are. And I suggest you do it fast, because the faster we find out what's going on the faster we can counteract. Not to mention the faster you can get out."
"You're a real bastard you know that?"
"From your mouth to God's ears Red Death."
Red Death hung his head, he knew that Jade was right. He's known for many years it would be a matter of time before he'd have to cross the barriers back in. It was the price he paid for being the loner of the Death Squad. He alone kept his designation as Red Death while the others took new codenames. He walked to the truck and started pulling out the scrap he'd picked up in the Smallville/Keystone excursion.
Jade looked at Red Death and knew full well that it was asking a great deal of his companion to go back into that world beyond the Wall. It wasn't that Red Death couldn't deal with what was inside of it; it was the fact that he knew that it dredged up some lingering images from his past life. Red Death told Jade that forgetting was best. Jade of course agreed, but he wished that his friend would listen to his own advice. He shook his head and started to help put the scrap to good use.
They spent hours shoring up the Wall so that none of the faithful got through. Of course long after the humans that were helping stopped working Red Death and Jade continued. Jade could tell that Red Death was stalling the inevitable.
"Can I blame him?" Jade thought to himself. "Had I been in there when the control of us had ended I'd probably not want to hear anyone tell me I'd have to go back. What choice do we have though? If the faithful break that wall no amount of Death Squad will be able to stop them, and the humans will either convert or be killed outright. Damn it, I didn't want to be like this. Who does? We should've just bombarded the city in napalm bombs and EMP blasts."
Jade walked up to Red Death and put his hand on his comrade in arm's shoulder. Red Death looked back at the hand of his friend. He hung his head yet again. He was prepping himself to go into the city. Arkham City, the doorway to Hell.
Red Death scaled the Wall and looked into the city. He saw the faithful outside of it and he knew that it wasn't going to be easy to get through that. In moments the man took flight. This was more ostentatious then he'd wanted to go, but it was the only way he knew to penetrate the city without getting into a firefight the first few moments he was in. Red Death rarely ever used his nanotech to give himself powers. He never really liked the idea of having them. For the most part they ended up making people targets, and if there was something he didn't need more of was a bullseye on him.
He increased his speed to make himself practically disappear. Stealth was the key. He decided that the best thing to do was to land at the Waterfront and then trek into the city under cloak.
"Damn it all. This city stinks of death, fear, and submission. I'm gonna have to beat the hell out of Jade when I get back out of here. Of course he's right, I was the only candidate truly prepared for this mission." He thought to himself. "I suppose this is my penance for not killing Brother Joker when I looked at that ugly face the first time."
He started to flashback to the night he woke up. At that time he didn't remember much of what had happened before that point. He knew that somehow the nanovirus and the Death Squad were defeated and then waking up to a flow of purple robes and those in an old style Roman Centurion armor. He saw a cross being walked through the streets and blood dripping from the wrist of a man wearing midnight blue gloves. He was weak and not entirely stable on his feet when the bright red of his outfit and the silver of his faceplate made the faithful start to panic and even beat him and drag him with the cross to the temple of Brother Joker. He heard the slosh on the streets as the boots still went through puddles of water and he saw several people throwing stones at him. He could hear the voices of many cheering on as they yelled:
"DIE BATMAN, PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO US!!!"
When he looked up he saw that he and the cross came to a stop in front of a building and the Joker stood there in his purple robes and his wicked grin tore through the solemn moment.
"I hear you all out there wanting Batman to die!" Joker started. "We must not look at him as a cursed creature of the night, but a man whose misguided crusade has been given new life! This man did the work of the faithful, and tonight he dies so that others may take up our cause. Die for the cause and live forever in eternal happiness!!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!"
Red Death exploded with energy at that moment fired a beam of energy from his hand to shoot the Centurions holding the cross. Joker looked towards him and ordered his men to cease the unholy maniac.
"HE'S WRECKING THE DREAM OF THE BAT-MESSIAH, THE UNBELIEVER!!! SEE WHAT IT IS NOT TO HAVE FAITH?!!!"
The faithful started to rush Red Death. They chanted and some caught him and accused him of trying to kill them. The Joker had the only uncontaminated food source in town. They would follow this leader no matter what, because he was their key to survival in a time when the threat of Warworld loomed in the skies. He retrieved his gun from the Centurions and fired into the crowd taking several out and he started to run. He knew that day that Gotham no longer existed. Arkham City was born, and it couldn't be allowed to have borders in which to cross.
He called out to the others Death Squad survivors and explained the situation. They at first resisted the idea of caring about this, but something inside of them started to feel and be concerned. Jade was the first to admit that the programming they had and the morals in which freedom gave him were dangerous and could make them all indecisive or worse yet loose the imagination to become Gods among the living. Red Death told all the members that such things weren't a consideration. Many disagreed and several destroyed for it. However some escaped and were never heard from again. This is what Red Death feared from it. How many of them escaped into Arkham to help the Joker? Or joined with Vandal Savage, even tried to take Ra's al Ghul's lands? That night using their combined nanotech they constructed the Wall. It was the first and last time they dared to use it because the Joker made it quite clear in the hours after the Wall was completed that he too had nanotech at his disposal. And then they realized the true importance of being there after an explosion in the sky showed the end of Warworld and the heroes that went to save the planet.
He finally shook off the memories and started to walk through the abandoned warehouses. He noticed that the further he walked towards the city a cloud of chemicals got thicker and thicker. He analyzed it and found out that it was Fear Gas.
"Damn, I ran into Scarecrow territory. Got to move quick before I run into a fight."
He started to pick up the pace and then he heard the footsteps of two individuals. He hid himself quickly behind one of the warehouse walls so he could identify who they were and how best to deal with them. He could've used his tech to fly out at Superspeed or even run, but he knew that the more information he collected on the current situation of the city, the quicker it'd keep him out of trouble and get him away from Arkham.
"Our brother Cardinal has made sure to keep the area coated in this Fear Soup of his," Cardinal Penguin stated. Cardinal Two-Face accompanied the Penguin. Both stood in the streets appearing to be waiting for something. Red Death just lowered his head.
"Of all the luck! Why did it have to be them, and why here?"
"We've been waiting too long Cobblepot, he should've been here by now!" Two-Face said in protest of waiting.
"Patience is a virtue."
"We're not feeling very virtuous at the moment."
The mist parted and a shadowed figure walked out. The mists remerged behind him and the glowing red eyes of the dead man who was the Scarecrow shone into the cloud and through the Cardinals standing before him. Red Death kept his distance to make sure that no one got the chance to see him. He extended out his hearing so that he could hear the conversation in full.
"I should think after all this time Two-Face one would learn to be virtuous. Especially considering the company you keep," The Scarecrow chimed.
"Scarecrow, how wonderful it is to see you again."
"Of course it is Penguin. It's wonderful to see that I'm free of Joker's reign and glorious of an idea how I might share the tech that freed me so you might too."
"We're interested in a plan Scarecrow. We want to plan something for the 100th anniversary celebrations end."
"Do tell Two-Face, I'm interested to hear what ideas you have to give the God of Fear."
"We want you to come further to the city and infect the people with your Fear Toxin and nanotech. A rebellion of the Faithful against their master."
"Ah, I see. The Cardinals of the Order want to be Popes."
"Surely not Scarecrow," Penguin interceded. "We're merely looking for the freedom that comes with not having to serve that buffoon any longer."
"When is the last day of the celebration?"
"Tomorrow starting in early morning and then ending at 12 with the push on the Wall to free us from our "oppressors"."
"That wouldn't be hard to get those infected with the nanotech out, the ones that will suffer are the Faithful."
"Who cares about them? As long as we are freed of Joker it doesn't matter what happens to them."
Two-Face looked towards the Temple and stared as if looking to see the cross. He started to laugh slightly and took out his coin. The two villains looked at him as he flipped it and it spun landing in his hand, scarred side up. "We have a better plan."
"Do tell." The Penguin said questioningly.
"The Laughing Corpse wants to prove the resolve of his plans to the Faithful, let's give him the challenge he wants. Scarecrow we'll need you to start filtering in your Fear toxin to the Faithful at 11 o'clock tomorrow night. It'll give the Joker a headache and he'll order his loyal guards out there. While he's out trying to stop the incursion we'll make our way to the roof and we'll issue a challenge to him the likes of which he'll not soon forget."
Penguin and Scarecrows brows rose with sudden realization and they smiled an evil grin at it.
"So my scarred companion, are you suggesting that we resurrect Batman to do our dirty work?"
"Who better to defeat the Joker? If Joker wants to prove his superiority to the Faithful, should it not be with the Bat-Messiah?"
All three of them laughed in agreement. Two-Face's plan had merit and more to the point it was so crazy that even the Joker might not expect it.
Penguin turned his attentions back to the Scarecrow, "You'll have to use your nanos to do the job. He'd have control over ours to reprogram the Bat to his needs."
"Of course Penguin. And in front of the fearful Faithful the Laughing Corpse will have to fight his greatest enemy and will finally fall. And when Batman takes a look at the city around him he will realize that he failed to protect his city."
Two-Face smiled again with intent and righteousness. "It's the perfect revenge for the both of them."
Red Death slumped to the ground. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Now he knew that leaving Arkham until after the celebration would be impossible, which meant getting word to the others would be difficult at best. He'd have to literally fight his way through the city to the Temple and get to Batman before the three villains did. The very thought of them resurrecting Batman made him cringe.
"Those bastards are sick enough to do it too. They'll use him and torture him with their nanotech and keep him aware the entire time of what he's doing. Jade, I need you in here with me to deal with this. I just wish you could. Keep the Wall safe my friend. I'm going to have to go and resurrect Batman myself before those three maniacs get to him. Or worse yet they mess up and the Joker gets his hands on him. The resurrection of the Bat-Messiah would be a great sign or the final nail in the coffin. If there is a true God in Heaven, let some light shine down on this place. You can't let this happen too, you've allowed too much already. Give some hope to the hopeless before these people truly do become lambs to the slaughter."
Outside the wall of Arkham a man stood with a team of others attaching scrap iron to the holes placed in the wall. The man looked much like Red Death, with his uniform and silver skull mask, but his color code was green. He pointed people out to where to place the scrap and what areas they should concentrate on. Though the mask kept from showing emotion, the body language of the man was all too evident. He was tired and very worn. It almost seemed to be an impossibility considering that the nanotech kept him from needing sleep and revived the body structure every 15 minutes. Somehow though, the human side of Green Death seemed to come through.
Green Death was a designation given to him and his kind when they were being used as death squad. These days much like the others of the death squad survivors, he preferred to be called by another name, Jade. He took the name from the history of the heroes that Red Death often tells to the workers. Though Jade knew that the "historical" Jade was a female hero, he thought it could be no better way to mark honor to her than to use her name in the line of what he though to be good. He sometimes wondered what made him so special. Again like his kind he didn't remember who he was previously to being Green Death. Though unlike most, he'd given up on it. It wasn't as important for him to find out as the rest. He thought it to be a good idea to just forget about it. In his mind it was like reincarnation. It didn't matter who he was in a previous life.
Jade never left the wall, not for a second. He had troops and workers out there that swore their lives to keep Brother Joker's faithful in the walls and that of the Reptiles. The Reptiles were the brood of Killer Croc. He'd mated with a scientist that was able to recreate the Langstrom serum that made Dr. Kirk Langstrom Man-Bat. This unknown scientist decided to use the Crocodile DNA instead of that of the Bat because they seemed to be more natural survivors. Although this was the accepted story, it was more speculation, as the true story was lost to the ages. It concluded that from there she and her mate spawned dozens and each year there are more born. Jade often calculated that by mid point of this century the faithful would all have to be converted to nanotech or suffer being eaten by the reptilian hordes. Though it seemed that Brother Joker didn't care much about that. Something that Jade couldn't fully understand was Joker's motivation. Red Death explained that his motivation was insanity. Only he truly knew what it was going on inside his head, and that was far and away enough to cause massive problems for the outside world. Jade knew for a face that Joker hadn't stayed inside the walls of Arkham City, and more to the point that he could've empowered his faithful with the same power to keep them from staying. Though it didn't matter to him why Joker didn't change it, it was the fact that he didn't that kept him happy. The wall worked, and that was all there was to it.
A man screamed and ran to Jade as fast as he could. "WE HAVE MOVEMENT OUTSIDE THE WESTERN SECTOR!"
"Let's move people! We need enforcements out there to take care of it!"
Jade ran fast to get to the breach. He knew that the people inside were looking to get out and more often than not if the faithful were met with disdain they decided to gas their oppressors with the Joker's Smile-X. There had been occasions that they ran away once resistance had been issues by Jade's forces, but it was few and far between.
"Which faction was it?" Red Death asked looking at the man that ran for aide.
"Joker Brotherhood. They've been poking at the wall they found a weak spot in it and are starting to come through."
"This is a hell of a time for Red Death to be gone. I hope he gets back soon, it's been 2 months."
Jade and his forces got to the wall. There were tons of the faithful standing outside the wall fighting back with the righteous attitude of zealots. He looked upon them and they barely acknowledged the presence of more fighters. Jade took out his cannon weapon and fired it into the air. The concussion of the discharge made everyone stop and look over to him.
"CEASE AND DESIST THIS BATTLE NOW!!!"
The fight ensued after the bravado. This time the faithful decided to turn on Jade and his men. Jade tried to restrain from using his gun for fear of hitting his own people.
"Christ...when will I learn that I'm not Batman?" He thought to himself as he battled through the armies.
The battle kept raging, and more and more faithful kept piling out of the hole. Out of the dust a beat up old truck started to honk its horn and the silver skull mask of Red Death gleaned into view.
"COMIN' THROUGH!"
Everyone scattered as Red Death started heading towards the hole in the wall. He started shooting the faithful on the outside when the shots were clear of anyone that was working with him to keep it shut. The truck started to go faster and faster and he aimed it perfectly with the wall. Red Death jumped out of the truck and rolled for about 60 ft and then watched as the truck slammed into the wall with great force. The faithful realizing that they had no place to go started to try and gas all the people. Red Death and Jade opened fire. In no time thanks to the diligence of those that were brave to stand with the former death squad they took out the remainder of the escapees in no time.
"Show off." Jade said to Red Death. "You show up in the nick of time and then pull something out of a movie to end the fight. You know how many lives could've been cost by that little stunt you just pulled?"
"Yeah, I'm a piss off. Got it. The Junkyard Hybrids think of me so well too. So what's the situation in a nutshell?"
"Joker's been sending them out at regular intervals."
"Isn't the Joker sending them Jade, these guys were feeling penned up. When the Joker sends them, he'll come with and it'll be in force, not just singular disturbance at the Wall."
"I'd feel penned up to if I had to go through what they've had to recently."
"What are you talking about?"
"The Reptiles. Word from the Wall is that the Joker sent his faithful into the sewers looking to find people, and to convert 'em. They ran into the Croc herd down there."
"Great, the Langstrom solution at its all time best I see."
Jade pulled a half masticated collar out of his tunic and handed it to Red Death. The white color was stained in a darkish brown color, the color of dried blood.
"They've been coming out the walls trying to get out of there and convert us to their causes. I tried to tell them that the Joker was a madman and that they'd be better off with us out here surviving, but they wouldn't hear of it. They wanted our weaponry and our people."
"They always wanted our weaponry and our people, what's the change?"
"I think they're starting to run low on rats nowadays, cannibalism is one option to keep themselves alive, the Joker's been sending stuff out of Arkham, moths that are probably him in a nanoform. And we've seen him bring things in too, but I think they're for his personal stock. I think these people are trying to get our weapons to hunt Croc Meat. "
"They want to eat the Reptiles? Lovely, madmen of God or what they believe to be."
"It's sad Red, but nonetheless it's the only thing that makes sense right now. Their numbers don't need guns with all the stuff that they've been stockpiling. And the faithful are only fighting us because they're trying to get out and away from Crocs. Joker's got something in mind for these people and soon they're going to do it. And we're going to have to hold down the Wall like never before."
"I'd be disappointed with nothing less. The anniversary of Batman and the Joker's final confrontation won't end with just the celebration outside of the GCPD. It'll end with the plan to extend the lands of the faithful."
"We need details Red Death. We have no one on the outside that knows the city as well as you do. Someone's gonna have to go in."
"With the Death Squad just outside of the Wall? C'mon Jade, we should be able to hear something easily from our current position. Especially since Blue, Yellow and Black have secured their sections. And if all else fails we can extend the nanotech to the wall and use it as our ears."
"Red Death, that's suicide. None of them want to try that anyway, while it's true our nanos self replicate, we'd be at a loss for how big the wall is and how long it would take for our bodies to reintegrate with enough to fight back. There's also no telling what Joker's done to the Wall from his side and traps he's set. For all we know we could be infected with a nanotech virus the minute we tried."
"I know that we've talked about this Jade, but I don't want to go back into that city. It's a mess in there, and not to mention the single most horrifying experience you could ever imagine."
"I can't go in there, Red Death, I don't know the city like you do. We can't risk more than one of us in there anyway. You have to go Red; we need to know what the Joker's planning and how we're supposed to deal with it. God knows I don't want to ask this of you, but it needs to be done."
"I could give you a nano-download of everything. There's no reason that you can't go in there without me."
"I'll give you good reasons. First off, we've got command units in which need our direction to get scrap to points of the Wall that need it most. And amongst others, here's the biggest. You're alone, you've made it a point to stay on your own and help the Death Squad with collection of scrap. You made yourself the maverick, and that makes you the best candidate."
"If you'd seen what I had in there, you wouldn't want back in either."
"Probably not, but that's alright. I'm not going in, you are. And I suggest you do it fast, because the faster we find out what's going on the faster we can counteract. Not to mention the faster you can get out."
"You're a real bastard you know that?"
"From your mouth to God's ears Red Death."
Red Death hung his head, he knew that Jade was right. He's known for many years it would be a matter of time before he'd have to cross the barriers back in. It was the price he paid for being the loner of the Death Squad. He alone kept his designation as Red Death while the others took new codenames. He walked to the truck and started pulling out the scrap he'd picked up in the Smallville/Keystone excursion.
Jade looked at Red Death and knew full well that it was asking a great deal of his companion to go back into that world beyond the Wall. It wasn't that Red Death couldn't deal with what was inside of it; it was the fact that he knew that it dredged up some lingering images from his past life. Red Death told Jade that forgetting was best. Jade of course agreed, but he wished that his friend would listen to his own advice. He shook his head and started to help put the scrap to good use.
They spent hours shoring up the Wall so that none of the faithful got through. Of course long after the humans that were helping stopped working Red Death and Jade continued. Jade could tell that Red Death was stalling the inevitable.
"Can I blame him?" Jade thought to himself. "Had I been in there when the control of us had ended I'd probably not want to hear anyone tell me I'd have to go back. What choice do we have though? If the faithful break that wall no amount of Death Squad will be able to stop them, and the humans will either convert or be killed outright. Damn it, I didn't want to be like this. Who does? We should've just bombarded the city in napalm bombs and EMP blasts."
Jade walked up to Red Death and put his hand on his comrade in arm's shoulder. Red Death looked back at the hand of his friend. He hung his head yet again. He was prepping himself to go into the city. Arkham City, the doorway to Hell.
Red Death scaled the Wall and looked into the city. He saw the faithful outside of it and he knew that it wasn't going to be easy to get through that. In moments the man took flight. This was more ostentatious then he'd wanted to go, but it was the only way he knew to penetrate the city without getting into a firefight the first few moments he was in. Red Death rarely ever used his nanotech to give himself powers. He never really liked the idea of having them. For the most part they ended up making people targets, and if there was something he didn't need more of was a bullseye on him.
He increased his speed to make himself practically disappear. Stealth was the key. He decided that the best thing to do was to land at the Waterfront and then trek into the city under cloak.
"Damn it all. This city stinks of death, fear, and submission. I'm gonna have to beat the hell out of Jade when I get back out of here. Of course he's right, I was the only candidate truly prepared for this mission." He thought to himself. "I suppose this is my penance for not killing Brother Joker when I looked at that ugly face the first time."
He started to flashback to the night he woke up. At that time he didn't remember much of what had happened before that point. He knew that somehow the nanovirus and the Death Squad were defeated and then waking up to a flow of purple robes and those in an old style Roman Centurion armor. He saw a cross being walked through the streets and blood dripping from the wrist of a man wearing midnight blue gloves. He was weak and not entirely stable on his feet when the bright red of his outfit and the silver of his faceplate made the faithful start to panic and even beat him and drag him with the cross to the temple of Brother Joker. He heard the slosh on the streets as the boots still went through puddles of water and he saw several people throwing stones at him. He could hear the voices of many cheering on as they yelled:
"DIE BATMAN, PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO US!!!"
When he looked up he saw that he and the cross came to a stop in front of a building and the Joker stood there in his purple robes and his wicked grin tore through the solemn moment.
"I hear you all out there wanting Batman to die!" Joker started. "We must not look at him as a cursed creature of the night, but a man whose misguided crusade has been given new life! This man did the work of the faithful, and tonight he dies so that others may take up our cause. Die for the cause and live forever in eternal happiness!!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!"
Red Death exploded with energy at that moment fired a beam of energy from his hand to shoot the Centurions holding the cross. Joker looked towards him and ordered his men to cease the unholy maniac.
"HE'S WRECKING THE DREAM OF THE BAT-MESSIAH, THE UNBELIEVER!!! SEE WHAT IT IS NOT TO HAVE FAITH?!!!"
The faithful started to rush Red Death. They chanted and some caught him and accused him of trying to kill them. The Joker had the only uncontaminated food source in town. They would follow this leader no matter what, because he was their key to survival in a time when the threat of Warworld loomed in the skies. He retrieved his gun from the Centurions and fired into the crowd taking several out and he started to run. He knew that day that Gotham no longer existed. Arkham City was born, and it couldn't be allowed to have borders in which to cross.
He called out to the others Death Squad survivors and explained the situation. They at first resisted the idea of caring about this, but something inside of them started to feel and be concerned. Jade was the first to admit that the programming they had and the morals in which freedom gave him were dangerous and could make them all indecisive or worse yet loose the imagination to become Gods among the living. Red Death told all the members that such things weren't a consideration. Many disagreed and several destroyed for it. However some escaped and were never heard from again. This is what Red Death feared from it. How many of them escaped into Arkham to help the Joker? Or joined with Vandal Savage, even tried to take Ra's al Ghul's lands? That night using their combined nanotech they constructed the Wall. It was the first and last time they dared to use it because the Joker made it quite clear in the hours after the Wall was completed that he too had nanotech at his disposal. And then they realized the true importance of being there after an explosion in the sky showed the end of Warworld and the heroes that went to save the planet.
He finally shook off the memories and started to walk through the abandoned warehouses. He noticed that the further he walked towards the city a cloud of chemicals got thicker and thicker. He analyzed it and found out that it was Fear Gas.
"Damn, I ran into Scarecrow territory. Got to move quick before I run into a fight."
He started to pick up the pace and then he heard the footsteps of two individuals. He hid himself quickly behind one of the warehouse walls so he could identify who they were and how best to deal with them. He could've used his tech to fly out at Superspeed or even run, but he knew that the more information he collected on the current situation of the city, the quicker it'd keep him out of trouble and get him away from Arkham.
"Our brother Cardinal has made sure to keep the area coated in this Fear Soup of his," Cardinal Penguin stated. Cardinal Two-Face accompanied the Penguin. Both stood in the streets appearing to be waiting for something. Red Death just lowered his head.
"Of all the luck! Why did it have to be them, and why here?"
"We've been waiting too long Cobblepot, he should've been here by now!" Two-Face said in protest of waiting.
"Patience is a virtue."
"We're not feeling very virtuous at the moment."
The mist parted and a shadowed figure walked out. The mists remerged behind him and the glowing red eyes of the dead man who was the Scarecrow shone into the cloud and through the Cardinals standing before him. Red Death kept his distance to make sure that no one got the chance to see him. He extended out his hearing so that he could hear the conversation in full.
"I should think after all this time Two-Face one would learn to be virtuous. Especially considering the company you keep," The Scarecrow chimed.
"Scarecrow, how wonderful it is to see you again."
"Of course it is Penguin. It's wonderful to see that I'm free of Joker's reign and glorious of an idea how I might share the tech that freed me so you might too."
"We're interested in a plan Scarecrow. We want to plan something for the 100th anniversary celebrations end."
"Do tell Two-Face, I'm interested to hear what ideas you have to give the God of Fear."
"We want you to come further to the city and infect the people with your Fear Toxin and nanotech. A rebellion of the Faithful against their master."
"Ah, I see. The Cardinals of the Order want to be Popes."
"Surely not Scarecrow," Penguin interceded. "We're merely looking for the freedom that comes with not having to serve that buffoon any longer."
"When is the last day of the celebration?"
"Tomorrow starting in early morning and then ending at 12 with the push on the Wall to free us from our "oppressors"."
"That wouldn't be hard to get those infected with the nanotech out, the ones that will suffer are the Faithful."
"Who cares about them? As long as we are freed of Joker it doesn't matter what happens to them."
Two-Face looked towards the Temple and stared as if looking to see the cross. He started to laugh slightly and took out his coin. The two villains looked at him as he flipped it and it spun landing in his hand, scarred side up. "We have a better plan."
"Do tell." The Penguin said questioningly.
"The Laughing Corpse wants to prove the resolve of his plans to the Faithful, let's give him the challenge he wants. Scarecrow we'll need you to start filtering in your Fear toxin to the Faithful at 11 o'clock tomorrow night. It'll give the Joker a headache and he'll order his loyal guards out there. While he's out trying to stop the incursion we'll make our way to the roof and we'll issue a challenge to him the likes of which he'll not soon forget."
Penguin and Scarecrows brows rose with sudden realization and they smiled an evil grin at it.
"So my scarred companion, are you suggesting that we resurrect Batman to do our dirty work?"
"Who better to defeat the Joker? If Joker wants to prove his superiority to the Faithful, should it not be with the Bat-Messiah?"
All three of them laughed in agreement. Two-Face's plan had merit and more to the point it was so crazy that even the Joker might not expect it.
Penguin turned his attentions back to the Scarecrow, "You'll have to use your nanos to do the job. He'd have control over ours to reprogram the Bat to his needs."
"Of course Penguin. And in front of the fearful Faithful the Laughing Corpse will have to fight his greatest enemy and will finally fall. And when Batman takes a look at the city around him he will realize that he failed to protect his city."
Two-Face smiled again with intent and righteousness. "It's the perfect revenge for the both of them."
Red Death slumped to the ground. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Now he knew that leaving Arkham until after the celebration would be impossible, which meant getting word to the others would be difficult at best. He'd have to literally fight his way through the city to the Temple and get to Batman before the three villains did. The very thought of them resurrecting Batman made him cringe.
"Those bastards are sick enough to do it too. They'll use him and torture him with their nanotech and keep him aware the entire time of what he's doing. Jade, I need you in here with me to deal with this. I just wish you could. Keep the Wall safe my friend. I'm going to have to go and resurrect Batman myself before those three maniacs get to him. Or worse yet they mess up and the Joker gets his hands on him. The resurrection of the Bat-Messiah would be a great sign or the final nail in the coffin. If there is a true God in Heaven, let some light shine down on this place. You can't let this happen too, you've allowed too much already. Give some hope to the hopeless before these people truly do become lambs to the slaughter."