Part Three

Bruce was tossed across the aquarium like a rag-doll. His flight ended with the violent crash into a glass display. He rolled over onto his back and gasped for air. "Just give me a minute." He murmured to himself quietly, "I just need a minute to get air back into my lungs."

Killer Croc stood over him, grinning widely. "Get up!" He roared, his lower lip trembling with adrenaline. "You're not going to die that easily, now get up." Croc picked Batman up himself and dangled him up several feet from the floor by his neck. "I'm going to break your body in two!"

Behind the muffled groans, there was little doubt that Croc was simply too strong to be fought down. Just barely mustering the energy to reach into his belt he pulled out a flash bang grenade and shoved it towards Croc's face and averted his eyes at the last possible moment.

The explosion left an after-effect around the edge of Bruce's vision, but Croc had taken the entire thing. The creature let go of Batman and stumbled away, screaming for the loss of his vision.

It wouldn't be long before the grenade wore off. Bruce wasted no time and pulled the grappling hook from its place along the length of his utility belt. The front metal section opened up revealing the claws needed to hook onto surfaces. It was a move of desperation but he had few options left. He swung the cable with precision and force. The hook embedded itself into Croc's shoulder forcing a cry of agony.

"Stop this." Bruce barked tightening his hold on the cable, "You need help. It doesn't have to be like this."

"Help me? That's a joke!" Croc ripped the cable out of his shoulder and tossed it to the ground, "Help from your kind is a death sentence. You know what they will do to me, what they have already done to me?"

Bruce grimaced, "What?"

Croc laughed somewhat dejected suddenly, "I-I can't remember. It's just images in my mind. I want to forget them." His face became a scowl, "But I can't!" He suddenly lunged at Bruce overpowering him within seconds.

That grenade should have blinded him for another few minutes. Whatever Bruce was dealing with, was definitely beyond the limits of anything he had ever dealt with. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

The creature picked him up by his torso and raised him off the ground. Bruce landed in as many punches to Croc's skull as he could muster but to no avail. Croc slammed Bruce against the exterior of the large shark tanks. The glass cracked but managed to hold.

"You see that, Batman?" Croc said pointing to the sharks gleefully, "That's nature's best hunter. It's a machine of destruction and a vehicle of death." He gave off a toothy smile, "This glass is designed to resist gunfire." He cracked his knuckles and then casually punched a small hole through it; water immediately began to pour out onto the floor. "Whoops; look what I did. I better plug it up with something." He grabbed an exhausted Batman and scratched him across the face with a shard of glass so that blood seeped out from the gash across his cheek. "Say hi to them for me will you?" He used Batman to plug up the hole, specifically his head. Croc intended to make this as painful as possible. His head was inside the tank with the sharks and the blood pouring from his face began to leave a red stain in the water. Croc stood behind him, outside the tank, holding him in place, eagerly watching the show.

It wasn't long before a shark caught the scent of blood. Chances were they wouldn't eat him; sharks typically didn't have a taste for human flesh. That didn't mean they wouldn't maul him first to get a taste to determine if he was edible material or not.

He had to act fast. The sharks had already gotten a whiff of the scent from his blood and were approaching, their mouths seeming to quiver with anticipation. Bruce couldn't overpower Croc. He couldn't break the glass. He was doomed.

No! Bruce wouldn't take defeat. He could think his way out of this. He had to think. Suddenly, a moment of inspiration came, revealing the only possible chance of survival. Bruce slammed the heel of his boot directly into Croc's testicles forcing a horrible roar from the creature. He stumbled away a foot loosening his hold on Batman. He wasted no time and slipped his head out from the tank moments before the sharks snapped away at where he had been. But the sharks were already moving too fast to slow down and turn away. The largest slammed straight through the weakened glass.

Batman dived to the right narrowly avoiding the shark as it flew the air like a deadly missile. Killer Croc wasn't as fast. He twisted away, but the shark's vicious teeth ripped into his skin. Croc managed to push the fish away with impressive ease, but the damage was done. A large wound poured out blood from his chest.

"You bastard, look at what you've done!" Croc screamed to his adversary, backing away from the shark lying on the floor flipping across the floor loudly. "I-I-I don't feel so good." He said beginning to show the effects of loosing so much blood. "I'm done with you." Croc began to walk towards the back exit, every step more sluggish than the last.

"What?" Bruce grimaced, "You can't just walk away. You're coming with me." He said in pursuit limping from a sore muscle in his leg.

Croc laughed painfully, "You're welcome to try and stop me yourself. But I doubt you'll succeed. Even wounded I could tear you in two." The creature grinned widely, "I thought your kind played fair." He exited, heading towards the basement of the facility.

Bruce stood still for a moment pondering whether he should just turn back. It didn't take very long to realize that it wasn't really an option. The decision had already been made.

"Freeze, you make a move and I will put a bullet through your head, Batman!" An officer ordered with a dozen at his back, "Put your hands in the air. You're under arrest!"