Chapter 16: Straight Answers
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Batman glared at him. "I said we'd give you forty-five minutes."
"And it's been," the Atom made a production of looking at his watch, "forty-seven minutes, thirty-nine seconds." His face split into a grin. "Come on, I've got a lot to show you."
He jumped up and landed lightly on Batman's shoulder.
"The first thing we need to do is find the Colonel," Batman stated. "To get," he glanced at me, "some straight answers."
The Atom nodded. "I found his office, among other things."
"Which way?" asked Batman, as he strode out of the door. I motioned to the two congressmen to follow him.
"To the right," the Atom told him and he turned right, setting a pace the congressmen were hard put to match. I considered picking them up and carrying them, but decided against it.
"They're not just making a few Luthor clones here," continued the Atom. "This is where they produced the Bizarro. Actually, it looks like they produced a number of them."
He stopped, perhaps as chilled by that announcement as I was.
"That doesn't fit," Batman replied. "That room they kept us in was strongly built, but not strong enough to hold a Bizarro."
"Ah, that's because they're making other sorts of clones, as well. In particular, they're mass producing…"
We rounded a corner. Twenty yards ahead the corridor ended in a t-intersection. From the right hand side of the intersection, two large purple figures entered the corridor.
Batman stopped short at the sight of two Parasites.
"… uh, those," The Atom finished up.
The Colonel came into view behind the two Parasites, followed by two more of the purple brutes.
"Ah ha!" cried the Colonel. "I thought you'd be coming this way. Wanted to see what we're making here, did you? Well, let me show you. These fellows may not have all the powers the original, but they're more than enough to deal with you." He motioned the Parasites forward. I noticed he held something that looked like an oversized calculator or a PDA in his left hand.
I stepped forward, ready to engage the Parasites.
"No!" shouted Batman. "I'll distract them. You get the Colonel." He charged forward along the opposite side of the corridor from me, swinging his forty-pound pack over his head. The Parasites turned their attention towards him.
I pulled out my lasso and snapped it out towards the Colonel. The loop fell over him just as the Batman released his pack in a high arc over the heads of the Parasites. I yanked and the Colonel came flying back to me as the Batman skidded to a halt and dove back towards us.
"Down!" I shouted and the congressmen dropped to the floor. I caught the Colonel and tossed him behind me as forty pounds of plastic explosive hit the wall behind the creatures.
The explosion was deafening in the confines of the corridor. The next second was very busy as I deflected shards of concrete with my bracelets. Then it was over. I looked at the four Parasites. The ones nearest the wall had been blown forward into the other pair. All four were sprawled on the floor, momentarily stunned.
The Atom suddenly reappeared in front of me. I guessed he had shrunk down to microscopic size to escape the shockwave and debris. He glanced at the device still clutched in the Colonel's left hand, which must control the Parasites.
"I can take out the Parasites – all the Parasites – but it may take a minute. Can you keep them away that long?"
I nodded. "Go."
He jumped, shrinking out of sight as he landed on the controller. I stepped up next to Batman, who had picked himself up.
So had the first of the Parasites, with the others close behind. Batman ran towards the monster and sprang up. His hands came down on top of the Parasite's head and pushed, carrying him past. Then, as I ran forward, he kicked out, catching the brute between the shoulder blades and causing it to stumble.
I converted the creature's forward momentum to rearward with my fist. It crashed into the one behind it and both smacked into what was left of the wall behind them. Batman, meanwhile, had used his kick to carry him straight at a third Parasite. It swung at him, but too slowly. With his left hand, Batman slapped the monster's circular, needle-toothed mouth, while the right grabbed its shoulder. He flipped himself over the brute, hit the fourth Parasite's head feet first and kicked off.
The third creature started coughing as fumes poured from his mouth. I wondered what Batman had slapped into its mouth – tear gas pellets, perhaps. Using his momentum to carry him back, Batman had planted his hands on the third Parasite's shoulders and flipped himself over it, landing on his feet facing the monster.
The fourth Parasite, blocked from advancing by its still coughing brethren, looked confused. However the other two were getting to their feet. We stood side by side, ready for them.
Suddenly, all four howled in pain and, clutching their heads, staggered and fell to the ground. I turned around and saw the Atom reappear atop the controller. He grinned and gave me the high sign.
We ran back to him.
"I crossed a few wires," he told us jauntily. "Until they can change frequencies or reprogram the Mad Hatter's mind control chips, all the Parasites have white noise pounding into their brains."
"The explosion will attract attention. We need someplace quiet where we can get some answers out of him," Batman replied with a glance at the Colonel.
The Atom nodded. "I know a place." He jumped up to stand on Batman's shoulder.
I turned to see the two congressmen getting to their feet, still looking a little stunned at what had just happened.
"We need to go," I told them. They nodded and hurried to follow the Batman. I tossed the Colonel, still wrapped in my golden lasso, over my shoulder and strode after them.
I caught up with them at the t-intersection. They had stopped and were gawking at what lay on the far side of the hole in the wall. I stepped up next to them and gawked as well.
The room on the other side measured at least a hundred feet on a side and extended down several stories. It was lined on three sides by dozens of tall fluid-filled tubes containing Parasites in every stage from mere embryos to fully-grown. The center of the room was filled with control panels, computers, broad tables on which fully-grown Parasites lay, and scientists in lab coats. Some had apparently been checking over Parasites recently released from tubes, others may have been installing mind-control chips in them.
They weren't doing either now, for every Parasite not in a tube was writhing in agony. Most were on the floor but some were in stalls that lined the fourth wall, holding onto heavy rods that came out of the wall as if they couldn't let go. There was the stench of ozone in the air and the rods cracked with electricity. Heavy-duty power cables led from each stall to one corner of the room.
They were feeding, I realized. The original Parasite fed off the life energy of others. Luthor had somehow found a way to feed these creatures on electricity instead. Far more practical, a part of my mind concluded; easier to obtain and no bodies to dispose of. But the rest of my mind was trapped by the image of the creatures writhing in pain and, with the white noise overwhelming their minds, unable to let go of the rods.
They seemed to be growing larger by the second as the energy poured into their bodies. One suddenly exploded, showering the room with purple gore. It was a horrible way for even monsters such as these to die.
A batarang flew past me to lodge in the corner of the room from which the power cables emanated. A second later it exploded. The lights went out in the room, but I could see the Parasites slump, like marionettes whose strings had been cut.
"Floor show's over," growled Batman, "time to go."
"That way!" the Atom told him, pointing in the direction the Parasite came from.
The others turned away as soldiers suddenly poured into the room below. I shoved Connelly out of the way as a plasma blast shot out through the hole in the wall.
"Boys!" cried the Colonel on my shoulder. "They're heading north along the corridor!" I reached up and grabbed his shoulder, finding and pinching the nerve. His body went limp.
"Move," hissed Batman. He took off down the corridor at a run, the Atom on his shoulder. The two congressmen tried to keep up, but they were huffing and puffing after a few yards. I took a moment to tie the Colonel securely across my shoulders and then grabbed the congressmen by the scruff of their necks and flew after Batman. We turned right at the next corridor, then right again at the first opportunity.
"In here," called the Atom. Batman started to pry off the control panel while I carried the congressmen into … Secure Room 3. I could see the gum still stuck to the lenses of the video cameras.
I set the congressmen down. They looked around. I could tell by their postures, the moment they realized where they were.
Batman entered, with the Atom still on his shoulder, as the door swung shut and locked with a 'clang'.
"I figured," explained the Atom, "that this was the last place they would think to look for us."
"Good thinking," grunted Batman. "I short circuited the door mechanism. If they try to open it, the spark will detonate a few ounces of plastic explosive I put in there. They'll have to break through that door to get to us."
"But how will we get out again?" wondered Connelly. Batman didn't answer, although I thought I knew.
"Let's leave that to them," I told the Senator, "while we get some answers."
I set the Colonel down on the floor. He smirked up at me.
"You really think I'm going to tell you anything?"
"What is your full name, rank and position?" I asked.
"Colonel John Rodger Artenberger of the Human Defense Corps. I am in command of this facility."
Zabrowski hissed. He obviously recognized the name, most likely from his hearings on the LexCorp bribery scandal.
Artenberger gaped. "I didn't … how did you … what did you do to me?"
"My golden lasso commands the absolute truth from anyone entangled in it," I told him.
"That … that's not fair," he wailed.
"What is the purpose of this facility?"
"We produce clones." Artenberger stopped, gritting his teeth and obviously trying to keep from blurting anything more out.
"Be more specific," I commanded. "How many clones and of who?"
"Thirty-two Parasite clones, nine Bizarros, six Luthor clones and a hybrid." Artenberger bit his tongue, but it didn't help. "The hybrid wasn't a success, so we didn't make any more. The Bizarros are the most difficult. The kryptonian DNA is very hard to work with."
"Stop. Tell us about the Luthor clones."
"They were the easiest to make. No complications to the cloning process, unlike the Parasites and Bizarros. The complications come later. They all had to be aged to exactly the same effective age. No defects, no blemishes. No hair, of course. They had to look exactly like the President. And then two had to be burned. The instructions were exact: fourth degree burns covering a circular area six inches in diameter on the left side of the chest surrounded by rings of third degree, second degree and first degree burns, each half an inch wide. No damage to the face. He was very specific about that."
"Who was?"
"General Amos Danforth, commander of the Human Defense Corps."
"What did he intend to do with the Luthor clones?"
"I don't know." Artenberger suddenly grinned. "It's true, I don't know. You can't make me tell you what I don't know."
"Where are the clones now?" Batman asked. I glanced at him. The Atom had disappeared and Batman had opened up the Colonel's controller and was fiddling around inside. He did not look up from his task.
Artenberger's face contorted with his effort to stay silent, but he answered. "Four are still here, in the special laboratory. I got orders to send off two of them this morning, I guess it's yesterday morning now. One of the burned ones and one of the ones with the special chip."
"What is the special chip?" I asked.
"We use chips implanted in their skulls to control the clones," Artenberger explained. "That controller," he nodded to the device in Batman's hands, "works on all of them except the Luthor clones. Their chips are encrypted. You need a special controller for them."
"Do you have one of the special controllers?"
"No. We had to sedate the clone so we could transport it."
"Where are the two clones now?"
"I don't know, but I can guess." Suddenly Artenberger looked afraid. Sweat stood out on his brow.
"Where do you think they are?"
"One is lying in Luthor's hospital bed and the other one was killed in the attack on the Capitol."
"Is Luthor is on this?" asked Zabrowski.
"I don't know."
"But you think he is?"
Artenberger's face screwed up with terror, but he continued nonetheless, "I'm sure he is, but I don't actually know."
"What do you know?" asked Connelly.
"Well, 'In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth and the Earth was without form, and …'"
"What did Danforth tell you about the plot?" I interrupted. "What is he trying to accomplish?"
Artenberger's face transformed into a mask of hatred. "To start with, to get rid of people like you: metas who lord it over the rest of us, bleeding-heart liberals and weak sisters who would undermine and destroy this great country of ours."
He glared at Zabrowski. "And you, in particular. You almost wrecked my career. Artenberger promised me you'd die."
"He also promised," Artenberger continued avariciously, "we'd have the wealth and power we deserve. We'll own this country and nobody will be able to tell us what to do. Except Luthor, I suppose."
Zabrowski and Connelly were shocked into silence by this reply. I asked, "Who else is involved in the plot?"
"General Danforth didn't tell me. The techs that worked on the Luthor clones must guess something, of course. I've kept them segregated from the others and once I'm sure we won't need anymore Luthor clones, they'll have to be liquidated. I suppose Dr. Moon must know. He did the surgery on the two damaged Luthor clones."
Batman stood and suddenly he was looming over Artenberger. "Tell me about Dr. Moon."
"Oriental fellow, taller than most. Cold fish. I don't know much more. He did the brain surgery on the two clones."
"Brain surgery?" I asked.
"They had to be fixed so they wouldn't regain consciousness and spoil things," Artenberger explained, "but their EEGs had to look normal. Well, normal for someone unconscious from shock. He took care of it. Danforth told me Moon was coming; he came, did the job and left. That's all I know."
Batman remained impassive, but I could sense his rage at this latest revelation. I was certain he knew Dr. Moon.
At that moment, the Atom dropped into our midst.
"All set," he announced.
Batman nodded. I looked at the two congressmen. "Any further questions?"
"You really mean to overthrow the constitution?" asked Connelly, disbelief tingeing his voice.
"Of course we do, you idiot! 'Government by the people', what a stupid idea. Morons, most of them. They elected you, didn't they? Besides, we're only in this for what we can get. Well, I am and I'm pretty sure Danforth is, too."
Connelly stepped back, shaken by this answer. Then his lips tightened in anger and determination.
"It's time to go," Batman told them.
"But you wrecked the door so it can't be opened," objected Zabrowksi. "How are we getting out?"
"Through the vents."
Author's Notes: The original Parasite gained extra powers due to an encounter with Strange Visitor, including the ability to take the form of another person. I assume the clones would not possess these extra powers, only the Parasite original powers. Batman first met Dr. Moon in Batman #240, reprinted in "Tales of the Demon." There have been other encounters since. Dr. Moon's specialties are brain surgery and brain washing; his idol is the infamous Nazi war criminal, Dr. Josef Mengele.