The Knight and the Warrior:

Episode 3: Relentless

By Long T. Tran

Disclaimer: All DC characters are owned by DC Comics. This fic is not intended to make any monetary value. This fic was created in pursuit of reader entertainment.

The Steppes of Northern China

The dark knight had ridden diligently all night. As the horse galloped under him, Batman could clearly see the sun began to rise over the horizon. He looked down at the homing device and he estimated that he was only a full day and a half away from his destination. He had no choice but to get to Diana as soon as possible. He knew that she wasn't helpless but the way she was apprehended bothered the dark knight to no end. They were up against somebody who knew of her weakness.

Throughout the night, Batman tried to wake her up through the new comm link he gave her a few nights ago. No response yet. It was time to try to wake her up. He held a finger to his ear and pressed.

"Diana!" The knight called out. "This is Batman! Please respond!"

No response yet, just static. The communicator worked in two ways, one via satellite and the other through direct unit-to-unit frequencies.

"Diana! Wake up!"

He waited again.

"This is Batman, please respond! Diana, tell me that you're okay."

H waited again. As the sun rose, the horse was getting tired and thirsty. Batman spotted a stream just ahead and steered the horse towards it. As the steed approached its watering hole, Bruce could hear a small stutter in the static of radio. Then he heard sounds of chains clanking from Diana's end of the transmission.

"Diana? Are you alright? Can you hear me?"

(This…is Diana.) She said groggily. (I'm alright…)

"Are you hurt? Is everything alright with you?"

(I'm fine…my head hurts a lot though.)

"Where are you?" Bruce asked.

(I'm not sure. It's completely dark here. I can't see a thing.)

"Can you move?"

(No, I'm chained up pretty good. My hands are chained down on both sides of me and my neck has some kind of metal brace around it.)

"Can you break the chains?"

(Hold on, I'll try.)

Batman listened to Diana as she grunted. He could hear the sound of chains rustling through the comm link. While Bruce waited, the horse reached the stream and started to quench its thirst

"Status?"

(Achilles' heel.) Diana cursed. (These chains are as thick as my wrists and they are difficult to break. Every time I tried to break them, my head hurts a lot. Those assassins used some sort of sedative. It's making me feel sluggish and weak.)

This was not good, Bruce thought to himself. "I'll be there in 14 hours. In the meantime, let's do our best to maintain a constant line of communication. Alright?"

(Alright.)

"I hope your strength returns before I get there."

(Me too.)

"You need to rest and gather your strength."

For a silent minute, Diana did not respond. Bruce could sense unease emanating from Diana's end of the link.

"Diana, what's on your mind?"

(No. I don't feel alright. I don't like being helpless.)

"I understand how you feel."

(Do you? This is not the way an Amazon should be. We fight to win. We don't like to lose and we especially detest the thought of being held captive.)

"Diana, please be steadfast, help is on the way."

(Easy for you to say, Bruce. I don't like being a damsel in distress. Ugh, my pride has taken a beating. This is beyond embarrassing.)

Bruce could hear her struggle again with the chains that bound her. Then she moaned in a hurtful way.

(Damnit! My head hurts every time I try to exert myself. What did they dope me with?)

"Do you see any windows or sources of light?"

(No. I'm in complete darkness. I think I'm in a basement of some sort.)

Batman could sense the frustration from Diana's end of the link. While Wonder Woman was physically unable to set herself free, he was reminded of his situation with the child killer Connor O'Hanlan. The killer escaped from justice and put the dark knight in a dark grip. He couldn't help but notice the irony in this situation. The Amazon was held captive physically while he was trapped by his mental anguish. That never ending sense of turmoil nearly consumed him. If it weren't for Wonder Woman, he didn't know how he would bring himself out of that zone. He reminisced her last remark in the bat cave that helped brought him back from the grip of darkness.

"Diana, sometimes you can't make it on your own," He said in the most calm and soothing tone. "It takes a certain Batman to get you free."

Diana didn't respond at first. As Bruce waited, he could almost hear her snicker.

(Thank you Bruce for the encouraging words; I'm glad I'm not completely alone in here. Your communicators are a god send.)

Suddenly, Bruce could hear a heavy door open on Diana's side of the comm. Then a deep voice rang out.

(Well, well, well. Do my eyes deceive me? What is an Amazon princess doing all the way over here in China?)

Diana was silent and so was Bruce. He listened to the man's voice it sounded familiar to him.

(Allow me to introduce myself, warrior. I am known here as Genghis Khan but my real name is Vandar Adg. Or to westerners, you may know of me as Vandal Savage.)

Bruce narrowed his eyes.The dark knight detested dictators and self-proclaimed demigods, especially the ones that were immortal and insane. Savage was capable of anything insidious.

(Why are you holding me captive, Vandal?) Diana asked sternly.

(My dear, first thing's first. I want to know your name.)

(My name is for me to know.)

(You have a lot of sass in you woman. It doesn't really matter to me. You are an Amazon and I will have you all to myself.)

(What are you going to do? Rape me? I'll kill you before I give you a chance.)

(Not at all, rape is below me. I can do much better than rape. What I will do to you is more methodical; more visceral and hopefully more effective. I am going to break you down mentally and physically. And you will find out soon enough on how. When I'm through with you; you will be totally submissive to me.)

Bruce could hear the man's footsteps coming closer to Diana. Then he heard Vandal blew something at Diana. Diana coughed.

(What do you want from me? Information? Secrets?)

(You'll find out soon enough. This is going to be fun. I have never broken down an Amazon before. HA HA HA HA HA!) After his cackling, Bruce heard the heavy door shut which signaled Vandal's departure. The he heard the rustling of chains; this time more sluggish than ever.

"Diana! What did he do to you?"

(A black powder of some sort. I feel dizzy.)

The horse was finally rejuvenated, Batman urgently kicked the sides of the steed and the animal was in full gallop again.

"Diana, you have to listen to me! Whatever you do, don't give in to him!"

(Don't…worry.) Diana said with a slurred speech. (I am strong…I will always stay strong….)

"He's going to torture you. When he does, just focus on my voice. It's very important that you do your best. Don't give him any information. Don't let him know I'm coming.)

(I'll only…listen…to you.) She said slowly in a trance-like tone. (Listen to…Bruce. Only…to Bruce. My…Bruce)

Then without another sound, Bruce could tell that she had fallen asleep. With even more determination and fervor, Batman was on his way to aid Diana. He had to get his team mate back. He brought out the homing device and saw that Diana's location was a full two days away; two very long days away. He hoped that he could make it to her on time before things started to turn for the worse. On the other hand, he had to brace for the worse and he had to stay strong. If Diana begins to falter, it was his job to keep her from faltering.

So it begins…

The prison cell was dark and Diana was still unconscious. The Amazon was asleep. She was in a kneeling position because of the chains that held her from lying down. The heavy door opened and Vandal walked in and illuminated the cell with some candles. He had a bucket of water in his left hand. He lifted the bucket and threw the water on to the Amazon. The liquid was scorching hot and Diana screamed.

"You! You'll pay for that!"

"Insolence!" Vandal replied as he slapped the Amazon hard across the face. "You will submit to me!"

"Never!"

Vandal kicked Wonder Woman below the ribs.

"What is your name!"

Diana breathed hard and glared into Vandal's eyes. She spat at his feet. He reached into his hide coat and put on two metal gauntlets on his hands. They looked heavy, forbidding, and the armored fingers looked sharp. Vandal back handed her face hard.

"What is your name?"

Vandal met silence. He slapped her again harder.

"I'll ask you again. What is your name?"

Diana only glared at him as blood trickled down her swollen hot cheeks. "My name is for my friends."

(Good girl.) Bruce said painfully to her over the comm.

Diana could sense the anguish from Bruce. She steeled herself mentally.

Vandal gave a furious scowl and pounded Wonder Woman mercilessly. His strength was enormous. The gauntlets hitting her body sounded tremendous. There was no doubt that Bruce could hear every relentless impact.

(Stay strong, Diana.) Said Bruce's voice which gave her the support she needed.

Vandal punched Diana in the stomach.

(Don't give in.)

Another blow struck her lower jaw.

(Don't let him get to you.)

"Is this the only way, Savage?" Diana taunted with blood coming down her face. "Are you so brave as to have me tied up like some animal and beaten like a dog?"

(Diana, don't encourage him. Keep quiet or he'll never stop.)

The madman did not retort, he kept on delivering blow after blow.

"Have…you…no sense…of honor." Diana chided laced with fatigue.

(Diana!) Bruce yelled with protest.

I'm sorry Bruce; if I can't fight him physically I'll get him verbally and mentally. Diana thought to herself. She glared at Savage through her blood soaked vision.

With a thunderous punch to her head, Vandal shattered his right gauntlet and managed to knock Diana's tiara off her head. The crown fell to the ground.

After a long period of torture, Savage finally grew tired. "I have to hand it to your Amazon upbringing, you are definitely resilient. I have more in store for you, my dear captive."

Diana felt pain and bruised through out her body. She sensed a lump coming up from her abdomen. She started to cough violently and spat out the bitter salty taste of blood. Vandal only smiled.

"Do you know why I have so much interest in you?"

The Amazon kept silent. The man was a sadistic monster in her eyes and he didn't deserve any dignity of a response.

"I have walked this earth for over 20 millennia and strived to control the world as I see fit. I decided long ago that I wanted to be in the game…to shape mankind's future. With this empire, I have achieved that. However, being an immortal does have its disadvantages. I have no companion to share my fortunes and burdens. Life is meaningless without the eternal love of a woman. Many women I shared my life with and many loves lost. I desire only one woman to share my life with and you are that person. The eternal soul of an Amazon can only soothe the heart of this beast."

For a long time, the Amazon was silent. Diana looked at her enemy and laughed at him. "You expect me to believe that load of garbage? Awww. Vandal Savage feeling lonely?" She mocked. "The great Vandal captured a woman and tortured her to make her fall for him? Are you kidding me? Are you living in reality? You're a mongrel, nothing more, and even less. You make me sick. Your idea of love is as twisted as you are."

Vandal sighed in an exasperated manner. "Your rudeness knows no bounds. I never said my desires were ever easy to achieve. I get what I want and I'll do it with any means necessary."

With that remark, he snapped his fingers and two guardsmen walked in. The pair was large in stature and muscular. They walked over to Diana's right side and each grabbed a large chain connected to the right side of her neck brace. They pulled on her and she struggled to keep herself from leaning over. Normally, she could've been able to tug these men aside easily but due to the combination of the beating and the toxins that were given to her, she was too weak to resist. The two guardsmen tugged on the chains and she leaned over, exposing her right side. A sharp pain surged through the left-side of her body.

She could see through the corner of her eyes that Vandal was bringing out a small glass bottle that contained a purple and black fluid.

"Do you know what this is?"

Diana shook her head no.

"In this vial is the venom of a long extinct creature which used to roam the deserts of the Eurasian regions. This is Basilisk venom; a very rare poison. I don't know if there's anti-venom for it. I do know that it is very effective."

Vandal walked over to Diana and poured the black venom down her side. The fluid cascaded her body as if it was alive and seeped into her wounds. Diana immediately felt the effects of the venom. She felt her body tense. The Amazon's eyes turned pitch black. She started to hear voices in her head, dark whispering shrilly voices. The world around her became wrapped in fog and shadow.

"I'll bestow onto her one act of mercy. Release her neck brace."

The two guards that held Diana in place walked over to release her chained neck brace. The Amazon immediately keeled over onto her side and went into a fetal position. She felt her body gripped in pain. The voices in her head were telling her to submit, telling her to give up. Surrender or die, the voices told her.

"In case you're wondering, the venom inside you has some mystical qualities. Unlike most poisons which only attack your physical body, this special batch will deplete what physical strength you have left and it will attack your mind."

Diana was on her side. She looked up at Vandal with her black eyes and growled at him.

"You ogre."

"Insult me while you can; enjoy your petty self-determination. I'll be coming back this evening and then we'll be finished. By the end of the evening, I will walk out of this cell with or without you."

Knight's Side

Batman heard the sound of the dungeon door closed shut. He started to hear shallow breathing coming from Diana. The whole ordeal was hard for the dark knight. He had never witnessed Diana take in so much punishment. Vandal had earned himself the top spot on his hit list. Bruce hated torture. It was unforgivable when committed onto one of his closest friends. After witnessed Diana's torture it made his blood boil. This was a horrible experience to share; this was too personal, too compromising. The hero felt the relentless maelstrom of rage and turmoil within him.

"Diana, talk to me. What's going on?"

(Bruce…, the venom's doing something to me… I hear voices…)

"Diana, just focus on my voice.

(They're telling me lies, they're telling me to submit.)

"Do you know what my voice sounds like?"

(…yes.)

"Try to block out all other voices but mine."

(I feel…horrible…cold…) Diana said.

Bruce could hear Diana cough violently. The rustling of her chains was an indication of her convulsions. Then he heard her cry out and she started vomiting. It was painful for him to witness her suffering. The only thing he could do was stay on his course and hope to keep her from going over the brink.

"Diana, listen to my voice. I vow to get us out of this mess. We'll survive together. Whatever happens, do your best to resist. Stay adamant."

Bruce could hear her coughing. Her voice went raspy.

(Bruce…) she called out.

"Yes, Diana?"

(There's chaos…within me. Voices of insanity and lies…could you please…)

"Yes, yes?"

(Please…be my symbol…of order.)

"For you, I'll do anything."

For the next eight hours, Batman rode the horse as he made his way across the steppes of China. Each passing moment he comes closer to his destination. The coverage of time and distance was not easy for Batman due to the fact that he was in constant surveillance over Wonder Woman. He could hear every pained vomiting, every whimper, and every aching cry from his captured friend. Her agony only fueled his commitment even more. Whenever she started slipping, he would reach out to her with his voice and bring her back from the brink of submission. There were episodes where she started to hallucinate; he would employ methods of psycho hypnosis to calm her chaotic mind.

Night time had fallen and the horse was tired; it walked at a brisk pace across the plain. All day, Bruce listened to the constant changing conditions of Diana's captivity. To keep from losing her, he couldn't afford to be aloof with her. In her hour of need, he couldn't be Batman; he had to be Bruce Wayne. Wonder Woman was still inoculated with the Basilisk venom. Bruce checked his progress on the homing indicator. According to the device, he was only about 2 hours away.

(Bruce…) Diana called out with a raspy voice.

"Yes, Diana?" Bruce replied.

(Vandal will…come back any minute now. I wanted to let you know…just in case…that if I didn't make it…)

"Don't talk like that. Don't you give up on me."

(…just in case I don't make it.)

Diana coughed violently. It was heart wrenching for Bruce to hear her suffer.

(Bruce…I wanted to tell you…that there are so many lies within me because of this venom…just a lot of deceit. Thank you for…being the lighthouse. You are special…to me.)

"I will continue to guide you, Diana. It's not over yet."

Then, through the sound of his communicator, he heard the sound of the prison doors opened. He heard footsteps. Bruce mentally braced himself. What form of torture is Vandal bringing in now?

The Warrior's Side

"Let's see if the venom was successful." Vandal stated as he looked at the Amazon. The captor was clearly admiring his handy work. Diana was in the corner of her cell, she was on her side. She noticed Vandal as he approached. He stood before his captive. "Now then, Amazon, come before me."

His captive sluggishly crawled over to him. She stopped at his feet. She was on all fours and her face down cast.

"Now, who do you belong to?"

"I…belong…"

"Yes?" Vandal asked with anticipation.

"I belong to…my love."

"And who is your love?"

The Amazon was silent for a moment. She looked up at her tormentor and smiled. "Not you." Then she spat at his face and a wet spit wad dripped from his nose.

Vandal was infuriated, he kicked Diana's mid-section and she fell back against the cell wall.

"I see that the venom had no effect on you. I don't know how you managed to resist the venom's influence but it doesn't matter to me anymore. I've wasted enough time pursuing this diversion. If I can't have you, no one will."

He reached into his silk robe and brought out Diana's golden lasso. "I've done some research on your lasso. Apparently, this is the rope of Hephaestus. Legend has it that this artifact has the power to draw out the truth whenever someone is held captive. Another interesting thing about this lasso is that if a person is lying they will feel unimaginable pain. So that begs me to wonder…since your body is full of basilisk venom, what will happen if I placed this golden rope around you? Will it purge your body of the poison or will it kill you? I've looked into it and I assure you that it will be a long excruciating death."

With that remark, Vandal walked towards Diana. As he crept in closer, the golden lasso began to glow. Diana felt uneasy as the tormenter approached her. The Amazon was not afraid of pain but the thought of being purged by the lasso was enough to make her apprehensive. She was once burned by the lasso for only for a white lie. This time her body was full of basilisk venom, potent of treachery. Diana remembered the pain felt like a super-heated iron tip searing her skin. The moment before Savage tied the rope around her, she felt her eyes started to well up. A salty tear drop slowly went down her cheek. If this was going to be her last moment, she wanted say the name of the person she loved one last time. The knight who helped keep her dignity intact.

"Bruce…" She whispered enough to pass Vandal's notice but loud enough for her team mate to hear.

The Dark Knight's Pain

(I love you…) Diana whispered in a farewell manner. Bruce could hear the crackling sound of her golden lasso. He knew the rope made contact with Diana, the searing was unnerving. At first, he could hear her resist the urge to scream. The pain was too great and she screamed.

"Diana!" Bruce yelled out with sorrow. He kicked the horse he rode very hard to pick up its pace.

As he raced across the plains, Diana's screaming was almost too much for him to bear. Batman gritted his teeth and his whole body was tense as he listened to the Amazon's bloodcurdling shrieks. He could hear the smoldering sound of the lasso as it purged Diana's body of the venom. In Bruce's mind, the image of the once beautiful and proud princess was now replaced by a badly beaten and suffering soul. He couldn't help it any longer, he felt hot tears erupting from his eyes and leaking past his cowl. Every time he tried to stop the tears, he would hear Diana's painful screams. Each one of her screams brought out another tear from the dark knight. He had to reach out to her and give her hope.

"Diana, I'm sorry you're hurting." Bruce consoled with struggle in his voice. "Please be strong. I know it's too much to bear. I'll be there for you. I'll be there soon."

Her screams kept continuing but they started to subside. She was listening to his voice.

"Don't lose hope. I know you'll make it." Bruce said.

(Bruce…ah!) Diana struggled. (Ugh…don't stop talking….don't stop…)

Bruce couldn't help it. His emotions ran high at the thought of losing Diana. He tried to find the words to keep her coherent. But he could only realize a few; the few words of encouragement that meant something to him and Diana.

"Diana, I love you. Please stay with me. Stay strong."

For the next hour, Diana continued to suffer and Bruce continued to console her through the comm link. He didn't allow restraint of words. He desperately fought to keep Diana from giving up. He hoped his show of emotion and strength was what the Amazon needed to stay alive. After an hour of screaming and yelling, Diana fell silent.

Bruce clenched his teeth and hoped for the best. Did she fall unconscious or was it worse? He did his best to listen for any signs of breathing. He couldn't tell. Then the dark knight saw the citadel rising above the horizon. Finally, he had reached his destination; Batman felt himself tighten with determination. He started to formulate his plan of attack. The odds will be stacked against him. Batman wanted a piece of Vandal and his goons. He did a quick inventory of all the devices and gadgets in his utility belt. It was nearly time, succeed or fail, there will be retribution.

The Citadel

The night was dark and all is quiet outside of the rampart. The guard patrolled along the wall of the stronghold. As he made his way across the wooden pathway, a shadow sneaked past him. The Batman was in the compound; he stepped off of the wooden walkway and hid behind the stair case. From his position, he could see that across from him there was a main gate. To his right was the citadel itself. He reached into his cape and took out the beacon tracker. The device indicated that Diana's position was definitely in the basement of the citadel.

Standing at the entrance of the main tower were two guards. Bruce reached into his utility belt and took out a batarang. The metallic device opened up in a snap. He threw the weapon at the guards and knocked them out. The two soldiers fell to the floor. The dark knight quickly went over and dragged the guards with him to cover his tracks. As Bruce entered the main hallway, he noticed that there was a stairway that led to the basement and a double stair case connected to the top floors. He dropped the guards behind a large jade jar to hide them and immediately proceeded down the staircase that led to the basement.

As Batman reached the base of the stairs, he saw that a narrow hallway led down to a single heavy metal door. In front of the door sat a bald monk dressed in white. The man was in deep meditation. In his lap lay a large wooden staff with a long blade at the end of it. Batman knew that just beyond the door the monk guarded Diana. As Bruce made his way down the hallway, he saw that the monk opened his eyes. The evil monk smiled and he stood up defiantly guarding the door. He planted the staff beside him with a loud clank. Then the monk in white held his right hand up and signaled the dark knight to a duel. As soon as Batman approached, the monk quickly brought up his staff and twirled the weapon in fancy martial movements.

I have no time for showboating. Batman thought to himself. The dark knight stood still and planted his feet in a battle stance position. The monk ran at the detective at full speed. As he approached the hero, he brought his staff about. Bruce smiled, this was what he wanted the attacker to do. Without hesitation, Batman focused his energy and punched through the monk's staff breaking the weapon in two.

The monk was surprised at the dark knight's strength and speed. Before he could think of a counter move, a gloved fist impacted his face. The monk felt his teeth knocked out of his mouth. Next, he was up against the dungeon door. Then, with full force, the man in the bat suit kicked the monk in the chest cracking his ribs. The strength of the kick was so great that the door collapsed with the monk.

Batman walked into the dungeon and saw that the monk was defeated and unconscious. The cell was illuminated by candles and the dungeon smelled thick of vomit and burnt flesh. Near one end of the room, he saw Diana on the floor wrapped in her own lasso, her back towards him, and she was motionless. Batman immediately ran over to her and untied the lasso. As Bruce unraveled the rope, he saw 2nd-degree burn marks all over Wonder Woman's body. Her body was covered in black ooze; no doubt that it was the purged basilisk venom. Bruce reached into his belt and took out a dart and filled the weapon with the poison. He placed the dart into his dart gun and saved it.

Bruce checked Diana for a pulse and felt a very faint throb. Batman felt a sigh of relief, she was still alive although barely. He held her into his arms and turned her body around to look at her face. What he saw made his heart wrench. Her once beautiful face was now covered in bruises, cuts, and swollen tissue. He was sad to see the results of her torture. Bruce hugged her tight. Her body felt limp as he held Diana closer to his chest. As he held his beloved comrade, he slightly rocked back and forth in a comforting manner. He looked down at her and saw that her eyes were barely open and they were completely bloodshot. She was aware. Bruce noticed Diana's tiara on the ground. He picked up the gold accessory and crowned his teammate. He ran his gloved hand along the contours of her face.

"I'm sorry it took me so long." Bruce apologized.

Without saying anything, Diana held Bruce's hand and weakly grasped it.

After a moment of quiet reunion, it was time to leave. Bruce picked the locks of the chains that held Diana in place and released her. The hero gathered her magic lasso and tied it onto his utility belt. He then picked up Diana and cradled her into his arms. As soon as she was held securely, Bruce made his way out of the dungeon and into the hallway. He walked past the entrance way of the citadel and headed out to the courtyard. By walking in plain view, he intentionally made his presence known to the whole fortress. Immediately, the gates closed in front of Bruce. He could hear the locking mechanism kick in. Batman smiled and welcomed the sound. He didn't see himself as being locked in, he saw that the people of the fortress were locked in. Bruce turned around and saw that Vandal Savage was present. The tyrant was standing at the balcony overlooking the courtyard.

"You! Man in the bat suit! Where do you think you're going with the Amazon?"

Batman didn't answer he just glared at the tyrant. This clearly irritated Vandal.

"What's with all the insolence lately?" Vandal asked with bewilderment. "GUARDS! KILL THEM BOTH!"

With that loud command, the barracks started emptying out soldiers. Along the walls of the fortress, the Mongol guards were taking their positions. Vandal turned around and confidently left the balcony and headed back inside the castle. Bruce looked down to Diana. She looked up at him sadly and with tears in her eyes. He felt her ask him silently if this was the end. As the garrison arrived, Bruce carried Diana over to the main gates and placed her against the structure. He straightened her hair and kneeled down to her fore head and kissed it.

"It's not over yet," Batman assured her. "There's still unfinished business".

Behind Batman, the courtyard and the walls of the fortress were now full of soldiers. As Bruce turned around to face his enemies, he felt a tug on his cape. He turned around and saw Diana's battered face wanting to tell him something.

"I love you." The Amazon said in a whisper.

Bruce looked at her face grimly and he did his best to keep his composure. "I love you too."

Diana watched as Batman placed a gas mask over her face. Then the knight turned and faced his enemies. There were so many and only a single man challenged them. She hated her current condition. The warrior wanted to join in battle. Life was not fair. The best she could do was support him through mind and spirit.

Batman was more than aware of his current situation. The way back towards the citadel was completely blocked by Mongol guards. Each of the men carried various types of melee weapons. He did a quick mental audit of all the tools at his disposal. He wanted to bring vengeance on all of these thugs. All of these men were responsible for Diana's current condition and they all have to answer to him. He also had plans for Vandal Savage as well. However, first things first, the dark knight had to get through the guards.

"I'll give you one chance and one chance only. Some of you were not aware of this woman's torture. So I'll allow those of you to leave. If you do not choose to leave, you can stay and see what happens."

The soldiers scoffed and laughed at the dark knight. Good, they underestimated me. All the better for me. Bruce thought and smiled thinly.

"ATTAAAAAACK!" A commander ordered. The guards ran towards Batman with weapons in hand. The dark avenger stood ready for the onslaught.

As the soldiers approached, Batman reached in to his belt and grabbed two chemical vials. Bruce took out a breathing mask and placed it over his face. He threw one vial in front of the mob and lobbed the other on the back end of the crowd. The bottles exploded and a yellow gas appeared and covered the court yard. The guards breathed in as they approached the dark knight. The effects of the gas were immediate. As soon as they reached Batman, they hesitated. Bruce opened up his cape like a bat extending its wings. The men were suddenly filled with fright and anxiety. Through their point of view, a giant demon had arisen out of nowhere. Their hallucinations exaggerated Batman's true appearance. They dropped their weapons and ran away from the dark knight. Bruce had used two vials of fear toxin, courtesy of the Scarecrow. However despite his preparedness, some men did not breathe in the gas cloud. As soon as they reached Batman, the hero masterfully avoided their attacks and started to dislocate the arm joints of each of his attackers. The men screamed in agonizing pain. More men arrived; the hero punched one man in the gut while kicking another in the face.

A guard tried to hit the knight with a wooden staff but it was broken by the bat's hand chops. As if possessed by an unknown force, Batman fueled his furious rage with images of Diana. To every assailant who came within 4 feet of the dark knight, they were guaranteed to have at least one variation of a broken bone or joint dislocation or separation. A wake of casualties started to form as Batman made his way across the courtyard.

The bat reached for more devices from his utility belt and brought out several metallic marbles and started throwing the globules at the oncoming assailants. Like a lightning storm surging through the mob, these new weapons were called tazer pellets. The guards were getting electrocuted as the objects hit their bodies. Along the walls, Batman noticed that the garrison of soldiers was readying their bows and arrows. Without any hesitation, Bruce tossed gas grenades at the walkways along the stone walls. The weapons released a green gas which made the men started to laugh uncontrollably. This was a non-lethal version of the Joker's laughing gas. Instead of killing his enemies of laughter, they would cackle until they were unconscious.

As Bruce approached the citadel, there was chaos all around him. Thanks to the combination of the fear toxin and joker's laughing gas, there were guards hallucinating; some thinking they were surrounded by monsters while others were living through their phobias. As a result, half of the court yard were fighting amongst themselves or scrambling to escape. This helped save the dark knight a lot trouble of getting to Vandal. Batman reached the entrance of the Citadel. He noticed that none of the men were chasing him; he turned around and saw that the bewildered guards had opened the main gates and they all filed out of the stronghold.

Diana was mostly unconscious throughout the whole courtyard's ordeal; the torturous experience with the lasso's purging of her body stole a lot of energy from the Amazon. Something within her told her to wake up and open her eyes. After much struggle and pain, she managed to catch sight of Bruce entering the Citadel alone. Had he gone mad? Was he going after Vandal? She felt her mind telling her to go find out. Her body felt numb and as soon as she began to move her muscles. She could feel her pain receptors firing off on all cylinders. The Amazon felt tremendous pain as she tried to get herself to stand up and follow Bruce. She made up her mind but her body was vehemently disagreeing. She summoned all of her willpower to gather what remaining energy she had left to force her body to move. Suddenly, the warrior felt something in her rip in her lower abdomen. The pain was so sharp that Diana collapsed and passed out.

The Throne Room

Batman finally reached the throne room. The carpet was red and the chamber had many Chinese tapestries. The throne was just ahead and perched on the royal chair was Vandal Savage himself. He did not look happy at all. On either side of him, stood his two body guards, both were females dressed in white. One of them wore a white mask while the other was younger looking; she looked to be in her early twenties.

"That was the most embarrassing display of guardsmen ship I have ever witnessed. I am surrounded by idiots." Vandal commented. "Whoever you are, you just made a big mistake coming up here to see me."

"It's time for you to answer to me. What you did to the Amazon was unforgivable." Batman announced dispassionately. "I'm taking you out."

"Come try your luck." Vandal dared to the intruder. "Savage Lotus, Tiger Lotus; kill him."

Batman clenched his fists. He walked towards Vandal and the two lady assassins that guarded him. Without hesitation, the two body guards leapt into the air and started their attack on the dark knight. Savage Lotus (the masked one) released a thin chain with a dagger attached to one end. The weapon speared across the air towards the hero. With swift movement, Bruce stepped aside and avoided the dagger. He caught the chain with his right hand and pulled on the links. This further increased Savage Lotus's momentum and as soon as she close, Batman punched her masked features. The clay mask shattered and revealed a disfigured face. The woman's face was covered in burn scars. Her appearance didn't matter much to the hero. She was knocked out of the fight.

He turned his attention to the younger attacker. Tiger Lotus was very attractive but her looks only hid the evil spirit within her. She was armed with triple wrist blades on each arm. She made swipes at the hero angrily. The blades kept missing the dark knight. He didn't want to waste time and energy on this killer. He whipped around and caused his black cape to slap her in the face. His cape detached and entangled Tiger Lotus. She was momentarily confused but before she could free herself, Batman pounded on her with his fists clenched together. Tiger lotus was put out of commission and Vandal Savage was next. The tyrant unbuttoned his robe and readied himself for battle.

"I have to say, I'm impressed of what you achieved today." Vandal admitted. "It's not everyday that I see a single man take out an entire garrison of guards; cut down my best bodyguards, and humiliate me in the process. You have a lot of potential. I'll give you one chance. Join me and we will rule this world together as brothers in arms."

"Shut up and fight."

The two rivals ran towards each other for battle. Bruce punched Vandal in the stomach but it doesn't seem to affect him. Savage smiled fiendishly; he back handed the dark knight and the strength of the impact was enormous. The hero felt his lip and it was bleeding. Vandal swung his fist at Batman. The leaguer ducked out of the way and kicked the tyrant's kneecaps as hard as he could. The kick gave no discernible injury.

"You are weak, boy." Vandal taunted as he kicked the dark knight clear across the room. The hero collided with Vandal's throne and knocked the chair over.

Bruce immediately knew that the battle was not going to well, he was fighting a meta-human and he had to find a way to even out the playing field. He took out a vial of acid and lobbed it at his enemy's face. The green substance was all over Vandal's face and the fluid started to eat away at his eyes. The man screamed. Batman immediately grabbed a metal scepter nearby and started to swing away at the screaming man. The beating of Vandal started to bring about results. The enemy was getting hurt. No time to waste.

The detective brought his basilisk venom dart and stuck the device into Vandal Savage's back. The venom was fully emptied and the sharp object fell off. The effects of the poison were immediate, Vandal immediately keeled over and he was on his knees and holding his stomach.

"Wh-what did you do to me?" Vandal asked painfully.

"How does it feel?" The dark knight asked. He kicked the tyrant in the stomach. "Does it feel good to be cut down?"

Vandal did not say anything. Bruce punched him in the face.

"Don't feel too big anymore, do you?"

Batman kicked Vandal in the butt.

"Are you enjoying the humiliation?"

Batman picked up a nearby vase and threw it at the tormented tyrant.

"How does it feel to be controlled?" Batman asked again. He saw that Vandal was starting to bleed.

"What year is this?" Batman demanded coldly.

"What?"

With his steel-toed boots, the dark Knight kicked the tyrant in the face. "WHAT YEAR IS THIS?" Vandal collapsed on his side and the Batman placed his boot on the madman's cheeks. The hero mashed his foot hard.

Vandal spat blood to clear his mouth. "It's the year 1227."

The dark avenger scanned the room and noticed a heavy wooden chest.

"As I recall, the history books state that the year 1227 is the year of Genghis Khan's mysterious disappearance. Who am I to argue?"

By now, the tyrant was starting to vomit and convulse under the influences of the venom. "What do you want from me?"

Without saying much, the Batman reached under his cape and unsnapped Wonder Woman's golden lasso. He held the lasso out in plain view of his captive tyrant and crept in closer. The golden lasso started to come alive with a crackling glow.

"Retribution." The dark knight answered with dark intentions.

"No! Don't please!" Vandal begged pitifully.

Without hesitation, the Dark Knight simply flung the lasso onto the conqueror. The lasso reacted with explosive results; Vandal screamed in pain and he violently shook his body like a slug hit with salt. For the next five minutes, Bruce gave the torturer a taste of his own medicine. As he watched his captive suffer, Batman thought about the way Diana had resisted the urge to scream and remembered how he shared her suffering.

"What you're going through was nothing compared to what you did to the Amazon." Batman said coldly.

Before the venom was able to purge from Vandal's body, the dark knight decided that it was time to end the reprisal. Bruce took away the lasso from the tyrant. As the dark knight tied the golden rope to his utility belt, he saw that Vandal savage had passed out. Then, the dark knight placed the unconscious man's hands behind his back and tied them together. Batman picked up his enemy over his shoulder and walked over to the heavy wooden chest. He opened the chest and dumped Vandal into the box. Bruce made sure that the man was still under the influence of the venom. The hero opened the tyrant's eyes and saw that they were completely black. Batman closed the box and locked it. To be extra cautionary, he tied the box down with some heavy rope and melted the locks shut with acid. For the next moment, the dark knight made sure that the chest with the dangerous content was well hidden. He concealed the container in the backroom of the throne room's armory among numerous other chests.

Bruce wiped the sweat from of his uncovered face. He wasted enough time with the former tyrant. His one man war against the world's largest empire was complete. It was time to return to Diana.

Trinity Reunited

The dark knight carried the unconscious warrior princess across the steppes of northern China. Diana was cradled in Bruce's arms and her condition seemed to have worsened since he carried her. Behind the heroes, the citadel was engulfed in flames which illuminated the night sky. Their battle with the Mongols was over and Vandal Savage's invincible image of Genghis Khan was destroyed.

As dawn approached over the horizon, the hue of daylight illuminated both the heroes. Batman looked down at Diana and saw how pale and fragile she looked. The Amazon was dying in his arms and for the first time in his life, he felt helpless. It had to take extreme measures to make Bruce realized how important she was to him. He cursed at himself for being a stoic fool. It was too late for him now. He was going to lose Diana. There was nothing he could do to revive her. He had no water, no medicine, and no horse. Bruce needed a miracle.

"My god! We've finally found you!" A familiar voice rang from behind the dark knight and the princess.

Bruce turned around immediately and saw that it was Superman. For once, Batman was glad to see the Kryptonian. Batman's hopes were restored. The superhero descended from the sky and the Green Lantern was close behind.

"We locked onto your signal as soon as we arrived. We came from-" Superman cut himself off as he saw Diana cradled in Bruce's arms. She looked pale and her body was covered in serpentine-like burn wounds. She was covered in cuts and bruises. "What happened to her?"

"There's no time to explain!" Bruce said with urgency. "Take us back to the infirmary! NOW"

Without hesitation, Superman agreed. He immediately approached Batman to take Diana out of the dark knight's arms.

"NO!" Batman yelled angrily as he protectively turned Diana away from Kal-el. "DON'T TOUCH HER! JUST TAKE US BACK!"

No time to argue, with him. Superman thought to himself. He immediately turned around and gave a quick signal to Green Lantern. GL nodded knowingly and created a green sphere around Bruce and Diana. GL and Superman ascended into the air with the knight and the warrior in tow. A time tunnel appeared in the sky and the heroes entered the anomaly. They exited Ancient China and returned to the modern age.

To be continued…

Knight and the Warrior: Episode 4: One