Crazy trouble with love part 9
Katana/Tsukuri and Batman
Series: Justice League
Author's Note: In regards to the poll, I hadn't realized it was still up for a while and didn't see Yugioh won instead of DC. To that, after publishing several chapters, I WILL deliver and give a proper chapter for the winning series.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
-Gotham, Wayne Manor, Batcave-
Bats, flying rodents for some but fearful monsters to others, flew around the complex caverns as a single bat landed on the chair of the Batman, the world's greatest detective.
And right now, he was trying to rest off a previous mission from a month ago, which involved a mad Amazon trying to use a bomb laced with a deadly virus to kill off all males on the planet, and he was still resting off the effects of said virus, which gave him temporary tremors in his limbs.
But as they say, crime never rests and the detective was still trying to use the bat computer to monitor the city itself, despite being ill and recovering from the deadly virus.
He typed away a little, running a quick scan while rubbing his neck since after recovering he wasn't at full fighting abilities, but just enough to where he could still get the job done.
As he tried to keep from dozing off, he recalled his run in with the Amazon and how he nearly got himself a body cast instead of a sore neck, making him frown more.
'Note to self, add high durable steel to the batsuit's kevlar armor. Perhaps some anti magic wards, can't ever be too careful in a world full of supercriminals.' He thought as a shadow seemed to jump from stalagmite to stalactite, keeping a distance from the lights surrounding the caven's walls. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but he paid them no mind and merely kept his ears open. 'Someone's in here with me.'
The constant sounds of water drops and the echoes of bats rang in his ears as he kept his ears sharp as an arrow.
Crack.
He turned his head upwards and saw nothing as the shadow jumped downwards and sat on top of the batmobiles' roof.
The shadow quickly jumped from the car's roof onto the floor before moving closer to the vigilant's back, silent as a mouse.
Batman continued to type on the console as the figure moved closer and closer until they were right near his neck. When they got in arm's reach, he dropped a smoke pellet discrete, causing a sudden smokescreen before swiveling the chair, grabbing the figure by the wrist and yanked them forward, only for them to twist their wrist, leading to Batman finding the person flipping over himself while grabbing his wrist back, bringing him down against his back before finding a blade held against his cheek as the smoke slowly cleared away.
Revealing a tall pale woman with short black hair, black eyes, black lips, a D cup chest and small ass, wearing a red visor over her eyes, a crimson red bodysuit with red samurai like shoulder guards, a short armored skirt, armored wrist guards and leg guards, a single red circle on her chest as the katana blade seemed to shine brightly in the light.
"You really are struggling." she said calmly and with a semi mocking tone. "But knowing you, you would've beaten me even in your weakened state."
"You." he frowned at the woman in front of him.
She moved the blade closer to his neck. "I'm not here to fight, but if it ends in a fight, I'll gladly play along with you, Caped Crusader."
"How did you get in here?"
"It's not hard to locate the only cave in Gotham." she said with a smirk. "And the security is lax at most."
"My security is on line with the pentagon."
"And yet it lets a non-powered human get close enough to end you." she said before sighing. "But I'm not here to kill you, but to warn you of a grave danger."
"Like your previous employer?" he questioned. "For someone willing to help kill off the entire male population, I didn't think you'd bother with trying to warn someone of danger."
"I was going to kill her before she activated the bomb." she frowned. "I'm not mad, but I used her to find...someone. But that doesn't matter, this threat is more dangerous than an Amazon. It threatens the entire planet's souls."
"I'd take you more serious without a sword near my head."
She narrowed her eyes, but complied and pulled it away while stepping back as Batman stood up with his eyes focused on her.
"Alright, start talking."
She moved towards the batcomputer and sighed. "There is a blade, one forged by the swordsmith Muramasa, called the Soultaker. This blade, when used, can take the souls of the slain and trap them within its essence, or raise the dead and use them as an unstoppable army. And it came from my family line."
He nodded while looking a little sceptical.
"My family, the Yamashiro, have guarded the blade with their lives to keep the worlds of the dead and the living from falling to chaos. But it was taken, by my lover's twin sister and used to murder him in his sleep." she frowned while turning to Batman. "I spent the last twenty years of my life hunting that bitch across the world, turning to mercenary jobs to gather information on her location. That way I can deliver the final blow upon her cowardly heart and regain my family honor. You, Batman, may not believe anything I said at this moment, but if she succeeds in her plans, the world shall fall to the undead."
"You expect me not to believe that? In case you forgot, but I've worked with a wise cracking speedster, an intergalactic officer, an amazon princess, a woman with hawk wings, a martian, and an invulnerable man in tights, why would I doubt any of that?" he raised an eyebrow.
She shrugged. "Some men tend not to believe the facts in front of them."
"..."
"Batman." she said while moving on her knees and bowed to him with her head down. "I ask you, please help me end this mad woman and regain my honor. You are the only one that can succeed in defeating her once and for all."
"By end, you mean kill, which I don't do." he spoke firmly while moving over and stood in front of her. "I can get you wanting revenge, but I can't let you off the hook. Not after being an accomplice to nearly endangering billions of lives."
"I was desperate!" she yelled. "I had to answer to that Amazon's mad scheme to find Takea! She's going to kill us all, and with that blade she can do it too!"
"I can direct you to someone more willing to help, Zatanna and the like."
"They will fail, the Soultaker's blade can cut through anything!" she yelled while Batman blinked in surprise. "No man or god can face the blade and survive!"
"Then why do you want my help?"
"You are the greatest mind on earth, a master of stealth and the world's greatest detective, I need your brains to stop her!" she huffed and looked down at the ground. "Look, I know it's asking for a lot, but this isn't something you can ignore either. The last bit of info I got pinned her somewhere in Gotham, but it's your mind that can track her down before her plan begins. You wanna lock me away, fine, but this isn't something you can ignore."
Batman looked down at the woman, sensing the seriousness in her tone while her body showed she wasn't going to pull any fast ones. "Then tell me, how will I know you'll keep your word and not try to run off as soon as she's stopped? You're a mercenary after all, which means you've done quite a lot of underhanded tactics, most of which I've seen time and time again."
She frowned, but looked at him straight in the eyes. "I will keep my word because after this mission, I'm turning myself in."
"If you're serious, then I'll need to give you something to help me see you trust me." he reached into his belt and pulled out a small unfolding bracelet. "This is a tracker. Wear it and I'll be able to keep an eye on you. If you're serious, then I'll help you."
She looked upon the bracelet before taking it and placed it on her left wrist. "Does that answer your question?"
He looked at her carefully before turning to the batcomputer. "Where did this info say this woman was?"
"Takea was last sighted somewhere in Gothem's Crime Alley, said that she was using the old sewer ways to grave rob the Gotham Cemetery and storing the bodies in the cooler parts of the underground." she said with a frown. "No doubt getting prepared to unleash an army of the undead upon your city."
Batman nodded. "And with the Sewer King in Arkham Asylum, she would no doubt have the entire system under her control. Given she has a small army."
"She does." she frowned. "Her ties to the yakuza allowed her to get several well trained members of the Society of Shadows under her sway, the ones that abandoned the Demon's Head that is."
"What?" he frowned while turning to the mercenary.
"Apparently the Demon's Head disappeared after the Justice Lord's appearance, and the Society of Shadows have been quite antsy about being led by his 'pacifist' daughter. Many of the more ambitious members have sided with Takea." she frowned. "For what reason I don't know, but she has their allegiance and with it, an army."
"Then we find her, stop her, and get out without causing too much of a ruckus." he said while turning back to the batcomputer.
She nodded. "Then let's pray that she didn't enact her plan while we were talking."
He looked a little confused at that statement before recalling how some of his own villains sometimes enacted their own nefarious plans before he could prepare and just went back to typing.
(Later)
-Somewhere in Gothem's Crime Alley, Batmobile-
ZOOOM ZOOOM!
"It's a little cramped in here." the woman groaned while in the passenger seat. "Wouldn't it have killed you to adjust these seats a little, or the car in general?"
"I usually work alone, so I don't worry about adjusting it too much." he remarked blankly while steering. "Anyone who sits there usually doesn't have a problem."
"Like your Robins?"
"..."
She rolled her eyes. "So this is the Batmobile. Huh, impressive design, but not my style."
"True, you are a mercenary after all. Doesn't fit with your line of work."
"Even mercenaries have style, you know. Like my red costume, it represents bloodlust that was tamed by my willpower." she said with a small smirk. "Plus it's stylish."
"Stylish is for those with tastes, but in your case, it's an eyesore."
"Hey! I don't diz the costume you are wearing! I mean it has a cape! Capes get in the way of things."
"Never happened to me, but I don't have the luxury to fly like some people I know." he remarked, making the woman raise an eyebrow.
"You're talking about Superman, right?"
"..."
"You're kidding right? You're jealous of the boyscout?"
"...more like admire certain parts of him, that doesn't include his ability to fly."
She raised an eyebrow at him and went silent as she looked outside the windshield at the scenery. "So….you know why I decided to become like I am, but what about you?"
He remained silent while giving her a brief glance. "Let's just say I found a reason to help those that need it, that's all."
She rubbed her chin with her left hand and hummed a little. 'Interesting, better keep that in mind.' "So you had a hardship as well?"
"Yes, but now's not the time to compare any history between us. We have a city to save."
"And a madwoman to stop." she said with a scowl while instinctively gripping at one of her katana hilts with one hand.
"Without killing mind you."
"I know." she grumbled. "Old habits."
'Let's just hope they don't pop up.' he thought as the radar directed him deeper and deeper into the more shady part of Gotham.
After a while the radar started to ping faster until the batmobile stopped at a very much dilapidated brick building that the Caped Crusader knew was once a power plant before Crime Alley fell to ruin.
PING PING PING!
"This is the place, however the only known entrance way to the sewer was destroyed during a rampage with Clayface."
"The one where he stole gold from the Gotham Banks and tried to smuggle them as normal bricks or the one where he got brainwashed by Victor Strange and went mad?"
"The second one."
"Ah, I heard about that one. Incidentally I might have killed Strange for a job, can't remember." she said with a nervous chuckle that didn't sound sincere.
Batman glared at her before getting out of the car. "Keep this in mind, just incapacitate anyone, no killing. If you want my help, then we do it my way."
"Got it." She said while getting out as well and looked around. "Mmm, usually Takea leaves small clues to her location, a bit of her arrogance if you ask me."
"Like?"
"A small cherry blossom or a spray painted oni. She really likes to toy with those that know her, a lot."
With that Batman started to look around the area, keeping his eyes peeled for something that stuck out. He saw a few rats scurry by, while Katana herself was keeping her ears peeled for any movement. The caped crusader stopped though when he turned a corner and noted something on the ground and held up his hand, gesturing to her to be quiet.
She nodded while carefully moving closer to the vigilante, making sure to be as quiet as a mouse. That was when she looked downwards and saw that a small trail of white cherry blossoms were lining the ground, as if they were part of a breadcrumb trail, a sign of an obvious trap. "Knew it." she whispered in annoyance. "She's trying to gloat at me, and it's working."
"Then I guess we follow it." remarked Batman bluntly before following the trail. "Except, we catch her off guard."
She raised an eyebrow before following soothe.
(A bit later)
The two costumed humans looked at the trail's end, revealing that it led to a large steel door at the very end of the street, an originally rusted gate for newspaper trucks but at this moment new and seemingly installed with some very fancy security locks.
"She's been busy." Batman said bluntly.
"She has enough riches and resources to fund an army, it's not surprising she would buy the most advanced security measures in the world."
"I've broken into more imposing entrances than this one." he said while moving towards the computerized security lock. He pulled out some rolls from his belt before getting to work on dusting it, making sure not to touch it directly while using a small light on it. "If she's the one who set this up, then she left some prints."
"Do you really think you can get it-" she stopped when a beep was heard as Batman pushed some buttons, causing the lock to come undone and the doors to open inward. "...I'll be damned."
"Come on." he said while carefully entering into the dark passageway.
She nodded while running after him.
(Later)
-Sewers-
Splash!
SQUISH!
Splat!
'Ew.' the mercenary gagged in her head while stepping in something sticky. 'Please don't let it be a dead rat.'
As she looked down, she saw a white fish with yellow eyes and a grinning red jaw looking at her from the water and 'smiled' at her creepily.
"I wouldn't get too close to that, it's a reminder of one of the Joker's old 'gag's."
"I see." she said with a shiver before moving away from the fish. "Just why do you keep that clown alive? He's been nothing but trouble for everyone, even in the mercenary circles he's too much."
"Because I don't kill." he said bluntly. "The Joker is insane, meaning his actions are not his own."
"You could've fooled me. He just attacked a hospital last week right?"
"Yes."
"And you consider that justified? That he's insane?"
"I help the law by stopping people like him from doing more harm than possible. It's not my job to decide who lives or dies." he spoke in a firm tone while narrowing his eyes. "But that doesn't mean the idea hasn't crossed my mind. It's all about keeping it together, because if I did what he did, there would be nothing to stop me from doing it again and again."
"..." she stopped in her tracks before saying. "That is...an interesting philosophy you have there Batman."
"It's one that you should keep in mind." he said sagely. "You are in a sense, like a colleague of mine."
"Oh? And that would be?"
"Huntress."
"You mean the one with the bow and arrows? The green one?"
"No."
"Well sorry, I don't remember every superhero name in the world. I mean most of them are so...so..odd."
"That's the nicer way of putting it in my book." he remarked.
She nodded before walking beside him, a little more curious about this superhero than before.
However as they went deeper and deeper into the dark sewers, they noticed that the walls were covered in torches, lit, and seemingly demonic jackal-like heads.
"The Society of Shadows." Batman said while recognizing the images. "And from the look of it, these were added a few months ago."
"We are getting close, Caped Crusader."
"Which means we might be running into traps."
"Lucky for you I have a keen eye for traps." she said with a hint of pride.
"And my cowl has sensors."
"...ok." she said while feeling a little deflated before seeing a trip wire and stopped the hero. "Hold up."
Batman stopped as Katana moved over and looked it over.
"Mmmmm." She hummed before moving towards the right wall and scanned it, seeing a small pin where the wire was attached, and drew her katana.
SLASH!
Cutting it and causing the tension to falture.
"There, trap disabled." she said while putting her katana back.
Batman looked around before seeing a jagged brick and held Katana back. "Careful, that brick is attached to another tripwire."
She nodded and watched as he used a pair of pliers to carefully release the tension on two wires attached to it, only for her to notice something in the water positioned ahead of them, but in the line of the Caped Crusader, which seemed to twitch slightly making her eyes widen. "Look out!"
Twang!
SWOOSH!
Katana saw a swarm of needles rushing towards the hero before she quickly drew both of her blades and began to parlay them at rapid speed, making sure none of them hit or punctured either of their suits.
As the last needle fell to the slimy floor, Batman raised an eyebrow and wondered if this woman had either super reflexes or was dedicated to her own fighting skills like himself.
Swish.
"Are you ok Batman?"
"Yes, but judging from the reflexes you seemed more than capable of keeping me alive."
"The Yamashiro clan is adept at swordsmanship, its second nature to me." she said calmly before looking around for more traps. "I don't see any more tripwires."
Batman nodded before walking past the mercenary. "The more traps we run into, the more obvious it'll be they want to keep outsiders away, which is a sure sign we're almost there."
"The truth of the world." she said while following after him. "Just try to be careful, my blades might not make it in time."
"Likewise."
(A few feet under Gotham later)
The two dark 'heroes' moved deeper and deeper into enemy territory, the traps becoming more complex as they went, from a bomb placed under a dead fish to several iron laced tripwires connected to a sewage drain leading to an underwater vortex out to sea, all of which they survived...barely.
And as of right now, they were getting closer to the signal's location and that of Takea herself.
"Are those sensors of yours picking up anything?"
"No." Batman said. "They're not picking up anything."
"Then that means we are closer to her." she frowned. "Just be prepared for anything."
"I'm always prepared."
"Yeah, don't believe you."
He raised an eyebrow at her before they started seeing light ahead.
As they got closer to said light, they noticed a shinto inspired torii gate made of red brick at the end of a long hallway, guarded by two Society of Shadow's members with long katanas on their backs.
Katana looked at the gate from a corner and carefully scanned the area for any camera or traps in the immediate area. So far it seemed clear, but the members themselves however noticed them and drew their blades.
However, Batman came prepared for this and threw two batarangs at them.
ZAP!
Which caused a large electrical shock upon contact as they went into unconsciousness instantly.
"Those are new."
"Made them just in case the Flash annoyed me too much. They will be out for a few hours."
"That's all we need to stop Takea and retake the Soultaker."
Both of them moved to the gate, with Batman putting something on it and pushed a button before it glowed blue.
"There's nobody on the other side." he said before opening the gate, unaware of a small red blinking light located on the door hinge itself.
Katana peaked inside and saw it was a rather large oriental temple-like building with several thick green tubes on the floor and walls. "Mmmmm, this is….unusual."
"Let me guess, she prefers to monologue as soon as you find her?"
"Yes, but she also is usually the first one to appear." she muttered. "But I don't see her anywhere. I really don't like this."
Batman frowned while scanning for anything that seemed way out of place, only to get nothing as something was blocking the signals coming off his cowl. "Something is jamming my suit's radar."
"Sounds like she's come more prepared than I imagined." she said before entering the temple complex. "But I do recognize one thing here. The tubes."
"What about them?"
"They look similar to Lex Luthor's energy sythoning tubes. The ones he used in his labs."
He raised an eyebrow at that.
"I was paid by him to kill some very disgruntled workers. Anyway the tubes were used to create Bizzarro, but what Takea would use them for is beyond me."
"If they were used to make a clone of Superman, then this plan of hers goes deeper than you thought."
"Possibly." she nodded before noticing the sounds of footsteps moving closer to them, making her draw her blades. "We have company, Batman."
"Several."
POOF!
And cue a smoke screen hitting them from the ceiling as several members of the Society of Shadows, all with red robes and holding several katana in their hands, jumped down from a hidden panel in the ceiling and attacked them.
SLASH!
POW!
Only to get parlayed/punched by the mercenary and hero. They knocked the members back, either by cutting them across their bodies, without drawing too much blood, or delivering several well timed strikes to their weaker areas.
POW!
SLASH!
One by one, the assassins started to fall as more and more began to appear like cockroaches.
"Just how many did she take?"
"About a few thousand, give or take." Katana said before bashing the head of an assassin with the butt of her hilt. "She is really persuasive!"
He ducked and dodged from two swords, delivering a palm strike to one of the gut, while giving the other a high kick to the chin before grabbing a capsule from his belt, tossing a mask to Katana. "Put this on!"
She nodded before quickly putting it on, although she also used this time to bash another assassin's head in with her blade.
WOOOSH!
BOOM!
FIIIIISSSHHHHH!
And like that, a thick black smokescreen covered the area as the assassins coughed from the gas entering their lungs. Each of them tried to kill the two, but felt their bodies go sluggish and weak, dropping left and right before going unconscious.
Katana looked around as Batman moved away from the smokescreen and down one of the hallways, which she quickly trailed as well. "Batman, I suggest we follow the tubes. The center of this temple might be the resting place of the Soultaker and it's false owner."
"And possibly home to more assassins."
"Which we can handle just fine." she said with a smirk, one filled with confidence. "You know, we do make a good team, once we actually get to know each other a little."
"You can pull your weight in a fight, which is a good thing when it comes to this kind of work."
"True, but I never had an equal in my field of work." she said. "If you chose a different path, maybe we could've been greater partners?"
"Or you could have become something more than a hired assassin and became a symbol for something more." he quickly added, making her frown a little.
"It's different. You fight to keep Gotham from getting fucked, I fight to restore my honor. I am no hired assassin."
"So you just took random jobs completely free of charge involving blood?" he questioned bluntly and sarcastically.
"What? No...I mean..." she stuttered while looking very flustered. "It's not like that!"
"Then prove it."
"I thought you being here was the point? To prove it." she threw back.
"Perhaps." he said while running down a hallway. "After all, we are alike in a way."
"What does that even mean?" she deadpanned while running after him, only to get no response from the Caped Crusader. 'Damn it!'
(A bit later)
The two stood near a large bronze door in the shape of a dragon as they saw the green tubes going into its nostrils, the smell of rotting corpses emanating from within its metallic entrance way.
"This is it." Katana said with a light gag from the stench. "The resting place for Takea's stolen corpses."
"And where she is no doubt."
"Shall I do the honors or should you?" she asked while pulling out her katana.
"Are you sure those blades can even cut that door?"
"Yes, because I know that Takea is very cheap." she said while pointing at the door. "It's not even real bronze, it's colored copper plating."
"..."
"We used to be roommates when I was engaged to her brother." she frowned. "Her tastes in decoration are known to me."
He nodded while letting Katana slash the door down.
SLASH!
Which soon fell to the ground with a light thud, although the smell became more putrid as a result.
Batman put his mask back on while handing Katana back the second one.
As she placed it on, she moved into the room and noticed something horrible in her eyes.
The entire room, originally a shrine, was covered in green tubes that snaked their way towards a large metallic machine in the far center, with thousands of bodies, both recent and centuries old, laying on several tables with ancient and modern day weapons in their hands.
But in the middle of the room, stuck in a metallic stone like device with green tubes attached to the bottom, was a long silver katana with a skull shaped hilt and deep green jagged teeth near the front of the blade's tip, which emanate a green liquid like substance from the blade itself to the tubes.
"The Soultaker." Katana gasped in horror. "It's...being used in such a disrespectful manner!"
Batman examined the bodies and frowned. "It seems the tubes are filtering the sword's properties into the bodies, like a transfusion."
"Such disrespect for the dead." she frowned. "Takea, you have gone too far this time!"
"Oh I think I've gone quite far, but not too far." said an arrogant voice from the shadows.
Batman turned and saw a young woman with light skin, long black hair that went to her hips and tipped with red highlights, dark brown eyes, a F cup chest and small ass, wearing a red kimono with cherry blossoms on the sleeves, a long black obi that trailed down her legs, black high heeled boots, and had a katana attached to her left hip, walking out with a smirk. "Takea I presume."
"Yes." she smirked. "And you must be the Dark Knight, I heard so much about you from my former teacher. The Demon's Head."
"What?" Katana frowned. "You're a part of that organization?"
"Yes, for years." she chuckled. "And, I'm next in line. Although I have to first rule the world before I take that Talia bitch out of the picture."
Batman frowned at that. "Bold words from someone new in Gotham."
"True, but I rather like this place." she admitted while moving closer to the machine. "A perfect place to start a new empire."
"Give back the Soultaker." Katana frowned. "It is not yours."
"Oh I'm not giving it up, not yet." she chuckled. "I have to raise the dead and create a perfect unkillable army to instill peace for all."
"Under your rule no doubt." Batman remarked.
"Unfortunately, no normal person can rule the world like I can." she smirked while moving her hand to a lever.
ZAP!
And activated it as the tubes glowed bright red.
"But why talk when I can let my loyal army do the talking for me!" she grinned while the bodies started to twitch, their eyes glowing red as they began to stand up and face the woman. Takea smirked while Batman noticed two bodies rising up.
One was a tall man wearing a business suit sporting a bullet wound to the heart as his right arm and entire left side of his body was completely bare of flesh.
The other a young woman with a fancy dress sporting a bullet wound to the face as a broken pearl necklace dangled from her decayed ribcage.
'No.' he thought in horror as Takea smirked.
"Look at my army, all the most important, influential and deadly men and women across the world. All under my control, and to think, I had to steal the souls of Gotham just to do it." she grinned. "And soon, you too shall join me as my puppets!"
Batman clenched his hands, feeling red hot seething rage boil inside while horrified to see the state of the two as the bodies groaned and began to slowly move off the tables. "This….is….sick."
"Batman?" Katana said while drawing her blade, noticing his change in tone.
"Get them!" Takae smirked while pointing at the two non-powered 'heroes', the bodies suddenly jumping at them with amazing speed.
"Ugh…!"
"Muah!"
"Katana! Don't damage the bodies!"
"Why!?" she yelled while using her blade to block a zombie's head, the jaw trying to bite her like a wild animal.
"Just do it!" he yelled before throwing some smoke pellets onto the ground, followed by a grappling line that hit one of the tubes and allowed him to move away from the zombies.
"Running away?" Takea chuckled while pulling her blade out. "How cowardly of you."
"You're one to talk!" yelled Katana, shoving a zombie back while pulling out her collapsible staff, extended it, before hurling it at the woman.
She chuckled before slashing at the staff, cutting it right down the middle as she smirked. "You know I was always the stronger one."
"My fiance was better than you Takea, he always was!"
"Then why is he dead and I still live?" she mocked before seeing Katana run towards her with her katanas out and blocked the incoming strike. "You were a fool to think you could come here with a bat and stop me. Not to worry, I'll make use of your body by adding it to my army, provided I decide not to dice it into pieces."
Katana growled while pushing her blades harder on the katana while Batman began using this opportunity to move towards the Soultaker and studied the structure it was attached to, the zombies dazed and confused in the smoke screen.
'There has to be an override panel on this thing.' he thought before seeing the zombie woman, the one with the pearls, rushing towards him with anger in her eyes.
"Rah!"
His eyes widened before narrowly avoiding her hands as she made several grabs at him. "Stop it! I don't want to fight you."
She growled and attempted to bite his face.
He felt discomfort in this situation before seeing the zombie man with the bullet hole in his heart rushing at him and tackled him to the ground.
"RAH!"
CHOMP!
CHOMP!
"Ah!" he cried out while the zombie's claws scratched his suit and the bites began to dig into his shoulders like a hyena. He grit his teeth and pushed the man off. Seeing his father's face so close trying to bite him was making his insides twist. "Please, don't make me do this." he let out, loud enough just for him to hear.
The zombie growled, looking a little sentient for a moment, as the bitting seemed to stop.
"Please, this isn't you. You were a doctor, a good person." he said, his voice cracking a little as Katana kept on trying to attack her former sister-in-law, with no result as the woman kept on blocking every strike. "Please!"
SWISH!
CLANK!
"Oh Tsukuri." Takea said in a mocking tone. "You were always weak, even now as you try to kill me with lesser blades stained in the blood of hundreds, you can't stop me from becoming empress of the world!"
"All you're saying is delusions!" she yelled, pushing harder.
"Not delusions, ambitions." she smirked. "But what would you know of ambition? You were always following those with strong pockets, my brother, the amazon, all of them were just using you and you enjoyed it."
SLASH!
And cue the katanas breaking as the woman was kicked in the stomach by the mad woman.
"Admit it!" she grinned. "You are nothing more than a scared child, unable to seize the moment and gain your true self."
Katana gasped in pain before getting stabbed in the gut.
"And as of right now, I win." she said with an evil grin as she twisted the blade deeper into the stomach.
"AHHH!" she screamed while Batman tried to get his father off of him, his mother trying to bite him in the face.
Batman gritted his teeth, forcing himself to focus and shoved them off, jumping back on his feet and threw bolos at them, tying them together before he went back to the panel. "This injustice against life ends, now."
However, as he was about to pull out the wires, his father suddenly ripped through the wires and jumped at the Caped Crusader, snagging the cowl with his long nails and ripping it off.
"RAH!"
Katana groaned before her eyes darted to Batman, cowless and blinked. "What..?"
"Oh, what do we have here?" Takea smirked while turning her head in his direction. "Batman? No, that's not right. It's Bruce Wayne, ah. So that's why you were so mad before, he he. I have to say, I never expected this to be a pleasant family reunion, right Tsukuri?"
Katana glared at the woman, holding the bleeding spot while Bruce glared at the woman.
"You've got some nerve, playing with the dead like they were your puppets. Then again, that speaks a lot about you." he remarked coldly with narrowed eyes.
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Isn't it obvious? Without the sword, you have nothing." he remarked. "Without its power, you could never have an army like this. It goes to show you lack the respect for anyone to follow you willingly, so you need to manipulate the dead who have no say in the matter. From reality's perspective, the one who's been the weaker warrior this whole time, has, and always will be, you."
She frowned at that while not noticing that Katana was moving her left leg. "That is where you're wrong. I have the drive, the experience and the respect of many. I do not need the Soultaker to do that, but seeing you unmasked makes me think that you're the weak one. You let your family die, you let Gotham crumble and you never let those that wronged you die for the greater good. The signs of a coward."
"Says the woman who had to hide." he threw back without looking at Katana's direction. "You hid underground like a common rat just to get your plan underway. Look at the Joker, he at least doesn't try to hide what he's up to, and he can put fear in them, all while being a normal person. But you? You're no different from all the other mafia bosses I've dealt with. Thinking you're invincible, on top of the world, all because you've had a tiny taste of power, but it's nothing. Without the sword, you have nothing."
She growled while not seeing Katana using her left leg to kick a scrap of her katana blades into the air.
SQUISH!
"AHH!" she screamed in pain as the shard hit her in the back, making her move away from the impaled mercenary as she pulled the blade out of her stomach, painfully.
"AH!" Katana yelled before using this opportunity to use the katana to slash Takea's right arm off in a moment of bloodlust, followed by the left arm before she kicked the mad woman into a wall and ran towards her.
SQUISH!
Stabbing her in the stomach as a bit of karmic justice.
"AHHHHHHH!" she cried out in pain as Katana leaned in near her ear.
"Consider this payback." she spat before twisting the blade deeper into the stomach, Bruce using this opportunity to pull the wires out.
Wooo….ss...h.
This caused the red tubes to turn black as the Soultaker's greenish aura began to envelop the corpses, taking everything that made them 'alive'.
However as the former couple of Wayne Enterprise slowly went limp, they gained a bit of clarity and looked at the costumed hero.
"B...ru…"
"Bru...ce?" Martha asked while her eyes began to dim. "Is...that….?"
The billionaire looked at them with concern and sadness. "Mother, father, I...I'm so sorry. You don't deserve to have come back like this. Not like some puppets to be used."
"Bruce…" said Thomas with a small sad smile. "...don't worry…"
"We...love...y…" Martha said before both corpses went limp and fell to the ground, dead once more.
Bruce gripped his hands, forcing himself not to break down or shed tears as he moved to put his cowl back on, turning to Takea who was bleeding and gasping in pain as he walked over.
"Don't worry, I...didn't kill her." Katana let out while holding her hands against her wound as she saw Batman stare down at the woman who looked scared as the hero looked down at her with a cold look.
"Now do you see?" he crouched down and made her stare into the lens. "You were arrogant, full of yourself, and thought you couldn't feel pain. And now look at you." he narrowed his eyes and gripped the front of her clothes before making her stand up, with her crying in pain as more blood leaked out. "Do you have any idea how it feels? To see your own parents be used like they were some disposable trash?"
She gasped in pain while Katana walked towards Soultaker, pulling it out as she walked back with a frown.
"I could kill you." she frowned. "Let Soultaker take your corrupted soul and make it serve me as penance. But seeing you in this state, you aren't even worthy of that honor."
"No...please….mercy…" she let out while Batman slammed her against the wall, making the pain worse. "AHHH!"
"Did you give all the people you killed mercy? Tell me!" he yelled out, the tone scaring Katana even as he held a fist back. "Did you ignore their pleas for help just because you could? The only person to make me feel this much anger was the Joker, and I've thought about what would happen if I crossed that line several times."
"Please...no! I….I'm sorry!" she cried out, looking petrified.
"Batman stop!" Katana spoke up. "You don't kill."
He looked at the woman with a hard look, then back at Takea who was sobbing at this point, making him lower his fist and let go of her. "You're right, I don't."
Katana sighed before pointing the Soultaker at her former enemy. "A word of warning, if you ever escape or enter a parole, you must never indulge in criminal activities again, or," she pressed the blade near her neck, making it bleed with a ghostly green aura. "I might go down the route that Batman was so close to crossing myself. Got it?"
She nodded frantically.
"Let's get her to a hospital before she goes into shock." spoke up Batman.
She nodded before using the hilt to bash her head in, knocking her out before picking the villainess up and putting her on her shoulders, only to groan in pain. "Ah...damn injury…"
"I'll get you both there." he said before picking Katana up and started to use his bat belt to radio one of the Justice League members that were close by.
"..." Katana looked at him, a little bit of sympathie entering her eyes, and looked at the ground. "So when you said I was the same as you...you were referring to your parent's murder."
"Don't talk too much, save your strength on keeping the blood from leaking out too much." he said while walking away.
"..." she looked at the black boots while feeling something entering her heart, something long forgotten by her.
(A few weeks later)
-Batcave-
Batman typed on the batcomputer as he added another case to the database, although he was a little...worried.
The reason being is that Katana, or Tsukuri as Takea called her, had just vanished after being treated by Gothem's best doctors and he hasn't been able to track her, making him worried that she might have lied to him about going straight and being incarcerated.
Thankfully though, Takea had managed to survive, but was sent to a psychiatry ward given how she kept mumbling on bats and horrible darkness, showing she hadn't said a word about his identity and probably wouldn't for a long time.
But as he began to mark the file case closed, he noticed that Alfred was walking towards him with a package in his hands.
"Master Bruce, this just arrived." he said while placing it on a nearby table. "Unfortunately the return address was scratched off."
"Any idea what it might be?"
"Sadly no, but I can say it doesn't seem dangerous given none of the metal sensors went off, but if you'd like I could open it for you, with the proper tools of course and mask."
"No." he said while turning around. "I'd rather open it up myself."
"As you wish Master Bruce." Alfred said while walking away.
Batman studied the box with a calculating eye before carefully breaking the tape and opened it.
Revealing a single white letter on the top and a large japanese styled box at the very bottom, the letter having the initials 'T.Y.' on it in kanji.
"Something tells me I know who this came from." he muttered out loud before opening the letter.
Which reads as follows.
"Dear Bruce, I know I ran out on you before we could properly conclude our mission but I was called to deal with the Yamashiro. Apparently I am the next clan head since Takea's madness was known to them, but I digress. I have been thinking about my life and the words you said weeks ago and I'm going to remake my life. Starting with my occupation, perhaps a member of the JL, if you let me. However that is not why I'm writing this, I have...rekindled some old emotions, ones only saved for my fiance, and since you're on the market, I'm willing to become Miss Wayne, the love of your life. We are the yin and yang, and I really think it might turn out for the best for us both. I will be visiting again, and not for the favor I owe you, so if you wish to make it official. Look at the back of this letter. Regards from your new ally, Tsukuri Yamashiro."
He blinked before turning the letter over and saw a number with a bit of red lipstick plastered on it. He looked down at the box, getting a sinking feeling he should keep it closed, but pushed on and slowly opened it.
Which soon became apparent when he saw several black flowy embroidered lace panties folded neatly in the box, with a small note on it that read 'If you want more, just ask~'
"...this feels like something Selena would do." he muttered before noticing that the panties were used. "Or Talia, if she was more….forward."
"Shall I prepare for the wedding?" Alfred asked while right behind him, having heard Batman reading the letter out loud before he could properly leave the batcave.
"Very funny Alfred."
"I wasn't joking sir." he said before taking the box and walked away.
"..." he groaned while feeling like this is never going to happen to him, well hopefully that is. 'The day I marry her is the day I give up the cowl.'
With that in mind he went back to the computer to update some of his files.
(Timeskip)
-Gotham, Wayne Manor, Gardens-
It was a bright sunny afternoon as an entire wedding festival was being enacted on the green grasses of the formerly lonely estate, the guests being seated in their seats as the priest was reading the rites to the groom and bride.
And no it was not for one of Bruce's adopted children or a friend using it for their own wedding, it was his wedding. To think that sixteen years of fighting crime would lead to this one day, who would've thought?
Plus it wasn't cheap either, as he spent a good amount of his fortune to pay for everything, although some of the league actually helped out, the ones that made it on time that is.
Some of which were in the seats in their civilian identities, with Bruce's kids there too. Dick being his best man, much to Jason and Damian's annoyance.
As for whom the bride was….it wasn't Zatanna, nor Diana, nor Selena, nor Talia, and ESPECIALLY not Poison Ivy, although she was in attendance due to being on parole as the Wayne's ground's keeper.
No. It was….Tsukuri Yamashiro aka Katana, who was currently wearing a white wedding dress with a hint of the eastern styled kimono. Yes it was shocking but they got along well, both had issues yes and oh god they had a lot of close calls when it came to being professionals in the crime fighting world, but they were a match made in….something, not even Clark Kent or even Dick would figure out, but they were a match nonetheless.
And on this day, not only will they marry, but the mantle of Batman and Katana would be retired and given to a new generation.
"So Bruce, how does it feel to know you'll be wearing a ball and chain?" whispered Dick with a teasing smile.
"About as well as knowing if you annoy me, your new mother will ground you and send you off to bed." he whispered back with an amused smile making Dick chuckle.
"You should be telling Damian that."
He shook his head while Damian frowned at that from his seat, knowing he was being teased. "Be nice."
As they made small banter, the priest, who had finished his rites, coughed to get Bruce's attention.
He stiffened and stood straight as he removed Tsukuri's veil, revealing her beautiful face to him.
"You may kiss the bride."
He smiled at Tsukuri who reflected it before he cupped her cheeks and leaned in, pressing their lips together as the guests all clapped.
However-
BOOM!
An explosion occured near the gates as the Joker, wearing a cowboy costume, rode on the back of a very mutated Killer Croc, who seemed to be the size of a elephant with sharp teeth and a long tail, and holding a pistol in his right arm stormed the wedding with his goons right near him.
"Ah! Weddings, a high tooting place for a pretty couple. Go get them boys, I'll get the Bat!" he laughed while Killer Croc roared at the two newlyweds, who seemed a little annoyed at this.
"Great, this just had to happen, didn't it?" frowned Tsukuri. "I'm going to turn him into sushi."
"Just try and not kill him." Bruce said while pressing one of his cuffs, causing the suit to transform into a sleek white Batsuit.
"I know dear." she said while pulling the Soultaker blade from her kimono sleeve and pulled the attire off with her free arm to reveal her signature red armored suit. "I get the crocodile, you get the sideshow clown."
"ROARRRR!" Killer Croc roared as the other superheroes and former eco terrorist got ready for a fight.
"Go get 'em red!" Harley cheered while punching a goon out. "Then we can try and get the bouquet!"
She rolled her eyes as the two sides began to clash, the screen fading to black in the process. 'Why do I even love that nut?'
xxxxxxxxxxxx
END