Batman Beyond Two-Face II

Chapter 7: Double X means Double Death

By ShadowHawk & Demoness Space Pirate

Author's Notes: to the Readers who read this fanfic, just to let you know this fic takes places after my friend Demoness Space Pirate's fanfics Same Ol'' Game, Just New Players & Gray Shadows of the Past.

Disclaimer: We don't own the characters used

Batman stood atop the building roof masked in the darkness of night. "You're late." He says unturned.

Mel jumped down from her flying playing card, "Sorry." She apologized as she struggled to change from her waitress uniform to her costume. "I'm just a little off today, and with work and all."

Batman turned to see Mel readying to pull her mask over her face completing her Ten costume when he noticed her pasty fatigued face. "Are you okay?" He asked trying to hide the true concern in his voice. "Maybe you should sit this one out."

She waved his concern away as she simply explained. "I was sick this morning; it must have been something I ate or something stress related." She said tying down her hair with a single hair band.

The mask felt cool as she slid it over her face, sending the feeling of a totally different being rocketing through her body. She had always felt like a different person whenever she pull on her mask halved in black and white with the lovely blood red lips and eyes. There were many of times when while working in the restaurant that she contemplated donning her costume of times of yore when she lived a life of luxury and pure lavishness with her family and the android Ace. The Royal Flush Gang, then she didn't have to strive to pay a bill, she didn't have to work overtime, but also then she wasn't truly treated much like a daughter but more like a cohort.

"Here." Batman said tossing her a small object. "Place it in your ear, it's a two-way radio for us to communicate."

She did as she was told. "So do you have any idea where Jeff might go next?" She asked.

"I thought you might know." Batman stated with a sarcastic leer.

"Well I'm surprised he didn't go for that double face mask of Janus. He's working on a system of Twos. Just like his dad did before he was cured." Mel said.

"I already know that, what I want to know is where he's going to hit next."

On the twenty second floor of Powers Laboratory the employees enjoyed a simple office party to celebrate their completed work; the type of simple with some store bought food and a few bottles of wine and music playing on the radio.

All was going well as the people danced and mingled until the bottles of wine exploded as gunfire sounded over the music. Everyone screamed in terror and ducked down revealing the gun holder dressed in a white lab coat he wore was neat and elegant on the right side while the gray tails jacket was ripped, wrinkled, and frayed on the left standing among a large group of thuggish twins.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We ask that you forget about this wholesome all- American fun and join us in a lovely dose of pure chaos and sweet justice!"

Two-Face said raising the smoking guns into the air firing once again. The people let out a frightened shriek as plaster from the ceiling above fell onto their heads.

"Good lord!" "Dent!" "Jeffery! My god- your face-!" The multiple comments flew.

"Like it? Wish I could say it's the 'New Me' but I'm afraid it's been lurking about a long, long time." Two-Face smirked.

A Latin American man stood braving the consequences; he was the one who had called everyone regarding the incident of his friend and co-worker. "Jeff why are you doing this?" He demanded.

Two-Face and his men slowly approached the man. "Man Gomez." Two-Face said humanely reaching out to place his hand on Gomez's shoulder. "The name's Two-Face!" He shouted as he head-butted his once friend and co-worker. Gomez fell backwards as his nose exploded with blood splattering over his face and down his once snow white lab coat.

"Now you ask me why. Why? Why why why! You small minded idiots want to know why?" Two-Face's voice merged into that of Jeff's. "Dirt simple!" He pointed his gun towards the faces of four individuals. Ashley Madison, Leonardo Wiltz, Richard Garrison, and Steve Stedman his personal tormenters that made his job a living hell.

"Day in and day out ever since I started this job you four never let up on the jokes about my old man and me. Every single day until that fateful day you four teased me! And all of those times I took it and swallowed it down letting it build up inside of me until finally I snapped!" A crazed looked gleamed in Two-Face's eyes as he aimed his guns carefully at his former oppressors.

Ashley Madison held up her hands in helplessness, "Have mercy." She begged adjusting her small circular framed glasses. Her brunette hair tied into a messy bun had come undone during her mad drive to the floor during the panic after the gunshots. She remembered her joy filled days of teasing the seemingly feeble Jeffery Dent, she and her three male friends took great delight in finding the slightest joke referring to their timid co-worker or his dual character of his father. He was such an easy victim their favourite to harass. The pranks, the jokes, the sight gags, the awful puns, they had hundreds and they were merciless in delivering them.

"Mercy?" Two-Face asked his voice still in the tone of that of Jeffery Dent's. He fired once into Madison's chest. "Someone as cold hearted as you don't understand mercy." He said as her dark hazel eyes stared lifelessly into the fluorescent lights above.

Richard Garrison dropped onto his knees towards the lifeless body of Ashley Madison. He looked up towards Two-Face with dangerous hate burning in his green eyes. "Dent, you soulless son-of-a-bit-" Blam blam. Richard fell over onto the lifeless body of Ashley dead.

"Two down, two to go." Two-Face smiled sadistically turning his scarred face towards the remaining two.

Steve turned quickly on his heels making a run for the nearest exist. Two- Face followed the fleeing coward with his eyes. When he was nearly out into the hall Two-Face slid a hand into his lab coat removing his infamous Diesis, double-edged daggers. With a quick fling the daggers flew towards Steve embedding themselves into his backside.

Steve stumbled forward two steps before falling onto his knees before falling backwards onto the daggers.

Two-Face turned back towards Leonardo who was slowly backing up towards the wall. He knew he would be joining his fellow intimidators soon. His knees shook as he watched Two-Face raise his black and white guns to level with his forehead. He licked his lips over his dry lips.

"You know Frankenstein created a monster and he rejected it. The monster made it his personal crusade to see his creator miserable before his death. I'll spare you the pain of misery." Two-Face said pulling the triggers. Crimson blood splattered across the wall as Leonardo fell lifeless onto the floor.

Batman raced quickly towards Powers Laboratory, there was a report on the GPD line that someone was holding hostages. The only way he knew that the perpetrator was his most recent rival Two-Face was due to the offhanded remark from Mel that Jeffery once worked there before. He cast a quick glance to right to see Mel dressed as Ten speeding beside him trying to keep up. "Ten, I'm going ahead." He reported speeding on before Mel could respond.

As Batman arrived at the scene all that remained was a fiery remains of a few police cars and four others still in tact and all decorated in divided colors. And at the doors of one of the cars stood Two-Face ready to get inside.

"Stop right there Dent!" Batman shouted as he leapt from the batmobile's cockpit.

Two-Face's scarred face lifted into a twisted smirk, he pointed his hand up to the twenty-second floor.

"You have two options Bats, what will it be, chase the villain or save the hostages?"

Batman stopped short as the new information kicked in.

His eyes darted about the build's base to see explosives had been planted all over.

"You have," Two-Face grinned as he revealed the bright red numbers on a black detonator. "Two minutes and twenty-two seconds." He said tossing the counter to Batman. With that said he closed the car door just as it squealed speeding away and leaving dark tracks.

Two minutes, that's all he had to save those people and there was no telling how many there was inside. Without a second thought he took a flying leap into the Batmobile just as Ten arrived.

"What's going on? I just saw Jeff-"

Batman cut her off as the timer began to countdown.

"Follow me!" He shouted flying up to the desired floor. Ten, hearing the urgency in Batman's voice obeyed.

At the twenty-second floor eight terrified people crowded at a shattered window. "Please save us!" "He set a bomb!" "We're going to die! We're going to die!" They shouted out to the pair.

Ten placed her card to the edge of the window. "I'll take five, you take the rest." She said quickly waving them aboard.

'Bruce should have put more room in this.' Batman thought to himself as he jumped out of the cockpit and let the remaining three in. 'Less than a minute.' He thought to himself as they hurried away from the bomb site.

Ten and Batman quickly took their transports a distance from the Powers Laboratory in hopes of getting out of reach of the oncoming havoc. Just as they were about to land on terra firma a rumble could be felt in the ground as the explosives finally detonated.

"Everyone get down!" Batman shouted as the aftershock and debris reached out towards them. Ten let out a startled shout as the aftershock caused everyone atop the card to tumble off onto the ground.

When the dust cleared everyone groaned as they looked about at the aftermath. "Is everyone okay?" Ten asked looking at the fallen people. Small grunts of fine conditions went about.

"Good." Batman stated as he helped the three people out of the Batmobile and took their place.

"Where are you going?" Ten asked helping people onto their feet.

"Two-Face went too far this time, I'm going after him." He stated driving off.

A pair of cars hidden in a narrow alley watched anxiously as a pair of white and black halved painted cars raced by soon followed by the quickly gaining black and red Batmobile.

"Boss, the Bat just passed." A pair of twins said together.

In the darkness Two-Face's badly scarred face twisted into a large crude sneer. "Good, commence with the plan."

"Yes Boss." They said together. The tires squealed loudly as the car accelerated out of its hiding place followed by the second.

A persistent beep to his left alerted him to the perusing cars behind him. "Terry-"

"I know Bruce, I have to get these slaggers off my back." Batman said.

"No. This is a trap, the two behind you are a distraction." Bruce reported irritation growing in his voice.

He frowned maneuvering the Batmobile. "Well they'll have to catch me first." He said speeding forward.

Drivers blared on their car horns when the cars and the Batmobile weaved in and out of traffic scraping their sides as they sped through. Bystanders who were making their way across the street quickly dodged out of the way as they fled and chased one another.

"Terry be careful!" Bruce warned.

"Yes dad." He said with sarcasm rounding a corner where an elderly woman draped in a shawl was making her way across the grimy street.

"Whoa!" Batman shouted as he slowed down out of his reflexes and that of the Batmobile.

The woman slowed a stop and tossed off her shawl revealing herself to be a large man with scarred features. Two-Face cackled loudly as he removed a large plasma launcher the length of his arm from beneath the slack clothing. He grinned broadly as he aimed at the still Batmobile.

"Bye-bye Bat!" He laughed as he fired.

Batman frowned deeply at the trap he had so foolishly gone into headfirst. With quick thinking he pushed forward on the accelerator while steering the Batmobile forwards.

Two-Face fired with full intent to destroy the new Dark Knight but to his dismay the Batmobile barrel rolled around the charge allowing the discharge to fire onto one of his perusing cars flipping it into the air onto the sidewalk.

"Blast it!" Two-Face cursed his ill luck upon seeing the Batmobile driving by with only a smoking wing. Batman struggled to maintain control of the damaged Batmobile that was spinning out of control due to the shot that had so happen to snip his right side and wing.

"Ha ha! Finally clipped the wings of that pointy-eared of a freak Batman!" Two-Face rejoiced removing the large plasma launcher from his shoulder and watched as the out of control black and red transport spun towards a most definite fatal crash. His celebration was cut short as a large shadow rocketed over his head towards the out of control Batmobile.

"What the hell?" He asked looking up as the flying card raced towards the wayward ride. "Annie?"

In the spinning Batmobile Batman was beginning to understand how it felt to be laundry.

"Terry eject!" The aged voice of Bruce Wayne commanded.

He frowned at hearing his benefactor and boss's voice.

"Why didn't I think of that?" He asked cynically as he ejected from the cockpit and slingshot into the sky.

He watched with dread as underneath him the once beautiful peace of machinery Bruce had 'given' him to drive slid into the side of a building crashing into a great fireball. His greatest concern at the moment wasn't really the certainly expensive form of transportation he had just crashed but what would happen to him once he reached the ground crawling with Two- Face's men.

A hand reached out grabbing him by the arm. "Aren't you glad I came along?" Ten asked as she hauled him onto the card's flat surface.

"Now I am." Batman said flatly.

Anger, hurt, betrayal, and jealousy burned in the heart and soul of both Two-Face and Jeffery Dent as they watched as their beloved Annie, their sweet Melanie, saved the cursed life of the sole person who had the guile to oppose them. With a grunt he placed his lovely plasma launcher onto his shoulder once again aiming on the two costumed people.

Two-Face's pained and angered face softened as his eyes watched his black and white dressed love. "Annie." Jeffery whispered slowly taking his finger away from the trigger as the chaotic night air filled with sirens.

Castor and Pollux, the second in command goons ran up to their leader. " 'Ey boss, we's gots to go. The police is almost heres." Castor reported.

Two-Face reached into the grimy pockets of his old woman guise to retrieve his scarred two headed coin. With a flick of his thumb he flipped the silver piece into the air. Bad head, kill. Good head flee. Kill or flee that was the question in his mind.

He caught the coin in his hand slapping it down on the back of his hand. The result...good heads up, flee.

"Next time, Batman, next time you die." He said turning his back to the two he had intentions of killing moments before.

Ten stood aside Batman and watched with genuine interest as he placed a small device on the wrecked Batmobile and in an instant it seemed to vanish.

"Don't need the police taking this." He explained looking towards her.

Ten nodded. "We had better get out of sight unless you want to deal with GPD." She suggested pointing up to the building's rooftop high up and away from sight.

Batman nodded and followed her up; he had questions that he had hopes of her answering.

Once they were safely out of sight he began his small inquisition.

"I want to know how this happened to Jeffery. Did his father-"

"No!" Mel shouted out in a firm voice. "No, Harvey did everything he could to prevent the same thing from happening to his son that happened to him."

"Well like father like son." Batman said.

Mel couldn't hold back the anger nor could she let the comment slide. Her knuckles cracked as her hand quickly formed a fist and connected with Batman's face. "Don't you ever say that again." She warned in a low menacing voice. "Harvey did all he could, he sent Jeff to different types of classes so that he had ways to release his feelings, but no matter what he kept holding his anger in. I should know, I've seen it myself."

Batman's white eyes looked onto her with interest as she removed the mask from her head. Her golden locks fell over her face as she sighed deeply. "Jeffery is a good man, the type who's always ready to do the right thing. That's how we met, him coming to my rescue like some knight." She said with a soft chuckle. "There aren't many men like him left in this city." Mel felt the tears coming again; she felt the lump raising in her throat. Tears never end when you think they are over. "We lived together before the accident; sometimes he would come home to our apartment frustrated."

"Why?" Batman asked.

Mel sniffed as she wiped away the salty tears trailing down her face. The once thoughtful and longing look on her face melted into a hard scowl. "They were horrible to him at that lab; it's a wonder he didn't attack there first." She smirked darkly.

"What do you mean?" Asked Batman.

"He told me they would constantly make jokes about him and his father. They just wouldn't stop and he wouldn't release all of his anger. I would sometimes hold him in my arms at night and ask him when was he going to explode. Who would have thought it would end up blowing up this big? Who knows when his explosion is going to end?" She said looking out onto the hellish scene of the crumbled build spewing out black ash and orange flames into the inky black night of Gotham City.

To Be Continue...