Chapter Twenty:
"Sleeping With The Fish"
Caged like some bad behaved animal with his wrists secured behind his back in binds, Damian kicked the bars of his open concept photo kinetic cell as Handles' two pets watched him closely. He wanted out badly. Damian saw the floating screens projected from Handles' computer and it had shown the sudden attack on the Batboat by Harvey Two-Face.
How Handles managed to get Harvey Two-Face to join his diabolical plot, Damian didn't know.
When Harvey Two-Face had emerged on the rocky shore, Damian immediately thought he was one of Handles' designs. But it looked exactly like the real Harvey, so he had his doubts. He hated to second guess himself, but with everything he had been experiencing with Handles' technology, even the cage he was in, he wasn't sure what he was seeing was real or not.
A hidden surveillance camera showed the area and with zoom lens inside the interior of the Batboat with its occupants.
Damian was shocked to see Batman was not present. Instead Jason Todd and Jon Kent had come to rescue him. However, there was also the off-chance they had just come to the island because of some other matter, some other suspicious activity. He had not told anyone what he was doing when he was kidnapped by Handles. In the future, he'd have to change that.
He mentally cursed. Where the hell is Father? Where is Batman?
Handles had been monitoring the Batboat for quite sometime, ever since it reached a hidden buoy marker that had been set up along a row, around a certain distance leading to the island. Apparently, Spyral was very particular about their privacy.
Treasure island, Damian had learned it was called, was deserted now except for Handles. But it still held a lot of secrets and was off world maps. Unless someone knew it was here, no one would find it, hidden within the Devil's Triangle, and masked by reflective technology that mirrored the waters around it. This had all the hallmarks's of Drake's great detective work in finding it.
Oceanographic information said that this area had a coral reef with a huge ecological system in the area, therefore it was off limits to boats because it was categorized as a protected area for sea life. It was basically a hidden island, but not to the Batfamily.
"Damn you, Handles! Let me out of this cage! I'm not some damn dog!"
Handles chucked as he worked at his computer, sitting, and typing code and/or designed graphical data—probably more code for his photo kinetic imaginary. Damian couldn't see what the villain was doing, but he had been at it for nearly an hour.
"We're all leashed in someway, Damian Wayne," Handles said, but his eyes remained focused on a computer screen, typing away. "We're subjected to the whims of others, thinking we make self-evident choices. That's where people are wrong. Freedom is an illusion, but that's a theological argument for later. Watch your friends, watch them squirm, and then watch them die! Treasure Island is the most protected place on the planet. And I control all its secrets now."
Damian growled angrily, but then watched one screen intently. There was nothing else he could do.
"How the hell did you manage to persuade Harvey Two-Face to join your scheme?"
"Simple: He was available, and when I told him I would be expecting Batman, he jumped at the chance for revenge. Besides, every great man needs a bodyguard. However" —Handles turned around and looked at the same projection screen Damian viewed, the one showing the interior of the Batboat— "it would appear your father decided not to join the party. Pity. But, no matter; this is even better. The battle that will ensue between your rescuers will make history. And we both know why."
Damian grumbled under his breath. He knew Todd and Harvey Two-Face had tremendous history, so the presence of Harvey Two-Face would have a deep psychological impact on Todd. Handles, the intelligent man that he was, probably knew this familiar with Grayson, and hence, the rest of the Batfamily. The lengths some people go for revenge was incredible and quite frightening.
Harvey Dent's accident that turned him into a sadistic, schizophrenic killer with dissociative identity disorder, later caused him to go after all those that scarred him including a henchmen that worked for the infamous mafia crime lord Carmine Falcone, who threw acid in his face during a trail, for which Dent was the Prosecuting District Attorney. One henchman was Willis Todd, Jason's father. Dent shot him, murdering him without mercy, and this later forged the person Jason would become as the Second Robin.
Damian's father, Bruce Wayne kept meticulous records on all the Robins over the years in the Batcomputer and Damian often spent hours reading old reports and dossiers to get up-to-date on their histories and on old cases involving the Rogues. The Batcomputer had the largest Wikipedia of information on every criminal in Gotham City, cross-referenced and categorized with every scheme. And he had to give kudos to Tim Drake for organizing it and keeping it user-friendly.
"I've watched a few reality shows, but the best involve bleeding out," Handles said. "And in short time, there will be blood—lots!"
As Damian watched helplessly, he knew Handles was right. He just hoped it wasn't Todd's and/or Kent's.
x x x
Harvey Two-Face was a sadistic bastard. So, when he continued to fire at the Batboat with extreme prejudice, Jason worried for Jon Kent's safety. Jason had jumped back to smother Jon when the shooting had begun and after the Batboat's blast boat shield shattered. The seats were made of kevlar, which was what cops's vests were made of to stop bullets, so they gave some protection. Except when your enemy used armour piercing bullets. So, all bets were off.
"Stay down, kid! Harvey Two-Face is relentless." Jason continued to protect Jon Kent. But something was odd, Jon wasn't afraid. He then pushed Jason off him. "Hey! What are you doing?" Then it struck him. It had been instinct to protect Jon, then Jason suddenly realized—this was Superboy. "Oh, yeah, right… Go get him, kid!"
Jon Kent got to his feet and removed his civilian clothes, and emerged as Superboy, in costume, even his ripped jeans and cape.
He stepped out into the open despite the erupting gunfire. Being the son of Superman, the Man of Steel, had its advantages. He was bulletproof and Harvey Two-Face's armour piercing bullets had no affect on Jon Kent. With glass and debris crushed underfoot, Jon then floated up through what used to be the front blast shield and landed on the front of the Batboat, a small breeze whipped his cape and hair, as he stood firm against his enemy with a look of sheer determination.
Harvey Two-Face ceased fire, but his high-powered hand guns remained locked on sight. The villain stood on a large rock on the shore that was the beginning of a series of boulders jettisoning from the island interior, illuminated with flood lights.
"Well, this is unexpected. Was Batman too busy that he had to send children?" Harvey Two-Face chuckled.
Harvey Two-Face smiled regardless of the surprise. The left half of his face that had been scorched by acid had a permanent like grotesque grin that exposed his teeth which has been permanently bleached white. Also on the left side: his hair, forever tussled, was an exhibition of just how unhinged the villain really was, contrasting the right side of his posh appearance. And being the man he was, he always wore a suit and tie. On this occasion, the right side was white and the left was a deep orange.
Jon Kent put his hands on his hips. Despite the man's appearance, Jon wasn't afraid of Harvey Two-Face, bullets couldn't hurt him, even armoured piercing. Cocking his head, he asked: "How do you clean that thing?"
The smile dropped from Harvey's face. "What thing?"
"That thing…your face," Jon said pointing. "I know what happened to you, it was a tragic situation. Acid can be nasty. Looking after a wound like that must be taxing. You much spend a lot of money on antiseptic and moisturizing creams."
Harvey gave him a strange look, almost of disbelief. "Are you for real? I'm pointing two guns at you and you ask me about my face?"
"Face it, Harvey…" a somewhat muffled voice said, "the kid's a humanitarian. He actually cares about people and their lives. Even scumbags like you." Red Hood emerged from the inside of the Batboat and came to stand behind but slightly to the left of Superboy with guns in hand. He thanked Jon for giving him the time he needed to get his proper gear on, including helmet and bulletproof vest: a vest that stopped armour piercing bullets.
Harvey Two-Face aimed his guns two-fold. Although Superboy was immune to weapons fire, it still offered a little intimidate factor. "You never cease to amazing me, Red Hood. Here I was expecting Batman, but all I got was your ass instead."
"Sorry to disappoint."
"Batman really did reach the bottom of the barrel this time, although I am willing to overlook his cowardice with our history. Nothing better than finishing a job, just like ending a really difficult court case. I killed your pop, he was foot soldier for the man who did this to my face. I think it's time to send sonny boy to join dear old dad."
"One problem with that, Harvey," said Red Hood. "Don't you need to decide with a flip of your special coin, your old man's coin? Oh c'mon, we both know you do. You suffer from OCD. You can't make a move without it. And with you holding guns in both hands, you'll stuck." Jason laughed.
"You know, you're absolutely right…"
For a moment, Harvey Two-Face appeared to freeze on the spot. It almost looked like when a computer screen crashed, remaining such about three-seconds, for say, the flip of a coin. Then Harvey blinked. "Quite right, Red Hood. I really don't have a choice in the matter," the villain said smug. "Sad as it may be, it is my Achilles Heel, and all your batboys know of it. But it's not an issue here."
If Jon could see Jason Todd's face, he would probably share his sentiments of confusion.
Harvey Two-Face eyed Jon Kent, then focused back on Red Hood. "You always did like to hide," he said, directly speaking to Red Hood. "Either it was behind Batman as that prick-annoying little sidekick or even behind that menacing looking helmet you wear now. You batboys hide while we, like myself, show our faces. Now you need this kid to protect you. How pathetic!"
"First: We 'batboys' wear masks, so you villains don't hunt down our loved ones and use them as pawns for leverage. It's called a secret identity for a reason. And second: I don't hide behind anyone!"
Red Hood took a step forward and out and out from behind of Jon Kent. Jon quickly pivoted in front of Red Hood, actually protecting him more now than before like a shield, extending a hand out to stop Todd. "Stop, Red Hood," he said seriously. "He's baiting you on. I know his type, his psychology, I've done a lot of study on the subject for my school classes. From what I know of Harvey Two-Face, this is his very nature as a former District Attorney. He twists human emotions to get what he wants."
Harvey eyed Jon for a moment. "Smart kid; exactly," he said. "To your credit, you're smarter than this Neanderthal."
"Neanderthals were actually quite intelligent in their day," Jon retorted. "In Red Hood's case, he'd smarter than the average bear." He gave Red Hood a crooked smile.
"And I thought Nightwing was the one who made the corny jokes," Jason said back. "Anyway, this bear has teeth, Harvey. And it looks like we have our own Mexican Standoff. So, how do you wish to precede? Go down in a blaze of glory, or—"
Harvey Two-Face chuckled, which gave Jason pause. "You were never very smart, Red Hood. You always think like a brute, with your guns, never seeing the whole picture, beyond your narrow scope. I'm surprised you're not dead already."
Red Hood's story was known to the Rogues and that the Joker had murdered the Second Robin, but when Jason Todd, Red Hood, came back from the dead, he was not the same person, and often fought Batman on many issues. There were rumours that Jason Todd was not the Red Hood and that the vigilante was indeed someone else entirely. But Jason never shied from his past and did what Batman would not: eliminate the scum off the streets. Most recently, he almost ended the Penguin.
But it was true Jason Todd was not the person he used to be when he was the Second Robin. He was stronger now.
"You, above anyone, known people deserve a second chance, and I got mine," Red Hood said back.
"Not when they're guilty," Harvey spat back. "Your past is mysterious, filled with conjecture and hearsay. But that's not how I work. I prefer evidence to make a sound decision."
Red Hood laughed. "And yet you flip a coin to make even the simplest move," he said. "You're such a hypocrite, Harvey. And don't you dare blame your issues on mental illness. Most people know the difference between right and wrong."
Harvey growled angrily. "I won't get into a theological debate with you, it's all scam-mantics. But it's a great excuse for less prison time." He laughed.
"Doesn't he mean semantics?" Jon voiced to Jason.
"No kid, he knows what he's saying," Jason replied. "A lot people are not mentally ill when they commit hideous crimes, they know exactly what they're doing, but claim they were possessed by the spirit of 'mental illness' at the time."
"As a former DA for the Gotham City courts, I could run circles around your argument, but as I said before: time's up, the verdict is in. And it's time for you to die! A Mexican Standoff? Ha! I prefer a third option…"
Jason observed Harvey remove his fingers from the triggers from his guns, then the villain cocked his arms sideways, and in an unorthodox move, he tossed his firearms into the air, well above his head. Jason followed their trajectory, and suddenly Harvey Two-Face vanished into thin air. But the guns remained.
"Where'd Harvey Two-Face go?" Jon gasped. "Oh, no…"
It was then that Jason realized what had just happened. Harvey Two-Face had been, what Jon had explained to him earlier while they were in the Batboat, new tech: a photo-kinetic hard-light projection, a copy of the original. A projection unit must be near-by.
But that wasn't what concerned him at the moment. "Jon! Get down!" he shouted.
It all happened in slow motion for Jason, has he instinctively reached out and tried to shield Jon from what happened next.
The moment the pair of guns hit the ground, both went off with enough C4 to level a twelve story building. The concussion blast struck both of them equally, but with different devastating effects.
Jason was throw into the water, while Jon was launched into the interior of the Batboat.
x x x
The moment Damian witnessed the massive denotations on the projection screens and the devastating results, he batted the cage like some sort of child having a temper tantrum. He swore profusely and though, he tried to hide it, teared up. It was such a massive explosion that he didn't know if Jason or Jon had survived it. The shock was so heart-wrenching and merciless.
His temper scared the lionesses and they scampered away, hiding behind their master like terrified animals despite their notorious disposition and size. Handles was intrigued that Panthera and Inda were indeed scared of the boy, but Damian Wayne was a scary kid. Handles told them to relax, but he could feel their nervousness as he pet them. It was like the Devil has told them to go away.
"You son-of-a-bitch! I'm going to kill you when I get out of here! I swear it!"
Damian had his doubts the image of Harvey Two-Face was real as it interacted with Jason and Jon, because he didn't see the villain anywhere—all he saw was the man live on the floating projection screens that filled Handles' lair. But when Harvey emerged from a hidden projection booth like Damian had earlier—the bastard was hiding—with a wireless headband to relay his personality to his photo-kinetic image, taking three-seconds to flip his infamous coin, he knew his friends were in deep trouble.
Photo-kinetic projection can copy an image, but human personality was near impossible to duplicate, and the synaptic neuron pathways of the human brain would need a massive storage unit. Obviously, that wasn't needed with the real thing calling the shots.
Once again, he was frustrated with himself. He hated to second guess himself.
Harvey Two-Face laughed, taking off the headband. He leaned over the cage, and said, "Such a fowl mouth. Someone should wash it out with soap."
"Wash this out, asshole!" And Damian spat at Two-Face.
The villain was quick and avoided it. And then laughed again. Harvey took out a gun and fired it between Damian's legs, inches from his crotch. Damian looked down at the bullet, embedded in the floor. If he hadn't moved away a mere second before, he'd need major reconstructive surgery and would never have children. Despite it, he looked at Two-Face with a sneer.
"Now, be a good boy, and shut-up! Or, I'll put a bullet through your skull much like what happened with Nightwing. I heard about what happened to him. Couldn't have happened to a better guy."
Obviously, he didn't know that Grayson had survived it and it was all a ploy, or Handles didn't tell him. And Damian was starting think Handles was solely behind it, because he hated Grayson so much. The implants in Grayson's brain were Spyral technology, the clues he found in Bludhaven lead to Handles, and it wouldn't take much to hire sharpshooters to fake an assassination.
—Tt— He remained silent. Suddenly, Two-Face sniffed the air. "What is that smell? It's you, kid. You wreak to high heaven!"
His sense of smell had been diminished after the accident that burned his body, but Handles agreed he also smelled something fowl. He sat at a computer console. "Must've been all that running around he did earlier when he was trapped in my projection booth maze, the stench of body odour," he said. "With all the excitement over, I think we should give our captor a little reward."
Damian growled. "Standard torture practises: punishment, then reward. But your methods won't work on me, Handles!"
"Conventional methods, perhaps," Handles said, standing on his feet. He then crossed the distance to the cage. On his left, floated a miniature projection screen which followed him as he made his way. He didn't even have to look at the screen for his fingers to work, it was almost as if he and his computer worked with a symbiotic relationship. "But I prefer unconventional methods, and in your case, once a member of the League of Assassins, I know you won't break under simple torture. You need something else." He mused, then smirked. "I have a wonderful idea" —and he looked at Harvey to confer— "and it will kill two birds with one stone."
He showed Harvey Two-Face his idea on the screen and the villain chuckled with raised eyebrows. "Oh, that's brilliant, Annex," he said. "The kid won't know what hit him. Time to give him a taste of what it truly means to be a part of the adult world."
Damian's brow furrowed bewildered. "What do you mean by that?"
Handle pressed something on his screen, and suddenly Damian's binds electrified, sending heavy voltage coursing through his entire body. He cringed, and his teeth clenched, but he was unable to fight its effects. The last thing he remembered before falling into a deep unconsciousness was Harvey Two-Face saying: "Time to go and collect the dead mackerel."
To be continued...
