CHAPTER 39:
"Memories of Betrayal"

It's said that the past has a way of catching up you, and if you aren't careful, it can bite you in the ass.

Dick Grayson once said this to Jake during a joint mission when they were both with Spyral and while they were still on good terms. Grayson had spoken highly of his time as Nightwing and how a single mistake in the past had a way of catching up to you later.

Dick's nature had him in retrospect of what if decisions, especially when it came to what he referred to as Batman's Rogue Gallery, and how, he admitted, some criminals were better off dead and buried than captured to be later released to re-offend.

One night, when they were up talking, the one thing Grayson admitted he hated about crime fighting—but he loved doing it—was the Catch and Release system of the Criminal Justice System, and how the ghosts of the past had lasting consequences. It gave Grayson nightmares. Those he couldn't save, the faces of victims murdered by criminals, haunted Grayson's dreams.

Jake had his own ghosts. His own haunting memories. But he never thought after his accident that he would be forever be haunted by a particular ghost—a nightmare in its own rite.

When a man falls in love with a woman, and it goes bad, the scars often go deeper than one wants to admit. They tug at the heart like a phantom that comes out of nowhere. The memories haunt the conscious mind and the pain never going away.

Jake Handles could never forget—or would never allow himself to forget—Juliet (Julie) Andrews Handles, his ex-wife. And when he made the "Juliet" PK construct with her in mind, and sent her out, he had a feeling Dick Grayson would recognize her. The name he chose for her was a play on one of Dick Grayson's favourite movie lines—Rose Chiclete: Pink Gum.

Once again, that little brat—Damian Wayne, Nightwing Junior—spoiled the surprise in revealing the origin of the name. He was really starting to hate that kid.

As he stood in his lair, Jake's memory took him back to a joyous time when he was the happiest he had ever felt, and side-by-side with Julie. They began as partners in the field working for Spyral, but then became partners in life, and married secretly, in a small, intimate ceremony in Paris, France.

For two years, they kept their secret. One night, Grayson caught them acting like horny school teens during a joint mission in an Amsterdam hotel, the same where Grayson relayed a life lesson to Jake. They were making so much noise, that Grayson actually thought someone was attacking them and came crashing through Jake's door, gun in hand.

Jake told Grayson everything, and Dick promised not to tell a soul, because he felt the same way about Barbara Gordon.

That was until the upper echelon elite got wind of it and separated them, reassigning Julie to the Information Bureau, which, incidentally, was how Jake first learned about Treasure Island, through her revealing of classified information during a secret tryst, when they both just happen to be in the same city on different missions.

Treasure Island was Spyral's dumping ground for all the toys the agents brought back after their entanglements with terrorists and despots, delivered first to HQ to await transport. Field Agents were forbidden to visit the island. It was only after a VIP asked to visit the island for an inspection that Jake and Dick were finally able to see it in person as escorts, and view all its many facets, secrets, and stored weaponry; things neither of them had ever seen or heard of, including the Sub-Harmonic Shock Disruptor (SHSD).

Spyral always paired their agents up for safety, but Jake hated his new partner and longed for Julie. But it was during one of his missions with his new partner when he began to develop a taste for the finer things in life: money and power, and it was also when he began to think about revenge. Revenge against the people who took the love of his life away from him, never allowing him to see her. Even when he had time off, they made it that she worked, and vice versa. He felt it was purposefully being done.

The old rule of fraternization with other agents was long dead, but he felt Spyral was ruining his life with Julie. And it was during a surprise inspection from a Spyral Field Commander that nearly cost him everything, even Julie.

It was during this special inspection of himself and his partner when he had had enough. Jake snapped and took the SFC hostage and then shot and killed his scheming partner, when it was learned he was spreading lies regarding a relatively minor infraction, in Jake's opinion, getting severely drunk one night during a mission. He just missed Julie and wanted to numb the pain. But his partner said it wasn't the first time and that Jake was always drinking and was often drunk on missions.

It was obvious the young punk just wanted to get ahead and to get reassigned to a better partner and location.

That ended Jake's Spyral career. But it began a new one—a career in crime. With all the connections and contracts Jake had made over the years, he was able to set up a crime syndicate that rivalled some of the best in the world, and even took out a few—building his own super-crime-syndicate. Spyral even tried to interfere in his plans, but all attempts failed.

Except for one time, and that cost him a lot of capital and man-power. And forced him to flee.

In revenge, he targeted Spyral field agents in well known locations, bombing safe-houses and bureaus—because he knew all of Spyral's secrets—even creating collateral damage in his wake. Each killing was purposeful and designed to send a message, and he soon became known as The Reaper, because he didn't care who he murdered to suit his agenda.

It was then Spyral decided to send out one of their best agents, but a rookie in Jake's eyes, and yet a man he once trusted and called a friend. Dick Grayson, Agent 37, was sent after him in the hopes to quiet things down, and if need be, eliminate the problem with extreme prejudice. From what Jake recalled, when Grayson caught up to him in Germany, he cornered Jake in a building, after a foot chase through the streets, and after Jake had shot Grayson's partner—later he would learn not fatally.

Little did Grayson know that Jake had lured him to the building and had wired it with explosives. He knew, if he could kill Grayson, Spyral would have no other option other but to acquiesce to his demands to see Julie, whom they continued to keep from him.

He later learned after his near-death experience with Grayson—when he began to recover from the explosive device that caused him severe degree burns over eight-percent of his body, his right arm and left leg crushed and replaced, robotically, with artificial limbs, aided by his secretly built super-computer with a sophisticated AI—that she had died in a freak accident. He quickly learned that it was a lie, granted access into the Witness Protection Program on her behest to hide from him.

He remembered how angry he was that Spyral had taken Julie away from him and it seemed now that she was afraid of him for what he had become—for what Spyral had turned him into. And he blamed Grayson for it as if he was Spyral itself. That's why he targeted Grayson later, hiring both Deathstroke and KGBeast to shoot Nightwing in the head, to make it appear he was the target of an assassination by an unknown foe—to destroy him, and to erase everything he was and loved. It was the ultimate revenge.

So, when Grayson shouted Julie's name, in context to the Shakespearean play, knowing how much Jake still loved her, it was like Grayson had stabbed him in the heart. Did Grayson really know where Julie ended up in the WPP?

As Nightwing, he would have connections that not even Jake would have within law enforcement agencies, that even his super-computer could not learn. Not every secret could be hacked.

Handles had planted items for Nightwing Junior to find in Bludhaven related to Grayson's current condition, after his assassination attempt. They were a ploy, and clues that only Grayson would pick up on, if ever he ever recovered that would lead him to Jake—the marbles and the emblem button with the G, that came after his time with Spyral. Jake kept tabs on Grayson.

He wanted Dick Grayson out of the way, so when he launched his attack on the world with the SHSD, no one could stop him. They wouldn't know what was happening until after the fact. Only Grayson would know.

But that didn't matter at the moment. All time stopped for Julie.

He looked at the projection screen that hovered before him and widened the angle to focus squarely on Nightwing's face. It would be easy to take Nightwing out with a single shot with a laser canon, but that would be too easy. He didn't want to just kill his rival, he wanted to crush him—to make Dick Grayson suffer for what he did as Agent 37.

Harvey Two-Face stood a little ways away, leaning on the side of Handle's massive super-computer, flipping his coin and catching it repeatedly as if it were a nervous reaction to something. Handles could see him out of the corner of his eye.

"So, care to fill me in, Annex?" Harvey said. "Who is Juliet? And no, I don't think he referred to Shakespeare."

"Quite right, my scarred friend," Handles replied, with a hint of mockery. "Dick Grayson is delivering me a message that he knows will grab my attention." Even though he had no obligation to do so, he found himself giving Harvey Two-Face a bit of personal history about his ex-wife, Juliet Andrews. "But I'm not the fool to go charging into battle when so enticed. Straight for the heart, Dick Grayson, very clever," he said, as if he speaking directly to his rival. "I tried to take everything away from you for what you cost me, now you tease me with delicious information like this?" Where is Julie? I must know, I must speak with her to explain things.

"I was in love once before my accident," Harvey said. "But women often change their minds. They no longer want substance over quantity. They're a dime a dozen these days, and love is a commodity that can be bought, exchanged, and negotiated."

"Then you haven't found the right woman, Harvey," Handles said. "And ignorance can only be learned through trial."

With one final flip of his coin, Harvey caught it in midair, and snapped his hand shut, as if he had a made a decision, and one based on an emotional response. He seemed to have caught the insult.

He stood up straight. "Enough of the games, Annex," he said. "You had your fun with Grayson. You sent out your PK Construct of your ex-wife to see how they would react before it could used to replace others in high ranking positions in governments. She fooled them for a time, but not for long. The name you christened her with gave it away to Arkells. Now it is time to get down the brass tax. Just kill them and be done with it. There's enough fire power on this island to start a small war. And when you finally do plan to launch the SHSD, you'll get one. The governments of the world will launch an all-out offensive on this island when you announce your intentions. But they'll fail. And when your army of PK constructs are sent out, just like Japanese Kamikaze pilots, no one will dare stand against us. Best to kill Batman and company before they ruin things."

The SHSD was ready, there was no more need for testing. All the parameters were perfected. He had satisfied his OCD on that front, powering it up to launch an attack—he just needed it reach full power status.

But Grayson was another story. He needed to finish things with his old friend before he could proceed, or Dick Grayson would forever be a thorn in his side. Kill the past, or watch his decision come to back to bite him in the ass, like Grayson once said to him.

And he knew Dick Grayson would make it his life's work to take him down. So, he had to be eliminated first.

Expanding the projection screen, he observed the Batfamily, as they were called, speaking to one another, the audio on mute. He could only imagine what they were concocting. When he saw Arkells again, Jake cocked his head, and a brilliant idea erupted. He originally thought he wanted this unique individual to implement and develop as a super-soldier, he had an unusual AI infused within him—how, he wished he knew, and who designed it, was equally curious—but now he wanted him for something else entirely.

Arkells mouthed something and then walked away, excusing himself from the group for a moment, entering a thicket of trees near by, disappearing. By all accounts, he seemed to be relieving himself. He was still human, after all.

Annex walked back to his super-computer and typed something on its console. Then he connected himself to the AI with a cord and downloaded something into his own AI matrix. The super-computer and he were in constant communication and it helped him with everything, like a symbiotic-species, including re-developing the SHSD into a forcible weapon. They were as one.

But now he wanted something—and something that he had been recently thinking about ever since he had first seen Arkells swat away those bats on the beach with his morphing technology, something his super-computer could not provide.

Harvey watched him carefully, looking over his shoulder. "What are you doing, Annex?" It was almost a demand than a question.
Annex disconnected himself, and then turned, said, "Dick Grayson must die before my plans come to fruition. The SHSD can wait, there's no hurry to attack with it. First and foremost, Grayson must pay for what he's done."

Harvey slapped a hand on Annex's shoulder and turned him forward, the villain looked angry. He kept his hand on Annex's shoulder, even tightening his grip. "Forget him! He means nothing! Don't be stupid, Annex!"

Handles flicked off Harvey's arm as if it was nothing. "You work for me, Harvey. You do what I tell you as my enforcer. You're not paid to think. If you wish, you can go back to Gotham City—to your rat infested, gutter hole, with your antiquated, sub-part and crumbling city-structure. And just so you know, the days of Al Capone are over. You're out-dated. Technology is the wave of the future, not gangster-politics. When my plan comes to pass, Eldorado will look like peanuts to the power I'll wield. Make your choice."

Handles turned to leave, turning his back on Harvey, and headed towards an elevator that would take him to the surface where he would confront Grayson/Nightwing head-on, when suddenly, he heard the cocking of a gun behind him.

"Don't be foolish, Handles," he heard Harvey Two-Face say. Jake knew Harvey was pointing a gun at him. "You have everything at your finger tips. The world can be yours—ours—starting with Gotham. You promised I would rule Gotham when your plan was in full swing. You hired me for my services. And just so you know, I cost a lot more than some two-bit criminal. And now, payment is due. Your idiotic vendetta is yours. I don't give a crap about it. You can kill Dick Grayson and the rest of them from here. Send your PK Constructs amass at him like you did the bats. A thousand femme-fatale's like your ex-wife would easily destroy them."

Annex smiled to himself. "Femme-fatale? Funny that you would say that. It's true that a single woman can destroy a man with their charm, but it's equally important to know that a foolish man can destroy himself with his own rashness and stupidity."

With a loud whistle from his lips, a door suddenly opened up in a wall behind Harvey Two-Face—that Annex's symphonic connection with his super-computer, activated—and Panthera and Inda, Handles' pet lionesses, came bolting out.

Harvey abruptly turned, gun in hand. He instinctively focused upon the immediate threat—the two large lionesses that were charging towards him, summoned by Handles. He aimed and fired several shots in a frenzy from his man-stopper and halted the two beasts in their tracks, killing Panthera instantly, and mortally wounding Inda.

But the moment he turned back to Handles, fused with anger, Annex didn't give Harvey any quarter, and generating a lightning strike from his artificial hand, his Adaptability Glove incorporated within, he launched an attack on Harvey Two-Face, electrocuting him, to the point his body sizzled, his body jerking from the impact.

The surge only lasted a few moments, but it was enough to stop the treacherous villain in his tracks.

Harvey dropped to his knees, dropping his gun, and collapsed face first to the floor. The coin in his hand, released, and rolled along the ground, eventually coming to lay flat a little ways away face-up on its non-scratched side.

Handles went over to Harvey and looked down at the traitorous villain. His name truly gave purchase to his identity, he was indeed two-faced.

Then, crouching down next to Inda, the lioness licked Jake's human hand when he extended it, petting the poor animal on its head. "I'm sorry, my pet," he said, while also giving a glance to Panthera, who was already dead. "You were loyal to the end. Thank you." Then Inda died.

Handles stood up, and looked at his human hand, squeezing it into a fist. Compared to the rest of him, and what remained of his own face, the part covered by his mask, it was the last ounce of humanity he truly had—fused partially with the AI of his super-computer when it reconstructed and resurrected him from a sure death.

And it was all because of Dick Grayson, Agent 37. If it wasn't for him, he would still look human instead of—what Damian Wayne once called him—a reject from the Phantom of the Opera. If he was normal, he would still have a chance with Julie.

But not now…

Not the ugliness of a man he had become. He had been handsome once, when he worked with Spyral, rivalling Grayson in looks. Some of the agents even had a contest about who would be more dashing on a date. Some of the women at the agency also, curiously, had a poll about who had the best looking butt. He was told he lost that by a mile. Grayson won it with the most votes.

Jake Handles, Annex, gritted his teeth, and an anger swelled. "I hate you, Dick Grayson. I hate you with every fibre of my being. And this time when we battle, nothing is going to stop me from killing you—not even your precious Batfamily!"

He walked to the elevator and pressed the button to the surface.

As long as he controlled the island, and was in commensalistic contact with his super-computer, who had saved his life and rebuilt him—each one benefiting from the other. His power and strength was unlimited.

No one could stop him.

Not even Dick Grayson!

To be continued...