CHAPTER 40:
"Death In The Family"
"What was all that about?" Batman asked, after Nightwing lowered his arms.
Nightwing turned, and said, "Back when I was Agent 37, I found out that Jake was secretly married to Julie Andrews, later Handles, who was also an agent. They tried to keep it a secret, and they would have, if they hadn't been so loud one night when we were staying in a hotel in Paris on another joint mission. I went to check on the noise, gun in hand, thinking there was a struggle happening, honestly believing Jake was being attacked, and burst through Jake's door. And there, I found them, well, you know…"
"Checking each other's credentials, frisking for evidence, polishing their hardware…"
"One metaphor would've been sufficient, Jason," Batgirl remarked.
Nightwing smiled. "Anyway, he asked if I would keep their secret, and I said sure. After that, I found them engaged together in a number of acts; acts of love—like the story of Romeo and Juliet—and sneaking kisses out of the way of others, trying to keep their trysts secret, etc." He smiled at Barbara and winked. "I never told anyone. But Spyral found out about it anyhow. Long story short, after a period of separation, and a long distance relationship, Julie was the one that ended the marriage with divorce papers—it was the only way to save her job at the time, and then I learned she was reassigned to London, England. Jake still loved her, despite the papers. But I think the divorce papers threw Jake over the edge. Soon, he began his murderous rampage on Spyral agents all around the world. Spyral thought his acts were out of revenge for their broken marriage, but that was before we learned of Jake's criminal enterprises—and that he had developed feelings for a new love: one for money and power."
"So, you used his heartbreak to your advantage just now to coax him out of hiding? That's cruel, Dick; even for you," Barbara said. "What if it were use in that situation, and you had to make a choice—us or the your job? Would you make the same decision?"
"I'd make it work. But no job is more important that you. And one day, I know it will work out." Dick gave his most boyish smile.
She gasped. "Richard John Grayson…Are you proposing?"
Dick didn't seem taken back at all about the revelation. "Well, since the cat's out of the bag. I know this not the place for it, but I'm crazy about you Barbara, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you—to grow old together." He held her hand. "Jake reminded me what was most important in my life. I think I had to go through these trials to re-ignite that spark we once had. I love you, Barb."
"Dibs on being the ring bearer," Jason called out excitedly. "It doesn't look like I'm going to change back to my handsome self any time soon, so if I'm going to have to live a second childhood, then I want to look cute in doing it. Damian can be a flower girl."
Dick looked at Jason strange.
"Way to ruin a wonderful moment, idiot," Damian voiced. "And there's no way I'm wearing a dress or carrying flowers."
"Then when he's up-and-about again, Tim can wear the dress, and throw flowers into the aisle. He has kinder eyes that you."
"You are so beyond weird right now, Todd. I think being changed into a kid has affected your brain."
"I love weddings," Jon joined in. "What can I do? Can I invite my Mom and Dad?"
Barbara ignored them all and suddenly gave Dick a big kiss on the mouth.
It was a kiss that put all their other kisses to shame—all the times that they had embraced, rendezvoused on roof tops, snuck moments together, even in costume, when they thought they were alone, getting a little frisky and touchy.
But nothing compares to this moment, Dick immediately thought. The multi-verse be damned and to hell to all his alternative selves. This is the universe that matters most right now.
When she pulled back, Dick was momentarily dazed. And he felt his knees wobble. "Is that a yes?"
Barbara gave him a sweet smile, and said, "What do you think?"
Batman put a hand on Nightwing's shoulder.
Then it seemed Dick awoke from a dream, turned, and said: "Oh, crap! Sorry Bruce, I got caught up in the moment. We're in the middle of a battle between life and death here. And I totally forgot about the issues between you and Selina."
Batman nodded, and then gave his oldest ward a thin smile. He looked happy. "Yes, we are," he said. "Obviously Selina and I were not to be, too many differences. But I'm happy for you, Dick. I seem to recall in another universe—there are too many count—you two did get married. But that doesn't matter. You two, here, now, is what counts."
"Thanks, Bruce," Dick replied. Arkells was smiling, and Dick noticed. "What?"
Arkells cocked his head and looking at them both.
He said: "It's slightly different from how I remember things, but it's still good—you two do get hitched in my timeline. I didn't want to say anything or spoil things. I know how the Butterfly Effect works. At least you didn't get so nervous and vomit on your boots this time. You were both at Wayne Manor when you proposed, too."
"That's more than a slight difference then, Arkells," Damian said. "This is completely different."
Arkells shrugged. "But Damian is right. Because we're here on this island instead of at Wayne Manor, I have no idea what happens now. And you proposing is happening a lot later than I remember it. Perhaps because of what happened to you, Dick—with your attempted assassination. It was pushed things forward?"
"I've said it before, I'm tired of trying to figure out all these alternate universes," Dick said. "It gives me a headache."
"So, just out of curiosity," Damian said, "where do I end up? Side-by-side, next to my father as Batman and Robin, correct?"
"Um, perhaps in this timeline things will change?" Arkells shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure now. But I will say this for your protection: If ever you encounter a girl named Mia—Run! Run away, fast! Trust me, you won't regret it."
Damian looked at him confused. "Whose Mia?"
"Trust me, you don't want to know…"
Just then, an invisible, energy-evoked door emerged out of nowhere and in front of the open crevasse. Nightwing thought it looked like a thought-elevator from ancient lore Damian had once told him about told to him by Ra's al Ghul. Ancient history had many unexplained things and Ra's al Ghul had experienced a great deal of them over his long life. Ra's had told Damian many of theses tales when Damian was a member of the League of Assassins, and Damian, in turn, told Dick the same stories when they teamed up as Batman and Robin. But the fact modern technology could duplicate such things was awesome. Jake was truly a genius.
Jake Handles emerged. But it wasn't the man Damian had last told Dick about. This handsome version of Jake Handles was a strong looking man. He was bare-chested and muscular with dark brown hair. There was not an ounce of scorching on his body.
Jake Handles approached them.
"Is that who I think it is?" Damian questioned.
"Yes," Dick said to Damian. "That's what Jake used to look like before his accident."
"Accident, nothing!" Jake Handles said. "It was pure spitefulness." He stopped a safe distance from them, digging black boots in the sand. He wore black tights, as if he was ready to fight. "Hello, Dick. Long time no see. Curious why I look this way? I'm using a variance of my Photo-Kinetic technology on myself to mask my real appearance. I thought it better to come to you as I used to be, instead of my current grotesque form. I can thank you for that."
"It was your own fault, Jake. You deserved everything you got. And you tried to take everything away from me in revenge."
"Yes, but that little horse's ass—Nightwing Junior, as he calls himself now," he said mockingly to Damian, "ruined my plans!"
Damian stepped forward. "When we first met, you took me by surprise," he said. "I underestimated you, but not now. I know all your tricks, and we know what you plan to do with that sub-hormonic device you have hidden away in the mountain. There's a counter-offence to everything. And your PK constructs are easy to identity and destroy now. Arkells can detect them with his AI infused brain." He unholstered his escrima sticks from his back. "Now, I'll show you what this little horse's ass can do!"
Nightwing stepped forward, put a hand on Damian's shoulder. "No, Damian," he said. "Thanks for everything you've done—for bringing me back from the brink of nothing, restoring my memories, and my life. I owe you huge, kiddo. But now, this is my fight." He unholstered his own escrima sticks. "It is time Jake and I finish what we started, one-on-one."
"Mono-eh-mono, as you so elegantly put it," Jake said, but then he shook his head, "but not quite yet. There's something I want first, something I need—that was so violently taken away from me." He looked towards Arkells. "You, young man. Your AI is extraordinary. Tell me, who designed it? And how did you become one?"
"You don't have to tell him anything, Arkells," Nightwing said. "My bet is he wants you to study."
"A good guess, Dick, but you're wrong," Jake said. "I need his morphing ability for my own." With a godly flick of his hand, Handles encased Arkells in a forcefield like trapping an animal in a cage. It encapsulated him in hard light equivalent to his PK construct technology, but unlike the bats, this construct would not shatter. Arkells pounded on it repeatedly with his fists. "Ah, now I see," Handles mused, as if the capsule could read Arkells' data. "You're from the future. I can scan your body in this field, and I must say, your AI is impressive. But not as sophisticated as mine. Suffice it to say, I can still use you. And like all data, download you."
Suddenly Arkells began to scream, as if he was being electrocuted inside the capsule. Waves of energy danced around inside, striking Arkells like lighting. Batman rushed to the capsule and struck it repeatedly with a Batarang to break it, but to no avail. But he didn't stop trying. "Arkells! Drake! Stay strong!"
"Jake, stop it!" Dick shouted.
Just then, inside the capsule, opposite to defragmenting data, Arkells genetic cells began to rip apart. His human form digitizing, his bio-data reformatted, and his eukaryotic cells separating from their membrane nucleus. Handles was using some form of advanced demolecularization technology to digitize Arkells, the ability concentrated within the capsule, and generated by his super-computer.
Batman slammed on the capsule with his fists. "Arkells, no! I don't want to lose you!"
Arkells met Batman's hand on the capsule as he began to disappear. "Bruce, it's too late. I was wrong. I'm sorry for the trouble I put you through and for what I did to my younger self. Please, apologize to him for me, and I hope me makes a full recovery. I just hope I made a difference in the short time we had together this time. Thank you, for everything."
And with that, Arkells disappeared, and was reconstituted into a small blue cube.
The capsule disappeared, and then the cube shot towards Handles' out-stretched hand, as if he was using some form of telekinesis, not giving Batman a chance to grab it. Handles cupped it. It then sank down and was absorbed into his palm. For a moment, Handles face glowed with a blue hue, processing Arkells digital data into is own self-consciousness.
"You son of a bitch!" Batman cursed.
"Ah, yes," Jake said piously, his arms now stretched out wide. "I was right. And now the morphing ability is mine! I can stay like this forever! No longer the grotesque monster, but the man Julie once loved and adored. And I will get her back!" Jake's seemed to glow. "But now, Dick Grayson, you will tell me where my beloved Julie is, or I'll crush you and your Batfamily to dust!"
Over his hands formed what could only be seen as—and what Grayson remembered—was Handles' Adaptability gloves, now incorporated into his being. They originally operated by static-electricity generated by an internal power source. But now, merely by thought, pure electricity coursed throughout and danced around his finger tips, looking like psychotic madness in physical form.
Arkells had given him the ability to create anything he wished.
In response, Nightwing ignited his escrima sticks to match electricity with electricity.
He had only seen Arkells morph twice: once from being Batman in the Batcave when he first encountered Future Drake, and the second, when Arkells changed his arm into a fly swatter to destroy Handles' PK bats.
He had no knowledge of other abilities Arkells may have had that now Handles possessed.
The possibilities were limitless.
x x x
Harvey Two-Face groaned.
As he lay face first on the floor, the only thing he truly felt was excessive grogginess after Handles' attack on him.
Luckily, he had turned at the last moment and his suit absorbed most of the blast from the Adaptability Glove. His suit was insinuated with a special light linear rubber polymer fibre that protected him from most energy blasts, a lesson he took away after many encounters with the Caped Crusader. The Bat had so many tricks up his sleeve that a villain had to be ready for anything.
He had to admit, the blast from Handles was one major kick in the teeth. Handles didn't hold back, the blast was meant to kill. Batman may have been many things, but unlike Handles, he wasn't a lair.
And Harvey hated lairs and betrayers. There was a special place in Hell for them.
It was the one thing he detested most when he was a Gotham District Attorney. Even if people told the complete truth on the witness stand and were guilty, there was always a reason for their actions, and an honest verdict could come about. But if a person lied, it was much harder to get the truth.
This was an open and shut case: Jake Handles—Annex—was guilty on multiple offences and he was going to pay. Annex owed him for services rendered and Harvey was always one to collect on his debts.
He sat up, and took a moment to look at the dead lionesses on the floor near-by that he had killed. He had used the last of his bullets to kill them and he had no regrets. Handles had trained them well, and they were loyal to him, but flesh and bone was nothing compared to compressed iron and steel fired at 1,800 mph.
He grabbed the edge of Handles super-computer to lift himself to his feet. The betrayal he felt from Handles filled him with such a burning hate that he wanted to punch something. For a moment, since he was alive—Big mistake, Handles, in not finishing me off, he thought—he wanted to take out his frustration on Handles computer. Then he thought against it: Not worth the effort.
He saw a floating projection screen that was still active of a scene taking place somewhere on the surrounding beach line of the island. Annex was facing Nightwing and being confrontational about it, the audio off. He hadn't seen the events that lead up to it, but Annex looked different now, and he wasn't in costume. Had he been faking his injuries?
Then he realized, Annex must be using some form of his Photo-Kinetic technology on himself to mask his true appearance.
The most arrogant ones are the most conceded bastards, Harvey thought.
He banged his head with his right fist as if to knock the cobwebs out. "Ah, that feels better. Now I'm fully awake." He looked at Nightwing and the others on the projection screen. He knew who Nightwing and the others were. All were members of the Wayne family. "Who cares who you are," he said. "The only person I have a beef with right now is Annex. The rest of you can go to hell."
Turning back to Annex's massive super-computer that controlled practically everything on the island, including the Sub-Harmonic Shock Disruptor, he had an idea. In truth, it was decision.
Reaching into his pocket, he went for his lucky coin. It was true, his OCD regarding major decisions was based on the flip of a coin these days. He was called Harvey Two-Face mainly because of his appearance, but there was more to the moniker. One that had been chosen for him. And it had to do with his two-sided coin. One side was normal, but the other was scratched to hell—they represented good and evil: much like in the criminal justice system. And in life, people made decisions everyday that changed the course of their lives in profound ways. Some later regretted their decisions.
But with his coin, it was either Yes or No. No regrets.
He searched his clothes, the coin was no where to be found. He padded himself down and momentarily panicked. It had been his father's coin; a special coin given to him when he was child, and was said to be very lucky. Harvey had taken it everywhere, on every case. Unfortunately, the one day he had forgotten it, was the day Vincent Falcone threw acid in his face changing his life forever.
He looked frantically for it and then breathed a sign of relief when he found it laying next to one of the dead lionesses. He recalled, he had been holding it when he had defended himself from Handles pets and also when Handles attacked him. When he collapsed, it must have rolled out of his hand.
Picking it up, he smiled, and flipped it, and caught it in hand. But he didn't look at it. No decision made.
He turned back to the active projection screen, and said gruffly, "Time to test your luck, Annex." He displayed the coin within his forefinger and thumb, as if showing Annex directly. "Heads I win, tails you lose."
He flipped it, then caught it, slapping it on the back of his other hand. He looked at it and then grinned sinisterly. The decision had been made, and he was pleased the universe had made the right choice. The choice he wanted to make.
"No one double-crosses, Harvey Two-Face," he said.
Over the course of Annex's operation, partnered with the crazy psychopath, Harvey had become privy to many things. If Annex succeeded in his plans to hold the world hostage with the SHSD, he world have the world's armies at his door step, working as one to save their own nations. And yet, with the SHSD, he could easily defend himself—using its power to annihilate his enemies. Eventually, they'd find a solution and a counter-attack, but by that time, the world would be much different place.
And whose to stop Annex from just blinding killing people at random to suit his agenda—like me? He knew too much.
Harvey liked the world just the way it was.
He faced the super-computer's main screen. Little did Annex know that his administrative password was not a secret. When Annex wasn't paying attention, Harvey had secretly watched him enter it when he accessed some of his most sensitive data on the SHSD. Now Harvey entered the password: METAMORPHOSIS, all in cap letters.
Harvey reflected on the meaning behind the password.
It was a change from something else, a metamorphosis—just like Jake Handles had changed from his previous life as an agent of Spyral, from a person who hunted down criminals to becoming one. The irony wasn't lost. Hence is pseudonym: Annex. To annex something: to free or change it.
Accessing the sensitive files to the SHSD, he typed in a command. He then hovered his fingers over the keyboard. The computer asked on the screen: PLEASE CONFIRM: DO YOU WISH TO DELETE ALL FILES?
Harvey hesitated for a moment, thinking. He wondered whether or not he should save a copy onto an external drive and take it with him. Then he thought against it. The SHSD was too dangerous. If Handles was willing to use it, whose to say if someone like Joker or Riddler got their hands on it—what they would do with it?
Armageddon, he thought.
He pressed YES. And the super-computer began to delete all files pertaining to the Super-Harmonic Shock Disruptor.
Once it was done, Harvey then did something else, grinning innately.
He knew computers retained data unless the information was overridden and he knew Handles could probably restore the deleted data easily—the man was a genius with computers. So, Harvey flipped his coin again, and again the decision proved positive in his favour. He accessed the Administrative Files and typed in another request.
The computer asked on the screen: PLEASE ENTER THE OLD PASSWORD:
"METAMORPHOSIS", Harvey spoke it while he typed it in.
Then the computer asked: PLEASE ENTER A NEW ADMINISTRATIVE PASSWORD.
He thought for a moment. He needed something that Annex's wouldn't easily guess.
It was then Harvey thought back to his childhood, to a moment when he and his mother were watching a movie together.
It was an old movie, and a musical, but it was so memorable that he often found himself humming the main tune. It was one of the fondest memories of his mother he could remember. Sometimes, a child's memories were the strongest of all, and it formed the basics of that person's psyche later on in life. Harvey still had fond memories of his both his parents.
Now he would use that memory to destroy a traitor.
He smiled, and then took another a moment to spell it correctly in all caps: SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALODOCIOUS. He then replaced all the I's with 1's, and the S's with lower case z's. So, it read: zUPERCAL1FRAG1L1zTICEXP1ALODOC1OUS.
In case Annex did guess it, which was highly unlikely, he would have to spell it exactly like this to restore administrative access to his computer—it was near impossible. He hoped.
The computer asked for him to confirm his password, and in retyping it, he pressed ENTER.
"Good luck with that password, you traitorous bastard," Harvey said, and laughed.
He then smashed the computer console with a fist and left by way of a hidden access to the hanger bay, where he knew an escape plane was waiting. He would let Annex fight the Batfamily on his own and without the help of his super-computer.
To be continued...
