I'm so sorry I haven't been updating as much as I wanted to folks! Work, life and health sadly take priority! I'll be adding to the Young Justice fanfics and even Transformers though hopefully in the next while! Stay tuned and as always enjoy!

- The Fallen Sun

"Alfred! Why can't we unlock the door?" She growled. "They're getting killed!"

To say that Cheetah was livid would be an insult to the word. She paced and clawed at the metallic case she and Alfred were and all the while Batman, Nightwing and the two strange newcomers were slowly quelling the tide of Owls that invaded the Batcave. She wanted to get in there and dig her claws into the creatures that were hurting her Bruce. She looked over at Alfred who held a shotgun in one hand as the other tapped several keys on the large console to the Bat-puter, something she called it in secret and despite her usual reaction she didn't giggle this time.

"Much as I'd love to unlock it and get us into the fray Miss Cheetah we're locked out of the system controlling the doors." Alfred explained with a bitter tone, "It seemed Master Bruce made sure we couldn't help him, to protect us it seems. I'm trying to get access to something right now anything at this point but it will take time." Alfred then sighed. "Time our friend doesn't seem to have much of right now."

"Damn his stubbornness!" Cheetah growled. "Bruce is laying right there dying and we can't do anything!"

She wanted to cry, to claw, to bite to do anything in order to help her love but here she was locked in a cage. She simply held her arms, looking at the lone figure, one of the newcomers, look in the eyes of the cowled Owl that came well prepared.

Whoever you are, just kill him… end this nightmare.

Yet despite her pleas, her wants, she could only claw at the glass staring down at the prone form of Batman's armored frame and seeing one of their, hopefully, saviors go toe to toe with the armored man. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked to the sad eyes of Alfred. She knew full well he wanted to help as well, she simply nodded to him and he turned back to the console.

"We just need more time," he murmured, "let us hope he can get us the time we need."

He felt a sting of fear in his stomach, or it could be blood dripping down his abdominals, at this point Gregory didn't know. He held the stave in his grip tightly, the sparks of electricity dancing along the metal. It tickled his numbed flesh at this point as the two of them, he and this weird silver Owl stepped around each other, stalking them. He hoped this would do some damage to him. Without that strange patchwork covered fighter here something told him that he was in trouble, in the worse kind of trouble, still he brought his weapon up.

"Well?" the figure asked. "I have all night."

Gregory leapt forward bringing the stave around in an overhead strike. The Owl blocked it with a forearm and tossed him aside. He quickly skid his knees along the ground, gritting his teeth as he swing the staff up smacking the metal into his unarmored chin. His foe's head was knocked to the side with a splatter of dark blood and he looked at him and for a moment Gregory saw the pure anger beneath the lenses of his cowl. He was quick to get to his feet, already blocking a pair of wild haymakers from him. He kept stepping back until he spun low again knocking the man's legs out from under him.

He felt a surge of triumph seeing the man falling and he was quick to get on top of him. His first jab caught him right in the lip while the second and third were quickly blocked. He had to give the Owl credit where it was due; he knew how to handle himself. At first Gregory thought Batman was just a man hiding behind his gadgets. A few spars with him quickly proved otherwise though. His elbow swung down, blocked by the armored forearm and he got a weak angled uppercut into his chin again. Anything to rattle this monster would help.

Then Gregory was tossed onto his back and the Owl reversed the position. Gregory kept his arms up, blocking what blows he could but bone against solid chunks of metal equated a short conversation. He could feel his arms start to give from the blocks and Gregory took a gamble. When he reeled his arm back for another hard jab he bucked up from his position ramming his head right into him. There was a crack, but if that was his skull or his foe's jaw he didn't know. He nearly passed out from the effort as he crawled away, letting his weak grip close around the stave.

He could hear the Owl's laughter, weak and wheezing, behind him.

"I haven't felt so alive in ages! Finally someone willing to do anything to beat his opponent. Batman is far too honorable, his sidekick? Much the same, but you though? You, cowboy… just the challenge I need."

Him? A challenge compared to Batman? He wasn't sure about that, but the man who complimented him was the villain after all. Taking a compliment from a villain was akin to shooting yourself in the foot, always puts you off balance. He brought the stave up again letting the electricity dance along the steel shaft. The Owl got to his feet and two more of the curved throwing weapons at him. The staff flicked left and then down, catching both and bringing them to the ground before he charged in, letting the weapon jab high before sweeping low. His foe blocked both strikes rapidly before slamming his knee into his gut. Gregory felt the wind get forced out of him with a wet sounding crunch. He fell onto his knees, gasping and puking up the contents of his stomach.

"That look like it hurt."

Gregory brought up one of his arms in a feeble method of defense before he was kicked towards the center of the Cave. He coughed up blood this time, wiping his lip. Internal bleeding, his chest felt heavy and his head felt like he had a long night with a good bottle of whiskey. There was just no woman to match his want as he rolled over onto his side, struggling to get to his feet.

Alfred felt the cold sweat on his brow as he worked away at the accursed piece of technology Master Bruce insisted was necessary. Back in his day it'd be a simple pull on a lever and the door would open, but no, he insisted on technology. Alfred managed, watching him as he served the barely touched breakfasts and dinners and getting some rudimentary knowledge of the system. That knowledge over the years grew and now he had access to certain parts of the system, it had to be enough since their savior, Gregory if he recalled the first name correctly, was being beaten.

"I think I have something…" he murmured.

"Access to the doors?"

Alfred looked over at the exotic eyes of Bruce's lover and sighed. "Sadly not, but maybe something that can give our friend an advantage."

Cheetah peered up at the monitor. She seemed amused, but over what he could not tell. He went back to the typing, trying to keep the channels he made open before the system locked him out again.

"Do it." He heard her hiss quietly. "We have to give him help."

Alfred couldn't agree me, just a couple more keystrokes- "And… there, that should do it. Let us hope that's enough."

He was burning, on fire, and the souls within the rags were gnawing at his flesh making him regret for a moment before stepping into that accursed cave. He tried for the whole encounter to use the magic within his costume but he couldn't get access to it. Why, and for that matter, how? He dismissed the costume letting it fade to whence it came. He had access to magic now, rubbing his fingers together to have that familiar tingling at the tips. He couldn't' do anything more for Batman and his allies now. That would likely explain why it was only a handful against a small army within that expansive cavern. He wished who remained luck but now he returned his hallowed halls, mending wounds internal and external.

He heard a metallic hiss only a few steps away from him. He got to his hands and knees and he stumbled forward. It was another suit but it looked akin to Batman's current one. Broken and worn out as he was he doubted he could make a proper use for it, it needed to be enough though. It had to be. He ducked beneath the thrown weapon that pinged off the metal of the chest plate and Gregory stumbled into the small metallic tube that housed it. He could hear the Owl punching and kicking at it.

"Fine, let us see if your other friends have more courage."

He quickly slammed his hand down on the chest plate, and the armor hissed. It didn't have room to open so he deactivated the pod, a risky move, but the Owl was too occupied punching and kicking at the door slowly crunching the plastic. He saw the armor open up and he stepped into it. It closed and clacked around him, tightening snug around his frame. He only saw Batman use this suit a few times so to him it was just an exoskeleton. It would do. He charged forward, and leaped across. He saw the Owl turn and brought up his arms to block but Vigilante swung his foot low, catching him beneath the guard right in the chin. There was a satisfying crunch and the Owl's head snapped back, blood splattering across the plastic and he stumbled back giving him a grin of bloodied teeth through the mask.

"Oh…" he wheezed, the mask deactivating for a moment to spit out a glob of blood, "now this is going to be interesting."

He stepped in, the suit felt more natural, could be the tighter fit or the fact he was accustomed to fighting in Batman's 'style' at this point. He knew the Dark Knight had no real one to call his own but he blended martial arts to make his own. He could copy it, but he brought a bit of his thoughts to it as well. He focused mostly on boxing and Muay Thai, a personal favorite of his. He slammed his forearm into the Owl's shoulder before he rammed his shoulder into his chest. The Owl blocked both strikes and kicked out at his hip. Gregory turned, grabbing the leg and throwing him to the ground. He was about to leap on top of him when the Owl's armored boots slammed into his chest plate to spring him back. The Owl spun his legs around and got to his feet, throwing more of the large curved wings as he did. The first impacted into his side and the second caught him across the arm. The armor held, but that didn't stop it from stinging.

"We can keep going at this until one of us breaks. I know you're bleeding internally, cowboy. Don't fool yourself."

He was right, so why keep up the banter? He dove forward, leading with a punch which was blocked but his knee came up soon after connecting with the armored abdomen. He heard a grunt and he weaved to the left, jabbing into his side once and again before he slammed his elbow along his jaw. The Owl was spun around and Gregory curled his arm around his waist and grunting in effort he lifted the man up, arching his back and slamming him into the ground. He was quick to turn the man over, tearing off the protective jaw guard of the armor as he was stunned. His heart was hammering into his chest.

"I told ya I'd kill ya you son of a bitch…" he grumbled.

Before the man could open his mouth for a retort Gregory's armored fist punched him right in the mouth. He felt teeth give. He punched again, and again and again. His movements, like the armor he wore, were mechanical. It was necessary and Batman wouldn't let this go away, wouldn't let this simply drop. Yet his fist kept jabbing even until there was a wet crunch and splat with each blow. He stared down the bloody mess that he made and he looked up, seeing the armored form of Bruce start to shift and stir. Gregory smiled before he fell over, letting the crawling darkness at the corner of his eyes claim him.

It was so quiet.

Peaceful.

Yet Gregory didn't fight it, not this time.