Chapter 128
The Batmobile as well as the Trickstress' motorbike zoom along the mostly deserted streets. Renee sits in the Batmobile next to Batwoman as the Trickstress keys up the communicator on her motorbike to call Veronica Vreeland.
"Why are you calling V?" Batwoman shouts into her communicator as the open hood of the Batmobile allows in the roar of the rest of the vehicle.
"I had her design a suit for Eel to help control his powers. Hopefully she's done, or at the very least, has enough to get him under control," the Trickstress explains.
"Wow," Batwoman chuckles, "I didn't know you and V were close."
She shakes her head, "We're not, she's just the only one with the resources to possibly help Eel."
"Or you could have...you know, taken him to the hospital," Renee counters.
The Trickstress rolls her eyes, "You know Gotham General is crap, weren't we just stitching you up in the woods outside a hospital not too long ago?"
"Ladies, let's be civil here. You call V, I'll use the navigator in the Batmobile to try and pin down Eel's location," Batwoman reasons.
On the Trickstress' motorbike communicator, Veronica Vreeland's voice comes through, "What is it Natalie? Is it about Eel?"
"Yes, it's about Eel," she confesses, "how's the progress on the suit, because-"
"Because Eel's rampaging through the city like some sort of monster, yes, I know, it was on the TV. The suit's nearly finished, but I have no way of delivering it to you," Veronica informs her.
The Trickstress slams her fist onto the handle of her motorbike, "Shoot!"
The Batmobile as well as Trickstress' motorbike begins approaching the gargantuan Eel, who has grown to the size of the tallest city skyscraper. His clothes have become too small for his form, with only ripped shorts remaining. The three girls look up in awe. Renee, having overheard the Trickstress' conversation with Veronica, presses the button on the Batmobile's communicator.
"Here, give me your motorbike, I'll drive uptown and get Eel's suit," she offers.
The Trickstress turns to Renee in the Batmobile, and nods. The Trickstress drives her motorbike close to the Batmobile as Renee stands up on the moving Batmobile. While both vehicles are still at full speed, the Trickstress leaps off of her motorbike at the same time Renee leaps out of the Batmobile. Renee grabs onto the motorbikes handles as it swerves to the left, skidding on the edge of the road. As the Trickstress climbs into a sitting position in the Batmobile, Renee regains control of the Trickstress' motorbike and does a sharp one-eighty, turning around and speeding off in the other direction.
The Batmobile draws ever-closer to Eel, as the stomps of his movements cause the ground to shake.
"Maybe if you get close enough, you can get him to calm down," Batwoman suggests to the Trickstress.
The Trickstress leans over the side of the car to get a good look at Eel and his surroundings. Somewhat to the left of Eel is the Wayne Enterprises building, which is just tall enough so that it peaks above his head.
"Can you drive me to the Wayne Enterprises building?" she asks Batwoman.
Batwoman nods, "On it."
There's a screech of tires as Batwoman sharply turns left, veering onto a side road leading straight to the Wayne Enterprises building. As the car speeds ahead, the Trickstress prepare my grappling gun.
"It really feels like we're in a Gray Ghost episode, doesn't it?" Batwoman chuckles.
The Trickstress can't help but smile, "I don't know if that's a good thing."
The Batmobile approaches the Wayne Enterprises building, and the Trickstress stands in her seat. Aiming her grappling gun straight up, she fires, until it attaches to something.
"Wish me luck!" she tells Batwoman, before zipping up into the sky.
The grappling gun's wire takes the Trickstress up to one of the terraces about twenty floors up. The building towers up with a pointed roof at the top. Balanced on the edge of the terrace, she lets the wire zip back into the grappling gun before firing it again, this time taking me up another twenty floors to a decorative gargoyle. The Trickstress is at Eel's shoulder now, could he see her, or hear her from this high up?
The Trickstress calls out to him, "Eel!"
Eel turns around to face her, but accidentally bumps the lower half of Wayne Enterprises with his hand, causing the entire building to shake. Throwing the Trickstress off balance, she holds onto the gargoyle with both arms and legs.
"Trix?! Wa-...was that you?!" his voice is lower and slower than usual, probably having to do with his size.
"I'm on top of Wayne Enterprises, Eel! On one of the gargoyles!" she tries to keep her tone loud and clear, but she can't help but find her voice drowned out by the chaos below.
"Trix...you're one of those masked ladies! Trix-...I-I'm going to head to the docks! I'll walk into the ocean where no people are around!" even though his tone is somewhat normal, Eel's natural volume gives the illusion that he's screaming everything he says.
The Trickstress shakes her head, "You'd have to walk through Gotham's most populated downtown area! Just hold on Eel! Hold still!"
Spotting her, Eel leans in so that he can hear her better. The Trickstress repeats her command a few more times, and then he gives a small nod, before locking his legs together, and gluing his arms to his sides. He keeps his elongated head close to the Trickstress, awaiting further instructions.
Getting on her feet, the Trickstress wipes sweat off of her brow, "Thank goodness."
"So...what are we waiting for...exactly?" Eel asks.
Meanwhile, Renee heads back towards downtown Gotham on the Trickstress' motorbike, holding a hangar and dry-cleaning cover under one arm. The motorbike comes to a screeching halt next to the Batmobile, which is parked on an empty street a few blocks away from Eel's location.
"Got the suit. Now how are we supposed to get it to Trickstress?" Renee asks, leaping off of the motorbike.
Batwoman leans against the Batmobile, looking up at the creature looming above, "Hmm...if the Trickstress was able to get up there with her grappling gun...I think I've got an idea."
From high atop Wayne Enterprises, the Trickstress easily spots the black-and-red Batmobile racing down the road towards the building.
"Eel, stay right there. Your suit's here, I'm going to head down and fetch it," she tells him.
As the Trickstress swings down from the gargoyle and uses the grappling gun to ease her way down the skyscraper, a large police blimp approaches Eel. From the large black blimp, a gatling gun is lowered from its hull and starts firing at Eel. The bullets spray at Eel, and he lifts his ginormous arms to shield himself, ripping through a couple buildings in the process.
Seeing the blimp attacking him, the Trickstress picks up the pace, taking bigger and more dangerous jumps in order to reach the bottom. From the Batmobile, Batwoman fires her grappling gun and attaches the coat hanger to the gun. Letting go of the gun, the suit zips up the line, before hitting the end and sticking to a corner of the building. From there, the Trickstress grabs the costume, as well as the extra grappling gun. Using Batwoman's grappling gun as well as her own, she begins swinging upwards, using the two grappling guns in tandem to reach the top.
While the bullets from the police blimp don't appear to be doing any sufficient damage to Eel, they still cause him pain, as his hands turn red from the gunfire. Growing angry, he snarls.
"Leave me alone!"
With one swing of his right arm, Eel punches the police, causing the balloon to set fire and collapse into a nearby building. The blimp explodes, setting fire to several buildings around it.
Eel's posture slowly collapses, and his arms fall as he surveys the damage to the city he's caused, "No...no, I didn't mean to...I just wanted to get away...I...I just…"
The Trickstress finally scales back up to the decorative gargoyle she'd been perched on, "Eel! I got your suit!"
Ripping off the plastic cover and throwing off the hangar, Eel takes the smallest steps possible so's to turn around to face her, "Trix, there's no point. I mean, look at what I've done, I-...this is all wrong."
"And you'll make it right again, Eel. But first you've got to get yourself under control," she tells him.
The Trickstress stands up on the gargoyle, and reaches out her hand, the high-altitude wind blowing her dark hair. Eel pauses, before reaching out with his much larger hand, reaching so far that his fingers go under the decorative gargoyle. Using his hand as a platform, the Trickstress leaps off of the gargoyle and onto his hand. She presses the suit to Eel's skin, and as he closes his eyes, he begins to shrink. As Eel grows smaller, the Trickstress crawls onto his back, piggy-backing him as he returns to normal size.
With a sigh of relief, Eel shakes the Trickstress' hand, "Gosh, you saved my life Trix. I wouldn't know wha-"
His thank you is interrupted by the clinking of several guns as the two of them realize they're now surrounded by armed police officers.
His hand still on the suit, Eel flashes a confident smile, "Gentlemen, ladies, this has all been a big misunderstan-"
"Hands up, now!" one of officers demands, pointing his gun forward.
"Well, you see, it's a funny story, it starts on a Saturday and-"
Eel's banter is cut off by a dozen officers firing their guns, spraying endless bullets into the circle. When the dust clears, it's revealed that Eel, now with his suit on, has created a bubble of himself around the Trickstress, completely shielding her from view. As quickly as he'd shape-shifted, he shifts into his humanoid self, carrying the Trickstress in his arms.
"You'll never catch me, copper!" he declares, before his legs bounce him off, sending him flying up in the air.
"Eel, how-...I mean, how did you-...oh my god, we're flying!" the Trickstress declares, looking down as Eel's feet expand and flatten to prepare for the landing.
"No Trix, we're falling...with style!" he corrects with triumph.
The two of them land in front of the Batmobile, with Batwoman and the masked Renee waiting for them.
"Alright, explanation time," Batwoman demands.
Eel puts the Trickstress down, "Lovely meeting you ladies, big fan, but half the city is on fire because of me, don't you think you superheroes should do something about that first?"
Batwoman nods, heading for the Batmobile, while the Trickstress heads for her motorbike.
Renee shakes her head, "We're not superheroes."
Author's Note: I will be resuming my normal release schedule of every Monday and Friday. It's good to be back :)
Kyokkou (Chapter 15): Fish Mooney's has several secretive, speakeasy-like features that would make anyone paranoid. How do you think she gets all of her intel? And thanks, of all the numbers I've done, Singing in the Rain is still one of my favorites.
It's cool, I haven't watched all of Arrow either, it's hard enough keeping up with Gotham. I know the Suicide Squad from the comics, as well as the upcoming movie. And don't worry about not knowing about the Suicide Squad, the first chapter was written over a year ago, and I write BOAF assuming the readers know nothing
Guest (Chapter 131): Yay! I love Persona too, it might be awhile before the next Bat-Manga! but I'm glad you're looking forward to it
Thanks! :)