Chapter 5: Interrogation
Izayoi sat at a small, wooden table that was no wider than his arm-length; the chair beneath him was metallic and foldable for easy use purposes. He currently resided in a small room with white brick colored walls that surrounded him on almost all sides; he had taken to a nearby police station for 'interrogation' – or at least, that's what they called it.
In front of him was a wide, heavily-tinted window that spanned the majority of the wall and acted more like a mirror; behind him was situated the metallic door that he entered in from. The rest of the room was practically blank; nothing, not even a trash can was anywhere in his vicinity. The blonde teen couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. Surely they didn't think this place was fortified enough to keep him from leaving if he wanted to? They witnessed his strength first-hand; this was ridicules…..as well as entertaining.
There was a sudden reverberating sound that emanated from the speakers on the ceiling before a voice blasted through the room.
"What's so funny?" the voice echoed.
"Huh? Nothing, sorry," Izayoi responded upon realizing he had been sporting a full-on smirk the entire time.
"Are you ready to begin?" the voice asked.
"You bet," Izayoi said with a thumbs up.
There was a short silence before the voice on the speakers resumed, "What is your mission?" it asked, ignoring his carefree attitude.
"To bring joy to the world," Izayoi mocked.
"Take this seriously," the voice growled.
"Fine. My mission was to seize control of the planet Earth within the set time frame of 6 months," he promptly informed.
"How were you going to accomplish this task," the man over the speakers continued.
The blonde boy leaned a bit back into his chair, "well, first I was going to get an ice cream, head to 'Chucky Cheeses'', and then figure it all out from there," he said with a grin.
The man over the mic sighed in annoyance, "If you are not going to cooperate during this interrogation, just say so."
"Tch, party pooper," Izayoi responded, sitting up straight in his seat, "First, I would work to learn everything I could about this Nation's government; understanding things like law, organization, and influence are very important factors to consider. My next step was to gain control of any allies I could while on this planet; with the promise of money or any sort of reward, most people would agree. Then, using what allies I had, I would manipulate the government, either forcefully or through more indirect means. Then, as a final measure, once gaining control of the government of course, I would subjugate and destroy anyone who attempted to resist me – that includes superheroes."
The deep and serious tone of Izayoi's voice was enough to render the speaker silent for a few moments before he returned.
"Are you still planning on doing that?" it asked.
"…nope," Izayoi stated with a delayed response, "not unless it's necessary."
"What does THAT mean?" the man asked.
"Nothin'. Just forget about it," the blonde teen said with a shrug.
"Hey, do you think I could get any water?" Izayoi suddenly asked, "I'm parched."
The man on the speakers hesitated for a second before responding, "Fine. Don't make any sudden moves, thought. Do you understand? This is your only warning."
Izayoi looked at the tinted window and presented yet another thumbs up.
On the other side of the tinted window stood Batman and a very concerned Commissioner Gordon; they were in a walk-through office that overlooked the interrogation room. To the side of the room stood Superman who stared out through the dim window with his arms crossed in front of him.
"What do you think?" Gordon asked, glancing over his shoulder at the silent cowl-wearing man behind him.
"He's telling the truth," Batman observed with narrow eyes, "but his behavior makes me wonder: if he could've had access to more soldiers from Darkseid's army, why didn't he take them? Why did he decide to stay here on his own?"
The Commissioner wiggled his mustache before glancing back into the interrogation room just as a guard entered with a cup full of water.
"Thanks," Izayoi said as the man set it down on the table.
As the guard was leaving, the same male voice erupted from the speakers once again.
"Are you ready to continue?" it asked.
"You betcha'," Izayoi said as he raised the cup in the air, as though he was giving a toast.
"Why did you refuse to keep any of Darkseid's soldiers? He would've given them to you if you asked."
"Ehhh, I prefer to work alone," Izayoi replied, taking a sip of the water.
"Is that really it?" the voice questioned.
"Well," the teen began as he set the cup back on the table, "I suppose I could tell you what you want to hear. Like: 'the only reason I didn't bring any soldiers with me was because I knew the residents here would react violently to such a display. I could also tell you that I knew if I was alone, you would lower your guard, which would make it easier for me to take power.'…but none of that's true, so you can calm down."
Batman narrowed his eyes even more from beyond the glass.
"He's toying with us," the brooding man said.
"What do you mean?" Superman asked.
"Each time we ask a question, he answers it in a way that seems playful but doesn't provide us with much information. When we ask further, he reveals a number of things that he knows we're expecting to hear; however, it also seems as if he's leading us down certain paths of questioning. He's using our own questions against us."
Superman turned his head away from Batman and looked back into the interrogation room; he had to admit, the ability for anyone to exert that much control in a situation like this was bone-chilling.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Izayoi suddenly wondered from within the room.
Commissioner Gordon pressed a red button in front of him as he spoke into the microphone.
"Hey, listen, kid. YOU'RE the one who's being interrogated here. Not me," he said harshly.
"Oh, well can I talk to Batman then?" Izayoi asked with a smile.
The Commissioner's eyes widened upon the blonde teen's words.
"What makes you think he's even here?" Gordon asked.
"I can see him standing right next to you," Izayoi stated.
The Commissioner's blood went cold and his body froze. Could this guy see through the glass? No. No way, that's impossible.
"Also, nice tie, Commissioner," the blonde continued, "It suits you well."
Gordon swallowed out of pure shock and remained still as Batman took the initiative to press the red button for himself.
"What is it you want to ask?" he questioned, speaking directly into the microphone.
Izayoi took one final sip of his water, wiping his chin as he set the cup back down on the table.
"Do you really think you could've defeated Darkseid?" he finally asked.
"Does it matter what answer I give you?" Batman countered.
"…..no, I suppose it doesn't. Although the question is one you should consider if you wish to ask me anything else," the teen said.
Batman blinked in slight confusion at what that final statement might've meant.
"Very well, we will end this line of questioning here for the day," the Bat stated, earning a grateful smile from the boy.
"Cool," Izayoi calmly chuckled.
The next few minutes were filled with silence as Izayoi waited for someone to open the door; of course, he could've broken through it if he wanted to, but that would probably be seen as him being defiant. A few more minutes passed before there was a sudden buzzing that came from the door, followed almost immediately by the sound of it being unlocked. A guard opened the door and waited as Batman and Superman both followed suit, entering into the empty room. Batman stared down at the blonde teen, who in turn looked back up at him; Izayoi's face was now blank – carrying neither a smile nor a frown on his emotionless visage.
"Follow us," Superman commanded.
Without any words, Izayoi stood up from the metal seat of the chair and made his way out the door; Batman waited for him to exit before immediately tailing behind him. The hallway that he was lead into was relatively small and thin, with a few lights hanging from the ceiling. The lights, however, worked to only illuminate a small amount of the area; the surface of the walls and floor were dimly lit by the greenish-blue glow of the lights above. A few of them seemed to flicker on and off as Izayoi passed by. Coming to a slow stop at a relatively open space, almost like a lobby, Izayoi watched as Batman approached a desk at the other end of the room. After talking with the man who sat there and coming to an agreement of some kind, the Dark Knight finally turned around and nodded to Superman.
Returning the nod, Superman glanced at Izayoi, "Come on," he said sternly as he began to walk out the front door.
As he was exiting, Izayoi read some letters that were posted on the other side of the glass door: "Gotham City Police Department". The doors slowly slid open as Superman and Izayoi stepped outside; the sky had fallen to the spread of night, and now the only source of natural light was the moon that floated so effortlessly in the sky.
"This way," Superman said, leading the boy around the corner.
Upon moving further down, Izayoi's eyes suddenly widened upon seeing a relatively large plane-like vehicle that was located a few yards away from him. It was black and sleek, with the metallic surface shinning in the moonlight; it seemed to be more jet-like in appearance, but even that wasn't descriptive enough. The 'wings' of the vehicle were fairly long and thin, coming to a point at the end; dark blue tinted glass sat upon the top of it – Izayoi suspected that was where the cockpit was located.
Batman pressed something on his belt and the jet beeped in response, opening a hidden compartment on the side of the vehicle; reaching into the side of the plane, Batman pulled out a strange object before closing the compartment once again. Izayoi inspected the strange contraption that the man held in his hands; for starters, it was more silver-like in its makeup, shimmering as the Bat held it. Grabbing onto either side of it, Batman pulled the contraption a bit to elongate it.
Izayoi quickly realized it was a pair of handcuffs, although they seemed more heavy-duty than anything the police force had access to.
"Turn around," Batman stated, holding up the handcuffs.
Rotating his body around, the blonde teen looked up at the sky while Batman worked to secure his wrists within the contraption's grasp.
"Is this really necessary?" Izayoi asked.
"Yes," Batman sternly replied in his monotone voice.
Once the cuffs were firmly on, the contraption beeped and a small green light appeared.
"These are power-dampening cuffs," Superman explained, "they will temporarily negate your powers as we transport you to a safer location."
"Safer?" Izayoi repeated, he couldn't help but think that comment was funny.
"Batman, do you have it from here?" Superman questioned.
The cloaked figure simply nodded in response as he took a hold of the blonde teen's arm and led him to the jet. As Izayoi lazily took a seat in the vehicle and Batman sat at the helm, Superman started to float off into the sky.
"I'll meet you there," he said before he flew off.
"Meet us….where?" Izayoi asked, earning nothing but silence from the caped crusader.
As Batman initiated the jet's engine and the vehicle roared to life, Izayoi let out a short sigh – this guy didn't seem like one to engage in small talk. The plane began to vibrate slightly, and Batman clicked on a few more buttons; the dome of the tinted glass slowly returned to its place on top of the cockpit, a hissing sound occurring as it was sealed. Batman grabbed a hold of the control handle and gently pulled on it, causing the jet to float upward in a vertical fashion. Reaching a level above the line of buildings, Batman flipped a switch and pushed the handle forward; without any hesitation, the jet boosted itself through the air and accelerated past the rows of buildings that lined the city street.
A few minutes into the air, Batman received an incoming transmission from the screen that was positioned in front of him. Clicking on a button that spread across the monitor, he read a series of text that was displayed on the bright screen; being in the back, Izayoi couldn't really read what the text said, but he was able to discern a few words from the small letters that graced the monitor – "Robbery in progress…"
Batman let out a low grunt and turned the jet slightly in a different direction; zooming in between the buildings, the vehicle slowed its velocity as it neared the ground once again. Finally settling down, it landed in a relatively secluded lot as the engine began to calm.
"What's going on?" Izayoi asked, looking around at the surroundings outside.
"Wait here," Batman said as he opened up the cockpit and hopped out.
Clicking a button on his utility belt, he walked away as the glass dome closed back up again. Approaching a nearby building, Batman crept closer to the outside wall and placed his back against it as he carefully snuck around the base of the structure. Peering around the corner at the front of the building, Batman witnessed approximately 5 figures quietly carrying out several containers from inside of a parked van. The containers weren't just everyday, run-of-the-mill boxes, they seemed like they were specifically designed to carry something – something important.
Placing his fingers to the side of his mask, Batman activated the internal system in his suit as he spoke.
"Computer: status update on police arrival," he whispered.
"Police forces are currently en route. Approximate time of arrival: 15 minutes," a robotic voice replied.
"That's not enough time," he mumbled to himself as he reached for something in his belt.
"What's not enough time?" whispered a voice from behind him.
Quickly turning around, startled by the fact that anyone could sneak up on him, Batman saw a smiling Izayoi who politely waved at him.
"How did you –" he started to say, but his words were cut off by the sound of a familiar voice.
Hurry it up! The police will be here any minute," commanded a low, gruff voice from within the van.
Batman's eyes narrowed; he knew that voice. In fact, he had tangled with this particular person several times.
As a man slowly climbed out of the vehicle, Batman was unsurprised to see none other than Bane. The criminal's massive body bulged with muscles, to the point that it looked uncomfortable, and his face was hidden behind a black-mask that resembled a Mexican wrestler. Long tubes, carrying some sort of green substance, protruded from a device on his forearms to the muscles on his back. Thick veins were present beneath his skin as he moved.
"Wow. That does not look healthy," Izayoi noted as he stared at the man's physique.
Temporarily ignoring the fact that the blonde boy effortlessly escaped from the confines of both the handcuffs and the jet, Batman merely raised a finger to his lips.
"Stay here," he said before disappearing around the corner.
Several seconds later, the sounds of a struggle echoed throughout the street; almost all of the men were quickly knocked out by Batman's weapons and attacks. The last of the men standing, barely got a glimpse of the Bat before he was taken out by a swift kick to the side of the face. Turning his head to the sound of the scuffle, Bane set his eyes upon the masked man who remained in the shadows, standing over the unconscious bodies of the men.
"Batman…" the muscular man growled aloud.
"Bane," the cowl-wearing hero addressed with an equal amount of contempt.
"Heh, I thought we would have more time before you showed up," he said, curling his hands into heavy fists.
"Darkseid just showed up yesterday," Batman noted, "Let me guess: you came here to take advantage of all the chaos. As long as more people are focused on what happened, it'll be easier for you to operate under their noses."
"As clever as always, Batman," the muscle-bound criminal stated with a glare, "however, I'm afraid I can't have you ruining my plans. Not today."
With that, he lunged at the Bat, swinging his fists in a flurry of punches; his opponent gracefully guarded all of them, careful to side-step the powerful attacks. As Bane began to lose his stamina, Batman took advantage at his slowed movements; moving to Bane's side, Batman delivered a powerful kick to the masked wrestler's knee, causing him to loose his balance. Stumbling a bit to the ground, Bane let out a short grunt in pain as Batman reached for the tubes that lead up to his back.
"Not today!" Bane exclaimed, quickly grabbing his wrist.
Before Batman could react, he was thrown against concrete wall of the building, creating a small crack at the point of impact. Stomping over to the fallen hero before he had a chance of getting back up again, Ban kicked him in the ribs, earning a cough of pain from the Dark Knight. Bane was relentless and proceeded to deliver a few more kicks for good measure; once he was finished, he grabbed Batman by the throat and lifted him up off of the floor.
"I warned you, Batman," he whispered before reeling his fist back for one final blow.
Suddenly, he felt something touch his hand and he turned his head to see what it was; standing next to him was what looked to be a young, blonde teenager.
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," the boy said with a smirk.
End of Chapter 5
Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to get back to this story; I was either working on writing other stories (Which you should definitely check out :)), or I just completely forgot. Anyway, I don't think I had any particular plan for how this story was going to go, so I'll probably just decide to wing it – how bad could it be? If you liked this chapter, please comment and let me know how much of a piece of crap I am for forgetting to update this particular fanfic. Thanks!