Dropping into the train depot, I can't say I'm too surprised to find it empty. "Everything's dark, quiet. It's empty." I tell Alfred, scanning the building and finding no signs of life.

"No sign of the Children of Arkham?" Alfred questions, clearly concerned. "They may not have gone far."

"Not for the moment. Means I have time to see what they've been up to."

"Just be careful. We don't want any surprises. I'll continue monitoring the drone feeds from here."

"Thanks, I'm going to have a look around." I vault over the railing to land on the ground level. I've hardly begun to look around when I notice a decomposing body beneath the map of all the sky train lines. "There's a body here. Likely the work of the Children of Arkham. I'm going to look around, see what else they've been up to."

As I draw closer to the body, I realize it's further into decomposition then I realized. "He's been dead for awhile from the looks of it." I relay to Alfred. "It's one of the Children of Arkham. Loyalty doesn't get you much with these people does it?"

"Seems strange."

"He was shot dead center, twice, execution style."

"He outlived his usefulness, I suppose." Alfred offers.

"This man's veins; they look like Montoya's veins from after she was drugged, only they're so much worse. It has to be the same drug from the debate."

"I feared we hadn't seen the last of it." I squat, looking closer for signs of needle marks. There's nothing on his arms, I can't see anything on his neck. Possibly between his toes? I relay my findings to Alfred.

"So, how did it get in his body?" Alfred asks the questions we're both wondering.

I lean away from the body, looking closer at the map above him. "They've been referencing the map. Whatever they've been building must hinge on it somehow." I continue to scan the map, hoping to find a clue when I notice something emitting a faint glow from a tool bench beside me. Numbers. Red numbers. "A detonation device. But it's disabled."

"They must have intended to hook it up to something."

"The timer is set for twenty-seven minutes and thirteen seconds." What an odd time.

"From now?" Alfred asks wearily.

"No, the numbers aren't moving. It doesn't seem to be counting down yet." Seeing nothing else of interest, I look back to the map, feeling as if I'm missing something. "This depot is pretty centrally located." It suddenly clicks. "The timer, it's how they were timing their route. Alfred, what stations are within a twenty-seven minute train ride from this depot?"

"Looking into the transportation database now." Alfred responds, the faint sound of his fingers typing on the keyboard audible. "Sir, there's just one within that distance. Mercy Street Station."

That's a hotspot for city life. Numerous shops, clubs, and restaurants surround that stop. "It's one of the busiest places in the city. Thousands of people go in and out of that station every hour." But what are they planning for the station? I step back from the map, glancing around in hopes of seeing anything else that may help me piece things together. To my right, a few feet away, are large drums filled with an unidentifiable product. Upon closer inspection, I realize I've seen the barrels before. "These barrels match the shrapnel that I found at the docks." The ones that exploded.

I look through the barrels, hoping to find an open one but no such luck. I make sure to check each one before noticing a small table off to the side with chemistry equipment covering the entire surface, a bright blue substance spilled on the wood. Someone's been practicing chemistry.

A knocked over jug catches my attention and I set my gloves to scan for the substance the large bottle held.

'The solvent increases dermal permeability,' I read off the information as it loads onto my gauntlet. Looks like they ran out of the absorbing agent. But it seems like some of it spilled. They weren't very good chemists if they left such a mess. I hold a hand over the spilled substance, allowing it to scan the chemical and realize it's the drug they've been using, just further refined. It's the same drug that was given to Montoya.

As I continue to look over the makeshift chemistry table, I notice the train car beside me has been modified and I relay such thoughts to Alfred.

"Clearly the holding tank has been messed with. It's empty, for now. The train car has also been raised and a ladder is propped against it for easy access to the top while allowing work underneath to be done easier. They wanted to do this quickly." I step closer to the car and notice an odd nozzle has been attached to the bottom of the car, beside the brake mechanism that stops the car on the tracks. "Also looks to have some kind of sprinkler system hooked up."

"Doubtful they're planning to put out fires."

"My thoughts exactly. The train car must be their delivery system."

"It does allow for maximum coverage," Alfred thoughtfully agrees.

"They must be sending the modified train car to Mercy Street Station. And they've altered the drug so it can be absorbed through the skin. The dead merc is possibly a test subject." I look between the barrels and empty jug, knowing they're also connected. The absorbing agent is to help the drug absorb through the skin-the barrels may contain the drug itself. "The drug. The Children of Arkham must have found a way to weaponize it. With a drug that can absorb into skin, it will affect hundreds of people at once. They're loading the modified drugs on the train cars, dispersing it through the sprinklers with the timers set to go off just as the car rolls over the crowds."

"But we aren't prepared to contain something of that scale! Releasing a drug like that in such a populated area would be devastating."

I nod to myself, able to imagine the chaos that would ensue. "They could infect the entire city if they had enough." And knowing them, it's not such an outrageous thought.

"It's a good thing you reduced their supply at the construction site." Alfred reminds me.

"Thankfully, there wasn't enough of the chemical to mix with the rest of the stockpile of drugs."

At that moment, I hear the echo of a train approaching the depot, Alfred yelling into my earpiece to take cover. Grappling up onto the heavens, I watch as a train car pulls in, the large doors closing behind it as the masked leader of the Children of Arkham steps out of the car, followed by numerous henchmen.

I'm more surprised to see Selina step out of the car, holding a canister. "If I'd known you were going to make me lug this thing myself, I would have worn more comfortable shoes." She complains.

"Just add it to the list of your mistakes," the disguised voice snarls over their shoulder as they walk away from the car. "Must be why you didn't come through on your last assignment."

As Selina follows the Children of Arkham leader down the stairs leading to the depot floor, I watch some of the mercenaries approach the barrels. "We're down to our last few barrels since Batman screwed up the transfer!" One yells to his boss. Said boss snaps their fingers at the man who just spoke and he begins instructing others to load the barrels. Selina passes off the canister she was carrying to other mercs before being told to follow the leader.

"Their leader is here with Catwoman." I whisper as quietly as possible into my comm.

"Catwoman?"

"She's got more of that absorbing agent."

"She must have a good reason for being there," Alfred offers but I can hear the disapproval in his voice.

"It looks like she's working with them again." I observe, watching as she walks casually behind the slightly taller figure.

"I thought they were after her?"

"Yeah, me too," I admit. Selina is in way over her head.

"We're done here, right?" Selina speaks up once a significant ways away from the goons.

"Not yet."

"No, no, no. There's no part two of this." She gestures between the two of them, clearly growing agitated. "I got what you wanted. I'm done." Selina turns to walk away but in the blink of an eye, the Children of Arkham's leader has spun and holds their scepter across her chest, a needle poised at her throat. I tense, waiting for the perfect moment to jump in when the masked villain turns slightly then looks up, seeming to search the rafters.

"Might as well come out, Batman. I know you're here."

"No, no way." Selina denies, struggling against the constrictive hold. "I did not bring him here. I honored our deal!"

"Oh I know you did," the villain seems to coo. "But now you're a loose end." They glance back up, still seeming to be unsure of my exact location before pushing the needle closer to Selina's throat. "Surrender! Unless you'd like to see first-hand what a critical dose looks like. She'd join poor Esther Cobblepot. Death might be preferable."

I jump down, unwilling to let Selina's stupidity cost her her life. "I know what you have planned with the skyrail." I threaten. "And it's not going to happen." I should've sabotaged the drugs, the sprinklers, anything, when I had the chance.

"Then killing you both will have to be a consolation prize." Before leaping down, I'd pulled a batarang from my belt and before the villain could finish speaking, I threw the weapon, knocking into their arm and allowing Selina the chance to escape.

"Thanks, Bats," she says flirtatiously and I briefly roll my eyes, refocusing on the person in front of me. Suddenly, the sound of something starting up fills the depot and a Child of Arkham calls from above to declare the train is ready and that they're moving out.

The Children of Arkham's leader slams their staff on the ground and gestures towards me as numerous thugs run down the stairs and from around obstacles to fight. A few well-aimed punches and properly timed rolls have the men taken down. In the scuffle, the leader had fled up towards the trains and I wasted no time following behind them, determined to not allow them to escape.

I take out the remaining thugs that stand in my way and throw an electrified batarang at the control panel, hoping to fry it before the train can leave but it's knocked out of the way as the Children of Arkham's leader jumps down from somewhere above and blocks the controls.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," they taunt. "I decide when this ends." They're quick to go on the offensive but I'm just as quick to defend myself, managing to get a decent grip on the staff when the villain at the other end chuckles. The staff begins to vibrate before a large pulse sprouts from the end of it and makes impact with my chest, sending me flying backwards. I narrowly avoid hitting my head on the metal railing of the heavens when I land on top of the train, coughing up a few drops of blood, no doubt having just broken a rib or two.

I can hear something behind me followed by a thud then a voice. "You have to face the truth sometime, Batman. You can't protect Gotham from itself." I take a deep breath, grit my teeth, and push to my feet, reaching out to plant a bomb on the thick cable in front of me under the guise of using it to help me stand before turning to face the Children's leader. "They lit the fire….we're just here to stoke the flames. Saddest thing is, they don't even see the smoke."

"You do a lot of talking. Not sure you can back it up." I taunt.

"Try me," they snarl, pointing their staff towards me. "Go on, show me how you'll save your precious city. Just like the other liars."

I quickly whip two batarangs out and throw them towards the odd mask but they're batted out of the air before they make contact. I go on the offensive first, this time, pushing down the pain radiating from my side while trying to take the staff out of their hands to try and prevent getting blasted across the depot again. However, I've greatly underestimated my opponents abilities as they land a hard hit to my right knee, followed by a jab to my shoulder, and a whack against my head. I blink away the momentary spots that dot my vision, stepping back only for the Children's leader to follow me.

They run at me and each punch I throw is blocked with the stupid staff and they quickly gain the advantage, knocking me to a knee, jabbing me in my uninjured side before planting a boot to my chest and shoving, sending me sliding back. I groan in the back of my throat, trying to ignore the pain.

"So shortsighted," they tsk as they approach calmly, staff held out in front of them and charging up to surely blast me off the platform.

"Batman!" I hear someone shout from below. "Catch!" Selina, who I hadn't realized had stuck around, tosses me her device from previous fights which helps her climb flat services. I reach out and attach the device to the beam behind me, allowing it to pull me up and away from the boom that reaches my ears from the Children's leader's staff.

At the top of the beam, it runs off the surface and goes tumbling towards the ground but it offers me enough momentum to swing up and over the villain, pulling an EMP from my belt and setting off its electroshock just as I land over the villain, knocking them off the landing.

They fall to the loading platform beside the train and I wobble as the train begins to move. I quickly place another bomb on the other cable holding the train car up. I quickly grapple back up to the heavens, waiting for the train to get rolling just a little before detonating the bombs. The entire depot shakes as the train car crashes to the ground below.

Before I can move to leave, the boom that comes from the Children of Arkham's leader's staff sounds and suddenly the platform I'm standing on is covered in electricity, far stronger than what the suit can handle.

My entire vision seizes as the electricity rolls across my skin, infecting my blood stream, shocking each blood cell and tightening each muscle tight enough to cause my entire body to lock up. I stumble, eyes rolling back in pain before bumping into something and feeling air rush around me. The intense voltage lessens but the pain doesn't cease, nor does the twitching of each limb, each appendage as the electricity seeps out of my system.

The pain suddenly increases on my side as something makes a harsh impact before the world goes spinning. I lift my head weakly, trying to make out my surroundings, gather my bearings. "Hang in there," a voice whispers. "Don't pass out on me."

"Diana?" I question when I'm being pulled to my feet. I had enough presence of mind to lock my jaw and clench my teeth together, pride still present enough to not allow me to cry out in pain.

"Come on, Bats," the voice urges. A shadow above looks down at the figure helping me and something in my head screams to go after them.

"Need to….go after…."

"Oh, shut up," the voice reprimands, though there's no malice in the statement. "I'm going to get you somewhere safe," the voice promises. "Just stay with me." Easier said than done, is the last thing I think before collapsing and allowing the darkness, my comfort, to swim over me and snuggle me into its overwhelming embrace.


A/N: Let me tell you how annoying it was to constantly type "Children of Arkham" over and over and come up with all these different ways to address their leader. It was quite aggravating. And I do realize this was a shorter chapter than the last few.

The next chapter will also be pretty different from the game. In the game, there's a lot of things that are pushing Selina and Bruce together and if you know me at all or have been reading the story, you'll know that I refuse this option. When I played through the game, I didn't let her kiss Bruce, didn't sleep in her bed, nothing. I refused to let her think she and Bruce were something. And I intend on doing the same here. I'll still use some stuff from the game but I intend on incorporating Diana back into the story.

Thx!

AMM