The shroud of night was broken over Blackgate Penitentiary, where lights shone from the numerous guard towers and radiated from within the building. From up on a hill half a mile away, Angel and Arrow reflected on the difficulties this would give them, Tim back in the bunker providing occasional commentary.
"I suppose it's a good thing, in some sense anyway," Arrow said. "If it actually keeps them from escaping. But it's not as if Gotham had any shortage of light pollution to begin with."
"Wouldn't really make sense to complain that the place is actually doing its job," Tim said over a slightly-scratchy transmission. "There's an underground emergency escape for prison riots and the like around your current position. Let me know before you tamper with it, I'll disable the alarm."
The two searched the area atop the hill slowly, listening and feeling for some indication of a trapdoor in the earth. It had taken a three days to put the plan together, and Arrow planned to depart shortly thereafter.
"I'm not convinced you actually needed me for this," Arrow said with a tiny laugh.
"Like having you here," Angel said. "You should visit more."
"Maybe you should come by Star one of these days. It's no picnic, but I'll bet it's less crazy than here." He paused as a step produced a light clink sound and dropped to one knee. With a rub at the dirt and the discovery of metal hinges beneath it, he pressed on his earpiece. "Found it, Red."
"Good. Schematics say there's going to be a ladder. It'll go down pretty far, so my connection's probably going to get worse before it gets better."
As Arrow brushed the dirt off the entrance, Angel asked, "Cameras?"
"I've got a two-hour clip I cut together to play over the security footage. I have the real thing pulled up, so I can turn them back on if I see something going on."
Arrow finished unearthing the door and took note of the chain that served as its means of entry. "It's ready, go ahead and unlock it."
There was a tiny sound of shifting mechanisms on the other side of the steel and with a, "Go." From Tim, Arrow pulled up on the chain and ushered Angel enter first. The two slipped into the vertical chamber, tiny emergency lights came to life, leading the way underground.
When Arrow shut the trapdoor, he held a hand to his earpiece. "Can you still hear me?"
Tim's voice was distorted, but still present. "Yeah. I'm gonna lock that thing again lest anyone get suspicious, call me back when you leave."
Angel took a look down, the ladder running so deep she couldn't see the end, or even all of the lights. "Anything else?"
"Since it is an escape route and all, there's going to be some security. I have a distraction planned. Even if our transmission gets cut off, I'll at least be able to watch you guys on the cameras and trigger it when you're ready. Just be sure to hang out by the door a few minutes."
The descent was a long, mostly quiet journey. The ladder was at least fully intact, keeping the steps downward consistent from beginning to end. Arrow only attempted conversation when they were again on level ground.
"How's your girlfriend?"
Angel breathed a heavy sigh. With how busy the last few nights had been, there had hardly been a chance to say or be asked what had happened with Sadie's family. "She is fine… talking about moving."
"You can move out of Gotham?" Arrow gave a short laugh. "I always figured if you could move out, there would be no civilians left." Somehow in the darkness, he could feel the frustrated glare Angel gave him. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to make fun of you."
"I forgive you," Angel said.
"So, what is it? Just that Gotham's got so many criminals, or is it something else?"
"College." Angel rubbed her forehead. "I know I should be happy for her."
"You can be happy about it and still be upset that it's happening," Arrow said.
"I thought it was better to detach." It was difficult to tell by her inflection, but she was making fun of him.
"I'm a Buddhist, not a robot." Arrow cracked up a little. "And if I was orthodox, I wouldn't be a crime fighter."
"Orthodox?" Angel knew the word, but couldn't remember its meaning.
"It means following the rules exactly as they're written," Arrow said.
"Neither of us then."
Arrow opened his mouth to say something else, but put out his arm, as if commanding Angel to stop moving. When she did, the very faint sound of footsteps echoed down the chamber.
Arrow put a hand to his ear. "Red, is there something we should know?" He and Angel both waited a few seconds, but no response came. "Red? Damn it, did we get cut off?"
From further down the corridor whispers were audible, the acoustics amplifying them. The voice that followed was little more than a mumble, only audible by its echo. "I heard you long before you heard me… I can hear your breathing… your steps… you're not him… but I can't let you tell him—"
The silent force closed the distance so fast it seemed as if he ran faster than he could speak. The figure threw an open hand at Arrow, who only had just enough time to raise his bow and block the strike. His skin was an unhealthy, almost gray shade, a head of black hair partially covering his eyes, which were colored green but overcome with bloodshot.
"You know this one?" Arrow threw the figure backwards.
Even the man's stance was off, tiny twitches running through his body, streaks of sweat running down his bare, gray chest. "Zeiss," he snarled through grit teeth. "Philo Zeiss you Philistine!"
Angel took a step forward, but Arrow put out his arm. "You're still sore. I can handle him."
"I beat the Bat half to death!" With a wild swing, Zeiss landed a cut into Arrow, giving him a shout and a clutch. It was only then the two noticed his cuticles were covered in dried blood and his fingernails were sharpened nearly to claws. "Him and the cat bitch—"
Arrow forced Zeiss back and kicked him in the gut. With a sudden burst of his speed, Zeiss retaliated with two punches across Arrow's face before grabbing him by the hood and throwing him against the wall. Again, Angel stepped forward to intervene, but Arrow fought back with a bash across the face with his bow. With the open moment, Arrow notched one of his blunt bolts and pointed it at his forehead.
Zeiss's clapped his hands together, catching the arrow within millimeters of his face.
Arrow visibly flinched. "What the—" before sending another arrow flying.
Even standing no more than a few feet from Zeiss, the madman would not be hit. As if taking the attack as a challenge, his limbs thrashed and caught every arrow as they were fired. No matter how fast Arrow drew and fired, Zeiss got hold of the shaft and threw it aside.
"What is this supposed to be?" Arrow asked. "How are you doing this?"
"Cybernetics," Angel said. "I have fought him. Part machine."
"Only part then? Good."
"As if you could—"
Zeiss didn't get his thought out as Arrow fired his next arrow toward his legs. Again, Zeiss caught the arrow, followed by the one flying toward his pectorals. Arrow fired faster and faster, the result was always the same, until the shaking in Zeiss's body seemed to get worse.
"Wait! No—stop it! I can't—"
"Your cybernetics can keep up with me at point-blank, but your bones and muscles can't keep up with the whiplash you're putting them through," Arrow said.
"You little bastard!" Zeiss stepped backwards, still grabbing ahold of the fired arrows as if he had no choice in the matter. Finally, there was a light crack when he grabbed one going for his shoulder. He released it almost a moment later and shouted in pain. Arrow finished the fight with a last two shots to his face, knocking him backwards to the floor, unconscious.
"Incredible," Angel said.
"Well, I am happy with that one, yes," Arrow said with a laugh. "He cleared out my quiver though, give me a hand getting them all together."
The two gathered up the arrows, dragged Zeiss down the escape route. The area at the end of the passage was some kind of surveillance room, three guards laid unconscious around it, though all were still visibly breathing.
"… Did we do this?" There was fear in Angel's voice. "If Tim didn't disable—"
"That's not important right now," Arrow said. He stepped up to one of the guards, pulled the handcuffs from his belt and attached Zeiss to an old radiator in the corner. Arrow then put a hand to his ear again. "Tim, we back online?"
"Yeah, I can hear you," Tim said. "I saw what was going on with him. I heard Angel call him Zeiss, but man, I haven't seen him in ages."
"Will the cuffs hold him?" Angel asked.
"Definitely not for long," Tim said. "I can get some more guards in there, but they could give you some trouble too. Blackgate guards are not the nicest guys… hang on a sec." There came a few seconds of tapping at the keyboard. "There's only one floor beneath you and it's the one that deals in extreme isolation. Shiva's room is down there, number EI-7. I'll time your trip down there and keep an eye on Zeiss and the guards. But you're going to have to book it when I tell you to leave."
"Hopefully we'll have more than enough time then," Arrow said, and the two of them stepped out of the security chamber into the prison.
"There's going to be an out of commission service elevator down the hall a ways," Tim said. "There's not any normal entry through there, so there isn't a guard watching it. But there is one on the other side of the floor, so don't make too much noise."
As promised, Arrow and Angel came to the delapitated service elevator, so gutted the barely-visible car at the bottom seemed torn apart.
"Killer Croc ruined the thing… long story." The two descended via grapple as Tim spoke, finally stepping onto the bottommost floor of Blackgate. Indeed, there was a single guard watching the entrance on the other side of the hallway, which was lined with locked doors.
The walk to EI7 was a slow, nearly silent affair, the sound of Tim unlocking the door was almost enough to make Arrow jump, but they slipped in, quietly as they had come. The goal they had journeyed for sat, cross-legged, on the other side of an iron cell.
Even stripped of the leather regalia and sitting weaponless, she was still intense, the fires in her glare more than made up for what was missing. As Angel and Arrow approached her, she slowly uncrossed her legs, pushed to her feet and stood up straight. She stood a head taller than Angel, half of one taller than Arrow. "You kept me waiting."
"I did not want to come," Angel said, stepping closer. "You are needed."
"Always a refreshing sentiment." Shiva turned her attention toward Arrow. "Mister Hawke, you're pretty far from home."
"Business. I'll be headed home soon," Arrow said.
"Send your step-mother my regards."
"She'll be elated, I'm sure." He made no attempt to mask the sarcasm. "I'm surprised they've managed to keep you locked up so long."
"It's a personal exercise, at this point," Shiva said. "Gives me some space to think about things, meditate, linger on all the different ways I could slip out of this cage." Shiva turned her attention back to Angel. "Besides, I can now say I passed on my finest technique, so I don't have to look for someone to teach it to anymore. Cassandra, what did you come for?"
"Someone attacked me," Angel said. "His name was Lipov. I want to know why."
"Lipov?" Angel nodded as Shiva asked. "Doesn't sound familiar. Why would I know anything about him? Is he trying to take some kind of revenge on me by attacking you?"
"No. It is David he wants."
"He has knowledge of the Boesen's catalog," Arrow said. "Batman was translating a copy, but it's out of date, and we were hoping you might be able to assist us."
Shiva leaned against the wall of the cell, arms crossed. "If I told you where my copy of the catalog is hiding, I'd have a dozen assassins on my back for squealing. And I don't have that information independent of it. David and I have never had active communication. You were an arrangement, Cassandra, we have never been lovers."
The room went quiet, relative to the ever-present shouts and noises from the rooms above. Arrow looked between Angel and Shiva, as if unsure of if he should say anything, but held his tongue. In spite of her prompt answer, the way Shiva broke her glare and looked toward the ground suggested she was contemplating something.
"I may have been wrong. Lipov, you said? Victor Lipov?"
"Don't know," Angel replied. "He never said."
"Victor Lipov I do remember. His name, at least, I never knew him."
"Good," Tim said over the speaker. "Keep her talking… Looks like some guards are making their rounds toward the surveillance room."
Angel turned to him and they shared a nob before she returned her attention to Shiva. "Who was he?"
"An assassin in training, if I remember right. You should probably know he's dead."
Angel sighed. "Not him then."
Green Arrow stepped closer to the two. "Don't stop now. She said herself, they never met. It's not like she would have seen the body."
"I'll criticize David for plenty, but I don't believe for a moment he would have failed his orders on that case." Shiva shut her eyes to concentrate on the details. "Victor Lipov served alongside David for a few years with the League of Assassins. David seemed to like him fine as a protégé, but he was apparently too sadistic for his own good. He'd deliberately utilize more painful tactics when dispatching his targets, at least a few clung to life long enough to escape him, at least that's what David said." She slid a hand across her mouth as she pulled at the thoughts deeper in her mind. "Lipov apparently failed one time too many. David was ordered to kill him." Shiva opened her eyes and she looked toward Angel. "Your father monitored me almost every second of my pregnancy with you. The only time he was ever away was to handle that order, so one of the al Ghuls must have demanded he do it. That's why I'm sure he's dead. David wouldn't have taken his eyes off of me if the Demon hadn't demanded it, and if he had failed a0 direct order, I'm positive one of us would be dead."
The three again fell into silence for a short time and lingered on Shiva's words. Arrow was the one to break it. "Even if all of that is true, we only had a last name to go off of. Maybe the two are brothers, or maybe the one hunting you is his son. It was seventeen years ago."
Angel nodded slowly toward Arrow before slowly looking back toward Shiva. "One last thing, did he know about me?"
Shiva raised an eyebrow. "Know about you?"
"What David wanted me to be? Lipov has a servant, he fights like me, dresses like I did, never speaks. He is what David wanted."
Shiva shrugged and sat back on the floor. "I don't know if he ever told anyone else about his intentions. You'd have to ask him that yourself."
"Damn it, rounds are getting closer." Tim said over the earpiece. "You don't have a lot of time left."
"We should go," Arrow said. "I don't want to be mistaken for the enemy, and she just said she wouldn't help us."
Angel nodded again, turned toward their exit and drew the grappling hook from her belt.
"Cassandra." Shiva did not shout, but her voice had the same force as if she had. "I want to know something before you leave."
Angel said nothing, but turned to face her.
"If you encounter David before your hunter does, what is it you intend to do?"
"I will ask him the same things. And protect him, if I have to."
Shiva gave this a tiny smile and an even smaller chuckle. "Protect your father. The same man who made you everything you now hate, who continues to be an agent against everything you stand for? If your God is real, Cassandra, your father is going to burn in hell."
"… I believe in redemption."
"You think David would do what he does if he didn't absolutely embrace it? He isn't sorry for all the hits he's done, he isn't sorry that he killed my sister, he'll only ever be sorry he didn't raise you to have a stronger stomach."
"Your time's up," Tim said. "Any longer and you'll have to run, and then you might alert the guard on the other side of the room."
"One last thing," Shiva said. "Do you view me the same way?" There was a pause between the two. "I'm glad I've let you live as many times as I have, but I'm not sorry I almost didn't. And I'm not looking for forgiveness for every person who wasn't so fortunate. I'm not a lost sheep you can show the way. I'm here because of myself, and I wouldn't have it any other way."
Arrow pulled at Angel's shoulder, but for a moment she held her mother's glare. "Every night before I fight, I pray. You, everyone here, in Arkham, I pray you can recover."
"If your God didn't want people to make the wrong choices, he wouldn't have forbidden a tree in the middle of Eden. Or he wouldn't have put it there in the first place."
Angel opened her mouth to react, but Arrow gave a last pull on her shoulder. Reluctantly, she followed him back into the hallway outside.
