Author's Note: Hi everyone! Sorry to be away for so long, I haven't been dealing well with depression. :/ Very happy to be back, and thank you so much for the thoughtful reviews. :)

4S: YES! Penguin in Gotham is so awesome, I love his devious chessmaster antics! XD I love everything about this series, even with some of the changes they've made to canon… Aaaand I CAN'T stop drooling every single time Cory Michael Smith as Riddler comes on screen… Gahhh, sooo adorkable! *happy sigh*

TawniBravo: Thank you! :D I'm glad I could give you a good surprise, though I'm sorry I took so long to update this time. :/

Night Monkey: Thank you, what a wonderful review! :) God, so true, Ra's using the Rogues of all people in his quest - especially Zsasz - is ten shades of messed up! I loved how sinister he and Zsasz were in the video game - kinda scary to think how much damage Ra's could do if he could access the entire Rogues Gallery. All those words you use to describe Zsasz make me so happy! If you ever see me making Zsasz too out-of-character, please please please call me on it! It's something I've been consciously trying to avoid.

Thank you to Lex Mayhem, anparker09, Night Monkey, Maaiikee, and anyone I've missed for Following/Favoriting! :)

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Redemption, Restitution, & Resurrection

-Chapter Twenty-One: THE QUEST, Part 2-

-/-/-/-/-

"Gah!"

Zsasz awoke in a cold sweat. Panting, he looked around at his surroundings, immediately recognizing the dingy walls of his hideout. He wiped an arm across his clammy forehead and sighed deeply.

He couldn't remember exactly what he had been dreaming about – but the pounding of his heart was very familiar. He shoved the thoughts away vehemently and tried to stand up, stumbling in the dark.

Waylon had returned, of course. He had come back again and again for hours, taunting Zsasz in the dark, threatening him with his guttural slimy voice. Enemies, enemies everywhere. Perhaps he should blame Waylon for the nightmares. But he didn't want to give the reptile any power over him. No one had power over Victor Zsasz.

That's right. He gritted his teeth. No one had power over him! And he was going to prove it, right now…

Slowly, Zsasz inched towards the edge of his hideout. A platform, a sheer drop into the sewers, awaited him. He crouched down and, using all the dexterity he possessed, he began to shimmy.

Is it worth it? he wondered as he moved, inch by inch over the murky waters below. I could fall in easily, become food for Killer Croc …all this risk for the shred of a chance at revenge… assuming the place I am looking for still even exists. Is this really worth it?

Anger and determination surged in him at the thought of revenge. That was all the answer he needed.

It took forever to reach the other side. He dropped down and silently let out his breath as he felt solid ground beneath him. He hoped he was going the right way; he could only guess. Up ahead was a hole in the rotten floorboards, dimly lit by a green light. A neon question mark beamed down from the ceiling. He scoffed. No doubt left from some game the Riddler had played with Batman ages ago… Zsasz personally thought his games were much better than the Riddler's.

He jumped into the hole and found himself in a small room, well furnished, with books everywhere. Almost there. In front of him stood a large, ornate brass door. The design was far too familiar. Suddenly his hands were clammy again.

Here I go…

The door swung open.

He found himself in a cavernous room, metal supports everywhere, and a giant platform in the center with an elevator in it, one that had once ascended over all of Gotham...

It was here. It was really here. Buried under Gotham and forgotten – the foundations of Wonder Tower! Not destroyed after all, as everyone had assumed when they tore down the tower after the Arkham City days. Sheldon Park stood in its place now… but it seemed they had left the underground base intact!

Zsasz's heart leaped in his chest, and he took a deep, steadying breath to contain himself. If this was still here… Then just maybe, the entrance to Wonder City was here too!

He had heard about Wonder City during his time with Rā's al Ghūl. The old man liked to reminisce, it seemed, and he had taken it upon himself to give Zsasz a history lesson about Zsasz's beloved hometown, particularly his part in creating it. With a chill, the serial killer realized that his hideout must be located in the old streets, either of Wonder City or of Gotham City of that time. Now that he thought about it, the surroundings were rather antiquated; the barber's pole near his hideout looked like it would not be out of place in the 1800's.

There were shops around the base of the tower, he realized. Behind him was an old jeweler's shop. Walking down the sweeping staircase, he saw a furniture store, a hat store, Crazy Clown Toys & Dolls (was that a miniature of the Ghost Train inside?), Royal Flush Tobacco...

In the center of the room there was a giant globe.

Zsasz couldn't believe his good luck. Surely, surely the globe must hold some clue to Rā's whereabouts! Zsasz hoped against hope that just maybe, the old man had marked his hideouts on the giant globe, or perhaps his Lazarus Pits, and maybe Zsasz could visit them all until he tracked Rā's down… And then, he thought with a grim smile, he would make Rā's pay.

Eagerly he strode over to the globe beneath the elevator and squinted up in the dim light.

There! Those lines… Were they a map, trails marked that might lead him to Rā's hideouts? He squinted harder. There were so many lines! But they looked oddly familiar… Wait a minute.

To Zsasz's supreme chagrin, he realized that the lines on the map were merely country lines. There were no other marks, no signs of where Rā's might be. His heart sank.

He turned to go-

"Hnnh!"

Zsasz let out a choked gasp and stumbled backward.

Two people were standing in the shadows looking at him, their red eyes glowing in the dim room.

Zsasz's heart pounded. A knife was already in his hand. And yet the other intruders did not approach him.

It took Zsasz a long moment to process that they weren't human, nor were they alive.

Two sentry robots in glass display cases stared out at him unnervingly. Slowly, Zsasz pieced together that they must be the mechanical guardians Rā's had told him about. How was it that they could still be functional? This place had obviously been abandoned. There was dust on the glass! And yet, their eyes still glowed.

Zsasz had the creepiest feeling that they were watching him.

He inched closer. They didn't seem to be moving. Suddenly it occurred to him that they could be recording him. That Rā's al Ghūl could be watching through them and laughing at him. At that thought, he stood up straighter and sneered, stalking past the idiotic robots and ignoring the prickling feeling as he did so. He would not give his former master the satisfaction of seeing his fear!

Beyond the mechanical guardians, tatters of yellow tape hung, fluttering in a non-existent breeze. There was a small door: above it, a sign proclaimed: "Wonder City."

Zsasz threw open the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Almost immediately, a gust of cold hit him. Ahead, the passageway sloped downward, long and dank. Water dripped from the ceiling. The stones beneath his boots appeared almost green; Zsasz saw a tube full of shimmering Lazarus running along the right side of the corridor. Lazarus… He shivered.

"This world is doomed." He jumped at the sound of the creepy voice. "Cities like Gotham will grow up to resemble hell breaking through the sidewalk, continuing up into the sky. Structures will grow to blot out the sun, and the people who live in them will be choked by the pollution they create..."

Just a recording. He could see the loudspeakers on the ceiling… but why did it feel as though the voice were coming through the walls? A disturbing thought came to him: it sounded like the Voice he used to hear in his head. He could hear its taunting now.

"Eventually, when no space remains, this world will die, struggling for breath as man's mistakes nail the coffin shut. But this doesn't have to be your future, Gotham."

Why did it feel as though he were walking into a death chamber? Long and narrow, like a birth canal, yet so sinister. Zsasz could feel the evil in the air, almost stiflingly. Without noticing, his arms and legs had begun to quiver. This is just like that cave he kept me in… That one I escaped from. I remember the cobblestones...

He jumped when the voice began speaking again.

"There is a better way. Behind this wall is mankind's chance for survival. A glimpse at a future based on an amazing discovery. A discovery that will allow Gotham to rise like Lazarus, becoming a beacon of hope for this world."

Zsasz started and landed hard on his knees. Skeletons hung from the ceiling! Zsasz's heart shuddered wildly. At least a dozen of them- Why hadn't someone gotten them to a Lazarus Pit? He felt dizzy; his thoughts were confused. On the mossy stones in front of him, he could swear he saw bloodstains. Why? Why was there always death around him?! He bolted to his feet, stumbling through the sea of corpses and onward.

"Are you intrigued? Then step closer. Witness the future of Gotham City."

No. No, he didn't want to step closer. He wanted to turn around, run away, and never come back. But then Rā's would win! Gritting his teeth, Zsasz pushed himself forward.

"The heart of Gotham's future beats with Lazarus technology. The power of Lazarus is pumped into every street, every home, providing clean, safe energy."

The air smelled like Lazarus. He would recognize that distinctive stench of minerals anywhere. There must be an active Pit nearby. He felt woozy, nauseous. Was there Lazarus in the air itself? Or were old memories swiftly closing in?

"Mechanical Guardians will serve you, watch over you and where necessary, protect you from the worst of mankind's sins. But most importantly, our beautiful world will survive."

Rā's was a liar. He didn't want to make the world survive. He wanted to destroy it, and everyone in it!

"Ladies and Gentlemen, allow us to present to you the future… Wonder City!"

And suddenly he was there. The corridor opened abruptly into a square with quaint shops and sundries. He could hear the humming of ageless machinery, as if the long-dead Wonder City still held a pulse. What if Rā's came back?! Irrational thoughts swept through his mind. He could be here right now, stalking me, waiting for me to slip up. He'll kill me and resurrect me until he breaks me again!

Between the Teahut and the Muftic Barbershop, Zsasz collapsed, shuddering. The sett street bit into his knees… And now his memories were slipping back… For a moment he swore it was cobblestone underneath his fingers...

.

Two-and-a-half years earlier...

.

.

"Today will be your final test before you are inducted, Victor Zsasz. Do not fail me."

Those words were music to Zsasz's ears. After seven grueling months of training, he was finally ready. He would serve his Master – it still rankled him slightly to call Rā's "Master", but he grudgingly admitted that Rā's had earned the title. Rā's had honed him into a fine tool – into an even better killer than before.

"I have an important mission, and then your test will begin when I return. The land we are going to is rural, removed from society… As far away from Gotham City as you could possibly imagine. And yet Gotham and the whole of humanity will eventually feel the effects of what we create here. The world is more delicate and interconnected than they can possibly imagine…" The old man lost himself in his musings, but at Zsasz's curious look, he caught himself.

"Though this region is desert, do not be fooled. It has a potency that would rival the Fertile Crescent! This place will be the perfect base of our operations. Here we will create the seedstock and genesis of our new world: terminator species. More specifically, human-terminating species..."

Zsasz zoned out slightly as Rā's spoke. What would his test be, he wondered. He hoped he wouldn't have to face Rā's in combat again. His humiliating defeat at Rā's hands all those months ago still stung.

"…Are you listening, Victor?"

Zsasz straightened. "Yes, Master. You were saying that the species will contain special allergens and toxins that will cause massive organ failure in their human consumers." He winced internally; if Rā's was displeased with his answer, he would not be gentle in his rebuke.

Rā's smirked. "You listen well, even when you do not lend me your full attention." Zsasz ducked his head gratefully at the light snub. "The region is currently at the mercy of criminals. Bandits who seized power. They have guns, gold, and all the deeds to the land. The people under them are simple farmers." He motioned to his ninja, who began to file out of the room to Rā's private jet. "If we can offer the bandits a favorable deal, we might be able to assume some power in the land. If not, we will find other means to negotiate." Rā's was silent, and Zsasz took the opportunity to speak.

"And what shall my task be, Master?"

"So impatient, Victor! Still one of your weaknesses."

"Forgive me, Master."

"Not to worry. You have come so far in such little time. Patience is a virtue you will learn even still." He pondered for a moment, stroking the handle of his scimitar thoughtfully. "Very well… let us take advantage of your enthusiasm."

"Yes, Master?"

"This is your initiation, Victor Zsasz. Join me along on my mission, and you will be tested. All you need do is pass the test, and you will be inducted into the League of Shadows."

Zsasz felt his heartbeat elevate slightly, though he kept a calm face. "And what is my test, Master?"

"A test is exactly what it says. To be inducted into the League, you will need to carry yourself within my orders at all times, yet using your very best judgment. I will not tell you the details, but when the test has begun, you will know. Keep your wits about you."

Zsasz reluctantly bowed his head. "Yes, Master."

Soon enough, the jet landed, and the members of the League set out for the site in caravan jeeps. Zsasz looked out the window as they drove. Rā's was right; it did look like a worthless desert. But as he stared longer, he was amazed at the variety of flowers he saw growing, many hidden or inconspicuously spreading out over the sandy soils.

They drove into a moderate valley, and here Zsasz saw modest crops growing, and in the distance, a village. They drove through it, kicking up dust and sending the villagers moving to the side of the road, gazing curiously at them. Zsasz pitied these people already.

Finally they reached the stronghold of the village leaders – "the bandits", Rā's had called them. A League member knocked at the door and stepped back, holding up her sword as a sign of honor for her Master. The door opened, and a filthy man peered out at them, squinting in the sunlight. He made a noise deep in his throat, as if dislodging a loogie, and stared expectantly at them.

"Good morning," Rā's greeted him. "I trust your man gave you our message."

"We received you, didn't we?" The bandit glared at him. "Could have shot you on our doorstep—"

"But that would, of course, be a poor business move."

"Business, you said," the bandit stood up a little straighter. "What kind of business?"

"We might discuss this more comfortably in your office. It is the kind of business that would be rather… lucrative."

Rā's held up a gold coin. The man's eyes took on a different sheen. Zsasz could see his fingers twitching with greed; it disgusted him. Feigning indifference, the bandit took the coin in his hand and pocketed it, and then he jerked his head for the Great Rā's al Ghūl to follow.

Moments later, they were in a room with several bandits, the de facto leaders of the village.

Zsasz watched as Rā's spoke to the bandits, proposing a working partnership to manage certain resources in the region. He listened as the bandits' greed stymied the negotiations and wondered if this were a part of his test. Was he to memorize every work spoken in this room? Would he be called upon at some point to use negotiation skills to deal with these ridiculously stubborn scoundrels? He waited, slightly apprehensively.

Finally, it seemed they were at an impasse. The thieves wanted too much money, and even worse, they wanted to limit his Master's access to the region. One bellowed that the old man must be crazy to demand so much of them, to work them like common mules! Rā's gave a sigh and stood up, smiling politely.

"How very unfortunate that we could not come to a deal of some sort," he said formally. "But, we'll not waste any more of your morning." He turned to Zsasz. "My man Mr. Zsasz will conclude business negotiations with you. He will see that you are fairly compensated for your time."

Rā's nodded to his guard and they exited, leaving Zsasz alone with the bandits. Zsasz smirked. So this was his test. Oh yes. He would surely pass with flying colors.

He turned to survey the bandits fully, who were waiting with greed in their eyes for their "compensation." Poor fools. At first glance, someone might think Zsasz had much in common with them. The bandits were unkempt, skinny, ragged, clearly living a rough life… very much like Zsasz had been. But the bandits were also shiftless, avaricious, and unlike them, Zsasz had a purpose: to liberate the world. For the world itself – and for his Master.

Almost lazily, Zsasz reached for his scimitar. The bandits blanched. Before they could draw their daggers, Zsasz attacked.

"As I was saying earlier, this area would be the perfect place to develop our new crop species," Rā's was talking again. Zsasz trailed behind him silently, internally glowing.

He had passed, of course. Rā's hadn't said anything when he exited the room, the blood of a dozen bandits splattering the walls of their own establishment, the leadership officially toppled and the region now opened to the League's influence. Rā's hadn't needed to say anything to Zsasz. His silence was approval enough.

"Our people will begin working to siphon the water, using the new desalinization treatment we've engineered, and laying down the pipeline to provide water to this region. Our scientists will work to create the species and we will test until we have perfected it…"

Now that he had passed, he might gain a small measure of freedom. Oh, nothing like total freewill, of course, he was made to serve Rā's. But now perhaps he could get out of the base more often, go on missions, do the liberating he was meant to do – he made a mental note that he needed to mark himself later with the bandits – and maybe someday, Rā's would let him return to Gotham as his agent. He hoped so. He still had business with Gotham. A certain piece of business that was never far from his heart… He missed her.

"...We will only target the domesticated species, however! We will not risk harm to the natural, non-manipulated species. And we will reserve a small crop of the best heirloom seeds for the surviving population, and the Eden we create."

"Very good, Master."

"…And now," Rā's said serenely, "We shall leave the governing of this region in the hands of the commoners. With guidance, they might be our first allies to turn against the modernized world. To uproot Batman's homeland."

"Will we kill them next, Master?" Zsasz's voice was tight and eager with bloodlust.

Rā's reprimanded him with a sharp look. "No, Victor. We will work with this region to see if they can handle the delicate earth better than their predecessors. They might still be useful yet, as long as they do not betray us…"

As Rā's rambled on, Zsasz looked longingly towards the village, expecting to see dejected people, shuffling on their endless loops of misery...

A child was playing in the street. Dirt streaked his face, but he was grinning from ear to ear. Zsasz saw him pick up a stone and skip it in the mud. Two more children ran up to him, laughing.

Several feet in front of them, an old woman made her way down the dusty street, struggling under her heavy load. A younger woman appeared suddenly at her side, steadying her. There was an undeniable warmth in the women's eyes as they looked at each other.

With their poverty, what on earth do they have to be happy about? Zsasz thought incredulously. They're being starved, living lives that are out of their control! Shouldn't they be craving salvation? Shouldn't that time under the bandits' control have stamped the life out of them?

Not far away, a group of three men approached the children playing in the mud. They called out in another language and the children answered, running barefoot and dirty to them. One of the men swung a child into his arms, and the other two jumped up and down. Then Zsasz saw that another of the men had a loaf of bread under one arm – was that really going to feed all of them? The small crowd of men and children walked away, poor and smiling.

He thought of all the unhappy people back in Gotham City. Unlike the Gothamites, the villagers' faces weren't grey and pale, but rather golden and lively… What secrets did these peasants have?

The two women from earlier passed him in the road, the younger one carrying the older one's load. The younger woman looked up and smiled in greeting as she walked by him – as if they weren't strangers. Startled, Zsasz directly met her gaze. Tawny brown eyes in a golden face, warm and guileless.

Zsasz gaped in astonishment, even as the two women strolled on.

She'd looked like Danielle.

.

.

Presently...

.

Beautiful. Stormy, misty, and beautiful. Danielle loved it when the Gotham sky was like this.

It was early afternoon, but you would never know it by the dark clouds and pouring rain. She could almost taste the frost in the air. The pavement on the bridge was slippery, and she slid more than a few times.

Beneath the great Pioneer Bridge, the Sprang River was turning icy. It had been a while since Danielle had walked to this side of town. Old Gotham was the most likely place to start looking for Zsasz, however.

I have to be crazy to be doing this. There has to be over a hundred phone booths in this city, and I'm aiming to catalogue ALL of them?! Then again, how else do you catch crazy?

Her notebook was ready. As she got to the other side of the bridge, she spotted the first phone booth. It was in the middle of Sheldon Park, which had been renovated three years earlier. A plaque stood in the center, commemorating Wonder Tower, which had once stood on this spot. The plaque was covered in graffiti. A rougher crowd ran here these days. Danielle copied the number down quickly, then rushed over to the next street.

The Bowery. Her old neighborhood. This was the block where she used to live. She saw the phone booth on the corner and wondered, not for the first time, if Zsasz had ever called her from there, taunting her while staring up at her window, like the predator he was. 555-9112. Now he would never sneak up on her again.

She continued onward, in the direction of her old hideout. A family was living there now. The burned walls had been mended, the memories erased. But she felt the scars on her skin, clear as day. There was a phone booth a half-block beyond it. 555-7281.

She continued through the Bowery, working her way towards Park Row. As she neared the edge of the neighborhood, a particular store caught her eye. The Baudelaire. The store was obviously closed - in fact, the windows were smashed out. As she looked more closely, she could see that it had once housed plants. Immediately, she thought of Poison Ivy. Where was she now? Had she resumed her rampage against humanity? Or was she on the trail of the man who had imprisoned both her and Zsasz – that man Rā's al Ghūl?

She copied down the number across the street – 555-2572 – and moved on.

The rain was pounding fiercely now. She shielded her notebook as best she could, craning her head back to look up at the sky. Falling raindrops glistened in the orange streetlight. When she squinted, it almost appeared like snow, though she knew that would be here soon enough. When it rained like this, she could pretend it was washing away the grime of Gotham City, offering hope to all the downtrodden people. She smiled.

She slipped quickly through Park Row, near the old campaign office of Harvey Dent, past the Monarch Theatre, Solomon Wayne Courthouse, and her favorite, the magnificent Church. That place had saved her many times from Zsasz, kept her holding on to hope as she drank in the beauty of the stained glass windows.

Her notebook was full of phone numbers.

She was halfway through Amusement Mile when exhaustion hit her. She pushed herself to find the phones in Amusement Mile and the Industrial District before she finally decided to call it quits. Tomorrow, she told herself as she headed back for the Pioneer Bridge. I'll finish this tomorrow. And then Zsasz won't know what hit him.

-/-/-/-/-

Merry Christmas, everyone! :)