Damian: Shadow of the Bat #4

Satan's Spawn Part IV

The Finale

I leave my sensory deprivation isolation tank after I witness the disturbing hallucination. Inside the chamber I was forced to watch my own death. It is only a creation of my mind but I could almost feel the sharp sword blade as it entered my chest. Tearing through my organs and causing mass internal bleeding. Not only this but I can see the numerous arrow blades that are sticking out of my body. The apparition of my death doesn't frighten me but it is who kills me that does. Me. I was again merely a child and it was an older version of me inflicting the fatal blow. But that is not all, I remember seeing Dick sprawled across the floor, his body was beaten and bloodied.

I stand in my shower cubicle with the hot water washing down my body trying to rid the memory of the hallucination out of my head. Stop thinking about it. This stupid distraction is the least of my worries. Gordon continues to hunt me down and now I have a teenage girl who may or may not be the daughter of the Joker trying to extract bloody revenge against me and the Pyg. Perhaps I should leave her to kill Pyg; after all he did slice a grin onto her face.

Gotham General Hospital

The news reporter stands outside the main entrance with her crew. She is almost lost inside the swarm of Police, reporters and members of the public. Her cameraman gives her the thumbs up to signal to her that she is on live.

"Good afternoon Gotham. Sonya Vale reporting from Gotham general hospital, earlier this morning a horrendous scene was discovered. A doctor was left murdered, his throat cut and his blood used to write a message across the room wall. A message that swore revenge against reputed Gotham crime boss Professor Pyg and the wanted vigilante The Batman. The police as of now are still refusing to disclose the name of the patient that the room belonged to. Further updates to follow"

Arkham Asylum

Lazlo Valentin sat inside his maximum security cell. He uses his pillow case as a mask. James Gordon Jr. stands outside leaning up against the cell bars. James Jr. is surrounded by four armed SWAT members.

"So it appears that somebody wants your blood. Luckily for you, here at New Arkham we treat our inmates with the utmost humanity and respect so we won't let any of our patients be put in harms way"

"Send these men away at once. Lousy threats don't scare Pyg"

"Sorry little piggy but you are in no position to give orders and just so you know, the only reason I want you kept alive is so that we can get back to our little 'games' we used to play as soon as possible without anyone ruining it"

"Ooooh Pyg remembers the games very well. Never took you for the kinky type, Pyg will have to remember about your little 'games' when you get your new face"

James Jr. gives Pyg a smile and turns his back. He then puts his hands on the shoulder of the SWAT team leader.

"Nothing but myself gets in or out of his cell block. Anyone that isn't me comes in here, you fill them with holes"

The SWAT members nod as James Jr. leaves the room and makes his way out the cell block and towards his office. He enters his office and is greeted by his sister, Police commissioner Barbara Gordon.

"What a lovely surprise my dearest sister"

Barbara put a fresh cigar into her mouth.

"Don't call me that"

"How lovely, you promised dad that you wouldn't smoke"

"And you're a sociopathic serial killer"

"I was. Past tense, now that is all behind me and I'm full rehabilitated"

"So is that why you torture your inmates James?"

"Prove it"

"Trust me, when I do you'll have your own cell"

"I've heard that before. What do you want?"

"Protection, that is MY SWAT team if you hadn't noticed. A serious threat has been made against an inmate therefore I am here to protect that individual"

Arkham Asylum loading bay

The van pulls up reversed into the loading bay, two Arkham workers throw their cigarettes onto the ground and proceed to open the back doors of the van. They pull out heavy food labeled boxes one by one. The two workers heave out the final box and the van drives away.

"That last one felt abit weird"

The one worker opens up the tape on the box to check the contents whilst his friend stands next to him.

"Hope it hasn't spilt out again-"

His words are stopped dead in their tracks; Elsa Quinzel rises from the box holding two cut throat razors. In a swift movement she slices both the surprised workers throats with ease. Their blood sprays onto her face as their bodies' slump to the floor.

Elsa then climbs out of the box and scuttles inside.

Office of James Gordon Jr.

James Jr. scowls at his sister. James opens his mouth to give Barbara a cynical reply but he's interrupted by the sound of gunfire.

"Somebody crashed the party"

James Jr. races to out of the room, he locks the office door from the outside; trapping his sister inside in the process.

"You sonvabitch! I'll shoot the door down if I have to!" Screams the Police Commissioner.

James runs down the corridor, laughing like a school child. He gets the maximum security wing and stands in the door in awe. One SWAT member lays on the floor with his throat slit, another is trying to claw his way up the wall to his feet. His throat was also freshly slit. Elsa Quinzel stands still at the centre of the cell block with the remaining two SWAT aiming their rifles at her head.

"Kill her" splutters James Jr.

Before the SWAT can react the lights go out. A booming voice comes from the darkness.

"ENOUGH"

Random firing illuminates the room with flashes of light, the sound of crunching bones and hard punches are heard all round. The lights flash back on and the remaining SWAT members lay beaten on the floor.

"You killed my Father you Bastard!"

Elsa swings her cut throat razors at Batman but he easily evades the strikes and sends her crashing to the floor. James Jr. begins to clap his hands.

"Very good, very good, almost turned me on"

Batman walks up to James Jr. and raises his fist.

"You wouldn't dare!"

Batman without hesitation plunges his fist into James' face and sends him thundering to the floor unconscious. As Batman turns around, Elsa rushes at him again but Batman simply grabs her and hauls her into the air by her small shoulders.

"I did kill the Joker but it was no more then he deserved"

"He was my Father!"

"He was mass murdering terrorist. He killed close to millions and all just for his own personal sick pleasure"

Elsa doesn't reply; tears begin to stream from her eyes.

"What have I done?"

Batman lowers her to the ground and releases his grip. Elsa drops the razors and looks down at her blood stained hands. Her sobbing grows louder.

"…What have I become. I killed them…I killed…I'm not like him…"

Batman grasps Elsa and hugs her as she continues to cry.

"…they are dead cus' of me…I'm a monster…"

"No…"

Batman kneels down to Elsa's level and wipes the tears from her cheek.

"…We choose our own destiny. It is not too late for you"

NEXT TIME: IT IS TIME FOR BATMAN TO FACE HIS DESTINY