The order had been given. The last vestiges of the Italian crime family resistance were present at the docks. The Unions were the last of their defensive shield and they were strong at the docks. They would be squashed beneath Bane's heel.

Standing on the balcony, the large man had his arms crossed over his broad chest, staring out towards the sea, and subsequently Gotham's harbor. A perimeter was currently being set around the docks by advanced groups, sealing off exits so that way the Italians could not escape him again. The main force was still in the building—his building—and they would be bringing the artillery.

"Preparations are almost complete," Zombie intoned from behind him. "Our transport has arrive. They are parking at the back of the building."

Right on schedule. Dropping his arms to his sides, Bane began to roll his head to his left and then the right, feeling the tension in his neck. He could hear and feel the dull popping sounds as he did so until finally there was a loud crack! and a sensation of relief radiation out from the top of his neck. "To the trucks," he grunted to Zombie as he turned to face the man.

By then, Zombie was turning away from him, raising a walkie-talkie, giving the order to the men. Bird should already be in loading area of the building, having their ammunition and weapons loaded onto the trucks. In the time it took for for Bane and Zombie to descend to the ground floor and reach the loading area, preparations should already be complete.

Seeing no other reason for delay, Bane then headed for the door to the penthouse, exiting out with Zombie right behind him. Ignoring the decor, the two men headed down the hallway to the elevators.

That's when they heard it, the sound causing the two to stop and look to each other. They were familiar enough with the sound to know it in an instant. It occurred again, the blasting of gunfire, only now it was closer.

The men were discharging their weapons—why? Focusing on his hearing, Bane listened carefully when he began to make an increased frequency of gunfire. Multiple guns were being fired.

Something was wrong.

The familiar, annoying alarm of trucks backing up filled the loading area. Bird stood right by the crates of weapons, hands on his hips as he looked through the open bay doors, watching the trucks backing up. They slowed to a stop, the brakes squealing as they rubbed against metal.

"Load up!" Bird ordered, even as a frenzy of activity began from the men. Two men would pick up a crate, one on each side of the box, and began hustling it over to the trucks. This was going to be as streamline as possible. Bane would be here soon and they would have everything ready to go by the time he got there.

It was the masked man's high expectations after all.

As Bird watched, eyeing the mercenaries as they busied themselves, his eyes fell onto the trucks, causing him to frown. The back doors to the trucks were still closed. Slow ass drivers, did they always have to drag their asses to open the damn trucks? "Someone, get those doors opened," he demanded.

There were a few sideways glances from the men, but Bird didn't care. They were being paid and he was in Bane's inner circle. They would do as he said or be killed, it was that simple. As a couple of men carrying a crate reached the trucks, they set their load on the floor and got to work on opening one of the truck doors. It only took a moment for the door to go sliding upwards.

Suddenly, there was a flash of metal and the head of one of the mercenaries went flying off, hitting the floor where it went rolling. It came to a stop right in front of Bird, the man's face frozen with shock.

By the time Bird jerked his head up, he saw the other mercenary clutching at his face as he screamed, stumbling as he spun around. Even from where he stood, the blond man could see a ninja star sticking right out of his eye, blood leaking around it and dripping down the man's face.

"Fuck! An ambush!" Bird shouted and he pulled a handgun out of his holster. "Light it up!"

There was a collective dropping of crates, the sound of wood slapping down on cement echoing throughout the loading docks. Machine guns were raised and immediately fired. The mercenary with the star in his eye was mowed down by the hailstorm of bullets, causing burst of blood to explode out of him before he fell to the floor. Unconcerned, all the men continued to unload their magazines as they fired into the trucks, even the ones with the doors closed.

Several seconds went by before each and every gun had been unloaded, save for Bird's. He hadn't bothered firing since his handgun wouldn't really alter much. Surely whatever was in those trucks was Swiss cheese.

Because he was looking into the truck with the open door, he saw what happened next. A goddamn ninja dropped down into the bed, throwing his arms out in front of him. Throwing stars were sent sent flying through the air, where they collided with the hands of the mercenaries, causing the men to cry out as they dropped their guns, the stars piercing into their hands.

That was when more dropped into the bed, making Bird realize what was going on. These ninjas had been hiding at the top of the truck bed, avoiding all of the firepower they had pumped into the truck. Flooding out into the loading area, the ninjas struck back, many of them slashing or thrusting with swords, striking the closest mercenaries. Faces, arms, and chest were cut open while others were stabbed right through their bodies.

That was when Bird took aim and fired his gun. He got a ninja right in the head, dropping him where he stood. Going to a second target, he fired again, hitting this one right in the face. Onto the third, he noticed the ninja was throwing a ninja star at him.

Though he saw it, he didn't register it as he squeezed the trigger and shot the ninja, the bullet tearing through the man's neck and sending a burst of blood flying out and spattering on the floor. A moment later and the ninja star struck his gun, knocking it out of his grasp.

Yelping, Bird jumped backwards, gripping his pained hand as it throbbed. Though there was no visible injury, his gun wrenching itself out of his hand had caused his fingers to twist into awkward positions that they had no business being in.

That was when the doors to the other trucks were thrown open and more ninjas poured out. Thankfully, some of the mercenaries had reloaded their guns and were firing, taking out many of the masked men. Unfortunately, it looked as if the right side of the loading area had been taken as mercenary after mercenary were chopped down.

Reaching for his radio, Bird shoved it in front of his face as he squeezed onto the speaker button. "Attack in the loading area! We're being attacked by goddamn ninjas down here! Send backup now!"

"Lock and load, muchachos!" Horatio demanded, even as he shoved a magazine into his machine gun and pulled on the lever to ensure a bullet was in the chamber. The other four men in the room were doing the same, filling the room with armed guns.

Bird's call had just gone off through the radio. It would take several minutes to get down to the ground floor; they had to halve that time at a minimum. Seeing Jorge moving to the door to open it, Horatio moved to get behind him.

The moment Jorge opened the door, the end of a sword burst through the back of his skull, sending blood splattering all over him. Even as his comrade went limp, falling to the floor, which caused the sword to slip out of his skull, Horatio could see his attacker, all dressed in a bodysuit with goggles for eyes.

Madre de puta! The ninjas!

Because Horatio had his gun up, all he had to do was squeeze the trigger and fired a torrent of bullets. The ninja took the gunfire to the chest, flying backwards as he was riddle by bullets. Horatio didn't stop firing even as the dead man hit the wall and slid down it, leaving a blood trail on the sheetrock.

That was when the others opened fire, but instead of aiming for the door, they did it at the wall surrounding the doorway. Bullet holes rapidly appeared in the wall, the screams of more ninjas ringing out. Slipping out the empty mag and putting in a full one, again Horatio cocked the chamber and motioned to the others that he was going into the hall.

They too stopped firing then, removing their magazines regardless of whether they were partially full or empty, and reloaded. Carefully, Horatio moved to the doorway, standing to the right side of the door with the weapon at his shoulder. He aimed down the left corridor, seeing bodies lying on the floor. There were no other threats, so he darted out into the hall, twisting his body around to face the right. Again, there were only bodies.

Suddenly, something sharp bit into his neck, causing the merc to yelp. Shooting a hand up, he felt something long and thin sticking out of his throat, which he immediately yanked out. Looking at it, he found a long, black dart, yellow feathering sticking out of its butt and a thin needle at the front. Looking down at the floor, he spotted one of the ninjas, covered in his blood, and holding a blowgun in hand.

Immediately, Horatio held his gun out, pointing it right at the pendejo and fired a single shot. The ninja's head jerked backwards as blood decorated the floor, his arm going limp at his side. "Bastardo," he growled before he eyed the other ninjas. "Put bullets in them," he ordered as he moved to stand next to one, firing a shot into his head.

He heard the rest of his men do the same, just as a wave of nausea hit him. Fuck, he didn't feel well. Horatio stumbled a step, reaching out with an unsteady hand to brace himself against the wall. Crap, what had been in that dart? A moment later and he realized that just who and what he was thinking about.

Horatio fell to the floor then, the poison in his system working fast to kill him. Fuck.

He was a fool. All along, Bane had been receiving reports that his men were being ambushed by ninjas throughout the city. Not once had he considered his base of operations would be discovered and attacked. It was a mistake, possibly fatal, and one someone of his stature should never had made.

Ninjas, by their professions, were spies, and they sought out information. That they would discover where he was stationed should not be as surprising as it was. That their leader would stage an assault on them within the building spoke of his confidence in his men. This man, whomever he was, was not to be underestimated.

One such ninja was up ahead, sword in hand. Bane bull-rushed him, arms pumping at his sides as he closed the distance between them. The man stood his ground, sword held before him, ready to counter strike either before Bane attacked, or after.

The man chose before. Drawing the sword to a side, the ninja then slashed at Bane with the blade. The larger man ducked the swing, dropping down into a crouched pose as the sword passed over his head. It was just barely; after all, he was a tall man and the strike had been made for his abdomen. However, his prey was at a disadvantage with his main offensive weapon out of the way and his dominate arm across his body.

Fast as a viper, Bane sprung up, swinging a fist up. His uppercut connected with the man's chin and the force of the blow sent him flying up into the air, his head slamming and bursting through the ceiling. With the same hand, Bane opened his fist and grabbed onto one of the ninja's ankles. Pulling his arm down, he yanked the man out of the ceiling and smashed him on the floor.

Not releasing his hold, he then pulled on the leg again, this time the masked man twisting his torso to a side as he pulled his captive off the floor and swung him through the air. Due to the tight confines of the hall, his victim crashed into the wall and began tearing through it, leaving a trench in the sheetrock in his wake. By the time, Bane was facing in the opposite direction, he released his hold on the man and sent him wildly flipping through the air.

By then, another ninja emerged, storming out of a doorway just down the corridor. His careening comrade collided with him, knocking him off of his feet and sending them both falling into a pile of limbs on the floor.

That's when Bane caught sight of Zombie. The bald man had been staying right behind Bane, covering his six. When Bane had made to throw his foe, he had ducked into a crouch to avoid getting hit as well. Now he was on his feet, one of his man knives in hand. With practiced ease, he threw it, his blade sinking into the neck of the top man. A second knife embedded itself into the eye socket of the bottom man, ending their threats.

"These ninjas move fast," Zombie remarked as he faced Bane. "From the loading area to here, they have covered much distance."

"Or they simply infiltrated and the ambush at the loading docks was the signal for their attack," Bane responded. "Get ahold of Bird. I want a status report."

Immediately, Zombie had a radio in hand. "Bird, what is your status?"

Bird took a moment to reply, but respond he did. "We've lost the loading area. We've retreated further into the warehouse and we're holding them down for now. Don't know how long we can last."

"Help is on the way," Bane immediately stated as he turned away. Zombie would relay his words. Marching down the corridor, he soon found the stairwell to the building and shoved the door open. There was no need for door knobs or push bars, he simply struck the door with his bare hand and the lock snapped cleanly, the door swinging open. Entering the stairwell, he saw that it spiraled all the way down, a set of stairs lining opposite walls of each other with landing standing opposite the other two walls.

The sound of gunfire echoed throughout the shaft, indicating his men were fighting here as well. Looking over the railing, Bane could see movement throughout the stairs, along with brief flashes of light, indicating gunfire. Two level down, he spotted a couple of ninjas flying up the stairs, two steps at a time.

Calmly, Bane moved down the stairs before him, reaching the landing. He stopped right at the middle, one hand gripping onto the railing. His timing needed to be perfect for this.

Leaping up, he swung himself over the railing and began to fall down the shaft. He let go of the railing as he began his descent, but quickly grabbed onto the iron bar that held up the railing. His hand slid down it until the bottom side of his hand pressed down on the step.

This allowed his body to swing down and then back towards the stairs. His timing was perfect as he immediately saw a ninja on the lower landing. Legs extended, Bane rammed his feet right into the man's chest, smashing him up against the wall. He could feel bone and cartilage snap from the force of his blow, crushing his victim's chest.

As he landed on the stairs, Bane brought down the hand he had been using to grip onto the railing above, crossing it over his chest. Letting out a war cry, he swung it out, the back of his fist colliding with the second ninja's head. The man was sent flying backwards, crashing into the wall and falling into a heap on the floor.

The sound of rustling cloth caught the masked man's attention, causing him to snap his head to the other direction. On the set of ascending stairs was another ninja, one he had missed during his initial observations. The man had a handful of ninja stars in his hand, and he was going through the motion to throw them.

Immediately, Bane darted towards the man, holding an arm just before his face. A moment later and the ninja threw his stars, the metal projectiles biting into his forearm. Bane resisted the urge to hiss as there were more important things to do. He reached the ninja a heartbeat later, lashing out with his bleeding arm. The ninja leaned backwards to avoid the swipe, but that left him open as Bane swung his other fist at him, aiming low so that his punch slammed right into his foe's stomach.

Immediately, the ninja doubled over, gasping as the air was knocked out of his lungs. In an instant, Bane drew his other hand back, grabbing onto the side of the ninja's head. Without hesitation, he forced the man's head to a side, ramming it onto the railing. The railing trembled from the collision, a dull dong echoing throughout the shaft. Bane pulled the man's head back and then again bashed it on the railing. Releasing his hold he then grabbed the man by his shoulder and shoved him over the railing, sending him falling down the spiraling shaft, slowly flipping over and over until he landed at the bottom.

That was when Bane paused. It was not a hesitation, only a small rest so that he could examine the throwing stars in his arm. Raising said arm, he looked at the stars sticking out, each one an even distance from the other. These men were well-trained, just as he had been told.

Reaching up, he grabbed onto one of the stairs and pulled it out, studying the craftsmanship of the projectile. It was sharp and cared for. There was no evidence of poison on the tips, so he would be fine. It was a lost opportunity for his enemy, but a stroke of fortune for him.

Another gunshot was fired and Bane glanced down the stairwell. A level down, he saw one of his men engaging a ninja, his aim just off as the assassin dodged the gunshots, then ducked back and behind the railing.

Immediately, Bane threw the ninja star he had been holding, watching long enough to see it strike the ninja in the neck and cause him to jerk out of his hiding spot. His mercenary took another shot at him, only firing once as that was all he needed, putting a bullet right in his target's head.

Yes, it was a lost opportunity for his enemy and a stroke of fortune for Bane.

The loading dock was littered with bodies, some of his own men, more were of the enemy. Ra's strolled through the mess, Ubu at his back. Talia was guarding Wonder Tower, coordinating the attack. All of his assassins had the latest in video equipment, providing continuous feed to the base.

It was clear that the Demon's Fang had secured the room. Many had taken position towards the other side of the room, positioning themselves defensively. The rest were at the door, pouring into it as they continued their assault. The sound of gunfire indicated there was still strong resistance.

"Any sign of Bane?" the Demon's Head asked.

Ubu was quick to respond. "Our men have sighted him on the upper floors. He has joined the battle."

That was to be expected. Bane had made it quite clear he was unafraid to get his own hands dirty. He was also shrewd if his pursuit of the Detective was any indication. He was not an opponent to take lightly.

The ambushes his men had been performing the last few nights had been tests, attempts to understand the enemy's tactics, strengths, and weaknesses. Bane's men had demonstrated that they were not accustomed to being attacked, though they were quick to retaliate when provoked. Stealth was key, luring them into a trap, and stabbing them in the back. Striking at their own base of operations would be something they did not expect.

Suddenly, a burst of flames flew through the doorway, the screams of men burning echoing throughout the loading docks. Ra's looked on dispassionately. Hmm, it seemed there were flamethrowers present.

"Ubu, call in the second wave," he ordered.

"At once, Master."

The sound of wet footsteps reached Bane's ears. The reason for this was because of the blood clinging to the bottom of his boots, leaving red footprints in his wake.

He had at last reached the bottom floor, breaking and slaughtering all who came before him. He had taken some hits as a few lines of blood decorated his bare arms. These attackers were capable with their swords and throwing stars. Allowing a nick was preferable to a more serious injury.

Shoving open the doorway to leave the stairwell, Bane found his weapons dump, the crates of ammunition, guns, and explosives neatly stacked along the walls. Some of the crates were opened, recently too if he wasn't mistaken. As he walked by one, Bane couldn't help but take note that a flamethrower had been removed.

That's when he heard it, the sound of crackling flames. Picking up his pace, he reached a door and flung it open.

On the other side were a small handful of his men—too few for his tastes. At the front was a man wearing a gasoline tank, which was connected to a nozzle. An open flame was being fired into the doorway in front of the man, a constant stream pouring from it.

Close to the front was Bird, clutching at his radio with one hand, and a machine gun in the other. None too gently, Bane forced his way to the Gothamite, shoving his own men aside. After the first two, the rest parted to either side of him, pressing themselves up against the walls of the corridor.

"Bird," his voice rumbled, which caused the blond-haired man to snap his head towards him.

"Bane!" he exclaimed, his eyes giving him a once-over. "It's a Goddamn mess down here. We—"

"Are under attack," the masked man finished for him. "They are crawling all over the building. What is the status ahead?"

"The loading docks are theirs, whoever the hell they are. They were pushing us back pretty damn good until Victor here pulled out the flamethrower. It's holding them off for now, but it'll be another story when the gas tank runs out."

Yes, it would. "Tell Victor to stop," he ordered as he raised his hands up, cracking the knuckles of one hand with the other, then repeating the gesture with the opposite hands.

Bird stared at him, mouth agape, but he got the message. Shoving his radio into a pocket, he then grabbed Victor by the shoulder and shook him hard to get his attention. The moment the man turned his head to look at them, Bird moved his hand back and held it flat in front of his neck, jerking it back and forth. "Kill it!" he shouted for emphasis.

Immediately, Victor stopped squeezing the trigger and shifted to a side, allowing Bane to storm right by him. Passing through the singed doorway, the masked man entered another hallway, one that had small flames licking from the walls. On the floor were the charred corpses of the attackers, which Bane paid little mind too. The smell of burnt flesh and smoke were hard to ignore, but he did not allow it to bother him.

By the time he reached the entrance to the loading area, a ninja had appeared in the doorway. Rushing him, Bane drew a fist back and threw it a moment later. His blow slammed into the man's face, sending him flying backwards through the air.

This cleared the way for him to enter the loading area. Immediately, two ninjas came charging at him from his left and right. It only took an instant for Bane to identify the man on the right was faster than his counterpart on his left. Both held swords above their heads, mirror images of each other.

Immediately, Bane tilted himself to face the ninja on his right. He waited a brief moment before he slid to his left and further into the room, just in time to avoid the vertical slash from his foe. Due to his momentum, the ninja sailed right by Bane, ending him as the immediate threat.

Putting all of his weight on one foot, Bane leaned forward even as he twisted his head to look behind him. With his other leg, he lashed out with it, delivering a back kick right to the face of the second charging ninja. The blow caused the man's head to snap backwards, the rest of his body following suit.

Bringing his leg down, Bane then spun around to face both of his foes, one dazed while the other was turning to meet him again. Holding both of his arms to one side, one at his side while the other crossed over his chest, he then swung his crossed arm out in an attempted backhand blow. The alert ninja pulled back to avoid the blow, just as Bane planned. He hadn't expected to hit anyone with the first strike, not that it would've done anything of note.

That's when he unleashed his other fist, throwing it right at the dazed ninja. His fist slammed right into the man's chest and sent him flying back into the wall, his body going limp an instant after crashing into it, then falling to the floor in a heap.

That's when the remaining ninja attempted another sword strike, aiming for his extended arm. Bane immediately snatched it back, avoiding the slash. Then he shot out both arms, one hand latching onto the man's sword arm to prevent another attack while the other wrapped around his neck.

Sure he had a good grip with both hands, Bane yanked the ninja off the floor and towards him, even as he leaned backwards and craning his head back. Then all at once, he threw his head forward, headbutting the ninja. There was a brief spasm of pain in Bane's forehead, but he ignored it as his foe cringed from the blow. Letting go of his neck, the larger man quickly moved his hand down to the ninja's waist, grabbed a handful of the bodysuit and then lifted the man above his head. He then threw his opponent through the air.

Ignoring where the ninja landed, Bane then turned his attention to one that was charging right at him from behind. Whipping around, Bane leaped backwards to avoid the sword slashing towards him. Quickly, his arms were darting out again, one to block a backswing by the sword arm with his forearm, the other hand grabbing onto the ninja by the back of his head. Pulling on the man's head and forcing it downward, Bane brought up his knee, just in time to ram it right into the man's face.

Pulling the man's head back, Bane then moved his defensive arm back before he threw it forward, his fist smashing into his foe's face, the familiar sensation of cartilage snapping beneath his knuckles vibrating up his arm. The ninja dropped his sword as his hands went up to his nose. Bane then shoved the man away.

That's when he saw him. Though there were a few more potential foes closer to him, Bane could not help himself as his attention drew away from them. Standing a moderate distance away was a man in a green cloak, his dark hair colored with white at his temples. this man watched him dispassionate, not the least bit concerned with the resistance Bane retaliated with. Bane did not know who this person was, but he was certain this was his true enemy, the one that had launched this attack on his headquarters.

Of course, that was when reinforcements arrived.

Unfortunately, they were not Bane's men. Instead, more of the ninjas emerged through the open doors to the loading dock. At first he had been expecting more swords and throwing stars, but these ninjas held automatic weapons. A line was quickly formed with the masked men taking a knee as they held their guns at shoulder height, taking aim. A second line formed behind them, these men standing and also taking aim with their weapons.

This was an unfortunate turn of events.

Immediately, Bane spun around and charged towards the open doorway. He got two, perhaps three steps before he heard an unholy roar of machine gun fire. Pain burned into his right shoulder, along with a couple spots on his upper back. A moment later and he was diving through the doorway, hitting the floor as even more bullets raced above him.

Ignoring the pain, Bane began crawling along the floor, even as the barrage of lead ended. The moment he reached the door at the end of the long corridor, he pushed himself upward and shoved the door open. Passing through the threshold, he then shoved it closed behind him.

"Jesus!" Bird exclaimed as he looked at the larger man. "What the hell happened?"

"We are retreating," Bane told him coolly. "This place is lost. Give out the command. We will rendezvous at the secondary site."

Bird stared at him. "Are you sure?"

"Unless you wish to die, I am. There is no point losing anymore manpower here." At this, Bane began shoving his way through what was left of his men. They all seemed shell shocked by his order, but the sound of their footsteps following him informed him they would comply. Even now, he could hear Bird issuing the retreat over his radio.

Though he had given the command, Bane could taste the bitterness of those words on his tongue. He hadn't planned on this sort of loss. Perhaps if the police had stiffened up their resistance, it was possible they would've found this place, but that would've been much later in his conquest, making this building's importance an acceptable loss.

However, this new force was more powerful than he had anticipated. They had found and taken his headquarters, forcing him out into the cold. This wasn't supposed to happen.

His hands clenched into fists. It was now imperative that he learn everything there was to know about this force and the man in the green cloak. He needed to know who he was, what he was capable of, and most importantly what his objective was. It was clear he was at odds with Bane and his ambitions. Now he needed to understand why.

For now, survival was his primary objective.