Chapter 18 : Chalice of Shadow
Blackness. Sounds of feverish screaming echoed in his ear drums. Wails of innocence faded as blood poured out from the gutters, dripping into puddles that surrounded lifeless bodies piled on the streets like unwanted trash. A body falling into a pit of darkness; trapped as if in shackles as a white pale face stared down, cleaving a rose to shreds.
"She loves you. She loves you not..."
The sordid merciless laughter crackled as the feeling of coldness entered ...
Batman flicked open his ginger green eyes. Disoriented. Head pounding.
He tried to lift his hands but to his surprise, ropes that smelt of gasoline bounded them to a bolted down steel chair. An abhorrent stench of rotten flesh mixed with garbage decaying made him gag. Vile in his stomach was rising.
His eyes shifted as a cold presence moved through the shadows. Coal lifeless eyes stared him down as crimson stained lips formed a wide grin.
"Why hello there... Batsy." The foul immoral words blared from disfigured flesh stitched lips. The tongue licked the edges, tasting the dried blood as purple gloved hands waved around a switchblade like a conductor of a tragic orchestra.
Batman peered at the discoloration of the room. Hanging industrial lights were slowing swaying as the leaking roof released droplets of water onto the smooth slope of the cowl's nose.
The Joker circled around his captive. "Oh you look nervous..." He sneered. "Just like how your kitten looked when my knife was about to put a Cheshire smile on that flawless face of hers."
Batman was hissing... his teeth bit into his bottom lip. "If you ever touch her..."
Joker just stood there like a child gazing at his favorite toy in the store window. His eyes were burning as he pulled closer, his hand touching Batman's shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" Batman snarled, jerking his body. He rocked in the chair, trying pull back to the floor.
"Aw... shhh... there there Bats. I promise I will play nice." The Joker was calm as his hand reached for the cowl. "It's midnight Bats, time to unmask."
Batman twisted his head , trying to avoid the blood stained Latex. The Joker removed the cowl.
"Hello Brucie..."
Bruce's smeared eyes glared into the abyss of his enemy. "What do you want , Joker?"
"I want to see how much Gotham's Dark Knight can take... and I know you won't disappoint. You let the Scarecrow take you down to a level that your logical mind would never allow. Watched your lovely and sexy kitten become a maimed pet that you locked in that mansion of yours. Not to mention all those children... That you couldn't save." He continued. "Now you're here with me. Its going to be party full of lots of surprises that my sweetness will make you receive."
Bruce eyes fell. "Where's Vedette?" He faintly said as if he was fading into an unconscious state. His mind was thinking unclear. Thoughts were failing him.
"She's preparing a little treat just for you. Changes are coming Brucie..."
"You're going to kill me..."
The Joker started to laugh. His yellow stained teeth were showing. After a moment of untamed laughter, he started to make sobbing noises. "Kill you? Why would I kill you Brucie? Like I said before, "you will always complete me." No you're going to live but not as Gotham's little hero. Something that defeats your soul..." He patted Bruce's left cheek. "You're going to belong to me."
"I will never belong to you. Freak!" Bruce lashed with burning eyes. "Never!"
The Joker slapped Bruce across the face.
Bruce spat blood as it dripped down his throat. "You're garbage that kills for the own gratification of your sick mind. Filth!"
The Joker lunged with the switchblade as it touched Bruce's mouth. "I'll carve a smile and make you bleed out all those good looks of yours, pretty boy."
He looked into Bruce's dark eyes. "She'll belong to me. My little Catwoman doll. In a case of glass with no strings attached."
Bruce clenched his fist. He twisted his hands through the ropes, slipping gloves.
"Don't look now, but Gotham's pet bat has just snapped." The Joker laughed. "What are you going to do to me? Cross your line. Take my life. End this overture by pulling my curtain. Or are you going to use your moral code..."
Bruce squeezed his fists. "You're going back to Arkham. You're going to rot."
"Hmmm... I don't think so little prince," The forceful voice of a woman blared.
Bruce turned in the direction of the voice. "It's a coward's game to taunt me in the shadows, Vedette." He growled.
He glared into the shadows as the sound of high heels hitting the cement floor approached. The cold presence made his spine shiver. "Hello handsome," she spat into his ear. Bruce forcefully shrugged his shoulder, pushing her away from him as she let out a playful laugh and stepped into the dim light where he could see her.
She picked up his cowl that Joker threw on the cement floor when Bruce was beaten and tied up two hours ago.
"So this is the face of Batman."
Vedette walked over to Bruce and placed the cowl on his lap, then placed her index finger on his lips. He moved his head away.
"I suppose that's enough fun for now little prince," she said, placing her hands on her curved hips. "Let's talk seriously now. Shall we?" she said in mocking tone of voice that reminded Bruce of a snake taunting its captive prey in its coils.
"Make your point. What do you want from me?" he growled. "Why did your men attack the guests at the Halloween Ball?"
"My. My." Vedette said with forceful surprise, "Don't we have a lot of questions today detective?"
"Too bad you're all out of the answers," Bruce wittily replied.
Though she was taken back by his comment, she ignored him and continued with her speech she had prepared before his long awaited capture. Running her long fingers through his thick dark chocolate brown hair, she licked her lips.
"Look at these charming good looks. Such smooth hair to touch, almost like silk. Those ginger green eyes, perfect lips that women swoon over and that swell athletic body that every unworthy man in this city envy's over."
She fell purposely and dramatically upon his lap, much to his disgust, and put one arm around his well-defined neck. Though she was an admittedly attractive woman of who in different circumstances may have not been so disturbing to have sitting upon him, she was presumably evil and he was quite sure she had just injured almost to the point of death a woman he cared very deeply for. She looked up at the ceiling, continuing on with her rant, "It must be so nice to be born with looks like that, prince of Gotham,"
Bruce was just about to attempt a daring escape until she finished with a mocking tone in her voice.
"But sadly that's all about to change."
That one sentence captured his curiosity.
"Change?" he said with a look of confusion and uncertainly.
"You see," she said, pushing off his chest, helping her to stand again. "I love destroying people's lives. Ripping their hearts out. Call it an obsession of mine."
The Joker rubbed his gloved hands together. "Keep talkin', my sweetness."
Bruce scowled. "A sick debased obsession of a sociopath!" He quickly embarked, unsurprised of her motives and yet still enraged that the ones he cared about were put into danger because of knowing him. Selina Kyle, his enduring love, the one he would to spend his life with and Alfred his loyal friend who has always been there for him through the failures and victories.
Bruce shifted his ginger green eyes to her. He had to use his tactic of manipulating Vedette's mind somehow by changing the subject - making her lose focus in her goal. He closely thought about the murders and the missing children. All those black cats found dead in trash cans.
"What about all those black cats that you dumped into dumpsters like they were nothing?"
Vedette looked at bit confused at his question. Bruce could tell that she was weak minded by how she lacked discipline with her emotions. He could see that there was a lot of rage welled up inside coming from past traumas and memories. She had a weak sense of her own self will and judgment which was the perfect thing to use against her.
"I gave them freedom."
Bruce gave a false look of impression. "Murdering innocents is not freedom. Its death."
Vedette formed her hand into a fist. "What do you know about death? You've never tasted blood bleeding from your heart as bullets impacted your flesh. The knife slicing your throat."
"I know what death is. I endure it."
"Enough," she yelled slapping him. "Soon all of Gotham will be free from the decaying streets stained with blood and lies imbedded into the brick walls."
Bruce shook his head. "You're an insane little girl that believes the only way to get rid of suffering and sin is to destroy the decaying cities that reek with injustice."
Vedette smirked and then shrugged her shoulders. "No, I'm just doing what I think is right."
"How do you call destroying lives right?"
"It's more like freeing their lives from this hell hole of a prison you call home. It's what I was meant to do." She retorted angrily.
Bruce shook his head at her. "I can see right through you. You're an ugly bitter person that thinks only of the satisfaction of her mission that she was pegged to do because of nightmarish dream."
"Shut up," she slapped him across the face. His head jolted to the side. "That will teach you a lesson to mind your tongue unless you want me to cut it out!"
"Is that a threat?" Bruce smirked. "Because if it is it's not a very good one. I know how to issue threats, call it a certain characteristic I have."
"Enough." She spat as she scratched him across the face with her sharp nails. He made no sound of pain.
Bruce spat blood on the floor. "So are you going to free me like you did with the others?" He hissed, ignoring the pain she'd inflicted
"No. I'm going to make you a captive of your own body."
Bruce lifted his eye brow. "That's what you meant about change."
Vedette walked behind him.
"Some say money can't buy you happiness," she said, her back turned to him," and I've seen happy poor people; the ignorant fools don't know any different. But ugly people like me," she shook her head, "opportunity leaves as soon as looks do." She opened a small box on the desk which revealed a small silver box that looked to be about centuries old. She looked at Bruce and smirked.
"What do you mean looks?" Bruce rasped, using his gravely tone of voice.
Vedette grabbed a vial, stood behind him and spoke to the Joker. "Ready to see my true power, handsome."
"Show me, sweetness."
"Shall we?"
The Joker stood behind the chair, his hand pulled Bruce by the hair. The billionaire groaned as a purple gloved hand grabbed him by the neck and pressed hard. "Come on Brucie, it's time to have your fill?"
"Go to hell!" Bruce muttered as he felt air leaving his lungs.
Vedette twisted the top of the vial and narrowed her cold gaze at her captive. "I'm going to curse you by the moonlight. You will become a creature of the night. Everyone you ever cared about will fear you." She raised her hand and began to pour it down his throat.
Bruce jerked, keeping his lips closed.
The Joker stabbed him in the shoulder making his lips open and he grunted in agony.
"Drink up, Brucie."
Vedette circled around. Bruce felt as if all the life was draining out of him; where her nails had pierced, the skin around became sickly pale and quickly started to spread. He could feel his body failing as his skin pulled so tightly. He could feel a pull in his chest. He was beginning to transform. His ginger green eyes became the color of orange copper iris'.
"Consider yourself the first one to taste my wrath."
"What's... happening?" he choked as his throat began to burn. The area around his eyes turned black as if he hadn't slept in weeks, and his cheeks lost every speck of rose.
"This is just a taste of my power Bruce Wayne. Now you are truly a child of the night. A worthless soul that lurks in the shadows and that will be hunted, condemn and unloved." Vedette put her nose to his and whispered, "Batman will die because your drive to save the so called good people will die. Your drive for anything, including that poorly chosen girl you're so head-over-heels for, will die."
"Selina," Bruce thought as every happy memory, any joy or pleasure he had ever had in life, anything in him that made him who he was hidden in a mass fog of self pity and hopelessness came to mind.
The first time he kissed Selina on the lips at the ballroom dance.
Or when he rescued Jim Gordon's family with the tormented soul known as Two-Face that vanished into the fog. Even when he remembered the first night he became the Bat, standing on top of the highest tower looking down at the city he vowed to protect. Feeling the coldness of the morning air touch his face as the sirens echoed through the streets.
The Joker fell onto Bruce's lap. Rambling like an idiot.
"Ya know, I hope it is a dog! You kinda broke in my last bundle of pooches and I have been meaning to pick up a new pet!" Joker patted Bruce's shoulder. Bruce glared at him. "Ah cheer up Batsy! You'll love all the good times I'll show ya! You're my bestest pal in the whole world and you'll never be bored! Just might need a cold shower each night! Hehahahahaah!"
Vedette held up a small mirror that seemed to be so familiar as if Bruce had seen it before.
"Ready to see the beast within," she sneered as she placed the mirror in front of his face.
Bruce looked hard at his reflection. The handsome face that photographers for Gotham Gazette loved was now a face that no one could love. His handsome features faded into the vanilla pudding colored skin tone and his ginger eyes were now haunting hues of the Harvest moon. He felt weak, uneasy.
Vedette's expression shifted into a small grin as she watched him put his hand to his face. Bruce opened his mouth. "No," he hissed.
In those moments of looking himself in the mirror, Bruce realized one thing - that his life was now changed forever.
He was no longer Batman, he was no longer Bruce Wayne; he was whoever he could muster up the courage to be once he took a horribly long look at his cursed transformed figure. Overwhelmed by the transformation, he had fainted as his body was now weak and frail, unable to handle even the bonds that held him to the chair.
"Who will save your city now, worthless..." She said, grabbing the unconscious billionaire and squeezing his cheeks. "You're nothing now Bruce Wayne. You can't hide behind your graphite cowl nor in your mansion for shame of your form."
Vedette placed the cowl back on covering Bruce's face. She untied the cursed body of the one formerly known as Batman. "Now you're free to enjoy your new life Batman. Don't forget to screech at the moon."
She snapped her fingers.
Desmond, the new commander of her Jackal army, entered the room. "You called mistress?" He answered.
"Remove this tortured soul."
"As you wish."
Desmond lifted the limp body over his shoulder with ease.
"Where should I dump him?" He asked.
"The place where Batman was born, Crime Alley. Let his friends find him."
Inside the basement of an abandon apartment located across from Arkham Aslyum, the murky low-income homes of the Narrows, a jolt of coldness made Selina's body jerk. Her eyes flicked opened as she felt the contact of ice cold hands touching her flesh.
She became alert as darkness consumed the room. Filthy, grimy floors filled with pieces of broken furniture. The stench of sweat made her almost gag. She tugged at the straps restraining her arms and used her sharp nails on her gloves to scratch through the fabric.
"Did you have a dream, Miss Kyle..." A practical eerie voice blared from behind a stack of boxes. "Or a nightmare?"
Selina tore through the straps and instantly arose and bent her knees into a pouncing position. Her eyes studied the movement in the shadows. "Don't be shy, doctor. I don't bite." She coaxed, gazing at the silver tray of needles on a table. "In your case, I'm open to make an exception."
Johnathan Crane stepped into her sight. "Ah, I'm glad to see that you're finally awake. And you've managed to cut your way out. Impressive. I like it when my patients are awake - it makes the process of injection so much more delightful to take in. Hearing the screams of agony and watching the tears drip down theirs cheeks. Priceless."
Selina rolled her eyes as she gritted her teeth. "Sorry Crane, but I could care less." She jumped down from the table and glanced around the room. She could see her belongings laying on cart against the back of the room. "Where's your jackals? Do you prefer to work behind close doors?"
"Careful with your tongue, kitten." Crane snarled, lifting his sleeve ready to release the fear toxin.
"I can see that you never learn..." Selina said.
"Learn what?"
"Never use the same trick twice." She grabbed his arm and twisted it down. "I'm not like Batman, doctor. I can show no mercy when you corner me." She dug her nails into the flesh of his wrist. "You know what they say, corner a cat and you get scratched." She released an impacting kick into his groin and threw him across the room.
Crane slammed his body into a wall - he drew out a vial - whack! Selina slapped it out of his hand and lifted her leg, pinning his wrist into the sharp heel of her boot. Her eyes were burning.
He just laughed. "I can see why Batman has taken such a liking to you. You're a fascinating creature, Miss Kyle. Men in this city probably wish to feel those crimson lips of your pressing agaisnt their flesh."
Selina smirked. "Be careful what you wish for, Crane." She made a long finger touch his top lip. "You're like a lab rat. Obsessed and driven as you sit in your cage." She was harsh.
Crane jerked his head. "What do you want?"
"I want what you've taken from me, Crane."
A jackal came out of no nowhere and aimed his weapon at her head. "Release him!"
Selina looked over her shoulder. "Cute." She lowered her leg and sweep kicked him in the shin. Within moments she spun disarmed the mercenary and had Crane in a choke hold. "Where is Batman?"
Crane released a cackle. "Why is he that important to you?"
Selina clenched her jaw tightly. Her veins were burning. She had to act fast knowing that the man she loved was in the coils of Vedette Countess. That was the only name that came to mind as her hand pressed against Crane's windpipe.
"He's your lover, isn't he... Well Vedette will make sure that your relationship ends tonight. He'll be nothing. A lifeless body floating in cold waters of Gotham Bay." He looked into her eyes, searching. "A grim reminder to this city that sometimes good men fall... and monsters prevail."
Selina clenched her free hand into a fist.
"You think that you can save him, don't you. I can see the fear in your eyes. You're going to fail."
"Where is he?" She screamed into his ear. "Tell me where she is keeping him?"
"Its up to you to find him now. Vedette will dump his body somewhere where the death of innocence was caused."
Selina released her hold and elbowed Crane in the jaw. She picked her phone and belongings off the cart and bolted to the stairwell.
"Its too late. You can't stop her!" Crane yelled.
Selina raced out of the apartment, her heart pounding. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed for Alfred. With the phone touching her ear, she waiting and collected her thoughts about the fate of Bruce.
"Hello?" Alfred answered with a worried tone.
"Alfred, it's Selina. I need a pick up. Meet me in front of Arkham. Bruce is in trouble. There's no time to explain."
She could hear Alfred's short breath of relief on the other end of the line. "I'm on my way." He replied before the call ended.
Selina dug her teeth into her bottom lip as she looked at the picture of Bruce on her cellphone screen. A cherished memory that she kept close to her at all times.
"Hold on, handsome."