Chapter 12: Batman vs. Killer Croc part 2 - Gotham City Sewers

Croc, sniffing around, drew himself closer to Batman's last position.

"There's no hiding from me, Batman..." Croc mocked, as he caught eye of a piece of Batman's cape hanging from the side of a corner he was approaching.

**BOOOOOMMMMMMM!** Croc slammed his arm across the corner hoping to hit Batman. Croc looked around the corner, realizing he hit nothing but a piece of Batman's cape, which was left there as a diversion.

**Fllllooooooppppp** Batman dropped onto Croc's shoulders from an open pipe-way above. Batman released a fury of elbows and punches onto Croc's head. Croc reached desperately above his head to grab Batman, but could not due to his abnormal growth.

"I've had enough!" Croc shouted as he secured his hands around Batman's feet - jumping back, causing his head to blast Batman between him and the ground behind him.

"Ugh," Batman uttered in pain.

Croc stood up and looked at his weak and injured victim. Croc began pounding Batman repeatedly into the sewer's shallow water, cracking and breaking the floor beneath. Croc clinched his hand around Batman's foot throwing him - as if he were a rag doll - down the sewer corridor. Whilst Batman grasped his stomach in pain, he leaned up and sat on his buttocks, and drew a Batarang, which was glowing blue in its center.

"HAHAHA... Resorting to toys now, are you, Batman?"

Without response and panting in pain, Batman threw the Batarang at Croc as he approached.

**VROO VROO VROO VROO VROO** Croc caught the projectile and opened his hand to look at it.

"Your efforts are futile, Batman... I'm too much for you to handle," Croc taunted.

"Then let me bring you back down to size." Batman replied, as the Batarang flashed in Croc's hand.

"...What's this?" Croc questioned as the Batarang detonated in his hand, engulfing him in the anti-compost formula.

"SSSSSSSSSS..." Croc hissed in pain slowly slowing down, becoming more quiet until complete silence.

"Hghh... Hghh.. Hghh.." Batman panted and lied back down, to rest after his victory, while closing his eyes.

9:30 a.m

**CHiiissshhh!** Batman felt a sharp sting in is upper chest. Opening his eyes in shock, and looking up above him stood his previous opponents. Scarecrow pinned Batman to the cold concrete underneath him, with his index needle piercing though his shoulder blade.

"Just let yourself slip away, Batman... You're gonna need your beauty sleep," Scarecrow said, as he and Ivy burst with laughter.

Batman drowned into the unconscious...

November 23rd, 9:30 a.m

"Hghuuuuuuuu!" Batman gasped as his vision faded back to its normality, witnessing a clearer view of Ivy and Scarecrow moving around him.

"Why did you give him that big of a dose?" Ivy barked.

"It's Batman, I'm not gonna give him a small dose; that's just stupid." Scarecrow returned.

"Shh... Shut up... He's waking up," Ivy demanded

"So, Batman, contrary of our warning, you went ahead and tried stopping us... Please, tell us how that worked out," Scarecrow teased, as both he and Ivy began laughing in arrogance.

"It doesn't matter what you do to me... you're never getting Gotham!" Batman shouted from one of their experiment tables he was strapped too.

"You have it all wrong, Batman. You never gave me the chance to tell you before. We don't want Gotham, we want its inhabitants," Scarecrow revealed.

"What are your plans? What do you want with the people of Gotham?!" Batman questioned.

"Honestly... nothing, Batman... we want nothing from them. We want to give... We plan on giving so much in fact... that no one will be able withstand our bountiful offering."

"I've heard enough, tell me your true intentions!" Batman demanded.

"Well, it's like this, Batman: First, and foremost, we are going to unmask you, you see. Your true identity has always intrigued the two of us. Then we'll have to give this filthy city a cleanse. The city will endure; they will see tribulation. They will be tried, but the rules of natural selection won't apply this time, Batman. The youthful and the weak will witness their wise and strong being discarded like lambs to the slaughter. Their wills will be broken. They will become scared and remain weak as they were. Until one day, they will bite back like cornered dogs, in fear for their lives. Until fear itself gives them strength. Until one day, Batman... they will rise. Like a phoenix from it's ashes, they will rise above their expectations, to achieve something extraordinary. They shall become strong, and they shall become wise. In such a magnitude it's incomparable. There will no longer be the need of our existence, Batman. We will become legend," Scarecrow preached.

"So you two think you're some kind of prophets? Bringing Gotham to its salvation? You both share the characteristics of a narcissist. The udder simplicity that drive your minds are what make it so easy for me to triumph," Batman taunted.

"Enough is enough, Batman. It's time for us to see that handsome face of yours," Ivy informed with pleasure.

Reaching for Batman's mask, Ivy placed a hand on her hip. Batman shot his legs around Ivy, clenching her close, and squeezing the breathe from her lungs. Scarecrow suddenly dashed toward Batman, throwing his needled glove at him. Decisively, Batman slung his head away from the spread of needles.

"Ahhhggg!" Batman shouted in pain, as he looked back to discover Scarecrow's needle points penetrating him, and the rest penetrating around his shoulder into the table and straps.

**SNAP!** Batman's strap that confined him before snapped, dropping him toward the ground, with Ivy still in his leg clench.

**SMACK!** Batman broke his fall with Ivy, causing her to fall to the floor. Batman resumed his stance before Scarecrow once again.

**CHIIISSSSTTTT** Batman with both hands, grabbed Scarecrow by his wrist. In pain, Batman pushed Scarecrow's arm back toward him, causing the needle to slowly inch out of his flesh.

"The road ends here, Scarecrow!" Batman shouted, as he picked Scarecrow off the ground by his needle arm.

**BFFFTTT** Batman dropped Scarecrow from his grasp, and threw an elbow into his chest in mid-fall. Scarecrow skid across the ground, causing dirt and debris to sketch his path in the dirt. With Scarecrow and Poison Ivy unconscious, Batman activated his communicator: **Bing**

12:00 p.m

"Come in, Gordon," Batman pleaded.

"I'm here, Batman," Gordon replied.

"Are you in position?" Batman questioned.

"Yeah. I'm here, but this sewer is confusing," Gordon answered.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Gordon questioned.

"Yeah, yeah. I know what I'm doin'." Bullock responded. "Through here," Bullock instructed.

**Creek!** Two GCPD officers pushed open the large water barrier hatch, outstretching their arms, welcoming Gordon and Bullock to their destination.

"Well look what we have here..." Gordon teased. "Good work, Batman, these bastards are going down. There will be a nice, cozy cell for the two of you... to rot in back at Black Gate," Gordon harassed, as he pointed to the two officers and then back to the criminals, instructing them to take the duo away. "Well, it would appear everything fell according to plan. How did you know they would have you here this long?"

"Scarecrow is an old friend. And his previous attempts make him predictable. Luckily, you guys showed. I had to breach their base of operations to uncover anything else they might have had in store for us."

"One thing before you go, Gordon," Batman said.

"Hmph?" Gordon replied.

"These two, undoubtedly, are fit to go to Black Gate. However, Croc will have another outbreak. And I can't afford to chase him down again. Let alone, worry of an allegiance between these three and prisoners at Black Gate. Throw the whole lot of them in Arkham Asylum until their sentencing. They're gonna be spending a lot of time there anyway."

"You heard the man. Take these sick sons'a'b***s to Arkham," Gordon ordered. "Anything else while we're here?" Gordon questioned.

"Yeah... Next time you carry the map. Bullock's an oaf," Batman joked.