A/N: This chapter begins with Damian's POV and switches around a bit, like it will in future chapters.
Rated T: For violence.
Rolling his eyes for the second time that night, Robin proceeded to descend the staircase with extreme caution. "No names in the field, idiot."
The multiple staircases they descended suggested that they were another four or five floors below the main level of the building. Red Robin had acquired the old building plans, with the help of Oracle before they took on the mission. The hallways in the sub-level stretched in a labyrinth of paths all along the city block, but could only be accessed from the main building. With the schematics, Drake, Gordon, and Father had been able to theorize all the possible locations that Crane set his laboratory.
The rough, concrete hallways were wide, but with low ceilings. Every fifteen feet, a small bulb illuminated a small portion of the wall from above, and the pattern stretched down the long hallways. Aside from the square foot the bulb illuminated every fifteen feet, it was completely dark. The night vision lenses in their masks greatly assisted them in this endeavor. They acted as a trail; the bulbs leading them down specific hallways. Based on their theorized locations, the lights seemed to be the path Crane himself had used. Grayson had his wrist computer out, undoubtedly marking every turn they made should the lights suddenly diminish, or lead them down a different path from where they had entered.
The emergency lights that lit the building above slowly started depleting from sight as they descended further and further down the long hallways of the basement levels. Grayson had presumed leadership, as he was more acquainted with Jonathan Crane than Damian. The Grandson of the Demon was surely not afraid in the slightest. The very idea was preposterous. No. Grayson was to come up with the plan to apprehend Crane once they arrived at their destination, and Damian would follow dutifully.
Damian tried not to flinch as the comm in his ear suddenly roared to life with Todd's voice on the other end. "B. They have more guys coming in. Burger-boy and I won't be able to fight them all of before one of them radio's Scarecrow. They'll know we're here." Damian took note of the absurd nickname Todd used for Drake and stored it in the back of his mind to use for later.
Nightwing quickened his pace down the hallways, and Damian followed suit. More and more static filled the comm as they descended further down the hallways.
"Have you been spotted," Bruce asked in response.
"No. But, they'll definitely see the guys we took out and know what's up." Red Robin responded slightly panicked. The incompetent fool had one job and he was already failing.
"I'll rendezvous at your location. We will remain in stealth for as long as possible to buy Nightwing and Robin some time." Father presumably had already taken out the men inside the building and heading to Drake and Todd's location. "Nightwing. Status."
Robin looked at Nightwing as he pulled up a holographic image on his wrist computer, of what looked to be the sub-level building schematics.
Nightwing pressed the comm on his ear and replied. "From the looks of the prints RR recovered of the original building plans, it looks like we're reaching the end of the corridor where the lab is presumably located..." He trailed off, his eyes burrowing in confusion as his pace slowed. They stopped as the hallway came to a spit with a path on either side. "Although, this," he stated pointing at the right corridor. "Isn't in the prints." The lights from earlier suggested that they go to the left.
"What do you mean, Dick-head?" Todd asked. -tt-. Names in the field, he thought. Damian rolled his eyes at the idiot's carelessness, rather than scolding him aloud.
Eyes still switching between the two paths, Nightwing didn't acknowledge Todd's name choice. "Two hallways. One isn't in the schematics."
"You'll have to choose," Father stated tersely.
"Already ahead of you, B." Grayson grabbed Damian's wrist before he had time to react and lead him down the mess of hallways that were not marked in the schematics.
"Unhand me, Nightwing!" Damian grumbled as he pulled his wrist from his brother's grasp.
They continued running quietly down the long, dark path. "Sorry," he began with a smirk. "Not a lot of time."
The two remained quickly navigating through the long corridors, and after a few minutes, their comm came to life, filled with much more static than before. "Once you have visual, do not engage." Batman stated, seemingly once again engaged in a fight.
"What? B, you're kidding. What do you mean 'not engage'? This was the plan!" He whispered incredulously into the comm. They were approaching a light. Dim lights, but more lights than they had seen since entering the sub-levels. It appeared to be a doorway opening up to a bigger space. The lights within the room illuminated the doorway. "Th- an o-er. Await m- ar-vial," could be heard before the signal was completely cut.
The Batman had been gathering information for months. He had been tracking Jonathan Crane's movements through rumors and shipments associated with him since his escape from Arkham, but hadn't been able to pinpoint the location of the man. Word got around that the man had escaped, and for weeks, rumors had spread throughout the Gotham Underworld about the new, "game changing" formula he'd been developing in that short time; however, the rumors suggested that the formula had not yet been created. Their task was to stop Scarecrow before it was. From what Batman could gather, he would not need all of his family to take him in, but having them would ensure that Scarecrow and his men be taken down quickly and efficiently.
Although Batman attempts to keep up his impenetrable facade of darkness, he enjoyed the light that his family provided. They were all very skilled and completely competent for any task. He liked working with his sons, and his plan required all of them to ensure the success of Scarecrow's incarceration.
Contacting Jason was not a problem. After Batman's return almost a year ago, the murders in Crime Alley, the Red Hood's territory, had essentially ceased and he occasionally worked with Batman and Robin on patrols and busts.
Red Robin did not work on the field with the Dynamic Duo as frequently as he had before he started leading the Titans over in Jump City. Because he was only seventeen, Bruce had asked Tim to complete his last semester of Gotham Academy. Although, Tim was a genius among the teenagers of his generation and more than likely knew all of what was being taught to him, having some sense of normality was important. Bruce had allowed Tim to use the Zeta-tube located in the cave to transport to Jump City on the weekends, or longer vacations, so long as he completed his senior year. Afterwards, whether or not to attend college was his choice, though Bruce had hoped he'd assist in running the company.
The Red Hood's contacts in Crime Alley were very valuable. Word on the street, Scarecrow was hiring a large sum of men to guard the abandoned tech facility in the Gotham Narrrows; on the same island Arkham Asylum was situated. The decaying neighborhood surrounding the asylum was mostly abandoned. It was the Intel Red Hood had gathered that allowed them to find the specific location of Crane's current laboratory and plan accordingly.
Bruce had asked Barbara to run an analysis on the area surrounding the laboratory, to acquire information on all access points and potential escape routes. Due to the lack of traffic or security cameras, she could not provide much assistance on the night of the bust. With no computers or wireless uplinks, there was nothing to hack into. Instead, she assisted Tim in acquiring the old building schematics, and together they drafted all the potential laboratory locations within the sub-levels of the building.
Nightwing was informed of the plan in its entirety only days before, and he arrived back in Gotham from Bludhaven the afternoon of the bust. Red Hood met at the rendezvous point in the Narrows. Nightwing arrived on his cycle while Batman, Robin, and Red Robin arrived in the Batmobile. Once there, Batman, Robin and Red Robin scouted the area from the rooftops as Red Robin marked the location of all patrols on the schematics.
After Red Robin had run the thermal scan and completed all the markers, Batman initiated the bust. Hood and Robin were to take out the patrols on the building's exterior while Batman did the same on the buildings interior. Robin was to leave Batman's side and rendezvous with Nightwing, and the two of them were to navigate to the sub-levels of the building and apprehend Crane.
Stealth was an essential part of the plan. They did not wish to alert Crane of their arrival before he had the opportunity to escape. Once they began to attack the men, time was was of the essence.
Batman had just completed tying up the last goon on the second floor interior when his communicator roared to life, with Red Hood's voice on the other end. "B. They have more guys coming in. Burger-boy and I won't be able to fight them all of before one of them radio's Scarecrow. They'll know we're here." He found his lip quirking up slightly at once of Jason's nicknames for Tim. "Burger-boy" was a new one. He would have to ask him about it later.
"Have you been spotted?" He asked in response, already moving towards the closest window.
"No. But, they'll definitely see the guys we took out and know what's up." Red Robin responded quickly.
"I'll rendezvous at your location. We will remain in stealth for as long as possible to buy Nightwing and Robin some time." He responded, already making his way to the alley bellow.
He spotted the Red Hood leaning against the wall of the alley, presumably acting as a lookout, while, about ten feet away, Red Robin secured a bola around a cluster of three unconscious men.
The Dark Knight landed some distance between the two. Neither of his two older sons flinched upon his arrival. Red Robin turned and nodded minutely in acknowledgment, and a moment later, Red Hood did the same.
He exchanged a similar gesture before pressing his finger to his communicator. "Nightwing. Status."
After a minute, his oldest son responded. "From the looks of the prints RR recovered of the original building plans, it looks like we're reaching the end of the corridor where the lab is presumably located..." A pause. "Although, this...isn't in the prints."
The Red Hood didn't move from his position against the wall as he pressed on his communicator. "What do you mean, Dick-head?" He asked into the red helmet.
From behind him, Batman shook his head. No names on the field, he wanted to say. The father in him wanted to scold him for the attempted insult. I mean, his name is Dick. He would have to decide on which to scold him about later.
Moving slowly, and fluidly, he made his way over to Hood. Maneuvering himself in the shadows, Batman listened closely to the men on the other side of the turn to the next alley, which is presumably what Hood was doing as well. The men were talking among themselves in harsh whispers.
"Two hallways. One isn't in the schematics," came the response.
Batman heard Red Robin move to listen as well from behind him, just as Red Hood turned to look at him, silently asking for their next move. The Dark Knight jutted his chin up, gesturing towards the rooftops, indicating that they overlook the remaining men.
"You'll have to choose." He spoke silently into the communicator as he removed his grapple gun from his belt.
"Already ahead of you, B," stated Nightwing before going silent once again.
The two in front of him nodded before removing their grappling guns and shooting upwards.
The Dark Knight followed after them, and once he arrived on the rooftop of the tallest building in the area, he saw that the two had their hands pressed against the wall, both on opposite sides, crouched on the ledge, the Red Hood's ear turned towards the men below. Batman walked over to them, as Hood held his pointer finger up, indicating that he stop moving. He was most likely using the long range audio receiver in his helmet to listen in on the conversation below. Red Robin was overlooking the adjacent alley, making sure the men did not come too close to the unconscious men they had hidden behind the dumpster for the time being.
Even though Batman couldn't see it, he could imagine Jason behind the mask, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.
After a moment, Hood stood and walked towards Batman as Red Robin remained in a crouched position near the ledge.
"Batman, we have a problem," Jason said as he removed his helmet and held it between the crook of his arms and his left side. A red domino mask covered his face, and his black hair, shorter on the sides and a white streak in the front, was a mess atop his head. His dark brown leather jacket, and the all black Kevlar suit glistened due to the light rain that fell upon the night, and his two hand pistols were rested in the holsters at the waist. The twenty-one year old had agreed to load his guns with rubber bullets, rather than the lethal ones he had normally used. He was on a good streak of not killing anyone, so Bruce would allow him this small gesture of still wielding the dreaded firearms.
Upon hearing that, Red Robin moved towards the two. His costume was far more decorated on its exterior than the Hood's. Thankfully, Tim had ditched the cowl and settled for the red and black Kevlar suit, with accents of yellow. The yellow belts that crossed over his chest with the signature bird symbol was the source of the electro-magnetic pulse emitter that would activate the cape behind him and act as a glider. "The men, on the street below are cutting it really close to our guys we took out earlier." He looked towards his older brother, "What'd you hear, Hood?"
Running a hand through his mess of hair, Jason released a heavy sigh. "They knew we were coming."
Batman had figured Crane knew that Batman and Robin would be hear for the bust. They were always there to bring him back to Arkham before his plans got too out of hand, surely that is what Red Hood was referring to. "Yes, but are they aware we are here?" He asked in a low voice.
Red Hood shook his head, looking at the man he saw as a father. "No, Batman. I mean; they knew we were coming. He knew all of us were coming tonight."
The Dark Knight's frown deepened. Impossible. The Dynamic Duo did not work with all of Gotham's heroes often. Rarely did they come together for a small time bust such as this. The Intel they had received only suggested that Crane was simply developing his new toxin, not distributing it. Surely, he would not think a job like this required all of his sons, and that was their advantage. Crane would only have been anticipating the Dynamic Duo.
Red Robin's eyebrows knit tighter. "What do you mean? What did you hear?" He asked as he lifted his left arm and pulled up his holo-computer as Jason spoke.
"They already know about the guys we took out. They're tasked with remaining on a certain patrol path and wait for us to take them out. Crane has guys on the lower levels. A lot of guys. He knew we'd have 'Wing and Robin try and take him down while the rest of us took out the guys out here. Batman, we're being played." He stated angrily.
On Tim's computer, the blue schematics provided a 3D image of the building's lower levels. After pressing a few keys, two small, green blinking dots appeared on the screen as the blue schematics of the building disappeared.
"Batman, Nightwing and Robin are in an undocumented part of the lower levels. I can't pinpoint their location based on the map we have." Red Robin stated before closing his computer and removing the collapsing bow-staff from his belt. To Batman's right, Red Hood had placed his helmet back on and was removing his guns from his holsters.
They looked at him expectantly, awaiting their next instructions.
"We are to take down the remaining men out here, then make our way to Nightwing and Robin's last known location." He said walking past them onto the ledge. They were positioned directly above a patrol of ten men, all armed with either pistols, or blunt weapons varying from metal pipes, to crowbars. The other two followed suit as he jumped down to the unsuspecting men below.
"It's the Bat!" One of the men yelled, and all of them got into defensive stances.
Unlike before when they proceeded with stealth, the men this time had the opportunity to fight back. In order to get continue to the basement levels, they had to first take out the men outside to prevent them from following and attacking the three from behind. The quickest way to do this was to attack with the intention of attracting the rest of the patrols to their location.
Gunshots rang through the alley, both from the goons and the Red Hood. Red Robin released multiple smoke pellets on the area and all that could be heard was grunts and the sound of armed fists hitting flesh and weapons and men clattering on the ground.
Shortly after the fight began, Batman pressed his hand to his communicator. "Once you have visual, do not engage."
The response came in static. "Wh-B, -'re kidding. Wh- at do -u m- 'not engage'? This w- th- plan!" He could hear Nightwing's exasperation through the comm, even through the static.
"That's an order. Await my arrival. There are more men down there than we anticipated. They know you're coming. Do not engage." Bruce awaited the response, but none came. He could only assume the signal had been cut off, and hope his sons were heeding his words.
'Do not engage', Damian thought angrily. Father wanted them to wait? Did father not trust us to see to that our part of the plan was executed successfully?
The former Dynamic Duo slowed their pace as they reached the end of the corridor. They crept forward, with their backs on the walls, remaining in the hallway to use the shadows as cover, but still be able to observe the room. The doorway lead to a catwalk that overlooked the wide space. From their level of the catwalk, the rafters that stretched throughout the higher level, and built around the support beams, could be seen. Slowly approaching the doorway, and cautiously looking around, Nightwing signaled Robin to follow, deeming it safe from view.
Crouched low behind the railings on the metal rafters, The Boy Wonder took note of his surroundings. The space was very large, and much like the endless hallways they had just entered from, the walls were concrete. Robin estimated it to be about 75000 square feet. It was almost like a warehouse underground; much like Cadmus, or the space beneath Wayne Enterprises. From the ground below of what he could see, to the ceiling only a ten feet up from their position, the room was about thirty feet high.
Large, wooden crates stacked ten feet high filled the corners of the room and an entire wall in the direction in front of them in no particular organizational pattern. Towards the center of the room were rows of tables, in a rectangular formation, covered with test tubes filled with various colors of liquids and contraptions Damian had never even seen in the Batcave.
Surely the wooden crates were not yet filled with their intended contents. This mess of the items on the tables suggested that whatever Crane was developing was not yet completed and therefore not ready to be distributed.
Robin continued to look around the room. He counted about eleven men. Seven were standing on the far right wall, about ten feet apart from each other, pacing in front of the cluster of the stacked, wooden crates. Four of them were speaking to each other in hushed tones by the opposite wall, closer to the tables and in front of the door. From what he could see, the only entrance into the room was from their current position, and the large double-door in the center wall to the left of their view.
Nightwing nudged Robin's shoulder and directed his attention to a man standing at the center of the makeshift laboratory, Jonathan Crane, dressed in that insipid outfit he calls a costume. The thick, ragged, dark green and brown clothes and a more fitted burlap sack, with stitching covering a majority of the material, set him apart from his associates. Rather than a rope tied around his waist, as Father's files had shown, he wore what appeared to be some sort of utility belt wielding various, sealed vials with a sloshy, green liquid within.
He did indeed look like a scarecrow; however, he did not expect him to look as...horrific as he did. Surely scarecrows in real life were not that dreadful looking. He would know; Todd had forced him to watch a ridiculous movie in which a psychotic, ditsy girl gets swept up by a tornado and encounters a scarecrow who wishes to seek a man who could give him a brain. The fool was already functioning quite sufficiently, suggesting he already possessed one; however, he doubted his idiocy could be salvaged.
Crane appeared to be pacing back and forth, but not out of anticipation, but more of excitement. There was a bounce in his step as he held a syringe-gun in his hand and close to his face as if to examine it's contents. From the incision of the burlap sack where his mouth was, Robin could see the smile on his face.
"It's ready," he announced excitedly to his associates. One of the four conversing among each other only a few minutes before approached Scarecrow and whispered something in his ear. Crane let out a low chuckle and waved his hand dismissively, still looking at the contents of the syringe. "We needn't worry. I've awaited this day since I escaped that dreaded asylum only weeks before. I have planned for every possibility in that short time."
Nightwing and Robin exchanged quick glances before turning back to look at Scarecrow. Crane had walked to the far end of the table closest to him and lifted a cylindrical object that appeared to be an electronic aerosol dispenser with his left hand, the right still holding the syringe. "All I need is a test subject." He stated almost whimsically. "The Batman will do. He is outside, isn't he?" Crane placed the strange aerosol contraption and turned towards his associates his arms out wide, the syringe still grasped in his hand, finger on the trigger.
At this point, Robin glanced towards Nightwing, who was already walking down the rafters towards where he'd be standing directly above Scarecrow.
That fool! Damian thought angrily. Father had instructed him not to engage! Father had both Todd and Drake with him. At the correct moment, Nightwing and Robin could come in from above, but only if the opportunity presented itself. Engaging at this present time would risk them getting caught and Father and the others would be put at a higher risk of being exposed to this new toxin. Crane had every opportunity to utilize that aerosol contraption he had seen earlier, and test his new toxin on all of them.
Nightwing glanced towards Robin and made various signals with his hands. Damian understood them perfectly: Eleven men. Seven on the right, unarmed. Four on the left, armed. Long term smoke bombs. Engage the unarmed. I'll engage Scarecrow and the men guarding him.
Damian shook his head rapidly. The glare he threw Grayson's way said, Father said not to engage and wait for his arrival.
Nightwing responed with his own glare and it reminded Damian of their days as Batman and Robin. He may not be Batman anymore, but he certainly had a glare worthy of the Batman. Damian was not afraid of the glare. His own father invented it.
The fool continued to use hand signals. I'm going whether you follow me or not.
Damian's eyes widened for a brief second, before he nodded tersely. Someone had to watch his back, and surely Father will reprimand him later for being so reckless, but he would not be at fault for Grayson's idiocy.
Nightwing crouched low, preparing to jump. Damian did the same, arming the smoke bombs.
Damian navigated his way on the rafters until he was positioned just about the seven men on the far right, then looked at his brother closely, awaiting the signal.
"Now," mouthed Nightwing and the two immediately jumped from the rafters, and onto the men below them. Although Damian had more more to take down, none of them were armed when they had initially seen them. As Robin fought through the smoke, he counted the men he took down. He could beat these fools with his eyes closed.
Kick right. Flip left. Kick low. Punch right. Elbow. Two men down. The snapping of bones were satisfying as he took down the men one by one.
Kick. Jab. Flip. Punch. Another man down.
Three men surrounded him at once in defensive stances. All three were holding some form of blunt weapon. The tallest wielded a rusty metal crowbar, while the others wielding long, thick metal pipes. A shit-eating grin crept on to his face. Finally, he thought. A challenge. The demon spawn fought extensively for a few minutes, fully focused on the task at hand. Using the shorter of the three as a starter, Robin ran and jumped at the height of the taller man and spun mid air to kick him in the face. He then landed on the back of another, and pulled him further into the smoke as he had him in a disabling choke-hold. Once down, Robin effortlessly took out the last man. Eventually, all three were dropped unconscious as another took his place in the brawl.
Punch left. Kick left. Punch. Ki-. Damian staggered back as he felt the air out of his lungs leave him. As he fought to catch his breath, he looked up to see another man join the fray in a dark green gas mask, arming a metal baseball bat. Robin straightened before returning to his defensive stance, running up to the two just as another approached from his left.
A larger man tackled him from his right and threw into an awaiting men on his left. The two of them held either arm and tugged them roughly behind his back, while the man who tackled him moved to kick him in the chest. Reacting quickly, Robin brought his leg upwards, towards the face of the man holding his right arm. The satisfying pop! as his nose was moved out of place made Robin smirk. The man now with a broken nose, staining the burlap sack over his face red, released him, and it gave Damian the opportunity to use the arm the other man still held as an anchor as he brought both his legs up above him to wrap his legs behind the man's head at the knees.
The move caused the older man to lean towards the man that had previously moved to kick him in the chest. Rather than hitting Robin, the idiot kicked the other idiot in the face. Dropping to the ground in a crouch, slightly breathless, Robin moved out of the cluster of thick, black smoke, away from the men.
Gunshots rang throughout the large concrete room, and echoed repeatedly as the sound bounced off the walls. Robin made his way over to Nightwing's location to assist him.
Grayson was a fool! He engaged before ensuring that more men would not enter this room! Where had they all come from? The only entrance was from the location that they themselves had entered, but the mess of hallways to that location had no rooms in that proximity. They would not have gotten there so quickly. The only other entrance was the main door, closest to where Nightwing had begun his attack.
Now running to Nightwing's location, Robin placed his rebreather in his mouth, in case the toxin went airborne, and wielded a few birdarangs. Before he could launch them, a flash bomb landed at his feet and blew up as soon as it impacted the ground.
The filters in the lenses of his mask adjusted to the light to ensure maximum visibility, both in the dark and extreme light; however, with the sudden explosion of light, the lenses did not have time to adjust.
Robin screamed as he stumbled back, and pressed his palms into his eyes. With his eyes clenched shut, he saw the blackness behind his lids flood with explosions of various bright colors.
A sudden pain shot up his left back-side as he felt the impact of a wooden bat. Robin turned in that direction and blindly struck out, still not being able to see. He heard another pair of footsteps approach from the opposite direction and he swiveled and kicked out, his feet meeting air.
A punch was delivered to his face from his right side, and as his face turned upon the impact, another punch on the opposite side of his face was delivered with equal force. Dazed, he attempted to back away, just as he felt someone grab his shoulders tightly, and roughly turn him around to deliver one final punch before darkness overtook him.