LXXXII
President Wayne

Bruce's heart lurched to a stop as he saw the elevator doors begin to open with only ten feet to go. Carrying an incapacitated Talia over his shoulder meant he could not run. Even if he dropped her, where would he go? As if he had fallen through thin ice, a cold numbness suddenly spread over him – as he watched the three shock troopers emerge from the elevator, deadly weapons held ready.

There was nowhere to run.

He did the only thing he could – swing Talia towards the wall and position himself in front of her. He had no doubt these troopers were more LexCorp robots, stone cold killers able to dispatch lives without hesitation. He had been caught wide open... His thoughts were again of Raven.

But the guards ran past him. The female that had spoken earlier when they had first used the elevator issued a command on her way past.

"Clear the area and wait for the authorities."

Before the elevator doors closed, Bruce had himself and Talia inside, frantically pushing the number 2 button, watching the three shock troopers make their way to the end of the hall.

With the arrival of these new, heavily-armed LexCorp robots, he knew the Miss Teschmacher machine had seconds of functionality left. After that threat was neutralized, he could only guess what Lex's machines would do, or how capable they were of analytical thought regarding shared video memory. He had no intention of sticking around to find out.

As the elevator doors closed, Bruce heard the thunder of high-powered automatics from the war room and knew what had been Miss Teschmacher was no more. Beside him, Talia began gasping for breath, even though he had carried her from the mad king's lair.

"Talia, I'll find the antidote. Lex always has an antidote."

"Why would you save me?... You could have left me behind…"

"I don't want to see you die. I feel… I know you from somewhere. But we've never met."

"I feel it too." Slumped against the corner of the elevator, she reached out to take a hold of his hand. "Perhaps, in another life we were lovers… I would like that, Bruce Wayne."

Bruce looked at her long, dark hair, and powerful, sad eyes. In another life… yes, he would have liked that too. But in this lifetime, his love and life belonged to Raven. His mind once again raced across scenarios where his wife could be. This was far too long. Something had gone terribly wrong... He felt it in his gut.

The elevator doors opened to bring him back to the task at hand. He was picking up a paling Talia al Ghul from the elevator floor and when he realized that for the second time in two days, the president had been killed… and who the new president was, if the actions of a madman were to be believed.

In hindsight, it became apparent that Luthor had simply lured Wayne to the Pentagon to destroy him and gain knowledge of his weapon. He had almost succeeded on both counts. It had been a painful lesson for Wayne, to let himself fall for the political trappings of a mad sociopath, but he could now focus on his original purpose – the war against Trigon.

Bruce Wayne drew curious looks carrying Talia al Ghul over his shoulder as he once again walked along the upper levels of the Pentagon. A few people even stopped to ask him if he needed assistance – until they saw the stern look in his eye. Wayne went to the only person he knew in this labyrinth of bureaucracy.

"Mr. Okama…" Wayne carefully placed Talia on a chair. "We have a situation."

"We actually have many situations, Mr. Secretary. But what can I do to assist yours?"

"What's your position here?"

"I am the Director of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. I also handle all Pentagon security."

"Excellent. Are you currently, or have you ever been affiliated with LexCorp?"

"No, sir."

"That's the best news I've heard all day. Do you have video of the war room or the ninth floor?"

"I'm afraid only President Luthor may access that… due to security reasons."

"Unfortunately, that's the situation… President Luthor is dead."

"Oh.. How?"

"One of the robots he has at the Pentagon shot him... Miss Teschmacher. I need to know the number of LexCorp employees he brought over to the Pentagon."

"Miss Teschmacher was a robot? Damn, I even DNA'd her…"

"How many, Mr. Okama?"

"Five… Miss Teschmacher, three guards for the elevator and Dr. Georgia Sivana."

"I'll need to see Dr. Georgia Sivana immediately. Also, please assemble remaining generals in the Pentagon into a briefing room."

"Yes, sir."

Within moments, two members of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency had escorted Dr. Georgia Sivana into the office of Director Okama. Wayne concluded immediately that she wasn't a robot… Luthor would have never built something that unattractive. There was something almost worm-like about her appearance. Her mousy brown hair, large spectacles and protruding buck teeth did nothing to hide the shiftiness in her nervous, beady eyes.

"Dr. Sivana, I'm Bruce Wayne. Lex Luthor named me the Secretary of Defense. I'm afraid I have some bad news… the President is dead."

"What?! You… You did it!" She screamed at Wayne… who was beginning to question this strange woman's sanity.

"No, Luthor did it. We need the antidote for the Hoffner Truth Serum."

"Never! You can all die alongside Luthor for all I care. You killed him and now you're going to kill me!"

"We will not hurt you, Doctor. This is an emergency…"

Georgia Sivana slipped from her escorts and grasped the chin of Talia al Ghul, who was slipping into unconsciousness, bringing her cruel face closer to the beleaguered woman, serpentine eyes glaring behind the thick glass of her spectacles.

"It's for this cow, isn't it? It's because she's pretty, that's why you want to save her. Luthor was able to see past looks, Wayne. To see the true measure of the woman. If you think I would ever betray him…"

Georgia Sivana stopped when she saw Talia al Ghul's eyes snap open. For a moment, the two women stared eerily at one another- transfixed - the standoff suddenly broken by a single word…

"Beloved."

Talia slumped back into the chair while Dr. Sivana calmly stood straight up, and looked over at Bruce, smiling.

"…You have done too much already for me, Bruce Wayne. A better friend than I deserve. I will work on saving the body before you. You must rally the world against Trigon."

The hand of Dr. Georgia Sivana gently reached across to caress Bruce Wayne's cheek, a graciously look decorating her face.

"Thank you."

"In another life, Talia…"

"In another life, Detective. Adieu."

Dr. Georgia Sivana, the new recipient of Talia's consciousness, then left the office. Director Okama, who had stood dumbfounded for the last thirty seconds, finally found his voice while the two guards also stared bewildered.

"...What just happened here?"

"It's a long story, Director. Would you two gentlemen be so kind to arrange for this lady to be taken to the infirmary? Shall we address the remaining generals, Mr. Okama?"

"… Wouldn't miss it for the world, Mr. President."

Author's Note:
It makes perfect sense that Georgia Sivana would be attracted to diabolical, bald-headed men - given who her father is.

And ewww….