Chapter 6.
GOTHAM CITY, NEW JERSEY
MAY 1, 1990 (12:40 A.M./EDT)
Sherry Belmont and Brago stealthily exited the hotel half a block up from the intersection of Romano Boulevard and Kirkland Avenue. Whereupon, they started walking slowly up the latter street to their left. They had not gotten very far, however, before a thunderous explosion rattled all the windows and set off every car alarm around them!
FIVE MINUTES EARLIER
While hiding out in Brazil, Michael "Matches" Malone had heard all kinds of stories, from other expatriate East Coast criminals, about the Caped Crusader of Gotham City. Mostly about his fighting prowess and his seemingly supernatural ability to appear and disappear at will. And all the taletellers seemed to have the same summarizing opinion.
"The guy ain't human. He can't be!"
Thus, when he first saw the bestial visage of the creature that came shambling out of the shadows toward him, he instinctively screamed. Initially thinking it was the dreaded Batman coming to get him! But, when that first creature was followed by several others, in surprisingly quick succession, Malone's fear of going back to prison turned to full-fledged horror and revulsion. Whereupon, he immediately drew his Colt M-1911 and started firing.
To no affect, whatsoever.
Consequently, when his handgun ran out of bullets, he immediately picked up a walkie-talkie in one hand... and a dead man's switch in the other.
"Get back, you ugly s.o.b.'s. Get back, I said! If my thumb eases up on this switch, we all go up together. I'm warning you! I'm..."
Unfortunately, for him, the Chiropterans did not understand one word of what he was saying. Indeed, the only sound he made that they did recognize was the sound of panic that issued from his throat just before they began tearing it open to drink from it! Which was arguably even more unfortunate for them, as Malone had not been bluffing. The very first second he passed out, from loss of blood, his right-hand thumb ceased pressing down on the aptly-named switch.
Thereby allowing the transmission of the detonation signal to all the pipe bombs planted beneath nearby Romano Boulevard.
"BA-DA-BOOM!"
Manhole covers went flying a hundred or so feet into the air. Gathering so much momentum on the way back down, they left veritable craters in the asphalt of the street and the concrete of both sidewalks! As for the Chiropterans in the sewer tunnel underneath? Those not killed by the initial fiery explosion somehow managed to regenerate just enough, from the ensuing shock wave, that they could stagger to their feet and head for the nearest ladders.
Emerging on to Kirkland Avenue in full view of the initially astounded Sherry and Brago. To her credit, though, the former was the first to shake off her slack-jawed stupor.
"Time to go to work, Brago."
Whereupon, Brago smiled as he watched her unfurl Vampire Killer and charge forward. Shouting, in French, as she did so. "Mort aux morts-vivants!"
GCPD HEADQUARTERS
The second they heard the explosion, Commissioner Gordon and Inspector De Tector ran to the upper left corner of the roof.
"Mon Dieu!" exclaimed the latter. "Where did that come from?"
"The intersection of Kirkland and Romano," replied Gordon. "The general vicinity of the local Ritz-Carlton Hotel!"
"But, I have reservations, there!" De Tector declared. "Batman, do you suppose...?"
The French Interpol agent swerved about in his attempt to ask his question. But, whatever the rest of that inquiry might have entailed was never to be known. As Batman's suddenly conspicuous absence left him completely dumbfounded! He then turned to Gordon... who could not resist smirking.
"Welcome to my world."
At that same moment, near Madison Round Garden, two ninja-like figures emerged from the darkness near the famous entertainment venue. The one clad in blue-on-black gazing at his green-on-black accomplice.
"Show time, buddy," remarked Joseph "Subzero" Chill.
Whereupon, Waylon "Reptile" Jones assumed his were-lizard form.
A minute-and-a-half later, the latter tore the door to Haley Norton's trailer off its hinges. And when the ring mistress of the eponymous circus saw the physical appearance of the intruder coming through the doorway, she instinctively screamed at the top of her lungs. Thereby awakening her 'son,' Ranma!
"Hey!" shouted the latter. "Who do you think...?"
He was not allowed to finish, as Reptile wasted no time in picking up the Japanese youth by the lapels of his pajama top and throwing him out of the trailer via the nearest window. Ranma, however, wasted no time in springing back on to his feet and running forward to counterattack. Only for Subzero to literally freeze him in his tracks!
"Sorry, kid. We're only being paid for one snatch, tonight."
Whereupon, Reptile emerged from the trailer, carrying their target wrapped up in bed sheets that made her resemble an Egyptian mummy. Albeit, one partially composed of gray duct tape!
"Let's-s-s-s-s-s-s go," hissed Reptile.
"Right behind you, buddy," replied the frigid ninja.
Dick Grayson, the only member of the circus still awake at that hour (even before the explosion), saw what happened and immediately dove for the spell book hidden beneath his bed.
"You going after them?" asked a purple-and-pink-clad mamodo who called himself 'Batmite.'
"Do bears organically fertilize their woods?" replied the ten-year-old.
Whereupon, he cracked open the spell book and read the first line that sounded like it provided the best means of rescuing Haley without killing her.
"Katachi sasori-no-otoko!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.
Whereupon, young Grayson shot up to six feet tall... while simultaneously transforming into a ninja clad in gold-on-black.
"Time for The Scorpion to hunt," quipped Batmite with a smile
Meanwhile, back at the Gotham Ritz-Carlton, the only hotel guests on their floor, not blindly panicking in their haste to squeeze through a narrow emergency stairwell door, were Kiyo, Zatch Bell, and their new friend Drake.
"These people are gonna crush and suffocate each other before they get down to street level!" exclaimed the latter. "Can't you guys do something with that tome of yours?"
Kiyo looked at Zatch who nodded without the slightest hesitation. So, Kiyo opened up the spell book and shouted, "Shushukurai!"
Whereupon, the fair-haired mamodo extended both arms in order to project twin bolts of electricity. Both of which sped down the hall and struck the jam-packed crowd in front of them. Instantly shrinking each person in the crowd down to one inch-tall! Kiyo then looked at Drake and ordered him to grab their suit blazers.
"We'll use them to scoop up all the shrinkies and bring them downstairs with us."
Meanwhile, back at Madison Round Garden, Kuno Kodachi watched with shocked fascination at the events unfolding around her. First, she had seen the intrusion of the two men dressed like her family's retainer, Sasuke Shinobi. Then, following the display of their super-powers and their hasty departure with the woman called Haley Norton, she had seen another ninja exit from the damaged circus trailer. This one, actually apologizing to her beloved Ranma for not releasing him from the ice that still held him immobilized.
Only his wording had been most peculiar. "Sorry, ma'am! I'll be back to free you as soon as possible."
"Ma'am?!" she muttered in understandable disbelief.
Therefore, as soon as the third ninja had departed, Kuno came out from her hiding place to scrutinize the situation. And, sure enough; there, encased in ice up to her neck, was her red-headed rival!
"What are you doing here?" Kuno demanded. "And what have you done with my beloved Ranma?"
"I'll t-t-t-tell you," replied the redhead through chattering teeth. "B-B-But, only if you g-g-g-get me out of here, f-f-first."
Whereupon, Kuno seemed to make a pair of Indian clubs appear out of thin air. One in each hand. She then spun them about so their narrow ends were pointed toward the ice block. Following which, she used each of her thumbs to press a small button hidden somewhere along the wide base of each club. Causing a long, sharp needle point to appear out of the tops of the narrow ends!
These, she immediately used to chip away at the ice as if the Indian clubs were overgrown ice picks. Not all around the ice, however! That would have been a waste of time and energy. Rather, Kuno used the same principle that other people would use in cracking an egg. Focusing the required amount of force on one particular spot, only. As a result, the redhead was soon lying on the floor of the parking garage, shivering but grateful.
"D-D-Domo arig..." Ranma began to say.
Only to be kicked unconscious by Kuno's right foot.
tbc
Anglo-Japanese Glossary
Katachi Sasori-no-otoko: "Form of a scorpion man!"
Shushukurai: my own portmanteau of the Japanese words "shushuku" (= "shrinkage") and "rakurai" (= "thunderbolt").
