Chapter 9: The Old Goon
More chapters on my (P)atreon at Saintbarbido.
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(General P.O.V)
Things had quieted down after everything that had happened.
The Manor's repair was almost done and Bruce had added more security features to the entire Wayne compound. Nothing short of an invisible, untraceable, silent breeze could go undetected.
And even that, with some cutting edge technology from Kord industries that was under the blanket of Wayne enterprises, small scale weather manipulation features were also installed in the new and improved Batcave.
Yet Bruce felt it wasn't enough. For every win they could claim, they had similarly suffered some losses. His identity being chief among them along with Barry's break from the Justice League.
He exercised as he thought. The strain in his muscles helped his focus.
A trail of sweat ran down his forehead. Bruce was benching something that even professional weight trainers would think twice about trying. And all he had to show for the exertion was a little sweat.
Bruce completed the bench press and sat up. Alfred offered him a towel from the side. He wiped his face, his breathing steady, not at all strained from the workout.
The Butler then cleared his throat.
"Sorry to disturb you, Master Wayne but you seem to have a guest."
Bruce looked up at Alfred's words but the Butler simply pointed at the door.
Giovanni Zatara stood on the door, his hat placed under the crook of his arm. Bruce immediately knew what this was about.
A short half hour later, Batman and Zatara were in the Batcave poring over a disturbing report.
"Kent Nelson's grave was dug into. His corpse is missing."
Zatara told him, the fixed screen of the Batcomputer showing a news report from Salem, Massachusetts.
"He's not the only one, a lot of dead magic user's graves and crypts have been defiled."
Zatara shook his head.
"It's a wonder someone was able to break through the spells in most of those graves. Magic practitioners understand that even death is not the end all be all."
"You need help with this?"
Batman asked but Zatara shook his head.
"No, I'm actually here for something else. Two things, in fact."
He pushed his hand inside the top hat and brought out...a newspaper.
Batman's eyes narrowed.
"What is this?"
He asked.
"Look at the front page."
On it was the picture of a tall, white haired man with a longsword strapped to his hip. He stood on top of a wrecked SUV, bent down while looking at a few armed men on the ground.
The figure had on a red Oni mask covering his face but Batman immediately knew who it was.
"Davian."
Bruce ground out.
"It seems like you didn't know about this."
Zatara observed.
"You're usually on top of things, are you okay Batman? You have been awfully distracted."
The Dark Knight looked at Zatara over his shoulder before turning his attention to the screen.
"I'm fine."
Zatara didn't seem like he believed it but to Bruce's relief, he didn't push.
"Yes. Well, seems like our young friend has taken a liking to crime fighting."
The magician then mused,
"Maybe your idea to make him a part of the League isn't as farfetched as we initially thought."
"Mmh."
Batman made a sound. A brief silence fell in between them.
"Bruce, I know what's troubling you."
Zatara begun, tentatively.
"And you were doing so well not prying Zatara."
The Dark Knight responded, pulling up a feed of a hospital ward in Gotham.
Zatara huffed.
"It's clear to see you blame yourself for the shadow war going on between Leviathan and The Legion of Shadows."
Batman's hand stalled. A sigh escaped his lips.
"I am. The only reason Talia did this was to spite her father... because he sees me as more of a worthy successor than his daughter. Doesn't matter how many times I refuse to become his offer. Talia is too far gone, she wholly believes she has something to prove and innocent people are the ones to suffer."
He abruptly stood up from the seat.
Zatara nodded, knowing the conversation was over.
"Are we taking the Batmobile or teleporting there?"
The magician asked, then before Batman could answer Zatara was already walking towards the supercar.
"Of course we're taking the Batmobile."
He said with a small smile.
"I've always wanted a ride on it."
(Davian's P.O.V)
Gotham's architecture comprised of old buildings that had been converted into high class establishments or tenements that occupied an entire block. Alleys being the only break in a row of dirty tanned bricks and carved marble.
The place we were was definitely not part of the commercial district we had to cross to get here. The streets were dilapidated. It was very different from the reflective glass panes of the skyscrapers.
People were scarce and more often than not, gang members hang around, smoking what I could tell was weed and carrying firearms. The last part was easy enough to deduce. It was in the way they walked.
Guns gave you a certain level of confidence that could be spotted in amateurs. The smart ones projected an air of menace without actually trying. They were the ones who were silent, eyes periodically scanning their surroundings.
The street then broke off into a small path to the dingy club. A light bulb flickered dangerously above the service door of the establishment.
We had been on stake out for 40 minutes already. Taking into account we had met up with Artemis at 2 in the morning, it meant that dawn was quickly approaching.
And the cold was still very unforgiving.
"How long do we..."
It seems Raven had begun to get impatient too.
"Shh! He's coming out."
Artemis shushed her before she could complete her statement. Raven looked at me and I raised my eyebrows, stomping down on the laughter trying to bubble out of me. No one shushed Raven. She had on a death stare. Oh Artemis, get ready for payback later.
"That's him?"
I asked the archer, leaning my head slightly over the metal frame of the condenser on the roof of the building.
The target was a short, stocky man who walked with a limp. He was old, probably in his 50's with graying white hair.
"Danny Fulio. A goon for hire."
Artemis confirmed.
"He's worked for Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow and Riddler. Word on the straight is that Two Face knows him personally. He might look harmless but the sheer amount of things he knows about the underground makes him very dangerous. Even without considering that he is a good boxer. Retired though. If anyone can tell us what we need to know, it's him."
Artemis said with a small measure of respect.
And I could see why she respected him.
This was a legit tough guy.
Artemis grabbed my hand just as I prepared to go in. Every second we wasted those kids could be anywhere. I looked at her questioningly.
"Let me talk to him."
She requested.
I nodded.
(General P.O.V)
"Yo, Fulio!"
The old man heard from behind him. The cigarette in his lips remained unlit as he looked for his lighter.
"Yeah, Sarge."
Danny chanced a look at his back and saw a lighter flying towards him, thrown at by one of the gang members. He said thanks and lit it. Immediately the tangy poisonous goodness of tobacco made its way down his windpipe.
Danny took a moment to savor it.
"Thanks kid."
He told Sarge, lobbying the lighter back and continuing to walk down the street.
"Thanks for the help last Thursday."
Sarge yelled at his back.
Danny ignored him.
His steps were light and unhurried. He broke out into the deserted main street knowing that in a few hours this entire road would be full of cars.
Danny stopped, his cigarette halfway smoked.
"I know you're there. You should know, I hate it when people sneak up on me. This is Gotham, I've killed for less."
Danny spoke into the air.
"I bet you have old timer."
A female voice intoned sarcastically, the darkness from one of the corners rippling to reveal 2 individuals.
"Where's the other one?"
Danny asked. That gave the girl pause. The guy however took it in stride, shrugging as he casually approached the older man. The latter made no reaction at the intimidating Oni mask on the former's face.
"Can I get a smoke?"
This new individual's voice was deep but young.
Danny shrugged, handing over an unlit cigarette from his pocket.
"I don't have a light..."
On the tip of the man's finger, a purple flame flashed, lighting up the cig.
Danny felt a flash of unreasonable envy.
"That looks handy."
He commented.
"It is."
The guy said, unaware of the glare his companion was giving him, the first girl who had spoken.
She was almost his opposite. Dressed in a green costume and wilding a bow. Jittery yet trained well. The guy on the other hand seemed to belong in the streets. He was casual about it but Danny could see it in the way he subtly had his back to the walls of the building, a dead end that no one could use to sneak up on him.
"We need to ask you a few questions. About a few kids that were kidnapped."
The girl turned her attention to the old man.
"I don't know nothing."
The habitual answer slipped out of the old Goon's mouth.
The young man chuckled slightly.
"Come on man, it's important. You know what happens to street kids out here. I figure with how crappy Gotham is, it goes double for them."
He looked up and Danny saw brown eyes staring at him from the eye holes in the mask.
The eyes, were so much like his. The old man turned to walk away.
"The old run down Cathedral. We don't deal in kids. Nobody short of actual assholes who deserve way more than a Batman ass kicking do. Be careful, Man-Bat is involved."
"Thanks."
The voice reached his ears but once again, Danny Fulio ignored them.
(General P.O.V)
No one stopped the two heroes as they walked through the hallway. A middle aged woman dressed in a doctor's coat, met them before the door to the room.
"Gentlemen."
She greeted.
"Follow me."
"How is he doing ?"
Batman asked as the doctor pushed the door to the ward. The nurse inside finished collecting the sheets, folded them up and excused herself.
"He's...stable."
The doctor answered, handing over the reports to Batman. Zatara raised an eyebrow.
"Is that allowed?"
The doctor shook her head.
"No, it's not. But I figure there's no harm done. Commissioner Gordon is loved by many in the city. It's sad to see him like this. If you'll excuse me."
She left the both of them inside.
"Lovely doctor."
Zatara commented with a small grin.
"Dr. Baits has always been sympathetic to the cause."
Batman said under his breath, flipping through the report.
"Mmh. His body is...strong enough. There are no lingering traits from the Lazarus Pit."
Batman told Zatara, handing over the file. As the magician read it for himself, the dark knight pressed a series of keys on his wrist computer.
"I have the camera on loop."
He informed Zatara.
The magician sighed, handing back the file.
"I'm not entirely sure we should perform it here, Bruce. In a hospital."
Despite his words, he stretched his hand inside his shirt pocket and came out with a large medallion.
"I hope you also understand how important this artifact is."
He pointed out, stepping closer to the Dark Knight.
"If it's money..."
Batman begun with a small smile.
"Important Bruce, not valuable."
Zatara retorted.
He held the medallion by the chain before placing a palm over it.
"nekawA nocaeB luos" (Soul Beacon Awaken)
The words that escaped his lips were followed by a pulse of yellow light from the gemstone in the middle of the medallion.
The light washed over Batman, causing the faded silhouette of one Jim Gordon to flash over his gray clad body. The light retreated back into the medallion.
"There. Done. Now for the second part."
Zatara said, walking around the bed to stand at Gordon's other side.
He held the medallion above the sleeping commissioner's bed and uttered the spell.
"nekawA." (Awaken)
There was a flash of blue light that quickly disappeared, the energy cutting off before the spell could completely manifest. Zatara frowned heavily.
"Oh dear."
"What happened?" Batman asked in a serious tone.
"The transfer of his soul from the medallion failed."
Zatara replied.
Batman looked at Gordon's body, lying on the bed.
"Plan B."
He stated, looking as if he'd bitten into a bitter lemon.
(Davian's P.O.V)
The Gotham Cathedral was the very definition of archaic and Grand.
Well, grand was a bit of a stretch actually. It was a massive tower that shot up towards the sky near the outskirts of Broad Avenue.
Gargoyles stuck out like spurs at the top of the Cathedral, looking down at the brick road and stairway leading to the belfry like silent guardians. Like the rest of Gotham, a white carpet of snow covered the ground.
The portal emptied us out below the stairs. Street lights spaced out along the road giving us enough light for it to be visible. The sound of breaking glass clued us in on the homeless person sleeping on the bench next to the wall running around church grounds. The shattered remains of a beer bottle laid on the ground.
The sound then sent black forms that turned out to be crows flapping away into the night sky, abandoning the dry tree they had been perched on.
"First impression: not good."
Raven said quietly.
"Let's go."
Artemis replied, reaching for her bow while stretching her shoulders.
"Wait."
I stopped her.
"We need a plan. Rushing inside blindly is not smart."
Especially because of the feeling the place gave off. A sort of gloomy atmosphere that permeated the stone making up the entire structure. This was not the aura a place of worship was supposed to exude.
Inside my Inner World, I could feel Chase' restlessness as well.
"Be careful. Something is not right."
He warned.
"Ok." Artemis accepted with a snort.
"What's the plan, o' fearless leader?"
Before I could answer, the bell at the top of the church begun to ring. The sound was ominous, sending a noticeable shiver across the Archer's back. To her benefit though, she shook off the nervousness easily.
"Yeah, maybe we need a plan."
She said, more agreeable this time.
"Raven?"
I asked my partner, palm closing around the pommel of my weapon.
"Yeah, I can see it too."
Raven replied, the three of us staring up at the silhouette crouched on one of the gargoyles.
The figure had sharp long ears and red eyes that glinted with menace. Then with a mighty flap of its leathery wings, the Man Bat rose into the air with a screech.
The sound bounced around the air, layered with something that stirred at the edges of my spirit sense.
"Get ready."
I told them.
Then the ground rumbled. Reikaku spread out of me as I scanned our surroundings.
"Guys what's..."
Artemis words were cut off as Raven lunged for her, just as Man Bat swooped down, the claws on his feet glinting in the air.
I left him for the girls to handle.
Something had registered in my scan, moving through the tunnels underground. Whatever it was, it exploded out into the air like a sludge of mud. Dirty water splashed around as the mud tsunami expanded, trying to drown us but I was faster. Chesha Neko flashed through the air, splitting the thing in two.
Mud fell on either side of us.
A shocked yell sounded out as Artemis was grabbed off the ground. Shunpo gave me a boost while I jumped up at her, hand stretched out to grab her arm. Something thick and cold gripped onto my left leg and begun pulling me back.
I snarled in frustration, looking down.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"
Raven chanted, sweeping past me. Her fists glowed with black aura, hot on the heels of Artemis and Man-Bat. She fired energy bolts that the bat creature ducked.
Meanwhile I had found out what the thing on my leg was. A long muddy hand that was connected to a humanoid muddy figure with red eyes in its droopy face.
"You're Clayface."
I realized, with narrowed eyes. Then the mud limb was sliced apart with a single swing. Landing on the ground, I rolled to his left, escaping a sweeping blow from his clay hand.
Now that I was this close to him, my palm was laid flat in the air under his torso.
"Hado no. 1: Sho."
A repulsive bolt slammed into his chest, blasting the torso and head portion to nothing. The mud splattered out into the surroundings. He lost form, dropping and spreading into the ground or coalescing into clumps.
Was that really it? I couldn't imagine Clayface could give off the gloomy aura I had felt earlier.
"That is not the danger I sensed."
Chase said.
Then the danger made itself known by tearing apart the doors to the Cathedral. They went flying away as a large hulking form jumped, clearing the stairs to land in front of me.
The ground shook from the impact caused by the new enemy. His hulky form looming over me. There was something familiar about him. He opened his mouth and I realized who it was. Killer Croc.
'What is Croc doing here?' I wondered, my body stiffening in preparation for a fight. I had to crane my neck to actually stare at him. Was he always this tall? Or big?
Croc roared in my face. His red eyes looking animalistic. Faster than I was expecting, his claws sped out towards my neck.
I blinked, my mind taken back to a few weeks ago. I had had to duck then. Needed to dodge. I hadn't had a choice. Because one single contact would have given me broken bones and torn organs. One single blow and I would have been done for.
That was then. This is now.
Chesha Neko's sheath was in my hands in the blink of an eye, held along my forearm. Reiryoku expanded into a shield that received Croc's blow without a problem. The impact only slightly moved me, my feet dragging onto the ground before I ground my teeth and pushed out with my own enhanced strength, blowing his hand back.
The cloak over him fell off his shoulders and Killer Croc, bigger than the first time I had seen him, with Man Bat ears and fangs on his face was fully revealed. A long thick tail swished behind his back.
The new and improved Killer Croc paced around me, suddenly wary after seeing me tank his attack. I faced him feeling a strange sense of accomplishment. My weapon's sheath was gripped on one hand while the other had Chesha Neko pointed at him.
"I'm not as weak as I was before, Croc."
My words set him off and he roared, exposing more sharp teeth in rows along his wide jaws.
(Davian's P.O.V)
From the corner of my eyes I saw Artemis, who had swung on a line connected to the top of the Cathedral, land on a Gargoyle. She signaled to me that she was going inside before disappearing into the building.
I heard the snow crunch as Raven landed with a captive.
Man Bat was covered in purple glowing chains that tightly bound his huge form. He also seemed to be knocked out, with a green powder substance around his nostrils. Must have been the knockout gas arrows Artemis carried around. I'd seen them in action one time a few days back.
We'd been hitting a crack house and...
"A new friend?"
Raven asked, levitating above Man Bat.
"No. An old enemy."
I answered, thinking about our situation. I wasn't afraid to fight but we couldn't drag this out.
One of us needed to distract Croc while the other ran in to help Artemis rescue the kids.
"I can handle them." I told her confidently.
"Leave Man Bat and Croc to me and go give Artemis some back up."
The sooner we found the kids the sooner we could escape. This wasn't an assault mission; it was a rescue.
Raven frowned but rose into the air.
"Ok. Be careful."
Thankfully she didn't argue, no doubt trusting me to handle it.
"Don't pass out."
She added with a small grin.
"Haha."
I responded sarcastically. Was that going to be a running gag with us?
Croc faced her, hissing before a small rumble begun to rise from his chest. I aimed at him with a finger and released a small blast of Sho. It was weak. Kido spells lost power when one failed to use the incantation.
Despite that, the Hado was still strong enough to make him stagger a little. But that accomplished my goal. His attention was back to me. Anger clouded his eyes. Anger and a bestial hunger.
"Youuu..."
He growled out.
"Flesh. Devouuuurrr. Paybaaack."
Spit flowed down his jaws.
Reikaku registered another movement.
On the ground, Clayface begun pulling himself back into one piece, flowing through the floor to reform behind me.
And just like that, I was caught in the middle by two of Batman's strongest enemies. Something had been bothering me however.
"Chase. Can you sense anything off about them?"
I asked my Zanpakuto while cautiously watching my two enemies.
"I can't accurately say but something tells me they might not be acting of their own accord."
He answered, increasing my suspicions. All this screamed 'Supervillain Scheme.' They all had red eyes and my man Waylon seemed to be missing a few brain cells. The Killer Croc I remembered, while not smart, spoke normally. This one was only concerned about making me a chew toy.
This means that I can't get anything out of them on who was really responsible. I can't waste time here, so no use in talking.
Shunpo threw me at Croc just as Clayface's limbs turned into maces that fell on top of my head. I was behind Killer Croc in an instant, reorienting my form and ducking over another blow. Then I swung out Chesha Neko.
His back arched in pain, a long bloody injury appearing on the tough skin from his shoulder to the small of his back, Chesha Neko's blade barely meeting any resistance. The tail wound up and came at me from the left, only for Chesha Neko to slice the limb apart.
Blood sprayed out of the wound and Croc released a scream of pain, the severed piece of the tail flopping in the ground. He lost balance, stumbling around.
That was when Clayface lumbered forwards, his form rippling into mud.
"I will choke you out!"
This being the first time I had had his voice, Clayface wasted no time in covering both Killer Croc and I with his body.
But I had known how to defeat him from the start.
"Hado no. 4: Byakurai."
A concentrated bolt of lightning escaped my index finger. The smell of ionized air was followed by a discharge of electric energy that vibrated along the air, landing on Clayface's body and ripping him apart.
I couldn't help but think that this was one of the coolest Kido spells from the bleach source material.
His form lost cohesion and the villain slumped onto the ground once more I'm a viscous liquid state. Croc took that chance to jump at me with his mouth wide open.
I crouched onto the ground. Push and pull...
Little by little I was learning.
My powers hadn't come with a manual. Everything I was doing was based off what I created or copied. But it was working.
This was progress.
My fist crackled with power, reinforcement at max. An uppercut landed on Croc's wide jaw, the impact immediately bouncing his head back. A pressure blast escaped into the air, cracking a few bricks on the ground as his body was lifted, a hulking mass of almost a ton. He flipped onto his back, landing on the cracked ground with a resounding bang.
The street light near me burst apart.
I took a second to inhale. Then I realized that I beat them without even using my Shikai.
A smile worked its way onto my face. My training was paying off. Now to...
An explosion ripped through the foundation of the Cathedral, destroying the entrance and a portion of the ground around it. Only for a huge Raven construct to break through.
I stood there wide eyed as Raven, in the middle of her soul self-fought a swarm of Man Bats. The construct held something to its Torso, protecting it. A black shield bubble of energy.
Inside was Artemis and the kids. I didn't think.
"Come forth from the weave of eternity, Chesha Neko: Release."
(General P.O.V) (With Artemis)
Cages lined the wall of the huge room. At the center of the chamber, a table was set with different chemicals in beakers and containers, bubbling and releasing varying gases into the air.
The overhead lights barely covered the entirety of the make shift lab.
A slim form was leaning over the controls of a large machine that was shaped like a capsule. Inside was a massive incubator with a clear glass exterior. Red liquid swirled inside around the body of a small boy who looked about 10.
Beside the incubator was something horrifying. Stacks of dead deformed bodies. Some had large scaly oversized limbs. Others had tails in place of their legs.
Behind the large incubator were rows and rows of more capsules, these one's were tinted but seemed to contain something inside.
The man straightened up from where he was fiddling with the machine. He ran his palm on the glass exterior of the incubation pod.
"You will become my magnum opus! Using both the Kobra serum and d.n.a from Langstrom's Man Bat formula, I have created something that not even my waste of a father could imagine. Something above his precious Dollotrons. While My human-animal hybrids are a simple combination, you shall be the first with true perfection!"
Jaznoz Valentine, the son of Professor Pyg laughed hysterically.
He wore the same mask his father usually did, the face of a pig. But he considered it a reinvention of the identity. He wanted to beat his father at his own game. To become what Professor Pyg could never be. His eyes flashed crazily underneath his mask. His coat was dirty and his face was covered by a small stubble.
Red alerts started flashing across the computer screen. Professor Pyg turned his attention from the incubation pods and ran over.
"No no..."
He muttered, seeing the fight going on from the security cameras that had been installed outside the Cathedral.
"I need more time! I can't disrupt the process before it's done!"
He paced around, hands holding onto his head as he thought of what to do. Then he straightened, looking at the over dozen pods lining up the walls behind the Incubator with the small boy.
"Yes...yes that will work."
The genius supervillain ran over to his work station, quickly typing out commands on his computer.
Then an arrow speared through the back of his palm and into the keypad of his computer. A pained yelled escaped his lips, red blood gushing out of the wound into the keyboard. Professor Pyg looked back to see a girl, dressed in a green costume holding a bow that was aimed at him.
"Make one move and the next one goes through your throat."
She warned.
Behind her was a scared group of how about 6 children. They were from the latest batch.
"No, what are you doing with my test subjects?! I need them! Get them back in their cages or..."
A second arrow whizzed towards him, burying itself into his thigh with a meaty thunk.
Pyg begun screaming as Artemis hurried forward to try and release the kid trapped in the incubator. Anger gripped the villain. No one would need this up for him. Not a stupid little girl playing at being a superhero! Pyg's right hand went to his pocket. To his last resort.
He pressed the dial on the device inside and leaned back onto the table, blood pouring out of his wounds and gathering onto the ground.
"It doesn't matter... now. I've won."
He laughed at Artemis who was trying to open the incubator.
From the speakers installed all over the Chamber, a sonic frequency lower than what a normal human could perceive begun to play.
The kids noticed it first. Their screams of fright caused Artemis to look up, only for her eyes to go wide as the pods behind the Incubators were destroyed from the inside.
Glass shards fell to the ground around them.
Creatures that looked like Man Bat, only with scales instead of mammalian flesh took to the air with loud screeches. Then they dove down towards Artemis and the children.
"All for Leviathan..."
Professor Pyg muttered with a sadistic grin.
(Elsewhere)
"Batman, we have something happening over at Broad Avenue."
Robin's voice came through the comms.
Batman looked at the tracker blinking in his wrist computer and narrowed his eyes. That was where they were going.
"I'm headed there right now. Rendezvous at the location."
He informed his protégé then cut off communication.
Zatara sighed from the passenger's side as the Batmobile sped down the abandoned road.
"I'm guessing this is related to our friend? It can't be a coincidence."
Batman said nothing but it was clear he was thinking the same thing.
(General P.O.V)
The first thing Artemis had done was scout the place. The belfry was nothing but a place that housed the huge rusty bell. She made her way down and reached the Nave, the part of the church where the congregation sat.
The aisles were covered by a thick dust with broken furniture. In addition, the room was scorched with nothing of worth. A few cardboards that looked laid on were stashed away on the corner.
The real price came from the basement. Or well, the cavern she found below the Cathedral. Sneaking in was easy for her. She was the daughter of Sportsmaster and Tigress after all.
What she saw inside instantly enraged her while also easing her worries. The kids were okay. But they were locked in a cage. Like animals. She swept her gaze around the room, descending onto the ground on a darker section of the chamber.
Past the cages, she saw the back of a man with long hair and a mask that covered the top back of his head. He was kneeling below a glass cage with a red liquid, cackling.
Artemis quickly but silently worked her way to the cage with the kids. One of them saw her coming and pulled on the shirt of another child, a girl that looked to be the oldest. She had on a blue coat.
"Shh. I'm here to help."
Artemis assured them as they huddled at the corner of the cell. Their faces were puffy from crying and their eyes were widened in fear.
"S s... stay back."
The little girl dressed in a blue coat said in a shaky voice, as she pushed the rest behind her small form.
Artemis felt her heart break. The cruelty they had seen before she and the others got here must have been traumatizing. She didn't blame them for looking at her with such suspicion.
Artemis bit her lip, her fingers working quickly to pick the lock. The doors swung open and she held up her hands, careful not to make any sudden moves.
"Hi, I'm friends with Batman whose part of the Justice League. He sent me."
She said to appease them.
Hearing that Batman himself had sent someone for them, made most of the hostility abate. Still, the girl from before was cautious as they were all ushered out.
"I need you all to be quiet, okay?"
Artemis informed them.
There was a chorus of nods as the kids understood the type of danger they were in.
Artemis frowned as each of the kids lined out and she didn't see who she had specifically come for. She didn't see Jason anywhere.
"Wait, how many of you were there?"
She asked the girl, holding her by the shoulders.
The girl blinked.
"6. We're from the orphanage. Jason saw the bad men grab us and tried to stop them but...but they got him too. He's inside that thing!"
The girl pointed at the front.
The man had straightened up and was now punching a series of keys as the security alarm sounded. He was frantic, alternating between looking at the Incubator that was holding Jason and the screen.
Artemis didn't know what he was doing but she knew it wasn't anything good.
"Quickly! Find somewhere to hide far away from here!"
She told them, turning around and burying an arrow at the back of Pyg's hand.
After that, things were a blur.
The second the enhanced Man Bats escaped out of their pods, Artemis immediately knew that the situation had gone up a level that she alone couldn't handle. She pressed a button on the bottom of her quiver while pulling out more arrows.
The party of Man Bats screamed as they dove down towards her and the kids. She used an arrow to spear through the Incubator glass, making the red liquid inside start to pour out. Cracks spread out across the glass but she was already moving.
She drew back an arrow and let it fly at one of the creatures flying ahead of the group. The arrow went wide due to Pyg's hand grabbing onto her shin.
"Dammit!"
Artemis yelled, quickly pulling out another and letting it fly with precision. The arrow exploded in to a red thick liquid, restraining the enhanced ManBat's flight.
The rest pulled back wide, changing trajectory to escape the Archer's line of sight.
The Man Bat that was taken off the air by the arrow, crashed on one of the empty cages, bending the metal under its huge scaly form.
"No!" Pyg cried out.
"I won't let you destroy everything I've bui..."
Before he could say anything else, Artemis' foot landed on his cheek, head whipping to the side as he was knocked out.
"Shut up."
Unfortunately, that was enough time for the Man Bats to fly in for another round. This time they came at Artemis from multiple directions.
Artemis ducked under the sharp claws, her heart hammering inside her chest. She smoothly notched an arrow and let it fly towards the creature diving for one of the smaller boys. Its claws gleamed in the small light of the wide chamber.
The arrow tore through its wings, before burying itself onto the earthen ceiling. Then it exploded, sending stones pelting the rest of the group after the kids, who were now safely hiding behind a few extra capsules.
Artemis felt a fire along her forearm as she barely dodged a claw. The Man Bat passed by her but then another grabbed onto the strap of her quiver and lifted her up.
She buried the end of the arrow in her hands, deep on its shin and felt it drop her, only for the strap of her quiver to get tangled in the claw. It snapped and the Archer felt her heart sink. She begun to drop towards the ground at fast speeds.
Just before she landed and break half of the bones in her body, a black portal swallowed her, emptying out near the kids. Artemis felt her back land on something elastic but tough.
Her eyes opened up to see her and the kids surrounded by a purple-black shield. On the outside, their enemies were relentlessly trying to break through.
"Hey. Back Ups arrived."
Raven told her, floating in front of the group, looking out as the ManBats numbering around 20 harassed the dome with slashes of claws and bites.
They roared, barring rows of sharp teeth behind the fangs.
"Thanks for the save."
Artemis told her friend/acquaintance.
"Don't mention it."
Raven replied, eyes completely black as she readied a spell.
"You know Artemis. I never told you about an ability of mine."
Raven begun.
"One that can sense other people's emotions. Especially hostility..."
As she spoke, a chill spread out across Artemis' veins. She knew. The Archer discreetly pressed the button at the bottom of the Quiver once more.
"I don't trust people..."
Raven continued.
"Or well, I used to not. Then I met Davian and he was like me. Lost."
Darkness washed out of Raven, the shadow of her Soul Self appearing below her. Artemis grabbed one of her last remaining special arrows.
"Then we met you. It was too convenient. At the time, I never suspected you weren't who you say you were. But I could immediately feel the caution and determination in you. You never were there for the money or the drugs. No... someone sent you to keep an eye on us."
Artemis tensed in preparation.
"After this... we're done. Leave Davian and I alone."
The half demon looked behind her, at Artemis. The archer's heart skipped a beat at the cold glare.
"Don't give him a reason to suspect that we had this conversation either."
Artemis' arm, notched arrow strung on the bow and aimed at Raven's back, lowered. She couldn't fight with the kids here. She didn't want to fight at all. But she was determined not to be her father or sister.
"Good choice."
Raven replied, before turning to the ManBats outside the dome.
"Azarath metrion Zinthos."
She chanted, channeling her energy.
The basement exploded as something huge and black broke through the chamber, sending the stones and the bricks on the road leading up to the Cathedral steps flying away.
Raven's soul self, the huge construct held the dome shield to its torso, a wordless cry escaping its beak.
The enhanced ManBats escaped through the hole from the ground, flying into the night sky before reorienting and diving down towards the Raven construct.
Then something ripped through the group. Behind them, Davian appeared, standing on a string as he held something in his hands, a torn limb and a long beautiful sword on the other.
A Man Bat cried out, blood splashing out of its injury as it fell to the ground. The rest flapped their wings in terror, turning to face off against the new enemy.
His Haori flapped in the non-existent wind. 19 of the Man Bats left considered the young man. Davian narrowed his eyes at the creatures that were like an unholy mix between the Man Bat from earlier and the Snake creature back in Wayne Manor. Someone had to be responsible for this. It couldn't be a coincidence.
His eyes swept over Raven's soul self. He could tell through his Reikaku that the Construct seemed to be protecting them from the assault. Which meant...it was time for him to make a move.
He raised Chesha Neko and Reiryoku roared out of him. The ManBats were blasted with the full effects of his Reiatsu. Their eyes rolled to the back of their heads, their limbs lost strength and they began to fall off the sky.
A purple grid of strings flashed in the air, whipping through the night sky to grab onto the Man Bats. Each individual creature found themselves hanging in the air, limbs locked up by purple strings that were connected to the surroundings, like the street lamp and the gargoyles along the Cathedral.
In one fell swoop, he had defeated them.
Artemis grit her teeth as Davian walked through the air, stepping on a string and using it as a medium to extend Reiryoku out, creating a platform for him to step on. It was like walking down the stairs.
He landed in front of the group just as Raven released the construct and the shield.
"Is everyone alright?"
Davian questioned out loud.
Raven turned to stare at Artemis who swallowed and quickly answered,
"There's still a kid inside."
Davian saw she was pointing at the hole on the ground. Then something came flying out, stabbing onto the brick road under them and locking in.
The hook was connected to a zip line. A second later, Robin landed on the ground with a young boy held in his arms. The boy was covered in a gray cloak.
"Jason!"
The kids cried out, running towards the pair.
"Well I guess that's that."
Davian said, relieved that the mission had gone splendidly but now cautious. Robin's presence meant that Batman was around. He made eye contact with Raven, a silent conversation going on between them.
She was telling him that they needed to go. He on the other hand simply pointed at the air, at the restrained Man Bats. They couldn't leave without ensuring they were brought in, otherwise they risked letting monsters loose on Gotham. Besides...he needed to talk to Batman. Their conversation was long overdue.
"Is anyone else hurt?"
Robin asked as he cleanly dressed a cut on the small boy's knee.
Artemis was looking over the kids but Davian sensed that something was off. Her back was to them but he could see the arrow held loosely in her hands, ready to be used.
Before Raven could bring a counterargument to Davian's argument, the rev of an engine announced the arrival of the Dark Knight. The Batmobile turned around the corner, before stopping at the entrance of the ruined Cathedral.
Davian however did not watch the car. Instead, his attention was pulled elsewhere. He turned around to stare at one of the Gargoyles carved onto the Cathedral. Batman straightened to his full height on top of it, staring down at him.
Both men maintained eye contact for a few seconds. Then it was like a switch was flipped inside Davian. All the anger came rushing out. Batman had been his hero. But it's true what they say, never meet your heroes.
"I am going to kick your ass."
Davian promised.
(Davian's P.O.V)
'Man oh man, was I fired up.'
Shunpo!
I blasted off towards the Gargoyle, Batman jerking back as I appeared in front of him in instant.
My hand wrapped around his throat, slamming him onto the wall of the Cathedral. Breath left his chest in a sudden exhale and I heard a loud 'No!' from below.
I leaned my head out of the wall of a battarang. The projectile dug into the stone and let out a brief discharge of electric energy.
"Raven?"
I called out.
"Got it!"
My Partner shouted back.
Batman's fist impacted my face. I didn't move an inch, instead the Dark Knight groaned as he cracked his fingers on my nose.
"See I know what you're gonna..."
He landed a neck chop to my neck, before following it up with a knee to my solar plexus. The latter was designed to make me lose the breath in my lungs. It was a brutal attack that would see someone in agony.
None of those hits did a thing except piss me off.
See, I'd learned my lesson. A thick layer of Reiryoku suffused my flesh. It was a secondary function of my crude Reinforcement. Meant to copy Hierro, a hollow skill that made their skin and flesh tough and resistant to damage.
I called it crude because it was wasteful. It was also meant for only combat situations, so if a sniper wanted to put me down, I had nothing to rely on except my own enhanced durability that I wasn't sure would block high caliber bullets.
I was still working on leaving it on full time. Control was still the issue I faced.
But for this? It was more than enough. For all his strategies and countermeasures, it was easy to forget that the Bat was just a human.
I tightened my fingers around his neck, cutting off the blood flow but easing up before he could pass out.
"Here's a little tidbit about the streets Bats, to hurt someone you need to be willing to take the hits yourself."
I whispered.
Letting go, I backhanded him across the face. His head whipped to the side along with blood dripping down his tone lip, some of it splashing on the stone walls of the building. My fist then landed on his belly and he coughed out in pain, falling to his knees.
"That's for keeping me hostage for no fucking reason, you lunatic."
Something fast cut through my Reikaku and I grabbed it out of the air. An arrow. It exploded, releasing a green gas right in front of my face. Batman already had a gas mask on as the gas disappeared into the air, revealing a purple clothe over my nose and mouth. I had used Chesha Neko to create a mask by combining threads into a cloth that filtered out the gas for me.
I jerked my head to stare at Artemis, narrowing my eyes with an unspoken message.
'Stay out of this.'
Artemis hands shook...then she lowered the bow, looking away in shame.
The brief reprieve was enough for Batman to reach for something in his utility belt. Strings ran up his body, binding it. I raised a leg and kicked his chest, pushing his back to connect with the wall again.
"Stop it my boy. I believe he's had enough."
A man dressed in a tux and a top hat said, appearing in the air beside us.
I turned to face him, waving a finger and stringing Batman up with the threads connected to the Cathedral. The dark knight let out another moan of pain, the threads tightening around his limbs and neck.
"Do you even know what he did?"
I asked the man who could only be Zatara.
"I don't."
He shook his head.
"But beating him up when he's not fighting back is dishonorable."
He was quick to admonish.
Bitter laughter escaped me.
"Where were you when I was defenseless against him? When I couldn't fight back?"
I snapped a finger and with an audible snap, Batman's left hand broke at the elbow.
To his credit the Dark Knight let out a guttural growl, clenching his jaw and staring up at me in an expression I couldn't quite read.
"Batman!"
Robin yelled from the bubble shilled holding him afloat, courtesy of Raven.
"Enough!"
Zatara stated, power rolling off him in waves.
"I'm not afraid of you."
I told him.
My threads combined to form a purple sword, Chesha Neko.
Zatara and I shared a look. Then a sigh escaped him and he backed away slightly.
"Look kid, I understand that you're angry, vindictive. But this is not the way to do things." His eyes landed on Batman who hadn't spoken up from the start.
"Batman will face his crimes the right way and get the punishment he so rightfully deserves."
He sighed in something akin to shame.
"Sometimes we are forced into situations that force us to act like..."
"Spare me the lecture, Magician."
I brutally cut him off, turning my attention to the Dark Knight. I knelt before him. The strings lifted his head so that his eyes were staring at me.
"Look at me. I am a product of your Paranoia Batman. You were my hero. Until you showed me that I wasn't wrong to look out for myself. Until you betrayed the expectations heaped up on your legend. You see, a friend of mine used to worship you. Called you the greatest superhero to exist because you were willing to walk in the dark and resist the temptations."
"You...you are responsible for the death of...14 people."
He ground out and I pulled back slightly. My hand tightened on the handle of Chesha Neko.
"I had no control over my powers when they first manifested. You condemned me without knowing the full story. A hero is supposed to save people. The only reason I haven't fully gone down the route of a villain...Bruce..."
He sucked in a shocked breath at the fact that I had used his real identity. I smiled, continuing.
"Is because I don't need a man dressed in a Bat costume to tell me who I am."
I straightened up.
"I am Davian Mabuz, a Soul Reaper. Wielder of Chesha Neko. And as long as there's breath in me, my blade will never rust or be tainted by pretentious ideals. The worst part about all this...is that you lost your biggest fan."
I let him go. The strings unraveled into energy and I turned away.
Zatara gazed me with a complicated look on his face.
"He's all yours."
I smiled, dropping from the perch towards the ground. My descent slowed down while in midair, I was working towards creating a flight skill.
I had noticed that any Reiryoku, I expended out could be recovered by using my strings. It wasn't a full skill yet, but Strings covered my body in a thin fabric of interconnected threads that I could manipulate to help me glide.
I touched down on the floor and established eye contact with Raven. She smiled sadly.
"You want to get out of here?"
I looked up at the Gargoyle and saw Zatara help Batman up.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Truth be told, I wanted to make him feel the same humiliation I did. The same sense of betrayal. Breaking his hand did not feel enough.
However, I was aware of how close to the edge of the darkness, I walked. Nick's face flashed through my mind. My hair fell over my eyes as I turned my head down, walking towards Raven and passing her by.
"Yeah...let's go."
She undid the bubble shield and I heard Robin land on the ground.
"You monster! He welcomed you to his home!"
The boy cried out.
I looked at him sideways.
"Ask your father what he did. Then we'll see who the monster is."
Darkness pooled under our feet. Then before we could leave, something stopped us. A portal of swirling yellow appeared before us and Zatara walked out along with Batman, stopping below the steps to the staircase.
"Wait."
The magician held up his hands.
"I mean you both no harm. We just...we need your help."
Raven and I shared a confused look.
"Why would I help you?"
Was he right in the head? After everything?
Batman crazily enough, stepped forward, holding onto his arm.
"I can't say that I was not wrong. I was. And I apologize for..."
"What is this?"
I cut in.
"Don't you know how hard it is to only leave you with a broken hand? Why push your luck? Why!"
The shamelessness!
Raven grabbed my arm and I closed my eyes, stomping down on my anger.
"Don't. Test. Me. Batman. I will break you if you push me hard enough."
I managed to bite out.
We had saved the kids. There was nothing else for us to do here.
"Let's hear them out. At least for Zatara's sake...we owe him."
Raven said. She had told me what had happened after the Doctor Fate attack.
"Fine."
I agreed, crossing my hands over my chest. For Zatara's sake.
"What do you want?"
Zatara didn't seem put off by the hostility. He reached into his chest and pulled out a medallion.
"In here lies the soul of one Jim Gordon. We managed to recover his body but are unable to return his soul back into the vessel. We were hoping you would help out."
Then everything clicked. I'd been wondering where Jim had run off to. I'd even thought of going to check his house to ensure he didn't turn into a hollow. However, ...
"Old Gordo jumped ship. Smart. Disloyal but smart."
Cheshire Cat snorted from my inner world.
"He'll get what's coming to him soon."
I answered.
Loyalty was everything. I guess that wasn't the same for everyone. He could have told us what he was planning...instead he left us in the dark. That to me was disloyalty.
"I don't understand how that's his problem."
Raven responded.
"She's right."
I backed her.
"The Justice League has plenty of resources and capable magicians who can take care of your little problem. I'll even recommend someone. Get Kent to do it... he's doctor Fate after all, if anyone can take care of it, it's him."
An uncomfortable silence fell between us. Batman stiffened as if hit by a lightning bolt. I could see the frown on Zatara's face.
Then he said something that made Raven mad. Truly mad.
"You don't know?"
Zatara asked in shock.
"Kent is...gone. He's dead. Has been for a month. His funeral was 3 weeks ago. I'm sorry."
He added sadly.
"What?"
My companion staggered back, shaking her head with a horrified look on his face. Then...her eyes glowed black.
She turned towards Batman.
"You..."
The word was said in such...hate and Vitriol.
It was clear we weren't dealing with the Raven we knew. Batman had known about Kent's death and despite Raven living in the manor at that time, he hadn't seen it fit to inform her.
And now she was mad.
Scratch that, she was furious. The tight control she had on her emotions snapped and with it, all hell broke loose.