Chapter 8 - Future schemes

An unknown person was closing in on her location and she needed to decide if she wanted to act lethally. On one hand, Tanya knew nothing of her assailant's capabilities or motives other than that he worked for some ominous 'League'... Bringing him down decisively before he could surprise her would thus be prudent.

On the other hand, that might make this whole 'League' her enemy. By acting mercifully maybe she could garner some good will instead?

Finding the middle ground between the two options, she aimed at the empty space besides his disguised face as he rounded the corner and fired once.

"Halt! I mean no harm!" she barked out as the man did not slow down his mad sprint in the slightest. He didn't even flinch at the bullet whizzing by his head!

She had just enough time to rip her arm downwards and nail him in the shoulder, but his only reaction was a barely audible grunt before he was upon her. A black, wicked-looking dagger struck at her throat and she had only the blink of an eye to lean away from it. Instantly he swiped downwards where her own knife blocked it a hair's breadth away from gutting her like a fish.

Twisting her other hand to point her pistol up, she discharged three bullets into his side, pulverizing his ribs and whatever squishy organs lay behind them. That was finally enough to send him stumbling back, clutching his ruined chest with a few weak gurgles until he collapsed to the floor.

'Holy shit!'

The darkly dressed fighter had been insanely fast. A normal human would have been cut to pieces before even being able to pull the trigger of their gun! She didn't fancy her odds of taking on more assassins as capable as him at the same time.

"Jusuf!" yelled the unknown woman still inside the container.

Hopefully she would be more reasonable than her partner.

Creeping around the corner in order to flank the mysterious 'league' member's exit, Tanya tried to speak as non-threateningly as possible: "I am sorry about that, but your friend wouldn't stop attacking me. Please believe me when I say that I'd rather talk this out."

The only response she got was the candle inside the little safe room getting blown out which thankfully had no effect on her vision. Otherwise the darkness of the warehouse would have become rather oppressive indeed.

Tanya's only warning was the most minute creaking sound before she whirled around and narrowly intercepted another dagger sent her way. It seemed the container had more than one exit.

"Die!" hissed the lightning fast woman as she hammered her defences with a flurry of stabs, many slipping through. Luckily her mother's leather jacket blunted the fast but relatively weak impacts enough for none of them to draw blood. They still hurt though...

Trying to clear up this misunderstanding she attempted to explain: "I have no quarrel with y-"

A vicious swing at her throat forced her to shut up as the woman's left hand all of a sudden produced a second knife from somewhere and nearly ripped her thigh open.

"Did SPYRAL send you!?" sneered her attacker, her vaguely middle-eastern looking face distorted in a grimace of hatred.

"No one sent me! I don't even know who you are!" Tanya shouted back, trying to gain distance under the onslaught of blades. Her damn pistol had jammed and she didn't want to drop it.

Something in her frustrated voice must have tipped the angry woman off, because she likewise jumped back and held her daggers defensively in front of her.

Switching her expression from angry to curious in an instant, the villain asked: "Truly?"

Was she just acting or were her emotions really that fickle?

"Yes! It was pure coincidence that I was here tonight."

Raising an eyebrow, the woman questioned her: "Pure coincidence? I don't know if I can believe that."

"I was looking for signs of illegal shipping in the area. Wanted to take advantage of the chaos surrounding the Arkham Breakout."

"Mmh. That still does not change the fact that my partner is dead by your hand."

"It was his life or mine."

"True enough..."

Both combatants eyed each other warily for a long moment.

"How about some introductions?" Tanya proposed.

Tilting her head a small smile spread on her opponent's face.

"Well, you are certainly quite bold. If you are skilled enough to survive my own efforts... Mmmmh... I'll allow it. The League is always in need of capable allies."

With a flourish she sheathed her two daggers.

"My name is Talia al Ghul, daughter of Ra's al Ghul and heiress of the League of Shadows also known as the League of Assassins."

Oh no. An entire secret organization of possibly superpowered killers. And now she was involved with the daughter of its leader... Depending on how she played her cards now this could turn into a boon instead of an absolute nightmare.

Respectfully inclining her head, Tanya put her own knife away as well.

"Well met, Miss al Ghul. I am afraid I am still quite new to this... milieu , so I cannot offer my real name for security reasons. You may call me..." Damn it! What should she call herself? Why had she never thought about that before!? Not having any better idea, she went with what felt natural.

"... Devil."

"Oh? Your boldness must be nigh endless. Then let's just hope you can live up to that lofty title, right?"

That was a challenge and a warning in one sentence if she ever heard one.

So she merely nodded seriously: "I intend to."

"Good."

Deciding to strike the iron while it was hot, Tanya carefully inquired: "If I may ask, does your business deal in information?"

Talia stared at her like she had said something stupid which in hindsight maybe was true.

"Naturally."

"Locations of drug and weapon depots, money laundering facilities, underground fighting rings and similar fare would be of some interest to me." she revealed.

"Are you some vigilante? No, you don't strike me as the type. Merely an opportunistic hunter who doesn't want to dirty her claws on sheep. I can respect that."

Tanya was unsure if this was simply sales talk or if Talia actually saw her that way.

"What would the price for such intel be?"

"The League has no need for money. We deal in favours and for small fry like that the favours would be small indeed."

'Favours' was such an ugly word... They could encompass everything from a little humiliation to quasi enslavement. Owing 'favours' to a shady band of contract killers would not be something insignificant or pleasant, of that she was sure.

"In that case, I would like to draw up a contract first which defines precisely what those 'small favours' of yours can entail. No offence meant, of course, Miss al Ghul."

"Ha! The Devil wants to make a contract! Why do I feel like we are going to be the ones who'll get pulled over the barrel?" grinned the assassin.

'How cruel to mock me so. She knows that if anything I am the one who gets screwed by any future agreement and now she is rubbing it in my face!' Tanya silently fumed.

"Be at the South City Park in five days and we'll see." Talia continued.

Turning her head to look at Jusuf's cooling corpse, the young woman sighed.

"I'll have to clean up that mess now, won't I? And this safe room will also be cleaned out. No offence, but despite our newly formed acquaintanceship I can't exactly trust you with League secrets, you understand?"

"Completely. Operational security is paramount."

The heiress chuckled.

"That is something my father would say. Now begone, Devil. When the time is right we will contact you."

And wasn't that a menacing declaration of power...

-W-

Talia cautiously watched the masked woman leave and then stealthily searched the premises for any potential 'friends' she might have 'forgotten' to tell her about. She honestly doubted that the intruder would work directly with anybody, but Talia hadn't survived for nearly twenty-five years by not being paranoid.

To wear a Hannya mask was to walk the path of vengeance and hatred was a lonely emotion. This 'Devil' was – as she had self-admitted – a new arrival who had not formed any support network yet. An exploitable situation, but also a dangerous one. If she had nothing to tie her down, then 'Devil' was going to be a wildcard...

Regardless, she could also be a valuable pawn. It was not often that Talia found somebody with enough talent to impress her and even rarer for them to survive to see another day. After the execution of the masterplan her loyalty would also not be an issue.

And that thought brought her mind to the largest problem at hand...

Relocating this nest was going to be more difficult than she made 'Devil' believe. Underneath this warehouse was a fifteen ton cryo-tank full of the highly expensive and even more difficult to store substance that they would need for Operation Commandment.

Hundreds of them had been secretly inserted underneath the entire city for half a decade now. Moving even one of them afterwards could draw an intolerable amount of attention that would force the League's hand far before the promised day.

Admittedly the possibility that some random clerk would prematurely alert Batman to their masterplan was slim, but he had a talent for stumbling onto clues at the most inopportune time. It just had to be divine luck that clung to her rival, blessing his every step with success.

Not to mention that finding willing construction workers over the holidays was going to be a nightmare.

And all of that effort, just because a little masked bitch had to crawl into this hole at precisely this moment to overhear her talking to an underling. Also, Jusuf, a man who she had spent many months training as her personal shadow was now dead, she couldn't forget that. The weakling died for nothing. A human resource wasted, because he tried to impress her by rushing in all on his own instead of grouping up with her.

'Idiot. Now I have to personally deliver the reports to father again. What a drag.'

Talia spit on his corpse for good measure. He was lucky he was dead or else she'd kill him again for causing her such a bother.

'And who knows how many other locations get compromised by overzealous police agents combing through every little corner on the search for Arkham inmates.' she thought sardonically.

At least she would get the opportunity to exact a little revenge on 'Devil' in a few days. Not too much of course, but father would certainly agree that their new client should be taught to fear the League post-haste.

-W-

Barbara hated what she was doing. She really did. But her dad was right in this case. Saving lives was more important than doling out justice and at this moment she was powerless to do anything without putting innocents at risk. The boats with the hostage were too spread apart for her to eliminate all kidnappers before one of them did something fatal.

So she strained her patience to its limits and waited, letting the insane inhabitants of the asylum stream over the ice bridge and into the city. Officers all around were fingering their holsters, careful to not appear threatening as per her dad's orders. They needed to secure the refugees first before they could begin their hunt; she was under no such restriction.

Perched atop a roof's edge like a red-haired gargoyle, she eyed the escaping criminals' movements carefully, committing each face that she could make out under the faint lamp light to memory. Hopefully this would later make tracking them down easier.

Only when the last one had left the line of sight towards the water did she jump down, her feet crashing into the guy and smashing him into the street. Her baton struck out and nailed him in the back of the head for good measure, before she rushed off after the next villain.

With them scattering at an exponential rate across the streets she had to prioritize speed above all else if she wanted to capture the majority of them.

Her grappling gun sprung to her hand and she entangled its hook around another running man's leg, ripping it out from under him and sending his chin cracking against the asphalt. In passing, she shot him with a tranquilizer, both to neutralize him and against the pain of his now missing teeth. Barbara might have been in a hurry, but she was not heartless.

While the grappling gun re-spooled itself, Batgirl fired another dart at a haggard looking woman on the left which sadly missed due to the criminal unexpectedly stumbling over a pothole. Her superior speed however closed the distance quickly and Barbara was able to deliver an incapacitating blow to her neck.

Three down, forty eight more to go...

-W-

" Stay still! " howled the twisted amalgamation of random body parts and writhing white clay.

Batman did no such thing and instead continued to pepper the abomination's weak points with explosive gel-coated Batarangs. Normally he wouldn't throw multiple miniature mines at a person, but given that the inhuman criminal possessed no conventional biology he was running out of tricks. Something had driven Clayface into a frenzy and the only way to stop him was reducing his body mass by a critical amount.

This would be a lot easier if he had either Robin or Batgirl with him, but his adopted son was barred from fighting until the cast on his arm came off and Barbara was hopefully still sleeping at home. He had purposefully not called her in, because he didn't want her anywhere near the Joker. She was not ready to face that madman yet...

"I'll become you! I'll wear your skin, hahaha!" yowled the creature, shaking and wiggling in a manic chaos of distorted limbs.

Never before had Batman seen the villain act so... unhinged.

"What happened to you?" he asked more to himself than his opponent.

Nonetheless, Clayface answered, apparently having heard him with one of his multiple ears: "He happened! Can't think! Aghhhh! Must. Kill. You! Then it will stop! Will it finally stop! Hahaha, please let it never stop! I am free! I can't take this anymore! Help me! Kill me. Hahaha, kill me. Kill yourself! Kill everyone! Hahaha!"

The poor guy had gone utterly mad. Or what if he hadn't... Clayface could absorb certain traits from organic material he ingested, so how about he gave him something that would make him think more clearly?

Dodging another overhead slam from the villain that cratered the floor where he had just stood, Batman fished the last remaining Batarang out of his pouch and swiped its edge over his unprotected cheek, drawing blood. Then – mid air after evading Clayface's follow up swing – he threw it into one of his multiple mouths and watched it disappear.

For a few seconds nothing seemed to have happened as the two of them continued to play a very high stakes game of cat and mouse before the monster halted in his tracks.

"Ughhh..." groaned the mentally deranged criminal, clutching his approximation of a head.

Batman tried to help whatever internal process was happening along: " Think, Clayface! This madness is not you! You can push through it!"

He was only partially successful.

Clayface morphed to a far more humanoid, but still distorted form, a malicious grin spreading on his face.

"The Joker... That bastard forced his blood on me... But now I can see... Yes, with him and you in me... I'll be unstoppable! The greatest hero and the greatest villain Gotham's ever seen, combined!"

So, he went from purely maniacal to megalomaniacal. Wonderful...

And now he was all out of Batarangs too.

Time to end this farce!

While Clayface was busy admiring his new state, Batman dashed over to a ripped cable sticking out of the half broken walls. He quickly unclipped his cape and jumped on the highly insulating material even as he was tying a spool of wire from his pouch to a stone.

"Catch this!" he called out and threw stone as hard as he could in a low arc, even as he clutched the spool tightly in his other hand. The impromptu projectile narrowly missed the perplexed villain, but the tension of the wire and its own inertia ensured that it wrapped around his body multiple times.

"Wha-" was all Clayface got out before Batman connected the spool to the powerline and he got shocked into unconsciousness.

-W-

"Phew."

Barbara lifted her mask for a moment to wipe the sweat off her brow. Standing over the body of her latest capture, she tried to steady her breath and decide on a new direction to hunt. Time was of the essence here!

Her progress of arrests had slowed quite drastically after multiple villains fled to the sewers. She was not stupid enough to follow them down there into the dark, but that didn't mean she wasn't worried for them. In this cold at least some of them would freeze to death, unsheltered, wet and thinly clothed as they were. Hypothermia was one of Gotham's biggest killers after all.

A sound at the end of the alley had her raise her bloodied knuckles only to deflate when nothing popped up. Must have been a rat or something.

Pressing some snow to her bruised cheek, she continued to jog through the eerily empty streets near the dockyards. Other than the sounds of an occasional police car a few blocks away who came to collect the prisoners, Gotham's streets were entirely empty and devoid of life. It made spotting her targets easier, but it was also a little bit strange. Maybe the populace had actually listened to the curfew orders for once and stayed home instead of coming to gawk? That would be a true Christmas miracle...

Man, that exhaustion must be really getting to her if she could chuckle about a lame joke like that!

Spotting a suspicious shape moving behind a trash container, she ran over and was about to punch it before reason reasserted itself and she pulled her fist back with a gasp.

What was she doing!? That could have been a homeless person, or a kid playing outside!

Suddenly her world grew hazy. Ugh, her head hurt.

Stumbling over her own feet, Barbara blinked and finally noticed that the suspicious shape hadn't been a person at all. It was a bush.

A beautiful, green plant with bright yellow petals that almost seemed to dance when she looked at them.

How pretty...

Experimentally she sniffed at it, because why not? It smelled so good...

Sadly it did not take away the pressure in her cranium.

Distantly she heard the snow crunching behind her and reflexively she whirled around. There, like an angel from a classical painting, stood one of the most gorgeous women she had ever seen. Stunning crimson hair cascaded over shoulders in luminescent waves, contrasting stunningly with the white winter background. Two impossibly intense green eyes fixed her, drawing her in...

"Ooops, I think I overdid the dose." Muttered the angel and-

"What!?" Batgirl screamed, ripped from her admiration of the stranger's features as the cold reality of her words settled in.

This woman had to be a villain!

Weakly she stepped forward to deliver a crushing blow, but fell to her knees instead.

"Wha-what diiiid... what did you doooooo?" she moaned confusedly, swiping at the bright lights dancing through her vision only to find her arms not responding as well.

Barbara could barely understand what the woman was saying to her now.

"I'm sorry it came to this, Batgirl... Truly. I wish I didn't have to do this, but I have to protect someone important to me. Let's hope Batman rescues you in time, yeah?"

Mercifully, her pounding headache reached its crescendo at long last and kicked her out of the waking world into a deep, delirious slumber.