Chapter 10: Bane
Breaking news erupted all over Gotham on the incident of the Humanitarian Event.
The newly super villain in Gotham that the public knows…as Mr. Freeze.
And Ferris Boyle declared missing after Freeze kidnapped him.
On every news channel in Gotham Jack Ryder was live delivering the report.
"Good evening Gotham. This is Jack Ryder reporting live where earlier tonight Gotham's Humanitarian of the Ferris Boyle CEO of Gothcorp had been kidnapped by a newly super criminal that will come down in history. The criminal the public hears himself as Mr. Freeze. Live at Gothcorp Alexander Knox is standing by with his report. Alex?" Ryder asked.
At Gothcorp Knox was live on the scene.
"Thank you Jack. I'm here in Gothcorp and it's like glue in there! It's insanely zero degrees cold in this hot weather. Victims of this new face in Gotham are cased in ice. LITERAL ice! We now know why he calls himself Mr. Freeze. Victims are being heated out as we speak but time will tell if they live through it. And if they do, they'll never forget it. Witnesses confirmed that the masked duo know as Batman and Robin gave chase to this individual trying to rescue Mr. Boyle. Sadly the duo lost track of them at East Gotham." Knox explained.
A TV switched off.
Bruce sat there at the Batcomputer brooding on whoever this guy was and what he wanted with Boyle even wondering who the mystery female copycat bat was and why she helped them.
Alfred tended to Dick's arm.
"Does it hurt that bad, Master Dick?" Alfred asked.
"I'll live. Just can't believe I have to wear this cast for a month. What am I supposed to tell everyone at college?" Dick asked.
"Perhaps a fall down the stairs?" Alfred asked.
"They won't buy that. A friend from college was there. Thank God she made it out alive." Dick said.
"You realize cause of that you'll have to sit this out." Bruce said.
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Dick asked.
"Dick Grayson and Robin can't appear with arm casts at the same time." Bruce said.
"Says the Bat who let the snowman get away with Boyle." Dick said.
"I wouldn't have had to if you weren't reckless and were almost killed." Bruce said.
Alfred sensed an argument coming on he left to tend to the suits.
"For you information where were you when I cut him off at the bridge?!" Dick said.
"The point is you went off the book and almost got yourself killed." Bruce said.
"Oh so it's my fault?" Dick asked.
"I didn't say it was." Bruce said.
"Doesn't matter! I know that's where you were going. But you don't see me biting your head off so that you let him get away with Boyle!" Dick said angrily.
"I couldn't risk your life anymore than it already was." Bruce said.
"Well I'm alive ain't I?! Look still standing, speaking and breathing!" Dick said.
"With a broken arm." Bruce said.
"Give me a break will ya? I'm only saying I did what I felt I had to! I mean isn't that what we do out there? There's a word called trust Bruce, look it up!" Dick said angrily.
Dick storms up the stairs leaving Bruce to nod and sits back in his chair...
Alfred comes back out walking by Bruce.
"I know it's not what you want to hear sir but trust is important in partnership." Alfred said.
"Trust works both ways Alfred." Bruce said.
"Indeed. Just Master Dick requires trust on how he helps you in the field." Alfred said.
"If he wasn't reckless out there then maybe I would. I don't want to be hard on him but he keeps giving me a choice. How else can I get him to listen." Bruce said.
"That too works in both ways as much as trust does Master Bruce." Alfred said.
Bruce was beaten there but before he could reply the trace on Selina's call was finally updated.
Bruce opened the result on the Batcomputer.
"We got her, Alfred." Bruce said.
"I suppose you're finally gonna bring Ms. Kyle in? Despite how you feel about her?" Alfred said.
"I have to. No matter how I feel about her she's crossed many lines going against everything I stand for. She almost stole the charitable money tonight." Bruce said.
"You never let your feelings get between your work…like your father." Alfred said.
"You think my parents would approve of Selina." Bruce said.
"Unlikely…but your happiness mattered more than anything else." Alfred said.
"I can't afford it. It's time to put an end to this." Bruce said.
"Sun will be up soon. I don't think Ms. Kyle will know you're coming till the next night." Alfred said.
"Right." Bruce said.
When morning arrived Gotham had another visitor…a large chopper hovers down at an abandoned warehouse...
The same mercenaries from North America arrived and behind them was the same second figure with the deep Spanish Accent stood behind them.
As he stepped off the chopper out of the shadows he was revealed…as BANE.
Bane is a mercenary leader and an ego terrorist but also an experimental test subject of VENOM injections.
Same Bane that Victor Fries worked on to develop a cure for his wife.
Why he's in Gotham…BACK in Gotham more like since he said before he was here before…may have something to do with Freeze.
They entered the warehouse where a lab was held Scientists but were those who work with Bane develop chemical experiments to process Bane's venom.
As soon as they saw him they related to him…
"Bane, sir. It's an honor to be in your presence." The scientist 1 said.
"Have you located the formula?" Bane asked.
"Yes sir. But we can't keep it stable before it's put into use. We need expertise to stabilize it." The scientist 2 said.
"I know just one man for the job." Bane said.
"We'll bring him in immediately sir." The scientist 1 said.
"That won't be necessary. Is our…paycheck here?" Bane asked.
"In our storage facility sir." Mercenary said.
"Show me." Bane said.
Doors open and Bane and his men step in Bane with his hands behind his back and grow a smile under his mask.
"Excelente. He sido favorecido. My whole life is granted for the next generation for my destiny. Now…the sun shines upon us my friends. Over our lovely amigo." Bane said.
Their paycheck turns out to be…Nora Fries still in her capsule still in one piece after the fire Victor mentioned earlier…
To Be Continued…