I do not own Batman/Bruce Wayne, J'onn J'onzz/Martian Manhunter, Superman/Clark Kent/Kal El, Amanda Waller, Alfred Pennyworth, or Lucius Fox. So, please enjoy this story for free.
Woods Northwest of Wayne Manor Three Hours Before Dawn Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths
J'onn had stopped about a quarter mile from Waller's mobile command center. In a gap between branches of an old tree, he had let himself become tangible again hoping a sudden breeze wouldn't carry his scent to the dogs. He could sense their canine minds patrolling around the control center with their handlers. He'd expected it.
For several minutes, he'd been deciphering the content, not only the emotional weight, of Waller's thoughts. Both had shocked him. Not only the two humans he'd left in the manor were in danger from her people, but far more so, Kal El. He continued listening in hoping he had enough time to do what he'd come to if a crisis occurred. If he interfered, though, he risked capture ...
Bruce, Kal El, Lucius ... so many had done so much to bring him so close ... And his war brother's daughter ... his niece ... But if they'd come so far for him, surely even alone ... they'd do more for her. He'd come to believe more was possible for them than he'd thought possible for any being he'd met. But if he left ... If they remained ignorant of this threat ...
In all the time he'd spent with Kal El, Bruce and the others, he'd only sensed fear from Bruce when Waller and Kal El were both on his mind. And even then, he'd also sensed uncertainty a back and forth between tension and calm. Waller herself showed him why. Bruce likely understood her own divided thought process on the matter. But ... did Bruce know how far she'd thought it out now ... how committed she was to the ending she had planned?
J'onn let out a breath and became visible again though his form remained screened by the leaves. This would take energy and focus. While attempting to stay tuned to Waller's mind he tried to open another channel to someone else.
Wayne Manor Night Autumn Three Hours Before Dawn Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths
Lucius grimaced while watching the invaders slice through the steel bars he'd put in with Alfred and Bruce. Then his eyes widened. He shut them a split-second later. He snatched off his headset, turned away from the keyboard, and bent over. Alfred squinted at the scientist. "Lucius'?"
The scientist shushed the ex-MI6 agent. The Englishman raised his eyebrows. However, he remained quiet upon observing the wrinkles carved into the scientist's face.
Inside his mind, Lucius felt what he had during several experiments over the last few days a disconcerting sensation: another presence, and now quite an insistent one, within his own mind. At the moment, though, he was actually relieved. J'onn, are you trying to reach me?
Yes! They wish not only to capture me but also kill Kal El!
I'm sorry?
They consider Superman a threat also! They want to kill him! They have plans, an understanding of how his power wanes! You must warn him and Bruce!
I will, but how do you know this? Why do you need me to pass on the message to me instead of tell them yourself?
Lucius felt the sudden absence of the other mind invading his thoughts. J'onn! Get back here! Where ... "Arrrgh!"
Lucius slumped and then straightened himself enough to look up while turning toward Alfred. "He contacted and talked to me, but now he's gone silent."
Alfred raised an eyebrow. "And what did he say?"
"That they also want to kill Superman and have an 'understanding of how his power wanes' which means they might actually succeed."
Alfred's form went stiffer and face whiter. "Now, we really must contact Master Bruce."
A spike of changes from the monitoring devices made both men look back to them. Lucius sighed, "And we might tell him about this too, when we do ..." A train of agents in black and tactical gear moved through the remains of cut-through bars to move freely around the manor. Lucius began turning dials and looking at other readouts but heaved out a hot breath while balling his fists as he still failed to reach the Batman.
Gotham Docks Two Hours Before Dawn Autumn Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths
Batman pulled his boat up along the dock grateful he had seen flashing lights before arrival. A voice came over his radio, finally. "Bruce?"
He managed to move a hand off the injured man he'd partially sewn up and tap the device in his cowl. "Dr. Thompkins, I need assistance with three injured."
"We're coming."
He opened the hatch climbed out and got out his climbing claws using them to dig into and hang from the underside of the dock. Footsteps raced over him and then stopped. "Whoa, what is this?"
"Remember what Dr. Thompkins said, just go in." Large bodies in ambulance uniforms lowered themselves into his boat. He heard their exclamations and medical jargon fly when they found their patients. His arms and legs burned as he watched them lift the three bodies out and disappear with them back atop the dock. Then, as their footsteps faded, he forced his shaking limbs to pull and lift him back inside his boat. Then he closed the hatch. He got back onto his radio and listened to emergency channels.
He heard surprised Coast Guard members finding the now deserted remains of the vessel not nearly as sunken as they'd expected it to be. He wasn't shocked by their expectations. He'd known for some time at least one person high up in the organization had to be on the take from one or more cartels to never catch certain vessels in illegal activities. He'd recently learned who it was.
He sighed. Clark might need help. But what about those at the manor? He tried reaching them and found the frequency blocked. In turning the dial, though, he came across another that hadn't been in use the night before. "Submarine #1 checking in. Subject of interest #1 is still in our sights, still three miles off Gotham's shoreline. Subject #1 is slowing in his progress at a fairly continual rate."
Batman's eyes widened. The voice continued. "Subject's current location is ..."
Batman shut his eyes fully and memorized the information. Then he quickly cut in on another channel. A man picked up a radio on a coast guard ship. "Yes sir?"
"Get between the shoreline and that wreck. Find the boss' surviving inventory with Metropolis' super-powered boy scout and get it back from him!"
"Who is this? I thought we were supposed to hang back like always."
"Well now thousands of not millions in dough is on the line. You think the boss wants all that inventory lost? Find Superman and those girls and reassure him they'll be taken care of. Then hold them for the boss. You want this business arrangement to end with your funeral?"
"No! No! I'll get it done."
The channel went dead. Bruce hung his head. Usually, he wouldn't fool someone on the take to follow directions that could get them killed. But right now, Clark was in Waller's sights. It sounded like he was actually weak.
Batman tried once more to get a signal from the manor and failed. He heaved a sigh. Then he turned his boat and pointed its nose back toward open waters. Alfred and Lucius had each other and all their preparations. J'onn had them. Right now, Clark had only dozens of frightened women just freed from captivity, some dead bodies, and God. And those back at the manor had God too. He'd concentrate on Clark.
Wayne Manor Two Hours Before Dawn Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths
All the defenses inside the manor proper had been overcome or exhausted. The spooky sound effects had startled the invaders momentarily. Then they'd ignored it. Darts and rubber bullets shot from hidden launchers in antiques, furniture, and thick, ornate wall molding had proven only occasionally effective against their invaders' protective layers depending on aiming opportunities presented. Those had grown less as they'd grown wary.
Turning the lights out and turning them back only had only proven mildly effective against their eyewear. More teams had poured in to replace any neutralized foes. Their numbers had only grown. Now, Waller's agents roamed the manor freely. They hadn't found an entrance to the cave yet, but from the way they stared at and ran fingers over walls and bookshelves against walls, they were looking.
Alfred flexed his hands as three entered the pantry off the kitchen. Lucius' hand hovered over the button to release the bars that would block the entrance behind the false wall there. He kept the other hand over the button to freeze up the elevator as other agents combed through the library.
Waller's Mobile Unit Northwest of Wayne Manor Less than Two Hours Before Dawn Eleven Years After Waynes Death
"You haven't found them yet? We're running out of time!" Waller grit her teeth.
Once the sun was up, the Kryptonian would recharge. If they didn't neutralize him first, he'd be an issue they'd have to contend with. She still wasn't sure she wanted to take the risk of shooting at and either missing or just injuring the Kryptonian without finishing him off.
He was the most powerful being on the planet ... that they knew of. At this moment though, she still considered the Martian the second most powerful in pure biological terms. Who knew what his influence on other powerful people was or could be as well? He could pretend to be anyone, influence the mind of anyone, render permanently unconscious anyone. There was no reason he couldn't just kill anyone as well save maybe the Kryptonian.
In terms of resources and cunning though, Bruce and his colleagues were proving even more trouble than she'd feared. Batman himself might yet show up here. They didn't even have a solid lead on the current whereabouts of their target. He might have slipped away hours ago. The events at the manor could be merely a distraction at this point.
She rubbed her forehead. What if after all this, it was just their own resources wasted for only another failure? What if she further strained her tenuous alliance with Bruce for nothing?
"Ma'am?"
She glanced at the agent beside her on Comms. "The submarine has an update that sounds important."
Waller nodded. "Patch them through to me."
Three miles off Gotham Shoreline Two Hours till Dawn Autumn Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths
Superman's strength was waning as he continued to drag his makeshift raft toward shore. The women on it had gone from frozen or shaking in terror to shaking in cold. They'd gathered in knots far from the line of laid out bodies he'd placed on their life raft too. Despite having spent much of his strength, the Kryptonian's hearing was still keen enough to pick up the sound of a purring engine growing louder long before the women he towed to shore could.
As they also looked toward the sound, he turned his own stare on it. The dark boat passed under him while slowing and pulled alongside the raft. Then the hatch opened. Batman emerged and looked up at him. To Superman's shock, he addressed him in Kryptonian. The staring eyes of the women blinked in their blank faces. Superman turned from them to his friend when he realized what he was saying.
"You have to leave!"
"What? I can't just leave them."
"The coast guard is on its way. You're in danger!"
"If I just leave, they'll panic. Even if I tell them ..."
"You're weak! It's two hours till sunrise!"
"But ..."
"A nearby submarine is waiting for the order to kill you!"
Superman's eyes widened.
Mobile Unit in Woods Northwest of Wayne Manor Two Hours before Dawn Autumn Eleven Years After Waynes' Deaths
"Subject of Interest #2 is speaking to Subject of Interest #1. Do you think we've been compromised? Should we initiate strike?"
Waller's body stilled as her gaze turned inward. She swallowed. Her lips parted ... Then, her eyes shut, head fell forward, and whole body went lax. The agents around her drew back eyes widening. The man on the radio beside her began to shout. "Agent Waller is down! Target is nearby! Target is HERE!"
Wayne Manor Two Hours Before Sunrise Autumn Eleven Years After Waynes Deaths
Alfred squinted at the screen as Lucius' eyes went wide. All the teams they'd been watching and preparing for were turning from whatever they'd been examining before and rushing towards the exits. Alfred gritted his teeth. "They found him."
What do you think now?
God bless
ScribeofHeroes