AN: Yes! New Story!
As some of you might know, this site is acting up again so if any of my new chapters are not showing up for whatever reason, I also have my stories posted on AO3 so you can check there if you'd like.
This ended up a lot longer than I expected and I had to do some research to make it historically accurate (not that SC was ultra accurate in the first place) and I hope I did a good job.
I'm a little undecided about the next update but I hope I'll be able to get it ready fast enough.
Batman and all related characters and elements are trademarks of DC Comics. Batman is created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger.
Soul Calibur and all related characters are owned by Bandai Namco Entertainment.
CHAPTER 01: Transcending History
Oolong Island
The ground exploded as a blur of blue and red plowed into the earth from above, upheaving chunks of dirt in the process.
From within the deeply sheared soil, a man groaned as he pushed himself slightly up with bits of rock and earth falling off from his blue suit which bore his iconic S-shield symbol along with his red cape.
"I am nowhere near impressed, Herr Superman." a deep voice spoke, laden with a German accent.
The Man of Steel looked up to see another caped man float down with the sun blazing behind him. Indeed, there weren't many on Earth who were strong enough to punch him that hard and today, he was facing off against one of them.
The man was well built with blond hair styled in a Prussian crew cut. His body suit was green with a belt, gloves and boots being red. On both shoulders were tasseled epaulets, giving a military look, that were attached to a fluttering red cape behind him. And displayed proudly on his chest was the very antithesis of Superman's own symbol: a black Nazi Swastika within a white disc.
Superman knows this person as Captain Nazi, one of Captain Marvel's enemies who has super-strength and was capable of flight.
"I have heard that you were as strong as Captain Marvel and Black Adam, both of whom being my physical equals." Captain Nazi sneered at the Kryptonian. "Is this really the best you can do?"
In response, twin beams of Heat Vision seared across the side of Nazi's face, causing him to recoil with a pained yelled. Luckily, he was just as durable as he was strong and the red beams only left a smoking line on his cheek.
But as Captain Nazi recovered, he looked just in time to see Superman fly up to him with the glow of his eyes fading and his fist reared back.
"Why don't you stick around and find out, 'Captain'?"
The Man of Steel spoke that last part with scorn before he punched the villain hard enough with a big THOOM! that sent him hurtling a good distance way. Nazi tumbled back in the air until he stopped himself and then gave an angered growl before zooming towards the caped hero who also charged at him.
While the flying titans clashed above, the air down below crackled with the whine and roar of machine gunfire.
A hail of glowing hot bullets was fired at a single person and would've surely shredded her to bits had she been an ordinary woman.
And Diana of Themyscira was anything but ordinary.
A rapid rhythm of ricochet sounds and sparks erupted from her trademark bracelets as her arms moved with inhuman speed to deflect every single bullet.
"Give up and we can end this peacefully." Wonder Woman said just as the gunfire ceased.
The person, or rather the thing, that fired at her was red in color, nine feet tall and could be described as a mix between a tank and a mech-like robot.
It was armed to the teeth with gun barrels and a head that resembled a German Stahlhelm with red circular lenses. The battlesuit was operated by the 'Red Panzer', the descendant of the original Nazi supervillain from World War II.
"It is YOU who should surrender, Wonder Woman!" Red Panzer's voice sounded off electronically. "I can keep this up all day!"
With that statement, a long cannon barrel aimed from the powerful machine's shoulder and fired a tank shell with a resounding shockwave.
The shell struck its target and exploded loudly upon impact. For a moment, the man piloting the battlesuit grinned in satisfaction that he was able to put down the Justice League's mighty Amazon but his elation soon turned to shock when the dust cloud cleared to reveal that Wonder Woman was still standing.
With smoke trailing from her bracelets that were crossed in front of her face, Diana slowly lowered them. Her fierce blue eyes glinted with daring, her luscious black locks were barely disturbed and her lips curled in a confident smirk.
"As can I." she said.
In that moment, both Wonder Woman and the Red Panzer were caught slightly off-guard when a streak of yellow and purple zoomed right between them, followed by another which was red and gold.
The two blurs raced and shot through across the island and even over the sea, looping around the coast.
If one were to perceive them at a mere millisecond, they would see two people running at superspeed. The blur in front was a womanly shape clad in from head to toe in a yellow body suit with purple opera gloves and boots that were styled like SS lighting bolts. Her head was fully covered except for the black goggle lenses over her eyes and over her chest was a Nazi eagle insignia.
Behind her, clad in his iconic red bodysuit with two golden 'ear-wings' fixed on the sides of his head and the lightning bolt-disc insignia on his chest, was none other than the Scarlet Speedster from Central City: The Flash!
"Geht off my back!" the German woman barked out as she looked behind while continuing to run.
"Not before you answer for your crimes!" Flash fired back at her.
"Ugh."
She grunted and rolled her eyes while looking back forward to recite a certain mathematical formula.
"3x2(9yz)4a!"
With that mantra, her body vibrated even further as gold lightning crackled around before she jetted off with her augmented speed boost.
Seeing her disappearing form, the Flash narrowed his eyes in determination and picked up the pace as golden arcs of lightning danced around and propelled him faster.
It would seem that the chase was still on and that gave Barry a moment (in his perspective) to review everything he knew about his opponent.
"Baroness Blitzkrieg." Barry mentally noted. "Jay told me about her. Apparently the great granddaughter of the original Baron Blitzkrieg, capable of tapping into the Speed Force by using the same formula as Jessie's."
And much to his disgust, she was also a homicidal sociopath who had no qualms about killing women and children.
"However, she lacks the finesse of a true Speedster. But at the same time, that makes her all the more dangerous. Along with the rest of the Fourth Reich."
The Fourth Reich. The team of Nazi affiliated villains who had routinely given trouble to the JSA and were now apparently under the leadership of a mysterious new foe. They have become more organized and deadly; abducting scientists and raiding the branches of Holt Industries for various pieces of technology.
After a unanimous decision to intervene, the Justice League had tracked them to Oolong Island located in the South China Sea. As expected, the villainous team awaited them with an army of soldiers and from then, the battle waged on.
In the skies, a distance away from where Superman and Captain Nazi continued their fight, Green Lantern was locked in a skirmish with a woman wearing an all black ensemble consisting of a domino mask, opera gloves, thigh-high boots and a leotard with a horizontal crescent symbol. Her name is "Nacht" and along with using an anti-gravity device to fly, her power was her medusa-like pitch black hair with wriggling tendrils that change size, shape and cause sensory deprivation.
Down below was her brother "Nebel", a man with smoky wispy grey hair wearing matching grey goggles and bodysuit along with dark blue gloves, boots and cape. He was proving to be a challenge for Aquaman with his ability to transform himself into a noxious mist.
Another battle was taking place on the island facility, not far from where Wonder Woman was still engaged in her fight with Red Panzer: a stream of rapid gunfire was chasing after a certain masked green-clad bowman who ran and leaped along a metallic rampart as bullet holes and sparks trailed behind him.
The gunfire came from a pair of machine guns fired by a muscular man wearing a red and dark blue body suit with two symmetrical vertical lines of white spikes that adorned around the armscyes. His hands and feet were decked out with white gloves and boots respectively, his head was covered in a dark blue balaclava-style mask and a black Nazi-swastika was displayed on his chest.
As he continued to run from the path of the bullets, Oliver Queen aka the Green Arrow primed another arrow in his bow and waited for the clips of the machine guns to go empty before he leaped sideways, aimed and fired at the gunman.
Unfortunately, the arrow appeared to have overshot and joined several others embedded on the floor around the masked villain, known to the world as 'Armageddon'.
"You missed again, Arrow!" Armageddon taunted him. "What kind of an idiot brings a bow and arrow to a gunfight?"
Undaunted, the Emerald Archer rolled into a crouch and pulled out a detonation switch.
"The kind of idiot who knows how to place his shots." Ollie retorted before pressing the button.
Armageddon blinked in confusion when he heard a faint beeping sound and looked at one of the embedded arrows to see a blinking light on a prolate shaped device fixed near the fletchling.
The rapid beeping was soon accompanied by more beeping, causing the villain to look around and see that all the embedded arrows were armed. It was too late for him to react.
BOOM!
As the smoke cleared, Ollie rappelled himself down the rampart to find Armageddon knocked out and sprawled on the floor with small tears around his costume. A dazed groan from him confirmed that the stun grenade arrows did their job and kept him alive.
"That felt oddly satisfying." Ollie's goatee beard stretched with his grin.
As Green Arrow worked to handcuff the downed foe, he heard something strike the ground hard a good distance behind him, prompting him to turn around to see that impact was caused by a man.
Not just any man but a well built rugged looking man who was decked in a cross-strapped harness over his torso, a golden hooked beak helmet/mask with two wings fanning out from the ear areas and, the most notable thing about him, a set of large wings on his back.
Hawkman grunted with grit teeth and pushed himself up into a sit. No sooner than he did, he quickly reacted by flapping his wings to jet away and soar from a large beast that plowed itself into where he had laid.
The beast in question was actually a steel mechanized dragon! It was being ridden (or piloted) by a man wearing a white body armor with red trimmings, thick red gauntlets and boots and large red shoulder pads. His head was covered by a face mask/helmet that was V-shaped resembling a white horned skull.
Green Arrow recognized him from the dossier he had read: White Dragon, real name William Heller, a technological supercriminal and an Aryan supremacist. The kind of person who really brought Ollie's blood to a boil.
"Great, my two favorite people." he thought with sarcasm.
With White Dragon at the controls, the supervillain's "pet" opened its maw and unleashed a jet of hot flames at the Winged Warrior. Hawkman's wings gave a mighty flap before he barrel rolled around the spew of fire until he finally flew up to the underside of the beast chin. Once there, he gripped his iconic Nth metal spiked mace and hammered it up against the jaw, causing the beast to stagger back.
Heller nearly fell off his mount but steadied himself and controlled the beast to squat and ready itself to charge, flapping its mechanical wings aggressively.
Hawkman flapped his own wings in an aggressive manner as well and prepared himself to attack head on. That was until Heller was literally sucker-punched on the side of his face by a boxing-glove arrow, and caused him to fall over.
"Need a hand, Bucko?"
Recovering from his surprise, Hawkman looked to the voice to see Green Arrow sporting his usual devil-may-care grin.
The avian slit eyes of the Winged Warrior's helmet narrowed.
"Go away, Arrow! I have this handled!" he barked dismissively.
"Sure doesn't look it to me." Ollie said.
Immediately after Arrow said that, the Emerald Archer jumped out of the way from a flaming energy beam. Using the metal beast as cover, White Dragon peeked from behind and fired again at Green Arrow using his gauntlets.
Ollie dodged by rolling out of the beam's path before returning fire with another arrow. Heller hid behind cover but this time pressed a button on his gauntlet which caused the eyes of the mechanical dragon to glow red.
Heller then attacked by rushing out of cover while firing a series of blasts which Ollie easily dodged and fired a couple of more arrows at him which he burnt away in mid-fight with his energy blasts.
As the two exchanged fire, the dragon's head turned and aimed towards Ollie, unbeknownst to him. Its maw opened up and glowed, preparing to unleash hot flames towards the distracted hero.
Hawkman quickly took notice and called out to him.
"Arrow, you idiot! Watch out!" he yelled.
But when Ollie turned to look towards the beast, it was like staring at the sun. A bright torrent of flames headed straight for him and he could feel the heat burning on his skin. Luckily, he was pulled out of the way when Hawkman swooped through and grabbed him by his shoulders.
Although the corners of his wings got burnt, Hawkman soared away with Ollie in tow. But the two heroes weren't out of the woods yet: White Dragon pursued them in the air using a rocket propulsion function at his boots and continuously fired at him.
Hawkman spun and dodged from the shot. But as he did, he didn't hesitate to rebuke his colleague.
"Once again, I'm astounded at why the League bothers keeping you around!"
Ollie felt himself flare up with outrage. Although a tiny part of him didn't want to risk having the crazed brute drop him, he just about had enough of Carter's attitude. Especially after the fact that all he did was try to help.
"And once again, I don't understand why you have to be such a hard-ass all the time!" he retorted.
While Hawkman continued to aerially maneuver away the energy blasts, the bickering between the two heroes went on despite the dangerous situation.
"Beside, I don't see exactly what YOU bring to the table! Oh, you can fly? We already got, like, ten of those!"
"You're one to talk,…Batman-lite!" Hawkman fired back at him.
That caused Ollie to fume, wishing Hal was here instead of being occupied with the lady and her crazy hairdo. Sure, he and the Green Lantern may have had some disagreements in the past but Hal was the closest person he would consider as a brother.
Him and Carter though? They were like oil and water. No, they were more like gasoline and fire. For whatever reason, the two of them just don't get along. And unfortunately for him, Superman decided to let the overgrown feather duster tag along due to his connections with the JSA.
"Tch. Batman-lite…" Ollie internally grumbled.
But on that line of thought, a lingering question came to his mind.
"Speaking of which, where is Tall, Dark and Spooky anyway?"
"Should've been quieter."
That's what the Dark Knight told himself as flashes of gunfire temporarily brighten the dimly lit laboratory. But despite his stealthy prowess. he couldn't deny that the inner facility was crawling with soldiers and that they had been on high alert since the League stormed the island.
They were highly trained, obviously handpicked by their leader and too fanatical to be reasoned with. Their uniforms were full black with orange belts and harnesses and their faces were made indistinguishable with their orange gas masks. That being said, they never faced anyone quite like the Batman before.
Like a living shadow, the Cape Crusader surged towards them while ducking under the hail of bullets until he was close enough to deliver a fierce round house kick to one of the soldiers, shattering the yellow tinted lenses of his mask in the process. He continued his attack in a fluid motion by quickly sweeping the leg of the nearby soldier to send him off-balance before grabbing the back of his head and slamming it to the floor.
A soldier attempted to shoot him from but Batman quickly reacted by grabbing the muzzle of the gun and then the back of the man's collar to roughly whip him around and slam his face into the wall next to them.
More soldiers rushed at him but Batman still maintained his dominance in the battlefield, bounding from one soldier to another and dispatching each of them with well placed strikes and takedowns.
Unfortunately, his momentum would be halted.
It happened too fast and he would later berate himself for not being more alert but at that moment, he yelled in pain as a white energy beam fired against his back. His cape and suit normally protected him against most hazards but he figured that this was something more than your run-of-the mill shock blast. Falling on his front with smoke trailing from his cape, two soldiers immediately seized him by his arms and held him up.
"You shouldn't have come alone, Batman." came a voice behind him.
Batman heard an electric hum and noticed from the corner of his eye something metallic hovering around him in a half-circle until it levitated a distance in front of him. It was in actuality a floating metal platform and on top of it stood a man holding a large silver luger-like gun with smoke trailing from the barrel.
"Had you brought one of your super-powered friends along, you may have stood a chance but you don't trust anyone to get the job done but yourself." the man grinned. "Heh, I actually admire that about you."
Batman looked up at the man with scorn.
"Degaton." he growled.
Per Degaton. Arch enemy of the Justice Society, considered the tyrant of time. He was a well-built red-haired man wearing a black leather trench coat, the type worn by Nazi Wehrmacht officers, with a red capital 'D' embellished on its side breast area.
"Or perhaps it's personal? If I recall, one of the scientists from my Time Trust is from Gotham City, is he not?" Degaton sneered, caressing his chin in mock thought.
Batman's eyes narrowed, his anger simmering beneath the surface as Degaton's words struck a chord. The villain was right, it was personal. The scientist in question was Dr. Carter Nichols, a close friend of his father and a man he had once considered a surrogate uncle. However, he had lost contact with him after the death of his parents with the man being as withdrawn as he was.
He remembered Alfred speculated that perhaps the reason Carter had thrown himself into his time manipulation research was that he had been driven by the tiny possibility of saving his friend's life.
And now that man was a pawn in Degaton's twisted game.
Batman forced himself to maintain a stoic demeanor, his mind racing with strategies to counterattack. The best approach for a megalomaniac like Degaton is to keep him talking, let him gloat, fish for information and bide for time until his ego trips him up.
"Time Trust. Is that what you call them?" he asked, his voice gravelly and controlled.
"Indeed." Degaton said. "After the Justice Society so…graciously relieved me of my technology,…"
His voice dripped with vindictive venom at that part.
"I knew I needed to start over from scratch. So, I sought out the best minds in the field of temporal manipulation to construct a time machine worthy of my ambitions. Behold!"
With a dramatic flourish, Degaton gestured towards a pair of large metal doors that parted horizontally with a hiss and a puff of smoke to reveal the device. It was a metallic ring-like structure forming a circular doorway with a shimmering white membranous energy field at its threshold. Along its sides were rows of equipment and control panels of the like, clearly needed to power the monstrous machine.
"And, of course, I required the Fourth Reich's enthusiasm to carry out the deed, as well as keep your fellow heroes occupied. All in exchange for ensuring their precious Führer wins the war."
Batman's eyes narrowed, picking up on the disdainful tone.
"You sound like that isn't your intention." he stated.
Degaton's grin widened, a hint of madness gleaming in his eyes.
"Why should I limit myself to such a pedestrian goal?" he asked, finally stepping off the lowered floating platform.
He took a step towards his captive with his arms folded behind him.
"You see, Batman, there is a weapon." he said importantly. "A weapon hidden deep in the past and lost to history. Once I claim it, I will have unlimited power and no one will dare stand in my way."
Degaton's lips curled into a cruel smirk.
"Your Dr. Nichols should be proud, to have his contributions serve as the epoch to my glorious ascension."
Batman has frankly heard enough.
"Enough! The scientists. Where are they, Degaton?!" he roared.
"Long dead."
Seeing Batman's eyes widen in shock only fueled the villain's enjoyment.
"Not the answer you were expecting?" Degaton asked, his voice dripping with mockery.
As anger and outrage coursed through him, the Dark Knight's face set in a fierce determination.
"You'll pay for this." was all he said.
Degaton gave a laugh, before turning around to make his way towards the Time Gate.
"I'm not giving you this speech to allow you a chance to escape, Batman. I've also armed a small thermonuclear device to detonate in ten minutes. This base, the island, everything will be reduced to ashes. And the Justice League will be too late to stop me."
"You'll kill your own men, too!" Batman said with alarm. "They'll never let you-"
He had hoped the soldiers would see reason in light of their situation but their grip on him was as tight as ever.
"They know the sacrifice." Degaton said dismissively. "This fixture in time,…this present as you know it will fade away. Replaced by the Age of Per Degaton!"
Time was of the essence, literally, and with the feeling of desperation pricking at him, Batman redoubled his efforts to break free until he managed to grab one of the men by the back of the head before slamming his face into his knee. Continuing his momentum, he used his newly freed arm to strike the other man holding him with a vicious punch.
Now unrestrained, Batman leapt at Degaton, tackling him to the side just as he was a few steps away from the portal's edge. Although the Time Tyrant was caught off guard, he reacted quickly enough backhanding the Dark Knight hard enough to make him stagger. Luckily, Batman recovered just in time to duck under Degaton's follow up punch before countering with his own punch against the villain's jaw.
As Degaton swiveled from the blow, Batman took advantage of his opponent's position by grabbing his head in a rear naked choke hold. Degaton thrashed against the hold, his eyes bulging with rage, but Batman's grip remained unyielding. As the two of them struggled for dominance, the villain noticed from the corner of his eye that his soldiers were dumbly standing in their place as if frozen with indecision.
"Do something, you fools!" he bellowed, his voice strained by the choke hold. "Stop him!"
And so they did…by training their rifles on Batman and opening fire!
Batman reacted with lightning-quick reflexes, releasing his hold and swerving away from the gunfire. Degaton, caught in a panic, leapt away from the hail of bullets as it tore into the control panel. The resulting damage was evident as sparks flew out from the machinery and the Time Gate's energy field began to fluctuate wildly with its stability now compromised.
"You idiots! What have you done!?" Degaton exclaimed, rushing to the walkway with his eyes widened in disbelief.
"It's over, Degaton."
Batman's voice rang out with righteous fury as he menacingly approached the dismayed villain.
"Disarm the bomb. Now!" he growled.
With his eyes flashing with a madman's fervor, Degaton roared in defiance and launched himself at Batman. His fists flew in a flurry of wild punches but Batman dodged and weaved, his movements a blur of precision and skill, as he avoided or blocked each blow with ease.
However, in a flash of luck, Degaton's fist connected with a powerful blow to Batman's solar plexus, sending the Dark Knight stumbling backward; his footing lost and his trajectory towards the flickering Time Gate.
Degaton's victorious expression was only brief and it immediately contorted in a mixture of rage and despair. The villain reached out with an outstretched palm, screaming "NOOOOO!" as Batman fell through the portal just before it blinked out permanently.
The proverbial dust from the battle had finally settled and the army of soldiers were rendered unconscious and gathered at the courtyard of the island facility.
From above, Superman descended with his cape billowing in the wind as he carried an unconscious Captain Nazi and joined the rest of the League who had rounded up their captured foes.
Among them was Red Panzer, now stripped down to a simple jumpsuit and bound by Woman Woman's Lasso of Truth. He looks forlornly at his destroyed mech suit that lay in ripped scattered pieces.
Bound alongside him were three other villains, one being Baroness Blitzkrieg who struggled against the golden coils while Nacht and Nebel sat defeated next to her; their powers now nullified.
"Ich kann es nicht glauben." Nebel muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Defeated by der Fischmann?"
"Your biggest mistake was underestimating me, Nebel." said Aquaman firmly, hitting the butt of his trident to the ground in emphasis.
The sound of boots hitting the ground drew their attention as Hawkman landed, unceremoniously carrying White Dragon and Armageddon, one slung over his shoulder while the other dangled by his belt. With a grunt of disgust, he tossed them onto the pile of captured villains like bags of garbage.
"Easy, Tweety. A little too rough, don't you think?" Green Arrow commented as he walked up behind him.
Hawkman's wings bristled as the avian eyes on his mask narrowed at the Emerald Archer.
"I don't recall asking for your opinion."
"Oh ho, that's rich coming from-"
"Alright ladies, break it up." Green Lantern chuckled as he came between them and patted them both on their shoulders.
"Only thing left is to check the bunker." Flash suggested, lightning crackling around him. "I can scout it out in seconds-"
"No need." Superman interrupted, his eyes narrowing as he engaged his X-ray vision to peer beneath the ground.
But as his enhanced senses focused on the facility below, his super-hearing picked up something else: an ominous tick-tock that made his blood run cold.
His eyes snapped towards the source and his vision penetrated deeper, past layers of reinforced concrete and steel, until he saw a device that was all too familiar to him. The distinctive configuration of the warhead, the telltale radiation signature…his jaw began to slowly drop.
"Superman?" Aquaman stepped forward, noticing Superman's shocked expression. "Is something wrong?"
The other League members exchanged concerned looks; whatever it was that grabbed the Man of Steel's attention, it can't be anything good.
Superman's jaw clenched and time compressed in milliseconds as his Kryptonian brain, capable of processing information faster than any mere man, raced through options. From The bomb's design to its placement to the countdown itself.
Could he stop it? Contain the explosion? But with the countdown too far along, there just wasn't enough time to contain or redirect the blast without casualties. Even if his brain was Kryptonian, Clark's mind was still human and in that tiny moment? He needed to make a quick decision.
His eyes snapped to his teammates.
"EVERYONE OFF THE ISLAND! NOW!" he roared with an urgency that made even Hawkman flinch.
"What? But-" Aquaman began.
"NO TIME!" Superman's voice carried a command that brooked no argument. "GET EVERYONE YOU CAN TO SAFETY!"
The League burst into action, years of working together allowing them to respond without further question. Green Lantern's ring flared as he created a massive bubble construct, its surface rippling like liquid glass as it encased Wonder Woman and the captured villains before he shot up with it skyward. Superman scooped up Captain Nazi and a nearby unconscious soldier, taking to the air in a sonic boom.
Flash became a crimson blur with gold lightning trailing behind him as he raced back and forth across the island, each pass evacuating more soldiers to the mainland shore.
Aquaman dove into the waves, his telepathic call summoning a pod of whales to help transport the remaining unconscious troops.
The sense of danger grew with each passing moment, the air thickening with tension. The League's movements became more frantic, their faces set with determination.
Hawkman grabbed Green Arrow unceremoniously before taking off.
"Can't get enough of me, huh?" Oliver said with wry.
Carter only responded with a grunt of annoyance as his priority lay in keeping them both alive.
They were the last to leave, Hawkman's wings beating furiously against the air as he strained for altitude and speed. The first tremors began to shake the island behind them and the terrible doubt about their survival buzzed through them.
Then came a flash of blinding white light behind them, followed by the shockwave that hit them moments later and sent them tumbling through the sky like leaves in a hurricane. They crashed onto the shoreline of Hainan, rolling across the sand before coming to a stop with Hawkman face-down and Arrow sprawled across his wings.
Grim silence fell over the beach as the League watched the mushroom cloud rise with awful majesty, its stem dark against the burning fireball that bloomed above it.
"Get. Off. Me." Hawkman growled into the sand.
Oliver blinked, recovering from the shock before he steadily untangled and pushed himself up.
"How about you watch where you point that beak of yours, Feathers?" Arrow shot back wearily.
Despite how unnecessary it seemed, Ollie found their banter almost comforting now, a small piece of normalcy in the face of such devastation. In a way, Ollie felt he needed these silly back and forths to keep his mind from fully processing the horrors of what humanity was capable of. In a way, Ollie suspects that Carter felt the same way.
His moment of distraction was shattered by a sonic boom, seemingly louder than before, as Superman streaked back toward the devastation, drawing confused looks from most of the team.
"Where's he off to in such a hurry?" Ollie wondered.
But then he noticed Diana. Her face had gone pale, eyes wide with dawning horror. At that moment, Green Arrow felt his stomach drop as he realized what,…or rather who, was missing.
"Wait." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Where's Batman?"
The Caribbean Sea, 1590
With brine spraying across her bow like a pair of wings, the 'Santa Donna Bonita' cut through the Atlantic swells. Her Spanish-built hull rode high despite the weight of her thirty-two guns and her sails taut in the late afternoon breeze.
To her port and starboard were her sister ships, prizes taken in raids off the Spanish Main and kept in perfect station. One was the 'Nuestra Señora Estrella del Mar' with her distinctive figurehead of the Virgin Mary, the other was the more streamlined 'La Concepción de San Rodrigo'. Both of them were converted from merchant vessels into ships of war.
Lady luck had smiled upon them. After casting off from Portsmouth under cover of darkness, they had caught favorable winds past the Bay of Biscay and maintained their heading south west where the seas had been mercifully calm.
Within the captain's quarters of the Santa Donna Bonita resided, unsurprisingly, the captain himself. He was seated at his desk, poring over his charts dotted with islands spread like scattered jewels.
But he was no ordinary captain. His name was Jon Valor, the legendary "Black Pirate" himself.
A man whose exploits and infamy were sung in taverns across the western world from London to Barcelona. They say he knows the sea like the back of his hand, and they'd be right. His experience had allowed him privy to its secrets, he could feel the rhythm of the waves in his bones and anticipate the shift of the wind before it even ruffled the sails.
But now the years of swashbuckling had weathered his once-handsome features, leaving him with gray-streaked hair and lines carved deep around eyes that had seen more adventure than most men could claim in three lifetimes. His mustache however, more black than gray, has retained its neat and thin flair.
A knock interrupted his reading.
"Enter." he called, not looking up from his work.
Thomas Dobbs, his first mate, slipped through the door like a shadow with his jowled face pinched with concern.
"Beg pardon, Captain."
"Ah, Mister Dobbs." Valor's voice carried the warmth of long association. "What news of our progress?"
"We'll be entering Spanish waters come morning, sir. Right into the serpent's jaws, as it were."
"Very good. Tell the helmsman to maintain our course through the Lesser Antilles."
With a sly smirk, Valor traced the route with one calloused finger.
"I served aboard enough Galleons to know their ways. They be creatures of habit, these Dons. They'll likely have two escort vessels making their rounds 'twixt Hispaniola and the Windward Isles. But they'll never expect a soul to slip through the eastern passages at this time of year."
"Excellent plan, Captain. And the signal fires?" asked Dobbs.
"Aye, we'll need to keep well clear of their watchtowers." Valor nodded. "Have the men douse all lanterns after sunset, and make sure those merchant flags are ready should we sight any of their sails."
"Ah, about that…" Dobbs shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his discomfort plain as day. "There's some…discontent…brewing among the crew, sir."
"Are there talks of mutiny, Mister Dobbs?" Valor's tone carried just enough edge to remind of his authority.
"Oh no, sir! Nothing of the sort." Dobbs quickly shook his head. "The men would gladly follow you into the devil's arsehole and back, if you wish it."
The first mate tugged at his collar nervously.
"It's…well, it's about Lady Valentine."
Valor sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Again? By Zeus, what is it this time?"
"She's at it again, Captain. The men be unsettled, they've seen things seeping from 'neath her door. Green vapors, eerie lights and the like. They whisper of witchcraft, sir. Bad enough havin' a woman aboard, but a bloody sorceress…"
"She's an alchemist." Valor corrected, his voice tight. "And I have already made it clear that Lady Valentine and her colleague are here by arrangement with our benefactors."
"Aye, sir. But consider the near accident last month."
Those words gave Valor pause.
"And begging your pardon, but I've heard her chanting something awful strange. I dare say she's trying to summon a demon!"
"That's quite enough, Dobbs." Valor said sharply, his tone brooking no argument.
Dobbs stiffened and held his tongue as Valor settled himself deep in silent contemplation. Eventually the captain sighed again before pushing himself up from his desk.
"Very well, I shall speak with her. But mark me well, Mister Dobbs, I'll have no more talk of witchcraft or demons aboard my ship. Is that understood?"
"Aye, Captain." Dobbs bobbed his head nervously, relief evident in his stance as Valor strode past him toward the door.
Adjacent to the captain's quarters was what was once the senior officer's quarters. Valor had requisitioned the space to house his peculiar guests, mindful that a noblewoman could not be expected to lodge in the common areas below deck.
Of course, Dobbs had taken the news of his displacement with much dismay; being forced to bunk with the ordinary crew, all eighty-five of them, crammed into the fore and aft compartments.
The first leg of their journey had been an absolute nightmare for the crew, with men sleeping in shifts and tempers running short in the confined space. However, fortune had smiled upon them with the capture of the Estrella del Mar and San Rodrigo, allowing the crew to spread across three ships, with thirty hands aboard each vessel.
The additional space had done wonders for morale, though Valor had noticed Dobbs casting looks of resentment at the converted cabin whenever he passed it.
A violent crash from within, metal impacting against wood with the collective tinkling of glass, sent several nearby crew members scurrying away from the door.
"Damn it all!" a posh contralto sounded from within.
Valor rapped his knuckles sharply against the door.
"Lady Valentine, this is the captain! Open the door!"
But his words were met with nothing but frustrated mutterings mixed with decidedly un-ladylike English curses filtered through the wood.
"I'm coming in now." Valor announced, pushing the door open.
The captain stepped into what appeared to be a makeshift laboratory with a massive wooden table bolted to the floor. An array of containers and apparatuses were haphazardly placed on the surface along with diagrams etched with elaborate geometric patterns and arcane symbols.
Two things stood out among the clutter.
One was a peculiar sword that lay carefully across one corner of the table. It had a magenta and gold hilt with an emerald that gleamed from the center of its distinctive cross-guard. The blade itself was scored with fine ridges, suggesting it could separate into segments.
The other was what was arranged next to it: an elaborate alembic with its glass chamber filled with a strange solution in which a metal fragment hung suspended, occasionally pulsing with an unhealthy red glow.
And before this apparatus stood a tall, fair-skinned woman. Her presence commanded attention with her silver bob framing a face that was quite striking. Icy blue eyes peeked from under her side-swept bangs and held a determined glint as her full lips, painted a deep red, hinted at a passionate nature.
Her attire…unconventionally left little to the imagination.
Like sin and vice personified, the scanty number consisted of barely attached pieces of purple fabric and strips of lace to form a sort of bustier/corset that that extended to a purple thong and were reinforced with sparse sections of bronze fittings. It clung to her voluptuous body, ripe with buxom curves that culminated with a pair of massive breasts and a shapely derriere that jiggled with every confident stride.
Adorned on her left arm were bronze pieces of armor, an intricate pauldron, vambrace and a gauntlet with claws for fingers. While her right arm was covered with a purple shoulder-length glove. Completing the outfit were thigh-high boots with bronze plated greaves.
Despite the scandalous nature of her outfit, there was a mature allure about her. This was a woman who had seen it all, knew what she wanted and was not afraid to use her power to get it.
Her name was Isabella "Ivy" Valentine.
"Accursed thing!" Ivy spat. "The metals do not bind! Why won't they bind!?"
She paced the confined space, ranting to herself as her heeled boots struck the deck with sharp reports.
"Were they not pure enough? There was an imbalance between the sulfur and mercury? Or perhaps it needed more Alkahest?"
"Lady Valentine…" Valor cleared his throat.
Ivy only spared him a perfunctory glance.
"Oh. It's just you Captain. Well, what is it? I'm very busy at the moment."
The captain cast his eyes down towards the shattered glass and crumpled parchment that littered the floor, giving testament to recent failures.
"As one can see." Valor replied dryly.
He leveled his narrowed eyes towards the woman, not looking the least bit amused.
"It has been two moons since we set sail, m'lady. And I have turned a blind eye to much." his tone became rigid. "The disorder you've brought to my ship, the unease you've sown among my men, even the reports of your association with the Azure Knight, which frankly, I care little about."
As Ivy regarded him with a bored expression, his words became more measured and close to a growl.
"And let us not forget the hole you nearly blew in my hull last month. Still, I have offered you the benefit of the doubt. But…I am still captain of this vessel, and the one thing I will not tolerate is the lack of respect!"
Ivy's lips curled into a condescending smile.
"Oh? Have I roused the ire of the legendary Black Pirate? What ever shall I do?" She gave a musical little laugh that carried more mockery than mirth. "Spare me your vainglory. If you wish to feed me to the sharks, by all means, do so."
Her expression hardened.
"But you and I both know my work is important and with all that is at stake-"
"I know very well about the stakes, m'lady." Valor cut in, crossing his arms. "Which is precisely why I must inform you that we are entering enemy territory. And if your little experiments should serve as a beacon to patrolling Spaniards, then YOU and I both know our true mission is for naught."
Ivy's composed facade cracked slightly, her eyes widening at his words. The point had clearly struck home but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction and instead settled into a fierce glower.
A quiet chuckle from the corner of the cabin drew Valor's attention to a figure he surprisingly hadn't noticed before.
The man, who had somehow camouflaged himself against the clutter of the laboratory, was wearing an elaborate green garment similar to a Chinese cheongsam and had his long hair bound in a queue. Most striking was the jade mask he wore: a fearsome visage with horns and fanged teeth and fierce ruby eyes.
"Come now, Captain," the masked man said, his cultured voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Is a little enthusiasm so terrible? A lady's curiosity is a treasure, not a crime, I would say."
"Good afternoon to you too, old friend." Valor replied, his tone warming considerably. "Methinks it's a touch early in the day to be wearing that."
He made a slight gesture to the mask as the man stepped forward to join them. The person was the ship's other guest and Ivy's travel companion, serving as a sort of 'bodyguard' and guide.
"It has many uses." the man said. "In this case? An adequate respite against these fumes."
"Aye, tis true!" Valor barked a laugh. "I'm actually surprised you're still standing."
"If you two are quite finished." Ivy cut in, her tone sharp with annoyance.
She turned to Valor with a begrudging resignation.
"Fine. You made your point, Captain. I suppose I shall busy myself for the time being by catching up on my reading."
It was business as usual aboard the deck of the Estrella del Mar. Valor's crew moved with practiced efficiency. Some hauled on thick lines while the younger members swabbed the deck. A grizzled veteran sharpened his dagger, the rhythmic scrape of steel against stone a constant undertone to the creaking of the ship.
But then suddenly, on the very center of the deck, there was a blinding flash of white light, catching the sailors off-guard and causing them to recoil and shield their eyes. When the brilliance subsided, a dark figure stumbled back where empty space had been mere seconds before.
Batman blinked, clearing the spots in his eyes as the disorientation faded. He swiveled his head in confusion, seeing the absence of Degaton's sterile facility, now replaced by wooden planks, rigging, and the unmistakable scent of salt water. The rolling motion beneath his feet confirmed it: he was aboard a ship. A very old ship.
"What in God's name?!" A sailor dropped the coil of rope he'd been carrying, stumbling backward, his eyes wide with terror.
The cry rippled across the deck as men abandoned their posts, backing away from the dark apparition.
"Saint's mercy! What manner of fiend is that?!" shouted a sailor, his weathered face contorted in horror.
"It's a beast of the devil, it is! The devil!" another pointed a trembling finger.
Batman's sights flitted from one sailor to the other, assessing the situation and to say that things didn't look good was an understatement.
It would seem that Degaton's time machine had worked and now he was out of the frying pan and into the fire. The natives looked superstitious, cowardly and whether they were criminal, remains to be seen but they certainly didn't look friendly.
Carefully, Batman raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"Calm down. I need to know what year-"
His words were cut short as a burly sailor with a pockmarked face lunged forward, drawing a sidesword from his belt with a metallic hiss.
"Begone, hell's spawn! Taste steel!" The man slashed wildly at Batman's chest.
Batman twisted sideways, the blade slicing harmlessly through the air where he'd stood a moment before, his combat instincts kicking in automatically.
"Wait!" he called out. "Listen to me, I don't want to hurt any of you!"
But fear had overcome reason. The sailors had already armed themselves with whatever weapons were at hand: ballock daggers, pikes, wooden clubs, more swords. They formed a loose circle around him, their faces twisted with superstitious dread.
"Back to the depths whence ye came!" cried a sailor, jabbing a pike toward Batman's midsection.
But the Dark Knight easily dodged and caught the shaft before giving a powerful yank, using the sailor's momentum to send him stumbling into two of his companions.
A sailor charged from behind, dagger raised. Without turning, Batman sensed the attack and spins to deliver a precise backhand that sent the man sprawling.
Two more attacked in tandem, one with a sword, the other with a club. Batman weaved between their strikes with practiced ease. After he threw a straight punch to the club wielder's face, causing him to stagger, he disarmed the swordsman with a twist of his wrist and then executed a judo throw. Seeing another sailor attempting to charge at him with a sword, Batman quickly dispatches him with an accurately thrown Batarang.
The club wielder recovered and then attempted to swing his weapon at the vigilante's head. Batman simply ducked and in one fluid motion, he swept the sailor's legs from under him, sending him crashing to the deck.
In the midst of the melee, a thin sailor with buck teeth crouched behind two barrels, his hands shaking as he fumbled with a matchlock pistol. After lighting the slow-burning wick with trembling fingers, he took aim at the Caped Crusader's back.
Batman, however, noticed him and was faster on the draw; quickly turning to him and firing his grappling gun. The line wrapped itself around the sailor's wrist, surprising him, before being yanked through the barrels to receive a boot to the face.
The laboratory door crashed open with such force that one of its hinges gave way and Dobbs stumbled in with his face ashen and his eyes bulging in as sweat poured down his jowls in rivulets.
"Captain! Demon! It's a demon!" he gasped.
All composure fled from his voice as he jabbed an accusatory finger toward Ivy.
"I told you she was trying to summon a demon!"
In one fluid motion, the woman's hand closed around the hilt of her segmented blade before leveling it at the first mate's throat.
"Watch your tongue, little man." Ivy hissed. "Before I rend it out of your mouth!"
The sword, 'Valentine' as she had rechristened it, seemed to quiver with eagerness as if it were a living extension of her wrath.
But before things got out of hand, Captain Valor moved like lightning between them.
"There'll be none of that!" he thundered with authority.
He turned to face Dobbs, his expression hardening into something that made the first mate shrink back.
"I warned you, Dobbs,…" Valor's voice dropped to a dangerous octave. "It's the plank for you if you don't-"
"But it's true, Captain!" Dobbs blurted, words tumbling out between ragged breaths. "Aboard the Estrella del Mar, off the starboard! Some kind of shadow, a phantasm, appeared out of thin air! It's attacking our crew as we speak!"
"What?" Valor's voice grew small in shock.
Ivy fractionally lowered her blade, her pale features tightening with grim recognition.
"Could it be…Soul Edge?" she whispered, almost to herself.
The curse of the evil sword had cast its shadow far and wide across the globe. Ivy knew this better than most; She had devoted years to studying the aftermath of an incident that had occurred seven years past. A "pillar of light" witnessed over the Kingdom of Navarre in northern Spain.
What witnesses had described as divine revelation had been anything but. That towering column of radiance was actually a burst of evil energy released from Soul Edge after it had found its host. The dark power had shot skyward, then rained down upon the world like a poisonous deluge. This "Evil Seed," as scholars had come to call it, had caused disasters and tragedies beyond counting.
In its wake, countless beings were transformed and corrupted into monsters, the 'Malfested'. But it wasn't only living creatures that fell victim. The sword's influence could empower malicious supernatural entities, giving strength to demons and apparitions that had previously lurked in the shadowy corners of existence.
Whatever phantom now haunted the Estrella del Mar, Ivy suspected it was yet another extension of Soul Edge's handiwork. Another thread in the cursed sword's vast web.
Without another word, she secured her blade and followed the captain as he rushed toward the deck. Behind her, the masked man moved with preternatural silence, his jade visage betraying nothing as he kept pace.
They joined Valor at the gunwale who had his spyglass pressed to his eye as he observed the chaos unfolding on the Estrella del Mar. Ivy and the masked man flanked him on either side, watching as the dark figure dispatched sailor after sailor with fluid precision.
"Zounds!" Valor exclaimed, collapsing the spyglass with a snap. "If that be not a demon, it certainly fights like one."
Dobbs hovered at his captain's shoulder, wringing his hands.
"Captain," he urged, his voice thin with fear. "Perhaps we should cut our losses. A few rounds from the cannons would send that thing back to the depths along with the ship."
Valor rounded on him, eyes flashing with indignation.
"Are you suggesting I fire upon my own men, Mister Dobbs!?"
"But sir-"
"Demon or not, I'd never condemn my crew to such a fate. Not while I still draw breath." Valor growled.
Ivy observed the exchange with growing impatience, her icy gaze flitting between the arguing men and the battle on the distant deck.
Through squinted eyes, she studied the dark figure as he moved with inhuman grace, disarming and disabling the privateers without seeming to kill any of them.
She couldn't determine if the creature was human or not, for the distance was too great.
As Dobbs continued to plead his case to an increasingly agitated Valor, Ivy felt her patience snap. With a contemptuous scoff, she stepped toward the gunwale, her heeled boots clicking sharply against the deck.
"It appears you gentlemen are at a loss." she announced, her aristocratic voice cutting through their argument.
Without warning, she stepped onto the narrow ledge of the gunwale, balancing there with perfect poise as the ship rolled beneath her.
"If you dullards cannot perform a simple task, then I shall undertake it myself."
"Lady Valentine!" Valor's eyes widened in alarm. "What in blazes are you-!?"
But Ivy was already in motion. The sword, 'Valentine', gleamed in her grip. At her unspoken command, the sword began to transform: its segments separating with metallic clicks, connected by a slender, flexible cord like beads on a string. What had been a rigid blade became a whip of deadly metal, wriggling like a tentacle as if alive.
With a practiced flick of her wrist, Ivy whipped the sword, extending the blade across the gap between ships. The segmented top blade hooked itself upon the lower yard of the Estrella del Mar's mast, securing with a grip as sure as any grappling hook.
Before Valor could utter another protest, Ivy had launched herself from the gunwale, swinging herself in a graceful arc over the churning sea.
Valor sighed, running a hand through his graying hair.
"Zeus, what a woman." he muttered, equal parts admiration and exasperation in his voice.
Beside him, the masked man remained motionless, arms folded behind his back, the ruby eyes of his jade mask betraying nothing as he observed the unfolding drama.
Aboard the Estrella del Mar, groaning sailors lay sprawled across the deck, nursing bruised limbs and wounded pride as Batman stood looming over them. None were seriously injured, the Dark Knight had been careful to pull his punches, but none would rise to challenge him again anytime soon.
"Now,…" Batman growled, dusting his gloved hands together. "Are you boys ready to listen to reason yet?"
His question was answered by a solid thud behind him, the sound of boots landing on wooden planks. Batman's enhanced reflexes had him pivoting instantly, cape swirling around him as he turned to face this new arrival.
His eyes widened slightly behind his cowl, momentarily taken aback by both the woman's sudden appearance and her skimpy attire.
With a hand on her hip and the poise of a dominatrix, Ivy lashed her whip-sword repeatedly in wide arcs, the blades, scoring deep grooves into the wooden deck with each movement.
"Whoever or whatever you are,…" she declared, her British accent crisp and cold. "If you are a servant of Soul Edge, then I cannot allow you to live. If not, you are dead either way."
The segmented whip collapsed back into the form of a sword as she assumed a fighting stance. A malicious smile curved her full, crimson lips as she regarded him with predatory anticipation.
"But don't worry, I won't let you suffer…much." she purred, her voice dropping to a sultry register.
Batman's stance shifted subtly, his muscles tensing in preparation. Whoever this woman was, her deadly intent was unmistakable.
"I have no idea what 'Soul Edge' even is. And I didn't come here looking for a fight!" Batman growled, his voice low and measured despite the tension.
Ivy responded by priming her sword for a slash.
"Then be a good little boy and accept…"
She attacked first with a horizontal slash, 'Valentine' extending itself into whip form in a flash of silver.
"Your punishment!" she cried as the segmented blade whistled through the air.
Batman ducked under the long whip-like blade, but Ivy quickly pointed the blade upwards. The segments rejoined before once again extending and arcing downward toward Batman's position, striking like a scorpion's tail. Batman jumped away just in the nick of time, his cape swirling around him as he realized what she was wielding was far from an ordinary weapon. It moved as if she was mentally commanding it to act according to her will.
When Ivy lashed the blades at him again, Batman jumped sideways to evade. But Ivy was anticipating his movement. She retracted the blades as the cord followed his trajectory, causing the segments to slice and tear into the weaker portion of his armor at the ribs, drawing blood. Batman grunted in pain, pressing a hand against the bleeding cut.
"Aw, does it hurt, sweetie?" Ivy cooed with mocking maternal concern, twirling Valentine casually as she circled him.
Batman's face hardened, his eyes narrowing to dangerous points behind his cowl, before he flung two Batarangs toward her in one fluid motion.
"How adorable!" Ivy exclaimed as she whipped Valentine horizontally in a graceful arc, knocking the projectiles out of their flight path with audible clangs.
She followed through with the motion, bringing Valentine down in a vicious overhead strike. Batman defended himself by raising one of his gauntlets to deflect the attack, but Ivy surprised him by commanding the weapon to wrap itself around his forearm like a metal serpent. Before he could react, he found himself being yanked forcefully toward her. As he stumbled forward, Ivy lifted up her leg and slammed her high-heeled boot against his face with devastating force.
The blow knocked Batman down onto his front. Ivy positioned herself triumphantly atop him, stepping on his shoulder blade and digging her heel in painfully as she pulled against his captured arm, making him growl in pain.
"That's right. Beg for mercy." she commanded, applying more pressure.
"I don't think so!" Batman snarled through gritted teeth.
With a surge of strength, Batman overpowered her by using the hand of his yanked arm to grab onto the cord between the segmented blades. He gave a powerful tug, strong enough to pull Ivy off balance and send her tumbling forward in front of him. Before she could fully recover, Batman was already on his feet, closing the distance in a heartbeat and delivering a solid punch to her jaw.
Ivy retaliated instantly, slashing at him with Valentine now returned to its original sword form. Batman swerved backward, the blade missing his chest by mere inches.
"You'll pay for that!" Ivy snarled, a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth only enhancing her ferocious beauty.
They settled into a deadly rhythm: Ivy whipping at Batman with Valentine's segmented form, trying to maintain distance, while the Dark Knight attempted to close the gap for close-quarters combat. When the blades of Valentine flashed near him, his armored gauntlets deflected her strikes. When Ivy needed defense, she used the flat of her sword in its collapsed form to block his powerful blows.
Aboard the Santa Donna Bonita, sailors gathered at the railings, watching the battle with growing interest and excitement. What had begun as concern quickly turned to entertainment as they witnessed the incredible display of combat prowess.
"Look at that, they're really going at it hammer and tongs!" one sailor called out, pointing enthusiastically.
Another sailor grinned widely, seeing an opportunity.
"Hoy lads, how about a wager? Six pence on Lady Valentine."
"Nay, the devil's spawn has my ten pence!" countered another, impressed by Batman's fighting ability.
"A shilling to the Lady."
"Aye, me too."
"My shilling and six pence says the fiend ends her."
Captain Valor shook his head in exasperation at his crew's behavior. As he turned to make a comment to his masked companion, he found that the man had vanished without a trace.
The battle intensified as Ivy pointed her sword toward Batman in a thrusting motion. The bladed segments shot forward with lightning speed like a harpoon. Batman reacted instantly by grabbing a nearby wooden stool abandoned by a fleeing sailor. He raised it just in time as two of the blade segments impaled through the wooden surface with a solid THUNK.
Not wasting the opportunity, Batman twisted the stool sharply, applying leverage before spinning his body to close the distance between them.
Ivy barely had time to register his strategy before Batman delivered a powerful kick to her midsection, driving the air from her lungs. He followed through with a combination of punches and open-hand strikes that would have incapacitated a lesser opponent.
However, Ivy recovered with impressive speed and grabbed his neck with her bronze clawed gauntlet before executing a fluid chokehold maneuver, positioning herself behind him while maintaining her iron grip.
In one continuous motion, she lashed out with her sword and this time, the blade segments separated without the cord holding them together and moved freely through the air. They began to glow with an eerie purple energy as they orbited around both their bodies.
It was one of Ivy's most deadly moves, "Summon Suffering".
Batman recognized the danger immediately. There was only a fraction of a second as Ivy locked her other arm around his, the hilt still in her grip, when he realized the blade segments were about to dart toward him and tear into his flesh.
Reacting within that second, Batman powered out of her hold by gripping her gauntlet with his free hand and hooking her ankle with his foot to trip her in the process. The maneuver caused Ivy to stumble in front of him as they both crashed to the floor, Batman landing on top of her as the blade segments sailed harmlessly past him.
Facing each other, Batman pinned Ivy's wrists to the wooden deck. Their faces were inches apart, both breathing heavily from exertion and grunting as they wrestled with one another. Their lips, parted to expose their grit teeth, were close enough to kiss. He could feel her hot breath on his, her womanly scent teasing his olfactories and the way her large soft bosom squished against his chest as their bodies joined in combat's intimate struggle.
With surprising strength, she wrapped her legs around his waist and forcibly rolled him onto his back. Now straddling him, her thighs gripping his sides like a vise, she quickly raised Valentine, now back in its sword form, to bring it down upon him.
"Any last words?" she taunted.
Batman's response was immediate. He retrieved a small pellet from his utility belt and tossed it upward toward Ivy's face. It exploded in a brilliant white flash, accompanied by a deafening bang.
"Ahgh! What devilry is this!?" Ivy cried out, temporarily blinded and disoriented.
Batman seized the opportunity, surging upward to grab her wrist and disarm her. Her sword clattered across the deck as he kicked it away. In one smooth motion, he flipped their positions, forcing Ivy face-down on the deck with her arm twisted behind her back in a police takedown hold.
Ivy struggled fiercely, extending her clawed gauntlet toward her displaced weapon. Batman encircled his other arm around her collarbone, strengthening his hold on the warrior woman.
Much to her embarrassment, she felt an involuntary shiver at the feel of his crotch pressed against her butt and her face unexpectedly tinged at the contact.
Meanwhile, the sailors at the Santa Donna Bonita continued to watch in rapt attention as the two warrior's struggling grunts echoed across the water.
"Egads. Are those two fighting or havin' a roll in the hay?" one of them commented.
"Don't know about you lot, but I'm still enjoying the show this way or that." said another.
"Cheeky bastard!" Ivy spat, still fighting against his grip.
"Stay down." Batman commanded, his voice a low rumble.
"Like hell!" she snarled back.
Their struggle was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a blade. The cutting edge of an Indian tulwar struck the deck with tremendous force, embedding itself in the wood mere inches from Batman's face. He looked up to see its owner: the jade-masked man who had observed them from the other ship. He was armed with another tulwar, pointing it menacingly at Batman.
"That's quite enough." the masked man said, his voice smooth and commanding. "Unhand Lady Valentine at once."
Batman's eyes widened at the sound of that voice…a voice he recognized instantly! Shock ran through his body and he felt his muscles tense involuntarily. He released Ivy and took several steps back, his full attention now drawn to the masked man.
Ivy quickly recovered Valentine and turned toward Batman, her face contorted with fury and embarrassment.
"Bastard, I'll teach you a lesson you shan't forget!" she promised, raising her blade once more.
The masked man stepped forward, his sword still pointed at Batman.
"I'd rather you didn't, m'lady. I will be taking this fight."
Before Ivy could argue, he spoke again with quiet authority.
"Consider it a debt repaid."
Ivy looked on, flabbergasted and frustrated, struggling to assert her rights until she finally huffed in irritation.
"Have it your way." she said, before stalking off toward the ship's rail.
The masked man began circling Batman with measured steps, his movements fluid and predatory. Batman glared at him, his entire body on edge as recognition and disbelief warred within him.
"Pick that up if you dare." the man said, gesturing toward the embedded sword with a tilt of his weapon.
The sailors watching from both ships fell silent, sensing that what was about to unfold was far more dangerous than the previous battle.
Not taking his eyes off the masked man, Batman slowly reached for the embedded sword, wrapping his hand around the hilt and pulling it free from the deck with a single smooth motion. The blade gleamed in the afternoon light as he silently settled into a stance.
The air grew thick with tension as for a moment, both swordsmen remained motionless, sizing each other up, assessing strengths and weaknesses. The only sounds were the creaking of the ship's timbers and the gentle lapping of waves against the hull.
Then, without warning, the masked man struck first. The two warriors moved in a flurry, filling the air with rapid clangs as their blades met again and again. Each flash of steel was accompanied by the precise movements of their bodies.
Though Batman matched the person's mettle slash for slash, he slowly began to feel himself overwhelmed. He knew this fighting style but the man before him fought with an unmatched vigor; he was stronger, faster, not weathered by age.
Every move that Batman attempted, was countered with almost prescient ease. A diagonal slash was met with a perfect parry. A feint to the left was anticipated and neutralized before it could develop. A thrust toward the abdomen was deflected and nearly turned against him.
Finally, after a particularly intense exchange of blows, the masked man suddenly pivoted his body so the back of his shoulder faced Batman's torso, creating an opening to strike the vigilante's wrist with the flat of his blade. The impact caused Batman's fingers to spasm, and the tulwar fell from his grip, clattering to the deck.
Before Batman could recover, a hard elbow plowed into his sternum, knocking the wind from his lungs. As the Dark Knight gasped for breath, his opponent struck him across the temple with the disc pommel of his sword, sending him to his knees.
Batman looked up through blurred vision to find the tip of his opponent's blade pointed at his face, mere inches from his nose. The masked man stood tall above him, the victor's stance unmistakable.
The crew of the Estrella del Mar, now recovered from their earlier beating, seized this opportunity. They rushed at him from all angles and dogpiled on Batman, pinning him down.
"Hold him down, men!" one of them yelled.
Clearly trapped, Batman looked toward the masked man with fire in his eyes. His defiance was met with curiosity as the person slowly reached up to remove the jade mask.
As the mask came away, Batman could see him clear as day. The face that was revealed lacked the trademark goatee he knew so well. The eyes were less sunken, the face clearer and fuller, with barely any gray in the dark hair. But there was no mistaking his identity.
Standing before him was Ra's al Ghul.
"A man dressed as a bat?" Ra's remarked. "How curious."
TBC