He hates this, to the very core of his soul he hates it. He hates leaving the handling of this whole affair to other hands, especially certain people that Selina has befriended. People he personally has shoved into the darkest corners of Arkham Asylum.
The cellphone he traced at once, of course, and realized with a sick certainty that the former owner is dead, maybe that body just fished out of the harbor with half a face missing. One more murder to attribute to Black Mask.
He plans to ensure it's the last.
Oracle has been informed and in turn the rest of his team - his family - has been informed. The ball is in Selina's court, and aside from a thin layer of bi-weave Kevlar under his clothes, he has only his wiles to keep him company. Hell.
Alfred had of course been strictly forbidden to drive him here because Bruce would rather die than see something happen to the man; he has brought the Lamborghini and a suitcase with the money and the highest-tech tracking chip he could find.
Selina is here and Catwoman looks to be absent, mostly. There is a twitchiness that lingers around her that is more one than the other but she doesn't think about these things this way. She's here because she knows she needs to be in order for this to really work.
There is a set to her as she approaches that is determined. She's not planning on letting this go any futher, either. Black Mask needs to go away, far, far away and she's hoping this will be the end of it - with or without any assistance from others.
Some part of her is confident this is all going to go to hell.
There was a bit more strategy to this setting than one might think initially. The roads around the complex were virtually abandoned. At this late hour, any headlights coming could spotted a good five to ten minutes out.
The building he was in was empty, hollow. The type of building where the floorboards creaked, the hinges whined, where every sound, including the slightest breath, seemed to echo off the walls. There were few windows, and only one access point from the roof that hadn't been sealed off.
Roman stood inside the freight entrance to the mill, watching the Lamborghini pull in. He practically stood in the cars path, almost as if he was daring Bruce to run him down. He wasn't alone, with several of his men, all heavily armed, flanking his sides. Another pair were guarding the entrance, which they immediately closed when the car was completely in. There likely were others around, but none who could be seen at the moment.
Bruce marks them, one by one, sizing them up, figuring how much they're armed and with what and whether those bullets will go through the Kevlar he's arranged for himself and Selina. He's pretty certain that Black Mask is the sort of lunatic that would account for protection and get armor-piercing bullets, but it's what could be done.
Very little.
Straightening his tie self-consciously, the billionaire Prince of Gotham walks around the rear of the car toward Selina, looking oh so little like the confident Dark Knight. He nervously licks his lips, takes Selina's hand and turns to face Black Mask.
If Selina's "friends" were waiting for a signal to act, this is a good one. Bruce has started walking toward Selina and the car when he hears those sounds and turns around, slowly.
Selina's tensed, narrowing her eyes. She's going to have to dive for him in a few seconds. Honestly, she isn't sure when Harvey or anyone else is going to be jumping in. Right now, though, her world has moved into a crystal clear resolution.
A question-mark-shaped staff impacts the ground, it's point burying in the concrete.
"Everything in the world that you see, is simply a reflection of me. What am I?"
Black Mask's men won't have time to answer the disembodied query, as they are illuminated with a high-intensity magnesium flare focused in their direction.
Sadly, the masks Roman makes his goons wear don't come with flare resistant lenses.
He really should look into that... And he might, once his vision clears.
"NYGMA!" Oh, no, he was not happy to see Eddie right now, despite their last bit of business having concluded on decent terms. Roman started firing wildly in the general direction the staff came from, and of course, if one person fires a gun, everyone fires. Sadly, neither Roman or his hired hands can see what they were shooting at.
The order to find Nygma has made Mask's goons fan out, and the fact that Baby Bat has barged in - surprising that Batman has pawned this off on him - gives them a big loud target to focus on.
Which makes it that much easier for Two-Face to get the drop on Roman himself.
The drop is literal. With a newly-learned stealth of movement that no one associates with him, he falls from the rafters and lands a couple feet behind Sionis. Clicking the safeties off of two guns so he can hear it.
Jonathan Crane has been still, and silent, for a very long while. He might have even been here since before Nygma arrived... He certainly hadn't coordinated his timing with his colleague. But like a marionette he folds into a standing position from behind a bunch of milling machinery, flopping his arms a little as if the Ventriloquist is pulling his strings
( ... )
If Nygma was here, Crane was to be expected. Dent was certainly a surprise, though. There was a slight glance over his shoulder at Harvey, while he kept his gun trained on Selina.
Two guns... interesting.
"What? No coin flip to decide my fate? That's a bit unfair, Harv."
Face down and motionless on the floor near his Lamborghini's right front tire and Selina's feet, the Prince of Gotham seems to be bleeding copiously from a head wound. The money he brought, which should have been counted properly, is still by the counting machines. Hey, if the guy's dead, that's a lot of money and a really expensive car up for grabs.
Before they're finished registering her arrival, two of them are disarmed, one with a broken wrist. She immediately launches between the others, being sure to stay between them hoping it will stall their fire.
One of them is dumb enough to fire anyway, only wounding his companion in the process - the others turn and start to run and their best possible speed.
Under Nygma's hand, the copious bleeding from Bruce's forehead has slowed, though the man's features are chalky...which means that when his eyes open partway, the cobalt irises look black. He doesn't speak, but that glare presents a demand for explanation.
His tone is dry, but there is a measure of relief in his face - clearly things have gone beyond the Riddler's plans tonight.
"You were grazed by a bullet - though in the rush of things, we thought it might be worse than that. I brought you out of the line of fire, since I think Selina would never forgive me had I done otherwise."
"Inside, of course - giving Roman the beating of his life, I imagine. She did see you take a bullet to the head. Harvey, Jonathan, and Nightwing are also running about, so it's not as if she's lacking for assistance.."
Comments 127
The cellphone he traced at once, of course, and realized with a sick certainty that the former owner is dead, maybe that body just fished out of the harbor with half a face missing. One more murder to attribute to Black Mask.
He plans to ensure it's the last.
Oracle has been informed and in turn the rest of his team - his family - has been informed. The ball is in Selina's court, and aside from a thin layer of bi-weave Kevlar under his clothes, he has only his wiles to keep him company. Hell.
Alfred had of course been strictly forbidden to drive him here because Bruce would rather die than see something happen to the man; he has brought the Lamborghini and a suitcase with the money and the highest-tech tracking chip he could find.
Reply
Selina is here and Catwoman looks to be absent, mostly. There is a twitchiness that lingers around her that is more one than the other but she doesn't think about these things this way. She's here because she knows she needs to be in order for this to really work.
There is a set to her as she approaches that is determined. She's not planning on letting this go any futher, either. Black Mask needs to go away, far, far away and she's hoping this will be the end of it - with or without any assistance from others.
Some part of her is confident this is all going to go to hell.
Reply
The building he was in was empty, hollow. The type of building where the floorboards creaked, the hinges whined, where every sound, including the slightest breath, seemed to echo off the walls. There were few windows, and only one access point from the roof that hadn't been sealed off.
Roman stood inside the freight entrance to the mill, watching the Lamborghini pull in. He practically stood in the cars path, almost as if he was daring Bruce to run him down. He wasn't alone, with several of his men, all heavily armed, flanking his sides. Another pair were guarding the entrance, which they immediately closed when the car was completely in. There likely were others around, but none who could be seen at the moment.
Reply
Very little.
Straightening his tie self-consciously, the billionaire Prince of Gotham walks around the rear of the car toward Selina, looking oh so little like the confident Dark Knight. He nervously licks his lips, takes Selina's hand and turns to face Black Mask.
Reply
"What are you doing?"
Reply
Reply
A question-mark-shaped staff impacts the ground, it's point burying in the concrete.
"Everything in the world that you see, is simply a reflection of me. What am I?"
Black Mask's men won't have time to answer the disembodied query, as they are illuminated with a high-intensity magnesium flare focused in their direction.
Reply
He really should look into that... And he might, once his vision clears.
"NYGMA!" Oh, no, he was not happy to see Eddie right now, despite their last bit of business having concluded on decent terms. Roman started firing wildly in the general direction the staff came from, and of course, if one person fires a gun, everyone fires. Sadly, neither Roman or his hired hands can see what they were shooting at.
Reply
Which makes it that much easier for Two-Face to get the drop on Roman himself.
The drop is literal. With a newly-learned stealth of movement that no one associates with him, he falls from the rafters and lands a couple feet behind Sionis. Clicking the safeties off of two guns so he can hear it.
"Drop it, Mask."
Reply
Reply
Two guns... interesting.
"What? No coin flip to decide my fate? That's a bit unfair, Harv."
Reply
Reply
Good thing she was told to stay back, just in case.
Running faster than should be possible, Cassandra intercepts them at the ground level.
Reply
"It's one of the Bats!"
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
His tone is dry, but there is a measure of relief in his face - clearly things have gone beyond the Riddler's plans tonight.
"You were grazed by a bullet - though in the rush of things, we thought it might be worse than that. I brought you out of the line of fire, since I think Selina would never forgive me had I done otherwise."
Reply
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment