The Brutal Foes of Batman #2
3rd January, Arkham Asylum, Gotham City
This place right? Arkham Asylum is the most miserable little island known to man, not for anyone reason but for a multitude of factors that swarm around the inmates like biting flights. It's not the constant downpour that acts as a curtain from the honest world, not that all the psychopaths locked up fill the air with manic laughter and not the...wumph. As I think a fist the size of a canned ham strikes me in the face.
"You want some more hombre?" My assailant asks in a Latin American accent, sprawled on the floor I look up at the man, his long black dreadlocks, drops of water running off the shower and down his toned body. I don't respond and just lie there as I run my tongue over my wobbly teeth. "That's just what I thought, I own you b***h and don't you forget that." He adds as he walks out and grabs a towel from the rack.
As I was saying it's not any one of the factors, not even that you run into everyone who you've ever screwed over. It's all of these factors biting down at once, biting down on every inmate driving them to insanity. As I said: this place right.
**
"What happened Drake?" The man dressed in a striped shirt, chinos and a bandanna wrapped around his bald head.
"Trogg got a little handsy in the showers." I answer as I drink in the worried look on my visitor's face. Even though only a pane of bulletproof glass stands beteeen us this man, this person who cares about me may as well be miles out of reach. "Have you told the warden?" The man asks me.
I haven't and there is no way I'm going to tell him why Trogg really beat me black and blue. Instead I decide to deploy a noble facade, not because I like pulling the wool over my friend's eyes, but because I know that if Trogg knew about him then his friends outside would crucify him. So instead of telling him; I owe the Man from Santa Prisca half a million dollars I simply say, "He's a homophobic asshole, what more of a reason does he need Karl?"
Karl narrows his eyes and I instantly feel guilty, Karl Courtney AKA Captain Stingree, was my partner, and not just in crime. For two and a half years we lived together in Gotham Heights before a difference in opinion drove a wedge between us. Even after that Karl is willing to step in and lend a helping hand and his next words are the ones I've been waiting for. "Drake I've paid your bail, it was a lot but I paid it."
"Then I am most grateful, I will endeavour to keep my honor after my release." I answer in most sincere voice, unfortunately it's not enough as the look on Karl's face shows. His next words sting more than any of the punches I have received in the past twenty four hours.
"Drake don't make me a promise that we both know you can't keep." Karl sighs as he signals to the guard that he's finished the conversation. It's obvious that, as he walks away, I've lost him, and that our relationship has finally been extinguished.
**
The exercise yard is about the only place in Arkham where inmates are allowed to mingle freely, and it is here were I speak to my guys, tell them everything and as expected they are not happy about it. And as you can probably guess I get a fist to the face, one more bruise to add to the collection.
"You little укол!!" NKVDemon grunts as he wipes the blood off his hand. I know it's bad, the big Russian only knows the bad words in his native tongue.
"You are going to leave us here while you mince around with your pirate boyfriend!" The Carpenter snaps. "Some leader you are, leaving us to rot in this hell hole."
"No, no." I protest in my most sincere voice, even though I am secretly amused by the fact that my men will sit in here while I'm back in my luxury apartment. Apparently my sincere voice isn't as good as I think it is as NKVDemon slugs me in the neck.
"We...we can't tr...trust you Dra...Drake." Ratcatcher stammers, his hand shaking as if he's petting one of his pet rats. I know that the three of them aren't going to let this go, and that means I'm going to have to think fast.
"Okay I didn't want to tell you this but I have a plan to escape, but before it can begin I need to introduce you to our new client." I stop as a shadow looms over me, my men's faces twist into grimaces of horror and respect. "And here he is now, I managed to secure employment from Mr Bane here." I add before jabbing a finger at the muscular man standing behind me. "And that is to terminate our previous client." I add coolly.
"You mean the...Bi...Bird?" Ratcatcher stammers, his stroking motion increasing as he looks up at Bane, his eyes watering as the man stands there like some omnipotent god.
"Yep him." I answer as NKVDemon wades forward and looks Bane in the shoulders, his massive frame eclipsed by the larger man. "With him out the way Mr Bane has access to the Venom trade across the entire Gotham Area, maybe even the entire tri-state area."
"If you are so powerful then why not take out this Bird yourself?" Demon asks before being answered with a snap as Bane releases the Russian, his radius crushed by the man's massive hands. To Demon's credit he remains stoic throughout all of it, even as Bane pushes him aside so he can tower over me and my crew. "Because it suits me to be somewhere else." Bane answers before pushing past us and walking off, the inmates and guards parting before him like the Red Sea.
"If we kill Bird our problems are over." I explain watching my crews reactions. I'm not disappointed by the range of emotions I see but it's the guilty look on the Carpenter's face that shines out from the crowd I don't ask, I know that she's gone behind my back on something and it's not until massive pink bubbles erupt from the ceiling that I guess what if not who.
"Who did you talk too?" I ask, my fists burning as I fight back the urge to punch her. "Who?"
"Quinzel." She replies, no shame in her voice, "we rigged the vents to..." she stops as the wall collapses and an armored figure arrives silhouetted in the brick dust and smoke. It isn't even three seconds before the inmates are running wild towards the breach and even less time before the alarms are blaring. And as loud as they are I still can here our saviour's words
"Anyone for a quick getaway?"
Of course, there's also this guy; The Getaway Genius, just when we don't need him. Go figure right.
Log in to comment