Dead Drop

[seriouslyevil.livejournal.com]

Normally, when Roman wanted to schedule an appointment with someone, he usually carved the date, time, and place of the meeting onto the corpse of a loved one/associate. Unfortunately, he had to be a bit more subtle. With Brucey's weak stomach, he'd probably vomit all over the corpse, pass out, then someone would come in and find one of the models he dated dead and draped across his desk, the cops would get involved, and things would get messy.

Well, messier.

So, this time he had to be just a touch more subtle, which was kind of annoying since he really really wanted to burn part of Gotham to ground after The Batman had barged in unexpectedly and given him a rather sound beating.

Bastard.

At least he had the Albanians to take his rage out on. Over the last month, he had quite emphatically squashed the small group, and taken over their operations in the north east. And lucky for him, he knew a place that was great for rounding up women that he could then sell to the highest bidder. Perhaps he'll shelve those plans to destroy Selina's shelter after all...

But back to Bruce, who was simply left a cellphone on his desk at work. It's previous owner wouldn't be needing it anyway, poor girl. But, later that night, Bruce would get a call on that phone, with a recording telling him where to bring the money that night.

And currently at that location, a rather run down mill in a long since abandoned industrial complex, the Black Mask was waiting.

Don't be late, Bruce.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darkknight_/]

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.

[femme-du-chat.livejournal.com]

Selina is here.

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.

[seriouslyevil.livejournal.com]

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.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darkknight_/]

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.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darkknight_/]

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.

"What are you doing?"

[femme-du-chat.livejournal.com]

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.

[eddie-nygma.livejournal.com]

"Riddle me this."

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.

[seriouslyevil.livejournal.com]

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.

[bigbadharv.livejournal.com]

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.

"Drop it, Mask."

[scream-and-cry.livejournal.com]

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.

He is of course in full costume. And ever since it turned out not to be the Black Mask who had shot Poison Ivy full of holes, it's not as if he has something personal against the ganglord. Scarecrow has no particular love for Catwoman.

It's just an excuse to have a little fun.

"Excuse me." He twitches his hooded head at a sharp angle towards one of the Black Mask's thugs, standing right beside him. "I would be very interested to find out what a man of your imposing size is afraid of." He jerks his right arm up and rather than a cloud of gas emanating from his wrist, a jet of liquid sprays out.

Fear toxin version 34AB. Designed to stick to the skin, irritate it, and permeate, producing an almost instantaneous violent and uncontrollable reaction. A bit like having adrenalin shot into your heart mixed with an ounce of cocaine.

[seriouslyevil.livejournal.com]

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."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darkknight_/]

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.

[able-cain.livejournal.com]

Nightwing must be slipping. Several of the thugs have already made it almost to the edge of the complex, including the one carrying the briefcase.

Good thing she was told to stay back, just in case.

Running faster than should be possible, Cassandra intercepts them at the ground level.

[jla-villains.livejournal.com]

The thugs startle as Cassandra makes herself known, hands going for their guns.

"It's one of the Bats!"

[able-cain.livejournal.com]

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.

[jla-villains.livejournal.com]

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.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darkknight_/]

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.

[eddie-nygma.livejournal.com]

"Oh, good - you're awake."

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."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darkknight_/]

Here is where Bruce might have thanked Nygma, but as Hell has yet to freeze over he grunts and queries, "Where is she?" while starting to rise.

[bigbadharv.livejournal.com]

"Couldn't be helped, Eddie," comes the gravelly response as Two-Face keeps walking by, not breaking his gait. "Had to test the theory. Clean side, the man's dead and nobody has to worry about their sister being forced into cannibalism again. Scarred side, he somehow crawls back out of the gutter, and that's when the Bat knows it's time to ring up one of the Grand Wizards of the Justice League to deal with him after we toss him in Arkham." A finger-gun point to the Riddler. "Next time."

Then, he continues walking, passing Selina and Bruce.

"Buck up, Wayne. You're about to get the best health care the poverty level can afford. You'll be up and around in a year. I shot Batman worse than that, and he was up in a month. You'll be fine, and you'll have a hell of a story for all your mistresses."

Yes, he went there.

"Hoo!" he exclaims happily as he keeps on walking away from the fire, and the three of them, toward the night. "I could get used to the hero business! Something supremely satisfying about a job well done!"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darkknight_/]

Lying on the pavement against Selina's lap, eyes closed, Bruce exerts his force of will once again to keep still, look unconscious, remain in character and not revert to his true persona. But Selina should be able to feel the muscles in his shoulders tense, the bicep convulse briefly, before he manages to quell a desire to face Black Mask's killer.

Without seeing, he knows: Two-Face is back.

Damn it all to hell.

[femme-du-chat.livejournal.com]

Selina's hand remains firm on Bruce's bicep as she looks at Harvey, eyes narrowing. She wants to yell something at him, wants to throw a rock at Harvey for the comment he just made. Instead, she'll comment about something else. "It's never that easy, Harvey. Being the hero is never easy. Something always comes back to kick you in the ass."

Like Black Mask. Like The Clown. They both know the pains of backlash better than anyone should. Her hand remains spread against Bruce's, not comforting, not restraining - just present.

[femme-du-chat.livejournal.com]

Selina keeps herself as close to Bruce as the EMTs will allow when they load him into the ambulance. The police questioning is cut short due to them having to be driven away to the hospital. Her hand holds one of his and she looks down at the floor of the ambulance. The processing at the end of the trip seems interminably long.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_darkknight_/]

He doesn't let go of her hand, either, and in point of fact somewhere on the way he might even seem to doze. Batman he may be, but he did get his bell rung by that bullet and lost a ton of blood in the process.

Oh, and by the time they arrive at the hospital? Reporters are waiting.

[femme-du-chat.livejournal.com]

The flashbulbs are an added annoyance and she doesn't have the energy to chase them away. At least not yet. If they're still around once Bruce is admitted, she's going to start screaming. The nurse who tries to take her away from him gets an ear full. She's fine. The bleeding is staunched and she'll be just fine.