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.

[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?"

[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."

[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.

[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.

[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!"

[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.