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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:02:43 GMT -5
  Batwoman # 4
By Jayson Morriseau-Lussier
Cover by Alex Vazquez Romero
Variant Cover by Zirronis
Edited by Jay McIntyre
“And, Here. We. Go...” Part I |
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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:04:05 GMT -5
“Burn baby, burn.” A voice said as two gangsters watched in the background.
“This guy is crazy!” Vinnie looked over at his companion.
“No, no I am not crazy.” The man dressed in a purple suit walked over. He had a grin that had been cut into his features. He had a make-up job that had his face painted white and red lips. “Sometimes you need to introduce a little fun to make things interesting.”
“Look, I mean..” Victorio started, but paused when the man in the purple suit nodded to him.
“Yeah, and I mean this...” He got a gun from under his coat and shot Victorio in the head and the gangster fell to the as blood gushed out.
“What the hell, man!?” Vinnie backed away from the killer. “What.. why did you do that?!”
“It's bringing chaos to the party.” He pointed to towards the van. “Dump the body.”
“Listen, Joker, I didn't sign up for this...”
The Joker had been given his name through his apparent insanity, but at times he was able to show brilliance in planning. Or, at least that's what the big bosses thought. “You do what I tell you or you can join your friend in the drink, eh?” He motioned. “Now move it!”
“Yeah. Yeah sure Joker.” Vinnie rolled the dead body into Gotham Harbour and did a cross over his heart. “God please...”
The body floated in the muck and mire of the and the crooks took off as the burning building left by Joker and his men was burning to the ground.
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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:06:05 GMT -5
Kate yawned as she tried to wake up. She had coffee in one hand and had breakfast in the other. She wasn't convinced it would help, but she needed to wake-up pretty quick. “Miss Kane?”
“Yes, Sandra.” She pressed her phone as the intercom function went off.
“Mr. Luthor is here for his eight o'clock appointment.”
“Okay, let him in then.” She straighten her suit jacket and stood up as she saw Lex Luthor walk in and she came over and extended her hand to him. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Kate.” Luthor nodded and smiled as shook her hand. “I trust you had a good weekend?”
“No, not really.” Kate had him sit opposite of her.
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Just some unexpected things happened.”
“Oh well that's too bad.” Luthor nodded. “I was thinking about our conversation earlier so I wanted to get some details to take back to my board.”
Kate smiled because Luthor was good at reversing and jumping into a topic fast. “Well, I was thinking of doing joint projects and...”
“Let's get down to the meat and potatoes, Kate.” Luthor looked at her in the eyes. “What is the result you want from the two of us working together?”
“I don't understand what you mean.” Kate shook her head.
“I am talking merger, Kate.” Luthor became direct.
“No. No, that's not what I mean, Lex.” Kate shook her head. “I think we have potential to get some good things done together, but not as one company.”
“Then I don't understand, why you are wasting my time?”
“I am not wasting your time!” Kate stood up and turned her back on him for a moment. She had her emotions boiling over from the previous nights events when she had learned that Bruce was still alive. Her entire mission seemed like was in jeopardy. “I am making a sincere effort to try and work a business deal in the interest of both of your company and mine.”
“Bull.” Luthor shook his head. “What did you think I was going to say when you only wanted to play tiddlywinks?”
“Okay enough.” She stood up. “I can see you're not serious about this. You can go.”
“You've wasted my time from the beginning, Kate and I am going to make you pay for it.”
“Bring your best then, Lex.” She shook her head. “I'll be waiting on you.”
Luthor turned his back on her as he looked back at her. “You wanted a war, then that's what you have, Miss Kane. Good day.”
Luthor left her office and she slumped down into her office chair. It hadn't gone anywhere near the way she had wanted.
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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:07:39 GMT -5
The meeting had been scheduled a bit late, but The Joker wasn't one to be late himself unless he hadn't been invited. He arrived at the meeting of the mob bosses. He had learned about the meeting from the people under his employ.
“We need to get this bitch before she does...” The Joker moved to where the men were gathered inside of an Italian restaurant.
“She's a woman, and she is weak.” The Joker said to interrupt Sal Maroni who was head of the gangs in Gotham now.
“What makes you think she's weak?” Maroni looked at The Joker in response in an almost challenging tone.
“Heh, haha.” The Joker took out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. “Well, only one way to find out right?”
“Who invited you in here?!” One of Maroni's goons came up to the Joker.
“Hmm, someone's not very happy?”
“Easy, Bobby...” Sal stood up.
“Well, let me cheer him up, eh?” The Joker pulled on his coat and pulled out a hypodermic needle and jabbed into the neck of Bobby. Then he injected something into the gangster and let out a howl of laughter.
Bobby started to roll on the ground in pain. “Oh GOD! Oh GOD it hurts so bad!! Hehe.. HAHAHAH!!” Suddenly he broke out in an unrestrained laughter that ended when he died. Maroni rolled the man over and he had a sickening grin that made Maroni recoil.
“What the hell did you do that for!?”
“To make a point, Maroni.” The Joker looked at him with a deadly stare. “We can kill this bat-chick, but we do it my way, eh?”
“You're a freak.”
“No, no I am not.” The Joker pursed his lips for a moment and opened his coat open and there was a bomb attached to his coat. “Baby go boom?”
“Okay okay okay.” Maroni sat down in shock and he looked at other mob bosses. “What do you want?”
“Chaos in order.” The Joker merely chuckled. “I'll be in touch, Sally. But, don't get sloppy, because I'll be watching.”
“Yeah. Yeah sure, Joker.” Maroni responded and let out a sigh of relief as he watched the clown leave. He knew that life was going to be extremely difficult.
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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:08:56 GMT -5
Midnight over Gotham wasn't like any other that's when the freaks and criminals were crawling the streets looking for a piece of the action. James Gordon, the Police Commissioner, had been the one that had been shining the light of justice down on the scum of Gotham. Gordon stood by the Batsignal as he looked at his watch.
“She's almost like he is.”
“Almost.” Batwoman came out of the darkness. “But not quite.”
“Took you long enough.”
“I had to do my hair.” She cracked a smirk.
“Bad joke.”
“Who's joking?”
“Speaking of jokes, I wanted to get your help on a case that Batman and I were working on.” Gordon changed the topic.
“The Joker?”
“Yeah, I guess you knew about it?”
“Enough to know he's the talk with the hoods.” She crossed her arms as she wanted on Gordon to ask what he was going to ask.
“Listen I know we don't necessarily know one another well, but I needed to get your help on this one. Three people have died already and shown up with these sickening grins. Doctors say it's a form of neural toxin that forces..”
“Forces the facial muscles into spasm and forms a grin.” Batwoman finished what Gordon was going to say.
“Right, can you help?”
“I'll find him.” She nodded and looked back at Gordon as she was turning to leave. “Anything else?”
“Be careful, because he's not the prototypical crook.” Gordon breathed in a bit. “I just don't want to find another body and it happens to be yours.”
“Don't worry, Gordon, I doubt very much you'd find me washed on the Gotham River, he'd probably chop me up and send me to a dog meat factory.” She pursed her lips to show she was taking it seriously. “I will be careful, but we will bring him into justice, by any means necessary.”
“You remind me of him a lot.” But, before she could or would respond she leaped into the night sky and fired a grapple gun that snagged a fire-escape and she was gone just like that. “I guess she's more like him than I realized.” He turned and went down to the Central Victims Unit (CVU) where he had been the bunk commander before his promotion to Commissioner. He saw Renee Montoya on the phone with someone and he went over to her desk and waited until she was off the phone. “You working late, Montoya?”
“Late enough, I guess, Jim.” She nodded.
“Why don't you go home?”
“Home is here, Jim.”
“Yeah it is til you don't have a home to go to.” Gordon shook his head. “Go on, beat it. I'll have Charlie finish what you're doing.”
“Okay, fine.” She grumbled. “Not like I can get any work done with you nagging me anyhow.”
“Ha ha ha.” Gordon smirked and the two of them exchanged a quick chuckle and Renee got up to go home. Or at least where she was sleeping.
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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:10:05 GMT -5
That next morning was another day for the Gotham American Bank. Very few people were looking around when there was a loud crash that emanated from the front entrance. A bomb had been thrown into the revolving doors and smashed them completely away as men dressed in clown masks were running in with semi-automatic weapons in through the smoke and soot. “Nobody move or Bing and Bouncing Babies will barbecue you with our fine basting sauce.” The Joker pulled off a clown mask and laughed hysterically for a few moments and then he took out a handkerchief and blew his nose. “Crime makes me have allergies.” He looked around. “Just calm down everyone and no one is going to die without being able to say goodbye to their loved ones.”
The bank president had come out of his office and he was brandishing a sawed off shotgun. He started to shoot down the clowns before they had a chance to respond. “You clowns know who you are dealing with?!”
The Joker dove behind a desk that hadn't been blown away by the bomb and he loaded a clip in his gun. “Can't.... Can't let him kill me yet.” He whispered to himself as he giggled the rest of his words inaudibly. “Mom says you can't blow away people without permission!” The Joker yelled out and fired at the bank president's knees and blew them both away.
“Arrgh GOD! Argh!” The man was writhing in pain as his legs were practically destroyed. The Joker came over and grabbed his hair and pulled it hard.
“You know who YOU are dealing with, Pokeman, hmm?” The Joker pulled him in front of the camera. “THINGS ARE JUST HEATING UP, Batsie!” He giggled again. “This whole war is your fault!” He moved back to the injured man and grinned. “You must remove your mask or more people will die. That's my promise and confession.” He laughed as he sprayed a green spray into the face of the bank president and suddenly there was a scream of pain and agony.
Then the man's face could be seen as he screamed. “OH GOD!! NO!! Heehaa haha!” Then he slumped down in death. His face had a grin like the others of Joker's victims.
“Twenty-four hours, Batsie or this city will remember The Joker!” He took out his gun and fired into the camera as he was laughing. “HAHAH!”
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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:11:23 GMT -5
Kate had witnessed the news report that next noonday as she looked horrified for a moment. Could she really take him on? Those thoughts were running through here head. The Gotham News reporters were dumbfounded as they didn't know what to say for a moment.
“That was just a couple hours ago. There's been no response from Police or this mysterious Batwoman.” Kate clicked off the news as she had a hand over her mouth and tried to gather up some anger that she used to make Batwoman a reality. She turned her head and saw Renee in a silk nightgown and her eyes were tired. Kate knew she had must have woken her up from the volume of the TV.
“Sorry I didn't mean to wake you.”
“Did you even come home last night?”
“No, I had things I had to do.” Kate shook her head.
“Are you cheating on me?” Renee looked at her.
“No! Where'd you get that stupid idea?” Kate looked irritated and angry. Whatever she needed to get her going that was enough.
“Because I hardly see you and when I do it's never for very long.”
“I am busy, Renee.”
“This isn't going to get any better is it?”
“No, not until some things happen.”
“Like what Kate?” Renee was biting back tears now as she came up to Kate. “You used to tell me everything, but now?”
“Now things are different.” Kate felt a smack across her face. “What the f...?!?”
“I am leaving, Kate.” Renee interrupted her. “You can find someone else to use.”
Kate didn't have time for this as she shook her head. “Running away again?”
“No I am growing up, finally.”
“I wish I could tell you, Renee, but what I've got to do you can't be any apart of it.”
“WHY!? Why won't you let me into your life?! What have I done to deserve this!?”
“I've got to go to work.”
“I'll be gone when you get back.” Renee threatened.
“Leave your key on the counter then.” Kate dismissed her finally.
“Don't worry I will.” With that Kate grabbed her coat and rushed out the front door as she slammed it.
“Fucking bitch.” Renee took off her ring that Kate had given her and put it on the counter with the keys and she went to get dressed and leave.
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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:12:40 GMT -5
Kate had driven to the concealed location of the City Cave that she had set up where Wayne had been. She had called Alfred on her cell and had him meet her there. She opened the lock of the freight box and it opened to reveal a secret entrance below the concrete jungle. She got out of the car and slammed the door in frustration. Alfred looked at her warily. “I hope you're not getting in over your head?”
“Hardly. I am going to make sure I bring him in.” Kate's response was quick.
“He's a killer, Miss Kane. I'd advise caution.” Alfred looked at her as Kate nodded.
“I realise that Alfred.” She got to the Batcomputer and was punching in her access codes that allowed her to access the mainframes of Kane Industries. “Did you see what he did?”
“Yes, it was gruesome, but he hit a mob bank.”
“How do you know that?” Kane raised an eyebrow at Alfred's proclamation as he was opening a file cabinet and put the folder near her.
“Master Wayne was casing all of their banks with Gordon before Gordon had become commissioner.”
“So, the Joker is biting the hand that's feeding him?” Kate put a hand to her chin. “I don't get it.”
“Maybe there's no method to his madness.”
“No, there is, but he seems like he's crazy but he had a definite plan.” Kane shook her head. “It doesn't make any sense why he would strike back at the mob unless he knew that would precipitate a gang war in Gotham.”
“Maybe he knew that would provide the distraction he needed to cultivate his plans?”
“That could be.” She nodded. “I need to get to downtown, and stop whatever he has planned.”
“Be careful, Miss Kate, this is a mad man like you've dealt with before.” Alfred tried to advise caution again.
“I will, but I can't let more people die, Alfred.” Kate grabbed the batsuit and suited up as she mounted a bat-motor cycle and the elevator opened up and she rode off to get to downtown as quickly as she could.
“Hopefully it won't be you, Miss Kate.” Alfred said as he saw her rushing off.
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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:14:28 GMT -5
Gotham City was lit up like a Chinese New Year with gangsters doing drivebys and bloodshed on the streets like it had been in Old Chicago. Kate saw the mob trying to escalate things as she went to Police Headquarters. James Gordon was in his office when she had climbed to the window . He looked like a man that was trying to keep it together. Gordon saw her from the corner of his eye. “What are you doing here?”
“Joker made a threat.”
“Yeah well he made another one too.” Gordon passed her a card that had writing on it.
“Tick Tock, Tick Tock the clock goes. Just remember this war was the one that you started, Commissioner. You will not be safe in this brave new world and neither will your family.
Sincerely,
J.”
“He doesn't really think he's going to get anywhere with this does he?” Batwoman looked at Gordon.
“I don't know, but I am not taking any chances, I moved my family to a safe location.” Gordon snapped back. She could tell he was irritated but hadn't broken down yet.
“Where?”
“It doesn't matter, far away from this mess.” Gordon snapped a pencil in his hands. “What is it with them? Why can't we just live in a world that's free of chaos.”
“I don't know, Jim, but that's a debate for another day.” She thought for a moment. “Who moved them?”
“It doesn't matter. They are safe.”
“No I don't think they are.”
“What the hell do you mean?! Are you threatening me?”
“No, but I think Joker has.” The Batwoman moved to the window where she had entered from. “Call them, Jim, and I'll head over there myself.”
“Where are you going?” Gordon looked frustrated.
“The Plaza. It's where cops take their families when they feel like they are being threatened.”
“How the hell did you know that?”
“I know a few things, Commissioner. You need to learn to trust me.” She jumped out of his window and fired a grapple gun and swung away.
He read the note again and tried to decipher what she had. Gordon picked up the phone and called their room and no one answered. He then called the front desk. “I am needing to speak to Barbara Gordon.”
“I am sorry sir there's no one here by that name.” The Clerk answered him.
“What do you mean there's no one...” Gordon could see Batwoman was correct in her assertions. “Okay thank you.” He quickly hung up the phone and called Renee Montoya on her cell. “Renee I need your help where are you?”
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Post by arcalian on Jan 28, 2009 22:16:05 GMT -5
Batwoman had made it back to her loft and she had took off her mask and went to the computer. She looked over at the counter and saw there was a key and ring. She dismissed her feelings for the moment and started to interface with the Batcomputer from her computer that overlooked the city at the Bay windows. She picked up her cell and called Lucius Fox.
“Yes?” It wasn't the voice of Lucius.
“Isabelle?” Kate asked.
“Yes, this is Mrs. Fox who is this?”
“Kate Kane, can I speak to Lucius Fox?”
“Oh no, I am sorry Miss Kane he's had a heart attack. He's in the hospital right now.” Kate was silent for a moment as she tried to refocus the conversation from Batwoman to Kate Kane. It was a mindset she had in balance... or at least she hoped she had.
“Oh my God, is he okay?” Kate responded finally.
“I don't know, Dear, he's in the ICU right now.” She sounded like she was in fear. “The Doctors won't say anything about it.”
“Okay, I... I will be there soon.” Suddenly Kate turned around and saw Renee standing right behind her. Kate was still wearing her Batsuit and Kate was in a state of shock in two fronts. “I need to go Mrs. Fox. Goodbye.” She looked at Renee squarely. “What are you doing here?”
“I had to pick up something and the door was open.” Renee shook her head. “You don't have to explain.. I get it now.”
“You get what?” Kate stood up. “Someone has to...”
“Why couldn't you be honest with me?” Renee shook her head.
“Too many people. The people I care about... I can't risk them.”
“Are you sure I am one of those people.” Renee challenged her.
“Renee I can't do this right now, Gordon's family...”
“Answer me Kate! Am I one of those people!” Renee screamed at her.
“Okay, damnit you are, I have to go.” She stood up and grabbed her mask.
“Gordon called me and asked me to ask you for help.” Renee put her arms around herself as she was... angry... afraid and determined all in the same moment.
“Kate Kane's help?”
“Yeah, your help.” Renee looked at her. “I guess he doesn't know you've already been trying to help him.”
There was a ring of her phone as Kate welcomed the interruption from her stand off with Renee. “Kate.” There was talking on the other end of the phone but Kate merely listened. After a few moments Kate finally responded. “Tell them I can't be there, but do whatever it takes... He can't have it. Okay, goodbye.” Kate hung up the phone.
“What was that all about?”
“Luthor is trying a hostile takeover. Lucius is in the hospital and Gordon's family is missing... I have work to do, Renee. I love you very much, but I have to save them before Joker kills them.”
“At the risk of losing your company?!” Renee's features suddenly turned when Kate admitted her feelings for her.
“There are things more important than money, Renee. You should know that.” She was now Batwoman as she had replaced her mask. “If you want to help me then I could use it.”
“How can I help you?” Renee shook.
“I.. I don't know, Renee, contact Alfred Pennyworth he's at Wayne Manor. He knows about the situation.”
“Okay, I will. Be careful, please.” Renee looked at her and she grabbed Kate's arm before she left and she pulled into a deep kiss.
Kate breathed in heavily for a moment as she had to recover from the kiss. “I will, I have to go.”
“I know.” Renee nodded.
Batwoman grabbed her grappling gun and went out on to the veranda that sat outside from her penthouse and she fired a grapple that snagged to a ledge and she leaped into the air and swung away. At least her relationship with Renee was intact. Her life was falling apart around her, but she hoped that Renee could help her put it back together when it was time....
~To Be Continued~
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Post by Romans Empire on Jan 28, 2009 22:44:51 GMT -5
If you wish to comment on this issue, please CLICK HERE to visit the letters page. |
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