Fear The Reaper: Batman And Michael Myers Part 2 (3) surpassed his pain threshold but he fought to remain conscious, nevertheless. Michael wrapped the tube around his neck and began to choke the rest of the life out of him. Soon, Bane was dead. The crowd normally cheered after each fight in approval of the victor. This time, they were totally appalled. Many of them vomited. A team of five security guards surrounded the Shape and fired at him with Thorazine darts. The Thorazine had no effect. He advanced towards one of the shooters and wrestled his gun away from him, then fired it at his head at point-blank range. The other four turned to flee. The Shape did not pursue. Instead, he turned his attention to Dorrance and Zehrhardt. �Awww fuck!� Zehrhardt said. Dorrance said nothing. Instead, he moved to intercept the Shape. �You�re crazy man,� Zehrhardt said to Dorrance, �I�m getting the hell out of here.� Dorrance seemed to be starring right at the Shape. �I can see you this time you son-of-a-bitch,� Dorrance finally spoke, �And I still owe you for what you did to Lynx. Don�t think I�ve forgotten about that.� Since his last encounter with the Shape, Sir Edmund Dorrance had gained access to a Lazarus Pit which was rumored to be able to make men immortal and heal their wounds. A man named Ra�s Al Ghul had used one to cheat death for several centuries... For the first time, Dorrance saw into the Shape�s eyes. For the first time, he saw how black there were. He could see the Shape�s poisonous rage and his volcanic temper. Dorrance always liked to believe he held the upper hand over all of his opponents, even the Batman. But this time... King Snake jump-kicked the Shape, knocking him to the iron grating. Michael rose, unfazed and very angry. He lunged for King Snake but he gracefully stepped aside, tripping the Shape in the process. Once again, he was back on the iron grating. �No form,� King Snake said, �Very clumsy.� He pressed his advantage and delivered a snap-kick to the Shape�s head. The blow knocked him flat onto his back and apparently out cold. Oracle had been paying close attention to the events that had been unfolding at the Venue, recording all of it. Most of the guests had made their way to the emergency escape pods and fled the Venue by this time. To her surprise, she noticed that Sir Hemingford Gray was also gone, but his wheelchair was not. HUH? she thought, How is that possible? King Snake�s breathing had become labored. I wonder what�s wrong with the ventilation? he thought. He regretted that his audience had left. He had imagined crippling or killing Michael Myers in front of a large crowd of people. No matter, he thought. He found it comforting to know that the people watching from home would see him do the deed. The Shape had already started to rouse. Instead of getting to his feet, he began tugging on a piece of the iron grating which eventually broke loose from the pillar it was attached to. He lifted it up and swung it at King Snake, hitting him in the back and sending him airborne several feet into one of the suites� windows. The Shape rose. King Snake was lying in broken glass. He was bleeding badly. Glass had gotten into his eyes. �I�m blind! Blind!� he screamed. The Shape entered the suite and stood over King Snake �You cost me everything. You cost me Lynx. You cost me my eyesight. And now you want to kill me.� he said to the Shape, �Well, take your best shot!� The Shape reached down and grabbed King Snake�s broken body and threw it violently. He landed hard on the iron grating. And then... BOOM! A bomb. Water was rushing in through a giant fissure in the cave�s walls. King Snake was barely conscious. Oracle could not believe her eyes. By this time she had knocked out the satellite�s communication to the entire home viewing audience. Then, she routed the signal through to the Gotham City Police Department and the Batcave. When she played back the tape of Sir Hemingford Gray, she saw that he had in fact gotten up on his own and ran away. Whoever he was, he wasn�t crippled. The plot thickened... CHAPTER SEVEN: MANHUNT September 16, 2001--�...And the investigation continues into the underground bare-knuckles fighting circuit known as the Secret Ring. The footage you are about to see was anonymously sent to the GCPD and depicts inmates of Blackgate Prison fighting in death matches. It is still not known who is responsible for organizing these fights although Blackgate�s Warden Zehrhardt has been relieved of duty and is currently in police custody. No charges have been brought against him thus far. Commissioner Essen could not be reached for comment.� �The investigation continues into the disappearance of Brock Lovett, the leader of the Titanic research team. He was last seen on April 15th, ironically the same date that Titanic sank back in 1912. It is believed that his craft was damaged during one of the Keldon�s missions to Titanic, however, no body has been found. Three other members of his team are also missing.� �In a related story, �The Heart of the Ocean,� a priceless gem recovered from Titanic by Mr. Lovett, has been stolen. It is estimated to be the world�s most valuable stone. It is believed the diamond was taken from the Gotham City Museum by Catwoman, the notorious costumed cat burglar.� �For the first time in five months, the Batman has been sighted on the streets of Gotham City. Commissioner Essen has outwardly spoken out against the Batman and his unsanctioned role as guardian of Gotham yet the GCPD has not yet issued any warrants for his arrest since she took over as Commissioner. Former Commissioner, James Gordon, Essen�s husband, could not be reached for comment.� Gotham billionaire Bruce Wayne added another holding to his already enormous empire today. He now owns Subzero Cryogenics Lab, formerly owned and operated by Dr. Victor Fries, AKA Mr. Freeze. Fries is currently in Arkham Asylum. �And finally, Dr. Alan Feinstone, the so-called psycho dentist, broke out of the maximum security mental hospital at Indio yesterday afternoon--� �Turn that shit off!� a drunken patron of Noonan�s Bar said to Sam Noonan, the bar�s owner and bartender. The man was known simply as �Six Pack.� He hadn�t earned the nickname because he was in peak physical condition. Six Pack was actually in horrible health. He was obese, a drunk, and was missing most of his teeth. Furthermore, he believed he was a superhero. He wore a dirty ripped blanket as a cape. His white shirt was stained with beer and remnants of greasy food. Frankly, Six Pack was nothing more to the other patrons than a pathetic joke. Nevertheless, they tolerated him. Some even liked him. Noonan�s was a seedy bar that sat on the shore of Gotham Bay in Bludhaven on the border of Gotham City. It mostly accommodated those who worked in the shipyards. Since Gotham was a major port city, many sailors came and went on a daily basis. On any given day, Noonan�s was filled with sailors and dock workers. Outside of the bar, a man pulled himself from the frigid water of Gotham Bay. He was dressed in a worker�s outfit not unlike those worn by the customers inside Noonan�s. The sky was pitch black around him except for a neon sign which read, �Noonan�s Bar� on a building near where he was standing. He walked towards it. Inside the bar, Matches Malone, a small time thug casually pumped Sam Noonan for information. Malone was a small player in the grand scheme of crime in Gotham City. His name did not strike the same fear as names like �Tough� Tony Bressi or Rupert Thorne. They were crime lords. Mob bosses. He was not. Malone was a goon. He made enough money to make crime worthwhile, but not enough to get Bressi�s or Thorne�s attention. He slipped right under their radar. He knew better than to compete with the big boys. One of Sam�s bouncers approached the bar and asked if everything was OK. Malone turned to him and said, �Your boss and I were just discussing a little business. Get lost.� �I�ll get lost when and if Mr. Noonan says to. Not because you said so punk,� the bouncer replied, �Who the hell do you think you are anyway?� �I ask the questions. If I like the answers you keep your teeth.� The man from the water had finally reached the entrance to Noonan�s. He walked inside. Matches Malone, Sam Noonan, and his bouncer all halted and glanced over at the stranger. He was dripping wet and leaving a puddle at the doorway to the bar. His face looked slightly deformed and he seemed somewhat puzzled. �Can I help you?� Sam asked. The stranger said nothing. Nor did he move. He scanned the room as if he was looking for something specific. Or someone... �Are you gonna sit down and order something or are you just gonna stand there all night?� Sam asked. Still nothing. Six Pack staggered over to the stranger, bumping into him by accident. The man grabbed the drunk and flung him across the room onto a table. A slender white man and portly black woman were watching from the end of the bar. The man was Harry Stein, Checkmate�s King and the woman, Amanda Waller, its Queen. �We got him,� Waller said to Stein. Harry Stein then spoke into a communications device on his wrist, designed to resemble a watch. �Code Red. All Knights in the vicinity proceed immediately to Noonan�s Bar. Positive identification of Michael Myers.� The other customers did not notice Stein�s transmission because they were too distracted by the stranger�s unexpected attack on Six Pack. Three bouncers moved towards the stranger. The stranger reached down and grabbed a steak knife off of one of the tables, then slashed at the closest bouncer�s throat, ripping it wide open. This had been the same bouncer who had just been threatened moments earlier by Matches Malone. Blood pumped from the wound like water from a broken fire hydrant. The two remaining bouncers backed off. The stranger turned to leave the bar but three Checkmate Knights were blocking his way. Agents Reynard, Wager, and Harper. They were perhaps the three finest specimens Checkmate had to offer. All three men carried the burden of protecting the King and Queen from harm during field missions. They were always close by in the event of an emergency. John Wager became an expert in hand-to-hand combat and sky diving in the military. His agenda in the armed forces, however, was not to become a soldier for the United States of America, it was to master the skills needed to become a better crimefighter...a vigilante. Wager had also taken an interest in acting and decided to study it for a brief period of time at Gotham University. Combined with his impressive fighting and parachuting skills (he did his own stunts), he was able to land the part of �The Hunter� in his first big action/adventure movie. The film was a box office hit and Wager would have surely gotten other big roles had he not �died� while making �The Hunter.� During filming, a stray bullet (which was supposed to be a blank) struck Wager in the chest, killing him...or so everyone thought. Believed dead, Wager was now free to pursue his life as a crimefighter without fear of his new vigilante identity being tied back to him. Ironically, he chose �The Hunter� as the hero he would become. With Wager �dead,� the police would likely think the man behind the Hunter was just some obsessed fan. They would never know that his true identity was right under their noses. Wager worked simultaneously as a vigilante and as a Knight for Checkmate. Agent Harper had a crossbow fixed on the stranger while Agent Wager held a tranquilizer gun. Both men fired. Harper�s razor-tipped arrow drilled the man in the shoulder while Wager�s shot also hit its target. The Shape kept coming. Both men frantically reloaded. Agent Reynard stepped in front of the Shape hoping to buy his comrades a few extra seconds. The Shape grabbed his helmet firmly and twisted. A sickening pop indicated that Reynard�s neck had been broken. He dropped to the floor, lifeless. Reynard�s sacrifice had given Harper and Wager the time they needed, however. They each fired again. This time, Harper�s arrow pierced the Shape�s heart. Wager also hit. The Shape staggered backwards and finally collapsed. �Finally!� Stein said through gritted teeth, �We got that mother fucker!� Stein and Waller moved through the crowd towards the Shape�s body waving government-issued badges. Harper and Wager carried his body and Reynard�s to a sport utility vehicle parked behind Noonan�s. Stein, Waller, and Harper drove off towards Gotham City. Agent Wager had arranged to meet up with the trio in Washington DC after he had briefed the GCPD on Michael�s death. During the commotion, Matches Malone had disappeared... Meanwhile... Oracle had been trying to contact Nightwing for the past twenty minutes with no success. Finally, he answered her. Nightwing had a communications device on his arm similar to the one Harry Stein used to contact his Knights. �Where the hell have you been?!!?� she barked at him, �Checkmate just engaged Michael Myers at Noonan�s almost a half-hour ago. I�ve been trying to reach you!� �Michael Myers is here?!!? In MY city?� he asked. �Probably not anymore. But if you hurry--� He did it to her again. She was talking to static. Yep, she thought, definitely like Bruce. Please be careful Dick... The 2001 Jeep Cherokee containing Harry Stein, Amanda Waller, Roy Harper, and the bodies of Michael Myers and Jacques Reynard had reached the core of Gotham City. It was heading towards Archie Goodwin International Airport where its passengers would catch a flight back to Washington DC. A shape the size of a mountain on two legs unfolded inside the body bag. It tore the bag apart at the seam from the inside. It rose up and up. Then it sprang... John Wager had changed from one alter ego into another. He had changed from a Checkmate Knight into the vigilante known as the Hunter. His costume was a solid gray color with a blue mask, scarf, and gloves and red goggles. Two legs descended down from above, wrapping themselves around the Hunter�s neck, constricting so tight that he could not breathe, let alone speak. �I have a question, answer truthfully, or imagine the worst possible torment, and then prepare to suffer it. WHERE IS HE?!!?� The Hunter did an Aikido-style flip, throwing his attacker into a trio of garbage cans positioned behind Noonan�s Bar. Nightwing sprung to his feet very quickly and began walking briskly towards the Hunter. �Where did Checkmate take Michael Myers?� he asked. Nightwing was visibly upset. The Hunter assumed a defensive posture. He knew Aikido but Kenpo was his preferred style. He seemed surprised that Nightwing had made the connection between Checkmate and the Hunter. Batman, he thought. �I can�t tell you, it�s classified,� the Hunter answered, �Besides, he�s dead anyway. You don�t have to worry.� �If falling thousands of feet from an airplane into the ocean with no parachute didn�t kill him, what makes you think Checkmate can stop him?� Nightwing asked. �I don�t think Checkmate can stop him, I saw it with my own two eyes. I was in on it. He�s dead. Case closed.� Nightwing changed the subject. �You know HE doesn�t like you operating in his city. He doesn�t need your help.� �Having a Batman in your city DOES lower the crime rate, but it doesn�t eliminate crime. It�s my city too. I care about what happens to it. He can�t be everywhere at once. These days he isn�t even here at all!� Nightwing had met this man only one time before. It had been back when he was nearing the end of his days as Robin. When Batman heard that John Wager had been killed and that another man had put on the Hunter�s costume and began operating in Gotham, he had to investigate. His detective work revealed that John Wager had never actually been killed and that he was really the man behind the Hunter. Of course, Batman threatened him and demanded that he leave Gotham but the Hunter did not comply. Wager had always expected Batman to force the issue but he never did. �Your boss is a megalomaniac,� the Hunter added, �He�s the best and I have nothing but respect for him but this time Checkmate succeeded where he failed.� �Batman wouldn�t have killed Michael Myers even if he could. That�s what separates him from Checkmate. I know Checkmate wants revenge for what he did to Harvey, but you guys are out of your league. You don�t know what you�re dealing with--� The Hunter gave in. �They�re taking him back to DC on the redeye at Archie Goodwin...� The communications device on Nightwing�s arm chimed. It was Oracle again. �We�ve got worries,� she said. �The GCPD just found four bodies by the side of the road a couple of blocks away from the airport. Harry Stein, Amanda Waller, Roy Harper, and Jacques Reynard. All dead...� �Son-of-a-bitch!� the Hunter said. He had been listening in on the conversation. Michael Myers was unfamiliar with the landscape of Gotham City. Nevertheless, he began looking for an interstate the would take him back to Haddonfield. He was driving Checkmate�s Jeep Cherokee. His search was interrupted by the sound of a loud thump on the roof of the vehicle. A form leapt down off of the roof onto the hood, then busted through the windshield and grabbed the steering wheel. The form jerked the wheel violently to one side, causing the SUV to slam into a nearby building and then catch on fire. The Shape emerged from the vehicle to face his assailant. He regarded the form with a profound sense of rage. Batman. Only this time, he looked different. Instead of gloves, he wore razor-sharp gauntlets. The left gauntlet contained a compressed air apparatus that was designed to propel small razor-edged Batarangs at a tremendous speed. Batman raised his arm, then fired three Batarangs at the Shape. Two flew by him, hitting the Jeep, and the third buried itself in the Shape�s midsection. The Shape swiftly pulled the object from his chest and threw it to the ground. Then, he began walking towards the Batman, his blood boiling. Batman removed a rope from his utility belt with a small lead ball attached at each end. He threw it at the Shape�s ankles and it wrapped itself around them, forcing them together and immobilizing him. The Shape lost his balance and fell to the ground. He promptly spread his legs apart, breaking the rope as if it was a fine thread and then got to his feet again. BOOM! The Jeep�s gas tank had ignited. The blast hurled the pair several yards away. Batman landed in the middle of the street. His head slammed down hard on the concrete, giving him a concussion and knocking him out cold. Oncoming traffic swerved around the broken Bat. He awoke moments later and found the Shape hovering over him. He reached down and lifted Batman off of the pavement and bear hugged him. The pressure he applied to Batman�s midsection was so intense that it forced the air completely out of his lungs and denied him the opportunity to take in any more. He gripped tighter. And tighter. Batman could feel his ribs starting to snap. The oxygen deprivation forced him back into an unconscious state. The Shape did not let go until he had broken all of his ribs and collapsed both of his lungs. Batman was no longer breathing and his heart had stopped. �Hold it right there!� a voiced shouted from behind the Shape. The Shape turned to find himself at gunpoint. The voice belonged to James Gordon. Another of the men who had been at the airport that night. He was accompanied by the same pair of detectives plus another female officer. �Throw down your arms and surrender! This is an order!� the female officer yelled as she produced a taser, �This taser�s got 50,000 volts of electricity. Get to your knees and let me see your hands!� The Shape made no attempt to comply with this woman�s orders. �I�m gonna light you up!� she added as she closed the gap between herself and the Shape.
Copyright © 2001 Mark Brittan |