Chapter 33

Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don't own it.

Chapter 17– The Crusade has Begun.

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"... Batman." I slam the phone back onto the receiver, ending the conversation there.

Some might say that I was an idiot for revealing myself, not dragging the conversation out, and not trying to gather all the information I could. But the simple fact of the matter is, though I am dressed and playing the act of a superhero, I am not one. It is not my goal to stop the big criminal known as Kingpin, and I am not focused on bringing Wilson Fisk down and sending him to prison. The other heroes can take care of that like they usually do.

My one and only goal is to become a nuisance, to become a big stick that gets jammed in the cogs of the machine that is Wilson Fisk's criminal empire, to halt and destabilise all operations. So it is only to my benefit and the progress of my goal that he knows I am coming for him because that will weigh on his mind and be a little fact in his noggin that is constantly bumping around.

I have basically just come up to his big gates and started rattling on the bars with my baseball bat, screaming, little pig, little pig, let me in. I have messed up a serious business arrangement for him and depleted a source of weaponry and advancements. And all I have left him with is a name, Batman.

The fact that he called this facility minutes after it was reported, thinking that he was getting ahead of the curve, his expectation were completely overturned when I picked up the phone. No doubt he is going to look up Batman, have his men do a detailed search and get whatever eggheads he can force together to start investigating me at full force.

Well, maybe not full force, but definitely, a good amount of effort will be going into finding out everything they can about Batman. This will at least take a little bit of the heat off of Felicia, maybe. All I know is that it isn't a bad thing that I just did that. This will give Felicia and me time to try and find something to hold over Fisk's head so that he will leave Felicia and her mother alone. Guys like Fisk always have dirty closets. Either we blackmail, or we bring him down, whichever comes first.

*BOOM* *BTOOOOOM* *BOOM*

It was around a minute or so later, after I slammed down the phone, that I suddenly heard explosions and rumbling all throughout the facility. Peeking my head over the desk from my hiding spot behind it, I can see all the AIM agents suddenly become startled and drop everything they are doing to go and pick up weaponry, already knowing of the threat that has come upon them. I watch as they all begin to run around like headless chickens before- SPIDER SENSE!!

I quickly ducked behind the desk and stayed steady, trying to avoid the danger that was rapidly approaching. I don't know what was on its way here or how dangerous it actually is, but I know that my spider sense never lies. I am not going to be an idiot like Peter and doubt it because it is my ability, and then I would be doubting myself, and I refuse to doubt myself.

"Sir, we are under attack. What are your orders-" I hear the door open, and then one of the AIM goons asks before stopping after realising there is no one inside. No doubt they came to ask for orders from their superior, who right now is passed out on the floor next to me behind the desk. I am glad I did that because, with no reason to stay, the AIM agent quickly leaves either to go find his boss or to go help fight. Either way, he is out of my hair.

I wait a few moments before one again, peeking my head out from cover and by then, everyone is already moving to meet the attack and defend this place. I slink forward to look out the window, and I can see the last of the scientists shuffling through the doors to attack their attackers. I don't see any of the grunts heading to any other place in the facility, which means that there is no other entrance to this secret facility, so they have to fight, or they can't access it, which is why they are going to fight, since that is the only way out of here.

With them occupied, I quickly leave the room only to come face to face with the black vizor of a yellow hazmat suit.

"Wha-" I don't give them time to do anything else and punch them in the throat, now knowing that the suit isn't that protective, and I stop them from calling their comrades. Then, acting quickly, I slide around the choking agent and wrap my arms around his neck and press on it until he slumps down in my arms, and I gently lower him to the ground, not wanting to make any more noise.

Looking around, I can see no one else around, so this guy must have just been a straggler. Though just in case, I jump high up onto the ceiling and start to move around with my keen eye looking in every which direction, but I fail to spot any more guys in yellow. Moving on, I jump back down onto the passageways and then I quickly hop over the railing and grab onto it to swing myself underneath it, which is where I attach myself and stay hidden in the shadows.

I wait for a moment more and look around a bit more from my hiding spot in the shadows since you can't be too careful before I hop down. Then, crouching low, I begin to move through the maze of little labs they had down here, checking the ones I go past and being disgusted by the sights inside, none of the test subjects having survived the cruelties they were subjected to.

Ignoring that and pushing it out of my mind, I rise to walk upright, satisfied that there is no one watching at the moment, or at least no one watching that can do anything about my presence here. I move quickly and finally arrive at the cage full of prisoners, all of whom are surprised to see me but don't say anything, frightened by my ominous visage.

Which is all the more frightening since I am in a pitch-black suit, and my mouth isn't even uncovered, leaving no hint of the human behind the suit. It is probably why Bruce Wayne did it, to not be too frightening, or perhaps it is like in the Nolan trilogy where he wants everyone to know that it can be anybody behind the mask.

"Y-YOU!? W-WHAT ARE YOU!? GET THE HELL AWAY FROM US!!" When I near the cage, one of the newly induced prisoners manages to find their voice and begins to shout at me, which causes me to stop a few inches away. I stay still and focus on my senses, spreading them throughout the facility to see if anything is reacting to the prisoner's cries, but there is nothing.

"S-STOP!!" The man cries once more as I resume my path. But I ignore him and continue on, and when I finally get to the cage, I reach my hands out and grip two of the bars. Then, with my grip firm, I begin to wrench them apart, the metal squeaking and groaning as I force them into a new position, widening them enough that all of the inhabitants of the cage can get through. I have done this for a reason, I could have just broken the lock on the gate and opened the door, but I need these people to listen to me because if they all run off like headless chickens, they will probably die, so showcasing my strength should make them more agreeable.

I step back far enough from the cage, allowing them ample room to all get out, but none of them makes a move, and they all stay still and silent, even the one that was so vocal earlier. So then, realising that my strategy may have been even more effective than I anticipated, I step back a little further before opening my mouth to speak.

"Stay low, stay quiet and stay behind me. I am free in you all, but you are still not safe. Listen to me exactly, and you will live to see the sun." I say, my modulated voice making some of the prisoners flinch at its harsh edge, but I ignore it. They stay still a second longer, with none of them moving as I look at them before one of the younger prisoners, a girl no older than eight, steps forward and proceeds to try and exit the cage.

I watch as she clambers over, and I notice that she must have been one of the older prisoners that have been here awhile as she hobbles on her feet to the opening. And then she begins to try and lift herself out of the cage, finding it hard to get through the bars, and myself and the others are all just watching her struggle.

Kicking myself for not acting sooner, I quickly move over to her, the girl freezing at my movements before I crouch down and look at her, and she looks back at me. I move my hands and gently grab hold of her under the armpits before lifting her out of the cage and setting her down on her feet. I hover for a moment before I am assured that she is steady, and then I look over towards the people, still hesitating.

"Hurry up. They may be back any moment. Either stay here and wait for them or come with me. It is your decision." My words reach their ears, and they all look toward one another, waiting for somebody to make the first move. And then, an old man at the back sitting against the cage bars gets up and hobbles over. He actually looks like his legs were asleep, he must have been sitting there for quite a long time, having given up all hope, but now for some reason, he is moving again. Watching the older man move, the others also feel emboldened enough to follow him, and they all begin to exit the cage one after the other.

Once outside of the cage, they all stand around and wait awkwardly. Seeing the prisoners patiently standing still and not saying anything, I nod my head, pleased that they are following my orders and that they have the will to live. Then, watching as some of the newer prisoners take to carrying or supporting the children or those too old or injured to move quickly, I turn around and begin to move without looking back, assured that they are following me when I hear their feet shuffling behind me.