Chapter 11: Journey to Hell

Talia stood proudly on the stone dais above the Lazarus pit. She looked out across the chamber, where dozens of her closest followers were assembled below, awaiting their orders. Her gaze traveled down to the center of the pool and she smirked. Scarlett was still laying helplessly on the stone tablet. Her lips were dried and cracked from the steam of the chemicals. The hunger in her stomach was tearing at her insides and her mouth was as dry as sandpaper. Talia had given her sparse sips of water, and any bits of food she received she could barely keep down without throwing up. Sleeping was her only salvation. Her own body was starting to feel like dead weight, and for the first time since she had been taken, Scarlett began to lose hope. With eyes battling exhaustion she stared helplessly at the crowd of assassins gathered around her, who were gazing at her captor as if she were a goddess among mortals. "Listen well my sisters," Talia said sternly. "Years ago, I took an apprentice under my wing. A lost, broken boy who was destined to lead the League to a brighter future.""The Fallen Son!" the warriors chanted."He showed remarkable diligence and determination unlike any other in a hundred years. Even Batman does not harbor such brutality. When the time came for him to exact revenge upon those who had wronged him, he failed to complete his mission. He has returned to the hopeless ways of his past, bound once again to an endless quest for peace. He neglected his duty to the League and shamed both myself and the great Rā's al Ghūl. For that...he must die.""What are our orders, Mistress?" an assassin questioned from the front row."I have received word that the Fallen Son is on his way...and he is not alone. He is bringing reinforcements.""A true warrior does not ask others to fight the battle for him!" another interjected from the back of the room. "I agree," Talia replied. "That is why I have called upon you. I do not care about his family. The Fallen Son is mine...the rest I leave to you.""Yes, Mistress!" they yelled before departing the chamber. Talia smiled briefly to herself before looking back down at Scarlett. She used the tip of her sword to turn Scarlett's head to face her."Don't worry," she said mockingly. "This will all be over soon.""You won't win..." Scarlett whispered.Talia leaned in closer. "And why is that?""Because you're just another psychopath who wants power. As long as Batman is around, you'll never get what you want. He won't fall for your games...""You silly little girl. I'm not after Batman.""Then what do you want?" she pleaded.Talia grinned maliciously. "A long time ago, while walking along Arkham Island, I found the body of a boy lying in the rubble. He was burned and marked beyond recognition. I almost left him there, but a small insignia on his chest caught my eye. It was a gold letter R.""Robin..." Scarlett muttered."Yes...one of them at least. Tortured and killed by the Joker. I honestly felt bad for the boy. His short-lived existence was stripped away because of his relationship with Batman. Out of pity and curiosity, I carried him back and bathed him in the Lazarus pool. It gave him another chance at life...but it changed him. It made him cruel and bloodthirsty. He promised to one day kill Batman for abandoning him to the clown and replacing him so quickly with another sidekick. I used his hatred and determination to make him the perfect assassin. My father saw power and potential within him. He selected the boy as his heir...and he accepted. When the time came for him to complete his mission, he failed and disappeared without a trace. I was just about to give up hope, but then a new vigilante appeared in Gotham only a short while ago. But he was unlike the rest of them. Cold, violent..."Scarlett's dreary eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god...Red Hood.""Indeed. Now that he has reappeared, he shall pay for using me and abandoning the League. And with you here, he has no choice but to accept his fate."...Jason and the others made their way down the deserted streets of Gotham's East End. No one in their right mind walked around that area at night. It was the biggest criminal activity hotspot in the city.In the center of the quiet square stood a boarded tunnel entrance. A filthy flickering sign labeled "SUBWAY" barely hung by its wires."Well this looks inviting," Dick said cheekily.Jason slipped his fingers between the cracks of the wooden boards and tossed them aside. After descending three flights of stairs, the group found themselves in the dilapidated landing area of the subway. Old train cars sat perfectly undisturbed on the tracks. Articles of clothing and forgotten luggage cases were strewn across the platforms. The once clean white tiled walls were smeared with decades' worth of grime. A storm of dust particles swirled in the light of the flickering gas lamps."The entrance to Wonder City is several hundred feet past this train," Jason said pointing to the left side of the room, where a stationary train sat blocking a tunnel.The group walked down the messy aisles of the train. With every step, it swayed and grated against the stone walls. At the end of the caboose was a gaping hole, most likely made by the League as a pathway to the other side. Once the group exited, they arrived at the main junction. More articles of clothing were scattered around the tracks. Boarded and abandoned shops lined both sides of the platforms. Above them hung half of a wrought iron walkway once used to cross above the speeding trains. The centerpiece of the walkway rested twenty yards behind them and a train stood in the gaping hole."What happened here?" Tim asked curiously."The fumes of the Lazarus didn't just leak into Wonder City," Bruce replied. "They spread like a disease through the pipe network into the subway above. The conductor of the train suffocated and lost control. It plowed into the walkway, killing five civilians.""You know, I'd love to stand here all day and pine over lost history, but my girlfriend is kind of on the verge of being murdered," Jason interrupted.The team immediately began searching the room. Bruce wandered over to a nearby wall and felt the bricks with his hand. "There must be a pathway behind one of these walls. It would be easy to push down if the League has been through."Jason felt another wall on the right side of the room. He shoved every brick with force until one of them slid back and the whole wall disappeared."It's this one!" he called to the others. He stepped onto a rotten wooden platform into what was once the Wonder City pump room. A network of shot and corroded pipes lined the walls and blasted a deadly spray. Jason directed his attention to the floor of the room. Beneath the platform was a deep pool of water covering the entire length of the room, made by the burst pipes. He looked to the other side of the room and saw a spotless oak door. Pieces of torn and faded caution tape draped from either side. The rest of the team slowly made their way onto the unstable platform. "The entrance to the city is through that door," Jason said unhitching his grapple gun from his belt. The others did the same and shot across to the other ledge. Through the door was a spacious room with another hanging metal walkway. Beautiful wrought iron railings lined it in a circular pattern. In the center was a ginormous iron tower, standing at least forty stories tall, stretching into the cloudy Gotham sky."Wonder Tower..." Dick mumbled looking up at the metal giant. "The most technological spectacle of its time," Tim said gazing at the elevator entrance. "Stay focused boys," Bruce interjected. "We're not here for the tower."Jason hustled down the stairs toward a pair of tall golden doors engraved with the words, "WONDER CITY". Standing guard on either side of the entrance were a pair of metal soldiers with spears tucked into their robotic fingers.Jason unholstered his pistols and quietly entered. Beyond the doors was a vast underground city. A cobblestone walkway leading deeper into the town branched off in several directions. Lining the sides of the street were small shops, ranging from furniture and clothing stores to bakeries and banks. At the center of the square was a stunning circular fountain, with a robotic soldier standing on a chest of gold with a model of Gotham City in its hand. Playing over the loudspeaker was a recording of Rā's al Ghūl himself, bragging about his innovative city. "This world is doomed. Cities like Gotham will grow to resemble hell breaking through the sidewalk and continuing up into the sky. Structures will grow to blot out the sun, and the people who live in them will be choked by the pollution they create. Eventually, when no space remains, this world will die, struggling for breath as man's mistakes nail the coffin shut. But this doesn't have to be your future, Gotham. There is a better way. Behind this wall is mankind's chance for survival. A glimpse at a future based on an amazing discovery. A discovery that will allow Gotham to rise like Lazarus, becoming a beacon of hope for this world. Are you intrigued? Then step closer. Witness the future of Gotham City. The heart of Gotham's future beats with Lazarus technology. The power of Lazarus is pumped into every street and every home, providing clean, safe energy. Mechanical guardians will serve you, watch over you, and where necessary, protect you from the worst of mankind's sins. But most importantly, our beautiful world will survive. Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to present to you the future... Wonder City!""Oh sure, what a great idea!" Tim quipped. "Power a stupidly inaccessible underground city with the same chemicals that caused a ten-foot monster to speak in nursery rhymes for two hundred years. And you better hope that your glorious new leader Rā's al Ghūl doesn't decide to turn his collection of robot "guardians" into a private militia the minute you try to leave. After all, the man who uses these chemicals on human test subjects couldn't possibly have an ulterior motive.""And that's why a lot of people died," Jason answered.The group continued a few miles down the street until they reached a flat brick wall on the opposite side of the chamber. "Dead end," Jason cursed. "She's gotta be here somewhere.""Don't let your eyes deceive you," Bruce said smashing a portion of the wall with his fist. The bricks cracked in a perfect square, revealing a circular golden disk."How did you know there was something there?" Dick asked.Bruce turned to his adopted son. "I didn't. I just know that the League has a habit of using hidden entrances.""This must be a keyhole," Selina said as she examined the hole in the golden disk. "But what kind of key is shaped like that?"Suddenly, a crashing sound erupted from the far end of the room, followed by a trembling similar to an earthquake. It continued like an invisible wave down the length of the room. "Above!" Bruce yelled. The metal ceiling panels fell away and an army of twenty assassins dropped in front of them. Jason loaded his gun and shot three of them in the legs. Two of the warriors swung their swords at Nightwing, who blocked them with his electric staffs. Batman sprayed explosive gell on the tile floor, knocking out four. Six of them surrounded Tim in a circle, blades dangerously close to his face. He unlatched his staff from his magnetic holster and struck all of them in the head with one swing. Catwoman released her whip and snapped it around an assassin's foot. She pulled her closer, then kicked her into a nearby steam pipe. Tim held off one assassin with his staff. "Nightwing!" he shouted. "Electric blast! Now!" Dick nodded to his brother and leaped in front of the remaining warriors, slamming his sticks onto the floor. Blue sparks ignited and caught the assassins' feet. They spasmed uncontrollably before falling to the floor.Batman looked at the sea of unconscious bodies and saw one stirring slightly. He grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the wall, then ripped off her mask. A tousle of raven hair spilled out from the woman's silk headscarf, and a pair of green eyes scowled at him."Zafirah..." he growled."Batman...," she replied menacingly. "Where is Talia?""This is not your fight, Bat!" she yelled with what little strength she had left. "The Fallen Son has betrayed the great Rā's al Ghūl. He must pay with his life!"Bruce squeezed her throat tighter. "I'll do this all night! Where is Talia?!""I have nothing to say to you! I'll answer only to Jason Todd.""Fine," Jason said as he stormed over to her. "But you're not gonna like me."He roughly grabbed her by the throat and held his gun to her temple. "Jason!" Bruce yelled. "Put the gun down!""I could give a damn about Talia. Where's the girl?!" Jason screamed. "Where is Scarlett?!""Kill me if you wish! I shall die honorably in service of my mistress and master."Jason briefly considered sending her to hell, but a faint gleam down by her leg caught his attention. Instead, he lowered his gun and shot Zafirah in the leg."Dammit, Jason!" Bruce shouted as he approached him. Jason directed the gun at Bruce. "Don't take one more step, old man. I've got this."He reached down and pulled a silver sword from her sheath. "Found the key to our problem."He walked over to the gold disk, inserted the sword, and turned it until it clicked. The stone wall slid backward, revealing a spiral staircase shadowed in darkness. Jason walked back over to Zafirah and took hold of her wrist. He began to descend the stairs, dragging her behind him. She tried desperately to unlatch his grip."Jason put her down," Bruce warned."No. This is personal. She's coming with us."Without another word, Jason continued down the stairs, Zafirah's feet thudding behind him with each step. Bruce shook his head in dismay but motioned for the group to follow. The party entered a crumbling stone amphitheater. At the top of the ceiling hung a giant electrical generator tangled in wires. Below it was the Lazarus pool, bubbling and fuming. Jason's eyes widened in horror when he saw Scarlett's weak and motionless body on a floating stone tablet. The chemicals had turned her once-tanned skin ghostly pale, and her chest barely moved with her breathing.Jason refrained from falling to his knees at the sight."Oh god...," he breathed. "What have I done?"