Chapter 10

May 25th, 1999

Brendan's POV

Burnley, Gotham

It had been an eventful week for me, First I tussled with tweedled dumb bros, then got yeeted into the river, woke up in the sewers, and somehow met and convinced killer Croc to join me on my doom quest to infiltrate S.T.A.R Labs, then a couple of days later I lucked out again and convinced the man whom would one day become the electrocutioner to also join me and now I have to help a giant murderous croc man become a real boy again and help in solving a conspiracy which I am 99% sure involves a court of owls, Fuck my life. I feel like I am out of my depth and still in my zone at the same time.

I should have never joined the gang and stuck to making electronics in a shop with my memories of Shocker. Then again, I wonder are the memories of shocker causing me to incline more towards criminal pursuits or if I am just making dumb decisions under pressure?

Guess I'll find out soon enough because right now I am going to try and recruit the third and final member for my team.

I finally reached my destination, it's an old, dilapidated double-story house at the edge of the neighborhood. The information I got from Willy said the guy would be here at his time, so I walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. I waited a few minutes but there was no reply, so I started banging on the door. Soon I heard some movement inside the house and a cranky voice called out "Go away I don't want anything!".

I replied in a polite voice "Mr. Simpson open up I am Detective Myers from GPD I want to ask you a few questions regarding last night's shootout at the edge of the block "

I lied through my teeth; I was neither a detective nor did I know that a shootout took place, but it was Gotham and shootouts were common here like the sun rising in the east.

The door creaked and an eye poked through the space left by the door chain and the man behind it spoke "You don't look like a co-"Before the man could speak I readied my vibro gloves and fired a blast at low setting at the door which broke the door chain and the door opened throwing the man inside while not making much sound.

I smoothly went inside and locked the door behind me while the man who fell inside was still nursing his nose. I aimed my left hand at the man and said "You are a hard man to find Mr. Simpson I've been looking for you for months ".

Simpson started to try to sit up and was clutching his now bleeding nose replied with slight venom in his voice "Who the fuck are you and what is the meaning of this?"

" I am someone you desperately need and well you can think of this meeting as a recruitment pitch for an upcoming endeavor of mine, don't make any sudden moves or what happened with your door will happen to you just ten times worse and I don't like to my business in hallways so move along to someplace where we can sit and talk " I replied with nonchalance in voice and pointed to him to move along.

Simpson grimaced, stood up slowly, and walked toward the living room on the left, I motioned him to stool, and I sat on the couch and said "So Mr Simpson let's get the show on the road shall we or should I call you by your real name Val? "

The man sitting in front of me visibly flinched for a split second, but he masked it quickly.

"Val Kaliban, an architectural draftsman. You worked for a large engineering firm that oversaw the construction of Gotham's Maximum-Security Prison when your boss caught you altering several of the plans for the new prison and you assaulted the man viciously to keep him silent. The police soon captured and convicted you for assault on your boss, sentencing you to 10 years in prison. You escaped the prison convoy by hypnotizing the guards and driver. , You have been hiding around various parts of Gotham for the last 5 years and are making your living by stealing from small-time stores which is coincidently how I got wind of your whereabouts not many hypnotised guards are left drooling in the stores going around Gotham you know"

This is the man that would be later known as The Spook, a small-time Batman villain who specialized in escaping and hypnotism before eventually getting killed by Damian Wayne but that would have happened in the future, and I was changing the future right now.

I watched the color slowly drain out of Kaliban's face and realization set in that I held all the cards in this conversation, and then he said "Are you done with your intimidation game? just get to the point. What do you want with me, if it's money I already blew the amount I got from my last haul, if you want to kill me just get it over"?

"Val my friend why would I want to kill you?" I said jovially and continued "Quite the opposite in fact I want to help you like I said before I have a need for your skills in escapism for a job and I believe I am just the thing that will motivate you so much that you'll want to work for free for me "

Kaliban just scoffed at me and said "Oh yeah, what could be so enticing that I would do that "

Hook, line, and sinker, and now I just needed to reel him in "Nothing much, just that the job I am offering you will help you ruin the person you hate the most, Erik Estrada."

Estrada was Kaliban's old boss and was the one that Kaliban had beaten before he was sent to prison, at least that was the case that appeared on the surface but after I did my investigation and asked around Val's old colleague they told me that Estrada was the one who asked Kaliban to change the plan for the prison system but got cold feet and framed Kaliban for cheap publicity and promotions. The truth was so easy to find out and yet Gotham Police Department yet again fucked up by not even trying.

Kaliban Stood up abruptly from his stool and looked like he was about to blow a nerve just from hearing that name, his teeth started grinding and he said "If you have found out everything about me you must know how much I hate that man and no if you are fucking with me on this one I swear to god I will rip you bone to bone!"

"Sit down before I break your legs" I replied and continued " I am not lying when I said that I would give you the opportunity to ruin Estrada but that will only happen if you agree to work with me and my team".

"So, are you in or out?" I asked, extending my hand.

"What would happen If I refused?" He inquired.

"I would just leave you to your pathetic life of robbing and hiding in shitty houses" I replied

"Do I get to hear what job we are actually doing or not?" he again asked

"Do I look like I was born yesterday? I am not telling you anything till you give your response, so in or out?"

He thought for a moment and then extended his arm to and shook my hand and said "Okay I am in, this better be worth it" and went to take his hand back but I held on and said, " If you try to fuck me over you will wish you were dead if you try to hypnotize me or any of my teammates you will wish you were dead if by any chance you comprise the plan you will be dead, got it?"

"Whatever floats your boat bossman" he replied we then sat down, and I told him to meet me tomorrow night in a warehouse near the docks and left his house.

An exasperated sigh of relief leaves my mouth as I leave the Kaliban's neighborhood. I don't know how long I can go on pretending to be calm in tense situations like this, shockers and memories helped in this regard but one day my luck might run out, but I will cross that bridge when it comes to that. For now, I must keep going till this S.T.A.R lab's business is concluded.

I now have all the people I need for the job and now I gather them and plan out things accordingly.

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26th May, 1999

Brendan's POV

Near Port Adams, Gotham

The night clung to the Gotham skyline like a shroud as I stood amidst the echoes of the abandoned warehouse near Port Adams. It was a cavernous space, forgotten by time, with dust-covered crates and faded memories. Stray beams of moonlight slanted through the dilapidated roof, casting long shadows on the cracked concrete floor. This warehouse was used for holding smuggled goods by the mob in the 80s but once it was attacked by their rivals and was abandoned it was perfect for our use. I had asked around in the mob and ensured that this place was not in use and was across Robbinsville through water and perfect for my plan.

I waited in the heart of this forgotten place, the air heavy with anticipation. The crunch of footsteps reached my ears, and Marcus Buchinsky stepped into view. His presence was stealthy, a silhouette emerging from the darkness. As he entered, the pale light revealed a man with a history etched in the lines of his face. We exchanged nods, a silent acknowledgment of the unusual alliance we were forming.

Marcus and I exchanged brief pleasantries, and he asked me" How many other guys are in on this?"

"Just two more guys, one our escape guy and one our muscle, and you are our way in".

As I was explaining these things to Marcus, in walks Kaliban. His eyes, sharp and calculating, surveyed the surroundings. Marcus and I spared a glance, acknowledging that our eclectic team was slowly coming together.

Kaliban didn't waste time with niceties. "And who might our friend here be?" he inquired, directing his question at Marcus.

"Marcus Buchinsky. I specialize in electronics," came the terse reply, the electrically charged vigilante keeping his cards close.

Kaliban's interest was piqued. "Electronics, you say. Interesting." His gaze lingered on Marcus, an unspoken curiosity about the man and his unique skill set.

Before I could bridge the gap, Kaliban shifted his attention. "And who else are we waiting for?"

I began, "There's one more," but my words were swallowed by a thunderous thud that resonated through the cavernous space. All eyes turned toward the source, where emerging from the shadows was Killer Croc.

He moved with an unsettling grace for someone of his size. The warehouse seemed to shrink in his presence as he approached. His scaly exterior caught the scant light, creating an otherworldly spectacle. Kaliban, the master of control, faltered for a moment, a rare flicker of surprise crossing his face as he took in the reptilian powerhouse, even Marcus was looking flustered meanwhile I was just enjoying their expressions. After all, Waylon had a very captivating presence.

Marcus gathered some nerve and asked," Brendan is that guy/thing going to be our supposed muscle?"

Kaliban just looked on, I chuckled "Marcus and Val, meet Waylon Jones our resident big boy. He is going to be helping us. So, you better behave I hear has a real taste for troublesome people"

Waylon looked pleased with his introduction.

The team was assembled — a tech-savvy vigilante, an electric avenger, a hypnotic escape artist, and a formidable creature born of Gotham's shadows. The warehouse, a silent witness to the city's forgotten tales, held its breath as our eclectic group formed an alliance destined for the heart of S.T.A.R. Labs.

As we stood there, a mosaic of backgrounds and abilities, the weight of the mission settled over us. Infiltrating one of Gotham's most secure facilities required more than skills; it demanded trust, an elusive commodity among those who thrived in the city's shadows.

The warehouse, now a meeting ground for fate, seemed to echo with the untold stories of Gotham's forgotten. Little did we know that within these decaying walls, a new narrative was about to unfold, where alliances were forged in darkness, and destinies were shaped by the choices made in the cold embrace of the night.

I gathered everyone around one of the wooden tables in the warehouse pulled out a roll of paper from my bag spread it out on the table and said, "This the blueprint of S.T.A.R Labs, this is the place we will be infiltrating".

Val interrupted me" I thought we were robbing some bank or high-end store, not geek heaven? What is even in there that would be worth the risk of going in there?"

"No, we won't be robbing any sort of financial institution, that's thinking small-time. As for what is inside, do you know what Gotham branch of S.T.A.R Labs specializes in?"

He shrugged and I continued" Weapons and Biotech, but there are hundreds of other projects not related to weapons going on in there and I plan to get in quietly, copy what we can of that non–weapon research that we can, and get out. We won't be taking anything that is related to any weapons because if we do that gets us national-level heat and we don't want that. If we just grab non-lethal or mundane research, we will just be normal thugs breaking in. The price we can get for that research data will be exponentially better."

This was the reason I was giving them, but I had no interest in any of that I just needed I secure access to a Supercomputer at a level that would only be available in S.T.A.R Labs so I could necessary calculations for shockers suit, but that I would be lying if the other stuff being researched in the S.T.A.R Labs didn't attract me. After all, I was in the DC universe, here even a small-time scientist made world-altering discoveries. I could only guess what would be in there.

Marcus cut in this time "So you want us to break into a secure scientific research facility that is the 3rd biggest military contractor in the country, but you don't want us to steal any of the big stuff and go for the smaller things?"

"Yup," I reply with no hesitation.

Waylon then said in his coarse voice" you have been saying my plan this, my plan that but I haven't heard anything actually like a plan from your mouth, care to enlighten us?"

" I was just getting there, So look here at the blueprint" I pointed at the blueprint" Our plan will take place in 4 steps, first we need to gain access to the building and there are three ways for us to do that. Number 1 is the main entrance which is heavily guarded by a security team 24/7 and the only people who are allowed through there are scientists, support staff, and the members of the security team itself. We are none of those, so this option is null and void. Second is the Disposal Bay, which is the place where they throw stuff that's broken or unwanted, and it's just beside the river. There's an entrance here that leads to the cleaning staff's locker room and from there we can make our way towards the main area. I, Marcus, and Val will get to the disposal bay through the river and proceed from there."

Waylon then asked," What will I do then?"

"You will go through the third entrance, below the lab they have a large sewage disposal tunnel from which they release treated effluents into the river, you can swim in from there, but you'll not go the entire way up, halfway you will see another tunnel that leads you to this point." I point at another place on the blueprint "this right here will open just below the backup generator room, you will go in disable it, to prevent the cameras and other security systems running on backup power."

This summed up our entry plan, but there were more layers of the plan still to be discussed and things to be debated upon.

A/N: SO I am back, this story is not dead afterall. I had written 4 chapters in advance but they got lost because my laptop broke down and I had to rewrite a new one from the scratch, I don't know how this one turned out. Do let me know.

Brendan has finally gathered all the members for his heist team, and yes the final member is the spook, I hope I can make his character more interesting. I also plan to write the all heist in a oceans 11/ GTA way so guys give your reviews