MrMacphisto
Level of Lime Feather
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Ok, so it's been about 3 months since I last wrote a chapter of this story. The following 3 links are the first 3 chapters:
http://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?t=166553
http://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?t=175574
http://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?t=179593
This story is long on plot, so if you want to go straight to the tickling it's near the end. As before, this is designed to resemble Christopher Nolan's version of the Batman series -- complete with a few revisions to character identities and origins. Anyway, enjoy...
Batman Triumphant – Part Four
CHRISTIAN BALE as Batman
MORGAN FREEMAN as Lucius Fox
GARY OLDMAN as Commissioner Gordon
MICHAEL CAINE as Alfred
CILLIAN MURPHY as Scarecrow
ERIC ROBERTS as Salvatore Maroni/Clayface
ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL as Mike Engel
NESTOR CARBONELL as Mayor Anthony Garcia
MALIN AKERMAN as Harley Quinn
HUGH LAURIE as Edward Nashton
DIANE KRUGER as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
TOMMY LISTER as Bane
BENICIO DEL TORO as Trogg
? as Riddler
RISTEARD COOPER as Captain Simonson
________________________________________________________________
“What are we gonna do?” The wounded police officer’s expression was full of terror. He looked to his captain for guidance as he laid in his hospital bed hooked up to several IVs.
“Just keep quiet. They still don’t know anything about us. They’re just looking for someone to blame at this point.” Captain Simonson wiped sweat from his brow as he glanced around the room nervously. He had to reassure his lieutenant that they wouldn’t be prosecuted for participating in Maroni’s heist. With the mobster’s hideout burnt to the ground and no evidence of the Venom stock left at the scene, he knew Bane was responsible.
“Why did we have to do this? They’re all dead now!” The lieutenant lamented the loss of several of his colleagues, and countless other officers were permanently injured from the blast and gunfight. After just one foolish ambush of Bane’s forces and the Ghost Dragons, Gotham’s police force had suffered dearly for its corruption.
“I know.... I have to go now. I need to tie up a few loose ends. We’ll be fine. Just keep your goddamn mouth shut!” Without Maroni around, Simonson no longer had the protection from the underworld that he had grown accustomed to. If Maroni had talked, he knew he was Bane’s next target. His only real option was to flee the city at this point. The Captain left his lieutenant and hurriedly exited the hospital. He briskly walked across the lower level of the parking garage as he anxiously scanned the area for any signs of trouble. The lot was surprisingly quiet for this time of night.
Simonson approached his car uneventfully, but he still felt like he was being watched. He withdrew his keys from his pocket tensely and disarmed his alarm. He entered the car, started up the engine, and quickly turned on the AC. Even though it was near midnight, the temperature was in the low 80s, and the air was abnormally muggy. This summer had been one of the hottest ever for Gotham. Strangely, he suddenly felt much drowsier than before and noticed an odd smell around him. It was coming from the vents! The Captain struggled to turn off the AC but slumped over incapacitated by the gas surrounding him.
“Wake up, porky.” Simonson awoke to a painful slap against his face. He opened his eyes and saw Bane and Trogg standing in front of him and behind a tray of several gruesome instruments. His ultimate fear had finally caught up with him. He pulled at his restraints futilely and rattled his metal chair slightly against the floor.
“How does it feel to know that you’re responsible for the death of your closest friends?” Bane’s eyes narrowed as his grin still managed to reveal his fury inside.
“You have the Venom back now. Isn’t that what you wanted?” Simonson’s voice quivered in horror.
“You’re right. I do have my product back but with no thanks to you for that.” Bane’s grin slowly faded to a cold, intimidating stare. “However, what I want is to know how you found out about our operation at the pier.”
“Look, look... I’ll tell you everything, just please don’t kill me!” The Captain’s resolve crumbled like a cookie in the presence of this diabolical crime boss.
“Names... I need names.”
“It was Nashton! Edward Nashton. You know, the...”
“Yes, I know who that is.” Bane turned to Trogg, and they both contemplated this revelation. They were pursuing the Riddler, but it seemed that every person in Maroni’s chain of informants led to another. Yet, Nashton was different. He was second only to Bruce Wayne in the level of his local influence over Gotham. He was a billionaire who obviously was privy to many of the things that the Riddler seemed intimately familiar with. What if they were one and the same? It made perfect sense.
Bane turned away from Simonson and paced to the other side of the room. The Captain wasn’t sure what to think with this sudden silence, “W-what’s going on?”
“Thanks, that will be all I need. This has proven to be much more of an enlightening session than I had expected.” Bane picked up a gas can as Trogg lit a cigarette and took a long drag.
“Oh god, no! NO!!! Please! Please! Don’t do it!!!” Simonson flailed violently in his chair as Bane walked towards him with the gas can.
________________________________________________________________
“That was quite a rescue you made over at the station.” Lucius Fox smiled at his heroic companion.
“Thanks.” Bruce Wayne cracked a slight smile, but his thoughts dwelled on the innocent lives lost the previous night. The attack by the Ghost Dragons hit close to home with his good friend being directly in the line of fire.
“How is Gordon?”
“He’s alright. I saved him right before the leader of those ninjas nearly killed him.” Bruce wearily sat down in Lucius’s office. It had been a long night for him, but the only comfort he had was knowing that he had fully returned to his role as Gotham’s protector.
“Now, Gordon owes you a rescue.” Lucius attempted to liven up his friend’s spirits.
Bruce’s smile widened a bit. “So, there was something you wanted to show me.”
“Of course... Remember that conversation we had with Nashton a few days ago?”
“Yes.”
“Well, he’s got that system up and running now.”
Bruce’s expression changed to one of apprehension. “A friend of mine in the telecom business told me about it. Nashton basically forced him to install one of his transmitters on his tower.” Lucius turned the laptop on his desk to face Bruce. The screen displayed a map of Gotham’s telecommunications infrastructure. “Nashton owns most of the towers in this city, but he’s also gotten all of the owners of the other towers to go along with his plan. The old national security argument is a hard one to refute right after your main police headquarters gets attacked and the National Guard is called in.”
“He set all this up, didn’t he?”
“Well, at the very least, it is rather convenient to his interests. Don’t worry though, I’ve already taken several steps to proof our building against his spying, even though it did disable our wifi connections.”
“So, he can’t see or hear inside our building, but he’s got the rest of the city in his view.”
“Yes, although I put something together that you might like.” Lucius pulled a small device with an antenna out of his briefcase. “You’ve heard about the scrambling technology that the military uses to shut down communications within a certain range, right?”
Bruce nodded and allowed his friend to continue. “Well, this is like a miniaturized version of that. When activated, you can render an area with about a 50-foot radius completely invisible to Nashton’s network. This area moves with you, since it requires a constant transmission to keep up the distortion. And of course, it also completely disables cell service and even radios in this area.”
“You never cease to amaze me, Lucius.” Bruce grinned as held the scrambling device.
________________________________________________________________
“Gotham is under lockdown by the National Guard now. Chaos has erupted throughout this city after a vicious attack was made against the central police station by a Chinese gang known as the Ghost Dragons. Thanks to Batman, the attack was stopped. Yes, you heard that right, Batman saved the lives of many police and civilians.” Harley watched the TV as Mike Engel spoke with several National Guardsmen and the mayor once again. “Is it true that Harvey Dent was really the one responsible for those murders 6 months ago?”
Mayor Garcia looked distraught and tired. “According to what the Commissioner told me, Dent did kill some of those people. Although, the Joker was responsible for some of those murders as well. We’re still investigating the matter.”
“What about the Ghost Dragons? Are they in custody?”
“Some of them are, yes. A woman who claims to be their leader is being held right now, and so are some of their members. However, a significant number of them were killed during the attack.”
“What about the destruction of Salvatore Maroni’s club? That occurred on the same night as the attack against the police station. Is there a connection between these two events?”
“I don’t know. We’re still investigating that as well.”
Harley let the various thoughts of the last few days flow through her mind. She had narrowly escaped a fiery death in the ruins of Maroni’s club only to be saved by this strange creature he had become. She had assumed that Bane was the villain responsible for her companion’s death, and his remarks about the Riddler were her only lead. Who was this Riddler person anyway?
“You’re awake.”
Harley turned to see Maroni standing in the doorway of her guest bedroom. He looked totally different from the crippled and mangled man she had ambushed two nights ago. The mobster seemed to be completely healed from his injuries, and he no longer needed a wheelchair. On the night of her escape, Maroni rode home with her. She had let him stay in her basement. The previous day, he seemed to “settle” like a pool of puddy in a dark corner. She had wanted to ask if he was ok, but she feared how he might react. Instead, she went to bed with her bedroom door locked and with her revolver under her pillow.
“You look surprised. So am I. I don’t think Bane realized what he did by giving me all that Venom.”
“What... are you?” Harley couldn’t think of much else to say, but she was still very wary of her mysterious guest.
“Well, I’m no doctor or biologist, but I’m pretty sure there was some reaction between a regenerative puddy that the hospital gave me and the Venom that Bane injected me with. It’s like my DNA has changed or something.” What Maroni was saying was thoroughly disturbing Harley, but he appeared both fascinated and even jovial about it. He noticed her concern. “There’s nothing to worry about, darling. Together, we can show Bane just how grateful we are for my changes with a personal visit.”
Harley watched as her guest walked over to a mirror and began to mold his face with his hands. Maroni motioned for her to come closer. Once she was within view of the mirror, he slowly shaped his face into an almost perfect clone of her own. Harley’s eyes widened with a mixture of shock and horror.
“My new abilities can be very useful....”
________________________________________________________________
“I’m sweatin’ like a pig out here.” A pudgy custodian sat in his van waiting for Enigma’s security to let him into one of the back doors of the office building. He had grown tired of the heat and humidity coming from the harbor on this particularly sticky night.
“There he is.” The man’s partner noticed the security guard opening the door and motioning for the men to enter. The custodians gathered some equipment from the back of the van and walked over to the entrance. The security guard propped the door slightly ajar with a doorstop to allow the custodians to move back and forth to their van for their equipment without having to worry about setting off an alarm. The men walked down the long hall, and just as they turned the corner, the door shifted slowly open.
Selina quietly snuck into the building wearing a black jumpsuit and a matching Venetian cat mask. She had concealed her golden hair with a black balaclava. She was very familiar with the layout of cameras in the building and managed to dodge several before entering a stairwell. She knew there were a few dozen floors she had to climb to get to Nashton’s office.
After several grueling minutes of quietly climbing stairs and occasionally hiding from security personnel wandering their patrols, Selina cracked open the door of the floor with Nashton’s office. Her legs were tired, and she had perspired considerably under the uncomfortably warm balaclava. Yet, she knew better than to take any of the elevators due to the cameras in them.
As luck would have it, there was no guard on this hall, and Selina stealthily approached the door to Nashton’s office while keeping out of the view of a few cameras. She punched in the code to Nashton’s door and carefully opened it. The lights were out, but the moonlight shone into the room just enough to outline the furniture, the desk, and the computer sitting atop of it. There was no camera in this room, so Selina could relax for a moment. The door shut softly behind her, and she sat in Nashton’s executive chair. The computer awakened from hibernating after a few keystrokes, and Selina used the password that Nashton had once given her.
Nashton’s Outlook program was still open, which showed numerous emails of company communications. The mundanities of being an executive were readily apparent between the various corporate proposals discussed and a few petty squabbles over budget details. Selina clicked on the Calendar tab of the program and viewed the day of the Asylum attack. Besides displaying a full schedule of meetings, Nashton had a cryptic note for the evening that read, “The laughing one has come to play, and I will find him on this day. And while the guards are in the fray, his own demise is underway.”
Selina was aware of Nashton’s penchant for riddles. It was a strange compulsion that he kept mostly private, but he would occasionally prank his close friends with elaborate ruses usually accompanied by some clever poem.
This riddle, however, had a much darker tone. It wasn’t irrefutable proof, but the coincidences were becoming all too convenient. She would’ve stayed longer to explore more of his files, but it was getting too close to the time when the cleaning crew would be leaving. She had to escape the building before the guards closed the back door. Selina hastily left Nashton’s office and made her way down the stairs again. There was a frightening moment on the final stretch of hallway where she had to duck into a bathroom to dodge both a camera and the guards. After calming herself for a few moments, she swiftly left the building just as the crew was about to turn the corner.
Memories raced through her mind of all the experiences she had shared with Edward. Could he really be the kind of man that would endanger the entire city just to kill the Joker? Could any business opportunity be worth the death and chaos that resulted from emptying Arkham? Selina struggled with the insanity of it all as she cautiously crept back to her car a few blocks down from the building. She had removed her mask and balaclava with a sigh after ducking into an alley out of the range of the cameras. The darkness enveloped her black outfit entirely on this tenebrous night. As she approached the sidewalk adjacent to the alley, a foul but familiar-smelling hood was thrown over her head from behind.
________________________________________________________________
Her eyes slowly opened, but an inky blackness obstructed her vision. She was blindfolded like the last time. The smell was different now. Scarecrow had held her in a basement level utility room during the ordeal that had changed her forever, but her current environs smelled less of mold and more of ash. Her feline instincts had aided her in sneaking through the security of her employer, but they didn’t help much while she was strapped to a table. The best she could manage was to focus her unhindered senses to get a bearing on her surroundings and where she was.
She idly tugged at her restraints as she heard a familiar voice reverberate from her side.
“Welcome back.” Dr. Crane’s amused tone was distinct. “Our time together was rudely cut short earlier, but I can promise you it won’t be tonight.”
After what she had experienced under the influence of Scarecrow’s gas, fear gripped ahold of her will. She felt a cool wisp of air brush across her bare skin just as last time. Not surprisingly, her insane captor had relieved her of all her clothing other than her black lingerie. She was spread eagle against the leather material covering the table she was held to.
“I enjoyed discovering just how sensitive you are. Tonight, I’m going to see just how many noises my little cat can make.” Selina gasped as a feather gently slid along the contours of her ribs. The sensation was teasing as the light sweeps of the tip gave her goosebumps. Her body twitched as the feather spiraled along her quivering stomach centering slowly towards her navel.
Crane was enthralled again by the beauty of his victim. He longed to taste her and feel her every delicious curve. Her blonde hair matched the light tan of her trim, athletic body. He watched as her blank expression began to evolve into a forced smile while he poked the feather into her navel. She bucked violently under the touch of his nimble fingers along her ribs.
Scarecrow’s soft technique was gradually moistening Selina. Her terror from being at the mercy of a madman yet again was not enough to blot out her arousal. Her submissive side was tormented by warm kisses across her toned abs. She bit her lip as she felt the doctor’s tongue slither around the edge of her navel.
Crane suddenly reached into the smooth pits of his captive and wiggled his fingers. He smiled as she squirmed and shrieked. She broke into hearty laughter when he began licking and nibbling her ribs. Her face reddened and beads of sweat formed on her heated skin as she helplessly thrashed from side to side. Nibbling along her abs as he fondled her hips was enough for her to throw her head back in silent laughter.
Selina had lost hope of regaining her composure while Scarecrow tickled her. All she could try to do was catch her breath in between each torturous attack. He had unfortunately determined that her thighs were very ticklish and decided to lick along the creases where they met her panties. She may have been laughing, but this was ferociously igniting her loins.
The doctor moved further down his victim’s legs and stroked the tops and backs of her knees. This elicited several squeals from her as she kicked her legs as much as the restraints would allow. He licked and kissed her calves while feathers titillated her dainty ankles and the tops of her feet. After a few moments of this, he gave her a breather.
Selina’s sides ached, and her back felt sticky against the leather of the table. Her captor hadn’t even touched her most delicate parts, but yet she felt feverish. Her worries concerning Crane’s hallucinogenic gas were pushed aside for the moment. For now, she could only focus on the sensual massage he was performing on her feet. She gritted her teeth as he leisurely licked her soles.
Scarecrow was pleased with the frantic reactions he was getting from his gorgeous captive. Her slender feet would flex with each touch, creating a myriad of wrinkles along her pedicured soles. Licking and nibbling her toes would cause them to wriggle in a futile attempt to escape their torment. He playfully pulled her red painted toes back each time she curled them in order to sneak a few licks in the agonizingly sensitive crevices beneath. By the time he was sucking her round toes, she was a giggling, moaning mess.
Selina didn’t bother with trying to protest her captor’s actions. She knew struggling was useless, and she gave into the pleasure coarsing through her. It was only when Crane dragged his teeth along her slippery soles that her hysterics commenced. Her feet were one of her most ticklish spots, and the doctor was relentless. Uncontrollable laughter poured out from her as the feeling of his swirling tongue around her toes was unbearable.
After a few minutes of this, Scarecrow let his exhausted victim rest. Her golden hair was partially matted against her forehead, and her tan complexion was now a shade of pink.
“Let me help you get... comfortable.” Selina felt the cold touch of a blade on her chest just before her bra snapped off. Her luscious breasts were complemented by her pointy nipples. Crane wasted no time leaning in to kiss and caress them. She moaned the loudest when he nibbled and sucked each hardened nipple.
Selina’s panties were soaked at this point, and she winced from the frigid touch of the blade once more before they were torn from her. She could feel his warm breath on her golden mound. Her endorphin addled mind was operating on little more than instinct at this point, and her hips shook from his licks along her lips. She was so close to the edge that it was painful. She needed a release... badly.
“Remove her blindfold.” A mysterious voice with a British accent came from across the room. “I want her to see what happens next.”
“Certainly, Riddler.” Scarecrow’s tone was obedient, and Selina could even sense a hint of intimidation. The light from overhead was nearly as numbing as her blindfold was, but she blinked a few times to adjust. She fought the erotic sensations still flowing through her body as she surveyed her surroundings. She was in some sort of dungeon. The stone walls were black, and the ceiling looked weathered by moisture. Scattered across the room were tables clearly designed for tortures of a sordid variety. Hers was the only one with leather padding, while the others were stained with blood and sprinkled with knife marks.
Beside him, the doctor had a tray of numerous tools – some for pleasure, others for pain. At the bottom edge of her vision, Selina could see the top of a tank with a hose connected to it. This presumably contained her captor’s infamous gas. Before she could contemplate the horrors of her last experience, her eyes darted to the ominous figure at the far corner of the room. A rather tall man stood up from his chair and began walking with a limp toward her with an ornamental black cane. The top of it was golden and shaped like a question mark. He wore a green suit with a green derby hat, but what caught her attention most was the creepy half-comedy, half-tragedy mask upon his face. She had never heard of the “Riddler.”
Crane looked as if he had been sweating almost as much as her, and the look in his eyes revealed his desire for her. Yet, even stronger than his libido was his apparent anxiety of his cryptic accomplice. Despite his limp, Riddler had an unnerving presence. The doctor seemed to tremble slightly as he approached the table. “Shall we start with the gas, sir?”
“Yes.” The scary man in the mask reached for the hose that his assistant handed to him.
“NO! NOOO!” Selina screamed as Riddler pulled the hose toward her and Scarecrow opened the valve of the tank. Seconds after the hiss of the gas, Riddler pushed the hose in Crane’s face. The doctor yelled in fright from breathing in the noxious fumes. Immediately, she could tell that he was hallucinating as Riddler dropped the hose and grabbed him by the throat. “Now, the fun begins.” Riddler pressed something on the head of the cane, and the hum of a motor could be heard.
Selina hadn’t inhaled any of the gas, but her wails resembled Scarecrow’s as she chillingly observed Riddler viciously thrusting the drill that had extended out of the end of his cane into her captor’s stomach. Despite his thin frame, Riddler seemed unnaturally strong as he held Crane off of the ground. His victim’s frantic flailing was futile as he casually pushed away his arms while blood sprayed onto him and Selina. Riddler’s maniacal laughter echoed throughout the chamber among the howls of the others.
After only a few seconds, Crane stopped moving or shouting, and Riddler dropped him with a loud thud upon the floor. Splattered with blood and with Selina merely reduced to sobbing, he casually closed the valve of the tank. “You know, this gas doesn’t smell half bad.”
She hoped there hadn’t been enough gas in the air around her to affect her, but she silently wondered if watching this gruesome act would’ve been more tolerable while intoxicated. Riddler dropped his cane aside and straddled the table. She closed her eyes and shuddered as she felt his bloodstained gloves slide against her thighs.
“Venom not only has the benefit of added strength, but it counteracts our deceased friend’s gas.” Riddler paused and let Selina’s hyperventilating dwindle. “I told you I would make him pay.” His British accent had disappeared, and his voice became a familiar American one.
Selina’s expression was of an appalled shock as Riddler removed his bloody mask to reveal the diabolical grin of Edward Nashton.
TO BE CONTINUED
http://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?t=166553
http://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?t=175574
http://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?t=179593
This story is long on plot, so if you want to go straight to the tickling it's near the end. As before, this is designed to resemble Christopher Nolan's version of the Batman series -- complete with a few revisions to character identities and origins. Anyway, enjoy...
Batman Triumphant – Part Four
CHRISTIAN BALE as Batman
MORGAN FREEMAN as Lucius Fox
GARY OLDMAN as Commissioner Gordon
MICHAEL CAINE as Alfred
CILLIAN MURPHY as Scarecrow
ERIC ROBERTS as Salvatore Maroni/Clayface
ANTHONY MICHAEL HALL as Mike Engel
NESTOR CARBONELL as Mayor Anthony Garcia
MALIN AKERMAN as Harley Quinn
HUGH LAURIE as Edward Nashton
DIANE KRUGER as Selina Kyle/Catwoman
TOMMY LISTER as Bane
BENICIO DEL TORO as Trogg
? as Riddler
RISTEARD COOPER as Captain Simonson
________________________________________________________________
“What are we gonna do?” The wounded police officer’s expression was full of terror. He looked to his captain for guidance as he laid in his hospital bed hooked up to several IVs.
“Just keep quiet. They still don’t know anything about us. They’re just looking for someone to blame at this point.” Captain Simonson wiped sweat from his brow as he glanced around the room nervously. He had to reassure his lieutenant that they wouldn’t be prosecuted for participating in Maroni’s heist. With the mobster’s hideout burnt to the ground and no evidence of the Venom stock left at the scene, he knew Bane was responsible.
“Why did we have to do this? They’re all dead now!” The lieutenant lamented the loss of several of his colleagues, and countless other officers were permanently injured from the blast and gunfight. After just one foolish ambush of Bane’s forces and the Ghost Dragons, Gotham’s police force had suffered dearly for its corruption.
“I know.... I have to go now. I need to tie up a few loose ends. We’ll be fine. Just keep your goddamn mouth shut!” Without Maroni around, Simonson no longer had the protection from the underworld that he had grown accustomed to. If Maroni had talked, he knew he was Bane’s next target. His only real option was to flee the city at this point. The Captain left his lieutenant and hurriedly exited the hospital. He briskly walked across the lower level of the parking garage as he anxiously scanned the area for any signs of trouble. The lot was surprisingly quiet for this time of night.
Simonson approached his car uneventfully, but he still felt like he was being watched. He withdrew his keys from his pocket tensely and disarmed his alarm. He entered the car, started up the engine, and quickly turned on the AC. Even though it was near midnight, the temperature was in the low 80s, and the air was abnormally muggy. This summer had been one of the hottest ever for Gotham. Strangely, he suddenly felt much drowsier than before and noticed an odd smell around him. It was coming from the vents! The Captain struggled to turn off the AC but slumped over incapacitated by the gas surrounding him.
“Wake up, porky.” Simonson awoke to a painful slap against his face. He opened his eyes and saw Bane and Trogg standing in front of him and behind a tray of several gruesome instruments. His ultimate fear had finally caught up with him. He pulled at his restraints futilely and rattled his metal chair slightly against the floor.
“How does it feel to know that you’re responsible for the death of your closest friends?” Bane’s eyes narrowed as his grin still managed to reveal his fury inside.
“You have the Venom back now. Isn’t that what you wanted?” Simonson’s voice quivered in horror.
“You’re right. I do have my product back but with no thanks to you for that.” Bane’s grin slowly faded to a cold, intimidating stare. “However, what I want is to know how you found out about our operation at the pier.”
“Look, look... I’ll tell you everything, just please don’t kill me!” The Captain’s resolve crumbled like a cookie in the presence of this diabolical crime boss.
“Names... I need names.”
“It was Nashton! Edward Nashton. You know, the...”
“Yes, I know who that is.” Bane turned to Trogg, and they both contemplated this revelation. They were pursuing the Riddler, but it seemed that every person in Maroni’s chain of informants led to another. Yet, Nashton was different. He was second only to Bruce Wayne in the level of his local influence over Gotham. He was a billionaire who obviously was privy to many of the things that the Riddler seemed intimately familiar with. What if they were one and the same? It made perfect sense.
Bane turned away from Simonson and paced to the other side of the room. The Captain wasn’t sure what to think with this sudden silence, “W-what’s going on?”
“Thanks, that will be all I need. This has proven to be much more of an enlightening session than I had expected.” Bane picked up a gas can as Trogg lit a cigarette and took a long drag.
“Oh god, no! NO!!! Please! Please! Don’t do it!!!” Simonson flailed violently in his chair as Bane walked towards him with the gas can.
________________________________________________________________
“That was quite a rescue you made over at the station.” Lucius Fox smiled at his heroic companion.
“Thanks.” Bruce Wayne cracked a slight smile, but his thoughts dwelled on the innocent lives lost the previous night. The attack by the Ghost Dragons hit close to home with his good friend being directly in the line of fire.
“How is Gordon?”
“He’s alright. I saved him right before the leader of those ninjas nearly killed him.” Bruce wearily sat down in Lucius’s office. It had been a long night for him, but the only comfort he had was knowing that he had fully returned to his role as Gotham’s protector.
“Now, Gordon owes you a rescue.” Lucius attempted to liven up his friend’s spirits.
Bruce’s smile widened a bit. “So, there was something you wanted to show me.”
“Of course... Remember that conversation we had with Nashton a few days ago?”
“Yes.”
“Well, he’s got that system up and running now.”
Bruce’s expression changed to one of apprehension. “A friend of mine in the telecom business told me about it. Nashton basically forced him to install one of his transmitters on his tower.” Lucius turned the laptop on his desk to face Bruce. The screen displayed a map of Gotham’s telecommunications infrastructure. “Nashton owns most of the towers in this city, but he’s also gotten all of the owners of the other towers to go along with his plan. The old national security argument is a hard one to refute right after your main police headquarters gets attacked and the National Guard is called in.”
“He set all this up, didn’t he?”
“Well, at the very least, it is rather convenient to his interests. Don’t worry though, I’ve already taken several steps to proof our building against his spying, even though it did disable our wifi connections.”
“So, he can’t see or hear inside our building, but he’s got the rest of the city in his view.”
“Yes, although I put something together that you might like.” Lucius pulled a small device with an antenna out of his briefcase. “You’ve heard about the scrambling technology that the military uses to shut down communications within a certain range, right?”
Bruce nodded and allowed his friend to continue. “Well, this is like a miniaturized version of that. When activated, you can render an area with about a 50-foot radius completely invisible to Nashton’s network. This area moves with you, since it requires a constant transmission to keep up the distortion. And of course, it also completely disables cell service and even radios in this area.”
“You never cease to amaze me, Lucius.” Bruce grinned as held the scrambling device.
________________________________________________________________
“Gotham is under lockdown by the National Guard now. Chaos has erupted throughout this city after a vicious attack was made against the central police station by a Chinese gang known as the Ghost Dragons. Thanks to Batman, the attack was stopped. Yes, you heard that right, Batman saved the lives of many police and civilians.” Harley watched the TV as Mike Engel spoke with several National Guardsmen and the mayor once again. “Is it true that Harvey Dent was really the one responsible for those murders 6 months ago?”
Mayor Garcia looked distraught and tired. “According to what the Commissioner told me, Dent did kill some of those people. Although, the Joker was responsible for some of those murders as well. We’re still investigating the matter.”
“What about the Ghost Dragons? Are they in custody?”
“Some of them are, yes. A woman who claims to be their leader is being held right now, and so are some of their members. However, a significant number of them were killed during the attack.”
“What about the destruction of Salvatore Maroni’s club? That occurred on the same night as the attack against the police station. Is there a connection between these two events?”
“I don’t know. We’re still investigating that as well.”
Harley let the various thoughts of the last few days flow through her mind. She had narrowly escaped a fiery death in the ruins of Maroni’s club only to be saved by this strange creature he had become. She had assumed that Bane was the villain responsible for her companion’s death, and his remarks about the Riddler were her only lead. Who was this Riddler person anyway?
“You’re awake.”
Harley turned to see Maroni standing in the doorway of her guest bedroom. He looked totally different from the crippled and mangled man she had ambushed two nights ago. The mobster seemed to be completely healed from his injuries, and he no longer needed a wheelchair. On the night of her escape, Maroni rode home with her. She had let him stay in her basement. The previous day, he seemed to “settle” like a pool of puddy in a dark corner. She had wanted to ask if he was ok, but she feared how he might react. Instead, she went to bed with her bedroom door locked and with her revolver under her pillow.
“You look surprised. So am I. I don’t think Bane realized what he did by giving me all that Venom.”
“What... are you?” Harley couldn’t think of much else to say, but she was still very wary of her mysterious guest.
“Well, I’m no doctor or biologist, but I’m pretty sure there was some reaction between a regenerative puddy that the hospital gave me and the Venom that Bane injected me with. It’s like my DNA has changed or something.” What Maroni was saying was thoroughly disturbing Harley, but he appeared both fascinated and even jovial about it. He noticed her concern. “There’s nothing to worry about, darling. Together, we can show Bane just how grateful we are for my changes with a personal visit.”
Harley watched as her guest walked over to a mirror and began to mold his face with his hands. Maroni motioned for her to come closer. Once she was within view of the mirror, he slowly shaped his face into an almost perfect clone of her own. Harley’s eyes widened with a mixture of shock and horror.
“My new abilities can be very useful....”
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“I’m sweatin’ like a pig out here.” A pudgy custodian sat in his van waiting for Enigma’s security to let him into one of the back doors of the office building. He had grown tired of the heat and humidity coming from the harbor on this particularly sticky night.
“There he is.” The man’s partner noticed the security guard opening the door and motioning for the men to enter. The custodians gathered some equipment from the back of the van and walked over to the entrance. The security guard propped the door slightly ajar with a doorstop to allow the custodians to move back and forth to their van for their equipment without having to worry about setting off an alarm. The men walked down the long hall, and just as they turned the corner, the door shifted slowly open.
Selina quietly snuck into the building wearing a black jumpsuit and a matching Venetian cat mask. She had concealed her golden hair with a black balaclava. She was very familiar with the layout of cameras in the building and managed to dodge several before entering a stairwell. She knew there were a few dozen floors she had to climb to get to Nashton’s office.
After several grueling minutes of quietly climbing stairs and occasionally hiding from security personnel wandering their patrols, Selina cracked open the door of the floor with Nashton’s office. Her legs were tired, and she had perspired considerably under the uncomfortably warm balaclava. Yet, she knew better than to take any of the elevators due to the cameras in them.
As luck would have it, there was no guard on this hall, and Selina stealthily approached the door to Nashton’s office while keeping out of the view of a few cameras. She punched in the code to Nashton’s door and carefully opened it. The lights were out, but the moonlight shone into the room just enough to outline the furniture, the desk, and the computer sitting atop of it. There was no camera in this room, so Selina could relax for a moment. The door shut softly behind her, and she sat in Nashton’s executive chair. The computer awakened from hibernating after a few keystrokes, and Selina used the password that Nashton had once given her.
Nashton’s Outlook program was still open, which showed numerous emails of company communications. The mundanities of being an executive were readily apparent between the various corporate proposals discussed and a few petty squabbles over budget details. Selina clicked on the Calendar tab of the program and viewed the day of the Asylum attack. Besides displaying a full schedule of meetings, Nashton had a cryptic note for the evening that read, “The laughing one has come to play, and I will find him on this day. And while the guards are in the fray, his own demise is underway.”
Selina was aware of Nashton’s penchant for riddles. It was a strange compulsion that he kept mostly private, but he would occasionally prank his close friends with elaborate ruses usually accompanied by some clever poem.
This riddle, however, had a much darker tone. It wasn’t irrefutable proof, but the coincidences were becoming all too convenient. She would’ve stayed longer to explore more of his files, but it was getting too close to the time when the cleaning crew would be leaving. She had to escape the building before the guards closed the back door. Selina hastily left Nashton’s office and made her way down the stairs again. There was a frightening moment on the final stretch of hallway where she had to duck into a bathroom to dodge both a camera and the guards. After calming herself for a few moments, she swiftly left the building just as the crew was about to turn the corner.
Memories raced through her mind of all the experiences she had shared with Edward. Could he really be the kind of man that would endanger the entire city just to kill the Joker? Could any business opportunity be worth the death and chaos that resulted from emptying Arkham? Selina struggled with the insanity of it all as she cautiously crept back to her car a few blocks down from the building. She had removed her mask and balaclava with a sigh after ducking into an alley out of the range of the cameras. The darkness enveloped her black outfit entirely on this tenebrous night. As she approached the sidewalk adjacent to the alley, a foul but familiar-smelling hood was thrown over her head from behind.
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Her eyes slowly opened, but an inky blackness obstructed her vision. She was blindfolded like the last time. The smell was different now. Scarecrow had held her in a basement level utility room during the ordeal that had changed her forever, but her current environs smelled less of mold and more of ash. Her feline instincts had aided her in sneaking through the security of her employer, but they didn’t help much while she was strapped to a table. The best she could manage was to focus her unhindered senses to get a bearing on her surroundings and where she was.
She idly tugged at her restraints as she heard a familiar voice reverberate from her side.
“Welcome back.” Dr. Crane’s amused tone was distinct. “Our time together was rudely cut short earlier, but I can promise you it won’t be tonight.”
After what she had experienced under the influence of Scarecrow’s gas, fear gripped ahold of her will. She felt a cool wisp of air brush across her bare skin just as last time. Not surprisingly, her insane captor had relieved her of all her clothing other than her black lingerie. She was spread eagle against the leather material covering the table she was held to.
“I enjoyed discovering just how sensitive you are. Tonight, I’m going to see just how many noises my little cat can make.” Selina gasped as a feather gently slid along the contours of her ribs. The sensation was teasing as the light sweeps of the tip gave her goosebumps. Her body twitched as the feather spiraled along her quivering stomach centering slowly towards her navel.
Crane was enthralled again by the beauty of his victim. He longed to taste her and feel her every delicious curve. Her blonde hair matched the light tan of her trim, athletic body. He watched as her blank expression began to evolve into a forced smile while he poked the feather into her navel. She bucked violently under the touch of his nimble fingers along her ribs.
Scarecrow’s soft technique was gradually moistening Selina. Her terror from being at the mercy of a madman yet again was not enough to blot out her arousal. Her submissive side was tormented by warm kisses across her toned abs. She bit her lip as she felt the doctor’s tongue slither around the edge of her navel.
Crane suddenly reached into the smooth pits of his captive and wiggled his fingers. He smiled as she squirmed and shrieked. She broke into hearty laughter when he began licking and nibbling her ribs. Her face reddened and beads of sweat formed on her heated skin as she helplessly thrashed from side to side. Nibbling along her abs as he fondled her hips was enough for her to throw her head back in silent laughter.
Selina had lost hope of regaining her composure while Scarecrow tickled her. All she could try to do was catch her breath in between each torturous attack. He had unfortunately determined that her thighs were very ticklish and decided to lick along the creases where they met her panties. She may have been laughing, but this was ferociously igniting her loins.
The doctor moved further down his victim’s legs and stroked the tops and backs of her knees. This elicited several squeals from her as she kicked her legs as much as the restraints would allow. He licked and kissed her calves while feathers titillated her dainty ankles and the tops of her feet. After a few moments of this, he gave her a breather.
Selina’s sides ached, and her back felt sticky against the leather of the table. Her captor hadn’t even touched her most delicate parts, but yet she felt feverish. Her worries concerning Crane’s hallucinogenic gas were pushed aside for the moment. For now, she could only focus on the sensual massage he was performing on her feet. She gritted her teeth as he leisurely licked her soles.
Scarecrow was pleased with the frantic reactions he was getting from his gorgeous captive. Her slender feet would flex with each touch, creating a myriad of wrinkles along her pedicured soles. Licking and nibbling her toes would cause them to wriggle in a futile attempt to escape their torment. He playfully pulled her red painted toes back each time she curled them in order to sneak a few licks in the agonizingly sensitive crevices beneath. By the time he was sucking her round toes, she was a giggling, moaning mess.
Selina didn’t bother with trying to protest her captor’s actions. She knew struggling was useless, and she gave into the pleasure coarsing through her. It was only when Crane dragged his teeth along her slippery soles that her hysterics commenced. Her feet were one of her most ticklish spots, and the doctor was relentless. Uncontrollable laughter poured out from her as the feeling of his swirling tongue around her toes was unbearable.
After a few minutes of this, Scarecrow let his exhausted victim rest. Her golden hair was partially matted against her forehead, and her tan complexion was now a shade of pink.
“Let me help you get... comfortable.” Selina felt the cold touch of a blade on her chest just before her bra snapped off. Her luscious breasts were complemented by her pointy nipples. Crane wasted no time leaning in to kiss and caress them. She moaned the loudest when he nibbled and sucked each hardened nipple.
Selina’s panties were soaked at this point, and she winced from the frigid touch of the blade once more before they were torn from her. She could feel his warm breath on her golden mound. Her endorphin addled mind was operating on little more than instinct at this point, and her hips shook from his licks along her lips. She was so close to the edge that it was painful. She needed a release... badly.
“Remove her blindfold.” A mysterious voice with a British accent came from across the room. “I want her to see what happens next.”
“Certainly, Riddler.” Scarecrow’s tone was obedient, and Selina could even sense a hint of intimidation. The light from overhead was nearly as numbing as her blindfold was, but she blinked a few times to adjust. She fought the erotic sensations still flowing through her body as she surveyed her surroundings. She was in some sort of dungeon. The stone walls were black, and the ceiling looked weathered by moisture. Scattered across the room were tables clearly designed for tortures of a sordid variety. Hers was the only one with leather padding, while the others were stained with blood and sprinkled with knife marks.
Beside him, the doctor had a tray of numerous tools – some for pleasure, others for pain. At the bottom edge of her vision, Selina could see the top of a tank with a hose connected to it. This presumably contained her captor’s infamous gas. Before she could contemplate the horrors of her last experience, her eyes darted to the ominous figure at the far corner of the room. A rather tall man stood up from his chair and began walking with a limp toward her with an ornamental black cane. The top of it was golden and shaped like a question mark. He wore a green suit with a green derby hat, but what caught her attention most was the creepy half-comedy, half-tragedy mask upon his face. She had never heard of the “Riddler.”
Crane looked as if he had been sweating almost as much as her, and the look in his eyes revealed his desire for her. Yet, even stronger than his libido was his apparent anxiety of his cryptic accomplice. Despite his limp, Riddler had an unnerving presence. The doctor seemed to tremble slightly as he approached the table. “Shall we start with the gas, sir?”
“Yes.” The scary man in the mask reached for the hose that his assistant handed to him.
“NO! NOOO!” Selina screamed as Riddler pulled the hose toward her and Scarecrow opened the valve of the tank. Seconds after the hiss of the gas, Riddler pushed the hose in Crane’s face. The doctor yelled in fright from breathing in the noxious fumes. Immediately, she could tell that he was hallucinating as Riddler dropped the hose and grabbed him by the throat. “Now, the fun begins.” Riddler pressed something on the head of the cane, and the hum of a motor could be heard.
Selina hadn’t inhaled any of the gas, but her wails resembled Scarecrow’s as she chillingly observed Riddler viciously thrusting the drill that had extended out of the end of his cane into her captor’s stomach. Despite his thin frame, Riddler seemed unnaturally strong as he held Crane off of the ground. His victim’s frantic flailing was futile as he casually pushed away his arms while blood sprayed onto him and Selina. Riddler’s maniacal laughter echoed throughout the chamber among the howls of the others.
After only a few seconds, Crane stopped moving or shouting, and Riddler dropped him with a loud thud upon the floor. Splattered with blood and with Selina merely reduced to sobbing, he casually closed the valve of the tank. “You know, this gas doesn’t smell half bad.”
She hoped there hadn’t been enough gas in the air around her to affect her, but she silently wondered if watching this gruesome act would’ve been more tolerable while intoxicated. Riddler dropped his cane aside and straddled the table. She closed her eyes and shuddered as she felt his bloodstained gloves slide against her thighs.
“Venom not only has the benefit of added strength, but it counteracts our deceased friend’s gas.” Riddler paused and let Selina’s hyperventilating dwindle. “I told you I would make him pay.” His British accent had disappeared, and his voice became a familiar American one.
Selina’s expression was of an appalled shock as Riddler removed his bloody mask to reveal the diabolical grin of Edward Nashton.
TO BE CONTINUED
