The Bat stumbled over his threshold. The rest of the hospital had been built mostly to their benefactor’s specifications, but this room, this very special room, was designed for Doctor Zodiac’s unique talents.
A few wisps of smoke still clung to Batman like stray thoughts. He was limping, too, but whether or not was from Doctor Phosphorus’ attempt to break his body was difficult to say. The Dark Knight had undergone a bit of a gauntlet prior to even stepping foot in their unique facility.
Just as the previous room had been copper-plated to assist Phosphorus in weakening Batman, this room had been altered as well. The walls were painted black, but with silver streaks laced throughout in odd intervals, a seemingly random pattern. The standard lights were replaced with strobes. A low-level hum was piped in over hidden speakers, which changed pitch every few seconds. The entire room had been designed to create confusion and disorientation.
They would all have their chance, of course, but Zodiac honestly thought that his opportunity to break and embarrass Batman would be the most effective. Phosphorus was to wear him down physically, give him burns all over his body, making it painful even for him to move. The others after him would have their own fears to instill as well, but Zodiac would lay the groundwork for their particular pursuits.
The stolen gem at the center of his turban, bolstered by Doctor Tzin-Tzin, gave Zodiac the power to break Batman in a much different way. He would run him ragged through the chambers of his own mind until he was nothing more than a babbling fool.
Batman hobbled into the chamber and Zodiac pressed the button from his safe perch, sealing off the room completely. He smiled as he leaned forward to speak into the microphone, eager to hear his own voice fill the room.
“Welcome, Batman,” Zodiac said. “Welcome…to your own private hell.”
Power radiated from Zodiac’s gem, flooding all of Batman’s senses at once. His perceptions we already skewering and Zodiac could practically feel the vigilante’s anxiety heighten.
Batman was in Zodiac’s thrall once again, and there he would remain, forced to endlessly live out the consequences of his actions.
A few wisps of smoke still clung to Batman like stray thoughts. He was limping, too, but whether or not was from Doctor Phosphorus’ attempt to break his body was difficult to say. The Dark Knight had undergone a bit of a gauntlet prior to even stepping foot in their unique facility.
Just as the previous room had been copper-plated to assist Phosphorus in weakening Batman, this room had been altered as well. The walls were painted black, but with silver streaks laced throughout in odd intervals, a seemingly random pattern. The standard lights were replaced with strobes. A low-level hum was piped in over hidden speakers, which changed pitch every few seconds. The entire room had been designed to create confusion and disorientation.
They would all have their chance, of course, but Zodiac honestly thought that his opportunity to break and embarrass Batman would be the most effective. Phosphorus was to wear him down physically, give him burns all over his body, making it painful even for him to move. The others after him would have their own fears to instill as well, but Zodiac would lay the groundwork for their particular pursuits.
The stolen gem at the center of his turban, bolstered by Doctor Tzin-Tzin, gave Zodiac the power to break Batman in a much different way. He would run him ragged through the chambers of his own mind until he was nothing more than a babbling fool.
Batman hobbled into the chamber and Zodiac pressed the button from his safe perch, sealing off the room completely. He smiled as he leaned forward to speak into the microphone, eager to hear his own voice fill the room.
“Welcome, Batman,” Zodiac said. “Welcome…to your own private hell.”
Power radiated from Zodiac’s gem, flooding all of Batman’s senses at once. His perceptions we already skewering and Zodiac could practically feel the vigilante’s anxiety heighten.
Batman was in Zodiac’s thrall once again, and there he would remain, forced to endlessly live out the consequences of his actions.
ISSUE #6 (July 2018)
Written by D. Golightly Featuring: Batman
Robin
Catwoman
Doctor Zodiac
Doctor Double X
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"Hospital of Pain - Part Two"
Two faceless guards trotted by the shadows concealing the teenage Robin, quickly followed by three of Doctor Double X’s duplicates. It was the third such contingent that he had avoided since escaping their rudimentary trap. They were searching for him and while he was confident that he could avoid them every time, he knew that time was still running out. He couldn’t waist what precious minutes he had playing cat and mouse.
This Double X hadn’t been in any of the recent files, but he did recognize the work of Doctor No-Face. That was at least two villains he would have to deal with, along with seventeen individual henchmen so far. Child’s play, of course, but the goal wasn’t to thwart their captors. Not yet. He needed to reach Batman. Even though he had only been under his father’s tutelage for a short time, in comparison against Dick Grayson, the standard on which all are judged, he already knew how important it was for him to has support. His father was capable, yes, but tactical support was a vital aspect to ensuring a win. Robin slipped out from behind a stack of empty crates that had once housed medical supplies, silently rushing down through the corridor. Judging from where the henchmen seemed to be coming from, this had to be a route to Batman. He hit a t-intersection and turned right. He no sooner rounded a corner than realized his fatal mistake. “Is this our-” “-little partridge?” A half dozen of Double X’s duplicates, which claimed to all be a part of some kind of hive mind, awaited him. He turned, but was immediately closed in by the others that had passed him just moments ago. He had rushed forward without taking the time to map out his surroundings, and know he was paying for it. He knew the approximate width of the building just from mapping the corridors, and had be paused for a moment, he would have realized that turning where he had would put him at the entrance to a stairwell, which was now like a dead end. Robin flexed his fingers and pivoted so that his back was to the center of the t-intersection, with the two groups on his right and left. “Let’s go-” “-back to-” “-your cage.” Robin smirked. “Come and get me,” he replied. They charged him from both sides, a plethora of duplicates with a pair of the faceless men in the mix. He backflipped and kicked off of the wall in the center of the t-intersection, springing himself back down the perpendicular corridor. Now, at the very least, he would have all of his quarry in front of him. He immediately twisted and swept his leg out to stumble the closest duplicate, knocking down two more given their close proximity. A faceless henchman reached for him, but he batted the hand away and drove his own fist into the man’s solar plexus, simultaneously shoving him back and incapacitating him. A duplicate managed to grab his other arm, but Robin stabbed his elbow down into the dupe’s forearm, hitting the precise pressure point to force a release. He back-handed the dupe, drove his knee into its groin, and fell into a backward somersault to put a little more distance between him and the others. A pair of thick arms, wrapped in purple spandex, grabbed him from behind. Another dupe, seemingly out of nowhere, had somehow gotten behind him. He chided himself and struggled, but the bear hug was too tight. “Never send a copy to do the original’s job,” Doctor Double X stated. He yanked Robin off of his feet and tightened his grip even further. “I don’t believe that you’re the same young apprentice that helped your mentor thwart me the last time. Are you? No, your hair is different. Interesting.” “What do you want us to do with him?” one of the faceless men asked, which was bizarre, since he had no mouth. “Inform your master of his capture, then continue to search for the other one.” The faceless men nodded and trotted down the hallway, no doubt in search of their employer as ordered. As soon as they were out of earshot, Doctor Double X muttered, “Useless fools.” “But necessary-” “-ones,” a pair of his duplicates responded as they closed in. “Indeed. Thankfully, I create my own minions. So much more reliable, wouldn’t you agree?” The duplicates all nodded at once. They had surrounded them now and Robin actually felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead. Several scenarios were running through is calculating mind for how to break away, and while he felt that he could escape from one or two, being surrounded by so many made it impossible for him to get completely free. “Exactly how many children does the formidable Batman take under his wings?” Double X inquired as he handed Robin off to two of his dupes. “It’s very odd, if I do say so. He leads a dangerous life. And yet, he brings toddlers into the lion’s den? Very bizarre behavior.” “Give yourself up now,” Robin spat back, “and we’ll be lenient with you.” Doctor Double X laughed, a throaty guffaw that echoed in the corridor. “Is that so, little partridge? Perhaps you’ve failed to realize that you’re held at bay and your master is currently lost within our chambers. So…who, precisely, is this ‘we’ that you speak of? Hmm?” “Me,” Robin replied casually. “And her.” Metal wrenched as the overhead ventilation grate was kicked down right on top of Double X, catching him off guard. A lithe figure instantly popped down and smashed down on top of him, slamming her palm into his nose, the bridge of which snapped and a gush of blood came spilling out. Doctor Double X wobbled for a moment, then his head hit the tiled floor and his eyes rolled back. As soon as he was unconscious the various dupes in the corridor faded away, releasing Robin. Selina Kyle, sans her Catwoman costume, stood up and took in a deep breath. She then whirled on Robin, fury in her eyes. “You little brat,” she spat out. “I should have left you with them like you left me back there.” “I appreciate your help.” He looked down at the knocked-out Double X. “Good guess that his copies would fall apart without him.” “My help?” Selina rolled her eyes. “You are so full of yourself. Why he lets you tag along on these missions, I’ll never know.” “We can debate that later,” Robin said as he turned to move deeper into the hospital. “Right now, we have more important things to do.” Selina fell in beside him, running down the hall and into the stairwell that had been the cause of Robin’s capture. “Any clue where Batman is?” she asked. Robin began running up the numerous stairs as fast as he could. “We’re close to the top floor, and I was going to work my way down to find him, playing the odds.” “And we’re headed up because…” “Getting caught and then your subsequent help made me realize something.” “Help, rescue, salvation,” Selina said. “Whatever.” They only had two flights of stairs to go until they reached the exit to the roof. It had been sealed off with two spot welds, but Robin’s acetone torch made short work of them. He sliced through and kicked the door open onto the roof, seeing the gloomy city sprawling out before them. Selina placed a hand on the youth’s shoulder. “We can’t leave him here,” she said. He shrugged away from her, tapping the side of his mask. His belt had been taken from him, but he had other tools lacing his costume. “Of course we’re not leaving,” he replied. “But we do need help. I couldn’t get a frequency through the hospital walls. Up here, though, I’m already connected to our satellite. I’m sending out an encoded alert. We’ll get back-up.” “You have your own satellite?” Selina asked. When Robin ignored her she sighed and said, “Of course you have your own satellite.” “Help will be here soon,” Robin said. He turned to race back into the building. “Don’t just stand there! C’mon!” Selina briefly considered just leaping off of the rooftop to freedom, letting the Boy Wonder and his soon-to-arrive back-up to deal with the problems in the hospital. She had been mugged, drugged, and used as bait. She was worn, tired, and ready to go take a long bubble bath. But Batman needed her. She may have been a thief, and a damn good one, but she knew that Batman would never leave her behind. She raced in after Robin, wondering when she was going to get into a more stable relationship.
Batman gulped in a deep breath, feeling like his brain was on fire. He blinked several times and saw that he was in the next section of the burn ward, just beyond where he had faced Phosphorus. Between the strobing lights he could see that the walls here were painted black with swirls of silver, and there was some kind low-level hum being piped in. He quickly tapped his masked just above the eye slots and again near his ears. Special lenses to counteract the disorienting strobe effect slid into place and his hearing became muffled to drown out the distracting humming.
He took a moment to collect himself and then looked at what appeared to be an observation room hanging above the far end of the room. This must have once been an operating room, complete with an area for students or other personnel to watch and learn. But instead of medical professionals and eager pupils, there sat Doctor Zodiac, perched in front of a microphone. Batman reacted by reaching for his utility belt, but he forgot that it had been removed already. He relaxed, though, when he saw that Zodiac would no longer be a threat. His turban was ruffled, the gem split in two, and his eyes blank. A small trickle of drool seeped out of his mouth. A door beneath the observation room slid open, beckoning Batman to enter. He was battered from his trials already, but knew that he had to proceed. Robin was somewhere in the facility, possibly going through his own gauntlet, and would need his help. There were also undoubtedly more villains throughout this “Hospital of Pain.” As much as his body was screaming at him to forego the next nightmarish showcase, he stepped forward, instead focusing on just putting one foot in front of the other. The doorway swallowed him whole, and sealed shut behind him. NEXT: Tzin awaits! |