The latest installment of Mark Wooden’s fanfiction! Batgirl identifies the ex-KGB assassin. Batman meets with Tony Stark.
Want to read this from the beginning? CLICK HERE!
After the chase down the Strip, Batman rode the Batcycle to a location near the University of Las Vegas campus.
He checked on the Batwing. It had landed in the desert on the outskirts of town. Its jamming systems protected it from radar. It’s black coating kept prying eyes away.
At worst, someone observing the plane would think it a UFO.
Batman changed into civilian clothes, adding facial hair and some dirt as a disguise — all items stashed in a small compartment on the Batcycle. The world had to believe Bruce Wayne was still in Gotham.
His disguise in place, Batman downloaded the campus map and the interior floorplan of the Chemistry Building to his cowl. He took a minute to memorize it, then stashed his cowl within the Batcycle’s compartment.
Grabbing some lockpicking tools, his cell phone, and the evidence bag with the local thug’s molar, the disguised Batman walked on campus and headed for the Chemistry Building.
It didn’t take him long to get into the building and find a lab. He set to work analyzing the poison residue on the tooth. He hoped to isolate it, then cross reference the chemical compound and attempt to locate its source.
While the chemical machines worked, Batman used his cell phone to call Batgirl. It was a private frequency, bouncing off several Wayne Enterprises satellites.
“Any news?” Batman asked when Batgirl came on the line.
“Dick says hello,” Batgirl replied.
She had made it back to the Batcave. Alfred had her in the medical section and tended to the stab wound in her thigh. He gave it the usual look of displeasure but dutifully worked without any scolding remarks.
“About the ex-KGB female,” Batman clarified.
“I survived the stab wound she gave me, thank you very much.”
“You engaged her?” Batman asked, an edge in his voice.
“Briefly. Black Mask’s henchwoman Han too. They weren’t particularly happy to see me at Mask’s office.”
“You were to observe only.”
Batgirl’s shoulders slumped, acknowledging the dressing down from her mentor. Alfred dutifully remained quiet as he finished the last of the bandaging.
“The opportunity presented itself,” Batgirl said. “I tracked her to a yacht at the marina. She left with a laptop.”
“Anything on it?”
“I stole it, but she shot out the hard drive. So I went to talk to the guy on the yacht. His dying confession got me a USB drive.”
“I assume the ex-KGB woman killed him,” Batman said.
“Yep. But the other good news is I now have a name to go with the face. And an idea where she’s headed.”
After debriefing with Agent Coulson (always a charming fellow), Stark settled in at the MGM Grand.
The Mandalay wasn’t too keen on giving him another room, seeing as how he had trashed the previous room.
Stark insisted it wasn’t his fault, but for the sake of maintaining some relationship with the hotel, he let it slide and had them send his things over here.
Dressed in a silk bathrobe and matching slippers, Stark was mixing his third martini of the night when he heard Batman’s voice behind him.
“Natasha Romanova,” the Dark Knight said.
Stark started, almost spilling his martini. Recovering, he looked to see Batman standing across the room in a spot where the vigilante had pulled loose a ceiling light, throwing him in shadow.
“Didn’t hear you come in,” Stark said. “You didn’t use the front door, did you?”
“Hotel windows are more convenient for me.”
“But —”
“Romanova is the ex-KGB woman who attacked me in Gotham,” Batman said. “Batgirl encountered her in Gotham. She was meeting with a Gotham crime boss, Black Mask.”
Stark thought on this. He took a sip of his martini, then looked at Batman. “Where are my manners! Martini?”
Batman grunted. Stark shrugged. He picked up the martini shaker and his drink and moved to the sofa. Batman watched him but didn’t move.
Stark’s Iron Man helmet sat on the coffee table between the two sofas which faced one another.
“Friday,” Stark began. “Be a dear and call General Fury for me, would you?”
To be continued…
While writing this fanfiction, I used Green Ronin’s Mutants and Masterminds, 3rd Edition RPG, to leave some things to chance. Check it out!
Like this fanfiction? Check out Mark’s original “Shadowdance” saga books!
Copyright Info
DC Adventures, Copyright 2011, Green Ronin Publishing; Author Steve Kenson. Now it’s Mutants and Masterminds, 3rd Edition
Advanced Player’s Manual, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing: Author Skip Williams.
The characters Iron Man, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Vanko, Black Widow and Nick Fury are Copyright Marvel Comics
The characters Batman/ Bruce Wayne, Batgirl/ Barbara Gordon, Black Mask, the Penguin/ Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, Renee Montoya, Commissioner Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, Robin/ Dick Grayson, KGBeast and Bane are Copyright DC Comics
The character Juri Han is Copyright Capcom
None of the characters belong to me as this is fanfiction, done for fun, and as a creative exercise.
