Batman: Global Domination: Part 2

The Next Day

AN UNNAMED LOCATION
Talia and Jason are walking down the same, dim hallway.

Jason: “Lets go. Mr. Wayne is having a party.”

WAYNE MANOR
People are crowded in the main room.

“Hello Bruce.”
“I’m sorry for your loss Bruce.”
“Oh, hi Bruce.”
Bruce: “Oh, hello. Have you seen Hugo Strange?”
“Yes, I have. He’s somewhere upstairs.”
Bruce: “Thanks.”
He ran up a staircase.

Strange is looking at a bookshelf in Bruce’s room.

Bruce: “Hi.”
Strange: “Ah, Bruce. Happy birthday.”
Bruce: “It’s not very happy.”
Strange: “I can tell. I felt the need to continue. To confess.”
Bruce: “Confess?”
Strange: “Yes. I’ll start with the big one.”
Bruce: “Which is?”
Strange: “Well, Batman...I killed your parents.”
Bruce grabbed Strange’s neck.
Strange: “Aaah!”
Bruce: “What did you do!?!”
He let go of his neck.
Strange: “Look, they were corrupt.”
Bruce: “They weren’t corrupt!”
Strange: “Yes they were! Greed took them over.”
Bruce: “What?”
Strange: “They worked with a man named Jason Adams.”
Bruce: “What?”
Strange: “You see, Adams had a chemical that could literally bring people back from the dead. I believe you met him.”
Bruce: “I did. What was he planning?”
Strange: “I don’t know.”

Jason and Talia walk into the manor.

Bruce: “So what did you do?”
Strange: “It was very elaborate, actually. I anonymously hired Rupert Thorne to hire Joe Chill to kill Thomas and Martha.”
Bruce: “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Strange: “They were corrupt! I was born here. Raised. Found work. Became Thomas Wayne’s friend. Became second in command of Wayne Enterprises. Saw Thomas become corrupt. Saw the Batman’s rise to power. Saw all the damage he did.”
Bruce: “Damage?”
Strange: “You, Selina, and Dick have caused as much damage as the villains.”
Bruce: “Your just like Waller.”
Strange: “Who? Never mind. I wasn’t about to let Gotham be destroyed. After the first Joker incident, I found a great mercenary.”
Bruce: “Bane.”
Strange: “Correct. I found him, hired him, and he broke you.”
Bruce: “You wanted to kill me?”
Strange: “Yes. You were becoming corrupt, just like your father.”
Bruce: “My father wasn’t corrupt!”
Strange: “He was! He was selfish towards the end of his days.”
Bruce: “Brought upon by you!”
Strange: “He was going to kill us all!”
Bruce: “You did know Jason’s plan.”
Strange: “I only heard bits and pieces, I couldn’t be sure. Trust me Wayne, I didn’t want to do any of it. Trust me.”
Bruce: “You killed my parents, corrupted Harvey, hired Bane, brought Selina into this, and I’m supposed to trust you?”
Strange: “But you won’t kill me.”
Bruce: “I’ll beat you until you’re within an inch of your life.”
Strange: “Do it. You want to. How does it feel Wayne? To see a man who has caused you so much pain in front of you, and not be able to do anything? Does it make you sad? Full of rage? You want to, and yet you can’t.”
Bruce: “I would.”
Strange: “I know you would.”
He patted Bruce on the shoulder and walked away.

Strange walks past Jason, and out the door. Bruce follows. Jason stops him.

Jason: “Mr. Wayne, what a surprise. I heard your conversation.”
Bruce: “What?”
Jason: “I have ears everywhere. Tell me, Detective, why you didn’t kill Strange.”
Bruce: “Who are you?”
Jason: “I am called many things. You will know me as Ra’s al Ghul.”
Bruce: “I walk a line every day Ra’s. I don’t plan to cross it.”
Ra’s: “Detective, let’s go somewhere else. To your room?”
Bruce: “Fine.”

Bruce stands in front of Ra’s.

Bruce: “How are you related to Thomas Wayne?”
Ra’s: I haven’t heard that name in years. I’ve used the Pit at least once. He was greedy. When offered Lazarus, he was immediately corrupted. He must have been a good actor, if you didn’t sense it.”
Bruce: “You didn’t plan to?”
Ra’s: Of course I did. His corruption would have run Wayne Enterprises to the ground.”
Bruce: “And your trying to do that to me?”
Ra’s: “No. I used that vial as a test. Of spirit. trust me when I say I had no idea you were the Batman. Now, your father failed the test. You refused the Lazarus.”
Bruce: “How old are you? I estimated 600 years.”
Ra’s: “I’ve lost count. Around that time.”
Bruce: “You lost count. Okay, what do you want me to do?”
Ra’s: “I’m old, Detective. I can help you. I can help you make the choice. Only this time, you choose the correct path.”
Bruce: “As in?”
Ra’s: “You refused to kill Strange. The Joker. Bane. Deadshot. Rupert Thorne. All of them corrupt. Evil. They should have died, but your feelings destroyed that chance.”
Bruce: “No one should have to die before they have to.”
Ra’s: “They had to die at that moment Detective. You had to kill them.”
Bruce: “What about the good?”
Ra’s: “You mean Grayson? He was corrupted, to you. But you restrained him. You kept him from doing what he felt was right.”
Bruce: “He...don’t talk about him like that.”
Ra’s: We are called the League of Shadows. We were the reason Edward Nygma is in jail. Why GothCorp is destroyed. They were corrupted by power and greed. But You and your father were not. I added Lazarus, and your father was instantly corrupted. You declined. And now we know you are the Detective, it is perfect. Here.”
He pulled a small dagger from his suit, and gave it to Bruce.”
Ra’s: “Kill me.”
Bruce: “What? I’m not going to kill you.”
Ra’s: “You have the knife. Kill me. Succeed me. I want you to lead the League of Shadows. Do it.”
Bruce: “After all I’ve just said...you think I will?”
He threw the knife to the other side of the room.
Ra’s: “You refuse?”
Bruce: “What do you think?”
Ra’s: “I think that you have just made a powerful enemy. Happy birthday, Detective.”
He walked out of the room, leaving Bruce.

THE BATCAVE
Batman walks towards the Batmobile.

Alfred: “And where do you think you’re going?”
Batman: “The guests left Alfred.”
Alfred: “You’re really going to risk it? On your birthday?”
Batman: “I’m going to talk with Strange.”
Alfred: “Why?”
Batman: “Because I need his help!”
He got in the car, and left.

GOTHAM CITY
Ra’s walks down an empty street, with a tall, bald man. It’s raining. Hard.

Ra’s: “Rip it open.”
The man grabs a manhole cover, and rips it off the ground. They go down, into the sewers, as the Batmobile rushes past.

The Batmobile comes to a stop outside of a white house. Batman comes out.

Batman: “Strange!”
The door opened, and Batman walked in. Hugo greeted him.
Strange: “Hello Bruce. How are you?”
Bruce grabbed Strange’s collar.
Batman: “I talked to Jason. He’s a man named Ra’s al Ghul. He’s planning something, something he wanted me to be a part of. You can help me. He corrupted Edward Nygma, and made him destroy GothCorp. You accidentally revealed my identity to him. He could be planning to take down Wayne Industries. Without that, Gotham could crumble. Are you going to help me?”
Strange: “I will.”
Batman: “Good.”
Strange: “Well, how do we find him? Or do you not know?”
Batman: “We’re going to find him. Because he’s going to come to me.”
Strange: “How? And, Bruce? Could you let go of my collar?”
He did so.
Batman: “Sorry. It’s because he wants me to succeed him.”
Strange: “And how does this help us, exactly?”
Batman: “He was persistent. I told him I would never kill, and yet, he still handed me a dagger. And told me to kill him.”
Strange: “So he’ll try to find you again?”
Batman: “Why not? He wants me to do it. I think he needs me to. I don’t know why.”
Strange: “Then let’s begin.”

AN UNNAMED LOCATION
Talia is waiting for Ra’s.

Ra’s: “You beat me here.”
Talia: “When do we attack Wayne?”
Ra’s: “We will attack him when he finds us. I don’t want to risk him dying.”
Talia: “You know he won’t.”
Ra’s: “Still. We won’t risk it.”

GOTHAM CITY
Strange is talking to Batman.

Strange: “I think I know how to find this, Ra’s al Ghul. He said he has eyes and ears everywhere? Correct?”
Batman: “Right.”
Strange: “Simply search the area surrounding your room for forensic evidence. Simple.”
Batman: “I’ll check.”

WAYNE MANOR
Batman Is calibrating the cowl to scan for evidence.

Batman: “Okay, I’m scanning the room now.”
Strange: (via radio) “Good.”
Batman: “Don’t make me regret trusting you.”
Strange: “Have I ever?”
Batman: “I got something. I’m going to follow it on foot.”
Strange: “Be careful. Don’t want another dead Wayne.”

GOTHAM CITY
Batman runs along the rooftops, scanning evidence on the street. He stops.

Batman: “Alfred, Ra’s al Ghul’s trail goes into the sewers. My signal could get weak.”
Alfred: “Good luck, Master Bruce. I’m on my way to Mr. Strange’s house now.”
Batman: “Thanks.”
He dropped to the street, and went into the sewers through the still open manhole.

THE SEWERS
A tall, bald man is waiting for Batman. He smiles.

Batman: “Who are you?”
“I am called Ubu.”
Batman: “No one’s that tall. Venom. It’s a mutated version of Lazarus.”
Ubu: “If injected, yes.”
Batman: “How’d Bane get it?”
Ubu: “I don’t know.”
Batman: “Well, I need to talk to Ra’s.”
Ubu: “He isn’t accepting visitors.”
Batman: “He’ll make an exception.
Ubu: “No. He won’t.”
Batman ran towards Ubu, and slid under his feet, tripping him. He got up, and dropped onto Ubu, slamming his elbow into the man’s neck. Batman stood up, and Ubu spun on the ground tripping Batman. He pushed off the ground as Ubu got up, kicking his face. Batman pulled out a batarang as Ubu got up and tackled him. Ubu grabbed Batman’s neck, and pushed him against the wall. He punched Batman again and again, when Batman stuck the batarang into Ubu’s wrist. He let go of Batman, who tripped Ubu, and kicked his face. He pulled Ubu’s torso up from the back of his neck, and slammed Ubu’s head into the stone wall. He kicked his face again, and walked away from the unconscious body. He followed the trail, barely there from the water. It led Batman to a door. He opened it, to see a dark room. He scanned the area. Nothing.
Batman: “Alfred, I didn’t find anything. I’m coming back.”
Alfred: “I’m at Strange’s house.”
Batman: “Okay. Apparently Lazarus is a mutated version of Venom.”
Alfred: “Hmm. Is Bane still in Gotham?”
Batman: “Arkham. Should I check up on him?”
Alfred: “Perhaps.”
Batman: “Okay. I’ll stop there after I get back."

So that was Part 2! Part 3 is coming soon, don't miss it! Don't forget to vote on the next DC Superhero I write! The one with the most votes will be first. Then the 2nd most, and so on. It will all lead to a Justice League movie, then sequels! Here are the choices!

#1: Superman