Hunted Finale- Spider's Web

Chuck- Hey, where's Crane?

 

Two-Face- Busy.

 

*The meeting took place at Elliot Heights, per Chuck's suggestion. The attendees- three of the four heads of Penguin's new Pact, and each of their lieutenants, arrived later then Brown expected, with none of them the wiser regarding the whereabouts of Deacon Blackfire. The last to arrive, Black Mask and his allies knocked on the door with an air of impatience*

 

Sionis- The elevator's busted.

 

Chuck- We know.

 

*Sionis grumbles, but sits down, waiting for Chuck to start talking*

 

Freeze- So. Talk. You said you had information.

 

Chuck- Yes, um, first of all I'm glad you all came. But before we start, do we know where Blackfire-

 

Two-Face- Get on with it.

 

Chuck- Right. We've identified the sniper. It was Black Spider.

 

*The assembly is silent. Then Roman groans*

 

Sionis- Oh, of course it is... What's the bastard even doing in Arkham?

 

Two-Face- It's not rocket science Sionis. He's probably a prisoner like the rest of us.

 

Sionis- No, I don't buy it. Didn't he get a pardon for that Society crap?

 

*Li, who has been staring at the uncharacteristically quiet Penguin, leans over and mutters to Sionis, gesturing at Firebug*

 

Li- Yes sir, he did. But, so did Mr Rigger. Clearly, the government cares little about their promises.

 

Sionis- Yeah. Suppose I shouldn't be surprised...

 

Freeze- Answer this, Kite-Man isn't it?

 

Chuck- Just call me Chuck...

 

Freeze- How on earth did you find this information?

 

Chuck- Ah, well this is Mitch.

 

*At this, Mayo, still wearing the bloodied vest from last night, and far from looking his best, stands in front of this audience of hardened killers and gangsters, and they can barely contain their laughter*

 

Sionis- Is this a joke?

 

*It didn't take long. Despite their initial... "apprehension," they all listened to Mayo's story in full. When he was done, they set out in search of Needham. Dent went to the old GCPD building, in search of Needham's arrest reports, anything that would give them any insight to his whereabouts. Sionis returned to his factory, alerting his men of the news. Cobblepot sent his assistant, Lark, away, as he talked with Zebra Man as they made their way back to the Iceberg Lounge*

 

Zebra- So. What are you going to do? Kill them?

 

*Cobblepot sighed, handing him his top hat, Zebra peers inside, and takes out a note taped inside*

 

Penguin- Nothing so brash. You've spent far too much time with Kobra... They'll start hunting soon enough, and they'll want you with them, for the extra manpower of course. When they find him, however long that takes, you will do whatever you can to stop him talking.

That note, is all I have on him, his family, friends, past relationships and pain. Use it, and eliminate him. You'll be the hero.

 

Zebra- All that talk of loyalty.

 

Penguin- I meant it all. Do you understand how hard I've worked to keep this hellhole together? If the Monarch had to die, so be it. If Needham must join him, very well. You of all people should understand that...

 

=====

 

*Philip lost his hands, his sight, to this man. Mr Camera. His time in Blackgate, away from photos had driven the man mad, or maybe it was Meister's voice in his ear. No matter the reason, Harry Simms severed Ten's hand over a single photograph. Now Reardon relied on mechanical limbs to hold the very gun in his hand he was pointing at his head. The same gun Blackfire offered him. "Was it even Simms?" he wondered. Without his sight, he couldn't know for sure that it *wasn't* some other captive of Blackfire, an innocent man who's life now rested in his hands. All he knew was that there was something dark creeping around inside his body, a voice telling him that the vengeance he craved was finally here. All he had to do, was pull the trigger. The worst part? He didn't know if it was Blackfire's toxins, or his own anger*

 

Blackfire- Christ died for *our* sins, but what of theirs? Those who commit atrocities far worse than God can forgive? That is our duty my children! Our time is now. We will slay first these common mongrels, then we will make our way to the top. Divine justice comes to all!

 

Simms- I didn't do anything!

 

Blackfire- Enough! Harold Simms, you threaten and extort innocents, you collect incriminating evidence that you lust over like a man possessed. No more!

 

*They cheered. They all cheered for Blackfire. Yet, while Philip was coerced by drugs, these people needed only the spoken word to jeer at Simms*

 

Ten- Then... it's true, you've been using the tunnels to hunt people down. Kill them.

 

...

 

Blackfire- My boy, I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.

 

=======

 

*Cobblepot returned to the Iceberg Lounge three hours ago, just thinking in his office. Eventually, he left his sanctuary and sat down at the bar. With a flick of his wrist, the two people previously sitting there, got up and left*

 

Penguin- Long day Leonard?

 

Len- It is what it is. Those two tried to trade their socks for some beer. Socks I tell you.

 

Penguin- Ah, well, it can't be helped.

 

Len- Well what are they meant to tip? Their knickers?

 

*Penguin laughed in a manner not dissimilar to his namesake, producing a noise that sounded something like a "Waugh." Behind them, Magpie tapped on the microphone, on top of the stage*

 

Magpie- I'd like to sing a song. Perhaps you know it.

 

*Len muttered something under his breath that unfortunately, David Wist, Magpie's husband, happened to hear*

 

Len- Urgh, Moon River. It's always Moon River.

 

Wist- Hey, she sings it very well!

 

Penguin- Oh it's lovely, David, absolutely lovely, but you have to understand it gets repetitive.

 

Wist- Of course Mr Cobblepot, I didn't mean, I-

 

Len- I'm just asking, why's it always Moon River...

 

*Roman takes another seat up at the bar beside Oswald*

 

Penguin- Roman! My friend!

 

Sionis- If, when we get out, and I hear that song, that damn song, on the radio... Someone's dying. I hate it.

 

Wist- Look, the moon is really shiny. She likes it

 

*And with that, Wist brushes past Li, offering a comforting smile to Mags as he heads off towards the stage*

 

Sionis- You. I'll have a Vodka Martini, Li here will have a, rum and coke was it?

 

Li- Just the Cola please. I don't drink.

 

Sionis- Throw in the rum anyway. I might drink it. We've got him.

 

Oswald- You can't have found him already surely?

 

Len- What's this?

 

*Sionis glances at Len and back at Oswald*

 

Sionis- Is he good?

 

Oswald- Certainly.

 

Sionis- The guy that shot this place up, your pal identified him as Black Spider.

 

Len- Shit...

 

Sionis- Exactly. Dent went to get some files from the GCPD database, the computers there are still connected to the server. Don't know what he found, but he said best bet, he's at the cemetery. Got Freeze, Zsasz and your guy down there already.

 

Oswald- Then, it's just a matter of waiting.

 

====

 

*The Gotham Cemetery is sprawling. One of the biggest controversies behind Arkham, was separating loved ones from those buried there. Of course, with Strange's connections, it didn't take the government long to overrule the City Council. With all of Gotham's tragedies- the breakouts, the earthquake, the crises, the Signal Man incident and the City of Fear, there's no bigger graveyard in the entire state. It's a labyrinth of headstones and crypts. It takes a lot of manpower to cover the area. The glow from Freeze's goggles, are about the only thing lighting up the area*

 

Freeze- Spread out. Firebug, take the east. Zsasz, cover the west. I will search the South Quadrant, leaving you, Zebra Man, with-

 

Zebra- The North. Da.

 

*Rigger lit a match so he could see. Doing so caused a flock of birds to burst out from the nearest crypt. He cursed himself as he sucked the blood from his scratch marks. Owls. Zsasz wandered around the headstones, and grinned. So many bodies... So many put there because of him. And Freeze saw the graves of those husbands and wives buried together, and his blood boiled. He would find his Nora. It was Zsasz that found him first, a bouquet in his hand. He fired a shot, startling Needham*

 

Zsasz- I prefer the knife Mr Needham. More personal... Guns end it quickly, and, I don't want to end this quickly after all... you know the blade too, don't you?

 

*He fired again, but this time Needham was quick, and he disappeared into the trees*

 

Zsasz- Two-Face was right. He's here.

 

*Freeze was the next to see him, a blast of ice firing from his gun*

 

Freeze- I made a promise to my wife Needham. I don't break my promises, not to her.

 

*The ice stream follows Spider all the way into Rigger's quarter*

 

Rigger- You don't have to do this Spider. You can come quietly.

 

Needham- I go and I'm as good as dead.

 

*He shoots at him, knocking Rigger off balance, and then- Blam! The shot sends him down the hill. Landing with a thud, Zebra Man follows him*

 

Needham- I know your kind... I know you won't stop but *Urgh* My girlfriend and my son were buried in two unmarked graves here. Her family didn't want me visiting them, her brother especially, blamed me for what happened. They overdosed you see... But I knew the truth. It was the drug business that got them killed, and I wasn't gonna rest until every last one of them was gone. When I was sent to kill Sionis... Couldn't wait. *Cough* I didn't want Penguin's money, you hear me? What's the use in this place? Nah. I just wanted to know where my family was buried. I just wanted to lay some flowers on my kid's grave.

 

*Pinned against a gravestone, Needham coughs up blood, placing a hand over his wound. He ought to be dead. He can't move. *

 

Needham- So... Go ahead. Do it. But you take these, and you put them there.

 

Zebra- Your family were junkies. Weak. They deserve nothing. Neither do you.

 

*And yet, just behind him, Zebra hears the quiet chink of a piece of metal, and as he turns back-

Blam. Blam. Two bullets to the head bring Zebra Man's life to an end. A hand grabs Needham and carries him up to the waiting group- Freeze, Zsasz and Rigger*

 

Done