Dynasty: A Batman Tale Part 21

NOW

Edward hated wearing the gas mask, he still had bouts with claustrophobia, and he had already been stretching his limits all the way down here beneath Gotham. Basil insisted that the best way to subdue all their hired help was with gas. Instead of informing their workers they had finished, Basil and Edward watched as the men one by one dropped where they stood. The explosives were in place. The detonators were wired. Now it’s time to clean up all the loose ends. Edward was looking forward to carrying out Joker’s plan of leveling the city and creating their own dominion.

“Riddle me this, my dear friend Basil.” Nigma paused half expecting Clayface to stop him, and was surprised when he didn’t. Edward asked, “What’s next?”

Basil waited to answer. He looked at his watch, enough time had passed and he removed his gas mask. “It’s clear.” He said.

Edward didn’t hesitate to follow suit. He took a deep breath.

“Easy Edward, the air down here is still somewhat toxic. The last thing I need is having to haul your ass out of here before it all comes down.”

“They’re all out and ready to go to heaven.” Edward said gleefully. Edward caught something in the corner of his vision, “What was that?” Something moved. Edward thought, his attention was on the tunnel ahead of them when a suddenly there were flashlight beams surrounding them.

The Gotham Police force had arrived, an officer yelled into a megaphone “Don’t Move!” Edward heard the same officer ordering his men not to fire. Nigma looked at Basil, “They won’t fire! They won’t risk bringing this whole place down.” Whereas we are ready to watch it all burn. Edward quickly grabbed a nearby AK-47 and began firing.

THEN

Edward opened his eyes and realized he was partially buried under debris. What happened? Edward looked around and saw that the room had exploded. He had been heading over to Ivy and Basil as Jervis walked in. Edward felt a sudden surge of pain when he tried to move, his leg was caught under a fallen beam. He heard moans. He cried out for help.

“Who’s hurt? Who’s dead?” Nigma heard Ivy ask anyone in earshot.

Mad Hatter was shaking uncontrollably, “What was that?”

Basil rushed over to Edward and freed his leg, “It’s broken, here lean on me…,” Clayface said making sure Edward was resting his weight on the bigger man’s shoulder, “…where’s Harley and Joker?”

Harley’s cries became audible. Basil held on to Edward and helped him move around a fallen column. There they saw a bloodied Harley on her knees cradling an unconscious Joker. He was alive, but barely.

Doctor Thomas Elliot was the surgeon at Arkham that operated on Joker when he first arrived in the wake of slaughtering his foster family. Harley had done her best to stitch up and clean the wounds that now permanently scarred Joker’s face, but after his rampage his wounds had reopened and it was Doctor Elliot that re-closed them.

He had also been called upon by the villainous crew not long after the Arkham escape. They had arrived at his medical practice just as he and his receptionist spouse Peyton were closing for the day. With his wife held at gunpoint Thomas performed triage on Joker, Ivy and Basil for wounds attained during a daring midday armor truck heist.

Doctor Elliot had been one of Gotham’s top surgeons, his traumatic time with the Joker led the doctor to close his practice, but Harley had tracked down where he lived. Doctor Elliot had done well for himself. He and his wife lived in a large home outside the city limits. They had become agoraphobic and led a reclusive lifestyle. Too afraid to ever leave their house which sat on five acres of private property in the same lavish upscale area that housed Wayne Manor.

Edward knocked on the door. The door started to swing open when Nigma then kicked it in putting his gun in the Doctor’s face. Edward could see from Thomas’s expression, he had never expected to see any of them again. Basil carried Joker into the house. Edward kept his gun trained on Thomas as the rest flooded in. Edward noticed the doctor’s appearance had dramatically changed since their last meeting. No longer was he the shinning example of a healthy lifestyle, now he was frail and weak. Sickly thin with large dark bags under his eyes, his hair was long and unkempt and matched his beard. Thomas looked back and forth at each intruder, his eyes widening with each turn of his head.

A woman’s voice cried out from the next room, “Thomas” she yelled, startling Edward causing him to almost pull the trigger. The sound of the woman snapped Thomas out of his temporary shock. Doctor Elliot was on his knees clasping his hands together.

He began begging, “Please” was all he could mutter as everyone’s head turned to see that Jervis and Ivy had found the good doctor’s wife wheelchair bound in the next room. Harley slapped Thomas hard across the face, “Fix him,” she said.

Basil began to head upstairs carrying Joker, “We need to lay him down.” Edward grabbed the doctor by the arm “Go on Doc, boss needs you.”

“Wait!” The doctor yelled halting Basil midway up the stairs. Harley was furious. “What do you mean wait, we can’t wait!” The Doctor put his arms up in the air defensively in anticipation of another slap, “We need to take him downstairs.” Basil nodded to Harley as Thomas continued, “Everything we need is down there. I’ve got a full set up.”

“Fine, Edward go with them, Ivy and I will stay up here.” Harley aimed her gun at Mrs. Elliot’s head, “He doesn’t survive, neither does she.”

Downstairs Basil placed Joker onto the Doctor’s scanning table. First he x-rayed Joker’s body then took a brain scan. Edward watched the doctor perform his tests. “He’s in a coma. He’s hemorrhaging internally, I’ve located the bleed and I can get to it.”

“Do it,” Authorized Basil, “but remember Doctor.”

“I know, you’ll kill us.” Thomas interrupted. “You’re probably going to kill us anyway.” Edward heard the doctor mumble. “I'll keep him alive, but I’m telling you right now I don’t know when or if he’ll wake up.”

After the surgery Harley wasn’t satisfied with the news. “What do you mean? You don’t know when he’ll wake up? Can’t you just wake him?”

“He’s in a coma, everything else seems to be working, the bleeding stopped and I set the break in his arm, it should heal nicely.” Edward looked down at his own leg that the Doctor had also set and braced. He had heard the same words earlier, should heal nicely.

Basil pillaged the doctor’s home office and found some helpful information that allowed Joker’s crew to come up with a plan.

“I don’t see many options for us.” Clayface said. “Doctor says Joker’s stable, but…”

“But nothing, WE’RE not leaving him. I’m not leaving him.” Harley snapped.

“Nobody said nothing about leaving him.” Basil bit back.

“What do you suggest?” Ivy asked Basil, then directed her attention at Tetch, “What about supplies, did you find anything useful?”

“This place is stocked. Food and medical supplies, seems like the good doctor here is expecting armageddon.” Jervis stated. Everyone turned towards Doctor Elliot.

“Anything you want to add Doctor?” Basil asked, but Edward could tell Basil was being rhetorical. The Doctor dropped his head.

“Somebody better say something or I’m going to put a bullet in her pretty little head.” Harley yelled as she inched closer to the doctor. With his hands tied behind his back he couldn’t defend himself when Harley slapped him hard across the face. “Do not test me, I will kill your wife, wearing a smile as I do.”

“It doesn’t matter,…” Basil cut in, “does it?”

Edward was confused and he wasn’t alone, he watched Basil get up, circle the room and approach the doctor and repeat himself, “Does it?”

Doctor Thomas began to cry.

Clayface continued, “Turns out our last visit to the Doc here really did a number on these two. I don’t think they’ve left this house in over two years. There’s receipts and schedules for everything, it’s all on automatic.”

“Riddle me this then, why does a man need an entire hospital wing built in his basement?” Edward asked not sure where Basil was going with this.

“Because Edward…” Basil began.

“She’s sick, isn’t she?” Ivy guessed

“Doctor?” Basil urged Thomas to elaborate.

“Yes, I am!” Peyton Elliot answered.

“Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis!” Thomas announced, “ALS!”

“And it’s terminal, I’m not sick, I’m dying. Thomas built me my own hospital here, but…,” She choked up.

“There is nothing anymore I can do.” Elliot said somberly.

Edward’s brain felt on the verge of a meltdown. Regardless of knowing it or not, Basil was in the middle of unfolding a riddle. He had been listening to every word said. He watched every face, read every expression. Edward had figured it out. He blurted out, “Riddle me this! Black as night, but clear as day. Do you mean for us to stay?”

“Yes, I do!” Basil said with enthusiasm, but the others remained silent. “All we have to do is keep a low profile, the doctor’s already set it all up for us. We stay here. We hide in plain sight.”

NOW

As Edward “The Riddler” Nigma continued to fire upon the approaching police officers, Clayface was yelling his radio. Edward thought he heard Basil say something that sounded like Batman, but could barely hear above the sound of his rifle. He stopped firing, noticing that the police had ceased shooting back, he heard Joker’s voice come back over the radio laughing, he was giving the order to detonate. Unfortunately by the time Edward comprehended what he was seeing, it was too late. Riddler turned and saw Basil laid out unconscious on the ground, Joker’s voice rising from the radio at his feet. Edward looked up and saw the darkness move, he went to raise his gun, but the darkness was quicker. Batman grabbed Nigma’s gun separating it from the magazine in one swift move before discarding it behind him. The large bat symbol centered on his chest took up Nigma’s field of vision. Then there was darkness.