TWO SOULS,
chapter thirteen: the cloudburst!

          BATWOMAN'S UNCERTAINTY AT SEEING AN OCEAN OF ORANGE GAS WAS HUGE. Even for her partner Atlas, but she couldn't believe what was happening in front of her eyes and that was a problem. The incessant screaming, chaos engulfing Gotham City, and an enemy on the loose were a bad combination in this equation. Olivia pursed her lips into a fine line, feeling her hair stand on end against the suit. Just wanting to enter the sea of toxin there was a suicidal idea in Olivia's eyes, but searching for her mentor was a priority. She turned to look at Atlas, who stood a step behind her, staring at the entire scene with equal bewilderment.

          "What the hell is going on here, Eisley?" Olivia asked trying not to look more confused than she was.

          "Too many things happened."

          Olivia rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah? Don't tell me."

          Atlas hit her arm hard, making Olivia groan out loud and hit him back - he hit her again in the same way, thus starting a futile and childish fight between the two best friends. Olivia remembered when Bruce caught them having one of those trivial fights when the two were thirteen years old, both fighting in the lobby of Wayne Manor, while Dick watched from the stairs. The situation was very comical at first, but stopping in the present tense: those two looked like two kindergarten children fighting in the middle of the chaos.

          The two of them entered to laugh out loud, thus improving the gloomy mood of the environment and didn't stop for at least five minutes. Stopping, after feeling like they needed to fill their lungs with oxygen, they remained silent - watching the entire city fall apart. Olivia looked at the blond who was accompanying her and asked him, as if he were a telepath, what the hell was going on there.

          "Barbara died, but I guess you already know that," He said, glancing at the blonde. "Batman managed to destroy the Arkham Knight's armed units on Miagani Island and now has Poison Ivy as an ally."

          Olivia raised an eyebrow. "He did what?"

          "I know it sounds strange, believe me, for me too," Atlas declared, raising his hands. "But Isley is immune to Crane's toxin. We also had a situation at the movie studios," Olivia almost interrupted. "I know, I didn't expect that either. Let's say Harley Quinn made an unwanted appearance and released the prisoners who were in isolation."

          "What happened to them?" Olivia asked.

          "Henry, one of the patients, killed them all," Atlas replied. "Tim was about to lock up your father, but he ended up locking up Tim for his own protection. He...told him about Barbara."

          Olivia felt her heart sinking for Tim Drake, as he, in a way, loved Barbara Gordon.

          "He didn't take it very well, did he?" The blonde asked.

          "Huh, I couldn't get back to communicate with him after that," Eisley replied before clicking her tongue. "And as for your father..."

          "Don't tell me."

          "He's gone to get something for the Batmobile," He declared with a nod before looking ahead. "And judging from the Batmobile's last location, he will attempt to fix it within this giant toxin cloud."

          Olivia stood up. "I'll go get him; he won't be able to do it alone."

          "It's dangerous."

          "Everything I've done tonight was dangerous, Atlas," Olivia said without a hint of grace, staring seriously. "My father is out there, trying to save the city that gave him everything. I'll go help him whether you like it or not."

          Atlas pursed his lips and nodded, before smiling. "I have never served to convince people." He shrugged before pulling out his PDA. "I'm going to trace the tracking device you placed on the Arkham Knight. Alfred will give you Bruce's coordinates." The blonde pulled out her hook and Atlas took his arm. "Be careful, okay?"

          She smirked before nodding and fired her hook, quickly backing away from her partner. Olivia glided among the few tall buildings that weren't affected by the toxin and touched her gauntlet, intercepting Alfred between communications. Seeing the man who accompanied her all these years alive was such a satisfying thing and it completely relieved her.

          "Mistress Wayne!" The older man exclaimed. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe and sound."

          She smiled. "The feeling is mutual, Al."

          "I assume you want your father's location."

          "If you're so kind..." She replied sweetly.

          "It's 500 meters from your position, mistress Olivia," Alfred said, looking at her hologram on the screen. "He went into the toxin storm; I suggest you get him out of there right now."

          "Thanks, Alfred."

          Olivia jumped off one of the buildings and took a deep breath before blowing past the great cloud of toxin. She glided down the middle of the street until she found the Batmobile and the big bat pulling something out of the vehicle. Olivia landed and hit two criminals who approached Batman. Bruce stared at who he had next to him and seeing Olivia next to him in that moment never made him feel so secure and so attached to reality. As well as making him feel angry at his own incompetence.

          "We have to get out of here!" Olivia exclaimed.

          Bruce Wayne took out a small glowing tube and placed it inside another tube, when closing it, Olivia felt someone touch her shoulder - he turned his head and found the Joker staring at him. She gasped and smacked him in the face, before reaching for her mentor's arm, watching as he carefully tucked the tube into the Batmobile.

          "Can't you feel it, Olivia?" Asked the Joker, passing behind her.

          She looked at Bruce. "Come on, dad. The toxin can penetrate the suits! We aren't safe here!"

          "Stop trying to convince him, silly girl!" The Joker exclaimed behind her, pinning her down with his arm. Olivia felt Crane's toxin rush through her veins, infecting every nerve with fear, screams of agony and it really scared Olivia. "It's in your veins, little one. You can't help but feel this delicious toxin running through them, reaching every extremity of your body. It is inevitable. It's over..."

          Olivia rocked her head back, hitting the Joker roughly - she brought her full weight forward and knocked the enemy behind her down. Turning to look at her surroundings, she encountered millions of Jokers. A thin layer of orange was coloring the thin air where thousands of particles hovered infecting whoever inhaled the toxin. A Joker approached her and she hit him, another tried to grab her shoulder, but broke her fingers. She coughed and fell to the ground, Alfred's distant voice asking her and Bruce to seek refuge out of reach of the toxin.

          The Joker approached the blonde, taking her face in his dirty hands. "Relax, take a deep breath. Very, very deep."

          Olivia lost her breath, the laughter and the screams of agony multiplied.

          "You must get tired of trying so hard," he declared, patting the blonde's shoulder. "Are you sleepy, honey? Do you want to submerge yourself in an eternal dream?"

          The vigilante coughed again and tried to stand up, while Batman punched two more thugs, inserting the new power cell. "Dad..."

          "I've almost got it!" Batman exclaimed. "Hang on!"

          "Die, Batsy, die already..." The Joker crooned as he passed by. "The Joker is coming and he will catch you..."

          Batman finished fitting the new power cell and grabbed Olivia by the arm, dragging her toward the Batmobile, lifting her onto the vehicle with full speed. When the doors of the Batmobile were closed, the remaining gas was completely evacuated by pressurizing the chamber with oxygen. Olivia and Bruce just sat there, took a deep breath and tried to calm their heart rate. Alfred Pennyworth's voice far from her ears. Bruce took his protégé's hand, giving it a firm squeeze - as a reminder that she was back with him.

          Olivia opened and closed her eyes over and over again, each time feeling better and her lungs glad to feel uncontaminated oxygen.

          "Alfred, give us a moment. We'll be fine," Bruce declared before letting out a sigh.

          Suddenly, the Joker appeared on the windshield, staring at them both, that wretched smile adorning his lips. He looked extremely excited and that wasn't a good sign. They both stiffened, hearing the next words, "You don't look so good, folks! Soon, I'll be in command of your daddy, Olivia! Think about how much fun we're going to have!"

          Oh, that wasn't good.

          "Intelligence, strength, brutality...the complete package! Gotham City is going to be at our feet!"

          "Shut up!" Olivia exclaimed, hitting Bruce's arm. "Come on!"

          Bruce didn't hesitate for a second to follow the orders of his adopted daughter and stepped on the accelerator, moving away from the group of Jokers who threatened to kill them. On the way, Olivia let out a sigh and leaned back against the passenger seat. The whole way, Bruce didn't let go of the blonde's hand.

          "You can let go of my hand, you know?" Olivia murmured.

          "I would rather not do it."

          "I'm not five years old, Dad."

          "How did you find me? Where the hell did you go?" Bruce asked, looking straight ahead, leading with one hand.

          "It's complicated..."

          "Have you talked to Atlas?"

          "It's complicated too..."

          "Start talking if you don't want to make me angry, Olivia."

          The blond-haired girl pressed her lips into a fine line and nodded, she was silent for a moment - but she had to keep in mind that, if she prolonged that moment of silence, her temper would slip through her fingers.

          "Let's say Atlas told me the Arkham Knight's supposed location when I was looking for clues with Dick," She replied in a whisper. "And that actually the Arkham Knight discovered my position, ended up capturing me and well, he forced me to see how Barbara shot herself in the head in front of you. Then Atlas came looking for me and helped me escape."

          Bruce Wayne slammed on the brakes and Olivia spread her arms to avoid a big hit against the console. She straightened up in her seat and didn't decide to look at Bruce, because she already knew that he was looking at her.

          "Huh...did I say something wrong?"

          "I don't know which of the two is worse following orders: you or Atlas."

          "Excuse me?"

          "I specifically asked you to stay with Dick, you didn't," He claimed, staring at Olivia. "I specifically asked Atlas to stay in his hideout, he didn't."

          "Well, shit."

          "Master Bruce? Mistress Olivia?" Alfred's voice was heard in the vehicle. "Are you OK?"

          "We're good, Alfred," The blonde replied before smiling. "Thanks for asking. Bruce is kind of mad at me, but he's okay too."

          "Oh, thank goodness. It's quite a relief, miss."

          Bruce grunted before accelerating. "After this, I can swear to you that you won't touch the suit you're wearing again."

          Was Bruce...was he punishing her?

          Olivia didn't forget the first time that Bruce inflicted a punishment on her, which was actually Jason Todd's fault, who made her a bet: if she used the batwing and traveled all over Gotham without Bruce noticing, he would be her slave for three weeks; if Bruce found out or she crashed the batwing somewhere in Gotham, she would have to do all his chores for a month.

          Olivia clearly agreed.

          (She wasn't surprised to see that she hadn't won. But Bruce was pretty mad at her that night.)

          "It's not fair," The blonde scolded.

          "And you come to tell me it is not fair?" The Dark Knight demanded. "You have put your life in danger, Olivia. What if the Arkham Knight...?"

          "If he had killed me?" Olivia cut him off and held his gaze for a couple of seconds. "I regret to inform you that I am not the main target of all this. It's you. I was in front of him and he didn't even torture me."

          "He didn't do it the first time, but he will the next," Bruce declared.

          Olivia glanced to the sides, finding giant plant stalks around the buildings. The air was still tinged with that toxin and Alfred's voice echoed back into the vehicle. "You should know, sir, that fear toxin levels in the atmosphere interfere with the Batmobile's scanners. You may have difficulty tracking cloudburst."

          "What the fuck is a cloudburst?"

          "Simon Stagg designed it together with Crane to spread his toxin all over Gotham City, he released all the gas in large quantities and we need to find it to stop it spreading further," The Dark Knight declared. "Ivy, I can't keep up the cloudburst with this gas. Clear everything you can."

          "Are you working with Pamela Isley?" Olivia asked, and Bruce's warning look was enough to answer her questions. "Cool."

          "I can't, Batman. My plants are weak."

          "Where we can find another one?" The blonde asked.

          "There's a tree buried under Founders Island. The Miagani called him Aiyana," Poison Ivy replied.

          "We'll find it," Batman said and sped up.

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          The tree rose majestically when they found it, however, Ivy told them that they must destroy the cloudburst to prevent the plants from perishing. The Arkham Knight interrupted their communications, challenging Batman to a pitched showdown with the tank containing the downpour and the Batmobile. His mentor, despite the insistence of the blonde, accepted the challenge and they headed to Bleake Island to destroy the downpour. Upon reaching the bridge, the Batmobile stayed at the entrance.

          "Alfred, raise the bridges," Batman said. "We won't let him leave Bleake Island."

          The butler showed doubt in his eyes. "Are you sure?"

          "I think it's our best option to corner the Arkham Knight, Al."

          "Let the batwing analyze the downpour for weaknesses," the Dark Knight ordered. "We'll take care of the Cobra tanks."

          "Sir, you are going to be locked in with an enemy who surpasses you in firepower."

          Olivia rolled her eyes.

          (As if that wasn't the only thing that bothered them in the last few hours.)

          "Like Olivia said, Alfred: we'll lock him up."

          The bridges were raised, blocking the exit, and they plunged alongside the Batmobile into a minefield with the enemy standing guard at every corner. They soon encountered the first Cobra tank of the militia and Bruce hid behind a building, letting Olivia aim the cannon at the weak point of the tanks. She shot the first one, destroying it and the commander announced that one had been destroyed.

          There were still six to go.

          (Where the hell did this enemy manage to get so many tanks from?)

          "It's over, Batman. Gotham City is dead!" The Arkham Knight exclaimed.

          She took aim at the second and her mentor pulled the vehicle a little closer, firing cleanly. Two other Cobra tanks became aware of their presence and Bruce backed off, escaping from them, to hide again. They managed to shoot down three more on the way and hearing the enemy complain loudly over the comms was a lot of fun for Olivia.

          "I've never had so much fun destroying other people's things."

          Olivia dumped another tank and two remained.

          "You have almost no escorts left, Knight," Crane announced over the comms. "Protect the cloudburst. Step down!"

          Batwoman waited for at least an affirmative answer, a sensible answer - since she was destroying every one of the tanks the Knight deployed against them. The blonde realized that Crane was right: they were cornering him in a dead end.

          "He can't beat me, the cloudburst is too powerful," the Arkham Knight replied.

          The enemy was stubborn.

          Olivia destroyed the third tank and the Scarecrow's warning was more severe. "What do you think you're doing? This is not the plan we agreed."

          "It's a plan that works."

          Huh, I don't think so, Olivia thought.

          "Let the Scarecrow choke on his toxin," the Arkham Knight announced. "He wants you to suffer, but I want you dead."

          Olivia took aim at the last remaining cobra tank and the two ducked to hear Alfred speak. "Sir, the cloudburst is mounted on the Arkham Knight's tank. Its armor is too thick for a direct attack."

           "What's the cloudburst inside like?" Olivia asked.

          "It has the power supply inside, but they fitted an additional cooling system, Miss Wayne," the butler replied.

          "That's the weak point, Liv," the Dark Knight emphasized. "A breakup would start a chain reaction that would destroy the cloudburst."

          "And by the way, it would eliminate the tank," the blonde concluded.

          Alfred calibrated the scanners so he could find the weak spot and they approached slowly, finding the first one. As they fired, the tank's barrel swung rapidly towards them and Bruce backed off, escaping the downpour.

          "They try to overheat the cloudburst, get out of here!" Crane said in comms.

          "You can't win!"

          Suddenly, Olivia had the most stupid, suicidal, and ingenious idea of her life. She looked at Bruce and searched for a way to tell him her crazy plan. "Huh...the Arkham Knight most likely still thinks I'm locked in with his men, so I'll use that advantage so you can sneak out and destroy the rest."

          "That is suicide."

          "Do you have any other ideas?"

          "You are still impertinent to your enemies."

          Olivia stared at him blankly. "Disappointed but not surprised. Are you going to let me out or what?"

          "The toxin is still out there."

          "Huh, but the concentration is less," she replied. "I can do it, Bruce."

          Batman closed his eyes, apparently, pondering his answer. Olivia bit her lip and when he nodded, she grinned. The blonde exited the Batmobile taking a deep breath, shooting her hook to the side as Batman backed away from her. Olivia scurried between the buildings until she found the cloudburst. She dropped onto it and searched the chamber where the Arkham Knight could see her. With amusement, she knocked twice.

          "Knock, knock...Who is it?"

          "What the HELL is she doing out here?!" the Arkham Knight exclaimed. "Soldiers, report!"

          "I think your soldiers are taking a nap," Olivia said with amusement. "I got quite bored, you know?"

          "Oh, have you stopped crying yet?"

          "Some of your men were quite drawn to see that I was crying," she replied, walking over the tank. "They are all perverts."

          "I have to be honest with you, princess, you look too sexy when you cry," the Arkham Knight replied, advancing through the streets. "This toxin could harm you, but I guess you already know that, right?"

          "You flirt with all your hostages?"

          The Arkham Knight gave a bitter laugh. "No, princess, I'm just flirting with you. You take my breath away just by seeing you."

Olivia rolled her eyes and looked to the side, meeting the Batmobile slowly approaching and she smiled. "I'd love to continue this conversation...in private, so I can give you my full attention."

          "Any request I can grant you?"

          "I don't want to be handcuffed to a chair, please."

          "I don't promise anything, princess."

          "Now, Batwoman!" Bruce exclaimed.

          Olivia pulled out her hook and shot to the side, an explosion echoing behind her. She ended up inside a building, while the tank with the cloudburst chased Batman through the streets. Olivia pulled her hook again and headed down a street, stopping between two wrecked cars and saw the tank spin toward her. The blonde waved a hand and the tank barrel fixed on her.

          "Nice try, princess," the enemy scoffed. "But I won't fall again."

          "Does that mean you haven't fallen for me?" She said, pretending to be distressed, before coughing a little. She had to inhale oxygen. "It amazes me that the great bat attracts your attention and not me."

          "Oh dear, when I'm done with his life," the Arkham Knight declared with amusement. "I promise to put my full attention on you."

          Olivia started laughing and coughed again.

          "You are risking your life inhaling that toxin, Olivia."

          "Oh, are you worrying about me now?"

          Another explosion ended up heating the cloudburst, causing it to catch fire. Olivia shot to the side, while Batman fired mercilessly at the tank. The blonde-haired girl leaned back on a rooftop and looked up at the sky, took a deep breath through her nose and blew it out through her mouth. She felt the screams and laughter of many people in her head. Another explosion distracted her and she heard groans at her side, she turned her head to the side, finding Batman and the Arkham Knight fighting, until Bruce's confusion won and he managed to escape - without giving Olivia one last look.

          She got up heavily and addressed Batman, but Alfred came forward with a call, "Mistress Wayne? Are you okay?"

          "I think so."

          "The Arkham Knight...you got him?"

          "He..." Olivia murmured and looked around her. "He left."

          "Huh...you don't seem totally sure, miss."

          "I have to communicate with Ivy," Bruce declared, standing up heavily, touched his gauntlet. "Ivy, I have destroyed the cloudburst. Purify the remaining toxin now."

          However, there was no response from Pamela Isley.

          "Ivy?"

          "I'm afraid it's too late, sir," Alfred declared to the two vigilantes. "According to the scans, the toxin is killing her plants."

          Olivia nodded. "We'll go find her."

          At least Olivia Wayne herself was counting on that.

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