JustIce League: The Malignant Uprising

Manipulation, Not Apologies

Battle cries filled the air as Batman flung himself deeper into the shadows of the storage yard. He knew that he couldn't let himself look back. There was too much horror that could defeat him if he stopped running. 

Batman finally slowed his pace enough to look around at where he was. He was standing in front of the lead ship: The Commander's ship.

But something within Batman's gut ached from the sight of the aircraft. The black metal sheathing around it was somehow familiar. Upon first glance, it was ordinary, but Batman began to squint at its seams. Some of the pieces of metal overlapped one another and hid a shape of some kind.   Batman took a step back to look at the ship as a whole. It was a giant disfigured oval. Batman's body went rigid as he realized that the ship was disfigured because the outside remodeled to hide a skull shape: a skull shaped ship.

How did the Complex get their hands on Brainiac's ship? Brainiac would never give up his ship unless... he's gone. 

The Complex was more dangerous than Batman thought. Bruce stood taller as he made his way toward the ship and the closer he got, the more he noticed.

He took mental notes of the places that awkwardly fit together. He noticed that the jaw of the skull was no longer a jaw. It was an angled and rectangular shape that made the entrance of the ship become a short ramp with a metal door the size of a supermarket entrance. The top of the ship was shorter and flattened down to more of a point. The eyes of the skull could barely be seen. Batman also noticed that the tentacles were missing and were instead replaced by engines and fans.

Batman quietly stepped into the darkness of the huge vessel. With a wary glance around, he surveyed the entrance to the ship. Standing at the door, two guards dressed in the same white suits as the rest of the army, stood at attention, scanning for intruders ahead of them. They carried whips in their belts along with carefully positioned guns. 

With stealth, Batman threw a smoke bomb in front of the two guards standing at the entrance. The guards began to cough as streaks of light burst through the smoke. Batman rushed to them, dodging the soldiers' bullets as he went. Within seconds both of the guards were knocked out and unarmed.

Batman began to search them when he heard the clicking of a gun come from behind him. 

"It's been a long time, Bruce," crooned a feminine whisper.

Batman stood up and slowly turned around. He cast a dark look toward the voice through the heavy smoke.

"Amanda Waller."

She scoffed. "Don't give me that look. I could have guards here in seconds." Amanda tightened her grip around the weapon and pointed at Batman's temple.

"And do what?"

"What do you think?"

"I think that you don't really want this to happen," Bruce said in a more pleading manner.

"Oh please, out of all people, I didn't think it would be you giving me the you're not a monster lecture. You think you know who I am?"

"I know that you went missing fifteen years ago right after the Jelapose attack, and when they found you, you were covered in blood. But it wasn't your blood. It was blood from a man named Blake Thompson who had died three years before you were found." 

Amanda's hand began to quiver as she listened.

Batman took a step forward and continued. "He was a local thief in Star City who worked at a butcher shop. He was missing for 48 hours before he was found dead in the Asuma River. The body had lacerations around the wrists and was almost completely drained of his blood. According the M.E.'s report, the body of Thompson showed signs of dehydration and torture."

 Batman took another step forward. Amanda's hand shook violently and she had to use her other hand to secure her aim and grip.

"When the police found you with his blood, they accused you of killing Thompson, but further investigation ruled you out. Reports detail that you were covered in blood because you were kidnapped by the person who killed Thompson. The police found this to be true and you were set free."

"I don't know what you're talking about. " Amanda spat out the words like they were poison and gritted her teeth. "I was found because the Universe wanted me found. It was my time." 

Batman took another step forward so that his forehead was touching the barrel of the gun. 

"My question for you, Amanda, is who took you and covered you in blood? The police don't know. Reports say you don't know. Apparently nobody knows," Bruce squinted, "but I figured it out. The Complex was experimenting with certain blood types and Thompson was a lab rat for them." 

Batman looked Amanda in the eyes. "You were a lab rat, weren't you? That's why they kept you for so long. Your blood type worked."

Amanda slowly looked back into his eyes and whispered in a vile tone. "They weren't experimenting. I was trying to go underground when they took me! Their Leader kept me safe. He made me into what I am. A fighter."

Bruce spoke softer. "Soon, he wanted more though, didn't he?"

Amanda glanced to the side, trying to fight back tears. "He began to take my blood. That's all. I wasn't an experiment Bruce, I was a donor to his big plan. God's plan, okay? A donor to the divine order."

Bruce sighed. He knew what that meant for the Complex. Amanda had made Tempest possible. 

Silence grew between them and Amanda regained her focus.

"I suppose I'm the reason for all of this, for her." Bruce said nothing. Amanda licked her lips. "I still have to do this. It's the order of things." 

Amanda was about to pull the trigger, when Batman threw out his forearm to disarm the gun from her hand. A shot went into the sky as the two wrestled for a moment. Amanda knocked Bruce back, but he regained his balance quickly and kicked Amanda off of her feet. She fell to the ground, but instantly got up and tried to punch Bruce. He moved to the side and grabbed her arm. He twisted her wrist and she let out a cry of pain. Amanda tried to fight back, but Bruce overpowered her easily as he dragged her away from the ship. He then restrained her to a nearby warehouse a hundred yards from the ship.

 Amanda was full of rage as she struggled to get free. "Bruce! Let me go."

 Batman took a few steps back. "Just how much did they do to you while you were gone, Amanda?"

"Too much." She looked away out of shame.

Batman approached her again and took the radio that was fastened around her hips. He studied it as Amanda continued her broken speech.

"What I said was true."

"I know."

"I'm sorry, Bruce." She looked at him defiantly.

"It's too late for apologies."

******

Batman kneeled in the shadows on top of one of the warehouses while carefully peered over at his desperate friends. More shame clouded his judgement. He saw Superman staring at the ground. The Hawk Girl monster raged and roared. Batman could tell that Clark was beginning to grow empty. 

Again.

You could have been there to stop them. To help them. 

Batman's thoughts were flooding his mind with regret. He could have done this on his own. No one had to get hurt. Bruce looked down at the vile in his hands. Keep working on the serum. Then signal the team. That's the plan.