DC Adventures presents: The Batman, Vol. 1

Issue 10: Countdown, Part 2

At the Gotham International Airport, Jason Todd was with his father Willis, who was about the board a plane. He gave his son a hug and told him, “I’m proud of you.”

Jason did not return the hug, however, his eyes opened wide when Deathstroke walked. He shoved his father when the villain started shooting. The father and son ducked for cover. Deathstroke went out a back door as some of his henchmen watched over the crowd. Jason looked at his dad and realized that he had acted too late. Willis had several gunshots and had died from his wounds. Enraged, the detective fired upon each goon, killing them all with one bullet each. When he ran after Deathstroke, he saw him enter a plane. It quickly took off. Afterward, he could have sworn that he saw something shaped like a giant bat.

The object was the Batwing, a new one-seat aerial vehicle designed by Lucius Fox. It was being piloted by Batman. He was in pursuit of Deathstroke’s plane. With the Batwing’s guns shot out half of the plane’s engines. Batman shoots off a way into the plane and glides inside. Deathstroke looks at him and pulls out his katana. “You!”

The villain swung at him, but Batman caught the blade with the spikes on his gauntlets. He used them to break the katana. An engine explodes, knocking them both against one wall, causing Deathstroke’s helmet to crack.

“Slade, stop this,” Batman attempted to persuade him. “You’re going to end up killing us both.”

“I am prepared to die. Can you say the same?” Deathstroke pulled out his bo staff and readied to fight.

On the ground, some officers were escorting Harvey Dent after he attempted to kill a couple of officers. Once they had him in a holding cell, several men in hoodies entered the lobby. They wait for the perfect moment before opening fire, killing multiple cops. Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock hear the commotion and head toward it. Eventually one of the attackers jumps out from behind a corner. Luckily Gordon and Bullock were able to subdue him by shooting him in the legs. Bullock grabs the attacker and demanded, “Who sent you.” He only laughed, so Bullock knocked him out.

Back on the plane, Batman continues battling Deathstroke. Every time the vigilante dodged his bo staff, he’d punch him in the face, causing Deathstroke’s mask to crack. Eventually, Batman knocked the weapon out of his hands and shattered the right side of his mask.

“It’s over Slade.”

Deathstroke chuckled and pulled out the detonator. “No, now you will witness me wiping the filth off the planet.” He hits the trigger button, but nothing happens.

“I disabled the bomb.”

The mercenary smirked. “You are a worthy opponent, Batman. Maybe one day we will fight again.” He leaps out of the plane.

Batman remotely flies the Batwing close and grapples into it. The plane is forced to land outside of Metropolis.

Back at the police precinct, all the crooks seemed to have escaped. Gordon found that their target was the evidence room. Everything was gone. “Goddammit.”

With Deathstroke gone and all his associates in prison, Gotham returned to normal. Batman was driving back to the Batcave when he saw something that made him stop and get out. It was a man wearing a blue costume with a red cape and an “S” on his chest. This man approached Batman and told him, “We need to talk.”