Batman: System Failure

[Cazzik]

GOTHAM CITY
COBBLE HILL

Detective Tommy Nguyen watched as his companion moved slowly around the room, the GCPD uniforms at the door doing the same. Most of them had never experienced being in the vicinity of the Batman. It could be unsettling. He moved with a purpose and determination. Stopping to study blood spatter on the ground and overturned knickknacks on the desk. The crime scene was brutal, the victim stabbed well into the double digits by a large bladed weapon. Tommy finally broke the silence, "It doesn't look like anything was taken. And we couldn't find any signs of forced entry. I'm inclined to rule out robbery or crime of opportunity here."

Batman didn't respond. He had spotted a closed laptop in the corner of the room, sitting underneath an overturned side table. The little green blinking light indicated the device was on. He walked past the corpse of the middle aged man on the floor and retrieved the computer. Detective Nguyen started to protest, indicating that the electronic device had not yet been logged into evidence. Batman ignored him and lifted the screen to find a sticky note with a message on it and an arrow pointing to the enter button. It read:

LET'S CHAT, BATMAN.

Batman looked at Nguyen and the GCPD detective stepped closer to examine the computer. The vigilante looked back and pressed the enter button and watched as the device pulled up a picture of the bat emblem on his chest. Audio clicked on immediately after and a voice, clearly using a modulator, echoed from the speakers, "There you are. There's the Batman."

Henry studied the screen from beneath his mask, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The modulated voice spoke again, "You and I both know I'm not telling you who I am. Not yet. But what I want? That's easy. I want to break you, Batman. You and everyone you hold dear. Your family. Your friends. Your allies. I'll grind them all into dust. If I were you, Detective Nguyen, I'd steer clear of assisting any flying rodents in the future."

Batman sensed Tommy's body language stiffen. The vigilante continued, "And this is what? A warning?"

The voice again responded, "No. Not a warning. I just wanted to say hello. I knew a good old fashioned grizzly murder would get your attention. So.....hello, Batman. Let the gauntlet begin."

The voice ceased and another computerized system could be heard, "Failsafe activated."

The screen went black and their compatriot had clearly severed contact. Detective Nguyen looked at Batman, "What's failsafe?"

The Batman put the laptop down, "I don't know."

Before anything else could be said the automated voice of Oracle spoke in Henry's ear, "Warning: Batcave Perimeter Breach. Warning: Batcave Perimeter Breach."

[Cazzik]

THE STREETS OF GOTHAM

The Batmobile flew through the streets of Gotham at a speed most would deem beyond unsafe. Batman was at a disadvantage. He knew very little as of yet. Who was the murderer? What were his ties to Batman and his allies? What was failsafe? And what the hell was in the Batcave?! Henry attempted to contact the others again, but comms were still down. He had no idea what was coming and no way of warning anyone. The Batman gritted his teeth and sped toward his home.

**********

THE BATCAVE
BELOW WAYNE MANOR

Quinn Taylor sat at the multi-monitored computer at the heart of the Batcave. Her long, blonde hair had a bit of a curl to it today due to the humidity. She looked impeccable as always in her gray pants, white blouse, and heels. With her legs crossed she leaned back in her chair and continued to eat her Japanese pan noodles, setting her glass of red wine on the console in front of her. She smiled slightly to herself as she realized how irritated Henry would have been with her for doing that. He really was a bit of a moody spoil sport sometimes, though she guessed that came with being the Batman.

She was basking in the silence that seldom graced the cave, at least these days. Batman had responded to a call from Detective Nguyen. Ryan was on his way to National City to check on real estate holdings on the west coast. Harper was at Gotham University preparing for classes, she assumed. Jesse was somewhere in the mansion, she just didn't know where and at the moment, didn't care. She was enjoying her alone time as she read the file in front of her. She sipped her wine, savoring the flavor as she stared at the picture of the sometimes criminal on the screen; Catwoman aka Natasha Gates.

The wine almost washed the distaste she had for Natasha out of her mouth. Almost. Quinn didn't trust her, but for some reason Henry did. She took another long drink. Could it possibly be the sultry eyes, perfectly sculpted ass, and the catsuit she ran around in? Nope. That couldn't possibly be it. She shook her head. She needed to get a grip. She was starting to sound jealous and she mostly certainly wasn't. Henry was her friend and boss and nothing more. She admired him and his dedication to Gotham. She smirked knowing full well she liked his perfectly sculpted ass too. She downed the rest of her wine and shrugged, standing to go back up to the manor and get another glass, or maybe just the rest of the bottle.

Oracle's voice rang out through the cave, "Warning: Batcave Perimeter Breach! Warning: Batcave Perimeter Breach!"

Quinn dropped her glass, shattering it on the cold floor, "Shit!" She turned back to the computer and started typing in commands as she spoke, "Oracle, notify Batman and the rest of the team. Lock down the cave and prepare defensive systems."

"Batman has been notified. Communications are now offline. I am unable to notify any others."

From the back of the cave she could hear something grinding against metal, most likely one of the security doors. There was a gut wrenching squeal as she realized the door was being ripped apart. Quinn could feel a lump of cold fear swell up in her throat. What the hell could do that? She stepped back slowly as she heard the loud thud of footsteps coming closer. Whoever it was, they were big. The shadows started to betray the outline of a tall figure. A bone chilling, monotone voice echoed out from the darkness, "Primary target not found. Acquiring secondary target - human female. Forcible interrogation will commence."

[Cazzik]

Quinn froze, dead in her tracks. She had always thought of herself as a fighter in situations like this, but here she was, completely frozen in place. That said, she'd literally never been in a situation like this. The shape had exited the shadows and her eyes focused on the metallic robot that stood before her. She didn't even try to talk to it. It wasn't human and she had no idea how to reason with it. Finally her legs moved and she turned and began running towards the elevator that would take her back up to the mansion above but she wasn't fast enough. The robot moved around her like she was standing still, blocking her exit. She screamed, "Now Oracle! Get him!"

"Defensive capabilities now online. Intruder, stand down."

From the ceiling of the cave several turrets lowered and began firing energy based projectiles at the robot. It looked up and seemed to take inventory of it's attackers, not seemingly phased by the barrage of fire raining down on it. The robot's shoulder blades slid open and rockets erupted from inside, targeting the turrets and taking them out quickly. He then turned his attention back to Quinn who was backing away, frantically looking for a way out. The robot took one step forward and multiple small devices whirled past Quinn's head, hitting her enemy directly in the chest and exploding, pushing him back slightly. She turned around and felt some relief as Jesse stood primed for combat in his Robin gear. He yelled at Quinn, "Get behind me and find cover! Oracle, release drones!"

"Drones have been activated. Targeting intruder."

Robin watched as dozens of black drones descended from the cave top, firing projectiles and explosives at the robot. Though these weapons seemed to fare better than the energy based blasts of the turrets they still weren't overly effective. However, it was taking his new enemy longer to take those out than it did the previous defenses. He turned to Quinn and grabbed her arm, "Follow me!"

As they ran in the opposite direction of the robot Jesse yelled out again, "Oracle. launch Dark Knights protocol! Lock down database and cover our escape!"

"Confirmed, Robin. Launching Dark Knights, now. Database is secured."

A door on the far side of the cave slid open and several autonomous bots walked out, not unlike the enemy they were fighting. These Dark Knights engaged the robot as Robin safely led Quinn to his motorcycle. The pair hopped on and sped out of the cave while massive steel doors closed one by one behind them to seal their enemy inside.

[Cazzik]

Batman and Robin stood side by side outside of the entrance to the Batcave. They had found each other just after Robin and Quinn had escaped. Henry had a car pick Quinn up and take her to her apartment in the city. The dynamic duo then returned to their base of operations. The pair stood in silence as Batman put his hand on the giant steel slab that separated him from his cave. What the hell was failsafe?

"It was fast. My batarangs barely scratched it and the other cave defenses slowed it down at best. I don't know where it came from. I didn't have time to see how it got in," Robin explained.

Batman's gravely voice came from beneath the cowl, "It didn't get in. It was already inside."

Robin didn't bother asking how he knew that. He assumed Batman had checked the surveillance footage around the property and didn't see anything. Or maybe he just knew.....it was eerie sometimes, "What do we do now? Call Ryan back from National City?"

Batman pulled his hand away and it vanished beneath his cape, "Not yet. We need to figure out exactly what we're dealing with first. Is failsafe a single, autonomous robot? Is it a program? Is it a contingency plan for something? There're questions that need to be answered, Robin."

The Dark Knight turned and walked back to the Batmobile, "Get to the Belfry. We'll talk more there."

Robin watched him climb into the vehicle, "Should I call Harper? Warn her that something infiltrated the cave?"

Batman nodded, "Do it. Then get to the Belfry."

[Nichalus]

A sudden burst of static crackles in Batman's earpiece, disrupting the quiet outside the Batcave. Batman taps the device lightly, the noise fading as Stark's familiar voice filters through.

"Wayne?... Is this thing on?" Stark’s voice echoes as if he's unaware of how clear it now sounds.

Batman, narrows his eyes slightly. Before he can respond, Donna’s calm, precise tone answers on behalf of her creator.

--Yes, Mr. Stark-- Donna replies.

Batman’s jaw tightens briefly. The unmistakable mix of Stark's cocky tone and Donna’s efficiency intruding into his quiet sanctuary is unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. He knows that when Stark reaches out like this, something bigger is at play.

“Listen…” Stark continues, his tone now serious. “I’ve traced some of the sales and movements of the stolen Stark and Wayne Tech. Bad news for Gotham... it wound up right back in your city.”

A moment of silence lingers as Batman processes the information, his mind already racing through the possibilities. The stolen tech, while outdated, could have been, and most likely did, have a part in the construction of this new menace.

"Most likely, judging from the parts that have been identified, this stuff was used to create something big, most likely a automation of some sort." Stark replied, and confirming Wayne's own deduction. With a grim determination, Batman taps into the Batcave's systems, pulling up data to cross-reference Stark's findings. "Send me the details," he replies curtly. "I'll deal with it from here."

"Already on it. Donna's transmitting the files now. Just don’t go blowing up half the city, alright?"

Batman’s lips form a tight line, not rising to the bait. He knew what was at stake. "I'll handle it. Keep me updated if anything else surfaces."

"I'll do you better than that...I'm already en route," Stark's voice echoes with urgency, underscored by the sound the repulsor jets of his armor, in the background. There’s a brief pause before he addresses Donna. "Donna?"

Her response is precise and calm, as always. --At current subsonic velocity, we should reach our destination in 35 minutes and 45 seconds.--

Batman’s expression remains stoic as Stark’s chuckle echoes through the earpiece.

"Come on. You know you missed me," Stark teases, his voice laced with the usual cockiness.

A moment of silence hangs in the air before Batman replies, his voice as deadpan as ever. "I'll let you know after we deal with this."

[Cazzik]

THE BELFRY
OLD GOTHAM CLOCK TOWER

The Belfry was a secondary base in Gotham City should the Batcave ever become compromised, which had happened. Bruce had purchased the old clock tower many years ago and converted the inside into a state of the art facility. Not as large as the cave, it was still able to hold a tremendous amount of gear and technology. Batman rode the elevator up from the subbasement where the batmobile was now parked, alongside several other vehicles. The cage opened and he strode out, his black cape fluttering heavily behind him. Batgirl was seated at the large computer console when he entered, Robin standing next to her. His voice echoed through the large room, "Have you learned anything?"

Harper looked up at him and shrugged, "Yes and no. You were right, whatever it was it was already inside the cave. It didn't break in. I've reviewed the footage and it looks like it breaks out of a cave wall deep inside."

Robin looked at Batman, "How did it get in there?" Batman remained still, watching the footage playout, "I don't know. Infiltrating the cave would be difficult enough but excavating a wall and placing something that large behind it would have been nearly impossible without any of our systems or ourselves noticing."

"So.....what does that mean?" Robin pressed.

Batman continued, "It means it was likely put there on purpose.....by either my father or my brother."

Robin and Batgirl looked at one another before the boy wonder spoke up again, "And their reasoning for putting a killer robot in the Batcave is what? To keep us on our toes?"

One of the skylights slid open and the sound of repulsors made the group look up. Iron Man had arrived. The armored billionaire dropped down alongside the other three, "It means Failsafe is a contingency plan......for the Batman."

The Dark Knight nodded at him and looked back to Robin and Batgirl, "Stark's right. This is a creature of our own making," Batman's gaze drifted back to Stephan as the other man slid his faceplate up, "the stolen technology you tracked may very well be in Gotham, but it isn't what was used to build Failsafe."

Stark shrugged, "So we've got two problems then."

Batman shook his head, "No. More than that. We need to shut Failsafe down, we need to track down the stolen tech and find out what it's being used for, and we need to know if these are connected. But none of that is what concerns me most right now."

Stark's voice fired back, "And that is?"

"Who the hell would know that thing was inside my cave when I didn't know it?"

Quietly, Robin leaned over to Batgirl and whispered, "Dude! Nightwing is going to be so mad that he missed a team-up with Iron Man!"