Thank Me Later #252

"I still don't know whether you're delusional, trying to manipulate me, or telling the truth..." Batman said, his expression blank as he shook his head.

Naturally, he didn't believe me at first, but that quickly changed when I began rapidly spewing all kinds of secrets that no one, especially not me, had any business knowing.

I gave him names from his past that even he had probably forgotten and events that no one other than him knew, giving him no choice but to listen to me and seriously consider my words.

Still, it was a hell of a bomb to drop in someone's lap, and he may never fully believe me or accept the reality of his existence, but he was willing to hang the cowl and live his life as Bruce.

"Well, you can believe whatever you like..." I said, shrugging my shoulders with a chuckle. "Either way, enjoy your freedom, Bruce," I concluded as I turned to walk away, leaving the billionaire playboy to process the situation.

He merely sighed, looked at the various knick-knacks left at the memorial's base, then walked away.

...

South of Gotham

Inside a cargo plane heading for the center of the city

"So you're the Madame Alice I've heard about for so long..." Batwoman said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at the woman in heavy makeup and frilly dress in front of her.

"You people never learn, do you..." Batwoman asked with a frown. "Leave me and my city the fuck alone..." She added as she retrieved the cryo-baton from her utility belt and assembled it.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, dear..." Madam Alice said, smiling as she shook her head. "You have a destiny to fulfill, after all," She added as she reached behind her back and retrieved two pistols.

"I guess I'll have to beat out of you then!" Batwoman said with a scowl, quickly jumping behind a storage box as Madam Alice aimed and started firing at her.

"You may certainly try, dear..." Madam Alice said with a chuckle as she continued to fire, the bullets punching hole after hole in the Batwoman's cover, forcing her to jump out.

Batwoman leaped over the storage box, three batarangs in hand. She threw them at Madam Alice, and the latter quickly threw herself to the side, dodging them cleanly.

Still, her momentary distraction gave Batwoman all the time she needed to close the distance, and she immediately struck her opponent's left, forcing her to let go of one pistol.

Unfazed by the attack that almost broke her fingers, Madame Alice only grinned as she raised her other gun and resumed firing, making Batwoman dodge.

Madame Alice wasn't willing to let her run as she retrieved a knife from her pocket and chased behind Batwoman as the latter jumped left and right, dodging bullets.

Batwoman made her way to a shelf full of storage boxes and hid behind it, waiting to ambush her opponent, who gladly walked into her trap, having seen it coming.

The vigilante burst out of cover, swinging her baton at Madam Alice's hand, but the latter was ready to react as she quickly moved away the pistol and blocked the attack with the knife.

She quickly altered the baton's trajectory and raised her gun, pointing it in Batwoman's face as she fired, but the latter ducked before the bullet could leave the barrel.

Putting her strength into her legs, Batwoman lunged at Madam Alice, gripping her gun arm and twisting it as she successfully disarmed her opponent, but it came at a price.

Madam Alice didn't seem to care much for the pain as she used her free arm to plunge the knife into Batwoman's thigh and kick the baton out of her hand.

The vigilante grunted and winced in pain, but she wasn't slow to react as well as she buried her elbow into Madam Alice's arm, forcing her to let go of the knife.

"Looks like we'll have to settle this the old-fashioned way then..." Madam Alice said, clearly amused as she held onto her shoulder and spun her arm while watching Batwoman remove the knife from her thigh.

"Bring it," Batwoman said as she threw the knife away and stopped the bleeding with a strange white gell before charging Madam Alice, who met her halfway.

The two women began exchanging blows all over the plain, but no one seemed to gain the advantage as they were equally fast, agile, and skilled in almost every aspect.

"The clock is ticking. We'll soon be over Gotham..." Madam Alice said, smiling as she deflected Batwoman's fist and tried to swipe her off her feet, only for the latter to jump over her low kick.

"The bomb will drop, and your precious city will be no more... you're running out of time..." She added as she spun in place and planted her foot into Batwoman's abdomen, which sent her sliding back as she groaned in pain.

"It's making you impatient, predictable, carless..." Madam Alice said, still smiling as she slowly approached Batwoman. "I can read your every move..." She concluded, shaking her head in disapproval as she mockingly glanced at the vigilante.

"You talk too much!" Batwoman said through gritted teeth as she threw a small black sphere into the ground and looked away as it exploded in a blinding display of light.

She didn't drag her feet and immediately charged Madame Alex, ramming the religion's leader with her shoulder and slamming her into the cargo plane's metallic walls.

In doing so, the vigilante unwittingly opened the plane's cargo doors as Madam Alice's elbow slammed into it, but the two women didn't seem to care as they continued exchanging blows.

"How dramatic!" Madam Alice said with a loud laugh as she kneed the vigilante's abdomen and headbutted her. "Way to set the mood!" She added as she gripped Batwoman's wrist and swung her towards the opened cargo door.

The vigilante tripped and hit her head, but she gritted her teeth and held on to the mesh wrapping one of the cargo boxes before she fell, but Madam Alice didn't seem content to let her be.

Madam Alice laughed With no regard for her life as she ran towards the vigilante with zero caution. She swung her fists and danced around Batwoman with reckless abandon.

Despite her recklessness, Madam Alice was evidently an accomplished fighter as she managed to retain her balance even as the plane hit air turbulence and started shaking violently.

She was slowly gaining the advantage in the fight as she landed more hits than her opponents and dodged even more as the latter had to fight more cautiously.

However, the tides of the battle suddenly shifted as a piece of metal came flying from Madam Alice's blind spot and hitting her in the head because of the turbulence.

She instantly lost her balance and began sliding towards the cargo door, much to Batwoman's chagrin as she hesitated for a moment before jumping after her.

"Hold on! I won't let you die...!" Batwoman said as she gripped Madam Alice's wrist with one hand, barely and desperately holding on to the cargo door with the other.

Madam Alice didn't instantly reply as she raised her head, staring into Batwoman's eyes and smiling for a moment. "You really do have our father's eyes, Kate..." She said, giving Batwoman a genuine smile.

And before Batwoman could even process the situation, Madam Alice gripped her knife as it slid past her and stabbed the vigilante in her wrist with zero hesitation.

The vigilante could do nothing but watch with wide eyes, stricken by horror and shock, as Madam Alice fell to her death, quickly disappearing from her vision.

Still, Batwoman knew she didn't have time to dally. She grunted in pain as she lifted herself back into the plane, closed the cargo door, then rushed towards the bomb.

She promptly froze as she noticed a young man standing in front of the bomb with a thoughtful expression. "That's some serious firepower..." He muttered, seemingly to no one in particular, as he inspected the bomb.

"I don't know who you are or why you are here, but get out of my way!" Batwoman said as she got over her initial surprise and rushed towards the bomb. "I need to disarm this thing before we get to Gotham," She added as she tried to move the young man out of her way, only he didn't budge.

"There's no need. I already disarmed it," The young man said as he put his hand on the bomb, causing it to disappear. "That woman was your sister, I presume...?" He added as he turned to Batwoman, and she immediately recognized him after one look at his face.

Batwoman nodded mechanically.

"Good thing I didn't let her fall to her death then," The young man said, shrugging his shoulders. "You'll find her in police custody once you land this thing," He added as he reopened the cargo door and walked towards it.

"You can thank me later," He concluded as he jumped off the cargo door and flew away, disappearing into the horizon.