Night Monster | J. Crane [iii]

Prologue

Jonathan had set up his camera for all of Gotham as Lilith finished giving orders to a henchmen to unleash some toxin at Pauli's Diner, once the toxin was in position, Lilith gave the order to detonate it. The diner had soon become clouded in the smoke of Scarecrow's toxin. All the costumers and workers affected by it, they soon all started panicking in fear and before you know it they soon attacked each other, killing themselves.

"It is time, my mistress..." Jonathan's voice spoke as Lilith grinned evilly before pressing the live button. His face appearing all across Gotham.

"This demonstration used just five ounces of my latest toxin. Tomorrow this will seem like child's play."

"Gotham this is your only warning..."

•~★~•

After the massive evacuation, Gotham City became a ghost town. The only occupants were criminals and the remaining police officers at the GCPD, along with Batman.

After the meeting in Arkham Asylum, Poison Ivy had refused to take part in Scarecrow's scheme to plunge Gotham City into a city of fear. Which led to her being locked up in the containment chamber back at the hideout in Chinatown, in which Scarecrow, Lilith and the Arkham Knight had already abandoned. Their current base was now in Ace Chemicals in the main office of the central mixing chamber. Lilith stood a few feet back with her hands behind her back, watching as her beloved turned on the city wide intercom.

"Remnants of Gotham, I have messages for you all. To the vandals who stayed behind to pick the still warm flesh from Gotham's bones, have your fun - you are under my protection. To the cowards quaking behind the police department's walls, you will not be spared. And to Batman, I have already won." Lilith turned to see the a couple of the Arkham Knight militia enter the room, one of them walks to Lilith and whispers in her ear as Jonathan continued. "Emptied your city with a vile of toxin and a few threatened words that's how little the safety you provided was worth. When the dawn comes, when Gotham lies in ruin and I turn my gaze to the world beyond, the legend of the Batman will be worth nothing at all."

Scarecrow let's go of the button and slowly glances to Lilith who steps forward. "Jonathan, the Knight says that Batman has already infiltrated Ace Chemicals, it's time."

"Begin the process, Batman is already too late to stop our plans. I want you to go with the Knight to collect Barbara Gordon. Before going back to your post." Scarecrow said as the soldiers immediately went to work at starting getting to work pumping the fear toxin. Lilith raised her mask and pulled her hood up before flexing her hand that had her two syringed gauntlet before moving towards her personal militia soldiers.

"Lilith."

The woman halted before slowly turned to face her beloved, she silently waited before he spoke. "I needn't remind you to stay vigilant and focused."

With those words of caution Lilith gave a small nod as she then walked out of the room quickly exiting the facility, quickly raising her hand to her earpiece. "Where are you?"

"Well, if you must know, waiting for your slow ass. Now hurry up and make your way to chopper." The distorted voice of the Arkham Knight rang in her ear. As she saw the chopper a few feet in front of her getting ready to take off, quickly making her way to it she hopped on right as it raised off the ground before quickly flying off onto the main island.

•~★~•

The chopper closed in on Bleake Island landing just off the Cauldron district, Lilith quickly followed the Arkham Knight and the other militia soldiers down the rope, dropping on the ground before quickly getting in one of the militia vehicles. Once arriving to the clock tower, the militia made quick work in infiltrating the tower, taking it over, as the Knight and Lilith quickly traveled up to the top, taking Barbara Gordon by surprise. The girl tried putting up a fight, despite being wheelchair bound. Which caused Lilith to roll her eyes and raise her arm before spraying, knock out gas, subduing the redhead.

"Alright, I have no desire or need to stay any longer. You got what you needed now it's time for me to do the same." Lilith said to the Arkham Knight with Barbara Gordon on his shoulder, entering the vehicle. The Mistress of Fear went into a separate one with her militia guard before making their way to one out of three watchtowers she was in charge of. It was located on the roof of a building that was under construction, across the Gotham Stock Exchange. Which was protected by four minigunners, two medics and two soldiers equipped with cloaking tech that the Knight claims Batman wouldn't be able to see under his so called, "Detective Mode."

Lilith had specifically modified this watchtower and the control panel was secretly lined with a lethal dose of Fear Toxin so when Batman destroys it, the toxin would set off.

Staring off in the distance of the flaming Ace Chemicals building, tightening a fist so hard it begins to shake. "Batman is gonna regret ever crossing us."

Panik pulls up the hood over her face before walking towards one of her personal guards. "How long until Osamu Tower is ready?"

The guard that was scrolling through a tablet, quickly handed it to her. "The remaining canisters should arrive in 3 hours."

Panik looked at the schematics at the building before opening a new file. "and the Cornfield?"

"It will be ready before Batman even thinks of stepping foot on the Osamu Tower." The solider informed as he was handed back the tablet.

"Good, as much as I would love to hope that this watchtower alone would stop him in his tracks, I'm not exactly the hopefully kind. While he's too busy chasing Scarecrow and the Knight, he wouldn't think of my own separate agenda. Now tell me the status on our hefty donation to Iron Heights Penitentiary?"

"Warden Ranken sends his regards and says all experiments are underway. The blimp should be arrive on Bleake Island later tonight." The guard informed as he pulled up recent files of said experiments. Under her gas mask and unseen by the guard a sadistic grin appears.

"Excellent."

Panik soon then received a message on her communication earpiece. "Yes? Alright, I'm on my way."

"Keep me posted on every inch of activity in this watchtower. If Batman even steps one foot on the premises I want him eliminated. Understood?"

All the soldiers patrolling quickly saluted before resuming patrol. "Yes ma'am!"

Panik signaled her guard with the tablet and the other two guards as they quickly exit the watchtower, getting into the vehicle before driving off.

•~★~•

And that's the start of the final act of this series. Sorry if the prologue wasn't great, I've been super busy and been dealing with a lot of problems from work as well as home. I have no clue how long or short im planning on making this book be. I still have yet to write chapter 1 but I really just wanted to push this out here for that promised October release.  So just please be patient with me cause at the current  time it's probably gonna be slow updates.

Edit: not me publishing this before actually finishing this. Whoops, so the part where I mention Osamu Tower that may or may not be a temporary place holder cause I was trying to pick a random building on bleake island that was noticeable and that was the only one I could think of searching the internet once I go around the map I may or may not change it.