Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

news:bm:batman [2009/10/12 19:27]
oliver
news:bm:batman [2009/10/12 22:38] (current)
oliver
Line 160: Line 160:
==== Batman Visits the Emperor==== ==== Batman Visits the Emperor====
 +(from batman's POV)
The evening is a balmy one in Constantinople and the palace is spectacularly beautiful lit with a thousand candles, torches, lamp, brazier and assorted other flammable bric a brac...how convenient\\ The evening is a balmy one in Constantinople and the palace is spectacularly beautiful lit with a thousand candles, torches, lamp, brazier and assorted other flammable bric a brac...how convenient\\
Line 174: Line 175:
You awake sometime later. You are tired and hungry and covered in blood. Not your blood, other people’s, lots of other people’s. In fact the wounds in your back seem to have healed, you must have blacked out for a long long time. You appear to be in a ditch just outside of Jerusalem.\\ You awake sometime later. You are tired and hungry and covered in blood. Not your blood, other people’s, lots of other people’s. In fact the wounds in your back seem to have healed, you must have blacked out for a long long time. You appear to be in a ditch just outside of Jerusalem.\\
 +
 +==== Batman RIP ====
 +(from batman's POV)
 +===Batman, Batman Everywhere===
 +
 +Within the fortress of Bethlehem preparations begin to move Prince Khawan, who has been accused of being the dread manbat; the scourge of kings, Crusader killer and dark Knight in the dreams of emperor’s.
 +
 +Michael orders his Knights and jailers away so that he and Khawan are alone within the dank cell beneath the fortress.  Michael hands Khawan the skin filled with fresh, warm pig’s blood. As Khawan takes the skin their hand touch and Michael looks into the eyes of the prince...the eyes of his sister.\\
 +
 +//“You have made this very hard on me Gabriella, I may have to break my oaths for you.”// He says //“I only hope this plan works or there is little more that I can do to protect you.”//\\
 +
 +Khawan takes the skin and places it by his breast under his tunic; he says nothing but meets his brother’s gaze and smiles. Michael turns to call the escort and as he does Khawan whispers,\\
 +
 +//“It will work.”//
 +
 +Michael of Bethlehem has agreed with the ambassadors of the Byzantine empire to transport The Lion of Tikrit to Constantinople to face the wrath of Emperor Isaac II who has sworn in front his court to watch the Prince die slowly and painfully. Makis Karantenos commander of the emperor’s armies has been dispatched to watch over Michael’s escort and a legion of his finest soldiers wait in the courtyard of the citadel of Bethlehem. Byzantine diplomat Simeon Gabriel has also joined the escort, no doubt to ensure everything is done by the book.  Around the General’s men are mounted an escort from the Order of Mary Magdalene, dressed in full knightly regalia. It is Michael of Bethlehem who escorts Khawan out of the dungeons and into the warm dusk air of the courtyard. The General walks forward.\\
 +
 +//“You have the prisoner then. We must depart at once; the Emperor will become more displeased the longer justice remains unadministered”//  he says with a cool glance at the Prince. \\
 +
 +//“Of course general, we shall leave at once.”// Replies Michael and he turns to order a horse for himself and another for Khawan.  \\
 +
 +In the shadows on the battlements above something moves and one of Michael’s knights cries out in alarm. Everyone looks and there high above them is the silhouette of the bat creature deep within the shadows of the citadel. Khawan cries out and crumples to the floor a crossbow bolt protruding from his chest, blood pouring from the wound. With a gasp he clutches at the air and falls into the dust of the courtyard.\\
 +
 +// “After it!”// Cries Michael rushing to the fallen prince and seemingly pulling out the bolt.\\
 +
 +Karantenos’ men also rush forward and together a large group races up the stairs to the top of the battlements but the figure is gone and only the shadows remain. In the courtyard below Michael and one of the fortress’ physicians crouch over the prone form of Khawan. Michael turns from the body and calls to Karantenos;\\
 +
 +//“He’s dead and it would seem that he was not the assassin we wanted.”// He nods in the direction of the vanished bat figure. //“I am sorry the Emperor has been denied his prize. I will have the corpse disposed of here in Bethlehe-“//\\
 +//“No”// The general cuts him off //“I was ordered to bring the Prince before the Emperor and I will do that. The corpse rides with us.”//\\
 +
 +Michael looks as if he may reply but then nods he ascent with a glance at the body.\\
 +
 +//Your illusion worked well and you are sure that you captured the essence of both the batman and the crossbow bolt. However you listen with frustration to Karantenos as he insists that your corpse is taken to the Emperor in Constantinople. You will have to adapt you plan. You saw no sign of Nadia so perhaps she will show herself later and give you another opportunity to escape.// \\
 +
 +===Calm Before the Storm===
 +The sun has set but the heat of the day still clings to the desert outside of Bethlehem and in the skies above a storm is forming, huge thunderheads boiling over the Holy Land. The Lion of Tikirt is in a wagon within the midst of the armed escort at the head of which ride Karantenos and Michael. The group is making for Jerusalem where it will spend the night and are they travelling down the road from Bethlehem between the rocky crags of the desert.\\
 +
 +//You can hear the sound of the knights around you even through the thick blanket that covers your corpse.  Overhead you can sense the fury of the storm that is building over the desert. You sense that this is your chance. Your escape must be now or never. The storm will mask your escape and in the shadows of the wilderness you can melt away from the Knights and their horses.// \\
 +
 +//You tense and then with a leap you cast the blanket aside and somersault backwards onto the driver’s plate of the wagon. Overhead lightning dances through the sky and thunder booms around you. As your eyes adjust you see some of the escort staring at you in amazement but others are staring out into the desert where, in the light of the storm, you see the form of a humanoid bat. Nadia! You feel the sting of the crossbow bolt as it strikes your flank and you flail as the force propels you from the wagon.//\\
 +
 +In moments chaos breaks out as the storm overhead reaches its roaring climax. In the wagon the corpse of Khawan leaps to its feet in a graceful somersault and at the same moment the silhouette of the bat assassin appears above the escort with a crossbow raised. With a thud the crossbow bolt slams into the reanimated Khawan and he falls, flailing, from the wagon.\\
 +
 +As the horses shy in response to the storm the knights attempt to wheel and draw their weapons. Simeon is thrown from his horse and is knocked unconscious on a rock. Confused cries break out among the knights as both Michael and Karantenos shout out orders.  The bat figure has vanished but even as the knights make to move to its previous location from the rocks around the escort robed fighters run forth. They are dressed as Arab warriors and as they streak toward the escort they cry;\\
 +
 +//“For Emperor Andronikos!”//\\
 +
 +At their front is a large man carrying a great sword, his face covered by the desert robes, his eyes flashing in the light of the storm. His battle cry carries a distinctly Byzantine accent. \\
 +
 +The mounted knights turn to engage the ambushers and battle is joined. The fighting is confined and confused and many of the Arabs and Knights are felled in the first few moments. Michael and Karantenos continue to bellow commands and then each draw their own weapon; striking out at the Arabs around them. Michael does not seem skilled with his blade and is quickly driven back to the cover of his knights who form up around him. Karantenos seems much more able and the Arabs back away from him as he easily fells the first two to engage him. The Arabs are numerous and begin to encircle the escort party, they make directly for the wagon but as they get close a black form leaps from the shadows between the donkeys hitched to it. \\
 +
 +===The Lion Roars===
 +It is Prince Khawan. He is obviously injured, a broken crossbow blot protruding from his flank, but he moves like the lightning that crackles in the storm above. In his hands are pair of daggers which whirl in impossible patterns as he dances around the Arabs surrounding him. The strokes of lightning throw the battle into brief periods of brilliant illumination and then plunge it into blackness once more. The Prince seems to move between these flashes with a flawless grace, his foes only seeing him as he plunges his blades into them before vanishing into the momentary darkness. Within seconds the Prince has felled the six Arab warriors surrounding him. Then he looks down the road and sees a path to escape.\\
 +
 +//“Not so fast! Al Khatara!”// Bellows Karantenos and charges toward the Prince followed by two of his men.\\
 +\\
 +Khawan, seeing that flight is impossible while pursued and injured, turns to face the General, his bloody knives held low. As Karantenos lunges forward the Prince ducks driving his blades into the men either side of the general, they fall dead on the spot. Karantenos’ strike misses and with deadly alacrity the Prince flips backwards onto his hands his foot slamming into Karantenos’ face at the apex of the handstand, the General falls back with a grunt. Khawan lands in a fighting stance and raises his blade preparing to hurl it into the General’s chest when the robed leader of the Arabs careens into him, the hilt of the man's sword striking the Prince in the head. Khawan falls backwards but recovers almost instantly his daggers darting out to catch the swing of the robed man's next attack. Their blades strike together seemingly in time with the bolts of lightning that lance overhead and their blows dance off each other in a deadly flurry. The two seem evenly matched, the acrobatic defence of the Prince a match for the deadly force of the robed man but Khawan is clearly suffering from his wound and as he makes a spinning strike at the man’s face he loses his balance and lands awkwardly. With a cry of triumph the robed man strikes down, driving his sword into the Prince’s shoulder.\\
 +
 +Khawan cries out and Michael shouts something that is lost in the torrent of thunder. The robed figure pulls free his blade from the crumpled Prince and raises it to deliver the killing blow but Khawan spins away, not beaten even with two crippling wounds, and hurls a handful of dirt into the man's face before driving his fist into his opponent's groin. The man stumbles back with a groan. \\
 +
 +Blood is pouring from Khawan now as he rises, the effort obvious. He turns and jumps onto the rocks by the side of the road scrabbling up the crumbling cliff face till he stands on the precipice overlooking the road, he turns to look back at the chaos behind him. With a furious cry Karantenos grabs a crossbow from one his men and raising it fires straight at the Prince’s back.\\
 +
 +Lightning flashes overhead. \\
 +
 +For an instant everyone present sees the Prince illuminated at the top of the cliff the crossbow bolt suspended in a frozen moment of time before him.\\
 +
 +Darkness.\\
 +
 +A second flash. \\
 +
 +The Prince wobbles, the crossbow bolt protruding from his chest. On either side of him are two ghostly figures, the storm's light briefly revealing the ethereal features of a young man and woman. Simultaneously they reach toward the Prince’s body a look of terrible desperation on their faces but even as their fingers brush him the Prince’s eyes roll up into his head and the spectres evaporate away into nothingness, silent screams twisting their faces.\\
 +
 +Darkness.\\
 +
 +
 +===Death of An Hero===
 +Overhead the storm has calmed, only few rumbles of distant thunder serving as reminder of its fury. The Arabs and their leader, seeing the Prince is dead, flee into the night. Karantenos moves forward to find the body of The Lion of Tikrit lying at the base of the cliff, ragged and covered in blood.\\
 +\\
 +Panting Karantenos turns to his men, //“Get the corpse in the wagon, we must not keep the Emperor waiting.”//\\
 +
 +Michael walks to his side and stares down at the body, he looks as if he means to say something but he bites his lip and is silent.\\
 +
 +Khawan al Khatara is dead.\\
 +
 +**You have died but the Batman may yet live on through the batsuit and in the hearts, and other internal organs, of the people he kills. You can take solace in the fact that your legacy as a schizophrenic regicide will probably endure for centuries...and in the end isn't that what counts?**\\
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +
news/bm/batman.1255375655.txt.gz · Last modified: 2009/10/12 19:27 by oliver
Except where otherwise noted, content on this wiki is licensed under the following license:CC Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported