2017.03.08 - Cold Case - The Conclusion
The two eldest Robins are standing around the bat-computer, pointing at the screens and talking with each other. "So," Dick says, "This is odd.." he mutters mostly to himself.
Emerging from the costume vault, Batman joins the two Robins. "What have we got?" he asks, studying the screens.
"The girlfriend had a bunch of notes and some names," Jason explains, gesturing to the computer. "Looks like whatever it was, it went down in Metropolis."
Robin nods as he looks, then looks up as he sees Batman. He cants a thumb at Jason. "Jay dug up some more info, from Vivian," he says. "Tell him, Jay."
"More information is good," Batman says. "What did you get?" he asks, turning his attention to Robin-2.
"Vivian Harris took notes on his correspondence and meetings," Robin-2 explains. "I've scanned all that into the Batcomputer. He was also involved in a kind of 'club' or something that all had the treatments." He punches up the identities of the famous actor and the CEO on the screen. "He went to Metropolis sick, came back seemingly better--but then he suddenly broke up with Vivian, and that's the last she saw of him."
"So that's probably where Milo's lab is," Robin says. Apparently, something must have broken over the last day or so. Dick turns to Jason. "So, now we know who did this, but not where or how. I'm hoping to flush Milo out," he says, glancing to Batman.
Batman studies the monitors for a moment. "What about them?" he asks, gesturing to the two men pictured on a screen.
"According to Harris, those two were in the 'club,'" Jason explains. "They've both fallen off the grid lately, so it seems to fit the pattern." Then, looking to Dick, he asks, "Milo, huh? Some kind of mad scientist type?"
Robin nods. "Of the particularly crazy sort. Tried to kill Batman with a werewolf one time," he says. He looks back to the men on the screen. "Leonard Combs, the well-known actor - he was in a severe car accident, his location since then unclear but he's active on social media. "Patricia Fields of The Fields Trust - Business chatter is that she's been notably absent from the past two major board meetings, reporting in via web-cam." He spreads out the other four, all prominent people, all very wealthy."
Batman nods slowly, his lips pursed in thought. "So it's likely that they're following a similar pattern to Taylor. Sick then suddenly right as rain but breaking off their normal social contacts." He takes a deep breath then lets it out on a long sigh. "Do we have traces on their finances? Is there any money moving to unexplained places? We need to find out how they're paying off Milo."
Jason flips through the notebook that Vivian Harris gave him. "There's nothing in here that confirms a location," he muses. "But maybe Milo has property or a rental or--hey, if it *is* in Metropolis, how hard would it be to track the equipment he'd need? There can't be that many labs around that would have everything he needs, right?"
Robin hmms. "Not many, true. Power requirements, supplies, that sort of thing.."
"Good thinking," Batman praises Robin-2. "If he's set up shop, then he's had to have purchased equipment. And he obviously needs a place where he can fit all the necessary equipment and do his manufacturing."
Nodding, Robin-2 says, "Maybe some kind of... medical clinic or testing lab? It seems like the kind of thing they'd keep on record."
Robin looks to Jason. "Well, then we should start canvasing the Metropolis data, looking for something that should not be there." He pauses. "Too bad Tim is down with the flu. He'd be able to do that in his head."
"There aren't so many companies that deal in high end laboratory equipment that we'll be looking for days on end," Batman points out. "Though I suspect he ordered from a couple different places to try to hide his tracks. Still, medical and laboratory supplies aren't a fly by night business. They'll have good records."
Nodding, Jason says, "I guess it's gonna have to be the B-team." He grins, then slides into a computer terminal and starts punching up programs. He's no Tim, but he can at least give it his best. He starts searches running through various databases to see what will crop up.
"And Milo is used to using cutouts and false leads - he's been tracked this way, before," the Teen Wonder says. He watches Jason run his searches and such, noting points of similarity that show up.
"Cross reference. There's got to be a pattern somewhere," Batman says softly.
Jason runs those connections, looking for a pattern, and puts scrutiny on anything that looks promising, intent on ferreting out any false leads or misdirection. The computer program flashes by, running its algorithms to seek out matches...
Several data points begin to show up - truck shipments that never connect to their supposed destination, bank accounts that show overpayments for certain types of chemicals, a handful of buildings that have power and water that should not. Some of these are likely homeless havens with a good Samaritan electrician or plumber but a couple are unlikely candidates at best - including a former ice-skating rink...
Batman watches the data coming up on the multiple monitors. He crosses his arms over his chest and studies the information, looking for anything that could be a possible lead. "Wait, what's that?" he interrupts, leaning over to point out the ice-skating rink.
Meanwhile
The lead proves to not pan out. Meanwhile, Dick comes up with a plan - he will get a job at Arkham as the chief lab tech, to lure Milo into making contact with him. Batman and he create the identity of 'Tom White' for him to use. He begins to work nights at the Asylum, 'learning the ropes'.
Arkham Asylum
Night at Arkham Asylum, and Dick Grayson in his guise as Tom White, newly hired chemical assistant to the cheif researcher here thinks he's on to something. He's been working here for almost two weeks, waiting for Achilles Milo to contact him, like he did the other two people in this position.
"Batman, it's going to go down tonight - there's been a black van that passed by here twice now, keeping the back porch delivery area under surveillance. And Tom had a note stuck to his duty folder when I got in today - to come to the back porch at nine. It's 8:40 now, so by the time this happens, you should be in position."
Lingering on the roof of the building, Batman starts to move into position above the back service entrance. "I read you," he answers Robin across the comlink. "I've seen the van go by, too. We're getting ready up here."
Robin-2 crouches near Batman, moving into position and listening in, both to hear Robin's updates and also for any instructions.
Dick AKA Tom taps his concealed com as he goes downstairs. "Headed your way now," he says. Minutes pass and then the door to the back porch can be seen to open and close, and a figure gets out of the van - it moves to the back porch.
Then the entire area is suddenly hazed in dense dark smoke, blanking out the entire area! "Bat---!" comes over the comm, then.. silence. And then the van itself roars out of the smoke and hurtles for the bridge connecting the island to the mainland.
In an instant Batman is off the roof and swinging down on a high tensile line. On the way down, he slips a respirator into place just in case there is something more sinister than mere smoke to contend with. "Robin?" he queries, trying to detect anything in the concealing smoke.
Robin-2 frowns, tapping his wrist computer, and goes to pull up a schematic to see if he can track "Tom's" location. "Sounds like they got him," he says softly.
The black van careens into another car, sideswiping it, as it roars towards the onramp to the bridge, the only way off Mercy Island.
The smoke blanketing the back loading dock is just smoke, but it is very dense and clinging - there is no sign of Milo and nothing remains of 'Tom' except his fake glasses containing his concealed comm.
"Batmobile," Batman says over the com, sprinting for the other side of the building where the high tech vehicle was hopefully concealed from easy view. "Is his homing device still working?" he asks as he races along the back side of Arkham.
Robin-2 frowns, tapping his wrist computer, and goes to pull up a schematic to see if he can track "Tom's" location. "Sounds like they got him," he says softly.
The black van careens into another car, sideswiping it, as it roars towards the onramp to the bridge, the only way off Mercy Island.
The smoke blanketing the back loading dock is just smoke, but it is very dense and clinging - there is no sign of Milo and nothing remains of 'Tom' except his fake glasses containing his concealed comm.
"Batmobile," Batman says over the com, sprinting for the other side of the building where the high tech vehicle was hopefully concealed from easy view. "Is his homing device still working?" he asks as he races along the back side of Arkham.
Heading swiftly toward the Batmobile, Robin-2 says, "Yeah, I've got him tracked. He's in the van, and we can follow it." He hops into the passenger seat of the car, nodding, and keeps watch on his projected wrist computer.
The van continues it's wild ride across the bridge, swerving and tires squealing as it passes slower (ie, everyone) cars and trucks. It runs the light at the end of the bridge and continues to torn towards Metropolis.
Once Robin-2 is belted and buckled in, Batman hits the gas. He guides the Batmobile through traffic, trying to avoid collisions with civilians while hoping to keep the black van in sight.
Robin-2 sends the signal from the computer to the Batmobile's tracking system, putting a blip up on the screen. "Just follow that, and we'll stay on him!"
It's a difficult thing to do, as the van seems to have little or no concern for the safety of others.. or even for itself! It slams into the side of a car, forcing it off the road, as it takes a turn so sharp the van almost turns over - it's on two wheels for several seconds at the very least, then slams back down and fishtails as the driver fights for control. As quick as it is, of course, it's no match for the Batmobile and it's easily kept in sight as the van leads towards the Metropolis waterfront. Unlike in Gotham, the Metro Seaport is a bustling hive of busy commercial activity day and night, so the whole area is lit up under harsh industrial lighting, as trucks and machines move cargo onto ships.
The van's reckless flight makes getting a target lock on one of its tires next to impossible. But still, Batman does his best and when he thinks he has a clear shot, he fires a small missile at the van's left, rear tire, hoping to puncture it and disable the vehicle to some extent.
Robin-2 hangs on tight, watching the blip of Dick's tracking device keenly. It's a tense ride, but there's nothing to do but take it and see where it goes! Jason trusts Batman to get them there and do what must be done.
BOOM! PAAFF! The van's left rear tire disintegrates into a bloom of rubber particles - the van's bare wheel hits the pavement with a spray of sparks and then the van revs it's motor and crashes through a fence, going out onto the docks - and heading straight for open water...
"I don't think they're stopping," Batman says, not at all surprised by the level of desperation evidenced by the van's driver. "Get the scuba gear ready," he instructs Robin-2, guiding the Batmobile along the waterfront in pursuit of the van.
Robin-2 reaches into the backseat of the Batmobile, grabbing both sets of scuba gear, and gets them ready to go. "I got a ping," he adds, glancing back to his tracker. "Had a quick ping, just a ghost signal, but it came from Metropolis. I tagged it--we should check it out later."
VROOOOM! The van careens down the pier, then off it, splashing into the murky water of Metropolis Sound - bubbles froth around the van as it quickly begins to sink!
The Batmobile comes to a stop at the end of the pier. Batman takes hold of his set of the scuba gear, puts it on and dives into the water, trusting Robin-2 to be right behind him. He follows the trail of bubbles down after the van, stroking through the cold water as fast as he can in an effort to reach the sinking vehicle.
Making record of that blip, Robin-2 slides into his scuba gear, pulls his mask into place, and then dives into the water just after Batman and makes his way toward the sinking van.
The van spirals down into the dark frigid waters, trailing bubbles. No sign of anyone trying to escape the van, either, though they could have easily been knocked out by the impact.
Batman strains to catch the van. Just how deep is the water here? Deep enough for some of the largest ships to make berth, at least. Down and down he goes with steely determination.
Robin-2 swims down after Batman, using powerful thrusts of his legs to do his best to keep up. He too keeps close track on the van and moves toward is as steadily as he can.
The van sinks steadily towards the thick layer of black mud at the bottom of the bay, few bubbles if any now rising from it's cab and doors - the Dynamic Duo quickly catch up to it - and looking in the cab get a shock. In the cab is a complex array of gear designed to steer and accelerate the van... and a large timer going 15..14..13..
There's no additional prompting needed for Batman to get the hell out of there. He uses the van as footing to launch himself up, grabbing for Robin-2 as he rises through the dark water. Is there enough time for them to get far enough away?
Robin-2 kicks and fights to swim higher, faster, moving as hard and as best as he can to get away--get them both away....
The shockwave from the blast catches and lifts both the crimefighters as the bombs in the van detonate, propelling them towards the surface. Bruising and shock, probably, but no real damage.
Meanwhile, Milo smiles as a telltale on his watch suddenly blinks green. "Your mentor will no longer be in my hair, if my calculations are correct!" the scientist gloats. "And you, Boy Wonder, for that is who you must be, will be the feature in my latest experiment at life extension... "
"TNN WNNDRR" growls the tied-up and gagged youth, thankfully his 'Tom White' guise is complete enough to mask his real features as effectively as his mask does...
Breaking the surface of the water, Batman takes a moment to orient himself. He touches Robin-2's shoulder and points out the ladder conveniently placed at the end of the pier. It's not far to swim and pretty soon the Dark Knight is up the ladder and removing his scuba gear as he approaches the Batmobile.
"What about that other signal?" Batman asks Robin-2.
"It's on the Metropolis side," Robin-2 gasps, tugging off his mask. "I'll feed the exact coordinates to the Batmobile. If we're lucky, that might be where Milo's holed up--and maybe that's where Robin is."
The signal that Jason saw and locked was close to the central part of Metropolis, where the tallest buildings are and the richest neighborhoods. The home of the Daily Planet and Lexcorp and hundreds of other major movers and shakers.
Once again they're off, cruising through the streets of Metropolis in the Batmobile. Occasionally, Batman glances at the screen, trying to calculate exactly where the signal is coming from and how best to approach it. And just what will he say to Superman about all of this?
Robin-2 watches the tracker, also trying to figure out where they might be heading. If they can figure out the location, maybe they can be better prepared when they arrive...
The signal pinpoints at an intersection close to several high-tech companies - apparently whatever Dick did sent a signal as he was turning a corner, because the signal strength 'smears' in a certain direction under analysis - indicating at least the street he should be on, or near.
Pulling over to park in as unobtrusive a spot as possible, Batman studies the screen then keys in some commands to overlay other available maps and information about the area. What would be the most likely location for Achilles Milo and his laboratory? "Any suggestions?" he asks Robin-2.
As they pull over, Robin-2 hops up and looks around. "Man, too bad Superman's not here--we could use his super--wait! Can you rig up a long-range microphone? Maybe we can catch a sound that will give us a clue. Otherwise, maybe we could try thermal imaging?"
Batman reaches up to touch a pressure sensitive spot on his cowl, switching to thermal imaging. He looks around, studying their surroundings. "I think I have something," he says after a few moments. "There's a big heat signature under that parking garage," he adds, pointing to the structure which is situated between two office buildings which house competing software companies.
Turning toward the garage, Robin-2 nods. "Should we try the sewer, or do you think we should come straight down from above?" He sweeps the area with his own sensing equipment, but seeing nothing new, he waits for Batman's recommendation.
Batman remains silent for a moment, studying the parking garage and its unusual heat signature as he considers Robin-2's suggestion. "I think the sewer might be the better option," he decides after a moment. "Whatever he's using as the main entrance is sure to be well guarded."
Nodding, Robin-2 steps into motion, finding the nearest sewer access point and heading in. "We can get close and then break in when we get close," he suggests. "Maybe use a controlled charge--or two? One could be a distraction."
The sewer proves to be as dark and stinky as anticipated. As the Dynamic Duo approach the heat source, the water here continues to climb in temperature as well - starting off ice cold, it's soon warm as pool water to Batman's thermal vision. After twists and turns and a little backtracking, the pair soon find the obviously not-to-city-code heat exchange with fins trailing in the middle of the sewer. Above them is the heat source - obviously some kind of generator.
Metropolis - Milo's Lair
Batman and Jason rescue Dick from being turned into a ice-zombie, and capture Milo.
Meanwhile, Elsewhere
The man sat in his icy office and watched the news reports from Metropolis - Milo's lab had been discovered by the Dynamic Duo and Milo himself was in jail. This turn of events was disturbing but not unforseen. A telephone call to Blackgate Prison put everything back on track.
The man leaned back and began to plot his next move. But first he tapped his intercom. "Please lower the office temperature another twenty degrees. I need to think."
The man knew that the best revenge, after all, was served cold.