Chapter 5 - Daredevil vs. Penguin/Red Hood vs. Two-Face

- The Next Morning -

The sun's rays warmed the road as the yellow taxicab drove up to the entrance of Wayne Manor. Stopping at the gate, the passenger doors opened, allowing Matt, Eddie and Charlotte to step outside. Heading for the trunk, Eddie reached for his friends' bags and handed them out to both of them, slamming the trunk shut after. As Eddie and Charlotte walked up to the gate, Matt reached into the back of his trousers and retrieved his wallet. Feeling how each note was folded, so he could tell the difference between the notes, he pulled out the amount required and handed it to the cab driver.
"Keep the change" Matt insisted, getting a grateful nod from the cab driver as he walked away. Reaching the gate, Eddie noticed a speaker attached to the wall beside it. Pressing the button beneath the speaker, he heard a static sound on the other.
"Hello?" Eddie asked, nervously awaiting a response.
"May I ask who is speaking?" an elderly voice asked in kind, calming Eddie a bit more.
"Umm...we're here to see Bru-I mean Mr. Wayne. He asked us to come here today" he answered, expecting the man's voice to return. Instead, the large metal gates creaked as the automatically swung open, allowing Satan's Army to continue down the path to the house. Arriving at the colossal house, Matt walked up and knocked, stepping back as the door was instantly opened.
"Good to see that you made it. Come in" Bruce greeted, stepping aside and allowing the group to enter the vast room, the walls coated in painting as various forms of art scattered around. Slowly, an elderly man entered the room wearing a smart suit and tie, his hands held behind his back in a classy fashion.
"Pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Murdock, Mr. Strach, Miss Varonis. I am Alfred" he greeted formally, holding out his hand.
"Nice to meet you" Matt greeted, shaking Alfred's hand kindheartedly.
"Same here" Eddie followed, shaking Alfred's hand also.
"It's a pleasure, Alfred" Charlotte finished, being the last person to shake his hand. Closing the front door, Bruce walked over to the four of them, glad that they were getting along so well.
"We've accommodated rooms for you; you can go unpack now if you wish. Matt, yours is upstairs, third door on the left. Charlotte yours is upstairs, fifth to the left. And Eddie, upstairs, third on the right" He instructed, getting understanding nods from the three of them as they started heading up the stairs. Heading upstairs, Charlotte watched as Eddie entered his room, kicking the door closed behind him as did so. Walking, Charlotte struggled at the weight of her bag as she continued down the corridor, gasping it slid from her grasp, spilling its contents over the floor and partially entering another room.
"Perfect" Charlotte thought as she knelt down and began to pick her stuff up. However, as she started picking up the items which had landed in the doorway of the room, she peeked inside, marveling at its furnishings. Placing the items back in her bag, Charlotte curiously stepped into the room and headed over to the small table which sat beside the expensive double bed. Placed on top was an old photograph in a frame, showing a man and a woman with a little boy standing in between them. It was quite hard to notice, be the boy looked a lot like a younger Bruce Wayne.
"This must be Bruce's room" Charlotte assumed, once again looking around, marveling at its size; it was almost as big as Jessica's apartment. Then, raising an eyebrow with confusion, Charlotte noticed another photograph placed beside it. Picking it up by the frame, she studied it, wondering who the person was. He had brown hair of a medium length and looked somewhere in his twenties.
"What are you doing in here?" a familiar voice asked, scaring Charlotte as she spun around. Standing in the doorway was Bruce, a stern look now enveloping his previously cheery expression.
"I...I dropped my bag...then...I..." she stammered, glancing from him to the photo. Noticing what she was holding, Bruce headed over to her, yanked the frame out of her grasp and placed it back on the bedside table. Facing Charlotte, he raised a finger to her face and glared at her.
"NEVER touch that picture again. Understand?" he said firmly, narrowing his eyes at the young heroine. Frightened by Bruce's sudden change in attitude, Charlotte nodded slowly before heading back out the door, picking up her bag as she ran.

- Later, the Bat-Cave -

Bruce's voice echoed around the Bat-Cave as he gave Satan's Army a briefing of Arkham City, relaying the information about the different districts, territories, the inmates and, most importantly, Stainless and Steel. He stood in front of the Bat-Computer as multiple images of the prison flashed on the screen, featuring mug-shots of multiple inmates and their M.O's. Sitting across from him in black, plastic swivel chairs were Matt, Charlotte and Eddie, all swearing their assorted costumes from the necks down, theirs masks laying in their laps.
"So, we'll split up into different sections of prison to cover more ground. Matt, you'll be positioned in the Bowery. Charlotte, you'll be covering the Amusement Mile. And Eddie, you'll have the Industrial District. I'll be in charge of watching Park Row. Any questions?" Bruce asked, turning to Charlotte as she raised her hand.
"What do we do if we see Stainless or Steel?" she asked, placing her hand back in her lap. Responding, Batman reached into his Utility Belt and retrieved two headsets. He tossed one to Eddie and one to Charlotte.
"If you see either of them, don't let them see you. Radio in your location and we'll all close in at different angles. Matt, do you still have the one I gave to you?" Bruce asked, turning to the crimson vigilante. Matt held up his hand, revealing the parting gift Batman had given him a year ago.
"Okay, so we all have our orders. Eddie, Charlotte, go wait by the Bat-Wing. We'll join you in a second" Batman instructed, causing the duo to head over to the launch pad for Batman's aircraft. As Bruce headed over to him, Matt could sense his heartbeat increasing. Something was wrong.
"Matt, there's a reason why I asked you to cover the Bowery" Bruce began, worrying Matt.
"What's wrong?" he asked, getting tired of having to hear Bruce's rapidly increasing heartbeat.
"Last night, Selina went missing in that area. I think Penguin has her" Bruce continued, shocking Matt. After the night they'd spent together in New York, he and Catwoman had been in touch whenever possible.
"Penguin? Why would he have her?" Matt asked, a hint of anger brimming in his voice as he clenched his hands into fists.
"Isn't it obvious? He thinks that if he kidnaps her, I'll come and save her" Bruce continued monotonously.
"Well, were you going to?" Matt asked again, the anger in his voice becoming more and more visible.
"Of course I was. But I figured that you'd want to do it. You care about her don't you?" Bruce responded with his own question, getting Matt to calm down a little bit.
"What kind of question is that? I'd give my life for her. I have to save her" he said, pulling his mask on over his head.
"Will you need any help?" Bruce asked as he pulled his own mask back over his head, once again donning the identity of the Caped Crusader.
"I'll be fine on my own. Just try to find Stainless and Steel" Daredevil answered, turning and walking over to launch pad.

- Meanwhile, Arkham City -

"What the hell?!" Red Hood exclaimed as he entered his now trashed hideout. All over the apartment room, his mattress had been tipped, his previously cracked window now had a gaping hole in the glass and, where his gun crate was, he gritted his teeth to see that his guns were missing. Heading over to the crate, he checked around the edges to see there were any left, but to no avail. Screaming anger, Red Hood picked up the crate and threw across the room, the wood splintering as it impacted against the wall. It wasn't until after this that he noticed the poster which had been nailed on the back of the door. Reaching it, he saw a brightly colored poster with the words 'VOTE DENT' imprinted against a red, white and blue background. Pulling the poster off the wall, he instantly realized who'd been here.
"Two-Face" he growled as he crumpled up the poster and threw it to the ground. The ransacking must have been payback for killing so many of his men. However, Two-Face had forgotten a very important rule: Red Hood always gets back at his enemies. Heading over to the spot where his mattress had previously rested, removed his helmet and threw it to the side, running his hands through his hair after. Placing his ear to the wall, he raised his hand and began knocking, making sure he got the right place. Grinning, he brought back his fist and launched straight into the wall, breaking off some of the plaster as he did so. Pulling his hand back out, he began grabbing the surrounding wall and began pulling chunks out. Until finally, his secret compartment was exposed, revealing his private weapon, along with a couple of Beretta 92FS pistols.
"Be scared, Harv'. I'm coming for you" he thought as he placed the weapon's straps over his shoulder.

- Later, the Bowery -

This was a normal day for most of Penguin's men: standing outside the museum, freezing to death and shooting anything that posed as a threat. They just leaned against the museum's front entrance, watching as the air they exhaled became visible due to the cold. Bored out of his mind, one of the guards turned to the other who was checking that his gun was fully loaded. Again.
"Why the hell are we even out here? Even if Batman does come to save the Cat, we won't be enough to stop him" he reminded pessimistically, aggravating his associate.
"Will you ever shut the hell up? Look, these are the best guns money can buy, Cobblepot said so himself. If the Bat comes anywhere near us, we just aim and shoot to kill. Badabing badaboom" the second guard replied confidently, unnerving his comrade.
"Really? You think it'll be THAT easy?" the first guard asked again, giving his associate a look of plausibility.
"Hey, how hard can it be to kill a creep in a costume?" the second guard replied spryly, failing to notice the crimson-clad vigilante appearing behind him.
"See for yourself" Daredevil answered, surprising both of them. As the first guard opened fire, Daredevil pulled the second guard in front of him, allowing him to take all the bullets. Holding out his pickaxe, he pressed the button on the side, allowing the top half of his weapon to launch out, hitting the first guard straight in the face and sending him back onto the ground. Shoving the second guard's corpse aside, Daredevil headed over to the first guard and stomped on his face, knocking him out promptly. Returning his weapon to its original form of a pickaxe, Daredevil listened intently as he heard a muffled voice coming from the first guard's pocket. Reaching down, Daredevil retrieved the walkie-talkie and held it to his ear, smiling as he heard the frustrated ranting of one Oswald Cobblepot.
"What was that? I heard gunshots. Hello? ANSWER ME YOU SONS OF BITHCES!" he ordered, seconds before Daredevil pressed the button on the side of the walkie-talkie.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Oswald. But you're going to need some body-bags" he replied conceitedly.
"What? Who is this? Who the bloody hell are you?!" Cobblepot asked again, his voice drenched in rage.
"I'm here for Catwoman" Daredevil responded, a hint of resentment rising in his tone.
"You want her? Come and get her" Cobblepot finished mockingly, a preview of his laugh echoing over the airwaves before being cut off. Throwing the walkie-talkie away, Daredevil looked up at the big, wooden door, equipping his pickaxe for further combat.
"Be careful what you wish for, Oswald" he thought as he headed past the bodies of the guards and up the stone steps of the antediluvian building.

- Meanwhile, Park Row -

(Music playing: Nickelback - Burn it to the ground)

Outside the apartment complex, many guards were positioned, their faces concealed by rubber masks, each on depicting the monster formally known as Two-Face. Since they had no idea about the incoming attack, they were all unarmed. For some, the only form of protection being melee weapons such as metal poles and baseball bats. Their socializing was interrupted by a whistle sounding from down the street. Turning to face that direction, all they could do was watch in fear as Red Hood approached. On his back: an M2 Flamethrower, a little treat which he'd smuggled into Arkham City when he'd first arrived.  Aiming the nozzle at the group of lackeys, Red Hood pulled the trigger, causing a torrent of fire to burst forth. Many of the guards screamed as their bodies were consumed by the flames, the plastic of the masks melting into theirs faces as their skin began to burn. The smartest of the guards ran, leaving the others to suffer in agony. As the screams ceased, Red Hood released the trigger, causing the nozzle to swallow the remaining fire back inside. Taking a minute to observe the burning corpses, he slid the flamethrower's straps off of his shoulders and let it drop to the floor. Walking through the fire and flames, Red Hood approached the door of the apartment complex and headed inside, quietly closing the door behind him as if he didn't want to wake the ghosts of those burning bodies outside.

- With Daredevil -

(Music continues)

Sensing the movement of the guards ahead of him, Daredevil, with pickaxe in hand, ran forward and leapt over the edge ahead of him and slid down the back of the large, previously animatronic, model T-Rex. As he hit the floor, the loud thud caught the attention of the guards, causing them to charge at him. Daredevil paused to study their forms, using his radar sense to trace them in electric blue. Two armed, three unarmed. As one aimed his gun, Daredevil pressed the button one the side of the pickaxe and launched the front half forward, hitting him in the shoulder and causing him to spin, causing him to accidentally shoot the other armed guard. As an unarmed guard threw a punch at him, Daredevil grabbed his fist and twisted it, causing him to cry out in pain as his wrist broke. One of the guards was holding a metal pipe, but as he took a swing, Daredevil ducked down, causing him to accidentally hit the guard with the now broken wrist, knocking him out cold. Grabbing the pole, Daredevil shoved it back into the guard's chest, stunning him as the final unarmed guard ran at him. Grabbing both guards by the backs of their heads, Daredevil bashed them together, taking them both out at once. The final armed guard, the one he'd first hit in the shoulder stood there, shaking as Daredevil started running at him. But before he could even pull the trigger, Daredevil snatched the gun out of his grasp and removed the ammo clip, rendering it useless. Pausing, Daredevil sensed a layer thick body armor covering the guard.
"Go ahead. Hit me" the guard dared, regaining some of his bravery. But it didn't last when Daredevil quickly removed his S.W.A.T. fashioned helmet and smashed his head back into the concrete wall, leaving Daredevil as the last man standing.

- With Red Hood -

(Music continues)

Red Hood looked up the middle of the stairwell, observing the stairs as they continued upward in a spiral pattern, the only source of light being the flickering fluorescent light bulbs overhead. Before he headed up, he reached for his belt and retrieved his pistols, silencers attached to each of the barrels. Slowly making his way up the steps, he paused as he noticed a guard patrolling the first floor, pacing back forth unknowingly. Aiming his pistols, Red Hood pulled the trigger, hitting the man straight in the head and sending him back into the wall. Continuing up, Red Hood quickly shot a guard as he walked down the stairwell, causing him to fall down the last two steps. Aiming both pistols, Red Hood shot the two guards by the second floor corridor.
"Security's increasing. This must be Dent's floor" he thought as he stepped over the bodies and continued down the corridor. Peaking round the corner, he quickly ducked back behind the wall, unnoticed by the two men guarding the door to a room. Aiming, Red Hood took them both out at once, two bullets, two kills. Grinning under his helmet, he headed over to the door, brought back his boot and kicked the door. Then, when it refused to open, he kicked it again. Finally, on the third kick, it burst open, allowing him access to Two-Face's office. Confused, he lowered his pistols, tilting his head at the emptiness of the room. There was a desk sitting across from him, covered with maps of the prison, each with highlighted warnings about each territory. Slowly, Red Hood walked over to the desk, freezing where he stood as he heard the door slam shut behind him.
"We've been waiting for you, Mr. Hood" an evil voice greeted, causing Red Hood to quickly turn around. Standing across from him was a man, wearing a half white and half black suit and tie. One half of his face was hideously burned, his yellow teeth revealed through the charred flesh where his lips used to be.

- With Daredevil -

(Music continues)

The intensified sounds of the shouting inmates caused Daredevil to cringe as they entered his eardrums, making his ears ache. Readying his pickaxe, he headed towards the large, metal shutter door and ducked down under it, entering the large room which Penguin had evidently named the 'Gladiator Pit'. Using the sound waves from the jeering inmates to survey the room, Daredevil started to plan out his possible tactics. Where he was standing, there was plenty of space for the inmates to battle each other for Penguin's respect. There were stone staircases on either side of the room, each on guarded by sheet metal fences, an electrified door and barbed wire. The staircases both lead to an elevated platform overlooking Daredevil. And, standing at the top, was Oswald Cobblepot, a cigar in one hand and his trademark umbrella in the other. Below him were three metal shutter doors, similar to the one which Daredevil had used to enter the pit. Behind them were the jeering inmates, some wielding different forms of melee weapons, others taking their chances by fighting unarmed. Grinning, Daredevil looked up at the pompous maniac, smoke flowing out of his nostrils and between his teeth as he glared back at this new pest.
"Mr. Cobblepot, I presume?" Daredevil asked, putting on a calm attitude despite the situation he was in.
"Who wants to know?" Cobblepot asked in response, taking another puff from his cigar, not taking his eyes of the crimson vigilante for a second.
"Daredevil" he introduced, getting a short cackle from his new target.
"Hah, never heard of you. But at least I'll know what to put on your display case" Cobblepot mocked, getting deranged laughs from the inmates behind the shutters.
"Whatever, just tell me where Catwoman is!" Daredevil ordered, narrowing his eyes at the pompous nut.
"Right here, genius" a flirty voice answered, causing a small grin to form on Daredevil's face. Tied to a stone pillar to the left of Oswald was the sexy thief herself. As she spoke, Daredevil was able to sense her for the first time since he'd entered the pit. She'd been so quiet and still, not even his radar sense could pick her up.
"You can't stay out of trouble, can you?" he asked casually, almost completely oblivious to the crowd of raging lunatics.
"Where's the fun in that?" she asked in response, agitating Cobblepot as he was forced to listen.
"Oh, give it a fuckin' rest! BOYS, KILL 'IM!!!" he ordered, seconds before the shutter doors rose, allowing the horde of inmates to charge at the crimson pest.
"Let's make this quick. I've got a casserole in the oven" Daredevil joked, raising his pickaxe and launching the top half forward once more.

- With Red Hood -

(Music continues)

"Good, cause I've been meaning to talk to you" Red Hood responded, aiming his pistol straight at Two-Face's forehead. However, before he could even  pull the trigger, Two-Face reached into his coat and retrieved his twin pistols, aiming them both at the gun-toting crack shot.
"Well? Aren't you going to shoot me?" he asked, the good side of his face shifting into a demented grin, a grin which sent chills down Red Hood's spine.
"Only when you try to run away. I like it when they run" he replied, causing Two-Face's grin to shift into a scowl as he pulled open the door and ran out into the hallway. On impulse, Red Hood took off like a bullet, running out into the hallway and aiming his gun at Two-Face as he got further and further away. Pulling the trigger multiple times, he blinked as each muzzle flare briefly stunned him. Two-Face dove around the corner just as the storm of bullets missed him, hitting the wall with loud pings. Groaning, Red Hood took off down the corridor again, closing in on Two-Face just as he reached the stairwell. Grabbing him by the shoulders, Red Hood swung Two-Face around and pinned him to the wall, unloading punch after punch into the face of the former district attorney. Snarling, Two-Face moved his head to the left, causing Red Hood to hit the solid wall. Grabbing his sore fist, Red Hood lost his grip on Two-Face, allowing him to grab Red Hood instead and swing him into the wall. Taking his chance, Two-Face started running up the stairwell, causing Red Hood to snarl as he readied his pistols again. Running after Two-Face, Red Hood kept looking up through the middle of the stairwell, watching as his prey continued up to the very top of the apartment complex. Nearing the top, his eye widened as he caught a glimpse of Two-Face, just as he disappeared through the only door on the top floor.
"Shit, he's gone out onto the roof" he thought as he reopened the hatch and stuck his head through. There was nobody else up there. Heading out onto the landing, he kept his pistols raised, prepared to shoot anything that moved.  Hearing a slam, he spun around and pulled the trigger, the gunshot ringing in his ears as his breathing increased. He let out a sigh of relief to see that it was just the wind blowing the door to the roof shut. Turning around once more, Red Hood started heading across the roof again, looking over his shoulder every few seconds to check if Two-Face was trying to sneak up on him. Reaching the edge, Red Hood took a second to observe Arkham City, the sound of the wind mixing in with the sound of arguing inmates and occasional gunshots. Suddenly, Red Hood gasped out as a burnt arm clamped around his neck from behind, slowly cutting off his oxygen and causing him to drop his guns. He started sweating as he felt the barrel of a gun clink against the polycarbonate plastic of his helmet.
"Didn't you get the message I left at your little apartment?" Two-Face growled through gritted teeth, his foul breath nearly causing Red Hood to wretch.
"Why do you think I came here tonight? To give you a fruit basket?" he replied sarcastically, getting a silent laugh the scarred maniac.
"Well, that's what you get for killing a quarter of my men" Two-Face informed, keeping his grip around Red Hood's neck as he struggled in his grasp.
"Hey, it's...it's not my fault that they trespassed on my turf" he replied, gasping as he began to lose more and more air.
"You've got guts, kid. Too bad the fall's going to pulverize them" Two-Face said as he started pushing Red Hood towards the edge, causing his legs to struggle as they tried to grip the roof. Red Hood could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he got to the very end of the roof, looking down at the long drop which would surely kill him.
"See you in hell" Two-Face bid, getting ready to give him the final push.
"Not if I see you first" Red Hood replied, confusing Two-Face before thrusting his lower body backwards, causing him to lose his grip on Red Hood's neck. Spinning around, he grabbed Two-Face shoulders and headbutted him straight in the face. Grabbing his face in pain, Red Hood reached down picked up his pistols and shot Two-Face in his left kneecap. Letting out a bloodcurdling scream, Two-Face fell back onto the roof, clutching his now profusely bleeding appendage,
"That's for trashing my place" Red Hood started before raising his pistol again and shooting Two-Face in the other knee. He watched emotionlessly as Two-Face writhed in pain, a single tear seeping down the good side of his face as he looked up at his predator.
"And that's for trying to kill me" Red Hood finished before heading over to Two-Face and stamping on his crotch. As Two-Face's screams dissolved into sharp breaths, Red Hood started walking over to the door to the stairwell, not even looking back at his latest "victim". Craning his neck around the best he could, Two-Face screamed at him, his voice sounding demonic.
"YOU BASTARD!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!! YOU'RE DEAD!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!? DEAD!!!" he cried out pointlessly, his voice trailing after Red Hood as he continued down the stairwell, his cries echoing off of the concrete walls and all the way down to the very bottom of the complex. Heading back out the front door, the flames from his previous kill streak burning at half the light, he ignored the dead bodies, reached for his discarded flamethrower and slid the straps back over his shoulders. Heading away, he did his best to drone out the sound of Two-Face's screaming as they continued to fill his ears. Pausing, Red Hood turned around, taking one last look back up to the roof as the cries of pain refused to cease, putting fear into the soul of each inmate within the surrounding area. Everybody except him. Sighing, he turned away and continued on his set course, no remorse for what he'd just done.

(Music ends)

- With Daredevil -

Cobblepot growled as he observed the scene below him. Scattered around the floor of the gladiator pit were the bodies of most of his men, some were still breathing, others weren't so lucky. Grinning triumphantly, Daredevil used his radar sense to pinpoint the location of Cobblepot and looked in that direction, trying to hide the fact that he was blind.
"Oh, for fuck's sake. Why won't you die?" he shouted, forcing Daredevil's grin to recede, forming into a stern expression.
"I've beaten all your men, Cobblepot. Let her go" he ordered, his eyes focused on the overweight, blue outline he could sense at the top of the platform.
"Not yet you ain't. I still have one more trick up my sleeve" Cobblepot retorted before turning around and whistling. There was a brief silence as the whistle ceased, interrupted by the sound of distant thudding. As the thudding got closer, Daredevil could sense a deformed shape appearing from behind Penguin, each footstep getting louder, illuminating it more and more.
"What the hell is that?" he asked, sensing his own heartbeat increase fairly. Noticing his rising fear, Cobblepot couldn't help but on a toothy grin, a silent chuckle slipping out between his teeth.
"Allow me to introduce Hammer and Sickle, the Abramovici twins. These little lovelies were born conjoined at the shoulder, that is, until they were separated to go their separate ways. Sickle started working for me, Hammer started working for Joker" he explained darkly. Daredevil focused on the brothers, getting a clearer visualization with each hulking step they took. Cobblepot was right, the two really were conjoined at the shoulder. Both of them were ripped (muscle-wise) and they each carried a heavy, oversized, melee weapon. The one on the left had a hammer in his right hand and the one on the right had a sickle in his left hand.
"If they were separated, how come they're conjoined again?" Daredevil asked, readying his pickaxe for the imminent battle. However, instead of a response from Cobblepot, he got a response from the twins.
"Because, apart we are strong..." Hammer began, looking over at his brother with a grin.
"...but together, we are invincible!" Sickle finished before the two of them leapt down into the pit, sending a loud shock wave across the floor which damaged Daredevil's hearing, causing him to cringe in pain.
"Let's see how you do against this abomination!" Cobblepot gloated, bring his cigar to his mouth and taking in another breath. Bringing his hammer above his head, Hammer quickly brought it down again, missing Daredevil as he quickly dove out of the way, landing centimeters away from where the weapon had struck.
"Daredevil, be careful!" Catwoman called out, getting a dirty look from Cobblepot as he continued to observe the battle.
"Thanks for the tip" Daredevil replied, just in time to roll out of the way as Hammer brought his weapon down a second time, just missing his head. Leaping back up, Daredevil brought back his fist and hit Sickle straight in the chest, only to retract his hand as pain shot through his knuckles.
"Nice shot, here's mine" Sickle responded before bringing his sickle back and swinging it across, cutting Daredevil across the chest. Crying out, Daredevil clutched at his wound, too distracted by the pain to notice Hammer bringing his hammer back. Before he could even react, the hammer struck Daredevil in the side, sending him across the room and into the solid wall with a loud crack, his pickaxe dropping by his side. Catwoman gasped as her love interest weakly pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, only to drop back down to the floor as a searing pain shot through his ribcage. Looking up, the contorted outline of the two overshadowed him, making him feel weak, worthless, a failure.
"That's it, boys! Finish him off!" Cobblepot cheered, eagerly awaiting the demise of the fallen vigilante, smoke frothing from his nostrils. Catwoman had no choice but to look on as Daredevil was submitted to this torture, knowing that his life was almost at its end. She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she let out a heartfelt sob. Unknown to her, Daredevil heard this sob, causing his eyes to widen behind their mirrored visors. It was then that he realized: he wasn't a failure. Not to her. Not to his team. Not to anybody who cared about him. Narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth, he rolled into a sit-up position and looked up at the twins as they observed his withered form.
"C'mon, there's got to be something. Anything" he thought as he tapped his fingers on the ground, sending waves of blue across the floor, searching for an object he could use to his advantage. Grinning, Daredevil's radar sense rested on the cylinder-shaped object a couple of feet away from him. A fire extinguisher.
"Want to finish him off, brother?" Hammer suggested, bringing a smile to his brother's face.
"With pleasure" he replied, putting fear into Daredevil's soul. He didn't have much time left. Quickly, Daredevil did his best to drag himself over to the fire extinguisher and grab hold of it with both hands waiting for the right moment.
"Farewell, d'yavol" Sickle bid, raising his weapon above his head. However, as he swung it down, Daredevil brought the fire extinguisher up and held in front of him, causing the sickle slice straight into it.

BOOM!

An instant cloud of white filled a quarter of the pit as the fire extinguisher burst open, hiding the three of them from sight.
"Oi?! What was that?! WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN THERE?!" Cobblepot ordered as he squinted, trying to make out what was happening in the smoke. If he had Daredevil's special ability, it would've been a piece of cake. As the twins struggled in the smoke, they made it all the more easier for Daredevil to sense them. Picking his pickaxe up off of the ground, he pressed the blades in and pulled the pole in half, turning it into a pair of nun-chucks. Rebounding off of the wall behind him, he leapt up onto Hammer's shoulder and swung around so he was sitting on their conjoined shoulder. Extending the string of the nun-chucks to its full length, he quickly swung it around Hammer's neck then looped it around Sickles. Then, pulling each of the nun-chucks back, he grinned as he heard the sounds of the brothers choking as he simultaneously strangled them. Pulling tighter and tighter on the nun-chucks, Daredevil gritted his teeth as the two constantly tried to tear the rope off, but to no avail. Sure enough, both brothers went limp and dropped their weapons, the loud clunks filling the room.
"Hammer? Sickle? Answer me!" Cobblepot ordered as the smoke cleared, revealing a truly heroic sight. The corpses of Hammer and Sickle lay on the ground, still, unmoving, dead. And standing on top of them, his costume torn and his wound bleeding, was Daredevil, glaring up at Cobblepot with a smug grin. Letting his jaw drop in shock, Cobblepot's cigar fell to the ground, a small pile of ash surrounding it. Catwoman was amazed, her previous tears of worry becoming tears of joy. Cobblepot began to turn red, smoke on the verge of shooting out of his ears like a classic cartoon.
"YOU BASTARD!!! DIE!!!" Cobblepot exploded, aiming his umbrella at the triumphant hero. As the gun shot echoed off of the walls, Daredevil quickly moved his shoulder back, allowing the bullet to fly past him with ease. Sensing that Cobblepot was taking aim once more, Daredevil quickly pushed the nun-chucks together and allowed the blades to pop out of either side, returning it to the form of a pickaxe. Pulling his arm back, Daredevil threw it straight at Cobblepot like a javelin, causing it to hit him in the shoulder, just as he pulled the trigger. Letting out a cry of pain, Cobblepot spun around, accidentally firing at the ropes which were keeping Catwoman contained. Freeing herself, Catwoman grabbed her whip from her belt and snapped it outwards, causing it to grab Cobblepot's umbrella and pull it back to her. Catching it in her grasp, she smiled as an annoyed expression spread across Cobblepot's face.
"Give it back!" he ordered, right before Catwoman rose her knee and snapped the umbrella in half, rendering it useless. Throwing her whip out a second time, it wrapped around Cobblepot's neck, causing his to choke as she stood behind him, leading him to the edge of the platform.
"Gah...you can't do this!!! Let me...go!!!" he ordered as he struggled in the grip of Catwoman's trademark weapon. Suddenly, the whip slipped from around his neck and he was spun around, coming face to face with the notorious cat burglar.
"C'mon, Ozzie. We're just going to have some fun. Now, let's see if you can dance with the Devil" she replied, before shoving his backwards, causing him to stumble over the edge of the platform. Letting out a scream of terror, Cobblepot fell over the edge, landing on a pile of unconscious inmates. Groaning, he slowly stood back up, gasping as Daredevil approached him.
"No! NO! STAY BACK!" he demanded, almost begging, but to no avail.
"It's time, Cobblepot" Daredevil said, directing his radar sense up to the platform to see Catwoman standing there, his pickaxe in her hand.
"Time...time for what?" Cobblepot stammered, following his gaze as Catwoman tossed the pickaxe down to Daredevil. Snatching it out of the air, he spun it in his hand, both impressing and scaring Cobblepot as he stood there.
"Time to give the Devil his due" Daredevil replied, grabbed Penguin by his neck and slamming hard against the wall of the Gladiator Pit, comically raising off of the ground to eye level and causing his legs to flail helplessly like a scared child. Hearing a soft thud, he sensed Catwoman landing behind him, heading over to join him as he kept Oswald's neck in his grasp.
"So, what should we do with him?" Daredevil asked ecstatically, an unsettling grin spreading across his lips.
"How about we tie him up in a cute, little, red bow and drop him off outside Two-Face's place?" Catwoman suggested amusingly, causing Cobblepot's eyes to widen with worry.
"NO, YOU CAN'T!" he begged, on the verge of whimpering, this caused both Catwoman and Daredevil to snigger.
"Okay then. How about we kill you right now?" Daredevil suggested darkly, causing Cobblepot to let out a scared cry.
"NO, DON'T!!! Please...please, you don't have to kill me!" he begged, angering Daredevil as he leaned in close to Cobblepot's face.
"Give me one good reason why not" he ordered, narrowing his eyebrows under his mask, enjoying the sound of Cobblepot's heartbeat as it rose and dropped.
"Cause I don't think you're just here to save some cat broad" he answered, getting an angry look from Catwoman as he used the term 'broad'.
"Go on" Daredevil insisted, still keeping a tight grip on his prey.
"The way I see it, you're also looking for a girl, black hair, has a thing with knives?" Cobblepot asked, surprising Daredevil.
"What do you know about her?" he asked, remembering the description Batman had given them earlier.
"Nothing, I don't even know her name. But, last night, I got a message over the radio from my men down in the subway. I've been using it as a storage space for my interference jammers" Cobblepot explained, stimulating Catwoman.
"What happened?" she asked, interested in where this was heading.
"When they went silent, I sent some of my men down there to see what had happened. When they arrived, they found all of my guards with their throats slit and one of my jammers had been stripped of all its components" Cobblepot continued, causing Daredevil and Catwoman to exchange concerned looks. Listening intently, Daredevil heard the pace of Cobblepot's heartbeat: normal.
"He's telling the truth" he remarked, letting go of Cobblepot's neck and dropping him to the floor.
"If you ever kidnap her again, you'll lose an arm" Daredevil threatened as he turned and walked away, his arm placed around Catwoman's shoulder as the two exited the pit. All Cobblepot could do was sit and watch, anger brewing in his mind as he began to plan his revenge.