9 DARK KNIGHT SURENDERS

I saw him through the Sith mask even before Dooku sensed him using the Force. Batman had arrived. We both stepped out of the car, and the Count went to retrieve the now-conscious boy who had been blubbering against the tape covering his mouth. 

When the count came around, he was pushing Robin in front of him, his saber already powered and glowing starkly against the dim streetlight. Of course, I had instructed him not to harm Robin, but even then, based on the murderous look on the Count's face, I was not so sure. 

Even though I knew Batman was around, he had not yet shown himself. Maybe he was coming with another countermeasure, but for the boy's sake, I hoped not. Both Dooku's patience and mine were waning. It had been a long night. 

"Enough peeking, Mr. Wayne. Kindly grace us with your presence!" I yelled into the empty night. I knew the Dark Knight was close; he could hear me. Better yet, he could see the nature of the situation. 

Even by his standards, as good as he was at thinking under pressure, I was certain Batman would not risk the boy's life by attacking, especially not when he could see the strange but dangerous-looking weapon in Dooku's hand. 

Suddenly, a part of the wall further to our left moved. It was so unexpected that I barely stopped myself from recoiling. I had known the Dark Knight could be stealthy when he needed to, but that level of concealment was on another level. 

With quick pace, Batman had closed the distance between us, and even though his face was shielded by the mask, I could sense a murderous tension as he approached. 

"That is far enough, good sir," I said, stepping forward with the tranquilizer gun I had prepared earlier. You could call me a coward, but I had lost enough time already to worry about honor. As a matter of fact, the path I would be treading now lacked quite a bit of morality, so to those who minded, they would be bothered. 

Still, I needed that utility belt as far from the guy as possible. The two victims' eyes met, and Robin's struggle intensified as he saw his mentor about to surender. 

"What do you want?" There was a small, almost undetectable tremor in Batman's voice, but I still caught it anyway. Batman was cornered. 

"Well, for starters, I would appreciate it if you took off that," I pointed at the belt tied to his waist as I approached him slowly. 

The Dark Knight did not hesitate; there wasn't much room for that anyway. He was barely halfway done when I shot him thrice with the tranquilizer. He just reached for his neck where one dart was stuck. There was not much surprise in his eyes; his quick thinking might have prepared him for this outcome, but he still managed to mumble a question as his consciousness began to fail.

"Who... are you?" I noticed his eyes were on Dooku, or maybe the boy. I could not tell for sure, as my immediate task was to get away from here. I had not expected such a long night. 

"That is none of your business, Mr. Wayne. Enjoy your little nap," I said as I pulled the utility belt and nodded towards the Count.

****

Dooku and I heaved the hulking, unconscious Batman into the lift of the Sith tower. Ever since the summoning, I had never allowed Dooku beneath the first floor of the building. His quarters were on the third floor; most residential rooms were there. 

I had confiscated Batman's utility belt and I only needed the Dark Knight for a brief time, after which his presence in DC, and more especially on the Sith compound, would be unwelcome, not when I was already on his radar. Plus, the series of events that I was about to initiate in Gotham and the larger DC universe would not succeed if Batman was around. 

The doors smoothly closed, and suddenly there was a gentle shudder as we began to descend. 

From the corner of my eye, I caught the confused reaction from Dooku. Of course, he had not been aware that there was an underground in the building. 

Batman still remained unconscious; the tranquilizers I had used on him were definitely seeing to that.

 It was a while before we came to a standstill, and the lift door opened. We stepped into the usual red-hued light that reflected on the sparkling granite floor. Dooku's eyes were mesmerized by seeing the theme of the surroundings he was in. Being a Sith strong in the dark side of the Force, he must have been experiencing an attraction towards this place.

"Hey, will you give me a hand here?" I tore the Count from his sightseeing. I was not very comfortable with the idea of a Sith familiarizing himself with the place I spent most of my time in, plus the sooner I was done and got rid of Batman, the better. The Count broke out of his reverie, and together we dragged the Caped Crusader out. Under my guidance, we were soon standing right at the entrance of the Sith room of will.

Earlier on, I had taken off the mask, which was now tucked into my coat's hidden pockets.

"That will be all, Count. I will take it from here," I turned to Dooku, who was no longer hiding his scrutiny of the place.

His eyes met mine, and he appeared to be indignant for a while. He looked like he was going to say something, but then he turned and headed to the elevator. 

I walked with him until he was inside and then stood to watch as he pressed the number three button.

The look on his face was one of loathing, but then what more could he do?

I waited for a while to make sure he was gone before I turned and headed toward the secret entrance of the room of will.

For a moment, I just stood there, staring in disbelief at the empty handcuffs sprawled on the floor where I had left Batman. How in the hell had he managed to regain consciousness? I swear, the dose of tranquilizers I hit him with should have knocked out a buffalo for hours, let alone a man. Suddenly, the once-secure surroundings felt unnervingly exposed. Apart from the solitary door at the room's core, there was no sign of Batman anywhere.

"Shit," I muttered, trying to wrap my head around the impossible. There was no way he could have pulled this off. 

The room we were in, the Sith Room of Will, was supposed to be secret. Getting in required insider knowledge, something Batman definitely didn't have. Now,doubts started creeping in.

The Sith mask hadn't given me any hint about this kind of scenario. And the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became. 

Or... maybe there was another kind of darkness it sensed, something more primal and universal. Something that was readily available in gotham. With all the darkness Batman faced every day—his battles with villains, his own inner demons—maybe he unwittingly triggered something in the Sith Room.

Quickly however,i discanded the thought from my mind, Whatever else the man was,he was definatly not attuned to the force.

 Plus Batman couldn't have entered the Sith Room of Will. It wasn't logical.He had surrendered himself to save Robin, consumed by the single-minded drive to protect his protégé. Hiding would not do that