Chapter 68: Let The Hunt Begin
"Robin, status report on external perimeter," Batman whispered into his comm.
"All quiet on—wait." Tim's voice sharpened suddenly. "Vehicle approaching main entrance. Federal sedan, single occupant."
Batman's enhanced optics zoomed in on the facility's front entrance through his external surveillance feed. A black government vehicle pulled up to the guard station, its headlights cutting through the evening darkness.
"Can you identify the driver?"
"Running facial recognition now..." Tim paused. "It's Agent Jim Crawford. Looks like he's working late."
Batman frowned. Crawford's presence wasn't entirely unexpected—the federal agent had been overseeing Firefly's cooperation program. But something about the timing felt off.
"Maintain surveillance on his movements. We cannot rule him out as Architect."
Through his drone network, Batman watched as Crawford stepped out of the sedan and approached the security checkpoint with a suitcase in hand.
Agent Jim Crawford approached the main security checkpoint, his federal credentials ready for inspection. The guard on duty, a middle-aged man, glanced up from his newspaper.
"Evening, Agent Crawford. Working late tonight?"
"Always," Crawford replied, his tone heavy with fatigue. "Need to check on our asset's progress. How's Lynns been behaving?"
"Quiet as a lamb. Spent the whole day in that lab you set up for him. Haven't heard a peep since dinner."
Crawford nodded. "Good. I'll need to review his work, then handle some administrative matters."
Roberts stamped the entry log. "You know the way."
Batman tracked Crawford's progress through the facility corridors via his micro-drone network. The agent's route seemed routine at first, following the standard path toward the administrative wing.
Then Crawford deviated.
Instead of heading directly to Firefly's laboratory or the administrative offices, he turned toward the facility's rear section where the canine unit was housed.
"Straightup visiting the dogs?," Batman muttered to himself, adjusting his surveillance focus.
Crawford found the kennel area and approached Officer Crowley, the canine handler on duty.
"Agent Crawford? What brings you down here?"
"Routine inspection," Crawford replied smoothly. "Need to verify security protocols are being followed."
Crowley unlocked the kennel area. "They're all in perfect condition. Duke here just passed his recertification."
Crawford approached the first German Shepherd. "Excellent work, Officer Crowley."
As Crawford knelt beside Duke, Batman caught something unsettling through his micro-drone feed. The agent angled his body just enough to conceal his action from view—almost as if he knew the drone was watching.
Coincidence?
No. Batman doesnt believe in coincidences.
Batman's tactical systems immediately elevated to high alert. There was no way Crawford could know about the covert surveillance unless...
"This isn't Crawford," Batman whispered, his hand moving instinctively to his utility belt.
The figure that appeared to be Crawford ran his hand along Duke's head and neck, his positioning carefully calculated to block Batman's micro-drone surveillance. His fingers worked behind the dog's ears for just a few seconds—long enough to deposit microscopic biomass filaments that would integrate with the animal's nervous system.
"Beautiful animal," he commented to Crowley while completing his work. "Well-trained security assets are invaluable."
"We're proud of our program," Crowley replied, unaware that his beloved dog had just been converted into a biological weapon.
Crawford stood and brushed off his hands. "Everything looks good. Carry on, Officer Crowley."
Batman watched Crawford leave the kennel area, his suspicions now at maximum alert.
"Robin, run a deep analysis on Crawford's biometrics from the entry footage."
"Already on it. Batman, nothing's wrong with the data. His thermal signature and movement patterns match Crawford's records perfectly."
Batman didnt let go of his suspicions.
"I am positive he is Architect," Batman said quietly. "Maintain external position and be alert. I am going after him."
Through his surveillance network, Batman watched the false Crawford head toward the facility's control room. Whatever the Architect was planning, it was about to begin.
Crawford approached the control room where two technicians monitored the facility's security systems. He knocked before entering, maintaining his facade of proper protocol.
"Gentlemen, mind if I come in? I need to review some operational details."
One technician looked up from his monitors. "Of course, Agent Crawford. Everything's been quiet tonight."
"Good to hear," Crawford replied, settling near the control console. "How's the new security equipment performing?"
The other one turned in his chair. "Signal jamming system's working perfectly. If we need lockdown, we can cut all communications."
Crawford might have been a corrupt cop, but he did know the consequences of letting Firefly and the other federal 'helpers' escape.
"Excellent foresight," Crawford said approvingly.
The conversation continued for several minutes, Crawford asking routine questions while subtly positioning himself closer to the control systems. Then, without warning, alarm klaxons began blaring throughout the facility.
Both technicians immediately focused on their monitoring stations.
"What's happening?" One of them called out, scanning security feeds.
The sound of gunfire echoed through the facility's audio system—sharp, rapid bursts suggesting something serious is going on.
"There!"
"Block D corridor—two guards down!"
The display showed two prison guards lying motionless, dark pools spreading beneath them.
Crawford leaned forward, looking concerned. "Initiate full lockdown. Now."
"Code Red lockdown activating. All blast doors sealing—"
"Signal jamming," Crawford interrupted. "Complete communications blackout. We can't let this spread."
The technicians had no choice but to follow orders. After all, Crawford was the highest authority in the base. They activated the jamming field. "All external communications severed."
The moment the facility was isolated, Crawford's demeanor changed completely. Gone was the bureaucratic smile; something cold took its place.
He turned toward a specific point in the room—directly at Batman's micro-drone position.
His eyes seemed to look straight through the lens. A slow smile spread across his face, his mouth stretching unnaturally wide until it nearly reached his ears.
"Hello, Batman," he said softly, the voice no longer Crawford's. "Let the hunt begin."
Every surveillance feed immediately cut to static.
Batman watched his entire drone network dissolve into electronic snow, his worst fears confirmed.
His communication with Robin was completely severed by the signal jamming. The Aegis Protocol's internal systems remained functional, but he was now totally isolated within a facility. It would take some time for the comms to get back online.
After several seconds of static, the micro-drone feeds flickered back online. Batman's tactical display restored visual contact with the control room, but what he saw made his freeze.
Where the two technicians had been sitting moments before, two grotesque red cocoons now occupied their chairs. The organic structures pulsed rhythmically, expanding and contracting like massive eggs. Something completely enveloped both men from chest to head, leaving only their lower bodies visible.
Crawford was nowhere to be seen.
Batman quickly cycled through his other micro-drone feeds, scanning every angle of the control room. The false agent had vanished completely, as if he had simply melted into the facility itself.
Batman immediately activated his suit's full combat protocols. Enhanced sensors, weapon systems, and defensive measures came online as he prepared for direct confrontation.
The situation is heading towards the worst case scenario.The facility's own security systems had been turned against everyone inside, and whatever the Architect had done to that dog was likely just the beginning.
Batman immediately attempted to override the lockdown and disable the signal jamming by hacking into the facility's network. His gauntlet interface flared to life, streams of code flashing across the visor display as he searched for an access point.
But every connection he tried fed back the same result—dead channels. When he rerouted to a secondary node, the diagnostic scan confirmed the truth: the circuits were already burned out, charred beyond use.
Someone had physically destroyed the system long before he tried to access it, leaving him with no digital entry point and no way to lift the jamming remotely.
"Aegis Protocol, maximum threat assessment," Batman whispered to his suit's AI. "Prepare for sustained combat operations."
His armor's heads-up display shifted to combat mode, highlighting potential threats and escape routes. Every shadow, every sound, every movement would now be analyzed for danger.
Somewhere in the darkness, Firefly worked at his bench, completely unaware that his end was approaching far faster than he anticipated.
Notes :
Any good fanfic suggestions ? Something with 100+ chaps?
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Advanced chapters on patre*n
DC : Architect of Vengeance
patre0n*c*m/Lord_Meph1sto