DC Universe- 2100

"Who the hell are you" Edgar asked seeing Nightstalker taking on both gangs.
"Not you again" Stalker sighed "I don't have time to play, go find someone else to take down."
Edgar dropped down kicking Stalker in the back. "Never met you before but I'll be happy to kick your ass."
Stalker turned pullig out his clubs "You are different from the other one. Okay then, when I'm done with you I'll finish taking out them."
"I'm going to enjoy this" Edgar smiled cracking his knucles. "Come on then."

"I-I-I don't know anything!" The hostage says as Bat-Woman unties his mouth.

"What are you so scared about? We just saved your life."

"It's not YOU I'm worried about," the hostage says. He then turns and looks to Batman. "It's him." The hostage then turns and runs off.

"What? The tiny civilian was afraid of you and not me? Oh, this'll never do. I make a MUCH better bad cop. Wanna trade?"

"It's easier to question the target before beating him or her up. Thought I should tell you.", Batman says.

"You've got skill I'll give you that" Edgar said dodging Stalker. He spun around kicking him upside the head sending Stalker into a container. "Not sure what your deal is but you didn't need to kill any of these men."
"They are the scum of Gotham, they deserve worse than death" Stalker said throwing a flash pellet at Edgar. Edgar was unphased by the blast of light and came at Stalker hitting him with an uppercut
"Trained by a blind master" Edgar boasted hitting Stalker with several powerful blows in a short span of time. "Time for you to take a nap." He punched Stalker in the chest sending a shock through his body knocking him out. He turned to the remaining gangsters "Get out of here, cops should be here soon. "
They looked confused but scattered quckly as Edgar tied up Staker leaving him for the cops

"You know me. Since when have I been fond of the easy way?" Bat-Woman then winks and does a back flip, landing in front of the hostage before throwing him to the ground and stomping down on his back. "Now listen, honey, we're not gonna rough you up any more than this. We don't have to. Now rally every little cell in that big brain of yours. You ARE a businessman. Clyde Falcone, age 32, with a wife and child. Heir to the Falcone crime family, inherited top seat when your old man croaks. Need I go on?"

"Oh god. Okay! I... the freak said somethin' about the old Library. Something about a hiding place. He didn't tell us hostages anything, I just heard him talkin' to himself or his boys or somethin', I swear!"

"Good dog," Bat-Woman says.

"We'll stake out near the library and look for activity. Knock him out.", Batman says and heads for the exit.

Bat-Woman looks down on Falcone as Batman leaves, bending down and whispering into the would-be crime boss' ear. "Nighty night. Oh, and Clyde, I'd dissolve that whole crime family bit when your old man croaks if I were you. I have a feeling that he'll be out of the picture real soon. And I'd hate to see a little boy deprived of his daddy." She then gets up and kicks him in the face, knocking him out and leaving with Batman.

"Something tells me the Library might be where we find Paradox. And the kid. After all, she's worth the most on his list of hostages. More likely than anything, he's using her as the ace up his sleeve."

"I doubt that Paradox would have intentionally let Falcone know of his where abouts... unless he wanted us at the library.", Batman says.

"Paradox doesn't make big mistakes," Bat-Woman notes. "It's the little ones piled up that always lead to him being caught. This definitely would've been a small one considering the magnitude of what he's even doing."

"...We observe the library, first of all."

"We're a step closer to the kid. We'll get her back."

In due time, the two take their search to the library. "So a secret hiding place in the library...what, we start pulling books from shelves? Or maybe a trap door?"

"Ah...Batman...and Bat-Woman...I didn't quite disbelieve you'd find this place ahead of schedule but THIS fast? Surely you both deserve a medal. Very well. The back room of the library. There is, in fact, a trap door there. Open it and follow the passage. No, you won't find me. But there sit the helpless many hostages...well all but one. Nonetheless I hope you admire the collection," Paradox says over a set-up P.A system.

"Oh man is that really him." an officer said looking down at Stalker
"Yeah, it's him" his partner said picking up a small bat symbol "looks like the vigilantes are at war."
"That's just what this city needs" the other sighed "masked individuals fighting eachother. Well let's at least get this one off the street."
Stlaker was loaded into the back of a wagon to be taken away but before they could leave were stopped
"We'll take him from here boys" a woman said pulling up
"Who are you?"
"Who I am is above your pay grade" the woman said as a couple of men dragged Stalker out of the back of the wagon and into the back of thier car.
"Hey, where are you taking our prisoner."
"Again, that's above your pay grade officer" the woman said getting in and taking off.

Batman clenches his fist and goes to the back.

Bat-Woman walks into the back room with Batman and opens the trap door.

Batman drops down.

The two find themselves in a large chamber, all of the hostages chained to the walls. "Guess who I've got back, Batman! Oh wait, in honor of tradition, a riddle shall be the question," Paradox says through the P.A again. "Riddle me this- oh...too late, he's awake. Please turn to the door at the side of the room."

Suddenly grunting and growling can be heard from the other side of the door. Then footsteps. Heavy footsteps. The chains of the hostages all release and the exit is sealed, leaving them all trapped in the room. The door is suddenly punched clean off its hinges with a roar by a hulking man in a black suit with grey skin. "Oh," Bat-Woman says, readying herself. "Him..."

"Solomon Grundy...Born on a Monday..." The monster then throws a punch as Bat-Woman who flips out of the way.

"No collar this time, Batman! Let's see you take care of it now. And be careful. I don't think these hostages can really take a hit from something THAT powerful. Bye now."

Grundy then turns and sees Batman as well as the hostages near him and hunkers down, charging in a rage.

Batman grabs the loose chains that were used on the hostages and charged at Grundy with it. As the large beast of a man prepared to slam down his fists on the vigilante Batman jumps up over Grundy, the chains wrapping around his throat tightly as Batman supports himself with his feet against the monster's back, choking him. To add, Batman activates a feature in his gloves that electrifies the chain and goes through Grundy.

Grundy begins to flail around and roar, slamming into every wall to try and shake Batman off, grabbing at the chain around his throat. Bat-Woman grabs a chain as well, using it to trip Grundy as he passes by. The monster falls over then gets up and turns to Bat-Woman. "Here ugly ugly ugly," Bat-Woman chimes, jumping out of the way allowing Grundy to rhino charge through a wall. He returns a moment later, attacking the bats and hostages.

Batman throws two round weights at Grundy's legs that are attached to each other by a strong snare that wrap around Grundy's legs as he runs toward them, making him fall forward.

Grundy turns himself over and punches the ground, creating a shockwave that throws the bats and hostages back. He then grabs the bindings around his legs and breaks them before getting up and raising his fist over Batman.

Batman thrusts his hand forward, his old staff from the Red Robin days expanding and hitting Grundy in the chest, electrocuting him.

Grundy staggers back and falls into a wall. Bat-Woman stands over him as he suddenly begins to get up. "Leave him to me. You get the hostages out of here," she says, cracking her knuckles.

Batman looks back at her before deciding to escort the hostages to safety and leaving Bat-Woman.

"Oh good. One Bat for another. I suppose that's fair. Very well. You solved the riddle and got those poor innocent civilians out of harm's way," Paradox says over the P.A as Batman gets the hostages out of the chamber. "Your last hostage, the one with the most dangerous trick yet in store, is at the Batman museum. Hurry along now."

Batman heads to the museum with haste.