Showdown at Slaughter Swamp

[newoutsiders]

Batgirl and Green Arrow have been riding for a few hours now, on their way to Slaughter Swamp: the last sighting of the mutated, truck driving zombie dubbed "Gingross." The red-tinged air pollution of Gotham fades behind you, giving way to the muted moonlight of a cloudy night sky. The swamp carries something of a supernatural reputation, as you're well aware- if the "hauntings" in Connor's building can be traced anywhere, Slaughter Swamp is as likely a point of origin as any.

Eventually, you run out of road and park the Batcycle. The nearest source of real light is coming through the window of a nearby, small wooden shack right on the edge of the swamp.

Comments

[stephbrown]

Wow, this keeps getting better and better. Steph was really hoping Starfire would be more awake for the Grundy thing. On the upside, it doesn't look like he's going to be beating up on them, unless this is all some sort of elaborate hoax to lull them into a false sense of security. That's probably Bruce levels of paranoia, though.

Still, as long as he's not rushing at them to beat them to a pulp, maybe they can use this as some sort of intel gathering mission. Steph takes a step forward. "What's going on here, Grundy?"

[newoutsiders]

"What's going on, Blondie," he grunts, "Is I just want my life back. I heard about these computers. The ones you could upload your brain to. They call it 'transhumanism,' maybe you heard about it in school. But I like being human, you know? I've gotten attached to this gross, gray, lumpy body. When it works, anyway," he scathes.

"So! I say, graft the computer with my brain on it onto the body, and the brain can't die! This way, my brain can stay stable every time I come back! No more mindless zombie Grundy! And I can finally take charge of my gang again. I honestly don't see what's so bad about that. We're just trying to get it right here. Sure, some people have to die, or turn into putty monsters, but it's all in the name of progress, right?"

[not_easy_being_green]

"No," Connor says. "I'm sorry for your condition. But these people are not your toys. You've kidnapped and tortured and killed, and you do not get to point to some vague concept of 'progress' to justify it."

"This is over. Let him go."

[newoutsiders]

"Eh."

He struggles for a moment.

"I was trying to shrug at you. But my point is, I'm already a monster. In for a penny, and all that."

[stephbrown]

Steph takes a look around the room, trying to get an idea for the layout. She whispers to Connor, "Think he can stop us if we just rescue the dude? We can arrest Grundy after."

[newoutsiders]

You hear a raspy, throaty chuckle from Grundy, like a chainsaw caught in a lawnmower.

"You want to grab the kid? Sure. Go ahead. He's right over there."

[stephbrown]

"Or not," Steph replies, narrowing her eyes. "You should be trying to stop us. Why aren't you trying to stop us?"

[not_easy_being_green]

Connor does not even slightly trust Grundy. Moving very cautiously, he steps marginally closer to Lemmy, examining his bonds more closely, but at a healthy distance.

"Batman?" he asks. "What do you think?"

[bat_by_another_name]

Technology is not Cassandra's strong point. She approaches, allowing the HUD to record everything and transmit it back to the Temple. If Jean Paul can give her a message with what he knows, she can decide if she wants to smash the computers now or later.

"We need to know..." she slowly responds to Green Arrow, leaning closer to the machine, "what stage it's at."

She looks to Grundy and huffs. Because while she can hope for some further technological know-how from Jean Paul, Batman has to always be prepared.

Cocking her head to the side, Batman stands tall before the atrophied body coolly. "How do you know?" she asks. "How do you know the computer... is still you. It is numbers. Words. How can that be a brain? Or, soul?"

[newoutsiders]

He wheezes a dry, bitter laugh.

"Ah, yeah, that old chestnut. You think just because sometimes I grunt about pants in the third person, I haven't read Sartre? You come back from the dead as many times as I have, especially when your brain's so different each time, you start thinking about if you're really the same guy you always were. But... hey. You ever hear the story of Swamp Thing? A mass of plant matter who thought he was a guy, because he was implanted with a dead guy's memories? Nice fella. You'd like him. Kind of a cousin of mine, I guess. But the point is: it doesn't matter how you were born. Your thoughts and memories, that's who you are. Maybe it's a new me each time I come back. Maybe this computer brain is an entirely new thing, that's just the same as me in every way that counts. I figure I'm already a sin against nature. Like I said: in for a penny."

[not_easy_being_green]

"Not that I can't appreciate the philosophy...." Connor starts, "But I'm more concerned about Lemmy right now."

He turns to Grundy. "What's going on? What are you doing to him? What happens if we unplug him?"

[newoutsiders]

"Test number four. If everything goes right, he'll live forever, in his own body! Hell, he might even get superpowers. Who wouldn't want a chance at that? If you unplug him now, well, you'll interrupt the transfer. I dunno what would happen, but probably nothing good. Wanna find out?"

[not_easy_being_green]

Connor is... less than amused. He gives Grundy a cold look.

"Where's the device you've been using to control them?"

[newoutsiders]

With superhuman effort, Grundy forces his face into a sickening grin.

"So. Glad. You. Asked."

On cue, Grundy's chrome chair begins to expand around him, until soon it's ten feet tall: an enormous chested but space age sleek mutagenic silver body armor, enveloping all but his head.

"You see... I'm sitting on it."

[Initiative:

Batman
Green Arrow
Grundy
Batgirl]

[bat_by_another_name]

Growling under her breath, Batman reaches up to her cowl, knowingly switching the HUD's focus so that she can see Grundy's face up close and personal. It's grotesque to see what he's become -- inside and outside the machine -- but Cass doesn't need reminders that she has human lives to save. And that includes Grundy. There won't be any blowing up this robot. Yet.

"Legs," she grunts to her companions before rushing forward.

Once she's slid beneath Grundy's legs and has turned to face behind the armor, she throws the remote detonating Batarangs for the joints behind the armor's knee space.

She may not be the most learned in robotics, but Cassandra has torn up her share of devices. She knows all her team needs is an opening.

"Grundy!" she calls out before pressing the button for remote detonation of the Batarangs. "Does Toyman know... you have his toys?" She narrows her eyes. "Does Luthor?"

Primary objective might be to save these souls attached to Grundy's machine, but Batman's still a detective. And she's seen too many Metropolis connections lately for comfort.

[newoutsiders]

"Not Toyman," he says.

Cass realizes as she throws the batarangs behind the knees that there are no joints. At least not apparent ones.

The batarangs are encased in metallic bubbles- which he shoots from the back of his legs with the power of a wrecking ball, both aimed directly at Batman. She dodges one, but the other is a direct hit- knocking her back with explosive force.

"Magnus."

[not_easy_being_green]

Grundy is a thoroughly vile man. He's personally responsible for the deaths of countless many, and the torture of even more. But Connor still hates to be this ruthless.

Still, his hand is steady as he draws the bow back, and aims an arrow for each of Grundy's exposed eyes.

[newoutsiders]

A metal dome quickly extends and retracts over Grundy's head, arrows deflecting impotently.

"Going for the eyes? Oh, that's dirty. Now... I've got to get dirty too."

Grundy extends his bulky arms, which make a metallic splash against the far sides of each wall. Each wall encased in his liquid metal, dozens of spearlike extrusions expand and retract from both sides at unpredictable intervals. Connor manages to sidestep them all- but an already staggered batman gets caught on one, piercing her armor and retracting, leaving a small but ugly wound- and Steph dodges the first few, only to be caught unawares by a pool of metal creeping below her- a spear extending vertically, catching her leg.

[stephbrown]

"Ow," Steph hisses. She does her best to ignore the pain in her leg in favor of the pain in her neck, also known as Grundy. She pulls a brickerang from her belt, activates it, and tosses it, hoping the extra punch behind it will help.

[newoutsiders]

The brickerang phases through the metal suit like it was passing through water. Apparently he has control over the viscosity of the metal. That's disconcerting.

[bat_by_another_name]

She can't help but think that it's a good thing she did not switch into the Batgirl suit earlier as she examines the wound carefully. The suit's shock absorbers might do wonders for the kickback of the blasts, but it's far from self healing. She'll manage with this wound, but she's not exactly interested in adding to her collection.

Her eyes narrow as she looks at the mechanical nightmare Grundy has become. Magnus. She thinks to herself. She's never had the pleasure of meeting him or his Metal Men.

But someone more experienced may have. She looks to Green Arrow. "Metal is acting like... water. Do you know Magnus? What he's... up to?"

It occurs to her that metals act different. "Metal Men." It occurs to her. She sets the HUD for analysis of what the construct is made of as she goes about.

Until then, she'll do what she does best: moving fast and hitting hard.

Mindful of her wound, she runs around a comfortable perimeter -- leaping onto any high ground she comes across, and throws multiple detonating Batarangs at him, never staying still to make herself a target if she can help it, but hopefully buying time all the same.

[newoutsiders]

Batman dodges all of the oncoming wall spikes, and Meta-Grundy's fists, as she maneuvers around the room. She goes into analysis mode, opening a connection with Jean-Paul. It crackles at first, but the connection comes through.

"-crcckstatman? Batman, do you read? This looks bad. The metal is some kind of titanium alloy- it's going to be hard to beat, especially with his control. But, generally speaking, Magnus stuff doesn't do well in the cold."

The detonating batarangs have no such properties, though- and they only serve to blow out super hot chunks of molten steel alloy from Meta-Grundy's bulk as projectiles- which all but Steph manage to dodge. That's a nasty burn.

[not_easy_being_green]

It's a desperate gambit. And not one he particularly likes the idea of. But it's all he's got.

Connor takes a breath, steadies himself... and runs towards Grundy, dodging the spikes as well as he can. He might take some punishment. He'll power through it. As soon as he sees his chance, within arm's reach of something resembling a stable surface, just for a moment, he reaches into a certain pocket on his utility belt and pulls out two two particular devices.

The Sensometers.

Maybe it'll do nothing. Maybe it'll just make things worse. But if he can just get them fighting for control of the body...

He braces himself... and slaps them onto the metal.

[newoutsiders]

Grundy ceases his maniacal laughter as, suddenly, his fluid suit seizes up.

"What? What's happening?"

A familiar wave of electricity washes over Meta-Grundy. The responsometer feedback.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Two additional metal heads bubble up from Meta-Grundy's shoulders. Connor recognizes them immediately as Sal Handy and Perry Veto.

"We're not gonna be your puppets anymore, you freak!" Sal shouts at him.

"I think it's time for some payback," Perry agrees.

Grundy howls in pain as the shock of the responsometers, now under his victims' control, continues to course through him.

Talking is a free action

[not_easy_being_green]

"Perry! Sal!" Connor calls out. "He can't move without the metal body! If you can push him out, it's over!"