Book One - Part One: Dark Knight

Chapter Twenty Seven

Elena sits in her study, curled up with Robin on the couch, the news playing on a small tv across from her; live war footage, refugees huddled. The bottom crawl reads, "BREAKING NEWS - TRAGEDY IN GULMIRA." Elena's features are hard but emotional as she watches.

"The ten mile drive to the outskirts of Gulmira can only be described as a descent into Hell, into a modern-day Heart of Darkness. Simple farmers and herders, from peaceful villages, driven from their homes at the butt of Western rifles and the turrets of modern tanks. Displaced from their lands by Warlords and insurgent groups emboldened by their newfound power -- a power fuelled by high-tech weapons easily purchased with Poppy money on the black market -- and further destabilising a fragile region which for decades has been a tinderbox of tribal feuding and ethnic hatred" Elena's heart breaks for them. "The villagers have taken shelter in whatever crude dwellings they can find -- in the ruins of other razed villages, in the cold barren scrublands, or in the remnants of an old Soviet smelting plant. Our translator relayed to us one human tragedy after another. A seven year old boy, thin as a scarecrow, clutching yellowed photographs and holding them out to anyone who would stop, with a child's simple question: where are my mother and father? A woman, begging for news of her husband, who'd been kidnapped by insurgents – either forced to join their militia, or to be shot without reason.....With no political will or international pressure, there is little hope for these newly-formed refugees. Refugees who can only wonder one thing: is the world watching?" The reporter asks, Elena turns off the tv a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Mrs Juspeczyk is here" Alfred informs Elena who stands from the couch wiping the tear from her cheek to meet Laurie as she enters the room. Laurie smiles at Alfred and thanks him before he leaves.

"He reminds me of Jarvis" Laurie admits softly and turns to Elena, all trace of her emotions gone from her face.

"We haven't officially met" Elena tells Laurie who shakes her head but smiles. "Elena Wayne" Laurie takes her hand when offered.

"Laurie, which you know" Laurie counters taking a seat with Elena. "You're the girl my brother has the hots for" Laurie teases, Elena smirks and nods. "Nice to finally meet you face to face"

"And you, Tony spoke about you a lot" Elena admits.

"Is there a reason for the meeting? I'll admit I'm surprised"

"I thought you might be interested in something I found" Elena grabs a file from the side and sets it in front of Laurie who raises an eyebrow. "I looked into Tony after we returned from Afghanistan" she admits. "And by default you...." Laurie opens the file to find a photo of her and her husband Lawrence, Laurie glances to the photo beneath it, of her and Bruce Banner. A man she had fallen hopelessly in love with whilst working with him, despite the fact she was married at the time. A man she would have left her husband for.

"Bruce" Laurie whispers sadly. Her heart broke the day he disappeared.

"He's in Rio" Elena offers.

"You managed to find him when the government couldn't?" Laurie asks touching the photo of Bruce.

"I'm Elena Wayne" Elena offers holding out her hands, they share a look. "And Wayne Enterprise's is working a facial recognition software is about 10 times more powerful then anything currently out there. When the software picked up Dr. Banner I made a note of his location and then removed the data from the computer, just in case someone else was to see it" Laurie looks to her.

"Why did you do this?" Laurie asks her.

"We both know that Tony isn't very open with his feelings" Laurie nods in agreement. "But he spoke about you, often....and I will admit that Tony has come to mean...." Elena shakes her head and clears her throat.

"Yet Tony is the one that isn't open with his feelings" Laurie teases, Elena looks to her. "Thank you, Elena" Laurie touches the file.

"Do what you want with the data, Laurie" Elena tells her. "I just thought you would want to know that he's alive and well" Laurie smiles.

..........................

Elena lays in bed watching the news again, an attack in Gulmira by a metal man, a sleeker design but she'd recognise it any where. Tony's digging and fighting back. But he needs to see the real truth. It's time to get involved. She climbs out of bed and walks away and out of her room.

............................

The moon illuminates the inside of Tony's office at Stark Industries HQ, Batwoman opens the door and steps in closing it behind her. She rounds the desk and plugs in a hacking device, the device starts hacking through Obadiah's passwords, firewalls, security nets. She's in. She watches items scroll up from Obadiah's hard drive. Jericho Missile orders. Shipping manifests. Schematics and blueprints. For sections of the Dynamo suit. For the pipe room under the Ark Reactor. Her eyes widen. She glances towards the door, thinking she heard something. Waits. Nothing. An icon now appears, with Arabic text underneath. An icon for a video clip. She double clicks, watches a grainy video clip opens: Tony, half-dead, tied to a chair next to Elena. Raza and his henchmen behind them. It's the 'decapitation tape' made in the cave months ago. She shakes her head, disbelieving. She types at the computer setting up a translation software. As the clip plays, the translated text appears like subtitles: 'Obadiah Stane, you have deceived us...the price to kill Tony Stark and Elena Wayne has just gone up...' Elena, shell-shocked, gapes at the monitor. She figured he'd have something against Tony but she's never met the man, what could he possibly have against her? Seeing the download hit 100% she pulls the device free and leaves the office as she left it. 

.....................

Pepper enters Tony's workshop as Tony toils away at an eviscerated suit suspended from a chain winch.

"This device will hack into Stark Industries mainframe. I need you to go to there and retrieve all shipping manifests" Tony tells Pepper. The lights cut out around them. "Jarvis?" Tony asks looking around. There is a swooping sound and Tony and Pepper spin as the lights come back on, Batwoman stands before them. "And who are you supposed to be?"

"No one" she answers and shifts slightly, her cape swishing with her. "I brought a gift" she comments. "And news" she adds. "You're no longer the only one in danger" Batwoman tells him. "Elena Wayne's kidnapping was not as coincidental as they believed..."

"Elena?" Tony asks. Batwoman holds up the memory device in her hand.

"The data from Stark Industries taken from Stane's files" she moves to his computer and plugs it in before typing away to open it up. All the files she found spread over the screens and Pepper and Tony move closer to look. Batwoman plays the same video she watched.

"I don't understand" Tony starts. "I'd never met Elena before...."

"No" Batwoman agrees. "Which means there is something hidden, and I intend to find out exactly what it is"

"Why do you care?" Tony asks, the lights give out again and when they come back on, Batwoman is gone. Tony looks to the computer and sighs.

"I need you go to the office and check these" Tony tells Pepper not looking away from the files. "If that....if she's right"

"Then Elena is in danger" Pepper agrees. "I'll go" Tony holds up the hacking device.

"Text me" Tony offers. "Make sure I know" Pepper nods and hurries out the room. Tony looks to the computer crossing his arms over his chest. "Jarvis, scan every inch of these files..."

"Right away, sir"

"And check your software for loop holes and weaknesses, how'd she get in anyway?"

"I let her in, sir" Jarvis admits. Tony raises an eyebrow. "She asked nicely" Tony shoots the computer a look.