The Darkest Knight [Wulfen] Open by Invitation

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Her head pounding from the sonic blast that had nearly ripped her head off her shoulders, Huntress brought her left hand up and then under her left side, before she slowly - painfully pushed her upper body off the steel floor. Her entire body felt like it had been run over with an old fashioned steam roller, and for some reason she felt tired, but at least she was alive. Moving to an all-four position, Huntress let her head hang down below her body for a few minutes, while she fought to stay conscious, only to then pull her head back as if to ease the kinks in her neck.

One look around her told Huntress she was not in Kansas anymore, or even Gotham for that matter. It was obvious, even to a land lover, that she had been transported so some kind of naval vessel while she had been unconscious, and though she still found it hard to concentrate past the residual pain between her ears, Huntress knew she had to move, if for no other reason that to find her team-mate in the last fruitless battle. On her feet in moments, Huntress fell back against the outer bulkhead only to discover that unlike the air she was breathing, which was stuffy, that the wall was quite cool, a fact that told her she was well under the water's surface, but exactly where she - where they were, was still a mystery.

The battle had been fierce, odds against the both of them, and though Huntress and her new found friend had come out the victors, they had both lost. It had started out as a simple drug bust, two different gangs meeting on their shared boarder to exchange much needed "supplies", illegal items that would keep each gang fully stocked and ready for any would be invaders of their respective turfs, though why they never turned on each other was a mystery to some.

The hard reality was that the two gangs were of equal strength, and they had actually fought a non-decisive "war" some time back, a conflict that would have gone on indefinably had not someone far more powerful stepped in. Their secret benefactor had worked out a deal that had become mutually beneficial and the "war" had stopped. The secret power behind the gangs had never been fully revealed, though Huntress had tried, continued to try. Her gut feelings told her the benefactor was nothing but a front for an even more powerfully connected individual or group, but that had yet to be proven.

The mafia had not been ruled out from her list of suspects, but which mafia and from where, was the question. It had seemed likely at first that her own family was involved, but the longer the peace went on, the more unlikely that angle had been accepted. And if it wasn't Gotham's family based mafia, then it had to be some other, and there was evidence that the Russian and Chinese mafias had tried to make a foothold in the city, but the two of them were far more into stealth than most American organized crime families, and if they were discovered, they tended to be ruthless on their adversaries.

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The first thing Victor was aware of when he woke up was an intense ringing in his ears, the next thing was his splitting headache. He closed his eyes and placed his hands against his forehead. He noticed he was still in costume so what ever had happened he hadn't lost his disguise. He took a sniff and opened his eyes in confusion when he noticed an odd metallic smell. He looked around to see where he was and didn't recognize it. He slowly got himself up out of his sitting position and onto his feet and instantly knew he was on a ship. He stumbled straight into the wall and struggled to regain his balance.

He put his hand on the wall and noticed that it was much cooler then the air was.... That meant something right? What was it though? He mentally shrugged that information off for later. This was his first time in a boat like this....... Ship like this... Not a boat, a ship. He had only been on motorboats with his uncle and he had never liked those. "Lupin.... Ya there?" He muttered under his breath. 'I'm here pup.' The mental wolf replied. "Cana?" Again muttered under his breath. Instead of a verbal reply he felt help to steady him on his feet. "So you do care?" He joked with the second of the two mental wolves.

He looked around the room he was in and guessed it was either the brig or maybe the cargo hold. He still wasn't sure where he was or what kind of ship he was on. All he knew was that he had to get out of here. He didn't want to wind up someplace he knew nothing about, or worse...... Never getting to see Alison again. He finally managed to make his way towards the door and start trying to open it. And found that he couldn't move it as easily as it was done on tv.... Which didn't surprise him at all. Rarely was anything as easy as it was on tv.

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It had been an hour since she had awakened and though she had made some progress, Huntress knew she had not made as much as she would have liked. Hatches to higher decks were either welded or latched down tight, preventing any escape to an upper deck and what was starting to amount to cooler, fresher air. She had long since lost the cooler bulkhead she had first touched and what was left were walls that were getting hotter by the hour, and as the corridors had little to no real air circulation, her breathing was getting close to labored.

Pausing to rest for a few moments, Huntress thought of yelling out to see if anyone would hear her, but even as she thought of it, other, more darker thoughts came to mind, like the idea of telling an enemy just where she was at the moment. Pressing on, Huntress started to check this hatch or that door, and though many were locked as were the hatches leading upwards, some of the doors were not, though what she found in a few made her cringe. Bodies, some decomposed from ages of being down in the dark lay beyond some of the doors, while others beheld a stench that even the best fumigators would not be able to hide.

It was obvious that whoever placed her in the hold was wanting something to happen, but just what and why were unknowns; though the longer she found herself in the near darkness, the heat growing in leaps and bounds, the more she felt their goal was in her not getting out at all. and if that wasn't enough to fry one's brains, then she had to think of the other person, that man - creature - whatever it was, that had helped her defeat the two gangs. Last thing she could remember was him going down as well, which meant he too was someplace or another on the same ship, basking away in the heat just like she was, which was a dismal thought.

"Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, is anybody down here??"

[Deleted]

After trying a few more times to find an exit on his own he stopped and started to pacing the room he had found himself in. He could remember that he was helping a woman fighting a group of thugs..... Or something.... He looked around again and shook his head trying to stop the ringing in his ears. There was some fancy weapon they pulled out or something like that. All he remembered after that was a loud sound and then he was here. He sniffed the air again and began to relax abit as he noticed the ringing was starting to fade. Ok.... Now all he had to do was find a way out of here.... What if that woman was in here? He'd have to help her if she was. After all he wasn't going to be able to forgive himself if he just abandoned someone he fought alongside with.

Then suddenly he heard a voice. He looked around quickly. Ok so there was someone else in here. And it was possible that it was the woman..... But then again it was possible that it wasn't her. Yeah! I'm here!" He called out in response. Just for safe measure he drew his warclub out of its holster on his hip and held it up in a ready postion. If this was a trick he wasn't going to let his guard down. If not...... Well better safe then sorry. Especially when he didn't know what was going on.

[Deleted]

Yeah! I'm here!"

Huntress heard the muffled sound of a voice coming from her right but the only thing in that direction was a passageway that led to a blind alley. There had obviously been a reason to put the hall in that location but perhaps with the ship's retrofit or possible upgrades, something else had been stuck in the path of the walkway, forcing it to be closed. Still, Huntress moved for the wall and started to feel about it, to see if there might be some kind of hidden latch or maybe a softer section, but try as she might, there wasn't anything to be found from what she could tell.

"Listen, I don't know how thick this wall is, but I'm going to attempt to blow it. You might wish to find something to hide behind or duck under. Tell me when you have found a place, or if not, tell me that too."

Pounding on the metal wall with her fist, Huntress guessed that it was perhaps no more than an inch thick, the upper level of ability for the explosives she normally carried with her. The tricky part would be to blow the wall in such a way so as not to destroy the more important sections of the super-structure, but as she didn't really know what was on the other side of the wall, or if there was a wall inside a wall, Huntress knew her actions would be taking a risk.

"I need to know what's on the other side there with you. Do you see any pipes coming out of this wall, or overhead? Any electrical conduits, or anything else? If I blow a hole in the wall, I don't want to risk anything on your side if that makes sense."

[Deleted]

When Wulfen noticed that no one was going to come into the room he relaxed abit and put his club back into its spot. He looked around the room he was in and listened to the woman on the other side of the wall. He put his hands on his hips and looked around. He frowned slightly as he heard the woman say she was going to use explosives. "Wait? Did you say explosives? How did you get- Nevermind its not important right now." He looked around for anything that could cause a problem. "Well I see a few pipes running along the walls but nothing electric stands out." He called back to the woman. "There's a little alcove looking thing I'll get behind."

He made his way over to the alcove and crouched down in it. He was going to keep low and not stick anything out into the open and then he covered his ears and called out. "When ever you're ready!" He called out loudly before crouching down lower and tensing up and preparing for the blast.

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Plastique, small, very portable, but extremely powerful when used in the right way. It was a quote Huntress mulled over in her mind every time she pulled out the miniature explosive charges she had obtained, for if she became too careless in the handling of the material, she get a new nickname of "Lefty" or some such thing. Placing the material in a circle she felt large enough to allow for her friend to move through, Huntress connected each blog of plastique with a tiny wire, before she inserted the antenna.

It would burn in fast succession, making it nearly impossible for her to get away, which was why she had given up on the fast-burning fuses, in lieu of the remotely detonated kind. Finding a hiding place just around a corner, Huntress waited to make sure her friend was safe, before she touched the button. In a second, the passageway was filled with the loud reverberating sound of an explosion, shrapnel flying everywhere, though with all the metallic dust in the way, Huntress couldn't tell if the blast had been successful, though once the dust had settled, she saw that it had been.

"Ok, it's safe to come out now, but I'd watch it with these ragged edges. By the way, the name's Huntress, and I thank you for your help before, though I didn't expect us to be put in this thing."

[Deleted]

Wulfen flinched so quickly that he fell over away from the blast. "What was that!?!?!" He blurted out in a surprised remark. He got up and slowly poked his head around the corner once the dust settled. Slowly he stepped out from behind the corner and shuffled way over to the newly formed hole in the wall. Once he made it to the wall he looked around the ragged edges of the hole. He looked at Huntress and blinked his eyes behind the lens in his mask. "Uhhhh..... Yeah...... Hi...." He looked around slowly "Think it was loud enough?" It was clear by the sound of his voice that his was stunned.

He shook his head and blinked his eyes tightly before looking at Huntress. "Sorry.... Its not everyday a bomb goes off next to me. I'm Wulfen. And you're welcome." He said with a slight nod before looking around and stepping through the hole. "So any idea where we are?" He shook his head again as he noticed that there was another ringing ears again. After a while the ringing in his ears started to fade and he looked back at Huntress. "And one last question. Any ideas on how to get out of this?" He began to look around at the ship trying to use his knowledge of history to see if it was maybe it was a military vessel but he couldn't tell what it was without seeing more then just the part of the ship with the hole blown in the wall.

[Deleted]

"Aircraft carrier from the markings on the pipes. The two red ones down the passageway are for aviation fuel, but the dates on some of these fire extinguishers suggest Korean War era. That would put us on a derelict ship. At least that is my best guess."

**Very good, Huntress..., very good. You and your companion are in fact on the USS Essex CV-9, an aircraft carrier designed in late World War II and then used in the Korean War.**

The voice was all around them at first, the invisible person's mocking comments bouncing off the various steel bulkheads before being driven into their minds. Looking around for a speaker, Huntress finally spotted one of them, and then pointed it out to Wulfen, before she walked over to it so she could lower the volume. For seemingly long minutes nothing else was said, until Huntress turned to leave, a movement that triggered another long-winded recital of information, all of which she did not want to hear, but which also meant they had secret cameras about them.

**Wulfen, you and the lovely lady are not alone here, but if you wish to be Huntress, then I'd suggest you keep on using the explosive charges. You see, there are fifty kids locked up in the magazine hold on this ship, and they have a large problem above their heads in the form of unexploded, and ancient I might add, ordinance. The more you blast your way out, the more you may dislodge what I have placed under these bombs, and well..., we wouldn't want that, now would we?**

Huntress stood there, her hands going into hard fists. Having her and Wulfen was one thing, but putting kids lives' in danger was another thing altogether. she had garnered a reputation for protecting Gotham's youth and this wasn't the first time she had faced such a trial, but if the voice had any truth behind what it had said, then the kids were in very serious danger - a danger she knew she'd have to get them out of. Thinking about it, Huntress walked over to Wulfen close enough that one he might hear her, a calculated risk, though one she hoped he would understand, though the choice would ultimately be his.

"Wulfen, this isn't your fight, and I can't ask you to help me here. Your choice, but I..."

**No secrets, Huntress. I assure you I can hear everything you say just as well as I can see what you two will be up to. You have a task ahead of you, the both of you do. Rescue the kids if you can. If you can't, then that's just fine.**

"Why the kids? If it's us you want, if it's me.., then..."

**Because you two interfered with my plans.**

[Deleted]

Wulfen looked around for the source of the voice. And once Huntress pointed it out he looked at the area she pointed at. He gave a nod and kept quite as he listened to the voice. When it mentioned that they were one the USS Essex CV-9 a light came on for Wulfen. He knew this ship! Well.... Not personally he had never seen it before. But he knew the history of it! He was in his element! Finally he could help!

As the voice talked Wulfen paced back and forth muttering to himself and wiggling his fingers in the air. To those who didn't know him, or didn't pay attention to his habits, he looked as though he wasn't paying any attention to what was going on around him. He kept pacing never once slowing but never once gaining speed either. "Essex............ Hold........ Deck.......... Bow........." When he heard the voice mention kids and the magazine hold he winced and started to mutter abit faster and yet never once did his pacing slow.

Only when Huntress moved over to talk with him did his pacing slow. "I helped you so that makes it my fight now. Plus there's kids involved so I'm not going to give up now." Wulfen kept quiet until the voice on the intercom stopped talking. Once it did he turned to Huntress. "Alright. Now that I know we're on an aircraft carrier I can be of more help. My grandfather was in the military at about the time this ship was in service. Now he wasn't in the Navy....... or even the US Military....... He was in the Wehrmacht.... But that doesn't matter right now. He showed me a few pictures of aircraft carriers. So I know the layout enough that if I can find out where we are right now I can find our way to the general area of the magazine hold. Not the exact area but close." He had a determined look in his eyes which lay behind the lens in his mask. He wasn't going to let this person harm any kids. There was also a small hint of doubt. He wasn't exactly a veteran at this and he was kinda confused about what was going on. He was also hoping that he wasn't wrong about what he was saying and that he couldn't find his way to the magazine compartment. He hoped that he could find his way safely.

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"Well, since you're the expert here, why don't you fill me in on the design of the typical aircraft carrier of the second world war."

She had seen many a picture of her own since she taught history when not in the mask, but many of her images had been taken from the outside up on the deck or on the bridge, with a few shots having been of the hanger deck. The guts of the craft had never really been a subject of her teaching, aside from the few facts she would cover in regards to the lack of air-conditioning or even adequate ventilation. Lessons she was finding out didn't prepare oneself for the real hardships they were both facing now. She and Wulfen had only been on board a few hours and for her at least, it felt like the costume was slipping into her skin to become a part of her.

Helena had no doubt that were she to open the suit even a little, they she'd be overcome by her body's sweat-slick odor, but she didn't want to be accused of killing Wulfen for it might deal him a fatal blow as well. Shaking her head to rid herself of such dire thoughts, Huntress looked around at the various printed signs. each one held a clue for the old warriors of the past or for any naval person, but they could have been something written in Greek for all she could see, though the deck level was clearly evident. Magazines were where militaries stored their live ammunition's and on a ship that was usually deep within its structure, where it was relatively safe, though that could also mean it was a bomb waiting to go off.

"Listen, we're on deck four, and though I haven't a clue as to how many decks one of these old ships has, I assume the magazine will be lower, am I right? If so, we need to go deeper into the bowels of this aircraft carrier in search for this magazine as the voice called it..., so, which way Wulfen?"

[Deleted]

Wulfen took a quick look around trying to get his bearings once more just to be sure before he started trying to lead the way. He began to sniff the air out of habit when he was in an unfamiliar situation. "I suppose we ought to start with finding the stairs." He muttered to himself as he started moving towards what he hoped was the right direction to find the stairs. After a few moments of wandering he finally found the stairs. 'So pup... You're helping yet another hero.' Lupin spoke up. 'Yes and as you know, there are kids in danger so I might seem abit tense.' Wulfen replied mentally. He was making sure that he wasn't speaking out loud, after all he didn't want to seem crazy. Of course if all else failed he could just pull out the excuse that he had schizophrenia. But that would add more trouble for him so he preferred not to do that.

He looked over his shoulder to make sure this Huntress person was following him still. "So while we're walking I hope you don't mind me asking but, any idea who this guy is?" He asked as he paused looking down all the halls at the intersection. Which way was it? He brought his fingers up to his mouth in a thinking gesture. "Lets see.... Which way did we go? It was over, up, right, right, left.... Or was it left, up, right?" He muttered before snapping his fingers with an 'ah ha!' "This way. I think we might be getting close so if you have a plan I'd love to hear it."

[Deleted]

"Not really, no, but he's obviously someone with a mad-on for me. I guess you just happened along at the wrong time, and for that I'm sorry."

Huntress had watched Wulfen look about the passageway as if he was not sure which way to turn. It was the same thing she had done only an hour before but with his knowledge of military ships, he had the advantage. Stopping behind him when he came to a sudden stop, Huntress tried to think of just who they might be up against, but the list of her enemies was a long one and that was only from her own family.

"As for a plan, I'll let you know when I come up with one. I'll need to see how the children are situated first..., then I can....LOOK OUT!!!"

Turning when she thought she heard sounds coming from behind them, Huntress focused her eyes on the AK-47 and then yelled. The thug had already aimed the weapon but it had jammed, something the gun seldom ever did, which was lucky for the two of them. Grabbing for the crossbow, Huntress quickly aimed for the weapon's barrel and then fired, only to happy to watch the arrow's working end slide right into the opening to render the gun useless, at least until the obstruction had been removed.

"That won't hold them off for long, so my plan is to get out of here fast. Any ideas on which direction?"

[Deleted]

Vic Sage sat in his GTO, watching the decommissioned Essex through binoculars. His view wasn’t the best, and he couldn’t see much of the flight deck from his position, but he was able to see who went on and off the ship. Notably, he’d seen the Huntress and a man that went by the name of Wulfen be carried onto the ship some hours ago. He had every reason to believe that the Huntress was the masked identity of one Helena Bertinelli, a woman he’d had a relationship with for a year at Cambridge before he’d been told he had to leave by their instructor, Richard Dragon. He’d taken his leave as directed though he had surreptitiously watched her ever since.

He’d learned about the truth of her American family before she had, and he had expected her to be in trouble when she returned to Gotham. Instead, the Bertinelli family had taken Helena in and made her a figurehead of sorts. She was to be their princess, in a manner of speaking, and they had planned on marrying her off to another family to cement a pact between them, but the feisty Helena had other plans. She’d reordered much of the family business to give it more of a legal front and, through an inheritance from her father and a number of crafty investments, had built up a legitimate fortune of her own that even her own family couldn’t touch. She’d also developed a habit for late night excursions in purple latex. While he had never seen her actually change costumes, he recognized the fighting style. The Dragon had trained several people over the years, but Vic knew who at least most of them were. There was no question in his mind that Helena was the Huntress.

Vic looked up the history of the Essex on a stolen smart phone, digging into the ship’s past and found that it had been leased by the Gotham Police Department, apparently for training purposes, though the account the money came from was private and sheltered in a private bank headquartered in Switzerland. Obviously, it wasn’t the GPD that had paid for the use of the ship, and he didn’t believe they were using it, either. A standard investigation would stop there and give the true culprit both warning and time to distance himself from the ship by the time the real account was investigated. He loaded the information into a memory card and then double-checked to make sure he wasn’t being watched. He pulled his mask on and activated it with the binary gas, turning his clothes blue and orange. A second squirt on the outside surface of the car changed it from red to a deep blue, and the image of license plates on the car disappeared as well.

The Question slid a modified paint lid opener into the ignition slot and turned the large motor over. The big car had a low, ominous growl as it idled. It waited, like a jungle cat on the hunt, to be allowed to roar and leap after its prey. The Tiger would be disappointed today, though. The Question slid the gear selector into drive and idled down to the water front. The lights remained off, and the Tiger slid through the night, quietly on the prowl. When he was close to the gate, he gently applied the parking break, bringing the vehicle to an easy stop without any light betraying his position. He stepped out of the car and quietly checked his inventory. Both guns were loaded and the safeties were off. He had six spare clips, three for each gun, loaded and ready, a lighter, Gerber utility tool, hunting knives concealed in the arms of the trench coat, two cigars, four road flares, and other miscellaneous equipment to help him figure out what was going on.

He didn’t bother approaching the gate to the pier. Instead, he went over the fence where the cameras were blocked by a warehouse. Crates and litter had been allowed to collect on the pier, which made it easy for The Question to move closer to the ship undetected. He never gave the boarding plank any real consideration, but instead climbed the mooring line. He heard an explosion while he was climbing and felt a faint vibration from them through the line. He continued his climb and entered the ship through the hawse hole.

Before leaving the space, he pulled out a magnometer. The device would pick up magnetic flows within roughly 20 feet of him, which meant it would be able to detect virtually any electrical circuit within range. The range wasn’t great, but hopefully it would warn him of any surveillance cameras in place before he wandered into them. Unfortunately, it would also warn him every time he approached a sound-powered phone, and there would be no way to tell the two apart.

Another explosion went off while he was making his way through the ship. The deck vibrated under him slightly, but there was no way he could tell the direction or distance of the blast. It did relieve him, though; there wouldn’t be multiple blasts if the Huntress were down. He stopped and listened for a moment, and was rewarded with a muffled conversation. He shut the detector off and put it back into one of the pockets hidden in his coat, then pulled out a knife and slowly approached the scene. A bank of monitors was set up in a room, along with a man that was sitting in an executive office chair that didn’t belong on this ship. A quick scan of the monitors showed him the location of Huntress and her companion, and he heard them talking.

She was probably right about the magazines. The 38s and the 20mm and 40mm canons would have their ammunition close at hand and smoke floats would be stored near the flight deck, all for easy access. The magazines for the aircraft, though, would be deeper in the ship and definitely larger. The thought of how much ammunition a Wildcat or Avenger could go through on a mission was impressive.

He pulled out a spyglass to better see the monitors that tracked her travel, and was able to get a decent idea of where she was in the ship and where she was headed. The threat of there being children on the ship was something that couldn’t be easily discounted, but as of yet, he hadn’t seen any, and there were no monitors that showed children on the panel. Until he had better information, he wasn’t planning on risking anyone’s life on the threat of children at risk.

He went back the way he’d come, remembering something he’d seen. Someone had apparently been welding on the ship; the oxygen and acetylene tanks were where he remembered them. He made sure they were closed, and then unhooked them from the welding unit. They were heavy, but he’d carried worse. He made his way back to the monitoring room and carefully set the cylinders down before turning his attention back to the man in the seat. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to let him through, but something had alerted the man inside. The stranger rose from the chair and attacked The Question, but he stopped short when he realized his adversary had no face. The distraction was long enough. The Question sprang forward, his knife appearing in his hand. His right hand directed the knife into the man’s abdomen, plunging deeply into his intestines but missing any vital organs. His left hand clamped over the man’s mouth and drove him hard, backwards into the monitors.

“We’re going to go find the Huntress and her friend, and you’re going to tell me everything you know about the location of the children. It would be in your best interests to make this as quick as possible. Septic shock will kill you in a few hours, depending on various things, if you don’t bleed out by then.”

“You’re just another freak show,” the man growled through gritted teeth after The Question had removed the gloved hand covering his mouth. “I’m not helping you do sh –“

The Question twisted the knife in his abdomen, cutting off anything he might have and sending in fresh, new waves of agony.

“What you’re not going to do is get in my way or slow me down. If that means you die here, so be it. So, now you have a choice to make: live or die.”

The man croaked out that he wanted to live. With that, The Question pulled the knife out of his abdomen and struck him on the side of the head with the butt of the handle. He let the dazed man fall back into the chair and then brought the oxygen and acetylene into the room, opened the tanks, and rigged a flare to the door. He dragged the man into the hallway and carefully closed the door and dogged it down. If someone decided to enter the room again, there was a very good possibility of the explosion taking out several compartments and starting a toasty fire on the ship.

He pulled the man to his feet again and twisted an arm behind his back. Then, he forced the man to march in front of him, leading him to the Huntress. Several minutes and a pint or so of blood later, they came upon a compartment door that was open. He could hear footsteps on the other side and peeked through the door. He smiled at seeing the purple cape and raven hair. The gentleman with her looked like the same man he’d seen on the cameras before, so he assumed he was not an immediate threat. Even so, he kept his guide as a personal body shield as he entered the room.

“Hi there. I'm The Question. I’m not from the government and I am here to help, and so is this guy. If you have a bandaid for him, it might be a good idea. But don’t trust him, and don’t let him get away. He's the conniving little bastard that said there were children in danger. He has come to understand that his survival depends on the survival of the children."