Chapter 13 - Again

When the elevator door started close, Ethan spotted Wonder Woman dashing towards him in a dress.

It was certainly a sight to see, but as he was thinking, Tydris started talking to him.

("As I thought....") Tydris growled.

'What?'

("That woman there...I can sense something from her that I greatly despise...")

'Gods?-'

*Creeeek* Diana had grabbed hold of the elevator door just in time and used her brute strength to keep it from going up.

"Y-"

*Bam * Ethan gave no time for Diana to speak and kicked her in the stomach so hard that she went flying back several meters through the air.

*SPLASH* She then crashed into the icy water used by the animals in the lounge.

("That's...out of character for you. ")

'She'll just be in the way. I don't have time to deal with her.' Ethan scoffed as the elevator started to ascend after the door closed.

At first, Tydris was angry that someone such as her was around him, but when his successor kicked the woman he couldn't help but smile.

(" Now, you're acting like a true dragon!")

'I'm only doing this because I'm pressed for time.'

("Don't lie to me boy! I notice that grin on your face. You're enjoying this situation! Haha!")

*Ding* The elevator was a short ride, and before standing at the exit were several guards with guns pointed straight at Ethan.

"Stop right there-"

*BOOM* An explosion goes off just several feet away from his position, shaking the building resulting in everyone not involved to scream and scatter from the place.

>>>>>Several Minutes Earlier<<<<

"What's happening with her Myra?" Pamela asked, shaking the blonde's shoulders

"She's fighting-"

*BOOM* An explosion goes off on the top floor and everyone started to dash out of the exit screaming.

However, one person was coming back in with a completely different outfit that came with a utility belt.

"Poison Ivy!" Batman said, spotting the redhead with another woman by her side that looked strangely similar to the villainess.

"Sister?"

"None of your business!" Pamela, shouted as her skin shifted to green as she tossed seeds onto the ground that instantly grew, digging their roots past the concrete floor before becoming vines that shot towards Batman.

Batman immediately dodged, blocking out the unimportant thoughts as the only thing that mattered was that there was a villain here and Diana was...

*Sploosh!!* A giant stream of water emerged from the pool and the cause of it was an angry Diana as she leaped back onto the solid floor.

"That bastard!" Diana shouted, ripping the bottom half of her wet dress off, revealing her legs and a lasso that was strapped to her hip.

Before she'd look for the culprit that kicked her she would spot Bruce battling with Poison Ivy.

In her mind, she believed that Batman could handle her, but then she sensed that the energy that brought here was all over the villainess and the woman standing beside her.

"Three sources?..."

*BOOM* Another explosion goes off, but it felt like it came from underground this time just as several men were thrown off the top floor.

The hero wondered if she should stay and help, but then she made the split decision to go after the person that kicked her.

'Batman can handle himself...I'm gonna make him pay for making me ruin this dress!' She scowled, leaping towards the top floor to see the man that kicked her knock out another one of the armed guards.

"Stay right there!" She commanded, grabbing her lasso that immediately glowed with a golden light. Diana intended to capture him with it.

'Why was she chasing me initially?' He wondered.

("She probably sensed your power when you cultivated to the 2nd stage. Gods are sensitive to things like that.")

'Wait so I just announced to the gods that I'm here?'

("Essentially yes. But I suppose it's partially my fault. I didn't expect that plant lady to come to you while you were training.")

'Is there a way to..you know turn it off?' He replied, dodging the golden lasso after it came close to capturing him.

("Yes, there is but...it's best you handle this first before doing so. Peh...You're acting more like a Shadow Dragon instead of a Golden Dragon...sneaky bastards")

'I'm going to need a history lesson after this.'

"Come quietly and I promise I won't hurt you...much," Diana said, cracking her lasso.

"That's tempting, but I got things I want to do first. So, let's just wrap this up!" Ethan roared, dashing towards the hero at speeds that immediately caught her off guard.

*BAM!* Ethan punches her in the stomach once again, but instead of connecting the hero was prepared and blocked it with arms, causing a small tremor.

"You're strong...but you're no warrior!" Diana said, crashing her head into his, forcing him back quite a bit.

"You're predictable!" She roared, leaping towards him and punching him in the face with enough force to send an average human's head flying off their bodies.

She thought she used enough strength to send him flying, but Ethan kept his feet firmly planted into the floor which caused it to crack underneath him

"That hurts..." He chuckled as he rubbed his reddened cheek where he was punched.

'Wonder Woman is one of the strongest heroes the DC universe has to offer...I wonder how I stack up against her.' Ethan thought as something within him started to churn as his blood began to boil.

Somehow he'd forgotten about retrieving Harley and escaping.

'I want to fight.' He thought as his eyes flashed with a red light.

>>>>15 minutes Earlier<<<<<

"I'm only here to tell you something," Harley said.

"Ah, some juicy intel? I'm all ears sweety." Penguin said, rubbing his hands together.

"But...I want to have payment first."

"Huh? Playing hardball with me? What makes you think what you have to say is worth it to me?"

"Well, I know who destroyed Joker's hideout."

Penguin's eyes widen from shock, "Joker's hideout? You know the person who decided to mess with that psychopath?"

"Yeah, I was there of course. I also heard he was coming here next. He seems to have a personal vendetta against villains, he even steals from them." Harley said.

"Wah...Hmm..." Penguin stroked his chin in thought.

"You got yourself a deal. If you tell me who this person is then I'll gladly pay you." He replied, snapping his fingers as four burly men dressed in suits and armed with guns walked into the room.

Three of them were familiar as they were the ones that tried to take Alisa several days ago.

"Y-yes uncle?" The one with a bald head asked. He was the one that pissed himself looking into Ethan's eyes that day. After he was taken to jail, he was quickly bailed out.

One would be excited to be free, but ever since that run-in with Ethan, he's never been the same since.

"We're headed down," Penguin said, hopping out of his chair to walk to the middle of the room. He then tapped the floor with the tip of his umbrella which resulted in the floor separating into sections, revealing a secret staircase that leads down.

"Let's go...I keep all my valuables locked in the vault. Wouldn't want someone to steal them." Penguin laughed as he walked down.

"No...wouldn't want that," Harley muttered underneath her breath as she followed him down along with the armed burly men.

The trip downward through the building wasn't long, but the temperature seemed to drop as they descended.

"Haven't you heard of heat before?" Harley said, rubbing her arms for warmth.

"It's only a little cold. Besides I have to keep the ice in the pool from melting to fast somehow."

"How did you even get that giant block of ice in here in the first place," Harley asked.

"Hahaha, you can do a lot when you have money and connections like I have. You should join me. I'm sure the girls would be charmed to have you." He laughed.

"No thanks. I'm done wearing tights." The villainess frowned, looking away.

"Suit yourself...we're here," Penguin said as they arrived at a giant metal vault that was partially covered with ice.

"Turn around."

"Why? You aren't going to stab me in the back are ya?" Harley snapped.

"Wooah where is this aggression coming from? I just don't want you to see my passcode." Penguin replied, putting his hands up.

"Fine.." She said, turning her back just as Penguin started to put in his passcode.

*Beep Beep Beep* The process took several seconds, and after the initial click, a burly man quickly put on gloves and grabbed hold of the hatch before started to pull on it with his strength, letting the air out.

Harley then turned back around to see the contents.

Inside of the vault was organized and neat shelves of money with a variety of jewels and expensive jewelry. In the middle of the vault laid a metal table and a chair which was probably where Penguin sat and counted his money.

One would say that the villain was one of the only sane bad guys of Gotham, but yet he sits to count money in a winter weather environment.

"Wah...I think your intel is worth...maybe 50,000 or 100,000.." He said walking into the vault as he gave a slight nod.

*Click Click* The armed burly man took the safety off of their guns and pointed it at Harley which immediately made her grimace.

"What's the big idea? Don't you want the information?" She asked.

"Oh, I do...trust me I do. But why would I pay some snot-nosed girl when I can just force it out of ya." Penguin said.

"Then why did you drag me down here?" Harley said, putting her hands up in the air.

"I don't want blood on my expensive carpet...Now talk!"

"Fine! You wanna know who took down Joker's Hideout. It was ME!" The villainess shouted, instantly bending her knees faster then the men could react and dash towards Penguin.

"What?!" The villain barely had time to blink before he was struggling with the blonde who tried to take his umbrella away

During their struggle, he'd accidentally pressed the button for his rocket launcher, firing it towards his men who ducked out the way, causing it to travel up the staircase.

*BOOM* The fiery explosion engulfed the staircase in a cloud of smoke.

"Why you little tramp! Let go!" Penguin screamed.

"Ladies first!"

*Bam* Harley sent a powerful kick to the villains gut, forcing him to let go of the umbrella.

"Nice toy!" She said firing off another rocket towards the men that got up to aim their guns at her.

*BOOM* Another fiery explosion that incapacitated two off the men who were out in front while Penguin's nephew and another man got away with several burns and bruises as they ducked away several seconds before.

"Alright fat man!" Harley said, pointing the umbrella at him. "Get a bag and start loading money in. Or I'm going to start playing duck hunt!"

>>>>>Present<<<<

"Grrrr...you bitch!" Penguin said, grabbing a sack from the shelves and started to shove money in it.

'It seems like I don't need a man or a best friend! I can do all of this myself! They'll see-' Harley became a bit lost in her thoughts until...

*BOOM* A loud sound followed by the floor above them caving in, sending dust and debris all over the secret room.

If the two men outside weren't dead yet then they probably were now.

"What the hell?!" Harley glanced outside of the vault once the dust cleared.

And there, getting up from the rubble was an injured woman who still had a lot of fight left in her as the woman quickly got back up as if nothing happened.

The black-haired woman then crossed her arms to block an attack from a man in a ripped white tuxedo.

*BOOM* The collision caused a tremor that shook the entire building.

"I was right and wrong about you. You are no warrior...but you are a beast. I wanted to talk peacefully with you, but I have no qualms putting you into a hospital first!" The woman shouted.

"I rather not go...I heard hospitals are expensive and I don't have money-" The man said before spotting someone familiar.

"Harley?"

Hearing the man's voice made the villainess think of someone else, but obviously, he didn't look like them.

As the villainess was distracted, Penguin made his move and grabbed a machine gun that he also placed in the vault.

"Say goodnight girlie!" Penguin laughed, pulling the trigger to litter the villainess with holes. He had no idea who were the other two people, but for now.

No one double-crosses his double cross!

*Swoosh* There was a brief sound of wind before Penguin pulled the trigger to the gun

But instead of hearing screams, he was instead hearing an audible thud noise before the bullets fell harmlessly to the ground.

*DingDingDingDing*

"What?!" The Penguin was shocked.

"I forgot. I came to get you." Ethan nonchalantly said his tuxedo was riddled with holes.

There was a sudden look of happiness on Harley's face, but then it was quickly replaced by one of anger.

"Screw you!!"