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chapter six

A Surprise Guest

In the empty workroom, Sergeant Gordon was talking on the phone.

‘Someone has put a dangerous drug into the city’s water,’ Gordon said.

‘Well, we test the water every day,’ answered the man from the Water Office, ‘and today’s results seem fine.’

‘Perhaps it’s safe to drink but dangerous to smell,’ said Gordon.

‘That’s possible,’ said the water man.

When he finished his phone call, Gordon saw the large ship’s box.

‘What’s that?’ he asked. ‘Let’s open it.’ They got the top off and found a machine.

‘It’s bigger than a car,’ said an officer. ‘What does it say on it?’

‘WAYNE ENTERPRISES 47B1-ME,’ Gordon read.

‘What does it do?’ asked an officer.

‘I’ve no idea,’ answered Gordon. ‘But no one must go near it. OK?’

Bruce left the cave and went up into the house. Everyone was having a great time at his birthday party. When he appeared, they all sang ‘Happy Birthday to you!’

Bruce walked around saying hello to his guests. Finally he found the person he wanted. Lucius Fox.

‘That machine-‘ he said quietly, ‘Have you found out anything?’

‘Yes, I have. It can change water into steam,’ Fox said.

Bruce thought for a moment. ‘So you could put a dangerous drug in the water,’ he said. ‘And then you could change the water into steam and kill everyone in the city. Could you?’

‘Yes, you could,’ said Fox.

‘Oh no!’ Bruce went quietly across the room towards the door. He had to leave as soon as possible.

But on the way, a woman took his arm. It was Mrs Delane, an old friend of his father.

‘Bruce!’ she said. ‘I want you to meet someone.’

‘I’m sorry. I can’t stop now, Mrs Delane,’ said Bruce. ‘I have to.’

But then he looked at the man with Mrs Delane. The man wore a blue flower in his jacket.

‘This is Mr al Ghul, Bruce,’ said Mrs Delane.

‘You’re not Ra’s al Ghul,’ Bruce said to the man.

‘No, you’re right, Bruce,’ said a voice behind him.

He turned around. It was Ducard.

‘He isn’t Ra’s al Ghul,’ said ‘Ducard’. ‘I am. I’m not Ducard. I never was. And you, Bruce, were my best student until you escaped.’

Bruce looked around the room and saw that he didn’t know some of the people there. They weren’t his friends. They were Ninjas!

His guests were in danger. They had to get out fast. What could he do? He took a glass and shouted, ‘Let’s drink to my birthday! Let’s drink to all my guests! You don’t like me, do you? You’re here because you like my money. You just want some free food and drink!’

The guests were very upset and angry. They left the house at once. They got in their cars and drove away.

Ra’s al Ghul laughed. ‘They will die very soon anyway,’ he said.

‘So was Crane working for you?’ asked Bruce.

‘Yes, he was,’ said Ra’s al Ghul. ‘But he was only interested in money. I want much more than that. When Gotham dies, people everywhere will be frightened. There will be fighting and killing all over the world.

Man will disappear. No more people. The world will be wonderful again. I saved you, Bruce, but you fought me.

You set fire to my home. Since then your activities have made trouble for us. Now we’re going to make trouble for you.’

Ra’s al Ghul shouted an order to his men, ‘Go ahead!’

The Ninjas started to set fire to the furniture.

Some kilometres away at Arkham Asylum, four police officers were standing around the machine.

‘What did Gordon say? “No one must go near it,”’ one of them said. ‘Except us, of course.’ They all laughed. Another one looked at his watch. ‘It’s time,’ he said.

They turned on the machine and then put explosives along the wall.

They weren’t following Sergeant Gordon’s orders.

At the same time, high above the city, a train driver looked at his watch.

‘The train stops here,’ he said. ‘Everyone out!’

The passengers got out. The same thing was happening on buses and trains all over the city. Everything in Gotham stopped.

Sergeant Gordon was standing outside Arkham Asylum.

Rachel ran towards him. She gave him the two small bottles. ‘These are from Batman.’

FOOOOM!

Before he could answer, there was a big explosion. Gordon ran towards the room with the machine.

There was no wall. Four police officers were pushing the machine outside. One of them pushed something on the machine. It started to make a strange sound.

FOOOOM!

There was a second explosion.

FOOOOM!

Then another.

FOOOOM!

Then another.

There was steam everywhere. A small cloud of steam moved towards Gordon. The smell reached him. His nose and mouth were on fire.

At the Water Office, the workers were looking at a map of Gotham City. There were small lights all over the map. All the lights were green. Except one. The light at Arkham Asylum was red.

Wayne Manor was on fire.

‘Have you come to kill me?’ Bruce asked Ra’s.

‘No,’ said Ra’s. ‘I’ve come to ask you a question. Will you join us?’

‘Never!’ said Bruce. ‘I don’t want to be part of this.’

‘Then fight me,’ said Ra’s, ‘and die with Gotham.’

He took out a sword.

They fought and fought until finally Bruce stood over Ra’s with his sword above Ra’s head.

‘You taught me very well, Ra’s,’ he said.

‘Yes, I did,’ said Ra’s, ‘but you always forget to look very carefully at the things around you.’

CRRRAAACCCK!

Bruce looked up. The roof was on fire. Part of it was falling towards him.

BANG!

It hit him and he fell to the floor.

‘Goodbye, my friend,’ said Ra’s. He ran out of the building. A car was waiting for him.