A low rumbling noise echoed along the tunnel.
At first, Batman dismissed it as a subway train on the downtown line. But the noise grew louder and
closer, and Batman was puzzled to realize it was coming from underground—almost directly beneath
his feet. Suddenly the sewer floor began to shake and quiver, as if the earth below were buckling.
Another earthquake? Batman wondered. It can't be. We lined the whole city with seismic detectors
after the last one.
Batman grabbed Ratcatcher by his cuffed hands and dragged him hurriedly aside, throwing them both
against the sewer wall. Just in time...
The ledge was vibrating violently, and small sparks of blue light seemed to seep up through the cracks
between the bricks. Then, with a deafening roar, a patch of floor the size of a manhole cover erupted
as a solid column of blue light burst up from below.
"Look out!" Batman yelled a warning to his prisoner as the column of energy powered its way up and
smashed through the ceiling a couple of yards above them. Debris rained down, and Batman did his
best to shield them both.