Chapter One- The Iron Soldier (Part I)

Location: Gotham, abandon factory

Time: May 30th, 12:23 AM

The factory was dark and still. It was normally quiet, but tonight the silence is broken by laughter. Batman, lurking in the shadows and just arriving to see the event, was a little confused and yet slightly amused.

The Riddler was tied up and hanging upside down over a large boiling pot of chemicals. The Joker was standing on a metal walkway above him holding a remote.
Joker: (Annoyance and laughter in his voice) "What?! Suddenly out of riddles dear Riddler?"
Riddler: (Face going from fearful to delighted) "No... I've got one. What can see without eyes... and move about a room without touching the floor?"

The Joker pauses and taps his chin as he thinks to himself.
Joker: "...Sees without eye... move about a room without touching the floor... hmmm... a pelican...no... polar bear... no... octopus... no..."

Batman steps out of the shadows behind the Joker.
Batman: "Need a hint Joker?"

The Joker jumps from the surprise and turns to see the dark knight. "OH! I get it! A bat!"

Batman: "Couldn't play nice?"
Joker: "I was going to make this my secret hideout. Then he had to show up and ruin it!"
Riddler: "Not so secretive after all huh?"
Joker: "Shut up you! In fact, shut up for good!"

The Joker slams his finger down on a button on the remote and the Riddler slowly starts lowering toward the pot. Batman quickly pushes Joker out of the way and jumps off the walkway. in midair, he takes out a batarang and lands on the Riddler. Both Riddler and Batman swing past the pot and Batman cuts the rope. Batman shoots a grappling hook up at the ceiling as Riddler hits the ground with a hard thud. Batman rises upward and lets go in time to land back next to Joker on the pathway.

Joker: "Why batsy, I'm starting to think you have an infatuation with me! Honestly do have a life outside that costume of yours? How'd you even find me?!"

A small ball of light appeared twenty feet behind Joker. It made a low humming noise that got both of their attention. As they both looked toward it, beams of light randomly came out and disappeared. the ball of light slowly grew larger and the humming got louder. Then it instantaneously grew, filling the room in a blinding flash. The light faded and the humming was gone. In the spot where the ball of light had appeared, now stood a large droid. It was roughly twenty feet tall. Its torso looked like half the top of a sphere with a smaller half a sphere underneath. The legs connected on the sides where the bottom half was smaller. They were rounded and the feet were like thick upside down dinner plates. The arms where like the feet except with two thick fingers, like a lobster. The head was simply a thick disk, seven inches thick with a five inch red lens for an eye. The head rotated on a soda can like neck. The entire droid was a whitish silver.

Batman's eyes quickly looked at the robot's chest. There was writing that said 'HC-MII'.