++++++ I think I may be back in the game ++++++

Two

I helped myself to a glass of scotch and sat down on the couch beside Dick to get a better look at Clark Kent aka Superman. He was tall and built like a brick shit house - definitely fit in here with the broody boys club. They should get t-shirts.

I giggled to myself and took a sip.

Clark raised an eyebrow.

"She spent five years on an island in the middle of nowhere," Dick told him, "ignore her. She's crazy."

Clark sat down across from Dick and myself as Bruce hovered over the three of us. "Tell me a little about yourself, Miss Quinn."

"You first," I shot back. I sat forward a little, "tell you what, I'll answer one of your questions and you can answer one of mine. Than we can get this little job interview underway. Deal?"

He hesitated than nodded. "Where are you from?"

"Starling City born and raised till I was sixteen," I replied. "Till I got shipwrecked on an island run by criminals. You?"

"Smallville," Clark replied.

I snorted into my glass. "Try again, Sup's. Where are you from? I take out bad guys for a living so I need to know whether or not they are in fact bad guys. I know when someone is lying. My psychotic mentor taught me that. So, try again, where are you from?"

Clark looked at Bruce.

He nodded.

Clark cleared his throat. "Can I trust you?"

I shrugged. "Probably not. At the moment I don't know you and you don't know me so neither of us can trust each other. Can we?" I sat my glass on the coffee table.

He paused. "I was raised in Smallville, but-I was born on the planet Krypton."

My jaw dropped. "Excuse me? Did you just say planet? As in you're an alien? From space? Do you travel in a blue telephone box?"

Now Clark just looked confused.

"Doctor Who?" I asked him. Seeing the look on his face I shook my head. "God-none geeks, man. I tell you. So you're an alien from the planet Krypton who grew up in a farming community?" I had to admit, I was certainly sceptical about the whole thing. I just though Superman was this crazy guy with special government powers, never though he was an alien. I don't know how I feel about that.

Clark nodded.

"Prove it," I ordered. I sat back and crossed my arms in a 'that's final' gesture.

"Not in my house," Bruce cut in.

He continued to tell me about himself and I answered any questions he had, including the fact that unlike the three heroes in the room, I was a killer. We continued to trade banter when Alfred came into the study.

"Master Bruce," Alfred cut in, opening the curtains. "You've been requested."

I rolled my eyes. "I'll man the cave like a mushroom." I stood up and took the stairs to Bat Cave, I hated taking the elevator. It took a little longer, so by the time I got there, Bruce was working over the computer. "What's going on?" I asked.

"Arkham," Dick replied. "Joker broke in, he's letting prisoners out. The place is a mess."

I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Why doesn't someone just put a bullet in his head and be done with it?"

Bruce ignored me. "Did you bring your suit?" he asked Clark.

"Want some help?" he answered.

"Well the three of us can't handle this," Bruce replied. "River's knee is strong enough to take being out on the field again but we still don't have enough muscle."

"Think of this as an exercise in teamwork," Dick joked.

"Wait a minute," I called out. "So I can come?" I asked. "I'm not a mushroom anymore?"

Bruce nodded. "You can come. Just be aware of your limits, River. And also be aware that if the press gets images of you, your friends will know where you are."

I shrugged. "I don't care-I get to fight!" I ambushed him with a hug and rushed off to the case that held my suit. I felt a certain aspect of pride in the fact that my suit sat there beside Batman's, Nightwing's, Robin's and the former Batgirl.

"She's happy?" Clark frowned, confused.

Dick shrugged. "That's my girl."

"In your dreams!" I shot back. "Better suit up or I'll leave you behind!"

And I was very serious about that.

Why does it always rain around Arkham Asylum?

It's like the weather gods keep it in a permanent state of dismal and dull just enough to drive the inmates more insane than what they are. Personally I love the feel of the rain against my skin.

"You look happy," Nightwing noted as we sat on the walls overlooking the asylum.

"I love the rain," I replied. "Don't get to do this very often."

"Can the small talk," Batman ordered. "Shade, you're with me. Nightwing, you're with Superman. Shade and I will go after the Joker and Harley, you two get the rest of the prisoners."

"Oh joy," Nightwing retorted. "Just what I always wanted. Thanks Bats."

I followed Batman, jumping over the wall and landing in a roll before launching to my feet. I could practically feel the adrenaline flowing through me. It was like I was fighting in the streets of Starling City. I was in the urban jungle again. The first inmate that came running my way, I ducked underneath him and thrust upwards, breaking his nose. I slammed his head against the wall and continued on following the Bat.

Drawing my boe-staff off my back, I twisted it in two and carved my own path through the inmate's side-by-side with Batman. My knee was a little twitchy and achy from the cold but otherwise I was handling this as well as I could.

Batman knocked an inmate aside and finally we could see a giant, overgrown crocodile wearing people clothing guarding a door. "Joker's in there," he growled. "As long as he gets something to eat, Killer Crock will act as Joker's guard dog."

I gulped. "Well fuck me sideways with a rake," I muttered, "see what happens when you throw crocodiles down the sewer?"

"You'll be fine," he assured me. "Just watch out for the tail."

"Aim for the eyes," I replied. "Weak spot. Not the first killer animal I've ever faced. But this is certainly the first one that walks like people."

"He is a person," Batman answered me back as the two of us eyed the crocodile. "His name is Waylon Jones, he was born with a medical condition called Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis. It causes his appearance to take on that of a crocodile."

Gazuntite, I thought to myself.

Batman removed a small pellet looking thing from his utility and threw it at Killer Croc's feet. When it hit the ground, it exploded in a cloud of purple mist. Seconds later, Croc hit the ground and was soon snoring.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Night, night." I stepped over his body, trailing after the Bat. The moment he opened the door, a sickening laugh met my ears.

HA HA HA HA HA HA

"It's always clowns," I muttered to myself. Sitting on some kind of makeshift throne made from boxes and the bodies of Arkham staff sat the Joker. A deranged clown with the white bleached skin, bright green hair and a sickening red smile made from blood painted his face.

Adorning his arm was a woman wearing a red and black jester's costume. She was holding a huge red and yellow sledge hammer.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the bat," Joker sneered. "I love it when old batsy makes a house call! Don't we, Harley?"

"Sure thing Mr J," she grinned. "Batsy has a girlfriend! She ain't dressed like a bat. What gives?"

"You can't play!" Joker yelled at me. "Bats and birds only! Go away." He aimed a guard's gun and me but I threw a throwing knife at him, hitting him in the hand. Joker gripped his hand and howled in pain.

"You hurt Mr J!" Harley screamed. She lifted her hammer and charged me. The jester didn't even bat an eyelid at Batman as she rushed passed her and straight at the Joker. "Im gonna kill ya!"

I dodged her hammer and smacked her in the face with my baton, the other half hitting her in the chest.

She screamed and dropped the hammer. I kicked it away and then kicked her in the chest for good measure.

"You're a disappointment to your mother!" Joker hissed at Harley as he dodged Batman. "Later Harley!" He grabbed a bar above his head and lifted himself right up through a grate I didn't even notice.

"Mr J!" Harley yelled as I tied her hands behind her back.

"Not going after him?" I asked.

Batman looked down at Harley. "He'll be back soon enough. I'm sure Nightwing and Superman need some help. Find Harley a cell and toss her in there."

I the short time I'd spent in Wayne Manor, I had learnt that it was useless to argue with Bruce Wayne. I hauled Harley to her feet and started the search for a cell. It was going to be a long, weird ass night.

++++++ I shall be doing a poll for Charlie Allen's hero name ++++++