Train together, Bleed together
"All you've got McGinnis?" I taunt, deftly blocking a karate round kick toward my face. McGinnis' style might be antiquated, but he was experienced.
"More where that came from, Queen!" He returns, tossing a few quick punches my way. I duck them all, throwing a powerful thai low round at his lower leg, clashing our shins together.
"Damn!" McGinnis backs up, his leg clearly hurt. I lunge, landing a solid elbow on his chin, knocking him down. A thin stream of blood exits his mouth as he hits the floor. I immediately feel bad that I hit him so hard…
"My bad, Terry." I offer a hand. "Don't know what got into me." I offer an easy smile, to try and lighten the mood.
"It's fine." He says, though he stands unassisted.
"You're both improving." Wayne says from his spot at the computer. The cave had been loud with the sounds of our brawling all week. We had been patrolling, but only taken on petty criminals since my arrival. Bruce had outfitted me with a new suit, bow and arrows. The suit amplified my strength, speed, and durability. The bow and arrows were adapted for different enemies. Heat, cold, sonic, and good old broadheads.
"I have a mission for you two." Wayne said, eyes still on his screen.
"What is it, Bruce?" I ask, strolling forward to a few feet from him.
"It's the Jokers." He states. "They've gotten ahold of an improved version of the venom compound."
"So we have roided out Jokers on the loose?" Terry asks, sounding worried.
"We're on it, Bruce." I say calmly, grabbing my bow, and sling my quiver over my shoulders. Finally, a fight, I think.
The ride in the Batmobile to our destination was fairly normal. But the tension wasn't. We had never faced superpowered foes together. We had to be ready.
We land and get out a block from our mission objective, on a rooftop. We look at one another, and beg to run to our destination, using grappling arrows and jet boots as necessary. In a matter of minutes, we see them.
Jokers. Huge ones. The veins in their overdeveloped muscles are popping out dangerously, and they look so huge it's unnatural. We had to be cautious.
I move first, drawing a grappling arrow, firing it at the building behind the Jokers, so I can swing down on them. Then I look at Terry. He nods.
I leap. I use the force of my swing to kick one of the four Jokers to the ground, causing him to hit his head and be out of the fight immediately. Terry swoops in, engaging one of the others. I take on another, fending him off with my bow, and my powerful thai kicks. I feel a bone in his leg snap as my shin connects, and another fracture in his face from a strike with my bow. As he staggers back, I draw an incendiary arrow. I pull back and fire in a split second, my arrow slamming into the Joker's massive chest, setting it ablaze. He sprints a few meters, then falls, enveloped in a skin crisping flame.
I look over at Terry. One of the juiced up thugs is holding him from behind, while the other bashes his stomach in. Terry hacks up some blood.
I draw a freeze arrow, aiming at the one doing the pounding. I release, leaving him a clownsicle with a touch of roidrage. The other, I simply take in the knee with a simple broadhead. I rush to Terry's side as he collapses, catching him.
"You're in bad shape." I inform him. "We won't get to Wayne in time to treat you, so where do we go?" I ask, urgency dominating my tone.
"Max's…" He gasps, gurgling around the blood in his mouth. "Directions… In Batmobile." He chokes.
I carry him fireman style to the Batmobile, securing him inside. Then, I access the navigation system, punching in 'Max's.'
And the auto pilot kicks on. We're there in no more than five minutes.
I carry him to the front door, knocking loudly. Then again. And again.
Finally, a pink haired girl with gorgeous mocha skin and green eyes answers the door. The next words out of her mouth surprise me.
"You're a lot cuter than most of Terry's friends." She says, a small smile on her face.
"He needs help." I tell her. "Now!" I snap, losing my composure.
"Bring him in." She commands.
I carry him in, laying him on the coffee table as she instructed. Then, I watch. She performed first aid on him until the next morning, when she informed me he was stable. Then came the interesting part; explaining who I am.
"I'm Gabriel Queen." I hold my hand out to shake, probably looking quite odd in my green Robin Hoodesque costume. She takes it firmly, shaking it.
"Maxine." She says with another small smile. "He's going to be fine, by the way." She says, sensing my concern.
"Good, good." I say, awkwardly at best. "So… Um…"
"You're not good at this are you?" Maxine asks with a smirk.
I laugh. "You got me." I concede. "Terry's the first friend I've had, honestly."
"Well, now you've got one more." She says matter of faculty. "Maxine Gibson, at your service." She introduces again, this time with a small curtsy.
We spend the rest of the morning talking about everything and nothing, waiting for Terry to wake up. Once he does, we return to the cave, ready to rest awhile. I have the feeling I'll be seeing a lot of Max. And oddly enough, I'm excited.
