Chapter 10: Team Only
Gotham
Year 2010
August 26th
Jason is 11
Cass is 9
Tim is 8
Robin is 13
Batgirl is 14
Batman is 30
Bruce had been called to work earlier than usual that morning. A unidentified package had arrived for him. The kids, having nothing to do, had all insisted on being brought along. Bruce had arrived at work with Dick, Cass, Jason, Tim and Barbara in tow. The latter had been at their house already for breakfast.
They stood at his side in are of the towering metal cylinder as Lucius stood by it with security guards. Lucius looked at Bruce amused. "The whole gang, huh?"
"We were bored," Jason said. "What's in the thing?"
"Not sure. This arrived addressed to Bruce this morning. No return address."
Dick and Barbara exchanged glances but the younger three didn't notice. Bruce stroked his chin and looked at Lucius. "Has it been scanned?"
"Of course. But it appears to be… mud. Nothing toxic, explosive or radioactive. Just mud…. Or perhaps clay."
Then the jar started to shake. Cass pulled Tim back and Barbara rolled out of the way to protect them as it exploded. Bruce had his arms on Jason and Dick's shoulders blocking the thing as a giant monster creature of clay exploded from the jar. Bruce nodded at the kids as a giant stream of clay exploded from both the things arms sticking the guards to the wall.
Inside the building in the secret bunker under they all got into their costumes. Batman turned to the kids. "Don't be seen but wait around the building."
"What? Why can't we fight?" Red Hood whined.
"You can," Batman said. "But you can't be seen."
Back in the lobby Lucius was backing away as the creature advanced on him. He looked around. "Bruce we need to get you and the children out of here! Bruce?"
There was no answer. But Batman and Robin came flying down only to be met by clay and smashed into the floor. They were outside now and the thing was advancing on cars groaning. Robin thought he was asking what had happened to him. It's arm turned hard into a hammer as he pounded down on the front of the car. Batman was still down. Robin flipped onto the front of the car. "Hey!"
The thing tried to whack him but he was ready this time. He flipped out of the way taking off into a run. "You want me come and get me."
The thing roared.
Robin pressed his comm. "I'm coming into the alley between the building. I'm about the corner behind it."
"Good, cause I'm ready," Red Hood answered.
"We are," Batgirl corrected.
"Just be careful to stay out of it's arms ways. You'll get stuck. It's made of clay." He looked back to see it right behind him. Shooting his grappling hood he swung into the next corner. The thing turned too, roaring harder. Robin was backed against the wall. Then on the other side of the creature appeared Red Hood, Black Bat, Red Robin, and Batgirl.
Red Hood's lenses widened along with Red Robin's but Black Bat's narrowed. Robin knew she was looking for weak points but this wasn't like most of the things she had faced. It wasn't like a human. He slid under the things legs as it tried to reach for him. Now they had it cornered. "Batman, we have it surrounded with no way to go. What do we do?"
Batman appeared behind them. With one look Robin knew what to do. Soon the others had followed and all of them were dodging the things arms as they held the tasers in their utility belts. Red Hood and Red Robin were caught by one of the arms and stuck to the walls.
"C'mon!" Red Hood cried out. "I guess it's just too scared to face me the fair way."
"Stop," Red Robin yelled at him as he managed to wiggle out of the clay. He cut Red Hood out too. "Let's go help. Ready?"
Red Hood spat out some mud. "So ready."
Meanwhile Batgirl and Black Bat were working together. Black Bat was confused that she couldn't see it's weak points but Batgirl said something and she nodded. Both pulled out a wire running along the sides of the creature with a little help from the walls. The wire ran through the things legs and it screamed as it fell off them. But a minute later it was reformed.
"Uh oh," Batgirl said.
"Now," Batman ordered. With Red Robin, Red Hood and Robin at his sides and Black Bat on the other side he pulled out the tasers. They all shot at the monster which roared flailing. Black Bat and Batgirl scrambled onto the roof to get out the way from it's arms. Robin frowned. "Really though he'd be a little less sheveled at this point."
"Now isn't the time for new words bird brain!" Red Hood yelled. The clay thing roared coming forward and punching the ground in front of him. Distracted Red Hood was stuck in the clay, so was Red Robin who had tried to jump but wasn't able to jump high enough yet.
Robin and Batman flew over the things back where two more streams of clay erupted. Both were hit against the wall as the thing started to yell again. "Howww? Howww did thisssss haaapppen?"
It melted into the sewer and Black Bat and Batgirl jumped down in front of Batman and Robin. Batgirl helped Robin up and Black Bat looked at Batman curiously. He gave her a grunt and a nod assuring her he was fine. Red Hood looked at the rest of them. "What the hell was that thing?"
"Language," Batman chided.
"I don't know," Batgirl said. "But I got a sample."
Batman took the vial from her and put it in his utility belt. The other kids gathered some of the clay from around them too. Extra samples never hurt. Then Batman opened the entrance back to the bunker. "We're going back to the cave."
"What? Why?"
"We can help," Red Robin agreed.
Black Bat nodded.
"You'll help by cleaning yourselves up and getting help from Agent A," Batman told them as he led them into the bunker and the Batmobile. "Once we drop you off Robin and I are leaving."
"Why does Robin get to go then?"
"Because I'm dropping him off to rendezvous with the team."
"Where?" Robin asked as he started the Batmobile's systems. "We don't know where that thing is."
"The sewers," Red Hood said dryly.
Robin gave him a look over the back of his seat in the front telling him to shut up.
"I actually think I know where it is," Red Robin said meekly from where he was in between Batgirl, Black Bat and Red Hood. "I put a tracker in his clay. If he doesn't shed it or something you might be able to find him. The signal might be a little messed up underground too."
"Good job Baby bird," Robin smiled at him.
"I still don't get why we're not doing this and the team is," Red Hood said. "No metas in Gotham, remember?"
"Because I need to go back to work after I drop off Robin," Batman replied. "And I refuse to let you fight that without me."
"We'll do what we can from the cave then," Batgirl sighed. "Tim, want to help me analyze the samples? After we clean up of course."
Tim brightened immediately. Batman nodded his thanks and turned to Jason as he pulled into the Batcave. "No sneaking out to help. I want you to work with Cass on her learning. Maybe then she can help you with training."
Jason unbuckled with a grimace as he pulled off his mask. He stomped out slamming the door behind him. Cass and Tim got out of the other side. Then Barbara looked at Robin and Batman. "I'll let you know when we know something."
They watched her disappear towards the caves showers and changing rooms near the others after depositing the samples near the crime lab area. Robin and Batman drove away seconds later. They stopped back by Wayne Tech in the bunker under the building. "We're not meeting with the team?"
"Not until you triangulate the symbol and I have work to do. Tell me when you've finished," Batman said. He pulled off the costume and wiped the clay off his face changing back into his suit to finish the Wayne Foundation work for the day. Specifically making sure the scholarships to Gotham Academy went out. It was already passed one in the afternoon. Hours had gone by but this was necessary.
Back at the manor Barbara and Tim now in clean clothes were looking over the samples on a microscope with a laser. Jason sat with Cass on the floor. "It's just not fair."
"Jay we're trying to work," Barbara chided. "And you're supposed to be working with Cass."
"I am, or I was. She's on the audiotape now. How about you and me go find that thing Barbie and the replacement can still do whatever it is he's doing or help Cass."
"Master Jason, what did we say about calling Master Tim that?" Alfred said as he hung up their newly cleaned costumes and climbed back upstairs.
"Not to," Jason said unapologetically.
"And it doesn't matter," Barbara continued. "Because I'm going to continue my work here."
"I just don't get it," Jason said. "If we couldn't beat this thing and we had Bruce what chance do they have?"
"I don't believe they'll be fighting it. Just tracking it and finding it. Plus this is part of their job as a team. I don't think they'll be in Gotham much besides this. Bruce probably just doesn't want us to get hurt until he knows how to take care of this thing," Barbara reminded him.
"Well he's stupid if he thinks Dick's team won't fight but just track the thing. Have you met Wally? And from what we've heard about Superboy that's not happening."
"Wally can hold himself back and if he doesn't then Robin will. Aqualad is also very calm and level headed. He'll stop them if Superboy and Wally do something stupid."
Jason opened his mouth but was interrupted. "Barbara?"
"Yeah Timmy?"
"We should send a sample and ask for a check on magic," he told her.
Barbara nodded turning back to Jason. "Do you and Cass mind working upstairs? We need to call Zatara."
Jason grumbled as he tapped Cass's shoulder. She pulled off her headphones and listened as he told her what was happening.
By the time Robin had found the signal and the creature it was already around eight. He commed Batman who came back down to the bunker and pulled on his still muddy costume. "Get in the Batmobile. What were Barbara and Tim able to find. They sent a sample to Zatara like you apparently told them but it's not magical though they said there are traces of those elements. It's some kind of morphic field."
Batman nodded. "I'll start looking at the disruption frequency then. You and the team aren't to engage until I do."
Robin nodded listening as he repeated the same instructions to the team. He jumped out of the Batmobile with a salute. Batman pulled away and the BioShip arrived seconds later as the team except Artemis climbed out. Robin remembered then that she was still here, nearby in her apartment or staying with Ollie and Dinah tonight preparing for her own mission tomorrow, undercover as a prisoner using her background to their advantage. He was the only one who knew that though. The rest of the team had clue, about that or about what they were getting into.