Happy updating :) oh and I guess I will throw in an explanation to the toxins so don't worry I won't leave you hanging. The style in this chap is kinda weird sorry if it irritates anyone 3.3
It was one week since Batman had arrived in Jump City. The Titans had slightly expected him to help them with the city. He didn't. No one but the Titans knew he was there. He stayed at the Tower immersed in the work room or went out at night to stalk the city for traces of the new villain.
Most of the Titans stayed out of his way except a certain green eyed alien girl. She was almost his partner in his search. He sent her out during the day to follow leads for him or she just sat quietly behind his chair watching his search for his wayward child.
On the edge of the city Ringleader was preparing his people for the show he had been planning and forming in his head since the day he gave his first street side show. His boss was in town. He had heard whispers of him through his performers and it sent shivers of excitement down his spine every time he heard a mention of the man. His crowd didn't agree with him and for some reason they seemed unsettled when he thought of him.
However, they were constantly urging him to set the show up or put on a side show. He missed the Titans, his VIP crowd, his shows kept him away too much but the crowd had to be entertained and he was on a tour.
He sent one last grin to his performers before turning around and walking towards the car where Danielle was waiting for him. His performers cheered, grabbed their bags and began dispersing toward the city.
The Titans got the call from the police moments later. Something was stirring downtown that didn't seem right to them. They had spotted a lot of circus characters pouring in and running about the city but they had caused no chaos yet so they couldn't make a move. The Titans knew it had to be Ringleader.
When the connection died the team held their breath for what felt like hours. Raven went to get Starfire from the workroom where Batman was also located. Once the group was ready, they moved out with Batman at their heels.
Ringleader walked casually through the busy people on a Monday afternoon the crowd following near his throat. The sky was a brilliant blue with slight cumulus clouds in the south side of it. As he approached the center of the city, he was suddenly aware of how noisy the traffic could be.
Cars honked angrily around him and he shook his head at their impatience. Honestly, he had to get to the center of the city for his boss. It wasn't his fault the architect designed it to be an intersection. When he set up his platform, he walked up the thing leaving the lone traffic police heading his way for his crew to handle. He flipped his top hat in his hand and set it onto his head.
With the cue done, random people surrounding the entire square in a large circle flipped on similar black hats. His crowd quieted for the show was about to begin.
A slightly opaque film covered the group till the entire area was enclosed by a large circus tent. The people next to where the film touched the ground discovered quickly that they could enter the tent but not leave it. They began to panic.
A loud voice rang out among the people so they stopped to listen. The voice came from Ringleader on his stand with a mike in his hand.
"Ladies and Gents,
Todays the Day,
To Find the Way,
Into Your Soul,
The Boss is Here,
So Grab your Beer.
Come Laugh with Me.
Come Laugh, Laugh, Laugh!"
His voice faltered a little from his spot as he looked up and saw the Titans perched on a rooftop. A large grin spread across his face and he turned towards them even though his crowd wined at him.
"Fire Hair Burning Bright,
Skin the Glistens in the Night,
Metal shining with the Moon,
Green highlights the Buffoon,
Precious Crew,
my Dears,
Let the first act commence!"
At his command ropes shot out from the force field and littered the sky like a giant net above them. People scurried to get inside but they could not open the doors. Scattered throughout the crowd some people were removing their coats revealing brightly colored clown outfits. Their top hats flew off to reveal bright green hair.
The Titans gasped and the clowns began speaking in a chorus. A large number of them were placed throughout the area so that their voices sounded distinct and collective.
"What do you call a bird with wings Ripped Out Before Infernal Nature?"
They all held up a box and ripped out the bottom letting squirming figures fall onto the floor.
"A decapiwinged robin!"
The people shrieked in horror as the figures were clearly seen to be robin's with their wings freshly chopped off. They staggered around on the floor coating it in blood.
"Wow, what a sight but what's the difference between the people and the robin's?"
Men and women all around the group stood up on stilts that electrocuted anyone who touched them. Many people were burned in their clumsy attempts to run away. The stilts wearers were dressed in sparking gold costumes and held red ribbons in their hands.
"I don't know. What is the difference?"
The people in the top hats lining the edge of the tent grinned and held up their black poles with dead robin's stacked at the end. The clowns spoke.
"One's Decapiarmed."
As the words were spoken the clowns flipped an electric saw out of their coats and cut through the arms of people in the street. The Titans freaked, having been distracted by Ringleader. They now jumped into the sea of people and began charging at the clowns with the police backing them up.
Starfire remained on the roof and her eyes followed Ringleader as he flipped onto the ropes in the sky and began swinging and twirling on them. His laughter growing with every drop of blood spilt from down below. The crowd was so happy they were watching the show and not him. He was free of them, of their gaze, their stare, their breath.
It was in that moment that Batman jumped out from the shadows and suddenly Ringleader's entire crowd was staring at him. Their laughter had died in their throats but Robin turned to him with an excited look upon his face.
"The Boss is Here,
Throw out a Cheer!"
The crowd obeyed his command and erupted into cheers along with many of his crew.
"Robin." Bruce choked out.
"My Boss, Why so Gloom?
I'll make this City Bloom.
Smile, Boss, Smile."
Ringleader crackled with laughter as he dropped bombs onto the people below as requested by the shouting of the crowd. Starfire glanced at her shadowy friend before flying into the sky and sending green bolts charging at Ringleader. Bruce watched, partly in shock as Starfire and Robin danced in the air out of his followed them from below and heard his ward still crying out in a demented voice for all to hear.
"I've build this show for you."
He flipped onto a higher rope to avoid a punch from the tamaranean.
"To make you Laugh,
To make you Smile,
To make you Love."
Ringleader was sent flying through the air when he took a bolt to the chest but he gripped a rope with his left arm and easily swung himself upon the shaky rope.
Down below Cyborg was firing at the stilts men who were easy targets above the crowd. The police had begun taking the clowns with the assistance of Beast Boy and Raven worked at the gates to bring the force field down. Ringleader was getting more excited by the minute but his crowd was getting nervous and frequently looked down below at the Boss.
It made Richard more aware of the amount of people surrounding his every move and how he knew nothing about them. It was all their fault but he didn't know the fault. He wanted to understand but like before he couldn't. However, this time things were different because his boss was here. His boss knew everything. He was sure of this but could not explain or back it up. He just knew Bruce knew so he spoke to him.
"Name the Crowd,
Make me Proud,
Find my Wings,
So I can Sing!
Hurry, Hurry, Hurry!"
He swung a kick at Starfire catching her by surprise and sending her to the ground. Batman caught her before she hit down and together they look up at Ringleader sorrow etched on their faces. Their expressions disturbed him and his lips twitched downward. The crowd picked up on this and was ready to pounce on him. Their breath stung the back of his neck causing him to hastily call out.
"Who are they?
Name them.
Why don't you laugh?
Who are they?
Name them!
Why don't you name them?
Danielle, Release the Beasts!"
Starfire squeaked in fear as a roar shot out from below them. They ran to the edge of the roof and watched as an Asian lady shot the ropes holding a row of crates. The crates fell and broke releasing starving big cats. The king of the beasts charged at the people its powerful jaws crushing bone. The tiger followed its lead and the leopard and the cheetah and the panther.
As Bruce turned to face his son the noise around them faded away and all he could hear was Richard's mania laughing. The world surrounding him swirled about like a surreal nightmare.
Batman snapped.
He pushed Starfire aside and flung his batarangs with as much force as he could muster and sliced through the ropes Ringleader was standing on. With a yelp, he crashed onto the roof. Ringleader scampered to his feet but before he could move a bomb exploded at his feet sending him sliding across the floor.
His smile faltered and his laughter turned a little uneasy. His boss looked angry which made the crowd somber. He wasn't sure what to do anymore.
"You don't like that joke. I have another."
Ringleader reached into his belt and brought out a golden knife. He was about to fling them onto the people when he was sent flying across the side of the building by the tip of a boot. He recovered quickly and flipped onto the building behind him.
His face had lost his smile and was beginning to look panicked. He had worked hard on the show for his Boss but he wasn't smiling. The crowd stared at him now, at his failure.
"Why aren't you laughing? I did this for you!"
He turned to bolt across the roof but slammed straight into his own force field. He flipped around just in time to bloke a punch heading towards his face. He brawled a little, his face becoming more and more distorted with each punch Batman threw at him, before managing to flip onto the building to this right.
"Why."
As he spoke his voice quivered and the crowd began to smirk at him.
"Why are you trying to beat me?
Do you hate me?
Do you hate?"
Bruce caused Batman's pursuit to falter for a second but where he stalled Starfire jumped in and fired a starbolt towards Ringleader who dove out of the way. Richard's breathing was heavy. He didn't understand why Bruce was attacking him.
He wanted him to be proud of his show. Why didn't he laugh? He looked up at the crowd and clenched his chest. It hurt and his heart was pounding in his ears. The crowd was advancing upon him. They were closing in. Richard panicked and flung his bombs at them but they just laughed and moved closer.
"Call them off!
You know their names!
Call them off!"
He stumbled backwards but tripped over his own feet and shrieked as he fell. The crowd leaned menacingly over him.
"Please Bruce,call them off please."
He begged with his hands drawn up to his face.
"I… I please, I want my wings…. hurts."
Richard sobbed hysterically his tears giving him a blinding headache so he failed to see the crowd crying out in anger as something burned them away from him.
"Please, I'm sorry so sorry, please…"
He gasped as he felt something grab him roughly and shove him against a wall. He took a deep breath to try and get the air the crowd was depriving him of but choked as he breathed in. He almost tried again but them he smelt it.
A cave, he smelt a cave.
Richard brought his hands up forcefully because he was crushed so hard against the wall and grasped the black fabric that hung around him. The wall moved up and down slightly and he heard a faint thumping but he couldn't see the crowd anymore. The wall was blocking them out. He welcomed the blackness and pressed his face harder against the wall as he shook with sobs.
Starfire gazed at the chaos of her city. Then with as much willpower as she could muster, she imagined them, Robin and his k'norfka. But, they weren't crying in her mind; they were laughing. Robin was dressed in his original outfit and he was greeting his k'norfka, who had come to visit the tower, with a large smile.
She let the vision wash over her and felt power streaming through her veins. She kicked off the floor and flew up above the chaos to the middle of the tent and cried out,
"Your show has ended! Ringleader is dead! We have killed him and we will keep him dead forever, give up!"
His crew looked up in horror which gave every police officer and Titan the opening they needed to drag them to the ground. Danielle shrieked in horror which drew Starfire's attention to her.
"You! You are the witch who helped mess with my friend!"
Her eyes burned a fiery green and her hair blazed as she charged viciously at the girl.
Batman's arms trailed down to Richard's back and unclipped his utility belt so he couldn't attack him if he got the thought but he didn't believe he would. He shifted the teen's weight and stood up taking Richard into his arms as he rose.
He moved his feet one in front of the other till he reached the edge and crouching slightly, jumped onto the lid of the dumpster below. Once on the ground, he began walking through the sea of panicky people.
He passed a group of paramedics desperately trying to stop the bleeding of a blond haired male.
He passed a great tiger lying dead on the floor.
He passed a green teen and a metal teen that watched him desperately to see the boy in his arms move as he walked by.
A pile of tied up clowns and jugglers knocked out cold laid next to them. He stopped in front of a girl who looked at the bundle in his arms and sighed in relief. She stopped some people from moving and waved him forward so he continued and passed through the hole in the force field she had created. Richard didn't stop crying and he didn't stop walking until he was on the beach of Jump City Lake.
He closed his eyes and felt them fill with moisture. A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he turned to stare into deep green eyes.
The End ~ JK lol that would be a sucky ending wouldn't it? Nah that is actually my 1/3 way point as far as plot goes and might I say our lovely Starfire is quiet the trooper. I always admire her powers because they work by thinking a happy thought and damn that could get really hard sometimes like when raven destroyed the world or Terra betrayed them...