Dick and Jason waited patiently for Bruce to arrive. Well, mostly. Dick was sifting through Strange's data to see what else he could find while Jason was leaning against the wall, keeping a close eye on Strange who had regained consciousness but maintained an eerie silence and a blank expression.
Strange mostly stared at the floor, but Jason's eyes were glued to him, twirling a pistol in one hand and whistling a tune to himself. The more Jason stared at the deranged psychologist, the more tempting it was to just fucking shoot him. People like him took the lives of others without remorse; he and the Joker. They were both mad; different variations of madness, but madness all the same. He'd be lying though if he didn't admit to himself that some of what Strange had said had gotten to him. A lot of what he had said was also true, however.
As a teenager, being raised by Alfred, trained and taught by Bruce, he'd begun to think of Bruce like a father. Indeed, Bruce was the closest thing he'd ever truly had to a father. When his own father, Willis Todd, wasn't out committing crimes, he was beating and berating Jason, reminding him of how useless he was. Bruce made him feel useful, made him feel...welcomed...loved. Which made his death, and resurrection, all the more painful. To come back to life and find out that, not only was his death unavenged, but that man that he had considered a father had replaced him?! It hurt more than he would ever admit, it felt like betrayal. He felt like, once again like his days living on the streets, he'd been discarded, forgotten.
Jason glanced over at Dick, his mind still roiling over what Strange had said. As he watched Dick, he began to wonder exactly why Dick loved him so much. He was a mess, and he knew it. So why did Dick want him? Despite his best efforts to not let Strange's words get to him, they had. But he kept it to himself for now; they had work to do and he needed to focus.
Finally, Batman had arrived and found Jason and Dick there, with Strange tied up nearby. Jason was snapped from his thoughts as he watched the man enter the laboratory, watching as he eyes the various...experiments...throughout the laboratory. He glanced over at Strange who looked back at him.
"Well, if it isn't Bruce Wayne—oops-I meant 'Batman'." Strange said with a sly grin, struggling a little bit against the line that bound him, but to no avail.
"It's ain't rope, princess, so I'd give up if I were you. You're not getting out of that," Jason replied with a sly grin, his helmet tucked underneath his arm. Bruce ignored the both of them and moved across the lab slowly, examining each of Strange's test subjects, eyes lingering on Galavan before joining Dick at a console on the other side of the room.
"Dick, did you find anything?" Bruce asked, looking up at the computer screen. Dick glanced over at Bruce and gave a nod in confirmation.
"I did. Strange was trying to create his own personal army of monsters," Dick replied, glancing over at Strange, who wore a smug grin. "His subjects were mostly Asylum patients, or the dead. People who-"
"Nobody would miss," Jason interrupted, fixing Bruce with a glare. Bruce looked over his shoulder at Jason and glared back, but opted not to reply. Bruce turned back to the screen at the right moment; Dick found some information on the drug that Strange had created.
"Here's something. The drug, it's called-"
"Delirium," Strange interrupted with a sly smirk tugging at his lips. Bruce, Dick, and Jason all turned their attention onto Strange, who was still bound in front of one of the tanks. "I am sitting right here. Anything you want to know, you could ask. It would certainly be more enlightening than reading a computer screen," Strange said with a chuckle of amusement, eyeing each and every one of them. Bruce's eyes narrowed on the man and Jason snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Talk to you? You're a mad man, one psychotic step away from the Joker," Jason retorted. Strange laughed, looking at Jason with a smug grin. "You think the Joker is insane? That's adorable; your grasp of the human mind is pitiful. Your ignorance is precious," Strange replied. Jason sneered at the doctor, unfolding his arms and taking a few threatening steps toward him.
"Call it whatever you want, Strange; a homicidal maniac who blows up kids for amusement is insane, plain and simple," Jason spat. Strange laughed at him.
"My dear boy, you have much to learn. The Joker is not insane. He has what we in my field of study like to call, Super Sanity-"
"Enough. The drug, Strange," Batman growled, interrupting Strange. Jason snorted and leaned back against the wall, but this time pointing a gun at Strange.
"I'd answer if I were you. If you like your shoulders, that is," Jason put in with a smug grin. "Please, give me a reason."
Strange glanced back and forth between Jason and Bruce, grin fading a bit. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders, as best he could while bound.
"Delirium. A very special concoction, but not entirely my own," Strange began, looking past Bruce and at the computer screen. He grinned from ear to ear, staring at the data as if it were a favorite child.
"It took years to create, by studying the Joker, Jonathan Crane, Jervis Tecth, Pamela Isley, and even Bane. They each used various chemicals to induce one thing or another in either themselves or their victims. So I experimented with their...unique...chemical compounds. Eventually, I created 'Delirium'," Strange said proudly. "It was far more difficult than merely throwing these drugs together into a vat. No, I spent a good couple of years studying each drug and the chemistry of the human brain, until eventually, I concocted a little cocktail of my own. Delirium. Of course, I needed to test it, but...well, you put a stop to that all those years ago, didn't you, Batman?"
"Why are you telling us all of this?" Dick asked, turning to face Strange. Strange grinned from ear to ear and gave an amused snort.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Strange replied, to which Jason pistol-whipped him back into unconsciousness. He glanced over at Bruce and Dick who were both glaring at him.
"What? He wasn't going to give us anything else, and besides, I was tired of hearing his voice," Jason replied with a lackadaisical shrug of his shoulders. Bruce's glare darkened and Dick just pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Bruce turned to the computer and pulled up a holographic display and began downloading Strange's data directly to the Batcomputer. He turned and grabbed up Strange, draping him over his shoulder and gesturing for Dick and Jason to follow him.
"Come on, we're leaving," Bruce said evenly, making his way toward the exit of the laboratory.
"Finally, let's blow this place," Jason said, earning a glare from Bruce.
"No. You risk disturbing the architecture above. Leave it. We'll let the GCPD know about this place. They'll take care of it," Bruce replied. Jason sighed yet again and destroyed the detonator.
"You really know how to spoil a guy's fun, you know that?" he replied, earning a snicker of amusement from the acrobat beside him as the two men followed their mentor out of the laboratory and back into the caves to the island above.
Bruce, Dick, and Jason returned to the cave where Damian was already waiting. Bruce sat down at the computer and got to work, with Dick standing beside him, looking over the data with him. Tim and Roy returned to the cave minutes later, Tim's motorcycle coming to a noisy halt and Roy following him into the cave. Dick, Jason, and Damian all glanced in their direction, until Tim and Roy joined them and then their attention went back to the computer.
"We still don't know how the League is involved, only that they are, somehow," Bruce said, mostly to himself. Dick glanced over his shoulder and saw Jason and Tim sparring together. Dick smiled at the sight; it was good to see that Jason was starting to be accepted by the family. It was good to see his family whole and together, no matter how brief it would be. He glanced toward Alfred and the two of them exchanged a knowing look. Alfred gave a smile as he made his way over with a tray of tea.
"Tea, Master Bruce. And Earl Gray, your favorite Master Richard," Alfred said evenly. Dick made an 'mmm' sound as he took a cup and sipped it happily. Bruce, for his part, ignored the tea. Alfred turned to the others, Damian, Tim, Roy and Jason, and made his way over to each of them, presenting them with a cup of tea.
"Mmm, peppermint tea. Thanks Alfred," Jason said cheerily, raising his cup in thanks before sipping it happily. Damian and Tim also gave a sound and a few words of approval, halting their sparring to enjoy the tea. Everyone loved Alfred's tea; he always knew exactly what each of them loved when it came to tea and brewed it exactly as they liked it.
"Master Roy," Alfred said, offering Roy the last cup. Roy gave the tea a sip and made a delighted 'mmm' sound.
"Wow, what kinda tea is this? It's really good," Roy replied, sipping it again. Alfred gave a knowing smile.
"I figured you might like it. It's Cinnamon Ginger Tea, with honey," Alfred replied. Roy sipped the tea again and made another exaggerated 'mmm' sound, then turned to Jason and pointed at his tea.
"He's good," Roy said, earning a laugh from Jason.
"You have no idea," Jason replied. Alfred retreated from the cave with the empty tray in hand.
"Is it possible that the League is here of their own accord and we're just seeing connections where there are none?" Dick suggested, looking up at the screen and considering all possibilities. Part of him knew that it was likely no coincidence that the League was here at the same time that Delirium was becoming a plague on the city. Regardless, it was still possible and every possibility had to be considered.
Bruce gave a grunt in reply though and shook his head.
"No. I admit it's possible, but highly unlikely. Actual coincidences are far and few between. For the League to show up now of all times, is just much too convenient. It must have something to do with-" Bruce paused, eyes widening a bit, re-reading all of the data. "No," Bruce muttered, practically jumping up from the chair and toppling it over backwards. That got everyone's attention and they all stopped to look at the man.
"Bruce, what's wrong?" Dick asked, arching a brow. Bruce stared at the data on the screen silently, his mind going back over everything they knew about the drug, Hugo Strange, the League, and a conclusion began to form in Bruce's mind.
"The League, Hugo Strange, Delirium...it's all connected, and I think I know how," Bruce said, glaring at the computer screen and balling his fists up. Jason, Tim, Damian, Roy, and Dick all exchanged glances as a silence settled over the cave, waiting for Bruce to explain. Jason gave a huff annoyance when none came.
"Well? Gonna leave us in suspense, or are you gonna share?" Jason asked with a glare, crossing his arms over his chest. Bruce growled and pulled on his cowl, pushing away from the computer and marching across the cave, toward the Batmobile.
"The League of Assassins is planning to weaponize Delirium," Bruce began, stopped in front of the Batmobile. He looked over his shoulder and added "they're planning to use it on the people of Gotham." Another series of glances was exchanged between the five of them, then Damian rushed over to the Batmoble to join his father.
"The chaos and destruction that'd cause...it'd be complete chaos in Gotham!" Dick said in shock, considering the possibility. "There's be widespread panic, with people going mad all over the city. Streets blocked, crime through the roof, the entire city paralyzed. Gotham would fall apart," Dick went on, shaking his head in disbelief.
"All the more reason to find out where the League is operating and how they plan to weaponize the drug," Bruce said, hopping into the Batmobile, Damian jumping in beside him. "Call Batgirl, let her in on the situation. We're going to need all hands on deck," Bruce said, eyes narrowing as he gunned the Batmobile and peeled out of the cave.
Tim, Roy, Dick and Jason exchanged looks; they weren't about to sit around and do nothing, that much was a give in. But what to do; that was the question. Dick sat at the computer and got to contacting Barbara, while Jason made his way over to the vehicles and hopped onto a motorcycle. Just as he'd expected, there were safety systems on it to ensure that not just anyone could use it. Fortunately, Jason was rather adept at hacking. Maybe not as good as Dick or Tim, but enough to get past this annoying security feature.
"Jason-" Tim called after him. Jason glanced in Tim's direction and laughed. "Don't worry, I'm just borrowing it," Jason replied.
"Where are you going?" Dick asked, pressing a mask onto his face.
"I'm going to check with my Underworld contacts. Hardly anything happens in Gotham City without the Underworld noticing it. Relax, I'll be fine," Jason answered, peeling out of the cave. Tim shooed Roy and Dick.
"Go. I'll stay here and work the case from the computer," Tim said evenly, moving toward the computer and sitting in front of it.
"Are you sure, Tim?" Dick asked. Tim gave a nod.
"Yeah. Someone has to," Tim replied. Dick gave a nod in response and gestured toward his Nightcar.
"C'mon Roy, let's go," he said with a smirk, jumping into the driver's seat. Roy grinned at the car like a kid in a candy store and hopped into the passenger's seat.
"Damn, sweet ride, Dickie," Roy replied. Dick laughed in amusement as he revved the engine.
"Yeah, Jason liked it too," he answered before peeling out of the cave.
Making the rounds in Arkham Asylum to check on the patients, one of the nurses in the Asylum. Along with two guards stopped by each cell with a checklist to make sure everyone was in their proper place.
"Hugo Strange...welcome back to the asylum, Mr. Strange," he nurse said with a smug grin. Strange stared out of his cell through round glasses at the nurse with a smug grin on his face. "Enjoy your stay. We've upped security and you'll be here for a long time," the nurse taunted, earning a few laughs from his security escort. Strange chuckled in amusement.
"Mmm, I wouldn't count on that," he replied. The nurse snorted in response and checked his name on the list.
"Psychopath," the nurse muttered before moving on to the next cell.
"Let's see...this one is...Terry Gene Kase," the nurse said, looking inside the cell. In a dark corner of the cell, sat a man with black hair and eyebrows with streaks of gray in his hair, a long black mustache and pale green eyes. The man smiled widely at the nurse and his security detail. The nurse sneered at him and checked his name off the list and moved on to the next cell.
"It's time for the Demon's Head to make his move. A shadow shall fall upon Gotham."