Chapter 21
Last chapter Mariko and Robin had a heart to heart; Mariko asked Robin to join the light—which he obviously refused—and once again Mariko was able to go free. Clever little minx isn't she? Hm, anyhow I'm just goin to get on with it ONWARD TO THE BATTLE FIELD!
"Yeah I'll be back in a bit," Dick said walking down the streets of Gotham, he was talking on the phone with Barbra Gordon, "I'm just checking on something at a store nearby; then I'm back and we can go."
He hung up his phone and began walking towards the store; there was a new computer software that had just come out and he wanted to make sure he reserved his own copy. He sighed, it had gotten colder; he brought his coat collar up to keep the cold from hitting his neck.
"KYA! Antana Baka?" A familiar voice shouted kicking the wall, "What kind of store closed so early on a Monday?!"
Dick frowned as he walked up and saw Mariko standing outside a convenient store, alone. The sign read 'closed' and she wasn't too happy about that.
"Just about every convenient store in Gotham," He answered, "At least in Gotham anyway."
Mariko looked over and cocked an eyebrow. As if she were surprised to see him she then looked at the store and crossed her arms.
"Yet another reason to like Metropolis more." She hissed, Dick frowned.
"So where's your entourage?" He asked noting the fact that she was indeed alone. Mariko pursed her lips.
"You mean, Tony and Gemini?" She asked, "Tony's back at my labs giving his dog a bath, and I gave Gemini the day off."
"So what now?" He asked with a scowl. Mariko frowned.
"Do you always have your guard up around ordinary civilians?" she asked.
"There's nothing ordinary about you." Robin said, Mariko flinched then sighed in defeat, turning to find another store.
"Whatever; I'm going." She said, Dick paused for a moment; then realized that they were going in the same direction. Reluctantly he followed. Mariko looked over her shoulder. "Are you following me?"
"NO! I happen to be going the same way." He growled, Mariko pouted.
"Why are you so bitter towards me?" She asked, "I haven't done anything wrong."
"Yet."
Mariko stopped, placing her hands in her pocket.
"The light doesn't plan to do anything until it gets warmer." She said then looked at another store and smiled, "Which means I can finally buy Takumi's candy cane."
"You keep saying that like he's still around." Dick said, "It doesn't really help your case."
Mariko frowned.
"I don't what it does for my case," She hissed, then her tone softened a bit, "It helps me feel like he's still here."
Robin stood confused and a little suspicious. Mariko sighed.
"Don't you have some way of remembering your family?" She asked finally turning her back to him. Robin frowned and looked to his feet. He hated it when people brought them up. Even more so when they were Mariko Miko. Mariko looked over her shoulder at him.
"Every year around Christmas time; Takumi nii-chan would take me into the better parts of Tokyo," she explained, "He'd always buy me a candy cane, he never missed a year. Until he died that is."
Robin's feature drooped. He believed what she had said about her past, which was probably why he hadn't found some way to incriminate her for something.
"That year was the first year he missed, after that I decided that every year in December I'd go out and buy one." Mariko said, "doing that makes me feel like a little kid again, back when Onii-chan was still around."
"There are plenty of store around here that cell candy canes you know." Dick said, Mariko shook her head.
"They all sell those fruity things, I need peppermint; it's not the same unless it's the old kind." She said then looked to the ground, "But no one sells the old peppermint kind anymore."
"Oh well, off I go I suppose." She said, "Homeward bound."
Dick readied himself in case Mariko decided to taser him again. She looked back at him and scowled as she placed her hands on her hips.
"Honestly; do you really think I'm going to nab you again?" She asked then thought for a moment, "Actually second thought; don't answer that."
"Why shouldn't I believe that you would?" He asked.
"Well one I have no use for you as Dick Grayson…yet. For two; I'm much too busy trying to find Takumi's candy cane." Mariko explained then walked past him, "See you around Boy-wonder."
Dick frowned as he cautiously watched as Mariko walked by him, giving him a wink as she past. He scowled; the girl was a serious creep. Suddenly there was a loud bang as the store front between the two exploded. Dick turned and stared in surprise, as did Mariko as Gemini came through the collapsed building, she smirked to Mariko who glared.
"Who told you to be out here? Get back to the labs!" She hissed, Gemini grinned as she changed her hand into a sharpened tool.
"I'm afraid I don't take orders from you anymore." She said, Mariko stared, "You've out grown your usefulness Mariko Miko."
"Mariko look out!" Dick shouted pushing Mariko out of the way as Gemini swung for her head. He grabbed hold of Mariko's hand and the two began running. Dick looked back to Mariko who at first confused.
"Why is your body guard after you?" He asked, Mariko shook her head out of her daze then glared.
"Because she's a traitor you idiot!" She shouted, "Klarion was right!"
"What?" Dick asked, Mariko growled.
"Just run! I don't have my belt today! I need to get back to my labs!" she said, Dick huffed; why was he even helping her?
"How do I know you didn't set this up?" he asked.
"You don't; you'll just have to trust me." Mariko shouted, as Gemini chased after them, drawing ever close. "Go this way!"
Mariko then dragged Dick towards an ally. He frowned; where was she going ? he then paused when he saw a ice blue Vespa scooter.
"You're kidding me." He said, Mariko glared.
"No I am not; now get on. Gemini will kill you too." She said, Dick sighed, he didn't have any of his equipment—for once—so he climbed on as Mariko revved the motor and waited as Gemini found them.
"Mariko what are you waiting for?" He asked, Mariko scowled.
"Shh." She mumbled as Gemini closed in one them. Mariko then smirked.
"Hang on." She shouted then hit the gas as Gemini nearly collided with them, Mariko pressed a button on her scooter and a bunch of heavy boxes dropped on top of Gemini. Mariko laughed as she sped away. "Take that you chewed piece of gum!"
"What was that?" Dick asked, as Mariko sped off. Mariko shrugged.
"Booby trap?" she asked. After the duo was a safe distance from Gemini Mariko stopped.
"Get off." She said bluntly. Dick frowned, and went to speak but was cut off by Mariko pushing him off forcefully.
"What the heck was that for?" He shouted, Mariko smirked seductively.
"You're useless without your belt and mask baby," She said sweetly, "And I'd much rather have you alive."
"Where are you going?" Dick asked, Mariko laughed.
"Back to my labs of course; I'm going to tell Savage-sama that Gemini's a traitor." She said, then paused, "Why'd you save me?"
Dick frowned; was now really the time to ask that since her former body guard was hunting her? Mariko sighed.
"Second thought forget it. Be sure to tell the Bat I said hi." She said then sped off, ignoring the traffic light that was red up ahead of her and nearly causing a crash. Dick sighed, why did he save her? Again? He decided to shrug it off, though he couldn't help but wonder if Mariko would be alright with that crazed woman—then he realized who he was talking about and figured she'd be just fine.
"But just in case…" He mumbled then slipped in between two buildings and disappeared into the darkness.
~0~
"Tony!" Mariko called on her communicator. She got no answer, "Tony you stupid cyborg answer me!"
Still no answer. Mariko gave a look of confusion.
"What's going on?" She mumbled as she sped off to her home. "Why isn't anyone answering me?!"
Suddenly Klarion's figure appeared in the street in front of her. She skidded to a halt and stared.
"Jigoku Shonen? What's going on?" She asked.
"I see I was right about Gemini," Klarion mused, Mariko nodded.
"Yeah; she just attacked me. Now Tony's not answering me. What's going on?!" She shouted, Klarion shrugged.
"Don't know exactly," He said then his form disappeared, "I'm going to find out however."
Mariko huffed, then sped off again until she made it to her home labs. Only to have a police barricade blocking it. The commissioner standing at the front with detective Bullock; he aimed a gun at her.
"Mariko Miko; you're under arrest. Come quietly and we won't have to use force." Gordon said, Mariko sat on her scooter and glared.
"I haven't done a darn thing!" She shouted, "I ain't goin anywhere!"
"You blew up a building kid." Bullock shouted, Mariko froze.
"What…?" she mumbled, they were wrong; for once she was actually innocent; it was Gemini who blew up that building. In Mariko's daze and confusion she felt a pair of handcuffs slip onto her wrists. She glared at the woman who placed them on her, Mariko then snapped and swung at the woman and abandoned her scooter and took off running.
"Someone get her!" Gordon shouted, soon Mariko was cut off by two officers.
"Get away from me! You old geezers! I'm not going to jail!" She shouted. As someone grabbed her she bit down onto their hand, until she drew blood.
"She bit me!" Shouted the person.
"Tranquilize the brat!" Bullock shouted. Mariko struggled as several officers held her down so that another might press a syringe into her. Soon Mariko's body went limp and her vision went dark.
"No…you…sssuck." She mumbled as she passed out.
~0~
"There you are Dick, did you see the news?" Barbra asked when Dick returned to Wayne Manor. He frowned.
"No why? What's going on?" he asked, Barbra turned on the news as Dick sat down to watch. The latest was on a current arrest.
'Just an hour ago; fugitive Mariko Miko, a young genius was arrested today for the destruction of a local store.' The reporter said, 'Upon further look into the girl's house hold revealed that she had other plans for the City as well; let's go live to our on scene reporter, Trisha Gomez.'
'Thank you Tom, I'm here with Detective Bullock and Commissioner Gordon who over saw the arrest.' The female reporter said, 'Commissioner; what will be done with this young terrorist?'
'Mariko Miko will be sent to police head quarters for questioning, from there she'll either be sent to Belle Reve, or if found to be insane Arkham.' Gordon explained. Dick scowled as Barbra turned off the TV.
"You should be happy to hear that." Bruce said coming into the room.
"Believe me on another day I would; but I was actually with her today." Dick said, "She had nothing to do with the explosion."
"Are you saying that the girl's innocent?" Barbra asked.
"In this case yes; someone set her up." Dick said, "And I have a feeling I know who."
~0~
When Mariko awoke she was in an office still handcuffed, she groaned; she felt groggy. She looked around as her vision began to clear up again.
"Oh, I feel like Match just punched to across the room again," She moaned then her vision focused again and she realized her wasn't alone. She stared at the pair of glaring eyes that were attached to Detective Bullock.
"Who's Match?" He asked, Mariko huffed.
"A fat little lab rat." She hissed, "though not nearly as fat as you lardo."
"Keep talking like that; I dare ya." Bullock threatened, Mariko laughed.
"Oh yeah? What are you going to do? Shoot me? You'd get fired for that tubby." She said, Bullock glared.
"Why'd you do it kid?" he growled, Mariko snorted.
"Do what? I haven't done a thing." She said.
"You blew up a building, and we found plans to blow up the police station; who you workin; for?" Bullock growled.
"And they say my English is bad," Mariko mumbled, "And I didn't blow anything up, I'm being framed."
"That's what they all say kid." He said, Mariko glared for a moment then smirked.
"Yaknow my old man was a cop once too," She said, "He's dead now. Murdered."
"And lemme guess you killed him?" Bullock asked, knowing her was getting off subject. Mariko shook her head.
"Oh no; I was just a little kid when he was killed; but I did watch." She said, "Scary sight really."
"Don't get off the subject kid; who are you working for?" Bullock said, trying to ignore Mariko's little story.
"I hate policemen; they're all blind and stupid. Like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off." Mariko hissed, "They don't do anyone any good, they're useless. Just like you fatty."
"That's it," Bullock shouted slamming his fist on the table, Mariko didn't budge.
"What you expected me to get scared? Please; I've seen worse things than some old man like you could ever fathom." she said, "Gimme someone with real authority would ya? Not some fat lacky."
"Why you little…" Bullock growled, then stood and leaned in close to Mariko, "You better start cooperating little girl."
"My employer is not up for discussion." Mariko said, brushing Bullock's threat aside. Bullock growled, "You sound like a yappy dog; be quiet."
"You're crazy," Bullock mumbled.
"You say 'crazy' like it's a bad thing." Mariko said sweetly. Bullock stood and left the room, Mariko smirked, figuring he had given up on her. Then frowned; she shouldn't even be here. She had done nothing wrong—for once. She was innocent in this situation. She sighed; she just had to find a way to contact Savage, then she'd be out of this jam and back home, and probably get Tony and Yukie back as well. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out her old photo.
"Takumi nii-chan, I don't know what's going on but I'm going to find out just as soon as I get outta here." She mumbled. She then pocketed the photo again when someone came into the room. she looked up and smiled.
"So where to? Belle Reve I assume?" She asked as the commissioner came in. Gordon frowned.
"A friend of mine thought you'd say that." He said, Mariko frowned; friend? Gordon sat down across from Mariko.
"Have you heard of a place called Arkham?" He asked, Mariko went pale as she felt cold fear wash over her, then burning rage bubble over. She stood and glared at Gordon.
"Do NOT send me to Arkham!" She shouted, "I hate straightjackets! I don't wanna go!"
"I'm afraid that's how it's going to be; you're not stable enough to be sent to Reve." Gordon explained, Mariko collapsed back into her chair, in disbelief. Back to the Asylum, straightjackets, pills—pure insanity! The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth. She bit her lip.
"Please don't send me there; I didn't do anything, please I'm begging you." she said in a small voice.
"I'm sorry Miss Miko; but all the evidence proves you're the arson." Gordon said, Mariko glared, her bangs forming a perfect dark frame around her glaring eyes.
"You're not sorry," She growled her purple and blue eyes burning with anger, "Not yet."
Oh scary huh? Haha I'm so evil I've framed poor Mariko for a crime she didn't commit. What's going to happen now? Gemini has betrayed Mariko, and now she's wound up in Arkham again, her greatest fear! Haha what'll happen? will Robin save our poor demented girl? Or will she forever rot in a cell? Well we'll find out wont we? 'See you later armadillos—unless I see you first. Haha!' review!