They went in through the roof. There was an access point up there. Shadow cringed as she saw benches and two pathways leading around the square top. To give certain, well-behaved experiments exercise. No. No, she had to stop herself from thinking that. There was no way this could be the Lab. It wasn't possible.
But then they entered the building. It was dark and empty, so once they hit a room, Robin turned on the lights.
Everywhere were chemicals, needles, bandages, charts, beds, and any number of nefarious "medical" tools. The smell of the chemicals sent Shadow into a state of panic, and she flattened herself against the wall, not looking at any of it.
"What is it?" Aqualad whispered.
"It's the Lab." she said with a dry sob. "We're inside the Lab."
"Very good!" called a voice from above them. On the catwalk was none other than the Joker, leaning down to leer at them. "See, Fifteen? I knew you'd remember this place if we jogged your memory a little!"
"What makes you think I forgot?" she snapped.
"Wait, this is the Lab? As in, the Lab?" Wally asked.
"Take a look around." she answered, gesturing at all the equipment. "What do you think?"
"What are you doing here, Joker?" Robin asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" said the madman, gesturing around. "Why, I own the place! With a certain business partner, that is."
"With Puppet Master." she said, as though disgusted. "I can't believe I didn't guess it before. I can't believe I didn't even think about it before. But it makes sense." She stared up at Joker. "You're both insane. This was all just some big, complicated dollhouse to you, wasn't it?"
"Actually, that's exactly what it was." he said darkly, gesturing at a symbol on the wall. It depicted a piece of a DNA strand, and next to it was Doll House Laboratories. The word Doll was on top of House, and the shared 'o' was a picture of a house. Laboratories was written in smaller writing underneath and was underlined. It was a good logo, or would have been, if the Lab wasn't so creepy. "Like it? A brilliant scientist came up with it in his spare time. You might know him. Or maybe not. He was your father, after all."
Shadow paled as he cackled. "No... Not possible... M-my father-"
"Turned you over in the name of science!" Joker crowed. "Your mother, well, she wasn't quite on board, but what do a woman's opinions matter, anyway?"
"That's enough!" Aqualad barked. "Why did you bring us here?"
Joker's smile turned into a snarl. "I wanted my property back."
"She's not property!" Robin called. "She a person, and you just proved that by mentioning her parents!"
"Contrary to popular belief, little birdie, I wasn't joking when I said she was created for the sole purpose of destruction so many years ago." he snapped. "You think a man like her father wanted a child to love and to care for? Ha! Some of my experiments had that, but we took it before long. Fifteen was lucky in that she never knew that kind of false love."
"Stop!" Shadow shouted. "If we're here to fight, let's fight! If you're not prepared, we'll take you down, anyway!"
"Of course I'm prepared, Fifteen!" Joker cackled. "Security!"
Large, beefy henchmen filed into the room from every doorway. All exits were blocked, and the team was severely outnumbered. "Those are so not Rent-A-Cops!" Kid Flash said as they made a circle formation.
"Do not let them intimidate you!" Aqualad called. "We must take down this facility at all costs!"
"I got this one." Shadow called, leaping out of the circle at the first man. That's when the fight started. Everyone, henchmen and the team alike, broke formation and attacked each other like dogs fighting for meat. Very agile, superpowered dogs, but just as vicious. Shadow's foot was grabbed as she tried to kick one man and she was thrown into Robin.
"Hey, watch it!" he snapped.
"Then stay out of my way!" she grunted, going back into the fray. A man tackled her, and she lost her balance. He tried to swing at her with a sharp blade, but she rolled out of the way. He came at her again, cutting her arm. Angered, she grabbed the closest thing she could find and hit him with it.
Blood appeared on the front of his uniform. She stared in shock as he stumbled back and fell to the floor, the life draining out of him. She could feel the weapon in her hand: One of Robin's fallen Batarangs. The others slowly stopped fighting as they realized Shadow had just made the worst possible move in a fight.
The death blow.
Suddenly, a crazed laugh echoed around the room. Everyone began to move out of the light, but Shadow continued to stare, dumbstruck, at the man she'd just killed.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" asked Joker, leaping down from the railings. He took in the sight of Shadow standing over his dead minion and whistled. "You know, whoever said Batman was the one with issues has obviously never seen you holding a sharp object." he chuckled, looking around. "I mean, wouldn't you agree? She's quite a natural at the stabbing thing."
"Get. Out." Shadow said quietly through gritted teeth.
"Ooh hoo hoo, is the little kitty upset?" he asked, drawing a finger across her jaw. "How very human of you."
"Stay away from her!" Kid Flash shouted.
"I don't think so." Joker said. "I can't have you kiddies bothering me anymore, so I'll just take you out one by one. Ta ta!"
The lights went out and everyone was plunged in darkness. Screaming and yelling was heard, and suddenly everything was quiet. When the lights thunked back on, Shadow was standing alone. But she knew what she had to do. Find the others, save them, and take down the entire God-forsaken facility. Somehow, she would find a way.
. . .
Well, this just got dark. Sorry for the sluggish updating, but that's how I roll for now. I'm just super bored today, so I'm trying to catch up on a bunch of stuff.