Black and Red Chapter 38 Feeding Time
Gordon watched carefully as Red Robin balanced on the railing around the hyena pit, an air of cocksure self-confidence verging on arrogance at odds with his earlier concern for the hostages.
"So, do you even know what you want?" Red Robin asked Joker. "Or are you just going with the flow? We can work with that too."
Joker put down the little girl, and Quinzel hauled her hostage back to safety. "Just trying to make a point," Joker answered. "How far will people go to save their own lives?"
"True; some people will go so far as to threaten to feed little kiddies to hyenas," Red Robin agreed. Gordon tried very hard not to gape. The teen had always shown a serious demeanor and a deep wariness for Joker, so why was he being so…sassy?
Joker twitched. "So you're the noble, self-sacrificing type, are you?"
"You got me," Red Robin smirked. "Call it a character flaw."
Joker didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed the girl he'd been menacing earlier and casually flipped her over the railing. Red Robin was moving instantly, and swung from his grapple to catch the girl and bring her back to safety, landing between Joker and Quinzel. He jumped, and nimbly ran along the railing to his previous spot opposite the clown pair, and released the girl to Gordon's care.
Gordon took the child offered to him, hearing her whimper in terror. "It's okay, you're safe now," Gordon told her gently, before passing her back to one of his officers and turning back to the scene.
"Easy to be sure of yourself when you've got all those neat little gizmos," Joker drawled. "Hardly a sacrifice, actually. Seems you're deceiving yourself in your nobility."
"Just because I'm willing to die for the innocent doesn't mean I wouldn't rather we both live," Red Robin shrugged.
"Look, puddin', can we jus' throw someone in the pit?" Quinzel interrupted. "The pretty beasties are getting' hungry."
"That's easy," Red Robin said softly. "Let the hostages go, and I'll jump in myself."
"Hardly a sacrifice," Joker repeated. "I mean, what's the point? You'll just zip out, or use something in one of those belts of yours."
Red Robin's hands reached for the central piece of his wing rig. The strips down his back retracted and he carefully unclipped it. Then he removed the two little belts on his arms, and finally the belt around his waist. "Commissioner? Catch," he said, and Gordon caught the armful of gear. "Fairer now?"
Red Robin watched Joker's whole body. He had it from Cass that Joker was almost impossible to read (he changed his mind a thousand times a second, and sent too many messages and defied most of them) but this one was slightly less difficult. When he committed to an action it could be seen, which let him save the kid. But it was a pain to try to decipher his thoughts on the proposition.
"Now that is an interesting idea," Joker mused. Red Robin kept up an aura of self-confident nonchalance, hiding how desperate he was for Joker to take the bait. Joker would have to think he had an unknown advantage. Making it look like he could sneak off while the cops were distracted would be a decent option.
"Yeah, well, I'm sure these lovely policemen can get the hostages to safety before rescuing me," he shrugged. That should help. Let's see, so Joker releases the hostages, or at least some of them, while he goes into the pit. The cops shepherd the kids away, then get a rope. Meanwhile, Joker and Harley back off and escape. Ivy would be similar.
"If you last that long," Joker leered.
"Well, then, let's raise the stakes a little," Red Robin suggested. "Why don't you get Pam Isley to release her hostages, and she can come and watch?"
"Tha's a great idea!" Harley chirped. She raised her walkie talkie to her lips. "Hey, Red, c'mon over and watch this. Demon Bird's jumpin' inta the hyena pit."
Red Robin turned, and nodded at Gordon, who lifted his own radio. "Allen, Montoya. If Isley stops threatening the hostages, let her through."
There was a squawk, but Red Robin couldn't hear the words. Gordon sighed.
"Well then, relax the cordon and get those people down," he instructed. After a moment, he nodded. "In control at the croc pond."
"Then if you'd like to release your hostages, we can get this done," Red Robin said, turning back to Joker.
Joker grinned. "If you would care to jump…"
"Weapons away from them."
Joker took three steps away from his hostages, as did Harley. "You lot, come here," a police captain Red Robin did not recognize snapped. The hostages broke ranks and fled to safety.
Red Robin balanced on his toes for a mere second, before flipping down to the hyenas. The beasts started circling him, and he found himself automatically reaching for his staff. There was the distinctive laugh-like growl.
Then he spotted something. Joker was tossing another child in after him. Red Robin jumped, and caught the young boy, but landed heavily almost underneath a hyena. He scrambled to his feet, the child a screaming weight in his arms, and backed away. He looped the kid's arms around his neck, and swung him onto his back. "Hold tight, kid," he growled.
"Oracle. Tell Gordon I've got this. Focus on the other hostages."
"Got it," Oracle replied. "Isley's heading roughly in your direction-"
"Tell Gordon; I'm busy," he snapped, just as one hyena lunged at him. He dodged and backed up further, but then the screaming began.
AN: So, a still somewhat ropey Joker, but I'm trying to make up for it with plot. Any luck?
Also updating, Jason and the Argonauts, with a bit of a tiff in the 31st century. Next week, Tim is still trying to get away from the hyenas here in Black and Red, JA goes back to the present, and, if you're really lucky, I might manage to scrounge up a Little Bird's Vengeance chapter. No guarantees, but...I have a few ideas.
Please review!
Katara