Was going to post this earlier today but I just got back from seeing Shazam. Which was great by the way. Surprisingly scary for the tone they were going. But I loved it.
"Run, step on it!"
A pair of robbers just finished robbing the first national bank of Gotham. Piling into the car the driver slammed on the gas zooming away before the cops showed up.
"Nice job!" one of the robbers laughed as he gave the other robber a high five. "In and out before the cops or Batgirl showed up."
"How much we get away with this time?" The driver asked
"From the look of it at least a few thousand," The robber holding the bag replied "Maybe even tens of thousands."
"Ah man Santa Prisca here I come!" The other robber replied. "I can't wait to get a tan."
Suddenly the driver slammed on his brakes, causing the bag of money to nearly spill out of hands of the robber holding it.
"Why the hell are we stopped?" The robber holding the money asked.
The driver pointed in front of him and the robbers turned to see a tall, grey skinned being standing in the middle of the road, neither budging or making a sound.
Furious the robber holding the bag of loot rolled down his window and started yelling at the being.
"Hey dumb ass? You trying to get ran over? Get out of the road now!"
The being didn't move. Having enough of this thing, the robber sat down the money bag, took out his gun and approached the thing.
"Buddy, if you don't move right now I swear I'm going to scatter your brains all over these godforsaken streets."
The being suddenly grabbed the robbers wrist. Snapping it so far backwards his bone could be heard snapping clear from inside the car. Dropping the gun the robber fell to his knees. That is when the monster grabbed him, lifted him over his head and carried him to the edge of the bridge.
"What are you doing? WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
The monster didn't answer, instead just throwing the robber off the bridge. The man crashed into a tree, impaling himself on a sharp tree branch, he was dead within seconds.
The driver and other robber stood frozen in horror at what they just saw. Finally the driver slammed on the gas in a attempt to get as far away from this thing as possible.
They didn't get far though before they heard something slam against the roof of the car. A hand suddenly came crashing through the roof, grabbing the driver and sending him flying out of the car and into the streets. With no driver the car went spinning out of control, the car went flying off the bridge railing sending it and the other robber crashing into the lake below, exploding as it made contact.
The driver crawled on his belly, trying to get away from the mad thing chasing him, but he soon felt the foot of the beast on his back, pinning him down.
"No, please!" The driver begged, "I'm just the driver, I didn't do any of the... AAAGGHH!"
The monster dug his thumbs into the driver's eye sockets, gouging his eyeballs out. Digging into the driver's pocket's he found a large hunters knife, pressing the blade against the driver's right ear he made a quick and deep slash that went across the driver's lips and into the driver's left ear.
The monster's wicked deed done he dropped the knife next to the drivers and walked off. Just like last time Selina and Hugo was sitting in a van and watching from a computer a short distance away.
"How much longer do you plan on doing this?" Selina asked
"Until Gotham is completely cleansed."
"Your a fool, Gotham can never be cleansed of crime cause Gotham the most crime ridden hell hole in the world. Why do you think we got people like Batgirl picking up the cops slack? You'll die before you completely cleanse Gotham."
"Don't underestimate me Miss Kyle, I got friends in high places that will ensure everything goes as planned. The question is Catwoman, do you want to live to see it prosper?"
Selina froze and her face went pale, lowering her head she nodded, in fear of Hugo's threat.
"Then I suggest you stop questioning me." Hugo turned off the computer as the monster walked into the back of the van and into it's cage. "Now there is another lab in Metropolis I need you to get into. My army must be completed by the end of the month."
"Hugo, I'm warning you, releasing a army of these things into a populated city will conclude in thousands of innocent people dying along with the guilty."
"Then the survivors can build a bigger and better Gotham out of their ashes."
"Batgirl is going to stop you."
"She can try." Hugo chuckled as he started the van and drove off "She can try."
The masked vigilante was the first to discover the bodies. Coming up to driver, whose body laid in the middle of the road, he picked up the knife and started examining for finger prints, only to discover there was none."
"Hugo must of burned that things fingerprints off when creating that thing." The vigilante thought to himself. "That's going to make it harder to track."
"Don't move!" The vigilante heard a female voice order behind him. Turning around he saw Batgirl standing behind him, a batarange in hand and ready to use it. "Drop the knife and turn around slowly."
The vigilante obeyed, but not without explaining himself. "This is not what it looks like Batgirl."
"Then why were you holding a knife covered in what I assume is the victim's blood?"
"Doing the same thing you do, studying the crime scene to try to find the thing responsible."
"Why should I believe you?"
Frowning the vigilante turned the body around to show Batgirl the extent of the stab wound. The cut was three inches deep and went from ear to ear and pass the guy's lips. "Could a human my size leave a cut this deep?" Batgirl's eyes widened in shock at the deepness of the cut, but she agreed that this masked vigilante could not of left that clean of a cut to go along with that size.
"We are on the same side you and I?" The vigilante assisted.
"Wait, I recognize that uniform. Batman's old sidekick used to wear one just as identical. Why are you dressed up as the Robin?"
"Why are you dressed as the bat?" Robin shot back.
"Don't get smart with me." Batgirl snarled "Answer my question!"
"You have been a inspiration to everyone in Gotham, including me. I have taken it upon myself to take up the Robin mantle because of you. As I said, we are on the same side."
Batgirl was surprised, this new Robin has taken up the mantle, because of her. No, this couldn't be right .
"No," Batgirl shook her head and turned away.
"No?"
"You may dress as Robin, but you are not Robin."
"And you are not Batman!" Robin snapped back.
"Your damn right I'm not the Batman! I'm Batgirl. I'm my own damn hero. And I'm going to tell you this just once. Stay out of my way. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into. This business will destroy you mentally and physically until all that is left of you is a shell of your former self."
"What's going on here?" Talia asked walking up to the crime scene. Several more police cars arrived including the car belonging to Barbara's father Jim. Talia gave one look at Robin and groaned "Aw great you got your own Robin now."
"No, he's not with me." Batgirl snapped as she started to walk away. "And do me a favor, if you see him again, lock him up."
"What?" Robin snapped running up to her. "You can't do this!"
"Trust me kid, I'm saving your life, I'm better off alone!"
"You can't do this alone!" Robin protested, "Not with this guy, I know who is behind this monster!"
Batgirl turned around when Robin mentioned that. Even Talia turned her head around a little and raised one eye brow, curios at what Robin knew.
"His name is Hugo Strange, he and this female burglar dressed up as a Cat has been robbing science labs all across the Gotham and Metropolis area. I don't know yet what they are stealing, but whatever it is he is used them to create that thing, and he could be making more as we speak. We have to work together on this, it's the only way to stop him."
Batgirl didn't say anything, instead just getting on her bike and speeding off.
"Batgirl wait!" Robin protested, "You can't do this alone!"
"If I were you?" Talia replied walking up and putting a hand on Robin's shoulder "I'd take her advice."
When Barbara reached the Batcave she instantly got on the Bat Computer and started looking up everything she could on Hugo Strange. She was so into finding out who this Hugo Strange was she didn't hear Alfred walk up to her.
"I suppose we aren't going to talk about your little incident with the new Robin are we?"
"You were listening in weren't you?"
"I always listen in on you when you are out there as Batgirl. Only way to keep you out of trouble."
"That kid is not Robin, no matter if he does dress like him."
"He did give you the only lead that you have at the moment, he could prove a useful alley."
"Or he could wind up as the last person to put on the Robin uniform, dead!"
"You can't keep doing this alone Barbara, a few alleys couldn't hurt."
"I'm not alone Alfred, I have you."
"I'm not out there in the battle field."
"If I allow people on the battle field with me and they get killed, I will never forgive myself."
"From the looks of it you still haven't forgiven yourself over Sarah's death."
Barbara paused then turned to give Alfred the harshest look she had ever given towards him.
"How dare you use Sarah's name in a argument, you know nothing..."
"I know how even after three years you refuse to let her go, and it's destroying you. You can't keep this up Miss Gordon. You need to let go of the past. You are getting more and more reckless out there, and you are clouding your judgement. That new Robin could be our closest lead to stopping this threat and you are pushing him away. You need to allow yourself to get close to someone again. Let this kid help you."
Barbara sighed as she got up from the computer and headed towards the exit. "Sorry Alfred, it's not that simple, if you knew, you'd understand. Sarah was the closest thing I ever had to a sister. You can't just replace family."
Alfred shook his head as Barbara left the Batcave. "She's becoming more and more like Bruce everyday."
Later that night Talia walked alone down a dark ally. Walking up behind a dumpster she was greeted by the shadow of a tall man.
"Batgirl knows now," Talia said "She knows Hugo is responsible for the monster."
"What else does she know?" The shadowy figure asked
"Nothing else yet fortunately but it's only a matter of time before she links it back to you. Give the order, and I will send twenty of our best assassins to get rid of her right now."
"No!" The man replied
"But Father!"
"Killing Batgirl this early will only risk our plan coming out before it's ready. Let the female bat do her investigation. By the time she realizes the truth it will be to late to do anything."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Oh Talia, I haven't lived hundreds of years being foolish. This girl wears the symbol of the bat, but she is not Batman. I've had the league study her in secrecy the past couple of years, she's careless, angry, acts with her emotions before her brain."
"And refuses help from anybody." Talia added remembering how she treated this new Robin.
"Her flaws will become her downfall. We don't have to do anything, she will cause her own downfall once she comes face to face with Hugo's army?"
"And is she doesn't?"
"Then we use her anger against her and force her to become what Bruce refused to be."
"The new head of the demon." Talia realized
"Yes, should she prove worthy she just could be the new Ra's Al Ghul."
You wanted him, you got him. Ra's Al Ghul. While not originally in the plans I believe I have found a way to fit him in and make him work. If not, well at least I tried to make you all happy.