Chapter 4
Xander had only ridden a motorcycle once but he figured the suit would protect him if anything happened. He just had to get out of there. Gotham city loomed in the distance, seeming to shadow the suburbs and suck in the light, quickly turning it into darkness. Xander felt the need to go around the shadows and not enter them. He was a suburbanite. Unfortunately, and he knew it.
He tried to think about Sketch and the possible connection between him and the Joker other than the Joker driving him crazy but the answer eluded him. He thought of all the comic books he had read about the Joker. He almost laughed. Everyone had told him that reading comic books was a waste of time but now he depended on the knowledge he gained from them.
He wished he had a map of Gotham and the surrounding area as he drove further from Wayne Manor. The area he was driving towards seemed to be on the bad part of town. As much as he wanted to turn back Xander wanted to continue because he felt, in the pit of his stomach the key to the whole situation wasn't far away.
*************
In truth Xander was right. He wasn't very far away from the dilapidated amusement park the joker called home. Deep in the bowels of the amusement park was his hideout along with the mad cartoonist Sketch.
"What are you going to bring to me today?" The Joker asked Sketch. He walked around the grimy room that the cartoonist called home. It was more like a nest, as the endless stacks of papers became stuck to the floor and walls. The man seemed to exude dirt and grease.
"Something dark, and vile. Something wild." The cartoonist answered as always, his fingers flying over the page. It was going to take a few minutes and the Joker grew bored easily so he left the room, careful to leave it in almost pitch darkness while he made his way to his "Zoo" or otherwise called "Freak Show".
Some of the cages were metal but some were of a shimmery material that Sketch insisted the voices told him were magic. The Joker didn't care. He was grooming his pets to release on the city. There was only one key that he was missing...
"Soon I will rule Gotham city. Then the world." He heard the portal open behind him and he snatched the keys to a cage.
****************************
Xander looked at his watch. He hadn't realized how long he had been cruising around. Gazing down the street, still with the feeling the answer was just out of reach he turned his motorcycle back toward Wayne Manor.
He was driving for awhile but things didn't look familiar. He was pretty sure he hadn't taken a wrong turn. The trip had been almost straight. He stopped his motorcycle outside a restaurant and walked inside. People stopped and stared. He was wearing his outfit. His face flushed red but he swallowed his pride and walked to a booth. Someone came over with a menu.
"Are you Xander Harris, the super hero? I can't wait until the new issue comes out. It said that this one was huge and that you were fighting a really big villain. I can't believe you're real. I always thought you were just a comic book." the woman said.
"I'm real." Xander said uncomfortably.
"Your food is on us. It's such an honor." The woman walked away without even taking his order. Xander was slightly stunned. Back home they never assumed superheroes were real. But maybe since Batman was real they just assumed Xander had been. Thinking about it gave him a headache so he eagerly accepted the food she brought him.
It took him a few hours to get through dinner because every one wanted pictures and autographs. Finally he was able to escape. He got on his motorcycle and drove away. He forgot to ask for directions because he was so worried about leaving. Shrugging to himself he drove away into the twilight.
Back at Wayne Manor Bruce was getting worried. "Alfred you remember what happened to Robin the night he went out on his own."
"Yes sir. But boys will be boys. I do not think Xander is quite the same as other young masters."
"Yes. And he has more experience." Bruce admitted.
"The Bat signal sir." Bruce turned around in his chair and looked out the large bay window that gave him a view of Gotham city.
"I'll have to find Xander on my way." Bruce said with a frown. He got up and headed to the Batcave.
Xander found himself in a part of the city he didn't want to be in. Trash blew along the dark streets and he stood out like Kermit the Frog at a Vampire convention. People watched him from street corners. He was lost now and he had no clue what to do.
"Hey you." Xander turned his head and saw a large man in biker leather. He was holding a mace.
"Who me?"
"Yeah." As Xander rode past the man slashed out with the mace and it caused Xander and the bike to go flying. He closed his eyes and prayed as they landed. Amazingly he wasn't very hurt. He silently thanked Alfred for the fine craftmanship and quickly extricated himself from the wreck. "What are you supposed to be?"
"Lizardman?"
Xander had only ridden a motorcycle once but he figured the suit would protect him if anything happened. He just had to get out of there. Gotham city loomed in the distance, seeming to shadow the suburbs and suck in the light, quickly turning it into darkness. Xander felt the need to go around the shadows and not enter them. He was a suburbanite. Unfortunately, and he knew it.
He tried to think about Sketch and the possible connection between him and the Joker other than the Joker driving him crazy but the answer eluded him. He thought of all the comic books he had read about the Joker. He almost laughed. Everyone had told him that reading comic books was a waste of time but now he depended on the knowledge he gained from them.
He wished he had a map of Gotham and the surrounding area as he drove further from Wayne Manor. The area he was driving towards seemed to be on the bad part of town. As much as he wanted to turn back Xander wanted to continue because he felt, in the pit of his stomach the key to the whole situation wasn't far away.
*************
In truth Xander was right. He wasn't very far away from the dilapidated amusement park the joker called home. Deep in the bowels of the amusement park was his hideout along with the mad cartoonist Sketch.
"What are you going to bring to me today?" The Joker asked Sketch. He walked around the grimy room that the cartoonist called home. It was more like a nest, as the endless stacks of papers became stuck to the floor and walls. The man seemed to exude dirt and grease.
"Something dark, and vile. Something wild." The cartoonist answered as always, his fingers flying over the page. It was going to take a few minutes and the Joker grew bored easily so he left the room, careful to leave it in almost pitch darkness while he made his way to his "Zoo" or otherwise called "Freak Show".
Some of the cages were metal but some were of a shimmery material that Sketch insisted the voices told him were magic. The Joker didn't care. He was grooming his pets to release on the city. There was only one key that he was missing...
"Soon I will rule Gotham city. Then the world." He heard the portal open behind him and he snatched the keys to a cage.
****************************
Xander looked at his watch. He hadn't realized how long he had been cruising around. Gazing down the street, still with the feeling the answer was just out of reach he turned his motorcycle back toward Wayne Manor.
He was driving for awhile but things didn't look familiar. He was pretty sure he hadn't taken a wrong turn. The trip had been almost straight. He stopped his motorcycle outside a restaurant and walked inside. People stopped and stared. He was wearing his outfit. His face flushed red but he swallowed his pride and walked to a booth. Someone came over with a menu.
"Are you Xander Harris, the super hero? I can't wait until the new issue comes out. It said that this one was huge and that you were fighting a really big villain. I can't believe you're real. I always thought you were just a comic book." the woman said.
"I'm real." Xander said uncomfortably.
"Your food is on us. It's such an honor." The woman walked away without even taking his order. Xander was slightly stunned. Back home they never assumed superheroes were real. But maybe since Batman was real they just assumed Xander had been. Thinking about it gave him a headache so he eagerly accepted the food she brought him.
It took him a few hours to get through dinner because every one wanted pictures and autographs. Finally he was able to escape. He got on his motorcycle and drove away. He forgot to ask for directions because he was so worried about leaving. Shrugging to himself he drove away into the twilight.
Back at Wayne Manor Bruce was getting worried. "Alfred you remember what happened to Robin the night he went out on his own."
"Yes sir. But boys will be boys. I do not think Xander is quite the same as other young masters."
"Yes. And he has more experience." Bruce admitted.
"The Bat signal sir." Bruce turned around in his chair and looked out the large bay window that gave him a view of Gotham city.
"I'll have to find Xander on my way." Bruce said with a frown. He got up and headed to the Batcave.
Xander found himself in a part of the city he didn't want to be in. Trash blew along the dark streets and he stood out like Kermit the Frog at a Vampire convention. People watched him from street corners. He was lost now and he had no clue what to do.
"Hey you." Xander turned his head and saw a large man in biker leather. He was holding a mace.
"Who me?"
"Yeah." As Xander rode past the man slashed out with the mace and it caused Xander and the bike to go flying. He closed his eyes and prayed as they landed. Amazingly he wasn't very hurt. He silently thanked Alfred for the fine craftmanship and quickly extricated himself from the wreck. "What are you supposed to be?"
"Lizardman?"