Gotham City: The Midnight Kingdom. It's dark allure stretched out like a
withered hand, both welcoming and mocking at the same time. Each shadow
had a soul, each tower a life of its own. It was if a giant vine had
sprouted from the ground, entwined itself around the spirit of goodness and
decency that had once shone through, and died, for all that was left
anymore was black decay. The absence of all hope..
The roar of the engines could be heard for miles on either side of the city, betraying his stealth, his secrecy. But he did not care. With hands wrenched around his steering column and sweat pouring from his brow, the Batman rocked through the city like a bullet from Hell. He could feel the column quiver as he pushed the Batmobile to its limits. But time was of the essence. Robin...Tim...was missing, in the clutches of a madman. A madman with no remorse, no reason, other than the fulfillment of his own sick humors. A madman known as The Joker.
He glanced back, and out of the corner of his eye he could see them, flying in formation. He didn't realize how quickly they'd keep catch up to him. He spared himself a moment to marvel at how their vehicle could defy both the laws of gravity and of conventional logic. Briefly he envied Tim, how he got a chance to sail through the air on a device that toyed with physics on a whispering whim.
He was taking a risk doing this. A BIG risk. He was allowing group of rogues into his city, into his closet of secrets. But secrets were something of little importance at this moment. He needed them, almost as much as they needed him. He bit down hard, a deep growl of frustration reverberating through him, and let his foot slam the floor, the Batmobile surging forward at blinding speeds.
"Dammit, Tim!" he swore in whispered tones. "You were supposed to be the sensible one!"
************
The team collectively known as Young Justice had been sitting in a somber silence since they had left their base of operations, each sitting in their prospective places. Wonder Girl and Secret sat in the back with Superboy, while Impulse took lookout at the front. Fitting, really, since he was usually the one to leap into things first. Following closely were Lil' Lobo and Anita. Lobo was riding his "hog"; a sentient motor cycle, similar to the Super Cycle, both hideous in nature and obedient to its master. Clinging tightly to his waste was Anita, better known as Empress. His cycle wove in and out around theirs, following the basic flight path that the rest of the team was. This was the standard, status quo of things.
But one thing was not status quo; the absence of their leader. Red Tornado was at the controls of the Super Cycle, a rarity indeed, for he almost never joined the team on its missions. Almost always it was Robin who was at the controls, and no one else.
But Robin was not with them. Not this time.
The team was, for the most part, eerily silent. A few words were spoken, mostly words of encouragement. Lobo could be heard grumbling something about how he hated Gotham City, though nobody seemed too keen to pay much attention to him.
Wonder Girl sat next to Superboy, her body curled into a ball, seeking some kind of warmth. The rush of winter air did little to comfort her. She glanced over at Kon, her teammate, and began to recall all the events up until now. How she first got her powers. Her first meeting with Secret. How she joined Young Justice. She glanced back over at Superboy, who reciprocated by glancing at her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, a brief moment, she felt a wave of calm rush over her. This was the man she had joined the team for. And, although he had not quite lived up to her expectations, she enjoyed his presence nonetheless. In fact, joining the team had been nothing short of a fantastic experience.
But her mind leapt back. Looking down at the darkness that pierced the horizon, at The Midnight Kingdom, she could not help but recall the events here. The gods of fear.
"You don't lead Young Justice," she had screamed in a loud voice to Robin. "I lead Young Justice!"
A rush of wind ran through her, numbing her skin. She shook involuntarily. She wished she could take back the words she said in haste. She wished that she could say how truly sorry she was.
But most of all, she wished she could go back, and relive that first day she ever met Young Justice....
Superboy gazed up at the stars above him, his mind floating as it tended to. He could feel the tension of his teammates, their doubts and fears. But he told himself to remain calm, to remain cool. Robin was a big boy. He'd seen him pull victories out of places that even HE didn't know existed. He overheard someone mention something, and, in his typical bravado, spoke words of confidence.
"He'll be fine," he had heard himself say. "We'll find him, get him out, he'll thank us, and then things'll be back to normal." He smiled as he said this, but his voice seemed to waver a bit. He didn't know why, though. He was confident that everything would be okay in the end. Young Justice always came out on top. Why should this time be any different?
He gazed back up at the stars. There sure were a lot of them. He wished Robin were there to see `em....
Red Tornado was focused on the task at hand. Driving the Super Cycle was something new to him. Normally he flew beside it, letting Robin take the controls. Robin. Deep down inside of him he felt something. Like a pit had grown inside his stomach. He once rejected humanity because he felt that he had no emotions, no connection to the people he once protected. But now he wished he was still void of said emotions.
Robin was part of the team he was supposed to monitor. Robin was the glue that held them together, kept them focused. For all it was worth, Robin was more of a guiding force than he ever was. Holding his head down, he scanned through the files of all the Robin's in the past. Three in all. Each once unique in their own way, each one special, each one with different personalities that dictated how they handled things.
Each one with the same tragic ending:
Robin 1 Status-Currently Nightwing Career Ended by Joker
Robin 2 Status-Deceased Brutally Murdered by Joker
Robin 3 Status-......
His mind, in all its precise autatomic ways, fidgeted over the last part. `Status'. It blinked in his computer mind over and over, like an incessant faucet leak. The repeat of Joker's name at the end of each file did little to soothe him. But whatever doubts he had in his mind he dissuaded him. Robin could handle himself admirably in any situation. He was, after all, trained by Batman.
But, then again, so were the other Robin's....
Below Gotham City looked like such an insignificant speck. For that matter, from above everyone looked like minuscule specks. Impulse's eyes darted across the landscape, over each alleyway and down every street corner.
*If I wasn't crazy, this kid would drive me insane.*
Joker's words echoed through his ears. He had encountered the Clown Prince of Crime once, and thankfully Batman was there with him. He had heard worse stories. `No Man's Land' came to mind. He shuddered at what Robin was going through, but was confident that he'd make it out. He was, after all, The Urban Legend. He'd fought Joker before. He knew what he was doing.
But still, something just didn't sit right, and he knew this time it wasn't the tacos he ate either. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong....
"This is the spot," Wonder Girl said, pointing down.
"Are you sure?" Superboy asked, not meaning to sound demeaning, but just meaning to ask.
"Positive," she said. The Super Cycle hovered above a large clock tower. It stood tall, compared to most clock towers. It looked as though it had been there for ages, its foundation weathered and chipped. The clock face glowed eerily, like a giant eye overlooking the city. The turning of the gears could be heard like a hum through the night air.
"So, where do we go in at?" Anita asked as the two cycles moved down for a landing.
"He said to park behind the alleyway," Wonder Girl said.
"Then that's where we park," Red Tornado responded, setting the cycle down just behind the clock tower. Dust kicked up as the cycle settled down on the pavement.
"Stay put," Tornado told the cycle as the team vacated it.
"Yeah, you too," Lobo ordered his cycle, which whimpered as he scolded it.
The team made their way in through a side entrance that Batman had told them about and proceeded up a long and winding stairway. Those that could fly flew, but at a slow pace. Even Impulse kept things at a nominal walking pace. The sound of the winding clock grounded through the stairway like a squeaky tire, and their footsteps echoed like hammers. Aside from Lobo, who obviously was just along for the ride, the team was overtly fidgety. This was Batman's turf. And there wasn't a single thing about Batman that didn't make the team edgy.
They approached a large set of doors. Superboy moved to the front of the group, alongside Red Tornado, and together they entered the unknown ahead of them, the group following close behind.
"WHO GOES THERE???" a voice thundered. Before them hovered a giant head. The head hovered near the ceiling, glowing an eerie green. The face was like nothing any of them had ever seen before, and it is accurate to say that the entire team, including Lobo, collectively wet themselves at the sight.
"CRIKEY!!!" Impulse hollered.
"IN HERA'S NAME...!" Wonder Girl also said.
They stood there for what seemed hours, though were mere seconds, before Impulse actually said something.
"We...we were sent by Batman..." He stammered.
The head hovered there for a moment, then, in a blink of an eye, vanished. The room was eerily quiet for a second or so, then a door, out of nowhere, opened before them. The team half-expected some hideous creature to come forth. They were taken aback, however, when they were greeted by a cute redhead in a wheelchair.
"You must be Young Justice," she said, her voice weary. "Robin's told me so much about you. Come in."
"Whoa, talk about your `Wizard of Oz' moments," Empress commented as the team made their way inside.
"IS THERE NOBODY NORMAL IN THIS TOWN?!?" Lobo exclaimed, frustrated, as the mind of Impulse pictured the image of the redhead behind a curtain, Toto pulling away the drapes as the head floated above them.
The team entered the room, single file, led by the young lady in the wheelchair. The glow from the clock faces filled the room with an eerie hue, as the team marveled at its size. The clock head seemed much smaller from the outside. Along the wall, near the corner closest to them, were arranged a gaggle of computer monitors, connected to a hard drive that would have made Bill Gates green with envy. Several desks lined the walls, each piled to the brim with files and maps from all over the world. Clocks, also, lined the frame work, giving times of places all over the world, from Metropolis all the way to Hong Kong.
Despite all that filled the room, and despite all the sources of light, which permeated through each crack and crevice, the shadows still blanketed, like a black sackcloth, over what the light did not touch. Even here, where technology seemed to prevail, the darkness of the Midnight Kingdom slighted with its cold touch.
"WhoalookatthatwowIdintknowtheymadethatanymorewhatsthatbuttondo..." Impulse zipped through the room at speeds that defied thought, examining each corner with high speed efficiency.
"Hey, nice statue," he noted as he passed an unmoving figure in the corner.
"I am not a statue," the figure said, striding out from the shadows. She was clad in lavender and black, her hair falling on her shoulders, a cross gleaming from her chest. Her eyes pierced through to Impulse's soul, freezing him in his place. As if taking a cue, several more individuals emerged from the shadows, like mythical creatures of the night.
"Young Justice," the young red head spoke, spinning her chair around to face them. "I'd like to introduce the Bat Family." She motioned to the small contingent of spandex clad warriors standing off in the corner.
"Nightwing."
"Pleasure to meet you."
"Azrael."
"Greetings."
"Batgirl."
"...."
"And Huntress, which Impulse has already had the...*ahem* `esteemed pleasure' of meeting."
"Whatever."
The team gazed in awe at the members of the `Bat Family'. They instantly recognized Nightwing, his black costume adorned with his trademark blue symbol running across his chest. Batgirl, too, stood out amongst the others. She glared at them, as if studying their actions, learning from their motions. The others were a little more vague. Huntress, a few of them noted, was a former Justice League member. Her lavender and black costume hid a woman whose heard filled with crimson, her hands stained with blood. Azrael, however, none of them really recognized. His costume was much brighter than the others, making him stand out the most. He looked almost like an angel to some of them, the way he was adorned. But other than that nothing about him screamed to be noticed. It was as if he was there simply because he had been told to do so.
"And who, if I might be so bold, are you, young lady?" Red Tornado asked politely. She smiled a bit, slightly humored.
"Just call me Oracle," she said with a friendly smile.
"Whoa," Empress whispered in awe to Wonder Girl. "This is unreal."
"Tell me about it," she responded in hushed tones. "It's like being at an angst support group."
"So, uh, I guess we've met the rest of the rescue squad," Superboy said. "But where's the main cheese? Where's Batman?"
Like a whisper of wind, a mass of shadow whipped through a nearby window, its wings fluttering as it touched ground. The mass rose from the ground where it landed, rising tall above all those there. His shadow, cast by the glowing moon behind him, fell upon the members of Young Justice. His face was scowled, and his voice ruff as he spoke.
"Here," Batman said, stepping forward.
"HERA!" Wonder Girl said, clutching her heart. "Don't DO that!!!" Nightwing and Oracle allowed a slight chuckle, as they were the closest to Batman personally. Batman payed no notice to the team as a whole as he strode past them to Oracle.
"Any word yet?" he asked.
"My eyes haven't reported anything," she said, sighing. "No one's seen Joker in a while, though the word on the street is that he's been pulling a BIG recruitment drive, but to where no one knows. He's keeping quiet. Too quiet."
Batman's voice got quieter. "What about his father?"
"The family's filed a missing person's report. I managed to intercept it first, thankfully. But I don't know how long I can fool them." She slouched a bit, apparently exhausted from the efforts she'd put in.
"You've done well." He turned to face the other members, who stood at attention in the corner.
"As you well know, Robin has been missing for several days. Finding him is my primary concern, because whatever he has planned for Robin he undoubtedly has planned for the rest of Gotham." He paused, taking into consideration everything he was about to say.
"Azrael, Huntress, your jobs will be to guard the city, keep it safe. If either of you hear or see anything concerning either Robin's or Joker's whereabouts, inform me IMMEDIATELY. Otherwise, keep at your posts until further notice."
"Nightwing," he said, turning to his former partner. "As much of a brother as Robin may be to you, I must ask that you remain in Bludhaven."
"But...." he began to speak up. Batman placed his hands on his shoulders.
"I know this is hard, but someone has to guard your city, and Huntress and Azrael are going to be too busy here to do it as well as you have. Besides, if Joker or Robin should turn up there instead of in Gotham, I'm going to need someone who can handle the situation like I would. And you're the only one I can trust to do that."
Nightwing held his head low. It was a responsibility that he did not wish to handle, but knew he had to.
"I'll take care of it," he said silently, raising his head, his gaze meeting Batman's.
"Thank you," he whispered.
He turned to face Young Justice, letting his gaze fall upon each of them individually, like a general inspecting his army. His cape flowed like liquid smoke as he paced back and forth. Their hearts fell into their stomachs, all except for Red Tornado.
"Myself," he said, looking forward at nothing in particular. "I will be aiding all of you on your search, as well as Batgirl. You will do what I say, when I say, however I say to do it." He was in their faces now, glaring down, baring down upon them collectively. All but Lobo were taken aback by the ferocity in his words.
"John," he spoke to Red Tornado, referring to him by his secret identity, "you will be my go-between. Understood?"
"Completely," the android responded. Batman placed his hand on his shoulder, patting it in thanks. He said nothing, but the point was gotten across.
"I'm counting on all of you," he said, his voice cracking from exhaustion. "Don't let me down." He proceeded towards his former point of entry.
"Wait, what are we supposed to do?" Superboy asked. "Where are we supposed to go? How are we...?"
"You'll be staying at the Gotham Regale Hotel. I suggest you check in now and get some rest. You'll have a long night tomorrow."
"Wait," Wonder Girl spoke up. "What about tonight? Aren't we going to do anything now?"
From the cracks of the horizon a beam of orange crimson beamed across the landscape and through the tower, slowly filling it with natural light.
"The night's over," Batman responded. "Meet back here tomorrow, sundown. Oracle will give you your assignments then." With a whip of motion, he leapt through the window and soared through the Gotham skies against the wailing winds.
The others followed suit, each dancing through the night air as if to the beat of their own tune. Just as he was about to leap, Nightwing glanced back at the team, standing there, still unable to find any proverbial ledge to cling to.
"Good hunting," he said sympathetically. Then he, too, embraced the remaining darkness and the oncoming dawn.
The team turned to face Oracle, their eyes begging for answers that not even she could give them.
"I can provide you with civilian clothes," she said, wheeling towards the entrance of her apartment wing of the tower. "I suggest you get going soon. And please try to stay incognito."
"You're going to be dealing with the devil himself," she said as she turned to face them. "Proceed with caution. If you have any misconceptions that you can just barge in and save the day, dispense with them now."
"Just who are you, anyways?" Anita asked, both curious and confused at the same time.
"I'm the victim of a Joker punch line," she said darkly. Her wheels squeaked as she moved out of the soft hum of computers and monitors and into a room of normalcy, Young Justice following suit, their minds suddenly cluttered with confusion and uncertainty.
Secret, however, remained, her mists gently caressing each stone crevice as she gazed down at a nearby table. She reached down, her hand lifting a picture that seemed to catch her eye.
"Robin...." she whispered as her eyes, and her fingertips, ran over the picture of the Urban Legend. A tear fell from her cheek, splattering on the picture, and tricked down to the floor.
She turned quickly, and joined the group in their preparations for the long task ahead of them.
Four days until New Years....
The roar of the engines could be heard for miles on either side of the city, betraying his stealth, his secrecy. But he did not care. With hands wrenched around his steering column and sweat pouring from his brow, the Batman rocked through the city like a bullet from Hell. He could feel the column quiver as he pushed the Batmobile to its limits. But time was of the essence. Robin...Tim...was missing, in the clutches of a madman. A madman with no remorse, no reason, other than the fulfillment of his own sick humors. A madman known as The Joker.
He glanced back, and out of the corner of his eye he could see them, flying in formation. He didn't realize how quickly they'd keep catch up to him. He spared himself a moment to marvel at how their vehicle could defy both the laws of gravity and of conventional logic. Briefly he envied Tim, how he got a chance to sail through the air on a device that toyed with physics on a whispering whim.
He was taking a risk doing this. A BIG risk. He was allowing group of rogues into his city, into his closet of secrets. But secrets were something of little importance at this moment. He needed them, almost as much as they needed him. He bit down hard, a deep growl of frustration reverberating through him, and let his foot slam the floor, the Batmobile surging forward at blinding speeds.
"Dammit, Tim!" he swore in whispered tones. "You were supposed to be the sensible one!"
************
The team collectively known as Young Justice had been sitting in a somber silence since they had left their base of operations, each sitting in their prospective places. Wonder Girl and Secret sat in the back with Superboy, while Impulse took lookout at the front. Fitting, really, since he was usually the one to leap into things first. Following closely were Lil' Lobo and Anita. Lobo was riding his "hog"; a sentient motor cycle, similar to the Super Cycle, both hideous in nature and obedient to its master. Clinging tightly to his waste was Anita, better known as Empress. His cycle wove in and out around theirs, following the basic flight path that the rest of the team was. This was the standard, status quo of things.
But one thing was not status quo; the absence of their leader. Red Tornado was at the controls of the Super Cycle, a rarity indeed, for he almost never joined the team on its missions. Almost always it was Robin who was at the controls, and no one else.
But Robin was not with them. Not this time.
The team was, for the most part, eerily silent. A few words were spoken, mostly words of encouragement. Lobo could be heard grumbling something about how he hated Gotham City, though nobody seemed too keen to pay much attention to him.
Wonder Girl sat next to Superboy, her body curled into a ball, seeking some kind of warmth. The rush of winter air did little to comfort her. She glanced over at Kon, her teammate, and began to recall all the events up until now. How she first got her powers. Her first meeting with Secret. How she joined Young Justice. She glanced back over at Superboy, who reciprocated by glancing at her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, a brief moment, she felt a wave of calm rush over her. This was the man she had joined the team for. And, although he had not quite lived up to her expectations, she enjoyed his presence nonetheless. In fact, joining the team had been nothing short of a fantastic experience.
But her mind leapt back. Looking down at the darkness that pierced the horizon, at The Midnight Kingdom, she could not help but recall the events here. The gods of fear.
"You don't lead Young Justice," she had screamed in a loud voice to Robin. "I lead Young Justice!"
A rush of wind ran through her, numbing her skin. She shook involuntarily. She wished she could take back the words she said in haste. She wished that she could say how truly sorry she was.
But most of all, she wished she could go back, and relive that first day she ever met Young Justice....
Superboy gazed up at the stars above him, his mind floating as it tended to. He could feel the tension of his teammates, their doubts and fears. But he told himself to remain calm, to remain cool. Robin was a big boy. He'd seen him pull victories out of places that even HE didn't know existed. He overheard someone mention something, and, in his typical bravado, spoke words of confidence.
"He'll be fine," he had heard himself say. "We'll find him, get him out, he'll thank us, and then things'll be back to normal." He smiled as he said this, but his voice seemed to waver a bit. He didn't know why, though. He was confident that everything would be okay in the end. Young Justice always came out on top. Why should this time be any different?
He gazed back up at the stars. There sure were a lot of them. He wished Robin were there to see `em....
Red Tornado was focused on the task at hand. Driving the Super Cycle was something new to him. Normally he flew beside it, letting Robin take the controls. Robin. Deep down inside of him he felt something. Like a pit had grown inside his stomach. He once rejected humanity because he felt that he had no emotions, no connection to the people he once protected. But now he wished he was still void of said emotions.
Robin was part of the team he was supposed to monitor. Robin was the glue that held them together, kept them focused. For all it was worth, Robin was more of a guiding force than he ever was. Holding his head down, he scanned through the files of all the Robin's in the past. Three in all. Each once unique in their own way, each one special, each one with different personalities that dictated how they handled things.
Each one with the same tragic ending:
Robin 1 Status-Currently Nightwing Career Ended by Joker
Robin 2 Status-Deceased Brutally Murdered by Joker
Robin 3 Status-......
His mind, in all its precise autatomic ways, fidgeted over the last part. `Status'. It blinked in his computer mind over and over, like an incessant faucet leak. The repeat of Joker's name at the end of each file did little to soothe him. But whatever doubts he had in his mind he dissuaded him. Robin could handle himself admirably in any situation. He was, after all, trained by Batman.
But, then again, so were the other Robin's....
Below Gotham City looked like such an insignificant speck. For that matter, from above everyone looked like minuscule specks. Impulse's eyes darted across the landscape, over each alleyway and down every street corner.
*If I wasn't crazy, this kid would drive me insane.*
Joker's words echoed through his ears. He had encountered the Clown Prince of Crime once, and thankfully Batman was there with him. He had heard worse stories. `No Man's Land' came to mind. He shuddered at what Robin was going through, but was confident that he'd make it out. He was, after all, The Urban Legend. He'd fought Joker before. He knew what he was doing.
But still, something just didn't sit right, and he knew this time it wasn't the tacos he ate either. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong....
"This is the spot," Wonder Girl said, pointing down.
"Are you sure?" Superboy asked, not meaning to sound demeaning, but just meaning to ask.
"Positive," she said. The Super Cycle hovered above a large clock tower. It stood tall, compared to most clock towers. It looked as though it had been there for ages, its foundation weathered and chipped. The clock face glowed eerily, like a giant eye overlooking the city. The turning of the gears could be heard like a hum through the night air.
"So, where do we go in at?" Anita asked as the two cycles moved down for a landing.
"He said to park behind the alleyway," Wonder Girl said.
"Then that's where we park," Red Tornado responded, setting the cycle down just behind the clock tower. Dust kicked up as the cycle settled down on the pavement.
"Stay put," Tornado told the cycle as the team vacated it.
"Yeah, you too," Lobo ordered his cycle, which whimpered as he scolded it.
The team made their way in through a side entrance that Batman had told them about and proceeded up a long and winding stairway. Those that could fly flew, but at a slow pace. Even Impulse kept things at a nominal walking pace. The sound of the winding clock grounded through the stairway like a squeaky tire, and their footsteps echoed like hammers. Aside from Lobo, who obviously was just along for the ride, the team was overtly fidgety. This was Batman's turf. And there wasn't a single thing about Batman that didn't make the team edgy.
They approached a large set of doors. Superboy moved to the front of the group, alongside Red Tornado, and together they entered the unknown ahead of them, the group following close behind.
"WHO GOES THERE???" a voice thundered. Before them hovered a giant head. The head hovered near the ceiling, glowing an eerie green. The face was like nothing any of them had ever seen before, and it is accurate to say that the entire team, including Lobo, collectively wet themselves at the sight.
"CRIKEY!!!" Impulse hollered.
"IN HERA'S NAME...!" Wonder Girl also said.
They stood there for what seemed hours, though were mere seconds, before Impulse actually said something.
"We...we were sent by Batman..." He stammered.
The head hovered there for a moment, then, in a blink of an eye, vanished. The room was eerily quiet for a second or so, then a door, out of nowhere, opened before them. The team half-expected some hideous creature to come forth. They were taken aback, however, when they were greeted by a cute redhead in a wheelchair.
"You must be Young Justice," she said, her voice weary. "Robin's told me so much about you. Come in."
"Whoa, talk about your `Wizard of Oz' moments," Empress commented as the team made their way inside.
"IS THERE NOBODY NORMAL IN THIS TOWN?!?" Lobo exclaimed, frustrated, as the mind of Impulse pictured the image of the redhead behind a curtain, Toto pulling away the drapes as the head floated above them.
The team entered the room, single file, led by the young lady in the wheelchair. The glow from the clock faces filled the room with an eerie hue, as the team marveled at its size. The clock head seemed much smaller from the outside. Along the wall, near the corner closest to them, were arranged a gaggle of computer monitors, connected to a hard drive that would have made Bill Gates green with envy. Several desks lined the walls, each piled to the brim with files and maps from all over the world. Clocks, also, lined the frame work, giving times of places all over the world, from Metropolis all the way to Hong Kong.
Despite all that filled the room, and despite all the sources of light, which permeated through each crack and crevice, the shadows still blanketed, like a black sackcloth, over what the light did not touch. Even here, where technology seemed to prevail, the darkness of the Midnight Kingdom slighted with its cold touch.
"WhoalookatthatwowIdintknowtheymadethatanymorewhatsthatbuttondo..." Impulse zipped through the room at speeds that defied thought, examining each corner with high speed efficiency.
"Hey, nice statue," he noted as he passed an unmoving figure in the corner.
"I am not a statue," the figure said, striding out from the shadows. She was clad in lavender and black, her hair falling on her shoulders, a cross gleaming from her chest. Her eyes pierced through to Impulse's soul, freezing him in his place. As if taking a cue, several more individuals emerged from the shadows, like mythical creatures of the night.
"Young Justice," the young red head spoke, spinning her chair around to face them. "I'd like to introduce the Bat Family." She motioned to the small contingent of spandex clad warriors standing off in the corner.
"Nightwing."
"Pleasure to meet you."
"Azrael."
"Greetings."
"Batgirl."
"...."
"And Huntress, which Impulse has already had the...*ahem* `esteemed pleasure' of meeting."
"Whatever."
The team gazed in awe at the members of the `Bat Family'. They instantly recognized Nightwing, his black costume adorned with his trademark blue symbol running across his chest. Batgirl, too, stood out amongst the others. She glared at them, as if studying their actions, learning from their motions. The others were a little more vague. Huntress, a few of them noted, was a former Justice League member. Her lavender and black costume hid a woman whose heard filled with crimson, her hands stained with blood. Azrael, however, none of them really recognized. His costume was much brighter than the others, making him stand out the most. He looked almost like an angel to some of them, the way he was adorned. But other than that nothing about him screamed to be noticed. It was as if he was there simply because he had been told to do so.
"And who, if I might be so bold, are you, young lady?" Red Tornado asked politely. She smiled a bit, slightly humored.
"Just call me Oracle," she said with a friendly smile.
"Whoa," Empress whispered in awe to Wonder Girl. "This is unreal."
"Tell me about it," she responded in hushed tones. "It's like being at an angst support group."
"So, uh, I guess we've met the rest of the rescue squad," Superboy said. "But where's the main cheese? Where's Batman?"
Like a whisper of wind, a mass of shadow whipped through a nearby window, its wings fluttering as it touched ground. The mass rose from the ground where it landed, rising tall above all those there. His shadow, cast by the glowing moon behind him, fell upon the members of Young Justice. His face was scowled, and his voice ruff as he spoke.
"Here," Batman said, stepping forward.
"HERA!" Wonder Girl said, clutching her heart. "Don't DO that!!!" Nightwing and Oracle allowed a slight chuckle, as they were the closest to Batman personally. Batman payed no notice to the team as a whole as he strode past them to Oracle.
"Any word yet?" he asked.
"My eyes haven't reported anything," she said, sighing. "No one's seen Joker in a while, though the word on the street is that he's been pulling a BIG recruitment drive, but to where no one knows. He's keeping quiet. Too quiet."
Batman's voice got quieter. "What about his father?"
"The family's filed a missing person's report. I managed to intercept it first, thankfully. But I don't know how long I can fool them." She slouched a bit, apparently exhausted from the efforts she'd put in.
"You've done well." He turned to face the other members, who stood at attention in the corner.
"As you well know, Robin has been missing for several days. Finding him is my primary concern, because whatever he has planned for Robin he undoubtedly has planned for the rest of Gotham." He paused, taking into consideration everything he was about to say.
"Azrael, Huntress, your jobs will be to guard the city, keep it safe. If either of you hear or see anything concerning either Robin's or Joker's whereabouts, inform me IMMEDIATELY. Otherwise, keep at your posts until further notice."
"Nightwing," he said, turning to his former partner. "As much of a brother as Robin may be to you, I must ask that you remain in Bludhaven."
"But...." he began to speak up. Batman placed his hands on his shoulders.
"I know this is hard, but someone has to guard your city, and Huntress and Azrael are going to be too busy here to do it as well as you have. Besides, if Joker or Robin should turn up there instead of in Gotham, I'm going to need someone who can handle the situation like I would. And you're the only one I can trust to do that."
Nightwing held his head low. It was a responsibility that he did not wish to handle, but knew he had to.
"I'll take care of it," he said silently, raising his head, his gaze meeting Batman's.
"Thank you," he whispered.
He turned to face Young Justice, letting his gaze fall upon each of them individually, like a general inspecting his army. His cape flowed like liquid smoke as he paced back and forth. Their hearts fell into their stomachs, all except for Red Tornado.
"Myself," he said, looking forward at nothing in particular. "I will be aiding all of you on your search, as well as Batgirl. You will do what I say, when I say, however I say to do it." He was in their faces now, glaring down, baring down upon them collectively. All but Lobo were taken aback by the ferocity in his words.
"John," he spoke to Red Tornado, referring to him by his secret identity, "you will be my go-between. Understood?"
"Completely," the android responded. Batman placed his hand on his shoulder, patting it in thanks. He said nothing, but the point was gotten across.
"I'm counting on all of you," he said, his voice cracking from exhaustion. "Don't let me down." He proceeded towards his former point of entry.
"Wait, what are we supposed to do?" Superboy asked. "Where are we supposed to go? How are we...?"
"You'll be staying at the Gotham Regale Hotel. I suggest you check in now and get some rest. You'll have a long night tomorrow."
"Wait," Wonder Girl spoke up. "What about tonight? Aren't we going to do anything now?"
From the cracks of the horizon a beam of orange crimson beamed across the landscape and through the tower, slowly filling it with natural light.
"The night's over," Batman responded. "Meet back here tomorrow, sundown. Oracle will give you your assignments then." With a whip of motion, he leapt through the window and soared through the Gotham skies against the wailing winds.
The others followed suit, each dancing through the night air as if to the beat of their own tune. Just as he was about to leap, Nightwing glanced back at the team, standing there, still unable to find any proverbial ledge to cling to.
"Good hunting," he said sympathetically. Then he, too, embraced the remaining darkness and the oncoming dawn.
The team turned to face Oracle, their eyes begging for answers that not even she could give them.
"I can provide you with civilian clothes," she said, wheeling towards the entrance of her apartment wing of the tower. "I suggest you get going soon. And please try to stay incognito."
"You're going to be dealing with the devil himself," she said as she turned to face them. "Proceed with caution. If you have any misconceptions that you can just barge in and save the day, dispense with them now."
"Just who are you, anyways?" Anita asked, both curious and confused at the same time.
"I'm the victim of a Joker punch line," she said darkly. Her wheels squeaked as she moved out of the soft hum of computers and monitors and into a room of normalcy, Young Justice following suit, their minds suddenly cluttered with confusion and uncertainty.
Secret, however, remained, her mists gently caressing each stone crevice as she gazed down at a nearby table. She reached down, her hand lifting a picture that seemed to catch her eye.
"Robin...." she whispered as her eyes, and her fingertips, ran over the picture of the Urban Legend. A tear fell from her cheek, splattering on the picture, and tricked down to the floor.
She turned quickly, and joined the group in their preparations for the long task ahead of them.
Four days until New Years....