HUNTED
CHAPTER FIVE: CITY OF CRYME
Robin was staring into Edward's eyes he showed such disrespect and arrogance, but he didn't he was preoccupied by his rage that it took too much out of him to not clench his fist and prepared to lunge at the menace. His bold declaration of murdering the Oracle, was gut wrenching and made him lust for cold hard vengeance.
"Do I smell a certain essence of anger Robin? Well do not let it amount to anything Mister Drake is it?"
Taken aback Tim nearly fell where he stood, it was shocking and this left him and his family open to anything.
"You leave me alter identity out of this Edward."
"But why should I? You know all of our identities, why not we know yours as well? But do not fret your little head. I am not interested in either your or any of the other heroes' families. In any case all the fun of discovering, your identity and those of your partners was drained when they were simply given too me."
"I swear to God Riddler. Who else knows?"
"Well for starters, Scarface there. Oswald, Waylon, Matt, and a few more of us simple Gothamites."
Turning to Catwoman in utter horror Robin spoke. "Catwoman"
"No need you may call her Selena, I know her name as well."
"SHUT UP!"
Robin hurled towards the Riddler, Catwoman dropped low and bent back to use her whip and grab a hold of Scarface to toss him into one of their thugs. Robin kicked the gun away and went to work on Edward's torso, pounding it with his fists and foot. The Riddler grabbed his fist and pushed it back twisting it upwards and nearly breaking his arm before a stray gun shot struck Edward in the arm and he reached to hold it. Tim punches his face several times in a fit of rage.
"You do you work for!"
Laughing the Riddler passed into unconsciousness and Robin continued to punch until Selena pulled him off and the blood started to spray across his uniform.
"We have to get to my house."
The Drake Home
Jack Drake was waiting for his son to come home as he watched terrifying news reports of a second gang war, he was shocked to say the least, but more worried about his son than anything else. He heard a knock on the door and moved to answer it eyes still glued to the television screen he barely caught a glimpse of the massive reptilian-like human before he was thrown into the TV. Looking up his back sore; he pu8t his hands up to defend against the punch that landed in his left cheek and threw him to the ground.
"Alright spread out and get control of this house. And you close the door, we got babysitting duty until were all in place."
Wayne Manor
As Alfred went to answer the door he heard suspicious grunts and when he peaked out the window he saw him, the massive and gelatinous glob that was Clayface. The door was pummeled in and Alfred was grabbed and tossed carelessly into a large grandfather clock. It opened and reveals a massive stairway to the Batcave just as Clayface had planned to find. He entered Wayne Manor alone and bound Alfred with a projectile of clay from his self. Firing metal density pellets at a glass like transparent computer system smashing it to pieces and crushing the glass cases displaying old costumes and villain memorabilia.
"Dirty Bats, been under our nose this hole time."
Flinging his mass into the air he smashed down on the old Batmobiles and vehicles with a few short minutes he had turned the once secluded sanctimonious Batcave into a pile of rubble and dust.
Gotham Park
Robin was still struck by what happened with the Riddler and even more so by his statement. His terrifying words gripped him in a heat of powerful emotions, anger, hate, depression it all rang through none of it clear. His clues had lead him back to Gotham Park where he and Catwoman were lead to the Station. The smell of flames was nearby, but it wasn't close enough to set fire to the Park; Gotham had nearly been engulfed in flames now. Huge portions of the city were on fire large skyscrapers turned into high beacons of fire dazzling onlookers and horrifying tenets.
"Selena, why are we here we should be at our homes protecting our friends and family."
"Listen kid, just calm down they won't hurt them until it's a last resort. For now it keeps some of them off our backs and occupied, maybe even one of our friends could enlist help before being attacked. We need to find where Freeze went and why our communications are down."
"We need to get Batman back."
"Don't I know it."
Thompkins Clinic
Bruce was waking up now, his entire body ached and it hurt to breath suddenly noticing where he was and what had happened he touched his face to ensure his mask was still on. Seeing the elderly face of Leslie Thompkins put him at ease, she was trusted and wouldn't blab about his secret.
"Good your awake. Take it easy, your out of triage and you'll recover just give it a while."
Pushing up to sit on his elbows he looked around, as he scanned the room he saw Batgirl and Tarantula waiting. He turned to the side of the bed and put his feet out to stand. Before Leslie could object he was on his feet and looking for the rest of his uniform.
"Unfortunately I don't have that luxury Doctor Thompkins."
As he came over to Batgirl and Tarantula to get an update he saw a special suitcase waiting for him.
"And that would be?"
Batgirl pulled it up and propped it on her arms opening it, it revealed a new Batman uniform. The basic design was the same, but where the Bat symbol was it extended to the arm pit and met with the uit under it connecting the cape there. It had reinforced Kevlar and Phonox weave in all parts of the suit providing protection and extra punch. And Batman put it on he liked the new color scheme, Black and silver with a marine cape he cracked his neck and tightened his gloves.
"And who is this courtesy of?"
Tarantula stepped forward. "Wayne Tech Enterprises. Alfred had us give it too you."
"Remind me to thank him."
Hard to breath and in terrible pain Batman pressed on, opening the doors to the Clinic he walked out and fired off a batline pulling him to the roof top. Meeting Batgirl and Tarantula on the next roof, he saw Nightwing and Huntress coming. As the five met on roof the formed a circle Batman at the had.
"Oracle?"
"Nothing." Nightwing said depressively.
"The Bridge?"
Tarantula shook her head and spoke. "Nothing."
"Communications?"
Huntress looked up and stared into Batman's eyes. "Nothing."
"Suspects?"
Smiling behind her mask Batgirl spoke. "Deathstroke."
"Good. Nightwing go meet up with Robin and Catwoman help them search for Oracle. The rest of us are going to find Deathstroke."
"Wait how do you know where he is." Questioned Tarantula.
"If I know Deathstroke he'll be where I think he is."
Gotham Observatory
Slade was sitting waiting. He had wrapped around him an MP-5 with enough ammo to take the Gotham First National, his broad flat sword he wielded with deadly accuracy and in his hand, his metallic allow staff and along his belt a catalogue of grenades, daggers, flash bangs and more. As he heard the four thumps and soon after clapping off feet on the roof he slowly pulled his sword from it's sheath on his back. Cracking his neck he spun the sword and look up through his single eye opening to see a flash of lightning reveal Batman, Batgirl, Huntress and Tarantula on the catwalk above. He laughed inside and smiled coyly and then spoke, his loud powerful voice billowing throughout the empty observatory. The rain began to fall as a second flash of lightning sent the quartet diving down at Slade, him standing poised and ready.
"And so the game begins."
