Disclaimer: I do not own any DC Characters including Batman, Superman or anyone else. They all belong to their respected authors. As for Haley Brown, He's my original Character.
Foreword from the Author: I'M REALLY REALLY SORRY BOUT THAT! I should've had this out by Wednesday (Insert Asshole here).
Hoody Boy: Elseworld Stories
The Adventures of Haley Brown
Arc One, Part Three: Something on the Side
Haley dropped onto the couch in the living room. Uncle Jim was sitting quietly in his chair reading the paper.
"How's it going Uncle Jim?" Haley sighed.
"Bad. It's been months and we still haven't caught the Joker yet." Uncle Jim answered angrily.
Glancing at his furious uncle, Haley inquired, "Why don't you put us on it?"
"Putting you on the tail end of the Joker? Haley, no offense but you'd tear this city apart trying to find him. Batman is trying his best but even he's having a hard time. He's got nothing to go on; it seems as if Joker left the country."
"More then likely he did." Haley said looking up at the ceiling.
"What? Why would you think that?"
"Come on Uncle Jim, I know you're a tough cop but even I can guess that you stumbled onto your answer." Haley said, "If I was some nut case who'd escaped from Arkham, I'd skip out to Bora Bora too. Two to one, those people you found with smiles, they paid for his ticket."
"Two to one?" Uncle Jim repeated, slightly taken back, "Come on Haley, that's a little far fetched."
"I explained my reason, take it or leave it. I've gotta get back to HQ." Haley said getting up.
"Haley?" Uncle Jim called out. Haley turned around and looked at him, "There's a masquerade ball tonight at the Plaza, why don't you and Alice stop by? You know Bruce Wayne will be there, I hear he's pretty smart."
"What time?" Haley asked.
"It's at 8:00." Uncle Jim replied.
"I'll drop by, can't guarantee I'll have Alice with me but yeah, no prob." Haley answered.
Uncle Jim smiled as Haley left, "You know, he reminds me a lot of you Jim. Back when you were just beginning your career." Aunt Sara said looking at the door.
"Haley has had a lot more thrown in his personality." Uncle Jim replied. He turned to his wife, sighing, "More than even I'd care to know. He's had it rough; I wish I could've been there for him."
"Well dear," Sara said walking towards him, "The most important thing is that you're here for him now."
Haley stood waiting on the sidewalk in front of the house. He pulled out his goggles and settled them on his head. The familiar sound of roaring engines got louder and louder with each passing minute. Haley turned and watched as James raced down the street doing a wheelie on his motorcycle. James screeched to a halt and Haley went over and hopped onto the back of the bike.
"How's your uncle?" James asked.
"He's good. Let's get back to HQ, I've got a party I have to be at tonight." Haley responded, pulling the goggles down over his eyes. James revved the engine. With a jolt the two took off down the street, James weaving haphazardly between cars.
The two of them turned into the garage, James pulled along side of Haley's Miata. Haley jumped off and while James killed the engine. They took the lift to the main room, which was five floors above ground. The brain of their HQ housed a couch, a comfy chair, a nice T.V., a fridge and the most expensive computer network known to modern man. Haley walked over and patted Amy, who was snoring on the couch, on the shoulder.
"Wake up sweetness." Haley answered.
"Don't call me that Haley." Amy answered grouchily, "For your information, Haley, I was having a rather nice dream."
Haley laughed as she sat up and glared at him. James walked over with a coke from the fridge. Amy grabbed it out of his hand before he could open it, smiling a bit as she guzzled the coke. "Thanks."
James stood in the same position of opening the can as Amy chugged the soda. He rolled his eyes and went back to the refrigerator, muttering that he preferred more adult beverages anyway.
Haley stood there laughing at the transaction. Smiling he scanned the room for Alice. "Alice!" Haley shouted.
"She's in her room I think." Amy said taking another drag of James's soda.
Haley went back to the lift and went up to the seventh floor. He'd promised Alice a nice room of her own. She got the pick of the litter in the warehouse, and Haley let her have the whole floor to herself. The floor itself was an eight of an acre and Alice had used the space well. While every room had a bathroom, Alice had the best of them all. She had a tub the size of a small pool and floor length mirrors with spacious closets for towels and other necessities. The bathroom itself was enclosed and took up a quarter of the space allotted to her, but Alice had thought it was worth it. In a corner of the floor there was a nice little alcove full of house plants to make things look a little more homely to her. Her bed was a thing to behold. The canopy bed was draped with strips of white muslin which also adorned the heavily engraved posts. The bed was queen sized and had a small mountain of pillows at the headboard. It was like sleeping on air to her.
"Alice?" Haley called.
"Yeah?" Alice responded coming out from the closed off restroom, towel in hand.
"You wanna come to a ball tonight? It's a masquerade party, but you don't need to dress up as someone if you don't want to." Haley said crossing his arms.
"Be nice, I want to actually get out more so, yeah sure. I need to go shopping for a dress though." Alice answered drying off her hair with a towel.
"Okay then." Haley answered, he looked at his watch, "It's a quarter to four right now so be ready to go at around 7:50."
"Alright then." Alice said going back into her bathroom.
"Hey Alice?" Haley asked her retreating back, "Is something wrong?"
She stopped and looked back at him, "Nah, I'm fine." She smiled.
Haley smiled back, "Alright. Remember 7:50," He said before going back to the lift and riding it to the main room.
"Damn it." Alice thought, he'd seen right through her.
In truth, she wasn't alright. Ever since James showed up, she hadn't felt good at all. Things were getting strange for her. The house plants in the corner were the first things. Before they'd been everywhere, it made her seem like she was more at home. Then she could swear, that the plants were watching her. As if they moved and followed her everywhere she went. She moved them all to the corner and never watered them but they seemed to live on regardless. Alice went to the couch and curled up, she didn't want to tell Haley. She didn't want him to think of her as some sort of freak or something like that.
Amy and James stood looking out one of the window's together as Haley came down from the lift. He looked over and paid the two no mind. It didn't take a genius to tell that Amy and James had a connection, no matter how subtle it was, it was there between the two. Gotham was starting to turn into some nasty twisted thing like Knight's Town. Of course, Gotham was different city and a different thing all together but the events seemed to echo here.
"I'm going out tonight with Alice, I hope you two can keep the city safe from harm for one night?" Haley said smile.
"No problem Haley. You two could use some bonding." Amy answered.
The time seemed to crawl by. Alice and Amy had gone shopping leaving James and Haley at headquarters where they decided to entertain themselves by seeing who could provide the most random thought.
"Floating rubber ducks with a side order of crispy inserts and a crack house." Haley said.
"Chocolate covered toilet seats." James countered instantly.
"Flaming bricks of doom..." Haley retorted.
This verbal sparring of randomness continued until they were interrupted by Amy's voice coming through on Haley's radio.
"What're you two bone heads doing?" Amy commented after hearing the last bout. Something about delectable flying goats smothered in marmalade.
Haley pulled out the radio from his pocket as he answered Amy, "We're having a random contest."
"Anal Retentive Cardboard." James whispered.
Haley tried to keep a straight face, as Amy snapped at them. "What the? Dammit James. Will you two listen up, we've got a robbery in progress."
"Why don't you handle it?" Haley responded.
"Cheese flavored panties." James murmured.
Haley winced trying to hold him from laughing, "I don't have my equipment so get your asses down here right now."
James straightened up, winking at Haley, "I'll go, no need to trouble yourself with this one. You've got a date anyway."
"Just don't kill anyone." Haley said looking at him.
"Alright." James answered walking to the lift.
"James is on the way." Haley said into the radio, "Did you and Alice get her that dress?"
"Yeah, I'm taking Alice back here as soon as James shows up." Amy responded.
"No need too. I'm getting Alice." Haley answered, "Tell her to get dressed because I'm picking her up now."
He looked at his watch, 7:40 PM exactly. Haley quickly went to his room and got undressed. He went to his dresser and grabbed a black button up shirt and a pair of khaki cargo pants. Haley snatched his Hoody and pulled it over his head. He went over to the table with all their equipment and grabbed Amy's gauntlets as well and put them in his pocket. He raced down the stairs 4 at a time and skipping some flights all together. He yanked open the door and opened the door to the Miata. Haley looked back for a second and then got in. He opened the door and started the engine. The Miata squealed out of garage and Haley set a breakneck pace as he roared down the street.
Haley pulled the radio out, "Where're you two at, Ames?" Haley asked.
"We're on 26th and Quentin." Amy responded.
Haley skidded onto Quentin and slammed on the gas, "I'll be there in two minutes. Is Alice ready?" He asked driving with one hand.
"Yeah Haley." Alice said, "Where are you coming from."
"North." Haley said swerving between two cars.
"Alright, I see your headlights." Alice responded.
Haley gritted his teeth and he eased off the gas. He could make out Alice standing on the street corner, she was in a dress but that was all Haley could tell. He slowed the car down and pulled up to the curb.
"Get in." Haley said from the window, "Amy!"
"Yeah?"
Haley reached into his pocket and removed her Gauntlets, "Go help James. I think he might need it."
A massive burst of flame came from the street corner, James raced around the corner guns blazing. Haley almost got out of the car as he saw James jump back firing his guns. Amy clipped her gauntlets shut and turned them on.
"Get going." Amy said walking towards the guy with the flame thrower.
Haley backed the car up and started for the Plaza. He wanted to stay but he also wanted to actually have a night to actually be with Alice. He put the car in drive and raced off, he was putting his trust in his friends.
Amy watched as another blazing stream of fire came out. The guy was dressed up like a bug, wings and such. James ran towards her firing his guns behind him.
"What the hell took you so long?" James asked looking exhausted, he smelled of burnt flesh and gun smoke.
They ducked behind a car as the Firefly shot another burst of flame at them. James loaded two more clips into his hand cannons. The smell of burning flesh wafted over as James realized that the Firefly had hit some of the bystanders that were fleeing the scene. Amy's face turned green.
"Well, I'll be in no mood for hamburgers for a while..." James joked closing the guns again.