FACE-OFF 4
I think Sonar tried to flame me...emphasis on tried...let's laugh at him. I know I did.
Chapter 4: Gentle / Brutal
"I've got to get a better job," Mel muttered as she walked towards her apartment. Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her close.
"Hey pretty lady...nice purse you've got there"
"Hmm considering I got my pay check today you must want to go out and buy... gum?" she sniffed. "Or splurge and buy a mouth lozenge."
That caught him off guard. Mel slammed a foot onto his toes, an elbow into his gut and shoved his hand away. She whirled and kicked him in the face. He crashed backwards. She sighed, dusted herself off and entered her apartment.
Chris sped down the road on the bike. It was a racer; Selina had bought it for him, saying it was her catching up on about 16 years of nothing. Chris appreciated it. It gave him speed to numb the pain.
Masque flipped the coin. "Heads it goes to our pockets, tails to our conscience"
"I love it when he gives to charity" Nice sighed dreamily
"I need a new fur coat," snorted Naughty. The coin landed in Masque's palm.
"Okay girls, get the OVERSIZED novelty cheques its charity time"
Iola leaned over to Right on her left. "Does he always do this?"
"Yup" Wrong replied. "Where our cash goes depends on the coin. It makes all the Yes-or-no decisions for us. Really narrows down our movie choices too."
"I see..." murmured Iola.
Masque swivelled abruptly. "Okay, so what's next Illusion-chick?"
"I need money, parts for my plan aren't cheap and I'll have the richest members of Gotham queuing up for my shows" Iola said, twirling her wand in her fingers. "SO! We take in a show or three, and whatever the audience is carrying and then hit the city with my plan!"
She raised her pendant. "This little baby means I'll be the hottest show on the circuit!" she grinned darkly.
"Sounds like you have a plan" Masque said as he flipped his coin. "And we'll follow it" he added as he glanced at the coin nestled in his palm. "But we'll handle the bat and the bird this time round!"
Iola sighed. "No fun but whatever"
"Hello?"
Terry swallowed carefully. "H-hey Veronica it's Terry-me-yeah-Terry" he said. "Listen I was just calling to see if you'd like to come to a thing with me, Ms Kyle and Mr Wayne" he said. "It's just a show with the – eh – investors and then Mr Wayne has to go to a kind of... meeting but he has an extra seat thing-place..."
"Okay Terry" Veronica smiled on the other end of the line. He sounded nervous or something. "Sounds great...where should I meet you?"
"At Wayne Manor" said Terry. "Listen I have to go..."
"Yeah Okay. See you! I'm actually finishing up at the office. When's it on anyway?"
"9:00 tomorrow night?"
"Ugh! I'll have to get a dress but I'll make it. Bye"
Terry put the phone down and looked at Chris. They were balancing buckets of bright blue dye on their heads as they continued Tai Chi. Selina watched on. "See I told you I could ask her out and do this at the same time."
"Nice" Selina said. "You did exactly what I wanted you to do..."
Terry slapped his forehead. "I can't believe I fell for that!" he groaned.
"Yes but you slapped your forehead and didn't drop the bucket" Chris said. "Kudos to you man". Chris flashed a grin and raised a leg slowly, moving in a spot. "You can invite Max if you want, I don't need to go."
"Chris" warned Selina. "You need to go. It's important that you do"
"Why?"
"Because I'd like it," Selina said.
Chris remained silent.
The benefit was held in a large, glass-roofed performance hall and the golden decorations were lit up as the band played a jazzy number. Veronica was dressed in a sea-blue dress and had her arm looped around Terry's.
"Don't rush them," Chris said. "Terry does things in his own time. He'll progress in this relationship at his own speed...don't try to make him move."
"He needs to do a carpe diem" said Selina simply, hugging her faux-fur wrap closer. "If he doesn't act now... then life will pass him by"
"Like it did with Erika?"
Selina looked at Bruce silently as they walked on towards the doors that led to the stage. Once they were seated, with Terry and Veronica close together and Chris distanced even though he was near the middle of the row, the show began.
In a flash of smoke and sparks Iola appeared. She was dressed in a tuxedo with spandex leggings and ridiculously high heels. "Welcome. I am your hostess IOLA THE INCREDIBLE!"
Masque moved to the reception desk. Two security guards had met their end at his pistols earlier at the toss of a coin. He flipped it as he approached the woman hunched over her work. He glanced at the face and raised the weapon... he pulled the trigger and the gas blasted her in the face. She fell asleep with a soft snore.
"Luck of the draw" he mused as he snapped his fingers. The gang headed for the elevators.
Terry and Chris watched as the Tiger was transformed in the raised cage with just the wave of a cloth into a small yapping dog. Applause filled the air until the doors burst in. The gunfire filled the air and screams rose.
Masque. His gang. Jewels grabbed. The lights over the stage swivelled and the coloured lights blasted down. Everyone froze mid movement. Masque and his gang finished the sweep and gathered the bags. Naughty gave a cackle as she walked towards a woman in a long white dress.
"Andromeda" she smirked as she reached for a diamond necklace around the models neck. Masques hand shot out and grabbed her wrist applying some pressure. "Hey Boss!" yelped Naughty.
"L-let's go" Masque said, staring at his hand as it released.
Chris felt like his brain was about to explode. His eyelids fluttered and the eyes rolled back a little as he fought past the mental inhibitor signal. He spotted the gang leaving and grabbed Terry's wrist. Digging a foot into Terry's toes Robin awoke Batman.
"Masque" he said.
Iola walked back stage and pulled the lever down as the smoke billowed onto stage to mask her re-entry and make it seem she'd never left during the show. She glanced at the screen marking the Desperado's trail. Then she walked back onto stage appearing distressed.
The Redbird sped down alongside the Batmobile. "There he is" Chris said as Masque and his gang leapt into an old corrugated metal shed over a platform on an abandoned monorail line.
"Watch yourself" Terry said.
"Well no one else has the time," muttered Chris. "Wait!"
Terry was approaching the wall of the shed on wing when it burst open, a monorail train speeding towards him. Terry flew upwards but his legs were hit knocking him into a spin that crashed him onto the train. Chris landed on the back, making his way towards him.
Terry moved towards hatch over the controllers cabin. The hatch popped open and Naughty and Nice arose.
"HEYYYYY" the chirped and fired the twin blasters. The concussion blasted Terry backwards down the train. Chris fired a cord, it whipped around Terry's waist and he pulled him down to the back car.
"It's never that easy" Chris sighed.
"You're a quick learner," Terry said as they dug their climbing talons into the roof and pulled themselves along.
Inside the drivers cabin Masque looked at Night and Day. "What are you two waiting for?" he snapped. The pair nodded and rushed down the cars. They burst up through a hatch and opened fire in all directions. Terry shoved Chris to one side and they rolled down off the roof, Terry dug his talons into the side of the train as Chris did the same. Terry and Chris swung inwards and kicked out the glass of the monorail. Night and Day dropped back as they heard the shattering glass.
"Hey!" Chris said cheerily as he punched Night into a seat. Terry hurled a batarang at Day, knocking the gun from his hands then leaping into a high kick.
In the cabin Masque looked at the screen and groaned. "Ugh! These men NEED TO TAKE a vacation" he growled. He grabbed a weapon from his case and snapped his fingers. Right and Wrong, Black and White and Sun and Moon followed him out, they moved ahead...a pair to each car and Naughty and Nice setting up in the front.
Terry and Chris darted towards the next car. Right and Wrong opened fire. They were at a cannon with two barrels set on a tripod in the doorway of the car. Chris ducked in behind a seat and Terry dodged back behind the doorframe.
"Okay this is unfair!" Chris shouted.
"Chris! Remember those tricks Ms Kyle taught us? The one she called Smog Bank?"
"Oh yeah!" Chris said. "Just don't step on my toes this time"
"On three!" terry shouted pulling the orb from his belt. "1-2-3!"
The smoke bombs exploded as Chris and Terry tossed them in. Staying low they swiftly moved towards the pair, the lenses of their masks piercing the dense smoke bank. Right and Wrong were adjusting the direction of their guns trying to pick a place to fire.
Chris and Terry moved with identical grace. They hook kicked the men in the side of the head and then continued the spin to drop a leg on the backs of their heads and then finish off with twin blade kicks to the pairs stomachs.
"Two down" Terry said
"Who knows how many more to go" sniffed Chris. The next car had Black and White waiting. Black attacked brandishing a pearl handled cutlass and White was swinging a black ebony rod. Masque appeared in the doorway holding a Tommy gun with glowing blue orbs in it. A blast fired at them as they both knocked aside Black and White. It was a concussion bolt and blew the pair apart, smashing them off the walls.
"Hurry, hurry, HURRY!" roared Masque as Black and white lunged again. Chris grabbed the approaching Black's lapels, placed a foot on the man's stomach and judo tossed him over into Masque. Terry was fast when White swung his staff. He caught it under his arm and spun, swinging White off balance. He slid down the staff and rammed a palm into White's gut bouncing the man off a wall.
"Get back here!" Terry shouted as he raced after Masque. A double bladed dagger hit the wall as Masque hurled it at him. Terry touched his cheek, the material was slit but the circuitry and flesh were fine.
Sun and Moon attacked with their chained flails and clubs. "Hey since we're trying out Granddames moves..." He pointed upwards and wiggled the fingers of his other hand.
"Spider?" terry mouthed.
Chris grinned and launched upwards as Terry hurled a batarang at the pair. Sun swung the mace and knocked it away. Too late he looked up as the small disk Chris dropped exploded into a net. He shouted out as Terry long kicked him in the face.
Moon swung the flail at Chris who dropped seconds before the spiked weight crashed into the roof. He hurled the net-disk at Moon and as the man was dragged down by the mesh Terry punched him out.
Masque pressed the buttons on the large orb painted half black and half white. Naughty and Nice opened fire nearby; the bat and bird were close. He rose and snapped his fingers as he caught the coin from its flip. "Okay girls LET'S PLAY" he snarled.
Batman and Robin leapt through the door, knocking Naughty and Nice aside. Batman swung a punch at Masque as his other hand karate chopped the gun from the villain's hands. Masque slammed an elbow across his face and spun his body down low; his kick came spinning heavily at an angle, high at Terry's face.
"Hey I saw that movie to," Chris said as he kicked Masque in the back of his knee. "You were the villain in Adam Heat so you do do all your own stunts!"
"Yeah!" Masque said. "So PREPARE FOR A HEADACHE won't you?"
He slammed a palm into Chris's face. The boy stumbled back, blocked the next punch and kicked him off balance. Masque grabbed the lithe boys arm and judo tossed him. Terry landed two perfect kicks on Masque. Naughty and Nice tackled Chris from one side and grounded him.
Masque landed a series of kicks but Terry caught him with a flip-kick and then a spinning karate chop. "Girls!" Masque shouted as he head butted Terry and shoved him off balance to land on top of Chris. "Let's GOGOGO!" they darted out the door and it sealed with a hiss
"I just learned manicures can be dangerous," Chris said as he dabbed the cuts on his face. "Don't worry my suit did a tox-screen. I'm in the clear but..." he winced. "Damn it stings"
"That's going to sting more" Terry said. The bomb had begun its countdown. Chris rushed to it as Terry set a bomb on the door. When it exploded there was not a sign of trouble. The rest of the monorail detached. Masque waved from the door of the other car. Terry gritted his teeth.
"It's a mess" Chris exclaimed, removing the covering of the bomb and staring in disbelief at the nest of coloured wires. "He really is a psycho!"
"We can't get out," Terry said.
Chris shot to his feet. "Eh... just a thought but...didn't they shut this line down because it was broken?" terry froze...the Cyber Terrorist Group had attacked and blow out this line...
"We're screwed, the bomb PLUS this car crashing into the East End...well it's not good"
"I know," murmured Terry.
Chris closed his eyes and shook his head. "We're dead meat" he murmured.
"Terry? Chris?" Bruce's voice came over the intercom. "What's happened?"
"We're stuck on a-"
"Monorail headed for a broken bridge with a bomb onboard, we know" Bruce said. "Masque hacked the TV station and made a statement...we're working on getting to you but the police cruisers are too big to get close."
In a café Mel stared at the screen, she put the tray down and moved into the back room, her hands shaking. "---At this time but we believe that the cruisers have attempted to get close, sadly even the fastest are too big to get near enough to the sealed doors that have a lock on the outside, the apparent reversed doors are blast proof..."
"Well that was nice" Chris said as he watched another cruiser pull away after a failed attempt. "We're damned" he sighed. Terry nodded. "No" Chris said. "It's not your fault that I'm here. I made the choice to be Robin. I can sense the regret"
"I--- you're just the third to die because of me" whispered Terry.
"I ought to whack you," growled Chris.
Terry looked at Chris then stared past him. "What the---MEL?"
A woman in black and white was riding the playing card. As she closed in with great speed she waved at them and dropped back to the door. She pulled the lock. "I heard you boys were stuck," she said.
Chris glanced at the bomb. "Yeah you could say that"
"Well let's go" Mel said. Carrying the bomb between them Chris and Terry jetted out of the train car. They latched two cylinders onto the bomb the timer approaching 20 seconds.
"AWAY" bellowed Chris as the cylinders ignited and launched into the air. The bomb flew high over the city and exploded in a cloud of blue light.
"Well you boys sure throw a party" Mel said.
"Thank you" Terry said without looking at her.
"Yeah thanks" Chris smiled.
"I owed you one," she said to Batman, then jetted off on her card.
Veronica watched the explosion then returned to the hologram projector. "I am going to get an interview with Batman" she said decisively.
She returned to the homemade projector and tapped a few keys on the keyboard, choosing the image it would broadcast.
TBC
Veronica's got a mission...like everyone else so far. Terry still doubts himself and we get scope on Iola's Plan... oh right...dun-dun-dun!
BTW: Check out my site it has links to my superhero RPG officially launched on the 22nd. So far its not really begun but only 2 people have joined so... the RPG is a create-a-hero-send-a-bio type thing. Oh and remember that if you do join send the bio to site e-mail address directly. It's membership but I check regularly so sending the bio as soon as possible is always best...wow I've rambled. Must run.