Revenant
Chapter Ten
Batman sat in front of the large computer console that was set up in the Bat Cave. "Is there anything I can get you Master Bruce?" The English butler known as Alfred asked.
"Coffee... black" Batman said taking his mask off and then typed a few things into the computer.
"Right Master Bruce, there also has been another high-tech robbery in Dakota, sir" Alfred said, knowing that Bruce might already knew.
"Yes... there is a mix of connections but none of them really make sense..." Bruce said, sinking back into his chair.
"You will figure it out Sir" Alfred said before disappearing upstairs to fix Bruce some of his strong black coffee.
Richie, now changed into his civilian clothes, found himself in the junkyard looking for some new components for an invention he had been working on ever since the little discovery over three days ago and there had been no sign of Virgil either. Looking at an old circuit board before throwing it over his shoulder, 'nope... too rusted...' He thought and threw another circuit board over his shoulder. "You knew..." He said clearly as he rummaged a pile of old electrical devices.
"Sorry... it was against the strict rules I was set... how did you know it was me?" Virgil asked, a little confused into how Richie knew he was there.
"Shenice is out on patrol on the far side of the city and Adam is in the recording studio all day today..." Richie said, stuffing some of his finds carefully into his rucksack.
"That explains about the locations of Shebang and Rubberband man but it doesn't explain how you were able to sense me... not only this time but at the gas station nearly two weeks ago..." Virgil said his arms folded across his chest. He knew that Shenice or Shebang had returned just the other day to help Adam while Richie took it easy and caught up on some essential sleep.
"I... I don't know, but you knew... you knew that all those chemicals that were stolen combine to form one of the most highly unstable mutagenic compounds discovered yet! Virgil! They are going to re-create the metagas," Richie said throwing the piece of scrap metal he was holding with all his might across the junkyard. Virgil sighed and heard the clunk of the scrap metal land,
"I know but no one knows who or why..." Virgil said, watching his best friend sink down and sit on a broken television.
"Great... call for the men with the padded cell now please, I'm ready to be taken away" Richie mumbled his elbows on his knees and his hands supporting his chin.
"I know it seems crazy bro... but you do have friends that can help even though one can get cranky and the other is living impaired" Virgil said and looked around to make sure they were alone and that it didn't look like Richie wasn't talking to himself.
Richie rose back to his feet, shouldered his before stretching. "Well I do need to contact him about whoever stole those chemicals and what they stole them for... I'm heading back to HQ... meet you there" Richie said and started to make his way across the junkyard.
"Wonder if my hunch is... but then why hasn't J'ohn made any move of sensing me..." Virgil wondered quietly to himself before vanishing from sight and felt that a flight involving his wings was needed to help him ponder over this more closely.
Gas Station of Solitude
Richie got to work in fixing his discoveries from the junkyard and see if they fitted into the project that was in his head, he turned them over in one hand while drinking a fresh cup of coffee.
"Too much coffee can be bad for you bro, you do realise that?" Virgil said appearing in the gas station making him jump a little.
"So, it helps me think more clearly with all these ideas that are getting out of control and headaches now and again..." Richie said putting down the newest circuit board and finished his cup of coffee.
'Add headaches to the list... ' Virgil thought to himself, making a mental list of anything strange about Richie.
"Love to hang around Rich, but I got a few things to do... who knew that it would be this busy in the afterlife, huh? Well later!" Virgil said and teleported away from the gas station.
Richie ignored that and went back to work on one of his little projects; he felt that one day the project would be extremely valuable.
Justice League Watch Tower
Superman had taken over from J'ohn Jones allowing the Martian to get some time on Earth. Superman was sat in the main chair checking different locations across the face of the planet including his home city of Metropolis and on Batman's orders, Dakota.
He didn't know why the dark knight had asked for the league to keep an eye on Dakota and its heroes Gear and Rubberband Man but lately it has been Rubberband Man and Shebang.
Stretching, as the cameras displayed nothing unusual, Superman decided to go and check on the prisoners but as he rose out of the seat, an alarm sounded. "Now what?" He said clearly as he flipped a few switches to find the source of the alarm.
Finding the source he had discovered a robbery-taking place in Gotham, he pressed the button on the comm link system to contact Batman. "Batman! Are you there?" Superman asked keeping an eye on the security alarm; the camera was focused on a high tech store.
"Not now…" Batman's gruff voice answered.
"I can guess that you are on the way to that robbery in progress," Superman said, inputting the computer to find some information on the store.
He was busy in talking to Batman and getting some information out of the computer not to realise that he was being watched by an invincible figure. 'A robbery… a high tech robbery… now I know about whoever the villain is, is creating the metagas but something is not right about this robbery…' The figure thought as he watched Superman use the computer gently so not to damage the sensitive equipment.
"This robbery seems like a string of events but it is like two different puzzles with the pieces mixed up," Superman said more to himself than anyone, sort of translating what Batman had just told him.
A small tone sounded on the console alerting that someone had just entered the hanger. Superman switched to a security camera so it displayed the hanger, the Javelin had just returned. He monitored Flash, Green Lantern and to the dismay of the invincible figure, J'ohn Jones.
"I'll fill in the others what you have told me and keep me informed in any new information that comes through, I want us to work as a team on this Batman" Superman ordered in his most commanding voice as the other league members came into the control room.
"I will check in later" Batman's monotone voice said before a click sounded signalling that Batman closed the comm link channel, ending the conversation.
"What's with the bat?" Flash asked rushing over to the control console and took Superman's chair as the man of steel was standing up leaning against the console.
"Not sure… he said something about a confusing string of robberies that have been taking place across the US including Gotham, Central City, Metropolis and Dakota… J'ohn are you ok?" Superman explained then noticed that J'ohn was acting differently.
'Uh oh…' The figure thought to himself and shifted from his ghost mode to his angel mode hoping that he would be more cloaked against the Martian's psychic powers.
J'ohn from when he stepped into the control room he could feel that something was different about the watch tower but he could not figure it out but it disappeared but not entirely… "Think so Superman, just my barriers might be a little tired or something… "J'ohn said unsure what to say to the closest person he had to family.
"If you're sure J'ohn" Superman said then went back to explaining to Green Lantern what Batman had told him.
'Too close' the figure thought to himself and vanished not knowing that he left a light purple feather behind.
A bright screen lit the otherwise dark, laughter was echoing around the small room. "Might I ask to what you find so amusing?" The cloaked man asked coming into the main room allowing more light into the room as he opened the door allowing himself in and closed the door behind him.
"I have discovered something interesting and now it is going on its main field test run… care to watch?" The man asked, facing the cloaked man who smiled and walked closer to the large screen on the wall.
"Show me your new toy," The cloaked man said with an evil smile, showing his white teeth in the light that was produced by the screen.
"Just watch the screen and the test will be displayed there…" The man said, and pressed a button on the desk in front of him.
Both men turned and paid full attention to the screen in front of them, this displayed a busy high street during one of the most dangerous times in the city, rush hour. Soon this busy city would be under attack and it will be up to the heroes of Dakota to stop this latest attack.
Author note
tempted to leave it here… very tempting… nah!
End note
Rush hour
Dakota
Gear was happy to be back suited up and on the streets after his break. Rubberband Man or Adam Evans was stuck in a studio at Metropolis so it left Dakota under the protection of Gear and Shebang.
After a few painful and odd headaches, Richie was ordered to take it easy but with many ideas running through his head it hadn't been so easy to do what he was ordered to do. The information that he paid most attention to was whatever the invention he had created does.
An explosion echoed through the city, "Gear, what was that?" Shebang's voice asked in their communication channel. "I'm not sure... an explosion... Backpack is getting reports that... ah she's showed up at last" Gear said while translating the data coming from Backpack's scanners.
"Who has showed up?" Shebang's voice asked, she was patrolling the other side of the city.
"Puff, that's who... she's at Dakota Hills Mall, meet me there Shebang before we engage her! Is that clear?" Gear ordered knowing that Shebang would engage whatever criminal or metahuman she came across unless ordered.
Silence with slight static engulfed the communication channel as Gear waited for Shebang's response. "Right Gear, I'll wait on the roof of the offices near the mall" Shebang's voice muttered before a click sounded signalling that the channel had been closed.
Gear sighed and changed direction. "Didn't know you had that in you..." A voice stated and appeared on his right side.
"Not like its a choice... Rubberband Man thought that it was the best choice between the three of us..." Gear explained, sorrow in his voice which was replaced quickly with a monotone voice similar to Batman's.
"Sorry... but I didn't plan for this to happen... does she really listen to you?" Virgil asked remembering Shebang's personality all to well.
"I don't give her a choice, she can follow my orders or go back from where she came from!" Gear spoke in a voice that actually sounded like Batman and that made Virgil scared.
"O... ok Gear, so I guess its Puff causing trouble..." Virgil's voice shook as he spoke while he subconsiouslessly added more energy to his energy disc that he was generating himself.
Dakota Hills Mall
Puff laughed her head off as she used what she called puff dots to cut throught the wires of the lights and anything else that hanged from the roof. These objects fell down on the screaming people below.
"I can do this all day! Being trapped there and following HIS orders and everything" Puff cackled as she started blowing clumps of rubble out of the walls to try and crush the shoppers.
A large piece of rubble was blown free and plumeted towards a mother and her child, but as the rubble got closer it suddenly shattered and the mother and child was pulled clear.
"Decided to show up Gear?" Puff said still cackling and looked around for the super genius hero only to be attacked by a large cloud of water, knocking her out of the air.
"Was about to say the same to you" Gear's voice echoed around the now empty mall.
"You've been hanging around with that cranky bat way too long brain boy!" Puff said, getting back up onto her feet only to be knocked flying into a bench by a strong kick to the back.
Gear watched from the shadows of the half destroyed pillar that helped holdup the mall's roof. Shebang had just attacked Puff and was now waiting for the right moment to attack again.
Virgil watched from the second floor, he knew from when he had observed Richie from heaven that when he was Gear that Richie was a different person. This was true especially since Batman had shown a great interest into the wellfare of Richie and taught him in basic fighting skills and battle techniques.
Puff was getting annoyed and started blowing puff dots off in different directions, one came close to Shebang who simply jumped out of the way. A puff dot hit the pillar just above Gear, who was forced out his hiding place.
"Loosing your touch? Or are you just scared that you can't fight me?" Puff taunted Gear, who seemed cool as a cucumber.
"Give up now Puff and save you the trouble!" Gear said, his voice cold and he stood in battle position awaiting the next attack.
"Come on Gear, you know me better than that! He told me that as I have been a bad girl that I'm allowed out for this punishment" Puff said, her smile gone and her voice was changed from its normal cheerful self to a voice full of pain and sorrow.
Gear shrugged and threw several zap caps at high speed directly at Puff. These caps caught her off guard, soaked her through then another shocked her but she was able to gain herself before the third cap had a chance to activate, instead it passed through her and wound its metalic chains around the pillar behind her.
Shebang flinched and released her own capture zapcap, which actually captured Puff and no matter how hard she fought she couldn't get free.
Puff could only watch as both Shebang and Gear talked across their communication system, she cursed under her breath but then saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Smiling grimly, Puff focused on taking a deep breath. She could see that the two heroes were discussing amongst themselves in what looked like a heated discussion.
A figure loomed in the shadows on the far side and threw some sort of pod at the other side of the mall. This pod exploded and released a large cloud, light green in colour. Virgil was shocked from this attack as the only person around in this mall that knew he was here was Gear/Richie. This light green cloud affected Virgil's control on his ghost form forcing him into his angel form before knocking him unconsious.
A little confused and distracted by the appearance of a strange green cloud, Shebang and Gear did not notice that Puff had released her own attack onto the two heroes. This attack was easily recongizable because there was only one think in existance that was a large purple and silver cloud. "Meta gas!" Gear coughed as the cloud engulfed Shebang and himself, forcing them to cough and onto their knees their eyes watering.
With this distraction, Puff melted the metal wires that bound her and escaped with the cloaked man leaving the two heroes unconsious and unknown to Puff and Shebang, an unconsious angel.
Backpack's scanners detected some oddities in the air and sent an emergency signal to the watch tower of the Justice League for help in dealing with this latest crisis.
To be continued...