AN: Here's to not waiting two months again. Imma get this out by the end of this month if it kills me. This one will pick up where we left off with the PTs. I know we all want to know what the hell Wolf is doing in the story, and I promise I'll explain here, or at least foreshadow it. Probably should put a Phantom Strikers spoiler warning on the summary now though.
I mean ya can't just throw Wolf in as a new character or whatever.
FEEDBACK:
Firem78910: lmao, I wonder how much I can make you guys just utterly loathe Bat-mite.
OpKingDiamond: I'll give ya the first one. But have ya never heard of the phrase "to and fro". It basically means back and forth.
Gamelover41592: I believe I've explained in the Black Mask arc. Akira already knows Bruce has a palace, he doesn't have all the correct words for it though. And even with just the name Bat-mite was alerted and said "off limits". So yeah.
Faightan Gaims: Thanks man, really wanted Superman to come off bad ass in the way he's supposed to.
Dethroned King Umbros: I'm glad I just kinda spilled it at the end there XD. I was low-key worried the description of "New Guy" wasn't enough to seal the deal.
Vein Bloodline: Thanks man, appreciate it.
Drakon45: woof woof!
Guest: wut? Nah.
Dakota Bruder: I have a few ideas for new abilities for Oracle but that won't come in until we hit the hermit palace. No spoilers.
Zack: I'm keeping it pretty in universe. I don't want this huge ass crossover to become even more complex. It's already feeling kinda bloated, at least to me. I've never been a big fan of mass crossovers, especially the bloated ones. For now I'm keeping it simple. Ignore that I added in Nekopara for no reason, that doesn't count lmao.
Also, omakes a still on the table, it's just these chapters are so long already and I already do little Bonus things (even though that's more like MCU style teasing) that I feel it would take too much time up. I mean I'm not against it or anything, especially a revamp of the death scenes.
The Animated Gamer: Dude I was honestly so taken aback by the first Striker palace. I had no idea, I swear. I didn't want any spoilers so I remained very out of the loop for teasers and stuff. Wild huh? But thanks for your kind words and support. For your side theories, no spoilers but I like them a lot.
A Cold Wendigo: I like the armor suggestions a lot, especially Hellbat. I've been thinking of giving Batman magic armor or something. Mostly due to becoming essential at this point in the story, but for now I just want to focus on Clayface and his palace.
Also no spoilers on the Justice Arcana. I can say since it's already revealed that clown Joker is the World mirror. I know there wasn't one in the game, but I figured I'd go for Akira having to do both Batman and Joker since they both reflect him immensely. On Batman getting a persona? It's a theory I won't confirm but a theory I enjoy a lot.
Constantine: Wolf can definitely be confirmed as a bone thrown by Batmite. In terms of Akane though that remains to be seen ;3.
For the Sucide Squad, yeah honestly same. I mean I've definitely been liberally killing characters this whole fic. Like it's how I started this whole fic, so I'll admit there is a strong possibility the whole Squad won't make it. Who that will be remains to be seen.
For Manchester Black, I never said he had his powers back, at least fully. In the comics it stated his injury heals so I mean there's that. I included him due to it logically making sense to add him. Especially due to the "think like an enemy" angle he would have. A charming, overpowered, young, revolutionist meta like him would have a better guess than most what the Phantom Thieves would do next, Wolf excluded.
For Klarion, shit. Did I forget to explain how he would be captured? I mean he was on the Squad list on the wiki. Or at least on the character list that showed who worked with the squad in the past. Welp, I'll say it later on just to be safe. And here, basically magic bs with Constantine, Zatanna and/or Fate. Thanks for the support.
That sounds cool, I'll consider it.
Enjoy~!
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May 30th, Late Night
Park Row
Severe Rain
As the news anchors of the country roared angrily at the current attack on the Watchtower, they only worsened the hysteria and confusion of the masses on the streets. Riots erupted on every block, police unable to calm the sheep as they demanded answers.
Every block was filled with protestors or crooks. Every block except this one.
BANG!
A member of Joker's gang dropped dead. His head turned into a fine paste of blood on the wall. Red Hood reloaded his shotgun as he looked around the casino to see the current situation.
It was a slaughter, but it was clear Joker's guys had a clear advantage. Only a handful of King Tut's goons were alive. Red Hood had to give it to em though, they weren't surrendering.
Either out of loyalty or desperation, the men must have known, the only shot they had at getting out of this was by fighting their way out.
BOOM!
Another explosion collapsed an overlook on the opposite side of where Red Hood was standing.
"KILL EM' ALL! IF THEY AIN'T GIVIN' ME THE KID, WE'LL JUST FLUSH HIM OUT!" Harley shouted.
"Damn. Quinn's really going at it. Must be desperate to impress her crazy fuck buddy. Not desperate enough to do it without her goons thought." Red Hood thought.
He shrugged and pulled out a grenade. He threw it a good couple of feet away from the poker table Quinn hid behind for cover.
Just as planned, the explosion didn't kill her. But, the fancy wooden table gave her plenty of splinters.
"AHH! YOU BOZOS ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT ME! DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING MYSELF!?" Harley shrieked in pain, blood and bruises all over her body.
She threw the RPG she had to the side and pulled out her trusty machine gun before she jumped off the wreckage of the staircase to the second floor. A few surviving Tut goons formed a group to protect all flacks.
"See you in hell boys." Harley giggled wickedly.
Red Hood smirked as the plan worked perfectly. As Quinn went berserk on a bunch of thugs, he was free to help shorten the numbers of Joker's scum.
The key was to be unseen. He didn't need anyone calling for backup. Knowing Joker, he had guys all over the city, just waiting for their chance to shoot shit up.
Red Hood pulled out some throwing knives and crouched down low. He counted ten thugs that roamed about the casino. The survivors of the initial battle, picking off and searching for any of Tut's men.
He spotted a man with a mohawk and a clown nose all alone. He chucked a knife and the man dropped dead as the weapon pierced him right into the throat.
Red Hood pulled out a pistol and attached a silencer. The heavy gunfire all around would drown out any sound the weapon might make.
Three men dropped dead in quick succession as Red Hood secured the room.
"Hey guys where'd you ACKKK!" A goon dropped dead from another throwing knife.
Red Hood vaulted over a flipped roulette wheel and grabbed two felons and bashed their heads together. Not satisfied with leaving them like that, Red Hood unloaded a bullet into each of their skulls.
Only three left, far apart and had no idea what was going on. Perfect.
The first one, a bandana with a red smile painted on. He found a vault filled with money. Before he could even think to count it, a bullet was put in the base of his skull.
Red Hood reloaded his silenced pistol.
"WHAT THE- ACK!" A goon dropped dead. He ran into the bodies of his crew, and Red Hood silenced him with a throwing knife.
Red Hood panted as he walked towards the last man, the fool too busy emptying his magazine into the last survivors of Tut's men.
"Hehehe. These were easy pickings, kinda hoped for more of a fight." the thug grinned wickedly.
"Careful what you wish for, scum." Red Hood whispered right behind the man.
As soon as the man turned around, Red Hood put his shotgun under the man's mouth and fired.
BOOM!
The thug's brains exploded up out of his head, the remains dropping down like a sack of rocks.
Red Hood smirked. The whole building was noticeably quieter. The only sounds left were the distant struggle of Tut's men trying to down Harley. By the sounds of it, they weren't doing too hot.
"RAHHH!" Harley screamed as she kneed a guy in the gut and unloaded her machine gun onto the chumps behind him. She quickly turned the gun downward on the man she just kneed, killing him quickly.
"KILL HER! KILL HER!" A goon shouted in a panic.
Harley jumped up and off a wall, using the air to finish off all but one of the men. She used her high heeled foot to slam him into the ground. Before the man could even reach for a gun, her machine gun was aimed directly at his throat.
"Don't even try. Now, how about telling me where you're hiding the kid." Harley smiled wickedly.
"I don't know nothing about a kid, honest!"
Harley slammed the butt of her gun across the guy's head.
"BULLSHIT! YOU'RE HIDING GORO AKECHI HERE SOMEWHERE! This is the only place you numbskulls operate! Broker ratted all of you out. Not a single corner of Gotham you freaks operate I haven't smoked out. Now...WHERE. IS. HE!" She emphasized, trying to get it through his thick skull.
"Please, I don't know anything. I don't know-"
BANG!
The goon's head exploded into a splatter of blood and gore. Harley dropped him in shock. She didn't pull her trigger on accident, did she?
"Still as stupid as ever. Look up." A voice ordered.
Harley looked up to see a guy armed to the teeth, dressed in grey kevlar. The only thing covering his costume was a white jacket with a red hood. But the emblem on the costume, and the mask he was wearing clued her in on who she was dealing with.
"Go around looking for one poser, end up finding another." She cracked an insane smile. Even in the face of a shotgun to the forehead she didn't lose her cool.
"Where's Joker?" Red Hood demanded.
"Hmmm. Which one hun? Didn't you hear there's two of em' running around town now?" Harely giggled.
"You really wanna play with me, bitch?" Red Hood narrowed his eyes.
"Why not? You ain't the guy I'm looking for, but Mistah J probably doesn't like you much either." Harley swung Red Hood's gun away, the man instinctively letting a slug loose into the floor.
Harley rushed him and tried to kick him in the gut, Red Hood caught her leg and swung her against the wall.
"AHH!" Harely cried out in pain.
"Think I was born yesterday? Stop faking." Red Hood scoffed. With new guys, Harley may go soft just to see what she was dealing with.
"Oh poo.." Harely faked a pout, before immediately trying to sweep Red Hood off his feet with a roundhouse kick.
Red Hood jumped over the attack, but in those few seconds, Harley was already trying to flip over him and get him into a hold. Hood spun around, swinging his shotgun as an impromptu melee weapon. The jester ducked and tried to slam Hood with her own gun.
Hood caught the arm mid swing and used his knee to slam her in the gut. She coughed out some spit but quickly glared at him and turned her wrist to aim the gun.
Red Hood was forced to let go or get shot. Harley back flipped away to get some distance, landing an upperward kick in the jaw on Hood.
Harley landed gracefully on her feet and pushed hard on the trigger of the machine gun, cackling the whole time. Red Hood rolled to the side, dropping a smoke bomb to cause a diversion.
Harley's gun clicked, indicating it's empty magazine. She huffed and tossed it to the side, quick to pull out her emergency pistol from the holster on her thigh. By the time she aimed it, the cloud of smoke disappeared, Red Hood with it.
"Poser through and through, huh? Bats does it better, creep. Stop trying to scare me. BOYS! FIND THIS COPY CAT AND KILL HIM!" She put a hand on her hip and screamed.
Utter silence was her response, the situation dawning on her. Not a single peep from her men, or even Tut's. As she aimed her pistol, she almost tripped over multiple bodies. But this wasn't one of the many times she stepped over the bodies of unconscious men, trying to smoke out a hero.
The bullet wounds, the blood, the noticeable lack of her men's breathing.
"Shit. CALLING FOR SUPPORT I- AHH!" Before she could finish the call on her comm, Red Hood slammed down on her back. He quickly wrapped his grappled line around her wrists.
Harley, becoming desperate, tried in vain to kick the man. Hood was quick to reply by stealing her pistol and slamming her across the face with it.
Harley, while dazed, still tried to put up a fight, weakly throwing inaccurate swings toward her assaulter. Red Hood merely kicked her over and stomped on her stomach. With her arms tied behind her back, tying her legs was much easier.
"NO FAIR! Ya plagerist! LET ME GO!" Quinn shrieked and wiggled to try and get out of her bindings.
Red Hood stared down at this lunatic in silence. Anger brewed inside as he remembered the hundreds of deaths this woman allowed to happen with Joker. He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her down a hall.
"OW! CAREFUL WITH THE LOCKS! I WORK HARD ON MY HAIR YA KNOW?!"
"Was this bitch complaining about her hair?" This psychopath was not even bothered by the dead men that surrounded her. Red Hood stood over her, clenching the knife in his hand tightly. There was only one way for this psycho to see reality.
"Tell me where the clown is hiding. Or I'll start with the fingers." Red Hood threatened, voice oozing with venom.
"As if! I ain't afraid of you, some ametuer stealing Mistah J's old name and Batman's tactics. Why don't ya crawl back to whatever hole you came out of!"
Red Hood threw a hook punch across her face. Harley's head swung to the side from the impact.
"Fine. Should of known ya liked pain. Joker always did throw ya around like trash. I guess I gotta get...creative." Red Hood delivered a final blow to Quinn's head, knocking her out.
He grumbled as he lifted her and dropped her into a shoulder carry. He couldn't break her here. It was only a matter of time before the police surrounded the building.
Just as the thought left him, the doors of the casino slammed open with an abrupt jolt.
"GCPD! HANDS UP!" An officer shouted.
Red Hood immediately dropped another smoke bomb and ran to the back exit of the building only to be met with five police cars. He cursed to himself. He must have gotten carried away.
"DROP QUINN AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP!"
"Need her, bud. Sorry." Red Hood dropped his last smoke bomb.
He quickly ran into an alleyway as bullets fired into the smoke. He found a car, kicked the driver door open, threw Quinn in the back and hot-wired the engine.
The vigilante took off, avoiding the main roads and sticking to the tight alleyways. The car's sides sparking from the building walls that he squeezed through. He heard the sounds of helicopters up in the sky and noticed the signs of flashing lights above.
"Sloppy, sloppy, SLOPPY!" Red Hood pounded his fist on the dashboard. Was every cop in town suddenly giving a shit?!
He pressed on the side of his mask and police dispatch rang into his ears.
"Be advised. An unknown assailant has kidnapped Harley Quinn, driving a red 1980 Toyota Corolla, with a driver door missing."
"Shit! Gotta go on foot." Red Hood slammed the brakes and grabbed Quinn.
"Suspect last seen in Park Row. Multiple dead bodies of Joker's and King Tut's goons found inside Zeus' Casino. Possible serial killer, shoot to kill."
Red Hood kicked down the door of an abandoned warehouse and threw Harley on the ground behind some moldy crates. He squatted down and checked his loadout.
"I want him brought in! The last thing I need is a mass murderer among all these riots!"
Red Hood recognized the voice. Gordon sounded even more tired than the last time he heard the old man. Despite there being plenty of ammo at the scene of the crime, Red Hood didn't exactly have time to swipe any.
His hyper focus on Quinn didn't allow for any other priority. He was stupid, careless! Civilians ran all around town in anger, police spread out all over town. All of which would notice him and Quinn in a heartbeat.
"Suspect's car found outside an abandoned building on Fourth Street. He's on foot."
"Secure a perimeter, he's not leaving Park Row free."
Red Hood narrowed his eyes as he thought of what to do.
"*Sigh* Shit. Shit. SHIT!" He yelled.
He saw the lights of a helicopter shine on the broken windows of the abandoned building. Fumbling behind his back to find a small nylon bag under his jacket, he quickly put it on the ground and took off his blood stained jacket.
He pulled out a trench coat and some loose sweatpants. The spare clothes were a last resort to blend in. He pulled the pants over his skin tight armor and holster then took off his jacket and shoved it into the bag.
Jason sighed as he pressed a button at the back of his skull. The red mask loosened and he was quick to pull it off. He still had his black domino mask underneath, just in case some punk with a good punch cracked open the helmet. Didn't need people seeing his face. He still wore the trademark white contacts to cover all his bases.
He slung the bag onto his shoulder and put on the trench coat. He then ran a hand through his black hair. The white tuft up front would make him suspicious enough to stand out.
He looked down at Harley and pulled out his silenced pistol. He needed her, but not that badly. Any Joe in Joker's gang should know a couple of other hideouts. Harely just knew the ones most likely to lead to the clown himself.
He aimed the gun to her head. If he took this freak out, Joker's thugs would panic, not to mention the sweet revenge of taking out Joker's little plaything.
He undid the safety of the gun, eager to end at least a big piece of the clown's empire.
The doors to the abandoned building were then abruptly slammed open. Police flooded in, guns aimed in every direction.
"Searching for the suspect. Stand by."
The cops searched the building, only for a rookie to find an unconscious Harely Quinn behind a crate.
"Found Quinn, no sign of the suspect."
"Keep searching. I want this bastard off the streets. Search every block of Park Row. Hell, check the sewers if you have to!" Gordon ordered.
The cops took Harley and put her into a squad car. Jason gritted his teeth as he saw it from his hiding place in an alley, behind an overfilled dumpster.
"So fucking close. Ugh." He grumbled. The last thing he needed was some bozo hearing the little pop of his pistol.
He knew at least eighty percent of the pigs in Gotham were corrupt, but that left the twenty percent possibly staring down the barrel of his gun. He couldn't live with that, not yet anyway. The old man managed to bash that much into his head.
Jason had been gone for a long time. He still didn't know the newer corrupted cops on the streets. He knew he was a murderer, but he only became one to better this broken city. He didn't want it on his conscience, making the city down a rare, good egg.
The man walked in the shadows of the alleys to his hideout. Harley may have been in lockup, but knowing her, she won't be for long. Besides, it wasn't like there weren't a million other ways to smoke the clown out.
The powdery faced scumbag might do it by himself with all the shit the Phantom Thieves are doing tonight. Jason smiled at that, the group made his job even easier if that was the case.
He'll find them, and whether willing or not, they'll help him quell the never ending crime destroying the city. Crime never ends, but it could be controlled.
Red Hood will make sure to do just that and take out the idiots who didn't get with the program.
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May 30th, Late Night
Kingdom of Hell
"Did we just...actually do all that?" Joker asked, almost uncertain.
The boy, despite everything, couldn't believe the mission was a success. This was the biggest heist he ever pulled. At least, in the 'real' world. The world with gods, monsters, and people who could kill you with a simple punch.
He managed to hide the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness throughout the mission. He hid the anxiety that came with coming up with an infiltration plan within hours. He hid the desperation that came with wanting to finally feel free.
He was taken by surprise from the tight embrace of the woman he just freed. One of her hands wrapped around his back, the other's fingers tangling into his black curls. He unconsciously tensed, adrenaline still at its peak.
"It's over sweetie. You're safe. All of your friends are safe too." Diana whispered into his ear.
Despite it all, he relaxed into her grasp. He slowly returned the hug in kind. Overwhelming feelings of relief overtook his body. He did it. He won on his own terms. But with that relief came anger that he had to do all of this in the first place. That this world's 'heros' were so ignorant to where he was coming from. The actions he had to take in order to protect everything and everyone he cares about.
The emotions almost brought his eyes to tear up. The feeling of hope, that maybe he could make it through this. The cautious hope that maybe it could all end here.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A single sound crushed that hope in its tracks. The anxiety, the despair, it came back with a massive force. Then the emotions exploded when he heard that horrible, obnoxious voice.
"Bravo! Encore! This is exactly the kind of thing I wanted when I let you off your leash! Aw man! I knew I was right to pick you~"
Joker's hands balled into tight fists against Diana's back. How stupid was he? How childish was he to think it ended here.
It's not over. It was never going to be over. The war was just beginning and Joker had the front row seat.
"I mean, like wow. That whole fight felt like it lasted months. And that's without me rewinding for the instant replay! The Phantom Thieves take on the Watchtower, and against all odds, win!" Batmite had the biggest grin on his face.
Diana, the conscious Titans, and the many damned and blessed souls turned to see him.
"What do you want now?" Joker asked emotionlessly.
"Hm? What's with the long face? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. Well face to face anyway." Bat-mite smirked.
"I did everything I could to make sure we were-"
"Yeah, yeah. I can overlook a few screw ups. Especially with something as cool as broadcasting a threat to the entire world. *Sigh* I knew I was onto something when I thought this up."
"You...are the one who tortures these children?" Diana's face slowly turned to one of utter contempt.
"Yep. These kids sure do know how to put on a show. Especially when they're disciplined." Bat-mite chuckled.
"Never in a million years. Of all the guys I thought it would be." Nightwing grumbled, still frozen in place on the ground from Batman's contingency.
"Oh Dick, flattery will get you nowhere. For once in my entire life, I'm quite happy your dad overlooks me as a threat. Scratch that, overlooks me as existing all together. What's a guy gotta do, am I right?" Bat-wing shrugged.
"What. Do. You. Want?" Joker demanded the imp to get to the point.
Bat-mite turned back to his plaything, and smiled at his anger.
"Why, I'm here to celebrate your victory. While I didn't expect you to go all out to free Wonder Woman, I love the results that can come from it. So many little things falling into place, so much faster than I could ever hope. You gotta slow down bud, you aren't trying to speedrun are you?" Bat-mite praised.
"I...Thanks I guess. Is that all?" Joker asked, confused.
"Look at you so uncertain. I love it~! You're sooo afraid I'll do something even though I said I wouldn't! Am I in your head Akira? Are ya scared?" Bat-mite teased.
"Enough! If you are truly the one behind all this, know your days are numbered. I will-"
"Oh Diana, don't be a wet blanket. Akira tells me the same crap every time I kill someone. I come with gifts and praise, and you all act like I'm some monster." Bat-mite frowned.
"LIKE?! YOU ARE A MONSTER! WHAT KIND OF PERSON WOULD-"
Joker quickly put his hand over Diana's mouth. He shook his head at her, indicating it wasn't worth it.
"Nice save, bud. Almost had to kill her too." Bat-mite grinned wickedly.
"Praise accepted. Thank you for your kind words. Now are we done?" Joker put on a calm facade.
"Not quite. I said gifts too. Mona, you should know what I'm talking about. Booster Gold? That little bot that said the magic words. Within the day he'll travel to the future and find all the juicy secrets about you. Should have done better to avoid a time traveler, but hey, consider this one a freebie. As with most paradoxes, it was unavoidable."
"Mona, care to explain?" Joker asked.
Mona sweated nervously.
"I thought...I thought he was a nobody. I was gonna tell you, I swear. I tried to fight them off, but the robot ball thing scanned me. The thing immediately went haywire and shut down. To the blond guy it was just static, you know what it means. Through it's glitching it screamed 'Protocol Akira'." Mona explained.
Joker went pale at the possibilities of this.
"I said it's a freebie. What are ya so worried about? I'll just kill him later when he finds out." Bat-mite chuckled.
"Don't...please." Joker had to try.
"What's it matter to you? Not like you knew him or anything." Bat-mite raised an eyebrow.
Joker literally had to hold back Diana, who was fuming with anger. It took all of his strength to keep her still, and keep a hand on her mouth.
"Humor me, will you? Oh grand master?" Joker sweet talked.
Bat-mite narrowed his eyes, but ultimately shrugged.
"Fine, he won't die. Can't have you seeing the file though. That's just too overpowered, knowing what's going to happen and when." Bat-mite firmly stated.
"Understood." Joker nodded.
"It's gonna cost you though, I was considering giving you the memories too. Just to make it a bit easier." Bat-mite turned away from Joker with a smile.
"Memories?" Joker asked.
"Ah, ah, ah~. You want him alive, you're just going to have to accept it. It's loosely canon anyway, pretty sure Violet over there couldn't handle the existential crisis of it." Bat-mite teased.
"What are you talking about?" Joker tried to keep calm, but the annoying nature of the imp was getting to him.
"Gramps has his work cut out for him. Meh, it'll be funny so who cares?" Bat-mite shrugged to himself.
"Bat-mite. Please I-"
Out of nowhere an adult woman wearing a labcoat over her blue shirt and black jeans dropped dead on the floor on her side. Blood pooled under her body and stained her long brown hair. A weird chain hung from her hair. Her light green eyes stared lifelessly forward.
"Whoops. Ah, who am I kidding? What help would you be anyway?" Bat-mite smiled down at the body.
"Gods." Diana said solemnly, Joker let loose of her mouth in his shock as well. The whole room was silent, except for a beeping sound coming from the woman's pocket.
"I got it, I got it." Bat-mite pulled out the bloodied phone from the woman's pocket.
The phone blipped and beeped at a fast pace. Almost sounding scared…
"They can't hear you, they don't even know who you are. Ah, your creator? Take a look."
The phone let out a sort of scream of terror. Confused and terrified beeping and vibrations coursed through the phone, only for it to end in a glitched screech of pain to come from it when Bat-mite's hands glowed and pressed hard into the phone.
"Bat-mite, what are you doing? What is that?" Joker asked, almost not wanting the answer.
"Ssh. Cutting the strings off a doll is quite difficult. I'm sure you can understand." Bat-mite smiled wickedly.
The screeching from the phone never stopped. A magical aura formed in front of Bat-mite. The aura glitched and spasmed violently, Bat-mite only gaining sadistic pleasure from the sounds.
"What is happening?!" Diana shouted.
Joker stared, not daring to look away. Especially when the strained screeching turned to glitched words filled with static. A figure made of white formed painfully from it's electric cage.
"JOKERR! HELP!PLEASE!" The figure screamed in desperation.
Joker stomped over to Bat-mite, the words enough to put a stop to whatever he was doing. Only for chains to wrap around him and hold him in his tracks.
"Ah, ah, ah~. She's almost done upgrading." Bat-mite chuckled.
"AHHHHHHH!" The figure screamed in indescribable pain.
An white electric blast of magic rocked the halls of Satanael's throne.
Joker opened his eyes after the flash died down. An impact zone from the magic was left, along with what appeared to be a girl. The petite girl wore a strange white outfit that ended at the hips. Her hair was just as strange as fourteen hearts floated inches off the floor. They were divided into what looked to be pigtails on each side of her head.
She looked almost inhuman, her almost pure white skin spoke to that claim.
"Must have overloaded her. Hang on." Bat-mite shot a little white bolt of magic at the girl.
The effect was immediate as the girl gasped and arouse from her slumber. Her ringed blue eyes looked confused.
"Ah...What happened? Where?" The girl softly questioned.
"Have a nice nap, Sofia?" Bat-mite asked.
Sophia looked up at her torturer, fear and anger overtook her entire body from the sheer intensity of her emotions.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She yelled in absolute terror.
Sophia blasted up into the air and landed on her feet. She tried to laser the imp with her immense power, summoning her digital themed persona. The green scantily clad woman scowled behind her box shaped helmet. Bat-mite simply pulled out a little Batman themed compact mirror that reflected the attack. The damage sent her sliding across the floor in pain.
"I'll keep the other gift a secret for now. More fun that way. Don't forget though, the game hasn't changed in the slightest. Deliver Karlos by the end of the month, preferably sooner. Still gotta fit in two eh, Joker?" Bat-mite smiled.
Sophia looked behind her to find her trusted leader.
"J-Joker? What's going on? What is this place?" She asked, confused.
"Have fun now~" Bat-mite snapped and he disappeared.
Sophia looked around, finding some faces familiar, others not at all. The whole situation confused her greatly, but she gasped in shock when her eyes landed on the dead body.
"ICHINOSE!" Sophia cried out in horror. She raced over to her creator and knelt down.
"No-No vitals. Ichinose, hang on!" In a panic Sophia tried to heal her friend.
Despite her persona Pandora appearing, none of the heal techniques worked. The blood that pooled around her friend's body didn't disappear. Her eyes didn't open. Her heartbeat didn't beat.
"I...I don't understand. That thing. What did it do to you?" The robot whimpered. She didn't understand. One minute she was in Tokyo, the next, here.
She had no idea were here, was. If it wasn't the metaverse, then why did she have a body? Why are monsters all around her? Why, why?
Joker stood behind the girl, seeing her struggle was too much. Bat-mite said something about memories and seeing what only could be a persona appeared confirmed it for him.
"Who is she?" Diana asked.
"No idea, but she's clearly one of us." Joker answered as he stepped towards her and knelt beside the girl.
"Joker...what is happening? We defeated EMMA, right? But why are you in uniform? And why.."
Joker simply embraced her tightly.
"I'm sorry about your friend." he said.
The circuits in Sophia were overloading in emotion, she broke down in Joker's arms whimpering and shaking. If her eyes were capable of tears they would be sobbing uncontrollably. She desperately grasped at Joker's coat and dug her head into his neck in despair.
In true Bat-mite fashion, whatever gift is given comes with even more heartbreak.
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HOPE ARCANA UNLOCKED!
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After a long explanation and a boring recap of the Thieves' situation, Joker had the body of Ichinose picked up and buried. It was all he really could offer the robot girl.
He could only imagine the confusion brought by no one remembering a whole summer, where the Phantoms had to come together again and beat another evil.
All the good times, all the bad, the friendships and enemies made...all locked out of reach for everyone except her.
Joker left the robot to pay her respects to her creator. He already felt enough guilt by having to bury a body in the literal kingdom of hell. As much as he wanted to comfort the girl, he had a million other things to take care of.
"Status report. How many did we lose?" Joker asked the room.
"Many demons fell this day. But their souls will be restored back into this realm within time. No one can enter this realm nor heavens as requested, though Nabu tried his best to break through the magical blockades." Beelzeebub rubbed his claws together.
"Keep them up. As of now, they are the only places that can truly be called safe. As of now, we're going dark. As unnoticed as we possibly can." Joker commanded.
"Our sisters around the world will thank you for the rescue of Diana. Are your plans for expansion on hold for now?" Donna asked, the Phantom Stars all looked at Joker for guidance.
"I can't in good conscious risk your people more than I already did tonight. We don't need expansion, all Amazon are allowed to return to their homes." Joker ordered.
"Ridiculous! By saving our Princess and ambassador we are forever in your debt! I will follow every order and fight to my last breath for you, Trickster! I would be ashamed to turn away and hide like a coward at this stage. Man's world has declared war for daring to try imprisoning my niece. They must pay the consequences! AM I RIGHT SISTERS!?" Antiope roared.
"YES MA'AM!" A chorus of voices called back to their commander.
"I speak for every Amazon on Themyscira, every warrior who I've trained, we will not stand idle while this disgusting world tries to kill you and your kin. " Antiope kneeled before Joker, soon followed by all of the other Phantom Stars.
Joker was almost overwhelmed, he couldn't have so many warriors roaming Gotham, there was no way to properly hide them. Let alone command their ranks. The streets were on high alert, every officer and criminal were hunting his group down.
Before Joker could deny their request, Diana took him by the shoulder.
"I know you are afraid, afraid of what would happen to your friends if one of my sisters are found. But I must agree, hiding or laying low is not the way to go forward." Diana said, determined.
Joker was unsure, but his conflicted thoughts were interrupted by Akechi shoving his way through the women.
"ARE YOU JOKING?! WAYNE WILL HAVE EVERY CONNER ON LOCKDOWN, EVERYONE KNOWS YOU AND YOUR RACE WORKS FOR US NOW!" Akechi roared.
"Precisely, instead of hiding in the shadows, waiting for him to catch you. Why not overwhelm him with numbers? He'll beat some, capture others, but like it or not this is a war. A war of righteousness. The people are doubtful of the League's ability to uphold the law of the world. Why not convince them further? Let me and my sisters prove your righteousness to the world!" Diana smiled.
"Make so much noise, any steps you might take will be deafened by the sounds of ours." Donna nodded.
"You want me to make you bait!?" Joker was shocked.
"I would hardly call my people bait. Joker...no, Akira, all my life I've wanted to help Man's world through it's strife. For me and my people to descend as guardians and bring peace to this land. But my sisters thought they weren't worth saving, not worth peace. You've changed that." Diana gratefully admitted.
"What? I didn't-"
"You did. Now, they see a person from this world risk everything to rescue one of theirs. Not expecting reward, nor gratitude, only seeking to do the right thing. A person who did it despite all the hate this world throws at him, despite it deeming him a threat to the world at large."
Joker stayed silent at Diana's words. The Amazon wrapped her arms around the boy again and whispered her next words into his ear.
"My Trickster, you are indeed worth saving. You are worth fighting for and I will not rest until you and your friends get the justice you deserve."
"Diana I-"
"Shhh. Let me fight for you, let me protect you, let me prove to these corrupt souls how wrong they are about you." Diana stroked the boy's hair.
"*Sigh* Ok." Joker relented.
Diana tightened the hug before letting go. Joker was met with a motherly smile that was filled with fiery determination.
"Thank you." Diana offered, she walked up to her sisters and took a deep breath.
"My Amazons, my beloved sisters in battle. I thank you for aiding these children in their plight. Words cannot express the gratitude and pride I feel when I see each and every one of you wish to defend their names. The great Athena both of this world and theirs smiles upon you this day." Diana spoke.
All of the Phantom Star's raised their heads in pride at her words.
"But this is just the beginning! Man's world seeks to destroy these children and their work. Can we stand idly by as Athena's champion struggles to survive?"
"NO!"
"Of course not! So what do we do? WE FIGHT! Fight for peace and justice across the land! We aid in the Trickster's mission to bring down every corrupt soul that walks this Earth! Not in the Amazon name, but in the name of the Phantom Stars!" Wonder Woman raised a fist.
"YAAA!"
"NO CRIME WILL GO UNPUNISHED! NO CHILD LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES! WE SHALL PROTECT THIS WORLD FROM ITSELF AS WE WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO! IN THE NAME OF OUR CHAMPION, AND IN THE NAME OF THE GREAT ATHENA!" Diana roared with determination.
The room boomed with the sounds of the mighty Amazons. Joker watched as Diana smiled proudly at her sisters, as if this were all a dream come true.
"This will only lead to our situation getting worse." Akechi glared at Joker.
"I know, but we're running low on options. How are the Titans?" Joker asked.
"To put it simply, healing." Akechi answered.
"The others?"
"Nothing a few spells won't fix. Talia however…" Akechi started to say.
"I know. I'll talk to her." Joker sighed.
"You'd better get her in line after that little explosion. Or else I'll get rid of her. She's becoming a liability, I don't like liabilities." Akechi narrowed his eyes.
Joker nodded and went toward the group of assassins. The women in total silence as they tended to their wounds. Taila saw her master approach and stood to attention.
"Master, forgive us for our failings. No excuse is acceptable for me and my team." Talia saluted.
"Sorry, what?" Joker blinked in confusion.
"Despite our best efforts, we had to resort to the final contingencies. Such will never happen again. I swear on my life, we will be faster, stronger, and deadlier. Whatever further punishment you must give out we will accept with great humility." Talia bowed deeply, followed quickly by the assassins behind her.
"Talia, a word?" Joker kept a calm face.
Talia shot back up and nodded fiercely. Joker led her to an empty hall of the palace.
"I'm going to be extremely clear. What were you thinking when you put bombs into Futaba's hideout?" Joker demanded.
"Such is the standard of all my father's hideouts. No evidence is to be found if we are compromised. The files and server secrets must never be found out by our enemies." Talia said matter of factly.
"Futaba could have died, you could have killed her." Joker glared at the unfeeling woman.
"My master, we must live for the cause...and die for the cause." Talia blankly said.
Joker sighed and ran a hand down his face. It was clear she needed a different approach.
"Your father might not care if you die. But I do, why do you think I went through all this effort to not leave a single soldier behind?" Joker asked.
"Master, death is unavoidable. Our enemies will never just lay down and let us save this world. I ran a risk assessment and found Oracle was less important that the data we stole so I-"
Joker punched Talia square in the jaw. Her head turned to the side from the impact, the only noise she made was a little grunt in surprise.
"I never want to hear those kinds of words again. Am I clear?" Joker hissed.
"Yes...Master." Talia said firmly, inside deeply enjoying her master taking charge.
"Your father trained you to leave allies for dead the moment they outlive their usefulness. Your father is a manipulator, a snake. I am neither of those things, my team is my family. And I will never allow such things as "risk assessments" override protecting my family. Every member of this team is now your family to protect." Joker ordered.
"I do not understand the need for such measures, failures should be weeded out. And we have a lot of failures on our team." Talia looked over the room in disgust.
"I won't hesitate to go into the metaverse and change that thinking. I should have done it sooner, I just felt bad that-"
"Do it. While I don't understand my wrong doings, I will take any punishment for my misdeeds." Taila coldly said.
Joker sighed deeply. He would have to discuss what to do with her with his team. For now she would stay here and await orders. He couldn't afford misunderstandings, not right now.
The Titans and Phantoms all looked at her with untrusting glares. Speaking of…
"Just await orders here, Talia. I'll think of what to do with you later." Joker said as he walked away, leaving the woman alone to think on her actions.
"You should really just let her go. Trust me when I say she isn't worth all this effort." Dick said, now wearing a spare shirt and jeans. His past costume had to be torn to shreds by Starfire to free his body.
"That wouldn't be wise. Who knows what she'd be doing if Joker didn't make her switch sides. Even if it was...by force." Noir chimed.
"This is the only way she's known her whole life. I believe a change of heart is necessary. If she truly doesn't understand why the things she does are terrible, isn't it up to us to help her?" Violet asked.
"And if her followers see her as weak and rebel?" Crow huffed.
"Yeah right. They'd never rebel, look where they are. They might be cold blooded but they're not stupid. They know they're stuck with us." White scoffed,waving at the dozens of angels and demons walking around in Hell's kingdom.
"Plus, even if they did crawl back to Ra's they'd only be tortured for intel then killed. Best case scenario." Dick said with certainty.
"That doesn't matter. What matters is that she almost killed Oracle and the other Titans!" Panther cried.
"Yeah, she definitely needs a change of heart. We'd be hypocrites to just let her walk after that." Skull said.
"Agreed." Fox nodded.
"Goes without saying really. Next time we go in we have to help her. But what about you guys?" Mona asked Dick.
"What about us?" Dick raised an eyebrow.
"Things are pretty hot right now, I'd understand if you-"
"Don't." Dick interrupted Joker.
"As if we'd stop here. Those assholes throw us away like garbage. Whatever you guys need, I'm in." Kid Flash scowled.
"Mr. Wayne has truly went insane. To brutalize his own son, the first child he took under his wing. I-" Starfire couldn't finish, her fists clenched as angry tears rolled down her eyes. Only Dick wrapping a hand around her waist seemed to calm her.
"What they did to Wonder Woman was horrible. I couldn't live with myself to stay with what they did. I ain't bailing with this." Wonder Girl crossed her arms.
"Yeah, same." Beast Boy nodded.
"I already took a chance on you. Despite it being against everything I held sane. You...For now you've proven Hell can be under control. And that the new King is better." Raven said, still hesitant.
"What do you need us to do?" Dick asked, face stern, arms crossed, and mind 1determined to help in any way he could.
"Places to hide in Gotham. In two days the deadline resets and we have to find two palaces to change. We already have a target, but no other key words. Have you ever heard of Basil Karlo?" Joker asked.
"The actor?" Dick asked, confused.
"Look, Bat-mite's the guy who gives the targets. If he's a target, he's got a palace. Can you help us find him?" Joker asked.
"Pfft. Give me something hard to do." Dick snarked.
With that the Phantom Thieves had a plan for the next few days. Everyone in the world was after them. But with what Diana had in store, the deafening noise of chaos would only get louder.
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May 31st, Early Morning
Cloudy
Cafe Leblanc
Honestly, Akira had never been one to complain about long enduring missions. But on this one, he could admit it freely. He was exhausted. So sue him if he wanted to climb up Leblanc's stairs, crash on whatever bed or sleeping bag he could find, and go into a coma for the next few hours.
Everyone else did much of the same, but before him as always. As he dismissed all his team members to rest, he finalized the plans he had with Diana. The woman was at least eager to go and make her mark. And of course it went to him to explain everything to poor Sophia, who had paragraphs worth of questions he had to answer. As the robot clinged to him like a lifeline, shaking like a leaf at the implications of what they had to deal with now.
Though he was surprised when she explained exactly what she was, and what she could do. From GPS hacking, to delivery of items in seconds due to black market tooling. As the two went to exit the Kingdom of Hell, she seemed to think she would transfer back into his phone. Like she didn't exist in the real world. Boy, was that a shock as she looked at his regular clothes, then at the city around them.
She was mesmerized, touching every brick she could. But her outfit didn't change and her fashion sense was odd to say the least.
"Hey,uh hate to burst your bubble but...can you change clothes?" Akira asked as they stood awkwardly in an empty alley.
"It's never been a problem before, why now?" Sophia cocked her head to the side.
"You might draw unwanted attention with your looks." Akira gently tried to explain.
"OH! Oh.I see. No one saw me back when we were working together." Sophia solemnly said.
Akira cringed, she just got herself together after she buried her creator. He didn't need to reopen the fresh wounds that came from the death of a loved one. He didn't need to remind her that no one seemed to remember the time as Phantom Thieves they've spent together.
At least the summer she spoke of sounded nice, leagues better than the one he was going to face now. He gently approached her and put her hands on her shoulder.
"I've always dreamed of being able to walk among regular people. To be able to breath, to eat, to feel the waves of the warm ocean sweep over me. Now...I'm here. And I can only feel sadness, and dread." Sophia shaked as she buried herself into Akira's chest.
"I'm sorry. For everything." Akira softly said.
"You have nothing to apologize for. It's him, he's the one who has to pay." Sophia's eye's started to glow red in absolute fury.
Akira could agree with that at least and her help would be crucial, especially with helping Futaba. Two hackers with personas, Bruce didn't stand a chance.
Akira's thoughts were interrupted when Sophia grabbed his phone from his pocket. She looked it over in curiosity, and a sense of nostalgia. Even after everything, she still missed the snug comfort of being inside his phone, able to be of use among his apps and with the remnants of the Metaverse that EMMA created.
Akira's eyes widened as the robot girl seemed to glitch out and disappear from reality. His phone dropped to the hard asphalt of the dirty alley.
"Sophie?!" Akira called in worry, his eyes shifted frantically all around the alley looking for his friend. Bat-mite didn't take away a friend so soon, did he? What did Akira even do to warrant such punishment?
A beep sounded and he looked down.
"Yes?" His phone chimed. Sophia looked up at him, wondering why he had gotten so tall, when the familiar snug comfort hit her.
"Oh, it seems I can return to your device. This should be helpful, no?" Sophia chimed.
Akira picked up his phone and saw her icon bounce across his screen.
"Yeah I guess it is." Akira smiled in relief. He really needed to sleep off this stress.
The boy walked to the Cafe with a tired smile. The nostalgic ring of Leblanc's bell brought smells that he associated with a day's end.
But the other sounds did not.
"MASTER'S BACK YAAAAAAY!" Chocola yelled as she tackled the boy.
Akira's eye twitched, maybe sleep wasn't coming as soon as he thought.
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May 31st, Midday
Bana-Mighdall, Egypt
Sunny
Diana and Donna kneeled respectfully before the Queen of the Amazons of Bana-Mighdall. Queen Anahid was known for her reclusiveness to Thymescira. Some feud with Diana's mother led to hundreds of years of no communication.
But the thin, ebony queen seemed more than happy to see them now. Demeter did her Trickster proud in convincing the Egyptian tribe to fight if the feasts were any indication.
It seemed the mileena had not been kind to this Amazonian tribe. The harsh desserts did their toll on the women who settled there. Unlike Themyscira, these women were forced to integrate with man's world for food. They became mercenaries, manufacturing weapons and trading them with outsiders.
When Demeter came, they were on the brink of famine, as even with trade, no man steps foot in the city. The lost tribe, too stubborn in their ways of hatred, only became increasingly bitter towards the world.
Now, Queen Anahid was humbled, along with the rest of the tribe. Demeter came with blessings abound and all in the name of Joker. Already Diana heard songs of the Trickster among the ranks as she came through the city.
Cheers and joy, with full bellies and a fight to be called upon. It was everything to these women.
Donna joked that Akira would have to keep these women away with a stick. As the gossip among the lost tribe went from thankful to...eager to pleased.
"Diana and Donna of Paradise Island. I thank you for meeting with us on this day. If claims of the Themysciran forces being in the command of our savior, then we welcome you with open arms~!" Anahid smiled, but she sounded disappointed it wasn't said savior.
Donna had a little smirk on her face, Diana quickly nudged her in the gut.
"Yes, those claims are true. My mother Hippolyta holds the Trickster in high regard. And we hope through mutual gratitude we can work together like we did in the past." Diana said diplomatically.
"Ah! Grand news! We are forever grateful for his gifts. The great Demeter came upon us with such feasts and harvests, that we shall never know hunger again. And if there is anything we can do to return our debts to this savior we would gladly do so."
"HERE! HERE!" The throne room cried in joyous choir.
Diana smiled, Akira truly was the man her goddess Athena claimed. She never would have thought she would be doing such things in milenna.
"I came to request aid in the Trickster's war. Much like with your land, the Trickster seeks to aid the rest of man's world. We are to provide support and aid to his cause with all of our might. So many places require saving and he cannot aid them all. But with your tribe, we might just be able to make enough change for the better." Diana said.
"Man's world always was rather fickle and fearful of our tribe. But if this is what our savior wants of us, who are we to ignore the call. I shall send forth my best warriors. Among them our greatest champion, the Shim'Tar, Akila and her second in command Artemis."
Two women stood proud, Akila, despite being the Shim'Tar of the tribe, was noticeably less intimidating than Artemis. Akila was an ebony, brown eyed woman with well developed muscles and curves that spoke of years of battle. But a face that spoke the look of a scholar rather than warrior. She was armed with the Bow of Ra, the designated weapon of the champion of Bana. Her gold and silver armor shined brightly.
Artemis on the other hand, had muscles that spoke of fierce training and even worse fights, a dangerous look in her green eyes. Her wild red hair was only kept in place by her headguard. She was armed with a longsword and a pair of sais. Her silver and red armor spoke of bloodshed and impatience.
"We will aid the Trickster with the mighty power bestowed on us." Akila bowed.
"All enemies shall yield before us." Artemis smiled wickedly.
Diana looked upon the women and smiled. She'd had to keep Artemis in check for sure, but these champions would surely never fall nor fail to the enemy before them.
The world would know the names of the Phantom Stars. Of the Amazon's might, starting tonight.
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May 31st, 24XX Late Night
The Bruce Wayne Memorial Museum
Rain
"Sir. I'd advise against doing this." Skeets said.
Booster Gold picked the lock of the grand mansion. Wayne Manor had aged gracefully throughout the centuries. The old foundations standing strong against the enemy of time. The moment Booster stepped into his time he threw Skeets at a repair man.
The guy asked what he was doing with an outdated security bot, Booster told him not to worry about it and slipped him enough credits to make him shut up.
"Always wondered what the file was. History nerds always pull their hair out at being unable to crack through the firewalls." Booster and Skeets walked through the many displays of Bruce's triumphs. But everyone knew the good stuff was through the piano room. The long queue lines were proof of that.
Booster walked down the long dark stairs leading to the Batcave. The automatic lights switched on and bats swarmed the cave. Booster swatted them away, the damn place always bordered on a zoo with all of Bruce's little friends flying around.
"Sir, I must insist." Skeets chimed.
"I gotta know Skeets. Just what has he been hiding all this time?" Booster narrowed his eyes.
Multiple displays lit up to show every upgrade of Batman's suit, some were more tattered than others, but interesting nonetheless. Every Robin costume shined on the other side of the hall.
"Sir, some things are better left to time. Even if this is the correct timeline to take, I must try to persuade you against your current course of actions." Skeets warned.
"Ooh~ You should know that'll only encourage me more." Booster grinned.
The hero stepped up to the Batcomputer, and turned it on. The old mahine chugged to life, the bat signal blinked on the screen.
"Welcome Mr. Wayne." The computer chimed.
Booster Gold got to typing on the analog keyboard. Scanning through the old files until he found the famously uncracked one. So many conspiracies of what it could be, the file name never did help with that.
NEVER OPEN. simple words, but it only brought more temptation. More hackers trying to crack it. The Dark Knight had so many dark secrets he took to his grave, only to be found and talked about by historians. This was it, this was the only secret left. Booster clicked on the file.
"Processing," The old computer said. A blue light scanned the room, going over every nook and cranny of the cave. Booster Gold didn't panic, every one knew the first step was cracking this, it was hoping he got through was the issue.
"Current date, acceptable. Current security, acceptable. Use acceptable. Welcome Booster Gold." The computer beeped.
"Sir! Please!" Skeets shrieked.
"Too late to turn back Skeets. Not when the great Batman went through all this to show me this." Booster Gold.
"Accessing files." The computer chimed.
An old Bruce Wayne showed up on screen. The wrinkled and worn down man looked downward as he sat in a chair. He leaned forward on his cane, like it was the only thing keeping him up. The shadows cast on his face spoke of guilt, regret, torment.
"If by some stroke of luck you managed to crack through all my safe guards, I'll warn you only once. If you value your life, your family's life, or anything at all, turn back now. This is bigger than me, bigger than you, and bigger than some notice that bigger far into the future makes you safe from the evils held behind this file." Bruce hissed.
Booster Gold huffed and crossed his arms. Bruce always had a liking for the dramatic. Though a shiver of nervousness did run down Gold's spine.
"The lost year speaks the worst of us as a species, the worst of us as heroes and a moral establishment. It speaks of...the worst of me." Bruce said, voice filled with guilt and regret.
"I have atoned for my sins, I welcome the judgment of any action I have taken throughout the years. But this...I hide this to protect everyone from learning, I hide this so the people left behind from the war don't remember." Bruce admitted.
Booster Gold stood silent as Bruce closed his eyes in shame.
"So many deaths were covered up, so many crimes left unsolved in the name of keeping us safe. Keeping them safe. The Phantom Thieves...did more than attack the Watchtower all those years ago. What you are about to see is everything that happened, no secrets, no lies. Just the truth." Bruce stated before pausing again.
"I'm sorry, Booster Gold." The elder said before the video cut off.
"Wha?" Booster was having a panic attack at that.
Images, videos, and text all scrolled on the monitor. All showing the Phantom Thieves fighting among the Justice League, villains, and anyone else of note. A much younger Batman showed up on screen, his fury hard to ignore. The gritted teeth and deep scowl were obvious on his face.
"Log Date: May 31st, 20XX. This is the last time I'll be caught being bested by a group of teenagers. The Phantom Thieves despite their age have shown immense strength in power, planning, and upset in the world at large. I'm already getting reports of Waller sending in troops to scan the area. She's foolish to think she can simply take these kids for her own devices. I know what she does with people she considers useful. And I'll be damned if she thinks she can waltz in my city with soldiers. It's only a ploy to slowly escalate to special forces, tanks, she probably has her little squad ready to move in already. They'll find that such tactics will not work."
Batman took a deep breath and composed himself.
"This is not the topic I wished to discuss. The Thieves have to be put down. Clark thinks he can simply talk with them, reach some understanding. He should know by now I only humored his little plea to have him track down the Thieves for me. When I find them, I will break them. Their bones, their spirits, their legacy." Batman hissed.
"I am beyond their little tears and tales of tragedy. Everytime I humor them, they use it as an advantage to strike. Their cause might be good, but the red flags and risks cannot be ignored. Even without the demon at play, the Phantom Thieves are well on their way for total world domination. I don't care if they say they won't, it's the actions they take. And the actions they're taking are ones of an international declaration of war. Their little broadcast across the globe was proof of that. But I have plans to counter their dreams of grandeur. Protocol Phantom is in full effect."
Booster Gold watched the war play out in full effect. Gotham turned into an absolute no man's land. The League struggled to hold Batman back and-
It all turned to static in an instant, Bruce stood in his Batman outfit with his cowl down. Somehow even more irate.
"Log date: $! #$! #$! %! $%. It was right in front of my face this whole time. Leblanc, some cafe in Chinatown, the cat Oracle watches. It all leads to one boy. Akira Kurusu, your days of freedom are numbered. You'll never see sunlight again. That I promise you."
Static erupted across the screen as each of the Phantom Thieves' identities were displayed on the screen. Every weakness, strength, every bit of intel Batman could grab was on this file.
"Jesus Christ." Booster Gold looked awestruck at all the events laid before him. The suffering, the chaos… What lengths Batman was willing to go through.
The monitors all cut out suddenly. Booster Gold cursed as he tried to type on the analog keyboard. It was no use, then suddenly all of the lights were cut off as well.
"You really are an idiot, ya know that?" Skeets said, only that wasn't his voice.
"Skeets?" Booster Gold was starting to get nervous.
"Hmmm. What am I going to do with you? Joker wanted to keep you alive, but since when have I cared about that?" Skeets chuckled evilly.
" What?! Who are you?! What have you done to-"
"Take a guess. All those warnings weren't just for drama, you know. Now where was I? Ah! *Chuckles* I got the perfect idea to try!"
Booster Gold was hit with intense pain. He immediately fell to the ground in a fetal position. He groaned in agony.
"AHH! Wh-What is this?! I-" Booster Gold started coughing violently, so much so that blood started to spew out of his mouth.
It was the darkest blood he's ever seen, almost black in pigment.
"We have a lot to do. Come"
The hero and robot disappeared in a glitch of reality, static all around them. All that was left was the old relics of the Batcave. The mysterious file on screen deleted itself, leaving historians forever in the dark of Batman's greatest secret.
Perhaps they are better off in the dark.
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AN: I hate that this release schedule is the new norm. We aren't getting anywhere fast, an upload every two bordering on three months is so disappointing and boring. For any interested it was mostly due to a wicked bad kidney stone, and the bullshit process of finding a hospital that was covered on my insurance. The petty fuckers. Worst pain in my life honestly, and the last month was mostly me knocked out on prescribed painkillers and barely conscious.
I'm honestly so sorry for this. I had Clayface's palace all planned out for spooky month and I missed it completely, and most of November too. Hopefully I can make Santa's time slot properly fit for a literal horror movie actor turned serial killer. Rip my kidney and rip October.
Happy Holidays everyone. Hope my bonus makes up for the wait.
Btw no one responded to my call for editors, if there are any beta readers on Fanfiction/AO3 who wish to help us with this big boy, it would be greatly appreciated.
Especially the comics fans, as I would love a comic expert to bounce off ideas, and make sure I'm actually doing these characters justice.
PM me plz 3
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BONUS:
May 31st, Late Night
The Cauldron
GCPD Lockup
Rain
The police headquarters was in absolute disarray. It's been a full day since the Watchtower attack and the riots have not calmed at all. Superman's speech did little to calm the especially angry people of Gotham.
Harley Quinn sat in an interrogation room, cuffed to a dirty table. She snored loudly, head laying on the table. Police dumped her in the room during the early morning and left her for hours, the calming of the riots taking priority. Quinn struggled for hours to get free and used the chaos to her advantage, but it was no use. They were busy, not stupid. And Harley was known for being especially able to slip out of police custody.
Cash looked through the one way mirror at the sleeping woman and sighed. He was just able to make time to look over the file. The casino was filled with dead bodies, Harley and Red Hood were the only ones to survive the onslaught.
Gordon walked up to his friend, looking worn down and defeated. Gordon sighed as he joined his friend. The Commissioner just got off the phone with the higher ups. Another call to suffer through as they yelled his ear off.
"They're sending in the feds." The old Commissioner said.
"Peachy. When are they storming us?" Cash asked.
"Give it twenty four hours tops."
"Well we at least got Quinn to tell us all about the clown. Is he on his way?" Cash asked.
"Yeah, and he's not in a good mood." Gordon groaned.
Batman stormed through the halls of GCPD, his scowl noticeably deeper than most nights.
Then again, who could blame him after everything that has happened the past twenty four hours?
"You said it was important." Batman practically boomed.
"Quinn shot up Tut's place. Only other survivor was Red Hood but he's MIA. Figured you wanted a word." Cash explained.
Batman narrowed his eyes on the sleeping woman. This could be the lead he needed.
"Indeed I do. Thank you." Batman nodded at the two men. Without another word, he entered the interrogation room.
The lights flickered in the dirty room, Batman knew his time was short. He would have to get Harley to talk before either Strange or Waller got their hands on her. Strange he could deal with, as the doctor just wanted the more notable Rogues in the asylum. A place in Batman's mind he could gain access to easily.
Waller however, would not be as forthcoming.
Batman slammed his fist on the interrogation table.
"HUH?! WHA- Oh, it's just you. Been a while Batsy, how's the old Tower doin'?" Quinn scowled immaturely at the Knight.
"Akechi Goro. Where is he?" The man's voice rumbled deeply.
"Hmph. Ain't telling, Mistah J has big plans for the kid once we flush him out. Tut can't hide him forever." Harley smiled wickedly.
"Don't test me Quinn, not tonight. You haven't found him yet, give me everyone of Tut's hideouts. Now." Batman demanded.
"No dice, Bat freak. Not one place was left unturned. Broker squealed like a little piggy. Don't know where the brat is, the pucks didn't either. Kid must be pretty close to the King if we haven't found him yet. The boss hasn't shown his head either, the coward." Quinn gabbed.
"Don't you dare lie to me." Batman growled.
"I ain't. Don't have a reason to, the whole thing was a wash. Wherever Akechi is, I don't know, and if I did I wouldn't tell ya anyway. Or Mistah J would be soooo mad at me when he breaks me out~!" Harley giggled.
"Why would he free you, when you failed him on this?" Batman pressed.
"He'll free me, I know he will! We're soulmates, lovers, he would never abandon me. Not for long." Harley was quick to retreat to her delusions.
"He has no use for you and is down lots of men. He wouldn't risk whatever he is planning for-"
"SHUT UP FREAK! He'll come for me! He always does! He always will! HE LOVES ME! HE JUST GOT A DIFFERENT WAY OF SHOWIN' IT!" Quinn roared violently.
"You're delusional, Quinn. You better be telling the truth or I'll come for you." Batman threatened.
"Well, you'll have a hard time then." A voice said.
Batman and Harley looked at the door to see a man with long hair and glasses.
"Cause I got orders to throw ya out and take her with me." The man said.
"Who the hell are you?" Quinn yelled.
"Agent Hasegawa, FBI. Got orders to take you into confinement to a discreet location for questioning." Zenkichi pulled out his badge. It was admittedly cooler looking than the one Public Security.
"Waller sent you, she has another thing coming if she thinks she can barge in on my city." Batman grit his teeth as he studied the man.
"What little I've seen of her, I think you'll have a hard time keeping her away." The agent scoffed.
"You're either new or naïve to how far I'm willing to go. Harely has not been tried in a court of law, I hardly think she was given the due process necessary for imprisonment in Waller's little prison." Batman narrowed his eyes.
"Well, good thing I'm only bringing her for questioning isn't it? Away from the bias of certain vigilantes. And have a warrant for her arrest for multiple counts of murder in practically every degree. Call me naive and new, but where I'm from that's perfect means for her little transport. And your madhouse isn't known for holding inmates well. Nor this little lockup we're in. I think it's only rational to bring her to a place with a little more security." Zenkichi didn't back down.
"I doubt Waller's priorities are giving Quinn a fair trial. Nor humane methods of questioning." Batman grit his teeth.
"I doubt your priorities are that either, sir. Now why don't we cut the shit, and get to the part where you let me do my damn job. One, unlike yours, is within the realm of law. Or do I have to have the whole government come to arrest you?" Zenkichi raised an eyebrow. The one-way mirror lit up to show multiple federal agents in suits behind Gordon and Cash.
"...This isn't over. Tell Waller I won't let her little squad in my city. And I'm not threatened by some upstart lackey doing her errand work." Batman insulted.
"Oh no, my feelings. I'll take Quinn now if you don't mind." Zenkichi took Cash's keys and replaced the city's cuffs with his own. He brought Harley up to walk.
"Hehehe. What's his face sure showed you, Dork Knight. Where are we going anyway?" Quinn asked.
"Somewhere just as welcoming as this dump." Zenkichi snarked as the two walked away.
Batman clenched his fists, he saw this coming, but didn't expect Waller to assemble so soon. Her bosses must be even more desperate than he thought. He managed to slip a tracker on the man's jacket, hoping to get some intel on at least the government's plans regarding his city. But for now it was out of his hands what happened to Quinn.
"Sir, I'm getting reports of attacks all across Gotham and the outer city limits. A group of women bearing the Phantom's attire are popping up all over. It seems the Amazon's are seeking to expand the Thieve's hold of the city." Alfred called.
"...I'm on my way." Batman answered.
The Thieves are being blatant, after all this uproar? It didn't make sense. Batman stormed out of the GCPD lockup.
"Batman what do we do?!" Gordon called after him.
"Try to control the streets as best as you can. I'm going to get answers one way or another tonight." Batman hissed.
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Zenkichi gently put Quinn into the car. The woman was weirdly complaining, saying it had to do with him being funny. He shut the door to an armored car and knocked on the door. The vehicle drove off to wherever Flag ordered it to go. He rolled his eyes at the needlessly secretive nature of these people. Americans always did have a tendency to take things to the extreme.
The man stood in the rain, running his hands along his coat. He found the little bug Batman put on his clothing.
"Cute." Zenkichi said simply before dropping it to the ground and grinding it under his shoe.
Like he'd be that stupid, the little twerp was very clear. Get caught, Akane gets killed.
He'd be damned if that happened. Batman wanted to play games, he wouldn't win.
Not against him, and not against the kids either.
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Grand Avenue
Wonder Woman stood still among her sisters in an empty alley. As they rushed the streets, eager to control the riots of the city, and bring good to the Trickster's name.
Diana stood in front of a man wearing a suit and glasses. A familiar face raised his hands in surrender, standing tall but apologetic.
"You have some gall to come here. After everything that happened yesterday. I'm not coming back. Not for you, not for Bruce, not for any of them." Wonder Woman glared.
Clark Kent nodded solemnly.
"I know. I understand. I thought about what you said, what they said. I managed to convince Bruce to let me come here. To talk." Clark explained.
"I feel we're way past talking, Kal. Bruce made sure of that." Diana hissed.
"Please Diana. I'm sorry I really am. I want to show you I mean that. I want to make this right. I want to at least try to do the right thing. Try to fix the League before it crumbles from the pressure. Before he crumbles from the pressure. I just want to talk to Joker. No tricks, no lies, just trying to work out how to defeat the demon." Clark softly said.
"This is about more than him! It's about Bruce! About him and the League abandoning the Thieves when they could have been helped. About you, silently allowing this city to rot in some ridiculous notion of respect. Bruce lost all of the respect he's earned by refusing to listen to new ways to help the world." Diana fumed.
"I know...I know. I'm doing it on his behalf. For the next week he's allowed me to do so. To try and mend the wounds." Clark said.
"Bullshit. He's using you Kal. Like he uses all of us. What's supposed to happen, hm? The minute you find Joker he'll-"
"Diana, he's losing it. He's snapping, doing things he wouldn't normally do. I understand your issues with him. I understand their issues with them. What I'm trying to offer is what they wanted. Help, help that's not in his control. I know what he's trying to do. What I'm saying is I won't let him. I won't let his stubborn nature destroy everything we've built over the years. I won't let him destroy all the good we've done together. Please. I'm a hypocrite for allowing all this to happen. I was naive to think it would all work by putting them away. I was wrong. I admit it. What do I have to do to prove my intentions?" Clark asked.
"You-You just did. I'll tell him your message. If he wants to I'll have him meet you, but in a neutral location, with me there, and everyone you've wronged to guard him. But if you prove me wrong, if I have to protect Joker from you...I'll show no mercy." Wonder Woman glared.
"I understand." Clark nodded his head.
Wonder Woman turned from her former team member, and took flight. She didn't look back as she called after Clark.
"I won't back down from what I believe in Kal. I hope you still do the same." Wonder Woman chided.
Clark was left to watch as the Phantoms brutally calmed the city. Their powers and numbers were no match to the criminals seeking to use the protests to their advantage. Clark stood as Amazons tied up the criminals and left them for the police.
Clark sighed as he pushed up his glasses. Bruce is going to be furious about this, But Clark swore to himself he wouldn't back down. Some things are bigger than things like Bruce's ego and stubbornness.
Gotham had for years begged for something bigger than the failed circle of corrupted justice. Perhaps it was fate for a mere mortal man to snap under the immense delusions and pressure that came with trying to protect such a broken city.
And the world at large was at risk of falling with said mortal in their inability to think for themselves. And their inability to not be threatened by newer ways to thwart justice.
Clark wouldn't let that happen, he would let everything he cared for rot from the inside out from inability to change.
Bruce always feared Superman would be the one to turn against the people and destroy the planet with his power.
Who would have guessed that it would change to Clark fearing the exact thing with his friend?
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AN: Next chapter is coming soon. Hope you've enjoyed it.
