CHAPTER 59:
"Poetic Justice"

Jason and Roy zipped down to Harper's car using their ties without incident. Arkells had gone back down into the Manor to help any way he could. Since Nightwing was alone, he would probably need help.

Roy was beyond emotional when he saw his car, acting like he had lost a child with the piton spike embedded in the engine block. His car was a sleek looking red corvette, and he whined, actually putting a hand to the hood, and gave it the last rites. The shot was dead-on and was a kill-shot, Harper knew. It was like he had shot his car in the heart.

Jason put a hand on Roy's shoulder, and said, "Sorry buddy, but you can't control the wind. I'll ask Bruce to buy you another car, since we're on the clock."
"Not the point, Jay, You can't buy custom-made. Just like my motorbike. We're heroes, things like this come with the territory, I know, but it's never easy." Harper leaned down and kissed the hood. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry. Rest in piece, my sweet darling."

Jason popped the truck, and began to retrieve their gear. Luckily it was dark, so in gearing-up, they wouldn't get any prying eyes, or cat-whistles, when they are undressing. It was a little nippy, so they opted to dress quickly. They couldn't go back into the Manor wearing only their masks and tuxedos, it would not only look suspicious, but also quite silly.

But the moment they began to get undressed, shots rang out, hitting the front of the open truck, and they ducked for cover. The shots came from the Manor roof top and close to where they had just zipped down.

Jason peaked his head out the side of the car and gazed up at the area near the chimney where he had retrieved the mountain gear, and he saw a glint of something, just before another shot rang out. He quickly ducked for cover again. But there was no mistaking the calibre of the shots that ejected themselves from the chamber of the rifle and the impact of its bullets.

Jason had an uncanny ability to instantly know the calibre family of a weapon just by the sound of the shot or shots rendered, thanks to his years in studying weapons. It was a high calibre rifle and the person knew how to use it. Only a few people used such a weapon. One of them was Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, and another was Deadshot.

But after the incident with Bane and the villain's sudden disappearance, even after what Batman did to him, supposedly crushing his neck—his artificial systems no doubt repairing the damage—it was unmistakable who it was: KGBeast was back!

Roy had his pants off to put on his tights just as the shots rang out and now he hunkered down next to Jason, half-naked. "You just can't keep your clothes on today, huh?" Jason snorted with a smirk.

"Ha-ha, very funny," Roy retorted. He then slipped on his tights, quick and easily, having practise. Then he removed his shirt and put on the rest, donning his trademark backwards cap and goggles. Jason handed him one of his guns. "What's this for?"

"Take it, and shoot up at roof top. It's no bow and arrow, but I need time to get my gear-on. I could go all gangster-style, tux and red hood, but if that's KGBeast, I'll need my armour."

Harper peaked out from behind the car, his goggles gave him a night-vision view of the roof top, and he confirmed the appearance of KGBeast, wearing all black, no doubt to blend in with the night. Where he had come from and why he was here? But with the sudden gathering of criminals at Wayne Manor tonight, and KGBeast's association with Jake Handles in the past, no doubt he had been offered yet another large payday, and a chance to settle the score.

KGBeast fired at the car and Harper ducked back behind it, folding in. He didn't have time to fire a shot. They were pinned down. "He seems to be missing on purpose," Harper theorized. "Why?"

Jason was quick to get his gear-on. There were times both he and Harper had a contest in who could get dressed the fastest. It didn't yield to much, Jason always had more to put on, but it did give them both practise if they were in a pinch. Neither one of them was Superman, but they were pretty quick.
"Don't know, maybe he's playing with us?" Jason said, clipping his chest armour down.

A voice shouted from the darkness: "Come on out, Red Hood; Arsenal!" KGBeast's voice mechanically reverberated. "You hiding behind that car is pathetic. If I chose to, I could kill you both in a heartbeat! You can't escape my crosshairs!"

Harper handed Jason's gun back to him, and then quickly retrieved his bow and arrows from the trunk. Another shot rang out and smashed through the front window, the shattering of glass was deafening.

Another voice echoed through the air: "Todd!" came Damian's voice.

Jason looked towards the back french doors of the Ballroom, and Damian in view full, guests behind him. They were probably all wondering where the shots were coming from, from whom, and to what or at whom?

"Get back!" Jason shouted back.

Suddenly, a shot rang down from the roof, and close enough to make Damian jump back, narrowly shooting his feet off. Damian backed off and closed the doors.

Jason fired at KGBeast in retaliation, forcing the villain to retreat back behind the chimney stack. Jason's bullets took chucks off the brickwork and debris came crashing down to the ground below. Jason retreated back behind the car, guns cocked and ready.

"What do we do?" Roy asked.

"Get an arrow ready. I'll give you cover. I want you to aim at the chimney—not at KGBeast."

"Huh? At the chimney? Why?"

"Trust me on this."

"Sure, okay, doesn't make sense to me though," Harper said, sounding miffed. "It kind of sounds like you don't trust me."

Jason didn't respond, he merely gripped the butts of his man-stoppers, re-adjusting and inserting his fingers into the trigger slots tighter. He then took a breath, and shoot erect, and fired at the chimney. KGBeast retreated, using the chimney as cover.

Harper aimed, pulled back on the arrow, gripped the quiver, and focused on the chimney. And at the moment Jason stopped shooting, ducked back down, and shouted, "Now, Roy!" Roy did. He released the arrow from his fingers, aiming true for the chimney spot he designated.

At that moment, KGBeast stepped out from behind the chimney, rifle in hand.

Suddenly, a gust wind blew Harper's arrow off its course, again, striking KGBeast directly in his optic eye. The villain screamed. He dropped his rifle and slapped his hands to his face, staggering back on the roof.

"Jesus! I hit him?" Harper snapped a glance to Jason. "Did you know that would happen?"

Jason smirked. "You can't change the wind, Roy. But you can use it to your advantage. The wind blowth in mysterious ways much like deities wearing red." They both were wearing red. "You're an awesome shot, Roy. I've always said so. That's why I keep you around."

"Ha, ha," Roy said dryly.

They ventured out from behind the car, weapons at the ready. Roy had another arrow ready and pointed it at the roof, but everything appeared quiet and silent.

"Do you think he fled?"

"One way to find out," Jason replied.

Roy shot an arrow into the upper most part of the chimney attached to a rope and then used it to scale to the roof. Jason watched him. Roy momentarily disappeared, but then returned, and put his hands to his mouth, and said, "We gottem! Arrow to the optic eye. Must've caused a short circuit or something? Don't think he'll be getting up anytime soon."

"Right on! Secure him as best you can," Jason then said. "Maybe we can reprogram him? There's always something that needs done around here. Alfred could always use help."

Poetic justice, Jason thought. The assassin is assassinated. But knowing KGBeast, he's probably only deactivated; unconscious.

Jason ventured to the french doors of the Ballroom and then opened them with dramatic fashion, both arms extended out like wings, a door in each. He had his helmet on, so one would recognize him. He glanced around and quickly counted about fifty or so guests all gathered inside. Then he saw Damian and Barbara, they were both safe. Wally West was also here, but he was further in the back, a slit in the crowd showed he was guarding someone on the floor, tied up.
"I've come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass and…Oh, the hell with it! Where's the booze? I need a drink."

Damian cupped his hands on his hips. "Lame!" he said. "Nice work."

Jason looked down. "Where's you-know-who?" He meant Nightwing.

"Dunno. But we're all covered here. We all good outside? Who was shooting?"

"A soon to be re-programmed, humanoid garbage disposal."

x x x

Wally looked over the heads of the crowd, and when he saw Red Hood, aka Jason Todd, the Batfamily's resident black sheep, enter the Ballroom from the exterior, he smiled relieved. He had his back turned to Scudder, acting like one of the crowd, interested in what had taken place outside with all the shooting. But knowing Red Hood, some ego-showmanship had to have taken place.

Scudder wasn't going anywhere in his condition, so he was next to ignored. A freak accident had forced him to become trapped in the "mirror-verse", and after brief periods outside, he had to return eventually or die. But for the time being, he would sit tight, unconscious as he was. Wally had hit him hard, hopefully knocking out a memory or two, like his secret identity. Damian was right, Jake Handles had to go down. He was dangerous if he was collecting super-villains to be at his side.

Suddenly, he heard a woman scream, and he snapped his attention behind him. And then an unbelievable sight. Scudder was on his feet and he jumped at the woman, who was holding a mirror compact. His ability to enter any mirror or reflective surface was a sight to see, even the tiniest one. He disappeared into the compact, as if sucked in, and returned back into the "mirror-verse".

She dropped her compact, and then all of a sudden fainted. Wally caught her.

Damian came running over through the crowd. "What happened? Where's…"

"He returned to once he came," Wally said, arching his brow, and stopping short of saying more. If he did, he knew then some of the other guests would no doubt become suspicious as to why he knew so much. But with Damian, he knew nothing more needed to be said. The kid knew all about The Flash's trails with Mirror Master, through Batman.

"Okay, that's it. Time to get involved here," he said to Wally. "This has gone on far enough."

Wally asked if another guest could help the fainted woman and two guests came to his aid.

Once they took her away from the others, Wally, Barbara, and Damian stood around in private conference. Red Hood remained at the doors, keeping the guests from fleeing. It was prudent no one leave the now defunct party until all the villains were cleaned out. Having the police suddenly show up would no doubt jeopardy their safety, as well.

Barbara said, "As much as I hate to say it, and the risks are high, Damian, which ever persona you choose, you must find Dick and tell him what's going on. There may be more of Handles' allies we don't know about. Mirror Master and KGBeast were both a surprise. I'm worried about Dick. Both Wally and I will make a distraction, so you can slip away."

"Right, good call," Damian said. "But what kind of distraction? How will I know?"

"Trust me, Damian, you'll know…" she said.

And Wally and Barbara walked away as Damian remained near the door of the Ballroom that lead to the inner Gallery.

x x x

Damian yearned to be in the fight. But all he needed was a way out of the Ballroom.

Wally West and Barbara Gordon ventured back into the throng of the crowd and were subsequently encompassed like a wave filling in a hole. People were no doubt concerned about the woman who had fainted. He had no idea who the person was, but others could deal with her. Some people talked amongst themselves near by, asking where the man Wally West had hit went, Damian overheard, and until they were distracted, he couldn't leave. He didn't want anyone thinking they could leave the same way.

He thought of Grayson and wondered what he was doing. He hated to be left out of the action.

Whatever distraction West and Gordon were going to do, he wanted them to do it quickly.

Time to make that distraction. Anytime will do!

Suddenly, Damian heard the loudest SLAP he had every heard, and everyone in the Ballroom went dead silent.

"How dare you!" said Barbara Gordon. "Richard said you were a cad and said to watch out for you. Why he invited you to the party is beyond me! How dare you kiss me like that!"

Damian wanted to see what was going on. Kiss me like that? He knew Wally West was a ladies man, so the excuse would be believable to most, those at the people had no idea the brother-like relationship between Grayson and West, as Nightwing and The Flash, so Gordon's given context to West's womanizing ways was realistically sound. In truth, West would never act that way.

It was probably Gordon's idea. Have West suddenly kiss her, in the moment, for whatever reason, and then she slapped him for it. Brilliant! But what will Grayson say about it later? From Gordon, Grayson would probably understand…

Conversely, he witnessed those he had heard talking about Scudder venture over, ignoring him, so this was the perfect moment to make his move. Hopefully, whatever fully transpired, and how it unfolded, all its details, didn't turn sour for West. He'd ask about it later. But this kind of thing made people talk and not in a good way. The Socials of Gotham were cruel. Luckily, no one had their cell phones on them at the moment, taken away from Riddler's men, or the internet would be abuzz with gossip about this moment.

But right now, he used it to slip out of the Ballroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. Then he ran down the hall.

It was time to suit up. And it was time for Nightwing Junior to make a long awaited return to action.

To be continued...