Chapter 8:
Bleake Island, Gotham City
Banged-Up Skull
5:17 AM
Predator and Beast Boy stared down at the bar from a nearby rooftop. It was a rather dumpy-looking building with a skull-shaped neon sign flashing by the front door. A red carpet led towards the door where a bulky security guard blocked the entrance.
"This's the place." Predator said.
"This place looks like it needs a renovation more than a bouncer." Beast Boy said. "You've been here before?"
"Yeah, it's like a safehouse for former and future ex-cons. They come here every night to stuff themselves with beer and despair while they look for work." Predator explained. "And by work, I mean illegal stuff that gets ya put in the slammer - or worse, in a grave."
"That sounds rough. You think we'll find our guy here?"
"The guy who runs the joint's more of a career criminal than a bartender; the bar, itself's just a front used to bring in extra cash. He's made a habit outta workin' with the biggest crime bosses in Gotham - from Falcone, to Two-Face, to the Joker. Guy like that'd know pretty much any and everything goin' on in this town."
"So how do we get in? In case you haven't noticed, we're two guys dressed as superheroes. That kind of begs a death wish, dude."
Two men in street clothes stepped out of the bar and headed down the sidewalk towards a nearby alley. The two Titans stared at the men, then at each other and smiled.
As the two men approached the dark alley, a group of four arms suddenly grabbed and snatched them into the darkness. The sounds of punches and grunts could be heard for a few seconds.
A Few Minutes Later
Beast Boy stepped out of the alley as he boastfully admired his new look. He wore a brown jacket with a white t-shirt underneath, skinny blue jeans, a metal wrist watch, and a fake silver chain around his neck. He kept his tennis shoes as part of the disguise. He combed his hair back in the resemblance of Elvis Presley.
"Ladies of Gotham, feast your eyes on the Beast Bad Boy." Beast Boy grinned confidently. A blue background appeared behind him as he put on a pair of dark sunglasses. He sat down on an imaginary moped and put a lollipop in his mouth.
"Yeah, just ignore the green skin." Predator remarked sarcastically.
Beast Boy immediately jumped from his daydream and fell on the ground. He scowled, looking back at Predator as he also stepped out of the alley.
Predator wore a black leather jacket with red lining and a large black t-shirt with the image of a skull underneath. Next was a pair of blue jeans, a pair of black and white wristbands, a fake gold chain around his neck, and just like Beast Boy he kept on his boots. Finally his hair was jumbled up to look more mess and street.
"Not a bad look, dude." Beast Boy said. "Except…"
"What?" Predator asked, confused.
"You're still wearing the mask." Beast Boy advised. "Come to think of it, I don't think any of us have seen you without it."
"Oh...yeah." He muttered. "I, uh...forgot."
Beast Boy raised his eyebrow curiously as Predator moved his hands up to his face. The only time Predator ever takes off his mask is when he goes to sleep. It had been so long since he had gone without it, especially in public. And like Beast Boy said, neither one of the Titans had ever seen him without it. For Beast Boy, finally seeing him without his mask, made him grow more curious. Predator slowly took off the mask, revealing a scarred right eye and a pair of bright red eyes.
"Whoa, dude... is that your natural eye color?" Beast Boy asked in surprise.
"Yeah, it's...one of the effects from the accident." Predator answered as he put his mask in his pocket. "What's your story?"
"Well, I wore a mask, for a while. But, well… I'm green, so… yeah, there's not much of an identity to keep secret. Why do you wear one?"
"It's more like a personal thing; not just to keep my identity a secret- and also I look good wearin' it."
"That's what Robin says about his mask; he never takes his off either. Come to think of it—lose the scar, spike up the hair, and change the getup, you look exactly like him."
"What? I don't look anything like Robin." Predator retorted. "It's just the mask."
"I'm telling you, dude, the resemblance is uncanny and it's not just you. There's this one guy, Speedy, that kind of looks like him, too." He pulled in a blackboard with drawings of Robin, Predator and Speedy. The only differences were the masks, the hair, Predator's scar, his skin color, his height - he was some inches taller than both of them - and their combat uniforms. Predator ripped the board to shreds with his claws.
"I. Don't. Look. Like Robin, end of discussion!" Predator growled, aggravated. He pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses and put them on, then pulled his hood up. "Look, let's get in, get the info and then get outta there."
"Got it." Beast Boy nodded as they headed towards the bar.
"Listen, stay close to me, alright?" Predator said, under his breath. "The chumps in here are way above the street punks in Jump City. They'll rip ya head off and use your skull as a cookie jar."
Beast Boy cringed at the thought.
"So from this point on, don't do what ya regularly do." Predator continued. "Don't look at anybody, don't talk about vegan food and do not—I repeat—do not tell jokes... got it?"
Beast Boy nodded as they soon found themselves headed towards the entrance. The security guard suddenly stepped in front of them, shooting them a sour glare. Beast Boy gasped at him wide eyed while Predator kept a straight face.
"Can I help you, gentlemen?" He said, derisively.
"Yeah, ya can start by lettin' me and my brotha in." Predator answered, strengthening his city accent.
"Brother? I-I mean y-yeah." Beast Boy stuttered as he over-acted to create the same accent. "Yeah, yah, I'm his brotha."
"Why are you talking like that?" The bartender asked, frowning.
"Because we're from a-da Gotham City, ma-yan." Beast Boy said.
"Oh my-" Predator groaned in annoyance and let out a sigh.
"Alright, whatever you say." The bartender said. "Two things, why're you pale and why're you green?"
"They're skin conditions, jerk wad; ever heard of 'em?" Predator answered bluntly. "Why don'tcha try showing a little respect?"
"My apologies." The guard replied sarcastically. "I'm gonna need to see some ID."
"We...don't have any." Beast Boy answered.
"No ID, no entry."
"Look, Big Show, we know the boss." Predator said. "Now step aside."
"Likely story. You're either gettin' in with an ID, gettin' outta here without one, or you're gettin' your butts kicked." He warned leaning towards Predator's face. "What's it gonna be?"
Predator stared at him and smirked.
A Few Seconds Later
The two Titans stepped through the curtain and walked into the bar. The bar was dimly lit and filled with a numerous bunch of felons, all of whom were either drinking, playing darts or shooting pool while the theme from 'Rebellion 2001' played from the jukebox. There was a row of six tables on each side and two TVs hanging from the ceiling. Predator narrowed his eyebrows once he noticed the bartender at the end of the room.
He was a rather large individual with gray hair on the back of his head, brown eyes and freckles on his cheeks. He wore a green and white sweater with a white button up and a black tie underneath. Next were his blue pants and black shoes. He suddenly dropped the mug in his hand and glared at the two 'teenagers' approaching him.
"Um, dude?" Beast Boy asked, quietly. "How many times have you been here?"
"Once or twice." Predator answered.
"And you've been at this crime-fighting thing for how long?"
"Almost two years. Why?"
Beast Boy watched as a group of guys played darts. The target, however, was a picture of Batman's head and the darts were actually assault knives. The men cheered frantically as one of the players landed a knife on his forehead.
"No reason." Beast Boy cried while a drop of sweat fell from his forehead. They arrived at the counter and took a seat.
"How's it goin', Humphrey?" Predator said leaning on the table.
"It's Humbert." The bartender scowled. "Isn't it a school night, kids?"
"Only if ya go to school. Me and my brother do whatever we want."
"Well, do 'whatever you want' outside my bar. I don't serve minors."
"Aw c'mon, Hugo; that ain't no way to treat an old customer."
"Whaddya talkin' about? You two ain't regulars." Humbert said confused.
"What, ya don't recognize me?" Predator smirked roguishly, putting his hand down on the bar and showing him his red and black covered claw.
Humbert immediately went wide eyed.
"Predator!? Aww sh-"
"Easy there, biggums. We wouldn't wanna make a scene in front of ya customers...right?"
"Funny seein' you here." Humbert smirked as he recollected himself. "Last I heard, ya moved outta town."
"I was in the neighborhood - sort of."
"Who's this?" Humbert pointed at BB.
"Oh yeah, this' my buddy, Beast Boy. You know, one of the Teen Titans from the town over?"
"Yo, dude." Beast Boy greeted him.
"What!? You mean you're-"
"Yeah, I joined up with 'em." Predator smirked.
"Great. Just when the night couldn't get any crazier. Now whaddya want?" Humbert asked, moving along with cleaning the mug.
"I'm just gonna keep it brief." Predator growled. "We stopped a truck full of weapons about a half hour ago."
"Yeah? And what's that got to do with me?"
"The bum we caught was on his way to this spot. And I couldn't help but think ' ol' Hughie's back in the game, again.'"
"Yeah? And what makes you say that?" He chuckled.
"Are ya playin' dumb or somethin'? You worked for just about every crime boss in Gotham; you know every secret lair and heinous scheme ever set up. You know who's behind all this—and you're gonna tell us."
"Heh." Humbert sneered. "Get out of here. I've got a business to run." Humbert turned his back on them, putting the clean mug away and grabbing another one.
"I know you're involved, Harold." Predator said, causing him to glance back. "That ain't just sweat from workin' the bar all night… I can hear ya heart beatin' harder than it needs to… I can smell the gunpowder on ya."
Humbert's eyes widened until he made a sly grin.
"Ya know, kid... that nose of yours really gets you into trouble." He said, turning back to them. "Hey fellas!"
The large group of thugs immediately redirected their attention to them while the two Titans did the same.
"We've got two of those masked freaks over here. Waste 'em!"
One of the thugs glared at the two and charged at them with a fist raised. He threw a punch directly at Beast Boy, who covered his face. He peeked his eye open and saw that his fist had been caught by Predator. Predator growled at the man and connected a rock hard punch to his jaw. The impact sent him flying through the air and colliding into a nearby table.
"Big mistake, Herbert. BIG. MISTAKE." Predator growled. He ripped the street clothes off, revealing his combat suit.
"Not as big as yours." He retorted. "And my name is not Herbert!"
"So uh... what's the plan?" Beast Boy asked, jumping out of his seat.
"Whaddya think? We throw some hands!" Predator exclaimed as he quickly switched his sunglasses back to his mask and fixed his hair.
Beast Boy ripped his clothes off and straightened his hair as a group of eight thugs—John, Aiden, Carlos, Han, Kyle, Penn, Wes and Stan approached them. Many others surrounded them, shouting various profanities and threats.
"Show 'em whatcha got." Predator said, morphing his eyes into those of a red wolf as his ears grew pointy, his fingers turned into claws and his canine teeth grew sharp.
"Uh, don't you mean 'Go!'?" Beast Boy said.
"Ugh, fine. Go!" Predator shouted.
The Titans and the thugs charged at each other, shouting battle cries as loud as they could.
Predator pounced on Han and tackled him to the ground. He flipped off of his hands and kicked Aiden in the chest, pushing him backwards. Beast Boy morphed into a tiger and pounced onto John. Predator landed back on his feet and swiftly ducked an incoming punch by Carlos. Predator connected with an uppercut to the jaw, followed by a punch to the stomach. He roundhouse-kicked him in the ribs, pushing him into the crowd.
Predator turned and threw a punch to Stan's jaw before he could throw a punch of his own. Predator then grabbed his head and kicked the back of his legs, knocking him off his feet. As he rolled on the ground, writhing in pain, Predator punt kicked him in the ribs so hard, it sent him flying across the bar - throwing Stan into two more members of the crowd.
Beast Boy—now in the form of a monkey—relentlessly bashed his fists into John's face. John attempted to cover up, but to no avail. Beast Boy quickly turned and noticed Wes sneaking up from behind with a knife raised. He screeched loudly and pounced onto Wes's face, causing him to drop the knife and scream. Beast Boy began to bash at his skull, making him scream even louder and stagger around.
"MMMPHH! Get him off me, get him off me!" He muffled as he tried to push him off. Kyle ran, grabbed a wooden chair from one of the crowd members and rushed his way back to Wes.
"Shut up and stop moving!" Kyle ordered, raising the chair. Wes stood still while still struggling against the green monkey. Kyle took a swing but Beast Boy quickly jumped off him. The chair broke into pieces as it collided against Wes's head. His skull broke and some teeth flew out of his mouth as he collapsed on the floor, unconscious. Beast Boy landed on both feet and quickly avoided being grabbed by Penn. Beast Boy morphed into a donkey and mule kicked him in the back, sending him flying into the air and colliding into a nearby pillar. He then morphed himself into a gorilla and punched a charging Aiden towards the middle of the room.
Predator noticed Carlos charging at him with a broken beer bottle. He stepped to the side, as he took a swing and punched him in the jaw. Carlos winced as he twirled around and was suddenly kicked into the middle of the room.
Aiden and Carlos managed to catch themselves before they collided into each other until Predator and Beast Boy shoulder-tackled into them. Aiden and Carlos grunted loudly and collapsed onto the floor unconscious. Beast Boy—now back in his original form—and Predator stared at them, then at each other with satisfied smiles. Predator looked behind BB and saw Kyle running at him with a crowbar. Beast Boy looked behind Predator and noticed John charging towards him with another wooden chair.
"HEADS UP!" They shouted simultaneously.
Beast Boy morphed back into a monkey; he flipped over his head and kicked John away. Predator ducked underneath and landed a punch to Kyle's stomach, causing him to lean forward. He followed along with a powerful uppercut, lifting him into the air. Predator jumped up to grab him in mid air and slammed him hard - smashing the wooden floor, knocking out Kyle in an instant.
The two Titans stood back to back as two more members of the crowd—Bull and Terrance—joined the fight. Beast Boy immediately morphed into a large elephant and whacked them away with his trunk. The impact sent them flying over the crowd and through the glass windows. He turned and noticed Penn sneaking behind Predator with another chair raised.
"Watch out!" He yelled after morphing back into his original form.
Predator raised an eyebrow as John slammed the chair against his back. Surprisingly, the chair broke into pieces and Predator was not affected in any way. John stared at him in shock as he swiftly turned and growled at him.
Predator punched him in the nose. John grunted loudly, staggering backwards towards the bar and Predator rushed over and forcefully slammed his head against the edge of the table. He fell flat on his back unconscious. As Stan rushed towards them, Predator grabbed a beer bottle and flipped it in his hand. In one swift swing, he bashed the glass bottle against the side of his head, sending him falling on the floor, defeated.
The group of thugs began to grow silent as they stared at the majority felled thugs; the only one left standing was Han, who stared at the two animals with sweat falling from his forehead. Beast Boy and Predator stood side by side with cocky smirks.
"You gonna make a move, meat sack..." Predator asked. "Or are ya just gonna stand there, wettin' yourself?"
Han looked down and his eyes went wide at the stain in his pants. He looked up at them, shouting his lungs out. He charged at them with his fist raised. Predator and Beast Boy swiftly stepped to the side, avoiding his punch. Predator connected a punch to his gut, making him gasp in pain. He continued with a reverse somersault kick, sending him flying into the air.
"Coming at ya!" Predator advised.
"I'll try not to make you look bad." Beast Boy smirked as he morphed into a kangaroo and hopped into the air. He flipped forward and his tail whacked Han face first into the floor. Predator and Beast Boy smirked down at him, and then redirected their attention to the group of now frightened criminals.
"Anyone else?" Predator asked, his eyes now glowing bright yellow while he clenched his fists. The crowd wasted no time and ran out the door—some out the window—screaming for their lives. However, one of the crowd members remained in the bar, shivering in fear.
"Boo." Predator said. The man screamed loudly and ran out the door.
"Sweet." Beast Boy commented. "This was a good time."
"This ain't over." He replied, glaring back at Humbert, who was talking on his cell phone while his head sweat profusely. Predator looked at Beast Boy and nudged his head in his direction.
"I-I'm tellin' ya, boss. They're onto-" He gasped as he was interrupted by Predator, who grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close. He snatched the phone from his hands and placed it in his ear. A man with an aggressive British accent spoke from the other line.
"Hello? Hello? What's going on in there? Where the bloody-"
Predator narrowed his eyebrows and crushed the phone. That voice had seemed oddly familiar though, but he knew if he had said anything, then they'd be even more compromised. Predator grabbed Humbert and tossed him over the counter, landing him right in front of Beast Boy.
Humbert grunted and turned over onto his back. Predator brought his foot down on his face.
"We're through screwin' around, Hugo. Now tell us where the trucks are!" Predator ordered.
"Hrgh, I've got nothing to say to you." Humbert grunted. "You're not getting anything out of me."
"There's only two ways this can end; both of 'em hurt." Predator pressed his foot harder, adding pressure to Humbert's face. "Now start talking!"
"I'd answer him if I were you, dude." Beast Boy said to Humbert. "He's had a rough couple of days."
"Al-alright, alright." Humbert resigned. "After the trucks are brought into the city, I deliver them to my boss. Each truck is worth thousands of dollars and my boss promised he'd split the profits once we're done."
"Where're the trucks bein' delivered? What happens to the guns when they get there?"
"Most of my shipments are sent into the docks on Miagani Island. Once the boss has enough he plans on selling them all over Gotham for large sum. I swear that's all I know." Predator listened carefully to his heartbeat and it turns out, he's telling the truth.
"Who's your boss?" He growled.
"P... Penguin."
Beast Boy and Predator briefly looked at each other wide eyed. Pretty soon the sounds of police sirens and red and blue colored lights appeared from outside. "Ya may as well give up, freaks. You're never gonna stop Penguin. He's just too clever for youse."
"Shut up." Predator said, slamming his knee against Humbert's skull.
The door was forcefully kicked open and a group of GCPD officers came barging in, guns at the ready. To their dismay, there was nobody there. Just an unconscious bartender and a group of thugs. They walked over and stared down at him, rubbing their heads in confusion.
Predator and Beast Boy looked down at the scene from another nearby rooftop.
"Well, that went great." Beast Boy mumbled.
"So Penguin's usin' ice-cream trucks to smuggle weapons out of Jump City." Predator said. "And now he plans on selling them to criminals around Gotham."
"Dude, with that many weapons, he could start World War 3."
A thrilled smirk suddenly appeared on Predator's face.
"Come on." Predator ordered, departing from the scene.
"Wait, what? Where are we going?"
"To the docks."
"Um, not that I'm against it or anything, but don't you think we should let Batman handle this?" Beast Boy. Predator stopped dead in his tracks and looked back at him.
"Are you kiddin' me? We're the only ones who know Penguin's plans and where his base is. I think that bids enough reason for us to go after 'im. You gettin' cold feet on me or somethin'?"
"No, no, not at all, dude!" Beast Boy frantically waved his hands in denial. "It's just...this is Batman's territory and if you ask me, he can handle this in no time flat. I mean, Penguin's his bad guy, anyway, right?"
"I've dealt with Penguin and his boys before; they're not as smart as you think. Look, forget the whole 'his-bad-guy-my-bad-guy schtick, okay? There's stolen guns on the streets and now people's lives are on the line! On top of that, the guns are comin' from your town; this situation affects both you and me, meanin' we need to get on top of this, now! So unless ya got any better ideas, you can either help me stop Cobble-fat or you can go home and sleep like a baby while a bunch of thugs come in and start spraying bullets everywhere. What's it gonna be?"
"Okay, sheesh." Beast Boy gave in.
"Look, kid, I know this is pretty heavy, but I know you got this. And I've got your back...I mean, we're partners, right?"
"Yeah." Beast Boy smiled, endeared by the sentiment.
"Alright then, let's hit it. If we hurry, we might be able to reach the docks before more trucks show up." Predator said, taking a running start. Beast Boy wasted no time to follow.
"Don't you think we should call the others?" Beast Boy asked as they leaped onto another roof.
"It'll take too long for them to get here. Besides, do ya really wanna get yelled at for being out at five in the morning?"
"Good point."
Miagani Island, Gotham City
The Docks
5:39 AM
The two Titans pounced on the rooftop of a wooden building, the smell of the sea filling the air. The rooftop had a large glass window around it, and the inside was completely dark.
"Okay, we're here." Predator said quietly as they peeked through the glass. "This must be where he's keeping the trucks."
"So how do you wanna do this? Are we gonna barge in, claws and teeth at the ready?" Beast Boy smirked as he clawed at the air and sharpened his teeth.
"I don't see Penguin or any of his goons. We can't take any chances, though."
"So what are we gonna do?"
"We can sneak in through the window. But keep ya eyes peeled; it could be a trap."
Beast Boy and Predator jumped down and entered through the side of the window, careful not to make any loud noises. Predator's eyes quickly adapted to the darkness as he took a look around. He didn't see any signs of life besides a few stray rats.
"See anything?" Beast Boy asked.
"Not a thing."
"Maybe we should-"
Beast Boy was interrupted when a bright light flashed on in the building, nearly blinding them. The Titans looked in multiple directions until out of nowhere; three large trucks came crashing backwards through the walls, covering the front and the sides. They stared at the trucks confused until their doors automatically slid open, revealing three large stereo-like machines inside of them.
The stereos suddenly turned on and a dastardly high pitched noise sounded out around them. The two Titans nearly screamed as an unbearable pain filled their ears.
"My ears!" Beast Boy screamed as he slowly fell to his knees.
Predator groaned loudly through his gritted teeth, his eyes shut tight and his hands pressed against his ears as hard as he could. He tried to fight through the pain as hard as he could but it only intensified and forced him to the ground.
A short, rather round individual stepped out of one of the trucks wearing a pair of earplugs. An evil grin spread on his cheeks as he approached the two vulnerable vigilantes. Predator managed to slightly open his eyes, his teeth clenched tightly and his vision completely blurry. He did however see the figure slowly approach him, but he couldn't get a good look at him. The next thing he knew there was an unbearable pain in his forehead and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Beast Boy's eyes squinted open, revealing a waterfall of tears falling from his eyes and a little saliva dripping down his teeth. The figure slowly approached him but there was nothing he could do. The pain in his hears prevented him from making any such movement.
"Nighty-night." The figure grinned as he raised his foot and kicked Beast Boy right in the skull, knocking him unconscious in an instant. The man let out a sinister laugh as he stared down at the now unconscious Titans.
To Be Continued
Hope you liked it. Now I know this conflict is similar to the content of Arkham Knight but that's basically the only thing I could think of. The next chapter should be up sometime soon. Until then, thank you and goodnight.