DISCLAIMER: Just want to let you guys know that there will be artwork in this chapter, to see it you should view the A03 version of this story and not the FF Version.
Hello Everyone!
I have returned! *Happy Fanfare music plays*
I know it's been a while since I updated but there's a reason for that. So I started doing massive overtime at my job which as you know is already a 12-hour shift, so when I get in from work I don't always have the energy to start writing, in fact, sometimes I fall asleep at my keyboard.
The other reason is I've been putting a lot of energy into other fics (which will soon be updated) and I've been working on my very own original screenplay.
I know, I know as a fanfiction writer perhaps I'm being too daring by attempting this but I feel positive about it. I recently was feeling bad about giving up on my dream of being a novelist but I still wanted to spread my creativity. With all the cancelled TV series out there I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try something new, maybe get people to love TV again.
But I'll elaborate more another day as I know you guys want to read Chapter 22.
Also to get you guys excited my friend Bia has created us another original Paragon Armor Art which will be shown at one point in this chapter.(Once again if you wish to see the artwork at the end of the chapter please visit the A03 version of this story)
We'll talk more at the end so here you guys go, Chapter 22 of Fang Chronicles.
Chapter 22: The Thrill of the Hunt Part 2
"Good evening all you drunken punks and gorgeous babes!" The overreaching power of a megaphone was more than enough to amplify the voice of a suited man. With their identity concealed behind a cartoon panda mask, the figure had all eyes trained on him as he stood atop a single stage.
It started out just like any other night at Gotham U.
Classes had concluded for the day. Most of the professors, security, and other faculty members had abandoned the campus bent on starting their weekend on the right foot. Without the depressive tyranny of adults hanging around them, this left the majority of students with a single objective.
Party.
Much like ducks flocking south to escape winter's bitter embrace, the students flocked toward the quad to escape the boredom of their lifeless dorms. Gathering by the hundreds their presence could be felt as they spread throughout the entire area, each one engaging in a different activity.
On the menu for tonight was intense drinking, gossiping, ping pong, sex, getting high, and eating themselves into gluttonous food comas. Even if you weren't intuned with some of the activities mentioned above, each student found a way to fill their time before having to face the dull reality of Monday morning.
As the party started to reach its first few hours, many of the students couldn't help but notice strange individuals starting to flutter throughout the crowds. These persons were donned in business suits while wearing animal masks, all the while they were also carrying briefcases in both hands. What started out as a single man evolved into a solid twenty in total. As the men took positions in the crowd, the panda-masked leader took to the stage to steal the spotlight.
"I just wanna know are you guys having a good time?" He questioned
"Yeah!" The crowd's voice was lightly heard as they timidly shouted back.
"Oh come on that was pathetic, I said are you having a good time?" With quirky enthusiasm, the Panda Man goated the audience as they responded even louder. " Now that I have everyone's attention, how about we take this party to the next level?"
"How do we do that?" A busty bikini woman posed from in back of the audience.
"I'm so glad you asked that question, why don't we show them, boys!"
On the cue of the Panda man, his comrades began opening their briefcases. Inside said briefcases were a multitude of crisp white boxes each one with the emblem of a serpent printed on its face. Once revealed the men began passing them throughout the crowd making sure that no student was without.
Upon receiving the gift, many started to remove the lid to see their prizes. Inside was a single injector needle prefilled with an thick green liquid.
"What I'm giving you now dear friends is the gift of SnakeBite!" He announced gleefully.
"Seriously this is Snakebite?" An overweight frat boy inquired.
"They love this stuff up in New Metropolis!" A blonde student exclaimed.
"Is it true that it gives you a high through your memories?" A third asked.
"For those of you who have heard about it, thank you for being a repeat customer!" He stated."For those that haven't tried it, I implore you to have the best acid trip of your life!"
"I'm with that!" A student called out. Their cheers were an instant signal that it was time to party again.
As many of the students restarted their partying antics a good chunk of the crowd focused their sights on the free Snakebite given to them. Throwing caution to the wind the students began to forsake their own health in favor of having the best high of their lives.
Unknownst to most of the students and the suited men, the entire spectacle was being observed by prying eyes. Within the shadows of a group of trees sat a mysterious woman. While the nighttime darkness was covering her identity, the sword that she carried on her side couldn't help but shine brightly reflecting the moonlight that was above.
The woman could only shake her head in disgust as she carefully watched the spectacle unfold. Having seen enough of the events around her she tapped a small device that was stationed inside her ear. "Tatsu to Belfry, did you guys get all that?"
"Loud n clear little lady!" A man with a heavy Southern accent answered back. "I reckon we oughta crash their party don'tcha think?"
"Hold it you two!" A softer male voice interrupted. "Our orders are not to engage!"
"Are you kidding me?" A third male voice shouted. "We're wasting time just watching them, we could take them all out and end this once and for all!"
"Remember your place, David!" Unexpectedly a fourth more gruffer voice snarled back at him."Gordon gave us orders to investigate, we cannot engage or we risk hurting the civilians!"
"Even worse we could possibly make ourselves known to the public!" The woman known as Tatsu replied.
"But this is stupid we could end this SnakeBite epidemic if we just strike now!"
"You heard what I said" The fourth voice shot back. "Do not engage, unless you wanna end up in a cell back at Arkham!"
Reluctantly the man known as David finally ceased arguing and pipped down.
"Tatsu keep watch of them, we're waiting on Gordon to get back to us!" The man with the soft voice said.
"Don't worry Andrew I've got my sights on everything!" As she turned her optics back at the sea of college students Tatsu remained in position awaiting orders from a higher power.
-Wayne Manor-
-Garfield's Room-
Much like a Burmese Python, Déjà vu had constricted itself around Garfield.
Having finished shopping for his cosplay gear, Garfield had it in his mind to take a quick shower and get dressed for the evening. Getting squeaky clean wasn't the issue; it seemed his problems arose the minute that he stepped outta the shower.
With the bath towel still clinging to his waist, he stared blankly at the mirror that showed his drenched reflection.
He remembered staring into another mirror five years prior while agonizing over a certain event.
With the dangers that he faced on a day-to-day basis, he surprised himself by even thinking about that route. If anything Raven's constant presence brought some normality back into his life, making him once again think about the future he wanted so desperately.
Garfield's deep thoughts would be abruptly cut short as a certain Piparoid squeezed his head through a small crack in the bathroom door. "HERE'S LUNAR!"
"Ahhhhh!" Garfield shouted as he jumped backward. Balance disrupted Garfield's body went in numerous directions as it slipped through the shower curtain and into the bathtub.
Hitting his head against the tile wall Garfield's eyes became wide as saucers as they displayed dizzy swirl signs. If that weren't enough a dome-sized knot had now started to form on his noggin.
"Garfield!" Lunar cried. The piparoid wasted no time in slipping through the rest of the door into the bathroom. Climbing into the bathtub, Lunar sat on his friend's chest before immediately trying to slap him awake with a single paw. While the tiger cub was trying to be gentle with his slaps he failed to recognize the sharpness of his claws. Instead of slapping his friend, he instead got a clawing that left deep scratch marks on his face.
Despite being heavily injured Garfield got to his feet, while also picking up Lunar from his chest. "What are you trying to do give me a heart attack?"
"Sorry friend but I had to see if you were alright!" He said. "You've been in here an awful long time!"
"Gar you alright man?" As if Lunar's concerns weren't enough, Garfield found himself faced to face with Ryan Choi who abruptly burst into the master bath.
"Geez doesn't anyone knock any-." Garfield's tirade of thoughts was cut off as he took in the appearance of Ryan Choi in his cosplay outfit that consisted of a red royal prince jacket, above-the-knee length shorts, cufflinks, shoulder straps, shoes and a red crystal heart-shaped bow on his chest. To top off the outfit Ryan Choi also carried a lengthy staff with a gigantic heart on top.
Delight by Gar's reaction Ryan Choi decided to have a little fun with it before twirling and striking a pose. "From Earth Defense Club, I am the Sparkling Prince, Battle Lover Scarlet!"
"Wow, you look so cool, Ryan!" Lunar complimented with a happy fast tail.
"Yeah, bro you look ok I guess." While Lunar was enthralled with the way RC looked, Gar was the complete opposite. He couldn't help but stifle a laugh as he eyed the outfit which reminded him more of a fancy waiter than a prince.
Ryan Choi immediately clocked Garfield's expression at his outfit. "Alright, wise guy what are you going as?"
A sly grin appeared on Garfield's face right before he dove out of the bathroom and into his room's closet. Grabbing for the outfit he had wrapped in clear plastic, Garfield was like a human whirlwind as he started to suit up. Ryan Choi & Lunar could only wait patiently as they heard a multitude of noises emit from the closed space.
"Ta-da!" It took only three minutes but Garfield soon jumped out of the closet wearing his cosplay outfit. While Ryan Choi was dressed as Battle Lover Scarlet, Garfield had opted for the clothing of Inuyasha from the same Anime. With oversized red robes clinging to his skinny body, Garfield struck a pose with his plastic Tessiga, all the while his silver wig and ears combo barely stayed attached to his head. "Well, what do you think?"
The question was met with an unexpected response as Ryan Choi & Lunar doubled over in laughter.
"Ok alright, so my cosplay isn't top-notch either!"
"Come on friends we're gonna be late!" Lunar chirped before scurrying out of the room.
"You heard him let's get a move on!" Ryan Choi stated
"Wait RC!" Garfield suddenly called out as his brain moved past the antics and back to his deep thoughts early. "Your an egghead, mind if I get some advice?"
"I take offense to that but go ahead what's on your mind?"
Instead of explaining his problem flat-out to him, Garfield went toward his nightstand and opened the top drawer. Ryan Choi raised a single eyebrow as he watched his friend shuffle through his assortments of video game boxers. Once he reached a certain point, he pulled out a miniature black box, which he tossed to him from across the room.
"What's this?" He inquired before opening. Ryan Choi's expression was one of surprise and awe as he saw what was on the other side.
"Do I need more time?" Garfield asked, his attention never leaving the wood floor. "I know I just got her back and all but I missed my chance to do that before. I don't wanna push her, but I'm not sure when I'll get this chance again, what do you think I should do?"
Logic and knowledge were Ryan Choi's strong suit, but even he couldn't answer this type of question so boringly. While not knowing Garfield that long or his history with Raven, Ryan Choi could only appeal to him as a brother and a fellow of the male species. He just hoped it was the answer that he was ready to hear. "Well Garfield I think-"
-GCPD-
It's always said that in growing older, we become our parents.
This is a reality Barbara Gordon never wanted.
When she joined the police force, she only had the best of intentions. Not only did she want to make Gotham a safer place like her dad, but she also wanted to fight alongside him. This would lead her to become Batgirl all those many years ago, fighting criminal scourge to show that Justice always took precedence.
But that was the past, things were much different now.
Her father was gone.
She wasn't anyone's little girl anymore.
Without Jim Gordon, the GCPD would have surely fallen, if had not been for her taking over the position. She never wanted to be the woman in charge, even with getting rid of the villains and the dirty cops her work was far from finished. With a broken government, few allies, and retiring from vigilantism this left her with little resources to continue her father's war on crime.
Such burdens constantly etched themselves into her brain cells.
Like most nights Barbara found herself not only needing time away but time to reflect on everything she had to deal with. Like Jim Gordon did in the past, she made the GCPD rooftop her own personal thinking space. Wearing her father's worn-out leather coat, she puffed a single cigarette while gazing at the Vegas-like buildings that made up most of Gotham's nightlife.
"Ya know those are gonna kill you one day right?" Jo's voice, although direct, had an aura of concern to it. From the corner of her left eye, Barbara suddenly saw her subordinate seemingly sneak up on her.
"Ya know it's funny!" Barbara inhaled deeply before unleashing another puff of the toxic substance.``Dad always told me he didn't like smoking. He said the only reason he even had the cigars was because the job drove him nuts and he needed a de-stressor!"
"I might be old fashioned but why didn't he just drink?" Jo inquired with a chuckle.
Barbara found herself snorting loudly as the question was posed. Drinking probably wouldn't have helped him either, there wasn't a substance known to man that could help a man of his stress level. "How's it going down there tonight?"
"Do you want the good news or the bad first?"
She smiled. "Surprise me!"
"Bad news is we had to let Cobblepot go!" Jo confessed. "Me and Imani took turns grilling him but his story never changed. We were just about to change gears when his counsel showed up."
"When did he lawyear up?"
"He didn't, this woman named Evelyn Rhyme came, said she was representing him now. Her credentials checked out and she's currently putting in the paperwork for his release!"
With two fingers pressed firmly against her temple, Barbara started to caress the skin in a circular motion, all the while she tried to avoid Jo's gaze.
It was always something.
Every time they managed to get ahead, some unforeseen circumstance forced them back to the beginning. Setbacks like this made Barbara understand why her father was always so tense, whether or not he was on the job. Protecting people's lives constantly always puts you in fear of what could hurt them and in turn leaves you in permanent alert mode.
"I do have some good news!" Jo admitted as she saw the look of despondent on Barbara's face. "The caterer approved your request for an extra meal per officer."
This news did not delight her but rather made her sigh even further. "Wonderful all I need is a party obese cops!"
The Policeman's Ball was the once-a-year party that City Hall threw on behalf of the commissioner and the police force. It was supposed to be a peaceful time where officers could drink eat and relax while relishing their continued protection of Gotham City.
Much like her father, Barbara hated the policeman's ball with a deep passion. Nothing says target me like a bunch of cops drunk on their asses while thinking the bad guys would give them a break for the evening. The Joker bombed the party one year, Two-Face kidnapped the mayor the previous year and Ivy strangled the party guests with her vines the year prior. Every time Barbara would come as a civilian she ended up leaving the party as her alter ego Batgirl. Constant events like this made Barbara not want to participate in the ball fearing more disaster was to come.
Her feelings aside however city hall felt it would be best to have the event. Such a party would not only boost morale among their new ranks but it would also send a message to criminals that they stood united as a police force.
While her negative thoughts about the ball were in full force, Barbara's face lit up as another important memory suddenly emerged.
"Something wrong boss?" Jo questioned as she saw the reaction.
"I'm supposed to have dinner with Roman Sionis, I totally forgot!"
Her face lit up in surprise "I didn't know you were seeing MR Sionis!"
"Do I look like I'm into the daddy type?" Barbara laughed wholeheartedly as the question was posed."This dinner is about the ball, MR Sionis happens to be one of the sponsors!"
"Oh alright then, I'll see you later tonight!"
"No you won't Jo, I'm giving you the night off!" She stated.
"What why?"
"Union says you've been doing way too much overtime, gotta save some for all those recruits we got!"
Jo was set to argue her case for why she should stay on but Barbara quickly silenced her as she placed a firm on her shoulder. "Your a damn good cop Jo, more than I could have asked for but even you need time away!"
It was not surprising to Jo that she would say that. Everyone in the department had been telling Jo she was pouring too much energy into her investigation of SnakeBite. Even though she still paid rent, Jo couldn't remember the last time she set foot into her apartment building.
Another reason why she stayed working was the constant loneliness she felt. With Ryan scarcely keeping in contact with her, she had few people to talk to. If you combine that with her not updating her fanfictions online, she had little to no social life. It was for these two reasons that Jo chose to keep her investigations ongoing instead of just accepting a life of boredom.
"Well, Imani did say she wanted to go out with me?" Jo admitted.
"Exactly go out, have some fun, live, the cases will still be here when you get back!"
"Is that an order Commissioner?"
"That's an order soilder now get!"
Jo found herself playfully saluting her superior before she exited the rooftop via the stairs. Barbara Gordon was set to head off for her date as well but stopped short as a ringing sound suddenly caught her ears. Making sure that she was once again alone, Barbara went for her coat pocket where inside a single earbud was stationed.
"Come in Commissoner?" The voice of the woman known as Tatsu asked. "Outsiders to Commissioner Gordon, do you read me?"
"What's your status Tatsu?" Barbara answered back.
"We've got a lead on the culprits peddling SnakeBite, looks like they're heading toward a warehouse on the outskirts of Gotham!" She began. "How should we proceed?"
"Once you find the location, take them out, I'll send you squadrons of officers when I get the chance!"
"Understood, talk to you soon!"
As the communication was shut off Barbara took one last puff of her cigar while continuing to gaze at the Gotham building. "This is gonna be a long night!"
Wayne Manor-
-Living Room-
"Imperia, zachus, correlar, Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven's focus was sharper than any bird of prey. The words written in her people's language easily rolled off her tongue as the heavy spellbook in front of her started to glow. Closing her eyes, Raven's lungs increased their intake as her mind began to rewind.
The magic of this spell was meant to erase memories. Raven had never attempted such feats from her people's ancient spells before but at this point, she was running out of options.
Encased in neon bright squares the memories were small snippets that ran past at lightning speed. In her mind, Raven scanned each square that played its own unique memory from her life.
Like any great picture show, it always started at the beginning.
The Sorceress relived her birth, her moments with her mother Arella, the destruction of Azarath, facing off against Trigon, her life as a Titan, and more importantly the romantic moments that she shared with Garfield.
While these memories were comforting, they were not the memories she needed to see. With the spell still in full effect, Raven braced herself as she moved them forward, the years beyond the Apokolips War to be exact.
"You're so predictable!" Just as she was starting to relive the battle Black Siren cooed in delight. Her voice now started to coat every memory passed her. "You know you can't just erase our time together right?"
"You can't do this, this is my body, my mind!" Raven cried out as the memory slideshow started to increase velocity. She couldn't fathom this but it was happening, Black Siren was taking control of the spell she had cast. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing that doesn't need to be done, see ya soon missy!"
Before Raven could even react, the magic was lost pulling her back into the land of the living.
Raven went breathless as reality returned.
Time itself hesitated as the rhythmic dance of her heart faltered for a few seconds before returning.
"Well that was helpful," Raven sarcastically murmured. While her demeanor was in its usual calm stotic state, it hid a painful truth.
Black Siren was immune to her magic.
If she could not banish her using the only means at her disposal, then how would she stop her?
Would she ever be free of this menace?
"Rae!" Raven's dilemma was interrupted as Garfield suddenly popped in the room.
"Oh, Gar." She said in surprise. Despite being caught off guard Raven quickly scooped up the book, hiding it behind her back like a teen hiding a cigarette from their parents. "Why are you dressed like Santa Claus?"
"Hey, I'm Inuyasha remember?" He began. "Wait you're supposed to be Kagome, where's your cosplay?"
She snorted loudly. "It' 'll be a cold day in hell before you catch me in a schoolgirl uniform Gar!"
"Awww but what about the cosplay spirit Rae?"
"I'm good, I'll just be the usual creature of the night!"
Garfield grinned. "Well you are pretty magical, so I guess that's better than any cosplay!"
"You're so corny ya know that!" She chuckled
"You know you love it!" He teased
"Hey guys ya ready to see my cosplay!" Much like Garfield did to Raven, it was Ryan's turn to interrupt the scene.
"Sure we're ready Ryan!" The duo found their eyes trained on the door as the woman struck a pose by leaning on the doorframe.
"Don't let the rags fool ya baby this witch is all glamour!" Ryan's choice of cosplay was Kiki from Kiki's delivery service. Like the character, she wore a short purple dress and a gigantic bejeweled red bow atop her head all the while she carried a brown bag and a broomstick.
"Hello, Nurse!" Garfield's eyes lit up with acclaim as he caught sight of her look.
"Now this I like!" Raven remarked while also giving a head nod of approval.
"I wanted to go as Sailor Lead Crow but this feels leagues better!" She commented. "You guys ready to go, Lunar and RC are waiting?"
"Yeah I'm ready let's get a move on!"
"Gar wait!" The minute that Ryan was out of the room, Raven suddenly reached out to Garfield stopping him in his tracks
"What's up, Rae?" His attention was soon locked on his beloved.
The moment that Garfield looked at her however Raven once again found herself unable to find the words. With all the threats they faced over the years, it should have been easy for her to talk to him but she couldn't. She didn't want him to worry, he had been through so much she couldn't break him down not when he had finally found some happiness for them.
As much as she didn't want to do it she once again found herself shelving her thoughts about Black Siren.
"You alright Rae?" He questioned in curiosity.
"Yeah never mind it can wait!"
The sound of a beeping car was soon heard urging the two lovers to go about their ways. As they exited the room hand in hand, Garfield started to imagine how great this night was going to be for them. Hopefully, after tonight he would make her happier than she could have ever dreamed.
-Unknown Area-
"Do you think any of them fought in the war?" Liam posed the question, essentially breaking the silence that the two had around them for some time. Mary was prompted to respond but found herself going silent as she kept her face trained on the broken tombstone.
'Here lies Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti
AKA
KGBeast
May God have mercy on his murderous soul.
A sly smile soon appeared on her lips as she waved off his previous comment. "He's nothing more than a Russian Bane he obviously couldn't cut the mustard like the other villains!"
"You think so?" He questioned
"Look around us!" She gestured toward the rest of the graveyard which was overrun with damaged and moss-covered graves. "Professor Pyg, Flamingo, Maxie Zeus, Condiment King, theirs no way those losers would have survived against Darkseid's forces!"
"I hope we get a better burial than this when we die!"
"Ahhh don't sweat it, Liam!" She answered. "The way the plan's going were gonna live forever, even if we did die I'm sure Black Mask would take care of the burial arrangements!"
"Speaking of our lord shouldn't we get back to the task at hand?"
"Hmmm." Poison Mary once again found herself stumped unable to come up with an answer to his inquiry. The obvious answer was of course they had to get back to work but the tough portion was knowing what they were looking for.
After being dropped off at a separate island near the mainland, Black Mask had simply instructed them to find a woman named Margot. Only once they found her would they be able to get a glimpse of what his endgame would be. Without a physical description of Margot however, this left the two to search throughout the island, eventually reaching this secluded graveyard.
"Wait that's it!" Poison Mary suddenly reacted snapping out of her long thought process.
"What's it?"
Kneeling down on the soft grass Poison Mary found herself placing a gentle hand on it's surface as she closed her eyes. "We may not know what Margot looks like but perhaps nature can help us find her!"
"Nature you mean-."
"Yes, the Green!" Mary's entire hand sparkled with a deep emerald color as it ruffled the grasslands around her. The Green as she called it was the driving force that beings like Poison Ivy, Floronic Man, and Swamp Thing used to control Earth's plant life. Having inherited Ivy's powers meant also inheriting the same connections that she used on a daily basis.
With an almost telekinetic reach, Mary consciously connected herself to every tree, flower, and blade of grass that made up the island. With their thoughts and feelings intuned with hers, she breathed deeply as she began to search for the being named Margot. Despite the island's massive size the Green's powers were to make quick work of the area allowing Mary to see beyond her reach.
Liam would watch his comrade in this catatonic state for several minutes until she finally opened her eyes with a satisfied smile. "Well?"
"I think I may have found her, in fact, it looks like she could use our help!"
"Then by all means lead the way so we can save her!"
With that, the duo's search began anew. Now knowing Margot's location, perhaps the duo would finally be able to get some answers out of her.
-Nightclub-
"Welcome to Club Vinyl!" A warm and welcoming smile came from the club bouncer who was cosplayed as the Vampire Lord Alucard from Hellsing. Leading them beyond steel doors, Garfield, Raven, Ryan Choi & Ryan stood in awe at what was on the other side.
Club Vinyl is an anime lover's wet dream.
Its size was comparable to that of a single football field. With its grandiose space, it already filled more than the two hundred cosplayed guests who were mingling about, at max capacity it looked like it could easily fit a few thousand.
The entrance to the club greeted its partygoers with a single golden statue of a Dragon. Following that, there were several marble fountains surrounding the statue in a triangle formation. Instead of blowing out water like normal fountains do, these fountains were oozing tequila enough for the heart's desires. Many of the patrons here would stop here for a quick gaze or a drink thanks to the table of champagne glasses that were stationed nearby. The rest of Vinyl was divided into four vastly different parts, each one just as important when it came to entertaining the guests who had spent their hard-earned money.
The first and most important part of the building was that of the dance floor. It was stationed just beyond that of the fountains and was where most of the patrons were located. The dance floor tiles were pressure-coded squares that when stepped on changed colors constantly. On the ceiling up above a single disco ball filled with diamonds awaited. As the disco ball spun in its usual circular formations, nearby colored lights in the rafters shined directly upon it. With both the disco lights and floors shining it gave off a funky retro almost acid trip vibes, bad if you were epiliptic but perfect if you wanted some flair with your partying. In the center of the dance floor was a medium-sized tower where the DJ was. Surrounded by the latest in sound streaming technology the DJ proudly scratched the records which in this club were exclusively for only playing anime-themed music.
The left side of the club was known as the Balloon Bar. Sporting a Pokemon theme, the Balloon Bar saw bartenders dressed as Nurse Joy & Officer Jenny. These spectacular women would take your order and then proceed to make you a wine glass out of the balloons before pouring your drink inside. After receiving your completed order, patrons would take to the balloon furniture that each resembled a rideable Pokemon from its past games/shows.
The right side of the club was known as Scouts Steakout. If you wanted to get away from the hardcore dancing or drinking this was the place for you. Endless rows of metal tables awaited patrons for solo or group use. Each table had a touch-tone tablet embedded in its face while sets of headphones were set beside it. It would be here where guests could play games, watch anime or get on the internet with friends. As they indulged themselves waitresses dressed as Sailor Scouts would take their orders bringing them anime-inspired dishes such as Katsudon, Coffee Jelly, Sashimi, Gyoza, Bento Boxes and so much more.
The fourth and final section was called the Hall of Heroes. Beyond the Dance floor, the Balloon bar and Scouts Steakout was a single door in the back that once again led to the outdoors. The Hall of Heroes was a vast steel patio spread throughout New Metropolis that also connected to the beach on Queensland Boardwalk. The hall itself contained an overwhelming amount of pure gold statues each one depicting an anime protagonist. From Goku to Arsene Lupin to Astroboy, the Hall of Heroes overloaded its visitors with every anime hero they could possibly think of.
Of everyone in the group, Garfield's eyes held a child-like twinkle. There was so much for them to do, so little time. He not only could have the time of his life, but he could share it with those he loved the most.
"Um Gar?" Raven backed away slowly as she automatically knew that look in her boyfriend's eyes. Like a kid in a candy store not only was he about to go into hyper mode but he was also about to drag her along for the ride. "Gar let's talk about-."
But it was too late, Garfield unexpectedly grabbed her hand and yanked her off from her spot and onto the colorful lights of the dance floor.
From the DJ's sound system, the Jazzy Rap song from Jujutsu Kaisen was playing all along the party patrons. The minute the duo arrived Garfield let go of Raven's hand before breaking out into his best robot.
Dancing in a nightclub was way out of her normal comfort zone even if she had Garfield at her side. Although she wanted to storm off and scold him later on even she couldn't resist the look of pleading on his face. Even throughout his dancing, he kept his sights trained on her, trying to make her laugh with his stiff cardboard moves.
Although embarrassing, Garfield brought her here to have a good time, the least she could was humor him. Perhaps taking a leap into something new would help her keep her mind off of Siren's ongoing interference.
After a few seconds of watching her boyfriend, Raven shrugged slightly before stepping close to him. With the powers of empathy activated, Raven felt the sense of enjoyment that the partygoers were having all around her. Such encouragement seemingly took over her body as she started to bop side to side catching the beats as the song continued to play.
"RAVEN'S DANCING?" Ryan Choi's eyes became glossed over with shock as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Having only known Raven for a short period of time he garnered that she wasn't the type to enjoy partying or even being any kind of social butterfly. Being the type of girl into meditation, books, and herbal tea, seeing Raven dance was something that nobody in history could have ever predicted.
While RC was in shock Ryan's laughter was loud and boisterous as she watched her bestie and his lady get it on the dancefloor. "Isn't that a shame, two rythmless people!"
"This looks like so much fun, can we party too Ryan?" Wondered Lunar as he stuck his head out of Ryan's bag.
"Fine, we can look around a bit but remember you have to stay in the bag!" She advised.
"Aye Aye Captain!" With a single paw, the Piparoid saluted before burying his head back inside. With that RC and Ryan took their sights to the many amenities that the club had to offer them.
The quintet had been so enthralled with Vinyl that they failed to notice a pair of shadows following their every move. Paragon Vipress & Saber hid themselves among the partygoers while never taking their eyes off Garfield & Raven on the dance floor.
"We could have just simply attacked them on the road ya know!" Saber replied in an annoyed tone. Vipress may have been calling the shots on this operation but even he couldn't understand why they followed them all the way to this point life building.
"This is much better, look at all this extra prey we get to slaughter!" Vipress replied.
"Where should I be at?"
"Naked and on top of me!" She teased
"Vipress!" Saber shouted as he turned his head away in embarrassment.
"Just kidding darling, but you might want to keep an eye on our hunt down there!"
"As you wish!"
-Gotham-
-Blue Oyster Restaurant-
"Presenting police commissioner MS Barbara Gordon!" A Maître d' presented Barbara as if she were the winner of the MS Universe pageant.
Usually dressed in a police uniform and her father's coat, Barbara went all out to impress her dinner date. This included a short navy dress with ruffles at the bottom, a gold necklace, several bangles on her wrist, a fresh coat of makeup, and an urgent hair stylist appointment.
Being the social chameleon he was Roman flashed a million-dollar smile as he gestured for her to sit down. "MS Gordon it's wonderful to meet you!"
"Likewise MR Sionis!" She couldn't have lied more through her teeth. The Bureaucratic part of the job was just as bad as dealing with the criminal element.
"I want to thank you for finding the time to sit down with me!" He complimented. "As you probably already have guessed, the other sponsors could not be here."
"These things happen, I gotta say though I was surprised to learn that you were on the committee."
"Naturally after all Janus Cosmetics was established in Gotham, without it I wouldn't be the man I am today!" He stated before turning his attention toward the waiter. "Please bring us two glasses of your best wine and the surprise I have for MS Gordon!"
"Surprise?" She questioned.
"Just a little something I think you deserve, after all, we're very pleased about the progress the GCPD has made!"
The waiter soon returned a moment later with the present. Much to Barbara's surprise a bouquet of flowers and a fancy wine bottle had now been placed directly in front of her.
"Green roses?" Barbara inquired with surprise as she took in the emerald features of the plants.
"They're a symbol of good fortune in Ireland!" Roman said. "Also the wine I gave you is aged Tawny, a personal favorite of mine!"
"This is unexpected MR Sionis, thank you so very much!" Barbara was never one to be taken in by charm but Roman's gift seemed to soften her. While she usually prided herself on being a tough duty-bound cop, she had to admit it was nice to be recognized by someone of his breeding.
"Might I recommend smelling the flowers, they have a fantastic scent!"
"Don't mind if I do!" Barbara replied before reaching for a rose. She immediately plucked her hand back as a stinging sensation was felt. Wincing in pain Barbara couldn't help but notice that one of her fingers had a rather large cut in them.
"Oh my Miss Gordon are you alright?" He asked.
But Barbara couldn't answer him at the moment. She was too busy staring at the thorns on the roses which were now soaked in her blood. If that weren't strange enough Barbara's mind felt hazy almost in a daze-like state.
"Are you well, do you need medical attention?"
"Uh no I'm fine its just a scratch." She answered back before her head regained a clear state.
"That's a nasty cut you got there Miss Gordon, might I suggest taking care of that before we continue with the evening?"
"Y-Yeah I suppose your right, I'll be back in a moment!"
The moment that Barbara left the table and headed for the ladies' room, Roman's entire demeanor changed. His concerns for her safety had completely disappeared and were now replaced with a sinister smirk. "Take your time Batgirl!"
-New Metropolis-
-Vinyl-
While dancing in Nightclubs is the primary activity for most partygoers it's nice to sit back and relax amongst the hecticness of it all. Ryan Choi was the first to need a break from it all, and in such a manner found himself sitting at one of the tables at Scout Steakout. While dining on a steaming plate of Sasami, the bookworm played a game of virtual chess on the tables built on a tablet.
"Hey RC!" Ryan shouted catching his attention. Having shifted through the crowd of cosplayers, she plopped down on the seat across from him. "I was wondering where you ran off to!"
"I always had two left feet when it came to dancing, figured I'd better stick to something I'm good at!" He said right before turning his attention to the chessboard. "How come you're not out there?"
She shrugged."Guess I'm just no good without a partner!"
"Really?." He chuckled. "You're beautiful I'm sure a lot of people would love to dance with you!"
The compliment caught her off guard causing her to smile nervously. "None of them really interested me though, if I'm being honest Jo was usually my dance partner!"
"Jo?" He inquired.
"This girl I used to see back in Gotham, we were on and off for a while but we lost touch between both our jobs!" She explained. "What about you you're attractive, the women should be beating your door down!"
Much like her when the question was posed Ryan Choi found himself turning shy. Unlike her, however, he found himself not wanting to answer and instead gestured toward the bag she was carrying. "How's Lunar holding on in there, is he giving you much trouble?"
"Lunar!" A lightbulb seemingly went off in Ryan's head as the Piparoid was mentioned. He was being quiet tonight, almost too quiet. Such silence prompted Ryan to start clawing through her bag in search of him. At first, she was calm and collected but as every minute past her expression darkened as she saw no trace of his happy face. "HE'S GONE!"
"Wait what!" Ryan Choi exclaimed. "Where could he have gone?"
"I don't know I told him to stay in the bag and-."
Before they could explode into a frenzy of questions, the sound system in the nightclub screeched with unpleasantness as it cut the song that it was playing. Ryan & Ryan Choi couldn't help but turn their optics toward the music tower. The normal DJ was nowhere to be found, instead, they could see Lunar struggling to get up to the microphone, crossing all the buttons on the music panel as he did so.
"Oh no!" Ryan Choi sweat dropped.
Against his own limitations, Lunar found himself firmly planted on the DJ's desk next to the microphone. "Hello friends, testing one two, three, testing one two three!"
"Lunar?" Both Garfield and Raven stood in awe seeing the tiger cub at the mic. While they were nervous about having him loose, all others in the club paid no attention believing it to be a part of the festivities.
"Hi Everyone, I'm DJ Lunar!" He chirped into the microphone. "Let's have some fun and dance a lot ok!"
Unlike the masterful skills of the DJ, Lunar was not trained in the ways of music making. A cloud of confusion formed over the piparoids head as he couldn't make heads or tails of the keypad's numerous buttons or the collection of discs that were stationed nearby.
Against the numerous blank stares he received from the patrons in the audience, Lunar continued with his new task. With his small jaw, he delicately grabbed a record before placing it on the turntable. Once that task was finished all that was left to do was for him to start pushing buttons.
The audience members were set to boo for the lack of sound but found themselves gawking with delight as the music flared to life once again. This time the speakers started booming the song Flyers from the Anime known as Death Parade.
"Holy crap he did it!" Garfield stated
"Well, I'll be dammed!" Added Ryan
The moment the music started to pump, the partygoers resumed their endless dancing and activities they were currently engaged in. Being so caught up in party mode, nobody in the room dared to question why a baby tiger was suddenly their host. From behind the music booth Lunar was delighted in the new position he had undertaken. Dancing and wildly shaking across the keyboard he not only remixed the music but added different color effects that lit up the dance floor.
-Gotham-
A ball & chain of uneasiness continued to strangle Jo.
Now she completely understood why the Commissioner gave her the night off.'
Imani was overly elated the moment she knew Jo was joining her on the date, so much so that she agreed to fund the whole evening. Before Jo could object to whatever plans she had, she suddenly found herself engaged on a leisure stroll through the Bristol District and its wealthier neighborhoods.
Having been cooped up at the office, Jo seemingly felt allergic to the outdoors. It stale air, its rich highrises that ignored the poor, the constant shops and galleries, she almost forgot what it was like to not be a cop for a few seconds.
Although dressed in civilian clothing, Jo couldn't help but shake the gazes from passersby. At every step, she felt scrutinized, almost like the citizens wanted to tell her to 'get back to work'.
"Jo!" Imani's shouted back breaking her concentration totally. "You haven't heard a word I said have you?"
"Uh sure I have." She feigned a smile to hide her lies.
Imani shook her head in disbelief as she took in Jo's body language. "Why are you so uncomfortable, did I do something wrong?"
"No Imani that's not it you're perfect!" She blurted before blushing. "We'll maybe perfect is too extreme, but you're beautiful, wait I mean you peachy!"
Her expression uplifted at the word before she broke out into laughter "Peachy?"
"Oh, dear lord!" Jo slapped herself audibly.
"Relax Jo I'm teasing!" Imani reassured with a small smile. "But why are you so uptight, I thought you were ok with going out with me?"
"I guess I'm just feeling a little guilty being out here." She admitted. "Knowing I haven't closed out that case is just bothering me."
"You've got too much willpower, that's ya problem!" She teased.
Willpower. The ability to delay gratification, and resist short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals. The capacity to override an unwanted thought or impulse.
This always described Jo to a tee.
Her fellow officers loved to take this city for granted. They always had the mindset that they were on the verge of eliminating the criminal element, to finally liberate Gotham from itself.
Jo knew better. These criminals were just waiting, looking for any weakness at a given moment to turn the tide over in their favor. The city was in a crucial state, always teeming on the verge of insanity.
Jo's willpower always kept her mind on the job and kept her from the temptation of giving in false security. While often questioning how long she could keep this up, Jo was willing to put aside her own happiness in order to make sure the citizens were safe.
Willpower may have been a good asset for her to have, but it also could be a huge burden.
"So what do you wanna do tonight?" Imani abruptly changed the subject. "I was thinking we could hang out at Amusement Mile and maybe go back to my p-."
"I need more please!" As the duo reached the opening of an alleyway they heard the sound of a man loudly begging. While Imani kept her focus on walking forward, Jo couldn't help but peer down the alleyway.
Much to her chagrin she was greeted at the site of a college student groveling before a suited man wearing a cartoon moose mask.
"Please I gotta have more, I was so close to seeing my sister again!" The young man had a zombie-like complexion. His eyes were unfocused, he was breathing heavily and he was shaking audibly while trying to play on the man's sympathies. "Please man, I'll do anything!"
"You know the drill punk cough up the dough or no SnakeBite for you!" He said, all the while he juggled one of the boxes of the drug in question.
"But I haven't got any more money, I took out another loan just to afford the last dose!"
"That sounds like a you problem!"
"Please just a drop, I'll do anything I just wanna have that high again please!"
"Sorry bud but False Face ain't a charity, if you wanna party with us cash upfront!" With that, the masked man started to disappear into the darkness on the other side of the alley.
"No please come back, I need my Snakebite please !" The student begged one last time before collapsing into a puddle of his own tears.
As the entire spectacle ended, Jo mentally kicked herself for not reacting to the sight she witnessed. As much as she would have loved to interrogate them about SnakeBite, she was not an officer in the moment. For one night she promised to leave her duties behind in order to have a little fun.
While she did not fulfill her officer duties, seeing the conversation did light a fire under her. The minute this night was over she would get to the bottom of the SnakeBite mystery before it became an epidemic. Like other cities where drugs rule over its citizens, Jo vowed not to let that happen to Gotham.
With every ounce of willpower she had she would see this case through.
-New Metropolis-
-Vinyl-
"I think I'm gonna sit this next one out Gar!" Raven stated. After several rounds of anime pop dances and a long slow dance, the Sorceress was definitely ready for a break.
"Hang tight beautiful I'll join ya in a second!" Gar reassured before leaving her on her own.
Seeing Ryan & RC over at the Scout Steakout prompted Raven to head in that direction. The minute she took a few steps in that direction however she felt as if something was amiss. With her powers going into a state of overdrive, Raven tightened her grip as if she felt she was being watched by a set of eyes.
Was she overreacting?
Or was something else going on?
At the turn of a quick counterclockwise spin, Raven took a step back before gasping. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she stared into the eyes of an old friend turned enemy.
"Care to dance Raven?" Paragon Saber asked with his hand extended to her.
Raven's mouth went dry as a hefty knot formed itself in her throat. While her already pale skin started to lose its color, her forehead started to perspire with tiny droplets of anxiety. Seeing Paragon Saber was only the beginning of her troubles, however. As he stepped aside he gestured to the back where his partner Paragon Vipress was waiting. An amused look was Vipress's expression before she blew Raven a flirty air kiss.
"Nobody walks away from Darkseid!" Black Siren's sultry voice suddenly spoke. Despite Raven's best attempts to silence her counterpart, there she was again to vex her.
"No stop, you can't do this!" Raven cried.
But the Paragon would never let go of her claim on Raven's body. Instead of just attacking her mentally, Black Siren opted for a much more crueler approach.
The veins in Raven's neck began to throb as she struggled against her jaw which started to open on its own. She could feel control over her own body slipping as her lungs seemingly sparked to life.
Turning her attention to a group of partygoers on the dance floor, Raven unleashed the enhanced powers of her canary cry.
The sonic waves struck faster than lightning. With their intense wavelength groups of partygoers went flying across the room while the disco ball and dance floor dangerously sparked with an electrical warning. The attack also made quick work of the music tower where Lunar was stationed. The piparoid found himself running for cover as his turn table started to collapse with buttons launching all over the nightclub.
Over at the Ballon Bar, destruction rang wildly. Much like dominos falling in a sequence, the furniture, the decor, and all other structures of balloons stood no chance as the sound pressure caused them to explode on contact. Over at the Scout Steakout, dinner plates broke into nothingness as the electronic tables also detonated while catching fire in the process.
"R-R-Rae!" Garfield could barely make out as he still stood on both his feet. While plugging up his ears with his fingers he desperately fought against the sound waves which were steadily pushing him further across the room. While he made a valiant effort even he couldn't stand against the ability and was thrown across the room.
"W-We g-gotta do s-something!" RC cried. Much like Garfield, he & Ryan were pinned down at their table unable to stand the sound against their eardrums.
After what seemed like an eternity, the sorceress collapsed to her knees. She took in heavy breaths like a sumo wrestler as her lungs tried to recover from using so much of her powers.
"Help please someone!" A woman dressed as card captor Sakura wept loudly while holding the body of one of her friends. "He needs help please!"
Ryan was the first one to answer the woman's pleas. Darting down to her location, the nurse examined his face lightly before making a shocking discovery. "He's bleeding in the ears, someone call an ambulance quick!"
"We need one for them too!" A man in a Gundam costume declared as he pointed too two more partygoers with dazed looks and bleeding ears.
"Over here too!"
"Don't forget about my friends please!"
One after the other Raven was greeted to numerous people crying out for their friend's wellbeing. She lost track of how many people were still on the ground, unable to get up after the assault. The partygoers who were unharmed now started to back away from Raven in fright, all the while flipping on their cellphones to call the authorities.
"That freak killed my friend!"
"Someone do something before she kills us all!"
"Murderer!"
"No it wasn't my fault I-." The Judgment and fear these people felt pounded Raven's empathetic powers to its core. Not since Trigon was alive had people felt such disdain and hatred for her. It was all too much, to be treated as a demon again, an abomination, a murderer, a criminal. As the emotion finally reached its peak for Raven she darted out of Vinyl heading through the doors in the back and toward the Hall of Heroes.
"Raven wait!" Garfield tried to stop her but it was already too late, Raven was now gone.
"Wow, talk about a songbird!" Lunar commented.
"Ryan, RC take care of the people here I'm going after Raven!"
"Gotcha!" Following up on his orders Ryan and Ryan Choi began to tend to those who were mortally wounded while the other partygoers tried to sort themselves out over the deadly situation.
"I gotta hand it to Siren, she's doing a fantastic job of torturing her!" Paragon Saber complimented. During the canary cry fiasco, the duo had stepped out of the way making sure to take cover in the rafters above. Now that the coast was clear and their enemies were distracted once more, they jumped down to witness the ghastly site left behind by Raven.
Vipress scoffed. "So she nicked a few humans big deal, I can do so much better!"
"Prove it, oh mighty huntress!" He taunted.
"Fine let the games begin, Hail Darkseid!" Vipress shouted before activating the transformation sequence from her brace.
-Later-
-Queensland Boardwalk-
-With Raven-
The Moonlight painted a cerulean path on the ocean's surface as it arched back and forth in its usual rocking motion. Its every movement was recorded in Raven's pupils as she found herself mesmerized by its aquatic beauty and calming presence. As the night wind started to brush itself against her skin, she buried her feet deeper into the cold sand further cementing her stationary status.
The beach was a perfect spot for meditation.
It was just ironic that Raven wanted to do anything but.
After the incident at Vinyl, all she wanted to do was shut herself in the darkness. Black Siren may have used her powers against her will but Raven couldn't shake the anchor of guilt she would have to carry for the rest of her life.
She was also worried about how Garfield was going to react.
If he wasn't suspicious before he definitely was going to start asking questions now.
She just wished she knew how to answer them.
Although thought to be alone, Raven turned her head a mere inch as she heard a single rock in the sand move behind her. "I know you're there!"
"Very Impressive!" A male voice spoke back to her. With the footsteps now walking at a normal pace, the person stepped into Raven's line of sight. As she expected the mysterious Hodded man now stood before her. "How'd you know I was there?"
"You just travel by darkness, I happen to control it."
"Impressive." He replied.
"Where have you been?" Her tone was filled with annoyance as she shot him a pair of daggers.
"Conspiring with another associate of mine!" The Hooded man explained. "With the Boom Tube Controller you retrieved for me, he's planning an assault against Darkseid's forces!"
"That's fine, great whatever but what about me?" She snapped back.
"Let me guess Black Siren again?"
"She's taking over my body piece by piece and none of my magic works against her!" Raven began. "She used me to murder innocent people tonight, I had no control, all I could do was sit there and let her do it!"
"Oh no, I had no expected this to happen so soon!"
"Can't you do anything to slow her down, I might hurt someone close to me next time!"
The hooded man lay still for several minutes as he silently pondered the question given to him. After what seemed like forever he unexpectedly created another portal leading to an unknown location.
"Wait!" Raven called out. The Hooded Man would ignore her calls as he backed into the darkness while closing the entryway, once again leaving Raven to deal with the problem on her own. "Why did he do that?"
"Rae!" The voice of her beloved suddenly called out to her. Realizing why the man left her so abruptly, Raven turned in the other direction to see Garfield walking at her.
"Gar I-."
But Raven would not get the chance to speak. The minute that Garfield got close he dove next to her and pulled her close to him.
Raven felt her bones go limp as Garfield's muscular arms wrapped tightly around her. She couldn't push him away nor give any of her usual sarcastic quips, no, now was not the time for that. For once Raven put her problems behind her, as she melted into his touch she could think of nothing more than to share that moment with him.
"Please Rae, don't run off like that again!" He squeezed harder."I was so worried about you!"
"Garfield about earlier I-." She started to say right before the burden of the situation came down on her.
"I know it looks bad, but it wasn't your fault I just know it!" He replied. "It probably was PTSD like I had, it probably triggered something that made you scream!"
This hurt Raven even more. She was keeping the truth from him, all the while he believed in her, was willing to do anything in his power to not believe the worst.
"Whatever it is we'll get you help, I won't let them take you away from me over this!"
"Relax, I don't think there is a prison out there that can hold me!" Raven interjected her dry humor trying to ease the anxiety and sadness she was feeling.
"No, I'm serious Rae!" Releasing his grip on Raven, Garfield now sat next to her. Intertwining his fingers with her's he also found himself watching the ocean waves as they crashed along the beach surfaces "Five years ago I used to think we were unstoppable!"
"Nobodies unstoppable Gar."
"I don't mean Superman unstoppable but ya know life was going good!" He began. "We were kicking bad guy ass, having fun, it seemed like the good times were never gonna end!"
"But they did." Raven's voice took a saddened tone as she thought about the event that derailed their lives.
"No, no more of that!" He turned to her his face going from serious to of a determined smile. "No more doom and gloom talk Rae, I don't want to talk about Darkseid or the war or what happened tonight, I just wanna talk about us!"
A single eyebrow was raised as the statement was posed. "What about us?"
Gently taking Raven's hand Garfield placed it over his chest. Raven blushed heavily as the changling gazed deeply into her eyes and furthermore her soul. While his look was never removed, his heart was beating faster and harder with each second that passed.
"I've got something I wanted to give you five years ago!" He explained. Before long he got to his feet bringing Raven with him
"Like a present?" She wondered
"It's much more than a present!" He explained. "It's everything that I've always wanted to give you, it's probably the best thing that two people like us could do!"
The language he was using alerted every part of Raven's psyche. Her emotions of Love, Lust, and happiness began to dance about on the platforms of nevermore. United together these three emotions overloaded Raven's mindset as they instantly anticipated the forbidden question Rae never thought she could be asked.
Taking one final deep breath, Garfield dropped to one knee before bringing out the jewelry box with the locket inside. Still as fresh as it was five years ago, the jewelry remained a symbol of all of Garfield's toward Raven. Giving her the grin of a lifetime the Titan prepared to say the sentence he always wanted to say to her since they started dating. "Rachel Roth, will you marry me?"
-Island-
"Let me out you damn flatfoots!" A lone woman screeched. Her demands fell on deaf ears as the steel cage she was in lowered the amps of her voice. If that were not enough a tarp had been placed over the cage, so she could not see what was going on. The woman's captors were two older but tough-looking correctional officers. Despite her being trapped inside the men kept their pistols at the ready just in case she tried to vex them. "I swear if you donut dunkers don't let me out I'll-."
"You'll do nothing birdie now shut up!" One fired back as he slammed his fist against the cage.
"Yeah, lady if you were smart you'd behave before we stick ya in a bigger cage!"
"Fuck you!" She snarled.
"The commissioners gonna love us for this!" The first one stated with excitement. All the while he was pressing a sequence of buttons on his walkie-talkie. "Catching this weirdo's gonna bring us the promotion of a lifetime!"
"Not to mention it'll send a message to the rest of those freaks on the streets!"
"Good Evening Gentleman!" The duo's early celebration was abruptly silenced as a voice addressed them. Startled both the men trained their weapons in the opposite direction where the voice was coming from. Liam soon found his way through a set of nearby bushes and into the line of sight for the officers. "Isn't it a lovely evening for a spot of tea?"
"Get down on the ground and put your hands in the air!"
"This is your only warning!"
"Now now gentleman let's not escalate the tension, instead how about we point those guns in the other direction!"
With the Mad Hatter's top hat at his command, Liam would once again make those around him dance to his tune. Glowing with its usual bluish energy, the hat let out a symphony of technological whirls before fully exercising its powers.
The two officers attempted to fire at Liam only to find they couldn't pull the trigger. As if guided by the hand of fate itself both men begin to turn to face one another, all the while their guns remained aimed at one another's heads.
Despite crying out for mercy, Liam granted the men none. With the neuro power still guiding them, both men pulled the trigger without hesitation. A single shot from both their guns blasted a bullet-sized hole in each of their heads. As both men fell lifeless, the grass became an innocent victim as it was showered in their blood and brain matter.
The minute the officers were dead, Poison Mary walked out from behind the bushes."I never get tired of that!"
"What the hell is going on out there?" The trapped woman questioned from behind the tarp.
"Hang on I'll have you out in a jiff!" Now that Liam had taken care of the guards it was up to Mary to free the woman trapped in the cage.
Calling out to the green once more, Poison Mary turned her attention to the roots connected to the trees that surrounded them. Soon sprouting out from the soil like octopus tentacles the roots found themselves wrapping around the tarp and the cage itself. In one swift motion, the cage and tarp were yanked into the sky, freeing the woman who was trapped underneath.
The woman known as Margot was a Caucasian woman with a skeleton-like body frame. She wore a solid black bodysuit covered in crow feathers, fishnet stockings, platform heels, and biker gloves with faux nails built in. Wearing a winged-style mask across her face the woman also donned an 80's rocker wig that covered most of her eyes.
"I had that covered ya know!" She snapped back.
"Oh yeah, you had that situation all under control!" Poison Mary added, her voice dripping in sarcasm.
"You must be MS Margot!"
"Ugh don't call me that, I hate that name!" She ordered in a nasty tone. "I'm on the job so the name's Magpie!"
"What the hell is a Magpie?" Poison Mary wondered.
"It's a bird Miss Mary, more particular one that's interested in shiny objects!"
"Well, at least one of you has a brain!" She snarked. Within the next few moments, Magpie couldn't help but carefully eye the two new recruits on her boss's payroll. "Speaking of names who might you two be, DR Who and The Vine Slut?"
"Vine Slut!" Mary huffed, all the while her perfect skin was rushing with crimson color. She couldn't fathom Magpie being so ungrateful after everything they had just done for her.
Even beyond Magpie's rudeness Liam's gentlemanly ways never waivered to anger. "As far as introductions go I am Liam Crandle the Mad Hatter and this lovely green beauty is Poison Mary!"
"Fine now that I know your names, let's get to work the boss has big plans for this place!"
"What place?" Mary inquired with annoyance. "We don't even know where this place is?"
Magpie couldn't help but roll her eyes with impatience before pointing up ahead. "Look up there it'll explain everything!"
Both Liam & Mary turned their heads in the direction of where she was pointing. They had been so focused on freeing her from the cage they failed to notice that a nearby building was stationed.
If I'm being honest calling this place a building wouldn't be doing it justice. Instead, it was more of a fortress, massive like a medieval castle and drearily looking like those haunted houses you see in horror movies. The building before them was well known by Gothamites throughout the years, it was best known for housing the collection of bad guys that belonged to Batman's Rogues Gallery.
The duo looked in awe as they realized Black Masks plans involved that of Arkham Asylum.
-New Metropolis-
-Tomorrow District-
The exploitation of Arkham Asylum was just one of the many surprises that Black Mask had in store for those who dared to oppose his rule. As if this discovery wasn't enough, over in the Tomorrow District another surprise was well on its way.
A deadly surprise intended for Garfield & his allies.
The calm nightfall would find itself completely violated as an unexpected portal of lightning violently clawed its way into the skyline. What was to follow was the leaking energies from that dimension known only as the Speed Force.
As the portal glistened with acceleration energy, a ghoulish scream howled from deep within. Without warning Desad's newest creations the Nitro Demons emerged onto New Metropolis. Much like the members of the Flash family the Nitro Demons were embedded in the essence of the Speed Force. Such empowerment allowed them to move with lightning-fast quickness.
As the rift in reality started closing behind them, a set of three Nitro Demons began making the most of their powers. Flying at deadly rapid speeds the creatures went on with the mission assigned to them by Darkseid.
The Capture of Paragon Moon Fang.
-Queensland Boardwalk-
-With Garfield & Raven-
Time seemed to grind to a halt at this very moment.
While the forces of nature around them continued with action, Garfield & Raven had become a set of stiff statues.
For Garfield, he lay on bended knee. With the question asked and the jewelry on display, all he could do now was wait for his girlfriend to say the one word he had been dying to hear.
"Gar I-." Raven's lips parted to speak more but the rest of the words eluded her. Her eyes darted between the locket and back to Garfield several times. An overwhelming flood of joy and disbelief seemed to wash over the Sorceress's face as she still couldn't process what was happening.
He actually wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He loved her so much that he was willing to put up with her until death do them part.
A wedding, freedom from herself, In-Laws, a forever partner, future children, and so many blessings were sure to spring from this one proposal.
This was what Raven always secretly wanted, real love. Love that she thought she would never see in her entire life.
Despite yearning for all of these things, Raven frowned as a single domineering thought once again popped into the back of her mind. This thought would erase any chances of her having a peaceful future with Garfield. The air hung heavy with sorrow as Raven looked away from Garfield, unable to meet his loving gaze. "I can't Gar!"
His heart once soaring with anticipation shattered. The broken pieces found themselves plummeting into a deep of abyss of unfulfilled dreams. Every word of that refusal damaged Garfield more than any enemy could ever try to. His brain disconnected in a stroke-like fashion as he studdered to form the words he needed to respond. "B-B-But I-I love you-."
Raven tried to harden her expression but instead found herself holding back from breaking down completely. "I love you too Gar but now's not the time!"
"Ok, I'll ask you tomorrow!" He desperately announced
"Gar-."
"OK so tomorrow's not good for you, how about the next day or even the day after that!" He cried all the while his face fell to an expression of despair. "I don't care how long it takes Rae, I just want you to say yes, please!"
Turning Garfield down was the hardest thing Raven ever had to endure. Even with him now desperate and falling apart she still couldn't bring herself to say those words that he wanted to hear.
"Garfield, Raven!" The tense moment between the two would cease entirely as they heard Lunar's voice approaching them. Turning their attention toward the rest of the beach they could see the Piparoid racing to them at a fast rate.
Still processing the rejection at this moment Garfield put on a happy face determined not to let Lunar see him in this defeated state. "Hey, little buddy can you come back in a few minutes Raven and I wanna talk some more?"
"But Gar we've got major trouble, those people are in danger!" Lunar wailed.
Despite all they've been through Garfield & Raven exchanged worried looks as they processed Lunar's message.
-Vinyl-
Major trouble as Lunar called it was the understatement of the century.
Inside the acclaimed nightclub, terrorism had weaved its ugly head once again. The uninjured costumed partygoers were scrambling for the exits or wherever they could hide as the terror of Vipress was on full display.
Now transformed into armor resembling a queen cobra, Paragon Vipress laughed loudly while cracking a long whip across the dance floor tiles.
"Anyone wanna dance with me?" With fierce force and precision Vipress entertained herself by wrapping the whip around the neck of one of the innocent bystanders trying to flee. In a swift motion, she tugged on her weapon causing it to snap their neck with a loud cracking sound. As the lifeless body of the bystander collapsed to the ground, Vipress immediately repeated the same action on several other innocent lives.
"Jynx!" Garfield shouted as he, Ryan, Ryan Choi, Raven & Lunar gathered together to confront her.
"Ahh Garfield Logan just the person I wanted to see!" She purred. "And look you brought the whole family with you, not that it'll do you any good against me!"
"Shut up with the monologuing will ya!" Ryan shot back.
"What she said!" Ryan Choi shouted.
"Look I'm having a crappy night here so let's just get this over with!" Garfield exclaimed.
"Now your own my time you little vermin, prepare to perish!" Vipress prepared herself accordingly to face the group standing in her way. Holding out her other hand, she generated a small orb of violet energy that started to grow until it was basketball-sized.
From there the orb ejected itself into the air before splitting into two more identical forms. Now a trio, the energy orbs set themselves in front of Vipress before starting to grow in size. Garfield & co watched in horror as the orbs started to take forms, each one a haunting reminder of the past they tried to forget.
The first orb took the form of the master assassin known as Deathstroke.
The second orb took the form of the cryomancer known as Killer Frost.
The final orb took the form of the invincible kryptonian known as Supergirl.
End of Chapter 22
With that ends Chapter 22! Yes I know I left it on a cliffhanger but trust me you won't want to miss part 3.
I gotta tell you guys I ended up changing a lot of the nightclub scenes. In my original first draft, I had a dance battle going on between Garfield & Lunar To 'Rhapsody of Youth' AKA Naruto Opening Season 5. This was cut because I couldn't figure out how to illustrate the dance battle correctly, I just didn't like it overall.
I had a second scene with Ryan and Raven bonding. Seeing as Starfire is dead I wanted to have them attempt to bond since Garfield & Raven get along so well. I had to cut that because I just didn't like it once again.
I also had a third scene. It was originally planned as a car scene in which the gang would sing Spice Girl songs. (Much to Raven's annoyance) Unfortunately, after I wrote the scene, It got corrupted by Microsoft Word and I had a hard time retracing my steps on how to write it.
All in all, I'm kinda glad I did cut those scenes. They were an extra 18 pages and as you guys know I already write a lot per chapter so that's that.
But moving on.
Before I go guys I just want to ask something.
How are you liking the story?
As I've said many times before I really enjoy feedback. I'm getting a lot of bookmarks and follows but would also appreciate maybe a comment once in a while.
I enjoy any type of criticism no matter how big or small. My purpose is trying to make you guys fall in love with Garfield, Ryan, Ryan Choi, Lunar, and the series as a whole.
If anyone out there could drop me some comments I would truly appreciate that.
Even our artist friend Bia wants feedback on her drawings as she loves making them for you guys.
So please send me reviews and positive thoughts *Sad puppy dog eyes intensifies*
But seriously love you guys!
I'm going to start working more on Chapter 23 in a week so hopefully you guys won't have to wait very long for the next chapter. My working goal is 2 months between posting but we'll see what my schedule allows.
Anyway see you guys soon and enjoy your holidays!
Arigato!
Z!