Gotham is the last place harmony should be. But, even in the bleakest of places, friendship can bloom, can be Magic.
Staring into the abyss, one must never flinch, for the abyss stares back. Batman knows this, one step from being that which he fights, one step from being one of the ones that have been taken by the Abyss. But what of gentler souls, how do they act when those that were lost to the abyss cross their paths. Do they stand as uncompromising as the Dark Knight, or do those of Friendship's call choose a different Path. Come and see, the abyss watches, let us observe as well.
It was a silent midnight at The Gotham City Docks, when a dark, scaled thing hoisted itself out of the dark waters. Blood dripping from its mouth and staining its claws. The smells of the city rousing the creature, clearing the haze from its mind.
"What is this fog in my head?" Killer Croc uttered to no one. "How did I get to the Docks?"
Leaning against the wall, the mutant tried to think back. "Me and the Boys was on a job. We went back to the lair, then nothing."
Glancing at his claws and tasting Iron in his mouth, he spoke to the air again, "This here's blood is human. What'd I do?"
Flashes entered his memory, rising from the water, he had turned to his men. Then his mind went red. Dripping Lovely Red. Beautiful Red. The feel of a full stomach, a burp coming up out of the scaled giant, along with something else. Removing it from his mouth, he found a finger, with a very familiar ring on it.
"I ate my men. Why? My disorders stable. Least, that's what I always thought."
A Voice called out, using a name he hadn't heard in years. "Waylon?'
Turning, he saw a thin young man wearing brown pants that bore multiple pockets and a plaid T-Shirt that bore the words "Where's the Fun In Making Sense?" Heavy combat boots covered what Croc knew to be severely mismatched feet. Stepping forward the young man further revealed himself to be covered in brown fur, a single snaggle tooth jutting from his upper lip. His left hand was more akin to that of a bird of prey and his right a lion's paw. Twin horns, one a Stags and the other some twisted unicorn like thing sat upon his head. Black Hair with a central white streak spilled messily onto his shoulders, wait was that a..... Croc smiled.
"The goatee is new Cordy." Putting his hands behind his back, he turned to the mismatched young man. "Last I heard an affair of the heart had you in juvenile detention. How long you been out?"
"Just got off Parole last week. Been working here and there. Waylon, I'm your cousin. Tell me what's going on."
Croc sighed. He didn't have many good memories. Those he did have all concerned the young man talking to him. He couldn't drag him into this. "Cordy, go back to your life. You leave Croc here to his thinking. They catch you with me they'll shoot first, ask questions never. Don't be wasting no chances on me."
Turning to go, Croc began walking back into the shadows, But his cousins voice rang out.
"It's your atavism isn't it?" Cordy took Croc's silence as confirmation. "Thought so, you're not the only one that has a good sense of smell. The blood on you is human, I'm willing to bet you have it in your mouth too. Let me help you."
Croc rounded on his Cousin, snarling he moved forward, his eyes seeing only red. Cordy raised his hand, a snap was heard, then Croc knew only darkness.
Croc awoke to the smell of antiseptic, bound by his wrists and ankles to a backboard by zip ties. One around his throat and one around his snout prevented the use of his teeth. Leather straps further restrained him, pulled snugly, but not uncomfortably so. Attempting to move his hands revealed that flat wooden boards had been zipped together, sandwiching his hands nicely, preventing the use of his claws.
"Reminds me of Rumor" He snarled.
Hearing a small squeak, he immediately scented the area, a young woman was nearby. Cursing internally at his own carelessness, externally he asked, "Is someone there?" After all depending on what Cordy told her, this might work out.
"I'm Here. Are you comfy?" A pink haired beauty entered his vision. Checking his straps and restraints for tightness the young girl left his vision, returning after a moment.
I apologize for all of this, but Dissy made it clear that you are just not yourself. I think your tests are going to confirm what he told me."
"Tests?!" He snarled. "I dislike being tested against my will."
The Pink haired girl stared defiantly back. "Dissy is family he gave me consent, also I think that you might want a better answer for your specific Atavism other then it just makes you look like a Croc. I expect you have an increased sense of smell and above average strength. I'm willing also to speculate that you, Mr. Jones, have larger lungs than normal, allowing you to stay underwater longer. I can tell just from looking at you that your eyes contain a nictitating membrane to protect them. Your dermis is covered in scales that can stop small arms fire. From this I can further conclude that your hands, besides being webbed, have retractable claws. That tail, although I'm sure that you use it for other things besides it's intent, allows for greater movement in the water. The tests I took are going to answer one thing that I pray to St. Jude I am wrong on. Now are you going to behave or am I actually going to have to sedate you?"
Croc stared at the girl, startled at her sudden aggression. Unflinchingly, she stared back, scenting her more closely gave him a better picture of things. Chuckling, he leaned back.
"Seems Cousin's Cordy's got himself a firecracker of a beauty for a girl. You a Doc?"
The girl wilted, "Honestly, I'm a Vet tech with a whole lot of self taught knowledge. But, I can't ignore someone in need. I did that once and lost a good friend. It will never happen again."
Croc laughed again. "Well, I been treated by worse in the past and I am a bit of an animal. You at least are sober." Pausing for a moment, he smiled up at the girl,
"Noticed, by the way, you ain't denied that your, Cordy's girl." chuckling again at her flush, he continued. "You got a name girly, or I got to call you Cordy's girl the rest of the time I'm here."
"My name is Felicity Breen." pursing her lips, she continued. "I really do want to help you, but if i'm right then I may not be able to do a damn thing for you."
Croc snorted, "Ms. Breen, story of my life. The world's a jungle, red, tooth and claw. The strong take and those that can't get eaten. My form just reminds others of that. Cordy's too. We're just different types a predator." snorting in disgust, he grimaced at the memory of how Cordy subdued him. "Forgot he's a master hypnotist. Damn, Dragon Dog put me to sleep, can't say I blame him. He could've done much worse. Kinda wondering why he didn't"
"Because I didn't want to upset her you dumb reptile. It figures, I finally get a good thing going and my family comes along to mess it up." Derek Israel Cordy entered the room. Slinking along, his tail wrapped around his waist to prevent accidents.
"And she could teach you a thing or two about hardship. Her story isn't that much different than ours."
Felicity shoot Derek a look. Winking back at her, he kissed her on the head then retreated to the farthest wall from his cousin.
"What about it, Ms. Breen? You want to weigh in on my view on life?"
Sighing Felicity looked at Croc. "I agree with everything you said. The strong do prey on the weak, and I've been one of the weak most of my life. Taken advantage of and used. Indeed, right now you're being held in a animal shelter that specializes on victims of lab testing. Everyday I see evidence that people are nothing more then monsters. That there is no kindness left in this world. I look and I see a never ending parade of those that hurt others and get hurt by others. A never ending river of blood and pain. I'll never be able to do a damn thing to stop it, not a bit, ever. But you want to know what?"
Felicity closed her eyes,. opening her eyes once more, tears freely flowing she glared deep into Croc.
"None of that is ever a reason to stop trying to be better, Mr. Jones. All of that is just a pathetic excuse to be a bully. Nothing more, nothing less. It takes more strength to walk into a place like this and know that everyday you're going to lose. To Know everyday another life is going to have to end, because it's kinder to end that life then let that life continue to be in pain. But to continue anyway, because for a moment you might be able to ease another's suffering for just a moment. The world may be a jungle, but that does not give one the excuse to stop striving to be better. To compromise once is to be lost. I did once and I lost Pamela, I will not lose anyone else without a fight. I will not lose anyone else to this jungle if I can possibly help it."
Croc smirked. "Ms Breen, I'm really glad that Cordy found you. Wish I could've found someone like you myself. But honestly, that in and of itself is the biggest horse hockey that I've ever heard. All those pretty words add up to one thing. You're a doormat. Something that others abuse at their will because you'll do nothing to stop them. What's going to stop this, eh? You've already admitted your weakness. What's going to guard you from the predators of the night?"
A snarl was heard from the far wall, a sound so unlike human speech that Croc shivered at the sound.
"She has me. I'll stand between the world and her. I may be a predator, a monster, But I'm her predator, her monster. I'm what will guard her from all things." Discord, the lord of Chaos as he was once known, glared back at his older cousin. Croc shrank in on himself. This was not his little cousin Cordy, this was what lurked beyond the campfire. This was the breaker of all things.
"Dissy! Enough!" came Felicity's command.
Immediately the terror that had gripped Croc stopped. Shuddering, he thanked himself that Cordy had rules about causing harm. A beeping heard from a darkened corner of the room further distracted the trio. Turning Felicity rushed to the machine. Removing test tubes, she proceeded to check the contents under a microscope. Both men watched as Felicity slumped, the test results obviously confirming the scenario she had been alluding to the entire night.
"Mr. Jones, I have some bad news." Sighing, she walked over to him. "The issue is that your natural Atavism was in fact stable. It was a natural expression of your DNA. The problem is that others tampered with it. You will continue to change, developing mental degradation along the way. Until finally you'll forgot your humanity and become little more than a beast. That blood will not be the last you taste. There's nothing that can be done, anymore. If it'd been caught earlier it could've been stopped or at least slowed, but the major mental degradation has already started."
To the surprise of both Croc cackled. "You say that like it's a bad thing, petite. Just the jungle correcting its mistake. I was a monster born and a monster I'll die. Finally, I can be free of all that I hate. I can at last be the animal I was meant to be."
Straining against his bonds, one by one they broke. Till at last he stood under his own power. Closing his hands shattered the paddles, and with a single swipe he cut the zip tie that held his mouth closed. Cordy pulled Felicity behind him, his eyes full of protective rage, standing between her and all threats, just as he promised. Croc smiled at his younger cousin.
"Let me ask you this Cordy, she brought you to meet her parents yet?"
To his surprise it was Felicity that answered, "Only because he won't do it. I've wanted them to meet him since our second date."
Croc shook his head, "And what do you think their reaction to you dating a patchwork predatory terror will be, huh?"
Felicity once more smiled, "My parents are Agoraphobic shut ins that are terrified of the outside world. I'm the assertive one in my family. They'll honestly be ecstatic that I have my own personal 'patchwork predatory terror' between me and everything they are afraid of happening to me. Even if they don't, I really don't care. I can't sleep without my floofy snuggle buddy." Wrapping her arms around her man, she continued. "He's so cuddly.'
Croc stayed silent. Shaking his head he turned and left. Exiting the back door, he stopped in the ally. Leaning against the wall the last human tear he would ever cry ran down his face. A deep female voice was heard behind him.
"You did a good thing Croc."
He turned to behold a scarlet haired, green skinned woman dressed only in leaves. The covering only served to accent her considerable attributes.
Putting certain things Felicity said into context, he asked. "I take it you're the Pamela she meant? Eh, Ivy?"
Poison Ivy nodded, "She and I were friends once upon a time. I was two years ahead of her in high school. I confided in her about the professor that did this to me. At the time she was unable to support me in reporting him to the authorities. I still keep an eye on her. She and Harley are the last humans I care for. Let's get you out of here. Monsters don't belong near this place. We need to go back to beyond the campfire. Civilisation is for them, not us. Not anymore.
Croc nodded, then moved off with Poison Ivy into the Gotham Night to be with the other monsters. But before they vanished into the darkness, they both turned and paused, then where gone. Indeed, Felicity Breen's parents worries were completely unfounded, for their daughter was not just beloved of one monster, but three.
The sound of mechanical buzzing silently echoed through a single darkened street in Gotham”s downtown district. The street’s name held no particular importance, nor did the names of the many shops that were scattered across it. No, on this night none of these mundane things truly mattered… it was what was on the inside that counted.
An explosion erupted from the outside of one these stores, producing a sound so loud that there could be no doubt that almost the entirety of Gotham had heard it. A less than subtle approach to a more then simple problem, that could have been solved by easily picking the lock to the door. But the perpetrator had built an identity around being a less than subtle man, with a penchant for clues and a psychological need to leave his calling card.
“These radio-control attack crafts are performing better than I ever could have dreamed. But I suppose that is to be expected. After all, I am the one who built them.”
A man dressed in a green overcoat and bowler hat, strutted into the destroyed front half of the building and peered with confident glee at vast amounts of jewels and baubles left miraculously untouched by the explosion. A pair of slender women, dressed in fishnet stockings and green leotards and hefting two empty burlap sacks over their shoulders, stroad silently in behind him.
“Did I not tell you this plan was flawless. A perfect test for my attack craft’s destructive capabilities, but controlled just enough to leave all the precious lucre inside perfectly unharmed. My calculations met to their most exact and finite decimal points. Clearly, there is no better word to describe me other then genius!” His two henchwomen only rolled their eyes in response.
The man twirled his cane in his hand, before pointing its curved end at the vast amounts of valuable items laying in glass cases before them. “But time is still our enemy. Collect as much as you can carry and let’s make our leave. The game can’t start, if the players arrive before all preparations are complete.”
As the women started breaking glass and scooping fresh cut jewelry into their bags, the genius--as he liked to call himself--placed a small lensed box on the ground, which projected a large holographic green question mark on the wall. The sounds of broken glass being crushed under foot, and the whirl of spinning helicopter blades soon caught the man’s attention.
“Never let it be said that I don’t give credit where credit is due. You truly are as great and brilliant a pilot as you boast yourself to be. Congratulations Ms. Bellatrix, welcome to the Riddler’s employ.”
A woman with sparkling silver hair, and dressed in the same question mark outfit as the women whom came in before her, sauntered into the building like she were its owner. In one hand, a complex RC remote hanging lazily from her fingers while the other was preoccupied flipping her hair with all the confidence of a wealthy runway model.
“Was there ever any doubt? The Great and Brilliant Trixie is everything she claims to be and more. There is absolutely no room for fantasy in the descriptions of her feats.”
The Riddler rubbed his chin in thought as he contemplated the title his newest henchwoman had chosen for herself. “Hmmm… Trixie? Tricks? I like that.” He stated with a smile. “Tricks, Echo and Query… All essential parts of a good riddle. My dear, I do believe you’re going to fit right in with our little band.”
The Riddler turned on his heels before crouching back down near the box. He began typing in a code into a keypad located on the box’s back side. “Now if you would, please turn off the attack crafts. We don’t want to risk drawing anymore attention then that explosion no doubt got us.”
Tricks nodded, and quickly went about landing the attack craft with her remote before flipping a switch on its side. The craft’s engine slowly died, but strangely they both could still hear the sounds of mechanical blades spinning while in flight.
“I thought I told you to-” The Riddler whirled his head around in annoyance, only to feel his purple domino mask tighten on his face, as his eyes widened in shock. Behind Tricks, was a second drone, obviously store bought, but boasting a detachable video camera on its front.
It flew up higher into the air, before changing directions and soaring out of sight over one of the street’s taller buildings. Tricks immediately flicked her remote back on and started up the engines to her attack crafts. “Don’t worry Mr. Nigma, Tricks will-”
Before she could finish, the Riddler grasped his hand around her wrist and pulled it away before she could use the remote. “ARE YOU A COMPLETE IMBECILE?!”
“Sir... you’re hurting me…”
With a fury that she had not yet seen while under the supervillain’s employ, The Riddler pulled Tricks closer until their noses practically touched. “You were planning to shoot down that commoner’s drone weren’t you?”
“I-I...I…” She stammered.
He shoved her back. “Here’s a question… What is lost, the moment you say its name?” Tricks found herself unable to answer, both for fear that responding might set him off again, and that she didn’t know the answer to the riddle.
“The answer is silence.” He stated as if berating a child for failing a math test. “That drone just filmed us all at the scene of the crime. Which means someone else had to have seen us from the other side of the camera, and that means the surprise is lost!” “The moment that film gets to this person is the moment when the police have evidence that I committed this crime. But even without that, simply saying my name at this location will give the GCPD reason to start investigating… as well as other people. AND THAT’S GOING TO SHOOT MY PLANS STRAIGHT TO HELL!”
Tricks jumped back in fright at his sudden shout. “They’ll be searching for me based on their witness’s recollections rather then following my brilliantly placed clues! They’ll win by cheating, and deny me my chance to prove my intellectual superior to the dullards of this PIECE OF SHIT CITY!”
He kicked the glass scattered about the floor in rage before turning towards Tricks. He stomped at her and pointed his index finger. “Find that drone and follow it to its source!” He threatened. “We’re making it a stop before we get back to the hideout.” Tricks nodded hesitantly, before starting the attack craft and shooting it high into the air in search of the drone.
“Echo! Query! Pack up whatever you’ve collected and bring the car around, the heist’s been botched. But don’t worry, I’ve got another job for us to take care of before the night is done.”
The tiny drone raced over buildings, boulevards and neighborhood streets at the fastest speed a remote-control children’s toy could achieve. It reached an open window set high on a rather ordinary-looking apartment building. Most passersby wouldn’t normally give it a second glance, which the owner hoped would help her hide the evidence should those criminals come searching for the footage.
The drone flew through the open window and landed on the lap of a seated preteen girl. She quickly turned off the remote and quieted her drone, before removing the camera from its front. She flipped open a viewing screen on the camera’s side and replayed what she had been able to record. Her eyes widened in shock, not only was she able to collect visible evidence of the Riddler and his henchwomen stealing from the jewelry store, but also a direct confession of the crime by the Riddler himself.
“Crap... this is big!” She closed the closed the viewing screen and desperately searched for a place to hide her camera. She heard a door open when she found a place she thought was good enough.
“Scoots, I’m home!” A familiar female voice called out from the other room. The girl sighed in relief at the sounds of her sister entering the house, rather than some crazed supervillain. “I brought dinner; some beef perogies from that place down the street you like.”
Her sister needed to be warned. “Raymona!” Squeaky wheels echoed from the young girl’s bedroom, as she raced her wheelchair into the living area of the apartment her sister rented. The prism-haired adult in ripped skinny jeans, white muscle shirt and opened short sleeve button up, reached her hand up to her ear as she placed the bag of stuffed dumplings on the counter next to the door.
“Remind me to oil your chair after we eat. A noise like that could get us arrested for assumed animal abuse.” Raymona snickered as she started to pull out a few of the takeout boxes from the bag.
“Ray, you’ve got to listen to me! I just saw some shit go down a few blocks-”
“Woah, woah… Do mom and dad let you talk like that back at the house? Just because I don’t give a shit whatever the fuck comes out of your mouth, doesn’t mean you should become a sailor the moment you-”
“Ray! I just saw the Riddler rob a jewelry store!”
Raymona was almost immediately struck silent. “That crazy question mark guy who just escaped from Arkham last month?”
Scoots nodded. “I was flying my drone when I noticed him blowing up the front half of the store. I caught it all on tape.”
Raymona blinked, then crouched down to place her hands on her sister’s shoulders. “Did he see you?” She asked earnestly.
“He… he saw my drone. But I flew away as soon as he did! I don’t think he’d be able to follow me.”
Raymona looked at the floor as she processed the information. Suddenly, she shot her eyes back up so she could look into her sister’s. “Scoots, listen to me. Go to your room and grab your camera, then stay there until I tell you to come out. I’m going to call the police.”
Raymona lifted herself off of Scoots and walked over towards the fridge. Reaching behind it, she pulled out a polished wood baseball bat and rested it on her shoulder before making her way towards the phone. It was only after she picked up the receiver that she noticed her sister hadn’t moved.
“Go!” She urged. Scoots didn’t need to be told a third time, and slowly started to roll back towards the safety of her room.
Once out of sight, Raymona started to dial 9-1-1 into the wall phone’s keypad. It was only beginning to ring when she heard her sister scream from her room.
“SCOOTS!” Raymona leaped from the phone and bolted down the hallway, paying no mind to decorum as she kicked in the door to her sister’s room. She held up her bat ready to swing...
“Scoots are you-”
...only to stop when she noticed a whirling machine with a mounted semi-automatic floating outside her sister’s window. They heard the front door slam open, but never took their eyes off the drone currently pinning them down.
Footsteps echoed down the hallway from several pairs of feet. The door to the room opened, a sinister laugh accompanying the creak of its hinges. “So you’re the little looky-loos who thought it a good idea to record my activities, hmm? A very unwise decision on your part, I must say.”
The chambering of two semi-auto pistols rung out, as Raymona turned towards her attackers. A woman with short black hair, and a woman with long blonde hair and a police hat were each pointing a pistol at her. Meanwhile, another woman standing behind them was adjusting the barrel of the the drone’s gun towards Scoots with use of a remote control.
The Riddler walk out from the doorway until he was standing between his two henchwomen. Raymona growled at the psychopath standing before her. “If you do anything to hurt her, I swear I’ll-”
“I don’t think you’re in any position to be making demands here. We’ve got advanced technology as well as proper weaponry. You have… a stick. Unless you plan to deflect bullets like a neanderthal, you have no odds of winning.”
Raymona furrowed her brows even more in disdain. “Never tell me the odds…” She whispered. She glanced back towards Scoots and noticed the drone’s gun pointed at her. Begrudgingly, she decided to respond. “What do you want?”
“I think you already know, and you’re going to tell me.” He said with a smirk. “But not here. We’ve attracted enough attention as it is, and we don’t need anyone to know we were here if we can help it. So to put it in a way someone like you would understand, you and your sister are going to come with us on a little ride.”
Raymona clenched her fist tighter around the baseball bat’s grip. It made her furious how little she could do to protect her sister in this situation. The black haired woman strode closer until she was standing behind Scoots. Raymona flinched, about ready to jump should the woman try to harm her sister in any way.
The Riddler spoke again. “In the meantime, why don’t you ponder this riddle.” She turned back towards the Riddler as he lifted his cane. He swung it, whacking Raymona on the back of the head, sending her to the floor. As she began to lose consciousness, she could hear the Riddler asking her his question. It sounded like he was trying to talk to her through a jello mold. “What is the one question you can never say yes to..? Think about it. I’ll ask you again later.”
Raymona awoke to find her arms tied to the back of a foldable chair and her legs bound to the legs on its front. Her vision was blurry, but she could tell she was in a room with little to no furnishings and that was very dimly lit. The two women from before were standing before her, but she couldn’t make out any signs of the Riddler or the third girl that was with him.
She shook her head and released a hiss. She glared at the two henchwomen once she had regained her sight. She was in a concrete room with thin piping running along the walls and a long access hallway spanning a long path before her. The two women were standing on either side of a junky old TV and VCR, placed upon an equally rundown cart with wheels.
Raymona struggled against the ropes that kept her bound to the chair. “Where the hell am I?! What did you do with my sister?! I swear to god if you bitches did anything to her I’ll-”
“This chick’s sure got some balls on her… don’t ya think Echo?” The blond haired woman purred as she leaned on the television set.
“Yeah Query,…” The short haired woman agreed. She grabbed her pistol from the hostler on her hip and chambered a round, pointing it at Raymona’s crotch. “Maybe we should shoot and see if she can sing soprano~”
A voice suddenly echoed down the hallway, causing the woman to pull back her gun in surprise. “Ah, Ah, Ah girls, there’s no time for that. Just put in the instructions and leave our friend to the game. We need to find the evidence before anyone can link us to the burglary.”
The women chuckled before Echo holstered her gun. Raymona cocked a brow in confusion. “What’s he talking about... instructions? What’s going on?!”
Query smiled as she pulled out a video tape from beside the VCR and placed it within its slot. “The Riddler has decided to be generous and give you a chance to play for you and your sister’s lives.” The screen sputtered to life as a recorded image of the Riddler started to play.
“Greetings Raymona Dashiell, I trust that your sleep was pleasant?” The recording smirked. “Pay attention now, because that’s the only answer I’ll be giving you tonight.”
Raymona blanched in surprise. The video only continued to smile at her. “Don’t look so shocked, I make it my business to learn a little bit about everybody.” Raymona opened her mouth to reply. “...And I wouldn’t say a word my dear, this is a recording after all. I won’t be able to hear you.”
Raymona furrowed her brows in contempt. The cocky bastard was now purposely playing with her emotions. If she ever got her hands around that scrawny egghead’s neck, she was gonna…
The Riddler in the video lifted up a file filled with papers that look like it belonged in an episode of CSI. After opening the folder he began to read. “Hmm… Quite the school record you have here. Excellent work in both physical education and sports, but absolutely abysmal grades in almost all other subjects. One has to wonder how you ever made it through the Gotham school system with such inferior intelligence.”
Raymona couldn’t keep herself from growling. The Riddler lifted up another file, this one with a different name printed on its front. “Your sister, Sophie Scarlet, isn’t much better. In fact, she has even less going for her. So sad to see an orphan girl paralyzed at such a young age… and the perpetrator of the hit and run has never been identified. How unfortunate...”
Raymona wanted to scream at the video recording, even despite how pointless the action would be. Who was he to pity and berate them? That puzzle-obsessed, psychopathic know-it-all had no idea of the struggles they had to fight through in school and in life, especially in a city like Gotham. Life wasn’t easy for anyone here. The streets were rough for low-income families, and many people in this category often had to stoop to illegal means in order to survive. Thankfully it never had come to that for her or Scoots. Even still, hearing judgment from a twisted man like the Riddler was more than enough to make Raymona see red.
“Now I bet you're wondering why your here and where your sister has run off to..? Well the good news is, I can tell you she’s safe. That is... for now. You see, being the fair player that I am, I’ve decided to give you a chance to win you and your sister’s freedom. You just have to make it through my little game first.”
The recording of the Riddler paused and began to stare at her as if wanting to give some time to contemplate her situation.
“The game is simple. All you have to do is make it through the maintenance tunnels and find your sister on the other side. To make it easier for you, I’ve even placed riddles and clues at the different branching paths you may encounter. Follow these riddles and you will eventually find your sister.”
The Riddler smirked. “However, if you get a riddle wrong, and end up meeting an intersection without a riddle or find yourself at a dead end, well…” Raymona heard the sounds of a metal door being opened behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Query standing next to the open door,just as the semi-automatic mounted drone flew in next to her. “...we’ll just have to emphasis the meaning of ‘dead’ in that statement.” Query and Echo both snickered to themselves as Query cut the binds to the chair and Echo continued to hold her at gunpoint. Once finished, Query and Echo slowly exited the room and locked the door behind them, leaving Raymona alone at the mercy of the Riddler’s attack craft.
“These tunnels are covered in security cameras, so if you make even one mistake we will see it. But thankfully for you, there is one other way out.” Raymona turned back towards the video. “Tell me where the footage is, and both you and your sister will go free.” The Riddler’s expression grew dark as his eyes became more piercing as they stared through the screen. “My attack craft is built with a one-way radio that will be recording everything you say. Give me the information, and I promise you will see your sister alive.”
The man on the screen paused again as if waiting for her to reply. He seemed to shake his head as if realizing this was impossible, and finished his message before the video cut off. “...till then, good luck and happy hunting. You’re going to need it.”
As the screen turned black, Raymona turned towards the drone. Its gun was already pointed at her, which she could only assume was the work of that third henchwoman, who was probably watching the security cameras along with her boss. Raymona growled and began on her way.
She hated the idea of being that lunatic’s guinea pig, running his maze for some cheap reward. Though she would never consider Scoots’ life a menial reason to risk her own, she just couldn’t help but make the comparison considering the circumstances. She didn’t even know where Scoots had hid that footage, so telling the Riddler about it was definitely not an option, and even though she didn’t like to admit it, intellectual challenges like word games and puzzles weren’t her strong suit. She would have to make sure she was extra careful while solving the puzzles, her sister’s life as well as her own now hung in the balance.
It didn’t take long for Raymona to find the first intersection, as well as the first riddle taped to the wall on a piece of paper. On the inside, a pencil was taped under the written riddle. She read it aloud.
“How can you place a pencil on the ground so that no one can jump over it?” Raymona smiled. “Sweet, I actually remember the answer to this one.” She took the pencil off the paper and placed it against the wall. “But how does this tell me which direction I need to go?”
She picked up the pencil and studied it. Her eyes widened, a black arrow had been marked on the end of the pencil point towards the tip. Placing the pencil back against the wall, she eyed the arrow and saw that it was pointed down the left hallway. Without a second thought, she started to make her way.
The cement hallways had little in terms of visual distractions, for which Raymona was thankful. Less distractions, meant she could place all her focus on solving the riddles. The only thing that annoyed her was the loud spinning blades of the drone behind her. Not only was it distracting, but it also served as a constant reminder of what would happen if she failed. She looked at the piping on the wall, and gave a slight smirk. She wondered how much damage she’d be able to do if she were able to whack the machine with one those pipes.
It didn’t take long for her to find the next riddle, this placed her at a three way intersection. Raymona opened the paper containing the riddle. She read it aloud. “A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?”
Raymona scratched her head in thought. “I guess I’m the murderer then?” She muttered, glancing at the three hallways. “Ironic…”
She looked down each of the three hallways. On the floor before each hallway was a different marking. One depicted three wavy lines, another three holes, and the last three straight lines. Raymona could only guess that each picture represented a different room in the riddle, it only figured that Riddler would have made the answers as ambiguous as possible.
Raymona glanced at each picture a second time. “Hmm…” She pondered. “I guess the holes could represent bullet holes, which means that hall represents the room filled with assassins with loaded guns.” She looked at the three wavy lines. “...And the wavy lines could mean fire? But then what is the answer?”
She folded her arms and closed her eyes in thought. “If I walked into a room filled with fire, I would die immediately. The same thing would happen if I walked into the room with assassins.”
Her eyes opened. “But lions wouldn’t survive being starved for three years! I remember Felicity telling me about them once!”
She turned towards the hallway with the three straight lines drawn before it. “Which means the lion room has to be the safe one!” She shouted with pride. With a sudden new viger placed in her step, Raymona began marching down the hallway towards the next riddle.
As she walked, she heard the sounds of the the drone grow quieter and more distant. Raymona paused in her stride and looked back, the drone wasn’t following her. She cocked a brow in confusion, when suddenly the drone shot past her with frightening speed.
Raymona was shocked, but she also saw an opportunity. If that drone was going where she thought it was going, then if she followed it she might be able to find Scoots quicker than expected. Without hesitation she began giving chase after the drone now shooting down the hallway.
As she ran she could hear the sounds of someone else’s heavy footsteps echoing down the hallway as the drone grew closer to whom Raymona assumed was calling it. It bounded around a corner as Raymona came to screeching halt. The footfalls she was hearing earlier had stopped.
She poked her head around the corner and raised her brow in suspicion. That girl she had seen with the Riddler and the others was standing under her drone with an extremely freaked out look etched across her. She was glancing around nervously, as if she was expecting something to job out and grab her.
Experimentally, Raymona grabbed some loose concrete off the floor and threw it in her direction. The noise making her jump as it echoed down the hallway. She turned, activating the gun on her drone and shot at the wall where the gravel had landed. She must have hit a steam pipe because the room sudden began to grow foggy a few seconds after.
She coughed… “Batman?!” She shouted. “I know you're out there!” She turned in several directions trying to make out if anything was moving through the steam. She turned her back towards Raymona, and that was when she saw her chance.
Raymona began to sneak through the smoke. “Where are you?!” Tricks turned around right at the moment Raymona was close enough to attack. “Batman?!” Raymona delivered a punch straight into her cheek sending her flying backwards and causing her to hit her head the floor.
The steam began to clear as Raymona stood over her captor. “I’m not Batman.” She growled.
The Riddler’s henchwoman had been knocked unconscious, and as a result the remote she had been holding had been smashed against the floor during her fall. The drone powered down and fell to the floor with a thud. It was then she noticed a fallen piece of shot-off pipe.
Raymona arrived in the room holding her sister five minutes later then she probably should have, and when she got there her eyes widened at what she saw.
Batman… the Batman, the dark defender of Gotham city, was standing over a beaten and bruised Riddler and his two unconscious henchwoman. He was currently cuffing the Riddler to the piping on the wall while Scoots watched on in awe.
“How…” the Riddler spat. “How did you find me?”
“You’ve never been good at multitasking Riddler.” Batman answered. “You were so focused on getting the footage back from your hostages, you forgot to clean up your dirty work. It was easy to follow your trail with the amount of careless clues you left behind.”
Scoots turned her head once she started getting the feeling someone else was watching them. Her eyes widened upon seeing her sister.
“Ray!” She turned her chair and rocketed towards her older sibling. She stopped just short of colliding into her so she could give her a hug. Raymona eagerly reciprocated.
Batman turned and gave them both a slight smile. “I’m glad to see that you’re both alright.”
“Yeah…” Raymona's eyes widened after thinking about the statement. She grabbed Scoots by the cheeks and started looking her over. “You are alright? Right Scoots? That bastard didn’t do anything to you while I was gone, did he?”
The Riddler groaned in annoyance. “We didn’t touch her, you insufferable troglodyte. Unlike some of the other dullards that plague this city, the Riddler has standards. I don’t harm the handycapable, such an easy task would be beneath the talents of my brilliant mind. I only challenge those I consider my intellectual equals.”
Raymona smirked as she sauntered towards the masked madman. “That’s a pretty big compliment coming from a guy like you. I didn’t think you thought so highly of me after playing that video at the start of the maze.”
The Riddler released a mock chuckle in response. “You overestimate your worth.” He sneered causing Raymona brows to furrow. “You were always a means to the end. I deduced it was your sister who was flying the drone, so we knew she had to be the one hiding it. The plan was to scare her into revealing the information by hanging over her head your death being avoidable.” Raymona felt her teeth clenching. “Even if you somehow managed to make it through my maze without assistance, I would have threatened to shoot you anyways so she’d tell me the truth. Not that I expected you to make it all the way anyways.”
Raymona felt her anger boiling over and grabbed the Riddler by the shirt tugging him upwards. “I didn’t even use my hardest riddles.” He began to chuckle. “All of them were from a children’s puzzle book.”
Raymona raised her fist ready to punch him. “You son of a…”
“I think you're overestimating yourself Riddler.” Batman interrupted. Raymona lowered her fist, and she and the Riddler both turned their gazes to meet his own.
“How so?” He asked.
“Because I found the footage, and it was in rather obvious place, if you even cared to look?” The Riddler cocked a brow in confusion. Batman turned his gaze towards Scoots as she rolled up.
She smiled at the Riddler, a knowing kind of smile like someone who was in on a joke. “This time I’ve got a riddle for you, Mr. Riddler. Where does a little girl hide everything, including her skeletons?”
The Riddler only continued to stare at her as he thought over her question. Suddenly his eyes widened as the answer struck him. “No…” He stated in embarrassment. “No!” He continued to shout.
Raymona at this point, having figured out the riddle herself, was bursting with laughter. Batman himself, as stoic as he usually was, even started to chuckle.
“No, that isn’t fair!” Riddler shouted. “I could have figured that out! If given a clue or some context I would have easily..! It’s such a simple answer of course I..!
“Face it Riddler you were overthinking things again.” Batman stated.
“Yeah admit it, my sis got you good!” Raymona added, letting go of the Riddler’s shirt as she laugh in deight.
The Riddler snarled in anger. “Outsmarted by a brat… I can’t believe!” He grumbled. “No one will ever believe you anyways!”
“That may not be true either Riddler.” Batman replied. Reaching into his belt he pulled out a flashdrive and handed it Scoots. “I’ve been recording this conversation since Raymona walked into the room. Giving them more than enough evidence to put you away in Arkham for a long time.”
“NO! YOU CAN’T SHOW ANYONE THAT!”
“I think we can.” Raymona sneered walking behind her sister and pushed her towards another door maintenance door leading out of the room. “After all, you have no odds of stopping us.” She gave the supervillain one last cocky glance before exiting the room entirely.
As she walked away, she heard his many curses of anger and distress. Though she never wanted to see that maniac again, she a least had to give the Riddler this… that was the most entertaining night out she had in a long time. She began to smiled confidently as the cursing began to grow quieter.
Spencer Belle stood looking out into the streets of Gotham. Her sister, Lady Rebecca, had been lying and Spencer wished to know why.
Damian Wayne observed the only woman that could keep up with him mentally, she seemed to be mumbling, monologuing to herself. Staying to the shadows, the son of Batman watched one of his few friends outside of his family or other child heroes consider her next move.
"Batman to Robin, why are you over on the upper side? We were supposed to rendezvous in the slums, why did you divert?"
The radio squaked in Damian's ear, smiling, he whispered his answer to the old man, "Spotted some suspicious activity, holding back to observe."
Spencer Belle heard a voice, a voice she recognized. One of those few entitled rich kids she could stand. Lady Rebecca was an up and coming fashion designer and the Belles had distant connections to nobility, 'Lady' Rebecca took the words 'Noblesse Oblige' very seriously. The voice was one she had first heard at one of those charity events. She filtered the voice through all the others and proceeded to listen in.
Oracle's voice came over the com, "Oh is it that Samantha Belle that you're so fond of? She lives in that area. After all, you do appear to currently have her under 'surveillance'."
His father's voice took on an annoyed tone, "Robin, are you using patrol time to spy on a girl?"
Damien's voice took on a edge of snark as he replied, "A Girl that was suspended from the entirety of the Gotham public school system because she accidentally saw the standardized test answers once, then could repeat the answers for any variations of the test simply by being told the letter of the variation and the number of the test question. She keeps a current map of the city of Gotham and the surrounding areas in her head at all times and has a perfect photographic memory. In fact, I'm willing to bet, once she goes over this scene in her head, she will be able to pinpoint where I'm hiding. Fortunately, that will only happen when she reviews the memory, not at this moment. So, Yes, when that person acts suspiciously and is monologuing to themselves I stop to observe."
Belle heard the distant tinny sound of an earpiece, followed by first a teasing female voice then a much deeper annoyed male voice. The words where to well muffled for even her finely trained sense of hearing to make out, but she did hear the response, cursing to herself, she flushed. Such a cutie, and he had to remember that incident. Failed to mention that he had cleared her of any intentional wrongdoing though. After all, how was it her fault that when her and her two best friends were called into the principal's office he had the tests spread over his desk. Smiling, she also noted that he didn't say that it was him that recommended she apply to the private school he attended, nor that he was her main friend in that school. God almighty, the rest of the students there were just awful. She almost suspected that he helped her get in just so he could have someone to talk to.
Again Oracle's voice came over the com, "And it doesn't help that she's pretty as well, huh? You too did dance together a good number of times at that last charity ball her sister threw."
Damien swore internally, Oracle would remember that. Sometimes her big sister position gave her way to much blackmail information. Sighing, he stayed silent and still, continuing to observe the, admittedly, pretty looking teen. He remembered that night, recalled holding her close and her melodic voice, the fact she could read him almost immediately, her twin aspirations to be both a Gotham City Detective and a Singer. It was the one point he disagreed with her on, with her mind he looked forward to having her as an ally on the force, rather than being wasted as another pop sensation.
"Would that be Lady Rebecca Belle's sister?" Batman queried, then, after a moment of silent consideration, continued, "You're correct to Observe. But only observe, do not engage unless Ms. Belle appears to be in danger, contact Oracle if you have any trouble, I'm going to be continuing my sweep and will be to far away to intercept. Understood?"
"Confirmed" Damian answered. Smiling to himself he knew it wouldn't be long before he would be in exactly the sort of trouble that would let him step in. The kind he was trained from birth for. Sweetie and those three friends of hers where known by many as Cataclysm, Mayhem, and Catastrophe for a reason after all.
Oracle's teasing voice once more was heard over the com, "Don't worry I'll chaperone their little date."
Once again Spencer Belle heard the muffled voices. First, a teasing female tone, followed again by that stern rumble, once more she heard Damian's quiet snark, answered by that teasing female voice once more. Smiling Spencer got an absolutely wicked thought.
"Alright Damien, I know you're there, come out of those shadows, after all it's impolite to spy on a Lady."
"Robin, you stay where you are, she has no way to confirm, only her suspicions. Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage!" Batman's order snarled over the coms.
Swearing internally once more at underestimating the girl before him, he lurked, considering. His father didn't know Samantha as he did. If she was doing this she knew without a doubt he was there. Still, obedience to his dad made him pause.
Enough for Samantha to turn directly to where he was and demand, "Damian Wayne! I can smell the Smug on you from here and it's very rude to keep a lady waiting!"
Chuckling to himself, he stepped forward into the light, watching Samantha's eyes widen, followed by her stalking forward. Eyeing him up and down she finally spoke. "So if you're Robin, that must mean that the rest of your family and friends must be Red Robin, Red Hood, Batman, Nightwing, Batwoman, and Batgirl respectively. After all, they're the only ones that can tolerate the amount of arrogance that comes off you for any length of time, other than me, that is."
"Oh, she is so cute Damian, you really need to introduce us!" Oracle's voice echoed from the com.
Spencer Belle smiled, and that was the last confirmation, "Hello Professor Gordon, we do know each other. I attend your Intro to Data Entry and Intro to Forensic Research classes, respectively. Or should I address you as Oracle?
Damian Chuckled at Oracle's sudden silence, smiling, he asked, "Okay 'Spencer Belle' how likely is it that you step aside, tell me what's going on, then let me handle it?" Samantha stepped back, a pretty shade of pink rising over her features as she realized she'd been monologuing aloud. Damian's eyes sparkled at her embarrassment, after all, professionals only monologue internally. He also sighed as he already knew her answer.
"God Damn this guy!" Spencer Belle cursed internally.
She needed to watch that external monologue. Especially where this one was concerned. Lady had to have her secrets, after all. Then, she had her second, most absolutely wonderful, idea of the night.
"To answer your questions in order, 'Robin', there's no way I'm going to step aside, however, I will tell you everything as long as you let me come along as you 'handle' it."
Giving the Boy wonder her best smile she awaited his response.
Oracle's and Batman's voice echoed over the com's, their simultaneous response causing the electric device to squeal with distortion, "ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!"
Flinching Damian grimaced, holding up a finger he said to Samantha, "Spencer, I have to answer this, just give me a moment." Making a show of placing his finger on his earpiece, he said the words carefully and clearly. "I have no hope of winning this argument. Even if I tied her up she would wriggle her way free sooner or later. She gets bored to easily and decides to learn new skills constantly. Escapology and other such tricks are a favorite of hers"
Pursing his lips at the inevitable heckling his family was going to be giving him he continued, "I am the better combatant though so I can at least protect her, which only works if I now were she is."
Lowering his hand he saw that 'Spencer Belle's' smile radiated her pleasure, holding up his finger Damian waited to say anything till after the Squee from Oracle had died down.
"I am so making a recording of that so that I can play it for everyone else!" Oracle exclaimed. "The great Damian Wayne has a girlfriend and she has him whipped!" Oracle's laughter cut short as she cut the transmission to go make copies and send them to the respective members of the Bat Family.
"You, Me, and Ms Belle are going to be having a rather stern talk, when this is over. Keep Oracle updated, but otherwise maintain radio silence during your 'date'. I expect you both to be in on time. It is a school night. Batman Out"
Damian turned back to the smiling Samantha and said, "Okay why don't you start from the beginning and we will get started, okay?" Keeping a stern look upon his face, internally he was excited, after all, this could be fun and the closest thing to a date with an equal he would ever get.
Spencer Belle batted her eyes at the boy wonder, even as she wondered about his other impressive assets, he did look yummy in that suit. Closing her eyes she began her tale, "My sister has been acting odd, even for her. She's been moving large sums of money around and never has any explanation for what they're being used for. Her hours have become increasingly erratic, and she has been completely exhausted several times we were supposed to see each other. But I really became suspicious when I spotted her being very friendly with Oswald Cobblepot. She said she was just designing costumes for his club, but something just smells fishy." Spencer watched as the delicious young man before her processed what she had said, God she so loved watching his mind work, it was so unbelievably......
"Spencer" The Caped Wonder said.
"Yes?"
"You're Monologuing externally again."
Across the city, unbeknownst to her younger sister, Lady Rebecca looked across the table at the aptly named Penguin, his suit showing off his impressive physique, she so did love a Gentleman that knew how to wear a suit. A light underneath a clock lit up, as the clock began to move forward. Lady Belle smirked, this was going to be fun.
"Well, the game is started, Lord Cobblepot." She said through half lidded eyes, oh if this man only knew how......
"Lady Rebecca" Cobblepot interrupted her train of thought.