The Darkest of Knights

"Well.. I thought we made arrangements already. But as I said, I understand your worldview in purifying the earth. This EGG as they're calling it might have your answers, we can show it to you, but we're destryoing it right after." Dick explained.

Rose raised a finger to question the irrational statement, but knew better then to question such things- irrationality is strictly for the enjoyment of irrational individual in question. "Well, uh, how's about we just watch TV or something, help get your mind off...... things?" She offered, not quite sure exactly the right course of action.

Ra's raised an eyebrow. "As much as simply LOOKING at the weapon would thrill me" Ra's said, his voice betraying that he would rather laquer his innards then just go see it. "you don't seme to understand- the weapon is practically built if what I have heard about it is correct. I want the genuine article, not just a polaroid and a tour." Ra's berated greyson, earning a snicker form his two bodygaurds. "And if I recall, you still owe me a small fortune for the LAST pit you acquired." He said with a sharp look, referencing the pit theat cured Barbara Gordon. "Indebted and still wanting more? Tisk tisk." Ra's mock-scolded, his face harsh and unyeilding. "The only, ONLY reason I would give it to you is if you told me where the weapon is. Then, and only then, would I relinquish ANOTHER pit to you." He proposed. "Equall exchange- location for location. It's my ONLY offer."

[I have NO clue what went on between Ra's and Greyson or what agreement, so i am pureley guessing here oPo]

That was one main reason Dick didn't want Barbara tagging along. Seems as though Ra's memory is too sharp. "Well you don't understand Ra's. In order to destroy something thoroughly you must first understand how its made. I'm not just giving you the location, I'm practically handing the weapon over to you." Dick said. He knew this would cost him later, but it would be better off if Ra's had the weapon instead of the government. At least he would know what he's up against. "Equivalent exchange. I get the pit and you get your very own philosopher's stone."

[Its cool Red, I was going impromptu there as well XP]

"Sure.." Karmy picked up the remote and flipped on the TV. Wrong remote. The TV came to life, but only for a second because Karmy turned it back off. "Oops.." she hoped that Alice wasn't looking for she did not wanna lose the only lifeline to her leafy buddies. Searching around, she found the real remote and flipped on the TV.

Thorne had been waiting for Corben ever since he'd gotten the call from his doorman that the cyborg was on his way up. The crime lord had a whole performance waiting for him. Roxie sat on the edge of her boss's desk, posed there more for show than anything else, but it always helped to have a pretty girl at your side to make sure people were listening. It worked for beer commercials and it was going to work for Thorne. "John, come in please." Thorne smirked from behind his desk. "Have a seat please. Roxie a drink for our guest." The raven haired secretary smiled, and slipped off the crime boss's desk, walking, strutting really, across the room to where Thorne kept his liquor, she got two glasses plucked some ice from the ice box and dropped a couple of cubes in each before filling them with a fine dark whiskey and returning to Thorne's desk. She handed one to her boss, and laid another out for Corben.

[remind me- do I still have Corben? I got really confused at that when Mercy began using him and I was'nt out oPo]

[Oh well, I mean you weren't on at the time and Deceiver was asking and so.. Yeah, you can have your character back.. Sorry ._.;]

[No biggie Mercy, t'was just wondering o3o]

Rose blinked a few times to register the breif moment the TV turned evil. When the TV turned on, it showed some news story about an Aerodactyl carrying off some kid in Kentucky. Nothing interesting. "Tell me, do these things happen often around y'all?" She asked, procuring a cigarete from her utility belt and fumbling for a lighter.

Corben didn't need to be able to read Thorne's body chemistry levels to tell there were shark's teeth in his deceptive smile. Nonetheless, he decided to play along- if he was going to sell him out to S.T.E.A.M, he could handle Thorne. "Word on the street was you were looking for me. Let's get to business- whadaya' want?" Corben asked, getting right to the point. If S.T.E.A.M- or worse, Phoenix- got a whiff of him being back out in the open, he wouldn't get a damn moment of peace for a good long time, so he wanted to just get this done and over with.

Ra's raised an eyebrow. "Don't use alchemy on ME, Greyson- I am the one with the secrets to immortality, not you." Ra's said disdainfuly. "And I don't HAVE to make an equal exchange to get what I need." He sneered. With a wave of his hand, all of his men aimed their guns, red targeting lights pointing to the gathered heroes. "You can give me the data for the pit, or I can TAKE the information. Your choice, detective." Ra's said, his voice displaying his serious intent.

(sry iv'e been out)

"Something tells me we might have to get our hands dirty to get to the pit...." Crimson said. Crimson clenched his fist , making it crackle with energy.

Alarmed at the firearms trained on them, the heroes began to back off a bit. "I don't have the data Ra's. I can take you to the man who's on it at the moment. I'm sure you're familiar with Metropolis' Man of Steel." Batman said coldly. "Are you going to give us the location to the Lazarus Pit or do we have to keep up this table talk?" Batman asked slowly advancing.

Ra's gave Batman a curious look. "Do you beleive the famous Superman would readily GIVE such volatile information to me?" He asked. He took a few tense moments to think about Batman's words. "For a moment, let's suppose I agreed to this and accompanied you to visit Superman. What, praytell, would happen then? A tour and a polaroid before you obliterate the weapon?" Ra's asked. He wanted all the facts before he made his move. Knowledge was power..... and Ra's liked power.

Karmy looked curiously over at Rose. "You don't know me very well do you?" she asked, sitting with her arms across her chest and her feet up on the coffee table. "I really don't like my friends to smoke. It's unhealthy."

"Though I'm flattered by you considering me a friend, Imma' big girl, and I wanna cammel dammit!" Rose said stubbornly, still fumbling for a lighter.

"Don't like that cig." Karmy said dully, her eyes still on the TV, watching the Kentuckian thoroughly maimed. "You might not like the outcome." the boys insides were being fed through a meat grinder. "Just say I didn't warn ya.

"Look Ra's you gotta trust me. I'm working out the Kinks with Superman as we speak. You come with us, you get the blue prints to the weapon. I'm convincing him that you're safer with it than the US Government. Karmy knows that even more than I do." Batman said now approaching Ra's. He had to call Clark again to make this deal, without Zero the plan will go south. They needed him more than ever. "He's getting the location now." Batman assured him. He was sure that he already found it, x-ray vision should help.

Barbara Gordon wrote:November 14, 2031 Masked Maiden Journals

While Dick is having fun I get stuck with some bozo named "Control Freak." He's some television nerd who turns inanimate objects to life and summons monsters out of thin air. Gotta hand it to him, despite the chubby looks and pimply facial features, he could come off as a genuine threat. Well that is if I ever do face him. Karmy couldn't wait for Nicole and I to get ready, so she took off without us; in turn leaving us no action with the super villain.

Right now everything seems to be cooling down. Tim suggested I stay in costume in case another freak comes out of nowhere. That's what he does. He says the reason our masks leave a space for our mouth is to wear it at all times so we can drink and eat without the hassle of ever taking off our masks. Dick and I utilize the open mouth for different purposes if you get my drift. Tim has changed a lot since I last met him. He says that publicity as a hero is good to keep the villains away and under wraps. Seeing how our cover is blown in Gotham I might as well suggest that to Dick. It just might work. He did a lot to get me back in my old suit. I don't want to end my career as The Dark Knight Damsel again so soon.

Zero couldn't take it enymore- following Batman's voice, he yoinked Batman off to the side. "Beforehand, I want you to know I respect your judgement." Zero said respectfuly, but his voice betraying he was leading up to something. "But...... are you out of your pointy-eared mind!? If you give the prints to Ra's, he'll just build one of his own. And I don't need to tell you how much I really don't want that." Zero pleaded. The weapon was his biggest failure, and to fork the plans over to Ra's would be going from the pan and into the fire.

Ra's patiently waited for Zero and Batman to finish- time was no object to him, he could be here all evening for all he cared.

"So what you're saying" Rose said, taking out her lighter to more or less temp fate. "Is if I light my cammel" She light the cigarete. "And smoke it" She took a long drag. "That I'll be in trouble?" Rose said facetiously, pretty much ASKING for trouble.

Karmy shot up without warning and kicked Rose right in the shin. She snatched the cigarette and opened up a portal, throwing it on a random dude. "You see?" she grabbed the edges of the portal and showed Rose the spectacle "THIS is what happens when one of my friends smokes." she looked at Rose with half closed eyes. She really didn't have the energy to pull this but she had to.

"What the hell am I supposed to give him? There's literally nothing I can offer to him. I'm already in debt with this man! Unless you have any other idea how I can save you, I'd like to hear a suggestion." Batman whispered back quickly. "I'm neck deep in IOU's and to ask for more? I don't think we're getting out alive at this rate. I don't know if you know what's going on, but the clicking sounds you heard earlier are guns aiming at our balls."

"Then don't offer him anything- I'm happy with being blind fi it means half a trillion lives don't have to be jeapordized." Zero said, not giving an inch. "If Ra's builds one of these, you KNOW it'll be even worse then this. We can just walk away right now, and that'll be that." Zero said. He was fine with blindness, if it meant he could end this damn cycle and help wreck this weapon somehow.

Ra's continued to wait for the discussion with Batman and Zero to conclude, nonoe of the heroes noticed that the black- clad bodygaurd ninja had slipped away.......

Rose twitched slightly at the bizzare sight. "Tell me, is this something you reserve for guests, or do you allways do this kinda stuff?" Rose asked curiously, seeming to enjoy the weirdness.

Batman knelt at Zero's feet. "I'm sorry. I was so desperate to get you back to normal." Batman said in a slight whisper. "You mean a lot to me Zero, you're my first student. Forgive me. I tried my hardest." Batman stood up. "Ra's, you can forget about it." Batman was already regretting it, he knew that Zero was their main key to stopping the weapon, but they had Superman on their side now, hopefully he could make up for it. "C'mon guys. It looks like we're leaving empty handed."

"Guest's, friends, family. Pretty much." Karmy shrugged and closed the portal, plopping back down next to Rose. "You should see what I do to people I hate.."

Before Zero could reply, the Black nija slunk past him over to Ra's. "Why leave so hastily, gentlemen? I've already got what I need." he said, and flaunted a datadisk. "I copied all fo their Nav. data- it looks like they were going to metropolis." The black ninja reported, which was greeted by a triumphant sneer from Ra's. "It seems i have what I need after all. Thankyou, Greyson." Ra's said, stuffing the disk into his robes. "Fair is fair- I got your info, now you get mine." Ra's hissed, procuring a small map with the Pit's location in a mine shaft in Colorado and throwing it to Batman.......

Batman caught it, and looked at it. It looked as if he had a disease in his hand, and instantly dropped the map. "Ra's!" Batman yelled at him clenching his fists. "What the hell was that?!" he asked running to him and grabbing Ra's Al Ghoul violently.

Ra's raised an eybrow. "Come come, Greyson. We could have dawdled out here for centuries before reaching an agreement. My methoods are more...... expedient." Ra's said smugly. Ra's grasped Batman's hand, and violently jerked his hand off of him. Ra's two bodygaurds crossed their blades at Batman's throat threateningly. "Our business is concluded- I do beleive it is time for you to leave." Ra's proclaimed, his arms crossed to exude a sense of menace and authority.

"So, you're a hippie that beats the crap outta' people. I like you already." Rose said in a friendly, if not twisted, tone. She contemplated whipping out another camel, but knew how THAT venture would go.

"Well for starters, I'd like to shake your hand." Thorne actually rose from his seat and took a step around his desk, cigar in his teeth, liquor in one hand the other held out to shake John Corben's. "You are after all the man who murdered Jim Gordon." The crime lord smiled. "And that deserves some praise."