The Darkest of Knights

not gonna be posting much- if at all- today >_>;

"Gotcha chief." Red X said snapping the go-phone up and pocketing it. By then he had the large metalic generator on a dolly he decided he would take the same route the Batmobile would take to go from place to place; secret streets that was hidden from view but yet visible as day. Red X whistled his way down empty streets as gunfire, screams and explosions could be heard in the distance.

"Gotcha!" Ivy called, already blocking nearly every door she saw with ice and stone. She left the medical bay door open, for obvious reasons. As she was blocking the main door, her eyes flickered to Zero. "Every time I leave him alone, almost gets himself killed..." she muttered under her breath.

(Sorry I haven't been on much!)

Slade was smart, so he got a quick assesment of how soundly screwed he was if he didn't think of something- FAST. He withdrew his last explosive disk and flung it into Ivy's ice- stone wall. He couldn't even bring it in him to make an ass- remark as he fled past Ivy- he only wanted out. He didn't plan to forget this humiliation, however.......

The sound fo the explosion Jarred Sarah and Dent awake. "Mmmmgawd, what the hell happened.......?" Cyrah grumbled, rubbing where Slade smacked her. "I do beleive we were ambushed." Dent replied, lowering his cowl. "I got THAT, sherlock but...... oh bleh, let's just find out what the hell went down when we were out." Cyrah said, getting up and stretching, Dent doing likewise.

"Goddammit!" Cassius fumed as Slade dashed out of sight. He could trump slade physiscally, but he couldn't pray to match Slade's speed- catching Slade wasn't gonna happen. "I had that sonavabitch in the palm of my hand........" Cassius sighed grumpily and he picked up his multicolored helmet and holistered his cannon on his back.....

"He ran off with the bag too; sh*t, Alice is going to kill me for fetching it." Batman said crossing his arms. "We gotta clean that up for you." Batman suggested looking at the helmet.

Alice had finished created several hundred gallons of the serum when she walked in on the scene. "Sonovabitch got away huh?" She asked looking at the debris.

Rupert Thorne leaned back in his chair, a cigar between his lips and a soft gray cloud slipping from between his lips as he watched the clock's hands tick slowly around its face. "Alright. I think that's long enough." The crime lord smiled to himself, setting his chair back upright and turning to face the assembly in front of the television across his office. "Why don't we see what miss Gordon is up to?"

"Want me to give her a call boss?" Roxie didn't even look up from her nails, simply reaching to her pocket with the hand she'd yet to paint and flipping it out and dialing the orphaned red head had given her. The assorted thugs muted their foreign cartoon as the criminal secretary set her phone between her ear and shoulder. Without even pausing from painting her nails the raven haired woman perfectly feigned stress in her voice, speaking in the half hushed whisper of a reluctant whistle blower. "Barbara listen, I can't talk long." She could've been an actress, not movies, but probably state and definitely television. "I don't know the details, but I know this much. Thorne is a brokering a deal. He's got some kid calling himself Red X stealing some tech from S.T.E.A.M. major high end stuff. The buyer's meeting with him in a few hours, at the north end of the industrial district, a warehouse at Sparrow Drive number 8236. You've got connections to the Batman right?" A quick pause and a sudden breath. "I think they're gonna kill the kid. I... I have to go!" She clicked the phone closed, and returning her full attention to her nails. "Your turn boss."

"So it is." Thorne raised his own cell to his ear, laying his cigar in it's ash tray as he dialed the number of Deathstroke the Terminator once again. "It's Thorne, ready for another job? A friend of mine needs some merchandise picked up, but we're expecting Bat trouble. 8236 Sparrow Drive, in the industrial district. It's a simple pick up, kill the carrier if you have to but the priority is the package. Pick it up, bring it here, there's a truck waiting in the back of the penthouse, once you've loaded the cargo on board, come up and see me, and we'll discuss your payment. Five thousand, plus benefits, if you're interested."

"Robin, I need you to come with Alice and I, we're going to go to the water reservoir of Gotham; we'll apply the antidote to the water and cause pressure to the viaducts and shoot it out all at once to distribute the potion. It'll be like a bullet, once enough pressure is built up then it'll explode through the sewers and pipelines. We're taking the Bat-tank." Batman said blatantly, he was just happy that Slade hadn't messed with their plans on saving the city. "C'mon, let's go. Get dressed."

"Dammit, what's he been up to all this time?" Barbara murmured under her breath and looking around. She was building in a fever and her hand and leg wasn't in the best condition, she determined in her head if she could take on Slade again in her weakened state. Barbara--still in most of her Batsuit--sat up, she had rested for nearly 48 hours, and Batman was busy. She had to save Damian. Barbara thought to herself that she rested enough, and if she played it smart, she could make it out alive. Barbara stumbled out of the bed, to her surprise she was able to stand better than she thought; she limped over to the door, sneaking past Dent and Cyrah. She held her breath as she walked by. Elevator... she dropped in and hit the 5th floor. The vehicle floor. The doors slid open and she limped out, she heard footsteps and ducked behind the Batwing. Voices. Sounded like Batman and Alice. She held her breath again. Waiting for the storm to pass.

Red X waited with the Electromagnetic Field Generator in the center of the warehouse. "Huh, I though this guy would be here by now." Red X thought aloud.

Slade had just hauled his miserable carcass back tot he theater where he was sheltering Mame when he heard Throne's message in his inbox. Now, his initial instict was to call Thorne and tell him to shove it- he just got hammered by the Batmob, and was not in the mood. Mind you his robo-suit was damaged, and fixing it without arms was a pain in the ass- to say the least. But still, a simple job as a pickup would seem pathetic to not take. "Do you need it done NOW? In case you haven't looked out the window, the city is a tad difficult to manuver at the moment." Slade said in the robot's communicator as he cussed like a sailor, attempting to fix what he could on the suit, and praying no crazies found him in this state.......

"Don't worry about it, there'll be plenty to go around; we have to worry about getting it in the water reservoir first." Batman said getting in the Bat-tank, Alice got behind the batpod. "I'll meet you guys there!" She said taking a ramp and booming off. "We have to be careful, so man the stun turret on the Bat-tank. If any of the antidote spills then the city is done for." Batman said pointing to the enormous tankard that was attached to the back of the Bat-tank.

"The city is always difficult, this is Gotham after all." Thorne smirked and reached for his cigar. "If you're not up for the job I can find someone else, I simply thought that you might enjoy the... benefits, of working for one of Gotham's major arms importers." The crime lord took a long drag on his cigar, letting the smoke hold in his mouth for a moment before blowing it out past his teeth. "It may may be a time sensitive matter, but urgency is not a necessity. The delivery boy only acquired the product just recently, and though it would preferable that it be delivered before the police become involved, I should still have enough pull to delay things. Take your time, but try not keep anyone waiting." The crime lord chuckled lightly at the paradoxical statement, and quietly hung up the phone. Deathstroke wasn't in a good mood that much was clear, he almost felt bad for sending a ticked assassin on a pick up job, but even if Red X managed to take the legendary hit-man Thorne was confident he'd still get his device.

Slade hated it when othe rpeople were right. "Only THIS time it's friggin' CLOWN ZOMBIES, not cops." He gargled as he prepared the suit. he needed Thorne's jobs to get his job back up to par- six years of being dead were awful for your career. "I'll get the item by the end of the night. But zombies and promise some time constraints, don't hold that breath." He said, hanging up and forcing the exhausted robotic body to rise as he clambored inside. He gave a quick peek at Mame- he owed his comeback to her. Maybe he'd give her Batman's head a sa present when she woke up. Slade returned to the hellish fray that was the Gotham night......

Zero Thought he was still unconcious at first, but the sudden urge to laugh like a maniac took over quickly. He got up in a vai effort to move about, but blined and disoriented from all those blows on the head made him stagger and plow into a wall.

Batface and Sarah watched the spectacle. "So.... what do we do with 'im?" Harvey asked, only answered by a depressed shrug from Sarah. "Every time I look away, m-" Twoface boped he rhead before she ocudl continue. "You didn't shine th elight in his eyes. Don't blame yourself- if I hear any more depression outta you, I'll hang myself." He said, crossing him arm defiantly as Cyrah, still blaming herself for it all, checked on Karmy real quick.

Cassius scooped up Zero by the scruff of his jacket to keep him form hurting himself. "Dammit, I had that friggin' Slade....." he repeated with a sigh. "But first things first- what do we do with these two?" He said, pointing to John and shaking Zero for emphasis.

11/13/31
3:20 am
Windy and cold.

"Wintergreen!" Batman called out. Several seconds passed by before he remembered that Wintergreen was also a crazy. "Ugh, on second thought wait here Robin." Batman said walking to the tankard that carried the gallons of the antidote. He carried several syringes and filled them to the top. Batman walked past the Batwing and into the elevator going to the first floor where Zero, John, and Wintergreen were held with Cassius, Batface, and Cyrah. "Inject this antidote to the victims, I'm going to go to Gotham's main reservoir to stop this madness. Stay here, if you're in the streets you'll get hit with the antidote that has a sleeping agent in it." He warned. He turned to walk back to the elevator passing the clinic again. "Wait..." He looked closer. He opened the door and searched around and walked back out frantically. "Where's Barbara?" He asked.

Batgirl slipped past Robin who was waiting in the Bat-Tank, listening to her iPod. She leaned on a door of a vehicle and pressed her finger on a pad. The vehicle rebotically asked for voice recognition and password. "Subspace." Batgirl said, and the door swung open to the Batmobile. She looked at the hand Karmy bit into. "F*ck.." She coughed looking at the hand wrapped in gauze. No way she could drive with one hand, thank God for technology. She typed in the address Roxie gave her and punched in autopilot.

Suddenly, just as soon as it had appeared, the strange power that was gripping Robert, was gone. His head shot up with a gasp and he looked around the location, hoping that Knightmare was gone. Fortunately, he saw her collapse not too far away, Luis had hit her across the face with the butt of the shotgun. "Whoa..." he placed a hand on his head and helped Bard up. "The second time is the worse." he picked up his pack of guns and shouldered it. "Come on, we gotta get back to the bus!!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!?" Levis shouted. Bad move. And eerie silence filled the bus, and no movement could be seen from outside. Levis, crouched next to Alaska, stayed as still as he could. The silence was deafening! He could feel his heart beating against his ribcage, the beats resounding in his head. He half expected for the music from Jaws to start playing. Sweat rolled down his face, but he was hesitant to reach up and wipe it off.

Karmy is knocked out in the med bay, in stable-ish condition.

Deep down in the viaducts, the Joker was humming loudly as he worked.

"You don't need to tell me twice!" Jason said packing up and running to the elevator. "You don't need to tell me once!" Luis said making a mad dash for their goal.

Alaska ducked behind some cover in the bus and popped her head behind the seat. She aimed the gun down her sights and looked past the door. The Bus had turned into a shooting range.

Red X tapped his foot and finally decided to sit down. He was getting tired of running around and such, he wanted to be well rested when the buyer comes to pick up the hunk of metal. He rested his back against the cold metal surface of the generator.

Alice had turned the lights on to the bat-pod, it blinded The Joker. "I've been waiting for you. How did you figure out our plan?" Alice asked arming the bat-pod's weapons.

Levis gulped loudly and slowly started approach the door. He peaked his head around the corner, the gun still clutched tight in his hand. A hand slapped against the door and Levis screamed at the top of his lungs. He leaped back and aimed his gun at the door. "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!!" Robert shouted, banging on the door. Levis seemed paralyzed as they continued to rap on the door. "Let us in, dammit!" he snapped out of it and reached over to the lever, letting them pile in.

The Joker, slightly hunched over, turned his head to look at Alice. "On the contrary, I've been waiting for you." he said. "Those who don't learn from history, are doomed to repeat it." he took out a gallon of gasoline and tossed an old, worn book to Alice. There was a picture of a clown on the front, holding three playing cards and grinning a very toothy grin. "It's a good read, might wanna check it sometime for your local library."

"Oh my god... oh god, Jesus Christ... drive this thing." Jason said, "Hey I ain't God, so don't call me Jesus Christ!" Luis yelled at Jason obviously offended. "I don't think he was calling you Jesus." Alaska said unamused.

"Then you'll know what's next, and what happens to the clown." Alice said revving the Bat-pod and zooming to her opponent. Twin harpoons fired from the sides of the Bat-pod.

Robert ignored them all and jumped in the drivers seat, shutting the door as he went. "Ok, lets blow this joint!" he flipped on the headlights. Surprisingly, there was no crazies to be seen in front of them. "Huh.." he tilted his head and started the engine. "I wonder where they all went."

"Ah.... You do not get the analogy my dear." Joker said and dove out of the way. "I was expecting a creature with more.. Batlike qualities." he stood and looked at Alice. "Well, I'm glad you showed up. I can tell when and easy target shows up."

"Yeah that is strange." Jason agreed. "Where's everyone going? Bingo?" He asked.

"Yeah?! How's this for a bat?!" Alice yelled shooting the harpoons from the Batbike and launching forward to punch The Joker in the face.

"Ah!" Knightmare took a sharp breath when she was hit, collapsing onto the floor and her weapon sliding from her grip. She was out cold.
---
"No idea where Babs is." Ivy shrugged. "I thought she was still in the medical bay..." Her voice trailed off in her confusion. Barbara wouldn't dare try anything while injured, would she?
Would she?!

"BINGO!" Levis shouted, he was looking out the back of the bus where pretty much all of the crazies had congregated. "Well... Sh*t" Robert quickly put the bus into gear, and stepped on the gas.

Joker took the punch to the face and fell on his side. He was laughing as if he just heard the funniest joke in the world. "That bat! Hahaha!! THAT BAT!!" he swept her feet out from under hear and reached into his coat. "How's THIS for a, heheheh, BAT!?" he pulled the wooden bat out and swung at Alice with all his might.

"I just came from the clinc and searched it, she's gone. I tried communicating her with com-link, she's not responding." Batman worried. "And she's in no condition to be getting up."

"Drive away! Move faster!!" Jason yelled, "They're gaining!" Alaska cried out, "Dammit! They're gonna kill the black guy first!" Luis moaned. "Shut the hell up Luis! No ones going to die!"

Wide swings are stronger swings, vise versa, careful, watch his swing; dodging is easy, notice abrupt stop of the bat to launch another swing, there has to be left over potential energy in the swing, use his momentum against him, push him, make him continue the flow even though he wants to take another swing at me. This went through Alice's head in a split second as The Joke swung his bat at Alice, she dodged him and pushed Joker to continue the swing, she was able to disarm The Joker of his blunt object rather quickly. The bat flew out and rolled over the edge of the enormous viaduct, and into the water. Still having left over momentum, she spin hook kicked The Joker. Alice two, Joker zero, she though jumping back into fighting stance, keeping on her toes. He fingers tickled her utility belt, trying to determine what she could use next.

"I'm going, I'm going!!" Robert drove through the mall, he was gripping the wheel so tight, that his knuckles were white. He headed for the front doors of the mall and burst through.

Joker continued to laugh, rolling around on the floor where he had fallen. "You- you- you just don't get it do you?" he talked through his laughs. "You come down here, with your Bat memorabilia" he was talking about Alice's belt and the Batbike, "And say you're one of them. But, everyone knows what you used to be. How your skills were sharpened to a fine point." he looked up at Alice, his eye's filled with insanity and the horrific grin on his face. He was taunting her, "The shadow of Slade is still within you."

Alice eyes dilated and quickly snapped a punch at Joker's face. "How the hell do you know about Slade?!" Alice demanded pulling out a two pronged taser and charging it. "Tell me! Now! How do you know so much?!"

Joker didn't even bother to fight back. "How else? Like I said, everyone knows that Slade likes to have apprentice's. Why? Don't know, don't care. What man does in is spare time is his on deal." the wiped the blood away from his mouth, the white paint still managed not to smear. "But really... After new's got around that you killed that old army man, Gamey or Frankie or whatever his name was, it was rare NOT to have heard of you." he grinned, still toying with her.

Old army guy? Was he talking about Jamie? "Hah, well if that's so famous you've heard wrong, I never killed Jamie. He died in an explosion in 2025, I met him two years earlier than that." Alice said stepping back a bit, her fingers dancing around her knife. "You're wearing make-up? The original Joker didn't wear make-up."