The Darkest of Knights

Cassius squinted at the chip like it had just insulted him. "This is the Phoenix symbol." He growled, before angrily grnding the chip to powder in his clutch. "It means you were once a ward of those sick Phoenix bastards....." He said, a tense look on his face. Phoenix had been a constant scource of pain, and now he knew they had hurt Karmy......

"Whoa wait. Phoenix? Those people that everyone's been talking about?" Karmy may have not been paying attention, but she had caught a few random phrases and she knew they were bad news. But... To have been with them for 8 years. "How..?" she slumped down on a stool. "How did you know?"

"I recognized the symbol. God only knows I've seen it my fair share of times in my life....... They took Sarah and Matt, killed my wife, were chasing down that couple a few years ago......" He said, pulling up one of Ernie's unbroken barstools as the squat bartender began to freak at the state of his bar. "Phoenix..... god, why them....." He grunted in his apparent frustration.

11/15/31
5:30 pm
Cloudy

Batman used Lex's leaning to his advantage, he grabbed his shirt and pulled him over the desk and threw him against his doors. "Shut up. You don't think we've dealt with security already? We shut off your security power grid so we can have all the time to chat." Batman spat. "Now, what's your affiliation with The Earthquake Generator, STEAM, and Phoenix."

"They killed my parents.. And my biological father was one of the agents that worked there. I really didn't know that until 6 years ago when he tried to kill me. He was also the one to first kill Casey.." Karmy whimpered slightly and rested her head on the bar, looking at Cassius. "I don't know what happened with him and my mom.. I can't really remember anything from before we were taken. I was too young. "

"I'm sorry to hear about that." Crimson said in a sympathetic tone as he patted Karmy on the back a few times. " Bu-" Crimson stopped dead with a transfixed glare at the chip.

Then a flashback image played through his head. it was a picture of the mine fragments that Nano stepped on. Crimson recalled saying he saw the exact same symbol on the mine that was on the chip. "So those ....bastards are the reason My brother was put in those cybernetics." Crimson said, his voice shaking with anger. Crimson was squeezing his soda bottle so hard that it started to make cracking noises. "I swear if they are involved with that earthquake weapon....."

[erm, Cass squashed the chip]

"Little kid being taken away...... just wrong." Cassius mumbled. He recalled that one time he helped his cousin and her family escape from Phoenix. They had been a constant scource of pain in his familiy. "They even tormented my cousin Leiah and her family.... Phoenix, those assholes....." he grumbled as he took one of Crimson's drinks despite his indignant looks.

"Cause we need to shop for your dad." Barbara said still being dragged. "It was his Birthday several days ago." Alice explained to Nicole.

Luthor got back up like nothing happened. "My dear Batman, if you think that with the likes of Superman I've got such a simple security system, you are mistaken. And I assure you, I do not know WHAT you are talking about." He said, his face solid as Iron. He had been interrogated before, he could play the game with Batman if he wanted games.

Batman grabbed Lex again, kneeing his gut and throwing him back to the desk, he was getting up when Batman punched the back of his head as hard as he could, then flipping him over and took Lex's stapler and punching in three staples into his chest. "Act like you don't know what I'm talking about and staples will be the least painful act tonight. You're the richest man in Metropolis, for such a high scale project slipping under you is very unlikely. Let's start Phoenix."

"Its okay kiddo, we all forgot it was his birthday. I think he even forgot it was his birthday." Barbara smiled, "At the time I had my hand bitten till my bones broke and he was trying to find an antidote for the city because The Joker had destroyed half the city in one night." Barbara chuckled now walking around the city looking through the windows.

"Wait..." Karmy suddenly perked up and looked at Cassius. "My moms name.." she closed her eyes for a moment in thought. "My mom's name.. Her name was Leah. My dad's name was.. Richard." she opened her eye's. "Leah and Richard Anderson."

"Wait..." Karmy suddenly perked up and looked at Cassius. "My moms name.." she closed her eyes for a moment in thought. "My mom's name.. Her name was Leah. My dad's name was.. Richard." she opened her eye's. "Leah and Richard Anderson."

"Hold up." Cassius said, acheiving a total mental epiphany. "You mean to tell me Leah and Richard Anderson are YOUR parents?" Cassius asked, suddenly very suprised. The thought of having been with his cousin's kid these last 2 years was...... well, it was big.

Lex peeled himself up off the ground and got to his feet. He was about to continue to deny himself, but Superman hoisted him off the gorund by the scruff of his shirt. "Think before you talk- I'm not sure if my buddy here will like any more fibs." Superman said cautiously to Lex. Lex luthor crosse dhis arms indignantly. "You capped weirdos think you run the joint- fine, I'll talk." He said. He really didn't have much love for people in capes, powers or not. Superman plopped Lex to the ground. "Yes, Phoenix is building that abomination in my city. I assure you, it's not because I WANT them to. I was going to build my crown jewel on that site, the Solar Tower [I had to throw it SOME meat.], then those freaks come to my door. I would ahve chased them off, but they had government permission to use the land- not a thing I could have done. I would have sent Metallo to run them out of town, but I haven't been able to find the bastard for WEEKS." Lex grumbled, finishing his explanation. "My name is on half of this city- I can only loose with them here."

"The United States Federal Government is involved. Not surprising seeing how Huxtable is in the seat." Batman thought. "And what of STEAM? Are they just the company that's been assigned this project?" He continued to interrogate.

"Whoa whoa wait.." Karmy stood up from her stool and looked at Cassius. "Yes, those were my parents. What are... What are you getting at..?" she asked, her heart was beating a mile a minute. Was Cassius...

Lex snorted. "How should I know, I don't give a damn about S.T.E.A.M." Lex snorted, like a kid that was told to shut off the TV because he ha dbeen watching it for too long. "Are we QUITE done here?" he asked grumpily.

For a moment, the world had come to a complete screeching halt for Cassius. Could it be, just possibly be..... "You're s*itin' me....." was all he could honestly say.

"If you know nothing about the operation or the specs we are." Batman said crossing his arms. "And your security should come back on by the time we leave." He assured him, though he hesitated to.

In the time that Batman had spent to interrogate Lex, Barbara and Alice were able to find gifts for both Karmy and Dick. Damian found a good pair of pants that fit him nicely, so Alice couldn't refuse but to pay for it. "Wow, that's a nice camera." Barbara said looking at the box. "This is for Karmy?" She asked, "Yeah, we were talking about it. I think we should hide the gifts till we're all done with this fiasco." Alice suggested. "Yeah. Assuming we get out alive." Barbara said pessimistically. "Yeah. If."

"So.. You're my.. Cousin?" Karmy stared agape at Cassius, completely blown away. Time seemed to move very slowly for the next couple mintues. "Dude... Duuuuddee..." she could only stare at Cass. "DUDE!" she spazed out. "I KNEW there was a connection when you first threw me into that wall 2 years ago!" she shouted.

Casisus patted his cousin on her head. "Of course. Nothing says 'family' like beating each other up." He said, getting up and standing next to Karmy. Whadaya' say, let's have some QUALITY family time right now- 'cuz?" He said, blasting Ernie's TV set, much to the dismay of its owner.

Slade strode down the dark corners of the twisted evil machine. He had pledged his aleigiance to far more evil things defore, this was zilch by comparison. He had repaired his combat armor and recovered his toys by now, so he was ready to attack at a moment's notice. He strode up to Ra's Al Ghul, whom was making himself quite at home in the machine. "How much longer?" he asked simply. "Not long, not long. I expect them to be arriving any time now." Ra's answered, still flanked by his two body gaurds. "Better be right- I've been looking forward to this for a long time." Slade said. For six years he had wanted to pick up where he left off, making life hell for those damn titans. No, there weren't just titans anymore- they were Batman, the midnight Riders, the Roper clan, his own daughter, even Superman was in on this one.

Slade could hardly wait for the games to begin.

Zero had been stuck to Ivy's side the whole time, not inclined to go anywhere without her any time soon.

Rose and Sarah are off in town causing lord only knows what trouble.

"I wouldn't have it any other way!" Karmy grinned broadly and pulled out various can's of spray paint. Even though she now knew that Cassius was her cousin, she would always think of him as more of a father. That could really never change, especially after everything he had done for her. Her laugh was joyful as she graffitied Ernie's bar to no end.

"So what do we do after this? Go after the government?" Batman asked sarcastically to Superman sitting atop a building adjacent from Lex's building, Superman hovering next to him. "At any rate I should set off the beacon." Batman took out a small device and tossed it seemlessly into the city. All of the hero's communicators would go off.

Karmy was standing atop the bar, spray painting Michelangelo ceiling of the Sistine chapel, edited a little to look like Batman and Superman, when suddenly the communicator on her belt went off and she freaked. "Holy crap!" she fell off the counter and faceplanted. "ouch.." she rubbed her head and pulled out the communicator. "Hey Cass, should we go?"

Superman crossed his arms and pondered for a moment. "This is dangerous territory we're going into- if the government is involved up to a level that not even former president Lex Luthor can't chase them off of his own turf, then there's something seriously wrong." Superman said. He had known about the corruption int he government, but unless he could get something solid, he couldn't bring it to light. Then there was the issue of having his own city to attend to and watch over, which left Superman limited in his options. "First things first, we need to get that abomination out of the city." Superman said, refering to the EQ machine- and the evil that assuredly lurked within.

Batface is still doin' his job in Gotham- both of 'em.

Cassius was busy destroying the bar with Karmy, so he almost missed his comm going off. He yoinked karmy out of the bar. "C'mon, we've got places to go and things to blow up." he said.

Cyrah and Rose had just finished pushing kentuckians down the stairs when Cy's comm went off and she too took off with Rose.

"Yeah. This Earthquake Generator. Looks like we're going in right now." Batman said noting all the Super Heroes converging at their location. "Let's get this over with." Batman said standing up.