The Darkest of Knights

"Nicole you know I didn't... Right?" Dick asked in a serious tone. "You know that Nicole. Dick won't ever hurt you. He loves you." Barbara said. "Yeah, and if he even tries to touch you I'll beat him to a bloody pulp." Damian said throwing his arm over Nicole.

"Aw crap, I over thought something." Dick mused laying back. "They have the ability if they get a hold of her they could plant an idea in her mind. To make her think that I actually did molest her. Then they can throw on my escapade as Batman onto the charges in my trial on court." Dick began to worry, but he didn't show it. There was no use freaking out if you can think calmly. "Wait, plant an idea in her mind? With what?" Alice asked. "They have these dream machines developed for the use of the army to train so they could stab and shoot each other without getting hurt." Dick explained. "And these dream worlds have been in use for a while. The Mad Hatter has been known to be tampering with them." Barbara added. " Bruce told me story of his encounter with one. He woke up with his parents alive, he wasn't Batman, and he was getting married to Selina Kyle." She explained. "Yeah those dream machines are powerful. And if they go deep enough into your subconsious they could plant an idea in your mind that will make you think its reality." Dick said starring at the screen. "Don't they have a word for that?" Alice asked looking at Nicole. She thought it would be easy if all the had to do was protect Nicole. "Yeah," Dick said, "its called Inception."

"That sounds like indigestion." Karmy said, scooting away from the Bats so they could have their moment and plopped down between her own family. "That guy looks like a total douche." she pointed to Godfrey as she leaned her head on Cassius. "With that blond hair combed like that, it just screams 'douche-bag'. Blonds are so st-" she remembered Alice was blond. "Nevermind."

"Hello, I am the Glorious Gordon Godfrey." The television man smile as the door was opened, and began his prepared introduction, it'd been written to assume she didn't know the show, but if she did than things would just be that much easier. "And you're on Glorious TV. I'm here because the studio has uncovered the truth, about your niece Nicole's adopted home. Can we come in? Have you seen the show before?" Godfrey already had his foot in the door, and now had the magical wand of the television microphone poised beneath the brunette woman's chin. People acted different when you put them on television, it was what basically made Gordon's career.

Alice briefly glared at Karmy with an unamused face and turned back to discuss the current events and how to deal with them. She wasn't mad at Karmy, she knew that she was only referring to Godfrey, but was careless to generalize him.

"Guh, this sick f***ing f***nut." Cyrah steamed. "Brainwashing? Turning people agaisnt each other? Disgusting." Cyrah continued. brainwashing? making people dishonest, hollow shells of themselves? Using an innocent girl in some twisted scheme? It shot Cyrah right dead in the heart to hear all of this- it reminder of what happened to her- when the charger brutalized her, brainwashed her, and used her for his own sick scheme....

Meanwhile, One Harvey Dent was calling Dick Greyson again.

"I don't know Nicole," Dick said picking up his phone, yet putting Harvey on hold, "maybe these bad men want to put a bad name on The Batman.. Dent, I was hoping you'd call." Dick answered his phone. "We have a big issue going on..."

"You got that right Cyssy!" Karmy stated. She was also too familiar with brainwashing and manipulation, and she shuttered when memories from the past flooded her head. Shaking it off, she turned back to everyone else to see what was going to happen.

"Thank you." Gordon smiled kindly to the relatively young brunette, before turning back to his camera. "We'll be back with May's reaction to our shocking discovery, after these messages." Godfrey smiled into the camera, and waited for the man behind it to signal, before putting down his mic and stepping aside for his crew to walk in past him. "So you're a fan of the show?" He smiled, she was cute for an aunt and one of his fans. He could definitely work with her. "Well you've got nothing to be worried about, we'll take care of everything."

"You bet we do- what the HELL is going on!?" Dent freaked. "First I see your plane go down like a flaming stool, and now they're slandering you all over the news as some kind of kiddie- fiddler!!" Dent asked, still freaking out, but he meant well.

Cyrah crossed her arms furiously. "That's it, warrant or not, I've got a mind to go down and cramn this guy's head up his ass." Cyrahs aid. Sad fact was, she really planned to do it.....

"Dude!" Karmy jumped up. "I say we go teach that douche about what real molestation is!" she hissed. "however wrong that sounded... C'mon Cys!"

"Hold on Dent... Take out your coin. Heads: we freak out. Tails: we calm down and figure something out. I can go for either way but we're going to have to figure something out eventually." Dick said lowing his voice. Barbara held onto Dick tighter hoping he didn't flip heads. Damian rubbed Nicole's shoulder's, "You okay?" He asked his new girlfriend with concern. Or at least he considered her his girlfriend.

"Yeah yeah fine...." Dent said. He had tried to wean himself off the coin, but he still found comfort in flipping it. It didn't take much imagination to figure out the results. "Ok ok, fine. What are we going to do? It's not like you can march out and defend yourself to the public- moment you do the cops will be up your ass." Dent cautioned.

"Oh yes, lets, big- sister- cousin- type- deal." Cyrah said, getting up and giving Karmy the 'after you' arm gesture.

"Alrighty," Karmy walked up to the TV and examined the picture. "lemme just make sure I got the visual right, don't wanna land on the old lady. Just the blond asshole and the camera guys."

"You tell me former district attorney. I was thinking about getting a real reporter to showcase my story. Jack Ryder came to mind, but again, I'm not sure if talking to anyone was such a good idea to begin with. I'm definitely not going out so soon, but there might be a chance the cops will start knocking on my door when I get prosecuted. I have to clear my name somehow... And chances are they're going to add Batman onto any charge they bring in molestation." Dick said wiping his eyes leaning back, and submerging himself in Barbara's grasp. She was probably more scared than he was.

Dent was in deep thought- this was a very precarious situation they were in- the slightest mis-step could end in disaster. "Even if you did get someone to defend you, odds are Godfrey sin't doing this on a whim- someone, somewhere WANTS this to happen. I recomend finding his employer and his motives before you start bonking heads so you know just what- and who- you're REALLY up against." Dent suggested. "I, of course, plan to help also." He said, eyeing the shelf where the Batface suit was safeley stashed....

"I had that in mind... Well if you're going to go out on a limb, I'm coming with you." Dick said standing up to find his batsuit. "You sure you want to go out on patrol in broad daylight though?" He asked.

"I don't think so." Alice said grabbing Karmy and pulling her from the screen. "You'll blow our cover again and we'll all end up in jail. Again."

"I ain't afraid of no jail. Besides, are we just going to take it? He's using an innocent girl for his sick little plan- this is PERSONAL, Alice." Cyrah said to Alice angrily- this was one thing Cyrah felt pasionateley about, and she didn't plan on letting this guy get away with it. But Alice had a point- just plopping in might not be a grand Idea. They needed something else.....

"In these times, we can't hold to all our old beleifs." Dent told Greyson. "In life, sometimes we have to compromise our ideals in order to keep them." [I'm using this one in the future] Dent furthered. He knew Greyson felt strongly about keeping to Bruce's teachings and traditions, such as nights only, but in order to keep everyone safe and his family intact, he would have to oversee some of those rules- robbing Peter to pay up to Paul, if you will.

"Cut his junk off, got it." Karmy said, pulling out a switch blade while still in Alice's grip.

"Okay think about your actions for one second! Will it feel good in the short term? Of course. But in the long term you'll put a bad name on heroes! Don't go!" Alice said throwing Karmy slightly off balance to show she was serious.

Dick had to think for a moment. Hell they all already knew who he was, what more can they do? "Fine. I'll meet you between Kane and Robinson." Dick said closing the phone. "Dick I'm coming." Barbara said following Dick out to the Batbunker. "What? Its dangerous as it is!" Dick said opening up the entrance and stepping in. "Right, but this is not just for you and Dent. Its for all of us. When we fall, We will Fall Together." Barbara reminded him. "Alright alright. Hurry up." He agreed. They both got dressed and headed out to meet Batface...

Karmy luckily managed to catch herself from toppling over and impaling herself on the knife. "Well what are we supposed to do Al?" she asked, putting the knife away. "We all trust and know that Dick is innocent." she crossed her arms. "For all we know, the police could be heading here right now."

The batface was standing atop the building when he noticed Batman and Batgirl approaching. "Right on time." He said in his raspy voice, his red and black cape fluttering in the cold November wind. "Let's get to the chase- we need to first find out just what Godfrey's purpose in doing this is. Any speculations?" Dent said, getting right down to business.

"Well obviously its to attack Batman as a symbol. Not Dick Grayson in any means. I don't think Godfrey is behind anything this big. Whoever he is he must have connections, and the spectrum for who the culprit is very wide. I was able to narrow it down to several names though. Black Mask, Rupert Thorne, and The Penguin come to mind, though he served some time in Arkham recently before the break so I doubt he's behind that." Batman informed. "We could split the search. I recently broke into Thorne's penthouse and obtained some information. Black Mask on the other hand... Well I haven't heard of him in a while since maybe two months ago."

Dent furrowed his brow in deep concentration. "I doubt the mask would eb this indirect- if he knew who you were, I doubt he wouldn't hesitate to just get a mob together and go after you. And I doubt Penguin would do something of this nature. Which elaves Thorne....." Twoface traile doff. he activeley despised Thorne, and lying up a story this seemed right up his alley.....

(Which series are we following? Batman The Animated Series? That depends cause in it he was the one responsible for the whole Two-Face Incident in the first place...)

"I understand your vendetta with Thorne, but seeing how things are leading to Thorne more and more I want to make sure you have control over your emotions if or when we deal with him." Batman said crossing his arms. "At the event we deal with him we have to ask the right questions. I doubt we'll be able to stop him, but at least we'll have to clear Dick's name." Batgirl added. "He can't .. No one can do this to us and get away with it!"

(Which series are we following? Batman The Animated Series? That depends cause in it he was the one responsible for the whole Two-Face Incident in the first place...)

"I understand your vendetta with Thorne, but seeing how things are leading to Thorne more and more I want to make sure you have control over your emotions if or when we deal with him." Batman said crossing his arms. "At the event we deal with him we have to ask the right questions. I doubt we'll be able to stop him, but at least we'll have to clear Dick's name." Batgirl added. "He can't .. No one can do this to us and get away with it!"