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[Byrd Man]

"Bodyguard?" I repeat hesitantly. I'd still be working for the police department. Hiding in plain sight. If Gordon catches wind of it - or even suspects anything - I'm as good as dead. I should be getting as far away from Gotham as possible. To do anything else would be reckless.

But right now, I'm feeling pretty reckless.

"What about you?" I ask. I keep forgetting that Nygma's cover was blown, too. "What are you going to do?"

Smiling, tugging on my tie.

"Me? Well, my dear, I'm afraid I'm up **** creek without a paddle. Nothing I can do, really. That's why everything hinges on this Holiday case. If it swings the way I think it will, then I'll have Maroni and Gordon off my tail for quite sometime. Kinda hard to kill a guy from behind prison bars, yeah?"

Tires screech outside. Crime Doctor muttering in Albanian.

"Qij! Policeman here!"

Turn to Selina.

"I don't know if you're able to, but we have to get out of here now!"

 

[Saved]

Red Hood ​

One Month Later...​

Jason walks through the main hallway of his upper class apartment located at the center of Gotham's City Hall district. For a psychologist working on a less than desireable salary, his ability to afford the coveted penthouse is often questioned. Even Harley has pondered the source of Jason's wealth that allows him to pay the monthly rent. When asked, Jason often laughs it off; explaining even he is surprised when the paychecks just barely meet the cost. But there is much behind his sketchy laugh than what he leads on; a dark reality behind this man's lies. The truth for him is like a pit that he has filled to the brim with his secrets, buried beneath the many fallacies and lies he has told.​

Jason walks forward, heading toward the back room of his home. In his hand he holds a newspaper clipping from the Gotham Globe grasped tightly between his fingers. This is the first time in weeks he has been able to return to his dwelling without having to hastily leave in another frenzied rush. Between his job, his hobby, and his own personal investigation, he's had barely a night's sleep - fueling himself only by coffee and driven ambition. He is tired, weary, and shaky; but his body continues on - and Jason refuses to rest until his work is through.​

As Jason steps into the back room, he stares aimlessly at the three walls before him covered in newspaper articles, pictures, and maps. "Mhh..." he muses, a smile coming across his face. "My evidence room." As Jason begins to look over the many pieces of paper tacked across the walls, he begins to talk to himself; verbalizing the jumbled thoughts bouncing about in his head.​

"Batgirl sightings in Aparo Park... Crime bust in the narrows. Masked female spotted leaving the scene of armed robbery on 1939 Finger Street." Jason rubs his chin, fixing his eyes on the collected knowledge spread out before him. "Yes, she's been busy... but Gotham is a big city, and the sightings seem to localize around a central point - Gotham Heights. Interesting..."​

"I've watched her in action... analyzed her movements and style. True, I haven't watched her as close as I'd like, but from what I've seen she's street level - working her patrols on foot. Without vehicles, I'd say she stays close to home - making this central point the majority of ''Batgirl'' sightings have occurred around a possible home base. Interesting that it would be in Gotham's district with the largest population of middle class families..." ​

Jason turns to the side, looking now toward a wall littered with snapshots of Batgirl. "So what do we know about you," he asks one of the photos. "Female. Five - two, possibly five - three. Thin build. Red Hair, green eyes. Access to Gotham Police equipment, in some facet. Fighting style - combination of freestyle and kenpo - but, I've studied cops for years. I'd know their hand to hand fighting style anywhere, which means an officer taught you how to fight. Heh. Now we're getting somewhere."​

"But, all of the obvious observations aside... the most important detail is still unknown; why? What drives you? What is your cause? I've rarely seen someone engage in strange activity without a purpose, which means you're just like everyone else - something drives you. Taking from personal experience, tragedy is what drives my mission against crime. And, thanks to Bruce, I know I'm not a random sample - clearly, the death of a loved one is the motivation necessary to engage in vigilantism." Jason looks to a list of names held on the wall by a thick nail. He rereads the names in his read, recalling the biographies he compiled on each of the persons listed.​

"Knowing what I know, I made a list of possible suspects who fit your physical description. It wasn't easy - four hundred some people - a hefty total. But after I began matching these names against the other facts I've compiled, the list suddenly began to grow smaller...and smaller.
Gotham Heights resident - one hundred fifteen.
Access to Police equipment - ninety nine.
Police Training - twenty five."​

"Age..." he says, taking a brief pause. "Yes, this was the biggest speculation of all... but all the names left on that list were of twenty-eight or older women - all of which are members, or were members, of Gotham's P.D. ... well, all of them... except one." He grins, nodding his head up and down as he thinks it over once more in his head.
"How odd that one name on that list wasn't part of the norm. I thought I should look into it, could be nothing, but it could be worth my time. Ha ha, and it was. Finally, I found someone who's psychological profile met the one I had formed for you. Fourteen weeks ago, you were kidnapped and held hostage by one of Gotham's most dangerous crime lords. Upon your rescue, the police reports get sketchy - obscured by classified documentation and 'lost' files. Then, roughly a week later, the same crime lord murders your brother - killing him in cold blood. OH, well look at that," Jason says, his eyes narrowing, his face becoming tight. "Your motive. The thing that haunts you at night - the drive that burns deep inside your heart. You want vengeance, retribution for the pain crime has caused you and your family. Perhaps you have a sense of guilt for your brother - a need to make amends for not being there, regardless of whether or not you could have stopped it. Yes... yes, I know who you are, Batgirl."​

As Jason begins to snicker softly, he unravels the paper in his hand and walks toward the wall. Reaching out, he grabs a spare tack embedded in the drywall, and pulls it out. As he places the page against the wall, he pierces the paper with the tack - adding it to his collection of evidence.​

"Barbara Gordon, daughter of Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon. Teenager attending Gotham Heights High School. Up until last year, star athlete on the high school's gymnastics team." Jason folds his arms across his chest, a proud smirk coming over his face. "Interesting how all of the pieces suddenly fall into place, isn't it?" As Jason haughtily in his own glory, the vibration of his cellphone suddenly jerks him back into the present. Reaching into his pants, he pulls out the phone and sees an alert of a new message on the screen.​

From: Harley
Time: 11:47 PM
Jason, something's happened 2 ur
office @ Arkham. Get here, now​

"Figures," he says in an irritated voice as he slips the phone back into his pocket. "I'm not through with you, Gordon." Jason says, pointing to the photograph as he walks backward toward the door. "I'm just getting started."​

***​

 

[Byrd Man]

With that, I take off the golden tiara on my head, and in my hands it straightens into a blade. As I grab hold of the rope, I place it next to Giganta's throat.

"I don't want to take lives," I say as deliberately as possible so that even while Giganta chokes, she can understand me, "nor do I want you to die needlessly. I am going to untie you so the doctors can save you, but by doing that, I will be putting everyone in this hospital at risk. So make no mistake: if you start to grow so much as an extra inch, I will end your life here and now. Please, for everyone's sake including your own...make the right decision."

With that, I let the Lasso slacken around her, and keep the golden blade close. Now we will see if Giganta's loyalty to her mysterious employer outweighs her intelligence.

I'm in love. Seriously, like head over heels in love right now. I'm crushing on a super-strong Amazon chick as she holds a blade to the throat of a woman with the ability to grow to giant proportions. This, after we stopped the giant woman and a speedster from killing people.

Bart Allen, you are truly blessed.

 

[Eddie Brock]

Smiling, tugging on my tie.

"Me? Well, my dear, I'm afraid I'm up **** creek without a paddle. Nothing I can do, really. That's why everything hinges on this Holiday case. If it swings the way I think it will, then I'll have Maroni and Gordon off my tail for quite sometime. Kinda hard to kill a guy from behind prison bars, yeah?"

Tires screech outside. Crime Doctor muttering in Albanian.

"Qij! Policeman here!"

Turn to Selina.

"I don't know if you're able to, but we have to get out of here now!"

I nod silently. I don't have a choice. Whether I'm able to or not, if I value my new life I need to get up and run. Let's hope the Crime Doctor is any good at what she does, or my new life might end before it even begins.

I clamber out of the bed, still wearing the same clothes I was shot in. The shirt is torn and hanging loosely, but this is no time to worry about appearances. No lightheadedness upon standing up. That's a good sign.

"You lead the way," I say to Nygma urgently. "I don't know where we are."

 

[MST3K 4ever]

"We seem to be at an impasse," I say as the doctor and the Flash go at it. "So allow me to propose a third option."

With that, I take off the golden tiara on my head, and in my hands it straightens into a blade. As I grab hold of the rope, I place it next to Giganta's throat.

"I don't want to take lives," I say as deliberately as possible so that even while Giganta chokes, she can understand me, "nor do I want you to die needlessly. I am going to untie you so the doctors can save you, but by doing that, I will be putting everyone in this hospital at risk. So make no mistake: if you start to grow so much as an extra inch, I will end your life here and now. Please, for everyone's sake including your own...make the right decision."

With that, I let the Lasso slacken around her, and keep the golden blade close. Now we will see if Giganta's loyalty to her mysterious employer outweighs her intelligence.

As the Doctor charges the paddles he looks at Wonder Woman and gently moves her hand back about an inch and says, "Sorry but when she gets shocked it won't be pretty. CLEAR!"

With that the Doctor hits the paddles and Giganta's body heaves upwards and back down.

She begins to open her eyes and sees Wonder Woman and everyone working around.

She then begins to chuckle and whispers to Wonder Woman, "If you only knew. You think you've won, but this is merely a test. He has been watching the whole time and he is ready for all of you."

With that her eyes roll back in her head and her body goes limp.

The doctor checks her pulse and the machines. She yells, "WE GOT NO PULSE! NO PULSE! CLEAR!" and begins shocking her again.

If they only knew...need to thank Lex for that capsule when I get back to Metropolis."

 

[Byrd Man]

I clamber out of the bed, still wearing the same clothes I was shot in. The shirt is torn and hanging loosely, but this is no time to worry about appearances. No lightheadedness upon standing up. That's a good sign.

"You lead the way," I say to Nygma urgently. "I don't know where we are."

"Just stay there right now."

Turn to the Crime Doctor. Get my message in amid the Albanian curse words.

"Do you have a back door?"

"Back door? For you? Maybe. I go, too. Police catch me, I am bërë. Finished done. I did not survive the communists just to be caught by police. Back door will cost you."

"Why am I not surprised. You have a deal."

"Follow me."

Reach out to Selina, wrap my arm around her.

"I'll...,uhh help steady you in case you do wobble."

Follow the Crime Doctor out of the room, down the hallway and to a wall.

"I have hidden passage that leads down into Gotham sewers."

"Well...this should be lovely."

"Baah. I flee Albanian to free states and have to crawl in two miles of mud, seven months pregnant. That is hard."

"Thanks for the history lesson, now let's go."

Doctor pushes on the wall. It slides open, revealing a dark and dank corridor.

"Follow close to me. The staircase can be dangerous."

Crime Doc leads the way down into the stairwell. Selina and I follow. Wall shuts behind us, leaving us in total darkness.

 

[MST3K 4ever]

The Atom looks out from the window sill that she has been sitting on and hears the typical sounds of the city at night.

Well looks like things have slowed down I think I can finally call it a night.

She then sees a van pull up to a nearby jewlery store and three well armed men exit the vehicle and head to the side of the building.

I'll let them get inside the buidling first before I make my move

The Atom sees the men enter the building.

Time to take care of business.

The Atom floats to the Jewlery store and enters through the air vent. She sees the men begin to empty the jewlery cases into a bag. She take note of where each thug is standing. The Atom then floats out of the vent and as she does she shifts her weight and lands squarely on one of the thugs back causing him to fall forward.

She says, "The idiotic factor with the criminals in this town never ceases to amaze me. You guys must've gotten your plan of attack from the movie 'Home Alone' ".

One of the thugs charges towards her and The Atom dodges him causing him slam into a case and break it.

She says, "I hate klutzy criminals."

The last thug pulls out a gun and The Atom moves away.

She floats quickly to the gun and lands on it.

The Atom says, "Hope you have a nice fall!"

She attempts to shift her weight put is unable to cause him to fall forward.

The Atom then realizes that she can't move at all

She says, "What the !?!?"

The thug starts to smirk and pulls the gun a little closer to his face.

He says, "I really do need to thank the lab crew for this. Did you really think someone wouldn't have eventually caught onto your weight shifting on the gun-barrell trick. This is not a real gun what you saw and heard was a hologram. This is a device has a gyroscope which nullifies your weight shifting power, but it also contains a powerful magnet which has locked onto the iron in your blood stream."

Uh-Oh I'm in so much trouble!

One of the other thugs recovers and stands behind the leader. He says says, "See you when you wake up."

He sprays The Atom with chloroform quickly. The Atom begins to sway back and forth until the only thing keeping her stading upright is the magnet.

The lead thug cuts off the magnet and The Atom unconcious falls as the lead thug catches her.

He puts her in a metal box and closes it. He then pulls out a cell-phone and dials a number.

He says, "Agent Jackson to Queen Bee we got her it was easier than we thought it would be....we'll be there within the hour."

 

[Catman_prb]

Doctor pushes on the wall. It slides open, revealing a dark and dank corridor.

"Follow close to me. The staircase can be dangerous."

Crime Doc leads the way down into the stairwell. Selina and I follow. Wall shuts behind us, leaving us in total darkness.

-BAM-

The door was kicked inwards and the three men walked slowly into the house, revolvers held firmly in their hands. Gordon directed the other men with his hands, waiting in the doorway as they searched the rest of the house.

"Empty boss," Bullock shouted.

"Look like we've got some bloody dressings here," Driver reported.

"They've only just gone," Gordon said, sniffing the air.

Bullock frowned "You aren't seriously searching for them like that?"

"I can smell the *****'s foul cigarettes," Jim deadpanned "Search the place for anything suspicious. I'm thinking cellars, attics, fake walls anything,"

"Sir," the detectives said stiffly, rolling their eyes slightly.

"Think we've got some blood here," Bullock said. Gordon walked down the hallway to a blank space of wall, with the tiniest of blood specks on the floor.

"Let's do it," Gordon said, nodding. He took a step back and kicked the wall. It moved inwards slightly. Gordon grinned, moving the fake wall out of the way. Driver pulled a torch from inside his duster, flicking it on and pointing it into the gloom.

"Gotcha," he whispered "We're coming for you Nygma!" he shouted into the darkness.

 

[Byrd Man]

-BAM-

The door was kicked inwards and the three men walked slowly into the house, revolvers held firmly in their hands. Gordon directed the other men with his hands, waiting in the doorway as they searched the rest of the house.

"Empty boss," Bullock shouted.

"Look like we've got some bloody dressings here," Driver reported.

"They've only just gone," Gordon said, sniffing the air.

Bullock frowned "You aren't seriously searching for them like that?"

"I can smell the *****'s foul cigarettes," Jim deadpanned "Search the place for anything suspicious. I'm thinking cellars, attics, fake walls anything,"

"Sir," the detectives said stiffly, rolling their eyes slightly.

"Think we've got some blood here," Bullock said. Gordon walked down the hallway to a blank space of wall, with the tiniest of blood specks on the floor.

"Let's do it," Gordon said, nodding. He took a step back and kicked the wall. It moved inwards slightly. Gordon grinned, moving the fake wall out of the way. Driver pulled a torch from inside his duster, flicking it on and pointing it into the gloom.

"Gotcha," he whispered "We're coming for you Nygma!" he shouted into the darkness.

At the bottom of the stairs, Selina in my arms, Crime Doctor walking point. Other people's **** around my ankles.

More important: Gordon thinks I'm alive, not Selina. She'll be safe as long as we make it out.

"Come and get me, ***hole!"

Still holding Selina, the doctor leads us thigh deep into the ****.

 

[J'adore]

"No! Foolish woman!" Baxter growled.

Baxter slowly got up from the floor and stretched out his arm.

"I beg to differ." Maggie quickly shot at Baxter, four bullets speeding out of her gun. Baxter gently smirked as he flattened out his palm and the bullets came to a halt in mid-air.

"Maggie, duck!" Supergirl shot down from the skies above and landed right in front of Maggie, just as the bullets plunged towards them.

Baxter watched as the four bullets bounced off Supergirl's chest, as if she was made of metal. "Tickles."

Chuckling with a sinister tint, Baxter slowly walked towards Supergirl. "And so we meet again,"

"What's he talking about?" Maggie questioned, still squatted behind her car.

"I'd recognize that face anywhere. He was the one who held my family hostage, when I first discovered my...abilities,"
​

 

[Catman_prb]

At the bottom of the stairs, Selina in my arms, Crime Doctor walking point. Other people's **** around my ankles.

More important: Gordon thinks I'm alive, not Selina. She'll be safe as long as we make it out.

"Come and get me, ***hole!"

Still holding Selina, the doctor leads us thigh deep into the ****.

"This if ****ing disgusting," Driver muttered as they waded through the human sewage.

"Try and breathe through your mouth," Bullock suggested "This is nothing compared to that serial killer who kept dumping girls in the sewers. I spent best part of a day hunting him through this ****ing maze,"

"Do you girls want to shut the **** up?" Gordon snarled, shining his torch around the corner. There he was.

"Well if it isn't the Emerald Detective himself," the comissioner said, grinning "How's it going Eddie?"

 

[Byrd Man]

Gordon and co. getting closer. Not much time left. Let go of Selina

"You two go ahead, I'll stall for time."

Concern in Selina's eyes. Our eyes locking. Purple on green once again.

"I'll be fine, go."

Squeeze Selina's hand.

"I love you."

Before Selina can respond, Crime Doc tugs at her sleeve. "Let's go."
​

"This if ****ing disgusting," Driver muttered as they waded through the human sewage.

"Try and breathe through your mouth," Bullock suggested "This is nothing compared to that serial killer who kept dumping girls in the sewers. I spent best part of a day hunting him through this ****ing maze,"

"Do you girls want to shut the **** up?" Gordon snarled, shining his torch around the corner. There he was.

"Well if it isn't the Emerald Detective himself," the comissioner said, grinning "How's it going Eddie?"

Leaning against the wall.

"How's it going, fellas?"

Driver: "What the **** are you doing down here, Nygma?"

"Can't a guy take a stroll in some **** without raising questions. What are you doing down here?"

Bullock: "You know good well what we're doing."

"Ahh, you must be searching for a piece of **** that ya'll share an IQ level with."

Lock eyes with Gordon, smiling.

"Commissioner."

 

[Catman_prb]

Leaning against the wall.

"How's it going, fellas?"

Driver: "What the **** are you doing down here, Nygma?"

"Can't a guy take a stroll in some **** without raising questions. What are you doing down here?"

Bullock: "You know good well what we're doing."

"Ahh, you must be searching for a piece of **** that ya'll share an IQ level with."

Lock eyes with Gordon, smiling.

"Commissioner."

"You've been hanging with the wrong crowd Edward. Seeing Bats, and ****es and PIs. I'll be honest, it was just a matter of time until Sal Maroni found out you were screwing his girl," Gordon said, his face even.

"Especially if someone gave him the pictures of it," Driver said smugly.

"Shut up Marcus," Gordon said without breaking stride "You've impressed me Edward. I am not a stupid man, I recognise talent when I see it. You've got focus, you're resourceful, you're willing to do what it takes. So I'm offering you one last chance. Join my team. My real team. You drop the case you're compiling against me, and you get a real salary, real respect and the chance to take on the real crimes without any hinderance. I leave all your accomplices alone, and I can get Maroni off your back. No repercussions,"

Driver and Bullock exchanged an exhasperated look.

"This is your last chance, Edward, I suggest you think before you decline,"

 

[Byrd Man]

"You've been hanging with the wrong crowd Edward. Seeing Bats, and ****es and PIs. I'll be honest, it was just a matter of time until Sal Maroni found out you were screwing his girl," Gordon said, his face even.

"Especially if someone gave him the pictures of it," Driver said smugly.

"Shut up Marcus," Gordon said without breaking stride "You've impressed me Edward. I am not a stupid man, I recognise talent when I see it. You've got focus, you're resourceful, you're willing to do what it takes. So I'm offering you one last chance. Join my team. My real team. You drop the case you're compiling against me, and you get a real salary, real respect and the chance to take on the real crimes without any hinderance. I leave all your accomplices alone, and I can get Maroni off your back. No repercussions,"

Driver and Bullock exchanged an exhasperated look.

"This is your last chance, Edward, I suggest you think before you decline,"

Gordon's feeling the heat. I got him spooked, scared ****less. Throwing me a curveball, offering me a chance. 3/1 odds says its bull****. But you can't bull**** a bull*****er

"I want some time to think on it. More importantly, give me a chance to bring the Holiday case in. I want to solve it, I need to solve it. You give me that chance, and I swear on my mother's grave that I'll go back to being a good little boy and playing Jim Gordon's rules. You promise me a chance to bring Holiday in, and we have a deal."

 

[Eddie Brock]

SELINA KYLE

The Crime Doctor holds onto my arm tightly, pulling us through the muck and the sewage. I'm not even thinking about how nasty this is or how much it stinks. I'm looking back at the darkness, listening to the echoes of Nygma and Gordon talking. "Your boyfriend crazy," the Crime Doctor remarks.

"What? Oh, he's not my..." I trail off. It doesn't matter. For all I know, Gordon's going to kill him. This is why you don't get emotionally involved in our line of work. But what can I say? Nygma met me at a very vulnerable time in my life. A weak time in my life. I've learned from my mistakes. "Where are we going, anyway?"

"We? Not we." The Crime Doctor quickly glances at me before looking back ahead. "I go to safehouse, stay with cousin. You? You take care of self." She stops suddenly, and I nearly stumble into the river of feces. She examines my shoulder. "Your wound has healed nicely. You will be fine. Come."

After turning another corner, I see light from above. Looking up, I see a dislodged manhole cover. The Crime Doctor lets go of my arm and begins climbing up the ladder. I follow closely behind. We pop out in the middle of a dark Gotham street, illuminated only by dim streetlamps.

"This is where I leave," the Crime Doctor explains. "You might want to ice shoulder once you get to safety." And without another word, she dashes off into the Gotham night - moving surprisingly fast for someone of her size and stature.

There's a crash, and I spin around suddenly. Two glowing eyes stare at me from the darkness.

After staring at me for a moment, the cat scurries down a dark alley. It's just a stray. And so am I, I guess.
​

 

[Byrd Man]

Oa



"This is it, " Kilowog says from the stage overlooking what's left of the Green Lantern Corps. I stand off to the side of Kilowog, next to the other Honor Lanterns.

"Everyone knows what their job is. The ones under Sinestro's command will follow him, the rest of you follow either me or Honor Lanterns Salaak, Larfleeze, and Atrocitus. Everybody knows the stakes, everyone knows what's riding on this. Our light is looking to be extinguished from the galaxy, right now is our darkest hour. The battle for Sector 666 and the entire galaxy is about to begin. So, let us prepare for the battle and never forget the sacrifices made and the sacrifices that will be made. For if the Green Lantern Corps lasts for another thousand years, Lanterns will look back and say that our darkest hour was indeed our finest hour."

Kilowog turns towards the gigantic energy battery, his ring held high.

"Light 'em up!"

The thousands of lanterns join in, chanting the oath with their rings raised.

"In brightest day,
in blackest night,
no evil shall escape our sight
let those who worship evil's might,
beware our power,
Green Lantern's light!"

Green energy crackles out the battery, fully charging the rings of the thousands of Green Lanterns.

"Move 'em out!"

The entire GLC blasts off into the air, leaving a trail of emerald energy in its wake as they break out of Oa's atmosphere and disappear into the reaches of space.
​

 

[Andy C.]

As the Doctor charges the paddles he looks at Wonder Woman and gently moves her hand back about an inch and says, "Sorry but when she gets shocked it won't be pretty. CLEAR!"

With that the Doctor hits the paddles and Giganta's body heaves upwards and back down.

She begins to open her eyes and sees Wonder Woman and everyone working around.

She then begins to chuckle and whispers to Wonder Woman, "If you only knew. You think you've won, but this is merely a test. He has been watching the whole time and he is ready for all of you."

With that her eyes roll back in her head and her body goes limp.

The doctor checks her pulse and the machines. She yells, "WE GOT NO PULSE! NO PULSE! CLEAR!" and begins shocking her again.

If they only knew...need to thank Lex for that capsule when I get back to Metropolis."

"Damn," I curse to myself. I'd hoped this battle could have gone without the loss of life, but apparently we were not fast enough to prevent Giganta's suicide. Not only have we failed to save her, but we have lost an important lead in discovering more about Kobra and his allies.

I close my eyes solemnly, and touch my fingertips to her forehead.

"Rest then, and be at peace," I say, in as much of an informal blessing as I can manage without calling out specific gods, before turning back to the Flash. "We seem to have achieved nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory here; we managed to defeat our foes and stop them from causing more damage, but could not get the information we need about our enemies and whom they work for."

I go to the gagged and bound Cheetah and pick her up.

"I will get as much knowledge as I can from this one, then turn her over to the authorities. I suppose from here, we shall go our separate ways."

 

[Byrd Man]

​

"Damn," I curse to myself. I'd hoped this battle could have gone without the loss of life, but apparently we were not fast enough to prevent Giganta's suicide. Not only have we failed to save her, but we have lost an important lead in discovering more about Kobra and his allies.

I close my eyes solemnly, and touch my fingertips to her forehead.

"Rest then, and be at peace," I say, in as much of an informal blessing as I can manage without calling out specific gods, before turning back to the Flash. "We seem to have achieved nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory here; we managed to defeat our foes and stop them from causing more damage, but could not get the information we need about our enemies and whom they work for."

I go to the gagged and bound Cheetah and pick her up.

"I will get as much knowledge as I can from this one, then turn her over to the authorities. I suppose from here, we shall go our separate ways."

"Yeah," I say with a look down at Giganta. Okay, so she was a evil biotch. Doesn't mean she deserved to die.

"Look, I owe you for helping me out back there. I'll happily return the favor if you ever need it. And, hey, look me up next time you're in Central City. I'm sure we can do other things besides knock the slobber out of villainesses."

 

[Spike_x1]

"I am so pleased that you could find time for a meeting with me, considering your busy schedule, Mr. Cobblepot."

Despite what many of the men and women in his new organization thought, Bane was not at all beyond cooperating with the other gangsters in Gotham, provided that they still served his purposes. He was not truly obsessed with personally controlling every aspect of organized crime in the city; alliances were not out of the question, assuming that his rivals in the underworld were smart enough to make them before it was too late.

"A gifted player knows when not to sacrifice his pawns in a futile effort, Mr. Bane. I have seen from the sidelines what you and your forces have done to the lower, street level operations of the likes of Falcone and Maroni. My friend here, Bird Colossimo," Cobblepot gestured to his blond haired bird trainer leaning against the far wall, "has personally talked to some of the witnesses of your acts that you put in the hospital for peddling their wares on street corners. They say that you've bottle necked many of the illegal activities of your mob rivals, causing a good deal of stress. Maroni in particular has been acting quite paranoid and irrational lately." The sleek, yet stout man sipped from the glass of fine cognac that Bane's servants had given him. "You have proven yourself capable of feats that, singlehandedly, I had not thought possible. And now that you have built yourself a small army and have them backing you up..." Cobblepot's voice trailed off before he gave a light chuckle. "A war with you would not benefit anyone. Cooperation is far less messy; I have supplies that I'm certain you could find uses for, while the manpower you have at your disposal could help with my drug smuggling and--"

"No drugs. No human trafficking." Bane stated with a non-negotiable tone, his large hands on his hips and his monstrous frame towering over Cobblepot even more than it would over a man of average height. "I grew to manhood in the hellish prison of Peña Duro, and I have seen first hand the effects that those have had on the human spirit. They can be worse than death."

"But--"

"I have no qualms with any other part of your operation and I will provide aid to you in those areas, but if you wish to continue your human and drug trafficking, you will do so without my help."

Oswald growled under his breath for a brief moment before resigning to Bane's terms. Even with the large brute's restrictions on their deal, it was still very much a win-win scenario for Cobblepot if he went through with it. If he protested, however, Oswald surmised that he likely wouldn't leave this room alive, even with Bird behind him and his bodyguards standing just outside the door of Bane's meeting room.

"I believe that we have a deal." As he put his empty glass down on its coaster and raised his hand to Bane in agreement, Cobblepot was almost taken aback by the sheer size of the hand that engulfed his in the handshake.

**********​

Later, after the penguin-like man had left, Bane wished to remain alone in the meeting room. Clasping his hands behind his back, he stared out the floor-to-ceiling window. "My Talia," he sighed, "You will be avenged soon." Even as thoughts of his vengeful mission pushed him forward, Bane could not help but think back to how this had all come to pass; the mask he now wears, the mask Wayne wears, Talia's betrayal and death, and Gotham City herself. Bane had found he had become a shattered reflection of Bruce Wayne and his Batman persona, both men striving to control Gotham in their own way. Perhaps that was Fate's cruel irony for Bane; to become more and more like his hated foe.

But was there a point to any of it in the end? After finally crushing Wayne... what next? There would be little point in ruling Gotham after that. How Bane wished that the Bat would simply show himself already and bring these drawn out events to a close!

Suddenly the building shook as an explosion rang out several floors below. He's here! Fate brings him to meet me at last! Barging open the doors to his large balcony, Bane was met with roaring flames. The Batman was being far more aggressive than Bane had predicted, and he couldn't be more pleasantly surprised.

That was when he saw the intruder who had caused the explosions, standing out on Bane's balcony and looking quite enraged. "You're not Batman." He made no effort to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

"You have changed your uniform, but your stance, your movements; I recognize you from the circus. Begone, young one. You are not the opponent I want." Still standing in the middle of a burning balcony in his tailored suit, Bane's mask couldn't hide his contempt.

"I set fire to your home and you don't even want to fight me?!" exclaimed the newcomer in disbelief.

"This building doesn't matter to me in the slightest. None of my material possessions do, and neither do you or your actions."

"This whole town is going nuts, and organized crime is at the heart of it all. You're the new rising star around here, so I'm gonna make an example out of you! Even when I was in Belsaraph's circus, I could see that Gotham is--"

"I did not ask about your motives or the circus," Bane said, cutting Azrael off. "I have seen your movements and skills in action when you and your compatriots fought the Batman. You are not at all unskilled in combat, but you have much to learn still. Perhaps with time and experience, you could become something more." If Bane cared about Azrael's surprise at the mention of his battle with Batman being spied on, it didn't show. His criticism of raw fighting style appeared to strike a nerve, however.

"Listen, I gave the Bat a real run for his money and I don't need to hear this **** from the likes of you!"

"You fought him as he was tired from his battle with that "Killer Croc" monster, and you lost all the same. Out of the many remarkable citizens of Gotham, only three of them would I consider my peers in the art of hand to hand combat. You are not one of them. I will say this once more: Leave."

Without another word, Azrael predictably rejected Bane's words and lunged forward, slashing across his enemy's chest and carving the expensive suit into ribbons. Recoiling from the assault, Bane didn't bother to futily clutch the bleeding cuts on his chest or express pain from the attack. Instead, he prepared himself for his assailant's inevitable second pass. Like clockwork, the red and black clad man shot his foot out in a high kick aimed for Bane's jaw.

"No." In a blur of motion silhouetted by the light of the fire around them, Bane yanked Azrael in closer and shattered several of the smaller man's ribs with a sickening crunch. "You have speed and astonishing skill with a blade. No one living could ever deny that fact. The potential waiting inside of you is the only reason I will let you live and get to a hospital. Perhaps you will grow into something of greatness one day. Live and learn, and go back the way you came."

No more words were exchanged between the two men after Bane released Azrael's leg and turned around to walk back into the building. Another man might consider it foolish to turn one's back on someone who had just announced his intention to do harm; but, reckless as he might be, Azrael seemed to find something in Bane's words to make him reconsider. Diving off of the balcony and retreating back into the night air, Jean Paul Valley knew that he would have a rematch with Bane someday, and things would be different.

Back inside his office, Bane summoned his lieutenants and ordered the evacuation of the building. The firefighters would deal with it, but trying to maintain his operation there would be a lost cause. The young man with the flaming swords had actually achieved some small measure of victory, and under his mask Bane held a slight smile at the thought. Yes, he has potential indeed.

 

[MST3K 4ever]

"Damn," I curse to myself. I'd hoped this battle could have gone without the loss of life, but apparently we were not fast enough to prevent Giganta's suicide. Not only have we failed to save her, but we have lost an important lead in discovering more about Kobra and his allies.

I close my eyes solemnly, and touch my fingertips to her forehead.

"Rest then, and be at peace," I say, in as much of an informal blessing as I can manage without calling out specific gods, before turning back to the Flash. "We seem to have achieved nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory here; we managed to defeat our foes and stop them from causing more damage, but could not get the information we need about our enemies and whom they work for."

I go to the gagged and bound Cheetah and pick her up.

"I will get as much knowledge as I can from this one, then turn her over to the authorities. I suppose from here, we shall go our separate ways."

"Yeah," I say with a look down at Giganta. Okay, so she was a evil biotch. Doesn't mean she deserved to die.

"Look, I owe you for helping me out back there. I'll happily return the favor if you ever need it. And, hey, look me up next time you're in Central City. I'm sure we can do other things besides knock the slobber out of villainesses."

The doctor takes a step back and says, "Well now the question is what do we do with the body?"

Just then a nurse walks in with a file and the doctor says, "What the ---?"

He looks at Wonder Woman and Flash and says, "Before anyone calls the morgue there is something you all should know she's not dead, and she is not dying either."

The 2 heroes look at the doctor. The doctor says, "Whatever she took was supposed to give off the appearance of a suicide. I mean whatever she took has chemical elements and compounds that I've never seen or heard of. They give off all the signs and symptoms that the body is dying but since I needed to know what she took I ran some blood tests, and medically there is nothing there that should be doing this. Her coma will probably last a day maybe two at most then she'll be awake. What would do you want us to do? We can keep her strapped down in a private room, but then what? When she comes to if she is as bad as you all say she is things could get ugly."

 

[MST3K 4ever]

The Atom begins to wake up. She is laying on her back with her arms to her side on top of a lab-table with a desk light shining on her.

Wha...wher....ow my head! I feel like I did the morning after I took full advantage of $2.00 long island ice-tea night at the Slammin' Shack.

She tries to sit up but is unable to.

Oh this just gets better and better.

She continues to struggle and is still paralyzed.

Finally a voice out from the darkness says, "You can struggle all you want you won't be going anywhere."

The Atom says, "Who are you? What are you doing to me?"

The voice comes closer and says, "You are in no postion to make any demands little one. Although you do have a right to know what is going on to you at this moment. You are caught in a unique type of force field. It is an energy field that is in sync with your body's rythyms and pulses which is creating a gravity barrier around you that feels like a ton pressing down on you without doing any damage to your vital organs. Well for right now at least but if you decide to get disrespectful, uncooperative or just generally *****y to me well then let's just say life will be most unpleasant. For example..."

The voice comes forward and The Atom is able to tell that it is a woman standing next her. She pulls out a remote and turns a dial.

The Atom gasps and begins struggling for air.

The woman then turns the dial back down and says, "And that was barely a quarter of the power that I have at my command. If I wanted to I could crush every vital organ in your body in 5 seconds, bring in a sponge wipe up the mess and that's the end of The Atom."

The Atom asks, "Why are you doing this to me? What do you want from me?"

The voice says, "I am doing this to test you. To see how far we have to go to ensure your cooperation and that we are the ones with real power in this world not those of you running around in costumes."

She then composes herself and says, "I want to know how willing to help your country and this planet."

The Atom replies, "Right now you're not making a good impression on me."

The force field increases in power and The Atom begins to struggle for air again and the voice says, "You see that right there is disrespectful."

She turns down the power and pulls up on a video screen footage of various heroes (including her) in action. The Voice says, "You see we have been keeping an eye on all of you in ways and at times that you could never imagine."

She then shows footage of the Wonder Woman and Flash battling Giganta and says, "Eventually we knew this would happen. That others of you would start to join together. Alliances form even among those who have different philosophical points of view shall we say. When that day happens we want to have someone to give us intell on the group that includes the, for lack of a better term, heroes."

The Atom asks, "You want me to be a spy for you?"

The Voice says, "Spy is such a passe term I would prefer classified observer."

The Atom asks, "And if I say no..."

The Voice says, "Well then I could just kill you now, but the paperwork that goes into an arranged death is so time consuming and dull. I mean working up the scenario, staging everything and all the conspiracy nuts. However if you agree to help us I can give you the one thing that not even Superman with all his power can give you."

The Atom feels through the table the voice walking away. Concentrating on the vibrations through the table she is able to hear the following, "Release file #22459-1238 authorization Waller, Amanda code 6522-Alpha Cadmus."

Okay when I get out of here the first thing I do is find out as much as I can about Amanda Waller I bet Sage might be able to help me.

Waller says, "Watch the screen." Just then a file showing Alice Palmer appears on the screen.

The Atom's heart stops for a second.

MOM!

Her mouth opens slowly as Waller smiles but not a smile of joy but a smile of knowing she has The Atom in a mood to bargain.

Waller says, "You help me and I will give you closure and information on your mother."

My Mother...information....oh hell...don't tell me....

Waller says in a very threatneing tone, "Dr. Rhiannon Faye Palmer, or should I say Ray."

The Atom is suddenly frightened.

Ray was the nickname my mom had for me. Waller not only knows who I am but she knows private details. What the hell am I going to do?

 

[Byrd Man]

IC: Vic Sage


I stifle a yawn as I sit in Captain Essen's office. Another long night spent shadowing Alberto Falcone as Question. So far, I haven't seen any incriminating evidence...except I've seen him snort half of Asia's poppy fields up his nose.

"You've done some good work so far," Essen says as she comes in. "On this Holiday thing, I mean."

"Thank you, Captain."

I glance around the office. Essen has all kinds of press clippings about her police career. Photos of her and all her old units accompany the newspaper clips. One picture with Mayor Loeb, another with a bunch of uniformed police, Essen in the middle of them, another picture with Gordon, Flass, O'Hara, Atkins, and John Grayson.

"So, I'm wondering," Essen asks as she slides behind her desk. "Is it possible that I could take a look at the case files?"


GCPD Rules & Regs
Page 45, Paragraph 3, Subsection 8.

To wit: A homicide case folder and all details pertaining to the homicide case in question are accessible to the homicide detective signed on as primary investigator, the detectives immediate superiors, and the homicide commander.

"You know what the rules say about that."

"And I'm a police captain, three pay grades above you, Detective."

"I'm sorry. We can't have any leaks. If the press find out some of the details involving the killer, we'd never hear the end of it."

"Well...maybe we can work out a deal," she says while slowly batting her lashes. Subtle. I guess it turns Gordon on.

"No offense, Captain, but you're....really not my type."

"What?" She asks with a scowl.

"You're a little too old for me."

"How old do I look to you?"

"...forty-eight?"

"I look forty-eight?!"

"Well, you know....only from the neck up."

Essen narrows her eyes at me.

"You're dissmissed, Sage. Get out of my office."

******

​

Back down to the sixth floor and the Homicide Unit. I'm going through the Holiday murders one more time when Sergeant Merkel comes up to me.

"Guess what, Vic?"

"What's that?" I mumble.

"I just came from a meeting involving Lieutenant Akins, and the Deputy Commissioner. They wanted to know why, after almost eight months, this case is still in the red? Two murders from last year on the board, and five from this year. Our squad has a negative ****ing clearance rate for this year."

"This isn't some goddamn bar cutting, Stan! This is a serial killer, okay. He's methodical, careful, and doesn't make mistakes. This guy knows what he's doing. If we catch him, it'll be by the grace of God."

"Criminals make mistakes, Vic. They always do, and you know this better than anyone. Look, you're the best detective on this shift, maybe the best we've ever had come through here. Your career clearance rate is around 80%, and your cases have a conviction rate of 95%. In this city, that's not good, that's a miracle."

"But around here, it's 'what have you done for me lately?'"​

​

"Exactly. It's not fair, but it's the world we live in. The department is getting pressure from the FBI to let them in on the case. The brass is trying to stall them the best they can, but with no solid leads and seven victims so far, it's getting harder and harder to hold them off. Just get it done, Vic. Bring this ****er home."

I stare straight ahead at the case file, not replying to Merkel. He stares at me for a long moment before turning away. Seven victims, two of them cops, and the names written in red ink on the big board seem like a long ways off from turning black.​

 

[Byrd Man]

The doctor takes a step back and says, "Well now the question is what do we do with the body?"

Just then a nurse walks in with a file and the doctor says, "What the ---?"

He looks at Wonder Woman and Flash and says, "Before anyone calls the morgue there is something you all should know she's not dead, and she is not dying either."

The 2 heroes look at the doctor. The doctor says, "Whatever she took was supposed to give off the appearance of a suicide. I mean whatever she took has chemical elements and compounds that I've never seen or heard of. They give off all the signs and symptoms that the body is dying but since I needed to know what she took I ran some blood tests, and medically there is nothing there that should be doing this. Her coma will probably last a day maybe two at most then she'll be awake. What would do you want us to do? We can keep her strapped down in a private room, but then what? When she comes to if she is as bad as you all say she is things could get ugly."

Question: How do you imprison a woman who can grow so big she breaks the prison holding her?

"Be right back!"

I run to the closest library, and speed through the DIY section. This is a trick I learned about a year ago. Speed reading. I can read the whole contents of a book in the blink of an eye, but it's like cupping water in your hand and trying to hold on to it. I'm ashamed to say it, but I had to use that trick a few times before an exam....don't look at me like that, you try taking Professor Desmond's Chem 301 final exam and see if you pass!

I blaze through all the construction books and race back out the library. Back at the hospital, Giganta disappears from the room with Wonder Woman and the doctors in it. I lay her down on the front lawn and go to work. A few seconds later, I appear back next to the doctor's and Wonder Woman.

"Sorry I took so long, had to run out for some supplied. Check outside."

I lead the doctor and Wonder Woman to the window and point down to the giant metallic cube on the lawn.

"It's double-reinforced with rebar and titanium alloy that I borrowed from the NASA complex down in Houston. It's flexible, but not malleable. Giganta may be able to bust out, but it's unlikely."

 

[Eddie Brock]

It's a quiet night in Star City.

A man in a dirty baseball cap walks down the sidewalk, hunching slightly and keeping his eyes low. The streetlights in this section of the city are old and faulty. The man passes in and out of darkness as he walks. The sidewalks are empty. An occasional car passes, but most people are safe at home at this time of night. The man passes an alleyway, and cockroaches scurry behind a dumpster.

The man increases his pace as he sees his target. In one swift movement, he slams his elbow into a window on one of the parked cars. In the silence of night, the sound might as well have been a gunshot. But in Star City - like in most other places - no one is going to lift a finger to help. Odds are that only a few people even heard the noise over their televisions. The man reaches into the car and unlocks the driver's side door.

Things were going smoothly tonight. The man couldn't help but smile to himself as he forces open the panel underneath the steering wheel. He pulls out a switchblade and strips the two red wires, twisting them together. A sudden crash causes the man to stop momentarily, but when nothing happens after, he goes back to his business. Stripping the brown ignition wire now, the man touches the exposed copper ends until the car starts.

"Heh."

Proud of himself, the man sits up straight in the driver's seat. He turns on the car's lights and begins to pull away from the curb. The man smirks as he thinks about how smoothly tonight's activities went. He'd be able to chop this car up and make some good money off the pawned parts. All in all, not a bad night. He hasn't driven halfway down the block when the car starts to rattle.

"--the Hell? I didn't see a flat..."

The man pulls over and parks the car once more. He steps out and scratches his head underneath the baseball cap. He walks around behind the car and is shocked by what he sees glinting in the glow of the streetlight.

An arrow sticking out of the rear passenger-side tire.

***

"Come again, Tower," the voice on the other end of the radio crackles.

The SWAT officer lying prone touches the call button on his walkie talkie. "I have visual on the target," the officer repeats calmly. He leans back down and peers through the scope of his sniper once more. On the other end, a scrawny man holds a revolver to the head of an innocent woman.

"Do you have a clean shot?"

"Negative. Target is using a human shield," the officer explains. They're nearing the second hour of this tense standoff. A disturbed man, upon being laid off from his job, burst into the office in the middle of the day with a revolver. He's been holding his former co-workers hostage since. Now, seemingly aware that a sniper is trained on him, he has made sure to keep himself out of the line of fire.

"Hold, Tower."

"Yes, sir."

The officer watches the man through the sniper scope. At this magnification, he can see the sunlight being reflected in the tears on the hostage's face. The man appears shaky. He moves back and forth, making him an even harder target to hit. Then, suddenly, the man drops.

"Target is down!" the officer reports frantically over the radio. "I repeat: target is down!"

The radio crackles for a moment. "Dammit, Tower! You had the red light!"

"That wasn't me, sir!" The officer squints as he peers through the scope for a better look. "Hold on! I think I see something..."

"What is it, Tower?"

The officer stares in disbelief at the object embedded in the man's leg. "It looks like...an arrow!"

***

The police sergeant snaps his fingers high in the air, grabbing the attention of everyone around him. "Gather 'round!" he barks. The team circles up, each one of them dressed head-to-toe in combat gear. Helmets with faceshields, bulletproof vests, the works. "Let's review this one more time. We have reason to believe that this warehouse is being used as a hideout for a drug smuggling ring that has been in operation for the past four months. We're going to hit them hard and fast."

The officers look around eagerly.

"Now, if this is the place, we're going to find the motherload. But if they are storing their drugs here, then they're not going to leave them undefended," the sergeant explains. "So we have to assume that the smugglers are inside and that they are armed and dangerous. Alpha Squad, you will go around back and breach the rear entrance. Bravo Squad, you're with me. We're going through the front door, so expect heavy resistance."

The sergeant stares down the assembled teams.

"Standard breach and clear. Lead with flashbangs and watch your corners." He pauses for emphasis. "Good luck, boys."

The two teams part ways and take up their positions at opposite ends of the warehouse. The sergeant turns to his second-in-command and holds up three fingers. He mouths out the countdown - three, two, one - before kicking in the door and brandishing his shotgun. One of the men tosses a flashbang through the sergeant's legs.

"Clear."

The sergeant walks calmly into the warehouse. In the center of the room, three beaten, bruised men are tied up together. Alpha Squad rushes in from behind but comes to a halt when they see it. The sergeant lowers his shotgun and picks up a small item lying at the men's feet.

"It's..."

GREEN ARROW
​

 

[Catman_prb]

Gordon's feeling the heat. I got him spooked, scared ****less. Throwing me a curveball, offering me a chance. 3/1 odds says its bull****. But you can't bull**** a bull*****er

"I want some time to think on it. More importantly, give me a chance to bring the Holiday case in. I want to solve it, I need to solve it. You give me that chance, and I swear on my mother's grave that I'll go back to being a good little boy and playing Jim Gordon's rules. You promise me a chance to bring Holiday in, and we have a deal."

Jim Gordon laughed.

It was an unusual sound, especially for those who had spent the best part of the last 5 years in the same office as him. Driver and Bullock exchanged each other a hopeless look. Gordon changed his grip on the gun, bringing the butt of it across Nygma's face. The man buckled into the knee deep sewage. He stopped laughing.

"Get up," Gordon said.

Nygma spat out blood into the brown water. In a violent lunge, Gordon grabbed the man by his green suit and hauled him up.

"You think I was ****ing born yesterday you piece of ****? I've been doing this since you were in grade school. You want more time to catch this killer? ********, you want more of a chance to get a case on me. You can't have it both ways Nygma. You can't play hero and play politics at the same time," Gordon snarled. He threw the detective back to the ground with a splash.

"Get up,"