Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2012 11:57:36 GMT -5
The Long Halloween
Part One: The Headless Horseman
Story By: Batman and Spoiler
Batman: -Batarangs flew towards him, however, he dodged by diving into a roll, a purple tuxedo, a white painted face, red lipstick, green hair, a two missing front teeth. Inside his jacket he pulled out a rubber knife and charged towards his attacker. Black cape, tight fit abs, grey shirt, black shorts toned around his crotch and buttocks like underwear. His mask was tightly fit to his face, as the two miniaturized titans clashed against each other, both kids tackled each other and wrestled on the ground.- “Batman is better! He always wins!” “Err…But JOKER kills people!” “SO?” –It was then a man standing before them approached wearing a long trench coat, he towered over both of them. His size was masculine, over bearing as he seemed like the size of Superman. The boys looked at the giant and questioned.- “Uhh, can we-…can I help you?” –The Batman costumed kid stood up and puffed his chest out.- <C>
Batman: -A deep voice spoke as the man grinned.- “Of course you can. I lost my dog and I can’t find her…She has to take care of her puppies, can you help me?” –Batman would pause and then say. – “I don’t know…we’re about to go out trick or treating…” –The man grinned.- “Well, maybe I could take you while we look for my dog.” –The Joker costumed kid would say holding his knife towards the man.- “Alright…but try anything funny and The JOKER will cut ya!” –Two hours later…Batman:- ‘Five dead bodies…in two nights…Halloween night of all…’ –Batman kneeled down overlooking the alleyway to see police. Knife stabbings, the number of stabs matching exactly how many victims…He was keeping score for him and us. The first victim had a single stab, a blade puncturing the chest cavity and direction into the heart. Second victim, stabbed in the left lung and stomach…This victim was stabbed almost completely at random…’<c>
Batman: -Batman’s cape wrapped around his body making him appear slim and smaller than his actual size. His mask gave him the appearance of anger and aggression with furrowed eye brows aligned with constricted eye shapes. Batman’s cheek bones rose underneath his eyes to appear as though he were a predator narrowing its eyes upon its prey. His nose perched out from his face with a sharp tip, depending on the angle, if one were to look at him he would appear like any given Wolf or bear. A ferocious appearance indeed that matched his snarl when he spoke to thugs. The gothic stone beneath him was silvery from the moons gaze beaming down onto it, submerging the alley into darkness despite the police attempting to ward the darkness with flashlights.-
Spoiler: “October 31st - Dear Diary. When I died, it was like the last part of mom’s will died too. I hoped when dad was gone that she could find some peace, find a way out of the darkness, away from everything that was dragging her down…. she made progress, but when I died, it’s like she just slipped away too. - She’s in her room now, full of the ‘pams again, I don’t know if she knows I’m here, sometimes it’s like she doesn’t know who I am, or doesn’t even see me. I try and keep her warm and fed at least, but it’s like she’s the ghost instead of me. I can hear her snoring, she won’t be waking, not as full of them as she is now, dead to the world. I need to be out again, I need to be beneath the sky instead of all these bricks. I don’t know where to be any more, she looks right through me, I keep us going, I keep us stocked up on essentials, but we’re both dead now. –c-
Spoiler: “I don’t remember when I died, I know… I know I did. Everyone knows I did, and I don’t remember coming back. What came before… it’s there… but it kind of isn’t, it’s like looking at an old film, I remember it, but so much of it I can’t feel anymore. -I don’t know where to be, there’s nothing here, beyond helping mom… breathe, it’s hard to know what’s real, Harley Quinn... Harleen, saved me from those men, and yet I know what she was, had she changed? Was she ever what we thought? Can a person become someone new? And where did she go? Where can I go? I know HE won’t accept me back, I wish Robin were …” –c-
Spoiler: Stephanie put down the pen… such a gap in the diaries, so much time lost, “I need to be out under the sky instead of under the weight of the tenements” she thought again and, rising, she turned and went to the window, the glass cold under her fingertips, she looked out at the clear sky, hard to see the stars beyond the glow of the city, clear though, looking like a cold night. She thought about how they say in the wilderness the sky is black at night and that there are millions of stars, here in the city it was a mud. She picked up the bag again, pulled out the costume, a night for costumes, a costume amongst a million, she pulled on purple, the belts, the gloves and boots, the cowl, pulling her hair back, tying it… and finally the mask, finally the mask to be complete, sliding up the sash window she slipped out again into the night. –c-
Spoiler: Sirens wailed again, the never ending cry of the city, she knew HE was out there, knew she couldn’t attain what she needed for him to accept her, couldn’t stop wanting to though. “Come on Steph… buck up…Time to do some good.” Nowhere to go, nobody to accept her or approve, what will be… will be. –e-
Batman: -Batman stood up and armed his grapnel gun, his gloved fingers slipping around its trigger to point its hook towards the nearby radio tower. The hook released with a simple squeeze of the trigger, a crackle of titanium against aluminum would ring nearby the impact point of the hook before Batman would rapidly accelerate towards the tower. Feet before collision, Batman severing the grappling hooks binds on the tower and retracted the line. The hook neatly securing within the barrel of the Grapnel gun as Batman’s wings opened and he began gliding through air using the momentum of the grapnel boost to pick up speed and fly.- ‘I’m on patrol through Gotham, not even 30 minutes, I find one murder scene and then I hear a blood curling scream. There was no possible way it could be falsehood.’ <c>
Batman: ‘I ready myself for anything…My wings collapse and fold around my body causing me to pick up speed and dive straight towards an apartment building…I draw closer and listen to the screams of children, laughter of…men; they range between 20-50…Things begin to look odd though…Two horses…Outside the apartment. ’ –Batman broke in through the window of the apartment to spot five costumed monster men.- ‘A skeleton, a mummy, an arachnid, a hideous demon, and…a SCARECROW.’ –Batman’s face tightened as the skeleton looked at Batman and walked towards him.- “Nice costume, think you’re-…” –Batman’s hand reached for the skeleton’s face.- ‘I break his nose, and shatter his left cheek bone, his jaw crackled beneath my right hook, my left hand supporting his head allowing him to feel the full vice of my attack.’ <c>
Batman: ‘In that instant it would sound almost completely silent as the thug let out his own blood curling scream…he has an angelic voice, worthy of choir.’ –Scarecrow’s attention look to Batman and shouted.- “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick! Jack jump over the candlestick!” –Scarecrow chanted as he tossed a flaming torch in hand, the torch immediately blew up into flames as the Scarecrow jumped down the stair ways to flee. Batman watched as the Mummy and Arachnid tackled him.- ‘Too slow…’ –Batman’s head smashed into a dishwashing machine forcing a dent in the door, the Mummy’s fists began pounding against Batman’s face.- ‘How did I…Let things get out of control…?’ –Batman’s arms were bound by the arachnid costumed thug, squeezing him with all his might to stop Batman from striking.-
Spoiler: The scream hadn’t come from here… but certainly nearby, every instinct every fibre of her being called her to rush on, to rush to the scream, but she knew she had to pause, she knew she had to look, to see and she knew she had to think… to not miss things… miss important things, and you can die Steph… again. Down in the alleyway, more bodies, small streaks of light slipping about the alleyway catching edges and spikes , throwing their own daggers of blackness with their pale light on the walls. More bodies, she’d heard of the others and now two more, laying in black puddles, red only in the darting slivers of flashlight. Wounds at the chest, everything still so wet and the red, even in the pale light so bright and new. <C>
Spoiler: She heard the familiar flutter, the zip, the crash, she turned her head, tilting, trying to place the sounds, it was HIM, it had to be, she yearned to follow and then there was the small voice inside “Don’t go! He doesn’t need you. He doesn’t want you.” Quieter sounds of a struggle, muffled, over there, the apartments, two horses outside? Why two horses? “Is it him? Or a hallowe’en party” Another scream. It didn’t sound like fun and games, she felt herself tense. “Go to him” “He doesn’t need you”. There was the broken window, movement inside, dark figures, anger, the sounds of pain. ”Oh shut up Steph and do some good.” <C>
Spoiler: Running along the edge of the roof she took out her grapple and using her momentum also swung it towards the apartment building, it landed, caught, gripped just as she reached the edge and propelled herself in a parabolic arc bringing her across the gap between the two buildings almost parallel to the apartments and at a safe enough angle to catch the fire escape a couple of windows away from the broken one, inside she heard the sounds of fists meeting flesh. “He doesn’t need you STeph, he’s dealing with them”. She paused a second, she needed to see, needed to see how things should be done, she slipped quietly to the ledge, flat against the wall “We’re getting on better now gravity, lets stay friends shall we?” <C>
Spoiler: Peering around the window past the slivers of glass she saw a scene that made no sense a spider had HIM pinned, and a Mummy? This! Wasn’t happening! She pulled back a moment. Couldn’t be happening. She looked around again… big guys, big brawny guys, too big, too heavy, big enough to hold HIM. She pulled back again and this time reached into her belt. When she moved it was just as the smoke capsules exploded, the flash, the smoke, the confusion, her foot in the back of the Mummy’s knee, her fist in his kidneys as he started to topple. This couldn’t be real.
Batman: -Batman saw the area fill with smoke.- ‘The fire…its progressing faster than I thought…Keep it…together…Batman!’ –Batman saw the spider’s limbs begin cutting into Batman’s stomach, blood and guts spilled out from Batman, the Mummy’s bandages also began to fall off revealing a large black hole that would attempt to eat Batman…………In reality, the Mummy was continuing to hit Batman until he was covered in smoke. The people in the room began screaming, attacking each other, kicking and punching to keep each other away, a little boy fell backwards and into the fire spreading around the room.- ‘Fear…I can hear the Scarecrow outside, throughout all the screams of people inside the apartment.’ Scarecrow: “They scream and cry but, fear remains!” <c>
Batman: -Batman watched as the mummy stumbled, Spoiler’s attack. Batman looked at her and spotted her as a Ghost hitting the Mummy. Batman pulled off his belt a small canister and sprayed the Mummy in the face causing him to scream and wipe his eyes clear. Batman’s shoulder would slam into the arachnid causing him to loosen and Batman’s arms to overtake him. Batman tumbled backwards, rolling to crush the arachnid and then Batman fired his batclaw, at the mummy, wrapping the cable around the Mummy’s belt, Batman hurled the mummy out the window, forcing them to free fall until the grappling cable halted his descent, attaching the cable to a radiator pipe. <c>
Batman: -Batman opened a belt pouch and pulled out a nasal spray that he shot directly into his nostrils before holstering it on his belt.- ‘This should help clear up Crane’s fear gas…’
Spoiler: Something else in the air, she couldn’t quite place it, the mummy hadn’t gone down, tough guy… or desperate… and then he was screaming and rocketing past her out of the window. The arachnid was on its back, legs waving, big, hairy, gross… but at least Batman was up, she didn’t remember him being 12 feet tall, and such fiery eyes, oh hell, was this another of those nightmares? “Hey Bats” she called out as lightly as she could towards the burning eyes in a black silhouette almost as if the fire shone right through him. ‘He doesn’t need you Steph... get out of his way and then it’s just a fluke we got in each other’s paths and we’ll go our separate ways at that’ll be that’ <C>
Spoiler: Her lungs hurt, the flames, spreading far faster than she’d thought, the heat in the air making it difficult to breathe, burning inside… she looked away from him, didn’t want to face his gaze. Flames everywhere, the whole room red and orange and dancing in the constantly changing light, every single thing alive with movement and heat… the fire twisting like serpents around… a child… like a punch to her stomach... a child, she twisted away from the Batman, “Let him deal with them… HE doesn’t need me anyway. Oh God don’t be too late!” The child’s tiny clothes already on fire she reached into the flames, even through the gauntlets SO HOT. She clasped a small leg, pulled, ‘Oh god the smell’... his hair melting away, she pulled him close rolled him, smothered, but the smell… the red and the black and the smell… ‘Too late Steph, always too late’, she slumped to the floor, pulled his body close, tears in her eyes, beyond just the smoke, she pulled him into her lap, beginning to rock.
Batman: -Batman stomped his foot to crush the arachnid man causing blood to spat from his mouth. Batman’s gaze shifted to see the emergency sprinkler switch. Batman went to reach for it when the Demon man grabbed him from behind.- “Welcome to Hell!” –Batman’s jaw stiffened and clutched before Batman slammed the back of his head into the demon’s face knocking him back. Batman reached forward and flipped the switch causing the sprinklers to wash over everything in the room, Batman spun around and ducked, seeing the Demon costumed man charging at Batman, Batman punched the thug in the crotch causing him to collapse onto the ground grasping his genitals I agony. Batman then kicked the thug across the face knocking them out cold. <c>
Batman: -Batman fought the anxiety built up in his system, as he approached the arachnid to kick them across the face knocking them unconscious. Batman saw Spoiler beginning to crawl up on the floor, he grabbed her by the collar and pulled her to him.- “You’re coming with me!” –He growled his voice almost demonic to her. He would attempt to wrap his arm around her chest and then he would dash out of the window, to fire his grappling hook to take them high.
Spoiler: It had to be a nightmare, she held the tiny body close, it just had to be as the flames built around them “Always too late Steph”, nightmares didn’t hurt or smell like this, his little face so blackened, she pulled him closer. Then there were hands at her neck, pulling her head back, lifting her and a voice out of the pits of hell… oh god wanting to pull her down into the eyes, beyond which there was nothing but hellfire. She felt herself pulled upwards her hands reaching instinctively to try and free herself, the small body tumbled form her lap. <C>
Spoiler: “No.. NOOOO!” she screamed trying to break free trying to reach for the tiny body as it rolled back towards the flames “Let Me go!” She fought it, fought the hands on her the arm around her, dragging her away, dragging her to the depths, her final failure “NOOOO!” and the tears ran like rain, until she felt she would drown and the tiny body was receding into the fires, the room was receding, everything was going away into a small black dot everything except the pain, she watched the tiny body vanish and helpless she cried out in despair as she they rushed away and upwards, like the smoke from the fires, she felt cold… very cold.
Batman: -Batman was still holding Spoiler with his arm wrapped around her torso as they flew down towards the ground. He reached to his belt and pulled out a hypo injector and sprayed her nose.- “Listen to my voice. You were hit by Scarecrow’s fear toxin…” –Batman’s voice was still demonic, his appearance morphed to that of a large beast, bright blue and large eyes, fangs from his mouth, and ears that were stretching towards the sky. His hands were claws with sharp edges and pointed pins. Blood would drip from her hallucination of Batman, but he was practically unharmed. The Scarecrow continued fleeing on his horse singing his song.- “Trick or treat, but fear is for everyone!” –Batman’s own vision was hallucinating and affected by Scarecrow gas, but he had reacted to the spray very quickly inside the burning apartment. People were now beginning to rush out of the building, when Batman turned to see a black horse waiting.- <c>
Batman: Posted to the black horse was a white sign that stated “For Batman.” –The horse was wearing pumpkins on his mantle, its reins for red with bright orange pumpkins. Batman picked up Spoiler and brought her to follow him as he jumped onto the horse.- ‘I can’t leave her here…Stephanie’s identity will be ruined if *this* Stephanie is discovered by the police.’
Spoiler: She heard his voice, twisted and snarling around the inhuman fangs, heard it but didn't understand, just sounds of rage and hatred and rejection, she wanted to be small, to curl up into a tiny ball, to hide away from what was back in the room, the tiny body, the heat, the flames, the failure, the shame of the fear that it was as much the rejection she feared as the failure to help the people in the inferno. And here was the Bat... whoever he was... and the true face of his rejection assaulted her mind. When the b;last hit her, she thought it was more blood, she tried to pull away, more words, she still couldn't understand. More words... and far away singing. The fear was slightly less, she looked up, his face still terrifying, but the fire behind his eyes now fading to a colder harder blue- c-
Spoiler: “Please…” she managed to say but she didn’t know what she was asking for, release, reassurance, approval? Before she knew it she was lifted again, as if she weighed nothing, lifted high and deposited on something living and breathing. His face turned away, she caught her breath a moment, and despite the fear, she found herself holding onto the him as once again they dashed into the darkness–e-
Batman: -Batman and Spoiler rode off on the horse chasing after the Scarecrow, meanwhile Alfred spoke into Batman’s helmet.- “Sir, police reports are coming in. There are kidnappings happening in North Gotham, two children have gone missing.” –Batman tapped the side of his helmet and spoke.- “I’ll check it out in a moment. Jonathan Crane is on the run, he sprayed Spoiler and I with Fear gas…I’m in pursuit now with Spoiler.” –Alfred seemed skeptical and pondered.- “Is Ms. Brown alright? She could slow you down.” –Batman spoke fearlessly.- “I don’t have time to leave her somewhere safe…I’ll keep her safe. Send the Bat Mobile to intercept me.” –As Batman and Spoiler closed distance to the Scarecrow.<c>
Batman: Scarecrow slipped out of his pockets a dart gun and began firing poisonous darts at Batman and Spoiler, the darts primarily striking the horse as some struck Batman and smashed against his armor. It was swift that the Scarecrow ran into Gotham’s Robinson park, just as Batman heard J’onn speak to him.- “Jonn, I’m in pursuit of Scarecrow, he’s heading into Robinson park; located in the center of Gotham. See if you can cut him off. He needs to be stopped.” –Batman’s voice was deep and full of urgency.-
Spoiler: Slowly, the cold night air bit into her and drove out the fear, she heard his voice slowly changing, becoming more human, warmer, more reassuring, she heard her name, and something made her cling to him more tightly. He was talking to someone, she pulled herself up to try and peek over his shoulder, scarecrow was just ahead, it began to make a little sense now as her brain began to clear, he had saved her again, her mind this time, not blood but anti-toxin. She held on tight resting her head against his back “Thank you” –c-
Spoiler: The braying of the horse brought her to her senses from the hero worship again and leaning sideways she was able to see the horse as it fought to unseat Crane. I’m no cowgirl she thought a moment before unwrapping her arms from the Bat and turning, started to slip from the side of the horse “I can’t do anything from here, Bats” Hmm, the ground was going by awfully quickly, and the legs churning … maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all –e-
Batman: -Batman grinned like a child seeing Scarecrow flailing like out of control. Screaming from the Scarecrow.- “He swears until the day he is dead, that he’ll come back searching for a HEAD!” –Batman chased him into the park where Scarecrow finally dropped his dart gun and fell off the horse. Batman immediately behind him jumped off his own horse and tackled Scarecrow, both would tumble into dirt, when suddenly fiery pumpkins dropped down from the trees and released fear toxin into the air. Batman had already been inoculated as well Spoiler was. Scarecrow grabbed hold of a sickle and slashed Batman’s arm igniting sparks from Batman’s bicep and bracer while forcing Batman to tumble and dodge another slash, Batman’s cape screeched as a shred from the sickle raked across the fabric.- <c>
Spoiler: She pushed and hit the ground, rolled, caught her breath and by the time she was up she saw the pumpkins descending, the gas filling the air, turning the clear night misty, she saw the sickle clip Batman’s arm, how had he dismounted, reached the fray so quickly? SO fast... so good, and yet he tumbled, the sickle slicing down, rending fabric with the shriek. She saw the spindly figure step forward, so fast too, if even the Bat could fall what chance did she have? Skinny but strong… and fast… and dangerous, even without the effect of the toxin. She reached, found a fallen tree branch, lifted it, not too heavy but enough. In an instant it was spinning from her hand, glancing from the sackcloth mask as the sickle began another downward arc. Enough to unsettle him perhaps, but not more, the arc diverted… enough? She found herself wishing she were stronger, bigger, faster, and in the next instant she found herself suddenly running, even despite those wishes, running hard and low, her arms braced, ready for the leap, ready to reach for his wrist, to keep that blade away from Batman. –e-
Batman: Scarecrow was struck and fell backwards as the stick smacked into the frail man.- “Who-he-ha ha! You can’t figure out a plan! Because you can’t reason with a headless man!” –Scarecrow hurled his sickle towards a pumpkin just above Spoiler dropping it down and igniting oil, suddenly fire surrounded her. Batman’s fingers slipped to his belt and rolled three batarangs into his hands, folding the metal throwing stars between the layers of his fingers, with a flick of his wrist the three stars would sweep through air and curve sideways to stab Scarecrow in the bicep, forearm, and hand making Scarecrow scream in agony.- “Gaaah! Ha ha!” –He tried to laugh away the pain. He would continue to tout.- “They scream, they cower, they discover FEAR!"
Spoiler: Her charge came to a sudden halt as the flames rose about her, to reminiscent of the flames a few minutes before. The pain of those thoughts still fresh in her mind, she wondered how much of what had happened in the room was real, whether the failure, the child was real or the effect of the Toxin, her anger rose, whether real or her fears turned against her it triggered a response of anger and hatred. Through the flickering pyre she saw the batarangs strike, the screeching man stagger backwards, it had been enough at least to give Batman time to regain the upper hand, had she done that twice tonight? She would again, stepping back as close as she dared to the heat she took two steps, hoping that the floor work in gym class would pay off, she began a tumble and somersaulted through the flames. –c-
Spoiler: As soon as she landed she was almost beside the Bat, and moving towards Scarecrow again “The only way to win is to face your fears” she cried as she leapt towards him, he foot rising towards his head hoping she could kick it off his scrawny neck! “Rash, Steph” she thought as she saw the sickle swinging again –e-
Batman: Scarecrow stumbled backwards as Spoiler smashed into him causing him to drop his sickle.- “Whoa! Whoa! Hehe Ha ha!” –Scarecrow would leap at Stephanie to attempt at grabbing her throat, however; despite Scarecrow’s size of 6 feet, his strength and weight was fairly weak, weighing at 135 lbs, Stephanie’s attackers were actually capable of inflicting damage to him and she was swift enough to dodge his attack. Batman would allow Spoiler to take point as he took a moment to study the young woman moving into action unlike before, a side of him recognized the young girl who became his apprentice and came under his teachings as Batgirl. Batman used his batclaw to pull him towards the trees above and get an overhead assessment of the situation. Observing for a moment he would suddenly drop down behind Scarecrow, waiting for Stephanie’s next move before making his own.-
Spoiler: When her foot connected she felt his head snap back, she was surprised at how good it felt, the sickle flipped away as his arm continued harmlessly in its arc past her. She rolled out of the kick and away from him as he lunged again towards her, this time a low kick kicking his shin, sending his supporting foot out from underneath him as she placed her other leg such that his chin connected with her knee, there was the click of his neck again “Aha… haaa” he croaked “What are little girls made of?” Spoiler: Her forearm came across his cheek, as his head snapped back away from her knee she was winning! It felt good, she felt strong and where was the Bat? She was winning! And the Bat was letting her! Scarecrow’s head lolled to one side and he fell into her lap, her arm going around his throat as she looked for Batman. All it would take… all it would take would be a little twist, separate the vertebrae, up near his skull… if she had the strength or the skill. –c-
Spoiler: Her mind filled with thoughts of the child, black and red in the flames and she wanted to do it. She clasped his neck, she wanted to do it so much, she closed her eyes, if she saw the Bat she couldn’t do it, but if she did, the city would be rid of Crane, everyone would be rid of the monster. She wrapped herself around him a moment her hands on his neck and forehead and in a move… she pulled off the mask and rolled him from her flinging the mask as far as she could, wanting the dank rottenness of it as far away from her as possible, before kneeling on him, reaching for his wrists to bind him –e-
Part One: The Headless Horseman
Story By: Batman and Spoiler
Batman: -Batarangs flew towards him, however, he dodged by diving into a roll, a purple tuxedo, a white painted face, red lipstick, green hair, a two missing front teeth. Inside his jacket he pulled out a rubber knife and charged towards his attacker. Black cape, tight fit abs, grey shirt, black shorts toned around his crotch and buttocks like underwear. His mask was tightly fit to his face, as the two miniaturized titans clashed against each other, both kids tackled each other and wrestled on the ground.- “Batman is better! He always wins!” “Err…But JOKER kills people!” “SO?” –It was then a man standing before them approached wearing a long trench coat, he towered over both of them. His size was masculine, over bearing as he seemed like the size of Superman. The boys looked at the giant and questioned.- “Uhh, can we-…can I help you?” –The Batman costumed kid stood up and puffed his chest out.- <C>
Batman: -A deep voice spoke as the man grinned.- “Of course you can. I lost my dog and I can’t find her…She has to take care of her puppies, can you help me?” –Batman would pause and then say. – “I don’t know…we’re about to go out trick or treating…” –The man grinned.- “Well, maybe I could take you while we look for my dog.” –The Joker costumed kid would say holding his knife towards the man.- “Alright…but try anything funny and The JOKER will cut ya!” –Two hours later…Batman:- ‘Five dead bodies…in two nights…Halloween night of all…’ –Batman kneeled down overlooking the alleyway to see police. Knife stabbings, the number of stabs matching exactly how many victims…He was keeping score for him and us. The first victim had a single stab, a blade puncturing the chest cavity and direction into the heart. Second victim, stabbed in the left lung and stomach…This victim was stabbed almost completely at random…’<c>
Batman: -Batman’s cape wrapped around his body making him appear slim and smaller than his actual size. His mask gave him the appearance of anger and aggression with furrowed eye brows aligned with constricted eye shapes. Batman’s cheek bones rose underneath his eyes to appear as though he were a predator narrowing its eyes upon its prey. His nose perched out from his face with a sharp tip, depending on the angle, if one were to look at him he would appear like any given Wolf or bear. A ferocious appearance indeed that matched his snarl when he spoke to thugs. The gothic stone beneath him was silvery from the moons gaze beaming down onto it, submerging the alley into darkness despite the police attempting to ward the darkness with flashlights.-
Spoiler: “October 31st - Dear Diary. When I died, it was like the last part of mom’s will died too. I hoped when dad was gone that she could find some peace, find a way out of the darkness, away from everything that was dragging her down…. she made progress, but when I died, it’s like she just slipped away too. - She’s in her room now, full of the ‘pams again, I don’t know if she knows I’m here, sometimes it’s like she doesn’t know who I am, or doesn’t even see me. I try and keep her warm and fed at least, but it’s like she’s the ghost instead of me. I can hear her snoring, she won’t be waking, not as full of them as she is now, dead to the world. I need to be out again, I need to be beneath the sky instead of all these bricks. I don’t know where to be any more, she looks right through me, I keep us going, I keep us stocked up on essentials, but we’re both dead now. –c-
Spoiler: “I don’t remember when I died, I know… I know I did. Everyone knows I did, and I don’t remember coming back. What came before… it’s there… but it kind of isn’t, it’s like looking at an old film, I remember it, but so much of it I can’t feel anymore. -I don’t know where to be, there’s nothing here, beyond helping mom… breathe, it’s hard to know what’s real, Harley Quinn... Harleen, saved me from those men, and yet I know what she was, had she changed? Was she ever what we thought? Can a person become someone new? And where did she go? Where can I go? I know HE won’t accept me back, I wish Robin were …” –c-
Spoiler: Stephanie put down the pen… such a gap in the diaries, so much time lost, “I need to be out under the sky instead of under the weight of the tenements” she thought again and, rising, she turned and went to the window, the glass cold under her fingertips, she looked out at the clear sky, hard to see the stars beyond the glow of the city, clear though, looking like a cold night. She thought about how they say in the wilderness the sky is black at night and that there are millions of stars, here in the city it was a mud. She picked up the bag again, pulled out the costume, a night for costumes, a costume amongst a million, she pulled on purple, the belts, the gloves and boots, the cowl, pulling her hair back, tying it… and finally the mask, finally the mask to be complete, sliding up the sash window she slipped out again into the night. –c-
Spoiler: Sirens wailed again, the never ending cry of the city, she knew HE was out there, knew she couldn’t attain what she needed for him to accept her, couldn’t stop wanting to though. “Come on Steph… buck up…Time to do some good.” Nowhere to go, nobody to accept her or approve, what will be… will be. –e-
Batman: -Batman stood up and armed his grapnel gun, his gloved fingers slipping around its trigger to point its hook towards the nearby radio tower. The hook released with a simple squeeze of the trigger, a crackle of titanium against aluminum would ring nearby the impact point of the hook before Batman would rapidly accelerate towards the tower. Feet before collision, Batman severing the grappling hooks binds on the tower and retracted the line. The hook neatly securing within the barrel of the Grapnel gun as Batman’s wings opened and he began gliding through air using the momentum of the grapnel boost to pick up speed and fly.- ‘I’m on patrol through Gotham, not even 30 minutes, I find one murder scene and then I hear a blood curling scream. There was no possible way it could be falsehood.’ <c>
Batman: ‘I ready myself for anything…My wings collapse and fold around my body causing me to pick up speed and dive straight towards an apartment building…I draw closer and listen to the screams of children, laughter of…men; they range between 20-50…Things begin to look odd though…Two horses…Outside the apartment. ’ –Batman broke in through the window of the apartment to spot five costumed monster men.- ‘A skeleton, a mummy, an arachnid, a hideous demon, and…a SCARECROW.’ –Batman’s face tightened as the skeleton looked at Batman and walked towards him.- “Nice costume, think you’re-…” –Batman’s hand reached for the skeleton’s face.- ‘I break his nose, and shatter his left cheek bone, his jaw crackled beneath my right hook, my left hand supporting his head allowing him to feel the full vice of my attack.’ <c>
Batman: ‘In that instant it would sound almost completely silent as the thug let out his own blood curling scream…he has an angelic voice, worthy of choir.’ –Scarecrow’s attention look to Batman and shouted.- “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick! Jack jump over the candlestick!” –Scarecrow chanted as he tossed a flaming torch in hand, the torch immediately blew up into flames as the Scarecrow jumped down the stair ways to flee. Batman watched as the Mummy and Arachnid tackled him.- ‘Too slow…’ –Batman’s head smashed into a dishwashing machine forcing a dent in the door, the Mummy’s fists began pounding against Batman’s face.- ‘How did I…Let things get out of control…?’ –Batman’s arms were bound by the arachnid costumed thug, squeezing him with all his might to stop Batman from striking.-
Spoiler: The scream hadn’t come from here… but certainly nearby, every instinct every fibre of her being called her to rush on, to rush to the scream, but she knew she had to pause, she knew she had to look, to see and she knew she had to think… to not miss things… miss important things, and you can die Steph… again. Down in the alleyway, more bodies, small streaks of light slipping about the alleyway catching edges and spikes , throwing their own daggers of blackness with their pale light on the walls. More bodies, she’d heard of the others and now two more, laying in black puddles, red only in the darting slivers of flashlight. Wounds at the chest, everything still so wet and the red, even in the pale light so bright and new. <C>
Spoiler: She heard the familiar flutter, the zip, the crash, she turned her head, tilting, trying to place the sounds, it was HIM, it had to be, she yearned to follow and then there was the small voice inside “Don’t go! He doesn’t need you. He doesn’t want you.” Quieter sounds of a struggle, muffled, over there, the apartments, two horses outside? Why two horses? “Is it him? Or a hallowe’en party” Another scream. It didn’t sound like fun and games, she felt herself tense. “Go to him” “He doesn’t need you”. There was the broken window, movement inside, dark figures, anger, the sounds of pain. ”Oh shut up Steph and do some good.” <C>
Spoiler: Running along the edge of the roof she took out her grapple and using her momentum also swung it towards the apartment building, it landed, caught, gripped just as she reached the edge and propelled herself in a parabolic arc bringing her across the gap between the two buildings almost parallel to the apartments and at a safe enough angle to catch the fire escape a couple of windows away from the broken one, inside she heard the sounds of fists meeting flesh. “He doesn’t need you STeph, he’s dealing with them”. She paused a second, she needed to see, needed to see how things should be done, she slipped quietly to the ledge, flat against the wall “We’re getting on better now gravity, lets stay friends shall we?” <C>
Spoiler: Peering around the window past the slivers of glass she saw a scene that made no sense a spider had HIM pinned, and a Mummy? This! Wasn’t happening! She pulled back a moment. Couldn’t be happening. She looked around again… big guys, big brawny guys, too big, too heavy, big enough to hold HIM. She pulled back again and this time reached into her belt. When she moved it was just as the smoke capsules exploded, the flash, the smoke, the confusion, her foot in the back of the Mummy’s knee, her fist in his kidneys as he started to topple. This couldn’t be real.
Batman: -Batman saw the area fill with smoke.- ‘The fire…its progressing faster than I thought…Keep it…together…Batman!’ –Batman saw the spider’s limbs begin cutting into Batman’s stomach, blood and guts spilled out from Batman, the Mummy’s bandages also began to fall off revealing a large black hole that would attempt to eat Batman…………In reality, the Mummy was continuing to hit Batman until he was covered in smoke. The people in the room began screaming, attacking each other, kicking and punching to keep each other away, a little boy fell backwards and into the fire spreading around the room.- ‘Fear…I can hear the Scarecrow outside, throughout all the screams of people inside the apartment.’ Scarecrow: “They scream and cry but, fear remains!” <c>
Batman: -Batman watched as the mummy stumbled, Spoiler’s attack. Batman looked at her and spotted her as a Ghost hitting the Mummy. Batman pulled off his belt a small canister and sprayed the Mummy in the face causing him to scream and wipe his eyes clear. Batman’s shoulder would slam into the arachnid causing him to loosen and Batman’s arms to overtake him. Batman tumbled backwards, rolling to crush the arachnid and then Batman fired his batclaw, at the mummy, wrapping the cable around the Mummy’s belt, Batman hurled the mummy out the window, forcing them to free fall until the grappling cable halted his descent, attaching the cable to a radiator pipe. <c>
Batman: -Batman opened a belt pouch and pulled out a nasal spray that he shot directly into his nostrils before holstering it on his belt.- ‘This should help clear up Crane’s fear gas…’
Spoiler: Something else in the air, she couldn’t quite place it, the mummy hadn’t gone down, tough guy… or desperate… and then he was screaming and rocketing past her out of the window. The arachnid was on its back, legs waving, big, hairy, gross… but at least Batman was up, she didn’t remember him being 12 feet tall, and such fiery eyes, oh hell, was this another of those nightmares? “Hey Bats” she called out as lightly as she could towards the burning eyes in a black silhouette almost as if the fire shone right through him. ‘He doesn’t need you Steph... get out of his way and then it’s just a fluke we got in each other’s paths and we’ll go our separate ways at that’ll be that’ <C>
Spoiler: Her lungs hurt, the flames, spreading far faster than she’d thought, the heat in the air making it difficult to breathe, burning inside… she looked away from him, didn’t want to face his gaze. Flames everywhere, the whole room red and orange and dancing in the constantly changing light, every single thing alive with movement and heat… the fire twisting like serpents around… a child… like a punch to her stomach... a child, she twisted away from the Batman, “Let him deal with them… HE doesn’t need me anyway. Oh God don’t be too late!” The child’s tiny clothes already on fire she reached into the flames, even through the gauntlets SO HOT. She clasped a small leg, pulled, ‘Oh god the smell’... his hair melting away, she pulled him close rolled him, smothered, but the smell… the red and the black and the smell… ‘Too late Steph, always too late’, she slumped to the floor, pulled his body close, tears in her eyes, beyond just the smoke, she pulled him into her lap, beginning to rock.
Batman: -Batman stomped his foot to crush the arachnid man causing blood to spat from his mouth. Batman’s gaze shifted to see the emergency sprinkler switch. Batman went to reach for it when the Demon man grabbed him from behind.- “Welcome to Hell!” –Batman’s jaw stiffened and clutched before Batman slammed the back of his head into the demon’s face knocking him back. Batman reached forward and flipped the switch causing the sprinklers to wash over everything in the room, Batman spun around and ducked, seeing the Demon costumed man charging at Batman, Batman punched the thug in the crotch causing him to collapse onto the ground grasping his genitals I agony. Batman then kicked the thug across the face knocking them out cold. <c>
Batman: -Batman fought the anxiety built up in his system, as he approached the arachnid to kick them across the face knocking them unconscious. Batman saw Spoiler beginning to crawl up on the floor, he grabbed her by the collar and pulled her to him.- “You’re coming with me!” –He growled his voice almost demonic to her. He would attempt to wrap his arm around her chest and then he would dash out of the window, to fire his grappling hook to take them high.
Spoiler: It had to be a nightmare, she held the tiny body close, it just had to be as the flames built around them “Always too late Steph”, nightmares didn’t hurt or smell like this, his little face so blackened, she pulled him closer. Then there were hands at her neck, pulling her head back, lifting her and a voice out of the pits of hell… oh god wanting to pull her down into the eyes, beyond which there was nothing but hellfire. She felt herself pulled upwards her hands reaching instinctively to try and free herself, the small body tumbled form her lap. <C>
Spoiler: “No.. NOOOO!” she screamed trying to break free trying to reach for the tiny body as it rolled back towards the flames “Let Me go!” She fought it, fought the hands on her the arm around her, dragging her away, dragging her to the depths, her final failure “NOOOO!” and the tears ran like rain, until she felt she would drown and the tiny body was receding into the fires, the room was receding, everything was going away into a small black dot everything except the pain, she watched the tiny body vanish and helpless she cried out in despair as she they rushed away and upwards, like the smoke from the fires, she felt cold… very cold.
Batman: -Batman was still holding Spoiler with his arm wrapped around her torso as they flew down towards the ground. He reached to his belt and pulled out a hypo injector and sprayed her nose.- “Listen to my voice. You were hit by Scarecrow’s fear toxin…” –Batman’s voice was still demonic, his appearance morphed to that of a large beast, bright blue and large eyes, fangs from his mouth, and ears that were stretching towards the sky. His hands were claws with sharp edges and pointed pins. Blood would drip from her hallucination of Batman, but he was practically unharmed. The Scarecrow continued fleeing on his horse singing his song.- “Trick or treat, but fear is for everyone!” –Batman’s own vision was hallucinating and affected by Scarecrow gas, but he had reacted to the spray very quickly inside the burning apartment. People were now beginning to rush out of the building, when Batman turned to see a black horse waiting.- <c>
Batman: Posted to the black horse was a white sign that stated “For Batman.” –The horse was wearing pumpkins on his mantle, its reins for red with bright orange pumpkins. Batman picked up Spoiler and brought her to follow him as he jumped onto the horse.- ‘I can’t leave her here…Stephanie’s identity will be ruined if *this* Stephanie is discovered by the police.’
Spoiler: She heard his voice, twisted and snarling around the inhuman fangs, heard it but didn't understand, just sounds of rage and hatred and rejection, she wanted to be small, to curl up into a tiny ball, to hide away from what was back in the room, the tiny body, the heat, the flames, the failure, the shame of the fear that it was as much the rejection she feared as the failure to help the people in the inferno. And here was the Bat... whoever he was... and the true face of his rejection assaulted her mind. When the b;last hit her, she thought it was more blood, she tried to pull away, more words, she still couldn't understand. More words... and far away singing. The fear was slightly less, she looked up, his face still terrifying, but the fire behind his eyes now fading to a colder harder blue- c-
Spoiler: “Please…” she managed to say but she didn’t know what she was asking for, release, reassurance, approval? Before she knew it she was lifted again, as if she weighed nothing, lifted high and deposited on something living and breathing. His face turned away, she caught her breath a moment, and despite the fear, she found herself holding onto the him as once again they dashed into the darkness–e-
Batman: -Batman and Spoiler rode off on the horse chasing after the Scarecrow, meanwhile Alfred spoke into Batman’s helmet.- “Sir, police reports are coming in. There are kidnappings happening in North Gotham, two children have gone missing.” –Batman tapped the side of his helmet and spoke.- “I’ll check it out in a moment. Jonathan Crane is on the run, he sprayed Spoiler and I with Fear gas…I’m in pursuit now with Spoiler.” –Alfred seemed skeptical and pondered.- “Is Ms. Brown alright? She could slow you down.” –Batman spoke fearlessly.- “I don’t have time to leave her somewhere safe…I’ll keep her safe. Send the Bat Mobile to intercept me.” –As Batman and Spoiler closed distance to the Scarecrow.<c>
Batman: Scarecrow slipped out of his pockets a dart gun and began firing poisonous darts at Batman and Spoiler, the darts primarily striking the horse as some struck Batman and smashed against his armor. It was swift that the Scarecrow ran into Gotham’s Robinson park, just as Batman heard J’onn speak to him.- “Jonn, I’m in pursuit of Scarecrow, he’s heading into Robinson park; located in the center of Gotham. See if you can cut him off. He needs to be stopped.” –Batman’s voice was deep and full of urgency.-
Spoiler: Slowly, the cold night air bit into her and drove out the fear, she heard his voice slowly changing, becoming more human, warmer, more reassuring, she heard her name, and something made her cling to him more tightly. He was talking to someone, she pulled herself up to try and peek over his shoulder, scarecrow was just ahead, it began to make a little sense now as her brain began to clear, he had saved her again, her mind this time, not blood but anti-toxin. She held on tight resting her head against his back “Thank you” –c-
Spoiler: The braying of the horse brought her to her senses from the hero worship again and leaning sideways she was able to see the horse as it fought to unseat Crane. I’m no cowgirl she thought a moment before unwrapping her arms from the Bat and turning, started to slip from the side of the horse “I can’t do anything from here, Bats” Hmm, the ground was going by awfully quickly, and the legs churning … maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all –e-
Batman: -Batman grinned like a child seeing Scarecrow flailing like out of control. Screaming from the Scarecrow.- “He swears until the day he is dead, that he’ll come back searching for a HEAD!” –Batman chased him into the park where Scarecrow finally dropped his dart gun and fell off the horse. Batman immediately behind him jumped off his own horse and tackled Scarecrow, both would tumble into dirt, when suddenly fiery pumpkins dropped down from the trees and released fear toxin into the air. Batman had already been inoculated as well Spoiler was. Scarecrow grabbed hold of a sickle and slashed Batman’s arm igniting sparks from Batman’s bicep and bracer while forcing Batman to tumble and dodge another slash, Batman’s cape screeched as a shred from the sickle raked across the fabric.- <c>
Spoiler: She pushed and hit the ground, rolled, caught her breath and by the time she was up she saw the pumpkins descending, the gas filling the air, turning the clear night misty, she saw the sickle clip Batman’s arm, how had he dismounted, reached the fray so quickly? SO fast... so good, and yet he tumbled, the sickle slicing down, rending fabric with the shriek. She saw the spindly figure step forward, so fast too, if even the Bat could fall what chance did she have? Skinny but strong… and fast… and dangerous, even without the effect of the toxin. She reached, found a fallen tree branch, lifted it, not too heavy but enough. In an instant it was spinning from her hand, glancing from the sackcloth mask as the sickle began another downward arc. Enough to unsettle him perhaps, but not more, the arc diverted… enough? She found herself wishing she were stronger, bigger, faster, and in the next instant she found herself suddenly running, even despite those wishes, running hard and low, her arms braced, ready for the leap, ready to reach for his wrist, to keep that blade away from Batman. –e-
Batman: Scarecrow was struck and fell backwards as the stick smacked into the frail man.- “Who-he-ha ha! You can’t figure out a plan! Because you can’t reason with a headless man!” –Scarecrow hurled his sickle towards a pumpkin just above Spoiler dropping it down and igniting oil, suddenly fire surrounded her. Batman’s fingers slipped to his belt and rolled three batarangs into his hands, folding the metal throwing stars between the layers of his fingers, with a flick of his wrist the three stars would sweep through air and curve sideways to stab Scarecrow in the bicep, forearm, and hand making Scarecrow scream in agony.- “Gaaah! Ha ha!” –He tried to laugh away the pain. He would continue to tout.- “They scream, they cower, they discover FEAR!"
Spoiler: Her charge came to a sudden halt as the flames rose about her, to reminiscent of the flames a few minutes before. The pain of those thoughts still fresh in her mind, she wondered how much of what had happened in the room was real, whether the failure, the child was real or the effect of the Toxin, her anger rose, whether real or her fears turned against her it triggered a response of anger and hatred. Through the flickering pyre she saw the batarangs strike, the screeching man stagger backwards, it had been enough at least to give Batman time to regain the upper hand, had she done that twice tonight? She would again, stepping back as close as she dared to the heat she took two steps, hoping that the floor work in gym class would pay off, she began a tumble and somersaulted through the flames. –c-
Spoiler: As soon as she landed she was almost beside the Bat, and moving towards Scarecrow again “The only way to win is to face your fears” she cried as she leapt towards him, he foot rising towards his head hoping she could kick it off his scrawny neck! “Rash, Steph” she thought as she saw the sickle swinging again –e-
Batman: Scarecrow stumbled backwards as Spoiler smashed into him causing him to drop his sickle.- “Whoa! Whoa! Hehe Ha ha!” –Scarecrow would leap at Stephanie to attempt at grabbing her throat, however; despite Scarecrow’s size of 6 feet, his strength and weight was fairly weak, weighing at 135 lbs, Stephanie’s attackers were actually capable of inflicting damage to him and she was swift enough to dodge his attack. Batman would allow Spoiler to take point as he took a moment to study the young woman moving into action unlike before, a side of him recognized the young girl who became his apprentice and came under his teachings as Batgirl. Batman used his batclaw to pull him towards the trees above and get an overhead assessment of the situation. Observing for a moment he would suddenly drop down behind Scarecrow, waiting for Stephanie’s next move before making his own.-
Spoiler: When her foot connected she felt his head snap back, she was surprised at how good it felt, the sickle flipped away as his arm continued harmlessly in its arc past her. She rolled out of the kick and away from him as he lunged again towards her, this time a low kick kicking his shin, sending his supporting foot out from underneath him as she placed her other leg such that his chin connected with her knee, there was the click of his neck again “Aha… haaa” he croaked “What are little girls made of?” Spoiler: Her forearm came across his cheek, as his head snapped back away from her knee she was winning! It felt good, she felt strong and where was the Bat? She was winning! And the Bat was letting her! Scarecrow’s head lolled to one side and he fell into her lap, her arm going around his throat as she looked for Batman. All it would take… all it would take would be a little twist, separate the vertebrae, up near his skull… if she had the strength or the skill. –c-
Spoiler: Her mind filled with thoughts of the child, black and red in the flames and she wanted to do it. She clasped his neck, she wanted to do it so much, she closed her eyes, if she saw the Bat she couldn’t do it, but if she did, the city would be rid of Crane, everyone would be rid of the monster. She wrapped herself around him a moment her hands on his neck and forehead and in a move… she pulled off the mask and rolled him from her flinging the mask as far as she could, wanting the dank rottenness of it as far away from her as possible, before kneeling on him, reaching for his wrists to bind him –e-