"Y'know, if we're really going to do this, I'm at least taking 3 of you down with me"
You sat there, blood dripping down the side of your face. You were seated on the ledge of a building, your legs hanging off the edge. A solemn air surrounded you as you continued to stare at Gotham. Night had already fallen long ago, yet the city that seemed to always be trying to find a way to end your life looked so beautiful, so full of life. It was just so....serene.
You let out a small, dry chuckle. One that seemed to echo around you. A cold breeze made your H/C slightly glow in the wind.
'Since when did I start to get so sentimental'
The blood running down your face snapped you out of your trance as it dripped onto your hand, the red liquid seeping through your clenched your fist. The wound came from a baseball bat. Your trench coat had long been abandoned, skewered by a trident. Both of your swords lay either side of you, sheaths lost as you used it to defend yourself from the sword of swords. A wound on your arm aggravated you at every move, the bullet residing there was taken out long ago.
"Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be"
You grabbed the blades on either side of you, each reminiscent of your battles with the members of the Titans. You slowly made your way to your feet, letting out a tired sigh as you did. An aching feeling made its way into your legs as you finally stood at your full height. You moon seemed to shine even brighter, and you took this moment to once again savour beauty of the city at night. It felt so.....so alive.
Accepting what was to come next, you turned yourself around. 5 figures stood on the opposite side of the rooftop, each with a weapon in hand. You looked at the one who spoke, a mask covering their face. The red in mask's eye seemed to glow as it reflected the moonlight, giving one the illusion that the man in front of them was a demon, a reaper. Ignoring the last statement made, you asked them, a simple question.
"Now before we get started, I want you to tell me"
You let out a smile, and released your aura.
"Who wants to die first"
Earlier......
"TAKE THE FUCKING WHEEL Y/N"
And with that, Doctor Hugo Strange opened the door to his Van, and jumped out while it was still going.
You immediately jumped into the drivers seat. The next second a bullet implanted itself into the spot where your head was a a second prior, indenting itself into the fabric that made up the interior of the Van. You took control of the car, moving your head off the headrest on your new seat. A bullet that would've pierced your ear drove itself into the cushion.
"What is with this series of unfortunate events!"
You heard a strange noise to your left, and you snapped your head in that direction.
All you saw were two headlights.
"........*sigh*.........*clears voice*......FU"-
That's when everything went to hell.
"Damnit damnit pick up pick up"
Damian Wayne, aka Robin stood atop one of the many buildings littered across Gothams Green Zone. The other Titans each stood by, either conversing among each other or trying to digest everything that's happened in the day so far. A pinkish colour littered the sky, as the sun began to set. Raven stared out into the sky, a look of pondering set on her features.
"Hola mi buena amiga- I mean hello my good friend Raven! Could you please inform me on why you seem more down than usual- I mean upset?"
The ever shining beacon of sunshine that was Starfire stood flying in front of the pale skinned woman. A nervous smile was on her face after that last sentence of course, as well as the unintentional use of a new language.
A blank face overtook the look of pondering the half-demon had, and she merely stared at her fellow member.
"And could you inform me on why you're so chipper? And I mean even more than usual" she fired back.
A surprised expression made its way into the view of Raven, and then one of realization, and then one of embarrassment, and then one of shame/embarrassment/blushing.
'I'm so gonna tease her about this for the next month, when she admits to why she's like this at least'
"Soooooooooo?"
Starfire hid her quite red face in her hands, before she slowly and shakily began to fly out of the magic users vision. "Oh no you don't"
She suddenly found herself being dragged back down to her previous spot. She looked at Raven, noticing a black energy surrounding her hand.
"Answer the question Mrs Sunshine"
A slightly panicked look adorned Starfire, as she attempted a little harder to fly away. Once realizing it was futile, she slowly craned her head to look at her friend.
"A-and if I re-refuse"
"Prepare to die"
"OKOKOKOK"
Starfire felt the pressure on her body ease a little. She knew that the raven haired girl wouldn't actually hurt her, but this was just the way their friendship went. And Starfire valued all of her friends, yet she can also be kinda oblivious at times, which would be shown quite soon.
"So, spill it" she was once again asked. Star gave up hope of escape, and just allowed her emotions to show. "It's just that, she was right" a...dreamy? look appeared on her face, which only confused Raven even more.
"Who?"
"Friend Rose of course"
Now Raven had to admit she was feeling quite hurt. Did they talk about something without her? 'And why is Star acting so weird?'
"Aaaaand?"
"And?"
"What was she right about?"
"He really is a good kisser"
"Wha"-
"Hey guys, has anyone seen Static?"
Speedy, who was holding a cloth to the back of his head curtesy of a bat-wielding maniac, stood up from his spot on the ground as he asked this.
Starfire, who was looking for a way out of her current situation, saw this chance and took it. Flying to the centre of the ever so repeated setting known only as the rooftop, she moved her head back and forth.
"Why of course, he's right...he's right....huh....would you look at that"
"Hm?" A curious response from Speedy signalled her next words.
"He isn't here"
"Shit. He isn't here"
You had already managed to crawl your way out of the flipped over a vehicle. The smell of gasoline in the air really not helping your assumption that the car may just blow up soon.
You sat up, clutching your left shoulder as you did. Even though your right one was dislocated.
'Why is it numb?'
A small ball of panic began to form in the bottom of your stomach, as the thought that something irreversible happened to your arm wormed it's way into your thought process.
After checking yourself over and realizing that nothing was wrong, you popped your right shoulder, which had been dislocated from the impact of the crash back into place. It hurt, but the adrenaline from the whole ordeal nulled the pain, so hey look at the bright side.
You were currently looking for the body of Static Shock among the rubble that was formerly Hugo's Van. And yet-
'Where is he!'
You couldn't find him.
The image of a squished Static dead among the rubble made you begin to dig even faster.
"Pssst"-
On reflex, you sent a punch that hit the voice whispering into your ear. You felt your fist collide against the face of mystery man, which was swiftly followed by the sound of someone rolling across the ground due to the momentum of the attack. You turned around and saw......a knocked out Static.
"......."
"......."
"......."
"Well he dead"
You picked up the dead body- jk you honestly thought I'd kill off a character..................moving on uhhhhhhhhh- A BULLET GRAZED YOUR CHEEK.
You felt your skin being ripped off as it grazed your skin, which was immediately followed by the feeling of crimson liquid flowing down your face.
You felt your body go into a rage, as red was the only colour you saw in your vision. Without realizing it, you dropped the Titan you were holding, the groan that escaped him during that moment snapped you out of your state of madness.
'Calm down, now isn't the time. I have to get Static to safety, the last thing I want is Waller getting her hands on him. Scratch that, since he can destroy the bombs in their heads with enough focus, she'll kill him!'
The consequences of your actions led to this moment. You should've thought things through, or even talk it out with Strange before you did this. Now you somehow had to find a way to get out of this mess while making sure Static doesn't die.
"I so want to make an electricity joke right now"
You jerked your body to the side, picking up the Hero as you did so. You both rolled across the ground, as the place you previously stood became littered with bullets.
"OK I'M SORRY"
There were a few reasons Batman never killed the Joker, and even saved the madman multiple times. The first and most important reason was his vow to never take a life, or save another's by any means possible.
It was a vow he made sometime after his parents met their end that alleyway, killed right in front of the boy.
At the time he was lost. Everything that crossed his vision was a blur, as his brain seemed to forget the concept of time. One moment he would blink, and it's be morning. He's blink again, only to find himself at the table, breakfast ready for him.
He never ate it though.
He'd blink again, only to find himself staring at the picture he and his parents took the very night they were murdered. The joy on all of their faces shone through, the image of complete happiness was all he could see.
Yet it was taken from him.
One night. One wrong turn. One moment.
And everything was gone. Everything he held dear was sucked from this mortal plain leaving only him. Every time he looked at his hands he could see the blood of his parents stained onto his flesh. He could still hear the cries of his mother, he last words reassuring him that everything would be all right.
It wasn't all right.
In his dreams he could only stare at the ripped necklace of his mother, the sparkling beads scattered across the dirt of that alleyway. He kept staring, even when the sound of his father telling the man not to do this echoed right beside him. Even when the sound of a single gunshot echoed through the empty space. Even when the screams of his mother were silenced the same way his father was. The only time he did look, was when he heard the clink of the gun reloading, as the sensation of a cold metal pressed up against his head.
Then he would wake up.
Then repeat.
The only reason the young Wayne hadn't done something terrible to himself was Alfred. Alfred was his saving grace. Always caring and never losing patience with the boy. Even when the boy would lash out and take his anger out at the butler in the form of screaming, Pennyworth always stood there.
His supporting beacon.
One day, after who knows how long after his parents death, the boy came to an epiphany.
He began looking into Gotham. Whether it be from crime rates to companies, he researched them all. Day and night with barely any sleep he continued his quest. The only reason he even ate was Alfred forcing him to.
After spending months looking through everything Gotham had to offer, only one thought passed through Bruce's mind.
"This city is beyond redemption"
The corruption that littered Gotham overwhelmed him. He even started to ask himself if he was lucky his parents even lasted that long in a place such as this. Bribes, murders, cover ups. The laws had been contorted and bent, making everyone living in Gotham believe one thing.
That there are no rules.
But then he remembered all the good people too. Alfred, Lucius Fox, and apparently a man Jim Gordon who was trying to reform the once beyond hope GCPD.
"No"
His previous statement wasn't right. As long as there is at least one good person in Gotham, then was it really beyond saving?
"Does this city.......this city needs hope"
Hope. Maybe that's what this city needed. Everyone that lived there had already given up hope of reforming the city. Given up belief that maybe they could just go out and buy groceries without the risk of losing their lives at the hands of someone else.
But what if-
'What if I could give them hope?'
That was the day he made his vow, and set out to become the hope that Gotham needed.
He said he would never break that vow, and he's
kept his word even to this day *cough not BvS though cough*.
The second reason he never killed the Joker, was this.
Gotham was in a state of absolute chaos. Something reminiscent of the horror stories told about the carnage during the creation of the city.
The thing is, Jokers dead.
Which means, the fragile balance between Gothams crime lords was shattered.
Bruce let out a sigh.
"I'm not sure if Gotham can survive this"
Just then, the beeping in his headset made him jerk up. Bring his middle and and index finger up to the side of his head, another beep let the other side know they could talk.
"Father"
"Damian"
"He took a member"
"Elaborate"
"Y/N kidnapped Static Shock"
"Y'know Fate, why aren't Apple chargers called Apple Juice?"
"By the Order"
"Beeeeeeeep bop"
You snapped your head to your right. You were crouched down in an alleyway, your back against the wall as you sat on the ground. A drop of sweat fell off your face, as you tried to catch your breath even for just a moment.
A strange device floated midair to the side of you. Static still layer knocked out, even after all the running and times you accidentally dropped him.
"Beeep boooHelooooooo-Hello its beeeep Str-beeepppp- Strange-boooop-leave him by-boooop second alley-beeep-way to-beeeep-left"
You managed to stop the groan of exhaustion that was coming by covering your mouth with your hands. After that moment had passed, you picked up the blue-schemed Hero and began to follow the robots instructions. The only reason you trusted the almost broken looking device that seemed to barely stay afloat was because before you left the asylum, you thought saw Strange trying to repair said device.
Once you plopped his body on the spot that you believed to be the right alleyway, two more....rat? looking robots bit onto his torn clothes and began to drag him into the darkness.
You stared into their direction as they disappeared into the into the night.
"That was the creepiest thing I've seen all day, and I saw Blackfire looking at me like a predator to prey"
You grabbed your forehead with one hand and shook your head.
You bout to die my friend.
You didn't know what to do, or why you felt as if death it was creeping up behind you. You didn't know why you felt it wrapping its long fingers around your neck and about to squeeze.
You simply ducked.
You felt something brush past your H/C hair, as a clank in front of you alerted the thrower that they had missed. It also alerted you that it was your queue to run.
You jumped, pushing one of your feet towards the wall of the alley, before pushing off it, gaining height in the process. After repeating the sequence many times within a few seconds, you found yourself being flung onto a rooftop.
Once you recovered, you looked down from where you just came.
And saw nothing.
You were so focused on this mystery, that you didn't notice the firing of a bullet.
'SHIT'
Twisting your body to move out of the way, you managed to stop the bullet from impacting your ribs. It did however, bury itself into your shoulder.
You failed to realize that during all of this, you lost your grip on the ledge of the building.
'God damnit'
You felt gravity weigh you down, as the feeling of the wind roaring in your ears drowned everything out.
Then you hit the ground.
You don't remember when you woke up, but your body moved unconsciously as it ducked. You felt something swing over your head, but your blurry vision stopped you from seeing the culprit. Everything was spinning around you, and a sharp pain erupted within your left shoulder.
You were so focused on all of this, that you failed to dodge the next attack.
Something solid connected with your head, and the force even sent you reeling back. Everything was even more dizzy, and you could barely see in front of you.
The figure responsible for this let out a laugh, it was a dry one but a laugh none the less.
You felt your legs buckle, and you collapsed to the ground. The figure walked over to you, before placing the weapon they had over your chest and then leaning on it with both hands.
"We got a lot t'talk about mister"