Worried

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

Two days had already passed since Bruce had seen Katalyn, and it was safe to say that he was seriously worried. She should have at least contacted him, let him know she was okay, even if she wanted to be alone. So now he was at her home, not finding any sign of her presence for at least 48 hours. He crouched in the dark little home, pawing through her things, looking for anything, any clues that would give away even the slightest hint to where she could be.

Comments

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

Pika blinked, then gave a mew of delight as she bolted down the pipe shaft. Finally, the nice girl was back, maybe with food!

She hurried out, then skidded to a stop, seeing the boy. She hurried over, then looked at hm a mewed sadly, going to the bed she cuddled with Katalyn in and looking at him hopefully, clearly looking for the girl.

(In the Joker's Lair)

Katalyn curled in the corner, sobbing softly and continually, her stomach and sides and head aching. The bad men were always coming in and demanding more information out of her. She never gave in, but hunger and the Joker's after visits, once the crazy guy in blue left, were leaving her near shattered.

She curled into the corner, sobbing softly, but was finally starting to suspect that the man she'd been protecting for two days was not going to show. He probably thought she'd run off, and he probably didn't care.

She could, of course, give him and Batwoman up, then be dumped out and released... but how could she give away information she'd sworn to take to her grave? And he probably would let her go anyway....

She shook her head, her mind made up. Tiny girl or not, she had to follow her code until she died. And part of that was never, ever giving away her secret about the Bat. She found out that information, and now it was her duty to guard it.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

He heard the cat before he saw it.

"Hey, kitty, you haven't seen Katalyn around, have you?" He murmured, half to himself, not expecting the cat to really understand something like that. He still rummaged around in her things.

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

She shook her head sadly and rubbed her face against the pillow, crying softly, then looking up at him and sighing.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well, I'm worried about her too," he muttered. "I've totally hit a dead end."

[random-w00t.livejournal.com]

What...? A child in the Batman clothing?

Dämmerung's ears shot forward and her wings swept back as she watched the little figure down below. Then she hissed through her teeth as a helicopter went by overhead and her shadow was thrown onto the ground around the boy in stark relief.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

He blinked, looking up.

"Dam! It's you! Wow, I totally flaked on that one. When were we 'posed to meet?"

[random-w00t.livejournal.com]

Her eyes widened, and the next instant she was beside him with a rush of wind from her wings. "Six days ago. Vhat has happened?"

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

"As you can see, a minor setback?" He raised an eyebrow under the cowl, moving his hand to indicate his rather short stature.

In the Joker's Lair.... (A bit later)

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

Joker pinned Katalyn to the wall, his face in hers as he hissed.

"I tire of your games. You've made my new helper question himself a bit too often, and if he turns on me he'll be ost difficult to squish. Now, I want to know Batman's name. I want to know where he lives, and I want to know where Batwoman has been squatting these past few years, do you understand?"

"Bite me," Katalyn whimpered, kicking at him.

He tossed her into the wall, his most vicious and frightening grin in place.

"I hope you know... our little chat won't end until you tell," he chuckled darkly.

Re: In the Joker's Lair.... (A bit later)

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

A tiny face peered through a crack in the wall, watching the scene with grim determination. Would it be wiser and better to just bust in, or wait for the opportune moment? The kid in him so wanted to just run in there, but he knew better. There were probably traps, thugs just waiting around the corner.

But he couldn't let the Joker get ahold of Katalyn any longer. He knew what the Joker did, and could do.

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"You're mean, and you're gonna get it one day," Katalyn said tearfully. She hurt, and was hungry, and was scared. But she wouldn't cave, she wouldn't betray him.

"Not me, not today," he chuckled, then picked her up again and held her in midair, glad she didn't have the strength to fight any more. "But then, I'd hate to dissappoint you, so here's the deal. You tell me what you know in the next ten seconds, and I won't turn you into my newest sidekick."

He took out a long, thin needle, full of some green kind of bubbling gunk, and her eyes got huge.

"No," she moaned, squirming. "No, no!"

"Five... four... three... two....." he paused and watched her, stunned when she burst into tears. "Well? Last chance."

She hiccuped, then sucked in her tears.

"You're a $#$^. And Batman's gonna kick your #$^ into the new age," she whimpered.

"And his real name is...?" He could see the fear in her eyes. It was now or never. She looked at him, then the needle, then him again.

"Mommy," she whisperd. Joker blinked.

"What?"

"Mommy," she repeated, going slack and whispering. "I'm gonna see her again. My mommy. Do your worst."

"Be glad to," he snarled, chucking her to the floor, then going down at her with the needle.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

A Batarang swooped out of the darkness and right at the needle.

The door was opened, and a very tiny Batman was standing there, cursing up a storm. This was so not good. He had wondered though, if Katalyn was going to break. If she would tell. But it looked as if she would rather die than tell. It was something to certainly think about later. But right now, he couldn't let anything distract him, anything at all. This wasn't going to be pretty.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_robin_3/]

A four-star shaped shuriken whizzed by the Joker's head, actually cutting a bit of his hair in the process. Said shuriken had the symbol of an R on it at the same time.

I chose this moment to reveal myself from the darkness, a calm look on my face and a confident grin shown at the same time as I leaped toward one of my mentor's most hated adversaries and kicked him across the face; I landed lightly on my feet only seconds afterward.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to pick on people your own size, Joker?" I asked while keeping an eye on both him and someone in a familiar Bat-costume.

"While I distract him, you grab the girl and get out of here; try to alert Batman or the cops as soon as possible. Nice diversion, by the way." I whispered, not yet realizing that I didn't need to alert Batman.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

So that's what it felt like. He honestly hadn't been expecting Tim to show up, but he wasn't totally sure that they were out of trouble yet. Things could still get worse, and without his strength to protect Tim...no, he had to focus. Don't think about that.

"Shouldn't it be me, telling you what to do? Kid?" The tone was familiar, but wry and with the lighter tone of a child's voice. "Guess what happened? Again?"

But it wasn't a bad plan either, Tim was bigger than himself now even though he himself had been a big kid (after all, he was about ten right now) but he knew they'd have a better time at it if Katalyn was mobile, and especially away from the Joker. He threw two batarangs at the wall next to her for her to use.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_robin_3/]

"Batman...?!"

The voice, though unmistakably lighter was familiar in tone. It was Bruce, but how had this happened?! Again? Had Klarion and his cat Teekl been by recently, or was this due to some other kind of magic I wasn't aware of?

At least I hadn't been turned into an adult. That would be quite the story to tell the Titans back home, or Stephanie!

Pulling out my staff, I allowed Batman to take the lead; the Joker was his darkest foe after all, and if he needed my help he would ask for it.

"I'll remember to ask what happened to you later, after this is over." I added, my eyes still widened a bit behind my mask.

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

The tiny girl ganced at them, then closed her eyes, struggling up and saawing away at her bonds. At last they came undone, but the last of her strength was used up, and she crumpled, passed out cold.

Joker blinked, then saw his chance, throwing a few exploding bouncy balls at her, then grabbing the Bat and chucking him out, following quickly and throwing the latching, locking the Boy wonder in the room to figure out how to save the girl. He grinned as an explosion sounded from the room inside.

"And now that they're dead, it's time for you," he turned on the child in front of him.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

A crisp nod to Robin, indeed, they'd have to talk once this mess was over. If they got out of this mess. He saw Katalyn struggling out of the corner of his eye, but grimaced when he saw her strength leave her and she passed out. Great, now they had to carry her. Good thing Robin was here or he'd have a heckava time with that one.

Then suddenly he was grabbed and within a moment he was alone with the Joker. His reactions were slower, of course, but he didn't expect to be so taken off guard by that. His eyes narrowed.

"They're not dead. But you're comin' close." He brought out several batarangs in his hand, ready to throw them point blank at the Joker. And then he did.

[random-w00t.livejournal.com]

She was there suddenly, wings half-furled, her dark eyes smoldering. "I'm here."

[masqueraider.livejournal.com]

"And I'm here too!" Yelled a bright blue costumed (and incredibly tall) man. He glanced towards the Joker, and towards the...gargoyle lady in front of him.

"Oh, it's a caged match thing going on here! Where's the ref?"

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

"Just get them," Joker snapped. "The sprite in multiple covers and the woman. I have a score to settle with Batbrat, here."

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

"You know what to do," the young Bat nodded towards Dam, he was certainly glad she was here.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_robin_3/]

As for me, I'd decided to leave the fight between the Tick and...Dämmerung to themselves and instead focused on keeping the Joker distracted. First off, I threw a smoke pellet in his face so he'd be temporarily blinded and had to deal with darkness-at least for a time. Once I heard him coughing, I kneeled down to where my mentor/adopted father was at.

"How badly did he hurt you? Need any help in sending the Clown to Chinatown?" I couldn't help but offer a light grin, joking though it may be, in his direction.

[detectivebats.livejournal.com]

He was dizzy and a nice bruise was welling up on the side of his face, his head ached tremendously. But he had got off lightly, considering what could have easily happened.

"I'm fine," he said breathily, ignoring the joke and the grin, though he appreciated what Tim was trying to do. "Just help me get rid of him."

[dbattyones.livejournal.com]

The Joker glared as he clawed as his face, coughing and wheezing.

"TICK," he bellowed, but the blue idiot was nowhere to be seen.

He blinked and looked around, realizing he was outnumbered hopelessly, and let out an enraged howl.

"For ONCE!" he bellowed. "CONFOUND IT ALL!"

Taking out his bouncing bombs he chucked them at the floor, causing an explosion of smoke and noise.

By the time it all cleared, the Joker was long gone.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_robin_3/]

Before I could even launch an attack, more smoke clouded my vision as I stayed in front of my mentor and waited for it to clear. Once it had cleared, the Joker was gone!

My eyes narrowed with slight anger and irritation. So close...and yet so far at the same time.

"Even here in this Gotham, Joker's still able to get away!" I noted while turning back toward Batman, slightly frustrated at the end result but pleased that both heroes-turned-kids were still okay.