A dark weekend

London Early morning of November 1

The police constable had finished taking the statement from the woman. His partner was finished with the man’s statement. While the UK never got on board with the Americanized holiday of “Halloween,” America had exported so much media about their holiday that people were familiar enough that the pubs would have “Fancy Dress nights” on the thirty-first of October or just the last weekend of October. Most of the country still favored the November Fifth Guy Fawkes Holiday.

“Right, what do you have?” the Sergeant asked the constable’s partner.

“Spoke with the gentleman,” the partner started, “He lives down about a block that way and went to a pub two blocks that way with his girlfriend for a fancy dress night. They had a few drinks, dinner, partied with their friends and were on their way home when they heard a bang in this alley in front of them and saw a little girl run out of the alley. They looked in and saw the man and pulled out their mobiles and a dialed 999.”

“Ok,” the Sergeant said, “And what did the lady have to say?”

“Well she lives about a block that way with her boyfriend and went with him to the fancy dress party at a pub that is two blocks that way and is still pissed at her boyfriend for wearing the same pregnant nun costume as her…”

“Yeah it was weird seeing both of them with the pregnant bellies,” the partner chipped in.

“They heard a bang and saw a girl run out of the alley way…” the Constable continued, “About six to eight years old, looked half Asian like her friend’s kid from Hong Kong with silver and blue hair. Most likely a wig. She was wearing a silver dress. Little girl ran across the street and off that a way. Lady and her boyfriend looked in the corner and saw the man laying on the ground. They pulled out their mobiles and called us and waited for us to get here.”

“Well…” the Sergeant took a deep breath, “I am not nearly as familiar with firearms as our American counterparts, but I have a sneaking suspicion that that is an Automatic Pistol.”

The sergeant pointed down at pistol on the ground behind man’s body.

“That looks a bit like an exit wound, so at risk of violating Detective Holmes’ cardinal sin of investigation, but baring any revelations from the forensics and medical examiners, I would guess that the cause of death is a gunshot.”

“Well that is amazing Sergeant, but I have a question,” the partner said, “Normally we add what the witness was wearing for police report… Do we really have to put in that both the lad and lass were wearing pregnant nun costumes?”

“Tell you what,” the sergeant said standing up, “Put down that they were wearing costumes for the fancy dress night and if the higher ups demand more detail, then you add that bit in. But make sure you get the description of the kid from their statements down. Speaking of which, you two stay here and wait for the medical and forensics people. I am going to go and see if we can get security camera footage from these shops in the area.”

The sergeant got up and went out and talked to the witnesses quickly and then went across the street. The partner leaned over the body.

“That’s odd,” the Partner said.

“What?” the Constable asked.

“There is a Tattoo on his neck,” the Partner said, “I have seen it before. They were on some of the people that were arrested for a Crime that we aren’t suppose to talk to the public about. But those guys were Pakkis and Egyptians… Excuse me, South Asian and North Africans…”

“And the only one we have to look for is a little girl?” the Constable groaned, “Great.”

“But he doesn’t look like the others…” the Partner said, “What do you think? Vietnamese? Thailand?”

“Maybe,” the Constable said.

*

Two hours later in Gotham City, still on October 31

The ding of the email caught Alfred and Kara’s attention.

“What’s up?” Dick asked as he messed with the gasmask.

“Flash from our monitor inside Scotland Yard,” Kara said, “Seems like a League of Assassins agent was killed.”

“Rather interesting,” Alfred said amused reading the quick notes, “A Norinco NP42 in 357 Sig.”

“Isn’t that what some Highway patrols use?” Dick asked.

“Yes,” Alfred said, “The power of a 357 Magnum able to be loaded in a double stack nine-millimeter magazines. Not really to be found outside of the US law enforcement market.”

“So why would the Chinese make them? Isn’t there an embargo on Chinese guns in the US?” Kara asked.

“Yes, one of their primary makers is banned,” Alfred said, “but think of it from the League’s point of view, outside of the US it is very hard to get ammo so if anyone steals their pistols it is useless beyond what they had in the magazine. But it still allows them to use ubiquitous nine-millimeter silencers and other accessories.”

Kara thought to herself for a moment and then turned at the sound of a crash. Kara started giggling when she saw Dick trying to get on a hazmat suit while also half in his Nightwing suit… He was on his back on the floor.

“Can I get a hand here?” Dick said from the floor.

*

“I am still weirded out by this level of planning,” Dick’s voice came over the ear piece in Kara’s cowl.

“Why would you be weirded out?” Kara asked, “You lived with boss man longer than I did, so none of this should come as a surprise that boss man planned this far ahead.”

“But a full-on NBC Batman suit custom made for me?”

“I am sure that if need be, there is one for me to take his place,” Kara said into her sealed cowl’s mic, “But as is, I have just have this NBC Batgirl suit to wear tonight.”

“Still think this is weird,” Dick mulled, “Anything for us Oracle?”

“Not in your area ‘Batboy,’ but I am getting some signal interference,” Barbara’s voice came back over the line.

“Anything I should be concerned about,” Bruce’s voice came on the line.

“Not sure,” Barbara responded, “But there are intermittent bursts of signals.”

“We are in,” Kara said as she got into the air vents of building.

“Watch out, I am coming down,” Dick announced.

“Watch it!” Kara snapped, “I am not an elevator!”

“Going down?” Dick asked.

Kara reached up and pulled on Dick’s ankle causing him to slide down the air vent past her. She then floated down to the ground floor. Dick was already working on the grate covering the exhaust entry for the air vent.

“Good thing the HVAC is off,” Dick noted.

“Well this is meant to suck fumes from off the floor to the filter on the roof,” Kara said, “While you have an air head, the reason you don’t automatically float off is your fat ass.”

“Children,” Alfred’s smooth voice called, “Focus on the case now, insult each other latter.”

“I happen to like that fat ass,” Barbara snickered, “It is nice to play with…”

“Thank you, Oracle,” Dick said.

“Focus,” Batman snapped.

Dick got the grate open and the pair made their way into the “Lair of the Scarecrow,” as it was being dubbed. Both looked around and checked various things. Bruce had given them sensors to check for gasses… Dick found some high-pressure gas bottles and went to check them… they were all open and had regular room air in them.

“Base, can I get a brake?” Kara asked.

She felt the power dampening field of her earrings turn off. Kara started looking around in all the spectrums her Kryptonian super-sight allowed.

“This isn’t lair,” Dick announced before Kara could, “It’s a set.”

“I am not finding any trace of this fear gas stuff,” Kara agreed.

“Police only removed the suspect, they didn’t mess with anything,” Barbara said, “They are waiting for State, Feds and National Guard HAZMAT teams to clear the place in the morning.”

Kara turned and looked at Dick. She had to admit, he wasn’t built up quite like Bruce was, but he filled out the Batsuit well. A stray thought crossed her mind, but she dismissed it. Still did Bruce plan on having Dick replace him if everything went wrong? Kara dismissed the idea again.

“Let’s bail,” Kara said.

“Wait, there is still a five pound bottle missing,” Barbara interrupted.

“Where ever it is,” Dick said, “It isn’t here. So, if we can find that, we can pin this on the real person behind all this.”

*

November 1, Saturday

Bruce watched the staff meeting at the school via the security cameras. Not even Helen knew if he was watching at any particular moment. Helen sat at the end of the table and of course Karen was seated next to her with a laptop to take notes. She was to the right of Helen from Bruce’s view in the camera. Next to her was Marissa De Santo, the short Hispanic Physical Education (Gym) Teacher. Then in the middle of the table’s right side was John Merrion, the black British head of the foreign langue department. Beyond Merrion was Jackie Forest, the cute red-haired Nurse Practitioner for the school. Then there was Dixie Anderson, the Afro-Caribbean History Department head filing her nails. At the end of the table was the school psychologist Doctor Garry Phillips. To Helen’s left was Doctor Ian McDonald formerly of Wayne’s Aerospace division and now science teacher. Then there was Gillian Steiner the pretty blonde deputy head of security and former German KSK sniper, Bruce didn’t trust her since he knew there was more to her story than was in the official packet from the German Government about her early discharge at 26 years old with a rank of Oberst. There was an open seat and then the Art teacher next to Doctor Phillips, the brunette MILF Anita Samuels.

“Ok,” Helen called the meeting to order, “How are the students holding up?”

“A lot of them are panicked,” Jackie Forrest noted, “But they are holding up well considering we have them on lock down.”

“Agreed,” McDonald smiled, “I have had to pull out some of my… let’s call them entertaining, lesson plans to keep them distracted.”

“I don’t think explosions are what the children need right now,” Steiner said in a stiff, overly American Accent.

“Agreed,” Doctor Garry Phillips said from the back of the table.

“It is just Ice and Thermite,” McDonald shrugged, “Kids always love that party trick.”

“Doctor McDonald,” Garry Phillips leaned in, “I know you are trying to do your best, but I would recommend you not entertain the students with explosions in the wake of a mass casualty event in the city.”

“I have heard some things about Mr. Todd,” John Merrion said in his British accent.

“What are those?” Helen asked flatly.

“Some of the kids were saying some things about how he gets to go home and they are stuck on campus,” Dixie Anderson spoke up, “Along the lines of ‘este es mirada,’ if you know what I mean.”

“Mister Todd is one of a hand full of students that lives in the city so releasing him was a given,” Helen said calmly, “I would assure any student that from what I know of Mister Wayne and Mister Pennyworth, Mister Todd is being kept busy with something less entertaining than Doctor McDonald’s Explosive Class material.”

Bruce checked the other monitors for the mansion’s security system, Dick and Kara were playing their video games in the family room, and he stifled the laughter at the sight of Alfred giving Jason lessons in dinning etiquette in the dinning room while polishing the silver.

“He wishes he was playing with explosives,” Bruce chuckled.

“Yeah, boring rich old guys, fine. Thing is, kids are going to get jealous no mater what,” Dixie shrugged, “We are just saying.”

“That is understandable,” Helen said, “Make a note to remind me to check on the other students who are at home Miss Starr.”

“Of course Miss Wayne,” Karen smiled.

“Worth is going to try a jail brake tonight,” Steiner said, “She can’t stand to be caged… like an animal.”

“I was hoping she would make friends with Roth and Morse,” Jackie sighed.

“From what I have seen in the gym they are getting along,” Marissa De Santo said.

“She has the soul of a vagabond,” MacDonald noted, “She will never been truly happy in the same place for long.”

“Very well,” Helen said, “Make sure the security people have it under control.”

Bruce saw Helen look at Oberst Steiner but knew she was really talking to Karen.

“Miss Wayne,” Karan spoke up, “You wanted to get the opinions of the staff about the Drakes.”

“Yes, thank you for the reminder,” Helen said, “A Mrs Drake has approached me about being on the waiting list for her son…”

“Janet Drake? Jack’s wife and kid?” McDonald asked smiling.

“Yes,” Helen said, “She doesn’t seem to want to send him to Canterbury, any of the other upstate high schools or an out of state school.”

“She is a good judge of character,” McDonald smiled.

“How do you know them?” Anita Samuels asked.

“Of course, they met while Jack was interning under me at NASA. They went on to form Drake Aerospace right here in Gotham,” McDonald beamed, “She use to say that she could trust Jack but that I was trouble.”

“She must have been pychic to figure that out,” Anita rolled her eyes.

“So, I take it you have no objections when young Tim is old enough,” Helen asked.

“Of course not,” McDonald smiled.

“Another rich Gothamite?” Dixie mused, “I guess it is fine, as long as this kid doesn’t end up a pain like Wayne’s boys Grayson and Todd.”

*

Doctor Harley Quinzelle took a seat across from the hand cuffed Johnathan Crane. He was wearing an orange jump suit now. Harley had picked her most conservative pants suit for the meeting.

“I suppose you would be happy about this if it wasn’t so tragic,” Crane said without looking up.

“I am not happy about anything,” Harley said flatly, “I was suppose to have a short day and then… Never mind.”

“I am out of the way so you can lobby Wayne for the funds that he was pumping into my project,” Johnathan said, “Now you can walk in and ask for them and no one will think twice about giving them to you.”

“John,” Harley sat down across from Johnathan, “I am not going to lie to you. We both know we have different ideas of how to spend resources to provide mental health services to people. But to take pleasure in seeing this type of carnage and you getting blamed, it would make me a disturbed monster on the scale of Patient J if I did.”

“I suppose you spoke with Old Man Arkham,” Johnathan said.

“Yes,” Harley said opening her case.

“What do you think?” Johnathan asked.

“I am not sure about this split personality story or this idea that someone kidnapped you to frame you for doing this,” Harley said before reaching across the table and putting her hand on Johnathan’s, “But John, I know you didn’t have it in you to do something like this.”

“Thank you,” Johnathan said.

“Now, while the DA might try to argue my bias since I have a working relationship with you,” Harley said, “I still have to go over all the standards tests, you know the drill.”

“Did you ever wonder if you would end up like this?” Johnathan asked.

“I never thought that you could do anything like this John,” Harley countered.

“I mean sitting one the other side of the table being given the tests instead of taking them,” Johnathan stated coldly.

“Oh,” Harley said, “I actually took the tests as part of college premed courses.”

*

Sunday 2 November, Martha Wayne Memorial Hospital.

Doctor Joan Leland exited the locked off hallway with all the screaming clearly flustered. Alexander Knox rushed off behind her with the recorder.

“Hay doctor,” Knox half shouted, “What was that screaming about bats?”

Doctor Leland turned and nearly shoved her finger up Knox’s nose.

“Turn it off! That is criminal!” Joan snapped.

“What?” Knox said as he turned off the recorder.

“HIPA,” Joan snapped, “Health Privacy laws, you will get sued, you will be arrested and you will go to jail.”

“Ok, Ok,” Knox said defensively, “It’s off.”

“Chiroptophobia Knox,” Joan said as she crossed her arms, “Fear of bats. It’s common for people to be afraid of bats. One of the victims has a fear of bats and is experiencing a full blown psychotic episode around their fear of bats.”

“Ok,” Knox said holding his recorder up.

“Fine, turn it back on,” Joan said.

“Doctor, what can you say about the victims of the Halloween panic attack?” Knox asked.

“The patients are in critical condition and are receiving the best possible care. The compound used on them has them locked in a living nightmare,” Joan said carefully, “I can’t give any more information at this time.”

Knox thumbed the stop button on the recorder and took out the battery. Doing so that it would be impossible for the doctor to not see.

“Ok Doc, off the record,” Knox said, “You worked with the suspect, have the police asked you any questions? Are you going to be called to testify?”

Knox watched the tears well up in Doctor Leland’s eyes before she turned and ran down the hall.

“Hay is that one of the doctors?” Knox heard Viki shout from behind him.

Knox held out his arm to stop her. Viki turned to Knox.

“Let her go Vale,” Knox breathed, “I am the son of a bitch.”

“What?” Viki said.

“Let’s get a coffee or something,” Knox turned to Viki and her crew.

*

New York City, November 2

No one thought too much of the middle aged man walking into the office building, a few more people noticed the young woman in the skirt suit walk into the building an hour later. The building’s security camera treated them like any other visitors to the office building as they made their way to the third floor office. In the office the man was absent when the woman walked in, but she heard a noise from the attached bathroom and looked at the table in front of her. There was a brown brief case, a chess board a white rook, a white king, a white knight and three white pawns on one side, a Bacardi Rum bottle cap in the middle and the black queen, black king, and two black bishops on the other side. The woman noted that the black pieces were Arabian designs while the white ones were from a fantasy set themed on owls. The woman put the black brief case on the table and then moved the black queen to threaten the Bacardi bottle cap with it’s black bat emblem. The woman left and a little bit later the man came out after a shower and changing suits before putting the chess board and pieces in the black brief case and left with it.

*

“Hector Berkley,” Bruce muttered to himself, “assistant city attorney… Why are you meeting with a League of Shadows messenger? And what did you pick up in that briefcase exchange?”

“Master Bruce,” Alfred called over the intercom, “Would you mind warming up the Automated Combat Trainer, Master Jason insists that he doesn’t need any more lessons in mannors.”

“I’ll set it to eleven,” Bruce chuckled.

“So which fork is the one for the salad?” Jason shouted towards Alfred and the intercom.

*

There was a picnic table between the hospital and the coffee shop next to it. Viki was drinking her cup while thinking about the recording that Alex had shared.

“So that is the standard line the medical people have been saying all weekend,” Viki looked down at the recorder, “And the specifics stuff is all covered by Health Care Privacy laws…”

“Those are no joke,” the Cameraman said.

“Right…” Viki looked at Alex, “What else? You are being awfully Noir even for you… And what did you mean that you are the son of a bitch?”

Alex fished in his pocket and pulled out a twenty and put in on the table in front of the camera man.

“Can you get us all another cup each?” Alex said.

Viki just looked at the camera man and nodded. The man sighed and took the money to the coffee shop.

“Ok, spill,” Viki said.

“I asked a personal question, completely off the record,” Alex said, “But I really struck a nerve, like a cartoon Viking with a Warhammer crushing a thumb…”

“Ok, and here I thought she just ran crying because she saw your smile,” Viki said with a sarcastic tone, “There is something else, isn’t there?”

“Something the doctor said has been rattling around in my head,” Alex looked down into the paper coffee cup, “You ever heard of the Mothman?”

“Mothman?” Viki said, “Like the thing from the Mothman prophecy? The Richard Gear movie? I haven’t seen it in a long time…”

“You remember the premise, right?” Alex asked.

“Bunch of people claimed they saw a human like figure with a moth like head and wings and it scared the town until a bridge collapsed and then it seems to come back before more disasters,” Viki said.

“What are we chasing?” Alex asked.

“The Gargoyles, those mysterious figures that ninja in, beat up criminals and then ninja out,” Viki took a sip of her drink.

“Why do we call them Gargoyles?” Alex asked.

“People report winged figures with pointy horns on their heads dropping in like a bat out of hell,” Viki said.

“A bat out of hell,” Alex repeated, “Something the doctor said about the screaming patients has been rattling around, ‘Chiroptophobia Knox, fear of bats. It’s common for people to be afraid of bats.’ That’s what she said. What if we aren’t seeing gargoyles, what if we are seeing Bat-men?”

“Bat-men?” Viki smirked, “That sounds a bit silly…”

“Is it?” Alex asked, “Bats are scary as hell, and these guys are great at scaring the crap out of people…”

“Are you saying this is a version of the Mothman?” Viki asked.

“Not the Mothman,” Alex said, “But someone had the idea to use a bat to scare people, and damn good at playing it up. How many gargoyles at Gotham Cathedral look like a man wearing a bat costume if you think about it?”

“That actually makes more sense than most the stuff I hear about the Gargoyles…” Viki said, “It doesn’t change much about them, does it?”

“No,” Alex said, “But it might give us a better insight into the people behind the suits.”

*

Phone Call, Berkley, H. to Wireless caller (203) number

Berkley: I met with the foreigners, I am not sure of the message they were trying to send, but I will be back as soon as I can.

(Female Voice): Travel is down, shelter in place.

Berkley: I know, I have a hotel room, I am heading there now… Hay, watch it. Crazy taxis here in the big apple… AHHHHH

Call ends

*

Dick and Jason were playing one of the shooting games while Kara was dancing a level based on Epica’s ‘Chasing the Dragon’. She could just barely hear her foster brothers talking.

“You know I don’t need the super hearing to hear you,” Kara called.

“You got over a thousand likes already,” Jason said back.

“What?” Kara asked.

“You are live streaming yourself playing your saber game,” Dick said.

“No, I’m not…” Kara started, “Really assholes?”

Kara realized why she was getting the likes, she was wearing a pink rubber catsuit, her black “fangs for the memories” tee-shirt and heavy wool socks. Kara took off her headset and looked at her foster brothers. The pair sat in the couch facing the big screen playing their game. On the coffee table in front of them was a laptop and a camera pointed at Kara.

“You bastards,” Kara snapped.

“She is debating killing us?” Jason said.

“Probably,” Dick said as he swung to the left as he tried to move his character around a corner to ambush another character.

Kara debated her options and then smiled and went and grabbed her phone. She smiled as she used her phone before walking over to the camera.

“Hay folks I just uploaded a video you have to check out! Here is the video,” Kara said holding her phone to the camera.

“What did you upload?” Dick asked.

“Probably the video she took of her chasing you around the mansion and snapping your rubber booty shorts,” Jason shrugged.

“What?” Dick shouted and got up ran towards Kara.

Kara ran out of the family room and Dick chased after her. Jason continued to play the game. Dick’s phone rang. Jason picked it up.

“The Dick Phone, the cool guy speaking for once,” Jason said, “Ok, I will give him message. Hay Dick! You better get on your booty shorts on and do a few levels for the red head or you won’t get any nookie when the lock down ends!”

“What?” Dick shouted.

“You heard me,” Jason said, “The woman wants you dancing in the rubber short or you don’t get any loving.”

“Ha!” Kara shouted from the hall way.

“Hang out folks. This should be interesting,” Jason said as he picked his controller back up.

Sure enough a few minutes later, Dick walked in wearing only the booty shorts and his socks with his shoulders slumped, followed by Kara.

“Ok folks, this is the power women have over guys,” Kara announced to the camera then went to her phone, “He is starting up now.”

Kara was pointing the camera at Dick as he started dancing around with the VR headset. There were a series of dings on Jason’s phone. Jason reached and checked his phone. There were messages from Raven, Megan aka Miss Martian, and Rose. They told him that he should get a set of rubbers too, they really wanted to see him dress sexy for them.

“I am surrounded by kinky fetishists,” Jason muttered to himself.

Dick fell over, and Kara laughed.