Gotham Nights (Thread Ended)

They say that time heals all wounds, that the passing of days and of months makes all the bad things go away and makes it easier for us to move on, but the man who made that statement had never seen the things that they saw that night. The gunfire, the Cheshire grin, and the face of a boy once thought a friend gone wild in desperation. The sights of the Wayne-Powers treatment facility would never be able to be forgotten, but the corporation had done the very best to try and make the world do so. The cameras had been recording, broadcasting, but their signals were hijacked at the last moment, deleting all coverage they could find of the assassination of Derek Powers and the assault on the upper-class in Gotham City. The records had been sealed away somewhere deep where the public would never see.

Still, he could replay the events in his memory like they had happened yesterday.

Terry McGinnis stood with his hands buried inside his black and red leather jacket, his eyes lazily focused through the front window of an electronics store at the dozen or so monitors hung up with various channels to observe to see if you enjoyed the quality.

"Gotham City has broken new ground in the form of a new database, essentially a city-wide storage facility, which will hold all information produced by ci-"

Whatever. The distractions were nice for a passing moment, but nothing kept away the sound of the gun fire, the image of Derek Powers falling, falling into the chemicals below. Falling to his end. He had been training harder than ever before, practicing everything it took to wear the cowl and call himself "Batman", but he still couldn't shake it. Not during his graduation ceremony, not when he was with Dana, and not when he was at home.

It wasn't wise to fight with his head clouded, but Terry couldn't help it. He hadn't been fast enough.

That would never happen again.

It was said that the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.

Gem had never found much sense in the saying before the aftermath of Hush's chaos. Of Davey's life work. The old pain in her heart was fresh and doubled, she'd graduated from high school, she'd stopped roof-running, she'd thrown herself into working at the gym with a desperate enthusiasm, and she'd gone back to being alone once more.

But it was still peaceful in Bluebell Cemetery.

Gem went into the graveyard without hesitation, obviously knowing where she was going. Even a stranger giving a passing glance would be able to tell she had walked this path many times. The place was silent except for a soft wind and footsteps, the latter of which stopped as soon as Gem reached her destination.

It was a rather plain tombstone, a simple grey stone rectangle with a name carved into it. Despite its simplicity, the grave was obviously well cared for, showing that the person buried beneath was greatly loved and missed. Gem knelt in front of the grave, seeming to pray before crossing her heart. She sat down and traced the name of the deceased with a sad smile.

“Hey.” She spoke, her voice a near whisper. “Sorry. We're really tight this month, so I wasn't able to bring you anything.” Gem glanced down, looking embarrassed, before suddenly brightening and laughing. “Shamrocks? These weren't here last time. Did you grow them? You're so smart, you always know just what is needed.” She plucked a few of the shamrocks and set them on top of the tombstone.

Gem smiled shyly at the grave. “You know, I still can't believe I actually made another friend. Isn't it strange? Who would have thought that such a miracle would occur more than once?” She sighed lightly and looked at the sky. “Of course it still ended like the first time, in a way. I should have known better. After all, we learned that lesson together, didn't we?”

There was a sudden gust of wind, causing Gem to look back to the tombstone and giggle. “Yes, I re-remember. English only, ri-right? That was your r-rule.” The teen giggled again. “B-but I'd always b-break it. I-It was on purpose, d-did you know? B-Because you'd always ignore me a-at first, but eventually you'd bop m-my head and rem-mind me. You always had the most g-gentle expression on your face when you d-did that...I loved seeing it.”

She placed a few more shamrocks on the stone, as some had fallen off with the wind. “About the d-dangerous stuff I w-was d-doing...w-would you be p-proud I wonder? Or would you have t-t-told me to stop? You could be so unp-predictable sometimes.”

Gem stood up. “S-Sorry, but I have to c-cut it short today. I d-don't want to keep Da wa-waiting.” She leaned over and kissed the top of the tombstone, a smile on her face as she did. “Goodbye. I love you.”




(“Speaking like this means it is being said in Irish.”)

It had been quiet for what seemed like weeks in Gotham, a fact that hadn't gone unnoticed to Terry, nor without the concern of things to come. The only time it was ever quiet in Gotham was were someone had died, and only then for a few moments before the city picked back up. It had become routine, the residents used to the outlandish crimes from villains fresh from the movies. There was something coming, there was always something coming.

Where was that cat?

Terry moved always like he was being watched, knowing that at any moment the knife would swing in, and he would be ready. Everyday tasks became practices in survival. even walking down the street in downtown Gotham as he did now had him on edge. He didn't even have his mask on, but the trickery of villains was never something to count out.

Terry shoved his hands into his pockets deeper and kept moving, ignoring the various adds on the screens around him.

Gem walked down the streets of Gotham, only half a mind on where she was going. Her feet had taken her between Bluebell Cemetery and her home so many times that she could have done it blindfolded were there not the risk of traffic. Meanwhile the unoccupied part of her mind was wandering towards darker thoughts, things that she couldn't help but think of as of late, much as she didn't want to.

Things like Davey, Batman, and Cheshire.

She hadn't heard much about Davey since that night he was revealed to be Hush. She'd been avoiding any information concerning him, honestly. Just thinking about him hurt enough. She didn't want to have any more reminders of him and that incident than she already did, unable to stop thinking about it as she was.

But she missed him.

It was the same for the Batman. Gem had been actively avoiding news about the vigilante, though the occasional rumor or song of his praises could never be fully blocked out. Far as she could tell he was still saving the people of Gotham from crime and injustice wherever he appeared. She was glad for that.

Cheshire had vanished like their namesake, gone after the battle without a trace. She hadn't seen or heard anything about them since then, not even from their communicator, which she had destroyed after a while. It seemed their use for her was over, and the last thing she wanted was something to tie her to a criminal.

Besides, if they needed her, she had no doubt they would find her.

Gem sighed and picked up the pace. She was going to be late.

Terry had let his mind wander like he let his body do He broke his chain of thought, looking around to realize he had arrived in Central Square, one of the many social epicenters of Gotham City. Various ads for various things nobody needed or things that tasted great but would do a number on your body. He had come to focus on an ad for a new chain of clothing that included strands of fluorescent lights, because the modern day fashions already weren't ridiculous enough. He shook his head, turning to take his leave. He would just wander a little more, then maybe check-in with Bruce at the Manor. He had to train a little bit more, he just didn't feel satisfied.

That was when he saw it.

Faces, blank as clean slates turning toward the screens and projections all around the square, and everywhere that an eye would catch a screen, they all would succumb to the same fate. All ads had ceased, all television programs paused, every device now taken over by a single, solitary image:

A green question mark.

Terry's eyes went wide with disbelief. Hush had been one thing, but the archives had provided him with criminal dossiers on nearly all of his predecessor's foes. If this calling card was accurate, troubles had indeed found the city.

He knew he was right.

Out of the corner of her eye Gem caught the strange sight on one of the televisions and paused. What on Earth was that about? Were they all playing the same commercial or something all at the same time? It seemed unlikely, but she had no idea what else it could be, the thought of criminal activity in regards to this act a farfetched one.

She shook her head and continued on. Whatever it was, it was no concern of hers.

A rush of static struck through the abundance of speakers throughout the city of Gotham, the accumulation forming into the rush of thunder that brought hands to cover ears from the sheer levels of volume being forced upon them. As madness almost began to set in, the static ceased, setting literally every screen of every monitor, phone, television and beyond in the city into a new scene. A darkened room sat in silence, a single light overhead breaking through in a cone and revealing a rather large chair, the back turned to face the viewing eyes of the people. Terry forced his eyes away for just a moment, observing the rest of the citizens around him, all aimlessly looking on without so much as a clue of what was to come. Terry felt his gaze dragged back. He had to look on, whatever was about to come wasn't going to be good, and crime would never escape his eyes again.

Never again.

"Good evening, citizens of Gotham. Please, do not adjust your television sets. Oh wait, you can't! Hahaha! Yes, yes, for all the advancements that you pat yourselves on the back for, it took mere seconds to render them all entirely obsolete. Basic firewalls, four-digit passcodes, how utterly, utterly primitive. *sigh* Let us see if we can get you to rub those few remaining brain cells together for a moment, shall we?"

With a clang of metal upon the floor, an arm extended out into view from behind the turned chair, green, fingerless gloves pressing firmly into the black floor the pointed end of a gilded, golden staff that scaled up into the last thing Terry wanted to see: a question mark. Purple cuffs bent back onto emerald green sleeves, shuttering just slightly to convey light laughter under the breath.

"Riddle me this, Gotham. I've placed fire in the hands man, and crossed the seven seas. There are some that covet my selfless gift, while others do with it as they please. Those who have me forget that I am there, those who don't grow all the more sour, but in this world I am the absolute. In this world, I am power. What am I?"

A mumbling passed through the people around him, some refusing to answer the question and opting to complain about how their television programs were being interrupted. A few random guesses were thrown out, things like "thumbs", "money", and other random answers that could've never been right. A few actually attempted to change the station, office lounges just wanting to escape and let the police handle their business. Business that even the police could not seem to solve, every button push seemingly useless.

"Uh, uh, uh, no sitting this one out! I know the abstract art of thinking must hurt oh so bad, but do try to rough it out. Those painful expressions on your faces amuse me."

No one else would answer, but the words passed around in Terry's head continuously. All he had to do was arrange them in the right way, and the answer would reveal itself. It was true that, while he could match up with his predecessor in all things physically, in terms of mental power, Terry McGinnis was no Bruce Wayne. That only made him try harder. He had to be that good. It was then that he found it, the obvious answer that was in front of him all along.

"Knowledge."

The figure on-screen shifted, as if somehow it had heard Terry's response. It dragged the cane across the floor, another screech causing hands to return to the ears. The voice from behind the chair had lost a trace of arrogance, replacing it with pure irritation.

"What did you say?"

"The answer is knowledge."

The grip on the cane grew tighter.

"That is....correct. It seems there are actually a rare lucky few in Gotham, after all! Knowledge is the name of the game, one the majority of this city obviously has not played in years! You have all of the knowledge in recorded history at your fingertips, answers just a few button presses away, while the devices in your hands do all the real work. Nothing is committed to memory, anymore! That is a real crime, I tell you! A crime that shouldn't go unpunished! Your networks now belong to me, and from this point on, your survival will rely on your intelligence. I predict most of you will be dead in the streets in a matter of days, if you remember to even breathe that long. Question everything, as I have knowledge you aren't aware even exists. Knowledge that, say, your employers wouldn't want you to know."

The image on the screens transitioned again, this time being replaced with various angles from security cameras located at the Thomas Wayne Chemical Treatment Facility. They played the events of months before, the crowd of Hush copies opening fire upon the stage, the pandemonium that followed, and of course, images of the Batman. Terry's eyes widened, he scanned furiously, not for his own face, but for the girl. For Crystal, the girl who was once in his class. If she was spotted, the backlash would be unimaginable. Fortunately or not, before a shot of the death of Derek Powers could be seen, the screens returned to the figure in the chair. Terry gave a sigh of relief.

"Your secrets all belong to me, and if you wish for them to remain secret, as dull as some of they are, you'll just have to know the right answers at the right time. I suggest you study as hard as your feeble minds will allow! Until then, Gotham."

Every screen returned to what had been playing on them before the interruption as if nothing had happened, but in Gotham, a shift had occurred. Men and women stood perplexed and quiet in the streets, some recalling the nightmares those green question marks hard brought upon the city in their youth. Terry had only two thoughts: he had to contact Bruce, and then, he had to find that girl. Even he couldn't believe his eyes, but the calling cards of the once feared Riddler all were there. If Edward Nigma knew of the girl, she was in danger beyond anything he had thought before.

Terry pushed out of the crowd without drawing much attention, speeding up into a sprint as he shot down the road.

Gem hissed at the sudden, harsh noise, and then turned and stared at the nearest television, wide-eyed and disbelieving. She knew about the Riddler, the man with the question mark insignia and the penchant for mind games. One of the perks of her father having a police officer friend, she knew a bit more about Gotham's criminals of old than she probably would have otherwise. But what was he doing here? Now? And why?

When images of the night with Powers started showing, Gem's blood all but froze in her veins. It was a small relief that she didn't see herself in the clips, but only a small one. The Riddler could easily know who she was, have video with her in it tucked away somewhere. Who knew how or why he could use it, but the possibility of it being in his possession was enough to fill her with fear.

But at the moment, there was nothing she could do about that, so it wasn't important. What was important was that she needed to tell this to her Da. Not the Powers incident, but the rest of this stunt with the Riddler was something he needed to be aware of. The only TV in the house was upstairs, ancient and unplugged, an odd habit in her family, their only computer was in the soundproofed office and probably also unplugged, and phones were not allowed on while in the dojo. He would be completely in the dark to what was going on, and this was too big for him not to know.

With that, Gem ran home as fast as her legs could carry her.

He couldn't allow her to get home.

Terry knew the first move he had to make, and it was to find Gem and bring her somewhere safe. She wasn't a hard one to figure out. She was nervous, therefore her connection to her family was more than likely more powerful than anything else. She would be heading home, a home he knew the exact location to. She had become a variable and in his hundreds of plans set in motion since the night with Hush, Terry would know where she was at all times. If anyone would appreciate protecting a Father, it would be Terry, but Gem had no experience of how to handle situations like these. The best option would be to bring her to the safest place he could and form a game plan, and right now there was no safer place in Gotham than where he was headed next.

The Bat Cave.

Terry pushed even harder, running as fast as he could toward Gem's home, hoping to cut her off.

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"Protect the girl and her Father."

"That wasn't a part of our agreement."

"I'm changing the agreement."

"Do you have any idea who you're ordering around?"

"The man who won't be getting his money should anything happen to me."

"..............................."

"That sounds like an understanding. See to it that it gets done. Oracle out."

A nostril flared under a mask, a hooded man thrusting a phone into his pocket. These kind of scenarios always ended up like this. He muttered under his breath as he loaded his pistols.

He didn't like it, but if the man of questions tried to pull something fast, he would be pulling the trigger.

Maybe it was the well-worn path, maybe it was desperation, maybe her Irish luck was actually kicking in for once, but Gem managed to reach her home before Terry. She pulled open the door and walked in – but she didn't even get three steps into the building before she was flat on her back. On her stomach sat a massive grey dog, who barked once before proceeding to try and drown Gem in his saliva via licking her to death. “Off! Off, Cúchulainn, off!” Gem protested as she did her best to push the behemoth of a canine away. After a few tries she succeeded and stood. “You never learn, do you?” She asked the dog, who made a goofy sort of face as he wagged his tail hard enough to whistle though the air. The girl sighed and stuck her hand out. “Shake.” The dog obligingly put his paw on her hand, which Gem proceeded to shake before she let go. “Now THAT'S how you greet people you silly dog.” She said as she scratched Cúchulainn behind the ears. His tail wagged even harder somehow.

The hound eventually trotted away, passing by an approaching man carrying a large blanket. Gem chuckled as he wrapped it around her and picked her up in an enthusiastic hug. The girl kissed his bearded cheek when he put her down again. “Hey Da, I'm home.”

“Welcome home, Ériu!” Her da said as he kissed the top of her head. He wasn't that much taller than his daughter so she had to duck her head to make it work. For what the man lacked in height he more than made up for in muscle, though his curly red hair, kind green eyes and happy smile made him far from intimidating. “How's my precious gem? Oh, before I forget, Hughie will be visiting soon. He's excited to see you.”

“Hughie's coming over?” Gem's eyes lit up at the mention as she shrugged off the blanket and placed it to the side. “That's great! I can't wait to see him, I'm so glad he's getting better. That poor boy gets sick too often.” Then the girl paused and shook her head, realizing just how off track she had gotten with everything. “Oh, nevermind that for now. Da, I have something important I need to tell you.”

Though she couldn't see it, her da got a curious and concerned look on his face from her abrupt change in tone and topic. “What is it?”

“I was on my way back from the cemetery when all the TVs in the city seemed to change to the same channel. They all showed a green question mark, and then a man obscured by a chair holding a cane with the same symbol. The Riddler.” Or someone impersonating him, she belatedly realized, but whoever it was, he was similar and similarly dangerous.

Her da took a sharp breath and swore quietly.

“Yeah. So he says he's got the city's whole network under his thumb now and asked us, the people of Gotham, to answer a riddle. Someone got it right and he goes on to say that we'll be playing a game with him and that most people will end up dead in a few days because of it. Then the TVs went back to normal and I raced back here.” It was a very short and undetailed version of the story, Gem knew, but she would elaborate on it later, when they were alone and there weren't classes to be taught.

There was a long pause before her da responded. “I'm glad you told me, but there's not really anything we can do, is there? We just have to wait and hope that the police catch him before anything really bad happens.”

“...I know.” Gem replied, closing her eyes and clenching her fists as she willed her fear and frustration down. “But...be really careful, okay?”

“Only if you do the same.”

Despite all the seriousness, she couldn't help but smile a bit at that. “Okay, Da.”

Gem certainly had no intentions of ever getting involved with that sort of thing again.

"Damn it."

Terry muttered under his breath as he leaned out from behind the corner, passing glances into the room through the partially opened window. It was more than enough for him to see that Gem had made it (an advantage of knowing her path and beginning the run a solid amount of minutes before him) before he had arrived. He had his plan in-mind. Swoop in, explain the situation to the girl, and get her somewhere safe even if there was a struggle.

But seeing this brought back the memories. The Jokers, the night on Wayne Manor's front yard, and the man who drifted away in his very arms. Plans were meant to be followed word for word, but right now the plan had to be changed.

Looks like this was a flight for three.

"Can't just walk up to the door. 'Yeah, hi, I used to go to school with your daughter and I'm here to take you and her away' might not work".

Indeed, Terry McGinnis might not be the best one to take them into a protective custody........but the Batman was. Terry brought his wrist up to his lips, pressing a button on the side of his watch which opened a link through cyberspace directly to the monitor of an old man in a mansion on the outskirts of town.

"Bruce."

"I've heard."

"He knows about the girl, we have to get her somewhere safe."

"It's not happening."

"Bruce I-"

"No."

"I'm not letting him get to these people, Bruce."

"Do you have any idea what you're thinking? We can't just bring them he-"

"Head up into the manor, I'm bringing them to the cave."

"Terry! Terry!"

Communication closed. Terry ducked behind the corner into the alley, preparing to dawn the mask that had become his second face. There would be time to fully explain things when they arrived to their headquarters.

If The Riddler was back, this was going to take all of the brain power they could muster.

"That's my girl. Now go up and change, we just finished warm-ups and started on kata." Gem's da said as he gave her another kiss on the head.

Gem ducked her head accordingly, and then nodded. "Will do. Sorry I was late. Got a little caught up at the cemetery and then...well. Yeah."

Her da waved the apology off. "It's fine, I figured it would happen. The kids were more upset than I was. 'Where is Sensei Gem? Is she not teaching today? Is she sick? Waaaaaaah, I want Sensei Gem!', and so on." The grown man pouted. "Why do they like you so much better than me?"

"Oh, you know they love you too. But I really have no idea why they love me." She honestly didn't. Never in her memory had she done more than calm an upset child on a very rare occasion. Gem hadn't made them like her, and with all the weird boundaries they had to set up so she wouldn't have a breakdown, she would have thought they'd avoid her or think her strange. Yet somehow they adored her.

"I'm still jealous."

"Like I said, they love you. They just have more fun teasing you."

"Hey!"

Gem laughed and made her way to the stairs in the back. There was no living area at all on the first floor, entirely a gymnastics center and karate dojo. All the living space was on the second floor, including her bedroom with her uniform.

“Sensei Gem!” A little girl called out from the dojo side of the gym before she could start the ascent. “Necesito su ayuda! Mi postura se siente extraña y no sé por qué!”

The older girl paused, but did not turn to look at the student. “Preguntaste a mi papá?” She called out to her.

“No...pero quiero usted me diga!” The child admitted. “Usted habla español mejor! Sensei Vaughn tiene un acento más fuerte!”

“You're making fun of me again, aren't you?” Gem's da said with a childish pout. He was universally ignored.

Gem chuckled at the girl's admission. “Cierra tus ojos!”

“Okay!”

“Uno, dos, tres!” Gem counted to three and then turned to look at the girl, who had closed her eyes as instructed and gotten into her stance. It took even less time for Gem to figure out the problem than it did to count, and she turned away again. “Tus pies no están debajo de tus rodillas. Debes extender tus pantorrillas menos. Intenta cambiar eso.”

She did as told and was apparently pleased with the result, as she shot Gem a pleased grin even though the older girl clearly wouldn't see it. “Gracias, Sensei!”

“De nada, Marisol.” Gem replied before she went up to change, taking the stairs two at a time.

Too many people.

There were just too many people, too many eyes that would easily pick up on the giant man bat swooping in and taking a small family away. The children were the most influential, easily imprinted upon minds. As Terry placed on the cowl and took to the rooftops, he realized his plans would have to be modified. He just needed a meeting place, a spot in the dark he could get his message across.

She was moving. Terry guessed things worked easier sometimes than other.

He swooped through the dark like a phantom down haunted halls, staying out of sight and avoiding the line of sight that fell between illuminated windows. He monitored Gem's movements, hoping to figure out where she was headed, before settling on a room. He swept down to the window, holding against the side to stay slightly hidden, able to move if anyone but Gem entered, but visible enough to not give her a full-on heart attack.

They needed to move, and soon.

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*To be added*

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*To be added*

Gem sighed as she entered her room, closing the door behind her with her foot. While her dog, her da, and the student had cheered her up some, she was still rather upset by the whole Riddler thing. She couldn't understand why it was happening. All she wanted was to just put the entire Powers fiasco behind her and continue living her life as normally as possible. Yet there it was, in the hands of an infamous criminal mastermind, looming over her and the entire city once more. Why? Why did it have to happen? Worse, why did it have to put not only herself in danger, but her da as well? It just wasn't fair.

But, as everyone knew, life wasn't fair and there was nothing she could do about it. With another heartfelt sigh she pulled off her hoodie and tossed it onto her bed, and then sighed once more, though that time it was a sigh of relief. That thing was way too hot. Stupid powers.

Speaking of powers, just how many students had there been? It had sounded like there was an unusually high number of them. It was pretty normal to have some students missing each day, from sickness or personal matters or general laziness, but with how loud it was it seemed like not a single student was absent.

Curiosity getting the best of her, Gem closed her eyes and did a head/heart check for the number of people. She was right, everyone was there for once. All the kids, all the parents waiting for their kids, a few teenagers who showed up early to wait for their class after the kid's class ended, her da...

...and one more person than there should have been near her bedroom.

Gem opened her eyes, and there was the Batman outside her window.

Her initial response was a profound relief for procrastinating before changing clothes. Her second, stronger and more logical response was shock. The rest came soon after, panic and fear and a deep confusion, among others, but shock stayed dominant. She stared at the vigilante with wide eyes, barely able to think beyond wondering what the heck he was doing there.

She wasn't sure she wanted to know.