Prince of Gotham
Chapter 11: City of Sin
Disclaimer: This is my perspective on characters that belong to DC comics. So all rights and stuff go to them except for the character(s) that I make Up.
Victoria Linden walked the streets alone. It was a dangerous night for her to be walking alone because many other hookers and stripers, just like her, had gone missing. She had gone missing. Nothing in her world had been right, so it didn't matter. Ever since her father had died, Victoria had been on her own and was saving to go to college. Gotham University was prestigious and hard to stay in. Financially, she was far from happy, but emotionally, she had made peace with it. Unlike other women her age, she wasn't an alcoholic or a single mother, but she was a stripper. Everyone saw it as a disgrace and looked down on it, but Victoria knew that money was money. Victoria had left the club, but had the sinking feeling that she was being stalked. It had been this way for weeks now. She stopped when she heard footsteps and the footsteps stopped. She started walking again and she heard it! The footsteps had begun again. She stopped slowly but the footsteps kept going and Victoria immediately began to sprint in her platform shoes. Victoria ducked down an alley and watched a guy in a short, red jacket walk by. She noticed the knives and muffled her scream with her hand. Before she could do anything else, a hand grabbed her from behind and drags her off.
"Alfred, I just want to know to have Dick and Tim here for a change." Bruce said as he walked into his office in the Manor, "Since Tim's graduation, he's been with the Titans and Dick has his own life now, so I want to make sure he's doing alright."
"So you would prefer they have your life?" Alfred asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bruce asked.
"All I'm saying, Master Bruce, is that maybe it's time you did the same." Alfred said, "I would think you'd spend more time with the Justice League."
"I will." Bruce sighed, sitting and untying his tie, "But first, we have the little matter of a misguided friend."
"I'm afraid he's gone in his own direction, too." Alfred said, dusting things on the shelves.
Bruce looked up at him in shock, "You approve?" he asked.
"I never said that, all I'm suggesting is that you are going about it the wrong way." Alfred explained, "Your whole life, you've come at everyone as Batman, Protector of Gotham."
"What're you suggesting, Alfred? Are you suggesting I buddy up with him and kill people?" Bruce asked.
"I think he's saying that you should act just a little human." I said, sitting sideways, with my leg over the arm of the chair, "Don't look so shocked, It's not like I said I'd never come back."
"Phoenix..." Bruce said, stunned, "How long have you been there?"
"Since the beginning, silly." I smiled; pulling out the paper I was sitting on and sliding it onto his desk, "Girls are going missing."
"The locals." Bruce said.
"Hookers and strippers, so yeah, the locals." I smirked, "Shake off the stunned look and get into Batman mode. We're going hunting." I said.
"Is that what you're calling it?" Bruce asked.
"Perhaps I should make some tea, Master Bruce." Alfred said nervously.
"Alfie, I'm shocked. Here, I thought you were some gentleman and I feel a bit ignored." I said quickly.
"I'm just as shocked that you would kill." Alfred said snootily, "I hope that whatever ails you is cured soon, for your sake." He said leaving.
"He's about as sunny as England." I said, getting no response, "Since, ya know, England's all rainy."
"You want me to help you find this criminal and kill him?" Bruce asked.
I smirked, "Nope. I just want you to help me find him." I chuckled, "I can kill him all by my lonesome."
"What makes you think I'd accept your proposal?" Bruce asked.
I sat in the seat properly and leaned forward, "You don't have any backup, and you're getting pretty old too." I smirked.
Bruce stared at me for a minute, "I have caught criminals without anyone's help before you were even born." He said.
"Oh, come on, don't think I'm naive." I frowned, "I know the second you deal with this criminal, I'm numero uno on this list."
"So, why would you want to work with me?" Bruce asked skeptically.
I stood and walked behind the desk, sitting on his lap, face to face with him, and then I got so close to his lips that I could feel his breath, "You can't take me down. If you could have, you would have. And I know what's under that mask."
"Are you threatening me with my other identity?" Bruce asked.
I shook my head, "I meant this mask." I said, kissing him passionately. I felt the sparks as we kissed and I smiled a little as his tongue pressed into mine and his hands ran over my back and I stopped it, "Wasn't expecting that. Nice, Bruce. I guess it isn't true."
"What isn't true?" Bruce asked, panting a little bit.
I stood up and walked to the door, looking back, "Use it or lose it." I smiled, walking by Alfred and taking my cup, "I'll take it to go." I said, leaving.
"My, he has gotten rude." Alfred said, watching Bruce jump a little, "I'm not even going to ask." Alfred chuckled, sitting the tray down on the table.
"Thanks." Bruce said, gulping his tea.
As I sat at the bar, I stared at the mirrors behind the bar. I looked at him. I don't know who he is.
"You need a drink?" A guy asked.
I looked back at him, "Hey, you look like Joey from the Real World." I smiled, "You can buy me anything you want."
"Thanks?" he chuckled, sitting on the stool next to me. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, his shirt cut off right at his muscled arms. His hair gelled up just right so that it spiked everywhere and his smile. God, his smile was great.
"Nice...everything." I said casually.
"Bartender, two..."
"Gin, straight." I said.
"Whoa," he said, "Two straight gins."
"Sure thing, Joe." The bartender said.
"So, I don't see you in here a lot." Joe asked.
"I don't come in here a lot." I answered, "You pick up on guys a lot?"
"More than you'd think." He smiled. The bartender brought us drinks and Joe just stared at his.
I took a swig and my sour expression made him chuckle, "Best thing ever." I smiled, "Come on; don't tell me you're a pansy."
"Pansy?" Joe asked, looking at the drink, "I was an alcoholic."
I stopped drinking, "Sorry." I paused, "Why'd you order the drink? To get me drunk?"
"I wouldn't need to." He chuckled, "I really didn't expect to tell you."
"Then why did you?" I asked.
Joey watched me for a minute, "I'm not Joey from the Real World. I just look like him. Exactly like him." He said.
"I like your honesty." I slurred, "If I wasn't on a mission, I'd so let you fuck me."
Joey gulped, "Whoa, you cut to the chase don't you?" he asked.
I leaned in, "If this place was less well lit, I'd show let you chase my cut." I smirked. Joey got a look of fear on his face, and then I noticed that the bar had become very quiet. I looked back and saw Batman standing behind me. Everyone else looked at him with terror in their eyes, I, however, snorted as I laughed. I made my way off the stool and grabbed a napkin and grabbed a pen from the bar and wrote my number on the napkin, "Here, I have to go. Looks like I've been a bad boy. Call me." I said, walking out of the bar.
"Where are you going?" Batman asked.
"You're late, Brucie." I slurred.
"Phoenix..." he said, looking around.
"Chill. Nobody's around." I said, "I would sense them if they were."
"You still have powers?" he asked.
"Doesn't everybody?" I asked, "You're late."
"I got caught up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn." He said, walking over to me.
"Hey, slow down cowboy," I chuckled, stepping back, "Wish my dad was here...then I could kill him."
"You don't mean that." Batman said.
"I mean it." I said, "My mother died just because she knew him."
"Your mother was a witch...a priestess." Batman said.
I looked at him angrily, "What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Where do you think you got powers?" Batman asked.
I shook my head, "She was innocent." I said.
"You have no idea what she was." Batman spat, "She was a very nice woman, but she didn't start that way."
"Fuck you!" I shouted, "My mother..." I paused and almost passed out.
"Are you alright?" Batman asked.
I kneeled down, my hands on my head, "Get the fuck away from me!" I shouted.
"I'm sorry." Batman said.
I shook it off, "No, but you will be." I said, standing. I felt something rise within me, "Everybody'll be sorry." I said, rising into the sky.
"Phoenix?" Batman asked.
"I can smell him." I said, "The murder."
"Don't." Batman said.
"It's already done." I said, looking into the air as I ascended beyond the clouds.
Batman pulled his communicator from his utility belt, "Calling all available Justice League members...this is Batman." He shouted into the communicator.
As Victoria slowly came to, she looked around at the freakishly clean white-tiled room. It felt like a morgue, but it wasn't a morgue. She crawled slowly and stopped at a pair of feet. As she looked up, she saw a short man with shaded glasses, the kind blind people use. He smiled and it was sinister, yet inviting. He was young, in his mid-twenties. His pressed slacks and creased shirt fit him so that the sweater vest fit snuggly over it. It wasn't his demeanor, or his clothes that scared her, it was the large, blood stained knife that scared her most. She tried to back away, but he walked toward her. His smiled was beginning to wear on her. How could he be so happy with this? How could this be?
"Please don't!" Victoria pleaded.
He didn't say anything; he just walked toward her and smiled. She had felt the cuts on her body and saw the blood on the clean floor and wished that she was imagining things, but she wasn't. As he slashed her arm, the wall began to shake. He stopped and looked at the wall. The wall broke away and I levitated in, a giant smirk on my face. Victoria hit the pentacle of her fear and had crawled to a nearby corner, bleeding to death. I noticed her, but didn't acknowledge her. I landed on the floor in time for the Murder to, as quickly as I had ever seen anyone, kick me in the chest. I fell to the floor and chuckled as he tried to plunge the knife in me, but an invisible force around me stopped it, causing the knife to bend as it hit the shield. I smirked and levitated back to my feet, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him across the room. He got to his feet and ran at me, holding two Sais. I quickly grabbed for mine and noticed that he had mine. I growled, literally growled in anger. As he tried to slice me, I ducked and threw my hand up, causing the Sais to fly into the air and stay there. I threw up my other hand and the Murder flew against the wall! I walked to the wall, my Sais floating at eye level on either side of me, "I'm glad to see you're still smiling. It's refreshing to see someone with a true sense of humor." I said, running my finger down the side of his face, "There's no place in this new world for people like you. Don't worry," I said, catching one of the Sais and putting it to his neck, "Just count backwards...and imagine something...like a room full of hookers."
"I can't let you kill him." Nightwing said.
I turned to see Nightwing, Batman, and Robin, "I don't have time for this." I said, telekinetically hurling the levitating Sai at them. They all ducked it and I took the opportunity to take the other Sai and rub it against the Murder's neck, "What do I call you?"
"Quiet." Batman said, grabbing my hand as I brought the Sai around. He punched me in the face and I staggered back and smiled.
"I was hoping you would do that." I said, telekinetically throwing him across the room. As Nightwing and Robin tried to hit me, I put up my arms and blocked both, then kicked Nightwing while simultaneously punching Robin, then kicked Nightwing and dropped to the floor, kicking his feet from under him. I grabbed Robin as he was about to hit me and gave him an uppercut and jumped into the air and brought a fist down, sending him flying to the ground. I stopped when I noticed Batman only a few feet away, "So, this is what it comes to, huh?"
"You made it this way." Batman scowled.
"Okay, the brooding thing is way too outdated." I spat, "Besides, you're rich."
Batman punched at me but I ducked and punched, but he caught me and punched me, pushing me against the wall! I grabbed him and swung him into the wall, and then punched him backwards. He staggered back and I drop-kicked him in the chest, then brought my foot up into a roundhouse but he caught it! As he threw my foot to the floor, I flew forward and slammed into the wall and pressed his full weight against me.
"I knew you just wanted to get me in this position." I smirked.
Batman's breathing began to quicken and I could feel his heartbeat.
"I could have kicked your ass by now, but you're a good guy." I said, causing him to fly backwards a few feet, "Don't test me."
As I was about to obliterate them, something hit hard beside me, sending me across the room and to the wall, "How about us?" Superman asked, hovering by the hole in the wall. As I looked up, I saw Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Flash and more Justice League members coming through the door.
I got to my feet, "Time for a little quiz." I said, electricity crackling at my hands.
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