Event | Way Way Aphro'd

[crazedloner]

Batman hadn't been in the Hotel long, but he'd already had a very disturbing encounter with the Joker, even within the context of typical Joker encounters. Rather than dwell on it, he's trying to solve the problem of who's behind this, the better to liberate everyone else. None of his rogues' gallery have the finances or power to set this kind of

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[why_s0_serious]

"What a tone."

He leans in a doorway, arms crossed--fully dressed this time--fixing him with a hard stare. Hard, warm, and quiet. Just one disturbing encounter? Oh, that just won't do. And how could he act that way. After all they had, ha ha.

"That's not very nice, Bats."

[crazedloner]

So much for not thinking about what went down. "Joker." Well by hell, he isn't going to put up with this when he's not tied to a chair--he starts towards the clown, fists balled and expression annoyed, thinking he'll beat the other man up, bat-cuff him to a piece of heavy furniture, and get Gordon to come in and arrest him later.

"You've had your fun."

[why_s0_serious]

"Yes!" He uncrosses his hands, and starts to remove his left glove, tugging daintily at one of his fingers. "I always have fun...you should know that...by now..."

Joker raises his eyes to him, deep, meaningful, harsh, "Stop." He leans his head back. "Down, boy."

[crazedloner]

And amazingly, Bruce finds that he can't work a single muscle to propel himself forward. Even more shocking, he drops to his knees a moment later, mouth working to try to figure out what to say.

"...what have you done to me?" His brain rapidfires through the possibilities. An alliance with the Hatter is looking more and more likely. Maybe something in his cowl, while he was unconscious.

>>

[knightprodigy]

Nightwing doesn't jump, but he raises his hands, palms towards Batman. Easy, big guy.

"I said 'fancy seeing you here'."

He looks a bit tattered and torn, costume-wise, although after his own encounter with the Joker he's lucky to still be alive. The layer of sweat and grime that had clung to him before, during and after was nothing that hadn't been fixed with a hot shower (and about a decade of mental suppression). But otherwise, he appears to be in fairly good spirits. No point in dwelling right? Let's just catch the bastard responsible for all this.

♥!

[crazedloner]

"Oh." Thank god for a familiar face, Nightwing. Batman doesn't look as relieved as he feels, but he does exhale just a tad more loudly than usual. Someone stretching to assign emotion to him might call it a sigh. He looks Dick over, taking note of the state of his outfit.

Bats has a guess.

"What happened."

\o/

[knightprodigy]

Jeez, someone's tense.

Dick opens his mouth, and what he wants to say, what he actually wants to tell Bruce is that the man doesn't wanna know. But for whatever reason, that is not what comes out and in hindsight neither does it feel entirely unnatural to say it. "The Joker." Still, that doesn't make the truth any easier to swallow.

[crazedloner]

Wound up like a cheap alarm clock, yeah. And that answer doesn't make him keen on relaxing. Lord does the Joker test his willpower and patience sometimes.

Ordinarily he'd figure out which way the demented clown went, but this is a...unique circumstance, all things considered.

He pauses a moment, staying in the shadows, expression blank. "Are you all right?"

[inanylanguage]

Starfire knew the figure, though more in a roundabout way than anything. She'd seen pictures, and there were reports on the television. She also knew the man was Robin's mentor. Even though the young man had never told her himself.

She looked away for a moment at the menacing look. "I merely asked if you are the person they call the Batman."

[crazedloner]

Batman never really relaxes, but he does look about a millimeter less tense than before. He lets out a grunt in the affirmative, looking her up and down, matching her appearance to the ginormous bat computer in his brain.

"...Starfire?" Younger than the Tamaranean he knows. Inter-dimensional travel always makes this kind of thing guesswork.

[inanylanguage]

Her eyes widened.

Really, she didn't know the reason she was shocked that he knew her. Robin was always a more than competent detective. His mentor would keep tabs on him.

"Yes, am I. Have we been acquainted before?"

[crazedloner]

"With the Titans," Batman confirms, feeling private relief that this, at least, is familiar. "Where I'm from, Robin leads that team."

He frowns, feeling oddly obligated to answer her question fully, "I don't think so. You look a little younger than the one I met."

Watchmen/Batman crossover, anyone?

[aceupasleeve]

Edgar Jacobi, alias Moloch the Mystic stepped out of the shadows. "Well, well, well... If it isn't the big bad Bat. Looks like it's my lucky day today!" His eyes sparkled dangerously in the dark. The Dark Knight had foiled his plans too many times, but if this hotel had affected him the same way it was affecting some of the people here, he was going to get a chance to get even...

Trippy XD

[crazedloner]

"Do I know you." Batman asks, gruffly. He has a pretty good memory, and the face of the young man isn't familiar.

[aceupasleeve]

Moloch pauses, one eyebrow lifted. That ridiculous mask covers most of the other man's face, but even so, he's always been able to know when he's lying. And Batman isn't. Looks like he doesn't exist in this Batman's world.

Hmph. Oh, well.

"I'm Moloch the Mystic," he says with an elegant bow. "Don't worry if you have trouble remembering it now. You will after tonight... But first, how about you tell me the name of the man behind that mask?"

[crazedloner]

Filing that name away in the massive encyclopedia that is his brain, Batman pauses at the question, and then answers it as honestly as he's ever answered any question. It might not be the name on his birth certificate, but tell that to his subconscious.

"I'm Batman."

[lightdark_child]

There was nothing behind him. Nothing visible anyway, but someone was lurking in the shadows. Someone who had had been hearing about this man from the thoughts of many in the hotel, especially from Joker's thoughts. Phoenix was just dying to know what was truly so special about the man who could the clown prince's attention. She was growing rather fond of Joker it seemed.

'Bruce.'

A female voice whispered in Batman's mind. It would sure startle the man. After all, it was a well kept secret.

[crazedloner]

Immediately, Batman starts loudly reciting one of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poems in his head, thinking it like an audio track or white noise to screen his surface thoughts from being read, although it may already be too late for that, he's damned if he's not going to try. Whoever it is probably didn't get too deep or read too carefully, or they're trying to unsettle him by calling him that - he's not going to give them what they want.

A batarang appears in his hand, and he runs briefly through a mental suspect list, interweaving it with the poem. Only one way to be sure, though.

"Show yourself."

[lightdark_child]

There was a giggle when he started reciting the poem in his mind. How cute. He must of had some experience dealing with telepathy before. Well, no one quite like her she was sure.

Stepping out of the shadows, she smiled.

[crazedloner]

No recognition - Bats sweeps her face with a gaze and stores it in his memory. "Who are you?" No mention of her prying in his head, either, and once he's done with the poem, he starts up another one.