Escape From Gotham City

[uncommon_sensei]

The trek out of hell takes longer than one might expect. All those twists and turns, and the natives aren't exactly reliable for directions. Shiva, Dragon, and Tim Drake have hauled themselves out of the infernal realms, though, with no further interference from Neron. Then back through Gotham Below - finally emerging from a dark alleyway in the

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[shiva_wusan]

Shiva's eyes narrow at this development.

This is not a good thing.

[jla_randoms]

There is some disorientation punctuated by the clear knowledge that he was literally in Hell. It's just that the details of the experience refuse to come into focus.

Never mind that right now. Be present.

Eyes skyward, he steps without thinking into nearby shadows.
"No, this is Gotham.."

..but something is wrong.

[jla_villains]

As if to prove Tim's unspoken proclamation a sizable group of people come into view. Most of them seem to be, or at least were, average Gotham citizens. Except these citizens are armed to the teeth with makeshift weapons. However, the three men leading the group stand out. Up front was a tall, pale grey man with a long thin beard. To his right wearing a black and red costume and to his left was a blonde-haired man covered with scars.

"My, my, greetings brothers and sisters. Judging by your confusion you are new to the new order in Gotham, oh pardon, I mean New Apokolips. The whole world would have known by now if not for that accursed gorilla. We are in the process of attempting to correct that."

"I am Brother Hersch, this is Brother Zsasz and Brother Buchinksy, consider us your official welcoming committee. Would you care to hear the word of Deacon Blackfire?"

[jla_randoms]

New Apokolips. Zsasz. Blackfire. These are all very loaded words. Loaded enough to know that a dialog would be pointless.

Already in the shadows, thanks to long ingrained habit, Robin is like a ghost as he retreats behind a dumpster and makes his way up a nearby fire escape. Quiet as a cat he finds a vantage point from above, batarang in hand.

[aflyinggrayson]

The Batmobile is back in the Cave, but no Bat. Who remains there is the one constant in the Bat family, and when Tim's call comes in, even he loses some of his stiff upper lip. "... Master Timothy???"

The degree of disbelief and hope in the old man's voice may imply to Tim how long he has been gone.

[jla_randoms]

The tone makes ice run down Tim's spine. The line is encrypted so it's safe to use names.

"Alfred! Where's Bruce!?"

Robin's tone communicated both the urgency and alarm he had been suppressing during combat.

" What's happened to Gotham? I'm in the East End on the roof of Fleischman's Bakery. Shiva and Richard Dragon are with me. I just took down the Tally Man. I think he was possessed or something. Shiva and Dragon and taking down Zsasz and Cicada, but everything is off. People are acting like zombies down there.

... Alfred, why are they calling Gotham 'New Apokolips'????"

He's already guessed at many of the answers, but he needs to hear it.

He needs to talk to Batman....

[aflyinggrayson]

"Master Timothy, you should come back to the roost immediately," is Alfred's only response, along with, "Do you require medical attention?"

[jla_randoms]

"I'm not hurt."

He looks up to do a quick reconnoiter of the city's crimson stained skyline.

"Alfred, Gotham is in a bad way. I can't just leave things as they are."

Plus, there's Shiva and Dragon. While the details escape him currently, he's pretty sure they were critical to him not being in Hell anymore. You don't just walk away from a debt like that.

Shiva knows where the Batcave is, but Dragon doesn't as far as Tim knows. He's loath to abandon the two but compromising the location of Bruce's sanctum, to say nothing of his identity, isn't an option either.

"I've got Shiva and Dragon's back right now."

..and where was Batman??