(Untitled)

[laughing_mage]

Scattered tools of his nights work can be seen around the room in the abandoned building he has been using as a workshop. In one corner are a pick and shovel covered with fresh earth with gloves and boots saturated with liquid and mud flung beside them. On the table where he's been working are several newspaper clippings and lists. Special ink and

Comments

[one_eyed_merc]

...looks familiar... can't place the face, though.

Deathstroke, twenty feet up, crouched in the upper recesses of a pine tree, snaps a picture of John in his binocular camera then presses a small button on the side as he activates his comlink.

Rose, I need an ident on the image I'm sending you. I don't like coincidences.

[laughing_mage]

the identity comes back as John Constantine, convicted murderer and British citizen...deceased in a prison riot not too long ago. obviously he got better

[one_eyed_merc]

Constantine... Constantine. Name rings a bell... Zatanna. I seem to remember her mentioning that name once, a long time ago - Rose, this might be someone who deals in magic.

...I hate magic. Damn. Nothing for it, I suppose.

He holsters the binocam and drops twenty feet straight down, landing easily in a crouch.

Let's get this over with.

[laughing_mage]

John is making his way through corridors and pausing at different cells to inspect things. Somewhere along the line he's swiped a clipboard although he's drawing what looks like idle circles and symbols on it instead of words

Bloody maze.

[one_eyed_merc]

Goddamn it.

The cell is stripped bare. Reeks of disinfectant. Slade supposes that an anal-retentive like Crane shouldn't surprise him in that regard - scrubbing down the cell before he leaves.

Rose, the sidetrack's a no-go. I'm going to proceed on the Penguin gig now.

He pulls on his mask, and starts priming knockout grenades as he exits the Scarecrow's cell. Ventriloquist is two floors down in the same tower - first stop.

[laughing_mage]

John freezes as he hears the cell door open. That's not right, docs would have come from below not behind him. That means it's probably an inmate.

Christ what do they do put revolving doors in here? Just when I was makin' some headway of course.

taking a moment he uses the black marker he's been doodling with to draw something on the floor and then he waits to see who's coming.

[one_eyed_merc]

Squeaking. Permanent marker on tile. Somebody's there.

The SNA-KAP of a knockout grenade being primed, and then Slade tosses it out - more for visual cover than the knockout gas.

[laughing_mage]

hearing the sound he barks one word

CONTEGO!

and a shield snaps into place around him. His eyebrows raise as billowing smoke surrounds it, he was expecting an inmate trying to rush his way through him

Didn't think they let the inmates play with guns.

[jla_extras]

The dead man in the Armani suit walks down the hall, oblivious to the doings of mages or assassins. As the smoke fills the passageway, he turns to look at something, in the distance. There are deep scratches on his face, as though he clawed through his own skin.

"He remembers," says the ghost. "He remembers everything."

And then, the well-dressed man is gone, vanished into the billowing gas and the cackling laughter that rings from all directions.

[laughing_mage]

"Right, blow me Casper." mutters under his breath and waits for the smoke to go away and puts the shield down.

"Barrel o'laughs this is."

[jla_extras]

The mad caterwaul of nearby inmates gives way to something different, deeper. A tortured laugh in the distance, mad with a pain that will never end.

Someone died here. Recently. Badly.

[laughing_mage]

Well let's see if we can actually find somethin' out here.

follows the sound

[one_eyed_merc]

The Ventriloquist's cell - it took two minutes and gas to fetch the necessary prop.

Goddamn freaks...

He drops Scarface at the side of the door, then kicks it in expertly - the Ventriloquist has never needed to be behind steel-reinforced doors. Not without his toy.

Yo, freak! Your boss is here!

Next - the Hatter.

[jla_extras]

"Hey, Dummy! Put me on, and let's get outta here!"

"Please, Mr. Scarface... I don't want to..."

"HEY! I know you didn't just talk to me like that. Pick me up, and we're getting outta here NOW."

[one_eyed_merc]

Two inches of bulletproof glass shatter. Sonic charges took care of them quickly enough.

Tetch. If you want out, now's the time. Here, I even brought you some party favours.

A handful of cybernetic hat tags scatter from Slade's hand and float gently to the floor.

Right. Quinn.

[jla_extras]

"Will you walk a little faster?" said a whiting to a snail,
"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!
They are waiting on the shingle -- will you come and join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?