The Rider of Young Justice Season 1: Beginnings

Modus Operandi

Gotham: November 14th, 2008, 02:43am:

P.O.V: Batman

Gordon had set up shop in the abandoned apartment block. I waited on the roof listening in to the conversations that the cops are having down stairs. Three bodies......same M.O as previous victims, just more brutal this time. One body had has neck twisted 180° with his mouth burnt down to the bone. One body was thrown from the window onto the pick up, the vic died on impact but not before the corpse and the truck were burnt. The last vic is the one I'm most curious about. The body has little to no physical damage but the vic is dead. His eyes are smoldering like molten rock. Same as the others.

"How's it going?" I hear a voice call out as my protege, Robin lands on the rooftop. "Your late." I say to him as he rolls his eyes. "Good evening to you too. You know that just because you leave very early doesn't mean that I do to. I need sleep man." He complains and I just ignore him. "So what's going on?" He asks. "Three vic's, same M.O as the others." I reply as he nods. "Do you think it's the new vigilante?" He asks as I stare at him with a glare. "Right.....sorry." I hear the cops starting to leave and I disable the bug before making my way down. Robin follows close behind.

I enter the flat and see the damage down. "Damn..... someone really went to town on these guys." Robin quips but before I can say anything, something catches my attention. With my detective vision, I focus on the footprints on the floor. I focus and see that one of the prints was burnt into the floor. It has faded with time but the burn mark is still visible, at least to me. "You know you could've called." A familiar voice calls out. I turn and see Gordon in the doorway. Robin cheekily waves to him and Gordon just smiles at his antics. "Been busy." I reply as Gordon chuckles. "League shit......got it." He says as I grumble. The League had taken most of my time so my time in Gotham has become limited lately. "Who are they?" I ask Gordon who just sighs. "Low lifes....no one that's really important. A few petty robberies. The ringleader had a track record of sexual assaults and armed robbery but the other two, just some petty crime." He answers as I look at the wall where the ringleader was found. With my vision, I can the faint outline of a man, similar to a nuclear shadow. Intense heat was condensed in this single area. "This guy has been tearing up the streets for the past few months. With you gone, the scum are running rampart. Penguin, Pgy, even Zazz are running around. But lately this new guy has been doing things that criminals are running scared of, terrified even." Gordon says as Robin perks up. "A Batman huh?" He says while chuckling but I notice Gordon serious expression. "Nah kid. The criminals we catch or even turn in willingly say that this new guy is more terrifying than Batman......and more brutal." That piece of news catches me. Being with the League, I'm not up to date with what the criminals of Both get up too but now, someone or better yet, something is making them quiver in fear. Something that puts the fear of me to shame. "Any ideas?" I ask Gordon.

"Some of them claim to have seen a demon tear through their buddies like paper." He says as I narrow my eyes. "A metahuman?" I ask him which he perks up. "That's what I thought. But the description of what the scum see is making me doubt it. They say that it's a demon with a flaming skull." Gordon explains which gives a little context. The victims, all them, had some level of heat induced tramua to them. Some were burnes to cinders while others had smoldering eyes. Fire is a recurring theme with this new vigilante. "Anything else?" I ask as I make my way to the door. "Yeah......a name. Criminals are calling this vigilante, 'The Rider'." Gordon finishes as I grumble under my breath. "Robin." I call out to him as I leave. A new vigilante, with a habit of killing his targets, most often with some kind of fire. Description deals as a man with a flaming skull. Not a lot to go on but with enough time, I'll figure it out.

P.O.V Change: Matthew

Next Morning:

The Rider. That's what criminals are coming my 'alter ego'. I thought that it didn't matter what criminals called me but the Rider deemed that a name gives a myth a following, either by fear or worship. We were just a nameless face but now that we have a name. Criminals will spread the word of the Rider that deals punishment to those that spill innocent blood. The Rider lately has been aggravated because of criminals walking up to police and turning themselves in to protect themselves from the Rider. I thought that they were doing the right thing, the Rider disagreed. He told me that they are thinking that we are human that follows laws, we are not. They think that prison will protect them, they are wrong. That conversation made me really worried. The Rider deems himself above humans, above mortals and that laws l, rules, prisons won't stop him from exacting vengeance on those that deserve it.