The Equivalents

57. Revenge pt 3

Batman kept walking down the hall.

"Maybe you're more of a visual learner." He saw Joker come on the screen with a knife. He went over to Jason and carved a smile into his chest.

Batman averted his eyes from the screen and kept walking. But more and more screens kept turning on.

"I think you'd make a great sidekick. Just give it a thought. You and me! Out patrolling the town. Stopping Bats from hurting innocent criminals..."

He kept walking.

"Stopping him from attacking young men who stole car tires just to survive. Putting them in jail like criminals! He's the real criminal. And you and I could stop him."

Batman tried to turn the noise out. He had a mission. He couldn't let Bruce Wayne's emotions get in the way of stopping Scarecrow and Joker.

The faster Batman went, the faster the screens turned on. Jason's screams were the only thing that could be heard. The blood curdling shrieks of fear and pain. Joker was laughing in the background and constantly repeating the words 'you're mine'. More and more of the screens played, and they kept getting louder and louder until Batman finally reached the end of the hall. There was a door there and Batman didn't hesitate to open it and close it once he was inside.

"Tell me, do you think Batman is coming to save you?"

Batman turned around and saw an old computer sitting on a desk. Another video playing.

"All you have to do is say yes, and I won't do this. But you have to be honest. I know when my little birdie is lying." Joker took the gag out of his captive's mouth.

Batman walked towards the computer, slowly.

Jason didn't answer. He was silent. Batman could see how scared he looked. How hurt he looked. He could see how hopeless he felt. His eyes gave it away. He could see his son shiver from the cold room. He could see him trying to breathe as carefully as possible so the barbed wire cutting into his skin wouldn't hurt so much. It broke Batman to see his soldier like this. To see his son like this.

"So? Do you think Batman is coming to save you?" Joker asked.

Batman could see tears falling from Jason's eyes, but he saw him try to keep a straight face.

"No." Jason whispered.

The Joker smiled. "Perfect."

The picture of the footage cut out right there, but Batman could still hear the worst scream he had ever heard. Even after it was over and the computer shut off, he could still hear it ringing in his ears.

Oliver, Clint, Roy, and Kate were still running from henchmen. They took a wrong turn though, and realized they were running down a hallway that lead to a dead end.

"Great. I really don't think I can fight and carry this guy at the same time. And I don't want to try!" Oliver said.

"Kate, I think it's time." Roy said.

"But we haven't tested it yet!" Kate protested.

"Now seems like a good time." Roy laughed.

Kate pulled the special arrow she and Roy had been working on out of her quiver.

"Run straight at the wall!" Kate yelled.

"Umm, why don't we workshop a better plan then that?" Clint suggested.

"Just do it!" She exclaimed.

They all ran straight at the wall, and right before impact, she shot the arrow and a bolt shocked the wall before they ran straight through it and ended up back at the compound. The heroes looked back at the wall and saw it wasn't there anymore, but a portal was. It closed before any of the henchmen could get through.

"You made a teleportation arrow?" Clint asked, shocked.

"Yes..." Kate replied. "Do you like it?"

"Uh, yeah!" Clint laughed. "If you don't mind, I'd like some for myself."

Kate smiled and Roy gave her a thumbs up. "Roy deserves just as much credit. He helped me a lot."

"I just added a little Arsenal flare, really." Roy said, being modest. It shocked the heck out of Oliver.

"Well it worked. We're back and the mission was a success." Clint smiled.

"Anyone want celebratory pizza?" Kate asked.

"Yes." They all said in unison.

Black Mask laughed as Orphan stepped away from him.

"The one that actually gets things done, taking orders from the hero wannabe sidekick." He chuckled. "All of you bat boys are still just immature children. Doing things you shouldn't. Well, your friend finally paid for the things he did. I reminded him of everytime he ever messed with me as I kicked his ribs in."

Orphan lunged back at him and went to town on his body. Red Robin tried to pull her back and she ended up accidentally hitting him in the face. Hard too.

Red Robin fell back and Orphan gasped, immediately having guilt. Black Mask just chuckled.

"Hehe, I rest my case." He grinned.

Orphan helped Red Robin to his feet. "I'm sorry." She said.

"It's ok." Red Robin smiled. "Let's take him in. Ok?"

She nodded.

Spider-man and Green Goblin had been going back and forth. Spider-man had finally knocked Goblin down. He grabbed him by his collar and held him over the side of the building they were fighting on.

"Do it! Give in to the darkness!" Goblin laughed. "Prove me right!"

"Maybe I will." Spider-man said.

Before he could do anything else, Falcon showed up.

"Kid! Don't do this." He stated. "Think of Gwen. She loved you for who you were. She wouldn't want you to kill people."

"He killed Gwen. It's justice." Spider-man replied.

"It's what he wants." Falcon continued. "It's gonna be ok. I know he's done horrible things to you. But we can help you. Let's take him in."

Spider-man didn't move for a moment. Falcon could tell he was thinking.

A moment later, Spider-man backed away from the edge.

"You're going to jail." He said.

"Peter, Peter." Goblin sighed. "I'm disappointed in you."

"Good. I wouldn't want someone like you to be proud of me." Spider-man said. He looked over to see Falcon was smiling at him. "Shall we?"

"Yeah. Let's go."