Teen Titans Roster Day Off (7)

Bats

Marcia Bradly

We moved on pretty quickly from the alleyway considering Robin's moral obligations. Within minutes Starfire had retrieved a nurse from a nearby hospital, goodness knows where. The nurse wasn't human I can tell you that much, purple skin is kinda a give-away and the tech used to stabalise the henchman looked kinda magical.

Pulling up the head-set Starfire used to navigate short hops, we moved straight to the next target, went through the area quickly for remaining information, then the next and then the next. A series of short hops going over the scenes quickly.

Robin had tech, I'll give you that. At each scene he set up a device, some kind of camera, which he'd place at set locations, take a shot, then move it. Most likely making a 3d map of the spaces.

I tried my hand at magic at the two most likely. The first was at a toy shop in part of a large mall complex, with all the thread and a small piece of cloth we'd confirmed was part of a ragdoll. I drew out my spell circle, said the incantation under my breath and waited for the cloth to tug or pull, it would be attracted to it's original body. Instead it pulled to the remains of a pile of soft toys out back, the ravaged remains of the zombie ragdoll who had eaten it.

"This was always a risk!" Robin tried to man-splain, "The dolls consume cloth to make copies. Any attempt to track the dolls, is basically tracking the source. A lot of my work so far has been tracking back and eliminating materials. If these dolls are not under Bad Penny's control, then somebody is feeding and breeding!"

In hindsight, that made a lot of sense.

After that we hopped, skipped and jumped across the country, Starfire navigating for us. These zombie dolls had made a variety of appearances but, and this was critical. Each one was getting more serious.

Site 9 was a major mall, where unidentified mooks (cheeply hired minions) had set loose the feral things as a distraction for a robbery. Over a billion in electronics loaded into the back of a truck. "Yeah, there was no villain that we saw. Just the hired muscle, looked like someone shopping for a lair!"

No henchman jumped us here, and we took the opportunity to do some shopping. Robin bought matching jackets for all of us. "We can at least pretend to be incognito." He insisted, also getting some nasty baggy sweatpants.

"Or we can just beat these guys when they show up!" I tried to drip snark, which both of them ignored. Groaning, I summarised my thoughts, "If they're using minions and henchman, but not showing up themselves, then they don't have serious power themselves. Whoever this is has to be mob related."

"Or the kid of someone similar." Robin finished the thought.

"Well, if they're kids then we can talk to them. So far every villain kids we've met has been awesome!" I had no idea how Starfire could be this hopeful and ignorant. Not that it matters. The bad guys would find us sooner or later, and we'd fight.

Talking to the mall staff, one of the dock workers told us, "The dolls were loaded onto a truck with the electronics. Left the state heading east last I heard!"
Then Robin contacted the local authorities and checked the street cameras during that time.

"There, that truck stands out!" I pointed out a plain truck leaving around that time on the footage. "Do you notice, Gotham licence plates!"

"Oh great." Robin's face sagged, then he brightened up, "I should talk to Nightwing! Maybe we can get the Bat Family to help us out!"

"Do we need to involve those rodent themed crusaders! We can handle it ourself!" My attitude was summarily ignored, Starfire using her magic book to look up a safe location to jump to, and put her goggles in the book.

"Ready to go when you are!"

~ ~ ~

Gotham. Arguably the crime capital of the country. I would normally point out that California has a lot of crime, but lately it seamed like villains from the east coast were retiring on the west coast, so in every way the crime was spreading out.

Robin phoned ahead and we manifested on a brightly light rooftop in the heart of Gotham, with the silhouettes of the figures outlined on the rooftop opposite us.

"Eeeeeek"
The squeal of excitement split the night like a tea-kettle!

"TIIIIM!" In a flicker of capes the squealer pulled the smaller Robin into an unquenchable hug. "It's been so long!" The current rostor of Bat Family in Gothem consisted of a boy girl team, Batwoman and her apprentice Batboy. The boy had been an athlete Batwoman found, and was easily Robin's age, however with that name still in use, and few alternatives in place, Batboy filed the sidekick position. Dressed all in dark blue, no cape but instead equipped with a hang-glider, he was covered head to toe like his tutor.

While the boy kept his alouf distance, Batwoman did not, pulling Robin into a hug that (to me) looked far from chaste with their extreme height difference! "Woah! Is Batwoman a cougar?" I interjected, that broke them apart with fuss and awkwardness!

Batwoman rounded on me instead, "Oh, ah Hi! I'm Kate, this is, Robin I think you'll know my recruit!"

"I'd rather not do that out here!" Batboy feigned a gruff voice, said "Your tracking a series of robberies?" We had their full attention now, although the blush on Robin's face left me wondering the actual connection between these two.

"It's interesting to meet you too!" I shook her hand professionally, Marcia. With the Original on trial I'm in the market for a team. Making contacts, you know!"

"I get that!"

"Hiii, are you Robin's mum! I'm Starfire, a fiend of Robin and a team mate of his!" The burst of laughter from the group broke the tension.

"Oh wow, oh please don't say I look that old!" Batwoman laughed at the mistake, "It's more like he's my adopted brother!"