Batman: Arkham Knight

chapter 3

As Tim Drake was still working on the villains disappearance, Alfred approached him and told him concerned

Alfred " Master Tim sorry for interrupting you for a moment but, there something I need to discuss with you. "
Tim " Sure Alfred. What is it about? "
Alfred " Well sir it concerns Master Bruce. "
Tim " Did something happened to him? "
Alfred " No sir, it's about his attitude lately, he's not the since you know. "
Tim " Yeah, I noticed that too. "
Alfred " He's falling to keep appearances lately, I tried talking to him but he keeps ignoring my concerns. "
Then Oracle called:
Tim " Umm, wait a minute Al. Hey barbs what's going on? "
Barbara " Hey Tim there's a weird activity going at The Lady of Gotham can you investigate please? "
Tim " Sure things. "
Barbara " Thanks Tim. "
Tim " Sorry Al, let get to this get to this conversation later, "
Alfred " Of course Master Tim. Be careful. "
Tim " As always. "

Then Tim suit up in his robin suit and hopped on the batcyle and sped through the riverfall exitimg the batcave. As he arrived he grappled on top of the statue of The Lady of Gotham. From there, he scouted the area and saw a group of cultists shouting at what seemed to be a priest.

Tim " Barbs do you see what I'm seeing?
Barbara " Yes, get down to eavesdrop on what they're talking about."
Robin then glided down and landed on a rope attached to two poles and listened to their conversation.

Priest " The joker was a symbol of fighting back the corrupted justice of this doomed city, now he is gone. Gotham destroyers took him away from us! Let not leave the legacy he left behind fade away."
Priest " Today my brothers we are going to make a sacrifice for him, this man here is a henchman sent by the devil."
The mad preacher then removed a blanket which was on a table revealing the journalist Jack Ryder.
Tim " Barbs isn't that Vicki Vale's rival reporter?
Barbara " Yeah Jack Ryder. What the hell did he got himself into?"
Jack Ryder " Please someone help me! This maniac is going to kill me!"
Mad preacher " Silence! God will decide your judgment and me and my brothers here are going to assist him. "
Barbara " Tim, I digged into the preacher's profil and his name is Deacon Joseph Blackfire mostly known as Shaman Blackfire. He's claimed to be a Native American shaman who was entombed alive after being found guilty of killing a tribal chief and committing heresy.
Tim sighs: " And he went crazy, got it. I should help him huh? "
Barbara " I would probably left him there." She chuckled.
Barbara " What are you waiting for? Go bash these bastards' heads. "

Tim chuckled before gliding down and and kicked one of the cultists in the face sent him flying " Who dare interrupt this ritual?" Asked Shaman Blackfire. " My brothers the devil is sent his forces to stop us! Let show him what we capable of. " He said while pointing a knife to Robin dispatching his cult. Robin kept fighting knocking out the cultists by flipping over the thugs and placing his non-lethal stick bombs on their backs and detonating knocking them back, throwing shurikens to their legs neutralizing and bashing them with his bow-staff. After dispatching the cultists he grappled to a ceiling where the was the madman was. As he got to Blackfire, the latter slashed at robin who blocked the knife with his bow-staff and held him in a chokehold and demanded; " why he is worshiping the Joker?" The preacher laughed and answered; " The joker was a God, wiping the city clean from garbage like you!" Robin laughed at his face and told him; " You need serious help my friend, maybe they should reopen Arkham Asylum." The madman became angry and yelled at him telling him; " An army is coming to stop you! We will see if keep laughing when you will be breezing heavily on the ground begging for your life!" Robin responded; " Oh yeah? What army? You and those fools bleeding on the ground?" Not getting any answers he knocked the mad preacher's head against the table taking him down. He then cuts the ropes which were holding Jack Ryder setting him free. Robin then asked " Are you alright?" Jack Ryder responded " Yeah! I can't wait to write this on my article." Robin sighs and told him: " You could have gotten yourself killed tonight next time, don't try playing heroes you will not be this lucky. " Then Robin contacted Oracle telling her to tell the GCPD to sent a unit to pickup the remaining lunatics. He then grabbed Jack Ryder and took him up on the flat part of the statue where he called the batwing and took both Ryder and Blackfire to the top of GCPD. As they arrived officer Cash and his men were waiting, there Robin handed Blackfire over and Ryder followed. " You keep getting yourself don't you Ryder?" Cash said annoyed. " Well Robin caught him because of me huh? Don't I deserve to praised? No?" Responded Ryder sarcasticlly while laughing awkwardly. The officers sighs taking him away. " Don't you see child Gotham must be purified from the evil destroying it? Gotham is burning and you prevented the servants of God of protecting it." Deacon Blackfire said while Cash was restraining him. " Well use this as your justification during trial, maybe they will pity you " Robin responded while chucking. " Hey kid keep kicking asses out there, you guys make Gotham a better place. " Cash said while taking Blackfire to the elevator, Robin nodded while walking away. He then asked Oracle; " What did he meant that any army is coming?"
Barbara " Don't worry about it, he's just someone unstable. But there something weird Batman's suit is not responding since his encounter... "

Before she could say an another word nightwing interrupted them telling Robin to come to Herold repair ASAP as something wasn't right. Robin asked if it's about Batman but cut him off telling him to hurry. He dived down from the GCPD building and called for the batcyle and sped to nightwing's location. As Robin arrived he saw nightwing inspecting the place already as there was signs of a fight there. Robin looked around and only saw a large pile of money and some blood on the walls and some bullet holes.

Robin " What the hell happened here?"
Nightwing " That what I'm trying to figure out."
Robin " What Bruce was doing here anyway?"
Nightwing "He was tracking the penguin."
Robin " Do you think penguin was able to take out Bruce ?"
Nightwing " I doubt it."

They both activated there detective vision and started scanning the place for clues and they found a specific type of bullet, they were ripped rounds. Dick asked " What type of bullet are those? " Tim answered back saying " They are ripped rounds, an improved version of desert eagle ammunition capable of piercing through most types of metals. It's mostly used to inflict high damage on the target. "

Robin " Do you think the blood belong to Bruce?"
Nightwing analyzed the blood confirming it was Bruce's.
Nightwing; " It's indeed is, but Bruce wasn't hit with the bullets. "

They analysed it but found very little. The weapons they found weren't very common. They took it for further analysis at the batcave and continued their search, nightwing found some chemicals.

Nightwing " Hey Robin there's some chemicals over here come on.."
Robin " Alright." He replied in a worried tone.
Nightwing " Hey don't worry we'll find him. "
Robin " If you say so. "
Nightwing sighs
Nightwing" Hey look at me. Don't worry, we will find him. "
Robin " Alright. "

They analyzed the chemical which was a new variant of fear toxin and found Batman's utility belt and his suit's tracker was damaged. Robin picked the tracker up and examined it.

Robin " It was most likely stomped on it. How did they knew about the tracker? "
Nightwing " I don't know but, yeah with those cracks it's pretty much what happened. "

They examined the blood in depth and found the toxin mixed with it. They extracted some amount of the toxin and blood enough to perform tests on it. Nightwing then contacted Oracle telling her about the situation and to join them at the batcave.

Barbara asked " Do you have any clue who could have done this?"
Nightwing " No, we barely have any lead except from some blood mixed with a new fear toxin and some ripped rounds. "
Barbara " Ripped rounds?"
Nightwing " Yeah, a specific type of bullet Tim described to cause high injuries. But Bruce wasn't hit with those. Something else injured him."
Barbara " Alright I'll join you at the batcave in a few minutes get then toxin tested in the meanwhile."
Nightwing " Alright see you there."

He then ended the call and talk to Robin.

Robin " I should have gone with him."
Nightwing " Hey don't blame yourself. You couldn't have predicted what was gonna happen. "
Nightwing " Let's go back to the cave Barbs is on her way there. "
Robin " Fine... Let go. "

They both rushed to the batcave and once there they told Alfred the news.
Alfred " Oh God no! Do you have any idea on what could have happened there?" He asked desperately.
Nightwing " Sadly, we know little."
Alfred " Did you at least found something that could be helpful?"
Robin " Yes. His utility belt, his suit's tracker. ( He showed them to Alfred.) And this sample of blood mixed with fear toxin left by Bruce. "
Nightwing " And there're those bullets. There's most likely a new foe in town. "
Alfred " Right you are Master Grayson. Give me the blood sample, I will analyze it on the batcomputer. "

A few minutes later Barbara arrived and Dick helped her getting to the batcomputer.

Alfred " Good evening Miss Gordon."
Barbara " Good evening Alfred. "
Barbara " Did you found something out of the blood sample?"
Nightwing " Yes. It was mixed with a new version of scarecrow's fear toxin. "
Robin " That doesn't make any sense why would penguin work with scarecrow? I ended badly the time they did it and they don't have anything in common. "
Alfred " Except hatred for the batman. I was suspecting this lately."
Nightwing " But why try again and how aren't they killing each other right now? We are definitely missing something. "
Barbara " You're right but we need to focus and try finding Bruce first and fast. "
Alfred " Indeed Miss Gordon. "