Love Birds

Chapter Forty One

-Athena's POV-

After a homemade breakfast -- that Alfred shoved down our throats -- our little Bat squad headed out to go after Joker. Batgirl joined us with Alfred working the computers in the Batcave.

"He's inside the warehouse with a group of armed men and a hostage," Batman reported, "Mayor Hayes is most likely the hostage." I leaned over the side of the light post I was crouching on. Cars and pedestrians pointed at us and took pictures as they walked by. Suddenly, the idea of being a hero in the middle of the day was a bad idea.

"We should strike as quick as possible because if we stay here, we'll be revealed by the people of the city," I added, swinging down and on top of the warehouse. The remaining four stayed where they were, tortured expressions of their faces. I nodded to where I stood and the rest finally joined. What was wrong with them?

The sun beat down on my back rather harshly. I always wore a black nomex suit. In the middle of August, a black superhero suit was like standing in a pit of fire. The warehouse was made out of steel, which was scorching. Luckily, I wore heat resistant boots.

Batman swung down inside the hide out first. Followed by Batgirl, then Nightwing, then Robin, and finally me. By the time I touched down, the latter four were engaged in a fight. I smirked and pulled out my two pistols. I hit a guy in the side of the head with my red one when I saw the Joker admiring the scene. He caught my gaze, and with a sneer, Joker tugged Mayor Hayes up to his feet. His hands were bound and his mouth was gagged.

"The Mayor!" I shouted. The others turned their heads to where I pointed. Robin delivered the last punch, knocking out the last guard. We all grouped at the bottom of the barricade, staring up at Joker.

"My dear, we have a guest!" Joker screeched. Mayor Hayes made a strangled mumble as he wiggled back and forth. Joker had more height, but Hayes had more weight and mass. I studied the barricade. If something were to hit it, it would make the platform Joker was hiding on fall down. But, the fall would kill the Mayor as well as Joker. Damn.

"Let him go," Batman snarled. Joker clapped his hands, his gun moving against the Mayor's head. My hands tightened around my pistols as the noise echoed around the warehouse.

"Here's how this is gonna happen. I'll drop Mayor Hayes down if I get something from you." Joker looked over the edge of the platform he stood on. It was about a fifteen feet drop. He smiled to himself, his thin, red lips curling.

"What do you want?" Robin said, calmly. Out of our group, he was the most serene. Batman hated Joker. Nightwing had been glaring at the word 'Joker' since the party. And Barbara looked like she was one more straw away from snapping Joker's neck. I had heard about how she had been paralyzed by him. No wonder she was so angry.

"Hmm," Joker tapped his chin, "I hadn't had a chance to welcome the newest member of Gotham yet, so she'll do." A white finger landed directly on me. I crossed my arms and pointed back with my guns. "No guns, my darling."

"No way," Nightwing stepped forward. Although any other girl would've loved the caring gesture, I felt insulted. I shot him a glare.

"Toss Hayes down. I'm going." I strode forward, waiting for Joker to lift his barricade.

"What are you doing, Nightingale? He's crazy." Nightwing grabbed my arm. His hand wasn't firmly cemented on my arm, so I easily got out of his hold. After he realized I wasn't going to turn back, he sighed. "Don't die, okay?"

I smiled, recognizing the common catchphrase between us. "I can't make any promises, Boy Blunder."

"Ugh," he scoffed, "your last words are gonna be, Boy Blunder?" I nodded and Nightwing backed up. Joker raised the barricade. I slid in, it quickly coming down right as I went in.