Alice In Blackgate

Chapter 5

Alice Liddell arrived just in time for Black Mask's meeting with three of the assassins. One was a big man wearing a metallic armored suit with electroshock gauntlets. Another one wore a flight suit with a jet pack and a flamethrower. The last assassin was a much bigger man. He wore leather and a black and gray Mexican luchador mask. From his appearance, he was much more muscular than Killer Croc. Black Mask saw her and from the look on his eye, he smirked. "Alice Liddell. What are you doing here?" Alice replied coolly, "I need information and I need it now." Black Mask nodded as turned to a series mock business posters. He spoke in an almost joking manner. He turned and saw the armored man playing a game on his cell phone. "We are really going to have to turn this around," said Black Mask disapprovingly. Then he took off his mask and put it front of the armored man's cell phone. "And by we I mean YOU," he added. The man they were looking at was not Roman Sionis. This man had chalk white skin with green hair and a red smile on his lips. "Got that, Mr... Cutioner?" asked the strange man. "Just who the hell-are you?" demanded the armored man, standing up. "I'm the guy with the money," exclaimed the strange man. "and the gun." He pulled out a gun out of his coat and fired a few shots around the armored man. "So when I hire you to kill the Batman, you shut the hell up and kill the Batman!" yelled the strange man. The armored man sat down as the strange man put his foot on his chair. "So, do you have-anything-else to contribute?" asked the strange man. The armored man looked nervously at him. "I didn't think so," sneered the strange man. Then he kicked him out of the window. Then the strange man took a bite out of fruitcake. "Mmmm! This fruitcake is fantastic!" said the strange man. Then he stabbed it with a knife. "Anyone want a piece?" asked the strange man. "Alright. Meeting's adjourned," finished the strange man. "Get out there and kill the Bat." The jet pack assassin complied by flying out of the window. Then Alice noticed the big man wasn't going anywhere. "Move it along, big boy," said the strange man. The big man responded in a thick Spanish accent, "No. He's coming for you now. And when he gets here, I'm going to kill him. So you wait." The strange man didn't look the least bit scared of him as he sat down on an office chair. He commented, "Well, this should be interesting." Then he spun around as he laughed insanely. A little while later, the strange man introduced himself as the Joker. The big man was Bane. Alice asked, "Do you have any information worth looking for?" Joker giggled, "No, but I know someone who might." Alice asked intensely, "Who?" Joker replied, "He is called 'Enigma'. He has some sort of scheme to expose the corruption of certain individuals. Of course I don't know where he is, but do you want me to leave a message?" Then the Joker laughed. Alice began to leave the Royal Hotel and decided to serve herself some dessert in the kitchen. The Cheshire Cat appeared with a scowl. "You're chasing your family's murderer and you waste your time with food?" Alice looked at him defiantly as she finished a small cinnamon roll. The Cat shook his head as he added, "Caterpillar will be most disappointed at this." Alice wiped her mouth clean as she replied, "At least I have an idea who can help me find Bumby." "Just be careful with whom you trust, Alice," advised the Cat. "Gotham City is definitely a place overpowering with corruption and treachery." Alice nodded as an explosion sounded. The noise surprised the both of them. Alice and the Cat set out to find out what set the explosion. They only found a news helicopter with Batman clinging on. Batman dropped to a group of thugs and began fighting them. The news reporter in the helicopter, Vicki Vale, had her cameraman record the entire fight and the helicopter flew away when the camera broke. "This could be a problem, Alice," said the Cat worriedly. "If the GCPD or Batman put you into incarceration, Bumby will give himself another chance to destroy Wonderland and you'll forget who you even are." The Cat then disappeared. Without a moment to lose, Alice began to make her escape. The elevators were now out of order because now GCPD was now surrounding the hotel. By the time she almost got out, Alice was pinned down to a wall. "Hey, captain! I found our escaped Blackgate prisoner," reported the officer who pinned her to the wall. "Send her into a squad car," replied the voice in the officer's walkie talkie. The officer slapped a pair of handcuffs and walked her out. She watched as many of the officers were making arrests including the Joker. Bane was nowhere to be seen, so he must've escaped. Alice struggled to break herself free but then got sedated. Minutes passed and Alice was back in her cell in Blackgate. She was angry at herself for not being able to escape in time. Alice was then brought into questioning, where Captain Gordon and another officer were waiting. "Alice, this is my partner, Harvey Bullock," said Gordon. "There is something we need to discuss about your association with the Joker." Alice retorted, "I am not involved with the repulsive clown." Harvey asked, "Really? Then what were you doing in the Royal Hotel? Or better yet, what were doing in the police department?" Gordon stopped him. "That's enough!" snapped Gordon. Alice replied, "I was looking for information involving my family's murder. After some searching, I finally found out who did it." Gordon looked at her with surprise. "You're telling me, that you found out who murdered your family?" asked Gordon. Alice nodded. "Who?" asked Bullock. Then Alice opened her mouth to say the first thing on her mind.