Group Therapy

Part 1

A protector is someone who protects or guards, by assignment or on their own initiative. The method in which protection is achieved may vary from party to party. Yet the masses always sleep soundly knowing they are being protected. People fear the day when there are no watchful protectors. They fear that feeling of being alone. And in Gotham, there are few that can be trusted.

Gotham City painfully sways with the wind. It has been a year to the day that The Batman was killed. Details about the incident are incredibly vague and almost nonexistent. It's a cold night in the city, but things seem colder without Batman. Bruce Wayne fought his final fight.

We open with a flickering light that fills a white-walled room with a dim yellow tone. There are no windows or doors, just various slabs of ten inch-thick bulletproof glass that fold around to create a small cell. There are five of these cells all facing each other in a circle, and it's prisoners may surprise you.

Starting from the left is Antonio Diego, scientist and power-driven deviant. Also known as Bane, he has been stripped of the venom that makes him a monstrous brute, and is asleep with his legs folded Indian style and his head tilted back.

To his left is Black Mask. His real name is Roman Sionis, a mobster who was kick started by his father's wealth. He has been relieved of his handgun and is sleeping slouched over with his head on his shoulder and his legs straight out.

To the left of Black Mask is Dr. Victor Fries, most commonly known as Mr. Freeze. Driven by his wife's illness, she remains in a state of cryostasis as he searches for a cure. A search that has left many other bodies behind. He sits hunched over with his elbows on his knees in his custom body suit. All of his offensive functions have been disabled.

Moving along, sleeping comfortably in his cell to the left of Mr. Freeze, The Joker somberly snoozes in the fetal position. He has caused Gotham years of chaos with his heinous crimes. Yet everything he does he claims is for the vigilante Batman. His true identity is still unknown. All of his knives and gadgets have been taken.

In the final cell is Edward Nygma. He preferred to be called The Riddler. An introvert who was desperate to prove he was the smartest man in Gotham. He was especially obsessed with stumping Batman. He is completely unarmed as well and is sleeping on his back with his legs crossed and his arms behind his head.

The first to awake is Riddler. He feels around him and his fingers run along the tile floor.

Riddler: Well this is perplexing.

The sound of metal moving marks the conscious arrival of Freeze, who notices that Riddler is moving around.

Freeze: I sense we've been migrated to a most humbling habitat, Edward.

Riddler: A rather astute observation, Victor. You should've been more Sherlock, less psycho.

Freeze: My intelligence is fortunately more significant than my pain. Mr. Holmes would suffer quite the blow of ego before a sharp cold death.

Freeze looks over towards Bane.

Freeze: Looks like our amigo has suffered the same fate we have.

Riddler: It is not fate quite yet, my frozen friend.

Black Mask begins to grunt and look around.

Black Mask: What the hell is this? Let me outta here!

He begins to punch the glass in hopes of breaking through, but it's futile.

Riddler: Settle down, Sionis. You're not making it through. I've done the calculations and you won't harness enough force. So relax.

Black Mask: So you'd rather sit around while someone makes a fool outta ya? You've always been a punk, Nygma.

Riddler: I think it's better to gather all of our surroundings. It's not necessarily the "how", it's the "why" that matters.

Black Mask: Ugh, here we go.

Riddler: For example, why would someone go through all of this trouble? What do we have in common? We've all been in contact with each other within the last year. Specifically for one gratifying experience, yes?

Freeze: All of us but one.

Freeze points to the cell next to Riddler. The clown remains sleeping.

Riddler: Yes, it seems so.

Bane coughs twice and scans the room. He releases a long exhale.

Bane: Mierda. What's going on here? I feel ill.

Riddler: Oh, it's just us. Your favorite pals. Come to share in this abhorrent pool of irony.

Bane: The Bat is gone. An elaborate plan such as this was carefully calculated. I could easily break this glass with my venom. Our captor is someone who has been studying us for quite some time.

Black Mask: So maybe it was freak-o over there.

Everyone looks toward Joker.

Freeze: He's taking quite the power nap.

Bane: Like a hibernating oso.

Riddler giggles a bit and lies back down with his hands behind his head.

Riddler: He's probably been awake this entire time.

Black Mask: Bang on his damn glass maybe he knows something.

Freeze: Oh, please don't wake him up.

Riddler: I second that.

Bane: Third.

Joker: Fourth!

The room collectively lets out a groan of disdain as they all shuffle around, almost as if to get ready for the long haul.