Batman Beyond #11

[Glippernip]

BATMAN BEYOND #11

Kings & Knights

Part 1: Knight in Bludhaven

Written by Daniel Dyer
Edited by Joel Sawyer


New Bludhaven, just down river from Gotham City. About 40 years back, Bludhaven became a casualty of war. A mound of chemicals and waste were dumped on the city. This pollutant had a name: Chemo. It took years for the city to recover (some say it still hasn’t recovered).

Was it Wayne or Luthor who helped finance the rebuilding of Bluhaven? No. It was a man named Desmond. Roland Desmond. A man which several reports have placed as having died shortly before the destruction of Bludhaven. If such were the case, how did he rebuild Bludhaven? How did he become a city’s savior?

That is a story for another time. Now, however, Terry McGinnis is exiting a bus, the vehicle hovering a foot from the street.

“Thanks,” Terry says, sliding his cred card in the reader and getting off the bus. New Bludhaven. This place makes Gotham look like paradise. Good thing I’m not here to sight see.

That’s when, out of the corner of his eye, Terry spots a young, petite blonde leaning against a column, cigarette in hand.

Look away, he thinks. Dana’s only upset. She’ll come around. No need to check out other...

“Take a holo,” the girl starts, “It’ll last longer.”

Terry’s brought out of his stupor. “Uh... sorry.”

“Got a light?”

“I... uh... don’t smoke,” is his only reply.

“Yeah,” the blonde says, “I should give them up anyways.” She looks up at Terry and asks, “What’s your name?”

“Terry,” he says.

“I’m Melanie,” she says, offering her hand.

***

[Glippernip]

Elsewhere, at a fundraiser being hosted by Helena Kyle; The dark haired young woman maintains a home for orphaned children and she’s trying to reach out to those of privilege to help her cause.

“Welcome,” she begins, holding a microphone, “the elite of New Bludhaven. I bring you all here because the children of this city need you. They are children with great need. I do what I can, but there is so much more that can be done. I thank you all for your time and your generous donations.”

The crowd applaud as Helena leaves the stage, heading back to her table.

“Anything yet,” asks an electronic voice in Helena’s ear.

“Not yet,” she whispers. “What if they don’t take the bait?”

“I know they’re in town,” replies the voice, “and they won’t be able to resist a gathering of this magnitude.”

“Any sign of the Boy Wonder yet?”

A moment of silence and then, “Not yet.”

“You worried?”

“I think he’s curious.”

“I wonder why,” Helena says with a smile. “You trust the kid with the suit, a suped up Batmobile, and access to some of the most advanced technology on the planet, but you don’t trust him with the truth?”

“You know it’s not that simple.”

“Isn’t it?” she asks.

“If he contacts you, don’t say anything. Oracle out.”

“Good-bye to you, too.”

***

[Glippernip]

“You’re from Gotham,” questions Melanie as she walks with Terry.

“Yeah,” he answers. “Just in town visiting a friend.”

“Girlfriend,” Melanie asks slyly.

“No, nothing like that.”

Melanie gives Terry a grin.

“So, what about you,” Terry asks. You from ‘the Haven’?”

“No,” replies the young blonde. “My family moves around a lot.”

“Must be hard.”

“Yeah,” she states. “Never in one place long enough to have a life. No friends.”

“Well, maybe you’ll move up to Gotham after this?”

Melanie blushes, but before she has a chance to respond, her watch alarm buzzes. “Slag it!” she says.

“Late?”

“Yeah,” she answers, “sorry, gotta go.” She starts to run off, then turns back to Terry. Grabbing his hand, and taking out a pen, she writes her number on his palm. “Call me,” Melanie says, running off.

***

[Glippernip]

At the fundraiser, Helena has long vanished. On the roof of the building, the Huntress now waits.

“I’m telling you, Oracle,” Huntress starts, “the Gang aren’t showing up.”

“Patience, grasshopper,” comes the voice of Oracle through the cowl worn by Huntress.

“Was that an insult?”

Oracle sighs. “Kids today.”

“Sorry, Grams,” Huntress quips, “didn’t mean to get you started on how things were better when you were a kid.”

“They were better,” responds Oracle, “though that’s not saying much.”

“Wait,” Huntress says. “I think I see them in the distance.”

Huntress taps the side to her cowl and the lenses covering her eyes amplify what she sees. And what she sees are three men and one woman, all in skintight white, surfing through the air on what looks like playing cards. The one in the lead has a beard and wears a red loin clothe, a sheathed sword on the side. He also has a black cape with red trim and wears a crown.

Beside this King, his Queen wears a black head dress and sash around her waist, carrying a scepter.

Behind them, rode Jack, with shoulder length black hair. around his waist is a black belt and his wrists are covered with red.

In the rear is the largest. Unlike the others, this one had no eye or mouth holes in his mask and had a square head. The only identifying mark on his white costume is a huge Spade, like the suite in a deck of cards, on his chest. He (or rather it) is Ace.

“Yeah, Oracle,” Huntress continues, sticking to the shadows, out of sight, “the Royal Flush Gang are advancing. I have a visual of four.”

“Careful, Helena,” Oracle cautions, “there’s supposed to be five.”

“Roger, Captain,” replies Huntress, as she fires a mini-arrow.

“You’ve gotta lay off the old movies.”

As the arrow soars past the Gang, it explodes. The explosion causes them to all turn.

“Caution,” King yells, “we’ve been made!”

“We are riding giant playing cards,” quips Jack.

“Quiet! Fan out!” orders King.

“Nice diversion,” Oracle tells Huntress. “Best bet is to take out the droid, Ace, first. He’s the powerhouse.”

“Here ‘it’ comes now,” responds the vigilante.

Huntress then fires another mini-arrow to the neighboring building, a thin cord attached, which was directly in Ace’s path. As the droid flew between the two buildings, the cord tripped it, causing it to fall hard to the alley bellow.

“The droid’s grounded,” Huntress chirps up.

“As shall you be, mi’lady,” comes the voice of King from behind

The Huntress turns, seeing King standing there, his sword to her throat, the blade suddenly crackling to life with electricity. Jack and Queen stand behind him.

“Farewell,” says the King.

But before King can connect his sword to the Huntress, flying on his jetboots, the Batman comes from the alley below, hovering at the ledge of the roof.

“Hey, Hunt,” says the Dark Knight, “been searching all over for you. Looks like I found you in the nick of time.”

Continued...