Prince of Gotham

Disclaimer: This is my perspective on characters that belong to DC comics.

So all rights and stuff go to them except for the character(s) that I make

Up.

"You want us all to just to help you?" The Penguin asked. He wasn't the only villain contacted by Manticore, they all sat, listening to him speak. Among the villains were The Joker, Harley Quin, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Black Mask, Maxie Zeus, Mr. Zsasz, Mr. Freeze, the Riddler, and Two-Face.

"Of course." Manticore said slyly, "I plan to band the villains of the world together, but before I do, it has to start here."

"What makes you think we want to work with each other." Two-Face growled.

"Who said you had a choice?" Manticore asked.

"You threatening us? Cause Mistah J don't like threats." Harley said, gaining a disgusted groan from Ivy.

"No...well, kind of." Manticore said.

"His ideas work." Ivy said, standing, "Unlike most of our ideas, his actually work."

"Batman ain't dead."

"Yes, but I got what I went for and I didn't have to lift a finger." Ivy explained, "And I'm not locked up in Arkham."

"Which brings me to my next point." Manticore said abstractly, "We're going to have a break-out."

"That's your big idea?" Black Mask asked.

"It's genius." Riddler said.

"Like we haven't tried this before." The Joker said, "Batman will stop you. You're a newbie."

Manticore looked over to him, "Someone jealous?" he asked.

"Awww, Mistah J, maybe we should help." Harley said.

"Shut up, Harley." The Joker said.

"They say you've got powers..." Mr. Freeze said.

Manticore outstretched his hand and one of Freeze's henchmen lifted into the air, gasping for air, "They're right."

-           

"This guy, Manticore, he's bad news?" I asked as we stood in the Batcave. Everyone was suited up but me and they were on the trail of the crime.

"The worst." Batman said, not turning from the computer, "He held a summit of all the villains, he's got something big in store for Gotham."

"Gotham? You mean the world." Robin said.

"Okay, so no one knows what's under his mask?" I asked.

"No." Nightwing said, "And from the intel we got from some thugs, he's pretty good at what he does."

"He set us up." Batman said.

"He got one over on you?" I asked.

"Yes." Batman said, "He got Ivy to infect Dick, then he got Dick to bring me to Ivy."

"And it worked, like a charm." Nightwing said.

"You don't have to be so cheery about it." Batman sneered, "It won't happen again."

"And he's either a meta-human or a very powerful user." I said, "That spell was full-proof."

"So, how do we overcome an increasingly uneven odd?" Robin asked.

"By making the playing field even." Batman said, standing.

"I guess that's the cue." Robin said, following him.

I nodded, "I'll just...you know, hang around." I said.

"You going to be okay?" Nightwing asked.

"I'm good. School's hard, but other than that..." I said.

"Good." Nightwing said, "I'm glad you're good."

"Thanks." I said.

-           

"Hold it! Put your hands up and nobody gets hurt!" Officer Belmount said. It started out as a routine patrol and had spiraled when he realized that someone was in the bank. This was the fourth bank this week! The perp stood only a few feet away, his mask concealed by a mask and his body protected by a long cape. It wasn't Batman, or any of the many other heroes that he knew about. There seemed to be a thin line these days. His gun cocked and ready to shoot the figure, but he couldn't.

"Put the gun down." The figure said.

"Put the money down." Belmount said.

"Fine." Manticore said, waving his hand, causing the gun to fly out of his hand and with a super-speed, held him against the wall, "Leaves the toys at home."

"Let `im go." Black Canary said, causing both men to look towards her.

"Nice nets." Manticore said, "Where do you shop?"

Black Canary made movements as if she was breathing in all the air.

"Uh uh." Manticore said, holding out his hand and causing her to levitate off the ground, choking and gasping for air, "Can't sing if you can't breathe."

"Put her down!" Belmount said pointing his gun at Manticore again.

"Really? The gun again?" Manticore asked.

The guard clumsily shot the gun and missed Manticore by an inch. Manticore dropped Black Canary and threw Belmount against the wall. He stopped and looked over to the shadows.

"How..." Batman said, amazed that this guy had noticed him.

Manticore pointed to his head, "I'm really smart. That's how I know it's time to go." He said, causing smoke to form around him!

Batman ran to the center of the smoke, but was too late.

"He gone?" Black Canary asked.

Batman nodded.

§   

I stood from my bent position, "So, this was Manticore?" I asked.

Batman nodded.

"What'd you tell them?" I asked.

"Reporter." Batman said.

"And they let me pass?" I asked.

"I told them you were with me." Batman replied, "Is there anything supernatural?"

"That's an understatement." I said, "I can feel the energy."

"Why would he come himself and not have lackeys?" Black Canary asked.

"The bigger question is what did he want?" Batman asked.

"Money." Canary smiled.

"Nope, if that's all he wanted, he'd have had the lesser villains do it." I said, "There's something here."

"What is it?" Batman asked.

"I don't know, he took it...whatever it was was here." I said.

"We need to find it." Batman said, "Any idea where we find him?"

"I'm in town because of meta-human fighting." Black Canary said, "Meta-humans are forced to fight each other in cages."

"Spectator's sport?" I asked.

"Yeah." Canary said.

"I'll go with you." Batman said.

"But you won't be able to get in, you don't have any powers." Black Canary said.

"I do." I said.

They both looked at me.

"What? It's not like I haven't saved Gotham before and I've got these...well, sort of powers." I said.

"Alright. Meet me at the entrance." Black Canary said.

-           

After we had gotten into the underground fight club, we stood around, watching the people move by. These people came to watch metahumans beat, even kill, each other.

"This is sick." I said.

"This is life." Black Canary said.

"Maybe, but it's not my life." I frowned, "How are we supposed to shut this place down?"

"We find the smuck running this place." Black Canary said, looking around, "You're in touch with power, can you get a read?"

"I'm nowhere near that experienced." I said, "I've tried stuff, but..."

"No time to get shy." Canary said, "We don't a lot of time."

I closed my eyes and turned my head from side to side trying to see if I could see any dark auras. It felt like an overload! There! It was him, "Him!" I pointed.

"I knew it." Canary said, "Oscar Bell, he's running this chapter of the Meta Fight."

"How're we going to stop this?" I asked.

"By shutting this place down." Black Canary said, walking away.

"Nice fishnets." I commented, following her.

We made our way up to the press box and Canary knocked the door down!

"Black Canary!" Oscar shouted.

She moved to the center of the room, "Bell, I see you're back to your old tricks."

I walk in behind her, noticing a guard behind her with a gun, "Watch out, Canary!" I shouted, but it was too late, the guard shot her with a dart and she slumped onto the floor! Before I could move, the man did the same to me.

-           

"...Black Canary!" A booming voice said. Okay, I wasn't dead. Good. There was applause. I opened my eyes to see a group of people around me.

"What th..." I started.

"You're awake." A voice said. I turned to him and noticed that he was extremely attractive! His black hair made sense on him as his dark eyes centered on me. It was then I noticed who he looked like, Zachary Quinto! It was uncanny. He was a bit buffer than Zachary, his eyes focused on me, "Take it slow."

"Where am I?" I asked.

"The Arena." He said, "About to fight Black Canary."

I ignored him for a minute, his features covered by the growing mustache, and looked out at the caged area where Canary stood, dusting herself off.

"I'm Leon Marcus." He said.

"How long have all of you been here?" I asked.

"Too long." One of the other metahumans said.

"Don't worry, I'm here to save you." I said.

"You?" A bulky man asked, "You're here to save us?"

There was laughter throughout the group!

I groaned and looked out, seeing Black Canary standing a few yards away.

"And, introducing, the billionaire Phoenix Rainer!" A voice said over the loud speakers.

"Would that be you?" Leon asked, looking over my face, "You are, what are you doing down here?"

"Don't even ask." I said, "They're calling my name, what do I do?"

"Go out there and save us." The bulky metahuman smirked.

I nodded, "Okay, then, I will!" I said walking out and being met with a roar of applause. I looked over to Canary, who looked at me sympathetically.

"Can you dent the glass?" Canary mouthed.

"I'll try." I said back to her. I turned from her and turned my attention to the glass, trying to break it, but nothing was happening. Suddenly, I felt something dripping and I looked down to see red! The glass chipped, and then cracked. I grabbed my head in pain and fell to my knees before hearing a loud screeching. I passed out.

-           

I awoke in a dark place and overhead, I could hear bats screeching and wings flapping. I tried to look around but it was very dark. My head was on fire! I almost passed out again, but I fought off the urge.

"Canary wanted me to tell you thank you for helping her to get her criminal." Bruce's dark voice said from the shadows.

"I feel like sh..."

"You overextended yourself." Bruce said.

"Yeah." I said, "Am I better now?"

"You're stable." Bruce said, "I had you brought here, abducted you."

"Thanks." I said, "How am I going to explain this to dad?"

"You're a hero on the news." Bruce said walking over to me, "All that matters is that you're alright."

"Yeah." I said to myself.