crossbow_bat:

It had taken time, but eventually had Maria had tracked down the individual responsible for her mother's death. Firebug. Maria had put him in Arkham two years ago and he must have been one of the individuals who had managed to escape during the breakout.

Maria wasn't stupid. Killing her mother was revenge for putting him in there.

It was time to end this. She was done playing games and playing by the rules.

She managed to track him down to an old warehouse near the docks. She carefully made her way inside.

crossbow_bat:

The gloved fist smashed into the guy's nose and there was a distinctive crack as the bone broke. The man yelled and blood gushed from the man's nose. Another fist slammed into the guy's face. By now both eyes were almost swollen shut, blood came from the man's mouth in addition to the newly broken nose. The guy was only vertical because Huntress held him up by the collar.

"Talk," she growled at him.

There was a unintelligible mumble from him. Huntress punched him again and the man slipped into unconsciousness. She let go of him and he crumbled to the ground.

Huntress fired a grappling hook and it brought her to the roof.

Time to find the next criminal. The one she just left on the ground woudld be on his way to the hospital soon. They deserved worse, but it was a line she wasn't ready to cross just yet. She was waiting for the right person to cross her path.

crossbow_bat:

The winter wind had a sharp bite to it and the cold rain made the day that much more miserable. The small canopy set up over the grave site did little ward off the rain. The weather fit Maria's mood perfectly. The graveside service had just wrapped up and the coffin had been lowered into the frozen ground. The other mourners were heading to the warmth of their waiting vehicles.

Maria didn't seem to notice the wind and the cold rain as she stood as still as the many statues that dotted the graveyard. Her mother was dead. Victim of bombing. It happened too close to the breakout at Arkham to be coincidence. Maria knew one of the escapees was responsible, she just had to find out which one.

She stared at the coffin sitting in the ground.

In the back of her mind she knew Bruce and her father were waiting in the car, but she just couldn't move.

dc_baddie:

Black Mask stood a good distance away from Arkham Asylum for the Criminal Insane. The bitter cold didn't seem to bother him as he stood there. He had been out in the cold for some time, but he was going see the conclusion of his work. It had take quite some time to make the preparations. He had sent messages inside to the inmates, making them an offer. If they chose to accept it, they'd meet him here. If they didn't, well he didn't care where they went. Even those would serve a purpose.

The night was rocked by the sound of explosions as large parts of the building's walls exploded outward.

Black Mask smiled as fire and smoke filled the night.

The inmates of the asylum started escaping out into the night. Including the Joker.

dc_holiday:

Each year toward the end of December people come together with friends and family to celebrate and exchange gifts. The atmosphere is light, merry and there is plenty of cheer to go around. Holiday music fills the air while bright colorful lights light up the nights. Mistletoe is placed in strategic locations and people are willing caught under it.

It's a time of celebration, even for superheroes.

crossbow_bat:

Maria was too tired to head back to Wayne Manor and decided to spend the night at her apartment. She had been doing it quite frequently lately. When she entered the apartment she even didn't bother with turning on the lights. She didn't need to see the mess that was her apartment. It would just remind her how much of a slob she was and it was the last thing she needed right now.

Once the door was locked she headed for the bedroom, stripping off her Huntress costume as she moved and letting it fall to the floor. She just wanted to fall into bed and sleep. Thankfully tomorrow was Sunday and she didn't have to get up to go into the office. It'd be nice to get more than a few hours of sleep.

She tripped over a few things as she walked and kicked them out of the way. Once in the bedroom she grabbed a tee shirt hanging on the corner of a full length mirror, slipped it on and fell into bed.

demonborn:

Mike was going to another concert with Maria and headed over to her place. He park his car in front of her building and texted her to let her know that he was there. This promised to be a fun night.

gal_gardner:

Petra had decided to have a Girls Night. The problem with that being that most of her acquaintances, of good or ill repute, couldn't quite keep up with her. Cat was busy with wedding planning, and Avia had plans for the evening with Will. Dee couldn't keep up, and Cindy usually had some line about avoiding creating potential blackmail material.

So, she'd called Maria.

"So, I'm planning on getting shnockered on the dime of any impressionable men or women that think they have a shot with me this evening. Interested?"

dc_misc:

The Suicide Squad members were deposited in Gotham not far from where intelligence said the Joker was making his headquarters.

crossbow_bat:

"Drinks are on me tonight," Maria said as she leaned back in the chair after grabbing some pretzels from the bowl in the middle of the table. She needed a night to kick back and relax with some female company. So of course she invited Cat. Cat was one of the few of her female friends who could keep up, probably pass for that matter, Maria in drinks. Not to mention she needed the company of a female who has had some of the same life experiences as Maria. Alina and Dinah were good friends, but they weren't ones to walk on the wild side of life.

cantkeepmeout:

crossbow_bat:

Maria slid onto a bar stool and motioned to the bartender. She gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Planting herself on a bar stool and making friends with some drinks seemed like a good way to pass the rest of the evening. She had just gotten done with a quick patrol, her first since her run in with the Joker, and she needed something to help her wind down. It would also help her to stop thinking about Him for a little bit.

The bartender put a glass and a bottle on the bar next to her and poured some of the amber liquid into the glass for her. She smiled at him again and picked up the glass. Time to get drunk for a little while.

crossbow_bat:

Thomas was tough to shop for, but Maria managed to find a few things for him. She got a new collar for his cat. Pink with rhinestones. She also wrote out a note that gave him off a night of patrol duty and she would take it for him. He would also get a shirt. She also got him a gift card to Best Buy for a few hundred dollars.

She made him some cupcakes to go with his gifts.

crossbow_bat:

Maria picked the purple ball and handed the blue one to Jon. "Ready to get your butt kicked?" she asked with a grin. She grabbed her club. Time for mini-golf.

dc_misc:

The Founders Day Parade and Celebration was one of the biggest celebrations in Gotham. It was a day where the citizens of Gotham came out and showed their pride in their city. The festivities started in the morning at City Hall with a speech from the mayor and continued throughout the day. The largest parade of the year was held in the afternoon and fireworks lit up the sky in the evening. Merchants and restuarants set up kiosks on the sidewalks and the citizens shopped and ate as they watched the day's activities.

The day would also celebrate the victory of Anthony Sullivan in the mayoral race and it would be his first speech as mayor. The speech he gave was short, but had the citizens cheering by the end. The sun climbed into the sky and the parade started. Floats, marching bands and various other groups marched in the parade as it made its way through the streets of Gotham.

crossbow_bat:

Maria did miss her stripping job. It was fun and the money was nice. Not that she needed the money, but it was a job where she could have fun and not have to worry about getting her ass kicked or have Bruce looming over her. So when the opportunity came up she eagerly accepted the offer to do a guest appearance. Candy Starr would dance at the Diamond Club once more.

Her music started and she took a deep breath and went out on stage. She was dressed as a cowgirl. Green leather vest, green leather chaps, white boots, white hat and a green mask on her face. Two silver six shooters were in holsters at her waist.

dc_media:

GOTHAM - District Attorney Paul Sullivan has thrown his hat into the ring for the upcoming special election for Mayor of Gotham. Mayor Stallworth was assassinated last week and the Gotham Police Department are still hunting for the mayor's killer. DA Sullivan has led the efforts to find the mayor's killer and bring him to justice. DA Sullivan has promised to keep up the fight against organized crime, a cause Mayor Stallworth believed in and was passionate about. CONT A-2

crossbow_bat:

It was a rare night off of patrol and Maria was going to take full advantage of it. She had scored a pair of front row tickets and backstage passes to the Fall Out Boy concert. The first person to come to mind to go with her was Mike. Tomas of course popped in there, but he didn't seem like the concert going type and she had promised Mike another concert.

She pulled up in front of his building on her bike.

crossbow_bat:

Maria's social life had taken a huge hit with the undercover gig and working at Wayne Enterprises. What social time she did have she saw Tomas a few times. She finally got a free night and it was time to pick on a favorite target. She called Jon and told him to meet her at her favorite karaoke bar and to bring his little sister and Alina if he were inclined.

She thought about dragging Thomas, but decided to give him a break. She could use the good karma later.

dc_holiday:

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.” – Jim Valvano

crossbow_bat:

Maria loved going undercover and was having a great time. If Sullivan was dirty, the dirt was well hidden and it would take time and effort to find it. Maria didn't mind. She enjoyed being blonde and flirty with the guys in Sullivan's office as she posed as an office assistant.

Now it was her lunch break and she was meeting Thomas for lunch to compare notes and share any discoveries. She grabbed a table at a small cafe and waited for Thomas to arrive. While she waited she checked out the local 'scenery'. It was quite a nice sight.

crossbow_bat:

Huntress had been doing extra long patrols since the bodies of Jokerz started showing up around Gotham. It appeared to have stopped, but longer patrols would continue for awhile. Between work during the day and Bruce thinking she needed to be more active at Wayne Enterprises and extra long patrols at night, her social life had been killed. Her last night out had been dinner with Tomas and Thomas and that was awhile ago.

Huntress was currently perched on the corner of a rooftop and watching the city from above.

dc_media:

"The new interim district attorney is making good on his promise to clean up Gotham and take a tough stance on organized crime. Interim District Attorney Sullivan working with Gotham Police have arrested a record number of people associated with organized crime. The arraignments for the suspects will begin tomorrow and trials shortly thereafter."

gotham_rogues:

The past week in Gotham had been an interesting one. Bodies of Jokerz had been turning dead up in various parts of the city. Each killed in a different way and each of them had a smile on their face when they died.

crossbow_bat:

The wipeout wasn't one of her best, but it was one of the worst. The bike went into a slide and ended up being stopped by a wall. Maria of course was still under it. One side of her body was cut up and bruised, even her costume couldn't absorb or prevent all the injuries, and her right arm was so beat up she couldn't move it much. It wasn't broken, but it felt like it had been.

The doctor ordered rest for a few days and Bruce was happy to enforce those orders. So Maria was camped out on the large couch and going through the movie collection.

crossbow_bat:

Maria finished up the report she was working on and shut down her computer. Another day working at Wayne Enterprise was over. It was time to go grab a bite to eat and then down the costume. Night was coming to Gotham and that meant its criminal element would come out. Maria grabbed her purse and coat and headed out of the building.

cantkeepmeout:

He wasn't very good with birthdays or gifts but he did leave Maria presents on hers.

crossbow_bat:

Huntress stood perched on the edge of a rooftop as she watched the men in the alley below. It had taken weeks to track down the men she had tried to stop before when that idiot messed up the bust. The drug ring members had laid low and it awhile for them to be active again.

Tonight, provided she didn't have any outside interference, the ring would be brought down and all involved would be in cells before the night was over.

Huntress fired two arrows with sleeping gas canisters on them through the windows of the building. She drooped down into the alley ready to take on anyone who came out trying to escape the sleeping gas.

crossbow_bat:

Thomas and Maria had been planning for weeks leading up to April Fool's. Damian was a great target and the two of them weren't going to let the day go by without doing something to Damian. They had a big laundry list of things they were going to do to Damian and had been up most of the night setting some of them up.

The first Damian would find when he woke. His bed with him in it would be on the roof of the manor.

crossbow_bat:

Charity events and other formal parties were the few things about being involved with Wayne Enterprises that Maria loved. She loved getting dressed up and going to the parties. Tonight's was a fundraiser for Gotham Children Charity and Maria went as Bruce's arm decoration. These days he didn't like going to these things alone and Maria was happy to go along.

She had on a dark green dress with matching shoes that had an inch heel on it. She would have gone with a larger heel, but things could happen and if they did she needed to be able to move. Emerald earrings kissed her earlobes and an emerald and diamond necklace rested around her neck. She did love dressing up and wearing jewelry.

Maria made a circuit of the room with a glass of champagne in hand. It was the only glass she had had all evening and was making it last. She had patrol later on and would never do it with alcohol in her system.

crossbow_bat:

Bruce threw a curve ball, he was quite fond of them, and decided to set up a Bat Family dinner. He did this once in awhile and Maria dreaded them like a root canal. Even though she never had a root canal. Most of the time they were normal dinners, but there had been a few that would always be remembered in the annals of the Bat Family history.

Just to torment the Squirt, Maria told Damian that dinner was in costume. Of course it wasn't, but she wanted to see if he'd fall for it.

Maria hummed happily as she made her way to the dining room.

crossbow_bat:

Maria was not happy. The drug ring should have been broken up tonight, but HE got in the way. She went back to Wayne Manor and had tried to go to sleep. It was not to happen. Her mind wouldn't let it rest. Instead she went down to the gym to workout and think things through.

crossbow_bat:

The flow of drugs through Gotham was like a tidal wave most of the time, but occasionally Huntress and Robin managed to stem the tide. Huntress had been working for weeks gathering information on her latest targets. She had been watching, tracking and collecting information on all people involved. She was almost ready to make a move. Almost.

Tonight she was following a shipment. She knew how they were coming into the city, who was receiving them, who was moving them, but the final destination before they hit the streets was the unknown. Tonight she would find out and then they all could be taken down.

She watched from her rooftop perch across the street from the warehouse.

wayofthecanary:

Sin had gone to Gotham with her mother for a florist's convention for a couple of days (why that convention was in Gotham, who knew, but she was there anyway). And since Sin was in Gotham, she couldn't pass up an opportunity to visit one of her oldest friends. She had called Maria earlier that day and made lunch plans. Sin took a taxi to Wayne Manor. She got out, and walked to the door. She rang the doorbell and waited for Maria.

crossbow_bat:

Huntress opened the throttle on her bike and sped through the streets of Gotham. She was going to be late and that was bad. One, she really didn't like being late and two, the problem was one that needed addressing asap. It couldn't go on a moment longer and tonight she and Thomas were going to start doing something about it.

She weaved in and out of traffic and flipped people off when appropriate it. Huntress was one of the protectors of Gotham, but she didn't have to be a polite one. She skidded around a corner and zoomed into the parking garage. It didn't take her long to get up to the top level.

She skidded to a stop right next to Thomas.

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "I know how important this is."

crossbow_bat:

Getting concert tickets hadn't been hard. Finding someone to go with had. Thomas was being moody, he was so like Bruce at times, for some odd reason and Maria was going to drag him out. She wanted to have a fun night instead of dealing with Mr. Brooding. Jon wasn't a rock concert type of guy. She dug through her contacts and found a suitable partner for tonight's concert.

She pulled up in front of his place in one of Bruce's cars.

dc_holiday:

"There is no remedy for love but to love more."
- Henry David Thoreau

crossbow_bat:

Huntress dropped down from the roof into the alley right in the middle of six guys. She had been tracking these weapons runners for days and they had all finally gathered in one spot. Time to take them out. She landed on her feet and immediately delivered a spinning kick to one guy's head. He stumbled back into the brick wall.

Three of the other five closed in while two stayed back. Two who stayed back drew guns and the other three drew knives and closed in. A knife came in and tried to slash Huntress across the stomach. The blade bounced off her costume.

Another with a knife came in and tried to stab. Huntress spun around and knocked the man's hand away with a blow to his forearm. The last man with a knife didn't attack with the knife, but went for a leg sweep. Huntress was off balance to avoid it and had her legs knocked out from under her. She went down and automatically went into a roll and came up near one of the men with the guns.

She punched him right in the face and smiled when she heard the crack of his nose breaking. The other man with the gun came up behind her and hit her across the face with the butt of his gun. Her nose broke and she fell to the ground. Blood poured from her nose as she tried to pull herself up.

"I'll keep getting back up," she growled and kicked at him, hitting him square in the balls.

angriestrobin:

It is about two hours after his arrival in this alternate Gotham. He feels marginally better since they got here. He and Thomas don't exactly get along right now. To Damian he is a strange Robin he doesn't know. He doesn't look like Red Robin or Nightwing so he isn't sure what to think of the obviously more experienced crime fighter.

Damian can see that this other Robin is the better Robin for now at least. Damian knows in time he will be at the level he wants to be so it doesn't bother him on the surface. He can't complain about his situation at the moment either. Right now they are waiting on results that show Damian is who he claims he is. They are running his blood sample and as much as Damian wishes they could instantly have the results these things take time.

At least they aren't sitting on a roof top waiting for it. The cave is comfortable and familiar even if there are some things that look out of place to his recent memory. He doesn't like this. It isn't home and he is worried that something bad has happened.

crossbow_bat:

"It's not karaoke. I swear," Maria said as she half pulled half led Thomas down the sidewalk.

crossbow_bat:

Maria was in the gym at Wayne Manor taking her frustrations out on the heavy bag. Fists pounded the bag, each strike harder than the last. Anger fueled her punches. Her hands were hurting, even though they were taped up, but she didn't seem to notice. She would pay for it later, but right now the bag would pay.

dc_media:

"Welcome to Gotham Evening News, this is Harris Stevens with a breaking news report. After years of confinement within Arkham Asylum, Warren White, aka the Great White Shark, is being released. According to reports doctors had been keeping track of a steady improvement of White's mental stability. Doctors from metropolis and Star City have also been brought in, confirming Mr. White's newfound sanity. This scene was taken today at the doors of Arkham."

The view shifts from the newsroom to the doors of the infamous asylum. Several guards escorted a pale-skinned man, bereft of hair, a missing nose, and filed-down teeth. In contrast to the fearsome appearance the man gave, he looked calm and at peace, seemingly overwhelmed by being outside Arkham's walls.

"Mr. White's attorney has said that his client intends to reimburse the families of all those he stole from years ago, as his first step towards true penance. Given the history of incidents with released patients, Mr. White will remain under a period of outside observation to make certain his rehabilitation is genuine. We will keep the public appraised of the situation."

first_son:

The JLA has a tendency to go all out for the holiday - and the younger generation isn't an exception. Jon has been working much of the day to get the decorations up around the base. Which says a great deal about just how decorated it gets, considering he's been doing most of it at super speed, and is only now starting to slow down and get to the detail work, with the big stuff done.

dc_holiday:

"Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart." - Seneca

In America today is a day for being thankful for the things in people's lives. Today was a day to celebrate family, friends, prosperity and health with food, family and friends. It is a time to reflect on what is important us and to recognize the gratitude we hold for having those things in our lives.

the_hyper_teen:

After further contact with his new sidekick comrade, Varon had prepared dinner reservations at a respectable establishment in Bludhaven. It had been established that the fair innocent maiden was only a civilian, and so he would be meeting her not as VARON - THE HYPER-TEEN, but as mild-mannered Virgil O'Valeron. He arrived suitably early and took the liberty of making a wine selection for them. He also brought flowers and chocolates, and now waits for her to grace him with her no doubt radiant presence.

bobblehead:

The nice guy with W.E. was nice enough to give Pippi an address. Her mom's handler arranged for a car in which she could carry everything she'd need - which is significant. According to her source, there's a lot to do.

Pippi, with a backpack on her back, and a beauty case in hand, moves up to knock on Maria's door.

dc_holiday:

All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween as it has been come to be called, is a popular holiday with children and adults alike. It is a holiday that had its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain or Summer's End. Samhain celebrated the end of the "lighter half" of the year and the beginning of the "darker half".

On this evening the barriers between this world and the Otherworld were believed to be thin and the spirits, good and bad, of the dead could pass through. The spirits of the family's ancestors were welcomed in while evil and bad spirits were warded off by the wearing of masks and costumes. The costumes and masks disguised one as a harmful spirit and avoided harm from others.

It was also a harvest celebration and time to take stock of food stores for the winter. Livestock were slaughtered and the meat prepared for storage. It was the final harvest of the year and the crops were then stored for the winter. Celebrations included bonfires and tales of the family's ancestors.

It was a celebration of the dead and of the harvest.

Today we dress up in scary and not so scary costumes and masks and go door to door for candy or attend costume parties. It is a night for revelry, pranks and fun.

seesaw:

Margery had eaten a mushroom and olive pizza. It was nice. Real nice.  But this place was really creepy. So many pictures of people who weren't genocidal maniacs, but played them in the real world. Except the real world wasn't the real world anymore.  So she tried to sit and stay out of the way, and... oh, someone was coming.

crossbow_bat:

"Let's go," Maria said to Thomas as she grabbed the keys to one of Bruce's cars. "We're going to be late."

crossbow_bat:

Huntress opened the throttle on her bike and sped up. The car in front of her was carrying the leader of a drug ring that operated near one of Gotham's elementary schools. There was no way these guys were getting away. Huntress was bringing them down tonight.

The car made a hard left and the tires squealed.

Huntress but the bike into a hard turn to follow.