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:

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.

cantkeepmeout:

cantkeepmeout:

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.

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.

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.

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.

cantkeepmeout:

Not far in the distance he catches a glimpse of movement in the shadows. It's not a good look but once he focuses and tries following he recognizes the figure and a smirk spreads across his face. 

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.

the_hyper_teen:

Varon patrolled the skies over Gotham. Surely his quarry could not evade him forever. He only needed follow the sound of sirens and property damage, and his stalwart companion in the never-ending war against crime and injustice would be found! He had wonderful news to share, and also needed to garner information about this planet's dating rituals. He had growing suspicions that the social documentaries he had been enjoying on television might not be entirely accurate.

cantkeepmeout:

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

cantkeepmeout:

While Maria was dealing with that drug ring that had caught the interest of the Shiva and Scandal related people, Thomas had his own mystery to solve. Namely, tracking that massacre in the warehouse back to White and finding out how he was doing this and what he was up to. And of course finding out what that new team of his he'd hired was.

So Thomas made his way to find out where the contact Peters is, only to arrive just outside the warehouse to hear a scream of pain.

Shit, someone was here first.

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.

dc_misc:

The cartel had been setting up a large operation to bring cocaine into Gotham City. The group was experienced and feared their employers more than the crimefighters of Gotham. Unfortunately for them, they had failed to take into account something far worse that was taking hold within the city. The attack had been very sudden. At first a sniper started picking them off, and then..a massacre ensued. Nearly the entire operation's worth of soldiers were dead. Only a select few still lived. Oddly enough. their entire shipment of cocaine had remained untouched.

angriestrobin:

Damian had done something completely foolish. The problem is he hadn't seen it that way. He and Thomas had been on patrol together. They were beginning to work well together. The big problem is that Damian had leaped before he looked in the last fight they had been in.

He had nearly been hurt. He wasn't and saw no problem with what had happened.

"/Tch/. You worry too much."

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.

hungerstrike:

She was just watching, for now. Iota flitted at superhuman speed from cover to cover as she followed the cartel operatives. Just... you now. To see how they were adjusting in wake of their recent unfortunately-minor losses. Poor Tomas. But it would get better. And she just wanted to make sure his information didn't fall behind when he was busy elsewhere.

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:

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."

dc_holiday:

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

cantkeepmeout:

The thing about Valentine's Day was that it was general catered to clearly defined relationships that came with easy labels. What he had with Sarah was...a lot more complicated than that. And in the year since the last day before valentines, it had changed even more. Back then it had been heavy, and suggestive, flirting but it hadn't gone further, he'd held himself back. Back in the days when he actually seemed to have self control around her. That really did seem like a long time ago.

cantkeepmeout:

crossbow_bat:

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

outfoxing:

It has been a while since Fox has gone out of her way to get Robin's attention. She has to get him close to something that needs to be dealt with tonight. Thankfully they have all night she just needs him to back her up. First thing is first though, she needs to get his attention.

So first she fumbles a robbery three men are trying to do. She leaves it for him to clean up. She blew a kiss at the men as she left. Then she went running triggering a few silent alarms to catch his attention. It is her way of saying hello and come find me.

She needs him at her back soon. She is getting impatient. She needs his help tonight. She has waited on this information for too long. If she waits any longer people will be in danger. She can't let that happen and she doesn't trust anyone else to help her with this.

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."

veryperceptive:

The turnovers at this diner were still delicious. Not, of course, Uncle Jed's level of deliciousness, but delicious. He and Zoe were, for once, actually talking about academics on one of their 'study sessions,' because, well, broad daylight. Less chance to break out the stick and whatever Zoe wanted to practice her markswomanship with.

angryarcher:

Sam was headed to one of the local shopping centers in Star City to investigate some reports of strange goings on there. The reports sounded almost to strange for him to believe which was why he was going to check them out. Plus they sounded like they would be kind of funny to watch happen.

Stairs going wild and the like all seemed pretty entertaining to him.

cantcatchme:

Iris had promised her mother she would go shopping with her this weekend and Iris wasn't about to break a promise to her mother. So she set aside her Sunday to spend it with Mom. Iris had some Christmas shopping to do anyway.

They hit downtown and walked through the retail district of small shops. Mom was in some candle shop and Iris waited outside. The overpowering smells often gave her a headache.

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.

cantkeepmeout:

Hub City, New York, and now Star City. Robin's out-of-Gotham tour continues. And he was making a considerable dent in the illegal arms market. While he'd dropped by Star City last month to deal with some of the arms trafficking, he was coming back now to wrap up some loose ends and check up on things. Luckily things were looking good and the detective portion of this night went smoothly. Robin swings through the streets looking to have a good end to this night.

Now just to wrap up some small fry. Nothing like a good old punch up.

cantkeepmeout:

Maria had tricked him into karaoke and even gotten him to sing. And there was no way she wouldn't have known he'd get his revenge on her for that stunt one day. Just...perhaps not in this manner.

He picks up his phone and dials a number that had been given to him by a certain bubbly blonde a few weeks before. Part one, commence.

"Hi, am I speaking to Pippi Peppers?" 

Silver lining to having to deal with baffling people? You could now sic them on your unsuspecting victims.

imperiousamazon:

Corinna had been doing a standard sweep. She was trying to find something to do. The team hasn't been as busy as she would like. In a way she feels terrible but she has a secret wish for a disaster so she can feel useful. Even her dreams have been peaceful. She no longer has nightmares of things to come.

That bothers her. It is why she now seeks out battles instead of waiting. She refuses to let things come to a stand still. Of course now she can see something is up. A fight somewhere in New York so she flies in closer to get a good look.

cantkeepmeout:

So after the torture that was karaoke and then later having to deal with the...Pippi girl, well...Thomas needed to get out of the city for a short bit. And the arms dealing he'd been working on shutting down in Gotham had a trail that led back to Hub City. After the fiasco last time he'd tried to shut down the arms trade in Gotham (and had a buffoon crash it then think he was helping well...) he needed a big win here. That last encounter had ruined his plans and he'd needed to start from scratch.

bobblehead:

Gotham wasn't quite New York or Paris, but its yearly high fashion show was one of the rising stars of the industry, recent and small enough that a lot of independent designers were there, big enough to start getting some of the names. Definitely big enough to draw Pippi's attention. She had her mom's handler arrange everything for her for all the events, her hotel, transport while there and so on, along with a chance to survey the town a little. She's heard all sorts of interesting things about the city - but mostly that no one there likes clowns. The circus even has to not use its clowns when they go through... she figures that's probably why everyone is so gloomy there.

cantkeepmeout:

Robin had gone down to Star City to look into the weapons dealing business that was connected to the trade in Gotham. A few nights should be enough to pick up what information he needed. In fact, he was in the middle of swinging through town after rattling one of the smaller fish when an alert tells him the alarm's been set off at a building not far from where he was. 

Well, crimefighting called. So Robin swings that way and enters through a window before blending into the shadows again.

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."

veryperceptive:

Nothing wrong with New Jersey, GK figured. Mom had been born there and all. She didn't have the nicest things to say about Gotham, but that was mostly because of the way Aunt Judy died. But the Walker clan would never, ever say no to a child welfare charity function. So here they were. Uncle Jed even had some of his stuff up for auction, both from his Shots of Gotham collection and some African Safari stuff for reasons of Uncle Jed.

cantkeepmeout:

Crouched in the shadows on the rafters of what was usually an abandoned warehouse, Robin waits in silence. This was a cumulation of weeks of careful research and planning. Tonight he'd come early and had been here for hours, carefully setting things up and now, for the last two hours, waiting. The arms deal going on below had some of the biggest names in the business present, and if he could shut this down it wouldn't only put a big dent in the arms trade in the city, it would send a message.

cantkeepmeout:

Predictably, when Thomas had ended up applying to colleges earlier in the year, he'd ended up in the business major. Not even he was going to deny Bruce's influence on that. Not that he minded, it was flexible enough and gave him space to dabble in both computer science and art history as he pleased, the latter he'd probably make a minor later on though. 

The whole thing felt kind of funny. New universe, new school, new job, and well, okay fine, he didn't have friends. Maybe that'd change. But at least the internship gig in WE's security design department was more flexible than his job at the zoo, even if he would miss feeding those tigers. 

Walking along with the sub he'd bought for lunch, Thomas strolls around campus looking for somewhere to eat.

cantkeepmeout:

A sleek black car, hardly distinguishable from the shadows, speeds toward the highway exit with barely a sound. It was the sort of car that would have car enthusiasts drool if they caught a glimpse.

injus_society:

Those little bats could apparently be annoying. Or at least that's what her sometimes teammate Dollface had been complaining about since said vigilantes had decided to make some seriously frustrating dents in her operations. So when Lyta had been asked to deal with them to keep the little bats out of Dollface's hair she'd taken up the offer eagerly. After all, there hadn't been much to do recently and it was a good deal. Throw a few do gooders for a loop and get a long weekend in Gotham, a fashion center and a truly wonderful place to be pampered, all expenses paid in return? Well she was far more than a mere mortal and she certainly deserved to be treated as such, no reason not to do this.

Her first night in Gotham and Lyta decides to target a bank. Not that she needed the money for this trip but no reason she couldn't benefit while getting the attention of certain Gothamites. A giant hole has been burnt into the safe door and money is shuffling out on its own and packing itself neatly into a giant box she has set out.

brotherkeeper:

He told Ezra that he was going outside for some air. In Durlin-talk that meant standing on a rooftop overlooking the city. He was in his standard gear, mask on his face. No reason to get cocky in this city. While he wasn't as behind this hero-thing as Ezra was, they were actually accomplishing stuff. Surprisingly enough they weren't being constantly harassed by the Bat-Family. Which could mean they either didn't believe the Durlins were much of a problem or were planning something quick and definitive in response. ..sometimes it sucked being paranoid all the time. He might as well actually take the time to enjoy the night-air.

cantkeepmeout:

 Shopping for presents was hard for anyone. But make it for an alternate-universe relative who was technically your niece? Not much better.

But really ever since coming here she'd been the one to make him feel the most welcome (a welcoming Batman would scare most people and he really didn't expect it so it seemed someone had picked up the slack), so he wanted to get her at least something. He'd gotten her a shirt and a card with a comprehensive list of overrides for security cameras (some of which he manually had to go alter) around prime trouble-making places she might enjoy. And an extra lock pick made for standard police cuffs (which she no doubt already had but extras never hurt) just in case.

Take the traditional birthday night off you workaholic. I don't want to hear from you unless you need someone to break you out of something. Now go wreck havoc and fix that social life problem.

cantkeepmeout:

cantkeepmeout:

It's been a few days stuck mostly in his room and Thomas feels like he's going to go crazy. 

So far he'd manage to avoid questions about how he'd managed to get that badly injured (he hated to admit to any kind of failure) and more awkwardly, how he'd managed to come home the next day all stitched up. And far better than he could have done. But the too-much-pain excuse to avoid questions wasn't going to fly much longer.

Still, he's so used to going out almost every night to fight crime that being confined to a bed both by certain people and by his own injuries was getting to be too much. What was he supposed to do? Just lie there? No, screw what Alt-Dad might say or glare. This was too much.

Carefully limping down the stairs, he starts making his way towards the living room. At least he'd get the giant TV to entertain him.