Chapter 04 Crimson Vengeance

                                            On Dark Wings...
                                     Chapter 04: Crimson Vengeance




[The Iceberg Lounge]

all manner of people gathered at the Iceberg Lounge Club.

it was One Half Restraunt, and one half Night Club.
and, it attracted all types of people...from the RICH and FAMOUS, to the CRIMINAL and CORRUPT.

the most frequent guests were the most "colorful" people in Gotham...

there was the former distric attorney with the entire left side of his face burnt
the geeky man in the green suit and bowler hat with purple question marks
the skinny man dressed up like a "Scarecrow" (people joked where the "Tinman" and "Lion" were)
the man in the tall hat who liked TEA, RABBITS and blonde girls he called "Alice"

and, many, MANY other...



inside the club, were dozens of tables (nearly all full)
surrounding a large pool with a giant "Iceberg" floating inside.

a door opened, and out walked a short man with Two attractive girls in back leotards

the man's "features" were quite unusual...
he had a LONG nose, two conjoined fingers on each of his hands (like flippers)

and, he dressed in a fancy "Tophat-and-Tails", a monicle
had a victorian cigerette holder firmly in his mouth and carryed an umbrella like a cane.

"Raven, Lark...come."

"yes, Mister Cobblepot."

Oswald Cobblepot (AKA "The Penguin") walked along, overseeing his club.

"I trust you've increased security around here."

"yes, Cobblepot.
  Red Hood won't give us any problems." said Lark

"I should hope so....for YOUR sake."

"HEY!!, Mister Cobblepot..."

Oswald turned and looked at a man with short, silver hair
and, wearing an Eyepatch on his right eye (he was accompanied by a teenage girl who looked like him.)

"another round, if you please??"

Oswald grinned.

"certainly, mister, ehh..."

"WILSON...Slade Wilson."

the girl with Slade smirked sinisterly

"of course..."

Oswald snapped his "fingers"
his waitresses then went to work.

"I trust you ar ENJOYING my club??"

Slade grinned.

"certainly...

  though, I hope it's still standing long enough for another visit.
  I hear people like "us" have been having problems, lately."

Oswald scoffed.

"nothing I can't handle...
  if Red Hood comes snooping around...I'll Kill 'em."

the waitresses returned with Slade's drink.
Slade took it, and held it up.

"to Red Hood's Funeral, then."

Slade took a sip of his drink.
Oswald nodded, then walked off.

Slade then put his drink down and stood up.

"come, darling...let us go."

"where are we going, father??" asked the girl

"elsewhere...I have a feeling it's going to become very TENSE around here."

Slade and his daughter soon left.




[Meanwhile, outside the Iceberg Lounge]

Standing atop a rooftop, overseeing the Iceberg Lounge
was a tall figure in a leather jacket, cargo pants and a silver bodysuit

he also wore a RED Helmet over his head.
his white slit-shaped eyes narrowed as he gripped a hand-held detonator.

"all the worst scumbags and filth of Gotham...all gathered in ONE PLACE."

Red Hood flipped the plastic cover off
and, gently touched the red button with his thumb.

"say: Goodbye, scumba-"


suddenly, Red Hood was struck in the back by a Flying Kick (causing him to drop his detonator)
he looked up...and, saw a teenager in a dark red bodysuit and black, hooded cloak.

Red Hood smirked under his helmet.

"well, well, well...I was wondering when YOU would show up."

Robin narrowed his white lensed eyes.

"It's OVER, Jason." said the Hooded Robin, darkly

Robin then took out a stun baton and charged it.
he then aimed it at the detonator and fired an electrical charge, shorting out the detonator.

"NO!!!" shouted Red Hood

"now, try to detonate your bomb..."

Red Hood glared at Robin.
he then lunged at him in rage, Robin countered his attack.

the two struggled against each other...their faces INCHES away.

"YOU FOOL!!!" shouted Red Hood

"do have any idea how many of Gotham's lowest Criminals and Villains were IN THERE!!?
  I could of rid Gotham of all those criminal scum!!, all in one strike...and, you RUINED IT!!!"

"what about the innocent people who were ALSO in there!??" snapped Robin

"you would of killed THEM, too!!"

"Their sacrifices WOULDN'T of been in vain."

"YOUR INSANE!!!"

Robin kicked Red Hood down.

"This ends NOW..." said Robin, darkly

"I know you kidnapped Joker's son."

Red Hood snickered.

"yeah...'bout time someone finally hit that Psychotic Monster where it hurts."

"GIVE...HIM...BACK."

Red Hood's eyes widened in shock.

"what??!"

"you heard me, Jason....give back Joker's son."

Red Hood pulled a gun out and aimed it at Robin.

"not a chance....
  Joker is a MONSTER, I won't let his legacy continue."

"what are you saying??
  your not actually considering-"

"Killing Joker's "demon spawn??"...HELL, YEAH."

Robin was stunned at Red Hood's remark....then, glared at him angrily.

"you Sick, Twisted FREAK!!, he's just a BABY!!!"

"a Baby that will grow up to be a Psychotic Monster and terrorize Gotham City's future!!"

"it doesn't matter what he will BECOME, He's an Innocent Child NOW!!
  and, if you have the nerve to slaughter a baby whose done NOTHING wrong...

  then, your SICKER than even The Joker."

Red Hood got angry.

"Don't you DARE compare me to him!!
  I am NOTHING like him!!, he's a KILLER!!!"

"Says the man who tried to bomb a club full of civilians and criminals."

Red Hood was silent.

"BESIDES...if you DON'T return his son
  Gotham will be destroyed, anyway."

Red Hood cocked an eye, confused.

"what are you talking about??"

"Joker is going to drop bombs upon Gotham if his son isn't returned to him by dawn, that's what!!
  if your REALLY looking out for Gotham's future...then, LET. HIS. SON. GO....NOW."

"oh, I will...right after I kill that little ba@#*$%."

Red Hood fired his gun, but Robin remarkably evaded it.
Red Hood tried to fire again, but Robin flung a Birdarang...which lodged into the gun's spout.

when Red Hood pulled the trigger, it exploded.
he keeled over, gripping his hand in pain.

Robin then punched Red Hood, cracking his helmet.
he then gripped his jacket, bringing his face to his.

"now, TALK...where is Joker's so-"

Robin is suddenly cut off by something striking him from behind.
Red Hood chuckled as he got up and walked around him.

Robin looked up, trying to focus his vision.
he saw Red Hood standing over him...with somebody else.

a teenager dressed in a black, full-body suit
a tattered, grey cape and a skull face mask.

there was also a Red "X" symbol on his chest and forehead of the mask.

"wha-??"

"heh, heh...surprised??
  Batman has HIS Robins, now, I have my OWN Sidekick." snickered Red Hood

"Meet RED X."

Robin cocked an eye in confusion.

"Red X??"

"It was an Identity that the FIRST Robin created when he was hunting Slade.
  he abandoned it after his plan failed, so I broke into Titan's Tower and stole it."

"so you could have you OWN Robin??"

"Exactly."

Robin narrowed his eyes.

"now, I KNOW your insane..."

"Think what you want.
  anyway, I have things to do..."

Red Hood then looked at Red X.

"keep him busy."

Red X nodded.

"gotcha, boss." said Red X, his voice an Electronic replica of the First Robin

Red Hood ran off and leapt off the building
Robin then flipped back onto his feet and faced Red X.

Red X punched his fist into his hand.

"I sure hope you'll put up a much better fight than the Other Robin..." snickered Red X

Robin grinned.

"be careful what you wish for, X...you may not like it."

Red X made the first move and tossed an Red "X" projectile at Robin.
it expanded, and wrapped around Robin like a bind and constricted.

"HA!!, how disa-"

Robin used a Stun Baton and used the electros to burn into the bind, cutting it away.
he then used his strength and ripped it apart, freeing himself.

"well, well...that was impressive."

"I think you'll find I'm a little "different" from the Robin YOUR use to fighting."

Robin then charged forward and attacked.
both fights exchanged blows, blocked and countered.

"so, tell me...how did Jason wrangle YOU up to be his "apprentice??" asked Robin, while fighting

"EASY!!" replied Red X, who was also fighting hard

"I was just a punk kid on the streets...like Jason once was.
  I had NO NAME, NO FAMILY, NO FUTURE...so, when he made me the offer, how could I refuse??"

"and, Robin??...what about HIM??!"

"Hood sent me to Jump City as part of my training." began Red X

"If I could outdo the ORIGINAL Robin, the FIRST one...
  then, that would prove that "I" was good enough to fight with Red Hood."

Red X threw a punch at Robin...who grabbed his arm, and held him down.

"but, Robin BEAT YOU."

"(grunt) just BARELY..." began Red x, with effort

"he had his little friends backing him up.
  one-on-one...I would've smoked him."

Red X broke free of Robin's hold.
he attacked Robin, who blocked his attack...holding his arm back.

"Hood was impressed, reguardless of my defeat.
  I've been helping him rid Gotham and Bludhaven of crime..."

Red X then snickered.

"but, I sometimes DO visit Jump City from time-to-time...just to have some FUN with Bird Boy."

Robin shoved Red X away.
he then whipped his cape at X, briefly stunning him.

Robin then punched at Red X rapidly, beating him down
he then punched Red X HARD hin his face, making his facemask fly off.

Red X lay on the ground, gripping his face.
he looked up at Robin....who was shocked at what he saw.

"your...YOUR FACE!!"

Red X tossed a red orb on the ground, which exploded in a Red Flash.
Robin shielded his eyes, momentarily blinded.

when his vision return, he saw Red x running.
he looked back at Robin (revealing his facemask back on his face)

"later, "Robin Hood"...hope to fight you, again."

Red X leapt off the building
Robin rushed to the edge and watched at Red X glided away.

his eyes became thin as he watched Red X disappear into the city.
Robin then turned away and took out a PDA-like device from his belt.

he typed something in
the screen then flickered.

TRACKING DEVICE ACTIVATED...

Robin grinned.

"good thing I planted that Tracer on Red Hood's coat when I grabbed him."

Robin pressed a button on his mask.
and image appeared on his mask's vision mode.

TRACER/MASK SYNC ACTIVATED.

Robin put the PDA device away.
he then focused his Mask's vision mode to follow the Tracer's trail.

he ran forward, jumped and fired his grappel gun.
he was then propelled quickly over a building, then glided thru the air.


as soon as he did, a figure dropped down and watched him from a rooftop.
a teenager in a red and green outfit: the Original Robin.

he narrowed his eyes.




The Hooded Robin glided down into a nearby alley.
he kelt down and found a discarded, bat-shaped device no bigger them a button.

the Bat-Tracer.

Robin gritted his teeth.
he then stood up and pressed a button on his mask.

"Barbara."

(("yes, Robin??"))

"I found Red Hood...and, his "Sidekick" Red X."

(("you mean that criminal from Jump City??"))

"The SAME...
  I stopped Jason from bombing the Iceberg Lounge.

  he also confirmed having Joker's Son...and, he plans to kill him."

(("WHAT!??...but, WHY!!?")) exclaimed Barbara, shocked

"Jason thinks that Joker's Son will terrorize Gotham in the future...perhaps he's right.
  but, killing a baby whose done NOTHING wrong is just going TOO FAR....even for him."

(("that ain't even half of it.
    if Jason kills Joker's Son, then Joker will DESTROY Gotham."))

"I know...

  I tried planting a tracer on Jason, but I think I got wise to it.
  he discarded it in some alley....I've lost him, Oracle."

(("Robin, you NEED to find him!!
    if he kills Joker's Son...we'll ALL be dead."))

"I KNOW!!
  can you tell me ANYTHING that can help??"

(("I have no idea...")) began Barbara

(("Try looking around...He may not of gotten TOO FAR."))

Robin grappel up to a rooftop.
he activated his Detective Mode and scanned the area.

he spotted a car that was driving recklessly.
he zoomed in....and, saw RED HOOD driving the car.

"gotcha."

Robin took out a gun-like device, aimed at the car and fired.
he saw the tracer firmly plant upon the car.

"now, i've got you."