Mad Jyhad

"He didn't feed on that guard. He was killed outright." I said as they slipped through the opening. I quietly closed the gate behind them.

"How do you know it was him?" Batman asked.

Shaking my head I opened my mouth and then closed it.

"It is hard for them to explain their abilities in human terms. They see things differently than we do. They see auras and have abilities far out of our spectrum, some that even Meta humans could not comprehend." Nightwing answered for me. "It is difficult for me to understand and I have been studying it for the last few years."

I rushed ahead, looking around briefly before appearing back to their side. "No guards at the door, the alarms have been disarmed."

Batman edged ahead of us taking point despite my protest. The Joker was still his first and foremost enemy, his and only his responsibility.

I listened carefully, stretching my senses beyond, beyond the room, beyond the corridor. Moans lifted slowly around me, the moans of the living and the dead. Wraiths unseen by the human eye called out to me, pleading for oblivion and I wondered if, perhaps, Secret could grant them the release that they begged.

I disregarded the cries of the dead as unimportant as I could not help those already beyond the living world. Instead, I concentrated on the cries of the living, still in torment, still within our world, still within my realm of influence.

They cried out in real and imaginary pain. Blending together as they believed the pain to be real. I felt hate. Powerful hate that permeated the atmosphere and threatened to overwhelm me, hate that was not reflected toward the world but on themselves.

"It is difficult to work out." I whispered. "So much..."

"You can't find him?" Nightwing asked, locating the security office.

"Its like...he's everywhere... and nowhere." I said staring blankly at the wall. Continuing to stretch my senses. "There is danger. The stars..."

Batman sighed and left the security office walking resolutely down the corridor.

Nightwing watched him go quietly before turning to me and whispering, "What do the stars say?"

"You trust them?" I asked.

"I trust you." Nightwing told me.

"Niculaie would call you a fool for doing so. Trusting a rambling Malk?" I smiled.

"I still trust you." Nightwing said, looking first at the door and then at the monitors. "Can you...?"

I nodded. "I can still hack with the best of them. I'll get into their system and see if I can see anything through their monitors."

Tapping at the keys I felt Nightwing's hand back on my shoulder. "Your trust means a lot to me, but I think it is misplaced." I told him.

"Why?" Nightwing asked, leaning over my shoulder to watch the screens.

"I'm too dangerous to be around you. I want you too much. I could hurt you. I almost did, I could do it again." I said, finally gaining control of the security system.

"I don't think so." Nightwing whispered in my ear, still watching the screen.

"Then you ARE a fool." I whispered back.

"Then I am a fool." he answered back softly. I flinched as I felt the soft kiss to my ear.

"Nightwing?"

Nightwing turned the chair without words and held my face in his hands. The kiss was soft and light. My body tingled as he drew away breathing softly. "I'm sorry for giving you a hard time." he whispered.

"What changed your mind?" I asked, forgetting about the keyboard for a second.

"I almost lost you. I thought I had once... then you came back. This time I could have lost you forever. This time I realized what I could have lost." His finger found my face and traced a path to my jaw. "I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes."

"No, you are a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for." I shook my head. "I'm dangerous, Nightwing. Too dangerous for you to be around."

"No more dangerous than I will be soon." he whispered.

"Niculaie, he plans to turn you." I nodded. "I have to wonder if that is actually a good idea."

"It probably isn't, but it won't be the worst decision I've ever made." Nightwing shrugged.

"You won't want me after you are turned." I told him. "You will be Gangrel."

"Niculaie has made an exception." Nightwing smirked.

"It is a fling, not a commitment." I shook my head turning back to the keyboard and tapping more commands in lightly.

"I don't have to be...Gangrel." He swallowed.

I gripped the table hard and felt it begin to buckle under my fingers. "You don't know what you ask. I would rather embrace Final Death than take you into this. I've considered asking for it anyway, after the mission is over, I've been thinking about asking for release."

"NO!" Nightwing swung the chair back around to face him. "NO! You aren't leaving me again!"

"I shouldn't even be here." I told him sadly.

"Yes! Yes, you should." he argued.

"Why?"

"Because you stupid idiot! I love you!" He wrapped his arms around me tightly and brought me close to his chest. "I couldn't bear to lose you again

Laying my head upon his shoulder I felt him begin to relax. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid?" he asked.

"I..." I whispered.

The line crackled in our ear and I heard a melodramatic sigh. "Isn't it sweet?"

"Sabastian? Get off the line! And stop eavesdropping, you PERV!" I growled. "Or I'm going to film you and Niculaie and play it at the next Primogen meeting!"

"Promise?" Sabastian giggled.

A quiet tentative voice spoke up. "If you do, can I watch, too?"

"Oracle! You naughty little thing!" I said gleefully.

Nightwing blushed brightly. "Uh, how much have you heard?"

"All of it. I often eavesdrop." Her tone was matter of fact and Nightwing gaped at the wall in surprise.

When silence spread for more than a minute she asked. "What do you expect me to do waiting here for you all to finish the leg work? I get bored too, you know!"

"Don't worry, Oracle, I think I can bring you some nice vamp porn next time I see you." I chirped brightly. "Hey? Is Black Canary there by chance?"

In the background I heard shuffling and smiled brightly at Nightwing. "If I bring you films of Nightwing and I, can I watch you and Black Canary?"

Nightwing's face went redder until even the tips of his ears had turned magenta but he continued to hold his silence.

"And you called Sabastian a perv?" A new voice inquired.

"Of course, Canary! He's the one that showed me the joys of perversion in the first place!" I began to hack into another section of security checking records against the empty cells I had found.

Finally, Nightwing managed to croak. "You aren't filming us!"

"Oh, you rather they watch live? That can be arranged I'm sure!" I nodded agreeably.

Nightwing searched my face a few seconds before a grin began to spread. "You are pulling my leg."

"Yes, at least until I can pull something else. But yes, I'm kidding, I have no intention of either filming us or sharing you."

"Damn and here I was getting excited." Sabastian called out over the line.

"Sabastian? Go blow Niculaie or something! Show him that thing you can do with your tongue!" I sighed.

"I already did!"

"Show him again!" Nightwing growled over the line.

The line clicked and signaled the end of the transmission. I chuckled as Nightwing tried to compose himself. "You do realize that Batman heard every word we all said, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes, but strangely I don't care anymore. He will either deal with it or he won't." I reached up and took his hand. "We have other things to worry about."

"What has happened?" Batman broke in over the line.

"We are missing about twelve different inmates. I'm going through the tapes now...Scarecrow...he was definitely taken by the Joker, I bet the other eleven were too." I switched cameras and hit another button. "Same with Two Face...damn, he's already been turning them."

"Damn it! Do you have any indication where they could be at all?" Batman asked. "I'm searching the different floors. There are a lot of dead, and a lot of injured, but no Joker!"

"He would have taken them somewhere safe! They will rise tonight. They will be helpless until then!" I told him.

"Where though! We have to find them!" Batman growled.

Something prickled at the edges of my consciousness and I found myself tensing. I stood up slowly crossing the floor to the door. Once more reaching out. "Fire, he's set fire to the asylum!"

Seconds later alarms sounded through the night as the smoke finally set them off. "The fire department just got the call. They're on their way with half of GCPD." Oracle said over the connection. "What the hell is going on in there?"

"I'm not sure, but I think the Joker just set Arkham on fire!" I yelled following Nightwing out the door. "They need to hurry! They need to evacuate the asylum and we have a lot of wounded!"

"Where is he? Where would Joker go?" Nightwing grumbled.

"I don't know. I can feel his hate but not where he is!" I answered. Suddenly I felt it. "He's on the roof!"

I felt the wind under my feet as I ran first outside then jumped using the window ledges for stepping-stones. In the distance I heard the sirens approach. Lights flashed marking their progress and I knew they would be there within a couple of minutes.

"JOKER!" I yelled.

He stopped in mid-step and turned toward me. He had danced across the rooftop in joyful abandon, close by I could hear the crackle of flames. The fire was on the floor below us. "Joker, where are your childer?"

"My what? You mean my babies?" he asked. His hair streamed behind him as the wind picked it up and tossing it. "I'll never tell you where I hid my babies!"

His prison uniform was torn and ragged. It looked like his last minutes in life had been fought for before he had finally been subdued. Over the drab gray he had thrown on a hospital gown now covered with blood as his hair hung loose around his shoulders. His eyes sparkled like the stars above us and he smiled happily.

"You birds have always been annoying!" he said.

"I know. We just keep coming back, don't we?" I asked, carefully creeping up on him.

"Do you know what has happened to me?" The Joker laughed. "The most wonderful thing happened!"

"I know." I whispered. "I know what happened."

"Do you know? I doubt you truly understand it though!" Joker cackled gaily and began to dance once more. "I wonder what Batman would say if you became one of my babies?"

I didn't move as he came nearer.

"You just have no clue do you?" I asked him.

"Sorry, you have me confused with Riddler!" Joker smirked, grabbing me in his arms.

I smiled back at him laughing.

A small line formed above his eyes as he looked down into my face. "What is so funny? You aren't supposed to be laughing at me!"

"Silly, silly, little neonate!" I whispered with a giggle. "No clue, the stars don't speak to you do they?"

"The stars?" He looked at me in confusion.

"They don't, do they? They remain silent for you. They don't tell you what you need to know. They don't want you to know. They want you to remain in ignorance! They weep that you exist at all!" I sneered.

"What on Earth are you talking about?" Joker asked me.

I laughed at him and took a step back. "Poor you. Too stupid to even realize what you have!"

He growled and his eyes filled with liquid silver. A green haired angel as snow began to flutter down around him. "Beautiful." I breathed.

"What?" He asked, losing his stride.

He blinked down at me, tilting his head in a way that indicated he was beyond confused. "You are supposed to be scared of me!" He pouted as I laughed again.

"Silly, silly, childe. How you must disappoint the Sabbat greatly. All their grand plans and you didn't even stick around long enough for them to explain anything. How long was it before you cannibalized them?" I asked, stepping closer.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, taking a step backward. "Stop! This isn't how it is supposed to be!"

"And how is it supposed to be?" I asked. "Was I supposed to fall down quivering in fear? Or was I supposed to shoot off my mouth a couple of times then you would vamp out and frighten me before feeding and turning me?"

The Joker didn't answer as I began to close in on him. The fire below was burning furiously and would break through the roof soon. I could already see places where the snow was beginning to melt and hear the breaking of glass as inmates tried to escape and firefighters continued to try and rescue them.

"Was that the joke? Turn me and then present me to Batman? I'm afraid that your joke is going to fall a little flat!" I announced.

He roared and tried to grab me. I was behind him before he could blink. "Was there something you wanted?"

His fangs dropped and ridges appeared between his silver eyes. "You aren't funny, brat!"

"Oh really? I thought I was hilarious! But it's true." I said sadly. "You are the funny one here!"

The smoke began to roll into the sky as Joker rushed forwards again this time catching me. I opened my arms and caught him to my chest. "Poor, beautiful, misguided childe." I whispered into his hair as his fangs tore into my throat.

I wrapped one of my hands into his hair allowing him to feed upon me moaning as his tongue probed the wound he made. He groaned as my other hand rubbed his back encouraging him. He pulled back in confusion and stared into my eyes and I smiled back allowing my own fangs to drop. "Sweet childe, you have no idea who I am!" I laughed as his bloodied mouth fell open.

I dived for his throat and ripped it open with sharp fangs pulling his dark evil blood within myself. Holding him tightly in my arms in a parody of intimacy. He struggled against me pushing at my chest with uncertain panic.

I pulled back dripping the monster's blood down the front of my clothing. "Guess who's older?" I giggled as he tried to pull away.

"Where are you going? Didn't you want to teach this little bird a lesson?" I hissed.

He roared in rage again and dived back toward me clamping his teeth to the unblemished side of my neck. The other side had gone numb and I knew it would be healed within minutes. I sighed and leaned into his bite freeing his head and allowing my hand to travel down to the swelling erection that I doubt he noticed he had developed. I rubbed him through the tattered clothing and he jerked back again in surprise.

"This isn't how it is supposed to be!" he whispered.

"Very little ever is!" I whispered back. "That counts as one by the way!"

I tried to pull him back to my throat but he jumped farther back and glared at me before disappearing over the side of the building. I tried to take a step after him but felt the floor begin to buckle. Shouts called through the night as the flames licked my ankles. I made one last desperate jump into the air and over the side.

Landing next to Nightwing he steadied me with a hand. "Where is he?" I asked.

"I don't know! It was like watching Wally..." Nightwing yelled over the noise of the sirens.

"Damn it!" I screamed causing several police officers and medics to turn toward me. Two of the medics gasped at the blood and rushed toward me. I glared back at them sneering. They jumped back as I growled.

"Where is Batman?" I asked suddenly.

"I..." Nightwing started nervously.

"Where is he?" I asked again.

"We don't know... we were hoping he was up there with you." he finished.

Oracle came through the line, "I can't get a trace on him. Either he turned the link completely off or its been destroyed."

"DAMN IT!" I screamed again.

"Is there a problem here?" The new police commissioner asked. Her blonde hair glinted in the flashing lights.

"Problem? Lady, we have more problems than you can shake a stick at! Damn IT!" I yelled. Nightwing tried to grab my shoulder while hushing me. I slipped under his hands and dashed around and over the milling humans.

I could vaguely hear him making apologies for me to the tough female cop. She gawked at me as I came back to Nightwing's side. "He's long gone. Dawn will be here soon, I have to go to ground before it comes, I'm not completely healed from last night!"

She found her voice and asked, "Meta?"

"That sounds good enough..." I murmured as I watched the black and yellow clad firefighters fight the raging inferno. Water melted the snow and turned back into ice just as quickly causing the men to fall and slide. They made me think of fish on land. Black and yellow fish fighting a fire that they could not control.

"He's going to light more fires. He will try to keep us all busy till he goes to ground." I told them.

"How do you know?" Nightwing asked.

"I've seen it. I've seen it already. The stars told me, warned me. They told me in my dreams!" I whispered to him. "He's going to try and set the city ablaze!"

"It's so cold! And there isn't enough flame retardant foam to put out more than..." Nightwing confirmed my fears.

"We need to call in help." I told him.

"Batman..." I heard Oracle start to say.

"Batman isn't here! This city has been put through enough hell! Call in the JLA and Titans! Call Young Justice! Do it NOW!" I yelled through the link. "Save this town!"

"I need to scout around, then I need to..." I looked back at Nightwing and he nodded.

"Go!" He said.

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