Mad Jyhad

I found nothing.

I returned to Lestat's Asylum with my tail between my proverbial legs and slunk in the door after removing my mask to be identified by the bouncer. The staff was cleaning up after what looked like a productive evening of entertaining the local talent.

They waved to me as I walked past them. With much reluctance I pulled back the dark velvet curtain and opened the door. The meeting room was empty and I continued on to the tapestry that hid the other door.

It wasn't until I hit the bottom step that I wondered if I should have even bothered returning at all, but the sun was rising and it drove me to open the door. The stars sang sadly and I whispered my apologies.

I passed the room filled with debris and knocked softly on the door of the Prince's inner sanctum.

Niculaie opened the door. I was taken back to the night I fled Nightwing and discovered the Gangrel upstairs in the meeting room.

"About time you got here!" he growled, pulling me into the room.

"Where the hell have you been?" Niculaie twisted my arm behind me. "Sabastian has been worried sick about you!"

"I turned off the link!" I whimpered as the bone threatened to snap. "I failed...again."

Sabastian rose from the bed and crossed the floor in two long strides. "Nonsense!"

"He's turned twelve inmates and has captured Batman!" I shook as the enormity of the situation came crashing down on me. "If he turns..."

"He won't turn the Batman." Jones shook his head. He walked into the room from the direction of the shower. "He won't do that. It would give the Batman an advantage that the Joker does not want."

"Your friends are all combing the city looking." Sabastian pulled on my hands. "They haven't found him."

I closed my eyes and felt dizzy as my knees threatened to buckle.

"This isn't necessarily bad!" Niculaie commented as Sabastian wrapped his arms around me. "Not finding him also means that they haven't found a body either!"

"That's right, Niculaie! See the good in everything!" Jones jeered. "Can't you see that the poor kid feels like shit?"

I felt another pair of arms go around me and begin to rock me gently. "I screwed up so bad. I haven't been this bad at the job since I first started!"

"You aren't doing badly!" Niculaie said reluctantly. "You are playing the game with a handicap. But you are still playing well. This town could have gone up like Chicago did way back when, what with the abandoned buildings and things the way they are, but you called his firebug tendencies spot on! They stopped most of the fires before they even got going good. That Superman guy has been all over the city putting things to rights and he's looking for your old man, too!"

"He's not my father." I whispered.

"Might as well be. Call him one of your many fathers. You got your biological, a foster father of sorts, that's Bats, you have your Father in Darkness, that was Tyler, and you have us!" Jones patted me on the back. "I'm grand Sire! And Sabastian is your great grand Sire! We have to count for something don't we?"

I smiled a little. "Yeah, I suppose. Though I'm a little grossed out about the whole father imagimagery there."

"You'll get over it." Sabastian laughed.

"Now, you should rest, you have a busy night ahead of you. For now, there are three teams of heroes looking after this town." Jones said, steering me toward the bed.

"The Masquerade!" I looked up worried.

"It's okay! The teams with the exception of Young Justice and Superman himself all think that they are looking for a meta'd up version of the Joker. They think someone gave him powers!" Sabastian smiled. "I took care of it with a little help from that sweet little Oracle!"

"I'm scared that somebody will find out..." I started.

"Little one, I have been Prince of this city since around the time it was first founded. I've been alive since long, long before that! Don't you think, after all this time, I know how to cover my tracks with the mortal world?" Sabastian stroked the hair back from my face as I lay down.

"I know...I just..." I was at a loss for words as they began to remove my body armor and uniform.

"Shhh! Sleep, little brat. Someone will keep watch over the link alrougroughout the day." Jones told me laying a finger against my lips.

Stripped bare of my clothes I surrendered to the softness of the bed and leaned back into the waiting arms of my Prince as he pulled me close to his body and held me. "Sleep for now."

Jones slipped the little wire into his ear and sat down on the floor surrounded by bright pillows. "I'll wake you should any word of Batman or Joker's haven come through."

The brown haired man stifled a yawn and pulled a book out beginning to read. My eyes struggled to stay open for a few seconds before they grew so heavy I couldn't stop them from closing.

I was startled to feel additional arms encircle me, holding me from the other side and I fought to open my eyes and ask Jones what he was doing. I found myself blinking up into Niculaie's eyes. "Go to sleep!" he growled.

Niculaie hugged me harder as Sabastian's hand ghosted over my stomach. "He's right, go to sleep." Sabastian breathed into my ear.

No longer able to keep my eyes open at all, despite the shock, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into sleep, yet very aware of the rough hands that smoothed the hair back from my forehead and the chapped lips that pressed a soft kiss to my brow.

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My Snow Angel danced over the glittering diamond snow before jumping into the air gracefully finally landing lightly on the ground. The angel watched the flames from a distance for a few seconds before spinning around and slowly winding his way back the way he had come. Backtracking.

Down a rabbit hole to fall in a river of mud, crocodiles floated belly up as the angel skipped merrily past them deeper into the earth. Above the igloo burned while the yellow and black fish tired. Flying birds blew on the flames and slowly put them out one by one.

A midnight sun shone under the earth as babies slept peacefully around the Reaper, his black shroud still wrapped tightly around him, his scythe discarded across the room. The angel tied the Reaper up tightly and hung him from the sky to await the moon.

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I awoke beside Niculaie and Jones, startling them as I flew from the bed toward Sabastian. "Have you heard anything?"

Sabastian shook his head. "Nothing. They are still looking. They evacuated Arkham and put out all the fires though."

"I know where they are!" I pulled my body armor on as I spoke.

I pushed the link into my ear and heard it come to life. "I know where Batman is!"

Oracle asked. "Where? We can have someone there in minutes."

"I'll be there soon. Arkham! The bastard doubled back! Batman was never removed from the asylum, neither were the inmates. They are down deep below it! Joker only left long enough to start the other fires!" I rushed up the stairs even as I spoke, I could feel Jones and Niculaie at my back as I burst out of the nightclub and into the night.

I don't remember too much of the trip back to Arkham. It was like I was just suddenly standing in front of the smoldering ruin of the building. Smoke could be seen rising in different areas and the heat still radiated as a lone fire truck stayed nearby to fight any re-ignitions of the fire. I could smell chemicals wafting from the charred remains and realized that the Joker had to have used some sort of accelerant.

"We can't go in there!" Niculaie prowled as close to the debris as he could.

"They aren't INside. They are UNDER it. All of it, somewhere..." I walked toward the perimeter where the fence stood to keep people in as well as out. Ignoring you and Superman as you dropped out of the sky to assist.

I remember you looked at me with a peculiar look on your face. Like you couldn't figure out what had happened to me. Like you weren't sure I was me at all. You looked sad.

You stayed behind and stared at Niculaie and Jones as Superman approached me. I was still looking for the entrance but I could feel him come nearer. Like the sun rising in the morning his aura hissed and with every step he took toward me I took a step away unwilling to let him too near.

"Oracle said Batman was hidden here?" Superman asked in that kind manner he has, the one that he sometimes uses when he thinks you are wrong but he hopes you are right.

"He is, I just have to find the way in. Joker went down the rabbit hole and went into wonderland!" I searched under the bushes as I spoke.

"You think he has tunnels?" Superman asked me. I looked up in surprise and smiled. It was nice to be understood. I think he thought I was being poetic or something.

"Yes, somewhere deep below all of this!" I nodded.

He seemed to shrug as he lifted himself into the air looking intently around the grounds. When he settled back down beside me, Niculaie and Jones came to stand beside me. You still watched from a distance though. You made me nervous to be honest.

"You're right! There are tunnels all over this place!" Superman whistled quietly. "It's a wonder that they all haven't run off before now."

"We need to find the one that leads to Batman! He's in danger!" I took a step forward before I remembered the feeling of the sun he gave off. Niculaie and Jones even kept their distance.

Nightwing's motorcycle roared as he gunned it through the now open gates to come to a stop a short distance from us. My throat tightened upon seeing him and it was all I could do not to rush forward and sweep him into a hug.

"I came as soon as Oracle called!" he said. Not too far behind him I saw others. Members of the Titans following their leader, they landed nearby quietly and seemed to be awaiting orders.

Nightwing watched me expectantly as he stepped closer. "Where is he?"

"There are tunnels under Arkham." Superman answered, walking along the ground watching it intently. His eyes glowed softly and they moved as though he were reading words upon a page.

"Batman always suspected that!" Nightwing nodded. "Which one leads to him?"

"I don't know, but Batman is in grave danger. The Joker's 'babies' will have woken by now!" I said urgently.

Nightwing ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, God, does Joker intend to feed him to them? Or to turn him?"

"I don't think he will turn him." I shook my head. "But as for a first meal? I don't know."

"What are you guys talking about?" Superman looked up at us.

Nightwing shook his head. "It is too complicated, we need to find him! Before it is too late!"

"This is bad! I've NEVER seen a situation were any of us ever had to rescue Batman!" I heard Arsenal whisper to Tempest.

"Bad doesn't even BEGIN to cover this shit!" I growled as I strode past him toward the building.

Superman raised his head and shook it. He looked directly at you and I could hear a tiny whisper on the wind. It struck me that you two were talking telepathically. I heard you tell him to 'do it'.

"If we can't find the tunnel he used, we will just have to make our own!" Superman jumped into the air and headed over the top of the black building. I could see his eyes glow again and watched him jerk back in the air.

I knew in that moment that Superman could see where Batman was exactly and by the look on his face I became worried by what he may have seen.

Superman rose higher and higher in the air before suddenly plunging headfirst back toward the ground, ramming the earth with the force of dynamite making a new path. The resulting explosion sent debris and dirt high in to the air behind him forcing all of us to take cover.

"Well, that was impressive!" Niculaie crowed, jumping toward the large crater. "It's hot but if we jump toward the middle..."

I nodded and leaped high into the air following Niculaie down. As I dropped down the large hole following the vampire and Superman I heard Arsenal ask... "Why didn't anyone tell us that Robin was meta?"

The drop jarred me as I landed and for a few seconds my bones vibrated with the force of impact. The numb yet tingling feeling along my feet told me that I had cracked some bones and had perhaps actually broken something but I shook it off as I began to heal.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness as I allowed my face to change. My vision was sharper in demonic form than human and I needed the edge that it would give me. Niculaie's face mirroring mine began to race toward the tunnel that Superman was still steadily building in his effort to get to Batman.

Within a few yards Superman found the original tunnel that the Joker had used. He turned toward us and I heard him gasp.

I looked up and shook my head. "We mean no harm. We are here to stop the Joker, to take him down. We are on your side!"

Niculaie nodded and held his hands out. "We are not of the same clan as Dracula. My clan has no interest in the petty bickering and power plays of the others. I am here to aid my comrades. Robin is here to right a wrong. The Joker was never meant to be turned. He was turned by those that would try to take over, Robin is attempting to stop this madness!"

I stepped forward also holding out my hands. "Batman is still my mentor and partner. He knows what I am. I'm only here to help. Please let me help?"

Superman looked from one to the other of us and finally sighed. "If you are here to help then I will not stop you, but if you..."

"I have never fed from a human." I assured him. "Please, we must hurry!"

Superman nodded and continued down the tunnel. An old sewer tunnel that still had water flowing through it. The river that the Joker had crossed in my dream. We hurried down the length only to be stopped by a huge blockage.

"Killer Croc!" I breathed.

He was dead. And had been for a while by the look of it. The flesh burnt by the fire the night before. It appeared that he had been placed as a barrier, a natural wall. Perhaps even as a twisted decoration. Superman winced as he grabbed the charred flesh of the corpse and pulled. Dead eyes stared unseeing as he flopped into the water he once enjoyed so much. I almost felt sorry for him, almost. He had tried to kill me before. It made it hard to completely forgive him his past sins.

Superman wiped his hands on his cape looking at the body with vague distaste before flying through the opening. We followed quickly allowing our celerity to keep pace with him.

We burst into a room that was suddenly too bright for our now sensitive eyes. I blinked in the light trying to adjust. Niculaie jumped forward and met the first newborn vampire.

As my eyes focused I saw the blood dripping from Batman's still form. He was hanging from the ceiling tied to the main light fixture. I listened for a second and heard the faint heartbeat. "Superman! Get Batman out of here NOW!"

The fledglings jumped up, sluggish, unsure of what to do as Joker hissed in anger. The Mad Hatter bared sharp fangs at me growling in rage and I leaped at him.

Behind me I heard the growls and sounds of battle as Niculaie fought tooth and claw against several opponents at once. I caught sight of Jones a split second before two more Malkavian neonates attacked me.

Above us Superman grabbed Batman and dashed out the entrance as Nightwing rushed in. "So this is where the party is!"

I couldn't answer as I grabbed the Mad Hatter's head in my hands and twisted. I could feel and hear the sharp pop as his neck broke and his body began to go limp. I lowered him gently to the ground before placing my foot on his chest and yanking the lifeless head up sharply.

I heard Nightwing gasp as I threw the now severed head to the side and went on to the next fledge.

Somewhere behind me I could hear the growls and snarls of Niculaie. I felt a spray of blood on the side of my face and turned just in time to watch as he pulled the head off another vampire.

The Joker was yelling and giving orders to his men. But even as he ordered them to 'stop us' to 'kill us' I saw as first Scarecrow and then Two Face slipped through a side tunnel escaping. A glance told me that the rest of us were each fighting two fledges.

The only thing on our side was the fact that Joker had not yet learned the extent of his powers, still a neonate himself and that his fledglings had only just awakened and were still confused. Nightwing was a flurry of kicks and punches trying to stay out of their grip. Flying over their heads with graceful leaps that reminded me of a cat. Niculaie was more like the angry tiger, plowing through his adversaries and ripping them apart with abandon while Jones had brought a sword with him and was attempting to decapitate his 'dance partners'. He wielded the sword with an age-old talent that made me wonder when he had been turned and what he was when he was mortal.

I heard a scream from the entrance as Jones' sword finally swiped in a perfect arc taking off the fledge's head. From too far away I saw Arsenal tackle Jones' sending him flying against a wall giving time for another neonate vampire to flee through an adjacent tunnel.

I screamed, "NO!" trying to fall back to their position.

Nightwing jumped over the head of a non-descript mad man that I had not had the 'pleasure' of having fought before. "Arsenal, NO!"

"He KILLED HIM!" Arsenal shoved his knee into Jones' throat as the elder vampire looked on in amusement. Amusement that only lasted long enough for him to regain his bearings to flip the bowman off into a wall.

"They are already dead!" Nightwing screamed.

"WHAT?" Arsenal stood on shaky legs.

"They're dead!" Nightwing shouted grabbing for one of the young vampires and shoving it toward Niculaie. Arsenal watched in disgust as the older vampire snapped and then ripped the head off of the offending neonate.

Jones recovered his sword and jumped back into the fray.

The Joker screamed in frustration, apoplectic as he finally threw himself into the battle. I rushed forward and met him head on.

"So Batbrat, come to save papabat? He's lost a lot of blood..." the Joker hissed, trying to grapple with me.

The madman's balance was thrown off when instead of pushing him away I pulled him closer. "He'll live. He always does." I whispered in his ear, trying to hold him tightly.

The Joker growled, confusion marring his face, eyes wide as I wrapped my arms around him more firmly. The silver that covered his eyes glinted in the light and I smiled as I subtly tilted my head to the side, blocking out the battle around me.

Baffled, he gently kissed my neck, unsure of my reaction. I ran my hand through his hair softly, urging him on with gentle words, encouraging him to take. He kissed my neck again a look of almost horror in his eyes as I continued to smile, stroking his back and carding a hand through his long green hair. "Silly childe." I whispered.

On the last word I felt his fangs prick my throat and I pressed his head closer. I gasped as he ripped suddenly into the artery, trying to burrow into my skin, crawl within my flesh, become one with me. His hands were everywhere and I responded in kind, moaning softly as I felt my own fangs drop. It was sheer will power to resist drinking from him as he drank from me.

He drew back and looked into my eyes. "I don't understand."

His voice was low and husky. My blood covered his lips and his tongue flicked out, licking his lower lip.

"What don't you understand?" I kept my own voice low as I rubbed his scalp with one gloved hand. "You want me, don't you?"

He nodded then shook his head. An eye twitched as one of his hands touched my face almost reverently. "I don't like guys, no matter what the rumors." His voice shook. "I don't understand!"

I laughed soundlessly. "You want me and that is all that matters, silly childe."

"I'm older than you!" He was unable to look away as I stared relentlessly into his eyes, his voice sounding softer and softer with a faraway quality.

"In mortal years, yes, but we count only the time since we've been embraced. In that, I'm the elder." I chuckled.

He sighed as his eyes began to look dreamy; he slowly lowered his head to my shoulder as I continued to pet his soft hair. "Sleep, childe, sleep." I intoned. "That's two..."

I forgot the action behind us as I continued to lull the Joker, stroking him gently, speaking softly. I began to rock him in my arms, as I began to sing just under my breath. "Day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hills, from the sky; all is well safely rest, God is nigh... Fading light, dims the sight, and a star gems the sky, gleaming bright. From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night... Thanks and..."

It was a shock when suddenly we were knocked to the side and the Joker went flying from my arms to the dirt floor. Nightwing stood between Joker and I as I quickly picked myself up. I watched in dismay as Joker looked up at me in shock and then fear. He dashed out the small tunnel before I could call to him.

I shoved Nightwing against the wall holding him dangling by the throat. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?"

Nightwing gasped and clawed at my hand struggling to breathe.

Niculaie pulled me off of Nightwing with a hiss of disapproval. "Get off of him!"

"The Joker got away!" I growled back.

Arsenal trained a cross bow on me, uncertainty reflected on his face. I eyed the bolt carefully and forced myself to calm down. "Why did you do that?" I asked again.

"He was feeding off of you!" Nightwing rubbed his throat tenderly.

"I had it under control!" I ground out between gritted teeth.

"How many got away?" Jones asked shaking his head.

"Including the Joker?" Niculaie looked back. "Six of them, we managed to kill seven of his brood."

"Not good enough!" I groaned. "We've got to find them!"

Arsenal slowly lowered his weapon and stared at us. "What...is going on here? What are you?"

I chewed on my lip and looked back at Nightwing. "Don't be mad. It's got to be done."

Nightwing looked confused for a few seconds until he realized what I intended to do. I turned back to Arsenal and smiled sweetly. "Arsenal?"

He looked wary as I slowly walked forward. "It is all right. It is all over. The battle is done."

Arsenal looked up at Nightwing, removing his sunglasses. Nightwing offered him a smile. It was a little watery but he tried to look reassuring. "Robin wants to explain."

Taking a few steps closer I looked back into his eyes. Calm, safe, warm, care. Calm, safe, warm, care. I chanted the words mentally as I stared into his bright green eyes. Calm, safe, warm, care. His body began to relax, the tension from the battle visibly fading as first one shoulder then the other lowered into a slump. Calm, safe, warm, care. Calm, safe, warm, care. "Day is done, gone the sun." I whispered. Silently I continued to sing in my mind. [From the lake, from the hills, from the sky; All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.]
High above us barely heard the stars continued, {Fading light, dims the sight, And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright. From afar, drawing nigh, falls the night.}

Arsenal slowly tilted his head, "What?" his voice was soft and muted.

"Sun has set, shadows come, Time has fled," I walked closer never looking away from the green eyes that began to sparkle in the overhead light.

"What?"

The question was weaker but all aggression had left his body as he managed to smile. I stood close to him and reached out my hand to touch his arm. "While the light fades from sight, and the stars gleaming rays softly send, to thy hands we our souls, Lord, commend." I breathed.

I carefully breathed slowly taking the air in purposefully then letting it out in a steady stream. His eyes began to droop as his breathing fell in pace with mine.

"All is well. They were dead before you arrived by the Joker's hand. The others escaped, the Joker escaped. You saw nothing unusual." My voice was a monotone, my eyes never leaving his. "Do you understand?"

"Yes." the red head whispered. "I understand."

I smiled and carded a hand through his hair. "Good. We must go back up and they must be tracked down."

"Yes." He nodded.

Taking a step back and breaking eye contact he jerked. "Huh?"

"You...uh...zoned out there, buddy!" Nightwing slapped him on the back. "You okay?"

"I'm fine! Hey, we need to get topside! We've got to find the others!" Arsenal blinked in confusion as he looked back at me. Shaking his head he turned away, "Man, that Joker is a headcase! Killing his own guys?"

With another shake of his head he jumped through the hole.

"I don't necessarily agree with what just happened..." Nightwing sighed following his teammate.

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