Just Like Old Times (Batgirl)

[saxman59]

Roman Sionis allowed himself a rare smile. It was not the first time that one of his more brilliant ideas actually turned out to go off without a hitch, but it had happened so rarely since the Batman began to crack down on all his...*ahem*.... "assets." But this time, Roman was certain that this plan was one for the history books. He was going to unmask the Batman, and one of his little miniatures for good measure.

His plan was simple; he was going to kidnap Commissioner Gordon's daughter, Barbara, and force the Batman to come running. Once Batman burst through the door, Roman would overpower him with the help of his thugs, pump him full of a highly illegal truth serum, and "persuade" him to tell him the names of all his little sidekicks, after unmasking him of course. the door opened, and Number One walked in; "The helmet-cam is up and running, boss. Waiting your command." Sionis smiled once again and pulled a Cuban Cigar from a box on his highly polished mahogony desk. "Thank you, Number One." Sionis cut the end off the cigar and threw it into the ashtray. Pulling his laptop towards him, Sionis watched the live stream from the camera mounted on one of his thug's hats. Sionis had sent no less than 20 well trained thugs outfitted with tranquilizer guns and non-lethal shotgun shells. He wouldn't have doubted if Gordon had had his daughter trained in a dozen martial arts and armed with a stun gun, pepper spray and a shoe-knife. Sionis was taking no chances.

"Waiting for your orders, Black Mask," said his lead thug, Number Two, a man with the build and temperment of a dump truck. "Take her down, shock and awe technique," ordered Sionis. Without any hesitation, Number Two pulled his very large shotgun from his shoulder sling, and blasted an even bigger hole into the door. Sionis leaned back and allowed himself another smile. This was going to be a good day.

[k]

[/b] Babs muttered to herself. She knew she didn't have much time, and she was in two minds about what to do. She wasn't sure she could take the men on - she could certainly give it something of a valiant effort, she was sure of that. However, would her level of skill become of interest to whoever it was who was attacking? Babs assumed this wouldn't be a random attack. It was probably a planned attack on her father, and she rushed from her room to his. She knew her father had plenty of weapons, and she flung his desk open. She searched through everything, grabbing whatever she could. She was glad her father wasn't at home right now, it would make everything easier. She slammed his bedroom door shut behind her, like it would be of any use against them. She had nothing here - no weapons she would usually have on her as Batgirl - probably for the best, because if they trashed the place and came across anything affiliated with Batman, then questions would indeed be raised.

Babs wished she had time to call for help, if Dick would even be around to take her call. She held her stun gun in one hand, assuming a defensive position as she breathed heavily. This was nothing - though she didn't know how well trained the men were, nor did she even know what they were after. It hadn't once crossed Babs' mind that their intention was to take her, she simply figured they would be here after her father, revenge on him for doing his job or putting someone behind bars. She was sure she'd soon find out who they were working with though - and she wasn't going to like the answer.[/ul]

[saxman59]

Sionis watched in amusement as his men forced their way into the Gordon resident. The door was so narrow and his thugs so side that they were forced to go single file through the door. He had not expected this; one good shot could kill half of them. But no such shot came forth. "Secure all exits," shouted Number Two. It was almost as if he was reading Sionis's mind; the girl might scarper. The thugs spread through the residence like the plauge, throwing stun grenades into each room before entering. No one could say that they weren't thorough.

Sionis was startled by a sudden yell from one of his thugs. "Gusso! Sound off!" For the first time, Sionis thought that maybe something within his intricately placed plans might have gone wrong. Two thugs who went to investigate the sudden silence of Gusso also succumbed to a strange sound that Sionis recognized; a stun gun. Babs knew how to play. Sionis knew it was his time to step in. "All units, converge! Bring her down!" Every single thug converged on what looked like a bedroom. Several more thugs were taken down before Number Two himself fired a round of non-lethal shotgun pellets straight into the gut of shadow darting around the room with stun gun.

"Excellent!" shouted Sionis, "is it her?" The thug closest (it was really quite cramped in the room with all the thugs inside) turned the limp figure onto its back. A very pretty face with sharp features looked up at him under a long shock of flaming red hair. Sionis didn't need to look at the photo in front of him. He had just captured Barbara Gordon. It was a good day after all.

[k]

[/b] she growled angrily, adjusting her eyes to light and trying to move her limbs. This was not how she'd planned on spending the evening. [/ul]

[saxman59]

Roman was just helping himself to a brandy and another cigar when he heard his guest stirring. She must be in peak physical condition. Those non-lethal pellets usually knocked out a full grown man for at least three hous. Barbara had only been out for a little over two. Impressive.

"Well Babs, I'm glad we could finnally get together. I know we've never really met face to face. The name is Black Mask. I'll be your executioner today." Roman loved to see the look on people's face when they realized they were about to die. Strangely, there was no fear on the teenager's face. She would look glorious when she was broken.

"I know what you're thinking, Barb. Everyone's favorite vigilante will come bursting through that window and knock me out cold. Hell, maybe his stunted little sidekicks will come with him. It was lucky that Sionis's back was turned and didn't see the brief smile that crossed his guest's face. "Well, tell you what. That's exactly what I want." He held up a nasty looking syringe gun. "This is a little drug called Amobarbital, C₁₁ H₁₈ N₂ O₃. A very powerful truth serum. An ILEGALLY powerful truth serum. Soon, all of Gotham City will know who the Batman really is. And as for his stunted little friends," he lifted his jaket to show his shoulder holster holding two customized Colt .45 automatics, "who knows what could happen to those loveable little tykes."

The day was getting even better...

[k]

[/b] Babs questioned. She was trying to keep a level of calm, but hide her determination with an air of naivety and worry. She couldn't let him think she was just too casual about this all. "Black Mask?" Babs asked, feinging confusion as she sat up from her position on the floor, her hand feeling her shoulder when she'd been shot. So this was his idea - lure Batman here and then get the truth out of him. She smiled briefly as he explained his plan to her, how apparently holding her captive would lead to Batman telling all about his sidekicks. Perhaps his plan wouldn't be so flawed had he chosen someone else to hold hostage. For now Babs was going to play it safe, hoping she would be left in the company of someone other than Black Mask so she could make an escape, but for now she thought it would be best to keep him talking and try to discover some more information. If Batman did turn up to rescue her - although he knew that Barbara Gordon could take care of herself - she was worried about whether Black Mask's plan could actually work.

"So that's your plan? Discover who Batman is through truth serum?" Babs asked. "You do realise that Amobarbital requires intravenous application... you think you can get that close to Batman? You know who I am, and you know who my father is..." Babs said, and now I know who you are, she added mentally and narrowed her eyes. "Tell me, Black Mask, why you do want Batman - and his little 'tykes' - out of your way so desperately?" Babs questioned, faking little knowledge of who Black Mask was, hoping he would throw her some new information about whatever it was he was currently working on. [/ul]

[saxman59]

Roman smiled. His captive was still obviously confused by the sudden events. But her eyes told a completely different story. She was taking in every word he was saying. Hopefully she wasn't catching on to his REAL plans. "As to where you are, do you really expect me to tell you that? No. And I know full well the application of this particular drug. I've used it more times than I can count." Heading back to the bar to refill his brandy. Roman caught his guest sneaking a look at the room's only door. "Don't even think about it. The twelve men out there are armed. No non-lethal slugs this time either."

"To answer your last question, I want that SOB dead for the same reason as a quarter of the people in this city. If he would stop throwing my cronies into Blackgate, I would stop attempting to turn his face inside out." As if on cue, the Bat-Symbol, or whatever the hell it was called, shone into the sky.

"Imagine something for me Babs. Imagine a town that is perfect. No crime. No drugs. Every kid going to school. Now put a fella like me into that equation. Now there is still no crime, still no drugs, and every kid going to school, but now there is a thriving underground with cri me, drugs, et cetera, but ONLY in said underground. Now put Batman into that equation. He's that curious little kid that flips over the rock of the underworld and starts stepping on the ants. eventually the ants get pissed off enough to overwhelm that kid. That ant rebellion has begun, girl. Let the hell rain down!!!"

This was the best day Roman had had in a while.

[k]

[/b] Babs spluttered, though trying not to overdo her part as the scared kidnapped girl. Of course, part of Babs was scared - there would always be a part of Babs that was scared no matter what. She usually hid it and surpressed it, and it was much easier to do that when behind a mask. Right now she was just Barbara Gordon... and she almost forgot how to play her role as the Commissioner's daughter. Batgirl was becoming all she knew.

"Don't call me Babs," she snarled suddenly. She didn't like anyone using her nickname like that, least of all him. She thought of her father using it, and she thought of everyone else who she allowed to call her that. Black Mask would never be on that list, never. "You really think getting rid of Batman would do any good?" She asked, a sudden shot of anger piercing through her. "He doesn't work alone, Black Mask, you've seen his little tykes... his little friends. He's not alone," Babs said. True enough, Batman had many, many allies, and they ruled Gotham under his command, because Gotham was Batman's turf. Babs tried to relax a little, try to play her character more. That could almost be considered a Batgirl sentence bubbling up from her.

"Why me?" Babs asked. "My father will come for me, not Batman," Babs assured him, although that probably wouldn't be the case. If anyone turned up, it would probably be Batman, not her father. She doubted her father and the police department would even be able to find her location - maybe her father hadn't even been home yet to find his daughter gone. The only thing that would flag up indication of her kidnap was the obvious signs of the struggle that had taken placed in her home, and perhaps the big hole in the door, Babs thought. However, she knew she ought to show the naive belief that the police department would find her before anyone else, even if the thought of it was simply laughable to her in reality. [/ul]

[bats]

Babs was a friend, even if Bruce would never say it, for he wasn't the type to say such a thing. She was also the daughter of one of his best friends, a man who'd look out for him, despite the friction between a vigilante and a cop. Jim Gordon was a good man, and Barbara Gordon was a good woman. He wouldn't let them down.

He heard the news through the police frequencies, but completely ignored the Batsignal. It'd be a waste of time, as who knew what Mask could have been doing to Barbara. He was known to torture, and Bruce wasn't sure if he could deal with that on his conscience right now just because he wasted time at the GCPD. Jim would know he was on the case.

He'd ran through his Black Mask dossier with Alfred while en route in the Batmobile, trying to narrow down exactly where he was likely to keep Barbara. Bruce went through all the nearby warehouses, safehouses and other similar buildings before it became obvious. Mask would only kidnap somebody so important as some kind of trap. He hadn't called for any ransom or anything similar, so that was the most likely solution. He'd take her to his office, the most obvious place for where he'd be, and allowed him to be in control.

The Batmobile was parked up in a dim alleyway and locked down, while Bruce grappled his way up to the top of the building opposite Mask's main base of operations. Bruce hadn't touched the building so far, merely observed it over the last few weeks and months. Now all the observations and notes would come into use. He pulled out a pair of mini bionoculars from his belt and looked through them at what he'd presumed to be Mask's office, and observed from afar before jumping in.