Chapter Text
Barbara Gordon sat at a table in the middle of her dimly lit room. The natural light of the sunset was about to give way to deep dark night. She was mentally preparing herself for the night ahead, another long night as Batgirl. She looked at her watch, it read 6:30. She had an hour and a half before she had to start her patrols. To say she enjoyed what she did wasn't an accurate summation, but to say she hated it wouldn't be true either. She enjoyed putting criminals away, to serve justice, but to harm people, to physically hurt someone didn't sit right with her. She would've become a cop but her father, the commissioner, Jim Gordon wouldn't let her. After getting in touch with Batman through her father, she had managed to convince him to bring her into the fold. He had already brought two robins into his care.
Unbeknownst to Barbara, a shadow had entered her room. Thrymos hid in the darkness and the blackness of the room. His metal boots were silent against the carpet of her room. Despite his weight, he moved silently, evading her deft ears. He scanned the room with his blood red eyes. A knock on the door was heard. Thrymos knew his time was near. Barbara stood up to answer and as she neared the door it burst open. A man in a vacationer's outfit had opened the door, his face was ghost white. His thick red lips pulled into a twisted smile, his yellowing teeth showing. Barbara knew who it was and tried to retreat for a gun. The Joker pulled the trigger, but instead of hitting her, he hit a shadow. Thrymos looked, in the dark, like some aimless, yet cohesive form. One black shadow, with only the evil in his eyes shining out. The Joker laughed to himself and shot more into Thrymos.
"Well Batsy! Seems you're more capable than I thought!" He reloaded his revolver and shot more. He waved his hand and sent two of his men into the room. They rushed in with bats and swung at Thrymos. Thrymos raised his hand and swung lightly. Blood splattered against the wall, they gripped at their necks, blood rushing through their fingers. They turned and ran toward Joker, falling on the ground in front of him. The Joker's smile faded and turned to horror as the creeping feeling he'd had since opening the door finally consumed him. "You're not Batman."
Thrymos walked forward, slinging the blood off his gauntlet. He walked slowly towards the Joker who turned and ran. Thrymos sped up and chased him down the hall. They reached the roof as Joker shot a grappling hook to a nearby building and zipped away. Thrymos spawned fire around his feet and shot up, chasing The Joker. Joker had zipped to the top of the building. Thrymos' fire sputtered out halfway up the building. He slammed his hands into the side of the building and started clawing his way up. Glass shattered as he ran up the building. He threw himself over the side of the building and ran at Joker, who paused to catch his breath. Joker shot his hook and zipped away.
"Bruce! Dammit, pick up!" Barbara said as she dialed Batman. He picked up the phone as he drove around the city in the Batmobile.
"Barbara? You're not supposed to be out for another hour," he said.
"Bruce, its Joker, he nearly killed me."
"What happened?"
"I'll explain later, you have to save him."
"What's going on?"
"A...man, I think, he saved me from getting shot but I think he's going to kill him."
"Understood. Where are they?"
"From what I'm seeing, you won't miss them."
Bruce raced down the street and saw the dust and smoke from their chase. He drove in front of their next position and shot out of his car. He glided up to their position, and began chasing the chaser. Thrymos looked back and realized who was following him. He pulled a small knife out of his pocket and threw it at Joker's hook, destroying it. The joker fell on top of a roof, and the two dark men followed. Batman sent a signal to Dick and Jason. Barbara suited up and headed to their position. Batman shifted inbetween Joker and Thrymos. Thrymos sighed heavily.
"I don't want to hurt you, please. Just move," Thrymos said.
"I can't allow you to do that," Batman said. The two shadows stood opposite on the rain kissed roof of the skyscraper. Thrymos was only an inch taller, but felt massive and imposing, a profile that would dwarf even Bane himself. Batman, regardless, raised his hands, ready for a fight. Thrymos sighed and met his stance. Their capes flapped hard in the rushing wind. Batman stepped forward, deflecting Thrymos' jab and striking him in the side of his chestplate. Thrymos barely faltered and readied another strike. Batman stepped back, slipping the cross, and returned with a devastating uppercut. Thrymos' head snapped back. He held his jaw, blood ran out of his mouth and down his fingers. Thrymos wiped his face and spat.
The Joker tried to slip away, Thrymos saw him out of the corner of his eye and threw a bola, wrapping around his legs, and shocking Joker, knocking him out. Batman kicked into Thrymos' knee, and Thrymos fell to the floor. Batman rolled over Thrymos' back and wrapped his arms around Thrymos' neck and began to squeeze. Thrymos pulled Batman's hand off and threw Batman off of him. Batman could tell Thrymos was heavily pulling his punches. He sensed a hidden power underneath. Batman tossed smoke on the ground, reaching for Joker. Thrymos raised his hand to block the smoke. Batman ran and grabbed Joker. Thrymos zipped over and pushed Batman off. Thrymos reached down for Joker, and a foot collided with the side of his face. An athletic and lean man had zipped over the side of the building, his chest held a bird-like symbol. He wielded two batons, tipped with electric studs.
"Who's this guy?" he asked.
"I don't know," Batman said. "But he's trying to kill Joker. We have to stop him, Nightwing."
"Understood," Nightwing said as he rushed forward. Thrymos pulled his large knives from behind his back and blocked the strikes from the batons. Nightwing noticed his seeming hesitation to attack, and rushed forward faster. Thrymos flipped over Nightwing and stood over Joker, defending from both sides. Batman and Nightwing rushed in at the same time, Batman flying above, diving like a falcon, and Nightwing rushing in from below. Thrymos' knee buckled, and his head snapped back. The two's attacks landing their mark. Thrymos wiped blood off his lip and quickly dipped and thrust Joker off the roof. He was picked up by Barbara as she swung by and she placed him nearby on a roof. She made sure he was tied securely and zipped over to the roof. Thrymos saw her flash by in the corner of his eye. He sheathed his knives. They rushed forward and Thrymos struck Batman in his chest, right in the thickest part of his armor. Batman flew back and crashed into the rooftop entrance. Thrymos grabbed Nightwing by the leg and tossed him into Batman. Barbara attacked, and Thrymos pushed her away lightly. The four stood panting on the roof. Batman and Nightwing stood slowly. Barbara moved around to her allies. It began raining harder. Cool drops of water splattering against the roof. Light metal pangs rang out as it hit Thrymos' black armor.
"Please leave, I don't want to hurt you, any of you," Thrymos said. "Just let me kill him, and I'll leave."
"We can't allow you to do that," Batman said.
"I don't think you understand me," Thrymos said. "I'm going to kill him. I really don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."
"What were you doing in my room? How did you know he was going to show up?" Barbara asked. Thrymos sighed and shook his head.
"It's a long story," Thrymos said. "But I can tell you what he was going to do."
"What are you talking about?" Nightwing said.
"This was yet another game, Batman," Thrymos said. "He wanted to prove that he's not so different than the average person. And to do that, he was going to rape you, Barbara."
"W-what?" She asked, her eyes widening in shock. Her hands started to shake. "My name...my..."
"He was going to...I..." Nightwing stuttered. At a complete loss for words. Batman stood stoically and seemingly unphased from the revalation.
"Oh yes, Barbara. He was going to rape you, take photos of what he did, force your father to watch it, and theoretically break his mind. His gunshot was going to paralyze you, you would never walk again. And yet...he still wouldn't take the initiative. Bruce, he's irredeemable. He needs to die," Thrymos said. Batman's eyes widened slightly at the mention of his name. His scowl deepened. Barbara was wide eyed, her eyes darting between the dark men. "I know you want to kill him, Bruce. You want him to die, so why do you keep saving him? If you don't want to kill him that's fine. But if he falls from a building, why do you save him?"
"Because everyone deserves a second chance," he said. "Yes, I want to kill him, but that's not my choice. I cannot be Judge, Jury, and Executioner. My biases will control me. I'll start mindlessly killing anyone who stands in my way."
"And how many chances is he up to now? 50? 60? Why are you in my way? I'm not threatening you! You don't have to kill him, I just want him dead, leave me alone and let me do my work."
"I have to save anyone who cannot save themselves," Batman said. He raised his fists, ready to fight. Thrymos sighed and shot forward, ignoring the Batfamily and heading straight for Joker, knife raised, and ready. Batman and Barbara quickly zipped over to the building and barely struck Thrymos' arm, which directed the blade away from Joker's skull, slashing his cheek. Thrymos swore and kicked at the group. Thrymos frustration gave way to anger, and he slashed Batman's side. Batman buckled and fell back. Nightwing walked along Batman's line and flipped, kicking Thrymos in the head. Thrymos grabbed Nightwing's leg and slammed him down into the building, breaking his arm. Nightwing yelled out in pain as Thrymos tossed him aside. Barbara jumped and wrapped a grappling line around his leg and pulled, Thrymos lurched forward, kneeling down. Batman shot his grappling hook past his head and anchored on the edge of the roof. He leapt and allowed his gun to propel him forward, he kicked Thrymos directly in the face. Thrymos' head snapped back, and he swore. He rolled backwards and steadied himself.
Thrymos grabbed Joker and shot fire from his legs, flying up. Batman and Barbara grappled to him, flying with him. Thrymos' fire sputtered out, and he rolled in the air, Joker facing the ground. Thrymos yelled and Batman and Barbara caught him, striking him hard, kicking and punching, but Thrymos' hands remained on Joker's body. He rocketed down, and slammed Joker through the roof of the building. Batman and Barbara's grip faltered and they fell off. Thrymos slammed Joker through floor after floor of the tall building. Joker's arms below the elbow were ripped off by the force of being slammed through the floor. A few floors later, his legs below the knees went with them. Only when Thrymos had slammed the bloodied torso, the purple color of the suit completely drowned in crimson, into the foundation of the building, cracking the ground beneath him, did he finally stop falling. The building shook and collapsed on top of Thrymos. Batman, Barbara, and Dick barely escaped the fallout. They zipped to a nearby building. The rubble shifted. Thrymos rose from the rubble slowly and walked away from the building. He marched himself away, and the three vigilantes stared at the devil who walked out of hell. Apollo rode down in a chariot, and Artemis picked them up, bringing them to the arena. Thrymos walked away. Apollo deposited Batman and Barbara, sending Nightwing to the infirmary for his arm. Batman and Barbara walked through the halls.
...
"Barbara and I walked through the halls for a while, no one explained what was happening, Apollo just dropped us off and sent us on our way. So we just walked until we found something interesting," Bruce said. Starlight nodded slightly.
"And you chose this room?" Annie asked.
"It...was the only room that had an English sign," Bruce said.
"Where's Barbara?" she asked.
"She's checking on Nightwing, Thrymos broke his arm something awful," Bruce said. Starlight shook her head. Tyrion leaned back in his chair, looking around. Paul coughed into his hand.
"Now what?" she asked.
"I guess now, we watch," Tyrion said. "I am curious how he'll do. Apparently no one has ever survived this gauntlet, most don't get past the first round."
"He's on the...sixth?" Annie asked. Bruce and Tyrion nodded. Paul cracked his knuckles. Barbara and Nightwing walked back into the room, his arm seemingly healed. Bruce turned his head.
"You okay?" Bruce asked. Dick nodded his head.
"Yeah," he said. "The doctors here are exceptional."
Him and Barbara sat down at another table in the room. The group of watchers looked out the window and watched curiously for the next battle.