Chapter 42: Public Eye

"Isn't he a king?" Harley asked, a look of discontent on her incredibly pale face," Why does he gotta be so stingy?! We literally saved his daughter and he's only giving five gold coins?! What cheapskate! I say we kidnap her and put up a ransom! Bet we'll get a lot more that way!"

"And become public enemy number one." Ivy drawled in kind, her hands knuckle deep in a bag of jerky. She did look a lot better than a few days ago, her skin looking more vibrant and healthy looking. Albert figured it was from the increased food intake. "I did tell you we should've just let her elope with that servant of hers, he was nice enough."

"It's too bad he was a spy from an enemy nation." Darnell sighed with a forlorn expression," He knew he wouldn't live long…"

The teen hadn't expected him to have such a romantic soul, but that should show him that he shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The man had been particularly involved in this most recent session. Apparently, he was a massive fan of tragic love stories.

"I still say we should get some more money from this guy!" The blonde whined," What do I need to roll to convince him to increase our reward?"

"You can always roll to persuade him." Albert said," But be warn-"

"I'm gonna do it!" She interrupted while throwing a set of dice onto the concrete floor, which clattered and spin endlessly in a very satisfying way. It's plastic surface reflecting the light from above. Just as the small, blue objects were getting ready to settle a black blur came out of nowhere and snatched them up.

A black alley cat now held the dice with large yellow eyes looking down on them with obvious glee. Her clawed paws sending them back and forth between them.

"The world has spoken.."

Ivy nodded.

"Aww!" Harley pouted at her thwarted roll," Fine. I guess five gold is enough."

"Can I look at the princess while all this going on?" Darnell asked," I want to know if I can gleam anything from her expression."

"You don't even need to roll for it." Albert said," It's plain to see that she hates all of you."

"I wanna tell that bitch to get in line!" The blonde chirped," She'll get a turn to kill us eventually!"

"You shouldn't call the princess a bitch." Ivy chided," At least not in front the king."

"She is one though!" She tried to reason," We just saved her from becoming a political prisoner and now look what happened? She's for sure going to send assassins after us! It's sooo not fai-"

Suddenly a loud ringing sound interrupted the blonde's tirade and after noticing it was his phone, he sheepishly answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Are you seeing this?"

Marceline asked, her voice serious.

"Seeing what?"

He asked, a sense of dread hammering itself into his very being.

"The news." She said shortly," Turn on the radio, it doesn't matter which station. They're all reporting on the same thing."

"Wait a moment…"

He said while twisting the radio nobs until a frantic voice became audible over the sudden silence.

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"This is Channel 3 news, coming in from Downtown Gotham!" A beautiful copper haired woman said before a singular camera man who was just as insane as she was, "I am Victoria Vale reporting in from outside the Old Gotham Theater of the Arts!"

"Behind me," The woman pointed towards the deluge of fleeing people behind her," A crowd of panicked civilians are seen fleeing in all directions from the building!"

The camera then panned over the sea of humanity that came streaming out of the large building that was colored completely by history itself. They were like a hoard of prey animals fleeing from some kind of natural disaster, some primal instinct that reared it's ugly head forward. Egging their legs to flee quicker.

Of course, there were some people who just ignored that sense of impending danger and instead charged head first into the fire. One such person was the reporter that stood resolutely before the camera, her copper locks tied up in a messy bun.

"Sir!" She quickly grabbed a nearby fleeing man," We are currently live all around Gotham! Could you please tell us what's exactly going on?"

The man in question looked as though he would've absolutely decked her but paused at the reporter's words. If he were actually attack a woman live on television….

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"HAH!" Harley guffawed loudly," I bet he wanted to hit her soooo bad!!"

"Hush." Ivy admonished the blonde," I'm trying to listen.."

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"If you knew what's going for you, you would be running too!" The rough looking man said after a moment of contemplative silence. But no matter how hard he tried to shrug off the woman's grip on his clothes, it was useless. Like a shark that smelled blood in the water, she wouldn't let go of such a juicy scoop.

"Please sir!" She shouted over the screams of panic," Gotham must know! Think of the children! You must warn them!"

The camera zoomed in closer on the man's twisting face, eyes full of reluctance and panic. Everyone knew he wanted to do nothing more than to flee along side the crowd, but if he were to do so without satisfying the world he would for sure be deemed a coward of epic proportions. Friends, family, acquaintances, enemies and potential employers would all get an up closer view of his character.

Was he the type of person to flee in the presence of danger? Would he really endanger the safety of children just to save his own hide? Those were the questions that would floating around in the head of all those who knew him.

It was a dirty move. No one blamed the other people for fleeing for their lives but just because of this sorry sap's luck, he would be condemned for doing the same. Maybe even by the same people who were fleeing to safety behind him.

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"I've never liked her." Darnell commented, a sour look crossing his face," She's always been extremely manipulative. Leaves a real bad taste in my mouth."

"It works.." Harley shrugged, her attention completely consumed," And that's all that matters to people.."

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"Fine."

The man spat after a few moment of tense silence, where he looked like he was weighing the pros and cons of giving the snake she wants. But ultimately came to the decision not turn himself in a social pariah.

"Can we get your name?"

Vicki Vale asked sweetly, that charming smile of triumph causing the area to seemingly glow around her. Despite that, the man did not look pleased in the least.

"No." He denied," And I would appreciate it if you didn't publicized my name, in fact, blur my face too."

"Your preferences are noted," She nodded easily," First the most urgent question everyone at home wants to know, what happened?"

The man rubbed a hand over his face in obvious stress, eyes slightly wild as he relived memories.

"I-I" The man stuttered slightly," I don't really know. One moment everything was fine and then suddenly, some guy in a bat costume landed on a random guy-"

"Wait!" Vicki interrupted the man," Did you just say...bat costume?"

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"Uh-oh…"

The blonde whistled. She had changed her sitting position to lying on her taunt stomach, boots swinging back and for the as they all listened in on the chaos. Despite her apparent levity, Albert got the feeling she wasn't as relaxed as she liked to portray.

Whatever happened today, it would change Gotham forever.

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"Yeah!" He nodded and reemphasized," A bat costume! I'm serious! But anyway, he was just wailing on this guy for now apparent reason! We were shocked at first but then when we tried to stop him from killing the guy…"

"What happened?"

The copper haired reporter asked, her stance leaning forward as to literally catch the words that would cause this story to go from citywide to worldwide.

"The guy…" The man struggled for a moment," His fist went right through him! Like elbow deep!"

"That's awful!"

She exaggeratedly gasped in horror, her hands going up to her mouth in turn.

"It was…" He shivered," But that wasn't the worse part. Instead of the...normal bits you expected from such an injury...there was nothing. No blood. Bone or anything. It was some kind of..dirt? Sand? I don't know."

"Dirt? Sand? What do you mean?!"

"I don't know!" He roared in frustration," I just don't know! It was like the guy put his hand in a sandbox or something! Clothes and all! That's when a majority of everyone began to run! And then the man turned into a monster! A full blown monster! Growing like five extra feet and loosing his shape entirely! He didn't look human in the slightest anymore!"

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"Clayface…"

Both Harley and Ivy said unison with somber expressions. Basil Karlo or Clayface, the famous actor turned super villain after a freak accident caused him to literally become clay. Granting him the incredibly ability to shape-shift into anything he could ever want. People, armor, weapons. He was also considered to be one of the stronger member of the Rogue Gallery with this level of versatility alone.

The police hadn't officially released the list of escapees but if bother Clayface and Riddler were on that list…

'Then who else is running around the city?' He couldn't help but send a side-eyed look in the blonde's direction,' The Joker?'

Just the idea of that possibility sent a shiver down his spine, if the Clown Prince of Crime actually escaped…

'It'll be war.'

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"C-could you reiterate that?" Vicki asked," I don't think we caught that. The man turned into….a monster?"

"YES!" The man threw his hands up in exasperation," We all saw him do so! It was like a pile of sand or dirt with teeth and eyes! It probably said something but I got the hell out of there before anything could ha-"

He was interrupted by a loud, teeth peeling noise that caused everyone to freeze in unison. The camera caught the exact moment the side of the historical building so full of promise and memories, exploded out with a pile of debris and dust entering the street. They could all see a large shadow slowly rise through the cloud, pitch white eyes glaring down at them all.

If there was mayhem before, then this was complete and utter chaos. People scrambled in every direction imaginable. Their screams coalescing into a symphony of panic. The crowd turned into a mob of survivors itching for any inch of safety they could snatch away from their neighbors. Violence broke out as they shoved and ran for their lives. Nothing mattered anymore. Civility? Morality? Friendships? Familial bonds?

None of that could protect anyone in that moment. Bodies were trampled indiscriminately, cries of pain filled the air. The camera swayed slightly as the man charged forward and knocked the cameraman to the side, uncaring of the damage or danger he put them in. A grunt could heard before the view was set back up.

By then, the debris cloud was long gone and in it's place an abomination stood. It towered over them like a god among mere mortals. It's body seem to be in constant flow, moving bits of debris being ground down and only further adding to it's mass. The man was wrong in some ways, from this far away, the blob of material did a slight humanoid silhouette but only barely. Two arms, a torso and a head that seemed much too small for such a large body.

But as the creature roared out into the smog filled sky above, any evidence of that 'thing' being remotely human vanished like a pile of dust in a strong breeze. The surface roiled for but a moment before the horror began in full. Faces, human faces faded in out of relativity. Rising and falling. Twisting and turning. Some crying out in silent terror and other laughing maniacally. Those empty sockets one and all stared up at the sky as though they cursing the gods themselves for their cruel fate. Gnashing teeth and seething hate, soon overtook their expressions as the sky remain indifferent to their plight.

"Oh my God…"

The reporter seemed shaken up by the sight of the display, her once lightly tanned skin now took on a more sickly pallor. Her eyes wide open in abject terror as she looked up at the monster that graced their little city. Those copper locks, now caked in dust and debris, stood wild in every direction. Her composure completely shot, frozen in place like a frog before a mighty predator. But despite her silence, the cameraman had no qualms capturing it all for the world to see.

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"Oh my god, oh my god.." Marceline's mumbled over the phone, her voice both low and slightly out of breath. Albert could hear the panic in her tone and as though he was right in front of her, see her already pale skin loose a few shades.

"I think I'm going to be sick…"

Michael's low voice could be heard over the silent line and judging from the sound of the quick foot steps that soon followed, he actually did.

"Yeah," Harley said, that Brooklyn accent coming in stronger as that happy go lucky persona slipped away as easy as water through shaky hands," Clayface will have that affect on people. Especially the first time. I'm just glad I don't have to actually see what he's doing to freak everyone out.."

He didn't say anything but silently agreed with the blonde's sentiment, having no desire to see something that freak the medium out so thoroughly. She dealt with ghosts and spirits for goodness sake! If even she was acting like this, he had no interest in actually seeing whatever the hell was going on. The sound was nearly apocalyptic all by itself.

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It took a bit, whether it was from the voices screaming in her ear piece or maybe just those reporter instincts kicking in, but eventually the copper haired woman spoke once more.

"F-for those who ca-can't see," Vicki's tone was slightly jittery and unsure as her gaze remained locked on the abomination that now claimed the city as its own," Th-there's a monster. A-a really, really, really b-big one. Easily s-standing over what re-remains of the Old Gotham Theater of the Arts….and i-it's growing. I don't k-know when it'll s-stop…"

She suddenly paused, eyes alighting with new found as the sound of something heavy rolled itself down the street. Turning, the camera locked onto the embodiment of hope for most people in that moment. A large, metal behemoth. Engineered and designed for destruction and absolute defense. It's long muzzle pointing up at the creature with a sense of cold indifference, treads locking place with an audible click. An absolute army of heavily geared police officers could seen standing side by side with the metal beast, acting like some of cruel honor guard for their god of steel and brimstone.

Their shining helmets that reflected the noon sunlight, alighting their black armor like a battalion of grim reapers. Each of them carried a weapon that had caused more bloodshed, death and despair than any knife or blade. A monster that could spit out hundreds of bullets in less than a minute, turning anything that survived the salvo into nothing more than a pile of eviscerated flesh.

It could said that normally, police normally received the collective scorn and fear of the citizens of Gotham. Everyone knew they were dirty to the bone, no better than thugs in their own words. They received multiple kickbacks and benefits for just looking the other way. For mysteriously 'losing' keys, evidence 'disappearing' from within their place of power or just witnesses winding up dead while under their 'protection'. And with this corruption going on for decades, it wasn't hard to see that there was no love lost between citizens and police officer.

But in that moment, those corrupt and dirty cops looked somewhat heroic. Like a group of avenging angels coming down to slay the abomination under a series of iron slugs. The cameraman caught all of this, sending out a wave of hope through the viewers. It was like they were looking at a pillar of light, a chance for these no good legal thugs to turn a new leaf. To earn the city's trust and adoration again. To have children look up to them, to want to be them again. A hope for the city to truly come together and heal, a hope that could wipe away the cursed image that rest of the world saw them.

And then, they opened fire.

Bodies fell, blood flew, cries exploded out under the rain of bullets that shot through the air aiming for the large imposing target but even, some people were caught up in the makeshift stream. The camera fell as the cries of pain, fear and roars filled the road. A pool of blood slowly inching it's way to the forefront of the camera's view.

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"..."

Silence filled both room connected despite there being miles of difference between the two. As the sound of cries and bullets became the only thing that they could hear. His heart slowed dramatically as the knowledge of what exactly was going on hammered itself into his consciousness.

The image he got wasn't complete but from what could be heard, the young PI knew it wasn't good. Especially since even he could hear that tank rolling forward just before everything went to shit. And from how fast those bullets were firing, there were only a few forces that would be so bold. Even the city's crime bosses and gangsters knew better, especially on LIVE television. Where the entire world could see such a thing.

"Why aren't they cutting it off?" Angeline asked quietly," I thought there were regulations in place to cut the station when things get...too much."

"I'm sure they would love to," Her mother replied, that familiar voice sounding oh so tired in that moment," It's most likely someone higher up keeping the feed going...for whatever reason, I have no idea. This is a total disaster.."

"I would say I feel bad for the pigs in the next coming months…" Harley said, a large sneer covering her pale face," But that would be a lie."

"They would've been facing a firing squad for that…" Darnell grit his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead as his fists turned nearly white under the strain," Those no good…"

But Albert was at a lost for words then. He didn't feel shocked, horrified or even angry. He just felt...numb? A lack of emotions ran through his body. It was like his entire being was submerged under a pool of lukewarm water. Sensation slowly leaving him as the crux of the issue made itself apparent.

He knew there was ALOT of casualties in this comic book world, everyone back home knew. But authors just had a way to sweep it all under the rug and keep their attention solely on the hero saving the day. Even in movies, the amount of lives that are lost due to super-humans fighting is simply astounding. He could ignore that fact before because at the time, all that was just make belief. Mere fantasy. But now? With everything going on? These were real people. Real victims that had been caught in the crossfire between a monster and an entire organization of beasts.

Just as his mind was beginning to fray at the edges, those tendrils of madness inching their incessant suctions cups closer to his psyche, a weight landed in his lap. Looking down, he locked gazes with bright, slitted eyes that stared with an emotion or thought he couldn't truly comprehend. Paws batting lightly at his hand, head rubbing itself into his stomach. Cautiously, he gently rubbed at her ears and when he didn't receive a series of scratches across his arms, continued.

His palms gliding down smooth fur with desperate need as his body threatened to curl in on itself like a shrimp. The small ball of warmth, added a band-aid, a stopper on that little hole that threatened to leak out his own grasp on reality.

(A/N: I'll have to admit, this chapter is definitely up there with the darkest scenes I've written so far. The bank robbery was bad. While Marian's case was just sad, but this was just brutal to be honest. I wanted to truly portray how awful it is to live in a comic book world. There are a lot of casualties involved even with just low level threats. There's a DC movie that showed exactly how dark this world could get, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, and that has ALOT of heroes dying on screen. I hope this chapter didn't bring anyone's mood down. If it did, I apologize. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I'll hope to see you all next week!)