[hider= I Am Not Him] [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/379725966844493824/925914326320152586/text-1640825563236.png[/img][/center] [color=1a7b30][h1][center]Nathan Quinn[/center][/h1][/color] [center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEtm5cAJK0g&ab_channel=DannyBlu-Topic[/youtube][/center] [hr] [hr] [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/925915370760572978/Nathaniel.jpg[/img][/center] [color=39b54a][b]Age:[/b] 20[/color] [hr] [hr] [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/926165803647254528/text-1640824818813.png[/img][/center] [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/926567692624871475/Nathan2.jpg[/img][/center] [color=00a651][b]Hero Name:[/b] NA - "I am not that kind of hero. I don't wear lavish suits, parading around in a mask, the truth is that I recognize I am probably incredibly plain to people. Incredibly so." [b]Known Aliases:[/b] Joker's Son, Niel, Ace of Knaves [Thought it was funny at the time], Joker Junior [call me that to my face and I will stab you in the eye no questions asked], Doppelganger [/color] [b][color=00a651]Powers:[/color] [/b] [color=00a651][u]Poison Immunity -[/u] No man could literally fall into a vat of chemicals and live. Any ordinary human would have instantaneously died. It's questionable how the Joker came to be, questionable how he even survived a vat of chemicals. The only logical conclusion would be some sort of immunity to the poisons that altered the man sometime ago. This poison immunity was then inherited to Nathan. Who has immunity at best for most known poisons, and at least mild resistance to more lethal strains of unknown toxins that his body adapts to. *Notes: How this work is that Nathan is immune to all known poisons, cyanide, arsenic, chloroform, even his own Father's poisonous gases, etc. However, Nathan is not immune to unknown poisons from alien planets. He is resistant to these poisons they may affect him, but his body learns to break them down like a virus and provides its own anti-venom to the solution. Over time, and with a ton of exposure Nathan will become immune to that toxin. [u]Enhanced Physicality -[/u] Sure he isn't invulnerable like some folks are, but Nathan can take or give a big beating before ever succumbing to physical exertion, or even succumbing to his physical wounds. For all intense and purposes Nathan is beyond peak human physical fitness, he sits at the teetering edge of being as freakish as a Meta Human, but at the lower tier. This means he's more agile than others, combine this with his uncanny predictions and Nathan can react far more quickly to a situation than others can. It means he has more stamina than the average human, even the average human with peak physical human attributes. Nathan has always proven with his freakish unnaturalness that he may not be simple an average, ordinary Human. [u]"Machine" Mind -[/u] Both parents displayed genius level of intellect, Joker was always well known as a Super Genius Mind, while Harley's unpredictable nature probably disguised the intelligence hiding within. This level of intelligence has been inherited by Nathan, though with some caveats. While Nathan does have a genius level of intelligence, this has developed into a far more sharper capability. Nathan is able to make some extremely fast, impossible levels of predictions in given circumstances. It's what makes him so deadly at his job as an investigator, as well at hand to hand combat, where he can react to others faster than what is humanly possible. [u]Hyper-Mobile -[/u] There are just things Nathan can slip into that shouldn't be humanely possible, narrow bars, slipping into narrow crevices. He's not made out of rubber and he's not going to extend his body out like Reed Richards, he's just able to ferret his way through cracks and crevices he shouldn't be able to. We're not talking going under doors level of hyper mobile, we're just talking locked gates, narrow - narrow tunnels. And overall movement in hand to hand combat, giving him an uncanny ability to weave and dodge a lot more than a traditional human. [b]Notes: [/b] The drawback to almost of Nathan's capabilities is that he is still Human. It's uncertain if Nathan is just an extraordinary Human, or if he is a Meta Human. Nathan can still get injured, case in point his brain damage, he can still get sick from the cold and flu. He's not going to go toe to toe with the likes of someone like Superman, except with some extreme luck.[/color] [color=00a651][b]Equipment:[/b][/color] [color=00a651]Grinmaker - "Yeah. Yeah. I get it. It's why I don't say it out loud. I admit it's a crude joke." Nathan carries on him a multipurpose Knuckle Knife, he named Grinmaker. He thought it was funny at the time, though he probably realizes now why some people's eyes twitch when he calls it by name. The knife gives Nathan the flexibility of using it's blade in combat or switching up the grip and using the knuckle portion in a fight. [/color] [hider= Grinmaker][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/926570408151506997/Grinmaker.jpg[/img][/center][/hider] [color=00a651]Knee Slapper - "Okay. I get it. I have problems. I am not even going to defend myself this time." A crowbar. An axe. It's the knee slapper, a multipurpose, crudely made, slapped together axe crowbar combination. That Nathan utilizes in multiple ways, using the crowbar portion to trip others and sweep them onto the floor. Or to deflect incoming attacks from longer range weaponry. The axe portion can be used to break locks, door handles...break knees.[/color] [hider= Knee Slapper][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/926571331305209856/Kneeslapper.jpg[/img][/center][/hider] [color=00a651]Chemical Grenades - "No fancy names. Okay I lied." Nathan carries on him chemical grenades, he's engineered himself, considering his Mother's connection with Poison Ivy, who his Father is. Nathan with some help has been able to design a few small, but capable chemical grenades; Sleepy - A grenade that once the pin is pulled releases a sleeping toxin into the room, which Nathan is immune to all of his chemical grenades, putting those who breathe it in to sleep. Those who are resistant to his sleep bomb, may feel just slightly drowsy. The duration of this sleep affect is based on a person's own immune system. If you have no resistances or immunity, you'll probably be out for a few hours, if you have some resistances you'll likely be out for at least half n hour to an hour, and those resistance to it might shake off the sleepiness within fifteen minutes. Grumpy - Releases a toxin of poisonous gas that causes mild parallelization for a duration of time. See above. All grenades are based on how the victim of the chemical gases react on a biological standpoint. Wheezy - Strong coughing poison, that makes a person's throat feel like it is on fire, starting a coughing attack they cannot control. A much milder mustard gas that simply makes someone throat burn, starts a coughing fit, and gives them teary eyes. As noted above all grenades are based on how an individual is immune or resistant to a chemical. *Note: The drawback of Nathan's grenades being based on someone's biology is a drawback built from Nathan's own will to not outright create grenades that could kill a person. It's with great resistance of his own mental state to create irritating grenades that require at worst medical treatment for the average person, and a bit of time to shake off from a metahuman versus outright being lethal. [/color] [color=00a651]Tablet - "How else am I supposed to gather notes? I am super intelligent, I don't have super memory." Nathan carries on him a tablet, in which he records information about a place or keeps his notes on people. It's the tool he uses the most during investigations. [/color] [color=00a651][b]Skill:[/b] Cold Reading - With Nathan's extraordinary intelligence and prediction skills, Nathan is exceptional at analyzing a situation and his environment. Within moments of entering a place of building or speaking with a person, Nathan is making a mental list of the things he needs to consider and take note of. Potential escape routes, potential dangers. A person's ticks, nervous habits, even potentially getting an instinctual feeling whether or not someone is being genuine with him or not. Escapologist - Considering who Harley is and who the Joker is, Nathan has been taught on how to escape a number of restraints, traps, and other methods of containment. Nathan can break out of handcuffs, straight jackets, even cages. Mixed Hand to Hand to Combat - Though not trained in one specialization or another, Nathan was taught by Harley, and even at some point in the Teen Titans with hand to hand combat. A consistent rivalry with Robin a.k.a Damien Wayne, meant that Nathan used his intelligence and prediction abilities, learned Damien's combat skills, in order to otherwise best him. Nathan's skill of hand to hand combat, compiles a cocktail of skills and techniques from all over, his mother's acrobatic gymnast approach to hand to hand combat, his Father's knife fighting techniques, Damien Waynes street-boxing style, even some of Batman's assassination martial arts style. As well as Nathan's own knowledge using his predictions, hyper mobility, and slippery movements he is mixed with Russian Knife combat, Sambo martial arts without weapons, and other influences. Master of Disguise - With the combination of his intelligence, cold reading, and prediction capabilities. Nathan uses these skills in order to dawn different disguises. He's no shape shifting freak who can change his appearance at will, instead he has had to learn different techniques in order to disguise himself as whomever and anyone; Sewing, Nathan makes his own costumes, and sews his own clothing together in order to dawn his disguises. He usually stakeouts a place and/or persons in an environment to make this convincing. Acting, using his cold reading and intelligence Nathan learns the habits of others in order to perfectly mimic the way they walk, talk, and act. He goes above and beyond this, however, by learn to imitate their quirks and odd habits that other who know them best would know. Makeup, sometimes in order to convince others that he is someone else or this is somewhere he belongs he uses makeup in order to achieve this. The number of times he had watched his Mom dawn makeup on, he learned mostly from her. Voice Impressions, sometimes to better be a person you have to learn how they speak. How they use language, what words they choose, and their accents. Drawing and Painting - Due to Nathan's err - moody and unpredictable mental health, it was suggested to him that he should gather a hobby that might help him de-stress and relax his mind a bit more. Nathan has always been interested in drawing and painting even when he was a child, and so it was easy for him to reconnect with that artistic and creative side of himself. In his spare time Nathan prefers to be on his own, painting or drawing in peace and silence. [/color] [hr] [hr] [center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/926589626334978068/Nathan.png[/img][/center] [color=00a651][b]Appearance:[/b] Harley? No. At first glance from a distance you can see the resemblance, but getting closer you recognize that "she" is a he. Tall and lanky, there is something foreboding about his presence - in fact there is something familiar in everything about his appearance. While, tall, and skinny, it is clear in the lean muscle in his arms, and his upper torso that he has a lot of upper body strength. Long and skinny legs, you realize when he smiles at just the right time - Joker? Blonde hair, cut in a bob with bangs that sweep across his eyes, Nathan's not fond of his blue eyes. In fact when you look him straight in the eye you see someone with a fractured mind, slightly unhinged and he tries to use his bangs as a way to hide this fact from others. Natural dark circles under his eyes and pale skin, his facial features are similar that of Harley Quinn, his mother. Her nose shape, her angular features. Though his build and height is similar to that of his Father standing at the midpoint of both of them at 5'9". He dresses like a typical private investigator, with a long black trench coat, and often wears monochromatic suits - mostly of black and white. A fedora shadows his eyes, once again to divert anyone's gaze on him almost. You'd almost think he was an average person, dressed in the way he is, until he opens his trench coat and you realize the amount of utility pockets hidden on the inside, carrying his weaponry, and other equipment like he's the merchant from Resident Evil.[/color] [color=00a651][b]Personality:[/b] Nathaniel is a complicated individual, probably nearly as complicated as both his parents, though his complications were likely never inherited. Instead developed over time due to who his parents are. There is a genuine struggle of identity in Nathan, on one hand he can actually be quite protective and caring of others. Making him an actual genuine hero, someone who saves others and can often times be quite selfless in this pursuit. Someone who genuinely cares for the well being of others, and goes out of his way to support them as best as he can. Does nothing give good advice? Maybe not always, but he tries his best to be there for those who need it. With as much trauma Nathan has, Nathan genuinely doesn't want people to go through the things he has been through or is going through. However, this sincere humanity to Nathan is often a spiraling mess while Nathan struggles with his mental health the brain damage that makes it harder for Nathan to control his traits of psychopathy. While there is a Nathan who is kind, protective, maybe even heroic at times, there is also a Nathan who is unhinged at times. Nathan has described it as his brain glitch. In the past, he may have had a handle on being able to detect when he was going too far. Though these days its like a part of his brain shuts off entirely and Nathan can go from simply apprehending someone to breaking their arm because he lacks the impulse control to stop himself. Also the fact that Nathan is "well known" to be diagnosed with Bipolar Type 1 disorder. While he tries his best to manage his condition, his manic episodes are often exasperated by the damaged parts of his brain, making Nathan come off wildly unhinged at times, as he makes erratic, impulsive and sometimes even dangerous decisions. He can often times come off as reckless, dangerous, psychotic, and murderous to some. Which is Nathan's greatest fear, as he often struggles to separate himself from who his parents are and who he is. This has always lead to the fact that Nathan struggles with a lot of trauma, spurred on by his explosive relationship with others, his toxic family dynamic, and Nathan's own struggle to find atonement with his actions. He seeks redemption, as this point clinging to an ideal that he could be a hero, but that ideal is slowly slipping away as Nathan battles with his own mind. To some he might not even be seen as material to be a super hero, but a super villain and they await for the inevitable to put him down like a dog. With all that said Nathan genuinely attempts to be a good person. What keeps him from completely failing at his heroism is his sheer determination and willpower not to succumb to his conditions. Though this is also what tortures him as well.[/color] [color=00a651][b]Known Associates: [/b][/color] [color=00a651]Harley Quinn - Mother [/color] [hider= My Natey Boy is Such a Doll][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/927098476976824370/Harley2.jpg[/img][/center][/hider] [color=00a651]More infamously known as the Joker's lover, the two separated some time during Nathan's childhood. Harley in one of her rare moments of clarity knew she had to protect Nathan, not afraid of what the Joker would do to Nathan. More afraid of what the Joker would teach, she sought Batman's aid knowing that really only he could provide the safety they needed. Sometime as Nathan was growing up Harley became a member of the Justice League, fighting for the forces of good. Which likely is what inspired Nathan down the path he is currently on.[/color] [color=00a651]Joker - Father[/color] [hider= Ol' Pops is Still Around][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/927075693735583815/Joker.jpg[/img][/center][/hider] [color=00a651]8 million followers and counting; It's not known whether or not Joker has any association with Nathan besides in his early formative years. There is some hint that the Joker has been there in the background, defending Nathan from danger. There is a common misconception about the Joker only being self serving. Over the years he has been misunderstood as purely an agent of evil, but the Joker has always been someone to point the flaws in the system. He's recently turned over to social media where he has a large amount of followers, who watch his content focused solely on folks getting their just desserts. Either the people watching him are unaware of the actual violence of his content or don't care.[/color] [color=00a651]Poison Ivy[/color] [hider= I am Here If You Need It][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/927108330084773908/Ivy.jpg[/img][/center][/hider] [color=00a651]Ivy has always been there to pick up the pieces whenever Harley was struggling. She has always been a support system for Harley, especially considering her wildly toxic relationship with the Joker. When Harley split from the Joker, perhaps from some encouragement of her own fearing for Nathan's safety, they became relative close. Grew to know each other, perhaps even care for each other. Maybe at that time Harley, reeling from the lost of the Joker and seeking the guidance and care of someone in her life, they thought they loved each other. So they dated for a while. Till it became evident that for Harley it was infatuation. She had desperately relied for so long on a co-dependent relationship she was only really seeking the same things from Ivy. The two of them broke up, but Ivy never left Harley's side. They still remain close. Ivy promised Harley a long time ago to watch over Nathan. [/color] [color=00a651]*Raven[/color] [hider= Contrary to what you believe I do understand][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/927314028127215666/RavenT.jpg[/img][/center][/hider] [color=00a651]Raven's probably the only person who stood by his side, even after all the others turned on him. The truth was that the both of them had a lot of common. The both of them at the time, struggled with their identities and who their Father's were. What and how that defined them. During his time with the Titans, Raven and Nathan grew close. Close enough that the two teenagers dated very briefly. Despite their relationship not really working out, the way Raven and Damien may have worked out, they remain close friends simply due to the way they bonded. This probably continues to fuel Damien's spite against him.[/color] [color=00a651]Gotham Police - After being kicked out of the Teen Titans, Nathaniel struggled for a little while to find a drive or purpose. Especially after he was briefly thrown into Arkham Asylum. Niel has always desired to be a person of action, someone who shook the shadows people cast onto him off. Though he necessarily couldn't, he was struggling to accept the violence he can cause, and also trying to find a new purpose. He began to dive into vigilantism, but didn't really desire to be another Batman. [/color] [color=00a651][b]Known Adversaries:[/b][/color] [color=00a651]*Damien Wayne a.k.a Robin[/color] [hider= Tch It's Joker Junior][center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/310568770764537869/927316679904612372/Damien.jpg[/img][/center][/hider] [color=00a651]It's pretty clear that Damien and Niel were never going to get along. Damien believed to ideally in his Father's ideals he might as well have been an exact clone of him at the time they met. A lot of Batman's prejudice fell onto Damien. And Damien leading the Teen Titans only really saw Niel's presence as a threat to their security and safety, much like his Father. And yet, Niel and Damien's intelligence clashed, both intelligent and bright boys. Niel was constantly changing the plan on him, had no respect for authority, and he was a risk to himself and others. It definitely infuriated him that Raven and Nathan dated briefly for awhile. Before Niel's big violent breakdown. Which Damien promptly handled - with his Father's intervention. In his eyes Niel should be securely watched, he is no hero. He's going to become a villain some day and he's watching.[/color] [color=00a651][b]My Sparkle a.k.a. Biography:[/b][/color] [hider= 0-7] [color=00a651]December 9th; Nathaniel came to the world on a frosty, snowy Gotham day. Whether or not the Joker realized that Harley had slipped or even for the fact that she was pregnant, she returned maybe reluctantly or hesitantly afraid of the reaction to Nathan’s birth. To her perhaps her confusion or maybe her delight, Joker seemed to accept the newborn with relative warmth. While her relationship with the Joker had always been relatively icy, and oftentimes she felt the relationship like a noose around her neck - the Joker was surprisingly tender with the young Nathan. It frightened her. It frightened her to think the Joker would even accept him. Something had changed in the Joker or maybe she had just discovered all the things she originally had fallen for in him. His surprising tenderness, his surprising honesty. Who was this man who saw Nathan and there was a genuine smile on his face? Not the one he put on like a mask. Deep down inside of the Joker there was a Human. A man behind the Monster and that was the Man Harley had always attempted to pull out of Joker. And for a while there it seemed she had. The Joker suddenly changed, perhaps softened up a bit, he made promises to her to take care of them both. And he did. And that weighed on her constantly. When was he going to change? When was he going to become the Monster again? That is the environment Nathan lived in for the seven years he was growing up. The Joker an actual significant amount of his formative years. While the Joker showed none of his violent tendencies at home, he was often left in the care of Ivy when Mom and Dad had “to take care” of something. Ivy was a strangely tender babysitter, who tended to “spoil” Nathan whenever he did arrive with whatever he liked, coloring books, toys, and even treats he asked for. She taught him about her job as botanists. Nathan being very bright was a very quick learner and took to skills relatively easy. Truth is maybe Nathan could have grown up entirely like this. With his parents' occupation hidden from him. The issue is that fact couldn’t escape past Nathaniel even if they wanted it to. There were whispers, things Harley nor the Joker could keep from him. About his parents' criminal activity. It eventually would catch up to them anyway. This “happiness” they had experienced for seven years was quickly going to fade. Perhaps this was recognized when Joker was teaching Nathan about chemical compounds. Or Nathan being a curious, and intelligent child discovered his Mom’s weapons hidden in her room. What worried her was that he, the Joker, had no fear of Nathan discovering these things. He always knew it was inevitable that he would end up discovering it. That fact made Him ecstatic. That fact made Her nervous. Who was Nate going to become growing up? Would he never have the opportunities to choose those things for himself? The “happiness” or perhaps maybe the delusion of them being one big happy family shattered, and all of those mirrors casting the illusion shattered, it was clear from the beginning that none of the family members were walking on eggshells, but shards of glass. She was afraid he saw a legacy. Joker actually worried about losing them both. Even if it weren’t clear to her or others. The Joker had always a complex set of morals and codes that no one really understood, not even Harley. One night, convinced by Ivy who had always listened to her, had always supported her, she knew she had to take Nathaniel somewhere safer. A better environment, but knew she couldn’t abandon him. It wasn’t right, he had known her for seven years of his life. It would be cruel to leave him at an orphanage or have him adopted by some other family. She had to raise him on her own, away from Him. In hopes to give Nathan more choices, more opportunity than just to turn out like the both of them. It was a rare moment of clarity from her. Though maybe that moment of clarity from her came too late. While she was getting advice from Ivy, Nathaniel was alone with his Father. Ultimately the Joker knew he was going to lose Harley and Nathan. Harley never fully trusted him and he couldn’t ever fully trust himself. So, he sat down with Nathaniel one final time. Knowing he’d likely not see him after tonight, it was a gut feeling, an instinctual one. [/color] [hider= All Men's Minds Wither] [color=00a651]Nathaniel [/color] [color=a187be]Joker[/color] [color=a187be]“Say, Nate, let’s have some fun together,”[/color] [color=00a651]His Father had always been supportive up to now. You could almost call him a loving and devoted Dad at the time. Nathan, unlike Harley, didn’t have the same distrust that either the Joker or Harley had about his Pops. [/color] [color=00a651]“What are we playing today?”[/color] [color=00a651]His Pops playfully rubs Nathan’s hair, and calmly, gingerly pats the floor to sit beside him.[/color] [color=a187be]“How about we play superheroes?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Okay,” Nathan gets up to find his action figures. His Pops was weird, he had to admit, but he hadn’t ever done anything bad. Despite what the TV says about him. Should he trust him? Mom doesn’t seem to think so, but Pops hasn’t done anything to harm him. Yes, he’s kind of weird. Yes, there seems to be something beneath the surface.[/color] [color=00a651]“Here,” he hands the shoebox of figurines to Pops.[/color] [color=a187be]“See, such a good boy,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Ivy taught me to clean after myself or else a carnivorous plant was going to eat me,”[/color] [color=a187be]His Pops is rifling through the shoebox, taking out a generic looking male doll. He searches around for a pen, and grabs it. Drawing on the face of the figurine, till he is wearing a black mask, “This is Batman.”[/color] [color=00a651]Nathan watches with curiosity. He’s being handed “Batman”. His Pops rifles through the shoebox, and grabs one of his generic action figures. None of his toys ever match. [/color] “[color=a187be]This is a bad guy,” [/color] [color=00a651]“Is Batman going to stop him?”[/color] [color=a187be]“Oh I am afraid so,” [/color] [color=00a651]Pops dumps the rest of the toys on the floor,[/color] [color=a187be]“And this is Gotham.” He has the shoebox stand upright. Nathan nods.[/color] [color=00a651]“Who’s playing Batman?”[/color] [color=a187be]“I’ll do the honors,”[/color] [color=00a651]“So, I am the badguy?”[/color] [color=a187be]“Now let’s set the stage,”[/color] [color=00a651]Nathan watches intentionally.[/color] [color=a187be]“Another night in Gotham city, it is relatively calm, when what’s this, the bat signal,” Pops uses a flashlight, “High in the sky. Batman perched up on top of a skyscraper. He alone is the stoic hero to protect Gotham alone stares at the bat signal. He breathes in and puts on a brave face. It’s time for him to go to work.”[/color] [color=00a651]“That’s where I come in?”[/color] [color=a187be]“That’s where you come in,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Um, the bad guy, in question is um holding a bank up,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Are there any hostages?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Yes, I think so,”[/color] [color=a187be]“How many? And who is working for him?”[/color] [color=00a651]Nathan rifles through the pile of toys scattered on the ground, grabbing some similar looking soldiers, “4, and.” he grabs a few of the last of the dolls, “5 hostages.”[/color] [color=a187be]“Are they tied up?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Yes,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Continue,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Four armed robbers are holding up a bank, with 5 hostages,”[/color] [color=a187be]“What are they attempting at the bank?”[/color] [color=00a651]He watches his Pops. Not money. It’s generic.[/color] [color=00a651]“To get his girlfriend back, she works at the bank, and he’s willing to hold people hostage to earn her heart back,” [/color] [color=a187be]Pops laughs, “What a clever setup.”[/color] [color=00a651]“Do I continue?”[/color] [color=a187be]“Play it out,”[/color] [color=00a651]Taking one of the generic female dolls in a pink dress, with black hair, “Get out of here. I don’t want you around.” “Take me back,” “Leave me alone,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Don’t make me hurt anyone,” “Then she spits in his direction, I think,”[/color] [color=a187be]Pops is watching him, “Does he act violently after that?”[/color] [color=00a651]Nathan mulls it over, “I think so.”[/color] [color=a187be]“Then, what does he do?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Walks over to a hostage I think,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Then, what?”[/color] [color=00a651]“I don’t want him to shoot him, because if he shoots the hostage, then it wouldn’t get the point across, so he has to hurt the hostage-[/color] [color=a187be]-break his arm,” Pops suggests.[/color] [color=00a651]“Yes,” he nods.[/color] [color=a187be]Pops leans over, “Narrate.”[/color] [color=00a651]“The Badguy, er - Victor walks over to a hostage, a man tied up currently, he unravels his binding- [/color] [color=a187be]-does he try to run-[/color] [color=00a651]-yes-[/color] [color=a187be]-then what happens-[/color] [color=00a651]-one of Victor’s allies shoots him-[/color] [color=a187be]-where?”[/color] [color=00a651]“In the head?”[/color] [color=00a651]He watches as his Pops tears the head off the action figure. It gives a notable pop before completely dislodging off the neck of the action figure, “Hostage 1 is dead. His blood pools out onto the floor from his forehead.” His Pops searches around the coffee table and grabs a ketchup packet. Squeezing it onto the floor. “When does Batman come in?” he asks him. [/color] [color=a187be]“When everything seems dire and all is lost,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Cynthia is the bank teller, she screams,” Nathan continues.[/color] [color=00a651]“All I ever did was love you Cynthia,” Nathan speaks for Victor the action figure.[/color] [color=00a651]“I never loved you, you’re a Monster,”[/color] [color=00a651]He looks up to see if his Pops approves of the current storyline. He’s known to correct him when the storyline isn’t to his liking. So far his Pops is simply watching. [/color] [color=00a651]“You used to appreciate these things about me,” Victor continues. Nathaniel looks over to the flashlight, “Victor. The bat signal.”[/color] [color=00a651]“Victor panics,”[/color] [color=a187be]“And Victor’s men?”[/color] [color=00a651]“They would, flee,”[/color] [color=a187be]“All of them,”[/color] [color=00a651]“One of them goes for the door,”[/color] [color=a187be]“And then what?”[/color] [color=00a651]“A shot rings out,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Who shot him?”[/color] [color=00a651]“They don’t know,”[/color] [color=a187be]“What then?”[/color] [color=00a651]“They point guns at each other,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Where was the man shot?”[/color] [color=00a651]“I think the shoulder,”[/color] [color=a187be]“So he’s bleeding out,”[/color] [color=00a651]Pops spreads some more ketchup onto the floor. Though Nathan is starting to really see it. A bank in Gotham, the real nice one with the pretty shiny, polished floor. It’s the one with the gold tiles, and the black circle in the center. Hostage 1’s blood is pooling out onto the black tile, Bad Guy 2 has been shot in the shoulder, he crumples to the floor, bleeding out. Now Victor and the group of men edgy, panicked, fearing Batman’s arrival are pointing guns at each other. Cynthia tries to duck behind the counter, perhaps to run into the back room, [/color] [color=00a651]“Cynthia tries to flee,” “Someone shoots her,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Who?”[/color] [color=00a651]“I think Victor,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Why?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Because he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and they are all on edge and nervous,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Where is she shot?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Across the neck, it’s not a clean shot,”[/color] [color=a187be]“So Cynthia is still in the picture,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Yes,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Go on,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Bad Guy number 3 says they have to go,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Viktor is distracted, he cannot believe he shot Cynthia,”[/color] [color=a187be]“What next?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Bad Guy Number 4, probably turns his gun towards the hostages, the only way they can escape is if there are no witnesses, so he shoots Hostage 2 in the back of the head,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Hostage 2 is dead,”[/color] [color=00a651]Hostage 2 slumps onto the tile, a bullet wound through their head.[/color] [color=a187be]“Then, what?”[/color] [color=00a651]“He turns the gun to Hostage 3,”[/color] [color=a187be]“This is where Batman comes in,” Pops states, he has Batman descend down from the sky onto the floor, “It’s dark. Dramatic. Glass rains down onto the tile floor for what feels like the hundredth time this bank has seen it. And Batman stands impressively in the center.”[/color] [color=00a651]“This is where, Badguy 3 shoots at Batman,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Yes, go on,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Badguy 4 tries to shoot another hostage,”[/color] [color=00a651]“And Victor attempts to run, towards the counter I think where Cynthia is,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Batman swiftly swooshes in and takes out Badguy 4, and deflects the bullet of Badguy 3,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Does Victor make it over the counter?” Nathan ask. [/color] [color=a187be]“Does Victor?” Pops ask.[/color] [color=00a651]“I think so,”[/color] [color=00a651]He sees it. Batman bust through the window. Glass raining down. The gun rings out, as Batman swoops in and uses his cape to deflect a bullet. While he punches Badguy 4 in his face. While Victor slithers over the counter, “Cynthia screams,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Batman notices and swings one of his batarangs at Victor,”[/color] [color=00a651]“It misses?”[/color] [color=a187be]“It’s a near miss, sticking into the wall, in front of Victor,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Victor grabs Cynthia who tries to run, and holds a gun to her head,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Is that all he does?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Batman’s not supposed to save the day in this scenario, is he?”[/color] [color=a187be]“No, do you know why?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Why?”[/color] [color=a187be]“Let’s take this back to the top, shall we?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Okay,”[/color] [color=a187be]“We will start here, Badguy 4 gun pointed at a hostage, Batman dropping in,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Okay,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Batman descends down from the window, very moody, very dramatic, it’s quite the scene, as the room grows quiet as the dark, tall stoic figure lands. Badguy 4’s finger is already on the trigger squeezing tightly, Batman notices and dives in to save the day, when Badguy 3 shoots out in a panic at Batman, Batman uses his cape to deflect the bullet, and subdues Badguy 4, but not before Hostage 3 crumbles to the floor, blood pooling out of a wound,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Batman was too late,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Precisely,”[/color] [color=00a651]“This has happened before?” Niel looks up at his Father, “Hasn’t it?”[/color] [color=a187be]“Let me tell you something about Mortal men, they are fragile, their bones break,, and their minds wither. You can break as many bones as you like,” his Father grabs an action figure ripping an arm off, “They can and they will break over and over again. And they will heal, maybe not as complete as they were. But the one thing that doesn’t heal is the mind, Nate.”[/color] [color=00a651]“What are you saying?”[/color] [color=a187be]“That night the one they don’t tell you about, the one where Batman saves the day, posing gallantly and dramatically on the news. Is also the same man as Me, he simply denies it. Every time he loses control, every time, he loses that control, he denies it. That night, Batman, failed, he failed to save one person, and he took it out on the one remaining person,”[/color] [color=00a651]“Victor,”[/color] [color=a187be]“Victor, Victor behind the counter grabs Cynthia after his batarang misses, he’s shaking and sweaty after a hostage was killed and he was too late to save them. Potentially feeling his age, but relentless and never willing to give up. He leaps over the counter, and Victor stabs Cynthia in the back. Batman saw for a brief moment that night the thing that haunts him. He grabs Victor, after Cynthia slumps to the floor. And throws him to the ground, slamming his face into the tile, it’s visceral, there is blood everywhere, and it is the first time that Batman had to recognize, that his mind is withered,”[/color] [color=00a651]He’s saying this by demonstrating tearing the toys apart. All of this is narrated, while his Father is ripping toys limbs off. But in Nathan’s mind, they are bones, because that is how Father has presented. He can see it, the bank, the dark bank with the polished golden tile. Stained in blood. Hearing Batman pounding Victor’s face in the tile. A primal look on his face. “Who is the hero then?” Niel asks his Father.[/color] [color=a187be]“No one, everyone who believes they are heroes will eventually succumb to their mind, they will all eventually wither. The difference between I and them is that I recognize that my mind has withered and I accept that side of me. Heroes, true heroes, will never realize that their mind has withered, they will never recognize the scars, in their mind. All heroes fall, never try to be the hero, simply be the person who takes actions,”[/color][/hider][/hider] [hider= 7-15 - Under Surveillance] [color=00a651]There was one person Harley knew who may provide her and Nathan protection after fleeing the Joker. The one man who the Joker wouldn’t provoke intentionally that is. Batman. She fled with a seven year old Nathan that night after Ivy’s convincing, in a rare moment of clarity from Harley - she took a sleeping Nathan with her to contact Batman. She assumed Nathan would be asleep during the time, and she manipulated the bat signal, and waited for Him to show up.[/color] [Hider= Harley's Asks for a Favor] [color=f49ac2]Harley[/color] [color=7ea7d8]Batman[/color] [color=f49ac2]He arrived as he normally did, from the shadows. Quiet despite being an impressively large man, Harley had been sitting at the edge of the signal, waiting. She hid Nathan behind the watertower in hopes Batman wouldn’t notice till she mentioned something.[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“You’re not Gordon,” Batman tells her in his usual stoic way.[/color] [color=f49ac2]“No, I ain’t no old timey detective with whiskers on his face,” Harley responds.[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“I assume you have a reason to be using the signal then,” Bats is clearly not amused by her presence.[/color] [color=f49ac2]“I actually do,” Harley tells him standing up, “See I need your help Bats.”[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“My help? I thought you rejected that a long time ago, Harlene,”[/color] [color=f49ac2]“Oh you don’t have to big ol’ grumps about it, I get it, but this is important,”[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“It better be for your sake Harlene, you’re using the signal in a way it wasn’t intended for,”[/color] [color=f49ac2]“It’s a way to contact you, ain’t it, or you just mad I ain’t your boyfriend waiting for you. It’s Harley, Bats, not Harlene. She’s dead,”[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“I am listening,”[/color] [color=f49ac2]“I need one of your favors. One of your Bat favors. I’ll promise anything, as long as you help,”[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“Depends on what that is,” he’s growing impatient.[/color] [color=f49ac2]Truth is this was a lot easier to rehearse, than it is to say. She had been rehearsing what she was going to say since she got here. Now staring at the man in front of her, her eyes darting back to the water tower, oh she hoped he’d stay sleeping. Because Bats is going to be mad with her. She didn’t regret having her Natey. No she wouldn’t ever regret him coming from her. The issue was people like Bats were going to unfairly judge him before he even had the chance to grow up. They take one look at Jokes and one look at her and think that’s who Natey is going to be. She wanted him to have a choice. The ability to choose who he wanted to be. “Look I need you to promise not to get mad,” Harley begins.[/color] [color=f49ac2]Bats says nothing. “Cause what I am gonna say is gonna make you upset,” He continues to stare her down.[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“Go on,” he finally declares firmly.[/color] [color=f49ac2]“See, there’s somethin’ you don’t know,” this was a lot harder than the Bats in her head, “But I had a kid.” [/color] [color=f49ac2]She can almost see the immediate scowl on his face despite it being covered in the cowl.[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“With who?” he asks so firmly it sounds like a Father. [/color] [color=f49ac2]“You can’t get upset,”[/color] [color=f49ac2]He says nothing. “You have to promise,”[/color] [color=f49ac2]He says nothing.[/color] [color=f49ac2]“I guess you can guess who it is,”[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“Are you sure,”[/color] [color=f49ac2]“Well he’s the only man I know whose got one of his wands to do that sort of thing, unless Ivy got one of those I don’t know about,”[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“The Joker is the father!” [/color] [color=f49ac2]He’s mad. Real mad. “Pretty sure,” [/color] [color=7ea7d8]“How could you!?”[/color] [color=f49ac2]“It ain’t like I said oh yeah having a baby with the Jokes is off the table. It happened. Things like that happen no matter how careful you are-[/color] [color=7ea7d8]-The Joker isn’t someone who-[/color] [color=f49ac2]-Bats it’s done and over it ain’t like I can pop him back in there, he’s seven, no way of forcing his head all the way back up. How would I even-[/color] [color=7ea7d8]-There were options-[/color] [color=f49ac2]-I decided those options weren’t for me, you don’t tell me what to do with my body, already had another man do that for me-[/color] [color=7ea7d8]-This is serious- [/color] [color=f49ac2]-He’s already born, and is this really the first impression you wanna have with him, the big timey supah old Hero tellin’ me that I should have aborted him, or that I should find a time machine - cause there are plenty of those out there in this damnable universe- to abort him,”[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“He’s here?”[/color] [color=f49ac2]Oh Natey. You were supposed to stay asleep. Nathaniel has been watching at the edge of the doorway behind the watertower. She noticed when the Bats started yelling. Immediately the Bats turns around, facing Nathaniel.[/color] [color=00a651]That was the first time Nathaniel had seen Him. The Batman. The one who was often talked about on the news. He’s taller in person, a living statue of a man. And Nathaniel can only think to himself, how is this the man known for his stealth? He’s so brawny, so muscular.[/color][/hider] [hider=A Deal Struck for a Favor][color=f49ac2]Harley[/color] [color=7ea7d8]Batman [/color] [color=00a651]Nathaniel[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“If you’re old enough to watch, you’re old enough to be part of the conversation,” Batman tells him firmly.[/color] [color=00a651]Niel looks up at his Mom. She smiles at him.[/color] [color=f49ac2]“He didn’t mean to spook you, Bats is just an ol’ grumps,” she tells him with a reassuring smile.[/color] [color=00a651]Niel steps out from behind the structure containing the staircase to the police department’s roof access. He stares up at Batman. The Batman doesn’t seem to like him very much, that’s evident. They were talking about getting rid of him. What is he even doing on top of the police station anyway? When his Mom woke him up briefly tonight, he thought most of that was a dream. But he woke up to the two adults arguing about getting rid of him. [/color] [color=00a651]“Are you going to get rid of me?” he asks immediately.[/color] [color=f49ac2]“Oh sugar plum,” Mom comes up to him immediately, “No never. There ain’t any way of putting you back. This ain’t like a flavor of ice cream you don’t like so you ask for a different flavor. Or putting something back on the shelf. I can’t do that with you. And if Bats thinks I am. Then I will go find someone else to help.”[/color] [color=00a651]She grabs his hand. Squeezing it tightly. She smiles in that way that makes him believe that everything will be okay. Even if her eyes say that she is scared and uncertain of what is going to happen. Nathaniel looks up at Batman. Who is staring down at him. This man harbors so much hate for him. He can already tell he’s wrestling with something. He’s taken back to the thing his Pops and him discussed this evening. About how heroes never know their minds are withering before they are too late. That’s the impression Nathaniel gets of the man before him too. Perhaps his Pops was a little right in the retrospective then.[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“Nathaniel,” Batman addresses so firmly it sounds like Nathans been put into bootcamp.[/color] [color=00a651]“Yes,” he replies.[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“What have your parents taught you?” he asks.[/color] [color=00a651]Nathan looks at his Mom and then back at Batman.[/color] [color=f49ac2]“It’s okay Natey, say what you want cause it ain’t like we taught you anything wrong,” she gives a defiant glare at Batman.[/color] [color=7ea7d8]Batman glares back, if he can even glare any more than he’s already glaring.[/color] [color=00a651]“Well Aunty Ivy-[/color] [color=7ea7d8]-Ivy!-[/color] [color=f49ac2]-She’s a friend, I am allowed to have friends Bat-[/color] [color=00a651]-she’s taught me about science and mathematics, I go to hers to be homeschooled is what Mom said-[/color] [color=f49ac2]-I ain’t the sharpest drawer when it comes to all that biology stuff,” Mom attempts to rectify the situation.[/color] [color=00a651]“And Pops,” Nathan stops as Batman stares at him.[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“You consider the Joker your Father?” he ask like this is an interrogation. [/color] [color=00a651]“Well, yes, he is My Biological Father,” Nathan snaps, not liking being judged by a man ages older than him.[/color] [color=7ea7d8]“Do you know who your Father is?”[/color] [color=00a651]“Well, yes and no, it’s not like they can keep me from watching the news, I am seven, I am not stupid, they aren’t the same thing,” [/color] [color=f49ac2]His Mom puts her arms around his shoulder, holding him close, “Its’ okay. Natey. Bats all I am asking is for you to put us in some kind of custody protection. Please.”[/color] [color=7ea7d8]Batman stares at the both of them, “Fine. This is against my better judgment, but Harley, you have to agree to all and every one of my conditions.”[/color] [color=f49ac2]“I said I do anything Bats,”[/color][/hider] [color=00a651]Batman's protection wasn’t nearly as much protection, as it was surveillance. Harley was placed under house arrest so she could watch Nathaniel in an apartment setup for them. Nathaniel grew up for nearly half his life with cameras everywhere in their home, he too was being treated like a criminal before he even had ever been able to take an action. And then there was one other part of the agreement, when Nathaniel turned 16, he would be turned over to the Teen Titans. If there was one thing Batman always worried about was that Nathan was born evil or born with Joker qualities. He felt the best option for Nathan when he was old enough was to be reformed.[/color][/hider] [/hider]