Chapter 27: When in Rome
*JADEN POV*
The League of Shadows was what he expected and at the same time not. No joke lots of not-so-subtle brainwashing but also the food to die for. They take surprisingly good care of their men although they do expect them to slit their own throats if ordered so, like fifty/fifty in terms of how you are treated.
I've rarely see Ras al Gul as a matter of fact I've seen Talia more than him which is surprising. I mean he is the leader you'd think he'd make it a point to be seen or more well known amongst his people. For a while I wasn't sure if I really joined the shadows or if it was just a wannabe group.
The leaderships lack of presence aside the training is intense and wide spread. They don't really cover modern wepons as much as they should but they settle for nothing less of perfection I'm terms of hand to hand fighting and weapons combat.
Hours upon grueling hours spent in stances and performing the same move until you can perform it in your sleep. Blisters, broken bones and torn muscles, no matter the injury we were expected to continue on. And the end of the day we were treated to amazing food and some of the best medicine money could buy.
Sure sometimes were made to go days without eating or made to treat our own wounds. Shit one time I was knocked put and woke up in the middle of the desert with no food no water and over six slashes covering my body. The only message I had was a note saying to arrive at the hideout before dusk or I'll be killed.
I made it but I was all kinds of fucked up. What made it worth it was the feast that was waiting for me when I got back. Shit was divine.
Other than that they did educate me mostly political stuff which eventually led back to how the shadows and thus Ras helped the world. It wasn't preachy but they made an effort to eliminate any doubts you might have about the things they ask of you.
Most of the people here are broken. People who lost their way in life and had nowhere else to turn to. I know this one guy who had his wife and daughter raped and killed in front of him, he snapped and killed the men who did it and was about to kill himself when the shadows stopped him.
They offered him the chance to stop things like that from happening again, and he agreed. People like him were dime a dozen here, shit my backstory was practically the standard for most here. Lost family in some civil war and was ready to die when the shadows swooped in and gave me the chance to change shit.
Yeah pretty fucked up, especially when you stop and think that many of those wars and conflicts were probably started by the shadows.
I've been keeping my ears and eyes open to try to find out what us going on. I've heard rumors about Ras meeting lots of important people, but that's like saying Joker is a little obsessed with Batman. Other villains, politicians, leaders etc. You get the gist.
It's why they are meeting that might give me an idea about what's going on. That is harder to find out than it should be. The other members don't talk about their missions and being the personal escort of The Demons Head is a privilege saved only for the best and most loyal.
He did however go on a missions with Talia, not gunna lie total bitch. Stuck up and liked to order people around for the smallest shit. She sent me to do her laundry and pick up food for her, I expected a lot when I joined but not this shit.
With a sigh Jaden refocused on what he was doing. He was watching as Talia was staring out of the car window with a frown. She had a run in with Batman and after he turned her down again, she tried to shoot him.
He wasn't entirely sure what they were doing in Gotham but she made sure to have us make enough noise to notify Batman. Then when he showed up she tried to flirt (threaten) him into joining her.
Then after he kicked her and the rest of her protections asses he left. I was sent to get food and may have eaten said food as I watched the one sided beat down. Yup dislocated my arm then hit my head so it looked like he got me too then made my way over to help.
Dragged her ass through a puddle or two before putting her in thr car we came in. After doing the same with the three others that came with me I began to drive to the nearest safe house. She had woke up mid drive back and after telling her what happened she just glared at me then looked put the window and began to sulk.
After a while we arrived at the hideout and I began to treat her then the rest of our wounds. In the mean time she just continued to glare. Honestly you'd think she'd take the hint but she just kept on trying to subdue/seduce Batman.
After I finished bandaging myself as well as the others I went to her and asked for orders. She had looked at for like a moment before telling me to go and secure the area and make sure we weren't followed.
I will do that...eventually. I don't think she would mind if I pay a visit to a convenience store that had a treat called Bat-Bits. Marshmallow covered in chocolate and coconut shavings all in the shape of a bat. I think trying it could prove vital to the mission.
Keeping most of the wepons I changed clothes. Now looking like a teen that's out later than he should be I began to meander my way towards my destination.
After a ten minute walk I arrived at a small shop that had an old man behind the counter. After giving a wave I made my way towards the back. Might as well take a quick look around since he was here.
Bat-Bits in hand he was looking at the drinks when the sound of glass shattering filled the small shop. The mad laughter that followed filled Jayden with fear...and excitement.
He could kill this phyco once and for all...on one hand if he failed he could be dispelled or worse. He wasn't sure how the Jocker gas would affect him or Ken so it would be best to avoid that.
On the other hand if he succeeded Batman would be on his ass and he would also might need to leave the Shadows. He had learned much from them but he still had a while to go before he was anywhere near where Ken wanted to be.
The choice (not really a choice) was taken out of his hands when a middle aged woman holding a little girl had her leg smashed by an over sized wooden mallet when she tried to run.
With a sigh Jayden pulled out two Kunia and began to make his way to the front of the store. Ken as well as the rest of the clones knew that they would meet the likes of the Joker sooner or later It was a matter of time really.
A feminine hand coverd in latex that turned red one it reached the arm grasped the woman's hair and began to drag her as she screamed. The little girl was letting out loud wails as she crawled towards her mother.
Harley: "Don't worry puddin aint nobody leavin!!"
Joker: "HAHAHAHA That's my girl!!! Now I need some...volunteers. You see I've got a killer of a joke but unfortunately I'll need some assistance. Don't worry tho I'll make sure to put a smile on your faces."
As Jayden walked pass the little girl he shoved his Bat-Bits in her arms and grabbed the arm that was dragging the woman and swung the kunia at Harley's throat as she turned.
He thought about letting her live, she could become a sort of antihero. The key word is could now that he going to kill the Joker before she can realize he is toxic...yeah probably nothing good.
Plus what she could do doesn't change what she already did, he hospitalized Endeavour for what he did and if he was being honest he did leave him for dead, he lived purely by chance.
Endeavour helped a lot of people while he abused his family, he wasn't going to let someone who was hurting people no matter how much she was manipulated live.
He ain't no Saint and has no right to judge but in matters like this he will gladly do what he thinks is right...no matter how wrong it seems.
Harley managed to lean back some but not enough to avoid the slash. He was hoping for a clean kill, through the throat and into the spine but she managed to only get her throat slashed it would take a couple of seconds for her to die.
The sound of her body falling to the ground got the attention of the other hostages and of the Joker. The smile on his face dimmed only a little as he pointed at Harley's dying form. "You know I was still using that?"
Jayden smiled as he walked forward. "Yeah, sorry about that but she would have gotten in my way. I'm sure you know how it is, better to get shit out the way while you can."
His casual response made the Joker's smile broaden as he looked at him. "Oh sunny papa Joker gets it but you just so happened to kill one of my favorite henchmen. And that's funny HAHAHAHAHA!!! So tell me who are you?"
Stopping several feet away from the Joker Jaden smirked and replied. "Come now...where is the fun in that? Isn't it more interesting when you don't know? Just some nobody doing what many wanted but nobody dared to do, killing THE JOKER!!! Isn't that...funny?"
Joker's eyes squinted as he looked at Jayden. "I'm not sure why...but looking at you now I feel the sudden urge to punch you."
He then smiled then chuckled then burst into full on laughter. "HAHAHAHA Bucko if you want to take your shot at Papa Joker then come." Arms stretched out in a welcoming gesture.
Smirk growing Jayden threw several shuriken at Joker. He wasn't stupid enough to get close, he after all didn't want to get gassed. The Joker managed to dodge some of them but was hit in his right arm and leg.
Joker frowned slightly and reached into his coat when another sheriken hit his arm. "You know sunny this will be no fun if you keep your distance. Papa Joker won't bite."
Jayden: "*Scoff* Please it's not fun for you, me on the other hand...I'm havin the time of my life."
This statement was followed by two kunia that hit the Joker in both shoulders. In the mean time the people in the shop were making their way out. The woman with the broken leg was limping out dragging her (presumed) daughter.
Joker seemed to take notice of this and smiled. "HAHAHAHA!!! You clever boy! And here I thought you only wanted to kill me!"
Paying no heed to his injuries Joker pulled out a grenade that had his face sloppily painted on it. With a big grin he put his finger though the pin. Before he could pull it tho a shuriken severed the finger. Blinking at the missing digit the Joker broke into mad laughter as he brought the pin to his mouth and charged at Jayden.
Jayden was a clone so it didn't matter if he died...the people behind him tho. Resisting the urge to groan Jayden met the Jokers charge head on.
Grabbing Joker's arm as he tried to pull the pin Jayden used the back end of a kunia to smash the Joker's mouth. It was out of pure luck that the pin hadn't been pulled. He had hoped to take himself and Joker out in one go to prevent the grenade somehow finding its way with the people who were trying to leave.
He found himself looking at a bloodied grin as he and the Joker wrestled for the grenade. The Joker must have crack head strength because like nobody this skinny should be this strong.
They both had one hand fighting for the grenade. Jayden's other hand was trying to stab Joker while his hand tried to stop him. Jayden couldn't help but think about how stupid they looked.
With a grunt Jayden pulled down making Joker follow where he was met with a knee. The gargled laugh let him know that despite the damage his opponent didn't care. Raising their arms up he transitioned into a judo throw that slammed Joker onto the ground and made him drop the grenade.
Deciding it was best to disable the Joker before he went for the grenade so he began to dislocate joints, break limbs, and cut tendons. Joker had tried to bite and otherwise harm Jayden as he did so, all while laughing.
Looking down at the broken phyco he wondered why it was so easy. Like isn't the Joker supposed to be like the big bad of the Batman? This feels way too easy.
Or maybe it seemed hard because Batman tried to take him alive? Batman also dealt with Joker after he set some sort of elaborate trap or scheme.
That doesn't change the fact that this felt too easy. It was for the best if he finished this before the other shoe dropped. Walking around the shop he opened the small bottles of cooking oil and anything else flammable.
He hit the jackpot when he saw that gas was used to power the heater and quickly cut the line and headed back towards the Joker. Grabbing the grenade he shoved it into the Joker's broken maw and looked at him in the eye and told him one last thing before he pulled the pin and ran.
Jayden: "You're nothing special. Just another bloody stain in the long history of humanity."
The explosion was something to behold. Loud and bright it made him smile, good riddance. He stared longer than he should have and this was made aware of this fact when he saw a fully grown man dressed as a bat arrive at the scene.
Smirk appearing on his face as he finished his Bat-Bits and gave one last look at the scene before walking off. Taking out a phone he began to text Ken. He would let him know about the Joker's death.
Looking at the phone he remembered how he got it. Wrapped in twenty layers of foil and a note saying what it could do. He of course didn't read the note but that was neither here or there.
After sending the text he ran back to the hide out. He had an area to secure.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone