Bumps In The Night...

[Batman]

Mercy could not be found in the rain. It hit the rooftops, unforgiving. Like droplets of power, splashing onto the walls, alleys, streets... Everything. Only one stood, defiant of the unforgiving. Defiant of mother nature.

Batman locked eyes with the building ahead of him, as the thunder errupted. He had picked it up on a police radio transmission. Someone had reported the scene of a murder in the building, upon stumbling into it. Probably someone looking for shelter from the rain. But the police were still negotiating getting the bridge that seperated The Narrows from the rest of the city. It'd take at least fifteen minutes for them to get onto the island, much less get to the building itself.

All the time he needed.

Firing a line, Batman leaped from the roof, swinging to the ledge of the window. Pulling it open, He looked around, crouched on the window's edge. At first, he couldn't see anything. It was pitch black. That's when the lighting struck, illuminating the room. The sight he witnessed would make even the strongest stomachs overturn.

Skeletons. Only scraps of muscle and stains of blood surrounded them, but for the most part, they were cleaned. Batman simply stepped into the room, unafraid. He'd seen worse. Though, he had to admit to himself... This was rare.

Now there was only the question of who, and how. How was going to be easier to solve. Batman walked over, examining. Putting his hand down, he ran his fingers along the ribs of one. Retracting his hand, He glanced at the glove. He had found what he was looking for.

Residue. Ash. Too much damage for a burning. An explosive. Moderatley small, as to not damage the building in entirety, but lethal enough to pull this off.

He had suspected it wasn't a butchering. The skin and muscle had been cleaned from the bone too well for that. And they didn't burn themselves. An explosive was the only answer.

Batman looked back. There was a madman out there. One potentially armed with dangerous explosives, and who knew what else. He had to stop the killer, at all costs.

He looked down at his hand again. Mostly in dispair.

What was his city coming to, these days?

[Hobgoblin]

HOURS EARLIER

The Goblin was beginning to like this town.

Everywhere you looked, you saw misery. More and more misery. It was a living, breathing depression. It's citizens were spooked easily, and when they weren't spooked, they were in dispair, knowing their lives could be better.

The Hobgoblin, however, couldn't have picked a better target.

Flying above the patch of land that Gothamites called 'The Narrows', The Goblin looked down from his glider, seeing the almost chaotic area. A grim smile formed on his face, under the frightful mask he wore.

There was certain information that he required. At first, he decided to just blow up everything until he got the answer he was looking for. But no, that wouldn't be very smart. Especially in a town where Bats, Spiders, and Frozen Freaks were practically the norm. No, he didn't want them to interfere. Not yet. Their time would come.

Flying down, The Goblin had many onlookers, as his glider rocketed past various windows and clotheslines, grabbing many people's attention. Not that they'd report it. They'd probably think him to be that other pointy eared night dweller.

The Goblin looked over, spotting a building. He couldn't describe it, but somehow, the building caught his eye, above all of the surrounding ones. It was slightly decayed... Almost ready to be torn down. Now he could describe it. It reminded him of the state that the entire city would be in, after he was done. Cackling, The Goblin turned, as did the glider, rocketing to the building.

A few males were watching him come, from a window. Obviously brothers, or some sort of gang. Nevertheless, The Goblin mentally chose them as his next targets, as he flew forward, and slowed down, levitating infront of the window.

The brothers' jaws all simultaneously dropped, witnessing this.

"Hello there.", The Goblin greeted, before leaping from his Glider, and kicking the tallest one back, as he landed in the room. The men drew guns, instantly. Definatley a gang.

So inexperieced. So amatuerish. They don't deserve to use the weapon.

Throwing his hand back, the men watched as various Bat-shaped objects flew from his fingertips, slicing into their hands. They screamed in pain, as the metal razors dug into their flesh.

"Now, Now. Mustn't play with firearms, you know.", The Goblin scolded, with a cackle, as they fell to the ground, clutching their hands.

He turned, viewing the other one, who was cowering on the ground. Leaning forward, The Goblin grabbed him, and hoisted him into the air.

"Tell me something... Is this how you greet all of your houseguests?"

The man shook, in fear. The Goblin liked that. Alot.

"Wha... What d' you want? You that Batman guy everyone's talkin' bout?", He asked, trying to pry from the Goblin's obviously strong grip.

"... Bat... man? Kiddo, don't insult me. I'm far worse than some rodent problem., The Goblin cackled. "Oh my no... I'm here for another reason entirely. Certain information I require. How much do you know about your beloved little town, exactly?", He questioned.

"I... I..."

"Good enough. So who runs this rathole?"

"Uh... I... uh... You mean... Like the Mayor, or..."

"It isn't that hard of a question."

"I... I mean... He... Luthor. Lex Luthor. Took control of the city a couple days ago.", He eventually said.

The Goblin looked at him, funny. Lex Luthor? The guy that got his ass handed to him by some flyboy in a red cape, those years ago? That guy was running Gotham City?

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

The Goblin grinned, under his mask, as he dropped the brother. Holding out his hand, The Goblin spoke.

"A token of my gratitude, friend.", The Goblin stated.

And in an instant, the hand now held a small, metallic, orange cylinder. The Goblin cackled, as he threw it into the air, ran to the window, and leaped to his Glider.

The resulting explosion wouldn't be heard. It was a disenegration bomb. Silent, but highly effective. But that didn't phase The Goblin at all. The three brother's deaths? They meant nothing, in comparison to his larger scale agenda. To take down Gotham City, and the Wall-Crawler, The Goblin would have to begin from the inside. He needed to figure out what made Luthor tick. And exploit it, for all it was worth.

What was this town coming to? Chaos. Glorious, glorious chaos.