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moos-cow · 3 years

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Gemini

Chapter 1b

No sooner, a hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked her back. “Run!”

A tall figure in a green silk top hat had crept behind her. He pulled her through the nearby door, and down flights of stairs. They ran, only to emerge to what seemed like an empty town hall of some kind.

“Wait-” She stopped to ask, but alas, his sharp tongue cut her off.

“Shut up and run, idiot. Questions later.” He grunted as he pushed the heavy doors open, leading her out to the moonlit streets. A familiar face waited by a carriage nearby.

“Quickly, Hatter. We need to get her out of here.” The white-haired man motioned her to get inside the carriage. As soon as she got in, he followed. The Hatter jumped up to the driver’s box upfront, taking them away in a rumble.

Long after, the rapid clopping of the horses fell to a steady easy tempo.

“Sir, I believe this is yours.” She finally broke the silence and extended out a hand, revealing the golden pocket watch. “You must’ve dropped it when you ran into me.”

“It is!” His eyes widened at the antique, carefully taking it with two hands. “I owe you my deepest gratitude, miss. This watch means the world to me.”

“My, I completely forgot to introduce myself! Blanc Lapin, my friends call me the White Rabbit.” he smiled and held out a hand- one of which she took to shake.

“Amaya. Amaya Chan.”

After briefly introducing herself, Amaya partially drew some of the curtains of the coach, curiously inspecting the outdoors. Street lights illuminated the empty cobblestone-layered streets with a soft pale blue glow.

“If I may, Blanc. But, where exactly are we? And what is going on?”

“Are you familiar with the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?”

“The children’s novel? Very much. Yes. What about it?”

“Well, you see, you’re in Wonderland, Amaya. The Land of Magic. Cradle, to be exact.”

She stared at him in disbelief, looking for any hint of humour. You must be kidding me. Instead, he just reached up to fix his glasses.

She tried to recall the events and details from earlier. The pocket watch. The hole. Hatter. White Rabbit. Magic. Alice. Although they might've made sense on their own, there are still too many loopholes to be able to conclude that what Blanc’s statement was indeed true.

"No, no, no. This must be some kind of themed park in London, right? Because look-- it doesn't make sense. If it were just like in the book-" Blanc pressed a finger on her lips, instantly shutting the lady up.

"Amaya, truth, and history both have curious ways of being distorted in the telling. Of course, here, there aren't any talking animals, ghastly beasts, or armies of cards." he chuckled at the mere idea.

“Still, it's impossible.”

Blanc drew the curtains on the other side of the coach, giving her a full view of a fountain with a giant sapphire crystal floating above it, glistening in the moonlight.

“As impossible as it may seem, this world exists parallel to yours. But unlike yours, our way of life isn’t governed by the laws of nature and science-- rather, by the laws of magic, usually powered by Magic Crystals.”

Much to her dismay, the idea of Jonah’s cuffs popped in her mind. She rubbed her wrists as she recalled the numbing feeling brought by being bound. And that light, that warm light that came out of her hand, it felt all too real to be called fake.

“So the cuffs from earlier, the ones from that guy, Jonah. I assume they were powered by some magic?”

“Indeed. They were lined with crystals, meant to be unbreakable, that is until you came along.”

She shook her head, “I’m not following.”

“Nobody in this land can nullify magic that has been cast. Only people from your world, the Land of Reason, can.” He began to chuckle lightly. “Some time ago, a young girl with the same power as you lost her way here.”

“Alice.”

“Indeed. Little Alice was quite the mischief-maker, running around the streets of Cradle, breaking magic spells left and right.” He smiled from ear to ear, reminiscing the past in amusement.

“Cradle-” She asks inquisitively. “You mentioned that we’re in Cradle.”

“Yes.” Blanc pulled out a map from his bag, opening it before her.

“Cradle is a military state ruled by two armies, the Red and the Black. The West is ruled by the Red, while the East is ruled by the Black. We’re currently here, the Central Quarter, an area sandwiched between the Red and Black territory. This area also functions as the country’s political and economic hub.”

“The place where you were caught is called the Garden. That is where Cradle’s most powerful figures gather for debates and trials.” he continued as he pointed to the center of the map. “Only the Chosen Thirteen of both armies, and myself-- the official record keeper-- are allowed to enter.”

“Well, that explains a lot.” She threw her head back, realizing that she had just trespassed into one of the most highly secured areas of this land.

“Edgar Bright-- he addressed himself as the Jack of Hearts. What does that mean?”

“Ah yes, the Chosen Thirteen are ranked from King, Queen, all the way down to the Ace. Edgar, being the Jack of Hearts, is third in command in the Red Army.”

“I see. Much like a deck of cards.”

“Right again. Although the Ace is technically the lowest in rank, they’re often in charge of unusual assignments, placing them in a league of their own.”

The carriage fell quiet as she sat back to process the information at hand. She took a glance at the white rabbit, only to see his uneasiness unfolding before her.

“Blanc. Is everything alright?”

He let out an exasperated sigh and began to explain, “As you may have noticed, Amaya, I was running late for tonight’s council meeting since I had some business to attend to in your world. It was during my brief absence that the two armies decided to declare war.”

Once again, the tension rose and the coach fell silent.

Wow. So, to my worst of luck, I fell right in the meeting of two armies that have just declared war.

“Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, Blanc... But, how do I get home then?” She carefully says through her stoic expression.

“There’s a hole in the Garden that connects the two worlds. All you have to do is to bring something from the Land of Reason with you and jump into that hole.” His voice softened, almost pitiful, as he looked at the moon.

“But?” She interjected, cutting him from his gaze.

“It only opens for just a few hours at the night of the full moon...”

"I see-" She closed her eyes, and with a deep sigh, she resigned herself to the idea of being stuck in another world for a month.

A few moments later, the carriage came to an abrupt stop and loud poundings on the carriage door rambled them.

“Open the door, Blanc. We’re looking for the girl.”

“Looks like the Red Army is here to give us an official greeting.” Blanc frowned

“Get out of the carriage, Blanc. I’m not in the mood to pull you guys out myself.”

Blanc took her hand in his and led her out of the carriage with him.

True enough, two men clad in different red and white uniforms stood before them, and another two marched their way behind her, immediately locking her hands against her back.

"Let me go!" She squirmed. In an attempt to break free, she managed to kick one straight in the knee. He grunted in pain, but their grip never faltered. Alas, it only got tighter.

“Sorry, Blanc. Beauty and the Beast sent us to get her.” the red-haired soldier before them spoke.

“Kyle, Zero, isn’t it unbecoming for two gentlemen such as yourselves to intimidate and frighten a young woman like this?” Blanc, being the gentleman that he is, beamed at them a smile.

“Then allow me to apologize if we’ve frightened you, Alice.” The black-haired soldier spoke. He waved his hand to the other soldiers to signal her release.

“I am the Ace of Hearts, Zero. Our Queen, Jonah, wishes to meet you.”

"Seven of Hearts, Kyle.”

“Look,” Zero looked at her straight in the eyes, “We’re here on official orders. Jonah absolutely needs to speak with you. He’s promised not to be as rough as he was back at the Garden.”

She turned to Blanc in hesitation.

“If you don’t have any reservations, it might be best if you go along with them, Amaya.” he rested a hand on his chest, “As Official Record Keeper of Cradle, I mustn't get in the middle of political affairs. Though, personally, I trust Kyle and Zero. But still, the decision is yours.”

“Promise to let me go after speaking with your Queen,” She demanded from the two officers.

“I promise.” Zero nodded.

It wasn't like she was in a spot with the luxury to refuse anyway. In a land she knew little to nothing of, agreeing to them would be the most logical and practical thing to do.

"Fine. I'll go." She nodded "Wait. Let me get my stuff."

She turned around and retrieved her bag from the carriage. But as she approached, she noticed the two soldiers sizing her up from behind. She can take them down if she had wanted to, but logic overtook the situation at hand.

She turned around and glared at them as they towered before her, "Touch me again and you'll get more than an injured knee, boy."

Their eyes widened at the little lady’s threat as they parted, and she-- she made her way to mount Zero's horse.

“Hold on tight now, Amaya.”

With that note, they rode fast through town, crossed a large bridge, and galloped through villages and villas that looked like Red territory. Soon, they arrived at an enormous white, red, and gold manor.

“We’re here.” Zero pulled on the reins to halt, dismounting himself and Amaya from the gentle animal “Welcome to the Red Army Headquarters, Amaya.”

“Wait here while I go get Jonah.” Zero left with not a single word more.

“Yeah. You go do that. I’m going to grab a nightcap.” Kyle yawned and stretched from behind.

“Hey you, keep an eye on her.” He ordered the soldier nearby before helping the limping soldier to the infirmary.

Minutes stretched to what seemed like hours. She reached for her phone in her bag, 3:23 am. No signal. The soldier still stood behind her in attention.

“This saucy Queen surely doesn’t give a damn about the time,” Amaya mumbled to herself as she kept the phone again. Tired, cold, and hungry, irritation was slowly creeping up on her.

“Was that a complaint against Queen Jonah?!” the gate guard shouted, furious.

“Oh please, I mustn’t have been the first one.” She rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically, “besides, that wasn’t even close to a decent complaint. Do you want to hear a better one?”

“Shut up you impudent fool! How dare you insult our Queen of Hearts!” The guard loomed over her from behind, cracking his knuckles in the process.

Finally, some fun.

Just as he raised a hand to hit her, 2 voices called out from the gates.

“Hey, you! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size!”

“Get away from her!”

Two soldiers clad in black and navy blue came running, knocking the gate guard out and away from her. Unfortunately, a then roaming guard caught the action, turned around, and frantically sprinted back to the barracks.

“The Black Army has come to attack! Sound the alarm! Form Ranks!” moments later, bells started to ring from all around, and red army soldiers slowly began emerging from around the barracks.

“So much for sneaking in, Seth.” the purple-haired soldier gave out a resigned sigh, tugging on the scarf around his neck.

“Well, at least we saved sweet Alice here from that smelly old guard now. Didn’t we, Luka?”

“Guys, I think it's time to run.” She tugged on their sleeves, watching the red army soldiers approach them with complete spunk.

With the two officers by her sides, they raced towards the gates. As she scanned the area ahead for incoming guards, an odd glimmer caught her eyes. Atop the gated entrance was a man loading a rifle, grinning from ear to ear.

What in the world?

BANG BANG. BANG BANG.

The red soldiers dispersed as a shower of bullets came raining down on them, and a thick cloud of white smoke provided cover.

“Fenrir!” Seth and Luka called out.

“Did you think I’d let you two have all the fun?” Fenrir jumped off from the top of the gates as soon as they passed. “Get out of here!”

Amaya and the two soldiers continued to run farther from the gates. The air behind them was filled with the thunderous sounds of fighting, gunfire, and Fenrir’s insane laughter. Soon, the voices of the red army soldiers faded as they turned to a corner.

“Fenrir, that’s enough!” Luka shouted from where they stood to catch their breaths.

Fenrir caught up, holstered his pistols, and appeared completely unfazed. She looked behind him to inspect the chaos, every last Red soldier was down on the ground.

“Did you kill them?” she managed to ask through heavy breaths. Endurance really wasn't her best suit.

“Literally? Nah. I would never.” Fenrir chuckled, patting his holstered pistols. “The bullets were made from Magic Crystals. So one hit from these, and off to dreamland they go.”

“Right, right. Crystals.” She shook her head, quickly reminding herself of the magical situation she was currently caught up in.

Not long after, the faint pounding of boots can be heard from behind. Another wave of Red soldiers was coming straight towards them.

“You just had to go and showboat your way through the Red Army, didn’t you?” Seth blatantly scolded Fenrir.

“Oh, c'mon! Ya ought to be thanking me for saving your butts back there.” Fenrir snapped back.

God. They’re just like kids.

“Shut up and run-- now,” Luka demanded.

He led them running through back alleys and side streets within the Red Territory. The trio’s bickering continued even until they scrambled into the carriage.

The adrenaline rush from this evening’s events immediately faded as she slumped down into the seat. She was feeling lightheaded and was unusually exhausted beyond belief. This was more draining than any other assignment before.

She quietly studied them. Albeit clad in differently designed uniforms, they all had a similar navy blue and silver band on each of them, embroidered with a certain crest. “Excuse me, are you Black Army officers?”

“Oh my, aren’t you sharp!” Seth clapped his hands in exclamation.

“I’m Seth Hyde, 10 of Spades!”

“Luka Clemence. Jack.”

“Fenrir Godspeed, Ace of Spades. It's nice to meet you, Alice.”

“Amaya-- it’s Amaya, not Alice. Sorry.” She said, not wanting to be called another name. “Uh, thank you for that.”

“Don't you worry about that, sweetie. It's all in a day’s work.” Seth gently placed his hand on hers as they took off into the night. Over time, the sky started to burn a bright crimson in the far east.

#ikemen revolution fanfiction #ikemen fanfiction #ikemen kakumei #ikemen revolution #ikemen series #ikemen original character #gemini

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phantom-le6 · 3 years

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Episode Reviews - Batman: The Animated Series Season 1 (5 of 10)

Our next instalment of episodes from Batman: The Animated Series season 1 will bring us to a major highlight episode of the series, but first we begin with an introduction to another Batman’s various foes.

Episode 27: Mad as a Hatter

Plot (as given by me):

Wayne Enterprises scientist Jervis Tetch has been neglecting development of microchips to enhance the potential of the human brain, focusing instead on similar technology that acts to allow one person to control others. While Bruce Wayne is accommodating to Tetch, his supervisor Dr Cates is far less understanding. Tetch is comforted by co-worker Alice Pleasance, with whom Tetch is smitten but unable to obtain due to her having a boyfriend.

In private, Tetch contemplates either leaving Alice alone or using his mind control devices on her, but neither option appeals to him; he can’t give up on her, but he doesn’t want her to be a mindless shell either. However, when he learns Alice has had a fight with her boyfriend and the relationship is over, Tetch decides to woo her. He takes her out for a night on the town, dressing himself up to resemble the Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and using mind-control devices to make other people serve him, creating the impression he is a man of great reputation in Gotham. Along the way, he uses two of the devices to stop two muggers and tells them to jump off a bridge.

The attempted suicide draws the attention of Batman, who saves the criminals and recognises the technology involved as Tetch’s work. The next day, Tetch is infuriated to learn that after his ‘date’ with Alice, her boyfriend apologised and proposed to her, resulting in them becoming engaged. At the same time, Cates informs Tetch that Wayne wants to see him. As a result, Tetch takes control of Cates and leaves, then takes control of Alice’s boyfriend to make him break their engagement off. That evening, Tetch tries to woo Alice again, but he is confronted at her apartment by Batman. Forced to even greater extremes, Tetch sets two mind-controlled henchmen dressed as the Walrus and the Carpenter on Batman, then puts a mind control device on Alice before fleeing with her.

Examining one of the Mad Hatter-style mind control cards and learning the card component came from Storybook Land, a literary-based park, Batman goes there to confront Tetch. Battling his way through an army of mind-controlled people, among them Billy and Dr Cates, and overcoming various wonderland-themed obstacles, Batman finally subdues Tetch. Billy removes Alice’s mind-control headband, freeing her while Tetch watches brokenheartedly from where a Jabberwock statue has him pinned.

Review:

The Mad Hatter is apparently a Batman villain who has been around for a long time according to Wikipedia, going right back to an initial appearance in comics back in 1948. However, unlike some of Batman’s other rogues he doesn’t get draw as much attention when it comes to adaptations. Certainly, his only appearances in Batman films have been the animated direct-to-home-release ones, but he’s managed to make a few good showings in TV show adaptations, this one included. The basic elements of his character, namely an obsession with the works of Lewis Carol in general and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in particular, and mind-controlling people are both incorporated into this episode. However, the episode incorrectly shortens the book title to Alice in Wonderland, doubtless due to Disney and others shortening it in adaptations before this.

It’s a decent introductory episode, and while we can initially empathise a little with Tetch over the unrequited love aspect of his story, his increasingly disturbing use of mind control to win the day for himself swiftly puts his creep factor through the roof. While his motives remain understandable throughout, his methods simply make him someone you’re not going to really feel for by about half-way through at the latest. Overall, I’d give the whole thing 8 out of 10.

Episode 28: Dream in Darkness

Plot (as given by me):

Batman is trapped in a cell at Arkham Asylum, restrained in a straitjacket and not being listened to by the doctors as he warns them of imminent danger to Gotham. A few days before, Batman interfered with someone’s plans to poison the water supply of a local spa, and in the process was exposed to some kind of gaseous chemical. Initially believing himself to be unaffected, Batman later began to experience terrifying hallucinations. Batman later gained confirmation that he was affected from Dr Wu, the hospital doctor treating the would-be saboteur. However, as treatment would put Batman out of action for too long, the dark knight proceeded to Arkham, having deduced the gas to be the Scarecrow’s work.

Crashing the Batmobile due to another hallucination, Batman has now been admitted to Arkham, where the staff are clueless to Scarecrow’s escape. However, when a check of Scarecrow’s room reveals he has escaped, Batman deduces he is actually beneath the asylum. There is a river running through the caverns under the asylum that provides Gotham with water, and Scarecrow is going to put his fear chemicals in the water; the attempt on the spa was a test-run for this. The doctors try to stop Batman due to him still being affected by the fear chemicals, but he is ultimately able to overcome them and get to the caverns.

In the caverns, Batman battles the Scarecrow’s men and his own hallucinations to foil Scarecrow’s plan, and in the process, Scarecrow is exposed to his own chemicals. While Scarecrow is returned to the care of the asylum, Batman finally takes the treatment back in the Batcave and sleeps.

Review:

This is an ok Scarecrow episode whose plot mirrors part of what would end up being the overall story of the 2005 film Batman Begins. It’s also kind of interesting to see Batman being treated as an asylum inmate, although the episode doesn’t really explore the premise as fully as a live-action Batman show might. In fact, this is a key reason why I’d like to see someone do a live-action Batman show instead of a Bruce Wayne/Jim Gordon prequel like Gotham or a spin-off character show like Batwoman. Batman is a character that makes for better TV fodder than film fodder, but sadly no TV show fully does him justice. Even this series, iconic as it is, falls short at times because of its animated and supposedly child-friendly nature. All in all, I’d give this episode 6 out of 10.

Episode 29: Eternal Youth

Plot (as given by me):

As Bruce Wayne angrily threatens to fire one of his executives for making a deal with a slash-and-burn company, he and Alfred stumble upon a video invitation to the ‘Eternal Youth Spa’ in Bruce’s mail. The video invites Bruce for a free weekend at the spa, but Bruce declines. Instead, Alfred is convinced to go along with his lady friend Maggie. At the spa, they are welcomed by scientist Dr Daphne Demeter, who has imbued everything at the spa with a restorative chemical she called Demetrite. Alfred is sceptical at first, but changes his mind upon sampling the spa’s food and water.

Meanwhile, Batman learns a number of corporate executives have disappeared, and when he investigates, he finds one has received the same video invite to the spa that he did. He calls Alfred, who claims the executive in question checked out some weeks ago and has seen nothing untoward, but Batman remains unconvinced. When Alfred returns, he becomes something of a green fanatic, continuing to consume Demetrite and filling the Batcave with plants. However, when Alfred collapses, Batman grows even more concerned and begins an analysis of the Demetrite. Batman’s analysis reveals the chemical can turn human plasma into plant matter, and when he tries to warn Alfred, he finds that his butler has left.

Alfred and Maggie have been drawn back to the spa, but soon find themselves transformed into trees. When Batman follows, it turns out Dr Demeter is actually Poison Ivy; she has been luring corporate executives to her spa to turn them into trees as punishment for business decisions that caused devastation to plant life. Apparently, Alfred and Maggie were targeted in Bruce Wayne’s absence due to the brief-lived deal with the slash-and-burn operation, but Ivy explains her victims are only covering in a tree-like exo-skeleton at the moment; a full transformation will take months of additional spraying.

Ivy then tries to have Batman transformed, but he’s coated his uniform with a herbicidal antidote. He quickly subdues Ivy’s henchwomen, but in trying to tackle Ivy, the chemical enzyme is spilled and causes a massive tree to grow, pinning Ivy to the roof of the spa’s greenhouse before crashing through. In the aftermath, Ivy’s henchwomen are arrested and her victims cured, but Ivy herself is missing. Later, Bruce tries to cheer Alfred and Maggie up with the ill-chosen gift of a plant.

Review:

Out first Poison Ivy episode since she was introduced very early in the series, and to be honest it’s not a great follow-up. Again, we have a mystery that isn’t really a mystery because Ivy’s involvement is given away very early on, making it a boring slog as you watch Batman try to catch up with what the audience already knows. We also have the random one-off character of Maggie as a possible love interest for Alfred…why? Based on my knowledge of the comics, not only does she seem to be a one-off character for the show, but in the comics Alfred had a bit of a love interest in Dr Leslie Thompkins. To my mind, putting both of Bruce’s surrogate parents would have made far more sense. I’m giving this one a meagre 4 out of 10 and hoping for better on the next episode.

Episode 30: Perchance to Dream

Plot (as given by me):

Batman pursues some criminals into a warehouse, but is then knocked out. Coming to back at Wayne Manor, he finds that everything has changed; the Batcave is gone, he’s engaged to Selina Kyle and his parents are still alive. Even stranger, while Bruce is talking with Selina at Wayne Enterprises, they both see Batman intervene in foiling a jewellery heist. Going to see Dr Leslie Thompkins as the only doctor he can trust, Bruce is lead to believe his life as Batman was a disassociation fantasy, something he created to compensate for his hollow life as a rich playboy.

Bruce is ready to embrace this until he tries to read something and finds all the words are jumbled and make no sense. Realising this is all somehow linked to the Batman, Bruce runs away, picking up supplies at a sporting goods store but then abandoning them to escape the police. Finding his way to a belltower he knows to be part of the Batman’s nightly patrol, Bruce confronts “Batman”, and discovers Jervis Tetch, AKA the Mad Hatter, behind the mask. It turns out Bruce, the real Batman, is in a dream machine created by Tetch. The machine reveals nothing to the outside world, so Bruce’s dual identity remains safe; its purpose is to create an ideal reality the occupant of the machine won’t want to escape.

Bruce deduced that he was in a dream based on his inability to dream, claiming that reading was a function of the opposite side of the brain to the one generating dreams. He refuses to live a lie and further deduces that killing himself in the dreamscape will awaken him in the real world. To that end, he hurls himself from the top of the bell tower, and reawakens in the warehouse as Batman. Quickly defeating Tetch’s henchmen, Batman demands to know why Tetch put him in the dream machine. Breaking down into tears, Tetch reveals he was so desperate to have the Batman not interfere with his life, he was willing to give his foe any life he wanted.

Review:

For the first time since the early episodes of this show, we have a Batman villain making a return appearance only a few episodes after they initially show up, and unlike the recent Poison Ivy episode, the mystery isn’t revealed too early. It takes a while to discover what is behind Bruce suddenly not being Batman, but even then, the episode isn’t quite as well-executed as it could be. Part of this is based on an episode of Justice League Unlimited, which used a similar concept but to better effect. However, a far larger part is based on a graphic novel in the Justice League series entitled ‘Divided We Fall’.

The graphic novel in question occurs right after ‘Tower of Babel’, a story arc in which contingency plans created by Batman for taking down his fellow heroes were stolen and used by Ra’s Al Ghul. In the climax of the follow-up arc, an energy-based being known as Id was altering reality based on the wishes of people it encountered. One wish, made by Superman, was that the members of the Justice League didn’t have to have dual identities that made it difficult for the team members to trust each other. As a result of that wish, those members of the league who had dual identities became split into their separate identities.

The split didn’t last because the members found that each half of themselves stabilised the other, and in Batman’s case, the Batman persona was a vessel through which Bruce Wayne could direct his aggression and frustration over being helpless to save his parents. Now granted, that story came to the comics years after this episode, but for me it’s the definitive idea of how Bruce would react to not being Batman if you didn’t go back and change history to achieve that. Bruce would never come close to accepting not being Batman in any situation where he had any memory, any awareness of being Batman, and as such I can’t buy into even the brief moments where he ends up being ok with it. It’s just not who he is, plain and simple. My end score for this episode is 5 out of 10.

Episode 31: The Cape and Cowl Conspiracy

Plot (as given by me):

When bearer bonds ear-marked for humanitarian aid are coerced from a diplomatic courier by means of a death trap, Batman suspects the involvement of one Josiah Wormwood, also known as The Interrogator. To confirm Wormwood is in Gotham, Batman visits Baron Wacklaw Josek, an associate of Wormwood’s, and tries to intimidate him into leaving Gotham for a while. Later, Wormwood meets with Josek, who asks him to obtain the Batman’s cape and cowl. Wormwood wants to know why Josek wants them, but Josek will only reveal this if Wormwood will tell him who hired him to steal the bearer bonds, something Wormwood refuses to disclose.

Batman is later summoned to Gotham Police Headquarters by Commissioner Gordon via the Bat-Signal, where he learns one of Wormwood’s rhyming riddle invitations has been left. The note leads Batman to Traintown, a heritage railway park where Wormwood tries to use the trains as a death-trap. However, Batman is more resourceful than Wormwood expected and escapes, forcing Wormwood to prepare a second trap. This time, he sets the death trap at DeLarue’s Wax Museum, and this time the trap proves too much for Batman, forcing him to hand over his cape and cowl. As a precaution, Batman has a secondary mask under his cowl, so his dual identity is not revealed.

At Josek’s office, Wormwood makes his delivery and his desire to know what Josek will do with the cape and cowl prompts him to finally explain the bearer bond theft. At this point, it is revealed that the Josek Wormwood dealt with was really Batman in disguise; the real Josek left Gotham as Batman had earlier insisted. Wormwood tries to escape with the key that is required to retrieve the bonds, but Batman battles him and ultimately defeats him. The bonds are recovered and Wormwood sent to prison, where Batman sends him his cape and cowl with a rhyming riddle-clue note of his own.

Review:

After a stretch of several proper Batman rogues, it can be nice to get an episode that takes a break and does something different, but this episode isn’t the best break the show could have gone for. The riddle-style clues, while meant to be more rhymes than riddles, shouldn’t have been just because they’re a hallmark of the Riddler (who the show had yet to introduce its version of) or Cluemaster (a more lucid professional criminal who copied the Riddler’s M.O. in the comics to avoid suspicion). I also don’t like the ending where Batman sends his own riddle clue in return; it’s too silly an action to come from a character like Batman, which just makes me think no one took this episode seriously. It seems to just be a ‘let’s put Batman in a bunch of death traps because we’ve not done enough of these’. People, for goodness’ sake, if you want a show about a DC superhero getting out of death traps, make a show for Mr Miracle. I give this episode 4 out of 10.

Episode 32: Robin’s Reckoning (Part 1)

Plot (as given by me):

A stake-out at a construction site results in Batman and Robin tackling a gang of protection racketeers in the bones of an incomplete skyscraper. Capturing one of the criminals for interrogation, the dynamic duo press him for the name of the person running the protection rackets in Gotham. The criminal gives up the name of Billy Marin, which prompts Batman to dismiss Robin to grab the Batmobile, using the time alone with the criminal to extract more information. Batman then returns Robin to the Batcaver before leaving again, refusing to explain his sudden shift in attitude.

Suspecting the mention of Marin’s name is what caused Batman’s sudden change in attitude, Robin looks up the name on the Batcaver computer, and learns that Billy Marin is an alias for Tony Zucco. Robin then flashes back to his childhood; back then he was Dick Grayson, one-third of the Flying Graysons trapeze act at Haley’s Circus. His parents were the other two-thirds of the act. One day, the young Dick saw Tony Zucco arguing with Mr Haley, who refused to pay protection money to Zucco, prompting Zucco to threaten Haley in return.

That night during a charity event for the Wayne Foundation, Dick’s parents fell to their deaths as a result of Zucco sabotaging the trapeze ropes. Having been in the audience, Bruce Wayne remained behind and learned from Jim Gordon that the boy had no family, and while the circus folks wanted to take Dick in, his status as a material witness to the crime meant he could be in danger. As a result, Bruce offered to take Dick into his care at Wayne Manor. Dick was given the room that was Bruce’s as a child.

Meanwhile, Batman experiences his own flashback to the same period in time. Leaving Dick in the capable hands of Alfred, Bruce went out looking for Zucco as Batman. Going undercover to some back-alley street gambling, he learned Zucco was being sheltered by his uncle Arnold Stromwell, and proceeded to press Stromwell on the matter as Batman. Leaving behind a bug, Batman listened in as Stromwell disowned Zucco, but he was then discovered by one of Stromwell’s guard. In the ensuing conflict, Zucco made his mistake. Back at Wayne Manor, Alfred convinced Bruce to give more time to Dick, and the two orphans bonded over their shared loss.

In the present, Robin radios Batman in anger, demanding that he be allowed to be in on finally apprehending Zucco. Batman refuses and cuts the radio link, prompting Robin to head out on the Bat-cycle. Alfred tries to convince Robin that he should listen to Batman, but Robin states before leaving that he can’t do that this time, and maybe never again.

Review:

It’s been a long time coming, indeed too long in my view, but finally we have a Robin origin episode, and it’s a two-part story as well. More to the point, it’s the origin arc for the original Robin. By this time in comics, Dick Grayson had left the role of Robin behind to become Nightwing, Jason Todd had been introduced, revised via the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ reboot event and killed by the Joker, and Tim Drake was the third Robin, and it would have been very easy for the series to play to the times as they had incorporating elements from the Tim Burton films. However, the series made the smart move and stuck with the longer-standing original, and apparently the part 1 instalment resulted in the series winning an Emmy award.

The episode is great on a few fronts. Not only does it really honour the classic origins of Robin, but it also takes some visual cues from major works in Batman’s comic-book history. There’s also a solid effort to keep the origin story flashbacks consistent with the series by incorporating crime boss Arnold Stromwell from a previous episode. The censorship standards for the show also forced the series to depict the deaths of the Graysons in a stylised manner that makes the scene more effective, and on top of that, you have the contrast of the strained present-day relationship between Robin and Batman, and the earlier, more caring relationship between Bruce and Dick.

Throw in the show’s usual high-quality voice-acting and it’s an episode that I can understand the award-winning status of. At last, we’re back to an episode where I can hand down full marks, even with a pesky part 1 in the title. 10 out of 10 and on to part 2.

Episode 33: Robin’s Reckoning (Part 2)

Plot (as given by me):

Robin attempts to follow Batman to Zucco, but Batman detects this and cuts off whatever means Robin was using to do this. Refusing to bow out, Robin reflects how he managed to find Zucco unaided once before. Some days after Bruce and Dick began to bond with each other, Jim Gordon informed him that Zucco might be trying to skip town. If so, it might prevent Zucco being brought to justice, but could also ensure Dick’s safety as his material witness status would mean nothing without a suspect to charge. Overhearing this, Dick decided to take matters into his own hands.

Running away from Wayne Manor, Dick tried to track down Zucco on the pretence of Zucco being a relation. After saving a prostitute from her abusive pimp, and being treated to dinner at a diner to repay him, Dick learned Zucco was seen coming and going from an abandoned building nearby. Heading to the building, Dick learned Zucco was packing to leave and tried to call the police, but accidentally tipped Zucco off to his presence. Zucco was prevented from harming Dick by the arrival of Batman, and in the ensuing scuffle Dick fell into a channel of water. Batman opted to save Dick over capturing Zucco, then took Dick back to the Batcave, revealing himself to be Bruce Wayne in the process. This signalled Bruce’s intention to have Dick stay with him and become his apprentice.

In the present, Robin cold-calls Zucco from the home of the arrested saboteur to obtain Zucco’s address. However, Zucco is already paranoid from his run-in with Batman years ago, and when he hears noises overhead, he strafes the ceiling of his apartment with machine gun fire. It turns out the noise was Batman, and when the gunfire causes the ceiling to collapse, the dark knight badly injures his knee upon landing. However, Zucco’s panicked firing has made him run out of bullets, and Batman escapes under cover of a smoke bomb.

However, Batman does not get far and is soon pursued through the abandoned boardwalk carnival nearby by Zucco and his men. Zucco, scared to insanity after several years looking over his shoulder, prepares to fire through his men on the carousel in order to get Batman, but before he can, Robin appears. Using the Bat-cycle, he drags Zucco down to the end of the pier, where he then gains the upper hand over the gangster and begins to smack him around.

Batman calls out to Robin to stop, causing Robin to angrily yell that Batman can’t know what he’s feeling. However, the moment he says this, Robin realises Batman knows precisely how he feels and apologises. As Zucco is finally taken into police custody, Robin concludes Batman tried to keep him off the Zucco case because he was worried Robin would cross the line and try to kill Zucco. However, Batman reveals that he actually tried to keep Robin away out of fear Zucco would kill Robin. Making amends, the two heroes head home.

Review:

Part 2 of this episode does a good job bringing part 1 to a decent, satisfying conclusion for the most part. Like the show’s makers, however, I feel more should have been worked in showing Dick actually becoming Robin and seeing him grow up, but sadly this episode doesn’t deliver on that, and nor do any subsequent episodes. Frankly, I think that’s a pity, and it would be nice if Warner Brothers and DC could put together a film or series set between this episode’s flashback and the present day of this show detailing the early years of this Robin. That aside, it’s a good part 2 episode, but the lack of young Robin moments means I can’t quite give it top marks. This time, it’s only 9 out of 10 that I’m prepared to bestow.

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wheelsupmealson · 3 years

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Meals On Wheels, Vol. 2: Bluff City, TN

Date: Friday, August 3, 2012 City: Bluff City, TN (164 miles away) Restaurant: Ridgwood BBQ

“Ridgewood barbecue is a delightful little hole in the mountain type of place. The fact that their two smokehouses often burn down twice a year only confirms the fact that when you put so much passion and smoke into your barbecue it’s bound to start an unquenchable fire. Indubitably some of the best barbecue I have ever had!” - Lindsey Newton

“Ridgewood BBQ hidden in the hills of Bluff City, Tennessee was full of character and friendly service. There is nothing fancy about Ridgewood, booth style seating overlooking the grill, simple menu, and candy bars available for purchase at the register for dessert. But when your BBQ tastes that good and the sauce drips off the customers fingers there is no need for anything else. As a northerner I don’t know much about BBQ but I can say the pork BBQ sandwich and the fresh cut fries were incredible. I would recommend Ridgewood to any BBQ lover, you will not be disappointed.” - Cherish Rush

“Ridge wood BBQ, nestled cozy in the side of a mountain is both delightful in atmosphere and character. Their wait staff's hearts are as tender as their pork and their smiles as warm as their fries. Overall a great dining establishment and as one local said "Porks good.” - Colleen Tunis

“Have mercy. The Original Ridgewood Barbecue lived up to the hype. Everything from its succulent BBQ sauce to its quant customer service was top notch. A must see in Bluff City.” - Kathleen Dunnam

“In Bluff City, TN, the Ridgewood Barbeque experience begins in the unassuming gravel parking lot, where the smells of the adjacent smokehouse fill the light mountain air. Inside the restaurant, unchanged from its opening in the 40s, you are treated to small family tables with true down-home service. While the sweet tea underwhelms, the blue cheese bowl (served with saltines, $4.95) and the BBQ pork platter (served with two rolls, french fries, and coleslaw, which I subbed for barbeque beans, $14.50) over-delivers in every way. The barbeque pork is impossibly and delightfully smokey, the sauce is divine (canned in pints for $6.25), the beans are deliciously sweetened, and the seasoned french fries are served in perfect thick cuts, well worth the trip to visit.” - Kyle Britt

“Ridgewood Barbecue was a quaint little smoke house nestled in the lush landscape of the Tennessee mountains. The pulled pork sandwich was the best I have had to date and came in a generous portion that filled me right up. Ridgewood Barbecue is definitely finger-lickin’ good! Make sure you get those extra napkins!” - Ryan Monette

“Their called the Smokey Mountains for a reason. As you drive the curving accent through the foggy hills of Tennessee you finally reach the top only to find… another mountain. Nestled in those mountains you will find the tastiest BBQ pork that can be smoked. The down home eatery boasts friendly staff and quick service. Though travelers may be leery of the aged facility, the nostalgic way of preparing their food is what makes this place worth a drive.” - Josh Eccher

“Nothing says Tennessee more than the original ridgewood barbecue. the pork and beans settle in just the way they should. I polished my meal off with their tall glass of iced tea.” - Alex Duncan

“People in Bluff City are some of the sweetest, down-home people I’ve met. Amazing food, amazing atmosphere. Loved bringing the Elevation way across state lines.” - Madison Coughlin

“My time at Ridgewood BBQ was truly a delight. We found it nestled on the side of a mountain in TN, but Ridgewood will forever be nestled in our hearts.” - Noah Edwards

“Step out of ordinary and into a tastebud wonderland. The journey to this little slice of heaven is nothing short of adventure as you are plunged into the windy mountainside roads of the Tennessee hills. Upon arrival to this tucked away mountain town, don’t be caught off guard by the welcoming smell of barbecue, but you’ve still got 3 more miles to go. Finally! Ridgewood BBQ appears as if old Man Mountain carved it out of the mountainside himself! And although the architecture seems a little less than ordinary, i assure you the food is a little more than heavenly. To conclude, get the BBQ Platter with the side of smoked beans. You will not be led astray.” - Josh Anderson

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bloodshedfalls · 7 years

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WINTER WONDERLAND

Much to the surprise of the entire residency of Red Creek, Christmas and New Year passed, it what can only be described as a thoroughly uneventful fashion. Though there were parties galore, and drama to be found around every turn, it was merely the kind of drama you’d expect to find around that time of year. There were family arguments over the dinner table, I mean sure - maybe not every family draw a shotgun on each other, but not everybody’s brother just found out he’s a werewolf. There were lovers tiffs at parties because it’s the worst feeling when you finally find your boyfriend in the crowd of people and he has someone else lipstick on his collar - or maybe it was blood? There were missing people reports, robberies and a few reports of burnt Christmas puddings and broken hearts on New Years Eve, but nobody died - well, almost nobody, Mean Old Man Herbert finally whispered one final ‘Stay off my lawn’ before passing away peacefully in his sleep at the beginning of the coldest winter Red Creek has witnessed in a hundred years; but look on the bright side, Kids are now free to play on his lawn without fear!

Speaking of the coldest winter in a hundred years, the snow storms of Red Creek did not cease over the holiday period, much the opposite - to the dismay of the entire town who found it harder and harder to go about their day to day lives as the snow piled up around them. Eventually, the roads out of town became too treacherous to drive on, leaving residents trapped yet again, but if only they’d known that was far from the worst to come. Weeks passed and the town eventually ran out of salt to grit the roads and the sidewalks, people gave up shoveling their paths, many even gave up trying to leave the house entirely. The town came to a standstill, yet the storm raged on. Situations hit a critical point earlier in the week when the entire town lost power, knocked out by the heavy snowfall - officials said nobody could get out to them to do repairs until the storm stopped, and the snow melted.

The Mayor and the Sheriff pooled together all available resources and split them across three locations around town that were known to have backup generators; the Hospital, the High School, and the Sheriff’s Department. Word was sent out that those that were still able should make their way to one of these three locations immediately, for shelter, food, and warmth. The residents made their way to the three safety points in dribs and drabs, some headed out immediately - wasting no time, not wanting to get stuck in their ice cold homes, others made their way a few days later as the temperature dropped below zero, and others had yet to be seen or heard of.

But with the winds picking up outside and the temperature continuing to drop, even those that had found sanctuary with the generators were beginning to feel the cold. The town found themselves huddling together freezing, wondering if this storm would ever let up.

And then there were the rumors of a house, just off Main street, who’s lights were still on… another generator?

Welcome to January’s event - starting a little differently this time round, we’ll jump in mid-event, so to speak, in the midst of the action. Your characters will be at one of the three generator locations, and will be listed below. Please try to interact with as many new characters that you might not have spoken to before during this time.

It should also be noted that some species will be effected by the cold more so that others:

Tetra’s will deteriorate quickly, they cannot rely on frozen water and the drop in temperature will have dried out all moisture in the air.

Reapers will also find themselves in a worse condition, due to already running at a lower than average temperature, they will be the first to suffer not to mention that they are still a mortal creature.

All other mortal creatures that run at a normal temperature (Human, Witch, Banshee, Hunter, Imps and Shapeshifters) will be effected by the cold, but less rapidly.

Werewolves and Phoenixes naturally run at a higher temperature and therefore will find they can withstand the cold for longer than most.

Vampires are immortal, and though they cold cannot kill them, and will effect them slower, they will start to deteriorate.

Ghosts have no physical body and are therefore unaffected by the cold.

Also please note that not everyone would have heard the rumor about the house with the lights on to start with, a search party will be chosen later in the event (by the admins) to go and check it out. Please feel free to message us if you are interested in being involved.

The event will start 17/01/17 @ 11:59PM GMT and end on 21/01/17 @ 11:59PM GMT

Remember, put a hold on all pre event threads, you may pick them up again once the event has finished. Also remember the three starter rule still applies, so once there are three starters posted for each group you must answer them before posting your own! Tag starters with: bloodshedstarter & your character’s location. Also make sure to run any major plots by the main for admin approval. But most importantly, HAVE FUN!

HIGH SCHOOL

Lyra Carmikael

Jericho Kane

Fletcher Swan

Eleanor Drake

Dominic Willingham

Gabriel Westwood

Wisteria Fontaine

Finley Darius

Giana St James

Caitlyn Thompson

Mercedes Peltier

Kayleigh Fairmont

Nolan Chase

Catherine Hamilton

Diana Vaughn

Sarah Davis

Vincent Petrov

Ripley Kincaid

Dawn Cassidy

Matilda Hunt

Kirsten Lawe

Liam Stephens

Logan Marshall

Sawyer King

Jack Dawson

Harlow Halliday

Ace Doherty

Leslie Murray

Victoria Kyle

Heath Lllewellyn

Sesha Kaur

Alexander Dragov

Shelby Fontaine

Seth Talbot

Rory Talbot

Ronan Carmikael

Kara Michaels

Dora Saint Claire

Aemilia Carmikael

Ryan Darius

Lucas Astor

Jaxon Dubois

Francesca Mendoza

Joslyn Curie

Christian Donovan

SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT

Jordan Darius

Kenzie Hale

Levi Fairchild

Noah Carmikael

Brooke Marshall

Owen Hurst

Eli Livingston

Mathias Roux

Tate Emerson

Tanner Ayers

Elizabeth Blackwood

Carter Kane

Matthew Peterson

Emma Teague

Adrian Chevalier

Mace Wyler

Cornelius Lindstrom

Lenore Dauphine

Laurent Bernard

Cameron Jackson

Faye Archer

Bonnie Dragov

Clark Roschell

Felix Marius

Quinn Stephens

Allison Gilbert

Thalia Levesque

Agneis Amell

Djohariah Olvera

Clarice Dagny

Temperance Goldthwaite

Jonah Burke

Benjamin Knight

Aurelia Winters

Wyatt Talbot

Cassidy Talbot

Micah Carmikael

Hope Cress

Tripp Blais

Keaton Baird

Nico Oron

Rhaella Colwyn

Carmen Exposita

HOSPITAL

Jonathan Drake

Bishop Danes

Maddox Chase

Thea King-Roschell

Christopher Talbot

Grace Sheridan

Ophelia Jermaine

Andrew Stephens

Rowan Harrison

William Adler

Rosalina Sanchez

Damien Hunt

Dawson Wooddruff

Lara Talbot

Brandon Rutherford

Caleb Marshall

Otis DeMarco

Lexa Reznik

Savannah Fontaine

Alice Roschell

Ruaraidh Vasile

Simone Artois

Ransome Gullage

Desmond Vaughn

Brennan Talbot

Devlin Clary

Jace Walsh

Anastasia Johnson

Jasmine Turner

Josephine Clover

Kaz Vietteleva

Aurora Blake

Dominique Demorian

Murphy Halloran

Jamie Knight

Wren Fontaine

Zeke Callen

Asher Carmikael

Remi Carmikael

Nora Cress

Lyssa Deveraux

Rose Beck

Kevin Tenniel

Byron Verlaine

Ezra Lin

Garen Turner

#bloodshedevent #winter wonderland

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