Welcome back to Symbol of the Knight!!!

Last time Robin was pissed (very pissed) over the apparently heavy injuries of who he believed to be Barbara. However, when Barbara walks in the Cave, the Bats were startled to discover it wasn't she who was the wounded Batgirl. Rushing back to the Cave, they found...Artemis! So how did this happen? Chapter 1, here we come!!!



Chapter One- "Breakout"
 
 
Gotham City
22:35 EST, June 17,
Four Years after "Auld Acquaintance"
48 Hours Earlier
 
 
 
The cool rain turned to steam on the hot Gotham roofs. The night was dark and the faint  sound of thunder only increased the sense of dreariness and despair in the Black City. Batman was on the Watchtower, Robin was taking care of something in Crime Alley, and Batgirl was out of town.
 
So what was a cowled head doing on the roof of a Gotham apartment? Especially one with red hair?
 
Batgirl looked across the rain drenched city to the faint orange and white blur that ducked into an alleyway. A short, silent laugh rang out against the hard rain. Batgirl fired a grappling hook and swung into the alley.
 
"Joker."
 
The man in the clown paint turned around. It was indeed Batman's arch enemy. Still dressed in his prison garments from his break out of Arkham. He looked around quickly and picked up a pole.
 
"Now, now." Joker said. "Don't Du know better than to barge in on someone without knocking?"
 
Batgirl grinned and rapped her fist on the brick Wand three times. Each time a batarang extended into her palm.
 
"Honey, I'm home!" she called. She threw all three batarangs at the Joker. They exploded, throwing him into the Wand where he fell into a dumpster.
 
"Oohh.." Joker said, rubbing his head. "What a knock-out, honey. So no dessert? How about a game of whack a bat?"
 
Joker's enthusiasm jumped up as he leaped from the müllcontainer on his last three words and swung wildly at Batgirl.
 
The female dodged, performing several acrobatic stunts before landing on the feuer escape.
 
"Try again gras, grass for hair." she taunted, climbing up the feuer escape.
 
"That was a horrible joke!" Joker yelled, shuddering as the rain downpour continued.
 
Batgirl turned to reply and saw the crowbar flying towards her too quickly for a reaction. It hit her chest with a resounding "thump". She and the metal weapon fell to the Earth. Joker laughed loudly and picked up his crowbar.
 
"Oh it's been so long since a bat has been in this position." he said, cackling softly as he did. "But I think I still remember how to kill one of you."
 
Batgirl painfully pushed herself onto her hands and knees before the crowbar came in contact with her back and flattened her on the ground. Batgirl groaned and rolled over, trying to arch herself off the ground. She was too weak, and Joker's crowbar hit her again. He continued to hit the girl a few Mehr times.
 
"Well, I don't see any TNT..." Joker said.
 
"Why drag it out?" Batgirl groaned. "Too weak to finish it?"
 
"Since we're all so eager to get this over with...let's get this over with." Joker said. He grinned and picked up a pistol. "This is going to be fun." he said. He pointed the gun at Batgirl and fired a round right at her stomach. She lurched and groaned in pain, rolling over on the ground. Another shot rang out. Batgirl yelled as the bullet pierced her arm.
 
"You know what? I can't think of anything funny to say! Guess I'm outta jokes! But this last one will kill ya." Joker laughed maniacally and pulled a grenade out of his pocket. "Never hurts to leave Home prepared!" he pulled the pin out and dropped it on Batgirl. "Toodle-oo!"
 
Joker ran off as the grenade slowly ticked away on the defeated girl's chest.
 
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"You stupid, stupid, stupid girl." Robin said. He had flicked back the white glasses in his mask and was dabbing a cool washcloth on Artemis's forehead. "Why did Du do that?"
 
Barbara coughed. Robin looked up. "Babs, I didn't--"
 
"Stop. This is partially my fault." The red-head said, sitting on the bed. "Artemis always talked about being Batgirl and how cool it must be to mean something. I showed her how the suit worked a few times, thinking she was implementing it into hers. Now I see why she--why she was so insistent on looking at it."
 
"Barbara," Dick said, touching the girl's arm. "You didn't know she was that obsessed with being Batgirl. How could you?"
 
 
 
Check back Weiter Thursday for Chapter 2!!!