Owner	Pose
Jinx	The Batcave's lights go out, as does the batcomputer. The backup generators fail to kick in. A stillness comes over the cave. Not a single alarm goes off, not even the mechanical ones. This should be impossible. Very impossible. Even the magical alarms should have triggered by now. Especially when a burst of blue energy dumps out one previously most wanted - Jinx. Sorceress, ex-leader of the Fearsome Five and now Titan initiate trying to turn her life around. That little deal was put together by Wayne Corp lawyers at the request of Dick Grayson. She hits the stone floors hard and lets out an 'oof' "What the fuck!?" She jumps up with fists raised ready for a fight as she spins around in the darkness. "... huh?" The vocal tones are unmistakably confused. Whatever is happening is not the sorceress's fault. "Illuminate," she says in her confuddled British accent. Pink flame leaps from one palm to the other brightening the immediate area around her.
Bruce Wayne	Already on the move the moment something is amiss, the Dark Knight is already on the scene by the time the blue light appears. A frown creases his complexion, although it lightens a bit once he realizes that she is likely not the perpetrator, but the victim. Nonetheless, this must be handled with tact. If she progresses much further beyond this chamber, she will see far more than Bruce Wayne is comfortable with. As soon as the light hits the area, a dark shadow descends upon it. Cape flapping in the air of descent, that familiar gravely voice speaks before the figure stands to face Jinx. "You should not be here."
Jinx	Jinx feels her heart nearly jump out of her chest as she comes face to face with The Batman. "Fuuuuccccccdge..." Her eyes wide she shakes her hands and the flame goes out sending them back in to darkness. "Not a problem. I'll be on my way then. Fuck this shit." Sure, she's on the Titans roster but the last thing she wants to do is come face to face with the Dark Knight. Her arms erupt with pink energy and she begins to motion in a circle, a gesture made familiar to many by Doctor Strange and several other sorcerers. The air ripples and a circle of pink flame begins to burn through it - but then goes out. "Hah.." She clears her throat and rolls back her shoulders, "Just.. give me one sec. I'm normally better at this." Awkward to fail in front of the scariest man in Gotham. She tries to swirl open a portal once more but again it fails. "That's.. strange." One more strange thing to add to the list. Now her curiosity gets the better of her and she turns around slowly trying to figure out just where she is. "I take it you didn't teleport me here then?" she quizzes the.. wait, where'd he go? Her eyes are adjusting to the light. Is that the outline of Batman there? There is another crackle of blue energy and from it steps a man at least 15 feet tall. His blue skin is clothed in a semi-transparent robe. It's hard to miss the absolute mass of muscle this man carries. Carved in to his skin are magical runes and connected to his robe are gizmos, alien in origin, of which it is impossible to tell. "That would be me. The Apex Predator." His voice booms. A sinister smirk upon his features as the area is bathed in blue light. There's something unsettling about this man because it feels like Jinx and Batman know him. Yet, they definitely do not. Yet there's that feeling of dejavu that simply won't quit.
Bruce Wayne	Patiently, Batman watches as Jinx attempts to extricate herself from his home. His lips twist in dissatisfaction at each failed effort. "No." He could elaborate, explain how he lacks the ability to teleport anyone as much as he lacks the desire for company. But word economy is one of his strong suits. That is perhaps how he got to be so rich. With the arrival of the newcomer, however, he is already in motion, leaping out of the range of the light, and treading back into the shadows. He has enough sense to know that the new arrival is the source of Jinx's troubles. Which have now become his troubles. And the Dark Knight does not like trouble.
Jinx	"Don't be shy Batman," says the giant blue man. "I know everything about you both. I have fought you endlessly. Eons. Again and again I have brought your world to ash yet you two are always the last ones standing." Jinx is backing up herself. The last time a blue person attacked her it was an undead djinn. Things did not go well. "You wot?" is her response to this opening stance from the scary looking man. "This," he states and takes a device off his wrist and drops it on the ground, "Is my time machine." He stomps on it shattering the alien technology in to countless pieces. "I did not come to this world to be defeated but you Earthlings are resilient." He points a finger in to the shadows at Batman, "You are relentless and you," he points to Jinx, "Are improbable." His eyes narrow and then he drops down to one knee. He still towers over Jinx like this but is more Batman's height. "Every time I would conquer this world one of you would end me. My technology would reset the timeline. Once more we would battle. Sometimes I would kill one of you, or both of you, or neither. But even if I did kill you your traps would get me in the end." He laughs a bellow that sends shivers down Jinx's spine. She doesn't feel like she could defeat this alien man. No, she feels like he could squash the both of them right here and now. "You must be off your rocker mate. We ain't met before."
Bruce Wayne	Batman is, sadly, no stranger to this sort of thing. He has known Mongul, the warrior from another world who always seeks to best Superman. Despero, another who would try the Justice League. Time loops as well, although usually there is a Flash or two to blame for those. So for him, this seems just as plausible as the alternative. Which means that the course of action is clear - defeat him, as he and Jinx have allegedly done in the past, without either of them dying. "Sounds like we tired him out." He moves swiftly in the shadows, hoping that the blue figure will focus on the location of his voice, and not where he is moving to.
Jinx	The man doesn't even move as Batman goes to action. He has likely heard this before. He has likely given this introduction before. Jinx is starting to realise just how futile this battle must be yet apparently they always win? .. Batman sure that makes sense. But her??! "Don't bother Batman. I already know every move you're going to make. This scenario has played out many times before. You attack. I kill you. Jinx flees. Jinx resurrects you. I kill Jinx. You inject yourself with Superwoman's Kryptonian DNA virus. I kill you with Kryptonite. Jinx somehow is still alive and resurrects you. It is an endless cycle. One which, in this scenario you are about to take, approximately seven months." Jinx raises up her hands as her pink magic leaps across her arms. She may not understand how she is being buddy-copped with Batman but she sure as heck isn't going to give up. "And you Jinx, don't bother. You try to teleport the stone walls inside me, but you haven't unlocked your true potential yet. You lose an arm. Batman rescues you. I kill Batman's family to draw him out of hiding. He does not come. I kill the Justice League. He does not come. You confront me and I kill you. He confronts me and we battle to the death." Slowly the large blue man starts to take off more of his gear and crush it under foot. "I am as prepared as any one can be to conquer this world and yet. Today. This is my last trip. I am defeated. I am no longer the Apex Predator. That title now belongs to one of you. You will fight each other to the death to determine once and for all who will take my place."
Bruce Wayne	That was not a development that Batman was expecting. He chuckles softly in the shadows. "That is not exactly a contest I would win," he says. Perhaps the Apex Predator is not familiar with his stance on killing. "Perhaps you can simply go on your way. Neither Jinx nor I will tell anyone of your failures." Is Batman playing a dangerous game? Or is he intentionally goading on the alien. Who is to say. What he _is_ doing is manuevering around again, with clear intention of placing Jinx between he and the Predator.
Jinx	Jinx stares with slack jaw at what she's hearing. Battle Batman to become the Apex Predator? "... are you mental. I'm not picking a fight with Batman." Though immediately there is some part of her that starts to wonder, given what he's been saying she'd do in these different time line scenarios. Could she beat Batman? She shakes her head. No, that's an intrusive and dangerous thought. "Yeah. What Batman said. Fuck right off." The alien pauses looking at Jinx and then over Jinx's shoulder toward Batman. He can see the dark knight. Nothing about this seems like a fair fight. "I had expected you might say that. In one timeline Jinx is the one who kills your Bat family, Batman. And in another, Batman, you lose faith in yourself and trade Jinx's life for that of Earth's people." A small smirk on his blue lips as he finishes destroying his technologies. "Very well then. One final battle." He charges toward Jinx. Her immediately reaction conjures up a magical shield which the big blue alien barrels in to and Jinx tumbles backwards violently.
Bruce Wayne	The attempts to stir Batman by talking of alternate realities that went poorly has no effect on the Dark Knight. If the Scarecrow or Joker cannot make him break, this blue battler has no hope of it. But it _does_ give him some pause to believe whether or not the story has some truth to it. As Jinx tumbles backwards he manifests from the shadow, a steadying arm moving to her back as he leans in to murmur to her. He is not sure if she has studied illusionism or mentalism, but the name he says as she drifts by is evocative enough, if she knows it - a mentalist who could reduce his own pulse to nothing and pass for dead. Hopefully, she gets the message, as he himself leaps out of the path of the alien.
Jinx	Mentalism no. Illusion yes. More than once Jinx has made false duplicates of herself so her enemy doesn't know where to truly strike. It has come in handy oh so many times. Perhaps this was how things were meant to play out in the eyes of this Apex Predator - Batman heroically moves in the way and villainous Jinx takes her rightful place as the supreme Apex Predator to end all predators. But her heart isn't there any more. She's discovered what it means to have family that cares about her. And while she's struggling to get over her toxic behaviour and be a genuine attribute to the Titans team they still persist in supporting her. It boggles the mind how much empathy some of the Titans have. And so she narrows her eyes and lets her lips twitch up in to an all too familiar wicked smile as the Dark Knight rushes past her. That pink energy forms in to a blade - oh how happy Harley would be to know Jinx has figured out how to make magical weaponry - and she stabs it through the heart of her saviour. The magical whips through Bruce's body. It tingles. But it certainly does not pierce and wound him. She makes a show of it as she wraps her arm about the front of his body and hugs him from the back whispering in to his artificial bat ear. "You shouldn't have turned your back on me Bats. Too bad you're the only one who now knows I'm playing the Titans in the long game. And you'll never be able to warn any of your friends." Her feet are bare and she is in touch with the stone ground of this cave. She can feel it, Earth, her power source, rushing through her. And so she works her magi deeply. The blade retracts and blood spills from the Big Bad Bat's chest. "A shame no one will ever believe that I'm the one who killed Batman." The Apex Predator stops. His fist bigger than Batman's head lowers and he smiles. "Good. GOOD.. you are the true worthy successor Jinx. Stubborn as each other, you wield mysteries even I could never truly unravel. You are the new Apex Predator."
Bruce Wayne	For all that the Batman is a formidable fighter and a peak athlete, the tricks at his disposal from years of training are far what separates him from so many others who have pushed the limits of their bodies to the breaking point and beyond. He makes a good show of trying to spin away, but there is a gasp followed by a soft wheeze as the illusionary blade pierces him. He offers no final words, just an expression of shock on his face, as he lets his body start to go limp in Jinx's embrace. As his "blood" spills, he starts moving through the routine. Shallowing his breathing, and after a brief surge that accompanied the "pain" of the wound, his pulse begins to slow. Until finally he is merely hanging from Jinx, devoid of signs of life.
Jinx	The Apex Predator kneels down before the seemingly lifeless Batman and he dips his head, "You were a formidable foe. Your death is an honourable one." Rising back up he simply nods to Jinx. "May we never cross paths again - Apex Predator." With a burst of blue light the alien is gone. Jinx gives way - Batman is heavy. Not just the man but the equipment and the suit and also Jinx isn't exactly one to commit to leg day. She's a runner not a lifter. She flops backwards. "One more second of that and the jig would have been up!" Sprawled on the stone floor she stares up in to the inky darkness and laughs. "Fuck! No one is going to believe this shit. Hell I don't believe this shit. What -was- that??!"
Bruce Wayne	It takes a few moments for the Dark Knight to response. Reversing the course of stillness, getting his bearings back. Taking that first breath. Perhaps just long enough that Jinx might actually begin to wonder if she has slain Batman after all. "I thought he was /your/ friend," he replies, as he slowly starts to stand fully again, glancing around in the darkness as if he can see through the shadows. "If he has been doing this for months, he had more patience than most. But not more than us."
Jinx	Jinx wraps her fingertips against her tummy and then sits up and peers at Batman. This is not what she thought the Dark Knight would be. All scary voice and scary darkness. "Hah no way. Harley Quinn is my friend. Donna Troy is my friend. Hawkeye, the Titan one, is my friend. And several more. But a big blue alien ranting about time travel loops and genocide? nooo way." She slowly pulls herself back up and then twists her lips in thought. "Yeah nah. I better not push my luck with you eh." Still, compared to Constantine, Jinx is a pleasant experience. She tries once more to burn a portal through the air and this time it alights - straight back in to the living room of the Titans Tower. Batman can hear the backup generators go 'clunk' as they start to kick in. Jinx pauses as the lights flicker on and she sees a whole array of different Batman suits lining the walls. "Whoa..."
Bruce Wayne	"Odd that we share the same friends, and this is our first meeting." Is that a quirk of a smile on the lips below the mask and cowl? He looks through the portal and spots a familiar sight, nodding briefly. "There was no luck involved. Just skill and strategy." As the lights come back on, Batman does not turn his head or react in any way, simply watches Jinx as she reacts. "Don't make a habit of dropping in."
Jinx	Jinx laughs a little nervously at his last little quip about not dropping in. Wherever this place is. She expects somewhere in or near Gotham City. Otherwise how else could Batman get everywhere so fast. Unless teleporters. May be teleporters. She finger guns the Dark Knight and steps backwards through the portal. It disappears in to darkness as the pink magic fades with it. Jinx surveys the remains of her pasta - rudely left to fall all over the couch and floor when she was swept away by the insane alien and his quest to prove who had the biggest.. ahem. She considers some magic to solve the problem.. then shrugs.. "Eh. Caitlin will clean it up."