2015-02-18 The Hostage

"... received this video early this morning from an unknown source. Police officials have issued no comment regarding the video's authenticity, but private sources confirm that the woman in the video is Barbara Gordon, CEO of Clocktower Industries. We warn our viewers that the material in the video is extremely graphic."

The video begins, shaky and grainy, as if made with a handheld camera or a cell phone. The camera does a quick sweep upward, focusing on a young woman with red hair and librarian glasses. She's strapped to a chair, and looks as if she's had a pretty rough time. One of the eyes behind her glasses has been swollen almost shut, while her lower lip has been busted.

The camera also pans a bit to the left, showing for a brief moment the outline of Batgirl, who doesn't seem to be doing an awful lot to free the victim. Instead, she seems almost as if she's in a trance, staring forward blankly behind her featureless mask.

A deep, sinister voice can be heard, though the speaker doesn't appear onscreen. "Alright, Barbie. I think you've got it memorized this time. Tell the nice people at home what I told you to say."

Barbara Gordon lfts her head look into the camera, looking, well, defeated. Clearly her captor has not been kind to her. "My name... is Barbara Gordon, daughter of Gotham City's Police Commisioner..." Her hands twitch, a fidgeting motion that belies her true fear.

But that's not all. Hidden in the seemingly unconscious movement is a message for those who know the Batfamily's secret code. Keeping the motions hidden from the former Batgirl, Barbara relays crucial information to her allies. The mumber of targets in the building she's in. What floor she's on. The last message is a personal one - 'Secret Not Revealed'

"Do not send the police after me... Deathstroke will just kill all of them. I love you, Dad."

Toward the end of Barbara's speech, the camera begins to zoom in on her face. Eventually, it fills the entire screen, showing the pain she's gone through in gloriously grainy 480p. The masculine voice starts back up, sounding almost bored with the entire affair.

"I'm sure many of you at home are wondering why I'm doing this. To be honest, torturing this girl brought me no money, and very little enjoyment. But statistics show that advertisements are more effective when they include a pretty girl."

"What am I advertising, you ask? Let's call it a public service announcement. This city has been left to its own devices for far too long. Abandoned by the government. Ignored by SHIELD. Even the rodent-themed clowns who claim to protect the people of Bludhaven have failed. From now on, all of these groups have had their Bludhaven privileges revoked."

The voice drones on, slowly raising in intensity. "If I see a uniform, I'll burn the man wearing it. If I see anything that looks like a bat, I'll crucify it in the streets. What's happened to this unfortunate woman is just a show of good faith. The next person to cross me will get far worse."

The voice sounds positively manic at this point, raising nearly an entire octave and coming dangerously close to cracking. "I told you this day would come, Nightwing. Deathstroke's word is his bond, and I'm here to make good on my promise."

The video abruptly ends, and the anchorwoman's head fills the screen once again. "Still no word from Gotham police, though officials assure us that a statement from the Commissioner is forthcoming. Now we take you live to Jack Ryder. Tell us Jack, is this string of violent incidents in Bludhaven connected in any way to the recent increases in teenage marijuana use?"