PART 1: HERO
"Go, Max, I can't do this much longer."
I stared at him, agonised, clinging to him for dear life. "No, I won't leave you. We go together or not at all."
He smiled sadly. "Not this time."
One. Glitch
Gotham 8:00AM
Act normal. Don't stand out. You belong here. I chanted as I entered the sterile foyer, dressed like some fresh-eyed intern, clutching at my forged ID. It was a good forgery, the kind so good it even fooled scanners. Still, as I strode up to the security check point and set my bags on the scanner, I held her breath, forcing a smile. Steeling my spine I stepped through, waiting for the scanner to start wailing, lights to flash madly, police bursting from the shadows.
But nothing happened. The guard looked at me impatiently, glaring faintly until I tapped my ID on the panel where my bags fed out and hurried off with the bags. I went over to the front desk, where a pretty young receptionist smiled breezily as I approached.
"Hello, how can I help you?"
I set my introduction letters on the desk – fakes, naturally. "Hi, I'm Meghan Willoughby. I'm here for the assistant interviews."
"Of course. You're an hour early, though," commented the receptionist. "You can go up and wait in the upstairs lounge – it's on the sixteenth floor, just outside the elevator. You can't miss it."
"Are you sure? I only left early you see because I was worried I'd get stuck in traffic. I don't want to get anyone in trouble," I said nervously – in the back of my mind I wondered if it was too much.
The receptionist laughed. "Oh, don't worry. Just head up."
"Thank you so much. My feet are killing me," I gushed, gathering up the paperwork. With a final smile I stepped away and strode over to the elevator.
I almost felt bad for fooling her – almost.
As instructed I took the elevator up to the sixteenth floor, listening to the crappy music idly, drumming my fingers against the folder tucked under my arm. I glanced up at the digital display, at the rising numbers, stopping at sixteen with a cheery ding. The doors whirred open.
I eyed the lounge room warily to see if anyone was there. Thankfully, it was empty, as was much of the floor as I strode through, looking like I knew what I was doing – like I worked there. If anyone asked I already had several stories ready, each ready for a different type of person.
Following the layout in my mind I stopped at a security door, locked by a number panel. The first layer. Glancing around I saw I was alone and so I set my palm over the panel, closing my eyes. In my mind I saw the millions of layers of code, the numbers forming an order that to me, and machine alike, made sense. I willed the door to open, infusing new lines of code until I heard the door whir open. Opening my eyes I hurried through, then closed it shut behind me, removing the code I'd slipped in. Deleting all traces of my intrusion. It was like I never even existed at all.
I followed the white-lit hall, flanked by doors leading off to a variety of rooms – none of which were important to me. At the end I reached another elevator, which was secured by both a code and thumb scanner. Again, it posed no challenge and in a flash I was through. There was only one destination I could go. One button to push. After several bated breaths the elevator moved, though for scarcely very long, opening into a lab.
Full of computers, as well as medical equipment I didn't recognise, it was everything I'd hoped it was. State of the art, the best of the best. I strode over to the nearest desk and sat down before an enormous computer screen, plugging in a thumb drive as everything fired up. Once the screen flickered to life I made quick work of their security and was in in a flash, the thumb drive opened and ready to go. The program I'd made up slipped into the computer, a fox on the trail of a chicken. Bit by bit it sniffed out the information I needed; files on interesting people, laboratory locations, along with some other curious information.
When it finally downloaded I set off a small virus, something to erase my tracks, then delete itself. It wasn't one hundred percent fool proof and someone utterly exception would be able to dig around and see that something had been tampered. However, there was not enough left to be traced to be – and I didn't even exist in any real data base, not for a long time. To the real world I was dead, killed by a tragic accident long ago.
I slipped the thumb drive back into my bag, hiding it in a secret compartment of my compact. Nano tech sealed it, making it impossible for anyone but me to open it up and get the drive. Even if scanned it would read harmless. A handy little piece of tech I'd nicked ages ago.
Careful to wipe down any surfaces I touched I made my retreat, tracing my steps carefully until I was safely back on the sixteenth floor. I approached the normal elevator just as it opened, several prospective assistants spilling out, all dressed impeccably. One girl glanced at me as I slipped past them into the elevator, dismissing me as someone called to her. The doors closed behind me and I was on my way down.
Out in the foyer I strode past the receptionist, who shot me a curious look. Likely she wondered why I was leaving so early but she didn't call out. I made it through security easy enough, wasting no times grabbing my stuff and striding through the front doors. Something caught my eye – a flash of movement across the street - and I walked straight into someone.
I would've stumbled back – or hit the ground – but firm hands grabbed me, saving me from whatever disaster loomed. Blinking several times I looked up, right into a pair of dark blue eyes and a surprisingly attractive face. Unfortunately, I knew who he was and stepped back hastily. Richard bloody Grayson, adopted son of Bruce Wayne.
"Uh, sorry for that. I got distracted," I said, already trying to move away.
"Hey, wait!" He made a step towards me. "You don't have to run off. Can I buy you coffee as an apology?"
I frowned. "But I walked into you?"
To my surprise – and perhaps irritation – he grinned, then rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, but I was kind of blocking the way. It's not really your fault."
Thinking about the thumb drive and the contents I knew I had to get away. "It's okay – really. Listen, I'm in a bit of a hurry. So I have to go. It was nice meeting you Mr Greyson."
Stunned, he didn't stop me as I stepped around him and hurried away. It was only when I was twenty or so metres away I heard him call out.
"I didn't get your name."
I turned around and smiled. "That's because I didn't give it."
A security breach? Stretched out in the bat cave – the owner of said cave out in a meeting with the League – Dick browsed the information he'd nabbed from the computers at Wayne Tech. It wasn't much. Whoever had done it was exceptionally clever. Loops had been placed on all the security cameras on the sixteenth floor and the doors had shown signs of tampering, yet nothing to help him identify the thief.
He sighed and leaned back, glaring at the screen. Dead end after dead end. Part of him deliberated going to the League. As good as he was there were people who had gifts, and some generally better with computers. People who could help. But doing that early on seemed to be admitting defeat. Besides, there seemed to be something intimate about finding this thief – a game had been started and he was determined to win.
After a couple more hours he siphoned off the information onto a thumb drive. He'd continue after he had a decent night's sleep back at Bludhaven. There, he'd use his computers. That, and there were some dubious hackers in the city who might have some answers – or know something about a mysterious hacker.
He got up, sliding the thumb drive into his jacket pocket, when the back entrance hummed open. It was Alfred's stooped frame that came down softly down the steps. As usual Alfred noticed him the second he'd entered and, at the bottom, looked up with a warm, grandfatherly smile.
"Master Dick, Bruce did not mention you were visiting," commented Alfred with a knowing look. "Did you find what you were after?"
Dick shook his head. "No luck. Don't suppose you can avoid telling Bruce about me coming here?"
"I never saw you," replied Alfred and, as Dick made his way over to his bike, called out once more. "Do ensure you have breakfast – you are starting to waste away."
As he rode through Gotham, winding through the thick traffic amongst the labyrinth of concrete buildings, he found his mind shifting back to the girl at Wayne Tech. She'd stood out. Even in the usual business black skirt and white blouse she didn't strike him as the usual assistant type – or even the business type. There was an edge to her. As she'd walked away she'd kept glancing around, like she was expecting to be followed. Was she the hacker? The timing of her departure fitted but maybe it was the Batman in him thinking. Hundreds of employers slipped in and out of the company every day, dozens at any one moment. The timing with her was perfect but he recalled a dozen others who left at the same time, seconds apart. Any one of them could've been the hacker. Heck, the true thief might not have even used the front door – there was at least four other exits, one of which was renowned for glitch cameras. They could've slipped out there.
Too many questions, too few answers. He banked down Vozmer St, downtown Gotham. A dozen or so seedy clubs, most of which were owned by the shifting crime mobs that flittered in and out of Gotham. Part of him was looking for a fight, something to distract him for a moment. If Bruce knew what he was doing he'd get a lecture about recklessness, or something about stupidity.
Stopping at a red light he was lost in his own thoughts when he saw a girl stumble out of a bar, completely drunk. Followed closely by two guys – no good intentions as they stalked her. He quietly edged the bike over to the side of the road, then leapt off. Just as he did one of the guys grabbed the girl – she let out a scream, then a string of curses. He burst into a sprint, tearing into the alley just as one guy crumpled to the ground. The other one was on his knees, a gun pointed at his head.
"Benny said I was free to go – I don't remember his words being kill me," she spat – the same girl from Wayne Tech, dressed a lot more comfortably all in black, a beanie drawn down over her thick black hair.
"You used him – boss don't like people using him," spat the kneeling man. "You won't get away with this. He'll find you."
For a second her eyes flickered up to Dick but she didn't seem surprised – or even afraid. The moment passed as she returned her cold gaze to the man and she smiled.
"I don't exist. He won't find me. He can't. And, if by some miracle, he does, he can't do anything – he won't. Now, I knew your boss would fail this little test, so let him know if he tries anything like this again he'll be broke so fast that he won't be able to even buy toilet paper to wipe his ass – got it?"
Before the man could speak she crashed the gun across his head, sending him crumpling to the ground. His chest moved faintly. Still breathing. Dick watched as she rummaged through each of their jackets, fishing out money, along with some other small items. When she was done she stood up and looked at him with a frown.
"What's a rich boy like you doing in a place like this?"
He stared at her. "I could ask the same of you. I mean I was going to-"
"Save me?" Her brow lifted, the corner of her lips twitching – damn, did she have to be hot? "That's heroic of you but I'm fine."
He smiled – a real smile. "I try. Now, should I be afraid of 'Benny's' friends coming out soon?"
A big smile stretched her lips. "No but you shouldn't stick around."
"I know a good diner nearby – it's open twenty four seven and it does a wicked chilly fries." He glanced at the men and knew he had to get her away, figure out what the hell she was wrapped up in – what was the chance after all of bumping into her twice in thirty hours?
She eyed him curiously. "You really are determined to get my name, aren't you? It is kind of creepy."
"And you strike me as a girl whom is capable of kicking my ass if I stepped out of line."
Gliding past him she slid the gun into her bag. At the end of the alley she turned around and smiled.
"It's Meghan."