Arkham Risings
New World Arc
Ch.2: Threat
[Gotham City, New Jersey]
[September 11, 09:12:01]
Jade Nguyen walked down the sidewalk with her hands deeply buried in her coat pockets. Her hat did its job at shielding her face from wandering eyes while her baggy pants concealed her sai perfectly. Her body felt completely fine. Her mind, however, was deeply troubled. The League of Assassins was currently under the management of one Hugo Strange who gave them mandatory evaluations. During said evaluations, Jade learned- or rather relived- the simple fact that she did not trust men in general. She had, as Hugo pointed out, "daddy issues" that complicated her life with the so-called "poster boy" of the League. Sadly it was true. There was something about Jake that changed that Jade could not quite put her finger on though she knew she did not like it. Or rather, she did not trust it.
It made her angry. Why did he constantly make her do things like this? She was completely happy living an unhappy life. Going through her days knowing not to get her hopes up and that rain was essential for life, even if people preferred sunny days. But Jake was someone who made her question if there was such a thing as happiness and if so is she living that now?
Hardly.
She entered the building and walked up a flight of stairs quickly. She ignored the people in the hallway before coming to a door and knocking. She waited patiently while stuffing her hands back into her coat pockets.
The door opened and she eyed the one person she wanted to see in times such as these.
"Jade?" Paula Crock questions as she sees her daughter. "What are you doing here?"
"Can I come inside?" Seeing her mother frown at her attitude, the young woman sighs. "Please Mom?"
The older woman wheels backwards and allows her eldest daughter to enter. Jade closes the door behind her and locks it. Meanwhile Mrs. Crock had maneuvered to the couch where she puts herself back in the seat she was in before Jade arrived.
"What's the matter?" Jade didn't eye her mother, simply removing her coat and hat. "Jade."
"It's Jake." Mrs. Crock was a bit stunned at the words.
"Jake? Honey, I know it hurts but Jake-"
"He's alive Mom." Jade interrupts. "He's alive and well." Mrs. Crock looks surprised. "Don't worry about telling Artemis. I'm sure she already knows."
"Jade," Mrs. Crock begins. "I'm… How?"
"I don't know." says the assassin. "He says something about a spell. Magic." Jade walks over and takes a seat beside her mother. "But there's something wrong now…"
"Are you pregnant?"
"No!" Jade couldn't believe that her mother would even assume such a thing. "No, I'm not pregnant. And the problem isn't me. It's him."
The former Huntress gives her daughter a questioning look. There were things that she had come to know about Jake Wilson. He had some sort of charm that appeal to both of her daughters. And apparently he was as good of a thief as his father was at assassinating. The only true problem Paula had with Jake was his relationship with her daughters. She was okay with him dating Artemis. She was okay with him dating Jade. But she couldn't agree with him dating them both at the same time.
"He's changed. He's changed me." Mrs. Crock blinked at her daughter's words.
"Jade, I don't understand…"
"It's complicated."
Jade left it at that. She somehow felt a little better just by saying what she had. But she knew that in order for her to get that full satisfaction of killing again, she would have to get it all off of her chest.
"I don't hate him Mom. I want to. But I don't. I can't." Jade said, choosing her words carefully. "He reminds me of Lawrence so much. Always pushing me away and then blaming me for it. And then when I think he's gone for good, he's there. Just there." Jade looks at her mother. "I want to be able to rip his balls off for making me think he was dead. But at the same time… I don't. Why?"
Mrs. Crock was at a loss for words. When Artemis actually cried about her ex-boyfriend's death, there was only grief and regret. There was some anger towards the Team and a little jealousy towards Jade but mostly grief that he was gone and regret that she had not caught him. Yet, she cried and that was what Paula was worried about. Would Artemis cry or would she just do what she and Jade always did and kept it within. Now here was Jade having similar- and yet different at the same time- problems. Jade couldn't bring herself to just say that she cared for the young man but she was dropping hints that she did.
"Jade, what do you mean he's changed you?" Mrs. Crock pried.
Jade huffed much like her teenage self had looked at the ceiling.
"Let's see," Jade said. "Well for starters I'm still with him. Like with him. I don't date. I…" Jade stopped herself. "I don't date. And here I am, the faithful girlfriend. Sort of."
"Sort of?"
"Don't worry about it." It was the first time that Mrs. Crock actually heard the Cheshire in Jade's voice and thought that she was making some progress. "Anyway, I'm the girlfriend. I'm his girlfriend. And I don't like that. I don't want to be that. I want to be who I was before him."
"Then why not just leave him?" The question was one that seemingly pissed Jade off and she quickly stood up.
"Don't you think I thought of that?!" Jade argued. "I can't! He's… Me. He is me. A half of me. He's my partner and on suicide missions that we take… I like to know that he's there. But I don't want to like him there. I want to like solo missions that I had. I want-"
"You mean you want to run around and kill people without any care like you once did?"
"Exactly!" Jade said.
Mrs. Crock let out a long quiet breath.
"Jade, I think you're in love." Jade's jaw drop as if she hadn't thought of that before. In truth, she debated it. Hugo didn't say anything about it and everyone else just leaves her relationship alone. But here was her mom unveiling the truth she had been too afraid to hear. "It's nothing wrong with it."
"Yes it is." Jade seethed. "Because he's in love with Artemis."
For Paula, it was like attending the boy's funeral all over again. The students that actually came and spoke all commented on how her youngest daughter and the thief were nearly inseparable. Sure they didn't have any classes together but that did not stop them from simply finding one another in the hallway. It kind of reminded her of a certain person who always seemed to know where she was, which is why moving seemed pointless.
But this wasn't Jake and Artemis that she should be thinking about. Artemis was happy with Wally. This was Jake and Jade, the daughter who only found happiness whenever a mission went well and she got paid. When Jade had confided in her mother about her relationship with the former Red X years ago, safe to say Paula was not amused by it. And that was putting it mildly. Yet it was clear that Jade cared for him, and to some extent, he cared for her as well.
A fight between Red X and Artemis was a testament to his care for Cheshire.
"Where did this come from?" Mrs. Crock asked as she momentarily gave up trying to find the right words to say.
"Therapy."
In another world, this would be hilarious. Jade Nguyen had to go to couple's therapy? The same girl who claimed that "love was for suckers" and that she would never be caught dead lying on the proverbial therapist's couch. However, here she was, being counseled by her mother of all people on relationships.
"My boss left town and put this psychiatrist in charge. He wanted to make sure that we were all mentally prepared for the worst if it should happen." Jade expounded. "I felt so stupid just sitting there. I couldn't kill him like I wanted but… God, I wanted to. I craved to do it."
"Because he made you realize that you love Jake and he loves Artemis?" Mrs. Crock assumed correctly. Jade flinches before nodding. Three years ago she watched her sister and their common interest talking on the fire escape and for the first time grew jealous of her sister. Now those feelings were resurfacing tenfold.
"And now I have to find some way to make it like it used to be." Jade comments. "I want it where we can go out and do what we wanted without checking in on each other or-"
"What's that?" Jade turned to the TV to see a news broadcast on. She reached for the remote and turned it up for her mother.
"A series of terrorist attacks occurred all over the world. The six known bombings include one in Russia, Germany, the U.K, off the coast of Australia, Congo, and Brazil." G. Godfrey Gordon announced. "The monster behind these attacks has been identified as the self-proclaimed Sensei. We will now show you a clip that was sent to the White House earlier this morning."
Jade found herself sitting back down as she saw an aged man seated in a chair, his long black hair and beard were spotted with aged gray hairs. There was writing on the wall behind him in Arabic, a writing Jade could not read.
"Citizens of the world," The man began his speech. "For months you have heard of a 'monstrosity' terrorizing the world. I promise you that these acts are nothing more than a warning. A warning of what's to come! You know who I am. I am the Ghost. I am the Leviathan. I am the Mandarin. I am the Master Terrorist. I am Sensei!"
Jade frowned. She had heard of that name somewhere before.
"My goal is simple. I don't want your money. I don't want your women. I don't want your children. I was your ultimate surrender or your bodies skewered at my feet." Sensei said. "Your wars have gone on for far too long. It has bored me. So now I give you this ultimatum: Surrender now or face your imminent doom." The man paused and strokes his beard. "I have men and women that are my eyes and ears all around the world. And not just in your governments. Not just in Parliament. Not just in the CIA. I have them in al-Qaeda. I have them in Boko Haram. The Ku Klux Klan, the Crips, the Bloods, Falcone Family, Sensei sees and owns them all!"
"No way…" Jade found herself muttering.
"On Christmas Day I will destroy all of you who have not surrendered. I will force your very foundation to quake at my will and there isn't a thing your kings, your queens, your presidents, your heroes can do about it." Sensei said. "The world will rue the day it turned its back on the Teacher of All… Me!"
With that, the feed ended and Jade looked to see her mother's grim face. She actually recalls this face from her childhood, back when Paula was still Huntress. It was the look that told Jade that whatever happened next was not going to be favorable but necessary.
"Call your sister."
And there it was.
[Sherman Apartments: Bludhaven, New Jersey]
[September 11, 09:24:20 EST]
It was the first time in Dick's life that he actually agreed with Godfrey on anything. This Sensei character needs to be stopped. It brought Dick back to New Year's Eve when he faced Vandal Savage alone in the Monitor Room of the Watchtower. That was one of the scariest moments in the young man's life and now it was happening all over again.
Inhaling, Dick took in the morning air of the city. Despite what some people say about Bludhaven, it felt like home to Dick. In two measly months he has found Bludhaven as much of his home as he did Gotham or Jump City. And now he sat on the roof amidst in front of the garden placed there and attempted to make heads or tails of the information he received last night.
First, another body of the Swan Killer was found, though this victim had been dead for days. He had a description of the man now, but there were tons of men that fit that bill in Bludhaven, more outside. Tracing this guy would probably require a team effort and unfortunately, Nightwing was a part of no such thing.
Then there was Blockbuster. Dick, on duty as an officer, busted two more of Blockbuster's men trafficking weapons at the docks. Neither of the two men revealed the true identity of their boss- as expected- and it was rumored the Blockbuster still got a shipment of guns in under the city's nose. Dick had to learn all of Blockbuster's spots before he could get a real lead. And he knew that being Nightwing would do that for him.
Next on his mind was Anarky. He didn't know much of the guy other than he popped up on the web or TV hating large corporations. Dick could only imagine how Bruce must feel about the guy. And while Anarky seems rather harmless at the moment, his followers were growing by the seconds. A person like that could turn a city against itself in a heartbeat, especially if the majority were Anarky supporters.
Finally there was Sensei. Nothing else was needed to be said. A man was bombing and murdering people all around the world for his ego. Dick assumed that Sensei was the Justice League's top priority at the moment and thus focused on the first two. However, he couldn't help but think that not even the Justice League would take Sensei down quietly.
"Ah, Mr. Grayson," Dick smiled a bit. Jonathan Law was an author who lived in the building below him. He was a nice old man- roughly twenty years Bruce's senior- who was kept active and fit while writing novels about the fictional hero, Tarantula. "Another hard night on the job?"
"Finding this Blockbuster is getting harder by the seconds." Dick answers as he turns his attention the man while remaining in his lotus position. "And you? Any new ideas for the next Tarantula book?"
"I have a few stories left in me." Mr. Law states. "Miss Flores has also agreed to give me some details of this Swan Killer so I could base a character off of him."
Dick's brows rise. "Oh really? I didn't think Kassidy had a single nice bone in her body."
"Miss Flores is a lovely lady. I think you're still sore that she won't go on a date with you." Dick shares a brief laugh with the man. He didn't necessarily have a need to date Kassidy, though he had learned a thing or two from his old nemesis Jake.
There was just some information that Dick Grayson could get that Nightwing could never learn.
"Have you tried talking to her without flirting?" Mr. Law continues.
"Every day," Dick answers. "I think it's just a fact that cops and FBI agents don't get along. It's just the way of the universe."
"That may also be a logical explanation." The older man said as Dick rose.
"I need to get out and do something. Sitting around the house never suited me." Dick said. He paused and looked at the other man who had also sat down with a pad and pencil in hand. "Say, how did you ever get the idea for your Tarantula stories? The main character… He seems life like."
"I was sitting at home one day in Manhattan and I so happened to look out the window and saw Wildcat in action," Mr. Law began. "I watched him defeat a group of thugs in roughly two minutes before hopping on his motorcycle and racing off. I then said to myself 'There's got to be somebody under the mask.' And thus, Tarantula was born."
"But," Dick says. "In your story, Tarantula sometimes breaks the law. I've only read the first book, but he robbed a number of people."
"My research led me all over New York City and eventually the U.S. I was obsessed with vigilantes, heroes and criminals alike." Mr. Law continues. "Even today I find them fascinating. My stories will probably be never as good as their tales, but I hope that whoever they are, they do like my stories. One in particular," Dick gives a confused face. "The mysterious Green Hornet. Some says he died years ago, a decade now. Some says that he retired and is just living in some rundown motel. And the rest claims he is still saving the day with his trusted partner. Do you know I actually saw him leaving one day?"
"Really?" Dick asked.
Mr. Law nods. "Oh yes. I was in Detroit and the year was nineteen sixty-eight. I was a twenty-three year old boy with dreams of writing the world's first vigilante novel and I was more than determined to find the Green Hornet." Mr. Law pauses and hums in thought. "It was roughly five months after I had begun my passion to write about a vigilante, Wildcat being my first subject. As you can assume, finding someone who has never done an interview was hard. And yet, one night while wandering the streets, I saw the Black Beauty speed by me." Mr. Law grins. "It had to be the longest five seconds in my life but I saw them. Kato driving. Hornet's green hat next to him. I felt like the luckiest man on the planet."
"So what did you do?" Dick questioned.
"I called my parents." Dick laughed at the response. "They told me that I was hallucinating, that I was drunk. Seeing the Green Hornet was pretty rare doing those times. But I sat back and begun to write about what I saw. I wrote how it made me feel. And after months of running around and spotting more vigilantes, I finally had Tarantula, the evasive hero."
"I wish I had your luck." Dick comments. "Finding this Blockbuster guy is making me do overtime!"
"With all due respect," Mr. Law responds. "But I'm sure Nightwing will find him a lot sooner than you, Mr. Grayson." Dick frowns. "He has already proven to be quite the detective. I say, give him some time."
"If I ever meet him, I'll tell him you're his biggest fan." Dick said.
"I'm sure you will."
Dick enters the stairwell with a small frown. If by some chance that the old man living in his apartment discovered who he was while he had to tell Barbara, then maybe he was losing his touch. Then again, how could he? Dick didn't change in broad daylight. Mr. Law would have to have some hidden camera somewhere and Dick highly doubted the man did.
That was almost as absurd as Batman laughing at a Joker gag.
[Over California]
[September 11, 06:46:55 PST]
Fatigue was starting to settle in on them. Jake could hear Ra's patience thinning whenever Talia asked him a question, and for her part, Talia's patience was thinning as well. In a twist of events, it was Nyssa who was the calmest out of all of them. Ubu was paranoid. Talia was anxious. Ra's was simply tired. And Jake was… Well he was annoyed. He was annoyed with Ubu thinking that every plane on radar was going to shoot them down. He was tired of watching Talia smooth her blade on her legs while asking how or when they would take Sensei down. He was annoyed with Ra's answering Talia while obviously wanting her to shut up. But mostly, he was annoyed that he had to be here in the first place.
He had powered Ben down for the moment, his black sleeveless top revealing part of the seal on his upper back while displaying his muscular growth. Meanwhile his black pants held his treasured escrima sticks, weapons he had not used in a while now. Every now and again, he curled and clenched his toes inside of his boots and relaxed them to keep his feet from falling asleep. He didn't trust an anxious and eager Talia. It was simply scary to see the normally calm woman like this.
"Stop that." Jake was also tapping his finger against the armrest and that was apparently annoying Talia.
Jake looked at the woman. "Or?"
"Don't push me." Talia threatened.
Jake doesn't push. He wanted to. But now was not the time. His body was beginning to show the effects of exhaustion while traveling through multiple time zones. The last time he had been asleep was before they left for the trip and he was currently using his symbiotic bond with Ben to maintain the balance necessary for a healthy assassin life. Currently Ben was replacing his need for sleep and food as Jake was both tired and hungry. He just hopes Jade didn't clean his refrigerator out while he was gone.
"We have a drone in sight." Nyssa announced. "Ubu, take control. I'll take it down."
"Don't miss." Talia remarks as Nyssa walks by.
"Don't worry," Jake watches as Nyssa uncovers a rocket launcher. "I won't."
Jake sat quietly. At first, he was joking when he said that the al Ghul sisters had a fetish for weapons. But considering that Nyssa had brought everything from a rocket launcher to a bamboo staff, it was pretty clear that he wasn't stretching the truth much. He idly wondered how she even put half of it on the plane.
"No weapons fetish my ass." Jake said a bit too loud as Talia hears and sends him another warning glance, though she did not have a full comeback. Nyssa did love using weapon of all shapes and sizes.
"Jake," Ra's said. "Take Talia and dispose of the helicopters behind us."
"How do you know that there are helicopters?" Jake asks as Nyssa leans out of the open door, the wind throwing his words behind him.
"Because," Once more, Ra's voice did not rise though it somehow carried over the roaring winds. "I know my father."
"And he wants to kill you because you kicked him out of your group…?" Jake said before laughing. "And people have the nerve to say I have daddy issues."
"Your issue isn't with Deathstroke, it's with yourself." Ra's, again, calmly points out. "You're so caught up in trying to deny that you are indeed every bit of the assassin Deathstroke is that you tend to lash out on people who remind you of the fact. People such as Dick Grayson who told you how alike you and Deathstroke are. My daughters and Strange are on that list."
"There's more to it." Jake replies.
"Not much," Ra's responds bluntly. "The simple fact that you wish to avenge your mother's death by killing the person or people behind it proves that you have the mentality. You're just stubborn."
"I pick that up from my teachers." Jake shoots back.
"True, but all of your teachers had at least five people on their killed list before they taught you. And that's including your mother." Jake only sits back, knowing Ra's was telling the truth. Everyone who has trained him had taken a life before he even knew them, some for the sake of their country or beliefs and others just for the pay.
"Damn," Nyssa voices. "We have two copters heading our way. Sharp-shooters ready to take us out in any second."
Jake sighs heavily, his suit activating.
"Come on Boss Lady. Time to get this show on the road." Jake said as he stood up.
Talia lifted a brow. "And how do you plan on doing this?"
"You know me, I don't plan anything through. That's your job." Jake said. Talia gives her father a glance out of the corner of her eyes. "Hey, if you or your trigger happy sister were born a boy, none of this would even be happening."
"He's right." Ra's points out with his eyes closed.
Talia rises. "I will reprimand you for that later. For now, don't drop me."
"Wow. It's like you're in my head." Jake said as he turned around so his back was to her. "Face away from me and walk until we're back-to-back. It'll make this a whole lot easier."
Doing as he said, Talia held a hand out. As the robotic legs strapped her to Jake, Nyssa tossed Talia a pistol.
"Be safe sister. With the nephew of Deadpool being your guide, I can only imagine the agony you're about to face. Maybe even death." Nyssa said.
"Don't get your hopes up." Talia said as Jake walks to the door next to Nyssa. "Let's go Jake."
Jake took in a deep breath before leaping towards the two pursuing helicopters. In the back of his mind, he knew how stupid this plan was. If he missed he would surely die. There was nothing beneath him but trees and rooftops signaling nothing to land on. Even with Ben this was risky. But those thoughts went away when he fired a web and it stuck to the bottom of one of the choppers.
"Hang on!" Jake called over the roaring winds as he pulled the two towards it.
Talia had to admit that this was quite exhilarating. She could see why the young man who normally pleasured himself with stupid stunts like this would love it so much. Being somewhat of an immortal the thoughts of dying rarely crossed Talia's mind and when it did it normally got a reaction out of her. This time that reaction was exhilaration.
"Are you ready?" Jake asked as the two hung beneath the bottom of one helicopter. Talia cocked the pistol in hand, ready to shoot the first clear shot she had. "You're only going to get about ten seconds. Make them count."
"Do your job and I'll do mine." Talia shot back.
As Jake dangled the two beneath the helicopter, he counted down in his head as he began kicking his feet. Soon the Black Spider swung himself and Talia in side of the helicopter and spun. It seemed to happen in slow motion as Talia's body was turned to see the two men on board, one with a rifle the other piloting the aircraft. With four shots she took them both out before she felt her body being tugged hard. Apparently Jake had latched onto the second helicopter with a web and quickly pulled them towards it. In the midst of the pull, Jake tucks his body in and flips, giving Talia- who was upside down at the time- the shot she needs to take out the other pair in the second helicopter. This time it only took two shots.
"They're down!" Talia calls before Jake finishes the flip and pulls them onto the second helicopter.
"See," Jake said as he releases the woman. "That wasn't so bad."
Talia does not respond, throwing the dead pilot out of the helicopter while Jake knocks the dead gunman out as well. She was not used to twirling and flipping in mid-air while shooting. When she started training, stunts like that were really too dangerous to even attempt during training, let alone while actually on duty. The fact that Jake was not a born acrobat also impressed her. These were skills that he had to learn and now possess skills like a natural-born professional.
"I take it that you've done that before." Talia said as she begins to pilot the helicopter.
Jake laughs as he sits next to her, his suit receding.
"Not at all. Thought that one of the blades would catch us." Jake chuckles before pausing and smiling. "Good thing that went well, huh?"
Talia was angry. No, she was pissed. The boy had simply risked both of their lives without any real plan or foundation. He just simply did it. And she, so enraptured with the feeling of flying, went along with it thinking that he had.
"Go to Star City," Jake instructs.
"Why?" Talia asked.
"We'll take a Cross Enterprise plane to Gotham. Something tells me that your grandfather will want to know what happen to the four men he sent to kill us." Jake answers. "One helicopter disappears while the second one-" Jake is interrupted by the explosion of the first helicopter crashing into the ground below. "Well the other one was found in pieces."
Despite herself, Talia agreed. The plane that her father was on was not armed and she worried if he would make the trip back safely. But she knew that Ubu was there and Nyssa was more than willing to protect their father if needed be. Ra's would be safe. Talia piloting a helicopter her grandfather owned would not, especially with who was acting on a whim like Jake was.
"I'll radio Father and Nyssa to tell them the plan." Talia said before eying Jake. "Tell me that this isn't some part of a scheme of yours."
Jake's playful demeanor disappears and the thief merely eyes Talia.
"I won't even lie to you," Jake said. "This will hurt a lot worse when you wake up."
There were certain things that Talia learned right then and there as the thin needle stabbed her into her neck. Jake was a skilled acrobat. Sensei was tracking them far better than he ever had. And that Jake Cross was indeed the spawn of Slade Wilson.
At least, she thought as she succumbed to the darkness, he doesn't kill.
Yet.
[Star City, California]
[September 11, 07:23:22 PST]
The Black Spider lands on the corner of a rooftop in a crouched position. With Talia currently safe at a nearby hotel, Jake was free to do what he wanted to do. Firstly, his attention was drawn to a certain armored truck that carried a certain computer chip that he was interested in. Said truck had a large TYGER logo on it, making Jake sure that the chip he wanted was either on the truck or could be located with the aid of the truck.
What was the chip?
Jake needed to learn more about these exobytes and what they are capable of. If what Lex and Wintergreen said were true, then those small devices could potentially have the DNA samples of everyone Jake has faced and then some. Jake could destroy them and stop this cloning project once and for all.
Or he could use them to upgrade Ben so that Ben could tell Jake specifically tell who the danger was. And as selfish as that was, that is exactly what Jake wanted to do. Find these exobytes and then upgrade his tech.
"Little Miss Truckin', eating a muffin, driving my goal and pay," Jake rhymed. "Along comes the Spider, to frighten the driver, and take the info away."
"How long did it take to come up with that one?" Ben asked as Jake leapt into the air, preparing a swing after the truck.
"Five minutes ago." Jake said swinging above traffic.
"Aren't you worried about the Anarky followers? They are quite volatile."
"Not necessarily. I should be able to just take out this truck driver and be back before Talia wakes up." Jake says. "Seriously, I've done these sorts of things before you, I can surely do them with you."
"Might I remind you that you are still in need of sleep? Your body won't be able to take a strong blow to the head." Ben warned.
"I'll be fine." Jake said landing on the truck.
The words couldn't be further from the truth. Even seasoned assassins and heroes needed their sleep. The fact that Jake little sleep and less to eat in the past twenty-four hours only tortured his body more and more as the minutes rolled by. He knew he shouldn't be attempted to rob an armored truck in the middle of day, but he had to move fast.
"Let's see," Jake said using his infrared vision to see inside. "Five bodies. Two in the front. Three in the back. One hotter than normal. One colder." Jake sighs as he closes his eyes. He soon formulated a plan and opened his eyes. "Let's do this."
Jake crawled on the side of the truck, sticking to the driver's side easily. He held out his right index finger, pointing to the rear tire beneath him. A small red laser shot forward, popping the tire instantly. The truck swerved as Jake soon popped the front tire as well. He felt the truck rock and leapt off before more damage could be done to him.
The truck slid on its side for a few feet, stopping in the middle of traffic. Jake, now resting on a street light, looked down at the wreck with a small sigh. He was not in any mood to fight yet saw no other choice.
The passenger door opened and Jake could feel his body tingling with warning. Before the man could even crawl out and fire, Jake had hopped out of harm's way. Jake kept a steady eye on the shooter before Ben warned him of the back doors opening. The third TYGER guard (the only one in the back with normal body heat readings) rolls out with a rifle of his own. Knowing better than to attempt to dodge shots from two rifles, Jake releases a smoke screen before camouflaging himself.
"Night-vision on." One of the men ordered.
Jake fired a web at the lone man in the back, yanking him across the street and safely through the stopped cars. With a swift forearm to the man's incoming jaw and then a subsequent punch to the face, Jake successfully downed the guard. He webs the man into a black cocoon before having to flip out of the way of more oncoming shots.
Retreating to a building behind him, Jake eyed the confused men. Their night-vision could not see him so long as Ben kept his body temperature low enough. Normally that would not affect him in the least bit but now it was sincerely killing him. The lack of food, the lack of sleep, the crossing of time zones, the stress of the job, and now his body temperature dropping was something he could not deal with at once.
"Got to end this fast." Jake murmured before leaping onto another street light.
Jake looked at the last two men as they circled the truck. He wanted this to be done quickly and swiftly. With one heavy leap, Jake measured his strike perfectly.
Firing a web at one of the guards, Jake pulled himself downwards onto the guard. His feet nearly stomped the man's face into the street though Jake knew not to overdo it in fear of killing said man. Before the last remaining guard could respond, Jake fired a line at him which sent a shock through the man's body. As soon as he dropped, Jake webbed up the two guards before ending his camouflaging mechanism.
"That seemed easy enough." Jake said to himself as he walked to the roof of the truck. The four two robotic legs shot out and locked onto the truck before slowly flipping it right-side up. "There…"
"The strain on your body is growing. Grab the chip and head back." Ben warned.
Jake remained quiet as the legs retracted and he moved to the back of the truck. He could already hear the nearing police sirens and realized that this too way longer than he wanted. However, inside of the truck piqued his interest. Apparently the TYGER men were transporting two people within cylinder containers. The first one was clearly a cryogenic chamber, keeping whoever at the lowest temperatures possible while the second one appeared to be all metal with small holes on the front.
Going to the colder container first, Jake gripped the sides of it before ripping the door open. His heart rate seemed to be climbing higher from such an easy task and he realized that the suit was borrowing more energy from him than he expected.
"You…" Jake eyed the young man inside and stepped away so he could be released. "What are you here for? Here to kill me too? Is that it?!"
Jake shook his head. "No." Jake then pointed behind him. "You can leave. But hurry."
Icicle Jr. nods a bit. "I'll remember this. Thank you."
Jake simply gives a small nod of his head and allows the other thief to leave. Despite the fact that they were opponents three years ago (unbeknownst to Icicle Jr.), Jake held no ill-will towards the man. He soon turns to the other container and sighs. Searching around, he finds that this one was locked thoroughly and he would have to use his body's remaining energy and the suit's to open it.
The four legs shot out from behind him quickly and gripped the container. The container was ripped in half almost instantly before a fist buries itself in Jake's face, knocking him backwards. The thief's back dented the wall before falling onto his knees, staring at the person responsible. Revealing himself, he muttered two words before his world went black.
"Nice shot…"
The other person gasps as Jake's body falls lifelessly onto the ground.
"Jake… Jake!" Starfire gasps before grabbing him. Pulling him up into her arms she began to float. "Don't worry Friend Jake, you're safe."
And with that she flew off to get her injured friend help.
[Bludhaven, New Jersey]
[September 11, 11:10:25 EST]
Batman rarely came out during the day, or so that's what the rumors say. That's why criminals treaded lightly during the night- fear of running into the Dark Knight. But here in Bludhaven Nightwing did not have said rumor following him around. Nightwing appeared and vanished whenever he pleased and thus put fear in criminals around the clock.
Those that knew of him, that is.
Currently the masked vigilante was watching over Kassidy Flores as the FBI agent was wandering the streets. He knew she was up to something, possibly a new lead, and he wanted to know where said lead went to. He could have made himself known to her, but where was the fun in that? Sneaking up on people is what made being Robin enjoyable.
Kassidy turns down into an alley where she was greeted by five thugs
"Well, well, well," A rather large man- the largest of the group- said as he and the four others surround Kassidy. "If it isn't Agent Flores."
"How do you know me?" Kassidy asked as she reaches for her gun.
"Your brother has made more enemies than you know as the DA." The man said. "You could say that a lot of people want him dead. But not before we send him a message."
"You're petty low-lives who think they can intimidate others to get through life." Kassidy stated. "Leave me alone and you may get off easy."
"Oh-ho-ho! Such big words for a small, fragile, lady." Nightwing sneers at the man's words. "You think that because you're now working with the feds that we have to fear you? Well the way I see it, it's one of you and five of us. You don't stand a chance."
Those odds did not play in Kassidy's favor at all, Dick ponders as he rolls a smoke pellet between his fingers. A part of him wanted to see what kind of training Kassidy had considering she has threatened him plenty of times when they met. But the more rational side told him not to even take said chance and he found himself hurling the sphere towards the ground.
Kassidy gasps as the smoke cloud erupts around her, blanketing the area in a thick haze. She covered her mouth and coughed a bit, unable to see clearly what was going on. She could hear grunts and howls of pain, but saw nothing. Eventually the smoke cleared and she was able to see the large bald man that was once taunting her, cowering in fear as Nightwing stood over him.
"P-Please! I'll give you anything you want!" Nightwing smirks at the man's words.
"Such small words from such a big greasy guy." Nightwing remarked. "How do you want him Agent Flores?"
"Conscious long enough to tell me about Blockbuster." Kassidy says as she nears them, ignoring the unconscious men around her. "Where is your boss?"
"I don't know! I swear!" The man pleaded. "He just calls us when he needs us! And he won't need us for long!"
"Why is that?" Nightwing questioned.
"Heard he's hiring someone to take you out." Nightwing's eyes narrowed, almost perfecting his father's glare.
"Who?" Nightwing asked.
"Deadpool."
Nightwing heard the audible breath of shock from Kassidy and crossed his arms. He did not know a lot about Deadpool, other than someone attempted to recreate the Deathstroke serum and failed miserably. While they gave the guy- who coincidentally is Jake's uncle- tremendous rejuvenation and enhanced his abilities, his sanity was lost to the chemicals. From what Dick knew from Bruce and Artemis, the guy could take a shot to the head and sit up like nothing happened.
Meanwhile, Kassidy had heard more of the suicidal assassin. He was commonly referred to as the "Merc with the Mouth" within the office as a joke and warning. Deadpool, born Wade Wilson, was the younger brother of Slade Wilson, Deathstroke. The two had similarities, but Deadpool's mouth was always a dead giveaway on who he really was. But his jokes were not to be taken lightly. Deadpool has been labeled unstable and practically Arkham approved. His fighting style was unorthodox as he really did not have to worry about dying. Hell, he was the only person to repeatedly do a suicide bombing, succeed, and walk away.
"Good," Nightwing finally said. "Now you get to take a nap."
"Wha-" Was all the man got out before a forearm from the vigilante rendered him unconscious.
"What are you going to do?" Kassidy's query forced a shrug out of the young man. "You don't know? The last thing we need is Deadpool running around here. He-"
"I know." Nightwing stopped the agent from saying anymore. "I'll have to call for backup…"
"Backup? What for? I'm-"
"Not trained." Again Kassidy was a little peeved about being interrupted but twice annoyed at the answer he gave her. "Profiling guys is just half of the job. You have to be able to physically catch them. Knowing what they are going to do is pointless if you're not fast enough to get out of the way."
"…" Kassidy realized that he had a point and whatever her response was quickly died in her throat. She then eyed the man tentatively. "Then… Could you train me?"
"What? No. You do not want to become what I am, trust me." Dick replied.
"I don't want to wear a mask and all of that," Kassidy says. "Just train me enough so whenever I get into these situations, I can better defend myself."
Dick's lips thinned in thought. It would be useful if he had sort of a Robin-like partner helping him. While not the size of Gotham, Bludhaven was still quite large and he could not be in two places at once. Having Kassidy, an FBI agent, taking down guys on one half while he took the other would have them finding Blockbuster twice as fast. They might even catch this Swan Killer.
Sighing, Dick ran a hand through his hair.
"Alright, alright," Nightwing spoke. "But here's the deal. When I call, you come. Got it?"
"How do you have-"
"I'm Nightwing. It's my job to know who I can trust." Nightwing answers the unasked question. He turns. "See you around."
Firing a grappling hook, the hero shot upwards onto the building to his immediate left. Kassidy watched with the smallest of smiles on her face. She had no intentions of becoming a vigilante but she knew that she could be twice- no three times- the agent if she had Nightwing's training. The power of stealth and the ability to know her enemies better than they knew themselves would come in handy.
And then there was her father…
[Mount Justice]
[September 11, 11:33:21 EST]
Mia followed Conner as they were about to be briefed for a mission. The watch/communicator that Jake had given her had been beeping every five minutes or so. She thought it needed a new battery due to the word "Low" being seen on the face. However charging it did not stop it from beeping and she could not get in touch with her new teacher.
"Alright," Conner spoke. "We're all here."
Mia looked around. This must have been a serious mission as she was there with two of the original members (Conner and M'gann), as well as Garth and Karen who were a part of the Teen Titans at some point. Tula, La'gaan, and Barbara were present as well, Kyle being the only new member with them.
Her attention then turned to Batman as he spoke.
"There has been reason to suspect that the new criminal known as Anarky is working with the Light," The Dark Knight explained as the masked criminal appeared on a screen behind him. "We have been monitoring several of Ocean Master's forces lining along the coast of California where you guys will be sent. Miss Martian, you and your team will be stationed in Star City undercover in one of Anarky's groups. Barbara, Karen, Mia, and Kyle will be with you."
Mia saw Miss Martian nod her head.
"Superboy, you and your team will be in Coast City. There is where we monitored some of Ocean Master's supporters. Your job is simple. Meet up with Kid Flash and Beast Boy and keep an eye on them." Batman stated. "Do not engage until the order is given. If the two are connected, then a premature battle will result in the lives of thousands of innocent civilians."
"We'll stay hidden until then." Conner assured.
"We are waiting for the Green Lanterns to return from Oa. Due to the former Titan Raven being incarcerated by the Guardians, Kyle is our only Green Lantern available." Batman continued.
"You don't sound happy." points out Barbara.
"Three Lanterns had to go because of one person? I won't hide my enthusiasm for Oa rules." Barbara found herself grinning at Batman's words. "Green Arrow and Artemis should be in Star City helping and there will be others stationed in Los Angeles, Jump City, and San Diego. As I said, the number of casualties could reach thousands if this goes wrong."
"Millions even." Superboy adds.
"We'll do our best." M'gann said. Conner turns to leave, only for M'gann's voice to catch him. "Be careful."
"I will Angelfish."
Mia's eyes go between the scowl on Conner's face and the brief peck exchanged between M'gann and La'gaan. At first, Mia thought that M'gann was speaking to her ex. But apparently La'gaan thought otherwise.
"Oh brother…" It was Superboy who voiced the others' obvious dislike for such PDA as he left the Mission Room.
Mia smirks at the comment before the beeping of her watch grabbed her attention.
"You may want to change batteries." Barbara tells the blonde.
"Yeah," Mia said. "I'll do that."
Mia escapes from the others right before Kyle can express his excitement for his first real mission with the "real Leaguers". She then began to shake her wrist in frustration.
"Why won't you stop beeping?" Mia whispers to the device as she heads for her room in the living quarters.
Her mind then remembered what Jake had taught her over the months. The device was supposed to keep her safe from imminent doom. His words were to "only twice the dial around the face clockwise in a dire situation". Being the good student that she was (most of the time), she had yet to do so as she has not been in said dire situation. But this beeping made it sound like she was.
"Maybe…" Mia says as she places her hand on the dial.
"Mia," M'gann called. "Are you ready?"
"No." Mia answers. "Give me a sec, okay?" Mia removes her hand from the watch. "Maybe later."
Whatever the safety mechanism on this watch was, it would have to wait until after the mission. Unless there was a "dire situation" that happened during the mission. Then she could use it then. Whatever it was.
[Gotham City, New Jersey]
[September 11, 12:04:46 EST]
Jade looked at the two men that were supposed to be her sparring partners with a sneer. She should kill them. She wanted to kill them. But she didn't. She just stood there with her arms crossed and face scrunched into a scowl. She despised weak men and hated them worse when they failed to give her the satisfaction that she rightfully deserved. She was looking for at least a decent fight and instead she got this.
Where the hell was Jake at?
"Bravo, Cheshire," Jade eyed Hugo Strange as he enters the room. "You are clearly underestimated by those who believe that they could take on such a lean and attractive female."
Jade frowns. "What do you want?"
"It seems as if you are needed." Hugo states. "On their return from the summit, Master and the others were attacked by the terrorist known as Sensei. Jake and Talia were ordered to fend off the attackers while Master escaped."
"And where are they now?" Jade asked.
"Master is still on his way back to Gotham. Jake and Talia are unaccounted for." Hugo answered. "Your job is to simply go to their last known location and see if they are either dead or alive."
"Send someone else." hisses the assassin.
"While Master is gone, I am in charge and I specifically want you to do this. With you treading on thin ice with the League of Assassins already, I presumed you'd do anything to get back in our good graces." Hugo spoke before sighing. "But then again, maybe you are right. Master does believe that Jake may have betrayed Talia. I may want to send someone there to do us all a favor and kill that annoying arachnid."
"Your stupid trick won't work." Jade snaps.
"It isn't a trick." responds Hugo. "For months Master has thought of Jake as someone who could double-cross the League. He did stick his neck out to save you after all. And let's not begin what he may do for your sister…" Hugo pauses when he sees Jade's brow twitch in irritation. "I understand if you believe that this is simply a ploy to get you to do my bidding. But I assure you, these were the Master's words. I personally would send someone like Deadshot to do so. We both know that he is only loyal to whoever pays him most and he has no strings attached to Jake. Maybe even your father… But then again, he would most likely come for Artemis's sake and not yours. In fact-"
"I'll go." Jade said.
"Good, you should leave now." Hugo spoke while walking away. "Oh, and on another note. If I get the okay to kill the Spider, kill him."
Jade watched one of her two sparring partners sit up.
"Don't worry," Hugo heard the man's neck snap between her words. "I just might do it anyway."
With a smirk the man left the training room. He was well aware of the phrase "an heir and a spare" and knew that he was indeed that "spare." Yet all he had to do was turn the world against Jake and soon the Spider would be killed once and for all. He would utilize Jade's jealousy of her sister, Nyssa obvious disdain, and Deadpool's insanity against Jake. In time, Jake Nathaniel Wilson will either be another patient of Strange or another body in the grave.
And he, Professor Hugo Strange, will then rule the world with Nyssa by his side in the image of the great Ra's al Ghul as the new and better Batman.
[Star City, California]
[September 11, 10:30:16 PST]
Talia sat up quickly on the bed. She looked around the hotel room for any signs of life. None. Her eyes then went to the walls and furniture around her. There were no signs of cameras or any other spying instruments in plain sight.
"Damn it Jake." Talia mutters as she puts a hand to her throbbing head. He hadn't been lying. Her head hurt worse than it did when he knocked her out.
Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, Talia sits with a minor headache and a thirst for revenge. It bothered her greatly that a kid like Jake has been able to beat her in combat physically and mentally. Her plans on finding Artemis and holding it over his head backfired the moment he threatened her life and told Bruce about it. Batman wouldn't let Talia anywhere near Artemis to prevent what Jake may or may not do to Talia. And if that was not bad enough, her father was beginning to trust the new Black Spider a lot more than he did Red X. Jake has proven that while he has no real interest in the new world order, he was at least loyal to Ra's. Not to the submissive extent that Hugo was at, but loyal enough to save the man from a crumbling building with the knowledge of the Lazarus Pits. Ubu or anyone else would have just revived Ra's later. Jake saved him.
Green eyes went to an armchair where she found all of her gear. Her sword, her knives, her gun, and her phone were all there. Extra ammo for said gun was there as well which made Talia grimace. Jake had to have thoroughly searched her person to have found everything. He had even removed her boots and left them near the bed just in case she had something hidden in there as well. A part of her could not really be angry that he took the extra mile of caution when going against her but it was the thought that he could have- and should have- seen more of her than she was willing to show. Where she puts her extra ammo was near a place that Talia did not let every man touch, let alone see.
Talia was seconds from standing up until she saw a small piece of paper beneath her pillow. She grabbed the note and read it to herself. Her father had called. Anarky was launching an attack. Jake went to steal something and he would be back later. Talia crumpled the paper and tossed it towards the small waste basket near the television stand.
He left to do a robbery…
Those thoughts did not soothe her head at all. Jake was too patient to knock her out for a few couple hundreds of thousands of dollars. And if it was something so important he would have just announced it to her father and left with or without Ra's approval. So what was it that had him take advantage of Sensei's attack and leave her unconscious?
Her phone rang and threw her thoughts out of the window. Rising on unsteady legs, Talia practically stumbles to the phone and answers it.
"Yes Father." she said after seeing his name on the ID.
"I take it that you two are alive. That is good." Ra's said. "Where is Jake?"
"I… I don't know." Talia answers. Saying that she lost track of the Heir of the Demon was equivalent of saying she lost a child she was babysitting.
"Find him." Ra's voice rose very little but the order was nowhere near suggestive. It was a thorough command. "I don't want Sensei finding him and kill him. Replacing Jake would be hard to do with the talent this world has to offer."
Talia bows her head instinctively. "Yes Father. I will find him as soon as I can."
"Make it sooner." Talia again bows despite Ra's nowhere in sight. "You need to find him and regroup. Anarky plans his strike tonight."
Talia bites back a groan. Dealing with a thief who apparently got too excited for his own good was one thing, but an adolescent with issues with the government was clearly out of her pay range.
"We will be back before the day is over." Talia said.
"Don't disappoint me again Talia. Losing Jake is something I would have guessed Nyssa would have intentionally done."
Talia was going to respond but the man hung up before she could. She ended the line on her end as well before huffing heavily. Her grandfather had attempted to kill them twice, her ward had somehow escaped from her watch, there was some teenager was using the internet to sucker people into doing his biddings, and now her father was comparing her to her younger sister.
She was going to kill Jake when she found him.
And then revive him with the Lazarus Pit before Ra's could find out.
She grabbed the two magazines that sat in the chair and unbuttoned her pants to put them where they once were, on the inside of her thighs. For Jake to even know where her extra ammo was made her a bit unnerved yet along how he got them. Once they were back in their respective holding places, she grabbed her combat knife, lifted her left pants leg, and placed it back in its sheath on her lower leg, right above her ankle. Once that was done, she rolled her pants leg down to hide it. Putting her gun in the holster on her left hip and her sword on her right, Talia pocketed her phone and moved for her boots. But before she could put them on, something crashed through the window, startling her.
Seeing what it was, she puts her gun back in its holster.
"It's just you." Talia said to Ben. "Where is Jake at?" The device made a beeping noise that she could not decipher. "Now I'm talking to you…"
Talia sits on the bed while putting her boots on, Ben going to the TV and sitting on it. She watched as the TV was turned on. Talia was stunned as she was watching a heist in progress. More importantly, said heist was in first person point-of-view. It didn't take her long to realize that this was Jake's perspective of the day. She watched the events from Jake's point-of-view before seeing the blow that knocked him out. After clearly seeing the alien known as Starfire, the screen goes black.
"So Starfire has Jake?" Again Ben makes a few beeping sounds. Talia sighs and rises. "Fine. Take me to him."
Ben scurries off of the TV towards Talia. Before she could move he had crawled up her back and latched onto her. Talia let out a loud gasp that borderline on screaming as she felt the small stinging pain that registered in her brain. It was as if every part of body began to ache at once. She got images of Jake battling people in a thick forest. She saw, or rather felt, him leaping off of a skyscraper in Tokyo. Her mind was almost flooded with Jake's memories until it abruptly stopped.
Opening her eyes, Talia looked down at her hands.
"You're kidding…" she said as she eyed her hands covered in the Black Spider suit.
"It's good to speak to you Talia." Talia flinched slightly. "Don't worry. I'm only here to guide you to Jake."
"Is he hurt?" Talia asked. The last thing she needed was for her father's precious protégé to be on his dying bed.
"He is hospitalized. Fatigue. Hunger. His training and anxiety has kept him from getting proper sleep and food." Ben explains. "The blow from Kori was bittersweet. While it rendered him unconscious, it did force him to go to sleep."
Despite herself, Talia smirks. "I think I'm going to like you."
"We should get to Jake. I've picked up movement throughout the entire city. Civilians with military weapons. Bombs and RPGs. The city is going into war." Ben announced.
"Anarky." Talia spoke as she neared the broken window.
"Yes. I fear that tonight will be one we will never forget." Talia looks at the streets below. "To swing is very easy. Aim for a building and give the mental command for a web to be fired. I will guide you along the way, warning you about swing height, speed, and other obstacles that may occur."
"Should I trust you?" Talia asked.
"You must remember that I am Jake's voice of reason. Had I not reminded him, he would have left you poisoned on the roof." Talia, remembering said event, only nods. "If you are afraid, try to keep a leveled eye, not looking up or down. Now that you and I are attached and the suit is activated, I should be able to guide you without a problem."
"Should be?"
"You are still susceptible to any heart problems due to the adrenaline and/or your own fears. Not to mention that due to our merge, the suit may push you further than your body and mind are supposed to go. Therefore, you could very well die on the journey without running into anyone."
Talia shivered a bit. She could feel the power of the suit running through her veins and realized why Jake liked it so much. But the risks that came with it, she had no idea how he managed to wear it near constantly. Then again, he did meditate a lot nowadays, trying to keep his mind in a neutral calm area. Talia predicted that Shiva's training is what allowed Jake to mute out all of his problems and achieve inner peace.
Until she remembered their talk atop of Cross Enterprises. He had inner demons and he was not too afraid to speak of them. Said rage and anger was seen when he drove a blade through Nyssa without a second thought.
"If you want to back down-" Ben never got to finish his sentence as Talia skillfully leaps out of the window. Raising her right arm, she shot a web to the closest building, beginning her swing. "Simple, yes?"
"We should hurry. Guide me to him." Talia spoke.
"You do know that you no longer have to communicate with me aloud right?" Ben's statement forces a scowl on Talia's face. "I'm just trying to make you look sane."
Talia doesn't respond as she feels her arms moving, Ben now completely controlling her arms. She could hear conversations that she normally would not. She could see distances that she normally could not. And every time her body hit the lowest part of her swings, she could feel the small tingling sensation that Jake had spoke about before. Nothing got by Ben as he allowed Talia to be aware of everything within certain vicinity.
All in all, Talia realized that being the Black Spider- or at least wearing the suit- was not half bad. She could see how someone could out maneuver Deathstroke in it or be able to make a monkey out of Monsieur Mallah. Though she could feel how the suit drew upon her own strength and guessed that she would only be able to wear it for a total of four hours without having to rest. The thought alone made her actually appreciate the endurance of the current Heir of the Demon.
Now if only she could get him out of town before Anarky struck would she be completely alright with this.
[Bludhaven, New Jersey]
[September 11, 16:28:06 EST]
"Alright, we're done for the day."
Those six words meant so much to the exhausted Kassidy Flores who nearly collapsed onto the warehouse floor. She had no clue where she was but assumed that it was somewhere within the city. Nightwing had blindfolded her before taking her to the place and only removed it once their sparring area was completely set up.
"Don't look so tired. We haven't even started really." Dick joke lightheartedly. Kassidy sent him a glare, one the masked vigilante brushed off. "What you just did is what I call warm-up. Within a week or two you'll be able to fly through those without trying."
She doubted that. Highly doubted that. Nightwing's "warm-ups" were like a gymnast's work-out. Kassidy had not done a successful standing back-flip in almost ten years and now Nightwing had her doing them in consecutive order. And that was literally the easy part of the training.
"You never answered my question," Kassidy said from her spot. "What made you want to become a vigilante?"
The question was one that Nightwing ignored on the drive to his warehouse and he had half the mind to ignore it again. But Agent Flores proved to be stubborn and would continue to ask until he told her.
"I wanted to be a hero." Nightwing half-lied. "Save those who normally didn't get saved. Stop the underground criminals from taking over."
He mentally added "And avenge my family" to that list but never voiced it.
"You seem-"
"Nightwing, come in." Dick was shocked when Bruce's- Batman's rather- voice boomed through his hideout and the masked man's face appeared on the large computer screen.
"What is it?" Despite this shock, Dick was far from letting their grudge go and returned with an uncaring tone.
"Anarky is planning a wide-scale attack. I need you here in Gotham."
"I can't. I'm working on something here in Bludhaven. Have someone else do it."
"This isn't the time for your grudge." Batman stated. "At approximately eight tonight, riots will break out across the entire U.S. He is making crime legal for the next twenty-four hours in an attempt to purge the country."
"He can't do that." Kassidy voiced. "If he does that then-"
"Every known criminal will most likely participate in this and I need help dealing with those that might attempt something here. It's been a while since the Joker has done anything and I'm betting that he will make an appearance during this purge." Batman said.
Nightwing glanced at Kassidy.
"Go," she said. "I can handle anything that Blockbuster might do."
"And the Swan Killer?" responds Dick. "What if makes a move tonight? I need to be here to stop him."
"Please, Nightwing, I'm asking you to be here and help me."
Dick stares at the screen. Batman never asked. He told. He demanded. He suggested. But he never asked. It made Dick realize that sometimes, Bruce Wayne could be the man behind the mask instead of the World's Greatest Detective. However, Cheshire and Black Spider were still out there and neither Batman nor Bruce had lifted a finger to get even for Jason's death.
"Sorry. I fly solo now." With that, Dick taps a button that renders the screen black. He looked at Kassidy's shocked face. "What?"
"You just hung up on the Batman. That's what." Kassidy said. "Nightwing, I can handle things here. You're needed elsewhere."
"I was needed elsewhere when…!" Dick paused and sighed. He almost let Jason's death slip out of his mouth. Kassidy did not need to know that. "Look, it's better if he and I don't partner up for a long time. So how about we prepare for this purge."
Kassidy nods. "I'm ready whenever you are."
"Good." Nightwing said revealing a blindfold. "Because I'm ready now."
Author's Notes: Here we are, the latest chapter of Arkham Rising. As heard, Anarky will be appearing next chapter which will be an all out fighting chapter with very little Jake Cross. Afterwards there will be a small time skip between the next chapter and the one after that. A lot of preparation happened in this chapter as the "purge" will ultimately end the lives of several people next chapter, one of which was in this chapter. On another note, the identity of Kassidy's father will be known by the end of the next chapter and in roughly two chapters the Deadpool vs. Nightwing bout. The Beast Boy showcase one-shot should be up by Friday (my job may have mandatory overtime in which it will be out Saturday morning) and the next Arkham Rising chapter should be out within two weeks or so. As always, leave a review or PM me for any questions, comments, or thoughts on the story and see you next time.