A/N: This took a few re-writes to get right, mainly because I've altered the final chapter (coming next.) The plans are laid, the time is just about here, and throughout it all there's tension because someone couldn't keep his dick in his pants. As a personal issue I have trouble writing race-related issues because race never bothered me, it's a bullshit excuse by people in power to keep people divided and I'll have none of it.

Redux 3: There Goes My Hero

"Hello North Jump, I'm Your Cherry Bomb…"

Chapter Nine:

February 13, 2011:

"For the record, I still don't know why Gar asked me to record this part of the report. Keeping track of events usually falls under Nightwing's expertise; I'm just the heavy muscle. Well, maybe I'm selling myself a little short; I'm the heavy hitter with a microprocessor for a brain. Still, he asked me to keep track of this part of his "campaign", I don't want to disappoint.

When the GPS records starting coming in on the morning of the 12th, Gar's eyes lit up like Christmas came ten months early. "Boredom" as he told me was his kryptonite or something to that effect. After four years it's good to know some things haven't entirely changed; he's still got that pedal-to-the-medal attitude, even if it's not directed at sleep or food anymore. The data we received would prove valuable in narrowing down his three friends' location, maybe even leading to "Daddy" Desade as he called him.

I don't want to sound like I'm not paying attention to the day's "activities" but something must have happened between Gar and Rose Desade at the concert because he's being more blunt, more icy in his attitude. I've known Garfield for eleven years now and I can say the only times he's in a foul mood like this is when something, or rather someone's fucked him over. I still don't know what happened between the two of them but it hasn't helped the vibe in the HIVE HQ, I'll tell you that much.

"Seems Rose doesn't mind the high gas prices in California."

Cyborg snaps out of his gaze for a moment, Gar's comment seems so unusual to his ears. "Because she's been all over North Jump City or because she's been out all day?"

"For a group of drug dealers trying to stay on the down-low, she's staying awfully visible."

Question puts a hand on Cyborg's shoulder for a moment, alluding to Gar's vague statements. "What our young vigilante is referring to is how she's stopping at gas stations, convenience stores, and quite a few houses. Why would someone who's trying not to be seen go out to so many public locations?"

"Could be running errands for "Daddy", maybe checking up on their soldiers?"

Gar rubs his chin lightly with his firm fingers, staring at the map, not a single glance cast towards Question or Cyborg. "Doubt they'd hide hostages in a 7-11."

"I don't understand something, Question: Why go through all the trouble of going into hiding if you're trying to show dominance in your city? Wouldn't the Desades be better off going on the offensive, chasing the Hoods into the shadows?"

"It would if they had the manpower… Perhaps Antoine Desade's holding back his forces, regrouping for some sort of counterattack…?"

Still staring, no change in his expression whatsoever, the Watchman mutters to himself. "She's been in Berkeley, the Port Authority…"

"You really think the Desades could mount a counterattack? From what everyone's told me the Desades been on the ropes ever since the first shot. If you don't count a few buildings taken out, the Desades have practically lost every engagement."

Nodding oh-so-lightly, Question wonders aloud again. "I wonder what sort of man Antoine is… Either he's incredibly patient or he's downright arrogant."

Stepping up from his seat, Gar finally enters the conversation. "He's both."

"How do you know that?"

Garfield doesn't hesitate to look Cyborg in his human eye. "I've met him in 2007. He's arrogant but he's intelligent. He probably knows our attack's coming."

"The Hoods have been silent since the cease fire. If he suspects an attack, he'll have to look across the Bay."

For a moment the Watchman looks as still and silent as a cemetery stone, still enough that both blink in surprise as Gar finally turns on a heel and moves for the exit stairwell.

"Where are you going?"

Snatching his trench coat from the coat hanger, Gar calls out "To see Bone. Come with me, Cy, it's time I introduced you to the Hoods."

"He definitely acted different after that concert, his voice sounded as cold as Raven's but without the usual hint of sarcasm or cynicism. Even after all these years, after all that time begging for a moped, he still hasn't learned to drive. That part shouldn't have surprised me; he did spend half of his time away from the Titans in prison so getting a license would have been a waste. It didn't make the car ride any less tense however; it was so thick you could cut it with your hand.

For most of the ride across the Bay he stared out the window, always keeping an eye towards North Jump. This wasn't the trickster I'd met in 2000, this wasn't the teenager that helped bring down The Brotherhood in 2006… this was someone completely different, a man in every detail. It's a shame, we've all grown up so fast that we hardly recognize each other: Gar with his holoring, looking like a white male and me with my holoring, just another black man in the City by the Bay

"How long's it been?"

We'd just gotten to the middle of the Bay Bridge when he popped that question on me. I wasn't sure what he meant but I had a feeling in the way his body language spoke. "Since what?"

"Since we last spent time together, just me and you."

My hunch was right but this wasn't the time for gloating. What this situation needed was patience, not a confrontation. "Too long."

"Yeah…"

If he was going to be a pain in my ass about it, I might as well drag him out of that melancholy of his. "What's on your mind, Gar, and don't tell me it's nothing. We both know something happened at that concert so don't tell me nothing's eatin' you up inside."

What he dropped on me next almost shocked me into crashing the vehicle. "Rose and I fucked in the bathroom of the Warfield."

Some cars behind me blasted their horns but my human mind didn't register a damn thing. "You WHAT?!"

"I had four-or-five too many shots of Jameson, she wanted to fuck. What was I supposed to do, blow my cover?"

Cold, that's an understatement. My friend of eleven years just told me he banged one of his biggest rivals' daughter and he says it as bluntly as if I asked if it were sunny out. "Still, god damn…"

"People don't trust you unless you have a little dirt. It doesn't help with the guilt, I'll tell you that."

"At least you feel a little guilty but guilty about what? Did you fuck her behind someone's back?" He didn't answer that want, probably didn't want to either. Gar just turned and looked back towards the bay, his brief window of conversation having passed as quickly as the years that separated us. "Nevermind, forget about it. You're right, you didn't want to blow your cover, even if it did mean fucking up. We'll drop it, alright? So, where to now?"

"Macie Street, your brain doesn't need directions."

"Bone, leader of the North Jump Hoods, this is my personal wrecking machine: Stone."

While Gar might have a few inches height over Cyborg, he still lacks in raw mass. And while Gar might be picked on for being the one token white man in the midst of a room full of gang-bangin' black men, there's little doubt that Stone will be anything but made fun of, especially with that ironclad stare of his.

"Hey."

Still impressed at the size of Stone, Bone asks Gar with a reserved grin on his face. "First you bring some tattooin' goth into my house and now a man who looks like a walking, talking tank… Watchman, no one can say you live a boring life."

"True. In the meantime, we have business to discuss."

"The trace you put on Rose Desade's car works?"

Sitting on the leather couch, Garfield inwardly sighs as the piece of furniture buckles under Cyborg's weight. "Yes, it works. We've been able to pinpoint her location over the past two days and so far we have quite a few promising locations."

"Good to hear." Sitting in his own chair by the glass table, Bone rubs his hands in anticipation. "That means we can finally get ready for the Port attack."

Pulling his trusty map out of his coat pocket, Garfield arranges the paper for the gathered to see. "Before we discuss that, there's something I'd like to show you. Some of my sources have located Desade strongholds in the warehousing district in lower North Jump, storehousings in Berkeley, and a few random locations throughout the North Jump city limits. Still the bulk of their forces are garrisoned at the Port Authority, presumably to protect their interests in the harbor."

"By bulk you mean…?"

"Given the size of the Port, they could have as many as a thousand but probably closer to six hundred or so."

Stone finally enters the discussion. "Six hundred? That's a LOT of security for one section of docks."

"That's because the majority of their drug shipments come through said docks, hence the heightened security."

Ignoring the glare between Bone and Stone, Gar continues his report. "Six hundred might sound like a lot, given our smaller numbers, but that in itself opens us up to other possibilities. With so many Desade soldiers guarding the port, the rest of their strongholds will have fewer numbers. Imagine how hard it'd be hiding five hundred gunmen in one container warehouse. I'm the certified nutcase and even I'm not crazy enough to attempt that."

Cyborg notices that Bone's men have a laugh at Gar's self-depreciating humor but Bone doesn't. For the Hood leader, the question of capability regarding six hundred men against his is deeply concerning. "We can field five hundred of our own crew, no more than that. Going up against a stronghold like the Port might be insanity, with or without the Illuminati's help."

Again Cyborg has to hold his tongue even as Jump City's largest metahuman group is brought into the fray. This wasn't part of the briefing he gave a few days ago…

"With your approval, I believe we have a chance at defeating the Desades before the cease fire expires. Any one have a beer, this could be awhile."

Bone cracks a laugh at that one, recalling with clarity "Shit, where's that skinny white boy at from a few years back, wouldn't even have a beer with me because he was lookin' for a drugged-up serial killer? Get this kid a beer."

Taking a can of some unknown alcoholic beverage, Gar begins with the plan:

"I know we've discussed hitting the Port Authority for some time but that was before we understood their numbers or their locations. Also, it's important to stress that while we can employ five hundred men and several metahumans, going up against a well-guarded, very public facility will be both dangerous as well as risky in terms of increased law enforcement scrutiny."

"So you're against an attack on the Port at this time?"

"Looking at the situation, Bone, I'd say we're in a better position attacking the forces not garrisoned at the Port. Consider that while the majority of their men are guarding the harbor, their majority is only slightly greater than those spread throughout the city."

Cyborg takes his chance to join in, he places a finger rather gently onto the map. "We have a good idea how many troops are in each location as well as the routes needed to reinforce the Port. If we'd launch an attack against the Port itself, they can funnel their troops to the harbor in less than twenty minutes."

"Which means if we don't overthrow the Port in that time, we'll be facing a thousand men rather than six hundred."

Asking for a beer himself, Bone frowns a bit while moving his head in thought. "It's numbers, pure and simple."

"Not to mention tactically smarter. We have five hundred men to throw at any location at a time of our chosing." Point to the map again, this time at the warehousing sector, Gar proposes. "Say this one warehouse has one hundred men? We can attack with numbers, five-on-one. Or, more importantly, we can take one hundred men each and have them assault five locations with equal advantage."

Nevermind the beer, one cigarette is also needed for his thought process. "Divide and conquer… Attack five locations, we can take out half of their force. Then again, we could also lose a lot of guys trying to attack all at once. What's to keep the Port troops from moving to assist their friends?"

Grinning rather darkly, the homeless hero suggests. "We agreed to let the Illuminati attack the Port Authority. Did we ever guarantee we'd be there attacking with them?"

"We can use Dr. Light's metahumans to attack the Port, throw attention off of the real attack. At the same time we move in, shoot up the strongholds, and home by dinner time."

Glancing up from the map at Stone, the gang leader speaks bitterly with the smoke hanging off his lips. "Yeah and a lot of us could be in the fucking ground before lunch, don't forget that."

"I'm a part of this attack so you don't need to worry about me forgetting anything."

"What do you think Bone, does this sound more viable than attacking the Port in force?"

Exhaling the nicotine deep, he leans back in his chair, letting his associates all around him ponder his decision. Going to war's inevitable, the cease fire's coming to an end, but it's up to Bone to endorse an attack on the harbor or on Desade strongholds. "Which do you think will work out better?"

Touching again on his knowledge of Sun Tzu, Gar answers simply "In a battle where both sides are even, those with the best laid plans and firm leadership will prevail."

"And these five places are where your friends are being held I take it?"

Offering his beer up in salute of Bone's keen eye, Gar admits with a grin still on his face "Mama always said the only thing free in this life is Jesus. We take out most of Desade's goons, I get my friends back, and if we're lucky he's begging you not to shove a finely-polished Remington up his ass by St. Patty's Day."

A glance at Gar, a glance at Stone, and finally back to Gar. A smile of his own starting to break onto his face, Bone nods back and forth, chuckling ever so slightly. "Always got a plan within a plan, don't ya you little white shit. Fuck, man, let's go for it, burnin' down warehouses and runnin' the Midnight Express on Desade's daughter all night long." Turning to his one associate, Bone calls out "Get us a pack of cards, we got some business to conduct god damn it."

"From Bone's house we headed north towards Berkeley, to some tavern Gar claimed he "always wanted to visit." I take back what I said earlier about Gar still having some trace of Beast Boy, that teenager's long gone. In less than five hours he successfully ruined that image, for good or worse I haven't decided yet. He's banged Desade's daughter, become close associates with North Jump's biggest gang-banger, helped plan the coming assault on Antoine Desade's cartel, and now he's asking to be dropped off a some biker bar up in Berkeley.

I've been wondering if he's told Raven yet about any of this, those two were close the last thing I'd spoken with her. He'd been living with her on-and-off since he'd returned from Gotham back in December. The girl might project an image of no emotion but the woman couldn't have taken down her demonic father if she didn't have SOME emotions. Knowing her she'd be torn up to hear what Gar's been doing, especially when it comes to other women.

Even stranger to me was the fact that Gar didn't want me to go into the biker bar with him. Apparently this place, "The Tavern", doesn't enjoy having "minorities", another bullshit word for racism if I'd ever heard it. But as Gar put it to me, it wasn't that he was worried about the people inside causing trouble, he was more worried about us getting kicked out from me beating half the bikers to death. Guess that's his way of a compliment or a joke these days, it's hard to tell anymore. All I could do was trust him and hoped he'd get out of the bar safe… and if he thinks I'm likely to beat a couple dozen bikers, I just hoped they wouldn't try to fuck with him…

Hours later during the evening of the 13th of February, Garfield Logan finds himself sitting not in a biker bar in Berkeley but rather atop North Jump's largest building: The Ordway Building. While the day hadn't been entirely "eventful", the stage can now be truly set for the days to come. Looking out towards the skyscrapers of Downtown Jump City, the sun seems to vanish behind the concrete pillars, casting the "city of slums" in an ominous, dark shadow.

"Almost a thousand men, all armed and looking for payback… And we're to fight this force with gangbangers, Illuminati dirtbags, and a handful of jaded, world-weary antiheroes… Gar, what have you gotten yourself into this time?"

A blustery wind cuts through the faded fabric of his black trench coat, forcing a shiver down the vigilante's spine. Spring's still a month away, no chance for serious warm temperatures until at least April…

…

Suddenly shaking his head, the green-skinned metahuman snarls at himself in self-loathing. "For fuck's sake, did I really need to fuck the bitch? Really? Of all the people to bang, I had to bang her. T&P, Raven, fuck even Livewire if I had a silicon dick but NO, I had to bang some cokehead fucking…"

Realizing he's yelling into the air, he takes a moment to calm himself, breathing in the Pacific air slowly, releasing the tension in the air. There's still the nagging sense of guilt that he willingly went along with Rose but, then again, he had been liquored up, or so his ego tells him.

"I can deal with this later, there's more important things to take care of before the attack."

His eyes peer over the side of the four-hundred foot tall building, looking intently towards the downtown area of North Jump. If there's a way to cure his frustrations, it'll be down there. Plenty of muggers, thieves, and would-be rapists to punish, plenty of potential for mayhem and destruction… If only it were so simple to clean it all up with fists and knives.

A/N2: Ok, now I can get the finale done. It's time for some serious warfare... and one big twist of an ending. I wanted to write through Cyborg's perspective for this chapter mainly to give a feel for his view on Gar (and I was aware people wanted some Cy/Gar time but, as always, people catch me at the wrong time in the arcs when they want things.)
BTW, it's nice writing Gar as someone who, while mainly cold and calculating these days, still struggles with that humane side of himself (the "Beast Boy" side as I joke)

Trivia:
- Ordway Building is the legit tallest building in Oakland (a.k.a. North Jump)
- The biker bar is referring to the bar mentioned a few chapters back relating to a certain (Titans era) Nightwing rival.
- More Sun Tzu and Jameson references, there's quite a few throughout my Watchman drafts.

Rhetorical: Poor Cyborg, he might as well been a fish out of water this whole chapter.

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