Chapter 2: Caught
Rating: T
Date: Monday, March 11, 2019
A/N: I'm sorry this will be kind of a short update. I'm still really stressed out about college. The uncertainty that comes with financial aid letters and having to work my butt off with scholarships along with practicing for an Orchestra competition and managing five AP classes has me worn off. Luckily, it's my spring break! And I have somewhat of a break, even if it'll feel super short. I was also struggling with figuring out where to take this story. You guys have to realize I'm practically improvising, and that suggestions would make this so much easier. So please, if you have something, don't be afraid to mention it in the reviews. Anyhow, here is the update.
Also, I forgot to mention that the idea for this story came from Miss Geek. Thank you so much for it! I wouldn't have known where to take the sequel to without it!
Caught
"You must be Mr. Steven?" the chubby man donning an elegant black suit and thick glasses questioned.
"Yes, I am. I set up an appointment with Mr. Nol," Garfield responded, his eyes tracing the humongous entrance hall of the mansion behind him.
"I'm Alston Morrison, but you may refer to me as Alston. I'm the butler of Nol Manor. If you need anything, don't hesitate on asking. I will escort you to Mr. Nol's office," the British man opened the door and extended a hand. "Right this way, sir."
The mansion was lined with clean marble floors, white wallpaper, and antique furniture. There were various paintings of individuals, some that he recognized as Malchior's extended family that he'd seen on the news. Oddly enough, there were also dozens of mirrors scattered throughout, coming to show how egotistic Malchior appeared to be. Garfield followed the butler through the maze of hallways, twisting and turning until they arrived at an ebony wood door. Alston knocked and awaited a response from the other side.
"Come in."
He opened the door and extended a hand for Garfield to step through first. Malchior sat at his desk, his head down and his eyes scanning some files in front of him. He glanced up and smiled when he recognized him.
"Mr. Steven! It's great to see you," he stood up from his desk and offered a hand. Garfield shook his hand firmly. He took a seat on the chair facing Malchior's desk and adjusted his glasses, his thumb tracing over the tiny button Victor had installed on the inside of the frame. "Ashton, you may head out. Mr. Steven and I have some business to discuss."
Ashton nodded and exited the room, making sure to close the door behind him.
"So, Mr. Steven, I believe you're interested in joining our business?" Malchior began, his gaze intently observing Garfield, probably searching for any suspicious reaction.
Fortunately, Garfield's college theater classes had come in handy for the job, and he didn't feel a trace of uncertainty as he spoke. "Yes, Mr. Nol. I believe there's no reason to skid across the topic. I would like a spot in your trafficking operations."
Malchior leaned back on his chair and placed his feet on the table. "And what exactly would you be able to offer? I'm sure you are aware of the level of top secrecy in our functions, and we only accept people we trust as well as influential and/or wealthy individuals who can aid our operations."
"For once, I'd be able to offer you a substantial amount of money. I also have a lot of willing customers lined up considering I'm apart of this business myself," a sick sensation pooled inside his stomach as he continued, but he didn't outwardly show it. "Not to mention I have dozens of profitable women and girls lined up in a small independent island off the Somali peninsula, all of which I can easily transfer within the snap of my fingers."
Malchior raised a curious eyebrow, "And how would you expect to do that?"
"I have some helpful acquaintances in Cuba. My customers are open to travel when they want to pick out their flavor of the month, and it's delivered to them through means I'm not willing to expose just yet."
"Impressive. I wouldn't pick you out to be a man of this kind of business," Malchior pointed out, his voice oozing interest.
"It's an art form in itself," the words made him feel disgusting, but he managed to keep his act together. He was getting somewhere, and he couldn't allow his revulsion of the situation to come through. "However, I think one last piece of information might fully convince you of my potential in your business."
"And that is?"
"I know Trigon's true identity is Trenton Roth," he stated with confidence.
Malchior intently stared at him with an impassive expression for a few seconds, searching for a telltale sign of doubt. Alas, he found none, and he let out a sigh, "I suppose you've passed my test so far. I don't intend to ask you where you acquired this piece of information, and I will neither deny or ratify it. However, I could set up a meeting with Trigon, seeing as you seem to be serious about this proposition. I will warn you, however, that once you're in this business, there's no backing out, and Trigon will run a profound background check that could put everyone you love at risk. Are you still willing to do this, Mr. Steven?"
There was no hesitation in Garfield's voice when he replied, "I am."
"Very well," Malchior stood from his chair. "You should expect an anonymous call in the next few days to set up a meeting with Trigon. Until then I suggest you keep close watch of your loved ones. If we find out even a single detail of your story doesn't pan out..." he chuckled. "Well, let's not think about that."
"Of course," Garfield grinned. "Pleasure doing business with you," he shook Malchior's hand before retreating towards the door.
"Also, beware of talking to anybody about this transaction," Malchior narrowed his eyes.
"I'm not that kind of man, Mr. Nol. Now if you excuse me," Garfield responded before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.
He leaned back and inhaled a deep breath. So far, he had everything under control. All he had to do now was keep his cool and not blow his cover. No fuck-ups were allowed. As long as he went through with his plan, he'd be back in the states spending time with Blue and watching Trenton's arrest on the news in no time.
He strolled down the hallway attempting to recall the pathway Ashton had taken him through. Just as he turned the corner a door opened to his left, and he was abruptly pulled inside. Within the span of a second, the door closed and a hand pushed him onto the wall. He could feel the edge of a blade against his neck, dangerously close to slicing through his skin. His eyes attempted to discern the individual, but the room was pitch black.
"On," the familiar voice spoke and the newfound brightness revealed her beautiful visage. Raven stared at him with cold eyes, her hand firmly grasping the knife parallel to his carotid artery. One slash and he'd be dead within minutes. "Who the hell are you, and what the hell do you want with my husband's business?"
Garfield remained calm, disregarding the fact that Raven's glare seemed sharper than the knife against his skin. Despite his current condition, he couldn't help remember their old times together, every instance when she scolded him or rolled her eyes after he did something stupid. His tone remained collected as he spoke, "David Steven. We met back at your husband's gala. As to what I want, I presume you heard part of my conversation with your husband."
"Cut the bullshit, I want to know exactly how you found Trigon's identity," she spat, her hand putting more pressure against the blade.
Garfield grinned and without properly thinking of the consequences he responded, "I'm not sure how to answer that, Rae."
Raven stayed silent, her impassive expression tracing over his features. If she hadn't released the pressure on the knife for a moment, he would've thought that she didn't catch the meaning behind his words. Her fingers let go of the blade which crashed on the floor with a clank. Then she turned on her heel, her fingers gripping the side of the door frame. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded quietly.
Garfield let out a breath, only now realizing how badly he'd fucked up. He reached a hand towards her, his fingers aching to feel her smooth skin once again, but he didn't touch her. He looked around the room searching for any signs of surveillance. Raven seemed to have caught on to his hesitance to speak considering she muttered, "This is the only room in the manor without any cameras or microphones and the walls are completely soundproof." She turned around with stern eyes, "Now talk."
He sighed, "I joined the law enforcement field a few years ago along with Dick. A little while ago we ran into a case that intertwined with your father's fucked up side-business and speaking to the girl's first-hand made me realize there wasn't a reason for me to keep quiet about your father. You disappeared out of the phase of the earth without so much of a goodbye. I didn't owe you anything."
"I'm not saying you did," Raven gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "But coming here undercover to extract information from Malchior is a stupid decision, even for you."
"I'd take any stupid decision if it meant putting your father in jail and releasing you from his imprisonment," he blurted out.
Raven huffed and took a seat on the sofa behind her, "Don't be ridiculous, Garfield. I'm not trapped. I could disappear any time I'd like."
"Then why don't you?" he furrowed his eyebrows.
"Because this is the only way I can be useful for anything. I've been gathering intel against my father and his colleagues for the past years. Enough information to put them all down for sure. But it requires a level of trust, sacrifice, and patience to do so. One minor mistake, and I'm done for."
"Then why don't you let me help?" he insisted.
"Because you weren't part of that plan to begin with. If they find out who you are then everything I've done will go to waste. I'm not willing to put it all on the line because you want to act like a hero," she grimaced. "I told you to get on with your own life, to study for your dream job and to find a girl you liked. It's the reason I left because I knew you wouldn't stop insisting you could help me."
"Is that why you changed your name?"
"No. Not all of my decisions revolve around getting away from you. It's been a long time, and a lot of things have happened since I left, but there's no time to discuss our lives. I need you to go back to your country and return to your normal life while you can. This is my mission, and you have no right to intrude into my life."
He huffed, "Rae, you're acting as if I'm doing this solely for you. I'm doing this to bring your father down once and for all and protect all of those innocent women and girls. I'm not going back until I accomplish that."
"Gar, don't make this any more difficult than it has to be. The only thing you're going to accomplish is suicide. You know how much power Trigon holds. He'll flick you off his shoulder faster than you can kill a cockroach."
"I'm not backing down," Garfield frowned.
Raven stood up and took a step forward, her gaze never leaving his own, "You will if you know what's best for you."
"Is that a threat?"
"No," she alleged as she faced the doorframe, "That's a warning." She opened the door and walked out, leaving him by himself and unsure of what step to take next.
Garfield sighed before walking out and finding his way to the entrance hall. He said his goodbye to Ashton and headed out to his car. During the ride to the hotel, he couldn't help but think about Raven's life. What exactly had happened since high school? Besides her marriage of course. She didn't seem happy nor sad. If anything, she seemed as dry as ever. Had she really formed such a hard shell around herself that now he couldn't even discern any emotion besides anger? She had barely even reacted when he blew his cover.
He couldn't help but feel a familiar tightness in his chest—the desire to protect her, to love her. Sure, he knew Raven could take care of herself. She'd grown up with the necessity to do so. But he had to admit, she was emotionally fucked up, and he wanted to help her. He wanted to show her that there was more to life than what destiny had condemned her to. That despite being dealt with some awful cards, she could rise above them.
And even if he'd told her that he wasn't solely doing his mission for her (which he wasn't), she was the biggest reason behind his actions, but he'd never admit that to her. Not until he was sure she was by his side.
"You did what!?"
"I told her," Garfield repeated into the phone. He lied sprawled out on his bed, eyes focused on the ceiling and the back of his hand over his forehead. He braced himself for Dick's incoming lecture.
"Why the hell would you tell her? It was the first thing we agreed not to do!" Dick exclaimed from the other end, and Garfield had to move the device away from his ear to avoid a lost sense of hearing. "What do you think Cyborg's going to say when I tell him?"
"Dude, I know I messed up, but I couldn't help it. Plus, she had a knife against my neck! What else was I going to do?"
"Anything but that! You're perfectly capable of defending yourself! You trained for it, goddamn it!"
He sighed, "Look, Rob, I know it was a stupid decision, but at least we know she's not on their side. She's been gathering intel just like me. She's trying to bring her father down too. That's only going to be to our advantage."
"I don't think you're understanding the risk behind your actions, BB," Dick muttered. Then in a stern voice, he ordered, "You're going to have to come back. I can't risk you staying over there when Raven knows who you are."
"Dude! What the hell? I've gotten this far! I've secured a meeting with Trigon. It's only a matter of time before-"
"You're going to come back," Dick reiterated, his voice taking on the typical harsh leadership tone every rookie was afraid of.
There was a pause, and Garfield felt his temper begin to rise, "No."
"You don't get to decide that, Gar. We're going to set up a flight for-"
"I said no," Garfield interrupted, his fists clenching. "I'm staying here, and I'm going to bust this motherfucker even if I have to do it by myself. Sorry, Rob, but you can't stop me from doing this," he asserted before hanging up and throwing his phone into his duffel bag.
He lied immobile for what felt like hours, thoughts running through his mind on fast-forward. A knock on his door brought him back to his senses, and he jerked upwards.
"Room service!" the muffled voice of a woman came through.
Garfield sighed and examined himself on the mirror, making sure his appearance still resembled David Steven. He ambled towards the door and peeked through the hole. Surely enough, it was a woman wearing the hotel staff uniform. He opened the door, confused by the fact that he hadn't ordered anything.
"Mr. Steven?" the lady asked.
"Yeah, what's the-"
He didn't have time to finish his sentence before a large blow to the face from someone to his side knocked him to the ground.
"What the-" he managed to mutter as he attempted to stabilize himself on two hands. He managed to look up and spot the man standing next to the woman through blurred vision. The man kicked Garfield in the face, and he fell back with a blast to the back of his head.
The lady kneeled down and jabbed something into his neck. He felt the cold fluid drip through his skin. "Don't worry. We're only here to deliver you to your appointment," she muttered. She continued talking, but her words resembled more of a jumbled mess, and his hearing began to deteriorate until all he heard was static. Then he was out.
"Ah good, you're awake," a distant voice pulled Garfield from his sleep. His eyelids fluttered opened, and his eyes widened as they gazed over the guy standing in front of him.
He was a tall and broad African-American man (even bigger than Vic) with braided medium-length hair. He wore a tight-fitting white tank top exposing his exaggerated muscle mass and some brown trousers with a black belt. "Don't worry. Trigon will be with us shortly."
"Who… are you?" he sputtered, finding it difficult to breathe out the words. His lungs felt like they were on fire, and he tried to release his wrists from the handcuffs attached to the concrete wall behind him.
He smiled coyly, "As much as I'd love to have a little chat with you, I'm afraid we won't have a lot of time for questions and answers."
"Huh?" he furrowed his eyebrows.
The only door in the room opened and the brightness from outside seeped in. A dark figure stepped inside and turned on the light, blinding Garfield's sight for a moment. He blinked a few times before his vision properly adjusted. There was another guy vaguely resembling the one in front of him with lighter skin and a thinner frame leaning against the door frame. He donned the same coy smile and nefarious expression.
"He's in here," he called back.
The two guys stepped to the side, their postures abruptly turning more submissive. Behind them, a man entered the room, and Garfield narrowed his eyes at the familiar face.
"Hello David," Trenton uttered before chuckling, a deep laugh that admittedly sent shivers across his skin. "Well… If that really is your name."
Garfield gulped down his apprehension, somehow suspecting that his entire cover had been blown. So much for having everything under control.
A/N: It's a bit fast-paced. I didn't intend to blow Gar's cover so quickly, but I realized that there was no point in delaying it if I didn't have anything else to further the plot. I'm curious to see if anyone can figure out the references in this chapter. I don't usually add these many. If you can, mention them in the reviews! Bonus points for the person who can pinpoint the volume and issue of the comic book these references were extracted from.
Miss geek - I didn't intend for Raven to fall for David. She has too much going on in her life to swoon over some random guy. Garfield coming back into it, however, that might cause some issues ;)
Orquidea71 - Will do! It's really fun to write!
Azarath Cat - Thanks! I can't wait to find out either, haha! It's all improvised!
Calisalex - I will! I'm glad you liked the first chapter!
Riders3211 - Your wish is my command!
Vi - They will end up together! I promise! Been delaying it for long enough! As for RobStar, I can't promise they will end up together. Their relationship is famous for being overly complicated in the comics and so far I'm following that route because I've always found it to be interesting. I might just make a poll to see what you guys want me to do with them though.