Upper Gotham
The Coventry Docks
Kyle Abbot grunted in pain and exhaustion, letting out a steamy breath as he collapsed on the ground, reverting to his human form, causing his colleague's unconscious and bleeding body to fall.
He reached for his pocket and retrieved a small tablet with a red button, which he painstakingly pressed with the last of his energy. Unable to support his body weight anymore, his arms failed, and his face promptly kissed the ground.
Groaning, he lethargically touched his head and brought his hand in front of his face, frowning at the sight of blood and the feeling of wetness that reminded him of his near-death experience at the abandoned hospital.
He was a lycanthrope, a werewolf, and as such possessed superhuman speed and strength and was virtually unkillable unless someone knew to use silver against him.
He knew of his fatal weakness and steered clear of the supernatural side of the world, choosing to become a criminal to avoid religious zealots, werewolf hunters, and whatnot.
Putting his superhuman abilities to use, he made a name for himself and served in the League Of Shadows for a time, acting as a bodyguard for one Whisper A'Daire. And when she left for Intergang, he promptly followed.
Abbot had experienced his fair share of defeats, but he never came as close to death as he did today. And to add insult to injury, the man who almost beat him to death didn't need any silver to do so.
It started like any other fight he had with a superhuman. Although the man out-classed him in skill, power, and speed, Abbot had faith his near-immortality would win him the day once he managed to exhaust his opponent.
His faith was unwarranted.
Not only did his opponent not tire, he even managed to pin Abbot down and inflict unimaginable agony on the werewolf, constantly shocking him with electricity and bashing his skull in. But what should have been a quick fix for his regeneration turned out to be a fatal problem.
The man used a technique that infected his body with a strange energy, nullifying his healing factor and plunging him into a near-death state for several minutes.
Even now, he could still feel whatever the man injected into his body slowing down his healing factor that was already running overtime to fix his bleeding head, broken ribs, and scorched skin.
"What the hell happened?!" Abbot heard an exclamation, snapping him out of his daze, and he looked up to see a woman with bright red hair and green eyes, wearing a black shirt and tight khaki pants.
The woman was beautiful, enchantingly so. Her serpentine features and bright, glowing green pupils with slitted eyes would make any other person look hideous, but they somehow only managed to emphasize her beauty.
"We were attacked... Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and another unknown person..." Abbot replied, struggling to get the words out through labored breaths as he heaved himself off the ground, wincing as he did.
"The third attacker... almost killed me, ripped off Mike's hand..." he added, almost choking on the blood leaking out of his mouth as the woman began barking orders. The men accompanying her immediately went to work to carry the injured Abbot and the half-dead Mike into the docks.
They were blissfully unaware of the pigeon standing on an electricity pole nearby, intently watching their actions.
...
"I guess I should have chased after the werewolf after all... I was too cautious..." I remarked,sighing as I recalled my pigeon drone after seeing where the snake lady took the werewolf and his buddy.
Even though I didn't immediately chase after the werewolf when he escaped the hospital, I sent the pigeon drone after him, and luckily he didn't stray too far from its effective receiving range.
I tailed the werewolf to this place after I concluded my business in the hospital, keeping a mindful distance to make sure no one noticed me, jumping from roof to roof and sticking to the shadows.
I had the urge to let go of caution and ambush the snake lady and her men to finish them off, but I pushed it down. I had nothing to gain from attacking them right now, and I knew nothing about the woman and what powers she had.
Dealing with a werewolf was already more than enough for one day's work, and I was running low on energy after my fight with him, so I turned away and started making my way home.
...
The Batcave
"What have we uncovered about the Intergang's invasion?" Batman asked as he slowly approached the Bat computer, having just returned to Gotham after an emergency call from the League.
"Nothing much as of yet," Batgirl replied, furiously typing as she stood in front of the Bat computer, her shoulders slumping in frustration as she turned to Batman.
She wore her iconic black suit without the mask, putting her fiery red hair, green eyes, and delicate features on full display.
"I've been trying to pinpoint their hiding spots through the city's surveillance system, but I only found one..." she replied, the frustration growing in her tone with every word she spoke.
"But Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and the person Jason identified as the one who stole the executioner's suit got to it first..." she added, shaking her head as she turned back to the Bat computer, staring at the screens and typing even more furiously.
"Casualties?" Batman asked as he stood next to Batgirl, his eyes focused on the Bat computer's monitor as he inspected his sidekick's handy work without commenting on it.
"At least five, with three in critical condition; Harley Quinn's work, if the captured integrating members' testimony is anything to go by," Batgirl replied and began explaining the incident based on the testimony and what little she gathered from the city's surveillance system.
"I see. Anything else?" Batman asked, nodding his head after a moment's pause as he processed his student's words, his brain going to work as he began connecting the dots.
"Dick interrogated one of the Intergang members, and he learned that they're here for Catwoman, but he thinks it's just a pretense," Batgirl explained as she paused her work for a second to form her thoughts into words.
"Members of the Religion of Crime have begun moving in the shadows in Gotham, and they seem to be subtly helping the Intergang in taking out small gangs," she added, waving a hand to the side as she resumed working on the Bat computer.
"But that makes little sense. The Religion of Crime has been neutral and passive for the longest time..." she concluded, sounding genuinely confused as she shook her head.
"Bruno Mannheim, the leader of Intergang, has attained a copy of the Crime Bible," Batman casually replied, as if those words would make sense of the entire situation, and they actually did.
"Intergang has always wanted to take over Gotham, but they couldn't do it because of the many gangs and supervillains..." Batgirl muttered as she, too, began connecting the dots and made her own conclusion.
"Manheim is using the crime bible to sway the Religion to his cause to take over Gotham..." she added, her eyes widening in realization.
"He intends to use the combined force of the Religion and Intergang to take over the city!" she concluded, turning towards her mentor for confirmation. But the latter had already started walking away.
"Where are you going, Bruce? You just got back from the League mission! You need to rest!" Batgirl exclaimed, her tone concerned as she hastily followed behind her mentor, trying to stop him.
"One person started this entire mess in my city..." Batman replied in a blank tone without bothering to turn to around to face the redheaded sidekick as he walked to the Batmobile.
"It's finally time I had a word with him," he concluded, his tone brokering no arguments, causing Batgirl to sigh as she shook her head and returned to the Bat computer.
...
Gray's apartment
"Time to get to work..." I sighed in relaxation, wiping my hair with a towel as I exited the bathroom, directly equipping my clothes from my inventory on my way to the desk.
I sat in the chair and took out my newly acquired laptop, placing it on the desk as I opened it. I began working on setting up new security measures for the computer as I've already deleted everything with my network crash ability back in the hospital.
Once done, I connected to the internet and began downloading various programming applications, and started working on creating a simple calculator app to grind my Computers skill.
I finished two and a half hours later, sighing as I opened a water bottle and emptied it in one gulp, then began testing the calculator app I'd just created to see if it worked properly.
I didn't want or need a calculator since my evolved brain worked just as good, if not better, than any calculator, but it was a simple program, and I wouldn't need to spend too much effort on it, making it a perfect first project to grind my skill.
"Looks fine..." I remarked, nodding in satisfaction as I got up, intending to get some shuteye since I hadn't slept in a while. However, I suddenly felt a chill and froze for a second.
I felt my paranoia rise, and I quickly began inspecting my apartment, my eyes settling on the open window.
"Huh... must have been the wind," I remarked, blissfully unaware of the shadow standing right behind me.
...
I shrugged as I walked to the window and closed it, turning around to go to my bed and get some rest. However, I couldn't move, freezing in place as I turned my body and my eyes locked onto someone else's.
"Boo!" Two arms reached for my head, and before I could react a feeling of softness engulfed my head, causing me to blink slowly, my brain regaining its functions as I registered who these chest-pillows belonged to.
"What are you doing here, Harley?" I asked as I pushed the crazy blonde away, giving her a bemused expression and an annoyed glare, to which she snorted in laughter. (Author's note: sorry, not sorry. Couldn't resist XD)
"Can't a gal show up an' say hi to her buddy?" Harley matter-of-factly asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. I didn't even bother to reply, merely giving her a blank stare that spoke of my disbelief.
"Ugh! Fine! Kitty might have kicked me out cause I emptied her stupid wine cabinet," Harley replied, shrugging her shoulders after enduring my unblinking stare for an entire minute.
"I need a place to crash, and since ya saved me twice, I figured you wouldn't mind," she added, her tone assured as she regarded with an expectant expression on her face.
"Also tried to kill you once, and I still have the motive to try again," I blankly replied, furrowing my eyebrows as I scowled. "What makes you think I won't slit your throat the second you fall asleep?" I asked, my tone still neutral as I gestured to the side.
"I know lots o' people who'd slit someone's throats in their sleep, and believe me, pal; yer not the type," Harley casually replied, taking my words with a grain of salt as she shook her head.
"How did you even know where I live?" I asked as I let out a tired sigh at her reasoning, breaking my monotone voice and rubbing my forehead in frustration at the situation.
"I asked Kitty and said I wouldn't leave unless she told me," the crazy blonde replied, dramatically spreading her arms apart as she gave me a smug grin that only made me feel more frustrated.
'For fuck's sake... I need to have a word with Selina about this...'
"Why come here anyway? Aren't you friends with Ivy or something? I know she escaped Arkham a while ago," I asked, feeling my eyes twitch in annoyance. "Better yet, what about that murder-happy boyfriend of yours?" I added, gesturing to the side.
"I'm over that bozo; ain't no man with a cheap suit and a cheaper grin gonna tell Harley what to do anymore!" She replied, resting her hands on her hips and looking offended at me, suggesting she'd take shelter with the Joker.
"An' Ivy... Ivy is cool, but I'm already sick an' tired of wiping my bum with leaves!" she concluded, firmly shaking her head and crossing her arms in front of her chest.
'Hm? So she's not with the Joker anymore? That's good.. I think? Whatever, it's none of my business,' I sighed, scratching my head as I debated whether the effort I'd have to spend kicking her out would be worth it or not.
"I don't have half the energy to deal with you right now," I said, letting out another sigh, much to the crazy blonde's satisfaction, as she sent me a smug, victorious grin.
"The bed is over there," I added, pointing towards my room while rubbing the back of my neck. "Get some sleep and leave in the morning. There won't be a second time," I remarked as I took out my laptop, put it on the desk, and resumed grinding my computer skill.
I might be tired, but not nearly enough to fall asleep while sharing a roof with Harley Quinn. Too much paranoia for that to happen.
"And don't disturb me while I work," I concluded without bothering to turn around as I heard the door to my room open as the crazy blonde made her way inside.
"Gotcha," Harley replied as she went inside the room, closing the door behind her, and I sighed at how un-assuring her tone was, but I ignored it and started working.
...
[+2 levels to the Computers skill]
[Computers (level 5)]
[+1 level to the Programmer class]
[Programmer (level 10)]
[+3 stat points]
I smiled as I tried running different math problems on my now-improved calculator app. I spent the last four hours improving the app since I only made it to solve simple math problems at first, but with how it is right now, it would make studying math completely useless.
Not to say that studying school math was practical to begin with since almost no one would use it in their everyday lives after they graduate, but you get the idea.
'Now I only need five more class levels to raise my archetype level to one...' I mused as I turned to my character screen.
Name: Grayson Whitlock
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Archetype: (The Mad Scientist level 0)
Class: [Thief (level MAX)] [Fighter (level MAX)] [Acrobat (Level MAX)] [Programmer Level 10]
...
Stats:
Body: 50
Mind: 50
Spirit: 50
Stat Points: 15
...
Skills:
[Brawling (level 35)
[Crime (level 25)]
[Acrobatics (level 12)]
[Computers (level 5)]
...
Perks:
[Dormant Metahuman]
[Silent Step]
[Eidetic Kinesthesia]
[Superhuman Stamina]
[Perfect Recall]
[Accelerated Healing]
[Energy Detection]
[Energy Concentration]
...
Archetype powers:
[Network Crash]
...
The fight in the abandoned hospital had raised my Acrobatics skill by two levels, raising my class level by one, and then my computer skill increase gave me another, raising the Programmer calls to level ten.
I'd been curious to see if raising my archetype level (by increasing my class to level 15) would give me anything, like another power or something along those lines.
'I'll find out eventually, I guess...' I shrugged, dropping the subject, and frowned as I heard a thud coming from my room, where Harley was sleeping at the moment.
'What's that crazy chick doing now...?' my frown deepened as I heard another thud and stood up, heading toward the room to make sure the crazy blonde wasn't doing anything too wild in my room.
I arrived at the door and reached for the knob, freezing as I heard a muffled moan, followed by another.
'Is she...? Oh, hell no! I fucking sleep there, you blonde degenerate!' I felt my irritation rise as I opened the door and burst inside, only to freeze again at the sight of the crazy blonde, gagged and tied up on top of my air mattress.
Harley immediately turned to me, her eyes widening as she began screaming and gesturing by wildly flailing her head. I immediately understood what she meant and equipped my gear, channeling energy into my fist as I turned around and swung.
My fist stopped an inch away from the face of the man standing behind me, and I sighed at the sight of the dark costume and flowing black cape, feeling the urge to punch a hole in the wall and make a run for it.
He was tall, at least 6.2 feet tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular body that even his black kevlar-titanium alloy suit failed to hide as he towered over me, staring me down through the black cowl covering his face.
"Grayson Whitlock," the man blankly remarked, his voice gravelly and deep, unphased by my glowing fist an inch away from his face and my mortified expression as he stared directly into my eyes.
'Ah, shit... he knows...' I internally sighed as I lowered my hand. I didn't know what he knew, but he definitely knew something. He wouldn't be here, calling me by my name otherwise.
I turned to Harley and felt the urge to sigh again as I walked toward her. And the man didn't say anything or try to stop me for reasons unknown to me.
"Sorry, but you need to take a little nap, Harley," I remarked, sighing as I kneeled in front of the tied-up Harley, folding my index and middle finger together and joining them.
I frowned in concentration and buried the joints of my two fingers in the side of the crazy blonde's neck after taking a deep breath, standing up, and turning back to the caped man in my room after making sure she won't be getting up for a while.
I knew this day would come and prepared for it, creating an almost endless amount of arguments and rhetoric to get this man off my back if I even got on his radar, but I didn't expect Harley to be there when he came knocking.
Technically, the man didn't knock, but this is DC comics! They don't do that here...
"Do you have something to hide?" the man asked, still standing in his place. He didn't move a muscle, and his tone was natural. He didn't put any effort into it, but he looked both menacing and intimidating by merely standing there and doing nothing.
'Here goes nothing...'
I took a deep breath, calming myself as I prepared to face the worst obstacle I'd come across since coming to this world: convincing Batman not to kick my ass.
...
'I can't lie here...' I firmed my resolve and stored my helmet in my inventory as I turned to Batman, keeping my expression neutral. The caped crusader wouldn't be here if he didn't already know everything there is to know about me, and keeping the helmet on would only make me look like I was clinging to straws.
"Me? No. Harley already knows most of the things I don't want her to know about me," I replied with a shrug, briefly turning to Harley and then back to the caped crusader. "You, on the other hand, have much that you wouldn't want her to her, her, or anyone else to know, I'd imagine..." I added, letting a slight meaningful smile tug on my lips.
"Wouldn't you agree, Mr. playboy billionaire, Bruce Wayne?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I intently observed Batman, and much to the man's credit, he didn't even flinch, didn't twitch, and didn't move a single muscle at the revelation of his secret.
'If even Selina barely reacted when I put her on the spot, it would make sense for this guy not to react at all...'
"Is that a threat?" the caped crusader asked, his tone noticeably colder, and I even noticed the cowl's white eyes narrow at me. How the hell did that even possible. Damned comic book logic right there.
He didn't confirm my words and didn't bother to deny it, which is a problem since I already had an explanation for how I figured out his identity, and it was part of the plan rapidly formulating in my head as we spoke.
'Oh well, I just need to push the conversation in that direction, even at the risk of sounding vain...'
"A mere display of capability, nothing more, nothing less," I replied, gesturing to the side as I shrugged my shoulders. "It was simple. Anyone with a brain and an internet connection could do it," I added, losing my smile as I assumed a blank expression.
My acting might work on someone like Selena, but I doubt I'll get one over the world's greatest detective, so I might as well put on a poker face and hope for the best.
And although I can make Selina back down by threatening her with her identity, I doubt the same strategy would work on Batman because his entire persona was based on being uncompromising.
I couldn't threaten him, and I doubt I could beat him either, which I wouldn't do even if it that within my capability since the League is sure to come knocking next.
I needed to impress him, convince him I was not a threat and that his time would be better spent doing something else, like dealing with Intergang, Black Mask, or the mastermind behind this mess, and I had just the thing in mind.
"Believe it or not, there are fan sites out there that took it upon themselves to measure the top speed of the Batmobile and Batplane," I explained, letting out a genuine chuckle of amusement despite myself because I couldn't help it.
I wasn't lying, and such information was merely one internet search away, along with information about other costumed heroes, such as their most remarkable feats and rough measurements of their speed, power, and abilities.
"Once anyone had that, they'd only need to calculate how fast it took you to arrive whenever an incident happened..." I added, gesturing to the side as I resumed a blank demeanor.
"From there, it's only a matter of measuring the distance you traveled to get there based on simple math and creating a parameter around the area," I remarked, momentarily pausing to clear my throat.
"Repeating the process and locating the point where the parameters cross would lead to your lair beneath the Wayne manor," I concluded, shrugging my shoulder as if what I'd just said was the most natural thing in the world.
It was, and I'm more than sure anyone could do it if they were smart enough, but I didn't do it myself because I didn't think the caped crusader would come knocking so soon, which is why I didn't say I did it, merely that anyone could do it, so I wasn't lying technically.
"Interesting theory. Smart, despite being flawed," Batman spoke after hearing my words, finally breaking his silence, and I could swear I detected a hint of amusement in his tone.
"The internet is unreliable as an information source. I could have easily published false information myself to confuse people like you," the caped crusader added, the slight amusement I detected earlier disappearing, replaced by a neutral tone.
"Not to mention I could choose not to move at full speed to mislead people further. You are optimistic and naïve," he added, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he paused, waiting for me to reply.
'Wait... is he testing me something...?' I paused for a second, raising an eyebrow. Batman didn't bother to deny it at first, and he still wasn't denying it, merely questioning my theory and trying to egg me on.
"I'm sure you published false information, but that doesn't mean reliable information doesn't exist on the internet," I replied, shaking my head in dismissal. "One would only need to try everything and settle on the result that would make the most sense," I added, shrugging my shoulders while gesturing to the side.
"Like the residence of one of the few people in Gotham who can afford the gadgets you use on a daily basis, for example," I remarked, slightly raising my arms apart.
"And even if such information doesn't exist on the internet..." I added, trailing off as I scratched my head. "Anyone with access to the city's surveillance system and a sufficient level of tech-savvy could figure it out on their own," I concluded with a careless shrug of my shoulders to emphasize how trivial I found the whole thing to be.
"As for the other points, it's impossible because you, Mr. Wayne, are a hero," I said, regarding the caped crusader with a smile as I shook my head. "People's lives depend on how fast you can react to incidents," I matter-of-factly concluded, pausing to see the man's reaction.
"Impressive, but as I've said, optimistic and naïve," the caped crusader said, shaking his head in disapproval. "I don't know what you hope to gain by telling me all this, but you've only managed to oust yourself as a bigger threat," he added, firmly gesturing to the side.
"Your display, as you call it, changes nothing. You are a criminal, and you've just proven yourself to be a dangerous one," he added, pausing again and waiting for me to reply.
'Yup, he's definitely testing me... but to what end?' I paused again but quickly dropped the subject to form a reply.
"What I did, what I do, and what I'll do, everything is for survival," I replied, shaking my head with a bitter laugh. "I know things, Mr. Wayne, many things that drive me to improve, grow stronger, and do what I do," I added, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.
"World conquering aliens, bloodthirsty demons, and unjust gods walk among us..." I added as I opened my eyes and let out the breath I'd been holding. "I refuse to let myself die at the hands of such beings, only to spend an eternity in the afterlife of some jumped-up cosmic elemental," I added, firmly shaking my head and gritting my teeth in frustration.
I was not lying. A big part of what drove me to grow stronger was to avoid suffering such a fate. I'd already experienced death once, and although I didn't want to go through that shit again, what scared me the most was what would come next.
"Then you should have gone to the League. That's why they exist, to defend the people from such threats" he replied, his tone sounding even more disapproving.
"I think not. How many times has Superman been brainwashed and almost destroyed entire countries? How many times have the other heroes?" I asked with a scowl, snorting in disdain.
"Besides, what guarantee do I have that the League members wouldn't simply deem me too dangerous because of my knowledge?" I asked, dismissively gesturing to the side.
"What guarantee do I have that they won't simply lobotomize me as they did to Doctor Light and many others?" I asked again, and Batman visibly frowned at my question this time.
"The League would never-" Batman quickly replied, prepared to defend his friends and colleagues. However, he stopped mid-sentence, and I knew I'd struck gold.
'Bingo...' I barely held my glee at the caped crusader's reaction.
"Oh.. now that's rich... you don't know, do you?" I asked, grinning in amusement as I watched the caped crusader still after I finally caught him off guard.
"Better yet, you do know. It's just that you don't remember..." I added, pushing the point as I let out a slight chuckle, to which the caped crusader grunted in pain and held his forehead.
...
"Oh, how the high and mighty have fallen..." I remarked, chuckling in no small amount of genuine amusement. "The Justice League mind wiping one of their own, a founding member to boot," I added, continuously chuckling.
I quickly stopped laughing when the caped crusader put me on the receiving end of his notorious Bat-Glare. No wonder he can keep the Justice League in check with that kind of glare. Too bad it didn't work on Zatanna.
"Now you see why I don't trust the league or any hero," I remarked, awkwardly clearing my throat as I shifted uncomfortably because of the smolderingly intense Batglare.
"Even the supposedly omnipotent, omniscient gods of this world are fickle beings, Mr. Wayne..." I added, trying to strike the iron while it's hot since Batman still seemed to be processing the sudden return of his memories.
"So you will forgive me for choosing not to trust the League, who are nothing but mortals with a fraction of the power of a god," I concluded, shaking my head as I paused and waited for Batman to recover.
I'd already said everything I needed to say, adding anything else might prove counterproductive instead.
"Right now, you are the main suspect for causing this mess," Batman remarked, removing his hand from his forehead, his tone turning gloomy and cold after recovering the memories of the mind wipes.
"Your knowledge only makes you seem more guilty," he added, regaining his neutral tone with little trouble as he impatiently gestured to the side.
'Oh? Finally getting to the point, eh...?' I raised an eyebrow at the caped crusader's change of attitude, but I wisely decided not to comment on it.
I don't think anyone would want to mince words after learning they were mind fucked by one of their friends. I couldn't blame Gotham's dark, broody knight for it.
"It's as they say, ignorance is a blessing, and I wasn't given such a blessing, unfortunately," I replied, bitterly smiling as I slightly spread my arms apart and shook my head.
"I'm no criminal mastermind, just a guy with a simultaneous excess of knowledge and lack of ability, and I will do what I must to survive," My hands dropped to rest behind my back, assuredness settling into my posture.
"Whether what I do to survive would make the world a better place or worse than it already is, that currently depends on you, Mr. Wayne..." I concluded, my tone serene as I trailed off at the end of my sentence.
I might be living in a fictional world, and I might even be a fictional character myself for all I knew, but that doesn't mean I wanted to muddy the waters and make this world worse because of my presence, imaginary as it may be.
However, in the end, I will always prioritize number one if I have to choose between my well-being and that of others.
My message was loud and clear; I'm not a threat, and I might even be a valuable ally, but make an enemy out of me, and there will be hell to pay, even if I couldn't do much now.
I had no doubt Batman already knew everything there was to know about me, what I could do, and where I came from since he wouldn't risk approaching me without knowing he could take me down otherwise.
"I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt," Batman replied, his eyes narrowing at me. "You have one week to find the person responsible for this mess and clear your name," he added, causing me to raise an eyebrow, a bewildered expression on my face.
"With what you've told me, it shouldn't be a problem for you to do it within a week," he concluded, crossing his arms.
'So I either find the culprit, or I am the culprit... fair enough...' I mused, going silent to think for a second. My words made it sound like I could easily find the culprit, and not finding them would mean I was the culprit or covering for them.
'I dug a hole for myself by bragging, and Batman was too willing to push me right into it...' I sighed, scratching my head as I turned to the caped crusader and nodded.
I'd already intended to find the person orchestrating these shenanigans, and now I merely had one more reason to go about it more eagerly.
"As for her..." Batman said after seeing me nod in agreement, turning to the unconscious Harley, and I cut him off by raising a hand before he could continue.
"She came looking for shelter, and I agreed. Until she is no longer under my roof, no one will touch her. Not you or anyone else," I stood firm, shaking my head as I waved my hand to shoo off the Batman.
"You're pushing your luck," Batman replied, frowning as he tried to stare me down with another intense Batglare, but I couldn't back down this time, even if it went against my better judgment.
"Maybe, but that changes nothing. You want to send the crazy bitch off to Arkham? Be my guest, but wait until she leaves my house," I replied, my tone still firm as I met the dark knight's glare.
"So be it, but I will hold you accountable for any blood she spills," Batman replied, and I instantly felt a vein bulge on my forehead, a stream of curse words flooding my brain.
"Hold on just a fucking second. You can't expect me to keep this crazy girl under—" I exclaimed, turning to gesture at the crazy blonde for a second, but Batman was already gone when I turned back, causing me to frit my teeth in frustration.
'For fuck's sake... me and my big mouth...' I sighed as I looked at the blissfully unconscious Harley, feeling an urge to kick her in the face, but I pushed it down and settled for the next best thing.
I joined two fingers and poked a nerve at the back of her neck, causing her to immediately wake up with a muffled scream, her eyes widening in shock.
'Good thing I spent some time studying the human nervous system...' I mused, taking pleasure in the crazy blonde's blight as she finally stopped screaming and started heaving.
I knew gentler ways to wake her up, but I was too frustrated to go with anything else at the moment.
"Holly shit! Do that again!" Harley exclaimed, grinning like a maniac as soon as I removed the gag from her mouth, causing me to freeze. And what little satisfaction I had in my petty act flew right out the window.
"Wait! Where'd Bats go?" she asked, looking around the room confusedly as she finally remembered she wasn't tied up for fun, causing me to sigh as I got up without undoing the rest of her bindings.
"I convinced him to leave, but we're not out of the mud yet," I said, walking to a chair and slumping down as I felt the tensity leave my body after dealing with Batman.
"We need to find the person who created this mess, and we only have one week to do it," I added, running a hand through my hair as I turned to the ceiling in frustration.
"We'd both end up behind bars if we don't..." I remarked, taking a deep breath as I turned back to the crazy blonde, regarding her with utmost annoyance.
"Ya made a deal with Bats?!" Harley asked, her eyes widening in disbelief as she seemed to forget about her bindings, shooting me a surprised and somewhat impressed look.
"Pretty much, and the deal includes you since he wanted to send your crazy ass to Arkham," I replied with a sigh, regretting my decision to protect the crazy blonde.
I couldn't afford to appear as a pushover in front of Batman, especially after all my bragging. She was in my house, and if I let him take her just like that, I'd look like a schmuck to be trampled over anytime.
"Awe, shucks!" Harley casually replied, grinning as she turned on her back, her head hanging off the bed's edge as she stared at me. "Didn't know ya cared, Gray!" she added, her grin widening as she sent me a smug look.
"Whatever," I replied with another sigh, shaking my head. "Batman said if he'd hold me accountable for anyone you kill for the next week, so you better behave yourself until we find the asshole behind this shit," I added, gesturing to the side.
"I don't mind knocking your crazy ass out and handing you over to Batman myself if you don't," I concluded with a shrug of my shoulders as I got up and turned to leave the room.
"I'll be on my best behavior!" Harley replied without hesitation, eagerly nodding her head. "Now come and undo these bindings! I need to go to the bathroom!" she added, shifting on the bed as she suddenly seemed to remember.
"Do it yourself," I replied, feeling my petty side acting up as I took out my knife and buried it in the wall furthest from the crazy blonde before leaving the room.
...
Gotham City
The Batcave
"Did you find the person you were looking for, Bruce?" Batgirl asked, her tone exhausted and expression haggard as she looked away from the Batcomputer, turning to her mentor, to which the latter silently nodded in confirmation.
"What do you think?" Batgirl asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed something off regarding the caped crusader's demeanor. Had it been anyone else, they might have failed to notice the subtle change, including the current and former Robin.
However, Barbra was more attentive, and after spending so much time with her mentor, it was only natural for her to notice even the most subtle changes in his mood.
"It doesn't matter. I have other things to worry about right now," Batman replied, much to Batgirl's increasing confusion. However, she didn't broach the subject as the caped crusader's tone brokered no argument.
"You've been in the cave for a few hours now. Head home and take a break," Batman blankly instructed as he put a hand on the redhead's shoulder, causing her to stop working and turn to him with a confused expression.
"If you say so..." Batgirl replied, slowly nodding as she realized her mentor wasn't asking. She sighed, messaging her stiff shoulders as she began walking away without another word.
Batgirl didn't know what happened to cause Batman to act this way, but if it was something that concerned even her mentor, it was way beyond her level, and she knew better than to interfere.
Batman waited for the redhead to leave before taking off his cowl, taking a deep breath as he held his forehead, sat in front of the supercomputer, and got to work.
"Batman, security level; omega. Password; Delta-Charly-27-5-1939," he calmly said as he turned to the Batcomputer's giant screen. "Add a new entry to the database; superhuman threats," he remarked, momentarily pausing to think.
"File name; Grayson Whitlock. Affiliation; unknown, possibly none. Threat level; unknown. Further investigation is required," he stated, watching as the Batcomputer began registering the information.
"The target seems to be mentally unstable. Possible conditions may include; borderline-personality-disorder, disassociation with reality, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Further investigation is required."
"The target is a possible meta-human with enhanced intellect, strength, and access to a pocket dimension used to store a number of technologically advanced gadgets (source of power and technology; unknown). Further investigation required."
"The target does not appear to be hostile. However, that might change with time because of the target's unstable mental condition. Caution is advised. Entry end."
Batman let out a tired breath after he finished the new entry, hesitating for a second before he firmed his resolve.
"Entries codenamed; Atom (Ray Palmer), Green Arrow, Hawkman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), The Flash, Zatanna, and several others have acted in discordance with the League imposed code of heroic conduct."
"Activation of contingency protocol, Brother Eye is required to make sure something like this will not happen again. Authorization to activate protocol, effective immediately."
The caped crusader concluded, his expression turning gloomy for a second. However, it quickly turned to a solemn one after a second as he stood up and walked away from the computer.
"Batman out."
...
I sighed, rubbing my eyes in exhaustion as I turned to the ceiling, finding it more appealing than the computer screen I'd been staring at for the past two days.
I told Selina I could find the culprit in a week. But it was a bluff to get her to help me get a new powerful computer because even though I could do it, acting on the culprit's location and identity would take several more days.
I'd intended to leave myself some wiggle room and take the occasional break from grinding since staring into a computer screen was not exactly my idea of fun.
However, Batman was not to be put on hold, so I decided to forgo sleep and pour all my time into my grinding to finish leveling up the Computers skill as soon as possible.
"Whatcha doin'?" Harley asked as she stood behind me, shoving her face in front of mine, making me palm my forehead in frustration as I looked away from her foolishly grinning visage.
"For the thousandth time, I'm trying to track down the culprit, so stop bothering me and go be crazy somewhere else," I replied, sighing as I felt my shoulders slump, a mixture of irritation, exhaustion, and exasperation washing over me.
Because of the deal with Batman, I had to keep Harley under my watch to make sure she wouldn't go out and get us both sent to prison or worse, so I let her stay in my apartment.
And let me tell you, the crazy blonde hasn't made it easy with her constant questions, constantly nagging me to go out and do something at every chance she got while I was trying to concentrate on my work.
I honestly didn't think Batman would decide to leave her here, even though I demanded it. At worst, I thought I'd get a beating before the caped crusader took her and left.
Sure, I'd get my ass beaten, but I'll have an excuse to extend the amount of time I have to find the culprit because of injury, and I'd still make my point and get that I won't give in without a fight across to the dark knight, which was the main reason for my actions.
But no, the brooding son of a bitch had to choose this moment to be reasonable, much to my chagrin and dismay, leaving me to suffer at the hands of the demented blonde doctor.
Honestly, a beating would have been much better than this shit.
"Gladly," Harley replied, grinning as she turned around, making her way to the apartment's door, and looking at her, I had the urge to bang my head against the desk.
"Somewhere else in the apartment!" I exclaimed, standing up and racing towards the door before the crazy blonde could reach it, causing her to click her tongue in annoyance.
"I'm bored! If ya keep me cooped up in this dingy apartment, I'll die of boredom!" Harley exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips as she regarded me with a scowl.
"Then please do! You'll be saving me a lot of trouble!" I replied, gnashing my teeth in frustration and punching a hole in the wall as the accumulated exhaustion and irritation from staring at a computer screen for two days without sleep finally caused me to snap.
Harley looked incredibly offended at my words and opened her mouth to reply, but nothing other than her stutterings came out as she kept pointing at me with an outraged expression.
"Hey! That's fucking rude! Ya can't just open yer mouth an' tell someone to die, Mistah!" Harley exclaimed, finally regaining composure as she sent me another offended scowl.
I turned to the hole in the wall, getting a full view of the fortunately vacant apartment next door, and took a deep breath to calm myself before breaking something else in my anger.
'Calm down... deep breaths...' I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, and finally felt myself calm down. 'Harley might have a point... I need to get out and blow up steam before I blow up instead...' I sighed and turned to my character screen to see my progress so far.
...
Name: Grayson Whitlock
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Archetype: (The Mad Scientist level 0)
Class: [Thief (level MAX)] [Fighter (level MAX)] [Acrobat (Level MAX)] [Programmer Level 14]
...
Stats:
Body: 50
Mind: 50
Spirit: 50
Stat Points: 27
...
Skills:
[Brawling (level 35)]
[Crime (level 25)]
[Acrobatics (level 12)]
[Computers (level 13)]
...
Perks:
[Dormant Metahuman]
[Silent Step]
[Eidetic Kinesthesia]
[Superhuman Stamina]
[Perfect Recall]
[Accelerated Healing]
[Energy Detector]
[Energy Concentration]
...
Archetype powers:
[Network Crash]
...
'So I've gained eight levels in the Computers skill... not bad... maybe I do have some time to waste after all...' I let out a drawn breath and opened my eyes to look at the crazy blonde.
"I won't apologize. You've been an absolute menace and a pain in my ass for the past two days," I calmly remarked, much to the crazy blonde's bemusement as she raised an eyebrow. I might have snapped, but she had it coming, and I refuse to apologise for speaking the truth.
"But if you want to go out that badly, then there's an Integang hideout at the docks that we can attack," I added, gesturing to the side, to which her expression considerably relaxed, but she still looked offended. Not that I cared anyway.
"Then what are we waitin' for?!" Harley asked, grinning as she walked past me towards the door.
...
Gotham
The Coventry
Near an abandoned shipyard
"That's the place," I gestured towards a moderately spacious shipyard with no visible trace of human presence and activity inside it unless you knew where to look.
'Looks like they haven't had time to place a cloaking device, or maybe they didn't bring another one...' I mused as I watched Harley squint her eyes while looking at the shipyard, trying and failing to find any sign of the Intergang members inside.
"Are ya sure? Place looks pretty darn empty to me..." Harley replied, tilting her head as she skeptically turned to me, having already given up on spotting anything.
"I'm sure. I tracked down the werewolf guy and his buddy here after they fled the hospital," I replied, firmly nodding my head. "Take a closer look," I added, throwing the crazy blonde a pair of binoculars I took out from my inventory.
"There are no locks on the shipyard's entrance, but there are lock-and-chain-shaped dust prints, meaning someone removed the locks not too long ago," I added with a shrug as I gestured toward the back entrance with my right.
"You can see that the windows are covered too, and the electricity box outside is still open..." I concluded, as I sent my pigeon drone to inspect the area and scout the Intergang's numbers and firepower.
"Oh! I see it now!" Harley said as she turned to look at the entrance through the binoculars, eagerly nodding her head. "Ya tryna rip off Batman with that detective shit, an' that edgy get up or something'?" she asked, throwing back the binoculars at me and grinning as she gestured at my black trench coat.
"Anyway, here's the plan; they only moved here recently, so they probably didn't have time to install cloaking and sensory devices..." I remarked, ignoring the crazy blonde's quip without dignifying it with an answer.
"You wait near the electric box for my signal. I'll sneak in there, take care of any lookouts, and find their bosses," I explained, gesturing towards the electricity box and the shipyard's slanted roof.
"Same as before. Once you hear the first gunshot, kill the lights and go wild. And no killing this time, so don't go too wild," I concluded as I equipped my steel wire and made for the edge of the roof.
"Yeah, yeah. I get it already, ya Bat-ass-kissin' sucker..." Harley said, rolling her eyes at me as she too started moving, and I only sighed as I began swinging my way to the shipyard.
...
The Coventry
Inside abandoned shipyard
"As you can see, Black Mask isn't leaving us any room to breathe..." Whisper remarked, narrowing her slit, reptilian eyes as she stared at a hologram projection of her boss, Bruno Ugly Manheim.
"Gotham's vigilantes aren't making it easy either, with Nightwing and Robin constantly hunting down our operatives..." she added, gesturing to the side. She scowled at the memory of Batman's sidekicks and how many setbacks they had caused for Integang's expansion plan already.
"Not to mention the loss in equipment and men Catwoman and her associates caused when they attacked the hospital," she explained, shaking her head.
"Mike Gunn is out of commission because of his severed arm, and Abbot barely made a full recovery today," she stated, frowning at her boss's leisure expression as he listened with closed eyes as if none of this had anything to do with him.
"We're bleeding money and aren't gaining any ground here. It's time you called off this wild goose chase," she blankly concluded, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"I'll call off the operation whenever I think it's necessary, and I currently don't," Bruno Mannheim replied, opening his eyes and narrowing them at the serpentine redhead.
"It's only a matter of time before I get the Religion of Crime to support our invasion of Gotham fully..." he added, his expression blank as he put his hands behind his back.
"But—" Whisper said, trying to retort. However, Mannheim quickly cut her off with a raised hand and a glare, causing her to stop talking and grit her teeth in frustration.
"You are most useful, Whisper. But, don't assume you are irreplaceable..." Manheim casually remarked, returning his hand behind his back and taking a relaxed posture.
"You will do as you're told, or things will get ugly for you," he intently concluded, letting a slight smile out as he saw Whisper nod her head and hum in agreement through gritted teeth.
"And speaking of things turning ugly... Mike has already lived past his use, with his bone cannon prosthetic gone..." Manheim remarked after a second's pause used to study Whisper's expression or perhaps take pleasure in her frustration.
"He knows too much to be let loose. You understand?" He asked after another second, having found no sign of defiance in the serpentine woman's face.
"I understand," Whisper replied, nodding her head without hesitation, to which Manheim returned the gesture and ended the call without bothering to say anything else.
Whisper hissed in frustration as soon as the call ended with her mouth opened wide, displaying her sharp, long fangs as she activated her energy whip and slashed the wooden table next to her in half with a swing.
Not only did Manheim send them on an impossible, possibly suicidal mission to take over Gotham, he even had the gull to leave them to dry despite the rapidly worsening situation.
Whisper had been trying to contact Manheim for the past two days to no avail, as the latter was too busy dealing with Intergang business in Metropolis since Superman had been actively hunting down their members after their last failed operation.
She had no idea what the ugly motherfucker was thinking by sending them into Gotham with barely enough men and firepower to take over the most notoriously gang/supervillain-infested city, especially with the man of steel breathing down their necks in their own home turf.
"I told you Manheim is going crazy..." Whisper heard a solemn voice from behind, causing her to turn around and face the speaker, Kyle Abbot, who had already recovered from his injuries.
"It all started when he got his hands on a copy of the Crime Bible. Right now, things are no different from our time in the League Of Shadows, maybe worse..." Abbot calmly remarked, his expression Blank as he spoke, gesturing to the side.
"Maybe. But what do you expect me to do about it?" Whisper asked, frowning as she turned to face her bodyguard with a scowl. "We're already knee-deep in this shit..." she added, shaking her head to signal the end of the conversation.
"Come, we have work to do," the serpentine redhead remarked as she walked past the lycanthrope while walking to the room's exit, causing the latter to sigh and follow suit.
However, they were only halfway through their detention in the middle of the shipyard when the lights died out, and gunshots began echoing in the distance.
And before Whisper could even start barking orders, a figure veiled in shadows landed in front of her, staring into her eyes through two dark red lenses that were the only clearly visible parts of the intruder's body.
"You!" Abbot exclaimed, transforming into his werewolf form and lunging at the intruder before Whisper could make sense of the situation. And she quickly followed suit, brandishing her Apokoliptian energy whips with little hesitation.
The intruder, Gray, Didn't hesitate to strike back as he took a step back to dodge a swipe of Abbot's claws, only to duck as Whisper swung her energy whip at his head.
Gray whipped the steel wire at the werewolf's feet, causing the latter to jump. However, the wire stopped right beneath him and flew towards his ankles, binding them together.
Channeling electricity through the wire and into the wolf man, Gray turned his attention to Whisper only to see her swing down her whip at his head, forcing him to dodge by stepping aside.
He frowned under his mask, noticing the deep, scorched gash in the ground where the whip hit. He didn't hesitate to attack, charging at the serpentine woman and storing the wire into his inventory as the wolf man tried to yank it away, despite the electricity coursing through his body.
Whisper kept whipping at Gray to no avail as the latter didn't fail to dodge every single swing, causing her to frown as she began moving backward to maintain the distance between them.
Luckily for her, the wolf man quickly recovered thanks to his healing factor and charged at Gray, forcing the latter to dodge and stop advancing.
However, her luck didn't last as she missed another swing of her whip, and Gray took advantage of the time she needed to recover, moving behind the wolf-man, using the latter as a shield against the serpentine woman's whip.
...
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