Grizlikoff stared at the computer screen. He removed the head phones that let him hear what was going
on in the bar and rubbed his temples. Five days and no sign of Diablo. Grizlikoff was starting to think
the whole thing was pointless.
Grizlikoff turned from the screen and looked over into the smaller room. He could see the form
of Raven asleep on the cot. She lay on her side and her shoulder rose and fell as she breathed. She lay in
a shifted position that let Grizlikoff see her face. Her eyes were shut softly and she looked peaceful.
Three days had gone by before they had that talk on the roof. In the last two days, Grizlikoff had
found it a struggle just to keep his eyes off of Raven. He watched as a wayward lock of ebony hair fell into
Raven's face. She twitched her nose slightly and rolled over in her sleep. Grizlikoff sighed deeply as he
watched her.
A hand came crashing into Grizlikoff's face, jolting him out of his daze. It took him a few
moments to realize it had been his own hand.
"Snap out of it!" He mumbled gruffly to himself. He turned his attention back to the screen.
"What's wrong with me?" He thought. "Here I am having important work to do and all I can
think about is vigilante!" Grizlikoff grudgingly let his attention be drawn back into the small room. He
shook his head violently and turned back to the screen.
He sighed again. He was usually so focused, so collected. He was usually so on task. But some
how, Raven had disrupted all of that. Grizlikoff had no idea what was going on, but Raven had stirred up
feelings in him he had never felt before. All he wanted to do was look at her. He had strong urges to
wrap his arms around her slender waist and hold her. To run his fingers through her soft, sleek hair. To
hold her face in his hands and...
"Aughg!" Grizlikoff once again tore himself from his thoughts.
"This is impossible!" He thought aloud. "I am Vladimir Goodenough Grizlikoff! I don't get side
tracked by pretty face or fall in..." He stopped himself abruptly from what he almost said.
No, that was impossible. He was simply reacting to being cooped up for days. That was it.
Raven was a vigilante. A temporary work partner. Nothing more. Gryzlikoff rubbed a hand over his face.
If this mission wasn't over soon, he was sure he'd go mad.
Some time passes as Gryzlikoff stared at the screen. Bar patrons came and went on the monitor.
Gryzlikoff became lost in a daze of watching the monitor, and thinking. He yelped in surprise as a hand
softly touched his shoulder. Flinging the head phones on the table, he whirled around to see Raven. Her
hands were raised and it looked as if she had jumped back a few inches.
"Sorry, Vlad. It's just me." She put her hands down. "My shift's up, remember?" Gryzlikoff
sighed in relief.
"You startled me." Raven nodded.
"I can see. Are you OK? You usually wake me up."
"Uhh, yes, sorry. My mind was else where..." Gryzlikoff stammered.
"Go get some sleep. You'll feel better." Raven smiled. Gryzlikoff nodded, trying not to get lost
in Raven's eyes.
Gryzlikoff and Raven switched off at the computer and he went into the next room. Gryzlikoff
hadn't even removed his shoes, when Raven called from the larger room.
"Vlad! Check this out!" Gryzlikoff rushed to the computer as Raven pointed out a young duck
with long brown hair in a pony tail and a blazer caring a brief case. "He's baaack..." Raven breathed.
"Is the recorder hooked up?" Gryzlikoff asked.
"Up and running." Raven affirmed. The young duck on the screen sat down at a secluded table
in the back. He was shortly joined by some others. Raven typed commands into the computer to move the
recording frequencies to the table. Soon, she picked up the conversation.
"One Kelo now, and as much as you like when you sign up." The smartly dressed, young duck
smiled disarmingly to the youths that had joined him. He snapped open a brief case and flashed the
content. Several small bags of cocaine.
"We got that on video." Raven said, double checking all the hook ups. "Even if he wasn't
Diablo, we can get him on something."
"Right." Gryzlikoff nodded. He reached for the SHUSH radio. "I'll alert head quarters
and...hey!" He hadn't finished his sentence before he turned to find Raven pulling on her swords and
heading for the door. "I thought I tell you we wait for back up!"
"If we wait now we'll lose him!" Raven insisted. "We need to grab him now while we can."
Raven moved to open the door. Gryzlikoff grabbed her arm and held her.
"Nyet! We make move now and he could run! When back up gets here we will have building
surrounded. Is safer to wait!" Raven ripped her arm away from him.
"It's stupid to wait! He's going to get away!" She turned to leave the room. Gryzlikoff grabbed
her shoulders and turned her around. Raven struggled and glared at him. Gryzlikoff returned the look.
They stayed dead locked for a moment. Raven's eyes burned into Gryzlikoff's with an intense fire. He
could feel them searing through him. Before he could stop himself, Gryzlikoff leaned forward and kissed
Raven.
Raven was completely taken aback. The moment their lips met, she took in a sharp, surprised
breath. It was so sudden, Raven didn't even think to resist. After a moment, Gryzlikoff pulled away.
Raven stared at him in shock.
"Is that how you keep all your agents at bay?" She asked breathlessly. Gryzlikoff froze in shock
at what he had done. He stammered in vain.
"Raven...I..." A blerp on the screen caught Raven's attention. She turned to see Diablo rising
from the table.
"Later!" She pushed Gryzlikoff away from her and bolted out the door.
"Raven!!!" Gryzlikoff screamed after her. He chased Raven down the stairs to the main room of
the bar. Music blared and smoke filled the room. A crowd of people gathered in the small area, but
through the confusion, Raven spotted Diablo and headed after him. Gryzlikoff tried desperately to keep
up with her. He hit a distress button on the small portable radio that linked him to SHUSH head quarters.
Diablo was a few feet from the door before Raven reached out and grabbed him roughly by the shoulder.
She whirled him around and punched him hard in the face. The blow sent the young man sprawling to
the floor. The brief case crashed onto the ground and broke open. Bags of narcotics flew over the floor.
The action in the bar stopped as the patrons looked to the unfolding scene. At the sight of the drugs a new
wave of chaos broke loose. Every one in the bar tried to run away at once.
Gryzlikoff was knocked off balance by an onslaught of people rushing out the door. He looked up
in time to see a desperate Diablo quickly flick open a switch blade knife and lundge at Raven. She
stumbled out of the way in time to save her throat. The blade swung wide and cut her cheek. The sudden
sting took Raven off guard allowing Diablo to rush past her and make his way through the crowd to a
small exit in the corner. He bolted out side and into a small alleyway. Gryzlikoff jumped to his feet and
followed after Raven as they looked out the small door. The ally was a dead end, but Diablo was gone.
There was a small metal later on the side of the building.
"Does that lader lead to your roof?" Gryzlikoff asked the bar tender who was once again
cowering behind the bar in his empty establishment. He nodded dumbly. Raven bolted past Gryzlikoff
and back up the stairs. He followed her back up to the room and through the mirror in the bathroom.
"Would you wait five seconds to make a plan?" He shouted after her as Raven went up the later to the
roof. As they hit the roof, they were imidently forced to dodge behind a ventilator for protection as a
shower of bullets flew at them. They heard Diablo call out to them.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" He screamed. "I know who you are! I know you're from SHUSH.
You're not getting hold of me! You understand?"
"I'm pretty sure one of us has the other trapped, but I'm not sure who it is." Raven muttered. She
braved a look around the vent only to bring her head back in time for more bullets to miss it.
"I radioed to SHUSH." Gryzlikoff said under his breath. "They be here soon." He sighed.
"Raven, about....back in the room..." A wave of bullets hit the vent.
"Can we talk about that later?" Raven asked. She held her wrist to her face and pushed a button
on her communicator. "DW. You there?" A staticy voice came back.
"What is it Rav?"
"We're on the bar roof with Diablo. He tried to make a run for it. I'm not sure how long we can
keep him here."
"Hang on as long as you can. We're on our way!" Raven and Gryzlikoff flinched as another hail
of bullets hit the vent.
"Think he'll run out of ammo before the metal wears through and he hits us?" Raven asked
sarcastically.
"I'd rather not take those odds." Gryzlikoff answered as she pulled his gun from his jacket.
Raven watched him.
"If you can keep him busy and run his ammunition supplies out, I can move around to his left
and surprise him." She proposed. Gryzlikoff shook his head.
"Is too risky." He argued.
"Afraid I won't come back?" Raven smirked. She looked over to see a wounded look on
Gryzlikoff's face. "Sorry." She murmured. A rush of blood went to her face and flushed her cheeks. She
shook it off violently. "It's the only shot we have right now." Raven insisted. "I can make it."
"Right." Gryzlikoff finally agreed. He got on his knees and lifted his head above the vent long
enough to fire three quick shots. A sudden burst of gun fire from Diablo game just as he dove back to
safety. Raven silently drew her blades and waited until two more trades of gun fire had sounded before
she began to sneak around the side of the vent towards Diablo.
She moved swiftly in the shadows. Her foot steps were so silent and soft that even she felt as
though she moved on air. She kept her swords at an angle so they would not flash in the moon light.
Quietly, she drew closer to her pray.
Gryzlikoff had been so busy that he hadn't even noticed Raven's departure. He fired the last
round in his gun and dove back to his place. Two more bullets hit the vent and were followed by clicking.
"He's out of bullets." Gryzlikoff said in a low voice. "Go, now!" Silence followed. Gryzlikoff
looked to this right. Raven..." His eyes widened as he realized she was long gone. This registered in his
brain just moments before he heard a more defanent snap. It was followed by a short yell from Raven.
"Raven!!! NO!!!" Gryzlikoff forgot the safety of the vent and stood just in time to see Raven
spring, blades at the ready, for Diablo. In a split second Diablo raised his freshly reloaded gun and fired
three times. Raven's eyes flew open as each one of the bullets buried themselves in her body. The force
and surprise caused her to fall backwards onto the roof. The sound of her swords clanging to the floor
echoed in the night and were followed by silence. Raven's form fell to the roof and lay still.
Diablo and Gryzlikoff stared in disbelief. A quick satisfied smile came to Diablo. He looked
over to Gryzlikoff. Diablo's hands fumbled quickly as he reached into his pocket and loaded still more
bullets into his gun quickly. He aimed dead center at Gryzlikoff's head.
"Get ready to go too!" Diablo smirked. His confidence was short lived, however. Before he could
fire, Gryzlikoff whirled around to face the drug dealer. He let out a loud, terrifying growl. Before Diablo
could move, Gryzlikoff charged him. Diablo managed to fire his gun, but it was too late. One bullet
managed to graze Gryzlikoff's arm. The rest flew off into the night. Diablo soon found himself trapped
under the hulking bear His gun had been knocked from his hand and flew over the side of the building.
Gryzlikoff stood up. His hands firmly wrapped around Diablo's neck. At the edge of the building,
Gryzlikoff dangled the F.O.W.L. agent over the side of the roof.
"Under different circumstances, I would have made sure you lived to stand trial." Gryzlikoff
menaced. "But now I think I just kill you!"
Diablo struggled desperately. He could feel the strength drain from his body. In a last ditch
effort to get away, he managed to free one hand and pull his switch blade. He held it tightly and let his
hand fly to Gryzlikoff's throat. Gryzlikoff could only watch as the blade dove at him.
Both men were stunned when a flash of silver streaked through the night and pierced Diablo's
free hand. Gryzlikoff let go of his victim in surprise. As Diablo fell screaming from the roof top.
Gryzlikoff made out the shape of a katana sword stabbed straight through the drug peddler's hand. Diablo
fell, bloody and defeated into the waiting throngs of SHUSH agents below.
Gryzlikoff turned quickly to see Raven propped on one arm. Blood flowed from her stomach.
Her breath came in harsh gasps. Her other sword lay by her side as her other arm fell from the throw.
She smiled weakly before she collapsed.
"Raven!" Gryzlikoff ran to her side. He knelt down and took off his jacket. He draped it over
his friend. Raven's eyes opened slightly and she looked up at Gryzlikoff.
"That'll show you what vigilantes can do." She tried to smile again. Gryzlikoff let a smile cross
his lips. It faded as Raven gave a harsh sigh and fell uncontious.
"Hang on Raven." He whispered to her. "I won't let you go..."
Down below Darkwing and Launchpad pulled up to the scene just in time to see paramedics pull
Diablo onto a stretcher. Raven's sword still protruded from his hand. J Gander joined the two as
Darkwing retrieved the blade from the paramedic.
"It seems that teaming your friend up with Agent Gryzlikoff was a good idea." Hooter mused.
Darkwing looked at the blood stained steel and pointed it up toward the top of the bar.
"One thing I'll say for Raven. When you tell her to bring someone down, she brings them down."
Darkwing looked around the scene. "Where is Rav and old Gryz any way?" He asked. Hooter shook his
head.
"They haven't reported back yet. I assume they're still cleaning up the crime scene." Darkwing
smirked.
"Maybe Gryz, but I'd figure as soon as she could break out of that room we'd see Rav....en..."
Darkwing barely finished his sentace when he saw Gryzlikoff imerge from the building. It took a moment
for Darkwing to make out the shape of Raven as Gryzlikoff carried her body down to the ambulance.
Blood dripped on the ground and soaked through Gryzlikoff's shirt as he helped the paramedics lay her on
a stretcher. Darkwing felt his blood go cold as he and Launchpad watched as the doors were closed and
the ambulance sped off into the city. He turned to scream at Gryzlikoff.
"What the hell did you do to her? The idea was to bring down Diablo! Not Raven!!!" Darkwing
stopped yelling when he saw Gryzlikoff's face. It was full of pain and sadness. He stood among the other
agents as they went about the crime scene. He stood motionless. His shirt soaked in crimson and clinging
to his body that shivered in the cold night air. His eyes followed the ambulance lights until they were out
of sight.
Darkwing backed off and let the SHUSH agents do their job. He nodded to J Gander and then
pulled on Launchpad's sleeve.
"Come on. We better get to the hospital." Launchpad followed Darkwing back to the Rat
Catcher. Launchpad ventured to speak on the way.
"DW, do you think Raven'll be OK?"
"She's gotten out of tougher spots." Darkwing said, forcing a smile. It faded quickly.
"DW?"
"Yeah, LP?"
"What was up with Gryzlikoff?"
"Don't know buddy. I don't know."
"She lost a lot of blood. We had to perform minor surgery to remove all of the bullets. One did
perice her stomach, but it stopped there. She's stable now, and very lucky." The doctor spoke to
Launchpad. Darkwing was lurking in the shadows just out side of Raven's hospital room. It had took
some doing, but Launchpad had finally managed to convince the doctor that he was related to Raven.
"You can see her in a few moments although she isn't awake yet." The doctor finished. He left
Launchpad. A moment later a nurse came and let Launchpad into the room. She left him alone. Once
Launchpad was sure no one was around, he looked toward the window. He gave a thumbs up and nodded.
Darkwing saw the signal and made his way back down to the Rat Catcher. Launchpad stayed a moment
longer to make sure everything was OK. He left his phone number with the nurses and left. He joined
Darkwing at the corner of the street.
"I'll go home and change and then get Morg. Raven won't be too happy if she wakes up in a
hospital." With that, the two sped off into the night.
Gryzlikoff sat alone in his office. He was trying to fill out forms on the case, but the words kept
blurring and running together. All he could think about was Raven. He had tried to call the hospital. But
they refused to give him any information since he wasn't relation. Guilt racked him like a dead wait. He
wished it could have been him instead of Raven. Poor sweet Raven who hadn't asked for any part of this.
She was hurt badly, possibly dead, and it was all his fault.
"If you're that worried why don't you go see her tomorrow?" Gryzlikoff was startled from his
work. He looked up to see J Gander enter the office. "I spoke to Darkwing just a moment ago." Gander
assured him. "Raven is in stable condition. She'll pull through just fine." Gryzlikoff blushed and
stammered.
"Sir...I I wasn't..." J Gander raised a hand to silence him.
"Vladimir." He said solemnly. "I've lived a long time. I've seen and done many things in that
time. And I've seen that look on men's faces before. Even my own." He looked up to Gryzlikoff with a
smile. "You can't hide these things from an old man."
"Yes sir." Gryzlikoff replied. J Gander turned to leave the office. Before he left he heard
Gryzlikoff speak again.
"And...thank you, sir." The smile remained on J Gander's face as he left Gryzlikoff.
"You're welcome, Vladimir." He said to himself.
Gryzlikoff walked nervously to the front desk of the recovery floor of the hospital. He swallowed
the lump in his throat for the millionth time as he approached the nurse behind the counter. He had went
over in his mind a million times what he would say. He carried a dozen red roses in his hands. The nurse
smiled pleasantly at him as he cleared his throat. His face felt as though it was on fire.
"I'm here to visit a friend." He said meekly. The nurse nodded.
"Of course. What name?"
"Inari. Raven Inari." He said. A chill went down his spine as he said her name. The nurse
flipped through a large book on the desk.
"Hmm..." She closed the book and typed on the desk computer. "Huh." She said finally.
"I'm afraid Ms. Inari checked out earlier today."
"What?!?" Gryzlikoff choked in surprise. "She was shot three times! How is she gone already?"
"It's the strangest thing." The nurse said. "She had two other visitors this morning. They went
in and about a half an hour later she came out the desk with them. She looked just fine. It was the
darndest thing ever!" Gryzlikoff looked down at the floor for a moment. He recalled the day after he met
Raven. After their fight. She had been perfectly healed. How did she do that? Gryzlikoff snickered.
"Women..." He said to himself. He smiled and handed the roses to the nurse. "Please give these
to pediatrics." He said. The nurse smiled.
"Thank you sir! Have a nice day!"
Gryzlikoff left the building and slumped in his car. He stared at the keys in his hands as if he
didn't know what they were for. He had no clue what to do now. After a moment he put the key in the
ignition and started the car. He drove in a daze back to SHUSH head quarters.
"Raven? Have you heard a word I've said?" Darkwing tapped his foot impatiently. He was
beginning to think that letting Raven go back to work right after her release from the hospital was a
mistake. She sat in one of the large windows of the tower looking out over the city, lost in her own world.
"Raven!" Darkwing shouted. She started slightly and looked over.
"What?" She asked. Darkwing shook his head.
"If you're not alright, you should say so. You can go home and lay down you know." Raven
looked at him for a moment.
"Oh. No, it's OK, I'm fine." Darkwing looked at her skeptically.
"Really, I'm fine!" Raven insisted. Darkwing sighed.
"Good to know Rav..." He walked off. Raven stood up and went over the large computer. She
opened up a program and started working. After a moment she let her mind wander and found herself
looking over out at the city again. She looked out over the buildings to the bad part of town. After a
while, she gave a heavy sigh, and went back to work.
on in the bar and rubbed his temples. Five days and no sign of Diablo. Grizlikoff was starting to think
the whole thing was pointless.
Grizlikoff turned from the screen and looked over into the smaller room. He could see the form
of Raven asleep on the cot. She lay on her side and her shoulder rose and fell as she breathed. She lay in
a shifted position that let Grizlikoff see her face. Her eyes were shut softly and she looked peaceful.
Three days had gone by before they had that talk on the roof. In the last two days, Grizlikoff had
found it a struggle just to keep his eyes off of Raven. He watched as a wayward lock of ebony hair fell into
Raven's face. She twitched her nose slightly and rolled over in her sleep. Grizlikoff sighed deeply as he
watched her.
A hand came crashing into Grizlikoff's face, jolting him out of his daze. It took him a few
moments to realize it had been his own hand.
"Snap out of it!" He mumbled gruffly to himself. He turned his attention back to the screen.
"What's wrong with me?" He thought. "Here I am having important work to do and all I can
think about is vigilante!" Grizlikoff grudgingly let his attention be drawn back into the small room. He
shook his head violently and turned back to the screen.
He sighed again. He was usually so focused, so collected. He was usually so on task. But some
how, Raven had disrupted all of that. Grizlikoff had no idea what was going on, but Raven had stirred up
feelings in him he had never felt before. All he wanted to do was look at her. He had strong urges to
wrap his arms around her slender waist and hold her. To run his fingers through her soft, sleek hair. To
hold her face in his hands and...
"Aughg!" Grizlikoff once again tore himself from his thoughts.
"This is impossible!" He thought aloud. "I am Vladimir Goodenough Grizlikoff! I don't get side
tracked by pretty face or fall in..." He stopped himself abruptly from what he almost said.
No, that was impossible. He was simply reacting to being cooped up for days. That was it.
Raven was a vigilante. A temporary work partner. Nothing more. Gryzlikoff rubbed a hand over his face.
If this mission wasn't over soon, he was sure he'd go mad.
Some time passes as Gryzlikoff stared at the screen. Bar patrons came and went on the monitor.
Gryzlikoff became lost in a daze of watching the monitor, and thinking. He yelped in surprise as a hand
softly touched his shoulder. Flinging the head phones on the table, he whirled around to see Raven. Her
hands were raised and it looked as if she had jumped back a few inches.
"Sorry, Vlad. It's just me." She put her hands down. "My shift's up, remember?" Gryzlikoff
sighed in relief.
"You startled me." Raven nodded.
"I can see. Are you OK? You usually wake me up."
"Uhh, yes, sorry. My mind was else where..." Gryzlikoff stammered.
"Go get some sleep. You'll feel better." Raven smiled. Gryzlikoff nodded, trying not to get lost
in Raven's eyes.
Gryzlikoff and Raven switched off at the computer and he went into the next room. Gryzlikoff
hadn't even removed his shoes, when Raven called from the larger room.
"Vlad! Check this out!" Gryzlikoff rushed to the computer as Raven pointed out a young duck
with long brown hair in a pony tail and a blazer caring a brief case. "He's baaack..." Raven breathed.
"Is the recorder hooked up?" Gryzlikoff asked.
"Up and running." Raven affirmed. The young duck on the screen sat down at a secluded table
in the back. He was shortly joined by some others. Raven typed commands into the computer to move the
recording frequencies to the table. Soon, she picked up the conversation.
"One Kelo now, and as much as you like when you sign up." The smartly dressed, young duck
smiled disarmingly to the youths that had joined him. He snapped open a brief case and flashed the
content. Several small bags of cocaine.
"We got that on video." Raven said, double checking all the hook ups. "Even if he wasn't
Diablo, we can get him on something."
"Right." Gryzlikoff nodded. He reached for the SHUSH radio. "I'll alert head quarters
and...hey!" He hadn't finished his sentence before he turned to find Raven pulling on her swords and
heading for the door. "I thought I tell you we wait for back up!"
"If we wait now we'll lose him!" Raven insisted. "We need to grab him now while we can."
Raven moved to open the door. Gryzlikoff grabbed her arm and held her.
"Nyet! We make move now and he could run! When back up gets here we will have building
surrounded. Is safer to wait!" Raven ripped her arm away from him.
"It's stupid to wait! He's going to get away!" She turned to leave the room. Gryzlikoff grabbed
her shoulders and turned her around. Raven struggled and glared at him. Gryzlikoff returned the look.
They stayed dead locked for a moment. Raven's eyes burned into Gryzlikoff's with an intense fire. He
could feel them searing through him. Before he could stop himself, Gryzlikoff leaned forward and kissed
Raven.
Raven was completely taken aback. The moment their lips met, she took in a sharp, surprised
breath. It was so sudden, Raven didn't even think to resist. After a moment, Gryzlikoff pulled away.
Raven stared at him in shock.
"Is that how you keep all your agents at bay?" She asked breathlessly. Gryzlikoff froze in shock
at what he had done. He stammered in vain.
"Raven...I..." A blerp on the screen caught Raven's attention. She turned to see Diablo rising
from the table.
"Later!" She pushed Gryzlikoff away from her and bolted out the door.
"Raven!!!" Gryzlikoff screamed after her. He chased Raven down the stairs to the main room of
the bar. Music blared and smoke filled the room. A crowd of people gathered in the small area, but
through the confusion, Raven spotted Diablo and headed after him. Gryzlikoff tried desperately to keep
up with her. He hit a distress button on the small portable radio that linked him to SHUSH head quarters.
Diablo was a few feet from the door before Raven reached out and grabbed him roughly by the shoulder.
She whirled him around and punched him hard in the face. The blow sent the young man sprawling to
the floor. The brief case crashed onto the ground and broke open. Bags of narcotics flew over the floor.
The action in the bar stopped as the patrons looked to the unfolding scene. At the sight of the drugs a new
wave of chaos broke loose. Every one in the bar tried to run away at once.
Gryzlikoff was knocked off balance by an onslaught of people rushing out the door. He looked up
in time to see a desperate Diablo quickly flick open a switch blade knife and lundge at Raven. She
stumbled out of the way in time to save her throat. The blade swung wide and cut her cheek. The sudden
sting took Raven off guard allowing Diablo to rush past her and make his way through the crowd to a
small exit in the corner. He bolted out side and into a small alleyway. Gryzlikoff jumped to his feet and
followed after Raven as they looked out the small door. The ally was a dead end, but Diablo was gone.
There was a small metal later on the side of the building.
"Does that lader lead to your roof?" Gryzlikoff asked the bar tender who was once again
cowering behind the bar in his empty establishment. He nodded dumbly. Raven bolted past Gryzlikoff
and back up the stairs. He followed her back up to the room and through the mirror in the bathroom.
"Would you wait five seconds to make a plan?" He shouted after her as Raven went up the later to the
roof. As they hit the roof, they were imidently forced to dodge behind a ventilator for protection as a
shower of bullets flew at them. They heard Diablo call out to them.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" He screamed. "I know who you are! I know you're from SHUSH.
You're not getting hold of me! You understand?"
"I'm pretty sure one of us has the other trapped, but I'm not sure who it is." Raven muttered. She
braved a look around the vent only to bring her head back in time for more bullets to miss it.
"I radioed to SHUSH." Gryzlikoff said under his breath. "They be here soon." He sighed.
"Raven, about....back in the room..." A wave of bullets hit the vent.
"Can we talk about that later?" Raven asked. She held her wrist to her face and pushed a button
on her communicator. "DW. You there?" A staticy voice came back.
"What is it Rav?"
"We're on the bar roof with Diablo. He tried to make a run for it. I'm not sure how long we can
keep him here."
"Hang on as long as you can. We're on our way!" Raven and Gryzlikoff flinched as another hail
of bullets hit the vent.
"Think he'll run out of ammo before the metal wears through and he hits us?" Raven asked
sarcastically.
"I'd rather not take those odds." Gryzlikoff answered as she pulled his gun from his jacket.
Raven watched him.
"If you can keep him busy and run his ammunition supplies out, I can move around to his left
and surprise him." She proposed. Gryzlikoff shook his head.
"Is too risky." He argued.
"Afraid I won't come back?" Raven smirked. She looked over to see a wounded look on
Gryzlikoff's face. "Sorry." She murmured. A rush of blood went to her face and flushed her cheeks. She
shook it off violently. "It's the only shot we have right now." Raven insisted. "I can make it."
"Right." Gryzlikoff finally agreed. He got on his knees and lifted his head above the vent long
enough to fire three quick shots. A sudden burst of gun fire from Diablo game just as he dove back to
safety. Raven silently drew her blades and waited until two more trades of gun fire had sounded before
she began to sneak around the side of the vent towards Diablo.
She moved swiftly in the shadows. Her foot steps were so silent and soft that even she felt as
though she moved on air. She kept her swords at an angle so they would not flash in the moon light.
Quietly, she drew closer to her pray.
Gryzlikoff had been so busy that he hadn't even noticed Raven's departure. He fired the last
round in his gun and dove back to his place. Two more bullets hit the vent and were followed by clicking.
"He's out of bullets." Gryzlikoff said in a low voice. "Go, now!" Silence followed. Gryzlikoff
looked to this right. Raven..." His eyes widened as he realized she was long gone. This registered in his
brain just moments before he heard a more defanent snap. It was followed by a short yell from Raven.
"Raven!!! NO!!!" Gryzlikoff forgot the safety of the vent and stood just in time to see Raven
spring, blades at the ready, for Diablo. In a split second Diablo raised his freshly reloaded gun and fired
three times. Raven's eyes flew open as each one of the bullets buried themselves in her body. The force
and surprise caused her to fall backwards onto the roof. The sound of her swords clanging to the floor
echoed in the night and were followed by silence. Raven's form fell to the roof and lay still.
Diablo and Gryzlikoff stared in disbelief. A quick satisfied smile came to Diablo. He looked
over to Gryzlikoff. Diablo's hands fumbled quickly as he reached into his pocket and loaded still more
bullets into his gun quickly. He aimed dead center at Gryzlikoff's head.
"Get ready to go too!" Diablo smirked. His confidence was short lived, however. Before he could
fire, Gryzlikoff whirled around to face the drug dealer. He let out a loud, terrifying growl. Before Diablo
could move, Gryzlikoff charged him. Diablo managed to fire his gun, but it was too late. One bullet
managed to graze Gryzlikoff's arm. The rest flew off into the night. Diablo soon found himself trapped
under the hulking bear His gun had been knocked from his hand and flew over the side of the building.
Gryzlikoff stood up. His hands firmly wrapped around Diablo's neck. At the edge of the building,
Gryzlikoff dangled the F.O.W.L. agent over the side of the roof.
"Under different circumstances, I would have made sure you lived to stand trial." Gryzlikoff
menaced. "But now I think I just kill you!"
Diablo struggled desperately. He could feel the strength drain from his body. In a last ditch
effort to get away, he managed to free one hand and pull his switch blade. He held it tightly and let his
hand fly to Gryzlikoff's throat. Gryzlikoff could only watch as the blade dove at him.
Both men were stunned when a flash of silver streaked through the night and pierced Diablo's
free hand. Gryzlikoff let go of his victim in surprise. As Diablo fell screaming from the roof top.
Gryzlikoff made out the shape of a katana sword stabbed straight through the drug peddler's hand. Diablo
fell, bloody and defeated into the waiting throngs of SHUSH agents below.
Gryzlikoff turned quickly to see Raven propped on one arm. Blood flowed from her stomach.
Her breath came in harsh gasps. Her other sword lay by her side as her other arm fell from the throw.
She smiled weakly before she collapsed.
"Raven!" Gryzlikoff ran to her side. He knelt down and took off his jacket. He draped it over
his friend. Raven's eyes opened slightly and she looked up at Gryzlikoff.
"That'll show you what vigilantes can do." She tried to smile again. Gryzlikoff let a smile cross
his lips. It faded as Raven gave a harsh sigh and fell uncontious.
"Hang on Raven." He whispered to her. "I won't let you go..."
Down below Darkwing and Launchpad pulled up to the scene just in time to see paramedics pull
Diablo onto a stretcher. Raven's sword still protruded from his hand. J Gander joined the two as
Darkwing retrieved the blade from the paramedic.
"It seems that teaming your friend up with Agent Gryzlikoff was a good idea." Hooter mused.
Darkwing looked at the blood stained steel and pointed it up toward the top of the bar.
"One thing I'll say for Raven. When you tell her to bring someone down, she brings them down."
Darkwing looked around the scene. "Where is Rav and old Gryz any way?" He asked. Hooter shook his
head.
"They haven't reported back yet. I assume they're still cleaning up the crime scene." Darkwing
smirked.
"Maybe Gryz, but I'd figure as soon as she could break out of that room we'd see Rav....en..."
Darkwing barely finished his sentace when he saw Gryzlikoff imerge from the building. It took a moment
for Darkwing to make out the shape of Raven as Gryzlikoff carried her body down to the ambulance.
Blood dripped on the ground and soaked through Gryzlikoff's shirt as he helped the paramedics lay her on
a stretcher. Darkwing felt his blood go cold as he and Launchpad watched as the doors were closed and
the ambulance sped off into the city. He turned to scream at Gryzlikoff.
"What the hell did you do to her? The idea was to bring down Diablo! Not Raven!!!" Darkwing
stopped yelling when he saw Gryzlikoff's face. It was full of pain and sadness. He stood among the other
agents as they went about the crime scene. He stood motionless. His shirt soaked in crimson and clinging
to his body that shivered in the cold night air. His eyes followed the ambulance lights until they were out
of sight.
Darkwing backed off and let the SHUSH agents do their job. He nodded to J Gander and then
pulled on Launchpad's sleeve.
"Come on. We better get to the hospital." Launchpad followed Darkwing back to the Rat
Catcher. Launchpad ventured to speak on the way.
"DW, do you think Raven'll be OK?"
"She's gotten out of tougher spots." Darkwing said, forcing a smile. It faded quickly.
"DW?"
"Yeah, LP?"
"What was up with Gryzlikoff?"
"Don't know buddy. I don't know."
"She lost a lot of blood. We had to perform minor surgery to remove all of the bullets. One did
perice her stomach, but it stopped there. She's stable now, and very lucky." The doctor spoke to
Launchpad. Darkwing was lurking in the shadows just out side of Raven's hospital room. It had took
some doing, but Launchpad had finally managed to convince the doctor that he was related to Raven.
"You can see her in a few moments although she isn't awake yet." The doctor finished. He left
Launchpad. A moment later a nurse came and let Launchpad into the room. She left him alone. Once
Launchpad was sure no one was around, he looked toward the window. He gave a thumbs up and nodded.
Darkwing saw the signal and made his way back down to the Rat Catcher. Launchpad stayed a moment
longer to make sure everything was OK. He left his phone number with the nurses and left. He joined
Darkwing at the corner of the street.
"I'll go home and change and then get Morg. Raven won't be too happy if she wakes up in a
hospital." With that, the two sped off into the night.
Gryzlikoff sat alone in his office. He was trying to fill out forms on the case, but the words kept
blurring and running together. All he could think about was Raven. He had tried to call the hospital. But
they refused to give him any information since he wasn't relation. Guilt racked him like a dead wait. He
wished it could have been him instead of Raven. Poor sweet Raven who hadn't asked for any part of this.
She was hurt badly, possibly dead, and it was all his fault.
"If you're that worried why don't you go see her tomorrow?" Gryzlikoff was startled from his
work. He looked up to see J Gander enter the office. "I spoke to Darkwing just a moment ago." Gander
assured him. "Raven is in stable condition. She'll pull through just fine." Gryzlikoff blushed and
stammered.
"Sir...I I wasn't..." J Gander raised a hand to silence him.
"Vladimir." He said solemnly. "I've lived a long time. I've seen and done many things in that
time. And I've seen that look on men's faces before. Even my own." He looked up to Gryzlikoff with a
smile. "You can't hide these things from an old man."
"Yes sir." Gryzlikoff replied. J Gander turned to leave the office. Before he left he heard
Gryzlikoff speak again.
"And...thank you, sir." The smile remained on J Gander's face as he left Gryzlikoff.
"You're welcome, Vladimir." He said to himself.
Gryzlikoff walked nervously to the front desk of the recovery floor of the hospital. He swallowed
the lump in his throat for the millionth time as he approached the nurse behind the counter. He had went
over in his mind a million times what he would say. He carried a dozen red roses in his hands. The nurse
smiled pleasantly at him as he cleared his throat. His face felt as though it was on fire.
"I'm here to visit a friend." He said meekly. The nurse nodded.
"Of course. What name?"
"Inari. Raven Inari." He said. A chill went down his spine as he said her name. The nurse
flipped through a large book on the desk.
"Hmm..." She closed the book and typed on the desk computer. "Huh." She said finally.
"I'm afraid Ms. Inari checked out earlier today."
"What?!?" Gryzlikoff choked in surprise. "She was shot three times! How is she gone already?"
"It's the strangest thing." The nurse said. "She had two other visitors this morning. They went
in and about a half an hour later she came out the desk with them. She looked just fine. It was the
darndest thing ever!" Gryzlikoff looked down at the floor for a moment. He recalled the day after he met
Raven. After their fight. She had been perfectly healed. How did she do that? Gryzlikoff snickered.
"Women..." He said to himself. He smiled and handed the roses to the nurse. "Please give these
to pediatrics." He said. The nurse smiled.
"Thank you sir! Have a nice day!"
Gryzlikoff left the building and slumped in his car. He stared at the keys in his hands as if he
didn't know what they were for. He had no clue what to do now. After a moment he put the key in the
ignition and started the car. He drove in a daze back to SHUSH head quarters.
"Raven? Have you heard a word I've said?" Darkwing tapped his foot impatiently. He was
beginning to think that letting Raven go back to work right after her release from the hospital was a
mistake. She sat in one of the large windows of the tower looking out over the city, lost in her own world.
"Raven!" Darkwing shouted. She started slightly and looked over.
"What?" She asked. Darkwing shook his head.
"If you're not alright, you should say so. You can go home and lay down you know." Raven
looked at him for a moment.
"Oh. No, it's OK, I'm fine." Darkwing looked at her skeptically.
"Really, I'm fine!" Raven insisted. Darkwing sighed.
"Good to know Rav..." He walked off. Raven stood up and went over the large computer. She
opened up a program and started working. After a moment she let her mind wander and found herself
looking over out at the city again. She looked out over the buildings to the bad part of town. After a
while, she gave a heavy sigh, and went back to work.
