Renegade
Chapter 13: "The Most Dangerous Game: Part 1"
Robin looked straight into the eyes of his adversary. It being in shock, anger and fear all at the same time. But X didn't share the same look; his was a look of satisfaction. Robin knew this was the face he worn, even though he couldn't see through the mask.
"Surprised?" X said, "Good."
"But how? Why did you come back? I thought we had seen the last of you." The shock of seeing this foe/ally turned him from acumen to a bewildered detective.
"I must admit, I didn't think I'd be in Jump City ever again but the offer those guys gave me was too good to refuse."
"Who gave you this offer?" Robin's mind had gone back to its usual inquisitive style.
"I'm not stupid, hero. Even if I did have any idea who they were, which I don't, I wouldn't be allowed to tell you."
"Okay then, why are you talking to me here? It really doesn't do you any good to reveal yourself here. So why in the world would you?"
"Simple. I always leave a calling card to show where I have been. Seeing as you won't be there to see anything at the tower right now, I decided to meet you in person."
X swiftly turned about, walked through the door, and shut it behind him. Robin sat in bewilderment; his only lead had gone out the door. Now what was he going to do?
X walked rhythmically down the hall and turned a right corner. Continuing down the hall, he finally came to the surveillance room where he was first paid.
A dark man sat in a big office like chair; he turned to greet his associate.
"Greetings"
"Thanks for the money but I really must be leaving."
"I'm afraid that's not going to happen, you still have your end of the bargain to uphold."
"What?" X prayed he was kidding.
"Article 4 sub-section C of your contact clearly states that you will watch the party of the fourth part (Robin) for an undisclosed time."
"You have got to be kidding."
"I don't kid, Mr. X. I do what I'm sent to do, and that is to make sure both parties of the agreement fulfill their stated terms that each party agreed too. You have legal obligation to watch the captive for an undisclosed period of time."
"Legal obligation? Where are you going to find a judge who will make me fulfill my terms?"
"We don't need a judge." X's associate snapped his fingers and on cue, a heavy infantry man walked out of the shadows and into plain view. "We can keep you here."
"You really think this place will hold me don't you?"
"It's working wonders for Robin. I suggest you fulfill your end before we are forced to take aggressive actions."
"There is no way I am baby-sitting your little jail bird. Got that?"
"Very well. Jonathon, if you will escort Red X to his chambers."
The soldier took a step forward and lifted his gun to X's head.
"This place will be hard to escape from I assure you. You have one final chance to reconsider your stance."
X considered his options and decided obeying Mr. Lawyer was better than getting sent up the river by Johnny the Guard over here.
"You got yourself warden."
"Good." Replied Mr. Lawyer "I will leave you too your duties.
The Lawyer and the Guard walked outside into the bright hallway leaving X to do his work. X walked over to the chair that Mr. Lawyer was sitting in and reclined back looking into the glare of the monitors watching nearly every room. What seemed like hours past by as he laid there in his own boredom.
I can't believe what they did to me! How dare them! I mean, here I am sitting in a stupid surveillance room watching a little birdie walk around in his cell when I could be off stealing something better!
X's mind continued ranting while his lips stayed silent with the exception of a few curses. He looked into the monitor that watched Robin's cell and drifted into deep thought.
"RAH!" Cyborg yelled as he ran toward me. I could have dodged him, but that would have been counter productive wouldn't it. He slammed me with his right shoulder with a force that felt like getting whacked with a sledgehammer.
"Quickly, now." I tell myself, this was my only chance. My arm wraps around Cyborg's back as I flew toward the teller window. Instantly I placed the bug on him and my job is done.
I flew into the window busting it open. I was conscious but couldn't appear to be so I rest my eyes down and try to look unconscious. I heard a few booms and bangs as those goons I hired for the "Bank heist" dropped down like I expect them to.
A few minuets later I heard silence signaling that my little boy scouts are now knocked-out.
A while later I heard police sirens. Finally, they were here; I was wondering how long it'd take them. They lifted into the car and I fake a grunt of pain. The rumbling of the engine sounded and I'm headed of the jail.
Yeah, like that was going to happen.
I happened to keep a spare "X" bomb where ever I go for escapes such as this one. I take it out of my pocket and my hired hands instantly realize who their boss really is. I place it onto the middle of the police car floor and set the charge. I hugged the left corner and waited for the explosion.
"Boom!"
There it was. I walk to the hole and my teammates look at me in surprise. They had the face of "He's not going to jump, is he?" Leaving those cowards, behind I jumped down into the ground below, I rolled down through to street knowing that a few bumps and bruises will come out of this. Luckily, the car wasn't going very fast because we were in the jam packed entertainment district.
I could hear the car screech to a halt, but by the time the guards have the time to look for me I'm long gone. I ran into a nearby alley and gave my little update.
"X here."
"Is the bug in place?" asked the shadowy acquaintance whose voice I had grown to loathe.
"Yeah, it'll do what I said. Hack in to Cyborg's systems, locate the security codes, send them to me, then drop of him and deactivate."
"Excellent we'll call you when it is time for the tower's siege. Think you can stay occupied while you wait?"
"I'll manage."
I closed the lid on my communicator and walked out of the alley.
"This'll be fun." I told myself.
X smiled at the brilliance of his plan, but now, he only longed to get out. His mind pondered all of the options open to him and he decided to have a little fun at the organization's expense. He wanted to get back at them, and he knew just how.
X pushed the button to the intercom on Robin's cell.
"Okay Hero time for a little game, I'll let you out of this room and give you one hour to escape. Call it a head start. If you're not out by that time, well, we'll see. Let this little game of cat and mouse begin"
Robin's ears snapped to attention at the sound of his offer. One hour, this wouldn't be easy but Robin thought he could handle it. The door to his cell plopped open and Robin walked out. Hanging on the wall was a pair of lock picks that Robin affectionately named "Bird Picks."
"One more thing," X said. "At certain points throughout the building I've laid out pieces of your equipment. Let's call these places 'checkpoints.' They'll be placed in areas preceding a place you'll need them, like you need your picks for this door. By the time you're out you'll have all your stuff, but that's if you get out of course. Better get moving hero, clock's ticking."
Robin grabbed for his lock-picks and rushed to the door. Robin calmly lifted his pick and placed it in the door feeling for the picks. Within no time, about twenty seconds, he had picked it open and was on his way out.
X simply thought of it as a game of cat and mouse. Robin looked at it as Rainsford and Zaroff's "Most Dangerous Game."