Itachi and Artemis were back in her apartment. She wanted to hear Itachi out before casting any preconceived judgments. They were currently in the spare room drinking tea that she had her mother make. Drinking tea always calmed her nerves whenever she was getting anxious and finding out that your friend's roommate is moonlighting as a vigilante is something that can get you pretty anxious. Itachi was sipping his tea with a look of calm on his face that perplexed and unnerved Artemis even more.

'I just found out this dude's secret but he's acting like nothing has happened. I can't get a read on him at all,' she thought.

"Well let's start with what you were doing on that rooftop and why you're doing something so stupid like being a vigilante when doing that put's the people close to you at risk," Artemis started.

Itachi put is cup of tea down and after a long pause turned towards Artemis, "I'm doing this for the people of this city that can't. And as for the people that I care about, they are in no risk at all."

"Oh really, do you have training? What about any special abilities? Or did you just wake up one day and decide to put yourself and those around you at risk like an idiot," she ranted trying to wrap her brain around why a sweet guy like Itachi would be doing this. She had heard some of the stories about the cruel things the Crow had done; they just don't seem to fit to him.

"Yes, I have training. That much should be obvious from how I caught your arrow earlier. And to answer your last question, I put myself at risk so that those around me don't have to live in fear of common thugs anymore. Besides, if I were to die it's not like I'll be missed by anyone here," he said calmly.

"Wow, a man of few words. You know from how Carson talks about you I would have thought you two were a lot closer than that." She saw how Itachi had to pause from that jab and smiled. Itachi knew she had seen through his attempt of misdirection. Part of being a good liar is more than coming up with a feasible story on the fly; it's being able to combine parts of the truth with parts of a lie while making sure that both sides flow together until they eventually do become you're truth. He's obviously been out of practice.

"She and I, we…it's complicated. That's not what's important though, what really matters is me taking down Black Mask. That is why I put on the mask. Once he's dealt with I'll stop," he replied.

"I'm not telling you to stop, hell you just saw me in a costume and mask too. What I'm saying is you need to be careful. Carson told me that when she found you, you were alone on the streets and unconscious. You've probably been alone for most of your life and had to only worry about yourself. Carson, on the other hand, has always had someone watching out for her though; you and Carson don't exactly come from the same upbringing," she said.

"I'd never do anything to put her in harm's way. I owe a lot to her…when I first started doing this it was for the sole purpose of getting revenge for Carson and her family, but after seeing firsthand how much damage that would-be tyrant has caused and just how many people and their families he has hurt, it made me realize just how unprotected this city is," he spoke truthfully.

Artemis sympathized with him. He spoke again except with a lot more conviction in his voice, "Ever since I was four years old, all I have ever wanted was for the fighting to stop and for there to be peace. Right now my only goal is to take this man down so that his victims can finally feel like they can live their lives without fear of him. If donning that crow mask helps further that cause then I'll do it, especially if no one else will."

"Itachi if you bear the weight of the world on your shoulders, it'll destroy you. Everyone needs help, even Superman and he's the closest thing we have to a God on this planet. The world is just too big for one man to try and change it," she responded. That's how her mentor Oliver sold her on joining the team. "A man with conviction can move mountains, but a team with a harmonious goal can truly change the world, that's what someone once told me Itachi."

Itachi mulled on her words silently. She had a point and even he had admitted earlier that his flaw in his attempt of trying to save his family was that he did it alone instead of trusting in Sasuke, now all of these years later here he was making the same mistakes again. He needed to trust in others. Because of how gifted he's been it was always so easy to just rely on his own abilities, and for a long time he didn't have to depend on anyone other than himself. It wasn't until he met Naruto and saw the devotion he had in Sasuke that he learned to finally put his faith into others.

"You're right Artemis, I can't do this alone. I have to learn to trust in others, even if it's just for them to give me a different point of view on things. Thank you for the advice," he finished with a smile.

She was shocked. She was so used to her words being ignored by the team, specifically Wally, that it made her have to do a double take. He had just admitted she was right, and even thanked her. "So what did you do tonight before this whole fiasco," she asked.

"I blew up all of Black Mask's money; I set every bit of it up in flames. But on the way back I ran into Batman and had to deal with him before the others could make it to the scene, and after that I was going to return home but I saw that Carson's brother was there and was deciding on what to do next when you arrived," he answered.

She was still stuck on the part where he said he fought Batman. How were they having this conversation if that had happened, unless he actually beat him? "Wait you fought Batman? How are you not black and blue everywhere? Do you know how skilled he is?"

"He's very skilled. I can tell he's had excellent training, but the element of surprise and misdirection was on my side. Sometimes that's all it takes," he said.

She sat there amazed, 'If he beat Batman of all people that means he must have had extensive training. I don't think I've heard of Batman losing ever, there sure is a lot more to Itachi than his pretty face.'

"Well you'll have to show me some moves then if you're that good. And for what to do about James being back Carson suggested that you stay with me, and since you're already here you might as well stay," She then got up to leave, "I'm about to head to bed. With everything that's happened today I think a good night's sleep is needed. You can sleep in here while you stay, my mom won't mind at all. She enjoys the company of my friends, the few of them that exist anyway. Well, goodnight."

She then left out of the room. Itachi just sat there thinking, 'Well I guess I don't have a choice now do I. I guess I can go see Carson tomorrow. I'm sure she'll appreciate it.'

He was about to go to sleep when Artemis popped her head back through the door with a devilish smile on her face, "Oh and since I'm keeping your secretfor you, that means you owe me one in the future. Just letting you know," she said in a serious yet teasing tone.

At hearing this Itachi groaned inwardly, 'I hate owing people.'

Roman Sionis was not a man to be trifled with on his best days, so when he got the news of what happened to all of his money everybody feared for what he would do next. So when all of his underlings were summoned, they were shocked to see their boss was laughing like a madman. You would have thought he had seen a comedy show by how wildly he was behaving.

One of the brave henchmen chose to speak up, "Um boss…are you okay-" he never got to finish that sentence when Sionis blasted his head off with a powerful semiautomatic shotgun. He then started to laugh again.

"Well that's another one that bites the dust. Am I okay? DO I LOOK OKAY TO YOU IDIOTS! I just lost everything I have worked so hard to get over these years in the slums. I didn't just lose all of my money, I lost my business partners' money too; all 22 million of it. WHO BLOWS UP 22 MILLION DOLLARS? Do you know how many people had to die for that money, DO ANY OF YOU KNOW!?"

All of the thugs shook their heads in fear that if they answered audibly they would have their heads blown off too. Their boss continued on his rage and alcohol induced rant, "Years of dealing with Batman and his little sidekick, and not a penny wasted," he then took another swig of alcohol, "but after one unfortunate run-in with this-this Crow, and now all of a sudden I find myself in the welfare line with the rest of you pathetic losers! Now what am I going to do? It won't be long before my now former business associates come after me for losing their money and when they do I'll be as good as dead."

His adviser walked up to him and tried to placate him, "We just need to show them that they can still have enough reason to trust us to correct this. We need to punish the one responsible for this; make an example out of him."

"How? We don't even know who this bastard is or what the hell he wants. So killing or extorting him isn't a feasible answer," he said dejectedly.

His longtime friend smiled at him and let him in on what he was thinking, "Don't you find it odd how this guy just randomly pops up at the same time that you try to get Agatha's daughter back here. I mean what are the odds of it happening that every time you make an attempt on Carson, this Crow guy showed up to save the day."

Black Mask was starting to connect the dots on what he was saying, "You think they are connected somehow? That she knows who he is?"

"I think it goes deeper than that. Ever since the first time we sent Lou to get her, this Crow guy has been up our ass trying to usurp us at every corner. All of the attacks from doctors' reports that we paid to keep concealed says that they all have the same patterns of injuries, meaning this guy has been trying to stop us from the very beginning."

"Yeah but ever since Lou failed at getting her from her apartment, he's been a ghost. A cheetah couldn't have run away faster than he did," Roman mused.

"That's because he knew you would have killed him for failing twice. You don't believe in third chances," he replied. Roman couldn't help but nod at his friend. "It's true; I would have killed him and his wife and kids right on the spot for failing as much as he did. If I had known, though, that this Crow was the source of these roadblocks I would have at least heard him out until he gave me a name and then shoot him and his family. Another missed opportunity."

"Maybe not boss. Think about it. This Carson girl has been pretty isolated since her father started pushing up daisies. She doesn't have that many people who would care enough about her to challenge you. In fact, I can name them all with just one hand; Agatha, Carla, and her brother James. Now of those three names, who do you think would be most capable of pulling off the vigilante shtick best?"

"James. He's had military training from his time in the army. That bastard," Roman growled out as his rage now found a target. His friend having picked up on this continued, "And I happen to know that little James has been back in town for weeks undercover. All thanks to the info provided to us by his commanding officer. Money well spent if I do say so myself. I even know that James is even currently staying with his sister now so it shouldn't even be that difficult for us to go get him and make an example out of him."

"Not just him, we get Carson too. They both must pay the piper. Agatha will just have to make new children," he said while straightening up his attire. He planned to make them both pay for challenging him. 'They will pay slowly and painfully with their lives,' he thought blissfully.

"Doing this will restore the Light's faith in us and ensure that we get continued support from them. David, I need you to make a phone call to our friend in the GCPD; Lieutenant Phil Pierce. Tell him I need Carson's entire apartment along with surrounding street camera's disabled. No wasting time, we do this tonight," Roman declared.

"Which of the men should I send to get them," David asked.

"Just send some over now to keep tabs on them, but I want to be the one who raids the apartment. I feel this needs a more personal touch," he answered.

"Very well, I'll make the phone call now." David then left satisfied. He would handle his end and this whole dilemma would be solved before there was any hell to pay.

Roman cracked his knuckles and took another swig of his drink. He then turned to address his men with renewed confidence, "This madness ends tonight! We will get back our control over this city, stomp out anyone who would dare challenge us again, and show Gotham what real darkness looks like! The kid gloves come off, to the False Face Society!"

His men then roared back, "To the False Face Society!"

Itachi woke up early and was trying to plan out his day. He figured after last night he'd let Black Mask stew in his rage, at least for a day or so. In the meantime Itachi was hoping to lay low until he caught wind of whatever retaliation that would be coming his way. He got up and put his mask back into his seal and left out of the spare room. He then saw a note that was left next to the door. It was from Artemis, "I hope you slept well Itachi. Sorry, I'd greet you myself but I got called in for work. This happens from time to time but I should be back within the end of the day so don't get into any trouble since I won't be there to give you a hand."

He stayed stoic as he read the note. He flipped it over to see that it had more written on it and started reading the rest of it silently to himself, "Oh and P.S. - You should go spend some time with Carson. After I left last night she started texting me asking about you. She wanted to make sure you made it back safely. It's cute seeing her worry about you, I think you spending the day with her would placate her worries and I'm sure she'll appreciate the time with you. Have a good day and don't lay your charm on her too much!"

He put the note away and sighed. He knew she was right, but did she have to be so flamboyant with it. He didn't mind spending time with Carson at all. He actually enjoys her company, but after what Artemis talked about with him last night he wanted to make sure that she stayed safe. He figured them going to the park would be the best bet. 'There's no way they'd risk attacking in such a public place after their margin of error got drastically cut by losing all of that money. Plus, they still have no idea who I am under the mask,' he reasoned.

He was about to head out when a woman in a wheelchair greeted him, "Hello there, I'm Paula Crock. You must be my daughter's friend Itachi. She's quite smitten with you. She refers to you as the 'hot neighbor from across the hall'. Are you going off somewhere already? I made breakfast for my daughter but that girl is always in such a rush that she never stops to relax for a bit. Will you stay and chat for a bit?"

Itachi stood there silent. This woman did just allow him, a complete stranger, to sleep in their home just off of her daughter's word. The least he could do to repay that kindness was stay and enjoy a peaceful meal with her. He also wanted to get to know Artemis more and was sure the girl wasn't too keen on opening up.

"Of course I can stay," He said before flashing a smile of gratitude. He then got plates and went over to the kitchen table. There they would sit and enjoy the food she cooked. It almost reminded him of his interactions with his own mother. She spoke glowingly about Artemis, he could tell she really loves and is proud of her daughter. They had spoken for about an hour when Itachi got up to leave. Carson didn't have class today so Itachi figured her schedule would be free unless she had already made plans to hang out with her brother.

He turned and bowed his head at Paula, "Thank you for the meal and for the conversation. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and be thankful what life has given to us."

She smiled back at him, "No, thank you. I never get to talk with Artemis's friends so knowing that she has made a kind friend like you is a relief. Hopefully next time my daughter can be here to join us. Well have a nice day and don't forget we have a spare key under the mat, though I should be here whenever you need to come back."

"Thank you," He said before heading out. He went to knock on Carson's door. After she didn't answer the first knock, he figured she must have left earlier. He felt a tinge of disappointment but quickly cast it aside and went to go on his own. Just when he was about to turn to leave though the door swung open and out came Carson to give him a bone crushing hug.

She looked up and smiled brightly at him and he couldn't help but smile back. "How was it at Artemis's place? She said that you were so silent it was like you were never even there. Did you eat? My brother won't be back until a little later so maybe we could go get something to eat? Oh and-," but Itachi stopped her before she could continue on her tangent.

"How about we go inside to talk? You have a bad habit of asking questions and then not letting me answer them," he said as he went inside her apartment.

As soon as he walked in he could already see that it went right back to being the mess it was when he first got here. 'It seems they're both against cleaning after themselves,' he thought while shaking his head.

As if reading his mind, Carson started to tidy up as much as she could on short notice and gave a quick apology. They sat down on the couch and he listened while she described her day yesterday. She spoke about getting to see her brother and how much fun she had with him. He could tell Carson truly loved her brother by how she spoke about him. Though she did crack the occasional joke or two about him, it mostly was her commenting how it felt like old times again.

"It was nice overall and I don't have any complaints, how about you Itachi? What did you do after I left for school," she asked. Itachi stayed silent for a while. At first Carson thought he was going to ignore her when he opened up and said, "I mostly stayed in the park to enjoy the outdoors. When it came time to return back I saw that your brother was already there. It was good that Artemis had just gotten off of work and saw me to invite me inside her home. We talked and I went to sleep afterwards. I woke up, had breakfast with Artemis's mother, and went outside to be bear hugged by you."

Caron blushed from embarrassment before apologizing again but Itachi stopped her before she could finish, "No need to apologize…it was nice," he said shyly. Carson then started to joke with him, "Aw, would you look at that. It looks like I'm rubbing off on you. I remember when we first met it was like pulling teeth just to get you to say more than five words to me, but look at us now; telling each other about our days."

Itachi thought about what she said and she was right. When he first got here he was cold and distant towards her, but after getting to know her he could honestly say that she has become someone he has learned to care for. She's helped him more than she could ever know just by the kindness she's shown to him. He still doubts, though, that he'll ever tell her about his life before meeting her for obvious reasons.

"I mean you still seem allergic to conversations at times, but progress is progress. And speaking of progress," she then started to eye and feel through Itachi's hair much to his annoyance. Since she had him cut it, his hair has almost grown back to its original length. "I think it's time for another haircut Itachi. You know…I was kinda hoping to cut your hair this time and-," but Itachi didn't even have to let her finish before know that his answer would be an emphatic no.

"Come on, please. You know you wanna." Itachi yet again shot her down hard. "No, I don't. Maybe next time Carson." He then poked her in the forehead like he used to do with Sasuke.

"No fair, you never want to do anything fun Itachi. Hey, where are you going," she said while rubbing her forehead. Itachi had gotten up and went to the door. "We're going to the park so that you can finally know why I like these peaceful walks, come on."

She smiled with excitement and followed Itachi out. On the way she made sure to text James and let him know that she'd be gone with a friend. Her hope was that today she could introduce them to each other and hope it would be smooth and not awkward at all.

"Itachi, where exactly are we going by the way?" Itachi told her that they were going to the Wayne Botanical Gardens. It was open to the public and had the nicest flowers in the state. She never figured Itachi for a plant guy but she didn't judge. Itachi enjoyed it mostly because it was the closest reminder he had of the Leaf Village. They quickly left out to start their day together.

Across the street watching them leave was an all-white van. It had been there for a few hours now and the man inside quickly turned the engine on to continue his surveillance. His partner got out his phone and called his boss; the Black Mask.

"Boss, the girl is leaving the apartment with some random guy. Do you want us to follow them?" he asked.

"Yes, wait till I give the signal before snatching her up. I want this done simultaneously so that they can't warn each other," Roman ordered.

"I understand boss."

James was on his way back home from meeting with his superiors. As much as he wanted to spend more time with his sister, he knew that his duties came first. As a soldier, it was his mission to stop any threat that could harm the United States. About a month ago his superiors told him that a ripple was detected in the multiverse. He had to practically beg to be put on the job. After finally getting it he was stationed stateside under the umbrella of ARGUS. As their agent it was his job to locate the disturbance, determine its goal, and if determined hostile eliminate it.

He currently knew that the rip happened in Gotham so now all he had to do was find out who or what came out of it. His superiors allowed him to stay in Gotham with his sister as he worked on the case. Normally a job like this would go to someone with way more experience than him, but his commanding officer put the good word in for him so he was chosen out of the ten or so candidates. Funny, because he could swear that his CO didn't like him too much but he wouldn't complain if it means seeing Carson again.

She hasn't changed much since he left for the army. If anything she's started to show more of her true self again. He hadn't seen Carson this happy in a long time. When she gave him her infamously strong hugs it was like the good times. Hopefully nothing happens to ruin their time of peace.

He made it back to the room to see that his sister was still gone. "I guess I can catch up on some sleep while I'm the only one here," he surmised out loud but he then suddenly heard a voice that sent chills down his spine.

"Too bad you're not alone though kid. You just walked into the devil's playground. And I must say that you are dead, you are going to regret crossing me…Crow."

A confused James turned around and saw none other than the Black Mask himself. He quickly went to draw his pistol but was beat to it when Black Mask fired a shot that hit him in the shoulder first. He started bleeding and writhing in pain on the floor. Black Mask cackled at the boy while slowly walking over to him. He then kicked James in the ribs so hard that he flipped on his back. James tried to get back up be he was kneed in the face and quickly subdued.

"Kid, there are consequences to every action. My father taught me that when I was a young boy and then when the time came I shot him dead for all of the hell and abuse he made me endure; consequences. Ever since then no man has ever crossed paths with me without suffering consequences, just ask your late father. So when I found out that you were the one that has been disrupting my little operation I couldn't just stand by and let that keep happening. Now as a consequence, I'm going to beat the holy hell out of you James." James groaned in pain. He didn't know what this creep was talking about but his ribs hurt too much to speak, they must have been broken.

"I don't understand you kid. After I took your mother away and made your sister work for me I would have thought you learned you lesson." Black Mask pulled him up by his collar and grinned in his face. James spat the blood he was coughing up at the man's face. Roman for his part laughed at him, "Now that was uncalled for, I don't know what that was for James; you'll have to refresh my memory!" He then started to slap, punch and stomp on James repeatedly until he was barely conscious. He threw him throughout the apartment while wreaking everything.

"Was that because I took your mother or making your sister a criminal for me, hell maybe it was for what happened to dear old dad!" he then slammed James's head against the table and leaned down to look him in the eye before evilly whispering, "Maybe it was for what I'm going to do to your dear sister Carson the next time we meet. My men are picking her up now and I certainly hope she has more brains than you do kid. Spitting in my face huh, HOW DARE YOU!" Roman then started ramming his head over and over again.

James was on the cusp of death when the beating stopped, he was surprised to see Black Mask cleaning his hand with a towel as his men started to flood the apartment. "Don't worry, I won't kill you yet, Carson still has to see the show. Who knows, if she screams loud enough for me maybe I'll keep her as a spare for when her trash mother gets too old? Yeah I like the sound of that. You on the other hand should start saying your prayers because today is your last day on Earth and I promise you on my mother's grave that you'll pay for every cent that went up in flames; all 22 million dollars of it."

James passed out after that. Roman then had his men carry James out back so that they could continue this in the privacy of his base. Before leaving, Roman sent the text for his men to get Carson. He left out of the room with a gleeful smile in anticipation of what was to come later.

It was about four in the afternoon and Carson and Itachi were still at the gardens. They were currently sitting on a bench enjoying each other's company. Itachi was staring at the water fountain in front of them and reminisced on how Shisui would take him to the Forbidden Forest to train. Afterwards they would sight-see and stare out into the pond and reflect. It was when he most felt at peace. Carson on the other hand was not so subtly staring at Itachi trying to gauge what he was thinking. 'He can be such an enigma at times and at others be so aloof looking,' she thought.

He got her attention when he spoke her name, "Carson, if you're going to stare then at least try to be more inconspicuous about it. It's rude," he said.

She started blushing at being caught. "My bad, I guess I was staring hard. I was just trying to guess what you were thinking right now."

"Next time just ask me," he replied.

"How do I know that you'll answer," she retorted.

"You'll just have to ask to find out. Maybe I will, maybe I won't." he said stoically. She shook her head at him. As much progress as they have made, it's still nowhere close to where she wants it to be. Itachi just always seems to have a wall up, guarding against the slightest infraction. 'He must have had a really tough past,' she surmised silently.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked. Itachi looked deeper into the water and sighed. He didn't like letting people into his head. Even Sasuke had a hard time with getting through to him.

"I had a friend once, his name was Shisui. We'd go and sit by ponds like this and just talk, sometimes for hours. I missed doing that I suppose."

"What happened to your friend? How come you never introduced us?" she asked.

"He committed suicide a few years back, it was unexpected," he said quietly. He's just seen so much darkness and death that he learned to keep hidden away. Eventually, he knew that he would have to let the darkness and hate go if he was to ever progress forward. He still didn't know what to do after Sionis was dealt with. The sage sent him here to save the world, but from what exactly he still hadn't figured out and it troubled him. He thought going to the pond would help but it hasn't done much for him.

Carson immediately regretted asking the question. She put her put her hand over his hand and gave her sincerest apology, "I'm so sorry Itachi. I-I shouldn't have opened my big mouth. It's like the absolute worst thing to say always comes out of my mouth," she lamented.

"It's alright. Like I said, it happened years ago and there's no way you could have known. Remember I enjoy listening to you, so don't ever think you have to censor your thoughts for me," he said understandingly. Carson smiled at him and gripped his hand even harder. 'Now I see why he likes the pond, it must be a way for him to still feel connected to his friend,' she realized.

She then got up and started to pull Itachi with her, "Come on. Let's go to my favorite place. My dad used to take my brother and me there all of the time to get ice cream. Hurry up slow poke it isn't far from here!"

Itachi shook his head at her and started to follow her. As they were walking he got a bad feeling all of a sudden. He had recognized that same van that was across the street from all the way back at the apartment. He was starting to think that they were being followed. Itachi made a mental note to handle them should they continue to the ice cream store with Carson and him.

As they crossed the street Itachi saw that the van was empty and really began to worry. Just as he was about to tell Carson to wait by the sidewalk while he investigated, a cylindrical item was rolled out by them. He quickly went to inspect it despite Carson's wishes. "Is that a bomb," He heard a small beeping noise emitting from it and pushed Carson back. He tried to jump out of the way but part of the blast still caught him.

The next thing he knew all of his senses were somehow distorted. His head started to throb and his ears rang so loud it felt like a church bell was right beside it. He tried to get up but his equilibrium was off quilter and he fell down again. He looked up through blurred vision to see two men rush and kidnap Carson. After seeing that he tried to activate his sharingan but his eyes wouldn't work. His chakra control was in disarray and the stress of it all made his eyes start to bleed. 'Even though I avoided most of it, that thing must have still somehow disrupted my chakra network,' he figured.

He looked up through bloody eyes to one of the men walk up to him with a pistol in his hands. He had a skull mask on which told him he was aligned with Black Mask. He tried to hear what the man was saying but his ears were still in pain from the blast. In the distance he could see Carson struggling in another masked man's grip but ultimately be thrown into the back of the van. He tried to make one last ditch effort to save her but was stopped when he got punched in the midsection and fell back down. His hearing began to improve slightly because he could finally start to make out part of what the man was saying.

"Hello…yes but we…yeah okay…boss says I can't kill you…concussion grenade…senses are useless...no point struggling…okay okay I'm coming…shut her up…night night," Itachi then felt his vision go dark after being pistol-whipped. It wouldn't be until hours later when he would wake up. He opened his eyes to see that he was inside of an ambulance that was taking him to a hospital. He heard the paramedic talking to him but he paid him no attention, his only focus was on Carson and figuring out how to get her back.

Thinking quickly he broke out of the stretcher and opened the back of the ambulance to see that it was now dark out. Ignoring the pleas from the paramedic, he jumped out, landed on his feet, and dashed away all in one stride. He still felt weak from whatever it was that got him but he pushed through it knowing that Carson was taken and in danger. He summoned his crow mask and went to the Sionis Steel Mill to end this. When he got there though he discovered it was completely empty, it was like no one was ever there to begin with. He searched every tight space his sharingan could see and even summoned two of his crows but nothing was found.

Now tired and running out of options, Itachi decided that the best move would be to go back to Carson's apartment. His rationale was that he could retrace the van and come up with a clue as to where Carson was being held.

He quickly teleported away and ran as fast as he could to her apartment all the while lamenting how he could have let his happen. "What was that thing and how could I have been so careless as to fall for it. I should have seen it coming, now my weakness has put Carson in danger!" he said to himself as he dashed even faster.

He made it to the rooftop across from Carson's to see that the police had quarantined this who block off. No one could get in through the front because of an investigation. Itachi first felt it was strange but then he remembered that James was supposed to be staying there and after what happened to Carson he could be next. He snuck in through the back and entered her apartment. Sure enough, it was as he feared; everything was a mess. It looked like a tornado hit this place but most importantly James was nowhere to be found. He did see that there was a lot of blood everywhere, like someone was beaten pretty badly. "That must be why the police are out front, Roman must have taken James while we were gone," he concluded.

He tried to come up with a new plan but nothing came to mind. He was out of options and soon would be out of time unless something major changed. Just as he was about to grow even more frustrated he heard an object thrown his way. He quickly caught and to his dismay, saw that it was a batarang.

Now really losing patience he activated his sharingan and issued a threat, "I don't have time for this. I'm in a hurry so if you don't back off I can't promise you that I'll be as lenient as last time Batman."

The dark knight emerged from the shadows. "I got a tip that Black Mask aka Roman Sionis was responsible for this. According to police reports Roman orchestrated all of this chaos. It seems he is still as violent as ever."

Itachi was still on alert as Batman continued to assess the damage done. He stopped and examined the blood on the floor while typing on his gauntlets. After he was done he turned and addresses Itachi again.

"Crow, last time we met it was under the veil of the unknown, but you being here confirms a few hypothesizes of mine," he got the results back from the blood test he sent Alfred and sure enough it wound up being a match to James Collins. "The first one being that you indeed were the one that stopped the raid of Carla's Café. You saved a lot of lives that day. The next one is that you seem to know Carson Collins to some extent. As it turns out she too was abducted earlier. We can assume it was by Sionis as well and the fact that you are here instead of where ever they are seems to let me know that he has relocated from the Steel Mill base he used to operate out of."

Itachi was taken aback by how perceptive this man was. It was like looking in the mirror. "Despite our differences one thing about us we do have in common, and that is our need to protect Gotham. I don't like how you've been patrolling my streets or setting entire train stations on fire, but we need to move past it and operate quickly if we are to save the Collins family and put Black Mask away for good."

That was where the source of the problem began, "And how do you suppose we do that when we can't find them?" Itachi asked. Batman smirked at his question.

"Who says we don't know where to find them," Itachi's interest was at its peak, "I've been keeping tabs on a mole working for the Black Mask. He is a GCPD officer and has been getting paid off to look the other way on Roman and his men's transgressions. We squeeze him, we get Roman."

Itachi now wanted to find this man as soon as possible, "Give me a name and where to find him." He demanded. Batman held his hand out to temporarily quell Itachi, "Not so fast Crow. If we do this, it gets done my way. You are to follow my lead and under no circumstance are you to kill anyone. No one dies tonight," he said defiantly.

Itachi stayed patient and thought about the situation he was in. He had no leverage. While he could just use a genjutsu to make Batman tell him what he wanted to know, a part of him knew that he would need his help. He then remembered his last encounter with Naruto. He told him that power can make you arrogant and isolated. 'That's why Carson wound up in the danger she was in now; I got arrogant. I didn't treat Roman like the threat I should have. There is nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal,' Itachi thought.

If he was going to do this, it would be with Batman and him working together, "I accept your terms."

"Good, we move out now." He then went to the window and used his grappling gun to soar away with Itachi following close behind.

"Where are we going," Itachi asked.

"To the home of the one cop GCPD would least suspect of being dirty whose name isn't Jim Gordon," he replied courtly.

Phil was currently up late at night watching television. He didn't have to go to work the next day so he used it as an excuse to enjoy some downtime. He felt he needed it after when he got a phone call telling him to cut the cameras to an entire apartment complex. He knew that Black Mask was up to no good, but he needed the money; ever since the Café got closed for repairs he was the family's only source of income and it was weighing on him. But if he was being honest, that was just a crutch he told himself to try and justify his actions. He had been taking payments from Black Mask's crew for months before the attack.

At first he thought of it as a small side hustle. He got under the table payments to look the other way on Black Mask's operations. But over time looking the other way became providing information on witnesses/persons of interest, and now it has evolved into him being a full blown accomplice. When he saw on the news that the apartment was broken into and someone was taken because of it, he felt sick to his stomach. He hated himself, but he knew that he was already in too deep. If he tried to come clean, the only person who would suffer would be his wife Carla and she didn't deserve that.

He turned on to a taped game of the Gotham football game when all of a sudden the light in his house went out and he was shrouded in darkness. He knew he paid the light bill so why the power was off confused him especially when the backup generator didn't automatically turn on. He went towards the back to check everything out when he walked in to see none other than Batman standing in front of him.

He was terrified because he knew Batman being in his house must have meant that he knows that he is in lockstep with Black Mask. Just at that moment he could hear his wife come down the stairs, "Phil, what's going on? Why don't we have power because I could have sworn the bills were all paid?"

She walked in on him and Batman and shrieked, "What are you doing in our home!? Phil why is he here?"

He was about to answer her when he saw another figure standing just behind her. It was none other than the Crow too. 'But why are him and Batman both here, what mess have I gotten myself into,' he lamented.

Carla soon felt the presence of someone behind her. She turned and screamed as loud as she could when she came face to face with the Crow. Itachi silenced her in seconds by putting her under a genjutsu that made her collapse into his arms. He put her down on the floor softly and turned his focus towards his real target.

Phil was now angry at the vigilante, "What the hell did you do to my wife freak!? You'll pay for that!" He then pulled his gun out and aimed it at Itachi. Itachi stood there not feeling threatened in the slightest. Before Phil could fire his weapon, Batman disarmed him with a batarang that knocked it out of his hands.

"We don't have time to fight Lieutenant Pierce. Lives are on the line and with each passing second they become more and more lost. I know it was you who shut the cameras down in Carson Collins's apartment building. Just like I know it was you who gave Black Mask inside info on when Carson would be at work when you had your wife's restaurant ransacked. Enough people have died from this man's madness; tell me where to find him so that we can end this nightmare. Or do you want two more bodies on your conscious." Batman said trying to reason with Phil.

"What, are you supposed to be the good cop Bats? That's funny, it really is. You think I fear you Batman, I fear Black Mask way more than you. You don't kill, but he does and I can't afford to lose my wife," Phil responded.

"You will lose her when she finds out the type of man you really are. How do you think she will react when she learns the truth; she'll leave and turn away from you. You're only hope is to do the right thing and tell us where he is. Don't forget that Carla cares about Carson too, she'll never forgive you if Carson dies because of your cowardice," he reasoned.

Phil was starting to have an eternal battle. He was screwed either way by how he saw it. He wanted to do the right thing and tell Batman, but the fear of losing his wife clouded his judgment. He chose against it in the end, "Go to hell, both of you in fact. I did nothing wrong here. My conscious is clear as long as my wife stays safe. She's all that I care about now. If some wise mouth girl has to die for my wife to live, then so be it," Phil said defiantly.

Batman shook his head, "It can't be helped then. We're running out of time." He then turned to leave. Phil was confused until he remembered the Crow behind him. He turned and saw that he and his wife were gone. He turned back towards Batman but saw that he was replaced with the Crow, who in the blink of an eye was in front of him. Itachi then put Phil into a genjutsu. Phil soon found himself surrounded by flames, searing hot black flames.

Phil now in a panicked state yelled in pain, "What's going on!? Where are we and what happened to my wife!?" An image of Itachi made of the flames appeared before Phil. "We're in hell, like how you said you wanted me to go. Only I decided to take you with me. Your wife is fine; she's in your bed. She'll wake up thinking everything was a dream, but you aren't so fortunate. You're about to live out your worst fear until you tell me what I want to know."

The flames then got hotter and started to burn Phil even more. He begged for it to stop but Itachi did nothing but watch him suffer, "I can do this all day. I control everything in this reality; even time. An eternity for you in here can just be just a few seconds in the real world. Tell me what I want to know and I'll stop this."

Phil could hardly breathe anymore. The pain he felt was unbearable. He looked down to see his skin melting away and screamed, "Okay, okay! They're at the Robinson Park docks. It's meant to be a last resort for them should they be compromised! There I told you everything, please stop the pain I'm begging you!" Itachi used his sharingan to render him unconscious, but unlike his wife he would remember everything that happened to him. Itachi hoped he remembered it for the rest of his miserable existence. 'You sold out the innocent who couldn't protect themselves for a tyrant like Sionis. You don't deserve peace,' he thought bitterly.

He then left out to see Batman waiting for him outside, "They're at the Robinson Park docks. Let's head there now."

"The police commissioner has been informed of Pierce's treachery, he'll face justice for what he's done," he replied.

"Why did you try to reason with him? So much time got wasted because of that. I could have gotten the location a lot sooner and we'd be there by now," Itachi argued.

"Everyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves. The moment we take choice out of the equation is the moment we become no better than the monsters we try to stop," Batman said while grappling away. He was worried after hearing Phil scream but Itachi followed his end of the agreement by not killing him. 'Maybe the Crow can be a hero after all,' he thought.

Itachi followed after him. He knew he was right; his poor handling of Sasuke in trying to take his choice away was a prime example of that. It backfired badly. It's why he showed Phil mercy. All he wants is to bring Carson and James back safe and avoid killing anyone if he could. He didn't want her to see him as a murderer. He wants to keep his promise to Carson and not sink to Black Mask's level, but should anything happen to Carson; the only justice he would seek that would be acceptable is Black Mask's death. That was a promise.

That's it for this chapter! It's the longest one yet. I hope you all enjoy it. The next chapter marks the end of the Black Mask arc. After that we will get into the next phase in Itachi's story; meeting The Team. I enjoy your feedback both positive and constructive so keep reviewing. Leave a suggestion and if I like it, I'll definitely consider putting it into the story. Till next time guys and gals!